RubeusHagrid34: What's not to like? That's a question I depend on you to answer. The most frequent dislike is that it's a slow start in the first few chapters. A few people have mentioned that. Your question may have been rhetorical, but there's an answer. :P Most people really latch on to Simeon, and he actually won an award for Best Male OC when I originally posted this. I'm glad you like.

teacher123: Thank you so much. There isn't much more to this tale, one chapter after the one I'm posting now left to get up for this installment, but I think I've mentioned this is a trilogy. There will be more to explore in the life of Charlie Weasley.

- - -

Chapter Twenty-Five: The Snitch That Got Away

Charlie had become a scarce being around the reserve over the week following the argument with Abby, his whereabouts when not working or sleeping unknown by everyone, Simeon included. Disappearing for hours on end in the middle of the day, avoidance had become a game he was getting very good at. It eliminated the prospect of ever having to face anyone who might have known about what had happened between Abby and him that horrible April night, which was exactly what he wanted.

The days had become substantially warmer as May staggered on, allowing Charlie's disappearances to take place outdoors. As days grew longer he could go flying or walk around the reserve lands for hours until sunset, though the spring air didn't take his mind away from his problems for very long. On coming back to the reserve's main building, it was impossible to not look towards the infirmary windows and wonder if he would catch a glimpse of the equally elusive Healer as she closed the windows for the night. He told himself every day he wouldn't do so, but every time his eyes would fail to obey the instruction and try to catch a look.

It was the first rainy day in May that people actually saw Charlie hanging around the reserve, sitting at the edge of the mess hall with a morning newspaper and his breakfast alone. Against the backdrop of grey foggy windows with speckles of rain dotting them every few seconds, whispers went down the long table where his usual co-workers sat, wondering why he sat all by his lonesome, before two occupants of the table rose from their places and approached the solitary man in the back.

"Hi Charlie," Bella chimed brightly, stopping in front of the small table meant for four at the back of the mess hall, Simeon following along behind her.

"Morning," he responded, not bothering to look up from the newspaper he was reading as Bella sat across from him with her elbows resting on the table and her chin balanced on her fingers.

"How are you?" she asked casually, not trying to hide the concern that iced her words like chocolate frosting on a vanilla cake.

"Perfect," he replied, turning to the next page to read about the highlights of the most recent Quidditch match between Portugal's Braga Broomfleet and Germany's Heidelberg Harriers. "Did you hear about this game, Simeon? Brutal stuff those Harriers are made of."

"Talk to me, Charlie, please," begged Bella, her calm and concerned approach dropping in an instant for a more direct one.

"What is there to talk about?" asked the man across the table, looking over his newspaper for only a brief moment for Bella to see him shrug.

"Abby," she suggested the topic immediately without any hesitation. "You need to talk to her."

"Why?" he questioned, still reading the newspaper and admiring a picture of a brilliant save by the Portuguese Keeper as he executed an excellent Double Eight Loop.

"Because it's stupid to see the both of you lose something magical over something as trivial as unopened letters and a misguided kiss," Bella concluded, grabbing one end of the newspaper and snatching it from his grasp.

"It's not really trivial," argued Charlie, trying to grab his reading material back from Bella.

"It is," she snapped back, causing Charlie to back off and sit straight in his chair. "It's a stupid misunderstanding that could be easily resolved if the two of you would just talk it out like mature adults."

"Well, she doesn't want to talk," Charlie fought back, grabbing his cup of coffee before Bella could take it away from him too. "And quite frankly, if she doesn't, then I don't either."

"Oh," fumed Bella as she crumpled up the newsprint into a tiny ball, tempting herself to throw it at Charlie's head, "you're both so stubborn."

"Glad you've finally realised that," nodded Charlie, raising his mug to Bella before he took a sip of the hot morning brew.

Brushing aside the loose waves of hair that had fallen into her face, Bella shot a glance towards her boyfriend, urging him to say something to his best friend. The man only shrugged towards her, making her roll her eyes before turning back to the stubborn converser.

