I don't own the characters or the setting, they belong to JKR :)


This time she could tell time had passed. Maybe not as much, but enough that her whole body was stiff, like she hadn't moved in months. The feeling of a hand in hers was instant relief. George was still okay and she knew he was alive, the magic buzzing in her fingers told her so. It was as if she could feel him and his magic. Her eyes shot open when his fingers twitched in her hand. She shot straight up in bed, the sounds in the room suddenly reaching her ears. Voices, quite a few, all familiar. She met the eyes of the Weasley family. Ron, Ginny, Molly and Arthur, as well as Harry. The last pair of eyes made her release a breath she hadn't realized she had been holding.

"George" Everyone in the room stopped and turned to Hermione. Ron jumped out of his seat and took her hand. The look in his eyes made Hermione want to frown, and flashes of their brief kiss under the water flashed before her eyes. That had been the last time she had seen him before the wall. She wondered if she could ever tell him that it hadn't meant anything, that he had caught her off guard, but how could she, he had almost lost most of his family and the girl he loved. He sucked in a breath, suddenly distracted by George lifting their entwined hands. Ron's face twitched and then settled, as if he was reminding himself that it was magic holding her and George together.

"Hermione dear, we are so happy to see you awake and well. You've been out for a while again, how are you feeling? I'll quickly go grab the nurse!" Molly spoke quickly, getting up before Hermione could answer her. She smiled at the woman who had always treated her like a daughter. Arthur smiled at her, relief clear in his blue eyes. Ginny leapt up to hug Hermione, then stepped back to give her a stern look.

"Stop scaring us! You've been out for two weeks. That's one month and now two weeks! George woke up a few days after you had gone out again" She said with a frown. Hermione raised her eyebrows and turned to George.

"Really? And you're okay?" She whispered, meeting his eyes with her soft brown ones. George gave her a sideways grin and raised his arm to flex, quickly realizing he was still not fully recovered, dropping it back down with a wince.

"Righteo, I'm right as rain Hermione, nothing can keep me down" He chuckled and Hermione let out a sigh.

"I'm so relieved, I was a little worried, and guilty I had caused you to be in that mess-" Before she could finish her sentence he cut her off, jumping from his bed to hers and yanking her into a tight (but awkward one handed) hug that caught her off guard.

"Hermione, stop, seriously. I'll never be able to thank you enough, you saved him. You saved Freddy. I know it was too late for Percy, and for that we're all grieving, but you saved Fred. And you saved me" He said, pulling back to stare into her wide eyes. Heat rose to her cheeks and after a moment a cough from across the room made them jump apart. Ron awkwardly stepped forward again, a frown on his face directed at George.

"Oi Mione didn't need to risk her magic like that though" He huffed, arms crossed. George looked as if he was going to say something, a frown rising to his face as well, but a nurse rushed in before he could get the words out, followed by Molly Weasley.

"Morning dear! It's good to see that you're awake! I'd like to ask that all guests step outside so I can have a word with the two patients" The nurse said firmly, a tight smile once again on her face. Ron's eyebrows rose in defence, ready to fight to stay at Hermione's side, but she quickly cut him off.

"I'll be okay Ron, I'll see you after" She tried to sound reassuring, and he hesitated, but then nodded and left the room. Hermione felt her body stiffen as she turned to the nurse, the only thing stopping her from going into another panic attack was the soft squeeze of the hand in hers. She gave him a shy smile and George gave her a grin back. The nurse cleared her throat, a now somber look upon her face.

"We've been studying the both of you, watching your magic, watching your vitals, and for a while it was touch and go. You two are very lucky. The thing is, there is something else going on here. We haven't been able to track it well, both of you being in and out of magical induced comas, but from what we can tell, your magic may be linked, connected if you will" She said, flat out, a frown on her face. The room was silent until George let out a bark of laughter that made Hermione jump.

"What do you mean connected?" He said, raising his voice. He sounded upset, about as upset as Hermione felt. The magic that buzzed through her fingers was intense. She didn't like it.

