Chapter 11: Goodbye

Hermione woke the next morning and roused Charlie slowly and sweetly, making sure to take her time before they would be forced to get out of bed. An hour later, they showered together and Hermione relished every tender touch as he washed her. When they went back to the bedroom to dress, he spread her out on the bed and devoured her just as he had last night.

Once they were finally dressed and had eaten breakfast, Hermione only had ten minutes until the portkey left. Charlie flew them quickly to the hill where she had arrived and she spotted multiple people waiting to say goodbye. Orval gave her a firm handshake, Luella and Harpis a brief hug, and Charity pulled her into a sobbing embrace.

"I'm going to miss you, Hermione! Can I write to you?"

Hermione tried not to laugh, Charity was such a sweet girl and she could easily see them becoming fast friends.

"Of course!" That seemed to cheer the blonde as her blubbering stopped.

Charlie had to turn away as Felix gave her a short hug so he wouldn't push him again and once they had all said their brief goodbyes, they flew off to give her and Charlie privacy.

With only minutes before she had to leave, Charlie pulled her into a passionate kiss that left her feeling weak in the knees.

"Owl me when you're home." Another chaste kiss as the portkey popped into view. "I'll miss you."

Hermione gave him a sad smile and another kiss before reaching for the small silver ball. "I'll miss you too." And then she was spiralling back to England.

Hours later, Hermione sighed as she sat at her desk and finished scribbling her report on Lumi. She and Charlie had finally decided on a name for her and it was elegantly written at the top: Finnish Blackscale. Hermione signed her name at the bottom and walked to Effie's office to hand in the report.

She knocked on the closed door and waited only a moment before it opened. Effie sat behind her desk wearing a ghastly orange blouse that hurt Hermione's eyes to look at. "Hermione, dear! Done already?"

Hermione gave her boss a warm smile as she walked in and took a seat across from her. She handed Effie the report and sat with bated breath as she rifled through the pages. She still felt like a student when she handed in reports and some subconscious part of her waited for a grade.

"Well done, Hermione. Excellent and these drawings you provided are top-notch." She set the papers down on her desk and Hermione forced herself to stop from asking questions. "Now, I'll have to thoroughly read through this later but until then, I believe you can continue your assignment on the increase in Pixie population."

With that, Hermione was dismissed and found herself sitting at her desk again feeling... odd. She loved her job, but why did she feel so suddenly unfulfilled? A knock at her door pulled her from her thoughts and she looked up to see Harry standing in the doorway.

"Harry!" She rushed towards him and pulled him into a tight hug.

Harry laughed and pulled her back to arm's length, "Hey, Hermione. How have you been? How was Romania?"

"Oh, Harry it was so amazing! I have so much to tell you..." She trailed off unsure of how to broach the subject. Harry seemed to understand her hesitation and quickly changed the subject, inviting her over for dinner that evening with Ron and Luna. She was grateful, because now she had the afternoon to think of how to tell them.

Once work was over, she rushed down to the Ministry Floos and stepped into the green flames to Harry's house. She stepped out of the fireplace and dusted herself off before she was pulled into the arms of Ginny.

"'Mione! We've missed you, how was Romania?"

"It was great! Where are the boys?"

Ginny gestured over her shoulder at the kitchen, "Ron's moaning about how he's going to starve to death and Harry's cooking." She turned and Hermione followed her through the kitchen door.

"I don't understand, Harry. Magic makes cooking so much faster. Why do you insist on doing it the muggle way?" Ron whined as he hovered next to Harry, who was trying to cook around the red-head.

Hermione laughed lightly as Harry mumbled out, "Damn wizards," and both men whirled around to greet her.

"Hey, Min!" Ron said, pulling her into a quick hug.

Hermione looked around, "Where's Luna?"

"She stayed home, said she was too tired. I'm supposed to ask about Romania though for her, how was it?"

Hermione chewed her bottom lip as she thought, she didn't expect to have to tell them so quickly but better now before her resolve cracked. "Well..."

She told them all about Lumi and how beautiful Romania was and now that she was nearing the part where she was going to tell them about Charlie her heart started to race. "And Charlie-"

"Yeah, how is Charlie? Still living the bachelor life, lucky bastard." Ron said as he shovelled a helping of pasta into his mouth. Ginny elbowed him in annoyance as Hermione shot a glare.

