The characters and canon situations in the following story belong solely to JK Rowling. I am not making any money from the publishing or writing of this story.

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This is a gruesome and is the worst of it for the story.

You have been warned.

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Charlie carried Hermione straight into his bathroom once they arrived in Romania. Charlie was certain that he must have broken a couple of international wizarding laws by apparating so far with another individual but hopefully no one would notice.

All of the cuts and abrasions on Hermione needed cleaning and tending to. Hermione did not protest as Charlie gently lowered her into the warm water once the bath had been drawn. Charlie suspected that she was too far-gone to protest much except more pain.

The witch's body slowly relaxed in the soothing bath and after a few moments she was able to lay back and begin straighten her tortured body.

Hermione's hair still covered the majority of her face but Charlie noticed that her jaws were no longer clenched. Charlie excused himself to allow Hermione privacy to bathe. Hermione did not respond to his departure she seemed lost in the blissful feeling of the warm water.

Charlie listened for her voice as he did his best to clean up his flat. Household chores were always left until the last second before company rang the bell. Charlie firmly believed that it was a waste of time and effort to tend to things before it was absolutely necessary.

Once he changed the sheets on the only bed and put all of the dirty socks and boxers in the hamper his bedroom seemed presentable enough. He decided to work on the living room and kitchen after he had checked on Hermione.

Having not heard from her he gently knocked on the door and when she did not reply Charlie opened the closed door and called her name.

"Hermione may I come in?" Charlie's head peaked from around the door.

Hermione merely hum a response. She did not care about anything, as long he did not hurt her.

Charlie walked in and took a seat on the closed toilet seat. "Feel better?"

Hermione did not open her eyes she just nodded.

"I've brought some ointment for your bruises and another for the cuts and abrasions." Charlie held out two different jars.

Hermione opened her un-swollen left eye and looked at the proffered jars and then at Charlie.

Charlie felt an awkward pause and offered "I can help with the places you can't reach okay?"

Hermione's lips were bruised and puffy but she attempted a small smile of thanks.

The two sat in a comfortable silence until Hermione's fingertips seemed to be turning blue. The warm water had become chilled.

Charlie was about to suggest that she get out and he would help her dry off when Hermione turned her face and looked directly at him.

"Charlie," she said in a raspy strained voice, "do you have a camera?"

The question was a strange one but Charlie answered. "Yes, I do. Why?"

Hermione made an effort to sit up but the pain was too much. Letting a groan she sank back into the bath.

"I want you to take a picture of every cut, every bruise, every bite on my body. Someday, hopefully, maybe I can make him pay."

Charlie understood. "I will go get it once we have gotten you out the tub."

Charlie helped Hermione into the kitchen where the light was the best. She propped herself against the counter, standing was still extremely painful. Charlie photographed everything, her arms, legs, buttock, and where the bite marks were the worst her chest. Charlie captured with his camera the damage done to her neck and face also.

Tears poured down Hermione's face from the humiliation and the pain of standing. Charlie noticed her distress and put the camera down. "We are all done."

Hermione shook her head. "No, there is more."

Charlie felt the bile rising in his throat and quickly caught her as her strength gave out and she began to fall. Her knees buckled and Charlie glimpsed of her inner thighs.

"Merlin…Hermione!"

"Please Charlie, I need to lay down somewhere." Hermione was trembling in his arms as she tried not to cry out in pain.

Charlie carried her to the bedroom and once she was safe lying on the bed Charlie went back into the kitchen for the camera.

It took all of her concerted effort to pry her legs far enough apart for Charlie to see the full extent of the contusions. Charlie did not say anything while he finished photographing the extensive damage. He was fighting every impulse he had to throw the camera across the room and leave to find his brother immediately.

After the camera was put on the nightstand, Charlie pulled the sheet over Hermione and gently sat next to her on the side of the bed.

"Hermione did he rape you?" his voice throbbed with anger.

Hermione was sobbing. "No, we never had sex. He would punish me. He said I deserved it."

"Hermione, you do not have to tell me." Charlie could not imagine anyone hurting someone so brutally.

Hermione shifted her legs as best as her tortured muscles would allow her to not looking at Charlie, "He would force me, beat me until I would say that I needed to be punished." She was shaking with the effort that it took to speak. "He would make me beg for the punishment. I learned early on that if I did not do what he told me to the pain was so much worse."

