Chapter 9: A Place
When I woke up, Percy was gone. I whined to myself and flipped over to bury my head in his pillow, wishing the sun away. I had barely slept a wink. I could hear movement from downstairs, so I willed myself to stand and traipse down the creaky staircase.
"Goodmorning, sunshine," Percy chimed and pushed a cup of tea into my hands. Ron, the twins, and Ginny were already seated at the dining table.
I snarled at him and sat down in one of the mismatched chairs that flanked the long table in the Weasley's dining room. He took a seat beside me as Mrs. Weasley came from the kitchen with a plate of food. With a wave of her wand, the table was set.
"How'd you sleep?" Percy asked from beside me.
"Shitty," I muttered in response. "I would ask you but I could tell from your snoring that you slept the night through," I lied.
"I do not snore," he said and shot me a glare.
"How would you know? You're asleep when you do it, dumbass," I growled and kicked his leg under the table.
"Goodmorning, Y/N," Mrs. Weasley said with a smile when she noticed me.
"Need help with anything?" I asked her politely and sneered at Percy when he elbowed me in the ribs. She didn't notice as she surveyed the room.
"Ah, Charlie's still in bed," she said disapprovingly. "If you'd like to fetch him, it would be greatly appreciated. If he gives you any trouble, then leave him and he can eat his breakfast cold."
I nodded and gulped my tea before I ventured back up the stairs. When I reached the attic, I knocked on the door. He didn't answer.
"I'm coming in," I called and pushed his door open. My eyes scanned his room before I zeroed in on him. He groaned and folded his arm over his face.
"What time is it?" he asked, his voice groggy with sleep.
"Seven," I answered, still in his doorway. He groaned again. "What time did you get to sleep?"
"Five," he said and sat up. His duvet slipped down and revealed that he wasn't wearing a shirt.
"This feels like a trap," I said and turned around. "It's the middle of winter and you're not wearing a shirt?"
"You're wearing shorts," he scoffed before he added, "I'm covered now."
I turned back to him to find him in the exact state that I had last seen him, only this time a wide grin adorned his face. He stretched his arms over his head and stood up.
"Oh, fuck off," I said when I saw that he was in briefs.
"You were the one that came in here," he pointed out.
"Your mother made you breakfast," I said and watched him pull a t-shirt over his head. "So you'll get dressed for everyone else but me?"
"I'd get undressed for you, baby."
"Don't call me that."
Charlie laughed to himself and pulled a pair of flannel pajama pants on.
"After you, doll," he gestured for me to go first.
"That's infinitely worse." I hopped down the stairs and Charlie followed.
"We'll find one you like," he promised.
"Why can't you just call me by my name?"
He ignored me as he entered the dining room.
"Goodmorning," he greeted and stole my seat next to Percy. I glared at him and took the seat across from him, between George and Ginny.
"Goodmorning, dear," Mrs. Weasley said and her voice swelled with affection for her second oldest child. "I love seeing a full table," she gushed. "Come on now; dig in, kids."
The room filled with an amiable chatter as everyone helped themselves to a Weasley breakfast. I silently enjoyed the presence of the family all while enjoying the breakfast that Mrs. Weasley had made.
"So, Y/N, I've heard about the scholarship that you're getting," Mr. Weasley said from the head of the table. "That sounds nice."
I nodded and chatted with him for a bit before I felt my foot bump against another's. From across the table, Charlie stared at me with a raw determination. He was lucky we were both wearing socks or I would have round-housed his ass. I hated feet. He hooked his leg around mine under the narrow table, his eyes leaving mine as he started a conversation with his mother.
"You'd might like to cut your hair," she told him pointedly. "You're getting quite shaggy."
"Really? I like it," he said and ran a hand through his hair, which wasn't very long at all, yet longer than Mrs. Weasley's preferential buzzcut. "It suits me, don't you think, Y/N?" Both parties looked at me expectantly.
"Well-"
"Y/N, dear, it is okay to tell him that he looks like a right buffoon," Mrs. Weasley said gently with a sweet smile.
"I mean-"
"Come on, Y/N/N, tell her how much you like my hair. Surely you prefer my longer hair," he pressured and tugged on my leg a little.
"I think both look equally as bad," George spoke up from beside me.
"George," Mrs. Weasley scolded. "Your brother is a handsome lad, even if he has a disagreeable haircut."
Charlie frowned and stood from the table.
"Well, mum, I would like to thank you for a wonderful breakfast. I think I'll get another cup of tea," he said and picked up his cup. I tucked my legs under myself so that he couldn't find them. He reached across the table and grabbed my cup before venturing to the kitchen.
"Ginny, dear," Mrs. Weasley began, but I tuned her out. Charlie reappeared in the doorway shortly thereafter with two cups balanced in his hands. He carefully handed me my cup and shot me a genuine smile before sitting and sparking a conversation with Percy. I hesitantly brought the cup of tea to my lips and took a sip, surprised when it was made the way I liked it.
***
I thumbed through the pages of my Herbology textbook carefully with a pencil dangling from between my lips. Percy was lying on his bed behind me, and I was sitting on the floor with my back against his bedframe. I scribbled a formula into my notebook before starting on an equation for the frequency of a Mandrake's scream.
Percy watched over my shoulder as I plugged in different values and solved the equation, occasionally reminding me of different steps and assuring me that I was on the right track.
A knock on the door interrupted Percy's explanation of false solutions.
"Come in," he called before resuming his briefing.
"Sorry, I'm here to rescue Y/N."
Percy and I looked up to see Charlie leaning against the doorframe.
"Awesome," I said and stood up from the ground. "Thanks, Perce. I think I've actually got it down. It's committed to memory."
