-
AFFECTIONS OF IDENTICAL TWINS
-
Summary: You'd think Fred and George were identical to the last freckle. Well, they are not. FW/HG, GW/HG.
PART I
In which the Incident which sets off the story occurs
i
-
"Then the only other solution is that you attend the meeting!"
"With that coot… CERTAINLY NOT!"
"I know you don't like him…"
"Understated, Mr. Fred Weasley."
"Okay, so you would rather eat dung and hear Percy's reports than meet this man. I thought so, too. Hence, the Plan B."
"No way in HELL!"
"Just for a night, George," Fred pleaded, "I hate Mr. Granger and Mrs. Granger hates me. I don't see why I should go anyway."
"No, Fred, she'll know!"
"She won't. Not if you are cool enough. Be cool. Be calm. Complement her on how good she looks. Startle her with kisses. Really, George, you know the stuff. Merlin! I have forgotten the number of times we have exchanged girls!"
"But she isn't just any girl, Fred. She's your girlfriend. Does that ring a bell in your head? On top of it, she's Hermione. Hermione always knows everything – that is the first rule in the book."
Fred rolled his eyes. "You know how important this deal is for our business. I have to go. It's our only chance to go international with our business. Think about the money it will bring. And you have met her family before. Both of us had same reactions to those odious people. What's the difficulty?"
"It's… it's… wrong. Why don't you tell Hermione?"
"Because I had already promised her that I was going to that get-together at her parent's house. She'll be very angry if I back out now. I have been doing it a lot lately – finding excuses to avoid her people. She won't believe me. You know how she is, George. Moreover, I've got to reach there in fifteen minutes which means I should be apparating now."
"No! Stop! Fred!"
"Good luck, George. Merlin! You don't have to shag her – I'd kill you if you do that. Just visit her family. See you after midnight!"
ii
-
George nervously fingered his tie and once again looked into the mirror. Everything seemed fine. Fred was better at this sort of thing since he was the one who had to face Hermione's family now and then. He had taught him how to wear a tie, but he wasn't sure he had got it right. He had never thought that he might require doing that. Unfortunately, there was no spell to do this, not to his knowledge at least.
"Fred!"
He paled as he heard Hermione's voice. Taking a deep breath, he smiled at his reflection. Be cool. Be calm. Act like Fred. He didn't actually need to 'act'. He knew Fred better than anybody else. His manners came naturally to him. But loving Hermione did not.
Or did it?
No, it did not, he told himself. He did not like Hermione. Not in the least. He was engaged to Angelina and that was that. He didn't like the bookworm, but the tough Quidditch player.
"You look so nice in that suit," said Hermione happily, throwing her arms about him, "Mum will be happy."
"Really?" asked George, who was Fred for the time being, dubiously. He remembered the stern face of Mrs. Granger. He had thought then that it was so impossible that this woman ever laughed.
"Yes," she said. And then, the moment he had been dreading – Hermione kissed him.
He had once imagined what it would be like to kiss Hermione. Her lips were thin and pale but always moist or maybe it was just some product girls used. Anyway, there was a time when he had thought that they were inviting… very much so… It had made him weak in knees just imagining what it would be like to kiss those lips and to imagine them elsewhere…
Now, it was far more amazing to actually experience. He did go weak in knees, and tightly gripped her waist. Hermione moved closer to him, running her hands lightly through his hair. It gave him a far different feeling than Angelina ever gave.
Angelina… Fred…
He suddenly pushed her away, startling her.
"Fred?"
"Hermione… if we go on, we'll… we'll end up making love and forget all about the party… not… not that I won't want to…"
He hoped he didn't sound too nervous. Nervous! Was he nervous!
Thankfully, Hermione bought it. She lightly ran a finger down his cheek and kissed the other one.
"You're right. You remember how angry mother was when we reached so late last time? I don't want a repeat performance of that. Come on."
iii
-
While he could easily handle the totally obnoxious Mrs. Granger, Mr. Granger was a different case. As soon as they reached there, he greeted him so coldly that he was expecting chill winds to envelope him any minute. Fred didn't exaggerate when he said that "the old cod wants me in my grave."
The man kept glancing at him with suspicion. For a moment George thought that he had somehow slipped up his identity. But then, Hermione dragged him to the opposite side of the room and he didn't see him until dinner.
He didn't really register it when Hermione introduced him to her cousins. There was a faint voice at the back of his head, telling him to say something witty, but he found he really couldn't. He didn't want to.
Two-thirds of his attention was concentrated totally on Hermione… her scent, her hair, her smiles, her touches, her eyes…
He found himself staring at her many times and had to quickly avert his eyes. He wasn't supposed to stare at her like that.
The left one-third was thinking about the time when he had had a crush on Hermione. At first, he couldn't believe that he was thinking of the "little bookworm" in that way. While he had always found her bossy manner rather entertaining, she hadn't been of any special interest to him. If she hadn't been Ron's best friend, he'd never have remembered her existence even though she was the cleverest witch he had ever seen.
