Fire in Her Eyes - Charlie Weasley

Chapter 23

Kai and Charlie walked in silence back towards the group of cottages.

She was thankful he didn't let go of her hand as they walked. She was consumed by loneliness due to the loss of connection between and his hand holding hers was a solace. It was a beautiful island of human connection in her sea of solitude.

She couldn't read his emotions anymore though, and she was desperately wondering what he was thinking.

"Are you mad?" She whispered through the quiet. He hadn't said a word or even looked back at her as they walked.

She could see his shoulders tense as he thought about the question. "Yes," he sighed, shoulders drooping, "and no. I'm not mad at you for keeping it a secret. I can understand why. The things you could be used for," he shuddered. "I'm mad because it seems like there's always another bad guy to fight. That no matter how many times you fight against evil and win, there's just always another battle."

His body sagged slightly as defeat over took him and Kai squeezed his hand in response. She took the moment to study him and enjoy Charlie weasley in a quiet moment of vulnerability. This side of him was rare, and she appreciated being able to see it. It only lasted a heartbeat before he squared his shoulders, leading her up the walkway to her cabin door. His face completely unbothered when he looked at her.

"Why do you always shut people out?" She asked him cautiously as they stood facing each other. His eyes widened slightly as the question, but he didn't respond, just looked down at the ground.

The night of sharing made her bold. Feeling braver than she ever had, she took a step toward him, gently reaching out a hand. She placed it on his neck and used her thumb to push his head up until his eyes met hers.

"People might like what they see when you let them in," she let the sincerity shine through her voice. She knew he wouldn't respond. By now, she knew enough about him to know that he would probably walk away to his cabin without a second glance. And that thought nearly broke her. "Do you want to come in for a cup of tea?" The words fell out of her mouth before she could stop them. But she didn't apologize or take them back. The idea of going into her cabin alone, even with Gus there, felt so lonely that she couldn't stand it yet.

Being that connected to someone was like getting high and she wasn't ready for the crash yet. She wanted to ease back down to earth instead of crashing. A cup of tea and a few more minutes of his time and she would be ok to say goodbye. But she couldn't let him go yet.

"Please," was his only response. The only hint that he may be feeling the same loss of the connection that she was.

She nodded and led the way into her cabin. He took his usual seat at her kitchen table and watched her as she moved around in the kitchen, getting water for the tea, grabbing mugs. She held up mint and chamomile, and he pointed to the mint. She dropped a chamomile into her mug, and waited for the water to boil.

"Do you really think you can heal her?" His eyes watched her carefully. She turned and leaned back against the counter, folding her arms.

"I don't know," she sighed honestly. "But I think I have the best shot." She paused nervously, considering if she wanted to be completely honest. But there was nothing more to hide when it came to her magic, so she continued. "I could feel him. When I saw that darkness in sawyer, I could tell it was him. And that darkness," she shuddered, "it was like it was searching for me."

The kettle on the stove screeched and she poured the boiling water into the mugs. She carried them over in one hand easily, bringing sugar and tea for him as well.