Kinda long chapter. Or maybe not. They get to Hogwarts, at least! That's something right?
Hope Charlie is believable in this chapter; I've always pictured him like being an older version of the twins.
******'
When they finally came back and started noticing the world around them, Bill and Hermione were slightly shocked to discover that it was nearly lunch time. Bill stuck his head into the kitchen, and saw Percy sitting there, doing some kind of crossword-puzzle, and Charlie eating a sandwich.
The twins could be heard somewhere upstairs, no doubt experimenting, and Ginny and Harry were talking out in the garden. Ron was nowhere to be seen. Charlie looked up, and grinned at them, while Percy only nodded.
"See you're back with the world. Want something to eat?" Charlie asked.
"Yeah. Sure." Bill nodded, and sat down, Hermione beside him.
They ate in silence, and after a while Percy excused himself to go and finish a report for the Ministry. Charlie remained, saying he'd have to keep an eye on Bill and Hermione, in case they went over the borders of what was proper. At that comment, Bill lobbed a sandwich at his brother's head, which said brother caught and promptly ate.
"He's hopeless!" Bill told Hermione.
"Mhm, but so are you." She said, smiling.
"I thought you loved me." Bill said, eyes wide, mock-serious.
"Oh, I love you alright, but that doesn't make me blind." Hermione teased.
"Oh, gods, if it gets any sappier, I'm going to throw up." Charlie said, laughing.
They ignored him, and disappeared into their own world again. Charlie shook his head, chuckling, and picked up Percy's newspaper and started reading. Bill and Hermione were too absorbed in each other to care what else was going on.
Harry and Ginny came in from the garden, spotted Bill and Hermione sitting hand in hand at the kitchen table, and had to bite back laughter. Harry sat down next to Charlie and started eating, while Ginny plopped down in the chair next to Hermione, grinning like a maniac.
"So that's why you didn't want my help to get a boyfriend!" She said, punching Hermione lightly on the shoulder. "Now, you've got to tell me; when did this happen?"
"Well, remember when I wrote to Mum and told her I was going to Rome with an apprentice?" Bill asked.
Ginny nodded, as did Harry and Charlie.
"Well, I actually forgot to tell her the apprentice was Hermione; it's the truth. So we went to Rome, and broke a curse, and it sort of went from there." Bill admitted, blushing slightly.
"Aw, that's so cute!" Ginny exclaimed.
"Stop it, Gin, you're sickening!" Charlie said, hand over his eyes. "It's not that cute! In fact, it's not cute at all; I don't understand them." He admitted.
"You've never been in love, have you, Charlie?" Harry asked quietly.
Everyone turned to look at Harry, surprised; he wasn't one to say things like that.
"Well, no." Charlie admitted.
"Then you can't know what it's like." Harry concluded, and stood up. "I'm going to see how Ron's doing." He announced and left.
"Well, that was odd. But no matter; you have other things to worry about." Charlie addressed Bill and Hermione.
"What's that?" Hermione asked, puzzled.
"Mum and Dad." Charlie said, grinning.
Bill and Hermione stared at him, and then at each other, pale. They had forgotten about that, and Mrs Weasley was bound to be furious, or at least disappointed that Hermione wasn't going to end up with Ron.
"You're screwed!" Charlie announced happily, and stood up, heading out to the garden.
Bill and Hermione were left to worry by themselves, as Ginny left to help Harry calm Ron down.
*****'
Molly Weasley chatted happily with her husband as they walked toward the front door of the Burrow, but before she could open it, it was thrown open by Charlie, who was grinning like a madman. She jumped a step and stared at him.
"Hi Mum, hi Dad!" Their son announced happily.
"Hello, Charlie. Did anything happen while we were gone?" Arthur asked cautiously.
"You could say that. Ron's a bit mad at the moment, but Harry and Gin are trying to calm him down again. Percy's doing some sort of report, the twins are experimenting again, and I am on my way out to de-gnome the garden, it's getting worse and worse, isn't it?" He asked, walked past them, still grinning.
Molly looked from her second eldest son to her husband with a decidedly worried expression. Something had happened when they were gone, and Charlie wasn't telling them anything about it. And he hadn't mentioned where Hermione and Bill were. That was certainly alarming.
Not wasting another moment on the doorstep, they entered the house, looking for their children. Coming through the hallway towards the kitchen, they ran into Fred and George, who were creeping downstairs, whispering to each other. When George spotted them he let out a laugh.
"Hi Mum, hi Dad! Looking for Bill? He's in the kitchen." He said, and then he and his twin disappeared up the stairs again, laughing wildly.
Once again, a look was exchanged between the two of them, and they hastened their steps. How had they known they were looking for Bill? And why had they laughed?
