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

Chapter 3 ~ Just one dance.

"Please Hermione, just one dance."

With a mischievous smile, Charlie Weasley stood in front of her and held out a hand.

Hermione couldn't help but notice how handsome he looked today.She had always thought he was handsome, but today was something else.He was wearing black muggle suit trousers, black dragon leather shoes and his white shirt had the first two buttons undone.The sleeves of the shirt were rolled up to his elbows, giving him a glimpse of his forearms.They were covered in scars, with a few new cuts and burns flashing between them. His Weasley red hair, the light freckles, the stubbly three-day beard and those coffee-brown eyes, which still looked at her piercingly, made his face look just perfect.Those brown eyes looked at her so intensely that she couldn't take her eyes off him.

"Aaaahm, I'll be with Neville then... Have fun," Ron slipped out of the situation and off the dance floor somewhat awkwardly. His words, however, had snapped Hermione out of her stupor.She glanced at Charlie's still outstretched hand and then at the floor as she noticed the heat rising to her face.Her cheeks felt as if they were glowing dark red.When she looked up again, she saw Charlie running his hand over the back of her neck, embarrassed.

"So, what's it look like?Weren't we going to dance?"Hermione looked at him provocatively after she had regained her composure. This time she held her hand out to him and Charlie took it without hesitation. He pulled Hermione towards him, put his hand on her hip and began to dance with her. The strange situation was immediately forgotten and Hermione realized that Charlie was a really good dancer. Not as awkward as Ron and not as wild as George, instead he danced as naturally as if he was born to it, gracefully and somehow... in time with her.

As he spun her to the slow music, she felt like she was weightless. It felt like his arms were made for her, or like she had been poured into them.  She leaned against him and rested her chin on his shoulder.

She was so caught up in the moment, she had barely noticed that he had pulled her even closer to him and placed his cheek against hers.As they moved slowly to the music, she breathed in his scent.He smelled so good, it was beguiling.She lost herself completely in the moment, it felt like an eternity.It felt as if she was alone with him in this world, as if they were in their own impenetrable bubble. What she felt was so intense.It was so little, it was just a dance, a touch, his smell, his arms, but it felt like so much.They didn't kiss, they just danced and yet it was the most intense thing she had ever felt with a person.She wanted to savor every second of it.

As the song came to an end, they carefully pulled away from each other and it felt like a part of her was suddenly missing.Her body felt several degrees cooler as soon as they stopped touching.

"Thanks for the dance Hermione," Charlie smiled at her.

She was mesmerized by the sight of him again, his lips, they looked so soft, so pink, perfectly curved.How would they feel?Just thinking about it gave Hermione goose bumps, her heart beat faster and her stomach tingled.

"Thank you Charlie," she returned his smile as best she could.But it wasn't entirely sincere.She missed him, did that make sense?He was standing in front of her, but the moment had passed and it would probably Just be a one-off. That gave her a little pang and the thought made her sad.She needed distance. "I'm a bit warm, I'd better get some fresh air," with the best smile she could muster, she turned and walked towards the tent exit.

With the first breath of fresh, cool air, she immediately felt better. But the better she could think and the clearer she could think, the more confused she became. It had only been a dance, but it hadn't felt like one. What had just happened? What had that been? Why? And how? Oh Merlin, it couldn't be true. Why him? Why a Weasley?

"Are you all right?"

George emerged from between the tent entrance and looked worriedly at Hermione. "Yeah, everything's fine.I just needed a quick break." She looked at her roommate with a half-hearted smile.He raised an eyebrow, "We'll talk about that tomorrow," his gaze softened slightly."Can I leave you alone, I'd like to go home...""You want to go home already?You?What's...Oh...," as the penny dropped, Hermione began to grin. "Angelina, is it?" George's grin went almost from ear to ear. "We'll talk about that tomorrow young man... Now get going! Have fun!"

George was gone and Hermione sat down on the grass next to the tent and looked up at the sky. It was a starry night and the moon was almost full, there was a light breeze and she was starting to feel cold. She didn't feel ready to go back into the tent yet, she had also left her wand in the tent, so she couldn't apparate away or cast a warming spell.

"Hermione? Aren't you cold?" she didn't know how much time had passed when she heard Charlie's voice behind her. A little stiff from the cold, she looked up at him and saw the worry lines reflected in the moonlight "Yes, but my wand is inside and I wanted to stay outside."

"Calorius," as soon as Charlie had spoken the words, a warmth flowed through her whole body.

"Thank you," a smile stole onto her lips.

"George told me to look after you if you stayed out any longer," Hermione looked at the floor in front of her as he spoke.Why did George have to tell him exactly?There are so many Weasleys, why him?But before she could think about it any further, she was distracted by this gorgeous man sitting down on the floor next to her.He held a butterbeer in front of her, she took it from him and took a big sip, then she looked up at the stars again.They sat next to each other in silence for a few minutes before Charlie asked carefully:

"Do you want to tell me what's going on?"