Games Are Afoot Chapter 48
Solitude
The lounge at the Burrow was crowded. Nearly the entire Weasley family sat in unusual silence. The only sounds were the crackle of the magical fire. Bill was gently rubbing Fleur's back in a vain effort to calm her down after their reception had been crashed by death eaters and supposed ministry officials. The interrogations had been brutal, and at least for Charlie, physical as well. He sat near the fireplace holding a cool cloth to his blackened eye.
"Everyone alright?" Arthur asked his family gently for the umpteenth time. There were murmured comments that they were fine but the expressions on each of their faces didn't support the words. Worry etched lines deep into Molly's eyes. She scanned the room as only a mother could. She noticed the silent conversation between the twins. She saw Arthur tugging at the sleeve of his robes. She saw Fleur gently squeeze Bill's leg in reassurance. She saw Ginny fighting back tears. She saw Charlie lower the cool cloth in his tightly clenched fist.
"Arthur—"
"Not just yet Molly." Arthur cautioned. She resolutely pressed her lips together firmly and nodded to him. After being married for so long, some things didn't need to be voiced. The danger was still near and it was not yet safe to talk freely. They could still hear the footsteps outside their home.
Charlie observed his parents. The fierce loyalty shown brightly in their eyes. When the chaos had ensued, Arthur's first response was to protect his family. He had shielded Ginny and worked his way towards Molly. The twins circling from the other direction to complete the circle. Bill and Fleur, though just married, were firing off hexes in a synchronized flow.
Charlie thought back to how confidently his dad had shown the officials that Ron was ill. The ghoul had pulled it off brilliantly. Harry, Ron, and Hermione had successfully escaped during the pandemonium.
Hermione.
Arthur and Molly straightened up suddenly and stared intently at each other as their children looked on curiously. Each reached into a pocket of their robes. Each withdrew a fist closed around something. Arthur peeked first.
"The wards have been breached." He said cryptically.
"Do you think…" Molly hinted hopefully.
Arthur thought for a moment. "I do. It's got to be them. It just makes sense."
"They'll be worried about us." Molly cautioned.
The brief interplay had everyone's riveted attention.
Ginny sat up straighter. "Do you know where?" She asked timidly.
"Let's go get them." Fred said as he stood withdrawing his wand. George put a restraining hand on his arm. "It's better this way."
Molly shocked them all by nodding. "Yes, it's better. They are safe. But Arthur…"
Arthur nodded. "I'll send my patronus. It would be too risky to go personally."
The family watched as he conjured his weasel patronus and spoke briefly to it, "Family safe, do not reply, we are being watched."
It was all they could do. For now.
Charlie excused himself and slowly climbed the stairs. He briefly stopped in front of his door, hesitating before deciding to continue up to the top floor. He opened the window, sat on the ledge and sighed. His mind was whirring with everything that had happened the last several hours. One minute he was discreetly watching Hermione dancing and laughing with Ron and the disguised Harry and the next, he was meeting her terrified eyes as she mouthed I love you before she began calling for Ron. Tears were coursing down her cheeks, as she looked him in the eyes before disapparating away. He wasn't sure he would ever forget the sheer terror that gripped his stomach at the look of utter despair in her eyes.
Her brown, determined, sad, yet intensely focused eyes. He knew they would haunt his dreams. Hermione had a passion for life. A passion that he hoped fervently would serve her well and return her to him.
Charlie wanted to scream. He actually wanted to break something. And yet, he sat nearly motionless, suppressing the urge. "Where was a bloody dragon when you needed to wrestle one?" He thought morosely to himself.
He went over the events of downstairs. Letting his mind slowly process what his eyes had observed. His parents knew where she was. For now, anyhow, she was safe. He smirked remembering his parents closed fists. He knew what they held because he had one too. All the Order members did. He reached into his pocket and gripped his fake galleon. He hadn't even felt it warm in his pocket. Or else he didn't notice because the heat from the dragons he usually dealt with was so much hotter in comparison. He glanced at it. Sure enough, there was a simple message written on it. Wards breached. He smiled as he realized that they were most likely at Grimmauld Place. He relaxed a bit against the window and smiled to himself thinking that Hermione would be pleased that Dumbledore's grown up army was utilizing one of her brilliant ideas.
His eyes followed a dark clad figure exiting his dad's workshop. The house had been thoroughly searched. Soon, they would leave, but he was positive they would be watched. They were too close to Harry not to be.
Charlie eventually meandered downstairs. The family had all moved to separate areas of the house to do various things, but he felt restless. He stopped in his room but was too restless to stay there. He prowled around the house like a caged animal. Molly eventually made everyone come and eat and then it was time for bed. The night that would be still and quiet. The time of day when Charlie would have nothing to do but think.
He stopped by his room long enough to grab his broom and then went to the upstairs window. It had been years since he had snuck out to fly, but he needed a vent for his anxiety. He flew around the Burrow, the pond, the trees; but it did no good. It reminded him too much of Hermione. Knowing where she was and not being able to go to her was torture. Finally, he decided that he needed rest so he quietly returned to the window and let himself in gently. He tiptoed down the stairs to his room and closed the door.
