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CHAPTER 1


*** CHARLIE ***


"Charlie! I'm so glad you could stop by!"

Hermione Granger's voice, happier than I'd heard it in years, rang out in the lobby of MZP Potions. As soon as the lift doors had opened, she'd quickly crossed the room and hugged me warmly. I'd been standing near the glass wall and staring out into the London streets since there was no furniture in the lobby.

"How could I refuse?" I responded. "Even if we're not technically family now, we were before."

She gave me a sad smile and I felt like I'd put my foot in my mouth.

"Well, things have a funny way of working out. Honestly, Ronald is the only Weasley I won't speak to."

Ronald. Not Ron, none of the familiarity she'd once showed him. I just nodded, unsure of how to navigate the conversation with my ex-almost-sister-in-law.

"Oh, don't feel awkward, Charlie," she said, reading me correctly. "Really, it's fine. And besides, I invited you here for a reason. I was hoping we could talk business before we go to lunch."

My eyebrows raised. She was more talkative and confident than she'd been the last time I'd seen her. I couldn't imagine what sort of business proposition she'd have for me, unless she wanted me to send fertiliser from the Sanctuary for her greenhouse.

But was she even working in a greenhouse anymore?

"Okay. That's fine with me," I replied. "Does your office have chairs?"

She laughed and linked her arm through mine. "I do, though there is also a conference room if you'd prefer to have a larger selection."

"I've never been inside a building with no seating in the atrium," I observed, sticking to the safe topic.

"Draco hates clutter, and he doesn't really make people wait down here, so long as they're welcome."

When she said 'Draco', her eyes sparkled and the tiniest hint of a blush had appeared on her cheeks.

"I get the feeling Draco might be more than your boss," I teased. "Those are some pretty sparkly stars in your eyes."

After we stepped into the lift, she released my arm and faced me. "We can talk about it, but not here. Everyone here knows, but they are sworn to secrecy, and I try to keep my work and personal life a little bit separate."

"Is it serious?"

She smiled and nodded. "It is. He's not the same person he was in school, and the work he's doing here is incredible."

"Then I'm excited for you," I answered. "Seriously. You deserve to be happy, Hermione, and you certainly look a lot happier now than you did last time I saw you."

"I am happier. I'm glad it comes through."

The lift dinged and the doors slid open, revealing a hallway on the top floor with several doors either side. At the far end, I saw a woman stationed at a desk. I assumed she was Draco Malfoy's assistant.

Hermione linked her arm through mine again, pulling my attention back to her and leading me to one of the other doors. "Well, what about you? Have you been seeing anyone?"

"You know me. Nothing serious. I'm more focused on chasing dragons than women," I replied, chuckling.

After we entered her office, she gestured to one of the chairs in front of her desk. We both sat and then she said, "That's the perfect segue to what I wanted to discuss with you, actually."

"Oh? You need me to chase some women for you?"

She laughed. "More like I need you to chase some dragons."

"That's a simple enough request since I'll be doing it anyway. What do you need from them?"

Shifting the papers on her desk around, she found the one she was looking for. "Well, Pansy — Pansy Parkinson, our head potioneer — is developing several different things right now, and she needs a regular supplier of dragon scales. I don't want to use someone who might mistreat the dragons."

This was one of the things I loved about Hermione. Her heart was so big, so open. She cared about people and magical creatures in a way that so few did. It made it that much worse when my youngest brother stomped all over it.

"Well, that's actually really easy," I told her. "We have the dragons on a rotating schedule for health exams. Anytime we touch them, they shed scales. I have no problem asking the other keepers and caretakers to collect them for you lot."

"Of course we'd be willing to compensate the Sanctuary for the scales," she explained, moving into full business mode. "I know that they come off anyway, but we'd pay just as well as any apothecary, I can assure you. And we could work with the Ministry to negotiate import and export costs."

