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Charlie fidgets nervously before his family. "What are you guys doing here?"
"Well it's your birthday sweetheart' His Mum says. 'We wanted to surprise you."
He gives a strained smile and looks toward Bill who shrugs apologetically.
"Surprised me too Mum, you forgot to tell us until this morning."
"Oh Bill, We knew you wouldn't keep the secret." Their Mum smiles.
"CHARLIE!' A voice yells from outside and Charlie's heart drops. This is what he didn’t want. 'It's happening!' The door bangs open and Draco races over to him dressed in blue waterproof dungarees and forest green rain boots that are caked in mud. He completely misses the occupants of the room. 'Come on, you don't want to miss any more, three have already hatched." Draco kisses him excitedly and he's powerless to do anything other than kiss back.
"Um, Darling- we have guests." He says quietly, feeling horrible when Draco's smile falls as he looks around the room.
Draco goes to take a big step back but Charlie has one strong arm wrapped around his waist.
"Oh. Hello.' Draco stands straighter and soothes his dungarees down. 'I'm sure you all were busy, excuse the interruption-'
'Don't go love.' Charlie whispers but Draco ignores him.
'-I shall go now. Charlie will have to come attend to the little ones later. Good day." Draco nods then all but sprints back out.
Charlie sighs, rubs his face, and waits for the shouting. Ron starts it of course.
"Did the bloody ferret just kiss you?!"
"Charlie, why is there a Malfoy in your house?" Mum asks, face red.
"Charles, Charles, Charles." George tsks with a smirk.
"Maybe he can just explain." His dad tries.
And those are the only ones he can pick out of the chatter.
"Enough!" Bill yells and the room quiets instantly. He leaves Fluers side to wrap an arm around Charlie's shoulder and nods at him.
"There's nothing to explain.' Charlie starts. 'You showed up to my home unannounced, not in dire need of assistance, and scared my husband out of the house. Making what was supposed to be a very happy day now filled with stress. Now if you'll excuse me I have to go find the man I love. If there's not any part of you that can accept his place in my life please leave." He nudges Bill in thanks and goes to exactly where he knows Draco is.
"Are they all alright love?" He questions softly sitting in the mud next to his husband.
"There's a smaller one I'm worried about. I've already named him Yetqi. I'm worried he may be an outcast. Soon enough he'll have to prove his strength to the others."
Charlie kisses Draco’s head. "We'll set the alarms so even if he fails he can be healed."
"Lovely. There's still three more eggs, you haven't missed them all. Although I must ask, why did you bring Potter with you?"
"I didn't." Charlie frowns in confusion.
"He didn't." Harry's voice echoes behind him.
"Harry.' Charlie says warily. 'I must warn you I'm protective over what's mine."
Harry smiles slightly. "I'm not here for that. Look, they just need some time. I promise no one, well Ron maybe, but no one else really hates Malfoy anymore."
"It's Black now.' Draco says. 'So's Charlie's. We changed it when we got married."
"If the others need time, why don't you?" Charlie asks.
Harry shrugs. "I know the best and the worst of your husband but I never thought I'd see him actually happy. And you're happy too. So I don't mind. And Bill doesn't either. I've never heard him yell like that."
Charlie snorts bitterly. "Its protocol. When Bill gets fed up and when me and Mum fight. Percy was in charge of getting the little ones outside and keeping them there. Dad put the silencing charms up. I'm glad you have our parents in your life Harry, but they are not perfect."
"I know.' Harry smiles sadly. 'Don't tell anyone, Ginnys pregnant. Your Mum had some things to say. I didn't agree. It was awkward for a bit."
Charlie nods understandingly. "Want to watch?' He asks, pointing at the eggs. 'We've been waiting for a while for these ones. They're a little late. It's warded to block out our scent and sound so it's as natural as can be."
"Sure." Harry sits next to Charlie and all three watch the baby dragons with fascination until Bill comes along.
"Noticed you were missing Harry. Next time maybe say something. Rons convinced you left because you couldn't accept it."
