A/N: this is relatively canon compliant, but you'll be able to tell when I diverge. Don't think too hard about it. It's fan fiction. ;)
Also, everything is consensual, and there is explicit content.
Hermione pushed open the canvas flap and stepped outside of the tent she was sharing with Ginny Weasley. She walked the few steps to sit in a camp chair, next to Fred. He, George, Ginny and Mr Weasley were seated around a campfire, roasting sausages and talking about the upcoming match.
"Ireland is definitely going to win. No question. The ONLY good player on the Bulgarian team is Krum. Seeker is only a part of the game." Fred was saying. He turned as she sat and scooted his chair closer to her, handing her a stick and sausage and nudging her with his knee. "Morning sleepyhead." He said to her quietly.
"Good morning." She smiled brightly. She had arrived last night with Ginny. Mr Weasley had collected them from the Burrow and brought them via portkey. But Fred had been there with the twins and Harry and Ron for a few days already. The much anticipated quidditch World Cup was to be held that evening.
"I dunno," mused George. "It's possible Krum gets the snitch early on."
"Hello, family." A tall rugged looking man approached their campsite. He had long red hair, pulled back in a ponytail. A brown leather vest over a dark shirt and tan pants. Bill Weasley looked ever the part of a wild magi-archaeologist/curse breaker.
Mr Weasley stood and hugged his eldest son. "You made it! I'm so glad!"
"Charlie was just catching up with some friends, he'll come by in time for the match." Bill said, taking an empty seat next to his father. He looked across the fire at Hermione. "And who do we have here?" He said with a smirk.
"This is Hermione Granger. Hermione, this is my brother, Bill." Fred introduced them.
"Hello." She smiled timidly.
"oh Hermione?" Bill said, with a bit of emphasis and a wink toward Fred. "Very nice to finally meet you." He nodded at her.
She blushed at his attention. She'd known the Weasley's since that first day on the Hogwarts express as a new 11 year old muggle born witch. She and Harry and Ron were good friends and classmates. But she had gotten along best with Fred. Even though he was a little more than a year older than her. She felt such a connection with him. And had a crush on him for years. She felt certain that this would be the year she would finally act on that crush. She knew he liked her too. Fred certainly didn't treat her like his kid sister. But they were all still very young. In a few short months she would turn fifteen and she felt ready to pursue a real boyfriend/girlfriend relationship with him. Seeing Bill give Fred a knowing smirk confirmed to her that Fred would indeed be open to pursuing that with her. She bit her lip to stop from smiling too wildly.
Ron and Harry exited the big tent just then, both looking like they had just woken up. Ron rubbed his eyes grumpily. Harry yawned and said "good morning." Mr Weasley conjured a chair for each of them and Harry set his up beside Hermione, much to Ginny's very obvious dismay.
Harry and Hermione were, while welcomed and invited and made to feel very much a part of the family, still outsiders. He usually stuck by her side when a lot of the Weasley's were present.
Ron collected sticks and sausages for the two boys and went to walk around the circle back to Harry. "Ow! Bloody- oh. Hey Bill." Ron said, rubbing his shin where Bill had tripped him.
"Hey little brother." Bill grabbed him in what looked like a violent one-armed hug and rubbed his hair vigorously with his other arm. Ron tried not to drop the sausages.
He finally extricated himself from his brother and sat next to Harry, handing him his breakfast. "This is my oldest brother, Bill." Ron introduced him, "this is Harry." Then set about cooking his sausage over the fire.
"Hello." Harry waved across the circle.
"Harry Potter, good to finally meet you too." Bill nodded.
"We want to go check out the vendors. Out in the middle of the camp." George spoke up. He and Fred had been plotting and contemplating what to bet on the game since the teams had been picked. There was apparently a row of vendor tents, selling various memorabilia for the Cup, as well as a few different places for making bets on the match.
"That's fine, but be back here at least an hour before the start so we can go to the box together." Mr Weasley said.
"Can I go too, dad?" Ginny asked him.
"Erm..." Arthur hesitated. But he could never resist giving his only daughter whatever she wanted. "I'll take you over in a little while. Promise."
She made a face, she wanted to go with her brothers. "I'll go with them, dad." Bill clapped a hand on his father's shoulder.
"Oh, well good, then yes you can go. Stay right next to Bill the whole time."
The group finished up their breakfast and then set out. It was a very warm day. Hermione had pulled her curly hair into a high ponytail. She wore a red tank top and mid-length denim shorts, with comfortable brown leather sandals. She would change for the game, but during the high heat of the summer day, she would definitely be more comfortable in this.
Her heart was racing as Fred took her hand after the group went ahead of them. She had always been extremely comfortable with him. Comfortable touching him. He frequently threw an arm around her shoulder or took her hand or hugged her. If there wasn't a seat for her in the common room, she would usually perch herself on his knee. There was no awkwardness about their physical touching. But it was always just friendly. But this year she had the goal, she would speak up about her feelings. And she would kiss him. And that anticipation was causing her heart to race this time as he held her hand. Maybe she would find the moment to do it before school even started. She was planning on spending the remainder of the summer at the Burrow.
The crowds near the row of vendors were thick. Up ahead, Bill held on tight to Ginny's hand. He turned around to his siblings and Harry and Hermione. "Alright kids. If we get separated, meet back here," he pointed up to the flag pole that sported both the Irish and UK flags as well as a flag with the Irish team logo on it, "in one hour. If you get lost and miss us, then go back to our campsite. Got it?" He shouted above the noise of the crowds.
"Yes dad!" Answered George, rolling his eyes at his big brother.
The row of tents featured all manner of goods. And all of it was magical. Hermione couldn't take it all in fast enough. She squeezed Fred's hand tightly as he pointed out a group of very real looking leprechauns walking about, tossing out gold coins as they went. People cheered for the Irish when they passed.
Ginny stopped them at a stand selling Irish hats with miniature magicked leprechauns circling the top. George looked about, searching for the betting tents. He spotted one and gave Fred a look, nodding in the direction. Fred turned to Hermione and leaned down to whisper in her ear "want to come place a bet with us?"
"I think I'll stay here with them. Find us after!" She squeezed his hand and he winked at her, sneaking off with his twin.
