Title: My funny valentine
Summary: It's Valentine's Day and Hermione finds herself once again without a Valentine. Though, this year someone sent her a rose, who could it be?
Disclaimer: Nothing is mine except for plot, but hey, if J.K Rowling wants to give the twins up for a weekend or two, I won't complain. Also, story contains "Every Rose Has It's Thorn", by Poison, also not mine.
Author's note: Okay, this is actually supposed to be the second chapter, but it didn't work out that way. This is my first time writing a Hermione/George story, so please I can handle constructive criticism, but please don't flame. Thanks, hope you enjoy.
Hermione laid in her Prefect's room wide awake with no reason behind it. She looked over at her clock and groaned, it was four o'clock in the morning and not just any morning, but Valentine's Day morning. The day she dreaded the most. She reached over to her dresser to turn her light on when she knocked over a picture. It was a picture of Fred, George and herself from early in the summer before her 6th year.
As Hermione looked at the picture, she was amazed at how quickly she became friends with the twins. She never really thought that she would. She was friends with Ron and Ginny, and she guessed that would be it from the Weasley family. Bill was already going out with Fleur when she finally met him, so she made no big deal to try to form a friendship with him, though she was always friendly towards him, Charlie was always away in Romania, so she never really met him till this past Christmas, and Percy, well, she figured if she would be friends with anyone other Weasley it would be him. Percy was smart and knew what was going on, someone she knew she could share opinions with, someone to have an intelligent conversation with. The twins, well, she always thought the twins were always too wrapped up in their jokes and inventions to try to get a friendship with a book worm out of her. But when she became Prefect in her 5th year, she met the boys one too many times in the corridors after curfew.
All those nights when they were out trying their inventions on Filch and his cat, Mrs. Norris Hermione would catch them. She never took house points from them, or wrote them up for detention. They did something to her that she never experienced; they treated her like a girl. Even though she knew it was only to get out of receiving detention, she looked forward to it every time she went on her rounds. They charmed her, teased her, and she even heard a little flirting from time to time from George, just remembering those nights walking back to the Gryffindor common room with them made her blush.
She all but practically cried when she saw the twins up and drop out of school. She had no one there that gave her much attention anymore. Sure Harry and Ron were still friends with her, but they never treated her like a girl. She remembered Ron's sorry excuse to asking her to the Yule Ball in her fourth year, "Hermione, you're a girl." she was really upset to find out that it took him four years to figure that out.
Though, as soon as she reached the burrow later that summer, to spend it with Harry and Ron, the twins cornered her and asked if she wanted a summer job in helping out at the Weasley's Wizard Wheezes. Her first reaction was just to drop her mouth in surprise and asked what she could possible do to help out down there and they told her that they needed help with all the accounting and paper work. Knowing how smart she was, it would just seem the best idea to have her work for them.. She quickly agreed to help them over the summer.
…
It was the greatest summer of her life. She had a great time hanging out with George, Fred, and his girlfriend Leanne. Hermione and Leanne became great friends within the summer months. The boys took the two girls out for lunch almost every day down to the Leaky Cauldron. It was the first day that the four of them walked into the pub when the waitress came over and said, "George Weasley, you finally found yourself a girlfriend. That's great!"
Hermione blushed furiously at her accusation, but went from embarrassed to shocked when George just smiled, put an arm around her waist, and drew her closer to him.
When the waitress walked away George did not remove his hand from her and sat back against the booths bench, taking her with him, so she was leaning up against him. Hermione just looked up at him and George innocently asked, "What?"
Fred laughed and said, "She just didn't think that being girlfriend to the one of the owners was part of the job description."
George looked down at her and smiled sheepishly, "Oh come on, Mione. It would have been more awkward for her to hear that we weren't dating. Besides," George said quickly, so she couldn't respond to his excuse, "in a few weeks we'll come in here and tell her it's our anniversary and maybe we'll get some free food."
Hermione laughed and swatted him on the chest saying, "Only you, George Weasley, would think of going out with me only to get free food."
"Can't blame a chap for trying," George said, and then pretending to look hurt said, "Are you breaking up with me?"
Hermione laughed and said, "Of course not! Why would I do that so close to our anniversary? I'll wait to see what you buy me and then I'll decide." George look dumbfound at her and Hermione laughed, "Can't blame a girl for trying."
"Ooo, she got you there little brother." Fred said.
Just then the food came and the conversation stopped and Hermione was thankful for that.
…
The summer went by pretty fast for Hermione, she was spending more time with the twins then with Harry and Ron, who both did not seem to mind at all. So, instead of hanging out with Ron and Harry when she got home from work, she stayed in town and helped renovate the upstairs of the joke shop into something that Fred and George could live in.
It was the last weekend before school started up again when Hermione walked into the Joke Shop and heard Fred and George yelling at one another.
"Oh, come on George!"
"Fred, you want the whole weekend off!"
At that moment Fred shook his head, as if something was fogging over his head and said, "Bloody hell, what am I doing? I'm co-owner; I can take a weekend off if I want to! I don't need your permission!"
"We're starting to get really busy, and this is the last weekend before Hogwarts starts up. We are going to be swamped, besides that we need to try out our new candy stock."
That's when Fred saw Hermione and said, "Hermione can do it! She knows how to work with the customers and I'm sure that she'll stay late with you tonight and experiment the new candy."
Before Hermione could say anything, George said, "Yes, I'm sure that's how Hermione wants to spend her last weekend of her summer vacation, working her ass off and spending her last Friday and Saturday night trying chocolates that could result in having horns sprouting from her head."
Before Fred could say any word they heard Hermione stammering, "I… I don't mind." Hermione said truthfully, "But if you don't want me to, then I don't have to."
George looked a little shocked and said quickly, "I don't mind, Mione, it's just that you spent your whole summer with us two blokes, I just thought that maybe you might be getting a little sick of us and may want to spend your last weekend with Ron and Harry, or Ginny."
"Well, Ginny, Ron and Harry haven't even noticed that I haven't been around all summer, so I bet another weekend won't make them miss me anymore," Hermione said with a smile.
"Thanks, Mione!" Fred said and he hugged her and gave her a wet kiss on her cheek. "Leanne's parents are gone for the whole weekend and we want some alone time." Fred said wiggling his eyebrows.
"Ugh," George said, "Hermione does not want to hear about your love life."
"Well, at least I have a love life to speak of." Fred said. "Good-bye all." Fred yelled over his shoulder as he shut the door behind him.
As soon as the two were left alone, Hermione apparently thought that her feet looked more interesting then anything else. When she realized that she must look like an idiot just standing there looking at her feet, she went about her work making everything was in order.
George went behind the counter to work on some paperwork and without even looking up, he said loud enough so that Hermione could hear him, "Mione, I do appreciate your help, you know, and sacrificing your last weekend to help me out."
