Disclaimer: I am not the great and wonderful JK and do not own any characters you recognize. The rest I'll take credit for only if you like them.
A.N. Since this is the sequel you might want to read Now or Never if you haven't though I don't really think you have to, it'll just be a itsy bit confusing if you haven't, not to much.
Charlie Weasley met the madness of a Weasley wedding with a mix of grim resignation and elation. Two months before he had been completely sure that the next Weasley wedding to occur would be the one that would ruin his life forever. That is, after all, generally what happens when one's baby brother marries the love of one's life. Fortunately, however, Ron had showed his true colors of possessive bastardness in time and Hermione had broken off the engagement. Charlie had wasted no time in claiming the love of his life and today was his wedding day. The knowledge that in a few short hours Hermione would be his wife for all eternity was all that was keeping a smile on Charlie's face and sanity in his mind.
As a mostly unequivocal rule Charlie hated Weasley weddings. The list of reasons was as long as he was tall when written out on parchment in incredibly tiny script. He would know, he had written it out once in an attempt to get out of his cousin Hagar's wedding. The attempt had failed, but he'd learned just how much he hated these weddings that could somehow be put together on what would to a sane person be almost spur of the moment. First on the list were the Weasley family dress robes which, fortunately, only had to be worn on incredibly formal occasions of which, sadly, weddings fit the criteria. Charlie was of the personal opinion that teal blue didn't look good on anyone, much less someone with bright red hair, but he had to wear his teal blue Weasley robes.
A very close second on the list of what he hated about Weasley weddings was the fact that his ENTIRE family was invited. This included, but was by no means limited too, aunts, uncles, great aunts and uncles, great-great aunts and uncles, cousins, second cousins five times removed, great-great grandparents and so on. Basically anyone with a drop of Weasley blood was invited, and given the breeding propensity of the Weasley clan . . . that was a lot of people. And, with only a few exceptions, Charlie dislike most of his relatives.
But, as Charlie stood restlessly shifting his weight from side to side while his great uncle Horton prattled on about his bunions or some other such thing, he'd tuned him out ages ago, he decided that the number one thing that he hated about Weasley weddings was the ridiculous tradition of the bride and groom not being able to see each other for three days before the wedding. He was going nuts being unable to see Hermione. He kept imagining scenarios in which she didn't show up at all, or came only to say that she'd decided to marry his baby brother after all. All he wanted was reassurance that she still loved him. In the meantime he was going crazy.
Eventually great uncle Horton wound down and Charlie hastily extricated himself. He wandered through the sea of men in teal blue murmuring greetings and heading towards the kitchen and, hopefully, a bit of peace and quiet. Attaining the solitude of the kitchen he poured himself a glass of water to give himself an excuse for being there and propped his back against the wall. As he took a sip his gaze fell on the jar of Floo powder sitting on the mantel and he studied it appraisingly, wondering if he dared to use it to try and see Hermione. Before he could make up his mind one way or the other his father came in. Seeing Charlie's brooding gaze fixed upon the Floo powder he chuckled.
"It won't work son." He laughed again. "Your mom's almost certainly locked the grates to Hermione's flat. But I don't blame you for wanting to try. You're taking this separation better then I did. You've managed to wait until today before trying to escape this insanity. I tried apparating into your mom's house the first night." Arthur chuckled again at the memory. "You're grandpa Prewett caught me and boxed my ears but good." He winced remembering this and Charlie laughed weakly.
"How did you handle it dad?" Charlie asked, his voice not quite steady. "I'm going crazy. How did Bill take it so damn well?"
"I can't answer for your brother but I didn't handle it well at all. The second day I tried sneaking over to your mom's house on foot. Your uncle Gideon caught me, fortunately he didn't tell his parents, or mind. On our wedding day I tried Floo powder, that's how I know the grates will be locked. I ended up in some complete strangers house trying to explain myself."
Charlie snickered before sobering up quickly. "When does this feeling of desperation go away?"
"For me it was the minute I saw you mom at the ceremony. She looked so beautiful I had no room for any feeling but awe that this beautiful creature was actually willing to join herself to me forever."
