Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter or any of the characters related.

Hermione shifted uncomfortably in her seat. George sighed. She wouldn't loosen up, one bit. He watched how she stirred in her empty glass and tried to look anywhere but at him.

"So, am I that ugly?"  he asked, causing Hermione to look up.

"What?" she said, and George realized she had been elsewhere with her mind. He faked an annoyed sigh.

"Honestly, 'Mione, you've been staring at that table for 10 minutes. Now I know Florean has nice furniture, but since I bought you the ice cream you could at least look at me!"

She furrowed her brows and smiled nervously. "I could, I suppose." Hermione paused and added a soft "You're not ugly."

Grin.

She laughed softly and began talking about Charms and school. George was surprised to find out they had quite similar interests, except for the fact he used his 'knowledge' for 'evil'.

"You could have been a prefect too, you know." he heard Hermione say. He laughed.

"No, that chance was blown out of the window in my first year. I have a Hogwarts Record, and it will haunt me for life." His grin faded into a sad face, but he knew Hermione would know he was kidding.

"See what these stupid jokes have done for you?" she then said, a smile on her face because she knew she was right. "You were too caught up with inventing things that you hardly studied for your O.W.L.'s"

He shrugged. "See, 'Mione, that's where you and I differ from each other. You care about the O.W.L.'s, I really don't." he admitted.

Hermione paused a moment, studying him. She then raised her finger and grinned.

"Aha! And yet I have seen you studying at the last moment. You got scared, huh? You realized you had been wasting your time. You DO care" she said.

"Actually, there's a perfectly good explanation for that. Mother Weasley."

Hermione sank back in her seat. "Right."

He laughed, knowing she understood. "Didn't know you were watching me in fifth year?" he said, casually.

Hermione raised a brow. "I wasn't watching you. You lived with me, so I noticed!"

"Sure, sure, 'Mione."

She sighed with annoyance and stroke her hair from her face. "Besides, how many O.W.L.'s did you earn? Five?" she asked.

"Three."

"THREE?" She nearly fell out of her chair. The thought of failing all other subjects except three made her feel sick. George shook his head with a smile.

"We never cared about them, 'Mione. You shouldn't care about my results, either."

"But.. what subjects .."

"Charms, Transfiguration and Potions."

"Wow," Hermione said, and she smiled, "You just do what you enjoy most, don't you?"

George grinned.  "What are you implying?"

"Charms, Transfiguration and Potions, all very useful in creating items for your shop, huh?" she retorted smiling happily.

"Oh Granger, you're so smart."

Her smile disappeared. George noticed immediately. "What, what's wrong?" he asked.

"Don't call me Granger." she told him. He was confused. Granger? It was her last name, a lot of people call her that.

"Why not? Fred does!"

Hermione rolled her eyes. "Fred's Fred. I never liked my surname. So just call me Hermione."

George quirked a brow, but a small smile played on his lips. "Can't I call you 'Mione, like I usually do?"

She looked at him. "You do? I never noticed."

George leaned backwards and stretched. Nope, she never noticed. Of course, because she hardly paid attention to him. He nodded and saw how Hermione looked over her shoulder, at where Harry and Ron had stood a while ago. They had left, probably avoiding Hermione, like they had done all week. He saw her sighing and turning back to him with a fake smile.

"So," she said softly, "I didn't know you had an owl."

George bit his lip to stop him from laughing. The subjects she chose to talk about were incredibly random, it was obvious she was very uncomfortable.

"I bought Zeus at the beginning of this summer. I always told Fred I'd buy my own owl once we got out of Hogwarts."

"You've got it all figured out, don't you?" Hermione said sceptical, "In your head. You know what you want and eventually you get it."

"Well.." George paused and blinked. "Yes. I suppose. But come on 'Mione, if you ahd to share Errol with my entire family, you'd buy yourself an owl too!"

Hermione giggled. It was true. The Weasley's old owl was practically useless, because if the owl delivered the letter (which didn't happen very often) he was usually half dead and needed days to recover. At least Zeus was young and quick, as she had experienced.

"I expected a purple owl, actually. Or a spotted one. You know, something Fred and George like." she commented.

He grinned. "Excellent idea. I never considered it, actually, but maybe Zeus needs something to.. liven up his looks."

"Shut up and buy me another ice cream," she ordered, and looked down the street. George stood up, and laughed. "Because you asked so kindly," he told her and left her alone.

He didn't notice Hermione wasn't alone. She stared dully at the table when a shadow fell over her. She looked up and faced a rather satisfied looking Draco Malfoy. She groaned.

