Don't Back Down
Disclaimer: I own nothing. JK Rowling is just kind enough to let me play pretend with her make believe world.
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Chapter 1: The Plan
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George sat in Transfiguration tapping the tip of his quill idly against his parchment. His chin was resting in the palm of his hand and he was staring absentmindedly at the waterfall of brown curls at the front of the room. Hermione's luscious head of curls swayed hypnotically while she took notes at a furious pace. George couldn't even begin to fathom why she even bothered. All they had been doing for weeks was review for their N.E.W.T.'s and he was sure that by now she would know the material at least as well as McGonagall herself, if not better.
George kept his mouth shut about this to her though. He very much regretted the one and only time he had voiced this opinion to her. She had shouted herself hoarse and then fled the common room in tears leaving him behind completely bewildered. Lily had thankfully taken pity on him and explained that the cavalier attitude that he and Fred approached their N.E.W.T.'s with was not commonplace among most of their year. In fact it was just about the opposite and Hermione in particular was very stressed about them and it was making her something of an emotional loose cannon.
Again, George did not understand why this was, because as far as he was concerned his Hermione was bloody brilliant and incapable of failing anything, let alone something so important to her. However, needless as he thought all of her fretting to be, from that incident onward he did his best to make sure he didn't say anything that might set her off. He was very much the picture perfect boyfriend where her studies were concerned. Although, it was safe to say that he would be very happy once these pesky exams were done and over with and he could spend some alone time with his girlfriend that didn't involve some stuffy textbook.
This train of thought brought him back to the reason he was currently staring at the desirable witch in the front row. It had been weeks since they had last snogged. Weeks. If all of this sodding studying and review didn't drive him insane first, the lack of a good snog surely would do him in. All the hours he spent staring at her nibble her bottom lip in concentration had more than likely been his undoing. Or possibly all the time watching those same soft, pink lips pursed together as she absorbed seemingly endless information had unhinged him. Or maybe it was-
BANG!
George snapped out of his stupor and jumped to his feet while snatching his wand from his desk in the same instant. He swiveled his head back and forth as he took in the room around him, looking for the disturbance. Muffled giggles resounded throughout the room and George finally noticed that everyone was staring at him. His eyes swept past a frowning and slightly irritated looking Hermione and then finally clapped onto the very thin lipped McGonagall who stood at the front of the room. She stared him down with narrowed eyes and her lips pressed together in a firm line. George grinned sheepishly at her and lowered his wand while he rubbed the back of his neck.
"Nice of you to join us, Mr. Weasley," she said in a clipped tone as she summoned a large textbook that she had previously levitated and dropped onto George's desk to get his attention. George sank back into his seat, still rubbing the back of his neck and wondering how long she had been trying to get his attention this time.
"That's the third time this week, Mr. Weasley, and we've only had class twice. Obviously separating the two of you is not enough. You will serve detention tonight after supper with Mr. Filch. I suggest you make more of an effort to pay attention from now on or I'm afraid that you and our new caretaker will be getting to know each other quite well. And so near the end of the school year, too."
"Of course Professor," George reassured her with a crooked grin. McGonagall raised her eyebrows disbelievingly, but resumed her lecture to the class anyway. George turned his head slightly and glared at Fred beside him. Fred simply smirked in return looking greatly amused. George rolled his eyes. He knew he couldn't expect his brother to snap him out of his Hermione induced stupors every time a professor called on him, but the bloody git didn't have to enjoy it so much.
George sighed as he resigned himself to yet another Filch filled evening. His sigh quickly morphed into a quiet snort as he thought back on McGonagall's words. Get to know each other well indeed. As if he hadn't gotten to know the Filch from his own time well enough. Although the Filch here was still fresh to the position and much more naïve to the creativity and mischievousness that George possessed. It had the potential to make detentions much more amusing and sometimes even downright enjoyable.
George picked up his quill and surreptitiously looked around the room as he tried to figure out what he was supposed to be doing. They were all still taking notes, well most of them anyway. The three remaining Marauders were in the back corner playing hangman and Fred was working on what seemed to be schematics for some new potential joke products. George sighed and turned to the parchment lying in front of him to see where he left off in his notes. He frowned at the various ink splatters that had resulted from his mindless tapping of his quill to his parchment.
The quality cartoon he had spent most of the class period working on was unsalvageable. Shame. It had been one of his better ones. It featured a large cackling Peeves dumping a bucket of ink on a group of scurrying first years while he and Fred grinned mischievously. Hermione was in it, looking beautiful (Although he thought he hadn't been able to do her justice) while absorbed in her latest literary venture. Then there was McGonagall, hawk-like and staring down at them all over a beak-like nose. He had worked pretty hard on it.
