Break Away

“Charlie, what are you doing?” Tonks was laying on her stomach with the sheet carelessly thrown over her waist. It covered her, but if anyone walked into Charlie’s room without knocking, they’d likely still see everything anyway. Molly was being quite nice about letting her and Charlie sneak off for sex. It was probably because they were both of age and finally finished with Hogwarts.

Charlie sighed and lay on his back next to her, pulling his hand away from the patterns he’d been tracing on her back. “I was just writing down all the dragon breeds that live in the Sanctuary. I’m nervous about going. Mum cries a bit sometimes, and I think it’s about me leaving. She cried a lot more when Bill left for Egypt, though.”

Tonks sighed and rolled up onto her side. She hadn’t heard Charlie say that much at once since they’d left school three weeks ago. He’d been drowned out by the twins and quiet about leaving for Romania. “Charlie, we haven’t talked about what we’re going to do when you go away.” There, she’d said it. She would say that she didn’t want him to go or that she loved him so much she thought she might die without him. “Do you think we should keep dating?”

Charlie went still and quiet. So much for all the talking he’d just done. Finally, after what felt like hours, he spoke. “I love you, Tonks.” He sat up. “But I don’t think we should keep going together once I leave. You’re in for three years and I don’t know how long I’ll be in Romania. We’ll always be best mates, but…”

Tonks picked up what he didn’t want to say. “S’alright. We’d eventually drift apart anyway.” Inside, she felt she might shatter into a thousand pieces. “This way we will always be best mates. It won’t get bunged up by trying to have a long-distance romance.” She hoped the tears didn’t show in her eyes or her voice. She sat up, but did not make a move to put her clothes on yet.

Charlie either didn’t notice or pretended not to. “D’you think this should be our last time? I’d like to be your boyfriend as long as I can, and I don’t leave for another three weeks.”

She didn’t know what to say. Which would hurt more, continuing knowing he was going to leave anyway, or just ending it now? She started getting dressed, keeping her back to him while her body threatened to turn itself inside out. “I’m headed home today, and I won’t get back to the Burrow until after you’ve left. I think it’s better if we just leave it like this.” She turned to him and smiled. “And yeah, we’ll always be best mates.”