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

Chapter 8 ~ 12 books and a dinner

"Can we talk?" Charlie just looked at Hermione, not seeming to want to answer her question. Instead, an awkward silence spread between them and Hermione felt so sick with nervousness that she almost threw up.

"Charlie? Is everything all right?" It was a stupid question, she knew, but Hermione couldn't bear the silence anymore. It was either that question or just leave, those were all the options she could think of and she wasn't ready to give up just yet. The worst that could happen was that he wouldn't answer her again.
She was almost expecting it, then she would probably really leave, but gladly she wouldn't come to that decision.
"I'd like to talk to you too Hermione, but maybe not here. Shall we go upstairs?" His eyes still had that blankness in them as he spoke to her. But at least he wanted to talk to her, that was good, that was progress. "Okey, let's go upstairs," Hermione stood up and then followed Charlie who did the same.
When they arrived upstairs in his old room, she stood awkwardly in the chamber. Charlie had sat down on the bed, there wasn't really anywhere else to sit, so she decided to sit down on the floor in front of him and lean against the wardrobe behind her. It wouldn't have felt right to sit next to him.

"Oh sorry," Charlie got up again and tried to walk to the door, "You don't have to sit on the floor, I can get you a chair." "No, it's fine, i'll be fine," Hermione couldn't bear to drag this out any longer and stopped him from leaving. "All right," he shrugged and sat down on the floor in front of her, his back against the bed frame.

"I want to ask you something Hermione. You know, that night at Ginny's wedding, it was really nice with you. I've been thinking about it so much lately, it felt so good and you made me feel more comfortable than I have in a long time. I actually had the feeling that you would have felt the same. I was looking forward to seeing you again the next day for lunch in the burrow, but then you and George didn't come by. That's when I had my first doubts, but I just didn't want it to be true. I had hoped that you would write to me or something... I don't want to blame you for not getting in touch afterwards, because I didn't either. I probably didn't have enough guts to write to you. Be that as it may. Anyway, Mom wrote to me about the tea, then I took the day off at short notice for tomorrow and set off. I was sure you were coming too and I wanted to take the chance to talk to you, after all I just couldn't get you out of my mind for the last few weeks," Charlie took a deep breath before continuing and Hermione listened to him with a unhealthy heartbeat, "I seem to have got it all wrong, still I wonder why you didn't tell me there was something between you and George. I really always thought you were just friends, but the way you looked at each other earlier, was I that blind or have you only been together a short time?"

Charlie looked at her with a sad expression, or was that disappointment, at least his eyes weren't empty anymore, even if it wasn't exactly what she had wanted to find in them. Hermione was overwhelmed by his honesty and she wanted to do the same, but she found it very difficult, even so she tried to do him justice. She looked him in the eyes and took another deep breath before she began to speak.

"Charlie, I don't know exactly where to start. You had the right feeling, I felt the same way you did. You've been in my head since the wedding and no matter how hard I tried, I just couldn't get you out of it. The evening had been wonderful for me too and then I woke up the next day. I was completely overwhelmed and insecure. I had known you for so long before, Ron is my ex-boyfriend and George is my best friend. I felt like I shouldn't like you in that way, I didn't want to hurt anyone or cause trouble or make anyone angry with me. I didn't want to tell anyone and just forget about it. However, I hadn't reckoned with George, he had me figured out within a few minutes at breakfast. I was in such a mess.
I was far too confused to meet you that day and then in front of the whole family. George came up with an excuse that we both wouldn't come because he didn't want to leave me alone with my chaotic thoughts. Well and then I've been trying to distract myself for the last few weeks, I still thought it was a really bad idea to have feelings for you. Somehow it had become a little more bearable over time, at least until the invitation arrived this morning. I was kind of freaking out because I was scared to see you. George somehow managed to convince me to come anyway. He said you wouldn't come anyway, after all Romania is far too far away for tea and if you did come it would be because of me. You can't imagine how my heart sank when you were the first person we met.
I was completely overwhelmed by the situation, I kept thinking about what George had said, if you're there it's because of me. I had briefly believed that you were really there for me until you told us about your friends.
That completely confused me again, one moment I thought you had feelings for me too and the next, the idea of that collapsed again.
George calmed me down and gave me a hug, otherwise I would probably have just left. Then he gave me a calming potion so that I could think halfway clearly again and somehow get through the tea.
He kept telling me that I should definitely talk to you and he was probably right, but we're just friends, although sometimes it almost feels like we're siblings.
So to answer your question, there's nothing romantic between George an me, there never was and there never will be."