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Before he left his parents, after dinner was over, he was able to write down a letter to Iris.
Would you be able to meet me at the Burrow Friday? It would have to be after six because that's when I get off. -Charlie.
Again, it was short and simple, he had even received a reply.
That will work. See you at six fifteen.
He had two days to mentally prepare to meet Iris. Face to face. For the first time in years, and now they were forced to be wed.
He had a hard time focusing at work, and nearly became lunch or burned a few times. His mother insisted that he either buy a new shirt for the occasion, or wear his best shirt. Charlie sifted through his drawers and did his best to find one that wasn't damaged or burned. When he didn't he resolved himself to buy a new one after work. All he found was one white button shirt that fit. He knew he was brawny, but he felt like there should be more people built like him.
He showered, brushed his hair, cast the drying spell on it so it was fresh and nice, manicured his facial hair, and dressed. He looked at himself in the mirror and let out a long sigh before leaving and heading for the pub. They didn't care if Charlie used the floo, but he had to at least buy a drink or something. He felt like he could easily have a couple drinks today.
Charlie walked in, sat at the bar, and ordered a double fire whiskey. He had fifteen minutes, he knew he could chug it and get into the floo within five. He placed the few galleons on the counter when the drink came, and did his best to drink the whiskey in a few gulps, and was on his way.
“The Burrow.”
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Charlie sat out on the front porch of the burrow. He rubbed his forehead and let out a breath. He looked down at his hands, covered in callouses and blisters, and the day before he had a fresh shiny sun burn across his face. His long red hair was pulled back into a high ponytail, the one thing he remembered Iris always adored about him and Bill was their long hair, so he hoped that would win him some points.
“Dear, don't worry so much. It's Iris.” Molly told him, patting his shoulder gently. He hadn't even heard is Mum come out onto the porch, offering him a glass of water.
“If it was a normal lunch, I wouldn't.” He admitted. “This is... I feel like we're just backed into a corner.”
“Well, you are.” Molly told him honestly, “but that hasn't stopped us before. We've been through worse. Iris is a wonderful girl, she's going to fit right in because she's always been there. Think of it like this, at least you're happier then Percy.” Charlie had to snicker.
“That I am.” He smiled.
“Good, I'm going to go on inside.” She tutted, leaving Charlie on the porch. Charlie had a book with him, about a newly discovered species of Dragons in Chile, and only got two pages in when he heard a familiar pop.
Iris apperated not far off the porch. She took a few steps and then stopped at the top stair, looking over to Charlie. Her face was unreadable, stoic. The looked at one another in silence for a moment before Iris simply said.
“Charlie.” At his name, he stood up, straightening his shirt, and tucking a stray piece of hair behind his ear.
“Iris. It's good to see you.” He said, not really knowing what to say to her. The entire situation made him uncomfortable, everything of it was just forced and ugly. Iris nodded simply.
“You're looking well.” She added. “No scorch marks.” The corner of her lip curled up, and he smiled.
“Yeah, not today.” He joked back with her. Silence again. Her hair was longer then he had ever seen it, tied back in a thick braid that went down almost past her bum. “Would you like to come in? I think Mum made some tea and cookies.”
“The little yellow ones?” She asked, and Charlie nodded.
“Your favorite... Still, right?” He wondered.
“Still my favorite, yes.” Iris nodded.
Charlie was relieved when his Mum made herself scarce so that they could chat, just the two of them. He grabbed the kettle from the stove, Iris made herself at home and grabbed two teacups from the cabinet and placed them on the table where the plate of cookies lay. Charlie poured the amber liquid into the cups and then grabbed the cream and sugar bowls before he sat down across from Iris.
Steam wafted off their tea cups, while Iris munched on one of the cookies on the plate between them.
“So... How are you doing?”
“That's a loaded question.” She stated, “do you mean in general, or about this?” She motioned between him and her.
“Uh... I guess both?”
“Well, I'm still grieving.” She added tightly. “Thankfully I have my business to pour my time into. This... You and I. Honestly I don't know, still processing I suppose. You?”
“Yeah, still processing sounds about right.” He nodded, taking a sip of the tea. “But I feel like I'm optimistic about it.” He added with a happier tone in his voice. “I mean, we've been friends for a long time.”