"Hermione, slow down. All of that would need to go through the Sanctuary if you want to do it that way. I'm not in charge there and, as far as I know, we don't do it for apothecaries or anyone else at this point in time."

Her eyes widened. "They don't? Why wouldn't they?"

Shrugging, I said, "I think we just sell the dung for fertiliser. I figured that was what you wanted to talk to me about since you're a herbologist."

"That makes sense, I suppose. I'm sure there are other dragon related things Pansy would be interested in, as well. I could take you on a tour and ask her. Maybe we can work something out to benefit both MZP and the Sanctuary," Hermione mused aloud. "Maybe we could stock your infirmary with potions or fund a few projects. There are lots of possibilities."

"I'm sure there are plenty of things we could work out, but I could also just bring some scales here on my own."

"No. We do everything above board here. Full public transparency. I don't want anyone thinking we have some sort of back alley connection. If you could put me in contact with someone at the Sanctuary, I'll take care of the details."

I wanted to laugh at her eagerness, but it was nice to see her passionate about a project again. I decided to ask questions to keep her talking about it.

"What is the potioneer—"

"Pansy," she supplied.

"What is Pansy working on, then?"

"Honestly, I haven't been here long, so I haven't gotten a lot of specifics out of her," Hermione said. "We're friends, but you know how I am. If I listen to her theories and what she's working on, I'll try to help her improve it somehow and overstep, so I'm trying to focus on the herbology side of things for now."

"Just for now?"

"I can't say I'll never venture into her lab and get pulled into something that interests me." Picking up a quill, she started making a list. "I could take you down to meet Pansy if you want. I know that you probably aren't familiar with her since she's my age. Draco and Blaise, too. That way you can feel confident in recommending this business partnership to whoever will handle it on the Sanctuary's side."

Since I wanted to see more of their operation, I nodded in agreement. "I'd like that. And I'd love to see your side of things, too. Do you have anything interesting growing here?"

"Oh, absolutely," she replied. "Come on. I'll walk you down the hall. We can see if Draco and Blaise are free. I know that Pansy will be down in the lab. She spends little to no time up here."

I got to my feet and waited for her to lead the way. Once again, Hermione linked our arms and I found myself hoping that Draco Malfoy wasn't a jealous man; I didn't want to cause problems for her.

Much to my surprise, when we arrived at Draco's office, he greeted me in the way I was sure he'd greet a potential client — professionally, yet warm and inviting. And when he looked at Hermione, I could see that he was all the way in love with her already. Since she was happy to see me, he was happy that I was here.

I was honestly jealous of him. Not because I wanted Hermione, but because I wanted to find a woman I felt something that deeply for, a woman I had that kind of connection with.

"So, Mr Weasley—"

"Please call me Charlie. There are far too many Mr Weasleys in this part of the world," I replied, interrupting Draco.

"Charlie," he amended. "I'm sure Hermione has already explained our business proposition to you so I won't go on about it, but please feel free to reach out to me with any questions you may have. Or if you need any reassurances."

"That's not necessary, Mr Malfoy."

"If I'm calling you Charlie, I think it's only right that you call me Draco." Casually, he added, "Plus, any friend of Hermione's will likely be a friend of mine, as well."

"Exactly. That's why I don't need reassurances from you. If Hermione trusts you, I really don't have any issues doing the same."

Draco shifted, making himself more comfortable in his office chair. Hermione was on his side of the desk, one hip leaning against it. "That seems to be a recurring theme with my suppliers." Reaching out, he grasped her hand and smiled. "The ones that are worth a damn, anyway. They all love Granger."

"You're exaggerating," Hermione said, rolling her eyes. "The three of you run a great company."

"I never said we didn't. High-quality ingredients have just been a bit easier to come by since you joined the team."

"Well, I just know how to get what I want," she teased. "Isn't that supposed to be something you're good at?"

He looked at her, his eyes filled with unspoken words that I could only guess at. I had a feeling he'd be getting exactly what he wanted from her as soon as I was gone.