"Look what we have here." he said, and watched Hermione with a cold glare. "I remember why Diagon Alley annoys me so much. The Gryffindor scum that's present bothers me. Mudblood Gryffindor scum, might I add."

Hermione looked up, trying to return the hateful glare he gave her. She failed, and blinked.

"I wish I could disagree with you Malfoy," she said slowly, "But the fact you walk around here confirms my suspicion. Too much vermin walking around here."

His expression changed briefly, until he bent forward and faced her.

"Hold still, filthy mudblood. So I can curse your ugly"

"Ahem."

Both Draco and Hermione turned to George, who placed two sundaes on the table. He frowned at Draco, vaguely recognizing him.

"Malfoy, right?" he asked. Draco didn't answer. Instead, he straightened and looked at Hermione.

"Well, well. It appears I was wrong all along. You're not interested in Little Weasel, but it's Twin Weasel you're after."

He looked at George. "What was it? Gilbert?" he said with a sneer.

"George." George retorted, giving Malfoy a look that didn't suit his cheerfully freckled face. George didn't really know the guy that well, but he had seen and heard the way he treated Hermione. Enough reason to dislike him. And, he suddenly remembered, this was the same slimy git that was always bothering Harry. On and off the Quidditch field. Famous for being Slytherin scum. George stood behind Hermione, who looked up at him with a baffled face. He glanced down at her, and for once, she saw George Weasley in a completely serious manner.

"Whatever," Draco drawled, "Gilbert, George. You've seen one Weasley, you've seen them all."

"Shut up, Malfoy," Hermione sighed. "And I'm not after anyone." she added angrily.

George gave her a friendly squeeze in her shoulder. Draco merely laughed haughtily.

"Not that anyone would want you, Granger." he said bending forward once again, but George had leaned in, his head next to Hermiones and he faced Draco.

"I do believe she made it clear she wanted you to bugger off. Right 'Mione?"

Hermione nodded, silently and glared at Draco.

"There you have it." he said calmly, and grinned. "Honestly Malfoy, I'm sure a guy like you has much more interesting things to attend to."

Draco snorted. "Granger, I never understood what it is about you that makes guys hang around you. But it seems like you found yourself a new pet."

His gaze went from Hermione to George, who simply looked at him with a faint grin on his face and a challenging sparkle in his eyes. Draco smirked.

"Mudblood loves the Weasel."

Without saying another thing, Draco turned around and walked towards the wizarding bank, where his mother, hidden in the shades, was waiting for him.

Hermione was furious, George could tell. He felt her shiver with anger, and kneeled in front of her.

"Well that was annoying," he smiled at her. "He wasted our time and now they melted." He glanced over at the two sundaes on the table, which had indeed melted in the hot August sun.

Hermione looked at them sadly, which caused George to frown.

"What's wrong, 'Mione? Don't tell me that Malfoy really got on your nerves like that."

She pulled her look away from the table and looked straight at George. To his surprise, there wasn't a small smile, or a sad face. Hermione looked at him with raised brows and angry eyes.

"What?!" he asked again.

"Why did you have to do that," she hissed.

"You mean get rid of him for you?"

"I can handle myself George!" she snapped.

He blinked. "I never doubted that, I just thought.."

"No you didn't think, you just stepped right in and now he's going to pester me all year about you and me!"

"Me and you?" he repeated, pink shades appearing on his freckled cheeks.

"There is no you and me!" she said a bit louder and stood up. George looked at her, not understanding.

"Why are you acting like this, nothing happened!"

"Malfoy happened. And you!" she said, and pointed at him with a trembling finger. The situation wasn't funny at all, George figured, but the way Hermione looked at him with her hair all wild, her wrinkled robes and a slightly red face, made him grin.

"Stop doing that!" she yelled at him, and started collecting her belongings.

"Doing what?" George exclaimed and watched how Hermione stuffed her book back in her bag. Where was she going? "And what the hell are you doing?"

"You should stop being so .. all over me, I don't need your protection, you're not my boyfriend George!" she said and moved her hand angrily through her hair. As always, George had the urge to take her hand away from it, because he liked her hair all wild and frizzy. But this time, he couldn't.

"I never. .we're not.." he couldn't figure out where to start.

"Malfoy thinks we are!"

"He's a slimy .."

"So the whole school will think we are! And Harry and Ron, and .. just leave me, George!" she said, and looked around as if deciding where to go. She then turned around and walked towards the Leaky Cauldron.

"'Mione!" he called, "Where are you going?!"

"Out!" she yelled over her shoulder, and left George standing there, next to the table with two melted sundaes in front of Fortescue's Ice Cream parlor. He stared at her, jaw dropped until he heard his brothers voice behind him.

