A/N: some of this is works with canon and some doesn't, like at this point, Remus and Tonks never died and they have two children Teddy (canon compatible) and Gemma (not compatible)
Some of this chapter was inspired by the Gilmore Girls episode "I'd Rather Be in Philadelphia"
Chapter 16
Something was tapping on the window, a light tapping thatdrew Hermione's attention away from the case file in front ofher to the window of her kitchen where an owl wastapping smartly, with a sigh of frustration she went to the window and let the owl in, picking up the letter it dropped haphazardly on her kitchen table and curling it in her palm.
000
Fleur at the same time was cleaning her home, not something many people would have seen her doing but it was the one thing she thrived on to get her through the day, something about it brought a thrill of accomplishment that she knew she could find no where else. More than once since their marriage Bill had insisted that they hire a nanny for Victoire and Fleur return to work, Bill hadexpounded on theopinionthat stuffy house things were boring and she deserved to see more of the world, not just the corners and crevices of Shell Cottage."I am an 'ousewife, it is what I do." Fleur would reply, then she would go tend to her young daughter, who would most likelybe in a fussy mood after a nap.
Anyway, after finishing the house and tending to her daughter she was sitting in her kitchen, enjoying a warm cup of coffee and a croissant when the letter arrived, it shocked her for a moment but after that she was a flurry of action, dumping the remainder of her coffee into the stainless steel sink and throwing the half eaten croissant into the fridge before waking Victoire and flooing to the Weasley Household.
000
Arthur Weasley was getting very little work done. Sadly while his body was sitting trapped in this office his mind was away, elsewhere.
Charlie was in trouble? Real serious trouble, not a letter from Hogwarts saying that he had been slacking off or had received detention from this teacher. For the record, Molly and he had almost never gotten them for Charlie's misbehavior, always for Fred and George, who must have had a file a mile wide with duplicated letters sent home. But not minor Hogwarts trouble, real legal trouble.
So when his secretary of the department appeared with the scroll, which he unrolled slowly, his arthritic fingers wouldn't allow quick anymore. Arthur read the message and hurried away from work.
000
Ginny had been dead tired when she went to bed last night, her brain fried and her body aching she couldn'tdo much more than fall into bed and sleep, she barely noticed theloud tapping that came on her window, barely noticed anything for it would have taken an atom bomb to wake her up.
000
Meanwhile, Hermione Granger had untied the letter and had begun to unroll it when the telephone rang, leaving the letter curled in her hand as she picked up the receiver and answered.
"HERMIONE!"
"Mom?"
"Oh, honey, thank god you picked up! You're father had a heart attack!" Hermione screamed, throwing the letter.
"Which hospital is he in?"
Mrs. Granger gave her hysterical daughter the hospital. But first she made her daughter promise she would not apparate in the state of things. Hermione agreed. The two women hung up and Hermione, wasting no time grabbed her barely used cell phone and ran to her car.
Unfortunately, the letter had been from Andreea about Charlie..
000
Fleur Delacour often had the feeling she was an imposition, an annoyance to the rest of the Weasley kin, but how often was she actually able to help in one way or another.
She answered the questions diligently and as best she could.
"Bill andI had thoughtI was pregnant at the time of Charlie's party, soI couldn't drink. That much." Fleur chuckles softly.
"Do you know where Charlie was after 10:30pm?"
"Non, I do not, my daughter Victoire was kind of fussy so we 'ad to go 'ome. But I do remember seeing Charlie's shoes by the door."
"But couldn't he have gone barefoot?"
"Trust me, a dragon reserve is somewhere you always want to wear shoes." Fleur said, knowing full well that she sounded condescending.
Andreea glared, but wrote down what Fleur told her.
"So, according to you, Charlie was still here when you and your daughterleft. Was Bill still here?"
"Yes, he was very drunk, and thoughI love the man dearly,I didn't want to deal with that. I tucked him up in his childhood room." Fleur says matter-of-factly. "We, Victoire and I went back downstairs to say goodbye to everybody, then we left.
"Is that all you remember from that night."
"Bill was very cross thatI had left him behind. The next morning he complained of sleeping badly. He said something about hearing grunts and whispers and other stuff. I said that 'e probably 'ad a fitful sleep, because of his heavy drinking."
"Is that all?"
"Yes. I do believe that is all." Fleur declares
"Thank you, this has been very helpful." Andreea smiles. Fleur grins to herself then, gets up to retrieve her daughter from playing with Lupin's children, whom Molly has been baby-sitting.
Mariella comes into the room, "Hey baby..quot; she says softly, wrapping her arms around Andreea's waist".feels likeI haven't seen you or kissed you in ages."