He crumpled the now useless parchment into a tight ball, the loud crinkling of the parchment painfully apparent in McGonagall's near silent classroom. McGonagall glared at him from the front of the room. George grinned back unabashedly, causing her lips to thin slightly, but she thankfully carried on with her lecture about… Well George didn't really know. He hadn't paid attention long enough to find out. Ah well.
"There's the bell and the end of the time we have for today," McGonagall announced after a discrete glace at her wristwatch. "I expect you all to practice up on your human Transfiguration before your N.E.W.T.'s next week and be sure to have a buddy handy in case something goes wrong. I'll see you Tuesday for your N.E.W.T.'s and remember, the written exam is bright and early after breakfast and the practical is after lunch. Lastly, as I've been repeating all year, make sure you don't leave your studying until the last minute."
Fred and George mouthed the last of her speech together as they had heard it so many times from various Hogwarts staff. They collected their belongings before heading up to the front to meet with Hermione, Lily, Alice, and Nikki, leaving the Marauders to pack up their things in the back.
George approached Hermione as she slung her very bulky book bag over her shoulder. He kissed her cheek and smiled at her, but she only continued to frown disapprovingly in return. George grimaced internally. It was lecture time. He glanced at Fred out of the corner of his eye and saw that he appeared to be enjoying himself. Git. Hermione opened her mouth to, no doubt, begin her rant, but George raised his hands in surrender and beat her to the punch.
"I know, I know. I should work harder on not letting your beauty distract me during class and I need to take gobs of notes like I'm sure you did even though you don't need them. Luckily for me though, this was our last class until N.E.W.T.'s so none of that matters anymore," George said, grinning cheekily as he removed her book bag from her shoulder and placed it on his own. Hermione ignored the chivalrous gesture in preference of launching into her rant. Students scurried quickly past them and out of the room, no doubt having been subject to Hermione's short temper over the past few months and having no desire for a repeat.
"Then you should be focusing your attention on studying. As far as I have seen, you and Fred have done little to no studying and these are our N.E.W.T.'s. They decide our futures. And you haven't even touched the study schedules that I made for everyone," she said with her hands upon her hips. George sighed in exasperation.
"Mione we don't need to study. It's all in here," he said tapping the side of his head. "And I'm sorry, but not everyone can live their life by a color coded schedule. I'm perfectly capable of running my own life and I need to have some spontaneity in it."
"I left you time on the schedule for pranks and having fun," she informed him heatedly. George sighed heavily and ran a hand through his hair looking half exasperated and half amused.
"Hermione, you can't schedule a time during the day to be spontaneous. It doesn't work like that. Just- Just relax and trust that I can handle this myself," George tried to soothe her. Hermione's cheeks flushed a light pink.
"Fine," she said shortly. "Fine. I get it. You don't need my help. That's fine." She stared at him a moment and then turned to the door. "I don't need yours either," she said stiffly as she began walking to the door. George's jaw dropped as with a flick of her wand, her book bag flew off his shoulder and into her grip. She marched to the doorway and with one last look over her shoulder she left.
George stood still in shock for a few moments before shaking his head as though to clear it and then hurrying to the doorway.
"Hermione!" he called as he stepped into the hallway, turning left and right trying to spot her bushy curls in the mass of students in the hallway. She was nowhere to be seen. George cursed and re-entered the classroom to see his friends all there exchanging anxious glances. He shook his head silently and ran his hand through his hair. Fred clapped him on the back and gave him an encouraging smile.
"It's alright Georgie, she's just stressed," he reassured him. George frowned.
"I know and this certainly isn't going to help things. Me and my big mouth."
"Don't blame yourself," Fred told him. "She's been building up to something like this happening for ages now. It was only just a matter of time." George shook his head.
"I know, but I shouldn't have provoked her like that. I should've known that she'd read more into it than what I meant with how worked up she is over N.E.W.T.'s," George said sounding miserable. Fred rolled his eyes.
"Well if you're so intent on blaming yourself Forge then maybe you should just go confess your guilt to her. Remember what you told me after that time when I honked the two of you off?" Fred asked. George frowned in thought and then shook his head. Fred grinned at him.
"The longer you wait with her, the worse it gets. She stews," He reminded him. George smiled faintly.
"That she does Gred. Alright, I'll go find her. Three guesses where she went," George said with a small grin. Fred grinned back.
"Library," the spoke simultaneously. George chuckled lightly before securing his bag more firmly on his shoulder.
"I'll see you lot at dinner then, yeah?" he asked looking inquiringly at the group. After various reassurances and farewells George turned back to his brother.
