One Day More *Charlie Weasley*

Prologue

Eliza lay on the roof, ignoring the slates that were digging into her shoulder blades as she stared up at the stars. She couldn't pretend that she knew any of the constellations, having dropped Astronomy as soon as she had been able. It wasn't due to not having an interest in the subject but rather her uncanny ability to fail almost every exam that came her way regarding the subject.

No matter how much she intently stared at the sky which was almost surrounding her like a blanket; she couldn't drown out the sounds of her mother and father screaming at each other in the house below.

A clash from the drawing room and a quite whimper of her name coming from her window which was situated just to the left of her broke Eliza out of her thoughts. Sitting up, she sighed when she saw he younger brother stood at her open window, tears streaming down his pale face, his blue eyes red rimmed.

"Nicky," She sighed in remorse having thought her brother had been asleep. Looking over at him, looking small in his nightmare, blonde hair falling into his eyes, fists clenched at his side as he heaved. He was presumably angry at himself for crying; it having been drilled into the Yaxley family that tears were a sign of weakness. Not that she thought that.

"Come here, Nicky," She spoke again, holding out her hand to make sure he didn't fall whilst climbing next to her on the roof, that same arm going around his shoulder as she pulled him into her, rubbing soothing circles into his shoulder.

The didn't speak. Just sat there together listening to the shouts and crashing from the house below. A feat that was familiar and a regular occurrence for the both of them.

"It's okay to cry, Nickolas. I know Papa says it's a weakness but it's not."

"But... he wouldn't like that I'm crying," He sniffed.

Eliza ran a hand through her brother's curly hair, the curls something that they both inherited from their mother, as she lay her head on top of his head, eyes closing. "You know the drill. When it's just us two, you can act however you want to,"

"I love you Eliza," He whimpered, wrapping his arms around her and burrowing his head into her chest, something he had been doing since before he could remember.

"I love you too, Nicky." She kissed the top of his head, it's only a few weeks to you start you're first year! And the Quiddich World Cup is just around the corner, it's going to get better," She promised.

She didn't know how wrong she was

***** What do you think? Ignoring the fact the Yaxley and Weasley family are distantly related...