Family Christmas
It was Christmas Eve morning and Mrs. Weasley and Hermione were standing at the counter humming along to Christmas songs that played on the wireless and making homemade pie and cookies.
Mrs. Weasley was ecstatic to have all of her children together, along with Angelina and Penelope for Christmas Eve dinner. Hermione was ecstatic that Charlie was going to make his announcement that evening and that she'd finally get to meet Sorin the next morning.
Hermione stood there trying to roll out the dough for the top of the pie. This was her third attempt. The first time it was too thin and ripped and the second was too thick and didn't cover the whole pie.
"Hrmph!" Hermione huffed, blowing a loose piece of hair out of her face.
Molly chuckled lightly, a bright smile on her face. "You'll get it dear."
"Maybe you should do this," Hermione mentioned, setting down the rolling pin. "This is going to look terrible if I do it."
"I'm sure it'll look fine. You can do it. My boys don't care what it looks like, as long as it tastes good." Mrs. Weasley encouraged.
Hermione took a deep breath and picked up the rolling pin.
"I appreciate your help, Hermione. I haven't had anyone in the family that has wanted to help until you got here. I'm blessed to have you." Mrs. Weasley told her, feeling joyful.
Hermione smiled warmly up at her. "It's my pleasure, Mrs. Weasley. I'm blessed to have you as a surrogate mother. I don't know what I would do without you."
Mrs. Weasley sniffled. "That's so sweet dear." Hermione noticed her watery eyes.
"Well it's true." Hermione found herself getting teary eyed.
Mrs. Weasley set her spoon down and pulled Hermione into a hug. "We're glad you're here. We were so worried you'd leave after Ronald's funeral and we wouldn't see you again."
Hermione squeezed her. "I would have never done that. You're my family."
Mrs. Weasley pulled away and patted Hermione's cheek. "Such a sweet girl…you're so good for Fred. Who would have thought the two of you would find love in each other?"
Hermione smiled and looked down. "It was actually Ron. He knew. He made me promise to let Fred take care of me if something happened."
"Did he really?"
Hermione looked back up to Mrs. Weasley's face and nodded.
"It's going to be weird without him…Christmas I mean." Hermione mentioned. "He loved your Christmas cookies. He'd brag about them all season in the common room, but when they'd come he wouldn't let anyone have any because he wanted them all for himself." Hermione gave a watery laugh and shook her head. Ron had sometimes even convinced Hermione to give him some of her own in exchange for getting his homework done early.
"He did love my cooking." Mrs. Weasley agreed, wiping the tears from her eyes. "Except corned beef. He never managed to be hungry enough to eat that."
"I don't think you ever let him go hungry enough to need to eat it." Hermione mentioned.
Mrs. Weasley shook her head. Hermione watched as her bottom lip started to tremble and she burst into tears. Hermione pulled her against her, wiping at her own tears while rubbing Mrs. Weasley's back as she cried on her shoulder.
Charlie came down the stairs and Hermione looked over at him. His brows furrowed in confusion. 'Ron.' Hermione mouthed silently. He nodded and came over and enveloped his mother from behind.
"Oh, my precious Charlie." She mentioned, patting his arm. Hermione smiled warmly at the two and took a step back allowing space for Mrs. Weasley to turn around and hug her son.
Hermione stood at the counter, continuing with the pie and cookies while Charlie and his mum sat at the table with some hot tea. He had an arm around her as she tried to calm herself down.
Hermione kept her back to them, sniffling and wiping at her own tears as she worked. She missed Ron terribly, but her tears were for Mrs. Weasley. Christmas was Mrs. Weasley's favorite holiday and the baby boy that she loved to spoil with food and kisses was no longer here. Hermione could only imagine; she would never truly understand what his parents were going through when having to look around the table and knowing their family wasn't whole. The familiar guilt crept up on her, knowing that if it had been her that died, no one would have to be heartbroken during the holidays.
Harry appeared at Hermione's side, looking rather somber as he kissed her cheek, wiping a tear off of it with his thumb.
"What can I do, Hermione?" He asked, looking around at the mess on the counter.
Hermione gave him a small smile. "You can start by washing your hands."
He smiled sheepishly and nodded as he turned on the faucet. Soon, they had all the cookies and the pies baked and on the cooling rack.
"More tea, Mrs. Weasley?" Hermione asked as she was wiping down the counter.
"No, thank you, dear. I better get up and start dinner." Mrs. Weasley started to get up, but Charlie held her in place.
"You just relax and we will do it. You can supervise from here." Charlie told her, standing and kissing her cheek on his way up.
"Oh! Well… well thank you! Isn't this a treat! Hermione dear, I think I will have a refill then."
Hermione wiped her hands on a towel and smiled. "Of course!"
