Another wish
This time for luvscharlie , because I love Charlie too. And every time I get a prompt with him, I just have to write it.
Author/Artist: silent_cassia
Request: fic
Prompt: "I chose dragons"
Pairing: Charlie/Tonks
Rating: G
A/N: Not beta read, not quite proofread, so if you find silly mistakes, feel free to point them out. Or ignore them.
I sat on the grass and he sank down opposite me, crouched on his haunches as if he thought he should be ready to run. We were sitting underneath the bleachers on the Quidditch pitch, as far from everyone as we could get. I had already worked out that this would be hard, and I can get loud when I lose my temper. That was one of the first things that drew me to Charlie. He’d stand toe-to-toe and yell right back at me.
“I don’t want to be an Auror. I never have. I’ve always wanted to work with dragons. I thought you knew all that. I’ve told you often enough.”
I’d thought I could change his mind. I should have known better. Charlie is as stubborn as I am.
“For the love all that that’s holy, will you sit down!” I snapped. “It’s impossible to talk to somebody who looks like he’s going to run any second.”
“This is going to be a short conversation. Your hair’s already turned red.” He pulled up a piece of grass and chewed it. I was almost ready to launch myself at him when he settled tailor-fashion on the grass. I concentrated on getting my hair back to pink.
“Dora,” he said softly. “We’ve talked this to death. What else is left to say?”
“Where are you going to go?”
“I don’t know yet. Whichever reserve will hire me, I expect.”
“You don’t have to be an Auror. There are all kinds of things you could do here. You’re good enough to play Quidditch for England, everybody says so. Or you could play professionally.”
“Everybody wants to be a Quidditch star when they’re a kid, Dora. I grew out of it.”
“Not everybody is good enough! You are.”
“To play professionally Quidditch has to be the most important thing in your life. It’s not that important to me any more. If I could work with dragons here, maybe I’d stay,” he said. “But I can’t. The Welsh reserves are full because every Hogwarts student applies there first. You’ve owled the reserve directors yourself, so you know I’m not lying.”
Fuck. How had he found out about that? “How did you find out about that?”
“One of them owled me, asking who you were. Don’t worry, I lied.” He was really pissed off about that. Charlie yells when he angry, but he gets quiet when he really angry. He must have been really angry, because his voice stayed conversational while his hands tore up the grass around him.
I reached out to put my arms around his neck. He smelled so good, like clean sweat and soap and shampoo. I loved that smell. We’d been together for two years except for fights, and it had been good. He was always my friend first. When I listened to other girls complaining about their boyfriends I didn’t have anything to say. Charlie was busy because he was Gryffindor seeker and Quidditch Captain, but he never lied about where he was or snuck around with another girl or pressured me to have sex with him. He was a perfect boyfriend.
Unless I wanted him after graduation.
“Charlie, I love you. We could have a future together. I can’t you just stay for a year or so? For me? Please?”
“Dora,” his voice was strained. “I can’t do that. If I let a year go by I won’t be able to get in the apprenticeship program. You have to be eighteen, no older.” He leaned his head on my shoulder.
“Do you love me?”
He sat up straight, pulled away from me. “Don’t even start that.”
“Start what?”
“That ‘If you really loved me you’d stay’ shite.”
“Did you ever think for a minute that it might not be shite?” My voice rose. “Did you ever think that what I really want to know is if you love me more than you love a fire-breathing lizard?”
“No.” Charlie said flatly.
I jumped up. “You never even thought of that?”
He stood up too. “You wanted to know if I love you more than I love a fire-breathing lizard. The answer is no, I don’t.” He was angrier than I’d ever seen him. He would have been breathing fire if he could.
“WHAT?” My voice was much louder and more shrill than I wanted it to be.
“Merlin, don’t scream,” he snapped, taking a step back. “Not unless you want all of Hogwarts to know you wanted me to choose between you and dragons, and that I chose dragons. If that’s what you’re after, scream away.” He stalked off.
“Charlie!” I called after him. “CHARLIE!”
He turned around and shouted back at me. “Louder, Dora! I don’t think they can hear you in the dungeon!”
I didn’t see him for seven years after that. I was pissed for a year, until it occurred to me that threats and blackmail were probably not the right way to get someone to love you. I wanted to apologize when I saw him at Grimmauld Place, but I didn’t, since there was a war on and Grimmauld Place was filled with all sorts. He gave me a hug before one of his brothers dragged him off. I thought I’d talk to him later, but somehow later kept getting put off. Then it was too late.
