She was going to be happy and enjoy her last week of summer with her boyfriend and his family, sans her ex-boyfriend who had decided to take up residence at Grimmauld Place until they returned to school. Apparently he was still under the impression that George had turned her against him and that his cheating and shitty attitude had nothing to do with her leaving him.

One Week Earlier, the day after the dinner fiasco:

A letter was dropped onto Hermione's desk below her window by a crotchety old owl that promptly turned and left when his duty was done-Errol the Weasley family owl, no doubt.

Hermione opened the letter and scoffed when her suspicions were confirmed that it was from Ron.

It read:

" 'Mione,

Please forgive me. I am such an unbelievable git and I will never forgive myself for hurting you. I swear that if you come back to me I'll be nothing but wonderful to you. I know that George somehow managed to convince you that I'm not good enough for you but he's just jealous that I had you and he didn't. The whole thing with Daph was a misunderstanding. I didn't think that we were serious enough for you to care. Don't think I didn't want you or something, I did. But I didn't think you were really into sex and stuff so I didn't want to push you.

So, yea, come back to the man you belong to and leave my stupid brother.

All my love,

Ron

P.S. I promise if you take me back and have sex with me I'll break things off with Daph."

When she got it, she floo'd over the Burrow immediately to show George and yell at Ron for being such an ass.

George, knowing his girlfriend well, caught her on the hearth as soon as she arrived. He had seen Ron send Errol off and assumed he was going to Hermione with a letter of some sort. Seeing how indignant she was, he assumed Ron had made a paramount ass of himself and that taking her wand would be a good idea.

"Darling, please give me your wand" pleaded George for the third time as he continued to restrain a very pissed off Hermione from storming up the stairs and hexing Ron's penis off.

"Sure, I'll give it to you. As soon as I either hex off that disgusting penis of his or kill him. Maybe both. How DARE he insinuate that I'm asexual, or WORSE, that the only reason he'd stop cheating if I were STUPID enough to take him back would be if I got in the sack with him! That ignorant, cowardly, childish little prick is going to get what is coming to him. Now, LET ME GO, GEORGE!" with an uncharacteristic stomp of her foot.

He couldn't help but smile. She was so sexy when she was mad, and absolutely adorable when she was pouting. How had he not seen her this way sooner?

Once he forced some tea, laced with a calming draught, down her throat she sighed deeply and plopped herself down into his lap and slumped until her head was on his shoulder. "How could he think so little of me, George? We were best friends for years and then he goes and assumes that if I don't have sex with him he can go and give it to whatever daft bimbo will have him. Am I that inconsequential? We weren't working out anyway because, obviously, I loved someone else. But at least I never went around giving myself to the person I was interested in while I was with him. God, how could I be so stupid?"

George wrapped his arms around her and pulled her closer to him. Seeing her hurt, especially by his own brother, was tearing him up inside. He knew she didn't love Ron like she did him, and that she didn't want to be with him again, but knowing that she had cared enough about him that he could tear her up like this was miserable.

"Darling, he isn't worth your time or your tears. He is too immature to see what was wrong with the picture, which is just pathetic. I love you, my family adores you and you are anything but inconsequential to me. Now, can you handle talking to him without hexing his pecker off? If so I'll go retrieve the little weasel from upstairs and drag his ass down here."

"Oh, Georgie, I love you. I really do. And, as long as you're here, I think I can manage him. I'll just sit here with this goddamn letter and wait" she said calmly as George kissed her on the cheek when he stood up and placed her back in the kitchen chair.

A few moments later after a loud bout of screaming and berating from George, Ron appeared at the bottom of the stairs as he landed on his ass no doubt having been tossed down the last flight or two. He looked ruffled and pissed off, but Hermione didn't honestly care how he felt.

"Ronald, I wish to speak with you. Now, please."

"Judging by the fact that your dear Georgie was the one to get me from my room should I assume that you're not considering my offer?" said Ron in a very stern tone.