"Who else left?" Charlie asks.
Bill sighs and hugs his little brother from behind. "No one. Mums still upset, but she quieted when Georgie shouted out Freddie always wanted to hook up with your husband."
Charlie and Harry laugh as Draco stares at Bill in shock.
"Hello Draco." Bill says, pulling the blonde into a gentle hug.
"You knew didn't you?" Harry asks Bill.
"Course I did. Charles doesn't keep secrets. Not from me. Why else do you think I was so stressed this morning? And Mum knew there was something to find here, it's why she didn't tell me."
"It was supposed to be a happy day.' Charlie says. 'Suppose we can just ignore it for a bit and watch the babies?"
"I told them we would be back for dinner. We have some time." Bill says sitting next to Draco.
"What shall we name the others?" Draco asks them.
"Oh great saviour, boy who lived, may we bestow the honour of your name onto one of our precious children?" Charlie asks dramatically and they all laugh.
Charlie takes a deep breath holding Draco's hand as they walk in.
"Just in time for dinner loves." His Mum says like nothing is wrong, and completely skips over Dracos presence.
Charlie sighs and they walk into his kitchen where the table has been expanded into the living room and every counter is a mess.
"I'll clean it up later love, I know you like your kitchen clean." He whispers in Dracos ear.
"It's alright, not your fault." Draco rubs his lower back comfortingly.
"Everyone sit sit." His Mum waves her hands.
Charlie purposefully plops Draco across from Harry, in between him and Bill and Fluer. He gets Draco's food first, anything he might like with his sensitive stomach. He gets a kiss on the cheek for his efforts.
"Charlie you didn't get any." His Mum says like he was supposed to use magic and fill his plate in the blink of an eye.
"It’s been like 2 minutes Mum. I was getting Draco food first."
"He can't pick his own?" Ron says snottily.
"Yes he can, it's called being romantic. Obviously you don't know what that is, it did take you at least three years to get Hermione didn't it?" Charlie cuts coldly.
"Charlie love, now you're forgetting to get your own plate.' Draco rubs his forearm. 'Thank you for dinner Mrs. Weasley."
His Mum barely spares Draco a glancing nod. Charlie snorts and shakes his head, he stands pulling Draco with him.
"If you would excuse us, we are going to eat in the Canteen, at least there we're wanted."
His Mum gasps loudly, and his Dad gives him an angry look. The others look at each other in confusion.
"That's enough Charlie.' Bill says. 'Go on, I'll be here when you get home."
Charlie nods and walks Draco out.
"What did that mean?' Ginny asks. 'Where he's wanted? I mean I get Malfoy-'
'-He goes by Black now Gin.' Harry cuts in.
'-I get Black, but he said they."
Bill and Fleur share a look. "Ginny, Harry told me something earlier, I don't want to say anything you're not okay with." He gives her stomach a meaningful glance.
"Oh' She says quietly. 'Sure, there's never really going to be a good time, but I mean Charlie's life should distract some."
"Ginny's pregnant." Harry smiles at her even though it was an accident.
"And my first thought was to tell Harry not to screw up the same way you guys did." Bill looks at his parents sadly.
"Now we are not perfect Willam but we did our best." His Dad says sternly.
"I know.' Bill nodded. 'But I need Harry to know there are other Aurors, just like there were other people in your department. You didn't need to be gone all the time, I would’ve rather spent time with you then get an expensive gift. And there's a ten year gap between me and Gin. That's a long time for things to change. You raised Ron, and Ginny differently from the rest of us. The twins to until they took a path Mum didn't like and they got the same treatment.
I took a job travelling, Charlie moved here the second he could, Percy turned his back on family during a war. We were all running from the pressure you put on us.
Stop acting like you're perfect, and stop ignoring when you screw up. Charlie's husband is an Ex-Death Eater and he works with dragons. He doesn't care if you screw up, he cares that you don't try to be better or to fix it. Bloody Hell you still don't respect my wife, for no reason other than she loves me. You have to start trying, or you will lose more than one Son."
