A/N: *Scuttles in, rubbing one eye tiredly*

This being back at work stuff is bullshit. Zero stars. Do not recommend.

*Hands over the chapter that made her giggle and feel better throughout the week whilst working on it*

xx-Kitten.

Home for the Holidays

By Kittenshift17

Chapter Seven

Thump. Thump. Thump.

"UNCLE CHARLIE, WAKE UP!"

Charlie Weasley jolted awake with a groan as the sound of his niece and his dead best friend's son began bashing on his bedroom door.

"UNCLE CHARLIE, THERE'S PRESENTS!" Teddy Lupin shouted through the door.

"SANTA CAME, UNCLE CHARLIE. COME SEE!" Victoire Weasely called.

Thump. Thump. Thump.

The pounding on the door and the shouting continued and Charlie groaned into his pillow. Lying face down on the mattress and regretting last night's Bloody Firestorm, Charlie was in no mood for boisterous children or early morning. Mornings were the worst time of the bloody day, if you asked him.

He was just about to bury his head under the pillow to block out the noise when a grizzling sound filled his ears and Charlie froze. Something was on his back. Holding perfectly still, his hands searched under the pillow for his wand just as the thing lying directly on top of him shifter slightly. Soft breasts clad in warm flannel slid against his back and someone's long curly hair slipped over his shoulder to tickle his nose.

"Hermione?" Charlie asked sleepily, recalling that the witch he'd invited to bed last night was also present.

She grizzled again, grumbling at the noise as the children continued pounding on the door and Charlie realized that not only was Hermione Granger asleep in his bed, she was asleep on top of him.

Stretched out on his back, her legs balanced on top of his own and her cheek pillowed right in between his shoulder blades, the little witch was using him as her own personal mattress.

"More sleep," she whined, kicking one of her legs a little and inadvertently digging her toenails into his calf muscle.

"GET OUT OF BED, UNCLE CHARLE!" Victoire screeched from the other side of the door, the children's knocking becoming more insistent.

"Fuck off," Hermione grumbled against his shoulder blades and Charlie began to laugh. She grizzled all the more as his body began to shake beneath hers, but Charlie couldn't help it.

"Hermione?" he asked quietly.

"Mmmm?" she hummed, though she sounded none too happy about it.

"Comfortable?"

"Too loud," Hermione complained, her voice thick with sleep. She snuggled her cheek against the bare skin of his back and Charlie grinned, peering over his shoulder at the woman.

She was still mostly asleep, her eyes closed, her hair all in a mess, her body lax atop his own.

He'd been surprised when she'd joined him in bed last night when he'd given her the choice to stay or go after she'd grown so upset at the broken condom incident and it's impending repercussions.

"Alright, kids, out of the way," Charlie heard Bill's voice from beyond the door and he winced to realise the bastard was only too keen to subject him to the horrors of vicarious parenthood.

"It's locked, Dad," Victoire told her father, her tone indignant.

"Noooo," Hermione groaned, turning her face the other way as though to hide from the notion of being interrupted.

"I know, darling, but Daddy's a Curse Breaker. There's nothing I can't open," Bill said, sounding entirely too smug for Charlie's liking.

The sound of spellwork being performed beyond the door followed a creak of the rusted hinges on the door and Charlie blinked at his brother, trying to hide his grin. Bill's eyes widened in surprise to find that Charlie wasn't alone.

"Uh… looks like he's not in here, kids," Bill said, pulling the doorknob and trying to close it again before they could burst in.

He was no match for the pair of excited children determined to drag their uncle downstairs – likely having been told there would be no presents until the whole family was there to enjoy them.

"Uncle Charlie!" Victoire said, shoving past her father's legs and forcing the door open.

Hermione grizzled all the more and Charlie laughed when Victoire stopped dead at the sight of whatever was on his back. With her head turned away from the door and her body hidden beneath the covers, Charlie imagined it must look like he had a terribly hairy back.

"Uncle… Charlie?" Victoire asked, looking alarmed.

