I didn't see Hermione anymore that day, or the next.

No, I wasn't avoiding her, I was just really hurt-not that I'd have admitted it. Only Fred was able to tell just how down I was. I buried myself in our half made products, trying to finish them. It was a good distraction, and I managed to solve our problems with the puking pastilles.

"George, this is enough." I looked up from the boiling cauldron and frowned at my twin. He had stepped over towards me and was looking as though he was gearing himself up for a fight.

"What?" I asked, stirring my cauldron half heartedly. I knew what he'd said and wanted, I just didn't want to talk about it. Not now or ever.

"You've been moping around in here for the last three days. I've had it."

"Sorry to bother you." I said coldly, standing up and dropping the ladle. Fred narrowed his eyes and blocked me from my attempt to leave the room.

"Georgie, none of that. Come on, I know how upset you are. Just got talk to Hermione. She's not happy either." I frowned even more, feeling nettled as well as guilty.

"Fred, she doesn't want to talk to me."

"Yes she does, I don't know what went down on Saturday, and I don't need to know. I know that you both got upset and probably said some stupid things. Now, you need to go apologize to her and make things right again. Otherwise, I'm going to pose as you and do it myself."

I looked at him, a slight grin trying to lift my lips. "It won't work. She can tell the difference between us."

He waved his hand through the air dismissively. "Small problem, I'll just use polyjuice. Silly since we're identical twins, but it should work."

He had me there. "Fine, I'll talk to her. Will that make you happy?"

He grinned, his eyes mischievous and bright. "Nope, but it will make you happy."

I couldn't argue with that.

-o-O-o-

All I had to do was go into the library. Just take two steps and walk into the place I hated. It was easy, effortless even. So why in Merlin's name couldn't I get my feet to take the two steps forwards?

I was terrified, what if she didn't want to see me? What if she wouldn't forgive me? What if she really was embarrassed by me?

This was plain silly, I was a Gryffindor, courage came easily for me. I threw my shoulders back and took the two steps into the library, and promptly stopped again. I had never been so worried about stepping into the library before. I was scared to go find Hermione. I was embarrassed by what I had said to her, but I was hurt by what she had said to me as well. I tried really hard to be 'sensitive' and understanding, and she'd just blown my attempts off. She even had gotten onto me for not telling what I was doing with my twin.

I couldn't betray Fred's confidence, he was the most important thing to me, I thought she'd understood that. Apparently not though judging by the fact that she had gotten so angry at me.

I sighed and forced myself to go forward. I wouldn't put this off any longer. I'd made Hermione cry and I was not going to let another minute pass without letting her know I was sorry about that. I still couldn't tell her what had happened, but I could apologize for accusing her of being embarrassed by me. I could apologize for hurting her feelings, which I'd never set out to do. I never wanted to hurt her. I really liked her. I needed to remind her of that fact, and let her know I hadn't meant to hurt her with my insecurities. The worst that could happen is that she would tell me it was over. It'd be painful, and I doubt we'd be able to be friends again, but I'd know I had really given her my all.

Merlin, please don't let it be over.

I made my way through the aisles, going to the place I knew she'd be. The oldest section of the library, it was where we always met up, and I just knew that was where she'd be. A moment later I reached the spot and she was there like I knew she would be. I leaned against the bookshelf silently, watching her as she read her book. She was leaning on the table, her arms crossed in front of her book. Her hair was pulled back in a messy pony tail, tendrils falling out and framing her face. Her perfect, white, straight, teeth were chewing on the tip of her quill, her full lips brushing against them. Her brow had the concentration lines she always got when she was focusing or studying, the only lines on her face. She was leaning forward and her tie was loosened, showing some of her neck, and the first few buttons on her long sleeved shirt were undone, giving just a hint of what rested beneath. She was beautiful, and she was convinced I was furious with her.

How had I let even one day go by with her thinking I was angry?

She paused in her reading, lifting her eyes and scanning the shelves in front of her. She tensed, her eyes narrowing before she moved her eyes towards me. She blushed, but didn't move her eyes. I stood frozen, unable to look away from her and unable to move. I was completely frozen.

We stared at each other for a few moments, and then she opened her mouth, drawing my gaze to her lips. "George?" She questioned, her voice guarded. I tensed at the sound of it but pushed away from the shelf just the same. I strode up to the table and dropped my bag in a chair before sitting down in front of her.

"Hermione," I said softly, trying to keep my voice from sounding as guarded, "I'm just going to come right out and say it."

"George," she said again, trying to cut me off. I shook my head and held up my hand, stopping her from talking.

"No, Hermione, I need to say this. I'm sorry." Her eyes widened and promptly filled with tears. I rose from my chair as quickly as I could and stepped around the table so I was next to her. I sat down on the edge of the chair next to her and grabbed her hand. She turned towards me, tears spilling down her eyes now. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to make you cry. I just got upset that you thought I was purposely trying to keep something from you. I really, really, like you Hermione, and I don't want to let a miss understanding break us up or mess us up."

