George had received the letter at breakfast, the letter by owl post that had caused him to excuse himself from the table and scurry off to his bedroom to open it. Of course, George jumping up from a meal in favor of reading something was very strange and everyone at the table knew it. Arthur and Molly Weasley exchanged glances between themselves while Fred stared down at his eggs and ham and stopped speaking and Ginny looked around at her family quizically.
Hermione felt uncomfortable, unsure exactly what she'd missed, wondering why a small envelope by owl post had caused this strange energy to take over the usually fun and interesting Weasley breakfast table.
She cleared her throat, then looked at Molly. Molly was dabbing at her eyes with a tissue so she looked at Arthur, hoping for some sign of what to say or do. Arthur simply shrugged at her. She sighed and got up from the table, determined to find George and find out what exactly he'd done this time to make the whole family this upset.
Once to his door she saw it was ajar a bit and pushed it open. What she saw when she opened it was enough to make her realize this wasn't some little prank or joke that she wasn't onto. George wasn't sitting at his bed giggling wildly, in fact he had his head in his pillow, loud sobs emitting from his mouth, the parchment that had surely come from the envelope wadded in a ball next to him.
Hermione stepped closer to him and whispered, "George? ...what's wrong?"
George rolled over quickly, distracted from his crying for a moment, suddenly looking much more angry than sad. "What do you care? You don't even know who I am, Hermione."
"That's a stupid thing to say, George. I know enough about you to know you don't usually run from the table to cry in your bed with your whole family obviously devastated about something. What's going on? Did a prank go wrong? Are you in trouble?". She sat down on the edge of his bed and looked at her feet, hoping someone would manage to make some sense.
George curled up in a ball away from her, and spoke, "Maybe you don't want to know. Maybe it's not a prank. Maybe this is something serious. I can be serious, sometimes, you know."
Hermione stayed silent, cheeks reddening, wondering if maybe she shouldn't have even came to check on him. Whatever it was that was happening obviously wasn't good and he didn't seem willing to talk about it so what was the point.
"...I'm sorry. I didn't mean to go off on you. Might as well read the damn letter. Everyone at Hogwarts is going to know by the time we get back there anyway."
Hermione shook her head and finally got the courage to speak again, "It doesn't matter, George, whatever it is. I just don't want to see you in pain. I do consider you my friend, after all."
"Stop being so damn kind to me and read it, Hermione. You and I both know you can't resist reading something if you have the chance.", his frown turned into a lop-sided half grin and he uncurled, resting so his knees were brushing against her back.
Hermione grinned back and picked up the letter, but as she read it her face grew angry and confused, and she pulled away from George's body resting next to hers. "This has to be a joke, George. Tell me this is a joke."
"'Fraid not, Mione. Although I wish it were a joke, this would be the grandest prank ever played on the Ministry. But it's not, what you read is true."
"So you're a...I mean...you can't be..."
George sat up, and sighed, "I'm not anything other than what I've always been. An annoying little git that likes to play pranks on people and skip lots of classes."
Hermione turned to George, staring at the fear in his eyes, and relaxed as the grin returned to his lips. She found herself breathless staring at his smooth skin, his handsome face, the shock of red hair sticking up in all directions and when she spoke again what she was thinking came out in waves she couldn't stop.
"You're really brave. Really brave but a damn fool. Did you think you could do this forever?"
George shrugged. "I knew that someday it would come out, I was just hoping for later rather than sooner. Dumbledore knows of course...and my family...and now you know. But others will have to know too now...", he shook his head then caught Hermione's eyes again, "I can't keep living a lie forever. I want to be myself, not some fucking clone of Fred. But it's going to take a lot of work...and a lot of time dealing with the Muggle world...because they don't fix this in the wizarding world."
"George, you're so brave.", Hermione whispered again and before she could even think about what she was doing she took one of his hands in hers.
George smiled again, another half grin, then leaned in and kissed her on the cheek. The feel of her skin under his lips made him breathless and he didn't stop himself from the next kiss being directed right on her perfect lips before him.
He'd always went by the rules of eyes-closed when kissing but this time he didn't. He kept watching her and she kept watching him as both of their pulses quickened and she kissed him right back.
The kiss was brief and when it was over Hermione licked her lips, drawing the taste of him into her mouth, and she finally broke into a grin herself. "I've been waiting for that for two years, Mr. Weasley. Good thing I don't give up easily."
