A/N: NaNoWriMo starts on Tuesday! I'm so excited. I'm going to be working on another M/M romance and I'm already so, so in love with my male protagonist. His name is Rob. Need I say more? Hope you like the chapter. I'll update again as soon as I can.
February 2001
Charlie woke early the next morning, after going to bed considerably earlier than usual the night before. Harry was still sleeping but that was fine, it gave Charlie time to get a better look at some of the ways he had changed in the past year.
In all the time that they had been friends, or lovers, Charlie had never seen the slightly haunted look disappear from Harry's distinctive green eyes. Even in sleep, his face seemed to hold the fear of his childhood written into his features.
Still, the boy was a man now, there was no denying that. And a man who had changed so much in the years since the end of the war... to someone, many had argued, who was almost unrecognisable from the quiet, nerdy seventeen year old who had defeated one of the most powerful Dark Lords of all time.
All Charlie saw were walls. Lots and lots of walls that were put up out of necessity, because after he became the Boy Who Lived Again the public considered him more their property than they ever had before. He had no privacy. And were it not for the close circle of friends and tight, tight family unit of the Weasleys, it was scary to think what might have happened to him.
In the still morning night Charlie gathered his broken, yet still perfect boy up in his arms and allowed himself to doze.
xXx
Charlie woke again later with Harry's face squished up to his chest. He tried not to move too much as he preserved the image to his memory; Harry's nose was pushed up to one side, he was drooling and snoring.
Unable to keep it in any longer, Charlie laughed softly, and Harry started to wake up. He threw his arm over Charlie's waist and snuggled again, rubbing his face against Charlie's stomach and hummed deep in his chest.
"Mornin', Charlie."
"How do you know it's Charlie?"
Harry licked his lips and blinked slowly as he looked up, his eyes struggling to focus. "'Cos you smell like you," Harry said. "And because you're the only one I ever wake up with."
For some reason this little confession was suddenly the most romantic thing that Harry had ever said and Charlie treasured it appropriately. He ran his fingers through Harry's messy hair and wriggled down on the bed until they were nose to nose, so Harry could see him without his glasses.
"Thank you for last night," Harry said and pulled Charlie closer to his chest.
"Really?"
"Mm. It was good. I've never been that close to anyone before."
Charlie stroked the hair back from Harry's head and ran his thumb over the scar there.
"I don't think I have either."
"You've had all of me, you know. My first kiss, my first fuck... my virginity."
"You have a piece of me I've never given to anyone else, too."
Harry nodded. "I know. I'm sorry about... you know. Saying it."
"As long as you know it's there."
"Yeah. I know."