It struck him as odd that Tonks seemed to fit in so well with his family.
His dad had arrived quietly seconds before the meal started and Charlie glanced across at him. His father beamed back in surprise and laughed as Charlie put his thumb up in the air mouthing the words "well done." Looking back at his meal, Charlie lifted the salt shaker and dashed the white crystals over his meal while he watched Tonks talking animatedly to Ginny and Hermione. At the odd mention of quidditch, Ron, who was sitting at the end of the table, joined in the conversation. Charlie was pleased to see the frequent glances he gave Hermione during the meal if only his brother would have enough sense to see Hermione's own glances.
"Do you fancy her?" Charlie jumped at the sound of Bills voice making a large spray of salt fly everywhere. Cursing loudly, he froze as the table went silent. Squinting his eyes in embarrassment, Charlie looked down at the table and bit his lip. He could feel his mother and fathers glare and opened his mouth to apologise when Tonks voice clearly said,
"So I walked down to the pier, took off my clothes and that was the last bet he ever made with me. AND I got about 50 phone numbers!" Hermione, Ron, Ginny and Harry all laughed loudly and the silence was immediately abandoned as their voices chatted away.
Looking up, rather in shock, Charlie could have sworn Tonks winked at him and gave him a small grin before returning to her conversation. He smiled in a rather bemused way, still watching her talking, her topic of conversation making the others laugh.
"So you do then…" Charlie responded with an angry kick on his brother's shin.
"Ouch! What was that--?"
"Shut up will you?" hissed Charlie. "I only met the girl a couple of hours ago…"
Bill gave Charlie an annoying smile as if to say "like that would make a difference to you."
"Lupin's seeing her you know."
"Really? I had no idea. I thought she passionately kissed every man that happened to be in the same place as her." Charlie dropped his fork loudly onto the china plate and clenched his fist to stop his hand from shaking. "So tell me about dad?" Charlie said trying to think of something else. "How did it happen?"
Bill smiled, ignoring Charlie's change in conversation. "It was because of Dumbledore largely. You know that after it came out about Voldemort's resurrection, Fudge was sacked. Naturally, the position fell to Dumbledore. He turned it down, of course, Hogwarts being his main priority. However, the position of Minister was still left for him to choose."
"He needed someone in the ministry, someone he could trust and who would do anything for the cause of the order. He needed a close confidant and a man who would act however irrationally to ensure the wizarding worlds safety. I think Kingsley was considered as well as Minerva but dad got it easily."
Charlie grinned and picked up his fork, jabbing a piece of lettuce. "It's amazing. And unthinkable--" he added, chewing the salad thoughtfully.
"Indeed." Bill nodded and looked across to his mother and father. "Did you spoke to dad before you left Romania?"
"Not really." Charlie grimaced remembering his last night in Romania. "I left in quite a hurry…"
"I'm sure their glad to see you safe. The attack on dad last year really opened his eyes," Bill said, nodding his head towards his father but still looking at Charlie with piercing eyes. Charlie fidgeted slightly. He loved his brother like all of his siblings but Bill and he had a certain connection made by a number of more years acquaintance."
"He and mum worry about you constantly but I think instead of saying anything, they just pray and trust that you'll be kept safe. As we all do," Bill added.
Charlie smiled sadly, his thoughts still back in Romania, and patted his brother on the back. "Cheers for that. What do you want?"
Bill sniggered. "You know me too well."
--
The evening went by cheerfully and Charlie slowly realised how much he missed his family over the year that he had been away from them. As the sun went lower in the sky, a red glow skimmed across the garden, bathing it in a surreal and calming orange tint. One by one, each seated person left until only Charlie, bill, Arthur and Tonks remained. Charlie felt restless as he watched the purple haired girl staring, with unfocused eyes, at Arthur who was telling Bill about a problem with a muggle television taken from a house in a raid two nights previously.
He would have dearly loved to join in the conversation, with his father and Bill, with enthusiasm but there was something alluring in Tonks that made his stomach twinge with a boyish excitement and made him unable to ignore the desire to sit beside her. Never one to think over things twice, Charlie made sure Bill and Arthur were in deep discussion before slipping of his chair and around the table to sit next to Tonks on the opposite side.
He didn't fail to notice the small grin she gave herself before he launched into a whispered and hurried conversation.
"So. 50 phone numbers eh? Must have been some sight…"
"I'm surprised you even know what a phone is," countered Tonks with a smile, making Charlie laugh. "You know I only said that to cover you," she added in a quiet voice. She looked embarrassed but a small twinkling in her eyes told him that she didn't mind being teased. In fact, if Charlie had to bet on it, he would've said she was enjoying the attention.
