AN: I know I said Sunday night, but this was the closest I could get to that. Plus, it's a miracle it's out this early seeing as I have an APUSH test in the morning. Anyway, to all my lovely reviewers, thank you so much, I really appreciate everything! Also, a special shout-out to Ginga no Yousei. You're totally right that this whole thing is predictable and ever author does it, but at the same time, I hope that I was able to convey a bigger message, one less focused on drama and more on the idea of how important Amy and Charlie are to each other. You're right that Amy's not a damsel-in-distress but she's also not someone accustomed to being tortured day after day, and I think everyone needs saving at one point. You can't be perfect and I think relying on others is just a basic human need. You can't always be there to do everything and save the day, and sometimes you have to depend on someone else to be there to pick up the pieces, and sometimes save you in the process. Anyway, I really did enjoy your review in particular, so thank you!
Dedication: To Andie! I hope you have a wonderful birthday!
Disclaimer: I own nothing you recognize.
Charlie remained in the room with the unconscious wizard for some time. He wasn't sure how long, it could have been minutes, days, years, he didn't really know, and in all honesty, he didn't really care. Amy was apparently dead somewhere and nothing really seemed to matter anymore, not now that the thing that mattered most to him was gone.
He had given up on trying to remain upright some time ago and was now half sitting and half standing from a spot against the wall. He's hands were woven through his hair and tears were trickling down his face.
This wasn't how this was supposed to happen. He wasn't supposed to be late. He was supposed to save her. She was supposed to be alive. He was supposed to get her back, he was supposed to tell her how much he loved her, how much he missed her. Mostly, he was supposed to spend the rest of his life with her.
His heart ached a little more at that thought. It had been running through his mind for a while now and he could honestly say it wasn't something that frightened him. The idea of spending the rest of his life with Amy just seemed right to him. He could honestly imagine waking up every day with her next to him, and the woes of house hunting and what colors they should paint the rooms. There was a faint gleam of happiness in his sadness in the image of Amy with a swollen stomach smiling cheerfully and surrounded by pastel colored clothing and tiny books with bright pictures. That image however was suppressed as he remembered that it would never happen. Not now anyway.
That's what he thought was supposed to happen. She wasn't supposed to die and he wasn't supposed to be crying in an abandoned house with an unconscious Death Eater, who had likely killed the love of his life, a few feet away.
The wizard looked up and wiped at his tears as someone appeared in the broken doorframe of the room. He immediately picked his wand up and made to point it at the new figure but stopped as the moonlight gleamed off of familiar red hair.
Arthur peered around the room, his eyes drifting over the debris and wood until they landed on his son who was nestled in the corner his head in his hands. He started forward, ignoring the prone figure of the man in the corner, as he focused attention on his second oldest.
"Charlie?" Arthur asked anxiously. He knelt down next to the man and placed a hand on his shaking shoulder. "Charlie, are you okay? Are you hurt?" The wizard choked back a sob at his father's words and he shook his head despondently.
"She's dead," he croaked just above a whisper. "Amy's dead." Arthur's eyes went wide at Charlie's words and he glanced around the empty room before he looked back at his son. Arthur gripped Charlie's shoulder tightly and placed his other hand on his elbow. He stood up and pulled his son into a standing position. Charlie staggered a bit as Arthur kept a tight grip on him.
"Charlie," Arthur said quietly. "Charlie, please…" He trailed off and the wizard looked up with tears still streaming down his face.
"D-Dad," he stammered. "Dad, she's gone." More tears spilled over and Arthur felt some tears of his own prickle at his eyes as he saw the evident pain on his son's face.
"Charlie, you don't know that," he protested. "You don't know that." Charlie let out a sob and Arthur felt his heart ache at the sight of the tears streaming from his son's eyes. He pulled Charlie into a tight hug, gripping his shoulders tightly as he continued to cry heart-wrenching sobs.
Growing up, Charlie wasn't one to show his touchy-feely emotions much. He was the easy-go-lucky one, after the Twins of course. He was the one with a smile on his face and an adventurous attitude. Skinned knees and yellowing bruises were nothing and they certainly didn't slow him down. He was Charlie for that reason. He fell but he got back up and did it again.
