George walked into his and Fred's joke shop on Diagon Alley. "Morning,
Fred," he yawned. However, he didn't see just Fred. He saw him and
Angelina Johnson, kissing at the front desk. "Er...Fred?"
Fred and Angelina jumped. "George! Erm...You're...here..."
George stared, but finally forced words out of his mouth. "Yeah. I work here, but I'll...leave and let you...get back to...that..." He went round to his office in the back and sat down at his desk. He started to file order forms when Fred walked into the office.
"Hey, George...can you take over for me today, mate?"
"Why?"
"Well...Me and Angelina kind of...have plans..." said Fred, grinning.
George's face fell. "Oh..." He paused. "Sure, I can take over."
"Aw, thanks, because we need to leave right now..." Fred said as he glanced at his watch.
"Oh..." George stood up and went round to the front desk. "I'll just stay here...then..."
"Oh, thanks, George. I swear I'll take over for you sometime." Fred clapped George on the back and led Angelina outside and onto Diagon Alley.
"Bye..." George watched his brother walk out with his girlfriend.
Angelina and Fred had been going out for a while; they started soon after Fred and George opened the joke shop three years ago, fresh out of Hogwarts. Now it was Ginny's last year, and everyone was surprised at how fast the time went by. Well, everyone except George. George never had too many friends, and neither did Fred, because one was all the other needed until Fred started to date Angelina. Now he seemed not to need him at all. He rarely saw Fred anymore. The days went by slowly because George never seemed to have anyone to talk to anymore. Fred had moved out of the Burrow to live in an apartment with Angelina. George got another apartment in the same building, but still rarely saw or talked to Fred.
Today was just the icing on the cake. George had the store alone, again, but he brightened when Hermione Granger came into the store.
"Hey! Haven't seen a welcoming face in awhile," said George. "How are things down at the Ministry?" Hermione had gotten a job offer straight out of school. The Ministry was always impressed with her intelligence and dedication.
Hermione smiled at George. "Stressful...especially in my department."
"Department for the Muggle protection people?" George smiled. "How's that stressful?"
"Ask your father...he's stressing it right along with everyone. Your dad is a wonderful man to work for, though, no doubt."
"That's good. Everything's been better at the Burrow since we all moved out and got jobs. And no one has more of a passion for that department than him."
"You can say that again." Hermione tugged the sticks that were holding her hair in place loose, so that her curly, chestnut hair fell to her shoulders. "How have Fred and Angelina been doing together?"
George looked at his hands. "Perfect. They couldn't be happier."
Hermione shook her head. "I can't believe...Fred has to see it...how he could be so blind..."
George smiled. "Hermione, after almost ten years, you still never make any sense."
Hermione laughed. "Well, Fred has to be blind to see that you're not happy."
George's smile faded. "Oh no, I'm happy for him. Very happy..."
Hermione said plainly, "I know you're not."
"What can I do? I can't break them up..."
"No, you can't..." Hermione smiled. "But if you got a girlfriend, maybe he would realize what he's putting you through."
"That'll never...wait..." George smiled. "That's brilliant! Hermione, that's absolutely brilliant!"
Hermione smiled. "Well...maybe not brilliant, but..."
"Will you be my girlfriend?"
She paused. "What?!?"
"Not for real! Just to show Fred...I mean...we could...just mess with his mind a little!"
"George...I can't pretend to be your girlfriend!"
"Why not?" George simpered. "Please, Hermione?" He slipped from behind the counter and grabbed her hand gently. "Pleeeeeeease??"
Hermione sighed. "Okay..."
"Thank you, Hermione, thank you!" He kissed her on the cheek and ran back behind the counter."
"You're doing WHAT?!?"
"I told you, Ron. I'm just going to pretend to go out with George so that Fred can see how lonely George is without him."
"But...but...but..." Ron spluttered.
"Ron, it's not for real. He seemed really upset about Fred and Angelina when I talked to him."
"Ron, just let Hermione do this. It's not like when Ginny started dating Michael Corner," said Harry reasonably.
Ron sighed. "But, what if you actually start going out?"
"We're not going to...and besides, what would it matter if we did?"
Ron paused. "I dunno. It would be weird...you dating my brother..."
"Will you talk with me over there, Ron? Please?" asked Harry, pulling Ron away before he could answer. "What is the matter with you?" he said when they were out of Hermione's earshot.
"I...I dunno...I just want...Don't want her to get hurt...or something."
Harry pulled back. "I knew it...I've suspected it for years...you're in love with Hermione..."
Ron blushed. "So?"
Harry's eyes opened wide. "You...you...I didn't know...I just guessed...you...Ron?"
"Please don't tell her, please! Harry, she can't know!"
"Why not?"
