Games Are Afoot
Impasse
It was eleven p.m. as Fred and George snuck into Charlie's room. What they found was not what they expected. Sitting on the floor around the table were Bill and Charlie. Two more somber faces had never been seen.
"Oi! You started without us?" Fred cried out.
"The plan was to start at midnight." George answered doing his best imitation of a Percy sneer.
"And it's not midnight yet so blow." Bill shot back with no humor in his voice.
"Locking and silencing charms you think?" Fred asked George as their older brothers glared at them once again.
"Oh, definitely." He answered as he pulled his wand out. In minutes the room became a sanctuary. "You definitely need to lighten up."
Bill and Charlie looked at each other and then sighed heavily in unison. Honestly, George and Fred were impressed. It was a perfectly synchronized sigh…and they weren't even twins. They glanced quickly at each other and then mimicked the sigh.
"And here we thought you two were so cool" Fred rolled his eyes. "And you two are sitting up here in the near dark moping."
"I do NOT mope." Charlie muttered darkly.
"Of course not," said George, "That's why you punch walls." He sniggered and Fred looked overjoyed at this little tidbit of information.
Fred and George were grinning. It wasn't often that their older two brothers were such saps and easy prey. They looked toward each other and George subtly used his little finger to slide the feather toward the center of the table.
Charlie noticed it first. "Flinch Feather!" He yelled.
Bill tried to grab it first but Charlie slapped his hand out of the way. "Lemme! Lemme go first. I haven't played this since…since…well…it'll be good to play with my brothers. You understand me." His finger tried to caress the soft looking marble, but it stuck fast. Bill's soon joined his a little further down and the twins added theirs to the stem.
"You could have at least let us serve drinks first." George commented.
Bill patronizingly patted his shoulder with his free hand. "Not for you. You are," Bill's voice rose into a perfect imitation of their mother, "Convalescing."
Fred burst into laughter. "Now I know where Ginny gets it!" George couldn't help laughing too.
"Where Ginny gets what?" Charlie asked curiously. The flinch feather sealed tighter as Fred rolled his eyes again.
"Nice, Charlie. Just the kind of information we play flinch for." Charlie shrugged sheepishly.
"Ginny can impersonate voices." Bill stated.
"She could do the Umbridge toad dead on." George added with a chuckle. "Hem! Hem!" Fred roared with laughter at George's feeble attempt but Charlie just looked confused.
Fred cleared his throat, "You remember when you and Hermione panicked because Mum came close to where you were…um…visiting?" Charlie nodded as he reddened thinking about the near miss last year when they were snogging.
"She was standing right next to us on the other side of that blasted tapestry." Charlie shook his head.
George snorted, but Fred answered, "It was Ginny." Charlie's eyes grew wide. "Of course, she had help finding you."
The feather released their fingers and the brothers looked at each other. "Did you invite
Ron and Harry?" Charlie asked Bill.
"Not this time. As far as mum knows, the twins are at their shop and we are out for the evening." Bill replied.
"Oi, Love is making your brain stupid!" Charlie laughed. Bill did not appreciate the humor.
"What are you on about?" He demanded.
The three looked at him. "Clock. Duh."
Bill looked sheepish. "Oh."
"She knows we're here, but I am sure she is too busy chasing Ronnikins, Harry and Hermione around so they don't have any more chances to plan their escape. The woman is in serious denial about them leaving."
Charlie sunk down and rested his arms across his knees with his head on top.
"Oops." Said Fred. "Guess that topic is a little sore here too, eh?"
Bill nodded. "Ah," said George, "now the hand makes sense."
"What'd you say to her, Char? I bet whatever it was made her right mad." Fred grinned. "I know the feeling because we used to try and test our products in the common room. She was so fun to rile up."
Charlie leveled a steely gaze at Fred. "I didn't say something to intentionally anger her."
Fred raised his hands in surrender. "All I am saying is I have seen her react and I have seen you react and your foot must have been halfway down your throat by the way you are sulking and she is stomping around."
