"Henceforth, I give you the Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry graduates of 1998!" Minerva McGonagall beamed. These were, non-biasedly, her favorite group of students. Students, teachers and graduates alike cheered as the graduates threw their graduation caps into the air. Professor McGonagall ushered the seventh and honorary eighth years (they'd graduated at the same time) into a organized group as they posed for a photograph.
Hermione Granger stood in between her two best friends, Harry Potter and Ron Weasley, and smiled for the camera.
After the bright flash of light indicated that the picture had been taken, the students stumbled out of position as parents began to engulf their children in tight hugs and kisses.
Hermione sighed inwardly at the thought of her parents; they were still in Australia, obliviated under the names of Wendell and Monica Wilkins, unable to make it to her graduation. Fortunately, Mrs. Weasley considered Hermione a daughter, and smothered her in a hug.
"Well done, Hermione! Ten Oustandings in both your OWLs and NEWTs! Splendid!" Mr. Weasley said, paying her on the back.
"Thank you," she replied smiling, still hyped up and excited at the fact that she was done with school.
The warmth of the day finally getting to her, she was desperate to take off her heavy navy-blue dress robes.
Suddenly, she was smashed into a hug. She could see Harry's black hair, Ron's shaggy red locks and Ginny's crimson hair along with a few others.
"Oh my gosh, guys. I still can't believe we've graduated!" Ginny squealed.
"Congratulations, everyone!" Hermione heard Seamus, Harry, Neville, Ron and Dean yell simultaneously.
"Can't believe we've done it, what with defeating Voldemort every year and all," Hermione beamed, untangling herself from the tight hug.
The other agreed and began to disperse, shouting their goodbyes and congratulations.
That night found everyone at the Burrow, celebrating. Everyone was outside in the garden sipping champagne and downing shots of firewhiskey while nibbling the delicate canapés Mrs. Weasley had spent hours over.
Hermione was wearing a sleeveless burgundy dress and black stilettos she was feeling inclined to ditch; they were killing her feet.
She felt a quick tap on her shoulder and tuned around.
"Oh, hey Georgie," she said, smiling. He sent a small smile back that made her heart leap for some strange reason.
"Congratulations," he told her. "And by the way, you look amazing."
"Thanks," she said in reply. She squeezed his hand. "You alright?"
He nodded. "Yeah."
"Still can't believe that I've graduated," she gushed. "It's been a hell of a year."
George nodded slowly. "Yeah. At least you guys graduated," he laughed, "Unlike me and... Yeah, unlike me." He faltered at the near mention of his twin.
"It's alright, George."
"Okay."
The two viewed the party in silence, soaking in the upbeat music and bright lights.
"Hey, I think I'm going to go inside. Cheers," George said, patting her upper arm and walking away. Hermione watched his back fade into the crowd leading into the house, and picked up another glass of champagne before joining the party once more.
A few hours later, most of the guests had Apparated away half-drunk, and Hermione was one of the only ones still sober enough to clean up (even Mrs. Weasley was knocked-out drunk), so she levitated the dishes and empty glasses into the kitchen and Scourgified them all. She noted Ginny's drunken walking on the stairs and heard the thump of her body flopping onto her bed. Hermione stifled a chuckle.
After showering and drying out her hair, Hermione was slipping into bed clad in fluffy pink sweats and a blue Doctor Who t-shirt. Her brows furrowed as she heard a strange noise coming from the room to her right. She tried to ignore it, closing her eyes as she laid back against the pillow. However, her attempts were futile as she heard a strangled sob. She threw the blankets off her legs and glanced quickly at Ginny's sleeping form before padding quietly out of the room.
She knocked on the door softly, and when she heard silence, let herself in. She saw the bright orange sheets decorating two twin beds, and knew that it was George's (and previously Fred's) room.
"George?" she asked to the quiet room. She heard a sniffle emit from the boy lying on the bed.
"Why're you here?" he asked. His voice was choked with tears.
