A/N: Written for the International Wizarding School Championship.
Many thanks to my wonderful Betas, Liz Jean Tonks and Hemlockconium! Shout-out to my wonderful English teacher, too, for using long and confusing words as a part of his everyday language. And for his constant use of alliterations.
School: Beauxbatons
Year: Year 1
Theme: Blocking - write about a character who tries to block the success of another.
Main Prompt: 17.) George Weasley and Hermione Granger [Romantic Pairing]
Side Prompts: 6.) Lee Jordan [Character], 18.) I Believe I Can Fly by R. Kelly [Song]
Word Count: 2087
Hermione applied a quick coat of clear lip gloss to her lips and double-checked her outfit in the mirror of the fifth year Gryffindor girls' bathroom. She was nervous; Lee Jordan, a member of the DA, had offered to set her up on a date with, "someone who'd be perfect for you, 'Mione!", and, having been nudged and encouraged by Ginny and Luna, had taken him up on his offer. He'd grinned and bounded away, something that still worried Hermione. What if this was all a prank? Hermione barely knew Lee; they'd only spoken twice. And, seeing as he was a friend of the Weasley twins, a prank seemed very likely. But, when he'd just come up to her and asked her if he could set up a blind date for her, she'd said yes. Maybe because of the way he'd asked, or maybe because she wanted to be able to find a kindred spirit in one of the other students. She took a deep breath, crossed her fingers and wished herself luck, as she walked down to the common room to meet Lee, speculating on who he could have chosen. She figured that it was probably a Quidditch player, seeing as Lee was the announcer for Quidditch, but who? Hermione racked her brains, but ultimately came to no conclusion. She shrugged; she'd find out soon enough, wouldn't she?
She found Lee talking with Fred Weasley, who looked more excited than usual. She suspected that he was probably planning some sort of prank.
"Hi, Lee," Hermione said, walking up to the taller boy.
"Hey, Hermione! So glad you agreed to my offer! Your date should be down soon!" Lee said, grinning.
"Well, I'd best be on my way, Lee, but thanks for the help! Ms. Granger, good to see you! Well, I'll catch you all later!" Fred said, winking at the two as he walked by. Hermione wondered for a moment what the pranksters could possibly be up to, but shrugged it off. No one ever knew what the Weasley twins were up to, anyway.
"Ah, here comes your date!" Lee said, grinning at someone on the staircase behind her. Hermione turned around to see someone she wasn't expecting to…
George fiddled with his shoelaces, trying to get ahold of them. Give it to Fred to curse his shoelaces on the day of an important date. Which, by the way, he had no clue who he'd be going with. Lee had offered to set him up with someone who'd be perfect for him, which was why he was more nervous than usual. That, and the fact that he and Fred had a running joke with each other that they would curse each others' dates, preferably in really strange and complex ways. George remembered one date he'd gone on in fourth year where Fred had cursed him to only speak in Romanian. Fred had even convinced their older brother, Charlie, to Apparate in to translate for him, since Charlie worked in a dragon reserve in Romania. George, in turn, had charmed his twin brother's broom to only do flashy tricks on one particular date in sixth year when Fred and Katie Bell had gone flying.
Their pranks were always quite elaborate and bizarre, which was typically great, except for the fact that George had no idea who he'd be going out with. What if his date didn't like pranks? What if they were shy and there was a constant awkward silence between them? Or, worse, what if they were a… Merlin forbid… Slytherin? George shuddered at the thought in horror. Well, he reasoned, if they don't like pranks, or are shy, or are Slytherin, then I guess that we're not meant to be. He took a bracing breath, stood up, and walked down the staircase toward the common room. He saw Lee talking to a girl with a puffy brown braid that looked like it was begging to be let out of its restraints. Lee grinned broadly and said something to the girl, who turned around and looked at George in shock. He looked back, equally as baffled.
"Her-hermione?" George asked, walking down the last few steps of the staircase.
"Uh, hey, George!" Hermione said, her shock wearing off. She was one of the few people who could tell the twins apart; the trick was that Fred talked a bit more and had more freckles, and George was quieter and slightly more tanned in skin tone.
"Well, have fun, you two!" Lee exclaimed, grinning and walking away.
The pair walked down to Hogsmeade in amicable semi-silence, making some small talk about the weather, their friends, and the DA, but spoke carefully about the last topic. They eventually reached the small town and decided to go to the Three Broomsticks, apparently a popular choice among students, given how full the tavern was. They chose an empty table near the corner, and George went up to the counter to order two butterbeers. As he picked the two mugs up off of the table, he felt a familiar sensation in his throat. He knew he'd felt this before, but where? He looked around and saw a familiar mischievous grin staring back.
Fred! Of course! George shrugged and walked back to the table, where Hermione was waiting.
"Oh, thank you so much! This looks spectacular!" the brunette said, taking her mug and drinking half of the contents as quickly as she could.
"My pleasure, milady!" George said in an overly posh and snobby voice.
Hermione looked up and started to giggle. "Oh my goodness, you sound just like Malfoy!"