But this… Arthur didn't know if this was the same. He didn't know if Charlie would be able to pick himself back up after this. Charlie was strong, Charlie was a fighter, but that didn't mean he couldn't break, and obviously this same rule applied to Amy.
There was a few more heart breaking moments of sobbing before Arthur pulled away from his son. He gripped him tightly by the shoulders and forced him to look him in the eye.
"Don't give up just yet," he ordered. "She could still be here." Charlie's jaw shook as though he was going to start to cry again but he nodded instead and wiped at his tear stained cheeks. Arthur patted him on the shoulder and looked around the room. He paused as he caught sight of the figure in the corner that was still unconscious before back at his son.
"We best move into the room with the others," he said lightly. His words triggered the memory in Charlie's mind and the dragonologist was reminded that there were in fact others on this mission and that there had been other fighting going on. He felt guilt build up inside of him, hating himself for simply forgetting about the others on this mission who had been willing to risk their lives for his girlfriend.
"Is…" he trailed off, his voice still thick with tears. Charlie coughed to clear his throat before continuing. "Is everyone else alright?"
Arthur glanced at Charlie as he made his way across the room. The older wizard flicked his wand and ropes sprung from the end, wrapping around the unconscious Death Eater in tight loops. He waved his wand again and the wizard was pulled from the rubble to levitate in the air at Arthur's side.
"A few cuts and bruises," Arthur told him. "Nothing serious. Moody was right that we would have the advantage of surprise. They had no idea we knew about this place." Charlie nodded once, but he wasn't really listening as his mind drifted back to Amy. Arthur seemed to notice this change in his son's demeanor and so he kept quiet as he led him back to the room with the others.
The others were huddled together in the main room of the house, their wands trained on a group of Death Eaters who were either unconscious or bound with twine identical to the one that Arthur had used on Charlie's Death Eater. The looked up as the father-son duo entered the room. They immediately noticed the tears stained to Charlie's cheeks, but they chose to ignore it. Arthur carefully levitated the still unconscious, bound form to the center of the room where he let it fall next to the other Death Eaters with a dusty thud.
"We were wondering where you got to," Moody said gruffly. "Decided to take a nap somewhere?" Charlie glared at the wizard with redden eyes but said nothing. Tonks looked between her mentor and her friend nervously, wondering why exactly it was that the redhead's cheeks were tearstained. The others also looked at him curiously, and Arthur cleared his throat awkwardly to draw their attention away from his emotion-stricken son.
"We were taking our time," the father supplied. "Didn't want to risk him waking up unexpectedly." Arthur wasn't about to admit to the others that his son had been crying in the other room.
Kingsley moved around the group so he could peer down at the new captive. He tilted his head and nodded slowly.
"This one's Avery," he said, pointing down at the unconscious form. "No one could ever prove it but he's said to be one of Voldemort's most loyal followers." Charlie looked down at the unconscious wizard sharply, realization dawning on him. Avery was the Death Eater who was constantly out to get Amy. He had been the one to duel her at the Ministry the night Sirius died. He had been the one who tortured her then and the one who tortured her the night of her first mission with Remus and Tonks. Charlie felt his blood boil as he realized that he was the one behind Amy's cuts and bruises the night she showed up at his apartment, drenched in snow and blood.
"Doesn't matter who the hell he is," Moody broke in, stomping his walking stick loudly causing the others to jump. "What matters is where we go from here with the lowly bastards."
"Well, we can't exactly leave them here, can we?" Tonks asked, keeping a wary eye on the group of wizards. The conscious ones glared at her, but the witch merely stuck her tongue at them in response.
"No, we can't," Remus agreed. Tonks looked up brightly at his agreement before looking down as though his words meant nothing, although there was a bright sheen that contrasted against her muddy hair. Lupin eyed her before taking a step towards Moody. "We still have to look for Amy-" Charlie flinched at the witch's name and stared stonily ahead at the depleted wall, his eyes still red from his crying. "-but as Tonks said, we can't leave them here on their own."
"We could take them back to the Ministry," Kingsley supplied with his rich voice. "I mean, they're not exactly going to be upset about the capture of dangerous criminals, are they?"
