Gone Again

Games Are Afoot Chapter 53

Charlie had been spending more and more time with the order. He was tired of waiting for the rare opportunities to see Hermione. She was so close and yet so far away. He wasn't the sit-around-and-wait-kind of guy. He needed more to do. So he had helped George and Fred with their radio show. His code name was Centarus. He had gone on missions. He had helped degnome Aunt Muriel's garden. His arm was back to normal. His headaches had finally stopped. He was battling between going to Romania and staying with Hermione, but with how she and Harry and Ron were cooping themselves up in the tiny room at Bill's with that goblin, he was leaning toward Romania. He had nearly decided. He was going to go tell her, but when he got to shell cottage, they were in the room again. He waited for awhile and then returned to Muriel's disappointedly. It would have to wait until tomorrow. He decided he would go early to maybe catch her before breakfast.

Charlie didn't sleep much that night. He tossed and turned. He wondered for the millionth time if Romania was the right place for him right now. He missed the dragons, but Jack had gotten a message to him that some unpleasant people had been to the reserve looking for him. He sighed after tossing and turning for another hour and gave up trying to sleep. He got dressed and got his broom. Flying was always therapeutic. He quietly left the house and soared as high as the wards would allow. It wasn't as high as he wished he could go. The worry was aging him. He had actually found a gray hair amongst the red ones. He was only 25. He shouldn't have gray hair. Okay. It was just one, but still. He meandered around and around. Muriel's property was extensive. She had a charming forest that contained some fascinating magical creatures, but Charlie wasn't interested in any of those magical creatures tonight.

His mind floated along like his broom as his thoughts went to Hermione. She looked so tired all the time. Even Ron hadn't had much of an appetite. Harry had this determined look in his eyes that was a bit frightening. He thought about the story Ron had told him about what happened at Malfoy Manor. Hermione wouldn't discuss it. He knew she was having nightmares though. Fleur told him. He tried to make her laugh, but her smiles were rare. Many nights they just sat on the cliff overlooking the water not talking. It was difficult in some ways, but in others it was incredibly special. Without worrying about words, he had begun to watch her. He noticed so much more. Eventually the silences were comfortable. The sound of the water on the shore was comforting and calming. Hermione would relax into him and there time together became such peaceful stolen moments. He really began to cherish them. One night though he felt he needed to share something with her.

"Hermione," he began. He could tell she was listening because she had stiffened slightly. "You don't have to say anything, but I need to tell you something." She was sitting between his legs leaning against his chest while he leaned against a tree. She was tensing and alert but she said nothing. "Hermione, the night you came to shell cottage," Charlie started. He paused. "I had—well, I really don't know what to call it. It was not like anything I have ever experienced before. I thought I was going crazy. So did Bill." Charlie chuckled feebly but still Hermione said nothing. She leaned a little more into him though so he continued. "I woke up hearing a scream. I didn't know if it was a dream or me." He waited. Hermione shifted slightly. "I felt like I was being tortured. This pain built up inside me and hit wave after wave. I wasn't asleep anymore. I knew I was awake." He stopped and waited. Hermione seemed to be holding her breath. "I crawled to Bill's room and he got me back to mine and stayed with me and then it hit again." Hermione's breath wooshed out. He felt a tear drop on to his hand. "Hermione, I don't know how or why, but I think I was feeling and hearing you. Maybe not everything that you went through, but definitely some of it. I was so worried. Dean and Luna showed up and I knew I had to get to you. I was so weak that Bill stopped me with a stupid trip-jinx." Hermione sniffled but it almost sounded like a giggle. Still she said nothing. "You don't have to ever talk about it if you don't want to. Ron gave me the general idea of what happened. I just wanted you to know that-" Charlie wasn't sure how to continue. Hermione sniffled again but relaxed back into him. They sat there for a very long time.

A bird flying to close to his face pulled Charlie out of his reverie. The sun was rising so he figured he should head back to the house before anyone worried about him. His mum met him on the porch. She was sitting in the swing and she patted the seat next to her. They sat and swung for several silent minutes.

"Charlie." His mother began. "Did I ever tell you about the night your dad was attacked?" He shook his head. "Well, Harry had the dream or vision or whatever it was, but I knew. I knew something was wrong. I had gone to bed, but sleep was slow coming." Charlie could feel her watching him as she talked.

"Did Bill tell you?" He asked her.

"Yes."

"And?"

"And I think that Dumbledore always talked about how powerful love is. That love was an untapped magic of incredible power. He taught me that love is very underestimated. It has its painful moments, but it equally has its amazing joys."

They rocked in silence for awhile.

"So how did you know Dad was in trouble?"

"I could feel it. My arm ached terribly. I felt like I couldn't breathe. I got up and went to check my clock and well, you can imagine where his hand was pointing."

Charlie nodded.

"Love is powerful Charlie. Just love her. No matter what happens, that love will get you through."

"But what if I lose her?" Charlie blurted out.

"You must have faith Charlie. I know that people are dying all around us, but I refuse to believe that you-know-who has won. After your dad and then when George got hurt, I worried all the time about what might happen. What would I do?"

"So what did you come up with? How do you not worry?"

