Once Upon A December, a harry potter fanfic

Once Upon A December

By. Chrissy

Author's note: I love the song and this is one of my favourite couples so if you don't like a George and Hermione pairing, please don't read this fic.

Disclaimer: "Once upon A December" is a song from the Fox movie Anastasia and everything else except for the situations in the fic are JK Rowling's

It was that time of year again... oh yes it was. It was just a week from the Yule Ball and it had only been announced that morning, such short notice! Luckily, today was a Hogsmede day so the girls could go buy their dress robes and other items while the boys figured out who they wanted to ask to accompany them.

Hermione went to Hogsmede that day only to pick up a special order book that had arrived that day, no dress robes for everyone's favourite know-it-all. George had gone into Hogsmede to purchase the newest Prankster's handbook and meet for lunch with a publisher who wanted him to write a similar book for a rather well known publishing house. What the two didn't know is that they'd run into each other in town. Sure, practically the entire school was in the small town, but honestly... what were the odds?

Hermione wasn't planning on going to the Yule Ball that year especially after what had happened at the last Yule ball. Ron had been such a jerk after she'd gone with Viktor, and he wouldn't let her live it down at all. Ron's problem with Viktor was still quite miffing to Hermione and she had decided not to go this year. She didn't think she'd be required to attend, even as a prefect. She changed her thought pattern in her mind and started thinking instead about her book. She was getting a book on love potions from the Medieval times, quite a rare artifact. She simply loved to sponge up old knowledge and compare it to newer findings.

George was the first student into Flourish and Blott's and he did what had to be done very quickly. He noticed Hermione talking to another clerk and ended up staying a bit longer to chat with her. She'd entered right after him and picked up a package just like his from the aforementioned clerk. They talked for a bit and then he took her to the Three Broomstick's for a butter beer. He really had to talk her into it too. She was so excited to get the new addition to her collection that she wanted to curl up in front of the fire and delve into the books contents presently. George gave her that pretty-please-I'm-a-Weasley look and she sighed, agreeing to go.

Just as they'd finished their drinks and stood to leave, Draco Malfoy and his cronies blocked their path. Draco put a cold and pale hand on Hermione's face and pulled it away slowly, "Little mud blood has already gotten a knew boyfriend for the ball. Too bad I was hoping she'd go with me especially after the show she put on at the last ball with Krum. He'd mentioned that she was quite nice, besides the fact that she's filthy. But it seems that she's going with a Weasel... probably working her way through the family." Draco smiled sardonically and his friends found the commentary quite amusing.

"She is NOT a mud blood and don't you dare touch her." said George, who didn't find it quite so amusing and hexed Malfoy six ways to Sunday before grabbing Hermione's hand and pulling them from the tavern and onto the street. He made no attempt to cover how perturbed he was. Fred and Ron were inside taking on Crabbe and Goyle who were making to follow George while Rosmerta flooed Madame Pomfrey. George had time to glance at the clock before they'd left and realized that he was going to be late to his luncheon. He sighed, and decided that it most definitely had to wait. Ron, Fred, Crabbe, Goyle, and young Malfoy were tossed out of the Three Broomsticks by some rather large wizards who they'd knocked into.

Malfoy had his goons stop fighting as he backed off, "You will not be happy with the repercussions of your actions Weasels. Not like I was actually interested in that little Mud Blood anyways..." Draco left with a huff and Crabbe and Goyle followed stupidly but still loyally, as they were practically carrying him to the gates where Poppy Pomfrey was making her way to with haste.

They had been allowed to re-enter the tavern when the commotion had bustled down. Ron and Fred grinned like idiots as George bought them butter beers. Not like they didn't have the money for it, but George just felt like treating them. When he turned his attention back to Hermione she was still standing in the same place as she had been when they'd herded back inside and still looking rather pissed. "Herm, don't worry about that prat. Nothing he says matters anyways..."

Hermione glared at him and smacked him upside the head with a bit of force, "My name is not Herm it's Hermione and I don't need you to stick up for me. But thanks...." She blushed a bit and picked up her package and started to leave. George grabbed his package and followed her out the door.

"Hermione, would you mind much if I bought you lunch? I have a meeting with this book publisher guy that wants me to be a writer for his company and I'm feeling a bit too timid to go by myself," George trailed off. Hermione smiled as they walked down the street, he'd just admitted he was scared and he hadn't really been very jokey since they'd met at the book store. She had a feeling he was really scared of this. She had obviously agreed to accompany him, and it was more of a because she wanted to sort of thing as opposed to a he just defended my honour sort of thing.

"Starting to plan your future so soon? You graduate in a year and few months and aren't you the type that doesn't plan ahead?" Hermione smiled, and wondered if he was quite aware that she was being sarcastic. She never really understood why it was that boys never liked to think about the future. She had tons of plans already and she was younger than him. She was scared of the future too, she just didn't show it.

