'Hermione! What in God's name happened? I just heard a bang and you were lying here…did you slip? Mum was only saying the other day that someone would break their neck if we didn't tidy up…I never thought a piece of advice from her would prove to be right…' George trailed off due to the lack of response from Hermione.
Instead she just continued to stare straight at him as if she couldn't hear a word. Her eyes seemed hazy and distant – George began to worry that she'd taken a pretty serious knock to the head.
'Er, are you alright? 'Course your not! We've probably given you a bloody concussion! You ought to see a healer…Mum is going to murder me! I'm meant to be keeping an eye on you… Who needs You-Know-Who, when you can come to Weasley's Whizarding Wheezes and nearly get yourself killed?'
And with that, George lifted the girl up, remarking at how slight she was. He placed her gently on the ground next to him; one arm tightly across her shoulder to prevent any further falls. He wondered if she would be able to walk. Her feet, however, seemed to be planted firmly on the ground with little need of extra support. She turned to him again with those disarming eyes and opened her mouth to speak.
'George,' was all she said, but he suddenly found himself paralysed. He was no medical expert but the tone of her voice did not suggest she was in desperate need of aid – or at least not the kind he'd been thinking of a few moments ago. He loosened his grip on her, sensing that it was not necessary, but in a sudden movement he found his arms being tightly pulled round her waist. He began to sense that something wasn't right and briefly wondered if the fall had knocked her right out of her senses. But then she touched him and all rational thought was pushed to the back of his mind.
Her slender hands were cool as they began to stroke the flesh of his bare arms and he found himself convulsively shivering. Her eyes never left his as she raised her hands further and gently traced the outline of his collarbone. Finally she reached the nape of his neck and her hands met pulling him closer to her. He only had a moment to consider the irony that he, George Weasley, was apparently being seduced, before she pulled his head down and pushed her lips onto his.
She kissed him hard and insistently, at the same time backing him against one of the shelves. More things went flying but neither of them seemed to notice. She bit at his lower lip and he groaned with pleasure – he was so used to girls sitting meekly, making him do all the work. This was something of a pleasant change. Her tongue suddenly plunged into his mouth and he began to kiss her back with just as much urgency. He lowered his hands from her waist and grabbed at her buttocks, lifting her up. In response she wrapped her legs around his waist and held herself up with surprising strength. She seemed to suddenly feel the presence of the bulge in his jeans and looked up at him, the corners of her lips curling upwards and a wicked glint in her eyes. Her hands began to move back down his chest and she tugged at the bottom of his shirt.
Some kind of common sense must have been left in his head, because George suddenly realised they were in the middle of the shop and anyone could walk in. Thankfully they were shielded from the windows, but he knew that if this was going where it seemed he wanted a little more privacy.
He tried to break the embrace - it took some amount of force to stop Hermione from her quest to remove his clothes. Eventually, however, she fell still and looked up at him with disappointment and what he thought for a moment was hurt.
'Don't you want me?' she said, those four words turning him on more than anything in his life.
'My God, are you mad, of course I do,' he replied setting her straight, 'I just think it might be an idea to close the shop first…'
'Oh,' she said. And then the hurt was gone and the wicked grin was back.
George quickly bolted the front door and turned the sign around, somewhat surprised that his brain and limbs were still communicating properly. He then took Hermione by the hand and led her up the stairs – the grubby sofa in their mock lab being the only place he could think of taking her. He just prayed she was as desperate to have him, as he was to have her, and would be able to overlook the stains.
He needn't have worried. As soon as they reached the room she pushed him down and finished the job she had started before, literally ripping the shirt off his back. Clothes began to fly everywhere and within seconds, it seemed, they were both naked aside from their undergarments. He noted her choice of black lace with appreciation, before taking a moment to drink in the sight of her. She was every bit as perfectly womanly as he'd imagined, her legs toned, her hips full, her waist petite and her breasts… He roughly pulled her bra down, not wanting to waist time with the clasp, and showed his admiration by taking a nipple in his mouth and sucking and biting until she was gasping. He then kissed his way down her abdomen until he reached the barrier of black lace.
'Oh George, please...please…' she spoke with pure need.
