𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐌𝐀𝐆𝐈𝐂𝐈𝐀𝐍 (2) || 𝘙𝘦𝘮𝘶𝘴 𝘓𝘶𝘱𝘪𝘯

𝐈𝐗. 𝐈𝐧 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐃𝐫𝐚𝐠𝐨𝐧'𝐬 𝐃𝐞𝐬𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐒𝐡𝐚𝐝𝐨𝐰

"I messed it up before. Can't do it again." Edith clenched her fists in her jacket, fisting the scratchy fabric through an even stare.

"I know you won't, Birdie. We'll be okay." Charlie's arm came around her shoulder, and he pulled her into his side.

The ginger continued after giving her shoulder a small squeeze. "Talking of Ron, he seems a bit... pent up? Thoroughly pissed off? Any reason why?"

"You've seen him?"

"Swung by Hagrid's earlier, figured if anyone wanted to know about the passing parade, it'd be him." Charlie wore a small smile, nodding towards the cages of dragons across from them. "Saw Ron, Hermione and Ginny already there. Hardly got a word out of him, actually. The girls weren't too happy, either, now that I mind."

"Ron's convinced that Harry put his own name in the Goblet. Thought his best friend would've been able to see how crazy all of this is. Harry's scared, why can't he get that?"

Charlie heaved a sigh, his hand rubbing up and down her arm as he continued to hold her.

"Ron's probably the most aware out of all of us. You think Bill and I don't see the way he looks at us sometimes? With these... massive amounts of jealously and admiration? He thinks his future is shallow at Hogwarts, all because Bill and I got there first. But he's gotta stop comparing himself to us, we're all Weasleys', but we're different people underneath all of that. Ron doesn't know who he is yet, and that infuriates him, I was the same at his age! But he's got his whole life to figure that out. He's gotta find that thing that makes him look for a better tomorrow. Sometimes that's a job, or stability in your day to day, and sometimes... it's a person."

Edith watched as Charlie's eyes slowly travelled to a man standing beside the Chinese Fireball's cage. He peered at the parchment in his hands through thin, dark glasses, with his wand strapped to his upper arm and his blond hair bunched in a neat ponytail at the base of his neck.

Edith felt Charlie's posture soften, as if he had released a heaving sigh. But no audible sigh ever left him as he continued to admire the man across the clearing through - quite possibly - the softest eyes Edith had ever seen.

"He wants to significant." Charlie breathed, bringing his eyes away from the blond man and taking a quick glance at Edith, only to find the girl alread staring at him, a small and knowing lopsided smile on her face.

Charlie's eyes widened, seeing that he had been caught, before he coughed, lowering his head off to the side and raking a hand through his own hair before continuing with his words.

"Ron doesn't wanna just be 'another Weasley'. And I understand, really. But like I say, he's got years. He's better off enjoying the world he's in today, with the people he loves, before sitting down and getting all grumpy with what comes tomorrow. Life's too short to not enjoy waking up in the morning, Edith."

"But... that's not why I invited you here. How're you doing? Any more hiccups with your cards? Forget everyone else for a minute, you doin' okay?" Charlie finally turned to her, (now blush free), and tilted his head.

Edith glanced away, finding the Horntail's gleaming eyes once again, all the while, hearing Sirius' words being spoken in her head.

"You need to be kind to yourself, Edith."

"The tournament's giving me a run for my money, but teaching is going well. I'm coping, I just have to be there for Harry. I'm okay." Edith nodded to herself, watching the plumes of dragonfire ahead of them once again.

Liar.

They watched as the dragonologists around them continued to wrangle the four dragons back into a semi-peaceful state, and Edith didn't miss the subtle way Charlie flinched at the sight of stunning spells being used against the beasts.