The Return

46 | I Have No Bloody Clue

Claudia's POV

I needed to clear my head. I'm not sure what I had been expecting from Charlie, but that wasn't it. Sure, I wasn't sure that he loved me, and I was taking a big risk, just by confessing my feelings, but never in a million years had I expected him to tense up and withdraw from me, and that was like a blade to my chest.

I shook my head and kicked a loose pebble into the black lake, watching as it sank. I sighed. Regardless of the fact that my heart was breaking, I would have to be civil with Charlie, seeing as it's a big possibility that I may be carrying his child.

And then, of course there was the nagging feeling in my gut reminding me of what I had only recently shared with Charlie. The single question kept invading my mind. "What if I am pregnant, and miscarry again?" I suppose then it wouldn't matter if Charlie didn't love me, I wouldn't be tied to him after the school year was up, and even that though drew a tear from my eye. In no way was I okay right now, not even when I saw Cash and Harry walking down the lakeside talking. Not even when they saw me and stopped right as they reached me.

For a minute the three of us just stared at the lake. "I need to kick his ass, don't I?" Harry finally uttered, and I shook my head. "You can't blame a person for unrequited love."

"Unrequited love?" Cash raised an eyebrow. "I call bullshit. Maybe it's you who needs a good ass kicking." I sniff. "You can't. I might be pregnant, remember?"

"Yeah, I remember." He huffs. "Just expect one in about nine months." That gets me to laugh. Not a loud one, just a giggle, but it's there all the same. Cash looks proud of himself for a moment, before looking back at the water, and talking. "Please tell me this isn't about the girl who showed up looking for him?"

My heart stops. "What girl?" Who's looking for him?

Harry's eyebrows furrow as he tries to decipher if I'm being coy, before looking at me surprised. "Claudia, I really hate to be the one to tell you this, but there is currently a girl in the castle who showed up about half an hour ago, and she's been looking for Charlie...." He hesitates and I look at him, with my heart practically beating out of my chest. "What Harry?"

Harry and Cash glance at each other, before Cash sighs and Harry looks at me. "Claudia, she has a little boy with her, and she's claiming that it's Charlie's."

I close my eyes and clench my jaw before I take off toward the castle, completely ignoring the fact that both of my brothers are calling after me as they try to keep up.

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Charlie's POV

Time stops when I lay eyes on Monica. I hadn't seen her in four years, since she had stormed out of my life, and I had moved to Romania full time. It hadn't been a bad break-up, for me at least, a large part of me had always been glad to be rid of her, and the small part of me...Well that part hated her.

Now, she was standing in front of me, looking relieved. "Charlie!" She shouted happily, and ran for me, hugging me when she got to me, but I kept my arms fully at my side. Getting the point, she stood back and cleared her throat. "What are you doing here?" I asked, my voice becoming cold.

She stood back and rocked on her heels. "It's been years, Charlie, I kind of expected you to be happy to see me." I ran my hand over my face. "Look Monica, I really don't have time for this. I'm trying to find someone, and you are getting in my way."

She pouts. "The least you can do is say hi. It's kind of rude to just rush off." I rolled my eyes at her and glared. "It's also rude to sleep with another man in my bed. Merlin, my bed." I wasn't angry anymore, or even bitter, but it was still pathetic.

"It wasn't like that, Charlie!" She screeched and just my luck, Olivia and my mom walked around the corner. "You never even let me explain!" She continues and I sigh, looking up at the ceiling. Godric.

"Look, I really should be going-" I said, but my words were cut off as she lunged at me and planted her lips on my own.

It took me all of three seconds to realize what was happening, but it wasn't soon enough, because before I could pull away a body binding jinx hit the both of us, and before I fell I saw nothing but hurt in Claudia's eyes as she took off running with her wand out.

"Merlin Weasley, I am going to kick your ass." Olivia shouts before she runs after Claudia, but nobody moves forward to remove the jinx. They only left me here trying with all my might to move against the full body bind and go after Claudia.

I need to explain to her that she didn't see what she thought she saw. That I was trying to find her and fix my stupid stupid mistake, and tell her that I love her.

It isn't until several long minutes later when Mom wanders into the hall with a little ginger boy at her side who immediately rushes to Monica and finally my mom points her wand at the two of us and releases us from the spell.

"Oh, my boy." She sighs. "What have you gotten yourself into this time?" And as I stand, I half glance toward Monica and her son, before wondering the same thing myself, and then looking fully at my mom.

"I have no bloody clue."