"You can never be too sure," Arthur mused wisely. "We all know Scrimgeour can be pretty intense, and we have to expect that he's not going to sit back and simply imprison them without questions. Even if they are Death Eaters, he's not Fudge. He's going to want to know what happened, who was involved, everything really." He spared a glance at his son and wondered for a moment if it would be smart to tell the Minister about Amy's kidnapping.
"Well, that's all fine and dandy," Tonks broke in, stepping forward so she was in the circle rather than a part of it. "But frankly, I could care less about what we do with these guys. What we should actually focus on now is finding Amy. She has to be here somewhere, and quite honestly, I'm surprised you aren't already looking for her, Charlie." The witch put her hands on her hips and looked pointedly at the wizard.
Charlie froze, not knowing what to say. Did he tell them what Avery had told him? Did he tell them that Amy, the person who this mission was centered on saving, was likely dead? Could he even say the words out-loud again?
Arthur seemed to notice his son's struggle to admit what he had heard and what was inevitably running through his mind. Instead, the father took a step forward and cleared his throat with a cough. Tonks turned her glare off of Charlie and onto his father, an eyebrow raised expectedly.
"Avery told us that…" he trailed off, trying to think of the best way to phrase this. He looked at his son, who had a hopeless look in his eye, before summoning his Gryffindor courage and continued on. "He told us that Amy is dead."
Tonks' eyes widened and her face blanched. Kingsley let out a tiny noise of sadness, while Moody's expressions didn't change at the news.
"That doesn't matter," Mad-Eye dismissed. "Not now, anyway." Charlie's eyes flashed dangerously, and he turned to face the Auror furiously.
"Doesn't matter?" he demanded. "Doesn't matter? She's a person, with a family and a career, and a life. How can that not matter?"
Moody glared at him and began to speak gruffly. "Remember my rules, Weasley,"" Moody warned. "You're very close to putting a toe out of line." His eye whizzed around in his head though he did manage to narrow his good eye dangerously. Charlie, however, was not fazed by the warning.
"Well, you can take you rules and shove 'em-"
"Mad-Eye!" Tonks broke in eagerly. She stepped between the two men and held up her hands to ward off any spells the wizards may have shot off. "Perhaps you and Kingsley should bring these men in. It'll be easier with them unconscious, yes?" She looked at her mentor with false brightness, and he merely glared at her. It looked like he wanted to say something else to Charlie, but one look at Tonks's expression turned him off and he instead moved into the center of the circle and raised his wand to lash the Death Eaters together in a bundle.
While he did this, Tonks turned to look encouragingly at Kingsley and urged him forward to assist the other Auror. The tall man shot her a look before also stepping forward to grasp part of the bundled criminals. The two nodded at the others, and Moody gave them a warning look, his stern gaze lingering on the still infuriated Charlie.
"Remember," he said grumpily. "Constant-"
"-vigilance," the others finished in unison. Moody glared at them before Apparating away with Kingsley and the roped Death Eaters in tow.
After they had vanished from the room, Remus stepped towards the middle of the room where the Dark Wizards had just been. He put his hands in his shabby coat pockets as he looked from person to person.
"We shouldn't stay long," he told them. "We only captured six men tonight, and who knows who else may know about this place. We could have some unwanted visitors come bursting in at any moment so we should try and find Amy as quickly as we can."
The others nodded and made noises of agreement though Charlie's was distinctly discouraged. They dispersed throughout the room, their wands drawn in case of attack. The group peered into corners and around doorways, all of them in search of any sign of Amy. They knew – they hoped – shesomewhere, she just had to be. For Charlie's sake and for theirs. She may not seem it, but Amy was so incredibly important, and every single one of them cared about her so much. She was the one who kept them all together. She may be sarcastic and blunt at times, but she was also the one who always had something to say to brighten their days, as cheesy as that sounded. She almost always had a joke or a smile, and her sardonic optimism was almost unbearable when combined with Charlie's cheerful positivity.
Which was why they needed to find her. They needed her happiness and they needed to have Charlie back, because without her, Charlie was nothing like himself. The usually happy-go-lucky man was nothing like himself. He was snippy and harsh, and so entirely not himself that were it not for his red hair no one would be able to recognize him.