"You saw meall last night, and we kissed this morning. Sorry babe, this case has been brutal." Andreea grins, a smirk gracing her feature. They kiss for a while, until a knock on the door ends the tryst.
000
Mr. Weasley had made it a point in his adult life not to drink too much. He had tired of overdrinking and drunken stupors after he had finished Hogwarts, shortly before his marriage to Molly, in fact. He liked to drink, but not to get drunk, or so very drunk that he couldn't remember a specific event. So, naturally Mr. Weasley remembered most of the details of the night. But he was growing old, memories were beginning to lose details. Some details slipping through his brain like water through a colander. He remembered: Molly's massive chaotic cleaning spells, food prep spells and her mad dash to things manually that couldn't be done with magic. Some guests had arrived far too early, her hysterical greetings.Then, Charlie, birthday boy arrived. His boy's 27th birthday, what a big day! He had enthusiastically hugged Charlie, asked how Romania was, Charlie had replied that it was great, but he could really use a vacation.
At the smell of food burning in the kitchen, he hurried in, only to be promptly shooed outby Molly. He had no choice but to return to the party. More guests had arrived. George and Fred, with their dates, Alicia Spinnet and possibly, KatieBell. They had been accompanied by Katie's half sister, Moira Spice - a friend of Charlie's in his Hogwarts days. She had a known expertise of Muggle devices. Seeing as she was muggle-born. She worked to figure out how to translate muggle technology to work magically, for the wizarding world. It was a growing business; invest your stocks now. She had joked.Moira and Arthur had discussed everything from computers to those new fangled music players, (which she had to explain many times how they worked) what were they called? Ipids, MM53's. Arthur wasn't sure.
As to where his son was, the guest of honor, he could not say. He recalled Ginny and Harry, George and Katie, Bill Fleur and Arthur's first granddaughter. He was sure, Charlie had been somewhere; he guessed that Charlie would have most likely been talking to his friends he hadn't seen since finishing Hogwarts. He was acutely aware of singing happy birthday and eating cake. After that, his mind became an empty place. It was ready to be filled with memories. Personally, Arthur was baffled, why was one part of the evening perfectly clear, then suddenly nothing. Andreea was kicking herself (mentally) and annoyed. She was annoyed with Molly Weasley for sending such a useless witness. A pointless interview that got her no further. She faked a smile and thanked Arthur for his participation.
000
Ginny Weasley was waking up from a very restful sleep. She was slightly frightened when she opened her eyes and the world was pink. She reached up and rubbed her face. A pink post-it note had been attached to her forehead
"Andreea sent a letter, on the kitchen table. I'm at work, love you. Harry"
Waking up finally she pulled hertired body out of bed and slowly went to the kitchen, she noticedimmediately that a letter was lying on the Island.
"Dear Ginevra Weasley-Potter
It has been brought to my attention that you attended Charlie Weasley's birthday party. Charlie Weasley has been accused of several crimes back in Romania, and my goal is to prove that he did not do what he has been accused of.It would be greatly appreciated if you could come and give a witness statement. Thank you for youtime. Andreea Saguna."
000
She could concentrate, not when she knew that her father was in danger. Not when it mattered most. Michael wasn't there to hold her hand. Charlie would have been here. The traitorous thought broke through her fear and anxiety,it made her angry as well. Where the hell wasMichael?
000
Michael Desmond was wiped after teaching two classes in a row. This normally was not hard seeing as he was a fit man, but on a poor night's sleep, he felt rather shitty.
He managed through student conferences, and then went to his office where he intended to take a nap before his next class. The first thing he noticedwhen he sat down was his wildly blinking answering machine. He pressed play.
"Michael, my dad's in the hospital, I'll be home verylate. Ohyeah he'sSt. Joseph's on Becker Street."
Well, that was worrying.
"Hey Michael, it's me. I'm at the hospital. My father had a heart attack. Where are you? I need you."
On and on went fourteen messages. "Jesus Christ, Hermione." he mutters, finding the whole situation inconvenient. Figuring he should get his ass to the hospital before his next class. Shrugging on his jacket, he hastens to his car.
000
"Hello, Andreea." Ginny says warmly.
"Hello Ginevra." Andreea said. "Let's get started."
"Alrighty" Ginny smiles.
"What had you been doing earlier on the day of December 12th."
"With my husband doing marriage things." Ginny says, embarrassed, to even say that out to a lawyer, which could be used in court or something. "Can we strike that from the records, please?" Even though she was a grown and married woman, it would have mortified her to have her parents hear that in court.
"Ok, it's irrelevant anyways." Ginny makes a face. She's not sure if she should be offended or not.
