I'm on Spring break, like last year if anyone remembers. So my Internet access will be a little sporadic. I promise, as soon as I finish a chapter I will post it ASAP at the next place I have the net. Thanks for being patient!

THANKS SOOOO MUCH to all my reviewers!

Enjoy!

Last Chapter…

"But, Sirius, I have absolutely no idea what you could possibly be talking about." Harry said innocently. Hermione bit her lip, Ron coughed/laughed into his napkin, and Draco stared at the DADA teacher with one eyebrow raised.

"Like Hell you don't!"

"Well, to borrow words from Draco's father, try and prove it." Harry grinned.

Sirius froze. Draco wrinkled his nose. "When did my father say that to you?"

"Oh…Um, I think it was back in second year. About the time I freed your house elf, Dobby."

"Ah, I see."

Sirius snarled and stomped off, his pumpkins stomping after him.

Just before he passed out of hearing range, Harry turned to Ron, who was trying desperately not to laugh, and said conversationally, "Revenge is a sweet, sweet thing. Don't you agree?"

Chapter 12 – Detention, Charlie, and Protectiveness

Ron nodded, grinning tightly (trying unsuccessfully to suppress his laughter). Hermione bit her lip harder and Draco smirked. Harry smirked back.

As Sirius reached the staff table, Remus raised an eyebrow at him. "Sirius, do you realize how foolish you look with great giant pumpkins following you about?"

Sirius ground his teeth. "Yes, which is why, Moony old pal, we are going to war!"

Remus smacked himself in the forehead.

"Why is there an empty chair?" Sirius asked sitting finally.

"Oh," Remus lifted his head. "Because-"

However, Remus' explanation was cut off by the arrival of a figure in the doorway. Sirius stared at the new comer. Draco's jaw dropped. He rounded on Harry, who was looking equally shocked. "Tell me, now, you didn't know he was coming here!"

"I-I…I had no idea. Why is he here, by the way?" Harry stuttered, still staring in shock at the figure in the doorway.

Hermione huffed, much like her old self. "Isn't it obvious? He's here to collect the dragons!"

"Oh!" Harry, Draco, and Ron said together as Charlie Weasley walked up the center isle.

He stopped next to their little group and Draco glared at him. "Hi, all! So, who's gotten the most recent detention?"

"We have." Harry said, indicating the rest of the quartet.

"Was it for-"

"No! It was for swearing at Sirius during class." Harry cut him off before he could mention the fact that they were involved with the dragons. "Have you come to get the dragons? They still don't know who did it, did you know?"

Charlie paused then his eyes lit in understanding and he winked at them all. "Well, yeah I am here to get them as they were mine. However, I can't tell you who got them, as I'm under a binding oath."

Harry heaved a sigh of relief. He was suddenly glad they had put Charlie under that oath. It just might save them a year worth of detention.

Charlie continued on up to the teacher's table and had a few hushed words with Dumbledore. The old headmaster then turned to the hall and introduce the dragon keeper, "I would like to introduce to you all, Charlie Weasley, a dragon handler from Romania—"

Whatever else Dumbledore was going to say was swallowed up by the sudden eruption of noise. Everyone immediately put two and two together and came up with Charlie. They recalled the fight, which had Harry Potter running around the Great Hall in his boxers dodging curses aimed at him by an enraged Draco who was ranting about an older man named Charlie.

Harry went scarlet and Draco paled visibly. Hermione and Ron both burst into raucous laughter. Charlie looked confused and every single teacher stared at him. "Um…? Did I miss something?" Charlie asked looking around him. Harry went an even deep red if that is possible and banged his head against the table. He was so screwed.

Remus stood and walked around the table to led Charlie outside. Dumbledore stood an amused smile on his face. Remus motioned for Harry, Hermione, and Draco to follow. Harry and Draco refused to meet anyone's eyes as they left and Hermione was still laughing.

Outside, Remus turned and said, "Um, Charlie, what you missed was the rather loud and public fight Draco and Harry had the morning you returned to say hello and never got around to it. Draco was rather upset, as you well know, but after you left he chased Harry into the Great Hall, dressed as when you left."

Charlie's eyes widened and he stared at Draco. Remus continued. "They, er, used your first name and mentioned that you were in fact a few years older then Harry, and I believe Draco asked if you'd kissed Harry again rather loudly."

Draco stared at his feet, looking quite pale, and Harry was stilled scarlet. Charlie simply stared at Draco. Finally, he managed, "You're a jealous asshole, you know that?"

Draco's head jerked up.

"I mean, you have a boyfriend and a girlfriend, who are both insanely loyal to you and each other. Neither one of them has done more the kiss someone else and you go and freak out and doubt them at the merest whisper of a hint of anything. You have major trust issues."

Draco bit his lip, which caused Harry to shake himself out of his embarrassed coma. "Hey, lay off Charlie! Be pissed all you want but don't go taking it out on Draco. He isn't the only one with issues around here and we're all trying to get past all of our issues so lay off."

"Like who else?"

"Me."

"What? Example, Please!"

"I have a serious hero complex, which will probably kill me one day, I was abused for the first eleven years of my life, which gave me some strange phobias. I also have a trust issue, probably stemming from the abuse. Would you like me to continue, Charlie, or are you done having me rip my self-confidence to shreds?"

Charlie stood, speechless, as did everyone else. Harry went to stand behind Draco and sip his arms around the Slytherin's waist protectively. Hermione twined her arms around Draco's arm. The elder redhead's blew out a heavy breath and, turning, disappeared down the corridor.

The only sign that he'd been there at all, besides the tension in the air, was the missing dragons, which Dumbledore had returned to normal size. He gave Charlie to charm to give them back their flames. It was the last time Harry saw Charlie for a very long time.

Sorry if anybody liked Charlie (I love him too), but I needed him out of the way! He'll be back eventually.