Ginny came down and the four of them worked together in making the dinner. Ginny peeled potatoes, Harry was in charge of green bean casserole while Hermione and Charlie dressed the turkey and got it in the oven.
After getting the carrots ready and the cranberries cooked for cranberry sauce, Hermione started to wash the dishes.
"You realize you have a wand?" Charlie mentioned.
Hermione looked over at Harry and rolled her eyes. "There's nothing wrong with doing it this way."
"It's easier with a wand." Charlie told her.
"It's also lazier." Hermione added.
"Are you calling me lazy, Ms. Granger?" Charlie asked.
"No… I'm just stating that using a wand for everything is lazy. Now, if using your wand is your preferred cleaning method, then…"
"Then I'm lazy." Charlie finished.
Hermione grinned. "I never said those words."
"It's implied!" He stomped over and poked her in the ribs. "Say it, Hermione!"
She shrieked when his finger found her ribs. "I will not!"
"What are you scared of Granger?" He poked her again causing her to laugh.
"I'm not scared of anything! And stop calling me Granger, I'm sick of it!"
He grabbed for her and she grabbed for the wet washrag and smacked him in the face with it.
He stood there, his mouth wide, soap sliding down the sides of his face. Harry was bent over double, Ginny and Mrs. Weasley were giggling behind their hands and Hermione stood there looking taken aback.
"I… I am so sorry Charlie… I don't know what came over me." Hermione said. She tried to reach up to wipe the soap off, but he grabbed her wrists.
He moved to hold both wrists in one hand and dipped his hand into the sink, pulling out a large soap mound. She squealed and pivoted away from him as he rubbed it in her face, causing her to spat.
She wiggled a hand free and it went for the washrag again.
"No!" He yelled, grabbing a coffee cup and shoving it into the water before pouring it over her head.
They spent the next few minutes shoving soap and water at each other, effectively soaking the floor and themselves and causing Hermione to slip and fall on her bum.
Charlie lifted his hands and turned toward the others. "Victory!" Hermione scowled and kicked the back of his knee, causing him to tumble to the floor.
She held him down on the floor and held up her washrag. "I'll show you victory!" she yelled.
They heard a chorus of laughter and looked up to find not only Ginny and his Mum, but his dad, the twins, and Angelina as well.
She released his shoulder and leaned back on her heels. "Is it that time already?" Hermione asked nonchalantly.
Harry rolled his eyes.
"We better get dressed." Hermione told Charlie.
"At least now we might not have to take showers." He mentioned, standing up and pulling the front of his wet shirt away from his chest.
He offered her his hand and she took it. "See…lazy." She teased, causing him to let go and her to fall back on her bum.
"You want to be cheeky then? Well maybe your sore cheeks will remind you to be a bit nicer!" He mentioned, a smirk on his face, while he made his way up the stairs.
"Prat!" Hermione called as she stood up and rubbed her water soaked bum.
Fred leaned in and gave her a kiss, chuckling lightly.
"What's so funny?" Hermione asked.
He shrugged. "Nothing."
"Hermione…" Harry said quietly.
"What?" She barked back.
He pointed toward his own chest, and nodded toward her own. She looked down and noticed that her purple bra could be seen through her light pink shirt.
"Lovely." She sighed and pulled her shirt away from her chest. "Harry…"
"I'll clean it up." Harry answered.
She smiled. "You're the best… well, now that the wet t-shirt contest is over, I guess I better get changed." She headed up the stairs.
Harry was the only one that laughed. He noticed all eyes were on him. "It's a muggle thing."
"You mean they actually have such a thing?" George asked.
Harry nodded. "Yes, but usually the women go braless… and are drunk."
The twins jaws dropped and Angelina hit them both upside the heads.
XxXxXx
Hermione threw on last year's Weasley sweater as there was a knock on the door.
"Come in!" She yelled as she braided her hair.
"Truce?" Charlie called from the door and walked up behind her. She could see his reflection in the mirror and she smiled.
"I guess." She teased. She noticed him fumbling with the hem of his own Weasley sweater.
"Charlie? You okay?" She tied the end of her braid and turned.
He shrugged. "Just nervous."
She took his thick, calloused hands in her smaller ones and noticed his were sweating.
"Everything will be fine. I'll sit next to you. I'll be right there, holding your hand if you'd like." She kissed his cheek. "Now, come on. I heard someone say Percy was here."
XxXxXx
The table was magicked to fit everyone around it. Everyone sat, ready to dig in to the beautiful display of food that ran down the middle of the table.
Their parents sat on the ends with Charlie, Hermione, Fred, George, and Angelina on one side; Bill, Fleur, Penelope, Percy, Harry, and Ginny on the other.
