There are not enough sorry's in the world to express the sadness I feel to making you guys wait! Hope this makes up for it!
"Stu-"
"Stupefy!"
Ron yelped as he was thrown backward across the room landing hard on his rump, sliding a bit before finally stopping.
Fred begrudgingly slipped a sickle into George's waiting hand.
"Thank you," George said happily.
"Shut up!"
The girls in the room came to Hermione praising and applauding her in a chorus of giggles.
George couldn't help but beam as Ron came towards them with his face turning red and his head down.
Dumbledore's Army finally found a place to practice thanks to Dobby the House Elf; the Room of Requirement allowed them to practice without feeling the Pink Toad's eyes upon their backsides. Harry was a surprisingly good teacher, starting them with the basics and fundamentals and getting everyone to perform the simplest spells quickly and effectively. George turned his attention back to the duel in front of him – Padma Patil against Cho Chang. Hermione stood on the other side of the duel, blushing a bit as Ginny and Luna Lovegood talked to her. He caught her eye and wink at her, her blush darkening with the attention.
"Oi!" Fred hissed at him, "Three Sickles says that Granger can get you on your backside."
"Dueling or behind closed doors?" George retorted with a smirk.
Fred punched him it the arm with his face twisted in disgust, "I don't need to think about that! I meant in dueling."
George grinned shaking his head, "Don't wanna."
"And why ever not?"
"I'm not gonna hurt her."
Fred clapped him on the shoulder, "Noble to the end, my dear brother."
The mock-duels continued, with George going against Padma Patil and Luna Lovegood in turn. The room practices went from shield charms, to disarming, until it was second nature to them all. Before they knew it, it was a quarter to curfew.
"Great start to the first day!" Harry beamed, "I think if we meet twice a week we can really start to move on to the things we're missing this year. So, again, great work everyone!"
He was answered with a round of applause for a moment before it died and everyone began to speak about the evening. George followed the crowd to grab his bag and creeped up behind Hermione. He gave her a swift kiss on the cheek.
"You were brilliant," he praised. "Never thought I'd get the pleasure of seeing Ronnikins flat on his arse by you."
She grinned, focusing on arranging the books she lent to Harry for the night in her bag. "Before that he said he would 'go easy on me.'"
George laughed, "Wouldn't he learn by now to go against the Brightest witch of the age will never end well?"
Hermione laughed with him. "And you? Will you dare?
"Against you?" he scoffed, "I'd rather live a couple more years thank you very much!"
Hermione patted his cheek, "Good answer."
With ten minutes 'til curfew the castle halls were abandoned, so the safest way to depart was to leave in small groups. Fred left ahead with Angelina, leaving George to leave with Hermione. They took their time walking back to the tower, his arm draped across her shoulders and her arm wrapped around his waist.
"I hate having to sneak around to learn how to defend ourselves." Hermione said softly. "School is for learning and no one is helping us to accomplish that."
"At least not Umbridge, Snape just wants us to not blow the castle up."
Hermione stopped and stared at him. "Are you defending Snape?"
He tugged her to his chest, his arms wrapped around her. "Without potions my Mia there would be no Weasley Wizard Wheezes and by extension our lovely wit and humor would cease to have an outlet."
"Then I suppose I should thank him." She mused.
"The git would think you're mad," he teased, resting his forehead against hers with his nose tweaking hers.
"And do you think so?"
"Think you're mad?" he clarified. He pursed his lips forward to kiss the topside of her smiling lips. "Rightfully so!"
Hermione mocked a shocked expression.
"Because-" he continued. "You have to be mad enough to be with a mad man like me."
Hermione laughed, threading her hands around his neck and pulling him down to her.
A force like a protego shield came between them, ripping their arms away from each other and sending them staggering back several feet.
"Students are not allowed to be within six inches of each other, Ms. Granger and Mr. Weasley," quipped an overly chipper voice.
George glared at Umbridge in her pink robes and her wand settling down to her side. He took several steps forward before halting under Hermione's hold on his arm.
"Be wise Mr. Weasley," Umbridge advised, "Breaking the rules leads to consequences."
With a turn of the heel, she made her way back down the hall with George starring hexes at her back.
Hermione slipped her hand in his hand and rubbed the raised skin of his scarred hand, tugging him down the hallway away from the pink toad. He followed her, only begrudgingly, returning his arms upon her shoulder and holding her tightly to his side.
They were silent walking back to the tower, their personal moment ruined. They quickly came to the Portrait Hole and entered into the empty common room. George removed Hermione's bag from her shoulder and dropped it next to the couch. He sat down and she followed, curling into his side and resting her head on his chest.
"Mind if we stay here for a bit?" he said softly.
"You don't have to ask," she replied, "I almost don't want to go to class tomorrow."
George didn't say anything, he started to stroke her hair down her back, threading the curl of her hair between his fingers.
"I feel like I want to stay in my room all day and forget what's happening outside the door."
"With me I hope,"
She nudged him, "I believe that goes without saying, you prat."
He chuckled softly, "Just checking, you shouldn't be alone in this. I'm still here you know."
"I know but its your last year, you won't have to deal with Umbridge much longer."
"I highly doubt she'll last much longer if Dumbledore has anything to do about it."
"He's not really doing anything to stop her though...but with the Ministry breathing down his neck I guess he can't."
"That hasn't stopped him before." George noted. "It's just that he's trying to convince a stone wall that You-Know-Who is back in the corpse-y flesh."
Hermione laughed, "I don't understand why they would doubt him anyway."
"People just want to live in their own little world."
"Like you my brother!"
Hermione yelped and George jumped at his twin voice. Fred laughed as he plopped himself down in the armchair next to them with his legs over the chair's arm.
"That's not funny Fred!" Hermione scolded throwing a couch pillow at him.
He caught it easily with a laugh and place it behind him to cushion his back.
"I beg to differ Granger," Fred countered, "I found it hilarious."
Hermione glared at him. "Prat."
She turned to George, "I'm going to go to bed."
"Alright," George kiss her, "Walk you to breakfast?"
She smiled, kissing him again, "I'll meet you down here at seven thirty."
He watched her pick up her bag and strode up the stairs to her dormitory. When he turned back to face his twin, Fred's face changed dramatically. Sadness was written across his face and pity filled his eyes.
"When are you going to tell her?" he questioned.
George ran his hand through his hair then clenched at it as he thought, "I don't know."
Fred nodded in understanding, "Well...she deserves an answer sooner than later."
"She deserves a lot more than that."