"You're not alright, are you?" She ignored his question.
"'Course I'm not. My twin died, my other half. What would you know about that though?"
"I've never lost a twin, because I've never had one. Im went through something similar to you, though," she began. "I had to obliviate them. Do you know how hard that was for me? To erase my entire existence to them, and make them live in another country?" She touched his side softly, and felt his body stiffen. "I haven't lost my other half..." She was beginning to cry, "But I came pretty god damned close." She sniffed.
George abruptly sat up in bed,NAND stretched his arms out. Hermione almost couldn't see him through the tears that were streaming down her face, but collapsed into his welcoming arms.
The two huddled close together, wallowing in their own sorrows, with each other as a salvation.
They stayed in that right embrace for what seemed like hours, Hermione drifting close to sleep.
Suddenly, she felt George withdraw himself from her vice like grip, the cold isuddenly getting her from the lack of warmth.
"George?" she asked, looking up. Her gaze was immediately met by his. She was mesmerized by his blue eyes, and he by her chocolate brown ones. She liked seeing one side of his face illuminated in the soft light of early dawn, the other side doused in shadows. His hands cupped the side of her face softly. She felt the callouses on his thumbs caress the skin on her cheekbones.
"Hermione..." he breathed out, warm air brushing her forehead. She knew what was coming next and closed her eyes. She felt George lean in closer and finally capture her lips with his.
They were lost in the kiss for a while. The emotions in her chest were threatening to burst out.
The same thing was happening to George; his heart was doing strange things.
Hermione felt George remove his lips from hers. Her eyes flew open and took in his ashamed-looking face.
"George, I-"
"No. Stop. I just... Can you, um, leave?" He turned to face away from her again.
"Yeah, yeah, of course... Sorry..." She got off the bed and made her way to the door, embarrassing, and exited quickly, tears threatening to spill above her lashes again.
The next morning arrived, and Hermione giggled at the sight of Ginny laying sprawled across her bed. She knew her eyes were red and puffy, so she reached for her wand and muttered and anti-inflammation beauty charm she had found in one of Ginny's teenage magazines.
Dressing in jean cutoff shorts and a white blouse, she made her way downstairs for breakfast.
Mrs. Weasley was up and running around trying to feed everyone breakfast. Most of the others were still hungover, which made Hermione question the usefulness of a Sobering Potion. Walking into the kitchen, she met the matriarch of the Weasley household.
"Oh, Hermione dear, thank you for clearing up yesterday," Mrs. Weasley told her. Hermione smiled.
"It was no problem, Mrs. Weasley. You catered for the party in the first place, it was the least I could do," she answered.
Mrs. Weasley beamed and patted her cheek affectionately.
"Cereal?"
"Thanks," Hermione said, taking the bowl and the carton of milk from Mrs. Weasley. She made her way to the dining table, and was met by the continuous groans of the Weasleys and Harry.
"Drunk?"
"Very," Ron croaked out, head buried in his elbows. Hermione laughed.
"Oi! There's no need to be cheerful, a'right? Shush down a bit," Charlie complained. He'd visited from Romania to celebrate their graduation.
"Didn't you guys take any Sobering Potion?" Hermione asked.
"Ran out," Harry grumbled.
Hermione only laughed- to the distress of the boys- and sat down to eat her cereal.
Dressed in a pair of jeans and a white button-up blouse, Hermione was prepared to go to Diagon Alley. Harry had proposed to Ginny on the Valentine's Day three months before graduation; they were due to get married in three weeks, and she had yet to buy them a gift.
"Hermione? Is that you?" she heard Ginny ask from her bed.
"Yes." Hermione laughed. "Feeling hungover?"
"Yeah..." Ginny groaned. "Could you get me a Sobering Potion?"
"They ran out. Everyone downstairs is still hungover. Except me and your mother, I think."
Ginny groaned again.
"Anyway, I'm going to Diagon Alley to shop. I'll see you later, Gin."
