It was a lazy Saturday. I was sitting on my sofa with Charlie next to me, his hand rested comfortably on my thigh. We were watching the kind of trash television that was playing on a Saturday afternoon and not really paying attention to it.

"You really don't have to come if you don't want to." I said, studying his face for any sign of apprehension.

"Ruby, stop it. I want to meet your family and Easter is a perfect opportunity." He gave my leg a reassuring squeeze. "You don't have to worry about me doing anything I don't want to do. It just so happens that if it involves you I always want to do whatever it is. Next weekend that is going to include a trip to Surrey."

I thought about my family. I wanted him to meet them. I knew they would love him and he would love them. I thought about Sean. He was going to be home for once. He had gotten the holiday off after years of constant curse breaking. Charlie would get a kick out of his stories and I could imagine him and Louis talking finance. Sean really took to the wizarding lifestyle and it was all second nature to my family. I didn't want anyone to feel like they had to walk on eggshells because Charlie was around. I didn't want anyone to have to leave out exciting stories or funny anecdotes because there was a new muggle in the house, a muggle that didn't know of anything else. There was nothing for it, I'd have to tell him the truth.

"Charles Alexander Joseph Harris, promise me that no matter what I say, that you will stay and listen, okay? It is going to sound ridiculous but, please, don't get angry, it's not a joke."I looked at his eyes, they were looking at me with a trusting curiosity, my glance moved to his mouth and the lips that I have now kissed hundreds of times, the hands that cause immense pleasure with just a touch. "I've never done this before and I'm not really sure how to navigate this. I need you to know that the only reason I'm telling you this is because, well, I love you."

The biggest smile I had ever seen took over his face and he pulled me quickly into a deep, passionate, eager kiss. Our lips entwined with each other as though in a dance. I felt his lips curve into a smile beneath mine.

"I love you, Ruby." he breathed under my mouth.

My heart thumped hard at his words and my body was ready to melt into him, but my brain was nagging me about my mission.

I pulled away. He was looking at me with love drunk eyes and I hoped we would be able to pick this up again, but first I had to tell him.

"I need you to promise me that you will listen to my entire explanation." I urged again.

"Why wouldn't I listen to you?" he asked breathlessly.

"I need you to say you promise!" I pushed.

"I promise." he said, concern beginning to smear across his features.

"Everything you know about me is only half truth." I said, the curiosity intensified. "I have kept something from you, something that is a core of who I am."

"You're starting to scare me." he said with concern.

I took a deep steadying breath. I wouldn't allow myself to back out. "I'm a witch."

He began to laugh, not the reaction I was expecting. "You can be a bit testy at times, but I wouldn't call you a witch."

"No, Charlie, I'm a witch. I do spells, transfigure objects, I brew potions; I'm a witch."

He tilted his head and squinted his eyes trying to figure out some kind of angle to why I was saying this. "I'm at a loss. What's the punchline?"

"There is no punchline." I told him. "I'm being serious."

"Oh, you are, are you?" He looked at me with a grin.

I sighed. "I'll show you. Come with me."

I led him to my bedroom where I picked up my wand from my chest-of-drawers and turned back to him.

He leaned with his back in the doorway and his arms folded over his chest. "You know, you don't need a spell to get me into bed if that's your game."

I laughed. "I could have guessed but that's not what I'm after."

He let out an over-exaggerated sigh of disappointment.

"I'm serious, Charlie." Butterflies in my stomach began to argue a case for getting him into bed. I still hadn't had the pleasure of knowing all of him. I shook my head trying to jostle the thoughts from my mind and I brought myself back to the task at hand. "I'm a witch, this is my wand." I wiggled my wand drawing his attention to it.

"That is a pretty cool stick, I must admit." he said as though he were complimenting a child.

I sighed. "Accio, keys." I flicked my wand and my keys came flying past Charlie's head, landing with a satisfying jingle into my hand.

He jumped from the doorway in alarm. "What the hell was that?"

"It's a summoning charm." I said, watching him closely for any sign of overwhelm. He stared at me blankly, I could see him trying to process what was happening at the same time he was trying to figure out a logical way that I had done what I appeared to have done. "It brings me whatever object I want."

"So…there's a magnet?" he looked at the keys that flew into my hand.

I shook my head. "It's a spell, this is a wand, and I am a witch."

"But what's really happening?" he asked.

"Remember on our second date when you said I was magic or like magic? You were actually spot on."

He stared at me with his mouth gaping open still trying to figure out the last trick. He moved from the doorway to the bottom of my bed and took a seat. "There is no such thing as magic. Not the way you're insinuating there is…is there?"

"Wingardium Leviosa." I said, pointing the wand at a pillow on the bed. It raised up and I directed it next to Charlie where it levitated next to him.

He jumped off the bed and surveyed the mysterious floating pillow. "Holy shit, Ruby!" He looked at me with an incredulous gleam on his face. "How are you?"

