AN: Thank you to everyone who reviewed chapter 3, it helped me decide to keep going with this story. Now for some Charlie/Hermione time, enjoy.

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"Well, this is….well it's awkward as all fuck to be honest." Charlie chuckled reaching forward to play with the fingers of her left hand as he talked. Touching her felt like taking a deep breath of air after not breathing for several long minutes. He felt an unending ache in his chest where his lungs and heart were when he wasn't near to her. "Sorry, I hope you don't mind but after being away from you for very long touching you seems to help the pain go away."

Hermione gasped in shock. "You mean you actually feel pain because of me?" Her eyes teared up at this news. She had been tortured at the hands of Bellatrix Lestrange not long ago and even if Charlie was the Weasley she least knew, she loved the family and would never want any of them to hurt that way.

"It's not bad just uncomfortable, it feels like you aren't safe and I have to get to you and protect you. I heard a little of what happened with you and even though I don't have details Fleur mentioned the Cruciatus was used, Hermione my pain isn't like that so don't worry, yeah?" He comforted her, somehow just knowing where her thoughts were. It felt weird to feel led to knowing what would make her feel best.

Hermione looked back down at the ground and then back up watching the sun setting in the distance, looking away from him. "I don't like talking about that, I'm just not ready to deal with it."

"Look Mia, I know this is not ideal. I just want you to know that I don't expect anything from you and I won't let any of the family pressure you either. Can I ask you for one thing though?" Charlie asked hesitantly.

At her nod he continued, "We don't know what is going to happen, right? We have two full moons to get to know each other if you are willing. Would you agree to go on a platonic date with me, unless the wolf thing repulses you? I know I will be a monster and I understand….mmp."

He was cut off by her hand covering his mouth. "I never want to hear those words leave your mouth again. Godric knows I heard it enough from Remus and it pissed me off then too. You aren't a monster and none of this is your fault anymore than what happened to me is mine." She told him sternly while her eyes sparked in anger.

"Furthermore yes, I think a date would be nice. However, I get to plan it. That's my deal, take it or leave it. " She said with a smile.

"You got it. There is a family issue that has come up I wanted to speak to you about. I know Harry mentioned you and Ron had intended to stay at Grimmauld with him after this war finished and I talk to them, do you mind staying here at the Burrow for a few weeks? I think it would help mum, you know with losing Perce and Dad. Plus it helps me if you're at least in close proximity." Charlie asked her.

"Yeah, I need to talk to the boys first but I will stay at least even if they don't." She promised him. She smiled and shyly laid her head on his shoulder and they watched the sun finish sinking in the distance before walking home together in the dark. It was a quiet walk but not uncomfortable for Hermione.

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A whole week had passed since they agreed to the date and Hermione had been planning all along. It wasn't the most sensible date logistically but the idea was born from what Bill had told her about Charlie and it wouldn't go away.

She'd been to the Ministry twice to set up portkeys to and from the location. It had been her all time favorite vacation she'd been on with her parents when she was younger and now they even had a television program about it.

Also, she might be able to kill two birds with one stone if Charlie agreed. She had just finished talking with Kingsley in his office after lunch and he had given her names of people who had agreed to help her.

She crossed her fingers as she threw floo powder in the fireplace at the ministry to return to the Burrow and hopefully get Charlie's agreement.

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Hermione stepped out of the floo at The Burrow in the living room and headed for the kitchen which was the hub of activity in this household. There were always people gathered to hang out and talk and usually laugh together, although laughter had been hard to find even for the twins in the past week. Everyone was mourning in their own way especially Molly. Hermione couldn't imagine the depth of the pain she must be in even though much of it was written on her face and in her eyes.

"Hey Molly, Bill, Fleur." Hermione greeted the three that were around the table having tea and chatting quietly.

"Hermione dear, were you able to get a meeting with Kingsley? Did you eat lunch while you were out? You're looking peaky still." Molly mothered.

"I'm fine, I did grab a bite with Kingsley actually. We went to a Muggle pizza restaurant I got him addicted to during the war." She giggled, the sound seeming loud in the quiet of the home.

"If you were looking for Charlie next, he's out in the garden. He thought you might want to go for one of your walks together when you got home." Bill suggested figuring that's what she would ask next. "Oh and hey Mina Bean that reminds me, I was thinking maybe the family could use a fun day or two now that everything is settled and most of the funerals are over. Remember when you took me to that fun place last year? Maybe we can make a day or two of it for everyone, I think it would do us all good to get away for a few days."

"That is an awesome idea Billy! Can you get the portkeys though? I've had it with that department for a good while. It's insane down there at the moment with everyone wanting to visit family now the war is over." Hermione finished with a tired sigh.

"I can do that." He agreed then pulled her down to whisper in her ear making sure he had the right location. She nodded with a secret smile then headed out to find Charlie.

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Charlie wasn't in the garden as it turned out but she eventually found him down by the small lake they had on the property. He was propped up against her favorite tree, hidden by the branches of the weeping willow and had a booked propped on his knee.