Leaning against it he sighed for the millionth time. Slowly he made his way across the room to his bed and sat down. Suddenly, he was exhausted. Emotionally. Physically. Mentally. He leaned back on the pillow without removing his clothes and immediately fell asleep.
He felt like he could hear Hermione calling him. "Charlie? Are you there, Charlie?" The voice called out softly. "Charlie, I miss you."
He sat up and searched his room. Hermione's voice had sounded so close. And now, nothing. It was silent. He lay back down, all his senses on alert. After a few minutes he felt ridiculous. He wanted her to be there. That was all. It was his subconscious playing tricks on him. He rolled over and punched the pillow and lay back down to try to sleep some more.
The next day was much the same as the previous evening. He couldn't sit still. After helping his mother clean, he was so desperate for something to do that he went and degnomed the garden. He worked slowly and thoroughly trying to kill as much time as possible. He was in the garden for hours. When he finally finished, his mother was waiting for him.
"This came for you Charlie boy." She handed him a sealed parchment envelope with an official seal on it. He opened it cautiously.
"I have been cleared to return to Romania." He said flatly. "I am encouraged to go tomorrow. There will be a port key waiting for me at the ministry at ten."
His mother nodded. "I am sure it's for the best." Her calm voice was in direct opposition to her tearing eyes. They sat for a moment without a word.
"How can I go back?"
"You just have to Charlie. You have a job to do." She looked at him meaningfully. He was confused.
"Charlie, you know that you will be more helpful in Romania." She hinted.
Charlie finally understood. Dumbledore had wanted him to recruit. So far, he had persuaded several of the dragon handlers including Royce. Voldemort was recruiting too. He had a thing for dangerous creatures so Charlie's work was helping to prevent him adding dragons to his list of tools to destroy with.
After dinner, the twins returned to their shop. Ginny was hiding in her room. His parents were talking quietly in the lounge.
He headed upstairs to pack. He gathered all his clothes and personal effects. He dug his dragon hide boots out from under the bed. He packed his picture of Hermione that always sat next to his bed. He was ready. All he had to do was wait. He was tired of waiting already. He sat on his bed. He wasn't sleepy and yet he was worn out so he lay down in the dark and stared at the ceiling. Faint outlines of the constellations his dad had charmed on his ceiling glowed. His eyes searched out Centaurus. It was strangely comforting how even with all the other changes in his life, some things never did. The Burrow was still home. He must have dozed off because he began to hear Hermione again.
"Charlie? Charlie are you there?" Hermione's quiet voice sounded so far away. He tried to cling to sleep so that her voice would stay, but the harder he tried, the more awake he became. "Charlie, I love you. Please be safe." And then the voice was gone. He was fully awake for the last part. He wondered if he was losing what was left of his mind.
He flung himself back onto his pillow but in his mind he could still hear her. He put his head under his pillow to drown it out. Instead of the coolness of the sheet, he felt something cool but hard. He sat up and lit his wand to see what it was.
It was a mirror. He and Bill used the two-way mirrors to keep in touch. "I thought I left mine in Romania." He muttered to himself.
"Bill." He stared at the mirror but nothing happened except he noticed that this one was a little smaller than his mirror. He turned it over but didn't notice anything at first. He used his wand to light a candle so the room would be lighter. Where did this mirror come from? He set his wand down and scanned the surface. He could see his own eyes reflecting back at himself. He searched the edges but they too were empty. He finally took another look at the back and this time he saw an off white dot in one of the corners.
He ran his fingers over the dot and felt that it was slightly raised. With his fingernail he pried it off. It was too small for him to determine if it was important so he set the mirror down and picked up his wand.
"Engorgio."
The dot became a square. It was parchment colored. It was folded in half. He curiously unfolded it and began to read.
I couldn't risk your mother catching us not being mad at each other and I am not sure when exactly Harry wants to leave, but I can't stand the thought of not knowing of not having a way to communicate with you. Harry gave me these mirrors for my birthday last year. We mostly used them in school, but I hoped maybe we could use them to reassure each other.
--Hermione.
She must have put this under his pillow after their talk in Ginny's room. That was days ago! Before the wedding! He had slept in Bill's room. And then he hadn't really gotten undressed or into bed fully since. He wasn't imagining her voice! A small part of him felt a huge relief that he wasn't going crazy.
He stared into the mirror. "Hermione." He called softly. "Are you there?"
Nothing.
"Hermione. Can you hear me?"
Nothing.
"Bookworm?"
He saw a flash of something besides his eyes in the mirror. A moment later he saw her beautiful brown eyes staring happily back at him.
"Charlie? Is it really you?"
"It's really me."
"I called and called and you never answered."
"I thought I was dreaming."
Hermione chuckled. "Was it a nightmare?"
"Only when I woke up and you weren't really there. I thought I was losing my mind." He smiled.
"I have to go!" Hermione hissed suddenly as she was gone.
Charlie stared forlornly at the mirror, willing her to come back.
She didn't.
He waited all night.