George lay back down and gently tugged at Hermione's shoulder. "Rest with me for a while. I'll tell you everything when we get up again...but right now, I just need to rest."
Hermione let herself be drawn into his embrace and their eyes were both closed before they even reached the pillow.
Hermione felt uncomfortable, unsure exactly what she'd missed, wondering why a small envelope by owl post had caused this strange energy to take over the usually fun and interesting Weasley breakfast table.
She cleared her throat, then looked at Molly. Molly was dabbing at her eyes with a tissue so she looked at Arthur, hoping for some sign of what to say or do. Arthur simply shrugged at her. She sighed and got up from the table, determined to find George and find out what exactly he'd done this time to make the whole family this upset.
Once to his door she saw it was ajar a bit and pushed it open. What she saw when she opened it was enough to make her realize this wasn't some little prank or joke that she wasn't onto. George wasn't sitting at his bed giggling wildly, in fact he had his head in his pillow, loud sobs emitting from his mouth, the parchment that had surely come from the envelope wadded in a ball next to him.
Hermione stepped closer to him and whispered, "George? ...what's wrong?"
George rolled over quickly, distracted from his crying for a moment, suddenly looking much more angry than sad. "What do you care? You don't even know who I am, Hermione."
"That's a stupid thing to say, George. I know enough about you to know you don't usually run from the table to cry in your bed with your whole family obviously devastated about something. What's going on? Did a prank go wrong? Are you in trouble?". She sat down on the edge of his bed and looked at her feet, hoping someone would manage to make some sense.
George curled up in a ball away from her, and spoke, "Maybe you don't want to know. Maybe it's not a prank. Maybe this is something serious. I can be serious, sometimes, you know."
Hermione stayed silent, cheeks reddening, wondering if maybe she shouldn't have even came to check on him. Whatever it was that was happening obviously wasn't good and he didn't seem willing to talk about it so what was the point.
"...I'm sorry. I didn't mean to go off on you. Might as well read the damn letter. Everyone at Hogwarts is going to know by the time we get back there anyway."
Hermione shook her head and finally got the courage to speak again, "It doesn't matter, George, whatever it is. I just don't want to see you in pain. I do consider you my friend, after all."
"Stop being so damn kind to me and read it, Hermione. You and I both know you can't resist reading something if you have the chance.", his frown turned into a lop-sided half grin and he uncurled, resting so his knees were brushing against her back.
Hermione grinned back and picked up the letter, but as she read it her face grew angry and confused, and she pulled away from George's body resting next to hers. "This has to be a joke, George. Tell me this is a joke."
"'Fraid not, Mione. Although I wish it were a joke, this would be the grandest prank ever played on the Ministry. But it's not, what you read is true."
"So you're a...I mean...you can't be..."
George sat up, and sighed, "I'm not anything other than what I've always been. An annoying little git that likes to play pranks on people and skip lots of classes."
Hermione turned to George, staring at the fear in his eyes, and relaxed as the grin returned to his lips. She found herself breathless staring at his smooth skin, his handsome face, the shock of red hair sticking up in all directions and when she spoke again what she was thinking came out in waves she couldn't stop.
"You're really brave. Really brave but a damn fool. Did you think you could do this forever?"
George shrugged. "I knew that someday it would come out, I was just hoping for later rather than sooner. Dumbledore knows of course...and my family...and now you know. But others will have to know too now...", he shook his head then caught Hermione's eyes again, "I can't keep living a lie forever. I want to be myself, not some fucking clone of Fred. But it's going to take a lot of work...and a lot of time dealing with the Muggle world...because they don't fix this in the wizarding world."
"George, you're so brave.", Hermione whispered again and before she could even think about what she was doing she took one of his hands in hers.
George smiled again, another half grin, then leaned in and kissed her on the cheek. The feel of her skin under his lips made him breathless and he didn't stop himself from the next kiss being directed right on her perfect lips before him.
He'd always went by the rules of eyes-closed when kissing but this time he didn't. He kept watching her and she kept watching him as both of their pulses quickened and she kissed him right back.
The kiss was brief and when it was over Hermione licked her lips, drawing the taste of him into her mouth, and she finally broke into a grin herself. "I've been waiting for that for two years, Mr. Weasley. Good thing I don't give up easily."
George lay back down and gently tugged at Hermione's shoulder. "Rest with me for a while. I'll tell you everything when we get up again...but right now, I just need to rest."
Hermione let herself be drawn into his embrace and their eyes were both closed before they even reached the pillow.