Chapter 3

"Hermione is that a love bite on your neck?"

Tessa's outburst caused everyone around them to look at her, some snickered when they saw the mark and others just shrugged it off. "Yell it a little louder there Tess, I'm sure there are some people here who didn't hear you."

"Well I mean I'm just a bit shocked really, you never struck me as the type."

"The type to get love bites?"

"No, the type to put out on a first date." With a wink Tessa linked arms with Hermione and made their way to the main building for their assignments. "So tell me all about this date of yours last night. Seems to have ended well."

"Everything about it was great. He took me to a beautiful lake for a picnic and we talked and then he came back to my place and, well, I guess you can figure out the rest."

"Yeah but I was details, what was he like in the sack?"

"He did everything great."

In all honesty, Hermione had never felt so satisfied, she had been with a few people but none as pleasurable as Charlie had been. Even still today, almost twenty-four hours since their last shag, she was feeling content.

"Ugh, I'm so jealous. I can't find anyone who knows what they're doing, it's like guys just think being as rough as possible feels good or something."

The day went on with a few comments from people about the mark, but no more questions about her date. She and Charlie had agreed that they didn't want anyone to know about them yet so they acted as if nothing had happened.

"What happened to your neck Mem? Someone try to practice vampirism on you or something?" He joked meeting her along with the rest of the team at the enclosure they were working at.

"Something like that." No one looked twice at their playful banter which was openly flirting to them, but a normal day to everyone else.

Tessa met back up with the group after the fly around in the enclosure.

"Does Charlie know about this guy of yours?"

Hermione looked at her friend, confusion written on her face. "What do you mean? He saw the mark he must know I've seen someone."

"Well I just always thought that Charlie had a thing for you, I mean as soon as you got here he was so protective and jealous of any guy that went near you. It was like he was keeping you all to himself."

"You're just seeing things Tess, Charlie's brother is one of my best friends, his mum probably just asked him to keep an eye out for me or something."

Tessa dropped the subject, but still seemed like she believed she was right. It was true that Charlie had been protective when she arrived, but Hermione had just helped save the world which included being tortured and seeing her best friend dead. And it wasn't as if she had stopped dated when she got to the reserve, Hermione had gone out with several of the reserve staff that had come and gone. But none of those guys ever stuck around and not because of Charlie.

The rest of the day went on as it usually did, checking on the dragons and avoiding the Opaleyes fire since they were guarding an egg. Everyone was more tired than usual after dealing with the expecting parents so the group said goodbye and left to take showers and catch up on some sleep. Hermione practically ran to her bed and passed right out into a deep sleep.

"Mem, it's time to get up. You haven't eaten since breakfast." Hermione's brown eyes opened to meet blue ones smiling down at her. "And I have a surprise for you."

"A surprise?"

"Yeah, why don't you get up and take a quick shower, meet at my place when you're done."

Leaving to let her get ready, Charlie returned to his own home with a wide smile on his face.

After Charlie got home after his shift, he jumped in the shower. He wasn't tired at all but needed to get the sweat and dirt off his body.

When he got out of the shower there was a pounding at his front door, he knew that Hermione wouldn't bother knocking so Charlie threw on a towel and ran to it thinking something bad must have happened.

"Geeze Charlie why don't you put some clothes on mate?"

"George?"

"In the flesh, along with our two youngest siblings who admittedly are here to see Hermione, but I am here to see you."

"Why didn't you owl first? I could have taken a few days off to be with you."

"Oy, where's Mione?"

"Hello to you too, Ron."

Ginny ran up to her big brother for a hug but stopped short. "Maybe I'll wait until you're dressed."

"Come on in you lot, I'll go get Hermione."

The three youngest Weasley's made themselves comfortable in the sitting room as Charlie ran to his room and put clothes on, then ran next door to get Hermione. After knocking on her door to no answer he let himself in.

She was a peaceful sleeper, a smile on her face as she mumbled something incoherent.

After waking her and telling her about the surprise, Charlie returned to his home.

"So why did mum let you three travel all the way here without telling me about it?"

"Well, mum doesn't exactly know we've left England."

Ginny had finally given her brother a hug and settled on the couch. "What Ron means to say is that since none of us live with mum anymore, we decided together that we would come visit you two."

As Ginny was finishing her story the front door opened and the young red head jumped over the couch to her best friend.

"Hermione!"

"Ginny? What are you doing here? Charlie why didn't you tell me she was here?"

Everyone chuckled. "I told you I had a surprise didn't I?"

"I'm here too!" Ron huffed from the chair.

"Hello Ron." Hermione began towards him before noticing another red headed person in the room. "And George, good to see you!" George stood and hugged Hermione, picking her up and swinging her around.

"Alright George that's enough," Realizing that what he had just said sounded possessive Charlie tried to fix it. "We had a rough day with the Opaleye enclosure."

