The characters and canon situations in the following story belong solely to JK Rowling. I am not making any money from the publishing or writing of this story.
Thank you for all of the positive response. I hope you enjoy!
Hermione's eyes refused to stay closed. The weak early light was prying them open against her will. Hermione pushed the blanket down and sat up. She blinked and worked at making out in the dark the figure in the corner. As her vision adjusted, Hermione realized that the dark figure was in fact Charlie sitting with his crossed legs stretched out and his arms folded over his chest. Once she realized he was sleeping, she noticed his head nodded, keeping time with the soft rumble of snoring.
She smiled; Lottie sometimes snored when she was deeply asleep. Stretching her shoulders and arms, Hermione's movement woke Charlie. Their eyes met and both smiled. Charlie eased his way up and walked to Hermione's side of the hospital bed.
"She snores." Charlie commented as he gently pushed a stray curl from Lottie's cheek. "Bill used to keep me up when we were boys. He snored louder than all of the rest of us put together."
Hermione nodded. "I can only imagine. After all those summer nights trying to sleep in Ginny's room, the noise was unbelievable."
She hesitated and with a deep sigh, Hermione placed her hand over the hand that Charlie was brushing over Lottie's forehead. "I can't tell you how it means to have you here. I've so scared that you might miss getting to know our daughter, your daughter." Hermione's voice was a soft whisper that floated around Charlie.
His hand stopped when Hermione pulled it towards hers. Charlie looked at their joined hands and then at Hermione's face. She smiled, "I hope you don't feel over burdened with everything. I am so sorry that I didn't find you earlier."
Charlie did not remove his hand but struggled to change the subject. "My Pop came by last night."
Hermione grinned, "He did? I must have been sleeping. I am sorry I missed him. Did he get to see Lottie?"
Charlie shook his head, "No, we talked in the waiting area. He plans on coming by today with Mum to met Lottie."
Hermione gave a small laugh. "Wonderful, I have truly missed them."
Charlie cleared his throat, "Do you think you and I could talk before they get here and before the pretty princess wakes up?"
"How about we find a strong cup of something hot?" Hermione said.
After Charlie nodded, Hermione slipped out of bed and took a moment to adjust her clothes before together they walked to the healer's station. Hermione asked the young healer there to keep an eye on Lottie while they went to the tea room.
Charlie carried the steaming cups back to the corner table they found in the tea room. Hermione thanked him for hers and gently blew across the top before taking a sip. Charlie sat staring at the table top trying to form a coherent thought.
Just as the silence was getting awkward, Charlie blurted out, "Hermione do you think you can ever forgive me?"
Hermione's surprised face made him think she must not have heard him so he tried again. "I asked if you can ever forgive me for…well when we conceived Lottie."
His face was red and he looked terrified. The sound of the clock ticking way as he waited for Hermione to respond was the exact rhythm of his heart beat as it pounded in his ears.
"I heard you the first time Charlie. I just am surprised. I thought we had settled of this. There is nothing to forgive. You save me and you gave me, gave us Lottie. Charlie, please believe me, when I tell you that I am thankful everyday for you and what happened, every single day."
Hermione took a sip of her tea and looked at Charlie. She realized he still looked miserable. She put down her cup, "Okay, fine you need me to say it? You need to hear me say 'I forgive you' then I will. Pulling both of his hands in hers, Hermione looked him straight in the eye. "I, Hermione Granger, forgive you, Charlie Weasley."
Charlie slumped down in the chair. "Thank you Hermione."
Hermione leaned over the table and kissed his cheek, "You're welcome."
When they rejoined their daughter, they found her wide awake and laughing. "Momma! Look Momma, Puffy is dancing just like he does in the garden!"
Charlie smiled at the young healer, who had caused Lottie's stuffed dragon to spin around the young child's head.
"I thought Puffy was a stuffed dragon. Is Lottie that advanced that she can animate her toys?" Charlie would be truly impressed if that was the case.
Hermione thanked the healer for keeping an eye on Lottie and sat down in her usual place on the side of the bed. "No your daughter just has a great imagination. She loves to tell tales about Puffy and their adventures in the garden in Hong Kong."
Lottie frowned when the toy stopped circling her head and plopped down next to her. "Puffy likes when I share my cookies." She matter-of-factly informed her father.
"He does?" Charlie grinned and pulled his chair next to her bed opposite from Hermione.
"Yes," Lottie answered as she picked up her stuffed animal and began to flap his wings. "He only comes out when Momma goes inside and only if I have cookies."
Hermione looked over Lottie's head and gave Charlie a conspiratorial look, "See, she has a vivid imagination."
