Fire in Her Eyes - Charlie Weasley

Chapter 21

Kai went home early, still exhausted and guilt ridden.

She forced herself to eat a sandwich, not having the mental fortitude to face the dining hall and everyone in it, before grabbing a book and sitting down to read. She had found the little library in town some time ago and had been slowly working her way through the collection.

A lot of the books were basics that she had read in school, but there were a lot of non-fiction works about magical creatures, plants and spells. There were even just some fun books as well. She was currently reading an encyclopedia about hippogriffs. She had not yet been fortunate enough to meet one in person, even though she had specifically travelled to Greece last year in the hopes of finding one.

A knock on her door pulled her out of her focus. She saved her place in the book, using an old feather she had saved, and set it on the table. She stood and moved to open the door, resignation crossing her face when she saw Charlie on the other side. He had to be here to tell her that it was time for her to leave the sanctuary. She couldn't blame him. She knew how much the dragons meant to him. She sighed and moved out of the way to let him into her tiny cabin.

He glanced at the book on the table briefly, before pulling out his wand and muttering muffaliato, warding the building against anyone listening. He sat down at her kitchen table, motioning for her to sit across from him.

She stiffly sat down, pushing the book to the side, and waited quietly for him to speak, saying the words she was dreading to hear.

"I don't blame you for what happened with the dragon," his voice was quiet and his eyes were gentle when she met them, surprise across her face.

"Y-you don't?" She stuttered, barely recognizing to breathe in case this was just a dream. It certainly didn't feel real.

"Did you curse that dragon?" He raised an eyebrow with the question and she quickly shook her head no. He shrugged as if he knew what her response going to be, "I'm not going to blame you for the actions of others, Kai." He ran a hand through his hair, still a little agitated, "Especially one that I'm assuming was abusive," she inhaled sharply at his words, confirming what he said without her actually verbalizing it.

"The way I see it," he set both of his forearms on the table, hands together and looked at her intensely, "you might be the only one who can actually understand what we're up against. Why he might have done something like this to her." She bit her lip. She genuinely didn't know what his end goal was, but for Charlie and the dragons and her friends, she would try to figure it out. "First thing is to heal her," he continued, "then we'll work on a plan to deal with him."

Kai nodded at his words, barely breathing. "I can't heal her until tomorrow at the earliest," she whispered, looking down to avoid his eyes. "I need some time to recover the energy spent from yesterday."

"That's fine," Charlie's voice was still surprisingly gentle for the large, gruff man that he was. "Right now, I'm more interested in what you said about your magic being different."

He watched her closely as panic crossed her face, and she quickly inhaled. She had forgotten that she mentioned that when she was in his office. She had just been terrified and wanted him to believe her when she said could help the dragon. She had just been trying to get him to understand.

"I need the truth, Kai," his voice was stern, but his gaze understanding. He was every bit the dominant boss, but she could see how much patience the man really had. The calmness that invited her share. It was a different kind of dangerous from his usual demeanor. It was the kind of dangerous that could have her spilling every secret and emotion in her heart. "We've been slowly trusting each other, but it's time to put it out there. I need the truth. How you can heal without your wand, the way you seem to talk to animals," her eyes flashed to his in surprise, "I remember how you spoke to him when you healed Pigwidgeon," he answered her unspoken question, "I've seen you with Duke and Rigo. And I swear," he hesitated for a moment, "I swear I saw dog that I've never seen before that had your eyes."

He frowned at the memory and Kai thought back to her first week when she had morphed into a dog to run around with Duke and Rigo. While she could transform into any animal, her eyes had always stayed the same color. She hadn't been sure at the time if he had recognized that. He never said anything about it, so she had assumed she was fine. She hadn't shifted since then. There were too many people and too few animals for her to blend in. It had been nearly torturous to keep that part of herself quiet, but she hadn't been ready to share her secrets with anyone.

She exhaled heavily, feeling backed into a corner. She still wasn't sure she was ready to share everything with Charlie, but she didn't know if she had a choice. And while he could be private, which frustrated her curious side, it also meant that he knew how to keep a secret. He was calm and rational. He rarely yelled, unless she pushed him past his long rope of patience. He always maintained his composure and managed his emotions. She realized that she didn't hate the idea of someone knowing who she truly was, especially the man sitting across from her, who she had come to respect and admire.

He waited in his usual state of consistent calm, while the thoughts raced through her head, watching her with curiosity.

"Ok," she spoke quietly. "Follow me."

Thanks for reading! The next chapter is honestly my absolute favorite. Please comment and vote <3

~M