Charlie Arrives
Finally, the goblins finished. From the weariness he could see in the twins’ faces, he guessed it was many hours later. But he also hadn’t really been able to pay much attention. With the sleeping draught cancelled somehow, he couldn’t fall asleep, despite the pure exhaustion filling his body, causing his eyes to water. So, he had watched as the goblins had worked, swallowing potion after potion when directed. At least the healer had explained each as she’d poured them gently down his throat.
Nutrient potion to make up for years of little to no food. Bone strengthener to repair the brittle bones he had. Apparently, it was a miracle he hadn’t snapped more bones with the lack of calcium he had, especially with some of the maneuvers he was known for on a broom. Fever reducer for the mild infection in the left-over gash on his arm courtesy Wormtail in the graveyard. Muscle repairer to fix the damage caused by untreated broken bones. Blood replenisher for the anemia caused by repeated and extensive blood loss. Skele-grow for the bones they just couldn’t fix and had to vanish. And those were just the ones he could remember.
Then there were the pastes they basically bathed him in, much to his embarrassment with the twins still around. Granted, he’d been nearly naked the whole time, but they finally cut the remaining strips of cloth off him so they could gently spell the potions on his skin. He was grateful they didn’t touch him, but he still felt grimy with the bruise reducer, nerve repairer, and various other things they’d slathered on him with a few flicks of their wands.
Basically, he was feeling like a huge bruise now and he was still only in his pants. But they’d been kind enough to cover him in a soft white blanket up to his chest. Harry wasn’t usually so easily embarrassed, having spent so much time twins in the locker rooms for Quidditch, but the last year or so, he had started to look at the twins in a new way. He still wasn’t sure how he felt about them, but he’d learned the wizarding world was much more flexible and didn’t really care who you paired up with. The only thing that really mattered was your blood purity. In response to the news, with the hope that he’d be spending the rest of his life after he came of age in the wizarding world, he’d been taking a harder look at the same sex, to see how he really felt about men. He’d been able to come to the conclusion that he did indeed enjoy the idea of the same sex, but it had taken a while. And he hadn’t said a word, for fear of alienating some of his only close friends by telling any of them. The fact that the Twins were so open about their experimentation and were so fit from quidditch did not help matters, now that he was aware of his views on the subject. His hormones definitely didn’t make hiding it easy, either. The only good part of the Tri-Wizard tournament cancelling quidditch for the year was that he hadn’t shared a locker room with the twins while coming to terms with these new feelings. Add that he just couldn’t choose, and he was still trying to wrap his brain around everything. So being around them naked anytime soon was out of the question.
And, because his life could never be simple, the Dursleys didn’t approve of homosexuality. It was right up there with being wizard. So, for Harry to be attracted to both sexes and a wizard, he was the height of unnatural. And that wasn’t allowed in that house, hence why Vernon had been middle of illustrating that point. He just knew that if Uncle Vernon had found out that he was considering a triad with two men, he would not have survived the beating, no matter how quickly he was found.
He was distracted from his spiraling thoughts by a whirlwind of red bursting into the room. Charlie Weasley stalked in behind a familiar goblin, his face a storm of emotions and no relief anywhere. The goblin Harry was pretty certain was Griphook simply smirked before gesturing to the group around his bed.
“You two are in so much TROUBLE!” the dragon handle snarled, sounding much like the creatures he cared for as he stalked forward to grab each twin by an ear. “Mum has been terrified! She didn’t even let me sit down when I arrived for a visit before sending me off to find you!”
The twins yelped, bending slightly to relieve the pressure on their ears and Harry snickered when they had to bend farther to account for the fact that they were taller than their older brother.
“You’ve been at lost for days and when I stopped by Lee’s place to ask where you were since you were supposed to be spending the week with him, he only said you’d gone to Diagon Ally, no indication of when. Then I get here and ask around, only for Gambol to say you’d popped by yesterday then headed to Gringotts. I visit rarely enough that I shouldn’t have to spend almost a full day tracking down my prankster brothers to earn a bit of peace at the Burrow!” Charlie continued.
“We didn’t really have,”
“A choice, brother ours.”
“There was something a bit pressing,”
“We had to deal with on,”
“Too short a notice to leave,”
“A note of any kind explaining,
“And Lee did as we asked,”
“Since we didn’t know when,
“We’d be able to make it back,”
“And didn’t want anyone to worry,
“Or try to track us down.”
“Not to mention, we were doing,”
“Something Dumbledore had expressly,”
“Forbidden this summer so,”
“Mum wouldn’t have been happy,”
“Even if we’d told her,” the twins quickly explained, wincing when Charlie twisted their ears a bit.
“And what exactly was so important that you went against Dumbledore’s orders?” he hissed.
“Harry,” they said in unison, gesturing to him as best they could without injuring themselves farther.
That pulled the second oldest Weasley up short and Harry could see him finally realize where he was and who was in the room.
The goblins were gone for the most part, only Eir staying. She was snickering quietly as she cleaned up. She’d spelled some soft, loose sleep clothes on him as soon as Griphook had opened the door, to his undying gratitude. Now she was sealing the unused potions and scorifying the last traces of blood off the floor. When Charlie noticed, he went pale, but released the twins to stalk to Harry’s bedside, ignoring the twins instantly rubbing each other’s now sore ear.
