I know the ending is rather ... lacking. However, I've never written Hermione/Charlie before. Anyway, any feedback would be greatly appreciated :)
Miss Penny Lockhart xx
Hands on hips, twenty four year old healer Hermione Granger scowled down at the redhead lying before her, cheeky grin on his face, eyes wide with innocence. This family would honestly be the death of her; they caused her no end of worry. They all seemed to have taken up careers which involved an extent of danger, minus Ginny who was Hermione's fellow healer. However, the Weasley sitting in front of her was the one that caused her the most stress of all ... one Charlie Weasley.
Now, Charlie Weasley at the present moment in time should have been in Romania with his dragons but no, he'd been sent to retrieve a baby dragon that Hagrid had managed to acquire. The baby dragon it seemed, hadn't wanted to be parted from Hagrid and had scorched Charlie's chest, hence his appearance in St Mungos.
"Charlie! Last time I saw you, did I or did I not say that I didn't want to see you around here again?" Hermione tried to be stern with the older man but couldn't help the grin that quirked at the corner of her lips when he gave her that smile. The smile, that over the past few years seemed to have been reserved solely for her.
"Well Healer Granger, I suppose you did say that but when do I ever do as I'm told? Besides, it was an excuse to see you again, wasn't it?" He quipped winking at her. Hermione shook her head at the redheaded charmer and tried to hide the blush that was starting to form across her cheeks as she looked at his chart.
"Well Charlie, it seems that the baby dragon didn't do any lasting damage. However, I'd feel better if you'd stay overnight just to make sure you're alright. According to my chart you haven't had a check up in quite some time. Avoiding the healers in camp are we?" Hermione raised an eyebrow at Charlie who was now looking rather sheepish.
"I just never get around to it; I'm always busy with the dragons." Hermione's glare softened at this, she couldn't stay mad at the man who cared about the welfare of magical creatures just as much as she did.
"Alright then but I think that in your line of work it's rather vital and unless you want me to tell Molly, then I'd suggest you start doing it." This time it was Charlie's turn to glare at Hermione.
"Oh you wouldn't." He growled at her, moving to sit up but falling back down at the sudden pain in his chest.
"Oh I most certainly would Mister Weasley, you underestimate me." She teased, putting down his chart. "Now is there anything I can get for you? I start my lunch in five minutes." She asked looking at the pocket watch attached to the front of her uniform.
Charlie grinned roguishly at her and ran a hand through his messy red hair. "A date would be nice?" He asked, fixing her with an intense blue stare. Hermione looked down at her hands, unsure as to how to respond to this recent development. Sure, over the past few years she and Charlie had experienced a somewhat flirty relationship which caused amusement for the rest of their friends and his family, but Hermione had thought it stopped there. She hadn't known that Charlie actually wanted to date her.
"I think that ... I think that Healer Roberts is single, want me to ask her for you?" She stuttered out, letting out an awkward laugh. Charlie's gaze upon her seemed to intensify at her answer and he shook his head.
"That is not what I meant Hermione. I think we both know that, but if you're going to play hard to get, I'm willing to chase you." He smirked, causing Hermione to flush bright red. Fortunately or unfortunately as the case may be, at this point a flustered Ginny Weasley burst into the room.
"Hermione, there you are! I've been looking everywhere for you!" Ginny rambled, turning to face her brother. "Oh hi Charlie," She greeted in passing, before her eyes widened comically and she spun around to face her older brother. "Charlie! What in Merlin's name are you doing here? Shouldn't you be in Romania? Why did nobody tell me you'd been admitted?" Letting the entire sentence out in one jumble, Ginny heaved in a deep breath and perched herself on the edge of her brother's bed.
Charlie let out an amused laugh and reached out to take Ginny's hand.
"Okay well, I'm here because I was sent to collect a baby dragon from Hagrid ... again. It scorched my chest, leading me to be admitted here and nobody told you because I didn't want you telling Mum and getting another guilt trip about my job." He rambled off giving his sister a beaming grin. This caused Ginny to sigh and launch herself around her brother, hugging him tightly.
"Oh Charlie, you're such an idiot. You should know I wouldn't tell mum if you didn't want me to, I'm not like Percy you know." Ginny pouted, removing herself from Charlie after he let out a strangled cry.
"Yeah I know, I think I'm going to sleep for a while now. I feel groggy from the potions I was given earlier; have fun at lunch you two." He grinned and just as they were about to walk out of the door he continued. "Hermione, think about what I said. I'm serious." He gave her a smouldering look and turned his head away from them, indicating that he was going to sleep.
"So Hermione, what was Charlie on about?" Ginny asked, her freckled face wrinkled in confusion. Thirty minutes later saw the two girls sitting in a bistro a few streets down from St Mungos chatting idly.
