Chapter 14 - Flashbacks and Echoes
"How about a quill that squirts ink every time you -"
"We've already got it."
"How a parchment that jumbles what you -"
"Its called the Jumble Bundle and we sell it in packs of four."
She let out a heavy sigh and slumped in her chair before jolting back up and giving their brainstorming session one last go.
"Ok, I've got it. What about a handkerchief that spreads ink all over your face when you use it?"
"That's really pushing it, Hermione. I mean, we can make it, but I don't know how well something like that would do. A bit amateurish, if you ask me, and we've got enough lines of those."
Hermione threw her hands in the air as she leaned back in her seat. She had spent the better part of the morning racking her brain for something original that reflected her only to come up fairly empty handed. And really, it was her fault. She knew she should have been cross-referencing the inventory books to ensure she was coming up with unique pranks. After four hours of going back and forth from her notes to the books, she decided that it would be easier and faster to just write everything down and bounce ideas with George when he came in for their daily two-hour meeting between swifts. She watched as George stood from his chair and crossed the room. He bent forward, leaning his hands on the armrests of her chair.
"Stop trying to force it, love. You're absolutely brilliant and I know you're going to come up with something that's going to blow the lids off these wankers. Just... stop being so hard on yourself. Let the ideas come to you."
Hermione nodded her head. Logically, he was correct. She was quickly learning that creating prank products was very different than pushing parchment at the Ministry or trying to come up with ways to destroy Horcruxes. Those were things that had absolute solutions to very evident problems. Trying to come up with a new and innovative product took creativity, something Hermione wasn't exactly used to.
When she had accepted this challenge months ago, she had only been exposed to finishing off previously conceived products or had co-created them with the help of George. For the briefest of moments, Hermione wished she had spent a little more time experiencing life while in school as Fred and George had, and just a little less time with her head stuck in a book.
"Trust me, Hermione, if you weren't doing a good job I would be telling you. You believe you're doing a good job, yeah?"
George soothing voice gently guided her away from her thoughts.
"Of course," she responded with a smile.
"Good. You know, perhaps a quick trip to the shop for a new book might help distract you enough to clear that intricate brain of yours for a few hours. You know, help you restart the creative process and all that. I know getting away from the lab for a few hours always helps me."
Hermione let out a soft chuckle.
"I don't always need a book, George. I'm perfectly capable of purchasing other things."
"I know," he laughed. Hermione took the outstretched hand George had extended out to her and stood. "But I think we both know that it makes you happy. And who knows, maybe one of those characters will give you just the inspiration you need."
George gave her a soft kiss and squeezed her shoulders before heading back into the main part of the shop. He paused at the door frame and turned back to Hermione.
"Since we're not going to really see much of each other over the next 48 hours, I thought I'd check really quick that we're still on for Wednesday night?"
"Oh, you mean the infamous night where I've given you one - and only one, mind you - chance to dazzle and convince me that you're boyfriend material. Yes, I suppose I've remembered to pencil in time for it in my ever-filling schedule."
"Now I know you're feeling better because you're being cheeky! Have fun, love," he joked before heading out of the office.
Hermione giggled to herself as George and Lee's voice dripped into the room as they over-enthusiastically explained the function and benefits of a few different products to a group of children.
Yes, perhaps what she needed was to view the world of humor and humility through the eyes of another, even if they were just fictional characters. The only situations where she's ever wanted to seek revenge on people had resulted rather... well, maliciously. She definitely couldn't create a trick that would trap someone in a jar or one that would have them attacked by Centaurs.
She grabbed her cloak and handbag off the coat rack and began to head through the store to the front doors. On her way out, George's smiling face as he helped out a group of giggling teenage girls caught her eye. She waved at him and felt just a tint of heat tickle her cheeks at the wink he sent back at her. Perhaps, she mischievously pondered, she'd pick out a new little number or two for him to enjoy during their date while she was out and about.
Ron was never quite sure why he found walking through Muggle London so appealing. Yet, every time he needed to clear his mind, he would wander around the few blocks just outside of the Ministry gathering his thoughts and enjoy the ability to lose himself amongst a large group of people who knew nothing about him. He always chalked it up to Harry and Hermione's insistent badgering of sharing this aspect of their life with him. He hadn't minded, though. Here, he was just another bloke on the road rather than one-third of the Wizarding World's infamous Golden Trio.
He let out a heavy sigh as he passed a coffee shop he and Hermione would visit during the time they dated. It was their special place to get together and complain about their many idiotic co-workers and the unprofessional string of words they often wished they could say to them. Ron had once tried to bring Lavender to this coffee shop, but she wasn't interested in the menu, nor in his choice of topics. He eventually had to rush them out of the small cafe as she started drawing attention to herself in her intrigue of the cell phones and laptops some of the other patrons were using.
That was yet another relationship he had managed to ruin without meaning to. Things had been so much easier when he was with Hermione. Their long-standing friendship had made it easy for him to read her and know what to do. If he messed up, she had no problem pointing it out immediately. If he did the right thing and was romantic, he would be rewarded properly. With Lavender, things were cryptic and confusing. When she was mad at him, it would take him days to figure out what happened. When she was pleased with him her enthusiasm would be almost too much to handle. Sure, she had matured after the War and surviving nearly dying at the hands of the enemy but, unlike most others he knew, she was determined to stand unchanged by the events. Throughout their entire relationship, all he wanted to do was talk to Hermione. Unfortunately, she was the one person he felt couldn't talk to, especially not about that.