The wizard in question was slowly trudging from room to room, his head low, as he kicked debris across the floor. He had heard Avery say the words himself. He had heard him say that Amy was dead, and he now had little hope that they would be able to find her, dead or alive. It was these feelings that caused no joy or hope to pass through him when he heard someone shout from the other room. It was why he didn't go running like the others and why he didn't stare at the locked door with hope bubbling in his stomach.
They all stood in a semi-circle, surrounding the door with their wands aloft to cast light over the wood form. The group stood there for a moment in silence, while the stared in contemplation. The house was silent aside from the occasional groan as it settled and swayed in the wind and the heavy breaths of anticipation from the Order members.
"Do you…" Tonks trailed off slowly as she mulled over her words. "Do you think she's in there?'
There was a pregnant pause.
"Only one way to find out," Remus said determinedly. He waved his wand and there was a satisfying click signaling that the door was now unlocked. There was another moment of hesitation before Remus took a step forward and grasped the doorknob, pulling it open swiftly. The group peered over him only to be greeted by blind darkness. No light was emitted from the room whatsoever and nor was there any noise.
It was Charlie who took the initiative as they huddled around the doorway. He edged himself past Remus and flicked his wand so that light sparked at the end. Light flooded through the room, as the group peered into the basement. Charlie's wand shook slightly as his gaze swept over the room, before he began his descent of the stairs, his eyes looking for something, anything. He knew that he shouldn't be leading the crowd but he couldn't help himself, and behind him, Charlie heard the others follow him down the steps, searching the contours of the dirty room. There was something bubbling up inside of Charlie, something that was telling him this was the place, and there was a smidge of hope in him that maybe, just maybe, but he quickly squelched it. He couldn't allow himself to get his hopes up, not now. The faint glow of the group's light spread throughout the basement, illuminating the walls that were made of stones packed with dirt and the floor that was hard and covered in dirt and dust. With a violent roll of his stomach, Charlie also noted dark brown-red stains on various spots of the floor and he felt his stomach heave at the thought of what may have happened in this basement.
As the others dispersed throughout the rather large basement in search of anyone or anything, Charlie turned in a slow circle, his keen, blue eyes surveying the cold room before him. He couldn't imagine what it would be like to be locked in here for days. There were no windows or lights beside the one emitted from the wands, and he could see how the darkness may become too much, too constricting and though he hoped to find Amy, he also hoped that she wouldn't be in here. He couldn't handle the idea of her locked away in this dark, cold cellar all alone with nothing but her thoughts and the torments of a madman.
"Charlie." Tonks's voice echoed softly throughout the cellar and the wizard spun on his heel, his wand still held aloft, as he sought out the brown mass of hair that was Tonks. It took him a moment, but the light of the room finally drew his attention to the young Auror who was crouched in the corner of the cellar. His gaze landed on a dark form, slumped over in the corner of the room just next to Tonks and he felt his heart clench as he noted that the figure did not move. He approached the two slowly, his wand rising slightly to cast a better glow of light on the figure. The light from his wand caught the person's limp, dingy hair, red and brown flashing in the dreariness of the room, and as he moved closer, his wand illuminated the rest of the form; small stature, curves, and long, shapely legs, exposed in the remains of a tattered shirt and leggings.
Charlie felt his knees shake beneath him before he lunged forward, his wand dropping beside him, as he kneeled besides Amy. His eyes flashed over the witch's body, and he reached his shaking hand up to brush the hair away from her face. Next to him, Tonks shifted a bit so that the wizard could kneel down completely next to the prone figure. His bright eyes surveyed Amy's face, taking in the bruises and cuts, and he stroked her face gently, brushing away bits of dirt and dried blood.
"Amy," he whispered, his voice shaking in the low tone. "Oh Merlin, Amy." His voice quivered and more tears welled up in his eyes, and Charlie noted the concerned look Tonks gave him from his peripheral. Choosing to ignore it, Charlie looked down the length of Amy's body, attempting to cast away the images of her broken body that were now burned into his memory. Alas, the wizard only felt the fury build up inside him at the sight of the injuries that covered the length of her entire body. Scratches, bruises, cuts… the witch was a walking injury, except she wasn't walking, quite the opposite in fact, and all these injuries had been forced upon her violently.
