Hey everyone! Sorry about the wait once again, but those of you will know who are doing their a-levels (apparently the hardest exams you will ever do) are really really really hard and are killing me lol. Worrying cause I need the grades the go to university. Funnily enough it's the English that's giving me hassle lol.

Anyway sorry for letting out my problems but hopefully it's explained. I am currently writing 13 stories to be posted, (must of them are one shots) so I am doing something valuable.

I dedicate this chapter to SARA who is anon reviewer, who told me her favourite story she's read about Charlie was mine. It really made my day (smile) Ron's oldest brothers have always been a pointed interest for me; I always think there's more to them!

So Sara, this is for you I hope it makes your expectations!

Deep red velvet

The sky was slowly creping into sunset, and pink sheet hung over the cloud as the sun started to set in the opal-light sky. The sweet smell of roses drifted through the light breeze, ruffling his hair. Charlie took a deep breathe in and let one out.

It's perfect

He thought to himself. The nervousness hadn't quite set in yet. It was his nature to be curious and at the moment he wished he had more than two eyes. He was standing on a hill, overlooking the dragon reserve in Romania, the perfect setting. It was the fourteenth of February, valentines day, it seemed the perfect time to do what he was about to do. As he turned around, he saw Bill walking up the centre aisle towards him, looking quite relaxed, the relaxing breeze seemed to have everyone in a state of peacefulness. He was in matching robes to Charlie, a deep red colour, with a white rose pushed through the button hole.

"How you holding up man?" he asked as he reached his younger brother, clapping him on the shoulder.

"I'm fine" he said excitedly.

Bill just gave him an odd look. "What? your about to commit yourself to life to one woman, and your fine?"

He shrugged. "What's to be nervous about?" he said calmly, looking around. Oak wooden chairs were in two aisles, separated in parts, with red roses growing in between. He and Bill were standing underneath an arch of red roses, where the ceremony would take place. "I know Rachael is it… there will be no one else". He stated with pure passion and love in his eyes…

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Charlie waited nervously outside the small, tucked away restaurant on the edge of the small town; he was meeting Rachael Mannings there for their first date, his first date… for well… since he had come to Romania. He has seen girls of course, he had gone to enough bars, pubs and clubs with Tom and the other lads to pull girls, loads of them, but he had mainly been caught up with his new life that he loved, as far as he was concerned there was no room for women, then she had to walk in, with her gorgeous brown eyes and golden hair…

He waited, bouncing on the balls of his feet, his hands behind his back, biting his lip, certain habits come to the surface when you're scared to death he thought, purposely clamping his mouth shut to prevent himself getting into a habit he hadn't done for at least seven years. He knew he was forgetting something, as he thought his frown deepened… then it hit him, flowers! He quickly took out his wand, and quickly conjured a large bunch of long pink orchids cascading down from a large bunch of purple and white ones that were standing proudly. He smiled in satisfaction; one good thing about being "outdoorsy" as Bill called him, was that he was brilliant at things like this.

There was a faint pop just yards away, and Rachael appeared in front of him, and dazzling smile on her gorgeous face. Charlie looked her up and down and could help but think how beautiful she was. She was wearing a simple outfit, and white, ankle length skirt, and a plain black vest top, yet she was the only woman Charlie had ever laid eyes on for the first time and was immediately smitten. He watched her eye him appreatively, and silently thanked his genes for giving him his tallness and twinkling blue eyes. And his skills in dragon taming to give him his muscle which ran up his arms which were exposed in a simple white short sleeved sweater; and muscled legs showed off with tight fitting jeans.

She turned to face him, smiling widely, and he grinned back sheepishly, reprimanding himself for acting so young about a date. She approached him and he quietly passed over the flowers.

"Oh Charlie they are gorgeous"! And she stood on her toes to give him a kiss on the cheek. He felt what felt like his stomach doing back flips, and merely held out his arm to escort her into the restaurant. When they approached the front desk he cleared his throat and gave his name. The tall, very thin man looked appraisingly at the list in front of him and shook his head.

"I apologise sir, there is no booking under that name".

Charlie felt completely baffled and grinned at Rachael.

"Sorry about this"

She shrugged and smiled.

"I booked over a week ago" he exclaimed "Charlie Weasley, w-e-a-s-l-e-y, look again".

The waiter frowned but doubled checked the list anyway.

"I'm terribly sorry sir" he said forcing himself to be polite.

He was about to argue, when he felt a tug on his arm,

"No worries we ca go somewhere else" she said breezily. And she led the way back out the door. They made their way up the stretch of road, in between many bars, restaurants and closed shops. They popped into them occasionally but they were all full. They merely enjoyed each otherwise company and they wandered further up, and Charlie occasionally interrupting the conversation with apologies.