Hermione walked downstairs, after saying goodbye to Ginny, Galleon-filled pouch in hand. As she prepared to throw in a handful of Floo powder into the fireplace, she heard a voice shout out: "Wait!"
"George?" she asked, taking in his disheveled state. His clothes seemed to be hastily worn, as his left and right sock were mismatched, and his shoelaces were untied.
"Yeah, um, d'you mind if I tag along with you, since you're going to Diagon?"
"No, I don't mind." Hermione suddenly felt awkward with him, especially after what happened the night before.
"Thanks." He seemed to have forgotten the events, unlike Hermione. He sent her a weak smile that made her heart do weird things; it was clear to herself that she fancied him.
"You can go first," she said, gesturing to the fireplace.
"Alright then." He took a handful of green powder, threw it into the fireplace, and stepped in. "Diagon Alley!" He disappeared with a whoosh.
Hermione then did the same, shouting 'Diagon Alley!"
She stumbled out of the communal fireplace in one corner of the shopping alley. She saw George waiting just outside the fireplace, and walked out to meet him.
"Where to first?" she asked him, glancing all around at the buildings and busy shoppers.
"Um... Wheezes?"
"You really want to?" Hermione asked. George hasn't visited his own shop in ages.
"Yeah."
"Okay." She began walking up to the purple colored building at the end of the alley. Grinning from afar at the giant hat waving in the air, he looked around for George.
She located him a few steps behind her, unmoving and blankly staring at the building in front of them.
"George? You okay?"
"Uh, on another note... Let's not go into Wheezes."
Hermione furrowed her brows. "Alright then." She looped her arm through his and steered them towards Flourish and Blotts.
They walked in silence for a few moments. Hermione felt uncomfortable at the usually amicable silence which had turned awkward.
"Who owns Wheezes now?" she asked, attempting to lighten the mood.
"Lee and Verity," George replied, somber.
Hermione nodded. "Okay." They reached the entrance of the bookstore and walked in.
"Books!" George exclaimed. "I'm in a bookstore!"
Hermione frowned. "Yes, you are."
George sighed. "Only Hermione Granger would take us to the bookstore."
"You can leave if you want," she said, her eyes glued to a special-edition copy of Newt Scamander's Magical Beasts and Where to Find Them.
"Nah, it's fine. Are you going to get that book?" he asked from somewhere behind her.
"No, but I might get it for Teddy..." Teddy was Harry's godson, and his birthday was approaching; it was March now, and his birthday was in mid-April.
"Teddy's more of a Quidditch kid," George said, smirking.
Hermione sighed. "Fine then, help me find a children's book about Quidditch?"
An hour and three purchased books later, Hermione and George were sitting in the Leaky Cauldron having lunch. The awkward tension had dissolved, and the two were talking and joking like old mates. It warmed Hermione's heart to see George genuinely smile and laugh, as he'd been depressed ever since the demise of his twin. But there he was, sitting with her and cracking a joke or two.
"So then this guy comes in and says-" George said in between laughs.
"Where are my mittens?" Hermione interjected. The two collapsed into uncontrollable laughter. She wiped away tears of laughter. George sat up straighter and grinned at her.
"I haven't laughed like this in a while. Thank you," he told her, patting the back of her hand.
"It's a pleasure," she said, picking up her half eaten ham sandwich and taking a bite out of it. She finished off the sandwich and leaned back in her chair.
"Are you finished?" George asked, paying the bill.
"Hey, did you pay for my lunch?" Hermione exclaimed.
George nodded. "It's only customary that the gentleman pay for the lady on their first date." He grinned slyly.
"Date?" Hermione asked in disbelief. "Really?" She began to blush and fidget with the paper napkin in her hands.
George's sky grin turned into a full-fledged smile. "If you want to call it a date, that is."
"Alright. This counts as a date." She sent him a smile. The two stood up and exited the pub.
"And it is only customary for the lady to do this," she said, giving him a quick peck on the cheek. "Thanks for lunch, George."