'I'm going to kill them for hurting her,' Charlie thought furiously as the anger within in him bubbled and surged and caused a red fury to burn behind his eyes. 'If it's the last thing I do.'
He vaguely noticed Tonks from the corner of his eye standing up and drawing the others towards the prone figure and worried wizard, but he ignored their stares and whispers, his eyes never straying from her beautiful, abused face. He heard several of the others approach them and peer worriedly over his shoulder, but Charlie paid them no attention as he focused entirely on the prone figure of the witch before him. He placed a soothing hand across Amy's face, caressing the damaged skin, and he swallowed his tears down harshly, forcing himself not to break down again. Her face was cool to the touch and covered in a thin coat of cold sweat. There was no warmth in her at all, she was so cold, so still, so lifeless…
Charlie dropped his head into his hand as the tears he had tried to hold back pooled up and over. He took a shaky breath, feeling guilt and regret build up inside of him. He had lost the most important thing to him. Amy was his family, she was the key to his future, his happiness, and now she was gone. He gripped his hair painfully as he allowed his anger and guilt to consume him. He should have found her sooner; he should have been there for her. He should have-
A rattling breath broke through the death-like silence of the room. Charlie's head shot from his hand and he looked at Amy's prone figure before him, watching as her chest slowly fell back into place as she exhaled. The wizard's eyes were wide with disbelief as her chest continued to move with shallow breaths. Charlie didn't have to look behind him to know that the others were just as shocked. He slowly moved forward until his ear was just above her chest, and he shut his eyes in concentration as he listened for something, anything. He had seen her breath obviously, but before he let himself hope, before he did anything, he had to hear her heart. He needed to.
"Come on," he breathed softly, his eyes welling with tears as he didn't hear any echo of her heart beating in her chest. His mind flashed quickly to the idea that she may not be alive and it had all just been a trick of the light or his hopes getting the best of him, and that he would never see her open her eyes, never hear her say another word, never hold her warm body against his… "Come on, love."
Several moments passed in heavy tension when, to his relief, Charlie heard the faint beat of Amy's heart rattling in her chest, and he pulled away quickly, his own heart rate starting to fall back to a normal rate as relief flooded his body.
"She's alive," he breathed, panting a bit in wonderment, before he turned to look up at the faces of those peering down at him. "She's alive." Charlie just caught a glimpse of his father's ecstatic smile before he turned back to Amy. "We need to get her out of here," he said loudly as he turned to look back down at the unconscious, cold form of his girlfriend. He could hear the group murmuring in agreement, but Charlie instead focused on how they were going to take her from the basement.
Hurriedly, Charlie stuffed his wand into his pocket and slipped his arms underneath Amy's knees and back. Carefully, he stood up so that the witch was resting limply in his arms. She was cold against the warmth of his body, and for a brief second, the night she had come to his house in the snow flashed in his mind before he returned to the present. The witch was drenched in a cold, clammy sweat, and a flash of worry struck Charlie as he realized that it was likely Amy was sick from the cold of the basement as well in some terrible pain. As he stood there, Charlie stared down at Amy's pale face, and his eyes traced the bruises and smudges of dirt that covered it, broken only by a smear of blood and the tear stains that were tracked into her cheeks. Charlie's heart ached horribly as he thought about the witch, alone and cold in the basement with tears acting as her only comfort.
Charlie turned towards the group, careful of Amy who was hanging limply in his arms. "Where are we taking her?" he asked, grateful that his voice didn't crack because of the emotions running through him. He couldn't believe that she was actually alive. He couldn't believe that he had been given this second chance, this opportunity to show her just how much he loved her, to never leave her side, to be there for her, to love her. He glanced briefly at the others before back at his unconscious girlfriend, afraid to let them see the tears that were brimming in the corners of his bright, blue eyes. He couldn't believe the surge of emotions building inside of him, all for this woman. More importantly, he couldn't believe she was alive.
"We'll take her back to the Burrow," Arthur piped up from the back of the group. Charlie looked up, finding his father's glasses and familiar red hair in the dark basement. "Your Mum can take care of her there." There was obvious relief in the father's voice, and Arthur looked his son in the eye, seeing the emotions in them. It was evident that Charlie was completely overwhelmed by the fact that Amy was alive. He had obviously given up hope and he must still be getting over the shock. Charlie nodded slowly and stepped around the group towards the stairs.
