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CHAPTER 16.
The remainder of Hermione's stay at Grimauld place consisted of Order meetings, cleaning, and stolen alone time with Charlie. Any and every oppertunity they got, they would be found together, talking, laughing, holding hands, something that everyone else had noticed, but never openly comented on. They became eachothers confidents, trusting eachother with secrets and troubles they had never shared with another living soul. It would be something they would both greatly miss, once the summer holidays ended.
She and Charlie had not announced their relationship, for there was no need, it was accepted, even expeced by all.
Some had thought, like Sirius, that they were already an item. With them, it was natural, even though they were vastly diffrent characters, looking as if they came from two shockingly different worlds, with vastly diffrent experiences in life, the beautiful witch, and her rugged dragon tamer were mereley both sides of the same coin, they complimented eachother perfectly.
Mrs weasly was thrilled, and already in the process of planning the wedding that everyone, except the couple in question, seemed to know was coming.
So, when the book lists arrived, one week before this much dreaded sepperation was scheduled, nobody was shocked when Charlie volunteered as part of the group to visit diagon alley. He walked happily down the cobled street, holding Hermione's hand in his own, having eyes for no one but her.
His mere persance was enough to stave off a repeat of her last venture into public, nobody was going to cross the heavily musculed, six foot tall dragon tamer, who was covered in burns, scars and tattoos.
Once in diagon alley, the group split up, mrs Weasley going to get the books with harry - ron had been made to stay in grimauld place-, and mr weasley, whilst the girls and charlie went to get new school robes, something that turned out to be an unforseen trial for Hermione.
"Hogwarts dears...?" Madam Malkin asked Hermione and Ginny, she trailed off seeing the brethtaking witch before her.
"Yes please, ma'am." Hermione said politley.
Hermione had unforseen difficulties with her robes. Her new fuller figure ment that she looked older than even her real age, let alone the age she would be were it not for the time turner, she could quite easily be twenty, and as a result, dressing her in a school uniform looked..."Oh my goodness."
Hermione wanted to swear, but was mindfull of being in public. Ginny came over at the exclamation, and her eyes widened, before she burst into peels of laughter, bent double.
"Not funny Gin, I can't go to school like this...imagine the reaction." Hermione whispered hysterically, eys glazing in horror at the toughts of teenage boys seeing her like this.
"Oh honestly Mi," Ginny began exasparatedly, "It's not that bad."
Hermione eyed her reflection dubiously. Her white blouse was extreemly form firring, and had three quater sleves. The black skirt was pleated, which made it seem even worse than it was, and fell to about an inch above her knees, but with her long leggs, it seemd an awful lot shorted. She also had on white knee high socks, which she promised now that she would never wear again. Ever.
"Yes it is." She said flatly, looking back at Ginny who was purple in the face from her effort not to laugh.
Charlie had waited outside whilst both girls bought their clothing, and was surprised to see the dower expression on his girlfriend's face when they re-emerged.
"Whats wrong princess?" he asked curiously, much to his surprise Ginny began gigling. "Hermione's robes are slightly, well..." Ginny tried, trailing off.
"Oni zastavlyayut menya smotret' kak shlyukha?" Hermione supplied helpfully, which caused Charlie to choke in shock, his ears turning slightly pink.
(They make me look like a whore?)
"I was going to say tailored." Ginny said sanctimoniously, yeah right, Hermione thought huffily.
"Are they really that bad?" asked a now worried Charlie, who pictured hordes of teenage boys throwing themselves at his Mya.
"Yes." hermione grumbled, a adorable pout on her lips.
"Don't worry, she can take care of her self." said an exasparated Ginny, who, as usual, saw right to the root of the problem.
After meeting back with the others, who had everyone's books, they stopped at the apothacary, and then eylops, where Hermione purchaised her very first owl, to save her having to use a school owl in the future when writing to Charlie.
The owl she chose was stunning. She was a beautiful speckled grey colour, whith enormous jade green eyes. She decided to name her Danu, after a celtic legend she had read about as a child.
