It’s raining when he arrives at the Colony. He steps through the floo, black robes billowing around him, and Charlie is suddenly taken back several years. He’s fifteen again, standing at the table with various ingredients before him and a strict professor expecting him to miraculously know how to make the confusing potion. He’s never been good with following directions and and had always preferred Charms and Care of Magical Creatures, two subjects where he’s free to do things his way as long as the result is favorable, so Potions was one of his most hated classes.
It takes Charlie a minute to push away those memories as he stares at his former professor. School was Quidditch and the Prefects bath and mischief with Bill while they were both at Hogwarts and many afternoons spent at Hagrid’s hut learning about dragons and other creatures he found fascinating. Those were the fond times he prefers to recall when looking back and soon they replace the memory of Potions class. Snape sneers and almost looks smug, as if he knows exactly what his appearance has brought to mind, and Charlie wonders again why he can’t just tell his mum no when she asks him for ridiculous favors.
There is a brief exchange of words as he leads Snape through the main house. Charlie is older now and good at his job, comfortable here on his turf. He has an easy confidence that possibly doesn’t extend to all areas of his life but is enough to keep him from allowing Snape to intimidate him. Very little intimidates Charlie anymore, though, as working with dragons sort of takes care of ever finding anyone too intimidating, and he’s no longer an awkward kid who can’t get the blood potion to work correctly so he’s soon comfortable and relaxed, in his element as he explains the layout of the Colony and lets his passion for his job shine through in every word and gesture. He loves his job, can’t imagine doing anything else, and can talk about it for hours when some allows him that freedom, which isn’t often.
Snape seems annoyed that Charlie’s not uncomfortable, scowling even more when his snide remarks are met with a friendly smile instead of the reactions he’s trying to obtain. Charlie’s not stupid even if he’s never been in league with his brothers when it comes to intelligence. He may not know most subjects very well, but he knows people. He inherited that insight from his mum and it doesn’t take him long to see things through the eyes of a man and not a somewhat insecure boy. Snape likes to have people hate him, likes when they cower or avoid him, so Charlie decides he’s going to be as nice and friendly as he can during this short visit. If it infuriates the fuck out of his former professor, well, that’s not really his fault. He’s just being polite like he promised his mum.
He can play oblivious when the situation warrants it so he gives Snape a wide smile that many use to dismiss him as not very bright and doesn’t allow the sarcastic barbs to hit home. Instead, Charlie leads him outside and watches the sky as they head towards the tents. He doesn’t bother with a protective charm since it’s just rain but he hears Snape cursing and muttering as he steps into the mud. A glance back confirms that Snape used a charm but obviously forgot that he was at a working dragon reserve where the ground is dirt with just a little grass this close to the main house.
Charlie hides a grin as he looks back at the sky, enjoying the feel of the rain on his face, not caring that his clothes are getting wet. A drying charm will take care of them easy enough. Lightning flashes and the thunder rolls as they cross the common. He likes storms, always has ever since he was a kid. They used to scare Bill, not that he’d never admit it now that he was a brave cursebreaker, but Charlie can remember many nights when Bill would crawl into bed with him when the thunder got loud and the rain would beat against their broken window. Charlie would watch the rain and Bill would hide his head in the pillow. He wonders idly if Bill still hates storms.
Another glance back to check on Snape has him rolling his eyes. He’s tempted to point out that heavy boots and trousers would be much easier than robes and old trainers when one visits a dragon reserve, but he holds his tongue when he hears his mum scold him for being rude to a guest, even one he doesn’t want and didn’t invite. Instead, he reaches out a hand and pulls Snape out of the mud he’s managed to get himself stuck in and mentions that Romanian soil can sometimes act a lot like quicksand when it’s wet.
When Snape mutters a thank you and gives him a dark look that doesn’t support his gracious words, Charlie notices that his eyes aren’t black. He’s always thought they were, recalling many potions classes during the five years he had to take the blasted subject when he’d seen black eyes and sneers as he’d done his assignments. They're nearly black but there’s a bit of blue or possibly gray around the irises, he realizes, and then he frowns as he wonders why he finds this knowledge interesting.
Charlie releases Snape’s arm and steps away quickly, his heartbeat louder than the storm as he walks briskly to the tents. Bloody hell, he must be more tired than he thought. It had been a long day, up at dawn with the Fireballs for exercise, and he’s ready for sleep. It’s no reason to stare at his former professor in the way he thinks he must have been staring, but it’s a good enough excuse. Just to be safe, though, Charlie doesn’t look at him again during the walk and is relieved when they finally reach the tents.
They step into his tent and he dries himself before he kicks off his boots by the door. It’s not much but he’s made it home over the last five years. Two bedrooms, though he uses one for storage most the time, a small sitting room, a loo, and a kitchen is more than enough for him. He shows Snape the spare room that will be his for the next two weeks, mentioning that Bill usually uses it when he visits, and points out the loo and the kitchen with a politeness taught to him by his mum.
Once he receives a scowl from Snape to indicate he heard, Charlie gives him a friendly smile. Strange things like odd eye color and awkward moments in the mud are already pretty much forgotten as he goes to the kitchen to make tea. He knows that Snape’s visit is important, especially with Voldemort’s recent return, but he’s not sure how he’s going to put up with him for two weeks while he gathers his ingredients and does his research. Luckily, Charlie has always been rather adaptable and is pretty sure he soon won’t even notice Snape’s there at all.
The End
The Thunder Rolls
Story Notes:
Feb 21, 2006