The next few days passed with less time spent alone with Fred and George than I would have liked, and more time that I would have liked spent listening to Ginny go on about how Harry had been treating her differently lately.
Christmas was only in a few days, and I could feel the excitement in the air as christmas music played on the record player all day and people snuck off to wrap their presents. The big christmas tree that sat in the corner of the living room was already bursting with presents underneath it, and I couldn't wait for the holiday to come.
When I walked downstairs in the morning, I grabbed a cup of coffee and sat by Ginny on the couch.
"Morning," I said with a yawn.
"Good morning," she said cheerfully. "I can't believe that I forgot to tell you, but Charlie is coming home! He was supposed to get here on Christmas eve, but he got let out early so he's heading back today. He should be here soon".
"Oh, really? I haven't met him yet, have I?" I asked.
"No, but he's the greatest. You'll love him," she assured me.
I nodded and was about to ask about him some more but Molly called us for breakfast.
While washing dishes after a breakfast that was filled with bickering about christmas and whatever else people could argue about, we heard Charlie arrive in his flying car.
"He's home!" Ginny squealed, grabbing my arm to pull me with her outside. "I haven't seen him in ages, he was gone all summer investigating a new dragon species or something," she informed me as we watched him park and get out of his car.
Once I saw him step out of his car, I stood in the doorway and observed him for a moment. I had to admit that he was handsome. He had the same fiery hair as well as that charming smile that Fred and George had, but I could tell that he was a little more muscled, even through the thick sweater that he was wearing. His skin was also far more tanned than any of the weasleys, it was bronze and almost glowing, even in the dreary weather.
Even though I could appreciate a good looking man, especially a good looking Weasley man, the twins were far more my type, looks wise. I liked their tall and slender physique more than Charlie's bulkier one that probably stemmed from his work abroad.
I shook my head of my thoughts and walked over to the car after Ginny ran over to greet him, standing a few steps back as he hugged his family.
He greeted his parents first, hugging them and telling them how much he had missed them, and then promised to tell them all about his time spent away after they got inside. Molly and Arthur then grabbed a few of his bags and made their way inside as he greeted his siblings.
He gave hugs to Fred, George, Ron and Ginny, and then he greeted Harry and Hermione.
"It's so nice to see you guys again, you don't even know how much I missed seeing you all instead of all the guys," Charlie said in relief. "They're nice and all, but if I have to go another night only talking about dragons I'll off myself".
Everyone laughed with him and then his eyes met mine.
"And you," he said while walking up to me from where he had previously leant up against his car. "Must be Y/n". He reached out his hand to shake mine.
I nodded and shook his hand with a smile before saying, "It's really nice to meet you".
"It's nice to finally meet you too, I've heard so much about you," he said while shaking my hand. Right when I thought that he would pull away from the handshake, he pulled me closer and said, "Though no one told me you were this pretty".
I could feel myself blush and shook my head with a smile before pulling my hand away from his.
"Oh, quit it, Charlie," Ginny said and smacked him on the arm. "Not even home for a minute and you're already being a flirt. C'mon, let's bring the rest of your bags in".
We all started to do just that, and as I walked over to grab a bag, I saw Fred and George walking alongside me, glaring at their brother.
I shook my head in amusement and grabbed a bag, bringing it inside and not having the time to deal with jealous Fred and George at the moment.
After Charlie got his stuff situated up in his old room, we all sat around the living room for a bit to hear about his time away.
"So how was Romania?" Molly asked.
"It was good, saved a few dragons here and there, the usual," he said with a smirk.
"You're so full of yourself," Ginny huffed.
"I'm kidding, I'm kidding," he said with a chuckle. "But that's all boring, I want to know what you guys have been getting up to at Hogwarts," he said with an excited smile.
Ginny told him all about how quidditch had been going and how the tests were, and Ron, Fred and George as well as Harry and I chimed in a bit as well. Molly and Arthur ended up leaving at some point to 'let us kids have fun'
We all talked for a while about the school year and he told us a little bit about what he did in Romania, which honestly sounded a bit more boring that it was made out to be.
Ginny, Ron, Harry, Fred and George all ended up enthusiastically re-telling all of their quidditch games, seemingly going over every single play. I had started to get a little bored.
"Why don't we go play?" Charlie asked.
"Quidditch?" Ron confirmed.
"Yeah! We have enough brooms, don't we?".
Everyone quickly agreed and headed outside to the backyard to get the game ready. Hermione and I trailed behind, at first giving each other uneasy looks and then laughing at the fact that if we played, we would do horribly.
"Are they really expecting us to play?" she asked me.
"I dunno, I don't really even know how to fly yet," I said with a chuckle.
"I do, I'm just not good at actual quidditch".
"Oh wait, I have never even actually played!" I said, realizing that I didn't really know how the game worked. "You just try to get the ball into the hoops and then someone tries to get the snitch, right?".
Hermione chuckled. "Not in the slightest. But there will be no rings here so I'm sure we'll play a bit of a modified game. Don't worry, we'll all help you".
I nodded and made my way over to where Charlie, Fred and George were getting the equipment ready.
"Okay, let's make teams!" Ginny shouted to everyone.
"Uh, I think I'll just keep score," I chimed in.
"No, then it'll be uneven," Ron groaned.
"I'll keep her company," Hermione added.
