Chapter three

Charlie landed effortlessly just outside the protective barriers of the Burrow. A stray tear pierced his eye and rolled off his face and onto the dirt. Damn family and their nosiness. He thought. Why did they have to know?

Just as he reached the back door Ace, Charlie's personal owl, landed on his shoulder and extended his beak encouraging Charlie to take the parchment. As Charlie unravelled it he began petting the spotted owl, its dark eyes closing as he enjoyed his owners touch.

Dear Mr. Weasley.

Tomorrow around lunch time would be an appropriate time for me. It fulfils the needs of your image yet works with my scheduled lunch break. Meet me at the Orphanage at 11:30am. The receptionist (Alex) will let me know of your arrival.

Thank you.

Dr. Mead

Charlie reread the letter hoping that he hadn't missed the address of the Orphanage. Once he decided that Dr. Mead hadn't hidden the address on the back of the parchment or on the seal. He replied.

Dr. Mead,

Tomorrow would be perfect. However, I do need the address to the Orphanage as there are quite a few located within both the muggle and wizarding worlds.

Thank you.

Charles.

Charlie hoped that by replying as 'Charles' and not Mr Weasley, the other man would drop the horrendous name that made him feel ancient. Like his father. Dr. Mead's response had returned by the time Charlie had reached his bedroom door, which meant that Charlie's letter hadn't even reached him when he sent this reply. Charlie suspected that Dr. Mead had realised his mistake and had 'fixed it' before he needed to ask.

Mr. Weasley,

I'm so sorry, I wasn't sure if I had written an address on the first letter. I've had quite a busy week and it must have slipped my mind. The orphanage is located in one of the buildings of a Muggle school on a road called Strada Victorier. You may want to Floo to the Wizarding 'Pizzeria Viva' on that road and walk across. Should you get lost go back to Viva and owl me.

Dr. Mead.

Charlie sighed, he had failed at getting the wizard to call him by his first name. Which was strange because he said he attended Hogwarts with Charlie and most people who reunited after school seemed more than happy to call you whatever you asked them to. Charlie assumed it had something to do with the nature of the owls, it was a more business like arrangement.

Charlie was now lying in bed in only his briefs, a habit he'd had since he was a child. Just as he felt the tug of sleep, Charlie heard his mother and father exit the floo down stairs.

"I'm telling you Arthur they all got up to so much mischief when they were young," his mother bantered with her husband.

"Now Molly, they were just being kids." He responded calmly.

"No, Charlie and Bill were defiantly not being kids. Did you hear how young they were? Still in school. It was at school too!"

"Dear, they turned out fine so what difference does it make?"

Their obviously different parenting styles always amused Charlie. He had often been 'grounded' for something by his mother and then later let off the hook by his father because he deemed it not 'worth punishing'. Charlie thought about his parents' relationship. As much as they loved each other, if they had have spoken about their parenting methods prior to Bill, they probably wouldn't still be together. It just seemed like such work for something that was supposed to be so easy.

"What difference does it make? What if one got one of their girlfriends pregnant?" Molly continued.

"But they didn't."

"What if they got caught at school, they'd have been expelled."

"But they didn't." Arthur reiterated firmly.

"It does make a difference." Molly sobbed, "Did you see his face? It did matter to him."

Charlie knew his mother was talking about him now and he felt dreadfully guilty for making her cry over something he had admitted tonight. She had always stated how sad it was that Charlie and Tonks didn't remain great friends but she had only just found out tonight the extent of their 'friendship' breakup.

Charlie fidgeted for a few moments before getting out of bed and putting an old pair of tracksuit pants on. As he made his way down the creaky stairs, his parents' heads shot up. Both were sitting in the lounge room Molly cradled awkwardly into Arthur's side.

"Mum, you don't have to be sad for me." He stated. "Tonks and I broke up ages ago, over twenty years ago. It's really not something to worry about." He smiled trying to reinforce his point.

"So you were together?" She asked more calmly. "You told us you were only friends?"

Charlie smiled. "Yeah we told everyone that. We really weren't all that compatible as a couple. As friends we worked, but the whole romance thing… was a little one sided."

"You loved her?" Proposed Arthur.

"Yeah." He nodded happily. "But not the way I should have."

"Oh." Molly added. "But you..?"

"Yes Mum, if you must know we got a little carried away one night. About a month later she thought she was pregnant, she wasn't," he emphasised, "but during that month we decided to try a relationship. It worked for a while but once I moved away and she began meeting other people we drifted apart. She was much happier with Remus."

"She thought she was pregnant?" Molly gasped.

In reply Charlie threw his hands in the air. "Of course that's all you take from that! Merlin Mum, really?"

Charlie shook his head and ascended the stairs back to his bedroom. "Why did I bother?" he asked aloud.

Charlie woke up quite early the next morning, feeling horribly hungover and still quite upset about the family gathering last night. A quick glance at his watch on the night stand told him it was five in the morning. That meant that he still had four hours to get to Romania. A little more sleep couldn't hurt right? After an hour of trying to fall asleep Charlie decided he may as well get up.

