Author/Artist: GaeilgeRua
Recipient: articcat621
Title: Reunions and Surprises
Characters/Pairings: Hermione/Bill/Charlie
Rating: NC-17
Word Count/Art Medium: 22,663
Warnings/Content: Alternate Universe, OOC, Smut, Threesome, Unplanned pregnancy
Disclaimer: Harry Potter characters are the property of J.K. Rowling and Bloomsbury/Scholastic. No profit is being made, and no copyright infringement is intended.
Summary: Struggling to deal with the death and destruction surrounding her after the war, Hermione moves to Australia to search for her parents. Two years later, wizards from her past find her and help her in her search.
Notes: I want to thank articcat621, I've always wanted to write this threesome and her wonderful pairings and suggestions gave me that opportunity. I cannot thank our mod, for giving us an extension, which allowed me to give this story the time and attention it deserved. Last, but in no way least, I want to thank my Alpha, Squarepeg72, my betas, lj user="meiri_fics and twztdwildcat, and my Aussie picker, SlytherinPrincessNurse1994 for everything they did. Without their help, this story would not look even remotely close to what it does now. If there are any errors after they went through it, then they are my own.
6 November 2000, Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, Australia
"Dammit." Hermione sighed, closing the file before her and frowning. "Another dead end."
Letting her eyes fall shut, the brunette witch pressed her fingers against her temples and rubbed gently, frustrated with her lack of progress. In the year and a half since arriving in Australia, Hermione had received and followed up on over two-dozen different leads, but she was still no closer to finding her parents.
Slowly some of the tension eased from her head and she opened her eyes, only to come face to face with the photo on her desk.
It had been nearly two years since she had last seen either of her best friends. More than sixteen thousand kilometres of land and water between people will do that for you. But she couldn't return, at least not yet. She had to find her parents first. There was also the issue that she still needed to come to terms with everything that happened during the end of the war two and a half years ago, but Hermione was pushing that back as much as possible. She wasn't ready to deal with all those deaths.
Reaching forward, she brushed her fingertips over the glass, another sigh escaping her lips. "I miss you guys," she whispered.
"They miss you too, Smarts," a voice interrupted from the doorway.
She nearly knocked over the photograph in her shock. Only two people ever called her that name, her father, who it couldn't possibly be because his voice was not that low plus he currently had no clue that he has a daughter, and one wizard. She gasped.
"Bill!" She exclaimed as she jumped from her chair. As she rounded her desk, she was surprised to see a second familiar face. "Charlie?" She looked between the two wizards. "What are you both doing here?"
Charlie laughed. "Well, isn't that a fine how do you do?"
Hermione blushed. "I'm sorry, I just wasn't expecting to see anyone I know from back home around here since it's been so long."
"If I remember correctly it was right after the last of the funerals," Bill said.
Hermione frowned. "I know, but I just couldn't take it anymore. All the fighting, the deaths, the sadness everywhere I turned… I couldn't breathe anymore."
Charlie stepped forward, hugging her. "Ignore him, love, he doesn't always think before he opens his mouth, but I promise he didn't mean to upset you." He pulled back and winked at her, a grin playing at the corners of his lips. "It's a Prewett family trait. We all get it from mum."
She chuckled. "Of that, I have no doubt, but Bill's comment reminded me again of just how much I'm missing by being here." She sighed and leant her head against Charlie's shoulder. Closing her eyes, she breathed in his unique scent of ash, wood, spice, and man. "It's just been a trying day. Not only was I reminded of how much I miss home, but also I've reached another dead end in my search for my parents. Eighteen months and I still haven't found a single trace of them. Well, no trace after they arrived here."
"Is there anything we can do to help you?"
She opened her eyes and looked at Bill, who was now standing next to her and Charlie. "I wish there was, but all of my leads are dead ends and I don't have any new ones. The rest of the department has tried helping, but no luck. Honestly, it's like they disappeared off the face of the planet."
A glint on the corner of her desk caught her eye. Remembering what words the innocuous piece of parchment bore, made her frown.
"Smarts? Are you okay? I really am sorry for my comment earlier."
Shaking her head to clear her thoughts, she reached out and squeezed his arm, smiling softly. "I know you are, Bill, and my frown wasn't for your comment, but rather I saw that parchment on my desk and remembered that I'd much rather go home after work tomorrow than go to the Beltane festival."
"Why do you not want to go, love? It's a time for new beginnings and Beltane is a wonderful time of year, although it's strange to be celebrating in November rather than May."
"Yes, it is very different from what we're used to, but at the same time it makes perfect sense due to their seasons being different from England's." She stepped out of Charlie's arms to look at both wizards. "I know it's a wonderful time of year and a time for new beginnings, but it's one thing to go to something like this with someone, it's another to go by yourself and have to watch everyone else enjoy themselves as they let the magic of the evening overtake them and you're stuck sitting on the sidelines by yourself."
Bill and Charlie shared a look.
Hermione noticed. "What?"
"You know," Charlie said. "You don't have to go to the celebration alone if you don't want to, we'd be happy to accompany you tomorrow night."
"Plus," Bill added, "I have an idea for how to find your parents, so we could stay and help you with your search."
She arched an eyebrow. "I thought you were heading back home to England and Romania?"
Charlie shrugged. "We were, but we both have time before we need to return since we were able to find the dragon we had been searching for much sooner than we thought thanks to Bill's curse breaking skills."
Her second eyebrow joined the first. "Curse breaking skills to find a dragon? That's a new one."
"Someone stole the dragon and while they were waiting for things to die down and the authorities to stop looking for it so he could sell it on the black market, the thief tried to mask the fact that he had a dragon with multiple layers of protections and I used the energy the protections were giving off to find the location."
