Chapter Ten

Hermione

"Afraid you're going to have to be a little more specific than that, love. I have several."

Dealing with one Weasley early in the morning was frustrating enough. Hermione was not in the mood to have a second one in her home no matter how good a friend she considered him. Knowing how close the family was and how Bill literally caught them in a compromising position in their parents' attic, she was aware that it was likely the entire family knew what they had been up to. Suspecting there was something going on and finding Charlie in her flat at an indecent hour were two totally different scenarios.

"It's your youngest brother."

"Why would Ron be here?"

"I don't have any idea."

Hermione looked at her clock hanging on the wall. Realizing it was already half-past eleven in the morning, she was surprised that it wasn't early. How long did they sleep that morning? They did have an exciting late night after all. Perhaps she shouldn't be shocked that neither of them were in a hurry to wake up.

"Stay in this bedroom and try not to make a sound."

Before he could argue, Hermione pushed Charlie backwards enough she could pull her bedroom door shut. In a perfect world, Charlie would be able to escape her home without being seen. Unfortunately, reality meant he was stuck inside for the time being until she could figure out what Ron needed and send him on his way. It was bad enough Bill knew for certain what they did. She didn't want another brother to bear witness too.

Only after she double-checked that the belt on her dressing gown was tightly tied and she had cast a few charms on herself to make her appearance as presentable as possible did she unlock her front door. She didn't like the thought of Ron seeing her in that state, but there wasn't time to get fully dressed.

"Ron, this is unexpected."

She hoped she was able to hide the annoyance in her voice. Ron only smiled at first. If there was one person alive who was most used to her frustrated moods, he would be the one. In his hands he held a small box with a bow on it that looked like a gift.

"Is this for me?"

He pulled the box back with a smile.

"No, sorry. Mandy had a craving, so I popped in downstairs."

"Oh, I see. Well, that was very thoughtful of you, Ron. You've… you've really turned out to be a wonderful husband, haven't you?"

"I try my hardest."

"I never had any doubt you would be."

Sadness flashed across his face that he tried to hide behind another of his bright smiles. She hated that even after years passed she still had the ability to hurt him without meaning to. Some days she feared trying to remain his friend after everything that happened between them was the wrong decision.

"You can never go wrong with their cauldron cakes. Moving into this flat wasn't my best decision. I'm down in the shop at least once a week."

Attempting to change the topic of conversation helped dispel some of the lingering awkwardness. Usually the two exes were fine in a room together, but there were times that reminders of their past together could be difficult. She had long ago given up any hope that their friendship could ever return to what it once was.

"I'm sure you're wondering why I popped by."

Of course she was. She couldn't remember the last time he showed up at her home without some kind of warning. It wasn't like him. Knowing his older brother was hiding in the next room made it all that more uncomfortable. That was a topic of discussion she didn't look forward to having with Ron. It was bound to be torture for both of them.

"Yes, I would like to know."

"Are you dating both Kingsley and my brother Charlie?"

There were times Hermione appreciated, even admired, how blunt Ron could be. That wasn't one of those times. She really didn't want to have that conversation with anyone, mostly because she couldn't push away the guilty feeling that she was doing something wrong.

"Kingsley and I have gone on a few dates, but there is nothing between Charlie and myself."

It was a lie, of course, but it wasn't as if they were dating. No, far from it. Though she couldn't really define what they were doing, she knew it wasn't dating.

"Why not?"

He almost sounded disappointed by her answer. Unsure how to respond, she stood there in silence for a few awkward silences.

"My brother is a good man."

"Yes, he is. I never said he wasn't."

Of all the ways she expected her morning to go, arguing with Ron about why she should date his older brother wasn't an option Hermione even considered. Why was it so important for him? She knew there was a part of Ron that would always care about her, but that didn't mean he should feel free to butt in on her personal life.

"You could be very happy with Charlie if you allowed yourself the chance to."

"Ron…"

She sighed, frustrated yet touched at the same time. Both of them knew why she was reluctant to start a relationship with anyone even if neither of them wanted to say so. Usually they just danced around the unhappy reason why their own relationship ended. It was easier to live in denial.

"The circumstances that led to our relationship ending haven't changed. They never will."

It was Ron's turn to sigh his own frustration. He always tried his hardest to remain calm when the subject of their painful breakup was brought up and Hermione appreciated the effort. Years had gone by but she knew some wounds never fully healed.

"That might not matter to Charlie. He's not like everyone else."

"It doesn't matter. That's not what is happening… what happened between us."

