Why Aren't you Scared of me? Why do you Care for me?
Harry and Charlie had been slowly but surely writing a book on all the information they'd learned about the Peverell style skinwalkers.
They worked a lot like Selkies, in that they only had one skin, and could only take one form, that the animal they become is it's own separate entity with it's own instincts and opinions, though Rotfiend, as Harry had deemed his Vulture, was content to let Harry be in control.
They'd learned that for the most part his skin stayed on him, just out of sight, but it could be removed by himself and given to others, in which it worked like an invisibility cloak.
After giving Charlie permission to touch it, he never had another reaction like the first, and when he expressed his confusion at this Charlie had sat him down and explained the concept of consent. How when he lent his skin to others was different than when Charlie had accidentally taken it because Harry hadn't given it to him.
They discovered that a type of herb that revealed other shapeshifters would force his skin to separate from him, and wouldn't allow him to shift again for two days, which had been a terrifying two days that saw Charlie a constant source of comfort for the distraught savior.
They discovered that both silver and iridium caused injuries that couldn't be healed by magic with his skin on, but most other injuries, including a life-threatening one that involved an escaped dragon and a lot of panicked tears on Charlie's end, would heal quickly and leave little to no scar.
It was after that life-threatening injury that Harry started to notice Charlie more. Charlie went out with his coworkers, but never stayed out all night, and always invited Harry along. When Harry would come Charlie would spend all night practically glued to his side, never indulging any of the people who tried to flirt with himself.
Charlie didn't have a romantic partner, and seemed content to spend all of his free time with Harry. He went out of his way to make things easier for Harry, he'd started putting dishes in specific spots when he'd learned Harry disliked the way he had been doing it. He'd knit a new scarf for Harry when his old one started to wear, and always spoke loudly when praising Harry's cooking, insisting he wash the dishes and counters in return for Harry cooking meals.
Harry noticed Charlie's hair was getting long again, how the red-head would tie his hair back with a worn ribbon before heading to the reserve, and how it'd always be messy and loose when he returned.
Harry had some chunks of wood delivered, ash, holly, and elder and set to carving them into little beads. Charlie had joked and poked fun at Harry getting all excited to court some lucky man, but went out of his way to keep Harry's tools sharp and workspace clear.
When Harry knicked his fingers while smithing some iridium and silver beads Charlie was there with dittany to soothe the scratches.
One day Charlie was sitting in front of the fireplace around dusk, writing in his notebook updates about the dragons in the nursery from the day, Harry peeled off his skin and laid it on Charlie's lap. Charlie looked up at him in confusion but ran his free hand over the cloak in his soft reverential way.
Harry plucked seven strands off the gold thread plant he'd been cultivating and sat down beside Charlie to weave them together. They'd sat in silence, Harry working the beads into his weave as well as three feathers he'd plucked from his skin as Charlie sat and watched him, an unknown emotion damcing in his eyes and his hand he'd been writing with stilled with quill still in hand.
"Are you ever going to tell me who it is you want to court? I make a killer wingman, Bill can back me up." Charlie's voice is just short of flat, sounding like he's trying to hard to sound indifferent.
"It's quite obvious who I'm trying to court, and for the record, I talked Bill up to Fleur so much after the tournament when she'd said she was coming back to practice her English I think i deserve best wingman." Harry answers, mischievous grin on his face to hide the uncertainty in his eyes.
They sit in silence for awhile longer as Harry finishes his charm, he stands up, takes a deep breathe and turns to face Charlie who's looking up at him, not daring to move with Harry's cloak still across his lap.
Harry holds out the charm to Charlie, a shy smile on his face. "Be mine?"
Charlie's face breaks out in a massive grin as he tugs Harry down into his lap for a hug. "I could only hope, Merlin I was so worried someone else had caught your eye. Of course I'll be yours if you'll be mine." Charlie accepted the charm and placed a soft kiss on Harry's blushing face. "You'll have to help me braid it in every morning though."
"Every morning?"
"Every morning." And it feels like a promise.