Cute and Pathetic
The bell by the door dinged, announcing a new customer. Fred saw George quickly looked up from where he had been standing, stocking the shelves, and made himself get a whip lash, just to look disappointed down again. It wasn't her. George rubbed his neck and scowled at Fred who had, just a second ago, been standing beside him. Now, he was laughing, and slapping his hand hard on his leg. With a tumble and a 'smash' he dropped the Canary Creams at the floor.
"Oh, shut up," George muttered and put the last box of Skiving Snackboxes at the shelf. As Fred clearly had no intensions to shut up and just kept howling with laughter at George's obvious wish to see her, George turned around and headed for his new customer with a sigh. He put on his best smile and surprised the customer behind another shelf, grabbing the nearest item he could find, and shoving it up in his nose. With a small, self-pitying laugh he noticed that he was holding chocolates containing love potion, offering them to a small boy who looked suspiciously at him. Just his luck today. He tried to make the best out of it. "What about these?" he offered with overly made enthusiasm to cover up his glum mood, "I know you're just longing to get that specific girl to swoon into your open arms, waiting for the day she declares her love, her nice brown, frizzy hair, her beautiful brown eyes…"
Fred was done laughing, and done with the Canary Creams and figured he should try to give his dear brother some advice about how to get her. He took a round in the shop before finding George trying to sell a little boy love-potion, explaining exactly how he could use it to woo some girl who sounded very much like her. Fred laughed again, he just couldn't help himself, it was a pathetic sight. Fred grabbed a toy potion kit for kids and interrupted George.
"What about this one? Makes the drinker turn a nice shade of green, and that's so much better than silly girls, right?" he laughed, and handed the boy the potion kit. "That's five sickles, that is," he said and held his hand out for the money.
The boy grinned happily and pulled out some money from his pocket before turning and running out of the shop. "Bye, nice to have you here, feel free to come again, and you need to get a grip on yourself, mate!" Fred said, turning his attention from the little boy, to his helpless brother.
He put his arm around a frowning George's shoulder, and led him to the back of the store. "Now, I could be cruel for my own benefits and just do nothing and watch you make a fool out of yourself every day, but it's starting to become a bit embarrassing," Fred explained.
George stopped, and sat down in a nearby chair, "I'm not making a fool of myself," he said, very aware of how he actually did.
"Yes, you are," Fred said.
"She's never coming!" he complained with a pout.
"Yes, she is," Fred said and thought back to how obvious it was that she fancied his twin brother. She'd rarely come in here before, but then suddenly she was in and out of the shop almost every day, giving his oblivious brother smiles, and asking unnecessary questions when she knew the answer better than George. "She's coming every day, just to see you, and what are you doing about it? Nothing!" Fred threw his arms up in the air, just to give the 'nothing' a bit of effect.
"I know," George said miserably, with a little pout. "But what am I supposed to do? I can't just walk straight up to her and say 'Hi, Hermione, I fancy you and have done so since you threatened to owl my mother in my seventh year, and I think you should date me, agree?' That's just bloody stupid!" George exclaimed. Fred chuckled, he'd never seen his brother have this kind of problem with any other girl. Of course any other girl wasn't like Hermione, he couldn't just flash a smile at her direction and have her following him like a puppy just like some others.
"Bloody stupid or not, it's better than what you've been doing so far," Fred told him.
Suddenly George sat up, a determined expression on his face. "You're right. I'm a moron, and next time I see her I'll tell her exactly how I feel. I was sorted into Gryffindor for Merlin's sake!"
Fred laughed and patted his brother on his shoulder, "That's the spirit!" He heard the bell again, and went to look past the bubbly potion-container that made you sing for a whole day to see who it was. He grinned mischievously at George. "Talk about the devil..." he trailed off, and grinned even more when George quickly paled, but got up from his chair and flattened his hair before dragging a hand through it, making it stick up at all directions. "How do I look?" he asked nervously. Fred shook his head in amusement. "Very handsome, now go, I'll be watching the show," he grinned, and slipped away up to the cash register, to get a clear view.
