The Safe Wizards

7: Goodbye Ceremony

Charlie woke up with difficulty that day. An owl he didn't know was tapping at his window before daylight. With a grunt, he staggered to open the window before Bill and Fleur were also awakened by the bird. He took the letter, found some owl seed in a dish on the windowsill, and sent the bird away without even looking to see who the mail was for. He put it on his bedside table and went back to bed.

The night before, after Harry had left and their family had gone to bed, he and Bill had been talking not seeing the time pass. They had caught up on the time away from each other and talked again about Harry, his decision to take care of his estate, hiring Bill and moving him to Alaska first, maybe then to Forks, Washington or Seattle if the spellbreaker preferred to be closer to the house he would have to take care of; and the impact all of this had and would have on their family. The elder had then asked him to tell him about his relationship with the dark-haired man, how it all started and how it was going between them. The two brothers had gone to bed very late, or early in the morning, happy of this time together.

Charlie had slept only a handful of hours when the owl had arrived and his brain was clearly not operational to read anything.

The redhead was awakened several hours later by his father.

"I feel like I'm ten years old again," he groaned, thinking to himself that it had been a really long time since his father had come to get him up.

"Bill told me you stayed up late yesterday, but we have to do the ceremony in Fred's honor in twenty minutes," the man replied in a deadened voice.

Charlie felt bad for not anticipating this, he knew it was going to be a tough day for everyone, they didn't need him to be late.

"I'll be downstairs in ten minutes," the dragon rider affirmed as he stood up.

Arthur went up with him as he moved and took him in his arms, hugging him tightly. Charlie returned his embrace, upset to feel his father so fragile all of a sudden. They parted, the tears in the older man's eyes touching the younger man deep in his heart.

"I'll make you some coffee," Arthur whispered, trying to regain his composure. "You join us in the living room, ok?"

Charlie nodded, he watched his father leave the room thinking that this war and the loss of Fred had aged him pretty damn suddenly, then he grabbed some clothes and rushed into the shower. He quickly looked at the scar he had earned during the war. He had come very close to the end that day, but he had come back from it. Lestrange had not succeeded in killing him, Fred had not been so lucky. He preferred not to dwell on such thoughts.

In a few minutes he was ready and in the living room. Percy hadn't arrived yet, but Hermione, Fleur and Victoire had already gone for a walk to give them the privacy they needed. George was sitting on the couch, a cup of coffee in his hands, his tear-filled eyes lost in the black liquid. Ginny was sitting in an armchair pretending to read a Quidditch magazine, but she wasn't turning the pages and her eyes were fixed, misty. Ron was staring into the flames of the fireplace, his face closed. Bill was leaning against a wall, also holding a cup, but his gaze was fixed on the clock. Charlie watched it too. When Victoire was born, a new clock had been placed next to the first one, with a hand for Fleur and one for the little girl. The whole family hoped that others would join them soon, as marriages and births took place. No one, however, had had the courage to remove Fred's hand. Molly broke down in tears every time she looked at the hand that said "lost" and everyone else usually avoided looking at the object.

Charlie sat down beside George, putting a hand on his shoulder to show his support. His younger brother looked at him briefly, gave him a sad smile, then looked at the rest of the items on the table, before returning to his coffee.