"That's enough William!" His Dad shouts with tears as his Mum lets out a Sob.
"You said, at least I married a man who could take care of me. What did that mean?" Ginny asks their Mum.
"We're just glad you married Harry." His Dad says with a frown.
"Ok. But what did it mean? I told you I was having your grandchild and you said it was good I married someone, and I had a good quidditch career even though it was short."
"You just married well." Their Mum cries.
"I wasn't aware that was a life goal for me.' Ginny says. 'What if I didn't marry Harry? What if it would’ve been someone who wasn't labelled as good?"
"Every parent wants their children to Marry well, there is nothing wrong with that." Their Dad says.
"But if I didn't?' She persists. 'Would you have treated them like we did Fluer? Or would you have treated me like you apparently treat Charlie."
"As soon as you deviated from their plan, you would have lost all their support." George says quietly.
"I think maybe everyone should get some rest.' Harry interjects. 'It's been a long day. We are all a bit upset. We could all use some time to think and talk without judgement so come tomorrow morning we can be logical."
"I agree with Harry." Hermione nods standing up.
"Yeah. I wanna Talk with Harry." Ron says giving Ginny a pointed look that has Harry cringing. Ginny glares back at him.
"Very well." His Dad says and helps their Mum to their bedroom for the night.
Everyone else heads off and Bill starts cleaning the table with a sigh. He grabs a plate and it goes gently flying out of his hand along with everything else on the table. He turns around to smile at his wife.
She gives him a careful kiss. "We are wizards amour. Come to bed now?"
He shakes his head gently as she traces his scars. "Told Charlie I'd be here."
She smiles sweetly. "Then relax on the couch and I will read to you, I brought my books."
His shoulders slump and he makes himself comfortable with his head in her lap. Sleep takes him before he notices.
"Eh bien, il est techniquement toujours là." Charlie says when he and Draco come home a few hours later. (Well he is technically still here.)
"Est-ce qu'il dort normalement dans cette position? ça doit être une chose familiale." Draco asks with a smirk. (Does he normally sleep in that position? Must be a familial thing.)
Fleur laughs. "Oui ça doit être, j'ai pas eu le cœur de réveiller Charlie." (Yes it must be, I did not have the heart to wake him Charlie.)
Charlie waves a hand. "It's okay, I'll carry the big lug to bed." He grunts as he lifts his, sleeping like the dead, brother off the couch as Draco and Fluer watch in amusement.
Breakfast is tense. The only moment of levity when Draco and Charlie get back from their morning rounds.
"Weasley, I suggest you don't eat that." Draco tells Ron.
"Why? It's my brother's food. I can eat it if I want to." He shoves it in his mouth to prove a point.
"It's not Charlie's.' Draco sighs and grabs a trash bin. 'It's Yetqi's."
Harry spits out his pumpkin juice. "Ron, Yetqi's a baby dragon."
Ron stops chewing and Draco passes him the bin. Ron coughs up as much as he can.
"Thanks for the warning." He glares at Draco while everyone laughs.
"I tried, you didn't listen." Draco shrugs.
Everyone had just awkwardly settled in the living room when the alarms sounded. Charlie jumps up and is frantically pulling on his boots.
"I have to ward the babies first then I'll come back and do the house.' Draco says. 'Be safe."
"For you?' Charlie smirks. 'Always." He kisses Draco deeply before running out the house and jumping on the muggle 4 wheeler.
"Stay here unless you want to be burned to death. And dont hurt it if it comes Charlie would never forgive you." Draco tells everyone then leaves.
He rushes over to the pen and reinforces the burn wards that keep fire out. Yetqi screeches and the others have decided now is a perfect time to test him. Draco groans and debates himself.
It's in their nature to test the weakest link, but it's also in their nature to kill them and they were trying to prevent that.
Yetiq screeches again as the biggest one bites into his leg. Draco rolls his eyes at himself and quickly puts on his dragonhide gloves then pulls Yetqi out of the pen.