I laughed at their exchange, the gentle back and forth showing that they knew each other well already. When their heads turned towards me in unison, I knew they were truly in sync.

"Right," Hermione said, snapping out of the trance she seemed to go into when focused on Draco. "Is Blaise about?"

Draco shook his head as he checked his watch. "No, he's out meeting with a client right now, but I imagine he'll be back after lunch."

She squeezed his hand and then released it. "I'm going to introduce Charlie to Pansy and then take him down to the greenhouses if that's okay with you."

"You know it is. Show him around and then go to lunch. I'll keep Blaise here if he tries to run off after we talk about his meeting."

Hermione leaned down and kissed his cheek. "Okay. We'll see you later." Looking at me, she said, "Let's go, Charlie. There's quite a bit to see and I'm already hungry."

When I rose to my feet, Draco did too, moving around his desk and extending his hand. I shook it and said, "It was nice to meet you."

"Likewise. Enjoy the tour." As we left his office, Hermione gave him a little wave and he added, "Have fun."

When we stepped out on the second floor, it was more of the same — incredibly clean with sparse furnishings, but there was more glass than I'd ever seen in my life. I was able to look straight into the main potions lab, and thank fuck for that. While there were several people bustling around, looking after simmering cauldrons, only one caught my eye.

There was a woman with dark hair tied back in a knot moving from cauldron to cauldron, answering questions or giving direction like she was a professor. Even in her lab robes, she was striking, though I'd never seen a potions mistress walking around in high-heeled shoes.

Her shoes made me wonder what she was wearing underneath the shapeless robes. Shoes like that didn't really fit with a matronly wardrobe.

"That's Pansy," Hermione said, pulling me out of my thoughts. "She's got a few promising apprentices in there, so she's teaching."

My mouth was dry and I couldn't seem to make myself speak. Luckily, Hermione seemed oblivious and continued telling me about the woman who had stolen my voice.

"—manages the two smaller potion labs, as well. One is just hers and that's where she does most of her research and development since she doesn't want anyone touching her things. She's a little bit of a control freak."

"Is she?" I said, my eyes still watching her move around the room.

I supposed I could see it — she marched around like a general commanding her troops, her back straight and her eyes constantly surveying everything that was going on around her. Even through the glass wall, her presence could be felt.

"She is. She's got more self-confidence than anyone I've ever met. Oh, and take what she says with a grain of salt. She's very snarky and can seem condescending at first. I imagine she'll be a little… rude to you," Hermione explained. "Once you're used to her, you'll be able to tell when she's being serious and when she's joking."

Shrugging, I replied, "I work with dragons. I don't think there's anything that can really scare me off. Does she breathe real fire?"

Hermione laughed and slapped my arm. "Don't be an arse, Charlie! Of course she doesn't breathe fire."

"Then I'm sure we'll get along wonderfully. I can tame fire-breathing beasts. One little woman doesn't frighten me. Plus, I'm charming as fuck."

She raised an eyebrow at me. "A man who was actually charming as fuck wouldn't say that out loud."

"Shows how much you know," I responded, winking at her. "So, are we going to go in and talk to her or just stand here and stare like some creepy stalkers?"

"Let's go," she said, her hand reaching for the door handle I hadn't noticed.

As soon as Hermione's shoes clicked against the tile floor of the potions labs, Pansy looked up and straight at us. Her eyes were green and inquisitive, and she scanned me from head-to-toe. I watched her face, noticing the way the smallest tinge of pink made its way into her cheeks.

"Pansy, this is Charlie, Charlie Weasley."

"I—uh—Hi," Pansy replied, even more colour rising into her face as she faltered. "Welcome to… my… our lab."

I held back the chuckle that was threatening to escape, and Hermione looked at Pansy like she'd sprouted a unicorn horn in the middle of her forehead.

"It's nice to meet you, Pansy," I said, extending a hand to shake hers.