A few more tents down, the boys and Ginny stopped to ogle some broomsticks. Above the murmur of the crowd, Hermione could hear a guitar playing faintly from somewhere nearby. The sound was drawing her in. She felt like she needed to find its source, to go where she could hear it clearly. She tugged on Ron's sleeve, "I want to go find that music." She said to him.
Without taking his eyes off the broom, Ron said "go for it. We'll be here." She looked at their little group and then the crowd beyond. She felt pretty confident she could find the redheads again easily. Ron and Bill were both taller than most of the people around them.
So she left, following the music, wandering behind the row of vendors. There were a few different large pub tents and food stalls. She followed the music to one in particular. It was dim inside. A bar set up near the entrance, tables spread about the rest all facing toward a small stage. A man was seated on a stool on the stage, playing a guitar and singing, his voice magically amplified. A sign near the bar said the stage was open to anyone. The tables were all full and a small group of people stood in her way of a clear view of the singer.
She was mesmerized by his voice. She felt like she wanted to walk right up to the stage and stare at him, felt like he was singing just for her. She blinked and shook her head a bit. This was so odd of her. She's never felt like this before, so entranced.
A few people in front of her left the tent and she finally had a clear view. The singer was hunched over his guitar, he had a muggle baseball cap on backwards, and wore jeans and a plain gray tshirt. His eyes were closed, lost in the song. She took an involuntary step toward him. He looked familiar. But she was sure she had never met him before. Her heart was pounding intensely. She wanted to touch him, for some reason.
As he finished the final chords of his song, he finally looked up, straight at her. When their eyes locked, she felt something strange surge within her.
The crowd around them applauded. He stood up slowly, never taking his eyes off of hers. He seemed just as mesmerized by her as she was by him. He left the stage and someone else took his place, immediately starting up another song. She was frozen in place, watching him make his way toward her. Halfway through the tables, someone stopped him and he broke eye contact, shaking the hand of the person and thanking them.
Hermione blinked finally. She shook her head, clearing it of whatever had just possessed her. She turned to leave the tent, go back to her friends. Something felt really weird about all of this.
She slipped out of the tent and had to step to the side and wait for a group to enter. She was in the narrow space between tents now. Her heart was beating fiercely with every step she took away from that guitar playing stranger. She wanted to go back to him. But her brain was screaming at her to fear the situation.
Just as the last person moved so she could walk out of there, someone grabbed her arm. She didn't need to even look up to know it was the guitar playing stranger. Her blood rushed and her skin burned at the contact. She looked up at him, a tingle ran up her spine and her mouth dropped open. He was gorgeous up close, tanned freckled skin, thick muscled arms, deep teal eyes. He stared down at her, eyes shifting quickly between hers. He let go of her quickly.
"I'm so sorry, I didn't mean to..." he was breathing heavily, unable to look away. "Do I know you?" He asked.
She started to speak but more people were entering and exiting the pub. He took her hand and she let him pull her further back between the tents until they were at the back of it. Only a few working people were back here, delivering food, taking out trash, etc.
He turned to her again, he looked so entranced. He still held her hand.
For some reason, completely unknown and uncontrolled by her, she reached up with her other hand and touched his cheek with her palm. It was rough with the shadow of a beard.
He sucked in a sharp breath at her touch. He slid his hand around her waist and pulled her to him, immediately devouring her mouth. She opened wide for him, tasting his tongue, sliding her hand down on his chest and clutching his shirt. She needed more of him. She needed all of him. This man she did not know, her soul cried out in joy as she swallowed each and every movement of his mouth on hers, his hand on her body.
He let go of her hand and grabbed her by the neck, holding her to him and she whimpered. She couldn't stop this even if she wanted to. And she certainly did not want to. Nothing else existed to her outside of this moment with this man. She felt strangely like he was her soulmate.
He turned them around and pressed her against a tent pole, never breaking contact. She slid her hands beneath his shirt, feeling his warm velvet skin along his hard muscled stomach. She felt herself grow wet, her core throbbed at the feel of his skin. He gasped at her touch, dropping his forehead to hers. He looked deep into her eyes again, and she knew he was safe. She knew he was hers.
She slid one finger along the front waistband of his jeans, between the fabric and his skin, and that simple action caused them both to lose it. He kissed her deeply, rolling his body into hers. Absolutely no words were exchanged. They both somehow knew what each other wanted, needed.
He undid the button on her shorts, sliding down the zipper quickly. She dug her nails into his side as he slipped his whole hand down into her knickers. His mouth never left hers as he slid the palm of his hand along her sex, his middle finger slipping between her soaked folds. She spread her legs wider for him and his finger slid straight into her. She moaned at the feel of him enter her, scraping her nails along his back, holding him there.
She started rocking her core on his hand, not able to get enough of him. She wanted his cock in her, she wanted his mouth on her. She wanted to have him naked right now. She thought of absolutely nothing else in that moment. The entire world was lost to her.
She reached down and undid his jeans, sliding her hand around his extremely thick and hard member. He growled his pleasure into her mouth. They worked each other to a simultaneous completion. With his hand still inside her and their mouths still attached, she felt complete bliss. The only thing that could make this better would be if she could have him naked on a bed and fuck him properly.
A loud crash startled them both, they quickly pulled their hands out of each others pants, gasping and looking around. He looked afraid. Like he hadn't meant to do that. She thinks her own face probably mirrored his. She isn't afraid of him. But of what they just did. While her brain tells her to run away, her heart, her instincts, her soul, tells her to stay with him, forever and always.
She does up her pants and rights her clothing, as does he, stepping back from her. Neither one of them speaks. What is there even to say? She just knows this isn't something he planned for either. Somehow, she knows what he's feeling.
"Oi! Weasley!" Someone calls out near them and she jumps into action. Oh god, if the Weasley's are around them, if Fred saw her with this strange man right now. Oh god, Fred. She completely forgot about Fred.
The stranger adjusts his clothes and takes off his hat, brushing back his red hair and replacing it. Before turning to face the person calling out. "Over here." He says.
She stares at him, realization flooding her consciousness, drowning her. Her eyes grow wide with fear and denial. She starts to back away from him. He steps toward her now, holding up his hands cautiously.
"You're Charlie?" She breathes, begging the universe that it's not true.