They filled their plates, passing dishes around the table as they went and enjoyed either butterbeer, firewhiskey, or cider.
"This looks wonderful, Mrs. Weasley!" Penelope mentioned.
"Oh! Thank you dear! It was actually the kids who made it today."
"Is that why the pies look a little wonky?" Fred asked, chuckling.
Hermione's face went pink. "If you don't like them, then don't eat them!" Hermione told him.
He winced. "You made them?"
Hermione looked down at her plate and she felt herself blush deeper. "I know they aren't perfect... but I tried my hardest. I knew I should have let-"
"If you made them then they're lovely. I can't wait to try them." Fred kissed her temple. He didn't mean to embarrass her. He thought that one of the boys did it.
"Could you be any cuter?" Angelina asked and smacked George. "Why don't you act like that with me?"
"Ouch, Ang!" George turned to Fred. "Could you manage not acting like a lovesick hound dog in front of Angelina? You're making me look bad!"
Fred grinned. "Sorry, George. That's your own problem."
Charlie kept squeezing Hermione's knee, trying to find the confidence to speak up. Fred placed his own hand on her other thigh and rubbed it, trying to sooth her and noticed Charlie's hand.
Hermione watched his eyes as they flicked down at Charlie's hand and back up at her face.
"Don't worry. Everything will explain itself in a minute." She whispered in his ear. He squeezed her thigh and continued to eat. Hermione couldn't help but smirk. It was nice having him trust her.
While everyone was immersed in conversation, Hermione finally kicked Charlie hard enough for him to cry out and everyone look toward him.
"Go on." She whispered, squeezing his hand.
He nodded and cleared his throat. "Er… I have an announcement."
Mrs. Weasley put down her fork. "Oh? Well go on."
He gripped Hermione's hand so tightly it started to go numb.
"Well, you've heard of Sorin…"
"Ah, yes. Your friend from work?" Mr. Weasley asked.
Charlie nodded. "That's right. Well, Sorin…well he's more than just a friend…he's sort of... my partner." Charlie bit his lip.
"I knew it!" Bill exclaimed.
"Oh, that's great dear… are you going into business together?" Mrs. Weasley asked.
Hermione had to stifle a smile.
"Er… no Mum. He's my significant other…I'm gay." Charlie answered, blowing out a puff of air.
Silence.
Hermione noticed Bill was smiling. She also noticed that Fred had stopped rubbing her leg and she looked up to try and read him. He was looking at Charlie with a look of concentration on his face. She squeezed Fred's hand and he looked down and smiled and nodded.
Hermione winced as Charlie squeezed her hand even tighter; a single tear rolled down her cheek. It felt like he was crushing her hand.
"It's about time." Mr. Weasley mentioned.
"Pardon?" Charlie looked at his father who sat next to him.
"I knew you were, I just didn't know whether you knew." Mr. Weasley mentioned.
Charlie suddenly let go of his death grip on Hermione and she pulled her hand up to her chest, rubbing it and holding it close to her so he couldn't grab it again.
"Oh, he knew! I practically had to wipe the drool off his face every time he saw David." Bill mentioned. David was Bill's best mate during Hogwarts.
Charlie laughed. "Why have you never said anything?"
Mr. Weasley shrugged. "It wasn't my right to tell. I knew you'd tell us when you were ready." He reached for Charlie's hand and squeezed it. "Thank you for telling us. We love you."
Tears were now falling freely down Hermione's cheeks. She felt ecstatic for Charlie. He had waited so long for this and it was going swimmingly.
"I love you, too, Dad." The men stood up and hugged, causing the others to come out from their trance.
The twins came over and flanked him, squeezing him between them.
"And to think! We let you sleep in bed with us!" George joked.
"I thought I felt a hand on my leg that night!" Fred added.
"That was me." George teased.
"Oh. No wonder it felt like my own." Fred commented.
"I'm gay, not incestuous, you gits!" He punched each of them in the arm.
Charlie turned to his mother. "Mum?"
She sighed and looked up. "All these years I've spent trying to find you a young lady so you wouldn't be lonely and it turns out that this whole time you haven't been."
There was a pause for a moment and everyone seemed to be holding their breath.
"He treats you well?"
Charlie nodded.
"And you love him? And he loves you?"
Again, Charlie nodded.
Mrs. Weasley nodded slowly. "So, when are we going to meet the young man?" There seemed to be a collective sigh as everyone expelled the breath they were holding.
Charlie grinned. "Sorin will be here in the morning."
"What?" Percy asked. "You're going to spring this on us tonight and then you're going to bring him into this house without giving us time to process this?" Percy's face was red.
"Perce…" Bill started.