They rounded the corner and stepped into the kitchen, and Molly nearly fainted. At the table, were Bill and Hermione, kissing.
*******'
Bill broke away suddenly at the sound of footsteps. He and Hermione looked to the kitchen door, and blushed furiously when they spotted his parents. Hermione hastily removed her hands from his shirt-buttons and he detangled his own from her hair. This was definitely not how he had planned to tell his parents.
"Hi Mum, hi Dad." He tried weakly.
"Bill! What are you thinking?" Mrs Weasley asked voice shrill with disapproval.
"Um, not a lot?" He said, shrinking back.
"That is too clear to miss! How can you do this to your brother?" She demanded.
Bill was taken aback, but had not time to answer before his father spoke.
"Molly, dear, I think we should hear them out before me jump to conclusions." He said softly, looking from Bill to Hermione quietly.
"Er, well, this was certainly not the way I was going to break it to you." Bill started. "But Mum, you've always told me to get a girlfriend, and now I have."
"I meant Fleur, as you very well know!" His mother snapped.
"Fleur cheated on me with my friend, and had the gall to tell me we should get back together!" Bill snapped back, angry now. "You expect me to get together with a girl who doesn't even think twice before she jumps into bed with someone else? Well, I have news for you, Mum, I'm not like that! I've made my choice, and you aren't going to change it!"
"Hermione is eight years younger than you are! How could you do that? You know your brother cares for her!"
"Ron doesn't know what he feels! I do, and that's the difference! I love her, and I'm not going to leave her, no matter how much he fancies himself in love with her!" Bill was shouting now. "He isn't in love with her, or he would have done something about it sooner! He doesn't even care enough about her to understand her!"
His mother was staring at him, cheeks red and eyes narrowed. Bill was staring back in defiance, hackles raised, ready to defend the woman he loved if he had to. None of them seemed to remember that Arthur and Hermione were still in the room.
Arthur put a hand on her shoulder, and smiled as she looked up at him, startled.
"It seems you two have your minds made up, and I for one am not going to stop you. Welcome to the family, Hermione." He said.
"I wouldn't go as far as saying I'm family yet, Mr Weasley." Hermione protested, blushing.
"You will be, if Bill gets his way." Arthur said, smiling at his eldest son.
Bill blushed and looked at his feet, mumbling something incoherent. Molly crossed her arms over her chest, and looked at the two of them.
"I did not expect this to happen, but since it has; welcome Hermione. I would have liked you to end up with someone else, but it seems I am powerless in this case." She announced.
"I would never have ended up with Ron, whether Bill was here or not; Ron is too much of a brother to me." Hermione said softly.
"A brother, am I?" Came a bitter voice from the doorway.
Ron was standing there, looking furious at them, glaring at Hermione and Bill with more malice in his eyes than even Draco Malfoy displayed on a bad day. Without waiting for a reply, he spun on his heels and disappeared again.
Hermione stared helplessly after him, eyes filling with tears; Ron had been her friend for six long years, and now he wouldn't even look at her. Without thinking, she went to Bill, who silently embraced her and held her as she cried.
Molly and Arthur watched them for a while before walking out of the kitchen to leave them alone.
*****'
Bill held Hermione close, whispering in her ear that everything would be alright, and that Ron was just being a pigheaded git. It took a while, but Hermione calmed down slowly, wiping her eyes.
"Alright?" Bill asked softly.
"No, but I will be." Hermione sniffed.
"Good." Bill said and bent down to kiss her.
"Oh, please! Charlie, tell Hormonal Teenagers to stop sucking face!" Came Fred's voice from the doorway.
"Yeah!" George followed up, "They could at least keep it to themselves!"
Hermione and Bill broke away from each other quickly, and blushed. The twins were standing in the doorway, grinning widely.
"We heard you yelling at Mum." Fred started.
"And we're impressed that she let you get away with it." George finished.
"I don't think I got away with it." Bill admitted ruefully.
"No, you didn't, but I realized you're both grown up, so I can't actually do anything." Molly Weasley clipped in, moving into the kitchen to start making dinner.
"Thanks Mum." Bill said gratefully.
"Thank you, Mrs Weasley." Hermione said, grateful as well.
Dinner that day was a tense affair; all Weasley's with the exceptions of Ron and Mrs Weasley, congratulated them and wished them luck, a few of them coming with hints that it was time for Bill to settle down for good, and that they wouldn't be disappointed if it was with Hermione. Both Bill and Hermione ignored these hints, and carried on the conversation.