"Seriously Charlie," she started again, adopting a sterner voice, "you need to take the first step here. You did violate her privacy. I know you didn't intend to, but if she had read your mail concerning a broken relationship, you'd feel violated too. She's hurt that you, her friend, would think about her the way you did."

"Did she tell you that herself?" he asked, giving Bella an odd look.

"Well..." her voice became meek as she looked towards Simeon for the answer, "it's not what she said exactly..."

"We're not talking," Charlie stated the obvious, not bothering to wait for Bella to finish her concocted thought. "End of story."

"You have to," she argued, getting her strong voice back as her buttocks rose out of her seat a little.

"Why?"

"Because," Bella screeched, finally rising out of her chair completely, two balled fists at her side and ready to knock sense into Charlie if she had to. "She's handed in a weeks' notice to Herb already. She'll leave here if you don't talk to her."

"Let her do as she pleases," shrugged Charlie, leaning back in his seat with his coffee at his lips. "It is her life after all."

"Charlie..." Bella hands slammed against the wooden table with force she wasn't aware she had in her.

"Come on, Bella," Simeon finally spoke, taking his girlfriend by the arm and pulling her away from the table before she could protest. "See you later, Charlie."

"Simeon..." she whispered, telling him with her eyes to release her, the quieted voice falling on deaf ears.

Pulling his lady out of the mess hall and into the corridor, Simeon finally let go of her arm to shut the doors behind them. With his body blocking the entrance, Bella couldn't get back in, forcing her into words with him rather than Charlie.

"Simeon, why didn't you let me finish?" she argued angrily, placing her hands on her hips and giving him an evil glare.

"I do not think ve should interfere anymore," Simeon stated simply, keeping his arms crossed over his chest and not moving from his spot.

"But..." his girlfriend began to speak, only to have his index and middle fingers gently touch her lips and prevent her from going into a long endless rant on the topic.

"Ve cannot force Charlie to go after her," he explained plainly, bringing his two fingers up and brushing her hair back. "He must come on his own terms."

"But she'll leave," Bella argued intensely, pouting her lips as a few tears came into her eyes. "We can't just stand idly by and let them lose this."

"He must come to see this himself," her boyfriend repeated his wise words with a nod. "Ve cannot help him anymore. Ve have done vhat ve can. The rest is up to him."

Tenderly, he planted a peck in the middle of her forehead, taking her elbow into his own and leading her away from the mess hall. Leaning her head onto his shoulder, Bella let out a sigh, cursing the fact that Simeon had to be right in all of his logical sense.

"What if they don't make-up in time?" asked Bella, holding back on the tears.

"Then it vas not meant to be," sighed Simeon, reluctantly letting out the undesired information.

Nestling into her normal spot on Simeon's arm, there was only one thing Bella could say. "It is meant to be. I know it."

- - -

The floors of the infirmary sloshed with water and soap, suds bubbling and creating clean white foam as a mop moved them about the tiles. Scrubbing hard against the dirty marks tracked in by dragon keeper's boots there was a tinge of soreness spreading in the arms of the cleaning woman, the pain growing with every movement of her muscles. The entire infirmary floor had met her mop, and there were still the stubborn stains that refused to budge or fade the slightest bit. Finally frustrated with the spots that declined lifting by non-magical means, she took out her wand, took careful aim, and blasted them out of the tiles, leaving a shimmering floor beneath the suds.

"What happened to appreciating magic by not using it?" asked Seth as he stood at the infirmary door, watching the Healer begin to soak up the leftover water with a large sponge she conjured.

Abby looked towards the door, giving Seth a menacing glare and silencing his smirk instantly. As the sponge absorbed the excess of soapy water along the ground, she diverted her gaze to it, picking it up in her hands and emptying the filled pores into an old metal bucket.

"If you're here to talk to me about talking to Charlie, you can turn around now and save your time and mine," she replied just as the sponge dripped the final drops of liquid.