"Actually, Charlie and I-"

"Charlie and I? Merlin, please don't tell me you guys did anything." Ron interrupted again.

Hermione sighed frustratedly, "Ronald, I swear on my wand I will hex your mouth closed if you keep interrupting me."

Ron gave her an apologetic look as Hermione sighed again. Ginny and Harry were looking at her with interest and she started to squirm in her seat. She took a deep breath and closed her eyes as she worked up the courage to tell them.

"Charlie is my soulmate."

Ginny gasped and Hermione heard a fork clatter against a plate. She opened her eyes to see Ginny staring at her with her hand clapped over her mouth. Harry looked bewildered but Ron's face was screwed up into a face of disgust.

"Hermione, are you sure?" Ginny asked as she took her hand away from her mouth.

Hermione could feel her face heating and opened her mouth to reply but Ron interrupted her again.

"'Mione, you've gotta be kidding me."

Hermione whirled in her seat to face him and quirked an eyebrow. "Excuse me?"

She saw Harry flinch at her tone from the corner of her eye but Ron didn't even notice he was on thin ice as he kept talking. "There's no way he's your soulmate. He's seven years older than you! How do you even know?"

Hermione pursed her lips and crossed her arms, narrowing her eyes, "How did you find out Luna was your soulmate?"

Ron's face turned beet red, "W-well I... That doesn't-"

"Unless you want to hear all the dirty details, I'd shut up." Ginny grinned at her older brother before wagging her eyebrows at Hermione. "I, on the other hand, would love to hear everything you sly vixen. You were only there for four days!"

Hermione's face now matched Ron's and Harry shook his head at his wife. "Relax, Ginny. I think Ron's going to lose his dinner."

Ginny waved a hand dismissively at her husband, "I don't want to hear about that. Charlie's my brother too! I just want to know how exactly this came about!" She turned back to Hermione. "And anyway what are you going to do? Are you guys together now?"

Hermione fiddled with her food, "Yes, we are together but for right now we're just going to work and see each other as often as possible. He said he'd set up a Floo connection in his cabin or maybe if I practice more I could fly to him-"

"WAIT, WHAT!" Ginny exclaimed, leaning forward in surprise. "Fly?! Like, riding a broomstick through thin air flying?"

"O-oh, well... Charlie taught me how to ride a broom while I was there..." Hermione mumbled as she glanced at the surprised faces of her friends.

"That's it, spill everything right now." Ginny sat back and crossed her arms, waiting for Hermione to speak.

Hermione sighed for the thousandth time that evening and told her friends all about her and Charlie - obviously leaving out the juicer bits.

"Merlin, Hermione! We are going straight to Diagon Alley tomorrow to get you a broom! The Firebolt Three just came out last month, it's a little pricey but I hear it's got all the best charms..." Harry continued on naming brooms and their benefits.

Hermione sat back with a smile at her friends as they all spoke about getting her in the air. Aside from Ron's small outburst, they had all just accepted her and Charlie together. Harry and Ron had even started talking about how impressed they were with Charlie and her heart swelled at their approval.

Hermione went to bed that night with her heart full and for once, excited to be going to Quality Quidditch Supplies to get her first broom.

Hermione tossed her quill onto the desk and leant back in her chair, rubbing a sore spot on her shoulder. It had been a week since she got her broom and Harry, Ron, and Ginny forced her to join them in doing drills after work. She had to admit, even though she was sore every night, she had a lot of fun flying and she was even getting quite good. Not nearly as skilled as her friends, who have been flying since they were eleven but she could at least see herself being able to fly to Romania.

Her mind turned to Charlie at the thought of Romania. They hadn't seen each other since she left but they wrote every day. Merlin, how she missed him. She missed his beautiful body and handsome face, but most of all she missed his laughter and the way his presence made her feel safe.

Hermione stretched her back out and picked up her quill to resume her report on Pixie population increase. Her work-life had returned to the usual mundane and, as much as she enjoyed her research and helping the various magical creatures of the wizarding world, she was bored. Romania had spoiled her and she wished she was back there with her Dragon Keeper and Lumi.

A knock sounded at her door and she flicked her wand to open it, setting her quill back down. Aiden walked in, his greasy hair slicked back from his face. He gave her a smirk that turned her stomach as he set a file on her desk.

"Got another one for you, Granger. Make sure you file this one right away."

Hermione crossed her arms and gestured to the papers in front of her, "I'm working on this right now, I'll get to them when I'm done."