Charlie's hair looked hazardous in the mirror. Spikes of hair sprung out of his head in every direction threatening to stab anyone who tried to tame them. Running his hand through his hair Charlie decided the only way to 'fix' this situation was to have a shower.

As the steam rolled over Charlie's bare body and the soap suds cascaded to the floor, Charlie began to feel clearer headed. The alcohol from the previous night draining out through his skin. With his hands pressed against the cold tiles and his head hanging forward a deep moan echoed throughout the bathroom. Startling himself, Charles looked down to a member that hadn't been given any attention in the last few weeks.

Smiling to himself he wrapped a hand around its growing form and weaved his personal magic until it erupted. Pleasure engulfing every part of his being. Feeling a massive sigh of relief flood his body Charlie decided that he was now ready to tackle today's tasks.

As Charlie descended the staircase he surprisingly came face to face with his baby sister.

"Oh Merlin Charlie don't you wear clothes?" She shrieked, commenting on the towel wrapped loosely around his hips. Charlie shrugged and continued into the kitchen where he began casting spells on the kitchen utensils. One spell created his coffee, another cracked three eggs and began frying a banquet sized meal of bacon, eggs, tomato and pineapple, the last spell cleaned up any mess that was pre-existing or created during his meal.

"And I thought you were only good at hexes and Dragons? Where did you learn all this?" Ginny queried, juggling Roxanne who was sleeping in her arms.

"I've known it for years Gin, I'm not hopeless you know?"

At that moment Harry stumbled through the front door, Hugo held one hand, Lilly had the other, Louis had his right ankle and Albus had the left, each child tugged at the man in a different direction causing his entrance to be anything but 'quiet and graceful'. Rose, however, walked in behind Harry, carefully reading her chapter book in silence. Just like her mum, thought Charlie.

"A hand?" Harry motioned towards Charlie, "Knock one out won't you?"

Charlie waved his wand expertly, gliding each disruptive child to the dining table and casting a spell that didn't allow them to get up, in the process he cast a spell to fully clothe himself, so that he wasn't standing half naked in front of almost his whole family's offspring.

"Aww no fun, Uncle Charlie." Squawked Lilly. "Why can't I get up?" Whined Louis.

Albus was about to join in complaining but was interrupted by a waft of food, enough to feed a stadium full of hungry quidditch players, floating heavenly towards them. An echo of "wow", "Awesome" and "Yay", replaced their previous comments.

"Sit?" asked Charlie offering the two tired adults a cup of his coffee.

"We really must be going, Mum usually takes the kids while we all work. We're already late thanks to these late sleepers." Roxanne gave an eggy smile in response, which showed that some of her teeth had started falling out. Her five year old grin looked like she'd been purposely pulling teeth. Possibly for the tooth fairy's money, Charlie thought.

"Anyway, see you later, maybe around dinner." Ginny called, rushing out the same door she'd only just entered.

I really don't have time to play baby sitter, pondered Charlie Maybe I should wake Mum, or send one of the kidletts to wake her?

"Rose?" She looked up at her uncle with admiration, "would you mind going and waking up Mu.. Grandma?" She nodded her approval and raced up the stairs silently.

In her absence Charlie began his meal, eating around the children who seemed to be having a food fight. His coffee seemed extra weak this morning, maybe it was just the headache and the noise or he hadn't added enough, either way it wasn't going to get him through today smoothly.

As he finished the last sip of his coffee, Molly came to his rescue. All children froze in her presence, Waiting for what seemed like a grenade to go off. It did.

"HOW DARE YOU DO THIS TO MY KITCHEN!" she roared. "CLEAN THIS MESS UP NOW!"

Each child nodded vigorously and began wiping and cleaning their section of the mess. Molly made her way to Charlie. "Here" He said handing her a stronger cup of coffee than he had just had. "Thanks, I'll need it today." She replied. "Having all of the kids over is really hard work."

"And you want this for me?" He winked cheekily.

"I never said you had to have nine at once." She paused to yell at a grandchild who was pulling the hair of another. "Just one, then wait a few years and see how you go. You never know you might actually enjoy it Charles."

He took a moment to observe the current situation and for once felt grateful that we wasn't able to have children. "I doubt it, but we can have this conversation later mum. I have a meeting in an hour and a half. Should probably get there early so I can find the damn place." She nodded her understanding.

"Go, I'll hold the fought while you're gone."

Charles raced back up the stairs and into his bedroom. His only suit seemed fit for the occasion. It was well fitted in all the right places. It made his arms look more muscular and broad, his waist looked thinner and his rear fitted perfectly into the pants. Charlie knew he looked handsome and this caused a wave of confidence to wash over him.

"This is going to be a breeze."

~hmmm When I said slow, you didn't think it would be this bad did you?

Please don't give up on me,

it could become interesting...

i guess you'll just have to keep reading each week.. or...

whenever it is I actually upload this. :)

Oh, obviously I don't own any of the Harry Potter universe, or claim to know them better than others.

So, by all means if a character reacts in a way that you think they wouldn't...

Tell me :)

A chapter by just another AnnonymousAmature.

x ~