"She's stomping around?" Charlie asked.
George got a very serious look on his face, "Yes Charlie. She very nearly made Percy look relaxed in comparison." There was a pause as everyone looked at George. Then they all broke into raucous laughter. The mood in the room lightened noticeably.
"Now who should really go first?" Fred asked tapping his finger to his chin. "I think it should be Bill, as it is his bachelor party."
"I concur old chap." George said slapping Bill heartily on the back. "Alright old man, what question do you have for the brothers?"
Bill looked confused for a moment but then a grin stole across his face. "Have you ever…no…what do I really wanna know?" He thought for a few minutes before he spoke again.
"What are you most afraid of?"
"THAT'S your big question?" George sputtered. "I think I need to drink if this game is going to be this profound."
Bill snorted. "Okay Char, you first." Fred encouraged.
"I am most afraid of Hermione leaving and never coming back." He nodded firmly at his brothers.
"You are so whipped." George commented.
"Oh yeah?" Charlie challenged. "Then what scares you?"
"Mum. When she's on a bender…oh like now." George chuckled. He flinched as the feather zapped him.
"Be serious," Charlie commanded.
"Oh alright. I am most afraid of getting stuck in a boring rut. I want to make things happen and be somebody. I don't mean like Percy, but I want to be legendary. I am most afraid of being boring."
"Never happen." Bill assured him. George grinned.
"Thanks," George he said enthusiastically as he turned to Fred. "What about you?"
"I am afraid of being too serious. If I ever act like Percy, somebody stun me." The brothers laughed. "I love making people smile and making hard things easier. Did we tell you about the time we tried to send Harry a toilet seat in the hospital wing? Mum gave me the idea when she said that she didn't want to hear any reports about us blowing up toilets at school." George and Fred sighed blissfully at the memory of Madame Pomfrey's face. She had refused to let it in claiming that it was unsanitary, but they heard her chuckling as she walked away from them.
Bill was next. "Let's see, what scares me? I would have to say--nothing." The brothers waited for the shock that never came.
"Seriously. You aren't afraid of anything?" Charlie asked amazed that the feather hadn't so much as tickled with his answer.
"Nope. I get scared on occasion, but I am not afraid of anything in particular. I can't be in my line of work, or I am dead. Fear breeds danger for me, so instead, I turn it to adrenaline and it becomes exciting. I love the thrill of the chase and the narrow escapes." Fred nodded.
"Cool." He and George murmured in awe.
The feather released but no one reached for it again. The conversation just naturally flowed as the brothers talked about their hopes and dreams and the exciting things that they looked forward to in their lives.
The party broke up around three in the morning. Charlie had waited until everyone had left and then made his way to the loo. Afterwards, he just didn't feel like going to his room so he wandered upstairs to the window behind the tapestry. As he sat there gazing out the partially opened window, he inhaled the fresh air deeply. He reflected on his conversation with Hermione and realized that somebody needed to grow up and it was probably him. It was a painful thought and he mulled it over for quite awhile. He finally sighed heavily and closed the window.
The sun was starting to come up and he finally knew what he had to do.
He tiptoed down the hallway to the bedroom door and knocked as quietly as he could. He could hear a grunt and a shuffle and then a groggy, "Come in." Charlie entered the room and was nearly blinded even in the dark by the shocking orange everywhere.
"Ron?" He whispered. "Are you in here somewhere?" His eyes were starting to adjust and he could make out two pairs of eyes staring at him.
"Do you know what bloody time it is?" Ron squeaked out with a yawn. Harry was scratching his head and feeling around for his glasses.
"Yeah, sorry about that. Could I have a word?" Harry struggled to his feet.
"I think I'll go to the…well you know." He said as he staggered past Charlie and out the door. Charlie sat on his vacated bed and looked at Ron as Ron tried to look awake and coherent.
