A/N: I'm really, really sorry! I should have written this weeks ago, I know. But what with holidays, work and of course the 24 hour Deathly Hallows marathon read which I finished at an indecent hour of the morning today...I've only just got round to this.

Disclaimer: I don't own anything...not even Draco Malfoy, which is a shame.

Over dinner, Charlie reflected on what had happened in the orchard. He knew he was being stupid to think she thought anything special of him- her feelings were purely sisterly in intention, and he knew it.

Ginny herself had often put her head on his shoulder when she was tired or upset about something in exactly the same way. Even though she had Harry to take care of her now, she'd still visit Charlie on the rare occasions that he was at The Burrow and sit with him just like he and Hermione had done earlier.

But he still couldn't shake off the blissful feeling he'd felt every time he'd caught sight of her smiling or chuckling through her bright, tear filled eyes. It was a strange sensation- almost as if he'd known that she was only laughing because of something he'd done or said, and his stomach had flipped with pride every time he saw her face light up for a moment before darkening and turning away with guilt.

This in turn made Charlie feel guilty for making her feel shame in laughing and resting her curly head on his shoulder- an innocent action which brought with it so much attached stigma. To her, his offer of a reassuring embrace may have seemed like taking advantage of a broken woman from a broken marriage, when all he wanted to do was take the pain away.

Charlie sighed angrily, and piled his plate high with every sauce and topping within reach before returning to his musings.

Why shouldn't she be comforted by him, though? She needed to feel safe and secure where she was, and above all, Hermione needed to know that decent people who didn't lie and cheat still existed in the world.

It was such a mess, and he blamed his kid brother for the whole thing.

Ron, the idiot. Charlie wondered briefly whether he'd ever forgive the stupid git for treating Hermione that badly, but he knew that, in the end, blood was thicker than water, and would get over it eventually.

Perhaps after he gave his little brother a good beating to wipe that 'Greater-Than-Thou' smirk on his face- the one he'd worn almost permanently since being promoted to a desk job inside the magical games and sports department at the ministry, like his job made him better than everyone else in the family.

Though no-one was unkind enough to tell him, he was turning into Percy. Maybe Charlie would let it slip, next time ickle Ronnikins visited.

Charlie grinned almost evilly- not noticing the odd looks he received from the other three sitting at the table as he proceeded to smile manically into his plate of spaghetti bolognaise.

But there was more to it than that, he thought, shovelling pasta into his mouth and watching the rest of the table engage in polite conversation, glancing back at him with concern every couple sentences.

Okay, so it was wrong to treat any woman like Ron had, but of course Charlie had the twins to look at for reference. Fred and George were well known womanisers, and no relationship of either bachelor had lasted more than six months. Even then, the twins managed two and sometimes three relationships at a time, often swapping girlfriends when they got bored of a lover as easily as chocolate frog cards.

But somehow that was different, not least because Ron had actually asked Hermione to be his wife, and succeeded in walking down that aisle just three months later.

It all came down to commitment, in Charlie's mind. Every girl that goes out with Fred and George expects to be treated as one in a long line of expendables. And most of the time, the twins told the women in question that, really, they were only ever looking for a 'no strings attached' deal before they even asked them out on a date.

Ron was definitely different. Hermione had trusted his love for her every time she'd left the house to go abroad on business- she'd only had to catch him once to know how unfaithful he was to her, but it probably had shaken her to her core. How many times had he had other women in her bed over the past two years or so?

Charlie growled low in his throat, looking up from his empty plate to find his mother starting one of her famous rows with Hermione over her youngest son, and rolled his eyes with the practise of one who's been privy to such disagreements his whole life.

"Hermione, dear. The problem is that, well, I realise that it's only been a week, and-"

"Mrs Weasley, I want that divorce!"

Hermione looked at Mr Weasley for support, but faced with his formidable wife, Arthur chose to remain, for the most part, on her side.

"Just hear Molly out, Hermione," he said kindly, placing his hand over hers and smiling at her.

"Thank you, Arthur." Mrs Weasley smiled with satisfaction, and began to clear up the plates closest to her.

"Look," Hermione bristled, snatching her hand away from Mr Weasley and staring straight down at her plate before it was whisked from under her nose by Mrs Weasley on her way to the sink.

"Look," she repeated, clenching her fists tightly. Charlie willed her not to cry, nodding in what he hoped was an encouraging way at her lowering eyelids.

If she saw the nod, she ignored it, choosing instead to glare at Mrs Weasley's back in a way Charlie had never seen her before. Pure rage, hurt and defiance were etched across her reddening face, behind her deep, chocolate eyes, which bore into Molly Weasley's oblivious figure from across the snug kitchen.

"Molly, Arthur," Hermione continued, breathing in deeply with the patience akin to a saint. Arthur Weasley looked cowed- if looks could kill, Mrs Weasley was as good as dead.

"I'm going to go to the ministry tomorrow and get those stupid papers- you can't stop me!" she added, noticing Mrs Weasley's mouth open as she wheeled to face her daughter-in-law still sitting at the scrubbed kitchen table, eyebrows scowling.

Mrs Weasley opened and shut her mouth a few times. Charlie noted that, at any other time, it would have looked comical, and even now he struggled not to let out a chuckle. Catching his father's eye for a second, he saw that he too was finding it a strain not to laugh.

The two women, however, were still battling each other quite seriously.

"You need to- Hermione, I really don't think you need to be quite so drastic!"

"Mrs Weasley! Wasn't it you who said when I arrived that you understood perfectly what I was going through? That a divorce was quite a reasonable response, considering what that pig-"

"Don't you dare talk about my son that way, young lady!"

Mrs Weasley was fuming now, hands placed firmly on her ample hips as she faced the woman who held so little respect for her family.

Arthur Weasley and Charlie tried to tiptoe away from the table without being noticed, but to no avail;

"Arthur, back me up!"

"Charlie, tell her I need to get a divorce!"

Both men shot thwarted looks at each other as they took up their respective positions once more between the raving mad women, cringing as the two ferocious females shot them looks of which a basilisk would have been proud.

"Hermione, I said those things because you were upset, dear! I could never let you get a divorce- imagine how that would make Ronald feel! His heart would be completely broken!"

Hermione stopped a couple of paces away from her mother-in-law, her mouth opening to reply with all the venom and outrage she could muster as she tried to ignore the pounding in her head and the roaring in her ears. She took a small but confident step forwards…

…And then her world went black- she was falling, down, down into the centre of the earth…

A/N: OOOH! Big excitement. Please write me reviews and messages, they're so amazingly appreciated over here!