Let Her Go - Charlie Weasley x Reader
A/N: I'm so sorry this is so bad.
Warnings: Fluff to angst real fast
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"Uncle Charlie?" A young boy asked, sitting beside his favorite uncle on the couch, "Can I ask you a question?"
"Let me think about it." Charlie teased, elbowing his nephew with his arm, "You know you can ask me anything, Hugo."
Hugo nodded, fiddling with a stuffed dragon in his lap, not daring to meet his Uncle's eyes, "Why didn't you ever get married?"
Charlie sunk back into his seat, releasing a sigh, "You really want to know?"
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"Charlie!" You called out, running at full force to catch up to him as he walked through the long corridors.
The ginger turned, a smile spreading across his face as he slowed to a stop, waiting for you to catch up.
Once you caught up, the two of you walked side by side, clutching piles of books to your chests.
"You won't believe what Tonks did in potions." You exclaimed, a laugh escaping your lips as you descended the stairs down to Care of Magical Creatures. It was Charlie's favorite class, the one he was most passionate about. And you had no doubt that he'd probably end up as the professor one day.
He quirked a brow, "Do I want to know?"
"That depends on how much you like Snape." You teased, nudging him with your elbow.
"Well, now I've gotta know, Y/N!"
"Alright, so I was sitting next to Tonks in potions and…"
It was moments like these, when you became so animated sharing a story that Charlie felt his heart skipped a beat. He had never exactly thought about settling down. But one look at you and he knew. He knew you were the love of his life.
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"Did you hear about the Celestial Ball coming up?" Charlie asked you one day, his heart practically beating out of his chest. He knew that there was a good chance that you already had a date lined up by now, but he held out hope that you hadn't.
You nodded, "I did. Dumbledore did announce it in front of the entire cafeteria, after all."
"I suppose he did." Charlie responded, giving you a small smile, "I was just wondering if you'd gotten a date yet?"
"Oh." Your bottom lip puckered, "I just assumed that we were going together. But if you're taking someone else, it's no harm done. I won't mind."
He shook his head, "No! No, I was going to ask you. I just didn't want to ask if you already had someone lined up.
"You're the only one I'd want lined up." You say, offering a smile, your arm brushing his as you walked to Charms.
"Same for me." His face turned red at the thought of taking you to the ball, "I mean, I don't want myself lined up. I was talking about you. You're the only one I'd want lined up. Sorry, I'm not very good at this."
You laughed, gently patting his back, "Oh, Charlie, you're fine, really. I understood what you meant."
He couldn't help but admire and envy your kindness. You understood him, at times, more than he understood himself. You could unscramble anything he said, even when it didn't make sense. He had plenty of friends, being on the Quidditch team, but at the end of the day, you were the only one he wanted to see in the crowd.
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You descended the stairs down to the ballroom, your deep blue robes swishing behind you, golden thread sewn into the fabric to appear as constellations. You were breathtaking.
Charlie waited for you at the bottom of the stairs, eventually abandoning the idea and running up to meet you halfway, skipping a step as he went.
"You look stunning, Y/N." He said, unable to take his eyes off of you.
You smiled in response, "Thank you, Charlie. You don't look half bad yourself."
He swallowed the bile rising in his throat, breaking out into a small sweat as the two of you reached the bottom of the staircase.
"I have a confession." He said, his head hanging low.
"What is it?" You asked, a hand resting on his shoulder for support, "You know you can tell me anything."
"I can't dance." He admitted, "I've tried a dozen times and I just… I can't. I don't remember the moves or anything. My leading is even worse."
You thought about it for a moment, "I can lead, if you'd like. It'd take some of the pressure off of you."
"And who said we had to be good at dancing? As long as we're having a good time, I don't see the harm in stepping on your toes a few times." You added, with a teasing tone.
Charlie smiled at you. You always had a solution, a way to fix problems. Not just yours, or his own, but everyone's. Nearly everyone in your year came to you when they needed help. It took a toll on you at times, but you enjoyed being there for them. It was one of the reasons you were made prefect. He wouldn't have you any other way.
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"Are you nervous?" You asked, adjusting his red and gold tie, "You've dreampt about dragons for years, and now you're finally seeing one. I've got a feeling you're about to jump out of your skin."
Charlie sighed, "I've been waiting for this for fifteen years. I'm afraid I'll mess up or be engulfed in flames. But this could also be the happiest moment of my life."
"You don't think the birth of your child will be the happiest moment of your life?" You asked, "You need to sort out your priorities, Weasley."
"I'd prefer to get married before doing the whole children thing." He said as you finished fixing his tie.
You gazed up at him, "And who's going to be the lucky bride/groom/one?"
