Sorry
Hermione ended up staying in Ron's room until late afternoon. She refused to eat lunch and he said he would stay with her. When his stomach wouldn't stop rumbling she laughed and told him to go eat something. He offered to bring something up for her but she declined. He finished somewhat quickly and came back to cuddle with her. She eventually grew tired and she fell asleep with her head against Ron's shoulder.
Hermione jolted awake and shrieked. She was nearly face to face with the floor, but Ron had his arms around her torso.
"Hermione you were sleeping and then you almost fell off the bed!" Ron sounded as though he were trying to laugh.
"Well pull me up already!" She said, slapping at his arms. He did and Hermione let out a huge breath. She glanced at Ron and his lips were twitching. Then they both burst out laughing. After a while they both quieted down and pressed their foreheads together.
The moment was killed when there was a knock at the door and Harry's voice asking for entrance. Hermione pulled her face away from Ron's and wriggled down under the covers. She pulled the blanket over her head and stayed that way.
"Hermione…" Ron said.
"No!"
"Well how about you let him in?" he suggested.
"Ron…" she moaned.
"Hermione you've been hiding in here all day."
"Fine." She huffed, getting out from under the covers. She opened the door but stayed behind it, so she wasn't seen. Harry, Ginny came in, and she slipped out from behind them. She walked backwards, as quietly as she could, making sure they weren't aware of her disappearance. When she was sure of clearance she turned around and ran smack into George. Her face collided with his chest and they both stumbled backwards, away from each other. He put his hands on her arms to steady her.
"Whoa, you alright there?" he asked cheerily.
"Fine!" Hermione said, stepping back and balling her hands into fists. "Excuse me."
George's face fell. "Look, Hermione I'm sorry for laughing at you this morning. I really didn't know that you've been having nightmares."
"It's fine." She said, though it clearly wasn't.
"Hermione I really am sorry. If I had known, the last thing I would have done would've been laugh at you." He looked into her eyes, and his were deeply serious and sad.
Maybe Ron was right; George had nightmares too. Hermione unclenched her fists. "It's ok." George nodded and moved out of her way. She walked past him and looked back over her shoulder, about to tell him that she was sorry too, but decided against it. She slipped into Ginny's room and grabbed some fresh clothes. She headed into the bathroom and shut the door. She stripped her pyjamas and stepped into the shower, letting the hot water run over her for a long time.
When she was finished she dressed in her sweatpants and tee shirt. She came out of the bathroom and threw her stuff onto her bed. Crookshanks came out of nowhere and brushed up against her legs. She picked him up and sat down on her bed and stroked his fur. She glanced at the clock which read that it was half past four. Her stomach grumbled and Crookshanks jumped off her lap. He paraded to the door and looked back at her. He licked his lips, as if telling her to go eat something.
She sighed and got up. She walked down the stairs and went into the kitchen. Mrs. Weasley was there, scrubbing something in the sink. "Hello, dear." She said as she noticed Hermione.
"Hi."
"How are you feeling?" she asked sympathetically.
"A little better. Just came to grab a snack." Hermione said.
"Alright. I baked some cookies earlier if you'd like some."
"Oh, what kind?" Hermione enthused.
"Chocolate chip! They're just in the jar over there."
"Great. Thanks!" Hermione took out a cookie. It was almost as big as her hand and smelled wonderful. She took a bite. "Mmm, this is delicious!" It really was. "Mrs. Weasley you have a great talent for baking, and cooking."
"Oh, thank you." Mrs. Weasley blushed. Then she went back to vigorously scrubbing the object in the sink.
"What are you washing?" Hermione asked after swallowing another bite.
"Oh I found something on this bowl." She lifted it out of the soapy water and showed her. It was the bowl Hermione filled with Every Flavour Beans and gave to George. Hermione reached out and brushed away some soap. There was a W on the side of it.
She let out a little laugh. "Stick 'Em Anywhere Tattoos!"
"Pardon?" Mrs. Weasley asked.
"Oh, it's something that George had been working on for the joke shop."
"Oh how lovely! Well I guess this won't be coming off for a while then." She dropped the bowl back into the sink and wiped her hands on a towel. She patted Hermione's arm and left. Hermione leaned against the counter and finished her cookie.
She rounded the corner and found Ron, Harry, and Ginny sitting down in the family room. She rolled her eyes. "They just want to apologize." Ron said. He beckoned her over to sit beside him. She did and glared at Ginny and Harry.
Harry awkwardly cleared his throat. "Hermione we're sorry for laughing at you. We didn't know that you were having nightmares and that was the reason why you slept in Ron's bed last night."