Ron hadn't meant to stray this far from the Ministry. Normally, he was able to keep his wits about him long enough to stick to the places he knew. Sure, he could just duck into an alleyway and Apparate back, but Muggles were tricky buggers that had a tendency to pop up at the most inappropriate moments for him. Merlin knows the number of reports he'd had to submit during his first two years of training about them. He paused to look around and see if there was any recognizable markers for him to work off of for the moment, when he caught the smallest of curly locks disappear behind a wall from inside a shop across the street.
He knew that there were tons of birds with curly brown hair in the world and this particular set could have belonged to anyone. Ron knew better, though. Curiosity (or was it masochism) got the better of him. After narrowly avoiding two cars and a bicyclist, Ron found himself standing in front of the shop window staring at Hermione Granger as she admired how she looked in the mirror.
Her dress was red. He felt his heart sink and his blood boil as he realized it was the same shade of red that she wore the night of their first date so many years ago. For months after that, seeing the color red on her made his heart race in remembrance. The differences were there, he sadly noted, but the similarities couldn't be ignored. This dress, like the one before, had fit her like a glove and made her appear classy and elegant and well out the Weasleys' league. Instead of sleeves, the dress was held onto her by two narrow straps on her delicate shoulders. There was a thick stripe of black at her waist that reminding him of the black shawl she had worn the night of their date when cool summer breeze took them both off guard.
With his first date with Lavender, she had worn a tight-fitting, low-cut black dress accented with a single orange jeweled necklace and orange handbag. The Chudley Cannons, Ron's favorite quidditch team, had played and won their first home game earlier that day. Lavender had told him that while she didn't own much orange as it simply didn't bode well with her complexion, she wanted to show her support of his favorite team as best she could. Ron had been flattered by the gesture and thanked her as he let her through the door of the restaurant. He let out a tired sigh at the memories as he drew his attention back at the girl in the window.
After Hermione turned this way and that, clearly pleased with how the dress appeared on her, she stepped into the heels on the floor in front of her. Ron watched as the heels changed from a glittery silver to a shimmery red to match her dress. It was then that Ron realized that those color-changing shoes George sold at the store.
"George," he whispered to himself.
It all made sense now as to why Hermione - whom he still couldn't help thinking of as his Hermione - was shopping in Muggle London for a dress, of all things. This wasn't just some random trip to clear her mind or just be girly for a day. The Hermione Granger he knew read books and learned and performed complicated spells that most wizards wished they knew, she did not waste precious time on such frivolous things. No, this trip was to shop specifically for a dress meant for a date with his brother. On top of that, she was buying a similar dress to the one she worn on their first date to wear on a first date with George. As hurt and angered as this notion made him, he couldn't help but also feel determined and hopeful that she hadn't forgotten about him just yet. That maybe, just maybe, this was the sign from the heavens that he was looking for to lead him in the right direction.
Ron shook his head as he turned from the window and headed for the nearest alleyway to Apparate back to work. He couldn't stand to be there any longer and see her get excited to give her heart to another man. As he headed down the hallway to step into his sad excuse of a cubicle, he felt guilty for being upset with her for wanting to move on. He knew it would happen eventually, he just didn't think it was going to happen when he wanted to give them another go.
He knew from his brief talk with George at the family dinner a few nights ago, as well as a few overheard conversations between his sister and best friend, that Hermione and George's dinner date was set for Wednesday night. He had roughly two days to figure out a way to get Hermione to cancel her date with George long enough to hear out his side of all this.
When Ron woke up that particular Monday morning, he knew it was going to be a hard day to handle. He had no idea it was going to be this hard.
Percy knew he wasn't one with the right to pass judgment off on others. He had spent the majority of his youth with a very incorrect outlook on life and his priorities. It was unfortunate that it wasn't until his younger brother died before his eyes that he had enough wits about himself to admit his wrongfulness and try his damnedest to proper his blunders. At Fred's funeral, Percy made a silent promise to him to ease up and enjoy what life had to offer.
Dating Katie had made this promise easier to keep. She gave him a reason to relax and a reason to allow himself to love another. She was the perfect balance of fun and serious that he desperately needed in a companion. Their intrusively active schedules never got in the way of their relationship, which he couldn't say for his relationships with his last two girlfriends, Penelope and Audrey. Loving Katie came as easy to him as breathing.
Even his relationship with his family had improved over the years. As a surprise, Percy had assisted Ginny with a prank against their older siblings, Bill and Charlie, at Christmas two years prior. It hadn't been much, but he had a great go at it regardless. Ginny had been the hardest one to reform a relationship with. Bill and Charlie understood that it was merely adolescent ignorance and forgave him immediately. George had forgiven him without hesitation because Fred had, and because he knew that Percy was the one who would unnecessarily forever live with the guilt of Fred's death. Ron's forgiveness had come from Hermione's pressuring, but he was grateful for it all the same.
Ginny, however, wouldn't budge for months. Even when she did eventually forgive him, it didn't come verbally. He had been ok with it, though. He knew he didn't deserve it for how much he had ignored her throughout their upbringing. So, when she approached him that quiet Christmas Eve with plans of a prank and wanted him to help, he couldn't help be seem slightly reproachful about what her intentions might have been.
"No, I want you to help me, Perce," she had told him after he suggested the dozen other family members present that evening. She had walked away before he had a chance to argue his case.
To this day he was glad he had agreed. They really were the perfect pair of bandits to pull off pranks, he realized that day. They were the only two that could hold a straight face and keep their excitement completely intact for 24 hours straight. No one questioned their silence that night. As they discretely placed George's miniature fireworks in key strategic places around the living room, no one noticed their silent messages through eye contact alone. They couldn't risk speaking in private again that night nor could they risk attempting soft head nods, what with Ron and Harry at the peak of their Auror training, George's acute means of smelling a prank happening a hundred kilometers away and Hermione's knack of sensing someone breaking the rules a minute before they did it.
