CHAPTER 36

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July 21st 2006

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"…happy birthday, dear Arty, happy birthday to you!"

The Burrow, with it's limited space, was perhaps not the greatest location to hold Arty's sixth birthday, considering the ever growing size of the now massive Weasley Family, but it was something of a tradition now. Seeing as they had been blessed with sunshine and clear blue skies, the family had moved the celebration into the garden and, as Hermione watched her son run off with his cousins, she grinned over at Charlie, for whom this was a momentous occasion; the first birthday his son had celebrated in the company of his father. Reaching out for his hand across the table, carefully avoiding the littered plates of snacks, she squeezed his hand and he turned to look at her.

"You alright?" She asked and he nodded, a smile on his face as Molly collapsed into the seat next to Hermione with a sigh.

"I'm beginning to lose count of my grandchildren," she chuckled and Hermione heard Charlie snort as she smiled, "with your next one on the way, how many will that be?"

"A lot," Charlie grinned, "not that you'd have it any other way, mum."

"Oh, heavens, no!" Molly gasped, slapping Charlie's hand and chuckling as she turned to look at Hermione, "how are things going this time around, dear?"

"Same as the last time," Hermione shrugged, "though now I have someone to go and buy the foods I so desperately want."

"Oh yes, I remember many a late night craving run that I sent Arthur on." Molly smiled, just as Arthur came over to the table and sat down beside Charlie, patting him on the back in sympathy.

"I feel for you, son," he sighed, at which point Hermione rolled her eyes and Molly did the same, "I think it was when your mum was carrying you that she made me go out and buy pickled cucumbers-"

"Please don't say custard.." Charlie groaned and Arthur frowned, nodding, as Hermione burst out laughing.

"I told you that it was all your genes!" Hermione laughed loudly, standing up and stretching before walking off and heading across the garden, to where Angelina and Ginny were stood.

"Hi girls," she smiled, stopping in front of them, "where are your menfolk?"

"Menfolk?" Ginny snorted as Angelina giggled, "don't know about that, but our two overgrown children are off with the kids somewhere."

"That bad, huh?" Hermione asked and they both sighed, Angelina groaning.

"George put hair growth paste in my face moisturiser this morning," she muttered, shaking her head as Hermione snorted, "I have myself razor burn on my chin before he decided to tell me there was a reversal paste."

"Oh dear," Hermione chuckled, shaking her head as she turned to Ginny, "what's Harry done?"

"He keeps dropping hints about something, but he won't tell me what." The red head grumbled and Hermione frowned.

"Why not?"

"He says I have a big mouth," Ginny exclaimed in a shrill voice, making Hermione and Angelina wince, "can you believe that?!"

"Well…" Hermione said, trying to keep a straight face and looking to Angelina for help, "I mean…"

"We love you Ginny," Angelina snorted, "but you could get the Express in your mouth."

"Arseholes." Ginny muttered and both girls burst out laughing as she huffed, though Hermione saw the corners of her mouth twitch upwards as she stomped off towards her parents.

"How's the pregnancy?" Angelina asked, still smiling and Hermione sighed happily.

"As I remembered," she grinned, "except this time I'm... Satisfied, if you catch my drift."

One thing that Hermione had always loved about Angelina was the ability to be absolutely frank and forthcoming with her. There was no need for her to mince her words or to be subtle with any points she was trying to make because, much like Hermione, Angelina appreciated very much brutal honesty in her friends. Hermione put Angelina's open and honest attitude down to her having spent so much time with the twins in school, having a friendship with them both much like that between herself, Ron and Harry.

"Oh, you're at that point!" Angelina laughed, shaking her head, "a bit different to last time, then?"

"Oh definitely!" Hermione exclaimed, nodding, "I mean obviously I'm glad that Charlie is around for so many different reasons, but the sex is definitely right up there."

"Right up there or at the top?" Angelina snorted and Hermione giggled.

"Well, I don't know, he does give the most wonderful foot rubs." She grinned and Angelina groaned.

"Do you think he could give George some lessons?" She asked, shuddering, "I swear it's like being attacked by a Firecrab."

"Oh gods," Hermione laughed loudly, shaking her head and putting her hand on Angelina's shoulder in sympathy, "ask Charlie if he'll give you a foot rub, I'm sure he wouldn't mind."

"Oh I don't know, love," came Charlie's voice and both girls turn to face him, "my hands get pretty tired after doing yours every day!"

"I don't ever ask you to do it, Charlie," Hermione pointed out as he put his arm around her shoulder, "besides, I'll give it up for a day if Angelina wants one."

"Yeah right," Charlie snorted, kissing her temple before turning to Angelina, "I'm sure I can manage. George not up to the task?"

