I want to say a huge thank you to those who have encouraged and been really positive about the Charlie/Lauren arc in this story. When I wrote the 'Charlie's Advice' chapter, several months ago, I had no intention of saying any more about Lauren, the woman whose wisdom Charlie wanted to share with Hermione before she married Fred. But so many people asked me to help Charlie find his lost love that I couldn't resist. Lauren and Elliot have now become a big part of this and, as you may know, I've now also completed a prequel about how they first met. It's called Charlie and Lauren's Romanian Summer, and it's pretty much what it says on the tin! And, frankly, without the Charlie/Lauren arc and my making this about the Weasley family more widely, this whole story would almost certainly have ended after Hermione and Fred's honeymoon.

I encountered quite a bit of negativity from people complaining that they wanted me to go back to Hermione and Fred sooner, though. We will be going back to them next week, when Hermione starts in her new role at WWW, but I have to say I am so glad I held out and wrote what I wanted to write. I want to encourage others to do the same; if you want to write, write what YOU want to write! And if you're a lover of stories and writing, please use the power that you have to leave positive comments on a fic – any fic – to encourage writers. Let's not shut the next JK Rowling down by discouraging people from exploring new pairings, ideas and worlds :D

Thanks for reading, commenting and following and I hope you enjoy Charlie and Lauren's first proper night together since Lauren left for her flight home ?

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During the afternoon, the Weasleys began to say their farewells and wander home. Percy and Penelope went first, as they had promised to spend the evening with Penelope's parents but wanted to pop home for a couple of hours beforehand.

It was clear to all that Lauren and Charlie couldn't wait to get home and be by themselves, but they wanted to make sure that Elliot was awake from his nap and settled before they did, so they had a quiet chat once they saw Molly carrying Elliot back out into the garden, and decided that they would spend another hour or so with the Weasleys and then take their leave.

"Mum and Dad will keep him busy, don't worry," Charlie reassured her, as their son ran over and began to tell them about meeting Bryan before running off to see if Fred and George would like to play with him.

"Indeed we will. Some of the others are staying for tea, Arthur promised to take him around the garden to look for bunnies, and Fred says he'll pop back to the flat with Elliot to get Graham if you're OK with that?" Molly said to Lauren.

"Of course," Lauren smiled. "Elliot loves flooing and apparating; it's me who struggles with apparition! I'll leave the carrier and all his things," she said.

"Well, we could leave the whole car," Charlie said slowly. "Could you bear to apparate with me back to your place?" he asked her. "It'll be about fifteen thousand times faster than driving. We could pick up the car tomorrow, maybe?"

"As long as I can put a humbug in my mouth before we go," Lauren said, wrapping her hand around Charlie's hip in a gesture that she barely seemed to be aware of but that made his heart swell with emotion. "That might offset the nausea a bit … maybe?" She looked at Molly and Ginny, who had walked up to spend time with them while Harry and Ron talked about work.

Charlie leaned his head down towards her ear, tenderly brushing her hair away from her face as he did. "I'll be ready to whisk it away and help you feel better if you need me to," he promised. "But the more times you do it, the easier it'll be."

"He's right," Ginny confirmed. "It doesn't happen a lot, but he's right on this one."

Lauren laughed. "Alright, I'll apparate. Can we send the dragon … messenger to check on Elliot later?"

"If you like," said Molly. "But there's no need. If he's at all unhappy or wants to see you, I'll send a message right away. I promise. And Charlie can whisk you both straight back. There are plenty of beds for you to sleep in here if that becomes easier…"

"Alright then."

Having made a decision, Charlie and Lauren saw no reason to prolong their departure. They went to have a quick chat with Elliot, who was still with Fred and George. The two men were sitting one either side of their nephew, still trying to teach him to say George's actual name – or his own version of it, given that he found some 'G' words hard to say.

"I think we're reached a compromise pronunciation," Fred grinned at Lauren. He turned to Elliot, pointing at his brother. "What's he called?"

"Forgie!" Elliot grinned.

