Chapter One
Disclaimer: All characters belong to J. K. Rowling. I wish I could say they were mine . . .
Hermione Granger looked around the Great Hall of Hogwarts, filled with parents, students, and her teachers from the past seven years. It was her graduation night, a night that had been anticipated for most of the year. However, in the past three weeks, Hermione had been put through hell.
Her best friends, Harry Potter and Ron Weasley, had recently fought against the dark wizard Voldemort, an incident that had been happening just about each of the years they were at Hogwarts. The three of them, and Ron's older brother Charlie, had barely escaped alive.
Hermione's dark brown eyes swept over the room, taking in the entire Weasley family. Molly and Arthur were seated at the end of one row, the family taking up a whole role. It was in order of age . . . Bill, then Charlie, Percy next, the twins Fred and George, and then the only girl of the group, Ginny. Hermione smiled slightly in their direction as Dumbledore started a speech.
"This year has been the strangest of them all, no doubt. Voldemort has finally been defeated, once and for all. But, in the struggle against evil, many of our peers were lost. So, tonight, we are not only proud of our graduates, but we mourn for those we have lost." Hermione's gaze flew to the staff table, noting the few missing places. Madam Hooch, Professor Vector, and Professor Sprout had all been killed in the fight against evil. Hermione felt the tears fill her eyes, and she looked around her classmates.
There were several of them missing too. Crabbe and Goyle, Pansy Parkinson, almost all of the Slytherins, actually, were either dead or in Azkaban. Draco Malfoy and the quiet Blaise Zabini were the only two to remain at Hogwarts. Draco, although rather rude and uptight about bloodlines, had turned to be a wonderful asset to the "good side." Hermione almost had a fit, thinking like that.
In the rest of the houses, very few people had been killed or sent to Azkaban. Actually, the Patils were the extent for Ravenclaw and Gryffindor, and Hannah Abott and Justin Flinch-Fletchy were the dead Hufflepuffs. Hermione brushed her hand up to her eyes, roughly wiping away the first tear that had escaped her eye in the past year.
"I will now read the names of the graduates, then the ball will start," Dumbledore announced, slowly reading the names. When the graduate had received his diploma, he were allowed to go sit with his parents. Knowing this, Hermione began to frantically search the room for her own parents.
Finding them in front of the Weasleys, Hermione started paying attention again. Suddenly her name was called and she slowly walked up to greet Dumbledore. He looked down at her through serious eyes, and shook her hand.
"Miss Granger, I'm very proud of you," he told her, smiling softly. She smiled up at him, before hurrying down to sit next to her parents, and in front of Charlie Weasley. Charlie had been at Hogwarts since her fifth year, leaving his job in Romania looking after dragons, to come and fight against Voldemort.
In fact, when Harry and Ron had defeated Voldemort, Charlie and Hermione were the only other two on the scene. Hermione flushed, thinking of how he had saved her life that night.
"Well, Hermione, you did it!" her father exclaimed. Hermione looked up at him, noticing the ceremony was over. Hermione nodded, tucking a strand of curly hair behind her ear and looking at them with dull eyes.
"Good job, Hermione!" Harry said, coming next to her and putting his head on her shoulder. Hermione smiled back at him, clearly not really happy.
"What's wrong, 'Mione?" Ron asked with a grin. Hermione looked up at him, realizing that they didn't know. She shook her head, muttering a quick 'nothing,' and glancing uneasily at Charlie.
"Come on, Hermione, something's wrong. I mean, you barely studied for the NEWTs," Harry pointed out. "You haven't been yourself since . . . well . . . since Voldemort," he said, flushing. Hermione looked up at him, saying nothing to him.
"I'm going for a walk. Why don't you all just enjoy the ball," she said, hurrying out of the big double doors leading outside.
Ron, Harry, and the Grangers shared an uneasy look. They all said they would go talk to her at once.
"No, I'll do it. You weren't there," Charlie said, interrupting their thoughts.
"What happened, Charlie? We were there the entire time," Harry pointed out.
"No, you weren't. You and Ron ran off to search for Voldemort, and Hermione and I went in the opposite direction. We met him, and Hermione will have to tell you the rest," Charlie said, rushing after Hermione.
Charlie followed her quietly, quickly catching up to her just as she reached the lake. Hermione was staring at it bitterly, and she turned to look at him.
"What, Charlie?" she asked.
"Hermione . . . why can't you just get over it?" he whispered, walking closer to her.