Charlie grinned, clapping Bill on the shoulder. "And the layers of protections were nothing for Bill. Took him less than two days to dismantle the ridiculous number of spells the man used, while the Australian ministry found the thief and took him into custody. Needless-to-say, he won't be seeing daylight from this side of prison bars for many, many years, because the Romanians do not take the stealing of one of their dragons lightly."
Hermione's eyes lit up as events from the week before started to become clearer. "So that's what all the fuss was about on Friday."
"Probably," Charlie replied. "He was found on Friday afternoon and we were able to free the dragon very early Saturday morning."
"We've been finishing up paperwork since then to have both the thief and the longhorn sent back to Romania," Bill explained. "We were on our way to the portkey office to leave for England for a few days when we decided to visit you before we left. I'm glad we did."
"So am I," Charlie added, grinning. "The rest of the team from the reserve will be heading back with the dragon later today and sometime tomorrow authorities will be taking care of transferring the thief between here and the Romanian Ministry. So I am free to stay here."
"So back to the issue at hand, or rather now, the non-issue at hand. Charlie and I will be more than happy to take you tomorrow night and I should have a new lead for you by the end of the week."
Hermione looked at Bill questioningly. "What about Fleur?"
"What about her?" He raised his left hand, showing a bare ring finger. "We're no longer together. Haven't been for nearly two years. Actually, I'm back out in the field in Egypt again."
"Oh, I'm sorry, I didn't know that. Seems Harry and Ron forgot to mention that little bit of information."
"Don't be. Once things started to settle down after the war, we started to realise that we were not as compatible as a couple as we had originally thought. I think a lot of it had to do with the adrenaline of the war."
Charlie rolled his eyes. "Dearest Fleur also realised that she wasn't ready for children."
Bill groaned. "How many times do I have to tell you, neither of us were ready for children at the time." He turned to look at Hermione. "It seems that my family was under the impression that I wanted children and she didn't because she didn't want to lose her figure. It's a bunch of bullshite and this twit knows it. With all that had happened, I recognised I wasn't ready and that even if I was, I realised that Fleur really wasn't the witch for me."
Charlie snickered. "That's because your wolf didn't want her, not that I blame him. There are," he looked at Hermione, a slow grin spreading across his lips, "prettier fish in the sea."
It was Hermione's turn to roll her eyes, a light blush stealing across her cheeks. "I know you're not talking about me."
Charlie raised an eyebrow. "There's this saying I once heard from a fellow keeper who was Muggleborn, 'beauty is in the eye of the beholder'."
Hermione bowed her head. "Then you both have low standards for what is beautiful."
A crooked finger under her chin forced her to look at Bill. "Stop that right now. You are one of the most beautiful women I've ever met, both inside and out, and if anyone says anything to the contrary let me know and I'll gladly show them what they're missing out on."
"We'd both be happy to." Fingers carded through her long, curly hair, catching slightly on a knot near the end. "Now, as Bill said earlier, we're taking you tomorrow night and you no longer have a say in the matter."
Hermione opened her mouth to counter Charlie's comment but was silenced by a gentle thumb pressing against her lips.
"We'll see you tomorrow evening." And with that, both wizards disappeared out of her office, the door quietly clicking shut behind them.
Hermione's gaze travelled from the closed door to the parchment still sitting silently on her desk. A smirk inched its way across her features. Maybe tomorrow evening wouldn't be so bad after all.
6 December 2000, Perth, Western Australia, Australia
"Do you know where they went?" Hermione was nearly bouncing on the balls of her feet she was so excited.
Over the past month, Hermione, along with Bill and Charlie, both of whom had taken an extended leave of absence from their respective jobs, had been hot on the trail of Bill's lead. Bill refused to disclose where his tip came from, but at this point, if it led to finding her parents, she didn't care.
"I'm not sure exactly," the middle-aged receptionist replied, "but the only people I've met that were named Wendell and Monica were only here for three or four months before they left for Wellington."
Hermione grinned. This was brand new information for her. None of her previous leads had ever said anything about New Zealand. "Thank you so much!"
The brunette witch practically darted out the door, Bill and Charlie close behind.
The receptionist's voice trailed after them. "You're welcome, but that was nearly two and half years ago!"
"Hermione!" Bill exclaimed as the two wizards were quickly catching up to the shorter witch. "Slow down!"
"But I'm so close to finding them," she called over her shoulder.
Charlie opened his mouth to remind her that it was nearing dinnertime and that they'd have to arrange for a portkey to Wellington when Hermione stumbled. She nearly fell into the street before she collapsed against the wall to her right. Charlie lurched forward catching her before she hit the ground.
"Hermione? Are you okay?"
Her eyes were squeezed shut, her hands were clutching her head. "No, I got lightheaded all of a sudden."
Bill looked up, catching sight of the clock tower of Perth Town Hall. His eyes widened. "Well, we had breakfast hours ago and it's almost four now, so you probably need to eat something. How about this, the two of you go to the ministry location here and try to get a portkey to Wellington for tomorrow, I will pick us up something to eat for dinner, and we'll meet back at the hotel."
Hermione opened her eyes and started to nod her head, but flinched at the movement, quickly closing them again. "That sounds like a good idea, as soon as my head stops hurting and the world stops spinning."
Charlie pulled her closer. "Take all the time you need." He looked at his brother. "You go on ahead, as soon as she's up to moving, we'll go to the ministry and then meet you back at the room."
"Okay." He hugged his brother as best as he could with Hermione still in Charlie's arms before he bent down and pressed a kiss to the top of her head. "Feel better soon, Smarts."
"Thank you, Bill," she whispered, her eyes still tightly closed.
Charlie watched as his brother continued on down the street towards one of the many designated Apparition points that dotted the southwestern coastal city of Perth, Australia. Once his brother was no longer in sight, he returned his attention to the witch in his arms.