George looked pleased. "It's close enough," he said.

"I think it's rather lovely," Fred smiled, "and we're all good here, by the way, so off you pop and have your wicked way with each other."

Lauren and Charlie both laughed and then leaned down to say goodbye to Elliot. "We'll see you in the morning … I'll be here for breakfast," Charlie promised, as Lauren covered his face with kisses and tickled his ribs, making him laugh.

"Have a lovely time with Nanna and Grandad," she said. "Give Graham a cuddle for me…"

That done, their goodbyes were almost as quick as Fred and Hermione's had been at the end of their wedding day, although perhaps Molly was simply reminded of that because the young couple happened to end up standing in a similar place, with a row of Weasleys and their significant others lining up to hug them and tell them how happy they were to have met Lauren and Elliot and to hear that the three were going to be together.

Amazingly, most of Charlie's brothers refrained from following Fred's example and making lewd comments, for Lauren's sake, although Ginny raised her eyebrows in a suggestive gesture and Bill couldn't resist whispering a quick, "enjoy, mate…" into Charlie's ear as they left. Taking Lauren into his arms, Charlie apparated them to her back garden and stood with his hand on her back as she leaned over, one hand on the garden shed to steady her; still nauseous but not actually sick that time. After a minute or so, she straightened her body, and led Charlie to the back door, fishing into her handbag for the door key as they walked.

"Cup of tea?" she asked, teasingly, as they entered her kitchen, which was warm from the heat of the day. "Or have you had enough?"

Charlie didn't reply verbally. Instead, he took the two steps that closed the gap between them and slid both of his hands around Lauren's waist. "I love you," he whispered into her ear. "I know it's too early and probably not cool to say it, but I don't care. I love you, you gorgeous woman."

"Charlie," Lauren sighed as he applied his lips to her neck and kissed his way up her jawline, moving his hands south as he did. "I'm pretty sure I love you too, you gorgeous man."

"Good," he said. "So we don't need to waste any more time?"

"No." Lauren could feel herself getting wet just from the feel of his large hands on her arse. She loved that he remembered how that was a turn-on for her. "Wait…" She leaned out, not wanting to let go of him but needing to close the door behind them so that she could relax in the knowledge that no-one would walk in on them.

"Do I need to ask about contraception? Not that I really want to…"

"Your mum gave me a potion," Lauren said, taking the brown bottle out of her pocket in between kisses and while running her fingers through his hair. "Apparently I can use it in addition to any muggle thing I'm doing, if I want."

"Oh fuck, sorry love." He had been worried that Molly might try to interfere.

"No, really, it was sweet of her." Lauren returned the favour and fondled Charlie's bum in return as she locked the back door with her other hand.

He raised his eyebrows suggestively and slinked his arm around her waist. "I suppose we do need to consider that I have super strength wizardy seeds that got you pregnant before… Are you though?"

"Using something muggle?" Lauren's voice was low.

"Mmmmm hmmm." He kissed her again.

"Nah," her lips fastened onto his neck and she began to tug on his shirt. Charlie pulled back, wondering if he needed to put the brakes on. He wasn't sure how on earth he was going to do that, but he would just have to figure it out. "No," she said slowly, trying hard to calm herself, "I'm not using any muggle thing, as you all call it, at the moment. There hasn't been any need, since you were the last man I was with…"

"I was?" he asked, somewhat surprised by her answer, and Lauren confirmed his question with a small nod and a sultry look.

"Yeah… I'll take your mum's potion this time. Not 'cause I don't want to grow a bigger family with you one day. I think we could use some time together before we have any more big changes, though…" She took the potion out of her pocket and squeezed a dropperful into her mouth, just as Molly had told her to. Lauren winced and pulled a face at the bitter taste and then walked over to the fridge. Taking a half-finished bottle of white wine out of the door, she reached for a glass, poured an inch or so of the cold liquid into it and then drank it down in one to get rid of the taste of the potion. "Yuk!" she said, and Charlie laughed. "That's minging!" Lauren added another inch of wine to the glass and offered it to him. He didn't take his eyes off her as he downed it.

