The next day, the walls of her bedroom just fell too small. So Charlotte got up and enjoyed a lonely breakfast in the living room instead. And the day after that she even thought to try joining her parents for diner, instead of chewing absently parts of meals on her own. But to her surprise, they were not in the apartment, and the rest of the pie her father had brought her a piece of was intact on the kitchen counter. She ate more of it, waiting for them for nearly an hour. When her mother entered, Charlotte's presence in the room gave her a start.
« Hi darling ! » The woman smiled but couldn't hide her surprise. « I didn't know you would be here. »
« I didn't know you were eating out. » Charlotte replied.
« We haven't eaten yet. » Her father intervened.
« What were you doing then ? » She asked, her curiosity poked.
« Business stuff. » Her mother answered vaguely.
The mystery of the couple's nightly activities was only lifted the following evening. Charlotte's parents were putting coats on when she joined for diner.
« Come on, we're going out. » Her mother beckoned her.
« Do I have to ? » Charlotte was in her chillest fluid pants and a not particularly clean large t-shirt, and did not feel like dressing up.
« Yes, but don't worry, I'm sure you'll find it interesting. And if not, you won't have to come ever again. »
Remembering she was mildly curious, the girl went to take her mother's arm as she didn't know where they were to apparate. It turned out to be a London outskirt street, where brick buildings lined up in the fading daylight. But on a move from her father, the buildings suddenly moved, separating between numbers 10 and 14 to reveal the 12, Grimmauld Place. After a complex unlocking of the door, the family entered a long corridor, serving a flight of stairs and a door standing ajar.
« Charlotte ! » Fred Weasley was standing in the way, an obviously self-made sandwich in hand, which he seemed to want to justify. « I was hungry and mum doesn't prepare diner 'til after the meeting. »
« The meeting ? » Charlotte asked, confused about the situation, but Fred didn't get the chance to explain anything as his exclamation of her name had rallied more people.
George, Ron, Ginny, Remus Lupin and Sirius Black were all looking at her with a deep look of sympathy - which made her very aware of her clothes again - but also a smile indicating a sincere joy to see her. Even from Sirius, whom she had never met for real.
« Welcome to my house. » He declared with a hint of bitterness in his voice. « And the headquarters of the Order of the Phoenix. Shall we ? Moody's on duty but Shacklebott should arrive soon, and Molly, Arthur and Tonks are already inside. »
Charlotte didn't understand a thing of what was going on. Except that Tonks turned out to be a colorful haired witch who seemed both very nice and very clumsy.
Once they had joined the rest in the kitchen, her parents closed the door on the Weasley children, who Charlotte heard pestering as they climbed the stairs. She was so grateful when, cutting the mentioned Kingsley Shacklebott, Lupin gave her some context as to what was the damn Order of the Phoenix. The witch took in the shock in silence, nodding as she absorbed the flow of information attentively but keeping her thoughts and emotions in. She noticed her parents surveying her reactions, but she could not look straight at either of them. Once they concluded the meeting, Sirius offered them to stay for diner, but her father saw that Charlotte was eager to go home so they declined.
As soon as they landed in their living room, the blond burst out.
« So you've been part of a secret society which purpose is to fight the freaks responsible for my lover's death and you didn't think it relevant to tell me ?! »
« Of course we thought about telling you, Charlotte, we've been discussing it for weeks. » Her father spoke in a very soothing tone. « But you were barely there, coping with such a loss we weren't sure you were ready for more to take in. »
« Until yesterday, » Her mother continued as their daughter frowned, « you were entrenched in your room, not to mention where you mind went because it was clearly not with us. Sorry, dear, but you hadn't even notice us leaving every other night. »
Charlotte processed their arguments for a few seconds, and conceded.
« Fair enough...but I better be involved now, as a fully pledged and active member. »
« As long as you stay careful sweetie, I don't see why you couldn't. » Her father agreed, while her mother nodded as well.
From that moment on, Charlotte spent increasingly more time at the Headquarters. At first she only attended the meetings with her parents, but they very soon accepted the invitations to stay for diner. Ron and Ginny gave her a tour of the big and gloomy house, the twins were busy inventing something no doubt. Asking them what they were doing all day in there, she discovered they were getting rid of all sorts of house creatures to refresh the place, and the idea of fighting appealed to her newly recuperated combative spirit. So she also popped in on her own for the daily tasks. Hermione joined when she moved in a couple of days later.
« Charlotte dear, you look quite thin. Are you sure you're eating enough ? » Molly Weasley got worried after about a week.
« Yes, Ms Weasley, I do. Don't worry about me. »
But in really, the girl wasn't eating much. She was so tired every night that she was skipping diner, going straight back home to bed after the meetings in hope that the tiredness would made her sleep better than her nightmares had allowed her to for the past month. She was also skipping breakfast, often only taking in the delicious lunch Ms Weasley prepared for all of them. But she was starting to feel exhausted however, and the mother was not the only one to notice.
« Hey, Charlotte. » Sirius called in the corridor as she was about to leave that same day. « I just wanted to know if you were alright, we're getting a bit worried you know. You been, sorry to say, getting thinner and paler by the day. »
« I'm just trying to copy your looks, Sirius. » She got back sarcastically, before turning away without waiting for his reaction.
She was a bit exasperated, to her opinion it wasn't anyone's business. Especially not a man's whom she had just met.
YOU ARE READING
Chasing
FanfictionWhen Charlotte transfers from the girls only Beauxbâtons Academy of Magic to Hogwarts, it brings big changes to her life. Not only does she enter at the same time as the famous Harry Potter, but her path will cross those of many interesting characte...