The others roar at him questioningly and he tells himself they were just conspiring to kill, they are not cute.
He rushes back to the house and reinforces those wards along with the ones on the transportation vehicles.
"Is that a baby dragon?" George asks when he comes in.
He sighs. "Yes, we usually let the weakest link be tested as it is natural but no one is allowed outside so I feared they would kill him before we could get him out."
The sound of multiple 4 wheelers quickly approaches.
"Oh. Lovely. It's coming here.' Draco sighs and puts Yetqi in a safe basket before hesitantly opening the door. 'It's safest inside, but I'm familiar with your lots disregard for safety, so step more than 5 feet away from the house and you'll be out of the strongest line of fire wards." He pulls on a large dragon hide jacket and steps out of the house with his wand raised.
A screech echoes through the air. The tamers arrive in a whirl of dust.
A Norwegian Ridgeback lands softly, still blowing smoke.
"Rizwan, Teraco, take the left wing! Quagmire, Azle, take the right! Then you’ll take the legs, and I'll take the head!" Eiji yells out commands.
Charlie comes speeding toward the ground, he jumps off his broom. "Wait! Wait! Wait! I think I know why she broke out! I'm wearing the same shirt as yesterday. She can smell the people who were at her birth."
She roars quietly, and unaggressivly.
"Why were humans at her birth?" Eiji asks.
"Uhhh-' Charlie hesitates. 'Remember when I found a baby dragon and couldn't tell you where?"
"Smugglers!" Eiji asks angrily. He Hates Smugglers.
"Unwillingly ones' Charlie cringes. 'But she's here for them. If they lead, she'll go back peacefully."
Eiji nods once.
"Harry, Ron, Hermione you guys remember Norbert?" He asks.
Harry nods and hesitantly steps across the heavy fire line. Norbert reacts immediately crouching and rushing forward until she faceplants into a barrier. She shakes her head slightly.
Harry laughs and gently reaches out. He pets her nose and she leans into it until she's nudging him. Ron and Hermione hesitantly join them as she starts to rumble softly.
The tamers all relax slightly smiling at the sight. Charlie wraps around Dracos back.
"She smelt them on me, was restless all morning then broke out to come find them."
Draco smiles slightly. "Smart creatures."
Charlie hums. "Very smart."
"Oi! Black!' Charlie's best friend Rizzy shouts. 'These your unexpected visitors?"
"Yeah.' Charlie says and they start to walk to Rizzy. 'Didn't think Norbert would come-"
Draco hits the back of Charlie's knee and covers them both in the jacket he put on earlier. Flames hit them a second later. They stop and they hesitantly turn and sit to look at the dragon.
"She sneezed." Charlie says then starts to laugh.
"Charlie!' Draco hits his stomach. 'You could've gotten hurt! Where's your jacket?!"
"She sneezed." Charlie laughs more.
"Charlie! It's not funny!" Draco reprimands, the amusement in his eyes and turn of his lips betraying him.
Charlie just keeps laughing lying down in the grass.
Draco lets out a chuckle and lays next to him.
"Excuse me Norbert, please remind me when it's your allergy season so I can best avoid your sanctuary." Charlie jokes.
Draco laughs and turns to hug Charlie, burying his face in Charlie's neck.
“You alright sweetheart?” Charlie asked softly.
“I'm fine.” Draco said softly.
“Alright mates.’ Eiji says loudly. ‘Lets get Norbert back where she belongs before she sets our favourite boys' house on fire.”
When Charlie returned from caring for Norbert his family was sitting in his newly transfigured living room.
“Where’s Draco?” He asked, immediately noticing the absence of his husband.
“He said he was going to check on the babies and get Yetqi’s cage set up.” Bill answers with a smile.
Charlie gives a small smile back then sits in the empty arm chair that's left. “So.’ He sighs. ‘While Draco is gone, let's get all your complaints out of the way because I won’t stand for him hearing them.”
