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“It’s your choice,” Harry said calmly from his chair in the living room. Ginny was propped back against his legs on the floor and Hermione and Ron were sitting in another armchair. Christelle was sitting beside Charlie on the couch, his arm wrapped protectively around her shoulders.

“I don’t know…” Christelle whispered.

“The Magical World takes abuse just as seriously as the Muggle World, Christelle. If you want to press charges, I’ll make a call and he’ll be found tonight. He’ll be taken to Azkaban and wait for his trial, where you will need to speak,” Harry continued.

“Will he be in there when I speak?” Christelle asked, her lip trembling. Charlie automatically tightened his hold on her shoulders.

“No… You’ll speak first and then he’ll be brought out. He’ll plead his case, but he won’t have a chance with the pictures that Hermione had taken of your damaged flat and of you before they cleaned you up. And it won’t help his case that he was cheating on you. He’ll go away for a very long time, Christelle.”

“But not forever? So, when he gets out, he’d still come for me. Finish what he started,” she whispered as tears leaked out of her eyes.

“He won’t come anywhere near you ever again, Chris,” Charlie murmured. She nodded vaguely.

Christelle glanced up at Charlie and he studied her expression carefully. “If you don’t put him in jail, you’ll always be looking over your shoulder instead of living your life,” he whispered.

Christelle looked back at Harry and Ginny. “I want…to press charges. I want him to go to jail, where he belongs,” Christelle whispered. Harry nodded once as he and Ron both stood and Apparated away.

“Do you want to stay here tonight?” Ginny asked softly.

“She’s going to stay with me, Bill, and Fleur,” Charlie answered. Ginny nodded vaguely, unable to keep the small smirk off her face. Christelle rolled her eyes, laughing quietly.

“Do you want to go?” Charlie asked quietly. Christelle nodded, so they both stood slowly. After hugging Hermione and Ginny, Charlie took Christelle’s hands and Apparated her to Bill and Fleur’s.

“Chreestelle! I’m so glad you’re staying wiz us. Eet ‘as been too long,” Fleur said as she walked forward and hugged Christelle tightly.

“Do you two know each other from school?” Bill asked as he took Christelle’s bags from Charlie and sent them up to her room with a flick of his wand.

“Sort of. We were in the same year, but we never talked much…” Christelle replied.

Fleur started moving about the kitchen while Charlie led Christelle up the stairs to the guest bedroom.

“Will this be okay?” he asked her as she surveyed the room.

“More than okay, Charlie… I don’t know how to thank you,” she whispered as she hugged her shoulders.

“There are no thanks necessary,” he murmured. “I’ll just leave you to it then.”

“Wait…” Charlie stopped in the doorway and turned slowly to look at her. “Can you stay with me tonight? I don’t want to be alone,” she whispered.

Charlie nodded slowly as he closed the door behind him. He started moving toward his dresser and grabbed a pair of cotton pajama pants and a T-shirt. He went into the walk in closet, closing the door to change. Christelle moved to her bag and grabbed her things. She started undressing immediately. As she pulled off her shirt, Charlie opened the closet door again. He stopped in his tracks, his eyes trailing over her bruised back.

“Sorry,” he murmured, averting his eyes.

“It’s okay. Just pretend it’s a swimsuit instead of a bra,” she said quietly, a smile playing on her lips.

Charlie chuckled once before moving over to her. He gently touched the bruises running along her spine and she winced and shivered at his touch. His hands were rough with calluses, yet they felt silky against her skin. Everywhere his touch lingered on her skin, her skin tingled and burned. She closed her eyes and sighed before she felt his hand leave her back and she felt lonely from the loss.

“Your mom told me I should put this ointment on my bruises before I go to bed… Can you help?” she whispered as she grabbed the tube from her bag. Charlie slowly took the tube and wordlessly smoothed it over her skin. She winced as the ointment left a burn that was nothing like the burn from his touch.

“Sorry,” he murmured again.

“It’s fine,” she mumbled.

After he finished spreading it over her back, she turned around. His eyes stayed locked on hers as he slowly started smoothing the ointment over her bruised jaw and cheeks. She closed her eyes tightly to stop from screaming. The pain was much worse on her face. His thumb caressed the skin under her eyes to wipe away the tears that had spilt over and she sighed before opening her eyes.

They just stared at each other before a knock sounded on the door. Christelle hastily finished putting her shirt back on while Charlie opened the door. She heard the two brothers whispering to each other before Charlie came back with some extra pillows and blankets. He deposited them on the floor while Christelle settled into the left side of the bed.

“You’re not sleeping on the floor, are you?” she whispered.

“Only if you want me to,” he replied.

“I was wondering if you could…hold me tonight?” she whispered self consciously, flushing pink in embarrassment. He turned out the light with his wand and moved to the right side of the bed. After he settled in, he slipped his arm under her waist and pulled her into his side. Leaning her head against his chest, she silently made out shapes on top of his T-shirt where the moonlight was shining through the window. He gently stroked her hair as her eyes closed and she drifted into a peaceful sleep, knowing that she was safe in Charlie’s arms.


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