DANU (DAH-noo; Female): Where there is a father god, there is a mother goddess close at hand. Danu was the mother of the Irish gods, just as the Dagda was the father of the gods. She was the progenitor of the family of gods known as the Tuatha de Danann (meaning "Children of the goddess Danu") of which the Dagda was the leader. Naturally a goddess of Danu's stature ruled over many important things. She was a Moon goddess and held the secrets of sorcery and magic. It was Danu that bestowed prosperity and wisdom to those deserving such gifts. Considering her many exalted qualities, this is a name to reserve for creatures of a grand and august temperament, refined and matronly to the very end.
After eylops, Hermione went to collect some fresh quills and parchment, as well as to re-stock her potions kit.
Then Ginny and Harry, along with the elder Weasley's went to quality quidditch supplies, whilst Charlie dragged hermione off down a side street, telling his parents that they'd be back soon.
"I've got to pick something up." he said mysteriously.
They had come to a stop outside an ancient looking jewelars that Hermione had never noticed before, charlie held the door open for Hermione to go inside, a bell chimed as they reached the counter, herralding the arrival of he oldest witch either of them had ever seen.
"Good morning my dears, i'm Mistress Carriene, how may i help?" She smiled toothlessly at them.
"I'm here to collect an order, Charles weasley." Charlie informed her, his voice hinting at nerves, unless Hermione was much mistaken.
"Oh yes dear, one moment." The elderly witch tottered into the back, reterning a few moments later with a velvet box in her gnarled hands, which she handed to charlie.
"I'll be back in a moments." she said, sending Charlie a wink, as she once again hobbled from view.
Charlie turned to hermione, holding the box, opening it, to reveal a ring. Hermone's heart stopped.
"It's not an engagement ring," He said quickly, her heart dropped slightly, "Not yet anyway," he said, making her palms slick with sweat.
"Its a promise ring, of sorts, with us being so far appart, I wanted you to have something to remeber me by. And something to scare of any randy teenagers." he admitted, Hermione chuckled at this, tears brimming in her eyes.
"Will you waer it, and think of me?" he asked, his face unsure. Hermione merelery nodded, leaning on her toes, and kissing him passionatley.
When they broak appart, he slipped the ring onto the fourth finger of her left hand, where she examined it more closley. It was stunning, a beautiful diamond, not ostentatiously large, but noticable, - dragon taming was a dangerous job, and payed well- princess cut, and set in a plain gold band. It was simpe, ellegant, and she loved it.
"It's beautiful Charlie." She whispered, tearing her eyes from the ring, and gazing lovingly up at him. It was now that the shop keeper chose to re appear, tears in her sparkling wrinkled eyes, "Lovley." she said, "All the luck of the stars to both of you." The two smiled at her joyously, before thanking her, and taking her leave.
They walked back to met the others, charlie holding her left hand, running his fingers across the golden band on the underside of her finger. Hermione couldn't stop smiling feeling giddy, and she was drawing a lot of attention, her joy making her, if possible, even more georgus, she was radiant.
"Allright everyone, ready to go?" asked mr weasley cheerfully when they had all reunited once more. As they all dissaparated back to grimauld place Ginny was giving hermione a speculative look, to which she pulled a face that clearly meant, 'later.'
Ginny seemed to have a different understanding of this however, for the second they reached the houe, she dragged her to their room, barley giving her enough time to shoot Charlie an apologetic glance, to which he replied with a knowing smile.
"Show me." she demanded, as soon as their bedroom door had closed, hermione bared her left hand, and Ginny punched the air.
"It's not an engagement ring," she said, relating what Charlie had told her. When she had finished, both girls where whiping tears from their cheeks.
"You really like him, don't you?" Ginny sighed, a dreamy expression on her face.
"I love him, Gin." And she did, her whole world semed to now begin and end with Charlie weasly, and it was terrifying in the best possible way.
