Broken Smile

Hermione awoke in Percy's old bedroom, meaning Hermione's new bedroom in the Weasley home.
It was her first night with almost the entire family present. Bill and Charlie were home, staying in
Fred and George's room, the twin's were bunked with Harry and Ron. However Percy still refused to talk to his family

Hermione sat up, pulled back the covers and climbed out of bed.
The morning was chilly but a warm feeling ran through Hermione, which she could not deny.

Percy's old room was small but cozy. There was an oak desk in the corner of
the room by the window, and a small old book shelf by the back wall.

Hermione walked to the window and pulled back the curtains. The burrow
looked even more beautiful surrounded in snow.

Hermione felt safe, maybe even content. The Weasley's had accepted her into their home and into their live's, Hermione would never be able to
thank them enough. Hermione hoped that they knew how much she appreciated their kindness.

When they arrived home last night Hermione was shy for some reason, although
she had spent christmas and the summer holidays with them, it felt different but good though.

Hermione pulled on a pale pink jumper covering the lingering bruises on her wrists. Ron luckily seemed to forget what Malfoy had done.

Heading down stairs for breakfast the smell of bacon filled ber nostrils.

Reaching the kitchen door, Hermione stood in the archway watching Mrs Weasley standing in front of the stove frying bacon.
Mr Weasley sat at the table reading the daily prophet.
It was always the opposite with Hermione's parents, her dad was a good cook while her mum could hardly boil an egg.

"Are you going to stand here all day or go in and eat some breakfast?" asked Bill from behind her.
"I'm... yeah...I was, uh morning Bill." Hermione stuttered. "After you." Bill said, indicating that she go first.
"Good morning you two" Mrs Weasley said cheerfully. "Morning." Hermione and Bill replied together.

Hermione started to help with breakfast but Molly shoo'd her away,
"You go sit down dear. I can handel this" she said buttering some toast.
"Before Ron and Ginny where born..." Molly began.
"Oh, here we go." Bill groaned making Hermione chuckle.
"Hush Bill." Mrs Weasley said as annoyance creeped into her voice, " Bill and Charlie would be fighting in the middle of the floor, while the twin's got up to something danger I w I was able to cook breakfast, keep Bill and Charlie from hurting them selves and keep my eyes on the twin's." Molly said with pride.

"Oh, the good old days." Bill said, with a mocking look. His mother smacked him in the back of his head lightly while putting his breakfast in front of him.

"So, Hermione, hows school going?" Arthur asked. Hermione looked up from her plate, "Good, you know, the usual."
"Thats good." he replied before going back to the paper.

"So what's you favourite subject?" Bill asked .
While Hermione had spent alot ome wme with the Weasleys in the past few years she never really got to know Bill and Charlie that well.
"Charms, transfiguration and potions." Hermione said.
Bill made a face, "Potions? Professor Snape. That git hated me." he said as an annoyed look crossed his face.
"Bill!" Molly warned her son with a look.
"Sorry Mum." He replied while grinning at the young lady across from him.

"Well, he hates all gryffindors." Hermione said grimly.
"Professor Snape doesn't hate gryffindors, he's just a strict teacher." Molly replied in a matter-of-fact voice.
Bill and Hermione rolled their eyes at each other before grinning and going back to their breakfasts.

Fred and George came down shortly after all ready for work. Business was great at Weasley's Wizard Wheezes.

Hermione put her plate in the sink and then turned to Molly who asked her, "Hermione, would you go and wake Ron, Harry and Ginny? Oh, and Charlie." When she saw Hermione nod she piled bacon on to the twins plates.
"Sure" Hermione replied before heading up stairs.

Opening Ginny's door, she glanced at her friend who lay on her stomach with her hair scattered everywhere.
"Ginny....Ginny, time to get up!" Hermine called, leaving Ginny's door ajar and carrying on up to the boy's rooms.

The one thing Hermione hated about the Weasley house is all the stairs, as she reached the next landing she knocked on Ron and Harry's door. No answer. Not that she expected one to begin with. Hermione open the door peering in. Ron had became so tall, his feet hung off of the side of his bed, his mouth slightly open with a little bit of drool on the pillow.

Harry didn't look much better, his hair was almost as wildl as Hermione's.

