Hi everyone! I read this one particular Charlie/Hermione story, and it inspired me to write this! Please review! Tell me if it stunk or rocked! :) Oh! And also tell me if I should add more to it later, or keep it as a oneshot. Thanks and enjoy!
"Ron! You're insufferable!" yelled Hermione as she ran from the room.
Ginny glared at Ron, Fred and George both gave him a bemused look, Bill looked at Charlie with a raised eyebrow, and Harry looked out the window (knowing by now not to get involved.)
"What'd I do?" asked Ron, offended.
"You're such a git!" fumed Ginny. "You can never say anything nice to Hermione! Just once, could you say something positive?"
"What? All I said was that-"
"Mate," interrupted Fred. "You need to learn-"
"-How to find the right timing to say things-" said George.
"-So that you don't sound like a total prat," they finished together.
Bill nodded, approving the twin's words. Ron sighed and put his head in his hands.
"I'm going to go check on her," stated Charlie. "Ron, next time you see her, you should apologize."
Ron sighed as Charlie left the room. Bill and Ginny looked at each other with knowing smirks.
Now, where did she go?
She wasn't in his parent's room.
Or Percy's room.
Or Fred and George's room.
Nor his and Bill's room.
Not even in Ron's. He also looked in the attic on the off-chance that she wanted some alone time with the ghoul. She didn't.
Where else can this house hide a girl? Then, his stomach flipped as he heard another boom of thunder. She's outside.
Charlie pounded down the stairs, skipping a few at the base, and ran out the back door. Should I care this much about her? Yes, mum taught me to. The rain poured down on him in sheets as he squinted to see a sign of bushy hair. He first checked the garden, but she wasn't there. Then he checked the broom shed, hoping she was reasonable enough to get out of the storm. She wasn't. Where else could she go?
Hermione sat, huddled at the base of a tree. She had stormed out of the house after Ron's rude comment and had decided to go for a walk to calm herself. She was walking towards the clearing where the Weasley's would play Quidditch when a bolt of lightning shot threw the sky and startled her. After the thunder died away, it started to pour. She ran the rest of the way and hid under the nearest tree. Gee, seeing all the good times we had here, I thought this would have been a great place to come and think. I was wrong apparently. Soaked, she sank down to the base of it and sat. A flash could be seen, followed by a thunderous boom that made her jump.
Why does Ron have to be such a prat, thought Hermione. He never thinks! And when he offends, he doesn't even apologize! Is a sorry every once in a while too much to ask for? Ugh! And the way he eats! Cows are more polite I swear, Ron needs to learn some manners. None of his other brothers are like that. Fred and George can be annoying at times, but they know their limits; they are funny. Bill isn't like that either, and neither is Percy. Percy can be a bit of a git sometimes though. And Charlie… she paused in her thoughts as the wind started to blow. The cold rain pelted her face. She curled up into a ball, shivering. …Charlie is kind as well, like Ginny. Why can't Ron act like his brothers? What ever happened to sibling influences? At least Ginny was smart enough not to take after Ron…
Charlie, shaking his hair out of his eyes, jogged towards the last place he thought Hermione would go to. The wind picked up, so he moved a bit faster. Having their Quidditch clearing in site, he was quite shocked to see a mass of bushy brown hair curled at the base of a tree.
He slowed down as he got close to her knowing she was still upset, and knelt down in front of her, blocking the wind. "Hermione?" he asked rather loudly to be heard over the noise of the storm.
She looked up at him. Charlie could have sworn that she had been crying, but it was hard to tell. Hermione's lips were a slight shade of blue and her entire body was soaked. Her normally bushy hair was now flat and plastered to her face and back. Her clothes clung tightly to her, and Charlie could see her body shaking. As he tried to speak again, a loud rumble of thunder resonated without the warning of lightning, making Hermione jump frightfully.
He could see the fear in her eyes which sent a pang through his heart. I'm only being brotherly, he lied to himself. Knowing that she would not hear him in this weather, he simply held out his hand. She took it gradually. Her hands are ice cold! I need to get her out of the rain, fast. Worried for her, he gently pulled her up and started running back towards the house.