"That's just it. We don't know. We've never had a case like this before. From what we can tell, it is linked through your hands, we have no idea how it works, or if separating your hands would even unlink the magic" She stated, walking towards the pair and grabbing their linked hands. Magic bounced back and forth between their hands. Hermione frowned and looked at George. He wouldn't want to be stuck to her his whole life. Not to the bossy know-it-all who had shut down his pranks and dated his brother. She shook her head with a frown.

"Let's give it a go then, to try and separate our hands" Hermione said firmly, making George shoot her a wide eyed look.

"What if it damages our magic, or puts us back into some kind of magical coma?" George said, voice strained. Hermione faltered at the thought of being dead to the world again. Before she had a chance to say anything else, the nurse answered.

"We want to continue to run tests, and really take our time with this. It's tricky complicated magic, and we don't know where to start" She said, matter-of-factly. Hermione frowned again, annoyed with the outcome.

"Fine but I refuse to stay in this hospital. I feel fine, I want to read up as much as I can on this, try to figure it out, I need to go to the library at Hogwarts-" Hermione's voice caught in her throat. What did Hogwarts even look like now? Was it rebuilt? Was there still blood splashed across the pavement? Tears welled up in her eyes. George rested his free hand on her shoulder and turned to the nurse.

"Are we free to leave? We can come back for tests right?" He asked firmly, and the nurse nodded, collecting paperwork from the bedside.

"You two are both free to leave, we will owl you for each appointment, and what you will need to do or bring to the appointments. I am also authorized to give you the information of the therapist assigned to the students of Hogwarts and those who were in the battle her name is-" Hermione blocked out the rest, her eyes closed and her head pressed firmly in her hands. She could feel George's magic radiating into her hand and it was oddly comforting. She heard the nurse leave, and turned to face George once again.

"I'm sorry you're stuck with me George" She whispered and he laughed. She rose her eyes to meet his in surprise.

"We're both alive, the war is over, and you're not so bad Granger" He said with a smirk, causing heat to rise to her cheeks.

"We need to figure out the living situation I guess" He said, rubbing the back of his neck. Hermione's face paled. Sleeping next to George. Being connected to George full time. How would they shower? Use the washroom? He seemed to notice her increased anxiety because he squeezed her hand and smiled.

"We'll figure it out later, lets just get the heck out of here. I'm starving, I need Mum's cooking or I might actually fall back into another coma" Hermione gaped at him.

"Don't joke about that!" She smacked the back of his head.

"Blimey, Granger you've got a strong arm" She blushed again, had he always referred to her like that?

"Where is Fred right now? In the hospital too?" Hermione asked, realizing no one had told her. George shook his head.

"He's already at the Burrow. Mum flooed him over a couple days ago, to get him settled, decided that it would be easier for her to take care of him there instead of our flat. He's doing good, mostly sleeping and regenerating. He was wanting to see you, but you were out of it still" He smiled and Hermione once again felt relief fill her heart. Fred was okay, they were all okay.

They gathered their things quickly, anxious to leave the sterile smell, and loud beeps behind. They met the rest of the family in the waiting area, relieved smiles all around. Hermione slipped between George and Ginny, with Ron and Harry trailing behind them. Ron was quick to grab Hermione's bags, much to her surprise. He had never offered to carry anything for her before. Molly and Arthur went first and then one at a time they all made it back to the Burrow, happiness in the air. Molly raced to the kitchen, heart set on making this dinner one of the best Weasley dinners yet, boy did they need it. Hermione followed George around, as people rotated around them, everyone was in high spirits, happy to see them both at home for good. Ron stuck to Hermione's side most of the night. Getting her drinks, and snacks, and chatting with her when she wasn't eating or drinking. Just as dinner was about to start George gave her arm a tug. She gave him a startled look and he gestured towards the stairs. Whatever he wanted, Hermione was relieved to have a reason to leave the little party, she was starting to feel suffocated. They snuck up the stairs, to the door leading to George's old room.