He sat down comfortably in the big chair, and watched as George made his way up to Hermione, who greeted him with a brilliant smile, a smile that made his brother grin goofily back, and grab the nearest shelf, making a whole stack of products fall down, though he didn't seem to notice. Fred was already cracking up, oh this was going to be fun!
George smiled and looked into her pretty face, filled with joy and laughter. He smiled at this, before he noticed that the laughter was of his doing, as Hermione pointed down at the Super-shoes, jumping up and down around his feet. A very red blush filled his face as he quickly used his wand to get them back at the shelf. He gave a small 'Oops,' and smiled apologetically at her. He frowned when he heard Fred's laughter from somewhere behind him, and decided that this was not how it was going to be when he finally told her. He was a Weasley, hell, a Weasley twin for that matter! He could do this! Deep breath, okay, what about 'Sorry, I'm easily distracted when I've got such a beautiful witch as yourself standing in front of me'... Yes, that's it, great job George, thank you George, okay...
"Sorry, can't help knocking things over when I see someone such as you standing there," he said, realising a bit too late that it gave the opposite effect, and probably made her feel ugly. "No! That's not what I meant," he said quickly as he saw her confused and angry look.
"Then by all means, George, what did you mean?" she demanded and put one hand on her hip, glaring at him.
"I meant that I get easily distracted, I didn't mean to tell you that I think you're ugly," he tried to explain.
"And what exactly is that supposed to mean? That you can't stand looking at me, but you didn't mean to tell me?" she asked incredulously.
"No! No, Hermione, I didn't, it just, I don't think you're ugly, not at all, oh bloody Merlin's baggy pants in hell," George muttered and dragged his hand through his hair, very aware of how bad this was going and how Fred was laughing at him.
"Hermione, what I meant to say was that..." George dragged his hand through his hair again. "I fancy you and have done so since you threatened to owl my mother in my seventh year, and I think you should date me, agree?" he blurted out, and realised that it was the very bad confession from his talk with Fred.
Hermione didn't say anything, just looked shocked at him with big eyes and her mouth slightly open. Her angry expression replaced with a surprised one. Oh well, now you've done it... she knows, and I'm a fool. George sighed, and nervously grabbed her hand.
"What I mean to tell you, but as you've clearly noticed is making me a nervous wreck, is that... You're beautiful, you're brilliant, you make me say silly things, do silly things, just because I try too hard to be perfect around you... you make me grin like an idiot, and you make my heart skip a... several beats, and well... I fancy you, and I really hope I haven't messed up to much and let a chance of making you say yes to a date with me slip away..." he finished with a sigh, and looked at her. He got more and more panicked by every second. She just looked down at the floor.
He heard Fred's voice call from the back of the shop, "Oh come on, don't keep us in suspense!" That seemed to snap her out of it. She glared over George's shoulder and met Fred's eyes. "Sod off, Fred," she yelled. George smiled a bit insecurely, and turned his head to see Fred follow Hermione's orders and back off into the back room. George grinned at Hermione, and swallowed.
"You think I should date you... I agree," she smiled, a faint blush creeping up on her face, "And no, you didn't mess up, not at all, it was very... cute," she said. George snorted, and she said "alright, very cute and pathetic..." Hermione reached one hand up to his neck, and George held his breath as she slowly mentioned for him to lean down. He did, and his breath almost caught in his throat as Hermione's eyes flickered from his own eyes and down to his lips. George grinned, and cupped her cheek in both hands and led her lips to his. He was almost certain Hermione could feel his heart beating very fast. It was sweet, slow, and got interrupted by Fred.
George frowned and looked up at his grinning brother who was holding a camera. There was still smoke rising from it. Seeing both George and Hermione's glares, Fred held up his hands in surrender.
"Alright, alright... you didn't really believe I was going to let you two alone, did you?" he asked, shaking his head in mock disappointment.
"Too good to be true..." George mumbled.
Hermione took his hand and started towards the door, "Bye Fred, George will be taking the rest of the day off," she smirked.
The bell by the door dinged, announcing the departure of a customer, or in this case, a customer and an employee. Fred grinned.
A/N: Just a little something I wanted to write down, I'm not sure if I'm going to continue on this, maybe I will if I get good response, it's up to you! Review?:)