A resolution for a new year: FINISH ALL FICS STARTED. SO FEEL FREE TO REMIND ME IF I FORGET.
A Mythical Engagement.
Chapter 8.
A week had passed and then a second and eventually a third. She could scarcely believe she was managing to hold it together. Or that the passable attempt at keeping her problems from those she loved was working. Kaylee of course knew as she had been here and so her sister was there to support her through the worst times. Although, Kaylee had remarked that she really couldn't be doing that good a job at it as her family, the magic kind, contacted her every chance they got and she resolutely avoided them, with a so far 100 success rate.
Hermione herself felt she had become quite proficient in the art of self delusion and so it was how she had begun to start her day. If she slipped from cloud Mia/ Hermione Kaylee would bring her right back. After all it was part of her sisters job to keep her firmly aloft.
She went through her routine systematically until she made her way down the stairs only to find none other then George Weasley making himself at home in her kitchen. She must have stood there for at least a full minute before being able to snap, "What are you doing here?"
"Hermione! Dear little sister is that anyway to greet the man who is making your breakfast." He replied in a disgustingly cheerful voice. "Where is my good morning angel?"
"George, it is far too damn early for you to be this damn awake, what do you want?" She snapped again and begun to think that maybe today was not the day for self delusion to lose, however it would seem cloud Hermione was destined to get back to earth.
George looked at her and smiled seriously, "You're not sleeping again. You're obviously not eating; don't you think maybe it is time to tell us what is going on?" He continued with his voice full of concern.
She looked up in shock from her place at the table, having sunk down head on her hands, and smiled reassuringly, and then stopped herself adopting a serious expression to match him. "I don't suppose you would believe me if I told you there is nothing wrong. Though why you are the one who is here is beyond me, which call did you make, rock, paper or scissors.
He put the scrambled eggs he had made on her plate and looked at her asking, "Do you really think so little of yourself that you would think a game sent me here. I am here because I want to be. I'm here because we are all worried, you come and your not really there. I managed to convince mum that it was better is she didn't come, but you're looking at a pro at evasion tactics, you are not very good at it. Honey, what's wrong?" He began to eat his own food to give her time to collect her thoughts. There had to be something she could tell him that would give him at least the slightest clue how to fix what is broken.
She continued to eat mechanically continually looking around at everything but at him. She was not sure she was ready to admit the lack of self control she had been exhibiting lately. She couldn't tell him the stuff she felt she could without spilling her guts and she didn't want to do that. She managed to lose her head in thought and went back to the last time she had seen Lee.
Merlin you would think that after everything that had transpired between them she would be ignoring him completely. To give herself some credit here she had tried to do exactly this, she had chosen to sit at different tables, refused to share information and books, something that had previously saved her a lot of time and energy. She patted herself on the back mentally when she thought of the men she had also flirted with in the hope of erasing Lee from her mind. She also supposed that this was the reason that had also made Lee act the way he had, although he knew It could not be jealousy he was feeling as he had made it quite clear he felt nothing for her; she replayed the looks he turned her way and then those he reserved for the poor unsuspecting souls who had dared to so much as look at her with interest. Even she had to recognise the way he would then touch her, it was clear he seemed to view her as his territory alone. Every time she argued with him over his behaviour he would silence her with a kiss and then as with before he would leave her heartbroken again.
She swore blind that this Hermione she herself did not know, how could he do this to her? More importantly how could she let him?
Mia seemed to let everything slide and had a peculiar pattern of throwing caution and dignity to the wind and does exactly as she wants with absolutely no thought as to the consequences of her actions.
George kept on watching her with worry as she had sat there in silence for minutes now even though he could see her mind working. He watched as she managed to completely forget his presence unmoving until her eyes filled with tears and she let out a choked sob. This spurred him into action, taking her in his arms he then saw as she let out a surprised squeak truly having forgotten he was there. He held her while she completely let go and then stayed in shocked silence, this Hermione he had only seen when she felt her world come completely apart, not often and definitely not something she had done for years. He felt it was his duty as her surrogate brother to fix the problem where possible and simply cheer her up where he couldn't. Perhaps she wasn't ready to tell him yet but he would make sure she knew he was here when she felt she needed to tell someone. So he lifted her up put her on his lap and held her until she calmed enough to sleep.
For the rest of the day he made it his personal mission to make her feel at least marginally better and so he conjured up some popcorn and took out the DVD's Hermione had introduced them all too. He sent her to shower while he cleaned up the dishes from the morning and was unsurprised when she came out in clothes one would only accept a girlfriend or sister to be wearing unselfconsciously around a man. It had been a shock and yet strangely gratifying to all the Weasley boys when Hermione had begun acting just like Ginny would around them for she had truly become part of their family. This also meant that out of love for their sister any wrong bestowed upon her was taken as a personal insult by all Weasley's and thus dealt with the problem in force.
By the time evening had gravitated around the couch had been pulled out and Kaylee had joined them with takeout food. It was all in all a success when Hermione fell asleep between them and soon after both Kaylee and he himself followed her into the realm of dreams.
