Here you go! Not much to say about this update. There's more drama than there has been before. Enjoy!

Chapter Six

"I thought we were going to write to each other," Adair said when they were safely in her flat.

"Well I had a rare weekend where I wasn't chosen to be on call so I thought I'd visit you," Charlie said with a grin, stooping over and pressing a deep kiss to her lips.

He dropped Adair's gym bag to the floor and pulled her flush against his firm body.

"Just couldn't resist?" Adair asked, pulling away and lifting her bag onto her shoulder and heading for her bedroom. She hated for anything to be out of place even for a minute.

When Charlie had visited her flat the first time, he had really only seen the kitchen and dining room. He took it all in as they made their way down the impossibly long corridor to Adair's room. The whole place was mostly white and the decorations were sterile, fitting in with the modern theme of the place. It looked like a staged flat that might be shown to potential renters or buyers. There was nothing that indicated who exactly lived there.

The bedroom had fluffy white carpet and a huge bed with white covers and pillows, though the frame was pitch black as were the two dressers and small armchair in the corner.

"This is...homey,"

"I'm hardly ever here," Adair said as she waved her wand in the direction of her gym bag and things went flying into the dirty clothes hamper and into her closet. She turned back to him and sat on the edge of the bed.

Charlie stepped toward her and stood in between her legs. He pulled the elastic from the end of her braid and then ran his his fingers through her fair hair. It was damp at the roots from her practice.

He bent over her and kissed her once more. Adair's hands travelled under his t-shirt, bumping over his muscles and scars as they went. They made their way back down, dipping into his jeans.

Charlie sighed against her lips. He shrugged out his leather jacket and kicked his boots off.

Adair let him pull her sweaty t-shirt over her head and then push her back on the mattress. Charlie lifted each of her feet and removed her knee-high Quidditch boots.

"I need a shower," she said weakly, as his hands travelled up her thighs, tugging at the waist of her spandex leggings when they got there.

"You really will in about half an hour so you may want to wait."

He bent over her and kissed her neck, tasting the salt on her skin from the sweat. He licked the column of her throat and then kissed down to her navel, fingers toying with her underwear, before pushing them down.

Charlie straightened and grasped her hips, pulling her to the edge of the bed. He quickly did away with his jeans, practically ripping his jumper over his head.

It had been little more than a week since they had slept together for the first time, but he was just as excited and wanted her just as badly as he had then.

His grip on her hips tightened when he drew her around him. He let out a deep groan of pure pleasure and then began to move.

Adair gasped at the sensation of being so filled. Her fists gripped the comforter beneath her and her back arched off the bed.

When she opened her eyes, she couldn't take them off of Charlie. The last thing she normally wanted in bed was eye contact, but she found herself unable to look away. If she did, it was only to look at his body and to drink in the thick muscles, scars, burns and tattoos.

Charlie bent back over her, framing her head with his forearms and raking his hands through her tangled, sweaty hair.

"Adair," he moaned her name.

His breath on her neck and his husky voice very nearly took her over the edge. She wrapped her legs around him, pulling him deeper until they were both in a frenzy from being so close.

Adair bit his chest to muffle her cry of ecstasy and after a few more seconds, Charlie groaned, tightening his grip in her hair before rolling so he was lying next to her.

"So what are you going to cook this time?" Adair asked with a mischievous smile when they were catching their breath. She rolled and rested her head on his shoulder, tracing the lines of his tattoos on his arm.

"Whatever you like," Charlie responded, pressing a kiss to her temple. His large, rough hand stroked her hair.

"What about the pasta you made the first time?"

They both knew she'd have about two bites of it, but if that's what she wanted, Charlie would make it.

He shifted out from underneath her and stood, pulling his briefs back on. Adair propped herself up on an elbow and looked up at him.

"Why don't you take a bath?" he suggested, pulling his hair back.

Adair nodded. "That sounds really nice."

Charlie bent over and pressed a deep kiss to her lips. "You'd better hurry or I'm not going to let you out of this bed."

Adair scrambled out from underneath him and made her way to her white marble bathroom. He shook his head and made his way to the kitchen. He remembered his way around the kitchen and began cooking. Luckily she had the few ingredients needed.