"Another 4 hours and 22 minutes of this is going to make me certifiable." Charlie groaned. "Then it won't matter what happens."
"Nonsense. You might be a little insane but not certifiable. You'll want to stay mostly sane so you can spend the rest of your life with Hermione. You drive yourself certifiable and you'll be spending it in St. Mungos instead."
"Definitely a fate to avoid."
"Very true my boy. Now, come with me, away from the temptation, and we'll talk to some people." He laughed at the look on Charlie's face. "We'll find someone interesting to talk to so that the time goes a bit faster. And there's only so much bunion talk a man can take."
Charlie grumbled a bit before allowing his father to lead him out of the kitchen and back into the sea of teal blue. To his surprise he was rapidly drawn into a conversation with his uncle Adair, his father's youngest brother, about dragons and the work he had done in Romania. Only half of his attention was on the passage of time and he was a bit, but not much, surprised when Bill laid a hand on his shoulder.
"Ready to go little brother? Dad said we should leave now while he lets all these men folk know that they should go as well."
Charlie let out a sigh of relief. "Finally. I thought it would never be time." His uncle Adair laughed and waved him off before going to assist his brother in rounding up the guests. Bill and Charlie walked out to the apparition point and disappeared together, leaving only a small pop to betray that they had been there.
They reappeared in the entry hall of the large church Hermione had chosen with another small pop. Looking around Bill whistled at the elaborate flower arrangements that decorated the building while Charlie stared at the door he knew led to the room where Hermione was waiting. Bill noticed the direction of his gaze and, taking his arm, towed him in the opposite direction, towards the stone altar. Reaching the front he pulled Charlie to the right to another door, this one open. Dragging him inside he shut the door and pushed Charlie into a chair.
"Drink this" he said, pouring his brother a bit of fire whiskey. "You look like you need it."
Charlie took the glass, but didn't drink it, instead he sat staring down at it. Someone knocked on the door and Bill opened it to let in Adam Dempsey, Charlie's best friend and best man for the wedding, the priest, and Albus Dumbledore. Adam joined Bill by the window while Charlie, the priest and Dumbledore had a quick conversation about a few minor points in the ceremony. Eventually the other two left and Adam and Bill were left with the task of making Charlie presentable as he paced the room, running his hand through his hair every so often. Finally Arthur popped his head into the room to tell them they were about ready to begin.
Charlie and Adam took their places as Bill hurried to the back to take his place in the procession as one of the groomsmen. Charlie ignored the bridesmaids, the maid of honor, everything. His entire being was focused on the double doors at the end of the aisle waiting for his first glimpse of Hermione. Finally he saw her and his breath caught in his throat, the picture she made was breathtakingly gorgeous.
As the strains of "Here Comes the Bride" began to filter though the church the loud crack of an inexpert appartion interrupted it. Charlie watched with shock that quickly turned to horror as Ron appeared behind Hermione, grabbed her arm, and disappeared again with another loud crack. Silence fell before outraged babbling broke out. No one noticed Charlie as he sank to his knees, his face a mask of mingled grief and anger. All the doubts he had been fighting came rushing to the fore and he was more then half convinced that, despite the look of fear on her face, her disappearance had been staged. His saner half knew that she had been forced and that he had to find her before Ron did whatever the hell it was he was planning on doing, but his saner half was no match for the insanity that gripped him.
Charlie suddenly realized that someone was shaking his shoulder, trying to get his attention rather desperately. He raised dazed grey eyes to his father's concerned face. "Read this," Arthur said shortly, realizing he had his son's attention, as he shoved a piece of parchment into his hands. "Ron dropped it when he shoved Mr. Granger out of the way."
Charlie nodded and looked down at the paper. He smoothed it with fingers that he absently noted were trembling. Squinting he attempted to read Ron's spiky, messy handwriting., Finally he puzzled it out and looked up at his father, urgency tightening every muscle of his body. "Any idea where?" He asked, his mind racing.
"No, your mother was casting a tracing spell when I left to bring you this."
