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lomonaaerenTitle: A Distant Dragon’s Song
Disclaimer: J. K. Rowling and associates own these characters. I am writing this story for fun and not profit.
Pairing: Pre-Harry/Charles Weasley
Content Notes: Angst, pre-slash, references to past violence and character deaths
Rating: PG-13
Wordcount: 1500
Summary: Charlie Weasley asks to meet Harry one evening at Hogwarts. Harry doesn’t know why, but he’s curious enough to go.
Author’s Notes: This is one of my “Solstitial Shorts,” very short fics being posted between the first of December and the winter solstice. I’ve never written this pairing before, but I was interested to try.
A Distant Dragon’s Song
Harry came out of the Apparition as near the gates of Hogwarts as he could get, staggering a little and frowning. The holly wand had been fixed, yes, but it never answered his call as powerfully and readily as it had once done. With a sigh, he slid his wand back into the holster he had taken to wearing at his waist.
He walked towards Hogwarts, ignoring the distant call he could feel from Dumbledore’s tomb even at this distance. Even if the holly wand gave him slightly inferior results for the rest of his life, he was never going to take up the Elder Wand.
Besides, it was a different call he’d come to answer tonight.
Stepping onto Hogwarts grounds no longer gave Harry the relief it once had, although the marks of the battle had long been cleared up. He walked slowly towards the base of the Astronomy Tower, wondering why Charlie Weasley had wanted to meet here. Maybe just to see where Fred had died?
And why he wanted to meet at all. He could have called one of his brothers if he’d wanted to mourn Fred. Ginny was traveling with the Harpies this season, but all the rest of the Weasleys were in Britain.
Harry himself was in Auror training. Nominally. It wasn’t what he had always dreamed of, memorizing endless regulations and drilling the same spells over and over again. The Aurors had a policy that no class advanced until everyone was word-perfect on the rules and could perform the spells with the same amount of skill.
Harry had told Auror Jones that he didn’t think some of his classmates would ever be able to manage the Shield Charm. It…hadn’t been well-received.
Harry smiled a little to himself, a smile that dropped when he came around the base of the Tower and saw Charlie standing there. His shoulders were a little hunched, and he radiated tension.
“Charlie? Are you okay?” Harry asked.
Charlie spun around, his eyes widening. He looked more tired than he had the last time Harry had seen him, when he came home for Fred’s funeral. He also looked like he had a few new burns on his face and arms. “Harry. You came.”
“Yeah. You made it sound urgent.” Harry moved forwards another few steps. “Was it not?”
“No, it is.” Charlie wiped a hand over his face and stared up at the Astronomy Tower. “I used to dream about the twins jumping off the Tower and flying around on their broomsticks. I don’t know why. I don’t know if they ever even did it. But now that’s what I think of, more than the fact that Fred is…”
Harry nodded, even though Charlie wasn’t looking at him. “It’s still hard to believe that he’s gone.”
“I know. I don’t think George will ever really get over it.” Charlie took a deep breath and visibly ripped himself away from the past, turning to Harry with a strained smile. “But I’m not here to talk about him.”
“Okay. Why are you here?”
Charlie was silent for a few moments, gazing intently at Harry. Harry found himself shifting in place. He didn’t think that he’d ever had Charlie look at him. Or, for that matter, a conversation with him as long as the one they’d already had. He’d even had longer conversations with Bill just because of staying at Shell Cottage during the war.
“Charlie?” Harry prompted, when it seemed as if the staring might go on for a while.
Charlie started and shook his head. “I’m sorry. This is—really weird. But first, I need to ask you if you know what it means when a dragon sings.”
“No,” Harry said, blinking several times. “I’ve never heard of that. I didn’t even know they could speak. They don’t really respond to Parseltongue.”
“Definitely not speaking.” Charlie was a little more relaxed now, maybe because they were talking about his favorite subject. “This is just singing. Or I shouldn’t say just singing, there’s nothing casual about it. When you hear the hills ringing with dragonsong, you’ll never forget it as long as you live.”
“What does it sound like?”
“Deeper than a phoenix’s.” Charlie’s eyes sparkled. “As musical as thunder and falling water. It shudders through your whole body.” He took a deep breath and then spoke as if he was falling off a cliff. “And sometimes, it grants people visions of their destinies.”