"I'll open a fresh one in a bit," she promised, putting the glass down and turning back to Charlie, who had placed his hand on her stomach.

"I can't wait to actually see you pregnant next time…" Charlie spread his fingers out, her tummy still soft and stretched from carrying his child. He was still sad that he had missed loving her through her pregnancy, and couldn't wait for the chance to experience another with her. He looked up at her, not quite sure how she would respond to that thought. She had only committed to a relationship with him a few hours ago, after all, but she had said that she was open to them making a bigger family.

Lauren laughed. "I'm not going to promise it'll happen right away even when we do try. It took us a whole summer before, you know? Going by the dates, it was almost certainly our last night when Elliot was conceived. Although that was with contraception, I suppose…" she murmured, her mind too fuzzy with desire to really be able to weigh up the odds.

"I remember that night…" he kissed her neck, feeling a new wave of happiness at this further confirmation of her desire to be with him for the long term. "I wish I had realised how I had felt before you left the next morning though."

"It's done now," Lauren said, turning into his arms and tipping her face towards his lips. "We have to think about the future." She leaned forward and captured his lips, making him moan as she gently licked her wine-drenched tongue into his mouth. A thrill went through her as she did and she whined a little, making Charlie smile.

"Come on," she said, pulling him towards the living room. Slowly, they made their way across the kitchen and into Lauren's living room, kissing and touching each other as they went. That was as far as they got, though. Lauren sat on the sofa, still wearing her unbuttoned dress, though she had kicked off her sandals and the dress had hiked up her legs, allowing Charlie to gaze longingly at her thighs. He had been barefoot since the kitchen and he gently moved Lauren's legs further apart so he could kneel between them.

"Is this the point where I offer to show you some tricks with my wand?"

"Do you say that to all the girls?"

"Just the ones I love," he captured a breast in his hand, gently rubbing his thumb over her hardening nipple. "May I, love? It's been so long…"

Lauren nodded, and Charlie's lips moved back to hers as he started unbuttoning her dress from the top. "They're a different shape these days," she said, teasingly. "From feeding your son. You'll have to learn them all over again…"

Charlie groaned, his eyes drinking in her larger, softer breasts. "Like that's going to be a hardship."

"One request," Lauren whispered. "Well, actually two…"

"What's that?" He spread her dress apart and leaned down to press a long kiss to her nipple through the fabric of her bra. To Lauren's slight surprise, she found that she was even more sensitive to his touch than before. Not that she was complaining.

"No magic during sex," she said. "It was amazing enough without it when we were together before, and that's what I need tonight. Just you and me. Please?"

"Done," he said, as he pulled back to look into her eyes. "And your second request, ma'am?"

Lauren tugged gently at the sleeve of his shirt. "Get this off and show me what those tattoos really look like," she whispered. "I have it on good authority that they actually move…"

"Alright then," said Charlie, removing his wand from its holster and placing it on Lauren's coffee table. Not breaking eye contact, he unbuttoned his shorts and slowly slipped them down his legs, lifting one knee and then the other to take them off. The day seemed to have grown hotter and it was a relief to take them off. Throwing them onto the floor, he began to unbutton his shirt, keeping it carefully closed until he had reached the bottom and released all the buttons.

When he finished, he leaned forward, giving Lauren a deep kiss. She moaned softly into his mouth and began to push his shirt off his shoulders. Charlie laughed at her impatience. "I want to see," she breathed, with a soft smile. In response, Charlie stood up, tugged Lauren into a standing position by her hand and then turned around and sat on the sofa, encouraging Lauren forward and onto his lap so that she was straddling him.

Charlie stripped off his shirt and then laid his arms along the back of the low sofa when he was done so she could see his torso.

"Fuck, Charlie." She reached out with her fingers to stroke him, which made Charlie shudder and caused him to become even harder.