His Mum starts, but at least she looks hesitant. “You know that family is nothing but trouble.” She says surprisingly gently.
“What Family?’ He raises an eyebrow. ‘Draco is the only living Malfoy. At least that stems from britain. I don’t know if one person qualifies as a family. And his name is Black now.”
“He took Sirius's name?” Ron asked.
“He took his Mother’s and Honorary Godfather’s name. And so did I.”
“Honorary Godfather?” Hermione asks.
Charlie sighs. “Regulus Black was supposed to be his Godfather. Narcissa had wanted Regulus to be her child's godfather before Draco was even conceived. However, since he died they made Snape his Godfather, and named Regulus his Honorary godfather. When we got married Draco decided he didn’t want to carry the name Malfoy anymore but I didn’t want him taking my last name so we decided on Black.”
“Hey! What’s wrong with our name?!” George frowns. Charlie smiles slightly. He knows George is being a little shit for fun and couldn’t really care less what or who Charlie was doing as long as he was happy.
“Oh it’s because you carry it.”
George tries to smother him with a pillow. It doesn’t go well for him.
“Yield Itty Bitty Little Baby Brother.” Charlie taunts while everyone laughs.
“Fuck off!”
George yields about 20 seconds later.
Charlie sits back in his chair with a smirk. It slowly falls off at his Dads penetrating frown.
“And the real reason?” He asks quietly. It’s the most important unwritten rule in the Weasley house. Don’t hurt Dad.
“Because I feel like a fraud having it.’ Perhaps the best time for this conversation isn’t when his family is freely voicing their concerns about his husband but he’ll die before he lets his Dad think he’s ashamed of their family. ‘Percy’s a stick in the mud nerd, no offensive.’ He sends Percy a glance.
‘That is offensive, but carry on.’ Percy tilts his head.
‘But besides him I’m the weird one in this family. At least Percy wants kids. Everything I do, Everything I want is so different from All of you.' He sniffs. 'Anything anyone thinks of when they hear the name Weasley I’m almost guaranteed to be the opposite of that. I’m just-’ He huffs ‘A fraud.’ He wipes the few tears that have escaped. ‘Always have been. So when we got married I took the Black name too. There’s almost nothing constant in that family. I guess it just feels like there's no expectations about who I’m supposed to be. It’s not anything you guys did, it just is.” He shrugs.
“I never should have married you.” Draco stands in the doorway covered head to toe in Dragon vomit.
Charlie bites his lip. Hard . The others don’t cover their laughter nearly as well but Draco’s too focused on hating Charlie. He’s adorable when he hates me. Charlie sighs dreamily.
“Did you hear me?’ Draco glares. ‘I said I never should have married you.”
“I’m sorry you feel that way love.’ Charlie smiles. ‘Will you reconsider your regrets if I clean the trail you're about to leave and then your clothes for you?”
Draco squints at him. “I want Salam de biscuiti and you have to braid my hair.”
“Then you’ll reconsider?”
Draco nods.
“Deal.”
Draco gives him a suspicious look then heads to their en-suite bathroom.
Charlie watches him go with a smile then turns back to his family.
“Don’t you have cleaning to do now?” Harry asks.
Charlie snorts. “Please, that will take one wave of my hand. His after routine alone takes time. Not to mention he’s going to scrub his skin off, he hates vomit.”
“Have you forgiven him for all the stuff he’s done?” Ron asks.
Charlie bites his lip and tilts his head. “It’s impossible to forgive him when he’s never done anything to me. You are the one who can forgive him, that’s your grievance, I’ve always let you fight your own battles you know this.”
Ron frowns but nods.
“So you’ve never been mad that he’s hurt us?” Ginny tilts her head at him.
“Of course I have been, but that’s your guys' fight. My drive toward complete independence is just another non-weasley thing about me. And there is a long list of things I will never forgive Lucius for, but Draco’s not his father. As far as the blood purity goes, that’s another thing I can not forgive because I didn’t even know him. What I can do is tell him when he says or does something he doesn’t realise is wrong or comes from that. He may have been a blood purist but the man I married isn’t one, and tries his hardest to make up for who he used to be.”
