Chapter Text
Though she didn’t want to leave, she knew she had to.
She had spent the entirety of her summer on leave, helping her father around the house. Her father had taken her mother’s death hard. While Drea had as well, she often felt she had to bury her pain to protect her father. Sometimes it felt like her father was so fragile that one wrong word and he would shatter into a million pieces. It was hard seeing him like this.
In her eyes, her father had always been the bravest person she knew and seeing him like this was heartbreaking. Often, getting him out of bed was a huge accomplishment.
“I still can’t believe you’re willing to go back there.” Her father said while shaking his head. For today, Drea’s biggest accomplishment was getting her father to actually come down to the kitchen for breakfast. It was a tiny step, but it was something, nonetheless.
“To Hogwarts?” Drea clarified, while busying herself by making a cup of coffee.
“Make me one while you’re at it,” he motioned to the coffee pot, “and yes of course I’m talking about Hogwarts, what else would I be talking about?”’ Her father sighed, letting the newspaper he was holding fall to the table.
“I’ll be fine!” Drea rolled her eyes, allowing herself to be distracted by the steady drip of coffee pouring into the pot.
“After everything that happened?”
Drea groaned, pinching the bridge of her nose. “I’m more worried about you, than I am about myself.”
“No worrying about me allowed! I’ll be alright!” He argued, but Drea could hear right through his cheery front. He wasn’t alright, and he probably would never truly be again.
“You’ll write to me every day?” Drea made sure, turning around to face him. She crossed her arms in front of her chest, staring down at him sternly.
“Merlin! Sometimes even I believe you’re more a parent than me.”
“Don’t say that,” Drea mumbled, a grimace of pain coming to her face.
Her father immediately recognized her expression, and apologized profusely, “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean too—”
“It’s alright.”
But it wasn’t. It really wasn’t.
Just an hour later, Drea was all packed up. All of her belongings were stowed away in numerous trunks, and one bag was filled with the necessities she would need for her weekend at the Burrow. With a wave of her wand, she sent her trunks on their way to Hogwarts, and began to make her way down the stairs.
“Dad,” she called into the parlor, sticking her head through the doorway. “I’m ready to go!” She exclaimed. For the time being, she had decided to plaster a smile upon her face, no matter how fake it was. Her father made his way from the armchair he was resting on, and quickly pulled her into a hug.
“Be safe,” he whispered in her ear, one arm rubbing her back in a way that almost made Drea sick to her stomach at the thought of leaving him. “Before you start worrying more,” he pulled back from the embrace, holding her by both arms, and giving her a look of reassurance. “I will be perfectly ok! I’m going back to work next week, and I’ll write you every day!”
She knew his words were his best attempt at soothing her, but it wasn’t working as well as he had hoped.
“You’re sure?” She asked, but she knew his answer would be the same. After giving her father yet another hug, she gripped her wand in one hand, and her bag in the other. A simple flick of the wrist was all she needed to apparate to the Burrow.
While she had improved her apparation technique immensely since her time at Hogwarts, the feeling still made her knees almost give out each time she landed on hard ground again. As soon as she nudged the front door of the Burrow open, she was nearly suffocated in Mrs. Weasley’s hug.
“My dear,” she said endearingly, “it’s so good to see you!” She pulled back for a second to take a look at her, placing both of her palms along Drea’s cheeks. “How are you doing?” She asked sympathetically.
“I’m okay,” Drea nodded, trying her best to ignore the pang in her heart. It had only been three months since her mother’s death, and the wound was still fresh.
“If you or your father ever need anything, we’re always here to help!” She offered kindly, eagerly beckoning Drea further inside their home. Something about the Burrow always made Drea feel cozy. It was her home away from home.
The staircase above them already thudded with the pounding of footsteps upon them. The Weasley children were on their way down. The wind was knocked out of her as two red-headed children wrapped their arms around her waist—Ron and Ginny. The youngest of the bunch, and by far the cutest. While the twins had apparently grown far too cool to associate themselves with her, Ron and Ginny were absolutely enamored with her, and she wouldn’t have it any other way.
