Spectators: Draco Dormiens Nunquam Titillandus
Brother to Brother
Charlie had agreed to meet the twins, Ron and Ginny in the library. They didn't know why he was there - but they would soon enough. In the meantime, he enjoyed listening to them talk about their school year.
"So how's Harry holding up?" Charlie asked Ron.
Ron shrugged noncommittally; Ginny, Fred and George all exchanged looks.
"He's... he's okay," Ginny said. "Some people insist he put his name in, though."
She glared pointedly at Ron.
"I have a lot of homework to do," Ron said. "I'd better go."
Charlie knew something was horribly wrong now, so he followed his brother.
"I'm okay," Ron said when Charlie pulled him aside.
"Are you sure about that?"
Ron hesitated. "He put his name in, Charlie."
"D'you know that?"
Ron nodded, but he wasn't meeting Charlie's eyes.
"Listen," he said, "I don't know what happened between you, but... it wasn't that long ago I got a letter from you asking if I'd help smuggle a dragon to the reserve for your friend."
"That was Hagrid -"
"-whom you told me you were introduced to through Harry. And you know it doesn't end there. Ask yourself if throwing all that away over a stupid goblet is really worth it."
"Charlie."
Charlie turned; Tomas, their trainee, was waiting impatiently.
"You're needed," he said sharply.
"Right. Take care, Ron. Think about what I said."
Charlie wondered how much convincing his stubborn brother would need if he knew what Charlie had brought to the school.
The Unknowable
Tonks ran into The Three Broomsticks, her heart pounding.
How had she lost track of time?
"So, so sorry," she panted as she greeted Charlie and Hestia. "Got held up at - at work..."
The truth was, it wasn't work at all; it was research on two counts. On one hand, she was still trying to find any reports of strange rat sightings. Meanwhile, she was trying to work out where Bertha Jorkins may have gone.
"You told me you weren't working today," Hestia said with a frown.
"I got called in," Tonks lied.
She hadn't even seen Hestia in about a month and a half, unless you counted brief run-ins at the Ministry; there'd been too much to do. Tracking down Peter, further investigation into the events at the Cup, research on magical goblets and whether or not they had any possible connection to You-Know-Who, practically spying on Kingsley to figure out if he was anywhere close to knowing where Sirius was (and hating herself a little for it, as he'd actually become a good friend)...
"Are you okay?" Hestia looked concerned.
"Sorry," Tonks said quickly. "So - why are you here, Charlie?"
"If you come to the first game, you'll know," Charlie said with a grin.
Tonks rolled her eyes. "Let me guess... dragons?"
"Maybe."
"They're not going to hurt anyone?" Hestia asked.
"I'm more worried they'll accidentally hurt one of the dragon's eggs," Charlie said.
Hestia raised her eyebrows.
"What? Dragons can't help what they are. People can."
"So what about you?" Hestia asked Tonks. "What's your secret?"
"I can't talk about work."
"Are you sure it's about work? Not a man or something?"
Tonks looked at Charlie and Hestia.
Could she tell them? Part of her wanted to; no. All of her wanted to. There were only so many people Tonks had ever opened up to completely, and they were among those very few. Besides, if things got bad, and Tonks was scared they would... well, they'd have to know then, wouldn't they? Maybe it would be better to warn them now.
But what if they didn't believe her? Or even if they did, someone else worked it out of them? Too much was at stake.
"It's a side project," Tonks lied.
Charlie and Hestia nodded in understanding, and Charlie quickly changed the subject. Tonks almost wished they'd called her a liar and left. That would've been easier.
Here Be Dragons
When Fleur was summoned to Madame Maxime's office - actually what appeared to have once been a classroom - she was nervous that she had, perhaps, done something wrong.
"Yes," Fleur admitted in French when Madame Maxime closed the door, "I did call Audrey Buggleswab stupid. I know you wanted us to be nice to our hosts, but -"
"-this isn't about your classmates. I have urgent news I am not supposed to tell you... but your Maman and Papa would never forgive me if you weren't warned."
Warned...?
"About what?" Fleur asked.
"The first task."
Ah. This had less to do with her parents, Fleur thought, and more to do with Madame Maxime not wanting her to lose. "I see. What is the first task?"
"You will have to steal an egg from a dragon."
Fleur's eyes widened.
Were they out of their minds?
"How am I supposed to-"
"-that's for you to figure out. I am just the messenger."
Madame Maxime put her hand on Fleur's shoulder. "But you will manage it. I know you will."
"I wish I were more of a Veela, like Maman," Fleur said bitterly. "Then I could change my face and scare it."
"You don't wish you were only part human," Madame Maxime told her sharply.
"You shouldn't be so ashamed," Fleur told her softly. "I'm not, and we're not so different..."
"I think that's enough for tonight," Madame Maxime interrupted. "Study and practice hard. You will need it."