George laughed. "You're very welcome, Hermione."
She chuckled. "So, where to next? The Magical Menagerie? I need a new owl."
"The Magical Menagerie it is!" he exclaimed, hooking his arm through hers. Hermione could sense the old George reappearing, with his jovial laugh and his jokes.
The pair arrived at the Burrow a couple of hours later, laughing yet again at one of George's jokes.
Mrs. Weasley observed the two as they walked down the path to the house, and felt affection in her heart at the smile on George's face- a smile she hasn't seen in ages. And with Hermione as well? Mrs. Weasley smiled at the thought of Hermione possibly still staying within the Weasley family.
"Pass the mashed potatoes, George?" Hermione asked, hand on his arm. Mrs. Weasley had cooked up another delicious dinner for Charlie's last dinner at the Burrow before he returned to Romania.
George obliged and passed her the bowl. She took it from him and spooned some on her plate.
"Thanks," she said, handing him back the bowl. "Remember the mittens?" She smirked at the memory of them laughing at lunch and chuckled.
George, all of a sudden, launched into a laughing fit. The other members of the family turned around to look at the pair, that were laughing too hard to notice.
"Is that George," Ginny began in disbelief, "Laughing? With Hermione?"
Hermione began to try and control her laughter when she saw the other family members staring at her and George.
"Oh, uh," she hiccuped. "Sorry."
"No, no, dear," Mrs. Weasley said, smiling, "It's wonderful seeing both of you laugh."
"She's going to start planning the wedding soon," Charlie stage-whispered. The entire room burst into laughter as George and Hermione blushed.
"So, Georgie," Ginny smirked as she, Hermione, Harry and George sat on the cushions in front of he fireplace. "Where've you been the entire day? We assumed you were at Wheezes, but we checked in with Lee and you know what? He said you weren't in. So... Where have you been?"
George muttered, "I was still at Diagon Alley."
"By yourself? Really, George, you never go anywhere by yourself. Even at the age of twenty," she snickered.
"Hermione was with me," he said simply. Ginny gaped.
"You two? Together?" she asked in disbelief. "That's one couple I thought would never happen."
"We're not a couple!" Hermione protested, flinging her arms in the air.
Ginny tapped the side of her nose. "All in good time, Hermione, my dear. Now, shall we go through the wedding dress catalogue and choose the basic color scheme?"
George and Hermione were amicable throughout the next couple of weeks as Hermione was busy helping Ginny and Mrs. Weasley plan the upcoming wedding.
"Dress shopping on Wednesday?" Ginny asked a half-asleep Hermione on a Monday night in early April, tapping her shoulder. It was nearing midnight and the three women were still choosing napkin colors.
"Hm? Yes, that's fine." Hermione yawned and stretched. "Diagon Alley or Muggle London?"
Ginny grinned and replied, "Why, Hermy, Muggle London, of course!"
Hermione scowled. "For the last time, don't call me Hermy." Ginny shrugged. "And I'll take you on the Tube to get there. I'm going to bed... Good night," she said, getting up off the couch and walking up the stairs. Flopping into her bed, she wandlessly turned off the lights and promptly fell asleep.
Tuesday dawned bright and early for Hermione, and as she realized the time, she groaned and attempted to fall back asleep. Finally accepting defeat, she got out of bed and put on a pair of denim shorts and a t-shirt.
She walked downstairs to get an early breakfast and nearly collided into George as they both walked into the kitchen.
"George?"
"Hermione?"
They exclaimed the other person'a name in unison.
"Morning," George said, attempting a sheepish smile. "Sorry about that."
Hermione laughed. "It's no problem. What are you doing up so early?"
"I could ask the same to you," he countered.
"Couldn't sleep," she said in reply. George nodded.
"Yeah, same."
Hermione got up to get the cereal while George retrieved the milk and two bowls.
He slid one bowl across the table to her and picked up the box of cereal.
"Thanks," she said, pouring milk onto her cereal and scooping up a bite.
