(This is kind of my muse for Charlie, I couldn't find a man with more auburn colored hair that I like but this man just has the look that I was imagining. A bit vulnerable but can light your panties on fire, www . pin terest . co . uk /pin/ 219972763027688390/ just copy and then remove the spaces.)

"That's intuitive of her," Charlie said in surprise.

"Luna is good at seeing what is not there or what is hidden really deep," Hermione told him in shock. "She is a very nice girl, though."

"Well, she's got one thing right," He smirked, "You are really cute."

"I know." Hermione flipped her hair back off her shoulder and gave him a cocky look before she broke her façade by laughing.

"You're a cocky little witch," Charlie told her, stepping closer.

"If I only meant it," Hermione admitted.

"I find it a bit sexy however you mean it," Charlie said gruffly.

"Sure," Hermione barked out a short laugh, rolling her eyes.

"What?" Charlie asked confused.

"Nothing," Hermione averted her eyes from him.

"Damn it, love, look at me," Charlie was stern. "Do you really think that you aren't sexy?" Charlie asked when she looked back.

"I don't think I'm ugly if that's what you're asking."

"No, that's not what I'm asking," Charlie looked a little upset. "I don't know what all arse hats you've been around to make you not see yourself, but you're done with them. I will make sure you know how damn sexy you are by the time I get done with you."

"When will that be?" Hermione asked, dreading the answer.

"When will you see that you're sexy?" Charlie asked confused.

"No, when will you be done with me," she clarified. Everyone always seemed to overlook her in the romantic kind of way and Hermione wanted to know how long she would have.

"I think the actual question is when you will be done with me. I'm not stupid, I see what's in front of me and I plan to hold on to it as long as she will let me." He winked at her in a way that melted her heart a bit.

"Charlie, I don't think that is going to happen," she told him honestly. "I really see you as a stable man that knows what he's doing and what he wants. I feel like you go after what you want until you get it. The only thing that has surprised me is that you gave up your dragons, I keep expecting to wake up one day to see you packing back off to Romania."

"It won't happen," Charlie put his hand on her shoulder. "They hired someone for the position and in case you forgot I came home because I wanted to. I wanted to be here to protect my family as best as I could. I wanted the war to end and the danger to stop. Now that it has, I don't want to go back to risking my life day to day. I see how my parents felt worrying about me all the time, I will never do that to them, again. I won't do it to you, either."

"Charlie?" Hermione wasn't really sure what she was asking, she didn't really know what to say at all.

"Hermione, will you do me the honor of dating me?" He asked her very quietly, almost like he didn't want to let the universe have the privilege of hearing their conversation.

"I will." She breathed out in a whisper. Hermione couldn't believe her ears and was afraid she was going to wake up in the morning to find this had all been a dream. When she looked into Charlie's eyes she was surprised at how much they were burning into her. If the heat from his gaze could start a fire it would have.

"Let's take a short walk," Charlie gestured towards the pond that was maybe fifty yards down a short hill.

"Your family," Hermione started before looking up to realize that everyone had already gone inside, while they were talking, without them. "Have left us to the wolves…"

"I think mum is plotting, between this morning and now she's really hoping to gain you as a daughter in law, I think. Charlie shook his head.

"And how do you feel about that?" Hermione laughed.

"Well, come what may I always say. I am, however, glad that I no longer have to think of you maybe ending up with my brother, though."

"Why is that?" Hermione questioned him with a raised eyebrow.

"Honest answer?" He asked. "It may scare you a bit." He warned.

"Honesty, always." She told him firmly. They reached the pond and she turned to look at him, directly.

"I've liked you since the day I met you." He admitted, "You were just too young at the time since you weren't of age, yet." He was nervous, "Do you think that's nuts."

"No," she worried her lip.

"What is it?" Charlie tilted her head up to look at him.

"I had a crush on you from the second I saw you and Bill fighting with the tables." She gave a nervous laugh. "That's actually when I stopped thinking I liked Ron. I guess you got me over him, in a way. He's a great friend but he's just not what I had been looking for. And there you were, beautiful, sweet, and caring. You talked to me and answered a million and one questions without ever seeming annoyed. I think that was the biggest thing for me, a lot of people act annoyed when I ask a lot of questions." If she were around anyone else, Hermione might have felt like she was giving too much away. With Charlie, things were different.

"I'm glad

to hear that, Love." Charlie leaned down, slowly, not quite kissing her. "I feel like you are the dragon I've been waiting for."

He softly kissed Hermione, tangling his fingers in her hair. He didn't smother her, he was very caring and gentle. Hermione enjoyed him biting at her lower lip, capturing it and softly sucking on it before nipping it one last time. She had a swarm of butterflies in her stomach and almost felt numb. She had never been kissed before today, and she almost couldn't believe she had managed to wait, so long. Charlie pulled back, breathing heavy, and slowly let her go. He conjured a blanket and sat on it, patting the spot next to him, inviting her. Hermione plopped down with a yawn that she tried to hide.

"You okay?" Charlie asked her, grabbing her and pulling her in between his legs.

"Yeah," Hermione leaned back against his chest, sighing. "It's been a really long day."

"It has," Charlie confirmed brushing his short beard against her ear as he spoke. "I believe it has been extra long for you."

"Why's that?" She asked, yawning again.

"Because I hear you screaming at night and it's not in a good way." Charlie nibbled on her ear.

"What good way is there?" She asked before she could think. She heard and felt a deep rumble coming from Charlie's chest. "That's not- I didn't think about that" Hermione shook her head.

"I did." Charlie nuzzled her neck causing her to squirm and him to laugh again. "Really you need some sleep, though." He told her in concern.