“Why would you keep all this secret?” His Mum frowns.
He shakes his head. “Mum, you know why. Let’s not bring that up today.”
“That was one night years ago. Why would you not-”
“Believe it or not Mum telling your child their dreams are unrealistic and they should find a nice girl to settle with makes them a bit distrustful of you. And you haven’t exactly given me any reason to trust you again considering you never even apologised or congratulated me for my job here.”
“You were so young.”
“And?” Charlie lets out a disbelieving laugh. Young. That’s what excuses her actions, that he was a kid.
“I just don’t understand why you were in such a hurry to grow up. I meant you should’ve been focused on school, but you always ran off during class, only stopping when you were almost kicked off the quidditch team. You should have been focused on your life, not dreams.”
“I was.’ Charlie sighs. ‘This life. The one I wanted.”
A knock on the door interrupted them. Charlie opened it to find Rizzy on the other side.
“Hello visitors.” Rizzy waved inside before looking around paranoidly behind Charlie. A flight of Baby dragons only throw up if they're dying or spoiled.
“He’s in the shower.’ Charlie smiled. ‘I suspect you’ll be long gone before he gets out.”
“That I will my friend.’ Rizzy nodded. ‘I need you to finish the report on Norbert tonight so it can be sent with tomorrow's mail drop. Sorry for giving you more work.”
Charlie shook his head. “Don’t worry about it. Draco will be out early tomorrow morning. I think he’ll love to wake you up to deliver them.” He laughed at the panicked look on Rizzy’s face.
“Oh I hate you.” Rizzy mumbled.
“I know you do.” Charlie smirked as Rizzy glared at him and walked away.
“You actually have work?” George chuckled.
“What is it you people think I do all day?’ Charlie sits back down with a laugh. ‘We have paperwork to do everyday after every check up. Some days are chill but most days I actually have stuff to do. I’m only free now because Draco and I were scheduled off for my birthday and to look after the babies. I should start his dessert. Be back in a minute.”
Charlie pulled out all the ingredients and carefully measured them out, ignoring all the whispers from the other room for his own sanity. He sighed when his Mum walked in.
“Charlie…” She trailed off.
“Whatever it is Dad wants you to say I’ll tell him you did and we can be done with it.” He turned around to mix the biscuits and cocoa mix together.
“Charlie.”
He put his hands on the counter and closed his eyes, head tilted toward the ceiling. He sighed. “What Mum?”
“I miss you.” She whispered.
“Yeah well’ He sniffed and started rolling the mix. ‘I’ve missed you since I was 15.”
“I’m Sorry.”
Charlie swallows harshly. “Thank you. For saying that. I’m afraid I’m going to need you to show it to me for me to believe it.”
“I don’t- I don’t think I know how to do that.”
He’s never heard his Mum so unsure of herself. “Try. All I need you to do is try to love me without trying to change me.”
“I will.” He moves away from her outstretched hand.
“Alright then.’ He puts the desserts in the fast-fridge that spells food to the right temperature at the right time. ‘I need to clean the vomit tracks. Draco should be out soon.”
“Do you need any help?”
“No, that's alright. You can uh sit with the others. We'll join you in a few minutes.”
“Ok.”
He takes a minute for himself then heads up to his bedroom. He finds Draco in the bathroom humming a French Lullaby he sings often while he brushes his hair. He leans up against the doorway to watch his husband.
Draco raises an eyebrow when he notices him in the mirror. “Anyone ever tell you watching someone in the bathroom makes you a creep?”
“Am I still a Creep if I have permission?”
“Mm. I suppose not.’ Draco turned around to smile at him. ‘I’ll be down soon. I just have to get dressed and fix my hair.”
Charlie frowns and crowds him against the counter. “I thought I was doing your hair.”
Draco cringes. “I don’t want to be improper.”
