A bit of a longer chapter here! I don't own the characters or setting they belong to JKR :)


It was barely ten when she heard a pop in the living room. She continued to wash her hair, pulling out the pins that she had missed. The makeup ran down her cheeks as she scrubbed her face. She had felt slightly guilty about leaving the wedding early, but she had too much to think about, and she was still upset with George. She heard him calling her name, but she ignored him. The bathroom door popped open and he stepped into the steamy room. She didn't turn, but she knew he was staring at her, his arms probably crossed.

"Hermione" He said again, and she sighed.

"What is it George?" It was his turn to sigh. She heard his clothes hit the floor and then the glass to the shower opening. She froze, as he softly grabbed her shoulders to turn her around. His eyes were flooded with guilt and regret. His hand slipped into her hair lovingly, and she waited for him to speak.

"Tonight wasn't how I wanted it to go. You know how Ron gets on my nerves…" He trailed off and Hermione felt anger rise in her chest.

"This doesn't sound like an apology for how you treated me" She hissed and he rubbed his hands down his face.

"I am sorry, I am. I never want you to think I don't trust you. I promise I'll get my jealousy under control. I just never want to see you in a position like that, someone forcing themselves on you" He said roughly, anger rising in his face. Her shoulders slumped a bit.

"I really wanted to dance with you, and we didn't even get to do that" She whispered, sadness filling her face. He softly held her face in his hands, dipping down to kiss her.

"Dance with me now" He whispered, pulling her close to him. She laughed, trying to pull away.

"There's no music" She insisted, but he held her close, wrapping his arms around her bare waist. Her naked frame melted against his and slowly she let him spin them around, under the fall of the water. She smiled softly up at him, before closing her eyes and resting it against his chest.

"I don't know if this makes me forgive you" She whispered in a teasing tone. He pulled back, his eyes dark with mischief.

"I think I know what might" He whispered devilishly. Hermione's eyes widened in anticipation. His hands glided across her wet body, and she shivered. He backed her up until her back hit the wall of the shower. The water fell, warm against them, and she watched as he slipped down to his knees. She sucked in a breath, closing her eyes. Her hands knotted into his wet curly hair, letting out a soft gasp as his tongue made contact with her body. Her fingers tightened and he hummed against her, sending shocks through her body. He knew before she did when she was close to the edge, and he quickly released her. Hermione let out a whimper, before realizing what he was doing. He stood quickly, pushing her legs apart. He slid himself inside her effortlessly, holding her leg to stabilize her. With each thrust, they inched closer and closer to bliss. Hermione moaned his name, and he moaned hers. As they finished their race together, she laid her head on his chest.

"I suppose I forgive you" She whispered and then kissed him deeply, lovingly.

"I love you" He whispered as they pulled apart. She smiled, pecking his lips one more time. After they rinsed off, and slipped out of the shower, Hermione spun around to face him, her eyes wild.

"George I forgot to tell you, I was talking to Remus" She started and his eyes flashed with jealousy again. She could almost laugh, as upsetting as his outburst were, his quiet jealousy was kind of cute. She continued.

"He found a book, one with the spell I used" She said, wrapping a towel around her waist. He froze, folding his arms.

"Why would he be looking for one?" He asked, and Hermione sighed with annoyance. He unfolded his arms instantly, rubbing the back of his neck.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry, it's difficult having a gorgeous witch as a girlfriend. You have lots of admirers" He stated and she remembered the last time he told her this. She stepped over to him and wrapped her arms around his waist.

"You're the only one I want" She said seriously. He nodded sheepishly.

"Anyway, he said he'd owl it to us sometime tomorrow" She smiled and his eyes widened, realizing that this mess might be over soon. They exited the bathroom and entered their room, slipping on sleep clothes. Hermione ended up in a pair of knickers and a large shirt, like usual. George wore only boxers. The summer heat filled the room, and made it comfortably warm. As they laid down, facing each other, George spoke in a quiet tone.

"After the link breaks… I don't know, I just… I don't want to lose you" He whispered seriously. She was about to tell him again that he was all that she wanted, but he cut her off.

"I want to have a big showy wedding. I want to get a house, have little curly red headed children running around. Hermione I want forever" He whispered, his eyes filled with many emotions. Her heart pounded in her chest.

