I own nothing.
CHAPTER 11.
Bursting into the room that harry shared with Ron, revealed four extreemly angry men. Ron had angry whelts on his face, though inflicted by whom, Hermione couldn't tell.
"What the hell is wrong with you? That girl has saved your arse more times than I can count." Harry was yelling. "And if this is all because she's a 'filthy halfbreed', then she's a much better person than you'll ever be!" Harry glared murderously.
"What's your problem Ron, you never had a problem with Fleur being part veela." Ginny spat in desgust at her brother.
"Not to mention without Hermione you would have failed out of school by now." said an uncharacteristically angry fred.
Hermione was about to intervene, but george stopped her, "No Mya, he talks to you like you're dirt, and treats you the same, always has."
"Not anymore," said a resolute harry, "We're just sorry it took us five years to put a stop to this." he said, ashamed.
"None of you gave two shits before." Ron shouted angrily, "Just because she's shaggable now." He finished nastily, glaring at Hermione as if she were all that was wrong in the world. Hermione recoiled like she'd been slapped.
The room froze, looking at a stricken Hermione, who was now staring at Ron silently.
Ginny was the first to move.
"Thank you Sirius." she said calmly.
"For what sweets?" he asked, confused.
"For teaching me how to punch." She said simply, before halling off and hitting her brother.
Sirius stared at the little red head in shock, before looking at Bill and Charlie, as if asking them if the where gonna stop her, they both shook their heads, glaring at their youngest brother as if they wished they could hit him themselves.
Sirius then lept forward, grabbing Ginny about the waist, and lifting her away from Ron, who was now cowering slightly.
"Nice hit lil bit." Sirius said proudly, Ginny just grinned smugly in response.
Hermione looked up from her place in Fleurs arms, after the comment on her 'change', Fleur had moved to hold the young Veela she had come to think of as another sister, stroking her hair gently, murmuring to her in French.
"Why Ron?" she asked quietly.
Ron glared at her.
"You always thought you were better than me didn't you?" he asked spitefully.
"You where supposed to be the one thing worse off, nothing but a bushy haired, buck toothed mudblood." He said, much to the desgust of all listening. Mrs Weasley was now crying softy into her husbands chest.
"Malfoy was right. You were only ever good for one thing to begin with, something to keep that mouth of yours from talki..."
The rest of his speech was lost, because after the final insinuation, Charlie had snapped. Flying at Ron, he cut quite the impressive figure, and could inflict much more damage than ginny.
It took bill, Sirius and remus to pry the dragon tamer of his brother, but Charlie still didn't calm, that is, not until, Hermione went to stand in front of him, wrapping him in her harms, and hiding her face in his chest. He slowly calmed, hugging her back, and burying his nose in her hair, inhaling deeply.
"On ne moy brat." Charlie swore solemnly into hermione's hair, purposfull so that only hermione could understand him.
(He is no brother of mine.)
"Don't say that." Hermione chidid softly into his chest, hugging him tighter.
"If everyone would be so kind as to leave, we need to have a few words with our son." said Mr Weasley, looking angrier than Hermione had ever seen him.
They all left Ron to the fate of his parents choosing. They retired to the kitchen once more, where fleur busied herself making tea, and Ginny nelt in front of Hermione, where she was once again seated on Charlie's lap.
"Don't listen to him Mi." she instructed forcefully, "He's full of crap. You're better than that",
Hermione nodded to her best friend, smiling weakly.
They decided to change the subject, talking about the Twins joke shop, which would be opening in a weeks time. Charlie still seemed to be incapable of conversation, but quite contented to sit with Hermione in his arms, his face now burrowed into her neck, still breathing deeply. They both sat in comfortable silence, words not needed. Ever now and then, Ginny would send the pair a furtive glance, only to look away a few seconds later, smiling to herself.
Supper that evening was a particulaly dower affair.
After half an hour with their son, during which nobody heared any shouting, ( they discovered later that the door to Ron's room had been silenced and impervioused, for the extendable ears didn't work either) Mr and Mrs Weasley had emerged from the room alone. Shutting the door behind them.
Fred asked if they'd killed him, and seemed to only half be joking, Hermione and Harry exchanged worried glances, secretly wondering at the family's sanity.
Molly was not her usual chattering self, and even let Hermione and Fleur help her in the kitchen, something that George mumbled they should allert the media about.
