I walked into the coffee shop where Jenny'd taken me the first day in I was in the states. I ordered an early grey with cream and sugar. I was here to meet my new partner. I didn't know who it was, but Nathaniel had arranged this and told me the bloke wouldn't be hard to find. I chuckled quietly at the thought of some old wizard meeting me here; I knew he'd stand out, even though this was a magical shop, the witches and wizards in the states shunned traditional wizarding clothes. Shouldn't be hard to find a man in long black wizarding robes and coned hat, I thought to my self.

My order was ready; I turned and scanned the crowd. My eye stopped quickly on a table in the back corner. No, he wasn't hard to find. I almost dropped my tea when I saw him, Harry Potter. I was to be working with Harry Potter! This had to be a joke. I scanned the place, but the only one I recognized, or stood out to me was Harry. This time he waved. He didn't smile.

"This should be interesting," I muttered under my breath as I walked over to him.

"Harry," I sat down across from him, a cup of coffee was in front of him and the local paper spread across the table. He was very adept at blending in, I thought.

"Charlie," he folded up his paper, "So we are going to be working together over the next few weeks to try to resolve this … dragon situation. You've been here for while, what have you found?"

Straight and to the point, I did like that, though he seemed a little curt, but then I remembered what Jenny said about his friendship with Maisse, he must not be any happier working with me that I am with him. I wondered if he knew I was staying with Jenny. I wondered if he knew, or suspected I knew about the letters - the one she sent and the one she received. She still hadn't spoken to be about the letter she received. I knew it best to give her time. She gave me space when I need it. I would do the same for her. Best to keep this completely professional, I thought, He is supposed to be the best tracker there is.

"I've been here for almost ten days," then added, without thinking, almost blurted it out, "I'm staying with Jenny and Luna. I've befriended a bloke at the school, a professor, and close friend of Jenny's who's been helping me," I just couldn't resist, I didn't want him to think Jenny had been sitting here for two years pining away for him, I mean she had, but he didn't have to know that, let him think she dated and got close to someone before she wrote to him. Who knows, maybe Harry would think she wrote the letter after a break-up; a better-than-nothing letter, "He's been kind enough to make introductions for me to some wizards who I believe are ready to take me to one of their markets. I have represented you as my buyer from London."

Harry nodded, I could see though, what I'd said, stung a little, I smiled. I changed my mind quickly, Jenny may love him but I'd be damned if I was going to make this easy for him. He needed to earn her heart again, her trust.

"Good," Harry said politely, "I have also made some inquires since arriving and have some people to meet. I have told them that you are my expert and that I make no purchases with out you inspecting the goods first," Harry looked away and admitted, "Seems we make a good team, Charlie"

I hated too admit it, but we were off to a good start, "When did you arrive?"

"Friday night," Harry stood, "we should go, we have an appointment, and then I'd like to start tracking some of those leads, rumors you've heard."

"Friday?" I was surprised, I thought he'd have stayed in London, "How late did you arrive? Where are you staying?"

Harry walked out and said, casually, "I'm staying at Falling Star, the Pottinger Ranch. I came straight from the ball." Harry looked at me, and seemed to choose his words carefully, "Maisse looked lovely. We had a wonderful time."

That stung, I'm not sure if he meant for it to or not, but it did. I just stared as he walked down the street.

"Where are we going?" I asked, still stunned that he even mentioned Maisse and the ball, like it was a … a date."

"Just up the street, that building on the corner" He looked at me closely, "Is that a new tattoo? A common welsh, right?"

"Yes," I smirked, "Jenny and I got tattoos in Thailand this weekend.

"Jenny? Jenny got a tattoo?" Now it was his turn to look, and sound stunned.

HA! I thought, see how it feels! Then I walked in the building where our meeting was.

Our meeting went very well. Again, I hated to admit it, but Harry and I did have chemistry between us. We looked, and acted as though we'd been working together for years. Harry got his contact to agree to allow me to inspect some unprocessed dragon parts (the thought made my stomach turn), but not inspect the actual dragons the wizard claimed to have. I was very anxious to move this along, but I did understand that things like this took time, trust had to be built.

