Disclaimer - I own nothing you recognise.

Challenges listed at the bottom.

Word Count - 917

Of Heffalumps and What If's

5

The bushes rustled, making them nervous. What was doing that? Could it be a dangerous magical creature, or something else, something that wanted to eat them, or -

"Maybe it's a heffalump," Charlie whispered to the kids around him, narrowing his eyes at the bush.

Teddy frowned as Victoire squeaked. "Scuse me, what's a heffalump?" he asked, looking up at Charlie.

The redhead laughed, picking Teddy up and swinging him around. "What has your uncle Harry been teaching you?" he asked, looking across the yard to where Uncle Harry was standing with Uncle George and Aunt Hermione.

"Oi, Harry!" Uncle Charlie shouted. When Uncle Harry looked up, smiling when he saw Teddy, Uncle Charlie added, "What on earth have you been teaching this kid that he doesn't know what a heffalump is?"

Uncle Harry laughed. "Clearly I haven't been teaching him the right things! I'll get on it next weekend!"

Teddy squirmed as Uncle Charlie tickled his tummy. "You can't wait 'til next weekend for such information! Come on kid, Uncle Arthur has a TV in his shed. I'mma edumacate you in Winnie the Pooh."

…

7.

The kids were running around the garden, barefoot and crazy, while the adults stood around watching them with matching looks of disbelief on their faces.

They'd been manic since the party started at midday and it was now 8pm, and they were still going strong.

Charlie grinned when Teddy started chasing the others, roaring and pretending to be a dragon. He laughed even more when the kid ran over, pulling him into the melee of kids.

"Come on, Uncle Charlie! You're a dragon chaser, you gotta catch me!"

Handing his apple cider off to Percy, Charlie did as he was told, ignoring that he wasn't a chaser so much as a tamer.

With no kids of his own, he enjoyed the moment's he got to play with his nieces and nephews and Teddy.

…

11.

"Hey, Uncle Charlie," Teddy greeted from the sofa, when Charlie arrived late in the night. It was his mother's birthday the day after, and he'd promised to be there.

An emergency at the reserve had been enough to push him to almost miss it, but thankfully they'd gotten the situation under control in time.

"Teddy… it's almost 3am. What are you doing up?"

"Uncle Harry is away on a mission. I never sleep well when he's not here."

"When is he due back?"

Teddy swallowed hard. "Three days ago."

"Oh, Teddy, he'll be alright, mate, just you see. Come on, get yourself back up to bed. I know Uncle Harry isn't here, but I am, and you know, I could beat Uncle Harry in arm wrestling… I reckon I'm pretty good protection."

Teddy laughed but sobered quickly. "Do you really think he'll be okay?"

"I really really do, Kid. Have I ever lied to you?"

"Well… you told me heffalumps were real."

Charlie looked affronted. "As if that was a lie! How dare you!"

…

15.

"Harry said I should come speak to you," Teddy said, sitting down beside Charlie. He'd been lounging at the quiet end of the garden searching for some peace from the mess of teenagers in the Burrow.

"Oh. Come sit then," Charlie replied with a smile, shifting his legs. "What's up?"

"I think I'm gay."

"Okay."

"And… I'm not really sure what to do about that."

Charlie nodded. "What else did Harry say? Except that you should talk to me?"

"That being gay doesn't mean there's anything wrong with me, that it's perfectly natural and that I could've told him I had a fetish for mermaids and he'd still love me," Teddy recited, his cheeks colouring slightly as he chuckled on the last words.

"Well, Harry is right, but also, who says you have to do anything? Take your time kid, and whatever you decide to do, you have people around you who love you."

Teddy nodded, smiling. "Why did Harry tell me to come speak with you?"

Charlie grinned. "Because I came out when I was about your age. I suppose he thought I could give you some perspective."

Understanding dawned on Teddy's face and he nodded.

"Alright. Come on, you're old enough to help me set up the fireworks for later," Charlie said, nodding to the two large boxes of Weasley's Wildfire Whiz-bangs.

Teddy sighed. "I think I preferred you when I was little and the most you made me do was watch Winnie the Pooh."

…

18.

"It's gorgeous here," Teddy murmured, smiling at Charlie. He'd come to Romania for two weeks to do a little work experience.

Charlie nodded. "I'm glad you like it. Could you see yourself working somewhere like this?"

Teddy grinned. "Definitely!"

…

22

Charlie resisted as long as he could. He really did. He was 25 years Teddy's senior, but the younger man - and he was a man now - was relentless. They spent so much time together, both during work hours on the reserve and their downtime, that Charlie supposed this outcome was inevitable.

And…

Well. He loved Teddy. He'd loved him for a long time as Harry's godson, and now… Now he loved Teddy for Teddy.

And this might be a mistake. It might be Teddy finding himself, or experimenting. It might be true love.

But Charlie had been alive long enough to know that 'what if's' weren't worth the regret.

And as he let Teddy lead him to the bedroom, Charlie knew one thing for certain. He wouldn't regret this.

Written for;

Character Appreciation - 12. Weasleys Wildfire Whiz-Bangs

Disney - S3. "S'cuse me, what's a heffalump?"

Book Club - John Chapman - Apple Cider / Crazy / Barefoot

Showtime - 14. A Fic involving time skips

Auction - CharlieTeddy