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AFTER RADIO SILENCE FROM HIS FAMILY FOR WEEKS, CHARLIE FINALLY CONFRONTED LYDIA ABOUT CARINA'S PLACE IN HIS LIFE. It amounted to him walking defeatedly to the Black Lake, where Carina sat and read. He plops down next to her, letting out a long sigh. They hadn't properly spoken in so long, he wasn't even sure what he should say.
"What happened?" Carina inquires softly, eyeing him with concern.
"You want me to be honest?" Charlie drawls quietly. She immediately sits up straighter at his tone.
"Well, now I'm worried. Will I need to start a fight?" She mutters anxiously.
The boy beside her laughs and shakes his head lightly. Silence enveloped the pair as Charlie watched the still waters of the lake, and Carina watched him.
"I tried to make it work with Lydia, but it never works... with anyone," he finally says somberly.
"Oh, Charlie," Carina coos. She reaches a hand out to comfort him but freezes when he continues.
"They're not you."
The sight of her doe eyes looking up at him takes the breath right out of his lungs. Definitely not you, he thinks to himself. There's no going back now.
"What?" She chokes out. Her voice is a whisper almost lost in the wind, but he catches it. He has to look away from her and turns his gaze back to the lake.
"...some days it's like you don't even see me, but I have been pining after you for years, doll. It has always been you for me," Charlie chuckles. His tone is so careless, as if he's telling her the sky is blue or the grass is green.
Carina's mind reels trying to process the fact that her best friend is confessing his feelings for her. Years of jokes and off-handed comments from his family all come rushing forward. The knowing looks Dora has always thrown her way now make sense. Dates going awry at the mention of her red-headed companion and girls with strange vendettas for her suddenly don't seem so inexplicable.
Charlie has been pining after her for years... and she was the only one that didn't know it.
"I see you. I have always seen you, Charlie. You're my best friend in the whole world," Carina breathed out. All these years, he'd never said a thing. He sighed heavily and continued to avoid her eye.
"I know. I just thought you should know."
When she scooted closer to him and placed a hesitant hand on his arm, he finally turned to look at her. The nervousness on her face made him pause. Carina tried to give him her most confident smile, but she knew he could see right through it. He always could.
"I haven't had much luck with this sort of stuff... quite frankly, I think I'm at the bottom of the class on this one. If you could be patient with me..." Carina began. She paused to think for a moment before continuing.
"Oh, and you'll probably have to teach me a few things. I hope you don't mind. I've been told I'm a bit too soft and vanilla, though I'm not sure what that means, so-"
As she rambled, Charlie began to shake his head is baffled disbelief.
"I'm sorry, what are you talking about?" Charlie cut her off. Her face forms a pout that almost distracts him completely.
"I'm trying to tell you that if you're going to be my boyfriend, it's going to be-"
"You want me to be your boyfriend?" Charlie sputters. She sighs in exasperation and crosses her arms over her chest.
"Honestly, Charlie, stop interrupting."
This time her pout does send him over the edge. He stands and yanks her to her feet. Carina squeaks as he throws her over his shoulder and begins spinning her in circles. She can't stop the laugh that bubbles out of her chest as he begins cheering loud enough for the whole grounds to hear.
Charlie lets her down, but he doesn't let he go far. With his hands on her waist, he grins down at her cheekily.
"Carina Tonks, will you be my girlfriend?"
"Yes, Charlie. Now-"
"Yes? Just like that?" Charlie gripes.
"I don't see why not. Merlin, did you want me to say no?" Carina snips back sarcastically.
"No! I wish I'd have known it was that easy ages ago... I'm just a bit shocked, if I'm honest," he mumbles, scratching the back of his head. Carina quirks a brow and tilts her head at him.
"Your brothers have been calling me Carina Weasley for six years, and you're just now having a hard time grasping the concept?"
"Well, I- you're taking the piss. You knew?" Charlie yells. Lazily pulling an envelope from her bag, Carina hands him the letter she received from Ron this afternoon. Across the front, Carina Weasley, was written boldly in black ink. All the years of her thinking it was just their way of accepting her into the family made her chuckle now. The Weasley's sure weren't subtle.
The tall Gryffindor ran a hand over his face tiredly and wordlessly handed her back the envelope. She shoves it back into her bag and stares up at him. He throws an arm around her shoulders and begins to lead her toward the castle, shaking his head in both astonishment and amusement.
Wait until they hear about this
-
At dinner that evening, Charlie sat with Fred and George in the Great Hall. Percy sat down across from them and looked around the room.
"Where's the missus?" Percy inquired, spooning some peas onto his plate. Charlie wasn't sure if he was saying it to tease him or to be a prat, seeing as they were all still annoyed with him about Lydia.
"Right here!" Carina chirped. "I turned your essay in with Sprout, Charlie."
"Cheers, babe."
Three of the four Weasley's at the table stared at her with slack jaws when she slipped onto the bench next to Charlie, who she kissed sweetly before pouring herself some pumpkin juice.
When she finally realized they were watching her, she leaned into Charlie's side and whispered softly.
"Is there something on my face?"
He chuckled and shook his head. This seemed to snap them out of their trance, because Fred and George instantly wore matching grins.
"Bill owes us ten galleons," they chorused. Charlie glared at them in disbelief.
"Oh, good Godric..." Percy muttered.
"Thank you, Percy! You lot had a bet running on us?" Charlie hissed.
"I owe Ginny three galleons," Percy sighed. Charlie threw his hands up in defeat.
Carina giggled at the antics of her favorite family.
