Author's Note:
Disclaimer: I don't own these guys. If I did, I would be rich. And that, my children, would be right nifty!
Warnings: Slash! Yaoi! Boys loving other boys! If you don't like it, please don't read it ok? Also, there's some angst and death. There will be mild smut but not in this chapter. Charlie/Krum
And, xChristabelx you own my soul. Thank you so much for reviewing! Made me all squiggly :D
Again, sort of short chapter. Sorry 'bout that
Chapter 2
Charlie sighed and glanced up at the very obvious rustling in the bushes. Yet again. Not to say that those blokes from Durmstrang were dense, but if they thought they were being sneaky, they were very mistaken. But then, Charlie didn't much care that the headmaster was hiding in the bushes spying on the dragons. After all, Hagrid would be bringing his lady love and Harry by to see them later, so all the competitors would have the same advantage. At least as long as someone thought to warn Cedric.
Cedric….A frown marred Charlie's handsome face as he paused in his tidying of the small camp. Who was going to tell Cedric about the dragons? Harry was coming to see them himself…the Beauxbatons woman was coming as well…and the Durmstrang headmaster seemed to be fond of crouching in the bushes. Ah, well. Charlie shrugged. Harry was a good lad. He'll tell ol' whats-his-face. Hero complex and all that.
This worry, however, was very quickly replaced by a fleeting mental image of a nice piece of buttered toast. If one thing could be said about Charlie, it would be that he was a bit iffy in the head. He never could keep focused on matters, except those that truly mattered, ie, toast.
Just as Charlie had a slab of bread toasting away over the coals of the fire, Karkaroff sprung from his hiding place. "Oh come on," Charlie groaned. It must be his destiny to not eat this toast, though he was vaguely surprised at the grace Karkaroff showed in his jumping after being crouched for so long.
"Yes?" he sighed and glanced at the dark haired man currently dusting the dirt and leaves from his clothes.
"These dragons…they are the first task?"
"Why yes, they are. How nice of you to notice. Took you a while eh? A bit slow aren't you?" Charlie hadn't meant to be quite so bitter, but after a long day of incompetent dragon handlers and a very crazed younger brother, he wanted only to eat his toast and drink his coffee before doing it all again tomorrow. Lucky for him, he was going to get a visit from the twins, which, of course, he was just thrilled about.
He knew immediately that he shouldn't have been so snappy when he felt a wand tip pressed against his throat. "Don't…be sarcastic with me boy." Karkaroff growled.
Well, Charlie thought, this man is unpleasant. "The champions have to get an egg guarded by a dragon. One dragon for each champion." Maybe straightforward honesty was best if Charlie wished to keep all his…appendages intact.
Charlie felt the wand poke into his throat a little more. "How will they be chosen?" Charlie has begun to answer when, over Karkaroff's shoulder, he saw a figure climbing from the bushes. Dark, glittering eyes met his own and the words he was about to say died on his lips.
The man was about 6' 2" and broad shouldered with dark, shining eyes and short, cropped hair. And Charlie had a sudden urge to rearrange his hair and brush off his clothes… "Answer me!" Oh yeah….he was supposed to be answering Karkaroff…oops. Charlie reluctantly drug his eyes off the stranger's face and back to Karkaroff's dangerously close one.
"I don't know. They didn't bother telling me that. I don't need to know it. I'm only the handler." The wand tip, and man for that matter, released him and moved back quickly. With a gesture and a bit of gibberish that Charlie assumed was Bulgarian, they were gone in a rather remarkable swish of robes.
Charlie stared at the spot where they had disappeared dumbly for a few moments before shaking his head. "I really need a drink."
Anyone who was listening would have heard Charlie's mournful cry at discovering the ashen corpse of his poor forgotten toast.
Glancing to the two half-giants standing awe-struck near the edge of the clearing, Charlie tried in vain to reign in the dragons that had chosen this unfortunate moment to rebel.
The Beauxbatons woman was walking closer and that was probably a very bad idea but then again, she was an awful big woman and she could probably hold her own. Especially if she had a brain, unlike the Durmstrang blokes from earlier. At the thought of the man with the dark eyes, Charlie's grip loosened on the rope he was holding and the dragon at the other end of the rope reared up. After a few tense moments in which several of the dragon handlers appeared to faint and soil themselves, the dragons were all being carefully controlled once more.
Charlie sighed and attempted to calm himself. Everything was under control now after all. He glanced to where Hagrid still stood and there, talking to Hagrid, was the floating head of Harry Potter.
"I really need to lay off the drink," Charlie muttered as he collapsed in a chair, cradling his head in his palms.
AN: In my head, Krum looks like that. Sooo….deal with it. Also, Charlie is very much a snarky little bugger. Want more? Give me reviews!