Life Goes On.
Chapter Seven.
The afternoon passed and before Hermione knew it, it was time to meet Charlie in the pub; she squirted on some perfume and headed out the door hurrying along the path. She was early, as usual; where other people would say 'better late than never', to Hermione it was 'better never late'. She settled herself down at a table in the far corner and bought the first round of drinks. She was already half way through her first when Charlie finally arrived.
He pushed open the door, allowing a huge gust of wind to come through; he cheeks flushed slightly, a sign that he had been walking fast to get there, his hair windswept and falling in front of his deep green eyes, that Hermione had noticed has slight flecks of gold in them when they caught the right light. Her heart started beating faster as he approached her, she returned the smile he gave her and took a gulp of her drink, giving her a few seconds to regain her composure before he spoke.
"Started already hey? Well then I'll have to catch up." He picked up the untouched glass on the table and took two large mouthfuls, emptying its content. "Shall I get the next ones in?"
"No" Hermione protested, "It's your birthday; the drinks are on me tonight."
"Well body shots are fun, but I thought we'd stick to beer for now." Charlie joked.
Hermione made her way to the bar, very determined not to picture Charlie performing a body shot off of her, the thought was making her go slightly weak at the knees.
"So how are you enjoying Romania?" Charlie asked when she returned to the table.
"It's great. Everyone's being so lovely and welcoming even though I could lose them their jobs. I feel like that Umbridge woman." She said with a slight shudder at the thought.
"Oh yeah, I read about her decrees in the Daily Prophet, she was horrible. You're nothing like that Hermione, and you certainly don't look like a toad." He smiled.
"Well I suppose that's a plus. I don't look like a toad."
"You look gorgeous Hermione."
She blushed and looked down at the table while he studied her face with unmasked interest, taking in every little part of her, the warm chocolate brown of her eyes, the smoothness of her cheeks and the fullness of her lips, lips that just cried out for him to press his own against them. He fought the urge to reach out and trace his thumb across them to feel their softness.
She'd been speaking he realised, and he hadn't heard a single word of it. He gave his head a quick shake and focused in on the conversation.
"-been good to get away from London," She was saying, "I needed the distance after the break-up."
"Was it messy?" He wanted to know, wanted every little detail, but at the same time it was his brother, and he should respect Ron's privacy.
"Not particularly, it was just painful," Hermione said thoughtfully, "I'd just been with Ron for so long that it had become a habit. He was there for me when I needed him to be in the War and he was so great, but then when it was over and we were just a normal couple having normal lives it all changed."
"How?"
"He can't get over the lack of excitement I don't think. It's so stupid, how can he want what it was like before, with the constant threat to our lives, compared to the safety we have now. I know it's been difficult loosing Fred, but he was using it as an excuse to sit and moan when he could be making something of himself."
"But he's been like that for months, how come you chose now to act?"
"When I got this job he sulked, he didn't even pretend to be happy about it, he doesn't support me anymore, and I just couldn't live with that, it was making me miserable."
"Do you think you'll get back together?" Charlie couldn't help but ask, he didn't really want to know the answer, he wasn't sure why, but he didn't want her to have feelings for his little brother.
"No. I don't think so. He came round to see me not long after we broke up and I thought that there was a chance that we would, but we just ended up arguing like usual. I think we're better off apart."
Charlie couldn't help but feel slightly relieved at this comment.
They both reached into the bowl of nuts that was in the centre of the table, their hands brushing together as they did so, feeling a zing of electricity running up her spine Hermione told herself firmly, nothing's going to happen, you're just his little brother's ex-girlfriend. But no matter how many times she said it there was still a part of her that thought otherwise.
Three drinks later the room was spinning for both of them, more so for Hermione, whose slight frame had less inside to dilute the alcohol with.
"I think," She slurred "We've had enough."
"Enough? Pfft, nowhere near, we just need to move onto something different. Let's go back to mine and we can have free drinks."
"That," Hermione declared, pointing at him sharply, "That is the best bloody thing you've said all night."