He frowned and gently rubbed his fingers against the frown lines of her forehead. Charlie hated seeing one of the strongest witches he knew down like this, especially when he didn't know what was wrong or how to fix it. He pressed a kiss to the top of her head.
Hermione hummed and he could feel some of the tension leave her. "Hmm, that feels nice."
Charlie smiled and pulled back to look down at her. He could see that the lines on her forehead were starting to disappear. "How are you feeling now? Are you able to get up?"
She squeezed the arm wrapped around her waist, her fingers playing with the small rope bracelets on his wrist, and slowly opened her eyes. "Give me a couple more moments and I should be ready to go."
"No rush," Charlie replied.
The Perth Town Hall clock struck the hour. He looked up.
"In fact, we have one full hour until the Portkey Office closes at the ministry and it will only take a few minutes to get there once you're up."
"Thank you."
Charlie's gaze darted back down to her. "For what?"
"For catching me, for helping me search for my parents, for going with me to the Beltane celebration, for–"
Charlie chuckled, a smirk spreading across his lips. "We rather enjoyed ourselves that night, didn't we? The three of us did, I mean."
Hermione blushed. "Yes, we did. I'm pretty sure I'll never be able to show my face to my boss's husband ever again."
Charlie laughed heartily. "Poor wizard. I thought at one point his eyes were going to pop out of their sockets."
Hermione grinned. "He challenged me. What was I going to do? Say no? I don't think so."
"I think that's exactly what he thought you were going to do."
"Well, the joke's on him then."
"It definitely was," Charlie agreed. "Too bad he had never met a Gryffindor before, because if he had, then he would not have tried to challenge you."
Hermione pulled away from Charlie's hold and sat up straighter. He could see that her eyes were more alert when she looked at him. "I'm just glad that my boss has a much better sense of humour than he does and didn't fire me."
"You ready to just stand?"
"Yes, I think so."
Charlie helped her to stand next to him. "Your boss is a wonderful lady and a riot. I'm pretty sure she would've been sorted into Slytherin had she gone to Hogwarts because she has a wicked sense of humour and one hell of a cunning mind."
Hermione grinned. "I will have to agree with you there, she is quite cunning and ambitious."
They fell silent for a moment as they watched the few Muggles as they made their way up and down the quiet street.
Hermione turned to Charlie. "I think I'm ready to go now."
He nodded. "Okay, but we're walking together and I want you between me and the wall so if something happens again, you don't accidentally fall into the street."
She looked at the determined look on his face and nodded. "Okay."
They turned and started to follow the path Bill had taken only a few minutes earlier.
"My heart about stopped earlier when you teetered towards the street. There weren't any cars around at that time, but it terrified me either way."
Hermione reached out and squeezed his hand. "I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to scare you. Either of you. I honestly don't know what came over me."
"It's probably what Bill suggested. We haven't eaten in quite a few hours, so it's probably hunger." He squeezed her hand and didn't let it go as they continued to walk.
She nodded. "You're probably right."
They soon reached the Apparition point and Charlie turned to her. "Are you okay to Apparate by yourself or would you rather me side-along with you?"
Hermione thought about it for a moment before she replied, "I think I'll be okay."
Charlie nodded and released her hand. He soon Disapparated, leaving Hermione to stare at empty space where he had been standing only seconds before.
Hermione took a deep breath and closed her eyes, seconds later, she too disapparated from the little alleyway Apparition point.
She Apparated into another hidden place on the other side of Perth. Charlie was already there waiting for her. She made to step forward when a wave of nausea washed over her and she bent over heaving.
Charlie was at her side in a moment, steadying her as she dry heaved.
"Maybe we should get you back to the hotel," he said, concerned.
"No," Hermione rasped out as her stomach slowly started to settle back down. "I always react poorly when Apparating, although not nearly this bad. Usually, it's just disorientation; I've never been nauseous before."
He looked at her questioningly. "Are you sure?"
She nodded and stood up straight. "Yes, I am. In fact, I'm feeling better already."
"Okay," Charlie conceded.
Hermione quietly led the way out of the alleyway and to the street side entrance of the Perth branch of the Australian Ministry of Magic. In less than ten minutes the two of them had made their way through security and were now waiting for one of the officials to see to them for their Portkey to Wellington.
Hermione turned Charlie, a worried look on her face. "Do you think we'll be able to get approval for tomorrow?"
He shrugged. "It's possible, but I'm not sure how strict the Australian Ministry is in regards to their Portkeys." He grasped her hand. "Worst comes to worst we'll have to wait a couple days."
"True," Hermione agreed. "We could–"
Charlie looked at her expectantly when she trailed off. "We could what?"
"We could always book a flight to New Zealand," Hermione suggested.
"I never thought about it, but we could fly. It wouldn't be the first time for either of us."
"We'll keep that as Plan B if it's going to take too long to get a Portkey."
"That works for me."
"Miss Granger? Mister Weasley?" They looked up at the receptionist. He smiled. "You can go into Mister Whistler's office now."
"Thank you, Robin."
They entered Alec Whistler's office.
Over half an hour later, the couple left with a Portkey in hand for Friday at eight in the morning.
8 December 2000, Perth, Western Australia, Australia
In the wee hours of the morning, Hermione woke to the sound of quiet snoring from the wizard on her left. She slowly sat up and in the early morning light, she looked down at Bill and grinned. His snoring was more of a growl and if she was honest with herself, she found it quite sexy. Especially that first morning after Beltane when he had a tight hold on her and almost refused to let her go when she tried to get up and get ready for work.
She reached out and carded her fingers through his long, red hair. He was a handsome wizard and she thought his scars only added to his appeal. Hermione counted herself lucky that he wanted to be with her. She didn't know how long their relationship would last, but she was going to enjoy it until things changed.