George grinned and playfully defended himself, "Hey! All those pranks take a lot of planning!" Hermione giggled and they arrived at the restaurant. The Publisher was seated outside at one of the tables and the two walked up to him and sat down. George shook his hand. "Nice to see you Mr. Ainsly, this is Hermione Granger. Hermione this is the publisher I was telling you about, Mr. Ainsly."

Hermione nodded a hello to him. "Well, George, I see you've brought your girlfriend. That's quite alright. What we, my company and myself, had in mind for your first book is basically just a montage of all of those pranks we've heard of you pulling at Hogwarts. How you did it sort of joke and prank-wise and then you could have a suggestion section with how to books. This is what we're looking for." Hermione and George both blushed at the man's first statement but didn't say anything against it which was quite odd. They both contributed it to the fact that this was a very important conversation and there was no need to muddle the man's head with useless information.

"Ainsley, I thought we agreed that my first book would be the sample I owled you. I do suppose I could write an overview of my school pranks though. I don't know about the how to books... what do you think Herm?" George said. She was twirling her hair around her finger, "Herm? What do you think?"

"I heard you the first time, George. I was actually thinking of how to word my answer, thank you very much. Anyways, I was thinking that maybe if you really wanted to, you could write about the tricks you did at school but them have the rest of the book be about how you pulled it all off. Then it would satisfy the company and then you'd get to write what ever you wanted because you did their idea so then you could go back and forth. You'd do their idea then yours and then over again." Hermione explained and then added, "It might be nice to include the reactions of the staff and students."

"You are a very bright young lady, Miss Granger. Your idea certainly works for me... if you agree Mr. Weasley then we could eat and get this in writing. Or vice versa." Mr. Ainsley said plainly as he smiled and looked so much like Dumbledore as he was also ever happy and always smiling.

George readily agreed. They ate a quick lunch of soup and sandwiches before they left. It was just that simple. George and Hermione grabbed their packages from Flourish and Blott's and stood up. George said, "Thanks Herm, I couldn't have done that well without you there. Not to mention, those ideas of yours. You really should try pranking someday with a mind like that." Hermione replied with an 'oh it was no problem' type of thing and George continued, "Did you pick up any dress robes yet? For the ball I mean...?"

Hermione stared at him like he had two heads, "No of course not. I'm not going. Ron's obsession with Viktor is terrible and I'm not putting anybody else in Ron's war path. Not that I'd go even if Ron wasn't so obsessive." George looked surprised. "What? I could be spending my time doing something constructive instead of sitting in a room with a bunch of green robed Slytherins who'd hex me into oblivion, given half the chance."

"Well, Ron is going with Lavender. Parvati set them up and they've been snogging all day." George chuckled, "I guess you won't have to worry about him then. But Herm... you think you'd go with me? I mean as friends, if you want. Totally platonic. I mean- you know..." He sounded a bit reluctant to add the friends but since when was he attracted to her? Since her 13th birthday a voice in George's head said and he instantly made it shut up.

"Sure.... um... as friends. I'd like that." Hermione said, "Oh and would you stop calling me Herm? You know what my name is, I'm sure. Not to mention that I've reminded you at least once today." Then headed back to Hogwarts, "I got some really nice fabric for my 15th birthday last month so I'll transfigure it or something." Since when did she care about going to the ball? Since George, you're crush for the past 3 years, decided to ask you to go. Said the same kind of nagging voice inside of her head. She too made it shut up.

"So that's cool. Speaking of birthday presents, how did you like mine and Fred's?" George asked. The twins had gotten her silver, satin dress robes with black embroidered spiders and spider webs at every hem. They'd also covered it from 'head to toe' with itching powder so when she went to try it on for them, since the begged for an hour straight, she'd been itchy for an extremely long twenty minutes before everybody could talk them into reversing the spell on the powder.

"You should very well know that from my reaction to it, Mr Weasley. For your information, I am not wearing that particular dress robe probably ever again. Lovely as it is." Hermione said as she thought of the shimming and sparkling great fabric her mother had gotten her. She was going to look even better than she did last year because she was way more confident in herself and didn't rightly care what she looked like, not that she was that bad to begin with. There was nothing wrong with bushy hair. Hex anyone who thinks it should be sleek and glossy, bushy is beautiful.

"Oh, I see... you don't love us enough to wear the robe we transfigured out of an actual spider carcass... I mean, that we painstakingly made for you." George said, trying to cover up for himself quickly. They didn't really talk at all until they were back in their common room. Even then they didn't talk that much. Hermione went straight to Ginny and George took his package to the dorms and then came back down to the common room to find that his sister and his Yule Ball date had simply disappeared, probably to the girls dorms.