"Right. Whatever you say," said Charlie disbelievingly, his mouth forming a smile.
Tonks grinned. "I'm going for a walk. Do you want to come?"
Charlie looked towards the forest to where she got begun to walk and felt the unfamiliar jolt in his stomach and his gaze lingered on her for a few seconds. The top she wore clung to her surprisingly curvy figure and the low cut baggy trousers ruffled slightly against her legs as she took each stride.
Pushing down on the table, Charlie stood up and jogged leisurely over to Tonks. Her purple hair had a distinct red tinge to it due to the sun and had not someone known the truth, they would have believed her to be a member of his family. He vaguely wondered whether her hair colour was natural when Tonks spoke.
"I love it here." They had entered the chilly shade of the forest now and Charlie looked around realising that he hadn't been therein over a year. The sound of the wildlife in the garden had strangely disappeared in the canopy of dark green pine and the sweet smell of grass had been replaced with the sickly aroma of bluebells that was none the less pleasing.
The couple walked deep into the forest until the reached a clearing that had one solitary tree stump in the centre. Tonks suddenly took her wand out and Charlie squinted, dreading the outcome of whatever spell she was about to perform. However, when Charlie plucked up the courage to open his eyes he was amazed to find tiny pinpricks of light twinkling from the trees and Tonks was sat, perfectly fine, wand away, against the tree trunk.
Merlin… She looked beautiful in the dusky light.
"Well? Are you going to sit down or not?"
Bossy aren't we?
As if not having a mind of his own, Charlie practically ran over to where Tonks sat and placed himself next to her making Tonks grin slightly.
"How did you find this place?" asked Charlie, gazed at the beautiful redwood trees surrounding them. "I've lived here over 20 years and I've never come across it…"
"Remus and I come here."
Charlie was surprised when he felt his stomach flip and his shoulders droop slightly. "Are you and Remus--"
"Yes."
"Oh." Charlie nodded, without really knowing why, and picked a blade of grass from the ground, absently stripping it of its thin fibres. Tonks, meanwhile, had kicked off her heavy boots, to reveal purple striped socks, and settled into the long grass around the tree base.
"So why are you home?"
Charlie quickly looked at Tonks who still had her eyes closed. The light summer breeze was blowing her hair lightly and Charlie was grateful himself for the cool, refreshing breeze that was sweeping around the forest glade. Charlie hadn't thought back to the reasons for his departure from Romania. Merlin, he hadn't wanted to. He knew they would haunt him enough in the days to come and he wanted to keep them out of his mind for as long as possible…
The wind was fierce making the four figures pull up their cloaks around themselves as they waited patiently for their target, each minute passed causing a chill of foreboding over the group.
"It's flipping freezing," hissed a beautiful women with long raven hair and icy blue eyes. "Drahl, there is no point in being here. What's your proof that you-know-who's dark ones will be here tonight, eh?"
"A hunch, Sianna. Due to Drake and his night time wanderings…"
A tall man with sallow skin grinned towards the fourth person, a red head who had not spoken, and turned back towards Sianna.
"And, my darling, you should've have been there when I found out. They were cowering before me. I love that power, don't you? You can only elicit it in them on certain occasions--"
"You know, it help when you threaten them with their life," Drahl pointed out as a swirl of wind swept through the dark alley where the four stood.
"I would've thought his kiss was a greater worry for them…" smirked Charlie, imagining the scene. Drake scowled.
"How IS the dragon keeping going, Charles? It would be such a shame, don't you think if you day you had an accident…"
"What kind of accident?" Charlie grinned as Drakes eye's glinted red.
"It would be awful if say someone enchanted a dragon to breathe fire in the direction of your manhood…"
The three laughed loudly as Charlie rolled his eyes and blushed slightly. "My enormous manhood, thank you.
Drake raised his eyebrows suggestively while Sianna smirked and cast a sideward glance at Drahl. Charlie snorted, wrapping his cloak tighter around him and moving his feet, hoping to return some of the heat lost by the icy wind.
"So you reckon my word isn't reliable," teased Drake as he sidled around Sianna and stood behind her, putting his hands on her waist and resting his head upon her shoulder. Drahl scowled slightly but didn't move, preferring to look onwards into the dark with his bright green eyes.
"Whenever hasn't your word been reliable," Sianna countered, grinning towards Drahl. Charlie laughed and slouched down beside the door of an old, abandoned tavern back door. He lit a cigarette, which he had withdrawn from his cloak, and lit it with his wand. The tip glowed bright for a second before dulling into a red ember.
