tonks. (doratheexplorer) wrote in valloic, @ 2021-04-04 20:36:00 |
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Entry tags: | !: action/thread/log, ₴ inactive: nymphadora tonks |
Of all the people Tonks wasn’t sure she’d ever actually get to see again, Charlie Weasley was unfortunately pretty high up on that list. As it was, she hadn’t seen him in a while simply because he was living in Romania. Add the war on top of that, and then ultimately her death, and well… it made the odds rather impossible. Unless, of course, you end up in a place like Vallo where just about anyone can show up. Arriving at the Leaky a little later than she’d wanted, she gave Remus a quick kiss before hurrying her way toward the back room where the party was meant to be. Where was that tall, ginger git? She huffed a bit to herself when she didn’t immediately see him, but let her attention be pulled when she saw Fred, giving him a big squeeze and wishing him a happy birthday. Or at least what she hoped would be a happy birthday. To say the day was overwhelming was an understatement, but the fact that it was ending in a reunion at the Leaky Cauldron had the odd effect of grounding Charlie, and as weird as everything was, it was at least also familiar. A familiar setting, familiar faces… Including Dora's. He saw her enter, saw her greet his brother. And what a sight, the two of them both alive for his birthday. And then she was free and he headed in her direction. "Dora," he said simply when she spotted him, arms out. Much like Fred, earlier, this was an unexpected reunion but the best sort, even if none of it made sense. He didn't bloody care. Oh, there he was. Her heart lurched into her throat at the sight of him, but she gave a big grin and a happy “Charlie!” She took off at a sprint, jumping and wrapping her arms around his neck with a big laugh, hugging her petite figure to him as tightly as she could. Their previous reunions had never quite had this sort of emotion behind them, so she knew there was something profound in this moment of getting to hug someone she considered one of her closest friends again. Her laughter quieted down and she felt the weight of getting to see him again hit her, which only made her tighten her arms a little more. Hugging him just a little longer. As Dora launched herself at him, he was ready, lifting her into that hug. "Hey," he said quietly, not quite having words to encapsulate the feeling of seeing someone in person after having grieved the loss of her, of the joy and light and laughter that he had always associated with her. (As well as that mischievous streak and how she could be just as stubborn as him.) His eyes teared up like they had done with Fred, and he didn't try and hide that as he pulled back to look at her. "Bloody hell, it's good to see you," he said, smiling wide. All she could muster in response was a soft “hi” of her own, the emotions hitting her in gentle waves, though it was enough to make her own eyes brim with tears as she was set back down onto her feet. She’d had a couple of these sort of reunions so far, between Sirius and Remus, and truly, they never got easier to handle. Though she’d gladly take having to deal with the tears than not get the chance at all. But now she could really take a chance to look at him. To see the years that had been added to his features since she’d last seen him in her time, especially with the crows feet around his eyes. Though that could simply have been because he smiled more often than not. His words got her though and she felt her face crumble a bit, the tears spilling over. “I’m so sorry, Charlie,” she said quietly, sniffling a little and wiping at her cheeks. She wasn’t sure she’d ever stop feeling guilty for everything that had happened during the Battle, even if it was exactly what everyone would have expected her to do. “It’s really good to see you, too.” Seeing the tears in Dora's eyes almost made him hug her again, but he took the chance to take in her appearance instead. Again, it was looking at a memory though at least she didn't have an older version of herself standing nearby for comparison. It may have felt slightly off, her so similar to what he remembered, rather than having aged over the last decade as he had. But everything about this place was odd and that was the least of his concerns. She didn't need to apologize. They had all known the risks when they signed up to fight, but sitting out had not been an option. He knew it as well as her. "So, how long have you been here?" he asked, easing the conversation toward something resembling normalcy in a situation that was anything but normal. Still. It was one thing to be reunited with Sirius, who had died before she had, and Remus, who she’d learned about after arriving. Harry was the first person she’d really felt remorse toward for getting herself killed -- but it was different with Charlie. He’d been one of her best friends since they were kids and now she felt that guilt, knowing he’d had to mourn her. Dora let out a shaky sigh and wiped her cheeks again, giving herself a moment to get her bearings again after the sudden rush of emotions. “Um. ‘Bout a month and a half or so, I think? I got here right before Valentine’s Day. Remus showed up about a week later and then Teddy appeared a couple of weeks after that.” She was just going through the dates in her head, not really thinking, but then her eyes went wide and she perked up. “Merlin! You’ll actually get to meet Teddy now. Though I’m sure you already have, though not as a wee thing, yeah?” Somehow that was the weirdest bit of this place, that Teddy was here but young again? It probably showed on Charlie's face for a moment, but he recovered. "Yeah, I have. Always send him birthday and Christmas cards and presents then Harry's brought him by when I've been home at times." It had been odd, because his ties to Dora had made him more invested in the kid than he'd otherwise been, but Charlie was still at a distance. To be honest, as bloody mental as it was to have a do-over of sorts, he loved the idea that he could meet Teddy with his parents there, and maybe play a bigger role in his life. He looked at Tonks, never one to hide what he was feeling from her for long. "Dora, this is all mental, isn't it? Brilliant. But mental." With her tears subsiding, she let herself laugh again, quietly. “It’s absolutely mental, yeah.” There was another sniffle but she grabbed Charlie’s hand and let him over to a table with a couple of chairs so they could sit and properly talk, instead of standing