Chapter 12 Bittersweet Moments

Hermione gazed out her window, drumming her fingers on the windowsill. Two Months. That's how long she'd been in Romania. That's how long she'd been holed up in this godforsaken place. She sighed again, and slouched ber back against the wall, crossing her arms in the process. When would things get better? She was tired of hiding. She was tired of waiting. She wanted to do something…anything!

A light breeze stirred Hermione from her thoughts, as letters present on her desk proceeded to scatter all over the floor. She let out a frustrated noise. Harry, Ron, and her, had been devising a plan through letters for the past month, since there other plan backfired. Mind you they were coded but still she didn't want anyone to see them. She had until the last day of December, until the three of them would set off alone, and hopefully end all of this.

She paused. But what about Charlie? She had grown to love Charlie in the past few months. Every joke they shared, every fight they had. She loved every minute of it. She wanted to be with him, she wanted to… well some other things. This thought made her blush.

After gathering all the letters, she hid them somewhere safe, near her desk. A soft knock on the door made Hermione jump. Making sure the letters were safe, she opened the door, hoping to see Charlie there.

"AHHHHHH….……DAN!"

Dan's laughter could be heard to her left. "Happy Halloween Hermione!" He had set a skeleton to fly in her face as soon as she opened her door.

"That's so not funny Daniel, it scared the living shit outta me." By this point Dan was on the ground laughing, clutching his stomach. She crossed her arms, and shook her head. "You act like such a child sometimes Dan."

Dan stopped his laughter, and stared pointedly. "Oh c'mon Hermione it was just a joke. Can't you take a joke?" He pulled a puppy dog face in which he got a blank stare for a response. "Guess not," he paused turning the other way his voice getting quieter. "Guess someone hasn't gotten any in a while," he snickered.

"WHAT DID YOU SAY?" Hermione stalked toward Dan, hands glued on her hips.

Dan slowly crouched up from his spot, sticking very closely to the wall. His adams apple bobbed. "Nothing." Hermione unglued her hands. "However, if you do want any help with that problem of yours, I'm positive Charlie could help you with it."

I walked into the safe house, carrying a box of annual Halloween decorations. Tonight was the Halloween party for the reserve, and everyone had decided to hold it right here in the safe house. What safer place than here right?

"DAN YOU GET BACK HERE! AHHH!" Hermione voice screeched down the hallway.

"HELP, HELP, THE GIRL WHO HASN'T GOTTEN LAID IS AFTER ME!" Dan cackled running for his life.

'Oh crap,' I thought to myself looking up at the stairs. 'Here they come.'

And bounding around the corner, and down the stairs came Dan followed by Hermione.

"Impedimenta," Hermione yelled at Dan, causing him to freeze halfway down the satairs. She pocketed her wand smiling before descending the steps with a certain skip in her step. She blew a kiss at him before turning the corner at the bottom of the stairs into the kitchen.

"You asked for it," I sighed looking up at Dan, before heading into the kitchen after Hermione. She sat at the kitchen table, reading the Daily Prophet. I placed my box of decorations on the table and went about my business.

"Stop it," she finally whispered moments later.

I continued to go about my business as if nothing was wrong. "Stop what?"

"You always think I start everything," she lashed back at me. What was up with her? She had been crabby for the past couple weeks now.

"Hermione I…."However, before I could finish my sentence she had gotten up and out of her chair and exited the kitchen out the back door. "I will never understand women," I sighed to myself.

Hermione sat up in her room again, later that night. The Halloween party had already started and she could already hear the music blasting downstairs. She paced her room back and forth. For some reason she didn't want to go down. It was a costume party and she was all ready for it, but she couldn't muster up the courage to go down. Let's see she had frozen Dan, lashed out and walked out on Charlie. What a great Halloween this has been. Her light blue trail followed closely behind her as she continued to walk. If only she could be Cinderella for real and find her prince charming.

Knock! Knock!

"Come in," Hermione sighed, sitting on her bed.

"Girl what are you doing sitting up her all alone, when there's a partay going on?" Hermione laughed. One of her good friends that she had met at the dragon reserve, had been her rock the past couple months. She had moved from Portugal to Romania on a student internship type of thing when she was younger and now lived here.

"Jen, what are you doing here?"

"Looking for you chika, what else would I be doing?" She stated matter of factly.

"Umm dancing with cough you know who." Jen blushed at this comment. She had, had a crush on one of the dragon trainers, Andy, for quite some time, and things weren't progressing how she wanted with him. So Hermione was there to push her in the right direction.

