Waking Up in Vegas

Chapter One – The Business Trip

'Remind me why you have to go to Las Vegas for a week?'

Hermione Granger rolled her eyes as she looked at Harry Potter across the table, 'Because I have an important business trip, stop worrying about me.'

'You know what American wizards are like,' Harry said, 'they only want one thing.'

'And you think I'll give it to them?' Hermione asked with a raised eyebrow, 'I'm a big girl Harry, I can handle myself out there.'

Harry smiled slightly, 'You'll be back on Saturday?'

Hermione nodded and Harry said, 'I won't be here for part of the day,' he got up and walked around the table in the kitchen to her, 'I've got a meeting about my disciplinary hearing.'

'You really shouldn't have punched Ron,' Hermione said with the hint of a smile.

'He deserved it,' Harry said, 'I'm sticking by you on this one Hermione. A break up is no excuse to completely shove us both out of his life. I thought we meant more to him after all that we've been through.'

'Maybe he'll cool down,' Hermione said.

'You will come back,' Harry said tentatively, 'won't you? You aren't running away.'

'Merlin, no,' Hermione said, 'I'd never leave you in the lurch like that Harry, thanks so much for letting me stay here…after Ron kicked me out I-'

She cut herself off, and Harry nodded, 'You know you're always welcome in this old dump.'

'I kind of like it,' Hermione said honestly, 'despite all the bad memories, this place has quite a lot of good ones attached to it too.'

Harry nodded and looked around the dark, gloomy kitchen, 'Yeah, I guess.'

'I really need to go Harry,' Hermione said, hugging her best friend and kissing him on the cheek, 'I'll be back in a few days.'

Harry nodded, 'Have a safe trip Mione.'

Grabbing her handbag Hermione left the house and apparated on the doorstep to the international apparition point. It was illegal to apparate between countries without going through this sort of wizarding airport.

As she stood in the line, waiting for her turn, Hermione contemplated the events of the last few months. She and Ron had broken up after dating for around a year. Ron had proposed and Hermione had frozen up and said no. He had then kicked her out of the flat they shared, and she had moved in with Harry at Grimmauld Place. Harry had punched Ron in the face when he saw him at work, and as they were both Aurors that meant Harry was now getting a disciplinary hearing and could lose his job. It was stressful, and horrible, and Hermione felt like it was all her fault for breaking up the friendship between the three of them.

She neared the front of the line and turned her mind to her business trip. After the war Hermione had gone back to Hogwarts to finish her N.E.W.T's and she had graduated in 1999. Straight out of school she had joined the Ministry, and now, a year later, she was still working for the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures. Normally her business trips didn't extend any further than Europe, but this week she had a meeting in Las Vegas about an illegal dragon camp nearby.

'Name?'

'Hermione Granger,' Hermione said when she reached the wizard regulating the apparition out of London.

'Destination?'

'Las Vegas, Nevada.'

'Purpose for journey?'

'To investigate an illegal dragon camp for the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures.'

'Can I see your Ministry ID please?' the wizard asked.

Hermione showed him the card around her neck which he authorized and then said, 'and can I just check your wand to make sure you are who you say you are?'

Nodding Hermione handed him her wand which he did a quick check on before handing back to her, 'Have a good trip Miss. Granger.'

With a small smile Hermione nodded and stepped into the circle on the ground. Without wasting another moment she spun on the spot and arrived at the international apparition point for Nevada. After a couple of questions she managed to apparate to an alley behind the building where the meeting was to be held.

She had half an hour to kill before the meeting so Hermione slipped into the bathroom and touched up her hair and straightened herself up. She was nervous, this was her first meeting out-with Europe so she had no idea who she would be dealing with. The laws were also slightly different and as much as she had prepared for this trip, she was still worried that she would slip up.

The building the meeting was to be held in was on the outskirts of Las Vegas and looked like a ruin to the untrained eye, but once you got close it was clear that this was due to anti-Muggle charms. It was the Ministry of Magic centre for the state of Nevada and inside it looked very similar to the British Ministry. Hermione was glad she had arrived early because by the time she got through security and made her way to the room where she was to meet with the rest of the panel, it was almost time for the meeting to begin.

