Chapter 16 – Bash

I couldn't get back to the stands, I couldn't go back to the tent. I just needed my brother. I went to the dragon's cages and huddled in the corner next to Fleur's Welsh, which meant she had captured the golden egg. The tears started to fall as I looked at the dragon, who looked at me curiously.

"I'm not here for your babies." I whispered; the dragon cocked her head. Trying to figure out if I was dangerous or not. "I just needed some space."

With one wing protectively over her eggs, her snout came closer and sniffed at her. Without thinking I stuck out my hand for her to sniff. After a few whiffs, she had decided to deem me safe and nudged her head against my hands.

"I've never seen her let anyone close if she had eggs." Charlie's surprised voice sounded on the other side of the cage. The dragon's head and mine snapped to the dragon tamer. The dragon hissed and stood up protectively around the eggs. "It's okay, Geena, I won't hurt them." Charlie's voice calming. "I just came for Gwen." The dragon named Geena looked at Charlie suspiciously before she returned her attention to her eggs. Charlie grinned from the dragon to me, but when he saw the tears, his grin disappeared like snow before the sun. "Gwen?" He hurried around the cage and dropped down next to me. "What's wrong?" He pulled an arm around me and hugged me tight.

"I - I told him." I sniffed and wiped the tears away. "I told Cedric how I felt about him. He doesn't feel the same."

Charlie frowned at the last part but didn't say anything and continued to rub her shoulders. "I think we're both in need for a little Bash."

"Couldn't hurt." I smiled as I pushed back the tears. Charlie smiled back to me and pulled me up, his arm around my shoulder, tugging me close. "I think Harry is just receiving his points." He said as we heard the crowds shouting, POTTER, POTTER! "Let's wait in our tent. Bash is just gathering Tommy back to his cage with the others."

"You called a Hungarian Horntail, Tommy?" I snickered.

"He looked like a Tommy, and she was already used to her name by the time we found out she was a girl." Charlie shrugged with a grin as he led her to the tent. The tent was like the one at the World Cup. "This is mine and Bash's tent. The others are all paired with two's and have tents next to us."

"Have you told your mum, who you've been shacking up with in Romania in your cabin?" I asked with a teasing smile.

"No, I haven't. I like that we have a bit of privacy. If mum finds out, even living in another country, it wouldn't stop her." He said as he grabbed a couple of butterbeers from the ice box and handed one over. I chuckled as I twisted off the cap. "So, I hear there is a dance in a few weeks."

"There is."

"Who are you going with?"

"I don't know if I'll be going." I muttered to myself, but Charlie heard it as he quirked an eyebrow. "It's still a month away, we'll see." I shrugged.

"Nobody asked you yet?" He asked surprised.

"No, we only found out last week, so..."

"So, plenty of time, I agree." Charlie leaned back on his sofa. "But you should really go, this is something that is probably going to happen only once in your life. I wish I was back at school."

"Maybe you could be my date." I grinned at him, leaning back and resting my head on his shoulder.

"I'll be back in Romania by then, otherwise it would be my honour."

"Your honour to do what?" Bash's voice came from the tent entrance. We glanced at Bash with a smile, and I felt Bash and Charlie giving each other silent communication above my head, because suddenly his face was serious and he walked over quickly, dropping down next to me. I let my head fall on his chest while Charlie held my hand. "What happened, little one?"

I sighed before I told him what happened. Not only today but everything that had happened since this summer. When I ended telling everything, Bash nodded seriously and summoned a bottle of fire whiskey and poured three glasses.

"Mum will kill you if she finds out."

"I won't tell if you won't." He smiled as he offered me a glass. I grinned before I downed the glass, letting the liquid burn in my throat. "There were some red headed twins looking for you."

"That would be George and Fred." I said as I filled my second glass.

"Your brothers?" Bash asked surprised as he looked to Charlie. I moved away from the couch and sat down at the coffee table as I looked at the two. Bash and Charlie had their fingers intertwined on the back of the couch. I smiled as I saw the love they had for each other, and it hurt thinking I could never have that.

