The months passed quickly after that final game and before they knew it, the end of the year finals were swiftly approaching. George wasn't particularly worried about them; he never had been--not even in his first year. It seemed the opposite for most everyone else, however.
Of course Katie was worried, as usual. She rubbed her aching head. "I don't know how I'm going to get through these finals this year," she said in a pained voice.
"Look at it this way," George began, "this is the last year you have to take them. After that, no more pencils, no more books--"
"No more teachers' dirty looks. I know." She gave him a look that said she had been trying not to think about that aspect of it. "I'm really going to miss you, George."
"What are you talking about?" he asked. "We're still going to see each other. You're going to work with your father in Diagon Alley, aren't you?"
Katie nodded. "That was the plan." She sighed. "Now my dad wants me to try my hand at professional Quidditch. Like that could ever happen," she dismissed.
"It could," George said, though he knew how difficult it was to get in. "I mean, if you wanted it enough."
She shrugged. "I guess I don't really want that."
He looked at her sympathetically. "Want a Canary Cream?"
Katie almost took the yellow candy but pushed it away at the last minute. "No way, George, I know what you put in those things."
He laughed. "Sorry, I couldn't resist." He stuffed the Cream back into his pocket. "You look like you need a laugh, that's all."
Katie looked around the common room, and then back at George again. "So, what's happening with you and Hermione?"
Once George got over the initial shock of the question, he replied, "Nothing. I haven't spoken to her for a long time. She seemed busy with Ron, anyway."
"I'm sorry, George," she said.
"You don't need to apologize," George told her rather cheerfully. "I'm completely happy with the way things turned out--I'm fine now. You don't need to pity me."
"Hi, Katie, George." It was Hermione. She looked a bit flustered--probably because she had been in her dormitory studying for the past two months. "George, I just wanted to thank you again for helping me with Transfigurations. Professor McGonagall and I have both decided I shouldn't try to get ahead. She said she's sure I'm capable enough, but that it would be wiser to stay back. She also said she's afraid of overloading me with work--of course, I quite agree." She looked away. "Oh, dear, I'm rambling again. Sorry. And thanks again." Hermione quickly walked away.
George looked after her until she disappeared out the portrait hole. When he turned back to Katie, she was grinning slyly at him. "I think she still likes you," she said, hitting his shoulder lightly. "Did you hear her? She sounded really nervous."
"Wonder why," George said dazedly. "We are just friends. I think."
Katie nodded and looked at her watch. "Do you want to go get dinner? Otherwise we've got a few hours until the dining hall closes."
"No." George stood up. "Let's go now. I want to get filled up, because I might have to forfeit my breakfast tomorrow. I can see myself needing to do some last minute studying for the Defense Against the Dark Arts final."
They made their way down to the Great Hall and sat down at the Gryffindor table. George happened to glance down the row towards the head table. Ron was there and Hermione was sitting across from him. She looked furious, but she knew enough to keep her voice down (unfortunately for George). Ron seemed to be attempting to calm her down, but it wasn't working. Hermione had reached her breaking point and she promptly stood up. Haughtily and swiftly, she walked down the aisle and left. George looked back at Ron, who merely glared at him. Then George (perhaps a bit unwisely) gave his brother an unconvincing look of mock sympathy--though what he really wanted to do was go over there and kick him in the stomach for whatever he didn't to Hermione.
"What was that all about?" Katie asked. Clearly she had also been witness to the quarrel. "Maybe you should go and talk to her. I'd suggest that you speak with Ron, but Harry's already taking care of that."
"No," George replied quickly. "I'm not going to get involved with their...relationship." He said the word as if he were picking something disgusting off of his shoe.
"George," she said disapprovingly. "No. The last time I got involved with Hermione, she broke my heart--she only needs to do that once. It's still in bandages, practically! I'm required to change the dressings twice a week." He sighed.
"George, if I was Hermione, I'd want someone as kind as you to talk to me," Katie said.
"Okay, fine," George agreed. "I'll go and talk to her. But if I make her more upset, I'm blaming it on you."
~
George knocked on the bathroom door, Moaning Myrtle's bathroom door. He didn't want to go in there, but he had checked just about every other place, and he had remembered the trio's frequent visits to the bathroom three years ago. "Hermione? Uh, Myrtle?" Slowly, he stepped inside. "Hello?"
"What are you doing in here?" Moaning Myrtle asked, floating out from one of the cubicles. "This is a girls' lavatory--can't you read?"
"No, I never learned," George answered sarcastically. When she didn't laugh or even crack a smile, he clarified, "That was a joke. I do know how to read. Very well, actually." If he ever spoke to Myrtle again, he would have to make a point of not trying to be funny. "Is Hermione here? Or did she happen to pass through here?"