When he was nearly through, he uncorked a bottle of red wine he found on top of Adair's refrigerator and poured two glasses. He made sure the pasta would stay warm and then he headed back through the sterile flat to her bathroom.

Adair's head was resting on the lip of the huge tub that was built into the wall. Her green eyes blinked open when she heard the door open. He stood for a long moment staring down at her.

Charlie stripped down once more and then set the two glasses of wine on the floor. Without a word, he slipped into the tub and settled in between Adair's long, lean legs.

A small smile crossed Adair's face as she wrapped her legs around his waist and he leaned his head back on her shoulder. She reached down for the wine glass and took a long drink.

"This is peaceful," she said quietly.

Charlie didn't say anything for a while. He wondered how often she was able to snatch a few moments to herself.

"It is," he agreed, taking a sip from his own glass of wine. He tried to remember the last peaceful moment he had to himself. It seemed between being a dragonologist and the thoughts he had since meeting Adair, his life was rarely peaceful either. He ran his free hand over the smooth leg that was wrapped around him and found himself wishing that they would never have to leave the tub. Her chest rose and fell gently against his back, nearly lulling him to sleep.

Charlie felt Adair's fingers in his hair and she let the bun down. He sank down a little deeper in the huge tub and soaked his entire head. Adair reached for her shampoo and lathered it in her hands before massaging it into his scalp and long, thick hair.

"That feels so good," he murmured blissfully.

Adair had never been in such a position. No one had ever surprised her like Charlie had, just wanting to spend time together. And if they had, Adair wasn't interested. She had never thought of herself as the bubble bath with a partner type. She had always known what she wanted and she got it quickly and then was done. The few days she had spent in Romania with Charlie had been the longest stretch of time that she'd ever spent with anyone besides her family and teammates. She preferred to be alone.

Or so she had thought.

With those revelations came a sense of rising anxiety in her chest. She pushed Charlie back under the water to rinse his hair a little more roughly than she had intended.

"There you go!" she said too loudly. It sounded out of place after the minimal talking they had done.

She moved quickly out from behind him, sloshing water onto the tiled floor as she stepped out of the tub.

Charlie had to grasp either side of the tub to right himself after her abrupt movements. He looked up at her as she wrapped herself in a fluffy towel, back to him.

"Are you alright?" he asked, going back to the quiet tones they had been using.

"Yeah. I was just turning into a prune and the water was getting cold."

Charlie didn't say anything, but he assumed she had used a charm to keep the water hot. As he continued to sit in the bath after she left the room. The water had lost none of its heat. He leaned his head back on the lip of the tub and closed his eyes.

Adair had reacted similarly in Romania when had had tried to discuss her mother and cooking. It puzzled him greatly, but he wasn't sure how to broach the topic or even put into words what was troubling him.

They had been so close just moments before, enjoying a tranquil moment with each other and then she had gotten restless. Or maybe she had panicked. He didn't know. He didn't move to get up either. He wasn't sure what he would say if he faced her right then.

Adair changed into her comfiest sweatpants and a heavy jumper. Even after the hot bath she was chilled.

Walking into her kitchen, she refilled her wine glass nearly to the brim and inhaled deeply the scent of the pasta simmering on the stove in its fragrant tomato sauce. It was probably the second time her kitchen had been used for cooking.

With a flick of her wand, two bowls floated down from the cabinet next to the stove. With another flick, one filled with pasta.

Without waiting for Charlie, she took the bowl and her goblet of wine into her living and sat down on the plush sofa.

She took a bite and it was heavenly, just like she remembered.

Charlie hadn't emerged from her bedroom yet and she was glad. Adair needed a moment to herself. It was like she was living in some sort of alternate reality. She knew people did the things she had just done, but she hadn't ever expected to be a part of them.

"You're living life on the edge eating red pasta sauce on your white couch," Charlie said when he joined her in the living room, wearing nothing but his underwear.

Adair set her half full bowl on the end table next to her and picked up her glass of wine. "What can I say?"

"You don't eat your dinner at the table?" Charlie asked.

Adair shook her head. "The first and only time was the last time you were here."

Charlie nodded, collecting more facts about her. Even when he was alone he sat at his rough-hewn table. Some habits would never die.

