Crossing the Line

Disclaimer: I've borrowed some of Rowling's characters again. Muahahaha. I'll return them when I can.

Thanks go to CocoaChristy for reading over this for me.

It's been many months since I've seen her, yet I can still see her face so clearly in my mind. Things are getting worse for Wizarding kind with each passing day. Friends and family are continuously in danger, some meeting their demise. My father sent word that they could use my help. One of my friends and I will go over with two dragons we've been working closely with to lend a hand. God knows that I hope she's still alive. If I only see her once more before I die, all would be well in the world for me.

~o~

"Harry!" I scream, seeing him dodge behind a tree as a jet of green light flies towards him. I am certain that he's all right. "Ron?" I call out, looking around. There is nothing but mist behind me, so I trudge forward to seek out Harry. I hear his labored breathing before I see him and cringe, afraid of what I will see. "All right?" I ask, noticing the blood on his leg.

"All right," he breathes. "Hit a rock on my fall."

"I can't find Ron."

Grinning, Harry said, "He took the Portkey to get... others. He'll be back."

~o~

"Charlie!" Ron screams, waving me over. "We were ambushed! Hermione and Harry are still there! Help me!"

I run to meet him and take the Portkey from his hands. "You're bleeding!" I say in shock, realizing that my brother is paler than I'd ever seen him.

"Slicing Hexes..." he says before passing out.

"Mum!" I yell. "Ron's lost a lot of blood. He needs help right now!" She moved to my side an instant later with Ginny.

"We'll take him!"

"I'm off for Hermione and Harry," I tell them absently, reactivating the Portkey and hopping atop my Common Welsh Green.

~o~

A jet of red light hits the tree's bark, sending splinters to rain down on us. We could hear them getting closer. There must have been nearly ten Death Eaters waiting for us. Nodding in agreement with Harry, I point my wand out and prepare to hurl as many hexes as I can at our enemies.

However, before we could do anything, there is a loud roar and flames blazing brightly.

"Charlie's come!" Harry points out.

I help Harry up and move with him to the safety of the dragon's backside. Pops of Disapparation prove that our foes are leaving.

~o~

"Cowardly blokes!" I say happily, sliding down from my dragon, patting her back heartily. I hold up the Portkey. "I didn't think of this before, but she won't ride the three of us. The Portkey might not hold for us all." An idea comes to me. "Harry, you look the worst. Take it. Hermione and I will fly back."

"She can just come with me," Harry replies, gazing at me oddly.

"One of you will need to guide me back. I'm only authorized to enter with someone the wards recognize. Sorry, but I left before they could charm me in."

~o~

"Harry, he's right," I admit, squeezing his hand. "We'll get back as quickly as we can, though with the dragon and dawn coming, it may take a little longer."

Harry nods. "Where's Ron?"

Charlie frowns. "He was bleeding, so they're tending to him."

I gasp. "Will he be all right?"

"Of course. He's more worried about you two. Go on, Harry. Put him at ease."

Harry gives me one last long look before activating the Portkey and disappearing from our sight.

I boldly look at Charlie then, knowing most Portkeys have no limits. "Were you in need of a moment?"

~o~

I should have known that she would see through my lies. We could have likely all made it with the Portkey, though I can always argue that I never used one with my dragon and other people.

"Are you angry?"

"We should see about Ronald."

"He's fine."

"You think that you can just waltz back into my life and make decisions for me? You just up and left! No letters again; nothing but a quick note to your mother."

"You don't understand, Hermione. I had to leave," I try to explain. "I couldn't owl you."

"But why couldn't you, Charlie?"

~o~

The sound of my voice disgusts me. I can hear its quavering and can feel my eyes watering with tears.

"So... it is as I feared," he says softly, turning away. "You're lost to me."

I cannot stop myself from hugging him fiercely from behind. My lips press against his shoulder blade as I say, "It will never be as easy as that. I swear."

"But?"

"But I do love Ron." It's then that I notice that I've grown used to Ron's gangly, thin frame. Charlie, being shorter, didn't give him as much advantage over me. "If things were different..."