Charlie watched the young girl take a step back, colliding first with Teddy, and then with Bill's legs in her apparent terror.

"It's just Aunt Hermione, darling," Charlie said without lifting his head from the pillow, not willing to move too far when the delicious curves of a beautiful witch were pressed so intimately against him.

"Aunt Hermione?" Victoire asked, frowning.

"Noooo," Hermione whined against, burrowing her face against Charlie's back like she might use her nose to dig her way into his skin just to hide from the children.

Bill began to laugh at her reaction.

"What are you doing, Aunt Hermione?" Teddy wanted to know. "Why are you squashing Uncle Charlie?"

"Squashing?" Hermione grumbled in outrage, turning her head back to glare through one eye at the boy. "You calling me fat, Teddy?"

Charlie laughed.

"You're squishing Uncle Charlie," Victoire informed her, frowning.

"Keep making so much noise and I'll squish you, kid," Hermione threatened and Charlie laughed out loud, making her grumble all the more.

Clearly she was not a morning person. When his laughed caused her to jiggled around too much, she clambered off him to the far side of the bed away from the children, burrowing down beside him and putting the pillows over her head.

"I don't think Aunt Hermione's much of a morning person, Vic," Charlie told the girl.

"Too bad," Victoire said without sympathy. "It's Christmas, and there's presents, and Gran says we can't open them until you come down for breakfast, Uncle Charlie."

Charlie would swear her heard Hermione mumble "Spiteful little bitch" into the mattress.

"It's holidays, Vic," Charlie complained, though he suspected he was going to have no choice but to drag his bum out of bed. "Holidays are for spending the whole day in bed."

"But there's presents," Teddy protested.

"Presents are overrated," Charlie said.

"I'll remember that when your birthday comes, shall I?" Bill suggested, propping his shoulder in the doorjam and looking mightily amused.

"Remember this, ass-face," Charlie said before blowing a raspberry at him.

Her had to hide his face in his pillow again when Victoire gasped dramatically.

"Daddy, Uncle Charlie said a naughty word," she tattled.

"Dobber," Hermione accused. "Dibber dobbing little brat."

Apparently Hermione was definitely not a morning person, Charlie snorted into his pillow, listening to her continuing to mutter a string of unkind things about half-French little harpies, morning, birds, and wretched Curse Breakers.

"Oh, I'm a Curse Breaker, there's nothing I can't open. We'll see about that when I lock you in a trunk and feed you to hungry dragons, Bill Weasley," she sneered under her breath and Charlie couldn't help but laugh.

"Maybe we should let Uncle Charlie gets dressed, kids," Bill said.

"But Daddy, he said a naughty word," Victoire complained.

"I know, darling, but Mère says naughty words too when you wake her up early, doesn't she?" Bill asked.

"Mère would never say naughty words, Daddy," Victoire protested in defense of her mother.

"Just because she says them in French doesn't make them less naughty," Bill muttered, rolling his eyes. "Come on. Uncle Charlie's awake and on his way down for breakfast. He and Aunt Hermione don't like mornings, so why don't you run down and tell Gran to put the kettle on, yeah?"

"I'll race you," Teddy goaded the little blonde girl.

"No… running on the stairs," Bill began to call out as both children made a run for it, stampeding down the stairs with all the racket of a herd of elephants. "Urgh. Whatever. What's another Bone-Mending spell?"

"Oooh, what's another bone-mending spell," Hermione sneered mockingly as she mimicked him.

"Have some fun last night, you two?"

"I'll have fun pitching you out the window," Hermione threatened and Charlie laughed again.

She mocked his laugh as she repeated it back to him too, pulling her head from under the pillows to glare at him and Charlie lost it. He couldn't help it.

"Maybe give us a few minutes?" Charlie asked of Bill.

"Mmhmm," Bill hummed knowingly, looking beyond amused at finding Charlie in bed with Hermione. "If you take too long, Mum will send the kids up again."

"Then lock the door behind you," Charlie smirked at his brother and shot him a wink before rolling back toward Hermione and pulling her into his arms, rolling the two of them until he was stretched on top of her.