"This isn't a proposal, and I know it's only been a few months, we have lots of time" He reassured her, and she smiled softly at him.

"I want that too George. I suppose we need to have a serious conversation then" She teased, and he nodded with a smile.

"So when I picture my future, I see us and lots of children" He started and she quickly jumped in.

"Two, I will settle for two kids" Her eyes wide. He chuckled, nodding his head.

"Alright, two kids. Hopefully a boy and a girl" He said and Hermione nodded along with him, that was what she had hoped for as well.

"I don't mind where we live, anywhere besides a flat that's shared with your brother" Hermione laughed and George chuckled with her.

"Yeah, I agree with that, we can look around for something, the shops doing well" He said and Hermione blushed slightly.

"Well, after the war ended, they might have given Harry, Ron, and me a large chunk of money, for helping as much as we did" She whispered uncomfortably. His eyes widened and although he wanted to ask how much, he didn't want to make her feel any weirder. She was grateful, but told him anyway.

"I just think we should be honest about everything, even if it makes us feel a little weird" She said after and he agreed with her. The amount was much larger than he had been expecting.

"So are you planning on working somewhere like the ministry? I know you always wanted to take action with your S.P.E.W program" He asked and she blushed, her heart singing as he remembered parts of her from long ago. She shook her head.

"I'm actually really enjoying working with you at the shop, I was hoping to stay… if you'll have me" She whispered with a shy smile. His face lit up with happiness.

"Of course, we need someone to keep an eye on us right?" He teased and she laughed, feeling light. He had that effect on her. The night continued and the two stayed awake chatting, the terribleness from the day long gone from their minds.

The next morning Hermione sat at the table, chatting with Fred. He was unhappy she had fled the wedding so early, he never got a dance with her. She ducked her head slightly, embarrassed.

"I got some good news actually, that's why I left, besides your brother pissing me off" She chuckled, and his eyes widened.

"Good news?" He asked, taking a bite of his toast. She nodded, nervously.

"I can't promise anything, but apparently Remus found some information at the ministry about the bond and he's owling it to us sometime today" She said, an excited smile on her face. Fred sucked in a breath in amazement.

"Well I'm sure my brother was happy to hear that, speaking of, where is George?" He asked, glancing around the kitchen. Hermione chuckled.

"I left some things at the Burrow and he said he'd grab them for me. We uh, we didn't need to take a potion…" Hermione's face reddened as Fred realized what she meant. He grimaced.

"Geez Granger, I didn't need to know that" He teased. They continued to chat, until Fred needed to head down to the shop. Hermione gave him a quick hug before heading back to George's room. She pulled the purple notebook out of the desk, sitting down. The notebook was almost full of notes and Hermione made a mental note to find another one. Hermione glanced at the stack of books that she had acquired while trying to figure out the bond. She felt a little embarrassed that she hadn't thought to check the ministry. She was getting anxious, waiting for the owl from Remus. She wondered how long it would take him to send it. She heard the fireplace and smiled. She rose from the chair and made her way into the living room. George stood, dusting off his pants. When he noticed her his face rose in a handsome smile.

"Hello, love" He said, stepping further into the room. She blushed at the term on endeaarance. He set her bag on the couch and then Hermione noticed that he was holding something in his other hand. A letter.

"Is that the letter from Remus?" She asked, excitement filling her voice. He shook his head, handing her the envelope. Her hands grazed the side and she recognized the handwriting immediately. His sloppy swirled letters, and ink smudged from hands dragged across the page.

"Ron...?" She whispered and he nodded with a frown. She opened the letter slowly, taking in the words on the page. She read it again, letting the contents sink in.

"He's gone then? Once again." She said bitterly, flashbacks from when they were hunting horcruxes flashing in her mind. George sighed, taking her by the shoulders and pulling her into a soft hug. Her head laid on his chest.

"Well it says he's taken a mission with the Aurors, so he hasn't just disappeared" He tried to reassure her, but she shook her head.

"He ran away, like last time. Things got a little hard and he left" She hissed, pulling back. Her heart stung. George rubbed her back, comfortingly.

"I wonder if Harry knows anything. Maybe I should go see him-" Hermione pulled away, but George caught her by the elbow.

"I know love, but why don't we eat something first?" He suggested and she nodded, following him into their kitchen. She opened a cupboard and sighed in frustration.