Arthur Weasley was also quiater than usual, not involving himself in the conversation, and excusing himself as soon as his supper was finished.
After food was done, everyone disburst to do their own thing, keen to be away from the awkward atmosphere in the kitchen, but Fleur and Hermione again stayed with Molly, to help magically clean up. They had been working in silence for fifteen minutes when the tears started.
Hermione and Fleur had been expecting it, and Fleur went to shut the kitchen door quietly, to give them some privcy. While Hermione pulled the dish cloth from Molly's hands, and sat her at the aged kitchen table, flicking her wand behind her to start a pot of tea.
The two younger girls buisied themselves for a few minutes, letting Molly calm herself privatley, then sat opposite her, with three muggs of tea, and a plate of chocolate biscuits.
"I'm sorry dears." Molly sniffed sadly, but Hermione and Fleur were quick to quell that nonsense.
"Am I a bad mother, is it my fault?" She asked sadly, the look in her eye broke the young womens hearts. They both understood that all Molly had ever wanted, all she had ever strived for had been a happy family.
"Non." Fleur cried vehemantly.
"Never." Hermione was in solemn agreement with her almost sister.
"I can't help but wonder. First Percy, now Ron." She shook her head, gazing unseeingly at her mug of tea. "I can't help but feel, that if we had done something diferently..." She trailed off.
The two young women looked at eachother, neither of them having ever seen the Weasley matrarch this unsure, or unsure at all for that matter.
Hermione tentativley began, "Mrs Weasley, I don't honestly belive there was anything you, or anyone, could have done. People are who they are, it's like Dumbledore said, 'we are born, not made', and it's our choices that define us, that show us who we really are." She paused, looking sadly at her magical mother for all intents and purposes.
"With Ron, he's always seen things a certain way, and once he had his impression, there's nothing anyone could do to change it." She said carefully, not wanting to make matters worse.
"And with Percy...I think things will just take time, it's harder to forgive someone for being right, than for being wrong." Hermione said simply, patting Molly's hand gently.
Fleur was nodding next to her, agreeing wholeheartedly. She was glad Hermione had clealry articulated her feelings, something she wasn't quite beave enough to do yet, not to her soon to be mother in law.
"When did you two become so wise. You grew up when I wasn't looking." Molly gave a watery chuckle, whiping her eyes on her apron, before taking a sip of her now cool tea.
"It's a veela thing." Fleur joked, making the other two giggle. It had been a running joke between the women since their shopping trip, when Hermione had learned about her 'new' aelf. Since then, anything new or different was dubbed 'a veela thing'.
They moved the subject onto safer climbes, Fleur's wedding. She and Mrs Weasley bonded over flower arangements, as one does, and Hermione sat back and watched happily, glad that some good had come from this mess after all.
Hermione cought Charlie on his own later that evening, to thank him for standing upfor her, against Ron. She had left Mrs Weasley and Fleur together in the kitchen, they had all been talking amiably in there for over an hour, so she figured it was safe to leave them alone.
She stuck her head through the living room door, only to find it empty. The same could be said for the library, and the front parlour. She was walking along the first floor landing, when she was grabbed from behind, and pulled behind an anchient tapestry.
Her heart nearly beat through her chest as a hand covered her mouth, and she started squirming violently, only to have large arms wrap firmly around her, pinning her to a heavily musculed chest.
"Shhhh, It's only me!" Charlie whispered into her ear, and she went limp with relief. Charlie losened his grasp, and removed his hand from her mouth.
"Bloody hell Char, you scared the living daylights out of me!" She whisper shouted at him, turning to look up at his face, poking him in the stomach for good mesure.
Charlie just chuckled down at her, and cought the hand poking him, trapping it inside his larger one, and holding it flat against his heart. Hermione could feel her pulse beet in her chest, growing faster as she looked up at the handsome dragon tamer.
Charlie smirked at her, knowing that he had once again rendered her speechless, he purposfully took a step closer to her, his chest flush with hers, and her back pressing into the wall behind her. He leaned forward, bowing his head so that his lips were inches from her ear, and she could feel his breath on her neck.
"I just wanted to make sure you were ok...after earlier." He said huskily, the low rumble of his voice making Hermione shiver, something Charlie noticed. He smirked down at her, watching the blush blossom on her face and neck, he traced it's progression with fether light touches of his fingers.
Hermione's head was spinning, her breathing had become shallow, and her eyes zeroed in on Charlie's lips. She licked her own subcontiously.
