Happy Birthday Isi and Clover!

This also doubles as my TE January challenge entry.

Prompts: snow; tattoos

Quote: "I'm not cleaning that up."

Pairing: Hermione/Charlie

Also a big thanks to my beta Brooke! You rock!

I don't own Harry Potter!

Harry Potter Publishing Rights © 2009 J.K.R.

Harry Potter Movie Rights © 2009 Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc.

All Rights Reserved.

Charming Charlie

Chapter 1: Party

It was New Year's Eve, when a knock on Hermione's door proved to be half the Weasley clan and Harry, arms full of food and liquor. "Come on Mya, you need to have some fun for once in your life." Charlie winked and grinned as he entered her living room and shook snow from his shaggy hair all over her floor.

She rolled her eyes before saying, "I'm not cleaning that up." The twins grinned and added more snow to the ever-growing pile. Ginny murmured a quick cleaning spell under her breath, before turning to Hermione.

"Let's go get you into something a little more festive shall we?" Ginny tugged Hermione toward the bedroom, her eyes sparkling with a secret the whole time. Shoving Hermione towards a chair, Ginny quickly muttered a silencing charm and a locking charm on the door. Turning, she all but squealed, "You'll never guess what Harry asked me!" Hermione smiled and didn't say anything, knowing that Ginny would just cut her short anyways. Just as she predicted it was only a few seconds before Ginny flashed a small ring in her face and exploded, "He asked me to marry him!" Hermione felt her jaw hit the floor.

"Congrats Gin! I guess it's about time. Let me see that!" She looked closer at the ring, surprised to see that it wasn't the diamond she expected. It was a small ruby with an even smaller peridot to the side. Both gems were enrobed in 24-karat gold shaped like a snitch, very Harry like. "It's beautiful Gin! Who else knows?" Hermione nodded towards the door with an eyebrow raised.

Ginny glowered. "Only you, Ron, Harry, and I. The twins would never be able to keep their mouths shut, and I don't want Mum finding out just yet. I think Charlie has his suspicions, but I'm not sure… do you think you could find out for me tonight?" She was looking through Hermione clothes as she said this. "Ah ha! This will do perfectly!" Hermione's eyes widened and she began shaking her head at the site of the dress in Ginny's hands.

"There is no way you are getting me to wear that. I can't believe that Bridgette put that in there before she left!" The offending garment, a little black dress, could hardly be called a dress at all. It was a backless, off the shoulder number and had a neckline that left little to the imagination. Bridgette, her last roommate, had spotted the dress in a store on Diagon Alley and insisted on buying it for Hermione, despite being told multiple times it just wasn't worth wasting her money on. Ginny had a look in her eyes telling Hermione that she just wasn't going to win. With a sigh, she headed into the bathroom to change. Ginny, meanwhile was now looking through her jewelry box.

"You should wear this necklace. It brings out the color in your eyes. Charlie will like that!" Ginny grinned and placed the emerald around Hermione's neck. "Now for your hair!" With a quick flick of her wand, she had Hermione's hair lying in beautiful ringlets.

"What's up with all of the Charlie stuff, Ginny? I mean, I know you want to know if he's figured out your news, but is all of this," she passed a hand up and down her body, "really necessary?" She stood up and shifted nervously, trying to hide something from Ginny's view.

"HERMIONE GRANGER IS THAT A TATTOO!"

Thankful for the silencing charm, Hermione shushed Ginny before replying. "For your information, yes it is, and no I don't want to talk to you about it!" She turned and headed back into the living room.

"Mya is that you?" Fred managed to say as he patted George on the back in an attempt to get him breathing after having swallowed a cream puff whole. Ron's eyes were bugged out and Harry was smirking. The only person seeming to ignore her was Charlie.

"This is going to be harder than I thought," Hermione contemplated to herself, as she downed a firewhiskey. She turned towards the twins and flirting shamelessly said, "So tell me boys, have you got any plans for the new year?"

"Well for starters…" said Fred.

