Chapter8

Following Bill's wedding there wasn't much that Charlie could do, but he did everything within his power.

Taking time off from the sanctuary he temporarily moved back into his childhood room at the Burrow and spent the time helping his parents. The days were spent either at the joke shop helping the twins before the lull when everyone went back to school or helping his mum clean, the nights were spent alone in his room with his thoughts and a picture of he and Hermione from the wedding. Ginny had taken it without either of them knowing while they had snuck off to a corner of the tent with champagne.

Tonight though Charlie was stopped before he could leave for upstairs. "Is something the matter?" His mother asked patting him on the cheek. "You've been awfully shut in these last couple of weeks."

It was now or never, she was either going to cry tears of joy or defeat. "Sit down mum." She was led to the couch and stared at her son. "For the last few years, Hermione and I have been writing to each other. We've sent books, trinkets, letters….and every Christmas we've been able to spend some time getting to know each other."

"Oh Charlie…"

"Mum, I know it's odd that she and I would end up together but I've grown to love Hermione and I told her right before the wedding." Charlie felt saddened thinking about how she had looked at him just before apparating away with Harry and Ron. "And I keep thinking about whether or not they're safe, or if they're eating. It's driving me mad."

Molly took her sons hand in her own, tears were shining in her eyes unshed. "Charlie, I know that I should say something about the age difference but I know that out of all my children you are the one Hermione is most like. She is very mature for her age and I know that you would never want that changed. And I know that Ron fancied her but honestly at this point I think they have realized it would never work."

"So you're not mad?" His brow furrowed in confusion as Charlie watched his mother smile.

"Of course not Charlie. Your father and I got married very quickly the last time You-Know-Who rose to power, it makes sense that people would be pushed together again. But, it makes even more sense to be something the two of you have worked on over the last few years." Her smile grew as she patted Charlie's hands. "I should be mad or at least upset, but right now all I can feel is a little bit of happiness on top of the dread that is already there."

"Thanks mum."

The months went on, Charlie continued to help as much as he could and when Charlie wanted to feel a closer connection to Hermione he would go outside and look up at the sky remembering that the stars or moon he was seeing was the same that she was seeing too. The pendant on his necklace would grow warm and he would smile knowing that she was thinking of him.

When the leaves started turning Molly's knitting needles started clacking together with different color yarns creating scarves and sweaters for everyone in the family.

Ginny, who had been doing the same as Charlie as keeping to herself, had gone off to school only to write home about how awful it was at Hogwarts.

So when she finally got home for Christmas she lunged into her family's open arms. "Thank Merlin."

Several other students stopped to wish her a happy holiday and she even introduced a few of them. Fred and George recognized Neville Longbottom who seemed shy as he shook Charlie's hand and retreated after his grandmother only a moment later.

"How is it?" Charlie asked pulling Ginny closer to his side as they walked into the Burrow.

"Rubbish. Snape's Headmaster and he's made so many changes already. There are two death eaters as professors who beat students and the rules are out of hand. Curfew was moved up to just after dinner, no quidditch, no Hogsmeade, and most of the Gryffindors and D.A. members don't even attend class half the time."

"Where do they go?"

"Room of Requirement. There's a camp set up as a safe haven, someone is there making sure anyone who stayed behind is safe."

That caught Molly's attention. "They most certainly will not be having Christmas alone." Turning to her husband the fire in her eyes intensified and Molly Weasley had determined something would be done to make the best of a bad situation. "Arthur, we need to find a way into the castle to get those children here for the holiday. They deserve warmth and good food."

"There's a portrait, it connects to the Hog's Head."

"Aberforth's pub?"

Ginny nodded. "He brings us food and supplies if we need it. There's a pathway, as long as we get to Hogsmeade we can get into the castle."

"Tomorrow then, Ginny you and I will go."

Molly looked pleased setting another several pairs of knitting needles to work.

"I'll help." Charlie said sitting at the table. "We can use the floo but if we can side-along apparate too it'll be faster."

That night the members of the Order brought over extra cots and anything that would help, even offering their aid to patrol the pub and make sure nothing was going to happen.

It was a great plan, so there was no surprise when it went perfectly. The six kids that had opted to stay behind were now comfortably herded into the Burrow and sat around the table for what Molly called a snack and everyone else called lunch.

When Christmas Eve arrived Bill, Fleur, and the twins all arrived to help Charlie and Ginny clean up the house and cook brunch. Some of the other kids helped out as much as they could but as soon as Molly came downstairs she was tutting and telling them to relax and enjoy their holiday.

"Do their families know where they are?" She asked Ginny before helping serve the food.

She only shrugged. "I didn't ask, I only know that they didn't want to go home for one reason or another."

And so they all spent the day having fun. The twins instigated a snowball war, then a snow fort building competition, and finally hot cocoa.

Christmas morning they all tried to hide in the kitchen to allow the Weasley's time to open gifts, but Molly ushered them into the sitting room and handed everyone a wrapped package containing a scarf.

There were three piles of gifts under the tree that hadn't been touched and even though everyone wanted to talk about it no one brought up the fact that Harry, Ron, and Hermione were all missing.

