January 4th 2006 PT2

Hermione was extremely pleased with herself when she returned to her flat at lunchtime, expecting to find Charlie and Arty there so she could tell them her good news, but the flat was empty. Frowning, she looked around and found that everything was exactly as she left it, a clear sign that no-one had been here since she had left.

She looked in Arty's room and was just about to leave for the Burrow to check there when a patronus in the form of a stag flew into the room, very obviously Harry's, and spoke.

"Dragon escaped, Charlie in St Mungo's, Arty unharmed."

Panicking, Hermione flew through the living room and into the floo, appearing seconds later in the floo room at St Mungo's and sprinting towards the welcome desk. She tapped her foot as she was forced to queue and huffed as the welcome witch ignored her when she finally got to the front. Snapping her fingers in front of the vapid woman's face, she finally got her attention.

"Charlie Weasley, where is he?" She snapped and the woman sighed, flicking slowly through her pile of parchment, "now would be good!"

"First floor," the woman finally said with an excruciatingly slow and nasally voice, "creature induced injuries. Next!"

Hermione tutted and broke into a run towards the lifts, finding them to be up on the third floor and deciding she couldn't wait that long. She carried on running and threw open the door to the stairwell, proceeding to take them two at a time and pushing open the door to the first floor, straight to the information desk, where she found a much more useful witch who would have been appreciated downstairs.

"Charlie…Weasley…" she panted and the witch gasped before conjuring a glass and filling it with water before handing it to Hermione.

"Calm down, dear," the older woman chuckled, "you'll give yourself an aneurysm. Mr Weasley is just fine, all healed up and ready to go home. Can I assume you are his partner and mother to that beautiful little boy?"

"Oh for… The message I got sounded so urgent!" Hermione snapped, catching her breath, "yes, I'm Arty's mum."

"Follow me now that you've calmed down, dear," the woman smiled kindly, "didn't want your little angel to see you all worked up"

"Angel?" Hermione snorted, "are you sure you don't have the wrong child?"

The woman led her into a private room where she found Charlie, with a fresh new scar on his other arm, sitting on the bed with his arms around a very quiet Arty, who looked terrified and extremely pale. No wonder the older witch had thought him an angel if this was how he had been since Charlie was brought in! She thanked the witch profusely for calming her down and sighed as she sat down on Charlie's other side, smiling at Arty when he looked at her with tear filled eyes before she turned to Charlie.

"I thought I told you to be safe, hmm?" She asked, eyebrow raised and Charlie groaned.

"One of the newly qualified keepers forgot to redo the wards on Norberta's enclosure and she took her chance," he shrugged, "Idiots been fired, I can tell you that much."

"Good! He appears completely incompetent!" She snarled, before turning to Arty, "are you ok, my little love?"

"Yes mummy," he nodded and sniffled, "daddy said I'm big and brave."

"You were, buddy!" Charlie grinned, "You stayed safe with Arnette and she told me that you were a very good boy."

"Who's Arnette?" Hermione asked and Charlie snorted as Arty blushed.

"She's a pretty lady who looks after baby dragons, mummy." Arty said and Hermione chuckled pulling him into a hug.

"Oh, she's a pretty lady, is she?" She laughed as she ruffled his hair, "does mummy need to be worried about daddy and this pretty lady?"

"No-one is as pretty as you, mummy." The little boy grinned, shaking his head and Charlie nodded.

"The boy has a very good point, " He grinned, putting his arm around her, "I'm a lucky man."

Hermione elbowed him in the ribs and rolled her eyes, grinning all the while as Arty laughed at them. In hindsight, now that she knew Charlie was okay, she felt a bit idiotic for literally running all the way here. She gasped as she remembered her good news and Charlie rose his eyebrow at her.

"I forgot!" She exclaimed, "You are looking at the manager of the new Flourish and Blotts opening in Hogsmeade!"

"Really?" Charlie asked, "that's awesome! Well done, love."

"I'm excited," she grinned, nodding, "plus it there's a dull moment it will be like having my own personal library!"

"Sounds like your perfect job." He grinned and she nodded as the witch that had calmed her down came back with Charlie's release forms.

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"Charlie?" Hermione asked as she walked back into the living room after putting Arty to bed, finding him laying on the couch with his arm over his eyes. When he heard her, he uncovered his face and lifted himself up on his elbows to see her smiling nervously at him

"What's wrong?" He asked with a frown and she shook her head.

"Nothing." she hesitated and he pushed himself up from the sofa, moving to stand in front of her.

"Then why do you look like you're worried about saying something?" He asked, pulling her lower lip from between her teeth with his thumb and resting his hand on her neck.

"Moveinwithus!"

"Uh… what?" He laughed, having not understood a word she just said and Hermione sighed.

"I said… move in with us." She repeated slowly, raising her eyes hesitantly to look at him, discovering his eyes wide and his mouth slightly open.

"Are you sure you want this?' He whispered and she nodded.

"Arty wants you here, I just asked him, and…" she paused, taking a deep breath, "and I want you."

"You want me here?" He asked, frowning and she shook her head, blushing.

"No, well yes I do, but… oh screw it."

Suddenly she launched herself at him and pressed her lips to his, pushing her tongue into his mouth when he gasped and moaning loudly as it made contact with his. Wrapping her arms around his shoulders, she pulled him blindly towards her bedroom, before pulling away, breathing heavily. She looked into his eyes as she slowly unbuttoned her shirt and slipped it from her shoulders and reached around to unclasp her bra. Charlie's eyes were wide and full of lust as he gazed at her body and Hermione smiled softly before reaching for his hand and placing it in her breast for him. It was all the encouragement he needed.