The Return

29| Probably Just Doing What Lovers Do

Claudia's POV

A certain resolve seemed to settle around us at my words. It was peaceful, almost for the first time in a long time.

"Where did you live before returning to Hogwarts?" I looked at Charlie. "You mean besides growing up here?"

"Hence why I said 'returning'." I playfully rolled my eyes at him. "Right. A little bit of everywhere, I guess."

I leaned back in the booth and set my butterbeer down on the table. "After staying in one place my whole life, traveling seemed like a good option. I got out and saw the world. Plus it's not like there was a shortage of work. Dragons don't stay in one particular place. It's not like they say, 'oh Scotland steps here. We shouldn't go any farther.' How about you?"

"Romania called my heart." He places a hand over his chest. "Romania is beautiful." I remark. "I spent a summer or two in the mountains."

"How?"

I cock my head at him. "What do you mean, how?"

"How did you manage to attend Hogwarts for years at the same time as me and then spend two summers in Romania, and I've never seen you until the first?" I shrug. "Maybe I'm just good at being invisible."

Charlie laughs. "Unless your trying to tell me that you have an invisibility cloak, than I doubt that's the case."

I shake my head. "No, Harry is the only spawn of Lilly that has a cloak."

"How do you know about Harry's cloak?"

"I room with Ginny and Hermione-well as of now, and I've made friends with possibly the biggest mouth at Hogwarts. I might know more than you think."

"Don't let Bill catch you calling Fleur a big mouth." I pretend to think about it for a second. "A bigger mouth than Fleur."

"Since when are you Freinds with Ron?"

"Since now."

Charlie chuckles at my lack of wit. "Wait. What do you mean that your rooming with Ginny and Hermione as of now?"

"Mcgonagall is moving me to my own room so that I have room for Fawkes to stay with me."

"Ah. Should I get myself a bird? Perhaps then I'd get my own room?" I laugh at him.

"You seem to have a lot of questions, Mr. Weasley. Do you care if I ask one of my own?"

"Not at all. Ask away."

I lean forward in the booth, placing my arms down on the table, like I was about to tell a secret, when in reality I was hoping to receive one. "Why don't you like Fleur?"

Charlie's expression seems to change, as he realizes that my question isn't as lighthearted as the rest of the conversation. He sighs. "None of us do. Ron gets along with her the best. My prediction is that its because he had a tiny crush on her in fourth year.

"And truly, it's not that we don't like her, it's that we all liked Bill's last girlfriend a lot better."

"Who was she?"

"In the spiritual sense, she was everything that he needed, but Bill was going through a very rebellious period in his life. The way she tells it, he kept coming home late and finally she followed him to his hangout. He had been partying pretty much every night, and she gave him a choice. Come home or lose her.

"To fully understand it, you have to know that they fought all the time. Fighting and making up were their specialty. It was just them. Bill chose to stay at the party, thinking that she was giving him an empty threat, but little did he know until the next morning when he stumbled in, that she was serious. All her stuff was gone and so was she."

"That's horrible." But in reality this story was starting to sound a lot like one I already knew. "Where is she now?"

"No clue. She was like family to us all. She and I grew up together, like two peas in a pod. Until she left of course. Nobody has heard or seen from her since."

"What was her name?" I ask, already knowing the answer.

"Olivia."

"Olivia Black?" Charlie furrowed his brow. "You know her?"

"Know her? Aside from Lacey she and Skyla are my bestfriends."

"I take it you know about-"

"Her scaly problem? Yeah. Who do you think keeps her safe?"

Charlie seems to think this over. "How did you know that we didn't like her?"

"Its just the little things. Like how your mother won't say anything to her, but she's content to glare at her when her back is turned. Or how you only congratulated Bill when we found out that Fleur was pregnant. I don't think that you guys realize it, but you've kind of blacksheeped her."

"Hmmm. I didn't even realize." He said sitting back. "I didn't think that you did. That's why you told you. And while helping my besties ex isn't something that I would normally do, Olivia is engaged and she hates Bill. If everyone hating Fleur will make him mad then it's something that she would want me to do."

Charlie smiles. "That definitely sounds like her. God I miss her." Then a thought accours to me. "Would you like to see her again?"

"I would love to."

"Okay. Just give me a week and help me keep Bill and Fleur distracted when she gets here."

"Done and done." He says with a bright smile.

Not soon after we left Hogsmade with full stomachs and fuzzy heads. When we finally made our way back into the castle the sun was beginning to set and dinner was being served. Our friends gave us knowing looks even though we were the ones with tricks up our sleeves.

We smirked into our plates and kept glancing at each other during dinner. "How was your night last night?" Ginny asked with a mischievous smile.

"Oh," I said finging innocence. "It was quite full. I think I speak for the both of us when I say it was enjoyable." Charlie met my eyes and winked at me across the table.

Harry look between us with a look of frustration, and when I looked around I noticed something for the first time. "Where are Fred and Cash?"

"Probably just doing what lovers do." Ginny smirked at me. "You would know all about that wouldn't you Claudia?"

I smirk back at her and avoid the other looks. If they wanted to play games, I had no problem playing too. "I might know a thing or two."

Charlie chuckles and stands from his empty plate. "Are you ready?" I looked up into his stare. I stood and made my way toward Charlie.

"Rooms off limits, boys!" He called to the Gryffindor table as we left the great hall.