"Actually, I just wanted to show you the draft of my next article," proclaimed Seth as the Healer picked up the bucket and waddled over the sink to dump the grey solution down the drain, a little sloshing over the sides as she walked. "I thought you might like to know where my research column is going in the near future."

Approaching the sink slowly, he let Abby pour the murky contents of her bucket down the drain before he pulled the article out of his front pocket, unfolding it for her to read. Drying her hands thoroughly against her pants, he handed her the neatly typed piece of yellow parchment paper, taking a seat atop of the counter and leaning on the cold rained on windows as she glanced over it.

"It's going to be published around the end of May, I think," he reported just before she could begin to read the title. "We do like to work ahead a few weeks with these research articles."

DRAGON TEARS
By Seth Hunter Johansson


Over four months in Romania has not been a lost cause, though I'm sure some researchers in the field would think so. To a degree, I could probably say I've failed miserably. Tears were collected, and experimented on, but nothing was procured from the tests performed. Tears were just tears at the end of the day, not intended to be taken into an open-heart surgery. One could argue that the only thing we have learned is to not repeat the experiment over again.

Those who know me know that this is not the end of the story.

Phoenix tears do not occur at random intervals, when they awaken from sleep or so forth, just as humans, Muggle or magical, do. Creatures shed tears on sadness, reacting to emotional stimuli such as loss or death. We can even cry when frustrated with the world. While in Romania, I did not observed and therefore did not collect the proper tears of dragons.

It was a thought I admit to overlooking.

It leaves an open question to the possibility of dragon tears. Further investigations on the matter are necessary if we are truly to unlock the secrets behind magical properties of magnificent creatures. There are endless mysteries in the world centred on the creatures, dragon tears being but one.

Perhaps dragons don't have the emotional responses like a phoenix or a person. Like some strong-willed people or wild phoenixes, perhaps they aren't able to shed tears. It brings forth psychological questions of the beast. Can a dragon feel pain or loss? They certainly know aggression, and aren't afraid to show it, but love and sadness are another story.

It will be up to another person to unlock this mystery behind tears of a dragon. By the 31st of May this 1995, my contract with The Healer Herald expires. I wish whoever may find interest in this topic, the best of luck and happy findings.

"Your contract with The Healer Herald is expiring?" Abby glanced up from the piece of parchment paper to stare at Seth, twiddling his thumbs patiently while waiting for her reaction.

"Yes," he nodded with a small proud smile, hopping off of the counter.

"You mean they haven't asked you to renew yet?" she asked, handing his article back to him.

"Oh, they have," Seth replied, looking over his own work with a grin. "They actually had me lined up to go to Fiji and study the soft bodies of Fire Crabs. I'm not renewing it though. I'm quitting."

"What?" Abby gasped, her green eyes widening.

"Something more important in life is presenting me with a grand opportunity," he explained in his most formal words. "I don't want to let it slide away."

The Healer let his words sink in before the truth dawned on her. Biting down on her lip softly, she looked at the journalist. "Liza?"

Seth smiled back, a dreamy Bella-like mist shading over his already grey and hazy eyes. "She wrote back last night. I'll be going back to Southampton to see my parents and Claire for a few days, bid farewell to my editor and staff, and then I'm flying back to Sydney on the fifth of June, and she'll be there for me."

"What will you do down there for work?" she asked curiously.

"Not too sure yet," he replied with a sigh and a shrug. "I still have my background as a Healer and I'm sure I can find something down there at the local hospital or where I did that research with Billywigs."

"Isn't that sort of...reckless?" Abby cautiously spoke, trying to choose her words carefully. "I mean, not knowing what you'll do job-wise once you're there? It's very uncertain."

"I guess it is," said Seth, brushing the concern aside with mere tone in his voice. "But, you know, I really don't care as long as I have Liza and I'm happy."

Abby could only nod, looking downward at her wet sneakers and stained shirt. Gently touching her shoulder, Seth brought her chin back up so her eyes could once again meet with his own.

