Romanian Getaway
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It had been over a month since Hermione had been at the reserve and Henry had been fired after Charlie and Hermione had reported Henry to the Director of the Reserve, who in turn conducted an internal investigation where it was found that Henry had a habit of pushing things with new witches on the reserve.
Hermione had become more comfortable in her role with the baby dragons and was enjoying working beside Charlie, growing closer every day. Charlie stayed with her most nights, holding her as she slept. He liked being with her, protecting her, caring for her, he liked that she was allowing him to care for her, he liked that she was opening up to him. In turn she felt comfortable with him, safe, like nothing could hurt her when she was with him. She smiled to herself as she finished feeding the baby dragons and headed out across the grounds when was knocked over by an incoming apparition.
"I'm sorry love; I've never been one for liking apparition much here let me help you." He said as he extended his hand.
"It's okay; I'm alright, no harm done." She said as she dusted off her jeans and looked up at the wizard who stood before her.
"Bill?! Hermione?!" They said at the same time.
"What in Merlin's name are you doing here? Everyone at homes been wondering where you are" He said.
"I…I…um…I.." She struggled as she looked away from Bill.
Charlie saw Hermione standing in the middle of the field and saw what looked like Bill. "Shit" He said as he quickly rushed over.
"Bill!" He yelled causing him to turn. "What are you doing here?" He asked as he stood by Hermione.
"What am I doing here? I think the better question is what is Hermione doing here? Harry and Ron visited the flat and told Mum she'd gone on a trip. Has she been here with you the whole time?" He asked.
Charlie nodded. "Bill, we're not going to talk about this here alright. Let's all go to my cabin." He said as he ushered them away.
"I'm sorry love." He whispered as he apologized.
"No, no, it's okay he's your brother and besides it was bound to come out sooner or later it's been 6 weeks since anyone's seen or heard from either of us." She whispered as they ascended the stairs to his cabin.
"Alright, so, what's going on here? Why are you here Hermione? I mean are you two dating, shagging?" He queried.
"Bill!" Snapped Charlie.
"It's alright." She said as she as she reached over and put her hand on his arm reassuring him.
"Why don't we all have a cup of tea and I'll explain okay." She said as she quickly conjured up three teas and they sat around the table.
"Bill I'd rather not go into a lot of it, but um I needed to just get away from everyone, your family was grieving for Fred and I know your mum sees my like a daughter, but it was just too much I needed time and then Charlie and I were talking and.."
"And I didn't want her to be by herself in her flat and so I told her she could come to Romania."
"And why didn't you say anything?" He said looking at Charlie.
"Because Bill it wasn't my place. It was Hermione's decision and she didn't want anyone to know. Anyway what are you doing here?" Asked Charlie.
"Well I was coming to tell you that Mum and the family are coming for a visit tomorrow. I was giving you warning like I normally do, so that you can prepare for the barrage of questions from her and I dare say when she finds Hermione here with you there's going to be a hell of a lot more and not just from mum." He said.
"Yeah I know." He said.
"What exactly is going on between you two?" Asked Bill as he looked between the two of them.
"We're still healing Bill, both of us." Said Charlie.
"I know we all went through a lot, Charlie we lost our brother." Said Bill.
"I know that Bill and Hermione lost people she cared about as well. Did anyone even ask how she was, what she went through on the hunt with Ron and Harry." Said Charlie.
"Charlie." She said breathlessly.
Charlie turned to face Hermione and whispered to her. "I'm sorry love. I shouldn't have said anything."
Hermione shook her head softly. "It's okay I'm tired of holding it in and besides when your family comes tomorrow, it's not like I'm going to be able to keep it from them." She whispered.
"What exactly happened Hermione? Mum didn't say much." He asked.
"We we're captured, Harry, Ron and me, by snatchers and taken to Malfoy Manor. The boys were locked in the dungeon. Bellatrix she wanted to (Hermione paused and gulped) take her time with me. She um..(Charlie reached and put his hand on hers and squeezed) she crucioed me, over and over. I told her I was telling the truth, but she didn't believe me." She said as she shuddered thinking of the memories as she did her best to remain composed.
"She had a knife she…." Hermione stopped, she couldn't bear to say the word, and instead she rolled up her sleeved and revealed her arm to Bill went silent as he shook his head looking away.
"I'm sorry Hermione ..I didn't know… I…"
"After we rescued and we went to you at Shell Cottage, Harry, Ron no-one asked if I was okay, they just expected me to carry on as if everything was fine, as if nothing happened, I mean they heard the screams! Why didn't they ask if I was okay?!" She sobbed as Charlie pulled her towards him.
"I don't know Hermione, I.." Bill was shocked for words, he knew they were in the middle of a war, but for the two of them not to ask especially if they had heard the screams was crazy.
"And then they so that they could break into Gringotts I had to dress as her" She spat. "They forced me to become to the person that tortured me and now I can't get it out my head. I just keep replaying it over and over again!" She sobbed. "I'm sorry I can't.." She said as she got up from the table and walked into Charlie's room and shut the door.
Bill and Charlie could hear Hermione sobbing through the door. "Look I better go, she needs me." Said Charlie.
"Yeah, look I'll go with you."
Charlie got up, walked over and knocked. "Hermione love its Charlie can I come in?" He asked.
"Yeah." She said just loud enough to be heard as she looked as they entered the room.
Bill knelt down in front of her, careful not to touch her. "Hermione. I'm sorry I didn't know, about any of it, Ron, Harry, they didn't tell me. If I knew I would have helped you, Fleur and I both would have."
Hermione looked up and shot him a small smile. "I know you would have. I just didn't want anyone else to know." She said softly.
"I understand love, but as my little brother here's probably already told you, you're not alone alright, so if Charlie gets on your nerves too much, you're always welcome as Shell Cottage." He said as he smiled causing Hermione to chuckle.