"I love you too, Princess." came a deep voice from the doorway, looking up, she saw charlie standing there, leaning against the door frame, nither girl had noticed him arrive.
They walked towards eachother, meeting in the middle of the room, "Really?" she asked, looking up at him.
"Really." he confirmed, placing a warm hand on her soft cheek, she leaned into it.
"I love you Char." she whispered, looking up into his deep blue eyes.
"I love you Mya." He rumbled back, thumb ghosting across her cheack, then he kissed her.
They kissed for minutes, or hours, days?...reafferming their love for one another, and only stopped when they became aware of sniffing behind them. Breaking appart, they saw Mrs weasley, with her arm around Ginny, both crying silently.
The couple blushed, and quickly move slightly away from eachother.
"Finally, took you long enough." Ginny cried, ruining the moment slightly. Mrs weasley scoled at her only daughter before turning to the other two,"I'm so happy for you both." She exclaimed joyously, Hermione and Charlie merley looked at eachother once more, happy.
On the final night of the summer holidays, Hermione made a show of going to bed with the others, she changed into her silk shorts and camisole, in jade green, the same colour as her eyes. She even got into bed, and wished Ginny a goodnight, only to sneak out again when the red head was snoring.
She crept along the hallway from her room, trying to be as silent as possible, and slipped into the bedroom next to hers, the room which she had changed into a gym.
There, leaning against a wall, waiting for her, was Charlie. A shy smile broak across her face as she shut the door behind her, and walked over to him. She took his hand in her own, and leaned up on her tip toes to brush their lips together. Charlie grinned against her mouth, and for the first time, the were both struck by just how hard these coming months would be, away from eachother.
Charlie pulled out his wand and conjured a big armchair in one corner of the room. It was red and gold, Hermione had to chuckle at the colours, it seemed you could take the boy out of griffyndor...
He pulled her over to the chair, sitting down and setting her sideways in his lap, so she could lean against him, but they could still see eachother ...and he could still kiss her.
"I'm really going to miss you Princess." Charlie murmered quietly.
Hermione shook her head, she didn't like that, it sounded like a goodbye, which this wasn't, they would see eachother again.
"I'll miss you too Char, but we'll write, and see eachother at christmas!" She said, her voice much stronger than she felt.
They both lapsed into a comfortable silence, each understanding that the other didn't want to draw attention to their looming parting.
Hermione was suddenly struck with an idea, with a wave of her wand, she summoned her magically altered Ipod, and headphones. Placing a bud into one of Charlie's ears, and one for herself, she turned the volume down to a comfortable level, and pressed play.
It wasn't the music she listened to when she was training, this was her classical playlist. All the musical pieces she had been tought to play on the piano by her grandmother, plus some others.
They listened to music all night, sometimes talking about light things, the dragon reserve where Charlie worked, his friends and collegues, he told her of a little snow dragon he had hatched, named Aput. They talked about Hermione's muggle family, places they had both viseted, or would like too.
Sometimes they kissed, hands exploring gently, arms entwining. And other times they just sat in silence, Hermione listening to Charlie's heart beat through his chest, against her ear. Charlie playing with the soft curls on the back of her neck.
Neither of them slept, not wanting to waste their time together, aware of every precious minute.
Hermione fought back tears as they watched the sun raise together, they had moved to the back porch by this point, both still in their pajamas. Charlie stood behind her, his front pressed solidly aginst her back, arms wrapped around her tiny waist, resting his head on her shoulder.
She snuggled back into him, laying her arms over his, and leaning her head back against his shoulder, closing her eyes, enjoying his warmth.
They stayed outside untill the sun had risen fully, and listened to the morning birds heralding the day.
They went back inside just as Mrs Weasley started to move about upstairs, not bothering to go back to bed and pretend to have slept. Hermione waved her hand in the direction of the tea kettle, starting it to boil. Charlie pulled out a kitchen chair, and aranged them both on it comfortably, pulling Hermione as close as they could get to eachother in public, and just held her, for as long as he could.