The fireworks went off successfully the next night, scaring the magic out of every single person in attendance that night as they watched silently from the landing on the second floor; both assailants wearing calm, satisfied smirks on their faces as they watched the chaos ensue.
"To Fred," she told him as she extended her glass out to toast him.
"To Fred," he agreed.
From then on, it seemed that Ginny and he had the ability to communicate with each other about certain things with nothing more than a glance. It wasn't all things, but very specific things. It wasn't often, but when it happened he paid very close attention.
As he made brief eye contact with Ginny across their parents' dining table that night, he knew there was something afoot that he needed to know about. What exactly he hadn't been able to figure out for the past 15 minutes. The only thing off about that particular night was that Harry, Ron and Ginny had joined himself and their parents for dinner. It wasn't that unusual, however. The three of them always made it a point to come for dinner when they could. Molly and Arthur both listened deeply as Harry and Ron went into detail about the new things they were covering that month in their training.
"So, Perce, how's everything going with Katie? Is she still living with George and Hermione at the Cottage?"
And there it was; the reason for Ginny's silent communication. It wasn't like Ron to be interested in his dating life and when Ron's question included George and Hermione, Percy knew why there was the slightest sliver of worry deep in Ginny's eyes. To everyone else at the table, it was a harmless conversation topic that held no particular double meaning whatsoever.
"We're doing really great, actually," he replied. "She's enjoying living with those two troublemakers immensely. They make quite the trio."
He knew that last bit was a low blow against Harry and his younger brother, but they needed to hear it. Percy had been there a few times for Hermione's "bad days" when she missed her friends and waited patiently for those two imbeciles to write her back only to receive nothing for days on end. He knew they were busy, but they all were. Ginny always wrote back within a day of receiving her letters, and even Percy would set out a moment to chat with Hermione when he would visit with Katie.
"In fact," he continued, "Katie was just telling me the other day that George and Hermione will be having their first date on Wednesday night."
After he glanced at Ginny again, he realized that releasing that tiny bit of information might not have been the best decision.
"That's wonderful! I'm sure they'll have a great time," he heard his father chime.
"Can't say I saw that one coming," Harry commented, "but they've really been there for each other. I'm glad they've decided to try it out. Don't you, Ron?"
The table had gone silent for too many heartbeats before Ron finally finished chewing his food to respond. His calm façade made Percy feel more apprehensive about the situation. While Ron had matured quite a bit since starting his Auror training and learned to keep himself in check, something still didn't feel quite right.
"Might be a bit of a bad idea, don't you think? I mean, what if it doesn't work out?" Ron continued after no one spoke. "They still have to work and live together at the end of the day, after all."
"I'm sure George and Hermione have already taken that into deep consideration and decided the appropriate course of action should things not work between them," Percy defended.
As much as Ron had tried to keep his emotions in check, the tiniest tips of his ears turning the lightest shade of pink for the briefest of moments was not lost upon his siblings as it had been on his best friend and parents.
The remainder of dinner went by rather uneventful. Percy snuck glances at his younger sister when he could and continued their silent eye conversations. Something was definitely not right here and they could both feel the calm before the storm. Since Ron's break-up with Lavender, he had begun correspondence with Hermione again but seemed almost secretive about it. He had heard from Katie and George that Hermione had a chance run-in with Ron the day they had decided to pursue a relationship. While he knew Ron thought he was doing well at hiding his feelings, Percy had seen his reaction at the Friday night family dinner a few days ago. His facial expression had remained neutral, but his eyes glared daggers at George the entire night. If George hadn't been soloist in his new found bliss with Hermione, he might have noticed this and not easily confessed to their younger brother his intentions of dating Hermione properly.
"Gin," he called out to her as the three began making their way to the fireplace to head back to Grimmauld Place. "Katie had a question about your upcoming game schedule. I wrote it down, but it's up in my room. Do you have a quick moment to wait for me to bring it down?"
"Of course! You lot go on ahead and I'll be there in a mo," she told the boys.
Percy made his way up slowly to the first landing and listened carefully for the distinct sounds of the Floo activating as Ron and Harry made their way out of the house.
"They're gone, Perce. You can come back down now."
"Let's talk outside," Percy said as he stepped back onto the ground floor. "I wouldn't put it past them to be listening from the Floo."
Percy lead the way through the house and out the back door in the kitchen. Once sure that the two were alone without any wandering ears, the two got down to business.
"I don't trust him, Ginny. Something is quite off with Ronald right now."
"I know. Honestly, since Friday night he's been too quiet. He's definitely planning something, but I can't figure out a good way to find out. And I don't want to have to drag Harry into this. He hates getting caught between Ron and Hermione. If we ask too much, he'll catch on-"
"And if you ask too little, then we won't get the proper information we need to warn George."
Ginny scrunched her eyes in confusion at him.
"Why just warn George? Hermione's perfectly capable of handling him."
"Of course she is, that wasn't what I was trying to imply. The matter of the fact is that George is pursuing Ron's ex-girlfriend. This is something that needs to be handled by George. If Hermione believes that she is coming in between brothers, she'll call off the date and never go on another with George again. You know I'm correct on this."
He watched as Ginny scrubbed her face with her hands before crossing her arms in front of her. The wheels were turning in her head, but could see that she hadn't considered that particular fact originally.
