Chapter Fourteen

"Rise an' shine, jovem," Charlie boomed the next morning, startling Harry from his sleep. "Jovem is Portuguese for young one, didja know?" His eyes not wanting to open yet, Harry could only shake his head sleepily.

"Wha' time is it, Char'ee?" Harry yawned, blinking his eyes open a few times.

"Five thirty in the morning!" Charlie replied proudly. "Earliest I ever got up at."

"Five thirty?" Harry replied, looking horrified. "I haven't slept in days. I'm going back to sleep." Laying his head back down on the pillow, Harry drifted off into another sleep. Charlie looked at Harry dejectedly, but shook it off. The other one, Sirius, was still asleep, too.

"I'm comin', I'm comin'," Charlie muttered as there was an impatient knock on the door. "Crazy peoples comin' 'ere at five thirty in the morning. I thought this 'ere was deserted, but now all these people are showin' up at my doorstep!" He shook his head in frustration as he reached for the door. "I ain't takin' in no more people." He raised his eyebrows at a man who was standing impatiently on his doorstep. He had long, white hair and cold, grey eyes. But what caught Charlie's attention was the stick the guy was holding, with a metal snake head attached to the top.

"What can I do fer yah?" Charlie asked, feeling in no mood to start up a conversation. He guessed the guy didn't, either, by the tone of his voice.

"I'm looking for someone…in particular." Charlie hesitated, but tried not to let it show. Could it be those two who had showed up on his doorstep the day before?

"Who yah lookin' fer?" Charlie asked.

"Two people, actually," the man corrected himself. "Has anybody come by between today and yesterday?" Charlie wanted to scowl at this guys impatient, demanding voice, and tried to ignore it.

"Nope, nobody has shown up 'ere. Been out the whole day, just got back a little 'round one in the morning," Charlie lied. With a skeptical look and not another word, in one swift motion the man had left Charlie's abode. "Weird one, that is," Charlie muttered. He walked over to his closet, sorting through everything until he found what he was looking for.

"This might do for that youngin'," Charlie said to himself, setting down some crutches by Harry's bed. "Just till he gets a doctor to look at that foot of his." Quietly walking out of the guest room, Charlie made his way back to the kitchen for cup of coffee.

"Who was at the door?" Harry muttered sleepily, walking into the kitchen with the support of the crutches.

"I thought yah where sleepin'," Charlie said, sipping on the coffee.

"I couldn't go back to sleep," Harry said, sitting down opposite Charlie and setting the crutches by his chair. "And thanks for the crutches, Charlie. I think I'll be needing them for a while."

"No problem," Charlie replied. "And I think we need to talk, we do. You n' that father of yours."

"Sirius isn't my father," Harry said, resting his head in his hands, yawning. "He's my godfather. And what do we need to talk about?"

"What's goin' on with yah two," Charlie said seriously. "Someone was at the door lookin' for yah both. Are yah two in trouble with the law?"

"No," Harry replied truthfully. "It's…complicated. I wish I could tell you, but—"

"No worries," Charlie interrupted. "As long as it has nuttin' to do with breakin' the law, I don't care, so yah don't need to tell me if yah don't wanna. DAMN!" He swore as he knocked his coffee cup, contents and all, all over his front. "Damn, damn, damn! Hot, hot, hot!" Harry couldn't help but laugh, and receive a scowl from Charlie.

"Whaddya think is so funny?" He asked, shaking his head. "Nev' mind. I'm goin' tah go change." Harry smiled as Charlie left, and couldn't help but wonder who was at the door that made Charlie think he and Sirius were in trouble with the 'law.' Could be Lucius Malfoy, Harry thought. It was a possibility, since Charlie had said the night before that it was deserted, and the only place near enough to Charlie would be where Lucius Malfoy had kept Harry and Sirius. Though, when they walked on foot, it seemed a lot farther.

"Wha's a matter?" Sirius mumbled blearily, trudging into the room and looking around wildly. "Stop, drop and roll!" Harry laughed out loud.

"There's no fire, Sirius."

"What's with all the yelling, then?" Sirius asked, rubbing his eyes. "Could've woke the whole neighborhood up, but then, there are no neighbors to wake up."

"Sorry, there," Charlie said, coming back into the kitchen with a fresh shirt on. "Spilt coffee all over me. You don't realize how hot the damn coffee is until yer wearin' it," he added with a shake of his head. "Can I get yah two anything?"

"Yes," Harry and Sirius said in unison. "Anything."

"Yah sound like yah haven't eaten in days," Charlie observed with a chuckle. "Eggs and bacon sound good?" Harry and Sirius nodded.

"If it's deserted, how're you able to get food?" Harry asked out of curiosity.

"Ah, I have a car, yah know," Charlie responded. "Parked out back. S'not that long of a drive, really. Speakin' of drives, I called 'round last night," he informed them. "I'ma drive yah to the airport," he paused, pouring juice into a glass. "An' yah have tah take a few plane rides, you have to. Not just one plane ride can take you to South West England, yah know. Anyway, when yah come to the last stop you'll find one ah my friends waitin' fer yah. They'll take you to where yah wanna go."

Sirius glanced at Harry before speaking up. "We don't have any—"

"No worries," Charlie interrupted, knowing what Sirius was going to confess to. "I ain't goin' tah charge yah. No worries, no worries." Sirius relaxed, taking the offered juice and drinking it. He hadn't drank or eaten anything in days, and he forgot how good food and beverages tasted.

"Food'll be ready soon," Charlie announced. "Then we can start headin' out." Harry's eyes widened.

"At five thirtyin the morning?" He exclaimed, horrified.

"It'll take us a few good hours to get down tah the airport, yah know," Charlie reminded them. "It ain't down the road, mind you." He shoveled bacon and eggs onto Sirius and Harry's plate. "How 'bout some beer? Have some in here somewhere!" Harry and Sirius exchanged glances.

"Huh?"

-

"All right," Charlie said, handing the two their tickets. "Yah know what plane yer on, don'tcha?" They both nodded. "Right, then. Here're yer tickets. And when yah get back tah South West England, you keep in touch," he told them with a grin.

"Thanks," Harry said with a grin. "And about the—"

"You keep 'em," Charlie said softly. "Yer gonna need those crutches, aye?" Harry grinned again, giving Charlie another thanks before heading onto the plane.

-

A/N: I had just finished this, and decided to post it for you all. Since I was done. Anyway, not much to say except 'thanks' for all of the reviews.

Oh, and if you think the rating should change any time, just let me know. I'm not very good with rating stuff...