16Chapter 8: Falling - Chapter 8
Author's Note
Get ready to bid farewell to Charlie and Ashlynn's time at Hogwarts but don't panic, this story continues on past the end of the HP books so there's plenty more to come yet.
...
The next morning Charlie woke up early with Ashlynn curled around him and her messy blond hair piled on his chest. He lay there for hours just watching her sleep in his arms, his adoring eyes following the rise and fall of her shoulders as she breathed, mesmerised by how her hands clenched and unclenched against his chest and her legs twitched as she dreamt.
He wanted to bring her tea to enjoy in bed when she woke. He wanted her to be taken care of in every way.
So he delicately slipped out from underneath her, revelling in the contours of her beautiful body and stifling a groan as his cock throbbed again at the sight of her lying in his bed. When he finally dragged his eyes away from his gorgeous best friend tangled in his sheets he threw on a pair of pajama trousers and a t-shirt before silently exiting his room, careful not to step on the squeaky floorboard outside to minimise the risk of waking one of the many Weasleys who still inhabited the burrow.
Thankfully the kitchen was empty when he arrived, everyone else seemingly still asleep. He boiled the kettle and brewed her a cup of her favourite green tea, adding half a teaspoon of honey to make it just how she liked. He hummed happily to himself and danced slowly from foot to foot in elation as he stirred the warm drink in the moonlight streaming through the large kitchen windows as sunrise was still a way off.
Arthur Weasley leaned against the kitchen door frame unnoticed by his second eldest son as he watched him giddily make a cup of tea in a pretty floral mug, having been halted by the sight on his own way to make Molly a morning cup of her favourite tea.
"Morning son" he said quietly so as not to make Charlie jump.
"Hey Dad" Charlie replied with the happiest smile his Dad had ever seen on his face, even brighter than when he first rode a broom.
Arthur looked pointedly down at the cup of tea in his second eldest son's hands and cocked an eyebrow at him.
"I really love her Dad" Charlie explained, blushing deeply at being caught and being so transparent that his Dad was able to see through the loving gesture so quickly.
"I know you do son, just take care of her. Promise you'll always be a gentleman with her?" His Dad requested kindly.
"Anything for her" Charlie's eyes swam as he thought of how much he truly adored and loved the woman waiting in his bed upstairs.
Arthur nodded, clapped his son on the shoulder and strode into the kitchen ready to make his wife her tea. Charlie bounded up the stairs as quickly as he could without spilling the hot drink in his hands but froze as he made it to the first landing. Ashlynn was stepping out of Ginny's room with her overnight bag in hand and her dress back on from the night before. Charlie was stuck on the top stair in confusion as he saw the tear tracks down her cheeks.
"Love, what's wrong?" He cupped her cheek and dried a tear with his warm thumb.
Ashlynn turned her head away from his touch and pushed past him on the stairs.
"Ash, love, come back. What's wrong? Please love." He begged as he chased her through the house and out the front door.
"No Charlie. Don't." Her voice overflowing with hurt and tears streaming down her face. "I know your rules. I get it. It's fine. Just… Just please don't make this any harder than it has to be…"
"What? No love, that…" Charlie tried to say it didn't apply to her, that she was different as his heart broke at her words.
"No! I said don't Charlie" she interrupted, rounding on him and causing him to seize in his chase.
Charlie opened his mouth to explain and beg her to stay when she turned on the spot and vanished before his very eyes without him having the chance to say another word.
His heart wrenching cry rent through the silence she had left in her wake. His sobs wracked through him as he collapsed to his knees hard. The mug of her tea smashing as it hit the stone path. He loved her so much. He couldn't bear to let her go like this.
Strong arms pulled him up to standing and he was wrapped in a strong hug from his saddened father who had witnessed the whole altercation. Charlie didn't speak for the rest of the holidays, not a single word to anyone. She had sent a note by owl telling him not to visit her and not to write. She said she needed time and Charlie respected her wishes more than his own.
…
Ashlynn arrived at Platform 9 ¾ early on the first day back. Her holiday bag slung over her shoulder and a nervous smile plastered across her face as she prepared herself to see Charlie again. She knew his rules and complete lack of exclusivity, every girl in school did, so whatever he said she would not entertain the idea of a relationship. She loved him and couldn't bear to be cheated on again, especially by him.
"Can I help you with your bag?" The charming voice of Scott Dunshee rang over her shoulder as he lifted the weight of the strap from her.
"Thank you Scott, that would be lovely" she smiled back. He really was a gentleman and she liked the way his dark hair was soft and floppy in his eyes. "How was your Christmas holiday?"
"It was wonderful but I'm sure I would have enjoyed it much more in your company" he responded sweetly, getting straight to the point before his nerves poked through his confident exterior "I was actually wondering if you would like to go out with me?"
Ashlynn saw the nerves in his eyes and heard the affection in his voice, carefully considering her answer.
"Like to Hogsmeade?" She asked carefully.