"I don't know what you did, George, but you know you have to go and get her. Mom will kill you, and so will Ron and Harry," Bill told him.

George turned to him and shook his head in confusion. "Did you just get anything of what she said?" he asked his older sibling.

Bill shrugged. "She's a girl, George. Whole different species." He pushed him in the direction Hermione had ran, and George fastened his pace.

Stop being all over her? he thought. I'm just spending time with her. I like spending time with her!

He shook his head as he entered the Leaky Cauldron from behind. He nodded at Tom, who had frozen in the middle of cleaning a glass.  

"She went that way?" he said, confused and pointed at the door.

Out! She's going to.. Damn her!

He saw her robes on the ground and removed his as well, before leaving the pub.

He couldn't help but wonder why she got so upset when he stood up for her. Everything went normal between them, before Malfoy showed up! George wondered why Malfoy's words, or his had upset Hermione so much.

When he ran outside the pub, a couple of muggles gave him an awkward look. He ignored them, and searched for any sign of Hermione.

"Daft girl," he muttered, "running around out here."

He swore softly when he bumped into a man, and tried to look over his shoulder. There was no Hermione in sight. Loud music played from a store next to the Leaky Cauldron. George nearly fell in shock. When he realized what it was, he grinned.

"Dad is going to be jealous," he said out loud, and turned his head to the other side. The other store next to the pub was a bookstore. For a minute, George considered she could be in there, but one glance at the shopkeeper changed his mind.

Then, he started to panic. If he hadn't hesitated and talked to Bill, he would've caught up with her already. Now, she was running around in Muggle London and he had no idea where to look. He sighed, looked up at a sign, and chose the direction he found most logical. A park.

Hermione groaned as she sat down under a tree. She wasn't supposed to walk on the grass, but no one seemed to notice her in the shades. She was damn lucky this park was close to the Leaky Cauldron, running with all those books didn't make it any easier.

Why did she run away in the first place?

George, obviously. She sighed. Why did he had to stick up for her like that? She felt guilty, because he was protecting her. Because he liked her, and she didn't. He had been with her the entire day, and the entire Malfoy incident – him rubbing that in her face – just did it. She snapped.

Stupid git. Bloody Malfoy.

Stupid git. Bloody George.

She couldn't figure out which of the two had upset her the most. She closed her eyes and tried to relax, clutching her bag with books to her chest. Through the leaves of the tree, the sun shone on her face, warming it. She could remain like this for the rest of the afternoon. Safe, in the muggle world. Away from George, Malfoy, Bill, or Ron and Harry for that matter.

Merlin, this summer turned out to be something different.

"Honestly, sir, I am not.. hey, would you not touch that?!"

Her eyes opened and she looked behind the tree. A red haired guy, holding a cauldron filled with books was talking to a police officer.

"Oh no." she whispered. George looked at a young boy who had grabbed a book from the cauldron.

"As I said, I'm not crazy, I just really need to find this girl." he told the officer. The man, with a big brow moustache raised a brow.

"And might I ask you, young man, what that is?"

George looked at what he was carrying in his right hand. His eyes widened as if he had just realized he had been carrying a cauldron all this time. Even when the young boy had touched it, George didn't realize this was uncommon in the muggle world.

"I.. This is .." He grinned at the officer, but the man crossed his arms and tapped his feet impatiently.

"I asked a question, lad. What is this, and where did you get it. It looks old. Did you.. steal it?"

He narrowed his eye as George's widened.

"What, no! I'd never! This is mine!"

Several people stopped to stare at George. Hermione had stood up and grabbed her bag again. She bit her lip. This was bad. People would remember this. This would end up with the Ministry. And it was her fault!

"I doubt it's yours. And what is it?"

"Look, I really need to find this girl, and"

"WHAT is it, young man!"

"It's mine sir!" Hermione's nervous voice interrupted. George, by now a deep shade of red, could have hugged her.

"'Mione! I thought I'd"

"Thanks for returning it to me, Forge." she said and gave him a warning glance. She saw how he frowned and then fully understood. He turned to the police officer, who was now staring at Hermione, and grinned.

"I told you I had to find 'Mione? This THING A MAGIGGER belonged to her!" he said happily and pushed the cauldron in Hermiones hands.

"Right Forge," she said, suddenly feeling the urge to smile, "We have to go."

"Hold on a minute," the officer raised his hands. "I'm quite confused, I must admit."

Hermione looked at him as if he were crazy. She nodded at George and at the cauldron. "He had to return this to me. And now he has. Now I can return it to my.."

"Grandmother!" George helped her. Hermione nodded.

