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"HAPPY BIRTHDAY, CHARLIE!"
He feels her jump onto his bed as she giggles happily. He pops own eye open, seeing the wide smile on her sweet face.
He opens both eyes and grunts as he sits up. Carina bounces energetically on his mattress, and he snatches her by the waist and pulls her into his side. Nymphadora is marching around the room shooting confetti from the tip of her wand.
"You two are lucky I love you," Charlie growls playfully in Carina's ear.
"Oh, please," Dora snickers. "We both know you mean—"
"Good morning, Nymphadora," Charlie interrupts sarcastically.
Dora narrows her eyes at the use of her full name and snarls, "Don't be a dick."
"Dora! You can't say that. It's his birthday."
Charlie smiles smugly, kissing Carina on the head, "Yeah, Dora, it's my birthday."
Carina ignores the two as they forego a staring contest. She hops to her feet and begins flitting around the room. Charlie breaks eye contact to watch her, earning a triumphant cheer from Dora.
Coming back to Charlie's side, Carina brandishes several parcels.
"Your mum owled these over last night."
He accepts the first two gifts, ripping them open to find a box of his favorite cookies and a yellow sweater.
"Nice sweater, Charles," Dora snorts. Carina waves her off.
"I like it," Carina protests. Charlie tosses it at her and smiles.
"Then you can have it. Yellow suits you better than me anyway," he chuckles. Carina clutches it to her chest happily.
She grabs two more wrapped packages off the floor, shoving them into his arms next.
"This one's from mum and dad," Carina explains, "and that one's from Dora."
He receives a pair of quidditch gloves and an album of wizarding photos. He smiled down at the moving pictures of himself and Carina.
Dora winked knowingly at him when he thanked her, before turning to Carina, "Alright, go on. Steal the show."
Carina can barely contain herself as she throws the very last gift towards him. Opening the wrapping under her watchful gaze, Charlie sucked in a breath at the sight of the large ivory colored object under his fingers. His gaze flicked between the twins rapidly, searching for any hint of deception. He found none.
No bloody way.
"Norwegian Ridgeback," Carina said under her breath, trying and failing to keep the grin off her face.
Nymphadora watched Charlie lift the dragon tooth from the box with gentle care, but her stomach turned in guilt as her sister's secret floated to the front of her mind. Now would be the perfect time to tell him. Do it now.
Carina stiffened at the heavy look from her twin for only a moment before she was back to humoring Charlie. Dragon facts fell from her pink lips effortlessly, and Dora recognized the dismissal instantly. It was something they'd learned from watching their mother. It was a move fit for the Pureblood socialite neither of them would ever be.
Clearing her throat, Dora said, "Don't forget the other one."
"No way. I can't accept anything else. You've spoiled me enough," Charlie protested. His little Hufflepuff was undeterred as she presented him with a significantly smaller box. The air changed as the carefree joy Carina wore like a cardigan morphed into something more serious.
Swallowing, Carina began, "My mother told me it is a Pureblood tradition for a boy to receive this when they become of age." The redhead took the box from her clammy hands and slowly pulled the ribbon free. "Typically, it is a gift given to them by their betrothed... but I thought it was a nice sentiment, regardless."
Betrothed.
Charlie would be lying if he said the word didn't set his heart off. Lifting the lid from the small box, he smiled adoringly at the white handkerchief folded neatly inside. CSW was embroidered in gold thread along the edge.
"I love it, Rina."
She was yanked into a bruising embrace, and she did not see Dora wiggling her eyebrows at Charlie behind her back. Charlie was all too happy to flip the bird behind her back and away from her view.
"Breakfast?"
"Sounds perfect, doll."
-
The next evening, Carina stepped off the train with four of the Weasley's onto Platform 9 3/4. Ginny's bouncing figure was easy to pick out from the crowd.
"Carina!"
The girl's small body was running toward her and hurtling into Carina in less than a minute. Despite the grunt on impact, delighted laughter bubbled from Carina as she squeezed the little Weasley.
"I'm glad you're here," Ginny sighed in relief.
"Me too, Gin."
Throwing his arm around her shoulder, Charlie led Carina towards the rest of his family waiting on them. As always, she'd be spending the Christmas holiday at the Burrow.
Molly wasn't sure who was happier about the fact — Ginny or Charlie. Both spent their time attached at her hips the whole holiday, fighting over the girl's attention on more than one occasion. Carina took it in stride, and Molly admired the girl for her ability to placate multiple Weasley's at once. It was a skill Molly herself took a few years to learn.
By the time the holiday ended, the inhabitants of the Burrow shared the same thought watching Charlie and Carina, both so close to being out of Hogwarts and into adulthood.
Those two had better get married, because Carina was made to be a Weasley. Or Merlin, be damned.
