I own nothing.
CHAPTER 26.
It always amazed Hermione how much Weasleys could eat, she and Fleur watched in half amazement half horror as everyone put away third heplings of christmas pudding, after two helpings of christmas dinner with all the trimmings, and a full breakfast that morning.
"Zout allore." Fleur muttered.
Hermione nodded, "Where do they put it all?" she staged whispered, to the amusement of the room.
"I wish i could eat like zat." Fleur said whistfully, no doubt thinking of her figure for her coming wedding, Hermione only nodded her agreement, watching facinated as Ginny finally stopped eating, and leaned back in her chair, rubbing her distended stomach contentidly.
Later that night, found the occupants of Grimauld place in the living room once again. Molly and Arthur where waltzing happily to Celestina Warbek, and molly hummed along, her cheek resting on ther husbands shoulder.
Sirius had started a drinking game with the others, so far, Fred and George where slurring slightly, Harry -who had the alcohol tollerance of a thimble it transpired- was crashed out on the floor, by the fire. Bill and Charlie kept chuckling merrily to themselves, whils Sirius and Hermione shook their heads at the others weakness.
"How are you not trashed Mi? You've drunk more than Harry has." Questioned a hiccoughing Ginny, Fleur merely giggled drunkenly.
Hermione shook her head, "I don't drink wisky. I only ever drank Patron once before...i don't know, it's probably another veela thing,...plus, my uncle tought me the russian lifestyle, as well as the lanuage." She admitted sheepishly, causing the older in the room to whistle appreciativley. Sirius then summoned a bottle of Vodka from God only knows where, pouring shots for everyone.
After everybody's third, things deteriorated rappidly, Fleur and Bill where now huddled together in a corner, giggling together, while Lupin and Sirius kept declaring their love for one another.
Charlie, Fred and George where watching the others, laughing. Walking over to the three giggling red heads, hermione asked, "How much do you love me?"
"Why?" asked Fred, who seemed to sober momentarily.
"Because i've just heared some of fleurs nicknames for bill." she said, grinning evilly, make the others jeer loudly.
It took longer that usual to get everyone to bed that night, the twins kept getting confused, as to what they were ment to be doing, forgetting how to change their clothes without causing eachother injury, and at one point Bill apparated into a broom cuppord with no idea why or how, at this point Hermione took his wand from him for sake keeping.
It had fallen to Hermione to help Ginny to bed. Except the red head made a very excitable drunk, it had taken Hermione a solid twenty minute to get her into pajamas, and then bed.
Hermione had been half way changed herself, i.e in some silk shorts and her bra, when Ginny decided to go and play out in the garden.
"I want to build a snow man Mi!" She yelled over her shoulder as she made her escape.
"God damn it Ginny, it's not even snowing." Hermione yelled as she ran through the house after her young friend, still only half dressed.
Hermione made it to the kitchen just in time to see Ginny being cought about the waist by Sirius, who was chuckling.
"Got your hands full there kitten." he joked, as he pulled Ginny back towards their bed room.
Hermione huffed, and then blushed, remebering her state of dress. She grabbed an abandoned cardigan, Ginny's she thought, from the kitchen table, and wrapped it around herself the best she could.
"C'mon Gin, time for Bed!" Hermione told the red head, pulling her from Sirius' grasp, and starting up the stairs, a chuckling Sirius behind them.
"But i'm not sleepy!" She exclaimed loudly, pouting like a toddler, making Hermione and Sirius laugh quietly.
"Are you sure you're not sleepy?" Sirius said in a teasing voice, "It's been a very long day." he spoke as if to a child, making Hermione giggle harder, biting into her bottom lip.
Ginny seemed to think about it, pulling away from Hermione's grasp as she stopped to think.
"Naaahhhh, I think i'll go see Bill!" She exclaimed, diving into the room occupied by the oldest weasley boys before either Hermione or Sirius could stop her.
"No Gin, they'll be asleep." Hermione whisper shouted after her, but it was too late. From the room came two very tired, shirtless red headed men, towing their excited baby sister.
"Why?" Bill whined.
"She wanted to play in the snow." Hermione said dryly.
