Later that afternoon, after a full day spent with Fleur teaching her any jinx, curse and transfiguration Arabelle thought may come in useful against a dragon, she flung her self on to her bed and pulled her pillow on top of her face.
"Bloody dragons!" She mumbled in to her pillow in despair. She was starting to worry she didn't have the skill set to keep Fleur safe, she could only imagine what the other competitors must be feeling, especially poor Harry. Surely he wouldn't have been foolish enough to put his own name in the goblet?
" ' ow was the training with Fleur today Arrabelle'? " Madame Maxime asked, leaning around the door frame to Arabelle's room.
Arabelle quickly threw the pillow back where it belonged "good, it was really good! Fleur is a great student, so quick to pick things up, she's a really smart girl" she said smiling up at Maxime.
"Ah this pleases me, training for Fleur will continue Monday afternoon after her classes, she must be prepared. For now let her enjoy the evening and a day off with the rest of the girls".
Arabelle smiled and nodded as Maxime turned to leave, she then turned back again a sly smile now covering her elegant face. "Oh Arabelle that reminds me, a short 'andsome man came by earlier asking for you, he left this note" Maxime pulled out an envelope from her robes and passed it to Arabelle.
Arabelle felt her face flush, it must be from Charlie she thought, although everyone was short compared to Madame Maxine.
"I don't suppose that would 'ave anything to do with where you ran off to last night would it?" Maxime asked with a glimmer in her eyes.
Arabelle liked Madame Maxime, she was strict with her rules but fair and since their time together she felt like she was a woman who could be trusted and she actually had a pretty good sense of humour.
Arabelle grinned at the thought of last night being back in Charlie's arms. "It might, I ran in to an old, shall we say friend, of mine who is working with the dragons" she laughed like the Beauxbatons girls laughed when they were talking about boys.
"Might is no good for me Arabelle, you must open the note and tell!" Maxime cried with glee.
Arabelle laughed louder, she had never seen Maxime act quite like this before. she opened the note knowing from the scruffy writing her name was written in on the front it was from Charlie.
'Arabelle, it was great seeing so much of you last night. Dinner tonight? I'll pick you up at 7 - Charlie '
Arabelle covered her face with the note at the embarrassment at reading the note out loud to the headmistress, Maxime however just clapped her hands and laughed!
"He was a very very good friend, I swear it!" Arabelle laughed so hard her sides ached.
"Arabelle, you do not 'ave to explain yourself to me, I of course know about Mr Weasley, we 'ad a good chat when 'e came round earlier!" she laughed.
"You didn't, what did he say?!" Arabelle shrieked.
"Only enough for me to know you must look you're very best tonight! True love deserves your every effort" and with that she summoned two wine glasses and a bottle of her favourite red wine.
Arabelle stood up and took one of the glasses from Maxime, she didn't know what had come over her but Arabelle went with it. She sat down at her dressing table glancing at the photo of their engagement party as Maxime threw open Arabelle's closet and began rummaging.
Arabelle smiled to herself, butterflies rising from her tummy in to her chest. She was looking forward to being in Charlie's company again but she was also a little nervous.
Two hours later Arabelle was bathed, clothed and made up ready for her date. Her hair was tied up in her favourite messy bun style, she had chosen a pale blue pleated skirt that flowed to her calves, a pair of beige heels and a black top with her black leather jacket rolled up at the sleeves.
She looked in the mirror and drained the last of her second glass of wine. "How do I look? It's not too much is it?" She asked turning to face Madame Maxine and a few of the Bauxbatons girls now lounging across her bed. Word had gotten round about Arabelle's date with a handsome dragon keeper and the girls found this to be more entertaining than anything going on around the castle on a cold Saturday evening.
Just then there was a knock at the door, the girls squealed in giddy excitement and ran from Arabelle's bed towards the entrance of the carriage.
"You look magnifique Arabelle, Mr Weasley will be blown down by your beauty!" Maxime cried as she walked to answer the door.