His whole time at Hogwarts had been leading up to this. If something crazy happened and he were to die at a dragon's talons, he had to say it. He had to tell you how he felt.
"I'm hoping it'll be you."
Your eyes widened, shock pulsing through your body. He was afraid he had made a mistake, jepordizing your friendship. But it needed to be done.
He turned away, "Sorry, I'll see you after class, Y/N. Hope-"
You pressed a kiss to his cheek, standing on the tips of your toes to reach his face. Then, you turned away, looking back once or twice to see him standing rigidly.
A smile spread on his face, and he stood there for a moment before walking to Care of Magical Creatures. He was on top of the world.
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"Tell me, how much trouble have Fred and George gotten into so far? It's what, their fourth time in detention in a week?" You asked, "Mcgonnagal's going to hand her hands tied with those two, you know."
Charlie sighed, "At least Mum gets a break, with Bill off in Egypt and the four of us here at Hogwarts."
"How are Ron and Ginny doing?" You questioned, "With all of their siblings being off?"
"They're doing as well as they can for being nine and eight. They're still young, so they'll probably be trying to get into the attic to see the ghoul."
You stepped back, "You have a ghoul in your attic? Is it friendly?"
"More or less." He responded, "It'll bang on the pipes when the house is too quiet, though. Can't imagine the ruckus it's making without Fred and George there. Probably having a conniption fit as we speak."
"I'm sure your mum will love that." You snorted, covering your mouth with your hand in embarassement before chanigng the subject, "And how about you? How are you holding up?"
Confused, he tilt his head, "About what? The dragons?"
"No, Charlie, not about the dragons. The O.W.L.S.. Have you been studying?"
"I've barely been sleeping from all the studying. This is what will get me into that dragon program in Romania." He said eagerly, although it was a bit of a touchy subject for the two of you.
You would have been content with working for the ministry under the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures, but Charlie wanted something new, something freeing.
So the two of you had agreed not to talk about it until the end of seventh year. But as the end of sixth approached, you worried that you would lose each other. It broke your heart to think about, but you knew that once he had his mind set on something, nothing would come in his way.
"Well, if you want to get a high score, you need to get some rest." You reminded him, resting your head on his shoulder, "Studying will only get you so far, you need to get some rest, alright?"
He nodded, "Don't worry, I will."
Charlie headed back to his room shortly after, slipping under his quilt. He turned on his side, gazing at the picture he kept of you on his nightstand. Your hair flowing rapidly in the wind. With a smile, he closed his eyes, drifting into a deep sleep.
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It was a warm April day and you were laying on Charlie's lap, staring at the clouds above you when he asked you a question that had the potential to change your lives.
You initially laughed it off, "Alright."
"Really?" He asked, surprised, inclining his head to face you.
You lifted yourself from his lap, raising a brow, "What are you going on about?"
"I think we should get married?"
"And when did you get that idea?"
Charlie shrugged, "Always figured it would happen, but I got the idea just now."
"So you think I'll say yes and we'll just go get married?"
"Charlie." You began, "We're fifth years. We can't get married even if we wanted to."
When he didn't respond, you continued, "Besides, you'd have to propose to me first. And even after that, it takes a while to plan a wedding."
"Oh." He said, slumping in defeat. You went back to your previous position, contentedly laying your head in his lap.
But it didn't last long. He sat back up, causing you to slide off his lap, "Then I'll just propose to you."
You pushed yourself up off the grass, "Bloody hell, Charlie."
"So, what do you say, marry me?"
"Where's my ring?" You teased, crossing your arms.
Charlie merely pulled out his wand, plucked a blade of grass, and muttered a spell under his breath that turned the green blade into a ring. A nearby flower was turned into a shimmering gem that nestled itself into the center of the ring.
Your jaw dropped, "When I asked about the ring, I was joking..."
"Not joking now, are you?"
You shook your head, leaning in to get a closer look at the ring, "It's beautiful for a piece of dirt."
"Grass." He corrected, holding it out, "So, what do you say? Will you, Y/N, marry me?"
Pretending to think about it for a moment, you shrugged, "Hmm... I don't know..."
"Oh come on, woman, what do you want from me?"
"Oh, hush, Weasley." You laughed, pressing a kiss to his lips, "Yes, I'll marry you, but only if you promise to keep it between us."
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"Charlie, how is this going to work?." You said, seated across from him in the library.
His shoulders sagged, "How is what going to work?"
Charlie shrugged, "I dunno, we'll figure out a way to make it work."
"But you're planning on going to Romania."
"So? You're planning on working for the Ministry."
"Which is thousands of miles away from one another."
He let out a long sigh, "I never really thought about that."
"So what are we going to do, Charlie?" You asked, "I don't want to break things off, but I want to have some idea of what my future will look like."
He thought about it for a moment, "Then don't."
