Leaving on a trip tomorrow so I decided to upload this one, not knowing how much time I will have for the next week. Sorry it's so short, I just wanted to end it where it ends. Yay for the shortest chapter yet! Thanks again for reading and reviewing. Enjoy :)

DISCLAIMER: I do not own anything Harry Potter.

Chapter 6: Bending Time

He lowered his face even more and her heart raced. She slowly started closing her eyes and tilted her head up, so he wouldn't have to bend over as much. She continued to tell herself to stay calm and not freak out, act cool. One thought after another ran across her mind and her fear grew bigger as she waited. Not sure weather she was excited, but when she didn't feel his lips against hers, she peaked her eyes open and heard George's voice right next to her ear.

"We should go outside." He whispered.

Once she nodded in agreement, George dropped his arms from the embarrassed Hermione. She wanted to beat herself up for thinking that George Weasley would kiss a girl like her and for actually hoping it would happen. He took her hand and led her out a side of the tent. He led her out then dropped her hand, sliding his own into his pockets. She followed close behind him, secretly watching his confident strides. Every so often her would look back at her to make sure she hadn't disappeared. Hermione became aware how the distance between them was growing so she took of her heels and ran up to George, who had seen the ungraceful sight and was silently laughing. They continued walking in silence, not knowing exactly what to say. Eventually George stopped when the people in the tents looked like dots. He looked at the ground and was kicking the wet grass, while Hermione chose to look at the stars. She stared at the shining dots that hung in the sky and like always, was fascinated. She tried to distract the silence with her own thoughts, about how maybe why George was looking as the ground and why she was looking at the sky had something to do with their personalities or what they were going through. She laughed to herself about the thought. I always just over think everything, don't I? She thought. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw George change his view to the stars.

"Their brilliant, aren't they?" George asked getting closer to Hermione.

"Yeah." Hermione said, not really wanting to talk to him, still embarrassed from the idea of George wanting to kiss her.

"You can see um better if you lay down." He said, starting to follow his own advice.

"But I might get grass stains." She pointed out. "Ginny would kill me."

"It really is a spectacular dress, but we have wands, remember? Best laundry detergent there is." He said already laying down. His hands were situated behind his head and one leg was crossed over the other.

There was a bit more silence. He patted a spot of damp grass next to him and reluctantly she got down on the ground. She flattened out her dress so she wouldn't expose too much of her leg and folded her hands flat on top of her stomach. He lifted one of his arms out from under his head and pointed to a spot in the sky.

"Do you see those 3 stars?" He said. "The really bright ones."

Hermione tried nodding, then realized that he probably couldn't see her motion, "Yes."

"Those make up Orion's belt. Follow the line of that to the left and you will see the star Sirius." He said. "It's the brightest star visible and every time I look at it I think of Sirius Black."

This time she nodded, not wanting to say anything. She had never had a close connection with Sirius, but still the pain of his death and how it affected Harry was hard on her. Reminded her of Sirius's murderer, her thoughts returned to the night before and shuttered at the idea that Bellatrix Lestrange could still be out there, hunting her down.

"And follow the belt to the right and you'll see Aldebaran." George said moving his hand and pointing to another spot.

He continued to ramble on about all the different stars you could see in the clear night sky. Hermione zoned his lecture out and just turned her head to watch him. This was the first time she had seen him so interested in something other then pulling pranks on people and making them laugh. She watched him as excitement filled his eyes when he explained yet another constellation or star and shared his vast knowledge about it. Aware that his audience had stopped paying attention, he stopped talking and looked at her, his gaze was playfully condescending.

"I was giving you a lecture about my knowledge on the stars and you weren't listening to me? Wow Granger, so mean." George said in mock hurt.

"Sorry, it's just that, how do you know all this stuff?" She asked knowing the twins disinterest in any other subject but charms and potions related to their products.

"Astronomy classes." George said as if it was obvious.

"And you are saying that you paid attention?" She said returning her gaze to the stars.

"Well, no. I only listened to the things I thought could impress a girl." He said, his gaze set on Sirius. "Which apparently wasn't enough to pass my O.W.L.s."

Hermione started locating the stars he had pointed out earlier, as if catching up on his mini lesson. "George, I have been selfish for the past month or so. You have been so good to me, with Ron and Bellatrix and everything else, but I haven't asked you how you're doing?"

"I'm fine." He said, too quickly. Hermione wasn't convinced.

"Come on, you must have something to say." She said. "Like if there are any problems in the shop or what's it been like since the war when you almost lost Fred or-"

"I'm fine Hermione." He insisted, more forcefully this time.

"I'm sorry, it's just that you never talked about it when he was in the hosp-"

"Don't worry about it." George interrupted, making the topic unusable in the conversation.

