Author's Note: I would like to thank all of you that reviewed, along with chattypandagurl for all her help editing, and my friend, Britt. I still can't believe you liked it.
Chapter Fifteen- Sharing StoriesEveryone returned to the Burrow at different times. George was the first, having finally being caught by Nancee, who was eerily silent as they sat in the living room, drinking tea. Luna was next and she presented him with a strange bunch of flowers, which he immediately put in a vase. It had been a half-hour since Hermione had locked herself in the attic and refused to let him in. Finally, he stopped pounding on the door and came down for a cup of tea to calm his headache. Then there was Bill, who congratulated Charlie on Hermione's pregnancy and warned him to stay out of Fleur's way. Finally, his parents were the last to arrive.
Mrs. Weasley slowly put her bags down and sat across from her son. "Why, Charlie?"
Charlie hung his head, he knew this would be coming, but the time had come to stand up and take it like a man. "Because, Mum, I needed to do it. I needed to."
"You needed to lie to your family, get married and not tell anyone, and take the marriage test alone? What about Hermione? What did she need?"
"She needed me. Hermione was attacked, Mum. Hermione needed my love, just like I needed to protect her. She's Hermione Granger, Harry Potter's best mate; any Deatheater wanting to aim a low blow would come after her. Now she's my wife, Hermione Weasley. And only a man wanting to die would dare lay a hand on my wife," Charlie answered, standing straight and tall.
"Charles Lawrence, I can't believe you would do something so completely—"
Charlie howled, "So completely what, Mum? What? Stupid? Idiotic? Rash? Irresponsible? Say what you want, I don't care. I'm not a little child anymore; I can run my own life."
There was a collective silence; no one had ever stood up to Molly Weasley head-on, especially not one of her own children. "Really?" Molly demanded. "Then why do you insist on acting like one? Charlie, you can't just go and get married, especially when you didn't even date your wife."
Charlie threw his hands up in the air. "So what if I didn't date her? I know almost everything about her, thanks to you and Ron. What about arranged marriages? Those people didn't even know each other and they lived perfectly fine lives."
"But they were forced into it. You just walked right into this without a thought about her or what she might want."
"Of course, I thought about her. I love her—"
"You don't even know what real love is, Charlie. It's just like your brothers said, you're a bachelor. What will happen when she's fat and irritable, Charlie, with your children? Are you going to stay with her? Or are you going to be you and sleep with the first woman you see who's pretty and putting out?" Molly snarled.
"Mum, just shut up! I know why you're really mad."
"I'm angry because my son is acting like an idiot."
"No, you're angry because this didn't all go according to your plan," Charlie clarified, his voice descending from screaming to a deathly growl. "You're happy that Hermione is pregnant; you get a grandchild. Why else would you have gone and got all those things? You're just angry because it's me. Because there was no fancy wedding, no reception, no hen night, no anything. You're angry because you were pushed aside."
"Charlie, you don't—"
"Don't I, Mum? You always knew Hermione was going to be your daughter, legally. You always just thought she was going to marry Ron. Don't bother denying it; I know you had their wedding planned since the first time she visited. It was always Ron and Hermione, and you wouldn't allow anyone else to touch her. Not me, not Bill, not Harry, not Percy, not Fred, and not George. It was always supposed to be Hermione and Ron forever. I don't even know why you wrote those letters really when you were so sure that they would get together. To screw with me? To show me everything that I could have if I just did what you told me? Did you know that Percy once fancied Hermione? I know, he wrote me saying that he did. He was just too afraid of you, of all your pushing.
"And what about her fourth year? You were upset when you read that story about Harry and Viktor, but not because you thought that she was screwing with Harry's heart. You were upset because you didn't think she was interested in Ron. But right now I don't care about you or your stupid plans. Hermione's been locked in our room over the past half hour. All I care about is her and my children. Say what you want. We were leaving next week anyway. I think Mione was right in saying that we should go to Romania, only her reasons were just completely wrong. If nothing else, it will put water between you and me," Charlie concluded. By the end of his speech, his face was red and he was breathing heavily, but for all his anger, he was happy, he had finally spoken the truth and gotten everything off his chest.
No one said a word. The only sound was the sniffling, and when Charlie turned around, he saw it was his wife, Hermione. She was standing on the last step, her eyes bloodshot and swollen. She had obviously been crying. He took a step forward, begging softly, "Hermione, love, come here. What's wrong?"
But Hermione merely shook her head and wrapped her arms around herself. "No, I need…I need to talk to Ginny and Bill," his wife replied sadly.
"Sweet, tell me what's wrong," Charlie repeated, taking another step.
This time Hermione backed up a step. "Please, I just want to talk to Bill and Ginny."