She leant forward and hugged Bill. "Thank you." She whispered.
"Anytime you need anything love, don't hesitate okay." He said as they withdrew from the hug.
"I won't." She said as she smiled.
"I better get back, but I'll be back tomorrow to help you both with Mum and the others okay."
"Thanks Bill." Said Charlie as Hermione smiled.
"Just remember, anytime, especially if he starts getting too much or he's head gets too big to fit through the Floo." He teased.
"I will" She replied as Bill hugged them both and apparated out of the reserve.
Charlie sat down next to Hermione. "Are you alright?" He asked.
She nodded. "Yeah I actually feel a little better telling Bill, but I don't know how I'm going to go seeing Ron and Harry tomorrow. I might to my biscuit at them."
Charlie chuckled. "Now I would pay to see that one love." He said as he kissed her temple.
"Bill knows about this…us.." She said nervously.
"I know love, but the good thing about Bill is he knows when to leave things alone, unlike our dear mother." He said as he laughed.
"No offense Charlie but I don't want think about your mum right now. I'm nervous enough to see her tomorrow."
"Alright, well it's almost lunch time, so how about we get some food. Foods fixes everything love" He said with a smile
Hermione nodded. "Sure." She said as she wiped the tears from her eyes as her mind flashed back to the first time she met Remus on the train after the Dementor attack. Here eat, trust me it's chocolate it'll help. Eat."
She smiled at the memories of him before heading off to lunch with Charlie as she began to mentally prepare for facing Molly and the Weasleys tomorrow.
The rest of the day went quite quickly as she spent the rest of the afternoon playing and bonding with the baby dragons, when Charlie walked in late in the afternoon, closing on 6'o clock he wrapped his hands around her waist and felt her tense up
"Relax, love it's just me." He said as she leant back into him. "How are you doing?" He said as he unsnaked his hands and moved beside her picking up a Chinese Fireball from the enclosure. "I'm okay, better that I'm here with these little guys and you." She said as she put down the dragon she was holding back in the enclosure and Charlie did the same after letting the dragon run over him for a couple of minutes.
"What time does your family arrive tomorrow?" She asked.
"9 o'clock."
"Wow, nice and early." She said as they headed out of the enclosure.
"Love you don't have to see them, plenty of places you can hide on the reserve. Don't worry about Bill he's not going tell anyone you're here."
"No, no it'll be okay I think I need to get a few things off my chest." She said as they walked to dinner.
"I'm looking to forward to seeing that." He said as he wrapped his arm around her and kissed her temple while chuckling softly.
The night went fast the next morning came around quickly. Hermione was the first to wake; she glanced over at the clock. "Charlie! It's almost 8, your families going to be here in an hour!" She said she threw the covers off the bed.
"Alright, alright. I'm coming." He said as he ran his hands over his face trying to wake himself up and got out of bed and found Hermione rushing around.
"Whoa, whoa, slow down, calm down. We've got an hour before they get here. How up I get us some breakfast, while you get ready."
Hermione smiled as Charlie bent down and kissed her. Hermione blushed and smiled softly. She was happy. "I'll be right back." He said as he pulled on a jacket as Hermione went and got dressed and without a fail a few minutes later Charlie had arrived back with two trays of food.
"Hermione. I've got breakfast here for you, love"
"Coming!" She yelled as she took one last look in the mirror. I can do this I've Charlie and Bill. I can do this." She whispered to herself.
"Last minute pep talk?" Queried Charlie.
"How did you…"
Charlie grinned. "Because I know you love. But Bill and I will be there, we've got your back."
It was 8.30 and the reserve was full swing and Bill apparated right into the middle of it. "Morning. Can I help you?"
"I'm Bill Weasley, just here to see Charlie. If he's not in his cabin. I'd check Miss Granger's; it's the one on the end."
Bill smiled and didn't even bother to check Charlie's cabin, instead heading straight for Hermione's. He bounded up the stairs and wrapped his knuckles on the door before walking in as he saw them at the table. "Morning love birds."
Charlie and Hermione blushed. "We're…it's..not..uh.." Said Charlie and Hermione at the same time, one talking over the other.
"Don't worry about it, your secrets safe with me." He smiled.
It didn't take long for 9 o'clock to approach them. Charlie got up to head out. "Are you sure?" He asked.
Hermione nodded. "Yes." She said.
"We'll I'll be back in a minute." Said Charlie as they watched him exit the cabin.
Bill turned to Hermione. "So you and Charlie eh." He smiled.
Hermione smiled softly.
Charlie stood at the apparition point as pairs of two began to appear. He greeted his family with stiffened hugs. "Well first to the cabin." He said as he led them towards it, soon arriving out the front.
"We're here." Yelled Charlie.
"Hermione stand behind me." Said Bill. She got up and did what she was told as Arthur Weasley led his family into the cabin and was the first to see Bill standing there.
"Bill! Son, what are you doing here?" He said as the last of the family entered the cabin and dropped their things. "We need to talk." Said Bill.
"Oh yes, what about dear?"
Bill stepped to the side to reveal Hermione. "Me." She said simply as Harry and The Weasley's stared in shock.
Mrs Weasley smiled and began to walk towards her, but Hermione backed up, as she did Mrs Weasley stopped.
"Is everything alright dear?" She asked in her best motherly voice.
"No, no it's not." She said as she stared at angrily at Harry and Ron.
"Here we go." Whispered Charlie as he Bill moved protectively to her side.
Hey Guys
Sorry about the delay, been in and out of hospital. Bit of a filler chapter with some humour thrown in, next will have the explosive showdown between Harry, the Weasleys and Hermione and Charlie. Remember to tune in and remember if you give it a read, could you give it a review! Thanks Guys!