Disclaimer- I do not own anything you recognize, and if I did own it, then OOTP would have turned out a lot different.
A/N- I have taken certain liberties when discussing Hermione's work place. J.K. describes the Ministry much better than I do, but I gave it my best shot.
Chapter Two
Hermione peeled her eyes open. It was time for her to get up, as her alarm was insisting, but she had only gone to bed a few hours earlier, Harry and Ginny staying late for an impromptu engagement party. The alarm was getting even more insistent. It had gone from an air siren wail to the next stage, which was SPLASH!
"Bloody hell, I'm up, I'm up. Since when did drowning become an acceptable form of wake up call, you damn thing." The alarm was a creation of the Weasley twins, the next stage probably dumped chickens on her or something, as if water wasn't enough.
Hermione dressed slowly, thinking about the book. This was a common thing for her thoughts to be on, but it was the Alphabet soup of love that had her attention this morning. She looked at herself in the mirror. "Hermione Granger, Aged 24, Single and…" or was that it? What else defined her as a person? "Unlucky in love, thinks too much, scared to break out the routine of life, taking advice from a recipe book…" was there more? "Wants to be loved with every fiber of someone's being and love them back in return." There. That was it. That was Hermione Granger. She threw a towel at her reflection and apparated to work.
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"Morning sugar plum, my we look like crap today don't we? Had a late one did we, any thing old Eddy needs to know? If you are transferring your affections to another man then I want to be told…" Edward was Hermione and Chloe's partner. The three of them had the whole department to themselves from 8 till 10 in the morning and so they had developed a close working relationship. Edward teased Hermione mercilessly, but she gave it right back.
"Yes I did, two of my closest friend got engaged last night. What's your excuse?
"O.K. Sugar. You want some coffee?" He deftly changed the subject, not ready to get in a sparing match with Hermione so early in the morning.
"Yes thanks Eddy" she replied. "Where's Chloe?"
"She's typing up the reports that Cleveland wanted. He told her Friday but meant today. She will join us when she's done, but its time to start. Our first case is with the Mayor of a small Town in Surrey Hills. He just found out about the existence of Hogwarts this year, as his son was accepted. He's not coping too well, and wants to tell everyone. We need some very fast words, sugar."
"That's your department. I can rattle of the legal spoonerisms but you can make people do anything you want them to do. Plus it's your turn. I did the last two cases of befuddled parents." She paused and looked carefully at him. "The caffeine just kicked in. You have called me sugar three times this morning. You know how much I hate that. I am not sugar. I am Hermione" 24, Single, desperate for love. "You call me sugar, I call you Edward…" she let the threat trail off. It was an old game between the two of them.
"Finished!" came the triumphant yell from the back office. Chloe came walking into the room holding a large scroll. "I feel so at peace with the world. And so ready to kill you guys for making me do these reports"
"It was your turn"
"I did last months" They both protested loudly.
"Oh shut up and give me some coffee. Eddy, you're on the first round. You have to be there in 5 minutes, make sure you have all your notes, this guy is gonna be tough."
"Yeah I've got it all. See you soon girls." With a last flamboyant air kiss he apparated out of the room.
"And its time for work, you want the Murcott case or the Richardson one?" Asked Chloe. "You know more about the legalities of spell creation then anyone I know Hermione, so you can have the Murcott one. Damn fool was a squib, yet he created his own spell. It was the only thing he could do. Should he be tried under Wizard or muggle law? It's up to you. I don't know enough about it." she shook her head.
Hermione smiled. These moments were all she needed to live on. Friends and good, honest work. Sure Harry and Ginny seemed happy last night but they were also angry and upset. Was love worth the uncertainty? She wasn't sure.
Trust? Who should she trust? She would tell someone tonight she decided. The book was right. She did need to get this off her chest and out into the open. It was dinner at the burrow to celebrate the new engagement. Hermione trusted everyone there, surely she could tell anyone. She would just do it, take a chance. She was not doing it because of the book, but because of what she witnessed last night. Talking makes the bearing of burdens easier Hermione saw. She had been a recluse too long. It was time to get out and talk to people.
"You working or sleeping with your eyes open? Come on sugar, I've already sorted the Mayor out, and you have only written one word on the report…Trust? What does trust have to do with a squib who robbed a bank? Are you losing your mind sugar?
"No I'm not Edward. You are if you think you can call me sugar twice in one breath and get away with it." This was said in a saccharine sweet voice that just boded trouble. " You wait Edward, I will get you for that, if it's the last thing I do." She smiled at him, but he didn't catch the reference. She shrugged and turned back to work. The rest of the day past in a blur of reports and before she knew it, it was time to go home.
