Fic: First Relationships
Title: First Relationships
Pairing: Charlie/Draco
Rating: PG
Word Count: 2500
Summary: When Charlie starts working at the manor, Draco gets more than an employee.
Author's Notes: Written for rarepair-shorts Dear
sirmioneforever, I loved your likes and I tried to put what I could in here. I hope you enjoy it. Merry Christmas!
Before the Battle of Hogwarts, dealing with the help hadn't been Draco's job, but much had changed after the trails. Draco had his day in court on the 19th of September, a day he'd always remember, because it meant that he was a free man. Or relatively free. He couldn't go back to school, because the school year had started. He couldn't get a job because he was a former Death Eater. He couldn't even go out, because his sentence had been conditional on testifying against other Death Eaters, ensuring that he and his family were hated by all. Instead he stayed home and started helping his parents with redecorating the house. Since the world hated Lucius and Narcissa more than Draco, he was now responsible with dealing with the outside world, which was how he found himself at the front door, forcing a smile on his face. "Mr. Weasley."
"Call me 'Charlie'. There's too many of us," Charlie said with a grin.
"You may call me Draco, then," he offered, not because he wanted to be on a first name basis, but because he needed someone to take this bloody job. "Would you like to go in or would you prefer to walk around the estate?"
"Let's walk. I don't like being cooped up indoors and I've done too much of that lately," Charlie said as he started to walk. "You advert lists plenty of animals, big land, who's been taking care of the place and why are they leaving?"
Draco thought about lying, but he knew that it would end up backfiring. "That would be me and Mother. We aren't very good at it and we're more interested in redecorating the manor, and that's why we're resigning," he joked. "You should also know that our previous magizoologist was a Muggleborn. He was terminated by the Dark Lord. Permanently."
"Good thing I'm not a Muggleborn," Charlie answered.
"And I am not a Dark Lord." He rolled his eyes when Charlie snorted. "Or at least not a good one."
"So I've heard. Couldn't even recognize Ron, Harry and Hermione," Charlie said.
"I simply had no idea who they were," he said with a tiny smile. "I thought you were a dragon keeper, why are you interested in the job?"
"I was. Got hit with a hex on my hip. Makes me slower both on land and on a broom. Not enough to make a difference with the magical animals you have, but enough to turn me into dragon's food," Charlie explained. "So here I am, living with my parents again until I sort myself out."
"I can see the many problems there." Draco pointed to the white peacocks. "We also have non magical animals as you can see. They are rather vain, but easy to care for. They spend most of the winter in their shed. We have spells to keep it warm. They hate the cold." He kept walking toward the back of the house, where the path to the animals was. "You can Apparate on the grounds, once you are inside the gates. The animals are at the far end of the property, encased in magical areas. The landscape is a lot wilder there."
"I thought everything here would be perfectly maintained but that's actually good. Animals shouldn't be on perfectly mowed grass and fancy mazes to entertain the young ladies," Charlie said.
Draco sniggered. "Don't let Mother hear you; she loves her maze. Going back to the job, I should add that it comes with accommodations. We also have two cottages on the estate. The head gardener lives in one and you can have the one. The house-elves can help out with cleaning if you'd like."
"Wow, that's a lot of benefits on top of a very generous salary. I'm surprised no one else got the job already," Charlie said.
"People dying on the property puts off people," Draco reply.
"But you make a lousy Dark wizard, I can totally take you," Charlie said.
Draco straightened up, almost annoyed at being dismissed by a Weasley, but then saw the grin on Charlie's face and he started to laugh. "You're ridiculous. I hope you know that. Most people don't start a pissing context with a Death Eater."
"Most people didn't kick Death Eaters' arses, but stayed in their comfy homes, so they can piss off. Now, do I have the job and how quickly can I have that cottage?" Charlie asked. "I love my parents, but if I don't move out, I'll end up in Azkaban."
