Disclaimer: I, Lulu, do not own the Harry Potter books, movies, or any other merchandise. (I would kill to meet Robert Pattinson though.)
Author's Note: Aren't you all so happy? We know what happened. But is it the end? Of course not, we've still got more secrets to unfold and more trouble to find. You'll just have to stay tuned till you hear those horrible words: The End. Wow, one day out of school and already I miss everyone. But I will not let this affect my work. Please, read on.
Chapter Nine- The Wedding
Charlie packed a bag full of his and Hermione's clothes, after their elopement, the couple was planning to spend the following week in a sweet little inn. His mum stood next to him, carefully folding everything which he then rolled into a ball and shoved into the suitcase. Mrs. Weasley asked, "So what is the point of this little retreat of yours?"
Charlie rolled his eyes as if it was the most obvious thing in the world and lied, "Mum, having this fight has made Hermione and I realize that if we're going to be able to live together peacefully, we're going to have to start talking more and getting to know one another. Don't worry, we won't do anything stupid."
"So where are you going?"
"Mum, I can't tell you that. The last thing my future wife and I need is someone popping in every five minutes. I grantee you that if anything happens, you will be the first person I rush to, and Bill knows where we're going so he can contact us if the twins do anything really dangerous."
Mrs. Weasley tried her best to look put out, hoping to gain some information from her second son. "You tell your brother where you're going but not your mother? How heartless are you, Charles?"
Charlie shook his head and placed his hands on the woman's shoulders, as though she was a young girl and he was the parent. "Mum, I told Bill because he has to come with us tonight anyway. Hermione wants him to help us get settle for the next week and I want to talk to him. He's my icon, been married over a year and he still has a wife, in today's times that's quite a feat. If you remember, Hermione and I will have to be married for ten years and have at least one child."
Mrs. Weasley smiled at the thought of grandchildren. "Ah yes, wouldn't it be funny if you had a child before Bill?"
Charlie nodded while thinking, I wish we would have a child before Bill, then the child would be first instead second like me with Bill. A little boy with red hair and green-brown eyes would be perfect, then a little girl. She'd be absolutely beautiful and intelligent, just like her mother. Then he snapped the suitcase shut and said, "Well, I've got to be off. Hermione'll be angry if I'm late, she seems to have this silly notion that I'm planning to run off. Which I'm not going to do," he added when he saw the look on his Mum's face.
Mrs. Weasley kissed her son's face and replied, "Goodbye, Charlie, and good luck. Don't screw this one up."
"Don't worry, Mum. Hermione's different, I love her and I'll kill anyone who even thinks about hurting her again. Tell everyone that I love them and that we'll be back soon. Goodbye," Charlie said before he kissed his Mum on the cheek as well and disapparated away.
When Charlie appeared in the room, Hermione was changing into the set of cloths his mother had brought her yesterday. She didn't seem to notice him though, she just kept on going about her business, and Charlie just stood there, the words pervert, fifteen, twenty-two, and stalker running through his head.
Finally, he cleared his throat and said, in a voice so raspy he hardly recognized it as his own, "Hello, darling. I came, and right on time too."
"Really? I thought that you were early?" Hermione asked as she finished dressing.
Charlie looked confused for a moment before he realized something. "You knew I was here. And you just kept it to yourself. You little witch," he growled.
"Well, thank you for stating the obvious, Charlie. Of course I'm a witch, why else would I have a wand?"
Charlie shook his head with a laugh though he pulled the tiny girl to himself in a warm embrace. "What am I going to do with you, Miss Granger?"
"Miss Granger? I don't know who you're talking about, my name is Hermione Weasley, and I am Charlie Weasley's wife."
Charlie kissed the top of her head and grinned, "That you are, Hermione. You are my wife. But now I think it best that we get moving, I'm sure the healers would like to have this room for someone else."
"So now we're going to go check in at the inn and then meet Bill at the church?"
"Yes, and then after that we'll return to the inn. I brought everything we should need for the week, clothes, books, a snitch, and a broom."
"Thank you, Charlie, for everything."
"Hey, that's what I'm here for. Now let's go, we don't have that long to get to the church," Charlie replied before disapparating once again, this time with Hermione hanging on to him.
The couple ended up outside of a quaint little cottage with a brick path and blue shutters that Hermione had never seen before. Charlie pulled away from her and pulled her up the little walk, and into the lobby of the inn. Standing at the front next was an aging man of about thirty-six with brown hair and kind eyes. Upon seeing the Weasley, he greeted, "Hello, Charlie. Wonderful to see you again."
Charlie pulled Hermione with him up to the desk and grinned, "Nice to see you too, Johnny. There's someone I would like you to meet. Johnny, this is Hermione, my wife. Hermione, this is an old friend of my father's, John Michaelson. Everyone calls him Johnny though."
Hermione smiled and shook the man's offered hand. Looking the young witch up and down, Johnny stated, "Well, you certainly know how to pick them, Charlie. This one is even prettier than my wife."