"There no need" laughed as they reached the edge of the large park situated just off the main street.

"But now I completely don't have a date planned" he said trying to be upbeat about it

She looked around and spotted a take away, "I see pizza….. And a park bench" she said turning again. Charlie looked at her in disbelief for a minute before grinning.

"Well take a seat my lady, I shall be back momentarily with your cuisine"

"Thank you kind sir" she grinned, curtsying, and sitting on the bench, placing the flowers next to her.

Twenty minutes later he returned with a large pizza, a carton of ice cream, and a large bottle of coke, with two card board cups.

"Best I can do to wine I'm afraid" he joked.

"Oh I love muggle drinks" she exclaimed her eyes lighting up.

"You would definitely get along with my dad" he laughed sitting down and opening the box.

They ate the pizza and ice cream as they chatted ands laughed. When they finished, they both subconsciously made their way on the grass, they lay back to watch the stars as they appeared one by one into the sky, breathing in the cool air.

"I can't remember when I felt so relaxed" she sighed contented.

"Your own fault for being a teacher" he teased, taking her hand carefully.

She gripped back.

After half an hour, he suggested a walk around the large lake at the reserve, which she agreed quite readily to. He jumped to his feet, and too all the rubbish to put in a bin. As he approached however, he did not notice the hive, hovering above, in a branch over looking the tree. Sensing a disturbance, the hive began to buzz slightly, then slowly more and more. He froze in his tracks. He recovered quickly and started to take slow steps back. Then he broke into a full fledged run, he hated bees. After when he was very small and a neighbour destroyed a nest, and they descended upon the burrow. Rachael looked up from collecting her bag and bunch of flowers, and looked up smiling radiantly, until she saw his face. It was pale a panicked. He grabbed her hand, still in running and pulled her along.

"Char..llie… wh..ats" was all she managed to get out and all her response got was ,

"Bees".

She looked behind to see a cloud chasing them. They ran across the park in blind panic, completely unaware of where they were going. When Charlie realised,

"Drop, your flowers" he yelled.

Rachael complied quickly. Half of them attacked the bright bunch of flowers, the other, didn't give up the chase. That's when Charlie saw it. Dragging Rachael now, who was panting heavily, he threw them into the pond residing on the edge of the small wood. They were both dragged down into the cool depths, grabbing each other tighter. After a minute, they both came up, gasping and panting for air. The bees long gone.

"Well we don't need that walk anymore" he tried to joke.

"Oh Merlin!" she exclaimed "I'm not going to think about what's in here! Never mind what the hell in loo like". Consciously, she sunk lower into the water.

Charlie placed both palms on the bank and dragged himself off, getting to his feet, his legs were stiff, with his already tight jeans sticking to him like a seconds skin, and his shirt now see throw. Dragging back his hair with his palm, he then offered it to Rachael, which she gratefully took. They looked at each other for a long time, water dropping from their hair and eyelashes, and then they quickly looked away.

"Come on I'd better walk you home" he said looking her up and down smiling slightly.

"Yes thanks" she said hugging herself, goose pimples appearing up her arms.

Although it wouldn't do much good, Charlie peeled off his shirt and draped it over her shoulder, and then pulled her in close as he walked her back to her house, and she snuggled into his shoulder.

They reached her front doorstep, and she got out her wand to unlock the door, but didn't make any movement to do so, she was staring up at him expectantly. Charlie breathed a sigh of relief, he thought it could go down as the worst date in history, but he realised despite it they had actually had a good time. He bent down and captured her lips with his own. She stepped as close as she could into the kiss, standing on her toes, and pulling him down as her arms snaked around his neck, as his hands found her hips. When they broke apart he shot her a cheeky smile…

"So does this mean the date wasn't a total loss?" he asked hopefully.

She smiled. "It's actually been the most fun I've had for a while" she whispered. He nodded.

"Me too" he agreed.

They stared at each other, lost in each others gaze.

"Right well… id better go in… my hair feels like its been through a sewer". He nodded.

"I'll owl you tomorrow" he promised.

He turned a walked back up the path, turning around when she called him.

"Don't expect the shirt back" she winked cheekily and entered her house. Charlie stood in a daze for a minute, before a large grin spread across his face.

