Fic: When Needs Must [PG 13] Charlie/Hermione
Title:When Needs Must
Author:gfeather
Rating: PG 13
Prompt Set: 50.2
Prompt:#2 Need
Word Count:1500
Summary: Charlie is having difficulties with his temporary blindness and is being pig headed about recieving help.
Warnings: Fluff alert!
Notes: This is a continuation from Have a Little Faith so go read it before this one.
Pain shot up his leg and Charlie swore. “Dammit! Why on earth does the wall jut out there? Stupid thing. What kind of idiot builds a house with walls that stick out?”
A voice tutted from behind him. “What kind of idiot doesn’t use help that’s freely offered?”
“I don’t need your help, Hermione,” he growled.
She seemed to ignore his threatening manner and said cheekily, “You aren’t at your best at 2:30 in the morning.”
“I’m not at my best when I’ve been hexed blind. Go back to sleep. I don’t need your help.”
Her soft, warm hand rested on his shoulder and turned him so she could look at his face. He was reasonably certain she would see a sour expression framed by horrible bed hair and he turned his head, a bit ashamed for his temper. Her other hand gently brushed against his cheek and forced him to face her. At that moment, he really wished he could see the expression on her face. She stood there examining him, no hint of her thoughts betrayed in the silence of the hallway. He opened his eyes, even knowing that he would see nothing when he did, but it was a reflex. The bandages were kept on during the day to keep him from the involuntary action and potential harm, but at night they were left off, unnecessary in sleep. The tip of her finger brushed along his lower lids and he closed his eyes again. The darkness was absolute either way anyway.
“You aren’t helpless, but you do need some assistance. What do you need me to do to make the route to the bathroom easier for you?”
“How did you..?”
“Where else were you going in the middle of the night? Unless you were trying to sneak up on me in the living room for a late night tryst, though I’ll admit you don’t strike me as the sort of guy who ravishes houseguests, blinded or not,” she commented with light humour colouring her tone.
Charlie felt a blush creeping up his face at the thought and tried to counter with the same light tone she had used. “The only houseguests I ever had in Romania were family members, so I can’t say that the thought of ravishing them ever came to mind.”
She chuckled at bit at this. “No, well that’s a relief. At any rate, what can I do to make the hallway more manageable.”
“It can wait till morning. I’m sorry I woke you up,” he apologised.
“Don’t worry about it, that’s why I’m here. What do you need?” she persisted.
Charlie blurted out the first thought that popped into his head. “Kiss it better?”
He cringed the moment the words left his mouth and hoped he could blame them on his
frustration over his injury and the late hour. The finger that had lingered on his cheek smoothed his eyebrows and traced along his eyelids. She said gently, “I seriously hope you meant your eyes, because there’s no way I’m kissing your big toe better. I’m not into that sort of thing.”
“That’s good. My feet aren’t the nicest thing to get close to. Anyway, I guess smoothing out this wall would go a long way to making the house more navigable,” he said, trying to cover his embarrassment.
Her hands left him and he could hear her footsteps moving away and returning quickly. Her voice was firm and authoritative as she cast spells on the walls around her, just as it had been earlier in the day when she had set his flat to rights. He had been acutely embarrassed then too. He generally wasn’t a slob, but with how busy he had been things like laundry and dishes hadn’t seemed of particular importance. She hadn’t even teased or tutted him about it, only set to work. It was still humiliating to be caught out like that, but it could have been worse. It could have been his mother.
Charlie heard Hermione’s footsteps moving again and in a moment her small hand took his and guided it towards the wall. His fingers landed on a smooth bar at waist height and he let it guide him further down the hall and into his bathroom. Before shutting the door he offered a chagrined ‘thanks’ and disappeared into the sanctuary of his loo.
He managed easily enough in the small room and exited a few minutes later, thinking Hermione had likely settled back on the sofa. Instead he was met at the door by an arm tucking itself into the crook of his elbow. He began to protest the assistance and told her, “I don’t mean to sound ungrateful, but you don’t have to. I’ll be fine. Thanks for fixing up the hallway for me.”
“Is it so hard to admit, Charlie?”
“It is. It isn’t you. I’ve always had a hard time admitting I need something that’s beyond my ability to obtain. When I was small, if something was too high for me to reach, I’d build a tower of chairs and books and things to get it rather than ask someone to take it down for me.”