"I know what you're probably thinking," he said softly, giving her a small smile. "Happiness finds everyone eventually. As Shakespeare once penned, 'The course of true love never did run smooth.' He was a smart guy cause it's a very true line. It's actually not just a bumpy journey. It's more like trying to hike up a mountain during an earthquake, but you just have to keep trying to go ahead in spite of obstacles."

Not bothering to laugh or scowl, Abby only gave a weak smile for the comment, using one hand to slowly push Seth's hands away from her. Turning back to the empty sink, she began to run clean water and add soap until it was filled with bubbles, dropping an old rusting pewter cauldron in as she searched for a scrub brush.

"What did you think of the article itself?" Seth asked, diverting their conversation away from his glee and her pain.

"It's well-done," she replied, finding a brush and beginning to scrap away at the golden red rust. "It's honest, and it does pose questions for further research. It leaves a lot of possibilities for the future."

"I should thank you then," he confessed readily. "I think you were an inspiration for this."

"How?" questioned Abby. "I don't think that one conversation we had about dragon tears would sway you."

"You're the most strong-willed person I know," explained Seth, clicking his tongue, "and I've never seen you cry."

The scrubbing brush and ancient cauldron slipped from her hands, sliding back into the sink with a small splash. As if she were stunned as she hunched over the water, not a single part of her body moved, everything paralysed in place.

"I mean no offence by it," Seth quickly covered his own words, "some people just don't cry even if they have every reason to in the world. It's not a flaw or a weakness. I hope you do know that it's perfectly fine if you do cry."

"What's the point of a human shedding tears?" she asked, shaking her head over the sink, grasping the edges as if she were going to vomit into the cauldron. "They don't change your situation unless you're a phoenix."

Seth shrugged. "Sometimes it just makes you feel better."

"I did a lot of crying years ago," Abby concluded, flicking her hair so it sat behind her shoulder. "It did nothing for me."

"Then that's fine," he agreed, patting her on the back.

Only bowing her head to concur, she turned back to the cauldron sitting in the sink. "I have a lot of cleaning to do. I don't want to leave this place in a mess for the next Healer Herb hires."

"Then I'll just say what Bella wanted me to say here once and leave you be," said Seth, giving the Healer's shoulder a tight squeeze. "Please reconsider this whole leaving thing. You've got friends here who are going to miss you incredibly, and one incident shouldn't make you run away from that, so just put some more thought into it."

With one last pinch to her shoulder, Seth turned on the balls of his feet and began to walk away, his shoes squeaking as he walked over the newly cleaned, and still damp, tiles. She listened as he turned the knob of the infirmary door, his steps dying as he found his way to the carpeted corridor.

"Oh, and talk to Charlie, because it's all just a big misunderstanding that can be worked out. I nearly forgot that part of the message."

- - -

Sunlight had graced the Romanian landscape shortly after the downpour and remained an entire week, still brightly shining on the day Abby was due to leave the reserve and board a plane back to the United Kingdom. As Simeon placed her single suitcase into the trunk of the old station wagon, a pack from the reserve had piled outside to see her off. Hugs were being exchanged all around the crowd, only a weak and simple smile coming from the departing as some workers tried to convince her to stay, Herb being among the beggars on their knees.

It was all completely viewable from the infirmary window as Charlie sat alone in the clean and empty place he had not visited in ages, his eyes watching the Healer as she made her way through difficult goodbyes amongst the crowd.

Turning a struggling golden ball in his fist, Charlie opened up his fingers, allowing the Quidditch piece to flutter just within his arm span before he would snatch it back in his palm. Though it was a fast Snitch, it didn't work well as a distraction from the events going on outside and below; the golden ball with silver wings had been a gift from the person he was trying not to think about. With a sigh, he continued to let the Snitch fly about in front of him, catching it and releasing it all the same in the vain attempt that it would take his mind off of things he didn't wish to have flying about in his head.

After Abby left, he wouldn't have to hide from everyone by going out for mid-afternoon flights over the woods. He wouldn't have to pretend he wasn't injured and attempt to mend bruises in the privacy of his room, and he wouldn't have to skip meals any longer either just to avoid not seeing her. She'd be gone for good.