Harry couldn’t help stiffening when Charlie spoke that last word, but that was his problem, he thought. Charlie didn’t know about the prophecy. “And you thought you had a destiny here at Hogwarts that I could help you with?” he asked slowly.
“Yes.” Charlie took a step towards him. “Or rather, the destiny started at Hogwarts for me the minute you arrived.”
Harry narrowed his eyes. “You could have told me, Charlie. I would have helped you with something here, but I don’t like being tricked.”
“It wasn’t a trick.” Charlie’s eyes were wide and solemn, and Harry thought that even Ron had never looked this serious when they were in the middle of their adventures. “I heard the song, and it told me I could be happy. With you.”
Harry opened his mouth, then closed it. “I—Charlie, what are you saying?”
“That we have a chance of great happiness together.” Charlie was almost whispering, head bowed as if he was afraid someone might try to steal his words. “It’s just a chance. It’s not set in stone, like a—a prophecy, or something. But that’s what the song said. It was the most beautiful moment of my life. I couldn’t help wanting to come here and see if we could set this in motion.”
“You want me as a friend?”
“As a lover.”
Charlie reached out slowly, the way Harry thought he might reach towards skittish dragon hatchlings. Harry stood and accepted the feeling of those fingers, with small burns on their tips, feathering over his face.
“I don’t even like blokes.”
Charlie half-smiled. “Don’t you?”
Well, no, that wasn’t true, exactly, Harry admitted to himself. He’d dated girls and kissed girls. He’d never dated a bloke. But then, he’d never thought about it. It was the sort of thing he thought was probably happening at Hogwarts, but no one talked about.
In fact, until he’d learned that Dumbledore had been Grindelwald’s lover, he hadn’t thought about it at all.
But he’d thought plenty of blokes were handsome, thinking back on it, including Cedric Diggory. And Charlie had long red hair hanging to his shoulders, and those burns and scars, and a smile that seemed to invite Harry closer.
“I’m more surprised that you would want me,” Harry murmured, and bitterness he hadn’t known he was going to express leaked into his voice. “The darling of the press that I am. Even if I was visiting Romania regularly, someone would probably notice and you’d wind up on the Prophet’s front page. Is that what you want?”
“Not exactly.” Charlie took a deep breath. “I was going to ask if you would move to Romania with me.”
Harry stared at him with his mouth hanging open.
“I wouldn’t ask if I thought you were as enamored of the Aurors as Ginny is of the Harpies,” Charlie said softly. “But I don’t think you are. Ron mentioned a couple of things, and of course I was paying more attention to everything he said about you after I heard the dragon sing. You’re bored, aren’t you? It’s not all you thought it was? You want a change?”
“I—so I should become a Dragon-Keeper?”
“Not necessarily. Come to Romania with me. See what it’s like. Maybe you’ll enjoy tending to dragons. Maybe you’ll find something else to do. Have you ever even been out of the British Isles?”
Harry shook his head, feeling dazed and dumb. He took a deep breath. “But to abandon Auror training like that…”
“Is it Auror training that you worry about abandoning? Not Ron and Hermione? Or Mum and Dad?”
When Harry thought about it, he knew the answer to that. No, he knew his friends would always remain his friends, and it didn’t matter where he lived. Hermione would probably be pleased. She’d thought Harry was moping after he and Ginny broke up.
In reality, Harry had just been so busy right then that he hadn’t really had time to date anyone, and then he’d worried about them facing the press.
And Ron might be thrilled that Harry was dating another member of his family. Molly and Arthur would probably be pleased, too.
The thought sent a warm pulse through Harry’s stomach, and he ducked his head, feeling a smile tug at his lips. He was thinking about it. That probably meant it was decided, really. He lifted his head and smiled at Charlie, and heard Charlie’s breath catch.
“Yes,” Harry said, feeling a little giddy, “I’ll come to Romania with you. I can send my resignation letter to the Ministry when we’re in another country, right?”
Charlie laughed and reached for Harry’s hand. The casual, assured way that his fingers entwined with Harry’s felt even more intimate, for some reason, than the way he’d touched Harry earlier. Harry leaned against him and smiled up into his face.
“I can’t wait until you hear a dragon sing,” Charlie whispered. “That’s something I want for you, whether or not we ever get together.”
And something Harry wanted, too.
He suspected that, given time, the dragon’s song might even drown out the call of the Elder Wand.
He imagined Charlie holding him as they listened to the dragons, and smiled.
