Disclaimer: I don't own anything. This is just a figment of my imagination

Chapter Twelve: Blast from the Past

"Morning, sleepyhead." A cheerful voice said.

She smiled lazily. "Morning...What...time is it?"

"Only eight o' clock. You don't have to be at the office for another three hours."

She leaned on her elbows and looked around. This was the third time in three days she had woken up in this bed and in this room. She had borrowed the same shirt and shorts she had worn the first night. The thought alone made her blush.

It felt so strange to wake up next to George and yet it was a wonderful thing to realise every morning. After she had come home from the office the day mr. Hoot's body had been found he had taken her out for a nice dinner to get her mind off things and to say sorry for the way he had reacted when she had wanted to support her colleagues.

After dinner he had said that it was too late at night for her to walk back to her place and he didn't want to walk her back, he had said with a cheeky grin. All there had been left for her to do was to spend the night at his place again. And since the day after that was a Sunday, and she didn't have any food in her fridge because she hadn't had the chance to do shopping, she had stayed over again.

Fred had avoided her these three days, she felt. But George said that Fred was just busy with the shop and with Verity.

"...Oh?"

"Yeah, I think he might be trying to impress her." He said with a grin.

"...Good for him." Hermione said slowly.

"Oh well, never mind. How about some breakfast?" he said, clasping his hands together energetically.

"In bed?" she asked hopefully.

He laughed. "Alright. But only because you were coughing and sneezing so much last night. I'll be right back."

He blew her a kiss before closing the door behind him. Hermione sat up and rubbed the sleep from her eyes. She looked at her clothes on the floor. She hadn't had the chance to change into something clean for the last three days, she realised. She would have to leave a bit earlier so she could pick out some fresh clothes.

A soft hooting at the window made her look up. She got to her feet and opened the window to let the owl in so she could untie the Daily Prophet from its leg. She ran over to her jeans to get a knut from her pocket to pay it.

Once she had obtained the newspaper and let the owl out, she dove under the sheets again and bent her head over the front page. She creased it out neatly and looked to see if there was anymore news on Parkinson. But the headlines were about Rufus Scrimgeour and his new pick of ministers.

Disappointed she pushed the paper aside and stared at the ceiling. Her stomach was grumbling and she couldn't wait for George to bring in something to eat. She couldn't wait for George with or without food, she thought with a blush. She found herself wondering what it would be like if they would do more than just kiss.

But she realised that, even though she was thinking about it, she was far from ready to actually try something more. She hoped that he could understand that, him being older than her.

Her thoughts were interrupted by a little knock on the door.

"Can I come in?" Hermione was surprised to hear a female voice. "George said it was okay..."

"Er, yeah sure." she said confused.

A pair of brown eyes and a head of red hair popped around the corner.

"You settle in quick." Ginny stated with one look at the mess on the floor.

Hermione giggled.

"I haven't settled in." she said with a smile. "I was merely staying over."

"And in my brother's bed, too..." Ginny continued, feigning disgust. "Does mum even know about the two of you? She's going to have such a fit when she finds out. I think she still believes Ron and you have a secret love affair going on behind her back."

"Tell her to intercept his mail and she'll think different. If I'm right, he receives daily mail from that colleague of mine."

Ginny walked in and sat on the bed. "Good for him. And good for you, too. I fell off my broom the moment George told me about the two of you. His timing was, of course, impecible for I was just about to score at Quidditch when he told me. I wasn't much surprised though, just a little disappointed. I had expected to hear news like this from you."

Hermione bit her lip. "...Sorry. I've just been so busy with work and college and George...I just haven't had the time."

She wanted to say more, but at that moment she couldn't escape another violent fit of coughs.

"That doesn't sound good..." Ginny said. "Have you been to a Healer?"

Hermione shook her head. "No, no I'm fine. It's just a cold. I've had it for a few days now, can't be much longer before I'm healthy again."

They looked up when George came in, carrying a tray heavy with orange juice, toast and scrambled eggs. Ginny leaned in and nicked a piece of toast.

"Oi! Hands off!" George said.

Ginny raised her hands in the air. "Alright! I'll leave you two lovebirds alone. I just came over to tell you that mum was planning a fancy dinner for everyone. In celebration of you two, I presume."

George paled. "What, she knows?"

Ginny grinned.

"She will soon!" she said as she ran for the door. "Either you or me George! Take your pick!"