Movement on her right pulled her attention away from Bill to Charlie. Her grin intensified.
Charlie was a lot like his older brother. Both wizards had dominant personalities, but where Bill tended to be a little more rough and wild, Charlie's dominance was quiet and controlled.
Bright blue eyes met hers as she looked back at Bill. He returned her smile. "Morning," he said.
Hermione shivered as his sleep roughened voice washed over her. She loved the sound of his voice and the confident wizard knew it too.
"Morning," she replied quietly.
He reached up and grasped her hand, pulling it down to place a kiss on the inside of her wrist. His eyes locked with her's the whole time.
"How are you feeling this morning?"
Normally, she wouldn't think anything of his question, but she knew he was worried about her. Both her wizards had hated seeing that what started out as a bout of lightheadedness two days ago had transformed into some kind of stomach bug late that night and plagued her all the next day.
"I'm okay," she answered. "I still feel a little off, but I think the worst is over."
"That's great to hear," Charlie said as he sat up next to her. "We have a busy day ahead of us."
Hermione grinned. "I know. I just. . . I honestly can't believe that I'm this much closer to finding my parents and restoring their memories."
Bill chuckled as he sat up and joined the other two in leaning against the headboard. "One step at a time, Smarts. Let's get over to New Zealand and see if they're still even there."
She blew out a breath. "Oh I know, but for some reason, I can feel that this is right. That we are actually heading in the right direction." She looked at Bill. "And it's all thanks to you and your unknown source."
"A wizard has to have his secrets, love," he countered, a grin tugging at the corner of his lips.
"You are something else." She shook her head.
"That's why you love me," Bill teased.
Her eyes widened and she scrambled to get out of bed.
"Hermione?" Charlie questioned as he moved out of her way.
She sprinted for the loo.
Bill and Charlie looked at each other worriedly as they heard her once again heaving into the porcelain bowl. They both followed quickly.
Charlie knelt next to her and held back her hair as Bill wet a washcloth before placing the cool material on the back of her neck. He sat on the edge of the bathtub.
A few minutes later, once she stopped throwing up, she sat back and looked from one wizard to the next.
"What's wrong with me?"
Charlie sighed and pulled her close as Bill grasped her hand. They both leant down to kiss the top of her head.
Bill sat back and looked down at his brother and Hermione. "I know there's a wizarding hospital similar to St Mungo's in Wellington, where our Portkey is going. When we get there, our first stop after the New Zealand Ministry will be going to have you checked out."
Hermione nodded. "I think that is a good idea."
"I think so too," Charlie agreed. He hugged her to him. "Are you okay to stand now?"
"Yes, I am. I'd like a glass of water if possible."
Bill squeezed her fingers and kissed the back of her hand before standing up and releasing it. "I can get you a glass while Charlie helps you to stand."
He reached out and flushed the toilet before he disappeared through the doorway in search of his wand.
She opened her mouth to protest, but Charlie cut her off. "Yes, we know you're a strong and independent witch, but you're not feeling well right now. Please let us take care of you."
The look on his face made her pause. She smiled softly. "Okay."
Charlie nodded and then stood up. He reached down to help her stand and when she was upright, she pulled the washcloth from behind her neck. She moved to run it under cool water again so she could clean her face, but Charlie pulled it from her grasp.
"I've got it."
Hermione shook her head and smiled. Normally, she would protest such behaviour towards her person, but she knew they both meant well. Plus, it was a really sweet gesture. "Thank you."
Charlie turned the water off and moved to face her. He crooked a finger towards her. "Come here, love."
"I can–" She snapped her mouth shut at the raised eyebrow Charlie sent her way. Hermione rolled her eyes this time, but the smile tugging at the corner of her lips softened the gesture. She stepped closer to him.
Charlie brushed stray curls back from her sweaty face. He caught her gaze with his as he raised the warm cloth to gently clean away the evidence of her bout of sickness.
A cool glass of water was placed in her hands and Hermione grasped it as she reluctantly tore her gaze from Charlie. She smiled warmly at Bill. "Thank you." She glanced back at Bill's younger brother. "Both of you."
Once he was done, Charlie stepped back, giving Hermione room to drink slowly from the glass. He struggled with his emotions as he saw the tired look on his lover's face. She wasn't sleeping as much as she should and he itched to wrap her back in his embrace. He smirked as he realised that he and Bill probably had a lot to do with Hermione's lack of sleep.
Seeing the route his brother's thoughts were taking, Bill elbowed him and shooed him back into the bedroom to get ready for the day. They had an hour and a half before their Portkey was to depart and they still needed to pack and eat. He was thankful that Hermione didn't see their silent exchange since she was busy brushing her teeth. Charlie's lusty thoughts would have to be put on hold until they reached their destination and Hermione saw a Healer.
Bill ran his hands down her hair and grinned as she turned to face him, her teeth sparkly clean.
She held a hairbrush out to him. "Do you mind brushing my hair for me? It relaxes me and it needs to be done before I can shower and get ready for the day."
"Of course, Smarts," Bill replied. He stepped back through the doorway and led the way to the little chair in the room.
Now that the loo was vacated, Charlie darted in to take a shower. "Don't have any fun without me!"
Hermione shook her head. "No need to worry about that," she muttered.
Bill heard her loud and clear. "Are you okay?" He hesitated for a moment. "You still want us here to help, right?"
His words may have said one thing, but by the tone of his voice, Hermione knew he didn't mean their help with her search for her parents, but rather them with her as they had been since that delightful Beltane night a month ago.