Hermione blushed deeply and cradled her cup of tea with her hands, refusing to meet Ginny's eye. "Gin, it was nothing, he was just being Charlie."
"Don't lie to me Hermione Granger. I'm not stupid, I can tell when something is going on and something is going on." Ginny scowled, giving Hermione an accusatory look. It frightened the living daylights out of Hermione how much Ginny reminded her of Mrs Weasley right then. It was as though she were back in The Burrow in her childhood, watching Ron be interrogated by his mother, except this time ... she was on the receiving end of the questioning.
Hermione sighed; she knew she wasn't going to get out of this alive if she didn't give Ginny the answers she was looking for. She'd been on the receiving end of her infamous temper once before and let's just say the scars were just beginning to heal to this day. Heaving a sigh she wrenched her eyes up to meet Ginny's searching gaze.
"Charlie asked me on a date ... not outright but in that sneaky little way of his which makes it obvious what he wants without him actually having to say it." Ginny's lips quirked into a smirk which reminded Hermione of Draco Malfoy.
"It's about time! You two have been dancing around each other for far too long, honestly, did you never think all this flirting would lead somewhere?"
"Well, I don't know I mean Charlie is gorgeous, he could have his pick of women. Why would he go for me, a giant haired know-it-all bookworm?" Ginny shook her head at her clearly dense friend.
"Hermione, in case you haven't noticed sweetheart you're rather on the gorgeous side yourself. You have a list of potential suitors as long as my arm and some. Plus, it's quite obvious that Charlie has been falling in love with you." Hermione's mouth dropped open in shock.
"How could he have been falling in love with me? He's been in Romania for most of the time!"
"Absence makes the heart grow fonder Hermione, remember that." Quipped Ginny, winking at her best friend. Hermione sighed and laid her head in her hands.
"Oh Merlin Ginny, what am I going to do?" Ginny gave her a quizzical look and raised an eyebrow.
"Go on a date with him?" Ginny suggested, as though it were the most obvious answer in the world.
"But I brushed him off." Hermione pouted.
"So tell him you want to go on a date with him. It's not like Charlie's going to give up, if I know my brother he'll be planning to give it another shot in a day or two." Hermione nodded and giving Ginny an apologetic look handed her a handful of money and walked out of the bistro.
Smoothing down her uniform, Hermione raised her hand to the door handle but hesitated at the last minute and clenched her fist. Sighing, she scolded herself for being such a Hufflepuff. She was a graduate of Gryffindor dammit, where was her infamous Gryffindor courage. She had been mulling the situation over in her head on her way back over to the hospital and had realised that she really did want to date Charlie Weasley.
Taking a deep breath she opened the door quietly, not wanting to stir Charlie from his sleep just yet. She smiled at the sight before her. Charlie was lying in the bed; the covers had fallen down around his waist exposing his taut chest covered in bandages. His arms were thrown behind him and the sunlight streaming through the windows made his hair seem as though it were on fire. Hermione grinned as he mumbled in his sleep, he looked so cute.
She didn't know how long she had been watching him but suddenly he cracked an eye open and groggily cursed.
"You know, if you wanted to see me half naked you could have just asked." He quipped, his sleep coated voice gruffer than usual. Hermione rolled her eyes and crossed the room to sit on the edge of his bed. Looking down at him she was astounded at how she felt, the look he was giving her made her chest tighten with emotion and she had an overwhelming urge to kiss him.
"Charlie, I have something to say and I want you to not interrupt me before I'm finished." She asked, staring at him until he nodded in agreement. "The thing is, about before. I think we should go on a date. It wasn't until I had a chat with Ginny that I realised that I do genuinely want to date you. The thing is Charlie, I have feelings for you and I don't think they're the kind of feelings that are going to fade anytime soon." She trailed off, staring at Charlie with baited breath, waiting for his reaction to her confession. When he hadn't responded within the first minute or so, Hermione nodded and stood up, walking stiffly towards the door.
"Hermione, wait." Came Charlie's voice, he sounded panicked. Hermione spun around to see him walking towards her.
"Charlie Weasley you should not be out of bed!" Hermione shrieked, reminding herself of Mrs Weasley. Charlie smirked at her and reached out, clasping her hand in his.
"Hermione, look the thing is, I'm in love with you. Have been for a bit now, I was just a bit shell shocked that you feel something for me, you know, besides mindless flirting." He grinned as he pulled her against him, the twinkle in his eye intensifying as he lowered his head to hers.
The rest, as they say is history.
According to the rest of the Weasley clan, they had seen it coming for months. Hermione however, thought they talked complete and utter nonsense.