Hermione walked over to the counter where George was standing behind and placed a friendly hand on his arm, and said, "George, it's no problem, really. Besides I am not sacrificing anything. I am spending my last weekend exactly how I want to," She looked up into his eyes and smiled.
"Really and how's that?"
"Well, I'd expect any girl would be thrilled to be spending a weekend alone with her boyfriend." Hermione said with a salutary smile.
George's eyes went a little wide, but when he realized that she was kidding he just laughed. "Thanks, Mione. You're the best girlfriend ever," with that said they both started to laugh and then everything got a very busy.
…
As lunch time neared they finally slowed down until the last person left. George put up a sign in the window stating "Closed for lunch." and leaned against the door.
"Bloody hell." George muttered.
"You can say that again," Hermione said as she sat up on the counter and removed her shoes from her feet. "This afternoon, can you work the floors and I stand behind the counter flirting with the cute customers," George looked a little confused, "Three men stepped on my feet today," George just nodded in as he understood what she meant. "So can we?"
George's eye widened and asked, "Can we what?"
Hermione sighed and said, "Switch places, you stand out here on the floor have people walk over you, and I'll stand behind the counter flirting with the cute customers," Hermione said the same thing over again.
"I wasn't flirting!" George said in his defense.
"Oh, so what, those extendable ears just happened to be free?" Hermione asked with a knowing smile. The tip of George's ears turned red with embarrassment of being caught, "Yeah, that's what I thought."
"Oh, Hermione, she didn't have enough money." George said in his defense, once again.
"Oh and her shoving her excessively amount of cleavage in your face and pouting her lips didn't help?" Hermione couldn't understand why she was getting so upset with him. It wasn't like George was her real boyfriend, and she caught him flirting with another girl. Hermione went still at that thought; did she want George to be her boyfriend? Did she like him that way? No, of course not. She answered herself. She was just spending too much time with him. She knew that if Fred were here with her, she'd be saying the same thing, right?
Just then they heard their stomach growling telling them that they wanted to be feed. George put a hand over his stomach and said, "Come on, let's go get something to eat."
As the two entered the Leaky Cauldron, Hermione was laughing at something that George said, and they took a seat at their normal booth.
As the waitress came over she asked, "What can I get you two to drink?"
George smiled down at Hermione and said, "Katy, give us two glasses of your finest wine."
Both Hermione and Katy's eyes widened at the order and Katy asked, "What's the special occasion, hun?"
George smiled and said, "It's our anniversary."
"Oy, Tom," Katy turned her head and called out, "We got a couple here celebrating their anniversary!"
"Oh, yeah, who?" As Katy motioned towards the two and then Tom exclaimed, "Well I'll be! If it isn't one of my finest costumers!" he smiled over at the two, while wiping a glass in his hand, "Dinner is on me this afternoon, kids!"
"Why, thanks!" George said as he put his arm around Hermione.
After Katy took their orders and scampered away Hermione turned to George and said, "What is wrong with you?"
"What?"
"What if he tells someone?" Hermione asks.
"Does Tom know who you are?" Hermione shook her head, "Then what do you have to worry about. Do you how many kids and couples come here through the year? By the time you come back here for your first Hogsmeade trip he won't even remember who you are."
Hermione sighed and sat back against the booths bench.
As Katy came back with their food she said, "So how long have you two been going out."
"One year," "3 months," George and Hermione said at the same time. Katy only looked confused.
Hermione turned to George and said, "George, you have known me for a year, it took you 9 months to finally ask me out."
"So, how did he do it?" Katy asked in a sigh.
Hermione thought for a quick second and said, "Well, I've known George since I was 11, and we finally became friends just this past year. Then one day he just comes up to me and says, 'Mione, we're going out and if you have any objections you better say so now.'"
"And then what happened?"
"I didn't say anything." Hermione said with an evil glare. "And then the tip of ears turned red, like they do when he's embarrassed and then he just started to babble and say something like he didn't mean it or something."
"They do not," George said with the tip of his ears once again turned bright pink.
"Yes, they do." She said to George and then smiled. She turned back to Katy and said, "See Katy?" Hermione said pointing them out. "I love it when he does that, makes me just want to kiss them," Hermione added as she traced his shell of his ear with her finger nail.
A shiver ran down George's spine at her touch. As soon as he regained his composure he turned to Hermione and said, "Well, you bite your bottom lip whenever you're thinking or nervous. Makes me just want to bite it too." George said chomping his teeth together.
"Yeah, so what happened next?" Katy asked, reminding the two that she was still there.
Hermione smiled and said, "Well, I grabbed him by his collar and kissed him," Hermione said smiling, "and now I finally had a legitimate reason to kiss his ears."
Katy sighed and whimpered saying, "I wish I find what you two have one day."
…
Hermione and George came out of the Restaurant laughing.
"That was so fun!" Hermione said between gasps.
"Who would have ever thought that my Mione was so forceful?" George said as he placed his arm around her shoulders.
Hermione stopped and went serious, "I could!"
George turned around and looked at her, "No, Mione I very doubt that you could," he said with a little laugh.
"How do you know?" Hermione asked insulted.
"Mione, I've known you since you were 11."
"So, it doesn't mean you know what I would or would not do."
"Okay, Mione," George said not believing her.
"One day, George Weasley, one day, I will prove you wrong."
"Until that day, Granger, I will be ever doubtful!" George said with a smile and he grabbed her hand to pull her along.
The rest of the afternoon was just as busy as it was that morning. George did switch places with Hermione and took the floor while she took care behind the counter.
…
That night at 8:00 p.m. Hermione finished up with the last customer and George closed the door and locked it after he left.
"Phew," George said as he stood against the door.
"Yeah, so how many people stepped on your feet?" Hermione asked.
"None and how many customers did you flirt with?"
Hermione sighed sadly and said, "None."
"You seem so sad about it."
"Yeah, well, you know, whatever," Hermione mumbled, "I want some chocolate."
"How about I get us some take out and then we'll go after the candy." George suggested.
Hermione shrugged her shoulders and said, "Fine, I'll set the back up." Hermione said and headed into the back.
George grabbed his cloak and headed out into town.
….
After an hour the two ate their supper in silence and took a seat on the floor, all the candy in it's' boxes.
The first few candies had Hermione turn purple and another that gave her a tail. George had ones that turned him into a squirrel and one that had a horn pop out of his head.
Hermione laughed and said, "How ironic, you were afraid that I would have a horn pop out of my head and instead it happens to you."
George cringed as he felt the horn that was coming out of his head, "So, how does it look?"
"It's very you, George, very you!" She laughed and the horn disappeared. "You know, nothing is staying too long."
"Hermione, these are test candy, it's not supposed to stay too long right now, not until we get it perfect. Besides you were purple for 30 minutes."
"True, true. So what's next?"
George grabbed another candy out and said, "Here, this is a water filled chocolate."
"Water filled?" Hermione asked in disgust.
"Yeah, you eat the chocolate and a gush of water comes out of your mouth."
