~ Chapter Thirty-Six ~

Charlie groaned and gratefully accepted the cup of strong tea his father pressed into his hands as he walked back into the study on the second floor of the Burrow. Harry's birthday had been wonderful—the entire day, not just the part in his young bondmate's bedroom (though he definitely wasn't complaining about that part)—but it had been tiring. Now, as the clock over his father's desk struck 4:00am, Charlie's thoughts were wandering more and more back to Grimmauld Place where he could imagine Harry curled up asleep, dark hair tousled over his forehead, hiding the scar he hated so much even in his sleep.

He still felt badly that he had left with his father after the Order meeting without saying goodbye, but Arthur had been insistent that they couldn't wait any longer to find him, and Fred and George had quietly assured their brother that Harry was with Sirius and Remus, so he would be taken care of.

That afternoon, letters had arrived for both Charlie and Arthur, properly declaring a Full Formal Meeting of the High Council in a week's time. A meeting time was magically announced once every solstice season, with high council members able to request additional supplemental meetings between those two. In order to call an extra meeting, two-thirds consent had to be given both for the meeting to occur and for a time to be chosen. With the Formal Meetings, however, magic itself chose the 'proper' times. It was something that only those who worked in the Department of Mysteries held a chance at understanding.

Charlie could remember his father disappearing to these meetings with little notice throughout his childhood, though he still did not understand quite how it worked or what was involved. He could vaguely remember one meeting when he was very little, around the time when Voldemort was really gaining power, where his father didn't return for three weeks and missed Christmas with the family by two days. He was heart-broken that his dad wasn't around, but even more than that he had been scared of witnessing his mother's anger when he returned. He had been surprised, then, when Molly hadn't made any fuss when Arthur returned, merely hugging him comfortingly and reassuring him that the children had still had a pleasant holiday. Now, reading through the marked sections in the mountain of books his father and Lupin had gathered and the stacks of personal notes Arthur had found for him, he could finally understand.

Meetings of the High Council were held in a magical space deep within the Ministry which had created itself specifically for this purpose. Only Vote-holding Lords, their magical guardians, and their heirs were capable of entering the hall, and only when a meeting was in session. In all the years since the magical law system had come about, the room had never been breached by outside forces. Once a meeting began, no one present was able to leave until all agenda items had been settled, and the room's magic was known to interfere to keep those present from killing or mortally wounding one another (the interference had become necessary on several occasions). It was common for meetings to last for days at a time, or (as had happened that one Christmas) even weeks. Sleeping quarters would magically assemble based on the attendees, and all needs of food and drink provided.

Harry and Charlie had been unable to propose agenda items (new laws or changes on current laws) as Dumbledore had put up his usual proposals under their votes before they had bonded. Arthur explained that he had a few current laws related to muggles that he had submitted proposed changes for as well. When High Council members were summoned for a Formal Meeting, a final list of those laws magic had deemed appropriate was included, which is what Arthur had just begun going over with Charlie now. Many proposals would be excluded from this actual agenda. When a supplemental meeting was called, it was for a specific law to be called into question or proposed, and once again the two-thirds vote of approval was to ensure that the High Council's time was not being wasted.

"Alright, so there are eleven items… from your notes that looks to be rather typical, at least during times of peace?" Charlie asked, jotting down his own notes on an ever-growing roll of parchment.

"Mmmm, yes, eight to twelve is the rough average. I would guess the meeting is going to keep us there for several days. Do you understand all eleven items?"

"Sort of, I think, but could you run through for me quick, just to make sure I haven't missed anything? And if you have an idea of who proposed the law, or any other important players Harry and I might need to be aware of." He held his quill ready of the parchment, and looked up curiously when his father hadn't replied for several moments. Arthur was watching him oddly, a small crease in his forehead.

"You and Harry? Are you planning on asking him to attend, then?" Now it was Charlie's turn to furrow his brow.