At dinner the entire Gryffindor table found out that George and Hermione were going together to the impending Ball. Lavander and Parvati would have a field day with her when it was time to go to bed, she hadn't even told them. All their little match maker questions and such would be good enough vengeance. George got glares from Ron (who was going with Lavander), Fred(who'd been with Angelina for months), and Harry(who had been asked to go with Blaise Zabini and said no, simply because he was not homosexual). Ginny had filled Hermione in on all the gossip over dinner and Hermione nearly started crying when her giggles overtook her when she'd learned that Blaise had confiscated nearly all of Colin Creevey's 'Harry Pictures' for himself. George didn't care that he was getting looks that would kill if they could from his brothers and almost-brother because he and Hermione were just going as friends even if he did wish that they were.... what was he thinking... and who slipped him a love potion because he kept having these thoughts ever since her birthday party fourth year when everybody was playing spin the bottle and they'd kissed. But still, ever since the incident at the Three Broomsticks his thoughts had been louder and more pointed.

After dinner there was a game of truth or dare that sucked George, Hermione, and every other Gryffindor in. Harry and Ginny found out due to some truth questions that they liked each other (and you cannot lie when playing wizarding truth or dare, or you'll turn purple until you tell the truth) a lot and decided to go to the ball together. Hermione was forced to list all of her past and present crushes which included the names and years. Her list was Harry and Ron for the first year, that doofus Lockhart for the second year, Draco for the third year, and nobody but George since third year. If it weren't for her being purple for telling them that she didn't like anyone, and nobody telling her that it wasn't permanent, she'd finally given the list. Draco was not her worst admission by far because when she said the George, nobody was more shocked than him... and they were all pretty shocked. They all knew the two were going to the dance together but it was supposed to be a friend thing.

George also had to admit all of his crushes which only included a few girls but his most recent and longest was of course Hermione. They both decided after the game was over that they'd never play any secret-revealing teenage games again. Spin the Bottle and Truth or Dare had both had disastrous effects on them. George sat with her by the window and quietly asked her to be his girlfriend and to go to the ball with him as more than friends, since now they both knew of their mutual feelings.

They'd held hands and were cutsie tootsie all week, reading their books together and all. Hermione helped him proofread and edit his book when she wasn't busy fashioning and refashioning her dress. In the end, it was the same dusty rose pink that it had been to originate, with some lovely flowers of the same colour embroidered all over the fabric which gave it a texture-ish look and feel. It was flowy, as most special occasion dresses are, and had an open back with two horizontal ties to keep it tight enough.

George thought that she was absolutely beautiful, bushy hair and all. When she'd come downstairs in that dress, nearly tripping halfway down the staircase, George had to fight not to faint. She was a sight. He was glad that she hadn't sleeked out her hair and made it ugly. He loved the elegant french braid she had chosen for her hair style. He wore plain black dress robes that quite complimented them both. When they'd arrived at the entrance to the Great Hall, he squeezed her hand and they walked in together. Draco Malfoy was with Pansy, as his mother had begged him for the sake of peaceful conversation at her spa. Blaise was sulking in a corner, pondering his fate and his sexuality... Millicent was looking pretty top notch in that purpley metallic number she was wearing, he'd surmised. Ginny and Harry were playing footsie under the table they were sharing with Ron and Lavander, who had adopted the pet names Lon and Ravander. George and Hermione danced all night in a friendly competition with Fred and Angelina. Ot was the most fun that either of them had had in ages, pranks and books aside. The last song that played was a song that had been in the music box George had given Hermione for her thirteenth birthday. Anastasia was Hermione's favourite muggle movies specifically because of this song and she liked the story. The whole party had been forced to sit through it in the theatre, most of them had been amazed because they were in a muggle movie theatre with Hermione and her parents, but George enjoyed it for more than the new experience. He changed the tune of his gift to match the song from the movie because he saw how it had touched Hermione. When the song started to play she smiled at him even more than before. This was obviously going to be 'their song' from then on.

Colin Creevy used an entire roll of magical film during that song just taking pictures of all the couples dancing. Dumbledore had the film developed specially so not only did they move but you could hear the music and watch the couple dance to the entire song. George and Hermione were in two of the pictures so they each got one. George had his enlarged and mounted inside a new jewelry box, which he gave Hermione for her 23rd birthday and the ring inside it was the symbol of more to come for them.

Dancing bears, painted wings

Things I almost remember

And a song someone sings

Once upon a December

Someone holds me safe and warm

Horses prance threw a silver storm

Figures dancing gracefully across my memory

Far away, long ago

Glowing dim as an ember

Things my heart used to know