"You'll be alright? Both of you?" Fred asked, showing his concern for the situation for the first time. George grinned at him.
"Course we will. I wouldn't let some puny misunderstanding keep me away from her. I fully intend to marry that girl, you know that," he told him nonchalantly. Fred grinned back.
"Of course."
George clapped Fred on the shoulder before turning and exiting the room. Fred shook his head and chuckled to himself.
"I sure hope Hermione loves him as much as she says she does, because he's a stubborn git that one is," Fred said with a fond smile.
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George entered the library and craned his neck to see around the expansive room, seeking out that familiar bushy head of hair. Not seeing Hermione in the immediate vicinity he started off towards her usual table in the typically deserted section on muggles. He only paused to deliver a winning smile to the scowling and suspicious librarian. The woman was holding a grudge with him over nothing. It was Fred that had charmed the books to dance the conga for an hour, honest.
George rounded one last bulging bookshelf and then he finally spotted her, exactly where he had thought she'd be. She had her head down on her folded arms and the table, which was normally littered with books covering a slew of topics, was strangely clear. George decided to approach with caution.
"Mione?" he said softly as he gently probed her shoulder. Hermione jerked her head up and her wet, blood-shot eyes widened as she took in George.
"George," she breathed.
"I'm so sorry," they both spoke simultaneously. George stopped and blinked while Hermione chuckled slightly.
"No George, I shouldn't have treated you like that. This is all my fault. I knew I wasn't being fair, but I couldn't make myself stop. I'm sorry." She spoke down at her hands resting on the table top, only occasionally glancing up through her eyelashes at George's face.
"Mione it's alright." He pulled her to him so she leaned her head against his chest as he continued to stand. "I should've known better. I know how stressed you've been about N.E.W.T.'s and I should've just let you scold me and kept my mouth shut." Hermione shook her head, but didn't draw away.
"It's not just N.E.W.T.'s that have me crazy. It's the plan too. And it certainly doesn't help that I'm PMSing."
"I'm going to ignore that last part," George said quickly, eliciting a smile from Hermione. "But why are you worried about the plan? It's going rather well I thought. We've convinced Regulus not to become a Death Eater and help us, and we're making some progress with Snape. Painfully limited progress, yes, but really what did you expect from the slimy git?" George said while pulling a face. Hermione turned her head up to glare at him.
"Well maybe if you guys would stop calling him that and be nice we would be making more progress," she scolded. George grinned.
"Hermione that's like asking me and Fred not to pull pranks, or telling Harry he can no longer fly, or telling you you're not allowed to read," he said with a grin. Hermione sighed and turned her head back to its previous position against his chest.
"I suppose you're right. It'll be easier for him to accept the need for him to become a spy once we're out of school and he doesn't have McNair and all them breathing down his neck. I wish I could trust him enough to tell him the whole truth right now. It would make it so much easier if he could just know when we're from and everything and that he already chose to become a spy and why." Hermione paused for a moment and sighed, sounding exhausted.
"But once he does agree I expect all of you to be civil to each other. No more name calling, no snide remarks, and no pranks," she said firmly.
"Yes mum," George responded teasingly. Hermione stepped half a step back to glare at him.
"I mean it. I don't expect you all to become friends, but I do expect you all to act like adults and treat each other with respect."
"I know, Mione," George said soothingly. "I was only joking. I'll be on my best behavior and do my best to keep the others in line, pinky promise," he said with a grin as he extended his pinky. Hermione scrutinized him carefully before curling her pinky around his and giving it a firm shake.
"Good," George said clapping his hands together briskly. "Now let's go somewhere more comfortable and rest before dinner. Me, Fred, and I think Sirius all have separate detentions tonight so our meeting will be a late one."
Hermione agreed and rose from her seat. George grabbed her book bag from its spot on the floor beside her chair.
"What did Sirius do?" she asked. George smirked at her and they began heading for the library exit.
"Well supposedly he put up several fliers announcing an illegal chimera fight that he planned to host out by the forest tonight after dark and McGonagall found them."
"George Weasley, you did not," Hermione hissed quietly as she poked him in the shoulder. George grinned mischievously at her.
"I haven't the foggiest of what you could possibly be insinuating."
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George trudged into the Room of Requirement sometime after eleven and stifled a yawn with the back of his hand. He grimaced at the lingering chemical stench and put his hand back in the pocket of his robes. Cleaning the trophy room without magic had never been his favorite detention, but at least in this time there were less trophies for him to have to clean.
"Alright, I'm here. The party can begin," he announced to the oddly quiet room. He frowned when he received no sarcastic comment in response his statement and took a look around the room for the first time. No one was talking and everyone looked awkward and uncomfortable. He noticed Hermione had yet to join them and was about to ask where she was and what had everyone behaving so oddly when he finally noticed.