"No! He keeps this from us for most of our lives and he just blurts it out and he thinks we're just going to be supportive?" Percy asked, smacking the table with the side of his fist.
"Yes, and there is no reason why you shouldn't be." Hermione told him.
"Hermione! You're telling me you can just accept it? Aren't you worried that it'll embarrass the family?" Percy asked.
Hermione's breathing became labored and Fred put a hand on her shoulder, trying to calm her. "You…I… embarrass the…what is wrong with you? Yes, I can just accept it! Why would it embarrass the family? Why is he being with a man any different than Fred being with a muggleborn or Bill being part werewolf?" Hermione retorted, pointing to herself and Bill.
"You and Fred are an embarrassment! You can't just go Weasley to Weasley like some scarlet woman! And Charlie is embarrassing because they're both men! It isn't natural!"
Hermione rose out of her seat, pushing Fred's hand off her shoulder. It took every ounce of self control she had to ignore his comment about her and concentrate on Charlie. "No… for you it isn't natural. For him it is. He didn't choose this! He was born this way and he shouldn't have to hide it just because of narrow minded people like yourself. For once in his life he can be open about who he loves! After every terrible thing we've been through… I would have thought you had enough sense not to be prejudiced… especially against your own brother… but then again it was you that tried to pass a law that made marrying werewolves illegal!"
"How dare you!" Percy spat.
"How dare I?!" Hermione challenged.
"ENOUGH!" Mrs. Weasley bellowed.
Hermione's hands were squeezed tight into fists and her arms were shaking. Her eyes were narrowed and her lips were pressed into a thin line as she stared daggers at Percy. Charlie put an arm around her. "It's okay. He's not worth it. Either he'll come around and accept it or he won't. Either way I don't give a damn."
She looked up at him and he wiped a tear out of her eye. "Thank you for fighting for me. It means everything to me."
"Don't mention it." She took her seat and picked up fork. "Mrs. Weasley, I apologize for my behavior. I lost my head." She felt guilty about ruining Christmas Eve dinner for Mrs. Weasley, so she apologized. She would not, however, apologize to Percy. She did not regret saying those things to him and she meant every word.
"You're forgiven dear. Let's tuck in!" Mrs. Weasley smiled and reached for more potatoes.
Fred pulled her chair against his and put an arm around her. He kissed her temple and whispered that she was bloody brilliant.
She smiled up at him. "I love you." She whispered.
He nodded. "Love you, too."
XxXxXx
Hermione stood in the dimly lit kitchen doing the dishes for the umpteenth time that day while the others congregated in the sitting room. She was too emotional to sit still. Thoughts of Ron, Charlie, and her parents filled her mind.
She tried to stay positive, but it felt like a big, gaping hole was in her chest and about ready to swallow her whole. Her parents' faces kept popping into her mind that evening. She missed them, their Christmas traditions, and her old house. She missed the smell of her mum's perfume and her dad's pipe tobacco; the way her mum always managed to burn the rolls and the way her dad always insisted on carving the turkey, managing to butcher it to pieces.
An arm went around her waist and lips went to her neck. "How are you holding up? Why is it so dark in here?" Fred whispered.
She dropped her washrag and turned around to face him.
He saw that her cheeks were tearstained. "Hermione…"
She shook her head and burst into tears, burying her head into his chest.
He held her close and stroked her hair. "Hey… it'll be alright. Whatever it is, it'll be okay… I know it's hard without him…"
She shook her head and pulled her face away from his chest. "It isn't Ron… though I do miss him. It's my parents. I miss them terribly. I've kept my mind away from the idea that they weren't here, just pretending that I'm here for a visit like always… but now… it's Christmas and I can't stop thinking about them. How they smelled, how they prepared for the holidays, helping them decorate, drinking eggnog and sitting in front of the Christmas tree… I miss how excited my mum would get over the presents she got. I gave her a coat hanger one year with cut out pictures I drew and she acted like it was the best present she ever got. Even hung it in the kitchen…the last time I was there it was still up." She chewed her lip and looked at his chest. "I'm sorry… I didn't mean to go into that much detail. That was insensitive when you're grieving your own loss on Christmas."
She turned back to the dishes, but before she could continue, he set them to wash themselves.
"That's enough of that. Come sit. I'll warm up the cider." Fred steered her toward a kitchen chair and pushed down on her shoulders, making her sit.
Soon, he was sitting next to her, both with a hot cup of cider in their hand.
"Tell me more about your parents Hermione." He asked quietly, the dim kitchen seeming too peaceful to be interrupted.
"Fred, we don't…"
"Yes, we do. I want to know."
She sniffled and nodded, turning her body towards him. He turned towards her and pressed his legs to hers so that they were knee to knee and took her free hand.