"First," she started, "we need to figure out what the hell he's planning. We can't do anything until then. If George started dating Katie nearly a year after you left her, what would you do?"
Percy's heart sank into his stomach. He knew exactly what he'd do: he'd sabotage their happiness before it would ever have a real start. However, Percy was a bit more like Bill and Charlie, subtle when it came to his scheming and lost himself in the planning. Ron was much more like Fred and George, in that sense. He went for the kill with no remorse whatsoever. With the Auror training he'd be going through, there was no way to tell just what an angered Ron was capable of these days.
"This isn't going to end well, Ginny, and I don't think we'll be able to stop it from happening."
The next evening, Ginny Weasley looked at the letter she had received from Hermione as she readied dinner for the evening. Her foot shook anxiously as she chewed on a chunk of hair, watching the spoon stir the contents of the pot. Normally, she loved nights like this where she actually had time to cook. Since her schedule was usually jammed pack and sporadic, Harry was the one who usually ended up doing most of the cooking. Not that he minded, though. Unlike cooking for his aunt, uncle and cousin growing up, she knew he actually loved to cook for her. She would never admit to anyone, save for him and Hermione, that Harry's cooking was the best she ever had. Tonight, however, wasn't a normal evening at home.
Gin -
I'd love to come by for dinner! George will be working late at the shop tonight, and Katie has a date with Percy. So, it will be just me tonight. See you then!
Hermione
Of course, Ginny knew that George and Katie would be too busy to join them tonight when she sent the invite to Hermione earlier in the day. She had been in contact with Percy all day going over possible dialogue and menu items, and ensuring that the roommates of both households would be too preoccupied to crash the dinner. Ginny reread the letter while she contemplated how she was going to prevent Ron from screwing up yet another relationship for Hermione. She was jolted out of her thoughts as she felt Harry's arms wrap around her waist and his chin rest on her shoulder.
"Is that from Hermione?"
"Yeah," she told him as she turned to face him. "I invited her, George and Katie for dinner tonight, but she's the only one that will be able to make it."
"That's great! I'm actually glad George and Katie won't be here. No offense to them, of course. It just feels like it's been months since I've properly spent time with 'Mione."
"That's because it has been," Ginny laughed.
"That's right! I really am a horrible friend, aren't I? Where's the spare parchment? I'm going to write her a quick note back."
She watched as her fiancée ran around kitchen to gather a quill and parchment. Curiosity getting the better of her, she peered over Harry's shoulder to read his note.
Mione -
We can't wait! Be prepared to stay a while, though. Ginny and I will be talking your ear off!
- H
Harry gave the rolled note to their owl, Orion, and the two watched as the young owl fly quickly away. It didn't take long for her to feel Harry's gaze move from the window to her. He was reading her and she hated when he did that.
"Oh no, what happened?"
"Nothing!"
"Something's wrong. Is it Hermione? Did they call it off? The date, that is. Is it us? What have I done this time? Damnit, I told Ron you wouldn't like the cookbook I bought you. I swear I was only trying to give you something I honestly thought you'd enjoy and-"
"Harry! Shut it for ten seconds, will you?" Ginny interrupted him, laughing. "It's not any of those things. It's just... It's nothing, I'm sure."
"Well, then what is it?"
Ginny wasn't quite sure what to tell him. She knew that Harry always felt terrible whenever he was brought into the middle of one of Ron and Hermione's arguments.
"When I figure it out, I promise I'll tell you. Ok?" She told him as she turned back to her cooking.
She knew the likelihood of Harry dropping the matter easily was slim to none. Ginny knew that Harry would be over analyzing every aspect of the evening to try and figure out what was going on and why Hermione would be involved. For a brief moment, she contemplated asking Percy how he felt about telling Harry, but quickly changed her mind. She watched as Harry retreated from the kitchen to wash and change for dinner. No, this would be better dealt with by the two of them alone. Katie would tell George if she found out, and Harry would blow their cover to Ron the second it seemed that he was going to step a toe out of line.
Ginny flicked her wand and watched as the dinnerware floated from their respective spots and onto the table. With another flick and a muttered spell, the food separated itself into the previously laid out serving bowls and plates on the table.
"Now I just have to make sure I don't mess this up," she muttered to herself.
"If you tell me, I'm sure I can help."
Ginny yelped a bit and turned around to face Harry once again. She really needed to start watching herself better. This was the second time that night Harry had managed to sneak up on her.
"Seriously, love. You don't have to do this alone. I can't help you if you don't tell me what's going on. I'm a big boy. If I can handle Voldemort, I like to think I can handle anything you throw at me."
Ginny stared at Harry. His facial features were one of concern and worry. She could feel herself breaking as the silence grew more and more.
"Ron's-sabotaging-George-and-Hermione's-relationsh ip!"
'You used to be so much better at keepin' secrets before you shacked up with this bloke,' she thought with disappointment. 'Now look at you.' Honestly, when she imagined how she was going to tell Harry about Ron, she didn't picture herself blurting it out at him in the form of a scream. Here they were, though, staring at each other in the kitchen with wide eyes as the sound of their doorbell resounded throughout the ground floor of their home. Ginny fought with Harry at the kitchen doorway desperately trying to sidestep around him to get into the hallway.
"He's what?"
"We don't have time to talk about this now-"
"The hell we don't-"
"She's at the door, Harry -"
"It's a big house, Gin, she'll understand if we take a minute to get to the door. Now, stop wasting time!"
The irritated witch closed her eyes as she took a deep breath and pinched the bridge of her nose.