The next day dawned bright and apparently very late when Hermione finally awoke feeling better then she had in weeks and actually felt she was up to facing the day. She did however allow for the man who had fallen asleep beside her, her sister apparently long since gone to work. She vaguely remembered that she had missed an appointment with a professor of anthropology and really should call Lee to find out what had been said but she did not feel like dealing with him today. It was Sunday anyway and so she did not need to think about anything aside form actually showing up mind, body and spirit to the Family dinner. She was really afraid that Molly would try to find out what was wrong and she did not need well meaning advice yet.
The next time he woke up it was again to find George making breakfast in her kitchen. Invariably there had been another matter of importance that needed to be spoken of and so naturally breakfast turned into a semi formal briefing. George had made a "date" with a muggle informant for lunch that day and so he needed to borrow the Granger identity for a while. His disguise was to be built from her families features and so no one knew what this results this transformation would produce.
Thus Tobias was seen leaving Mia's flat before the lunch hour began to pick up his date. She waved him off from the door having hugged him for luck and kissed his cheek in thanks for the previous day.
Both Hermione and George missed the stormy eyes that watched the scenario fold out and misinterpret it completely. She went back inside and cleaned up form there mornings ministrations and barely even registered that she was not alone anymore. Stupid she thought as she knew her wand was in her bathroom and so her only defence would be to scream and try to find a weapon in the muggle items Kaylee owned. Instead when she turned she found herself staring at a pair of eyes filled with thunder.
"What the hell are you doing here Lee?" She exploded in anger, standing hands on hips she felt her body fill with anger and knew this was what was making her brave. Her hair a riot of curls this morning made her more then an intimidating figure Mia was finally ready to say her piece. "How did you get in here?"
Instead of answering he watched her letting the arousal he felt at her appearance fuel his anger further. "Who was he?" Voice filled with cruelty as his eyes accused her of betrayal.
How dare he! "That is none of your business" she yelled back. This time she meant to hurt him back she had taken enough fro him.
"Who was he?" He asked again voice dangerously calm this time, He stepped up to her and took hold of her arm as she made to walk away, "answer me Mia."
She probably should have felt afraid but she believed he would not hurt her though this time she recognised the hurt in his eyes. She had come to recognise that he spoke with eyes more then his words when it came to her and so she answered him truthfully, "He's my brother Lee." Shock filled his gaze and then remorse but she refused to let this get in her way and so she finished it off with," now go Lee."
She had turned away from him completely, he felt like an arse and knew he should just leave but he just couldn't until she understood he had not come here to hurt her. "I'm sorry Mia; I was worried when you didn't show yesterday. I tried to call you but you weren't answering, look I just… I'm sorry."
She may have let it go if he just left but he was trying to comfort her, her emotions too raw to sort through yet again and so anger re- flared and she let out a bitter laugh, "You're sorry? What are you sorry for Lee? You have no damn right to be here, no right to anything form me anymore!" She took a quick breathe and spat out the rest of her words horribly, punctuating each with a pause for effect, "I am not yours."
Hermione was proud at the courage she had displayed but made the mistake of looking into his eyes and immediately her victory turned to guilt. He looked as if she had cursed him badly. She wished in that moment that she had it in her to be a mean person badly as she found herself calling after him when he turned to walk away. "Lee? I'm sorry"
He turned to her then and said something even he did not expect to say. "Don't be sorry, everything you said is true. I have no rights where you're concerned." His words were negated slightly as with each word he took a step towards her until he stood directly in front off/" Here he did what he always did and again she let him.
She knew she should push him away but her energy was spent and he had admitted to feeling something for her and so she let go and kissed him back with all the emotions she had felt in the weeks he had hurt her. Right in that moment she did not care that he would walk away again and all the progress she had made would fly out the window.
She needed this, Hermione needed this and so as Mia would do she let the consequences fly out the window and; surely this time would be different cried Mia in her head imploring Hermione to believe it and yet she didn't. Tears burned behind her eyes and then on her cheeks and then mingled with their kiss.
"Mia? Mia please don't cry." He implored of her holding her tighter. His embrace only served to make Hermione feel worse and this time the tears came in earnest. "No Lee!" she cried. "This time I'm walking away form you don't get to do this to me again. You were right this isn't love it is sex and now it's over. Leave Lee, get out! I'm going to take a shower and when I get back you can't be here." She dismissed him and for once held it together, that was until she reached the bathroom where her tears returned. This time when the shower finished she still had not stopped crying. She was finally ready for someone else to pick up the pieces so she conjured up clothes and apparated to the Burrow. Ron, Harry and Ginny would know her as Mia and so she wasn't worried about getting hurt. Changing her appearance seemed like to much work at that moment and her family wouldn't care.
He did not here the pop that meant she had apparated as he had just left her flat. Unthinkingly he chose to apparate to the burrow for the comfort he now sought.
