word count: 1108
I.
When Gabrielle first sees Charlie Weasley, she has a million questions. Of course, she would never dare ask him herself, and so she grips her sister's hand, staying just barely out of sight by standing slightly behind Fleur, and fires off question after question.
Who is that? Is he a Weasley too? Why's he all scarred? Why does his freckles make him look tan?
And Fleur so patiently tells her everything she knows about the man who will soon become her brother-in-law. Gabrielle listens eagerly, intrigued, her eyes shifting to where Charlie stands, chatting away with Bill.
"I want to work with dragons too!" Gabrielle decides, nodding with an expression of certainty on her face.
Fleur gives her a look that Gabrielle is all too familiar with. It's the sort of look adults give her whenever she's being a bit too ambitious for their liking. Gabrielle may be young, but she's learned what the world expects of her. She's meant to be nothing more than a pretty face, the type of girl who just smiles and giggles whenever boys tell her how pretty she is.
That's all well and good, and she definitely embraces her Veela blood. Still, there's so much more to her than that, and she's more than a little resentful to be boxed off and expected to only be what others want her to be. What about her own hopes and dreams?
Knowing her sister feels that way about her just stings. It's a slap to the face because Fleur, of all people, should know how it feels to be dismissed like that. Hasn't it happened to her more times than she can count? Why would she do that to Gabrielle now?
"You don't think I can do it," Gabrielle says, and there's no mistaking the accusation in her tone.
Fleur offers her a smile, but it doesn't reach her eyes or brighten her face at all. "No! Of course not, baby sister. I simply think you are too young to be making such big decisions."
Pretty words, but Gabrielle has seen the look in her sister's eyes, and she knows the truth. Still, she smiles and makes a promise to herself. One way or another, she will accomplish her goal.
II.
For one brief and shining moment, her father looks happy when he finds her in the garden, lounging with her back against the apple tree, a book resting in her lap. Then he sees what she's reading, and his expression changes, darkening to something between annoyance and disappointment.
"Dragons, Gabrielle?" he asks, shaking his head. "Wouldn't you rather read something better suited for you?"
Gabrielle makes a face. She can already tell where this is going. "And what is better suited for me, Papa?" she asks sweetly, pulling her face into a mask of innocence, like she doesn't understand what he's implying.
"Something on glamor, perhaps?" he suggests. "Your mother has a new book on beauty potions. Perhaps that will be better for you."
"No thank you," she says, batting her eyelashes because she knows it's the secret to getting her way. "I would much rather learn about dragons."
"What has gotten into you?"
She just smiles. It's been five years since her sister's wedding, but Gabrielle still thinks of Charlie Weasley and dragons. She doesn't know what it is about that man, but every bit of him is an inspiration to her. It isn't a crush; she knows that much. Boys have never really interested her, so she knows Charlie's influence on her goes beyond a silly schoolgirl's crush.
All she knows is she will reach her goal. One way or another, she will work with dragons.
III.
Gabrielle thinks Romania is quite lovely. She steps out of the carriage, gripping her luggage tightly. Here and there, she gets strange looks. Gabrielle is used to it by now.
She hardly looks like the type to be on the dragon reserve, all slender and delicate and dressed in pastel pink. Gabrielle knows she sticks out like a sore thumb, but she doesn't really care. Let them judge her. She knows the work she's put into it, the countless hours spent reading and researching, the dedication to understanding dragons in every way possible.
Now it's here. It's finally happening, and she's practically bouncing with excitement. She sees the dragons in the distance, and her heart leaps with joy. This is what she's trained for, what she's studied for. So many people have doubted her, and she's sure more will do the same until she proves that she is more than just a pretty face.
"Gabrielle? Fleur said you'd be arriving today."
Charlie Weasley stands before her, smiling warmly. He's older than she remembers, but that isn't surprising. Quite a lot of years have passed since the wedding.
"Are you hurt?" she asks, nodding toward the grey-purple bruise on his jaw.
Charlie chuckles and shakes his head. "You'll get used to bumps and scratches," he says, waving a dismissive hand. "I have a bruise remedy at my place, something my brothers developed ages ago. Fancy a cup of tea?"
"I'd love that."
…
Charlie doesn't look at her like she's some useless, fragile creature. Gabrielle can see it in his eyes as they talk. Maybe he can see something in her, something that tells him that she's serious, something that no one else in her life ever seems to see. Maybe he's just excited to have someone to share his love of dragons with.
"So, what made you want to work with dragons?" he asks, dropping a sugar cube into his cup.
Gabrielle blushes. "You did, actually. You were quite the inspiration."
And so she tells him the story of how so many years ago, a young girl saw a man with burns, and she asked a few questions. Charlie listens, chuckling here and there and making faces as she talks about the people who tried to discourage her.
"Well, for what it's worth, I know you don't have to look or act a certain way to belong here. If your heart's in it, you're in the right place."
Gabrielle sniffles and tells herself she isn't going to cry because that would be such a silly thing to do. Still, it melts her heart a little bit. No one has ever really believed in her when it came to this. She can't help but smile.
"To new adventures," she says, lifting her teacup in a toast.
"To new friends."
She's probably never going to stop proving herself, but that's okay. She's accomplished one goal, and she knows she'll never stop proving the world wrong.
