Charlie started at the unexpected voice behind him, and his delicate levitation of the bricks faltered for a moment. A small pile crumbled with a soft clatter that sounded far too loud in the quiet evening.
"Oh, Merlin, sorry," Charlie breathed, looking at Lia as if she'd just jumped out from behind a wall, "I didn't think anyone else- You're hurt!" He abandoned his dig to step across the ashen floorboards to examine Lia's hands.