"But it's not snowing." Charlie pointed out. Hermione gave him a look that said, 'well I know that'.
Shaking their heads, the two boys each wrapped an arm around their drunken sister, and carried her off towards her room.
"Night Sirius." Hermione said over her shoulder, following them.
"Night Kitten." He replied.
When she arrived at her room, it was to find Bill and Charlie about an inch away from throttling Ginny, who was jumping up and down on her bed, giggling madly.
"Help." Bill begged her, wringing his hands together.
Chuckling, Hermione stepped forward, "What's it gonna take to get you to sleep Gin?" She asked tiredly, ready to give the girl anything she wanted by this point.
"Hmmmmmmmm." Ginny thought, halting her boucing, and flopping crosslegged onto her blankets, her hand stroaking her chin thoughtfully.
"Weeeeeeeell," she began, sending her brother's calculating looks, "WE COULD HAVE A SLEEP OVER!" She then exclaimed excitedly, the three of them groaned, and Hermione was sure she could hear Sirius laughing from the floor bellow.
"But Gin..." Charlie started tiredly, pointing to the two beds, he never got to finish though, for Ginny had started jumping on the bed again.
"FINE, FINE." The three of them yelled together, much to Ginny's delighted squeals, leaping from the bed onto Bill, hugging him fircley, he chuckled, hugging her back.
"She still the favourite sibling?" Hermione asked dryly.
"It's touch and go." Charlie mumbled, virtually asleep on his feet. Chuckling, Hermione steared Charlie towards her bed, laying him down. She then grabbed the rest of her night things and headed to the bathroom to finish changing, and to brush her teeth.
When she returned, it was to see three red heads, all sound asleep. Ginny was spread across her bed, with Bill hanging pricariously off one edge, the image made her giggle quietly, she quickly took a magical picture with her wand, setting it on the bedside table to show the others in the morning.
Charlie was lying on his side on her bed, also fast asleep, one arm stretched out towards 'her side'. She gigngerly climbed in next to him, nervous of waking him. He mearly wrapped an arm around her, and pulled her into his naked chest, snuggling deeper into the blankets, sighing contentedly. She blushed for a minute, before relaxing against his skin.
The last coherant thought she remebered, was wondering if a drunken Ginny was better or worse than a toddler?
Hermione woke up the next morning feeling extreemly warm. It took her a few moments to realise that it was because she was in Charlie's arms. Naked arms...he was shirtless, she remebered, her face burning.
At some point during the night they had both moved, so that now Hermione was lying across Charlie's chest, her ear against his heart beat, one leg thrown between the two of his, and one hand dangerously low on his abdomen, lying atop the sparce trail of hair leading...down.
Charlie had wrapped one arm around her back, so that a hand lay on the skin of her hip bone, where his fingers were now lazily tracing patterns. His other hand lay ontop of Hermione's on his stomach, weather to stop it from moving any lower, or stop it moving away, she wasn't sure.
She shifted slighlty, opening her eyes and tilting her head back to look up at him. He was already awake, and staring back at her, when their eyes met, he smiled woolfishly, pulling her closer to him. She blushed pink, and looked down, unable to look him in the eye, she could feel the deep rumbling laugh reverbarate through his chest beneath her.
She looked around, and noticed that Bill and Ginny were still fast asleep. At some point Ginny had won the fight for the bed, for Bill was now sprawled on his back on the floor, his mouth hanging open, snoaring loudly.
Hermione looked at him for a moment, and was overcome with a fit of the giggles, the big bad curse breaker had been thrown from the bed by his baby sister. She hid her face in Charlie's chest, trying to muffle her giggles some what, so as not to wake the others.
"Something funny, Princess?" Came Charlie's deep rumbly voice close to her ear. His breath against her bare skin effectivley stopped her giggles, as she blushed again, looking up at him shyly.
He smirked, "I love making you blush, it's become my favourite game." He whispered huskily, chuckling when she blushed on que. Hermione's breathing hitched, oh how he loved reducing this woman to mush.
His face was now inches from hers, and she was very aware of the fact that she was virtually lying on top of him. She met his eyes again, the laughter in them calling to her. She closed the gap between them, shimmying up his chest slightly to touch her lips to his.