"I decided that they would be in my heart forever. I love them now and forever. It would be hard to be without them, but they know that my love for them knows no boundaries. Not even death. I will NEVER stop loving my family." She said fiercely.

"Not even Percy?" Charlie had to know.

"Not even Percy. I will love him forever too. And I will hope he will come back to us. But even if he chooses not to, I will love him."

Charlie thought about that kind of love. He thought about the depth of that kind of love. Remus had told him once that Harry's mom had protected him with her love even in death.

"Charlie Boy, someday this war will be over. But the love will always be there." She patted his hand and went into the house. She was always so perceptive about what he was thinking. Maybe that was a result of the love she had tried to describe to him.

He got lost in his thoughts for a time and was startled when Ginny came out to call him to breakfast. He decided to go to forgo breakfast and head to Shell Cottage when he suddenly felt a warmth in his right pocket. It took him a minute to remember the gold galleon. He removed it and read the message. Come to WWW in Diagonalley. NOW.

Charlie didn't think. He disapparated on the spot reappearing in George and Fred's storage room. Bill and Mr. Weasley arrived immediately also. They were there, wands out. The twins had them look out the window toward Gringott's. Blazes of spells were flashing and windows were shattering. Alarms were sounding. Before they even had a chance to ask what was going on, there was a gigantic explosion of the glass dome at the top.

What happened next Charlie wouldn't have believed if he hadn't seen it with his own eyes. Out shot the palest, whitest dragon he had ever seen. It looked almost ghost like. He saw small bursts of wand light coming from its back, but it was too far away to really see who it was.

"Fred! Where is your broom?" Charlie yelled. Fred accio'd his broom and handed it to Charlie who immediately left to track the dragon. His instincts kicked in and he knew he had to make sure this desperate dragon didn't go on a rampage. He flew as fast as he had ever flown. His spirits soared. He felt free and alive. He felt a sense of purpose as he chased this dragon.

Charlie could see the dragon in the distance but he wasn't closing in despite the speed he was flying. He tried to keep it insight. Suddenly he could see it slowing and lowering over a lake. He pushed forward even faster to gain on it while it took the time to get a drink. Suddenly he saw splashes in the water! He had his wand out without even thinking. He disillusioned himself and flew low and fast. He could see the dragon scoop huge mouthfuls of water as it glided over the lake. He scanned and saw heads bobbing by the shore.

"How in the hell?" He thought to himself as he saw the red and black hair crawl up on the shore. The third wet head climbed wearily onto the bank. His heart stuttered. Should he go to her or should he follow the dragon? He wrestled with this decision and then decided that he needed to let the trio do what they had to do, and he would do what he had to do. He soared after the dragon at break neck speed.

The dragon was slowing down. As he began to weave and bob so she wouldn't catch his scent, he noticed that this was an ancient dragon. She seemed to almost be smiling as she coasted through the air. He understood how she felt. After being cooped up, this felt incredibly amazing to him as well. He followed the dragon north. He could tell it was getting tired. The dragon began circling down into a forest below. He followed discreetly. He knew he couldn't handle this magnificent creature alone, but what to do? He hovered distantly as the dragon began circling a potential nesting place. He grabbed his mirror and called Bill's name.

"Charlie!" Bill responded almost immediately!

"Bill! She's beautiful! She is just finally stopping! I need you to message Jack and Royce."

"Charlie! Jack was already in London, he saw the dragon too! Where are you?"

"I am in the forest by Yorkshire!" Charlie answered excitedly. "Is Jack there?"

Jack's face appeared in the mirror. Charlie did a spell with his wand to get his exact latitude and longitude and he explained it to Jack. Minutes later the pop of apparition sounded on the cliff where he had landed. The dragon was finishing its nest for the night and settling in, not noticing the bystanders.

"I had heard rumors they had a dragon," Jack muttered quietly, "But I never thought it would be true."

Charlie and Jack had been studying the dragon. She had chains still dangling. There were open and oozing sores where they had rubbed the scales off.

"What a waste." Charlie said shaking his head. They had agreed that the dragon had to be several hundred years old. It was so white that they couldn't identify it by color. It had obviously not seen daylight for a very long time. They finally determined it to be a Ukranian Ironbelly.

Jack had sent his patronus to Romania, but the tamers wouldn't be here for hours. They wanted to guide the dragon to the reserve where she would be safe, but didn't want her to feel she was being trapped. They discussed strategies as they watched the wondrous creature settle in to rest.

As the sun began to set, Charlie felt a heat under his hand. He reached into his pocket and retrieved the galleon for the second time that day. His heart froze. IT'S HAPPENING. HOGWARTS. HOG'S HEAD. Charlie handed the galleon to Jack.

"Go." Jack said. "Now." Charlie didn't hesitate and soon he was queueing up with the other order members who had descended on the Inn. He pushed furiously through the crowd and down the hallway that led to the room of requirement. He stopped at the doorway scanning around for her. He didn't see her right away but the crush of people trying to enter forced him to move. His eyes kept looking. He finally spotted her by the other door getting ready to leave. She hadn't seen him. There was too much noise to call out and too many people to push through. She was gone before he got there.