- CHAPTER 09-
Harry had proposed, Ginny had said yes…..surprise, surprise! And all of them had moved. Harry to Ginny's room, Hermione to Charlie's, George to Ron's. In all, there was space all around. Every other room was empty as if by design, to afford a sense of privacy to the new couples. Hermione marvelled at Molly's ingenious.
On 23rd, after a heavy lunch, Hermione decided to give finishing touches to her last Christmas assignment on Transfiguration. Excusing herself, she went upstairs into Charlie's room, well now hers too, and sat on the floor cross legged in front of her small bookshelf that she had transfigured from an old table from the attic for the duration of her Christmas holidays. That was the only change she had made to the otherwise masculine room. She did not want to touch or move anything around without Charlie's permission. She felt as if their relationship was not at that level yet. She looked around for her essay, found it and then moved on to the writing desk to work on it.
Meanwhile, Molly left for a little shopping with her friends at Diagon Alley. Ron had met a girl, a fellow auror-in-training and had asked her out to tea, so he went to fetch her. Finding the house otherwise empty, Harry and Ginny decided to spike things up by making out on the couch in the sitting room. While they were going hot and heavy at it, the fire at the fire place burnt green and out stepped a Weasley twin.
"Eh….! So not what I wanted to see….." he grumbled, stepped right back into the hearth and flooed back to his shop, never bothering to come back all day. Taking the cue, Harry and Ginny moved back to their room to finish what they had started.
Hermione by then had finished all her tweaks on three different essays and was on her way down to the den to read her book by her spot. Seeing the entire George, Harry, Ginny debacle, she decided to stay put in her room. She laid down on her tummy with a new book on dragon heart strings in her hands and pulled a duvet over her body to keep warm. She was dressed for comfort not for winter, so she was getting a little chilly. She put a light heat charm on the room and immersed herself in the book. Slowly her eyelids got heavy and she dozed off with her head in her book.
It was about 6 in the evening that Charlie finally reached the Burrow. To ensure that his holiday went without any glitches, he had taken extra care while handing things over. He had almost written down every instruction to avoid the risk of being called over in the middle of his leave. He was anyway seeing his wife for just two short weeks, he did not want to cut it down any further. He'd had a long day and all he wanted was to see his blushing wife, soak in a hot bath, have warm soup and crash on his bed, in that order.
He entered the kitchen a little excitedly, wondering if she would be waiting for him there. No such luck. Damn! He walked over the den, nothing. Trepidation made its way to his heart. Was everyone okay? It was quiet in the Burrow. Too quiet. And it was never quiet in the Burrow! He ran up the stairs, without bothering with a knock he pushed open the door to Ginny's room and froze. "Eh…..what is it? Brothers behaving inappropriately day? Sod off Charlie!" screamed Ginny and banged the door on his face with a flick of her wand. He screwed his eyes shut wanting to get that image out of his mind before it stuck there. Well, at least if the boy who lived and his fiancée had time for that, Charlie assumed everyone was safe, just gone out to afford them some privacy may be.
He shook his head again, praying to Merlin to obliviate the memory of his sister's beau doing unspeakable things to her from his mind, as he climbed up the stairs. So he'd see Hermione at dinner maybe. That was probably for the best. He'd be clean and not smelling like dust and dragons after his bath, at the very least. Thinking that he cracked open his door and froze again. Lying up on his bed was the most beautiful sight he had ever seen. She looks like an angel when she sleeps he thought. Careful not to wake her, he walked in, put his trunk down and put a silencing charm around her so as not to wake her up. He continued with his plan for a bath, but turned it into a shower instead. Who would want to soak in hot water when there was a hot chick on his bed?! He bathed, brushed and stepped out of the en suite bathroom in a host of steam wearing his pajama bottoms. He usually just wore his boxers to sleep but since he had company he figured he could wear longer pants. Draping the towel around his shoulders, he was just wiping his hair dry when he heard her groan. "Oh! Not again!"
He whipped around so quickly that his neck gave a slight crink. "What?"
"I fell asleep on a book again!" Then she stared at the sight in front of her. Tousled wet hair, broad shoulders, narrow waist, chiselled chest, abs in place, bicep tattoo – wasn't that a Hungarian horntail? She'd forgotten to ask about it last time she was with him after their wedding.. and a generous dusting of chest hair that tapered towards the tummy running down the navel and into the elastic of the pants. Damn.
"Like what you see witch?" she heard Charlie say, laughingly.
"Am I still dreaming?"
"Why? Is it a common occurrence for me to make an appearance in your dreams?"
"Yes."
Just a word. The best one he had ever heard. "And what do I do there, witch?"
"Well, we definitely don't talk," she grumbled and pinched herself. "Ouch! I'm awake. You're really here. Oh my God! What did I say?" she screeched and slapped both her hands on her mouth to keep it shut.
His entire being shook with laughter. "There's never a dull moment with you, is there?"
"You seem to bring up the sass in me," she replied without batting an eye. "Oh my God! Please just shut me up!" she screamed, eyes huge, lips in a pout.