"No, c'mon, we can't do three person teams, that's just sad," Charlie said, moving over to hand Hermione and I each a broom. "We'll go easy on you," he said and shot me a wink.
I glared at him and reluctantly took the broom, resulting in a chuckle and a pat on the shoulder from him, his hand resuming it's spot on my shoulder for just a moment too long for comfort.
"Alright, Fred and George are captains!" He announced to everyone.
"What, why?" Ginny asked with crossed arms.
"It's not fair if they're on the same team".
Everyone seemed to agree with that, so Fred and George moved away from each other so that there was enough room to form teams.
"Who goes first?" Fred asked no one in particular.
"Anyone got a coin?" Charlie asked. Ron nodded and dug one out of his pocket and threw it to him.
Charlie threw the coin into the air and George announced, "Heads".
Charlie flipped the coin onto the back of his hand and said, "Heads".
George smiled a big smile and immediately said, "I choose Y/n".
My jaw dropped to the floor and I rolled my eyes as I made my way over to him because, could he be anymore obvious? I was obviously the worst player available.
"Not playing with strategy I see, brother," Fred said.
"Oh, I have a strategy alright," George said mysteriously.
Fred rolled his eyes and said, "Charlie".
George then chose Ginny, then Fred chose Harry, then George chose Ron and then Hermione was put with Fred.
"Alright, we're not doing a snitch in this game," Charlie started.
"How come?" Harry asked.
"Because you're the only seeker and we don't have enough people. Now, each time discuss your strategies and then we'll start".
"George," I said once Ginny and Ron began strategizing with each other. "I don't have a clue what I'm doing".
He chuckled. "I know. All you're going to do is go help guard the goal with Ron, he'll mostly do all of the work. I assume that's what they're having Hermione do". I nodded, still feeling and looking uneasy. "And just sit there and look pretty," he said with a wink.
I quickly checked to make sure that Ginny and Ron hadn't heard him, and luckily they were in the middle of an argument over something and didn't hear their brother. I whacked him in the arm, but he just laughed and looked as if he hadn't even felt it.
Once the game started, I really did just go sit up next to Ron as he did most of the work. Well, all of the work.
The other team originally had Hermione on offence, but once it was apparent that she had no idea what she was doing either, they put her in the same position as me. We just made eye contact from across the field and laughed, each of us then watching the game intently and probably following a few certain boys.
I ended up actually trying to block a few quaffles that had flown near me, but I always either shied away from the fast moving object at the last moment or terribly missed it, always resulting in everyone laughing at my expense, including me.
I actually did manage to somehow block the quaffle with the end of the broom, my eyes had been closed and I winced as I blindy aimed for the moving ball, but I blocked it nonetheless. Everyone had burst out into cheer, and I immediately looked to Fred and George who were both clapping and whooping while looking at me proudly. I don't think I had ever felt so much pride well up in my chest as I had in that moment.
At some point during the game when I had been zoning off, someone called a break and we all flew down to the ground.
Each team split off to discuss the game, and George immediately congratulated me on my successful block. I knew that I had really only done something that most people could do, but it was a big deal to me so I was happy that he was treating it as such.
After George as well as a couple of others went inside to get a drink of water, Charlie walked over to where I was standing, my broom still loosely in between my legs with the back of it resting on the ground.
"You were doing great out there, Y/n," he said with a smile.
I chuckled. "Not really, but thanks".
"No, really, if you just learned that was great".
I rolled my eyes with a smile but nodded in thanks.
"Although, I think you could be a little more successful if you put your hands here," he said and positioned my hands so that they were lower on the broom. "Gives you more space on the broom to hit".
Once he pulled his hands away, I nodded and said a polite 'thanks'.
"And also if you position them like this," he said and moved to move my hands again but was interrupted by Fred slinging his arm over my shoulder protectively.
"Whatcha doing?" He asked casually.
"Just helping her out with her form," he said with an innocent smile.
"Oh, well George and I taught her how to fly and I think we've done a pretty good job so I think we'll continue to teach her if that's alright," he said with an innocent but also deadly smile.
Charlie raised his hands innocently and said "Just trying to help out," before smiling at me one last time and walking away.
I felt Freds lips hover right over my ear, his wrapping tighter and more possessive around me.
"I think you were doing great out there, Princess," he whispered with a smile.
I felt myself blush and I shrugged his arm off of my shoulder.
"Thank you," I said politely when I saw that Ginny had approached us.
She walked up to me while still gulping from her water bottle and then removed it from her lips, panting a little. "You're absolutely horrid at quidditch".
I broke out in laughter and wrapped my arm around her shoulder. "Thanks, Gin".
The time eventually ran out on the game, unfortunately with no more saves from me, and the other team won. Charlie was crazy good, so it wasn't really a surprise to anyone.
"I'm starving," Ginny groaned to me as we walked inside.
"Well then let's go eat," I said with a laugh as we entered the kitchen that was filled with food that Molly had made us while we played.
"Wicked," both Fred and George said at the same time when they saw the kitchen table that was filled with all different kinds of sandwiches and other lunch foods.
We all sat down and ate lunch together, the winners of the game making it very known that they had won every two minutes.
I couldn't help but laugh at how cocky Fred was, especially towards his twin. He would say things like "hand me the bread, loser," or "pass me the salad, but not like how you pass a ball".
Lunch was filled with laughter, and once we finished with full bellies and smiles on our faces, we all played games until it was time for dinner.