Ok so this is just a random idea that crept into my head, totally unexpected, but I thought I'd write it and see what you thought of it. It's only a short one but it's sweet.

~*~Mystical Dreams

Holding Up.

Hermione sat on the front doorstep; the cool morning winds whipping at her silk pajama's and wild, fly away hair. She loved days like these; when the sun was shining and tiny wisps of white cloud were floating in the sky, yet there was a cool wind rustling the old willow down the front driveway of the Weasley's house.

For once, it was actually quiet and peaceful at The Burrow, everyone was still asleep, everyone except Mr.Weasley, who said he had gone out to get some milk for breakfast. But he had been gone for quite a while now.

Hermione sighed, thinking of what Harry must be going through at the moment, and she picked up a twig and absentmindedly started to draw in the dirt near the pavement. She'd gone through a time like that once, when her grandmother had died, she'd only have been ten but she could still bring herself to remember how she had felt that a whole side of her heart had been wrenched out of her chest. She could only imagine it being ten times as worse for Harry; the only fatherly figure he'd ever known, or reminder of his past family, gone. It was terrible to think of, and for at least the thousandth time Hermione found herself wondering, why him? Why Harry? Why did he have to go through all this pain and suffering and what would he do if someone else close to him died in the hands of Voldemort, because of him?

A voice from behind her startled her out of her thoughts.

"It may never happen Hermione"

Hermione snapped around to meet a tall, red haired (not uncommon at the Burrow) sparkling eyed Weasley twin. She was sure it was George; Ginny had taught her how to tell him and Fred apart in the summer of second year, she had said George had a particularly large freckle above his left eyelid and Fred didn't.

"What mightn't happen?" she asked curiously, wondering amazedly if he could read her thoughts.

"Whatever you were think of, you just had that concerned look on your face that suggested you were worried about something" he said, taking a sip out of the steaming mug he held in his hands.

"Want one?" he asked offhandedly, indicating towards the mug, "its hot chocolate"

"Yes please"

George murmured a spell and another mug came gliding through the doorway to land in Hermione's hands.

"Thanks"

"No prob"

Hermione took a sip of the rich liquid and marveled in the sweet taste and luring smell. She loved it when George made hot chocolate, and he knew it quite well. Everyone knew he had a habit of always putting in excessive amounts of chocolate, but Hermione thought it was delicious; obviously they both had the same sweet tooth.

She pulled her dressing gown around her as the fresh wind blew at her form and wondered how her companion could only be wearing boxers and a t-shirt on such a cold morning.

"You always get up this early?" George asked conversationally, trying to hide his amusement as Hermione jutted out of her chocolate heaven.

To tell the truth, he had never seemed to be as close to Hermione as Ron's other friends, but over the years he had began to understand what his little brother had first said about his head strong friend; when you pushed the right buttons you would soon find Hermione's rebellious streak and friendly manner under all that hostility.

"No, I just couldn't sleep" she admitted as she looked out at the rolling green hills in the distance, "Was just thinking"

"About anything in particular?" George asked, hoping he wasn't intruding, after all, his mother had taught him some sense of graciousness, if not failing at all attempts of manners.

"Harry" Hermione sighed.

"Aren't we all" George commented, "I swear mum's going to develop an ulcer over that kid"

Hermione smiled a little; Mrs. Weasley had been worrying about Harry all summer. But soon her face turned back into a grim frown.

"I wish there was somewhere else he could stay with the same sort of protection the Dursley's are supposedly giving him"

"I don't know what sort of protection they could possibly be giving him" George said, disgust flying across his features, "When we went to pick him up summer of fourth year, Fred, being the observant prat he is, said there were absolutely no pictures of Harry anywhere in the house, though every inch of wall space was covered with that blond haired git of a cousin of his"

"Harry tells Ron and I about some of the work they make him do, but he has a tendency to underestimate the importunacy of things" Hermione said bluntly.

George nodded understandably; he had more then once encountered the stubborn will of the black haired boy.

Hermione didn't like this topic; she felt she was betraying Harry somehow, talking about him behind his back when he wasn't there to back himself up.

"So how's the Joke Shop going?" she asked.

George brightened considerably at this subject.

"Great, it should be ready for official opening in a couple of days now we have the building up to shape and inhabitable"

"That's good" Hermione said, "I bet you'll get heaps of Hogwarts students as customers"

"Only so we can give you and Ron a work out on Prefect duties" he smiled cheekily.

Hermione punched George in the arm; she had grown to think of the Weasley children as the brothers and sisters she'd never had.

"I'll have you know that you made yourselves well remembered at Hogwarts when you left"

George grinned and Hermione couldn't help but smile back.

"The next day Peeves flew through the blackboard while Umbridge was writing on it and started egging her while toothbrushes mysteriously appeared out of nowhere and attacked her hair"

Both Hermione and George burst out laughing.

Just as they were both settling down they heard a rustle from the trees up the driveway and both turned to see what had caused the disturbance.

To their surprise, a group of wizards, all holding broomsticks, stepped from behind the thicket of trees and started to walk up the driveway, Mr. Weasley amongst the group.

Hermione soon spotted Tonks' pink hair, the shabby robes of her old Defense against the dark arts teacher, the bald head of Kingsley Shacklebolt, Mad eye Moody's grizzly grey hair and a small ball of rags to the back of the group which she supposed was Mundungus Fletcher, then, to her utter amazement, as Moody tapped thin air with his wand Harry emerged from the space beside him.

Hermione squealed delightedly and ran down the driveway to propel herself into his arms.

"Oh Harry how have you been? We've been so worried about you!" She exclaimed.

Harry gratefully returned his friends hug and breathed in the smell of her familiar frizzy hair.

"It's good to see you Hermione" he replied.

Hermione let go of him and looked into his green eyes concernedly.

"How've you been?" she asked more seriously.

Harry quickly looked over at Remus who smiled at him warmly, and a small smile crept upon his own features.

"I've been holding up"

~*~

So how'd you like it? Nice short and sweet I say! Well, please review!

~*~Mystical Dreams