As he stared at Charlie, he knew that this was a terrible idea. The man seemed to be the most Gryffindorish Gryffindor out there, but he also had the ability not to make Draco want to hex him. That could not be good, but Draco didn't have much of a choice. "Is tomorrow soon enough?"
Apparently it wasn't soon enough, because Charlie moved in that same night. Draco had gone to the cottage to ensure that everything was all right and found a very upbeat Charlie who was carrying very little.
"I'm used to living in a tent," he explained with a smile.
Draco was horrified that anyone could live out of a trunk once leaving Hogwarts, but it was hardly the only thing about Charlie that horrified him. With the passing weeks, he learned that Charlie's fingernails were always dirty, because he was just digging something out, regardless of time of day. His clothes were permanently stained, even when they were clean and Charlie seemed to think nothing of it. There was always a smile on the man's face, even when some random creature shit on him (something that happened too often for Draco's taste).
"In the past month, each day you have managed to find a different thing about me that you disliked," Charlie said on a cold day in mid-December. "You've also never failed to mention how much you hate animals, the cold or the outdoors. So why are you here?"
By now, Draco was used to Charlie's brand of utter honesty. It wasn't a Gryffindor thing, because even Potter and his two sidekicks hadn't been this honest. "Has anyone ever told you that it's not proper to be so blunt?"
Charlie laughed. "Has anyone ever told you that you have too many made-up rules that make life boring? Besides, why would I play twenty questions to find out what I can find out with just one question?"
"Because polite people won't answer directly," Draco answered, shaking his head.
"Well, then go ahead and start your three-hour answer. I can work on my little garden while you do." Charlie seemed to mean it because he went back to building a small green house.
The dismissal encouraged Draco to evade forever, but then he'd have to stand out here forever as well, and it was mighty cold. However, it didn't mean he couldn't evade for a little while. "Why are you creating your own greenhouse? We pay you enough that you can buy your vegetables."
"They taste better this way, and I have nothing else to do with this patch of land." Charlie looked up, face stricken with dirt. "Do you see me turning it into a garden where I can have tea?"
"Of course not. You'd have to be clean for that and I believe that you have some mental block against cleanliness," Draco said. "And I don't have anyone else."
"Excuse me?" Charlie asked with a frown.
"Are you dimwitted as well? You ask me a question and get confused about the answer. Why I'm here, because I've spent the past five and a half months in a cell or with my parents. I love them, but it's nice to talk to someone else, even someone as dirty as you," Draco explained the way one must with Gryffindors.
"Good thing I have you to explain things to me," Charlie said, clearly amused.
"Does anything bother you? No matter what I say, you keep smiling," Draco said, frustrated that he couldn't get Charlie to react. It wasn't that he wanted to insult or hurt Charlie, but he didn't know how else to relate to people.
"Lots of things bother me. Murder, favouritism, a corrupt government, but not words from snotty Slytherins. When I was at Hogwarts, we didn't try to kill each other. We insulted each other. Got bored of it in first year." Charlie cleaned his hands on his trousers and looked up at Draco. "And our words don't bother me, because they are your way of keeping the world at bay, and even though you want to connect, you don't know how. You could try a much easier way."
"A Gryffindor way?" Draco asked.
"Maybe. Try to relax! We both spend most of our day on the estate and we enjoy each other's company. Just talk to me and don't expect me to either attack you or get insulted, and it'll go much easier." Charlie cast a cleaning spell on his clothes and his hands, making them clean but leaving the stains behind. "Come on, let's go inside and I'll get you that proper tea with biscuits. Mum is an amazing baker and I learned from her."
"You are a strange man." Despite his words, Draco spent the afternoon talking to Charlie.
The next two week went much smoother. Draco tried this new way to relate to people. It didn't always work, but Charlie ignored the occasional insult with his trademark grin. However, with Christmas only two days away, Draco was once again at a loss. There were no etiquette rules about exchanging presents with your employees who had become friends. He decided to get Charlie a present that he would deliver on Boxing Day. Or he planned to, but Draco was never very patient when it came to doing what he liked.