“You aren’t. This is our home, you can walk around in your own house without doing your hair. You can dress however you’d like but I would like to remind you that one, they’ve already seen you in your very' He kisses Draco's cheek. 'Cute.' He kisses him again moving toward his ear. 'Dungarees.’ He kisses the top of his jawline. ‘And two, stop listening to dead people.” He whispers and kisses Draco's ear.
Draco sighs and turns back around. “You can do my hair.’ He starts brushing said hair again. ‘Downstairs. In front of everyone.”
“Yeah?” Charlie kisses Draco’s head with a smile.
“Mmm.” Draco nods.
“Thank you Baby.”
“I love you.”
“And you prove it all the time. I’ll see you downstairs.”
“Ok.”
Charlie ends up standing there for another minute watching and listening to Draco’s humming.
He kisses Draco's cheek one last time then levitates Draco's clothes into their laundry chute. His husband hates laundry and had a chute installed the day after they got married. He then retraces Draco's steps all the way to their doorstep and waves away the mess as he goes.
He’s just sat back down in his chair when Draco enters. His hair is slightly damp and he’s ‘Improperly’ dressed for guests. It makes Charlie happy and he looks very cute. He has well fitting blue jeans, a black turtleneck and a beige cardigan. He’s also wearing Charlie’s favourite accessory, a short gold necklace that says Charlie. Besides the necklace the socks are Charlie’s favourite part. They have moving Dragons on them.
Draco kisses his cheek, drops his hair bag in his lap then sits in front of him on the floor.
“Do you want anything specific?” Charlie runs his hands through the blonde hair.
“No anything’s fine.’ Draco looks up to frown at him. ‘You made my dessert Right?”
Charlie chuckles. “It’s freezing now. Dutch Pigtails?”
Draco shrugs. “Anything you’d like, Darling.”
“I don’t think I’ve ever seen your hair not slicked back in some way.” Fred squints.
Draco shrugs again. “I had to look like Father. Plus he thought braids were too girly. I think the last time I had them as a child I was seven, and it was just Mother and I and we didn’t leave the Manor.”
“Well I think you’re beautiful with Braids.” Charlie kisses his head being careful of his own work.
“Your opinion is biassed.' Draco scoffs. 'You thought I was beautiful an hour ago covered in Dragon vomit.”
“It’s not my fault I’m in love. If anything you should blame yourself.”
“I do, for failing to get you to stop.”
Charlie laughs. “So cute then. But I like the you that believes in unconditional love a little better.”
Draco blushes slightly. “Me too.”
“Good.” He tickles Draco’s face with the end of the first braid and gets elbowed in the shin.
“So Draco, how long have you been in Romania?” Ginny asks politely.
“After 8th year. It was a condition of my sentence to do volunteer work and I chose dragons over people, then once my sentence was done Eiji offered me a job.”
“That’s cause you were already brilliant at your job.” Charlie says proudly.
“And what is your job here?” Arthur smiles nicely because he’s just a nice guy.
“Keep Charlie from death via exhaustion.”
“Haha, very funny.” Charlie tugs on Draco’s hair and the man laughs.
“I supply potions. For both the handlers and dragons. It’s where I spent most of my sentence then the previous Potions Master wanted to travel more so he suggested I take over for him fully.”
“That sounds wonderful.” George smiles.
Draco blushes slightly then nods with a smile. He distinctly remembers what George said to the occupants of the house earlier.
“So who was your friend at the door earlier?” Ginny asked.
“What friend?” Draco turned to squint at him suspiciously.
Charlie smirked. “Rizzy will be awaiting the paperwork for Norbert in the morning before mail drop. I told him you would gladly deliver it.”
Draco slowly smirks back. “I love you.”
“I love you too.’ Charlie kisses his forehead then turns his attention back to his sister. ‘Rizzy. Jacob Rizwan. He graduated from Uagadou the same year I graduated then we met here. Went through everything together. He’s my best mate. He came with to get Norbert but he was still unsure about his English so he didn’t talk. Now I can never get him to shut up.”
