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.
I am sorry this took so long, but the words of a very old joke 'The Fit Hit the Shan'. Thank you for sticking with me and I hope you enjoy.
To my dear, dear, real life friend Karen- I am so very glad that you like my writing!!!!
Despite all of her mental preparations, Hermione was trembling at the idea of walking into crowded court room. Facing the monster was horrible enough but the realization that there would be a full audience was unnerving. As she and Charlie prepared to leave Ron's and Monica's home for her first court appearance, Hermione had to fight the urge to back out of the proceedings.
"I don't think I can do it." She was whispering more to herself than to Charlie was she waited for him to find his jacket.
Hearing the fear in her voice upset Charlie more than the idea of seeing his brother again. Some where in all of the time they had spent together, Charlie had come to know that she was strong and brave, capable of true courage. Seeing the terrified shell of woman that he had rescued so long ago infuriated him. Nothing could be punishment enough for Percy.
"You know you can if for no other reason than you have to. You have to be strong and brave not only for yourself but for all the other women out there that can't. You alone can stop him." Charlie was standing directly in front of her. His eyes searched hers looking for the instant of recognition that she understood.
Hermione gave him a weak little smile. "I know, I know. I want to be the one that stops him! I will do it but I just don't have to enjoy the circus this is going to be."
Charlie wrapped her in his arms. "We will all be there next to you; behind you…we will be all over you."
"That sounds good…as soon as this is over I am going tell you Mr. Weasley exactly where I want you to be…" Hermione titled her head back to look at him and smiled when he smiled.
"Oh yeah, care to give us a hint?" Charlie pulled her flush with his body.
Hermione laughed and brushed her hips suggestively against his. "I think you already know."
Charlie growled and captured her lips with his demanding her full attention.
"Oi! I would tell you two to get a room, but we have to get a move on it or we will be late." Ron was
pulling on his robe and carrying Jane and her diaper satchel. "I will meet you with you both after I bring
the baby to Fleur's."
Hermione nodded the entire plan for the day and how Monica expected the trial to proceed had been discussed as soon as they had arrived the night before.
The hours after dinner had been devoted to Monica preparing Hermione for her testimony, urging her answer questions with a simple yes or no; the idea being to let Monica to do the majority of the talking.
The court date was public record and the public was determined to attend the proceedings. Charlie and Hermione arrived at the Ministry only to be stopped from making their way to the court room by a wall of people. Cameras were flashing and reporters shouting in their faces as they pushed and shoved their way through the mob. Hermione could feel her clothes being torn and her hair pulled as together they finally made their way to the elevators. Charlie shoved people out as the elevator doors closed.
A small sob escaped from Hermione's lips as the elevator began to move towards its destination. Charlie wrapped his arms around her and peppered her face with kisses.
"It will okay we will get through this…I am so sorry you had to…" the rest of Charlie's thought was lost as he found her lips and chose kissing over talking.
The occupied couple did not notice as the elevator stopped and the doors opened and closed multiple times. Only the persistent, small, wizened cough right next to their faces brought them back to their current situation.
After filling his oxygen deprived lungs, Charlie looked over Hermione's shoulder to see a very embarrassed wrinkle of a wizard looking up at him. "Excuse me young man, but it would appear that your young witch has suffered from a robe malfunction."
Charlie's brow wrinkled in concentration trying to decipher the wizard's meaning. Hermione turned her head to look over her shoulder to see who was speaking. The clouded blue eyes of the third person in the elevator were staring at her bum.
"EXCUSE ME!!" Hermione was horrified.
"My apologies dear lady, but I regarded it a lesser sin to make you aware of your…problem…than to let you possible walk off the elevator…ohm…shall we say…exposed." The ancient one was out of breath from the effort.
Charlie whipped Hermione around to look at her back. Exposed for the entire wizarding world to see was Hermione's choice for knickers that morning. The struggle in the atrium of the Ministry obviously resulted in a large tear in the back of Hermione's robes. Charlie groaned, Hermione had chosen his favorite pair, the lace covered black satin thong.
Hermione's hands were desperately trying to cover the over exposed display when the elevator came to an abrupt halt and the doors opened. Front of them were the doors to the courtroom, however between the elevator and the courtroom were approximately fifty people, reporters, photographers, family, friends, and of course Percy Weasley.
Hermione froze. This was her worst nightmare, the one where she always arrived for the first day at Hogwarts nude. She cringed as she realized that this was not a nightmare, but rather the most important moment in her life and her bum was hanging out for everyone to see.
Charlie couldn't move he knew he could stand behind her and protect for a while but they needed to fix this and fix it now. He needed Hermione to turn around so he could charm the torn fabric back together but she might accidently expose herself. He was still perplexed when they both heard the wizened cough again.
"If I may…" the wrinkled wizard whispered.
Hermione felt the robe swirl around her waist and tears filled her eyes. "Thank you so much, you have no idea how much…"
The wizard shuffled to the doors of the elevator to leave first. "Of course I do, the git husband of yours has been a thorn in my side for years. Questioning the correct method for measuring the thickness of dragon hide for gloves, please…" The wizard stopped and turned around to look back at Charlie and Hermione. "Please just put him in his place."
Charlie laughed. "We intend to. Thank you Mr. ?"
The wizard did not turn around but simply kept shuffling toward the hallway opposite of the courtroom. Hermione smiled as she saw the elderly man slyly make an offensive hand gesture when he passed Percy. No one else seemed to notice.
Monica rushed up to them and escorted them past the crowd of people waiting to be admitted to the spectator seats. Percy kept his distance but his eyes never left Hermione's face as they brushed past him into the courtroom.
The court room was silent. Hermione and Charlie walked in together, Monica leading the way down past the spectator seats to the tables directly in front of the judges. There were three empty chairs behind the judges' bench. Hermione swallowed hard. This was it.
Charlie as not allowed to sit with Hermione during the proceedings; he was allotted a seat directly behind her, but to far away to touch or speak to her. Every instinct was screaming for him to jump over the railing and hold her close. Instead, he simply sat quietly and waited.
Monica and Hermione were discussing their legal strategy in whispers when the room became silent. Hermione was the first to look up. Her eyes meet those of the monster and he walked forward and took his place at the opposing table.
Hermione wanted to look away, she knew she should look away but she became aware that Percy was mouthing or saying something to her. The courtroom had erupted into pandemonium, Hermione couldn't hear Monica next to her let lone what Percy was saying across the room. It took a minute for Hermione to realize what he was saying.
"I can't wait to punish you again." He was repeating it over and over again.
Hermione felt the sick rise in her throat. She looked at Monica and without any reservation she said, "I am ready."