He peeled the top of her kickers down until she was fully exposed. Whereas he would normally get on with it at this point, the strain against his boxers growing, he wanted to pleasure her more first. He was suddenly struck by the thought that this would probably be her first time – Hermione was no whore like other girls he'd known. Strangely this didn't make him pause even for a moment to consider whether this was a good idea – nothing had ever seemed so right.
Instead he decided to make this the best experience he could, for her. He slipped a finger to the heat beneath her pants and was surprised at how wet and welcoming she was. He rubbed his hand, catching on her clitoris, and causing her to cry out. Continuing this with one hand, he moved back up her again, trailing kisses everywhere until he reached her mouth again and found her lips parted and waiting. They drank from each other as the excitement continued to build up in her and she groaned deeply from the back of her throat. The sounds she made were almost enough to make him climax right then, but he restrained himself, instead touching her with more fervour. She began to desperately push herself against him trying to reach something he knew she was close to. He moved his hand away briefly causing her to growl disapprovingly.
'Don't…please…' she panted urgently.
'Just wait,' he replied, finding a voice from somewhere.
But sensing she couldn't hold on much longer he pushed two fingers deep inside her. Instantly she bucked hard against him and shouted out in bliss, shivers causing her body to shake violently, until she collapsed still onto the sofa. George stared at her, flushed and glistening with sweat, and thought she looked more beautiful than any girl he'd ever seen. His own needs became more insistent then, and he began to kiss her again. But she placed her hands on his cheeks and pushed his head back gently, smiling.
'I think I love you George Weasley,' she said breathlessly, her eyes cloudy with affection.
He was paralysed again, not knowing what to say after this somewhat unexpected declaration. He'd been with loads of girls before, and sure they'd said they loved him on a few occasions. But he'd always put it down to confusion at the pleasure their bodies felt: George had never had any problems making girls happy. However this was different. She had said it with sucha certainty, and he was beginning to think that maybe somewhere deep inside he felt the same. It seemed ludicrous, but he thought about how long he'd known Hermione. He remembered the times she'd been the only one to stand up to him and Fred, believing so strongly in upholding her responsibilities. He remembered the way she'd looked reading her book in the Leaky cauldron – had that only been days ago? He looked again at the flushed beauty and realised the idea of love did not seem ludicrous at all.
He was about to reply to her with just as much certainty, but as he looked at her eyes they seemed to have changed. They were no longer cloudy and dreamy, but sharp and panicked. Was she regretting her actions, or perhaps the statement she made afterwards?
'George?' she said in a voice no longer throaty with lust, but panicked, 'I…I...I'm sorry! I don't know what got into me! It was like I wasn't controlling myself anymore…'
'Hey, it's alright love, you don't need to apologise!' he said, with veiled worry at the turn of events, 'I was a bit overcome as well!'
'No. George, you don't understand.'
She got up, suddenly conscious of how bare she was, and searched wildly for her clothes. Once she'd roughly pulled on her jeans and t-shirt, with surprising speed, she made for the stairs.
'Hermione, wait!' George yelled, now completely confused by the woman. She seemed too panicked to even listen, though.
'It was as if…as if I was under some spell or…' she muttered. Suddenly her head snapped back and she stood stock still, a look of fury in her eyes.
'Did you curse me? Imperius? I wouldn't have thought you capable of it, George. But it doesn't make sense any other way. H..h..how could you?' her voice broke and tears of fury and hurt streamed down her cheeks.
'Hermione! I didn't do anything, I bloody swear!'
But it was too late and she'd fled. He ran after her down the stairs, but she was already at the door tugging desperately at the lock.
'Hermione…' he tried, but his voice was empty. He was confused at what had happened, hurt by the hate in her voice and wanted more than anything to hold her in his arms and stop her from crying.
As she ran out the door, he felt pain deep inside more acute than he could ever have imagined.
A/N: What's this? An update? My goodness, it is indeed! I'm so, so, so sorry that this has taken so long. Actually writing it wasn't the problem, but rather finding the time and energy.
Don'thave time to thank you all individually, but you should know the reviews do mean a lot! A special thnaks to sandiwandi, as her e-mail was what really woke me up and made me get on with this!
Right now I must go back to revising the impact of interest rate changes on the housing market, but I will try to update soon, soon, soon!
shell xx