"You can try it. Really live life on the edge."

Charlie raised one eyebrow and then stood. A moment later, he was back with his own heaping bowl of pasta and glass of wine.

"How wild do you feel right now?" Adair asked him.

"This may be the wildest thing I've ever done."

Adair snorted.

"What's the wildest thing you've ever done?" Charlie asked.

This, she though. Instead she said, "We don't have to swap stories. A dragonologist and Quidditch player. We could probably go on all night."

"Besides the dragons, my life is pretty normal," Charlie said.

"And I'm too busy to get into too much trouble," Adair agreed. "Except one time when I was playing in America, we played a game in Los Angeles and just got blind drunk afterwards and we moved the Hollywood sign. Not far. Just about a pitch's length from where it was to start. The muggles were quite alarmed the next morning, but we were back in Texas by then."

Charlie laughed so hard he had to set his wine down for fear of spilling it on the white armchair he sat in.

"That is fairly wild," Charlie said when he gathered himself.

Adair shrugged. "Things were different in Texas."

"Do you miss it?"

"Sometimes," she said. "Nothing was as serious there. We didn't practice as much or have as many games. No one was bothering us. It felt more normal than life here does, I guess."

"I'm sure it did," Charlie said. He had hesitated to speak, not wanting to interrupt her if she was going to continue. He knew it was rare for Adair to give up any information and so when she did he wanted to encourage her without him chattering over her.

Adair shrugged again. "Oh well. Life moves on." She went silent again and rose taking her wine glass with her. She pulled her wand out of the waistband of her sweats and the dishes followed her into the kitchen.

He heard the water running and then the dishes putting themselves back into the cabinet. A minute later, Adair came back with a full glass of wine and another bottle. She tucked her legs underneath her as she sat back on the sofa.

Charlie rose and joined her, pulling her so her body molded against his. He held his empty glass out to her and she refilled it without a word.

"I'm really glad we got to do this, Adair," he said quietly, pressing a kiss to the crown of her head.

He expected a sarcastic remark in reply, but Adair laid her head on his shoulder and took a deep breath. "So am I. I don't feel like I have to be someone else in front of you."

"Of course you don't," Charlie murmured, holding her a little tighter. "I hope you never feel like that around me."

Something in his heart ached for her, thinking of the different masks she wore every time she walked out of her door.

"You had the right idea," she said. "Disappear to the forest of Romania."

"It's not too late for you," he said with the lightest of laughs.

"I never had a chance for anything like that. I was born to two believers of Quidditch predestination. The only thing my parents didn't know was which team I'd end up playing for."

"Surely you must enjoy it a little bit," he said, not sure how a person could do something they hated for so long.

"Surely," she replied flatly, emptying what was a full glass of wine in one go.

"You don't have to keep playing," Charlie said.

"It's not that simple," she responded, a bit agitated.

Charlie nodded, though she wasn't looking at him. "Alright. I'm sorry."

Adair sighed. "Some things just are what they are." Adair gestured at the beautiful room around them. "And besides, I get to live like this."

Her voice got louder and Charlie could sense that she was a little, if not completely, drunk.

"And that makes you happy?"

She didn't respond immediately, taking another long drink from her glass. Charlie wanted to suggest she put her glass down, but he didn't imagine that that would go well for him. It was also the first time she'd really come close to opening up and he didn't want that to stop.

"Shouldn't it?"

"I don't know what should make you happy, Adair, I really don't." He wanted to completely enfold her in his embrace, to protect her from whatever was happening, but it seemed to be inside of her.

"I don't either," she said quietly. He couldn't be sure, but Charlie thought he saw her hand quickly wipe at her eyes.

"Hey," Charlie whispered, trying to turn her chin to face him. She fought him at first, but finally she looked up and her eyes were welling. "Do I make you happy, Adair?"

She gave him a watery smile and nodded. "The happiest actually. I don't remember ever feeling like this in my entire life. You're really all I think about."

Charlie sat there, shocked into silence. Adair looked away once more, a bit embarrassed that she'd spoken so openly.

"I know the feeling," he finally said. "I got burnt pretty badly because I couldn't stop thinking about you."

