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“I don’t understand why everyone had to come. I don’t need a bloody guard,” Christelle muttered as she slid her key into her apartment door.

“He hasn’t been caught, Chris, we’re just taking precautions,” Harry explained.

She nodded vaguely, thinking of the day after when Harry told her that they couldn’t find Bobby anywhere, but they would keep looking until he was caught. Christelle’s hand was pushed away from the knob of the door from Charlie’s hand. He was in concentration mode and the sight made her laugh. He positioned himself between the door and her before opening it, the door creaking to life.

“Let me and Harry go first,” Charlie whispered. Christelle rolled her eyes at him as Ginny, Hermione, and Ron stood flanking her.

“This is getting ridiculous, Charlie. Don’t you think you’re being a bit overprotective?”

“No, I don’t. Now, come on, let’s get this over with.” Charlie waved them to follow him, all of their wands aloft.

“Why’s it so dark? Don’t you have windows?” Hermione asked with a frown as she mumbled, “Lumos.”

“Yeah, I do… He must have closed the blinds and curtains,” Christelle muttered as she pointed her wand at the one window in her sight. The curtains flew to either side and the blinds rolled up. They moved forward slowly as they rounded the corner into the living room. Each of their eyes scanned it slowly, looking for any signs of life.

“You guys wait here, Harry and I are going to do a swipe of the place,” Charlie said firmly as he and Harry started for the bedroom. After another twenty minutes of checking every nook and cranny for Bobby or a sort of trap he may have left, the two returned.

“Alright, it seems clear,” Harry announced. Christelle rolled her eyes as she started for her bedroom, Charlie hot on her tail.

“Do you care if we start sending the furniture to the guest room?” Ginny called.

“No, go ahead… Are you sure you don’t mind if I store it there until I find a place?” she asked again as she paused at the doorway to look back. Ginny rolled her eyes dramatically without answering and Christelle chuckled.

They had all agreed that living in her flat was not safe or smart. So, she would be storing her things at Harry and Ginny’s place until she found a new flat. They had also decided it would be best for her to leave the country for a while until Bobby had been found, so she was going to stay with Charlie in Romania for a few weeks. She was not too thrilled to be running away from the problem, but she finally caved and agreed to go.

As she flicked on her bedroom light and stepped over the threshold, Charlie and Christelle stopped immediately. The back wall, behind her bed, started changing colors. A blood red seeped through the light blue, dripping down onto the floor. It started turning into a phrase.

I will find you.

Christelle grabbed Charlie’s hand tightly as fear rippled through her body, causing goose bumps to crawl up her skin.

“Pack quickly, Christelle,” Charlie whispered hoarsely. She took her wand in her other hand and swished it around the room. A large trunk slid out of her closet as she started charming her clothes to go into neat piles inside. Her accessories from the bathroom floated through the air, landing lightly on top. Christelle’s gaze kept going back to the wall, where Charlie was desperately trying to make the threat disappear. With another wave of her wand, all of her furniture and remaining items disappeared, only to appear in the guest room in Harry and Ginny’s home.

The others filed in behind them, gasping at the bloody threat that Charlie couldn’t make disappear. Harry and Hermione went to take a closer look and Hermione smiled slightly as her light bulb flickered on in her head. With a quick swish of her wand, the blood and threat disappeared, the wall back to its original blue.

Christelle stared at the now blue wall as everyone else stared at her. As her tears poured down her cheeks, she whispered, “Get me out of here, Charlie.” Charlie pulled her close and Apparated her back to Bill and Fleur’s cottage.

“It’s going to be okay,” he whispered as he pulled her toward the guest room.

“No, it’s not… I’m putting you all at risk by staying with you. It’s too dangerous. He’ll find me and I can’t be with you when he does,” she whispered.

“Like hell you won’t be. You’re not going off on your own, Chris, you’re staying with me,” Charlie said huskily. He took both of her hands in one of his and tilted her chin up with his other hand. “I will protect you,” he whispered.

“But it’s not your job to protect me. You shouldn’t have to. And I shouldn’t be putting you in danger,” she whispered back.

“I want to protect you. Chris, I work with dragons… I live for danger,” he said with a small grin. She chuckled shortly before her sad eyes met his. “I couldn’t live with myself if something more happened to you,” he confessed softly. As her tears leaked out of her eyes, Charlie wiped them away with a blistered thumb, brushing over her slowly fading bruises. Others would probably be repulsed by the feeling of rough skin gliding over their own skin, but Christelle marveled in it. It felt smooth and silky to her, not to mention the tingling she felt when he touched her, period.

Her eyes slid shut as he tugged on her hand gently. She melted into his side, curling up with him on the bed. He held her tightly as she cried.

“Okay,” she said simply. Charlie sighed in relief as she fell asleep, despite the early time. He followed shortly after before Bill came to wake them up and tell them dinner was ready.