"Don't what?" Confusion masked your face, "I don't understand."
"We'll hold off on getting married, stay engaged until we're both happy in our careers. I'll get to experience life in Romania, and you'll get to work here in London. Eventually one of us will get tired of our jobs and want to leave."
"Charlie, it might work temporarily, but we can't keep putting this off." You sighed, placing your head in your hands.
He pressed a kiss to your temple, "I know."
A few weeks later, you turned around one of the many corridors after Charms and found Charlie running up to you, a large smile spread across his lips.
He slowed to a stop before you, taking your hands into his, "I got it, Y/N. I got the internship."
"Internship?" You questioned, "What on earth are you talking about, Charlie?"
His heart sank. He hadn't told you.
"Y/N, I need to tell you something and it's not going to be easy, alright?" He said, lowering his voice and pulling you to the side of the corridor, "I applied for an internship at the Romanian Dragon Sanctuary a few months ago… and I got it."
You stared at him dead in the eye, "And you just weren't going to tell me?"
"No, I was going to. I didn't want to cause any trouble… I didn't even think I'd get in!"
"No, Charlie. You don't get to go around and do whatever you want behind my back and expect me to go along with it. You said we'd talk about it. And we didn't. You had every moment to tell me. Before you applied, when you applied, even a few days after. And you didn't." You hissed, turning in the other direction.
He reached for your hand, but you tugged it away, turning your head back to him, "And for the record, Charlie, I'm really proud of you. I'm really proud of you for getting the internship. But what I'm not proud of is the fact that you kept this from me."
"I'm done, Charlie. With all of this. I can't keep taking all of this back and forth. It's exhausting. I'm sorry, Charlie, I can't."
With that, you walked towards your common room without another word.
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Charlie spared his nephew the details of how devastated he had been when you had called it quits, but made sure to give him the overall picture.
"Did you ever talk to her again?" Hugo asked, swinging his feet, "You must have really loved her."
He sighed, "No, I haven't spoken to her since that night in the corridor. I've sent her plenty of owls, but I've gotten no response. But I still love her, Hugo, I still do."
"So why don't you marry her?" He asked.
"It's not that easy, bud." Charlie sighed, "If it was, I would have."
Hugo frowned, "I wish I could have met her."
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Charlie held Hugo's hand as he walked him to the platform.
"Thanks for being here, Uncle Charlie." He smiled, "You didn't have to come."
"What are Uncles for?" Charlie quipped, "I wanted to be here."
They ran into the platform, appearing on the other side mere moments later. Ron and Hermione followed suit behind the two of them, "Are we chopped liver, Hugo?"
"No offence, mum, but Uncle Charlie works with dragons. He's way cooler."
Rose scoffed teasingly, "This is why I'm the favorite."
"Are not!" Hugo retorted angrily.
The siblings continued to bicker, but Charlie hardly noticed. He only saw you, your hands smoothing down a teenager's robes, talking sternly to him.
He could just barely make out what you were saying.
"Now, Y/N/N (your nephew's name), promise me that you'll stay out of trouble. You're in your sixth year now, there's no excuse."
"Aunt Y/N…" He groaned, rolling his head back, "I'll behave, I promise."
You brushed his h/c hair away from his face, tapping his cheek gently, "I love you, Y/N/N."
He leaned in to give you a hug, already towering over you at sixteen, "I love you, too."
With that, he turned towards the express and climbed aboard, his black and red robes flowing behind him.
Hugo approached his uncle, giving him a quick hug before skipping off to the train, climbing aboard with a smile on his face. He eagerly waved goodbye as the train started to depart.
Charlie waved back, and within moments, the train disappeared.
He looked back to where you stood, time at a standstill. Then you twist your head back, meeting his gaze.
Without even thinking, he was walking over to you. His heart was beating out of his chest with every step he took. Finally, he was standing before you, offering a small smile, "Y/N."
"More like "see you soon's", but yes." You responded, "My sister/brother passed when my nephew was an infant, so I've been raising him for the past fifteen years now."
He nodded, "Is he a hand full?"
"You know all the trouble Fred and George got into?"
"That, but with one child instead of two."
Charlie couldn't help but laugh, "You ever have any of your own?"
"Me? No, no, I never settled down. What about you?"
"Me neither." He responded, "Y/N, I-"
But you cut him off, tugging the chain around your neck up so he could see what was on it. He inhaled sharply when he saw the ring he made you dangling from the dainty chain.
"I've worn this ever since we said goodbye all those years ago, Charlie. No one else was ever going to have my heart. It was always you."
He took a step forward, "Your picture is still on my nightstand, Y/N. The same one I had at Hogwarts."
A hint of a smile appeared on your face, "Are you free for brunch?"