“Are we friends?” Iris asked him suddenly, looking up at him. Her eyes were always either the most beautiful thing you had ever seen, or the most piercing because she had a way of looking into your soul. “You haven't talked to me since we graduated, with all the danger I bring around.” Charlie looked at her with knitted eyebrows for a second, wondering where on earth she had got that idea from, when a horrid memory from sixth year came to the forefront of his mind.
“It's not just Iris that's in danger. I imagine anyone around her is too, including us and our siblings.” Charlie stated, standing in the courtyard with Penny, Ben, and Iris.
“I was so worried about Iris, I hadn't even thought of that!” Penny exclaimed. “I know I said I'd give Bea her space, but now, with this dangerous criminal on the loose nearby... I'm starting to reconsider. It doesn't seem safe for her to be on her own right now.”
“Right now? Have we ever been safe with all the danger Iris brings around!” He found himself shouting. Iris's face fell, her blue eyes were not as bright as they had been and her shoulder's slumped.
“Charlie?” Her voice sounded small, almost broken, nothing like herself.
“I'm sorry, Iris, I know this isn't like me, but I haven't felt like myself, not since what happened to Bill in the vault. I've kept a stiff upper lip about it since you convinced me to stay at Hogwarts and you have had a lot on your mind... But now with this escapee at large, my little brothers are at risk and it's too much to handle.”
“Charlie, I understand-”
“I've already lost some of my faith in people because of what Rakepick did to Bill in that vault. I don't want to lose my brothers to her or “R” too because they got dragged into your fight!”
“Langlock!” Ben shouted over him, jinxing Charlie's tongue to the roof of his mouth.
“Ben! Why did you do that!” Iris quickly shouted at Ben, stomping her foot. Charlie saw Iris quickly wipe away something from her cheek.
“I wasn't going to let him keep saying those things to you!” He affirmed. Iris took out her wand and held it up to Charlie's mouth, wordlessly conjuring the counter jinx so Charlie's tongue was free.
“Thank you, Iris.” The redhead turned to the fellow Gryffindor, “what's wrong with you, Ben!”
“What's wrong with me? What's wrong with you attacking Iris like that!”
“Boys please don't fight.” Penny begged.
“I wasn't trying to attack Iris, I'm just worried about my brothers. You on the other hand, went to far!”
“I did what I had to do to protect her!” Ben looked to Iris, “she understands.”
“I'm sorry Ben, but no, I think you were too aggressive with Charlie.” She told him honestly. Charlie felt the guilt suddenly creep all over him at the moment. Iris had only ever been there for him, and his brothers, and even now she was taking his side after he had yelled at her and made her cry. She had never been anything but patient as a Saint.
“Thank you Iris. I'm not angry at you, it's just-”
“It's just he'd rather blame you than take responsibility for protecting his own brothers. You don't need someone like that around.”
“Ben, stop!” Iris shouted, her eyebrows creasing. “What I don't need is a 'protector' who puts my friends, and himself, in needless danger!”
“You don't think I can protect you, do you?” Ben questioned Iris.
“That is not what I said at all.”
“Maybe not, but it's what you were thinking.”
“You're scaring me, Ben.” Charlie stated, watching the exchange between the two of them.
“Why don't we all go inside and have a cup of tea, and calm down?” Penny offered.
“You two can go, but Iris is coming with me. I'm going to prove to her I can handle any danger.” Ben told Penny and Charlie firmly before grabbing Iris's hand to pull her along with him. Iris gave a pitiful look over her shoulder at Penny and Charlie before she and Ben disappeared around a corner.
Charlie had told Bill what happened, and as expected Bill was mad at how he handled it, and set out looking for Iris to try and see if she was ok after the incident. Charlie wasn't blind, he knew Bill cared about Iris as more then a friend and wanted to keep her safe, perhaps among other things.
“Oh, God, Iris... I'm so sorry.” Charlie rubbed his forehead. “I was such a jerk.”
“You said what you thought.” Iris told him, putting a spoonful of sugar and a splash of cream in her tea.
“What I thought was wrong though.” Charlie tried, but she just shrugged her shoulders. “Please, just ignore what I said that day. We are friends, Iris. That's why I'm being hopeful this might work.”
“Might? You say that like we have a choice. We have to make it work, there's no other option. Have you read it in full? All the things expected from us?”
“No, I haven't.” He admitted.