The End.
Disclaimer: J. K. Rowling and associates own these characters. I am writing this story for fun and not profit.
Pairing: Pre-Harry/Charles Weasley
Content Notes: Angst, pre-slash, references to past violence and character deaths
Rating: PG-13
Wordcount: 1500
Summary: Charlie Weasley asks to meet Harry one evening at Hogwarts. Harry doesn’t know why, but he’s curious enough to go.
Author’s Notes: This is one of my “Solstitial Shorts,” very short fics being posted between the first of December and the winter solstice. I’ve never written this pairing before, but I was interested to try.
A Distant Dragon’s Song
Harry came out of the Apparition as near the gates of Hogwarts as he could get, staggering a little and frowning. The holly wand had been fixed, yes, but it never answered his call as powerfully and readily as it had once done. With a sigh, he slid his wand back into the holster he had taken to wearing at his waist.
He walked towards Hogwarts, ignoring the distant call he could feel from Dumbledore’s tomb even at this distance. Even if the holly wand gave him slightly inferior results for the rest of his life, he was never going to take up the Elder Wand.
Besides, it was a different call he’d come to answer tonight.
Stepping onto Hogwarts grounds no longer gave Harry the relief it once had, although the marks of the battle had long been cleared up. He walked slowly towards the base of the Astronomy Tower, wondering why Charlie Weasley had wanted to meet here. Maybe just to see where Fred had died?
And why he wanted to meet at all. He could have called one of his brothers if he’d wanted to mourn Fred. Ginny was traveling with the Harpies this season, but all the rest of the Weasleys were in Britain.
Harry himself was in Auror training. Nominally. It wasn’t what he had always dreamed of, memorizing endless regulations and drilling the same spells over and over again. The Aurors had a policy that no class advanced until everyone was word-perfect on the rules and could perform the spells with the same amount of skill.
Harry had told Auror Jones that he didn’t think some of his classmates would ever be able to manage the Shield Charm. It…hadn’t been well-received.
Harry smiled a little to himself, a smile that dropped when he came around the base of the Tower and saw Charlie standing there. His shoulders were a little hunched, and he radiated tension.
“Charlie? Are you okay?” Harry asked.
Charlie spun around, his eyes widening. He looked more tired than he had the last time Harry had seen him, when he came home for Fred’s funeral. He also looked like he had a few new burns on his face and arms. “Harry. You came.”
“Yeah. You made it sound urgent.” Harry moved forwards another few steps. “Was it not?”
“No, it is.” Charlie wiped a hand over his face and stared up at the Astronomy Tower. “I used to dream about the twins jumping off the Tower and flying around on their broomsticks. I don’t know why. I don’t know if they ever even did it. But now that’s what I think of, more than the fact that Fred is…”
Harry nodded, even though Charlie wasn’t looking at him. “It’s still hard to believe that he’s gone.”
“I know. I don’t think George will ever really get over it.” Charlie took a deep breath and visibly ripped himself away from the past, turning to Harry with a strained smile. “But I’m not here to talk about him.”
“Okay. Why are you here?”
Charlie was silent for a few moments, gazing intently at Harry. Harry found himself shifting in place. He didn’t think that he’d ever had Charlie look at him. Or, for that matter, a conversation with him as long as the one they’d already had. He’d even had longer conversations with Bill just because of staying at Shell Cottage during the war.
“Charlie?” Harry prompted, when it seemed as if the staring might go on for a while.
Charlie started and shook his head. “I’m sorry. This is—really weird. But first, I need to ask you if you know what it means when a dragon sings.”
“No,” Harry said, blinking several times. “I’ve never heard of that. I didn’t even know they could speak. They don’t really respond to Parseltongue.”
“Definitely not speaking.” Charlie was a little more relaxed now, maybe because they were talking about his favorite subject. “This is just singing. Or I shouldn’t say just singing, there’s nothing casual about it. When you hear the hills ringing with dragonsong, you’ll never forget it as long as you live.”
“What does it sound like?”
“Deeper than a phoenix’s.” Charlie’s eyes sparkled. “As musical as thunder and falling water. It shudders through your whole body.” He took a deep breath and then spoke as if he was falling off a cliff. “And sometimes, it grants people visions of their destinies.”