~o~

It's time that I let her go. She's right. I have no right to just waltz in and expect her to still care for me or want a few stolen moments with me.

"When I left last time, it was to give you the time you needed to make your decision without being influenced," I say softly, turning and gathering her into my arms. "You told me that we couldn't. I didn't want to press you. Then..."

"Then?"

"Ron," I say, horrified that I feel my emotions overwhelming me. "He knew."

"Knew what?"

"He saw and heard us that night."

~o~

"But... no," I say, shocked. "Why would you think that? He went back to bed."

"No, he came back down and watched us. He heard everything."

As he steps away, I pull him back to me and stare into his eyes, seeing the truth. "Oh, my God. Wh-what did he say?"

"He said he didn't blame you, but I should have known better. He was right glad you turned me down and stood up for him." He closes his eyes. "He said for once he'd done something right without his brothers' help or them doing it first."

"Oh, poor Ron..."

~o~

I know that she needs to hear everything, so I continue. "He asked me to leave so that you'd give him a fair chance. He said if I were there, then he wouldn't be able to compete with me. So, I agreed. I told him I wouldn't write or go by without warning."

"So... you two just talk things over and decide what my future is going to be without me having a say?" She shakes her head in anger.

"That's not how it was. What he said made sense. How could I hurt him like that? Hurt my family?"

~o~

"It's all right to hurt me though," I say bitterly, enjoying the way he flinches.

"No, we just want what's best for you. I thought..."

"I should tell the both of you to bugger off! If he knew, he should have talked to me about it... like I'd done with Gabrielle. I even told him about us... just not your name."

"Come on, love. It's not..."

He sounds so much like Ron that I pull back and slap him with all of my might without thinking. "It's my life, too, damn it!"

He pulls me to him roughly.

~o~

"What would you have preferred?" I ask bitterly, face still stinging from her slap, unable to resist giving her a slight shake. "Would you have truly wanted me around? Snogging you every chance I got? Confusing you? Touching you? Making you want me?"

She says nothing...only stares at me with wide eyes.

"If I would have talked you into my bed as I so badly wanted, Ron would have lost you forever, and you would never have forgiven yourself for not giving him that real chance! You would have ended up hating us both!"

"I hate you both anyway!"

~o~

"Don't you say you hate me," he yells at me, mouth quickly pressing against mine. "Anything but that!"

"Wait..."

Too late. His hands are in my hair, his mouth is back against mine, tongue trying to coax mine into mutual exploration, and somehow, we've managed to slide down, half struggling, half holding.

I feel the cool breeze blowing against my legs as he maneuvers my robes a little higher. Unable to speak with his mouth on mine, I groan for him to stop, but he mistakes it for encouragement, and I feel his hand on my thigh beneath my skirt.

~o~

I can only think of how much I want her and how good it feels to have her responding to me so passionately. She moans in anticipation as my hand glides up the length of her smooth, bare leg.

After all this time, I am finally going to be able to show her what she does to me, what I've wanted for so long. Our slight row had heightened our feelings and made us strike out at each other.

We both moan as my fingers slide beneath the hem of her knickers. So hot. So wet. One finger slides in.

~o~

The moving of his mouth against mine makes me dizzy. I can barely think about anything as I realize that he's touching me intimately. It's all happening so quickly.

"Anh," I gasp as a knuckle grazes against my sensitive spot.

His lips and teeth move down to my shoulder where they suck and bite my flesh. I am faintly aware of his body shifting again before his removes his finger and pushes something much thicker inside.

My eyes open wide with shock as I realize what's happening. The protest dies on my lips as he slams all the way in.

~o~

After a few strokes with my head arched back in attempt to savor every sensation that I could, I finally look back down at her. I see that her eyes are closed, that there are tears on her cheeks, and that she's biting her lip.

"I love you, Hermione," I say suddenly, wanting her to hear the words that my body is showing her. I begin rubbing her clit with the fingers of the hand that I am holding her knickers aside with and enjoy the feel of her moving her body against mine while she searches for her climax.