"I'm sorry," Adair said with a small smile.

"It was worth it," Charlie replied."Definitely worth it."

"My coach thinks I've been hit with a bludger a few too many times," Adair said. "I can't focus on anything anymore. Oliver is all over me to get my shit together"

Charlie couldn't help but grin. The last thing he had expected after months of whatever it was they'd been doing was a confession of how much Adair liked him. He felt like a giddy schoolboy all over again.

"Try not to get hit with any bludgers. I like you intact and healthy," he said, pulling her so she sort of laid on his chest.

"How else do you like me?" she asked lowly, stretching up and brushing her lips against his ear.

He tasted the wine on her lips when he turned his head to kiss her, hands running under her shirt to cup her breasts, bumping along her ribs as they went. "Naked," he murmured.

Adair happily obliged him and stripped herself down to nothing before she straddled his lap. Charlie drank her in appreciatively, hands resting on her hips.

"You are incredibly sexy," he breathed, pulling her down to kiss her, tongue begging for entrance. He didn't bother to remove his own clothes, just pushed his underwear down enough so that he could then lift Adair up and onto him. It had been a mere few hours since he had last had her and still the feeling consumed him. Her hips ground against his and her head fell back, eyes closing.

"Bloody hell," he breathed when her pace picked up. Adair was gripping the back of his neck hard, panting as she moved with more of a purpose.

When she tugged on his hair and cried out his name, Charlie couldn't think of a time he had ever experienced so much pleasure. Of course there had been other women, not many, but a few and it had never felt like it did with Adair.

She slumped onto his chest, breathing heavily.

Charlie pressed a kiss into her fair hair. Her warm body pressed against his nearly put him to sleep where they were wedged on the sofa.

"Come on." He lifted Adair's naked body and headed toward her bedroom. She pulled the covers back and he deposited her on the plush bed. It enveloped her like a cloud. He joined her on the other side.

"How am I ever supposed to go back to my bed after sleeping in this?" he sighed with a laugh as he too sank into the bed.

Adair rolled against his side once more, pressing a kiss to his chest. "You could stay here."

"Don't tempt me."

As she grew tired, Adair did not roll onto her side and pull her knees to her chest. Instead, she pressed herself against Charlie's side, using his shoulder as a pillow. She gave a contented sigh as his fingers ran through her long hair that she had undone.

After she fell asleep, Charlie laid there thinking over the entire day and the shifts in Adair's mood. It had been like almost every time he'd seen her, but when he thought of her confession of how she felt about him, he couldn't help but smile even if there was the tiniest bit of doubt in the back of his mind.

From the light cast by the streetlamp outside of Adair's flat, he could just barely make out her features. He was, once again, struck by how peaceful she looked while she slept on him. All night, there had been a furrow between her brows even when she was smiling or laughing. It seemed to only go away when she slept.

ooooOoooo

Adair usually had Sundays off from practice and so the two of them stayed in her flat, not leaving. They subsisted on what little food she had in her flat, though that wasn't their top priority. They didn't talk nearly as much as they had the night before and instead made love in nearly every room of her large flat.

That night they fell asleep in a tangled, sweaty mess very late.

The next morning, Charlie was up and frantically gathering his things.

"You should've left last night," Adair said as she pulled on her practice leggings and a sports bra.

"I couldn't," he said with a groan. He paused and walked over to her as she was pulling a t-shirt on. His hands slipped under the band of the spandex pants, pulling her tightly against him. He couldn't help but to press himself against her firm backside. "I don't want to now." He kissed her neck and nipped at her earlobe.

"Knock it off," Adair laughed. "We're both going to be late."

Charlie grudgingly went back to packing his few things.

"I"m not sure when I'll see you again," he said, lingering in her doorway, bag slung over his shoulder.

"We'll figure it out," she promised. She gave him one last kiss before they were both out the door and heading their separate ways to Apparate to work.

ooooOoooo

Adair had never been much of a letter writer. She had never really written to her parents unless it was a Howler about how poorly she had performed. After school, there weren't too many people she cared to keep in touch with outside of Ginny and between them both having Quidditch careers for a spell and then Ginny becoming a reporter, there wasn't much time for letter writing. They made the meals and drinks they shared count when they saw each other.

