Dragon Man
AN: thanks to those of you who are reviewing, it means such a lot. And special thank you to Rita who is such a great support XX
Chapter 10 – Fear
Juliet tried to concentrate but it was impossible. She tried to block her mind of thoughts of Charlie and why he wasn't there, like he should be. She rubbed the bridge of her nose, and anger started to filter through the disappointment and hurt.
"How dare you!" she raged at the surface of her desk, slamming her hand down with force.
He had due back two days ago, but still there was no sign. No Charlie, no owl telling her where he was, why he had been delayed. Gossip was rife among the reserve staff, the most outrageous rumour that he's run off with a man somewhere to live.
Juliet had trusted him, he'd moved heaven and earth just about to tell her he loved her and now he'd just disappeared? The fear started to resurface, she was terrified something had happened to him, and then terrified he'd changed his mind, or met someone else and decided to stay in England, get married, have a family. All the things she had thought he wanted to do with her. And the worst thing of all was that she wouldn't, couldn't write to him at his childhood home. He had promised and had gone back on that promise. The anger and fear mingled horribly, making her feel sick.
"You had better be dead Weasley!" she fumed, whirling away from her desk and slamming the office door.
She stormed through the hospital; others who encountered her moved out of the way through self preservation, she stopped in front of the hospital main reception.
"I am unwell" she informed the welcome witch "Please tell Head Healer Charton that he is in charge until further notice" and without a second glance she left the hospital.
"Unwell my arse!" said the welcome witch to the security wizard "Her fella's run off with a bloke, she's sulking"
"Blimey frosty knickers had a bloke?" the wizard replied, shock etched on his face.
"Yeah, turned him gay though didn't she?" the witch replied smugly.
"People don't 'turn' gay!" the second wizard spoke up "If he's gay now, he was then, maybe he just didn't know it. Who was it anyway?"
"Charlie Weasley" the witch replied with authority "That muscled red head that had a tantrum in front of my desk"
"Really? Does that mean she's single now then?" the second wizard asked hopefully.
"In your dreams!" the first wizard laughed, joined by the witch.
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Juliet stalked along the path to the cabins, she had her head down against the insescant rain that had poured for nearly a week, her hair was soaked and hung like rats tails around her face, but at least it masked the tears she could no longer hide. She hated him; she hated herself for letting him get under her skin. The fact that she didn't stand a chance didn't occur to her. That she'd been drawn in the first time she saw him was of no comfort, she should never have let herself get carried away like that. It had been far too soon to talk of love and meeting families, even if they had thought they felt it. At least Charlie had come to his senses, what on earth were they thinking?
She looked up automatically as she approached Charlie's deserted cabin and stopped in her tracks, there he was, cool as cucumber locking the door, a bag over his shoulder.
She watched for what seemed like hours as he turned the key in the lock and checked the door was locked. He stowed the keys in his pocket as she watched, torn by her emotions. Relief was the first, and the strength of the emotion told her that she was deeply in love with him, despite her inner denials that it was too soon. The rain streamed down her face, she was soaked to the skin yet the shaking was more emotional than physical. She watched as he turned, half of her desperate to run away, not let him see what he had reduced her to. The other half wanted to run to him, hug him, kiss him. And then beat him! The anger was coming back with force. And then he faced her and she saw it immediately.
He wasn't Charlie.
She stood rooted to the spot as the man approached her, she realised this must be one of his brothers. She had seen pictures, but she could not have identified him beyond that. He stood in front of her in the rain and fear gripped her suddenly, fear and guilt. She'd wished him dead, what if he was? What if all the time she had been cursing him he'd been laid cold and immobile somewhere? Her mind shied from the mental image of Charlie, still and pale in silence, his face transposed onto the hundreds of bodies she had seen in her time as a healer. The man stopped before her, looking into her face with concern, with eyes so like Charlie's that she wanted to scream.
"Are you Juliet?" he asked.
"Yes" she heard herself say, unaware that she had the power to move her lips at that moment.
"I'm George, Charlie's brother, wow he said you were a stunner but even your picture doesn't do you justice" he smiled that warm smile that was so familiar, so heartbreaking.
"What?" her brain started to move again slowly.
"Charlie, he told me I wouldn't miss you" George winked; Juliet pushed her hair back from her face and lifted her chin.
"Where is he?" she asked carefully.
"He's at home" George frowned at her, as if she ought to know that.
"Home?" she said, her voice empty.
"Yeah, I've come to get his stuff" George was conversational, cheerful almost.
Suddenly Juliet's control snapped "Oh Merlin he's dead!" she almost screamed.
George caught her as she stumbled away from him, shaking her trying to get through to her.
"He's not dead!" he repeated until she looked at him "He's alive and he's at home, didn't you get the owl?"
"Owl? No" Juliet was stunned and exhausted; the range of emotions she had experienced had taken their toll.
"I told mum to send Hedwig and not Errol, bloody stupid bird!" George flashed "Come on let's get you inside where I can explain without us getting wetter, where's your cabin?"
Juliet looked at him, indicating her cabin set back from Charlie's. They started to walk towards it when she pulled on his arm.
"He's not dead?" she demanded.
"No" George put an arm around her for support "Come on"
He led her to her cabin, and unlocked the door with the key she gave him. The cabin doors were warded against opening by magic for security. He led her inside and she sat on the sofa, shaking and dripping.
"Hot sweet tea for a shock" George headed in the direction of the small kitchen area "That's what mum would say"
"No!" Juliet said sharply "I need to know…." She couldn't finish the sentence, how could she ask his brother, as kind as he was being why Charlie wasn't here and he was?
"Charlie has been injured" George began, he didn't even try to persuade her on the tea front "There was a fight at a bar on Boxing Day and he was hit by a few spells and then knocked out"
"Is he ok?" she asked nervously.
"Physically, yes" George sighed.
"But?" she added for him.
"Look, he wants to see you. Says he needs to see you; can you come back with me now? Charlie can explain it better than I can"
"Yes" in a split second she jumped from the sofa and headed into her bedroom, her wand was a blur as she packed things into a bag.
A few moments later she reappeared "I'm ready" she said, heading for the door.
"Don't you want to change first?" he asked.
"No, I want to go. If Charlie wants to see me then I need to go, now" she spoke quickly, urgently.
"Ok" he reluctantly agreed "We have a portkey set up in your main offices, but don't you have to tell someone you are going?"
"I don't care" was her reply as she headed out of the door ahead of him and set off towards the main office. George swung Charlie's bag onto his back and followed, locking the door with the key still in his hand.
As they prepared for the portkey to activate Juliet's mind started to work in some semblance of normality.
"You said that Charlie is ok physically" she stated to George as they waited "Has he had a breakdown? Some kind of mental illness?"
"Not exactly" George tried to evade the question.
"George, I need to know" she demanded "I need to be prepared, you won't shock me, I have dealt with all sorts of things"
"The thing is…" George stopped as the portkey started to glow "He's lost his magic"
Juliet's mind whirled at the words as her body whirled with the portkey.
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