Rose Among the Thorns

Chapter 23

It was early March, and a small black car turned into the drive leading to a neat brick house. The car pulled to a stop, and a curly haired young woman leapt out, dashing for the other side of the vehicle. By the time she got there, a stocky, freckled man had emerged and taken two steps toward the house before collapsing onto the bonnet of the car.

"Charlie!" Hermione exclaimed. "Healer Cohn told you not to try and walk on your own yet. You're not strong enough."

"I don't give a damn what that pillock says," he replied through clenched teeth. "I'm going to walk through the front door of my own home if it kills me."

Hermione rolled her eyes. "I'm glad to know you've inherited your mother's stubbornness." She put his arm over her shoulder. "You can walk in, but you have to lean on me. And you're going straight to bed once we're in the door," she said authoritatively.

Charlie laughed. "Glad to know you've inherited your mother's bossiness," he mumbled under his breath.

"I heard that."

After the attack, Charlie had spent the next fortnight in St. Mungos. He insisted that Agatha, the dragon who had struck him with her tail, not be harmed. At the end of the two weeks, his wounds had begun to heal and he was allowed to return home.

Hermione was told, from no less than the Minister of Magic himself, to stay home with her husband until he was well again. And now they were finally home, or at least on the doorstep.

"Slow down, Charlie!"

"I'm fine, woman! I can get inside just fine on my own..."

A streak of orange fur whizzed between their feet, and husband and wife tumbled to the floor.

"Charlie! Charlie, are you alright?" Hermione exclaimed frantically, sitting up and pushing bushy curls from her eyes.

She was greeted by a deep, boisterous laugh. Charlie lay on his back on the kitchen floor clutching his sides and, tears streaming down his face, laughing.

"It isn't funny, Charlie!" Hermione protested. "You could have been hurt."

He wiped his eyes as his laughter slowly died. "But it was funny. And it was your damn cat's fault. He tripped me."

Hermione opened her mouth to protest Crookshanks' innocence when a thick arm wrapped around her waist and pulled her down to the floor. Charlie kissed her deeply, running one hand through her disheveled hair and the other down her back.

Hermione returned the kiss passionately. It was the first time for over two weeks that they had been alone long enough to share such a moment. She allowed it to continue until she felt her husband's fingers on the fastenings of her trousers.

"Um... Charlie..." she said between kisses.

"Hmmm?" he replied, trailing kisses down her neck. He unfastened the top button of her trousers, and his hand was moving lower...

"I don't think we should be doing this."

"Doing what?" he mumbled in her ear as he nipped at the lobe.

She sighed and almost gave in. Then she thought of what Healer Cohn had said only hours ago, ' No intimacy for two more weeks.'

"Healer Cohn said..." she started.

"Healer Cohn can go to Hades," Charlie growled into the hollow of her throat.

"You're not fully healed yet," Hermione persisted.

"I'm healed enough to make love to my wife it I want."

"Charlie..." she said, running a hand lightly over his back.

He winced slightly at the contact. Hermione suddenly had an idea. She grasped his arm firmly and Apparated them upstairs. They landed heavily onto the bed, and in the moments it took for Charlie to realize what happened, Hermione leapt from the bed and conjured ropes with her wand. The thin cords bound her husband's wrists lightly, and tied themselves to the headboard.

"I don't think I'm quite up to what you have in mind," he said, waggling his eyebrows suggestively.

"If by that you mean resting," Hermione replied, refastening her trousers, "Then I suggest you get used to it."

Charlie frowned in realization. "You mean to keep me tied up? You can't do that!"

"If that's what it takes to make you cooperate, then I'm prepared to do it!" Hermione shouted back. "Healer Cohn said..."

"I don't give a gnome's bollocks what that twat said! I'm a grown man..."

Hermione laughed harshly. "A grown man who was almost killed by a dragon, Charlie!"

"But I wasn't!" he interrupted. "I'm perfectly capable of caring for myself."

"So says a man who just spent two weeks in the serious injuries ward at St. Mungos'..."

"You are NOT my mother!" Charlie bellowed, straining against the cords.

"I know that!" Hermione countered, red-faced. "But you have NO IDEA how much I suffered watching you almost die!"

"What does it matter..." Charlie began.

"BECAUSE I LOVE YOU, YOU STUPID PRAT!" Hermione bellowed at the top of her voice. "BECAUSE I THOUGHT I'D DIE IF I LOST YOU!"

Suddenly it seemed as though all of the air was sucked out of the room.

Charlie stopped trying to break free of the magical cords and fell limply to the bed.

"What?" he asked weakly.

Hermione fell heavily onto the bed. "I love you," she whispered, wiping the tears from her cheeks. "And it almost killed me when I thought you were going to die."

"Really?"

She sniffed loudly. "Yes."

"Are you sure?"

She nodded and smiled slightly.

"Really?"

"YES YOU THICK FOOL!" she cried. "How many times do I have to tell you?"

Charlie smiled broadly. "Just once more."

Hermione smiled back and laid her head on his broad chest. "I love you."

The lay in silence together for a moment, slowly taking in what had just happened.

"Hermione, love?" Charlie asked.

"Hmmm?"

"The ropes please."

"Of course." She waved her wand lazily and the cords binding his wrists vanished.

Charlie gently wrapped his arms around her shoulders, ignoring the sharp stabbing pain in his shoulder. He had waited for this moment for nearly five months. He pressed a soft kiss into his wife's hair.

"Hermione?" he whispered.

"Yes," she mumbled sleepily.

"I love you."

She snuggled closer and together they drifted off to sleep.

Notes: they finally said the "L" word! Sorry this chapter's so short, It just seemed appropriate to end it here.