Most people who didn't know Ron very well or only listened to false rumors about him didn't understand how kind and insightful he could really be. Maybe he had a point. She just didn't want to consider it.

"I've only ever wanted the best for you, Hermione."

"I know."

"You deserve to be happy too. Maybe Charlie could be what you need."

It really meant a great deal to her that Ron was sincere in his hope that she would find happiness like he did. The time and effort it took to get their friendship back to a good place after their breakup hadn't been easy. She wouldn't have blamed him if he hated her and wanted nothing to do with her, but he'd been kind. Far kinder than she probably would have been if she was the one getting her heart stomped on.

"Kingsley is also a good man."

The reminder that there was another person caught up in the sordid mess that was her life only made her feel more guilty. Unsure how to get him to leave without being openly rude, she tried to think of a way to politely let him know his presence was no longer wanted in her flat.

"You should take those sweets to your very pregnant wife. This late in her pregnancy, she probably shouldn't be home alone for very long."

Agreeing with her observations, Ron kissed her cheek and offered his goodbyes. Before he exited the front door, he turned towards her bedroom door and practically shouted.

"Don't forget you promised to be seeker on my team at the park tomorrow, Charlie."

Hermione was mortified.

Charlie

Eavesdropping on other people's conversations was wrong. Charlie knew it was wrong. His mum made certain to instill that lesson in him when he was very young. It was rude to open the bedroom door a crack to listen. What Hermione had to say in private to his youngest brother was none of his business.

But he couldn't deny he was curious. Especially when their past was brought up. Neither of them mentioned any details he wanted. Why would they need to? They already knew what happened.

Something big must have destroyed their once loving relationship. Everyone assumed they would end up happily married one day. Did she cheat on him? She didn't seem the type, but she did have the beginnings of a relationship with Kingsley and she was still sneaking around with him. Did Ron cheat? No, he knew his brother too well to believe that. He valued loyalty and the way his heart had been broken in the aftermath wasn't how a caught cheater behaved.

He was even more curious when Hermione mentioned the circumstances hadn't changed. Ron said Charlie wasn't like everyone else. What did that mean? Breakups were nearly always very messy business. He knew that better than most. It was impossible to forget how hurt he'd been right after he learned about Anca's betrayal. That wasn't something that could be easily forgiven or forgotten. He still wasn't over it. Maybe he never would be.

Too late he realized he wasn't being as sneaky as he thought he was. When his brother shouted at him as he left reminding him about the Quidditch game the next day, Charlie shut the bedroom door he'd been peeking out of. Maybe a little too loudly. He was losing his touch. There was a time he used to be sneakier.

Seconds later, the door opened again. Hermione didn't look pleased that their secret rendezvous was obviously no longer just between them. Nervous to be back in her presence and slightly worried about what she might say next, Charlie muttered out an apology before she could say a word. It was time he left. He shouldn't have stayed the night even if he knew the memory of what happened in her armchair would never fully leave his mind.

As he moved around her room seeking out his missing socks and boots, he could feel her eyes on him the entire time. Was she waiting for him to make a comment? To ask a question? It wasn't any of his business. Though terribly curious, of course, he resolved not to ask. Not even if he really wanted to know why she ended her very serious relationship with his little brother.

Once he had his boots, he wasted no time putting them on and racing to the front door. Hermione seemed relieved by his exit when she shut the door behind him. Would she ever be honest with him if he was bold enough to ask one day?

He wasn't even able to step one foot onto the Diagon Alley cobblestones before Charlie realized Ron was waiting for him. Of course he was. He didn't even try to hide his groan but Ron at least seemed amused.

"This really isn't any of your concern, little brother."

"Is it not? Because you're my brother and she's one of my best friends. Seems like it might be."

Wanting to try to put some distance between them, Charlie started walking down the Alley towards his own flat. As predicted, Ron followed him in stride.

"You don't need to concern yourself. I'm not going to hurt her."

"And what about you? What if I'm worried she might hurt you?"

Charlie chuckled.

"Not going to happen. There's not enough left of my heart for her to break. Besides, that's not what's happening. She can't make me love her. We've already discussed this."

Ron's evident inability to believe what his brother was telling him only annoyed Charlie. As much as he loved his family, sometimes there were just far too many of them for his liking. He wanted to be left alone. Seeing his building up ahead was a relief. After promising his brother again that he would be at the park the next afternoon, he sped up to rush off to his flat. Thankfully, he wasn't followed.

Sunday afternoon Quidditch games used to be the highlight of Charlie's week. He appreciated the opportunity to ignore all of the other cares he had throughout the week and just focus on something physical. There was a lot to love about the feel of the wind in his hair. Nothing else was quite like it.

