• Pt. II to 'Part of the Family'
• Charlie Weasley | Post-War  
• Rated M for explicit sexual content. Read at your own discretion. 

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Everything about Charlie's wedding was unconventional- from the proposal to the ceremony, right down to the bride. The proposal came in the dooming form of a ministry owl, informing the young Miss Granger of her necessity to marry within a month's time. She got the owl in the middle of their winter holidays, meaning all of her friends were there to witness her condemnation. The ceremony was prepared quickly and was a fairly intimate gathering. They'd discussed in the Order meeting a few days prior to the official post that they'd submit a certificate and marry Hermione and Charlie right away to prevent any complications from Death Eaters who might try to get their hands on her. As for the bride, she was resolved and composed through the whole affair, not once flinching or wavering from the daunting fate awaiting both of them. 

His little brother threw a hissy fit when he learned the wizard marrying Hermione was none other than his own roguish brother. Charlie remembered the twins mentioning Ron had a soft spot for the witch, but his red-faced anger seemed more like possessiveness over his childhood crush than true devastation over the loss of a love. He was dating someone else anyway, so he couldn't bring himself to feel overly guilty. Harry did an admirable job reigning in their friend, and that was the first time Charlie met the famous Boy Who Lived in a personal capacity. Hermione never flinched. 

The Order rushed the wedding so Hermione would be married before the end of the holidays. His mother helped prepare a cozy wedding in the fields behind the burrow, transforming the place into an enchanted winter garden. Hermione never flinched.     

They spoke the ancient vows softly but surely, warm brown eyes meeting sharp blue. She never flinched. 

His sister did him the favor of keeping him updated once they returned to school. Hermione's marriage was the talk of the school. She was one of a handful of muggleborns who were old enough to fall prey to the new law. Hermione never flinched.  

It was the middle of the summer after they married. Hermione appeared on the doorstep to his flat in London, looking up at him with tired eyes. It had been a long year. Dumbledore's death marked an unmistakable shift for the worse, and it had definitely taken a toll. She carried nothing save a small purple reticule sitting along her hip. 

"Fred and George told me your address," Hermione said quietly. 

He let her in, probing her about what happened. The only answer he received was that she had to send her parents away. She settled into his spare bedroom, and for the most part kept out of his way. He was baffled. He'd thought she'd need comfort initially. After three weeks, he wondered whether she wanted his company. But she sat at the table day in and day out, her head buried in piles of books as she scratched away at a piece of parchment with her quill.  

He'd go on normal missions for the Order. Since he had no official job in the country, his tasks were always the more covert ones. Sometimes he'd return with cuts and injuries or bruises. Those were the only times Hermione looked up from her research, pulling herself up long enough to take care of him. 

"Thank you," he mumbled to her. 

"It's good for me to practice," she waved off absentmindedly. 

Practice for what? He'd wondered. 

But Hermione never flinched. 

Retrieving Harry had been a dangerous mission, and not without its cost. They lost Moody that day, one of their most brilliant strategists. Hermione's resolve only seemed to strengthen. Charlie could remember his last moment of peace before all hell broke loose. Bill's wedding was a small beacon of hope in the dark era. He'd walked up to his wife, offering his hand wordlessly for a dance. Her lips quirked in a small smile before she accepted. When she attempted to keep the formal distance between them for the waltz, he cinched his arm around her waist, pulling her close. She tensed for a moment before she sighed, relaxing into his sturdy embrace. Charlie's years of physical training with the dragons was not without its perks. He was well built, layers of hard and sinewy muscles as a result of his years of wrangling with dragons. And unlike his youngest brother, he was not a child just past the brink of adulthood; he was a man. Hermione for one took the time to savor the moment- Charlie's larger form making her feel safe, safer than she probably had any right to feel. 

But then all hell broke loose. Hermione never flinched. 

Charlie didn't know why he was surprised when he spotted his witch taking off with his brother and Potter. She'd warned him that she would stand by them. When the Death Eaters broke through their wards, his gaze immediately searched for the witch he'd sworn to protect only to find her grabbing a hold of her friends and disapparating. 

Part of him felt furious. That anger only seemed to build when they never returned. How could she not trust him? So he waited. He did his job. He went on missions, rescued families, and helped the Order. The day he received Bill's Patronus made his blood run cold. 

