"You're what with my daughter?" Mr Harper said, still trying to process that there's a bloody Hippogriff in his backyard
"In love with her, I know sounds crazy, I had to tell her but I missed her at the airport-" Mr Harper held his hand up to stop him from rambling on.
"Weasley right?" he asked
"Yes sir,"
"You wouldn't be Arthur Weasley's son would you?" Charlie nodded, he smiled having known Arthur at school, if Charlie was anything like his father, Jessica would be in good hands with him.
"So, Jessica you love her?" he asked
"I do very much, I need to tell her," Charlie said, Mr Harper thought for a moment this boy had flown across Europe just to tell his daughter that he loved her.
"Jessica should be home in an hour," Mr Harper said "would you like a cup of tea?" he asked, showing Charlie inside.
The hour that Charlie waited must have been the longest hour in existence, but he got to know more about Jessica through her father, Mr Harper rambled on about Jessica how scared she was to go to Romania. He told Charlie a story of how she wouldn't go to her Uncle Jack's because her cousins Louisa and Katherine had gotten a pet hamster, and Jessica was scared of it biting her.
Charlie found the story amusing considering the animals she had been around for the last month. Charlie had told Mr Harper, stories of the animals she had seen, like when she helped him tend to the injured Augurey or witnessed the birth of Wonder's baby Hippogriff. Though Mr Harper found the stories to be barbaric as though he'd made them up but insisted he should ask Jessica himself.
"Dad! I'm back and I have a lot to tell you - merlin's balls what are you doing here?" Jess said, upon seeing Charlie sat with her father, Mr Harper gestured for Charlie to speak.
"I flew here on Wonder, she's in your yard-
"Wait, a minute," Jessica said, holding her finger up, "You mean to tell me you flew all the to England on a Hippogriff to see me,"
"Yes, but there's-
"Are you crazy?" Jessica said, "normal people send a letter, or call someone they don't fly across Europe to say something-
"Jess!" he said, grabbing her arms to stop her talking "I'm trying to tell you something," he said, Jessica could see in his eyes his need to tell her this.
"I love you, Jessica Harper,"
"Charlie Weasley, you flew across Europe, no guy has ever done anything like that for me,"
"I thought you said, I was crazy,"
"Oh you are, you're entirely bonkers, but that's why I love you," Jessica said,
Charlie leaned down to kiss her but kissed her cheek instead, realising Mr Harper was there. He chuckled leaving the room, Charlie flicked his eyes over to the other room, once Mr Harper was gone he pressed his lips firmly against Jessica's he wasn't letting her go this time.
A week had gone by and Charlie had stayed with Jessica in England, though he knew he had to go back to the sanctuary, he needed to take Wonder home. Jessica heard her dad come home after taking River for her morning walk, Mr Harper couldn't believe that Jessica of all people had a dog for a pet.
"Will you be coming back with me?" Charlie asked, Jessica rolled out of bed pulling her jeans up.
"Why don't you go back to Romania, I need to spend some time with my dad," Charlie nodded, Jessica pulled a large jumper over her head.
"I promise I'll come back and see you," Jessica said, jumping on her bed leaning over him to kiss him.
Jessica left the room to let Charlie get dressed, her dad had made her breakfast. River bounded through the house, diving on Jessica she had gotten a lot bigger in the last month. Mr Harper watched Jessica interaction with the dog, questioning whether this was actually his daughter.
It seemed Charlie had impacted Jessica to the point of trusting animals enough to allow a puppy to jump all over her, lick her face and even sleep in the company of that same animal. Charlie walked down the stairs he greeted Mr Harper, before going outside to check on Wonder. Jessica watched him pet Wonder, as the Hippogriff nuzzled her beak into Charlie's face.
"You've changed, Jess," Mr Harper spoke, standing beside his daughter
"What do you mean?" she asked,
"You're more confident," he said, looking down at River "and you aren't afraid of animals anymore," he smiled at her, throwing his arm over her shoulder, kissing her forehead.
"Aren't you going to say goodbye to him?" Mr Harper said, pushing Jessica through the back door, she shook her head, walking over to Charlie.
"Woah," he said, holding his hand up warning her to stay.
"Bow first, Hippogriff's are proud creatures, you don't want to insult her," Charlie explained, Jessica nodded her head, bowing low to the floor, Wonder bowed down to her too.
"Great now you pet her," Charlie
"What? I don't want too," Jessica said backing away
"She's not going to hurt you," Charlie said, pulling her towards Wonder, Charlie took Jessica's hand in his petting the Wonder with her. Mr Harper smiled at them, he knew Jessica better than anyone, and Charlie made her stronger more confident.
"I'm going to miss you so much," Jessica said, wrapping her arms around him, Charlie rested his chin on top of her head.
"Remember you can come back any time," Charlie told her, he placed a long tender kiss on his lips, knowing he wouldn't get to kiss her like this for a while.