"Spell, wand, witch." I summed it up again.

He walked up to the pillow and ran his hand quickly in the space above the pillow as if I had taken the time and forethought to rig a wire to play this joke. He then ran his hand in the space below it. He seemed satisfied that there was no rigging and turned back to me, on his face, a pure look of shock.

"Are you afraid?" I asked, I tried to imagine what he must be feeling right now.

"I don't know." he said, taking a seat on the edge of my bed again. He looked up at me still holding onto my wand. "I don't think so. This is just really strange. I have to be dreaming, right?"

"Do you want me to pinch you?" I smiled.

"What else can you do?" He asked, I could see his hands shaking a little.

"A lot." I said, I walked towards him, slowly in case I might startle him. I felt like he was a deer who might startle and flee any moment. "I went to school to learn magic."

"A school?" He asked.

I nodded. "It's in Scotland. They teach all sorts of things, History of Magic, Potions, Transfiguration, Charms, Defence Against the Dark Arts."

"Dark Arts?" he questioned.

"Some witches and wizards use magic for evil. That class is supposed to teach you how to fight against evil magic."

"What about you? Are you a good witch? God, that sounds stupid to say out loud." he shook his head at himself.

"I am a good witch." It sounded just as stupid when I said it.

"So, you're not really a doctor, are you?" he asked.

I shook my head but stopped. "I mean, I sort of am. I'm a healer. I work at a wizarding hospital."

"In London?" He looked incredulous. "Where?"

"You know my wealthy aunt with the shop?" I asked.

"Yes," he said, "I wouldn't know you if she didn't have that."

"There is no aunt. The shop is the entrance to where I work. It's made to look like that so no one that doesn't already know what it is will have no interest in it." I sat next to him on the bed.

He was silent for a long while. I took his hand in mine. He didn't jolt or pull away at my touch and I considered that a good sign.

"You promise this isn't some kind of weird joke?" he asked, looking into my eyes. "Susan isn't in the closet watching this for some kind of weird entertainment?"

"No." I said, still holding onto his hand.

"Does Susan know you're a witch?" he asked suddenly?

I smiled. "Susan is a witch, too. We met at school."

"This is…so strange." he said. "What made you tell me this now?"

"I told you, I love you." I said, a smile appeared on his face at those words again. "I've wanted to tell you for a while but I wasn't sure how. If you're going to come home with me this next weekend I figured now was a good time."

"Is your whole family…magical?" he asked.

"I mean they're all pretty great," I laughed at my own dumb joke, "but, no, only me and my youngest brother Sean are. I'm not even sure how that happened. I was normal until I was eleven when I found out I wasn't."

"I always thought you were exceptional, normal is not how I would have ever described you." I smiled at his compliment. "One more time, do you promise this isn't a joke and if I accept it that you are going to laugh at me and never let me forget that one time you had me convinced you were a witch?"

"I promise." I said.

He pulled me unexpectedly into a kiss. His hands slid up my back. The butterflies in my stomach went wild. He removed his lips from mine. I opened my eyes to find him staring at me with a serious expression. "I'm completely in love with you, Ruby. I have been for almost as long as I've known you and it just gets stronger the more time we spend together. This is very strange and I feel silly for accepting it, but you make a compelling argument." He grabbed the pillow that was still floating and threw it back with the others on my bed. "Let's go back to the important bit of this. You said you love me."

I smiled. "I love you, Charlie."

He pressed his lips to mine. "I love you, Ruby."

I wrapped my arms around him and ran the fingers of one hand up into his soft hair. His hands found my hips and the familiar electric surge ran through my body where they touched. His grip tightened as he lifted me up and threw me as if I weighed little more than the pillows he tossed me on. He crawled up to me, shedding his sweater on the way. He held himself up with an arm on either side of my body. He lowered himself to meet my lips and I ran my hands up his bare back before I realised this was the first time I had ever seen him in any real state of undress. His skin was smooth and his muscles danced under my fingertips as he held himself suspended over me. His lips travelled from mine, to my jaw, and down to my neck. A wave of pleasure surged through my body at every touch. He lowered himself onto the bed and ran his hand from my hip and up my side. His lips brushed my neck and moved down to my collar bone. I felt a ravenous, carnal hunger for him.

I moved my hands to his chest and pushed him away and onto his back. A look of surprise flashed across his face. I pulled myself up and straddled his hips. I removed my t-shirt and looked down into his blue eyes. His hands ran from my hips, up my sides, and to my breasts. I lowered myself to kiss him again. I felt his fingers working on the clasp of my bra as his tongue caressed mine. The latch gave and I shrugged out of the garment and threw it to the side. His hands moved from my back to my front and gently cupped my bare chest. Pleasure ran through my entire body like lightning. I felt deep within me an absolute need for him. A moan escaped my throat as his fingers brushed my nipples. I buried my head in his neck and covered it in kisses. I felt his moan vibrate against my lips. A strong hand pressed against my back and suddenly I was on the bed again. Charlie was on his knees, my legs still around his hips, his face hovered over mine as he supported himself with his arms. I ran my fingertips gently along his jaw, he was so unbelievably beautiful.