"We'd love to find out…"

"More about the location…"

" Of that interesting…"

"Tattoo," they both finished together, grinning broadly. Hermione blushed as she remembered just how low the back of her dress was cut.

"Hermione has a tattoo?" Ron looked up from his drink in bleary-eyed surprise. "When the hell did you get a tattoo?"

Blushing furiously Hermione replied, "I got it not long after the war. Not that it's any of your business, Ronald." She attempted to pull the back of the dress up, but changed her mind after glancing at Charlie.

"What exactly is it Hermione?" Harry asked, looking puzzled. Her tattoo appeared to be a budding tree branch stretched across the small of her back. Attached to the branch was a small lime green cocoon, intertwined with the chain of a necklace with a charm of the Deathly Hallows on it.

"That's kind of personal… I'd really rather not talk about it ok?" To hide her embarrassment, Hermione drank another firewhiskey. She turned towards Charlie and asked, "So how have things been going in Romania lately? I heard Norberta had laid another egg."

Charlie glanced at Hermione before answering, "Actually it's already hatched! Let me tell you we had a hell of a time checking to see if it was healthy or not. Norberta is one overprotective mother!" He pulled up his sleeve to show Hermione the shiny new scar where he had been burned.

"Did it hurt… hic …much?" A look of horror came across Hermione face as the hiccup crossed her lips. "I hate… hic … hiccups." Her face fell as the hiccups continued.

"Here have another drink." George handed her a cup. Hermione, already slightly intoxicated downed the drink without thinking. It was only a few seconds before she turned and awful shade of green and went stumbling for the kitchen sink.

"What in the hell did you give her George?" Ginny's eyes were blazing fury as she turned towards the twins. "I swear, if you tested one of your new products on her, I'm going to turn your toenails inside out!"

George quickly put his hands up in a defensive gesture. "Honestly Gin it was just another drink, nothing it!" Not believing him, Ginny cast a revealing charm over the glass.

"You're lucky that didn't show anything George," she walked over to Hermione. "Are you going to be alright? What happened?" Hermione only moaned and wretched again. Ginny wrinkled here nose and started to turn green herself. "Ok guys, you made her sick you hold her hair!"

"There's no way…"

"We're going anywhere…"

"Near her while she's…"

"Puking!" Another groan accentuated the twins' last word. Charlie rolled his eyes.

"Ok, party's over! Since Ron's to drunk to do it and Harry needs to get himself and Ginny home, and you guys certainly haven't grown up enough to take care of her, I'll just do it myself." With a quick wave of his wand Charlie had everyone's coat float to them and the door opened. "Out with the lot of you!"

"Yes Mum," chimed Fred and George as they dashed out the door and around the corner.

Harry was helping Ron to his feet as Ginny ventured back to Hermione's side. "I'm sorry you aren't feeling well but try to remember what we talked about earlier." Hermione gave a weak nod.

A few minutes later, everyone had gone and Charlie took Hermione's elbow. "Let's get you into the bedroom and into something more comfortable, ok?" Hermione hiccupped and slowly managed to stand, leaning heavily on Charlie to do so.

"Thanks, I think I can manage it from here," she said as Charlie lowered her onto the bed and handed her the pair of pajamas that had been neatly folded on top of her dresser.

He nodded before responding, "I'll be right outside in the hall if you need me."

It seemed to only take seconds before he heard a weak, "Charlie, are you still here?" come from inside the room. He opened the door to find Hermione lying in bed with the blankets pulled so far up they were covering her ears. "I just wanted to say thanks… that was rather embarrassing. I forgot how quickly I get drunk." She blushed and attempted to pull the blankets even farther up. Charlie chuckled and pulled them back down.

"I've got a confession, when I was younger I used to be the same way." He winked conspiratorially. "Get some sleep. I'll stay in the other room if you don't mind just in case you need me during the night."

Hermione nodded and said, "You don't have to but I would appreciate it." She snuggled deeper under the covers as Charlie closed the door.