Lauren gazed at the body that she hadn't seen for nearly three years, except in her fantasies and dreams. But on this occasion her eyes were drawn quickly from the natural lines of his body and the definition that came from physical work to the lines of the two dragons that were drawn upon her lover. She had seen them both before, of course; the Welsh green on his right shoulder and the Chinese fireball on his left side. That one had always looked to her as if it was covering a scar that she hadn't wanted to ask about. But before they had been still; unmoving. Now, she saw them as he and other magical folk did; moving pictures that were gently breathing air and smoke and drawing her attention from the wizard between her legs.

"You like them?" he asked, watching her trace her fingers towards the dragon on his shoulder. "She's friendlier," he said, "and the other one is a bit feisty…" Lauren explored both, and allowed her fingers to roam the surrounding areas, drawing the attention of the dragons and a couple of hisses from Charlie, especially as she neared the top of his briefs with her fingers.

"I do," she finally replied, and then, "you like that?" she asked teasingly as she traced the hard outline of his cock through his briefs.

"Mmmm hmmm." He could barely speak for lust, and Lauren tugged impatiently at the garment that was keeping her from him. "Wait," he growled, helping Lauren onto her feet for a moment as he lifted his hips and wriggled the fabric over his cock and down his legs, kicking it off his feet. "You too…" He reached his hands under Lauren's dress, feeling for the inch of cotton fabric at either side of her knickers and tugging them down. Lauren stepped out of them before settling back onto his now naked lap with a groan. She could barely wait, and started to stroke his cock in her small hands as he reached for the hem of her dress. "Can't have this staying on, can we love?"

Lauren shifted slightly, reluctantly letting him go and allowing him to lift the dress up and over her head. It took a couple of tries, and she giggled at his efforts. "Haven't met this one before," he observed with a smile, and Lauren just gazed at him, allowing him to finish and capturing the gasp of delight that came from his lips when her body was uncovered and she sat on his lap in only a white bra. He made short work of that, tossing it onto the table behind her and was in the process of using his thumbs to begin to explore her tummy and stroke the silvery marks that were the evidence of her having borne his child, when Lauren gave a growl of her own, slipping out of his grasp and bringing one of her feet onto the sofa beside his hip.

"Later, Charlie. Need to fuck you now…" Charlie groaned as she took his cock back into her hand and used her new position to manoeuvre herself above him. She stroked the head of his cock against her wet pussy; once, twice, three times, and then she positioned him carefully and lowered herself upon him, taking his cock inside her and shifting her hips forward so that he sank slowly, deeply into her body.

"Oh fuck," Charlie's head fell back against the back of the sofa. And it stayed there for a good few strokes, as Lauren took control of the pace, grinding herself against him, knowing how much this position pleasured them both. She reached her hands out to hold the back of the sofa, either side of Charlie's head and he took her face in his hands, bringing her mouth to his for another long, deep kiss to which she responded with a moan and a slight increase in the rhythm of her hips. They both knew that this first fuck would be quick; they had waited so long, and they needed a purely physical coupling to satisfy their lust. Charlie moved his hands to cup Lauren's bottom, and heard her groan in appreciation as he pressed his fingers into her cheeks.

"Not gonna last," she said.

"Go on, love, come for me."

And she did. Lauren rocked her pelvis forward six or seven more times before she felt the wave starting, and then she rode it; slowly moving herself on Charlie's cock, wanting to prolong the feeling as much as she could. She swore a few times and then, as the wave began to abate, looked into Charlie's eyes and gave a soft laugh of delight.

"My turn?" he asked, and she nodded.

"Whatever you want…"

What Charlie wanted was more of the same, but with him leading the movement, so he took Lauren's bottom back into his hands and brought her close to him. Now it was his hips that were doing most of the work, and Lauren was surprised to feel, after a couple of minutes, that she was on the brink of another orgasm. Charlie beat her to it, by a few thrusts, and they both vocalised their passion, their cheeks pressed together as they reached their peaks and then felt a wave of emotion.