"Where's Hermione?" Charlie demanded, striding into Shell Cottage as though he owned the place. 

"Upstairs," Bill said, moving to stop his brother. "Stop, Charlie! Stop!" 

"She's my wife!" He roared. 

"Fleur's trying to heal her now," Bill raised his hands in surrender. "But she needs space. She'll call us when she's finished."     

Charlie turned his eyes on the two boys who she'd run off with. He had half a mind to go off on them, but their devastated expressions told him all he needed to know. 

"What happened?" He asked in an unbending tone.       

"We were captured," Ron gulped. "And they took us to Malfoy Manor. B-Bellatrix- she locked us up and interrogated Hermione. We could hear her screams echoing all the way through the dungeons," his brother winced pitifully. 

"How long?" Charlie went still. 

"Almost twenty minutes," Potter filled in tonelessly. The boy was still in shock. 

Charlie's eyes widened in horror. Was her mind still even intact? 

At that opportune moment, Fleur made her way downstairs. 

"I've done all I can," she said in a small, helpless voice. "She's barely conscious but she'll be asleep soon from the draughts I gave her. You can see her now, but don't crowd her." 

"I'll go," Charlie said firmly. No one argued. 

Ron and Harry were too ashamed. Hermione always seemed to carry all the weight; and they'd been foolish enough to speak the taboo name and get themselves caught. They'd failed her in the worst possible way. 

Hermione's eyes fluttered open when Charlie took her ice-cold hand in his. 

"Charlie?" She asked hoarsely. 

"It's me, love," He whispered more gently than he believed he was capable. "Just rest. I promise I'll be here when you wake." 

And wake she did. But she didn't want to talk about her interrogation- not one bit. The only thing she found worth mentioning was how crazed Bellatrix was that they had the sword that was meant to be in her vault. And so once again the famously reckless trio began their scheming. 

"No," Charlie argued. "Absolutely not! Hermione, you're barely recovered! You're not going, at least not without me." 

She assessed him cooly. "We have to break into Gringotts, Charlie. We can't bring you, we already have too many people. Harry's going to be under his invisibility cloak as is, and you won't fit under there with him and Griphook."  

"It's a bloody suicidal plan, to begin with!" He roared. "We'll find another way." 

"We don't have time for another way!" She argued hotly, her ire finally rising to the surface. Usually she'd be first in line to lecture Harry about his dangerous plans, but they were running out of time and only had so many moves left until Voldemort had them cornered. They needed to get into that vault before Bellatrix had the time to go back herself and check for whatever else she feared might've been stolen. 

"You're just kids," Charlie said frustratedly. "You nearly died a few days ago!" 

Hermione stiffened, her nose flaring as her usually warm eyes frosted over. "We've been fighting this battle since we were eleven! Yet, no one seemed overly concerned when we kept being thrown into these situations year after year! We were kids then. We haven't been kids for a long while now." Hermione finished pensively.       

"But-" 

"Don't do this, Charlie," she pleaded, her weariness finally seeping into her resolve. "I have to finish this- we're the only ones who know how to finish this. Standing between me and them now is like me making you choose to leave your dragons. Just don't ask it of me." 

Charlie finally relented, knowing his pleas were hopeless either way. She'd do what she wanted regardless of his input- that witch had a head all of her own. Arguing would only create a rift between them. She saw the defeat in his gaze and finally sighed in relief. She offered him a small, thankful smile. Her breath was stolen from her when Charlie reached out, jerking her forward until he nearly collided with him. She could feel the warmth radiating from him like a furnace- just like one of his dragons.  

"Promise me you'll be careful," he whispered, his breath ghosting across her face.  

"I always am." 

She saw something indiscernible flicker through his piercing gaze seconds before he was on her. She gasped when he brought his mouth down on hers, demanding she kept her promise. His lips were soft, but he wielded them with an unyielding force. He took her breath away until she was drowning in his smokey scent, clutching on to his broad shoulders to steady herself.  

He drew back slightly, his breath colliding with her in soft pants. "I'm holding you to that." 

