This will be the last chapter of Order of the Phoenix but I do plan on writing a few more chapters from during the summer and The Half-Blood Prince. I hope you enjoy!

Chapter Sixteen

George POV

"George! George! Come now!" Fred came running into the joke shop with a pale look on his face and a frantic sound in his voice. "We have to go, now."

"Woah, Freddie. What's going on?" George held up his hands to slow his twin down.

Fred shook his head furiously back and forth. "They're in trouble."

"Who's in trouble? Fred slow down." George asked with his head spinning with confusion as he took off the apron that he wore at the joke shop.

"They're all in trouble, George. Ginny, Ron, Harry… Hermione."

"No." George snarled with his eyes wild. "She can't be. I joined the Order to keep her safe. Where are they?"

"We have to go. They're at the Department of Mysteries at the Ministry! Come on, Tonks just called us. They walked into a trap."

They apparated as fast as possible to No. 12 Grimmauld Place and walked into the front door. Sirius was screaming at Kreacher in the entranceway. "HOW DARE YOU TELL HIM THAT I WENT TO THE DEPARTMENT OF MINSITRIES. DO YOU UNDERSTAND WHAT YOU'VE DONE?"

George stumbled into the kitchen where the others were. Lupin and Mad-Eye were devising a plan to get to the Ministry now which meant taking down the apparating wards that didn't allow people to apparat into them. Fred and he stood by the door, bouncing with anticipation to go into battle. All George could think of was protecting Hermione Granger from any danger.

"No! You are not going." Mrs. Weasley screamed when she walked through the door and saw them, pulling him out of his thoughts of the curly haired Gryffindor girl.

"Oh, yes we are." Fred said sternly. "You don't have an excuse to not let us go. We are of age and we are not at Hogwarts anymore. Besides if we did go to school still, we'd be walking headfirst into this mess with the rest of them."

Their mother opened her mouth to begin yelling at them when Tonks agreed with them as she sat at the table. "The more people we have on our side, Molly, the better chance we have of rescuing the others. Think of Ginny and Ron. They need people right now. Let them help."

Their mother began crying and wrapped the boys into tight hugs. "Don't get yourselves killed or so help me; I'll kill you!"

George chuckled and rubbed his mother's back. "That kind of defeats the point, doesn't it?"

She shook her head. "I don't have to make sense. I'm a mother who is grieving that the majority of her family is going into a battle."

After an intense couple minutes of debating and arguing, the leaders devised a plan. Lupin was halfway through explaining it when Sirius walked through the door, finally being done with yelling at Kreacher. "I'm going, Moony."

Lupin seemed to freeze at his Marauder nickname. "Sirius. No… it's too dangerous. What if someone sees you?"

"I've been hiding for far too long. I'm not afraid. I'm only afraid of losing my family." He held on to Remus' hands. "I promised Harry that we would be a proper family when this was over. Don't make me break that promise. I have to make sure you're okay."

Mad-Eye grunted. "Not to break up a lover's quarrel but we really do need to get moving. Now. Follow the plan and whatever happens, don't look back. I don't care if anyone dies."

Hermione POV

Harry had just closed his fingers around the dusty ball and held it up when a voice that sounded familiar drawled. "Now turn around, nice and slowly, and give it to me." It was Lucius Malfoy. Hermione's insides turned to ice.

Black shapes were emerging out of the air and they were soon surrounded. Hermione held up her wand and suppressed a whimper that was threatening to escape her lips. "Where's Sirius?" Harry demanded.

The wicked looking witch from the front page of the Daily Prophet cackled from besides Lucius. "The little baby woke up so scared looking for his god father, did he?"

Ron held up his wand before Harry shot him a warning. "Don't do anything. Not yet—"

"How cute! He's giving orders like they have a fighting chance. What are you children, against us." She motioned her wand to the other menacing figures that were closing in around them.

Harry took the opportunity to yell at the others. "RUN!"

The members of the DA darted in every which direction, deflecting spells that the death eaters were shooting off at them. Hermione knocked out a death eater who was getting ready to kill her when she tripped and began to bleed on her palms. She quickly forced herself to get back up and keep running. She heard Harry's voice. "Get to the circular room! Hurry!" She urged her feet to run faster as she caught up with the others.

"I think we lost them." Neville panted.

"I don't think it would be that easy…" Harry looked confused. "It can't be… there's something coming from that archway, I can hear the voices."

Hermione looked confused. "There aren't any voices, Harry. Let's keep going."

Luna stepped up to Harry's side. "I hear them too…"

"Get behind me! The voices, they're warning me." Harry shouted at his friends.

They all did what they were told and raised their wands, ready for an attack. They were soon pounded with black figures who were grabbing them and whisking them away. Hermione found herself being held with a wand to her throat by a deatheater. When she looked around, she noticed that all the other members of the D.A. were in a similar situation except for Harry.

"Did you actually think you could stop us?" Lucius Malfoy sneered. "Give me the prophecy, now. Or watch all of your friends die."

Hermione let a single tear slip out of her. She was going to die. She was going to die and there was nothing any test could prepare her for this moment. Neville screamed from across the circle, being held by Bellatrix. "Don't give it to him, Harry!"

Harry ignored the boy and held out his hand, putting the prophecy into Malfoy's hand. Hermione let out a gasp when a white light appeared bringing Sirius Black in front of Malfoy. "Get away from my godson, Malfoy." Sirius said as he cranked his arm back and punched Malfoy square in the jaw, sending the deatheater to fall backwards and break the Prophecy on the ground.