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The burrow had lights all around the garden in glowing pastel colours. They kept disappearing and reappearing in a very haphazard fashion. As Hermione grew closer she realised that they were gnomes, enchanted to glow, and were running around looking at each other's colours. It was very funny, so by the time Hermione reached the door she was giggling. The giggling only grew louder as she opened the door to see a glowing George Weasley. He was a lurid shade of pink, but he didn't look too happy.
"Hey George, you look pretty in pink"
"We were testing out the potions for the gnomes, and Fred thought it would be funny if I glowed for the rest of the night; pink being my shade."
"And you look fine in it." She reached over and gave him a big welcoming hug. He then picked her up and carried her through the house to where Fred was waiting, glowing a fluorescent orange. Hermione was too surprised to struggle, she just lay back in his arms to see what would be happening, and with the twins it could be anything.
"I got her Freddy-boy. I think she would be nice in purple don't you?" With those words he dumped her on bed. Hermione pushed herself upright. She knew what they were up to now. George had tricked her into thinking that Fred was the one to look out for, but the two of them had colluded to get her. As she ran for the door Ron jumped into the way, also glowing a shade of orange.
" You can't leave until you glow Hermione," he said in a booming voice, then he grinned. "Come on, the whole family is glowing so we can celebrate in true Weasley fashion." While Hermione was listening to him with an incredulous look on her face George tackled her from behind. He dragged her back down to the bed and held her as Fred came over to her holding the potion in his hand. Hermione glanced up at George, his arms still gripping her tightly. She was going to get no mercy from him. She shrugged her shoulders. If you cant beat then join them, she thought as she grabbed the potion and chugged it down. She felt it slide down her throat, and as it hit her stomach her body turned bright purple. She held out her arms as the aura strengthened. She laughed.
" Is purple my colour? We match George. Pink and Purple; we have to stay away Fred and Ron, they clash with us." They all laughed, pleased that she was joining in the spirit of the night. "Now that I have played your little game I think its time I went to say hi to the rest of the house hold." She walked out of the room, leaving the boys to fight over which one of them got to trick the next guest, Dean Thomas, into wearing a blue nimbus.
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Dinner that night was a rowdy affair, as it always was at the Burrow. Hermione just let it all wash over her. She loved the feeling of family that she got here. The twins were currently demonstrating their capture of Dean; Harry's colleague at the ministry of recreational entertainment or as Harry called it M.O.R.E. sport. Hermione smiled absently at them. Ron noticed that Hermione was dreaming, so he poked her in the ribs.
" Who are you thinking of to be smiling like that?" He smiled as he said it, a gentle teasing note in his voice. Hermione started back to reality. She looked over at Ron who was now grinning openly at the fact that Hermione had been so distracted. She chuckled at herself, thinking 'this book has really messed me up, normally I pay extra attention to what I'm eating here. I'm lucky I haven't turned into anything bizarre'. Ron was still looking quizzically at her, as she was behaving oddly for Hermione. She poked her tongue out at him and turned back to her dinner.
"None of your business Ronnikins." As she put a piece of potato in her mouth she smiled to herself. What was she thinking about so earnestly he wondered, as did someone else at the table.
George had had a crush on Hermione for years. When he had scooped her up at the front door it had been all he could do not to let his emotions show. He tried not to think about it though, he knew that she saw him only as a friend, and he would never jeopardise that friendship by telling her. He had heard Ron's question, and seen Hermiones response to it. Was she really thinking of someone? He didn't know how he would cope if Hermione found someone besides him…he would have to though, or risk losing her friendship. He shook himself mentally. 'Quit moping around, it's not as if she has brought a boyfriend to dinner, you don't know anything for a fact, you're just guessing. Stop it or else!' And with that stern comment to himself he went back to the dinner conversation.
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Hermione had spent the night at the burrow. She didn't want to go home to her cold little flat, as she was enjoying the warmth and security of the Weasley family bent on celebrating. She was sharing Ginny's room with Ginny and Lavender, who was also close to the family. They were both sound asleep, every one having imbibed far to much alcohol after dinner. She lay in bed thinking about Viktor Krum. Every time she was happy her thoughts inevitably turned to him, and he leeched all her happiness.
When she finished her year at Hogwarts she received a letter from him, inviting her to attend a further learning course held at Durmstrang over the summer break. She went, being interested in the teaching method, and the course, which was on spell creation, her favourite of the arts. While she was there Krum pursued her with an almost unwholesome desire. He wanted to renew their relationship. Hermione kept refusing him, but it grew harder due to the fact that she had nowhere to hide from him. After she told him off and threatened to tell someone what he was doing he stopped, and apologised. Hermione thought he had lost interest until late one night he broke his way into her rooms. She had fought him, but he was much too strong for her. He took what he wanted and left. Hermione went home the next day, without finishing the course, and had blocked the memory. Yet every time she grew close to a guy, she drew back and they sensed that and the relationship ended. That was the reason for her inability to hold a guy. She could not get over what had happened 6 years ago, it still haunted her.