The pair made their way over to the young woman, looking sadly back at Charlie, silently promising to do their best, before they started back up to the attic. His jaw set, Charlie whispered to the twins, "Fred, George, I'm going to try something and I want you to help."
"What are you doing?"
Charlie shook his head at Fred's nosiness, but answered, "I'm going to try and Apparate into the attic, but I'm going to need your help to cover the noise."
The twins glanced at each other and grinned. "I think we can manage that for our favourite brother," George replied slyly.
"I thought you were each other's favourite brother."
Fred quipped, "Well, after that little stint, you have just replaced us as our favourite brother."
"I feel accomplished. Think you can manage it without destroying the entire house?"
"Of course, how long do you think you'll need it? Two seconds, two minutes, two hours, we're really good with any option."
"A couple minutes should be long enough, I have to find out what's wrong with Hermione, but I can't let her know I'm there."
"Don't worry, with us in charge, no one is going to hear you," George assured.
"Before I leave, here's your wand, George."
"Thanks, this is going to help."
With that the little group broke, the twins with their wands at the ready while Charlie prepared to Apparate, concentrating on being as quiet as possible. His Mum broke his thoughts though, by asking, "Running again, Charles Lawrence?"
"I'm not going to stay down here with you, Mum," Charlie snapped.
"Fine, run like always. Just when your wife needs you."
"You're always saying that Bill and Percy were the smart ones of the family. Well, for once I'm going to be the smart one and leave. Goodbye," Charlie answered.
Fred and George began to cast spells with their wands, making it hard for anyone to hear anything as Charlie Disapparated from the living room and Apparated into the attic closet, where he could see Hermione, Bill, and Ginny sitting on the bed, their ears covered. Fred and George's distraction only lasted a minute, their Mum having cast a charm on them.
When it was finally quiet once again, Ginny asked, "What the bloody hell was that all about?"
"You think it was Charlie blowing up again?"
"Nah, he looked pretty calm after all his yelling. Course I think the people in Alaska were the only ones who didn't hear him," Ginny commented.
Hermione laughed softly, turning the Weasleys' attention back to her. Bill rubbed her back, asking, "Hermione, what's wrong?"
"You were right, Ginny. I don't know anything about Charlie. I feel so cheap," Hermione replied.
Charlie thought about killing his little sister again, though it passed when she replied ardently, "No, Hermione, I was wrong. I was upset that's all, Harry was right."
Hermione wiped at her tears, and announced, "That's right, that scroll that Harry said to give to you. What did he say?"
"Harry told me that he misses me and that they were training him hard for the upcoming war with Voldemort and his Deatheaters. Said that he was glad none of us were there with him, that there was so much pain that he wouldn't wish on anyone, not even Malfoy. He then told me to back off of you and Charlie, the relationship was good for you. You were happy and smiling so let my feelings be damned. His final words were that he was being safe and not to worry, there's no doubt that he's going to win."
"So what did you want to talk to us about, Hermione?" Bill inquired.
Hermione straightened a bit in her spot, and said, "I want you to tell me everything you know about Charlie. Especially the stuff he wouldn't me to know. I'm his wife, yet everything I know could only fill about half a piece of paper."
In the closet, Charlie was shaking his head, thinking, Please, Bill, don't tell her anything too awful. I am going to have to face her later. Remember ten years, that's a long time when you think your spouse is a complete idiot.
"You sure, Hermione?" Ginny asked.
"Yes," she replied as she rubbed her stomach, "especially with the twins on the way."
"So where do you want to start?"
Hermione smiled. "What was he like as a child?"
Bill leaned back and laughed, "Ah, my department. Well, let me tell you, Charlie's life has always been bloody hilarious, at least to me. Charlie was pretty much the same as he is today as he was back then, though he was a bit stranger. I remember that as a child he would always run about the house without any clothes on, but that may have been just to annoy Mum."
"Did Charlie really run around here naked?" Hermione asked.
Wonderful, Bill, I'm never going to be able to look my wife in the eye again. Thank you so very much. Please, just don't tell her about the ball, if nothing else, Charlie pleaded.
"Sure did. He also liked to throw things, not only when he was angry either, most of the time it was just because he was bored. Of course, then there was the time he was trying to entertain Ginny, and accidentally swallowed my dad's wand."
"I remember that," Ginny stated with a smile. "Charlie was trying to show me how far he could stick the wand down his throat when he accidentally let go. Luckily, Mum heard his choking and saved him, he wasn't able to sit down for the following week though."
Hermione laughed, something that Charlie cheered up at, although he hated being the butt of their jokes. "What else did Charlie do?"
