Charlie Weasley, Paper Husband

Chapter 7

AN: Posting this before my day gets crazy. Thank you for reading! DDD

Morning, and the woman who would call herself Hermione Granger Weasley from now on was waking up exactly as she wanted. She was on her side with her husband's body at her back, folded into every angle she formed, his arm dropped over her waist, his breath slow and steady as he slept with his face almost in her hair.

She was warm and adored and happier than she'd been in years, so happy she giggled into her hand. Then lacing her fingers through his, she raised his hand to her lips and kissed it, one kiss between each of his rough knuckles, and one more in the centre.

Charlie stirred, nestling closer, tightening his arm around her, and imprinting his morning kiss on her neck.

She shivered and sank further into his embrace. But what she said was, "Go back to sleep, my dear. I didn't mean to wake you. I'm content to lie here and admire you."

He hummed. "No, I'm glad to be awake. I was missing you in my sleep."

"Missing me?"

"Yeah, so lonely for you," he said. "I suppose that's how I wound up crowding you like this. Sorry."

"Don't be sorry," she said, rolling onto her other side, facing him and hooking her leg around his, her heel holding him before he could shift away to un-crowd her. "This is right where I want you."

"Is it?" Charlie said, combing hopelessly at her hair with gentle fingers. "I thought - I mean, I heard..."

"What?" she said, pulling back, pretending to be stern. "Was it Ronald? Did he tell you I didn't like to be touched while I'm sleeping?"

"Erm, well, maybe years ago he might have mentioned..."

"That's only because the man is all knees and elbows, especially when he's unconscious," she said, nuzzling her face into Charlie's not at all scrawny chest. "Honestly, it was like sleeping tied up in a bag full of gardening tools."

"Yes, I know all about it," Charlie said, patting her back in an oddly friendly way.

"You've been tied up in a bag of gardening tools? I would have thought maybe you'd tied someone else up, but – "

"No, I mean I've slept with him too, all of us jumbled together before Dad built the extension on the house. "

She covered his mouth with her hand. "No."

"It's true though."

"You have to stop," she laughed as he rolled onto his back, bringing her with him.

"All I'm saying is I was told you liked gangly men just fine," he teased.

"I would if you were gangly," she said, her head resting on his chest, her hair covering them.

"Aren't you lovely," Charlie said, both his arms around her, rocking side to side.

"More like lucky."

"Why not both?" he said.

She allowed it, grinning into his chest. "Say, why haven't you been snoring? Ron and Harry led me to believe you snore."

Charlie laughed, the low smug laugh of someone who'd fooled someone younger than themself. It could only be called a chuckle. "I'll tell you one of my big brother secrets. If you make a racket snoring in crowded sleeping arrangements, you're more likely to be given some space to yourself."

"You faked snoring so you'd be left in peace?" she said, dropping her face into the crook of his neck to tickle him with her laughter.

"I might have," he said, his hands on her hips. "Just until everyone else fell asleep."