Charlie had agreed to meet the twins, Ron and Ginny in the library. They didn't know why he was there - but they would soon enough. In the meantime, he enjoyed listening to them talk about their school year.
"So how's Harry holding up?" Charlie asked Ron.
Ron shrugged noncommittally; Ginny, Fred and George all exchanged looks.
"He's... he's okay," Ginny said. "Some people insist he put his name in, though."
She glared pointedly at Ron.
"I have a lot of homework to do," Ron said. "I'd better go."
Charlie knew something was horribly wrong now, so he followed his brother.
"I'm okay," Ron said when Charlie pulled him aside.
"Are you sure about that?"
Ron hesitated. "He put his name in, Charlie."
"D'you know that?"
Ron nodded, but he wasn't meeting Charlie's eyes.
"Listen," he said, "I don't know what happened between you, but... it wasn't that long ago I got a letter from you asking if I'd help smuggle a dragon to the reserve for your friend."
"That was Hagrid -"
"-whom you told me you were introduced to through Harry. And you know it doesn't end there. Ask yourself if throwing all that away over a stupid goblet is really worth it."
"Charlie."
Charlie turned; Tomas, their trainee, was waiting impatiently.
"You're needed," he said sharply.
"Right. Take care, Ron. Think about what I said."
Charlie wondered how much convincing his stubborn brother would need if he knew what Charlie had brought to the school.
The Unknowable
Tonks ran into The Three Broomsticks, her heart pounding.
How had she lost track of time?
"So, so sorry," she panted as she greeted Charlie and Hestia. "Got held up at - at work..."
The truth was, it wasn't work at all; it was research on two counts. On one hand, she was still trying to find any reports of strange rat sightings. Meanwhile, she was trying to work out where Bertha Jorkins may have gone.
"You told me you weren't working today," Hestia said with a frown.
"I got called in," Tonks lied.
She hadn't even seen Hestia in about a month and a half, unless you counted brief run-ins at the Ministry; there'd been too much to do. Tracking down Peter, further investigation into the events at the Cup, research on magical goblets and whether or not they had any possible connection to You-Know-Who, practically spying on Kingsley to figure out if he was anywhere close to knowing where Sirius was (and hating herself a little for it, as he'd actually become a good friend)...
"Are you okay?" Hestia looked concerned.
"Sorry," Tonks said quickly. "So - why are you here, Charlie?"
"If you come to the first game, you'll know," Charlie said with a grin.
Tonks rolled her eyes. "Let me guess... dragons?"
"Maybe."
"They're not going to hurt anyone?" Hestia asked.
"I'm more worried they'll accidentally hurt one of the dragon's eggs," Charlie said.
Hestia raised her eyebrows.
"What? Dragons can't help what they are. People can."
"So what about you?" Hestia asked Tonks. "What's your secret?"
"I can't talk about work."
"Are you sure it's about work? Not a man or something?"
Tonks looked at Charlie and Hestia.
Could she tell them? Part of her wanted to; no. All of her wanted to. There were only so many people Tonks had ever opened up to completely, and they were among those very few. Besides, if things got bad, and Tonks was scared they would... well, they'd have to know then, wouldn't they? Maybe it would be better to warn them now.
But what if they didn't believe her? Or even if they did, someone else worked it out of them? Too much was at stake.
"It's a side project," Tonks lied.
Charlie and Hestia nodded in understanding, and Charlie quickly changed the subject. Tonks almost wished they'd called her a liar and left. That would've been easier.
Here Be Dragons
When Fleur was summoned to Madame Maxime's office - actually what appeared to have once been a classroom - she was nervous that she had, perhaps, done something wrong.
"Yes," Fleur admitted in French when Madame Maxime closed the door, "I did call Audrey Buggleswab stupid. I know you wanted us to be nice to our hosts, but -"
"-this isn't about your classmates. I have urgent news I am not supposed to tell you... but your Maman and Papa would never forgive me if you weren't warned."
Warned...?
"About what?" Fleur asked.
"The first task."
Ah. This had less to do with her parents, Fleur thought, and more to do with Madame Maxime not wanting her to lose. "I see. What is the first task?"
"You will have to steal an egg from a dragon."
Fleur's eyes widened.
Were they out of their minds?
"How am I supposed to-"
"-that's for you to figure out. I am just the messenger."
Madame Maxime put her hand on Fleur's shoulder. "But you will manage it. I know you will."
"I wish I were more of a Veela, like Maman," Fleur said bitterly. "Then I could change my face and scare it."
"You don't wish you were only part human," Madame Maxime told her sharply.
"You shouldn't be so ashamed," Fleur told her softly. "I'm not, and we're not so different..."
"I think that's enough for tonight," Madame Maxime interrupted. "Study and practice hard. You will need it."