~o~

The feeling of climax comes to me twice and ebbs away both times. With my eyes closed, I can almost imagine that this isn't happening. Not like this. Not here with him. But it doesn't help. This is not Ron. I'm allowing his brother to have my body. How did this happen? I was in control.

When I finally feel him shudder, slump over me, and forgo his quest to give me pleasure, I sigh with relief. It's done. The deed I'd always wondered about has come and gone... and wasn't worth it. I will never feel the same again.

~o~

I can tell something's wrong the moment she sits up and starts brandishing her wand to clean herself.

"Hermione?"

"Not now, Charlie," she says.

My heart sinks. What have I done? She'd wanted to be with me. She'd... "Hermione, we have to talk about this. What happened..."

"It didn't happen," she says fiercely, pointing her wand at me.

When she lowers her wand and cries, I put my head in my hands and do the same. All I've managed to do is make things worse for us by having to blurt out the pact Ron and I had made.

~o~

I'm looking off in the distance and wiping tears from my cheeks when sudden pops of Apparition sound behind us. We both turn, wands drawn, to find Ron and Harry behind us. One look at Ron's angry, hurt, and suspicious face brings on a whole new bout of tears. How could I have done this?

"What's wrong?" he asks, kneeling down next to me.

I shake my head, allowing his arm to slide around me.

"Tell me."

"She was... worried about you," Charlie blurts. "I thought it best if we waited until she collected herself before we tried to leave."

~o~

"Is that right?" Ron asks, sneering at me.

I can see that neither he nor Potter believe my lame excuse, but I'll be damned if I'll have it out with him about Hermione with someone around...especially not now that she and I have... had sex.

"I thought we should wait," I say again.

Before I realize it, Ron runs for me and swings wildly at me. "You just can't leave her alone, can you?" he rages.

I duck one blow only to be landed by another before Potter can restrain him.

"Ron..." I begin, not knowing what to say.

~o~

I can see the scuffle and haven't the will to stop them. I whisper, "Is your bleeding done? Are you all right?"

That seems to get everyone's attention. Ron stalks back to me and looks into my eyes. I thank God that he's no Legilimens.

"I just needed some potions. Harry's healed up good as new."

"Ron..."

"Yes, Hermione?"

"I want to go home. Not your mum's. My parents' home."

"What? Why?"

"I need some time," I say firmly. "He told me about what you and he talked on."

Ron's face dropped. "Let me explain."

"It's all right. I know..."

~o~

I watch helplessly as the woman I love slips away from me. I hate that I had a part in putting that sad expression on her face. I've never wished that I could redo something over again. Why couldn't I have been blessed with a Time-Turner?

Taking advantage of her when she was distraught was not the brightest thing that I've ever done. My brother and his friend are both suspicious. That is quite obvious. I can feel their hate in their accusatory glares. I suppose I can only be grateful that they hadn't popped in a few minutes before.

~o~

"Come on," Ron says, pulling me up. "I'll see you home."

"No, it's all right," I say, wanting to get away from them.

"At least let Harry," Ron pleads.

"I'll go," Harry says.

I know in that instant that he won't pry or try to question me. "All right." I move to Harry. "Have you a Portkey?"

"No, we came in from a different location. I'll bring us there," he replies, wrapping an arm around my shoulders.

I see Charlie's disappointed expression and say, "Thanks for... attempting to rescue us."

He nods and sadly smiles before Harry takes me away.

~o~

"I sent you to help them, not to take advantage of her!" Ron says bitterly.

Guilt floods me. I know I've done wrong.

"When Harry told me that excuse you'd made, I knew I had to come before it was too late!"

I feel even worse upon hearing these words.

"Fucking hell, Charlie! Was it too late? Why was she crying?"

"I... She told me she loves you."

"You were both crying, both disheveled! What am I supposed to think? Now she's gone off! I saw her first!"

"You win, Ron. She's yours. I swear to never touch her again."

Southern's Notes: I have no idea how this came about. I was just writing away, and this happened. It's definitely NOT what I had planned. However, my muse said she'd skip town if I didn't do it this way.

Christy's Notes: Poor Charlie, Hermione and Ron! It's a rare thing, but I feel bad for all three in this chapter!