"Well...?" Charlie purred. His fingers sliding along the column of her neck, and into her dark hair. He pulled teasingly on one of her curls, sending tiny shocks of pleasire through her, reducing her to a trembling mass beneath his fingers.
What? She thought, wracking her brains, trying to remeber exactly what Charlie had asked her.
"I'm fine." She said, her voice higher than usual, there was a grin tugging the corner of Charlie's lips. She cleared her throat and tried again.
"I was coming to find you actally." Hermione said, trying desparatley not to stare at his mouth.
"Oh?" He asked, his voice so low that it was mearly a whisper across Hermione's skin, she shivered again.
"Hmmmmm." She said weakly, now extreemly thankful that there was a wall behind her, to hold her upright. "I was coming to say thank you...after earlier." She whispered, her eyes now squeased tight shut, as Charlie's head dipped lower still, running his nose up the length of her throat.
"You're welcome sweetness." He murmered, his nose brushing the curls by her ear, and Hermione could feel his lips moving against her jaw as he spoke.
Her hands were grasping Charlie's shoulders, and her head was leant back against the wall, brazenly baring her throat to him. Charlie's deep chuckle rumbled through the small alcove in which they hid. His hands were on the wall, on either side of her head, effectivley caging there, completley at his mercy.
He hovered over her throat, teasing her, loving that she was falling to pieces before him. Then, he very slowly, brought his lips to the juncture at the top of her neck, just below her ear. Hermione whimpered.
He only kissed her once, the faintest brush of his lips against her soft skin, before pulling back. Hermione's eyes were still squeased shut, and when she opened them, he had gone.
Her knees gave up, and she slid down the wall, landing on the carpeted floor in an ungracefull mess. She was gasping for air, and extreemly flushed. She brought one hand up to touch the spot Charlie's lips had kissed, and a small smile lit her lips, as her eyes closed, and her head fell back against the wall once more.
Charlie slipped from the alcove, across the hallway and into his bedroom, as silently as possible. He shut the door behind him, closing his eyes, and letting his head fall back against the wood. The image of Hermione, head back, eyes closed, and her lip slightly parted in pleasure was burned onto the back of his eyelids.
He straightened up, intent on taking a very cold shower. Only when he opened his eyes did he notice that the room wasn't empty. Lying on his bed, smirking, was Bill.
"How was it then?" He asked expectantly.
"You're turning into Mum." Charlie grumbled as he moved away from the door.
Bill just snorted, "Brilliant then." He said, that maddening smirk still in place on his face.
"Like you don't get all soppy over Fleur." Charlie shot at his older brother. Bill gaped slightly. He had known that his little brother liked Hermione, but he hadn't realised it was that strong.
"That serious?" Bill aksed, shock evident in his voice.
Charlie sighed, and raked his fingers adjitatedly through his hair. "I'd chose her over dragons." He finally admitted, sounding as if the truth scared him, which in all honesty, it did.
"Blimey." Was Bill's faint reply, he never though her would see the day. Bill got up from his bed in silence, and clapped his brother on the back, before leaving Charlie to his thoughts.
About a week later, Hermione awoke to a splitting headache, an aching back, and the worst abdominal cramps she had ever experienced. Groaning she rolled onto her side, curling into a ball, hugging her knees to her chest, and waiting for the sweet release of death.
"You ok, Mi?" Came Ginny's sleepy voice from the next bed, Hermione just groned again, before sitting bolt upright in bed, her hand clamped over her mouth, and streaking towards the bathroom, where she promptly threw up violently.
"Bloody Hell, are you alright?" Ginny called, rushing after Hermione, and pulling her hair from her face as she heaved repeatedly. When the nausea passed, she collapsed back against the claw footed bath tub, pale and clammy, and shivering from head to toe. Her head fell back against the tub, she was to weak to support it at the moment.
Ginny went for a damp cloth, which she lay on Hermione's foarhead, looking at her with concern and sympathy.
Hermone just whimpered as the cramps in her stomach flaired again, and she brought her knees viciously to her chest, squeasing her eyes closed and biting on her bottom lip hard enough to draw blood.
"Blimey, Fleur wasn't joking about the time of the month stuff." Ginny mumbled, rubbing Hermione's back soothingly. Hermione managed to shake her head grimly, her eyes still shut tight. She thought she might cry, her eyes were wattering as Ginny went to put more water on the wash cloth, she was running a temrpature too.
