The Irreplaceable Charlie Weasley

Chapter 4 - The Friendship Dilemma

Charlie

I remember when I was six and I sneaked out of the house in the middle of the night to fly on Bill's new broom. I have never done it before and I knew I would probably get in trouble but I did it anyway.

I went to the garden and sat on it and I remember I didn't even know what I was supposed to do but I thought in my head fly high. The broom obeyed me and before I opened my eyes I was above the roof of our house and I got so scared that I knocked myself off it, hitting the roof and falling to the ground.

My mum told me I was lucky to be alive. However, she couldn't wait for me to get all my bones mended so she could punish me. I still remember how much it hurt.

What happened yesterday by the Lake, when Penny let it slip that Nova fancies Murphy, hurt ten times more. My heart went from beating really fast to stopping completely and I felt as if I was about to suffocate.

What pained me, even more, was the realization of how Nova and I were drifting apart. We both had so much on our hands. If she wasn't at Quidditch practice, I was. She had Advanced Transfiguration almost every day. On our days off we were either doing homework or studying for our O.W.L.s and when I had the time and wanted to spend it just with her, she either said she wanted to be with the whole group because we barely had the time to hang out or she went to the Quidditch stands to meet with her team.

Now I know who she was meeting and I hated what my mind was creating for me – images of them talking and having fun together, Nova blushing and giggling at Murphy's jokes, them holding hands and kissing. My stomach turned every time and it has been happening all night. Needless to say how much sleep I got.

I was staring at the ceiling when I heard Jae wake up. I was trying to keep my eyes open as much as possible because my imagination ran wild the second I closed them. I would much rather just turn around and scream into my pillow but I didn't want to explain to Jae why I was losing my mind.

I knew it was going to happen eventually – that Nova would fancy someone. But I was hoping that someone might be me or at least that I wouldn't know about it. I was mad at Penny for telling everyone. I was mad that I had to find out that way and I was mad at myself for having these feelings.

"Just two more years," I said to myself and got to the edge of my bed. Two more years and I can go to Romania and never see Nova again. It killed me just thinking about it and this was exactly what I was talking about when I told Penny that me fancying her will ruin our friendship.

How was I supposed to talk to her and take classes with her and study with her and act like everything was fine? I didn't see her since she ran after Penny yesterday and I was terrified of what would happen to me once I will.

"What was that, mate?" Jae's voice snapped me out of it.

"Wha-?" I almost forgot I was talking to myself out loud.

"You said something?" Jae said.

"Nah, forget it." I swung my hand and got up.

"You okay, mate? You look pale." He came to my bed, putting on his hoodie.

"I didn't sleep good, that's all." I lied. I didn't want to talk about it. The only one I wanted to talk to was my best friend and I couldn't tell her she broke my heart.

"Want to go down for breakfast?" Jae shrugged his shoulders, believing what I told him.

"Sure." I put on my jumper and we made our way to the Great Hall.

I was relieved to see that Nova wasn't there – that any of our friends weren't. I liked being just with Jae and I should've stayed with him since first year and perhaps I wouldn't be walking around like a sad troll right now.