“Let me regale you. Because we know each other, we have six weeks to get married. We are young, so we have more time, but we are expected to produce a child by the time we are thirty unless there is a medical condition that we were not aware of. We're required to live together, meaning either I will have to travel or you will have to travel every day because I doubt either of us are going to give up our careers.” She informed him rather quickly. Charlie nodded, he knew he had no interest in giving up his career at the Dragon Reserve, and Iris most certainly wouldn't since she owned a business and she owned a house. Charlie just bunked in a small hut on the reserve, it had a bed, a small kitchen area, and a desk. He didn't need anything more.
“I mean, you own a house. You also own your business. I just live in a hut smaller then Hagrids on the reserve.” He told her, “I could move in?”
“Again, we don't really have a choice.” Iris stated simply, grabbing another cookie. Charlie nodded, feeling an odd sick feeling in his stomach.
“We could see of there's a way to get a portkey, or I could see if any Wizard business's around or any co-workers have a floo I could use.” He offered, and she nodded.
“I appreciate that.” Iris told him, taking a sip of her tea. “It would be very difficult to travel all the time. Sometimes I even need to be in the garden in the middle of the night if a creature gets into the plants.” Charlie gave her a small smile, thinking about either having to travel by Portkey or floo would be a pest to do everyday, but it simply was what it was.
“I don't have much, a doubt you'll even notice me.” He joked with her slightly. “So about the actual marriage part.” Charlie started, “I don't need anything fancy. Everyone was married in the backyard, so that would be nice. I'd say something small, but just my family is more then a dozen.”
“I was thinking about just going to the Ministry,” Iris told him honestly. “But, since you are willing to travel, I can do a small wedding here.”
There was a distant squeal from some somewhere in the house, indicating Molly was listening and was thrilled to have yet another wedding at the burrow and another daughter in law.
“Obviously, Mum is thrilled.” Charlie commented, laughing a bit. Iris smiled faintly.
“She's treated me like family, it feels like from day one.” She mentioned off handedly.
“Now you will be. She's wanted that from day one too.” Charlie told her.
“She's been a better Mum than my own.”
Something about that admission hurt Charlie's heart. He had no idea what it was like to grow up in a family who were basically like ships passing in the night. Iris had done so much, dangerous, stuff and her parents never even sent her a letter or cared to ask how she was. Every Christmas she was with him and Bill at the Burrow.
“I know most of our loved ones are getting married on weekends, I was thinking we could do it on a weekday, to that it's easier?” Charlie asked. Iris nodded.
“That sounds fine, we could do it on a Wednesday. Would that work with your schedule?”
“I think they'll give me the day off if it's for my wedding.” Charlie smiled, trying to lighten the mood. “Do you want something fancy?”
“I'm ok with simple.” Iris told him, “unless you want something dressy.”
“No, casual is more comfortable for me. I just wanted you to have a nice wedding.”
“I've already had a nice wedding.” She said a bit bitterly and Charlie winced. “What I learned is that you won't remember how the tables were decorated, or how the cake looked, you'll just be tired and thankful if you get to eat anything with all the people around.”
“I promise I will make sure you get something to eat.” Charlie told her, and she smiled.
“You might be surprised how hard that is.” She sipped her tea and grabbed another cookie. “Do you want any groomsmen?” Charlie almost said he would like to do a small wedding party, and have Bill be his best man, but given the circumstances....
“I don't need a wedding party, I'm sure we will be buying dresses and dress robes for loads of weddings, so we can save our friends some money.” Iris nodded.
“I already have been asked to be in Tulip's wedding, and both Penny and Chiara asked me to be each of their maid of honor, or matron depending if we get married first, and Barnaby asked if I would be one of his groomsmen.”
“Groomsmen?” Charlie clarified.
“Yep. I get to wear a suit and stand with the guys.” She informed him. “Have you been asked to be in any wedding?”
“Well, George asked me and Harry did, I don't think anyone else has made plans yet.”
“Oh, did they have to move their weddings up?”
“Sort of. George and Angelina's was in two weeks anyway, but Harry and Ginny weren't going to get married til the end of the year, so they had to move it up. They're getting married this weekend so Ginny can still have a cold wedding. Something about it keeping her hair right or something.”
“Oh ok. I'll talk to her and see what I can do to help.”
“Well, flowers are your specialty.” He smiled.
“I have a ton blooming too. I have a couple in mind for Ginny.” Iris told him. “So we have Ginny's wedding this weekend.” She held up her hand and started counting on her fingers.
