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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Charlie walked into the Burrow kitchen and was at first confused, something wasn't right. He couldn't put his finger on what was different. It took a couple of deep breaths before Charlie realized the problem was the noise level or more precisely the lack of noise. His normally chaotic childhood home was eerily quite.

Making his way through the bottom floor of the Burrow, Charlie found his family and friends gathered in the living room. Percy, who was seated in the chair usually occupied by Mr. Weasley, appeared for all intents to be holding court. Charlie watched as Percy somberly greeted individuals as they approached him. His brother spoke in whispered tones as he accepted the offered condolences. Percy made an elaborate display of choking up when he mentioned Hermione's name and lower his head to hide his apparent tears when he wanted to finish the conversation.

Charlie struggled between his desire to thrash the pompous ass and his need to wrap his arms around the rest of his grief stricken family. His decision was taken away when Percy abruptly cleared his throat and stood up. He began addressing the gathering in a low dramatic voice. Charlie quickly tuned him out and began to study the faces in the crowd. Each one looked more devastated than the next with Ron looking the worst, the new father completely lost.

Charlie felt horrible; he could spare all of these people but he knew that Hermione needed time, time that just might give her justice.

When Percy finally finished his long winded speech, Charlie worked his way through the crowd to stand behind Ron. He had to make Ron understand that he needed to speak to him.

"Ron, I need you to listen to me, I need you to come with me now. It is very important that no one notice us leave." Charlie was whispering in his ear.

Ron turned to look at Charlie. "I can't leave, Monica and Jane…"

Charlie realized he was asking an awful lot of his brother. "I will ask George to watch out for them. Please Ron this is important. You know I wouldn't ask if it wasn't."

Ron did not answer. Charlie's face was set with determination when he spoke again. "Meet me behind the shed in two minutes."

Charlie turned and drifted toward George. By the time Charlie reached the shed, Ron was waiting for him.

"What the bloody hell are you up to?" Ron growled as Charlie placed half of the portkey in his hand and they disappeared.

Ron was screaming at Charlie as soon as they appeared in the flat in Romania. "What is going on? Monica needs me and you drag me here?"

"Ron is that you?" Ron stopped his rant when he heard her voice. He looked at Charlie and then ran toward the voice coming from the bedroom.

Ron halted at the side of the bed looking down at Hermione with tears covering his face. He was trying to make sense of what he was looking at. He was certain it was his dearest friend but her face was covered with cuts and bruises. Ron lunged toward her lifting her up in a tight hug. Hermione's small scream of pain caused him to startle and lower her back down.

"Hermione love I don't understand. Why are you here?" Ron was stroking her bruised face with the same care that he used with Jane.

Hermione was sobbing as she glared at Charlie. "Why did you bring him here?"

Charlie did not look remorseful. "Hermione, he of all people deserved to know that you're alive. I know you are angry with me but I had to."

Ron was listening to the two of them. "Would somebody please explain what is going on?"

Charlie watched as Hermione turned her face to the wall. "You rest and I will explain."

Hermione nodded.

Charlie reached out to touch her cheek and reassure her but she flinched at his touch. "Go to sleep, just rest he will be in the other room."

Charlie motioned for Ron to follow him into the living room, once they were alone Ron rounded on his older brother.

"What the hell is going on?"

Charlie handed Ron a copy of everything he had written down the first night, he also handed him copies of all the pictures.

"Read this and then these are self explanatory. I am going to check on her." Charlie left Ron to understand the horror that Hermione had been living in.

Ron sat in stunned silence for almost an hour. He only thing he could think was that this was his entire fault. If he had just married Hermione when they finished school, they would have been happy not in love but happy. The other thought that was swirling in the abyss of his overwhelmed mind was he knew she would never have married him.

Ron couldn't imagine hurting Monica, how could anyone hurt their love? As Ron worked through his progression of emotions he finally came to the desire to kill his brother Percy.

Pushing away from the collected evidence and walking back in the bedroom, he saw Charlie sitting next to Hermione whispering encouragement as he would with an injured animal. Ron stood at the door watching, of all the brothers that Hermione could have chosen why couldn't have been this one?

Charlie noticed Ron standing in the doorway. His youngest brother looked fifteen years older, his shoulders were stooped, his eyes red. Charlie understand the weight of Ron's knowledge, it was a very heavy burden.

"Could I speak to my best friend alone for a moment?" Ron's voice was thick with grief.

Charlie smiled down at the small figure in the bed and kissing her forehead he said, "I will be in the next room."

Hermione sighed and gave a tiny nod before her eyes turned to Ron. The realization of knowing that he now knew almost made it impossible for her to breath. Closing her eyes, she concentrated on taking deep breaths, forestalling an approaching anxiety attack.

She opened her eyes when she felt the bed shift and saw Ron sitting next to her. The face of her dearest friend had been replaced with a countenance of a man who experienced great sorrow. Hermione did not speak. Ron gently pushed an unruly curl from her cheek.

"I wish I could take all the pain away. You are the most incredible woman in the world."

Hermione's left eyebrow rose significantly at his statement. Ron rushed to amend is statement.

Realizing his faux pas, "Other than Monica…oh and Jane of course." He quickly added.

Hermione smiled. "Is my name sake beautiful?"

Ron laughed. "Well you know she is she looks just like her dad!"

There was silence until Hermione in a gruff tone said, "I'm not dying you know. Charlie found me. Otherwise I think he would have eventually killed me."

It was Hermione's horrible truth that she had known since her wedding night.

"I should have known something was wrong when you didn't come right away to see Monica and Jane. I feel like an idiot…I should have known." The anguish in Ron's eyes made Hermione look away as he clasped her hands in his.

"Hermione I am so sorry that he hurt you. No one deserves to be treated the way he treated you." Hermione turned to face her friend when she felt his tears on her hands.

Hermione smiled. "Tell me about the naming ceremony, did Jane cry?"

Ron knew that she was deliberately changing the subject. Ron began to describe in detail the day's events and the two talked until they had exhausted every possible detail about Baby Jane.

Hermione yawned behind her hand when Ron was finishing up the story of Jane burping up all over George's shoulder. When Ron checked his watch he realized they had been talking for the better part of the afternoon. Despite feeling torn between needing to protect Hermione and going home to his family, Ron did not argue when Charlie suggested that he take the portkey back. Indecision on his little brother's face made Charlie reassure him that Hermione was safe.

Charlie offered to owl Ron if she needed him. Ron was still wavering until Hermione between yawns said, "Go… go to Jane and Monica. I am better than I have been in a long time! Please give them both a kiss from me! Okay?"

Charlie stood up. "I'll walk you out."

Once the brothers were in the living room Charlie put a copy of the documentation in Ron's hand.

"Jus t in case he finds us…you make sure your brilliant wife gets these to the Wizengamot."

Ron understood Monica was the chief trial lawyer for the Ministry. "I promise but wouldn't be better just to murder the evil git in his sleep?"

Charlie looked at his brother. "Hermione deserves justice, killing him would be too good for him."

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Thanks for all of the encouragement. It is a difficult topic to write about thanks goodness I have no first hand experience only an over active imagination.

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