*** Author's Note: Many apologies for the long delay in getting this chapter out! I've had it ready for a while, but real life kept getting in the way. Time to see what's going on with Charlie and Emily :) ***

Chapter 9

Emily awoke the next morning, confused at first about where she was. Then she realized she was still in her sitting room, on the sofa in front of the fire. She must have fallen asleep last night… last night! Suddenly everything about the previous night came flooding back to her. Charlie had been so thoughtful, so kind. She knew that a normal person would be happy, ecstatic even, at the prospect of having a man like Charlie as a boyfriend. Boyfriend, she thought. Is that even what he is to me? Why is this so confusing? She'd never had any long-lasting relationships, and attachment worried her. It was a cardinal rule of foster care: don't get attached to anyone or anything, because you never know when they'll be taken from you. Her years at Ilvermorny hadn't been enough to reverse this mindset.

Emily sat up, stretching, and noticed a small slip of parchment on the side table. It was a note from Charlie asking her to lunch. She fought back the urge to run from this. She'd never be able to have a relationship with Charlie, or anyone, if she was always ready to run. But that was her instinct, and it was long engrained. She got dressed carefully, not noticing the time. Soon there was a knock on her door.

Was that Charlie already? She must have overslept. On the way to the door, she checked her watch - it was only half past ten, surely not lunchtime yet. She opened the door, surprised and relieved that it was Charlie, holding a bag of bagels.

"I know I'm early, but I got these in Hogsmeade just now… and I didn't feel like waiting to see you," he said, rather nervously.

Emily smiled and let him in. She was starting to get used to having Charlie around. A small part of her was still worried about how he had acted in the beginning… the way he had avoided her, and the way he had said that he couldn't wait to get back to Romania. She wondered what he was thinking now. What could his plan possibly be?

They sat down to eat, and Emily toasted the bagels with her wand. Charlie, who was obviously starving, managed to talk between bites. "Do you want to go on a broom ride today? The weather looks perfect for it. There's some beautiful scenery up here in the Highlands."

Emily was excited, but immediately anxious. "It sounds lovely but… I'm not very… I don't fly very often." She didn't want to ruin the outing with broomstick problems.

"That's no problem at all - you can ride with me. I played Quidditch when I was here at Hogwarts, did you know that?" He was obviously proud of this, and Emily had to laugh. What was it with men and Quidditch?

"No I didn't, but that makes me feel a lot better. I guess it'll be safe to get on a broom with you," she said. She didn't want to be seen as one of those helpless damsels, but there was no denying that she and broomsticks did not get along.

"Absolutely safe, I promise," Charlie said. "This area is sparsely populated so it won't be hard to keep clear of Muggle towns. We can grab some food from the kitchens on our way."

Charlie had obviously put some thought into this. Emily thought it felt like an awful lot like a date. The thought was exciting, but made her nervous. It felt like everything was falling neatly together, and wasn't that a sign that it was too good to be true?

Charlie took her down to the kitchens. He knew exactly where to go; he'd obviously done this many times as a student. The house-elves were more than happy to provide them with everything they'd need for a picnic, and then some. Having gathered everything they'd need for the day, including Emily's Muggle camera, Charlie and Emily headed outside toward the Quidditch pitch. Charlie got his broom out of the broomshed and fastened the basket to the back.

"Are you ready?" he asked, smiling broadly.

Emily took a deep breath. It really was a gorgeous day - perfectly sunny with no hint of cloud, and slight breeze. "I guess I am… just don't go too fast."

"I'll do my best," he said teasingly. He mounted his broom and motioned for her to come sit behind him. She got on and put her arms around his waist; there it was, that perfect feeling of warmth and humming. She was starting to get used to it, although it remained a mystery that needed to be solved. But that could wait. It was time to go on a date with Charlie.

The day went perfectly. The scenery was picturesque, and Charlie had made sure to stop plenty of times to let Emily take pictures. Charlie took a few of her too, and they had some fun attempts trying to get a picture of both of them together. On the way back to Hogwarts, Emily found herself in disbelief at the day she'd just had. A perfect day. She wondered how this could have happened to her; she'd never experienced anything like this. She would remember it forever.

Charlie touched down on the Quidditch pitch and put his broom away. Emily waited for him and they walked up to Hogwarts together, hand in hand.

The next few weeks passed by uneventfully. Work on Hogwarts continued during the week, but was winding down. It was now August, and soon it would be time for the students to return. Emily knew she and Charlie would have to discuss what would happen next, and she wasn't looking forward to it.

One Friday evening, after all the Restoration Task Force workers had gone home for the weekend, Emily let Charlie into her sitting room. He had a bleak expression on his face. They sat down on the sofa and he launched right into it.

"I got an owl from the Dragon Sanctuary today. They want me back in Romania by September 1, sooner if possible," he said with resignation.

Emily thought about what to say. She'd known something like this would happen sooner or later. "I know you've missed the dragons, Charlie. And at the beginning of the summer you couldn't wait to get back there." She really didn't want him to throw away his career for her. Of course she wanted him to stay, but wasn't that selfish?

"Well, I did feel that way, and I do miss the work… but I don't want to leave you here. We'd never see each other."

But she could hear the longing in his voice. Dragonology was Charlie's life's work, she knew it.

Charlie continued, "Maybe I can apply for a desk job, Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures…"

"Charlie, no. You would hate that. I don't want you to stop doing what you love just for me. I'm nothing, you should go back…" She felt herself putting up all the old barriers that kept her safe from the dangers of love and rejection.

"Emily, how can you say that after this summer we've had? You aren't nothing, you've become… everything," said Charlie, earnestly.

"Don't say that! I can't be anyone's 'everything,' that's too much," Emily felt herself losing control. All her fears and worries came spilling out. "What if you only feel this way because of that stupid tingling feeling? This could just be lust. You've been spending all this time with me, hoping to get something out of it. Before this summer, I thought I wanted to be alone. Then I met you and I felt myself slipping into something more comfortable, but it's a trap. We can't start making decisions like this based on a summer fling!" By now she was shaking and tears were streaming down her face. Charlie looked dumbfounded.

"Emily, I… I didn't know you felt that way," he said, cautiously. "This is not lust, for me… I… I'm falling in love with you," he said quietly. He reached out to grab her hands but she pulled them away.

"I can't, Charlie! I can't! Just… go. Just go."

Charlie was starting to sound frustrated now, and his voice was slightly raised. "I don't want to leave you! Why are you so scared of this?"

Emily was practically shouting now. "If you stay, you will resent me! I am not worth giving up your career, a career that you love! I won't let you do it." She knew she was going too far, but she couldn't bring herself back. All the fear she'd ever experienced - fear that no one would ever love her, fear of being abandoned, fear of attachments - it was all she could think about. If Charlie came to regret his decision to stay, he would surely stop loving her. Better to break free now, before that could happen.

Charlie's face was unreadable. He was probably angry now, but that would be nothing compared to the anger he'd feel later if he stayed in Scotland for her, Emily knew it. He got up and headed toward the door. "I won't force myself on you, Emily. If you want me to go, I will. But I promise, I'm not going to forget you." And with that, he left her alone, more alone than she'd ever felt before.