"I'm sorry too, George." She said, her voice watery. "I was already so angry at Skeeter that it just spilled out when you wouldn't tell me what you were doing." She sniffed and wiped her tears away with her free hand before continuing. "I completely understand that you can't break Fred's trust, and I won't ask you again."

I pulled her back to my chest, holding her in a tight hug.

She pulled back from me after a moment, an accusing look on her face as she smacked my chest.

"What was that for?" I asked, rubbing my now sore chest and dropping my arms from her.

"For accusing me of being embarrassed to be seen with you! How could you even think that?" I swallowed, dropping my eyes from her accusing ones. I thought we could avoid this conversation for a little longer.

"I don't think it, not really. It honestly just slipped out." I tried, her eyes let me know she wasn't buying it. Urgh. "Alright, I may have entertained the notion once or twice. I mean, I'm not exactly great for your image."

"That is not true. I've never been embarrassed to be with you. I always thought it was the other way around." She said quietly, looking at me with wide eyes. She placed her hands on my shoulders and pushed herself up until her mouth was even with mine, and she pressed a kiss to my lips.

Fred was right again, I should have apologized sooner.

-o-O-o-

So, three things happened while I had been avoiding Hermione. 1) Hagrid was back as gamekeeper and teacher. 2) Harry had found out the secret to the egg and now just had to figure out a way to hold his breath for an hour (no problem, happens every day, I'm sure.) 3) Krum had started to talk to my girl again.

Needless to say I was most caught up in the last one.

Don't mistake me, I don't mean he was waving at her in the hall or giving her a simple 'good morning' in passing. I mean he was searching her out and carrying on long, heartfelt, conversations with her while Ron and Harry were in divination.

Can you say 'hell no'?

Weeks had gone by, but nothing much had changed. Hermione and I had reverted to how we were before Skeeter had popped up, (except we were a little closer. I wasn't worried anymore, and neither was she which led to some very fun snogging.) January slowly melted away into February, making Harry nearly blinded with panic as his deadline approached.

"Hermione!" I called, running down the corridor to catch up with her. She was headed towards the library again. Her, Harry, and Ron had been spending every bit of their spare time there. Fred, Lee, and I had even started hanging out there. We still hadn't come up with even a hint of an idea for what to use to let Harry breathe underwater for a few hours either.

She stopped in her trek and turned towards me, a grin lighting up her face as she saw me. "George!" She exclaimed, hugging me when I reached her. I returned the hug, grabbing her hand when she dropped her arms from me. We continued down the hall, and she started chatting about what she had learned in charms animatedly, her eyes brightening with excitement. I listened half-heatedly. I felt like someone was watching me, but I couldn't figure out who. There was almost no one here.

"So, what do you think?" Hermione asked, I started, realizing I had completely missed whatever question it was she had asked me.

"Umm, sorry, I missed that last bit." I said sheepishly, smiling at her. She shook her head, a small smile lifting her lips up.

"I know, what's got your attention?"

I shrugged, glancing around the hall again. We'd reached the library now, and no one was following us. Maybe I'd just imagined it… "I feel like someone's watching us. You know what I mean?" She nodded her head, glancing up and down the hall as well before she stepped through the door. I followed her, deciding I'd ask her my question before we lost our solitude.

"Hermione?" she turned her head towards me, smiling.

"Yes?"

"Are you doing anything on Valentine's day?" she grinned even more and shook her head.

"No, not yet anyway." I grinned back at her, tightening my grip on her hand.

"Would you accompany me to Hogsmeade?"

"I'd love to." She said quietly, blushing slightly. I grinned even more, not even caring that we had reached the others now. I knew I at least had one date with Hermione now. They were getting to be few and far between. I couldn't wait for February 24th to pass and for Harry to be alright.

We sat down by Ron and Harry, both of whom were starting to look slightly ill. I picked up a book on charms off the table and began to flip through its pages, resigning myself to another day in the library. I turned the antiquated pages of the book and grabbed a quill and parchment to make notes on anything I might find.

Thirty pages in and nothing had really caught my eye, at least not for Harry. Maybe he should talk to McGonagall about animagus's. He could turn into a fish or something…

I turned another page and my eyes caught sight of a spell I'd never even heard of. 'Somnium.' I dropped the page and propped the book up a little more so I could read it more clearly.

Somnium: A spell for rendering the victim in a state of dreams. Can be used in the form "Metus Somnium" to cause a state of nightmares, or 'Lucundus Somnium' to send the casted into more pleasant dreams. The spell can cause drooling, vacant stares, or whimpers. Should be used cautiously as it can become addicting.

Well that was a right clever spell… I would have to remember it when Snape went off on especially long spouts. I'd just have to figure out how to stop it. Maybe we could figure out a way to time it out. That could make it a potential product for our shop.

A/N: Don't forget to review if you enjoy it :D.