"Asking? Of course he is attending, these are his votes; how else will I know how he wishes me to cast them?"

"Charlie… as legal guardian, you can cast the votes however you see fit. Technically, even if Harry were there and the two of you disagreed over an item, the votes would listen to your magic. Honestly, I think it's unnecessary for—"

"If Harry and I disagree, I will voice my opinion to him and then, if he still feels the same, I will set my opinion aside and cast his votes as he sees fit." They stared at each other for a long moment, then Arthur nodded slightly and returned his attention to the list in front of him.

"Alright then, I'll see what I can tell you." Charlie sighed in relief, grateful that his father wasn't going to fight him on this—he honestly didn't think either of them had the energy for it.

"Thank you." A thin smile and quick nod were his only reply, and then his father began.

"Okay, the first chunk written in silver are proposed alterations to current laws. The first three you already know about, they are the ones that Dumbledore submits twice a year like clockwork, and nearly always make the final list; werewolf restriction laws, the ruling that muggleborns not be told their magical heritage prior to their eleventh birthdays, and the prohibition of muggleborns serving on the Wizengamot. The fourth one is mine, looks like the only one that got through this time. I want to raise the punishment for 'muggle-bating' to include time in Azkaban without exception. I've proposed it before without it going through, but my guess is that the magic sensed the need now with Voldemort returning to power. I'm not terribly optimistic that we'll get the votes, but I have to try."

Charlie held his hand for his father to pause, and quickly jotted down the rest of his notes. He nodded when he was ready for more, and glanced down at the next item on the list. His eyes crinkled at the corners, and looked up at Arthur with a mischievous twinkle.

"Is that…?"

"Malfoy's Law that you and Harry claimed to use to get bonded? Yeah. Apparently someone wasn't too pleased with the loophole when they read about it in the papers." They both chuckled at this, and then Arthur looked back to the list. "Right, so the next one is pretty straight-forward: someone wants to take Sphynx's off the list of currently outlawed magical pets. My guess is whoever proposed these two won't fess up. The first, because everyone is scared of Lucius, and the second because there is such a taboo on most magical creatures and besides that, probably the only reason you would ask for the law change is if you had either obtained or arranged for the acquirement of a sphinx."

Charlie added these conjectures to his notes, then glanced down at the next item on the list… and froze.

"Who?" The single word carried more danger in it than one of Molly's rants, and Arthur, who had noticed the next item a while back, just sighed. Someone had proposed that the edict granting permission for dragon reserves to be unplottable be reformed so that they were unplottable except to the ministry.

"Honestly, it could be any number of people, you know better than anyone that dragons aren't understood well by wizardkind. If you wanted me to guess, though..."

"I do." Arthur seemed neither upset by the sharp interruption nor surprised by the answer, and merely nodded before continuing.

"I would guess that this had more to do with the fact that Harry Potter now has an unplottable hiding place (and one outside of the country, no less) than it has to do with the dragons."

"So one of Volde-snorts little minions then," Charlie said darkly.

"Possibly. Or someone scared that, despite the ministry and the Prophet's insistence that Harry and Dumbledore are off their rockers, there still might be some truth to Voldemort's return. And that would mean that Harry had once again done the impossible and escaped with his life. People will look to him to save us, there is no getting around that Charlie, fair or not." Charlie sighed and massaged his temples as a headache built, something that had been happening far too often recently. "Your marriage announcement caused quite a stir, you know. It may not seem so on the surface, I know the Prophet hasn't slowed down on their warpath against Harry, but people are talking, and they are questioning. Whether Dumbledore will ever admit it to you or not, the two of you probably did more to gather support for our side this summer than the rest of the Order combined."

