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Charlie sent the letter on a whim. It wasn’t as if he and Rolf hadn’t spoken since he’d graduated school – they wrote relatively regularly, and they’d seen each other when Charlie had gone home for Christmas. They’d broken up on good terms, or on as good terms as a breakup could be: Charlie was going to Romania, and Rolf still had two years at school. It wouldn’t have been fair to try to manage that sort of long distance.
It hadn’t been like with Barnaby, where he’d realised a bit late that they just weren’t on similar intellectual levels – Rolf was dead clever. Rolf was also tall and handsome and kind and funny and – everything Charlie had ever wanted in a boyfriend, really.
But he hadn’t been about to give up on his life’s dream for a boy. He’d known that, if he did that, they’d just end up resenting each other. The program in Romania was incredibly competitive, and even Newt Scamander himself wouldn’t have been able to get Charlie deferred admittance (not that Charlie would have ever dreamed of actually asking Newt Scamander to do something like that for him, but the idea had come to him once or twice).
So he and Rolf had talked it out, decided to split before Charlie left for Romania, and had had fantastic breakup sex. And they’d written.
The letter he sent Rolf from the small wizarding village outside of Cairo could scarcely be called a proper letter . It was really more of a note, but – well, he sent it anyway, and before the twins could see. (It wasn’t as if the twins didn’t know he was gay, but they didn’t know he’d been writing his ex-boyfriend, and Charlie knew he’d never know peace again if they found out).
Rolf,
I realised today as Percy was going on about having enough time to get school supplies after he gets back to England – I haven’t got to be back at the sanctuary until 15 September. I thought perhaps you might be willing to show me Jerusalem? One of the wizards here mentioned a Sphynx colony not far from the city and your mother’s name was brought up in connection to it. He was dead surprised when I said I’d met her – apparently even Egyptian Curse Breakers hold her name in high regard.
Let me know,
Charlie
He paid to use the owl post in the village – Errol was off somewhere, probably delivering Harry Potter his birthday gift.
He rejoined his family at dinner, where everyone was listening raptly to a story Bill was telling – everyone but Percy, who was polishing his Head Boy badge, and the twins, who were clearly planning something.
Rolf’s reply came the next afternoon, with his own owl, a handsome Little Owl, who waited patiently for a reply from Charlie.
Charlie,
Yeah absolutely! I’m staying with my Uncle Asher and his family, but there’ll be room for you – no need to worry about a hotel. The 15th is Erev Rosh Hashanah, so that’ll work out perfectly if you leave that morning (or the night before – either way). I can meet you, if you’d like – just tell me where.
I’ll be sure to let her know! The Sphynx colony’s security and continued existence is one of her proudest achievements – especially since she was only eighteen when she and Grand-père were spearheading that campaign. All I’ve accomplished, meanwhile, is not getting eaten by the same Sphynx colony.
Just be careful name dropping that side of my family in Egypt – there’s a reason my mother grew up in Jerusalem, and not everyone has gotten over their old prejudices. I think in some cases it’s only gotten worse.
Let me know when you’re coming in, and I’ll be sure to meet you and show you around!
Give my best to your family,
Rolf
Charlie scribbled a reply, promising that he didn’t just go around name-dropping the Bendayans or the Scamanders, and letting Rolf know when he’d be arriving.
Bill caught him as he was sending the owl off.
“Oh, not this again,” Bill said. “He’s in Israel, isn’t he?”
Charlie rolled his eyes. “We’re just friends.”
“I won’t tell Mum and Dad, but – you’re going to see him, aren’t you?”
Charlie shrugged. “He wants to show me that Sphynx colony your friend was talking about. Relax, Bill. All of that’s in the past.” They wrote, sure, but they hadn’t slept together in over two years. There was nothing for Bill to be concerned about. It was over.
It was not in the past, Charlie realised as he caught sight of Rolf Scamander leaning almost artfully against a wall in the old city. He’d last seen him over Christmas (they’d gone out for Butterbeer and talked about dragons), and it was truly amazing what difference nine months could make.