The officer tried to look inside the cauldron with books. George noticed this and saw that the above book was one containing the history of magic, fully illustrated with a nice moving picture on the cover. He panicked and pulled off his shirt.

"God it's hot outside, innit?!" he shouted, drawing the attention of the officer, Hermione – who stared at him with utter shock – and about 10 other people walking around.

"Pardon me, young man?!" the officer exclaimed, not noticing how George used his t shirt to cover up the cauldron Hermione was carrying.

"Yes, yes, you are excused good sir!" he said and grabbed the cauldron with one hand, and Hermione's hand with his other.

"But, we have to dash. Grandmother is waiting, things to do. You know."

Hermione nodded eagerly. "Y-yes, grandmother. Right, run along now Forge." she stammered, and both of them left the park as quickly as their legs could carry them.

In fact, they didn't stop there, they returned to Charing Cross Road and ignored everyone around them.

Hermione panted as they nearly reached the Leaky Cauldron, and looked at the half naked George.

"Why'd ya have to take your clothes off?!" she yelled. George shushed her and pushed her inside the Leaky Cauldron. Heads turned their way, and eyes fell upon Georges bare upper body, until Hermione handed him his robes with violence.

"On. Now." she ordered, and rested herself against the wall. The cauldron, covered with Georges t shirt, stood on the ground. Hermione closed her eyes shortly.

George was breathing heavily as well, standing next to her. When she opened her eyes again to look at him, he shrugged.

"Always wanted to walk half naked through London." he said.

Hermione gave a half smile. George looked at him from the corner of his eyes.

"Forge?" he then asked.

She now laughed, which put a smile on his face. "I had to think of something?"

George nodded. "Forge and Mione. They will remember that."

Hermione wasn't sure how to act. She wanted to laugh, but then remembered she was angry at them. But all of that was quickly forgotten when she realized what they had done. They will remember that.

"The muggles." she said in shock. George looked at her, and then realized as well.

"Blimey, we're in for it now. They'll .. we'll hear from this."

"I'm going to get expelled!" Hermione shrieked. Georges faces paled. He thought quickly, an uncomfortable look on his face, then grabbed the cauldron once more and forced Hermione to come with him.

"We have to tell Bill, first." he said.

Hermione cringed. "Bill?"

OI! Couldn't leave out Bill, now, could I? *grin* Sooo, obviously, there will be severe punishment in the next chapter!  But first: thanking those who reviewed! As for my question in the last chapter, (which one of the twins is saner, which one is calm and which one isn't) I think everyone agrees with each other that George is less crazier, or a bit calmer. But I think I accidentally made George the goofiest and a clumsy one around girls and Fred the calm, MEGA PRANKTSER, self confident one. In my opinion, G/H is better than F/H, for no valid reason ^_^

Calliandra – Thank you! For some reason, I've always thought George was the "calm" one too, but in the last chapter, I couldn't exactly figure out WHY I thought so. George. Available. Yummy. How I wish my Frecklehead was real :)

Aindel S. Druida – I totally agree, pointless, haha. But I knew that, and I said it was necessary. Sort of. Anyway, I think this chapter is far less "pointless" , don't you agree? I'm reading the books again, right now, this time focusing on the twins and other characters. Blah, they don't get enough attention. Anyway, thanks!

cassgrl087 – thanks for your two reviews! I will check your fic out as soon as possible. For some reason, the name FRED bothers me more than George because I always have to think of Fred Flintsone. Eesh. I'm glad you agree with the couple! Stop reminding me they're not real. *sob* :D

DazedPanda – I just had to put that Flitwick part in it, *grin* I'm really really really glad you like the story!

princess310889 – Hahaha, that's why I put that charms part in it ;) .. *can't resist puppy dog eyes* Thanks for reviewing!

Spaced Out Space Cadet – I just can't get over the fact EVERYONE is cheering for a H/G .. I didn't realize it you don't see that pairing that often. WHILE THEY ARE PERFECT FOR EACH OTHER! I know, I know, it's just something that makes George better for Hermy. Must be the name. Thanks for your review!

Xtreme Nuisance- Very glad you liked, I hope you enjoyed this chapter too. Thank you!

hP fAn Fo LyFe - *huge grin* Thanks!

FredandGeorge4eva – I love ice cream too?!? Haha, happy moods are good. Glad you like the chapter. Hmm… you are really hyper, aren't you. Had to much sugar, right?! *grins* thanks for reviewing!

Oh, and don't let ANYTHING stop you from reviewing again! Advice, compliments, praise, err.. I mean.. ANYTHING , just click that button! Thanks!