Chapter seven

Harry slowly woke and reached across for his glasses, but couldn't feel them. He blinked and looked around then saw Charlie holding them as he smiled down at him. Harry gave a small smile and put them on.

'You know Charlie, I haven't slept that well in a long time.'

'Because you're with your family or was it that I had my arms around you?'

'Your arms, it was nice. But I need the bathroom.'

'Before you leave babe,' Charlie bent down and kissed Harry very gently, 'Morning.'

Harry gave a bigger smile, 'Morning,' Harry chewed on his lip then sat up.

'What.'

'Can I always sleep in here with you?'

'If you want, then when I get my own place you can live with me.'

'That's sudden.'

'I told you last night I've liked you for a long time, so it's not sudden for me, just for you. Don't you want to?' Charlie kissed Harry's shoulder.

'Yeah, but I don't know you that well, you were never here.'

'No I wasn't and that mainly came down to you. I couldn't hang around knowing you might end up with a girl or Ginny. If that happened I couldn't take you away from my little sister.'

'Are you really staying?'

'Yes, I want to, especially now we're together. So can you please let me help you deal with all this so we can have a life together?'

Harry gave another small smile as he nodded, 'I always liked you, I just never thought of you in this way.'

'You never thought of anything but Voldemort,' Charlie saw Harry flinch, 'Why do you do that when you hear his name? You always said his name, even when older people wouldn't.

Harry put his hand to his head, 'He was here, inside me. What if it did something, I don't want to hurt anyone.'

Charlie sighed finally realising this is also causing Harry problems, 'So that's one of your main concerns, isn't it?' he saw Harry nod, 'It didn't do anything Harry and you know why, sort of what Kingsley said. After we all thought he'd killed you and you disappeared, which we now know you were under your cloak. What were you doing when the fighting started again?'

'Shielding everyone, stunning death eaters.'

'There's your answer, if that blasted bit of soul did something to you, damaged you in any way, you wouldn't have done that.'

'Thanks Charlie,' Harry went to get up but Charlie held him, 'What?'

'First, why do you want to stay with me? I love it, but you never really thought of me over the years, you said yourself, you hardly saw me.'

'When I first saw you, remember, before the quidditch world cup. I stepped out of the fireplace and my eyes went straight to you. Your long hair, earring, big shoulders, I thought you looked so cool. After working out I was gay, I thought about the times I'd seen you and realised I used to watch you, a lot, I just never realised it at the time.'

'So you like my muscly body do you Potter?'

Harry gave a bigger smile as he nodded, 'It feels nice, but looks great.'

'I'm glad then, but do you know that I was a skinny little runt when I was younger, like all my brothers. I needed to be strong to work with dragons, so I started working out.'

'I'm fit, just skinny, I've always been skinny.'

'Yeah, but that's because that lot starved you and locked you up all the time,' Charlie saw Harry chew his lip again, 'What, is there more those bastards did?'

'No, it's about being locked up,' Harry slowly lifted his head, 'I worked out why I'm so small compared to the other boys my age. Until I was eleven, my room used to be the cupboard under the stairs, a small dark space. I was locked in there a lot, so I never got enough sunshine, enough daylight, enough exercise, or enough food,' Harry shrugged.

Charlie growled angrily as he pulled Harry into his arms, 'I want to curse them so badly, but I know I can't since they are muggles. You know what we could do though, when you're well and I've got you smiling and laughing.'

'I just want to forget about them Charlie.'

'I know, but don't let them get away with all that shit they did to you. If soon, not for a while though, but go and let them know you're a hero, respected and loved in our world, loved by everyone, especially me,' Charlie kissed Harry's shoulder again.

'I don't want to be thought of like that, I just want to be Harry. But you know what would upset them, if they knew I was rich,' Harry shrugged again, 'I need the bathroom or I'm going to burst.'

Charlie let Harry go and watched as he dressed, but didn't understand what he meant. Charlie knew Harry's parents had left him some gold, but he'd never heard anything about him being rich. He got up and pulled his own jeans on, then sat on the bed waiting until Harry came back in.

'What did you mean by rich Harry? I never heard anything about that, just that your parents left you a bit of gold.'

'Sirius,' Harry sat beside Charlie, 'He left me the Black fortune, I didn't know how much until Remus told me it was a lot, millions.'

'Then why were you always wearing those clothes, like the ones you have on now. Sorry babe, but they are ugly.'

'Their Dudley's old clothes, that's all they gave me. But I never had a chance to get money out or shop apart from the times for my Hogwarts stuff. I was usually under guard and I could never take long.'

'Then I'm taking you shopping Harry, get you into some good stuff. Just having some nice clothes will make you feel better.'

'It's best to wait until I can put on some weight, it'd be a waste.'

'Either buy clothes that fit and use charms to make them expand or buy slightly bigger and use charms to make them fit. You can't keep wanting to wear this stuff, do you?'

'No, I hate these clothes.'

'Then we'll go shopping after we have breakfast. Now I'm going to shower, I'll meet you downstairs.'

'I wait here until you're finished, I feel good with you.'

'Okay,' Charlie grinned then kissed Harry, a full on passionate kiss until they both fell back onto the bed, but their lips never parted, 'I'm with you for good babe, from now on, we're together,' Charlie gave a wicked grin then ran his hand down over Harry's groin, 'I can't wait to have you.'

'Charlie,' Harry blushed, 'I want to now, even if I can't have you.'

'No, don't try to talk me around because it won't work. We'll make love when we both can and not before. Now I'm going to shower,' Charlie kissed Harry again, then headed for the bathroom but he couldn't stop grinning. He finally had Harry, something he had been dreaming about for years.

