Just one dance. [Fanfiction - Hermione Granger and Charlie Weasley]

Chapter 1 ~ Yes I do.

"Yes, I do," Hermione looked at her friends with tears in her eyes as they both said yes, beaming with joy. Ginny was also visibly holding back her tears when Harry finally put the golden ring on her ring finger. Hermione couldn't quite believe it yet, Harry Potter, her best friend since her first year at school, was getting married today.

He and Ginny had moved in together straight after she had finished her seventh year. Harry had bought a small cottage on the East Midlands coast two months after the war, and Ginny had often visited him there. Harry had spent the first few months helping to rebuild Hogwarts before starting training as an Auror at the Ministry in September. Ginny went back to Hogwarts to get her final degree. When she came back, it took some discussions and arguments with Molly, but in the end Ginny had moved in with Harry in August. They had both hated being apart so much the year before and didn't want to lose any more time together. At the beginning of December, Harry had popped the big question, this time asking Molly and Arthur for their blessing first. And now here they were, in the middle of August on a normally uninhabited island in Scilly, amongst their friends and family.

Ginny was wearing a beautiful white dress, which made her shine even more than her hair and wide smile usually did. Harry was dressed in a plain suit and looked a little lost in it, he usually wore capes or more relaxed muggle clothes but his happiness completely masked that.

And Hermione, she was sitting among the guests in her rose-colored dress and couldn't stop grinning. She had bought the dress together with George, it was embroidered at the top in a light floral pattern and the skirt was made of a thin layer of tulle that fell lightly around her legs. A lot had changed after the war, she and Ron had spoken out and ruled out a relationship between them. It had been a difficult situation and an even more difficult decision, but after all she'd been through, Hermione hadn't been ready to get involved in something so emotionally charged. It had been clear that she would go back to Hogwarts, but not him. There had been too much against it, they both needed time to process and grieve. But the whole thing presented Hermione with a whole new problem, she had actually intended to spend most of the time in the burrow before she went back to school, but Ron's presence had been strange. She couldn't go back to her parents, because she wasn't ready yet to look for them and to restore their memory. She was a wreck and she didn't want her parents to see her like this after all this time, she wanted to heal first.

Through a few coincidences and some late-night conversations, where George and Hermione had bumped into each other in the kitchen because they both couldn't sleep, they had decided that Hermione would spend the time with George before she returned. That way he wouldn't have to go back to his apartment alone, which he hadn't been in since the loss of Fred, and Hermione would have some distance. She had helped him rearrange the apartment, tidy up, sort out and finally reopen the joke store.

This distraction had been just what they both needed and the two became very close friends. When she came back from Hogwarts after graduating, he had even helped her find her parents and restore their memories, something she would never forget. She had also slept with him during the Christmas vacations and when she hadn't had her own apartment straight after Hogwarts, he had taken her back in with open arms. Hermione had been looking for her own apartment because she didn't want to get on George's nerves any more, but one night, when they'd had two too many butterbeers, they'd realized that George enjoyed living with her as much as she did, he'd just assumed that she wanted her own four walls and so hadn't said anything. 

They had laughed for a few days about the fact that they hadn't managed to talk about it sober, but Hermione had stopped looking for an apartment as a result.She glanced at George, who was sitting next to her, also watching his sister and her newly wedded husband intently. She was really glad to have him, he had become really important to her.The ceremony had been really nice, Hermione had hugged her two friends and congratulated them, they really deserved their happiness. After such a bad time, she was all the happier for such nice, good things.It was a wonderful day, a wonderful celebration.It was already evening when the dance floor opened after dinner and George took the opportunity to grab Hermione and pull her straight onto it."George, slow down! My shoes!" she tried to calm him down , but she hadn't any chance. When they reached the dance floor, he suddenly let go of Hermione's wrist and Hermione tripped over her shoes as she moved. "You idiot!" she grumbled at him, but had to start laughing immediately.

After dancing for almost an hour straight, George still hadn't had enough. Hermione's feet were burning and she really wanted to sit down."George, I really need a break or my feet are going to fall off..." But George just shook his head with a grin and was about to start the next dance with her when she pulled her hand out of his with some force."No, seriously. But you can ask someone else, Ginny or... hmm," Hermione looked around searching for a new dance partner for George, "... look there, there's Angelina." Hermione pointed to a table to their left."Ooooch Mineeeee... you spoilsport," George protested a little, but he was already walking towards the new partner of his choice, leaving Hermione standing there shaking her head.Hermione called after him indignantly, "George Weasley, don't call me that, you know how much I hate it..."George turned back to grin cheekily at her, "Yeah yeah yeah... I know, I know, but don't think we're done for the day, just so you know!" He gave her another provocative wink before turning around and walking towards Angelina in long strides.

"Ohhhhh Hermioneeee... you're such a bore," George protested, but he was already walking towards his new partner of choice, leaving Hermione standing there shaking her head. "We'll see about that...," Hermione called after him, but he probably hadn't heard her.