George was amazed to see how well the Hufflepuff Quidditch
team was doing this year, but they had a lot of work to do before they got up
to standard Gryffindor were at, who had been playing like champions since Fred
and George had started training them. As George watched the players warming up,
he started to think about Hermione, and how screwed up her life was at the
moment. He wanted to fix it and if he
could've used magic, he would've. But
the one thing wizards couldn't use magic for was meddling in other people's
lives, unfortunately.
The next day George asked Hermione out:
"Hey Hermione," he called as she stepped through the portrait hole. "Hey George," she replied as she walked over
to his spot in the corner.
"Wouldyougooutwithme?" he asked her, all in one breath.
Hermione just looked at him silently for a moment, then called, "I'm sorry!"
over her shoulder as she ran up the stairs.
George felt a great lump settle in his throat and slowly went back to
working on the new "WWW" catalogue.
Hermione's PoV
How could I be so stupid?
thought Hermione, as she let the tears fall. Because you're confused, she heard a little voice at the
back of her head say. Am not,
Hermione Granger is never confused!
But deep down Hermione knew that she was.
That night during dinner, Hermione couldn't look at George, or even hold a
decent conversation. Ginny knew
something was wrong so after dinner that night she came into Hermione's dorm
and found her lying face down on her bed.
Ginny prodded her, and she sat up with a start.
"What's wrong Mione?" "Oh, it's… nothing." "Well, you're obviously upset, and there has to be a reason," Ginny told her logically. "Not always!" Hermione yelled angrily.
But Ginny kept her cool and innocently asked, "It wouldn't have anything to do with George, would it?" "How did you- I mean, whatever gave you that idea?" "Oh just a couple of things, like the fact that you never stop staring at each other!" Ginny told her teasingly.
Hermione blushed bright pink and found a sudden interest
in the fluff on her doona. "He asked me
out," she told Ginny quietly. "That's
great... isn't it?" "Not when I said no!" "Oh, Mione, you didn't! You did? Why?" "Because I'm so mixed up! I mean, Draco is my half brother!" Hermione clamped a hand over her mouth and
Ginny sat there shocked.
"How?"
"The usual way."
"When?"
"Nine months before I was born."
"Why?"
"Don't ask me!"
"Who?"
"Sirius Black and Narcissa Malfoy."
Ginny slowly commented, "Bloody hell Hermione," then fainted. Hermione had to
pour a whole bucket of water over her head to wake her up.
A week later Hermione was at a Quidditch practice as Ron, who was now the
Gryffindor Keeper, had begged her to go watch him. She was watching the team zip around the pitch when she noticed a
Bludger flying straight at George, who then fell off his broom and plummeted to
the ground, landing with a soft thud.
Hermione ran over to him and leaned over to check if he was breathing,
then, seeing one of his eyes looking at her, said, as if think out loud, "Oh
damn, if only he would wake up. Then I
could ask him out." "Okay!" was George's prompt reply. He then proceeded to "pass out." Hermione once again leaned over him in
panic. "George, wake up!" Suddenly she felt strong arms gripping her,
and found her lips connecting with George's.
As soon as George let go of Hermione, she began to hit him and made him promise
never to make her worry like that again.
He promised, then lifted her up, flung her over one shoulder and ran like
hell all the way to Hogwarts, where he didn't put her down until he had his
wand firmly in his hand. Although he
knew more magic than her, George wasn't taking any chances, especially with a
girl like Hermione.