Spit Fire [Charlie Weasley]

Chapter 9: Panic

"Well, say something!" I shouted at Quin, my eyes blurry with hot salty tears. I could hardly see Quin's shocked face through them. "How could I have been so slow? Charlie practically hates me now!"

"Winnie, I-I don't know what to say." Quin stuttered, leaning back in his office chair. I grabbed two fist fulls of my hair and let out a scream. Suddenly, filing cabinets all over the tall records exploded and paperwork rained all around. "Winnie, you need to calm down!"
"I can't!" I cried rubbing my eyes.
"Well, what did you say back to her?"

I had tried. I had attempted to speak reason into Delphine without sounding so blatantly selfish.

"W-What?" I stammered, feeling I had heard her incorrect. However, she smiled even bigger and giggled like a young school girl. 
"Yes, Charlie I said. He's so closed off and mysterious. He seems like such a great chase but an even better catch,"  She disclosed to me in a small whisper. I quickly arose from the cot and immediately groaned in pain as I reached for my t-shirt nearby. "Winnie, sit down, what on earth is wrong with you?"

What's wrong? What's wrong is that you just told me you were romantically interested in the love of my life and I can't find my damned wand. I clenched my fists and took in a calming breath. 

"I just had a spasm in my back...I think that infection is getting worse," I false whimpered trying to exercise more control. 
"Nonsense, I won't allow the infection to get worse." She rose to her feet and gestured me to turn around as she pulled out her wand. I kept my chest covered as I reluctantly turned my back to her. 
"It's just that Charlie...We know each other really well. He's just...he's fallen in love with work and he doesn't seem to be looking." I told her earnestly, hoping that she would take my advice. She began to tap my back, warm spells oozing into my skin.
"There's always room for love, he may be looking and not even know it."
"Dragon's have stolen his heart," I sighed. 
"It can be stolen again." 

I remember making a quick escape after that. "I tried, Quin, but she's dead set on getting Charlie."
"Oh, Winnie," Quin muttered sympathetically. "Well, how's work going?"
"How's work going?! Really?! That's all you can say!?" 
"Merlin's beard, Winnie, I'm only a guy!" Quin whined, leaning his head back as he picked up his wand and swished it in the air, the papers filing back together.
"I feel so helpless," I whimpered. 
"Why not talk to Charlie? The best way to talk to a guy sometimes is to be direct." Quin suggested. 
"I don't know, Quin, there's just too much going on right now."
"So you're just going to sit here twiddling your thumbs expecting him to wait on you just because you have things going on right now?" He asked me in a tone that made me feel completely stupid. "Well, let me tell you something, Winnie. If the love of my life managed to waltz through here, I wouldn't hesitate to at the very least introduce myself. It starts with something being said. So what will you say?"
"I'm losing my mind..."
"Well, I suppose that's a start. Try to put a play on words-,"
"Shut up, Quin." I sighed, feeling the dull ache in my shoulders. "Damn, that dragon really got me. You mind apparating me home?"
"Sure thing," Quin smiled, standing up and offering me his arm. I took it, wincing slightly at my movement. "By the way, I love the wardrobe."

I was wearing a thin white sheet around my shoulders and wound across my chest. I glared at him. It was the only thing I was allowed to wear until I could get the stitches out tomorrow. My wounds had been cleaned with an advanced cleansing potion and a quick healing draught. I needed to keep debris out of my wounds despite them being clothed in gauze. So it would appear my only option was topless with a sheet until I could get home and wrap myself in a silk robe Miss Zabini had sent me.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

I was left feeling dizzied and staggered when we apparated to my cottage. I swayed drastically and felt Quin grab me by my hip to steady me. "Jesus, Winnie!" Quin exclaimed. 
"Side effects of the potions," I mumbled trying to figure out which of the seventeen couches was the real one. 
"Or possible blood loss," I heard a voice speak curtly and I looked around to see Charlie leaning against my kitchen counter. 

"Ch-Charlie?"

Okay, Winnie, cool your broomsticks down. 

"What are you doing here? I thought you would be back at the sanctuary?" I asked him, trying to edge behind Quin. Quin sidestepped away from me and gave me a wink as he apparated, disappearing from sight. You sorry shit!! I thought angrily.

"I'm doing a follow-up report for Tempy," Charlie spoke evenly, pushing off the counter, his eyes glancing around my shoulders. "Just have to make sure you're healed up right," And then I could hear Delphine's girly giggles in my head and I had to clench my fists. 

"I'm fine now," I told him forcing a smile to my face. "Healthy as a hippogriff!"
"I was told to verify," Charlie stated quietly, looking down at his feet. I felt my breathing hitch and I tried to swallow although my nervousness bubbled into my chest like a swarm of bees were having a riot inside.
"Verify?" I managed to speak, all signs of anger evaporating into thin air. 
"Yes, verify. You lost a lot of blood. Heffy had a fit and tried to attack our men when we tried to take you back to the Sanctuary." Charlie told me and I could feel my palms sweating and hands shaking. 
"Sounds like him," I laughed nervously as I held the sheet tighter. Charlie cracked a smile and glanced around awkwardly. "So you're doing the follow-up injury report?"
"You'll be compensated for your cooperation," I assume he didn't mean it as prostitution. 
"Well, alright..." I sighed, turning around and moving the sheet. 

I hugged the sheet around my front exposing my entire back and I heard a shocked gasp whisk through Charlie. I smiled brokenly though he couldn't see it. "It's bad, huh..."
"Merlin's beard, Winnie-!"
"Delphine said that the talons were centimeters from my heart and did get some good arteries," I told him, barely above a whisper. 

Just then, I felt a warm, calloused finger trace down my spine with the lightest of touches. My heart began to beat so fast my vision became vague. I simply marveled his touch, almost groaning in relief. I had crave it for so long I was driving myself mad. 

"Winnie, you could have died," Charlie murmured and I gave a small laugh. 
"I know, Charlie," I responded back, trying to keep my voice even and my knees from wobbling too terribly much. 
"I remember telling you when you got here that you needed to look out for yourself...I remember telling you I couldn't always protect you,"
"You told me you couldn't be my bodyguard," I whispered, feeling his warm hand apply itself to my waist and my heart lept into my throat. 
"I know," Charlie said almost brokenly. "You could have died today and that would have been completely my fault. I could have done more to protect you." And then he pulled away and I couldn't fight the strangled cry that left my mouth. 
"It's not your fault Charlie!" I told him, turning around quickly. He was halfway across the room now, grabbing two fistfuls of his hair. "There-There is no follow up report, is there?"
"I wanted to see just how bad I had failed you." Charlie's voice seemed to break and then he was gone in a crack of air. 

At long last, I dropped the sheet as I fell to the floor in a helpless heep, tears pooling into my eyes.