She went over her fondest memories of her parents, starting with stories from when she was little and moving up in years.
"When I told my parents you and George were coming with your dad and Professor Lupin to fetch me for Grimmauld place, my father had a conniption." Hermione smiled.
Fred chuckled. "Why?"
"Too many men around… said it made him uneasy. Then Mum had to go and tell him what I told her about you two and he really didn't want me to go."
"What did she tell him?" Fred asked, interested in what Hermione thought about them back then.
"She told him that you two were handsome and charming. That you were two mischievous jokesters whose minds could rival mine in certain subjects and that you could always charm anyone into getting what you wanted… of course the first thing he thought of was me and his exact words were 'I don't want either one of those boys trying to charm the pants off my daughter'. It took days for me to convince him that that would never happen…" Fred gave a loud snort at this and Hermione laughed.
"I know. Never say never I suppose…anyway, I said that I basically live with you during the school year anyway and so he shouldn't have an issue with Mrs. Weasley as chaperone. I also conveniently left out that I was with Viktor at that point, too."
Fred laughed. "I wondered why he looked like he was going to kill us while we were there. Too bad Ron wasn't of age. He could have gone and dealt with him."
"He liked Ron." Hermione smiled.
"Why? He should have been the one your dad was worried about." Fred asked, looking taken aback.
Hermione giggled. "Because at that point Ron and I were fighting so bad, he thought we hated each other. I had written home about how terrible he had been that year. He thought Ron was like Harry… that he was… safe. He figured I liked older boys whose intellect would have been closer to my own."
Hermione drained the rest of her cider and placed it into the sink. "My mother would have loved you."
He smiled. "She might have… but your dad… maybe it's best that I never met him as your boyfriend."
Hermione smiled and came over to sit on his lap. "He would have thrown a fit, saying he knew it all along. But, after getting to know you and seeing what an amazing, hard working family man you turned out to be… he would have learned to like you."
He grinned and leaned in to kiss her.
"Thank you." He mentioned.
"For what?"
"For calling me amazing."
She smiled. "Thank you for being amazing."
She leaned in and captured his lips with hers.
XxXxXx
The next morning Hermione slowly climbed into Fred's bed and kissed his lips. She watched as his ginger lashes fluttered open and a grin formed on his face.
"Happy Christmas!" She whispered.
"Happy Christmas to you. What time is it?" He asked, his voice still raspy.
She settled into bed with her head in the crook of his shoulder, her palm against his chest. "It's still early… I just couldn't sleep and thought I'd come lay with you. Go back to sleep, love." She whispered, rubbing his chest, her fingers sliding down to his stomach and resting there.
"Perfect start to my morning." He kissed her forehead and pulled her flush against him, his fingers resting on her hip. He pushed the hem if her shirt up and drew lazy circles on her skin with his thumb.
She closed her eyes, feeling herself relax against him and was half asleep when she felt his thumb stop and his deep breathing begin. Her lips lifted into a smirk before she dozed off.
Hermione came to, hearing high pitched giggling. She blinked a couple times to clear the haze from her eyes and shot up into a sitting position quickly, finding George on top of Angelina.
"Hermione!" George yelled and pulled Angelina against him.
Hermione covered her eyes with her hand and searched for the edge of the blanket to hide behind.
"Hermione? Did you just call me…" Angelina asked below him.
He shook his head quickly. "No babe! Hermione!"
Angelina looked over and squealed causing Fred to wake up. "What is… WHAT THE HELL!" He pushed himself up on his elbows, his eyes wide.
"I thought you said you did a concealment charm!" Angelina growled.
"I did! At least I thought I did…" George answered.
"That is the last time I let you cast the enchantments!"
Hermione uncovered her eyes to grab the hem of the blanket and pulled it over her and Fred.
"Hermione? What are you doing?" Fred asked, a bit of amusement in his voice.
"Sh! I'm giving them privacy." Hermione answered. He rolled towards her, a smirk on his face.
"I think the moment is over love." He mentioned.
She smacked his chest. "I meant to get dressed!"
"Oh… WE'RE GIVING YOU TWO MINUTES TO GET DRESSED!" Fred called from the blanket.
Hermione looked up at his messy hair, his flushed cheeks and his copper morning stubble from the faint light coming through the thin blanket. He looked delicious. She reached behind his neck and pulled his face down to hers.
"FIVE!" She yelled. He gave her a lopsided smirk and she pressed her lips against his before capturing his bottom lip between her teeth and tugging. He pulled her under him in one quick motion, making her laugh.
"You're getting good at that." She whispered, her lips ghosting over his own. She felt his growl against her lips.
"Maybe ten!" Fred called. His lips found hers and his finger tips found the skin on her stomach.
He rubbed her stomach and her hips as he kissed down her neck.