"Fred wanted to see you" He winked, and Hermione gave him a confused look, unsure of how he could know that. George reached into his pocket and pulled out the Dumbledore's army coin that was charmed to get warm when a different coin was rubbed. Hermione sucked in a breath and grabbed it from his hand, a smile on her face.

"You still have them?" She asked, shocked and amazed. He blushed and hid his head a little.

"Me and Freddy like to use them to avoid awkward situations, or if we want to secretly gossip about people in present company" He chuckled before smiling and pulling the door open. Hermione sucked in a breath and stepped through the door. On his now larger (extension charm she assumed) bed, beneath a mountain of pillows and blankets, sat a bruised familiar redhead.

"Miss me Granger?" He croaked, his voice hoarse. Hermione laughed and slipped into his open arms.

"Fred I am so glad you're okay" She breathed, pulling back to stand next to George again. Fred quickly noticed their hands and raised an eyebrow. Then he gave them a wink.

"What's this then?" He managed to get out, and Hermione saw George roll his eyes. She felt her cheeks redden.

"Oi mate, cool your trousers. The magic that saved your ungrateful arse bonded me and Hermione together. We're stuck at the hands now, until they can figure out how to unlink us" Fred frowned and Hermione saw a flash of guilt. She quickly jumped in.

"I'd do it all again in a heartbeat." She said firmly. He gave a weak smile and then they saw his eyelids flutter. They slipped out of his room and into the hall as he fell back into a slumber. The stood somewhat awkwardly in the hall before Molly called up the stairs for them, that dinner was ready. George took a step but Hermione pulled his arm. He turned just as she pulled him into a hug.

"I am glad you're okay George. Fred too. I don't know what I would have done if-" She started and he cut her off with a finger pressed against her lips. Heat rose to her cheeks.

"Granger. Like I said before, I'll forever be in your debt, I am both amazed and honoured to know you" She ducked her head in embarrassment and then the two started down the stairs, narrowly missing bumping into Ron who was headed up.

"Ron! You scared me" Hermione yelped, missing his foot by an inch. He frowned, arms crossed.

"What are you two getting up to? Mum sent me to hunt you down for dinner" He said, his voice tense. Neither answered so Ron took Hermione's free hand and led the pair downstairs. Hermione caught George's eye roll and smothered a laugh.

The dinner went by better than Hermione had expected, lots of laughs, the food was delicious as usual. Dinner included shepherds pie, ham, yorkshire pudding, assorted veggies, and for dessert an assortment of pies. With the help of magic, Molly had been able to make everything in a few hours. It always amazed Hermione, no matter how long she had been a part of the wizarding world.

A hand grazed Hermione's right thigh and she flinched, squeezing George's hand, making him give her a surprised look. Hermione glanced to her right and noticed Ron had a smirk on his face. Heat rose to her cheeks, embarrassed and uncomfortable. He looked like he wanted to say something again, but a loud voice across the room pulled everyone's attention.

"Hermione dear, would you like seconds? Anything I can get you?" Molly called across the table, as she was starting to bring out the pies. Hermione smiled at the woman, quickly shaking her head.

"No Molly, I am stuffed. Dinner was amazing thank you" Molly smiled back at her and then glanced at the hand connected to hers.

"What about you George?" George snorted, grabbing at his heart.

"How sweet of you to think of me mother, even as an afterthought" The table burst into laughter and Molly gave George a scowl. He shot Hermione a smirk and she covered her mouth to stop food from spilling out. The hand on her right grazed her thigh again, and she flew out of her seat, dragging George's arm back with her. She huffed in annoyance. Everyone looked at her in surprise.

"Oh um, I need to use the loo.." She trailed off, suddenly realizing that although it had been a good excuse, it created new issues. George felt heat rise to his cheeks and Ron leapt to his feet.

"What? Is George supposed to go with you? How does this shit even work?" Ron yelled, seeming to get angry out of nowhere.

"Ronald!" Molly and Hermione yelled, followed by grumbles around the table.