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When the sun finally rose the morning after the Battle of Hogwarts, they'd faced too many losses. Charlie was grateful he was there because he'd barely managed to save Fred from a collapsing wall. But many of the deaths hit him hard. They lost Tonks, one of his closest friends from Hogwarts, as well as her husband, Lupin. But he counted himself lucky because he hadn't lost Hermione despite all the targets on her back. 

Not that he saw much of her after the battle; she retreated into Potter's place at Grimmauld, only coming out for the funerals. When he finally went and sought her out, she seemed surprised he was still in town. He tried to ask where they were supposed to go from there. She stared at him blankly, letting him know he was free to return to his life in Romania as she would be remaining here to help rebuild. 

For a moment he wanted to ask her to tell him to stay.

But the resolved look in her eyes stopped him. He truly did miss his dragons, and craved to return to them after all the pressure from the war. Surely he'd done his part? His calling was the majestic animals he'd sworn to protect- not government or politics or war. He could stay longer, but what would that really accomplish in the end? He knew he'd eventually return to his dragons anyway. 

So he left. 

The first year after the war, he leaped back into his duties at the reserve with a single-minded focus. He didn't have time for anything else- not pubs, not friends, not even other witches. He left everything back in England for the dragons, including his bloody wife, which he could honestly admit still made him feel crummy at points. 

It wasn't until the second year after the war that his siblings started slipping casual updates about Hermione into their letters to him. It was an unspoken rule between him and his wife that they only write to each other for important matters or emergencies. The only times he received letters from Hermione were when she told him the marriage law was repealed, for all the good it did them, and when she congratulated him for getting promoted to Head Dragon Keeper. According to Fred and George, she opened her own book shop. Despite the choice of tame profession, it allowed her to pursue all her other side projects including her numerous best-selling books about the war, the history of blood-based tensions in wizarding London, and the historical and legislative context of magical creatures and their rights. Apparently she was a high-demand consultant for the ministry and other large institutions. Ginny dropped mention numerous times that what little free time Hermione had left was spent prompting her newly befriended Slytherins into investing their fortunes into war-time reparations. His baby sister's hints that Hermione may have been dating again forced him back to his own reality. 

The third year after the war, Charlie realized he had to continue living his life. So he jumped back into socialization with a fierceness. Every day he gave a hundred and ten percent in the reserve, and every time he went out with his co-workers and friends, he found a new witch in his bed. But never the same one for more than a handful of encounters; he wouldn't give himself the chance to date- not when he knew nothing could come of it. While before the war, this very lifestyle was his dream, the routine quickly lost its glamour. 

The fourth year after the war, Ginny wrote to him letting him know Hermione had taken in Teddy Lupin. Andromeda had fallen ill after the loss of her entire family and finally passed after a couple of painful years. While the Malfoys had flipped their views and reconciled with Andromeda after Lucius's life-sentence, Teddy's godfather, Harry, still didn't want the boy to be raised in the world of pureblood traditions. But he was rather busy as an Auror and Ginny traveled too often for her Quidditch career for the couple to have a child just yet. Hermione gladly stepped in, grateful for the flexibility in her own work schedule. Charlie started noticing how all his friends and co-workers began settling down themselves, starting their own families as they worked on the reserve. He'd never really wanted a family, but for the first time in his life, the dragons just didn't seem to be much comfort as he lay alone at night. Nor did the occasional witch who he'd just send packing by morning. 

Nearly five years passed before he got one shattering letter from Ginny. Hermione was marrying again- Malfoy at that. She'd apparently gotten closer to the git when she took Teddy in, accomodating Malfoy so he could know his cousin. Ginny told him they were taking muggle vows, which wouldn't interfere with her magical ones. By some miracle, Malfoy didn't care. The letter turned to ash in his hands before Charlie could even begin to get himself under control, his magic incinerating the offending paper. Clearly he'd stayed away from his family too long. 

Yes, his family.             

Clearly his witch forgot she was already taken, though he could forgive that since he'd let her go. But he was done being an idiot. It only took him 48 hours before the arrangements were made and leadership within the reserve was transferred. He knew he was making the right choice when he got to his portkey, ready to leave with his entire life packed into just one trunk. Maybe he didn't have as much tying him down here as he thought. 

It was a Sunday, so he apparated straight to the Burrow knowing his parents would be hosting their infamous weekly brunch. 

