Yours Truly, Hermione

The Wife that Got Away | ᴄʜᴀʀʟɪᴇ ᴡ. (m)

• Pt. II to 'Part of the Family'
• Charlie Weasley | Post-War  
• Rated M for explicit sexual content. Read at your own discretion. 

̶̶̶̶ ̶«̶ ̶̶̶ ̶ ̶ ̶̶̶ ̶«̶ ̶̶̶ ̶ ・☽ ༓ ☾・  ̶»̶ ̶̶̶ ̶ ̶ ̶̶̶ ̶»̶ ̶̶̶ ̶ ̶  ̶̶̶̶

Everything about Charlie's wedding was unconventional- from the proposal to the ceremony, right down to the bride. The proposal came in the dooming form of a ministry owl, informing the young Miss Granger of her necessity to marry within a month's time. She got the owl in the middle of their winter holidays, meaning all of her friends were there to witness her condemnation. The ceremony was prepared quickly and was a fairly intimate gathering. They'd discussed in the Order meeting a few days prior to the official post that they'd submit a certificate and marry Hermione and Charlie right away to prevent any complications from Death Eaters who might try to get their hands on her. As for the bride, she was resolved and composed through the whole affair, not once flinching or wavering from the daunting fate awaiting both of them. 

His little brother threw a hissy fit when he learned the wizard marrying Hermione was none other than his own roguish brother. Charlie remembered the twins mentioning Ron had a soft spot for the witch, but his red-faced anger seemed more like possessiveness over his childhood crush than true devastation over the loss of a love. He was dating someone else anyway, so he couldn't bring himself to feel overly guilty. Harry did an admirable job reigning in their friend, and that was the first time Charlie met the famous Boy Who Lived in a personal capacity. Hermione never flinched. 

The Order rushed the wedding so Hermione would be married before the end of the holidays. His mother helped prepare a cozy wedding in the fields behind the burrow, transforming the place into an enchanted winter garden. Hermione never flinched.     

They spoke the ancient vows softly but surely, warm brown eyes meeting sharp blue. She never flinched. 

His sister did him the favor of keeping him updated once they returned to school. Hermione's marriage was the talk of the school. She was one of a handful of muggleborns who were old enough to fall prey to the new law. Hermione never flinched.  

It was the middle of the summer after they married. Hermione appeared on the doorstep to his flat in London, looking up at him with tired eyes. It had been a long year. Dumbledore's death marked an unmistakable shift for the worse, and it had definitely taken a toll. She carried nothing save a small purple reticule sitting along her hip. 

"Fred and George told me your address," Hermione said quietly. 

He let her in, probing her about what happened. The only answer he received was that she had to send her parents away. She settled into his spare bedroom, and for the most part kept out of his way. He was baffled. He'd thought she'd need comfort initially. After three weeks, he wondered whether she wanted his company. But she sat at the table day in and day out, her head buried in piles of books as she scratched away at a piece of parchment with her quill.  

He'd go on normal missions for the Order. Since he had no official job in the country, his tasks were always the more covert ones. Sometimes he'd return with cuts and injuries or bruises. Those were the only times Hermione looked up from her research, pulling herself up long enough to take care of him. 

"Thank you," he mumbled to her. 

"It's good for me to practice," she waved off absentmindedly. 

Practice for what? He'd wondered. 

But Hermione never flinched. 

Retrieving Harry had been a dangerous mission, and not without its cost. They lost Moody that day, one of their most brilliant strategists. Hermione's resolve only seemed to strengthen. Charlie could remember his last moment of peace before all hell broke loose. Bill's wedding was a small beacon of hope in the dark era. He'd walked up to his wife, offering his hand wordlessly for a dance. Her lips quirked in a small smile before she accepted. When she attempted to keep the formal distance between them for the waltz, he cinched his arm around her waist, pulling her close. She tensed for a moment before she sighed, relaxing into his sturdy embrace. Charlie's years of physical training with the dragons was not without its perks. He was well built, layers of hard and sinewy muscles as a result of his years of wrangling with dragons. And unlike his youngest brother, he was not a child just past the brink of adulthood; he was a man. Hermione for one took the time to savor the moment- Charlie's larger form making her feel safe, safer than she probably had any right to feel.