Taking a deep, slightly shaky breath, Hermione knocked on the door and an American man called, 'Come in.'

Hermione did, smiling as she walked into the room, there weren't too many people around the table which put her mind at ease.

'Ah, you must be Miss. Granger, from the British Ministry of Magic,' the same man who had told her to come in said. He was sitting at the head of the table and seemed to be in his mid-20's.

Hermione nodded, 'Yes, I apologise for my lateness.'

The American man smiled, 'You are right on time Miss. Granger, take a seat.'

Hermione sat down in the seat he was pointing too and her eyes widened as she saw who she was sitting next to. With shaggy bright red hair and piercings he looked just like Bill, but without the scarred face.

'Charlie!'

Charlie Weasley smiled at her, 'Nice to see you again Hermione, it's been too long.'

'We wondered if you two might know each other,' the American man at the head of the table said, 'Charlie is our dragon's expert.'

'Of course,' Hermione said with a nod. She didn't know if Charlie even knew about the break up with Ron yet, she hadn't seen him since she and Ron had just gotten together.

'My name is Joel Marshall,' the American man said, 'I'm Head of the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures here in the American Ministry. These are my co-workers, Peter Davison, Head Auror and Kate Browning, my assistant.'

A young man and a young woman both smiled at Hermione, and she smiled back. That was it, three Americans, Charlie and herself.

'Have you been briefed on the situation Miss. Granger?' Marshall asked.

Hermione nodded, 'My superiors have informed me that there is an illegal dragon camp somewhere on the outskirts of Las Vegas. I can only presume that the dragons are being used to obtain their blood and other valuables to sell on the black market.'

'Precisely,' Davison said, 'which is why I'm here. Not only do we need to get those dragons out of there, we need to charge the culprits.'

'So what is my role here?' Hermione asked curiously.

'Two of the dragons have been stolen from Britain,' Browning said, 'and Mr. Weasley, our dragons expert requested a British liaison be sent across so they can be returned to the forest they came from once they have been restored to health.'

'The Welsh greens who went missing last year?' Hermione asked Charlie.

He nodded, 'Those are the ones.'

'Harmless dragons, and so caring,' Hermione said with a frown, 'but of course they are common in Britain, but over here their blood is rare and expensive.'

Charlie smiled slightly, 'Yes, which is why they were taken from the forest of dean.'

Hermione's eyes widened slightly, she had never known Welsh greens lived in the forest of dean, and she also didn't know that Charlie knew about her connection to the forest. All the same she tried to ignore this and said, 'So do you wish me to be present for the extraction?'

'You don't need to be,' Davison said, 'I have a team of Aurors who will be going in to arrest those responsible. After that Mr. Weasley and a team he has put together will go in and care for the dragons, he'll determine when they will be well enough to move to a safe camp.'

'So you need me for the political aftermath,' Hermione realised, 'dealing with the cover up, and making sure the paperwork is in order for the two Welsh greens to get back to Britain.'

Marshall smiled, 'You catch on quick. That's exactly what we'd like you to do.'

Hermione smiled, 'Great, I only have one request.'

'You'll want an office to work in for your stay here,' Marshall said with a nod, 'we've set one up on the same floor as the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures offices.'

Hermione's surprise must have shown on her face as Marshall said, 'Mr. Weasley said you would probably want an office, and that you probably wouldn't want to be present for the extraction.'

'Oh,' Hermione said, 'Yes, well seeing animals in distress isn't exactly pleasant.'

'Exactly, which is why I suggested you for the political side of things,' Charlie said with a smile, 'you were always covering things up for Harry at school, and holding press conferences for him after the war.'

Hermione smiled weakly, 'Someone has to organise him.'

Marshall chuckled, 'And we're honoured to have the political mastermind behind the great Harry Potter working with us. I would offer you a job, but Mr. Weasley has already told me that you're rather attached to England.'

'As lovely an offer as that is,' Hermione said, 'I am indeed rather attached to England. I don't think I could ever leave permanently.'

'Would you perhaps consider being our official liaison?' Marshall asked, 'for other situations involving both of our governments?'

Hermione's eyes widened, 'Wow, I-'

'It's a big pay raise,' Browning said.