Hermione turned in the chair to look up at him. "Of course I want you and Charlie here with me. Not only helping me search for Mum and Dad, but also because I want both of you." She bit her lip and looked down for a moment before she returned her eyes to his and released the hold her teeth had on her bottom lip. "I know it's early still and not at all conventional, but I care about you both and I definitely want to see where our relationship is headed."
Bill walked around the side of the chair and kneeled next to her. "Have you met our family?" He laughed. "We're about as unconventional as you can get, except maybe for mum."
Hermione grinned at him. "Good point."
He sobered a bit. "Charlie and I have talked about what we want many times since our offer to you before Beltane. We wouldn't still be here if we weren't serious."
Hermione grasped his free hand. "I know you wouldn't."
Bill squeezed her hand and stood back up. "Let's get your hair brushed and both of us need to shower after Charlie is done so we can get ready to go. We also need to eat."
Hermione wrinkled her nose.
Bill frowned. "Are you not hungry?"
She shrugged. "A little bit, but I'm not sure I can stomach much."
He stepped back behind her and slowly brushed the tangles from her long curly hair, starting at the ends. "How does some tea and toast sound?"
Hermione thought about it for a moment before she nodded. "I think I could handle that."
"Buttered or no?"
"Um, probably not, but some butter on the side would be great."
"I think that can be arranged," Bill said. "Once Charlie is out of the shower, you take yours and one of us will place the order for room service."
Hermione tilted her head back and moaned as Bill slowly dragged her brush along her scalp. "That feels amazing. Thank you."
Bill grinned as he saw that her eyes were closed. "I know exactly what you mean, Smarts."
Hermione's eyes popped open and she looked at him. "Would you like me to brush yours for you?"
Bill grinned. "I would love that–"
"But Bill here knows we don't have time for that since when someone else brushes his hair for him, he tends to get a little frisky," Charlie interrupted as he stepped out of the loo, a towel wrapped low around his waist.
Now that he was finished brushing her hair, Bill stepped back from Hermione and rolled his eyes at his younger brother. "Just because I've got long hair, and find pleasure from the simple act of my hair being brushed, doesn't mean I can't control myself."
Hermione stood up from the chair and turned to face her wizards. "I have to say that I like it when you lose control." She winked at Bill as she made her way past him and into the loo.
Seconds later, a couple drawers in the dresser opened and some of Hermione's clothes shot out and quickly moved through the air following her. The door closed second later.
Bill and Charlie looked at each other in surprise for a moment, when they heard the shower turn on, they grinned and chuckled.
"She sure knows how to make an impression," Bill mused.
"I have to agree with you there, brother." Charlie nodded before making his way over to the drawers that held his clothes and pulled out what he would need. He didn't hesitate to start changing right there, knowing that over the years that Bill had seen everything he had to offer. Both wizards were also very comfortable in their own skin, so why should he hide?
"Hey, Char," Bill called as he was pulling their bags from the closet. "Think about what you want for breakfast so we can place our order and eat as soon as I'm out of the shower."
"I'd like a full breakfast," Charlie replied. "What about you?"
"That sounds great to me," Bill agreed.
"And Hermione?"
Bill shook his head and called his clothes into his bag. "No, she's still not feeling well. She just wants tea and some dry toast with butter on the side."
Charlie pulled his shirt over his head before giving his brother a concerned look. "I'm worried about her, brother."
Bill sighed as he started to brush his long red hair. "Me too, Char, me too."
"I'll place our orders while you get ready for your shower," Charlie offered.
"Thank you," Bill said as he finished brushing his hair and stacked up what he needed for his shower after Hermione was done with hers.
The two brothers fell silent as they continued to get ready for their move from Perth.
A little over an hour later found the two oldest Weasley sons waiting along one of the lobby walls as Hermione turned in the keys from their room.
She returned to their side after a moment. "Are you two ready to go?"
"Yes," Charlie replied as he stepped away from where he had been leaning against the wall and led the way.
Bill and Hermione followed him.
"Do we have everything we need?" Bill asked. "Our Portkey leaves in a couple minutes."
"It's a little late for that," Hermione joked as they stepped into the room behind the hotel reception desk that they had entered through a few days ago.
Hermione smiled and held up her beaded handbag."I have everything here. I made sure to go through and check all of the rooms and I didn't see anything."
"Good." Bill smiled.
Charlie held out his hand, his palm open where a Vegemite jar sat. Bill and Hermione both reached out and grasped an edge. Seconds later, the trio disappeared from the hotel's receiving room.
8 December 2000, Wellington, North Island, New Zealand
Seconds later the trio reappeared over 5,200 km east in the Wellington Ministry of Magic.
Hermione slammed her eyes shut as her vision swam and threw her hands out to steady herself.
Arms grasped her hands and elbows to help her as she regained her bearings.
When she took her first Portkey to the Quidditch World Cup all those years ago, she had struggled in just the same way. Over the years though, she had acclimated to the jarring feeling of spinning through the air and it was unnerving to feel like she was back at square one again.
After a few moments, she felt the world right itself and she slowly opened her eyes. Bill and Charlie were once again giving her concerned looks.
"We really need to get you to see a Healer," Bill said. "This isn't good."
"No, it's not," Charlie agreed.
Hermione nodded her head. How could she argue with them when she knew they were right?
"Let's check in here and we'll get directions to their hospital, too." Hermione finally released her hold on their arms.
The trio stepped out of the small room they arrived in and made their way over to the Portkey receptionist.
"Granger, Weasley, and Weasley checking in," Hermione replied to the witch's questioning look.
"All right, please finish these forms sent by the Australian Ministry and you will be done."
She looked at the nameplate on her desk and looked up at her, smiling. "Thank you, Charlotte."
Less than five minutes later, their forms were complete and turned into the middle-aged witch behind the desk.
"Is there anything I can help you with?" Charlotte inquired.
"Yes," Bill replied. "May we have directions to the hospital here, please?"