"Well, I remember that he dropped Percy at one time, I felt bad at the time but right now I wish I had done it myself once or twice," Bill added. "Then while he was at Hogwarts, at one of the balls, he was wearing a pair of my old pants that had yet to be fitted to his size, so the pants fell down and he ended up flashing the entire school. If you could have only have seen Snape's face, I should have taken a picture."
Hermione laughed heartily, while Charlie thought sarcastically, Nice to see someone's enjoying herself. I'm less than amused though, I was really hoping that everyone would forget about that. But no, if nothing else, that is going to be the one thing they remember for the centuries to come, me flashing the entire Hogwarts population at some ball in my fifth year.
"What do you know about Charlie, Ginny?" Hermione inquired.
"I don't really know what Charlie thinks, Bill's the one he turns to for that. I do know about his girlfriends, his life in Romania, his first time—" Ginny broke off her, hearing something that sounded like someone kicking something. She asked, "Did you hear that?"
Hermione just shrugged it off though, "It was probably just Fred or George blowing something up, you know those two. And how do you know about that?"
Actually, the noise had been Charlie, who had tried to stand at hearing the last one and then hit his head. His hopes that nobody would notice him though, were dashed, seeing as Bill was actually able to detect where the noise was coming from, and saw his little brother behind the ajar closet door. He didn't say anything though; he just shook his head and turned his attention back to the young ladies in front of him.
He turned back to the conversation just in time to hear Ginny respond, "You won't believe what some people are willing to tell a sibling if they think it's going to help them get a ring."
"Really? What have my girlfriends said about me?" Bill questioned.
"I'm not going to tell you. Anyway, all of Charlie's exes said that he was very nice, but that he seemed more focused on work than them. Which was probably because put together, they were all stupider than a rock."
No, no, no. Ginevra Molly Weasley, shut right now before I kill you. You are not supposed to be talking about my ex-girlfriends with Hermione. For starters, I thought that was only polite. Second, this is Hermione, for Pete's sake, she's going to start doubting herself now. Do you not know your best mate, Ginny?
"Really? What were they like?"
Ginny shook her head and rolled her eyes. "Idiots, all of them. I mean, they were all pretty, but they never talked about anything other than celebrities, fashion, and make-up. It made me want to be sick. You are obviously so much better than them, Hermione. I'm so glad to see that Starry has finally found someone to challenge him."
"Starry? What are you talking about Ginny?"
Bill laughed, "Everyone in the Weasley family has a nickname."
"Really? Even me?"
"Of course you have nickname. To us Weasley children, you're Auntie," Ginny grinned.
"Why am I Auntie?"
"Because you're caring, you would always make sure that Harry and Ron did their work and were all right in Hogwarts and you're always checking up on the rest of us. Even me, and I'm twenty-six. You're too pretty to be Mum or Mum though, so we call you Auntie," Bill explained.
Hermione laughed, "That does sound like me. Who's Starry then?"
"Charles Lawrence, since he's like the star of almost everything. He's the best at Quidditch, has a very glamorous job, and chooses the best of whatever he's getting. Which is probably why he choose you," Ginny clarified positively. "Then Bill's Wick, short for wicked awesome. Percy is Dis, for disowned. George is Trickster while Fred is Prankster, and don't get them mixed up or they'll have a fit. Ron is Stupid, which he will actually answer to, Fleur is French," Ginny continued, adding under her breath, "at least in front of Bill," before saying, "Olette is Heart, Nancee is Candlelight, since there both so romantic, Luna is Goodie, because she's such a good influence on Ron, and I'm Girlie, for obvious reasons."
"And did you just make this up one day when you were bored?"
"Yeah," Bill answered. Then thoughtfully, he added, "I think it was one day in winter when we didn't have anything else to do."
"And to answer my questions from before, Charlie's favourite book is Quidditch Through the Ages," Ginny said.
"I should have known that," Hermione stated.
"In his free time, he likes to read or practice Quidditch, and he told me that he thinks his boss is an absolute prat."
"Thank you, Ginny."
"You're welcome. But now, I have a question for you. Would it make you feel any better if I told you that Charlie once yelled your name in bed with another woman?" Ginny questioned with a sly smile.
Laughing slightly, Hermione replied, "Ginny, I know for a fact that is a boldface lie."
"I know it is too, I was just wondering if it would make you feel better if I told you that. And apparently, it did."
Hermione hugged Ginny and Bill, whispering, "Thanks, guys."
"No problem, after all, that's what family is for. Even if we are a makeshift group," Bill replied.
Hermione stood at the edge of the bed. "I guess I better go get Charlie before he wears a hole in the floor."
"There's no need for that," Bill stated shaking his head. "Charlie, come out of the closet."
"Charlie's in the closet?" Ginny asked, getting up.