14. Seeing Double: Where George goes through a faze Hermione tries to help with.

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George was going through a faze that was confusing to all Burrow residents, Harry and Hermione included.

Even though it was a sticky, hot summer he was wearing two of everything. Two shirts, two pairs of pants, two pairs of socks - the entire outfit. (They did not need to look to know he was wearing two pairs of trunks as well.) Soon this habit of wearing two of everything transfered to eating two of everything. At each meal George demanded to have two plates, two glasses and two napkins. Then it was reading two books open, flying with two brooms-

At first it was funny, and Harry and Ron connected George to the clothes-zealous Dobby. But then this initial joke seemed to be serious, and it was Hermione who offered that maybe this was a coping mechanism for losing Fred. This got everyone to immediately accept it without question, but Hermione was unsure if just giving the habit a blind eye was the best option.

So, having made up her mind, she went up to George one day and declared bravely, "I'll be your double."

George lifted his head to look up at her and lifted an eyebrow in silent question.

"I'll do everything with you, be the second to your first," she said as she reached forward and took off one of the jumpers he was wearing. It had a bright yellow 'F' against a deep red background. She pulled it over her head with care not to damage it.

When her eyes came out from the fabric, she saw that George was giving her a very slight grin. It was one of bewilderment, but it was at least something.

So began the days of Hermione acting like George's double he had lost. Everyone seemed more surprised from her wearing George and Fred's clothes than when George had donned enough for two and looked twenty pounds heavier. Hermione even ate what he did, and soon she had stayed at his side long enough to finish his sentences.

Everyone at the Burrow thought it either absolutely bizzare or absolutely adorable. George's own opinion on Hermione trying to help him cope with Fred's disappearance was unknown and unspoken about until one day.

It was a simple one, mostly spent by George teaching her how to fly. She had gotten down the maneuvers (even the dives and twists) and so he'd started on making her a beater. The club was heavy in her arms, but he assured her soon she would be mediocre, and then good and then great with his help. They were lying on the crispy Autumn grass enjoying the streaming sunlight before George turned his head to her.

"What are you after?" he asked with narrowed brown eyes.

Hermione opened her own brown ones and looked across at him.

"Why do I have to have an agenda for making you feel better and stopping you from heat-stroke by wearing too many clothes?"

He just narrowed his eyes more at her. It was odd seeing him so serious now since he'd been somewhat reverting back to a full-out goof ball.

"Well, maybe I want you," she said nonchalantly. Hermione seemed to realize her statement a moment later as she sat up with a start and added, "By that I mean, when you were with Fred and you were happy and stupid and- stop grinning like that!"

Yet George couldn't stop the grin from spreading over his face or from lunging forward to pull her against him.

Posted: 11.9.2011
Word Count: 587