Exhausted Ted dropped on one of the benches in the compartment and laid his legs on the opposite bench. Chara shook her head about her best friend, still sat beside him, so that her legs were on the bench and she could lean with her back against his left side. She knew that this would result in some jealous stares from the other girls but she didn't care. Ted had always been a ladies man but the most only cared about him because he was a methamorph magus or because Harry Potter was his godfather. The fact that he was so tall and his good looks did not detract from the fancying. Chara had some admirers as well. With her grey eyes and the curly hair she was a real beauty and Ted had to show some of the guys their limits, after all he didn't want that someone hurt Chara. "Can you believe that we've only got one year ahead of us?" asked Ted. "Unbelievable I know, we only just started", said Chara. She was really proud that their friendship lasted until now because it had already crashed in their second year, which was probably due to the fact that she had been in the middle of puberty and Ted couldn't understand that until the middle of the year. Eventually, however they had got their act together again. "Are you coming to the burrow as well?" Ted wanted to know and looked down at Chara. It had become tradition by now that Chara spend one week in the summer holidays with Ted at the burrow. Molly always said that they belonged to the family, what had been awkward for Chara at first but now she felt comfortable there even tough she would never have the same close bound as Ted. But he knew the family since he was a baby and they really had become a family to him. "I can't", Chara said and sat up. "Why not?" Ted wanted to know. "Mom is taking me to America today to visit my aunt. She wants to spend a summer with me before I stay in England forever." Chara was already of age in the wizarding world as well as in the muggle world and had applied for an apprenticeship as healer in St. Mungo. As long as her grades stayed as they were she would start her apprenticeship in a year. "To bad I was really looking forward it", Ted said and started to pound. "Stop that", Chara laughed and slapped his arm. Ted laughed as well and wrapped his arm around his friend. "It's alright Scar even if summer without you want be the same." Chara made a face, Ted was the only one who called her Scar, somehow it had become a nickname even if she didn't like it very much. She looked up at Ted and bit her lower lip. "Maybe I can convince my aunt that you can spend two weeks with us." Ted's face light up. "Really? That would be awesome", he said grinning. "I'll ask her, but I can't promise anything."
Two weeks later Chara stood nervous at the airport of San Francisco she bobbed on her feet, when a hand was put on her shoulder. "Calm down his flight just landed", her uncle said. "I'm sorry Leo", Chara apologized and looked back to the door. Chara's aunt had really allowed it that Ted visited her for two weeks. Because it had been to short notice to organize an international portkey Ted had to suffer through a 11 hour flight. Now the door finally opened and the passengers from the flight from London poured out. Chara got on her tiptoes so that she could look over the heads, then she saw a turquoise mop of hair in the crowd. With a big grin she pushed through the crowd and tackled Ted. He stumbled back a few steps as Chara hugged him fiercely. A little unsure he wrapped his free arm around her and returned her hug. "I'm also glad to see you", Ted said as Chara finally let go of him. He eyed his friend, she looked good, her skin had gotten a little darker and wore a top that left a little bit skin on her belly free and hotpants. Ted saw how Chara's eyes widened and had to grin. "You really did it", she said and tapped her finger carefully against his new lip piercing. "Do you like it?" Ted asked. Chara tilted her head and shrugged. "I'll have get used to it. Come." She grabbed his wrist and guided him to an older man. "Ted my uncle Leo, Leo that's Ted", Chara introduced the two. They shook hands and Leo took Ted's luggage of him. Together they drove the truck to Chara's aunt's house. As they arrived there Chara showed Ted his room bevor it was time for dinner. Besides Chara's mother there was her aunt Piper and her cousins Wyatt, Chris and Melinda. The three children were about the same age as James, Al and Lily. "What's with your hair?" Melinda suddenly asked. "Melinda you don't ask things like that," Piper scolded her daughter, turning to Ted. "I'm sorry Ted." Ted only shook his head laughing, he was used to it. "It's alright Mrs. H. Don't you like it Mel?" Ted asked. "It's just strange", the girl said with a shrug. "What's your favorite color?" Ted wanted to know. Chara who sat beside Ted shook her head, because she knew exactly what was coming know. Melinda tilted her head and looked at Ted for some time. "Pink why?" she finally said. Ted grinned and pushed a fork full of lasagna into his mouth, while his hair slowly changed color. "Wicked", Chris whispered. "That's really impressive, but I'd really appreciate it if you could leave it at the dinner table," Piper said to Ted, who was now sitting at the table with bright pink hair. He nodded understanding. After dinner Ted and Chara washed the dishes as Ted yawned. "Are you alright?" Chara wanted to know. Ted nodded and said: "Jetlag and full moon a very bad combination." Chara laid the towel over her shoulders, she knew that Ted had trouble sleeping at full moon which was a consequence of his father being a werewolf. She opened one of the cabinets over her head and through a vial at Ted. He caught it without trouble and looked at Chara with raised eyebrows. "Pepper up potion" she explained and he grinned.