"Yes? How do you know me? Who are you?" He asks.
"Oh my god." She says, shaking her head as the realization slams into her. She turns and runs.
She runs back toward the vendors, back where she left Ron. She is frantic. What the fuck did she just do? Why was she so possessed? What the hell was that?
She spins around in place in the middle of the walkway, searching desperately for her group and seeing none of them. She spies the flag pole in the distance and runs for it.
When she reaches it and finds none of the other Weasley's she stops and wills herself to breathe. She doesn't even want them to see her like this or she'll have to come up an excuse. And she can't think at all right now. She checks her watch. There's still another twenty minutes before they are all supposed to meet here. She has time to compose herself.
She forces herself to walk calmly to the toilets. Focuses on breathing. She splashes water from the sink on her face and neck, cooling down. Her lips are slightly swollen. She stares at them in the mirror, touches them lightly, flashing back to the feel of his mouth on hers, his hand down her pants.
She blinks, shaking off the memory. She cleans herself up. No visible traces of her encounter left. She has warring emotions left inside her. She couldn't claim to have just been violated by Charlie Weasley. Because she wanted it, bad. She wanted him to kiss her and he did. She wanted him to stick his hand down her pants and he did. She did the same to him. She doesn't know why she wanted to. She doesn't know why she felt safe with him, or that odd soulmate feeling. She's never read anything to indicate soulmate magic anywhere. She couldn't have been drugged or dosed with anything. Could she?
Once she feels more calm and collected, she exits the washroom. She will find the others and go about the rest of the day as planned. And she will try very hard not to react when she eventually sees Charlie again that evening. Fuck. She just remembered she's going to have to see Charlie for the match. And he'll stay with them at the campsite that night. Fuck.
"Hermione!" Ginny calls out to her from near the flagpole. Hermione glances at her watch as she walks calmly over to her. Shit, it took that long for her to calm down in the bathroom? What is happening to her?
She forces a smile on her face as she approaches the group, avoiding Fred's eye.
"Where'd you go?" Ginny asks her.
"Oh, I just went to watch some musicians play in one of the pubs. It was lovely music." She sounds weird right now, she's sure of it. And it's weird that she's avoiding Fred's gaze. He's bound to notice.
She links her arm through Ginny's just so she can avoid Fred taking her sweaty, shaking hand and they all head back toward the campsite. She's begging all the gods that Charlie isn't there when they arrive.
By some tiny miracle, he's not there. And she rushes into her tent, claiming to want a nap before the match. Ginny joins her so she can't completely break down again. She lays down on her cot, feigning exhaustion and pretends to sleep. But she listens intently to the sounds outside, waiting to hear any sign of his arrival.
She feels it first, a twinge in her chest. Like some anticipation being relieved to be near him again. She freezes, listening.
Muffled greetings and laughter drift through the canvas of the tent. She hears Ginny leave to see who had arrived.
She rolls over, sighing in relief to be free of Ginny for just a moment. She composes herself. She has to change and go to the match with everyone else. The sky is darkening. It's almost time.
She's hyper-aware of his presence. Yearns to go out and be near him. She tries to calm her shaking fingers as she pulls on a pair of jeans. She slides her arms through Fred's old jumper. She had always planned on wearing it tonight. But now she feels horrible for it. She can't tell if she feels horrible for Fred, or for Charlie.
She debates taking it off and just buying a new Ireland or Bulgaria sweater at the match, when Ginny pokes her head in. "Oh good you're awake, and ready? It's time to go."
Hermione huffs a sigh. She's got to face him now. She follows Ginny out of the tent.
As soon as she steps out, she makes eye contact with him. He freezes, the smile on his face dropping instantly. He furrows his brow, gaping at her. Luckily nobody notices his reaction. She sees him go from shock to joy at not having lost her forever to despair as he realizes who she is. And probably how old she is. All she does is look sadly at the ground, willing herself not to spend too long staring into his eyes.
"All right, everybody ready?" Says Mr Weasley. "Grab a buddy and stick close. I have all the tickets? Yes?" He checks his pockets. "Yes. Ok let's go!"
Before she can turn and cling to Ginny, Fred grabs her hand. Charlie notices. Hermione hides her grimace from both of them and lets Fred hold onto her. "Nice jumper." He says quietly to her, winking. She looks away, hoping it's conveyed as a flirty gesture and not the utter mortification that it is now.
Charlie sidles up next to Fred. "Who's your friend, Freddy?" He's got his hands in his jeans pockets, his arm muscles straining and shifting. She knows what they feel like, knows just how easily that button comes undone on those jeans, knows how he tastes, just how far his tongue can slide into her mouth.
"This is Hermione. Hermione, my brother Charlie." Fred doesn't let go of her hand at any point. She's going to start shaking and sweating again.
"Hello." She manages to say, but then Charlie holds out his right hand in front of Fred as they walk, to shake her hand. She has to let go of Fred because she can't possible be calm if she touches Charlie right now. She reaches out a shaky hand, grateful that they are all moving and it won't be as detectable and takes his hand. At the brief touch of skin on skin her heart jumps and her soul soars. She lets go half a second later. Discreetly wiping her sweating palms on her pants. She stuffs her own hands in her pockets to avoid Fred taking her hand again.
She tries to remember how she usually acts in these situations, Fred is going to notice if she's not being normal. She clears her throat, "you work with dragons, right?" Trying to sound pleasant and mildly interested in meeting a new person.
"I do." He responds.
"I helped Harry and Ron with Hagrid's baby dragon a few years ago." She says, praying that she can come across normal and friendly. He seems to be doing a good job of it. "That's when I first learned what you do and where you were."
"I see. So, you're Ronnie's age then?" He asks.
She cringes hardcore. Clears her throat quietly. "Yes." She doesn't look at him. She wants to cry. But she also wants to jump into his arms and wrap her legs around his middle as she devours him.
"Well, pleasure to meet you, Hermione." He says, moving up to walk with Bill and George.
She could die of mortification. She keeps her distance from Fred, hands deep in her pockets, fingernails digging into her palms.
