3 YEARS LATER

In a few short years, under the ever faithful and brilliant guidance of Master Puffins, I had managed to get some potions of my own out into the market. Working with the Master Potioneer had only helped to improve the credibility of my potions. Not that getting a recipe approved by Master Puffins was very easy; it was almost impossible. But I was grateful that he continued to pick faults at my work because one less fault meant there was even less a chance of my potion being a failure.

Even now, as I sat cross legged on the bed, whilst supposedly on 'holiday' I was busy looking over the annotated notes Master Puffins had made on the tentative recipe I had owled him a few days ago. His red inked annotations had me thinking deeply about the approach I took towards the purpose of my potion; vertigo induced sickness. Frowning in thought, I piled my hair at the top of my head with a quickly murmured sticking charm. Waving my wand at my luggage carrier, I summoned my shrunken book of potion's ingredients.

Magicking it back to its normal size, I rifled through the worn book – one handed down from Master Puffin's mentor to him and now gifted to me – I searched for a suitable replacement for powdered Runespoor fang. According to Master Puffins's notes, using the powdered form would render the potion too unstable and using an unpowdered version would change the texture of the potion into a thick gloop that would be useless and no one would drink it.

"Chizpurfle fang?" I murmured under my breath, drumming my fingers against my legs. "But as a powder? Would that make it unstable again? Would it be less reactive as a powder? A higher quantity?"

The book was eased out of my hand, taking me by surprise. Looking up with instant protests on my lips, I found Charlie standing beside the bed with an unimpressed scowl. Shutting the book with a resounding snap, he placed it on top of my suitcase.

"I thought you were here to visit me?" he asked with crossed arms. "That means that work can wait until you go home again."

Frowning petulantly, I drew my legs up towards my chest; he knew how much I hated being stopped midway though working out an issue. "You were off taming a dragon or whatever it is that you do. So, what if I decided to do some work as well?"

"Well I'm back now," he pointed out.

"Couldn't you have given me another ten minutes?" I mumbled under my breath and Charlie scowled at me, clearly not expecting that to be my answer.

But he didn't let that keep him down for long. Instead, he practically tackled me on the bed until I was lying flat on my back. He straddled my legs, tickling me fiercely until I dissolved into helpless laughter. Even then he didn't let up, continuing to torture me until I was red in the face.

"Charlie!" I managed to protest, clamping my hands on top of his to stop him. He finally listened, his own smile fading slightly when my eyes met his. My own laughter followed shortly after, trailing off expectantly when he leaned down towards me.

Pushing myself up with my elbows to meet him halfway, I let him kiss me. Winding my arms around his neck, I couldn't help but laugh against his lips when his fingers moved for a few seconds, tickling me lightly again. Winding my hands through the hair at the back of his neck in retaliation, I tugged gently not that Charlie would let me get away with that for long. His hands disappeared under my oversized shirt, clutching the bare skin of my waist. And Merlin, if that contact didn't have me gasping slightly. Drawing away from me to catch his breath, Charlie pressed his forehead to my own, eyes closed. I reached up eagerly towards him again, wanting to close the distance –

Someone knocked harshly against the wooden door, the sound echoing around Charlie's cabin. With an irritated groan, Charlie forced himself to rise from me. Before he could stand from the bed to leave, I caught his arm and made him sit on the edge of the mattress. When he glanced curiously towards me, I motioned for him to wait.

Sure enough, the same knocking echoed around the lodge again. Only this time it was followed shortly by my brother's exasperated shout, "There is no way in hell that I am leaving the pair of you alone!"

Sighing out his irritation, Charlie pressed his forehead to my shoulder. With a quiet laugh, I brought my hand up to run it soothingly through his hair. It worked to make him lift his head so that he could look at me.

"Your brother is going to kill me," Charlie murmured with an exaggerated pout. "He hasn't left us alone since you got here."

"Did you honestly expect him to?" I asked just as quietly, with a shake of my head. "Since it looks like he's not going to let things get any further, I'm going to work on the recipe and you can open the door for him. When he's certain things are remaining strictly child friendly, he'll leave."

"No, he won't," Charlie pointed out correctly. "He'll try and get you moving into his cabin for the rest of your week here."

"Very true," I agreed as I went to stand up.

Charlie caught my hand before I could settle my feet on the floor. Drawing me silently back onto the bed, he manoeuvred me onto his lap and wound his arms around me before I could try and leave. With an indulgent sigh, I wrapped my arms around his shoulders.

"If we're quiet enough, he'll just leave," Charlie stated optimistically, leaning down to kiss me again even as my brother continued to knock on the door. We both knew that he would eventually give up when his knuckles started to hurt and when he realised that he wouldn't be able to force his way into the cabin. It was just a matter of waiting.