Ginny was just about to begin her second year at Hogwarts, and was perhaps the most adorable twelve-year-old she had ever laid her eyes on. “I missed you guys so much!” She smiled widely, pulling them back in for another hug.
“Drea!” Ginny pipped up, “can I show you my schedule?” She asked, her eyes pleading Drea to follow her. Without hesitation, she followed Ginny into the kitchen, watching as she pulled her course schedule out of the already opened envelope. Ginny was incredibly excited for another year at Hogwarts, and Drea couldn’t blame her. She remembered when Charlie and she would open their letters together and anticipate the year that was to come. Back then, Hogwarts had a dreamy air to it that was hard to describe, one that always made Drea eager to come back.
Drea was almost too distracted by Ginny to realize that Percy had sauntered into the room. She looked beyond the sheet of paper Ginny was showing her, looking at Percy’s disgruntled expression. Of all the Weasleys, Percy was honestly probably the least compatible with her, but nonetheless, she was always cordial.
“How are you feeling about your last year at Hogwarts?”
Percy shrugged, only then looking her way, “I’m more focused on what comes after.” He said flatly and disappeared from the room as quickly as he came.
“What’s up his arse?” She asked, truthfully, she hadn’t really intended for her question to be answered.
“There’s always something up his arse.” She heard behind her. The voice made her lips part in shock.
She spun on her heels, “Charlie!” She beamed, immediately pulling him in for a hug. The feeling of his arms wrapped around her waist was one she hadn’t expected. She felt just the slightest flutter in her stomach, but it was enough that her face flushed at the sensation. “I didn’t realize you’d be here!”
He pulled away from her, flashing her a grin. “Would you have changed your mind if you knew?” He cocked an eyebrow, leaning against the wall behind him. Merlin, he looked good, he always looked good.
“No!” She proclaimed, but Charlie still didn’t seem to believe her, “I’m serious!”
“Okay!” Charlie flung his hangs up in the air, surrendering at her words. “I believe you.”
“We promised no awkwardness! And here I am…” she looked down at herself and then back up at him, “not being awkward.” As she gazed upon him, she allowed herself to take a real look at him for the first time. It seemed the time in Romania had dusted a ruggedness upon him, but it only made him more attractive—if that was even possible. His red hair was just long enough to hang slightly over one eye, and his blue eyes were just as tempting as they had been every time before.
He leaned forward, crossing his arms across his chest, “we also promised we’d just be friends from now on, but now that I’m here…” he paused, his fingers coming to brush strand of her hair behind her ears, “I don’t know how feasible that is.”
She gulped, biting her lip. His blue eyes met her dark brown ones, pinning her to the spot. She and Charlie had a history, and a lengthy one at that. They had been sorted into Gryffindor together when they were just eleven, were friends for so long, and after a crazy turn of events, they had started dating at the beginning of their seventh year. After a little over two years of dating, they had broken things off. While amicable, there were still obvious feelings that lingered between them.
Normal couples would have split up and never seen each other again, but for Drea and Charlie, it was different. They had spent so much time with each other’s families as friends beforehand, that when they had broken up, Mrs. Weasley had made it known that she was still to be a part of their family. Especially considering the year Drea had, she was thankful for the Weasleys’ constant presence in her life.
They were shaken from their trance, as Mrs. Weasley yelled that dinner was ready. Thank Merlin for that, because Drea did not know what she would have said to Charlie. She had loved him so much, but long distance had been incredibly challenging, and they were still so young.
“Cat got your tongue?” Charlie teased, noticing how her cheeks had flushed and how her eyes widened at his words.
She rolled her eyes, groaning loudly, “shove off!”
Drea had tried to sit between Ginny and Ron, but the chair was claimed by Percy before he could get the chance. Though she hadn’t wanted to, she had no choice but to sink into the chair besides Charlie. All too often throughout the meal, his knee nudged hers. No matter how many times she tried to tell herself that she didn’t have feelings for him anymore, it was no use. She knew she did.