The others followed him out, their wands still aloft in case a rogue Death Eater was still in the shabby house, but the they all made it out of the house rather quickly. As they exited the grounds, Charlie tightened his arms around Amy, staring into her white face as he turned, the image of his childhood home pictured in his mind.
…..
Charlie didn't even bother with the ridiculous question system that his mother and father had set up for the family. Instead, he pushed his way through the door with a bang, surprising his mother, Bill, and Fleur, who were huddled around the kitchen table. The three looked up, their eyes wide as they took in the sight of the red head, panting with fearful eyes.
"Charlie!" Molly cried, standing up and rushing towards him. She took in the sight of the girl in his arms and her moth dropped open in shock. "Who is-?" she broke off as her eyes landed on the woman's face. "Amy? What on earth-?" Molly's eyes switching from Charlie's face to that of her husband's who had trailed after his son, shutting the door behind him. Tonks and Remus had undoubtedly decided not to come to the Burrow and had instead gone their separate ways, knowing they would receive an update on Amy as soon as possible. "Never mind," Molly said hurriedly.
Bill and Fleur stood to make room for them as Molly ushered Charlie passed them hurriedly. "Take her up to your room, Charlie," she demanded as she began to pull open drawers and cabinets around the room in search of supplies she would need. "Make sure she's comfortable. I'm going to get some supplies." Charlie nodded obediently at his Mum though it was obvious that he wasn't really listening. As his mother bustled around the room, Charlie turned and began to walk carefully up the steps of the home, making sure not to jostle Amy on his way up. He carefully stepped over strewn items of clothing on the stares, and he didn't care that his steps weren't quiet. His siblings may be sleeping in the rooms above, but Amy was hurt and possibly dying. Hell, she should be dead, and he wasn't about to take his time in saving her just for the sake of his siblings' beauty sleep.
Charlie's room was on the second floor, across from Bill's. He turned slightly, pushing the door open with his shoulder gently – it had never really closed properly anyway – and shuffled inside the doorway. The room was bathed in the darkness of the late night, the shadows casted over the décor of the room in varying shades of darkness; the posters, the bed, the desk, everything were shaded in the night's dim lighting. Charlie carefully made his way into the room, careful to not bump the limp girl into the doorframe. His movements caused the witch to shift in his arms, and her hand slipped from her lap to fall and hang limply towards the ground, while her head lolled towards Charlie. Her face pressed lightly against his chest and Charlie felt warmth surge through him at her closeness to him.
He shuffled carefully across the room, approaching the bed that was set against the wall. The bed was still covered in the blankets and sheets from when he had left for Romania years ago: a worn, blue patchwork quilt, a warm, knitted afghan, and many fluffy pillows. With ease, he laid Amy gently onto the bed, adjusting her so that she was laying on her back comfortably, her head burrowed into the soft pillows. He reached for the blanket at the end of the bed, pulling it over Amy's abused body, slowly and carefully. Though he knew they were still there, Charlie felt evident relief flood him as her cuts and bruises disappeared under the blanket.
Gently, so as to not jostle the bed, Charlie sat on the edge of the mattress. He held Amy's limp hand tightly in his own, as his other hand stroked her face. Slowly, he brushed her dirty, blood matted hair out of her shut eyes, his hand shaking slightly as tears rose up in his eyes, blurring his vision and turning his room into a mass of blues and greys. He couldn't believe that they had found her, that she was alive. He had honestly believed Avery when he said he was dead. What reason did the Death Eater have to lie? It didn't make sense, but Charlie didn't care. Not now, anyway. All he cared about was that Amy was there in front of him, bruised and beaten, but alive… for now at least.
Slowly, Charlie leaned down, hesitating for a moment before brushing his lips softly against Amy's cold, unresponsive ones. He stayed there for a moment, relishing the feel of his lips against hers, even if there was no life behind it, before he pulled back, his forehead pressed gently against hers. He could feel her chest rising slowly against his, relief filling him at the feel of her shallow breath against his cheek.
