Broken Smile

Broken Smile

Easter holidays were almost over. Everyone was back at work and Bill and the twins had returned to their own flats. Hermione reached the top of the house unopposed; she paused at Charlie’s bedroom door for a moment and then turned the handle and entered his room.

Their eyes met in the darkness. Charlie pulled back the bedcovers as Hermione walked towards him. She climbed into his bed like she had done many nights before. Neither of them spoke as they settled into their regular positions. Charlie lay on his back with Hermione snuggled against his chest and his arms around her.

“Charlie?”
“Yeah?”

“I don’t want to make you angry, but will you try to get along with Draco?” Hermione asked. She could feel Charlie tense up when she said the name Draco. Charlie tilted her chin a little; his thumb caressed her bottom lip.

“I’ll try to get along with Draco for you…” Hermione sat up a little, trying to kiss Charlie, but he placed a finger on her lips and continued. “I’ll try to get along with Draco if you stop working at the Three Broomsticks,” he continued, trying to bargain.

Hermione started to shake her head. “Charlie, you know I can’t—I need the money,” she explained, looking at him with pleading eyes, but Charlie held his ground. “Hermione, you can look at me with those eyes of yours all night but it won’t help. I don’t like the idea of you working at the Three Broomsticks—especially when you’re pregnant,” he told her firmly.

“I’m sorry but I need to work, at least for a little while longer. If you don’t want to try to get a long with Draco, that’s fine,” Hermione said, laying back down and staring up at the ceiling. She turned onto her side, facing away from Charlie.

Charlie hated this; he wanted to give Hermione her own way, but he couldn’t—he had to stand his ground. “Hermione,” Charlie said, receiving a ‘Mmm?’ from her. “I’m worried. Why can’t you work somewhere else, like a bookstore?” he suggested, turning onto his side and staring at her back.
Hermione didn’t answer; she tried to hold back tears that had started to fall.
“I don’t think it’s good for you to be working in a pub, with all that smoke and drunk men…it’s not a good place for you or the baby,” Charlie told her.

“You don’t understand the way most of the townspeople look at me,” Hermione said after a moment. Charlie ran his fingers gently up and down her arm. “They think of me as dirt. What will they think when the news of my baby spreads through town?” Hermione whispered through her tears.

Charlie hated to hear her sob, especially when he caused those tears. He turned Hermione around to face him, holding her face between his large hands. “It doesn’t matter what they think. As far as I’m concerned, you’re an amazing, strong woman,” he said, hoping she believed every word he spoke, because every word was the truth.

“Come here,” Charlie said, trying to bring her closer to him. Hermione shook her head. “No; I don’t know why I’m crying…I just…” she couldn’t finish and she broke down completely. She just cried; the candles that once shown behind her eyes had long ago burnt out.

At times Hermione felt ashamed of what happen to her, felt ashamed because she had no power to save her parents or Ron and Harry; no power to save herself. That night in the dungeon she lost a lot more than her pride and loved ones: She lost all hope.

Hermione looked into Charlie’s eyes; she saw his love that ran deep within him. He believed in her, he held enough hope for both of them, which made Hermione thankful. She watched Charlie wipe away her tears—if only he could wipe away her fears, too.

Hermione moved a little closer to Charlie, though her stomach prevented her from getting too close. His arms slipped around her back and she rested her head against his bare chest. Hermione wanted to tell Charlie that she loved him, for he had told her more times then she could count. She loved the way he cares about her, the way his eyes are like an open book that she loves to read.

Charlie kissed her, a kiss she’ll remember forever; if she lived to a hundred, she would never forget that kiss. He pulled back and whispered ‘I love you.’

Hermione wanted to say though words back; she wished she could be his open book but she couldn’t. She had spoken those three words before, opened her heart only to be wounded. Hermione couldn’t risk losing Charlie; her soul was the only part of her that still stood strong. A long time ago she told him he found her soul; well, she lied…for her soul belonged to him.

* * * * *

Hermione was up early on Sunday morning, for today she would return to Hogwarts. She couldn’t believe two weeks had passed so quickly; almost two weeks of being in Charlie’s arms and feeling content, something she hadn’t felt in a long time.

Hermione and Charlie spent the morning out on the porch before she returned to Hogwarts. She stood between his legs while he sat on the swing chair. “I wish you didn’t have to go back,” Charlie said, placing a kiss on her round stomach.