By then he had walked till the edge of the bed. "Gladly." He knelt on the floor, pulling her face closer to his and kissed her. Softly. Sweetly. He put all the longing he had felt for her into that one kiss. When Hermione came up for air, she knew he hadn't lied when he had said that he missed her every single day.
"Wow" she smiled.
"Wow" he repeated, their foreheads still touching, his hand still in her hair. They held on to each other like that for a few more minutes before he stood up and pulled her along. She was standing on his bed now, so he grabbed her waist, picked her up and put her down on the floor.
"Not that I'm complaining but how come you're in my room, witch? Looking for trouble are we?"
"Uhm…yes… about that….." and then she narrated hers and Harry's complete conversation to him.
"Wow! Christmas just got more exciting. Mum trying to make up for our lost time! This one I've got to see… So do your wifely duties include any sort of cooking for your man? I'm famished."
"They don't, but since you've worked through the day and travelled a lot, I'll make an exception this once. But just remember you asked for it when I serve something burnt yet raw."
He cocked his brow at that but played along, "Your kindness precedes your fame, Ms. Granger. Thank you!"
He quickly pulled on a random t-shirt over his head and they both left for the kitchen. All the while Charlie held on to her hand, only in the kitchen did he reluctantly let it go.
!
Molly and Arthur Weasley came back by 7 to a very pleasant sight in the kitchen. Charlie was eating a sandwich at the kitchen table while Hermione seemed busy with things at the counter. They were both talking and laughing, all the while stealing glances at each other. The sight warmed Molly's heart. What few reservations she had about her plans melted away to oblivion. Clearing his throat to announce their arrival, Arthur with Molly stepped into the kitchen. They both welcomed Charlie with hugs and kisses (from Molly). Then Molly immediately turned towards the counter. "I am so sorry about the delay Hermione, but you didn't have to do this."
"It was no problem, Molly, really. I just got the things prepared nothing more. I did not cook though. I have the ability to burn water and didn't want everyone to suffer," she laughed a little self-consciously.
"Then how did you three survive on the run, love?" that was Charlie, curious about the trio's year on the run.
"They just ate whatever I dished out most of the time. Food itself was a novelty so complaining never occurred. And on the rare occasions that we did manage to get something nice, Harry cooked. That boy is the full package, I tell you – looks, wealth, down to earth and he can cook!"
"Hey, what are you speaking about my fiancé?" came Ginny's booming voice from the doorway.
"Just telling them how lucky you are to have found Harry."
"That I am." Saying this Ginny kissed Harry fondly on the cheek and stepped towards the counter to help Hermione. A blushing Harry found his way to the small table with Arthur and Charlie.
"You should cook a meal once for everyone Harry, give them a taste of your prowess."
"I'm nothing compared to Molly, but I'd love that. I've always found cooking very relaxing. As long as Hermione vouches on not helping me, though."
"Really, is she that bad?" Ginny cooed, sending an apologetic grimace to Hermione.
"Well, not really, assuming you have developed a taste for burnt coffee, blackened toast and lumpy stews." Harry laughed when Hermione swatted him on the arm with a wooden spoon. "The woman can't cook to save her life! Thank goodness she wasn't asked to cook at the Malfoy Manor when we were captured, or else her torture would have been doubled!" Hermione had finally told Harry and Ron about what had really happened with her at the Malfoy Manor and they being the lovely friends they were, had helped her heal herself. She was now comfortable enough to joke around about the incident. Though she hadn't told anyone else about the scar on her left hand and she kept it well hidden under the long sleeved shirts or covered it up using muggle make up as nothing magical worked on hiding it. It was not that she was ashamed of it, far from it, she was proud of who she was but she could easily live without the misplaced sympathy, thank you very much.
"Would have been worth it though, imagine their faces when they ate something I cooked." Both Harry and Hermione cracked up at that.
"You never told me about your torture at the Malfoy Manor," was all Ginny said, hurt in her eyes.
"It's really no big deal Ginny."
"If you were tortured, then it is for me. What happened Mione?"
Relenting, Harry and Hermione filled all those present in the kitchen about their capture. Harry filled them in about what happened in the cells and she about what happened to her in the sitting room.
By the time they had finished their story, Molly was sobbing quietly and Arthur had got up to hold her. Ginny moved in to hug Hermione. "I'm so sorry Hermione. I never knew. Will you show me what she did to you?"
"Please not now Gin. Maybe some other day?"
Ginny nodded and went to hug Harry. Charlie was sitting still at the table looking into her eyes. She just gave him a small smile and went back to finish up at the counter. Molly immediately admonished the young ones away from the kitchen and promptly took over the reins.
The four walked to the den together. Once out of the kitchen, Charlie gave Hermione a side-long hug, rubbing her other shoulder and arm up and down. "You're a brave girl, Hermione, the bravest I've ever seen." He kissed her forehead then.
"No, am not, but thank you," Hermione blushingly stuttered.
!
