Chapter 25—The One When They Return to England
The months went by quickly. For Christmas, Charlie and Maya agreed to stay at the Dragon Reserve and have a quiet holiday alone. They woke early to open presents before joining some of Charlie's co-workers for a party. Maya insisted that Charlie open the present she bought him first. She had bought him a new pair of dragon hide gloves for work and a new dragon charm. "A longhorn?" he asked, pulling the charm out of the box.
"I thought you could put it on the chain with the Welsh Green I gave you," Maya replied. Charlie smirked and pulled the chain out of his shirt and put the new charm on it immediately.
"Alright, princess," he proclaimed when he was finished. "It's your turn." He handed Maya a very small package. When she opened it, she found a very delicate silver chain with a small amethyst on it. "It's your birthstone," Charlie said.
"I know," Maya said quietly. "It's lovely." She scooted closer to Charlie and kissed him softly. They broke apart so that Charlie could put the necklace on her. He kissed her forehead, but Maya pulled his head down and kissed fully on the mouth; he kissed her back.
Soon enough, they were lying on the floor, Charlie practically on top of Maya. He was playing with the hem of her shirt and she paused to push him back and take it off. "Are you sure?" he asked. Though they had been snogging regularly since Maya had told him everything, they had not gone much further than the snogging.
"Yes," Maya said, confidently. "I really want to do this." She tore Charlie's shirt off and tossed it across the room.
His hands roamed over her back and chest. She felt a rush of excitement and butterflies in her stomach for the first time in what seemed like years. He cupped her bottom and started to untie her pajama pants. "You're really certain?" he asked. She didn't respond with words. She simply finished untying her pants and slid them off. Charlie needed no further encouragement in shedding his own pants. He made love to her and when they finished, he summoned a blanket from the sofa and they napped on the floor together.
Later that afternoon, they had a party with his friends, who had also become her friends. They all noticed how at ease Charlie and Maya were with each other, and while Maya and Charlie did not confirm their early morning tryst, their friends could see right through them.
In February, Charlie insisted on taking Maya out for dinner for her birthday. He arranged to take her to a very intimate place not far from the compound where he had made reservations. The hostess commented that they were late for the Valentine's Day special, but Charlie quickly corrected her. "We're here to celebrate her birthday," he said. The hostess smiled and led them to their table.
"You really don't have to do this, Charlie," Maya offered. "I would have been happy with having dinner at home."
"Bollucks, love," Charlie replied. "It's your birthday and I, for one, am very happy that you were born. Have whatever you want and don't forget to save room for dessert." Maya smiled and ordered the roasted lamb with mint sauce. Charlie joined her.
After dinner, the hostess brought a dessert that Charlie had pre-ordered. "What is this?" Maya asked when the confection arrived.
"It is dessert," Charlie answered. "It's the house specialty and they only sell it in servings for 2." It was a very lovely cheesecake with a warm raspberry and white chocolate sauce. After dinner and dessert, Charlie took Maya for a stroll around the town. "What are you thinking about?" he asked.
"How I never thought I'd be this happy again," she answered. "There were nights in London when I'd walk around the city after a show and dream about you being with me. I never thought I'd actually get to do it again."
"I'm glad I could make your dreams come true, princess," Charlie said, smirking.
"Don't over-inflate your ego, Charlie," Maya warned, teasingly.
Charlie laughed and said, "I promise that I will let you bring me right back down to earth, my love."
"I think I missed that the most," Maya said.
"What's that?" Charlie asked.
"The pet names," she answered. "You always called me 'love' or 'pet' or 'princess' or any number of other names. I only ever liked that when you did it."
"Then I shall continue to do it until you ask me to stop, sweetness," he joked. They were standing on a bridge, watching the stars over a river. "Can I be serious for a moment?" he asked after several moments of companionable silence.
"If you want, love," Maya answered.
"You are the best friend I've ever had and I have a small request," he started. "See, I didn't give you your birthday present yet because it sort of comes with some strings attached." Maya's heart started to pound in her chest as she realized that Charlie had a very small box in his hand. "I want you to have this, but I was wondering if you'd be alright with sticking with me forever."
He opened the box to reveal a simple gold band with a square cut diamond solitaire. "Yeah, alright," Maya answered. "Now ask the real question."
"Will you marry me?" he asked.
"Nothing would make me happier," she answered. Charlie slid the ring onto her finger and kissed her slowly. "Now would you take me home? It's starting to get cold." Charlie took her home and made love to her, taking his time to ensure that she thoroughly enjoyed the experience.
In April, Charlie received word that his entire family had to go into hiding at his Aunt Muriel's. He had not told them of his engagement yet because he and Maya wanted to wait until the war was over before getting married. They also wanted a very small wedding and they knew that the longer they gave Molly to plan it, the more outrageous the event would get.