On Christmas Eve, he found himself knocking on Charlie's door. "Good evening, I wasn't sure if you'd be home or at the Burrow."
"Two days there? It'd drive me mad," Charlie said with a chuckle. "I love my family, but I see them plenty now that I live here. I can't use the inability to Apparate and the cost of international portkeys anymore." He moved away from the door and gestured for Draco to come in. "So what brings you here?"
"We don't celebrate Christmas Eve, so I thought that it'd be a perfect time to exchange present." Draco put the box he was carrying under the tree. "But I'll take a drink first."
"I don't remember offering." Despite the words, Charlie went to the little trolley by the couch and poured two firewhiskey. "Make yourself comfortable. And I'm surprised you don't celebrate. This entire estate is a winter wonderland. I've never seen snow on the ground in the South of England. Seen too much in Romania," he said making a face.
"I find it lovely. It's a spell my parents created for me when I was young. It'll go away by Boxing Day so you don't have to worry. The rest of the decorations stay up until the Epiphany." Draco sat on the couch that Charlie had moved in front of the fireplace. The cottage had a cozy feeling now.
"The twelve days of Christmas. That's nice. Do you get presents every day?" Charlie asked as he sat next to Draco
Draco nodded. "I'm terribly spoiled and this year- It's always been just us, but this year, it feels even more like it's us against the world. This will make everyone happier. I imagine that it's very differently at the Burrow."
"Us against the world is pretty much half of the wizarding world. If you consider that Dad is one of seven and his father is one of seven. If you put all of us in a room, it'd be insane. Not that we try." Charlie took a sip of the firewhiskey, and then stared at Draco. "We should do something. On Boxing Day."
"You and I? What would we do?" Draco asked.
"Leave this place for a bit? I have a portkey to the reserve, to give them their presents. You could come with me," Charlie suggested.
"I… doesn't that seem strange? I don't know them, don't speak the language and why would we go together?" This was an even more illogical suggestion than usual from Charlie.
"It's an international reserve. English is pretty much the universal language, not because it's special, but because the Brits are too stupid to learn other languages or so Nadia claims. She's not completely wrong. So few of us speak other languages, while abroad, they all speak English and possibly a third language. It's humbling," Charlie said with a chuckle.
"Speak for yourself. I learned French and Italian as a child," Draco answered. "And that's not the real issue."
"So what is it?" Charlie pressed.
"I don't know, it's weird, that's all." Draco wasn't sure how else to explain it. "We're just… you work for me."
"I do, but is that all there is?" He put down the glass and rested his hand on Draco's leg. "I thought this was more. You visit during work hours. We spend the evenings talking and drinking. We talk about ourselves and our families. In case you haven't noticed, it's almost like we're dating."
Draco chocked on the firewhiskey. "You did that on purpose. You waited until I was drink-" He stopped when he saw that for the first time since he'd met Charlie, the other man wasn't grinning. "You're serious? You thought- I didn't… I haven't… Is this what we're doing?"
Charlie pull his hand back. "I thought we were, but maybe I was wrong. I'm sorry-"
"No, it's just… I've never really done the dating thing. There was Pansy, but that was just something we did as kids. We were meant to, you know? And then the war and I've never-"
"Dated," Charlie finished.
"Or anything else," Draco admitted with a whisper. "It's hard to when you keep wondering if today is the day you die. And with you… I wasn't thinking that."
"What were you thinking?" Charlie asked.
"That I like spending time with you, that you make my day brighter, that you annoy me and yet I'm not truly annoyed. I must sound so childish."
Charlie cupped Draco's cheeks as he shook his head. "You sound like this is your first attempt at a relationship. If you want it to be your first attempt."
Draco bit his lip and then leaned closer for a soft kiss that felt nothing like the ones he had shared with Pansy. Charlie felt solid against him, his choppy lips felt more real just, his stubble rubbing against Draco's cheek felt more intimate. When he pulled back, he sighed. "You're horrible. My present can't possibly be as good as this."
Charlie laughed and kissed him again. The presents were forgotten until much later.
