AN: I don't own Harry Potter.

Thanks so much for the reviews, follows, and favorites. I'm sorry it's been so long, but hopefully this holds you over until the next one. I know we're supposed to be at the Burrow for an announcement from Arthur and Molly, but the muse went a different way. We'll get to that next time.

Shout-out to key94 for giving me the inspiration to write this chapter. Huge thank you, key94! Key brought up the fact that Charlie was wearing a wedding ring in a previous chapter, but I hadn't mentioned a wife. So, here we go.

Alright. Go! Read and enjoy!

Charlie Weasley was nervous. He had a bit of news to tell the family, but wanted Hermione to know first, and was wary of how she would react. After all, she was the one who introduced him to Rosalie all those years ago. As he stood on the porch of the Snape home, he looked down at the wedding band on his hand, smiling gently as he got lost in a memory.

Flashback - Year and a half after Ron and Harry left

"Charlie!" Molly exclaimed as he entered the Burrow. "What brings you here?" she asked, enveloping him in one of her bear hugs.

Laughing as he hugged her in greeting, he said, "Just felt like a visit home."

"Such a good boy." she said, pulling away and patting his cheek. "Remind me to give you a haircut while you're here." she added, laughing as he groaned. "Everyone's out in the orchard."

"Everyone?" he asked, raising his eyebrows in surprise.

Molly gave him a sad smile, shaking her head. "Not them."

"Oh." he nodded. Taking a deep breath, he clapped his hands together. "Well, guess I'll join 'em, then."

"Alright, dear." she said, turning back to the counter, where she had been mixing the batter for a batch of biscuits.

"Hey, Charlie!" "Charlie!" "Hey, brother!" everyone greeted, waving as he walked over.

"Hello, loved ones." he said, beaming a white smile at them. "And lady I don't know." he added, seeing a very beautiful blonde sitting at the picnic table by Hermione.

"Charlie Weasley, this is Rosalie Greene. She works at the bookstore. Rosalie, this is Charlie Weasley..."

"Dragon tamer from Romania." he finished, sitting on the table beside her, making her giggle.

"Hello, Charlie Weasley from Romania." she said in a voice that reminded Charlie of a muggle cinema actress from long ago, Marilyn Monroe.

End Flashback

That was one of his favorite memories of Rosalie. They began dating a couple weeks later, after exchanging a few letters. Six months in, Charlie knew he was in trouble when he started thinking of marriage. Him, Charlie Weasley, confirmed bachelor who once joked that he'd rather be hung up by his bollocks than get married, had fallen in love.

The two married in a small ceremony at the Burrow just a few months shy of the one year mark. Rosalie had been great with everything. She had done the wedding planning with very little trouble, proclaiming once, "I don't know why brides turn into screeching harpies, this is easy as pie." She had even given up her job at the bookstore so she could move to Romania with him, not wanting him to give up his dream job with the dragons. Two weeks after they got back from their honeymoon, she had his messy cabin looking, and feeling, more like a home than he remembered it being in the past.

Their marriage was a smooth one, with the two of them fighting very little. Their easy going personalities mixed well with each other. Of course, the few arguments they did have were easily solved once Charlie figured out that kissing her neck drove her to distraction, often making her forget what she was upset about.

Then, tragedy destroyed their happy life and erased the vision Charlie had for the future. Rosalie had been volunteering at the emergency aid center, which was the hospital on the reserve. On December 3, just two months after their second wedding anniversary, the center's heater malfunctioned and exploded, setting the whole building ablaze, and Rosalie had been one of the few who hadn't been able to make it out.

Charlie didn't think there was anything more devastating than losing his wife. In one afternoon, his happily ever after drifted away with the smoke from the smoldering building. All of Rosalie's dreams of carrying their child, and growing old together, were gone. And so was Charlie's spirit. He had spent six months at the Burrow, avoiding going back to the cabin he shared with his late wife. Eventually, though, he realized he had to go back. As much as he wanted to, he couldn't hide forever. He needed to face things head on, and the only way to move forward was by going back to Romania, and to the ghost of his lost love.

Taking a shuddering breath as he rubbed his wedding band, he rang the bell, wanting to get this over with.

"Charlie! What a surprise." Hermione smiled, opening the door. "Come on in." she said, stepping aside.

"Thanks, Hermione." Charlie said, entering the house. "Hello, Professor." he said, nodding at Severus, who was feeding Nicholas.

"Charles." Severus said.

"Uh...can we talk? In private?" Charlie asked Hermione, jamming his hands into his pockets.

Hermione tilted her head, looking at Charlie. She could practically feel the nerves rolling off him. "Sure. We can go into the study." she said, nodding her head down the hall off the living room. "Last door on the left. I'll be right in." she said, becoming concerned when he just nodded and walked off, not saying a word.

"What's the matter with him?" Severus asked, watching him walk off.

"No idea, but I hope to find out." she said. "Don't forget, we need to leave for the Burrow in a bit, so once he's been burped, would you change him into the outfit I put on the changing table, please."

"Will do." he nodded, turning his attention back to his son as she walked in the direction Charlie had went.

Entering the study, Hermione found Charlie standing by the window, looking down at a photo he held in his hand. Hermione knew it was a photo of him and Rosalie from the night they announced their engagement. The two of them were wearing matching smiles, and only had eyes for each other. Gently closing the door, she silenced the room, wanting Charlie to feel free to say whatever was on his mind.

"Charlie?" she called softly, not wanting to startle him.

"Yeah, Hermione?" he asked.

"You want to come over here and tell me what's wrong?" she asked, patting the chair beside the one she was sitting in. Charlie slowly walked over and joined her, not looking anywhere but the photo he carried over with him. Hermione reached out and put her hand on his arm. "Charlie?"

"I uh...I was going to announce this at dinner later, but I felt you should know first." he said. "I...I...I'm seeing someone."

Hermione frowned, not understanding why he seemed so down. "Well...that's nice, Charlie." she said. "Oh." she gasped, understanding now. Rosalie. "Charlie, if..."

"I just didn't want to spring it on you later. After all, Rosalie was your friend, and..." he said, trailing off.

"Charlie, Rosalie was my friend. And I always wanted her to be happy, no matter what. She was one of the sweetest people I knew." she said, voice cracking at the end. "And I know you loved her, and I also know you made her happy. But, she's been gone for close to four years now." she said, tears running down her face.

"Hermione..."

"And Rosalie wouldn't want you to tuck your heart away. She would have wanted you to move on and be happy again." Hermione said, wiping the tears away. "And if you've found someone to who makes you happy again, I'm going to support you." she added.

Charlie let out a breath of relief, lifting his head to look at her. "She would, wouldn't she?" he asked with a small smile. "You know, I swore I heard her voice the other day. I uh...I was taking Naomi out for dinner, and just before I left to pick her up, I swear as I live and breathe, Rosalie yelled in my ear, "Charles Weasley, where are your manners? Take that girl some flowers, for Merlin's sake!" he laughed.

Hermione laughed along with him. "She probably did." she nodded.

"I miss her so much." Charlie whispered.

Hermione reached her hand over and grabbed his. "So do I, Charlie. So do I." she whispered, looking at the photo he held in his other hand.

Review please.

I wish I could say sorry if I made any of you cry, but I cried while writing it, so I'm not. ;)

Til next time!

XOXO - Onyx Obsidian