Book Two
Chapter 31 – Summer '95
GN
Being in Romania was amazing! I loved working alongside my brother and Charlie. Our parents visited Romania after my first week there, to see how I was doing with recent events. They didn't stay for long as they had to get back to work. I received good news and bad news that week, I passed all of my exams which was excellent news, but Professor Nakate won't be coming back next year. He did write me a letter that if I wanted to study alchemy after Hogwarts, he would love to take me on as an apprentice if I wanted to.
Once a week, I let the boys had their alone time and went off drinking with the others on the reserve. Cedric wrote to me twice a week, informing me on his healing progress. He even visited after my third week there. George on the other hand... He wrote to me the day after I arrived in Romania and told me he couldn't come by, and he won't have time to write much. He didn't say why, and that's what bothered me so much. I get it if it was because of the shop they were trying to set up, or just any explanation, but I didn't get any. I had written to him four times without a reply before giving up. I told Charlie about it, and he said he didn't know, but I knew he was lying. So, I focused on my work at the reserve, I focused on the dragons.
The moment I arrived at the reserve, I changed my hair in a light brown bob and kept it like that the whole summer. It was easier than long hair that got in the way if I needed to duck from fire breathing dragons or whatever. It took me over a week to convince Bash to let me work with dragons directly. But once I was allowed, it couldn't have gone better. Charlie called me a natural in sensing the dragon's needs. I wasn't allowed to go to the rescue parties, but I was always on stand-by at the reserve.
It was my final night at the reserve and Charlie and Bash made a special dinner in the cabin. We were talking about the start of school and Cedric's healing when Charlie placed dessert on the table, three plates of Bash's favourite double chocolate cake. Bash was about to stick his fork in it, but as he wasn't looking at it but to me as he spoke, he didn't see the ring on top of it. My eyes turned comically large as I looked from a nervous Charlie to Bash. Bash stopped talking when he noticed my change. He looked down at the cake, his eyes mimicking mine and they shifted to Charlie. Charlie was already sitting on one knee on the floor next to him.
"I wanted to do this for months, but I wanted our favourite person to be here with us." He shot a wink at me. "I've been in love with you for almost three years. And I know it took a while before you met the family, but I want you to be a part of it. I want you in my life, for the rest of it. You make me crazy; you make me look like a lovesick puppy. Even after all this time, my heart still flutters as I wake up next to you. Sebastian Northon, will you marry me?"
"Only if you marry me." Bash said presenting his own ring that he took out of his pocket.
"What?" Charlie's eyes wide.
"I wanted to ask you the same question." Both large goofy smiles on their faces. "So, yes I'll marry you."
"And yes, I'll marry you." Charlie said before leaping up and kissing my brother.
"I'm so happy for you two." I jumped up when they parted and pulled them both in a hug.
"Don't think I forgot about you." Charlie said with a grin after they put the rings on each other's hand. "Guinevere Northon, will you do the honour to be my sister-in-law?"
"I kinda figured I already was for the past three years, but sure." I shrugged with a grin. My grin faltered as my mouth dropped open when Charlie took a second box out of his pocket, revealing a bracelet with different charms on it. A dragon presenting Charlie, a crown presenting me, a Celtic sign for brother that presented Bash. And lastly a triquetra, representing all three of them. "It's beautiful."
"You can add extra charms on it, if you want to."
"I love you so much." Bash grabbed Charlie's cheeks and kissed him. "This -" He pointed at me. "means more to be than you know."
"You know I love your little one." Charlie grinned and wrapped me in a hug.
"I love you too, Charles." I chuckled at the glare he shot me.
"Even though we haven't planned anything yet, but I would be honoured if you would be my best woman." Bash said with a wink.
"If would've cursed you if you didn't ask." I laughed and wrapped him in a hug.
GN
The next day, with my new bracelet firmly around my wrist, I said goodbye to two of my favourite people. Charlie sat down my trunk next to me in the living room and I hugged them both.
"Keep me posted on the wedding plans."
"We will." The boys chimed.
"Be safe." Charlie kissed my cheek.
"And don't go draining your magic again." Bash said with a grin but his tone serious before he kissed my forehead.
"I won't. You two take care of those new cuts, otherwise they turn into scars." I pointed at their arms.
"Not all of us can hide scars with a wiggle of her nose."
"I don't need to wiggle my nose." I said as I changed my eyes brown for a second to prove my point.
"Right, right we get it. Show off." Charlie snickered. "It's time." He said holding out an empty bottle that was starting to shake.
"I'll miss you both." I hugged them quickly before taking the bottle.
"We'll miss you too." They called out just as I disappeared from the cabin.