Some days later Chara and Ted drove to the beach with the three kids, where they wanted to meet with the rest of Chara's family. "Ted do you like Chara?" Chris wanted to know and Chara looked at him in the review mirror because she didn't know what her cousin was getting at. "Of course she's my best friend", said Ted. "Have you ever kissed?" "Wyatt!" Chara shouted and Ted saw how she blushed. He started laughing. "We don't like each other that way", he explained the boys. At the parking lot the three kids immediately left the car and ran to the beach. Chara sighed and got the things from the boot. "Sorry about that", she said to Ted. "It's alright I actually found it quite funny." Chara smiled gratefully at him, that was something she liked so much about Ted he could find something good in everything. Together the teenagers went over the beach to look for Chara's family, what wasn't especially hard. "Phoebe, Paige!" Chara called as soon as she saw her aunts. The two women turned around and grinned. Chara was greeted with hugs then she introduced Ted to her aunts. He was also introduced to the rest of the family and he realized that Chara's family was in no way inferior to the Weasleys. While Ted lay in the sun to get a tan for once in his life, Chara went swimming with her cousins. After a while Ted felt something dripping on his chest, he opened his eyes and saw that Chara was standing right above him. He had to swallow hard. Her swimming suit didn't cover much, especially as it still had cutouts on the sides. Ted felt his heartbeat quicken when Chara leaned forward and he could saw right into her cleavage. Quickly he averted his gaze from her breasts and looked into her face. "Come on Ted the water's great", piped Chara and offered him her hand. Ted reached for it, maybe the water would help him the think clearly.
After the trip to the beach the weather changed and it rained cats and dogs, so they had no choice but to stay indoors. The played board games or Ted entertained them with his changing abilities. "Ted", said Chara and sat on the armrest of Ted's armchair. He looked up from his book to look at Chara. "Tomorrow is your last night here and since the weather should get better, I was wondering if you would like to go to the pier?" she wanted to know. "What's at the pier?" Ted asked back. "The fair", laughed Chara. Ted's eyes flashed he loved fun rides. "Sure let's go to the pier", he said enthusiastically. The next evening Ted stood in the hallway and waited for Chara. He heard steps behind him turned around and smiled when he saw Chara. She wore a flowered neck holder dress with black ballet flats. "Well" she said and turned around in front of him. Ted laughed. "Cute. Let's go." Chara grabbed the car keys of her mother and they drove to the pier. It already glowed in different lights and the peoples gathered in front the fun rides and different booths. Together the two teenagers went over the fair and Ted's eyes gleamed like a little child. At one of the booths the two stopped. "Well do you want to try to win something for your girlfriend?" the operator asked Ted. Chara gave him a dollar on this, which Ted handed over right away and was given three balls for it. Ted had a good hand eyes coordination still he didn't manage it to hit all cans. As booby prize he got a plastic flower, which he handed over to Chara. Chara smiled shyly and put the flower behind her ear. Ted had never seen her so innocent and his heart beat hart in his chest, something that happened often on this holiday. They went on until Ted saw something and pulled Chara along on her hand. "Ted what?" she called but then they already stood in front of the Ferris wheel. "Come on, this is going to be fun", said Ted and pulled her up the stairs. Chara wanted to talk back, but they were already on the top and the operator held the bar of the gondola open. Taking a deep breath Chara sat down beside Ted. The gondola started moving and Chara clawed at the bar. "That's great, isn't it?" Ted asked and looked as the ground moved further away from them. Because Chara didn't answer Ted looked at her and saw how she held on, her knuckles already turned white. "Scar are you alright?" he wanted to know. Chara bit her lip and shook her head. "Are you afraid of heights?" Slowly Chara nodded and Ted remembered their first year when they had flighting lessons and Chara had refused to even climb on the broom or those times when they sat in the back rows at the quidditch games so Chara could focus on the game. He should have known it, which is why Ted felt guilty. "Chara I'm sorry", he mumbled. Chara looked at him and he could see that a tear was rolling down her cheek. Suddenly there was a jolt and the Ferris wheel stopped. Chara looked at him in panic as they heard through the loudspeakers that there was a technic problem and the ride would soon go on. Ted could see how fast Chara's chest moved up and down, he knew she would be starting to hyperventilate, so he wrapped his left arm around her and laid his right hand on her hands. "Chara look at me", he said softly. Chara looked up. "Let go" he said and slightly squeezed her hands. Ted could feel how Chara's hands slowly let go of the bar. Quickly he pulled her close and laid her head on his chest. He breathed slowly and ran his hand soothingly over Chara's back, which seemed to calm her down. He was so sorry, that he had brought her into such a situation, but he couldn't deny that it felt good to hold her in his arms like that and he hoped that she couldn't feel how fast his heart beat. Ted realized in this moment, what he probably know for some time, but hadn't confessed to himself until know and that was that he felt more for Chara than pure friendship and he would had loved to kiss her know, so she could focus on something else than the swaying gondola. There was another jerk and the ferris wheel started to move again. Chara still clung to Ted until they reached the platform again and he helped her out of it. "I'm sorry, I should've known it", Ted apologized. Chara walked on shacky legs beside him. She shook her head. "I should've told you", she replied. Because none of them was keen on the fair anymore they drove back to the house. On the next morning Chara brought Ted with her mother to the airport. Ted said goodbye to Chara and got into the airplane with the hope that his feelings for Chara would go back to normal, if he didn't see her for a while and they could continue their friendship in the next year without problems.