"Well,I got to the party after helping my friend, Hermione Granger get ready for the party. We all arrived in a group; me, Harry, Ron, Lavender and Hermione. We spent some time talking to each other then dispersed to talk to different people. Lavender, to her best friend Parvati Patil. Harry and Ron found Mandy Harrigan a Quidditch player for the Wimsbourne Wasps and a pen pal/ ex-girlfriend of Charlie's. Hermione andI hung out, because at that time she had just been dumped by her boyfriend and was basically a wreck in a pretty party dress."
Andreeainterrupts, "is Miss Granger available for an interview?"
"I'm not sure, you'd have to ask her yourself, see her and Charlie are having a bit of thing. She is engaged, though." Andreea looks interested, eager even.
"Define 'a thing'" Andreea says.
"Well, it's really not my place to tell." Ginny backtracks.
"Mrs. Potter! I think that you should share this information so we may find out how key of a witness Miss Granger will end up being." Andreea, in addition to being a lawyer, is dying for the story on Hermione/Charlie.
"Well." Ginny caves, "Hermione's ex-boyfriend, now current fiancé had broken up with her before the party. She's heartbroken; she's loved this guy since she was a little girl. So she's freaking out. Her self-confidence has plummeted since the breakup. At the party she drinks. She drinks, a lot. So suddenly she disappears, no one could recall where she was.Turnsoutno one could find Charlie either. I go upstairs after the party to go to bed. The next morningI wake up to take a shower andnext thingI know, Hermione is demanding to be let into the bathroom. To my surprise, Hermione and Charlie had sex!" Ginny exclaims with an excited finish.
"Really,I think it's very important thatI speak to Miss Granger before Charlie's day in court. In two days." Andreea has finally cracked Charlie's case, or at least proved that he didn't release Maya and Jessie to cause havoc and terror upon Slobozia.
000
Hermione sits in a hospital waiting room. Michael where are you? She moans leaning into her mother's shoulder. Her father is being x-rayed to see the severity. Hermione and her mother have been told it was probably just angina.
A fairly handsome male nurse enters the waiting room; "Jen and Hermione Granger?"
Mother and daughter leap up in tandem.
"Robert has had a heart attack, it is more serious than we initially thought, and he's being prepped for emergency bypass surgery.
"Will he be ok?" Jen Granger demands.
"Yes, it is a rather common surgery, but not without possible complications."
"Can we see him?" Hermione asks.
"Not while he is being prepped for surgery, but after." he says. "In the meantime, the coffee is down that hallway." he smiles.
"Ok, thank you." Jen smiles wanly, she sits back down, once the nurse leaves.
"Mum, I'm going to call Michael again."
Once she has reached Michael's voicemail. She leaves a message. "Michael, it's a bypass surgery. I really need you here, please?"
Hermione wanders, absently to the front desk, near the gift shop. She should call Ginny; she could use her best friend right about now.
"What do you meanI can't know anything?" a male voice bellows. The voice registers in her head, Michael.
"I'm sorry sir, but you aren't related to Robert Granger so I'm not able todisclose any information." the secretary says apologetically.
Hermione has run up to Michael and hugs him tightly.
"I'm his son in law." Michael says smirking.
"Alright." The secretary says.
Hermione leads Michael away from the front desk.
"I was just going to call Ginny, I just called you."
"How is he?" Michael asks, completely ignoring Hermione's last comment.
"He's in emergency bypass surgery. Hermione says quietly, sadly.
"He's going to be alright, he's going to be alright" Michael says, rubbing Hermione's back when he embraces her.
"I need some coffee" Hermione mumbles. Without further ado, Michael leads her to the cafeteria where he buys 3 coffees, 2 muffins and a donut.
"Thank you" Hermione says taking a sip of coffee gratefully. She wears a wan smile, but at least she's smiling. She presents the third coffee to her mother who has been aimlessly paging through a magazine. Jen nibbles on a muffin bottom, intermittently sipping coffee. If it wasn't for her worried expression it would seem completely normal.
Hermione absently stares at a poster on the wall. Michael holds her hand, perhaps in a misguided attempt to comfort her, but the effort goes unnoticed.
A very short hour later; "Hermione, honey?" Michael waves her back to reality, "I have another class to teach,I have to go."
"Mikey, please skip it? I need you to be here, andI wouldn't ask if it wasn't important."
"I would love to stay here, but this class has a test today andI need to administer it." He would love to stay?What the hell? He sounded more likehe was leaving a party or something.What kind of answer is that? Does he know where he is, Hermione fumes.
"Michael, please? I'm begging you." she pleaded.
"Hermione!I can't,I have other responsibilities!" he says using his condescending professor voice. Hermione knows that she has lost, for Michael has already turned his back to her, why was it Michael always made her feel like shit.
