Seven Sleepless Nights by WeasleyForMe
With swirling thoughts and a hectic schedule, Hermione finds herself unable to sleep. When George shares his secret with her and keeps her company, she finds another, sweeter reason to stay up late.
Thanks to seven time award winning beta, Cover Bay, for beta reading for me! :)
Monday Night
After a full day of classes, and very little sleep, Hermione's current mood wasn't something to be toyed with. It was getting quite late, and she was slightly annoyed by the lack of enthusiasm being currently displayed by her fellow Dumbledore's Army members. So, when Ron goaded her on during their meeting, everyone around them held their breath, awaiting her response.
"Come on Hermione, you can try to hit me with a stunning curse. I'll go easy one you since you're a girl."
"Excuse me, Ronald?" she asked, obviously seething. "I could duel you in my sleep, and you know it!" The Patil twins backed away, and Fred and George tried not to smile too brightly. Ron was in for the curse of the century.
"But Hermione, everyone knows that you're just slower with your wand work than I am," Ron responded casually.
Harry stepped in between them before Hermione could do anything drastic. "Now calm down, both of you. You will duel properly, for Merlin's sake."
Ron and Hermione backed slowly apart, to opposite corners of the Room of Requirement. As Hermione dropped her wand to her side, ready to strike, she caught George's eye, and he gave her a huge grin and a thumbs up. With a smirk, Hermione waited for Ron to make the first movement. Before he could fully raise his wand, she had shouted out the incantation, and he was lying on his back, completely stunned and unable to move.
Fred and George burst out into a chorus of "Granger is our Queen!" while Neville stared wide eyed at Hermione's wand.
As Hermione picked an imaginary piece of lint off of her sweater, she tried to contain her smirk. "Did I do it right?" she asked innocently.
"Yeah… you did it right," Harry confirmed, hiding his smile behind his sleeve as he went to help Ron stand up. "Everyone is dismissed," he announced to the room. "Same time next week."
While Ginny cornered Fred in conversation, George jogged after a very self-satisfied looking Hermione as she left the Room of Requirement. "Hey, Hermione, that was brilliant! Think you can hex him again at breakfast? You know, so the rest of us can get enough to eat?" he asked, falling into stride along side the younger witch as they made their way back to Gryffindor Tower.
She shook her and looked up at him. "I thought you would take his side. He is your brother after all," she told George. "And I do feel a little bad about how hard I stunned him."
"Nah, he's a git, and he shouldn't have been talking to you that way."
Hermione felt the back of her neck grow warm as his words washed over her. "Thanks," she muttered. Ever since they had spoken late the previous night, George had been on her mind, and she didn't know why.
"Wait!" George suddenly whispered, resting his hand on her shoulder to stop her. "I hear Mrs. Norris!"
Hermione froze, hearing the faint sounds of Filch's cat meowing and prowling the hallway. "Where should we go?!" she asked frantically. It was nearly curfew, and they weren't yet close to their common room.
George took her by the hand and pulled her with him behind a wall-length tapestry depicting the Goblin War of 1414. "We should be safe back here," he whispered as he pushed her into a tiny alcove behind the tapestry which was lit by a single, dim torch. "One of my favourite hiding places," he told Hermione as she pressed her back against the stone wall, trying to make more room for him.
As she stood there, smashed against the stones, she was both pleased and terrified to find that she could afford them no extra space; George's body was just inches from hers, and she could feel his warm breath on her cheek. "Sorry, it's a bit cramped. I'm used to hiding here alone," he whispered, smiling down at her. "I was actually stuck here last night on my way out with Ginny's broom, because Snape was lurking around."
"It's ok!" she squeaked, sounding like a Firstie, afraid to talk to boys. She nervously cleared her throat and tried not to look at George's lips which were attached to his handsome face which was perched atop his rather fit looking body which was now chest to chest with her own.
"So, is this one of your wildest fantasies, Granger?" George asked amusedly, sensing her discomfort and taking advantage of it.
"What?!" she gasped, trying to keep her voice quiet. "Of course not, George!" All of her efforts were for naught as her eyes drifted to his lips which had formed an adorable smirk.
"I don't believe you."
Hermione snorted, realizing how much he enjoyed making her uncomfortable. "Well, I suppose it could be worse. You could be Terry Boot."
"What's wrong with Terry Boot?" George asked, suddenly quite confused.
"Well, nothing, if you enjoy being winked at during all of your classes," she told him, shuddering as she recalled aloud the way Terry had started winking and passing her notes during History of Magic.
George knew how that felt. Millicent Bulstrode used to smile at him and bat her eyelashes, a look which she surely thought was appealing to George. On the contrary, it made him feel like he'd eaten a slug.
But, Hermione wasn't like that at all. The witch pressed up against him wasn't exactly pretty in the conventional manner, but George had certainly taken note that Hermione was growing up to be rather attractive in her own way. He tried to hide his brilliant smile as he told her, "Wouldn't be too bad, if you were the one doing the winking, and I was the bloke you were winking at."
Hermione felt the familiar heat spreading across the back of her neck once more. Not knowing what else to say, she asked, "Do you think Mrs. Norris has gone yet?"
Sighing, George placed his hands against the stone wall on either side of her face, and leaned a little closer before he pushed himself away from her. He watched as her eyes went wide before fluttering closed. "Let's have a look, shall we?" he asked, tearing himself away from her as he peeked around the tapestry. "Coast is clear."
They wound their way quietly though the corridors until they reached the Fat Lady, hoping to avoid Mrs. Norris and Filch. "So, how much do you want to bet that Ron won't be talking to me for the rest of the week?" Hermione asked cheerfully as she and George ducked through the portrait hole.
"You certainly sound happy about the prospect," George laughed, seeing his baby brother in the corner of the room with Lavender Brown fussing over him. Hermione stiffened a bit by his side as she too saw Ron lean in and kiss Lavender's cheek. George pulled Hermione away from them and asked, "So, did you sleep on it?"
"Sleep on what?" she asked with a raised eyebrow, temporarily distracted from Ron and Lav Lav.
"The broom ride that you said you'd take with me," he replied with a wink.
Hermione didn't find it at all irritating like Terry's winks. She bit her lower lip. "Maybe I need another night to sleep on it."
"Suit yourself, but I'm going to go grab Ginny's broom and hopefully avoid ol' Filchy."
Hermione laughed. "Good luck with that," she told him and turned to go grab her school books from her dorm, delighted to find that Ron had vacated the room.
When George returned from his late night flight, the clock in the common room struck three in the morning. Hermione had fallen asleep on the crimson loveseat with her Charms text open across her body and a quill in her hand. Smiling, George gently closed the book and set it on the floor with the quill, but she still didn't look quite right.
Quickly, he dashed up to his own dorm and grabbed his extra pillow and quilt before hurrying back to the common room. He gently covered Hermione his blanket and tucked the pillow under her curls, hoping she would sleep more comfortably.
"Good night, pretty Prefect," he whispered as he turned to leave, and a small smile found its way onto Hermione's lips.
Isn't George sweet?
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