Pairing: Charlie/Draco
Rating: PG
Word Count: 2500
Summary: When Charlie starts working at the manor, Draco gets more than an employee.
Author's Notes: Written for rarepair-shorts Dear
sirmioneforever, I loved your likes and I tried to put what I could in here. I hope you enjoy it. Merry Christmas!
Before the Battle of Hogwarts, dealing with the help hadn't been Draco's job, but much had changed after the trails. Draco had his day in court on the 19th of September, a day he'd always remember, because it meant that he was a free man. Or relatively free. He couldn't go back to school, because the school year had started. He couldn't get a job because he was a former Death Eater. He couldn't even go out, because his sentence had been conditional on testifying against other Death Eaters, ensuring that he and his family were hated by all. Instead he stayed home and started helping his parents with redecorating the house. Since the world hated Lucius and Narcissa more than Draco, he was now responsible with dealing with the outside world, which was how he found himself at the front door, forcing a smile on his face. "Mr. Weasley."
"Call me 'Charlie'. There's too many of us," Charlie said with a grin.
"You may call me Draco, then," he offered, not because he wanted to be on a first name basis, but because he needed someone to take this bloody job. "Would you like to go in or would you prefer to walk around the estate?"
"Let's walk. I don't like being cooped up indoors and I've done too much of that lately," Charlie said as he started to walk. "You advert lists plenty of animals, big land, who's been taking care of the place and why are they leaving?"
Draco thought about lying, but he knew that it would end up backfiring. "That would be me and Mother. We aren't very good at it and we're more interested in redecorating the manor, and that's why we're resigning," he joked. "You should also know that our previous magizoologist was a Muggleborn. He was terminated by the Dark Lord. Permanently."
"Good thing I'm not a Muggleborn," Charlie answered.
"And I am not a Dark Lord." He rolled his eyes when Charlie snorted. "Or at least not a good one."
"So I've heard. Couldn't even recognize Ron, Harry and Hermione," Charlie said.
"I simply had no idea who they were," he said with a tiny smile. "I thought you were a dragon keeper, why are you interested in the job?"
"I was. Got hit with a hex on my hip. Makes me slower both on land and on a broom. Not enough to make a difference with the magical animals you have, but enough to turn me into dragon's food," Charlie explained. "So here I am, living with my parents again until I sort myself out."
"I can see the many problems there." Draco pointed to the white peacocks. "We also have non magical animals as you can see. They are rather vain, but easy to care for. They spend most of the winter in their shed. We have spells to keep it warm. They hate the cold." He kept walking toward the back of the house, where the path to the animals was. "You can Apparate on the grounds, once you are inside the gates. The animals are at the far end of the property, encased in magical areas. The landscape is a lot wilder there."
"I thought everything here would be perfectly maintained but that's actually good. Animals shouldn't be on perfectly mowed grass and fancy mazes to entertain the young ladies," Charlie said.
Draco sniggered. "Don't let Mother hear you; she loves her maze. Going back to the job, I should add that it comes with accommodations. We also have two cottages on the estate. The head gardener lives in one and you can have the one. The house-elves can help out with cleaning if you'd like."
"Wow, that's a lot of benefits on top of a very generous salary. I'm surprised no one else got the job already," Charlie said.
"People dying on the property puts off people," Draco reply.
"But you make a lousy Dark wizard, I can totally take you," Charlie said.
Draco straightened up, almost annoyed at being dismissed by a Weasley, but then saw the grin on Charlie's face and he started to laugh. "You're ridiculous. I hope you know that. Most people don't start a pissing context with a Death Eater."
"Most people didn't kick Death Eaters' arses, but stayed in their comfy homes, so they can piss off. Now, do I have the job and how quickly can I have that cottage?" Charlie asked. "I love my parents, but if I don't move out, I'll end up in Azkaban."
As he stared at Charlie, he knew that this was a terrible idea. The man seemed to be the most Gryffindorish Gryffindor out there, but he also had the ability not to make Draco want to hex him. That could not be good, but Draco didn't have much of a choice. "Is tomorrow soon enough?"