"Sure." The witch pulled out a fresh piece of parchment and tapped it with her wand. They watched as lines and squares bled onto the page. She tapped her wand a second time and a green line appeared leading from the ministry to a building only a few blocks away. "Just follow the line and you'll be there in no time. I would say it is probably a fifteen-minute walk from here. The name you'll be looking for is D.I.C."
"Thank you again," Hermione said, smiling. "We appreciate your help."
The trio turned and left the Portkey office and made their way through the maze of hallways and lifts. Once they finally reached the atrium of the New Zealand Ministry of Magic, Hermione stopped and turned to Bill and Charlie.
"We need to find a list of dental practices here in Welling–" she started to say but was cut off.
"No, what we need to do is go to the hospital here and get you checked out," Bill stated.
"We can look for a list of practices once we know what is wrong with you," Charlie added.
"But-"
"No, buts, Mi," Charlie interrupted, "The search can wait, your health cannot."
Hermione gave both wizards an annoyed look but decided it was in her best interest to stop trying to argue with them. The Weasleys were a stubborn bunch and the oldest sons were no different. She'd go with them to the hospital here and show them that the issues she was having were nothing to worry about and that they should get back to searching for her parents.
Bill raised an eyebrow. "Are you ready to go now?"
"Yes," she replied.
They made their way outside, following Charlotte's directions.
"But don't be surprised if I tell you both off when it turns out that it's nothing more than either dehydration or lack of food."
"And if that's the problem, then feel free to withhold sex if we're wrong."
Hermione whirled around and stared at Charlie in shock. All three of them stopping on the sidewalk. "No need to be that extreme!"
He laughed. "Of course not, we just want to show you how serious we are."
Hermione turned to look at Bill. "And you're willing to do the same thing?"
He grimaced. "Yes."
Hermione turned back around and continued walking. "Huh."
Bill tugged on Charlie's sleeve and they fell behind Hermione a couple steps, whispering furiously, "What the bloody hell do you think you're doing?! I happen to rather enjoy sex with Hermione."
Charlie chuckled. "Oh don't worry, brother, she won't be withholding sex."
"And how do you know that?"
"There is something wrong and it's not something trivial like dehydration or lack of food."
"You know what's wrong?"
Charlie nodded. "I think so, but I'm not saying anything until we know for sure."
Bill looked back at Hermione, a worried look creeping across his features.
Charlie saw and clapped Bill on the shoulder. "There's nothing to worry about, brother. I promise," he said cryptically.
"If you're sure," Bill muttered.
"I am," Charlie reassured.
The two brothers fell silent as they followed Hermione the last couple of blocks to New Zealand's wizarding hospital. A few minutes later they came across a sight similar to St. Mungo's, an old department store now closed. Mannequins were still standing in the front windows, their clothes having long since been removed.
Hermione stopped and turned to Bill and Charlie. "Wait. How do we get in? Charlotte didn't say."
They looked around to see if there was any sign of how to enter the hospital.
Bil frowned. "Can I see that please?" He gestured to the map still in Hermione's hands.
She handed it over and continued her hunt.
The curse breaker looked down and saw that Charlotte did, in fact, leave them directions on how to get in.
"We come requiring medical attention and with no ill intent," he read from the open space below the map.
Charlie and Hermione stopped what they were doing and watched as the entrance shimmered before the door disappeared and revealed a long, dimly lit, light beige coloured hallway.
Hermione turned to Bill. "How'd you do that?"
He held up the parchment. "There was an explanation below the map."
She frowned. "How did I miss that?"
"Come on," Charlie said as he walked towards the open doorway. "Before it closes."
Bill placed his hand on the small of Hermione's back and they followed Charlie. Once all three of them were clear of the entrance, the illusion slid back into place and the wall sconces flared to life.
They continued down the hallway, following the sounds of people talking that floated towards them, before Bill finally responded to Hermione's inquiry, "To answer your question, I don't think it was there until we arrived here. I didn't think she'd so easily give us a map with no way of getting inside."
Hermione nodded. "Makes sense." She glanced up at Bill, worry starting to creep across her features. "What if there really is something wrong with me?"
"Then we will figure out a way to deal with it," Bill replied.
Charlie looked over his shoulder and smiled at her. "You're a strong witch, Mi. Whatever is wrong with you, you will be able to overcome it."
She returned his smile and laid her head on Bill's shoulder. "Thank you, both."
Charlie nodded his head and turned around to watch where he was going since they were nearing the end of the hallway.
"Of course." Bill slid his hand around her waist and hugged her to his side.
They rounded the corner and found themselves in a busy waiting room. Charlie led them to the reception desk. "Excuse me."
The witch behind the desk looked up from the file she was writing in and smiled. "My name is Zoe, how may I help you?"
Ever the charismatic and outgoing wizard, Charlie did all the talking. "My name is Charlie and my girlfriend Hermione has not been feeling well the past couple days and she needs to see a Healer."
Zoe's light green eyes darted to Hermione, only to see another wizard's arm wrapped around her waist. She quickly looked back and forth between the three, a surprised look on her face.
Hermione blushed and looked away.
Bill grinned roguishly.
Charlie chuckled although he chose not to ignore the inquiring look she directed him at his laugh. "May we have the parchment so we can get started?"
Zoe blinked owlishly at his request before realising what he said. She blushed. "Oh, I'm so sorry. Please forgive my rudeness."
Hermione smiled at the other witch. "It's okay. I know we make a," a light pink colour spread across her cheeks, "an interesting trio."
Zoe stood up and started gathering the necessary parchment. "Actually, you all make a rather sexy trio. What with Charlie and your other wizard, who I'm assuming is his brother, and their fiery red hair and roguish looks and you with your wild hair combined with your prim and proper demeanour–" she leaned forward over the desk and lowered her voice, a smirk replacing her blush "–I bet you're anything but when you're alone."