"How about a wager. If the Voldes dolls turn up, you owe me 5 galleons."
Sianna looked as though she was thinking for a second before she smiled and held out her hand. "Deal!" The couple shook hands as Drahl rolled his eyes and Charlie shook his head smiling.
"You'll never win Siany."
"You never know. One of these days, he's bound to come off with a lie. And if I win… I'll make him pay." She grinned and turned around to face Drahl, resting her finger under his chin.
Suddenly, a movement behind them in the darkness made all four stiffen and draw their wands. Each of them automatically faced the dark area at the end of the alley from where the sound had derived, each breathing slowly, their eyes alert.
"We've got company," hissed Drake as four figures faced them, their faces masks, their postures challenging.
"How many are there?" whispered Drahl as he stood protectively against Sianna's side behind Charlie and Drake who had their wands stretched out, a lumos spell on both their weapons.
"Only four. We can beat them wands down!"
"Hey, Drake…" Sianna handed the vampire infront of her 5 galleons which she dug out of her long coat. "One of these days, darling. One of these days…"
"Thanks baby. It's nice to know that someone goes through with their debts."
Sianna grinned, still facing the group of death eaters. "Right, come on lads! Shouldn't be to hard--"
"Oi! You! Friend or foe?"
"Dumbledore or Voldemort?" Drake responded.
"The Dark Lord is our sole master!"
"Then these guys are our soul target," sniggered Drake as he lurched forward and sent a curse at the Death Eater who had spoken. Drake had just reached the death eaters when a chill rebounded off the walls and Dumbledore's army froze. Out of the gloomy mists of the filthy alley came at least 10 more death eaters. Even with the adorned masks, it was apparent that the eyes of each of them were glinting hungrily.
Drake's cry was the signal needed to bring the other 3 back from their stupor. However, it was too late and as the three began to move, two death eaters ceased each of them, much to raucous laughter. Their wands were taken instantly, thrown to the floor in a triumphant display.
"You're going to regret ever speaking in that tone." Drake's eyes shone with fear as he looked towards Charlie. Sianna's whimpers were piercing the darkness as her death eaters gripped her tightly. Then, in the chaos, CharlieWeasley felt his stomach dive as he witnessed the subsequent events.
In a second, Drahl had kicked the death eater on his right and dived for his wand. In a blast of light the two death eaters holding Sianna were cursed to the ground leaving Sianna to run to her a Charlie's abandoned wands and curse the other death eater holding Drahl. She grabbed his hand and ran to Charlie where she and Drahl made short work of the men holding him. Charlie saw the flash of hope in her eyes and small smile when a bolt of light shot between Drahl and he, landing in her chest.
The pain in Drahls face, as Sianna fell gracefully backwards, was agonising to see. The sound of her crumpled body as she hit the ground echoed off the walls sickeningly. Charlie, unable to watch the couple as Drahl hugged her to his breast desperately, turned and cursed the men holding Drahl. Only two death eaters were now left, circling the 3 fighters who were crouched around the fourths limp body.
"Sianna…Sianna…please, darling. Please… Baby, I love you. Please…" Drahl held Sianna closer as her eyes flickered softly.
"I love you too darling…"
The girl went limp in Drahls arms and Charlie felt a wave of nausea hit him as he fell back on his haunches. Drake was lime white, his eyes glinting red with fury, his fangs bared. In an instant, Drahl was stood, his wand directed towards the two death eaters.
"You killed her…" he said softly, his eyes turning, his fangs growing as he spoke. "YOU KILLED HER!" He ran madly at the death eaters giving neither Drake nor Charlie a chance to stop him.
The curse that ended his life glowed bright green for a second before the alley dipped into its misty blackness once more. He landed almost perfectly next to Sianna, a frown etched upon his face, his eyes wide with surprise. Charlie and Drake paused for a second before Drake shook his head.
"Run….run….RUN come on," he said, seemingly coming to his senses. "Come on, we have to go, we have to…leave…we have to go…"
The two men ran down the street at disapparated at the end, landing in a darkened room of an old inn.
"You have to go to England. You have to leave…" whispered Drake fearfully as Charlie stood still, his mind replaying the horrid scene he had just witnessed, over and over again.
"Are you alright...?"
"Are you alright?" the voice repeated and Charlie looked towards Tonks who was gazing at him with concern. "You've gone really white! Do you want to go back up to the house?"
Charlie nodded weakly and stood up.
"I thought I'd come and see my parents. You know, they wanted to tell me about dad. That's why I'm home."
Tonks nodded, smiling happily and Charlie felt relieved she had taken his word.
He prayed that he would never have to remember the real event again.