There was a nock at the door, followed by a concerned, "Is everything allright?" From Bill, who must have heared Ginny's concerned shouting. When neither girl answered imediatley they heared the door open, and Bill, Fleur, Charlie and Sirius came in, looking about concernedly.
They all gasped and looked paniked when they saw a pale, weak obviously sick Hermine on the cold tile floor, with a bloody bottom lip, curled into a small ball and whimpering, Ginny smoothing her hair softly.
"Oh, Cheri." Fleir said sympathetically, understanding lighting her face. She imediatley ushured the concerned and confused weasley men and Sirius from the room, promising that everything would be fine.
"Eet is ze first month since your change." Fleur said, more to herself than anyone else, Hermione nodded though.
"Will it always be like this." She whispered pathetically, looking at Fler through big, pined eyes.
Fleur cringed, and looked pittyingly at the mess of a girl, curled into a ball on the floor. Hermione groaned, knowing the answer. Fleur gave her a bracing look, before instructing her to take a bath, then dress and come down for breakfast, hermione nodded, and Fleur left to fetch some provisionals.
Getting shakily to her feet, hermione waved her hand at the bath tub, filing it, hoping it would help relax the muscules in her tummy. Ginny handed in her wash bag, and some comfy clothes to change into, before grimaging sympathtically once more, and leaving the room.
Hermione took a long bath, washing her hair but mainly letting the hot water relax her. The room was dimly lit, and so did wonders for her aching head. She also learned that she didn't feel quite so sick if she stayed still.
Hermione got from the bath reluctantly, only once the water had gotten cool. She magically dried her hair and body, before pulling on some underwear, scowling hatefully at the little blue sanitry towel packet as she did so.
As she pulled her hair into a messy bun, she burst into uncontrollable, hysterical giggles, and had no idea why, or what was so funny.
Hermione almost burst into tears when she saw the clothes ginny had chosen for her, soft, three quater track suit bottoms and a lose t-shirt, her friend was so thoughtfull, she thought emotionally.
"Bloody hormones", she grumbled as she then dashed back into the bathroom, and vomited again.
She grumbled as she washed her face again, and brushed her teeth vigerously, riddng her mouth of the achrid taste.
Looking in the mirror, she stared, she had been extreemly pale and had dark circles under her eyes before her bath, but to her constanation, she now looked stunning. Her cheeks where flushed pink and glowing, and her curves seemed to be more eveident, the swell of her breast and curve of her hips more defined, almost like she was bloated...but possativley. There was also a wild sparkle in her jade green eyes, she looked gorgous, even as she scowled.
"Bloody veela," she grumbled this time.
She shuffled to the kitchen, scowling at inanimate objects as she passed, occupants of paintings hurried from their frames as she looked at them, she even made one painting of an elderly witch faint!
She arrived at the kitchen, grumbling in fluent russian under her breath, some of her choice explenatives making Charlie's eyes widen, to be greeted by a sympthetic looking fleur, who handed her an enormous box of chocolates knowingly, and pulled her into a chair, placing a large mug of black tea before her.
Hermione beamed at Fleur, pulling her into a bone crushing hug, and peppering her face with kisses of gratitude. Fleur was laughing amusedly at the young veela, she'll get used to it, she thought.
Hermione ignored everything else, and focused on her chocolates, almost purring with contentment as she sucked on a hazel nut and praline chocolate delightedly, her pink tounge flashing over her lipps every so often, capturing the flavour. After a few chocolates she noticed that she was being watched hungrily.
Unbenownst to her, every man in the room had been watching, hypnotized, as she sucked the chocolates into her mouth, and then licked her lipps seductivley. Hermione looked around the room, her eyes falling on a giggling Fleur and Ginny.
"Stupid bloody veela hormones." She grumbled darkly, bringing her knees up to her chest on the wooden kitchen chair, and stuffing more chocolate into her mouth.
"Oui Cheri." Fleur nodded in agreement, watching hermione finish the first tray of chocolates, and move onto the second.
"This is rediculous, I was vomiting my guts up not fifteen minutes ago..." She grumbled, stuffing a chocolate in her mouth, then continued hysterically, "I'll be the size of a house." Hermione cried, but still stuffed more chocolate into her face, sucking on each of her fingers innocently, and making the men about her shift uncomfortably.