"Amy," he whispered, breaking the relative silence of the room, "You have to get well, okay love? I love you so much, too much, so you need to get better. You need to live. I need you, and I think you need me too, so please, come back to me, to us." His voice cracked at the end of the sentence and a tear dripped from his face and traced its way down Amy's, leaving a clean track on her dirt covered face. Charlie pulled back suddenly as the door opened, turning quickly to see his mother hurrying into the room. In the shadows of room, the wizard saw his mother wave her wand sharply and Charlie blinked rapidly as light filled the room, though the brightness did nothing to stir the unconscious witch.
"Charlie, dear," Molly started, setting down a handful of cloths, potions, and a basin of water. "You should leave the room, at least while I clean her up." She straightened up and looked at Charlie expectantly, waiting for him to leave. Charlie began to protest, not wanting to leave Amy for a second, not again, but he paused at the stern look his Mum gave him and he knew that he would be more of a problem than help, so he nodded slowly, reluctantly. He pressed one last gentle, lingering kiss on Amy's forehead before standing and exiting the room, shuffling across the carpet as he took his time, trying to stay in the witch's presence for as long as possible. As he made to exit the room, Charlie paused and turned for a moment to watch as his mother began her work on Amy. Tenderly, the motherly witch used a wet cloth to wipe away the dirt and grime from her face, careful to avoid the numerous cuts across her face. Charlie stood there for a moment more before forced himself to step out of the room, and close the door behind him.
If this were a normal, after a less exhausting mission or any other night really, Charlie would've gone down to the kitchen and seated himself at the kitchen table. Maybe he would have enjoyed some of his mother's food and laughed about who knows what with his siblings. Someone would probably start an argument and they would all bicker for a while, but in the end, they would always go back to laughing. This time however, Charlie slumped against the wall outside of his room, sliding slowly to the floor with a thud. He rubbed his hands wearily against his face, scratching at the agitated tear-stained skin on his cheeks before he felt his body completely break and his head fell onto his knees, his hands grasping the back of his head as he let out a shuddering breath.
The wizard breathed heavily, taking in loud, rattling breaths as tears built up in his eyes before streaming over. He couldn't believe that he still had tears to cry, not after the past few hours. His eyes should have dried up by now, but instead, tears continued to pool from his eyes and down his cheeks in rivers.
Vaguely, Charlie heard steps from below, and he kept his head burrowed into his knees as someone climbed the stairs of the mismatched home before dropping to the floor next to him as quietly as they could in the sleeping house. A warm hand plopped itself onto Charlie's back, as tears continued to leak from his eyes, dripping into his jeans as he sniffed and tried to compose himself.
Several moments passed, the only sound being movement from downstairs and sniffling from Charlie. Seconds passed followed by what felt like hours but were actually just mere minutes. Charlie slowly began to regain normal breathing, one that didn't rattle and shudder as much, and he brushed away the stray tears from his face with a calloused hand. Tiredly, Charlie raised his head and turned it towards the person seated next to him on the floor of the hallway. In the dim lighting, Charlie could see the profile of his brother Bill seated next to him, staring blankly at the staircase in front of him. As he felt Charlie move beneath his hand, the cursebreaker turned so that he was facing him, his profile lit up in the half-moon from a near-by window.
"Are you okay?" He asked softly after a moment, hesitant to break the silence of the home. Charlie nodded slowly, afraid that if he spoke his voice would crack. Bill nodded at the response before turning to face the stairs again. There was another pause before he continued on. "Is she going to be okay?" Charlie took a moment to respond before he shrugged jerkily, a lone tear slipping from his eye. Bill's arm immediately moved from Charlie's back to around his shoulder, and he gripped his brother's upper arm tightly and comfortingly. "She's strong. I'm sure she'll be fine."
Charlie barely nodded, not really listening to what his brother said as his eyes zoned onto a crack in the floorboard. Slowly, the wizard reached a finger out so that his nail just barely touched the imperfection, which he traced over and over. The repetition seemed to calm him slightly, and his shoulders eventually stopped shuddering with tears as he forced himself to focus on the task at hand. And so, the two brothers fell into silence as the house grew quiet, broken only by a howl of wind and the creaking of the settling home.
…..
AN: To bed! And Mark of Athena!
Signing off,
WiseGirl
