I own nothing.
CHAPTER 17.
The morning of hermione's return to school had dawned, bright and sunny, a crying contrast to her mood, which was low. She hated to be parted from Char, with whom she had been inseperable for the last week, since the promise ring, they could always be found together, holding hands here, the light brush of lips there, full of the sickening affection of young love.
Needless to say they were mocked mercylessly by Harry, Sirius and the twins, the others however found themelves quite enamoured with the young couple. Even professor mcgonagall had smild at them softly, upon seeing them on one of her brief visites to Grimauld place.
The coupe in question rose extreemly early, to eat breakfast alone, or so thought the inhabitants of Grimauld place, who were unaware that they had never actually gone to sleep. Hermione had already packed, all she needed to do was change, and leave.
She sat on Charlie's lap, at the kitchen table, not eating anyting, with a mug of tea infront of her, leaning into Charlie's chest, eyes closed, memorysing his scent. Charlie seemed to be doing the same, with his nose hidden in her curls, fingers lightly stroaking the soft skin on her arms, or pulling gently on one of her ringlets.
Nobody interupted them, not even fred and George, who instead of staying in the flat over their shop the night before, had come to be part of the guard taking Harry to kings cross. Everyone let the young couple say their goodbye's, for what was sure to be a very long few months untill the christmas break.
Only when she couldn't put it off any longer, did Hermione move to chage, sighing, she kissed charlie's hand, and left the room, Ginny in toe.
"It's not forever Mi. You'll be together again before you know it." The vivacous red head said softly, Hermione just nodded, willing herself not to cry.
She dressed comfortably, in a matching set of gream silk underware, she donned a cream silk floral skirt, that fell to her knees, leving her leggs bare, and a soft cream silken blouse, which she tucked into the waist band, emphasising just how small it was with a tiny leather belt, with soft flat brown leather ankle boots, and little cream socks that showed about an inch above the boots, making her leggs look miles long, she looked so delicte, like a flower.
She pinned back a few curls from the front of her face, using a little chrystal flower clip, like the one she had made for Fleur, leaving the rest of her lushous ringlets tumbling free.
She didn't need a jumper in the last of the summer heat. With a flick of her wand, she packed the remaining things into her trunk, then after checking the room one last time, for any forgotten items, sent it to await her in the hallway, then doing the same with Ginny's.
Everyone was gathered in he hall, ready to go, by the time the two girls reached the ground floor. Hermione went to stant next to Charlie, with whom she would be apparating to Kings Cross, he grasped her hand. Once everyone else had paired off, and gone ahead of them, including lupin and Tonks with the luggage, Charlie turned to her.
"Ready?"
She nodded.
Together they walked into the sunshine of the London subburbs, walking a short ways, before Charlie pulled Hermione into the circle of his arms, resting his chin on her head, and apparated them to Kings cross.
They arrived at platform nine and three quaters moments after Harry and Sirius - in animagus form- along with Mr and Mrs Weasly. Ron, Ginny, Fred and George, where aready waiting for them. Walking hand in hand, they strolled over to their family, Hermione studiously ignoring the gaping men around her, not to mention the whisperes that followed.
Lupin and Bill helped the students to load their luggage onto the train, then went about saying their goodbyes, with promisies to write to Sirius with any funny story's or interesting happenings, and behave for Molly.
Hermione saved her goodbye to Charlie for last, most people had already boarded the train, turning to him with shining eyes, they embrace, holding eachother tightly. He pressed the sweetest of kisses to her lips, pressing a letter into her hand, which she stuffed into her skirt pocket.
"I love you, and i'll see you soon." He rumbled into her ear.
"I love you too Char." she replied, before running to catch the now steaming train, she lept aboard, and stood by the window, inbetween Harry and Ginny, Ron having dissapeared.
The last thing she saw after rounding he corner, was Charlie rubbing his chest, just over his Heart, Hermione unconsiously mirrored his movements, as Ginny gently pulled her to find an empty compartment.