And then they heard her footsteps go down the stairs rather quick. Hermione kissed George's cheek.

"I think it's very sweet of you to bring me breakfast in bed." she said sweetly.

He grinned and set the tray on the floor so he could wrap his arms around her. She giggled, but pushed him away.

"No George, I don't have time! I need to stop by my place to find some clean clothes, I can't wear these all day again."

George pouted but she shook her head again firmly. "Nope, not now. Later perhaps. Say...after I'm done at work?"

He grinned. "I'll pick you up and then we can go to your place for a change. I wonder if you still know where everything is."

She hit his arm and hoisted up her jeans.

"I'll see you later." She said, her shirt halfway over her head and a piece of toast clenched between her teeth. "I'm done at five."

"Then so am I."

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

"Are you sure you don't want me to take that case as well?" Greg Andersson asked her.

Vivian shook her head. "No, I'll be happy to take this on."

"I wouldn't mind, you know...I mean, your mind must be so busy with everything that's going on. Don't these men at the doors bother you? You must feel locked up with two guards with you everywhere you go."

She shook her blonde hair. "Greg, darling. I feel fine. They make me feel safe and I think that working at least one case will keep me occupied."

She stood up and shooed him out the room.

"Now let me get on with work or we'll start losing clients."

Greg nodded and turned around, but before he left the room he grabbed her waist and pulled her close to him. She heard him sniff her hair, the way he always did. He kissed her suddenly and hungrily, and she let him, knowing that that was how she had attained her current position within the company.

"Greg, really now." She said with a manufactured ensnaring smile.

"How about dinner tonight." He said in what he considered to be a husky voice. "I booked us a table at that new place."

"Booked already? I love the way you think."

"Eight it is?" he asked.

"How about we go to my place for an appatiser first."

He grinned and licked his lips. "Delicious."

Then he turned around and left. Vivian rolled her eyes. It was just too easy! She picked up the file she had been holding before Greg had come in. She had needed to do quite a bit of persuading to make sure he'd let her keep it.

But she was too intrigued to let it go. After all, it had been a few years since she had last seen him and she remembered those days all too well. Quite the charmer, he had been.

She had been sorry to see him go in the middle of their seventh year. She laughed at the memory of him and his brother flying off on their brooms after having said their thing to that Umbridge-woman.

"Give her hell from us, Peeves." She chuckled out loud.

Covering this case would be her chance of getting him back. She sat down in her chair and leaned back with a satisfied smile.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

"He took me out and we went to see a Muggle movie because his dad had said it would be a good idea. I never thought going to a movie theatre could be this much fun."

Hermione smiled. "Glad to hear you two are doing great as well. I woke up to get breakfast in bed."

"Ah, how romantic." Tess said dreamily. "I've still got to convince Ron to do that for me..."

"What, are you staying over at the Burrow already?" Hermione asked shocked.

Tess laughed and shook her head. "No, silly! I'm not as easy to pursuade as you are, apparentally. Judging by the clothes you wore I don't know how many days in a row, you did stay over at his place."

Hermione blushed. "You knew I did. And anyway, nothing's happened yet. Other than kissing, I mean. And he turns around when I dress like a real gentleman. I never though I'd call him that!"

"And like a real gentleman I'm sure he sneaks a peek when you think you're safe." Tess added with a grin.

She closed her book with a loud snap.

"I'm done for today. I think I'll go visit Ron at his training session..."

Hermione closed her notebook too and rested her quill on her desk. She leaned back in her chair and stared out in front of her pensively.

"Be sure not to say anything negative about his play...He'll take it much too personally and avoid you for a month." She said warningly.

"Blimey." Tess sighed. "Ron does come with a manual, doesn't he."

Hermione started to laugh, but ended up coughing again with a painful grimace. Tess patted her back with a worried frown.

"This flu of yours is getting worse. You should go see a Healer or a doctor."

"No, I'm fine." Hermione said when she was done. "Really, I am. Just a bit of a high temperature, that's all."

Tess said nothing and looked away. She looked at the door just in time to see a redheaded guy walking in with a nice bouquet. She smiled and turned to Hermione.

"Hermione, I think your escort is here."

She jumped up. "George! Oh, they're lovely!"

She took the flowers and took in their scent. She didn't hear the soft click of the office door opening behind her. George kissed her tenderly and watched her eyes shine as she blushed.

"...George?" a voice asked with soft surprise.

George looked up and nearly paled.

"...Viv..."

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