Author/Artist: silent_cassia
Request: fic
Prompt: "I chose dragons"
Pairing: Charlie/Tonks
Rating: G
A/N: Not beta read, not quite proofread, so if you find silly mistakes, feel free to point them out. Or ignore them.
I sat on the grass and he sank down opposite me, crouched on his haunches as if he thought he should be ready to run. We were sitting underneath the bleachers on the Quidditch pitch, as far from everyone as we could get. I had already worked out that this would be hard, and I can get loud when I lose my temper. That was one of the first things that drew me to Charlie. He’d stand toe-to-toe and yell right back at me.
“I don’t want to be an Auror. I never have. I’ve always wanted to work with dragons. I thought you knew all that. I’ve told you often enough.”
I’d thought I could change his mind. I should have known better. Charlie is as stubborn as I am.
“For the love all that that’s holy, will you sit down!” I snapped. “It’s impossible to talk to somebody who looks like he’s going to run any second.”
“This is going to be a short conversation. Your hair’s already turned red.” He pulled up a piece of grass and chewed it. I was almost ready to launch myself at him when he settled tailor-fashion on the grass. I concentrated on getting my hair back to pink.
“Dora,” he said softly. “We’ve talked this to death. What else is left to say?”
“Where are you going to go?”
“I don’t know yet. Whichever reserve will hire me, I expect.”
“You don’t have to be an Auror. There are all kinds of things you could do here. You’re good enough to play Quidditch for England, everybody says so. Or you could play professionally.”
“Everybody wants to be a Quidditch star when they’re a kid, Dora. I grew out of it.”
“Not everybody is good enough! You are.”
“To play professionally Quidditch has to be the most important thing in your life. It’s not that important to me any more. If I could work with dragons here, maybe I’d stay,” he said. “But I can’t. The Welsh reserves are full because every Hogwarts student applies there first. You’ve owled the reserve directors yourself, so you know I’m not lying.”
Fuck. How had he found out about that? “How did you find out about that?”
“One of them owled me, asking who you were. Don’t worry, I lied.” He was really pissed off about that. Charlie yells when he angry, but he gets quiet when he really angry. He must have been really angry, because his voice stayed conversational while his hands tore up the grass around him.
I reached out to put my arms around his neck. He smelled so good, like clean sweat and soap and shampoo. I loved that smell. We’d been together for two years except for fights, and it had been good. He was always my friend first. When I listened to other girls complaining about their boyfriends I didn’t have anything to say. Charlie was busy because he was Gryffindor seeker and Quidditch Captain, but he never lied about where he was or snuck around with another girl or pressured me to have sex with him. He was a perfect boyfriend.
Unless I wanted him after graduation.
“Charlie, I love you. We could have a future together. I can’t you just stay for a year or so? For me? Please?”
“Dora,” his voice was strained. “I can’t do that. If I let a year go by I won’t be able to get in the apprenticeship program. You have to be eighteen, no older.” He leaned his head on my shoulder.
“Do you love me?”
He sat up straight, pulled away from me. “Don’t even start that.”
“Start what?”
“That ‘If you really loved me you’d stay’ shite.”
“Did you ever think for a minute that it might not be shite?” My voice rose. “Did you ever think that what I really want to know is if you love me more than you love a fire-breathing lizard?”
“No.” Charlie said flatly.
I jumped up. “You never even thought of that?”
He stood up too. “You wanted to know if I love you more than I love a fire-breathing lizard. The answer is no, I don’t.” He was angrier than I’d ever seen him. He would have been breathing fire if he could.
“WHAT?” My voice was much louder and more shrill than I wanted it to be.
“Merlin, don’t scream,” he snapped, taking a step back. “Not unless you want all of Hogwarts to know you wanted me to choose between you and dragons, and that I chose dragons. If that’s what you’re after, scream away.” He stalked off.
“Charlie!” I called after him. “CHARLIE!”
He turned around and shouted back at me. “Louder, Dora! I don’t think they can hear you in the dungeon!”
I didn’t see him for seven years after that. I was pissed for a year, until it occurred to me that threats and blackmail were probably not the right way to get someone to love you. I wanted to apologize when I saw him at Grimmauld Place, but I didn’t, since there was a war on and Grimmauld Place was filled with all sorts. He gave me a hug before one of his brothers dragged him off. I thought I’d talk to him later, but somehow later kept getting put off. Then it was too late.