Arabelle turned to face the mirror one last time, put down her glass and took a deep breath. Why was she so nervous?! It was Charlie after all, she just wanted to ensure everything went perfectly this evening.
She could hear Maxime answering the door down the hall and invite Charlie in. Arabelle grabbed her perfume bottle of the dressing table, a small bottle of floral fragrance Charlie had brought for her birthday their last year of school. She was also wearing the bronze pocket watch necklace with the dragon on Charlie had once brought her, she wondered if he would notice it.
Arabelle took one last deep breath and closed her door behind her, she walked down the hall towards the door her beige heels clicking against the marble floor. She saw Charlie standing by the front door, his white shirt rolled up at the sleeves showing off his tan skin and the hint of his black tattoo on his forearm. He was wearing brown trousers with suspenders that stretched over his broad shoulders and holding a small but beautiful bouquet of flowers. When he saw Arabelle he shot her a smile that made the butterflies inside her flutter again, he was so, so handsome. She thanked the stars he was stood at her front door waiting for her after all this time. If it wasn't for the dragon sanctuary being occupied by mainly men she was sure another girl might have been lucky enough to have Charlie stood at their door holding a bunch of flowers with a look in his eyes that made you feel like you were the only girl in the world.
"You look amazing!" He grinned as he held out the flowers to Arabelle. She gave him her biggest smile in return, the second glass of wine making the room feel blurry at the edges.
"Thank you so much" she said taking the flowers in her arms and kissing him on the cheek the smell of pine and earth filling her senses. She then saw the girls standing behind Madame Maxime still giggling and throwing playful glances towards Charlie. She gave them a fake disapproving look she usually gave the twins and laughed "okay we're going out, don't wait up girls!"
She passed the flowers to Maxime and let Charlie lead the way sensing his relief to be out of the girls flirtatious presence. She pulled the grand front door to the carriage closed behind her giving a cheeky wink to the girls who screeched behind her in excitement as the door clicked shut.
The walked down the gravel path a few feet side by side before Charlie turned to her, the same heart melting look in his eyes. He took Arabelle's face in his hands and kissed her softly on the lips, she breathed in his woodland scent again like it was a drug. The wine rushed to her brain once more, she locked her knees in place to stop herself dropping to the ground.
"You look so beautiful" he breathed in to her ear. She grinned up at him taking a second to appreciate the feeling of ease from being in his presence that she had yearned for these last few years.
"You look damn amazing yourself Charlie, you do scrub up well" she whispered back.
"Do you wanna maybe skip dinner and head straight to my tent?" He smiled down at her looking hopeful.
"Charlie Weasley!" She pushed him away playfully and strode in front of him "I did not go to all this effort" she twirled round sending her skirt spinning showing her thighs " just to let you throw it on to your bedroom floor " she turned again and walked away from him towards the courtyard where the path to Hogsmede was "...yet" she turned back and winked cheekily at Charlie holding her hand out for him to follow.
He stood there for a millisecond taking her in then ran towards her grabbing her by the hips and pulled her close letting his hands travel down her legs "you're killing me Ari" he laughed and pulled her across the courtyard.
"Slow down Charlie!" Arabelle giggled her ankles struggling to keep her upright in her high heels.
" No way, not after that display! I'm more excited about what might happen after dinner now"
A group of sixth year Hogwarts boys milling in the shadows of the courtyard wolf whistled and cheered as they overheard their conversation.
Charlie cheered back at them and Arabelle laughed loudly wrapping her arms around Charlie's waist. She clearly wasn't the only one who has taken a pre drink for the nerves, she was thankful for how comfortable they both clearly felt being together again. She turned to kiss Charlie on the lips, pushing her body in to his. This made the boys behind them yell louder "go on Weasley" they cried, everyone knew a Weasley when they saw one.
The mixture of nerves, excitement and joy made them both light headed as they walked down the path Charlie draped his arm round Arabelle's neck and kissed the top of her head. Maybe it was the feeling of being back at Hogwarts, like they were all those years ago so happy, carefree and in love but they both felt untouchable this evening. The lights of Hogwarts twinkling in the background was the perfect back drop to an evening that would reignite their relationship.