"You should assume that you're lucky my boyfriend took my wand so I didn't hex your manhood off as soon as you landed at the foot of those stairs, you prat" spat Hermione. George's Calming Draught wasn't strong enough to contain the rage creeping into Hermione.

Just in time George apparated right behind Hermione and caught her fist in midair as she was preparing to punch Ron in the face, much like she did to Malfoy in their third year, when he stepped into the kitchen. " 'Ne, he's not worth it. Plus, you don't want to catch something from him. He's been with that Greengrass bitch and you have to assume he's caught something" said the twin, as he threw a nasty sneer in his little brother's direction.

And, with that, Ron lost his cool and said the worst thing that could have come out of his mouth: "If the slut wants to punch me, she can go right on ahead. It's quite apparent she's dying to touch me since you're obviously not doing it for her in the bedroom."

Before either Hermione or George had the chance to move, Ron was on the ground writhing in pain.

Standing in the doorway behind him was Ginny. "How dare you ever call her a slut. You are vile, Ronald Weasley. I have half a mind to leave you here until Mum finds you so you can explain why you got hexed. But, instead, I'm going to fix this and then you're going to leave and not return for a very long while. Get out of the house."

And, with that, Ginny lifted her hex and Ron crawled to the fireplace and with a very weak "Grimmauld Place" disappeared in green flames.

After that rather traumatic experience, Hermione had stayed away from the Burrow and opted to have George spend time in her parent's home. Both of Hermione's parents loved George and thought him to be quite something, which said something because they were never Ron's biggest fans. Dr. Granger had expressed to his wife, many times, that "that youngest Weasley boy just isn't good enough for our little girl. She's much too dedicated for someone like him." And, of course, he had been right.

Back to the Present:

George arrived in the middle of Hermione thinking back to the events of the last week as she put the finishing touches on her packing. When she walked down stairs to sit with her mother in the kitchen, she found George sitting at the kitchen table having a pot of tea and discussing his newly acquired teaching position at Hogwarts very intently. He looked up when she walked up behind her mother, smiling broadly.

"Well, if it isn't my lovely lady. Don't worry, I haven't been boring your mum for too terribly long" said George in a sweet tone.

"George you don't give yourself enough credit. You're not the least bit boring, I promise" said Mrs. Granger with a smile. She really did like George.

"Well, I hate to break up the party but I believe Molly will be expecting us soon, won't she darling?" said Hermione. Seeing her mother and her beaux talking and enjoying each other's company was touching. It was always her dream that she would have a man who fit into her family perfectly, and vice versa.

"Yes, you're probably right. Well, it was lovely to see you Elaine. I promise I'll take good care of 'Ne as long as you behave yourself while she's gone" joked the red head with a smile that spread all the way to his gorgeous green eyes.

Mrs. Granger laughed a little and bid her daughter and almost-son-in-law farewell and a safe trip.

When the couple apparated into the Burrow Molly was waiting to receive Hermione with open arms. Ginny was spending a lot of time with Harry and, since he was with Ron most days, she was also at Grimmauld Place.

"Hermione, dear! I have missed having you around! How are you? I know your owls, and George's reports, have said you're doing well but it's nice to see for myself." Molly Weasley really was the best second mother she could ever ask for. The unconditional love was comforting, especially when she was the reason that her youngest son refused to come home for the last week of summer vacation.

"I've missed you too, Molly. I love my parents, but being here makes me feel like I'm really...home, I guess" said Hermione wistfully. In truth, the Burrow had been one of the few places she had felt totally safe since the day Voldemort had returned to power. Even though Harry had defeated him, some feelings just never change.

"Well, dears, why don't you go take a seat at the table? It's just the three of us and Arthur tonight since the boys and Ginny are taking up residence at Grimmauld Place this week" finished Molly. Though, Hermione was sure that she had mumbled something like "Ronald and his immaturity" as they went to walk away but she decided it was best not to press it.

George had not let go of Hermione's hand since they had left her home. He was so attentive and sweet and...perfect. She had only thought about Draco a handful of times since she had gotten together with George, most of which were when she was feeling the anxiety that had settled in her stomach.

