Title: Inertia, Followed By Vertigo
Pairing: Charlie/Hermione.
Rating: FRT.
Word count: 1970
Warnings: Minor spoilers for DH.
Summary: Charlie entertains less than appropriate thoughts about Hermione; five times he had such thoughts, and the one time he did something about it. CWHG.
Disclaimer: The names of all characters contained herein are the property of JK Rowling. No infringements of these copyrights are intended, and are used here without permission.
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One - Quidditch World Cup
She is standing between Fred and Ron. He sees the sideways glances that the twin sends her way as she smiles, laughs, cheers for Ireland. Charlie scowls. Fred, he thinks, isn't good enough for the likes of her. (Years later, he regrets this thought.)
He shakes his head. She's bloody well fourteen years old, he tells himself, just a child – your younger brother's best mate. But no matter what he tries to convince himself of, he too sneaks glances and imagines kissing Hermione as Krum catches the Snitch for Bulgaria.
Two - Bill and Fleur's Wedding
He's dancing with Fleur when he sees Hermione get on the floor with George, who begins twirling her around like a madman, making wild dips and the both of them flailing so wildly that there was now a wide circle around them.
It's been almost three years since the last time that Charlie thought of Hermione as anything but more than a kind of adopted sister, and now, with a beautiful red dress and a bright smile on her face, he thinks again how he would like to kiss her.
Shacklebolt's Patronus arrives a few moments after the dance ends, George with his arm slung around Hermione's shoulders, whispering something into her ear that makes her look disapprovingly at him but then laugh anyway. The twins, he thinks, were never really able to make her laugh before the War, but everyone needs a little more laughter now. Hermione pulls a wand out, and he's rather curious as to where she hid it in that dress of hers, and even in the midst of all the chaos he wonders what it would be like to undress her.
Three - The Battle of Hogwarts
There's a dangerous light in Hermione's eyes as she duels with Antonin Dolohov. She strikes him down easily enough, and she's more than glad for it when she finds out that it was Dolohov that was responsible for Fred's death. She has a deep gash on her left cheekbone, her hair's wild and loose, and there's dust and dirt all over her, and even like that Charlie is enthralled.
The Battle is done shortly after, and amidst the keening cries of those who have lost and the sobbed greetings of those who have found, he watches her lean against the door to the Great Hall for a moment and then turn away. He looks down at Fred once more, and then hurries after her.
"Hermione," he says, quiet enough that it wouldn't attract attention and yet loud enough that she could hear it.
She turns around, her brown eyes filled with tears, exhaustion writ all over her face. She stands in front of him, shoulders slumped, so pitiful and tired that he walks over and pulls her close. An arm snakes around his waist, bunching the hem of his shirt. His hand tangles in her hair.
At any other moment, Charlie thinks, he would try—No. He mustn't think of that now. But she's a grown woman, he realizes now, of age and a war hero at that. He kisses the top of her head and holds her until she stops crying.
Four - Weasley's Wizarding Wheezes
Since six months after the end of the war, Hermione has been working with George in the joke shop. Everyone was surprised, as it was almost certain that she would return to Hogwarts to complete her education. And she did – but only for a few months. It didn't feel right, he overheard her telling his mother. She'd rather be doing something useful.
He wonders if she has feelings for George, beyond that of friendship. He wonders if George has feelings for her. The two have certainly been spending more time together than they did before the war. She is the only one that he confides in. Charlie's also pretty sure that she is the only one to see George cry, and grieve; certainly none of the other Weasleys have done so.
Charlie goes to visit the shop on a Wednesday. George is nowhere to be seen, and the crowd is sparse. Hermione comes out of the backroom, holding a large cardboard box with air holes poked into it. He's not sure he wants to know what's in there; the young witch, it turns out, has a rather devious mind, and she's been putting it to good use experimenting with his brother, inventing new things.
She smiles brightly at him, and moves to say something, but just then the box gives a great lurch and the cover flies off. Fluffy blue…things…fly out, and start buzzing around the shop. Three sit themselves on Hermione's head, and he's pretty sure one of them is making a bed in her hair.
She cries out a spell and grins at him sheepishly as she begins to gather them up and put the creatures back in the box.
