Burn // Charlie Weasley

28. Blurred Lines

"Can you look at this for me?" Gabi stood up from behind Charlie's desk when he swung open the door to his office. He gave her a questionable look, probably wondering what the hell she was doing in his office before he even showed up to work.

But he hung his jacket up behind the door and stepped forward, extending out his hand to grab the paper that Gabi had just finished looking over for the fifth time.

"Why are you..."

"I needed paper without the sanctuary's logo on it," she explained why she was sitting at his desk. "Can you just-" she nodded at what was in his hands and Charlie sighed, clearing his throat before reading it aloud.

"Hi, hope all is well. Sorry I haven't written in a while. It's my understanding that Draco has reached out to you, while I don't know what the contents of his letter said, I should probably mention that Draco and I aren't on speaking terms. I decided to leave New York, only for a little while. I needed a vacation away from the city and from him. I'll be back in the New Year. You both should come visit if you're able to. Buon Natale, lots of love, Gabi."

Charlie handed the letter back, he was trying his hardest not to laugh. Gabi's eyebrows furrowed together, "What?"

"I counted five lies in that letter."

"Whatever," she scoffed. "I just need them to believe it. That way they won't go looking for me. And if I need to take a little vacation back to New York to prove to them that I'm safe, then so be it."

"So that's what you're going with?" Charlie asked as she stepped around the desk. His eyes followed as she walked out of the office and when she didn't answer, Charlie turned and leaned against the doorframe. She was purposely ignoring him, but that didn't stop Charlie from asking again. "You're fine lying to them? That's your plan?"

The other night when she had said she was going back to New York, he reacted exactly how she thought he would.

Charlie's exact words, if Gabi remembered correctly, were...'are you fucking kidding me'.

Which is exactly why she didn't want to talk to him about it when it was one in the morning and she was exhausted and in pain. All Gabi did was remind him that they agreed no questions asked until the morning.

Of course, Charlie went back on his word. He sprung off the couch and started going off about how she can't just move back to New York. Gabi couldn't even get a word in because he wouldn't let her.

It took an extra ten minutes of Charlie coming up with every reason in the book as to why she had to stay in Oxhaven until she finally threw a pillow in his face and yelled at him that she wasn't leaving.

She just needed her parents to believe that she hadn't moved away from New York.

"Gabriela," Charlie didn't mean to raise his voice, but it startled Gabi and she flinched as she continued to walk towards her desk, "Look at me while I'm talking to you."

She rolled her eyes, but did what he asked and turned around. "God, Charlie, you sound like my father."

Gabi could see it on his face that he hated that comment.

"Never," he started off slowly as he pushed himself off the doorframe and walked closer, "Ever, compare me to your father or any sort of father figure again. Got it?"

And Gabi really should have just said yes. She could tell that this was clearly a sore spot for Charlie, for reasons she didn't feel like getting into when she was already dealing with her own issues regarding parents.