Hermione’s hands fanned through his hair. “Me too; I can’t believe next time I come home I’ll no longer be a Hogwarts student,” she said, letting Charlie guide her onto his lap. “You’ll be a lot closer to becoming a mum too,” he pointed out.

“I’ve been dreaming about him…I saw what he looks like,” Hermione said, rubbing her stomach. Charlie placed his hand over hers. “Is he everything you hoped for?” he asked, making her smile.

“He’s beautiful, but in my dream he isn’t a little baby…he’s about two, maybe three,” she responded. She hoped he wasn’t going to become angry when she told him the rest, so she gently kissed his lips and then continued.

“He has white-blond hair, these soft grays eyes…and this perfect little mouth…” Charlie was very quiet while Hermione spoke. “He looks like Lucius.” As she spoke those words, she was no longer able to look Charlie in his eyes. “His skin is the same paleness…and his chin…I guess he has the Malfoy chin…he may have the same gray eyes as Lucius but his eyes are full of warmth…like Draco’s.”


Hermione stopped talking. She looked into Charlie’s eyes again; he brought a stubby finger up to her lips, gently tracing the outline of them.
“He must have your mouth… perfect,” he whispered while Hermione placed a kiss on the palm of his hand.

* * * * *

Hermione had been back in school for almost a week and she knew people had started to notice her weight gain. She thought about coming into the Great Hall one morning or evening with Muggle clothes on, showing her five-and-half-month pregnant stomach; she chuckled at the thought.

“What is so funny, Miss Granger?” asked the silky voice of Professor Snape.
Hermione looked up from her potion; she could feel all eyes on her.
“Nothing, sir,” she replied, biting her bottom lip.

Professor Snape seemed to be in a bad mood—not that he was ever in a good one. He snarled at Hermione as he approached her desk. “I suggest you pay attention to your potion instead of day-dreaming; maybe then it won’t take you so long to finish a simple task,” Snape said while the other students laughed.

Hermione looked down at her hands; she could feel tears plucking at her eyes. Snape turned around; she could hear his cape swish. “All of you get back to your potions!” he barked. He turned back to Hermione and realized she had started to sob.

Snape moved closer to her, his long slender hands placed on her desk.
Hermione tried to stop crying but she couldn’t; lately she had been crying for the slightest thing.

“Stop crying, Miss Granger,” Snape demanded.

Hermione wiped her eyes but she didn’t dare look at him; she focused on his hands. “I’m sorry, sir,” Hermione replied, as more tears fell. The whole class was listening to Hermione sob; they didn’t think Snape was that hard on her.

“Miss Granger, you have two choices,” Snape began in a low voice. “You can stop crying and stay in my class or you can continue to cry and remove yourself from my sight.” His black tunnel-like eyes made holes in the top of her head.

Hermione gathered her books and fled from the class as quickly as she could. “Hermione!” Draco called as she ran past him; he stood up, ready to go after her. “Sit down, Mr. Malfoy!” Snape commanded as he walked to the front of the class. Draco paid no mind to Professor Snape; he shook his head and ran out of the classroom after Hermione.

Draco stop running when he saw Hermione sitting on the steps; he approached her slowly. “You okay?” he asked, sitting down next to her.
Hermione hid her face in her hands; she felt so stupid. “I’m fine, go back to class,” Hermione said, hoping he would just leave her alone.

Draco took hold of her wrist and gently tugged it away from her face. “Please don’t cry…I hate it when you cry,” he said softly, holding onto her hand. Hermione couldn’t look at him; her face was all red and her eyes puffy. Draco took her face in his hands; his gray eyes that held something special that Hermione couldn’t detect.

Draco lent forward and brushed his lips against hers very lightly. Hermione pulled back from him, though he still held her face. “Draco, you mustn’t…Charlie…I love him.” For the first time, she had spoken those words out loud. And Charlie wasn’t the one hearing them, she mused sadly to herself.

Draco smiled and kissed her nose. “I know…but that’s okay because I don’t love you that way,” he said, caressing her cheeks. Hermione seemed confused; she was about to ask him what he meant but he started to talk again.

“It’s weird; I couldn’t work out what my feelings were for you…I mean, I know I love you but at one point I thought I was in love with you,” Draco tried to explain. Hermione’s eyes widened a little at his words; she wasn’t able to speak.

