Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter or any other recognizable work.
A/N: So a funny story that maybe will only be funny to me. We live in a rural area and have to walk to check our mail. So, I'm walking and I get to our crossroads and step on something. I look down and there was a fork in the road. A literal fork. I laughed for a solid 20 minutes. Guys. This is my life. Anyway, a LOT of you love Charlie. Don't worry, I've got something else brewing for him (a different story. I'll tell you when I post. :D) Also, I lied last chapter...not quite to the dramione yet. But sooon. I promise!
Five
"Hey Hermione!" Dennis Creevey said as she walked down the hallway of the ministry the next day.
"Hi Dennis, how are you this morning?" she asked as she stopped to wait for him to catch up.
"Good. So look, I found that information you wanted," the man said as he handed her a memo, "Is he… is he up to something?"
Hermione felt bad about the sheer look of fear on the man's face, "No Dennis, he's- well it's standard ministry procedure that we follow up on cases like this. Usually it's the auror department but since they're swamped at the moment with the Drawling's case I offered to do a check in."
Dennis let out a large breath, "Oh, that's good."
"Yeah, but thank you for finding this." She offered.
The man nodded and said his good-byes before heading back to work. Hermione waited until he was gone before she opened the parchment.
According to records Draco was now running a very successful potion company that concocted and distributed top of the line potions at outrageous prices. She rolled her eyes at the information because of course he did. It was no secret the man had never been stupid, he had- after all- been second in their class. It made sense that he used his skill to increase his fortune but that didn't mean it didn't still rub Hermione the wrong way.
She left early that day and headed into Diagon Alley to the address printed on the parchment. She stood outside of the tall building for what seemed like an eternity before she finally pushed herself to actually go inside.
"Hello, can I help you?" the witch behind the counter asked as soon as Hermione's plain black pump had touched the floor.
"Err- yes, I was well I was hoping to speak with Draco Malfoy?"
The witch raised a brow, "And can I ask as to what this pertains to?"
Hermione breathed, "It's ministry business."
The witch continued to look at her skeptically but Hermione held steadfast until the witch finally nodded, "I'll send someone out, you may have a seat."
Hermione nodded and crossed over to the seating area and made herself as comfortable as she could in the chair. Lately her back had been killing her and if she sat down for any long period of time it was hard to keep her eyes open.
So instead she stood back up and crossed to the picture frames that decorated the walls. It was clear that the business was flourishing just by looking at the photographs. Pictures of Draco and who Hermione vaguely remembered as Theodore Nott and Blaise Zabini featured in many of them in far off places—one of those being New York in what looked like a very recent photograph.
"Granger?" she turned to see Blaise Zabini looking at her curiously, "It is Granger still isn't it?"
She sighed, "It is."
"Merlin, what are you doing here?"
"I've come to see Malfoy, I have a matter I would like to discuss-"
Blaise Zabini looked over to the witch at the desk, "Did you not tell her?"
The witch feigned innocence, "It must have slipped my mind."
"Right," Blaise said sarcastically before he turned back to Hermione, "Draco is out of the office today with his fiancé."
" fiancé?" Hermione asked.
Blaise nodded, "Astoria Greengrass? You remember her? Little blip of a girl? Turns out she grew up to be quite the stunner. Anyway, he's out for the day and probably tomorrow, is there something you'd like to discuss with me or Theo? We're not as cutthroat as Drake but-"
"No," Hermione said, "No it's fine. Thank you though for your time."
Blaise nodded as Hermione moved to pick up her things once more to leave, "Of course Ms. Granger, it was my pleasure."
Hermione left without another word, her heart beating hard inside of her chest until she reached an empty street. She leaned against the hard brick wall behind her as she thought of the man in the photographs and the smile that graced his lips. The night she had spent with him hadn't been long but he hadn't smiled at her, not like that. She sighed as she readjusted her things, squared her shoulders, and headed off again. On her own.
"You look beautiful tonight Hermione," Charlie said as he pushed her chair in for her. She smiled as she picked up the napkin and placed it in her lap.
When Charlie had suggested dinner she had assumed it would be one of their usual haunts, or perhaps even a similar place in muggle London. Instead he had insisted she dress up nice and they had arrived at the Chateau de magie in Diagon Alley. It had become a trend, after the war, as restaurants began to pop up around the wizarding cities. Even Hermione, however, with her Order of Merlin first class hadn't been here before.
"We'll skip the wine for the evening," Charlie smiled as he slid into his own seat. "How are you feeling?"
"Fine," Hermione shrugged, "A little tired and I had to put an extension charm on my dress but otherwise, fairly good."
"Well, you do look beautiful," Charlie said again before he opened up his menu.