"Mm. Your hands are incredible." She mentioned, pressing her stomach further against his hands and raking her nails down his back, causing him to shiver.
"No!" George pulled the blanket off of them. "If we can't, then you most certainly aren't going to either."
Hermione laughed, Fred still against her neck, looking up at George as Fred raised a hand to shoo him off.
"Fred… he has a point." Hermione mentioned, running her fingers through his hair.
He sucked and nipped the skin on her neck hard, leaving a mark, before pulling away. "There. Now I know where I left off."
She scowled at him and sat up. "It's Christmas! Your mother is down there!"
"Oh, relax Hermione! Angelina has one to match yours. You two can be twins today!" George told her, sitting on the bed and ruffling her hair.
"Where is Ang?" Hermione asked, realizing she was missing.
"Shower." George answered.
"Well, I call next! I want to shower before Bill gets here and complains I smell like Fred again." Hermione stood and stretched before going to fetch her clothes from her room.
XxXxXx
"Do I look alright?" Charlie asked Hermione as he finished running a comb through his hair. She looked over from her spot in front of the bathroom mirror.
"Very handsome!" She commented as he turned around to give her a view from the back.
She shook her head in awe. "I will never understand how two people can make seven beautiful children."
It was true. Every single one of the Weasley children were tall and lean, strong shouldered and muscular. Even Ginny was muscular for a girl.
Of course they were active, especially Charlie who had to spend hours in the gym and with dragons, giving him the build of a bouncer, but they didn't even have to try that hard to be fit. It made Hermione jealous. One summer she agreed to go running with Ginny a few times a week. Ginny ended the summer with calves to die for and Hermione hadn't lost a pound of fat or gained an ounce of muscle. It was beyond frustrating.
They also had beautiful ginger hair, sparkling blue or brown eyes, and noses littered with freckles. They all had dazzling, straight teeth and all seemed to have acquired their dad's lazy, lopsided grin.
Life just wasn't fair. They had beautiful genetics; hers, on the other hand, were all about brilliance. Her mum and dad both graduated at the top of their class and she was determined to do the same. If she couldn't be tall and lean, she was sure as hell going to graduate top of her class and have a career that would change the wizarding world for the better.
He chuckled, breaking her out of her thoughts. "Jealous Granger?"
She nodded, a smirk on her face. "Much."
"You realize you're beautiful, too?" Charlie mentioned.
Hermione rolled her eyes. "Charlie… you're too kind. Now go downstairs and wait for Sorin. He'll be here in five minutes time."
His eyes widened and pulled her to him, giving her a kiss on the cheek, before disappearing downstairs.
She laughed and turned back to the mirror, finishing her hair into loose ringlets. At least her hair had calmed a bit since she first entered the wizarding world.
She stood back and gave herself one last lookover.
"Hermione! Dépêchez-vous!" Charlie called up the stairs.
She smiled at his French. "Un moment!" She called back. She sprayed on her perfume she rarely wore and headed down the stairs.
When she hit the sitting room, she saw everyone sitting around, staring at the empty fireplace while Charlie paced in front of it.
"Not here yet?" Hermione asked, asking the obvious.
Charlie shook his head and kept pacing. She grabbed his arm, making him stop.
"There is no need to be nervous. I'm sure we will all love him."
He nodded and bit his lip. "You sure I look okay?"
"You look incredible. Do I look okay? I want to make a good impression."
He looked at her for a moment, bringing his fingers up to drum against his chin. "Eh… it'll do." He finally mentioned, making everyone chuckle.
"Charlie!" She exclaimed.
He laughed. "Kidding! You look great." He pulled her into a hug. "Hermione? Are you wearing perfume?"
She blushed. "It's a special day!"
There was a woosh of the fireplace and Hermione took a step back from Charlie and into the crowd of Weasleys, who were all standing at attention. Fred wrapped an arm around her waist and pulled her close.
Out came a man with dark brown hair, shaved close on the sides and spiked on top; he stood at Harry's height. His skin was tan and scarred, his eyes were blue-grey, and his nose was a bit askew…like it had been broken too many times. He had thin lips and a strong jaw.
Charlie immediately pulled him in for a hug, kissing his temple, and whispering something into his ear.
They turned to the Weasleys. "Everyone…this is Sorin… Sorin… meet… well, everyone."
There was eruption of voices and people hurrying up to hug him and shake his hand. Hermione and Harry stood back to allow the family to get to meet him. She noticed that Percy did the same.
Penelope, on the other hand, was up there with Angelina and Fleur, giving him a kiss on the cheek. Hermione smiled towards the crowd and made a mental note to get to know Penelope better.
Charlie pulled Sorin through the sea of red and towards Harry, Hermione, and Percy.
