Rose Among the Thorns

Chapter 16- Of Stag Night

Bill, the twins, Percy, Harry, Neville, and Charlie sat in the Hogs Head roaring with laughter. Bill had just told them a story from their childhood about Charlie and the time he'd accidentally mooned Snape during a highly entertaining game of Quiddich at Hogwarts. Charlie hid his face in his hands. His Stag Night had gotten off to a nice start.

After a few pints they decided to take the party to London. They turned quite a few ladies' heads as they strode down the street. Bill had loaned Charlie a black button up shirt to wear, as he didn't own hardly anything other than jumpers and t-shirts.

"Is that Ginny?" Neville said, pointing to the back of a young redheaded woman.

Harry squinted. "I think so, yeah," he replied. "There's Luna!" he exclaimed.

"What're they doing here?" Fred asked.

"Hermione's Hen Night, I expect," Bill replied.

George's face grew impish. "Let's follow 'em," he said.

"Don't be so childish, George. They're not going to do anything wrong," Percy admonished.

"I know that, I just want to see what Hermione looks like when she's pissed," George replied. His twin brother nodded in agreement.

"C'mon," they said, dashing across the street.

Bill rolled his eyes. They followed the twins across the street and into an alleyway.

"We think they Apparated in there," Fred said, gesturing at the building beside them.

They Apparated into the raucous club and found a table. Fred, George, and Harry left to get drinks. Charlie scanned the room for Hermione and his sister but couldn't find them. He wasn't terribly concerned; if they hadn't come in here he wouldn't be disappointed.

"Seen them yet?" Harry asked, handing Charlie his drink.

"Not yet," he replied, taking a deep drink of his beer.

They sat for a few minutes listening to the hard driving music. A group of young women had just come in, one of them winked at him when they passed by their table. Charlie admired the backside of a brown haired woman dancing with her friends.

Fred's beer hit the table with a crash. "Oy, is that Ginny?" he said, pointing at a pretty redhead dancing with a young man.

"That's her," Harry agreed.

"Somebody get that bloke's filthy hands off of her!" George snarled.

"If it doesn't bother Harry then don't worry about her," Percy said sagely.

"She's fine," Harry said, taking another drink.

"Is that Hermione?" Neville asked in awe.

Charlie followed his eyes. The brown haired woman he'd been watching earlier had turned. Sure enough, it was Hermione. She'd done something with her hair and was wearing black liner around her eyes, but it was still Hermione. He watched her laugh at something the woman next to her said.

"Want to go join the party?" George asked him.

"Nah, it's her night as well, let's leave them to it," he replied, laughing at the crestfallen look on his brother's face.

Charlie stood and made his way to the bar. As he was waiting for his drink, someone bumped into him.

"Oh, excuse me," she apologized, her heavily lined eyes widening when she looked him in the face.

"Charlie?" Hermione asked.

"Sorry, Fred and George dragged us in here," he said.

"S'alright," she returned with a grin. They walked back towards Charlie's table.

"D'you want to dance?" Hermione asked tentatively.

"Love to," he replied, taking his drink over to the table and returning to his fiancée.

They wove through the writhing dancers and found a spot on the other side of the floor. Charlie put a hand on Hermione's waist and she wrapped an arm around his shoulder. They swayed together to the pounding beat, Hermione's forehead brushing Charlie's cheek. She looked up at him, her eyes dark and lips twisted in a smile.

Before he knew what he was doing, he leaned down and kissed her, wrapping his arms around her waist. Hermione responded, throwing her other arm around his neck and pulling herself closer to him. Charlie vaguely noted that she smelled like vanilla and something citrus. His rough hands caressed her back, his fingers finding her warm skin. Hermione snaked a hand through his hair as he leaned down to kiss her neck. She let out a soft gasp in his ear.

They were brought back to their senses by the start of a new song. Both of them were slightly dazed and taken aback at what had just happened. Hermione smiled shyly back up at him, and he kissed her on the forehead. They danced to the next two songs before Hermione excused herself to leave.

"I'll see you tomorrow, then," she said.

"As it's our wedding I hope we'll both be there," Charlie said with a laugh.

He slid through the crowd back to his brothers and friends.

"Where've you been?" Percy asked.

"Loo," he lied.

"That long?"

"It had a line."

Percy shrugged. Charlie didn't know why he'd lied about seeing Hermione; he'd just impulsively done it. He shook his head; what was the point in worrying about it anyways?

~~~~~~

Later that evening Charlie staggered back into his flat and dug around his kitchen for a bottle of Hangover Potion. After all, it wouldn't do for the groom to be sick on his wedding day. He downed half the bottle then peeled his clothes of, dropping them on the floor. Charlie fell into bed exhausted, his brain reeling from the kiss he'd shared with Hermione. The look on her face when they'd broken apart, he wasn't sure, but it was almost...it was almost if she felt the same as he.

Charlie rolled over and buried his face in a pillow. It would be nice, he thought, for her to love him back.

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