How can someone's hands be this warm in such a gale,
When they got close to the broom shed, she was surprised when Charlie turned and pulled her in there after him. It took him a second to force the door closed, but when he did, the noise dimmed down at once. They both took a minute to catch their breath. Hermione took this opportunity to look around. There wasn't enough space inside for her to walk, but both she and Charlie fit inside together without touching. The shed was fairly dusty, and there were about four brooms inside. There were also a few plugs and other Muggle items strewn throughout the place.
"W-why the b-broom shed-d?" she asked finally through chattering teeth. She thought it was rather cold in there, considering it was closed off from the wind.
"It's closer than the house," he replied simply as he took out his wand and brushed his hair out of his eyes. He looks cute when he does that… "Hang on a moment."
With a flick of his wand, Hermione's clothes and hair were dry. Another flick and his were too. "Thanks," she said gratefully.
He looks really good in that tight dark blue shirt and loose jeans. The shirt shows off his muscles nicely…Wait, am I really thinking this??
He smiled at her and asked, "Are you alright? About Ron, I mean."
She tried to change the subject and the direction of her thoughts. "Yea, I'm fine. Why didn't we just run to the house?"
"This was closer, and I wanted to get you…err… I mean, get out of the rain," stuttered Charlie.
Hermione blushed slightly at his thoughtfulness. "Well, we might as well sit…" she started as she slowly sat down, making sure not to sit on anything.
Charlie followed suit. She saw that he sat with his knees loosely near his chest and his elbows leaning against them. On the other hand, she was curled up, hugging her knees as tightly as she could without hurting herself. Even though I'm dry, it's still freezing in here. I wonder why guys never feel as cold as girls do.
She noticed Charlie looking at her, so she met his gaze. His eyes are so pretty…like the Caribbean oceans… a bright blue. Did I just think 'pretty?' What a mundane word…His eyes are the same as all the other Weasley's after all…
After a minute or so of keeping eye contact, Charlie spoke up. "So, do you always sit like that?"
Not wanting to admit weakness, she countered, "Do you?"
"I do in a cramped space," he replied.
"Well…same here," she agreed.
They sat in silence for a while, listening to the rain. Hermione could hear the wind continue to pick up, making the rain slam into the door. She tried her hardest not too seem cold, hoping he wouldn't notice the prominent set of goose bumps she was developing on her arms. She had her jaw locked fiercely.
"This was closer, and I wanted to get you…err… I mean, get out of the rain," Charlie stuttered.
Phew, that was close. Was I really just about to admit that I like her? Wait, I don't! At least not like that. She's Ginny's friend! And she likes Ron! She's so young after all, too young for me…However, she looks wonderful in that baggy, bright red t-shirt and tight dark blue jeans…Wait, what am I thinking?!
Charlie came out of his thoughts when he heard Hermione say, "Well, we might as well sit…"
He sat down slowly, making sure not to sit on the plug that was under him. He put his legs up comfortably and leaned his arms against his knees. He saw that she sat similarly, but a lot more tense and tight. He noticed that her lips were still that shade of blue, and he could see the goose bumps that stood out prominently on her arms. Her whole appearance made her seem incredibly cold. He had to admit, it was a little colder in the shed than sitting inside of a fridge, but the cold never really affected him all that much. He was quite worried about Hermione.
I'm just thinking like my mother's son, he thought as Hermione locked eyes with him. He didn't dare look away. Her eyes are beautiful…but still, mum taught me to act like a gentlemen. That's why I'm feeling like this. She looks so cold though, but I don't want to offend her… How can I be discreet?
"Do you always sit like that?" he asked quite calmly, despite his anxiety.
"Do you?" she replied defensively.
Truthfully, he responded, "I do in a cramped space."
"Well…same here," she said.