"More like, boyfriend and girlfriend but yes Hogsmeade would be included too." He clarified with a kind chuckle "I really like you Ash."
She hesitated for a moment, her mind flicking to Charlie briefly before she admonished her thoughts for ignoring her own rules.
"Yes," she replied, surprising herself "yes I would like that very much."
Pushing up onto her toes she touched a chaste kiss to his lips as he held her steady with a hand on the dip of her waist.
Charlie's eyes swept the platform as soon as he pushed through the barrier at the front of his family. His eyes fell upon the one person he desperately wanted to see, just as her lips brushed those of another man. Arthur gripped his son's shoulder firmly and walked him to the train doors.
"Be kind, be a gentleman and always respect her wishes." Arthur told him firmly as they worked together to load Charlie and three of his brothers' luggage onto the train.
Charlie didn't complete his prefect duties that train ride or report to the prefect's carriage. He knew the head boy would be there with the girl Charlie loved, so instead he pretended to listen to his dorm mates, Tonks and their other friends ramble on about their holidays and argue over quidditch while wallowing and staring dejectedly out of the rainy train window.
…
Charlie avoided Ashlynn as much as he could and rounds were extremely awkward to begin with but Charlie soon cleaned up his act. Tonks had given him a stern talking to, explaining that she needed both of her friends to make it through the rest of their final year together at Hogwarts and in time the three went back to being around each other most days again, despite the hurt that both Charlie and Ashlynn nursed in their hearts.
The trio had finally taken to sitting together at breakfast, working on last bits of homework and getting early revision done, by the time the Easter holidays arrived. None of the seventh years went home for the holidays as they had intense revision classes while the castle was quieter than usual and so their last holiday at the school arrived and passed without much fanfare or implementation of any of the pranks the trio had pulled in their first years at the school.
On the first day back after the holidays the three entered together and were shocked by the sheer noise of the great hall, having become used to the subdued, exam panicked seventh years over the past fortnight. Several sixth and fifth year girls stopped by to see Charlie, as they usually did, and flirt outrageously with him over breakfast but he pushed them all away, ignoring their forwardness and eager offers.
"What's with the celibacy Charlie?" Tonks inquired after yet another girl had tried to get him to join her in a broom cupboard for some pre-exam stress release.
"I'm just not interested in them anymore." He responded harshly.
"I haven't seen or heard of you being with anyone in months Charlie," Tonks pushed "what's going on?"
"Not since New Year" he answered with a glance at Ashlynn.
This look did not go unnoticed by Tonks whose face twisted in sympathy for her best friends and the carnage that was their current relationship, he was saved however from the conversation furthering when the post owls swooped down. The nerves of all three heightened as they simultaneously remembered that today was the day for application responses to arrive, so if they didn't get their letter today then they weren't on the post Hogwarts program they wanted. All seventh year eyes followed the hoards of swooping owls as they flew around the hall, every students desperate for one to be carrying an acceptance letter for them and their friends.
"How's it going beautiful Ashlynn?" Scott enquired with a quick kiss as he joined them at the Hufflepuff table. As head boy no one cared if he sat at a different house table and they had long since given up trying to stop the trio from sitting together.
"Good morning" she replied easily "just waiting for the post."
As she finished her sentence three large owls descended on the table between the seated friends. A tired looking snowy owl with a thick, waxy envelope addressed to Charlie, a grey ministry owl with a plain white envelope for Tonks and a friendly looking barn owl with a parcel for Ashlynn.
It took them all a few moments to process the owls' arrival before untying their correspondence and looking excitedly at each other.
"You go first Tonks" Charlie instructed, the first of the trio to have his vocal chords return to working order.
Tonks ripped open the wax seal and pulled out a short letter from the Auror Department.
"I got in!" She squealed and bounced in her seat with excitement "I'm going to be an Auror!"
"Congratulations!"
"Well done!"
Her friends chorused and hugged her tightly before she looked at Ashlynn.
"You next Ash" she nudged.
With a quick glance at her two best friends and her boyfriend she ripped open the brown wrapping on the parcel to find a letter of acceptance on top of a thick book.
"I've been accepted!" she cried and grabbed her little group in a big bear hug before releasing them to look at the new books. "St Mungo's have even sent me the first textbook for my healing programme so I can get a head start."
"I'm so proud of you, princess" Scott congratulated as he kissed her cheek tenderly.
"What are you doing next year Scott?" Tonks asked after offering her own congratulations while Charlie stared lovingly at Ashlynn and whispered how amazing she was again and again.
"I'll be made a partner in my father's business," he replied, wrapping an arm around his girlfriend's shoulders proudly "I enjoy it well enough, it'll make my family happy and I'll make decent enough money to keep Ashlynn here happy too."
Ashlynn scoffed at the money comment, knowing full well that 'decent enough money' meant millions of Galleons.
"I don't need money." Ashlynn replied quickly "Anyway, you're up next Charlie."