******'
The little time that was left of her stay at the Burrow went by fast, and soon she was standing outside the front door, hand in hand with Bill, ready to Apparate home again. Ron still wasn't speaking to either of them, and Hermione was having a hard time acting normal around him; she often ended up crying her heart out to Bill. Unfortunately, those comfort-sessions often ended in kisses, which one of the Weasley's would inevitably walk in on, and they would have to interrupt themselves.
Bill turned to her and smiled, breaking her out of her reverie, and pulled her closer, ready to Apparate. Once again, the world around them disappeared, and then refocused on the hill where they had left for the airport the last time.
They walked to her parents house, and Bill said goodbye, but not before kissing her thoroughly. He hugged her and walked off down the street, waving cheerily. Hermione waved back, until he was out of eyeshot.
"My, my; he does look good, that Bill." Claire said, amused, from where she stepped out from behind the hedge.
"Claire! You scared me!" Hermione exclaimed, jumping and spinning on her heels.
"Hello to you too. So, how're you feeling?" Claire grinned.
"I'm perfectly fine."
The two of them disappeared into Hermione's house, talking about everything and nothing.
******'
The 1st of September came, and Hermione was sitting on the train to Hogwarts. The Head Girl badge was pinned on her robe and she was deep into one of her books. The letter announcing that she was Head Girl had arrived soon after she came home from the Burrow, and she had immediately written to Bill with the happy news.
She hadn't expected him to do anything else than congratulate her, but he had sent back a reply with good advice and saying that he would have sent her a present, but that she would have to wait until her birthday, which wasn't far away.
She smiled as she remembered her days at the Burrow, and didn't notice Harry and Ginny until they sat down next to her, grinning somewhat evilly.
"Daydreaming again, are you Hermione?" Ginny asked.
"Of course." Hermione replied, but smiling.
"Daydreaming?" Asked someone.
They looked up, and saw to their delight that Luna Lovegood, Neville Longbottom, Parvati and Padma Patil were standing in the doorway.
"Yes, daydreaming, about the N.E.W.T's, no doubt." Harry told them, as they had decided not to tell anyone about Hermione's relationship with Bill yet.
The others sat down, talking excitedly about everything under the sun, and Hermione had to suppress a smile when she saw Luna and Neville holding hands. The Patil twins talked about their summer in France, Neville told them about his recent family gathering and how his grandmother had given him an owl. Luna was staring dreamily into space, presumably thinking about Neville or Thestrals or whatever else came to her mind.
Hermione watched them with a smile on her face, happy to be back at the Hogwarts express, even if it was for the last time.
******'
They arrived at Hogwarts and after a short carriage ride, they stood in front of the doors. The first years went with Professor McGonagall, and everyone else went into the Great Hall. Hermione made to follow them, but was stopped by someone calling her name.
"Ms Granger."
She turned around, and came face to face with Severus Snape, Potions Master and all around snarky git.
"Yes sir?" She asked.
"Come with me; the Head Girl and Head Boy sit with the staff at the Sorting Ceremony." He informed her coldly, and started towards another set of doors.
Sit with the staff? That would be interesting. Hopefully, she would be able to ask Professor Flitwick if she could do an individual project in Charms this year. She wanted to write something on the Borealis Curse and Tomas Larsson.
She followed Snape up to the High Table, and found to her delight that she would be sitting next to Professor Flitwick and Professor Vector, two of her favourite teachers. The Sorting Ceremony began, and she watched intently. She didn't know who the Head Boy was, but she had enough time to find that out later.
"Andersen, Colin." McGonagall read.
A small boy with curly brown hair put the Sorting Hat on his head, and it hesitated for a few second before screaming ´RAVENCLAW`. Colin pulled it off and ran towards the Ravenclaw table where he was greeted by his House-mates. Next in line for Sorting was ´Boardman, Sarah´.
And so it went on, until the last student had been sorted. Hermione clapped politely at each student, no matter which House they ended up in. The food appeared on the plates, and she began to eat, discussing various things with the professors around her. She engaged in a lengthy conversation with Flitwick and finally got ask if she could to her project.
"Why, of course!" The little professor chirruped, "It is always nice when students take initiatives for their studies."
Suddenly, a grey owl came swooping down towards the High Table, and headed straight for Hermione. It landed on her shoulder, hooted happily and held out its leg. Hermione gave it a puzzled glance, but took the letter.
"Hettar? What are you doing here?" She asked, because it was her very own owl. "Is it a letter from my parents?"
She unrolled the letter and read it quickly.
Hermione.
I hope I am not interrupting you or anything, but I just had to write to you. You forgot some books at the Burrow, so I am sending them to you; they're in the envelope, but I shrunk them, so your owl would be able to carry them.
Mum is still pestering me about you, and saying that I should have kept well away from you, and forgiven Fleur. But that isn't going to happen, ever. I couldn't have kept away if I wanted to; it should be illegal for one person to be as beautiful as you are, you know.
