Life Goes On. Chapter Nine.
"Somebody better tell me right now what is going on here." Mrs Weasley demanded.
The couple stayed quiet, too scared to speak and face the wrath of the older woman.
"You're my brother!" Ron exploded, "How the hell could you do this to me?"
"We're not doing anything Ron, we're not engaged, Hermione just said that because only family is allowed up here..." Charlie began to explain.
"Oh thank Merlin!" Mrs Weasley exclaimed, fanning her face with her hand to cool down her flushed cheeks. "You're much too young for him Hermione, it just simply wouldn't work."
"But," Charlie raised his voice over the rant that his mother was beginning, "but we are together."
There was a moment of perfect silence, no one spoke, Mrs Weasley and Ron shocked from the revelation, Charlie and Hermione shocked that he had actually told them.
"You bastard." Ron hissed, "You BASTARD!"
He launched himself at Charlie, hands balled into fists of fury, face contorted with rage and hatred, "How could you do this to me? I'm your brother, where's your sense of family?" he growled landing punch after punch upon Charlie's body.
Two doctors burst into the room and succeeded in pulling Ron off his older brother.
"I'm sorry but you'll have to leave." One of the doctors barked, "This is simply disgusting behaviour to display in this hospital."
"How does it feel Charlie?" Ron asked as he and his mother were hustled out the door, "How does it feel to finally be the one getting the second hand things? Because that's what she is, used, dirty and old!" He spat the words in Hermione's direction.
As the door closed behind them Hermione broke down, flooded with tears. Charlie pulled her close to him, wrapping her arms around her, stroking her hair and kissing the top of her head.
"I'm sorry sweetheart, I'm so sorry."
"I should go," she whispered, "I've caused enough trouble being here already."
Without another word, ignoring Charlie's protest she removed herself from the room and collapsing against the wall in the corridor outside. Keeping her eyes tightly shut she squeezed out a few more tears before wiping her eyes with the backs of her hands. Ron's words stung and balled themselves up to form a hot lump at the back of her throat.
He was supposed to be her friend, she knew there were bitter feelings but she had never thought that he could have been so cruel, so sharp.
If this was the way that everyone was going to react she didn't know if she was going to be able to face it. She liked Charlie a lot; he made her happy, but was it worth destroying her friendships for him?
She didn't know, and that scared her.
-//-
It was two days later when Charlie was discharged from the hospital and was able to return to the enclosure.
The first thing that he did was seek out Hermione, she hadn't returned to the hospital and he had missed seeing her more than he had thought that he would. This worried him as it just gave a taste of what life was going to be like for him when Hermione left to go back to England. It was going to be hell.
He tripped over a suitcase in her hallway as he let himself into Hermione's house, the feeling of trepidation mounted as he looked into the living room and saw that the bookcase that had been packed with books, photos and ornaments was bare. As were the cupboards in the kitchen.
A clatter in the bedroom diverted his attention and he made his way towards it. He pushed open the door and saw Hermione balancing on top of a chair reaching for something on top of the wardrobe. A bag was open at her feet with the last of her possessions, the ones that didn't fit into her case.
"It's amazing isn't it." He said, focusing all his energy on stopping his voice from shaking, "where things end up."
She turned to look at him and he nodded towards the pair of shoes Hermione had retrieved from the wardrobe.
"what are you doing here?" She demanded pushing the shoes into the bag and zipping it up.
He followed her into the hallway where she dumped the bag by the case already waiting.
"What are you doing?" He countered.
"I'm leaving." She sighed turning to go into the kitchen
"Yeah, I see that," he grabbed her arm, stopping her from walking away, "But what I want to know is why."
"I've finished my work I need to go back to my real life now."
"What about us?" he pleaded, taking both her arms and turning her so she had no option but to look at him.
"What about us! Charlie there is no us, there can't be an 'us' and I was stupid to think otherwise. You're so much older than me; you live in a whole other country; you're Ron's brother! So that is why I'm going."
"Hermione none of those things matter. Yeah it might make things a little difficult but we can make it work. I know we can. I want us to."
"And what reality do you live in? Because it can't be real life! Things just don't work like that!"
"They can if you let them; if you're going to have that attitude then of course it's not going to work. And if this is because of my stupid brother then you can just ignore him, you should know already that he's a complete pillock."
"It's not him, well not entirely, but he did make me realise that we were just kidding ourselves. And that's why we should just end it here, while it's just a little fun, this way no one gets hurt."
She grabbed her cases, yanked open the front door and closed it with a firm click before he had chance to say anything.
"But I love you." He whispered into the nothingness.