He pinned her hands to the mattress when she growled and tried to shove him off, and Bill laughed, pulling the door closed with a shake of his head. Charlie was only too grateful when he locked it behind him.

"Off," Hermione grumbled without much heat, looking like she very much wanted to go back to sleep.

"Oh, so you can sleep literally on top of me all night…" he began, grinning into her face and unable to keep from noticing how bloody beautiful she was.

"Urghhmmm," she replied unintelligibly, her eyes barely open and her expression scrunched into a face of displeasure.

Charlie chuckled, shaking his head and peering down at the curly-haired witch with intrigue.

"I suppose we'd better get up, eh?" he asked when she closed her eyes once more, apparently too tired to push the issue of him getting off of her.

She grizzled again at the notion and Charlie grinned.

"Tired this morning, koroleva?" he asked, wondering if maybe she was feeling so uncooperative as a result of their fight last night.

"We were up until after three," Hermione informed him, her voice thick with sleep.

"Mmmm," Charlie hummed. "More sleep would be nice. But you know those little blighters will just invade again if we don't head down."

"Your mother will make them," Hermione agreed, looking very much like she wanted to tell Molly Weasley to go jump in a lake. "Maybe I should've gone home, after all."

Charlie eye's narrowed on the witch, though she didn't open her eyes as she said so.

"Maybe I can prove why staying was the better choice?" he offered in reply. "Ease you into the day, as it were."

She cracked one eye open a sliver at the prospect and Charlie had to fight the urge to grin at the knowledge that she wanted him.

"I haven't had a chance to speak to Luna about a Morning-After Potion," she reminded him quietly, recalling last night's hiccup.

Charlie shrugged. "So, what? Might as well make having to ask her worthwhile, yeah?"

The sleepy little smile that curled across Hermione's face made him grin and Charlie leaned into her, claiming her lips hungrily. She kissed him back lazily, her hands lifting to card through his hair and down over his shoulders like she simply couldn't resist touching him. Unable to resist her, himself, Charlie lifted off her far enough to peel her shirt off over her head, breaking their kiss before he turned his attention to her bared breasts. She arched into him when he drew one pebbled nipple into his mouth, sighing softly like she adored being touched in such a way and Charlie was determined to draw more of those sweet cries from her.

He took his time making love to every inch of her with his mouth, slowly kissing his way over her chest and down her stomach, peeling her pants down her legs until she was naked beneath him. She cried out when he pushed her legs apart and leaned between them, his tongue delving inside of her and lapping at her flesh teasingly. Her fingers knotted in his hair and Charlie grinned against her skin. Merlin, he loved the taste of this witch.

"Gods, Charlie," she whispered breathlessly as he fucked her with his tongue until she was right on the precipice, teetering on the edge of bliss before he stopped and grinned at her over the rim of her pubic bone.

"Tease," she accused him, pulling at him and trying to drag him back up her body.

"Pass me those condoms, yeah?" he said, nodding to the box on the nightstand.

She reached for them quickly, handing them over and Charlie was quick to roll one on, supposing that last night's issue best not be repeated this morning.

"They're coming," Hermione said quietly as he positioned himself over her, poised to impale her on his cock.

Charlie cocked his head, listening to the sound of childish shouting and pounding feet on the stairs from beyond the bedroom.

"Better be quick then, yeah?" Charlie grinned before driving into her and drawing a low moan from her lips.

He didn't mess about with taking his time or letting her grow accustomed to the feel of him inside her. There wasn't time and he'd already worked her so close to the edge that she would go over with little trouble. What was more, the feel of her warm body clinging so desperately to his own was going to bring him undone.

Thrusting quickly, the clench of her body around his own made Charlie's eyes cross and he kissed her neck hungrily, nipping and sucking, drawing blood to the surface and getting lost in the sweet scent of her skin and the warmth of her flesh and the vice-grip she had on his cock. She clung to him, her nails digging into his back, her hips arching into every powerful thrust and Charlie nibbled her earlobe.

