Just Like Home | Charlie Weasley

Chapter 46

Eleanor felt like she was having some sort of out-of-body experience. She moved numbly around her kitchen preparing two mugs of hot chocolate as Charlie sat on the edge of her sofa wringing his hands together. There must be some completely rational explanation for the complete bombshell that Charlie had just dropped on her doorstep. She must have fallen asleep and was currently having the most ludacris dream ever. She'd wake up in the morning, have a little giggle at her strange dream and Charlie would send her a letter asking to see her and all would be well again. Except... She wasn't dreaming. Her rather MIA boyfriend had turned up on her doorstep after days and days of no contact telling her that his dead brother had come home. Now what?

Handing Charlie the mug cautiously, Eleanor placed her own mug down on her coffee table and ran her hands down her thighs before gingerly sitting beside Charlie. He was as stiff as a board, sitting bolt upright with his eyes fixed on the wall on the other side of the room. He was clearly in some sort of shock judging from the ghostly pale shade of his skin and the dark circles around his eyes. She felt a tug on her heart as she observed the man beside her who looked rather unrecognisable right now. His body moved slowly, as though the smallest movement took a great deal of effort, as he leaned forward to place his mug on the table. Deciding that he needed some sort of comfort, she edged closer so that her knee grazed against his and picked up his large hand in hers, encouraging him to finally turn and look at her.

"Do you want to talk about it?" she asked gently. She was desperate to know exactly what was going on, but she knew better than anyone that it was no good to force somebody to talk. Charlie's body language was telling her he was feeling guarded.

Charlie didn't speak for what felt like an eternity. Instead, he clutched onto Eleanor's hand and brought it to his lips. He pressed them against the palm of her warm hand and remained still for a moment, closing his eyes. She brought her free hand up to his cheek, using her fingertips to lightly brush away the single tear that had fallen down his cheek. Her stomach jolted when he finally opened his eyes again, that familiar piercing blue gazing at her.

"I don't even know where to start," he practically whispered with a desperate shake of his head.
This time, Eleanor brought his hand to her lips and copied his action. "Take as long as you need. I'm not going anywhere."

He paused again. She could practically see the cogs whirring in his brain as he searched for the words to explain what was happening. He looked so confused, so exhausted, and it hurt Eleanor to see him this way.

"It doesn't feel real," he uttered eventually. He shifted back onto the side properly, dropping his head back against the cushion and staring up at the ceiling.

Eleanor simply observed as he sighed deeply and shook his head slowly. Just allowing herself to be there for him, to listen when he was ready to talk. She watched as he inhaled a deep breath, sighed it out and then sat up again.

"You must think I'm downright crazy," he half laughed, turning his body sideways to face Eleanor. "But I swear it's true."

Eleanor smiled softly and brushed her knuckles against his cheek. "It would take a lot more than this for me to think that. Talk to me..." she encouraged.

He worried his bottom lip before nodding. "Fred, he came home..." he paused again. "He's alive, Ellie,". His last words were broken by his voice cracking. He dropped his head into his hands and Eleanor's own eyes filled as she listened to him break.

"We've spent the past 2 years thinking he's dead," he choked out. "He's fucking alive."

Eleanor was simply lost for words. She had no idea what to say, so opted to wrap her arms around Charlie and allow him to sob into her chest. His large body rested against hers as he clutched onto her jumper tightly, allowing himself to be comforted by her presence.