GN
As I was walking through the air; I already saw Cedric waiting for me in his garden. When I landed softly on the ground, he ran over and tackled me in a hug.
"Need air." I gasped from his tight hug.
"Sorry." He grinned sheepishly, pulling back. "I just missed you."
"I missed you too, Ced." I wrapped my arms around his waist again and his found its way around me, now a much gentler touch.
"Come, let's get your stuff upstairs." He took my trunk with his free hand while the other was still around me and led me to the house. Once we were upstairs, he placed the trunk behind my bed and pulled me onto his. I kicked off my shoes and tucked my feet under me as I curled into him.
"How are you? Are you completely healed?" I asked while he rubbed my arm softly.
"I am, but the healers told me I can't play Quidditch this year."
"I'm sorry." I mumbled in his chest.
"It's okay. More time to spend with my friends. How are the twins doing? With their shop?"
"I don't know." I grumbled.
"Hey, what's wrong?" He lifted my head with a finger under my chin, his eyes scanning mine.
"George wrote to me in July saying he couldn't come by, and he wasn't able to write much. He didn't tell me why. I've written him four letters without any answer before I gave up."
Cedric's brows gathered. "That's not like George."
"Maybe that's his way of breaking up with me." I looked back down.
"He's so in love with you." Cedric shook his head. "No, it must be something else."
"Whatever it is, he didn't even bother to let me know." I pushed myself of the bed. "I'm going to take a shower." I walked out of the room before he could say anything.
GN
It was only one week before school started and Cedric and I just came back from Diagon Alley with all of our seventh-year books. Cedric was upstairs packing his trunk while I laid on my stomach on the garden going through my care of magical creatures' book. It was fun going to Diagon Alley, we met up with Odin and Lyra at the ice cream parlour. And under the careful eye of Amos and Olive we spend the whole day in Diagon Alley, going from store to store and grabbing lunch afterwards. Odin and Lyra were still going strong, and it looked like they were in it for the long haul. I jumped a little when Cedric flopped down next to me on the grass.
"Whatcha reading?"
"What do you think?" I chuckled. I closed my book and leaned my head on my hand as I looked at him. "I know you've been dying to ask, so ask."
"You know me too well." He grinned. "The necklace." He nudged his head to my neck.
I pushed myself up and sat up straight. I took the necklace from under my shirt and let it glisten against the sun. "I knew it wasn't legal, that's why I didn't tell you. But I couldn't let you face yet another task without some kind of protection." I said as I twirled the necklace between my fingers. "With my parents' work... you know I come across a lot of spells, magic, curses. There is this Indian protection spell. It needed something that means something to the both of us."
"That's why you chose the necklace."
"Yeah." I smiled softly. "That and because it was something you could wear. It needed, uhm, blood. From the both of us."
"How?"
"When you were asleep." I grinned sheepishly at him. "I needed to mix our blood and cast the spell. The spell only works for people..." I looked down at the necklace, taking in a breath. "The spell only works for people who had mixed their DNA before the spell and for people who love each other."
"Mix DNA? You mean when we... when we kissed?" Cedric's cheeks turned furiously red, and I tried to hide my own blush.
"Yeah." I whispered. "The spell isn't exactly in the standard books of charm and spells. So, -"
"You're reluctant to tell Dumbledore, I understand." He nodded; his cheeks still red. "And the part of Dumbledore thinking that the draining of your magic while you saved me was linked to the necklace."
I sighed deeply. "When I preformed the spell, I needed to put a piece of my magic in it, otherwise it wouldn't work. As long as one of us lives the other would be protected, the one who's wearing it."
"That was dangerous, Winnie. You could have gotten hurt."
"I was tired for a day or two, but other than that... I needed you to be safe, Ced. You need to understand that. I can't bear the thought of losing you." I said as tears formed in my eyes. Cedric shifted so he was sitting in front of me and enclosed me in a hug. He pulled me in his lap as he held me tightly.
"I understand. I would've done the same for you." He whispered in my hair. "Promise me one thing?" I nodded against his chest. "You keep the necklace on. I want you, no – I need you to be safe."
"Alright, I promise."
We sat there for a while, me in his lap while his arms were firmly wrapped around me. We only got back inside when it started to rain. I packed up the last of my things that night as we were almost leaving for Hogwarts. That last week went by fast, and I still hadn't heard a word from George. I was already fuming by the start of the new school year; Cedric was the one that kept me calm. Amos had to work September first and Olive had an appointment at Gringotts, but since we both were seventeen and had passed our apparition license, we decided we would apparate together to the platform. We only had to promise his parents to apparate straight from their home to exactly on the platform. So, on the morning of September 1st, that was exactly what they did, trunk in hand.