Charlie and Harry walked down the stairs and again everyone noticed Charlie had his arm around Harry, but Harry also had his arm around Charlie.

'You look rested Harry,' Hermione kissed his cheek.

'Best sleep I've had in ages, Charlie kept his arms around me.'

'Here dear,' Molly handed Harry a vial, 'Drink.'

Harry pulled a face then drank the potion, 'Thanks Mrs. Weasley, morning everyone,' Harry gave Mr. Weasley and the Granger's a small smile and got a good morning back.

'After we eat, I'm taking Harry shopping for clothes. He needs to get out of his cousins old stuff and since he can afford good stuff, I'm going to make sure he gets some.'

'I'm usually the one that charms those clothes to fit Harry, it'll be good not to do that anymore,' Hermione gave Harry a smile.

'I told Charlie it would be best to wait until I put on some weight.'

'It would, but charm them to expand with you,' Ginny said.

'I already suggested that, he's damn skinny at the moment. Have you eaten at all over the last couple of weeks?'

Harry shrugged, 'Not much, just something small once a day.'

'Harry's used to going without so he doesn't notice it Charlie. That's why he handled having no food better than Ron and I did when we were away. Sometimes Harry would give Ron his food, without Ron knowing of course.'

'Well you will eat enough now,' Molly put two plates down in front of Charlie and Harry, 'So start.'

Harry gave her a small smile, 'I will, can't get better than your cooking Mrs. Weasley. Um Hermione, what did Kingsley say about the aurors?'

'He knows you need time, then you and Ron can start training. Are there others that might want to be an auror?'

'Well, Michael might, I overheard him once talking to Ernie about being an auror, that was after a DA meeting. The Patil twins would make great aurors, but I don't think Padma would want to, Parvati might, Susan would be good and she's wanted to be an auror for years. Neville, Ginny, you,' Harry gave the two girls a small smile.

'I'm out, I want to play quidditch. Oh McGonagall said I'll be captain since you're not going back, that's easy, where am I going to get a seeker as good as you, that's hard?'

'I'm sure you'll find someone.'

'We should get a game going, I wouldn't mind going up against Harry.'

'You know when McGonagall first offered me the position as seeker she told me that Gryffindor hadn't won the cup since you were on the team, when I joined we did. We should have won it every year but something always seemed to happen, usually with him.'

'Why do you do that Harry? All of us said him or you-know-who, you always said Voldemort, now you don't,' Ginny saw Harry wince.

Charlie instantly noticed that Harry look down, 'He's worried that because he shared his soul with Voldemort that it's done something to him, damaged him in some way. I finally got that out of him.'

'It won't Harry, I reread those books very carefully and thoroughly to make sure,' Hermione said seriously.

Harry slowly lifted his head but everyone could see he looked nervous, 'You're sure?'

'Yes, positive and you know you shouldn't question me about the things I have read,' Hermione smirked making Harry chuckle.

'No, I shouldn't, not with your memory,' Harry gave his friend a small smile, 'Thanks.'

'You're welcome, but eat, Charlie's right, you need to put on some weight. When I hugged you I felt how bony you are.'

'I saw his ribs sticking out, his hip bones as well,' Charlie shook his head then started to eat, but kept putting some sausage into Harry's mouth making him smile.

'I'm eating, but I could do with a drink.'

'No, no more blasted Firewhiskey Potter.'

'I need it,' Harry said softly as he looked down again.

'Need it just because it makes you feel better or need it as in craving it?' Molly asked.

Harry shrugged, 'Crave it.'

'You've become addicted to it, I'll make you a potion for that. But it will take time before you won't want it anymore.'

Harry nodded but kept his head lowered, 'It helped me forget.'

'We know dear, but that is not always the best solution. You need to face it all, talk, then put it behind you.'

Harry nodded again then slowly picked at his food and he knew everyone was watching him. He tried to eat more, but only got through half the food on his plate before pushing it again and drinking his tea.

'Is that all you're going to eat?' Charlie asked.

'I'm not a big eater anyway, not like you Weasley's,' Harry gave Charlie a small smile.

'True, I don't think anyone could eat as much as my brothers,' Ginny smirked at Charlie.

'You eat a lot, more than me,' Harry said.

'True, but anyone eats more than you. So let Charlie take you shopping, just expect him to get your to buy stuff you normally wouldn't look twice at.'

'Hey, not all my clothes are outrageous, I do like my jeans you know.'

'I like jeans.'

'Yes, but sometimes other clothes will look just as good. So have you got your keys to your vaults?'

Harry pulled out his pouch that hung around his neck, 'Everything I have I keep with me is in here, apart from my cloak and photo album, there in my ruck sack with my clothes.'

'Is that all you own, what fits into that bag and pouch?' Charlie asked as he furrowed his brow.

'I never had a home Charlie.'

'True, but you have now and will have when I get my flat, we can decorate it together.'

'Are you going to live with each other, so soon?' Hermione asked looking surprised.

'Yes, I want Harry to live with me and he wants to as well. It's not going to be just yet, he needs mum's potions and cooking and I like being home for a while. As long as Harry sleeps with me, it works well. Now come on Potter, move that skinny but cute arse of yours.'

'Charlie,' Harry blushed as he scowled.

'Oh Harry, I can see you going off at Charlie a lot. Do you want me to teach you my bat bogey hex?' Ginny smirked.

'Don't you dare sis,' Charlie scowled, then took Harry's hand and left the house.

'That is really going to be interesting to watch, Charlie just can't help himself and once Harry's back to his old self, I can see a few arguments, if not spells flying,' Ginny chuckled then took the plates to the sink and helped her mother clean up.