Charlie looked at his father startled, and felt his anger drain away to be replaced by the heavy weight of responsibility and expectations. He felt he was only now beginning to understand what he had committed to for the Wizarding world when he bonded with Harry Potter. He didn't even want to imagine what that pressure felt like for his bondmate. Once again, he thought longingly of the dark-haired boy curled up at headquarters and he resolutely returned his attention to the list. The sooner they finished here, the sooner he could return and spend the remainder of his weekend off with Harry. Arthur, seeing the determined look settle onto his son's face, took the cue and continued.

"This one has me puzzled, and I'll have to speak with Dumbledore about it. As far as I can gather, the law in question currently states that the educational board's decrees of new scholastic practices can be repealed or made into law at each Full Meeting of the High Council, so every semester. The new suggestion is that this be changed so that decrees cannot be approved or denied officially until the end of an academic year. It seems harmless enough on the outside, but Lucius is the only one who ever brings up school board-related changes, so my gut reaction is to go against it. I'm sorry I don't have more information for you."

Charlie just waved away the apology and circled a large question mark in his notes a few times before looking expectantly at his father.

"Okay, the other chunk—those last three there in gold—are suggestions for new laws entirely. That set is nearly always smaller. I… Charlie, I won't argue with you if you truly feel Harry should be there next week, but you know I see him as a son and every fatherly instinct in me is screaming to shield him from this." Charlie's brow knit and he dug through the pile of parchments in front of him for his own list, stomach sinking as he read the first golden line.

~ It is formerly proposed that in the event of the death of a Triwizard Champion, designated within the legal and binding confines of the Triwizard Tournament, held between the magical schools of Beuxbatons, Durmstrang, and Hogwarts, occurring within the duration of the tournament and proven beyond a reasonable doubt to have been a direct result of the tournament itself, that the winner of the tournament be considered null and void and any prize winnings or awards formerly promised be withheld. ~

"Malfoy," Charlie growled, and saw from his father's grim expression that he agreed. "He did this just to hurt Harry, in case he shows at the meeting."

"It is definitely a possibility," Arthur agreed, his own angry tone of voice making it clear that he felt it was far more than a mere possibility. Charlie swore colorfully in Romanian a few times, one or two choice Egyptian cuss-words that he had learned from Bill thrown in for good measure, then sank dejectedly into his chair.

"Harry should still be there. I'd promise not to push him once I've told him of this, but it's a moot point, anyway. Ever since you told him that he had the chance of making positive changes for the wizarding world, he's taken it on his shoulders as one more duty he is honor-bound to fulfill. He'd be there even if I begged him not to." Arthur watched his second-eldest quietly for a few moments, struggling to decide whether or not to say what was on his mind. In the end, he decided that him knowing just how strong the young bondmates' feelings for each other were wasn't as important that night as preparing Charlie with the information he and Harry needed to go into the High Council gathering as informed as possible.

"There's just two more to go over, Charlie, then we'll call it a night. The next one looks pretty mundane, just a law that owners of magical pets ought to be responsible for repairing or paying restitution for damages done to grounds of other witches and wizards. It's the last one that has me most worried. Pureblood sympathies have been building since the last war, with so many family lines ended abruptly and large numbers of pureblood deaths on both sides. The last law proposal wants to cap the percentage of muggle-borns and half-bloods allowed into Hogwarts at a given time. I know some of these others might feel more personal to you and Harry, but I am asking you as a personal favor to spend some serious time looking into this. If Harry wants to use his fame to sway a vote, this is the one to pack the power into." Charlie couldn't remember the last time he had seen and heard his usually carefree father so deathly serious. He gave a solemn nod to show his understanding, and quickly skimmed over his most recent set of notes to make sure he didn't have any more questions.

Charlie's jaw cracked on a wide yawn, and he swiped absently at his eyes as sleepy tears leaked out temporarily obscuring his vision. He blinked in surprise as the room swam back into focus and he found his father smiling indulgently down at him and holding out a hand to help him to his feet—Charlie hadn't even heard him stand up and move around the desk.