He kissed her back, his tounge running across her bottom lip, then stroaking the inside of her mouth. She was now lying fully on top of him, the heat of his skin burning through her very thin silk camisole. Her hands wound into his hair, while his hands had landed on her hips, gripping tightly.
They were both startled back to reality by a particulally loud snore from Bill. They looked at eachother, both flushed and breathing heavily.
Charlie rolled them both, so that she was no longer on top of him, but tucked into his side, their faces inches apart on the pillow, facing eachother. He grinned at her, bringing a big hand up to straok her delicate jaw line, tracing down her neck.
She smiled back shyly, the remnants of her blush still warming her cheeks as she slid a hand up his musculed arm, to rest against the front of his chest, over his heart.
They stayed that way, having a whispered conversation untill Ginny woke, some twenty minutes later.
"Ow, my head." She moaned, making the two laugh, sitting up to get a better look at her. Her hair was all over the place, and she had dark circles under her eyes.
"Morning Gin." Charlie said a little too loudly, for Ginny winced, and Bill came too.
"Ow my head...Ow my back, why am I on the floor?" He squinted about the room, looking rather the worse for ware, his hair too was notted and bared a striking resemblance to a heigh stack.
"Morning Bill," hermione giggled, "I think you're on the floor because you lost the battle for the bed with your baby sister." She pointed out primly, macking Charlie snicker into her shoulder, from his place pressed into her back.
"Uhhhh." Bill just grunted, flopping back down onto the floor, as the others laughed at him.
Breakfast that morning was hilarious, the only ones not hungover seemed to be Hermione and Sirius, who high fived, and proceeded to have a very loud conversation in front of the others, who only glared.
Finally taking pitty on them, Hermione conjured some viles from her beaded bag, handing one to everyone.
"Hangover cure." She stated, watching people throw it back desperatley.
After the chorus of "Thank you", they all looked at her curiously.
"Firstly, how where you not drunk?" started Charile, who was looking at her in a mixture of curiosity and pride.
"And secondly, why did you have hangover cure?" Finished Bill, looking at the young girl as if he'd never seen her properly until this moment.
"Well, the second, is because I know what sirius is like at Christmas, I was here last year, and cought him smuggling his stash passed your Mum, that time I wasn't prepered, this time I was." she said, remebering last years horrific hangover morning, and looking at a chuckling sirius.
"And the first... high alcohol tollerance, a veela thing maybe?" she asked, not really knowing the answer.
Lupin snorted, "There's nothing of you, and you managed to out drink a warewolf, a curse breaker and a dragon tamer." he pointed out.
Hermione shrugged. "Sirius wasn't really drunk either." she said, as if that changed anything.
At that point a diversion was caused in the shape of 'the boy who wished he were dead', staggering in from the living room, where he had been left the previous night.
"Ahh, it's 'the boy who can't hold his drink'." Heakled Fred.
"You look awfull." Hermione said, smiling.
"Not feeling well?" Ginny questioned innocently, the others snikered.
"How do you all not feel like crap too?" Harry whined, sounding like an over exerted toddler.
"Ahhh young Harry, I wouldn't be doing my job as godfather if i didn't let you experience a hangover at least once in your life. It's a right of passage you know." Sirius said sagely, making Harry grumble. They teased him a little longer, before hermione took pitty on him, and have him the hangover cure.
The rest of 'hangover day' as it had been dubbed went well, after an enormous breakfast, during which everyone ate double the usual amount, they played board games, exlpoading snap, and a truley ferocious game of twister, which resulted in several lose teeth, a broken nose, and a victorious Ginny.
Hermione ad been looking for Sirius around lunch time, and had wandered into the room in which he had kept Buckbeak last year. She opened the door, and was shocked to discover Sirius and Remus, who had unshed tears in his eyes.
"I'm sorry." She apologised hurredly, but hesataed before leaving.
"Are you allright, Remus?" She asked gently, locking eyes with Sirius, who looked tired and exhasparated.
"Is it Tonks?" Hermione asked when she didn't get a reply. Sirius smirked, and Lupins head shot up, looking horrified.
