A/N: This is a short chapter. Thanks for keeping with me. I have a direction. I'm working on Chapter 24. I'll try to have everything that I have done before Friday, but then, I'm going away and so, I won't be posting for 10-12 days… Sorry. Also, still don't own HP or his world.

Chapter 20—The One Where Charlie Comes Back…Again

A week after he left, Maya got a letter from Charlie; he would be returning to England in November for the Triwizard tournament and invited her to visit him in Hogsmeade. Maya sent a reply that she would be glad to meet him there.

September and October seemed to creep by for both Maya and Charlie. After the World Cup visit, they had managed to send weekly letters to each other, telling each other everything that was going on. Maya had received very good reviews for her turn in Chicago! and Charlie was in line for a promotion.

On the 14th of November, Maya found herself apparating to the Three Broomsticks in Hogsmeade to meet up with Charlie. He was sitting at a table waiting for her when she arrived. "Hi," she said, leaping into his outstretched arms. She kissed him fully on the mouth and said, "I've missed you," when she pulled back.

"I've missed you too," he said. "How's school going?"

"Just a few more weeks," she answered. "I've got my composition finished for my final exam and I'm just rehearsing now. I don't have to be at classes anymore."

"Sounds great," he replied. "What are you going to do after you graduate?"

"No idea," she said. "I've been offered a position with the London Symphony Orchestra's tour through southern Europe starting in February, but I'm not really sold on it yet."

"Why not?" he asked.

"It will require being out of town for 6 weeks," she answered. "Plus, it's just an orchestra spot. I'm not sure if I want to play or do another stage production. What about you? What are you up to?"

"I was promoted last week," he said, proudly. "I'm the new supervisor at the Reserve."

"That's wonderful," Maya commented. "I'm so proud of you. Now, do you want to get out of here?"

"Yeah," Charlie said. He grabbed her hand and led her into the town. "I do have to be back for duty by 7:00 tonight."

"I'll have you back in time," Maya promised. They walked through the town, marveling at how nice it was to nearly have the streets to themselves. They went to Honeydukes and bought each other some candy and then to the book store. "This is almost like our first date," Maya noted.

"Almost," Charlie answered. "Except, I'm not nearly as nervous as I was then."

"So, you're not going to try to snog my brains out in the Captain's office again?" Maya teased.

"Nope," Charlie joked. "I'm going to try to snog you senseless in my tent." She laughed, swatted at him and took off running down the street, laughing all the way. Charlie followed, his grin matching hers. They only stopped when they had reached the Shrieking Shack.

"Want to go see if it's really haunted?" Maya suggested. Charlie grabbed her hand and led her into the deserted old house. There was a bed in the second floor bedroom. "This is convenient," she said, smirking. She grabbed Charlie by the shirt and pulled him in for another long kiss.

He put his hands on her waist and moved her toward the bed. She waved her wand and cast a cleaning and repairing charms on the bed as they inched closer to it. Charlie pushed her jacket off and tossed it aside. Then, he tugged at her shirt. They broke apart while they each removed their shirts and tossed them aside. His hands roamed over her back before settling on her waist again.

They tumbled onto the bed, Charlie's hands moving to squeeze Maya's breasts through her bra. "Take it off," she begged. He nodded and kissed down her neck and chest, sliding his hands behind her back and quickly removing her bra. He took each breast into his mouth and moved his hands down to unbutton her trousers. She raised her hips so that he could slide them down and remove them. He shed his trousers and kissed his way back to her mouth. He paused once or twice, but Maya's encouragement kept him going.

She could sense his growing desire and shoved his boxers off while he slid his thumb under the waistband of her knickers and took them off. He entered her, bucking his hips as she cupped his bottom. She flipped them over and positioned herself on top of him, riding him until he was screaming her name.

When they had finished, she slid off him and lay next to him. "Should we have done that?" he asked after several minutes of silence.

"What?" she asked.

"Sex," he answered. "Should we have had sex?"

"You're asking this now?" she demanded, completely offended. She summoned her clothes and started dressing. "I can't believe that NOW is when you choose to think that sex may have been a bad idea."

"Maya," Charlie started, "it's not that I didn't enjoy what we just did; it's just that, it seems like when we see each other, we jump into bed."

Maya didn't answer; she got dressed and left the shack. Charlie quickly dressed and followed. He grabbed her arm in the street and she turned and slapped him. "Don't touch me, Charlie!" she shouted. "I've never been so offended and hurt. I can't believe you would do that to me."

"Love, I'm sorry," he said, his eyes pleading.

"I'm not your love, Charlie," she said. "Now let me go!" Charlie let her go and she apparated home.

Drew came over to see her later that afternoon. "So, how did it go with the gorgeous ginger?" he asked. Maya burst into tears and he added, "What happened?"

"We had a great morning," she started. "We had breakfast and went to our favorite hangouts from when we were in school. Then, we went to an empty house and found an empty bedroom. He shagged me senseless and when we finished, he asked 'Should we have done that?'"

"That ass!" Drew agreed.

"I know," she said, through tears. "No one has ever asked me that after sex. Then, he got all 'Whenever we see each other, we just jump into bed.' It's not like I forced him, but here I am feeling guilty."

"You didn't do anything wrong," Drew insisted. "You have no reason to be feeling guilty. He could have stopped you before you shagged him."

"Thanks," Maya said. There was a knock on the door, followed by Charlie begging admission into her flat. "Go away, Charlie," she ordered through the door.

"Maya, please open the door," he begged.

"Why?" she demanded.

"So I can apologize to your face," he answered.

"And you're not worried we're just going to fall into bed together?" she argued.

"Please," he pled. "Just open the door."

Maya opened the door and let Charlie into her sitting room. Drew was still there. "How are you Drew?" Charlie asked. "Would you mind giving us a minute here?"

He looked at Maya and she nodded. He left, kissing her cheek, and promising to call her later. "You are a right foul git," she said.

"I know," he answered. "I deserve to eat dragon dung for the way I behaved."

"And?" Maya asked.

"And you deserve much better than me," he added. "Can we sit for a while?" She nodded and they each took up positions on the sofa. "I shouldn't have behaved so terribly. In September, when I went back to Romania, I nearly quit my job and moved home. I can't keep going through that and neither can you." She said nothing, so he continued. "It's not that I didn't enjoy sleeping with you, but Maya, we can't have no strings attached sex. With you, there are always strings attached."

"Do you honestly think I don't know that, Charlie?" she demanded. "I know because I nearly skipped out on my last term so that I could run off to Romania. But, honestly, why did you have to say it then? Why did you have to ruin that moment?" She was still crying.

"I don't know," he said, his eyes pleading her forgiveness.

"I can't forgive you right now," she said. "That hurt too much."

Charlie looked dejected and left her flat. "I'll write," he said in the doorway. Tears still streaming down her face, Maya simply nodded.

When she was alone, she cried for an hour before calling Drew and Jamie. They insisted that she come over to their flat and drink herself silly before falling asleep on their sofa. She went over, but didn't drink; she just didn't feel up to it. Instead, she raided their kitchen and ate them out of sweets.