Charlie's hands were clenched in the sheet gripping on to them to maintain some sense of control. "You don't need to talk about it."

Hermione kept on as if she did not hear what Charlie said. "He said I deserved and needed to be treated like the whore that I was. I am not a whore Charlie; I did not deserve any of it!"

"He said he was preparing me and forced me to spread my legs. If I didn't move quickly enough he would beat me until I did. He used his wand to curse me…down there…he said he did not want taint his hands with my filth. I think he lived for my screams. He said that a good whore did not need to feel anything but pain. He cut me, he threaten to shred me so I would never feel anything but pain."

Charlie ran for the bathroom and Hermione sobbed as she heard Charlie get sick. Hermione hoped she would never have to move again.

Charlie washed out his mouth and stared at the running water, he did not know what to do. His brother was a demented man. No one should get away with what Percy did to his own wife. After taking a couple of deep breaths Charlie went back into the bedroom. Hermione had turned slightly and was looking at the wall.

Charlie coughed as he entered and Hermione looked at him. "I am sorry about getting you involved in this. He is going to kill me someday."

Charlie picked up a blanket and wrapped it around her. "No, he won't. Try to get some sleep. I promise that you are safe here with me."

Hermione nodded and closed her eyes.

Charlie spent the next hours writing down everything Hermione had told him and the circumstances in which he had found her in the townhouse. He wanted documentation to corroborate the photos. Maybe someday Hermione would get justice.

When he was done the sky outside of his flat was dark, Charlie stretched out on the sofa and fell asleep.

The sunlight streamed through the open curtains of the window and covered Charlie's face. It was the tapping on the window that woke him up from his sleep. Opening the window and untying the note from the owl, Charlie walked to the kitchen to put a kettle on and figure out what there was make for breakfast. As the water came to a boil Charlie opened the note, it was from his mother.

Charlie dear,

It is with great sorrow I must tell you that there has been as terrible accident. Percy and Hermione's townhouse was destroyed by fire yesterday. There was no sign of Hermione, but Percy is certain that she was in the house at the time of the fire. The fire was so intense that everything was reduced to ash. There is no hope for our dear girl. Percy is planning a memorial service for tomorrow at noon. Please come home as soon as you can.

Mum

Charlie could make out the tearstains on the parchment. His mother's tears shed for a daughter taken away. Charlie felt torn, his family was grieving for the loss of Hermione and yet he knew the truth that she was safe here with him. Charlie needed to talk to someone his mind shout Ron. He was Hermione's best friend. Maybe together they could decide the best course of action.

Charlie reread the letter and thought. His mother had asked him to come back to the Burrow straight away but Charlie did not want to leave Hermione. He would go back just in time for the memorial. Somehow he would find a way to have a private conversation with Ron then.

Hermione's eyes blinked at the sun. She was awake and stiff but there was no new pain. For the first morning in six weeks she hadn't started the day in excoriating pain. It took her a minute to remember where she was.

She heard a chuckle then a voice say "Morning sunshine!"

She internally cringed and tried to shield her face from the blows that she was expecting. When she did not feel strikes she looked up and saw Charlie looking down at her.

Charlie pushed her hands down, "I am not going to hit you, I promise, you are safe. I brought you some breakfast."

Hermione could see that he was carrying a tray with a steaming cup and what smelled like oatmeal.

"Can you sit up?" Charlie asked as he grasped her shoulders to help her up. Her gasp of pain as she tried to sit told him she needed to stay on her back.

"Okay change of plans, how about I hold you up a little bit so that you don't choke."

Hermione nodded, the pain had shaken her.

Charlie gently raised her back slightly and helped her to sip the tea. It was the same tea that his mum had sent over last winter when he had mentioned having a cold. The smell reminded him of all the times he or his siblings were sick or hurt. They called this blend of tea 'Mum's Get Better Quick' tea. Charlie remembered from the previous day the horrifying extent of Hermione's injuries and he was amazed how brave she was being by simply trying to sit up.

"Hermione, Mum sent an owl early this morning. Apparently Percy is convinced that you are dead and already planning your memorial service. I thin I should go. It would look strange if I did not show up."

Hermione was quite.