Hermione took the candy from Georges' hand and popped it into her mouth.
"So?" George asked, "How is it." Hermione gave him a thumbs up, but then suddenly went rigid, "What, what's wrong? No water?"
Hermione got up onto her knees and crawled over to George. "Hermione," George squeaked out and then cleared his throat and repeated her name.
Hermione crawled up beside him and slung a leg over his own and straddled his lap. George got a bit more nervous and once again opened his mouth to ask her what she was doing when she grabbed him by the collar on his shirt and kissed him hard.
George put his hands on her hips ready to push her away, but when he felt Hermiones' hands in his hair and her tongue sneaking its way into his mouth, George went against all his morals and clutched Hermione closer against him. As the two parted for air George was very sure that the candy had worn off, but as George felt Hermione's lips against his ear he knew he was wrong. George said her name in breathy voice as he felt the tip of her tongue outline the shell of his ear.
George did the only thing he could do; he started to apply kisses to her exposed neck. He nipped, suckled, and bit at her skin, unconsciously knowing that he was going to leave a mark.
Suddenly, George felt Hermione's hands on his chest violently pushing him away as she backed off of him and went back to her own spot, "George, what the hell?" Hermione said mortified of her actions.
George, being startled by her swearing, and still trying to get all his emotions composed, he said, "Apparently that wasn't a water filled chocolate."
"George!"
"Well, I guess I was proved wrong," George snickered, referring to the conversation they had after leaving the Leaky Cauldron. George noticed the evil glare that Hermione was giving him, "What?"
"Why didn't you stop me, push me away, or something?"
"I… um… I… what was the question again?" George said trying to stall time.
"George!" Hermione said starting to get angry.
"What, it's a really strong spell; I couldn't even get you off of me."
"George, you didn't even try!"
"Hermione, what can I say, I'm a weak man. It's been a long long time since a beautiful woman jumped on me like that."
Hermione's head turned down and she blushed. She raised her head and muttered, "Flatter."
"Who, me? Nah, I only tell the truth." George said leaning against backwards using his hands to keep him up, his legs in front of him spread slightly.
Hermione decided that if he wasn't bothered by what she just did, then she was just going to drop it too. Hermione grabbed another box of chocolates and said, "Invisibilities?"
"Aye, allows those kiddies with little pocket money to become invisible." Hermione looked confused at him and George said, "Hermione, not everyone is as special as Harry Potter and owns their own invisibility cloak."
Hermione was about to put the candy in her mouth when she decided against it and handed it over to George, "It's your turn."
"Scardy cat," George said as he took one of his hands off the floor and grabbed the candy from Hermione's outstretched hand. Suddenly George's body disappeared, "Aw, Bloody hell, it didn't fully work," George said noticing that his clothes were still visible.
"What if we double the mixture?" Hermione asked excitedly.
"Might work, hand me another candy."
Hermione grabbed another 'Invisibilities' out of the box and held it out to him. Instead of grabbing the chocolate with his hand, George leaned forward and ate it out of her waiting fingers. Hermione jumped slightly at the feel of his teeth grazing against the skin on her fingers.
When George finished chewing the chocolate his clothes then disappeared too. Hermione clapped her hands in excitement at coming up with the idea of doubling the mixture. "It worked!"
"Good job, Mione," she heard from an invisible George. "Make a note of that."
As Hermione started to make a note of this finding, she realized something; she opened her mouth to talk when she noticed that the first chocolate concoction already wore off. Well, at least I was right about my conclusion, she thought to herself as she glanced over at a naked George Weasley. She knew she shouldn't look, she didn't want too, but her brain had other thoughts. She carefully glanced over to him, so to not let him aware that his body was back from the invisible state, but his clothes were not.
Hermione decided to start with the line of skin directly under his neck, which has always been hidden from her view due to the dress shirts and robes that he wore all the time. She followed a path down his collar bone, over his shoulder, and onto his arms. Something deep within her stirred up when she looked at his arms, not knowing exactly why though, they were just arms. Well, muscular arms that she knew he acquired from his years at planning Quidditch. 'Maybe', her head starting talking to her, 'that it has to do something with the fact that those arms where only momentary ago wrapped tightly around you. Yes, those arms are what he used to pull you up against his chest, as he was kissing you.' Hermione wanted that voice to go away, it wasn't helping. Her eyes skimmed over to his chest, which was lightly covered with red hair. Seeing his bare chest, she inwardly wished that she had her hands on his chest instead of running through his hair. For a brief moment, Hermione wondered what it be like to trace the plain texture of his skin with her fingertips. She wondered if his skin would be warm under her touch, and wondered what kind of noise he would make when she would skim her fingernail over his taunt nipple. Hermione could not believe the thoughts that were going through her brain at this moment. This wasn't like her; the old Hermione would have covered her eyes by now, letting George know that he wasn't dressed. The old Hermione would not be looking at his naked flesh, getting just a little more excited as her eyes continued to follow a path down his chest to his inie belly button, to his happy trail, which she was happy to know that he did indeed have one, and then finally to his…, "Oh wow," Hermione said as she had her first glimpse at that part of a boys' anatomy.
George looked confused at her for a moment before he noticed where her gaze was aimed at. Mortified that he was caught in this weird predicament, he quickly shield himself with his arms and hands, and crossing one leg over the other for good measure. "Hermione!"
Hermione, realizing that she was caught, quickly shielded her eyes with her hand, not removing her hand from her face for a few more moments until George said that it was okay to look.
"Hermione, what the hell? You could have said something?" George said as the tip of his ears started to turn bright red. Hermione bit her bottom lip; she didn't know what to say. Those ears of his were mocking her again, she wanted to go over there and touch those ears, again. "Hermione?" George said getting impatient about her quietness.
"I, well, I… um," Hermione paused for a moment, took a deep breath and smiled, "George, what can I say, I'm a weak woman. Besides, it's been a long long time since I've seen a good looking naked man," Hermione said blushing and cursing herself for doing it.
George just sat there looking aghast at her for a second before breaking out in laughter, "How is it, Hermione, that you always best me just one extra step? Am I just getting slow in my old age?"
"No," Hermione said, "I just had two great teachers," she said honestly. The two broke out with laughter, both glad that things were now not weird between the two of them.
The next morning Hermione had a rude awakening when she heard Ginny squeal and then pounce on her. Hermione sat quickly up in bed and said, "What's wrong?"
"Hermione Granger, tell me who is he!" Ginny demanded.
"What are you on about?" Hermione asked realizing that this was not a dire situation.
"That, who gave you that, Hermione? Who have you been seeing?"
Hermione's eyes widened at what could possibly be on her neck. She threw the covers off of her and ran to the bathroom shoving Ron out of the way. As Hermione ran to the mirror, Ron was insistently banging on the door to be let in. Ginny, who apparently followed Hermione into the bathroom opened the door and screamed at her brother, "You're a boy, there's a forest of trees behind the house, go pick one out!" and slammed the door in his face.