"I know, it's just hard, right now. It's getting better, though." Hermione knew it was getting better but she still wished the nightmares would just stop. She started to shiver and wasn't sure if it was because she was cold or because of the touchy subject.

"If I can help, let me know." Charlie squeezed her tight. "Let's go get a cuppa before we turn in, it'll warm you up and relax you." Charlie stood up and then helped pull Hermione up. He shook the blanket out and then wrapped it around her before using it to pull her to him. Charlie wrapped his arms around Hermione tightly and he'd her for a minute.

"This isn't fair," Hermione told him. "I can't touch you at all."

"Maybe I don't like to play fair," Charlie smirked for a fleeting moment before capturing her in a searing kiss.

Hermione's knees went weak, but Charlie held her tightly in place. He bit her lip and pulled away only to come back and attack her with his lips, again. He lifted her up and let her wrap her legs around him but still did not let her touch him. He had a tight grip on the blanket and kept it closed. He used his other hand, now that Hermione was firmly in place at his hips, to run his fingers through her hair and hold her tightly to his mouth. Charlie paused for a moment, resting his forehead against hers, to catch his breath. Hermione saw her chance and took it. She leaned forward quickly and kissed Charlie, she demanded entrance of his mouth and took control the best she could. She might not be able to use her hands to touch him and explore the way she wanted but she would take what she could get. Hemione pulled back and bit his bottom lip, gently sucking on it. She leaned back and saw the look of shock Charlie wore and it only encouraged her further. She kissed him on the side of his jaw and then bit the bottom of his ear. She leaned a little further and bit at his collarbone, only to hear him make a tiny gasping, moaning sound. Hermione thought she could very well get used to this and smiled wickedly at Charlie after kissing him quickly on the mouth, again.

"Think of how awful it would be to get caught." Hermione's eyes went wide and her head whipped to the speaker.

"Think of how awful it would be if your brother beat you senseless." Charlie shot back not even turning to acknowledge George.

"Be nice!" Hermione scolded Charlie, playfully.

"Mum sent me to find you, to tell you that everyone is heading to bed and that she would like you two to come inside," George told them with a soft, sad looking smile.

"Thank you," Hermione told George as Charlie set her down. He adjusted the blanket around her and put his arm on her shoulders to walk inside with her.

"Have you written the letter, yet," Hermione asked him.'

"Yeah, I haven't been able to make myself send it, yet, though," George said. "I think I can, now."

"You should, I think you have had really made a lot of progress with everything and you deserve it," Hermione told him.

"Hermione told me that Angelina Johnson likes me," George told Charlie seeing his puzzled look. "I wrote a letter to ask her on a date, but I've torn it up and rewritten it a few times over the summer. I'm finally starting to feel better, though, and I think it's time to take the next step to healing. I never thought Angelina really liked me like that but, apparently, Hermione heard her talking about me a couple times in the library."

"She's really nice, I think you two would be really good together, maybe take it slow if you need to but as long as you are happy that is all that matters," Hermione told him. She stepped through the door that Charlie had opened for them. "Besides, you will never know if you don't try, the worst thing she could do is say no."

"You're right, I'll go ask Ron to borrow Pig and send the letter before I lose my courage." Fred smiled at Hermione and gave her a tight hug. She could see why Ginny was always so close to the twins. "Goodnight." He told them with a wave. With a bounce in his step, he was off.

"I'm glad you're here." Molly came in and hugged Hermione from the sitting room. "You have been so helpful to all of us in our healing. If there is ever anything you need let me know." Molly let her out of the hug but held her at arm's length, looking at her.

"Honestly, you all have been helping me heal, too. Being here, listening to everyone else's problems and experiences have really cemented the fact that I'm not alone and that we were truly fighting for something exponential." Hermione wished that she could really get across how much she had changed from the time she had just come back until now. She may still have nightmares, but it was nothing like it used to be.

"I'm glad to have you here. No matter what you are family." Molly told her. "Goodnight." She told them.

"Goodnight, mum." Hermione smiled at her. Mrs. Weasley had always been there for her and treated her like a daughter. There was the one incident when she thought Hermione had been playing both Ron and Harry and had been extremely upset but Hermione couldn't fault her for trying to protect her sons. That's what Harry was, one of her seven sons, and Hermione was one of her three daughters.

"We're going to make tea and then turn in." Charlie told his mom "You can join us if you like." He invited his mum. He loved the fact that she loved Hermione and that she got along so well with his new girlfriend, even if his mum didn't know yet.

"Alright, one cup and then we need to turn in." She smiled.

The three of them talked for a long time, about Arthurs job, the boys becoming aurors, how George was getting ready to reopen the joke shop, that next morning, actually. They talked about how Bill and Fleur wanted to move back to shell cottage after summer ended and Ginny went back to school. Percy was in the middle of trying to decide about a department swap, he wasn't sure where he wanted to go but he didn't want to continue where he was, how maybe he would like to start helping the children of the war find families. The next thing they knew the clock was striking midnight and they wanted to get to bed so that they could all go help George on his grand reopening. Charlie bid his mum goodnight while he helped Hermione clean up their teacups.

They took their short trip to their floor and said goodnight. Charlie may have pressed Hermione against the wall in a scorching goodnight kiss. Hermione might have let him while kissing him back. She might also have pushed him away with a smile, telling him to go to sleep, before pulling him back by his shirt for one more chaste kiss before disappearing into her room to get some sleep. Charlie may have stood outside her room leaning his arm against the door jamb, shaking his head with a smile, for a minute before going into his own room. Maybe we will never know for sure but Molly, who had watched the whole encounter, stood one landing above right outside her bedroom door.