It was a bittersweet moment. He could start living his life again, even though she was the one who had made it worthwhile before all the unpleasantness had unravelled.

A quiet click at the door made Charlie freeze in his spot, the Snitch already grasped in his hand tightly as someone walked into the room, pushing a cart laden with brooms, mops, a dustbin and cleaning material. Recognizing the visitor to the room on sight, Charlie breathed a sigh of relief, glad to have quiet company who was unaware of his dilemma.

"Oh, hello Nisha," he greeted his boss' wife as she waved merrily to the room's one occupant.

The Snitch was released again, his hand quickly snatching it from flight as his eyes went back to the window. Tearfully, Bella was bidding her goodbye, clutching onto her leaving roommate's shoulders tightly as Abby patted her back lovingly, though it also looked as though she was suffocating slightly beneath Bella's embrace.

"So clean in here," Nisha commented to herself quietly as she surveyed the room, running her hand against cabinets that stood between the beds and brushing her foot along the shining tiles. "She did an excellent job, not a speck."

Continuing her path through the infirmary, Nisha slowly made her way across the room until she was at the windows by Charlie, climbing onto the counter to inspect the cleanliness of the panes. Carefully gliding her finger against the glass, they squeaked with joy, putting a smile on her face.

"Your friend is leaving today," she spoke in a hushed voice, observing the scene beneath the windows before turning attention to Charlie. "Do you not wish to bid her farewell?"

"No," he answered right away. "We've said enough to each other."

Nisha nodded, turning back to the window, touching the cold glass as she watched Abby shake hands with Ryan Donaldson. "She is a lovely girl. Must be hard to say goodbye."

Not bothering with a response to the comment, Charlie turned his full attention to the Snitch, assuring that it didn't leave the circumference of his arm span while Nisha watched the last few people move in for a group hug. Opening one of the windows, the spring breeze brought in the smell of new life as sounds of farewells rang clear. Breathing in the fresh seasonal air, Nisha turned to face Charlie as she hopped off of the counter, watching intently as he concentrated on his game with the golden Quidditch ball.

"You are good with the Snitch," she said just as Charlie caught it by the tip of its silvery wing.

"I used to be a Seeker," he explained his skill with the fluttering ball before he released and caught it again.

"How nice," sighed Nisha, one of her dark longing eyes glancing at the open blue sky just over the woods. "I could never fly, being Squib. You like it?"

"It's fun," shrugged Charlie, not really knowing how to explain the like of the game to someone who couldn't be in the air to play it. He didn't want to say too much, not wanting to make Nisha feel worse over the fact she couldn't do the same things wizards could.

"I think I would have problems," Nisha confessed honestly, her voice getting a little quieter as she took a step towards Charlie, resting her palms on the countertop where he sat. "I am not good at catching things. I would let them...get away from me. But you are good, I think."

Her eyes went back to the window for only a brief second, her hand moving to rest on the fist that held the Snitch in place. With the lightest touch, like a delicate young butterfly on his skin, she patted his fist reassuringly, the bracelets on her wrist jangling as she moved the slightest.

"You would not let the most important thing slip away," she sighed, giving him a small smile.

Sliding her hands away from the countertop, Herb's wife moved away from the countertop, the cart of her supplies waiting to be used on a room that needed cleaning. Charlie watched as she moved away, wondering if Bella had been the one to send her up to talk. It seemed like too much coincidence for one conversation, yet it was strangely profound at the same time.

While his eyes were on Nisha leaving, he let his hand relax, and the Snitch broke free from his grasp.

With wickedly fast speed, the tiny walnut-sized ball zipped out of Charlie's reach, heading the open window before deciding to change directions and head upwards to the ceiling. Scrambling to his feet, Charlie leapt up to take the Snitch back into his hands, the silvery wing just escaping the tip of his fingers. Sinking back to the ground, the Snitch teased him, flying by his ear and around the back of his head. Before it could make a second lap and vanish in a blur, he fell onto his back and snatched the body of the ball in one hand, the wings on it retracting as he closed his hand around it.