He shook his head, unable to reply since his mouth was full.
Hermione suddenly realized something as she recalled Ginny's dress shopping was the next day.
"Dear Merlin, George! That day I went to Diagon Alley with you, I was supposed to buy Ginny and Harry's wedding gift!"
George laughed. "Too distracted by me, eh?" He sent a flirtatious wink her way,
Hermimone reached across the table to smack him on the arm. "As if, Weasley, as if." The both of them laughed, as they began to eat breakfast. "I guess I'll go to Diagon Alley again next week."
An easy silence fell above the both of them as they ate. The silence was broken by a loud yell of a Weasley male. It was Charlie, as his voice was the deepest out of the Weasley men.
"George!"
The aforementioned person burst into laughter and pounded his fists into the table as tears began to form at the crinkle of his eyes.
"What did you do to Charlie?" Hermione asked, chuckling as she raised an eyebrow.
"You'll see," he said mischievously, sly smile atop his features. Hermione's heart leaped at seeing George go back to his old prankster ways.
Ron came down into the kitchen with his hair long, wavy and... purple?
"Merlin, George..." Charlie began, face now amused instead of angry. "Hang on, is this permanent?"
"Charlie, when has one of my own inventions ever been permanent?" George asked, still laughing.
"Dunno, but I think this new look suits me." He checked himself out in the mirror. "My, my! I look absolutely gorgeous."
At this point, all three of them were in conniptions laughing at Charlie's expense.
Hermione heard feet clomping on the stairs and turned around to see Ron running at his eyes furiously.
"Could you lot be any louder?" he grumbled.
"Sorry," Hermione said sheepishly, "We'll quiet down. Go back to sleep, you lazy arse." She swatted his arm.
"'Kay, kay, 'Mione." He grimaced. "This is why our relationship never would've worked." Sending a grin her way, she stuck her tongue out at him.
"I'm glad we're just friends. Now off to bed, you," she said.
Ron left the kitchen and they could hear him walk upstairs and close his door.
George leaned forward in his seat. "So, what happened with you and Won-Won?"
"We tried dating for a while after we kissed in the Chamber of Secrets during the war, but then-"
"Whoa, whoa," Charlie interrupted. "You guys kissed during a war?"
"It was a spur of the moment thing!" Hermione exclaimed, "We thought it was a 'sign' that we should get together or something, but it ended up being one of the hilariously horrible decisions of my life."
"You and Ron," George grimaced, "Never."
Hermione smacked his (fit and muscular) bicep.
"Now, George, lets make fun of your past love life," Charlie smirked.
"Charlie-" George began, shooting him an evil glare.
"Oh yeah, right," Charlie said, "Your girlfriend is right here." He winked.
Hermione blushed and George took this as an opportunity to ask her out again.
"Oh, boy! Little Georgie's ladykiller ways are coming back to him!" Charlie said, squealing in mock-delight.
George scowled, then turned to Hermione.
"My dearest Hermy-Wormy, would ou do me the hugest achievement of becoming my girlfriend?"
"No," she replied bluntly. George and Charlie gasped in mock-horror. "Not if you call me anything but Hermione."
"Not even Hermy-Wormy?"
"Not even Hermy-Wormy."
"Alright then, Her-mi-oh-nee," he said, mimicking Viktor Krum. "Charlie, leave." Charlie hastily left the room, winking at the both of them.
George turned back to face her and said, "Would you like the biggest honor of becoming my girlfriend?"
Hermione smiled. "Yes, George." He swept her up into a hug and kissed her lightly on the lips. "You taste like chocolate," she said.
"So do you," he said, crinkling up his nose.
Hermione poked his scrunched-up nose with her index finger. "You're adorable."
"I know I am."
Hermione loved this side of George; the side he'd hidden since Fred passed, the happy, carefree one she knew from her fifth year when both of them had just started Weasley's Wizard Wheezes. The one that she had been pranked on countless times. The one she loved.