Atmosphere - 3/18 - All Ages - Charlie/Hermione
Title: Atmosphere (3/18)
Author: silvernatasha
Rating: All Ages
Disclaimer: This story is based on characters and situations created and owned by JK Rowling, various publishers including but not limited to Bloomsbury Books, Scholastic Books and Raincoast Books, and Warner Bros., Inc. No money is being made and no copyright or trademark infringement is intended.
Summary: The atmosphere seems to have changed. Charlie/Hermione.
A/N: Written for books_freckles weekly challenge #26: Remembrance, Memorial, etc. Sequel to Heat.
Word Count: 500.
It was the one day of the year that seemed to bring The Burrow to a halt. Hermione hated it and wished she wasn't there, but always felt obliged to go. It just wasn't the same: the whole place felt different.
They never marked the calendar, but everyone knew that it was coming. The approaching date didn't hang over the house like it had the first few years, but now it was almost worse, as if someone just flicked a switch and changed the whole demeanour of the normally lively house.
"I don't know why I subject myself to this every year." Charlie dropped his cigarette to the ground, stubbing it out with the toe of his shoe.
"Because you've got family loyalty?" Hermione suggested. She didn't smoke, but found that she would rather be outside with Charlie than inside suffocating under the claustrophobic atmosphere.
Charlie sighed, leaning against the wall of the house. One of the chickens gave a loud squawk and he rolled his eyes. "She'd hate this, you know?" Hermione nodded in agreement. "She'd be asking what had got into the twins and why Ron was being an even bigger misery than normal."
Hermione gave a snort of laughter.
"Why do you come?" Charlie asked.
"I suppose I feel I have to. I was there when she..." Hermione broke off. She hadn't cried about this since it had happened. She took a breath and tried again. "I was there when we found her body."
She gasped as Charlie's rough fingers touched her cheek, blushing when she realised that he was wiping away a tear.
"She looked like she was sleeping," Hermione concluded. She sighed. "I don't know why I'm crying. I don't normally." Sniffing, she asked, "Can I blame you?"
Charlie shrugged. "I haven't made a girl cry in years. Go ahead." When Hermione laughed, he slung his arm around her shoulder. "I'm going to take you out for a drink later, yeah? Mum's not exactly going to be serving anything very strong. We can reminisce about how you and Ginny got drunk of Firewhiskey."
"Um, Charlie." Hermione squirmed and moved away from Charlie's embrace. "This is probably a bad time, but I'm feeling a little... awkward, I suppose. Is it me or have things been different between us since we went to the festival?"
"You mean since you threw up on my shoes and we woke up on the floor next to my bed?" Charlie raised his eyebrows.
Frowning, Hermione nodded. "Yeah. I'm not entirely sure how that happened. I thought I went home? At least we were still fully dressed. Apart from your boxers ending up on the lampshade."
"You did go home. Then you came back. I think it was because I was wearing your blouse."
Hermione grinned. "Now I remember." She wrinkled her nose. "It really didn't suit you." Pausing for a moment, she asked, "Do you fancy maybe..."
"Going out on a date?" Charlie suggested. He grinned. "I thought you'd never ask."
C H A R L I E A N D H E R M I O N E
Author: silvernatasha
Rating: All Ages
Disclaimer: This story is based on characters and situations created and owned by JK Rowling, various publishers including but not limited to Bloomsbury Books, Scholastic Books and Raincoast Books, and Warner Bros., Inc. No money is being made and no copyright or trademark infringement is intended.
Summary: The atmosphere seems to have changed. Charlie/Hermione.
A/N: Written for books_freckles weekly challenge #26: Remembrance, Memorial, etc. Sequel to Heat.
Word Count: 500.
It was the one day of the year that seemed to bring The Burrow to a halt. Hermione hated it and wished she wasn't there, but always felt obliged to go. It just wasn't the same: the whole place felt different.
They never marked the calendar, but everyone knew that it was coming. The approaching date didn't hang over the house like it had the first few years, but now it was almost worse, as if someone just flicked a switch and changed the whole demeanour of the normally lively house.
"I don't know why I subject myself to this every year." Charlie dropped his cigarette to the ground, stubbing it out with the toe of his shoe.
"Because you've got family loyalty?" Hermione suggested. She didn't smoke, but found that she would rather be outside with Charlie than inside suffocating under the claustrophobic atmosphere.
Charlie sighed, leaning against the wall of the house. One of the chickens gave a loud squawk and he rolled his eyes. "She'd hate this, you know?" Hermione nodded in agreement. "She'd be asking what had got into the twins and why Ron was being an even bigger misery than normal."
Hermione gave a snort of laughter.
"Why do you come?" Charlie asked.
"I suppose I feel I have to. I was there when she..." Hermione broke off. She hadn't cried about this since it had happened. She took a breath and tried again. "I was there when we found her body."
She gasped as Charlie's rough fingers touched her cheek, blushing when she realised that he was wiping away a tear.
"She looked like she was sleeping," Hermione concluded. She sighed. "I don't know why I'm crying. I don't normally." Sniffing, she asked, "Can I blame you?"
Charlie shrugged. "I haven't made a girl cry in years. Go ahead." When Hermione laughed, he slung his arm around her shoulder. "I'm going to take you out for a drink later, yeah? Mum's not exactly going to be serving anything very strong. We can reminisce about how you and Ginny got drunk of Firewhiskey."
"Um, Charlie." Hermione squirmed and moved away from Charlie's embrace. "This is probably a bad time, but I'm feeling a little... awkward, I suppose. Is it me or have things been different between us since we went to the festival?"
"You mean since you threw up on my shoes and we woke up on the floor next to my bed?" Charlie raised his eyebrows.
Frowning, Hermione nodded. "Yeah. I'm not entirely sure how that happened. I thought I went home? At least we were still fully dressed. Apart from your boxers ending up on the lampshade."
"You did go home. Then you came back. I think it was because I was wearing your blouse."
Hermione grinned. "Now I remember." She wrinkled her nose. "It really didn't suit you." Pausing for a moment, she asked, "Do you fancy maybe..."
"Going out on a date?" Charlie suggested. He grinned. "I thought you'd never ask."
C H A R L I E A N D H E R M I O N E