Fantastic Beasts {Charlie Weasley}

Chapter Four

Tanin Scamander had hundreds of thousands of thoughts rushing through her head at any given time. They were good, bad, happy, sad, confusing, clear, and occasionally all of the above. She thought of family, friends, the future, the past, any topic possible has passed through her head at least twice. Perhaps thrice.

Despite the incredible amount of thought in her mind, he always had time to question one thing, or rather, person; Professor Dumbledore. 

She had no idea what intrigued her so about him, but her most recent theory was his interest in her. As stated previously, Tanin was nothing special when it came to academics. Sure, she excelled at handling creatures, and occasionally divination, but despite that? Nothing. So why did Albus Dumbledore, one of the greatest and well-respected wizards of all time, hold her to such high standards? It was incredible confusing, and despite how often it seemed to happen, Tanin thoroughly disliked being confused.

"You seem lost in thought, Miss Scamander."

Speak of the devil, silently thinking of the muggle phrase Charlie's father had taught her. "Sorry, sir?"

Dumbledore smiled softly, as if he knew of every single thought racing through Tanin's mind, and everything that came before it, and everything that would proceed it. Though she thought she ought to feel awkward at the sensation, she felt oddly comforted. 

"It appears that you have a lot on your mind," he said, the smile hidden halfway beneath his beard never slipping away for a single moment. "Would you like to talk? Or, perhaps, you would rather explain why you are sitting in an empty classroom?"

Tanin sighed. "First of all, regarding the classroom, I was in a mood, you know? A type of mood that doesn't end as long as another peer is in your presence, even if you like them. Especially if you like them."

"And secondly?"

She shrugged. "Everything. I think I've thought every thought that's ever been thunk or with be thought for the rest of humanity." She furrowed her eyebrows. "I think that makes sense. Or doesn't it?" Tanin shrugged, a slight headache forming at her temples. "I honestly have no idea."

Dumbledore laughed. "I know how it feels. You are not alone, Miss Scamander. I hold you to high regards, and I expect that you will meet those expectations when the time is to come. As you have just stated, you have a brilliant mind far beyond your age."

Tanin frowned at the man. "What do mean? I didn't say I have a bright mind, if anything I confused myself to the point where I showed the opposite."

The old wizard shook his head in an all-knowing way. "No, you proved your brilliance. And that, my dear, is a painfully difficult thing for any one to do."

And with that, Albus Dumbledore left the abandoned classroom, leaving Tanin alone choking on the air of confusion that surrounded her.

        

     

"I don't like that look on your face, Tan."

Tanin frowned at Charlie. "Oh whatever do you mean, my ginger friend?"

He pointed at the girl's face. "That. I don't like that." When Tanin continued to look confused, he continued. "That look on your face either means you're constipated or you're thinking, and judging by how long you took in the bathroom not too long ago, I'm guessing it's the latter."

"And what's so wrong with me thinking?" Tanin asked, placing her chin in her hand as she slouched over the library table. "Maybe I'm thinking of how to study for our transfiguration test coming up. How do you know it's not that?"

Charlie snorted, obviously finding her rhetorical question humorous. "Because you don't study, Tan. And I know you well enough to know that when you're thinking of something, you're not just thinking. You're plotting."

"Plotting? We're in the library, not herbology, Char. How can I plot something without a plant?"

The redhead rolled his eyes. "You can be entirely insufferable, you know."

Tanin rolled her eyes, mimicking her friend in a non-malicious way. "You can smell absolutely repugnant, you know."

Charlie sighed, knowing he wouldn't get a straight answer unless he asked directly. "Tan, please tell me what you were thinking about before this conversation."

Tanin shrugged. "Nothing special, I guess. Mostly about Papi. After Nana passed a few years ago, he hasn't been the same. Well, he's still happy most of the time, but he has this look in his eyes..." Tanin frowned, an unsettling feeling of nauseating sadness growing in her stomach. "And he's getting rather up there in age. I mean, he's turning ninety-two soon, and when we visited the sanctuary this summer, he wasn't as energetic as usual. Well, yeah, that's to be expected with age, but that also makes me think, Mam and Dad are older now too. They had me really late in age, and I just--"

"You're ranting, Tan," Charlie said, a faint look of pity present in his eyes. He knew how sensitive Tanin could be at times, and that crushed him. 

"I'm sorry," she sighed, her hair a shade of blue so light that it looked nearly white. "All of this has got me thinking, though... We're seventeen, right? Well, you'll be in December, but still. We're aren't going to be this young forever, Char."

"And?" Charlie asked cautiously. Something about the way Tanin was speaking so passionately made his heart race in both excitement and fear. "What about it?"

"What about it!" Tanin nearly shouted, causing the librarian to lean over a desk and shush them. "Well I'll tell you what about it," she said in a much quieter tone. "We have dreams, and we're still spry enough to follow them. Why not follow them sooner than later?"

The redhead shook his head. "I'm still not following."

"The dragon sanctuary!"

The librarians head whipped their way once more, angered at the high volume of which Tanin had shouted at. She pointed to the door with the fierce expression on her face.

After leaving the library, Tanin turned to her friend. "What do you think?"

"What do I think?" Charlie asked, his eyebrows furrowed. "I think I have no idea what you're going on about. The dragon sanctuary?"

Tanin rolled her eyes at her companion as they continued walking. "You can be so dense, Char. Thank Merlin you have me. I think that once you're of age, we ditch this place and go to Romania."

Charlie stopped completely. "You've gone absolutely mental, haven't you? We can't just up and leave! We're still sixth years!"

"Yeah, but we know all we'll need to know." Tanin said, turning to face Charlie.

"What about OWLs? Next year we're supposed to take NEWTs," He asked, astonished at how laid back Tanin was being about her outlandish proposal.

"I heard the NEWTs are nasty and exhausting," she said, before widening her eyes in slight shock. "They named it perfectly!"

"Stay focused, will you?" Charlie demanded, before sighing and rubbing his forehead with the palm of his head. "This is probably the most insane plan I've ever heard of."

"But it's also brilliant," Tanin offered in a hopeful voice. "Charlie, no matter what our parents say, we're ready. We already know what we're going to do with our lives, and we've learned everything that Hogwarts can afford us about the topic. Besides what our parents may want, there is no reason to stay. We don't need the OWLs or the NEWTs for our futures, we don't need anymore potions or transfiguration lessons, we already know absolutely everything about magical creatures, so what's left?" Charlie looked up at Tanin, and saw pure desperation in her eyes. He both hated and adored that look. "Hands on learning, Charlie. The best way to learn is to do, and the only way we can do is if we go to Romania."

Charlie sighed, and after a few moments of thinking it over, stared Tanin directly in the eyes and smiled. "We leave the thirteenth of December then?"