Word Count: 491
"Do you have to go?"
Bill stops, laughing softly as he looks up from the bag he's trying to pack. It's a losing battle, really. He has never been a very tidy person, and his clothes still spill from the bag, pooling at his feet on the floor. Maybe he should have listened when his mum tried to teach him the packing charm.
"You know you asked the same thing when I left for Hogwarts, Char," he says.
His brother shrugs. "I was a lot less worried about that," he says, sitting on Bill's bed and folding his arms over his chest. "I knew I would be right behind you."
Bill shakes his head and pushes Charlie gently, moving him just enough to reach the shirt beneath him. It's wrinkled and creased already. He only hopes that someone in Egypt can teach him how to properly do laundry. Otherwise he will go through all his wages having to buy new clothes to replace the wrinkled and dirt ones.
"I'll take your silence to mean you've changed your mind and won't be leaving after all."
Bill rolls his eyes. "Hardly. You know how hard I worked to get this gig."
"Yeah, well…" Charlie sighs before stretching out, making himself at home on Bill's bed. "What am I supposed to do without my favorite brother?"
"Find a new favorite," Bill suggests. "You have plenty to choose from."
He's being sarcastic, but he can't help it. Packing really does hurt, not that he would ever admit it. He's so ready to be independent and see what the world has to offer, but he's also terrified. He's never really been on his own before. It would be nice to take Charlie with him, but he imagines his mum would have a fit. She's been beside herself trying to cope with Bill leaving home. He can't imagine the fallout if he took his younger brother with him.
Bill stops his pitiful attempt at packing and sets his bag aside. With a sigh, he sits on his bed, struggling to squeeze in. Charlie has sprawled out and taken up most of the mattress.
"I'm going to miss you, you know," Bill tells him.
That doesn't really cover it. Charlie has been in his life as long as Bill can remember. The two of them have been almost as inseparable as the twins. The idea of leaving his younger brother behind sucks.
"I'll be back for holidays, though. And who knows? Maybe you can even come visit me," Bill says.
"That sounds nice," Charlie decides, nodding.
It will be strange to be on his own and to know Charlie is so far away. Still, Bill thinks that maybe it will be okay. He has to live his own life and figure things out for himself.
"Mind if I help you pack?" Charlie asks. "You're sort of rubbish at it."
Bill laughs. "Knew I kept you around for something."