"We won't do it again. We really are sorry. Please forgive us." Ginny pleaded.
Hermione let that hang in the air for a while. "It's ok." Hermione said, lowering her eyes.
"Ok. Well I have to go do something for Mum." Ginny said, getting up. "See you later."
She vanished and the Golden Trio was left in silence. Harry drummed his fingers on his legs, then stopped. "Have you guys noticed how weird Ginny has been acting lately?" He asked. Ron and Hermione were quiet. "I mean like this morning with the salt… and like a few other times she's just been… weird."
"Well, have you asked her out?"
"What?"
"On a date? You know, go somewhere just the two of you?"
"Err… no."
"Well you should. You want to know why Ginny's acting all funny? It's because you haven't done anything in your relationship with her. Snogging doesn't count." Hermione stated.
"Oh… err," Harry stuttered.
"She's upset because you haven't gone anywhere with her, taken her anywhere to do something."
"I didn't know she wanted to!"
"Harry, come on. Every girl wants their boyfriend to take them out somewhere."
"Oh…"
"Oh for Merlin's sake Harry go find her and ask her out." Ron said.
"Well, what-?"
"Sometimes you can be really thick. Take her to a Quidditch game or something! I don't know ask her out to dinner." Hermione said.
"Oh um, alright." Harry said hesitantly, getting up from the couch.
When he left Hermione leaned back against Ron. "Finally."
"He better treat her nicely." Ron grumbled.
"Shut up, Ron, you know he will." Hermione said lightly.
"I know." He sighed.
"I think you were right."
"About what?"
"George having nightmares," she murmured. "He said something to me upstairs and I think he is."
"Poor George." Ron said.
"Yeah."
"Don't worry Hermione he'll get better." Ron said firmly and rubbed her shoulder.
"I know." She sighed. "We haven't been helping much, really."
"We've done what we can."
"I know but it don't know if it's really working."
"Don't worry about it, ok." Ron was trying to be nice but she could hear the annoyance in his voice.
"Alright." She said quietly. "I'm going to go feed Crookshanks." She got up abruptly and went upstairs. She passed George on the way and gave him a small smile which he returned. As soon as he passed her she frowned and rushed into her room. She spilled some food into Crookshanks's bowl and flopped onto her bed, face in her pillow.
There was a knock on the door, even though she forgot to close it. She looked up from her pillow and saw George there. "What's up?" she asked.
"Nothing, are you alright? You seemed a little odd in the hallway." Hermione sat up on the bed and hugged her knees to her chest. She shrugged. George leaned against the door frame. "Not still mad at me, are you?"
"No, no. It's just… Ron. He just got a little annoyed with me so I'm giving him some space… I guess."
"Want me to go beat him up?"
"No!" Hermione said quickly. "No. Don't worry about it, it was my fault."
"Alright."
"So I saw you stuck a tattoo on a bowl."
"Yeah. I got bored."
"Are they coming along ok?"
"I guess. I kind of gave up."
Hermione let her knees drop. "What do you mean?"
"Well I've closed WWW so I don't even know why I started those silly things."
Hermione stood up and walked over to him. "They're not silly. And you can always re open the joke shop."
"I don't know Hermione…" He lowered his face.
She did something that surprised both her and George. She put her arms around him and hugged him tight. "I'm sorry." He hesitantly hugged her back.
"It's ok." He said quietly. He let go of her and Hermione stepped back.
"Want to talk?" Hermione asked.
George shook his head. "Nah. I'm fine, really. Thanks for the hug, though. You're a good friend." He smiled a little.
"You're welcome. You are too." Hermione said, punching his arm awkwardly. "Hey, want to cream Ron at a game of chess? I'd like to not support him right now."
George chuckled. "Sure." They went downstairs and Ron was still sitting on the couch. "I, George Weasley The Great, challenge you, Ronald Weasley The Weak, to a game of Wizard Chess."
"Hermione put you up to this, didn't she?" Ron asked.
"Sorry." Hermione said, even though she didn't mean it.
"Hermione I'm sorry for snapping at you before. Please don't make me play chess against him."
Hermione raised her chin defiantly, but she was smiling. "Let's see how sorry you are after you get your behind whooped." Ron groaned and Hermione crossed her arms over her chest as George set up the chess board.
"Hermione I really didn't mean it. I'm sorry! Please no chess." Ron begged.
"I accept your apology but George wants to play so you're going to play."
Ron heaved a sigh. "Fine."
"Alright!" George said. "You can go first."
"Hooray."
Hermione sat down and watch the chess game unfold.