Don't lie to me Hermione, please. I only want to help… Please, just admit it so I can help you. I don't want to do the wrong thing. Damn, I should have a jacket; I could have given it to her…
Becoming lost in thought, he only dimly registered that Hermione's body quivered quite noticeably. Her eyes widened immediately after, but he was oblivious. Only a tremendously loud roar of thunder brought him back, as well as made both him and Hermione jump.
Hermione finally couldn't hold it in anymore as she lost control and her body shook. Please, don't let him notice. PLEASE. Charlie was looking straight at her, but he looked distant and dazed. When she finally regained control, she sighed with relief, only to jump a mile high when a thunderous boom startled her.
Trying to calm down her beating heart, she began to shiver uncontrollably. Apparently, she didn't have THAT much willpower. But this time, Charlie noticed.
With eyes wide, he asked worriedly, "Are you alright?"
"I'm f-fine," she stammered.
She gasped inwardly as he crawled closer to her. "Are you afraid of storms?"
"N-no!" she cried indignantly.
Is he doing what I think he's doing?
He wrapped his arms around her and gasped. She tensed, preparing herself to move away, even though she didn't want to.
Your body's freezing!" he exclaimed constricted.
"I'm-m s-sorry…" she said as she blushed and tried to move away from his incredibly warm body, but he held her close.
"No, don't leave," he whispered as he rubbed her arms gently to warm them.
I never want to leave this spot, she thought as her body unconsciously moved closer to him. He's so warm! How can he be this warm? Her body shook violently as it tried to adjust. Charlie tightened his hold on her.
"Why didn't you say something?" he softly spoke into her ear.
"I d-didn't-t want-t you t-to think-k I was-s weak-k," she said sensitively.
"I would never think that, Hermione. You are a very strong and gifted witch," he said. "Besides, you can't help but be cold when your body says so."
"I guess…" she mumbled.
"Besides, you have to be strong to put up with Ron," he joked with a smile. Hermione giggled.
Somehow, he can always lighten the mood. I like that about him.
When her body finally stopped shaking, and she could fully enjoy being held by Charlie, she thought, being here almost feels like when I sit on the train or a bus, and the sun is shining through the window on my leg. It's just that this time, it's my entire body. It's a great feeling. Oh, who am I kidding! I love him! I wonder if he feels the same way… I should keep this to myself. Being so close to him made her smile.
Charlie's heart was beating a mile a minute. Damn, I should have been paying attention. It's harder to tell when thunder's coming when you can't see the lightning. He looked over to see if Hermione reacted the same way, but his eyes widened in shock instead. I knew she was cold…but is it really THAT cold? Her body was shaking violently, and her teeth were chattering so loudly and so much that he could hear it.
He asked worriedly, "Are you alright?"
"I'm f-fine," she stammered.
She is a terrible liar, he thought as he crawled over behind her. Wow, she smells really nice… like the smell of the woods and flowers. He became dazed and asked, "Are you afraid of storms?"
"N-no!" she cried indignantly.
Her cry brought him back to reality. He wrapped his arms around her, but gasped. Bloody hell! "You're freezing!" he exclaimed constricted. It's like holding an ice cube! He became anxious again.
"I'm-m s-sorry…"
He felt her try to pull away from him, but he simply held her tighter. "No, don't leave," he whispered so that she wouldn't hear his still tight voice.
He rubbed her arms gently but rapidly to warm them up. Damn… I wish she had said something! She wasn't fair to herself! "Why didn't you say something?" he softly spoke into her ear.
"I d-didn't-t want-t you t-to think-k I was-s weak-k," she said sensitively.
He was shocked. Her? Weak? Never! "I would never think that, Hermione. You are a very strong and gifted witch," he said. "Besides, you can't help but be cold when your body says so."
"I guess…" she mumbled.
"Besides, you have to be strong to put up with Ron," he joked with a smile.
Hermione giggled, and it made his heart soar. Wow, her laugh is wonderful…
After a while, Hermione's body stopped shaking, which relieved Charlie immensely. It feels good that I can help her… oh, who am I kidding! I love her! I wonder if she'll feel the same way… I should keep this to myself. Being so close to her made him smile.