He didn’t think Rolf was any taller, but he was broader in the shoulders, and the muscles in his arms and legs were much more defined. He was still slimmer than Charlie by far, but Charlie found himself unable to tear his eyes away. Two months working with his uncle must have been two months spent outside from sunup to sunset, because Rolf was also far darker than Charlie had ever seen him.
Rolf had never been pale; he took after his mother too much for that, but here – he was darker than some of the Egyptian Curse Breakers on Bill’s team, and Charlie couldn’t help but find it made Rolf all the more attractive.
His dark curls were a bit wild, and Charlie was sure his mother would have insisted on giving him a haircut if she saw him, but it suited him.
Rolf saw him, then, and walked over, an easy grin lighting up his features. “Charlie! I see you found the place okay.”
Charlie nodded. Merlin, Rolf was handsome. But they were just friends.
Rolf hugged him, and Charlie had a feeling this would be a long three weeks.
Three weeks. What had he been thinking?
“Let’s get your things sorted, first,” Rolf said. He, fortunately, didn’t take Charlie by the hand as he’d done far too often in school, but he did lead him down some narrow alleys. “I forget – do you speak French at all?”
Charlie shook his head. “I know some Romanian, but no French, no.”
“Well,” Rolf said, “Uncle Asher speaks English, but everyone else mostly goes for French or Hebrew. The girls do speak some English, but they often refuse to. It’s not a problem, though. I can interpret.”
They walked to the wizarding quarter, where Rolf’s uncle lived in a rather compact flat. Sharing space was nothing Charlie wasn’t used to, between the Burrow, his dormitory at Hogwarts, and his flat in Romania (in a hideous brutalist building in the middle of unplottable terrain – why did Wizards like brutalism?), but something about being in a small space with Rolf again was exciting.
Rolf spoke quickly in what Charlie assumed to be Hebrew to a teenage girl.
“Charlie, this is my cousin Yael. Yael, this is my friend Charlie, from school. He doesn’t speak Hebrew or French, so be nice,” Rolf said.
“I’m always nice, Rolf.”
“I don’t believe you,” Rolf said. He turned to Charlie. “She and her sister start school in a week. You’ll be in my room with me – I hope that’s okay?”
“That’s fine,” Charlie said. He tried not to look too visibly excited at the prospect of sharing a room with Rolf for three weeks.
“You’re not sleeping in my room, even after I’m gone,” Yael said.
Rolf rolled his eyes. “We know, Yael. You’ve made that clear. Now can I show Charlie where he’ll be staying?”
Yael said something in Hebrew which made Rolf blush. Rolf took Charlie by the hand, then, and led him down the hall and to a room. He shut and locked the door behind them. “She’ll barge right in if I don’t. I don’t know why no one ever told me how annoying younger cousins can be. Anyway – two beds.”
Charlie actually felt disappointed at that. But of course there’d be two beds; he and Rolf hadn’t dated in years. Why should they share a bed?
Charlie put his bag down on the foot of the bed that didn’t look lived in and sat down. “Thanks for this.”
“Oh, of course,” Rolf said. “It’s great to see you again. Writing’s just not the same, as I’m sure you know.”
“You look really good, Rolf,” Charlie said.
Rolf grinned. “Oh, good. I mean, thanks, but also good, because I meant to tell you – you looked good, but I wasn’t sure if that would be strange? Considering…”
“You think I look good?” Charlie asked, feeling seventeen all over again. Rolf had a particular talent for flattering him, and it never quite came through on paper like it did face-to-face.
“Of course,” Rolf said. He was visibly eying Charlie’s arms now, and Charlie could see that he was blushing. Well, it was good to know that he affected Rolf every bit as much as Rolf affected him. “How’s your family?”
“They’re well,” Charlie said. “Percy’s insufferable about being Head Boy, of course. Mum badgered Bill about getting married and moving back to England. Fred and George are – well, the same, you remember. Ron’s just excited to get his new wand after he broke my old one last year. Ginny, I think, might want to go out for the Quidditch team. What about your family?”
