"No George, I said no, and I mean it." Hermione Granger crossed her arms in front of her and turned her head to the side while pursing her lips. George Weasley was holding a spoon full of green liquid at her trying in vain to get her to swallow it. They had run out of people willing to try new products, so now they had to sneak it or force it upon their family and friends.

"I promise it's nothing Hermione. You won't grow, change or lose anything that is currently on your person." He smirked at her playfully and pushed the spoon up against her mouth. She backed away and wiped the wetness from her lips.

"I have a hard time believing that George. Last time you had me try something my hair turned purple for a week and ruined my job interview. I refuse to play lab rat to you boys anymore." She said defiantly. Fred was in the next room trying the same tactics on their mother and having much the same luck and a much similar lecture, only about embarrassing her in front of her weekly knitting club.

George jumped up from his knees in front of her while she sat on the couch and very dramatically put his hand over his heart. "Hermione Granger, I, George Weasley, solemnly swear that I will not let any harm befall you and if I do, may my tongue fall out and my eyebrows fall off."

"Very cute, but the answer is still no." She fell back in to the couch and he slumped his shoulders. Time to pull out the big guns, all out begging. He plopped down on the couch next to her and threw his arm around her shoulders.

"Please Hermione. It's nothing at all really, just something for the smaller kids. I'll even tell you what it does. See this?" He held up the bottle, "If you drink the entire bottle, you'll be burping for hours. I just want you to try a spoonful. Just one little burp and I'll be satisfied. Please?" He gave her the most pathetic look he could muster.

She took the bottle from him and held it up to the light with a sigh. "Alright, but just one spoonful, and then I'm off the hook for a while George, so don't even ask."

"Deal!" He sat up excitedly and poured a helping of the fizzy green liquid on the spoon. With her arms still crossed in front of her she leaned in and he fed it too her. Capping the bottle he leaned back on the couch with one arm on the back intently watching her.

"I can't burp with you watching me. You're scaring the bubble down." Then very unexpectedly, a small croak released from Hermione's mouth. Her eyes opened wide and her hand flew up to cover her mouth with her fingers. She looked over at George and he just smiled giddily and hopped up and down.

"It worked, it worked! Now let me ask you, was that fun enough or should we make the burps take like something? We were thinking bubble gum or some sort of sweet. Then bad smelling ones for your enemies. What do you say?"

"I think it's a fine idea George." Hermione replied rolling her eyes. A large belch was heard from the kitchen and they looked at each other surprised. Walking over to the doorway, they saw Molly with one hand on her stomach and the other on her mouth. Fred was holding his own stomach laughing at his mother.

"I told you to only take the spoonful and not a whole gulp." He admonished his mother who out of frustration at her son bothering her while she was trying to make dinner, grabbed the bottle and took a long drink. Hermione and George cracked up and were holding each other in the doorway.

OOO

With Ron in Romania for the summer, and Harry and Ginny at it like, well, teenagers, she felt very much the third wheel. She was spending the summer at the Burrow, but had only been there a week and could already tell that it was going to be a boring couple of months. Fred and George had offered to let her come work at the shop when she felt like it, not only to get out of the house, but to earn some extra pocket money for the school year. They could really use the help too.

The summer seemed to bring out the worst, or rather, playfulness in people. They were restless, so they would come to the shop to find something to spice up their day. The kids also couldn't come to the store during the school year, they could only order by post, so they loved coming during the break to the store that had offered them many a happy school memory and stock up for the next school year. Hermione agreed to help and came in when they were busy or when she got too bored at the house.

It was satisfying to have a good days work, and it made her happy to see the twins doing what they loved. They always made sure she had as much fun as they did while at work. One day, when she was feeling especially frustrated at being left out, they let her at the office to do paperwork and organize business. Not only had she filed everything by lunchtime, but by the time closing came around she had made a charm to streamline owl post orders so that once the letter was opened and put in a special stack, the charm took over, packed the box and labeled it, all they had to do was send it the next morning. This made her happier than anything could have when she was done, and thanked the boys with making them dinner in their flat above the store that night.

With the summer allowance her parents gave her before their trip to Paris, and with her earnings from the shop, Hermione was a frequent visitor to Flourish and Blotts. She bought many books on charms and spells that would generally be out of her price range and sat with them for hours on the floor of the living room at the Burrow. Molly was concerned that she wasn't relaxing during her vacation, but Arthur soon explained that for Hermione Granger, this was relaxing, so she let her be.

