Date: July 22nd 1999 Characters: Charlie Weasley Location: Diagon Alley Shops Status: Public Summary: Trying to figure out what to buy Harry for his birthday... Completion: Incomplete
The thick summer air in Diagon Alley hung heavily around Charlie as he padded slowly through the sparse pedestrian traffic. He had one hand shoved in his pocket and the other held an apple he was munching contentedly on, thinking about nothing more meaningful than that he was proud for not waiting till the very last minute to buy Harry’s gift this year.
The lights through the shop windows glistened warmly, casting long lazy shadows onto the cobblestone, which, not too long ago, would have been covered in rubble. He stopped for a moment to peer into the Quidditch shop, though, he thought, anything Quidditch related would be a very predictable present.
The sun was just starting to sink under the crooked rooftops and Charlie thought that it would be a nice night to be out with someone else. He knew he was just feeling sorry for himself, but everyone in his life seemed to be pairing off. Of course, he was happy for all of them, but he couldn’t help but think that life was simpler in the colony barracks, where people were more concerned with not being eaten the next day than they were with a successful relationship. Charlie wouldn’t even know where to begin with dating, it had been such a long time since he’d tried his hand at a real relationship. It obviously wasn’t that he didn’t care to; he just thought he’d make a rubbish boyfriend, so he never bothered outside of school. Then he moved to Romania, where it just wasn’t an option anymore.
He paused for a moment, outside a café, and decided to nip in for a quick cup before resuming the search for a gift. He ran his fingers through his already hopelessly disheveled hair while he was in line and had a moment of perspective. Out side of work, dating was his biggest trouble. A wide grin spread over his face, like hot butter over warm bread, and he felt genuinely light hearted for the first time in months.