Lottie continued, "I always save Puffy a cookie, but he hides when Momma comes out." She put the toy aside and put her head on Charlie's arm. She was already exhausted from the little exertion of morning. "He gets mad if I don't have cookies, but sometimes I forget and eat them all. He makes smoke come out of his nose." Her voice trailed off as she closed her eyes.
Charlie stroked her back as she rested. He was fascinated at how detailed his daughter's story was. It made him wonder. "Could there be two Puffys? Could there be a stuff animal one and a real one?" He was thinking out loud.
Hermione sighed, "No, I am sure I would have noticed a real dragon in the back garden."
Charlie had to agree, a real dragon would be hard to miss.
Molly Weasley was in a bad mood. This was her day to do the laundry. She always did the laundry on this day of the week. She had a schedule. If she didn't get the laundry done today then it would wreck havoc. She would have to do it tomorrow and tomorrow was shopping day. There was only so much time in the day and now her schedule was being blown away by her husband, Arthur.
His insistence that she drop everything she had planned and accompany him into London was lunacy. It would be much better to come to town tomorrow. She was scheduled to shop tomorrow anyway. Why did it have to be today?
He would not answer her questions. He just stood there until she relented and got her wand and purse. He was so infuriating. Of course as soon as he told her where they were going, her heart began to race. St. Mungo's was never a good idea. How could that man be so calm if they had to rush to the hospital? Someone must be hurt and Arthur Weasley was just as relaxed as could be. If he thought he was getting treacle tart for dessert he had another thing coming.
"Arthur, stop pulling my arm, I am perfectly capable of walking, thank you very much. Honestly!" Arthur was trying to hurry his wife along; now that they were so close he was in a rush to meet their granddaughter.
Molly stopped short in the corridor. "I am not going another inch until you tell me what is going on!"
Arthur bumped into the back of her when she stopped. "Please, Molly, just a tad further. Trust me." Molly was unmoved.
Arthur wasn't exactly where in the pediatric ward they would find Charlie and his daughter and Arthur didn't feel comfortable asking for directions. They had been wandering around for a few minutes and he knew his wife's patience was wearing thin, but, he wanted Charlie and Hermione to explain to Molly about Lottie. If he started inquiring, there might be a scene in the hallway.
The level of Molly's voice was getting louder with each tick of the clock. "Arthur Weasley you had better…" Her tirade was interrupted.
"Mum?" Charlie had heard his mother's familiar stern tone and he opened the curtain surrounding Lottie's bed to make sure he wasn't dreaming.
Mum what are you yelling for? This is a hospital; they like to keep it quite here." Charlie grinned at his mother.
Molly Weasley was stunned into silence. Tears rolled down her face as the astonishment, her prodigal son was standing in front of her. A low "Charles Weasley!" finally escaped her lips as she rushed to hug him.
"Hello Mum!" Charlie muttered into the brim of his mother's 'going to town shopping' hat. For a moment Charlie was lost in the memories of childhood shopping trip with his brothers and baby sister. He always associated the slightly musty odor his mother's hat with gong back to Hogwarts. She would wear that ridiculous old hat every time they went shopping for school supplies. The memory made Charlie choke up; would he ever buy Lottie school supplies?
He wasn't allowed to wallow for too long. The deep hug was quickly replaced with a sharp slap to his arm. "How could you young man! Do know how worried your father has been? Not an owl, no floo calls, not even a Christmas card! I raised you better than that!"
Molly Weasley was a terrifying sight to behold when she went into a full blown rage. Arthur gently squeezed his wife's elbow, "Perhaps, Molly this discussion would be best saved for a later time. I am sure Charlie will explain everything in due course, won't you son?"
For not the first time, Charlie was amazed at how skillfully his father defused his mother's temper.
"Yes, well," Molly's eyes bore into Charlie's face, "Don't you think you have gotten out a full explanation young man. You are not so big that I can't find a switch thick enough."
Charlie grinned again; it felt wonderful to see his mum.
"I promise," he said, "but first there is someone I would like to introduce to you." Charlie opened the curtain wider and motioned his parents to follow him in.
"Mum, Dad, I think you remember Hermione, but this little bundle of curls and giggles, is our daughter, Lottie," Charlie said as sat on the side of the bed and wrapped Lottie in his arm.
Molly did not say a word. For the second time in less than ten minutes she was speechless. Charlie restrained from making a comment about altering the Daily Prophet and waited for his mother to begin.
Molly looked at Hermione and Charlie and then studied the little girl and then looked at her husband. She didn't know where to look next. Lottie giggled and looked at Charlie, "Daddy, I think Grandma Molly needs to sit down."
If you were to look at my original work, this chapter looks nothing like what I had written.
I like this much better. I hope you like it too!