OOO

Summer went on with quite the same routine until a week before break let out when Ron came home. He was tan and happy. He had so many stories to tell that he hadn't put in letters. He brought presents home for everyone and laughed and talked all the night long. With all his stories, Hermione did feel slightly forlorn that she hadn't done anything special with her last summer holiday from Hogwarts. But she was happy for him and smiled and listened to his stories. Harry and Ginny talked about all the games they played and secret places they had found around the orchard and land around the Burrow. When it came time to tell what she had done, she smiled meekly and said just the usual, reading, working. Ron just smiled and nodded, as if to say he thought as much and went on to talk to his parents about his other siblings. She sighed and walked out to the living room and slouched down in to the couch, wishing it would swallow her. She contemplated whether anyone would really miss her if she disappeared. How long would it take before they noticed? She lay her head back on the couch and closed her eyes.

She was startled when she heard two pops on either side of her. She jumped in her seat and gasped looking to see who it was. Of course it was the twins, who else.

"You guys gave me a start! You shouldn't be popping around like that, you could give somebody a heart attack."

"We're sorry Hermione."

"Didn't know you'd be so out of it. Now listen,"

"We've got a proposition for you." The twins smiled at each other then back at Hermione. She felt thoroughly trapped.

"No. I told George I was off the hook for a while. Ron is back now, you go ask him. He's in a good enough mood, he just may go along with whatever your testing now." She scowled at them, finding it hard with them being on two different sides of her.

"It's not like that at all actually."

"Just wanted to ask your permission,"

"To patent that charm you came up with for the owl post."

"It's been helpful, and we were thinking,"

"That's it's helped us so much,"

"It could help other businesses too."

"We'd give you a cut of course."

"Weasley's Wanded Wonders,"

"We're expanding the business."

"Also had another idea."

"We want you to come work for us when you're done school."

"Run that side of the business and help us with our charms for out products too."

"We could rake it in." As they explained their voices slowly raised in volume and excitement.

Hermione's head hurt going back and forth watching them while they talked. She rubbed her eyes and looked at each of them again.

"Are you serious?"

"Completely." They chorused together.

"Well, I'd have to think about it. I mean, there are so many jobs I was considering after school, working for a joke shop certainly wasn't one of them."

"I think we should be hurt Fred."

"I think so too George."

"We run a perfectly respectable,"

"And very successful business young lady."

"It's not that, it's just not something I thought about. I suppose it would be a good use of my charms knowledge. I'd have free reign to invent and set my own hours." She was thinking out loud more than talking to them. They knew this so they just let her go on convincing herself rather than doing the work. "And I'd have to say we ask for residuals." She looked at them with more of a question than a statement.

"Of course." Again they said together.

"And I'd have to be able to run it like I want."

"I think that can be arranged."

"Even get you a little assistant if you want."

"Yes, I would probably need one wouldn't I?" Again, more to herself than to them.

"So?" They asked together.

Looking up in to their faces she noticed they had come closer to her, her back pressed firmly in to the couch. As much as she knew this was a hasty decision, she knew that she needed to have a plan. With Harry and Ron planning to go off and leave her to be Aurors after school, she would have to find something SHE enjoyed. This had her written all over it, though again, not what she had always imagined for herself.

"I suppose..."

"Yes?"

"I suppose my answer is..." She looked down at her hands, her fingers laced together while biting the corner of her bottom lip. "Yes." She shrugged and looked up at them.

"YES!" They both yelled and jumped up off the couch. They pulled her up off the couch, each with an arm under one of hers and carried her like that in to the kitchen where the family sat chatting.

"Attention! Attention everyone!"

"Weasley's Incorporated,"

"Would like to present out newest employee."

"The ever studious,"

"Brilliant,"

"most generous,"

"and fine witch of her age,"

"MISS HERMIONE GRANGER!" They finished together.

Everyone gasped and stared. Mrs. Weasley looked horrified.

"That wasn't quite the response,"

"We thought we would get." They put Hermione down and furrowed their brows.

"But dear, don't you want to finish your education?" Mrs. Weasley asked.

"Yeah Mione, I thought school was important to you." Harry chimed in.

"Of course I do." She sat down at the table while the twins leaned against the door jam. "I'm going to finish school first, and pass all my NEWT's."

"With flying,"

"Colors might we add." They boys interjected smirking.

Hermione nodded at them with a small smile. "I'm just planning for the future. You all know I've been helping out at the shop this summer, and the twins just offered me a job seeing as I did so well this summer." She looked at her two best friends. "I need a plan. You both are going to go off and leave me behind, and I need to find my own way."