I hope you arrived safely at Hogwarts, but I am sure I am worrying needlessly; I often do. If you get an owl from the twins, by the way, don't open it. They're experimenting with some sort of singing parchment, which will follow you around and repeat some message, which is probably stupid.
I explained to Dad about the stereos, and he thought it was fascinating. He said he needed to find one immediately, and start finding out how it works. Mum was rather mad at me after that, needless to say. Good luck with being Head Girl, I know you will be the best Hogwarts has ever seen.
I have to go now, since Charlie keeps snatching away the parchment and is reading it aloud to anyone in the area. He's reading over my shoulder now, by the way.
I am not!
Charlie snatched the quill to, as you can see. Hopefully, he'll find himself a girlfriend and stop bothering people who already have them. Not that anyone in their right mind would want to be with a dragon-crazy man who thinks of third-degree burns as something to be proud of.
Love,
Bill.
Ps. I am probably repeating myself, but I love you. Don't worry about Ron; he'll get over himself. If nothing else, he'll find a girlfriend.
Is that your answer to everything, William?
No, and don't call me William! Only Hermione can do that! Now go away!
You do realize you are talking to the paper, don't you, Bill?
Shut up, Charlie. I'm sorry for the interruptions, love, but Charlie just won't go away. Thankfully, I'll go back to my flat soon, and be rid of him and the twins. Percy isn't that bad, but I think he's taking the news of our relationship a little too calmly. You don't think he's a Seer, do you? Write back as soon as possible. Ds.
Hermione smiled. Bill was so sweet sometimes. No, scratch that; all the time. She'd write back as soon as possible, but right now she didn't have time. She gave Hettar a piece of bread, and watched as he flew out towards the owlery.
She folded the letter and put it in her pocket. The professors looked at her curiously, but no one dared to voice the question on everyone's mind.
"A letter from my friend; wanted to know whether I'd arrived safely or not." It wasn't really a lie; Bill was her friend, and he wanted to know if she'd arrived safely.
"Potter and Weasley can't let you be for ten minutes without writing a letter to you, can they?" A voice drawled from the other side of Snape.
Hermione looked at the owner of the voice; Draco Malfoy, with the Head Boy badge pinned on his robe. She raised an eyebrow, and looked at him quizzically. Did he really think it was Harry and Ron who'd written the letter?
"Do you honestly think that I haven't got any other friends than Harry and Ron?" She asked.
"Of course not, Granger; they're the only ones who can stand you." Malfoy shrugged.
"Mr Malfoy." McGonagall warned.
Hermione ignored Malfoy and continued her meal in silence. Malfoy could keep is idiocy to himself; she didn't care. Bill had written her a letter, and she was going to write back, Malfoy's prejudices be damned.
*****'
After dinner, they were given the responsibility of escorting the first years to their respective Common Rooms. Normally, this was a prefect responsibility, but Gryffindor's prefect had switched to Durmstrang just before school began, and the Slytherin one had ended up in the hospital wing because of some fight on the train.
"The password is Aurora Borealis." Hermione said, fighting to keep her face straight.
She entered the Common Room and walked up to the seventh year dormitory, plopping down on the bed in relief. She pulled out the letter from Bill, and found her own quill and parchment, starting to write back.
Bill, or should I say William?
Thank you for the letter; Hettar arrived in the middle of the Sorting Feast. Needless to say, it was rather surprising. I talked with Flitwick about doing a project on the Borealis Curse, and he said I could. Hopefully, I learned enough by the biography, and if I didn't, I know where to look.
I fear that Charlie is right; getting a girlfriend seems to be your answer to everything. Not a bad answer, everything considered. I'm certainly not protesting. Ron is still not talking to me, but I'll manage; I've got Harry and Ginny and Neville and Parvati and the rest of DA (Dumbledore's Army).
I miss you; even if it was only a week since I saw you last. I was missing you as soon as you walked around the corner, and I wish I could see you soon. Hopefully, I will see you over Christmas. I'm thinking about breaking the news about me being a witch to my Muggle friend Claire, and if she takes it well, could we both visit over Christmas? Maybe you could ask your mother?
I love you, William Weasley, and don't you forget it.
Love,
Hermione.
She finished the letter, and put it under her pillow; she could send it tomorrow. Smiling happily, she got ready for the night. She crept under the covers, and fell asleep dreaming of the time when she woke up in Bill's arms.
When Lavender and Parvati came in half an hour later, they found her asleep, smiling and hugging her pillow tightly. The two girls smiled and whispering to each other, they went to bed as well.
******'
Ending Notes: hope you like it. I know I did.