A few hours later they were wandering along the outskirts of the Forbbiden Forrest. The meal at the Three Broomsticks had been wonderful and they both made sure Madam Rosmerta kept the drinks coming, they had reminisced and joked all evening and now they stumbled and giggled back towards Charlie's tent their heads dizzy from drink.
Charlie tripped over year tree roof and went crashing in to a tree, Arabelle bent over laughing until her cheeks ached.
"Shh...be quiet" Charlie whispered loudly before letting out a booming laugh "I keep checking behind us expecting to see Professor McGonagall storming down from the castle, but we're not actually students anymore, WE'RE GROWN UPS AND WE CAN DO WHATEVER WE WANT!" Charlie yelled at the top of his voice"
Arabelle leant up against a tree tears streaming down her face from laughter. "I..can't...breathe" she laughed even harder. "If McGonagall did see us now she would give us detentions regardless of the fact we left school 4 years ago! "
" I bet she'd write home to mum as well " Charlie snorted and laughed loudly again.
They stumbled deeper in to the forrest lighting their wands to help find their way. Charlie was used to deep forrest terrain from living in Romania the last 3 years so it wasn't long before they could hear the sounds of deep rumbled breathing coming from the dragons' enclosures.
"I would like to see the dragons again, in the morning" Arabelle whispered to Charlie who was in front leading the way.
Charlie turned back and smiled at Arabelle proudly "you're my favourite person in the whole world, you know that?"
She opened her mouth to respond but her foot caught on a root before she could speak, instead a small squeek came out as she fell to her knees.
Charlie covered his face to smother the laughter and walked back towards Arabelle helping her climb to her feet, her shoulders jolting with silent laughter.
They fell through the door of Charlie's tent, Arabelle kicking off her heels that were caked in mud then fell on to the sofa while Charlie used his wand to light the candles. A soft romantic glow filled the small space and Charlie placed two bottles of beer on the table in front of them and leaned over Arabelle lying on the sofa. "So," he said smiling his perfect smile at her "as much as I love that jacket on you I think you should take it off"
Arabelle grinned and slipped the leather jacket off her shoulders, Charlie then threw it across the room and kneeling on top of her kissed her arms.
Arabelle wrapped her legs around his waist, admiring the freckles that covered his nose she ran her fingers through his short hair and gently pushed her lips against his. Charlie pulled her in to him and began kissing her chest and neck urgently. "You smell amazing" he growled in to her ear "just like you used to" he moved his arms round her waist and flipped her round so she was sitting on top of his lap. Arabelle could feel Charlie's excitement, her heart beat quicker and quicker. She kissed his neck as she rushed to unbutton his shirt, she pulled it off and ran her hands over his chest gripping his waist with her knees. She pushed her chest in to his face grabbing the back of his head before pushing herself to her feet.
"and what do you think about my top?" She smiled pulling her hair from its bun so girls cascaded down her back.
" I hate it" Charlie grinned wider than before.
Arabelle leapt on to the coffee table as nimble as a cat, pulled off her top and threw it towards her jacket on the floor revealing her black lace bra and dragon necklace hanging down her naval. She grabbed her skirt and teasingly pulled it up her thigh, starring at Charlie with a smouldering look.
"Don't even get me started on that skirt" he mumbled taking in every inch of her body as if it was the first time all over again.
Arabelle shrugged and pulled off her skirt kicking it to Charlie who threw it in the pile on the floor. Standing there in just her black underwear she reviled in the moment, loving the desperate look on Charlie's face.
"You can keep that on, but nothing else" pointing to Arabelle's necklace.
He lunged for her and pulled her towards him, wrapping her legs round him and kissed her so hard it took her breath opened her mouth and let his tongue in as she pulled at his hair. He carried her to his bed and threw her down ripping off her bra in the same movement. Arabelle gave one last smouldering look before pulling hard on Charlie's trousers and he climed on top of her.