“Are you okay?” Draco asked.
“Yeah,” Hermione whispered.
Draco smiled and took hold of her hands. “I’ve shocked you; I’m sorry. All I wanted to say is I love you like a…”
“Sister?” Hermione asked, cutting him off.

“Sometimes…but I was going to say like a mother,” he whispered the word ‘Mother.’

Hermione wasn’t sure how to respond to his statement. A mother; what did he mean by that? Did she feel honored or confused? She looked at Draco for the longest moment and then she smiled at him.

“I have to say no one has ever said that to me,” Hermione said, laughing lightly. “It’s probably because of my pregnancy; maybe I’m giving off a motherly beckoning.” She touched his cheek lightly while she spoke.

* * * * *

Early on Saturday morning, Hermione walked through the small village on her way to work. She hated when the students had a Hogsmeade weekend; she would hear them whisper about her financial status because she had to work in a pub.

At the end of the night, Madam Rosmerta asked Hermione to stay behind. She sat across from the older women and started to feel nervous.
“How’s everything going?” Madam Rosmerta asked.
“Fine, everything’s great,” Hermione answered.
“Listen honey, I couldn’t ask for a better waitress, but you’re starting to get bigger—I mean show,” the older women rephrased.

Hermione shook her head. “But I’m only five months and…please, I need this job,” Hermione pleaded with the older woman.

“I know but you’ve started to become slow—which is understandable of course,” Madam Rosmerta said, smiling weakly at Hermione. “I just think you should take it easy… Once you have the baby I would be more than happy to have you back…”

Hermione set a beaded eye on her now-former boss. “Has anyone come in and spoken to you: a teacher, the Headmaster, someone else?” Hermione asked suspiciously.

“No…of course not,” Madam Rosmerta answered, not quite making eye contact with Hermione. “Listen sweetie, take it easy while you can…”

* * * *

‘Take it easy while you can’ Hermione said to herself as she made her way back to castle. She wondered if Charlie came to see Madam Rosmerta; he probably told her he was worried and how it’s not a good atmosphere…how could he?

Hermione knew he was just being protective but she wished he would let her make her own dissuasion. She thought about sending Charlie a Howler; which made a smile appear on her face.

Hermione finally arrived back at the castle; she didn’t realize how tired she was until her head reached the pillow and she drifted off to sleep.

Hermione walked bare-footed across the grounds of Hogwarts; her nightdress clung to her body because of the strong wind but she didn’t seem to notice the cold that surrounded her.

“Mummy!” she heard her son call. Hermione looked around trying to detect where his voice was coming from.
“Titan…where are you?” she called, turning in a circle. “Titan where are you?” She heard giggling and saw a little figure running into the school.

Hermione moved as fast as she could, trying to catch him; as she reached the hallway she saw him heading down to the dudgeons. She looked down the dark stairwell, took a deep breath and followed her little son.

Hermione wrapped her arms around herself as she reached the bottom step, then she froze. That door was back, the one Dumbledore banished many months ago. She had flashbacks from the night of her rape, which caused her to tremble.

Hermione noticed the oak door was ajar; and then she heard giggling. She slowly walked to the door, dreading what lay awaiting her, but at the same time wanting to get her son out of that classroom.

She pushed open the door and peered inside. The room looked very much like it did that night; the only difference was no Lucius Malfoy.
“Titan, where are?” Hermione called. “Please, Titan, stop hiding.”

Hermione felt her nightdress being tugged from behind; she turned around with a hand on her heart. Hermione’s son was smiling up at her; he held his arms out to her. She picked him up and held him close to her chest. “You scared me; why were you hiding?” Hermione asked him.

Titan took her face in his small hands. “So you would come and find me,” he said, smiling at her. “Mummy, why are you hiding…?”

* * * * *

Thanks to Jamie.

Iria-Thank you, nice to hear from you again.

eve/roarke- Thank you so much, I would love to read your daughter’s fanfic. It’s so good when other people with dyslexia write, its show we can do it.
Bill seems to be in the background? Interesting choice of words. Draco seems taken with Ginny-maybe-maybe not?

Juri-Thank you, I loved writing their make up.

Nee- Thank you so much. I’ve written lots of story, non-fanfic story with my own characters. I love writing for Charlie and Hermione is my favorite HP character.

Erin kite-Thanks again. Draco and Hermione have a special relationship that is progressing.

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