"BECAUSE SHE'S ALREADY DATING MY BROTHER!"
Ron stormed away, leaving Harry completely stunned...
Fred and Angelina jumped. "George! Erm...You're...here..."
George stared, but finally forced words out of his mouth. "Yeah. I work here, but I'll...leave and let you...get back to...that..." He went round to his office in the back and sat down at his desk. He started to file order forms when Fred walked into the office.
"Hey, George...can you take over for me today, mate?"
"Why?"
"Well...Me and Angelina kind of...have plans..." said Fred, grinning.
George's face fell. "Oh..." He paused. "Sure, I can take over."
"Aw, thanks, because we need to leave right now..." Fred said as he glanced at his watch.
"Oh..." George stood up and went round to the front desk. "I'll just stay here...then..."
"Oh, thanks, George. I swear I'll take over for you sometime." Fred clapped George on the back and led Angelina outside and onto Diagon Alley.
"Bye..." George watched his brother walk out with his girlfriend.
Angelina and Fred had been going out for a while; they started soon after Fred and George opened the joke shop three years ago, fresh out of Hogwarts. Now it was Ginny's last year, and everyone was surprised at how fast the time went by. Well, everyone except George. George never had too many friends, and neither did Fred, because one was all the other needed until Fred started to date Angelina. Now he seemed not to need him at all. He rarely saw Fred anymore. The days went by slowly because George never seemed to have anyone to talk to anymore. Fred had moved out of the Burrow to live in an apartment with Angelina. George got another apartment in the same building, but still rarely saw or talked to Fred.
Today was just the icing on the cake. George had the store alone, again, but he brightened when Hermione Granger came into the store.
"Hey! Haven't seen a welcoming face in awhile," said George. "How are things down at the Ministry?" Hermione had gotten a job offer straight out of school. The Ministry was always impressed with her intelligence and dedication.
Hermione smiled at George. "Stressful...especially in my department."
"Department for the Muggle protection people?" George smiled. "How's that stressful?"
"Ask your father...he's stressing it right along with everyone. Your dad is a wonderful man to work for, though, no doubt."
"That's good. Everything's been better at the Burrow since we all moved out and got jobs. And no one has more of a passion for that department than him."
"You can say that again." Hermione tugged the sticks that were holding her hair in place loose, so that her curly, chestnut hair fell to her shoulders. "How have Fred and Angelina been doing together?"
George looked at his hands. "Perfect. They couldn't be happier."
Hermione shook her head. "I can't believe...Fred has to see it...how he could be so blind..."
George smiled. "Hermione, after almost ten years, you still never make any sense."
Hermione laughed. "Well, Fred has to be blind to see that you're not happy."
George's smile faded. "Oh no, I'm happy for him. Very happy..."
Hermione said plainly, "I know you're not."
"What can I do? I can't break them up..."
"No, you can't..." Hermione smiled. "But if you got a girlfriend, maybe he would realize what he's putting you through."
"That'll never...wait..." George smiled. "That's brilliant! Hermione, that's absolutely brilliant!"
Hermione smiled. "Well...maybe not brilliant, but..."
"Will you be my girlfriend?"
She paused. "What?!?"
"Not for real! Just to show Fred...I mean...we could...just mess with his mind a little!"
"George...I can't pretend to be your girlfriend!"
"Why not?" George simpered. "Please, Hermione?" He slipped from behind the counter and grabbed her hand gently. "Pleeeeeeease??"
Hermione sighed. "Okay..."
"Thank you, Hermione, thank you!" He kissed her on the cheek and ran back behind the counter."
"You're doing WHAT?!?"
"I told you, Ron. I'm just going to pretend to go out with George so that Fred can see how lonely George is without him."
"But...but...but..." Ron spluttered.
"Ron, it's not for real. He seemed really upset about Fred and Angelina when I talked to him."
"Ron, just let Hermione do this. It's not like when Ginny started dating Michael Corner," said Harry reasonably.
Ron sighed. "But, what if you actually start going out?"
"We're not going to...and besides, what would it matter if we did?"
Ron paused. "I dunno. It would be weird...you dating my brother..."
"Will you talk with me over there, Ron? Please?" asked Harry, pulling Ron away before he could answer. "What is the matter with you?" he said when they were out of Hermione's earshot.
"I...I dunno...I just want...Don't want her to get hurt...or something."
Harry pulled back. "I knew it...I've suspected it for years...you're in love with Hermione..."
Ron blushed. "So?"
Harry's eyes opened wide. "You...you...I didn't know...I just guessed...you...Ron?"
"Please don't tell her, please! Harry, she can't know!"
"Why not?"
"BECAUSE SHE'S ALREADY DATING MY BROTHER!"
Ron stormed away, leaving Harry completely stunned...