"This is my brother Percy. Percy… Sorin." Sorin gave a charming smile and lifted his hand toward Percy. Percy looked at it for a split second, before raising his own. He shook Sorin's hand quickly and took a step back.
"This is Harry Potter and Hermione Granger. Harry… Hermione, this is Sorin." Charlie announced.
Harry held out his hand and Hermione smiled at the Romanian.
"Harry Potter. An honor to meet you." Sorin shook his hand.
"Er… thank you. It's nice to meet you, too." Harry's cheeks had gone pink. It seemed he would never get use to everyone knowing his name. Harry would always remain humble.
"Hermione Granger. The brain and beauty of the golden trio…. and the woman who convinced Charlie to be honest with his family. It is because of you that we can finally live freely without worry of his family getting wind of our relationship. It is an honor to finally meet you."
Hermione threw her arms around Sorin's neck, making Charlie chuckle. Sorin welcomed the embrace and rubbed her back with his palms.
"It is an honor to meet you. I've been counting down the days. If you've captured Charlie's heart, I know you are one special fella." Hermione pulled away, a blush on her cheekbones from throwing herself at him.
"Oi! That's my bird!" Fred teased, putting an arm around Hermione.
George shook his head. "Who knew Romanians were so charming?"
Charlie smiled, showing both dimples. "I did."
Hermione laughed. "Indeed."
"Oh, Sorin dear…" called Mrs. Weasley.
"Yes, Ma'am?" Sorin asked, turning toward her as she stood next to Charlie.
She gave a giggle. "Such a well-mannered boy."
"That's a rather big boy." George mumbled, making Fred snicker. Hermione elbowed Fred, Charlie saw and gave Hermione a wink.
"You know… I just wanted to ask you what your thoughts were on children? I've been waiting all these years for grandchildren and I'm not about to let Charlie off that easy! How do you feel about a surrogate? Adoption?" She asked Sorin. He looked a bit taken aback by her bluntness.
"Mother!" Charlie exclaimed.
"Well… if you two are really that serious, then it's a valid question. How long am I going to have to wait to have more grandchildren? Victoire will be born soon and I don't want her to be without a playmate!" Mrs. Weasley explained, effectively embarrassing both men.
George leaned in towards Fred's ear. "She won't be waiting long. There's about to be two more grandchildren to spoil."
Fred turned toward him. "What are saying?" He asked quietly.
George glanced at the others to make sure no one else could hear. "Angelina gave me my Christmas present early this morning. Two pacifiers. That's why we were…. celebrating upstairs."
Fred's eyes went wide. "You're… you're…"
George nodded, a smile on his face. "She's pregnant…times two!"
Fred pulled him into a hug, smacking his back. "That is amazing… incredible…outstanding…"
George laughed. "Something like that…yeah."
"You realize that it is now up to you to pass down our legacy to the next generation of twins. Make me proud; I know they're in good hands."
"I won't let you down." George said, patting his back one last time.
Fred pulled away from him rubbing his eyes and saw George turn away and do the same.
"What is wrong with you two?" Ginny asked, noticing their odd behavior.
Everyone else turned from the embarrassing conversation Sorin, Charlie, and Mrs. Weasley were having and looked at the twins.
"Dust… just got some dust in our eyes." Fred answered, wiping his eyes on his shirt.
"Both of you?" Ginny asked, disbelieving.
"Yes, both of us." George mentioned, turning back to face everyone, now composed.
Hermione stepped toward Fred and took his hand. "Everything okay?"
He smiled and leaned down, giving her a deep kiss. "Everything is truly wonderful."
She grinned up at him and wrapped her arms around him. "After that kiss, I have no question."
XxXxXx
Everyone enjoyed opening up their presents from each other and sharing stories and laughs with Sorin. Soon, everything was cleaned up and everyone was splayed out around the sitting room.
"You're name eez beautiful Soreen. What does eet mean?" Fleur asked, watching Sorin run his fingers through Charlie's hair, who was sitting in the floor in front of his armchair.
"Thank you, Fleur. It's Romanian. It means Sun." Sorin answered.
Charlie grinned. "Fitting, since he's the center of my life. The light of my life."
The woman coo'd and the men rolled their eyes.
Fred made the sound of a whip cracking, making Sorin laugh.
"Don't encourage him!" Angelina mentioned.
"Oi! George! Control your woman!" Fred demanded.
George laughed. "Now that we'll be a family of four, I don't think control is even part of my vocabulary anymore."
There was a collective gasp.
"George!" Angelina said through gritted teeth and smacked his chest.
"George… Angelina…?" Mrs. Weasley asked, while everyone looked at two excitedly.
"Ang?" George asked, giving her the honors.
