Title: Force of Habit

Summary: Warning for character death. And you may find a few surprises sprung on you, partly for dramatic effect, and partly because I hate large chunks of exposition. This story is unfurling at its own pace, no matter how much the Weasleys try to hurry things along.

Huge thanks to Yuuri Akasura, my first (and hopefully not only) reviewer. I hope you like this chapter!

Disclaimer: Harry Potter belongs to JK Rowling and Warner Bros studios.

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Chapter Two – Back to the Burrow

… … …

The Burrow was always a welcoming sight in the evenings, with every window lit up with a warm glow. Today, though, the tables and decorations that filled the garden in preparation for the wedding party created an especially festive atmosphere. The tables were each covered in flowers, and he boughs of the trees that overhung the garden were laden with candles, promising a display of colour and light that bordered on tasteless. Charlie grinned, not least at the thought of the feast Molly would be creating for tomorrow. "Mum's pulling out all the stops, I guess."

Hermione brushed a moth away from her face, irritably. "Would Ginny have it any other way?" she said lightly. "She's been planning this for years. Tomorrow we can expect flights of enchanted butterflies, fireworks the like of which you have never seen, singing harps and an amount of food that could keep even Ron happy for several years."

"Singing harps?"

Hermione shrugged. "I suggested they might simply play harp music, but simplicity isn't exactly the theme here."

"Charlie!" Ginny yelled from the doorway, charging out to greet him with hug. "I was beginning to think you weren't coming. Where's my present?"

"Glad you've not let celebrity turn you mercenary, Gin." Charlie teased.

"Of course I have. I'm only Chaser for the Wasps because they offered me more than the Cannons. So where's my present?" She adopted a challenging pose, hands outstretched.

"You'll get it tomorrow, as per tradition and the unbreakable law of Molly Weasley. Now let me inside so I can eat." He looked round to discover that Hermione had already slipped into the house with his suitcase, and he hooked his arm through Ginny's.

"I'm getting married tomorrow." She whispered dreamily, and then looked up at him with a slightly foolish grin on her face. "Don't you think Ginny Jordan sounds good?"

Charlie was saved from answering by another flurry of welcomes and hugs. His mother clasped him especially closely, and sniffed a few times into his chest, while the twins settled for a strange double handshake and a pair of manly thumps to the shoulder and Ron took his suitcase, making a show of scanning it with his magic eye that was a duplicate of Moody's. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Hermione talking to Lupin, a strangely serious expression on both their faces.

"So, the final Arctoidean shows up?" Lee Jordan said heartily, with the slightly nervous expression of a groom who has already sat through the threats of several older brothers. "Good to see you again, old chap."

Charlie glared at him, drawing himself up to his full height and making the most of his I-wrestle-dragons-for-fun physique. "Glad you're finally making her an honest woman." He growled.

Lee rolled his eyes, suppressing a smile. "Gin, could you please call off your brothers?" He threw a dramatically pleading expression at Ginny, who laughed.

"Charlie, don't beat up my husband-to-be." She said lightly, taking Lee's hand. Hermione and Lupin had ceased their conversation, and were joining the merry chat that filled the tiny dining room, though Charlie noticed that Hermione had a slightly strained smile, and that Ron and Molly would occasionally give her a concerned glance.

Even the addition of Bill and Fleur into the already crowded room couldn't prevent Charlie from noticing how the constant movement between chairs always left at least one seat empty. A plate of sandwiches was passed round and people fell on them ravenously despite Molly's insistence that they 'save their appetites for tomorrow', but she still seemed to have made too many.

Turning half an ear to Bill's joking conversation with Lee on the impending doom of married life, Charlie joined in the laughter, trying to turn his thoughts to something happier.

...

Most of the family had gone to bed, Lee safely sequestered in with the twin's and Ginny with Hermione, despite Ginny pointing out that 'honestly, we've been living together for two years, mum, you're a bit late'. Lupin had taken Percy's old room, while Charlie would be in with Ron. Hermione was theoretically in with Ginny, but she was currently curled up on the sofa staring at the fire while Charlie straightened the furniture and put away cups and plates.

After a while, he was forced to admit that he was stalling going to bed, and he sat down on a chair, watching Hermione. She looked lost in thought, though after a few moments she shifted uncomfortably under his gaze, and she turned to him, looking faintly accusing.

"Sorry." Charlie said insincerely. "I hope you don't mind my asking, but are you okay?"

She looked a little surprised at his question for a moment, but shrugged and turned away. "I'm okay. I guess watching Ginny marry Lee is going to be a little strange."

Charlie sighed and slumped back into his seat. "Yeah. I guess most of us always thought it would be-" he broke off, catching himself.

She smiled wryly. "You can say his name, Charlie. Harry died four years ago; it's hardly news." Charlie blushed. He'd forgotten how talking to Hermione nearly always left him with the feeling of having said the wrong thing. She didn't seem to notice though, and started talking again. "You're right, though. Watching those two at school, it always seemed like a fairy tale waiting to happen. And then… everything happened." She paused, and closed her eyes. "I'm being selfish, really. If anyone deserves a happy ending, it's Ginny."

Charlie looked away, strangely conscious of the scuffed texture of the leather armrests under his hands and the crackle of the fire. "How's Ron coping?" he asked.

She raised her eyebrows. "Not as well as he tries to pretend, I think. He… well, you know how close the three of us were. Half of Hogwarts thought we were having some kind of kinky threeway affair in our seventh year. And with Severus, well, I think it's stirred things up again."

Charlie started. "Snape?" The distaste in his voice must have shown through, as she closed her mouth tightly, and Charlie got the impression that the atmosphere of confidence had been abruptly dissipated.

"He deserves better than that." She said coldly. "Our continued existence is partly thanks to him."

"I'm sorry. I just can't get past the terror of my Hogwarts days." Charlie said lightly. When she showed no sign of smiling, he tried again. "I do respect him, you know. He was… pretty decent to Mum after Dad died." She nodded, seeming to accept this, and he tried to lighten the atmosphere again. "So, how is he these days?"

She stiffened. "I'm going to sleep down here, I think. Goodnight, Charlie." She turned away with a deliberate air, hiding her face behind her hair.

He was about to try and get her talking again, but suddenly felt too tired. It was late, and whatever Hermione was going through, it wasn't his problem.

If he slept badly, it was probably only due to Ron's snoring.

A/N: Well, that's the second chapter. I can't believe I killed Arthur and Harry, and as you may be able to tell, the next chapter's probably going to unfurl a little more angst. The wedding's still come, not to mention the fact that I'm finally going to let Ron have his say.

NB: Arctoidean literally means 'weasel-like'. Or possibly 'raccoon-like', but I'm ignoring that definition. I fell in love with the word, and it seemed to roll out of Lee's mouth with ease.