"Close one," said Nisha as she walked backwards out the door, the pulling the cart out after her.

Lying flat on his back on the countertop, about an inch away from rolling right off onto the floor, Charlie could only stare at the Snitch in his hand, the first Snitch that nearly got away from him in his entire life.

"I'll see you at dinner, Mr Weasley." The door to the infirmary closed, leaving Charlie alone once again.

Bolting upright, Charlie's eyes darted for the window, just as the beat up station wagon was pulling out of the long driveway and heading down the dirt path, stirring dust as the wheels turned. The back of Abby's head was visible, though it slowly faded as Simeon drove the car towards Bucharest and out of his life. There wasn't time to think logically anymore.

Quickly shoving the golden ball into his pocket, Charlie leapt from his seat in the infirmary and burst out of the room, racing down the stairs as fast as his two legs could carry him. Running past fellow co-workers as they pushed him out of their way, he was too invigorated to stop and apologize for stamping on their feet. Once he had reached the front doors, he quickly jumped off of the veranda, Bella, Seth and Herb having to duck to the sides to get out of his way.

"Charlie, what are you...?" Bella began to ask, her heart racing from the shock.

"Explain later," he cut in, pulling his wand out and aiming it towards the garage. "Accio broom."

The garage door opened with a mighty slam, an ancient looking Comet 140 with a pealed handle and many missing twigs speeding out towards them, though often having to straighten out its flight path as it made its way. Finally stopping, and nearly falling to the ground, Charlie mounted it fast.

"What's going on?" Herb asked, adjusting the glasses on his crystal blue eyes.

Charlie had taken off before he could dignify his boss with an answer, pushing off on both feet and letting the wobbly broomstick lead him after the distant car. Manoeuvring so the broom stayed straight, he kept close to the ground, hoping that Simeon would at least see him in the car's mirror and slow down if the broom couldn't accelerate to a full speed.

Sputtering above the dirt road, dust and sand stirring as he went, it seemed doubtful that the stuttering broom would reach the car before it past the barrier between Muggle and magical world. Lifting up his body to take pressure off of the vehicle, it only sped up slightly, a quiet prayer hoping it would be enough to get to Abby before the barrier did. With hands gripping the rough worn handle as if it were Darren Barton's bare neck, there was no chance he would give up without a fight.

From the corner of his eye, the distant station wagon came into view, inching a bit closer with each second that past, Simeon taking caution with the bumpy gravel and dust road. Relieving weight from his rear a little more, the broom continued to speed up as he rode, getting closer to his heart's desire.

"STOP!" he called out, hoping that Simeon or Abby would hear him from the car. "STOP!"

The station wagon continued to make its way to the barrier, the driver not taking notice to the figure on a broom in the mirror but rather the young woman in the backseat as she stared out at the forest with a forlorn face.

Crouching lower to break less wind, Charlie sped up, continuing to scream and get the attention of someone. As his voice failed to reach the vehicle he approached, he took one hand off of the broom, waving madly in hopes the reflection from the mirror would be seen.

"STOP!" he yelled, taking both hands from the broom and sitting up straight, making himself as large as he could for the mirror.

Instantly the broom veered off course, swaying to the right and into the bushes and trees that lined the path. Branches, leaves, twigs, and insects found their way into Charlie's hair, his vision filled with the sight of green and brown shades. Putting his hands back on the broomstick, he pulled it to the left, slowly steering blindly back into the path, only to crash head on into the driver's side of the stopped car before landing on the dirt road as though he were aiming to be run over.

"Is he all right?" Simeon asked, throwing the door to the car open and struggling with his seatbelt at the sight of his still roommate in the middle of the path.

"Charlie?" Abby gasped, stepping out of the station wagon, and running towards him. "Charlie!"