"George, I am so thrilled you're coming back to Hogwarts. I know that, technically, you're a professor but since you won't be teaching any of my classes do you think Professor McGonagall will mind us being together?" Hermione asked anxiously as George settled her into a dining chair.

"I already owled Minerva, Merlin that's weird, isn't it? Anyway, I got it sorted out. It comes down to the fact that my job comes first and if, somehow, the most well behaved student in the school decides to become a holy bloody terror, I have to be willing to discipline you accordingly." George said with a bark of laughter at the end.

"George, what are you laughing at?"

"The only way I'll discipline you, beautiful, is if I'm spanking you while we're in bed because you've been a bad girl" whispered George in a voice that could only be described as lustful.

Hermione's breath caught in her chest. Dear god, she thought, he wants to have sex with me? I...I've never done that and I...SHIT! I guess we're going to have to talk after dinner.

"What is it, lovely? Did I catch you off guard?" said her boyfriend with a wink as he sat down next to her at the dinner table.

"I..uh...erm…we can talk about this after dinner?" said Hermione hurriedly as Mrs. Weasley walked over to the table, with four serving dishes of food hovering in the air in front of her.

"Dinner is ready and, according to the clock, Arthur is travelling so he will be home any minute."

A moment later Arthur arrived and dinner commenced, filled with warm conversation and lots of laughter and smiles.

Hermione had tried her best throughout dinner not to act strange, but George knew he had said something to upset her. After they helped Molly clear the table the two departed for their bench in the garden to get a little privacy. George knew that this talk probably shouldn't happen within earshot of his mother.

Rather than pulling her into his lap George let Hermione situate herself next to him on the bench; he knew well that she needed space when she was upset. The couple sat in silence for a while before Hermione finally found her bearings enough to speak.

"George, I'm not mad at you I just…was caught off guard by your comment before dinner. I'm a virgin and I've barely ever done anything with a boy other than kissing and I'm not sure what to do or how this stuff works in a relationship and I swear I'm not a prude I just don't know if I'm ready for sex right now because life is crazy." The sentence spilled out of her mouth in a blur before she could stop it. So much for not sounding like a nutter.

" 'Ne, I am so sorry that my comment upset you. I was being playful. I don't think you're prude by any means love. I think that you are a woman of class and when you are ready you will give yourself to a very lucky man. Though I do hope it is me, I have no expectations. When you're ready for more, you let me know. Until then, we will just stay where we are."

"George, I never thought you were pushing I just...I'm nervous. I'm eighteen and I have yet to do anything with a man. You're older and I wager much more experienced than myself. I'm worried you wouldn't be satisfied with my nonexistent repertoire of seduction."

"Love, don't worry yourself. If we get more intimate, so be it. If not I'm more than satisfied with just having you in my life in any capacity. I love you."

Hermione's heart pounded. She didn't know what to do. So, Mum was right. He has a big enough heart that he would let me go if he isn't where my heart settles…but, he loves me. And I love him dearly. Much more than friends, definitely, but not as much as…. That doesn't matter. I'll let things progress. I shouldn't hold myself out for a man that I may never even see again. And, with that, Hermione decided that she wouldn't hinder progress with George for the sake of a man that wasn't even on this side of the Atlantic.

"George, I love you. And I promise things will be brilliant. You're amazing."

George was looking at Hermione like she was the only other person who existed in the world. His heart was swelling with emotion and he knew there was no way words could show her what he felt for her. He would wait until she was ready to take things further but, when she was, he would make love to her in such a way that a part of his heart would be forever implanted in her. He would make sure that she never doubted how excruciatingly perfect he found her to be. And, hopefully, he would retrieve the part of her heart that was absent. Ever since the day a month ago that they had finally gotten together George knew she wasn't completely his; he didn't know where the rest of her heart was, but he knew she wouldn't give it to just anyone. I will do my damnedest to get her to love me in her entirety and, if that isn't what happens, I will still love her forever because that's the least I can do after everything she has done for me.

"Hermione, I am the luckiest bloke on the bloody planet. Thank you for being everything that you are."