"Hey 'Mione! What's up?" she says brightly, and loudly. Even though she and Harry own a telephone, she has never gotten the proper handle on how to use a phone. (Not yelling into the phone helps).
"My dad had a heart attack and he's in the hospital." Hermione says to silence on the other end.
"What hospital! Where?" Ginny says, repeating the news to somebody she's with in the silence before Hermione responds. Hermione gives the name of the hospital.
"Ok, we'll be there before you know it!"Ginny says loudly andhangs up.
Hermione barely has time to think "We?" beforethe petite redhead appears infront of her.She attacks Hermione with a hug and then they walk to the waitingroom, when she notices the 2nd redhead with Ginny. Her heart flutters, uncontrollably,Charlie.
"Hey Charlie." She says calmly, hopefully not betraying her fluttering heart or her guilt.
Michael, Michael, Michael. She loved him so, but sometimes she wondered did he not love her as much as she loved him.
Hey Hermione." Charlie says easily, smiling at her in spite of the situation. Hermione then notices a couple of women eyeing him up, a surge of jealousy goes though her. She ignores it, however as a doctor comes out.
"Mrs. Granger, we've moved your husband into a room. He came through with flying colors, but he's still under anesthesia. He should be awake in about half an hour."
"Can we see him?"
"One at a time." Hermione steps back so that her mother canbe led by the doctor to her husband.
Hermione walks off to the gift shop, Charlie follows.
"I'll be here if you need me." Ginny says.
They walk around the gift shop aimlessly, when she sees a mug with the words "hard work killed somebody" she burst into tears, it is something her father loved to say, in contradiction to her mother's "hard work never killed anybody" She holds the mug.
Charlie folds Hermione into a hug, and she puts the mug down and rests her head on his chest.
"C'mon,I think we should go visit your dad."He says, after a while, and he leads Hermione back to the waiting room. Then they are both led by a nurse to Robert Granger's room.
Hermione, Charlie, Ginny and Mrs. Granger spend a few hours just talking with Hermione's father, about nothing, about everything. Charlie excuses himself to go use the bathroom. Mr. Granger gives his daughter a funny look, a 'where's Michael?' look. Hermione looked at her father, "He had to leave" she said coldly.
"Hermione! Don't take that tone with me, young lady!" Robert Granger says, sounding like his normal self.
Charlie arrives back in the room. An awkward silence follows his entrance. "Were you guys talking about me?" Charlie chuckles.
Before anyone replies, Ginny says "I'm hungry!" Hermione agrees; they wander off to the cafeteria after asking if Jen wanted anything. She declines.
They chatter mindlessly, all the way down to the cafeteria, and then once they have sat down with their meals, they all fall silent simultaneously.
After they have finished eating, they make their way back up to the room, where the attending nurse tells the trio that Robert has fallen asleep and if they could wait in the waiting room, or come back later.
Hermione flicks through a magazine, she is barely aware of closing her eyes and falling asleep.
"Hermione!" Ginny whispers loudly. Hermione jolts awake. She looks around in confusion, then at Charlie's shoulder. Then she looks at her angry fiancé in front of her. Fuck muffin!
"Jesus Christmas! Michael, you scared me."
"Hermione, we need to talk."
"How long was I asleep?" Hermione asks, disregarding Michael's question.
"A while." Charlie says, standing up and stretching. "Well,I think I'll take a walk."
"Think I'll join you!" Ginny says standing up, and then both Weasley's race for the door.
"Michael, you wanted to talk to me about something?"
"Hermione, I want you to know thatI love you, and everything in spite of the fact that you are not normal." It sounded fine and unassuming, but Hermione was confused and a bit offended.
"Ok, Michael."
"I don't want you to talk to Charlie anymore." Said Michael, his normally jovial voice was cold.
"Michael, you can't tell me whoI can and can't see. Last timeI checked I was still of legal age and able to make my own decisions. Charlie's my friend. He's nothing more than that!" The last statementdoesn't feel right.Is it wrong that she would like to have Charlie? What if she really did want him more than she thought?
Oh, fuck, Hermione thinks. She may not love Michael as much as she thinks.
A/N:new update - sorry about the long wait :D
the curses in this chapter are courtesy of my friend Jen, "Jesus Christmas" and "fuck muffin" yes I know, Jen is weird, but I 3 her anyway. And the courtesy is that she doesn't actually know that I used them, ha-ha
I know most of you are like "WTF? WHY HASNT HERMIONE LEFT HIM FOR CHARLIE!" and I would totally think that too, except for the fact that i'm trying to be Hermione-like and unless she is very drunk, she doesn't seem the type to make rash/spontaneous decisions does she? Anyway
Thank you to all my wonder reviewers ! Love you :D