"Do we really have to sleep like two stiff blocks of wood, witch?"
"What are you talking about?"
"From the minute we've returned after dinner, you've shut yourself up and now here we are, under torrential rose petals rain, lying down on our bed like two stiff blocks of wood. Is this really necessary?"
Molly, true to her word, had tried to make up to them by arranging a lovely red rose petal shower right on top of their bed! It was the first time after the war that she was sharing a bed with Charlie through the night and now that she was actually seeing him for him instead of being madly angry on him for some perceived insult like the time of their wedding day, she realized he looked hot without his t-shirt on, and their room had the faint aroma of roses and the petals were cascading down on him very seductively. She had taken in the scene and shut herself up before doing something stupid. But after thirty minutes of her self-inflicted torture, her means looked foolish to her and she thought maybe not doing anything was the stupider course of action. Feeling a little bold after that logical thought, ahem…. She turned to face him, "What would you suggest we do Charlie?"
He turned on to his side and looked at her too. "Well, if I tell you exactly what I want to do maybe you'll blush much more, love."
True to his word, she blushed deeper.
"Someday love, not far from today, I'm gonna find out exactly from which point this lovely colour runs up you neck and cheeks."
She felt her blush deepen more.
He laughed at that, his deep throaty chuckle rumbling through his chest. My beautiful blushing bride. He pulled her close to him, wrapping his arms around her under their shared duvet. He placed his thumb and forefinger below her chin and pulled her face up to get her to look at him. "You're beautiful," he whispered and bent his head down and started kissing her. He peppered her face and neck with kisses and then attacked her lips. All the while he took utmost care to ensure his hands were only at the back of her neck and in her hair. She melted in his arms and it was all he could do to not take her there and then. But he held himself in check. After a long time, he felt her slumping on his chest. Smiling to himself, he held her closer still and slept soundly after a very long time.
!
He woke up the next morning to an empty bed. Lying there he just inhaled deeply. He could still smell her on his sheets. She smelled of warm spring days, like coconuts and sunshine. He tried to figure out where she was – there was no sound in the room but he also couldn't hear the shower running either. It's too early for her to go down, isn't it?
After 15 minutes, he left the warmth of the bed and went to look for her. The bathroom was obviously the best bet. Knocking on the door he asked, "Hermione are you in there?" No sound. "Love..?" Still no response. Twisting the doorknob he walked in and froze. There sitting in the bath, hugging her knees to her chest was Hermione, all covered in molten chocolate! His eyes went so wide with shock he thought they'd pop out.
"What happened?" he asked hardly believing the low throaty voice was his. His words seemed to shake her a little. She looked up at him dazedly, her eyes had glazed over and her lips were parted, she was running her tongue on her lips, way too erotically for Charlie's control.
"I think…..Molly…." was all she said but he understood. My mother is trying to kill me! He groaned in frustration and walked out the bath. He was back within a second with a big fluffy yellow Turkish towel and his wand. Hermione's eyes widened when she saw Charlie's pajama bottoms pointing at her.
Wordlessly, he walked over till the tub, pulled her to stand and draped the towel along her body to cover her up. Then, as if he just could not control himself, he picked her off the tub and laid her down to sit on its edge, kneeling down in front of her.
"I wonder if it tastes as good," he murmured and straight away started licking the chocolate right of her shoulder, just where her tattoo was. Minutes passed or hours, Hermione was not too sure but she knew she did not want this end. He licked, nibbled and sucked at her skin till her tattoo was visible.
"I've been wanting to do that since the day you got it done." Saying that he got back to work and had almost licked her face, neck, shoulders and arms clean, before he came up for air again. Looking deeply into her eyes, he began to kiss her.
He tasted of chocolate – warm dark molten chocolate. Him and chocolates turned out to be a heady combination for Hermione. She moaned low in her throat and kissed him back with all she had. A low dull pulsating throb started somewhere deep within Hermione and she knew she wanted him to take it further, much further than mere kisses. She put her hands on his chest, pulling him closer, just as he held on to them before he broke the kiss.
"Finish your bath. I'll wait for you outside." He pointed his wand at the shower to change the spray back to water and then accioed a fresh towel for her and stepped outside. He sat on the edge of his bed with his head hung in his hands, reminiscing much like a man just awarded with the dementor's kiss. When she stepped out, he looked up, groaned aloud on seeing her in nothing but a towel again, picked up his towel from last evening and muttered "No amount of cold showers are ever gonna fix me up again," under his breath and walked into the bathroom without another glance her way.
Fortunately, Hermione heard him. She was beginning to wonder if he did not find her attractive enough to do anything with her anymore, but his parting shot sent a ray of hope to her heart. Maybe it was time to take some advice from Ginny after all. She dressed quickly and made her way to Ginny's room. Making sure to knock she entered only when called in and was glad to find Ginny alone. Not that she minded seeing Harry, it was just that it was better all-around if he didn't know what she was thinking of doing. She discussed her plan with Ginny and then happily made her way to the breakfast table.