October 31st 1999. PT2

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The two laid together in silence for a while, looking straight up through the opening in the forrest canopy at the stars shining brightly above them. Hermione used the time to go over and over what had happened. It was true that he had been a bit awkward with her lately, but she had rather stupidly put that down to pre-proposal jitters. She honestly had been expecting a ring, not a bloody break up. She felt a stray tear roll down her temple and sniffed as she wiped it away, causing Charlie to turn his head and frown at her.

"What's wrong?" He asked gently and Hermione snorted.

"What's right more like." She grumbled and Charlie pushed up on his elbow to look down at her.

"You want to talk? I mean, I'm a little drunk but I'm still sober enough to give good advice." He chuckled and she smiled gently before it fell and her lip wobbled.

"Ron broke up with me tonight." She sighed and Charlie gasped, his eyes widening.

"And did my idiot brother say why he would do something so monumentally stupid?" Charlie asked, barely concealing his anger at Ron, and Hermione shrugged as she wiped her eyes.

"Never been in love with me, apparently," she said before laughing wetly, "and there was me, waiting for him to propose."

She felt a hand come up to swipe away a tear from her face and crumbled under his caring touch, rolling into his body and throwing her arms around his neck as she broke down into body wracking sobs. Charlie's arms came around her waist and rubbed soothingly up and down her back until she calmed and pulled away, rolling so that her back was back on the forrest floor and he was leaning over her once more.

"Sorry," she snorted, "I was trying not to cry and you set me off."

"I do have that effect on women," he chuckled, reaching into the inside pocket of his tux jacket and pulling out a hip flask, "Firewhiskey?"

She nodded and snatched the flask from him, taking three large gulps of the liquor in quick succession before handing it back. Thankfully, it was magically refilling and the drink seemed never ending as they passed it back and forth between them in silence for a few minutes before Charlie screwed the lid back on and pushed it back into his jacket.

"I think that's enough of that, can't have you passing out on my watch," he grinned, "I'm too drunk to levitate you back and I'm not gonna carry you."

"Gee, thanks," she snorted before touching the back of her hand to her forehead dramatically while grinning, "just leave me here to die, Charles, I'm not worth the hassle!"

"See," Charlie said, poking her in the ribs and laughing as she squealed, "that is just not true."

"What's not true?" She asked, turning her head to face him with a frown.

"That you're not worth it," he clarified and she hummed disbelievingly, "I'm serious! Don't let Ron of all people make you feel bad about yourself."

"You are drunk Charlie," Hermione snorted, "you are talking utter nonsense."

"You're ridiculous, you know?" He sighed, "you're a beautiful woman, you're kind, clever, incredibly loyal and practically worth your weight in gold. Just because Ron can't see that doesn't mean you're not all those things, it just means he's a bloody idiot."

"Wow," Hermione gasped, gawping at him, "where did that come from?"

"It's the truth," Charlie shrugged, "I hate it when you let others bring you down, you know that."

It was true. Every time she had felt bad about herself, especially after the war when she would glance at the horrific word etched into her arm, Charlie would sit with her for hours just trying to make her see that she wasn't what it said. He had always been unflinchingly supportive of her and she was grateful.

"I know," she murmured, keen to change the topic, "bastard made me ruin my makeup… and my dress!"

"You don't need any of it," Charlie shrugged, slurring slightly from the effects of the Firewhiskey, "You're beautiful anyway."

"God just how drunk are you?!" She giggled but was abruptly cut off. By his mouth.

Her eyes were wide as his lips pushed against hers but the effects of the Firewhiskey on herself came into force when her eyes flickered closed and the world spun slightly as his tongue traced the line between her lips. She moaned and felt him pull away.

"I can make you feel beautiful, Hermione." He whispered as he hovered above her and she felt his hand trailing from her side towards her chest and gasped.

"Oh gods, yes please!" She whimpered, pulling his lips back to hers and losing herself to the drunken encounter.

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Hermione woke some hours later with her head resting on Charlie's shoulder and her arm draped over his stomach. His arm was around her waist. She frowned as she shifted, pulling herself upright, and found that her head was absolutely pounding and she felt sore between her…

"Oh bloody hell!" She hissed to herself, causing Charlie to open his eyes with a groan.

"What the…" she heard him groan as he pushed himself into a sitting position and looked around, before his eyes fell on her, sitting a few feet away.

He stared at her for a moment before his eyes started to widen and then he brought a hand up, dragging it roughly down his face before looking back at her and groaning.

"Did we…?"

"Yup." She supplied, rubbing her temples with her fingers.

"Bloody hell." He whispered and she snorted.

"You can say that again," she chuckled, "Charlie?"

"Hmmm?" He groaned, his head in his hands and she crawled over to him, pulling his hands away with a roll of her eyes.

"Can we not be awkward about this?" She asked and he rose his eyebrow at her, "we're adults, we had sex, it happens."

"As long as you don't feel awkward," he shrugged as a slow grin spread over his face, "from what I remember..."

"Yes, Charlie," she chuckled, "I quite agree."

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They had returned to the tent, where they found the party coming to an end and gave anyone who asked the story they had prepared during their walk. That Charlie had found Hermione crying and comforted her, waiting until she was more composed to return to the party. It was a story that was bought with no resistance by everyone involved, as all the Weasleys knew that Charlie had a way with her, and she did seem happier upon their return.

Two days later, Charlie had returned to Romania for work and Hermione had gone back to her job at the Ministry, neither finding it in themselves to regret their one encounter, but neither feeling the need to repeat it either.