Hermione smiled, 'Thank you, but I don't do this job for the money. Can I consider your offer and let you know my decision before I leave on Saturday?'

'Of course,' Marshall said, 'take as much time as you need Miss. Granger.'

'So,' Charlie said as he leant forward, 'should we give Hermione the full brief?'

Marshall nodded and slid a file over to Hermione, 'You have a lot of reading to do,' he said with a smile.


The meeting was adjourned and before Hermione got a chance to speak to Charlie she was being led to her temporary office by Kate Browning. She was still confused as to why Charlie had recommended her, and shocked by the job offer. An international liaison job wasn't just a little bit of a promotion, it was a huge step up, in terms of pay and responsibility.

'How do you and Charlie know each other?' Browning asked.

'Oh, I've known his family since I was 11,' Hermione said, 'his brother was in my year at school, and my best friend dated his sister for a while.'

Browning smiled, 'He recommended you personally.'

'I have no idea why,' Hermione said honestly, 'there are far more experienced people in my department.'

'He seemed to think you would deal with the situation best,' Browning said, 'he's not a particularly emotional guy though, so who knows whats going on in his head.'

'How long have you worked with him?' Hermione asked curiously.

'Two or three years, he's only a consultant,' Browning said, 'so we see him every so often when a dragon situation arises.'

'So he still works mainly in Romania?' Hermione asked.

Browning nodded, 'Mostly, yeah. Has he ever had a girlfriend?'

Hermione frowned, 'Uh, he had a few while he was at Hogwarts, I think. Why?'

Browning blushed slightly, 'Oh it's nothing…I just rather like him, but I've always thought he was…you know.'

Hermione laughed, 'I doubt it, I think he's just more interested in dragons than women.'

'Unless the right woman comes along,' Charlie's deep voice said from behind them.

Browning jumped and her blush deepened, 'Oh, hello Mr. Weasley,' she said as she turned to the smirking man behind them, 'Miss. Granger, your office is the third along this corridor,' she said quickly before walking swiftly away.

'Do you get kicks out of making people embarrassed?' Hermione asked as she walked towards her temporary office with Charlie following her.

'It is rather amusing,' Charlie said simply, following Hermione into the little office. It was nice, even if the view out of the window was rather barren.

Hermione shook her head in amusement, 'So it's your fault I ended up over here.'

'My fault?' Charlie said, sitting down in a seat opposite her desk, 'I wouldn't say it's a bad thing. You just got offered one hell of a promotion.'

'Yeah, one that involves a lot of work in America. Have you ever thought of the possibility that I don't like it over here?' Hermione asked.

'How can you not like it? This is Las Vegas, and you know what they say about Las Vegas,' Charlie said with a grin.

'The fact you're even entertaining the possibility that I'm going to go out and party, or whatever, in Las Vegas is insane,' Hermione said matter-of-factly, 'so why did you recommend me?'

'Because you're the best in your field,' Charlie said, 'I might live in Romania but I also read the prophet. As soon as you turn 25 you'll be promoted to Head of department.'

'Possibly,' Hermione said.

'Oh don't be modest Hermione, you've practically been promised it,' Charlie said, 'you're the best, and I wanted the best to ensure those dragons get back.'

'To the forest of dean,' Hermione said, eyeing Charlie suspiciously.

Charlie nodded, a glint in his eye, 'Not that you've ever been there.'

'Oh you're very funny,' Hermione said sarcastically, 'how do you know so much about me Charlie?'

Charlie smiled innocently, 'I knew you would want an office because you're a control freak, you have been since you were a kid. As for the extraction, well that was a guess on my part, but I remember how upset you got about those house elves, and that hippogriff…'

'Charlie, you barely knew me back then,' Hermione said in disbelief, 'you were always in Romania.'

'But I paid attention when I was in Britain,' Charlie said, 'and my lovestruck little brother did write to me you know.'

Hermione swallowed at the mention of Ron and watched as Charlie's eyes went to her finger, 'You're not wearing an engagement ring.'

'What an excellent observation,' Hermione said dryly.

'The last time Ron wrote to me, he told me he was proposing to you,' Charlie said.

'He did,' Hermione said.

'And you said no?'