Hermione's blush darkened as a grin tugged at the corner of her lips. Bill and Charlie returned Zoe's smirk.
"Not even in here for two minutes and she's already figured Hermione out."
Zoe laughed at Charlie's comment. "I'm around witches and wizards day in and day out, so I get to study people all the time. I've gotten very good over the years." She turned to Hermione. "I do hope you forgive my forwardness, I can tell you're nervous about what is wrong with you and I was hoping to lighten the mood for you."
Hermione nodded. "It did actually. I'm not used to people seeing past my exterior, so you surprised me. And yes, I am a little worried."
Zoe held out the parchment, along with a self-inking quill, which Charlie took from her. "Well, there is no need for worry, Hermione. The Healers and Mediwitches here at St. Sebastian's are some of the best in the world. They'll figure out what is wrong and have you back on your feet in no time. Now, if you need anything at all, please let me know."
"Thank you," the trio said as they turned around and made their way over to a group of empty seats.
"That wasn't very professional," Bill groused as they sat down.
"Oh, come off it, Bill," Charlie said as he handed everything to Hermione. "She reminds me of Ginny with her blunt deductions of people."
"She may not have been very professional," Hermione agreed, trying to conjure a table to write on, but she was unsuccessful. Bill quickly conjured one for her and she smiled in thanks. "But I have to say that I rather liked that she saw past what most people see."
"She sees what we do," Charlie told her. "A sexy witch with a hidden wild side."
Hermione was quickly filling out the necessary parchments. "Well, that side is currently in deep hiding."
Bill brushed the back of his fingers down the side of her cheek. "The Healers will have that side back out soon enough."
Hermione grinned and looked up at him. "I sure hope so."
"They will," Charlie confirmed. "We'll let you concentrate."
"Thank you."
Hermione bent back over the parchment and quickly answered the questions asked. When she was done, she was looking over the symptoms she had and frowned.
"Should I add in not being able to conjure the table?"
"It's probably nothing," Bill replied, "but it can't hurt to include it."
"It is better to have more than not enough," Charlie added.
"True." Hermione quickly jotted down what happened a few minutes ago and signed in the last couple of places. She stood up. "I'll return this and be back in a moment."
Bill vanished the table she had been using and he and Charlie watched as Hermione returned to the reception desk and proceeded to talk with Zoe for a few minutes.
"What do you think they're talking about?"
"I'm not sure," Bill answered. "We'll ask when she comes back."
Before either could ask her what she talked with Zoe about, she explained, "So I asked Zoe how much she knew about the Muggle world here and she knows quite a bit. She's also a Muggleborn and still visits quite often. I explained to her what we were doing here and she said when she gets off this afternoon, she'd be happy to help direct us to where we can find the information we need."
"That's really nice of her," Bill said.
"Yes, it is," Hermione agreed. "She also said that a childhood friend of hers is a dental hygienist on the South Island and that she would ask him for anyone that might be of help."
"Wow," Charlie breathed. "That's amazing."
Hermione laughed. "I think she feels guilty about her comment, but I told her not to worry about that since she reminds us of Ginny, so we're used to it."
Bill and Charlie both chuckled.
"Yes, we're definitely used to Ginny's forward behaviour."
"Probably a little too much," Charlie mused.
"I'm going to close my eyes for a moment." Hermione leant back and tried to relax and not let the butterflies in her stomach get the better of her.
A few minutes later a Mediwitch came out and after calling Hermione's name, she led her away. Bill and Charlie waited as patiently as possible for news of what was wrong with their lover.
They both lost track of time, waiting for any sort of news, so when Zoe called out to them, they both jumped. Realising who had called them, they stood and hurried over to the reception desk.
"What is it?"
"Is Hermione okay?"
Answering Charlie's question first, she said, "Yes, Hermione is fine, and I can't tell you what is wrong, I can only send you both down to room two."
"Thank you."
"Good luck," Zoe called after them, a smile on her face, as they made their way to the door labelled with a placard that read '2'.
Both wizards hesitated before Bill straightened his shoulders and reached for the doorknob. Opening the door, he stepped through with Charlie right on his heels. As his brother closed the door behind them, Bill studied Hermione. For once, he couldn't read her emotions.
They barely noticed that the Healer was nowhere to be seen as Bill stepped forward. "Hermione, what's wrong? Is everything okay?"
"Nothing is wrong," she said in a faint voice. She paused, tilting her head to the side. After a moment she looked back up at them. "Well, that's not quite true, but there's nothing bad going on with me. And I'll be okay, it just may take a few months for everything to get back to normal."
"Hermione love, you're rambling." Bill stepped forward again and reached out to grasp her hand. "What's going on?"
"Months?" Charlie moved closer to them and tilted her head up to look into her eyes. "Are you saying what I think you're saying?"
A slow, hesitant smile spread across her lips and she reached for Charlie's hand, squeezing both Bill and Charlie's hands. "If you're thinking that I'm pregnant, then yes, we're thinking the same thing."
Charlie's face lit up and he dropped her hand before gathering her in his arms and spinning in a circle. Hermione wrapped her arms around his neck and tilted her head back, laughing. As he set her back down, he moved his hands to tangle in her wild curls and kissed her. When she tightened her arms, he deepened their kiss.
Bill's eyes widened as he realised what she just said. He looked up to see his brother and their lover locked in a heated embrace. Rolling his eyes, he interrupted them, "Forget about me over here?"
They broke apart and turned to look at him. Hermione smiled softly, "Never, my love." She reached a hand out towards him. "Are you happy?"
"I am," he replied. "But how did this happen?"
