Charlie Weasley was setting out for the Burrow, though the ankle-deep snow, when an owl found him. The note attached to its leg said that Charlie was needed back at the dragon facility in Romania. Charlie had just gotten two weeks off work, by his mother's request, to spend Christmas with his lovely family at the Burrow.

Charlie quickly scribbled a note that he was going to have is Christmas break, because he wasn't scheduled to work, and set off again to a place where he could apparate more easily.

When Charlie got to the Burrow, he saw that someone had put a spell around the Burrow so there was only a light snow, not the heavy snow of before. He could smell the orchard and his mum's cooking. He could see all the windows of the rooms, the tip left one had ben his. As he got closer, he could hear the laughter of all the people inside the Burrow.

"EVERYONE!" Molly yelled to be heard over the noise. "Charlie's here!"

Everyone claimed their children and went to talk to Charlie outside the crowded house.

"So, Charlie..." said Ginny. "Have a girlfriend yet? Mum was hoping that you would bring someone home for Christmas."

"No, Gin. I don't have a girlfriend." Charlie answered in an annoyed voice. he loved his sister dearly, but she always knew how to hit his raw nerves. "I prefer the company of dragons far before I would prefer the company of a woman that expects me to be there all the time. Dragons just don't care."

"Well Mum is going to be really disappointed." Ginny said, trying to give Charlie the innocent puppy-eye look that had gotten her out of some really tight spots with everyone in her family.

"She'll probably be disappointed anyway," Charlie stated. Ginny looked at him in shock. Was he really going to tell her that he was leaving them for dragons? "They say they want me to help with a dragon moving program. I don't want to leave, but you know my job.

"Charlie! You can't do this to us anymore!" Ginny looked exasperated. "We never see you, and when we do, you make some excuse to leave are going to miss out on all of your nieces' and nephews' lives! They need to know their Uncle Charlie, and Mum would sure like to see more of you. you need to figure out what's really important in your life. She cradled her swelling stomach and walked over to Harry.

Charlie saw Harry give him a dirty look and Charlie could guess that Ginny had tole him about their conversation. Suddenly, Charlie was overcome with a sadness that he had never experienced before. He felt out of the group. He was the only one of the Weasleys that wasn't married; the only one without a child; the only one that seemed to have work in front of family.

Molly came rushing over to him and broke up his train of thought. "Charlie, dear, why don't you come over here, so we can all eat?" She walked all around the table they had set up muttering incantations.

"She's making it so it won't snow on us," George explained. "She's also making it so it won't be too cold. For the little ones, you know."

Charlie nodded that he understood and the feast began. Molly started right away asking questions about Charlie's newest dragons. He had no choice but to answer, but when the dreaded question about going back to work came, Charlie did his best to avoid her eyes.

"Charlie. Why don't you tell Mum what you told me earlier?" asked Ginny in a smug voice. She sounded very happy with herself.

"Oh yes, Charlie. Do tell Molly what you told Ginny earlier," Added Harry. He too looked like he had just pulled the biggest prank ever and had gotten away with it.

All eyes were on Charlie, and he knew he couldn't keep it from his mother for much longer. He opened his mouth and dove in. "Look, Mum. I really don't want to go back, but you know my job." Molly just stared straight ahead. He knew that this wasn't going to end well.

"Yes, Dear?"

"Well Mum, all I'm saying is that they want me to come back to Romania as soon as possible. They want me to help with a new dragon moving program. I told them that I was on holiday, so I might not get to go back anytime soon." Molly looked aghast. Arthur looked away, knowing this could only get worse. George and Percy started a very complex conversation about children. Bill looked from mother to son, as if he were watching a very interesting Quidditch game. Harry and Ginny's fingers tightened around each other's hands. Ron looked at Hermione, and almost started laughing about the predicament. They heard a thud, and soon found out that Hermione had kicked Ron underneath the table. Fleur, Angelina, and Audrey all tried to have a conversation, but little was to be said that didn't have a thing to do with the situation at hand.

"I believe that we will finish this conversation later, Charlie." Molly said in a calm voice. She began levitating the plates and eating utensils to the kitchen. They all starred as Charlie had the nerve to follow Molly into the kitchen.

The rest of the evening went smoothly, but they found the next morning that Charlie had left earlier that morning. Molly was sitting in the living room crying. Ginny went over to comfort her mother.

"Mum, it's alright. We knew that he was going to leave! He obviously puts his job ahead of family!" This just made Molly cry harder. Ginny was at a loss as to what to do, but then she was saved by Harry walking in with James. Ginny took him from her husband and held him out to her crying mother.

"Yes, well, thank you, Dear," Milly mumbled as she held the toddler and stroked his reddish brown hair. His dark brown eyes looked up at her and she smiled.

They all went about their daily business, trying to forget that Charlie left.