Disclaimer: The Harry Potter Empire belongs to JKRowling, and JKRowling only. I am merely borrowing the characters for a bit.
A/N Thanks for the reviews, as always. I will warn you now that this chapter certainly is not my favorite, and I have been suffering from extreme writers block regarding this fic, so there you have it. Read on.. and PLEASE help me out with where to take this!
Chapter 5
A decent meal.
The remainder of the day was rather uneventful. Ron was still being childlike and pissy, Remus had left pretty early after lunch. Hermione learned that Professor McGonnagal had reinstated him as professor, and he needed to be back at Hogwarts for a meeting. Hermione, Ginny, and Ron had just sat down to dinner when the unmistakable sound of someone apparating was heard. The three looked up from the table to see George walk in the room.
Hermione was taken aback by his appearance. He had always been relatively clean-cut and neat in appearance, but he now looked quite scuzzy. His hair was grown out into an almost shoulder length dirty mop. He had the beginnings of a beard, and wore a muggle tee-shirt and pants that were wrinkled and dirty. She could see deep set pain in his eyes, and he looked as if he had lost quite a few pounds since she last saw him. He hadn't lost enough weight to make him look sickly, but loss of a few more pounds would certainly put him into that description.
George had decided that he better check in at home. He hadn't been there for two days, and knew that Ginny was getting more and more frazzled. She didn't need to be worrying about his wellbeing on top of everything else. He didn't know how she could handle being there 24/7. He could barely handle a day. But, then again, their mother didn't grow hysterical at the sight of her. She just thought Ginny was 'in on the conspiracy to keep Fred away'. Mrs. Weasley conveniently chose to name George as the ring leader of her so-called conspiracy, and had to be restrained whenever she set eyes on him.
He was also curious as to whether or not Hermione would show up. If she had decided to return, she would have come in by now. It had been about a week since Lee found her, and it isn't like travel time is much of a factor for wizards. He knew Ron would probably be giving her the largest guilt trip of her life, but deep down George knew that Ron would be very grateful to have her back. Hell, he would be grateful too. Ginny needed her, and his mother had always been close to Hermione. She might be able to help her.
He left his flat in muggle London, and apparated to the Burrow.
Arriving in the entry way, he smelled food. That wasn't unusual, seeing as it was dinner time, but this food actually smelled, well, good. He loved Ginny to death, but the girl couldn't cook to save her life, and the scent wafting into his nostrils was actually making him hungry.
Walking into the dining room, he was greeted by the stares of Ginny, Ron, and Hermione. Hmm, she showed up after all, he thought to himself.
Ginny jumped up and embraced her brother in a warm hug. "Hello George, you're just in time for dinner. You're in luck, Hermione's cooked for us tonight." George smiled to himself, so that was why he didn't want to immediately vomit after smelling the food.
He glanced at Hermione. She was smiling at him, but there was an invisible weight tugging her personality down. He could sense it. Hell, he had the same thing. She really did look nice though. Her clothes were of a punky nature. Nothing like what she used to wear, but he thought it suited her better anyway. Her hair wasn't the mass of frizz any longer either. It was still long, but was tamed into loose flowing curls.
"Hermione, nice to see you again," he said.
She walked over to him and gave him a tight squeeze. "Likewise," she said as they released from the hug. "Well, sit down; I'll make you a plate."
With that, George went to his usual place at the now deserted looking table. It was surreal not having it piled high with food, and people scrunched around every possible inch of the table. He muttered a greeting to a very grumpy looking Ron, and got a grunt in return.
They ate in silence, no one knowing what to say. After dinner, Ron grudgingly started doing the dishes in reply to Ginny's nagging, and Hermione walked into the living room to sit with George.
He looked at her for a moment, and then asked, "So, you've seen mum then?"
"Yes." She answered.
"Did it help her?" was his next question, not sure if it was the best subject to be on.
"No. Well, she kind of sees me as on her side, but that doesn't help anything. It's not like I can play along with her. That would be cruel." Said Hermione, vividly remembering the state in which she found Mrs. Weasley. "Are you going to see her?" Hermione had been wondering why he hadn't gone up to visit his mother yet.
"You mean they didn't tell you?" He asked, judging from the look on her face, they hadn't. "Well, she thinks the whole family is keeping her from Fred, as you know, but she thinks it is all my idea, that I am the cause of it. She gets enraged every time she sees me. I think the part of her brain that knows Fred is really gone cant take the sight of me, being twins and all, and she justifies not seeing me by convincing herself that I am the cause of his disappearance." He said, inwardly thinking that he was the cause of Fred's disappearance.
Hermione felt like crying. It was horrible to see the family so torn up. Every one of them was lost in their own battles, and trying to come to terms with their loss. She could see the pain on George's face. Having heard the details of Fred's death, she knew he must be blaming himself for it. And having Molly raving at him couldn't be helping.
"I'm so sorry George," she began, but didn't really know what else to say, so she hugged him again.
She smelled really good, he mused as she hugged him. Her hair was in his face, and it smelled like coconut. It felt nice to be hugged, really hugged by someone. Sure, he had that from Ginny, but this was different. He had an overwhelming sense of comfort with her in his arms, and was rather disappointed when she ended it.
"Well, I guess I had better head out," he said about a half an hour later. Ginny and Ron were mad at each other for some reason, and he didn't feel like watching them fume at one another for the rest of the night.
"I'll walk you out," volunteered Hermione, desperate for an excuse to get out of the room with the two fiery siblings.
As the two stopped at the front doorway, Hermione decided to ask George a question.
" So where do you disappear to anyways? Ginny told me you are always incommunicado for a few days." She figured she would just get a vague answer, but to her surprise he answered her.
"I have a flat in muggle London. Have for some time, actually. You know, this family can get kind of claustrophobic at times, and I needed a place to get away." He actually gave her the specifics of the location, and told her that if she needed to get out of the Burrow, she was welcome there.
"Well, have a good night George." She said, surprised that he told her his big secret location.
"It was really nice seeing you again, Hermione. I just wish it were under better circumstances. Everyone has really missed you, you know." He really was glad to see her. She would be able to settle down Ginny and Ron. Actually, she'd probably be able to get his mom out of her denial as well. Hermione's intellect would figure it out, it always had in the past.
As he walked into his apartment, he vaguely wondered why he had told her where he was staying when he wouldn't even disclose the information to his family. He guessed it was because he sensed something about her that night that made him relate to her. Besides, she wouldn't tell anyone.
George reluctantly laid down, knowing that the nightmares of Fred's death and his family's disorder would plague his sleep yet again.