Charlie snorted. "Really, Bill? Do we need to explain the birds and the bees to you?"
"No, you tosser, I don't need you to explain the damn birds and bees to me." Bill glared at his brother. "Hermione has been on the potion the whole time, so was it a bad batch?"
She shook her head as she stepped out of Charlie's arms and sat back down on the edge of the bed. "No, the Healer tested the potion I have on me I've been using and everything came back clean and in working order."
Bill and Charlie sat on either side of her on the bed.
"Well, if that wasn't it then how?"
"It's possible that some of the rituals that were put in place at the Beltane festival somehow overrode my contraceptive potion, but–"
Charlie frowned. "That's not good."
"I know it's not," Hermione replied, "but neither I or my Healer think that's what happened."
"Then what?"
"Well, one or both of you must have really potent swimmers."
"If that were the case, then why do neither of us already have little ones running around?"
She shrugged. "Bill, how many of the witches you've been with have been with have you participated in a Beltane fertility ritual?"
Bill thought her question over for a moment. "None."
She turned her attention to Charlie. "And how many for you, Charlie?"
"Same as Bill, none."
"There you go," Hermione replied. "The fertility rituals used for Beltane can do unexpected things when the fates decide to get involved."
"Fates?" Charlie questioned. "I thought you didn't believe in Divination?"
Hermione laughed. "I don't, but I've learned over the years that just because I don't believe in something, doesn't mean it's not true."
"Wait," Bill said, grasping one of her hands.
Charlie and Hermione turned to look at him.
"You said one or both."
Hermione nodded. "Yes."
He squeezed her hand. "Does that mean you're. . ." A hopeful expression lit up his face. "We're having twins?"
The brilliant smile that she directed at Bill answered his question, but she replied anyway. "Yes, I'm pregnant with twins."
"Did you hear that, Char?"
Charlie laughed at the awed expression on his brother's face, knowing that he had a similar expression. "Yes, I did."
Bill leant forward and captured Hermione's lips in a searing kiss.
Charlie watched his brother and Hermione for a moment and smiled. Bill may not have been ready for children two years ago when he and Fleur split, but that didn't mean that he didn't want children at some point. And if Charlie was honest with himself, he'd never really thought about having a wife and kids, since he enjoyed the bachelor life he'd led for the last ten years, but with the right witch, it was becoming more appealing by the moment.
"What's with the goofy smile?"
Realising that Bill and Hermione had finally come up for air, Charlie shook his head and replied, "You have a goofy smile of your own, brother, but to answer your question, I was just thinking that it never crossed my mind about settling down with a witch and having kids."
Hermione frowned. "I thought you were happy, Charlie. Is this not what you want?"
Charlie brushed his thumb across her cheek. "I guess I didn't say it before, but yes, I'm very happy. I may not have ever thought about having kids of my own, but I'm not going to deny that the thought of you pregnant with my child is a very heady one."
"I agree with Charlie wholeheartedly," Bill added. "Although, I do have to admit that my inner wolf has been very at ease with everything that we've done.
He looked at his brother and Hermione watched as the two eldest Weasley brothers shared a silent conversation.
"What? What are you to up to?" She huffed. "You know I hate it when you do that."
Bill broke off his conversation with Charlie and returned his attention to Hermione. He grasped one of her hands in both of his. "Hermione, we have a question for you."
Charlie grasped her other hand in both of his calloused ones.
Hermione darted her eyes between both of them, studying their serious expressions. After a moment, her eyes widened and she pulled her hands from both of theirs. She laid her hands against her cheeks. "Oh, Bill, Charlie, please don't."
Their faces fell at her words.
"No, wait a moment and hear me out," she pleaded. "It's not that I don't want to marry either of you, I just don't want either of you to feel obligated to marry me because I'm pregnant. I can take care of myself and any children I have."
Charlie cupped her hand and grinned. "Do you honestly think either of us would feel obligated to marry you just because you're pregnant?"
"Oh, um," Hermione said, not sure what to say.
"We were actually going to ask you to make things official with us and become a triad."
"We can figure out the logistics later," Bill continued, causing Hermione to turn to look at him, "but Charlie and I have been discussing this for the past couple weeks and while it's only been a month, we agree with what you said the other day. We want to see where things go."
"Okay," Hermione murmured, a confused still etched upon her features. "So, you don't want to marry me?"
"Not now, no. It's way too early and we don't want to marry you just because you're pregnant. We want to come out to our family with you, not only as a triad, but the mother of our children."
Hermione squeaked. "You want to talk to your family?"
"Of course," Charlie replied. "Yes, there will be some surprise from most people, but we don't want to hide from them."
"Surprise is not the word I would use to describe how your mother will react," Hermione told them. "Or how your youngest brother will react."
"Yes, well, we're all consenting adults and they'll just have to get over it," Bill retorted.
"Did you and Ron ever date?"
Hermione shook her head. "No, Charlie, we never dated. Yes, we shared a kiss during the final battle and I know Ron wanted more, but I wasn't in a right frame of mind at that time."
"Is he expecting you to return to him whenever you return to England?"
"I hope not," Hermione replied. "I never gave him any indication that I wanted him to wait for me."
"If that is the case, then Ron can't complain."
Hermione laughed. "Good luck with that one. Ron is just a stubborn as the rest of you."
Bill shrugged. "It's a Prewett family trait."
"When do you want to tell everyone?"
Bill and Charlie thought over her question.
"Well, you're only a month along and while I want to tell everyone right away, because I'm so excited. I think maybe we should only tell them that we're in a triadic relationship."
Bill nodded. "I agree with Charlie. The three of us together alone will be enough to cause some tempers to flare." He placed his hand over her abdomen. "Let's just keep these two between us for right now until we find your parents."
"Okay."
A knock drew their attention to the door.