Playing With Fire (Charlie Weasley X Reader)

Chapter 14: Revoked

Chapter 14: Revoked

I'm feeling generous today. Above is an *asymmetrical* drawing of Mr. Balaur if you'd like a visual.

Time seems to slow when we have something to look forward to. Yet, when we finally get there, it is over in a blink of an eye and the moment has passed. Good times are always fleeting and bad times seem to be never-ceasing, but looking back, we see that all had simply been distorted by emotions.

Then again, time is a social construct and with such, I am content to blame not savoring precious moments on society as a whole.

It was February, and there was one month until I would begin studying abroad. I was nervous for a plethora of reasons. First, I would not have Percy breathing down my neck about studying; second, I would be seeing Charlie again; and third, I would have to tell my mother something. There was a bit of happy anticipation and a bit of nervousness. A part of me worried that Charlie liked only an idea of me and that once we would be sending more time together, he would lose interest or realize that I wasn't what he wanted in the first place.

It was nighttime, probably around one in the morning, and I was lying awake in my bed, staring at the ceiling. Usually, I could get away with sneaking around the castle, but I wanted to make sure that I didn't get into any trouble a month before I would be leaving for Romania.

Sometimes, there was no reason for my insomnia. I just couldn't sleep.

But tonight, I knew what was keeping me awake.

I'm sorry that I forged your signature. Please don't say anything and I'll be a better daughter just as soon as I go against your wishes and go to Romania, I rehearsed in my head. Even I wasn't rooting for myself.

I knew that I couldn't tell her through a letter. I had to tell her in person. I had to face my mother.

***

I bargained with McGonagall for the better part of an hour before she allowed me to visit my mother, a week before I was set to go to Romania. I had apparated over and knocked on the door of my childhood home apprehensively. I waited for what felt like an eternity before my mother opened the door, exhaustion painted under her eyes in purple bags. She looked older.

"Y/N," she exclaimed tiredly and wiped at her face like she was trying to hide her tiredness. "How are you, honey? It's been a while. I didn't know you were coming. Come in; I'll make tea."

I followed after her meekly into the kitchen, which had a familiar aroma, like mildew and coffee.

"I'm glad you're here," she said as she warmed water in a kettle. "I thought you were mad about the program. I wanted to talk to you about it in depth more, but I know that you're busy."

"That's what I came to talk about."

"It's not distrust in you," my mother interjected as if she had been waiting to tell me this and had perfected the speech. "The world is a scary place, Y/N, and a program that was just thrown together like that one was... I just didn't feel like you would be safe. I want you to succeed, but I want you to be safe. I know that you might not understand my perspective but, as your mother, I can't feel like I'm in the right if I let you go somewhere where you don't have anyone."

"I would though," I tried weakly.

"But you wouldn't," she elaborated. "Hogwarts is protected. I knew it was safe before I sent you. I researched for weeks and I was able to talk to your headmaster beforehand. I don't think I could sleep knowing that you're off doing wizard things in a place that we don't know. This isn't my world, Y/N, and I will never understand it, so I believe that my apprehension is justified."