This is the meanderings of a weary mind. No harm is intended or money earned. Harry Potter belongs to JK Rowling and for that, I am extremely grateful.

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The "M" rating is earned starting with this installment. You have been warned.

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Strong arm were the borders of her world pulling her closer and tighter to the heat of his body. Hermione's mind exploded, she never wanted to think again. Only the necessity of breathing broke them apart. Bill's hand caressed her check gently tucking her head under his chin.

"Coco, I am sorry I should not have done that. I just have wanted to for so very long. Maybe it would be best if I leave…find somewhere else to stay…I do not want you to hate me." The sorrow in his voice was palpable.

Snuggling her cheek into the warmth of his chest Hermione smiled. All she could think was how perfectly she fit in his arms and how much she never wanted to let go.

"I think you are right…you should move eventually…" Hermione's face was beaming.

Bill tried to loosen his hold on her but Hermione did not budge. His face betrayed how disappointed he felt.

Bill's voice was shallow, "I will start looking for another place tomorrow."

Hermione pulled back and seeing Bill's eyes she took his face in her hands, "No, Bill listen to me…I mean eventually…not right now mind you…but eventually you should move your stuff into my room."

Bill grinned, "Okay, I like eventually."

Their second kiss was self-assured, passionate, and knowledgeable. A decision was made, not exactly spoken but definitive nonetheless. Hermione laughed as Bill twirled them around, she felt for the first time in a long time as if she had come home. She knew this was it for the rest of her life. Home for her would mean being in Bill's arms.

Bill pulled her down to sit on the sofa, his mind racing despite his mental protestations he had to admit he was not leaving, he could not leave, he wanted to stay. Somehow, he knew his heart was safe she would never shatter what he was giving her. Hermione would protect him. Together they would protect each other.

Bill's arms pulled her to him as he leaned back to rest more comfortably. Their breathing was running counterpoint in the silence of the room.

Charlie was mildly surprised to find the two of them sleeping on the sofa. Bill's hand was resting on the small of Hermione's back and their legs intertwined. Charlie walked towards them sleeping couple softly calling Hermione's name, "Coco."

Finally, after tapping Hermione's arm Bill woke, "Charlie took your time there didn't you. Where is the food?"

Bill looked over Charlie's shoulder and asked, "Little brother going to introduce me to your friend?"

Hermione stirred and Bill push an errant curl behind her ear, "Coco wake up we have company" and he kissed the tip of her nose.

Hermione not quite awake yet smiled up at him, "Hello handsome."

Bill chuckled, "Coco, Charlie is back."

Hermione sat up wincing when had to push up using her shoulder, "Charlie, you better have extra steamed dumplings!" Then she noticed the visitor.

Charlie held up a large take out bag. "I would never forget Coco. But I also brought a friend."

Bill was helping Hermione to disentangle herself and they both stood. Holding out his right hand Bill spoke, "Charlie has horrible manners. Let me introduce myself, I am the best of his brothers, Bill. And this," pointing to Hermione, "this is our Coco."

Charlie had gone to put the food in the kitchen and only heard 'our Coco', "Sorry I aught to do a better job of this, Hermione Bill, this is Helen, a good friend of mine." Charlie was glowing when he looked at the young woman.

Both Bill and Hermione smiled, "Nice to meet you Helen. Charlie has told us nothing about you so that must be a good sign!"

Charlie gaffed, "Yeah that is not fair, I just…anyway now you have met…so there."

Hermione began to walk towards the kitchen "Helen, you are going to join us for dinner right?"

Helen looked at Charlie. He looked at Bill and in a low voice said, "Helen is a healer and I thought she might take a look at Coco's bite."

Bill nodded, "Let us get through dinner and then tackle that."

Dinner was eaten around the kitchen table with Hermione eating more from Bill's plate than her own. Charlie and Helen explained how they met through Ginny and Helen spoke about how much she loved her current assignment to the injuries from magical creatures department.

Bill and Charlie offered to clean up while Hermione and Helen relaxed in the living room.

Helen use the opportunity, "Hermione, Charlie had a motive from bring me here tonight."