Charlie looked down at the note again even though its words were emblazoned on his mind. "I have to have her," he read. "She is mine and you can't have her Charlie. I will marry her before you can find us and then she will be mine for all time." He growled. "I might kill him dad, I don't care if he is my brother. He stole Hermione from me and he will pay." Before Arthur could respond Charlie had leapt to his feet and was striding through the crowd of gabbling relatives to the entry hall where his mother could be heard issuing orders like a drill sergeant.
"Good luck my boy" Arthur whispered to his departing back. He knew that if Ron succeeded in marrying Hermione before Charlie found them it would destroy him. And either way their family would never be the same again. Charlie was not the only one who would never forgive Ron for what he had done this day.
"Did the tracer work mum?" Charlie asked, his voice rough with suppressed hope.
"No, I can't pick up his magical signature. Too many people have apparated in and out of here today. But I've got people looking. We'll find her." Though her voice was optimistic Molly's eyes betrayed her fear that they would be to late and her youngest son would have committed the dastardly deed he'd threatened. She pulled her tall second son in for a hug before releasing him to bellow more orders at the milling crowd of relatives who, while mostly useless, were easily goaded into action by her tone of voice.
Charlie stood beside his mother while she directed her soldiers trying desperately to figure out a way to find Hermione. Suddenly he turned to his mother, his eyes alight with hope. "Was Hermione wearing the charm bracelet I gave her? The one with the dragon on it?"
"I think so, I don't think I've seen her without it since you gave it to her. Why?"
"There's a tracking charm in one of the charms. I'd never planned on using it, it just happened to be one of the features of the charm, but now I think I'm glad I got it." Without waiting for the recriminations that were sure to come from his mother about giving Hermione a piece of jewelry with a tracking charm in it and the necessity of trust in a relationship, he really hadn't intended to ever use it, he quickly cast the spell that would activate the tracking capabilities. Anything Molly would have said was abruptly cut off when the tip of his wand suddenly glowed blue.
Forgetting what she was going to say Molly quickly conjured up a map and laid it on the ground before them. Squatting on his haunches to see it more clearly Charlie spoke the incantation that would light the corresponding place on the map. A tiny village 40 miles to the north glowed a corresponding blue, telling the rescuers where they had to go. Charlie stood and before plan could be formulated he was gone.
He appeared in a tiny village square that looked to be deserted. Ignoring his surroundings after that first brief glance around he placed his wand on his open palm and muttered the incantation that would point him to where he could find Hermione. Another quick incantation had a soft golden light pulsing from his wand tracing the exact path he needed to follow to get to her. With another quick look around he quickly followed t he light. No sooner had he rounded a corner before his parents and brothers Bill, Fred, and George, along with Harry Potter, Oliver Wood, Seamus Finnegan and Dean Thomas appeared in the square. Arthur repeated his actions and the group followed him into the town.
Charlie's spell led him to a small stone church on the outskirts that looked as if it had seen better days. The worn grey walls were covered with ivy, the roof was beginning to crumble and the yard desperately needed to be weeded. Unwilling to give away his presence he slipped though a small wooden door to the side of the main doors that had been left propped open. Sliding along the walls, using the deep shadows to hide himself, he crept to the front of the church where three people stood.
Anger roared through him when he saw the bruises on Hermione's arm and the rope that was wound around her wrists. With it was a bit of pride when he noticed that Ron had all his weight on his left leg and was absentmindedly rubbing his right knee. Hermione had not gone docilely. Shoving down his rage for the moment he focused on what the minister was saying.
"I don't care what you're willing to pay young man. I cannot and will not marry you without two witnesses present. And I will not marry you so long as the bride is trussed like a goose for the market."
"But she's carrying my baby." Ron protested loudly, this being his cover story for the hasty and enforced wedding. "She has to marry me."
Hermione snorted, trying to control her laughter while the minister shook his head. "This is not the 19th century my boy. If she is pregnant and chooses not to marry you that is her choice."
Charlie choose that moment to reveal himself. "Besides little brother, you're a lying sack of shit. Sorry father" he added to the minister before turning back to his brother. "'Mione's not carrying your baby. Are you honey?"
