Disclaimer: I don't own anything. This is just a figment of my imagination
Chapter fifteen: Misguided KissingVivian curled her painted lips into a small smile and leaned forward on her desk.
"So now that Fredricks' gone...We can have a little chat about something else than the shop."
George leaned back in his chair and looked at her amused. "Yeah...I've been wondering...How did you get that last name of yours. I didn't know you were the boss Hermione always talks about. She called you Kramer. I think I prefer Walker, though."
She leaned back too. "Oh, that. I got married. To that Hufflepuff who always hung around me. He muscled his way into being my boyfriend rather quick when you and Fred had fled the castle. And seeing as how I didn't have anything else to do when I graduated, I said yes when he asked me to marry him."
"So you're a maried woman now. Never had you down for the homely type."
She grinned toothily. "I found that out too, half a year later. And so did he. I decided I wanted a job and he didn't aprove. Then I said it was either a job or a divorce and I ended up getting both."
George looked at the photograph on her desk. "Kept his picture, though?"
"No, that's my dad. I thought he'd be proud of me, working as a fulltime partner at a lawfirm. But...staying on the track of lovelives...How did you and Gra- I mean Hermione end up dating."
She leaned forward immediately, giving him a clear view of her cleavage. George noticed but said nothing, only an amused look crossing his face gave it away.
"She's my little brother's best friend. I got used to having her around and talking to her. Then one thing led to another and here we are."
"Really..." she said, almost with a purr.
"Surprised?"
"A little." she admitted. "She doesnt strike me as your type."
She flicked her hair over her shoulder casually.
"Doesn't she...seem a little...dull? So...bookish."
Now George laughed, thinking of all the trouble Hermione had gotten herself in to, helping Ron and Harry all those years at school.
"Dull? Hardly." he grinned.
But Vivian ignored it. She stood up and walked around the desk so she could seat herself on the surface, facing George. He couldn't help noticing that she was wearing a very short skirt.
"Say, Viv...I think it's time for me to go. I can't let Fred on his own too long, for all I know he could be out buying a new building."
Vivian laughed loudly, almost cackling. She slid off her desk and opened her arms.
"Very well." she said. "But you can't leave without giving me a hug. After all, it's been so long since we saw each other last."
She gave him a seductive smile. George could only give in and so hugged her, wrapping his arms around her. She held on to him tight, letting her hand wander down to the small of his back. Quickly George disentangled himself and nodded at her curtly.
"I suppose I'll see you again soon." he said.
She nodded. "You bet. I'm looking forward to working on this case with you."
George turned around and left hastily. He walked over to Hermione and planted a big kiss on her cheek.
"I'm done here. Want me to wait for you?"
She shook her head. "Don't you need to help Fred at the Jokeshop? He looked a little bit stressed when he walked out of here. What kept you anyway?"
"Oh..." he said vaguely. "She needed me to sign something. Fred already had."
"Oh."
"But you're right. I'll see you tonight."
"See you later then."
He pecked her cheek and hurried out the building. Hermione looked at the office he had just left. Vivian stood in front of the window and smirked at her. She raised her hand and waved at Hermione with a laugh.
"She's getting off on this, isn't she." Hermione remarked dryly.
Tess shrugged. "You know what she's like. She slept her way up the company ladder and now that she doesn't need Andersson anymore, he's boring her. She just needs to flirt with someone."
"Well she'd better not be trying anything with George!" Hermione said indignantly.
"And what about Fred?" Tess asked slowly.
Hermione raised her eyebrow. "What about him?"
"Would you mind if she tried anything on him?"
"...Don't know. Why would I care? Anyway, I'm sure Fred's not that susceptible to her 'charms'. George I'm not so sure about. You know he's been acting strange lately...But what do you care about Fred? You're dating Ron, aren't you?"
Tess grinned. "As a matter of fact I am. Tonight to be exact. But you're trying to change the subject. Have...You and George...have you, you know...slept together yet?"
"No!" Hermione said even more indignantly. "Of course we haven't! I don't know if it would be a great idea if we did...We were very close to it once, though...But I don't think I should...just yet."
"Did you ever think George might be wanting a bit more than a kiss every now and then? He's older than you are, Hermione. And he's a guy. Older guys can't always control those things called hormones."