Harry shrank a little into his sheets as the dragon handler approached, his face a mask of pure fury and quite intimidating in his dragonhide boots, gloves, vest, and exquisitely tailored shirt and trousers. Harry was suddenly glad most of his scars were on easily hidden spots on his body and they were covered up, as the manic light suddenly in Charlie’s eyes was a bit frightening. He shuddered to think what the man’d do if he could see them. Only knowing Charlie through a few interactions, he wasn’t entirely sure how the man would react. The Twins and Ron’s stories weren’t really helpful, as they were bias. But the redhead only collapsed in a conjured chair and smiled weakly at him.
“Hiya, Harry,” the dragon handler greeted.
“Hi,” he greeted warily.
“Alright?” he asked.
“He is most certainly not, but will be after a few days’ rest,” Eir snarled before Harry could respond. “And you lot will let him get that rest or I will bar you from these halls and have a word with my mate about any accounts you may have. He does not need any more excitement at the moment.”
The twins winced but Charlie and Remus snickered.
“So, how’s Norbertta?” Harry asked the first thing that came to his mind, uncomfortably aware that if he didn’t start a conversation, the questions about his life at the Dursleys would start. If there was one thing he wanted to avoid right now, it was talking about that.
Charlie smirked at him, acknowledging the topic change, before launching into an in-depth discussion of how the dragon had been since they’d spirited her off in the night three years ago. Apparently, she was about to be a mum herself.
******
The hours seemed to drag on, but Harry just didn’t fall asleep. Whatever had overpowered the sleeping draught had to be powerful, George mused. He and his twin had both managed to sleep for a few hours and Charlie was still on Romania time. Remus just seemed afraid of sleep. But all of them had managed to at the very least nap. All but Harry. And it was nearing two days since they’d arrived. And almost a full day since the Healers had finished their work.
After reassuring the Weasley matriarch that the twins were fine, without a word on where he’d found them and with a pointed reminder that the pair were now legally adults and therefore didn’t need to inform the woman of their whereabouts, Charlie had stuck around. He rose in their esteem at the subtle chastisement and continued support. They had a whispered conversation about Dumbledore’s orders regarding Harry and Charlie had almost exploded in rage at the news.
“Who the fuck orders friends to ignore a friend?” he demanded, loudly. George was never more thankful they’d thrown up a silencing spell once they’d pulled their brother away to explain. “Better yet, who is he to order anyone around? It’s not like you kids are part of the coming war and no one wants you to fight anyway. He shouldn’t be ordering anyone around.”
“Well, he is, and we decided it was rubbish,” Fred snarled. George let his twin speak for both of them, too incensed by the topic to lend his voice at the moment. “Harry never talks about his summers, but we’re not stupid. Something isn’t right with the whole thing and we were worried.”
“And still he goes back?” Charlie demanded, face getting red in his growing rage.
George had never seen the laid-back dragon handler mad. And they’d tried. Oh, they had tried. However, he was now seeing it was probably a good thing they’d failed if the growing emotion in their brother was any indication. He was practically aflame with rage, taking after the creatures he guarded.
“He said Dumbledore had advised he wasn’t allowed to stay anywhere else,” Fred seethed.
The string of cursing that followed made Fred and George very proud of their brother. And eager to be taught the various languages he used. He also decided it was probably in Dumbledore’s best interest to stay well clear of the Weasley brothers moving forward. Even just between the three of them, the retribution would be spectacular.
******
Meanwhile, Moony was talking with Harry, trying to distract him from the aching in his body and the exhaustion that wouldn’t quit. Harry was appreciative, since Moony had decided to talk about his travels. Having never left Surrey until Hogwarts and having not left Hogwarts much, he was pretty eager to hear tales of Moony’s adventures abroad.
“Seems a Marauder can’t have an easy time, even on vacation,” he said with a chuckle when Moony finished his latest story. After all, who comes across a will-o-wisp on a beach?
“Too true, Harrikins,” Fred said, throwing an arm around the werewolf and smirking at the indulgent eye-roll he received.
“What were you discussing in the silencing bubble?” Harry asked of the pair when George joined his brother.
“How much trouble they’re in,” Charlie instantly snarled. Harry smirked at the sheepish grins he received.
Then laughed full out when Charlie instantly started in on another lecture for the pair, emphasizing that though they were adults, they still lived at home and therefore were required to talk to their family. Like normal people.
Harry left them to the renewed bickering and smiled at Moony.
“How’s Sirius?” he asked tentatively.
It had been two days and there had been no sign of the man, so he was officially starting to worry. After all, Gringotts was located in the wizarding world. It was not outside the realm of possibility that he’d been arrested again. And the healers firmly refused to say, as they checked his progress. He ignored the current assigned one in favor of focusing on Moony’s answer.
“Still with his account manager,” Moony said softly, running a soothing hand through Harry’s mess of hair. “Apparently, there was a lot to go through since he was imprisoned when the last lord died.”
Harry nodded, relieved.
Then a distinctive pop sounded between them and the bickering Weasleys.