For several minutes, they just sat on the sofa, Lauren's cheek on Charlie's shoulder; her fingers playing with the leather cord that held his hair back from his face. As she went to pull back slightly, needing to use the loo, she realised that her tummy had stuck to his in the heat of the summer evening and she responded with a soft "eeeew", giggling as she gently unplastered her skin from his and looked into his eyes. "Oh Charlie," she sighed, seeing the tears falling from them. He gave a smile, but it was clear that he was completely overcome by the moment.

"I'm just so happy to have found you again, draga mea, and to know we're going to be together. I spent so long wishing I could find you, love, and it still feels like a dream…" His voice broke, and Lauren kissed his cheek. This time it was she who was holding his face in her hands, and she peppered it with kisses, reassuring him just as she had done earlier with their son.

"You've found me now, Charlie Weasley, and I'm not a dream, so you just let it all out, gorgeous," she told him.

"I'm OK," he said. "What was it you used to say about tears being a form of energy?"

Lauren smiled; she remembered saying that earlier in the day as well, when she was talking to his mum, Angelina and Hermione. "That's pretty much it; they're certainly nothing to be ashamed of. I desperately need a wee, lovely; can I leave you for a couple of minutes?"

He gave a nod. "Of course; I'm good." He looked down at his lap and then gave her a grin. "Just a bit sticky!"

"Stay right there, I'll get you a washcloth," Lauren told him, kissing his nose before peeling herself off him and slipping off to the bathroom. Charlie watched her go, still not quite believing his luck in having found the woman who he had missed so much.

Even as Lauren sat on the loo, she was fishing a couple of washcloths out of the wicker storage chest in which she kept her towels. She ran one under the tap and then wiped over her face, under her arms, over her breasts and then between her legs. The cool, wet cloth felt heavenly in the summer heat. She rinsed it out and used it one more time, deciding not to dry herself and instead to let the air on her wet skin cool her down further. Flushing the loo, she washed her hands, running the cold tap over the inside of her wrists to cool her blood. Next, she took the other clean washcloth and made it wet in the same way, wringing it out a bit so it didn't drip over the floor on her way back to the living room.

"Here you go, lovely," she told Charlie as she handed it to him along with a small fluffy towel. "Might help cool you down as well…"

"You're a lifesaver," he replied as he used it on his face and neck with a groan of satisfaction before washing himself in almost the same sequence that Lauren had. Not that she noticed; she had bent over to put her cotton dress back on and then headed for the fridge, to open the wine that she had promised Charlie.

"Do you fancy sitting outside?" she called through the doorway, showing him two glasses of rose wine, one of which also contained a couple of ice cubes. When he looked at it and grinned at her, she laughed. "Yes, I know, but I'm so hot, and I'll drink it in one and get tipsy too quickly otherwise!"

"I might like that, though…" he said, deciding he would prefer his without ice, and drew his briefs back over his hips before following her into the kitchen.

"You hungry?" she asked.

"After one of mum's lunches?" he raised an eyebrow. "Not really, but I might need something to sustain me if you're going to use my body like that all night…"

Lauren pulled a wooden stepping stool towards her and stood on it to reach into a cupboard. She emerged with a bag of tortilla chips and a jar of salsa in her hand. Stepping down again, she reached into the fridge for olives, and she somehow managed to balance all of them and her wine glass in her hands while directing Charlie to pick up his own wine and open the door. "Do you want to bring the bottle?" he asked.

"It'll stay nice and cold in the fridge, though," Lauren said. She couldn't bear warm wine. "I don't have an ice bucket…"

"Or," Charlie said slowly, watching for her reaction, "I could put a cooling charm on it and it would stay cold out here and we wouldn't have to get up when we need a top up…"

"Go on then," she smiled, rolling her eyes teasingly and nodding him towards the fridge and exiting the kitchen to sit in the cooler surrounds of her tiny back garden. "I need an outdoor sofa for evenings like this," she said, putting the food down on her wooden picnic table and moving to sit on one of the benches. "Especially if I have another adult to sit out and chat with."

"Or," Charlie said again, "you could let your friendly neighbourhood wizard conjure something cosy that we could cuddle on while enjoying each other's company?"

