Chapter 10

Thank you everyone for reviewing and such! I promised to get another chapter out in April, and voila! I'm ahead of schedule :)

I'm planning between 10-15 more chapters here... Wouldn't it be great if it reached 100 reviews by then?

Also, my next Harry Potter story is going to be about Teddy and Victoire! I was going to wait until I was done with this one, but I probably won't so be on the lookout!

Thanks again and keep reviewing!


"I don't know what happened, he won't tell me," Mrs. Weasley whispered to the small group huddled into the corner of the Burrow. She, Mr. Weasley, Bill and Charlie had been discussing George for the past 10 minutes, thinking he was well out of hearing range. They had obviously forgotten about Extendable Ears.

"She left, that's all I know," Bill continued. "Fleur and I had just visited—Oh Merlin, I hope we didn't have anything to do with it—and we heard them arguing after we left. They both got quite loud."

"He doesn't seem too upset though. It's nothing like with Fred…" Mr. Weasley rationed.

"I dunno," pondered Charlie, "I think he's keeping a lot from us. I bet my broomstick he's hurting more than he shows."

They were getting dangerously close to the truth, and George couldn't stand it anymore. With a start he stood up, pulled out the Ears and hid them safely in his pocket. Walking loudly so his family would have time to act as though they hadn't been talking about him, he entered the living area.

"Well, I think I'll be off."

Mrs. Weasley hastily stood and gripped his hands. "Georgie, wait just a moment. Please, won't you just talk? Just tell us what's wrong."

"Mum, nothing's wrong," he responded through gritted teeth.

"But, you aren't acting like yourself!" she protested.

"How's that? I'm going to work, aren't I? I'm talking, aren't I? I'm not drinking, either. Mum, I'm not depressed." It was true to some extent. On the outside, George Weasley put on the perfect masquerade. He went about his daily routine as usual, with even more vigor. For instead of falling into the toxic slump like after Fred's death, George had decided to channel his despair into his work and his family. Business was booming, and he had visited his family every day for the past week, yet he had never felt less content. Though he wasn't about to let them know this.

"But, George! It's Angelina! She—"

George cut her off, unable to bear hearing about her. "It just didn't work out, okay? It's not like she's the only girl out there for me. It's not like…not like I'll never find someone like her…" It's not like I'll never love again. He was lying through his teeth now; each word seemed to be tearing at his heart.

He cleared his throat. "Right," he said thickly. "I'm leaving." He pulled his hand from his mothers grip, gave a cordial nod to his father and brothers, and walked out to the door, the harsh sunlight streaming into his eyes. His breathing was ragged as he walked up the hill. He knew he could have disapparated, but the cool breeze helped clear his head.

"George!" called a voice behind him. Charlie's brawny figure was jogging up to join him, and with a sigh George stopped and waited.

Before his brother could say anything, George began, "Look—Charlie, I appreciate it and everything, but I don't want to talk about it."

Charlie shrugged. "Fine. That's not why I came, actually. Can we sit somewhere?"

George gestured to the wide expanse of grass around them, and they both took a seat. He was vaguely reminded of all the times growing up when the seven of them would sit out here under the warm sun and stare at the sky, each lost in their own dreams.

"Why did you come, then?" he asked.

"I wanted to tell you a story," Charlie replied.

George grinned. "Is it a scary story? 'Cause, you know, I don't think you can handle that…"

"Shut it!" Charlie laughed as they both remembered a Halloween party from years ago, where Charlie had been so frightened of a ghost story that he had had nightmares for weeks.

Charlie's face grew serious, though, as he stared at his brother. "No, it's not scary…" his voice seemed distant, and George had an eerie feeling he was about to hear something Charlie had never told anyone.

"Do you remember, a few years ago, how I didn't come home for a really long while? Didn't send any owls or anything, either."

"Yeah, Mum was so angry at you, I thought she was going to murder you when you finally came home," George answered.

He nodded. "I still feel bad about that. But, see, I had a reason. One that makes it so I can understand exactly what you're going through right now." George stared at his brother, confused and curious. Charlie inhaled deeply and began his tale.