George started to laugh as well. "Oh, my dear bookworm, how distraught I am that you could ever compare me to that vile ferret!"
By this time, tears were streaming down Hermione's face. "Seriously, I didn't realize how good at impressions you were! Who else can you imitate?"
"Well, I don't doubt that this tale I will spin will sound anything but preposterous, but I implore you to listen. You see, my dear brother and I have a pact, of sorts, to humorously hex and jokingly jinx any courtship the other pursues, and this vernacular of sorts that I have put on is a result of one of his more amusing escapades," George said.
Hermione laughed at his tale and took another swig of her butterbeer. "Don't worry, I believe you, but it is quite hard to take you seriously when you talk like that. And I'm sorry, I don't know any counter-spells to your predicament, but I'm sure Fred will be able to change you back."
The pair finished their drinks and decided to wander aimlessly around the town for a while more. They each decided to pick out a shop; Hermione chose Scrivenshaft's, a shop that sold quills and stationary and the like, George chose Dervish and Bangs, to get a tin of broom polish, and they both decided on Honeydukes, the finest candy emporium in the area. Hermione bought some taffies and a sugar quill, while George bought some lollies. They both split a piece of fudge, making jokes about the Minister for Magic, Cornelius Fudge, all the while. George still spoke like a stuck-up pureblood, which Hermione still found amusing, but they managed to get in a few meaningful conversations nonetheless.
After Honeydukes, the duo decided to go to Scrivenshaft's, which was next door to the sweet shop. George was surprisingly patient as Hermione geeked out over books, stationery, and coloured inks. He quietly looked at the packaging of different items and struck up a conversation with the shopkeeper while he waited. Hermione was grateful for this; oftentimes, her friends would always try to talk to her or rush her along when she was shopping, which would distract her and make her lose her train of thought. George was thoughtful and sweet and seemed to really understand her. She really appreciated it, and when it was time to leave, George offered to carry her parcels.
It had gotten late by now; the time had seemed to fly by. But they still went to Dervish and Bangs, which sold general magical equipment. Immediately after stepping in the shop, George made a beeline right towards the brooms and Quidditch supplies. Hermione had to laugh; Ron, Harry and Ginny would do the exact same every time they shopped there. Hermione waited patiently just as George had done for her as he decided on broom polishes, and hummed along to the music that the shop was playing. The radio station played a mix of muggle and magical music, and Hermione found that she could name almost every song.
"I believe I can fly, I believe I can touch the sky," Hermione sang softly as she watched the people around her shop.
"A song about flying? I do believe I must hear more! Milady, do grace me with the cognomen of this delightful ditty!"
Hermione giggled; she still wasn't used to hearing George speak in such a manner. "Uh, I think it's I Believe I Can Fly by R. Kelly. It's a muggle song."
"Ah, but it is a great song, for it seems as if it anent Quidditch!"
"What is such the craze with Quidditch?" Hermione wondered. "It's just a sport."
George audibly gasped. "Why, my dear, it is not just a sport! It is a way of life! It's a microcosm of life itself! The team is like an organism, living and breathing as one! All the positions are paramount to the success of one another! The sport develops a sense of community and family between people who may otherwise never have met! And…"
As George droned on, Hermione realized how passionate he was about the subject at hand. It reminded her of her organization, S.P.E.W., that she had started the year before. She could tell he really cared about Quidditch, and while she may not appreciate the sport as much as others, she could appreciate when someone cared about something as much as she did.
"Take me for an exemplification! My position as Beater makes me similar to an Auror! I help to expel the darkness that threatens my allies! Quidditch is not just a sport, it's a way of life, a family!" George finished his rant and picked out a tin of broom polish.
"Wow, I never thought about it that way," Hermione said, smiling. "I can tell you really care about it."
George just smiled back and nodded. "If it would please you, milady, I could educate you in the fine art of soaring to the stars?"
Hermione hesitated; of course she'd like to spend more time with George, but flying didn't really interest her, as she was scared of heights. When she told him this, he laughed.
"Ah, of course, then. We will just have to find a hobby that will amuse us both!" He said, eyes twinkling. The pair went and bought the broom polish, and made their way back to Hogwarts and the glowing lights of the castle in the dimming light. They walked hand in hand up to the Great Hall, and went their separate ways, agreeing to talk again in the morning and definitely go out again sometime soon. Hermione sat next to Harry, Ron and Ginny, while George sat next to his twin and the resident matchmaker of Gryffindor Tower, Lee Jordan.
"So, how was the date, brother of mine?" Fred asked, exchanging a grin with Lee and his twin.
"Fantastic, dear brother, although I was informed numerous times throughout the adventure that I resembled our dear Slytherin ferret in voice," George said, putting some shepherd's pie on his plate. Fred chuckled and used the counter-spell on George, changing his voice back to normal.
"Why thank you, dear brother, though do be informed that I will get you back!"
A/N: Hope you enjoyed! If you did, please review! I'd love to hear from you!
