Chapter 10 The ultimate hangover.

"Ron what is a matter, what happened with Hermione" said a concerned Mrs. Weasley as she lowered herself down to meet her son's eyes. The shocking bright blue eyes that were similar to the sky on a summer's day had been once again replaced by dull grey ones that were like the clouds before a thunder storm.

Hermione woke that morning with a thumping pain in her head, which she associated with having drunk to much the night before. So she decided to stay in bed instead of what she would usually do, which was to get up straight away. Then all of a sudden she noticed that there was a warm feeling around her stomach, which she hadn't noticed before because of her head. Then everything that had happened last night hit her like a ton of bricks. How her and George were sitting on the couch just talking and joking with each other and then the wine, dancing and then the kissing. Everything beyond that point was still a blur.

Hermione took a deep breath and gathered her strength to turn around, she knew what she would see but she still needed to see him to make sure it wasn't all just a bad dream. She turned as slowly as possible, making sure that she wouldn't disturb him.

Then she saw him. She began to breathe uncontrollably her entire body began to tremble. She needed to get out of the bed, she didn't care if she woke him, she just needed to escape this nightmare. She hastily grabbed whatever there was available to cover her exposed body. Seeing her dressing gown on a pile on the floor she ran over to it, picking it up, she draped it over herself and ran towards the door.

She felt a sickening feeling rise from the pit of her stomach, pulling her hand across her mouth she sprinted towards the bathroom as fast as her legs could carry her. She slammed open the door and skidded on her knees to find the rim of the toilet.

She rested her head against the cold porcelain, pulling her legs under herself. Warm tears began to form in her large, sorrow filled eyes. The tears made their way down her face, she brushed them away before raising her body off of the floor. She slowly made her way towards the basin, steadying herself by placing both hands on the edge of it. She lifted her head to see a puffy eyed mess looking back at her in the mirror.

"What have you done." She said to her reflection before even more tears began to come.

Knock, knock



George began to wake up from his peaceful sleep. Like Hermione he woke to a searing pain in his head, without opening his eyes, he raised his hand to his head and began soothing his temples. He gradually opened his eyes, to his horror he found himself in a room he knew most defiantly was not his. His eyes began to search the room for any clue as to whose room it was. There it was, a picture frame sitting on the bed side table, the picture was of Hermione standing side by side with her parents.

Suddenly the realisation of what had happened the previous night came back to him. He looked at the pillow next to him, to his relief Hermione wasn't there. He felt as though a weight had been lifted from his chest, it wasn't as if he hated Hermione or found her unattractive but he couldn't face waking up in the same bed as her. This was the girl he had seen as a sister for so many years, this was the girl he knew would one day become his sister.

He dragged himself out of her bed and walked towards his boxers that were flung across the base of the bed. He exited the room closing the door behind him. As he walked down the hall he heard faint sobs from the bathroom, he knew by that that Hermione had regretted the night just as much as he did. He continued to walk to the kitchen where he made himself and Hermione a large mug of coffee each. He then proceeded back to the bathroom, knowing that eventually they would need to talk about their alcohol and passion filled night.

Knock, knock.

" I know you're in there Hermione" there was no reply.

Hermione seemed to freeze on the spot.

"I know you don't want to talk about it, if I'm honest, I don't want to either but that doesn't mean we don't need to"

Hermione moved to sit on the edge of the bath, still unable to utter a single word.

"Fine if you won't talk than I will" he said now becoming angered by her refusal to speak "last night..." he knew they needed to talk but he hadn't considered what they were going to say.

"What George. Last night you decided to take advantage of a drunken and emotionally unstable woman." Hermione had no idea where the hostility came from, she knew she wasn't angry with him, she knew it was just as much her fault as his but it was easier for her to blame him than it was to blame herself.

"What the hell" he said stunned by the words that had just left Hermione's lips, his blood began to boil inside of him " that's not true and you bloody well know it."

She couldn't believe what she had just accused George of, she knew he would never do a thing like that, the guilt overwhelmed her and she slowly walked over towards the door.



"Listen if you don't want to face it that's fine but I'm not going to have you accuse me of..." he was cut off mid sentence because the bathroom door had opened and standing before him was Hermione.

"Sorry" she said with a tremble in her voice. "I know it wasn't your fault."

"Made you this, thought you might need it." He said whilst handing her the coffee.

"Thank you"

"So are we going to talk about last night or are you just going to shout at me."

"No" she said feeling a slight smile work its way across her face.

The pair walked into the living room, took seats on opposite sides of the room, neither of them wanted to be the first to voice their view on the nights events. Both knew what had happened and were not particularly keen to relive it. Hermione just sat there staring into her mug of coffee, as thought there was something truly fascinating swimming around in it, she was unable to bring her eyes to meet with George's. He felt exactly the same but instead of staring at his coffee he decided an invisible spot on the wall was a far more realistic way to cover the awkwardness.