'If I'd said yes I would be wearing a ring,' Hermione said simply.

Charlie leant back in his chair, 'Good,' he said.

'What?' Hermione asked sharply.

'You didn't love him, you were only with him because you thought that's what people expected, and wanted,' Charlie said, 'I told you, I pay attention.'

Hermione frowned and looked down, 'I was trying to make things work, but when he proposed I realised I couldn't marry him.'

Charlie nodded, 'You did the right thing. There isn't any point trying to make something work if it's just not right.'

'Not that your qualified to give relationship advice,' Hermione said, 'they made it illegal to have marital relations with animals back in the 18th century.'

Charlie raised an eyebrow, 'I'm getting the impression you don't like me as much as my brothers Hermione.'

'Well let me work this out,' Hermione said sarcastically, 'I went to school with Ron, and Fred, and George, and Percy, and Ginny. I then went to Bills wedding and stayed with him and his wife during the war. I first met you the summer before my 4th year when you spent more time catching up with your siblings and obsessing over Harry than talking to me until you realised I knew a lot about dragons.'

'Okay I will admit, that was poor judgment,' Charlie said, 'but if I'd known you knew so much about dragons at the start of that summer I'd have spent much more time with you.'

'That makes me feel so much better,' Hermione said, vaguely amused.

'Well you saw me at the first task in the tournament,' Charlie said, 'it's not my fault you were too busy crying about Harry to talk to me.'

'I was not crying!' Hermione objected.

'Really? You had nail marks on your face,' Charlie said with a grin as he leant back further in the chair.

Hermione's cheeks flushed, 'Anyway that was only for 30 seconds, and after that I didn't see you until Bill and Fleurs wedding when you were too busy freaking out and trying not to throw up about your best man speech.'

Charlie's eyes widened, 'How did you…'

'I pay attention,' Hermione said, smirking as she turned the tables on him.

Charlie nodded, 'I saw you briefly after the final battle at the funeral-'

'Yeah, I know,' Hermione said quickly, 'but that wasn't…'

'I know,' Charlie said, 'stupid of me to bring it up really.'

Hermione shook her head, 'It's okay. But you get my point, right? I don't know you as well as I know the others.'

'Then come out for a drink with me,' Charlie suggested, 'let me show you Las Vegas.'

Hermione looked at Charlie in disbelief, 'No, I don't drink.'

'Now, I know that's not true,' Charlie said mischievously, 'Harry told me about that time-'

'Okay, fair enough,' Hermione said quickly, 'when did you see Harry?'

'Last month, he arrested one of my co-workers. It was really annoying that he was involved in the black market, it's going to take me weeks to replace him,' Charlie said.

'Oh isn't the law so restrictive?' Hermione asked in a mixture of amusement and sarcasm.

Charlie grinned, 'This is why I like you Hermione.'

'Because of my ever present sarcasm?' She asked.

'That, and the fact you're never afraid to speak your mind,' Charlie said, 'even to somebody you apparently don't know. You're very comfortable around me, are you always this comfortable around strangers?'

'Shut up Charlie,' Hermione said in amusement, 'you're hardly a stranger. I was just pointing out that I haven't spent the same amount of time with you as I have with your brothers.'

Charlie raised an eyebrow, 'Well, you've spent more time with some of my brothers than others.'

'That's enough of that,' Hermione said, a tone of authority in her voice.

'Are you sure I can't convince you to come out with me?' Charlie asked as he got to his feet, 'Las Vegas has some pretty well-hidden gems you know.'

'I don't doubt that it does, but it's not my scene,' Hermione said diplomatically, 'thanks anyway, for the offer.'

'I'll just keep asking you until you get so annoyed you say yes,' Charlie said with a grin as he opened the office door, 'I've got some dragons to save, and you've got a file to read. See you around Hermione.'

'See you around,' Hermione said as the door swung shut behind Charlie, leaving her alone in her temporary office.

TBC :)

A/N: Slightly short first chapter, but the rest will be longer! I'm posting this in parts even though I originally wrote it as a 30,000 word fic! Hope you enjoy, writing Charlie/Hermione was SO much fun! I just hope Hermiones not too OOC.

Holly

xxx