"So," Ron said around a big yawn. "What did you want to talk about? As if I didn't know."
"Yeah, well. I sort of made her mad at me today."
"Ya think?" Ron said sarcastically. "She has been sputtering all day. Sputtering Char. Muttering under her breath. Slamming doors. What in bloody hell did you say to her?"
Charlie looked at the floor. "I wasn't real happy she was leaving."
"Oh. About that…"
"No, Ron, just let me say what I need to ok? I know I didn't handle it very well and I also know it won't change anything. I have been thinking for the last couple of hours and I know that you have to do this, but…"
"But what?"
"You can't ever tell her that I asked you this because she would think I didn't think she could take care of herself, but it's not that. It's just because I worry and you three have had so many close calls and—"
"What Char? Will you ask me already?" Ron interrupted impatiently.
"I want you to look out for her. For me. I want you to treat her with respect and protect her since I can't be there."
"You're serious." Ron stated as he finally saw the look of desperation in Charlie's eyes.
"I am. I love her."
Ron nodded soberly. He realized how hard it was for Charlie to ask for anything. "I will do my best." Charlie stood and clamped Ron on the shoulder.
"Thanks Ron. I appreciate it more than you will ever know."
Ron sat looking stunned until Harry returned. "Everything ok?"
"I think my brother finally treated me like an adult." Ron said with incredulity.
Harry lay down on his bed. "'bout time." He yawned as they went back to sleep.
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The sun was almost completely up as Charlie made his way quietly down the stairs to Ginny's room. One more person to talk to. He tapped lightly at the door. After a brief pause, Ginny opened the door. He was surprised to note that she looked like she had already been awake.
Ginny assessed his questioning look and answered his unasked question, "We have been up talking for awhile." She slipped passed him. "Don't say anything else you will regret."
Charlie stood up straight and entered the room. Hermione was sitting upright with her legs criss-crossed in front of her. When she saw it was him she stood up so quickly she almost fell back onto the bed. He walked towards her and without either of them saying a word, they clutched onto each other. Charlie buried his face in her neck as he held her close. She clung fiercely to his neck. They stood there for several moments not saying anything, but just being together.
Finally, Charlie pulled slightly away and sat them on her cot. "I am really very sorry, Bookworm. Really sorry." She started to say something but he silenced her with a look. "I know you are leaving—that you have to leave." She nodded. "I want you to know that I understand why." Hermione sniffled and Charlie reached over and wiped the lone tear off her cheek.
He cleared his throat. "But mostly what I need to tell you is that I love you and I want, no I need you to come home to me when it's over. I will worry every day. I will think of you every day. I will miss you every day, but I know that you can do this. Harry needs you. And when it's all over. I will be here for you. Just come home to me Bookworm. Promise me you will come home."
Hermione was sobbing too hard to talk so he just held her until she got herself under control. "Oh, Charlie." She sniffled. "I never thought I was a sappy girl, but…" she sniffled again. "I love you too. I will miss you every day. I will think of you every day. I will come home…to you." She threw herself into his arms again and he was glad she did because he couldn't quite contain the tear in his eye.
"Hermione," he said quietly as he stroked her back softly.
"Yes, Charlie?"
"We have to say good-bye before the wedding."
"What?" Hermione asked abruptly as she pulled away to look at him.
"Mum will not think that you will leave if we are having a fight. She will assume that we will have to make up somehow before you go, so I think that for appearances sake, we should still pretend to be angry at each other. That way, you can slip away and she might not realize it for a bit and try to stop you. She will have her hands full with the wedding and the guests and she probably thinks she will have some time to persuade you not to go." Hermione watched Charlie intently as he struggled to get the words out.
"I can't do much to help you, but I can do this."
"Thank you Charlie."
He leaned in and kissed her deeply. "Never forget and never doubt that I love you. Please be safe."
Hermione was gently crying again. "I love you too."
And then he was gone.
Author's Note: I still don't own it.