Apparently it wasn't soon enough, because Charlie moved in that same night. Draco had gone to the cottage to ensure that everything was all right and found a very upbeat Charlie who was carrying very little.
"I'm used to living in a tent," he explained with a smile.
Draco was horrified that anyone could live out of a trunk once leaving Hogwarts, but it was hardly the only thing about Charlie that horrified him. With the passing weeks, he learned that Charlie's fingernails were always dirty, because he was just digging something out, regardless of time of day. His clothes were permanently stained, even when they were clean and Charlie seemed to think nothing of it. There was always a smile on the man's face, even when some random creature shit on him (something that happened too often for Draco's taste).
"In the past month, each day you have managed to find a different thing about me that you disliked," Charlie said on a cold day in mid-December. "You've also never failed to mention how much you hate animals, the cold or the outdoors. So why are you here?"
By now, Draco was used to Charlie's brand of utter honesty. It wasn't a Gryffindor thing, because even Potter and his two sidekicks hadn't been this honest. "Has anyone ever told you that it's not proper to be so blunt?"
Charlie laughed. "Has anyone ever told you that you have too many made-up rules that make life boring? Besides, why would I play twenty questions to find out what I can find out with just one question?"
"Because polite people won't answer directly," Draco answered, shaking his head.
"Well, then go ahead and start your three-hour answer. I can work on my little garden while you do." Charlie seemed to mean it because he went back to building a small green house.
The dismissal encouraged Draco to evade forever, but then he'd have to stand out here forever as well, and it was mighty cold. However, it didn't mean he couldn't evade for a little while. "Why are you creating your own greenhouse? We pay you enough that you can buy your vegetables."
"They taste better this way, and I have nothing else to do with this patch of land." Charlie looked up, face stricken with dirt. "Do you see me turning it into a garden where I can have tea?"
"Of course not. You'd have to be clean for that and I believe that you have some mental block against cleanliness," Draco said. "And I don't have anyone else."
"Excuse me?" Charlie asked with a frown.
"Are you dimwitted as well? You ask me a question and get confused about the answer. Why I'm here, because I've spent the past five and a half months in a cell or with my parents. I love them, but it's nice to talk to someone else, even someone as dirty as you," Draco explained the way one must with Gryffindors.
"Good thing I have you to explain things to me," Charlie said, clearly amused.
"Does anything bother you? No matter what I say, you keep smiling," Draco said, frustrated that he couldn't get Charlie to react. It wasn't that he wanted to insult or hurt Charlie, but he didn't know how else to relate to people.
"Lots of things bother me. Murder, favouritism, a corrupt government, but not words from snotty Slytherins. When I was at Hogwarts, we didn't try to kill each other. We insulted each other. Got bored of it in first year." Charlie cleaned his hands on his trousers and looked up at Draco. "And our words don't bother me, because they are your way of keeping the world at bay, and even though you want to connect, you don't know how. You could try a much easier way."
"A Gryffindor way?" Draco asked.
"Maybe. Try to relax! We both spend most of our day on the estate and we enjoy each other's company. Just talk to me and don't expect me to either attack you or get insulted, and it'll go much easier." Charlie cast a cleaning spell on his clothes and his hands, making them clean but leaving the stains behind. "Come on, let's go inside and I'll get you that proper tea with biscuits. Mum is an amazing baker and I learned from her."
"You are a strange man." Despite his words, Draco spent the afternoon talking to Charlie.
The next two week went much smoother. Draco tried this new way to relate to people. It didn't always work, but Charlie ignored the occasional insult with his trademark grin. However, with Christmas only two days away, Draco was once again at a loss. There were no etiquette rules about exchanging presents with your employees who had become friends. He decided to get Charlie a present that he would deliver on Boxing Day. Or he planned to, but Draco was never very patient when it came to doing what he liked.