With thoughts like these running through her head it was no wonder she couldn't sleep. She got out of bed and padded down to the kitchen with the intention of getting some warm milk, or something to ease the pain and send her to sleep. When she got there however she just burst into tears. She wanted so much to be free of him, and yet even here he followed her. She thought she could move on yet the book had dredged up memories of it. It was her secret and she had never told any one.
She was slumped on the floor, sobbing brokenly when George came into the kitchen. He immediately went to her and hugged her. He didn't know what was wrong but he had a feeling that she needed soothing. He was not going to let her be alone, not his Hermione.
"Hermione, princess, sweet. What's the matter? You can tell me, whatever it is. You know I will do anything to fix it." What could be wrong, was it her boyfriend? The one she had been thinking about at dinner? If he hurt her he was going to… inflict some very painful damage on him. Hermione kept crying, clinging to him and his warmth like he was the only light on a dark night. " Hermione, I will get him for you, if he hurt you I will hurt him so much more, sugar, look at me, what did he do?" Hermione pulled back slightly from his encircling arms, tears still running down her face, but anger burning in her eyes.
" If you ever called me sugar again I will call you Georgina for the rest of your life. What are you talking about, if he hurt me? How do you know what happened? What he did?" The last three words had been uttered brokenly, as if she was guilty about something.
"I didn't know, I guessed that you had a secret boyfriend at dinner, and when I saw you crying I thought that it must be him." Hermione had been listening to him with a slightly incredulous look on her face. 'He had guessed that she had a secret boyfriend at dinner? Rons' teasing must have been overheard. Well there was only one thing to do. Tell George about Viktor. Did she trust him…? Yes she did.
" I do not have a secret boyfriend." Was it her or did he look relieved at that? "I have been hurt by a man though" She started crying fresh tears, and pulled away from his arms. She looked frightened.
" Tell me, you can trust me with anything, I will not judge you or tell your secret to anyone…I will be your secret keeper" he said with a slight grin, he had been Harry's secret keeper during the war. Hermione almost smiled. He could be trusted, of course he could. Tell me his eyes seemed to be saying, trust me.
"I went to Bulgaria after 7th year to study at Durmstrang over summer, I was invited by Viktor. When I got there it appeared that he had only invited me for one reason, he wanted to have me… in the only way he knew. I refused to jump into bed with him and he turned nasty. Then one night…one night he decided to take what he wanted without permission." She broke off, looking at George with fear in her eyes, would he hate her now, dirty as she was? George was shocked, but only by the bravery of Hermione. She had dealt with this for years, she was so strong. He gave a shudder, he hated that Krum… He would get him for this, and make sure that he could never do it again, to anyone. He saw Hermione looking scared, did she think that this would change his opinion of her? He stood up, drawing her up at the same time.
" Hermione Granger, you are the bravest, most beautiful witch I know, and I will do anything you want to get revenge on him." That turned out to be the right thing to say as she melted against him and just let him hold her as she cried her last tears. No more would she cry over what had happened, from now she would be plotting Viktors' demise. George was content to just hold her and feel her tears wet against his chest.
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The next morning Hermione awoke without prompting by her alarm, then she realised that she was lying on the couch, with George's arms around her. It was just dawn, and the rest of the house appeared to be asleep still. She gave a silent sigh of relief, she did not want the teasing that would surely accompany being caught in such a compromising position. She gave one last look at the figure on the couch then with a smile apparated back to her house. She did not see a pair of eyes peering down at the scene from the top of the stairs. Or the look that George gave her from under his eye lids, the gaze that said clearly that the night spent on the couch with her was the best night of his life. The red head watching from the balcony spotted that gaze. Ginny smiled, Hermione obviously had started on the 'Alphabet soup of love'. She loved match making, and by the look on George's face it was going to be easy.
Thanks to all who reviewed.
Jade and Jessica- You both said similar things so here's your update, hope both you enjoy it.
Dmbabe- I think this chapter will answer your question.
Anime Magic Girl- But I like George so much better. Thanks for the review.
Clare- My first reviewer. Thanks. The twins are my fav ship with Hermione too.
Please read and review. 10 points to anyone who tells me who was originally 'pretty in pink'. Hint: 80s actress also in the Breakfast club.
See you soon,
Love Muse.