Welcome to Whispers and Droplets, a compilation of fluff, drabble, and other light one-shots about some of my favorite characters and pairings…

Old Book Smell

"I still don't get it."

"Still, George? Come on, it's not that difficult."

His stiff wooden chair creaked as George Weasley leaned back and rubbed his eyes. "You 'come on,' Hermione, we've been at it for hours. Can't we have a break?"

"I don't think so, mister, your exam is tomorrow and you're not remotely ready." Hermione raised her eyebrow at him. "Are you?"

"I am!" George insisted.

"Is that so?" Hermione smiled. "What were the underlying causes of the 1432 Goblin Rebellion then?"

"Ah yes, the Goblin Rebellion," George replied, leaning forward again. Making a snooty face, he jokingly stroked his chin. "Well, as every sod knows, the Goblins rebelled because…they…wanted more sausage with their breakfast of course." He gestured with his finger. "Which was of course a great injustice, because Breakfastan the Bad said they couldn't have any at all. And really, who wouldn't kick off about that?"

Hermione laughed. He loved it when she laughed, it sounded like little bells ringing through the nearly empty library. "You're hopeless aren't you?"

"Yes ma'am. Maybe Binns will have a sense of humor." George grinned. "But seriously, thank you for trying. Mum will go sick at me if I fail."

"You won't fail," Hermione said, matter-of-factly. "You're smarter than you give yourself credit for."

"Nah, I'm proper thick," George said, laughing. "I'll get it eventually. Can we have a break, though? It's dark and sad and smelly in here."

Hermione laughed again. "You don't come to the library very much, do you?"

"Ah, is that what this is?"

"And that 'smell,' George, is what books smell like."

"Give over."

"I know you've never touched one, but you'll have to trust me on it." Hermione smiled at him. "Yes, we can take a break. I have an essay I need to work on for DADA. Meet me back here in fifteen minutes?"

"Well, I could stay with you," George offered.

"I thought it was too dark and sad and smelly in here," she laughed.

"Well…yeah, all the more reason no one should have to endure it on their own, you see. Really it's a chivalrous gesture."

"Oh right, I see," Hermione said, knowingly. "In that case you can help me find this book I'm after."

He nodded. "Sure thing, Professor Granger, ma'am."

"Don't call me ma'am."

"But 'Professor' is okay?"

"If you like." She winked. "Come on, it's out in one of the back stacks."

She pushed her chair out and stood, George followed suit. He watched her bouncy chestnut curls disappear around the corner of a bookshelf and his stomach gave an unexpected and decidedly unwelcome flutter. What was that? He thought. He hadn't really ever considered about Hermione in that way. Sure, she was pretty when she smiled. And god intelligent women were attractive. But she was a friend of Ron's. A friend of his. Just a friend.

And yet the entire time she'd been helping him study they'd been laughing. Joking. Talking in that way that more-than-friends do. Were they flirting? George wasn't sure. He didn't even know if he meant to be, let alone if she was flirting back.

"Well come on, then!" Hermione's face popped back around the corner and George realized he hadn't followed, only thought. His stomach flopped again and he wished it would stop. He'd been thoroughly rejected by Alicia Spinnet a few months back, and was certainly not ready to repeat the experience.

"Right, sorry." He laughed and followed behind her. They made their way through the maze of dark, wooden bookshelves and through a door to the back of the library. It was even dimmer in there, and the books were haphazardly piled. All system of cataloguing had gone out the window what must have been centuries ago. It was a mess of leather bindings, random pages, and the ever-present smell.

"Okay, it should be somewhere in this shelf," Hermione said, pointing. "That's what I've narrowed it down to, at least. We're looking for the Fifteen Methoeds of Lethifolde Repellashun."

"Sounds a thrill a minute," George laughed.

Hermione shot him a look. "I'm sure it's actually very interesting." For a moment George was afraid he'd offended her, but she gave him a smile and off they went. His eyes scanned title after title. He picked out and examined books where the binding had worn away. At one point he pulled one out and a rat scampered out from behind it, followed by a shower of half-eaten pages. But at long last, in the top corner of the shelf, a gold embossed title on a cracked spine caught his eye.

"Got it!" He announced proudly, retrieving the book. Blowing years' worth of dust off its cover, he handed it to Hermione.

"Thanks, George, I really appreciate it. I've been looking for it back here for ages."

"Ages? How long have you been working on this essay?"

She blushed. "Well I just like to get a head start is all."

"I admire that."

"You don't need to flatter me," she said.

"No, I do, really," George said earnestly. "Sometimes I wish I could be like you."

"George—"

But before she could finish, he was kissing her. A light, soft, quick kiss. It happened before he even knew what he was doing. He flushed beet-red. He hadn't meant to, the urge had just overtaken him. He wasn't even completely sure why. Stupid, he thought. Stupid, stupid, what did you do that for. Look at her. What on earth were you thinking? You've gone and ruined everything, dickhead.

"I—shit. I'm sorry. I don't know why I did that," he stammered, eyes on the floor. "That was dumb."

Hermione giggled. He had never heard her giggle before. "Um…" He looked at her. She had gone red as well. "It's okay. But um…maybe we should stick to the studying."

"Yeah, of course…I—I'm really sorry."

"Until later anyway."

"What?"

"Once you've finished studying the Goblin Rebellion. Then we can have a proper break."

"You mean—"

"You know what I mean," she said. She kissed him on the cheek and smiled. "Back to work, Weasley."

"You know how to keep me on my toes, Professor."

She disappeared around a corner once again, heading back for their study spot. George let out the breath he felt like he'd been holding since he kissed her. He smiled to himself. Maybe studying wasn't so bad after all. Still hate that smell, though.