But she found herself writing multiple letters a week to Charlie and he did the same. They relayed the most mundane details of their days. Adair wrote of how she was looking forward to the season being over when she might have some more time to visit him, since he was tied up at the refuge. It had been a fluke that he had the one weekend off so soon, but he was constantly on call. They were bringing more and more animals to Romania and he was very busy.

The Quidditch season was picking up as it was only a few months away from the World Cup. England had a very real chance of going and Oliver was ecstatic that the team was doing so well. He took on his old Captain mentality and drove everyone else crazy during practices and before and after games.

She had never wished for their off-season so much in her professional life. After the weekend they had spent together, she found it nearly unbearable to be subsisting on letters back and forth.

One of the first games they travelled for after Charlie's weekend in London, was to Hungary. Adair had written that she wished she was able to visit him, but immediately after the game in Hungary they were heading to Denmark for a game the next day. She hated to be so close to him, but not get to see him.

The game was uneventful. England won easily and Adair and the other Chasers went to the locker room.

"I hate when we don't get to go home," Sienna said.

The other two nodded in agreement. There were a few times during the season when they had games slo close together that it wasn't feasible to go home. Even with Apparition, their coach liked them to stay in the Quidditch headspace and not lapse so they went to a hotel in the next city.

Adair was putting her shoes on when she heard Oliver yelling through the women's locker room door.

"Adair! Get out here!"

"I'm going to kill him," she told Jasmine and Sienna. They weren't positive she was joking and they didn't blame her.

"What do you want? You don't need to be-" she cut off mid-sentence when she saw who was standing behind Oliver.

"What are you doing here?" she exclaimed, practically leaping into Charlie's arms.

Oliver stood back, shocked at his sister's reaction. He had never seen her show nearly that much excitement.

"I had to see you while you were so close," Charlie said, setting her on her feet and framing her face with his huge, rough hands. He placed a sound kiss on her lips, neither one caring that Oliver was still standing there gawking at the pair.

"I missed you," Adair said quietly, her arms wrapped tightly around his middle, head pressed to his chest.

"I don't have a lot of time. Sandor is covering for me for a few hours," Charlie said, holding her at arm's length. "You played great! That last goal!"

Adair shook her head. She didn't want to talk about Quidditch if he had to run off.

She glanced at her brother. "Oliver, get out of here."

He lingered for another half second before he slowly made his way back to the men's locker room, glancing over his shoulder before he disappeared.

"You didn't have to do this," Adair said, though she was ridiculously glad that he had.

"I know," he said, kissing her once more.

Jasmine and Sienna came out of the locker room, giving girlish giggles when they saw who Adair was with and why her brother had been yelling for her.

She slipped her hands into the back pockets of his jeans. "The locker room is empty," she said in a low voice.

"Adair," Charlie said with a laugh.

"Surely you didn't come all this way when you should be working just for a few kisses." She let her fingers dip beneath the waistband.

"I certainly didn't come here with any intentions. I just wanted to watch you play and maybe see you for a quick minute."

"So noble," Adair said with a laugh. "I really can't wait for the season to be over. Then I'll have some time and can visit you."

"I'm looking forward to it."

"Hey Adair. The portkey is ready," Jasmine said, poking her head back around the corner.

"Good luck in Denmark. I'll be listening," Charlie promised with another deep kiss. He sighed when Adair pulled away and went hustling around the corner to join her team.

ooooOoooo

When they returned to England they had a few matches at home, the last of that stretch being against Egypt, who had won the World Cup the year before. It would be the biggest match of the season for Adair and her team.

Nerves set upon her like they hadn't since her very first match with England. Charlie couldn't make it due to a very important rescue mission he was on to retrieve a few baby dragons from a known ring of traders and smugglers in Germany.

Adair wished he could be there. His presence brought her peace and the day before the match found her pacing her flat, biting her nails to the quick and trying to do small tasks to keep her mind busy, but nothing worked.

Before she even knew it she found herself knocking on Seamus' door.

"Long time no see," he said rather grudgingly when he took in Adair's presence. She moved past him and headed for his bedroom without a word.

She hadn't gone to see him since the beginning of the season. Since she and Charlie had begun seeing more of one another, she hadn't required anything of Seamus.