When the owl arrived with the news that the family had moved into hiding, Charlie started to think about going back to England. "I'm sure that this is coming to a head and soon," he said one evening. "Part of me thinks I should be back there to help when it does."
"We'll both go," Maya promised. "And we'll go whenever you think we should."
"I'll talk to the boss," Charlie replied. "We can try to go the first part of May. We'll use the cover that we've gotten engaged and need to share the news with our families in person rather than through mail." Maya nodded and on the first of May, she and Charlie took a portkey to London.
When they arrived at Muriel's house, they found that the family had gone to Hogwarts to participate in a battle. Without thinking, they apparated to Hogsmeade and ventured to the Castle to join the fight that was already in progress.
When they finally fought their way through the crowds and into the castle, a lull in the fighting had just begun. The Death Eaters were pulling out and the Hogwarts defenders were retreating into the castle to collect the injured and dead. Charlie found his family easily, but he did not expect to find them surrounding Fred's lifeless body. Maya said nothing; she simply squeezed Charlie's hand and pulled him into a hug. "I'm so sorry," she whispered.
Charlie joined his family as they waited for the next hour. Everyone was very subdued and George refused to leave Fred's side. Their grief was interrupted when the Death Eaters, led by Voldemort himself, returned to the castle. Hagrid was with the group and was carrying the apparently lifeless body of Harry Potter. Ginny's scream rent the night like a blade as Harry's body vanished.
The battle quickly resumed in the Great Hall. Harry had reappeared and finished Voldemort just as the sun was rising. Maya and Charlie found themselves gathering with the rest of the family around Fred's body. "We should get some rest before taking him home," Arthur suggested. Slowly, the family moved out of the Great Hall and went off to Gryffindor tower.
Maya and Charlie found themselves in his old dormitory, alone. "How are you doing?" Maya asked.
"I've honestly had better days," Charlie answered, sadly. He was sitting on the bed and staring at the floor.
"It's right here," Maya said, taking a seat on the floor.
"What's that?" Charlie asked, completely confused.
"The place where I fell completely in love with you," Maya answered. "Right here, on the floor. It was in fifth year and we had a few drinks at a Quidditch party. You held my hair and rubbed my back while I vomited in your toilet and then you brought me here. I think at that moment, my fate was sealed." After a few moments of silence, she added, "I'm sorry about Fred. He really was a good person."
"Thanks, princess," Charlie replied. "Sleep with me for a while?" She said nothing, but got up from her spot on the floor and crossed over to Charlie's bed. She laid down beside him and let him cry onto her shoulder as he fell asleep.
They were awoken only 2 hours later by Bill. "We're all getting ready to head back to the Burrow," he said. "Mum and Dad are waiting for you lot downstairs." They nodded and got out of the bed, then joined the family in the common room. Molly was beside herself with grief and sobbed loudly while George stared at the floor. Arthur grabbed Molly's arm and led her out of the tower. Percy and Ron helped George up from his spot on the floor and the rest of the family followed them out into the corridor.
Once the family had returned to the Burrow, Molly locked herself in her room. Arthur and Bill were working with George on funeral plans and Maya and Charlie were working on making lunch for everyone. Arthur called Maya into the shed for a moment. "Dear, I know it's a lot to ask, but will you sing for the funeral?" he asked.
"Of course, Mr. Weasley," Maya replied. "I'd be honored. Is there anything in particular that you'd like?"
"Nothing too sad," George answered. "Fred would want us to find a way to laugh." Maya nodded and returned to the kitchen. She explained to Charlie that she had been asked to sing and when he started to protest, she calmed him and told him she was happy to do it.
"Really, Charlie," she reasoned, "after everything your family has done for me, it's the least I can do."
"How did I get so lucky?" Charlie mused.
"I would argue that I got lucky," Maya replied. "I'm going to go and find some music and I'd like to stop in on Drew and Jamie." Charlie nodded and Maya apparated to London. She found Drew and Jamie in their apartment, completely safe. They congratulated her on her engagement to Charlie, but chastised her for not writing in so long. They agreed to meet 2 days later for coffee, before she planned to return to Romania with Charlie.
The next day, the Weasley family and their friends gathered for the saddest event ever hosted at the Burrow. Fred's funeral was a truly sad affair. George gave a eulogy, talking about his best friend and what he worried his life would be like without him. Maya sat next to Charlie, squeezing his hand through the entire speech. When George finished, Maya got up to sing.
"George and Arthur have asked me to sing a happy song," Maya started. "Of course, on a day like today, there seems to be little to be happy about. I came across this song when I was trying to find something that Fred would appreciate." Through tears, Maya sang "Smile" by Charlie Chaplin. No one could hold back their tears when she finished.
"That was amazing," Charlie whispered when she returned to her seat. He held her close for as long as he could, until he was sure people were staring at them. He released her and they sat down until the funeral ended.