"No you won't, Cheri." Fleur chuckled throatily, "I do zees every month, ze extra 'ormones, zay burn ze callories." She said matter of factly.
"Lucky." Ginny whined, looking grumpy, Hermione and Fleur paused, looking at eachother, then Hermione wordlessly offered Ginny a chocolate, which she accepted, grimacing.
Hermione spent the next few days curled in a ball, ocassionally reading, or chatting, but she mainly ate chocolate, scowled and slept.
The entire house was on tenter hooks for the few days. None of the men, with the exeption of Bill, Sirius, Lupin and charlie would go near hermione unless they had to, affraid of upsetting her, and meeting the same fate of Mrs Black.
The twins had spent nealr three whole days i their room, too affraid to some out, so had Ron, but Hermione thought he might have been in his room regardless of her...erm...hormonal situation. Harry didn't stay in his room, but hid behind Ginny wenever he was in the same room as hermione, something shoe would have found funy, if it weren't for her scewed emotionall clock.
Even Mr weasley gave her a wide birth, something she put down to haveing six sons and only one daughter.
Molly had baked her a chocolate cake, at which Hermione had burst into tears, hugging the Weasley matriarch who patted her back bemusedly, while Fleur and Ginny fought giggles, they understood, but it was still funny to watch.
Bill was fine with her, because he had been with Fleur long enough to be used to the mood swings a veela suffered during this time of the month. Sirius had seen his fair share of hormonal women, and liked to think, that beacuse of his legendary charm, he coped well with these sorts of situatons.
Lupin had sufered mood swings with his lycanthropy for years, and so was sympathetic, plus he was so polite and sweet, that it was impossible for Hermione to snapp a him, even if she was feeling irattional.
And Charlie insisted that it would take more than a hormonal woman to scare him away. Plus, he liked that hermione became so cuddly during her moodswings.
Charlie had gone to find Hermione and Ginny for lunch later on the first day of her cycle, only to happen across them in their room where Hermione was hugging Ginny fiercly and refusing to let go.
"Please Mi, i need the bathroom." his little sister was whining, he chuckled deeply, leaning against the door frame.
"Everything ok?" He asked, taking in the cute little pout that appeared on hermione's face every time Ginny tried to move away.
"CHARLIE! THANK GOD." Ginny exclaimed in relief, grabbing him by the arm and yanking him, with surprising strength, towards a now pouting Hermione, who had been dislodged from her comfy hug.
Ginny pushed her brother at Hermione, and then dashed into the bathroom, shutting the door with a resounding snap behind her.
The two left in the bed room looked at eachother, Charlie grinned develishly, and Hermione flushed pink, dropping her eyes to the middle of his chest, unable to meet his gaze.
"I don't bite you know!" Charlie said huskily, pulling her gently against his chest, one large hand in the small of her back, "Well, not very hard, anyway." he whispered.
She looked up at him nervously from beneath her eyelashed, her hands were now braced on his broad chest, and she could feel her face burning.
Tentativley, she dropped her head onto his chest, sliding her arms down from his musculed front, and around his back, hugging herself to him shyly. He smirked into her hair and hugged her more firmly to him, one hand still on the small of her back, now rubbing soothingly, the other hand was playing with her soft curls.
Hermione closed her eyes against his chest, and relaxed into him, breathing through her nose, inhaling his musky scent, and enjoying his body heat burning through his t-shirt and into her skin.
Charlie hid his nose in her curls, and closed his own eyes, having never experienced such contentment. It moved him more than he cared to admit, standing with his little witch in his arms...HIS witch?
Ginny walked from the bathroom to find the two of them hugging, eyes closed, so she left them to it, doubting they had even noticed her walk past.
On the final night of her cycle, after supper, everyone had been chatting in the livingroom, and Hermione had all but curled up in Charlie's lap, resting her head on his shoulder and falling sound asleep, exhausted from the emotional strain of the past few days.
Bill grinned at him knowngly from across the room, as he gently shifted hermione so that he could cradle her more scurley to his chest, his nose inches from her sweet smelling hair. She mereley snuggled further into his arms, sighing happily.
"Zat shows great trust, for a veela!" Fleur whispered into Bill's ear, as the pair of them watched Charlie cradle Hermione against him, his nose trailing along her hair line, inhaling surreptisiously.
He had carried her to bed that evening, kissing her foarhead softly as he lay her down.
It may have been wishfull thinking, but he could have sworn she sighed a sweet, "Charlie." as he left.