in the middle of the room and in the way. “How long’s it been for you since… everything?” she asked quietly, looking at him, eyes searching his face. He was certainly older than he had been the last time she saw him, but that didn’t really say much otherwise. He didn't need her to be more specific as there was only one event she could have been referencing. "Almost ten years," he answered. The anniversary wasn't anything he looked forward to every year, and he didn't do anything particular to mark it. Usually he was working. But he acknowledged it every May and let himself brood a bit if he needed to. Which, he usually needed to. And it was coming up, but clearly everything had changed this year. "And until this morning, I was still in Romania, still working with dragons and now…" He looked around, catching sight of both Fred and George. Now he probably needed a stiff drink, but he was going to go with a beer. Except he'd wait until someone swung by or later, he wasn't leaving Dora just for that. "Pretty much what you'd expect, I think," he said with a slight grin. "I haven't changed much." “It’s a fair bit weird coming here and having the… anniversary, I suppose? Of that coming up. I arrived here from the battle. After my, uh, run in with Bellatrix.” Dora’s eyes fell for a moment but then she gave a casual sort of shrug, almost as if she was just waving it off. Then she looked back up at him and gave him a bit of a half-smile. “I’m glad you haven’t changed much, Charlie. I always knew you’d stick with dragons and all that, you were always good with them, but things happen, life changes and such. It’s good to know you stayed the course, so to speak.” "Bloody mental," Charlie repeated himself from before. "But I'll take this over what I was expecting," he said, voice sobering a bit because it was going to take a couple days before he got over the fact that so many people he thought to be gone were now here. "Oh, and what's with all these places from home just randomly showing up? Apparently I made it just in time to move into the Burrow." Her expression softened a little more and she reached across the table to grab his hand, giving it a firm squeeze as she looked at him. “It’s a bit of a second chance for some of us, I guess, yeah?” Dora breathed out a quiet sigh then and leaned back in her chair, scrunching her nose for a moment before she glanced around the room. “Guess I’m not really surprised that the Burrow showed up, too. Remus and I are living at Grimmauld Place right now. Hell of a lot nicer than it was when the Order was using it, I’ll tell you that much.” She paused then and flashed him a quick grin. “Sirius has twins, did you know that? He’s really lucked out with this whole other world thing.” There was a soft laugh and she shook her head, amused a bit. They should all be so lucky, though Sirius was definitely a person who deserved it, if you asked her. “I don’t know why places show up, though. They just… do. Sort of like the people, though I don’t know if the buildings go away when the people go away. Haven’t been here long enough to find out.” Charlie returned the gesture, meeting Dora's eyes. "You have no idea how happy I am that you're here. Second chance or whatever it is." Because there was no denying that losing his little brother and best friend in one night had taken a toll on him. When she let go, he rolled up his sleeve to show her one of his tattoos, which had the hare that had originally been her patronus incorporated into it, next to Fred's magpie. "I knew Sirius was here, obviously, but didn't know about the twins. Wow. He's been around long enough to father twins?" Someone else had mentioned people disappearing, but if this was his life now he wanted to make the most of it, with the people he cared about, for as much time as they had. Sirius seemed to have the right of it. Seeing the tattoo on his arm caused another small wave of emotions and she reached out, the tip of her middle finger gently tracing the outline of her original patronus that had been permanently imbedded into his skin. It made her eyes glisten again, but she smiled and looked up at him. It was nice to know that he’d found a way to keep her memory with him after all these years. Dora nodded then and pulled her hand back. “Yeah. And this isn’t his first time in a new world, either. At least this version of him, you know? It’s weird and a lot to wrap your head around, because he’s still Sirius and we know everything that happened back home, but he never lived any of it. My understanding is people are both here and wherever they’re from?” She paused for a moment. “Which means you are still also in Romania.” That was a lot to take in too, and Charlie considered it for a moment. "Not what I was expecting but alright. Good to know I probably didn't just up and disappear leaving my mates to think I deserted or got eaten by one of the beasts." He let out a deep breath. "It's gonna take a bit to wrap my mind around all of this. Not complaining, it's just a lot." Right. He could really use a beer right around then. “I know. It’s wild, innit?” Dora smiled for a moment and then caught the eye of one of the guys who was working that night. She waved him down excitedly. “Wotcher! Can I please get two shots of firewhiskey, an ale, and whatever he’d like?” Because the least she could do was buy Charlie a drink after the sort of emotional stress he was going through with both Fred and herself being alive again on top of everything else. "The same," Charlie agreed. If Tonks was doing firewhiskey shots, so was he. But then he was switching to ale because he wasn't going to get pissed off his arse at his brothers' birthday party. When the drinks arrived, he held up a shot glass toward her, thinking he should toast the occasion somehow. But what exactly was he meant to say, really? So he offered, "Cheers. To being alive." And to having his best friend and his brother back. However that worked and for however long it would last. Tonks grinned and held up her own shot of firewhiskey and reached it forward enough to gentle clink it against his. “To being alive,” she repeated and immediately tossed the firewhiskey back. There really wasn’t much more to say other than that, because how did it get any better? “C’mon, shot number two and then we can go start up an obnoxious rendition of happy birthday for the boys, yeah?” Giggling, she tossed back the second one and grabbed for Charlie’s hand and her ale, because now she had annoying Fred and George on her mind and she wasn’t about to let it go. |