The next morning Charlie woke up early, he had not slept well again. He put on his maroon dressing gown, grabbed his wash bag and headed downstairs figuring he could get a quick shower while it was quiet. He tiptoed down the spiral stairs and bounded out the door almost crashing into someone.

"Careful Charlie! you almost knocked me out" a voice giggled at him.

He recognised the voice without needing to look "Oh sorry Arabelle, didn't think anyone would be up this early" he mumbled, remembering the scene he had looked over in the common room last night.

She beamed up at him "Yeah I didn't sleep that well" flicking her long brown hair over her shoulder. She was wearing a baggy navy jumper and grey shorts.
"Are you going to the bathrooms? I'll come with you"

Charlie nodded thinking more about how he could subtly ask her what had happened last night more than what was going on. Before long they reached the bathrooms on the next floor up and went their separate ways into the boys and girls.

"meet you down in the hall for breakfast in 20 minutes?" Charlie asked.

"Sure" Arabelle said beaming up at him again. He turned away, his stomach sinking. Why did she seem so happy this morning? Or was he just being paranoid? Maybe nothing had happened?
He should just ask her. They were friends, he knew they could ask each other anything. But something deep inside Charlie was telling him that maybe he didn't want to know the answer. He took off his dressing gown stepping into one of the cubicles and turned the tap, dousing himself with cold water.

Twenty minuets later Charlie was in the hall, dressed in plaid shirt, and jeans, his jacket on the bench next to him. He was staring into his empty bowl waiting for Arabelle, trying to figure out exactly how to ask her what happened last night? He didn't notice Bill walk into the hall until he sat down opposite him.

"Charlie? You alright mate?"

"huh? Oh yeah why?" Charlie replied.

"Well you seemed kinda off yesterday. Have you heard about Luke and Arabelle yet?" He asked his expression turning more serious.

"Uhh...no not yet, why? What happened?" He asked trying to act casual.

"Well, he asked her if she would go to Hogsmeade with him today, but she turned him down point blank, said she already had plans, with you I'm guessing" Bill smiled slightly at him.
"So anyway he they were talking for ages, I guess he was trying to win her over or something, we all went up about 11, they were still sitting there talking, I heard him come into our dorm late" Bill said grimicing. "I was annoyed he was up that late alone with her, I asked him what had happened, he swore they were just talking, but I could have knocked that obnoxious smile right off his face" I'm sure he was trying to wind me up but still, he can be such a git.

Charlie tried to process what he was hearing "They were up all night?" Arabelle was rarely that sociable with people, especially strangers. The only person he knew she could talk with for hours was him. Something struck him deep in his stomach. A kind of despair. What was this feeling he felt rising inside of him. He thought back to those nights he had spent with Arabelle, they would sneak into each others rooms after the family was asleep and talk in low whispers all night, stifling their laughter trying not to wake anyone else up. They would talk until morning, until they fell asleep. Molly had found them more than once, asleep on top the covers, heads lying together, their hands held loosely. Not that they knew any of this, Molly never told them that she would quietly shut the door, head downstairs, pretending she was none the wiser. Those nights seemed so innocent back then. A secret shared between them. But now Arabelle had stayed up with someone else 'til the early hours of the morning, maybe those nights she had spent with Charlie hadn't meant as much to her as they had to him. He felt a pang of pain shoot through him. Something inside him was waking up, something that had been asleep all these years. A realization that he had feelings, stronger than he once thought for Arabelle, but she obviously didn't feel the same way.

His heart sunk further as she came bounding into the great hall towards them, her hair, usually tied up, was lose and curling down her back, her face flushed. She was wearing dark blue jeans rolled up at the ankles, brown ankle boots and a cream slouchy jumper, with her Griffindor scarf in her hand. He noticed she was wearing the necklace he had got her last Christmas. It was a pocket watch on a long chain, decorated with a bronze dragon on top.

"Hiya" she said as she reached them, throwing her scarf at Charlie and falling on to the bench next to him. She reached for a bowl, grazing Charlie's hand as she did. He jumped knocking over his glass of pumpkin juice as he pulled his hand away. They both jumped up as pumpkin juice ran down the bench towards them.

"Charlie!" Arabelle cried as Bill whipped out his wand and cleared the bench with a wave of his wand. "Why are you being so clumsy this morning!"

Charlie blushed furiously, mumbled an apology and sat back down tucking into his cereal, trying to avoid eye contact with her. She sat down looking at him intently. "Charlie..."

Bill cut her off promptly standing up "Right kids, I'm off, I will see you two later on I'm sure" He practically ran towards the door, trying to escape the awkward atmosphere that had just surrounded them.

Arabelle eventually dropped her gaze, as her bowl filled with cereal too. She began eating, though still shooting glances out the corner of her eye. But Charlie refused to meet her gaze.

A/N: Thanks for reading the story this far! I would love for you to review and let me know what you think of the general direction this is heading.

Do you like it? Are the characters realistic enough? Let me know what you think. Thanks!