The Irreplaceable Charlie Weasley

Chapter 1 - What is he Doing Here?

Charlie

I have had nothing but an amazing summer so far. I did great on my O.W.L.s and my family was proud. Mum told all the relatives how good Bill and I did, without thinking how embarrassed we would be by getting tons of congratulations letters. And to top it all off, Nova was staying with us for the entire summer, and due to everything that happened in our fifth year between us, I was really glad she could be here.

The fight we had still haunted me at night sometimes. We needed almost a week to feel comfortable with each other again and for things to go back as they were. When she came after me into the Forest, I was hesitant to talk to her. The whole week when she was in the Hospital Wing I was spending with Hagrid or in the Forbidden Forest so I had things to distract me from the fact that every time I went to visit her, McNully was there.

There was a point where I lost all hope that I would ever call her a friend again and it meant so much to me that she finally gathered the courage to tell me everything and own up to her mistakes. That talk in the Forbidden Forest changed everything. I felt different after it and I couldn't help but repeat her words in my head.

"How could you think, after all we were through, that Murphy would replace you? Please promise me, you will never, not even for a second, think that I would replace you with anybody. There is not a person in the world that could take your place, Charlie Weasley."

I knew I was self-conscious about our friendship and Bill and Penny both told me that I don't give myself enough credit but I couldn't help it. When you have friends it's expected that sooner or later a love interest will appear and you can't expect that things will be the same after that. When I was sneaking into the Forest that week she was injured, I came to terms with that. I just wanted my best friend back and I was ready to conceal my feelings forever.

But after the things she said – that she wouldn't replace me with anyone – I couldn't help but think about something Bill said to me when I told him I fancied Nova when I said it was normal for her to blush even if we're friends.

"No, it's not mate. Do you blush if Jae says something nice to you? Or Tulip? Or Tonks?"

And when she said all those things something clicked in my brain. Perhaps they were right, perhaps Nova did have feelings for me but struggled to understand them as our friendship meant so much to her. The moment she placed that kiss on my cheek I knew that I was approaching the situation all wrong. I was afraid that she wouldn't like me back but instead, I had to be patient. I could feel there was something more between us when we were standing embraced in the Forest. I could feel something with her that I never did before and I knew it wasn't just friendship.

I knew at that moment that I have to be patient with her. Nevertheless, I needed almost a year to admit my feelings for her to myself. I need to give her time to think things through and to sort out her emotions.

My attitude changed with her when I made that decision. I was willing to wait to see if something sparks in her. I was beginning to be calmer around her and talk to her without being so shy and awkward because something was telling me that we were going to end up together.

I was always the shy one, the one that thought nobody wanted because he had freckles, even though my mum always said they were cute. So did Nova, she loved them.

I surprised myself a couple of times when I said something to her that I before would never have the courage to, and I also winked at her a couple of times. To say that it made Nova confused was an understatement. Lately, she keeps looking at me as if I was a riddle she can't seem to solve and I can't help but like it. I am giving her subtle hints that I fancy her and she is too oblivious to notice. I thought Ravenclaws knew how to solve puzzles.