Hermione exhaled and opened up her own but her attention wandered. She looked around her at the people dining around her. It was then that she saw them and her eyes were drawn to them. Draco was helping the woman into her coat, her long dark hair cascading down her back- the only part of her Hermione could see. Malfoy leaned down to say something to her as his lips pulled up at the corners. Hermione looked away, back to her menu, just as the waiter appeared to take their order and by the time she looked back, they were gone.
Her dinner was pleasant enough as they discussed the case and their work and Charlie asked polite questions about the baby. Hermione realized she liked Charlie, a lot, but there was something missing. She just couldn't quite put her finger on it.
"Are you alright?" he asked her as he helped her up from her chair.
She nodded, "I'm fine."
Charlie smiled and helped her into her coat once more, the same way that Draco had helped his fiancé and Hermione's good mood faltered.
"So I was thinking that we could go take a walk-" Charlie started as they moved towards the door.
"Actually, I'm sorry Charlie but I'm starting to get a headache,"
"Oh, are you alright?" he asked seriously.
"Yes, I think I'm just tired," she supplied, "But thank you for the wonderful evening and… I'll see you tomorrow?"
"Of course," Charlie said, "Let me walk you to the apparition point?"
She nodded and slipped her hand through his arm as they walked. When they had finally reached the apparition point she stepped forward but he caught her hand and gently tugged her back to him. His rough and callused hands pushed her hair away from her face as he leaned down and captured her lips with his own before he finally, released her.
"Good night Hermione," he breathed, looking down into her eyes.
"Goodnight Charlie," she whispered back as she stepped away from him and pulled out her wand before she disapparated.
"He kissed you?" Ginny cried. "And you didn't tell me sooner? You've been over here plenty of times since then!"
"Ginevra!" Hermione shushed her, holding the baby against her and covering his little ear as she looked around for Harry. "And I didn't tell you because your husband is always around."
"He's not here now, I sent him for more nappies," Ginny laughed. "And what was it like? Was it like kissing your brother?"
Hermione shook her head as the baby fussed and she bounced him gently in her arms, "No, I mean, I was never close with Charlie. I hardly knew him before the end of school and then after… I mean he's not...but it's-" she breathed, collecting her thoughts, "It was a nice kiss but there was no-"
"Spark?" Ginny asked.
"If you want to call it that," Hermione shrugged but that was exactly the way she would describe it. Even with Ron it had felt like there was something missing. She hadn't really even known it until- well until Draco.
"Oh I do call it that. I mean I had to snog nearly half of Hogwarts before I found it with Harry. Trust me, once you've felt it, you'll know."
Hermione looked down once more, not meeting her friend's eyes as baby James woke up, squalling in hunger.
"Oh, come here my little quaffle…" Ginny cooed and Hermione rose a brow at her, "What? His head is shaped like a quaffle. It's better than any cutesy name…"
Hermione laughed and stood up, moving towards the kitchen to find something to eat.
"Oh my goodness! Hermione Jean Granger!" Ginny cried and Hermione froze, "You have a baby bump!"
"What?" Hermione asked, looking down at herself. She had never made it this far in a pregnancy before at just over three months. She knew her clothes were no longer fitting- having to use an expandable charm on every pair at least once a day to keep them from being too snug- but assumed it had more to do with her daily lunch dates with Charlie.
"I'm home!" Harry called as he came through the door, floating right by Hermione to kiss Ginny and then lean over to kiss the still nursing baby. "There's my boy."
"Did you remember my ice cream?" Ginny asked.
"What? Ice cream? You said nappies!" Harry said.
"Yes, nappies and some butter brickle ice cream. I told you to write it down!" Ginny argued.
Harry groaned but moved back towards the door, "Oh hey Hermione, I'd stay and chat but apparently we need ice cream."
Hermione laughed, "Pick me up some too will you? I could use some strawberry cream."
Harry sighed, "Of course, anything else?"
Ginny waved him off and Hermione laughed as he turned back to the door, "I'll be back in a bit."
Once he was gone Hermione turned back to Ginny, "That was mean."
Ginny shrugged, "I can't wait until he goes back to work. I swear I put James down the other day and turned around to find Harry waking him up."
"It's sweet." Hermione argued as she opened the fridge to find something to drink.
"It's bloody obnoxious and besides, you haven't spilled all the beans yet. Come on," her friend demanded.
Hermione chuckled but complied, bringing two glasses of pumpkin juice back to the table as she told Ginny everything down to the details of the napkin rings on the table. She trailed off as she remembered Draco and his fiancé and it wasn't until Ginny snapped her fingers that Hermione came back to the conversation and luckily was saved by Harry with the ice cream and some take out.