Harry got up and pulled her in to a hug. "We weren't leaving you behind. We just thought that you would go off and do something amazing at the Ministry. If we tried to follow you, you know us, we wouldn't last a week. I guess we did kind of leave you out of the picture, but we would never just toss you out Hermione. You're our best friend. Right Ron?" They looked over at him.

"Yeah, of course." He agreed.

"Well then, I think a celebration is in order." Arthur piped up looking around to his family and smiling.

"Yeah!" They all whooped and got up to hug and congratulate Hermione. Fred and George came over and each put an arm around her and began to sing 'For She's a Jolly Good Fellow'. Molly got up and pulled out the cake she was saving to after dinner and started handing out pieces. Ron stayed in his seat, with a scowl on his face, his thunder stolen, but nobody noticed.

OOO

"Well Hermione, are you ready to go back to Hogwarts?" Ginny asked from her bed.

"I hope so. I've spent all day packing. I think I got everything from my list but I wouldn't know considering somebody took it from me." She answered nonchalantly.

"Hermione, I wasn't going to let you check that thing over one more time. The paper was getting worn and about to fall apart from how many times you folded it and rechecked it. You've got everything, trust me."

Hermione gave a sigh and a smile. "I suppose you're right Ginny. I have nothing to worry about."

Ginny reached for her wand and looked at Hermione. "You ready?" She asked.

"Yeah."

Ginny waved her wand and the lights shut off. After putting her wand back on her bedside table she snuggled down in to her covers and tried to go to sleep. Hermione was trying as well, but in vain. Her head was spinning over lists and trying to remember if she had packed everything. She had spent half of her day packing, and the other half at Diagon Alley buying more things she thought she would need and extras of things she had already bought. Ginny didn't mind because she got to stop in to the twins store one more time to make sure she too was stocked up for the school year, but with things Hermione would most definitely disapprove of.

She stared up at the ceiling thinking about her last year. The last time she would lay in this bed the night before going back to school. The last time she would pick out her back to school train outfit. The last time she would board the Hogwarts Express on a semi cool day at the end of summer. She was even going to miss the yearly banter with Malfoy at their compartment door. She had made Head Girl this year, so she also had to mourn not being in the Gryffindor tower and the girls dorms. She would spend most of her time in the common room, but knew it would be different.

When she had gone to pick up Ginny at the twins shop they had noticed her melencholy, so tried to cheer her up reminding her that she had a place with them should she want to leave school early. They had and look at their success. If she did the same, who knows what kind of luck she'll bring. They brought a smile to her face, but it didn't reach her eyes. They each gave her a hug and promised to write if they could remember to, for they were very busy and important people.

The night escaped her, and soon the sun was coming through the window. Another sigh, that seemed like her trademark these days. She lifted herself from her bed and got ready before going downstairs and helping Molly with breakfast.

"Good morning dear. Sleep well?" Molly looked down at her face with a smile. Hermione smiled back weakly and nodded.

"I couldn't sleep anymore so I decided to come down. Did you need any help with breakfast?"

"I think it's all well in hand, but if you want to set the table that would be very helpful. Fred and George said they would be coming this morning too, so be sure to set them places as well."

"Okay. Will they be coming to the station with us too?" She sort of wanted them too. She had been closer with them this summer than her other friends and wanted them to be there to say goodbye too.

"I don't know actually. We can ask them when they get here. Now take these plates over to the table." Molly handed her a big pile of mismatched plates and smiled. Hermione couldn't help but smile back. For some reason the random and disorganized state of the Weasley home made her happy and comfortable. The plates just being one more thing to prove it. Not one of them matched, and not a single tea cup matched any of the plates. Molly, when asked, had explained that she never could decide on a single set that she liked, so she just mixed and matched. The way she explained it seemed like the most logical and simple explanation there could have been, and it made Hermione smile. She could only hope that someday, she could make a home so comfortable and she could be just like Mrs. Weasley. She could have many worse role models.

At seven Mrs. Weasley went up and woke everyone up. When she came down they put all the food on the table and started eating. At eight they were sipping tea and talking about Hermione's plan for her part of the company after school when a stampede came down the stairs and everyone sat down and started piling food on their plates. The twins came in the front door as well and received hearty hugs and kisses from their mother. Sitting down, Fred winked at Hermione and started eating. She just rolled her eyes at him and went back to her tea. The big flirt didn't mean it. He actually had a very good relationship with Angelina, but he couldn't help himself, he was a naturally flirtatious guy. George on the other hand, while outright and loud, was actually quite private and gentlemanly. He may make jokes with Fred, lewd ones at that, but he never let it go too far and never started them on his own. Good clean fun suited him just fine, or so he called it.