Since he was forced behind a desk at the Ministry, it was one of the few chances he had for physical activity. Office work was doing a number on his stomach. The booze wasn't helping. If he wasn't more careful, he would look like a different wizard when his self-imposed exile was over and he returned to Romania. Assuming he ever did. Not to mention he'd need a whole new wardrobe in a larger size. He could hear the taunts from his brothers already.

But there had been a shift ever since the night he boldly invited Hermione to join him in his parents' attic. Only Bill and Ron had so far mentioned her openly and just when they were alone. Charlie knew it was simply a matter of time before someone else said something. They all knew secrets were rare in the Weasley family.

He arrived at a park not far from Diagon Alley just a few minutes before the friendly game was scheduled to start. Heavily warded by the Ministry of Magic to prevent Muggles from stumbling upon it, it was one of the only places in the city a wizard could hop on a broomstick and not worry about being seen. One of the last to arrive, he spotted Ron and nodded. He hoped his brother wouldn't try to find an opportunity to continue their discussion from the day before.

The players were usually the same though sometimes there were guests invited to join. Charlie headed towards Angelina, his brilliant sister-in-law-to-be, who was the current captain of his usual team. Before he could say much more than 'hello' to anyone gathered, he heard a deep voice behind his back.

"Sorry I'm late. I've been stuck in my office all weekend. Couldn't stand being there another second."

It wasn't the first time the Minister for Magic joined their informal game, but it was the first time Charlie ever found himself annoyed by it. He tried to push away those thoughts. They weren't rational. Kingsley was a good man he had always respected. Practically part of the family.

Charlie turned around to greet the new arrival. He hoped he didn't come off as seeming unnaturally friendly. The two men hardly had a second to exchange a few words before Harry was pushing through.

"Kingsley, you're on my team. Angelina and I have a personal bet on today's game. Try not to let me down."

"I'll do my very best."

His solemn promise ended with some of his loud laughter. A former beater when he was at Hogwarts, the wizard still possessed some impressive skills. They had been welcome in the past when he was on Charlie's team.

"Looks like we're all here now. Remember – keep it clean."

Angelina looked around the group consisting mostly of her fiance's siblings to impress upon them all that she was very serious. As often happened when brothers and Ginny competed, fairness and rules weren't always the top priority. More than one match ended in a fist fight, but then those were always followed up by a raucous time at the pub where all was quickly forgiven.

As the golden snitch was released and every player ascended into the air to begin, it was Charlie's intention to focus only on finding the elusive snitch. Unfortunately, he kept finding himself distracted by other factors. The first bludger hit right in his path nearly knocked him off his broom. Just part of the game, somehow it still felt personal. Likely it was just his guilty conscience. If Kingsley knew what he'd done to the woman he was dating, he might be tempted to use the club on his head. But Charlie kept reminding himself they hadn't done anything wrong. No one was exclusive.

Despite the warning from Angelina, the friendly game became violent. It wasn't just Kingsley knocking bludgers in his direction. George managed a few too and Ginny somehow got close enough to get a boot to his right thigh. Charlie suspected she was going for his side to knock him off course or possibly the air out of him and he moved at the last second. No longer as concerned about finding the snitch as he should have been, he nearly knocked Kingsley off his broom flying over his head. Unfortunately, Angelina looked over her shoulder just in time to witness the near-crash.

"Charlie, leave Kingsley alone and find the bloody snitch!"

For a minute or two he listened to her orders. Flying far from Kingsley, he thought he spotted the snitch hovering near Ron's head. Just as he was about to accelerate towards it, a bludger smashed into his jaw causing him to see stars in his vision. When it cleared, he looked up to see Kingsley's smiling face. All thoughts of finding the snitch flew out of his mind. He had another purpose.

It was all just a game. He tried to remember that. Before he could get close enough to Kingsley to harm him, a loud whistle brought him back to his senses. The other team caught the snitch when he was otherwise distracted.

Back on the ground, everyone was in good spirits, even those on the losing team. Still laughing, the Minister seemed to believe the aggression he saw from Charlie was funny and all just part of playing Quidditch. He even apologized and shook his opponent's hand when he noticed the bruise forming on Charlie's jaw.

"I had more hope for you, Charlie. Maybe if you weren't so intent on making Kingsley pay for the bludgers, we could have…"

The rest of Angelina's lecture was interrupted by the loud crack of an Apparition. Their father ran straight over to Ron to whisper in his ear. All of the color drained from Ron's face. Offering no explanation, he Disapparated away immediately.