"Percy and I realized at dinner last night that Ron has it in his mind that he can win Hermione back before George takes her on their date tomorrow night. We don't know how or when he's going to do it - hell, we don't even know what he's going to do - but he's going to sabotage their date. We can't tell Hermione, though. Percy said that this is a fight between brothers and it has to stay this way."
"So you're trying to find a way to warn her without actually warning her."
Ginny nodded her head at Harry's conclusion.
"What about George, though? Surely you or Percy can tell him about what's happening."
The doorbell rang again. Fed up, Ginny placed her hands on Harry's chest and forced him to walk backwards and out of her way.
"We're still trying to figure out how to bring it up to him," she told him as she headed down to let Hermione in. "Percy's job was to keep Katie busy so I could pick Hermione's brain about her and George and their date as much as possible."
Ginny paused briefly with her hand on the doorknob and turned to her best friend and love of her life.
"Remember, we can't tell her and we can't be too cryptic because she'll read into it perfectly and try to stop it herself."
Dinner went fairly smoothly for the rest of the evening. Still of unsure how to bring up the subject of Hermione's love life without spilling all of the beans, Harry and Ginny stuck to safer topics like her employment at the WWW and the latest books she had picked up in the past month. When those topics ran dry, they redirected their attention to their upcoming nuptials. They took turns going into deep detail about different aspects of the wedding to allow the other to come up with a good opening line.
"It sounds like you guys have almost everything planned out! Just let me know when you're ready to go dress shopping and I'm there."
Ginny heard the smallest hint of pride in her voice. Hermione would usually get easily excited when someone told her about their very organized and well thought out plans.
"And since we're on the subject, can we expect to put George at the head table with us. You know, as your date for the wedding?"
The couple watched a small blush appeared on Hermione's cheeks.
"Well, I suppose if all goes well with our date tomorrow night, then yes. I would love for him to be my date to the wedding. However, let's wait until that time comes. I don't want to plan that far in advance before I even know what's happening between us. Either way, we'll both be in the wedding so it doesn't really matter if we're there as a couple or just a couple of friends, right?"
Silence fell upon the three for a few moments while they continued to eat their meals. Ginny seemed to be at a loss for words. How was she going to find a way to warn her friend about her ex-boyfriend without causing too much alarm? She chanced a glance at Harry while Hermione stared at her next bite. Even he seemed lost in his thoughts.
"So, Ron seems to be handling this well," Harry said casually.
Hermione choked a little on the food she had in her mouth, but managed to recover well. Ginny felt her heart stop when Hermione's eyes darted uncertainly between the pair.
"He knows?" She asked, trying to sound nonchalant.
"Well, yeah," Harry replied. "He noticed you and George flirting a bit at the family dinner and asked George about it. He didn't lose his top over it, so I suppose he's taking it well."
"Oh."
"Oh?"
"That's good," Hermione told them. "To be honest, I completely forgot about Ron and how he might take this. I didn't tell him about it when we ran into each other last week."
"Well, you're not really his responsibility anymore," Ginny pointed out casually, inwardly cursing Harry for jumping them into this conversation before she was prepared. If there was anything Fred and George had taught her over the years though, it was the ability to think on her feet and jump with a grace to be reviled with. She'd be damned if she botched this up. "Nor is he yours. To be honest, I'm much happier to see you with George than Ron."
Ginny tried to keep her composure in check as Hermione's eyes widened with shock at her statement.
It was true, though. Ginny, much like her mother, desperately wanted Hermione to be a part of the family. She just never felt that her dear brother fully deserved her after years of stupidity weighed heavily on their friendship and eventually became the downfall of their mediocre 3-year romance. It angered Ginny to think her brother was daft enough to believe he could have Hermione when it was convenient for him.
When she had first heard of George moving into The Cottage, it had thrown everyone off guard. As time had passed, the two of them becoming fast friends on their way to be lovers seemed to just fit, she supposed. Hermione needed a man that could match her intellectually and stimulate her emotionally. Where Ron had frustrated and contained her, George excited her and helped her find a new form of freedom and independence from the Golden Trio.
Initially, Ginny had worried that the bonds forming amongst Hermione, George, Katie and Percy would lead to the distancing of the friendship formed with her, Harry and Ron. She realized after George's blow out with Harry and her apologetic conversation at Christmas that they would have deserved it for how they were treating Hermione. Over the years, they had taken advantage of her friendship and there was only so much a person could take. 'Merlin knows Hermione's taken more than her fair share,' she mused.
"Well, thank you. It means a lot to us that you both support us. I'll admit I did carry some concerns on how the family would take it."
"I wouldn't get too excited just yet. Mum, dad, Bill and Charlie still haven't heard about your happy union. Prepare yourself for the teasing and the wedding planning."
Ginny chuckled as she watched Hermione roll her eyes at the notion.
"Oh, honestly. We haven't even had our first date yet and everyone acts as if we'll be together indefinitely! You couldn't possibly figure that out after the first date. And we haven't even had it yet. Besides," Hermione added, "we have to do this properly and carefully. There's a lot more at stake here than just a couple of friends testing the waters."
"That's what Ron said yesterday," Harry said.
A small gasp of breath escaped his mouth after Ginny successfully managed to kick him under the table.
"What do you mean?" Hermione questioned, her voice filled with suspicion.
Ginny loved and adored her fiancée. He was the light of her life and her personal hero. But at that particular moment, she wanted to strangle him until his eyes popped out of their sockets. She knew they were in for it now.
"It was nothing," Harry rushed to say, backtracking as much as possible when he realized his mistake. "He had asked Percy about the issues that could possibly arise and he told Ron that he was sure you two were taking all necessary precautions."
