His Princess, no, His Rider

(Un-beta'd) - Mistakes are my own.

Just a little fluff piece of Hermione with probably the only Weasley brother I can truly see her with.

Part 1

Hermione was zoning out as Ron rambled on. She honestly had more important things to worry about than Lavender's newest interest. She found her thoughts drifting to the coming Sunday lunch at the Burrow and what that entails. Most likely another day of hinting at when she will settle down with a nice young wizard; as if she wasn't aware of her glaring single status.

She definitely was… She was twenty-eight for merlin's sake! Even she had a little box that should have been ticked by twenty-five for her husband. Her life plan wasn't going as she had compiled it in her planning journal! And it was causing havoc with her mental state. All the other boxes were being ticked off nice and timeous… Except the husband one and all that goes from that. She should be expecting their first child by twenty-eight! Hermione groaned then as she realised another box that should have been ticked now is also staying empty. And then all of this obviously took her thoughts to why she couldn't settle with any wizard. Charlie. Charlie who bought a whole other can of anxiety to her already hectic state of mind. Or was it the hectic state of her emotions?

Ron fell quiet with her groan and blinked at her in surprise, noting her glazed eyes and the way she was pulling on her hair.

"Eh, Mione? Everything alright there?" his voice was tentative and slightly confused as it brought her back to her friend.

She rolled her eyes at him then. "Well yes, Ronald. Except that my schedule is completely ruined! I planned it so carefully! I mean, everything has been going according to schedule yet two things are overdue! Two boxes not ticked off! It's a nightmare!"

Ron looked at her owlishly as he tried to comprehend what she was going on about. "Okay Mione… I can leave if I'm keeping you from Eh… Finishing your schedule?"

Hermione glared at him as if he had personally offended her then. "I'm not talking about work! My work is going exactly as planned, thank you very much. I am talking of my life! I should have been married by twenty-five and been pregnant now! Yet, I'm not married yet! Never mind even being involved with someone!"

Ron started laughing then and to the dismay of Hermione he seemed genuinely amused. "Mione… You can't plan life. Never mind love! Life and love happens as it should and when it should. You'll see, when you stop looking or planning for it, you will most likely walk smack into it. Or you already did and was too busy planning it to notice.

As if to accentuate his words he smacked his hands together with a happy grin. It only served to infuriate her further. "Ronald Weasley, I am a planner! If I can't plan then things don't make sense to me. How must I just trust that things will go as needed? No. It must be planned and executed." She finished with a satisfied nod. Besides, it wasn't as if Charlie noticed her… so she hadn't been waiting for him… not really.

Ron just rolled his eyes as he stood up from her desk in preparation to leave her office. "Suit yourself, Hermione. But I do think I know a bit more about the workings of love and marriage at this point. But if you feel my wisdom is unneeded then whatever."

Hermione stared intently at Ron as he walked to the door, maybe he had a point she conceded. But as he went to slip through her door he gave her a last smile and eyebrow jiggle with muggle salute before disappearing. Urgh. No… He wasn't right. Schedules. There must be schedules. And Charlie. Yes, Charlie must be there. Maybe this holiday she could get his attention?

CWHG

Hermione was still in a funk when she apparated with a pop to the border of the Burrow that Sunday. She had been trying to resort her plan, but try as she might she couldn't extend the husband part past twenty-nine, and then she had to have her first child within a year at thirty. Going later than that will ruin her career schedule. She was positively in a dither. And Charlie. How could she get over him to marry someone else? Not that there ever was anything between them to get over with, she scoffed at herself. She would have to get her priorities straight and mind sorted before the next holidays.

As she skulked to the crooked house her face was set in a perpetual frown and her hair standing in all directions as the nervous magic frizzed it. To those working with her they knew her to be looking like that for weeks now as her schedule had been her main point of concern. Or perhaps rather, obsession.

Hermione was surprised to find Molly to be in even more of a tizzy that day than normal. The elder witch was rushing around and bossing everyone to do everything from cleaning, degnoming and cooking even more than other lunches. It was as if she was expecting a special guest. Hermione dodged a flying cake pan that was coming from the oven in the nick of time as she raised her eyebrows in question at Ginny Potter.

Ginny shook her head and mouthed a 'don't ask' as she hurriedly poured another glass of wine and gulped it down while nervously watching her mother.

Hermione frowned, her worries over her schedule and lack of anything with Charlie temporarily forgotten as she tried to figure out what she was missing. At that moment Molly turned and saw her. Her eyes narrowed on her and then swivelled to Ginny, who was trying to hide her wine and attempting to look busy mixing cake icing.

"Ginny! Why isn't the icing done yet! Time! He is almost here! We need to be finished! Hermione!"

Hermione jumped at the screech of her name from Molly, looking around nervously as if she was caught doing something she wasn't supposed to. She looked wide eyed at Molly and nervously patted her haywire curls.

"Be a dear and start setting the table? Include an extra seat … oh dear, next to who will he sit!" Hermione nodded and started levitating cutlery as Molly spoke, but froze as she trailed off… yes the table was full every Weasley family lunch… as the whole family, and adopted family was always there. Except for Charlie. He was never there. His visits were usually over the holidays kind and not afternoon lunch kind.

Oh well, whomever it was, he could take the spot next to her. She was the only remaining single one so she would space up for the visitor. The thought reminded her of her schedule… which in turn made her scowl the whole time as she was setting the table. Single. She was still single. And still crushing on Charlie. This was getting ridiculous.