More white lights filled the room and other Order members appeared in front of them. Chaos ensued as the deatheaters were fighting back against the members. Hermione made eye contact with George and Fred who ran over to her. "I don't have my wand! It's gone!" She cried to them as George grabbed her hand.

"Let's go. Grab Ginny!" George shouted at Fred who ran off to retrieve their sister's hand and bring her to safety.

"I thought I was going to die, George." Hermione let her protective wall crack and another tear roll down her face as he ran with her, away from the fighting that was behind her.

"I'm sorry, Hermione. But we don't have time right now. We have to get you out of here." George hid behind a rock and threw a red shot of light of his wand at a deatheater who was approaching them. "Go with Ginny, Luna, and Tonks…"

"No!" Hermione cried out. "I'm not leaving you."

"Hermione, we don't have time to argue about this." George pleaded with her.

"It's not an argument because it's not happening. Forget about it, George. You're either coming with me or I'm staying with you. You choose."

He closed his eyes and cursed under his breath. "Accio wand!" He cried out and Hermione's wand came flying into his hand. When George placed it into her hand, he looked at her very seriously into her eyes. "Don't make me regret letting you stay here and fight. Don't get hurt."

Simultaneously, the twins and Hermione began to attack the deatheaters that were trying to close around them and the escaping girls. Hermione landed an attack square into the chest of the deatheater that was holding her captive.

She looked around to take in her surroundings when she saw Bellatrix and Sirius dueling. "Is that the best you got?" Sirius taunted.

Bellatrix cackled and sent him flying into the veil, disappearing. Harry screamed and tried to run and get Sirius but was stopped by Lupin wrapping his arms around him and keeping him from chasing after him. "He's gone!" Remus called to Harry. "Let him go."

Harry shook the old professor off of his grip and went chasing after Bellatrix. "Harry no!" Hermione screamed but was blocked by another deatheater. "I have to get to him!" She turned to the twins.

"Are you crazy?" George asked while his eyes were threatening to pop out of his head. "You're staying right here, next to me. Do you understand?"

"But George—"

"He's right, Hermione!" Fred shouted over the spells that were being thrown at both sides. "There's no time to fight. Let's go."

Before they could leave, Hermione saw a flash of light coming towards her and she was knocked out. All she could remember was hearing a boy scream, "No!"

George POV

He had fallen asleep with his head on the hospital bed, on her stomach. It helped George fall asleep knowing that her lungs kept filling with hair and exhaling. She still hasn't woken up. He knew that she wasn't the most beat up of the group. Tonk's had to go to St. Mungo's after protecting Luna, Ginny, and Neville.

George rubbed his eyes with one of his hands while he kept the other one firmly held onto hers. She was still wearing the dainty lion bracelet that he had given to her for Christmas. He reflected on how long ago that was. She could have died without him telling her exactly how he felt.

Hermione's eyes fluttered open and she began to hyperventilate. "George?! Harry?! Ron?! Ginny?!"

"Shh… shh… Hermione, you're okay. You're okay. You're at Hogwarts in the hospital wing." George held onto her hand with both of his and leaned forward so that she saw his face.

"George!" She cried and wrapped her arms around him tightly before backing off. "Ow!" Hermione winced and laid back down. "How did I get here?"

"I was distracted for a second. For one second. And a deatheater got you with a Stupefy—" George shook his head in disgust. "I have never wanted to kill someone before in my life. I'm glad Fred got to him first because if I had—"

Hermione held his face with her hands. "Hey, hey, hey. Stop that talk. I'm okay and I'm here now. There's no need to think like that."

"Hermione you could have died! What were you thinking? I thought you were supposed to keep the boys out of trouble?" George shook his head. "Now… Lupin won't even leave his room. He's so torn up about losing Sirius."

The Gryffindor looked at her hands with guilt. "I thought it was a trap. I even tried to tell them."

"It doesn't matter now." George shook his head. "I'm just glad you're okay."

"How is Harry?"

"He's fine. Well as fine as you can be after the ordeal he just went through." George looked up and around the room. "Will you please just stay laying very still while I get Madame Pomphrey. Seriously, Hermione. Do not move." He got up and ran as fast as he could to the office and breathlessly said. "Hermione Granger is up."

The two returned to her bed. "I think you should go check on the other's while I examine—"

"I'm not leaving her side." George snipped at the healer. "Sorry, I just… I can't leave her side." He sank back into the wooden chair that was pulled up next to her cot.

Madame Pomphrey huffed and began to work around George. She assessed Hermione and decided that she needed to stay another night in the Hospital Wing. The girl smiled and thanked the healer before turning to George. "So… you're a member of the Order now?"

George smiled. "I was hoping you would catch on by my letter."

Hermione blushed. "I don't think I ever received it… sorry. I would've been excited for you and Fred. I am excited for you both, I mean."

He shook his head. "No matter. The only thing that matters is that you're okay." George kissed the top of her head. "I do need to talk to you."

Hermione caught her breath. "About?"

"I couldn't stop thinking about what would happen if you or I were to get hurt, like really hurt, and I didn't tell you how I feel." He took a deep breath and looked into her eyes. "I love you, Hermione. I don't want to be with anyone other than you."

The girl smiled and blushed a violent shade of red. "Oh yea, Weasley?" She giggled before saying in a shy voice. "I love you too…"

He leaned in and kissed her lips, gently, making sure not to break open the cut on her lip. "Be my girl, Hermione." George whispered to her with a smile as he backed up slightly.

"Always and Forever, George." She put her hand on his cheek.

"Always and Forever." He agreed with a wink and another kiss.