The Act
Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter etc.
Background: It had been a few years since Harry defeated Voldemort in the final battle and life has changed a lot for the golden trio. Harry who had dreamt of being an Auror now worked as a partner with Fred and George in the shop. Ron who had no desire to join the Ministry was now one of the highest paid employees there. And lastly, Hermione whom everyone had assumed would join the Ministry, did a Charlie Weasley and went to Romania to become a dragon keeper. In fact she trained under the said Weasley and became his apprentice before finally reaching the same rank as him.
One of things that keeps the trio together are the monthly get togethers at the Burrow. Mrs. Weasley would create a feast worthy of kings and queens and then proceed to take stock of her sons' girlfriends, or lack thereof.
Now, back to Hermione. She's been a dragon keeper for two years. Though she and Ron dated for a while there was no spark between them, so decided the best was to remain as friends. Still single, she lives with Charlie in an apartment just outside the Dragon Reserve. Over the years of training under him and living with him Charlie had reached the status of her best friend. And this is where our story begins.
Chapter one: Convincing
"No way Charlie! I'm not going to do it!"
"Why not 'mione? We do it all the time!"
The two roommates were standing in the middle of their living room arguing. Charlie had just gotten a letter from his mother who had invited the two of them of dinner that night. Charlie was getting sick of his mother constantly telling him that he was getting older and that if he got married too late he might not be fertile enough to have children.
"Yeah, but lying to girls you don't want to date is different from lying to your mother!" Hermione argued.
Hermione and Charlie had a system. Every time there was someone who was interested in dating them but they did not reciprocate the feeling Hermione and Charlie would put up an act of being boyfriend and girlfriend. In fact they had done it so many times that they didn't even have to discuss before hand what they're story was.
"Besides, the minute she finds out that damn wedding planner will be out! Honestly! Why can't you just tell her that you're not interested in having a girlfriend now?" Hermione asked.
"Because Miss-Charlie-is-my-best-friend-but-I-won't-help-him-in-a-bad-stituation my mother will immediately launch into a lecture on my sperms and how the fertility rate will decrease the older I get." Charlie explained.
"Oh EW. Spare me please." Hermione said gagging.
"Exactly! So help me out! I'll tell her that even though we're dating we have no interest in getting married yet so she can't plan a wedding. Its all an act right."
Charlie didn't notice Hermione flinch. She was getting sick of playing Charlie's pretend girlfriend. She turned and walked to her room "Sorry, Char. I can't help you with this one."
She heard him say softly "But you're my best friend…"
Hermione went into her room and shut the door. Charlie didn't know that because she had been playing his pretend girlfriend for so long, she now wanted to be is real girlfriend. But she knew she could never have that. She stared at herself in the mirror. While her bushy hair had grown out to become curls and the dragon keeping had toned her body she had nothing on those gorgeous girls that Charlie usually dated.
She sighed. Charlie was her best friend. And if a best friend didn't help you in your time of need no one would. She walked out of her room and went to Charlie's' and knocked on the door.
"Go away."
Ignoring the request she opened the door and walked right in and saw her best friend lying in his bed staring at eh ceiling. Charlie stared at her in disbelief. "I could have been naked here you know!"
Hermione laughed "Yeah right. You don't have an adjoining bathroom. So you have no reason to be naked here."
Charlie scowled. "Did you come here just to make fun of me?"
Hermione went up to him and lay down next to him. "Charlie, you're my best friend. You know I would do any thing for you." She paused hoping for some kind of reaction from him. When he did nothing she continued. "When you asked me to pretend to be your girlfriend in front of your mother, I was against it. But like I said you're my best friend and I would do anything for you. Even this." Charlie was now on his side looking at her.
"Really?"
Hermione smacked him. "What, you think I made that speech for fun? Yes, really."
Charlie grinned and hugged her. "But there is one slight problem though." Hermione said breaking the hug.
"And what would that be, great pretend girlfriend of mine?"
"Your brother."
Charlie grinned at her, "Which one? In case you forgot I have 5 of them"
"Ron."
"Ok, so Ron's a problem. No diff from usual."
"Hello!! Are you forgetting that Ron and I were together for about 1 year!"
Charlie frowned as though he had taken some unpleasant medicine. "So what? That was eons ago."
"Yeah, but what-"
"He won't do anything 'Mione." Charlie said cutting her off. "Now go get ready so that we can be the best looking couple in the Burrow" he said grinning.
Hermione rolled her eyes and left. Men! Everything was a competition to them.
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At 6 o clock Hermione stood in front of the mirror in the hall adjusting her clothes nervously. Seeing as how this was supposed to be a special occasion she had donned a pair of white chiffon pants and a blue halter top that was not very revealing but still made her look girly. For make up she dusted on some blue eye shadow and applied a layer of pink lip gloss. She had decided to let her hair down. And as she arranged the curls she had to say that she looked pretty good.
"'Mione you ready t—Wow. You look –Wow!" Charlie said when he finally saw her. Hermione grinned at his apparent loss for words. "Thanks"
Charlie finally snapped back to attention. "So you ready to do this?" The butterflies came back into her tummy. Slowly she nodded her head. Charlie grabbed her hand and they both apparated out.
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Well folks? Waddya think? I know it may seem kinda weird but I'm not that good the dialogues. I swear I'll do better for the next chapter!
Read and Review!