"Yeah, want to meet them?"

"You want to introduce me?" Bash asked shocked, while I said. "Finally."

Charlie stuck out his tongue at me before he looked to my brother with a sweet smile. "Baby steps."

"Baby steps." Bash repeated with a smile and squeezed their hands. "No, you had enough." Bash suddenly picked my third glass out of my hands, and I pouted. "If you show up drunk at dinner, the professors probably give the three of us detention."

"You're not in school anymore." I pointed out.

"Won't stop McGonagall." The two men said together. I laughed as I couldn't disagree, she could easily see the three of them cleaning out bed pans tonight if they caught her drunk. "Let's grab some dinner at the castle, everyone should be there by now."

"Let us change into something less dirty." Charlie gestured to his clothes.

"I'll wait outside." I smiled and walked to the tent entrance. I looked over my shoulder and saw them share a quick kiss before I walked out of the tent. I could see the empty stands not that far away, where it was loud not even an hour ago, it was now dead silent. The only sounds that could be heard were the dragons.

We were walking to the great hall and the boys were reminiscing about their Hogwarts days, making me laugh and feel better without even trying. I hopped up on one of the stone benches before I jumped on Bash's back. He chuckled as he took a hold of my legs and galloped through the corridors. It was something we did a lot when we were kids. Bash was six years older than me and despite the age gap, we were as close as anyone could be. He used to carry me around the house or even in Hogwarts on his back as I ordered him around. Charlie followed after us, laughing. Bash just neighed as we entered the crowded great hall. All eyes in the room looked at me and Bash, before they darted over to Charlie who appeared next to us. Bash lowered me to the ground and put his arm around my shoulder, while Charlie did the same around my waist. I glared at the two of them.

"You really trying to start a rumour, don't you."

"A rumour? I'm your brother." Bash gasped.

"No one knows that."

"Oh well." He shrugged as Charlie started to guide him to the Gryffindor table.

"Uhm, the Hufflepuff table is over there." I pointed to the yellow filled table and my eyes found Cedric, who was looking at me with Cho tucked close next to him. I looked away from him and looked to the Gryffindor table where my eyes found George, who looked confused between the three of us.

"I know, but if I want to introduce Bash here to my brothers, my best bet is the Gryffindor table." Charlie snickered.

"Fine, fine." I sighed but smiled and was happy to not sit at the Hufflepuff table. My eyes were still on the red filled table, so I didn't see Angelina come up to us.

"Hi." She smiled, which was supposed to be in a flirty way and placed her hand on Bash's arm. "I'm Angelina." She shot me a glare before turning back to my brother. "I could show you a good time, if you ditch this one."

"Not interested." He shrugged her hand of his arm with a frown, his grip on me tight. Angelina's teeth clenched together as she turned to Charlie, but before she could open her mouth, he put up his hand.

"Don't even try."

Angelina glared at the three of them before she huffed and walked away. The two of them looked at her with a worried look. "What the hell was that about?"

"We never been friends, but since the twins started to give me more attention than her..." I trailed off and shrugged.

"Be careful of that one, she has crazy eyes."

"Noted." I grinned and we started walking towards the twins. "Is it okay that I sit here? Charlie nearly dragged me here."

"You can sit with us anytime, love. You know that." George smiled at me, and my stomach flipped. I saw Charlie and Bash give each other a look and nudged them both in the ribs. I grinned as I heard them grumble and sat down, with her brother on her left and Charlie on her right.

"Hey, Hermione." Bash waved at Hermione, who was sitting next to Harry. Hermione blushed and ducked her eyes to her dinner in front of her.

"What did you say to her?" Charlie chuckled.

"I just gave her my dazzling smile." Bash said as he smiled wide, showing off his beautiful smile. I laughed as I leaned into him, his arm again around my shoulder. My eyes found George's, but he looked at Bash's arm with a frown. Bash must've noticed and offered his free hand for the twins to take. "I'm Bash, Sebastian. This one's brother."