"Come on Charlie, let's get you back and into bed."

xXxXxXxXx

By the time he and Harry reached Grimmauld Place Alastor had slowed their pace four times. Even so, the younger man was now breathing in painful, wheezing gasps and he felt as though his lungs were on fire. He managed to drag himself inside with Moody holding the door open, but with the safety of headquarters cutting off the adrenaline rush that had propelled him through the streets and the potential Death-Eater territory, he only managed another three steps into the entrance before stumbling and falling to the floor in a jumble of invisibility cloak. His entire body was trembling from the strain he had put on himself that night and he had just had time to wonder if Alastor would be willing to levitate him up the stairs when two sets of gentle hands began untangling him from the cloak and slowly helping him sit up.

"Easy, Harry…"

"…we got you." Harry leaned gratefully back into George's chest as the older boy wrapped his arms around him from behind to steady him, while Fred brushed his sweaty bangs off his forehead before standing and moving behind him to talk with Moody.

"What happened?"

"Training," Alastor answered simply, followed by three quick cludthunks before the man was crouching in front of Harry and lifting his chin until their eyes met. Harry was surprised to see the man's usual gruff mask had slipped away entirely, and in front of an audience no less. "I'm sorry I pushed ya so hard, Potter, I just wasn' sure when we'd get the chance again and we both needed ta know ye could hold yer own around Molly and the other blathering half-wits in headquarters."

"It's okay, I needed it. Don't apologize." Even to his own ears, Harry could hear how weak and scratchy his voice sounded, and he wasn't surprised when George's arms tightened around him and Fred whispered something about finding Sirius before disappearing silently up the stairs.

"Not okay, ya dunderhead, yer shaking like a leaf in a thunderstorm. I'm going ta send for Poppy." At this, Harry forced his tired eyes open and struggled against the twin's hold, craning his neck painfully to look up at his teacher.

"No! We won't push me so hard next time, but if Dumbledore finds out I left headquarters to train once, he'll do everything he can to make sure it doesn't happen again, you know he will. He doesn't want me to have to fight, but I do, I will, and I need to know what I'm doing." As the words spilled from him in a panicked stream, his breathing quickened and he began growing dizzy.

"Take a deep breath Pup, that's it. Nice and slow. No one here is going to do anything without your say-so, I can promise you that. That's right Cub, even breathing, just like that." Cool hands carefully cupped his flushed cheeks and Harry let himself concentrate on the soothing words. Fred was back as well, taking one of his hands and brushing his thumb gently back and forth over his knuckles. From the way the body behind him noticeably lost some of the tension he had felt building up, Harry assumed that Fred was doing the same thing for George with his other hand.

"Potter—Harry. Are ye sure lad?" To be honest, Harry was surprised he was being allowed to make this call himself, but he was too tired to puzzle it out and simply nodded, glad that Sirius had kept his cold hands resting on Harry's face.

"To defend the little dragon…"

"…from both dark and light." The twins whispered solemnly, and while Harry had no idea what they were talking about, there was something comforting about being sandwiched between his two friends while they spoke in their strange co-dependent fashion, like a welcoming cocoon of protection.

"Aye, I remember," Moody answered gruffly. "Well come on then, let's get him upstairs." Harry felt his arms slowly and carefully lifted over each twin's shoulders before he was gently, their own wrapping securely around his waist. They were just turning towards the stairs when Sirius hissed sharply and pushed the threesome hurriedly back against the wall, picking the cloak up off the ground and pulling it hastily over them as he whispered urgently,

"Two people just apparated at the edge of the wards, don't move, don't make a sound. Alastor, kitchen. I want to hear about this 'training.' Go!" Moody was already limping down the hallway and just moments after the kitchen door swung shut the locks on the front entrance clicked open and two haggard-looking red-heads stumbled inside.

"Arthur, Charlie," Sirius greeted calmly, as though it was perfectly normal to be standing around by the front door at dawn.

"Sirius. Why are you up so early?"