Hermione grimaced, "I told them it was nothing, that I was fine."

Hermione sighed, "I guess the boys are right I should let someone take a look at this." She had been holding her shoulder in an awkward position all evening.

Helen looked towards the kitchen, "It can not hurt? If you are fine then I will tell Charlie to buzz off and if you are not I can help."

Hermione took a deep breath, "I am not going to the hospital…no matter what!"

Helen nodded her agreement.

Hermione stood up, "Where do you want to do this? Here? In my room?"

Helen followed her lead, "I think your room more privacy."

Hermione walked down the hallway and opened the door to her bedroom allowing Helen to go in first. Helen pulled a miniaturized medical bag from her pocket and opened it once it had been returned to full size.

Helen turned to Hermione, "Alright then where is the bite?"

Hermione took off her blouse and Helen began her examination.

While Helen was working, Hermione explained that the bite was from an animagaous spider form of a wizard.

Helen looked up at Hermione.

Hermione just looked away and whispered, "I would rather not talk about it." She sat lost in her thought.

Bill was not surprised to see the living room empty when he and Charlie had finished cleaning the kitchen. He sat in the chair next to the fireplace.

Charlie came out with two beers. Handing one to Bill, Charlie finally asked the question he wanted to. "So what is up with you and Coco?"

Bill looked at his brother, "It is very complicated…but to be blunt…I am not completely sure."

Charlie took a swig of his beer and smiling he said, "Looked pretty simple to me…from what I saw when I walked in…knight in shining armor finally found the damsel he wanted."

Bill smiled back at his brother, "Yeah maybe."

The brothers sat in companionable silence for a while only broken by Charlie's occasional chuckles.

When Helen and Hermione walked into the living room neither said a word.

Bill jumped up "Well?"

Helen looked at Hermione but Hermione did not say a word.

Bill looked at Helen, "So?"

Helen shook her head, "I can not say anything without Hermione's permission…patient confidentiality. Only in extreme cases then only to the next of kin"

Bill turned to Hermione, "Tell me!"

Hermione glared at him but did not say a word.

Bill roared, "I demand to now…I have a right to know!"

Hermione had been pushed to far, her temper flared and she shouted, "What right?"

Bill shouted back "We are betrothed that gives me the right!"

Charlie's head shot up and stepped between the warring factions, "Betrothed? When did this happen? Betrothed? I did not know you had the ceremony…Bill…Hermione what is going on?"

Bill looked at Hermione his anger fading as fast as it appeared, "We only spoke the vows…we did not have the complete ceremony." The sorrow on Bill's face spoke of his feelings, "I felt so helpless and I had to get that bastard off of Coco."

Helen's face looked very intense, like she was just a second away from solving a puzzle. She looked at Hermione, "That might explain everything you know. Why the bite is not healing."

Hermione looked at the healer confused. Helen looked at Bill and Charlie then back at Hermione, "It is unfinished magic…it is draining your abilities…not enough to kill you but enough to keep the bite festering."

Helen took Hermione's hand and gently urged her to sit on the sofa. "Hermione, if you do not finish this ritual what ever it is…I would wager a guess that bite will never heal and probably only get worse."

Hermione looked up at Bill, "What do they mean?"

Bill sat back down he was so ashamed. It had never occurred to him he only wanted to protect her but…he looked at her, "I am so sorry Coco"

He put his head in his hands. Hermione looked at Charlie, "What is he talking about?"

Helen took this as her cue to leave, "I have to get back to work. Please let me know if there is anything else I can do." Charlie walked her to the front door and kissed her cheek "Thank you." Helen gave him a quick peck on the cheek and was gone.

Turning back into the room Charlie saw Hermione kneeling down next to his brother. She was prying his hands from his face, "Please tell me.", she whispered.

Charlie coughed as he got closer. Hermione and Bill looked at him Charlie wanted to break the tension, "So you two are betrothed…that is news."

Bill looked at Hermione she nodded then Bill looked at Charlie, "Sebastian had me in a full body bind and Coco stunned…he was going to rape her. I had to stop him. I had to keep him away from her."