"Charlie," Molly cried in surprised excitement as he stormed into the garden. 

Ginny's eyes flew to her older brother, and she spit out her mouthful of juice in surprise. "Charlie," she whispered weakly. 

"Where's Hermione?" He asked urgently, not seeing her among the families gathered in the garden. 

"She must still be at her house," Harry said lightly. "Teddy's not easy to get up on the weekends. I think Draco said he was picking her up this morning, anyway." 

Charlie's eyes flashed dangerously. "Where's her home?" 

"Why?" Harry asked curiously. "She'll likely be here in a few minutes anyway. As long as Draco doesn't hold her up again," he rolled his eyes. 

Ginny winced, closing her eyes at her husband's poor choice of words. 

"I don't need a reason to see my bloody wife, Potter. Where is her house?" 

"It's 103 Nightingale Way," Molly told him confused. "What's the matter, Charlie?" 

But the tall wizard disapparated away without a word, leaving his trunk there. 

"What was that about?" Harry asked in concern. 

"I may have done something..." Ginny admitted guiltily. "But how was I supposed to know he'd just show up? I mean, the stubborn idiot never even wrote me back, and it's only been two days." 

"Ginny..." Harry said warningly. "What did you do?" 

"I might've told Charlie Hermione's going to marry Draco," Ginny mumbled quietly.

Harry's eyes widened. "How would that even be possible? She's already married!"    

"I told him they were taking muggle vows." 

"Malfoy? Muggle vows?" Ron snorted, joining them with a plate of food. "He might've changed a lot, but no one in their right mind would believe that." 

"Apparently our idiot of a brother did," Ginny shrugged. 

"Why?" Harry asked her in surprise. "Hermione hasn't even dated since she got married! Why would you tell Charlie she was remarrying?" 

"Because she's lonely," Ginny flared with annoyance. "You two might be too dense to notice it, but don't you see the way she looks at us when we're together or Ron's with Lavender? She might not say it, but she's always wanted a partner." 

"So? We could've just invited Charlie back," Ron shrugged. 

"Charlie's too stubborn for his own good," Ginny argued. "He didn't even say anything when I kept hinting Hermione was dating-" 

"Even though she wasn't," Harry pointed out. 

"Not the point," she glared at her husband. "I thought something a bit more drastic would finally make him ask about her. It's not like I expected him to show up two days later, did I?" 

"Oh god," Harry groaned. "Should we go after him? He might murder Malfoy. Did you see the look on his face?" 

"Like Hermione'd let him," Ron snorted. "I feel sorry for Charlie if he tries." 

"Oh Merlin," Harry paled. "Hermione's going to murder Charlie. I'd rather not arrest my best friend," he glared at Ginny. 

"They'll be fine," Ginny rolled her eyes. "I had a hunch Hermione's secretly holding out for him, though she's never admitted as much. Judging by how Charlie got here all the way from Romania in two days, I'm guessing he returns the sentiment. It's a long time coming, anyway." 

"Maybe Charlie will turn Malfoy into a ferret again," Ron said wistfully. "I'd love to see that." 

"Ron," both Potters groaned, rolling their eyes. 

"What?" He shrugged. "You know you secretly agree, don't try to deny it. It would be funny." 

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Charlie expected to land outside her front door since he'd never been in her home, but surprisingly her wards allowed him straight into the living room. 

"Merlin, Harry, you're so impatient," he heard the dulcet tones of the witch he hadn't seen in years. "I told you I'd be running a little late." 

Hermione came down the stairs, her hands fidgeting to fasten the clasp on one earring. She stopped abruptly halfway into the room, realizing it was not Harry in her home. 

"Charlie..." 

The wizard couldn't find his tongue for a moment, blown away by the woman Hermione'd grown into. She wore a light, peachy wrap-dress that accentuated all her curves. Her hair was much longer now, falling around her shoulders and down her torso in loose waves. 

"Hermione," he replied, his voice gruff with unspoken admiration and his anger momentarily forgotten. 

"What are you-" 

Their peaceful moment was shattered when another pair of footsteps could be heard coming down the steps. 

"Ready, Granger?" The voice called down before he came upon them. "We're already late as is." 

Charlie stiffened as Malfoy came into view, glaring at the blonde. 