Hermione gave a small laugh at that. “I used to do the same thing. I pulled a whole bookcase down on myself when I was about seven. It was only a bit of accidental magic that kept me from being seriously hurt, though the school librarian wasn’t very impressed at having to shelve all the books that fell down.”
Charlie chuckled with her at the story. “I got my finger caught in a mousetrap on the kitchen counter once while trying to climb up to the cupboard with the biscuit tin in it. I think I was four at the time. It was one of those fancy magical ones that zap the mouse. It didn’t do any serious damage to me, but I howled like a banshie when it happened.”
“What did your mum say?”
“She was all sympathy and kisses.”
“Really?” Hermione asked skeptically.
“Of course,” Charlie said with a grin, “I told her I was trying to get a glass because she had been angry with me earlier for drinking straight from the milk jug. There was a problem with giving her that excuse though. After that she began to keep the unbreakable children’s cups on a shelf in one of the lower cupboards where anyone could reach. It was a good excuse, but it only worked once.”
Hermione laughed with him at the story. “You were trouble, weren’t you.”
“Hey! I wasn’t trouble, I was just really independent. It’s not the same thing,” he said indignantly.
Charlie could hear her grin. “Was? You still are, and stubborn to boot.”
“Yeah, I am,” he let out a small sigh then put his hand on the one Hermione had tucked around his other arm. “Thank you, Hermione. I need help right now, and I’m not very graceful at accepting it.”
She led him into his bedroom and guided him onto his bed. He sat at the edge, uncomfortable with being ‘tucked in,’ when her voice sounded close to his ear. “You’re welcome, Charlie. I understand it’s not easy needing help. Now, did you still need that kiss?”
“What?!”
He could hear her giggle at his reaction. “Well, it was the first thing you told me you needed.”
His mouth hung open for a moment while his brain caught up with her words. He stammered, “I- uh- that’s- umm-”
His stumbling reply was thankfully cut short by her soft lips brushing against his chapped ones. Instinctively he brought a hand to cup her face and tilted to meet her at a more comfortable angle. For a moment, it was sweet and warm and innocent, before the moist tip of her tongue ran across the seam of his lips and they parted. Then it was hot and eager and accentuated by caressing fingers.
When they pulled back from each other some time later, Charlie murmured, “I needed that.”
Hermione’s lips brushed against his cheek as she whispered, “Me too.”
****
Author:gfeather
Rating: PG 13
Prompt Set: 50.2
Prompt:#2 Need
Word Count:1500
Summary: Charlie is having difficulties with his temporary blindness and is being pig headed about recieving help.
Warnings: Fluff alert!
Notes: This is a continuation from Have a Little Faith so go read it before this one.
Pain shot up his leg and Charlie swore. “Dammit! Why on earth does the wall jut out there? Stupid thing. What kind of idiot builds a house with walls that stick out?”
A voice tutted from behind him. “What kind of idiot doesn’t use help that’s freely offered?”
“I don’t need your help, Hermione,” he growled.
She seemed to ignore his threatening manner and said cheekily, “You aren’t at your best at 2:30 in the morning.”
“I’m not at my best when I’ve been hexed blind. Go back to sleep. I don’t need your help.”
Her soft, warm hand rested on his shoulder and turned him so she could look at his face. He was reasonably certain she would see a sour expression framed by horrible bed hair and he turned his head, a bit ashamed for his temper. Her other hand gently brushed against his cheek and forced him to face her. At that moment, he really wished he could see the expression on her face. She stood there examining him, no hint of her thoughts betrayed in the silence of the hallway. He opened his eyes, even knowing that he would see nothing when he did, but it was a reflex. The bandages were kept on during the day to keep him from the involuntary action and potential harm, but at night they were left off, unnecessary in sleep. The tip of her finger brushed along his lower lids and he closed his eyes again. The darkness was absolute either way anyway.
“You aren’t helpless, but you do need some assistance. What do you need me to do to make the route to the bathroom easier for you?”
“How did you..?”
“Where else were you going in the middle of the night? Unless you were trying to sneak up on me in the living room for a late night tryst, though I’ll admit you don’t strike me as the sort of guy who ravishes houseguests, blinded or not,” she commented with light humour colouring her tone.
Charlie felt a blush creeping up his face at the thought and tried to counter with the same light tone she had used. “The only houseguests I ever had in Romania were family members, so I can’t say that the thought of ravishing them ever came to mind.”
She chuckled at bit at this. “No, well that’s a relief. At any rate, what can I do to make the hallway more manageable.”