Dropping on her hands and knees, she hovered over his body as he groaned, struggling to open his eyelids as pain throbbed through the back of his head. Removing her soft navy jacket hastily, she rolled it up between her hands to make a pillow, very gently lifting his head to slip it beneath him. As she cradled his neck in her palm, his eyes fluttered open, both of their hearts skipping a beat as green and brown irises met.

"Abby, don't leave!" he spat out right away, not allowing his head to think about what he was saying anymore.

"Be still," Abby instructed patiently, putting her jacket pillow beneath his head, allowing him to sink to its softness.

"Let me finish first," interrupted Charlie before Abby could speak again.

His hand grabbed her arm, sliding down her skin until it met with her hand, entwining his fingers with hers. Using what strength he had, in spite of the throbbing inside of his head and the Healer's orders, he sat up, causing him to wobble in a blood rush and for Abby to put her other hand behind his back to add to his support.

"I didn't kiss Giselle, for starters," he began, blinking rapidly to make the rainbow-coloured spots in front of his eyes go away. "She kissed me, and I tried to pull away. I did manage to, but I guess that was after you saw her kiss me. But I didn't enjoy that kiss. It was dreadful, really. I didn't want it and I never will. There is nothing going on between the two of us.

"Second of all, I shouldn't have read that letter from Darren, and made assumptions about your break-up with him. It wasn't an intentional move, and I regret that choice, but that letter scared me. I thought that if you left him, then the same thing would happen to me if we got involved. I mean, he sounded rich and...let's be honest here I can't compete with that. I barely make enough to fly home once a year. I can't offer you what he did. And I figured that once you realised that, you would leave."

"Charlie," Abby began, shaking her head low.

"Not finished." His two words silenced her, and the air around him as he took a deep ragged breath. "I should have realised that you would never do anything like that. I know you better than that; that you're not that kind of person to leave without a good reason. Why that didn't occur to me, I don't know."

"Charlie..."

"The thing is, Abby," he continued past her interruption, trying to speed up his speech. "I let a wonderful person get away from me, years ago. We fell out of contact after we left Hogwarts, and that shouldn't have happened. I didn't realise it then. I let the greatest friend get away and I was lucky that you decided to come to Romania and show me what I'd been missing. I'm not willing to let it happen again, because I know I might not be that lucky next time. I'm not about to let you walk out of my life again if I can prevent it."

The hand that had been helping hold him up by digging into the ground rose and gently touched Abby's smooth cheekbone. Leaning closer to her, he took a few deep breaths, the pain in his head fading into a dull pound against his skull as he looked up into her green eyes again.

"I don't know where this will lead us, really," confessed Charlie. "All I know is that I've never felt this way before, about anyone or anything. You're a great friend, and I don't know what you thought about it, but that one kiss was spectacular. What we have is special, and there's so much potential, and I'm not about to risk letting it fly away. I won't let you be the one that got away."

Time had frozen itself between Abby and Charlie, neither one of them daring to make a single move or take one breath. They could only stare for seconds, each tick of Charlie's watch feeling like hours. The only sound around them was the wind rustling through the trees mixed with the subtle coughing from Simeon's mouth as he waited for something to happen. Swallowing back a bit of saliva, Abby finally removed her hand from Charlie's back, brushing some of the hair that had escaped from her loose unfinished ponytail and letting the fingers rest on her own shoulder.

"Well I'm done now," Charlie announced the obvious as he cleared his throat, taking his hand away from Abby's face, "so if you have any reaction at all, now would be a good time to fill this incredibly awkward silence."

Abby didn't speak immediately, twisting her hand out of Charlie's grasp, their fingers undoing their lock on each other. Leaning inward, she let her fingers touch his face, slowly inching their way upwards until they full cupped his cheeks, her index fingers grazing his warm ears. Her body came closer towards him, sunlight being shadowed out from between them.

"You had me at, 'Abby, don't leave,'" she whispered, just before her lips collided into his.

Instinctively, Charlie's arms made their way to Abby's back, pulling her in closer to him so no light could get between them. Every sense in him overloaded and exploded, the sensation of fireworks going off in his head as he memorised the exact feel of her lips on his. For all of ten seconds, it was complete bliss.