They reach the stadium, it's ginormous. Thousands of witches and wizards make their way into long lines to enter. Mr Weasley shows their tickets and then bids them all follow him. They go up up up, all the way to the top, to a prestigious ministry box. When they make it to their seats, she finds herself between Fred and Harry. She breathes a sigh of relief. Charlie is completely out of sight. The desire to kiss him is lessened. But she still feels it.
The match goes on, she could care less about any of it. When Ireland scores, their box jumps and cheers, and Fred throws his arm around her. She's numb to all of it. But tries to react similarly to her friends.
A while in, she can't take it anymore, "I'm going to the restroom." She leans into Fred's ear and he crouches to hear her. He nods and asks if she wants him to go with, "no no, I'll be back soon." She leaves him. Taking the stairs down a few stories until a restroom and refreshment stand come into view.
She pushes open the bathroom door and steps inside. But before she can close it behind her, Charlie slips in. He closes the door and locks it behind him.
They stand there for a moment, staring at each other. She can feel her heartbeat in her throat. "I didn't know who you were." She whispers. As If knowing who he was could have stopped them. She was possessed by something. Some need to be with him, to join herself with him in the most intimate of ways. Even now.
"Do you... do that often?" He asks, he's pressed himself against the door, as if holding onto it can keep him from going to her, from taking her.
She shakes her head, eyes welling up with tears. "Do you?" She whispers.
"Never." He says strongly. His brow furrowed, his mouth turned down.
A loud banging sounds on the door and she jumps.
Charlie says, "lock it behind me." And he leaves.
She rushes to the door and locks it. Listening.
"Get the fuck out of here, I don't care, find another one." Charlie says to the stranger. He doesn't try to enter the bathroom with her again. She runs to the sink, gripping it with shaking hands. She has no idea how long this game will go, and she has no idea how she will be able to sleep in a tent next to his. What if he comes back to the Burrow to see Molly? Of course he would. She should leave. She should go home asap.
She tries to come up with some dialogue in her head as she walks back up to the box. Some way of conveying to Fred and Harry that she wants to go home but she's fine, so they don't ask questions. She can't think of a single way to do it.
She finds her place next to Fred who fills her in on the events she missed. She doesn't listen. Charlie comes back a few minutes after her, arms full of butterbeers which he passes around to them all. Fred hands one to her.
She doesn't make eye contact with Charlie for the rest of the match. It ends at a reasonable time which she's grateful for. They all go back to the tents. Charlie goes off to the pub to meet his friends again. She feigns interest in the conversation for a little bit while everyone celebrates in the tent. She's about to stand up and say she's going to bed when Mr Weasley rushes in, telling them to get out of the camp and stick together. Tells Fred and George to watch Ginny and tells Bill to come help him.
Outside of the tent is chaos. People running and rushing, pushing and screaming. She grabs the back of Fred's shirt and tells him to go, he nods, understanding that she will hold on to him. He's clutching Ginny tightly between him and George and they make their way through the crowd.
People shove violently and break her contact with Fred. She shouts for him but they are separated. Behind her, fires are erupting and a crowd of masked hooded chanting people make their way through, slowly destroying the camp.
She spins around looking for Fred or George or Harry or Ron. She sees none of them. Panicking she runs in the direction she thinks they went, allowing herself to be swept along with the crowd. She trips over a tent pole and twists her ankle, crying out, she pulls herself back up, limping along in a frantic search for safety.
Someone grabs her arm and drags her out of the crowd. Charlie grips her upper arm tightly and pulls her through tents. Her panic immediately subsides. She cries out a few steps in and he notices her limping. "Get on my back." He orders turning around, she jumps up as best she can with one working foot and he pulls her up the rest of the way, hooking his elbows under her knees. She clings to him as he weaves them through tents and out of camp, into the woods.
After a few minutes they are alone, nobody else is running through the woods near them anymore. He sets her down gently next to a large tree, kneeling in front of her.
"What happened?" He asks.
She holds her foot in front of her gently. Breathing through the pain. "I don't know. Mr Weasley came in saying we needed to leave and he took Bill to go help him. I lost hold of Fred and sprained my ankle on a tent somewhere. Then you found me."
"I can heal it." He offers. She nods, trusting him. Tenderly, he pulls her shoe off. She winces a little. Then he does nonverbal magic over her ankle and it is immediately righted.
She sighs in relief. "Thank you." He puts her shoe back on. "How did you find me?" She asks.
"I don't know." He says. He looks worried.
She stares into his teal eyes, she feels extreme contentment, being with him. Like she's safe and complete. She doesn't even know she's reaching toward him until he stands up abruptly and walks away from her.
"I'm sorry." She apologizes. "I didn't..."
"Didn't mean to reach for me? Yeah. I didn't mean to grab you that first time outside the pub either. I don't know what this is. But we need to figure it out quickly and put a stop to it. You're like, 13." He shakes his head, disgusted with himself.
"I'm almost 15. Thank you very much." She corrects him. Like that's any better.
He paces a bit, thinking. She stands up, testing her ankle, it's fully healed now.
"Are you with Fred?" He asks, stopping finally and looking at her.
"I... not... not officially. But I do, or did, want to be." She can't look away from the despair that shows on his face.
"You're 14, and with my little brother. And I want to..." he cuts himself off, clenching his fist. She knows what he wants to do. She wants it too.
"I know." She whispers.
He scrubs his face with his hands, shaking it off. Just then, a bright green light flashes above them. They both look up to see a skull with a snake floating ethereally above the camp. She knows it's bad.
She looks to Charlie again, "let's go." He says. "I'm going to apparate you to the Burrow now. Have you done that before?"
She shakes her head, "no, but I know the theory behind apparition."
He holds a hand out for her, "hold on and try to relax, don't pull or try to go anywhere. Just let me take you." He says. He winces as he hears himself, but doesn't rephrase. She takes his hand and feels that spark again. He squeezes her fingers tightly, staring into her eyes, this might be their last moment alone. She feels gooseflesh spring up over her body. She wants to drop to her knees right now and pull him out, taste him, drink from him. The desire is reflected in his eyes and he apparates them away.
After a nauseating moment, they pop back into existence on the front lawn of the burrow. Molly immediately rushes out of the house. Charlie let's go and takes a step away from her. Molly throws her arms around his neck.
"Oh my dear! What happened? The clock said danger! Where is everyone?" She turns to Hermione and hugs her too. "Thank goodness you're both alright."
