Being Assertive by WeasleyForMe
Could Hermione be the demanding, bossy, assertive woman of George's dreams?
Thanks to Grande.Vanilla.Skim.Latte for beta reading for me and being a never ending source of fun!
By Friday, George didn't care where Hermione was taking him, as long as he got to see her. He knew he was driving Fred batshit insane with his constant ramblings about Hermione, but he couldn't seem to help himself. He spent the whole day working in the shop waiting for eight o'clock.
"Are you sure this looks all right?" George asked after dinner, concerned about his casual attire.
Fred barely looked up from The Daily Prophet. "Of course. Don't want to look too fancy, and you can't wear a robe to Muggle London. Calm down, would ya?"
George stood in front of the bathroom mirror, examining himself. At least the black t-shirt clung loosely to his muscled chest without being too tight. If he could just get his messy hair to lay flat, he might say he looked good. He shook his head and decided it would have to do.
Hermione hadn't been so lucky. Ginny had insisted on picking out a date outfit for her, and she was being forced by the pushy redhead to wear it. "What do you mean, too tight?" Ginny asked, motioning to Hermione's jeans.
"I mean, these jeans are squeezing my thighs, and you can see my midriff much more than I'd care for! And this shirt barely covers me!" Hermione exclaimed. She tugged at the tiny shirt and looked at Ginny, waiting for her to agree.
"Fine, lose the shirt. But you are going to wear those pants. They're great!" Hermione glared at her. "What do you want me to say? I'm just really excited that George is exhibiting better dating patterns that my other brothers. I want you to look nice!"
After much more arguing and not much compromising, Hermione was dressed in the 'infernal' jeans and a plain t-shirt which covered her entire belly. "Honestly, Ginny. I already told you where I'm taking him. I don't need to get dressed up!" she said as she slipped on some old shoes. "I'll be late if I don't leave now." Ginny shooed her quickly out the door and told her to have fun.
Hermione apparated to The Leaky Cauldron and made her way down Diagon Alley. The closer she got to Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes, the more excited she became. She arrived to find George standing in front of the store, looking rather fit. Her heart skipped a beat when he smiled at her, and she let her eyes trail down his body, noticing the way his sleeves hung around his biceps. "You look nice!"
George snorted. "You don't have to sound so surprised," he said, jokingly.
"How about, you look nice like you usually do?"
"Much better," he muttered with a grin. "You do, too. Now, where are we going? I've been wondering for days!" he whined.
"Muggle London," she told him as they started to walk back to The Leaky Cauldron. "To a karaoke bar," she casually added.
George froze. "A karaoke bar? Isn't that where you sing idiotic songs so other people can laugh at you?"
"Yep!" Hermione told him with a bright smile. "Oh, but you forgot about the beer. There will be lots of beer." She took his hand as they walked out into Muggle London. "Do you know any Muggle songs?" she asked him quietly.
George had to think through her question for a few seconds; her warm hand was distracting him. "Wait, what? I have to sing?" he asked, somewhat shocked. He could do many things well, but singing wasn't one of them.
Hermione shrugged. "Only if you want to. I will. It's fun!"
"I only know three Muggle songs, Hermione," George told her. "They play a few that are about magic on the Wizard's Wireless. But beyond that…"
"Don't worry about it; just have fun!" she said, squeezing his hand as they approached a doorway marked "The Firehouse" and went inside. It was a cozy bar where everything was decorated in dark red and black, and the walls were painted orange and red, making it look flames. George noticed a small stage with a microphone set up on it as Hermione let him to a small, empty table with two chairs. "Have a seat, I'll be right back," she told him with a smile.
George took a seat and watched Hermione head toward the bar. For some reason, he couldn't stop looking at her arse; there was something spectacular about the jeans she was wearing, and he wasn't the only one who noticed. George automatically clenched his jaw when he saw several other guys leering at her with looks of intent on their faces. She didn't seem to notice them as she paid for some drinks at the bar and headed back to the table. "What did you get?" George asked, noticing the way the others stopped looking at her once she was with him.
"Just beer, nothing too fancy. They're on special tonight, so drink up! This date is on me," she told George, taking the seat opposite him. He started to interrupt, but she quieted him by placing her left index finger over his lips. "No arguments, either. You bought me an expensive book last week, which I've already finished, because it was so fabulously informative. So, just let me buy you a few cheap beers in the hopes that you'll sing a karaoke song along with everyone else." She sounded so hopeful, and he finger was firm and welcomed against his lips. George just nodded slightly; he would let her buy him some drinks while he enjoyed her company.
She removed her finger, and George took a drink to replace the feeling of emptiness against his mouth. "Wow, I always forget how different Muggle beer tastes," he said.