"Come on Remus, anyone with eyes can tell that the woman adores you...worships the ground you walk on." Hermione said matter of factly.
Sirius was chuckling by this point, "See Moony, said so, didn't I?" He winked at Hermione who rolled her eyes.
"It makes no diffrence," Lupins response was pained, "It doesn't change what I am."
"She doesn't care what you are!" Sirius all but shouted in annoyance, they had obviously been having this argument for some time.
"I'm a monster." Lupin spat bitterly.
"REMUS JOHN LUPIN! HOW DARE YOU." Hermione snapped, making both men look at her in shock. "YOU ARE NOT A MONSTER." She said sternly, but could see he didn't belive her.
She crossed the room, coming to stop before her favourite DADA teacher, kneeling at his feet, and looking beseechingly up into his wattery eyes.
"Remus," she said, softly this time, "Some men are monsters all of the time, and it is because they chose to be so. You, my firend, had no choice in your situation, and with the wolfs bane, you aren't dangerous at all. You're one of the kindest, gentles men I've ever had the pleasure of knowing." She said, sincerity dripping from her every word.
Both men had been struck silent, neither having the words to accuratley describe their grattitude, or shock. Hermione patted Lupins knee, and left the room once more.
Sirius started handing around the drinks again that night, only this time he started Hermione on Vodka, forgoing the wiskey completley, determined to get her to do something that he could use as blackmail material later. By the end of the night, after many shots, she had become rather giggly, and sirius was mumbling about what he had to do to actually get her drunk.
During the final game of monopoly before supper, Hermione enlisted the twins to help her with a project. Between them, they managed to crate magical misteltoe, which would float above the head of any couple with chemistry, and not go away until said couple had given the miseltoe a satisfactory kiss.
This really came into play, when it situated itself over Remus and Tonks, who were chatting in the corner, Sirius spluttered, looking at his best friend and younger cousin. Lupin blushed awkwardly, then Tonks threw herself at the older man, causing many shocked exclamations, and chears from Hermione, Ginny and Fleur, who had all be waiting for this to happen. When they broke appart, lupin grinned down at tonks, taker her hand in his, making her hair turn from aqua, to deep pink.
Ginny quickly changed her mind about the mistletoe however, when it planted itself obstenatly over her and Harry. Ginny's brothers all bristled, seeming to swell in size, cracking their knuckles, while Hermione and Fleur cried with laughter at the look on the poor 'boy who looks like he's about to dies' face.
"Bloody shrub." Said George darkly.
The kiss was sweet, and chased, thanks in large part to the four weasly boys coughing loudly once they thought it had been long enough. The teens broke appart, blushing furiously, but Ginny cought hermione's eye, and beamed.
At some point during the night, the twins had tampered with the spell on the leaves, but nobody realised until they came to rest over Hermione and Fleur, who were discussing places they had both been to in france.
Neither of them noticed at first, but the room had become extreemly still, everyone watching. Bill and Charlie both looked torn, and slightly pained.
The girls looked around confused, untill Fleur noticed, and elbowed Hermione, looking amused. Hermione smirked, then turned to Fred and George, "Really?" she asked tiredly.
Fred and George looked at eachother innocently before turning back to Hermione, "Why whatever could you mean Mya?" They asked, making Hermione shake her head.
"Well, I am frech."Fleur said, before swooping Hermione into a surprise kiss, both girls broke off giggling, but it had done the trick, the blasted shrubb had gone.
Everyone in the room was staring, Ginny and Tonks looked amused, the men looked in pain. "Serves you right." Hermione laughed throatily, going to sit on charlie's lap, Fleur doing the same with Bill.
"This is why I shouldn't drink." She intoned, making Sirius sort derisivley, Hermione stuck her tounge out at him.
Conversation started up again after that, although slightly daisedly. Hermione smirked at the still gaping charlie, and leaned down to softly kiss along his cheek, to the corner of his mouth, where she paused.
"You ok Char?" she teased, biting on his bottom lip seductivley, causing him to groan.
"Minx." he murmured into her neck, where he nibbled on her pulse point, making her shiver.
Someone cleared their throat loudly, looking around, she notice that the whole room was watching them, amused.