She reached out, and I noticed how delicate her hand was — tiny and manicured, her nails painted a deep shade of red — when encased by mine. I held on just a second too long and she pulled away, making me immediately miss the contact, the feel of her skin against mine, even if it was just our hands touching.

Until about five minutes ago, I had never believed in love at first sight, but now I was questioning everything, wondering if maybe it did exist.

However, based on her stony silence, it was clear that she didn't feel the same. Or she saw a Weasley and believed I was like my youngest brother. Or poor. Or a combination of those two and didn't consider me worthy of her attention.

Sliding my hands into the pockets of my jeans, I turned to glance at Hermione, hoping she'd get the conversation going.

Thankfully, she took the cue. "He's going to put us in contact with the Sanctuary in Romania so we can hopefully import some dragon scales and other things from them. He offered to bring them to you personally, but I told him we want everything to go through the proper channels."

"Makes sense," Pansy said. "It would be really… great… if we had a steady supply of them."

Her back was no longer straight and she wasn't walking around the room. In fact, everyone in the room was staring at her, and I wished they would all get back to work. I was sure that with some noise, she'd feel more comfortable, more confident.

Looking at her with concern, Hermione asked, "Are you okay, Pans?"

"Of course," she replied quickly, but she didn't elaborate.

Hermione frowned and looked like she was going to speak again. I cut in quickly. "You were running around here before we came in. Did we interrupt something?"

Pansy finally glanced around the lab again. "They're just brewing some"—she paused, like she couldn't remember what was in the cauldrons, even though she'd been scrutinising each one—"modified Pepper-Up Potion."

"Excellent! I got through my NEWTs by taking that stuff," I commented.

She just nodded and I was shocked.

Had I really rattled her that much? She was nothing like the woman Hermione had described. She didn't even have the slightest hint of confidence or snark. I wanted to redirect her, to make her talk about something she was passionate about. Since we were in her lab, I decided to stick to work.

"So, do you have a specific project you need the dragon scales for?"

Pansy's lips parted, but nothing came out. Her green eyes quickly darted to Hermione, like she was begging for help.

"You know, Pans, you seem really… busy," Hermione began, looping her arm through mine and starting to pull me through the door. "I just wanted to show Charlie the lab and introduce you two. I still have to bring him to the greenhouse, so we'll head out. I'm sure you'll have the opportunity to chat another time."

"Definitely. I'll come back again soon," I said, making sure that she knew I'd be around.

As the door closed, I glanced back over my shoulder. Pansy was staring at me, her face blank save for the small crease between her brows. I smiled at her but she didn't react, only watched us for a few more beats then turned away, returning to her staff.

If Hermione got her way, I would be dealing directly with Pansy, and this hadn't been a great start. Did she hate me because of what Ron had done? If she did, I had no chance.

However, I wanted to see her again. Wanted the chance to talk to her, to explain I was nothing like my younger brother. That what he'd done to her friend was unforgivable.

But mostly I wanted to know why it was I had rendered her completely speechless.


As Hermione and I sat at a small pub near MZP, my thoughts kept drifting to Pansy Parkinson. After we'd left the potions lab, I'd half-heartedly followed Hermione around, wandering through the greenhouses and the rest of the building. While I was interested in every aspect of the business they were trying to build, I couldn't shake the feeling that Pansy took issue with me.

And, given my reaction to her, I hated that feeling. A lot. I wanted her to like me, to want to spend time with me. I wanted to get to know her, and that wouldn't be possible if she didn't speak to me the next time I saw her.

"Charlie?" Hermione said, snapping me back to the present. "Are you alright? It seems like you're somewhere else entirely."

I gave my head a gentle shake. "Sorry. I'm just… thinking,"

She gave me a knowing smile. "Pansy, right?"

"Yeah. She's…" I trailed off, unable to put what I wanted to say into the right words.

"Different? Gorgeous? A brilliant conversationalist?"