"Hell no" Hermione said vehemently. "That would require sleeping with him and that isn't ever gonna happen."
The minister looked a bit confused. "And who might you be sir?"
"The lady's fiancé." Charlie replied as he untied her wrists. "My little brother there stole her from the church where we were to be married about now."
Hermione wrapped her now free arms around Charlie's waist, burrowing her head into his chest as the minister turned to Ron in outrage. "Now see here young man . . ." he started but was cut off when the main doors to the church burst open, bouncing back upon the walls, to reveal the group that had followed Charlie. Ron's eyes widened in fear and he gripped his wand in preparation to apparate out. Harry, seeing this, quickly summoned Ron's wand to himself, rendering Ron defenseless.
Ron, being at heart a coward and unwilling to face his justifiably angry family, decided to try and run for it instead. Before he had gotten more then two steps Charlie caught the back of his shirt and forestalled his flight.
"I don't think so little brother. We're definitely gonna deal with you." He threw his brother at Fred and George who had come up beside him. "Secure him somewhere and make sure he can't get out, but then come back to the church for the wedding. I want to be married before I deal with him. He'll appreciate it, I'll be a lot calmer then."
"With pleasure" the twins said in unison. Fred waved his wand and bound Ron with thin, strong rope. A long string of profanity broke forth and George, looking a bit embarrassed at his brother's behavior, waved his wand to gag Ron. "Sorry 'bout that," he said to the minister. "Ron here had a hard time respecting a house of God." Before the minister could respond Fred and George grasped Ron's arms and apparated away.
Wrapping an arm around Hermione's waist Charlie turned to the minister. "Though you won't be officiating at a wedding today, would you like to attend one? Consider it my personal thank you for not giving into my brother and marrying them."
"It would be my pleasure Mr. Weasley."
Harry came forward to apparate the minister to the church where Hermione and Charlie's wedding was to be held, tossing Charlie Ron's wand as he did so. Taking the minister's arm he disappeared soundlessly, one of the few that could apparate completely noiselessly. Charlie looked around and noticed that everyone else had disappeared, presumably they had gone back to the church. Bending his head he sought her lips and using the kiss he communicated to Hermione all the desperation and fear and anger he had felt. Finally they broke apart.
"Ready to go get married?" Charlie asked, holding her tightly to him.
"Only so long as it's you I'm marrying."
"I won't let you marry anyone else. They can try, but I'll track you down every time. I can't let you go 'Mione, I love you too much. You are, quite simply, my life."
"I don't want to marry anyone else." She paused a moment. "How did you find me anyway?"
"Remember the tracking charm? The one in the Hungarian Horntail charm on your bracelet? It came in handy."
"I'd forgotten about that."
"So had I actually. And I was standing there wishing I had given you one when I remembered it. I'm glad I got that charm even though it had that spell on it."
"Me too." Hermione stretched up and pressed a kiss to his lips. "Let's go get married Charlie."
"You're reading my mind babe." Tightening his grip briefly Charlie apparated them back to the church. When they reappeared, as soon as people saw he was holding Hermione, a tremendous cheer went up. Her parents rushed forward to assure themselves that their baby girl was okay while her brother demanded to know what had happened to 'that prick asshole who messed with my sister.'
After a brief delay to repair the damage done to hair, make-up, cloths, nerves etc and to get the crowd settled down and in their seats again the ceremony began again. This time as Charlie waited he actually watched the bridesmaids come up the aisle and he was just as aware of his family, a family he was feeling an unfamiliar rush of affection for. Their support and help during the ordeal he had just undergone had endeared them to him. When the doors opened for Hermione he was once more awestruck, but he wasn't also burdened by the panic that had ridden him before, now he knew that she only wanted him and this enabled him to actually focus on what was happening around him.
Hermione joined him at the altar and her father quite willingly gave her hand to Charlie. Any reservations he many have had about the match had been killed by what he had seen that day. Mr. Granger didn't even gift Charlie with the threatening 'you better be good to my daughter or else look' that he had been practicing. What he had seen of Charlie's behavior convinced him that that look was quite unnecessary.