They staggered out of the pub, and leaning against each other and they swerved and stumbled along the path the Charlie's, giggling all the way. As he unlocked his door Hermione wobbled slightly and grabbed hold of his hand to steady herself, they stayed hand in hand, fingers laced as they entered the house.
"So what would you like to drink?" She asked him.
He pulled her by the hand he was still holding and she collapsed into his chest, looking up at him, eyes focused on him mouth.
"I don't feel like drinking anymore." He whispered.
He bent his head down slightly and finally he got to brush his lips against hers that had enchanted him so much all evening. They were as soft as he had imagined.
Her arms snaked up around his neck and desire coursed through his body as he pressed herself against him. He wanted to take her to bed. He didn't care about the consequences, he didn't care that this was his brothers former girlfriend. All he knew was that moment and in that moment he wanted her.
His hands slid down to the front of her blouse and he nimbly began to undo her buttons, Hermione had a fleeting thought that she was glad that she'd put on matching underwear before coming out that night.
As he finished undoing her top and slid it off her shoulders as her hands went downwards and undid his belt buckle. Their mouths never left each other as they made their way to the bedroom and tumbled down onto the bed.
It was eleven before Hermione opened her eyes and found herself alone in Charlie's bed, it took her a few seconds to realise where she was, and a couple more seconds for the hangover to come crashing down on her. She groaned and brought her hand up to massage her throbbing temples.
"Good morning." Charlie chirped as he re-entered the room, he was in nothing but a towel that was loosely slung round his hips and his hair was still wet from the shower. As he pulled on clothes Hermione became very conscious of her nakedness. She grabbed pants and bra that were heaped on the floor beside her and quickly slid them on; her trousers were at the end of the bed, she grabbed them too. Now all she needed was a top and she'd be ok.
Crap! She thought, it's still in the kitchen.
"Are you ok?" Charlie asked coming over to sit beside her, covering her hand with his own.
"I'm fine."
"D-do y-you regret last night?" Charlie stammered, to him it had been amazing, he'd woken up with a smile on his face and a feeling so good even his throbbing headache couldn't dull his mood.
But he could understand if she felt different, they had been pretty drunk, and she might feel like he had taken advantage of her. He hadn't wanted it to be like that, he liked her a lot and he didn't want things to be ruined between them.
"No!" Hermione said quickly, "It's not that."
"You sure?"
"Yeah." Hermione nodded, and then wished that she hadn't.
"I like you Hermione, I like you a lot."
Hermione liked Charlie too, the past three weeks she had been with him had been the happiest weeks that she had had in a long time. But the previous night had felt wrong; a drunken fling wasn't how she had wanted it. And this was Ron's brother! No matter how many times she had told herself that it didn't matter she knew deep down that he did.
"Ron's going to be so mad." She said quietly.
"I know." That same thought had been bothering Charlie too.
He wasn't especially close to his brother, Charlie had been away at Hogwarts through most of Ron's childhood and then had left for Romania straight after that, but he was still his brother and brothers don't do things to hurt their family.
"We just won't tell him." Hermione said firmly. "Then it will be ok."
For several minutes Charlie couldn't speak, he didn't want that to be it, he'd woken up that morning exited to be able to get to know Hermione better, to go places with her, to wake up next to her and sit and watch her beautiful sleeping form just like he had that morning. But she didn't want that.
"If that's what you want." He said quietly, unable to mask the pain he felt.
"What I want doesn't come into it, it's what we have to do."
"Why?" Charlie demanded, standing up suddenly, "You make me happy, I make you happy, we're both adults and single, why is it what we have to do? You said it yourself you and Ron aren't in love anymore, it might be strange at first but everyone else can bloody well get used to it!"
"Really?" Hermione asked a smile creeping onto her face.
"Well," He said again, "if it's what you want?"
She grinned and grabbed him by the back of the neck pulling him down so their lips met.
"Charlie Weasley that sound a lot more like what I want."
A/N : Please review guys, I feel like no ones reading, and if that's the case it'd be pointless me carrying on with the story. So let me know there are people out there to write for.
