Written for THC, Round 2, Slytherin, Divination, Drabble. Prompts: [Character] Charlie Weasley.
Written for Hogwarts, Slytherin. Assignment 3, Medicine: Task 2: Anesthesiologist: Write about someone feeling 'numb' about something.
Word count: 924 words.
Betas: Aya, 2D, Gecko, Ash.
Notes: Mourning, mentions of war, canon character death.
Charlie Weasley stood in his childhood room and stared at the fields surrounding his former home. He had had a great childhood here, one that he wouldn't change for the world.
Being one of seven children could have had some drawbacks, but Charlie only ever recalled the advantages. Such as always having someone to play with and being able to play Quidditch in groups whenever they wanted. There was always more love to go around, and looking at the fields reminded him of that.
It reminded him of the freedom it had given him to be and do what he wanted. He and his older brother, Bill, practically grew up outside in the wild. As he and Bill were the oldest, they were given the most responsibility. They learnt to care for themselves a lot and always found animals to help or play with.
Charlie had always loved animals, and as he got older, his passion for them grew, and his interests became bigger… So did the strays he kept bringing back and hiding in the shed.
After leaving Hogwarts, he followed his passion for animals over his love for his family. He sought careers that worked with many animals but couldn't resist moving far away to be surrounded by dragons daily.
At twenty-six, he was content and happy with the choices he had made in his life. He thrived, devoting his life to helping and looking after the dragons. There was no time limit to his commitment; if he had to sit with a breeding dragon for days on end with insufficient sleep, food and water, it was always worth it. It took a lot not to be wholly absorbed into that life solely.
But unlike some of the other Dragon keepers, he had a tether back to real life. His family. They were always on his mind and something that also brought him joy. While he didn't visit them often, he wrote weekly and carried their letters with him until he answered them.
Then the war came. His thoughts wandered away from the dragons he was in charge of and dwelled back in England with his family.
He didn't hesitate to return to join the first wave with his family. And, of course, to help the wizarding world, but it was the thought of his family that brought him back.
Charlie had lost a couple of dragons before, and it hurt, but he had never experienced pain like this.
He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named lay dead on the ground; his followers either surrendered or fled. It was supposed to be a joyous moment.
Charlie couldn't rejoice like the others. He couldn't join the dancing or the cheers - they were like barbs in his mind. He and his family had just lost one of their own. Charlie stared at his brother's vacant face, a numbness running through him.
Fred was gone.
He was dead. Dead.
Charlie couldn't even bear to look at who else hadn't made it. That would be too much to bear. His own brother hadn't survived the fight. Nothing mattered anymore.
That is what brought him here to his childhood home. The loss of his brother still stung heavily, and he couldn't figure out what to do next.
Just then, a familiar owl dropped off a rolled-up parchment at the window.
Charlie frowned and stared at the letter he had just received, frozen and unable to move. It had been nine days since they had lost Fred. Charlie had barely given any thought to his job in Romania or his dragons.
"Charlie?" Ron's voice appeared softly from the doorway.
Charlie glanced back at him and gave him a polite nod. "It's from work."
Ron closed the distance between them and read the letter, which remained in his clasp. "They're asking when you're going back."
Rolling the letter up, Charlie slid it into his pocket and looked out the window. "They can wait a bit longer."
"How much longer?"
Immediately, Charlie looked at his younger brother, affronted. "Do you want me to go?"
Ron shook his head and rested a hand on Charlie's shoulder. "You can stay for as long as you like. It's been really great having you back around so much."
Charlie looked back out of the window, his eyes looking up at the vibrant red and purple sky as the sun began to set. It should have been beautiful to him, but it wasn't. The colours seemed grey and distant. He felt so disconnected from it that he couldn't even consider enjoying it while listening to his brother.
Fred wasn't there to see this, so what was the point of it anyway?
"We are all mourning, but Hermione says it's good to try to get back to normal."
"I don't care what Hermione says," Charlie muttered and turned away from the insulting sky. He leant against the window sill and looked at his younger brother. "I thought we had all the time in the world. That I could just pop back and catch up whenever I wanted. But I missed so bloody much of Fred's life. So much of it! I can't change that. But I can ensure I'll be around for everybody else's life."
His brother leant in for a hug, something Charlie hadn't participated in much with humans until more recently, and Charlie instantly hugged him back.
"Hermione's great, by the way. You did good."
Ron chuckled and pulled away. "Yeah, she is."
Charlie clasped his brother's shoulder. "Don't mess it up."
"I'm trying not to!"