"Yeah, Charlie almost became barbeque until his amazing partner saved him."

"You saved Charlie?" Laughter filled the sitting room. "Charlie Weasley the man who worked with dragons for most of my life, was saved by Hermione who has worked here for one year?"

The group caught up as Charlie made dinner and they all drank wine, the three guests were excited to see the rest of the reserve but they were going to have to wait.

"I'll go tomorrow morning and get visitor passes from Mr. Tucker, but remember if you do anything to hurt or even try to touch the dragons you could get arrested and this isn't the British Wizengamot it's the Romanian one which is much less lenient."

After finishing off three bottles of wine everyone was starting to get tired.

"Hermione and I each have an extra bedroom, Ginny why don't you stay in Mem's and Ron and George can bunk in mine."

The group split with the promise that they would get to see some of the reserve in the afternoon. When Ginny entered Hermione's house she sat on the overstuffed couch and stared at her friend.

"Who is it?"

"What do you mean Ginny?"

"I mean, who is this bloke that's gotten you all smiley and happy."

Sighing, she sat down. "We've only been out once so I don't want to tell you just yet."

"Well, I see that at least the first date went well. The boys might not have noticed your neck but I sure did."

"Oh merlin, please don't start Gin."

"I need to tell you that the real reason Ron came along was because he misses you and wants to apologize for how things were left with you."

This was news that took Hermione by surprise. "But, I thought things were left that way for a reason."

After the final battle had ended at Hogwarts, Hermione stayed at the Burrow for one week before leaving for Romania with Charlie. Everyone had assumed that she would stay and get a cushy desk job with the Ministry but she just had to go. Ron had tried everything in his power to keep her in England, but to no avail.

They had danced around each other for almost a decade with nothing to show for it except for one kiss in the heat of the battle. It was then that Hermione realized her feelings for Ron were nothing more than intrigue and he had agreed. After all the loss and danger they had been through, it was not a good idea to start a relationship that would fail.

"Ron doesn't feel like it's over Hermione, but if you do you need to let him know."

"I did! I told him how I felt and he said that he felt the same way and that it was good we just remain friends. I don't know what do with this now that I'm dating someone else! I can't put this on him!"

"That's why I wanted to tell you before he got to you, I remember when you told him how you felt and I remember that he was fine with it. But I also know that mum wanted you to be in daughter by marriage no matter what and I'm pretty sure she manipulated Ron's small brain into thinking you two were perfect together."

"Well that's not fair! We talked about it and decided what we wanted it isn't her choice!"

"I know, but mum has been dropping some no so subtle hints to Ron, in front of all of us, that she would like for him to reconnect with you and bring you back to England."

Hermione was shocked. How could someone meddle in the lives of her children and their friends? Molly had plenty of older sons who were supposed to be settling down and having kids of their own, and yet she was focusing on Ron and Hermione.

"She has to know that Ron and I would have been no good together, we fight too much she's seen us spend too much time together."

"Mum has her own agenda you know that, and Ron needs someone to talk sense into him and it's not going to be her. He wanted to come talk to you and George thought it was a good idea because you're the one person he would listen to with how bad of an idea it is."

The charm bracelet she wore suddenly seemed very interesting. Molly and Arthur had given it to her for her seventeenth birthday, the witches equivalent of a wizard's watch. Ginny had one as well, though her charms were different save the Gryffindor lion.

"I have no idea how I'm going to explain this."

"Well how about we get some sleep and you can think on it some more."

Saying their good nights Hermione went into her room and crawled into bed. She wasn't tired after her nap but there was so much to think about. Deciding that she wasn't going to fall back asleep, she went out for a walk around the reserve.

"Bit early for work isn't it?"

The morning had been so silent Hermione didn't think anyone was awake, even the dragons. "Charlie, I couldn't sleep."

"Well you were pretty knackered earlier. Something else on your mind?"

"Something Ginny said."

"Want to talk about it?"

"Apparently your mum has gotten it into Ron's head that he and I should be together no matter what, and he's come all this way to tell me so."

Charlie had known that she and Ron were close during their Hogwarts days, he even knew about the kiss. But that was nothing compared to the Hermione he had gotten to know over the past year. "Well then, that's my mum for you. But don't let it get you down, Ron's very easy to steer if you hadn't already figured out my mum has been doing it for years now."

"I just don't think it's very fair. She can't just choose who I'm going to be with."

"She's a meddler, Mem. There isn't much to do except tell Ron how you feel."

"He's not the Weasley I want, just so you know."

"I should hope not, I don't want to have to compete with my brother over you."

Charlie placed his hands on her hips and pulled Hermione towards him and kissed her soundly.

"We should get back before our guests get suspicious. I'll see you in the morning, although I won't be able to run with you."

"That's fine, I know you're going to sort out letting those three into the reserve. I'll see you when we get our assignment."

The pair walked back towards their houses to try and get a little bit of sleep before starting their day.