"Oh, god, Charlie," she groaned softly when her whole body began to spasm, clenching even tighter, wringing the orgasm from him as she flew off the edge and into the waiting sea of bliss.

"Fuck," Charlie grunted against her ear, his thrusts becoming erratic as he lost control.

He collapsed on top of her when he was done, enjoying the way she trailed the tips of her fingers over his back again and again, swirling in patterns over his skin.

"Happy Christmas, Hermione," Charlie murmured against her ear when he'd caught his breath.

She laughed softly, sounding completely content.

"Mmm, Happy Christmas, Charlie," she replied, turning her head and kissing his cheek.

"UNCLE CHARLIE!" children screeched from beyond the door, ruining the tender moment completely.

Charlie groaned, curling his arms around his witch and burying his face against her neck.

"Insistent, aren't they?" Hermione mused mildly.

"Should pitch them both out the bloody window," Charlie grumbled. "There's a lot of fresh powder down there. They'd bounce."

Hermione laughed.

"Mmm, but you'd never hear the end of it from your mother, and the children would likely want you to do it again," she pointed out.

Charlie grumbled again.

"I still need to feed the kids," he said.

"Yes, I think that's why they're yelling and bashing on the door," Hermione chuckled.

"No, not them. The dragons," he clarified.

"Can it wait until after those two have opened their gifts?" Hermione asked. "You only fed them a few hours ago, and the last thing you want is Victoire and Teddy discovering that you have dragons in your trunk. You'll be having to take them down there to play with the little beasts if they find out you've got them, which would completely undo your lesson last night about dragons making lousy house-pets."

Charlie groaned again, nodding his head as he rolled off her, making sure this time to take the condom with him. He vanished it with a snap of his fingers, wanting nothing more than to pull Hermione into his arms and grab a few more hours of sleep.

"UNCLE CHARLIE! LET US IN!" Victoire Weasley screeched from beyond the door and Charlie glared in that direction, thinking unkind thoughts about his niece right in that moment.

"We'd better go down," Hermione sighed, getting to her feet and beginning to dress quickly.

Charlie grinned when she put the pyjamas he'd given her back on, obviously not interested in last night's clothing this morning.

"Mmm," Charlie grumbled. "Even if only to get you one of those bloody potions. I'm definitely not ready for that kind of screeching ruining my every morning."

Hermione laughed softly.

"No, I don't think I am, either," she confessed, and Charlie watched the way she bit her lip, looking sheepish. "Um… about that… last night, I was… well… a complete shrew. I don't know what came over me. I'm so sorry. You must think me completely barmy."

Charlie hid a smile as he pulled his shirt on over his head.

"You were panicking, koroleva," he reminded her. "It happens. Don't worry about it, yeah? If you do get pregnant, we'll figure it out, alright?"

She nodded.

"But we're agreed it would be a bad idea?" she asked in a small voice and Charlie frowned a little.

The truth was, when she'd told him last night that the condom had come off and that she was ovulating and might very well end up pregnant, he hadn't known what to think. He hadn't been lying when he'd said that a wife and children were still a 'someday' plan for him, but there could be no mistake that a small part of him had roared to life when she'd told him.

"I…" Charlie frowned. "I don't want to put pressure on you either way, Hermione."

She frowned at him.

"Giving me your opinion and putting pressure on me are different things, Charlie," she pointed out. "I'm intending to ask Luna if she has a Morning-After potion – and it's occurred to me overnight that we keep a stock of fresh ones at the clinic. It's an unfortunate fact that many young women who are afflicted with vapirism and lycanthropy are often sexually assaulted during the attack that infects them. If Luna doesn't have one with her, I can grab one on our way to collect the Frostfangs to take to Mr Scamander. That being said, the potion isn't a guarantee that pregnancy won't occur… so I'd like to know your opinion on children, and me, should I become pregnant anyway."

Charlie sighed, his hand lifting to rub the back of his neck awkwardly. He didn't know what to tell her. He'd never put a lot of thought into kids or a family, no matter his mother's urgings.