Aiden circled her desk and leant on it next to her. Hermione scooted away as the overwhelming scent of mothballs and musk filled her nose. She narrowed her eyes at the invasion of her space as he spoke.

"C'mon Hermione. My file is more important than whatever you're working on." He ran a finger down her arm that made her shiver from revulsion and she hastily stood from her chair.

"I said I will get to your file when I'm done, Reynards. Now please leave."

Her heart hammered in her chest at the twisted grin that split his face as he stood from the desk. Aiden wasn't an exceptionally tall man but since Hermione was relatively short, he towered over her as he neared.

Hermione swore as she realized she had left her wand on her desk when she had opened the door. Aiden inched forward and she backed up a few paces to keep her distance.

She willed her voice to remain even as she spoke. "Reynards, get out."

"Now, now Hermione. There's no need to act coy. I've seen the way you look at me, I know you just like to play hard to get." His grin widened as he stepped nearer again and her back hit the wall of her office.

Her breathing hitched as he placed an arm against the wall next to her head, pinning her in place. His breath was pungent, it reeked of tuna and eggs and she turned her face away in disgust. He was close enough that if she could just jam her knee in his crotch she could dash to her desk and grab her wand-

"Excuse me." A familiar deep voice growled from the doorway that made Hermione's stomach flip. She thanked Merlin when Aiden pulled away from her and she took a few deep breaths of fresh air. She looked to the door and gave Charlie a large thankful smile.

He stalked forward and placed himself between them, standing over Aiden by at least a foot. He looked ferrell as his blue eyes pierced straight through the shorter man. "Do you need something from my girlfriend?" He spat the words in Aiden's face, and the sleaze quickly shook his head no, stumbling back a step.

Charlie crossed his arms, his large muscles flexing through his thin white shirt. "Then I suggest that you listen to the lady and get out."

Aiden quickly rushed out of the room, stumbling slightly in his haste. Hermione was just about to ask Charlie what he was doing here when the red-head whirled, his eyes filled with fire.

"Are you alright?" He walked forward and gripped her shoulders, studying her face.

Hermione sagged into his arms, relief coursing through her veins. She stood on her toes and pulled him into a chaste kiss, pulling away to rest her head on his strong chest. "I'm okay, now. Just a little shaken is all. What are you doing here?"

Charlie rubbed her back, wrapping her in his solid embrace. Ignoring her question, he asked his own, "How long has that grease-ball been harassing you?"

Hermione sighed and pulled away to look up into his face. His brows were furrowed in worry and she reached up to cup his face. "Don't worry, Charlie. I'll report him to Effie before I leave. I'd have given him a proper body-bind hex, but I left my wand on my desk."

Charlie was visibly relieved and his face softened. He leant down to kiss her brow and she sighed contentedly at the contact. "Now, answer my question, what are you doing here?"

He gave her a cheeky grin, "What, not excited to see me? Are you already over me, Hermione?"

Hermione laughed and smacked his arm, "Do be serious, Charlie. You weren't going to come down until next week!"

Charlie grabbed the hand that smacked him and pulled it up to kiss the inside of her palm, sending a surge of fire to her core. His blue eyes sparkled with amusement when she took in a sharp breath as the contact and a light blush bloomed on her cheeks. Good Godric, would it always be like this?

He smirked at her reaction but finally answered her question, "Rollands let me leave early, I have something important to tell you."

"What is it?"

Charlie's face lit up excitedly and he tightened his hold around her. His words came out quickly as he spoke. "Someone in Research is retiring and Rollands wants to give you the job!"

Hermione blinked as she tried to wrap her mind around his words, "What?"

"I mean, it was fairly easy to refer you for the job after Effie sent him the report you wrote on Lumi. It was so well written and he was so impressed that the moment I told him you wanted to work here, he started filling out your paperwork."

Hermione stood in stunned silence for a moment before her face split into a wide grin. "Are you serious?!" Charlie nodded his head and she wrapped her arms around his neck as he spun her in a circle.

"The Researcher retires at the end of next month, so we'll have enough time to get everything figured out but yes, the job's yours."

Hermione pulled him down for a passionate kiss in her excitement and he laughed against her mouth. When they separated for air, Charlie smoothed back a curl that popped free from her hair clip and gave her a sly grin.

"Now we just have to tell the family at dinner on Sunday."