He stood in the door way to the hospital wing, watching her as she slept.
He felt awful, for having put her there, him and his stupid prank. He hadn't meant for those fireworks to go off, to have pushed her down the stairs, off the edge of them and sending her to the dungeon level corridor.
She'd broken a few bones, sustained a concussion, and Madame Pomfrey had set her to rights again, but she's kept her in, just in case.
Slowly, he walked over to her bedside, sinking to his knees beside her. As soon as it had happened, he'd confessed to Dumbledore and Professor McGonagall, telling them out right what he had done. Detention for a month and no Hogsmeade visits for the rest of the year was little compared how badly injured she could have been.
He liked Hermione, her strange intellectual humour, her enthusiasm and over the past few years she had grown beautiful, Vela beautiful.
"Hey Hermione," he paused, watching her as she breathed gently, her chest simply rising and falling. She looked so peaceful. "I know it's past visiting hours, but I had to see you. When Mum hears, she'll most likely kill me. She loves you like a daughter, an honorary red head," he smiled, looking at her face, her soft brown hair pulled back, falling across the pillow like a dark waterfall.
"I think you look better with brown hair, it brings out your eyes." She didn't stir, not one bit as she lay there, so still under the covers of the bed.
"I am so sorry Hermione, I know that no matter what I say will make what I did to you any better, but I am sorry. I could never hurt you; I could never intentionally hurt you. You see … I love you," he softly kissed her hand, before turning and leaving.
A few days later, George was sat in the common room, reading a book he had found in the library. It was one Hermione had recommended a few months ago, and he had finally taken her up on the idea of reading it. So far, he had found it fascinating.
The sudden appearance of a bushy head on his shoulder startled him.
"I love you too George," Hermione whispered, before hurrying off to dinner. George smiled slightly, simply watching her as she hurried off before going back to his book.