"I don't know what happened to the others, there was a crowd and a panic and death eaters, then the dark mark." Molly gasps, clutching her chest. "I'll go back now, see if I can find anyone else." Charlie says, trying to reassure his mother. She grabs his arm tightly.
"No! Don't. Stay. I don't want you to... let's just wait a moment and see." Molly ushers the two of them inside, they sit at the kitchen table as she prepares tea. A loud noise outside has them all rushing back out the door. Fred, George and Ginny are on the ground, the old boot portkey between them. Molly runs to them, beside herself in relief, hugging them all violently.
Fred sees her and Charlie behind Molly. "Thank god." He goes to her and hugs her tightly, kissing the top of her head.
"Where are Ron and Harry?" She asks him, ignoring the side looks from Charlie.
"No clue. We all got separated. Dad found us by the portkeys and made us take it home. Said he'd find the others." He still holds onto her, but says it loudly for Molly to hear. She's holding Ginny tightly to her side with both arms, nodding in understanding.
"Inside, everyone. Have a cuppa. Your father will bring the others back safely, I'm sure." She drags Ginny inside, followed closely by Charlie, who refuses to look at her, as she is still attached to Fred.
"What happened?" Fred asks as she and him and George walk into the house.
"I got shoved around and lost my grip on you, sprained my ankle. Charlie found me and apparated us here." She says simply.
Fred looks to Charlie and nods in thanks. Charlie returns it, she feels sick.
Fred sits next to Hermione at the table as Molly passes around steaming mugs of tea. She sits down next to Ginny, stroking her hair and looking at them all. Four of her seven children safe.
After waiting for about half an hour, Ginny yawns and Molly ushers her and Hermione upstairs to bed. Fred, George and Charlie stay up with their mother, waiting for the rest of the family to show up.
Ginny falls asleep quickly. Hermione showers and changes into sweatpants and a tank top. She sits by the window, combing through her wet curls, waiting.
Finally, a small group appears on the lawn. She can make out the forms of Bill and Ron, and Mr Weasley and Harry, the adults having side alonged the boys. Mrs Weasley rushes into her husband's arms before hugging Ron and Harry and then Bill.
Hermione sneaks out of the room quietly, and descends the staircase, sitting down on the bottom steps waiting. Charlie watches her from his seat on the couch, not saying a word. Fred and George are still at the table and haven't seen her yet.
She takes the moment to look at Charlie. Her heart yearns for him, to go to him and curl up on his lap, to run her fingers through his hair and comfort him, to take away the furrowed brow and frown. He feels it, her desires, she knows. His eyes darken and he looks away quickly.
The others come inside and she stands, walking into the he kitchen. Harry is relieved to see her. She gives him and Ron quick hugs and waits for them to tell their stories. They got separated from the group and went off into the woods, they saw Malfoy alone. They think his father was among the masked group of death eaters. Harry saw another man later, walking alone. He conjured the dark mark and then disappeared. Mr Weasley and other ministry workers appeared to find Harry and Ron there, one accused them of conjuring the mark but Mr Weasley reasoned with him. Then they brought them back here.
Hermione bites her lip, worried at the implications of this ominous event. Mrs Weasley ushers everyone to bed and Hermione sneaks in Ron's room with Harry.
"This is kind of scary, this sudden resurgence of Voldemort supporters." Hermione says, sitting on Ron's bed.
"It was just a bunch of wankers playing dress up. The World Cup was a convenient gathering place. I wouldn't worry about it too much." Ron says, getting comfortable for sleep.
Harry shares a look with her, she knows he's concerned about it too. "Well I'm glad you're both ok. I was worried. It took a long time for you to come back." She says, crossing her arms over her stomach.
"How did the rest of you get back?" Harry asks. Rubbing his eyes.
"I got separated from the others too. Charlie found me and apparated me back here. The twins and Ginny took the portkey shortly afterward. We've just been here waiting." She summarizes quickly. She knows these two won't ask too many questions.
Harry nods and yawns, "I'm glad you're ok too." He lays back. She stands and says goodnight and exits the room, shutting the door softly behind her.
She walks quietly down the stairs. The sun is creeping up in the distance, lighting the sky gradually. Ginny's room is near the bottom of the house. As she nears it, she hears Charlie in the kitchen.
"Mum, I've got to get back to work. There's a lot of prep for the tournament. I barely got enough time off for the Cup."
"No. I don't care. You will stay here until dinner tonight, my family was just in mortal peril, you will stay with us for half a day more, at the very least." Molly says sternly.
Bill chimes in then, "come on bro, they'll give you leniency, especially once word gets out about the attack. One day won't hurt anything."
Hermione feels his panic. He wants to get out of this house, away from her. He can't bear being in the same place as her and not able to touch her. Her hands shake as she feels the full force of his desire and anguish.
She should leave. She knows Molly won't let her right now. But once everyone rests and she feeds them, she might be more inclined to. Hermione goes quietly into Ginny's room and shuts the door. She feels him as he walks past, he stumbles a bit as he feels her too. She hears him enter Percy's room, just above her. She lays down on the small bed next to Ginny's and wills her heart to slow. She knows he's doing the same. Eventually, exhaustion overcomes her and she falls asleep.
Only a few hours later, she wakes. Her rest was fitful, and not at all helpful or rejuvenating. She takes a sip of water from a cup on the table and stretches her neck, pulling her hair back into a messy low bun. Ginny hasn't moved from the position she fell asleep in earlier. Completely dead to the world.
She exits the room, going for the bathroom across the hall. As she reaches for the handle, the door opens away from her. Charlie is there, startled and anguished to see her. Her heart breaks as she feels his emotions. She looks down at the floor and steps aside for him to exit the bathroom. He doesn't touch her or talk to her, he rushes out of the way and down the stairs. To be around other people, she realizes. And not alone with her.
She goes inside the bathroom, shutting the door and locking it. She feels an overwhelming urge to cry. His reaction felt a lot like rejection and she feels terrible. Her heart hurts.
She rinses her face in the sink and uses the toilet. She's leaving. Right now. She'll ask Mr Weasley to apparate her home to her parents house. He will, no questions asked. After the events of the night before.