“My parents are on a research trip in Peru – they’ve been doing that a lot more, since Gina and I are both out of school. Gina’s got a girlfriend, so that’s new.”
“Have you met her?”
Rolf shook his head. “Not yet. She’ll be coming over for Passover, if they’re still together, so then.”
“And – how are your uncles?”
Rolf grinned. “Trying to find out about my famous Quidditch player uncle, hm? They’re both doing well.”
“I hear he’s not technically a famous Quidditch player any longer, though?” Charlie asked.
“And a year before the World Cup, too, on British soil. People aren’t happy. He was going to write for Seeker Weekly but they’ve decided to put a bit of a hold on that. But how long can you actually play?”
“He’s definitely had a long career,” Charlie said. “I’m sure he’s enjoying retirement.”
“Seems to be,” Rolf agreed. “Especially since Uncle Max works from home. That’s sort of the dream, isn’t it? A husband who adores you and who you adore so much that you enjoy spending every waking moment together?”
Charlie hummed. “Well, he’d have to like dragons. Much as I love Quidditch – dragons are my true passion, and I can’t fathom being with someone who doesn’t love them.”
“Oh, did I tell you?” Rolf asked, sitting down on the other bed. Their knees touched, and Charlie tried not to focus on that. “Uncle Asher has a colleague who found a Welsh Green egg on the black market in Tel Aviv? I think they passed it right over to your sanctuary, actually. I’d love to see it, but – you know how it is.”
“You can come visit me,” Charlie offered. “You’re a Magizoologist and a Scamander. I’m sure everyone would be thrilled to have you stop by. They let my family come by for Christmas two years ago; I’m sure they’d allow you to visit.”
“I might have to take you up on that, Weasley,” Rolf said.
The sunlight streaming through the window seemed to make Rolf look almost ethereal; his skin looked golden and Charlie could make out the brown tones in his hair and the gold flecks in his eyes. Before he could think better of it and stop himself, Charlie leaned in and kissed him. Rolf didn’t respond, and Charlie pulled himself away. Stupid!
“Rolf, I–”
Rolf frowned ever so slightly, and it felt like a hex to the gut. “I wasn’t aware we were doing that.”
“Sorry, I wasn’t thinking, and I just – acted, and I’m sorry!”
Rolf met his gaze briefly – he didn’t look upset – before settling his eyes on Charlie’s lips. He used to do this all the time, back when they’d actually been together, and Charlie tried not to think about what this might mean. “Would you want to? I know neither of us – we both have obligations that we can’t shirk, so an actual relationship would still be – out of the question, but we could certainly – that is, if you’re interested, we could – it’d have to be casual, of course, but – we could –”
“Shag?” Charlie tried.
Rolf blushed. “Yes. Or – snog, or – we just can’t have a relationship – not for three weeks, and not with you in Romania and me in Jerusalem after that. But I think if we both – going into it, we know that – it’ll just be three weeks.”
“Would you want to?” Charlie asked.
Rolf worried a bit at his lower lip. “Yes, I think so.”
“You think so?”
Rolf met his gaze again, just for half a second. “I certainly want to – to shag you, it’s just that – I need to make sure I prepare myself for the fact that you’re going to leave in three weeks, no matter what happens. No matter how amicable our breakup was, it was still – a breakup; it still hurt – my only concern is that we could – end up subjecting ourselves to the sort of pain we tried to avoid by breaking up when we did.”
“No, I understand,” Charlie said. He’d been completely head over heels in love with Rolf, and he didn’t think, especially now, that he’d ever quite gotten over him. Nevermind how desperately he wanted to get under him. “I want to,” Charlie said, “I didn’t even realise it until I saw you again, but I do very much want to. But only if you want to.”
Rolf leaned in and kissed him. “I want to.”
And, well, that was good enough for Charlie.
He was only here for a few weeks, but he was definitely going to make the most of it.