Ch. 2 - And Secret Doors
(A/N: This chapter earns the rating. Your mileage may vary. No other warranties apply. - DG)
"Where the bloody hell are they?"
The brothers stood there, looking around the various old brick posts on the platform, not finding them anywhere. "Could they have gone back to their offices and left us here?"
Charlie kept staring around the room, wondering where they wandered off to. "Well come on, we'll start our way to the pub and get eating. Ron can catch up."
They took three steps and spied a nestled door. The brothers looked at one another, realizing that the lovebirds found a temporary hiding place. Grins reflected one another. Charlie tried to turn the knob of the door, knowing it wouldn't budge. He felt the buzz of the inherent magic coursing through his hand when he placed it on the handle.
"You do realize if we interrupt them, that there is a good chance that we could be seriously hurt. She didn't earn the title Brightest Witch of our age for nothing."
Charlie looked back at his younger brother. "You have any other bright ideas? I'd like to be in one piece the rest of the day."
"As a matter of fact, I do. Watch and learn, dear brother."
George pulled his wand and did a complicated incantation. A magical window opened on the door and showed into the next room. Ron and Hermione were inside.
"Good thing you did that, dear brother. I certainly wouldn't want to interrupt that."
The brothers watched them on the chair, thankful that the noise from the room wasn't part of the showing. "You sure we should be watching this?"
Charlie threw his head back and laughed. "Of course. We're going to use this to blackmail him. That's the whole point."
George grinned at his brother's cheek. "What about Hermione? You know I'm rather fond of her as a little sister and all."
"Merlin's bollocks George. When did you get whipped? Oh right. Angie has your bollocks in her pocket. Look, we leave her out of it. She's great for him, but I'm not missing an opportunity to take the piss outta him. I've not seen the ruddy wanker in months."
They stood there watching the lovebirds shagging. "Wonder what they're saying?"
George looked at his brother, noting the confusion on his face. "You're serious, aren't you?"
"And you aren't?"
"No, 'cause I've walked in on them at the shop, and heard her one time in the loo at home. I've heard Hermione enough for a lifetime."
"Why's that little brother?"
George laughed. "It's the quiet ones, ya know? She's so prim around the family, and so respectful. When she's like that –" George pointed at them, "she's rather coarse, salty and blue. First time I heard her I could have sworn it was Ginny with Harry."
"You're kidding!"
"Sorry Charlie. She's raunchier than Ginny out on the pitch."
"Blimey, did we miss out or what?"
"We did." George laughed. "But it's not a bad thing, mind you. She's so good for him. Haven't you noticed?"
Charlie wouldn't look George in the eye. George realized what he said. Shame crossed his face. "Oh man, sorry I said that. You know I didn't mean it that way."
Charlie stared out into the platform area. "It's fine. I know I'm not around as much as the rest, but that doesn't mean I don't care."
"Look. Ron loves you more than the rest of us. He knows and understands. He'll listen to you when he won't listen to anyone else 'cept that bushy haired siren in there."
Charlie looked back, and they watched the two in the next room, their eyes never leaving the other. "They're barmy for one another, aren't they? This isn't anything like those magazines you get at the shop in Knockturn Alley."
"They are. I've seen those two at home with Mum and Dad. They are the epitome of reserve at home, well, when they aren't rowing with one another, but otherwise? They can communicate with just a glance or a touch of the hands. They are best friends first. It's like they have nothing to hide from one another."
The brothers saw movement, and plastered matching expressions of shock on their face. "Did he just – "
"Did you see?"
"Wow. I've never –"
"I think she liked that!"
"What bird wouldn't?"
"I dunno. The one time I tried that with Alicia – "
"You tried that with Alicia?"
"Well, yea, I got the idea from one of your bird magazines."
"Are you daft like Ronald there?"
"Well, she slapped the piss outta me for it. It seemed – "
They stood there, gobsmacked, watching Ron drive Hermione over the edge of bliss. She threw her head back and silently screamed in the confines of the small room. Within seconds, Ron was bellowing too. "Aren't you glad you didn't hear that? I bet the people up on the street would have heard them, from the looks of it."
"Blimey!"
They stood there, watching the couple come down from their bliss, slowly recovering from their ordeal.
"How long were they in there?"
"I dunno, maybe six or seven minutes."
Charlie leered. "Poor Ronniekins has no stamina."
"Stamina? Ha! I bet we can get him to pipe up about this morning before he came into work."
"You think?"
George nodded. "I know so. Ron's let it slip once that Hermione loves waking him up the right way. Says she's creative and an animal in the sack too. He also said that she's barmy for him too, worse than he is."
They watched as Mrs. Weasley composed herself, taking an extra minute to fasten her front clasp brassiere then slowly button her blouse. Hermione sighed, then leaned back over to kiss Ron chastely, never taking her eyes off of him the whole time. A quick wand movement and they were clean. She then ran her hands over her hair, realizing there wasn't much she would be able to do in the process. The brothers stood there watching her watch her husband, who was still slouched in the chair. She stood up from straddling him, and the brothers were once again amazed.
"Holy Shite! Did you know he's hung like a hippogriff!"
"Well, we all take after Dad that way."
"Dad?"
"Don't you remember? He's gifted like Ron."
"I just didn't pay attention to Dad that way."
"Silly Georgie. You know you're gifted, right?"
"Yeah, but not like that monstrosity!"
Charlie looked back at his brother, watching in amazement. "Well, I have to admit that ickle Ronniekins isn't so ickle anymore."
"But how the bloody hell –"
"Ever think that they're meant for one another, like soul bonded? It's the only explanation that makes any lick of sense."
"Blimey, that's something to consider."
They watched as Hermione finished comporting herself, adjusting her blouse and skirt then sliding back into her professional robes. Within five minutes, she transformed from beast to bureaucrat. Ron never took his eyes off his wife until she was finished composing herself.
Ron stood up from the chair, tucking himself back into his pants and trousers, and finished tidying his appearance. One minute, he's wanton and randy, and the next, back to an Auror. The change was almost mythic.
"Come on, let's get to the foyer. We don't want them to suspect."
The brothers hustled out of the back hallway, working their way quickly to the atrium and blending into the crowds. Hopefully their brother wouldn't suspect their spying on his activities with his wife, at least until Lunch.
Sure enough, not a minute later, they saw the two of them step out from the platform room, holding hands and ignoring the rest of the crowds flowing past them. To anyone else, they looked like the epitome of decorum: holding hands, intense looks, and no improper displays of affection.
Ron's chaste kiss on her palm betrayed it all. Hermione's kiss on his cheek before she purposely strode to the lifts completed the act. He watched her walk away, grinning like a troll with her curvaceous hips sashaying away from him. His eyes didn't leave her until she was safely inside the lift. Only then did he turn around scanning the atrium for his siblings. Ron spotted them standing by the door to the canteen, looking deep in discussion.
"Ah, there's little brother now. Did you have a good conversation with your wife?"
Ron's ears turned slightly red, but his face was stoic. "We were talking about a case that is coming up before the Wizengamot. She has to testify next week and she wanted to discuss a particular point of the law."
Charlie shrugged. "Well now that you're done, I'm famished. Let's grab some pub grub and tuck in. I don't have to be back for another two hours!"
Ron strode ahead of them, missing the look the brothers shared behind his back. Charlie winked at George, who smiled back. "Your turn, brother," George whispered to his older brother.