Laughing, I replied, "I'm sure she's all of those things, but I only really saw the gorgeous part, given her speechlessness."

"Yeah, I'm really not sure what got into her." Hermione took a sip of her water and then continued, "I mean, she hates Ronald and would Avada him if she ever got the chance, but that shouldn't reflect poorly on you. You're your own person, and she's never met you before today."

With a shrug of my shoulders, I said, "It's possible that she sees it differently."

"She's friends with Ginny, so I can't understand why she wouldn't give you a chance."

I couldn't either, but I didn't want to keep talking about it. For some reason, the thought of Pansy hating me just because I was Ron's brother made my insides twist. It was completely irrational and unfair, especially since I hadn't spoken to my youngest brother in almost a year.

When I didn't answer, Hermione said, "Well, don't worry about it. I'll speak to her later on. You and I can go over all the information I want you to take back to Romania and we'll leave Pansy be for the day."

"Sounds good," I replied, even though I knew my mind would stay focused on the sassy potion girl.


*** PANSY ***


What the hell had happened?

I barely made it through the rest of the morning; the new staff probably thought I'd had an aneurysm, I was so out of it. And because of my distraction, their potions had failed and they'd cowered in fear of my reaction. Assuring them it wasn't their fault hadn't helped — my reputation as a hard-arse far preceded me and they'd left for the afternoon with promises of doing better.

And now, I was hiding in my office, my mind racing again, along with my heart.

Charlie Weasley.

Weasley.

What the fuck was with that?

Granger had told me she was meeting with him to discuss a trade agreement. I wasn't sure it was a good idea; the thought of a Weasley hanging around the offices made me seethe. After what the other Weasley piece of shit had done to her, I never understood why she was still friendly with the rest of them.

But now I did, and she would be getting a slap for not letting me know that Charlie Weasley was unlike any of his brothers.

I'd expected another scrawny, pale red head, looking disheveled and dressed poorly. I was definitely not expecting the muscled man-cake in jeans and a t-shirt who walked through the door.

And I hated not being prepared. Hated that I acted like I did. I could barely string two words together. I was never like that with men — never like that with anyone. But Charlie Weasley turned me into one of those women I hated; simpering and acting like a fool over a man.

But he was… fucking hell, he was hot. There was no other word for it. And simpering seemed to be the only appropriate response. He'd been pleasant and it had been hard to keep myself from melting at his smile. His skin was tanned from his time spent outside, his hair was cut short at the sides and slightly longer top, and I knew he'd pretty much just run his hands through it in a way of styling it. And when he shook my hand, the rough calluses had my stomach knotting and my mind thinking very dirty thoughts indeed.

And the way he was looking at me… Love at first sight was a ridiculous notion. No one fell in love with someone they just met. I certainly wouldn't. And certainly not with a Weasley, not after what his cockwomble of a younger brother did to my friend.

But that same friend didn't seem to have any issues with him. In fact, they appeared to be well acquainted and Granger looked extremely pleased that he'd be here on an almost weekly basis.

There was a knock on the door and without waiting for a response, Blaise stepped through.

"I was just in the lab." He glanced around and shook his head. My furniture was still shoved in the corner. Since I was rarely in my office, I had no use for it and had never unpacked. He shook his head again and perched himself on the edge of my desk, crossing his arms over his chest. "Why are you hiding in here?"

"I'm not hiding."

"You're never in here. And this certainly looks like hiding." He tilted his head to one side and smiled. A genuine smile, not his usual smart-arsed smirk. "What's going on, Pans?"

"Nothing." I leaned back in my chair, trying to act exhausted. "I just needed some quiet. I've been teaching kids all day. It's exhausting."

"Pans," he drawled. "We've been friends for years. This is not about teaching kids."

I pinched the bridge of my nose; Blaise knew me too well.

"Fine," I relented. "Granger brought Weasley through today. Charlie Weasley."

He waited for me to say more, rolling his eyes when I didn't.