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Charlie was pulled from his thoughts as Bill coughed and pointed to the aisle, where the vicar was just coming to an end, and making his way behind the arch of red roses. The sappy smile fell off his face and he stood up with bill, turning around and noticing for the first time how many people were actually there, and gulped. He caught his mother's eye and she burst into tears, making him panic a little bit more. Then suddenly, the cortex of harps they had hired started to play a small, calming tune, which sent him into breathlessness, as the flower girl came down the aisle. Rachael had asked her best friend Ruby to be maid of honour, and her daughter, and Rachael's god daughter Chloe to be flower girl. She came down the aisle, her mousy hair in a French plait; her brown eyes alight with nerves. He tried to send her a reassuring smile but couldn't get up the nerve. Her dress was white, a light cotton dress with a bell skirt with a large satin red bow around the middle wearing a crown of red roses, and a red rose on a chain which was her present. Every few steps she threw red rose petals to the ground.

"Bill what am I doing" he whispered in panic.

Bill turned to look at him, panic flashing in his own eyes. So far, his brother had managed to make his job easy, now he was actually going to make it what seemed like as complete chore.

"Charlie what are you saying" he said in a low voice.

"Bill I'm completely petrified, it's only just hit me! What the hell am I doing?"

Bill gripped his shoulder, "Charlie what did you just tell me when I asked if you were ok?"

By this point Charlie began to watch the bridesmaids and ushers as they began their descent, first came Fred and Angelina, followed by George and Alicia, as Charlie began to speak Ron and Hermione and began their walk, meeting at the top. All the ushers were dressed in the same red robes, and all the bridesmaids, were in deep red velvet dresses, the shoulders were off the shoulder with a deep plunge neck, which gather material representing roses along the top. The skirt was fitted with a split that stopped at the knee. All their hair was identical, with four large knots meeting in the middle on the back the head, decorated with a red rose. And they all carried a bunch of red rose buds with carnations.

"Well I love… her" he replied gulping slightly.

"Exactly" Bill replied. "Take it from someone who knows" he whispered back as he watched his own wife make her decent on the arm of Charlie's best friend Tom, love shining in his eyes, Charlie followed his gaze, and knew what his brother had was special. "As soon as you see Rachael, your nerves will vanish… if they don't… maybe you shouldn't be doing this" he said quite seriously.

Charlie gulped with even more nerves as he watch Harry and Ginny Joining the queues standing behind him and Bill, and little Chloe.

Finally ruby reached the end, her own dark brown hair coiled in to the same do, she wink at him as she took her place in front of Angelina, ready to take Rachael flowers. Suddenly, the music stopped, and then the bridal march started, everyone rose, and their heads turned. Rachael appeared at the top, with her father, and Charlie felt the breath leave his body along with his nerves. Bill smirked at his brother, as his expression screamed he wanted to run to her. She wore a traditional white dress, the top was similar to that of her bridesmaids, but the skit was very big and made of lots of netted material, she carried a large bunch of red roses and her hair was curled and left over her shoulders with the veil remaining short and held in position with a crown of rubies. Charlie took a step forward to take her hand, love shining from his eyes, as her father gave him her hand, and taking a step back as they took their places underneath the arch of red roses.

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As the pink and gold deepened in the sky, everyone was seated, with a flute of champagne as Rachael's father rose to speak. They were under a huge marquee that had been erected just past where the ceremony was. The dance floor was just behind it, directly under what would be the glowing moon. The tables were decorated in white table cloths, with a slim tall vase on each containing one white rose, and one red one. On the head table sat, the newly married couple, the best man, maid of honour and both sets of parents. Ruby occasionally looked at her daughter who only knew a few of the children who she was sat with, but seemed to be having a fabulous time.

Craig Manning took his position somewhat nervously, as Bill tapped his glass, and everyone looked expectantly at him.

" It's a father's most confusing job, when your child grows up, it's a range of conflicting emotions, proud, yet still protective, I still feel as though Rachael is my little girl, a small, tiny helpless figure placed into my arms, and I vowed then and there that nothing would harm her. Which is why I am glad she found Charlie, he is someone who I know is going to be there for her no matter what, ever since she met him, Charlie has been a constant figure in her life, and I think I have got to know him well enough to know, how much he loves her in return. There would be no one else id let take my place as the number one man in my daughters affections… so ill simply close this my saying to my beautiful baby girl Rachael and her new husband". Every rose and drank, with an applause following.

Charlie stood next, keeping a hand on his wife's shoulder, despite being obviously nervous, his grin was bigger than anyone remembered seeing it.

"Well most of you were here just under a year ago when my brother married, and I had to make a speech… I hate speaking in public, and that experience has prepared me very little, so I think I'll make this brief… "

A "Good" came from either Fred or George on the bridal party table.