She goes to Ginny's room to collect her things, before she realizes she brought everything. All of her school stuff. They were only a couple of weeks away from September first and her parents didn't expect her back. If she goes back now, they will worry. Plus she opted out of a summer vacation to the continent with them just to come here for the remainder of the holiday. She groans in frustration. She doesn't want to be here.
She reminds herself that it's only for one day. Charlie wants to leave just as badly. He'll be gone immediately after dinner. She just has to avoid him until then.
The day passes excruciatingly slowly. Molly makes them all breakfast and gives them each a few chores to do. After those are done the twins convince everyone to play quidditch for a while. She sits in the shade of a tree, with a book in her lap. Discreetly watching Charlie outfly them all. She's never cared about quidditch or flying, but she can't look away from him. She wonders what it would be like to ride on a broom with him. To have her legs wrapped tightly around his broomstick, his arms around her, helping guide the broom. His breath on her ear. She could turn and kiss him, he could slip his hand down the front of her pants again, high above the trees... Charlie halts midair, feeling her desire. He looks straight at her, missing the quaffle that Ginny threw at him. Hermione looks quickly down at her book.
After lunch, Ginny suggests going to swim at the pond. Everyone else likes the idea and Hermione finds herself in the bathroom, sliding her teal one-piece suit on, she ignores the fact that the suit is the same color as Charlie's eyes. She pulls a big tshirt (also Fred's) on overtop and throws a towel over her arm.
Downstairs, Ginny is dressed the same as Hermione, the boys all shirtless in their swim trunks, Charlie is nowhere to be seen. She breathes a sigh of relief. Once Harry and Ron join them, they head out on the half mile walk to the pond. Ginny and George racing ahead of the group.
Fred walks next to her, Ron and Harry picking up the rear. The two oldest Weasley's did not come with them.
She tries to remember how she would have acted around Fred. Before yesterday. She would have been flirty and touchy-feely. She would have been playful and happy. She tries her hardest to channel that person. The one who planned to kiss Fred this summer.
Nobody in the Weasley family would be surprised if she and Fred upgraded their friendship. It was pretty obvious to everyone. Even their classmates at hogwarts wouldn't be surprised. She loved Fred. She wanted him to be her first kiss. She realizes she already gave up a few firsts yesterday, to his brother. And it hits her then. She feels overwhelmingly sad.
She can't feel Charlie's emotions now. It must be a proximity thing. She can't wait to have access to the hogwarts library to look up what this is. There has to be an explanation. And a cure. There has to be.
"Is everything alright?" Fred asks her quietly.
She looks up at him. "Yes, just tired. Sorry." She tries to smile at him but knows it comes out wrong.
He takes her hand and stops her beneath the shade of a tree, letting Ron and Harry go ahead of them.
"It's alright, you know? Last night? They were just a bunch of idiots in costumes." He assures her. Holding her hand. She nods and hugs him, something she would have done, before. He holds her tightly and kisses her head again. She wills herself not to cry. She wanted this so bad. Part of her still does. She wants to be able to wrap her arms around Fred's neck and pull him down, to kiss him sweetly and finally just be together.
She knows he would kiss her, if she tilted her head up to look into his eyes, he would lower his head and hold her gaze and press his lips to hers. But as she hides her face against his bare chest, she imagines what his reaction would be, to finding out about what she and Charlie did, what they had. He would be heart broken. And probably want nothing more to do with her.
She pulls away, sadly. Not meeting his eyes. "It just, it feels like it's over. Our childhood. And it feels like something's coming." She admits her fears to him. She's talking about so much more than just the attack last night. But it is definitely included. She sniffs and rubs her nose.
He holds his hand out for her to take. She does. "We can have a bit more childhood summer fun, right now though." He winks. She gives him a genuine smile that time and they race the rest of the way to the pond, passing Ron and Harry who chase after them. They throw their towels, shoes and her shirt down on the side of the pond. Fred grabs the rope swing as Ginny and George, who are already in the water swim quickly out of the way. Fred holds the rope and says "hop on!" With a grin. She climbs on his back and he jumps, swinging them both into the middle of the pond before letting go. She screams wildly and they crash into the cool water.
They spend the rest of the afternoon swimming and playing together. The adrenaline and the fun keep her from thinking about Charlie.
When the sun starts to drop in the sky they gather their things and head back. Fred gives Ginny a piggy back ride when she complains about being too tired to walk the rest of the way. Ron grumbles that he's tired too and Harry offers to give him a ride on his back, Hermione and George laugh loudly and Ron shoves Harry by the shoulder.
Molly has the older boys setting up a large table in the yard. Fred sets Ginny down and she takes off for the house. Molly yells for them to all wash up quickly, for dinner will be ready soon. Hermione tried to avoid meeting Charlie's eye, she really did. But she turned at the last second as she shut the door and saw him watching her, his gaze intense. She blushed and went inside, suddenly feeling like Fred's oversized tshirt wasn't long enough.
Rinsed of the pond water, and fully clothed, Hermione walked into the kitchen to see if she could help Molly bring anything outside to the table.
"Thank you dear, take this please." Molly hands her a large basket of freshly baked rolls, covered with a towel. She turned around, dropping the towel back down, lost in the smell of the buttery bread. And bumped into Charlie, who reached out and steadied her by her elbow.
"Whoops, sorry, didn't mean to startle you." He says politely. She steps out of his hold, which he relinquishes easily.
"Here, dear." Molly hands him a platter of roast potatoes and serving spoons. He follows Hermione out the back door.
She sets her basket down on a empty space of the table. Ginny is walking around it, setting the places with dishes and napkins.
Hermione stands back and admires the large table, the idea of a big family is extremely appealing to her. She looks up to find Charlie watching her again. She feels his mood then, annoyance, curiosity, and lust.
She turns away from him, from the warring emotions inside of her. From the desire to go to him.
She sits next to Fred at dinner. Charlie across the table and down toward the other end. Everyone has their own conversations going. Laughter and happiness present. Molly, as usual, made a delicious spread of wonderful dishes, all for her beloved family. She made sure to tell Harry and Hermione that they were included in their family, always, and she loved having them there. Hermione blushed and avoided Charlie's gaze, thanking Mr and Mrs Weasley for their generosity.
