Hello all :) Thanks for the reviews and messages, I'm glad you're liking it so far. I'm super sick so this potentially is my last chapter for a few days as the light from the computer screen is making my head hurt.
Chapter 10: Almost
Hermione and George stared in front of them. George took a step forward completely in awe of what he saw. The room was roughly separated into three sections. The middle section had a large workbench with rolls of parchment and quills. Each pile of rolls was labelled something different – Ideas – Work in Progress – Completed. On the far wall, these parchments were already hanging, with a lot of writing on it.
To the left of this section was a massive wall of ingredients, George walked over to this area, there were random items like hats and rubber chickens, vats of already mixed potions, which George explained upon reading the labels, were what he and Fred had already created.
"This is incredible." George stared around; this is just as good as the invention room in Hogsmeade. Look, they even have some of our newest ideas on the wall."
Hermione moved to the right side of the room where there were two cauldrons set in a holder, while various other sized cauldrons were on the shelf above.
"I hope this room is charmed against burning and other damage," Hermione looked at George and smiled, "I would hate for it to come crashing down because we accidentally mixed in the goose tail feather before the sugared beetle."
George grinned and looked around the entire room, "This is fantastic. And it's Hogwarts remember, well, close enough, the school is still standing after Fred and I lived there basically for six years. We'll be fine. So, what do you think?"
"It's perfect." Hermione smiled at him, taking in his excitement.
George looked at Hermione smiling, and then his expression turned into one of humoured suspicion, "You've already been down here!" He cried, throwing his hands in the air, "without me!"
"No I haven't!" Hermione looked at him, raising her own hands, "I just sort of knew what it was going to look like before we came down."
"How?" George demanded.
"Well, you see, you've been so good to me since this whole marriage law thing, and I really wanted to do something for you. I asked Ginny and she was no real help. But I knew we were going to be living on the Hogwarts grounds, and Hogwarts magic would apply to our apartments, so I corresponded with McGonagall a few times to tweak our place a little so you would enjoy it here too."
George stared at her blankly, and repeated, "So I would enjoy it here?"
"Well," Hermione said, trying to clarify, "I know that I am content just sitting and reading and practicing new spells, but you already have a life started, one of inventing and creating and experimenting. So I didn't want you to feel stuck in a house where your wife is a boring witch who keeps her nose in a book."
Hermione was getting slightly stressed; George continued to stare at her almost confused.
"You thought that putting an invention room in our apartment would make me enjoy it here?" George asked.
Hermione bit her lip, this was not the reaction that she expected, she said softly "we can get rid of it, maybe I overstepped, I know you do most of your planning and stuff with Fred."
George closed the gap between him and Hermione, "Hermione! I love the invention room. It is brilliant. Thank you so much. I'm just confused as to why you think putting this room here would make me enjoy myself." He huffed out a breath and took Hermione's hands, "Love, I already enjoy it here because you're here. We get along better than anyone other than me and Fred, who doesn't actually count because we are basically the same person."
"No you're not." Hermione interrupted, "you have a sweet side to you that Fred doesn't. Don't think I never noticed all those times you offered to help your mum in the kitchen or de-gnome the garden. Fred would never do that."
"The point is," George continued, "I'm not stuck here as you say. I am happy here. And I look forward to coming home so we can talk each other's ears off about what we did that day, and practice spells with each other. This is only really day one of living together but I'm looking forward to many more. You are going to be working with Fred and me soon enough, so this room is perfect."
Hermione smiled shyly at him. George took this opportunity and pulled her in and kissed her fully on the mouth. She kissed him back wholeheartedly. This was the reaction she expected. George put his fingers in her hair and wrapped his arm around her back. Hermione snaked her arm up so she could put it behind George's head. George pushed Hermione back to lean against the counter. He pressed his body against hers.
How perfect would this be to have Hermione in the invention room.
Hermione's hands were going through George's hair, and she pulled her arms down to pull George against her more. George grabbed Hermione's bottom lip with his teeth and she moaned slightly.
Now? Um.. okay. Now. Hermione's thoughts were everywhere.
George's hands moved his hands down Hermione's arms and side then rested on her waist; he pulled her up and sat her on the counter. He stood between her legs and pulled back to look at her. Her face was flushed and she was breathing hard, she licked her lips. George looked at her with an expression of one asking for permission.
She smiled and nodded; he took the hem of her shirt and started to raise it up, their excitement building.
"Hello?" Fred's voice was heard upstairs.
George and Hermione stared at each other.
"Hey! An invention room!"
George pulled Hermione off the counter and straightened, as best he could, the mess he made of her hair.
Hermione leaned against the counter trying to catch her breath and slow her heart rate, grabbing an item inventory list from off the counter, trying to look busy. George walked toward the stairs just as Fred appeared.
Fred looked at George, then at Hermione.
"Bad timing?" He asked George wickedly, who punched him in the arm, "Well. Moment ruined. This room is great!"
George looked at Hermione apologetically, and then joined his brother who was looking at all the ingredients.
"Did you guys want anything to eat?" Hermione asked, getting a hold of herself.
"Thanks Hermione," George said, "maybe something to snack on?"
Hermione nodded and bounded up the stairs to the kitchen.
Winky was there putting the last of the dishes away, "Is miss alright?"
Hermione smiled at Winky, "Yes Winky, everything is fine, Fred and George just want something to snack on. Thank you for cleaning."
Winky smiled and pulled out a large platter, and with a pop, she vanished, and then moments later she came back with three mugs of butterbeer, and the platter full with cakes and crackers.
"Oh thank you Winky!" Hermione took the platter and she and Winky went downstairs to the boys.
They looked up from the workbench as Hermione and Winky came down,
"Winky!" Fred exclaimed, "You're here!"
Winky smiled at Fred, "I asked to help with Miss and Sir. They is very kind."
She set down the butterbeers and, after a thank you from George, Fred and Hermione, vanished.
"Hermione, come join us, we are just going over some business plans for the two stores."
Hermione shook her head, still aware and slightly embarrassed for what had happened when Fred first arrived.
"It's okay, I need to get some homework done. I have an essay due by Friday already for Potions."
"Oh yeah, Ron told me about your run in." Fred said looking at her. George furrowed his eyebrows at Hermione, confused.
"Ugh, yeah, I didn't tell you yet George... I'm in classes with stupid Malfoy."
"What?" George said standing up, "I was wondering what he was doing at Hogwarts, and McGonagall saying he was a student, but they've actually let him back in school? With you? After what he did!"
Hermione looked at George, "It's okay, Professor Krendall, the potions professor said that Malfoy is basically here on probation, and that as soon as school is done, he is getting relocated somewhere else."
"Romania, I hope," Fred said, "that way maybe Charlie can set a dragon on him."
George looked at Hermione with concern and lowered himself back on the bench, "Why can't he finish school somewhere else? Are you okay with this? I mean - to be in the same room as him?"
"Well, it is hard," Hermione said, "but probably not for the reason you think, I don't really care anymore what happened at the manor with Malfoy, seeing him doesn't bring painful memories flying back... it's hard because it takes all my self control not to turn him into a canary."
Fred and George burst out laughing and Hermione grinned.
"Anyways boys, you keep doing your work, I will be upstairs with my butterbeer and books, writing my essay on variations of flu potions when using different kinds of beetle juices. I hope your evening is more fun than mine."
Fred and George raised their glasses to her.
"Oh and Fred," Hermione said turning on the steps, "next time you are coming over unannounced - knock will you?"