"I don't know, I hadn't thought about it, '' Hermione said stubbornly, trying to hide the anxiety rising in her chest. She had thought about it, quite a bit, and she couldn't come up with any solution. She was the know-it-all, the brains, and yet she couldn't think of a simple solution to using the washroom. She didn't even want to think about the shower situation. Voices rose around her, and George stood in a huff. He crossed his (and her) arms, a stern look on his face.

"Oi you all must think I'm some sort of tosser! I am a gentleman. Hermione doesn't need to worry about anything. Now you lot stay here and we will figure it out on our own" He huffed, pulling Hermione towards the only bathroom in the house. She heard Ron's voice raise behind her, and she grimaced. They travelled up the stairs until they stood in front of the charmed washroom. They stood awkwardly for a moment before they glanced at each other.

"Listen Granger, I know this isn't ideal, and I'm a little surprised that big brain of yours hasn't thought of something yet, but let's just get this over with yeah?" He smirked, pushing through the door. The door clicked behind them and Hermione turned to face George, arms somewhat crossed, a stiff look on her face.

"Right, I'm going to cast a silencing charm, you're going to go into the tub and pull the curtain closed. I'll pull your hand when you can come out. No peeking or I swear Weasley, you will not bear children'' She frowned, in her best stern voice. His eyes grew wide, and his free hand cupped his family jewels. He held it up in the air after a moment.

"Scouts honour" Hermione didn't bother asking where he had learnt that Muggle phrase. George climbed into the tub and pulled the curtain closed. She waited a moment then cast the silencing charm. Heat rose to her cheeks, embarrassed by the proximity. The only man who had come close to seeing her naked was sitting in the kitchen below her, and now here she was, stuck (literally) to his brother. Something stirred in her stomach over the thought of George seeing her that way. The older Weasley made her knees weak, not that she'd admit it to anyone. She'd never have what Harry and Ginny had, the family would never accept it. They all thought she was supposed to be with Ron, everyone did. Everyone except her. And George would never see her that way anyway, so it didn't matter. Pulling herself together she quickly did what she needed to do, wand pointed towards the shower curtain. Tugging his hand, she released the charm. He smirked as he stepped back into the room. Hermione ignored him and walked towards the sink, once again unsure of what to do. How would she wash her hand? George laughed and stepped up right behind her, breath hot on her neck.

"Granger you seem to be needing quite a lot of help lately" He took the soap in his free hand and then took her free hand in his. She squeaked in surprise, the contact of his chest on her back making her stiffen. He stepped back and let the water run over their hands, Hermione let out a breath she had been holding.

"Right" She whispered, and followed him out of the room almost running right into Ron once again. She felt anger rise in her chest.

"Ronald I am not a child, you do not need to follow me around the house" She huffed in anger and his eyebrows rose in shock.

"'Mione I-I" He stuttered and George laughed. Ron's face instantly turned red and he stepped towards his brother.

"I don't know what you're playing at mate but that's my girlfriend" He just about snarled. George stepped forward to retort, and Hermione sucked in a breath.

"Ron, we haven't discussed-" Hermione's voice was cut off by a booming voice. Molly Weasley had emerged from the bottom of the stairs.

"No fighting in the house! It's late I think everyone needs to head to bed" She hollered. Everyone stepped back instantly, afraid of the wrath of the Weasley matriarch. George smirked again, pulling Hermione down the stairs, past Ron.

"Night Mum, we're heading back to the flat. We need to meet to go over the paperwork from the hospital and it would be easier with the space there" He said as he passed Molly on the stairs. She stuttered, following behind them. They heard Ron shout from the top of the stairs.

"Like hell you are!" He thundered down the stairs. Ginny caught his arm on the bottom step.

"Ron relax, you're being ridiculous. They both just got out of magical comas, they're exhausted. Let's just give them some space okay?" She said, and Harry nodded, before hugging Hermione. Hermione smiled a relieved smile at Ginny, who nodded back. She shot Ron a small smile too, trying to convey to him that she just needed some space. He looked away. Molly and Arthur hugged George and then Hermione quickly, wishing them luck on their research.