"I know I'm not ready for that," he nodded toward the children pounding on his bedroom door incessantly. "But I… I won't lie to you, koroleva. When you told me last night that the condom came off and that there was a chance you might get pregnant, the part of me that still thinks I'm a sixteen year old dickhead was terrified. But there was another part of me that was excited. The truth is, it's likely that the only way I'll get 'round to kids and a wife will be the result of a happy accident like this one, love."

Hermione watched him curiously, her eyes tracing over his face like she didn't know what to make of his admission.

"Even if the accident was with me?" she asked in a whisper.

Charlie shrugged his shoulders. "If I didn't fancy you, I wouldn't have fucked you, koroleva. And let's be honest, any kid of mine is likely to be as reckless with the beasts as I am, eh? Wouldn't hurt to have some of your brains balancing all that recklessness out, you know."

He shot her a wink, dangerously close to admitting that if he had to have kids with anyone, he'd like to have them with her, someday. Maybe not right now, but if the Fates decided that now was the right time and she got pregnant with his sprog, well, Charlie wasn't so sure he'd complain all that much about his lot in life.

"So… if I'm…" she trailed off suggestively.

Charlie shrugged again.

"If you are, we'll figure it out, yeah? You don't even have to take that potion if you don't want to, Hermione. It's your body and it's your life. My not being ready right now isn't reason enough to snuff out the possibility, eh? I'm a bit of a ponce who doesn't know what's good for me, so… you never know…"

He shrugged again.

"UUUNNNNCCCLLLEEE CCCHHHAAARRRLLLIIIEEE!"

Hermione winced at the particularly loud screech that she felt sure would wake poor Remus and Tonks in their sodding graves, the way those two children were howling.

"If a sprog was going to turn out anything like that, I'm afraid I'd pitch it out a window," she confessed, shaking her head a laughing. "Even if they did have my brains and your recklessness."

"Course, we could always teach it not to be an entitled little shit," Charlie suggested, looping his arm around her shoulders as he crossed the room before yanking open the door and steering them both to one side, allowing Teddy Lupin and Victoire Weasley – who'd been in the process of attempting to shoulder-barge the door – to stumble and fall in a heap in the doorway.

"Well, I suppose that's an option," Hermione giggle and Charlie was pleased to see her smiling once more

"Uncle Charlie! Uncle Charlie!" the children crowed happily, apparently not at all put out over their fall, and only too pleased to have their uncle finally out of bed.

"You two need to learn some manners," Charlie informed them. "And I don't see anyone carrying me a bloody cuppa, so someone's bum needs twitching."

"Gran's made tea in the kitchen," Victoire offered.

"And you two thought making a racket would be a good idea without bringing me a cup?" Charlie demanded of the children. "You didn't think I got so good at wrestling dragons by being a nice bloke, did you? And if one of my dragons gave me the sort of demanding shit you two just did, I'd pound them. In fact, I think you both need a good hiding."

Hermione laughed when Charlie released her to playfully lunge at the children. They both ran for it, screaming as they raced back down the stairs.

"You'd have to refrain from threatening you own child every day, of course," she pointed out when he looped his arm around her once more and Charlie grinned, turning a little and dropping a kiss to the top of her head.

"I could be persuaded to be nice," he suggested, winking at her.

Hermione laughed.

"Was I not persuasive enough this morning?" she asked, raising one eyebrow.

Charlie smirked, recalling the feel of her luscious body under his hands and under his tongue.

"Mmm, without those two little shits interrupting, I'm certain you could have been much more persuasive, koroleva," he murmured.

"I'd hate to spoil you too much," she replied airily as they made their way downstairs and into the kitchen. "Wouldn't want you pining for me when you return to Romania, now would we?"

Charlie bit his lip to keep from telling her that it was too late, and that he already did pine for every time they were parted.

NOTE: So, I also have a published novel, in case anyone is interested in reading it. Search "PARANORMAL DIVISION: AWAKENING by Ellie J Duck" on Amazon to check it out. And you know... It's my birthday this coming week. I might be hosting an online book sale and would love you all to death for buying, reading, and reviewing...