Charlie and Hermione had opted for more than a wedding, they wanted a full-fledged wizards bond, which was why Dumbledore was co-officiating. As they repeated their vows, pledging their love and devotion to each other for eternity, Dumbledore tied together their magic so that they were two people whit an intertwined, not quite but almost one, magical core. A rite that had fallen mostly out of practice except among such pureblood families as the Malfoys, Blacks and others who didn't want to sully their family lines, this binding meant that they would never be able to get divorced, cheat on each other or do anything that would be against their vows. They were connected until death itself separated them. In a time when divorce was beginning to gain ground even among wizards there were those who thought Charlie and Hermione were crazy, but they knew they would stay together forever and had no qualms about tying their magic the way their hearts were tied.
When Dumbledore and the priest jointly declared them man and wife Charlie didn't wait for one or the other to tell him he could kiss the bride. Bending his fiery head he claimed her lips in a kiss that was a searing combination of love, passion and possessiveness. The feelings that had been evoked in his body as Dumbledore tied his magic to Hermione's had left him with a rampant hard on and while he couldn't do anything about that particular problem just yet he made sure that Hermione knew just how much she affected him. Hermione was the one to break the kiss as she became aware of Dumbledore discreetly clearing his throat. Though she was just as affected as Charlie she was also the one who refused to be detained from her reception. The sooner that was over with the sooner they could get back to their private celebration.
So far as Charlie was concerned the reception dragged on interminably. The toasts went on and on and were highly embarrassing, not that he noticed. His entire being was focused on Hermione. When the dancing began he reluctantly allowed others to dance with her while he even more reluctantly partnered the women in his family. Finally it was late enough that they could slip away without raising to many eyebrows. Sliding into the circle of friends next to Hermione he wrapped an arm around her waist.
"Can we leave now?" He whispered desperately in her ear, hiding his words by pressing a kiss to the hollow behind her ear.
While she didn't answer him in words the faintest inclination of her head let Charlie know that she was amenable to his suggestion. With a few words Charlie cut her from the circle and out onto the dance floor. With a bit of careful maneuvering at the end of the song he had them near a door, holding back laughter they ducked out of it before anyone could see them sneaking out. Once outside the building Charlie wrapped himself around Hermione and apparated them to his wedding gift to Hermione.
When they reappeared Hermione looked around in confusion before seeing the house behind her. A house she had been saving for for years, that had gone on the market six months before but off it again just as quickly. Her dream house. And now it was hers for hers was the only name on the deed. When she turned to him her questioning eyes shinning with tears of hope he wordlessly handed her a sheaf of papers, the deeds and such to the house and the 1000 acres of surrounding property.
"Mine?" She whispered, disbelieving. "It's mine?"
"Yes love, it's yours."
She stared at him, speechless, her suddenly nerveless fingers griping the pieces of parchment tightly enough to crease them. "Why?" She asked finally.
"Because I love you and this is your house of dreams. I remember that day last year when you brought me out here and spun stories of kids playing in the yard, toys and laughter and love filling it to the eaves. That really stuck with me. It came on the market shortly after we broke up and I bought it. I didn't really have a reason other then maybe forcing you to see me again me again if you wanted to buy it. But really I think I bought it because even then I wanted it to be our house, filled with our kids, our laughter, and our love." He trailed off, aware he was babbling but not sure how to express how he felt.
Fortunately for him Hermione was overwhelmed enough by his gift that she didn't notice he was babbling. Though she definitely heard the last part beginning with "our house." She cast around for words to express her gratitude and love but the English language failed her. Instead she wrapped her arms around his neck, drew his head down and poured all of her feelings into a blistering kiss. "I love you," she said after breaking the kiss. "I'll love you forever."
"Forever's a long time, but it's as long as I will love you as well. Always and forever my love." Charlie sealed their heartfelt vows with a kiss in the deepening dark with the softly glowing lights of their new home casting their entwined silhouettes upon the ground.
The End