"Snape? What are you doing here?" he blurted out. Snape was standing on the right side of the room with Regulus while everyone else stood to the left, save Hermione who wasn't there and Lily who stood awkwardly in the middle sifting her feet. Snape sneered at the less than warm welcome, but Lily spoke before he could respond.
"I brought him," she said quietly. "He asked me to, so I did."
At that moment the door behind George burst open and a frazzled Hermione rushed in.
"Sorry I'm late!" she gasped out. "I fell asleep on my Runes textbook. What are we all standing around for? Let's get warmed up and then…" she trailed off as her eyes finally landed on Snape.
"Oh," she said, blinking owlishly. "What are you doing here?"
Snape scowled at her.
"I knew I shouldn't have bothered. A bunch of Gryffindor lunatics," he muttered before starting for the door.
"No, no, no!" Hermione said hastily as she moved to bodily block the door. "I didn't mean to be rude! I was just surprised! Please stay."
Snape was still scowling at her, but had stopped and seemed to be deliberating something.
"I want to know," he stated simply. Hermione's brow crinkled in confusion.
"Want to know what?" she asked.
"Everything. The whole story. And don't bother lying to me either. I have a few suspicions and I what I overheard today in the library added a few more."
Hermione paled at his last words and exchanged a worried glance with George.
"You heard," she said in a whisper. Snape gave a jerky kind of nod.
"I did," he confirmed.
"Did anyone else?" George asked, looking unusually serious.
"No. I checked."
George and Hermione both breathed sighs of relief and Hermione regained most of her color.
"What did he overhear?" Fred asked, giving George a sharp look. George winced and looked away.
"I may have spoken a bit about wishing we could tell Severus when we were from and that he became a spy and why," Hermione confessed.
"And you called him Weasley as you were leaving," Snape added. Hermione and George both winced.
"Georgie you're slipping," Fred said shaking his head. George stuck his tongue out at his brother.
"Are you going to tell me or not?" Snape demanded impatiently. Hermione frowned and then shrugged.
"I suppose at this point it would be best," she responded. Snape raised an eyebrow.
"Undoubtedly," he deadpanned. Hermione resisted the urge to roll her eyes.
"Okay so it's kind of a long story," Hermione began hesitantly. Snape exhaled irritably.
"Fine. Just get on with it," he snapped. This time Hermione did roll her eyes. The room transformed from the D.A.'s room to the comfortable room with the wide variety of furniture to choose from. The only hint that Snape was surprised by the sudden change was a blink of his eyes, otherwise his face remained impassive. Everyone chose a seat and then turned to Hermione to begin the story.
"So first of all we, that is to say Fred, George, and I, come from 17 years in the future. You were our potions teacher at Hogwarts." Hermione paused, but as Snape showed no sign of surprise or inclination to interrupt decided to continue on.
"Most of the story of our past and your former future revolves around one person; Harry James Potter, James and Lily's son."
Hermione finally received a reaction from Snape as his nostrils flared and his lips tightened.
"I see no reason for me to have to listen to this," he said stiffly as he rose to his feet and made for the door.
"No!" Hermione cried as she leapt to her feet. "Please listen!" Snape ignored her and continued to the door.
"They're dead!" Hermione yelled desperately. "Murdered. Lily's dead."
Snape stopped in his tracks, but did not turn.
"Who?" he asked quietly.
"Voldemort," Hermione answered. "He killed her even though you asked him not to. That's why you became a spy for our side."
There were several moments of silence before Snape finally turned. He scrutinized Hermione carefully and seemed to find what he was looking for. He resumed his seat.
"Tell me everything."
So Hermione did. It took about an hour, but finally Snape knew everything. Well, almost everything.
"You're holding something back," Snape stated after several moments of silence in which he digested the onslaught of information. Hermione shifted uncomfortably in her seat and glanced discretely at Fred out of the corner of her eye. Snape scowled at her as he saw she wasn't going to answer.
"Just tell him Hermione," Fred said quietly. Both George and Hermione turned to look at him in surprise.
"No," George said. Fred shook his head.
"We have to. He has to trust us," Fred told them. Hermione frowned as she thought it out. George on the other hand began protesting.
"But we've already told him everything else. We don't have to tell him the rest of it."
"Yes we do Georgie, and you know that," Fred quietly told his twin. George shook his head and ran his hand through his hair in agitation.
"I think Fred is right," Hermione said hesitantly. George scowled at her.
"No," George said resolutely. Hermione sighed.