“Saturday.” Charlie informed her.
“Then George's on Friday.”
“Correct.”
“Penny's is the following Friday, and then Tulip's is on Sunday, the same weekend. Then Barnaby's is in five weekends, so the first weekend of next month, and Chiara's is the 30th.” Iris told him, and Charlie nearly had his head spinning.
“So, we could get married around the 20th? Right in the middle of everyone else.” Charlie offered.
“That could work.” Iris nodded. “Do you want to do that? So I can send out letters tomorrow.”
“Yeah, let's do that.” It was decided, that quickly, that easily. It felt so easy, like they were simply talking about making brunch plans. Charlie felt his stomach in knots. “Do you want me to wear a suit? I know you said simple is ok-”
“If you want to just wear a nice pair of jeans and a dress shirt, that's fine with me.” Iris told him quickly.
“Could... Could you wear a wedding dress?” He asked, feeling a bit selfish. If he was ever to get married, he imagined his wife in a white wedding dress. She looked at him, and clarified.
“Like a white wedding dress?”
“Yeah.” He nodded. She blinked a few times, seeming to think about it for a moment.
“Does it have to be like a ballgown?”
“No, no, just like a real wedding dress. I just... It's one of those things I always imagined, if I ever got married.”
“I can respect that.” Iris told him. “If you want me to wear a wedding dress, I'll wear one.”
“Is there anything you would really like?” He asked, wanting to honor anything she wanted. She shook her head, then looked like she had an idea.
“Do you think your dad could escort me? Down the isle? We can skip the whole who gives this woman to this man part, but I'd like to not walk alone.”
“I'm sure Dad would be more then happy to walk you.”
“That would be nice. It doesn't matter to me, but you can go ahead and move in whenever you have time, or feel comfortable doing so.” She offered to him. The thought made him feel some heat in his cheeks, but then the idea of actually having a home to come to every night again... It sounded nice.
“Ok. I don't have much, mostly books.”
“Well, I have a lot of bookshelves.” Iris told him with a small smile. The backdoor opened and Ginny and Harry came in, having a discussion about their wedding no doubt, when Ginny saw Iris and Charlie.
“Iris!” She greeted, heading over to the blonde. “It's good to see you, did Charlie tell you we have to move the wedding up? Bunch of sods over at the Ministry...”
“He did. I wanted to let you know I'm more then willing to help any way I can. Especially with flowers.”
“Oh my goodness yes! I was hoping to come over and look around.” She turned to Harry, “have you ever actually seen her farm when everything is in bloom?”
“I don't think so.” He shrugged. “We have a little free time, would you mind if we came over now and looked around.”
“Not at all.” Iris looked over at Charlie, “I think we covered most everything.” He nodded and stood up, not knowing if he should walk her to the door or take her home. “What time is the wedding on Friday?”
“Ceremony is at six. Attire is whatever you have.” Ginny winked. “Charlie, are you going to come?” She asked.
“I uh... Actually,” he thought for a moment, and an idea came to him that he would offer to Iris. “I could return to Romania, and get my things, while you lot pick out your wedding flowers?” He and Iris met eyes for a moment, and her eyebrow raised.
“You can move in tonight?” She clarified.
“If that bothers you I can wait.”
“No, it just... It's... You really have that little to pack?” She asked.
“I mean, yeah?”
“Ok. I don't mind. We'll go ahead and head over to the farm, if you want you can either floo here and apperate, or you can just floo to Rosehill Farm.”
“Rosehill Farm.” He nodded, “I can do that, there's a pub that let's me use the floo there.”
“Alright, sounds like a plan.” Iris turned to Harry and Ginny, “shall we?” She smiled to the young woman and apperated to her home.
“So, moving in already?” Ginny gave a devilish smile to her brother before she too apperated.
“So... Does that mean things are good?” Harry asked.
“I have no idea.” Charlie admitted truthfully, laughing at the absurdity of it all. “She hasn't slapped me, so I guess that's a positive.”
“Well, keep doing whatever it is you're doing, it seems like she's softening a little.” He told him. “It's been hard, with everything. I see the way she looks at Teddy, and we've watched her... Wither.” Harry told him.
“I have too, but you should be thinking about wedding stuff.” Charlie changed the mood, “go help Gin pick out something pretty, or spiky, you know her.” Harry laughed at Charlie's joke and waved him goodbye, apperating to join the girls.