Chapter Text
Year 5, April, 1996
“Wimbleshins!” shouted a particularly drunken Gryffindor. The Fat Lady in the painting scoffed, but dutifully swung to the side, allowing the large group of students to climb into the Gryffindor common room. Charlie had been there a few times in the past to visit friends and classmates,
The music, confined to the common room with a silencing spell, was at ear-drum bursting levels, seeming to emanate from the very walls themselves. The whole room was cast in red and gold flashing lights, and most of the older students were letting the alcohol flow freely.
Say what you wanted about Gryffindor house, they knew how to party.
“Charlie!” Someone who was very much not Nick threw themself at him, all he saw was a flash of pink before he was practically tackled to the ground in a hug. “I’ve waited soooo long to finally meet you!!”
“Darce! Get off him!” Darcy was effectively removed from him by a short, black girl, her hair pulled off her face with a headband and her face absolutely glowing. Despite her harsh tone, she was beaming at both of them. “Hi Charlie! Welcome to the party! I’m Tara, this is Darcy, we’re friends of Nick’s.”
“Friends! Friends? I am Nick Nelson’s savior. He wouldn’t be here tonight without me knocking that bludger away from him!”
“Yes, my love, you are the hero of the pitch.”
“Thank you very much,” Darcy smiled before laying a wet kiss on Tara’s mouth and wandering off. Both Charlie and Tara were both taken aback by the drunken kiss, Tara muttering something about getting water into her already.
“I would say she’s not normally like that, but it would be a lie,” she shouted over the music.
“Are you two…”
“Together? Yeah. That’s all mine,” they looked over at Darcy, who had somehow managed to climb one of the house flags hanging on the walls and was now leading a group of students in the Gryffindor house chant. “I better go get her before she breaks something. Nick should be around here somewhere! Have fun!”
She left, starting a shouting match with her girlfriend over the fact that Skelegro was not the solution to everything. Charlie smiled, mystified, at the party going on around him. He moved a little further into the crowd, trying to avoid the bodies everywhere but also wanting to find Nick.
And then he spotted him across the room, back against the wall in a white shirt that was sinfully tight across his chest. Charlie gulped, reminding himself of Tao’s warnings and the fact that he was determined not to fall for another straight boy. Or at least, not act on his feelings for another straight boy. Nick was scanning the room, and when his eyes met Charlie’s his face lit up in a grin. He moved effortlessly through the crowd, the people seemed to part around him as he made his way over to Charlie.
“You came!”
“I did!”
Nick’s arms were suddenly around Charlie’s shoulder, drawing him into a tight hug. He smelled like cinnamon and sandalwood, and Charlie thought he was going to drown in the scent. “Has Darcy found you yet?!”
“Right when I walked in the door. They’re great!”
Nick laughed, cheeks bright. “Glad you think so! They were excited to meet you.”
“I could tell!”
“NELSON!!!!” Came a bellowing yell from the highest table in the room. A very drunk Teddy Lupin was perched on it. “Get up here, mate!!!”
Nick’s cheeks went red, hand rubbing the back of his neck as he called back, “I’m good down here!”
“Oi! Potter, Weasley, grab him!!!”
“Come on, mate!” Ron laughed, and then Nick was being dragged away by the two, one grabbing each arm as they shoved him through the crowd. He was thrust onto the table, cheeks still flushed as Lupin jumped down and started a chant of his last name.
“That’s our boy!” Darcy appeared beside Charlie, Tara on her other side as they joined in the cheering. Charlie did, too, he couldn’t help him. Nick’s embarrassment quickly faded away as he saw his friends joining in, and he started encouraging the crowd even more. The chanting was reaching a peak when a girl jumped on the table next to him, black hair and white money pieces pulled back into space buns, blue eyes shining brightly. And then, without warning, she pulled a stunned Nick in for a kiss, wrapping her arms around his shoulders as the party absolutely lost it.
“Oh my god!” Darcy shouted in horror.
“Surely she didn’t,” Tara added.
Charlie could only watch in shock as Nick pulled away, the same stunned look on his face as he grabbed the girl’s waist lightly. He didn’t know why he was so shocked. Nick was handsome, and popular, and surely had a ton of girls throwing themselves at his feet constantly. He had just won the biggest game of the year, he was allowed to have fun. Still, he couldn’t help the disappointment that clawed its way into his chest, and he left the scene without a word, perching on one of the chairs in the corner of the room. He was left to sit in his own thoughts for a few minutes before Nickcame bursting through the crowd, barreling toward him.