Eight thirty rolled around and everyone was fed and ready to go. Before they could even be asked if they were coming, they offered to apparate with Hermione. She smiled so hard it almost hurt and they were on their way. They all apparated to the waiting room that was set up for families of Hogwarts students at the train station. George dragged her trunk out of the room while Fred went and got trollies for the whole family. Slowly running out of time, they got to the platform at eight forty-five and got their trunks on the train. Everyone was hugging and saying goodbye. Molly was giving her motherly 'be good' talk to the boys and they were promising they would. Friends started to trickle in to their circle and say hello. Hermione turned to Fred and George and said her goodbyes. They each gave her a tight hug and whirled her around. George gave her a kiss on the forehead before backing away and telling her to get on the train. As the train pulled away, they smiled and waved until they could no longer make her out. They were going to miss her. And she would miss them too once she found the patented burp soda in her robe pocket. All left the train station and went back to daily life.

OOO

So many lasts were passing her by that it was all she could pay attention to. She was consumed with trying to remember each and every one of them that the train ride was no fun at all. That is, until she found two bottles of burp soda in her robe pocket when she put it on. She put one in her bag for her memory box, and presented the other to her friends when she returned from her meeting with the Deputy Headmistress, Head Boy and prefects. They had fun passing it around and seeing what kind of burps came out. Of course they guys were trying to get out the alphabet and count to twenty. The girls just took their turns and laughed at the boys.

By the time they reached the platform at Hogsmeade, her mood was lifted and she wasn't so preoccupied with lasts.

By the time she had gotten back to her Head Girl dorm, that she regrettably had to share with Draco Malfoy, who made Head Boy, changed, and laid down in her bed, she finally noticed an owl at her window.

Curious as to who had already sent her an owl, she got up out of her bed and walked to the window in the dark. Opening the window, she jerked in a shiver, not remembering how cold Scotland got at night at this time of year, and she only in a pair of shorts and t shirt. She pet the owl and took her letter. Giving it a treat, it happily hooted and flew away. She eagerly closed the window and padded back over to her bed and climbed under the covers. A wave of her wand and her lights around the room lit up. The front of her letter was addressed to her to the very window on the very tower. 'How very specific' Hermione thought. Flipping it to the back, it gave no indication who had sent it. Ever cautious she waved her wand over it to check for any foul play, finding none and ripped it open in anticipation of her first letter back at Hogwarts. Another envelope fell out, but she decided to leave it until she read the first one. As soon as she opened it she knew who it was from and smiled.

Hermione our precious!

Hope you're having a smashing first night back. We're sorry about putting the soda's in your pocket, we know how much you disapprove of our sneakiness, but you seemed to need them. Anytime you need more, or anything else, don't hesitate to write, you're part of the family now!

Anyway, we had a meeting today about your charm patent. We would have told you, but we didn't want you worrying all day. We are very savvy businessmen if we do say so ourselves. We got 50,000.00 galleons for the patent alone and will collect residuals weekly from the patent office. We have decided that you get half considering you invented it, how very gracious of us, and took the rest to divide between us, again, very gracious of us. We'll send you your other checks every week after we get them. Hope this helps you sleep a little easier. We'll be out partying our earnings away, so you try to get a good night. We can't wait for you to come make us more money, oops, we mean, come to work for us.

Your loyal partners in business,

Fred and George

Hermione couldn't believe her eyes. She ripped open the other envelope and just as they said, there was a check for 25,000.00 galleons sitting inside with her name on it. All she could do was squeeze her eyes shut, squeal and fall back in to the bed and kick her feet. She had to laugh for she didn't know what else to do. When she was done, she sighed, but a happy sigh. She was rich. She would never have to work again if she didn't want to, and she was still in school! She was so happy.

That all faded though when the realization hit that she was far away from her friends and past curfew, so she couldn't go share it with them. She gingerly set the letter and check on her bed side table and turned off her lights. She pulled her pillow close to her and closed her eyes. She supposed she could tell them tomorrow at breakfast. For now, she would just to to bed. Sigh.

A/N: There aren't enough stories with Hermione and one of the twins. I don't know how I chose George, but I did. Kind of a story that I would want to read if I were flipping through the archives. Hope you liked it and will come back for the next chapter!