If This Ain't Love 《C. Weasley》

15~ GUILT

"CARINA?!" Brooke yelled at the top of her lungs as Belle, who had just entered the room, morphed into a young lady in her thirties.

"Brooke..." Carina said, trailing off as a tear left her eye.

Brooke reached for her wand and pointed it toward the brown-black-haired woman.

"Whoever you are, disguised as my godmother, show yourself!" Brooke yelled as Charlie shook her head.

"Bree, it's Carina herself," Charlie said as Brooke looked at him. 

"Carina Black died on her wedding altar, three days before brother James and Lily were killed. I mourned her for days, Charlie. But I never got over that because of Volde..." Brooke paused, knowing how the Weasley family winced at the mention of the name, "You-know-who and what he did to James and Lily. Her death was the reason why I can see thestrals, Charlie," Brooke said, her wand still pointed at Carina.

"Brooke, it's me, I swear," Carina spoke up, her voice trembling.

Brooke let out a sigh and said, "What was the gift Carina Black got for me when she visited Potter's residence for the first time?" Brooke asked.

"A new toy broomstick. You had crashed into the guest room with the one Sirius got for you," Carina stated, smiling at the memory and wiping a tear away.

Brooke's eyes softened, as the wand slipped down from between her fingers and rolled across the room.

"Oh Care," Brooke said, her voice breaking as she walked up to the woman and threw her arms around her Godmother.

Brooke's POV:

Twelve years. Twelve freaking years. For twelve years, Carina Black had been dead to the wizarding world. And one fine day, out of the blue, my boyfriend... ex-boyfriend, actually, tells me that the pet cat we adopted was my long gone Godmother who had always been by my side.

I held her tightly, as she cried into my shoulder. The flow of tears from my own eyes was unstoppable.

My Godmother was back. My family was coming back together.

And as it is, I myself had no courage to walk up to Remus and talk to him, as I shamelessly brushed off any chances of having a conversation with him. And at this point, going up to him and telling him that his girlfriend came back to life wasn't the best idea.

We parted and my eyes drifted off to the redhead I loved. I shot him a smile and walked up to him.

"Thank you for bringing Carina to me, Charlie," I said as he smiled at me and I wrapped him in a breif hug. It took me everything to resist the urge to jump into his arms and kiss him full on the lips, while constantly telling him that I loved him.

"It was my job, Bree," Charlie said as we parted.

"I'll be outside if you need me," he told me as I held the door for him.

Carina's POV:

I watched as they smiled awkwardly at each other and Charlie left the room.

"You know he still loves you more than either of you can imagine, right?" I spoke up.

"And I'm not taking relationship advice from the girl who fell in love with Remus Lupin but left him and her God-daughter when they needed her the most," Brooke said, her demeanor changing.

That was brutal, but I deserved that.

"So are you mad at me because I faked my death?" I asked, my creaking voice giving away the fact that I was too scared. Too scared to lose her right after I got her back.

"I'm not mad at you for that. I'm mad because you made me believe that you had left me. I needed an elder sister when I lost James and Lily, to share my pain with. I needed an elder sister to help me with my love life. I needed an elder sister's help to raise my nephew. And I needed an elder sister to guide me through everything." Brooke said.

Brooke's POV:

"I'm not mad at you for that. I'm mad because you made me believe that you had left me. I needed an elder sister when I lost James and Lily, to share my pain with. I needed an elder sister to help me with my love life. I needed an elder sister's help to raise my nephew. And I needed an elder sister to guide me through everything," I vented, as Carina listened to me intently.

I had always suspected why they never found Carina's body. I had been made to believe that the accident at her wedding had made her body disappear... or it had been transfigured while the Rosier manor, where the wedding had taken place, had its renovation.

"I'm so sorry about that Brooke. But I had some unfinished business to take care of. And I had injured myself in the process. That's when you found me," Carina exclaimed. 

It made sense, but I was still mad. Mad about the fact that she had abandoned me when I needed her the most and mad about the fact that I never suspected anything. What's next, Pettigrew disguised as Scabbers?

But then again, if there was one thing that I had learned during the twenty-one years I spent on this planet, it's that forgiveness is the hardest thing to perform, but the person who masters this art deserves the best.

"I get it, Carina," I said, as Carina looked at me with hope in her eyes.

"I might've done the same thing if I was in a similar situation," I admitted, as I succeded in finding the edge of Carina's lips broadening by an inch. 

"Thank you for giving me a chance, Brooke. I am so happy to know that the cute little Brooke I knew has turned into a strong young woman," Carina said as she caressed my hair.

"But you have to promise me something," I said.

"Anything," Carina urged as I smiled at her.

"Promise me that you won't leave me like that ever again," I exclaimed as Carina's smile widened and she nodded.

"I promise you, Brooke. No matter what the situation is, I would never level you ever again," Carina said as we shared another hug.

Seconds turned into minutes, and minutes turned into hours as we caught up regarding everything that had been going on in our lives when the topic of Charlie finally entered the conversation. 

"FUCK!" I yelled, remembering that Charlie was probably still waiting outside.

"Language!" Carina pointed out.

"Charlie is still waiting out there!" I exclaimed, panicking as I dashed to the door.

Charlie's POV:

The door finally opened to reveal her beautiful sandy blonde locks of hair as her dark blue eyes fell on me.

I was dressed in my light blue button-up shirt that she liked. And hell, it smelled of her.

Her eyes darted onto the shirt and all I wanted to do was to capture her lips with mine, telling her that I have loved her all my life, and I will always love her.

I made a note of her appearance. She felt rejuvenated, yet was drained of the energy to comprehend anything.

"Are you going to sleep?" I asked, giving her a small smile.

"Are you tired?" She asked, returning the smile.

"I've never been more alive," I told her as her smile widened.

I cupped her jaw and placed my lips on her forehead, letting it linger for a few long seconds, reassuring her that I will always be there to save her from the world.