"George what we've already told him has put us all in more danger than revealing the last of it will do," Hermione explained calmly.
"But this is different!" George said loudly.
"I know George," Hermione said placatingly. "Trust me, I know. But we have to-,"
"No we don't!" he all but yelled at her. Hermione gave him a sharp look.
"Let's go have a conversation, George," she said quietly. George glared defiantly at her, but stood and followed her to the other side of the room none-the-less. Hermione put up a muffilito charm, leaving the rest of the room in the dark over their conversation.
"-Er sorry bout him," Fred started uncertainly, looking just slightly to the left of Snape's face. "He's been a bit over protective ever since… Well if I know Hermione you're about to find out. Reg, this'll be new to you too. I hope you understand why we didn't tell you before."
Snape showed no sign that he had heard him while Regulus only shrugged, but looked extremely curious as he watched Hermione and George's conversation. Hermione was currently standing a scant few inches from George with her hands on her hips while hissing something at him with an angry expression upon her face. George on the other hand looked frustrated and maybe slightly chagrinned.
"Did I teach her my muffilito spell?" Snape suddenly asked. Fred snorted.
"No. Harry somehow got ahold of your sixth year potions book and learned it from there," told him. Snape's face twisted into a sneer.
"So he's a no good miscreant like his father. Should have known."
James and Sirius both instantly leapt to their feet with their wands drawn, but before either could do anything more than glare Hermione was back.
"Oh sit down," she snapped, obviously in a foul mood. The boys both looked to her in surprise.
"But he said-," Sirius started.
"Oh honestly! Who cares what he said!" Hermione said throwing her hands in the air in exasperation. "Did you really expect him to change his ways in the past few minutes? I didn't! And for that matter I could call you both a couple of reckless, pig headed bullies who don't care about anyone outside of their circle of friends! Would that make you want to duel me?" she demanded angrily.
The boys in question both glanced quickly down at the wand clenched tightly in her hand and then shook their heads hastily.
"I didn't think so," she said scathingly. She turned and faced Regulus and Snape.
"Fred was killed in the final battle and stayed dead for six months before Ma'at brought him back to life and sent him back to the past to help George and I change the future," she said quickly and in a heated tone. The stunned looks on Snape and Regulus's faces were quite comical, but Hermione seemed to be in too much of a huff to notice.
"Nicely done, Mione," Fred said, looking highly amused. "Why waste time easing them into the news when you can be blunt and to the point?"
Hermione ignored him and turned back to the majority of the group.
"Now I had planned to have us work more on our Occlumency tonight, but I'm no longer in the mood. We'll work on our dueling instead. Fred, you're my partner," she said as she marched off and the room changed back to the D.A.'s practice room, dumping those still sitting in their chairs onto the hard floor. Fred's jaw dropped open in horror. George barked out a laugh and slapped Fred on the back.
"Good luck brother," George said gleefully.
"She's going to murder me," Fred groaned miserably. George winced at his choice of words.
"Better you than me," he recovered.
"Hurry up, Fred," Hermione demanded impatiently. "We don't have all night."
Fred scowled at her and flipped George the bird behind his back as he reluctantly approached Hermione who was tapping her foot impatiently. He reached his spot and drew his wand from his pocket.
"No stretches to warm up?" he asked halfheartedly. Hermione scowled at him.
"Death Eaters aren't going to allow you to stretch and warm up," she snapped. Fred rolled his eyes.
"Right."
They bowed to each other and the fight began. Hermione was so ferocious in her attack that Fred was barely able to get out any offense of his own. Fred threw himself to the floor to avoid one jet of light and then had to immediately roll to miss another. He thought he almost had her once, but she twisted out of the way in just the nick of time.
The fight continued on for another ten minutes at the end of which both were panting and struggling to keep up the same energy with which they had started. It ended when Hermione managed to distract Fred with one spell before slamming a stunner straight into his chest. Fred went down and Hermione grinned at her victory.
She went over to his unconscious body and prodded him in the chest with her wand.
"Ennervate," she said quietly. Fred jerked back to life and groaned as he sat up.
"Bloody hell Hermione," he grumbled. "Next time you need a target for your anger pick George."
Hermione grinned. "Sorry Fred," she said as she helped pull him to his feet, seeming much more cheerful. Fred continued to grumble to himself as they joined the others.
"Who's next?"
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AN: Welcome back! Hope this was up to par. Sorry about the wait, but trust me that the show will go on. :)
Pretty Pretty Please review even if it's just to say "Nice" or "Good job". Reviews are motivation people!
Also I'm going to be making some minor edits to Fight, Fight Again, and Keep Fighting at some point so if you get any notifications about it just ignore them. :)