"We're going to need all the help we can get."
Remus stood tall at the head of the dusty table stationed in the dimly-lit room of 12 Grimmauld Place. His fingers tightly latched onto the back of the chair he was standing behind.
"And where do you ex...
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"Charles Weasley!"
Adelaide was moving as fast as she could through the crowded corridor. Her perfectly tailored, blue school robes billowed behind her as she rushed through the crowd of students.
The red head whom she was chasing after turned slowly, leaning against the opening of a little alcove at the end of the corridor. He had a wide grin on his lips and hands tucked down into his pockets of his messy robes.
"Hello."
With a raised brow, Adelaide reached forward and slapped Charlie's arm. "Where were you on the train?" If anyone knew Charlie better than he knew himself, it was Adelaide. It was not like Charlie to not sit with her, and Tonks. Ever since meeting each other in their first year, they made a pact to always sit with one another during their journey on the Hogwarts Express.
Charlie blushed, rubbing his arm after Adelaide had slapped him. He knew it was out of character. And honestly, he was glad it was Adelaide who came after him and not Tonks. The Hufflepuff could really pack a punch.
"I was, uh, sitting with Percy. Mum wanted me to spend some time with him." Charlie nodded. He thought maybe that would be a believable lie. He felt bad, although Adelaide was extremely intelligent – she was quite gullible. At least when it came to her friends.
"Why?" The blonde witched demanded, her eyebrows raising high onto her forehead as her arms delicately laced within one another over her chest. "Is he having trouble making friends, still?"
Charlie nodded, almost too enthusiastically. "Yeah... yep! Poor bloke. He's been so snippy and can't seem to keep any of his old friendships. Mum is really worried about him."
Adelaide seemed to buy the story Charlie was telling her. But the truth was – Charlie had been sitting with another seventh-year student who he knew had relatives working at the Romanian dragon sanctuary. It was no secret that Charlie had an intense love of dragons and all things magizoology. He had not even told his family his plans.
Plans that would take him very far away. Indefinitely.
He knew Adelaide would be heartbroken with him leaving. They had been extremely close for the last six years. After having met on the Hogwarts Express during their first year they had been quite attached. And although they were sorted into different houses, they realized that they had always lived nearby one another and that their fathers worked together at the Ministry.
Every free moment during the school year, they could be seen together. Outside on the school grounds, in the library, even in the Great Hall. Adelaide always climbed onto the bench beside Charlie at the Gryffindor table. Professor Snape was not a fan of her blue robes clashing in a sea of red. And would always be known for deducting house points from both Ravenclaw and Gryffindor because they refused to part ways with one another.