“Charlie!” He exclaimed.
“Um, hi,” Charlie said in surprise.
“Sorry!”
“Sorry for what?”
“For getting dragged off like that!”
“Don’t be, it looked like you had fun.” He tried to inject his voice with all the joy and pride he could muster.
“Yeah, about that…” Nick trailed off, looking at the dancing crowd around them. “It’s kind of loud in here, isn’t it?”
“I guess so.”
“Shall we go somewhere quieter, then?”
His heartbeat quickened as he looked into Nick’s kind, pleading eyes. “Okay.” He took Nick’s hand, letting himself be led up the stairs to the suites before Nick stopped in front of a large, floor to ceiling paned window. He pushed on it, opening it up to the night sky. “Trust me?” Charlie nodded mutely. “Come on, then,” he was led onto one of the roofs of Gryffindor tower, which should have terrified him, but he was with Nick, and Nick was safe. Plus, the ledge was wide enough that he could have used it as a bed without worrying about falling off.
Nick shut the window behind them, settling on the floor with his back against the outside of the tower. Charlie joined him, sitting beside his friend with a respectable distance between them, taking in the view. They were so high up, he couldn’t even see any trees in the distance, only sky and stars.
“So, like, what was all of that about?”
“God, I’m so embarrassed. I never wanted that to happen.”
“Well, do you like her?”
“No! No, definitely not. That’s Imogen, she’s a sweetheart but she has this massive crush on me and I guess the butterbeer got the better of her tonight, I mean, I had to hold on to her to make sure she didn’t fall because she was swaying so much. And I told her I wasn’t interested but I don’t even think she processed what I was saying, but I definitely don’t like her that way!”
“Okay, then.” A moment of silence settled over them, both boys staring tracing the stars with their eyes. “So you don’t have a crush on anyone at the moment, then?” Charlie let his gaze drift back to Nick, who was slightly flustered at the question.
“Well…I didn’t say that. I’ve been meaning to talk to you about it, actually.”
“Ah. So, what’s she like, then?”
There was another beat, in which Charlie’s anxiety skyrocketed and his heartbeat quickened, before Nick let out a whispered, “You’re just gonna assume they’re a she?”
“So, um, who are they, then?”
“Charlie,” Nick let out, so quiet that Charlie barely heard him.
“Nick?”
“I…” Nick trailed off, leaning into Charlie’s space slightly, tucking a loose curl behind his ear, hand lightly grazing his cheekbone. Charlie wasn’t sure he was breathing anymore, wasn’t sure he needed to breathe if Nick would do that again. Their hands met on the ledge, fingers lacing together slightly.
“Is this okay?” Nick whispered.
“Please,” was all Charlie could say as Nick leaned in, and then their lips were pressing together lightly. It was chaste, and brief, but it ignited something in
Charlie’s very bones that made him yearn for more. Nick pulled away quickly, searching Charlie’s eyes intently.
“I’m - “ But Charlie cut him off, gripping the back of his neck to pull him back in, lips meeting again with more heat and passion. Nick’s hand moved to Charlie’s wait, pulling him closer until there was no more space between them. But, he still pulled away too soon for Charlie’s liking.
“Hi,” he said softly, rubbing their noses together lightly
“Hi,” Charlie giggled in response.
“Was that okay?”
“Was that - was that okay? Are you kidding me? I’ve been dreaming of doing that for months.”
“Yeah? Me, too.”
“What?”
“What? Is that surprising?”
“Aren’t you - aren’t you straight?”
Nick laughed heartily, resting his forehead on Charlie’s. “I mean, halfway? I’m bisexual.”
“Why didn’t you say!? I’ve wasted so much time pining…”
“Well I don’t really go around announcing it in every room I walk into.”
“You should at least wear a pin or something.”
“Okay, next time, I’ll wear a pin.
“Thank you very much.”
“So…pining, you say?”
“Oh god, forget I ever said that.”
“Not a chance. Charlie Spring, pining for me.”
“Shut up!”
“Make me,” Nick’s eyes glinted mischievously. And so Charlie did, with the sound of teenage laughter and the stars surrounding them.