"Egypt?" Lyra gasped, spinning round to face Charlie. He nodded, indicating the villa in front of them.
"This is Bill's villa from when he used to work here." He explained, and Lyra understood immediately. Bill and Fleur still owned the villa, and came out occasionally for holidays and short work trips. But obviously, they had leant it to Charlie for a few days.
"We leave on the tenth" Charlie explained as he led Lyra in, having dispatched their bags inside while Lyra was admiring the view, "so we've got a week here. Bill's told us what to visit and what to avoid, and Fleur's given us a list of things as well. Also she wants you to pick up some stuff for her."
Lyra nodded, her head somewhere outside in the garden they could see from the cool entryway. Light dappled the floor within, shining through large panes and she could see a swimming pool glistening invitingly in the sun.
Her hand was suddenly seized and Charlie spun her around and pressed his lips to hers, murmuring "I love you" against her lips as he repeatedly and eagerly kissed her. A tingle went up and down her spine as it did every time he so much as looked at her with the expression his mother called 'his besotted look' and she eagerly returned his kisses, lifting her hands to his hair, tangling her fingers within his locks, pulling him closer, just as she had their first kiss.
When they eventually separated, Charlie showed her around the villa. When Bill had lived in Egypt, Charlie had often come and stayed with his older brother, and felt at home here. There were four bedrooms in total, but only two that overlooked the pool at the rear of the house - Bill's bedroom, and Charlie's. They were done in the traditional style, simply decorated and with the finest Egyptian sheets adorning the bed.
They soon left the house, wandering down to the edge of the Nile, a river that though Charlie was familiar with, he wanted to show it to Lyra. Holding hands, the background seemed to fade away, the people vanish and the sounds of the city disappear as though Charlie and Lyra were the only two people left on the world.
Charlie led them to a café that Bill had adored in the time he had lived in Egypt, a small café that served the most delicious drinks around. The couple settled themselves on a small table outside, overlooking the view, and ordered two cold drinks. When the drinks arrived, Lyra's hand was interlocked once more with Charlie's, and because his thumb was caressing her hand they each had to use the other hand to hold their glasses.
The rest of their week continued on in the same vein, trips to the pyramids, trips to the sea, a camel ride, and finally a visit to the Cairo equivalent of Diagon Alley, Nila Square, which sat, hidden, on the banks of the river. It was light when they entered the square, filled with light that was reflected by the many fountains. A small branch of Gringotts sat at the head of the square, shops surrounding it. Several little alleyways led off to other wizarding streets, which were also filled with businesses and shops. It was in one of these that Lyra found the perfect postcard to send to Teddy, which held a large picture of a camel that, it being a magical photo, ran across the deserts to the pyramids.
Once they had bought the postcard, Charlie spotted a shop that he thought looked interesting, and they entered the slightly darker shop with caution, blinking at the sudden loss of light but welcoming the cool interior. It was a furniture shop, filled with not just traditional Egyptian furniture but also ornaments of all sizes.
Together, they picked two large cats made out of bronze, each coming up to Lyra's waist. Charlie had the idea that they could have each mounted on a plinth outside the front door of their house, to 'guard' the house, and to form an eternal reminder of the love they shared for each other, and of their honeymoon: of blissful days spent learning each other in ways they hadn't previously been able to do so, of hours spent in silent companionship. Of becoming each other's best friend, more than any other person had ever been before.
The cats would just be a memento for visitors, of the place they had gone for their honeymoon, but it would always throw Lyra and Charlie straight back to the first nights of many where they drifted to sleep in each other's arms, whispering 'I love you' until sleep claimed them.
As they had not taken either owl with them in holiday, leaving them in Sirius' capable hands, they had to go to the owl post office to send Teddy his card. On the way over there they passed something which made Lyra stop and turn to Charlie with a hopeful expression on her face.
When they had finished their carpet ride across the desert, Lyra quickly added another paragraph to the postcard before they eventually managed to get into the post office and pay for a long distance owl to bear the postcard to her godson.
Dear Teddy,
We are having such a fun time here in Cairo, it's lovely and hot! A few days ago we were in Romania where Charlie works. We saw lots of big dragons that breathe fire and fly around! I once fought a dragon, you know, and so did Fleur and Viktor. We've also gone to see the pyramids where some ancient wizards are buried. Like the graveyard, where my mum and dad are because they're not with us any more. But the pyramids are huge! They're in the background of the card - ask your daddy or your mummy to point them out to you.
The animal in the front is a camel! Charlie and I got to ride a camel, went for a trek across the desert. It was fun but I nearly fell off (your mummy would definitely have fallen off, but don't tell her I said that) Charlie has ridden camels before with Bill, so he was good and didn't fall off or even get unbalanced!
We will be back in a few days time, Teddy, I promise.
Today Teddy, we were on our way to post this to you and I saw a carpet shop! Magic carpets aren't allowed in England, sadly, but they are here! It was amazing! We were flying across the desert and Cairo as well - which is a city, like London, so big and has lots of houses and big buildings. It was just Charlie and me on the carpet, so we were able to stretch out. We could see so much! One day we'll take you too. I'm sure you'd love it. But you'll have to wait a few years 'cause you're only little.
See you soon, ok?
I love you,
Love Ly xxxx