Hermione looked away and stared at nothing for a bit, her only response was a slow nod the almost went to the faint beat from the grandfather clock in the next room.
"I see," she muttered finally. "And was this before or after he tried to unsuccessfully sneak in questions about us?"
Ginny exchanged a small glance with Harry. They were both trying to decide how to answer that question without it resulting in a blowout.
Hermione stood up from the table and calmly wiped her mouth with the napkin on her lap.
"Thank you for the lovely dinner, Ginny. Your cooking skills are excelling with each recipe you make."
"Hermione, wait-"
Ginny jolted out of her seat and ran after her friend who was already walking briskly down the hall towards the front door.
"Do me a favor, floo St. Mungo's in ten minutes and tell them to show up at the Burrow. I imagine they'll be needed after I'm done with Ronald," she called over her shoulder.
Ginny ran and spread arms in front of the door before Hermione managed to grab the handle, grateful that they had kept any Apparating in and out of the home prohibited after moving in.
"There's a chance you might be reading too far into this, 'Mione."
"He probably didn't mean anything of it," Harry helped after he caught up with the girls.
Hermione rolled her eyes. "Of course he meant something of it, Harry. The tosser probably thinks he can get inside one of our heads and end anything before it starts. He's always been like this and you know it. In his eyes, I might as well be the toy he once had that one of his brothers took away from him because he wasn't playing with it anymore. Now, just because someone else wants me he thinks he wants me back. I'm sick of his behavior. It's fourth year all over again!"
Her heartstrings pulled and strained as she watched Hermione slump against a wall and bury her head in her hands. Her best friend deserved better than the treatment she was getting. Hadn't the poor girl suffered enough in this life? She spent her childhood helping her friends defeat a dark wizard trying to take over the world, all the while trying to balance out class work, having a normal life and teenage hormones. Additionally, once they were free of war and violence, her friend found herself in a dead end position filled with more wankers who wanted nothing more than take advantage of her skills and knowledge. This was her chance at happiness, real happiness. George had the chance to give her a life she deserved.
"Hermione," she spoke softly as she grabbed her wrists and pulled her hands from her face. "No more dancin' about it, yeah? Truth is, we have no idea what's happening. That's why we didn't want to come right out and tell you anything. There's a good chance that he might just be genuinely concerned for the two of you and we took it differently."
Ginny released her wrist and crossed her arms in front of her.
"Ron, is... well, he's an idiot who cocks up every aspect of his life. It's pretty much expected of him these days." Harry, Ginny and Hermione shared a chuckle. "It's true! And you've known him long enough to know it's true. The question I have to ask though, is if he does try to win you back who will you choose?"
The sighed that escaped the girl's lips was barely audible, but Ginny heard it. It was a heavy moment as she watched Hermione work out an answer in her head.
"The renown author, Margaret Mitchell, once said, 'I was never one to patiently pick up broken fragments and glue them together again and tell myself that the mended whole was as good as new. What is broken is broken - and I'd rather remember it as it was at its best than mend it and see the broken places as long as I lived.' It's one of my favorite quotes of all time. After my break up with Ronald, I knew that him coming back to me was a definite possibility. One night, George and I were lounging on the couch engrossed in whatever we were doing. I looked about me and realized that I could never go back to being anything more than friends after the way we left things. I had built a new life for myself. Something I didn't know was capable until George came into my life.
"What George and I have, it's different. For the first time in a very, very long time, I feel excited about my daily life. I love waking up and going to work. I love enjoying a cuppa at the table across from the man that taught me what it was like to be alive. He pulled me out of the dark wreckage of what I had become and never left my side. He never judged me. He never made me feel less of myself. He fought for me with me! No one has ever done that before. When he says that he loves me, I know without a doubt that he means it, lives and breathes it. Ron left me once, Gin. Who's to say he wouldn't leave me a second time? Or a third time? If we were meant to be, we would never have ended this way."
It was a long bout of silence before anyone spoke up. The conversation took a turn none of them had been planning to go. She wanted to grab onto the girl in front of her and hug the breath out of her lungs for being the one to help give George a reason to live life himself.
As George continued to throw himself back into his work after Fred's death, her family had wanted to believe that he really was getting better. It wasn't until George had began finding new and creative ways to off himself. Even after he made his final swear to quit trying to kill himself, Ginny mentally prepared herself for the worst. Before last Friday, she couldn't recall the last time she had seen true happiness flash across George's face after Fred. It took her breath away the second her brain registered what exactly she was seeing. Her mother had passed between them and held one finger up to her mouth. Molly's glistening eyes betrayed her desperate want to point out her approval of Hermione and the sheer amounts of glee that must have been running through her veins that her son wasn't quite so broken anymore.
"Hermione," Harry said, "Ginny and I promise to keep an eye out for any odd behavior from Ron and let you know, but we can't guarantee we'll be much help."
"You know we're on your side here. Ron's just a great prat and I'll be happy to throw a Bat Boogey Hex his way if he steps a toe out of line under my watch," Ginny told her as she wrapped her arms around her friend.
Hermione muttered a thank you as she moved out of her arms and moved to give Harry a hug as well.
"Just promise me one thing," Hermione started as she fumbled with the strap of her faithful purse. "Don't let George and Percy know that I know just yet. If they want this to stay between brothers, then I wish to respect that until I feel my involvement is necessary. Is that alright?"
"Of course, 'Mione. Whatever you want," Harry assured.