Coming apart, both of them opened their eyes to view each other's wide grins. Taking their hands away, and putting them in their own laps, they only looked at each other, not seeming to have words to exchange after another magical moment.

"So," Abby finally broke the silence, shrugging one shoulder casually, "what do we do now?"

Charlie thought for only a few seconds. "I'm not too sure."

As if on cue, the both of them began to laugh, sharing in the hearty chuckle together. Abby buried her face in her hands, not wanting Charlie to see as her face became a bright flushing pink as her stomach began to hurt from the giggles.

"I guess I might ask you out," he suggested very naturally as her snickers began to die down into a soft laugh. His hand found her upper arm, slowly brushing her skin as gently as he could while her eyes found his again. "Maybe you'd like to watch a movie or go to dinner or maybe go flying?"

Taking a quick look at the sorry excuse for a broomstick lying next to Charlie, Abby leaned inward again, coming close enough for Charlie to feel the word's air leaving her mouth. "How about we go for a walk?"

Beaming at the suggestion Charlie slowly rose from where he'd been sitting in the dust, cracking all the stiff and sore joints on the way up, and offered his hand to Abby. Pulling her from her spot on the ground he pecked her forehead quickly, grinning goofily as she laughed.

"Ahem," a voice came from behind them, making them look back in surprise to see Simeon tapping his fingers against the top of the station wagon. "I vill drive back to the reserve, and I do not think you need that ancient broom for a walk."

Charlie looked down at the ground, the broom that had crashed him into the car lying at his feet. Bending over, he picked up the rough handle, giving Abby a lingering gaze as he walked backwards towards the car.

"Thanks for stopping, Simeon," he thanked his roommate and friend, handing the broom over to his hands. "I wasn't sure you could hear me yelling at you to stop."

"I didn't," Simeon confessed immediately, shoving the broomstick into the passenger side seat, looking back to Charlie.

With raised eyebrows, Charlie looked from the car to Simeon to the road they had come along. Leaning against the open car door, he puzzled over it. "Then why did you stop the car?"

Following the direction of Simeon's pupils, they guided him to the figure in front of the car, picking up her blue jacket on the dirt path and shaking the dust from it vigorously before she slipped it back over her arms.

Charlie's eyes shot back to Simeon, just as his friend shot him a playful smirk pulling a single blooming rose with a short snagged yellow thread stuck to the thorn from the front compartment of the car. "Do not let me keep you from your date."

No further words were needed from any of the three, Simeon handing the flower to his friend before sliding back into the driver's seat and placing the keys in the ignition, Charlie slamming the door for him. Waving a short goodbye, he walked ahead to his waiting companion. Placing the rose delicately into her grasp, he put his arm around her opposing shoulder and held her close as they began to make their way down the path, her index finger twisting around the short yellow snag.

"So," Charlie started the conversation with a small cough, "how is your sister?"

A/N: And I could conclude with that, but there is one more post to make, an epilogue of sorts. I swear that's the last part of this long story. And then there are two sequels.

Two notes about inspirations for the final scene between Abby and Charlie. First off, the description of fireworks exploding, I can't take full credit for. My first boyfriend wrote that in a letter to first tell me that he had feelings for me, which won me over completely, so I feel I must credit him with that amazing metaphor.

The other, at the end where Abby says they should go for a walk comes from the long running sitcom, Frasier, in which after a long time of hiding their relationship, Daphne and Niles are free to date. Niles rambles off a bunch of things they can do, and Daphne in simplicity suggests a walk.

The end with Simeon has always had mixed ideas, what actually made him stop the car? If people could answer their thoughts, it would be interesting, cause I've heard of some thoughts that contrasted my reasons for his hitting the brakes. It is open to speculation.

And on that note, if there are any lingering questions about this story, characters, things you really want to know, ask away. I've always been open to questions, and I do tend to answer them provided I'm not giving away major plotlines and things like that.

Well, one to go. Keep reading! And review if there's time.