Title: Another World
Author: Aaramlexia
Pairings: R/Hr & C/T
Summary: Post OoTP, while cleaning out the attic of 12 Grimmaund place Ron, Hermione, Charlie, and Tonks are transported to another world with no clue as to how they're ever going to get back.
Disclaimer: Harry Potter is not mine.
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Hermione couldn't help but notice how cute Ron looked when he wrinkled his nose in disgust. She also couldn't help but agree with his silent assessment of the attic of 12 Grimmauld place. The attic was huge, spanning the entire length of the house. It was also covered in a very thick layer of dust. But what really disheartened Hermione was the sheer volume of odd knickknacks stored haphazardly in the space. It was going to take ages to get the place cleaned up!
"Ginny's going to pay for weaseling her way out of helping with this mess if it's the last thing I do!"
"Ron, stop being so melodramatic, it won't be that bad."
"Easy for you to say, Hermione. No one's forcing you to help straighten this place up."
Charlie, who was standing directly behind Ron, wasn't very thrilled with their new cleaning task either and let out a groan of frustration over the mess in front of them.
"I can't believe Mum's making us clean the attic! Leave it to Mum to want to clean a room nobody's ever going to set foot in."
"Yeah, well I can't believe that you're letting Mum order you around," Ron replied teasingly as he and Charlie stepped into the room, "Twenty-one and you're still bowing down to Mummy, no wonder you haven't got a girlfriend."
"Well if that's my excuse what's yours? Personally, I'd give looks and personality equal odds," Charlie shot back, "What do you think, Hermione?"
Hermione pretended to be deep in thought upon said subject as she entered the room before replying rather haughtily, "I don't think Ron has a problem with getting a girlfriend…"
"Ha! See I'm irresistible! Aren't I, Hermione?" Ron interjected as he slung his arm around her shoulders and raised his eyebrows at her.
Hermione ignored Ron and tried to suppress her growing grin as she continued, "Like I was saying before I was so rudely interrupted, before Ron can even have a problem with getting a girl to go out him he'll need to find one who will even talk to him!"
Hermione and Charlie broke out laughing but Ron seemed rather putout, if the growing flush on his face was any indication.
"Hey! I don't have any problems with getting girls to talk to me."
"Wotcher, Ron, what're you yelling about up here?" Tonks questioned as she strolled, actually, more like tripped her way into the attic.
"You're absolutely right, Ron, as Tonks here demonstrated, you can get girls to talk to you. Oh, I'm so proud of my baby brother!"
As Charlie leapt on Ron and gave him an exaggerated version of one of Mrs. Weasley's hugs, if that was even possible, Hermione turned her attention away from the brothers to evaluate the task at hand.
Charlie and Tonks would bear the brunt of the work. The attic defiantly had many items that needed be examined and handled by use of magic, and that was just from the small portion of the room she could see! She and Ron would have to cover the more menial task of cleaning and dealing with the known objects that would pose no threats to their safety. Luckily, once they were done with this room they would have to do no more cleaning that summer.
The attic had been the one room Mrs. Weasley had not got around to cleaning since the order had made 12 Grimmauld Place headquarters the summer before. It had been a shock to Hermione when she had found out she would be spending another summer at Grimmauld Place. After the events at the end of their fifth year she had assumed that the order would move the location of headquarters. Not only were there many painful memories of Sirius attached to the house but Kreatcher's betrayal had shown that 12 Grimmauld Place was not as secure as they had all believed. But the order members and most importantly Dumbledore still considered it a secure location, and the order could not spare the resources needed to move the headquarters.
And so here Hermione had resided since the end of school, not allowed to return home because of the risks associated with being one of Harry Potter's best friends. It had not been so bad. Ron and Ginny had also spent the summer locked up in Grimmauld Place, and since the previous summer had also featured practical imprisonment in the old house it hadn't taken long to get used to.
