Dragon Man
Chapter 12 – Tough
The air at breakfast was decidedly frosty the next morning; Molly Weasley appeared to be blaming the eggs and bacon for every misfortune judging by the way they were being thrown around. Charlie and Juliet didn't fare much better when they arrived for breakfast either.
"Sleep well?" she snapped at them, slamming a teapot onto the table with force.
"Yes thank you" said Charlie politely, pouring himself and Juliet a cup.
"Good!" this was accompanied by another slam of two plates in front of them, the eggs were broken and they slid across the plate, Charlie's ended up in his lap.
"Mum!" he protested "Careful!"
"I hope you have been!" Molly declared hands on hips before them, her lips twitching furiously.
"Oh, so that's what all this is about! Charlie sighed, scooping up egg yolk and dumping it back on his plate "If you must know we didn't have sex last night actually" he added conversationally.
"Oooh, that's dangerous for a man with no way of defending himself!" George observed as he walked through the kitchen, he had intended on having some breakfast but changed his mind hearing the topic of conversation.
"Well, I mean…Charlie I have no wish to pry…" Molly began, realising that of all her children she always had, and always would have the least influence on Charlie.
"We had sex yesterday afternoon, yes just after Juliet got here and it was very good" he continued, heedless to Juliet's and his mother's outraged faces "And we are always careful, aren't we darling?" he turned to face Juliet, a questioning look on his face.
It was Juliet's turn to slam her tea cup back onto the table, Molly had not moved, she appeared rooted to the spot.
"What is wrong with you?!" Juliet glared at him "You know fine well that your mum is upset over this, and still you insisted I sleep in your room, and yes I would rather be close to you. But there was no need for that Charlie, no need at all!"
"Oh so you're on her side are you?" he asked, one eyebrow raised "Fine, sleep on the bloody sofa then, more room for me"
"Charles Weasley!" Arthur's voice came from the doorway behind them "Don't ever let me hear you speak to a woman like that again!"
"Dad…." Charlie swivelled in his seat and looked at his father, even through their wildest years Arthur had rarely been hard on them, but when he did have something to say, they all listened and heeded without exception.
"I know you are having problems Charlie, but there is no need to treat people badly, especially those closest to you. I'm disappointed; I thought I had instilled respect in you"
"I'm just wound dad, that's all, I'm sorry" Charlie hung his head, his cheeks red.
"Ladies will you excuse us for a moment please?" Arthur asked Molly and Juliet politely, Juliet pushed away from the table; Charlie tried to reach out and touch her hand as she passed but she pulled it from his grasp and left the room. Molly followed quietly.
Arthur closed the door after them and turned to face Charlie.
"Son, I can't imagine how this is affecting you, mainly because you won't talk, which I respect" Arthur began "But when your behaviour upsets your mother like this, I really have to say something"
"I know, Dad, I just want Juliet near me that's all. It's not like it's going to be for a long time is it?" he sighed "She'll have to go back to work sooner or later and I can't exactly follow can I?"
"I can understand that" Arthur said "You're afraid you are going to lose her as well, but don't drive her away"
"I can't help it" Charlie sounded miserable "She's only just got here and she's expecting some quick fix and jolly back to Romania, I don't think it's going to be that easy"
"Maybe it won't" Arthur mused "But have you stopped to tell Juliet this? Have you said that you are worried that this might split you up?"
"That's like emotional blackmail dad!" Charlie was shocked "I can't say that, she will just say she'll stay as long as it takes, I know she will. But I can't let her do that, we've only been together a few months and she has a good job that she's worked hard to get, and there's the possibility of promotion, how can I ask her to choose?"
"Do you love her?" Arthur asked.
"Like I said, it's early days; we have a lot in common and get on so well…."
"But do you love her?" his father repeated "Not lust or infatuation, but proper love? Where you can't let an hour go by when she's not with you without wondering what she's doing, where she is, how she is? Like you would rather that she put herself and her job first and not you, but will accept it if she chooses to stand by you? Like when you left her in Romania before Christmas it all felt wrong, not having her there with you?"
"Yeah" Charlie said with a wry smile "How d'you….?" He asked.
"Because that's how I feel about your mother and always have" Arthur replied "But the question is, does she feel like that about you?"
"She said she loved me" Charlie shrugged.
"Oh, son" Arthur shook his head and smiled "You have a lot to learn, of course she does!"
"How do you know?!" Charlie was starting to be amazed by his father's insight, he had never thought of him as someone who would have a wealth of advice about love.
"Because she's here!" Arthur exclaimed "She dropped everything, George said she didn't even tell her bosses she was going, just packed a bag and left. Isn't that what you would have done, in her shoes?"
"Course" Charlie said.
"Well there you are then" Arthur stood, patting his second eldest on the shoulder, out of all of his children he'd never have thought that he'd have to give Charlie love guidance!
"But there's still the job thing" Charlie frowned "Doesn't matter how much we love each other, I can't work with dragons now"
"Talk to her" Arthur prompted "Speak honestly and she'll do the same, and please stop baiting your mother. I understand exactly how you feel and why you want Juliet with you, but it will cause more problems that you need right now. I will talk to your mum, I'll try and get her to ease up a bit on the bedroom thing, you are a grown man and I'm not stupid enough to think that even if you had separate rooms, that you would use them. But your mum worries, and that's all this is about, she is just worried"
"Thanks dad" Charlie smiled as his father left the kitchen, he was genuinely grateful. He could remember a handful of times that Arthur had sat him down and talked to him about things. He had a way of making you realise you were being an idiot without shouting and arguments.
Arthur entered the living room just in time to see Molly and Juliet exchange a hug.
"Thank you" said Molly, touching her cheek "I'm glad Charlie found you"
Juliet smiled and headed upstairs, leaving Arthur and Molly alone.
"That's a good sign" he said carefully, Molly rarely took to Charlie's girlfriends, the few they had met anyway. They had tended to be self absorbed, as the young often are and Molly never thought that they would hang around very long, and she had been proven right every time.
"She's got her head screwed on straight, that one" Molly said "She loves Charlie, properly and that's what he needs. Someone who will accept who his is and not try to change him, but not hero worship him either"
"So?" Arthur prompted.
"Yes, I know, I can't pretend I'm thrilled about them sharing a room when they aren't married or even engaged" she said primly "But they obviously care for each other and fingers crossed they will get through this together and have a chance, if I can help by being a little more liberal then that's what I will do"
"I'm proud of you Mrs Weasley" Arthur said, planting a kiss on her cheek.
"Oh Arthur!" she chided "Don't be so soppy!"
"If she can make him half as happy as you have made me then he'll be a very lucky man" he smiled down to her.
"I think she can" Molly confided "Do you know what she said to me Arthur?" she asked without pausing for a reply "She said that this was their problem. Not Charlie's problem, theirs"
"Because they think of themselves as a unit, as a they" Arthur said "Like we do"
"I'm glad" Molly hugged her husband, happy that amongst his other dilemma's, Charlie had someone totally on his side.
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