"I first met Rachael when she walked in to the dragon reserve, and I was on the front desk, a job we all loath" he inclined his head to where all the keepers, apart from a few, who didn't know Charlie, and were in charge of the dragons were sat. "She bought in a box of eggs, and that was it. Ever since then she has been on my mind constantly. I will never be able to look at another common welsh green again the same!" he said with a grin. "She has been there for me, like no other and has helped me through some difficulties, and I'm hoping I've offered her the same support and love. As you all no, I left my position here in August, and have never looked back! It is something I loved to do, but I couldn't put her through any more worry, she is my new passion. Although she will never be able to cure me loving anything that could be dangerous." He grinned sheepishly. "I'm planning on several water sports in turkey, which I'm sure will give her several heart attacks" he said with a grin. "But I can safely say that without a doubt, proposing to her was one of the hardest, and what felt like most dangerous things I have faced. And when she said yes was the biggest adrenaline rush! So id like you all to raise your glasses to my lovely new wife, with her dangerous situations aren't necessary so I suppose she is saving my life" he finished with a grin as everyone laughed and stood with their drinks.

Bill stood next, and Charlie seemed to sink lower in his seat, "Aww look at him already embarrassed" he teased, as everyone chuckled. "Right well unlike my little brother I love an audience" he wiggled his eyebrows at his wife who rolled her eyes a smile playing about her lips. "Believe it or not Charlie is my earliest memory. Two years old, and a little pink thing, with my hair, being placed in my lap. I barely got the concept he was my brother, but I remember feeling a rush of protectiveness. I have always shared a bond with Charlie, its impossible not to with our age difference, both of us relied on to keep our brothers and sister in line" he grinned at the table, where he was met by four angry tongues. "All I remember all my life, id Bill and Charlie, or if you're my mother, "WILLIAM ARTHUR AND CHARLES CHRISPTHOR" great way with words my mum" he said winking at her. She scowled, not liking his impression of her voice. "it seems strange that we both now have separate lives, and id like to say with a new life comes forgetting the old… but I couldn't disappoint you people on this fine day so I thought id start with Charlie's first girlfriend, Grace farley if I remember correctly. His third year at Hogwarts…" Rachael gave him a side ways look. "Now unfortunately we Weasley men aren't exactly known for our tact, and Charlie could simply not break up with her, so he avoided her as much as possible. Going to the hospital wing with self inventing illnesses, pretending to be asleep when she came to see him…. This went on for a few weeks, until the twins, no settled into their pranking regime, decided to step in, and give him a truth potion" Bill shook his head sadly.\"poor Grace, I've never seen some one so distraught" humour was reflected in his eyes. The twins were howling as they remembered that particular good prank. At twelve year olds they held no morals. "we know everything about each other, I know about his different fears, from the garden gnomes when he was four, to father Christmas when he was five, to then pixies when he was seven then two bees" he smiled in remembrance, "I remember all the accidents he's ever had on a broom, including the one where he was showing off for a girl who wouldn't go out with him and he crashed into the teacher's stand" the table of Charlie's friends was in uproar. "then there was that ever so momentous occasion when we all played truth or dare with a new potion that had come out, ensuring that the person had to do whatever you told them, and trust me when I say on Charlie's behalf, do not try to seduce Minerva MaGonagall" everyone laughed even the lady in question who was sitting on a table of order members. "So I suppose id better leave it there before he disowns me… but I'm available for other parties" he grinned. "On that final note ill leave out the wisdom of marriage, because I have yet to come across any, and wish Charlie and Rachael lots of happiness in their future!"

Everyone applauded, before music restarted and Charlie led Rachael to the path over grass for the night. The moon had now risen into the slowly darkening sky, and there was a faint glow as the dragon below breathed fire. As the music started, the way you look tonight , Rachael contently laid her head on Charlie's chest as he guide her around the dance floor as everyone watched, and he remembered everything that had lead him to this moment…

Percy being laid into his arms……. Followed by the twins Ron and Ginny, that protectiveness kicking in….

Looking up to Bill… in whatever time frame and whatever the situation.

Being attacked by the garden gnomes….

The swarm of bees……..

Leaving Hogwarts… excited to be following Bill….. The complete madness as everyone thought he was crazy for not taking the qudditch career…….

His training at the reserve and watching his first hatching….

Meeting Harry……

Meeting Rachael….

All feelings of helplessness love and pride mixed together as he thought about everyone he loved most in the world. And as he looked down into Rachael's eyes, he knew everything was in her……..

Author note:

Whoooooo can you believe I've finished! I've rushed tog et his done so its not as good as my last one, I'm just coming up to my last exam, but I wont have time after because I'm off on holiday with my friends! Whoooooo can't believe I'm going to be deprived for ten days from fan fiction sites….. I might take the actual books to keep me sane…. Or insane rather. Anyway, hopefully ill get a one shot up before I go to keep you entertained and ill have freds wedding up soon after I get back

Please review

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