Of course, it was still quite different. Hermione had to admit, even she missed Sirius. The twins hardly ever stopped by, they were too busy with their joke shop and if they did it usually had to do with some order business. Tonks, to Hermione's surprise, was also being forced to stay at headquarters. Officially, it was to protect Hermione, Ron, and Ginny if anything happened, but everybody knew it was to keep her away from any action. Tonks was still recovering from her injuries at the ministry of magic, and had become someone who Hermione could commiserate with. They were both still having potions forced down their throats daily, and people treated them as if they were invalids which ticked both of them off as neither witch was really feeling the effects of their injuries anymore.
Another mainstay at Grimmaund place that Hermione was becoming quite attached to was Charlie, who had appeared quite mysteriously at the breakfast table one morning a week after she, Ron, and Ginny had arrived. He was not at all what Hermione had expected and was pleased to find that he was much different than certain brothers in his treatment of Ron. The two had become quite close over the course of the summer to the point that sometimes Hermione had to remind herself that Ron and Charlie were brothers and not best friends.
It was those brothers who interrupted her reverie when the two, rolling around on the floor, bumped into a dresser and sent a lamp falling to the ground with a loud crash. Apparently the hug had turned into an all out wrestling match. Hermione was ready to yell at them to break it up (after all they were supposed to be cleaning not making a bigger mess!) when Tonks, who was standing beside her and avidly watching the two Weasley's asked, "So, who do you think will win? My money's on Charlie He does work with dragons, you know, Ron doesn't stand a chance."
Hermione couldn't help but feel a little defensive of Ron. Didn't stand a chance?
"I think that you are quite mistaken, Ron can keep up with Charlie, in fact, he is quite a bit taller."
"Yeah, but Charlie's thicker, I bet he's got quite a bit of muscle!"
Hermione was quite incensed at this remark, so what; did Ron not have any muscles?
"Ron's got muscles too! I bet he wins!"
Tonks seemed delighted at this remark, "Okay, 5 galleons to whoever's fighter pins the other first?"
Hermione became a little apprehensive at this, gambling?
Tonks, perhaps sensing Hermione's indecision couldn't help but make the decision a little easier for her, "Of course I could understand if you backed out, I mean, Ron against Charlie? No contest."
"I'm not backing out, Ron will beat Charlie, I take your bet!"
The two women shook hands; but did not get to see the outcome of the fight when Mrs. Weasley strode into the room at that very moment.
"CHARLIE ANDREW AND RONALD BILIOUS WEASLEY WHAT ARE YOU DOING! YOU ARE SUPPOSED TO BE CLEANING THE ATTIC NOT DESTROYING IT!"
Hermione was surprised at just how quickly they both managed to get up off the floor. She was also relieved that their mollified expressions and apologies quickly appeased Mrs. Weasley and she left before Hermione became anymore embarrassed than she already was. She couldn't help but feel guilty at her behavior. Although she was the youngest of the four she also promised Mrs. Weasley that she would make sure that no one would slack off and the attic would be clean by dinner. She should have never let everyone get off track.
Tonks, however, did not feel the same way, "Shame that that was broken up," she announced while shooting a grin Hermione's way, "but all was not for naught. Did I hear her correctly, Mr. Charlie ANDREW Weasley?"
Hermione didn't see what was so special about having Andrew as a middle name but apparently everyone else did as a blush crept up Charlie's neck and Ron and Tonks both sniggered for quite some time.
"Yep," Ron finally replied, "Mum was going through a faze when she had Charlie, we're not supposed to talk about it" he added a fake cough that sounded suspiciously like freak in Charlie's direction for emphasis.
It must be a wizarding family thing Hermione surmised. She dismissed all thoughts of the oddity of her companions and instead got down to business.
"Okay, first we should start with the dust. Then we can set up areas for different items. One pile for trash, another for things to keep, and a third…"
She was going to have this place cleaned up so fast that Mrs. Weasley couldn't help but forget about her momentary lapse of judgment.