After dinner, Charlie stood and kissed his mother on the cheek, hugging his father. "I'll see you all again soon." He winked at Arthur.
Ginny jumped up to hug him. "What do you mean soon?" She asked.
"oh, you'll see." He said cryptically. Hermione could feel excitement and anticipation from him as he said it. With a last subtle to everyone else but loaded glance at her, he disapparated right there on the lawn.
"What did he mean?" Ginny pouted, asking her parents.
"You'll see, at school." Her father said. "Don't ask again, I'm not going to tell." He held his hand up as George and Ron opened their mouths to ask more about it.
Hermione had a hollow feeling inside, with Charlie gone. She tried her best to ignore it.
The remaining days at the burrow were pleasant enough. The hollow feeling remained, and she kept more of a distance from Fred than she had originally planned. But they still had fun all together.
Fred didn't seem to act as if he noticed, but she knew he did. She thought about it long and hard. She could continue on with Fred, as if nothing had happened. Which she might have, if Charlie wasn't his brother. But she just knew he would be devastated if he ever found out. Especially that she'd lied this whole time.
She was determined to figure out whatever it was between her and Charlie and fix it before she pursued anything with Fred. And she would be totally open with Fred when that time came. Maybe it would just go away, now that she wasn't near him and wouldn't be seeing him again. Until whatever cryptic thing he hinted at before. They still hadn't found out what it would be.
She dozed off on the train, she was in a compartment with the twins and Lee Jordan, the three of them deep in conversation about some scheme. She had a book open on her lap but her mind had wandered to Charlie ages ago, she hadn't read a word.
When she woke, she was laying on the bench alone, a cloak draped over her. The three boys still plotting on the seat across from her. It was dark outside now. They must be close. She sat up, recognizing the cloak to be Fred's. It had his smell. She couldn't explain it, but Fred and George did not smell the same to her. She always knew immediately which one it was by a number of tells. They walked slightly differently, Fred's freckles around his mouth were arranged differently than George's. She had spent a lot of time looking at Fred's mouth.
"Sleeping beauty awakes, and without a kiss even." George winks at her. She rubs her eyes, and combs her fingers through her hair. She folds up the cloak and sets it on the bench, Fred joins her side again.
"Thanks." She gestures to the cloak.
Fred shrugs. "You were starting to drool on my shoulder." He nudges her, winking.
She nudges him back, scoffing. "I would never." But she blushes as he smiles down at her. She feels that attraction to Fred. The one where she would definitely have kissed him, if things at the World Cup hadn't happened the way they did. But she looks away quickly, as she recalls the betrayal he should be feeling. She feels that betrayal for him. And she tucks her hair behind her ear and gathers her things, pulling out her school robes to go change into.
She zones out, staring into the mirror of the lavatory. Having changed into her hogwarts robes, she feels like a child again. She does feel like it's all slipping away. Something feels like it's coming. Something big. She's already spent two years facing direct attacks from Voldemort with Harry. And last year, Pettigrew got away. And then there was that attack at the World Cup with the dark mark. And Harry mentioned a dream he had. She feels it, ominously growing stronger in the background. Voldemort is still in existence out there. She feels like she needs to prepare. To fight more, again and again she will fight. Until the threat is gone, or she is.
She startles herself with the thought, the true conviction she feels. She will fight. Always. Harry never had a choice, being a part of this. But she did. She and Ron both had the choice, to leave him alone. And they wouldn't.
She takes a deep breath, before stepping back out into the bustling train corridor. Students are rushing to change and pack up their things as they near Hogsmeade station. She makes it to her compartment, when the train slows and comes to an abrupt stop. She stumbles into Fred who falls back onto the bench, with her on top of him.
"oof. Sorry." She cringes.
"Looks like we'll have to find our own compartment next time." George teases them, nudging Lee Jordan with a smirk. They leave them behind, exiting the train.
George loves her friendship and loves her for Fred. Which doesn't mean he won't take the mickey out of both of them for it every chance he gets.
Hermione and Fred are left alone in the compartment. She carefully pushes herself off of him and brushes down her cloak, and hair. "Sorry, that was clumsy of me." She says again.
He clears his throat, standing up himself. "No problem."
She goes to pull her trunk down and he springs to action. "Here let me."
"Thank you." She trails her hand along his shoulder as she drags her trunk out the door and off the train. He follows close behind.
They deposit their trunks in the pile with the other students' things and find a carriage. George and Lee left them behind ages ago, they wave back from halfway up the lane.
Hermione spots Ron and Harry and she pulls Fred by his forearm toward their carriage.
The announcement about the Triwizard tournament excites them all, thankfully keeping the twins focus fully. She leaves them to their scheming and focuses on the first few weeks of classes.
When the other two schools arrive, and the ministry comes with the goblet, she's successfully managed to avoid any solo interactions with Fred altogether. She's grateful for the distraction. When Victor Krum gives her a once over glance after putting his name in the goblet of fire, she rolls her eyes and continues to read her book. When the twins take their age potions and the crowd cheers for them, then are thrown backward, she giggles at their twin white beards, shaking her head. Fred swears as he walks out of the great hall, "I really thought that would work, fuck."
It's overall, a fun and exciting term so far. Until Harry's name gets called as the fourth champion. And all her senses are on alert. This was not an accident. If Fred couldn't get his name in there, there's no way Harry could have figured it out. No, she's certain there is something foul at play here.
Not a day goes by that she doesn't think about Charlie. She dreams of him frequently. The events of the dreams progressively dirtier each time. She yearns for him still. But without his presence, she's able to push the feelings aside.
Until one day, right before the first task, she feels that hollow void he left spark with something. She feels like he is near.
"Shit, I do not envy Potter. Not anymore." Fred slaps his books on the table next to hers in the library.
"What? What do you mean?" She asks. Alarmed at the feeling. And trying not to let it show on her face.
"Charlie is here, with his dragons. That's the first task." Fred shakes his head. "That's what he alluded to that night at dinner. They've brought in dragons for the champions to fight or something." Hermione looks around like she might see Charlie walking into the library right then.
"Are you serious? How do you know? I thought the tasks were supposed to be a secret?" She whispers.
Fred laughs, "yeah, not so sure it's secret. Charlie said the other headmasters were sneaking around last night. He got to come see us for a bit at lunch. And he told us discreetly."
