Yours truly ; Charlie Weasley

Nine

The air blew through my hair, drying my cheeks from the tears as I ran through the forest. It was the middle of the night but Avalon, Mahlon and Amber were all asleep. I was too, though I woke up. Another nightmare.

This though, this was about the battle of Hogwarts. I saw Fred die but when I approached the lifeless body, it turned from being Fred to being Charlie and then I woke up as my scream in the dream echoed through Hogwarts.

My chest was physically hurting and I knew it wasn't from running. It was the same hurt as every time I thought about Charlie.

I was surrounded by people who loved me but Charlie's decision to leave me had me feeling completely alone in this big world.

When he first left me, I had a conversation with my mum about it and I still remember clearly what she told me.

"Goodbyes hurt when the story is not finished and the book has been closed"

She explained it in my languages. My language is books. When i learned how to read, I never stopped. In the loft, Charlie and I have an entire wall which is basically just one big bookshelf that's full of books that I've all read.

Charlie loves reading too. I can't count how many times we stayed up late to read together. I haven't picked up one single book since he said his goodbye and left me behind.

I stopped running and turned around multiple times, taking a look at where I was. I knew the area. I had gotten to know the entire forest since I moved in with Avalon and Mahlon.

Then I screamed. I let out a scream so loud and so revealing. It revealed all the emotions I felt. All the heartbreak, all the sorrow, the trauma.

Charlie helped me get rid of my nightmares. After the war, after I saw Fred die, I had nightmares about it every night but it got better with Charlie. It got better because he made sure to cuddle me until I was asleep. That really helped me.

Then he left and everything came pouring down. Now I'm this pathetic almost twenty-six year old woman who can't do shit because her boyfriend left her.

I grabbed the wand in my pocket and disapparated from the forest. I landed in Diagon Alley and my eyes landed on the shop in front of me.

'Crispus' Quidditch'

My brother owns a quidditch equipment shop just down the street from my own shop. I come here when I need to get away from everything and right now I needed to get away from the forest.

I grabbed the key that hung around my neck and unlocked the door. I made sure to not make too much noise. Crispus and Carrie lived in the flat above the shop and I didn't want to wake them up.

It was three in the morning and they were both very stressed these days with trying to get pregnant.

I gently closed the door behind me and put the necklace back around my neck, letting the key slide under the material of my shirt to keep it from dangling.

The shop was dark at this time but I didn't turn on the lights. I carefully made my way through the room to the back room where the sofa was at.

I laid down on it, wrapping my arms around me to keep me warm. It wasn't exactly hot in here. It was actually quite chilly.

I was so tired and I knew I had to try and get some sleep but it was gonna be hard. I was terrified of having another nightmare. Terrified of seeing that again in my dream. Seeing Fred die and then see the body turn into Charlie.

It was Saturday tomorrow so I didn't have work. We were closed on weekends but Crispus' shop was open so I'd probably get woken up by the sound of costumers out front.

I had left a note for Avalon at home. The last thing I wanted was for her to get worried because I won't be in my bed when she wakes up.

I flinched and opened my eyes when I felt a hand on my upper arm, though my body relaxed against the sofa again when it was only Crispus. He had a soft smile on his face as he stood there in the dark, hunched over with a blanket in his hand.

"You don't want to sleep on the sofa upstairs?" He asked. "It's much warmer in the flat."

"I'm fine here." I muttered. I closed my eyes and heard Crispus hum in response before unfolding the blanket to wrap it around me.

"Alright. I'll come down and wake you up for breakfast in the morning." He told me. "Does Ava know you're here?"

I nodded as he ran his hand over my hair, then kissed the top of my head.

"Okay." He whispered. "You'll be okay, sis. Goodnight."

"Night Cris." I yawned as he made his way out of the room again. He closed the door behind him and weirdly enough, I drifted off to sleep pretty quickly.

When I woke up again, it was to Crispus gently shaking me while calling my name. I looked at him through squinted eyes, then sighed and closed them again while I rolled from my side to my back.

"Good morning sunshine." My brother grinned, taking the blanket to fold it. "How'd you sleep?"

He threw the blanket over the armrest of the sofa before he sat down next to me.

"I don't know." I sighed, running a hand up my face and into my hair.

"What happened last night?" He asked. "I heard the door to the shop and when I looked at the surveillance tape, I saw you sneak through the shop to the back room."

I looked at my brother before I leaned my head on his shoulder. He moved his arm around my shoulders while his other hand patted my cheek gently.

"I had a nightmare." I told him. "And I just needed to get out of the forest. Just for the night."

"Well, you're always welcome here."

I know. Why the hell do you think I decided to come here?

"Carrie's made breakfast upstairs." Crispus told me. "I managed to convince her to make your favourite."

I looked up at him as he slowly stood up, smiling at me in a comforting way.

"Bacon pancakes?"

"Yep." He nodded. "And she's made loads of them. Go on. Let's hurry up. I have to open the shop in a little over an hour."