"Insomnia; was getting restless. Decided to stretch my legs," Sirius improvised smoothly, and even managed to make his voice just breathy and sharp enough to sound as though he was suffering the earliest stages of sleep-deprivation even though he had been wide awake and alert moments before. Harry could tell from the twins' barely-audible snickers that they too were imagining just the kind of hell Sirius must have raised in his marauder days. "What's kept you two up so late? You disappeared after the meeting last night."

"High Council summons came yesterday afternoon, we're expected in six days. I had a lot to go over with Charlie. I'm afraid that relaxing weekend we all wanted Harry to have for his birthday is going to have to wait. I suppose you already know Charlie's planning on bringing Harry with him… he'll need to prepare." Harry almost, almost snorted at the thought of 'that relaxing weekend,' but Fred's quick elbow to the ribs shut him up, and he quickly sobered anyway at the rest of Arthur's words. Truth be told, Harry hadn't had the chance to ask if he could or would be attending High Council gatherings, but his appreciation for Charlie had grown impossibly larger upon hearing that his bondmate had automatically expected Harry to be included.

"Well… relaxing has never been one of Harry's strengths," Sirius answered knowingly, and all three boys beneath the cloak rolled their eyes.

"True, true. I hope you are able to rest soon, Sirius, and as much as I enjoy talking with you, we've been up all night, and…"

"Of course! Where are my manners, I'm sure Molly wouldn't appreciate waking up to an empty bed in any case. Charlie, I wonder if I might speak to you for just a moment before you head to off too?" Charlie, who had already been inching towards the staircase and eyeing the second floor landing longingly, froze in his tracks.

"Wha—? Oh, uh, could it possibly wait until tomorrow…?"

"A friend ran into a bit of a hiccup training a little dragon, and I thought I'd ask your advice. I really think you'd be the expert, and I promise it won't take much time." Charlie's eyes widened and he quickly murmured his agreement, reassuring his father and sending the tired man gratefully up to bed. Harry, along with being as sore and exhausted as he had when he first arrived, was now confused as well. That was the second time someone had spoken of a 'little dragon' as though it were a code word that everyone in the room besides him understood.

Charlie waited tensely until Arthur was out of earshot, and not a moment longer before rounding on Sirius and whispering furiously.

"Where's Harry? What happened? Is he hurt? Take me to him!" Rather than trying to answer, Sirius stepped towards their hiding place, arm waving carefully in front of him until he could close his hand over the smooth material of the cloak and pull it off with a flourish. Charlie's eyes darted hastily over his brothers in a habitual wellness check, then began scanning his bondmate's body critically even as he strode over to wrap all three of them in a quick hug. "No blood? No broken bones? You're okay?" He asked weakly, forehead resting against Harry's as his shoulders drooped in relief.

"No blood, no breaks, okay," Harry agreed quietly, humbled at how much the thought of something happening to him affected Charlie.

"Good. Do I move on to yelling at you for doing something reckless or dangerous now?" He asked, though his voice sounded more teasing and resigned than anything else.

"Sure. But can you yell at me in bed? I've already escaped Death-Eaters, healed a cursed battle wound with my bare hands, and channeled wild magic for four hours tonight, I'm a bit sleepy," Harry dead-panned, and worked very, very hard not to smirk as three red-heads stared at him in open-mouthed shock. From a few feet away Sirius buried his face in his hands and muttered what sounded suspiciously like 'what did I do in a past life to deserve James Potter procreating and leaving me to deal with the teen years…' Then he raised his head to growl towards the kitchen.

"I'm going to kill that bloody auror."

Author's Note: I know several of you have been asking where Charlie has been the last two chapters. Well, here is his version of the events of Harry's birthday night, which hopefully cleared things up for you!

I just want to give a quick THANK YOU to everyone who continues to post reviews, they help keep me motivated to update as quickly as I can.

Thank you for sticking with my story, I hope everyone is still enjoying it!

-Emmette