"Dad, what's..?"

Bill was just as worried as everyone else. Only when their father smiled to assure them that all was well did they start to relax.

"Ron is headed to St. Mungo's. Looks like another one of my grandchildren is about to be born."

Loud cheers of excitement filled the entire park, startling a few of the others gathered to enjoy the beautiful day. Many of his family members chose to leave for St. Mungo's too. With nowhere else to go, Charlie decided to join them.

There was a festive atmosphere in the hospital waiting room. It was a sea of happy redheads. Even though there were already a lot of Weasleys, they were always happy to welcome another. They had been very fortunate as a family. Some losses, yes, but mostly a lot of gains. It was easy to take it all for granted.

Charlie loved being an uncle. From the first moment a tiny, blonde Victoire was placed in his arms years earlier, he had been fortunate enough to feel a protective, precious sort of love for each of his nieces and nephews. His siblings wanted to know when he was going to add his own brood to the mix, but he only laughed and waved them off. Being a parent sounded terrifying and awful. If he was never anything more than Uncle Charlie, he knew he would still be happy with no regrets.

At the same moment he sat down in an empty seat, he looked up to see Hermione enter the waiting room. Immediately she was greeted with a big hug from his mum. She was smiling, but he thought he knew her well enough by then to recognize she was uncomfortable. It must be weird for her to be there.

Hermione

Hermione hated herself for not wanting to be at St. Mungo's. If she was being honest, she would rather be just about anything else in the entire world. Only a sense of obligation that she was expected to join the crowd gathered kept her from running out of the hospital in the first moments after Molly released her from her tight hug.

The Weasleys had become her family when she needed one. They had all been kind and welcoming even after she broke Ron's heart. Molly especially had been very kind to her which was a big surprise. It was clear she understood Hermione's reasons for ending the relationship with her son. Hating her would have been easy. Hermione had been grateful that she never rejected her or cursed all of her hair off her head.

"The moment all of this feels too much for you, you should just get up and leave."

There had been a special reason Molly wanted to make sure she hugged Hermione close when she arrived. Knowing that she wasn't expected to remain if being there was too hard meant the world to Hermione. She whispered back her promise that she would before Molly pulled back out of the hug with a smile.

"Come sit by me."

Doing as she was told, Hermione followed the excited grandmother over to a corner of the room no one had sat down in yet. She could feel eyes on her the entire time. Seeing Charlie staring at her from the other side of the room, she wished he would stop. He had a knack for drawing attention to them. Did he have to be so obvious?

"I saw another picture of you and Kingsley in the Daily Prophet this morning."

The cheeky little smile on Molly's face nearly made Hermione laugh. Of course she would bring him up. Truthfully, Hermione was surprised the older witch hadn't invited her over for tea already to hear all of the details of her potential romance with the wizard many called the country's most eligible bachelor.

"Yes, Kingsley and I had a lovely dinner but then an owl came."

She sighed. How different would that night have been if they hadn't been interrupted? Would Kingsley have been the wizard she invited up to her flat while Charlie watched from the shadows pretending he'd accidentally wandered by her building when he was on a walk? Everything was getting to be far more complicated than she liked.

"That must get tiresome for the poor man."

"Yes, I think it must."

Molly patted her arm gently.

"But it could all be worth it. Kingsley is a good man. You could be very happy with him."

Unsure what to say, Hermione just nodded.

"He strikes me as the less traditional sort of man. Not that that is a bad thing. For the right woman, that would be perfect."

As much as she appreciated how encouraging Molly was trying to be, she wished to talk about something else. It was uncomfortable talking openly about her relationship with Kingsley when she still wasn't sure how it was going to end up. Hermione was grateful when Fleur sat down with the women. Changing the subject to a much less emotional topic was easy when they were no longer alone.

Every few minutes she could feel Charlie watching her from the other side of the waiting room. She wanted him to stop. It was hard to focus on anything else. More than a few times she had to ask one of the ladies to repeat something they said. What was his fascination with staring?

After only a couple of hours, Ron entered the room beaming. No one expected to see him so soon. First babies often took a long time making their appearance into the world. Some of the Weasleys had already speculated they might have to go home before their newest family member arrived.

"It's a girl!"

Cheers erupted all over the room. Never in the over twenty years or so that she'd known Ron had Hermione ever seen him so happy. Big tears rolled down his cheeks even as he smiled so wide none of his teeth were hidden. That would be without a doubt one of the greatest days of his entire life.

Hermione quietly exited the waiting room when everyone rushed to congratulate the new dad.