Hermione moved her hair away from her neck and gasped when she saw the purplish mark on her neck. "I am going to kill him."
"Kill who?" Ginny asked standing beside her, "Tell me! I want the juicy details," before Hermione even had a chance to open her mouth Ginny continued, "You meet someone in Hogsmeade, didn't you? Some wizard, oooo, is it the new waiter at the Leaky Cauldron?"
Hermione couldn't tell Ginny what really went on the previous night with George, she'd tell everyone. Hermione said the first thing that came to her mind, "Actually, it was Henry, one the new summer workers at 'Flourish and Blotts.' I've been going there every day during lunch time to look at some books and to brush up on my flirting skills." Hermione said with a smile, "Yesterday when I went during lunch time, Henry, grabbed my arm and dragged me to one of the aisles that has boring books, pushed me upside one of the bookcases and kissed me. We were there making out for almost an hour before I realized that I was late to getting back to work."
Ginny smiled and then laughed, "That was actually a pretty good story, Hermione, and I would have truly believed it, if I wasn't so certain that it was my brother who gave it to you."
Hermione's eyes grew slightly larger at Ginny's correct accusation and asked, "What would ever make you think that?"
"You mean besides the fact that you kept calling his name out last night."
Hermione's eyes grew as large as they could, "I did not!" she gasped.
"Did too. Okay, well actually you threw some other things in there to. Things like, 'Yes, George, right there,' and something about his ears," Ginny said disgusted, "It was so bloody horrible that I had to sleep downstairs on the couch."
Hermione still didn't believe Ginny, but the part about his ears threw her off.
At that moment a flood of memories came rushing back. She remembered his hands, his calloused hands caressing her naked flesh, touching places where she, herself, never ventured. She remembered his hot breath against her skin, following the same path his hands just traveled, making her head thrash back and fourth. Her one hand was in his hair pulling him closer to her body while the other grasping at the sheets below her. Hermione recalled not even recognizing her own voice as she begged him for more, begged him not to stop, never to stop. She remembered that smile; the George Weasley smile that could make her grow week in the knees, the smile that he gave her as he tore his lips away from her body. 'Never' she heard him say in a promising tone. Then he kissed her. It was nothing like the first kiss they experienced together last night; this kiss was more passionate, as though he was trying to tell her something through this kiss.
"So, it is true!" Ginny said as she sat up on the bathroom counter.
Hermione jumped out of her dream and said, "What, what's true?"
"That my brother is the one that gave you the love bite."
Hermione sighed. She couldn't lie to Ginny, not now, "You can't tell anyone!"
Ginny squealed with glee as she hugged Hermione to her, "About time you're going out with one of my brothers! I always thought that it was going to Ron, but George, George is great! He's the most serious out of the two of them. George and Fred, I mean, not George and Ron," Ginny said making sure Hermione understood her.
"Ginny!" Hermione said trying to get Ginny's attention, but it didn't work, Ginny kept going on and on about how happy she was.
"Oooo, maybe one day you'll two get married and I'll have a sister!" Ginny got even more excited.
"Ginny!" Hermione screamed clamping her hand over Ginny's mouth. "We aren't going out."
"You aren't?" Ginny said with tears practically forming in her eyes, "Why not? Is he not good enough for you?"
"Ginny, we're just friends, nothing more. This," Hermione said as she pointed to her neck, "was the result of a candy experiment mishap," Hermione went on to tell Ginny what happened. Though in her story, they both had a piece of 'water filled' candy, only to find out that that was not what it was. She didn't want Ginny to know that George did this on his own accord.
"And the whole reason for the overdramatic sex dream?" Ginny asked.
Hermione blushed and said, "A mishap with an Invisibility candy," Ginny nodded, as she could tell what mishap that could have been. Then Hermione gasped, "Ginny, what am I to do?"
"It's no problem, that's what make-up is for."
"No! I mean how am I to face George? I mean what if every time I look at him I just keep remembering… that," Ginny's only response was to laugh, "What's so funny?"
"You are what's so funny," Ginny said as her laughing ceased, "Miss Know-It-All has her first sex dream and you're too immature to even say the word."
"Ginny, it's not funny!"
Ginny cleared her throat, "Sorry, Mione. Now, look there's no problem."
"Really?"
"Yeah, I mean, it was a just a dream, it's not like you have any feelings for him, right?"
"Right, then I should have no problems?"
"Right," Ginny said, "Now let's cover this hickey," and she took some cover up and worked on her friend's neck.
Later that morning…
Hermione ran towards store for the fact that it was raining so hard. She was out in the rain for no more then a few minutes and the rain soaked her clothes so that it was sticking to her skin and had matted her hair to her head.
As she turned the knob to open the door, she found that it was locked. Remembering that she was a whole hour and a half early, the shop didn't open until 9:00 a.m. on Saturday morning; she took her key out and let herself in. As she took her cloak off and shook her head to get the excess rain off herself, she was surprised when she heard the radio on. Knowing how the twins liked to sleep in on their weekends she was a little nervous of how the radio could have been turned on.
We both lie silently still in the
dead of the night
Although we both lie close together
We feel miles apart inside
Hermione knew the song in a moment. She grew up on American Oldies.
Was it somethin' I said or somethin' I did
Did my words not come out right
Tho' I tried not to hurt you
Tho' I tried
But I guess that's why they say
Though, as she got closer to where the radio was behind the counter she was amazed that it wasn't on.
Every rose has its thorn
Just like every night has it's dawn
Just like every cowboy sings a sad, sad song
Every rose has its thorn
Yea it does
Hermione strained her ears to figure out where the music was coming from and she realized it was coming from the twins back storage room.
I listen to your favorite song
playin' on the radio
Hear the DJ say love's a game of
Easy come and easy go
But I wonder does he know
Has it ever felt like this
And I know that you'd be here right now
If I could have let you know somehow I guess
As Hermione neared the back room she heard the singing getting louder, so she knew that she was going the right way.
Every rose has its thorn
Just like every night has it's dawn
Just like every cowboy sings a sad, sad song
Every rose has its thorn
As Hermione opened the door just a crack she was amazed that the music wasn't coming from a radio, it was coming from… George. Knowing that he didn't know she was there she listened to him sing as he hutched over the work table and worked on something in front of him, probably a new invention, Hermione thought.
Though it's been a while now
I can still feel so much pain
Like the knife that cuts you
The wound heals, but the scar, that scar remains
I know I could have saved our love that night
If I'd known what to say
Instead if making love
We both made our separate ways
Now I hear you've found somebody new
And that I never meant that much to you
To hear that tears me up inside
And to see you cuts me like a knife
As George finished the song, Hermione clapped. George jumped up and turned around quickly.
"Merlin, Hermione, how long have you been standing there?"
"Not too long," Hermione smiled and started to laugh
"What, was I really that bad?" George asked.