"Uh-huh," he said skeptically.
Charlie waited patiently as I bickered with Percy before leading me downstairs.
"Come on," he said. "We've got to escape before anyone tries to stop us."
I giggled as he grabbed my hand and sped through the house, slipping out of the front door before anyone saw us.
"Come on, come on," he said and pulled me after him. I sped up, nearly having to run to keep up with him.
"Where are we going?"
"Secret," he said shortly and pulled me across the yard. It looked as though it was going to be a green Christmas. Despite the wicked cold, there was barely any snow on the ground.
"Are you going to kill me out here?" I asked as he pulled me into the woods behind the house.
He shushed me and expertly maneuvered through the woods.
By the time we reached his destination, I was out of breath.
"What are we doing out here?" I asked and huddled into myself to try to get warm.
"This is my safe spot," he said and looked around. "This is where I used to hide when I was a kid when I needed some time alone."
I looked around. There was a small decline that led to a thin creek which was still thawed from reluctance alone. The running water whispered its song, a tinkling melody of compulsion, a Siren song calling to the air. Dead leaves were matted to the ground like a carpet, a dull orange. Charlie blended into the scene, looking like a part of the earth. In the warm glow of the morning sunshine, his eyes appeared golden. His nose and his cheeks were flushed a brilliant pink.
"It's actually really pretty," I breathed out. "I wish you had given me time to grab my coat though."
"Here," he said. "I'll share. Come here." He beckoned me towards him.
He sat down on a large grey rock and peeled his coat from his shoulders. He draped it over our shoulders, huddling close to me so that we were both covered. He brought me more warmth than the coat did, but I appreciated the sentiment regardless.
"I can imagine little Charlie out here," I said, "all alone, daydreaming about dragons."
"Yeah?"
"How'd you find a place like this anyway?"
He shrugged. "You never had a place?" He placed a certain emphasis on the word that let me know just how significant this place was to him.
"I don't know," I said and pondered quietly. "I guess the Burrow."
"Really?"
"Yeah," I answered earnestly. "This place, the Burrow, I mean, and your family... it's really all I've got. It's not, but it feels like it. This is the only place where I feel like I can be me. Even at school, I feel like I'm stuck... Ugh, this is so gross. I'm sorry."
"No, I want to hear," he assured me.
"I guess... I don't know. I feel more at home here than anywhere else. I'm more me when I'm here. Like, at my house, I would never be spilling my guts like this."
"I've never brought anyone here before," he said. "This has always been the one thing that I have all to myself." I looked up at him as he stared into the creek. "And that's always been my solace. It was a part of the charm. But now I want to share it-" He looked at me. "-with you. I'm glad that you have your place here, with me- or us," he corrected. "I've always hated sharing everything, but I never had much of a choice with six siblings. And yet, you make me want to share. You always have, Y/N/N."
"I don't know what to say," I said quietly, looking into his eyes.
"You don't have to say anything. I brought you here because I wanted to, not because I want anything from you. I want to know you better than I do."
"You know, when we were kids, I always had the biggest crush on you. I would go to all of your Quidditch games... one time, you fell off your broom and I cried. Bill made fun of me," I said. Charlie smiled.
"You were always like a kid to me, you know? I liked to tease you and make you believe things that I said simply because I was older, but now... Merlin, I like you. And I think you're so beautiful. Last night, I wasn't kidding, you know."
"I didn't think you were."
"I know that you're taking school seriously, and everyone is really proud of you," he said, "but I don't think that justifies pushing me away. Last summer, when you came to visit... remember?"
"Yes."
"You stayed in Ginny's room then," he continued. "It was the first time I had seen you in years. I was shocked when I saw you. I realized that you weren't a little first year anymore. We stayed together for most of the time you were here, but I didn't do anything. You were still seventeen then and I knew it wouldn't have been right to..."
"Yeah."
"But now, we're both adults," his eyes flicked down to my lips. I shied under his intense gaze. "And if you would push school out of your mind for just one moment, Y/N," he trailed off, "and let me kiss you. Last night, all of the things you said... you like me too?"
"Of course I like you," I said. "What's there not to like?" My joke didn't do much to lessen the tension.
"Can I kiss you?"
"Charlie... yes," I breathed out. His arm wound around my waist as he leaned closer to me. His nose brushed against mine and I found my eyes sliding shut as his lips made contact with mine.
His lips were soft and warm. His beard prickled against my skin. He held me close to him and tilted his head to deepen the kiss, his fingers digging into my lower back. Butterflies erupted in my stomach.
I pulled away, suddenly feeling too warm in the brisk morning. He rested his forehead against mine and nuzzled his nose against mine.
"We should probably head back," I said, my voice barely above a whisper.
"Probably," he responded but made no move to leave.
Charlie draped his coat over my shoulders and led the way back to the Burrow. I followed him silently, my lips still tingling from his kiss.
"Where have you been?" Mrs. Weasley demanded as Charlie pushed his way through the door.
"We went for a walk," he answered.
"Charles Weasley, you know that Y/N should be studying. You didn't think to tell anyone and- without your coat? You'll catch your death out there!" she scolded.
"Sorry, mum," he apologized. "I just thought Y/N deserved a break so that she could have a little fun before break ends. We weren't out for long."
"Sometimes I wonder about you, Charles."
"Sorry, mum," he apologized charmingly and gave her a hug.
"Well, apologizing now won't change what's already been done. Wear a coat next time. Now, go, leave Y/N to study!"
You guys are so lucky that Wattpad deleted an entire chapter because you would have waited an entire week for that kiss. I don't want to rewrite the chapter so just know that there should be one between this one and the next haha