Another Weasley

[chose_dragons]

He'd never been in a bloody jungle. It had been a change going from Ottery St. Catchpole to Hogwarts to Romania, but it wasn't all that different. Taller mountains, harsher winters, but he'd gotten used to that right off. Egypt had been hot when the family had visited Bill. But this? This was mad as pants. It was hot and lush and humid in a way he'

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[dojustfine]

When Jennifer saw the red-headed guy sitting out near the marketplace, she hadn't intended to stop, but he smiled and waved, and she didn't want to be rude. "Hi," she said. "Looks like you've got a nice place for a picnic."

[chose_dragons]

"Seems to be," Charlie replied before he stood. He bowed a bit at the waist to be polite--wouldn't his mum be proud if she knew what he did when she wasn't about. Well, some of the things.

"M'Charlie," he continued. "Landed just today. Seems the whole place is made for picnics."

[dojustfine]

"Nice to meet you, Charlie," Jennifer said, holding out her hand to shake. "I'm Jennifer. Jennifer Keller. I've only been here a few months, myself. It's kinda weird, but you get used to it pretty quick."

[chose_dragons]

"S'right hot, if you ask me," he replied, shaking her hand firmly. "Nice to meet you, Jennifer. You hungry? Mum packed too much, as usual."

[goldeneyedflash]

The biggest problem with having a pet bat was the sheer amount of distance a flying animal could cover when he got it into his furry head to do so, Bart decided, as he scanned the canopy above him. One minute Bob had been trying to cajole just one more date from him, and the next he was gone. Normally he didn't worry about that, but the little guy was heading towards civilization, and he really didn't want him to get hurt by some well-intentioned person who mistook friendliness for man-eating.

"It isn't my fault he thinks people exist as moving perches and all-you-can-eat buffets," he grumbled to himself as he raced after the latest glimpse of leathery wings. Bursting into the clearing that housed the marketplace, he blinked in the sudden brightness, his eyes only clearing just in time to spot trouble in the making. Maybe it was the red hair, but whatever reason Bob had come up with, he was diving nearly straight towards the guy sitting there.

"Dammit, Bob!" he shouted, even knowing the bat wouldn't listen. "Hey, you! Duck!"

[chose_dragons]

Charlie heard 'duck' and he looked up. It was habit to expect a tail or wing or a beaty ready to fire. Seeing the relatively small bat coming at him only had him holding up his arm for it to catch on. A bat was nothing...and if it happened to be a vampire, which he doubted with the sunshine, well--he could dispatch it. Seemed as if the fellow coming at him might beg to differ on that, though.

"Bob, eh?" he asked as the creature latched on, nosing about until Charlie held up a bit of brandied pear. "You're a cheeky one, aren't you?"

[goldeneyedflash]

Relative was the key with Bob, since he'd come with a six-foot wingspan, even if he only weighed as much as one of the compound cats. Snatching the piece of fruit greedily in his thumbs, the little guy dug in greedily.

"Sorry about that. I've been trying to teach him not to beg fruit off people he hasn't been introduced to, but the flying stomach doesn't listen to anything that might deny him food. If I didn't know better, you'd think we starved him," Bart said, relaxing a little when he saw there was no threat to his pet.

"One of these days, Bob, you'll get what's coming to you," Bart warned, only to get battish insults chattered back at him.

[chose_dragons]

"Not a bother at all," Charlie replied. "He's a beauty. Smart, too, if he knows where to find an easy meal. More polite than most of my charges, too. I'm Charlie Weasley. Just arrived." As he spoke, he plucked another grape for Bob. It was rather nice to feed something about the size of a hatchling that he figured wasn't going to try to take his finger, too.

[frakkup]

Calliope waved back, prompting her mother to look over her shoulder at the redhead in the grass. Kara gave him a quick nod in greeting, and was going to leave it at that, but Calliope began to wriggle in her arms.

"Hey!" the little girl called loudly, succeeding in slipping down to the ground. Kara sighed and took her hand, helping her walk across the space between them. "I guess we're meeting."

[chose_dragons]

"Oi, little miss," he chuckled, waving at the small, fearless girl and then looking up at who he'd guessed would be her mum. She was a fit bird, to be sure. He wiped his hand off on his leather trousers and held it out in offering, bowing just a bit at the waist. Never let it be said a Weasley couldn't have manners--when he wanted to. "Guess we are. "I'm Charlie. Charlie Weasley."

[frakkup]

"Weasley?" Kara didn't know Bill, but she knew the name and the face and the voice, and this guy shared parts of all three. "Eeezz," said Calliope, shaking his hand after Kara's short, firm shake.

"Are you related to the other guy?"

[chose_dragons]

"Only if being related means I won't get a smack," he chuckled. The little one was a doll and he shook her hand carefully, as if his rough, work-calloused hands might hurt her tiny fingers. "Bill's my older bother, yeah. You been here three years like him, m'am?"

[permanentlypink]

After several days of practically not leaving the hut at all, Tonks realized that she was being unfair to Teddy. She needed to just bottle up her grief and try to make things as normal for him as possible... which was difficult when he kept asking, "Da?"

She was carrying him towards the Compound when she caught a glimpse of red hair out of the corner of her eye, and thinking that it was Bill, turned to say hello.

Her mouth dropped open. "Charlie?"

[chose_dragons]

He had a mouthful when he heard his name and looked up. The last time he'd seen her--dammit all, he didn't even want to think of the last time he'd seen her. Winning the war hadn't seemed so important when the dead were accounted for.

But there she was and he nearly choked when he tried to swallow quickly. He was on his feet and bounding toward her, arms spread wide to catch her as soon as he was close enough.

"Dora! Merlin's pants, it's good to see you!"

[permanentlypink]

"Oh!" She was still in a bit of shock when Charlie grabbed her and Teddy into a hug.

"Ma!" Teddy squealed, obviously surprised, too. Though he didn't seem upset, immediately reaching for Charlie's hair.

"Teddy, darling, this - this is Charlie," Tonks said.

[chose_dragons]

"Teddy?" Charlie asked when he finally found it in him to let go. He stepped back and took a good look at the boy.

"He was just a wee babe and he's nearly a grown man," he marveled, ruffling the boy's hair. "How are you, Dora? Been...it's been a long time."

[backup_hero]

"Charlie?" said Neville, stopping right in his tracks and staring for a minute like he couldn't believe what he was looking at. "Oi, Charlie Weasley, is that really you?"

[chose_dragons]

It was nicer than he cared to admit to see another familiar face. He smiled broadly and waved Neville over.

"Who else would it be, mate?" he asked, grinning like a fool. "You're looking good, Longbottom. Been a while since I saw you last."

[backup_hero]

There were a whole lot of other options when it came to who it might have been, but if Charlie had only just got to the island then it wasn't the time to get into it.

"And when was that?" he said, unfreezing and jogging the rest of the way over, then. "When was the last time you saw me, exactly?"

[chose_dragons]

Charlie narrowed his eyes and thought, taking another bite before he answered. "Well...I caught sight of you at St. Mungo's after the battle when everyone was getting put back together. Then there was Hogsmeade. Yeah, I think that's the last time we talked. You just got accepted for Auror training. Why? Don't you...oh, right. You been here a while, then, yeah?"