LETTERS HOME [C.W.]

XIII

Leia? Please answer the phone darling? I'm willing to tell you everything. This is all a misunderstanding. I have answers, just give me the chance, please?  

To say that Charlie Weasley was ready to just tell her everything: that he knew who she was before hand, that he was a wizard, that he had a massive crush on her since he first saw her and most importantly: that he was the boy from the letters. 

But he couldn't do that if she didn't answer her phone. He knew her run at the theatre was over and he knew she'd  be filming somewhere in London, maybe it was her day off. It wasn't Charlie's. He was up at the Sanctuary trying his best not to get charred as he was checking his phone constantly. 

                     ***

"He's texting again."

Leia was a mess at home. You'd think being an actress she'd be used to rejection, and you'd be right, but it wasn't rejection, it's how she got rejected. So Leia did what she had to do: called her emotional support friend who knew about Charlie. James arrived with more ice cream and wine. Sure getting drunk wasn't the right thing to do, but each time the damned phone chimed, she could only see herself in a pretty gown lost in the middle of Mayfair. 

"Let me guess, he's begging now." 

"Yeah..."

"Tell him to tell you over text, if it sounds convincing you can agree to meet up. But don't lose your time if it's going to be some shitty excuse like 'oh I just forgot the day it was'." 

"Okay, yeah. You are right. I deserve an explanation." 

Tell me why.

Can I call you? 

No. I can't hear your voice right now. Just tell me. 

Okay, okay. 

I was nervous about the date and I went to visit the twins at their flat and ugh they offered me some liquid courage and I was dumb enough to trust them and after the first shot it came another and before I knew it I had fallen asleep on their sofa. 

They didn't wake me up, I just went there for some words of encouragement. 

Forgive me, please, I'm begging you. 

Name time and a place and I'm yours for the night. I just really want to do this right. 

"Why does he have to be so cute? Ugh." 

"I'm guessing the excuse is decent?" 

"It's good enough. But if I tell him that I'm okay with it now he might take this as something that can happen again. I don't know James, I really like him, I don't want him to take me for granted. Besides, when will I meet someone who I can be normal with again?"

Leia had dinner plans with Remus, Sirius and James the next evening. It was her chance to get on with life and move on. After all, on Monday, she was filming again. She did her best to look presentable, something casual yet cute. She felt good. She was starting to comprehend that what happened wasn't her fault, and that she could answer Charlie when she felt okay with it. 

Walking to the little bookshop, yet again with changed furniture so that the table could fit in there for the four of them, Leia let her hair be touched by the wind, simply enjoying the quiet. Over the past year she had known how to leave the house unnoticed by the paps, so she was just happy to enjoy the streets of London freely.