Four Firewhiskeys later and he was well and truly drunk.
Tom took their wands and dropped a key on the table when he brought them their fifth round. "Only one room available tonight. I put a camp bed in it and lit the fire." Charlie made to hand him some money for the room but the barkeep waved his hand. "Always liked the Lupins, myself. It's on the house for you two."
Hermione swayed in her seat. She leaned against him as she held her glass up to Tom. They both drank.
"Why'd you come back?"
It would seem Hermione was drunk, too.
"Mum," he said. "George." He drank again, "Teddy."
She was still leaning against him. He was feeling very drunk and lonely which, historically, was not a good combination. He tended to always get good and drunk on nights that the conversation turned to Nym.
He threw his arm over the back of Hermione's chair. "Suppose me and Nym were a bit like you and Ron. When something burns bright and hot the flame doesn't last as long."
Hermione's head rested on his shoulder, "But you still love her. It's very obvious when you talk about her."
He looked down at her, "Don't you still love Ron?"
Her lips turned up in a small, sad smile, "Of course." Then, more quietly, "And I always will." She took another drink, "If we'd stayed together we would have ended up hating one another."
Charlie picked up his drink, "It would have been the same. For me and Nym."
Hermione shifted and Charlie noticed suddenly that her arm was resting on his thigh. "Did you ever move on?"
Charlie shrugged. "Nothing serious. And then there was the war and it just didn't seem important."
Hermione nodded, "We were always helping Harry. From the time we started Hogwarts. But it felt like that was where my life was headed, you know? Now I kind of wonder what comes next. All I ever wanted was for Ron to notice me and then he did and it almost ruined what we had."
Her hand was resting on his knee now, and his subconscious started the mantra he'd had to chant internally more than one late night at the Ministry. IYour brother's ex-girlfriend. Your baby sisters's best friend. Probably emotionally frail. Nearly a decade younger than you. Strictly off limits.
He could feel her breath on his ear when she spoke again, "I'm exhausted."
He tried his very best to keep his voice even, "Let's go see what Tom's sorted out for us then.
Gravity worked against them both as they climbed the steps leaning on each other. Without her pressed against his side and whispering in his ear he had a much better control over his thoughts. They were breathless with laughter by the time they got to their room on the third floor.
It was all the talk about Nym that did it. Nym, and the fact that it had been longer than he cared to admit since he'd been with a woman. Hermione was a friend. A good friend in the making. He didn't want to mess that up.
The room was hot. Hermione fell over on the bed and pulled on the collar of her shirt. "We will boil to death in here." She looked for a moment and then sighed. "Damn Tom took my wand." She struggled to sit up and then pulled her shirt up over her head, where she became quit obviously stuck.
Charlie moved to help her after a bracing breath of air. She was wearing a tank top underneath but it had ridden up so high that not much was left to the imagination. He helped her untangle herself and then quickly sat down on the camp bed to remove his shoes.
She fell over on the bed again and appeared to immediately fall asleep.
He knew he'd not been asleep long when he opened his eyes. Hermione was sitting at the edge of the bed her face contorted in pain and grasping at her chest.
He rolled off the camp bed and kneeled in front of her, the alcohol they'd drank and gravity still fighting against him. "What's wrong?"
But he knew. He could tell as soon as he opened his eyes. Her body was tense and she was covered in sweat.
Her eyes were still shut in a grimace of pain. "It's nothing," she said, her voice breathless. "I'm fine."
Bill had told him when they found her unconscious at Hogwarts. Extended Cruciatus Curse use untreated causes nerve damage most acutely felt when the effected mind is at rest. His Dad had struggled for years after exposure during the first war and he'd been treated immediately. He knew Hermione had been exposed for much longer and that it had gone untreated for almost a year and was therefore correspondingly worse.
He felt a stab of anger at his baby brother. He knew that her struggle with Cruciatus damage had been the beginning of the end for their relationship.
The bed was low and she was much shorter than him, kneeling in front of her the way he was brought them eye level. Without thinking he wrapped his arms around her. She tucked her head into the crook of his neck.
He could feel her shaking.
How long they stayed that way Charlie could say. Hermione did not stop shaking and eventually his knees began to protest the hard floor.
"Budge over," he said, sitting on the bed with his feet in front of him. Hermione curled herself into a ball and leaned again him as he wrapped his arm around her shoulders. "You're ok," he said.
He felt her relax a bit after a few minutes, and then heard her breathing change as she fell asleep.
Her hair smelled like mint. He must have fallen asleep too. You have to fall asleep to wake up.
When he opened his eyes the room was bright and the fire was out.
She was gone.