"Don't let us disturb you." Charlie said cheekily, while hermione blushed and hid her face in his shoulder. There were snorts from about the room as Ginny muttered something about 'my eyes'.
Charlie took his oppertunity for revenge swiftly, cornering her just before bed. He had come from the shower, and was still clad in only a towl, beads of water dripping down his musculed chest.
Hermione had been passing his room on the way to her own, when one strong musculed arm cought her about the waist, and she found herself being pulled against a wet, practically naked Charlie. He wrapped both of his arms around her waist snuggly, caging her to him, and proceeded to nuzzle his face in her neck. She felt weak at the knees.
"About earlier, with Fleur?" He purred lowly against the sell of her year, making her quiver, and scrunch her eyes closed.
"What?" She tried innocently, but her voice was too breathy to be convincing.
He chuckled deeply against her skin, the rumble reverberating through his chest into her back, and his hot breath brushing across her exsposed neck, raising goosbumps, and making her shiver delishously.
"Oh no no Bookworm," He purred, pressing maddeningly slow kisses across her shoulder, at the bass of her throat..."You should know...I don't share well." His voice was a deep growl, soaking directly through her underware. He sounded posessive, and though she shouldn't, Hermione loved it.
His hands had traveled from her waist, and were now gripping her hipps firmly, holding her flush against him, she flushed at the feel of him through only a towel. She pressed back into him, arching her back, barring her neck further to his kisses as she did so.
She could feel his smirk against her skin, and wanted to retaliate, only to be floored by his lipps capturing the juncture between her neck and shoulder, sucking gently. She let out a strangled whimper, pushing further back into him, causing him to wrap one arm around her waist again, holding her cadged to him.
God, his hands. They were large and calloused, and one had snuck it's way under her t-shirt, and was travelling dangerously along her flat somach, teasing her langorously.
"My Bookworm." He growled, pulling her hips pointedly back againt the rapidly tightening towell. She mewled, unable to form coherant thoughts, just nodding her agreement vigerously.
Seemingly sattisfied, Charlie spun her almost roughly to face him, an captured her mouth with his own in a searing kiss, succesfully driving all other thoughts and memory's from her mind.
The next morning the inhabitants of Grimauld place awoke to a garden blankated by at least three feet of snow, which had seemingly come from nowhere.
Everyone was extreemly excited by this development, none more so than the twins, who bagered everyone throughout breakfast to 'hurry it up', so that they could 'go outside and play'. Hermione found their child like tendancy's endearing, teasing them abut how 'she thougt he was ment to be the youngest twin!'
So after breakfast found everybody heading back to their room's to bundle up in warm cothing hermione puled on a pair of skinny blue jeans so that she could tuck them inside her winter boots. She also, like everyone else, had opted for her Weasley jumper, along with a thick coat, and a hat, scarf and gloves. Feeling about two stone heavier with all of her layers, she turned to an equally 'michtellin man' looking Ginny, and they burst into laughter, heading back to the others.
They played outside for hours, having several epic snowball fights, as well as creating a veritable snow family, which was so large it was quickly dubbed the 'weasley snow-mily', Ginny's suggestion.
It started to snaow again at about quater to twelve, by which point everyone was soaked, exhausted, and in George's words, had frozen their 'jingle bells off'.
Hermione was watching the snow fall when the thought occurd to her. She had made birds from smoke, so snow should work too. She was allways curious to test out new magic.
Concentrating, she imagined a bird made entireey from snow. She took in the falling flakes about her, the crunch of the fresh powder beneath her shoes, and closed her eyes, consentrating.
When she opened them again, she had created a perfect little Junco bird, made entirley of snow. He flitted about the air before her, bluring as he flew, then stopping abruptly to hover inches from her face. She giggled as she watched him, holding out a finger for him to perch on.
She created more litle birds, they flitted and hoverd about her, blinking at her, and twisting their heads confusedly.
She chuckled for a while, enjoying her little flock of now birds, watching them spread their wings, and fly against the morning sky, it was like a picture form a christmas card.
A throat clered behind her, she span around, thinking everyone had gone into the house again. It was Bill, he survayed her for a moment, before smiling and saying, "Lunch is ready." and walking back into the house.