"Her name was Hazelle. She came to work in Romania with the dragons, like me. We met about five years ago now. She had wavy, brown hair and green eyes flecked with brown. Her lips were bright and she was constantly smiling, a sweet, contagious smile that to this day I haven't forgotten. She was courageous and intelligent and beautiful, everything I could have ever wanted. I loved her.

"We were assigned to the same dragon—an abandoned, baby Chinese Fireball we were supposed to take care of until it could take care of itself. I had been watching for her for some time now, and I'll admit I was more than happy to get the chance to spend some time with her. We had the best conversations. Hazelle was fascinating. She had lived all over the world—Paris, New York, Sydney, to name a few—and had such strong views on culture and politics. She was impossible to argue with." Charlie smiled fondly at some memory he chose not to share. "She never changed her mind, but I would have spend the whole day trying, just to spend time with her.

"For three months I tried to work up the courage to ask her on a date, but I always figured she'd say no. A girl like her, I thought, probably had countless guys going after her, and I didn't want things to be awkward if she shot me down. Well, one day we were up late working on some paperwork. I'd been stealing glances at her for the past hour. Even after a full day out in the field, her hair tangled and windblown, dirt smudged on her face, she was beautiful. She caught me staring though, and walked over to me. I thought she was finally going to call me on my inappropriate crush, but instead, she said to me, 'Charlie, are you ever going to ask me out?' I was so shocked I just stared blankly at her. I couldn't find words. She sighed, as if to say, 'Do I have to do everything myself?' and leaned in to kiss me.

"The next year was the happiest of my life. We were inseparable, Hazelle and I. I knew every little thing about her. Her mannerisms, her expressions, the lilts of her speech that indicated her mood. I could pick out her laugh in a crowd of people. She was my world. For that one year we lived in bliss, but the cracks in our relationship started showing. We started fighting constantly, and one day, she left." Charlie paused, and George was at a loss to see a tear streak down his older brother's cheek. "We had just had our biggest fight yet, it doesn't even matter what it was about now. It was so stupid. She packed a bag and left, and I didn't follow.

"When I got to work the next day I found out she had quit. It's cliché to say it, but I felt as if some part of me was missing. I kept fantasizing I heard her laugh, or heard her call my name, but it was never true. I wanted to make things right, but I was too proud, or too much of a coward, to find her and admit I was wrong. So, like the stupid man I am, I did nothing, knowing full well that I would never find a girl like her in a million years.

"I saw her again, a few months back. She was on the arm of some other man, an engagement ring glittering on her fingers. She didn't see me. She was happy, and I still loved her enough to let her be. And so now here I am, without the only person I loved. But lucky for you I am not going to let you make the same mistake."

George stared blankly at his brother for a few tense moments. He was thinking how strange it was that you could think you knew someone so well but be completely oblivious to something that defined them. She packed her bags…She left…I didn't follow…The pain of his brother's words still rang in George's ears. He remembered how he felt when he came home from work one day to find Angelina's closet empty. As if his world was caving in. He hadn't talked to anyone, because it hurt too much. He understood the effort this must have been for Charlie.

They stared at each other for a moment, and George realized how much he had missed his brother. Sure, they had seen each other, but George had never really been there. Fred's death had blinded George to his remaining brothers, driving a wedge between them. They had once been such a gregarious gang, and now it seemed as if they hardly knew each other. George vowed to change this.

"So help me George, I will make you go because I have already failed one brother, and I'm not going to fail you too!"

George knew Charlie was right. He had to go after her. He couldn't even contemplate an alternative. The thought of seeing Angelina happy with another man was too much for him to bear. So when his brother reached out to pull him into a hug, George was nodding fiercely.

So I had always wondered why Charlie had never gotten married, nor had any mention of a girlfriend been made in the books when for all the other brothers it had. Which is why I came up with my own explanation. It fit in perfectly, and I really wanted to explore Charlie's character a bit more because I've always liked him a lot :)