Title: Puzzle Pieces
Chapter 3: Explain
"I think that should be obvious, don't you?" he replied, a hint of mischief in his voice. He wrapped his arms around her from behind and attempted to plant a kiss behind her ear. But Hermione wriggled free.
"Don't touch me Charlie. Just explain. Explain the money, the lack of clothes, this blasted hangover."
Charlie was taken aback. "Oh, Come on Hermione, don't pretend last night meant nothing to you because I."
"I don't remember it Charlie! How could it possibly have meant anything!" Her words were harsh and hurtful and she knew it, but she wasn't about to let him think this could go any further. It had gone too far already. She wanted to leave, to put miles between herself and Charlie and the embarrassment she felt over her shameful behavior. But she couldn't leave, not until she knew what had transpired, what had brought her to this wretched predicament.
"Fine." Charlie's voice jerked her from her thoughts. "What do you remember?" he was hurt, that much was obvious, but he was trying hard to hide it.
She shook her head to jiggle free any memories that may have lodged themselves into the recesses of her mind, but there wasn't much.
"Bill's wedding, then the reception. I had a couple glasses of champagne and a shot of Firewhiskey on a dare from the twins. Not enough to cause me to forget an entire night of." she trailed off, not sure how to finish the sentence.
"Wild monkey love?" Charlie finished trying to lighten the mood. Hermione rolled her eyes.
"We danced. It was.nice" she studied the tie of her terrycloth robe. "After that everything's pretty fuzzy. I need you to fill in the blanks." She looked at him imploringly.
Charlie nodded. He stood and began to gather their clothes, which were strewn haphazardly about the room. It was painfully obvious that they had been removed and discarded with great haste. He drew on his tuxedo pants and his rumpled white shirt, which he didn't bother to button ad laid his dress robes and the rest of his clothes on the dresser. Hers he laid in a neat pile on a chair.
Hermione watched all of this impatiently, trying not to admire his tousled red hair and smooth skin that peeked through the opening in his shirt. She noticed several burn scars, bravely earned from the dragons he worked with, and for an instant she wanted to touch them, to kiss them, to ask him if they still hurt. She quelled the thought and the resulting blush and looked down at the tie of her robe again.
Upon finishing with their clothes Charlie made his way to the bed and began to gather the paper money into neat piles. As he worked he began to recount the events of the previous night.
TBC
Chapter 3: Explain
"I think that should be obvious, don't you?" he replied, a hint of mischief in his voice. He wrapped his arms around her from behind and attempted to plant a kiss behind her ear. But Hermione wriggled free.
"Don't touch me Charlie. Just explain. Explain the money, the lack of clothes, this blasted hangover."
Charlie was taken aback. "Oh, Come on Hermione, don't pretend last night meant nothing to you because I."
"I don't remember it Charlie! How could it possibly have meant anything!" Her words were harsh and hurtful and she knew it, but she wasn't about to let him think this could go any further. It had gone too far already. She wanted to leave, to put miles between herself and Charlie and the embarrassment she felt over her shameful behavior. But she couldn't leave, not until she knew what had transpired, what had brought her to this wretched predicament.
"Fine." Charlie's voice jerked her from her thoughts. "What do you remember?" he was hurt, that much was obvious, but he was trying hard to hide it.
She shook her head to jiggle free any memories that may have lodged themselves into the recesses of her mind, but there wasn't much.
"Bill's wedding, then the reception. I had a couple glasses of champagne and a shot of Firewhiskey on a dare from the twins. Not enough to cause me to forget an entire night of." she trailed off, not sure how to finish the sentence.
"Wild monkey love?" Charlie finished trying to lighten the mood. Hermione rolled her eyes.
"We danced. It was.nice" she studied the tie of her terrycloth robe. "After that everything's pretty fuzzy. I need you to fill in the blanks." She looked at him imploringly.
Charlie nodded. He stood and began to gather their clothes, which were strewn haphazardly about the room. It was painfully obvious that they had been removed and discarded with great haste. He drew on his tuxedo pants and his rumpled white shirt, which he didn't bother to button ad laid his dress robes and the rest of his clothes on the dresser. Hers he laid in a neat pile on a chair.
Hermione watched all of this impatiently, trying not to admire his tousled red hair and smooth skin that peeked through the opening in his shirt. She noticed several burn scars, bravely earned from the dragons he worked with, and for an instant she wanted to touch them, to kiss them, to ask him if they still hurt. She quelled the thought and the resulting blush and looked down at the tie of her robe again.
Upon finishing with their clothes Charlie made his way to the bed and began to gather the paper money into neat piles. As he worked he began to recount the events of the previous night.
TBC