But she was no more a little girl, scared and awed by everything around her. She was a quiet and confident young woman, with eyes that mesmerized him and a warm manner that he found rather attractive. Her smile was the most beautiful thing in the world and everything about her was perfect – even the a-bit-too-curly brown hair.
He had realized that he was in love. He waited for her Saturday visits to their shop with her niece, who was the second known witch in her family.
While Fred would usually attend to them, George would admire her from a distance. George, who was half an hour older to Fred, had always been a little bit less forward than him. Any other person would surely not notice, but George knew and didn't complain.
Not until one night Fred told him that he had asked Hermione out to dinner the next Friday night.
He knew that Fred was serious about Hermione. Hermione was the kind of girl you'd always be serious about for she herself was a grave young woman. While she laughed freely, you knew by her calm eyes that she wasn't someone you'd fool around with.
If she had been any different, George would have hoped that Fred might leave her. If she had been any different, George won't have fallen in love with her.
iv
-
"Fred?"
"Hmmm?"
"Is something wrong?"
Did she suspect anything?
"No. Why?"
"You're different tonight, you know. You haven't made a single joke and you haven't spilled your drink on anyone."
"I thought if I was a bit mature, Mr. Granger would stop glaring at me," he said with a half-smile.
"And now you are talking about pleasing my father!"
"Really, Hermione, nothing is wrong."
She looked doubtful, but let it pass. "Well, if you say so."
"Trust me."
"I do, Fred. I trust you a lot."
Her sincerity was almost hurtful. He felt so despicable.
"Let's go out for a while. If Sandra comes here again, I might just slap her."
"It'll be interesting to watch, but let's go out, anyway."
His nervousness had now abated. He was more comfortable with Hermione by his side. They were in the gardens.
"Hermione?"
"Yes?"
"Have you always been able to differentiate between George and me? I mean we could even confuse Mum sometimes."
"Well, not until you two started on your shop."
"How come?"
"Well, George was always so distant, wasn't he? I mean he never really talked to me. I think it was always you I talked to whenever I had come to the shop. Even when we would sit down for coffee, sometimes, George was really very quiet."
"I never noticed."
"You won't. He talked to you. He talked to Melanie. He talked to everybody but me."
Then she looked up at him and said, "Fred, do you think that he hates me?"
George kissed her lightly and said, "Of course not."
"Then why doesn't he talk to me? Is it that I have come between you guys or something? I know you two are best friends and identical twins, and have been very close all along, and I won't want to be the one wall that finally separates you."
"I don't think he feels so. Even if he does, he hasn't told me. I'll talk to him."
Hermione smiled and snuggled up against him. "You haven't been like this for ages, Fred."
"Like what?"
"So understanding and quiet. I love it when you are noisy but since we are above twenty-one, we do need some quiet time for ourselves. Just to feel each other. No expressions, just feelings."
George smiled wanly and pulled her closer.
And then, he knew he had to say it. It was his only chance. He'd be married in a month. With kids in a year or two. So, so, so far away from her…
"Hermione, I love you."
"I love you, too. I'll always love you. You know what? I don't think I could ever love anyone else in this world. Never ever!"
George was glad that she hadn't looked up at him. His pale face would have startled her.
They sat in silence then, relishing each other's company. It was a full moon night and there were roses along the side of the bench where they sat. George couldn't imagine a more perfect state of bliss.
Hermione slipped her hand in his and he held it firmly, but gently. He had an overwhelming desire of never to let go. Never leave of her. Not for any damned business deal. If only she was his, he would hold her safely to himself to the ends of the world and beyond. If only…
v
-
They had reluctantly left the gardens and gone in when Hermione's little cousin had come looking for her. After an hour, they had said the 'goodbyes' and left.
George lay awake. He couldn't sleep with Hermione nestled against him. It made his heart pound with passions and desires – which he wasn't supposed to have.
He heard a noise in the kitchen. It wasn't loud enough to wake Hermione up, though. Precisely at that moment, Hermione turned away from him in her sleep.
He heaved a sigh of relief and got off the bed.
"You're late! It's almost morning!"
Fred was grinning. "At least I got the deal. We're going to be rich, brother!"
"Well, whatever. I am going back now."
"Thanks for covering up for me, George."
"You will never mention this!" said his twin, threateningly. "It's over and forgotten. It never happened."
"Whoa, George! Calm down! Of course I won't mention it. I don't want to be murdered by her now, do I?"
George shrugged bad-temperedly.
"You shouldn't have done this in the first place. She loves you so much! And she trusts you a lot as well!"
"I know that," said Fred, "But sometimes she is such a… well, you've got to admit that a man never likes his in-laws and the others in the girl's family as well."
"They aren't that bad. But go back now. If she finds out…"
Just then the lights were switched on.
I love cliff-hangers! I had this idea hovering around in my mind all through this past month and finally I have started on it.
As most of the time, the rate of story-publishing will be decided on the basis of readership.
So don't forget to review.
And it isn't a very long one. At the most four chapters but lengthy ones.
Thanks for reading!
-