"Angelina just described his foot rubs as 'being attacked by a Firecrab', so feel free to give him some pointers." Hermione chuckled and Angelina scowled at her, before turning to Charlie and sighing.

"Seriously, any advice is much appreciated." She muttered, shaking her head as she turned and walked off, into the house.

"Fancy a walk?" Charlie asked and Hermione nodded, feeling him remove his arm from her neck and lace their fingers together as he pulled them along.

She smiled as she realised where he was taking her and turned to him, pressing a kiss to his cheek as they walked. They didn't talk much during the walk, except to point out the children in the distance, running in and out of the trees of the orchard as the sound of their laughter wafted over towards Hermione and Charlie on the summer breeze. It was truly a beautiful day and neither of them felt the need to fill the silence, preferring just to enjoy each other's company without interruption for a little while. As Charlie pulled her into the treeline of the woods which held their glade, he turned to her with a soft smile, pulling a blindfold out of his pocket.

"Do you trust me?" He asked quietly and Hermione nodded, though nerves flooded her.

"You know I do, but why do you need to-"

"Nope, no questions." Charlie grinned, stepping forward and tying the blindfold around her head, kissing her gently on the lips before his presence disappeared.

"Charlie?!" Hermione gasped, panicked and she heard him chuckle as he took hold of both of her hands, pulling her forward, "it's not like I've never seen the glade before, Charlie."

"I know," he said and Hermione could hear the smile in his voice, "but I just wanted to do something."

Hermione sighed, rolling her eyes, though of course he couldn't see it. She allowed him to guide her, yelping when her foot slipped and growling as Charlie chuckled. After about five minutes of stumbling over the roots and dead leaves, Charlie stopped pulling on her and she frowned as she could hear soft music, somehow instinctively knowing that they were in the glade. As her hands fell to her sides, no longer held by Charlie, she heard his footsteps as he moved away from her.

"Charlie, I feel like an idiot," She grumbled, gasping when she suddenly felt hands on her hips and a presence behind her, "uh… Charlie?"

"I love you," he whispered in her ear, his thumbs gently stroking the skin under her shirt as they pushed under it, "I have loved you, maybe without knowing it, for almost seven years."

"Charlie…" Hermione whispered, trying to turn to face him but held firmly in place by his hands.

"You have given me everything I could ever dream of, so now I want to give something to you," he said, kissing her neck, just below her ear as his hands began to untie the blindfold and she blinked as it fell away, "welcome home."

Hermione gasped, her hands flying up to her mouth as she took in the sight before her. The glade, completely undisturbed, was now looked upon by the most beautiful cottage, complete with ivy that crawled up the walls and disappeared into the thatched roof. Two stories tall, with window boxes full of flowers on the bottom story and a wooden front door, it was the epitome of a chocolate box cottage. The kind that you would see, covered in snow, on the front of a Christmas card. She blinked, turning to Charlie and let her hands fall, along with her jaw, as she looked at him with wide eyes.

"What.. How?" She stuttered and Charlie nodded back at the house as people began to pour out of the front door, led by Arty.

"I had a little help," Charlie smiled as Harry, Ron, George, Bill, Neville and Arty came walking across the glade towards them, "dad helped too, but mainly it's been this lot."

"You built a house?!" She exclaimed, to chuckles from all of the men gathered before them, "when did you... What… Charlie!"

"Wow, I'm impressed," Ron grinned, saluting his brother, "I honestly never thought I'd see the day that Hermione was lost for words."

"Don't be a git," Hermione chastised, though she couldn't fight the grin on her face as she turned back to Charlie, "I don't understand, how is this possible?"

"Magic," he shrugged, gesturing around them, "this is all mum and dad's land, so I got their permission to alter the wards and then these guys all helped to build the rooms. Arty even helped, now you've taught him to manage his magic a little."

"You did?" Hermione gasped, grinning as she crouched down to be on her son's eye level, "wow, I'm so impressed!"

"I did, Mummy," he grinned, nodding excitedly, "I floated up some of the things that people needed and I helped to decorate my room!"

"Wow," Hermione chuckled, giving him a massive hug, "I can't wait to see it!"

"Well, it's up to you when we move in," Charlie shrugged, smiling at her and helping her stand upright again, "or if you even want to-"

"What!" She exclaimed, glaring at him as the group laughed loudly, "of course I want to! How could you think I wouldn't want to!?"

"You never know," he grinned, shrugging, "anyway, it's ready now, so I wanted you to see it."

"I am so amazed by you," she said, smiling lovingly at Charlie before turning to the rest of them, "all of you, seriously, this is incredible!"

"Can I go and tell Ginny what I've been keeping from her now?" Harry asked and Hermione gasped, realising what he meant, "she's been bugging me for weeks."

"Yeah, you probably should!" Hermione giggled, hugging him before he walked off.