"No, you're glasses," she said as she put a hand over her mouth to try to muffle the laugh.
George was wearing a pair of glasses that were the equivalence to a magnifying glass and with them on, they made his eyes look huge.
"Oh," George said as he pushed them up onto the top of his head. "Helps me see the mechanisms better."
Hermione gave him a confused look and then walked over to the work table. "What's up with CD Player? You do know we have one just like this out there behind the counter, right?"
"This is dad's," George answered, "It broke the other day and he dropped it off to see if I could get it work again."
Hermione's eyes grew large, "You mean that you can fix things? Like Muggle things, you create things that blow up and you fix Muggle inventions?"
George shrugged, "Just a hobby, Mione. Have to have one of my folks like me," George said with a smile, "Fred and I may not be mum's favorites, but at least dad loves us. I've been interested in Muggle things since I can remember. When dad used to bring things home everyday, we'd sit at the kitchen table, late at night just the two of us," George said as he remembered the days so long ago, "but then things started to break, so someone had to fix them. I found out that I was quite handy with my hands," George held his hands up as he smiled brightly.
That was the same smile that Hermione remembered seeing in her dreams and yes she did recall those hands being handy. Those hands, the same hands from the night before which held her hips in place as his body invaded her own. Those hands that held her and caressed her body so gently that it made her feel like she was fragile and something so important that he didn't want to accidentally hurt her or break her.
"Hermione," George called out her name as he noticed that she just stood there starring at him, "Hermione," he called again as he grabbed her shoulders and shook her gently.
Hermione came out of her thoughts the moment she felt his hands upon her. She glanced up at him and then at her arms where he was touching her. Hermione shook herself out of her trance and stepped away from him.
"Sorry, I…" Hermione was lost for words, "Um…" she motioned to the door and opened her mouth to say something, but nothing came out. She cleared her throat and said, "Food," Hermione wanted to mentally smack her own head at her stupidity, but that would only make George more suspicious about her.
"Hermione," George took a step towards her and said, "are you okay?"
Hermione opened her mouth to say something, but the only thing that came out of her mouth was, "Hungry."
"Okay," George said looking at her weirdly. He fished his keys out of his pockets, "Why don't you go up to the apartment. There's some food in the Frig. I'll be up in a moment too."
Hermione nodded her head and grabbed the keys from his outstretched hands and went further into the back of the shop that would bring her to a set a stairs that would take her to the flat.
As Hermione walked away, George brought the glasses back over his eyes and went back to work on his fathers' CD player.
As Hermione got into the apartment she closed the door, locked it, and slide to the floor. She couldn't believe the way she just acted in front of him. It was just a dream, she kept telling herself. Just a dream! Why was it bothering her so much? She didn't know how long she was sitting there when she heard someone knocking on the door. Hermione yelped and stood up.
"Who is it?" She asked with a shaky voice.
"Me, Mione," it was Ginny's voice that Hermione heard through the door. Hermione unlocked the door and let the girl in. "What's wrong?"
"Wrong?" Hermione asked confused.
"Harry, Ron, and I all came to go get a few things in Diagon Alley, and so we decided to stop by. George said that something came over you, said that you could barely say two words. Well, actually he said that all you did say was two words. What happened?"
Hermione closed the door, grabbed a hold of Ginny's arm, pulled her further into the room, and looked around as though to see if anyone else was around, and said, "It was the dream, Ginny."
Ginny rolled her eyes and said, "Hermione get over it! It was a dream! I had dreams about Harry before; do I act strange around him? No, and do you know why? Because it was just a dream!"
"That's different," Hermione said.
"Why, because I like him?" Ginny watched as Hermione bit her lower lip, "You like George," Ginny didn't ask, she stated this.
"No," Hermione jumped up and defended herself.
"Yes you do."
"No, it's more of an infatuation," Hermione bit her lip again because she let it slip out. Before Ginny could open her mouth to say something Hermione said, "It's just, you know, he's the first boy, well both George and Fred, they are both the first ones to treat me like a girl, you know," Hermione said trying to find the right words to explain herself, "Not like Harry and Ron do, when I'm around them, I'm just one of the guys, you know. When I'm with the twins, I'm a girl. I mean, it's just George is the first boy to flirt with me, George is the first boy I've ever kissed, the first boy I've ever seen…" Hermione looked around to make sure no one was around, and then whispered, "Naked."
Ginny had to bit the inside of her lip in order not to laugh at Hermione's immaturity. Instead she nodded her head and said, "So something like what I had with Harry in my first year."
"Exactly," Hermione said.
Ginny just shook her head at Hermione and said, "Come on, let's make some breakfast, I heard George say he had some food in here. Which is a miracle if you ask me." Hermione only laughed in response and followed Ginny into the small kitchen in the twin's apartment.
…
After the two girls cooked up a meal of omelets for themselves and the boys, Ginny, Harry, and Ron said their goodbyes as they headed off to the streets to do some last minute school supply shopping.
Hermione was once again left alone with George, though, that did not last long as customer started to come in, which Hermione was very thankful for. George took the floor again and she stood behind the counter doing some paper work and cashing the costumers out as they came to her.
….
The few hours till lunch time seemed to rush by in a heart beat and before Hermione knew it George was closing the door to the shop.
"Well, ready for lunch?" George called out.
"Sure. The Leaky Cauldron, again?"
"Is there anywhere else?" George asked.
"I guess not, it is sort of like our tradition."
"Yeah," George said as he grabbed her cloak off the hanger and held it out to her.
Hermione walked from behind the counter over to him and stepped into her cloak, "Thanks," she mumbled as she felt him slip it around her shoulders.
George grabbed a hold of his cloak too, grabbed a hold of her hand, and opened the door, "Damn," he muttered, "It's raining again."
Hermione walked into the rain and turned to him and said, "George, it's London, does it do anything else?"
George laughed, closed and locked the door behind him, and joined Hermione out in the rain.
As the two entered the restaurant they threw the hoods off their cloaks off and continued laughing.
"George," Hermione laughed out, "Did you have to run through every puddle?"
"Yes, I did and I didn't hear you complaining as you ran through them too."
Hermione only blushed and opened her mouth to say something when they heard Tom, the barkeeper call them over, "Well, if it isn't the two lovebirds."
"Hey Tom," Hermione and George said at the same time.
"How are you two kids doing?"
"Just fine," George said, "Just taking my girl, here, out for our last lunch before she heads back to Hogwarts the day after tomorrow."
Tom only winked at the two of them as he put down the cup that he was whipping off and put it away, "Katy," Tom called her over, "Show these two kids to their table."
George and Hermione didn't need to be lead to their table and went themselves. As they sat down on the same side, like they always did, Katy asked, "So, girl, what did he buy you for your anniversary?"
"Anniversary?" came a voice from behind Katy. George groaned inwardly as he saw Ron, Harry, and Ginny all standing there.