George comes out of the back room, looks at Hermione with their invention in her hair, blinks, and then laughs loudly. He is stunned; Charlie has not heard his brother laugh like that since before the Battle. He knows that it is she who has done this, helped his brother on the mend, and made him laugh. Charlie wants to kiss her all over, thank her for this. She's extraordinary, and more than wanting to thank her, he wants to kiss her just for the sake of it. She deserves to be kissed well, and he wants to be the one to do it.
George starts helping Hermione, and Charlie watches the two of them together before leaving the shop abruptly. He figures that maybe, he's too late.
Five - The Burrow
Hermione is staying at the Burrow since returning from Australia; her parents, though their memories were restored, were quite angry with their daughter. At first, she hadn't talked to anyone but George; even Ron and Harry were at a loss as to what to do.
Now, though, she's walking with Charlie. The two of them have taken to meeting outside just after lunchtime, and talking of inconsequential things. It's calming for the both of them, he thinks. Today is no different, with the exception that they're talking of dragons.
"There's a bit of a wand shortage," she says as they continue walking together through the field of long grass just next to his home. "Ollivander says that there's a dragon at your reserve who's dying; he wants my help in gathering some heartstring."
Charlie nods, hands shoved deep in his pockets. "It's the Hungarian Horntail. Caught a bit of muscle rot, can't shake it. Pity." His tone is fraught with regret.
He's startled by her hand finding his own, and squeezing reassuringly. He stops walking, and looks at her curiously. Her expression is sympathetic.
"I know you love the dragons, Charlie. I'm sorry that this one is dying. It must be like losing a friend," she says simply.
No one has ever understood his attachment to the dragons, and none so readily as Hermione has just done. He swore to himself years ago that if he ever met a girl who could understand, or at the very least accept, his passion for them, he would snatch her up immediately.
And to think, she was so close already. All he needed to do was lean down, just a little—
She doesn't miss the way his eyes flash to her mouth, and then back up again. She doesn't miss how his hand tightens on hers, or how he bites his lip nervously. It makes her uncomfortable, not least of all because she wants to see just how far this can go.
Hermione pulls her hand away, blushing.
They walk back to the Burrow in silence, both of their minds dwelling on what had almost just happened.
Six - Dragon Reserve
Once he realizes that she isn't actually in love with any of his brothers – George and Ron, especially – and once he hears from Ginny that Hermione has been talking about him quite a bit, and how excited she is to see him at the dragon reserve when she goes to collect the heartstring, Charlie decides that he's waited long enough.
He has a chance, however slim, and he's going to take it.
Hermione arrives at the reserve on a rather balmy day in March. Though they hug fiercely when she enters his tent, it takes him approximately two and a half days before he works up the courage to actually kiss her.
A Norwegian Ridgeback has just sneezed on her, and he thanks Merlin that it was just bogies that came out, and not fire. She tells him that she's going to take a brief shower and then meet him in the paddock where they are performing surgery on the Horntail, gathering the heartstrings. He nods blankly, but he watches her walk away, eyes lingering on her slender curves, and the way wisps of hair left out of the messy bun graze her neck.
He throws his gloves down and hurries after her, entering the tent just after her. She's moving forward, but he grabs her forearm and spins her back to him, pulling her against his chest. She gasps in surprise, and he notices her pupils dilate as his other hand tangles in her hair. He looks in her eyes, then at her mouth, and hearing no protest, he kisses her.
Years of pent-up passion make for a hell of a kiss, he decides. Her hands clutch at the fabric of his shirt, and she leans up into his kiss, returning it eagerly.
"I've been wanting to do that for ages," he admits as they part.
She smiles at him breathlessly. "I'm glad that you finally got up the courage."
He pulls his sleeve down over his hand, and uses the fabric to wipe away some of the dragon bogies. He chuckles at the sheepish look on her face. "Still beautiful," he murmurs.
Hermione laughs, surprised, and hits his arm lightly with her tiny fist. "You don't tell jokes nearly as well as George," she admonishes.
"Not joking."
She leans up to kiss him again.
(It is the second kiss of many, many more. Too many to count, I'll have you know. Charlie wouldn't have it any other way.)
finis