“Drea, I hear you’re going to be returning to Hogwarts this year?” Mr. Weasley leaned forward onto his elbows.
Drea nodded, “yes, I will be! It’s my final field placement before I officially become a healer at St. Mungo’s.” She explained.
“Well, that will be lovely!” Mrs. Weasley clasped her hands together in joy. “You’ll be able to look after them all,” she motioned to all her younger children.
Drea chuckled, seeing how much Fred and George hated the idea of being “looked after.” “They better not get in too much trouble, Mrs. Weasley. I can only handle so much,” she said, looking directly at the twins. They were notorious for stirring up trouble.
“That’s certainly something to be proud of!” Mr. Weasley applauded her. “I’ve heard that the residency at Hogwarts is highly competitive.”
“Thank you!” A blush came to her cheeks. Another nudge brushed her knee. For once, she had something else to blame her fluster on.
After helping Mrs. Weasley clean up the dinner table, Drea decided to search the house for Charlie. She knew she shouldn’t have, but she couldn’t help herself. It was as if they were magnetized to each other. She had done many rounds around the house, but hadn’t found him anywhere. She pursed her lips together in confusion.
Seeing her struggle, Fred spoke up, “if you’re looking for Charlie, he’s outside.”
“I wasn’t looking for him,” she furrowed her brows; her attempt to deny Fred’s accusation was useless.
“Sure, you weren’t”
She rolled her eyes. Making her way out the front door right after certainly didn’t help her case, but she didn’t really care much at the moment. There she found him, smoking a few paces from the house. At the sound of the door shutting behind her, Charlie glanced behind him. A cheeky grin coming to his face as soon as he saw her.
“Couldn’t keep away, huh?”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” she brushed his comment off, “I just need a smoke.”
Charlie coughed after taking a heavy puff, “since when do you smoke?”
“Since—” she paused, sucking in a breath. She shut her eyes for a moment, before fluttering them back to Charlie. She didn’t need to say it, he already knew. He nodded, with an empathetic look on his face, already reaching into his pocket to tug a single cigarette from his pack.
She took the cigarette between her lips, allowing Charlie to light it with a single flick of his lighter. She inhaled deeply, letting the smoke fill her lungs. Since her time at Hogwarts, she had honestly made a lot of poor decisions. She had taken up smoking and drank more alcohol than one person ever should. While she was given a pass for many reasons, that doesn’t mean she should have been doing it.
“How have you been doing?” Charlie asked her sincerely.
Drea bit her cheek, her words catching in her throat. Honestly, she didn’t even know how she was doing, she had focused so much of her energy on her father these past few months. “Could be better,” she admitted, tilting her neck back to stare at the sky above. She had hoped to find in least a few stars to gaze at, but the overcast night had made that impossible.
“Drea,” he hesitated for a moment. His cigarette continued to burn away between his fingertips, a lone ash occasionally drifting to the grass below. “I’m so sorry. If I could’ve been there more over these past few months, you know I would’ve.” He signed, turning his frame to face her.
Her chest felt heavy as it rose and fell with every breath she took. “I know,” she said.
“I’ve missed you so much,” he looked down at his shoes, scuffing his heel against the dirt.
“I’ve missed you too.”
He clutched her shoulders, turning her to face him, “then why are we apart?”
“You know why…the distance.” Her eyes pleaded with him. They’d had this conversation many times before, but each time it didn’t lead to anything real.
“Let me write to you,” his words stumped her.
“Charlie, you already write to me,” she pointed out.
“You know what I mean,” his palms squeezed her shoulders, the gentleness of his touch making her stomach lurch. It was a familiar feeling, but it was still unexpected.
She was quiet for a minute, debating what Charlie had said. “Fine.”
“And you’ll write back?” He asked, a cheery tone returning to his voice.
“And I’ll write back.”