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

Chapter 4 ~ The morning that follows.

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

Torn from her thoughts, Hermione flinched slightly. Did she want to tell him what was going on? Absolutely not!
After all, he was the problem, not him directly, but what had happened earlier.

"I don't think I want to talk about it at the moment Charlie, I hope you understand," depressed by her own words, she looked down guiltily. Hermione really didn't want to hurt him, but she just couldn't talk about it at the moment. Not until she realized what that dance had triggered in her, what it all meant and what she was feeling at the moment.
"Hey, that's perfectly fine," Charlie looked at her with a look of understanding, making her even more confused than she already was. "I just want you to know that if you ever want to talk, I'm happy to listen."

Why was this man so incredibly nice? So incredibly considerate? So obliging?
So beautiful?
As Hermione looked at him, she was sure at that moment that this man could only be perfect. She seriously dared to doubt that he had any bad qualities at all.
"Thanks Charlie, I really appreciate that," with a sincere smile on her lips, she turned her gaze away from him again before she got even more lost in these thoughts about him. 

She looked back up at the starry sky, ready to sit here alone again and pursue her chaotic thoughts.
But Charlie probably had other plans, he made no move to go back into the tent, instead he asked her about her work with interest."So Ron once mentioned that you're working on a project for goblin rights at the moment?"
"Ahmm... Yes, that is...But...You don't have to sit out here with me, you can go back in."Hermione didn't know what the whole thing was going to be now, she felt insecure, she didn't want to spoil his evening because she wasn't feeling well at the moment.
"I know I don't have to, but I want to," he said with a gentle smile and before Hermione had a chance to contradict him, he had already continued. "So, what exactly are the goblin rights?"
Hermione didn't know exactly what time it was when she got tired and went back into the tent with Charlie to say goodbye to Harry and Ginny.There hadn't been many guests left, anyway.

Charlie and she had talked for a long time outside, about all sorts of things. Their work, their lives, everything that had happened recently. How they were doing after the war. It had been a really nice, intense conversation. She hadn't talked so honestly and openly for a long time. She had felt so comfortable in his presence, as if they had always been very good friends who told each other everything. As if he had always been a importand part of her life.

That's why she hadn't even noticed how quickly time had passed, because they had simply talked without thinking for long, the conversation had just gone on and on.
It was only when dawn slowly broke and the sun rose on the horizon that Hermione's yawning interrupted their conversation.

When Hermione woke up in her bed the next morning, or rather it was almost midday, it took her a few seconds to realize what had actually happened yesterday.
Harry and Ginny's wedding, the dance with Charlie, George running off with Angelina and the conversation into the morning.
Hermione had to smile involuntarily when she thought of Charlie. She had really had a good time with him.

It had been the first time she had talked to him like that. Normally they had had rather superficial, short conversations. They had never really connected, but yesterday it had been different.
She felt like she knew him really well now, as she thought about it, she realized that he now knew more about her than most other people, with the exception of maybe George, Ron and Harry. She had really talked about everything, work, friends, life, hobbies, the war...

The longer she let Charlie haunt her mind, the warmer Hermione became and her heart began to stumble uncomfortably. And in that moment, she became uncomfortably aware of why she had been sitting outside the tent in the first place, what she had been trying to suppress, these new feelings for Charlie that she really shouldn't have.