The stadium was loud and overcrowded. Separated from the masses in the family box, Hermione was once again thankful for her friendship with Viktor. She was surprised by the size of the crowd for a scrimmage match. Granted, the match was between the Irish and Bulgarian national quidditch teams. They hadn't faced off since the World Cup the summer before Hermione's fourth year, which was ages ago. With the next World Cup a year out, the fans were excited to see how their favorite team fairs.
Looking to her left, Hermione saw George gesturing wildly to Angelina. She assumed it was a dramatic retelling of something that happened at the joke shop this week based on Ang's hearty laugh. They were good together, Angelina and George. Ang brought out the mischievous side of George that was subdued after the war. And when George became too worked up with excitement or despair, she grounded him. It was different from how Hermione and George grounded each other, but good all the same.
Oliver brought other facets of George's lost spark, primarily passion and enthusiasm. George was getting through each day and keeping the shop operational, but he hadn't invented anything new until Oli started coming around. Hermione was surprised by how well suited Oliver was to her friend. She didn't know him well when they were at Hogwarts together. But it seemed he was just the sort of person George needed. Lively conversations about quidditch led to passionate debates about magical theory and explosive snogging sessions.
Between his two partners, George was slowly becoming more of the man he was before he lost his twin. The sadness and sense of loss was still there, but it was no longer his predominant mental state. Each time Hermione observed him with either Ang or Oli she had to quell her desire to cheer out. The past few years held more sad days than not and seeing George truly happy again made her heart sing.
Hermione was knocked out of her reverie by a loud cheer from the crowd. The match was finished quicker than she expected. She moved to stand with Angelina and George while they waited for the team to come up from the locker room. Viktor had invited the group to post match drinks with the team. As much as she would have preferred a quiet dinner, her friends couldn't wait to hang out with a bunch of professional quidditch players and hear their stories.
Throughout the evening George kept an eye on his roommate and her interactions with a certain seeker she most certainly wasn't dating. Between the trauma of the war, years of taunting by peers, and sense of abandonment by her parents, Hermione had closed herself off from building relationships beyond her immediate circle. Viktor was a good friend, but she held him at an arm's length, too afraid to risk rejection. George could sympathize with her reservations even if he knew her fears were for naught. With how frequently the pair ended up shagging, he didn't know how Hermione couldn't accept that Viktor wasn't going to walk away.
Viktor looked at Hermione with focused affection. When they were together he tended to direct all his attention to his friend. Both of them smiled more openly as they get caught up in academic debates on whatever periodical they recently owled each other about. Even with countries between them, the duo kept up regular correspondence. If work took either of them closer to the other's home, they would meet up over dinner every chance they got.
George wondered how endless Viktor's patience would prove to be. He knew that eventually Hermione would open her heart up and see what is right in front of her. She just needed a bit more time to heal. They all did really, but everyone copes differently. George thrived with the care and support that Hermione and his two partners brought to his life. Hermione did better working through her emotions in her head and overthinking every situation until she felt comfortable that she could respond to any outcome. Those she wasn't ready to face, she suppressed to a corner of her mind until she had the capacity. She was getting better, but wasn't quite to the point where she would risk opening herself up to more heartache.
One step forward and two steps back, the grief and healing processes was like a spiral with varying sized loops.