Maybe she could get a mail order husband? Those used to be popular in western times of America? Well she suspected that it was actually mail order brides then… She wondered how she would draw up the ad; 'British witch looking for male wizard who wouldn't mind being smothered in his sleep by wild hair… would Charlie mind my hair?' Hermione muttered with a dramatic voice which tapered into an uncertain question.

She scoffed. All thoughts along the line of romance and relationship status always ended back at Charlie.

Hermione was so busy in her thoughts she didn't even realise the floo had activated minutes prior and that her entire thought process and mutterings had been observed in silent amusement.

She had just levitated the final cutlery and conjured an extra seat next to her own when an amused voice interrupted her frenzied thoughts. "If being smothered by your hair was a prerequisite for sleeping with you… I've never backed off from a challenge… besides, I've never minded your hair, it reminds me of a Chinese Fireball... You know, the liondragon."

Hermione squealed as she jumped around, eyes widening at the sight of Charlie Weasley leaning against the fireplace casually, a playful smirk on his features. She felt the blush climbing up her features from below her collar, up her neck to finally colour her entire face. Her mouth gaped and then closed as she swallowed nervously. Her hands crept up to nervously pat down her wild curls. A useless endeavor as they had refused to be tamed for weeks now since her schedule panic had started. Now she was flustered on top of the anxiety. Charlie always flustered her. Why was he here now? Of all times… she couldn't handle anxiety and fluster. It was too much for one witch to handle.

Hermione opened her mouth to retort, but only a small sound came out. She closed her mouth again and cleared her throat as she saw his smirk widen along with an eyebrow lifting in question at her. He looked good. Better than she remembered. Had his shoulders always been that broad? His neck muscles, always so… thick? Now heat was infusing her body. What was going on with her? Anxiety, fluster, and now heat? Realising that she was starring she finally managed to croak out a greeting.

"Charlie… this is a surprise… uhm… wasn't expecting you— oh! You are the extra guest!" Her final words tumbled out and along with it the realisation that this hunk of a specimen would sit next to her. Her flush deepened even more then, to the obvious amusement of Charlie.

Said specimen finally pushed away from the fireplace and walked towards her, when he was almost right next to her he gave her a wink before swerving to go to the noisy kitchen and responding over his shoulder. "Good to see you are still the same, Princess. Now, excuse me while I face the fiery love of mummy dragon."

Hermione sat down on her seat with a manic giggle of something between panic and mirth at his dragon pun. Her heart was racing and the heat was causing her to fan herself with her hand. 'Is this what having the vapors was like?' She muttered to herself. With a groan she swished her wand and accio'd the bottle of wine Ginny had had earlier with a glass.

She giggled when she heard Ginny's voice from the kitchen yelling in exasperation followed by the wine and glass floating over, Ginny following as well. "I was busy pouring that!"

Hermione lifted her brow in challenge as she proceeded to drink straight from the bottle after a quick contemplation of the size of the wine glass before her. Ginny looked to be wanting to grab the wine bottle but seeing the ferocious hair standing up all around Hermione's head made her put up her hands in surrender. "But you obviously need it more than I do…"

Hermione lowered the bottle to glare at Ginny. "Charlie."

Ginny grinned as she took a swig from the wine bottle then herself. "Oh… he still gets your knickers twisted doesn't he."

Hermione groaned. "More like my knickers completely wet."

Ginny laughed at her. "He is here to make some big family announcement… Mum's hoping it's an engagement." She rolled her eyes at Molly's hope but Hermione felt her breathing hitch. The very real fear of Charlie marrying someone else was causing her anxiety to notch up another few degrees. Hermione took the wine bottle from Ginny and proceeded to empty it.

Realising the impact her words had, Ginny was quick to try and placate her friend. "Not that I think it is that… otherwise I believe we would have had to set two extra spaces."

Ginny watched her contemplatively for a few seconds then accio'd another bottle of wine. "You know, Hermione… if the Charlie crush is having you this twisted up, why not just tell him? I mean, I am quite sure he fancies you as well."

Ginny handed a full glass of wine to Hermione as she waited for her response. "Urg. I don't know! He is so… perfect? You know, every witch's wet dream. And I am so… frumpled? Like the colourless girl next door. How would he ever notice me? And besides, he lives in Romania… I won't give up my career just as I am quite sure he won't give up his. So why bother starting something we can't finish?"

Hermione finished despondent as she drank from her glass, the perpetual frown back between her brows.

Ginny looked at her and then laughed. "I heard what he said, you know. I was on my way in here to help you but after hearing that I sort of reversed back into the kitchen, hoping you'd finally get kissing." She wiggled her eyebrows in suggestion as Hermione looked at her in confusion. "What do you mean? What did he say that could lead to kissing? He just made fun of me?"

Ginny slapped her forehead then. "You are so oblivious! He basically said he wants to sleep with you! When he said that he doesn't back off from a challenge... he meant that he'd take being smothered by your hair if he could sleep with you! And then proceeded to compare you to a dragon. Hello, this is Charlie, being compared to a dragon is as high as a compliment you can get!"

Hermione frowned and then after re-analyzing his exact words in her head her eyes widened at the realisation of Ginny's words. "Oh."

Taking a big gulp from her glass her eyes met with Ginny's mirthful ones. "Well, I certainly bollocksed that up then."

She buried her face in her hands with a groan while mumbling through her palms. "I'm such an idiot… Charlie flusters me so!"

Ginny just laughed as she stood up to return to the kitchen where Molly was frantically yelling for her to bring the food to the table. Hermione stood up and followed to help.