"Listen" said Hermione as she decided the silence had gone on long enough "last night was a mistake, it shouldn't have gone as far as it did. I think we were both just lonely." She didn't know if George felt the same but this is how she felt.

"Thank Merlin for that" he said breaking into a little laugh.

Hermione was unsure how to take this reaction, but she did see the funny side eventually.

"That bad was I?" knowing it was easier to joke about the whole thing than to let it ruin her entire relationship with George.

"To be honest with you I was so pissed I can't remember" he said wiping a tear away from his eye because he was laughing so hard.

"Me either" she said also laughing "but I do remember you're dancing, I think we have a young Fred Astaire on our hands"

"Who is that? Anyway I would greatly appreciate it if you never mentioned that to anyone."

"Really" she said with a mischievous grin on her face that rivalled that of the prankster sitting opposite her.

"Nobody Hermione, I don't want my reputation of being a slacker who doesn't pay attention to be smashed."

"Well I can't just sit around here all day laughing, some of us need to work" she stood up and walked over to the kitchen to prepare her and George some breakfast.

"Ron please, tell us maybe we can help." Said a teary eyed Ginny, this morning she finally felt that she had her big brother back, but within the space of 15 minutes it seemed like he had left again, sure his body was there but he wasn't.

Ron simply looked her in the eyes, his face still unreadable, and then he returned them back to the table.

Ginny was unable to take the pain in her brothers eyes any more so she went to the fireplace, making sure nobody saw her leave. She took a handful of powder and said George's address.

"There you go George." Said Hermione as she placed a plate of eggs and bacon in front of him

"Cheers" just as he began to bring the fork full of bacon to his mouth he saw bright green flames rise from the fireplace. "Who the hell is that?"

"hi Ginny" smiled Hermione at the sight of one of her best friends, however the smile soon turned to a look of concern as she got closer to Ginny and saw the tears trickling down from her green eyes. "Ginny what's wrongs" she said as she took her friend into her arms.

At this Ginny was unable to control herself any longer she placed her head on Hermione's shoulder and began to sob uncontrollably.

"Ginny what is it, you're scaring me. Is it harry, you're parents. What is it." Hermione said raising her voice a little to make sure Ginny heard her. She gently pushed Ginny away so that she could look at her in her eyes, hoping that they held some of the answers.

"It's ... It's" Ginny said trying to hold back more tears.

"What is it sis." Said George concerned at seeing his little sister like this.

"It's Ron... he's back." She said in on quick breathe.

At hearing these words Hermione just fell to the floor, the words Hermione had waited so long to hear had finally arrived. Her whole body felt as though it was about to burst from all of the emotions that had began to fill her body.

"Well, what's wrong then." Asked George, he thought this was good news, he just couldn't understand why Ginny was so upset.

"Well he was really happy this morning, all he wanted to do was see Hermione." She said having now regained control of her tears "then he came back after about 10 minutes and it all changed, he's not speaking or anything. Please come and see him Hermione, we don't know what happened, all we know is that he came here happy and returned miserable."



Hermione's eyes shot straight up to Georges, both had the look of fear on their face, thankfully Ginny had not noticed this because she was on her way back to the fire place, she handed each of them the floo powder.

"Well come on, what are you waiting for."

"Listen you go ahead Ginny, we need both need to get dressed, ok don't tell them that we're coming ok, we want it to be a surprise for Ron, ok."

"Sure" she threw her powder on the fire and she was gone.

Making sure his sister was defiantly gone he knelt down to Hermione who was rocking herself back and forth, her knees at her chest.

"Come on Hermione, we need to go."

"He knows" her large watery eyes meeting Georges "that's why he's so upset, I know it is , oh Merlin what have I done."

"Listen Hermione, there is no way he could possibly know, you're just nervous that's all, ok."

"What if you're wrong, what if I have messed everything up."

"Listen, they will get suspicious if you turn up like this, what we will do is go there and act as if nothing has happened." George knew that this was easier said than done, but he didn't want to imagine what would happen if they didn't pretend. "Ok so go get dressed, Hermione, he doesn't know anything."

"You're probably right." She said slowly, she pulled herself up off of the ground. "I mean could you see Ron being all calm at seeing us together."

"That's the spirit now hurry up."

Both of them rushed into their rooms and dressed at lightning speed. They met each other a few minutes later at the fire place, both seemed to have a look of excitement on their faces, especially Hermione who was finally going to see her Ron.

"Ready" George asked.

"I've wanted this for over a month" she smiled "of course I'm not ready.

George chuckled and threw down his powder. Hermione took a few deep breathes, grabbed her handbag off the table, she stepped in front of the mirror to look at herself, after smoothing down her clothes and making sure the was no evidence of her previous emotional breakdown she stepped back in front of the fire place. She took a few more breathes and threw her powder down.