"If you want I will stay here. I'll only go if you are strong enough to be alone for a few hours." Charlie did not know what to say next.

Hermione turned away from the tea and studied the wall. "Maybe it is better if everyone thinks I am dead…I am useless."

Hermione sobbed and Charlie held her tea cup and stroked her back.

Charlie cleared away the breakfast once Hermione had calmed down and came back with the ointments. He knew from experience that they had a sting at first.

"This might be uncomfortable but it will help you heal."

Hermione rubbed the ointment on the places she could reach and Charlie worked on her back, buttocks, and her legs. Hermione looked at Charlie. She was dreading the next step.

"I don't thin I can do it. It will hurt too much." She whispered.

Charlie knew of all the places hurt and in need of attention that area was the one in most need. "Hermione, I will do it. Grab a pillow and scream into it if you need to. I will be as gentle as I can…are you ready?"

Charlie took a deep breath. "Okay." He looked into her eyes. She was terrified.

He could hear her screams despite the pillow she held to her mouth. When he was finished Hermione lay against the pillows shaking.

Charlie was almost crying. "You okay?"

Hermione nodded.

"Do you want a t-shirt or something?" Charlie walked over to his drawers and started rummaging.

"Here try this on." He threw an old t-shirt that said 'Dragon handlers make fiery lovers!' on the front.

Hermione gave him a watery smile. "Really?"

Charlie laughed. "Old girlfriend present. Do you want a pair of boxers?"

Seeing the struggle she was having trying to get the shirt on Charlie decided to wait awhile on the boxers. "Here let me help."

Charlie slowly pulled the shirt over her head and down covering her chest. The evidence of her torture still made his stomach turn.

It was quite in the flat as Hermione napped. The ointments' analgesic effect was making Hermione sleepy and Charlie used the time to get caught up on his paperwork for the dragon reserve. It was after Charlie had convinced Hermione to try drinking some more tea and eat a couple bites of stew that he told her that he had to go into work for a short time.

"You will be okay. I won't be long and you have your wand. You will be fine." Charlie sounded like a clicking her or even worse a Weasley mum.

Hermione smiled. The ointment that they had applied to her face and lips had already reduced the swelling. "I will be fine, I am dead remember!"

Charlie smiled in return. "Back soon!"

Hermione settled on the pillows. If she stayed very still there was no pain.

Charlie was pacing like a caged animal in his boss' office. He only stopped when he walked into the opening door. He did not wait for Mr. Solomon, his superior, to sit down before he started speaking.

"I need at least four weeks off."

Mr. Solomon's face showed his astonishment at the request but did not say anything until he had sat down behind his desk. Charlie Weasley had worked as a dragon handler for him for over ten years. In all of that time he never took more than three days off.

"Well Charlie you have almost three months of vacation time saved up. Four weeks is no problem." Mr. Solomon cleared his throat and continued, "I read about your sister-in-law in the paper this morning. Dreadful business, please accept my sincere condolences."

Charlie did say anything for a long minute then in a low voice, "Yes, thank you."

Mr. Solomon stood up and offered Charlie his hand to shake. Charlie took the offer and then turned to leave. "I appreciate your understanding the short notice. Thank you."

Charlie was back before Hermione had time he place would be a shambles without me."

Hermione nodded her head knowingly. "I am sure."

The evening was spent with Charlie articles from both the local paper and the Daily Prophet out loud to a snoozing Hermione. As dinner time approached Charlie was abler to coax Hermione into sipping a chicken soup with a conjured straw. When she burped loudly as she finished Charlie laughed.

"That is the most I have eaten in weeks. Thank you it was wonderful!" Hermione's color looked better now that she had rested and eaten.

Charlie took all of the dishes back to the kitchen and when he returned to the bedroom Hermione was sound asleep. Charlie turned the lights down and closed the curtains before returning to the kitchen. Hs first impulse was to reach for a butterbeer but he thought better of it and pulled out the firewhiskey.

Tomorrow was going to be the memorial service and that meant facing his brother. Charlie knew he was going to be torn between killing Percy on the spot and protecting Hermione. Charlie pour himself a second glass of whiskey, it was going to be a long night.

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If you have gotten this far - thank you - for sticking with me. This is a story of redemption and romance, neither of which are for Percy.