“Oh because you are so quiet yourself.” Draco says dryly and the others laugh.
“When you and Rizz get together?’ Charlie scoffs. ‘It’s a wonder I get to say a word.”
Draco rolls his eyes with a blush.
“Maybe we can meet your friend.” Molly suggested carefully.
Charlie bit his lip then nodded. “Okay. If we go to the mess hall for dinner you guys can meet everyone.”
“Speaking of a mess.’ Draco tilted his head back to look at Charlie. ‘Norbert crashed earlier on the way here. Right into my shed, so I need to go clean. I’ll meet you at dinner?”
Charlie nodded. “Sounds good. Be careful, Don’t blow yourself up.”
Draco squinted. “Says the man who went to secure a dragon without the one sure way of protection.”
Charlie groaned. “I am sorry I forgot my Jacket.”
Draco nodded satisfied. “Took you long enough to apologise.’ He kissed Charlie again then turned to the others with a hesitant smile. ‘I’ll see you all at dinner.”
A chorus of polite replies followed him out. Well into the kitchen he had to get some of his treat first.
“Um Why is your husband in another man’s lap?” George raised an eyebrow.
Charlie just smiled lovingly at his husband and his best friend laughing together. “Because they both have shit families and are touch starved.” He led his family over to the two sitting at a close to empty table.
“Hey loves.” He kissed Draco’s head and pats Rizzy’s shoulder.
“Hi!” Draco perks up.
“So’ Charlie starts once everyone sits. ‘Everyone this is Jacob, Everyone calls him Rizzy. Rizz, this is Mum, Dad, Bill, Fluer, Percy, George, Ron, Hermione, Harry and Ginny.” Charlie pointed down the line.
“Draco!” Rizzy points at Draco.
Draco laughs into Rizzy’s shoulder.
“Funny.’ Charlie rolls his eyes. ‘If you’ll all come with me I’ll show you how we get food. I’ll get yours.” Charlie tells the two that are whispering and ignoring his existence. He sighs fondly and leads his family away.
After they all get dinner, they head back to the table where Draco and Rizzy have moved onto the properties of baby dragon vomit.
“Okay.’ Charlie snorts as he sits next to them. ‘Maybe continue this topic after Dinner so I don’t vomit.”
Draco rolls his eyes and slides off Rizzy’s lap to sit in between them. “Like you’re ever sick.”
“Oh the horror of being married to someone with an actual immune system.” Charlies rolls his eyes.
Draco smiles and kisses his cheek.
Charlie huffs and blushes like Ginny the first time Harry saw her in her Pyjamas.
After they get home that night his parents pull him into the kitchen while Draco banters with Harry and Ron.
His Dad cups his cheek. “I like him. He obviously cares about you and you look very happy.”
“I am Dad.” He smiles proudly.
Arthur pats his cheek affectionately and walks over to start on the dishes.
He bites his lip when his Mum stays in front of him.
“Charlie…”
He sighs. “Why do you always have to say my name like that?”
“Like what?” She frowns.
“Like no matter what It’ll be a fight, or like I’m two steps away from blowing up. Besides Bill I’m the one with the longest fuse, and you treat me like a ticking time bomb.”
She fidgets. “I don’t mean to.”
“I know you don’t mean to Mum.’ He rubs his nose. ‘You don’t mean to do a lot of things.”
“I want to-’ She smiles sadly. ‘I just want my son back.”
“I never left.’ He shrugs. ‘I just changed.”
She nods. “Can we- can we try?
“Course we can.’ He nods. ‘But this is- what you’ve seen these past few days it’s the rest of my life. And it’s a good one, and there is only so much I want to change.”
“So maybe I’m the one that needs to change this time huh?” She smiles hopefully.
“Maybe.” He smiles back hesitantly.
She slowly reaches out and he hugs her back with his eyes clenched shut thinking Maybe, Maybe this time it’ll actually work out.