On the platform, Charlie was rubbing his chest, trying to dull the ache that had manifested there. Bill was atching his little brother sadly, remebering only to well the pain of separation, btween himself and Fleur. He clapped his little brother on the back.
"C'mon Char, It's not forever." He said bracingly, throwing an arm over his shoulders and pulling him towards the barrier once more.
"Feel's like it." Charlie mutterd glumly.
"Blimey, you have got it bad." Was Bill's observation. He sent his brother a calculating look. "Where were you last night, don't think I didn't notice an empty bed." he said shrewdly.
"With Mya, and before you say anything, not like that." Charlie glaired at Bill, who raisd his hands in surrender, chuckling to himself.
"You can't blame me for thinking it, an empty bed, after you give the girl a ring...get serious Char." He watched Charlie intently, waiting foe an explanation.
"The ring wasn't like that either, well not officially...yet, I think we both knew though..." Chalire trailed off, remebering the breathtaking smile on his love's face when she had agreed to wear his ring.
Bill was nodding, he too was sure that it was only a matter of time for the couple. He had watched them both dance around this for ages, since the first time they had met even. Though then there had been the age issue. But with the never ending letters to eachother, Charlie and Hermione had become best frineds to eachother, maybe even more.
"C'mon, once we get back, you can write her a letter." Bill teased, only to stop when Charlie flushed pink.
"Ughhh, you've gon soft." Bill complained, watching his six foot tall, burly dragon taming brother grin goofily, and shrug.
Hermione was not blind to the open mouthed staring that followed her as she travelled down the train, nervously playing with Charlie's ring on her finger she tried desspiratley to ignore the onlookers.
She moved to stand closer to Harry, who was glaring openly and some boy's as they passed. Finally they came agross a compartment housing only Neville Longbottom and Luna Lovegood, both of whom looked up, and smiled at the arrival of their friends. Upon seeing hermione both stared.
"Hermione?" Neville asked, sounding so shocked, that Hermione thought she should be offended, "You look nice." He finished sweetly, causing Herminone to smile warmly at him.
"You look diffrent," said Luna pensivley, as if trying to suss out what had changed, then she gasped, it was like watching a lumos go on over her head. "Your aura is brighter!" She said matter of factly, causing everyone to laugh.
"I came into my Veela heritage over the summer." Hermione explianed, peddling the official story, the one made to be balevabe by using just enough of the truth, without mentioning her true idedntity.
"I thought you looked diffrent, that would expain it." luna said, without a hint of irony, causing neville to shake his head, before going to talk to Harry about is summer. As soon as Hermione sat down, she pulled out Charlie's letter, curling up against the window to read it, tucking her leggs beneath her.
Dear Bookworm,
I thought I would start the ball rolling, and send the first letter with you, this way you can reply straight away. My GOD, I've gone soft.
After writing to you nearly every week for two years, you'd think this would be the easiest letter i've ever written. Well it's not. Having you with me for so long has spoiled me, and now I don't know how i'll cope with just letters again.
I'm heading back to Romania tomorrow, so i'll have my Dragons again, I'll say hello to Aput for you, but it's a poor substitute, just as unique, but no where near as beautiful, or funny as a certain bookworm I know.
Im missing you already, and you're the floor above me as im writing this!
When DID I go soft?
I'll be counting down the days until christmas break, until i see you again.
All my love, Bookworm.
Charlie xxx
Hermione finished her letter, then read it again, bringing the parchment to her nose and inhaling, perhaps she was imagining it, or it was whishfull thinking, but to her, the page smelled of pine and fresh air, like Charlie. Carefully folding the letter once more, she placed it in her pocket, smiling.
The journey for the most part, was a quiet one, which Hermione spent reading, whilst absentmindedly twirling the ring on her left hand. It wasn't untill lunch that a disruption came, in the form of Hermione's dorm mates.