Knocking his knees against Ashlynn's, Charlie carefully peeled open the waterproof envelope in his hands, pulling out a thick stack of parchment. His hand flew to the charm around his neck of a Romanian Longhorn Dragon as his eyes flew back and forth across the first page.
"I'm going to be a Dragon keeper" he spoke softly, hardly able to read the words telling him that his childhood dream was coming true.
"Which reserve?" Tonks asked eagerly after their third celebratory hug and round of congratulations.
Charlie flipped through to the page with details on the reserve he had been posted in, his heart dropped.
"Romania."
…
Exams passed slowly and were full of stress. Numerous seventh years had to be given calming draughts by Madam Pomfrey just to be able to breathe at a normal pace, sleep or eat and at any time you could usually find at least one student crying over a library book. But before too long the trio were laying on the grass at the edge of the lake, their feet dangling in the cool water on the morning of their graduation. They had all passed their exams with flying colours and therefore been officially accepted the training positions they had each been offered.
"Where's Scott this morning Ashlynn?" Tonks asked at the absence of her friend's boyfriend.
"He went to sort out some business." she replied unfazed.
Charlie took a deep breath at the mention of her boyfriend but revelled in the fact that he could still hold her hand, he would be leaving tomorrow morning for the dragon reserve in Romania and wouldn't have the chance to touch her again for months at least.
Charlie would be the first to start his programme but the other two weren't far behind, Tonks had a day to relax after graduation before starting her Auror training and Ashlynn had a week before her first day at St Mungo's.
So the three lay there, listening the gently lapping of the water and content to simply be in each other's presence until they heard the clock strike midday and finally got up to go prepare themselves for their graduation ceremony.
…
"Congratulations my dear I'm so proud of you three!" Mrs Weasley wept as she held Charlie, Tonks and Ashlynn all squished into one big hug.
"Good job you three" Arthur added, helping free them from Molly's tearful embrace and giving them each a quick hug of his own.
The three were then passed around Ashlynn's parents and to Tonks' mum for hugs and congratulations too as they congregated on the edge of Hogsmeade, the seventh years having passed back across the lake in the boats they used in first year. Tonks had, thankfully, not fallen in this time, however this was mostly due to the firm grasp both of her best friends had her in for the entire ride as they waved goodbye to the castle they had called home for the past seven years.
After many tearful well wishes, stories of when the graduated students had been little kids and even more tearful hugs, Scott arrived from standing with his family nearby. With a conspiratorial wink to Ashlynn's father and a small smile returned by the older man, he pulled the friends away from their families and they headed off to the Three Broomsticks pub for their graduation party.
Mr Bird's smile quickly turned sad as he watched them walk away, wishing it were Charlie who had been to see him this morning instead of Scott.
…
The firewhiskey had been flowing and music pumping through the pub all night, everyone was having a great time when the clock loudly struck midnight. Madam Rosmerta had insisted they were all to be out by 1am, she knew some of the party goers were due to start work the next day and didn't want a goodbye party to ruin the ex-students' first days.
As the twelfth chime echoed around the pub, the music was suddenly brought to a halt and Scott leapt up onto the bar dragging a very confused Ashlynn up there with him.
"Your attention please!" The ex-head boy called above the crowd, pausing until all eyes turned to him. "We have just completed some of the best years of our lives, living together in Hogwarts and meeting people who will be part of our lives forever. This incredible woman up here with me is my favourite out of all of you lot." He turned to face Ashlynn at the crowd's laughter and cheers, and held both of her hands in his. "She is smarter than a Ravenclaw, earning herself some amazing scores in her NEWTs. Braver than a Gryffindor, shown through her time on the quidditch pitch as her house's beater. More ambitious than a Slytherin, she's won a highly coveted place in St Mungo's healer training, and kinder than any other Hufflepuff that a Slytherin like me could ever be privileged to meet."
He dropped to one knee in front of her to a flurry of gasps around the room and smoothly withdrew a turquoise velvet box from his inside pocket. Charlie was frozen solid in his place near the door, his face drained of all colour and emotion. His heart ripped itself apart torturously as he watched the love of his life up on that bar with another man knelt before her.
"Ashlynn Clare Bird," Scott continued, the only voice in the now otherwise silent pub "will you do me the greatest honour in the world and be my bride? Will You marry me Ash?"
At these final words Charlie broke, a sob tore from his throat and he turned, stumbling outside into the hot summer's air. Choking on his breath, Charlie apparated to the Burrow and collapsed on the lawn where his father found him hours later when dawn finally broke, curled up in a ball and his body still wracked with sobs.
...
Author's Note
Hey everyone! Thanks for reading, I hope you're having fun.
Please let me know what you think in a review and feel free to leave me some love too in reviews, follows, favourites or by sharing with your friends.
I'm going to leave it there for tonight (don't hate me) but the next chapter will be going up within the next 2 days!
See you soon,
Wishin' girl x x x