Hermione looks around again, she can feel his presence, but not his emotions. She hadn't found anything at all in her research into soul magic. She still has no clue what to make of it all. "Harry should know too then. He needs to prepare!" She starts to worry, determined to go find him and begin researching dragon taming techniques.
"Ron's on it." Fred says simply.
"What do you mean? They're on the outs right now, Ron's being a complete wanker. Are you sure he'll tell Harry?"
Fred shrugs, "he said he would."
She spends the next few days working on the summoning charm with Harry. She still hasn't seen Charlie. She stops herself every night from sneaking out of the castle to go find him. She wants to. Badly.
She doesn't see him at all during the first task, but she can feel his emotions that time. He's near. She feels his own yearning for her, but he buries it beneath the work he has to focus on.
That evening, during the party in gryffindor tower, where everyone is celebrating Harry's completion of the task, Hermione can't take it anymore.
She knows he's leaving. Tonight. She has to see him, just once. One time before he leaves for good. She doesn't think he'll be back again. His job is dragons, this task was dragons. The next ones won't be.
She follows her beating heart, the feel of him, to find him. She wonders if this was how he found her that day in the camp.
There, deep in the forest she finds cages full of sleeping dragons and a row of small white tents. She knows which one is his. She slips inside the back of it, unseen by any of the other dragon tamers milling about the grounds. They are packing up to leave.
He spins around as she lets the tent flap fall closed, knowing she was there before she even made a sound. She just stares at him, breathing heavily. He was in the process of putting on a clean shirt, a small trunk open on the ground next to a tiny cot. He's afraid, scared that she came, angry. He stopped himself from seeking her out too. He thought he had made it, but now here she was.
Her heart breaks again, at the rejection she feels. It's absurd, she knows it. The circumstances around this whole thing are absurd. She's at least five years younger than him, he's the brother of her would-be boyfriend. He lives in Romania full time. She's a student at hogwarts. She knows it all, understands. But that doesn't stop her heart from breaking when she feels his anger toward her. Anger that she wasn't strong enough to stay away.
She drops her gaze from his, her lower lip trembling. She turns to leave. She can't bear his disappointment. He crosses the tent in two steps, grabbing her arm and spinning her toward him. He kisses her deeply, so deeply. His hand tugged on the back of her hair gently, tilting it back for her to open more fully to him. She clings to him, her heart settled finally. Being in his arms is what she has needed this whole time.
Shouts outside the tent break them apart and he steps back, wandlessly extinguishing the light next to her. In the darkness, he pulls out a hoodie from his trunk and tucks it under his arm, then sticks his head out the back of the tent before grabbing her hand and pulling her out with him. He drags her through the forest, and across the grounds. Making sure they aren't seen. When they get to the quidditch pitch, they have to hide from Snape and Dumbledore who are walking down toward the forest, probably to see off the dragons.
He pulls her into a storage closet on the outside of the pitch, it's full of brooms and quidditch equipment. He shuts the door quietly and they wait for the headmaster and potions instructor to pass.
In the silent dark space, she reaches for his hand, it's not unconsciously done this time. She really doesn't know if she'll see him again for years. He feels that sadness seep from her. He clutches her hand tightly, still turned away from her. He's battling within himself right now. But she knows what he really wants to do.
She touches his back with her other hand, gently trailing her hand down it. He tenses up at her touch. For only a moment, before he gives in.
He pulls her by her hand, still gripping his tightly, and presses her against the door, taking her mouth with his own. She wants all of him, right now. He reels at the thoughts and desires rushing out of her. His forehead dropping to hers. Panting. "I'm trying to stop myself here." He growls.
"I don't want you to." She whispers, sliding her hand along the front of his jeans, his zipper straining with his erection. Once again she is completely oblivious to anything outside this moment between the two of them.
He gasps at her touch, shaking his head. He throws himself backward, knocking over a few broomsticks. "No, you're a child. No." He heaves in, trying to catch his breath.
"I'm not a child." She protests. "I've thought about you and dreamed about you every day. Haven't you done the same?" She steps toward him. She's completely lost to this desire.
"Fuck, stop it." He rolls his eyes back, trying to hold onto control. She pulls her shirt over her head and he can't look away, she wasn't wearing a bra, she was completely bare for him.
"Please Charlie, please ease this ache." She runs her fingers slowly up her stomach, in between her breasts and back down between her thighs. "I need you." She whispers.
He grits his teeth, shutting his eyes tightly. "Fuck, Hermione, stop it."
"I can't." She whispers. Lifting his shirt and resting her palm on his stomach. He loses control then, kissing her and dropping them to the dusty ground. He yanks off his own shirt and sucks her nipple hard, she moans in delight. He knows exactly what she wants and where she wants it. Every touch, how soft or hard. She wishes it and he complies. When he enters her, there's not a stitch of pain. Only pleasure and completeness. He takes her virginity quick and hard, and she comes like it's not her first time, like she does this with him everyday. She wishes she could.
They fuck more after her first orgasm, both of them sitting up on the ground, cross legged and naked and rutting against each other, sweating and moaning and lost to anything and everything else. He releases inside of her and she comes again, their mouths still attached, catching their breath. Their movements always in sync when they are together like this.
Upon his completion, he seems to come back to himself. "Oh my god." He breathes. He stands up with her, sliding out of her and setting her on her feet. "Fuck." He steps away from her.
"Don't." She begs. She can't bear it if he hates her for this. She wanted it. She wanted him. "Please don't, don't say anything else."
He helps her get dressed and then says "the contraceptive charm, can I do it for you?"
She nods lifting her shirt, and pulling down her waistband enough to expose her womb. He whispers a spell and her skin glows for a moment. She rights her clothing and turns away from him.
"Wait." He says again. She feels his despair. She hurts from it.
She turns her body back toward him, looking at the ground. He takes her chin, tilting it up. And kissing her gently. He hands her his hoodie. "You can wear it in front of them. They won't know whose it is." He strokes her cheek with the back of his fingers before stepping back. "I hated seeing you in his clothes."
He opens the door and gently pushes her outside. She runs for the castle. Feeling his sadness ebb with each step she takes. She turns back once, to look at him. He waves before he disappears back into the forest.