Hermione knew she was being selfish but she couldn't bring herself to care as Charlie Weasley sat on her couch, rubbing her feet. She knew that the man before her was harboring something towards her and while she didn't really return those feelings it was nice to have someone there. To not be so alone. Charlie was good company, he was mature and responsible and he valued her opinions. She knew it was wrong but at the same time she thought maybe… maybe one day she could feel something.
"So I told him that he either need to reveal the source of his trader or I was going to confiscate all of his creatures. Even the permitted ones."
"And it worked?"
"Barely," Charlie laughed darkly, letting go of her feet to lean back against her sofa, "He did tell me that Gnarlack is a giant sack of lying shite though."
"What?" Hermione asked.
"Yeah, and your source, what was his name Jimmy Fountain?"
"Fontoon, but yes, what about him?"
"No one has seen or heard from him in months. Probably since around the time you were there."
"Oh no," Hermione groaned, moving to sit up.
"Hey, it's not your fault."
"I should have checked it out further, it just seemed so perfect and I gave him veritaserum, how…" she trailed off, her mouth hanging open.
"They're mobsters, maybe they have an antidote or…"
Hermione shook her head, "No, it's got to be something more. There was someone else." She leaned forward to pick up the files that Charlie had brought over with him and flipping through the pages. "Here, Coraline Peregrine, but she wouldn't meet with me."
She showed Charlie the picture of the witch in the file and he nodded and made a note with his wand in the file.
Hermione stood up, stretching out her tired muscles, "I just can't believe I didn't catch that."
"Don't beat yourself up over it, honestly if it weren't for this Dunwall fellow I probably wouldn't have either."
Hermione nodded as she crossed the room to the kitchen just as a knock sounded on the door and Charlie stood up to go get it while Hermione poured herself a glass of juice.
"Charlie?" Ron's voice asked and Hermione nearly choked on the drink in her mouth before she peered around the corner, "What are you doing here?"
"I could ask you the same thing little brother," the man said and Hermione rolled her eyes at the man before she stepped out of the kitchen.
"Hello Ron," she said, moving back into the room.
Ron's mouth fell open, his eyes nearly falling out of his skull before he suddenly snapped his jaw shut and his face began to turn a shade of red that even Hermione had never seen before.
"What did you do?" He screamed at his brother, pushing forward into the flat and grabbing Charlie's collar.
"What the fucking hell are you on about?" Charlie asked.
"You're- you- Hermione? You can't even let me have one-" he reared back his arm and realization dawned on Hermione as she pulled her wand quickly from her pocket and sent a full body bind towards Ron.
Charlie turned to look at Hermione, "What the hell?"
Hermione gestured at herself, "He thinks-"
"Oh, fuck," Charlie swore and then moved forward to lean over Ron, "I'm going to let you up but you need to calm down."
Ron made a squeaking noise behind his closed lips and Charlie rolled his eyes but caste a finite incantatem anyway. Ron was on his feet quickly, looking between the two.
"It's not Charlie's baby Ronald," Hermione said, tugging self-consciously on her shirt.
"But you're- and he's- why are you here?" He asked Charlie.
"Because I work at the ministry you daft wanker," Charlie huffed, "And as it so happens Hermione and I are working on a case together. Not that it's any of your business."
"So he's not- and you're not…"
"Well…"Charlie started and Hermione quickly stepped up.
"Ronald, I can assure you that the baby is not Charlie's. Did you come for something or…?"
"Oh," Ron said unenthusiastically, "Actually yeah, I wanted to uh, well I found some of your things in our flat… my flat. I thought you might like them. I know your parents are-" he trailed off, looking over where Charlie stood as he reached down to pick up a box by his feet and hold it out for her. "Ginny told me where you were at now, I didn't mean to intrude or anything."
Hermione smiled as she took the box, "Thank you Ron, for not throwing it out…"
"Nah, I would never…" he trailed off before he cleared his throat and lowered his voice, "I know I wasn't the best boyfriend to you Hermione but I still love you. You're one of my best friends and I hope that someday, someday we can get back to that."
Hermione smiled ruefully, "Me too Ron."
He nodded at her and she adjusted the box in her hands, "Well I better get going. Uh… congratulations Hermione, I'm happy for you."
She didn't miss the way his eyes darted to his brother and then back to her once more and she resisted the urge to roll her eyes again as she gave him a small smile, "Thank you Ron. That means a lot."
The man nodded and looked at Charlie again, "Sorry about that…"
Charlie waved him off, "No harm done, obviously."
Ron smiled wearily and then with one last wave he turned to leave and Hermione shut the door, as Charlie began laughing behind her.
"Honestly, I don't think it was that amusing," she huffed.
Charlie only laughed harder.