"They swung by my office just after lunch." He shrugged. "He seems to be a decent guy."

"But he's a Weasley."

"He's not that Weasley."

"I know that, but who is he loyal to? Us or his brother?"

"We spoke for a while, and I can say his loyalty lies with Granger, without question. He adores her, and I'm sure his dickwad of a brother has been told as such."

"She's changing a lot of things around here," I said weakly, trying to deflect from Charlie.

"For the better," Blaise pointed out. "The Sanctuary wouldn't have even dealt with us if it wasn't for her. And Charlie's interested in what we're doing here. I'm sure if we wanted to go, he'd happily show us around the Sanctuary."

I shrugged nonchalantly. "I have no interest in going to Romania."

"Liar," Blaise laughed. "You'd give your left arm to see a dragon up close. I'm sure if you asked him nicely, Charlie would gladly give you a tour. He might even show you the hatchlings."

I scowled. It would be a dream to see the Sanctuary, even more so to see the baby dragons.

"Draco wouldn't object to a business trip to Romania," Blaise said thoughtfully. "You busy next weekend? Or did you ask Charlie out?"

I almost choked. "What!?"

"You like this bloke, right? That's why you're being a douche and objecting to having him here."

"I only met him for five minutes."

"Yeah, Granger told me." His infamous smirk had finally appeared. "She also told me you were acting really weird. Not speaking to him, scowling… the usual from you. But she's worried you hate her for asking him to help us. I know it's the exact opposite. You're terrified of falling for him."

"Five minutes, Blaise. No one falls for someone after five minutes." I scowled deliberately at him. "You might, but normal people don't.

"Like I said, Pans, I've known you forever and you've only acted like this once before. I think Potter was his name."

I punched his thigh. Only Draco and Blaise knew about my stupid first-year schoolgirl crush on Harry, and they were sworn to secrecy. And while I knew she'd most likely find it hilarious, I didn't need Ginny hating on me for something from years ago.

"Everyone had a crush on The Chosen One. Even you," I snarked.

He laughed again. "Oh, darling. If you're slinging falsities, you've got it bad. Ask Charlie out. Get naked and ride him like a dragon."

"Arse."

"If that's your preference…"

"You need to leave." I shoved at him but he didn't budge.

"This guy has your knickers all wet, so you need to tell me why you're not doing anything about it."

"Blaise…" I groaned.

"Come on, Pans. Talk to me. Is this just lust at first sight, or have you fallen for him?"

I looked up at him. Blaise was rarely serious when it came to matters of the opposite sex. Especially with his friends. We were a free target — in his opinion — and no comment was off limits. But this time he seemed genuinely concerned about what I was feeling.

"I don't know," I finally admitted. "I don't believe in love at first sight. But there was something…"

"Something?" he enquired. "What kind of something?"

I shrugged. "It's hard to explain. It wasn't butterflies in my stomach or anything, it was just… gah! I don't fucking know!"

He reached for my hand and winked at me. "I think you're in love, my friend."

"How would you know? You've never loved anyone but yourself," I snapped, frustrated that he knew me so well.

"That's not true. I love you." He lifted my hand and kissed the back of it. "And this is completely unlike you. If you see something you want, you usually go after it. What's holding you back this time?"

"There's no point, is there? He lives… a million miles away."

Blaise laughed. "Romania isn't a million miles away. And he'll be here every week if Hermione gets her way."

"Would you be happy seeing someone you… someone only once a week?"

"Probably not, but if it was someone I wanted as much as I think you want him, it would be worth the sacrifice."

"It was five minutes." I yanked my hand from his. "It's not worth any sacrifice. He probably thinks I'm a braindead idiot anyway."

"You probably acted a bit out of character, but I'm sure he doesn't think that. I saw his confusion when I spoke to him."

"What do you mean?"

"Hermione and I were explaining some of the potions you're inventing and he was definitely impressed, but he also seemed a little dumbfounded that we were talking about the same brilliant woman."

