Chapter 10
George was sick seeing Hermione so down. He tries his best to tell Alicia no. He actually turns her down so much that she starts crying asking why he doesn't like her. "I like you plenty, but as a friend. I happen to be in love with someone, but she doesn't know. Now she won't come near me, because of you. The whole House knows about the girls' code of conduct. "If a Gryff girl claims a boy, no one will interfere with the boy." You called me and now she will not have anything to do with me. She only sees that you and I sit together and that you hang all over me."
George writes to Hermione, begging her to talk to him, write to him, acknowledgehim in some way. He knows she got it, but she doesn't even look at him.
He sits down next to Fred during a study period in the Great Hall and they both listen to Ron needle Hermione about the ball. It is obvious that he is trying to get information out of her.
She finally gets fed up when she is nearly done. Hermione gets up and hands the primer to Snape and returns to the table to get her things.
"For your information, someone has asked me, and I said yes." She growls out and then storms away. Everyone is impressed that she told off the idiot. Snape even nods in approval.
"Fred, what am I going to do?" George cries to his brother.
"You did that to yourself, old man. She is not going to come around unless you get it through everyone's head that Alicia was wrong in claiming you as hers."
George takes a deep breath. He turns to Alicia. "You made sure that all the other girls would stay away, but you didn't think to clear that with me." His voice rises. Snape snorts and nods, seeing as he has finished and is about to leave anyway.
"I am not, nor will I ever be your boyfriend. I have set my heart and eye on another and she is a better woman. She may have a date to this dance, that is not me, but that is only because I was too nice and tried to convince you that it is not right. If I had not been, I would have already walked up to her and asked her before the other wore her down. Angie and Fred may be an item, but we are two different people and I have loved my girl since she was a first year."
George walks out of the hall with his head held high. He now knows that she has another date. It would have been him, but now he must watch her the whole night, dancing in the other's arms. It will be painful, but it was a good lesson. He should have spoken up a lot earlier.
Hermione,
First, I want to apologize to you about not asking you before this. I should have asked you as soon as the ball was announced. My dear, please at least save me a dance.
I want to tell you that I am not with Alicia. The girl has worn me down, but only on the subject of the ball. I told her that she would never be my girlfriend. I have a much classier girl in mind for that. She used the Gryff code of conduct to try and convince everyone that we were together. WE ARE NOT AND WILL NOT EVER BE TOGETHER.
Please believe me. I don't want to lose you to that nasty rumor.
George.
Hermione read the letter and growls. "Now he tells me." She sighs and decides to write him back.
George,
I will try to save you a dance, but I have no idea if he will allow it. My date seems to think that now that I accepted, he has some claim on me. So, I guess we are in similarboats in that.
I am glad that you found someone that you want as a girlfriend. I hope she and I can get along. I only have ever been interested in one guy, but he keeps pulling away from me, so I don't know if I should keep hoping for him to come around.
I will admit, I was waiting for you to ask me, but I get it. I am too much of a risk. I will say that Ron is not and has never been the above mentioned guy and as previously shown, not my date to the Ball.
This is all that I can write without tangents, so goodbye for now.
Hermione