"Anniversary for what?" Ginny asked as she and Harry slid into the bench across from George and Hermione. Ron slid onto the bench next to Hermione, making her scoot even closer to George.
"Two month Anniversary. They celebrated it yesterday."
"I knew it!" Ginny screamed out, "You told me that it was nothing, that you two we're just friends. So why were you all worried over the…" Ginny didn't get to say much more when Hermione kicked her hard in the shin from under the table. Ginny shut right up.
"Why do I feel as though I just let the cat out of the bag?" Katy asked.
"It's okay, Katy," George said, "We weren't just telling people, yet. Could you give us a minute?" Katy nodded and walked away.
"You two are going out?" Ron said in a tone that sounded between hurt and upset, "And you didn't even have the decency to tell Harry or I?" As Hermione opened her mouth to say something Ron continued, "How could you do this to us, Hermione, Harry and I never kept anything from you."
"Oh shut up you prat," George said, "We aren't going out. When we ate here the first time with Fred and Leanne, Katy just assumed we were going out. I didn't tell her any differently in hopes that we could get free food on our 'Anniversary'."
"You're such a jerk, George, using Hermione like that to get free food," Ron said to his brother.
"I didn't say anything either to make her believe that we weren't going out. It was just a bit of fun," Hermione said.
"Why don't we just order some food," Harry said as he picked up one of the menus.
…
Everyone ate in silence as their food came and said their goodbyes as the three flooed from the Leaky Cauldron. As Hermione and George were about to leave Katy grabbed a hold of Hermione's arm and said, "I really am sorry."
"Don't worry about it," Hermione smiled at the slightly older woman, "It was only his brother, sister, and my best friend, and they won't tell anyone until we're ready."
With that Hermione slipped her arm around Georges' arm and the two of them walked out of the Pub.
When the two were back at the shop George turned towards Hermione and said, "I was meaning to give this to you earlier, but I simply forgot."
Hermione watched as he opened his robes and took a small package out of his inside pocket and hand it to her.
"What's this?" Hermione asked, "My Anniversary gift?"
"Yeah," George answered. Hermione eyed him and said, "Just kidding, just a little something from Fred and I, as a thank you for helping us this summer. You know with the shop and the renovating the flat upstairs."
"Yes, but George, you guys paid me to do that. You didn't have to buy me something."
"We paid you?" George asked.
Hermione sighed and said, "Yes George, why do you think you paid me money every week?" As Hermione heard her own words and saw Georges' mouth open she quickly said, "Don't you dare answer that question!"
George laughed and said, "Hermione, I know this was like your summer job, but we were still thankful."
Hermione smiled and said, "You sure?" George nodded his head. Hermione walked to the back counter and opened the package and gasped.
"Do you like it?"
"I love it," Hermione gasped as she pulled the necklace out of the box. It was a silver chain with a silver 'H' attached to it, and on the 'H' was a small Sapphire stone on it.
"Here," George said as he took a hold of the necklace and helped her put it on. "Do you really like it? It's was Fred and mine first time going out to buy jewelry for a girl."
"You two made a good choice, but how did you remember that my birthday was in September?"
"Well, I distinctly remember someone jumping around and screaming, 'I'm going to be 16 in one month!' earlier this month!" George said imitating her.
"I wasn't that psychotic about it."
"Yes you were."
"Well, there's nothing wrong with being excited about my birthday," she insisted.
"Of course not. Just always stay that excited about your birthday. Your boyfriend will have one last date he'll have to remember."
Hermione laughed and smacked George on the arm.
They're conversation came to a sudden stop when costumers started to flood, once again, into the shop.
…
A few hours later, as the shop was closed up and the two of them left to get some take out.
As they walked into the Leaky Cauldron George heard Tom greet him again, "Two times in two days, what's the special occasion, George?"
"Working late these past two days," George answered him.
Tom looked from George to Hermione then back to George, "Ah, gotcha boy," and Tom winked at him. "So, what can ol' Tom get for the two of you?"
Before Hermione could voice her opinion she felt someone grab a hold of her arm and pull her away, it was Katy, "So, what did he get you?"
Hermione smiled and lifted her necklace away from her neck, "It's my initial and birthstone color."
George watched as the two girls sat at the other side of the bar talking up a storm. George smiled at the two, happy that Hermione was finally making some friends who were girls.
"She must be mighty special to you," George heard Tom say to him.
George took a quick look at Tom and then back at Hermione. He smiled and said, "Yes, she is," and for the first time he was amazed that he wasn't fooling around. Hermione was mighty special to him.
A few moments later their food was ready. George grabbed the bags, paid the man, and went over to Hermione.
As the two girls saw George approaching they stopped talking. Katy looked up at him and asked, "Do you have any other brothers like you?"
George laughed and said, "Bill's engaged, Charlie is too in love with his dragons in Romania, Percy… don't get me started with that prat, Fred is going out with Leanne, and Ron, well, good luck with Ron."
Hermione only laughed and Katy said, "Wow girl, you are a lucky one."
Hermione stood up, looked up at George, and said, "Yeah, I am."
George grabbed a hold of Hermione's hand and bid Katy goodbye. As they walked out into the streets George still did not remove his hand from hers and continued to hold it until they got back to the shop.
"How about we take the food and the chocolate and take it upstairs?"
"Sounds good," Hermione agreed.
As they reached the apartment Hermione said, "I was amazed to see food in your refrigerator this morning."
"Why?" George asked confused.
"Well, you and Fred are two bachelors. Bachelors never have food in their place. They live on take out and moldy cheese."
George laughed, "The only reason why there was actually food in the place today was because Fred wasn't here to eat it all."
Hermione froze; she just remembered that Fred was not here with them. She was alone in an apartment with George. Just the two of them, there was no one here to interrupt them should something happen. Should something happen Hermione's mind mimicked her and what the hell do you think he's going to do to you. He's not the same George as in your dream. He'd never want you like that. Hermione started to talk, just so she could stop mentally talking to herself, "So, when does Fred get back?"
"I got an owl from him today," George said as he emptied the contents of the bag onto the table. "Said he'll be back before we open at noon tomorrow. Why did you need him for something?"
"Oh, no, no. Just wondering."
"Why, got something special planned out for me tonight that you don't want Fred interrupting?" George said with a smile as he wiggled his eyebrows.
"No," Hermione said as she blushed and smiled. Yes, her mind corrected her, "I was just wondering."
"Hmm, too bad," George said as he sat down and started to eat, "This is the last time I'd be able to hang out with you, just the two of us."
"Yeah, pretty sad," Hermione said as she too sat down, "Cause you know, I can't get here from Hogsmeade without breaking a few rules."
"Heaven forbid that Ms. Granger break a few rules."
"Heaven forbid that you come to Hogsmeade," Hermione mocked him.
"Maybe I will."
"Yeah, okay George." Hermione said.