I rolled my eyes. "Like I said, he thinks I'm braindead."

"Pans, listen. Speaking as a guy here—" he winked and I couldn't help but smile "—you'd be a total catch. Brilliant, snarky, beautiful. You're everything a decent man wants."

"Maybe I don't want a decent man. Maybe I want someone rough and hard and who knows what they're doing."

"Then Charlie would be perfect."

"Maybe you should ask him out."

"You could do a lot worse than Charlie Weasley. And he is a decent guy. You keep saying you only met him for five minutes, but clearly your instincts are telling you there's more to him than five minutes allowed." He stood and squeezed my shoulder. "Give him a chance, Pansy, he could be the best thing that ever happened to you."


My talk with Blaise hadn't helped my confusion. I'd acted like a complete fool and Charlie had noticed. Any attraction to him I might have had may as well be given up; he clearly thought I was stupid.

No reassurances from Blaise would change that.

I sighed and looked around my lab. It was late and the only light on in the entire building was this one. I spent most of my time here, working long hours since I had nothing but an empty flat to go home to. And until I realised there was a half-eaten sandwich on the bench and my coffee had gone cold hours ago, I hadn't thought it a sad existence.

I loved my work, loved the space we'd set up. Loved that I had the opportunity to experiment and change the traditional ways of potion making. We'd worked hard to start our company, and Draco and Blaise's idea to bring Granger on board was a stroke of genius — not that I'd ever tell them that. And in turn, her idea to work with the dragon sanctuary proved that exact genius. Scales and blood and claws were almost impossible to get and potion makers fought fiercely for them. But to have such easy and regular access to them was exactly what I needed.

But Charlie…

Charlie was the most confusing thing to stroll casually into my life.

Easy and regular access to him terrified me.

My feelings were completely foreign to me. I'd been with guys, of course I had, but none of them had made me feel like Charlie had. And it had only been five minutes.

I liked to have the upper hand, but this was something I couldn't even begin to know how to control. Feelings were something that everyone else had. I was immune to them. I would defend the lives of my friends to the death, but love? I wasn't interested. All I needed was to scratch that itch once in a while; I didn't need someone in my life on a regular basis.

At least I thought I didn't.

In the first few seconds of him walking into my lab, pictures of Charlie flashed through my mind. In my kitchen, cooking. On my couch, my legs draped over his. In my bed, his body over mine. Sleeping beside me. Kissing me goodbye as we both left for work. Holding our firstborn child. It was all very domesticated and unlike anything I had ever imagined.

And I didn't do relationships. I wasn't interested in being attached to one single person forever. I watched my friends, watched their lives together, and while they all seemed happy and content, I just couldn't picture myself living that way.

I enjoyed my independence and had a clear vision of what my life would be, and I'd had that vision for as long as I could remember. It didn't include a husband or a child. It didn't include domestic bliss. My vision was my career, making potions and becoming known for it. I didn't necessarily want fame, but an acknowledgement for redefining potion making, for pushing the boundaries, experimenting and improving the old ways.

That was where my focus had always been.

That was where my focus should be.

I had never once cared about the opinions of others when it came to me, and Charlie Weasley wasn't about to change that. And I certainly wasn't going to allow him — or anyone — to shift my focus and make me forget everything I had worked so hard to achieve.

But…

Walking towards the door, I turned and glanced around the lab once more. I did have a home to go to. A home that had a bed that was much more comfortable than the chair at my desk.

Flicking my wand, I whispered Nox, extinguishing the lights, then pulled the door shut. I stopped by my office and retrieved the parchments I had been working on; I would spend my weekend at home instead of here, but I needed to study my notes again.

I smiled and laughed quietly; I had always been studious, but Granger was having more influence on me than I had ever thought possible.


I stared at the flames in the fireplace, mesmerised by the way they danced easily together. The wine in my glass was no longer chilled, and the parchments I had brought home were still neatly scrolled on the dining table. Curled into the corner of my couch, my chin rested on my hand, and my thoughts everywhere but where they should be.