"Get out," he growled at him. 

Hermione's eyes widened. "Excuse me-" she sputtered. 

"Me?" Malfoy smirked, looking between Hermione and the redhead who must be her long lost husband. "I was invited here." 

"Consider yourself uninvited," Charlie said dangerously. "Permanently."  

"Charlie Weasley," Hermione bristled in a rising voice. "How dare you try an uninvite my guests in my own house." 

Charlie's eyes flew to Hermione's, narrowing predatorily. "Since you decided to try and break our vows."   

Hermione's eyebrows furrowed in confusion moments before a quick pair of footsteps bound down the stairs. Teddy flew into the back of Malfoy's legs, clutching onto the fabric of his trousers as he peeked at Charlie. 

"'Mione, who's that?" He asked curiously. 

Hermione sighed, calming herself down. It wouldn't do to lose her head in front of Teddy. "An old friend, sweetheart. He's the older brother of your aunt Ginny." 

"An old friend?" Charlie seethed, taking a sudden step closer to Hermione. 

Seeing the unrelenting fire in Charlie's gaze, she knew their conversation would not be pretty. "Draco, would you go ahead and take Teddy to the Burrow? We'll be along shortly." 

Malfoy nodded after a brief moment of hesitance. He had a feeling he'd only make things worse by being there. But when he reached out to grab Teddy, the young toddler ran ahead to Hermione, clutching her skirt protectively. 

"Why can't we go together, 'Mione?" He asked, looking at Charlie suspiciously, sensing the tension in the air. 

Hermione crouched down, smiling at her ward reassuringly. "It's alright, love. Charlie and I haven't seen each other in ages, so we have some stuff to talk about. I promise I'll be there soon, okay?"  

Charlie felt his heart clench as he saw Hermione speak softly to Teddy. When Malfoy finally disapparated with Teddy, Hermione turned to her husband warily.

"Old friend? Really?" Charlie asked wryly, much less on edge now that Malfoy was gone. 

"What do you expect?" Hermione asked sternly. "Teddy's too young to understand the dynamics of our marriage and it's unnecessary to explain since you'll just leave in a few days."

He stepped closer until he was within a few feet of her, smiling in satisfaction. "I won't just be leaving in a few days." 

"Well I'm sure Molly will be happy to hear you're visiting for longer since it's been years since they last saw you," Hermione shrugged. 

Charlie didn't bother correcting her as he remembered her new partner. "What are you playing at with Malfoy?" He demanded. 

"I beg your pardon?" Her mouth dropped. "What do you mean, what am I playing at? You're the one who had the audacity to try and kick him out. After showing up out bloody nowhere, might I add."    

"I know we agreed to live independent lives," Charlie frowned. "But marriage vows aren't to be taken lightly, Hermione." 

"I know that," Hermione insisted with a frown. She'd never forgotten her vows- not even for a day. It was why she'd never seriously dated anyone despite her desire to find a partner.

Hermione tried dating casually before she'd adopted Teddy, but the handful of experiences left her feeling unfulfilled because she knew it could never go anywhere. She wasn't someone who could separate physical intimacy from emotions. Not to mention, she'd roll over after a night with someone and feel dirty for betraying her marriage even though they'd purposely left out fidelity for this very reason. Once she took responsibility for Teddy, she gave up on her romantic life and just tried to focus on raising him. If she couldn't have a partner, at the very least she could give herself the family she'd always wanted. Truly, Harry and Ginny being busy with their careers was a blessing in disguise for her. She didn't even realize how much she craved familial bonds until she and Teddy bonded.  

"Do you?" His eyes blazed down at her. "Because I certainly wouldn't call trying to override them as respectful." 

Hermione's frown deepened. "What in the world are you on about?" 

"I mean really, Hermione. I get it if you're sleeping with him; we did agree we could live our lives freely. But you're actually trying to marry him? He'll need his own heir eventually, you know you can't give him that."    

Hermione froze. Sleep with him? Who, Malfoy?  Marry him? In what world? 

"Honestly why didn't you even tell me you'd met someone you liked that much? Not that'd it'd make a difference either way, but at least-" 

"Charlie," Hermione stopped him. "What in the world are you talking about? I'm not marrying Malfoy- I'm not even sleeping with him!" 

