Smoke Me Out || Charlie Weasley

Chapter Five

New Years drew closer and closer, and Charlie was finding his mood going up legions every day.

Two days before New Year's Eve, Charlie was out with Noodle, treating some scale rot that had spread through the sanctuary like wildfire. The only thing to break the menial task was the footsteps he heard approaching from behind.

"Noodle huh?" The voice questioned, a tinkling sound somewhat reminiscent of a peal of bells.

"That would be correct," grinned Charlie, as he spun around to face the girl.

Riley nodded and flashed him a small smile, before averting her eyes to the scales at the bottom of the dragon's tail.

"Have you thought about the application of citrus as a preventative? It's entirely a non-magical concept but I think that on the skin as tough as dragons it would clean out a lot of rot and further prevent any more from spreading."

Charlie blinked thrice at the young witch, who was now crouched down observing the feet of the dragon, her dark hair falling heavily around her face.

"He's really well looked after Charlie, what do you feed him?"

Shaking off any more surprise at the girl, Charlie began to respond. "Well other than the treats, often just other animals. We prefer that they hunt for themselves, so we set up live prey daily at relatively routine times. Most common are cows and pigs, though rodents are good for the younger dragons. We have found sheep not to be our best idea, the dragons tend to spitfire burnt wool for days."

Riley chuckled, shaking her head as she stood. "As to be expected. Although, if he is looking for a further challenge in the hunt, I may present the idea of a goat."

"A goat?" Asked Charlie, standing up and brushing off the twigs on his cargo pants.

"A goat." Replied Riley confidently. "I believe goats have more, say, exuberance than other general farm animals. One of my relatives used to have two goats. One of which would jump over the fence constantly, only to be thrown back over and jump back again. Seeing as this was a muggle relative, they cleverly tied down the goat with weights, which I insisted may not be the best idea as if the goat ever lost the weights he would be a generous amount stronger," she chuckled. " However, it did work until they managed to send the goats away. I think you'd find Noodle would quite like the challenge of a goat, a little harder to catch and a more enhanced taste of meat if I may say so myself."

Charlie laughed, nodding as he looked back from the girl to the dragon. "I'm going to take your word for it, Riley. I'll ask for Noodle and some of the other dragons to be presented with goats for lunch for the New Year. Speaking of lunch, can I interest you in some?"

About half an hour later, the two were pleasantly seated in the living room of Charlie's home, in front of a roaring fire.

Riley tore off a piece of bread and dunked it delicately into the pumpkin soup that lay before her, eating in silence as her brain whirred quickly.

"Are you okay there Riley?" Asked Charlie, as he watched the witch think carefully.

"Oh yes, my apologies I am perfectly fine, simply once again lost in my own thought. I was just wondering as to why you haven't asked me how I got here yet."

Charlie smiled at her as she made eye contact with him.

"Riley, Riley. I thought you'd taught me not to ask questions of you?"

A glimmer of a smile flashed onto her rosy lips as she laughed gently.

"Well, this one is a story you can probably hear. I was on the coast of Germany, and I found a paper which reminded me of the date, of course subsequently reminding me of my promise to you and the plans we made. Unfortunately, I still had more to do and could not leave straight away, so I ran off towards the docks, when;"

Riley continued her tale in an enthusiastic tone, as Charlie sat there and drank in each of her words.

An hour ticked by quickly, as Riley enthralled a wild, yet vague tale and Charlie laughed at how bizarre her life was, questioning her vibrant effervescence.

"So when I finally managed to get to the Portkey I had organised and get here just in time. Do you think, perhaps, we could go and see any of the other dragons? I haven't had much in field experience with animals. I don't think they always like me." She continued rapidly as Charlie nodded, smiling.

Not wanting to be a single step behind the desires of Riley, Charlie hastily launched himself out of his seat and rather clumsily followed her to the door, closing it behind him as Riley began to fill his ears with her opinion on the connection of dragon pox and dragons.

As they walked, Riley began talking about her first appearance at the sanctuary.

"I'm surprised I actually made it in such good time," spoke Riley as she picked up a fallen pine cone. "I've recently discovered that I have no sense of direction."

"I did wonder when you showed up with the Antipodean. You know so much but you had absolutely no idea that you'd stumbled across a dragon sanctuary."

"I know! I was once told to check out a building in France for any crime, and I ended up in Russia. I did happen to find a rather nice museum to visit, and they did make a stunning hot chocolate."

Charlie laughed at the girl, whose fingers were playing with the pine cone. "You're really something else."

"Well, I've never paid a lot of attention to memorising streets and directions. And now that I'm travelling so much, if I lose my map I really have no chance at all to get to the right place. My youngest brother, now he is one who knows where he's going."

"How so?"

"When we were all little, he would take us through the forests, even though he was much younger than us. Could find every tree that we'd been to before, creeks and streams, even the same place deep in the woods where we buried a frog that had died."

A deep laugh escaped Charlie's lips as he shook his head. "You know what is weird?"

"Based on previous data from my schoolmates in younger days, I'd guess and say myself."

"Wrong, you're not weird at all Riley. You told me you are entirely top secret, and that nobody is supposed to know anything about your life. Yet, you keep seeming to spill out little details, well, about everything."

"Yes. Yes, I am really having an issue with this I believe. I just cannot shut my mouth around you, but I know that looking at you and everything I know about you, you aren't exactly the most dangerous person to hold knowledge about my life."

Charlie's large brows furrowed. "And what do you mean by that?"

"You have friends, Charles, and quite a few of them, but none too close other than those in your family. It's not a bad thing, and please don't think I'm trying to insult you, but it is simply the dynamics of which you have grown up with. There are seven children in your family now, and you were never raised with one being superior to the other. From what I have heard, your parents allowed you each to be exactly what you wanted to be, yet you and your older brother are strikingly similar in personality, so for your entire life, he has been your best friend."

"So you're saying because I am close to my brother you tell me about your life?"

Riley kicked a chunk of freshly mowed grass with the toe of her boot and sighed. "No Charlie, that is not what I'm saying at all. Well, it is, but that is more the reason as to why I trust you with my secrets. As to why I cannot seem to keep my mouth shut, unfortunately, I haven't quite figured that one out yet."

Charlie smiled quietly at the creases on the young woman's forehead as she thought, in obvious frustration. Her eyes crinkled suddenly, and she paused mid-step.

Nearly out of nowhere, she ducked behind a small leafy bush, dragging Charlie down by the wrist with her.

"Quiet." She hissed, withdrawing her wand from her deep coat pocket. "Somebody is here, and it isn't somebody good."