"I keep seeing it in my mind, Charlie. That night, I can't get it out of my mind. I keep seeing that dark battlefield, I can still feel the rain stinging my face. I remember Harry and Ron walking off together, and then I looked to you. I couldn't face him alone, Charlie. God, I couldn't face him at all. I just remember sticking to you and walking off. Then, I saw him. God, Charlie, it was awful. Did you even see his face? And, then he shot the curse at me. I was paralyzed, I deserved it. After all of the others that were killed, it wouldn't be horrible, and I wouldn't be special. And, then you saved my damn life. I should have died, Charlie!" she said, sobbing for the first time.
Charlie quickly crossed over, wrapping his arms around her and pulling him to her. Hermione sobbed into his shoulder, and Charlie waited until she was calm to pull away and look at her.
"Hermione, I did what was best. You are the best witch I've ever met, and we need you to be here. I don't know why you would think you should have died, but you didn't deserve that. And, I'm glad I saved you," he said intensely, looking down at her.
"But, I couldn't do it. I froze in the face of danger. I'm a Gryffindor, I should be brave, but I couldn't think. The only reason I'm still here is because you jumped on top of me and knocked me out of the way. What if you had died, Charlie? It would have been my fault, and I could have lived knowing that."
"Hermione, look at me, damnit. I care about you. Look, you started out as my brother's best friend, but I got to know you over the two years I worked here. And, now you're my friend. I do anything for my friends. I'd do anything to protect them. And, don't lie and say that you wouldn't do it. I know you, Hermione. You would have died to protect any of us," Charlie whispered, kissing the top of her head lightly.
"But, Charlie, if you had died, and I had survived . . ."
"No ifs, 'Mione. We're both here. Now, let's go back in there. It's your graduation night, and you should have fun. You know what fun is, right?" he teased her. She rolled her eyes, but he noticed that she smiled softly at him, and her eyes weren't quite as dull as before.
"So, Charlie, now that Voldemort is gone, what are your plans?" she asked as they slowly made their way up to Hogwarts. Charlie shrugged.
"I'm torn. I'm thinking about going back to Romania, of course, but I was thinking maybe for the Ministry, or maybe I'll even work with the twins. I was a prankster in my own days," he said, grinning at her. "What about you, 'Mione?" he questioned.
"Haven't the faintest," she replied, looking up into his deep blue eyes, and smiling softly. "I really don't know. I could teach, which seems the most logical thing, or I could study to be a medi-witch, or I could work in Diagon Alley or Hogsmeade, or I could . . . I have no clue! I might go back to life as a Muggle, it was simpler," she whispered.
"Look, I'm going to Romania to visit some friends, that sort of thing. Come with me, and look around. I don't want to lose you as a friend, Hermione. You were staying with us anyway, right?"
"Until I could find a flat, at least. So, Charlie, who all will be at your house?"
"Um, Ginny, Ron, me, Percy, Harry, and you. Unless . . . well, Sirius won't already have managed to get a house, will he?" Charlie questioned.
"I don't know. I think that Remus was going to let him stay with him, but I'm not sure. Come on, Charlie. Let's get back, I'm suddenly in the mood to dance," Hermione said, smiling up at him again. Charlie grinned, leading her into the Great Hall and mover to her family and friends.
"Hermione, what's wrong?" were the first words out of Mrs. Granger's mouth.
"Nothing. At least, not now. Charlie . . . Voldemort . . .Nothing now," Hermione said, unsure of how to explain.
"What happen, Hermione?" Harry asked gently. Hermione shook her head, smiling softly.
"Later, Harry. I've just explained it once, I don't feel like explaining it again so soon. So, want to dance?" she asked with a small smile. Harry smiled back, and they moved to the dance floor.
"She and Harry don't date, do they?" Mrs. Granger asked. The group burst into laughter, all glancing at Ginny.
"No, they don't. Gin and Harry are dating, but what about you, Ron? What happened there?" Charlie asked.
"Hermione and I never dated," Ron said with a scowl. "Because we don't like each other. We're just friends. Why do you think I'm dating Lavender?" he hissed. Charlie looked amused.
"Go dance with her then," he said, smirking as his brother ran off.
"So, Charlie, what exactly happened out there?" Bill asked, looking at his younger brother with a grin. Charlie shook his head slightly, biting his lip.
"Hermione has issues. Look, it boils down to something that happened when Harry killed Voldemort. Lord knows why she feels so damn guilty though," he mused, watching Hermione dancing with Harry. Neither could dance to fast songs, so they were very amusing. They made their way back to the Grangers and Weasleys at the end of the song.