Charlie laughed and explained to Hermione, "Johnny and his wife, April, run this inn. And Johnny has just given you the highest compliment there is, because to him, there is no one better than April."
"It's a wonder I haven't gotten so conceited with all his attention," a woman answered as she stepped up behind the desk. Hermione had to admit that she was pretty, about thirty-two with shoulder-length black hair and wide brown eyes. She shook Hermione's hand and said, "I'm April Michaelson, Johnny's wife. I'm glad someone was finally able to tame the horrible Charlie Weasley, you must be a miracle worker."
Charlie shook his head and retorted, "Very funny, April."
"You know I'm just fooling, Charlie. Tell you the truth; I didn't even know you had gotten married."
"We're not married, at least not yet. We're going to the church tonight. We were hoping to have the honeymoon here," Hermione answered.
"Really? And why didn't April and I receive an invitation?" Johnny asked. Obviously, the Michaelsons were very close to the Weasleys, and even more so to Charlie.
"Because only Bill's going to be there. We're eloping."
April replied, "We're going to stay out of it then, we don't need Molly coming after us as well."
Charlie asked, "April, what room do we have? Hermione and I need to be meeting Bill at the church."
"Well, you did have Room 3," Johnny said as he checked the book. Then he added, "But now you have Room 8, the honeymoon suite. I don't want to hear one word out of you Charles Weasley. You're taking it, and you're going to enjoy yourself. Order anything want off the menu, make the staff do idiotic things, whatever, everything is on the house."
"We couldn't do that," Hermione refused.
April smiled in a motherly way. "You could and you will. Think as it as a wedding gift from Johnny and me. Now get a move on, don't want to keep Bill waiting, that boy gets antsy when he's left alone too long."
Charlie smiled and tapped the bag with his wand. "There we go, it's been put in our room. Thank you, Johnny, April."
April shook her head. "Don't mention it, Charlie. You're practically family. The best of luck to you and your bride."
Hermione just had enough time to say, "Goodbye and thank you." Before Charlie pulled her to him again and disapparated.
This time Charlie and Hermione landed outside of a small little church surrounded by trees and flowers. Bill had been standing in the front yard and raced over as soon as he saw them. "There you two are. I was beginning to think that Charlie had chickened out."
"Now would I do that?" his brother asked.
Both Hermione and Bill nodded. "Yes, you would."
"Bill, do me a favor and stop filling my wife's head with lies."
"I'm only telling the truth. Now come on, the priest is waiting inside."
Charlie retorted, "William Weasley, if you're in such a hurry, why don't you go inside and wait for us. I would like to have a word with my bride."
Bill shook his head but went inside mumbling something like, "Leaving more time for someone to find them."
Charlie grinned, "Any louder Bill, and people will be able to hear you in America." But then returning his attention back to Hermione, he suddenly turned serious as he stated, "You don't have to do this, love. We still have five months; we could wait if you're unsure."
"Charlie, I've been waiting three years, if I have to wait any longer, I might just give up. I love you, Charlie, I'm only a little nervous. I've never been anyone's wife before."
"Well I should hope not."
"Charlie, please. I've really only had two boyfriends, Viktor in fourth year and then Ron for that short time."
Charlie held up a hand. "Please don't say any more, I really don't want to hear about you and my brother. It kind of makes my skin crawl."
"How do you think I feel? Knowing that I once dated my now brother."
Charlie looked like he was ready to be sick. "All right, well, I opt for changing the subject. Just breathe, and let's walk in. Bill's waiting along with the priest, and we don't want to prove Bill right. He'll never let me live it down."
Hermione breathed in and let it out. Then she took Charlie's arm in her own and slowly, they made their way into the church. Hermione looked all around her as they walked down the aisle. It was beautiful, with stained glass windows and flowers on the end of the pews along with the petals lining their walk. Obviously, Charlie had put some thought into this and had just not walked into a church and made an appointment to be married. No, he cared and he had wanted everything to be just perfect. It wasn't her dream wedding, for her family wasn't there and neither was his, but she found it didn't really matter, for she was finally going to be something more. No longer only the brightest witch from Hogwarts, no longer only Harry Potter's best mate, no longer only a know-it-all mudblood. She was going to be something so much more important; she was going to be someone's everything.
The wedding was beautiful, the priest had said the words, and with Charlie staring at Hermione, he had completely missed his cue and had to have the kind gentlemen repeat them. Hermione was much more eager and answered the question before the man even had the chance to ask. But Charlie just teased her gently about always have to be the first to answer the question before they continued. Bill played no large part, only standing there for the vows and quietly taking a photo now and then for the family to share. At the end the elderly man pronounced them man and wife and allowed Charlie to kiss his bride, that he didn't need to have repeated. He kissed her sweetly before pulling away and smiling.
They left the church just as quickly and quietly as they had come, thanking the man for everything he had done. Bill returned to the Burrow with the camera while Charlie and Hermione went back to the inn. They arrived just outside of the room, at which Charlie demanded to carry Hermione bridal style through the door and into the room. Through it all, Hermione would have to say that it was the best day of her life.