Charlie stiffened, his eyes closing in embarrassment. "I'm going to murder Ginny," he muttered under his breath.

Hermione couldn't help the amused smile that snuck up on her face. What in the world had the youngest Weasley said to her brother? 

"Is that why you're here?" Hermione inquired. "Because you thought I was going to run away with Malfoy?" 

"Maybe," he mumbled. 

"That's all it took to finally get you to visit?" Hermione teased. "I should've propositioned Malfoy years ago." 

Charlie's eyes narrowed in annoyance, even though he knew she was only teasing. "There'll be no need for that anymore. If you wanted me here, you could've just asked."  

Hermione's smile faded into a neutral expression. "I would never ask you to leave your dragons," she assured him softly, acceptingly. 

"Hmm... maybe that's what made me risk giving them up," Charlie pondered aloud. "Because you'd never ask."   

Hermione's eyes widened. "Charlie..." 

"No," He surged ahead, knowing he had to get this out. Whether she was marrying Malfoy or not, that didn't change the intention with which he'd come home. "You don't understand how long you've been in my head, Hermione." He stepped towards her, grateful she didn't back away. His hands snuck along her neck, tilting her head up. "I thought it'd be fine, but nothing felt right. I always felt like I was missing something. In the beginning, I thought it was just guilt. But when Ginny told me about Malfoy, I realized it was a lot more selfish than that."    

Hermione leaned into his warm touch, feeling safe in his hold. She was always the composed one for her friends, and yet with Charlie she always felt like she could let go- even after nearly five years. 

"I could never forget the remarkable witch who so easily laid down everything for the sake of the war and those she loved," he whispered affectionately. 

"I never forgot either, you know," she admitted. "No one else felt quite right. Eventually I just gave up trying." 

He leaned down slowly, his lips hovering over hers as his eyes flickered to her eyes for permission. Hermione closed the distance between them, a small smile playing on her lips. She gasped into his open mouth when he deepened the kiss, and he walked her backward with his large hands digging into her hips. She felt the back of the couch before he lifted her onto it, and she clutched onto his broad shoulders to steady herself. 

Drowning in his long, drugging kisses, she startled when she felt his hand edge up the flowy fabric of her skirt. Feeling her tens suddenly, Charlie pulled back questioningly.     

"Problem?" 

"N-no," Hermione stammered, biting her tongue for putting a stop to his ministrations. "It's just... we probably shouldn't complicate this. I mean, you'll have to leave soon, and I don't want there to be unresolved tensions between us." 

Charlie smirked as he leaned over her, his hands resting on either side of her hips, taking pleasure in the way she held on to him to keep from falling over the couch. 

"I'm not leaving, Hermione." 

"What?" Her gaze flew up to his. 

"You heard me. I'm staying." 

"But- how? Charlie, you can't leave the dragons, you love your job!" 

"I know," he said seriously. 

"I don't want you to regret this in the long term," she rambled. 

"Hermione-" 

"And you will regret it, I wouldn't want you to-"  

"HERMIONE! You don't have to worry about me giving up the dragons," he chuckled as she stared at him with wide eyes. 

"You're not..?"  

"I did a little digging, and imagine my surprise when I find out that the Ministry is trying to open a new dragon reserve in Scotland. Did you know there are a number of dragons native to Celtic culture and the UK?"        

"Uh... I had heard that, yes," Hermione whispered. "So you're..." 

"Meet the new head of the reserve," he smiled. 

Hermione watched him in blank disbelief for a moment, raising her eyebrow for confirmation. When he continued to smile at her warmly, she launched herself at him, kissing him with enthusiastic abandon. He groaned as she molded herself to him. 

"I should've done this years ago." Charlie hauled Hermione into his strong arms, walking them over to the front of the couch before they both tumbled into the soft cushions.       

"I wish you had," Hermione echoed feverishly, her fingers making quick work of the buttons on Charlie's shirt. Her hands traced the hard planes of his body reverently. She knew to work with dragons all day must keep Charlie in excellent shape, but she couldn't help the sharp inhale when she took in his body. Her husband was fit.  

His hands roughly bunched her skirt around her waist and reveled in the softness of her skin. She felt a sharp tug around her knickers followed by a tearing sound. 