Hermione was stroking Bill's thigh very gently, soothingly, "Thank you for saving me…thank you." She laid her head on his knee.

Charlie watched Bill stroke her hair he realized they were perfect together and at peace. He remembered, "What about the ceremony? The vows are one thing but the ceremony it takes…well you know Bill."

Hermione looked up at Bill, "What is the ceremony? Please just tell me. It cannot be that bad. I am sure it is just pomp and flourishes."

Bill looked at her, "Coco, wizards long ago did not treat women the same as they do today. It was a different world hundreds of years ago…women were considered chattel not partners. Wizards wanted to make sure they were not getting 'faulty merchandise' so to speak."

Charlie interrupted, "Coco, wizards wanted to make sure the witch they were agreeing to marry was responsive to them 'sexually'. The ritual was developed to ensure the witch was capable of pleasing the wizard they were betrothed to."

Hermione was feeling uneasy, "How could they ensure that short of having sex…but if they had 'relations' they were considered to be legally married. How did they…?"

Bill took her hand in his, "They developed a ritual, a ceremony where the witch…in front of witnesses is aroused to the point of climax."

Hermione bolted and was half way to the door, "What!"

Bill looked at his now empty hands and Charlie was looking at his beer.

Hermione paced in front of the fireplace, "Let me get this straight. I will have to have an orgasm in front of an audience. People can not possible participate in this…how could anyone any witch…" her thoughts were tumbling out of her mouth.

"Bill! Please! People can not…"

Still seated, Bill grabbed her by the waist and pulled her to him crushing his head into her abdomen. "I am so sorry Coco. I could not think…I just wanted his hands off of you."

Hermione's arms circled his head stroking his hair, "Shhh, I am not angry at you…I am just shocked. How would you even know about this ritual? Is it commonplace…you both seem to be experts?"

Bill pulled away, "Fleur"

Hermione was confused, "What about Fleur?"

Bill sighed, "She, her family, insisted on the entire ritual. They were very traditional, they come from ancient bloodlines."

Charlie laughed, "Fleur did seem to enjoy it though!"

Charlie saw Bill's face and turned ashen, "Sorry it slipped out."

Bill looked at Hermione, "Fleur enjoyed having people watch her…that is why we broke up. I did not want to be part of a crowd."

Hermione tried not to laugh, "Oh! That explains a great deal."

Charlie stood up, "Maybe I should go."

Hermione grabbed his hand, "No, please help me and Bill figure how to get out of this!"

Charlie sat back down, "Coco I do not think you can get out of it. You both need to finish what you started."

Hermione switched gears, "Okay…okay then…can we, Bill and I and you just go in to the bedroom and you know…complete the ritual?"

Bill was pacing now, "If only it were that simple! There to be multiple witnesses at least my male relatives."

Hermione blanched, "All of them? That is five!"

Charlie grinned, "You forgot Harry, he is family now."

Hermione's mind was churning, "Not your dad?"

Bill shook his head, "He declined last time. I am sure he will decline this time."

Hermione digested the information and took a deep breath. "Okay so it will be you," and she pointed to Bill, "me, Charlie, Percy, Fred, George, Harry, and …oh my no…Ron?"

Bill cleared his throat, "Yes and Ron."

Hermione whimpered.

Bill rubbed his eyes and after a second said, "I guess we should ask Mum to do the preparations."

Hermione grabbed Charlie's beer and drank deeply, "What preparations?"

Charlie took his nearly empty beer back, "The witch's mum was always the one to help prepare…you know to help remove any obstructions..."

Hermione looked panicked, "No, Charlie I do not know…what obstructions?"

Charlie's face turned bright red he stammered, "Down there…the curls…the mum helps the witch remove the hair…you know so everyone has an unobstructed view of the…" He mumbled the last word.

Hermione groaned and sank to the floor, "Your mother is going to shave my crotch?" Her face was pleading with them to tell her this was a very sick joke.

Bill simply nodded.

Tears poured over Hermione's face as she sobbed, "This can not be happening to me!"