As Harry closed the door behind Hermione when she eventually left a few moments later, Ginny knew that no matter what Percy said this wasn't about brothers as much as it was about Ron and Hermione closing the door on their past. She hoped with all she had that the two exes would be able to salvage a friendship after all of this, but knew better than to hold her breath.
Hermione went to bed as soon as she arrived back to the comforts of her home. The Cottage was void of all life, save for Gred who promptly ignored her arrival and continued to sleep in the most awkward of positions on the couch. The revelation of Ron attempting to get between her and George had her tossing and turning all night. After three hours of this, she eventually gave up hope and took matters into her own hand, trudging into the kitchen to drown her worries in Calming Draught-spiked tea, grateful that either her roommates were sleeping elsewhere that night or had already fallen into a deep sleep without her noticing.
'How dare he think he can take this away from me! It's not fair. Just because he and Lavender didn't work out, he thinks he can just bounce between us until he decides which one to settle for. Clearly he thinks less of my intelligence if he truly believes I would be stupid enough to fall for that.'
The distinct sound of the floo igniting pulled her out of her thoughts. She tensed, realizing that it was more than likely George arriving home. Hermione hoped that, if she was silent enough, he wouldn't even noticed the faint line of light peeking through the bottom of the kitchen door spilling onto the living room floor. If he noticed, then she would have to come up with an excuse and she really didn't feel like lying to him.
Sure enough, the door to the kitchen was pushed gently inward and George's sleepy yet smiling face peered from behind it.
"Hey love, what are you still doing up?"
Hermione held up her cup as George crossed the room and sat across from her at the table. "Couldn't sleep, so I thought I'd help matters along. How was work? You're getting in pretty late."
"It was your typical Tuesday crowd. I stayed after for a bit to get a day ahead so we wouldn't need to worry about anything shop-related interrupting us tomorrow night."
Hermione shared a smile with George as she pushed down her sense of dread and allowed herself to share in his excitement for their first official date as a couple. She felt a tinge crawl up her arm as he reached out to play with her fingers on the table.
"Did you have nightmares again?"
Oh, how she wished that were the case. Not having come up with a better cover, Hermione nodded and decided to go with that. George stood and tugged on the hand he was holding until she stood as well.
"Come on, 'Mione. You're sleeping with me tonight. Let's go."
She giggled as she quickly abandoned her mug before he pulled her too far from the sink and allowed him to drag her to his room. As she climbed into bed beside him and shared a loving goodnight kiss, she could already feel the fog of a dreamless sleep washing over her. George's soft snores fading as she did.
George hadn't been filled with this much excitement over a date for as long as he could remember. Even the small pang in his chest knowing he couldn't share this moment with Fred wasn't pulling him down from his high. He had given Hermione the day off that morning so she could catch up on her sleep and be well-rested for that night. Wednesday mornings tended to be rather slow, so George used that time to finish up potions he had started the night before.
He willingly took the jokes from Verity and Lee all day. From how they'll be up in a tree kissing (some Muggle rhyme Verity taught Lee) to the fact that he's been prancing about the store as if he'd taken everything from their love section all at once. Their usual customers were even more leery of his behavior; no one should possibly be that happy on a Wednesday, of all days. He didn't care, though. He, George Weasley, would be going on a date with the girl he knew he'd make his future wife one day and nothing anyone could say or do would change that.
Outside of the teasing and suspicious stares, the entire day went perfectly smooth. The last customer made it out the door only a minute or two after the doors had been closed for the night. Lee and George had the till counted and the books ready in record time, and all that was left for George was to finish bottling the last few drops of the potion he had been working on that evening, set the security spells in place, grab his cloak and floo home.
There was a faint pop that echoed in the quiet store somewhere behind him. Lee had only taken off a few moments before and figured he'd forgotten something, as he usually did.
"I swear you'd lose your head if it weren't attached to you mate. You forget something here nearly every night, you forgetful-"
George never had a chance to finish his teasing as a trick rope shot out from behind him and twisted around his arms and torso with such speed and power that he barely kept his balance. His wand slipped out of his hand, clinking and clanking against the hardwood floor of the room as it fell.
"No, I very much remember what I came here for, dear brother."
Every inch of his body tensed as the realization of who had done this overcame his thoughts. As he turned slowly, his eyes seeing the man - no, coward - standing behind before his body was fully turned, George's heart sunk into his stomach.
"You fucking wan-"
George felt his body fly backwards and was tossed hard into a seat behind him. The ropes loosened only slightly to wind themselves around the back of the chair. He was trapped. He couldn't remember the ropes ever tightening this much around the person they held captive. The ropes ground back and forth slightly against his bare arms. He knew it was only a matter of time before blood would start dripping from the wounds that were already forming. No, these were not his trick ropes. These had been altered severely.
He didn't bother to struggle against the ropes. As the original creator, he knew it would be at least another two hours before their reign let off, and that was just on the original product he sold. He had no doubt that whatever he had done to these included the ropes still being on in the early hours. Whatever Ronald Weasley was planning on accomplishing tonight, it didn't appear that it would end with George having a lovely dinner with Hermione as he had originally planned.
"What are you doing, Ickle Ronnikon's?"
He immediately regretted the nickname as the ropes tightened further around him. He could definitely feel blood dripping down his arms now.
"You know, I really do hate that nickname."
"Why do you think we used it to begin with?"
Ron took a few steps toward George. There was something about the way he looked that sent a chill down his spine. He couldn't tell if it was the fact that he had been bested by one of his own pranks or the strange glow overhead from the lights, but Ron had never looked so evil in all his life.