The two ate in silence until a few moments later George asked, "Oh, yeah, there was something that I was meaning to ask you since lunch time," Hermione looked up at George and he continued, "During lunch when the gang found out about our 'relationship'," he said using finger quotes, "Ginny said something about 'she knew it' and then screamed at you for telling her that we were only friends. Did you say anything?"
"I didn't have to say anything," George looked confused as she sighed and stood up to walk to the sink, "She pounced on me this morning demanding I tell her who it was."
"Who what was?" George watched as she took a wet towel to her neck. He stood up and walked over to her.
"Who was the one that gave me this," Hermione said as she pulled her hair out of the way. George gasped. Not really knowing why, he should have known that something like this would happen, it wasn't like this was the first time that he gave a girl a hickey, "George Weasley, don't even look shocked. I know for a fact this isn't the first time you gave a girl one of these things."
"You do?" For some reason George felt ashamed that she knew so much about his past girlfriends. He felt like she just found this big secret about him that he's kept from her for years.
"Of course. Just because I don't have any girl friends, besides Ginny, it's not like I can't hear them talking about you and Fred."
"Well, why did you have to tell her it was me?"
Something in Hermione just died at those words. Was he embarrassed for anyone to know that he would willingly leave a mark on her? Hermione sighed sadly and said, "I didn't tell her it was you. I made up a good believable story that it was someone else, a boy in the book department in Florish and Blotts, but she saw right threw me."
"What did you tell her?"
Hermione sighed this time getting upset, "I told her that we both had a piece of the water filled candy, thus making us go after each other. Don't worry, George, no one will ever know that you gave me a hickey on your own accord!" She was proud of herself, she didn't shed one tear, that she was sure that she would be doing, and before George said anything else Hermione said, "I think it's time to bring on the chocolate."
"Excellent idea," George added.
The two walked over to the couch to try a few of the sweets.
"Okay, here, try this one," George said as he held a piece of candy out to her.
"What does it do?"
"It's filled with truth serum."
"No way!" Hermione screamed.
"Why?" George asked, "Is there something that you don't want me knowing?"
"N-no," Hermione stammered out, "It's just that I'm highly likely to embarrass myself."
"Oh, you mean like what happened to me last night?" George asked.
Hermione sighed, "Fine, but if I ask you to stop, you have to. And if I should let out a secret, you can't tell anyone!"
"Fine," Hermione took the candy from the waiting hands and popped it into her mouth. The look on Hermione's face made George laugh, "Does it not taste good?"
"It's awful!" Hermione said.
"Have to make a note to work on the taste," as he saw Hermione swallow the piece of chocolate he asked, "Okay, easy question first. What's your name?"
Hermione rolled her eyes and said, "Hermione Jane Granger."
"Have you ever broken any rules?"
"Yes."
George's eyes went wide. He was sure that if he was drinking anything, he would have spit it out. "You broke the rules?"
"Yes," Hermione groaned in embarrassment.
"What did you do?" Hermione's hand flew over her mouth and said something, but it was muffled. George took Hermione's hand in his and asked again, "What did you do?"
"I stole some potions out of Snape's classroom."
George's mouth just flew open and said, "Bloody hell, Hermione, Fred and I never even got close to do anything like that. What were you making?"
Hermione bit down on the inside of her lip, to try to keep her mouth shut, but it didn't work, "A birth control potion."
"Who… no, I don't think I want to know that much about you," but before he even gave her a moment to say something, George said, "It was Harry, no wait, Ron. It had to be Ron," Suddenly he heard Hermione laughing. He looked at her and she was in hysterics. "What is so funny?"
"You, you are what is so funny. You think that the potion was for me!"
"Well, of course, why is that funny?" George asked getting a bit irritated at being laughed at.
"George, who the hell would want to have sex with me?" Hermione blurted out and then her cheeks reddened at the thought of what she just said.
"Plenty of guys. I mean there's a lot more to you then you let on."
"And, you're the only one who knows that. No one wants to get to know me. They all think that all I am is smart and boring, and so no one wants to even try to get to know me any better. Not even Harry or Ron, they treat me like one of the guys, never like a girl. I mean you and Fred were the first boys that made me feel like a real girl," she tried to stop talking, she really did, but the potion hasn't worn off yet, "George, last night was the first time I was ever kissed," she saw as George's eyes widened and she added, "Well, actually I kissed you, but still you get the point. God damn it George ask me another bloody question!"
George laughed slightly and asked, "So if the potion wasn't for you, who was it for?"
"Ginny," Hermione blurted out before she could even stop herself.
"What, who? I'll kill him!" George said getting rallied up.
"No! No, she never used it!" Hermione said calming him down, "She never used it. She broke up with Michael before she could."
George let out a sigh of relief, "Maybe I could tell mum what she was thinking, and she'll send her to a convent or something."
Hermione laughed, "George, you can't tell anyone that I told you that!"
"Why?" George asked, and then it came to him, "She has just as big as a secret on you, doesn't she?"
"Yes."
"Ooooo, what is it?" George asked.
Hermione furiously shook her head, and clamped her hand over her mouth before she could say anything coherent, "Please don't ask me that question."
"Well, does it have to do with how you've been acting all day?"
"You've noticed?"
"Yeah, one minute you'd be starring into outer space, the next you get all red in the face, and then you'd avoid me like I had the plaque," George's eyes went wide, "It's about me, isn't it?"
Hermione moved her hand away from her mouth and smiled, "Yes, George Weasley, it does," before he could ask another question she said, "You've had a piece of something green in-between you're teeth all day and it's been driving me to the point where I can't stand looking at you."
"Well, Hermione, why didn't you just say…" George understood, "the truth serum wore off, didn't it?"
Hermione nodded her head and said, "You're turn."
George let it slid by and took out a different candy, "Hmm, lust candy. Well, if the lust candy was in the water filled box, then these have got to be the water filled candy. Want to try it out?"
"No, because I can simply push you away or hex you. Unlike what you did last night."
"Fine," George said as he popped the chocolate into his mouth and watched as Hermione readied her wand. George swallowed the candy and for a moment went still.
Hermione sat there frozen as he didn't open his mouth to allow a gush of water to come flowing out. She watched as he moved closer to her, and even closer yet. Why wasn't she hexing him as his face got closer to her, why was it that every nerve in her body was tingling with the sensation that this man might kiss her? As George moved so close that he was just an inch away from her face he opened his mouth and a gush of water hit her in the face.
"George!" Hermione screamed as she wiped the water from her face.
"Where was the hexing, Hermione, hmmm, and the pushing away, hmm."
"I was about to hex you!" Hermione said in her own defense.
"No you weren't," George stated. "You just liked my kisses so much last night that you wouldn't mind having it happen again."
"I don't want to eat anymore candy and I think I should be getting back to the Burrow," Hermione said quietly as she stood up.
George grabbed her hand and pulled her back onto the couch and said, "No, don't go, Mione. I'm sorry I was so mean. Why don't you just stay for a little and we'll watch a little T.V., huh?"