They laid there in silence on the moist grass. The ends of the blades ticked the parts of Hermione's back and legs that weren't covered. While watching the stars hang above her, she didn't realize how tired she was. Hermione did her best to stay awake, but slowly the weight of her eyelids became too much for her to fight and she fell into a deep sleep.

…

"So this is what a sleeping Granger looks like?"

"Shut up Fred, let her sleep."

"It's so... peaceful."

"It's not…I mean she's not an it."

"Go on defend your girlfriend, I won't tell Katie."

"Shut up mate, let's just get breakfast and wake her up later."

"Oh so it's okay not to wake her up, but you're completely fine with beating your own brother up."

"Whatever."

Hermione fluttered her eyes open to the scene of Fred and George hovering right over her. Both grew identical smiles at the sight of her eyes being open.

"She's awake." Fred said to George but his eyes still on Hermione.

"Mum told us to come wake you up."

"But George thought it was rude."

"She stayed up late."

"Not as late as the rest of us."

"She's been busy."

"So have we." Fred argued, and then turned to Hermione. "Nothing against you of course, just George being a pillock."

"Just be quiet Fred."

"But we've got to get our little Hermione down for breakfast."

"Oi, let her get up, she'll come down when she's ready."

"Or do you just want me to leave so you can have a snogging session."

"Fred!"

"Bout time you learned my name."

"Shut up you git."

"Could say the same to you."

"Guys, guys." Hermione said, not wanting to wake up to a fight. "Lets just go for breakfast; I'm up, so the discussion is over."

"Whatever Granger." Fred said.

"Ruining our morning fun."

"Get down quick." Fred started.

"Or Mum will kill ya." The two said in unison.

"Oh yeah, Hermione." George said, halfway out the door. He turned around and gave he one of his flirty smiles. "Good morning."

"No need to be kind to your girlfriend, she's' been holdin up breakfast."

"Not my girlfriend!"

The two continued arguing down the hall and from what Hermione saw, it turned into a pushing fight, resulting in Fred pushing George down the stairs. She looked around the room and saw that it wasn't her regular room, but instead Fred and George's. She got up and noticed she was still in her dress and the shoes were right next to the bed. She rushed over to her room to get changed into some sweats and a t-shirt. She did her best to clear her face from most of the make up, but some of it was too stubborn to wipe off, before she headed downstairs she undid last night's hairstyle and tied it into a ponytail. Then she walked down to the already eating table. She didn't attract much attention when she took a seat between Ginny and George. She served herself some sausage and fried eggs.

"Sleep well?" George asked taking a bite of toast.

"Yeah, although how did I get in your room?"

"Well Angelina and Lavender left for the night so, Fred slept with Ron and Harry with Ginny. Since, you fell asleep last night outside I carried you to my room so Ginny wouldn't wake you up when she was getting ready for bed and I was going to bed at the same time as you, so it worked out."

Hermione just nodded and finished breakfast quickly. Once she cleared her spot an unfamiliar owl swooped into the kitchen and dropped a letter into Hermione's hands. Everyone was silent and had paused from their eating. Hermione opened the letter carefully and slowly pulled out a piece of paper from inside.

Dear Hermione,

It was so nice seeing you at the engagement party last night and I was disappointed I had to leave before we could make plans to meet up again. So if you could just send Oliver (the owl) back with a date when you are free, that would be brilliant. I hope we can get together soon.

Seamus

"Hermione, who's it from?" Ginny asked.

"Seamus." She said, with a smile growing on her face, but she didn't exactly know why.

"You guys are going on a date, aren't you?" Ginny practically screamed. She hopped out of her seat and ran up stairs dragging Hermione right behind her.

"So tell me, what does it say?" Ginny said taking a seat on her bed, ready to assess what preparations needs to be done.

"Um, he said it was nice seeing me, he was disappointed we didn't make plans last night, his owl's name is Oliver, and he wants to know a night where I'm free to get together with him." Hermione summarized standing in front of the overly excited Ginny.

"Oh, write him back saying your free next Saturday." Ginny said already getting out a piece of parchment.

"But I have your Bachelorette party Saturday." Hermione said as she leaned over the parchment with a quill in her hand.

"Oh right, then Friday."

Hermione took her time writing out a response, trying to make her handwriting look neat and her words carefully chosen. Then she gave the letter back to Oliver who flew out the open window in their room.

"Well, we must begin getting you ready." Ginny said starting to sort through her clothes.

"But Gin, it's in a week I'm sure it doesn't take that long to get ready." Hermione said, knowing how Ginny over reacts.

"Hermione this is your first date with your potential husband, it will take as long as we need."