"Brother?" George perked up at this. "So, this is the famous brother who works with Charlie in Romania."

"The one and only." He said as he shook the twins' hands. "And you are?"

"George."

"Fred. So, how is working with mister grumpy pants going?"

"It has its perks." Bash smiled and Charlie pursed his lips at him, and I started laughing all over again.

"Did we miss something?" The twins asked each other.

"Uhm, Fred, George, Ron." He looked at the youngest who was sitting next to Fred, but he was too busy with his food he wasn't following the conversation until Charlie said his name. "Bash is my partner."

I saw that the twins understood what he meant in an instant as their eyes went large before they smirked. Ron on the other hand. "We all know he's your partner, you're working together."

I slapped myself on the head as I started to laugh, loudly which meant that more people looked my direction. "I'm sorry." I squeaked out between laughs as I held my side. The tips of my hair were changing colours, turning into every colour of the rainbow. That only happened when I laughed uncontrollably, freely and happy, which happened a lot when I was with the twins, or even more with just George. But they didn't know what the changing of hair colour meant until...

"What's so funny?" Ron frowned. "And what's going on with your hair?"

"That happens when she's happy and feels free." Bash smiled proudly as he took a strand of hair in his hand, inspecting the colours. I glanced at George, who had a proud grin on his face. I quickly looked back to Ron.

"By partner I mean... boyfriend." Charlie explained a little more clearly. Ron looked at his brother dumbfounded, dropping his fork on his plate.

"I knew it!" The twins called out.

"Not of Bash of course -"

"But that you're... you know."

"Does mum know?"

"Probably not, we would've heard about it by now." The twins kept tossing the conversation to each other.

"No, mum doesn't know. So, keep it to yourself for now, okay?" Charlie said and the twins nodded.

"How long?" Ron asked, still looking confused.

"Bash and I are together for almost two years now."

"No, I mean... How long have you known?"

"Oh, I always thought that I liked men, but it was when I was in my third year I knew for sure."

"What triggered it?"

Charlie smiled to himself, his ears turning a bit pink before he spoke. "Bash actually, I had a crush on him for ages, it was because of him I took Care of Magical Creatures in the first place."

"Ooooh." The twins cooed and leaned their heads on their hands as they looked at their brother.

"Oh, shove off." Charlie threw a pea at each one.

"I think it's sweet." Bash smiled and reached for his hand under the table, which meant they clasped together on my lap. But I didn't mind, I was just so happy for them. The two men I loved unconditionally, the men who were my brothers. My mood dropped in an instant at the thought that both were leaving the next day. George must've noticed the lack of smile on my face, because he reached over the table and took my hand.

"Are you okay?"

"Yeah, just sad that these two goofballs are leaving tomorrow." I gave him a sad smile.

"You have us two goofballs to keep you occupied." Fred grinned, pointing between him and George.

"Oh, yeay for me." I said sarcastically and rolled my eyes playfully.

"Why didn't you get back to the stands? You missed everyone." George asked.

"I-uhm...-"

"After she went to see Cedric was fine, she bumped into me, and I gave her a private tour." Charlie jumped in and I shot him a grateful smile.

"So, any idea on who you are taking to the ball?" Bash asked. And I was happy to see him wince after a stomped his foot with my heel. I didn't look up as I started to eat my dinner but listened to the others, wanting to know their answers.

"There is this Beauxbatons girl who I might ask or ..." Fred trailed off and I looked up curiously. "Oi! Granger, want to take this handsome bloke to the ball?"

My eyes went wide as I looked from Fred to Hermione. Hermione once again blushed and looked down at her plate, while Harry whispered something in her ear, and she nudged his ribs. I looked back to Fred, where I first thought it was a joke, it now looked like it was something more. Interesting. I glanced over to George, who held the same look of surprise as he looked at his twin.

It was the perfect time to change the subject, before anyone could dive in again. "Oh, Bash. I need to tell you about our Alchemy lessons."