"How would I know?" Myrtle demanded. "I've just been sitting in the u-bend. Even if she had come in here, I wouldn't have heard her. Besides, that Hermione Granger always teased me."
"I'm sure she didn't mean to hurt your feelings." George opened the door. "Thanks, Myrtle...I guess." He walked out. Where could she be? He'd looked everywhere. Except outside, but he doubted she would go out there. Unless...unless she went to see Hagrid. That's where Hermione went, he thought to himself as he rushed over the school grounds. The firelight from Hagrid's hut and the moon provided enough light for George to see where he was going.
Unfortunately, that was not enough light for Hermione, who was in such a hurry that she hadn't thought about using her wand, and she barreled right into him. "Lumos!" she cried, whipping out her wand. Her eyes widened and she abruptly stopped trying to stand up. "George! What are you doing out here?"
"Looking for you," he replied, wiping his wet hands on his trousers. "Are you all right? I saw you run out of the Great Hall--I was just a little concerned."
She smiled. "That's sweet, George. I'm fine now."
George offered her his hand and they pulled each other up. And much to his surprise and delight, Hermione didn't let go. "I'm lucky to have a friend like you," she said.
Suddenly, she stopped and George felt her lips on his own. He couldn't have stopped it even if he had wanted to because it was over as quickly as it had begun. She started once again for the castle.
"Hermione." She turned around. "I don't understand. Are you trying to kill me?"
"What do you mean?" she questioned.
George sighed. "What was that kiss for?"
Abruptly, she covered her face with her hands. "Oh, I knew I shouldn't have done that! Everything inside me was telling me not to and I went against it! Ooh, sometimes I can be such an idiot! I'm sorry--just forget we even ran into each other!"
Hermione ran towards the castle again and George was unable to stop her until they were just outside the doors. "I just think you should resolve this thing with my brother before you throw yourself at me. After that, I'd be delighted if you chose to throw yourself at me," George said, trying to catch his breath.
Though tears were slowly dripping off of her chin, she began to laugh. "Only you could make something like this seem funny."
"This is certainly not funny, Miss Granger."
Hermione whirled around, surprised. "Professor Snape, we were just--"
"Don't make excuses," Snape said sharply. "You are both in very serious trouble."
"It was my fault, Professor," George lied as they walked quickly down the corridor back to Gryffindor Tower. "I forced Hermione to come outside to discuss our secret plan to dominate the world. See, I'd like to take over the whole galaxy at once--kill two birds with one stone, if you follow me."
"Don't be cheeky, Mr. Weasley." Snape halted outside the entrance to the Gryffindors' common room. "You will both have detention with me tomorrow night. If you are late, I will give you detention again. Is that clear? And Weasley, do not underestimate my power in this school. I would like nothing better than to have you out of my sight, but if it is necessary, I will keep you here well into the summer holidays." He stalked off down the corridor.
"Jelly bird," Hermione muttered the password and stepped inside. "I'm sorry, George. If I hadn't left, you wouldn't have gone looking for me, and you wouldn't have gotten detention."
George shrugged. "I've had detention loads of times; I'll be fine. It's you I'm worried about."
"It's only detention...Well, good-night." She hurried up the stairs to her dormitory. He sat down on the couch and suddenly the portrait swung open. George watched for the entrant, but no one was there. He flinched when Ron materialized from beneath the Invisibility Cloak. "Ron," George said, catching his younger brother's attention, though truthfully, he already had it. "What were you doing with Harry's cloak?"
Ron shrugged. "I have a better question: what were you doing with my girlfriend?" Not giving him the time to reply, Ron punched his brother in the face with all the strength he could muster.
George, who was now sprawled out on the floor, cracked his jaw and wiped the blood from his lip. "Ron, you should never hit a man when he's down." He pulled himself up and managed to duck out of the way when another fist came flying at him. "Ron!"
"Come on, I can take you," Ron jeered, his fists at the ready. "Let's go!"
"Ron, I don't want to hurt you," George said, pulling out his wand.
"Expelliarmus!" Ron said. He dropped George's wand at his side. "No wands, George." He jumped at his older brother and pinned him to the ground (though not for long, because George was two years older than him). "Sorry, Ron," George said, punching him. "I didn't want to hit you."
Defeated and bleeding badly from his mouth and nose, Ron dragged himself up the steps. Before he entered his dormitory, he said bitterly, "What a surprise, George, I always get everything second-hand, and now finally you are."
"What's that supposed to mean?" George demanded. "Hermione isn't a commodity, she's a person."
"Ugh," Ron grunted. "Please," and stumbled into his room.
George sighed. "What a wonderful year it's been."
