Lyra || Charlie Weasley ||

There will be no wooing me or knocking sense into him

I practically floated down to the Black Lake, unable to keep the giddy smile off my face. I could still feel the ghost of Charlie's lips on mine, soft tingles spreading everywhere he had touched me.

Ginny was already waiting by our favorite tree when I plopped down next to her. She took one look at me and smirked knowingly. "Well, well, looks like you and Charlie finally made up or should I say made out?"

I furrowed my brows in confusion until she pointed somewhere on my neck. My eyes blew wide in mortification. "What?!" I gasped, hands flying to cover the spot.

Ginny laughed. "Looks like you two had quite the fun this morning."

"Oh Merlin," I groaned, feeling my face flame red. I hurriedly dug around in my bag for a turtleneck jumper and yanked it on.

"As happy as I am for you both, I don't need to see so much evidence of your...relationship," Ginny said, putting air quotes around the last word.

"I'm going to kill him," I muttered, shrinking down in embarrassment. Charlie knew we had to keep this secret!

Ginny nudged me eagerly. "So? Tell me everything!" At my hesitant look, she amended, "Okay, not everything. Just...what led to this?" She gestured at my now covered neck.

I tucked my hair behind my ears self-consciously. "So you know how I had been irrated and snappy all week." I say and she nods "I couldn't help it, Gin," I confess. "Every time I saw him with those girls, laughing and smiling, it felt like a knife twisting in my gut. All these pretty witches kept flocking around him, flirting and vying for his attention." I picked at a loose thread on my skirt. "I got so jealous. That's why I was being Snappy and irritable."

Ginny nodded knowingly. "I had guessed as much."

"Right. He asked why I was in such a mood." I sighed. "So I...I blurted out, told him how I wanted him to see me, really see me, not just as a friend but as something more. And then I asked him to kiss me, Gin..." Even in memory, admitting those private feelings made me flush.

"And?" Ginny leaned forward eagerly.

"And he kissed me and He said the most beautiful things, Gin," I admit, a soft smile playing on my lips, " He said 'You came into our tent, all laughing eyes and floating blue dress. Your smile lit up the room. When you looked my way, it was like the first bloom of spring - fresh, sweet, full of promise.'"

I smiled softly, heart brimming with tenderness at the recollection.

"He said after the World Cup, falling for me felt as natural as flying. That he wanted to take me on real dates, start a relationship." My cheeks warmed again. 

Ginny beamed. "I knew it! Didn't I tell you he was in love with you too?"

I bit my lip, unable to contain a giddy grin. "You did. But we have to keep it a secret, at least for now. He's a professor, and no matter how long I've known him, we have to be careful. We can't risk anything until graduation, at least."

Ginny mimed zipping her lips. "Your secret's safe with me." She nudged my shoulder

We laughed together, giddy with our shared secret. Just then, Hermione plopped down on the grass next to us.

"What's so funny?" she asked curiously.

Ginny and I exchanged a look. I knew I could trust Hermione too, so I gave Ginny a small nod.

"Well, Lyra here finally got together with my brother Charlie!" Ginny announced.

Hermione's eyes went wide. Then a huge grin spread across her face. "I knew you fancied each other! So you finally got him, huh?" She gave me a quick hug. "I'm so happy for you both!"