"Don't you have a darling little blonde bird to drown in spit with, little brother? I'm sure she wouldn't want to be separated from her Won-Won for too long."
"Lavender and I haven't been together for the past two weeks and you know that," Ron spat.
"And why did another one of your relationships fail this time? Hmm? This is really becoming a nasty pattern for you, Ronnie." George's voice was snarky and he knew that Ron would snap soon with irritation.
He couldn't help himself, though. Over the years, Percy and Ron had been his and Fred's favorite victims and somehow managed to bring out the very worst in them during sibling tit-for-tats. Egging people on was in George's nature, and he would be damned if he toned it down in the face of his idiot brother's little jealousy tantrum.
"I broke up with Lavender because I realized I was still in love with Hermione." The calm of his voice was eery and cold. "I was planning on begging for forgiveness and convincing her to take me back when I come to find out that she's been shacking up with you this whole."
Ron took a few steps forward and bent over to be nose to nose with George, looking him in the eye and barely blinking.
"You're not going on this date with her tonight, George. Not this one or any other one ever. I will make sure of this."
George narrowed his eyes at him. He could feel his face begin to flush red with heated anger.
"So, let me get this straight, Ronald. You spend four years trying to get Hermione, spending about one of those years dating her dorm mate. Let's not forget when you tried to sabotage her friendship with Krum in fourth year because you were convinced they were dating when they weren't and proceeded to start an argument with her nearly every day while also simultaneously trying to date her. Then, after three years, you decide that you're bored with her and you'd much rather be with Lavender again, leaving Hermione crushed and heartbroken. When Hermione decides to move on and date someone else, you lose what little sense is left in that big empty head of yours and kidnap her date - who is also your older brother, I will add - and spout out threats at him like it'll make a difference. Somewhere in the thick of all this nonsense you call logic, Hermione is supposed to just come running into your arms like you're her fucking hero, back to save her from the mundane life she leads when you're not in it. Is that right?"
George's ear was greeted with more silence, not even a mutter or a sigh in sight.
"That's what I like most about you, Ronald. You're a reliable disappointment," he told him, deadpanned.
A loud crack broke through the air as Ron's fist connected with his nose, but George refused to let on that it hurt as much as it did. 'Fucking Auror training. He never used to hit like that before!'
"It doesn't matter what you try to pull," he continued. "Hermione's not just any ordinary bird, you know. She gets things, even when the knowledge hasn't been presented to her yet. She somehow just knows so much that she's figured out the answer to everything. When I don't show up to dinner tonight, she's going to come straight here to find me and she'll figure out what's happened. Face it, Ron. You had your chance with her and you blew it. She's with me now, and she'll have to pry my cold, dead hands off her leg to get rid of me."
"That's where you're wrong, George," Ron chuckled. "See, Hermione and I have a history. She just needs to hear me out. Once she does, I'll be able to convince her that being with me is the better choice. I mean, I could let you go run off into the night and tell on me to her, but I already have an alibi handy for tonight. Once she gets proof that I wasn't here, you'll just sound paranoid and look like the jealous boyfriend. I can tell you from experience that Hermione doesn't tolerate that at all. You might be the king of jokes and pranks, but I know everything there is to know about Hermione and I will always have the advantage over you."
Ron's words hit George as if he'd been punched in the stomach. He had to admit, though, that most of the bullocks that dribbled out of Ron's mouth was sound. The leg up George knew he had on him was that Ron's record of being a complete idiot was as great as George's record of lying for purposes of pranking and getting out of trouble. However, this small notion didn't make the fear inside lessen much.
"Sometimes, you are so woefully idiotic that I sort of admire you, Ron. However, I must insist on informing you that whatever you think you're planning is not going to work."
"And that's where you're wrong again, brother," Ron growled.
George was trying his hardest to stuff down any specks of panic he could feel rising within him. He knew Ron wouldn't do anything to hurt Hermione, but he didn't think he would do anything to hurt his own family either. A deep burn was left behind on his skull as he feel a chunk of hair being pulled from the side of his head. He looked up just in time to see Ron dump the hair into a vial of what he knew was Polyjuice before he downed the contents all at once.
"No, George. I do believe you'll be the disappointment this time," Ron said in a voice that was not his own.
George sat wide-eyed and hopeless as Ron's stature shrink slightly and a bit of weight was evenly added onto him. As his hair extended its length and its shade deepened ever so slightly, his left ear began to wither away to a patch of scarred skin against his head. He watched with horror as Ron became him, the similarities to having a twin again not lost on him. George screamed and swore as he struggled against the bindings to be free.
"This chat's been nice, but I do believe I have a date to get to."
"COME BACK HERE, RON! YOU WON'T GET AWAY WITH THIS, YOU FUCKING BASTARD! IF YOU TOUCH HER I SWEAR TO ALL THAT IS PURE AND GOOD IN THIS FORSAKEN WORLD THAT I WILL KILL YOU WITH MY FUCKING BARE HANDS! RON!"
He hung his head and pulled against the rope once last time before admitting temporary defeat. He couldn't believe that his brother had snapped so far as to using these means to get what he wanted. George could feel the acid churning in his stomach as his mind raced through all of the possible things Ron could do to Hermione.
"Fred," he whispered as a silent prayer. "Please, don't let him get to her. Please, mate."
There was a tug and pull on the ropes from behind him and he barely, just barely, registered a soft breath on the back of his neck.
"Be quiet and sit still, or I won't be able to get these off."
George twisted his head around side to side trying to figure out what or who was behind him. There was the smallest flash of dark curls on his last attempt.
"I think I've almost got it."
"Hermione?!"