"What about you and a certain someone," Jen nudged me at as she sat beside her on the bed.
"What about him? He's nothing but a …a…"

Jen put her hand in front of her face. "Stop right there Hermione. You don't mean what your going to say at all." Jen paused. "I see right through you. You really like him and don't deny it. You wish you could kiss him and other scandalous things."

"Jen!" Hermione yelled outraged.

"You know its true honey," she smiled.

"And what about you and Andy huh?" Hermione nudged back grinning.

She sighed and laid back on the bed kicking her legs and covering her face. She let out a frustrated scream. "I really like him, but nothings happening. I don't know what else to do Hermione. He's so…"

"Quiet…unable to read…" she finished for her. Jen only nodded her head in agreement.

"It makes me so frustrated." Jen opened her eyes and stared at the ceiling, tracing circles with her eyes.

Hermione laid back on the bed. "Tell me about it."

Jen sighed. "I hate boys."

"Me too."

"Now lets get you to that partay," she sung getting off the bed, interrupting the nice, 'I hate boys moment.'

Hermione sighed. "There's no way I'm getting out of this."

I had watched Hermione as she descended down the stairscase, from where I was standing. The party was in full swing an hour ago, and I had wondered why it had taken her so long to come to the party. One of her good friends, Jen, bounced down the stairs behind her, eyeing a certain someone. Why did love have to be this difficult?

As the night progressed, I watched as Hermione proceeded to dance with every guy in the house, except for 1. I was becoming more and more jealous with each person she danced with. By the end it was 11:30pm and I had already had enough of the party. I made my way through the hoard of people, and just barley scraped by Dan. I finally reached the staircase with a sigh and made my way up to my bedroom, unaware of someone following me.

I stopped in my tracks, still not facing her. I heard her footsteps cease behind me. "I thought you were mad at me."

I felt her hand grab my arm. "I'm sorry." I heard her sigh. "I just hate being cooped up here all the time." She paused. "Aren't you just tired of sitting here and waiting Charlie?"

The way my name sounded on her lips was enough to make me turn around. I slipped her hand into mine, looking into her eyes. She didn't pull away, however the sadness in her eyes said everything.

"It doesn't matter how I feel Hermione. We have a duty to stay here and we must do just that." It hurt me to say that since I felt the same way she did, but there was nothing we could do. "Were being hunted Hermione , and if they find us…"

"I know Charlie, but I want to do something…anything to help out Harry." I nodded in agreement.

"I know Hermione, I do too." I let go of her hands and placed them on either side of her face.

"Charlie…" she whispered. I traced her lips with my tips of my fingers, wanting her….all of her.

I looked up into her face, as I suddenly heard footsteps approaching us. My hands immediately retracted to my side. It was Jen… what was she doing here? I saw her wink to Hermione, before she continued to pass us and enter a room at the end of the hallway. I looked to Hermione for answers. She only shrugged her shoulders in response. A second later, Andy walked down the hallway, entering the same room. Hermione giggled uncontrollably.

"Well I guess they're going to have fun tonight." I said causing Hermione to laugh even more.

I glanced around the hallway and back towards Hermione. Since when did I back her up against the wall?

Hermione glanced towards the room where her friend was. I reached for her chin and turned it towards me. I looked into her big brown eyes, and then to her lips. I felt a shiver run through her. She looked innocently up at me as I brought her towards me and covered her mouth softly with mine.

Her eyes fluttered closed as soon as our lips touched. It was like heaven on earth. Our lips were on fire. And before I knew it her arms had wrapped around my neck, and were stroking the nape of my neck with her fingertips. It was driving me insane. I needed more of her.

I pulled away very slowly, relishing every moment. I needed to gain control of myself before anything happened too soon. My head rested against hers as I slowly opened my eyes. Hermione's eyes fluttered open a second later, staring up at me.

My lips moved on the own accord as I tried to find the right words to describe what I was feeling. She placed her finger on my lips ceasing any conscious thoughts I had, before leaning up and covering my mouth with hers. She opened her mouth inviting me in to explore. My tongue left no area untouched. I tasted all of her. Cinnamon….that's what she tasted like.

In what seemed like forever, we broke apart gasping for air. The tension between the two us had been building the last two months and it was finally taking off.

She looked up at me with hooded eyes as she grabbed my hand in hers. I wanted to say something, however she proceeded to bite her lip and look at me innocently making we capture her lips yet again.

"Charlie…" she whispered, breaking apart from me, her voice laced with lust.

"Yes…"

A scream peirced the air, as one by one every light that illuminated the hallway blew out, followed by a damp cold chill winding through the house.