Disclaimer: As you all well know, I do not own Harry Potter.
Chapter 13: Getting Ready
Later that afternoon, George dialed the number to the Burrow on the old "tellyfoam" he and Fred kept at their apartment. He knew he had to act fast before Hermione changed her mind again about coming home. Once Molly got on the other line, George hurriedly explained that he had someone he'd like her to meet and asked if he could bring her to the dinner they were having Friday night in honor of Ginny's graduation from Healer training. He also told her, though he regretted it a moment later, that he'd like to bring her over a little early so she could see Molly before everyone else showed up. Hermione had explained to George that morning that it was not Ron or Harry she feared seeing the most, but Mrs. Weasley. Hermione felt like she had disappointed Molly most of all, seeing as how the Weasleys had taken her in and always made her feel like family. Molly had seven children of her own to take care of, but she never failed in making sure Hermione was safe and well fed. The moment George told his mother about bringing his "friend" to dinner early, he was forced to recoil sharply, holding the receiver far from his ear. He stared at the device strangely, assuming it was malfunctioning somehow, before realizing that the noise was caused from his mother bawling her eyes out on the other end of the line.
"Um, Mum?" He asked, trying to make out what she was saying, if anything. "Oh dear me, another one of my babies falling in love and getting married. I can't believe this is happening. Oh George this is so wonderful. I never expected you to settle down this soon, or ever really. I can't wait to meet her and…" His mother wailed. George's eyes were getting bigger and bigger, horrified at his mother's inferences.
"No Mum, it's not like that. She's just a friend, well, sort of," at the moment, he didn't really know what she was, but he certainly didn't want his mother assuming they were getting married.
"Oh of course dear, she's just a friend. That's precisely what Percy said about Penelope before I caught them snogging on the living room couch. But ever since Fred owled me about your 'secret girlfriend,' I just knew you had finally found the one. Oh George," her voice cracked up as she succumbed to more crying. George kicked his foot against the wall at an increasingly faster pace as he waited for his mother to calm down enough to try and explain things a little, all the while cursing Fred for his nosiness.
Hermione spent the next week in emotional turmoil. On the one hand, she was absolutely elated about her and George's relationship, however unofficial it might be. She retold the story of their weekend together at least 12 times to Grace, who seemed giddy and girly every single time. Then, suddenly, she would remember her promise to George to go to the Burrow and she would freak out. Hermione didn't know whether to burst out in tears or scream till she was blue in the face. She settled for both, along with stomping, a great amount of stomping. Her secretary, Olivia, took to tiptoeing in and out of Hermione's office as quickly as possible before Hermione could yell or throw something at her head, after an unfortunate incident with a memo bearing bad news and a muggle stapler. By the time Friday rolled around, Hermione was on the brink of a nervous breakdown. For that matter, so was Grace, who had been dealing with Hermione as patiently as possible.
"Hermione, stop biting your nails," Grace said sweetly, pulling Hermione's hand from her mouth for the 15th time that afternoon.
"I can't help it," Hermione said as she began biting the nails of her other hand. Grace sighed.
"Look, why don't we take the rest of the day off. We're not going to get any work done around here anyways. I already finished my column for the week, and no one really cares about all those politics you write about. We'll go home, pick out your clothes for tonight, paint your nails, or whatever is left of them. Ohhh, we can do face masks!" Grace squealed. Hermione grimaced, both at Grace's high pitch and the idea of smothering green gunk all over her face. However, she did give in and let Grace drag her out of the office and over to a little shop which apparently had great pumpkin exfoliating scrubs, whatever that meant.
Fifteen minutes later, Hermione was relaxing in a tub full of pink bubbles, goop the color of moldy pumpkins smeared over her face, while Grace scrutinized the contents of her closet. Although Hermione thought choosing an outfit would be quite simple due to her careful color-coding, Grace insisted on taking everything out and spreading it across Hermione's room. Each pile was a different category of garment: one for robes, one for dress robes, one for shortish skirts, one for longish skirts, one for skirts Hermione should never ever wear again because they were horribly ugly, one for sweaters, one for blouses, one for t-shirts, and so on. Grace was admiring a v-neck gray sweater, which looked wonderful with her long blonde hair, when she heard a yelp from the bathroom. She knocked hesitantly before pushing open the door. Inside Hermione, clad in a fluffy bath towel, was hopping around on one foot, covered in blood.
"Hermione! What the bloody hell are you doing?" Grace shouted in surprise. Hermione's hopping about slowed a little as she looked up at Grace bewilderedly.
"I'm shaving," she answered, assuming it was quite obvious. She brandished the razor in her hand to reiterate the point.
"Like that?" Grace asked, stunned.
"Yes, like this, how else would I do it?"
"Oh I don't know Hermione, let me think about that. Remind me again how many years you've been a WITCH," Grace exclaimed, obviously amused that her know-it-all best friend had made such a humorous blunder. "Didn't Hogwarts teach you anything important?" Grace sighed. Hermione burst out laughing. She would not have normally found this situation funny at all, but after such a stressful, emotional week, this suddenly eased all her tension. After muttering the incantation to clear all the blood from her legs, Hermione listened attentively as Grace showed her how to shave her legs, as well as pluck her eyebrows, magically.
"I can't believe I've been doing this the muggle way for so long," Hermione sighed. "You have no idea how many times I almost poked my eyes out with those damn tweezers." Grace just laughed, glad Hermione was finally relaxing.
While Hermione changed into the clothes Grace had finally decided on, a knock came at her front door.
"Grace? Can you get that for me? It's probably George, tell him I'll be right out," Hermione shouted from her room. Grace flung open the door to find not one George, but two. Technically, one of them was Fred, but to the untrained eye they were indistinguishable.
"What no broccoli this time?" She asked, recalling the last time she'd seen both the twins together. They smiled the same debonair smile and one of them pulled out a colorful handkerchief, which turned into a head of broccoli with a flick of his wrist.
"Ohh, a little Houdini," Grace said with a patronizing smile. She looked Fred and George up and down, searching for some way to tell them apart, wondering how Hermione ever did. "Shouldn't you guys dress differently or something so people know who you are?" She asked.
"What's the fun in that?" One of twins asked with a shrug. Hermione came out of her room at that moment and smiling at Grace walked up behind the couch where Fred and George were sitting.
"I'll give you a little hint," she said, feeling brave, "this one is George." She kissed George tenderly below his ear, where his telltale scar was. She felt a shudder go through his body and smiled over his head at Grace. Fred raised his eyebrow suspiciously at his brother. George had said things were "going well" between him and Hermione, but Fred had not guessed they were at a licking-each-other's-scars phase. George blushed wildly which made everyone else in the room laugh. Hermione gathered her coat and luggage bag containing her change of clothes and toiletries.
"Have a good time. I'll see you Monday at work, unless you need to pop by Sunday when you get home. Good luck Mione," Grace said as she hugged her tightly before apparating out with Sugar, who was staying at Grace's while Hermione was away. Hermione nervously led George and Fred out of her apartment, locking it tightly behind her. George took her bag from her and Hermione linked her arm through his. Feeling left out, Fred linked his arm through her unoccupied one and they made their way to the train station.
A/N: Here's another update for you all! It's longer so I hope you enjoy it. What happens at the Burrow is next! Yay! It's about time, isn't it? Hehe, anyways, I'm off to the new IKEA that opened in Frisco, so hopefully you will all read and review so I have something nice to come home to! Thanks! Love you all!