UNTIL I FIND A BETTER PART OF ME
Chapter One
Charlie Weasley had heard the news about his little brother's engagement ending. He read the letters from his mother, Bill, George, Ginny, and even Percy. He bit his lip, knowing the type of heartbreak Ron must be going through. It was possibly the same type of heartbreak that he had suffered a long time ago. However, like the others in his family, he had known that this would eventually happen. He actually sympathized with Hermione, because he had been in her shoes at one point in his life.
Not many people knew this, but he had once been engaged to Nymphadora Tonks. They hadn't told anyone. When Charlie announced that he was going to pursue his dreams to study dragons in Romania, he shouldn't have expected Tonks to go along with it. Once she made the ultimatum, he watched Tonks walk out of his life. It was for the best, he realized, reminiscing on the memory of Tonks. She had indeed found love with Remus before... he swallowed, shaking his head as memories of the war popped in his head. He didn't want to remember what war and death claimed.
He fought back the tears as he thought of his younger brother. He needed to stash that away deep inside of himself. It was better to lock it away. The pain was too much to handle. He knew it would eventually need to be dealt with, but not right now, he couldn't deal with it now. He glanced over the letter Ginny had sent him.
Charlie,
How are you? I hear you're coming back to England finally! It's unfortunate that it had to be over a work injury, but I'm glad all the same. Mum says you're taking a temporary position at Hogwarts as the Professor of Care of Magical Creatures while you recover. You'll have a friendly face there! Hermione just accepted a two-year long apprenticeship under Madam Pomfrey.
As you know, Ron and her called off their engagement. I truly think they're better off just being friends. Let's hope friendship isn't out of the question, because they've known each other for so long.
Harry doesn't know what to do. He feels stuck in the middle with trying to be there for both of them. Mum took it quite well. Amazingly. Considering she had always wanted Hermione to be a part of the family, you know, officially. Hermione will need some cheering up. It's been really hard for her especially with all those nasty remarks about her in the news. Seriously? Who sends hate mail? Did they forget about everything she's done for them?
Anyways, big brother, I will see you soon!
Love,
Ginny
A smile cross Charlie's mouth. It would be nice to see his family. He hadn't really seen them since the war. He had tried to stick around, but the memories were just too fresh. Yes, call himself a coward, but he did what he did best. He left to study and train dragons. It was his passion, his outlet, and his way of life. Eventually, after his knee injury healed fully, he would go back to Romania after his bout as a professor. He had chosen the position instead of just sitting around, because he couldn't stand to do absolutely nothing. He had to do something remotely productive or he'd lose his mind.
"Mm, Charlie," a feminine voice murmured. He glanced sideways to the woman beside him on his bed, who was now awake from her slumber. "Do you really have to go?"
"Yes, I do," he said, chuckling as she gave her best pouting face. "Jasmine, you know you won't miss me. You can have your pick of bedmates here. In fact, I'm certain someone will be warming your bed tonight."
Jasmine sighed, letting her hands trail over his nude body. "Mm, true enough, but you are by far the best out of them all," she told him. When her hands traveled lower beneath the blankets, he groaned as her hands found him. "I have an inkling you'll be missing me."
"Mm, I may miss a few things... perhaps."
When he winked at her, she swatted him playfully. "You will. Not many women can handle you, Charlie. You're all fire. You burn them up and watch them burn out," she said, letting her leg slide over his torso so she could straddle him. "You're too much of a dragon, I say."
"Last night, you didn't seem to be complaining."
"Still not."
He sucked in a breath as she slid down upon him. He placed his hands on her hips to steady her. His eyes looked up into her steely gray eyes. When she smirked at his response, he shook his head as he quickly flipped her over to take control of the situation.
"Well, good, because I'm not quite done with you."
Hermione looked up at the newly renovated and completed Hogwarts. It was quite spectacular to see it be a shining beacon of magical study again. When Madam Pomfrey had sent an invitation offering her a chance to be her apprentice, she jumped at the chance. It had been perfect timing to with all that was going around. At first after the break up, she had tried to function in society normally, but society seemed to cast her as 'the bad guy'. She needed a nice change in her life. Something where she could heal her heart and get her life back together.
This was the perfect solution. For two years, she would be studying underneath Madam Pomfrey. Hopefully in two years when she returned back into society, the public would've moved unto something else. She levitated her possessions as she entered her childhood home away from home. She was surprised to feel the familiar warmth and protection. After the war, she hadn't known what it feel like to walk back into Hogwarts, but there was some sort of triumphant feeling that they didn't ruin everything.
"Hermione, it's so good to see you!" Minerva McGonagall called out. "When Poppy told me that you had accepted, I was absolutely thrilled."
"It feels so good to be back."
"Well, seeing it back to it's former glory is quite overwhelming and breathtaking," Minerva told her, gazing around the entrance way. "How are you, Hermione? I heard about what happened. How are you holding up?"
"I've been better," Hermione said earnestly. "Just need to take everything one day at a time."
"Exactly. Well, Poppy is awaiting for your arrival in the Hospital Wing. I will leave you to it."
"Thank you, Minerva," she said, watching her old professor and now Headmaster of Hogwarts walk away in the opposite direction.
Hermione made quick work of finding the Hospital Wing. She was quickly ushered into her new chambers after being fawned over by Madam Pomfrey about how she had grown into a lovely woman. She blushed at the compliments, not one to take compliments well. When she was finally alone to unpack and settle in, she looked about her living quarters.
It was a decent-sized room fit for one person. A full size bed took up one corner of the room. A nice desk with bookshelves was tucked away in the opposite corner. There was a bureau and another bookshelf. The walk-in closet was near the small bathroom equipped with a shower, faucet, and toilet. It was small, but it was home. It was her home. A small smile appeared on Hermione's lips. It was the first genuine smile. For the first time in a long time, she felt as if she made the right decision.