"Charlie!" She cried in surprised amusement. 

"I'll replace it, I promise," he mumbled as he threw the tattered shreds of her knickers to the floor, his hot mouth traveling down the plane of her torso. She shivered at the warmth of his breath, which she could still feel through the thin fabric of her dress. Before he could head any further south, Hermione yanked him back up with a sharp tug on his hair.  

"So impatient," he teased, following her direction. 

"If you're staying, we have the rest of our lives to explore," she said breathlessly, her hands finding the buckle to his trousers. "We're still expected at the Burrow for brunch." 

"You're actually planning to still go?" He asked incredulously. 

Hermione rolled her eyes as she pushed his trousers and boxers down just enough. "If you don't want half your family showing up to see what's holding me up, I suggest you hurry." 

Charlie groaned torturously as his straining length made contact with her warm core. "Maybe we should just wait." Though that was the last thing he wanted.         

Clearly Hermione shared the sentiment because she pulled him closer with a vice-like grip of her legs around his hips. "I swear to Godric, Charlie Weasley if you do not fuck me right now I'll-" 

Hermione's breath stuttered and her vision went unfocused as he drove into her with one swift thrust. He cursed under his breath, his head dropping to the exposed skin between her cleavage. 

"Merlin, Hermione," he whispered taking controlled breaths. "How long has it been for you?" 

"I don't remember," she squirmed, relishing the filling sensation of his simply being in her. "Definitely over a year." 

They moved together, learning each other for the first time. He loved the way her nails raked down his back when he thurst particularly deep, and the small breathless whimpers she couldn't contain when she was close. She exalted from the way his hands clenched on her hips whenever she squeezed him like a warm glove. He set a punishing pace, and she was only too happy to let him. How many times had she imagined it was him in her bed and not some random date she'd only kick out the next morning? How many times had she woken up with the phantom of their first and only kiss disappearing with her dreams?

He laid atop her afterward, both of them breathing hard. Any other time, she would've welcomed the anchoring sensation oh his weight, but she realized with a start they were still expected at the Burrow. 

"We're so late," Hermione cried, pushing Charlie off to climb to her feet haphazardly. 

"I think mum will forgive you when I tell her you convinced me to come back for good," he grinned devilishly, his long locks hanging around his face mussed- as he'd just been thoroughly shagged. 

Hermione rolled her eyes good-naturedly. "Get dressed? And fix that hair would you?" She said sheepishly, running a hand through the locks affectionately. "Otherwise everyone will know what we've been up to." 

"Like they won't already," he smirked. "Where are you going?" He cried after her as she raced up the stairs. 

"To get a pair of knickers!" She shouted back. 

He grinned in satisfaction, spotting the shreds of the one he'd torn off her near the coffee table.

"You could've just gone without," he told her as she came back, her own hair tamer now than it had been once he'd gone through it. 

"There are kids at the brunches!" She said, scandalized. "Ones short enough to catch a glimpse up my skirt, might I add!" 

"Pity," Charlie stated.       

"Well, one of them is mine," Hermione said uncertainly, fidgeting with her skirt uncertainly. "I know Harry's technically his godfather, but he's already agreed I can essentially raise Teddy." 

Charlie's eyes softened on the suddenly unsure witch. 

"It's just- I know you never wanted kids, really. But Teddy's already part of my life, and I wouldn't-" 

"Hermione," Charlie interrupted softly, catching hold of her busy hands and squeezing reassuringly. "I thought I didn't want a lot of things, a wife included. A lot's changed." 

"So you're okay with Teddy?" 

"Tonks was one of my best friends back at Hogwarts," Charlie admitted. "She and I were like you and Harry. Even if I didn't still want kids, it would be an honor and a privilege to raise hers." 

"He's very easy to love, you know," she told him softly. 

"I have no doubt," he smiled. "He looked ready to drag you away from the big, bad Weasley." 

"He's a bit protective of me," she admitted with a laugh.    

"I can't wait until you tell him I'm not just 'a friend.'" Charlie chuckled, taking a hold of her hand as they prepared to apparate back to the Burrow. 

"Oh Merlin," Hermione groaned. "You thought you had to win me back. Wait until we tell Teddy."