Harry couldn’t help stiffening when Charlie spoke that last word, but that was his problem, he thought. Charlie didn’t know about the prophecy. “And you thought you had a destiny here at Hogwarts that I could help you with?” he asked slowly.
“Yes.” Charlie took a step towards him. “Or rather, the destiny started at Hogwarts for me the minute you arrived.”
Harry narrowed his eyes. “You could have told me, Charlie. I would have helped you with something here, but I don’t like being tricked.”
“It wasn’t a trick.” Charlie’s eyes were wide and solemn, and Harry thought that even Ron had never looked this serious when they were in the middle of their adventures. “I heard the song, and it told me I could be happy. With you.”
Harry opened his mouth, then closed it. “I—Charlie, what are you saying?”
“That we have a chance of great happiness together.” Charlie was almost whispering, head bowed as if he was afraid someone might try to steal his words. “It’s just a chance. It’s not set in stone, like a—a prophecy, or something. But that’s what the song said. It was the most beautiful moment of my life. I couldn’t help wanting to come here and see if we could set this in motion.”
“You want me as a friend?”
“As a lover.”
Charlie reached out slowly, the way Harry thought he might reach towards skittish dragon hatchlings. Harry stood and accepted the feeling of those fingers, with small burns on their tips, feathering over his face.
“I don’t even like blokes.”
Charlie half-smiled. “Don’t you?”
Well, no, that wasn’t true, exactly, Harry admitted to himself. He’d dated girls and kissed girls. He’d never dated a bloke. But then, he’d never thought about it. It was the sort of thing he thought was probably happening at Hogwarts, but no one talked about.
In fact, until he’d learned that Dumbledore had been Grindelwald’s lover, he hadn’t thought about it at all.
But he’d thought plenty of blokes were handsome, thinking back on it, including Cedric Diggory. And Charlie had long red hair hanging to his shoulders, and those burns and scars, and a smile that seemed to invite Harry closer.
“I’m more surprised that you would want me,” Harry murmured, and bitterness he hadn’t known he was going to express leaked into his voice. “The darling of the press that I am. Even if I was visiting Romania regularly, someone would probably notice and you’d wind up on the Prophet’s front page. Is that what you want?”
“Not exactly.” Charlie took a deep breath. “I was going to ask if you would move to Romania with me.”
Harry stared at him with his mouth hanging open.
“I wouldn’t ask if I thought you were as enamored of the Aurors as Ginny is of the Harpies,” Charlie said softly. “But I don’t think you are. Ron mentioned a couple of things, and of course I was paying more attention to everything he said about you after I heard the dragon sing. You’re bored, aren’t you? It’s not all you thought it was? You want a change?”
“I—so I should become a Dragon-Keeper?”
“Not necessarily. Come to Romania with me. See what it’s like. Maybe you’ll enjoy tending to dragons. Maybe you’ll find something else to do. Have you ever even been out of the British Isles?”
Harry shook his head, feeling dazed and dumb. He took a deep breath. “But to abandon Auror training like that…”
“Is it Auror training that you worry about abandoning? Not Ron and Hermione? Or Mum and Dad?”
When Harry thought about it, he knew the answer to that. No, he knew his friends would always remain his friends, and it didn’t matter where he lived. Hermione would probably be pleased. She’d thought Harry was moping after he and Ginny broke up.
In reality, Harry had just been so busy right then that he hadn’t really had time to date anyone, and then he’d worried about them facing the press.
And Ron might be thrilled that Harry was dating another member of his family. Molly and Arthur would probably be pleased, too.
The thought sent a warm pulse through Harry’s stomach, and he ducked his head, feeling a smile tug at his lips. He was thinking about it. That probably meant it was decided, really. He lifted his head and smiled at Charlie, and heard Charlie’s breath catch.
“Yes,” Harry said, feeling a little giddy, “I’ll come to Romania with you. I can send my resignation letter to the Ministry when we’re in another country, right?”
Charlie laughed and reached for Harry’s hand. The casual, assured way that his fingers entwined with Harry’s felt even more intimate, for some reason, than the way he’d touched Harry earlier. Harry leaned against him and smiled up into his face.
“I can’t wait until you hear a dragon sing,” Charlie whispered. “That’s something I want for you, whether or not we ever get together.”
And something Harry wanted, too.
He suspected that, given time, the dragon’s song might even drown out the call of the Elder Wand.
He imagined Charlie holding him as they listened to the dragons, and smiled.
The End.