Charlie Weasley.

Good, kind, Charlie Weasley.

Funny, sweet, Charlie Weasley.

Hot as sin, Charlie Weasley.

Charlie Weasley.

He wasn't the man I had expected him to be.

My initial opinion of him might have been somewhat skewed by the actions of his youngest brother, but I'd also been friends with Ginny long enough to know they weren't all the same.

"Put the fucking fire out, Parkinson!" Ginny's voice startled me. "Let me through!"

I grabbed my wand, wondering what the hell was going on, and aimed it at the fireplace, extinguishing the flames. Ginny stepped through almost immediately.

"Are you okay?"

She waved a hand at me. "I'm fine. Still in one piece."

"Aren't you supposed to be supervised at all times?" I nodded at her giant belly.

"Harry's working, and Hermione and Draco are… unavailable." She eased herself into the armchair and put her feet up on the coffee table. "So you get me tonight."

"Oh, yay for me," I said with an eye roll. Her pregnancy had been challenging, to say the least. Baby Potter had caused no small amount of grief for his mother. She had remained calm for the most part, but the last few weeks, Ginny had become uncomfortable and snippy.

The current grin on her face, however, told me her snippiness had been left at home.

"What?" I asked, refilling my wine glass and tilting it towards her with a smirk of my own. "I'd offer you one, but…"

"Funny," she snarked and conjured up a glass of water. "Hermione was really worried about you; she said you were being weird today. I'm just curious as to why."

"Oh, for fuck's sake," I groaned. "You lot couldn't be more transparent if you tried."

She laughed. "It's okay, Pans, you're not alone. My brother has that effect on many women. Apparently he's considered hot."

"My stupidity today had nothing to do with your brother," I lied smoothly. "I have more things on my mind than worrying about Granger bringing Charlie on board."

"Really?" Her expression said she didn't believe a word I was saying. "You must have some heavy shit going on because it's pretty rare you're rendered mute."

I lifted my wine glass to my lips, eyeing her as I drank. Blaise must have spoken to Granger — which meant Draco also knew — and Granger had obviously told Ginny how moronic I'd been. I could just imagine them all strategising on how best to handle this. But with Draco and Granger occupied, and with Blaise not so secretly seeing Katie Bell, I guessed Ginny volunteered to poke at me.

But I had no intentions of telling her anything. They all seemed to think Charlie was somehow perfect for me, and yet I didn't know him at all.

"Oh, come on, Pans! I know he's my brother, but you can talk to me about him."

"There's nothing to talk about, Gin. I was busy teaching and spent all of five minutes with him."

She patted her belly. "Sometimes that's all it takes,"

"Eew." I grimaced. "I don't need to know about Harry's lack of stamina."

"Harry's stamina isn't lacking. I just meant, I knew Harry was it for me after only seeing him. I hadn't even spoken to him."

"You were ten."

"Exactly. I knew it all those years ago… before I even knew what it was."

"Well, I'm sorry to disappoint you all, but Charlie isn't it for me. So unless you're here to talk about anything but him, I suggest you get your fat arse out of my flat and go home."

"Nice," she snorted. "I'm just weeks away from having this baby and you feel it appropriate to insult me."

"And you feel it appropriate to come here tell me how perfect your brother is for me when I don't even know him."

She tilted her head and smiled. "Yeah, you're right. Sorry. I just like the idea of Charlie with someone like you."

"Meaning?"

"Someone who will challenge him," she answered. "Someone who will only ever be truthful and will realise he's more than just a pretty face. He's smart and fun and kind. And he deserves someone who will treat him the same."

"You're right," I agreed. "He does deserve that. I certainly hope he finds it."

She rolled her eyes, but thankfully she didn't press any further. The conflict I felt inside was something I wasn't yet sure of and I wasn't ready to talk about feelings I didn't yet understand.