"You shouldn't be here," he said, closing the door behind him.

"I shouldn't? Why is that?" she asked, turning to face him and removing the ball cap she had worn.

"Aren't you with Charlie Weasley?"

"I'm not 'with' anyone," she retorted. "You know that. I've never been 'with' anyone."

"I of all people know that," he said, rolling his eyes.

"What is wrong with you?" she asked.

"Honestly?" He stepped toward her. "I hate that you're seeing someone. I wanted to date you. I've wanted to date you since we were at school, but you only ever wanted me for a distraction."

Adair raised an eyebrow. "I thought we were on the same page about this," she said. "I don't date anyone. I don't have time for it."

"That is rubbish. Your brother has the same commitments you do and he's getting married."

"That's his choice!" Adair replied, exasperated. She turned to leave. "Just forget it. Forget I was even here if this is how you're going to be. I don't need this on top of everything else."

Seamus caught her wrist and yanked her back to him, kissing her hard even though he wanted to hate her just then. He shoved her into the wall and began undressing her.

ooooOoooo

When Adair got back to her flat, she was surprised to find the kitchen light on. She never left lights on. She made her way there, wand in her hand. She had heard of other players having issues with obsessed fans. Even though she had the highest levels of protection on her flat, she was still nervous.

"What are you doing here?" she asked, when she saw the long, pulled back, red hair.

It was incredibly late and Charlie didn't look very happy when he turned around on the barstool to face her.

"I wanted to be here for the big match. Your brother let me in." He took in her appearance and his heart at once sank just as his blood began to boil. "Where have you been, Adair?"

Her hair was a wild and dishevelled mess, her lips were red and swollen, and he could see a bruise on her neck and possibly a bite mark. He could tell that she didn't have a bra on either.

"Nowhere," she replied.

"Nowhere?" Charlie asked, standing up so he towered over her. "Well it looks like you've been somewhere with someone." He stepped closer and he could smell it on her. "Were you with Seamus?"

Adair was silent for a moment. "I didn't know it wasn't allowed," she finally said.

"Allowed," Charlie scoffed. "I would've thought it was just common decency after everything we've done and said. Did our conversation the last time I was here mean nothing to you? Because it did to me. I thought we were really doing this." He paced back and forth in front of her. "Bloody hell! I removed myself from a huge rescue mission so I could come here and support you and you're out sleeping around!" He shook his head and ran his hand through his hair.

"I don't even remember what I said that night, Charlie!" she exclaimed, thought it was a lie. "I was drunk!"

"When aren't you drunk, Adair?" Charlie demanded, facing off to her.

Adair felt as though she'd been slapped and they stood glaring at one another before Charlie stormed out of the flat.

ooooOoooo

Charlie was back in Romania the next day, furious that he had been so foolish. There had been a doubt in the back of his mind since he had first snogged Adair in his parent's orchard. She had hardly opened up to him in all of those months and then when he thought it was really serious after his visit and seeing her in Hungary, she had slept with another man.

Since he had missed the mission the night before, he stayed in his room and turned on the radio, finding the England vs. Egypt match.

"Something is off with Adair Wood today, ladies and gentlemen, and this is not the match where you want to have an off day." the announcer said midway through the match.

Adair dropped the Quaffle, made bad passes and missed goal attempts. Charlie was rubbing his temples as he listened.

"Bloody hell that had to hurt!" the announcer exclaimed. "Adair Wood takes a Bludger to her ribcage and gets knocked off her broom. She's hanging on trying to swing back onto her seat, but you can tell she's just in agony. I bet that broke four or five ribs."

Charlie was pacing his living room and kitchen as he listened. He was holding his breath and there were tears in his eyes. He was so angry at her, but he could picture her dangling from her broom in midair and, damn it all, he still wanted to be there to help her.

"She's done it! She's back on her broom and England calls a timeout. Adair Wood hobbles into the healing tent and I don't think we'll be seeing her the rest of the match."

England barely won that day.

I hope you loved it. Nothing makes me happier than hearing your thoughts and opinions so please let me know what you thought. I'll take anything but hate comments or flames.

Happy reading,

Avonmora