“It can wait till morning. I’m sorry I woke you up,” he apologised.
“Don’t worry about it, that’s why I’m here. What do you need?” she persisted.
Charlie blurted out the first thought that popped into his head. “Kiss it better?”
He cringed the moment the words left his mouth and hoped he could blame them on his
frustration over his injury and the late hour. The finger that had lingered on his cheek smoothed his eyebrows and traced along his eyelids. She said gently, “I seriously hope you meant your eyes, because there’s no way I’m kissing your big toe better. I’m not into that sort of thing.”
“That’s good. My feet aren’t the nicest thing to get close to. Anyway, I guess smoothing out this wall would go a long way to making the house more navigable,” he said, trying to cover his embarrassment.
Her hands left him and he could hear her footsteps moving away and returning quickly. Her voice was firm and authoritative as she cast spells on the walls around her, just as it had been earlier in the day when she had set his flat to rights. He had been acutely embarrassed then too. He generally wasn’t a slob, but with how busy he had been things like laundry and dishes hadn’t seemed of particular importance. She hadn’t even teased or tutted him about it, only set to work. It was still humiliating to be caught out like that, but it could have been worse. It could have been his mother.
Charlie heard Hermione’s footsteps moving again and in a moment her small hand took his and guided it towards the wall. His fingers landed on a smooth bar at waist height and he let it guide him further down the hall and into his bathroom. Before shutting the door he offered a chagrined ‘thanks’ and disappeared into the sanctuary of his loo.
He managed easily enough in the small room and exited a few minutes later, thinking Hermione had likely settled back on the sofa. Instead he was met at the door by an arm tucking itself into the crook of his elbow. He began to protest the assistance and told her, “I don’t mean to sound ungrateful, but you don’t have to. I’ll be fine. Thanks for fixing up the hallway for me.”
“Is it so hard to admit, Charlie?”
“It is. It isn’t you. I’ve always had a hard time admitting I need something that’s beyond my ability to obtain. When I was small, if something was too high for me to reach, I’d build a tower of chairs and books and things to get it rather than ask someone to take it down for me.”
Hermione gave a small laugh at that. “I used to do the same thing. I pulled a whole bookcase down on myself when I was about seven. It was only a bit of accidental magic that kept me from being seriously hurt, though the school librarian wasn’t very impressed at having to shelve all the books that fell down.”
Charlie chuckled with her at the story. “I got my finger caught in a mousetrap on the kitchen counter once while trying to climb up to the cupboard with the biscuit tin in it. I think I was four at the time. It was one of those fancy magical ones that zap the mouse. It didn’t do any serious damage to me, but I howled like a banshie when it happened.”
“What did your mum say?”
“She was all sympathy and kisses.”
“Really?” Hermione asked skeptically.
“Of course,” Charlie said with a grin, “I told her I was trying to get a glass because she had been angry with me earlier for drinking straight from the milk jug. There was a problem with giving her that excuse though. After that she began to keep the unbreakable children’s cups on a shelf in one of the lower cupboards where anyone could reach. It was a good excuse, but it only worked once.”
Hermione laughed with him at the story. “You were trouble, weren’t you.”
“Hey! I wasn’t trouble, I was just really independent. It’s not the same thing,” he said indignantly.
Charlie could hear her grin. “Was? You still are, and stubborn to boot.”
“Yeah, I am,” he let out a small sigh then put his hand on the one Hermione had tucked around his other arm. “Thank you, Hermione. I need help right now, and I’m not very graceful at accepting it.”
She led him into his bedroom and guided him onto his bed. He sat at the edge, uncomfortable with being ‘tucked in,’ when her voice sounded close to his ear. “You’re welcome, Charlie. I understand it’s not easy needing help. Now, did you still need that kiss?”
“What?!”
He could hear her giggle at his reaction. “Well, it was the first thing you told me you needed.”
His mouth hung open for a moment while his brain caught up with her words. He stammered, “I- uh- that’s- umm-”
His stumbling reply was thankfully cut short by her soft lips brushing against his chapped ones. Instinctively he brought a hand to cup her face and tilted to meet her at a more comfortable angle. For a moment, it was sweet and warm and innocent, before the moist tip of her tongue ran across the seam of his lips and they parted. Then it was hot and eager and accentuated by caressing fingers.
When they pulled back from each other some time later, Charlie murmured, “I needed that.”
Hermione’s lips brushed against his cheek as she whispered, “Me too.”
****