"You know, I'd like to eat something other than sweets for once" She teased and he chuckled, crossing the room to stand beside her,

"Well…" He pulled open the cupboard above their small fridge, another muggle thing Hermione had been surprised about. In the cupboard sat a few of Hermione's favourite snacks. She sucked in a breath, her heart pounding in her chest.

"George… when did you do all this" She whispered, her eyes wide with amazement. He rubbed the back of his neck, his cheeks flushed.

"Well the few times you went out with Ginny, I managed to find the things you like. I was going to show you earlier, but I wanted to add a few more things" He chucked and she wrapped her arms around him suddenly. He knew what she liked, all her favourite snacks. She was sure Ron couldn't name a single one.

"It's perfect" She pressed her lips to his quickly. He smirked and suddenly she was in the air. She yelped in surprise and her bottom hit the countertop, as he sat her down. Her legs dangled over the side and he stepped between them.

"George!" She laughed, gripping his shoulders. She realized just how tall he really was, as she sat at the same height as he stood. He tugged her forward, until she was on the edge, leaning into him. He was pressed against her, his eyes dark.

"The things you do to me" He whispered huskily. His head dipped down close to hers, his breath warm against her face. Her body flooded with heat. Suddenly a loud bang made them spring apart. George spun, standing in front of Hermione. An old war habit. The bang happened again and they turned to the window. A large snowy owl was holding a brown package, struggling to rest on the windowsill. George quickly opened the window and the bird flew in, landing on the table. Hermione hopped off the counter and took the parcel from the owl, feeding him a bit of cracker that was on the counter. George closed the window behind it and turned back to Hermione. His eyes were anxious.

"Let's not get our hopes up okay, I don't even know how helpful it'll be" She whispered, pulling off the brown paper. George nodded, sliding into a kitchen chair. Hermione followed suit, holding the emerald coloured book tightly in her hands. It wasn't a large book, much smaller than the others she had. As she opened it, she realized why. It was like a journal, written in a style that was entirely notes, much like her own purple notebook. She glanced at George.

"I feel sort of odd, you watching me read. Do you mind if I read it in the bedroom, and then if I find anything I'll come get you?" She asked sheepishly. He chuckled and nodded.

"Of course love, there isn't much rush anyway, it's not like we've got an expiration date. I think I'll go see if Fred needs any help in the shop" She smiled with a nod and then drifted down the hall. She sat at the desk, grabbing her purple notebook, setting it aside.

The book seemed to be about many spells, and was written very poorly. Hermione had a hard time keeping up with the tangled mess of thoughts. By halfway, there had been no mention of her spell. She huffed, determination filling her mind. She continued to flip through the pages. Suddenly a word caught her attention at the bottom of the page. She read it then reread it aloud.

"I have been bound to my assistant for over a year, with no separation beyond a few feet. I can barely stand her. What a woman to be tied to for life. We had had no luck in reversing the effects or even managing them. Not until today. I had read the notes from the original spell creator over and over for months in anguish, and for a while we had given up hope. That was until I had a thought. This spell wasn't just meant to bond the magic, it was meant to bond the souls. If I could open myself up to her, perhaps we could solve this" The page was dated and Hermione eagerly flipped through more pages, until she found another page, dated months later.

"I was right! The closer we got, the more our magic allowed. I realized that maybe I don't hate her. She was stuck with me regardless of how I felt. I think maybe I could let myself love her. I will continue to write down my notes" As she read, she felt the resemblance to her situation with George. The closer they had gotten, the more the magic allowed them to be apart. The next entry was much farther in, dated almost a year later.

"The answer was right in front of us the whole time. The spell had bonded our souls, and what other magic bonds the souls? The magic used for wedding bonds. How could we have missed that? We only realized when we ourselves got married. I learned to love her, and we decided to get married. That's when the purple exploded from our chests and we knew, we were free" Hermione froze, her heart beating a mile a minute. Wedding magic, how could she have missed that. It made so much sense. A smile filled her face, and she quickly transferred as much information as she could to her notebook. She ran from the room, flying down the stair to the shop. She burst into the room, shocking the twins who were standing over a cauldron. George met her eyes, worry filling his face.

"What is it?" Fred asked and Hermione let out a small sob, a tear trailing down her cheek.

"I found it, I know how to reverse the spell" She whispered with a small laugh, another tear trailing down her face.