Later that night Charlie was standing out on the porch, his new Weasley jumper keeping him warm until Bill emerged with two glasses of firewhiskey.

"How're you holding up?"

Charlie glanced at his older brother for a moment before turning his eyes back to the moon. "It's the first Christmas in years that we haven't spent together. And I know she's alive but I don't know if she's safe or unhurt and it makes me a little insane thinking about it."

"I know. And we're all hoping that this is over soon, for now we're all missing someone and eventually they'll be back and we won't have to miss them anymore."

Nodding Charlie could feel the dull warmth on his chest reminding him that Hermione was thinking of him.

The stars were twinkling against the dark sky leaving the moon as the only light source besides the tent. Each one reminding Hermione of Charlie.

"Hey," Harry's soft voice made her jump. "Where's my wand?"

She felt terrible, everything that had happened in Godric's Hollow was an accident but it still affected Harry greatly. "Harry…"

He got angry and Hermione got upset, she tried to explain and tried to make sure he knew that there wasn't anyone to blame except for Voldemort. After all, it was part of his plan to kill Bathilda Bagshot and put that snake in her body.

Still, Hermione retreated into the tent leaving her wand with Harry while he sat outside and thought more about the situation. It wasn't until much later, being woken up from her slumber did Hermione realize that they weren't alone.

"Hey." After Ron had run off Hermione felt like her best friend had abandoned all hope in Harry and her, she felt as though the situation was too much for him and he had decided to push it off on the two of them instead.

So she yelled. And she struck him. And she ordered Harry to give her the wand back.

And in the end, they made up albeit with Ron on thin ice even after destroying a horcrux and saving Harry from drowning.

He told them about the radio station and how everyone was working on trying to help those who needed it most. But mostly how everyone supported them one-hundred percent.

Hermione sat as far away from Ron as possible turning the Tales of Beedle the Bard over in her hands.

It wasn't until later, when she had cooled off Hermione approached the boys. "I think we should go see Xenophilius Lovegood."

And so they went, and even though Luna wasn't there (which, frankly, should have been the first sign that something was wrong) the four of them still had a nice chat up until the house was attacked.

They were able to get out unscathed but Ron couldn't warn Harry and Hermione that Voldemort had made the use of his name taboo and snatchers were on them in an instant.

Charlie woke up just after dawn, the pendant hanging on his chest burning hot. The pendant grew cooler for a moment before burning again against his skin.

Getting up from bed he went down to the kitchen for a cup of tea only to find his father sitting at the table already.

"What are you doing awake Charlie?"

He shook his head sitting at the table. "Something's wrong. Hermione's focusing really hard on me right now but it's off an on."

Arthur's face fell and he closed the Daily Prophet. "Don't tell your mother about this."

Charlie nodded and sipped his tea, the pendant was bothering him but there wasn't much he could do. Everyone was anxious about the three of them going out on their own but knowing that there was something wrong made it worse.

It was only when the fireplace roared and Bill's head popped through the green flames that Charlie really started to panick.

"Charlie, you need to get over here. Now."

Without another word Bill pulled out of the fire and Charlie threw a pinch of floo powder in the flame.

Bill looked at his brother and started off towards a room upstairs, neither of them saying a word until he opened the door and Charlie stopped.

Fleur was kneeling by the bed spreading a salve over Hermione's arm, she was asleep but the look on her face was pure agony.

"She went to sleep almost immediately after they got here." Bill started explaining but Charlie couldn't hear anything else that came out of his brothers mouth.

Instead he walked slowly towards the bed and brushed some hair away from Hermione's face. She looked gaunt, pale, and hungry. The bags under her eyes stood out against the pale white skin that had somehow paled since Bill's wedding.

But what really stuck out was the word carved in her forearm. "What the hell…"

"Charlie calm down."

"Who did this?"

Bill shrugged. "They haven't told us just yet, but it's not just these three. Luna Lovegood, Mr. Ollivander, Dobby, and a goblin from Gringotts."

Fleur moved aside and let Charlie sit on the bed, Hermione was almost skeletal beneath the blankets.

"We're gonna go check on the others." Bill said as he closed the door lightly behind him.

It was a few minutes later that Hermione started shifting around and slowly opened her eyes. "Charlie?"

"Don't move too much."

"What are you doing here?" Here hands were on his then pushing herself up. "When did you get here?"

Charlie wrapped his arms around her torso helping to pull Hermione to a sitting position. "I just got here a little bit ago, Bill flooed and told me I had to come over."

"I really didn't want you to see me like this."

He chuckled and kissed Hermione on the cheek lightly. "Don't worry about it, I'm just worried about you."

"I didn't give anything away."

"Don't think about that. There's no way any of us could have even imagined that you would be tortured."

Hermione relaxed just a bit, every muscle in her body ached and after being on edge for the last few months it looks as if it hurt.

"Just get some sleep, I'll be right here." Hermione wiggled back down under the covers and held onto Charlie's hand as she fell asleep.

A/N: I'm so sorry this too so long to get out for you guys and I'm sorry about how rushed it is. I'm finally getting to where I want this story to be and I hope you all enjoy it.