The dinner trolly had just left, and Hermione was absentmindedly nibbling on a sugar quill, reading her book, when;
"Oh my god it's true." Lavender screeched harshly, staring incredulously at Hermione, who had frozen withe the sugar quill still in her mouth.
"Did you charm yourself hot or something?" Came Parvati's genuinley curious, if extreemy tactless question. Hermione scowled, pulling the sweet from her lips.
"No." said Hermione flatly, whilst Ginny beside her bristled.
"She's veela you air heads." The red head said smuggly, causing both girls eyes to snap to her momentarily, before zoning in on Hermione as if trying to see through her.
Embarassed, Hermione huffed, wishing she hadn't pinned back the front of her hair, so that she could hide her face. Bringing the quill back to her lips, she had just closed her mouth only to jump a foot in the air, and almost choke on the sweet, when the two girls screamed. She looked about the cabin, expecting to see a dementor, or at the very least a spider.
"IS THAT A RING?" They screamed, grabbing her hand, and examaning the diamond.
"Who, when?" they fired questions at her.
"Charlie Weasley." Harry grunted from across the carrage.
"The dragon tamer? The dreamy one from the first task?" Parvati qualified.
"The tall, musculy one, with the tattoos...?" Lavender aksed, her eyes glazing over.
Hermione nodded. They screamed again, causing the occupants of he compartment to flinch.
"Good on you Granger, didn't know you had it in you." lavender smirked, she then dragged her fellow harpy out of the compartment, no doubt to tell evrybody what she had just learnt.
Hermione looked at Ginny, in slight shock. Ginny just shook her head muttering, "Nutters." Much to the others agreement.
After the olsen twins had left, Hermione spent some time penning a reply to Charlie, telling him about the reaction to her ring, and that people remebered him as 'the handsome dragon tamer.'
She told him she missed him, that she would be thinking of him always, then signed with kisses.
"Harry, would you pass Danu please?" Hermione asked, sealing the letter as she spoke.
"Bilmey you've got it bad. You saw him less than three hours ago." Harry pointed out, whilst retreaving the owl from her cage.
"Thanks." Was Hermione's reply, as she pointedly ignored Luna and Ginny's 'Awwwwing'. Hermione watched her letter fly into the distance, before starting a conversation with Neville about OWL reaults.
"I was pleased with Herbology, and charms, and DADA was good, thanks to you, but I'm not sure about transfiguration though..." he was saying as the compartment door slid open once more.
Draco Malfoy stood there, sneering, flanked by the rediculously enormous Crabbe and Goyle.
"Well well, Potty and the..." he trailed of when his eyes fell on Hermione. He stared slack jawed, his eyes running Hermione from top to bottom then back again, she bristled silently.
He blushed slightly pink, and the smug smirk dissapeared from his face, to be replaced with a charming smile. His back straightened, to emphasize his narrow yet musculed frame.
"Good God Granger, did you sell your soul to the devil?" He asked, only half jokingly, seeming curious as to where these looks had appeared from. Hermione almost chuckled, at least that one was origional, and not nealy as insulting as her dorm mates had been.
"She's a Veela." Came Luna's dreamy voice. Malfoy's eyes widening in shock, seeming to realise that he would have to find something else to call her now that 'mudblood' no longer was appropriate.
He also seemed to realise that this made her 'worthy' in his eyes of his attention. The smile on his face turned seductive, and he raised an eyebrow questioningly at Hermione.
"Shove off Malfoy." Came Harry's angry reaponse, the three boys however didn't even notice him, all still staring at hermione.
It was like Ron all over again, she thought glumly, as the three started to advance on her, obviously not posessing enough of their facaultee's to realise there where five members of Dumbledoree's Army against them. And unlike with Ron, Hermione had no qualms about blasting these men away.
They where blasted away by five diffrent hexes, sending them slamming, unconsios into the trains passage way.
"Now what's going on here?"