"Hermione, we're going to go now. You're Dumbledore has arranged a way for us to get home quickly. I don't quite understand the concept, but . . . Oh well. Come visit us, dear," Mr. Granger said, planting a kiss on Hermione's head. Hermione nodded as she kissed her parents, then looked over at her friends.
"We'll be going too, dears. Charlie and Percy, you'll be coming home on the train also, right?" Mrs. Weasley asked. They both nodded, excited at the prospect of spending another night in Gryffindor tower. Mr. and Mrs. Weasley left soon, and Hermione looked up at Charlie, who was sitting next to her.
"Dance?" she asked softly. Charlie looked down at her, nodding quietly.
"So, Hermione, when are you going to tell them? They keep asking me about what happened, but I can't tell. It'd be wrong," he whispered quietly.
"When we get back to the common room. Bill and the twins will stay as well, right? Well, we'll go back and talk about everything," Hermione told Charlie, kissing him on the cheek quickly. Charlie turned pink, and he looked over to where his brothers were sitting. Bill, he knew, had noticed because of the smirk that flashed across his face.
"Are you ready? I mean, all we're missing is a little more dancing," Charlie said. Hermione nodded, looking at him.
"You'll sit next to me, right? And, if I can't tell them, you'll finish?" Hermione asked, looking up at him in worry. Charlie nodded reassuringly and went to go to his brothers. Hermione rounded up Harry, Ginny, and Ron, and they slowly made their way to Gryffindor tower.
"All right, I know you have all been wondering what's been up with me," Hermione said, looking pointedly at Ron and Harry. They smiled softly, and she looked up at Charlie, who reached down to hold her hand and rub it gently. She began slowly to tell them about that night, about Voldemort.
"Hermione . . . why didn't you tell us, and why did you feel so guilty?" Harry asked at the end. Hermione shrugged, dropping her head onto Charlie's shoulder. He continued to rub her hand gently, and looked at the others slowly.
"Something to do with the fact that Charlie easily could have died because I was stupid, and Gryffindor being the house for the brave. I wasn't brave though. I froze, and I stand by what I said early, I deserved it if he killed me," Hermione said. Charlie frowned at her, whispering to her softly.
"We've had this discussion, 'Mione. Stop feeling so guilty. I told you early, everyone is fine," he whispered, releasing her hand and putting his arm around her shoulder. Hermione didn't look at anyone, but she could feel the tears pooling in her eyes.
"I'm going to bed," she whispered into Charlie's shoulder, but she felt him shaking his head.
"No, you're not," he whispered back. "Stay here, with your friends. Please."
"Okay, can the rest of us please be included?" Harry asked, sounding slightly angry. "Hermione, you know that you don't deserve to die. Look, this is getting rather stupid. That's like me saying I deserve to die because Voldemort couldn't kill me the first bloody time around." Hermione looked up, startled. Harry never talked like that.
"Harry, you can't believe that."
"I know I can't. I would have gone crazy with guilt and I would have killed myself. That's why you can't think that you should be dead now. Look, apparently Charlie can talk some sense into you, so you be in your own little world. When you start acting like my friend again, why don't you pay me a visit." Harry calmly stood up and walked out. Ron followed him, then Ginny. Soon, Hermione was alone with the twins, Percy, Bill, and Charlie.
"He overreacted," Bill said. "But, if it woke you up, so be it."
"It didn't wake me up. I'm just rather angry. He went off and got all mad because I opened up to someone besides him or Ron. I don't know what his bloody problem is," Hermione said angrily.
"I do. 'Mione, you and Ron were his first real friends. He's afraid of losing you," Charlie whispered. "And, Ron's going to be fairly indigent too."
"Ron's going to be angry about the fact he's losing his best friend to his older brother," Bill said, smirking slightly. Hermione and Charlie turned to face him with identical expressions of confusion.
"Explain, please?" Hermione asked. Bill rolled his eyes.
"It should be obvious, my dear. You two are falling for each other. I know for a fact that Ron hates being overshadowed by his brothers. Think it through, though. Now, I have to go back to Egypt soon. I going to go say goodbye to the others. See you guys later," Bill said, running up to the boys' dormitories. Hermione glanced over at the twins and Percy, who were laughing at the way Hermione and Charlie had reacted to Bill's statement.
Hermione buried her head deeper into Charlie's shoulder, trying to decide how to fix things between Harry, Ron, and herself, and wondering if Bill's statement was true.
A/N: OK, I have this huge obsession with Charlie now, if you can't tell. I hope you like this, it's the first romance I've written starring Hermione. It may have come out a bit angsty, if it is, I didn't really intend for it to be that way. I hope you enjoy and I'll get the next part up as soon as possible.