"Harry, Ron, time to get up." "Go away, woman!" Ron said with his eye's still closed.
"It's not me who wants you up. Your mum has kindly made you breakfast."
Hermione said, walking over to the window she opened the curtains swiftly making both boy's groan.

"Well, you can tell my mum...we'll be down in a minute." Ron said the
last bit more softly. Hermione left making her way up even more stairs to Charlie's room.

Hermione received another 'go away' as she knocked on the door, this time from Charlie.
Opening the door, Hermione took in Charlie's bare muscled chest.
He lay on his back covered to his waist, showing Hermione that those
freckles trailed from his face to the rest of his body. Well, the parts that she could see anyway.

"Sorry to wake you. Your mum wants you up for breakfast." Hermione said from the doorway.
Hermione could tell that the twin's lived in this room from all the gadgets and joke props that lay around the room. Hermione was sure Bill and Charlie were probably scared to make any unsure moves while staying in here.

"You know I work with fiery dragons almost everyday yet I let a five foot woman boss me around." Charlie said with a grin.
HE looked over at Hermione and winked, "The bottom half of me is not anymore covered than the top, so..."
"Oh...right...I need to uh, go back downstairs...anyway." She felt her face flushing as she stumbled while trying to close the door behind her. She heard Charlie's chuckle before he started to move around.

****************************************************************
Later that morning Molly had Ron, Harry, Ginny and Hermione
help decorate the tree. Charlie helped since he didn't have to go to work like his father and brothers.

Molly had the bare christmas tree set up by the living room
window waiting for the children to decorate. Charlie sat on the arm of a chair levitating decorations on to the tree
while Ron, Harry, Ginny and Hermione had to make do with the muggle way of putting them on.

The large tree stood grandly by the window, making the rest of the room seem small in comparison. Different colours of tinsel graced each layer, almost every branch held a figurine, while simple white fairy lights twinkled merrily at the small group.

Hermione couldn't remember seeing a tree that looked so breathtaking.

*******************************************************************

Hermione ran and ran down the street, trying to reach the house she lived in with her parents.
No matter how fast she ran, it seemed as if she were even farther away than when she started.

Tears streaming down her face she used every bit of energy she had,
forcing her legs to move, but never quite reaching the house.

Waking up with a startled jerk she noticed her entire body was clammy with sweat and shaking slightly. Her breathing heavy, she pulled back the covers, the chilly air
did not affect her since her body felt as if it were the hottest night in summer.

She went down stairs to get a glass of water before she tried to sleep again.
That wasn't the first time that dream had occurred, in fact it was every so often since they'd died.
She always woke up in a sweat, panting, feeling sad and alone.

Hermione silently reached the bottom of the stairs making her way to the kitchen.
Charlie stood at the sink drinking water, he smiled at Hermione warmly. "Couldn't sleep?" He asked.
"I just wanted some water." she replied taking a glass from the cupboard then filling it.
"Me too" he said sitting at the table with a tin of biscuits. "Want a biscuit?"
He asked holding out the tin to her. Hermione took a plain one and sat down nibbling on it. She smiled shyly at him, "Thanks."

"So...?" Charlie said.
"We realy have nothing to talk about do we?" Hermione pointed out.
He grinned, "That's not true. How's school?"
"Good, how's work?" she asked.
"Good" he said before silence descended.

They both laughed a little, "What about you and Ron?" Charlie asked as she watched his eye brows raise
as he asked.
Hermione looked surprised, "There is no me and Ron. But there is a Ron and Jen."
she replied while watching Charlie's handsome face take on a look of surprise.
"Well I guess it's like they say. You learn some thing new everyday." Charlie said, watching Hermione.
"If you ask me, my brother is stupid when it come to what is right in front of him."
"Sometimes I think thats my problem too." she said before drinking the rest of
her water. "Well, I better get back to bed." then she got up and put her cup in the sink.
"Good night Chaile".
"Night" he replied as he watched her walk out of the room.

*******************************************************************

Jamie-glad you liked it, thanks to pinky, the spelling is better.
Ron avoiding to make that promise to Hermione, well more will
come of that later.

thanks claire, I'm having a great time writting this story.

Big thanks to pinky again.

Next chapter-New years kiss.