Spit Fire [Charlie Weasley]

Chapter 16: Alive

(A/N) I'm having a hard time writing this because I honestly LOVE this story but I'm not getting any feedback anymore. Could you please take the time to hit the vote button and leave a comment at the bottom telling me what you think? 

I don't know how I got out of that forest.

All I can remember is limping up the same path that Charlie, Zander, Quin and I wandered down searching for the port key. All I had a recollection of was walking through a mindless fog. I heard a cowbell clang and I paused midstep, staring into oblivion before I finally came to my sense. 
"Miss? Are you all right?" I heard a voice call and I slowly swiveled my head to look at the farmer a few yards away, knee-deep in the snowy field, who was gazing at me worriedly and I nodded. "Well, alright," As soon as he turned around I closed my eyes and apparated, wondering what kept me from doing so in the first place. 

Finally, I was staring at the enormous, titanium building that almost seemed to glimmer in the pale light of the cloudy day. As I stared up at this building I had come to call home I felt as if a thousand tons had been lifted off my shoulders and out of every vein and crevice in my body. The fog that had me so confused and befuddled was now gone and I could see and think clearly. With this clarity, I became aware of the shooting pain in my left leg and the various scars and gashes that marred my legs, face, hands, neck, and arms. Through the polished door panel, I could see my ruddy reflection. I was caked in dirt, mud, and blood. My blonde and black hair was matted and frizzed, and my clothes were ripped and torn in various places, not to mention stained. I looked like a war-torn survivor who had clawed their way out of the depth of Tartarus. Hell, I felt like I had done it! 
I withdrew my wand from my boot and swiped it across the air in front of the panels and to my relief the doors opened. I hobbled inside and sighed as I was clothed in the warm air. I glanced around and noticed the main hall was empty. My goal was to make it to Tempy's office. I began the treacherous journey and managed to finally make it to the spiral staircase where many people crowded the area. I went for the stairs when someone intercepted me with their tall body and I grimaced. 
"And just what the hell-!"
"Tempy's office is strictly off limits, any business you have with him will have to wait until his meeting with the Minister of Magic is done!" It was Kowalski, I could recognize the tone and I glared at him. "I'll go ahead and tell you, he's not going to buy any of your shit, filthy scavenger,"
"Excuse me?!" I barked a laugh. "Look, Kowalski, I'm not in the mood to figure out who's is bigger right now-,"
"Cleaning up and dressing nicely so that you don't look like a mongrel-,"
"How about you slip into something more comfortable, like a coma?" I withdrew my wand as I said this and my spell hit Kowalski and sent him soaring across the room that was once busy with files and paperwork with dragonologsits running amock. "Anyone else want to cut me off?!" The room went silent after Kowalski hit the wall adjacent to us. 
"Winnie?" I heard a few people whisper. 

I made a dash for the staircase and staggered up the tight curves. At last, the door came into view and as I turned the handle, I could hear angry voices arguing on the other side. 

"I hope you realize your license to run an XXXX Facility is going to be revoked, Mr. Tempest! After the orders were explicitly made known to you-," It was the Minister of magic speaking.
"How the hell is anyone supposed to be safe working in this job!? Answer me that, Minister!We work with dragons!" That was Tempy! What the hell was going on?
"There is always paperwork to be filed!"
"But did or did not yer colleague say he wished to see her work in all areas of this job instead of remainin' glued to the Weasley boy's side?"  Tempy countered.
"A simple 'no' you are not going into the most haunted and dangerous forest in the world in which many witches and wizards have DIED could have sufficed!"
"Have yeh talked to the girl, Fudge? I mean, have yeh really?" 
"No, and I don't believe I will get that opportunity because someone decided it was a bright idea to let Winnifred Royale waltz right into the snarls of death!"