"Really?"

"Really. I'll be two ticks while I get my wand…"

When he came back out, Lauren watched, amazed, as Charlie quickly dried his washcloth and then transfigured it into a soft purple sofa which looked very similar to the one on which they used to sit together on the terrace bar in Romania. He then transfigured a fallen twig into a low table on which he set the glasses, wine and food. He sat down to test his creation, putting his arm out and pulling Lauren into a cuddle when she sat down next to him. They clinked glasses, and then kissed once more. "I'm giving you twenty minutes to snack and drink before I jump you again," she warned, and Charlie gave another low groan, feeling his cock twitch again in anticipation.

"Let me fortify myself then," he chuckled, taking another sip of his wine. They cuddled and shared food and wine for a few minutes, feeding each other chips, salsa and olives before he spoke again. "Is this our happy ending?" Charlie asked, moving his body slightly to get more comfortable.

"I think so," Lauren said. "I'm done with playing the field, and I quite like the adventure of working on a relationship now."

"Does that mean I get to keep you for the next hundred years or so?"

Lauren laughed. "I don't know that I'll live that long, Charlie!"

"You might well do now," he told her, in a very matter of fact way. "Witches and wizards live longer than non-magical people, and Hermione told me that muggles who live with magical partners have much longer lives than they would have had otherwise. She thinks it's a combination of having access to magical medicine rather than just the muggle kind, and the fact that being around magic adds years to your life…"

Lauren moved her head and looked into his eyes. "Are you making this up so that you can use your wand with impunity and I can't complain?"

Charlie laughed loudly, hugging her closer. "Nooooo," he said, "it's true, I promise! Ask 'Mione if you don't believe me!"

"I will, you know," she said, a smile on her face too. "Just in case! AND I'll ask your mum."

The possibility of a few more decades with Charlie Weasley sounded good though. Three hours later, after they had kissed and make love twice more – once on the purple sofa and then, as the evening grew cooler, on Lauren's bed – they had settled down for the night.

Lauren tugged the summer duvet further up her body, turning slightly so that both she and Charlie were comfortable enough to sleep. She smiled as he curled up next to her in just the way she remembered, wanting to ensure that he was touching her before they slept. Stroking his chest with her thumb while watching the Chinese fireball tattoo gently nudge its head against her finger, Lauren heard Charlie's breathing slowing as he fell asleep. That was a sound that she could happily spend many years listening to, she thought.

It was hard to believe that it was only a week since she had received Hermione's first email, and she lay awake for a good while as her mind ran through everything that had happened since, marvelling at the new people who had come into her life along with the man who hadn't left her thoughts since she had walked away from him with a cheeky wave nearly three years ago.

Her thoughts turned to the following morning. She wanted to go with Charlie to The Burrow to have breakfast and see Elliot before his first day in Charlie's care, although Lauren was going to suggest that she drive the car back alone and let Charlie apparate or floo with Elliot to their next adventure. That would give her some more thinking time and, if Charlie was happy to keep Elliot busy for most of the day, she could still get through her work emails and perhaps get ahead enough to buy herself some extra time to spend with the two of them later in the week.

She smiled as she thought of everything she wanted to introduce Charlie to; films, the park, the petting zoo … he didn't seem to know about any of these things. And her smile became deeper as she remembered his whispered promises, on the transfigured beanbag and amidst their lovemaking, to take her back to Romania, to magical restaurants and even – although she was confident that he was joking on this one – on a flight on a broom. Lauren liked the sound of Angie's dad's restaurant, though, and they had Friday's pizza night at Hermione and Fred's flat to look forward to as well.

And after that? Lauren didn't know. She had arrived home with plenty of promises and invitations to spend time with Charlie's family, and she smiled into his chest as she realised that her social life amidst a family of Weasley proportions was going to be busier than it had been in years. Catching herself, she decided that she needed to stop thinking and try to sleep. If she was going to spend her life with Charlie Weasley as well as his tiny son and any others they might make together in the future, she was going to need some rest.