Lyra || Charlie Weasley ||

Looks like you've got some competition, cousin

I sat amongst the sea of black robes at the Slytherin table, anticipation thrumming through me. It was hard to believe this was my final welcome feast at Hogwarts. So much had changed, but it still felt like coming home.

The heavy doors swung open and the new first years filed in behind Professor McGonagall, faces upturned in wonder. I caught glimpses of Ara at the Gryffindor table and Ginny's bright hair further down.

McGonagall stepped up to address the Hall, stoic as ever but with a glimmer of warmth in her eyes. "Welcome to another year at Hogwarts!"

As she launched into the usual start-of-term notices, Draco leaned close on my left and whispered, "Your man's going to be teaching Care of Magical Creatures this year? I can not believe, Merlin this place has gone to the dogs." I followed his gaze and my heart leaped. There sat Charlie, looking unfairly handsome as if sensing my eyes on him he glanced at me, our eyes met and he winked sending my heart into a frenzy

I rolled my eyes at Draco's dramatic proclamation. "He's not 'my man'. Stop calling him 'my man'," I said evenly.

"Who is not your man?" Daphne asks

Draco smirked and jerked his chin toward the head table. "Him." Daphne leaned around me to peer up at Charlie appraisingly. "Well if he's not your man, maybe he can be mine." She fanned herself dramatically. "Merlin, he's fit."

Astoria huffed at her sister's brazenness. "Daphne! He's a professor."

Daphne just shrugged. "So? Look around, every girl here is making eyes at him."

I scanned the Great Hall surreptitiously. Sure enough, clusters of giggling girls were eyeing Charlie appreciatively. I had to resist the urge to hex them all as irritation simmered in my gut. I clenched my fist under the table as Irritation simmered in my gut. One minute into term and he already had ridiculous amounts of female attention.

I stabbed moodily at my roast chicken, appetite vanishing. Beside me, Draco chuckled knowingly.

"Looks like you've got some competition, cousin."

I smacked his arm without any real force. "Stuff it, Draco."

He held up his hands defensively, gray eyes glinting with humor. "Not my fault your man's capturing all the ladies' interests."

I narrowed my eyes at him. "One more word and I'll aim lower next time."

Draco mimed zipping his lips, though his gray eyes still glinted with laughter. Prat. I huffed and turned my attention back to my plate, cheeks warm. I couldn't deny the flicker of jealousy I felt watching other girls fawn over Charlie. But he was here as my professor and we are just friends and I am okay with that, I reminded myself sternly. I have no claim over him. Merlin, this was going to be a long year if every girl in school was fawning over Charlie.

For the next week it was becoming increasingly harder to keep my temper in control as Daphne had decided that Charlie was going to be her new obsession, "Ugh, so can we talk about how fit Professor Weasley is?" she would sigh dreamily at breakfast. "I could stare at those arms alll day."

In potions, she nudged me smirking. "Reckon Professor Weasley's got some good moves to tame those dragons. Bet that translates well in the bedroom, if you know what I mean."

I grit my teeth, choppingfluxweed more forcefully than necessary while Daphne and her friends tittered.

Even just passing Charlie in the corridors spurred a fresh round of fawning from Daphne. "Look at that tousled hair, so roguish," she cooed to her entourage. "And those chocolate eyes? I could just melt."