Charlie Weasley, Paper Husband

Chapter 6

Author Note: One more chapter after today. There are only a few people reading so please let me know how you like it. Thanks. DDD

Cold air engulfed Hermione as she and Charlie left her flat on Christmas night. They had apparated outdoors, somewhere dark that smelled of earth and damp wood. "We're in the Forbidden Forest, at school," she said. "That's allowed because it's not a guess."

Charlie smirked, letting go of her waist and lighting his wand. "Alright then. We're need a place that has been exposed to dragon's breath that's never been purged in order to test the detecting powder. And this spot of woods is where we set up the dragon pens when we brought them here for the tournament years ago. The forest binds tightly to magical traces like that, and so I reckon this is a good place."

He stood away from her and she acted like a patient person might, tucking her hands into her pockets, not keen on getting the powder on them and being lit up like a shop display.

Without another word, Charlie doused the light of his wand. In the darkness, there was the sound of a vial being uncorked, and then the delicate patter of something very light falling into the dry winter undergrowth, coating the hoary old bushes and the ancient tree trunks. All the foliage seemed to breathe in unison before it began to glow with a gentle, steady greeness.

"Well done, Charlie," Hermione cooed. "It works perfectly. And it turned out to be beautiful too, almost like fairy magic."

"Fairies? It's much better than that," Charlie said, happiness stealing into his voice again. "It's dragon magic."

In the soft green light, she faced Charlie's profile. At the time, the Triwizard Tournament was by far the most ambitious assignment of his career, testing all of his skill and nerve. Even with underaged Harry complicating the mix, the dragon task had still come off alright. Quite the achievement for a young dragonologist.

Hermione saw the memory of it all in his face - how badly Charlie had wanted to do well, how nervously he had begun the task and how triumphantly it had ended.

She reached for his hand. "You seemed completely grown up to us when you brought the dragons here. But you were still so young. Just a few years older than Viktor."

He sniffed at the recollection. "Viktor Krum. He fancied you, didn't he?"

"You remember that?"

Charlie shrugged. "I remember Ronnie being jealous as anything when Krum turned up at Bill's wedding looking to romance you."

Hermione groaned and swung their joined hands between them. "Viktor is not known for his subtlety."

Charlie smiled at their hands. "It was illuminating for me, really. Watching Krum fawning over Ronnie's little crush. I admit at first I wondered what he was playing at - "

Hermione dropped Charlie's hands, laughing and punching lightly at his bicep.

"No, it was good for me to wonder," Charlie explained, rubbing his arm. "It made me pay attention, get curious about you as a woman. You weren't just a cute and keen schoolgirl anymore. Watching you carrying yourself around the wedding, so grown up and lovely, gracious and helpful even while conniving stars knew what with Potter, bent on saving the world. And - well, it was clear there was nothing wrong with Krum. He was more like the smartest bloke there, realizing what you were before the rest of us."

"Is that why you danced with me for the first time that night?" Hermione asked, taking his hand again, her back to the glow of the dusting powder. "I didn't think you found me any more interesting than a garden gnome, but you walked up behind me and took my hand, walking backwards and shouting out an invitation to dance over the music. You, the best man, picking me. If you hadn't already been leading me to the dancefloor I would have thought you meant to be asking someone else."