"Okay."
But they didn't wind up watching too much t.v. The two got caught up in a long conversation of what it was like growing up with a lot of kids vs. being an only child. George told her stories about all of his brothers, and sister that made her laugh. All the pranks and jokes that Fred and himself would pull while growing up. Hermione told him how she went to boarding school when she was young and how nothing ever exciting happened. That's why she always thought that school, homework, and books, were always the best thing in the world.
Within the few hours that they were sitting there together they wound up sitting shoulder to shoulder and hip to hip. As their attention went from talking to watching the T.V.
George opened his mouth to say something when he noticed that Hermione fell asleep against him. Her head rested against his shoulder, her legs up on the couch, and her hand was lying gently against his chest, right over his heart. George looked down at her and noticed that his arms were around her, holding her to him, and at that moment he wondered how long they were sitting like that. It just felt right. George leaned down and gently rubbed his lips over her forehead and saw a smile appear on her face, a content sigh escape her lips, and she snuggled closer to him.
Just then George heard a distinct pop coming from the kitchen. He thought at first it was just Fred, but then heard, "Oy, Georgie boy!" he knew it was his father.
Fred gently untangled his body away from Hermione and let her lay fully on the couch; not knowing that his actions actually did wake Hermione up.
Hermione, not knowing where she was awoke fully and then remembered she was at George's flat when she heard voices.
"We couldn't find Hermione," Arthur Weasley said to George, "So, I thought the first place to check was your place. What is she doing here so late at night?"
"Oh, dad," Hermione heard George say, "It's just Hermione. It's not like I was going to take advantage of her!"
Something in Hermione broke, is shattered so loudly that she could swear she heard it break, though she didn't know what it was. Silent tears started to fall from her eyes as she knew now that George Weasley would never feel the same thing that she felt. She didn't even know what it was. All she knew was that whenever she saw him her stomach felt funny, whenever he touch her, her skin tingled, and whenever he smiled at her she felt her knees go wobbly.
She watched as Mr. Weasley grab George's arm and drag him further into the kitchen and the Hermione could no longer hear the rest of the conversation.
"Yeah, George," Mr. Weasley said as he grabbed his son by the arm, "And Quidditch is just a game."
"Dad," George gasped, "Don't even joke about that."
"Exactly, son, so don't even try to deny that Hermione isn't more important to you then you let on," George looked down at his feet, he felt like a kid again, getting yelled at for doing something wrong, "It's nothing to be ashamed about. Hermione is a great girl, but what were you thinking about not sending her home at a reasonable hour?"
"Wait, wait… what was that?" George asked.
"Oh please, George, she looks at you every time you're not looking, and every time you look her way she turns her head and blushes."
George ran a hand through his long mane. He couldn't believe he was hearing this from his dad, "Dad, listen, it's just an infatuation. Like what Ginny felt towards Harry in her first two years at Hogwarts."
"But that doesn't mean that you don't feel something towards the girl."
"Dad… what… no. Ron's the one in love with her."
"Listen I'm only going to say this once, and if you tell your mother I'll deny it. I love my boys all the same, but Ron, he's not the brightest light bulb in the packet. He's going to wait too long and she's going to slid right through his fingers. The same thing will happen to you if you aren't quick enough."
George had enough; he was 17 years old and didn't need advice from his father, especially when he was so far off. Though, Hermione did make his heart beat a little faster whenever she was around… or while he was just thinking about her. George looked down at his father and said, "Whatever, dad, you found her, just take her to The Leaky Cauldron and get her back to the Burrow," Before his father could reply George was already walking back into the living room where Hermione was, to what he assumed, still asleep on the couch.
George knelt down beside the couch and gently shook Hermione awake. Hermione let out a moan, and George said, "Mione, dad is here. He's going to take you back to the Burrow. You think you can make it."
Hermione sat up and wiped her eyes, "What?" Hermione looked around and saw Mr. Weasley, "Oh, hi Mr. Weasley."
"Hi, sweetheart. You ready to get going? Mrs. Weasley was in a state, not knowing where you were."
"Oh, sorry, Mr. Weasley we just lost track of time, I guess."
"That's all right," Mr. Weasley looked from Hermione to George and said, "I'll be waiting for you downstairs," and with that he left the flat.
"Sorry about all this?" Hermione said, "Hope I didn't get you in trouble."
"No, no, of course not. Everyone was just worried."
Hermione stood up and grabbed her robes and her cloak and said, "Well, I'll see you… well, I, when will I see you again, George?"
"Monday at the train station."
Hermione smiled at him and said, "All right then. I'll see you Monday," and with that Hermione left the flat.
Monday came all too soon for Hermione. Her Sunday was dealt with Ron running around the house like a chicken with its head cut off. He always waited till the last minute to do everything, and getting packed for a new year at Hogwarts was nothing different. Harry and herself helped him as best they could and finally at ten o'clock Sunday night they got Ron all packed and ready to go onto the train the following day.
Hermione stood there on the Platform of 9 and ¾ waiting for the twins to show up. She said her goodbyes and her thanks to the Weasleys for allowing her to stay all summer and now it was five of eleven, and the twins were no where to be found.
"Hm, I thought that the boys said they were going to be here," Hermione heard Mrs. Weasley explain, "Oh, well, maybe they just got held up at their shop."
"Come on Hermione!" Harry called from the door to the train.
"Just a moment!" Hermione called after him.
"Go on, honey, get on the train!" Molly said to her.
But Hermione just couldn't go. George said he'd see her today at the station, and she would stay here till she no longer could.
She was about to give up all hope when she felt someone tape her on her shoulder. It was Fred and George.
"You two made it!" she said as the two boys hugged her at the same time.
"Wouldn't miss saying 'goodbye' to our girl, now would we," Fred said.
"Hermione, come on!" this time it was Ron calling for her.
"I have to go, but before I do. Here's a little something for you," Hermione said as she took a small package out of her robes and handed it to the boys. "And Fred thanks for the necklace."
"Necklace, what…" George elbowed him in the side, "Oh yes, the necklace we got for you. Your welcome!"
"HERMIONE!" it was Ginny, Ron, and Harry this time.
"Well, you better go," George said to her.
"Will I see you two soon?" Hermione said looking at George specifically.
"Sure, it's only what 3 weeks and 2 days left till your birthday, right?" George asked. "Couldn't miss that, now could we?"
Hermione stepped up on her tipped toes and gave each boy a kiss on the check and ran to the train just as it started to move.
As the boys were waving at Ginny, Harry, Ron, and Hermione, Fred leaned close to George and said, "We bought her a necklace?"
"I did," George said.
"Whatever for?" George just shrugged his shoulders, "Damn it, mate, just tell her you like her and get it over with," and Fred left his brother standing there looking dumbfounded.
….End of Flashback…..
Just then Hermione's alarm went off and she turned it off and rolled out of bed to once again face another lonely Valentine's Day by herself.
To Be Continued…