"But that doesn't mean I should throw myself at him!"
Tess shook her head. "No, I know that. But don't you agree you'd rather have it be you he ends up in bed with, and not Vivian?"
Hermione bit down on the end of her pencil and looked at the office again.
"...I..."
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
"You took your time." Fred said calmly when he finally saw his brother walk through the door.
"Viv and I had some talking to do." George answered casually.
Fred laughed haughtily. "Don't let Hermione hear you say that, she might not like it very much."
"She doesn't have to know, it doesn't concern her."
"Whatever. Vivian looked good, though. A real beauty nowadays. Better than what she used to look like. Too bad she's not my type."
"Well not a lot of girls are your type, are they. They're not inflatable."
Fred sighed. Sometimes he wondered if his brother really understood anything. Surely someone should have noticed by now that he- No, he wasn't going to think about it. It was bad enough as it was. Though that other girl at the office had seemed to understand it...Maybe he should...
"Say George, that girl Hermione works with..."
"Tess?"
"That's the one. Are she and Hermione good friends?"
George looked up from the mail he was trying to open. "Why? Want Hermione to set you up with her?"
"No, I-"
"I'll ask her. You sly old dog, you. And there I was thinking you had your eye on Verity."
"Never." Fred said decisively. "She's our employee. And just a nice girl."
He didn't need to tell George the reason why he wanted to talk to Tess. He shrugged his shoulders and straightened a pile of purple cardboard boxes.
"So when's your next meeting with Vivian?" Fred asked.
George walked over to the pay-desk and started counting the money in the till. "Didn't set a date yet."
"Oh, well she said she wanted to take good care of us so she's going to be all over this case. She talked about setting up a meeting between us and Zonko, lawyers included of course."
George nodded pensively. "Sounds interesting. I'll bet it'll do us good. It will certainly help the shop."
"Talking of which...Don't you think it's time we open up? It's really late."
George nodded and looked out the window. "Why not. Time's money, after all. And it does seem like time has been good to us."
Fred grinned, casting a look at his new dragon leather boots. With a flick of his wand, he changed the sign on the door and walked into the backroom to get some more Muggle magic tricks.
The light in the room didn't work when he flipped the switch. With a slighly annoyed sigh he reached for his wand again.
"Lumos." he whispered.
A soft glow emanated from the tip of his wand, giving him just enough light to read the lables on the stacks and piles in the storage cupboards. He traced the sides of the boxes with his indexfinger, searching for the right set of boxes.
A soft 'crack' behind him made him snap around.
"Hey you..." she said softly.
He used his wand to bring some light to her face.
"Oh, hey Hermione." he said, slightly surprised. "Aren't you supposed to be at the office?"
"I snuck out." she said with a giggle.
She advanced on him until she was very close, placed her hands behind her back and then stood on tiptoe so she could kiss him. He was so surprised to feel her lips touch his that he didn't respond at all. Once he finally realised what was happening, he grabbed her shoulders and pushed her back.
She looked at him with uncertainty.
"As much as I like you, Hermione, You've got the wrong twin."
She stepped back, blushing madly, and clasped her hand to her mouth.
"Oh my god...Fred, I'm so embarassed."
She turned around, wanting nothing more than to disappear into thin air. Fred chuckled uncomfortably.
"Well, er...it is a bit embarassing, yes. After you saying you could tell us apart so well."
She turned back again.
"Well, the two of you do look a like a lot." she said dismissively.
"So, er...what are you doing here? Sneaking off is not like the Hermione I remember from school."
"I- I wanted to surprise George...Tess said it would be a good idea..."
"Oh. Well George is in the shop. If you want to see him, you should go inside."
She nodded her head. "Thank you. I will. Oh...Fred, can we keep this...mistake to ourselves? I don't think George would find it very funny."
She smiled apologetically. Fred felt his head nod slowly.
"Of course. I won't tell him."
"Thank you." she whispered before she left the storageroom.
Once the door had fallen shut behind her, he softly touched his lips. They burned as if he could still feel those lips against his own. He savoured the feeling and closed his eyes. When he opened them again, the feeling had gone.
He shook his head fiercely and leaned against the wall.
'Don't allow this to happen.' he told himself harshly.
But good resolutions could only get him so far. And she wasn't making this easy on him.
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