"Do you want this?" he asked breathlessly.

I nodded my head enthusiastically. "Yes."

He pushed himself up and began unbuckling his belt. My fingers immediately went to work unbuttoning and unzipping my jeans. He assisted me with pulling them off and he cast them aside on the floor. He bent back over, his mouth found my breast and his tongue circled my nipple. My fingers ran through his hair and I could feel him pressed between my legs. The build up was too much, I needed him. He ran his mouth from my chest to my neck, planting soft kisses the entire way.

"Ruby." he whispered against my throat. A moan surged through my body followed by a gasp as I felt him enter. A slight pain gave way to near immediate pleasure. Our bodies moved together as one. My hands ran up his back and I pressed my nails into his skin. He let out a gasp and pressed his lips to the crook of my neck. Waves of ecstasy crashed through my body and I could feel myself losing control as the thrill built. A whimper escaped me as I fought to keep command but it was too much. I could feel the apex coming and I gripped harder to Charlie for stability. Every muscle in my body tensed, I wrapped my legs tightly around his hips as he continued to thrust. I pressed my face into his chest as I released the moan that had been swelling. I could feel him pulsing inside of me and I succumbed to the rapture. Restraint was lost and my body was overtaken with incredible euphoria. I felt like my body was liquid that would spill everywhere if I let go of Charlie. I shook as I clung to him, his body slick with sweat. He pressed his mouth firmly against mine as a moan broke free. His body went limp as he fell onto the bed next to me, our breathing was rapid and ragged. His strong arms wrap around me and we lay flesh to flesh, recovering from the climax. He leaned his forehead against my back before planting gentle kisses onto my shoulder. I turned around to face him, wrapping my arms around his torso and holding him close. He smelled of sweat and cologne.

He looked down at me with a contented smile on his face as he brushed back my hair sticking to my neck. His fingertips still sending delicious pulses through my body with just a touch. I wondered if I had the same effect on him. Our naked bodies lay pressed together on top of the covers as we memorised each other's features.

Months passed, the time Charlie and I spent together increased until the only time we were apart was when we were working. We alternated whose place we stayed at. His house was much nicer than my flat but he insisted that mine felt more like a home. Summer was already well underway and we were days away from going on our first holiday together in early July. I had never been to Italy and Charlie promised me that it was incredible. We had plans to eat our weights in pasta and gelato, drive through the countryside, see ancient ruins, and make love under the stars.

We walked hand in hand discussing the upcoming trip after a late al fresco dinner. It was past midnight but the summer heat was still verging on too hot. We were closer to my flat so that is where we were staying for the night. Charlie kissed the nape of my neck as I unlocked the door, I turned to meet his kiss as I opened the door and backed inside.

I opened my eyes to find that the lights were already on and I heard the whistle of a kettle. Charlie entered protector mode and placed himself between me and the rest of my flat.

"Who's here?" he asked in a tone more menacing than I knew he was capable.

There was a crash and the sound of breaking porcelain. Charlie placed his arm out to stop me from entering any further and kept me safe behind.

"Ruby!" Susan's familiar voice sounded from the kitchen. "Thank God, you're back."

Charlie's protective stance relaxed. "I didn't think she was intruding anymore." He whispered as he allowed me to pass.

I walked into the kitchen where Susan was attempting to clean up the broken mug I had heard crash. Her hands were shaking and she was pale.

"Susan!" I called out. I rushed over to her and placed my hands on her shoulders. "What's the matter?"

My panicked yell prompted Charlie to run into the kitchen as I was standing Susan upright and she began crying on my shoulder.

"I just received an owl from Hogwarts." she choked out between sobs.

"Oh, no." I said as I pulled her into the sitting room. "Please tell me the kids are okay." I sat her down on my sofa and Charlie made a hasty cup of tea for her.

"The kids are fine." she said. "But Ruby…" Her pause gave me so much time to imagine so many worst case scenarios. "It's Dumbledore." My heart took a nosedive. "He's dead."

"What?" It seemed impossible that Dumbledore could really be dead. I must have misheard her. There couldn't possibly be a world without Albus Dumbledore at Hogwarts.

"He's dead." Her sobs broke out in powerful waves.

I became aware that Charlie had wrapped an arm around my waist.

"Death Eaters," Susan said, "Death Eaters got into Hogwarts, into the place where my children slept! Into the place that I thought was safe."

"What's a de…" Charlie began but I placed a hand on his lips.

"Is anyone else dead or hurt?" I asked.

Susan shook her head. "They're saying," she looked up at me with pure hatred in her eyes. "That Snape let them in. They're saying that Snape killed Dumbledore and fled the castle with the Death Eaters."

Every particle of air disappeared from my lungs.