She spotted one of Gilderoy Lockhart's books on werewolves and felt her ire rise again. "You shouldn't waste your time reading that awful rubbish of a book."

"Mia, I'm glad you're back. Ready for our walk?" He asked, clearly not wanting to talk about the book.

She sighed and plopped down next to him and smiled as he reached over and started playing with her fingers, he always did that when she was around. He held her hand on their nightly walks, gave her his undivided attention whenever she was talking. It made her feel like he was truly interested in her opinions and thoughts which was flattering to a girl who had been called many names when she voiced her opinion in the past. Of course that had never deterred her giving her opinion but it was nice to know that someone really wanted to hear her.

Returning to the present she shook her head in the negative to the offer to walk. "I need to talk to you and I would like to wait for our walk until it's cooler, it's way too hot to walk right now." She smiled.

"What do you want to talk about?" He asked, encouraging her to tell him what it was that was on her mind.

"Well, the date I planned is a surprise and I won't tell you that bit but I set it up already and it's in Australia. I was hoping that even though it's a perfect date for us that I could also look into finding my parents. I could really use the support, I was dreading doing it alone, and Harry and Ron offered to go but I think they need to be here for Molly, Gin and Lavender. Right now, I have set aside five days for the trip, booked two hotel rooms, and Kingsley has given me contacts and set meetings for me with the Ministry Aurors there." She told him.

He smiled that she put both thought and effort into the date she set for them, it showed that she was trying. He also was doing a happy dance in his head that she had come to him for help with her parents instead of Harry, Ron, or Bill. That meant she was beginning to lean on him and both he and that inner wolf felt like purring that she needed them.

"I would love to be with you for that Mia, thank you for letting me help you this way." He smiled and Hermione got a little lost in his baby blue eyes and felt herself blush for the first time in his presence since she was fourteen and watching as he and Bill had a table battle in the back garden.

"Now, tell me why you're wasting time reading a monstrosity of a so called book written by a phony wizard stealing other people's stories and changing them to make himself look good." She huffed making his chest rumble with a chuckle.

"I'm finding it a bit difficult to find any accurate sources that have merit on werewolves. Lot's of superstitions, lots of idiotic romance, but not much real information to help me figure this stuff out." Charlie complained as he closed the book and tossed it aside.

"I suppose I should give you the gift I had planned to give you on the date. Mind you, I'm lending it to you, I need it back when you're done. I have a promise to keep with the journals I am going to give you to read, and I promise these will help." She smiled at him and her eyes held a promise and sparkle again.

"You have my full attention with that statement." He linked their fingers together and she turned fully towards him in her excitement.

"You have to promise not to tell, nobody knows yet about the project Remus and I had planned. Now it's just me but he's still involved in a major way." Hermione hinted.

His left eyebrow rose in question at what she said. "I promise I won't tell anyone."

"Okay. Since about halfway through my sixth year at school Remus and I had been planning to write a book together about werewolves. It was going to basically be a biography of his life as one." She paused and sniffled as a lonely tear left her eye now that their project together would be only her without him at her side.

"I have to do it now without him but I will do it for Teddy if no other reason, although there are lots of reasons. See, Remus was only four years old when Greyback got him when he was too far away from his house. His mother was very academically minded like Remus and I are, were I guess in their cases. Anyway, she started a journal when it began about his experience and he took over as he grew. At the early parts she's writing things she sees, and the things and feelings he tells her while she writes it. So basically I have twenty journals full of first hand experiences of a werewolf, well the first ones aren't technically firsthand, but close enough." She finished telling him, her excitement for her project growing in her eyes as she recounted the project they had planned.

"Hermione, that's, well that's….sorry, I'm just feeling speechless and a bit humbled." Charlie told her, reaching up to rub the back of his finger down her cheek. He didn't think she was even aware of the fact that she leaned her cheek into his finger.

"I want to help change people's minds. I understand that the werewolves were extremely dangerous once upon a time, but with Wolfsbane they don't have to be anymore. Yes there are a few out there like Greyback before he was killed but the majority are harmless unless provoked during the full moon. They have rights, and discriminating against them is wrong." Hermione was very comfortable on her soapbox thank you very much!

"So when can I start reading these journals?" He asked her.

"How about after we get back from our walk tonight?" she offered. "I can leave them in your room when we go inside."

Charlie nodded and smiled tenderly at her and that wolf inside him started nudging at him again to hurry things along, to make her theirs already. Charlie remained in control though he wondered if interacting with the inner wolf was a sign he would change or if he was like Bill and Lavender, did they have inner wolves? He made a mental note to talk to them about that later.

For right now he enjoyed the peace and quiet he and Hermione settled into for awhile. She laid her head on his shoulder again which he always loved her doing and they listened to nature's busy noises.

AN2: I had fully intended to add the date into this chapter but the chapter would have ended up being way too long. So I stopped here and the date is up next time! Please review and let me know how you like the chapter. I promise, this date in the next chapter is SUPER fun.