On Christmas Eve, he found himself knocking on Charlie's door. "Good evening, I wasn't sure if you'd be home or at the Burrow."
"Two days there? It'd drive me mad," Charlie said with a chuckle. "I love my family, but I see them plenty now that I live here. I can't use the inability to Apparate and the cost of international portkeys anymore." He moved away from the door and gestured for Draco to come in. "So what brings you here?"
"We don't celebrate Christmas Eve, so I thought that it'd be a perfect time to exchange present." Draco put the box he was carrying under the tree. "But I'll take a drink first."
"I don't remember offering." Despite the words, Charlie went to the little trolley by the couch and poured two firewhiskey. "Make yourself comfortable. And I'm surprised you don't celebrate. This entire estate is a winter wonderland. I've never seen snow on the ground in the South of England. Seen too much in Romania," he said making a face.
"I find it lovely. It's a spell my parents created for me when I was young. It'll go away by Boxing Day so you don't have to worry. The rest of the decorations stay up until the Epiphany." Draco sat on the couch that Charlie had moved in front of the fireplace. The cottage had a cozy feeling now.
"The twelve days of Christmas. That's nice. Do you get presents every day?" Charlie asked as he sat next to Draco
Draco nodded. "I'm terribly spoiled and this year- It's always been just us, but this year, it feels even more like it's us against the world. This will make everyone happier. I imagine that it's very differently at the Burrow."
"Us against the world is pretty much half of the wizarding world. If you consider that Dad is one of seven and his father is one of seven. If you put all of us in a room, it'd be insane. Not that we try." Charlie took a sip of the firewhiskey, and then stared at Draco. "We should do something. On Boxing Day."
"You and I? What would we do?" Draco asked.
"Leave this place for a bit? I have a portkey to the reserve, to give them their presents. You could come with me," Charlie suggested.
"I… doesn't that seem strange? I don't know them, don't speak the language and why would we go together?" This was an even more illogical suggestion than usual from Charlie.
"It's an international reserve. English is pretty much the universal language, not because it's special, but because the Brits are too stupid to learn other languages or so Nadia claims. She's not completely wrong. So few of us speak other languages, while abroad, they all speak English and possibly a third language. It's humbling," Charlie said with a chuckle.
"Speak for yourself. I learned French and Italian as a child," Draco answered. "And that's not the real issue."
"So what is it?" Charlie pressed.
"I don't know, it's weird, that's all." Draco wasn't sure how else to explain it. "We're just… you work for me."
"I do, but is that all there is?" He put down the glass and rested his hand on Draco's leg. "I thought this was more. You visit during work hours. We spend the evenings talking and drinking. We talk about ourselves and our families. In case you haven't noticed, it's almost like we're dating."
Draco chocked on the firewhiskey. "You did that on purpose. You waited until I was drink-" He stopped when he saw that for the first time since he'd met Charlie, the other man wasn't grinning. "You're serious? You thought- I didn't… I haven't… Is this what we're doing?"
Charlie pull his hand back. "I thought we were, but maybe I was wrong. I'm sorry-"
"No, it's just… I've never really done the dating thing. There was Pansy, but that was just something we did as kids. We were meant to, you know? And then the war and I've never-"
"Dated," Charlie finished.
"Or anything else," Draco admitted with a whisper. "It's hard to when you keep wondering if today is the day you die. And with you… I wasn't thinking that."
"What were you thinking?" Charlie asked.
"That I like spending time with you, that you make my day brighter, that you annoy me and yet I'm not truly annoyed. I must sound so childish."
Charlie cupped Draco's cheeks as he shook his head. "You sound like this is your first attempt at a relationship. If you want it to be your first attempt."
Draco bit his lip and then leaned closer for a soft kiss that felt nothing like the ones he had shared with Pansy. Charlie felt solid against him, his choppy lips felt more real just, his stubble rubbing against Draco's cheek felt more intimate. When he pulled back, he sighed. "You're horrible. My present can't possibly be as good as this."
Charlie laughed and kissed him again. The presents were forgotten until much later.