Charlie Weasley, Paper Husband

Chapter 1

That was when they suggested Hermione make their Charlie into her paper husband for the sake of the De-bliviator's damaged magic. Of course, it would be a family connection in name only, a sham marriage. But with him living permanently in Romania and not interested in marriage for his own purposes, what would it hurt? What would change? Nothing. And after she got the De-bliviator working and un-charmed her parents, the paper marriage could be annulled, easy as you please.

"Charlie has already agreed to this?" Hermione had said, her fingers pressed to her temples as if her head was hurting.

Molly had pursed her lips. "We've struck a deal. He'll go through with it on the condition that I not say another word to him about marriage or grandchildren for the length of ten years or the duration of your -- er -- arrangement, whichever comes last."

It was an impossible decision to make on the spot and Hermione had to send the Weasleys home so she could think it through. Arthur had left the De-bliviator on the table, an open invitation.

She'd sat beside it, drinking tea as the sky outside grew dark. Charlie Weasley. He'd always been pleasant to her, but he had all but ignored her until she came of age and the war ended. Then he'd started to speak to her as a friend, not as a child, when they met at the Burrow on his holidays -- summers, Christmas, the family weddings, which were not a few.

He made sure to ask her to dance at the receptions and parties, a firm, rough hand in hers as the music played, fast or slow. Their best conversations came after the dancing and feasting, while they both worked at some kitchen duty, damp aprons over their dress robes or Christmas jumpers.

She had picked up the De-bliviator and slid it over her wand. Its inside diameter was small enough for it to nest against the base, like a ring on a finger. She gave it a spin.

Charlie Weasley was good company, boundlessly interested in hearing about her Ministry work with Magical Creatures. He was full of experience not only with dragons but other creatures too. As for his looks, she found them quite nice because, truth be told, there was no Weasley man of her generation whom Hermione did not enjoy looking at. Even Percy looked rather dashing now that he had taken to wearing specs. Yes, a paper marriage with Charlie might work.

Though the way Arthur and Molly described it, she and Charlie would hardly see one another during the arrangement. They didn't even truly set eyes on each other for the ceremony. It was performed over a registry office's fire call connection, with Charlie's head speaking out of the grate from an office in Romania, flaming for real not just with red hair.

That had been in the spring. It was November now, and all through that time, the De-bliviator would not respond to Hermione. After all these months of waiting for it to sense her new family connection, it had never lit up for her the way it would for Arthur.

Which was why Molly had owled Charlie and told him to come back to Britain, just for a few weeks or maybe months to get close enough to fool the De-bliviator into accepting Hermione as a true Weasley wife. It wasn't convenient, but he arranged for a research sabbatical in London, and now he was on his way.

In the International Portkey Terminal, a bell sounded and a serene witch's voice announced the arrival of transports from Bucharest. Hermione's pulse quickened again with a beat of hope, followed closely by the dread of looming disappointment that always came with everything she'd ever done to try to restore her parents' memories.

"No, it is going to work," she told herself as she moved toward the arrivals zone. "This time, everything is going to be perfect."

She boosted herself onto her toes, searching the crowd for any sign of red hair. Unlike Ron and Bill, Charlie wouldn't stand head and shoulders above the rest of the people in the station. She knew that. He'd be shorter, more average in height, but sturdier than his brothers and, if the Weasley family arm wrestling contests were any indication, stronger. His facial features were like Bill's before the werewolf attack only rougher and sunnier, less like the rounded cuteness of Ron's face, or Percy's effete sharpness, or the twins' showy impishness.