Towers||Charlie Weasley.

09

It grew later into the evening and Hattie still hadn't returned home, missing dinner as the daylight was fading.

Sirius was annoyed. "I swear if she comes home with love bites or anything, and no explanation. I'm going to flip! This boy is keeping her out late. She's been gone since breakfast!"

Lily placed her hand on his shoulders and guided him to sit down, the whole house were quite worried that the girl had been gone for so long but many tried to remain calm. "Listen, I'm sure she's just having a hit do fun with some friends. That's a good thing, better than her being cooped up in her room all day like usual."

"She was in quite a rush though." Commented Harry.

Ginny nodded, "her door was locked when she was changing this morning and she hurried out."

Sirius' eyes widened and he began to panic more, "there aren't many houses close by. The nearest village is a few miles away, how does she even have friends from round here?"

"That might be why she's quiet late. If she is with some friends in the village it will take her a while to get back." Said Lily.

Charlie was worried the most out of the younger generation, he was biting his nails and his knees were bobbing up and down. He didn't want to think of the worst when it came to Hattie. She was so vulnerable and if anything serious had happened to him he wouldn't be able to live with himself.

"I'll go look." He said, standing up. Bill went to stand up and join him but he raised his hand to stop his older brother. "It's fine. I'll go. If more than one go, she'll think she's in trouble."

"Too right she is." Commented Sirius. "She didn't even tell an adult she was going, Harry knew first."

"It's her birthday, Sirius. She's fifteen too." Said Molly. "Don't punish her on her birthday."

Sirius grumbled as the door shut behind Charlie. He raced out of the grounds surrounding the house and towards the village. He passed many field and for a moments he thought saw someone laying down on the grass by a tree, but he noted how dark it was getting and blamed his eyes for playing tricks on him.

However,  they were not paying tricks. He had passed Hattie, unconscious by the tree. Her blade still laid down beside her untouched since she dropped it, the blood still clinging to the cold metal.

A while later, Hattie began to gather consciousness. Her eyes fluttered open and her head spun. She laughed her forehead, which had a prominent bump at the top from where she had hit it with force when her body slumped to the ground.

Pushing herself up, Hattie looked around as her eyes started to focus and noticed the hangs in light. She cursed under her breath and stood up. Wavering slightly, the girl plodded her way home, neglecting the blade that still laid down in the grass.

She hobbled slowly along the country lanes and in the distance she made out the redshirt that belonged to Charlie who was making his way back to the house after not finding any trace of the girl. Hattie didn't want to bring attention to herself but if she didn't get Charlie to clean up her head and the blood that had soaked her clothes, her father would have some serious questions ready for her.

"Charlie!" She called out to him.

Upon hearing his name, the man spun around quickly and spotted Hattie further back wobbling as she walked. "Please don't be drunk." He muttered to himself and jogged back towards her. "Merlin, I haven't done this much exercise since Hogwarts."

"Charlie!" Hattie called again.

Once at her side, his eyes widened. "What happened?" He demanded. She looked down at her feet and Charlie caught sight of the bump on her head and then his eyes trailed to the blood on the arm of her hoodie.  "Hattie you didn't..."

Hi fingers shook as he carefully pulled her sleeves up revealing the lines of dried blood and the scars. "Charlie I-"

"How'd you get the bump on your head?" He stopped her.

She continued to look down, "Ipasdot."she mumbled

"Sorry? Did you just say you passed out? Hattie! You've got to stop!"

"I can't!" She cried. "It feels so good!" Charlie watched the girl as she stared at him. "It feel so good! The pain is nice, it's like ripping a hole in the bubble that is suffocating me."

He went to hug her but she pushed him away.

"You don't understand. You never will! You think I need help! You think I'm just a lost cause that needs special treatment. I'm not! I'm perfectly fine on my own. You're trying to cure me! Well newsflash, Charlie! You can't. Because the second you go back to Romania. You're not going to be able to check up on me! I'll be in school!"

"Then let me help you now!" Charlie gauged with her. "You're right! I won't know what it feels like, but you won't know how much pain you're putting me in right now! I know about this side of you! Nobody else does and if they find out they will feel the same as me! You're causing me pain by me witnessing you hurt yourself! Hattie it may be soothing to you, but it's only hurting me more!"

"Then leave me be and it won't affect you!"

She pushed past him but he grabbed the back of her hoodie. "Why'd you call after me?" Charlie asked the girl, his voice now quiet and calm.

"So you can help get rid of the blood and the bump on my head." Hattie stated not looking at the man, keeping her eyes on the end of the lane.

"Then let me do that and I'll leave you be for the rest of the holidays." Charlie knew he shouldn't leave her alone but it was clear that she didn't want his help and that she wasn't going to stop anyway.

She was right when she goes back to Hogwarts and he goes back to Romania, he won't be able to help her.  So respecting her decisions would have to be what he did from now on. It would kill him slowly but it's what he had to do.

Hattie nodded and waited as Charlie brought out his wand and cleared away the bump with "episkey" and used a charm to clear the blood from her arms and clothes.

"Thanks."

"Don't mention it. Now let's get back. You're dad is really worried."

"Fat chance." Hattie mumbled and let Charlie side-along apparate her home.

They entered the house and she ran straight to her room and locked the door. She knew they'd be able to get in using a charm so she dragged her drawers in front of the door, and fell onto her bed, closing her eyes.

She sighed. It was getting harder.