From our meeting, we apparated to the countryside to follow some of my leads, rumors; only one panned out, but we'd missed the market by an hour. Harry's meeting had taken too much time. On the positive side, we'd gotten information on where the market was going to appear next, but that wasn't until tomorrow, which was fine, because any later in the week, I'd planned to be busy. Busy fixing things with Maisse. In the meantime, we both agreed that it would be best for us to follow up on the less than reliable leads I'd gathered, make our selves seen.

Our conversations were friendly when we spoke about work. When the conversation strayed, we simply could not help, well; I couldn't help, but snap at him. He kept saying things about Maisse. Mentioning things they'd done together, how she was doing with school, talking about her family's ranch where he was staying. It was like he was trying to get under my skin. It was either his comment about being invited to stay at the ranch to spend Christmas with her family or informing me that the Blue Macaw, Lear, that carried jenny's letter, was a gift to him - from her, that set me off.

I stopped in the middle of the field we were walking through, "What is your problem, Harry?" I demanded.

He looked angry at me, "Like you don't know."

"You clearly don't like the fact that I am with Maisse," I snapped.

"Are you with her?" he raised his eyebrows, inquiring.

"Of course I am, Harry, You know that," I gripped my wand, tight.

Harry responded in kind, "Well, with your reputation, I figured she was a challenge, a bit more than a one night stand, but still something for you to conquer."

That stung. I loosened my wand, slightly, "That's not true, Harry," I spoke quietly, "If you are as good of friends with Maisse as you claim, you would know that isn't true."

"Oh," he rolled his eyes, "She's told me all about your lines, but I don't believe them."

"What?!?" I exclaimed, "Clearly, you don't know what you're talking about, Harry Potter."

"What I do know, Charlie Weasley," he echoed my sentiment, "Is that you have slept with her and then walked out of her life. You've written a few times, just enough to keep her hoping for more. I have watched the pain grow every day in her eyes and seen her try to put on a good face. THAT is what I know."

"Harry," my eyes wide open in shock, "That simply is not true! I have been trying to see her almost everyday, tried to talk to her many times," I couldn't believe I was having this conversation, "but you and DRACO have always been there, preventing her from seeing me, or ... You've been protecting her from the one person in the world that loves her more than my own life." I whispered the last part.

"Psft," Harry sighed, "Don't feed your lies to me. I know what you are doing and I wish you'd leave her alone. Let her find someone who truly cherished her, they way she should be."

That was it, I was really mad now, "Oh, you're one to talk!" I screamed, "What have you done to Jenny these past two years?"

"Jenny left ME, Charlie" Harry growled.

"Oh, right, all because you wouldn't leave Hermione or my prat brother, Ron." I quipped, "All you've done is leave her - at Bill's wedding? Not so much as a good-bye. You barley spoke to her all summer! She ended up with me in Romania. THEN, when you did come back, you might as well have left her, you barely gave her the time of day. And now, after all this time, you write to her? You have some nerve, Harry."

"You know about that?" He was surprised that I knew. "Yes, I know. I was there when the letter arrived," I just glared at him, "Haven't you hurt her enough? You've tortured her for two years; Leave her a lone," I pleaded.

We were silent for a very long time, just watching the other as neither had released their wand. Harry broke the silence, "I love her, Charlie. I've never stopped loving her. I won't leave her alone unless she tells me to go."

"Which she won't," I sighed.

"I certainly hope not," Harry said, "I know how much you care for her, I can see that you two have become closer than ever, more friends than family - or both, but please, trust her."

"That's going to be hard to do," I knew this is what she wanted, but I just couldn't help but worry.

"I'll make a deal with you," Harry seemed to read my mind, "I know you are worried about her, but if you would just trust her, I will do my best to trust Maisse's judgment when it comes to you."