Towers||Charlie Weasley.

21

The thing about the story of Peter Pan is the truth of people you know and even love growing old around you. It portrays a young, lost boy who becomes a leader of other young boys who were also lost, who hid his underlying emotions to look after others around him. To make sure they felt loved by one another and valued when really, he is at a wall. When he sees the love Mr and Mrs Darling feel towards there children when they find them missing and cry for them to come back, he becomes selfish and tells the children to forget about their parents.

Does that mean all those who do not wish to grow up are selfish?

Could Neverland just be a metaphor for life after death?

Are the Darling children just three children who were stuck in the middle, like where people rumour to go when in a coma, that because they could leave Neverland and go home, or decide stay, that they are just choosing between living and dying?

You could say that Hattie is Wendy, or John, or Michael. Stuck in between life and death. On one hand, she was on the road to getting better, but on the other hand, she wasn't really. What Charlie doesn't realise is, she'll eat, but she'll throw it up. He thinks she doesn't. He believes that she is getting better. She isn't.

She really isn't.

* * *

Everyone returned to a silent house, many put their shopping away and all went to have a relax in the living room finding the pair asleep. Charlie still had Hattie in his arms, not letting her go, whilst she gripped tightly to his top, her hand over his heart and her head rested close to it.

Ron walked over and took the book from Charlie's hand. "What is Peter Pan?" He asked looking at the cover.

"It's a children's book," Replied Lily, taking it from the book and putting it on the coffee table. "She loves the movie, Hook, I used to put it on for her and Harry when they were younger." She brushed Hattie's hair from her face and placed a blanket over the pair.

"Is she okay?" Asked Bill, looking at Sirius.

He nodded, "Yeah, she's just been tired lately, I think she's been staying up reading."

Ginny furrowed her eyebrows, "No she hasn't. Unless she has woken up after I go to sleep, she's been sleeping before me."

Sirius frowned, "You don't think she is ill do you?"

James shrugged, "Highly unlikely, when she is sick she does nothing but cuddle you and climb into your bed at night. It's probably hormones."

"Hormones is your answer to everything," snorted Peter. "I'm sure she's fine if she isn't Charlie would know and would have said something. They have been very close this summer."

If only they knew...

The group opted to leave the two to sleep and spoke quietly or did their own thing for the rest of the afternoon. Tomorrow the children would be going back to school and Charlie would be going back to Romania whilst Bill got transferred to the English base for curse-breaking.

* * *

The next morning Hattie was adding the final items into her trunk as Charlie entered her room carrying her book she had left in the living room along with a wrapped package. The man sat beside the girl as she finished folding her clothes, he placed her book on her lap and she smiled up at him softly.

"Did you think you'd be leaving without my present?" He asked her, nudging her side jestingly.

"Present?...Oh!" She exclaimed as he held up the package, "is that what you said you got me yesterday?"

Charlie nodded giving it to her, "Open it." Tearing off the wrapping she came across a diary. "When you write in it, it'll appear in my matching one, and vice versa. If I wrote you will be able to see it. I spotted it and thought this would be better and quicker than owling each other. What do you think?"

Hattie nodded opening the cover and seeing her name written in the front with the words, 'love Charlie x' beneath it. "It's great, thank you, you didn't have too."

Charlie placed his arm around her shoulders, "I told you that I'd help you and this way there are no boundaries. I just want you to be okay." He kissed her head, putting the diary in her trunk and closing it for her. "Remember our promise?"

"I'll try, I will." Hattie said quietly as he pulled her onto his lap, she buried her head into the crook of his neck and held on tightly to the back of his jacket, "I don't want to go to school."

Charlie chuckled, rubbing her back, "Enjoy it, Hattie, you'll miss it when it's gone. Have some fun with Harry, Ron and Hermione." She made a noise, so incoherent it shocked Charlie. "What was that? What's wrong?"

"I can't."

"Why not?"

Hattie sighed, "In school, they're different. They don't want to know me, let alone talk to me." Charlie was confused, why would they act like that? They all seemed, buddy-buddy at home. Ron and she always hugged and she and Harry were practically siblings. Why not in school?" "We've been lying to everyone," Hattie said. "We didn't want to upset anyone, especially dad. They accept me at home but in school, they can't. Because I'm not like them in school, Fred and George don't either, neither did Percy, it took us a while to convince him to keep his mouth shut."

"Hattie? What is going on? Why have you lied? Tell me, baby girl, I don't understand."

"I'm a Slytherin. We told you all I got Gryffindor. Don't tell dad! Please don't, he and Uncle James especially will hate me! I don't want them to hate me." She cried, her eyes staring at him pleadingly. "Dad'll kick me out if he finds out!"

"No, he won't! Hattie, he loves you!"

"Then why did I hear him tell Uncle James before first year. They hate Slytherins. Andromeda is just an exception."

"They would never hate you."

"Yes they would, everyone hates the depressed snake!"