"I wanted this to be Charlie and Sorin's day, but I guess since George can't keep his mouth shut… I'm… we're pregnant…" Angelina bit her lip.
The living room exploded in claps, whistles, and yelling. Everyone could barely contain their excitement.
George was sitting next to Hermione and she wrapped her arms around his bicep, pressing her face against his shoulder.
"This is fantastic! I'm so excited for you! Wait… you said four… two... TWINS! YOU'RE HAVING TWINS?" Hermione squealed bouncing in her seat.
Mrs. Weasley was beside herself, sobbing happily and holding Angelina close, not allowing anyone else to get ahold of her.
"Is it always this loud?" Sorin asked Harry.
"Yes." Harry answered, truthfully. "You'll get use to it."
"At least maybe now we'll be off the hook for babies for awhile." Charlie told him.
"Don't be so sure, Charles Thaddeus!" Mrs. Weasley said loudly from her position with Angelina. He winced at the use of his middle name.
Hermione leaned her head back against the sofa, enjoying the sound of everyone talking and concentrated on Fred's hands as he sat in front of her. He slipped his hands up the legs of her jeans and was rubbing her calves.
After congratulating George, Bill sat in the vacant seat on the opposite side of Hermione. Feeling the dip in the couch, she picked her head up and opened her eyes, smiling at Bill.
"You knew." Hermione mentioned.
He grinned. "Three heartbeats."
"So, care to tell me how many Penelope has?" Hermione smiled.
"Just one."
"And Ginny?"
He growled, gritting his teeth. "Would Harry be sitting here if I heard more than one?"
She laughed. "Good point."
"You only have one, too." Bill mentioned.
"She has a lot of explaining to do if she didn't!" Fred said, leaning his head back against her legs and looking up at Bill and Hermione.
"Immaculate conception…" Hermione said. "I somehow doubt I'm worthy of that. Harry's the chosen one… not me."
Fred and Bill laughed.
"Interesting visual…" Fred mentioned.
XxXxXx
"Hermione?"
Hermione smiled over at Penelope from her spot at the sink. They had just finished a late lunch and everyone was starting to disperse.
"I just wanted to apologize for Percy's behavior last night." Penelope said.
Hermione shook her head. "Don't apologize. It isn't your fault."
"He isn't all bad, you know. He just isn't good with change. He gets a lot of heat at work for being a Weasley and some still call him a blood traitor. There are still a lot of members of 'The Sacred Twenty-Eight' working in the department that still believe in keeping blood pure. They've been relentless since they found out we were engaged. I don't think he means to be so cynical about Charlie… he just knows how terrible work would be if they found out." Penelope explained.
Hermione nodded, mulling over the new information. "And his reason for disliking me? Is it because I'm muggleborn or does he really hate me?"
Penelope chewed her lip. "Well… you see…he's having a hard time with Ron being gone… he sort of… well, he.."
"Blames me?" Hermione asked. Penelope nodded and looked down at her shoes.
"I know it isn't your fault, but he doesn't know where to put that anger. When you moved on… he felt you moved on too quickly and it was with Fred…" Penelope tried to explain. "Well… that's why he left home. It was hard for him to see you and Fred together."
Hermione sighed. "I didn't plan it. I was sick with guilt over it and I fought against my feelings for awhile. I know his death is my fault. I even thought about… ending it myself, but then I know that Ron dying would have all been in vain. I have to live with the guilt everyday that their family isn't complete and that it's because of me.
"I know I probably should have, but I couldn't leave afterward. I stayed for my own selfish reasons. At first, it was to be close to Harry and to Ron's memory. Then it was Fred and now I've realized it keeps my mind off the fact that my parents are dead. The Weasleys and Harry are all I have. I can't be angry with Percy for blaming me when it's the truth, but there should be no reason for his family to mean less to him than the people he's surrounded by at work. It isn't fair to Charlie."
Penelope hugged Hermione. "I'll work on him."
Hermione smiled as they pulled apart. "I hope he comes around for Charlie. I know he says that his opinion doesn't matter, but I know he really would love his support."
"Are you ready?" Percy asked, popping his head into the kitchen door.
"One sec." Penelope mentioned. He nodded and his head disappeared.
"Hermione, don't be too hard on yourself. You didn't make him do anything. Ron threw himself in front of you because he wanted to; you couldn't have stopped him. He made up his mind long before that day." Penelope coaxed.
"How do you know?" Hermione asked.
Penelope's eyes darted behind Hermione for a split second before landing back on hers. "A little birdy told me." She mentioned as she backed out of the door.
Hermione's eyebrows stitched together in confusion. Before she could turn around, she felt a body press itself against her back.
"Pack an overnight bag." Fred whispered into her ear.