"George, don't use the "M" word in here," she told him with a chuckle. He made the motion of zipping his mouth shut before continuing with his beer. They fell into a comfortable conversation about work, and after a few more beers each, they both loosened up quite a bit. George reveled in the way Hermione smiled and laughed as he recounted stories of particularly difficult costumers that had been in his store. "This one woman came in to complain that we only make Canary Creams. Apparently her daughter wanted to turn into a flamingo, and I had to explain how difficult it was to get that particular shade of pink just right." Hermione giggled as he continued. "No, I'm serious! We've tried to make Flamingo Fancies, but they didn't come out right at all! Fred kept turning orange instead of pink, and his beak looked completely wrong." The image of Fred as an odd, orange bird sent Hermione into a laughing fit. George found her laughter to be contagious. He was beginning to love the way her nose crinkled when something was particularly funny.
"I need to make fun of Fred for that! He can't even manage to turn into the correct colour flamingo!"
"Yep, Fred makes a very awkward bird. But he's kept his promise? No more noise violations?"
Hermione smiled. "Indeed he has. I figured he was just buying me off with the date last week, but he's kept his word."
"Wait, you thought he was only buying you off? Then why did you agree to go out with me?"
Hermione pondered her reasons for a moment, before decided to just tell the truth. She shrugged. "I suppose that there was something appealing about going on a date with you."
George was floored and flattered. "Really? Because the thought of taking you out was spectacular to me. It still is."
Hermione blushed and stared down at the beer bottle she had been peeling the label from. Luckily neither of them had to respond further, as an announcer stood on the small stage, tapping the microphone. "It's time to start karaoke! Feel free to choose a song and sign up!"
Hermione smiled across the table at George. "I sing every time I come, but don't feel like you have to. I just think its fun."
"I literally only know three songs though," he told her, as someone passed the list of songs and the sign-up sheet to them. Hermione placed the pages between them so they could both look. George was surprised to see one of the songs he knew on the list. Hermione selected a song he didn't know and put her name down. She held the page between them and raised an eyebrow. He took the paper and grinned. "Don't look though. It's a surprise," he told her, and she looked away while he signed up and passed the pages to the next table.
"You knew one," she asked and he nodded while he finished his beer. "Let me get you another one," she told him, taking the empty bottle as she stood. "You'll probably need it."
"I couldn't agree with you more," he muttered when she was gone. He grimaced as a suave looking man started talking to her as she ordered more beer. Her back was to George, but he could make out that she shook her head before getting the beers and bringing them back to the table.
"What did he want?" George asked, gruffly.
"It was so weird. He asked me if there was a ninja in my pants, and then he proceeded to tell me that my arse was 'kickin''… I think that was supposed to be a pick-up line of some sort."
George burst out into laughter at the slightly confused look on his date's face. "Hermione, that was definitely a pick-up line, and your arse is definitely kickin'."
Hermione tried to hide her pink cheeks and rolled her eyes as the first karaoke singer took the stage. George chuckled as the guy sang some seemingly random song about turning Japanese. Then the guy after him was drunk and singing a song called "Whip It", complete with the whipping motion. His strange movements had everyone laughing, including Hermione, although you could tell she actually felt bad for the silly man. Then came a woman with a lovely voice who sang something called "I Will Survive". Hermione leaned across the table and explained that it was a disco song, and George recalled his Muggle Studies teacher explaining what a horridly awful genre that was.
Hermione stood up when her song was called. She took the microphone after the announcer told everyone that she was going to sing "Just a Girl" by a band called No Doubt. George had never heard of it, but he sat back in his seat, ready to cheer her on, even if she was terrible. His heart skipped a beat when the music started and Hermione winked coyly at him. He scooted to the edge of his chair when she started to sing; she wasn't half bad, and George was mesmerized by the way she was moving her hips. She looked at George as she sang, "Oh I'm just a girl, take a good look at me, just your typical prototype. Oh... I've had it up to here!" He knew she was certainly an assertive woman, but he loved the way she was announcing it to everyone at the bar. When she finished, most of the room applauded, especially the other women who appreciated the song. Hermione returned to her seat while George continued to clap.
"That song was really great, and I had no idea you could sing that well!" he told her, amazed.
She laughed as she said, "Well you're up next, so now I get to see how good you are!"
Sure enough, the announcer called his song, and he instantly became nervous. Hermione urged him to the stage, and he could hear her shout his name when he was halfway there. He took the microphone, realizing it was too late to turn back as the music began. He was delighted to see the words appear on a screen in front of him; his mum and dad loved this song, but he hadn't heard it since he'd moved out of the Burrow.
"I heat up, I can't cool down. You've got me spinning 'round and 'round," he sang, his voice growing steadier with each word. "This isn't so bad," he thought, when he saw Hermione smile, recognizing the song instantly.
Hermione giggled and danced around in her seat. Of course, out of all the songs on the list, George would know "Abracadabra". She was so excited that he was actually singing a song, fully participating in the date she had chosen. He wasn't exactly a good singer, but it wasn't painful to listen to either. He also looked simply smashing, and Hermione could sense all of the women checking out her date as he sang such sensual lyrics. It was both flattering and irritating.
George continued to sing, deciding that karaoke was actually quite fun and a good laugh. He'd have to tell Fred about this later. He sang, "Every time you call my name, I heat up like a burning flame. Burning flame, full of desire; kiss me baby, let the fire get higher." He even shook his bum a little bit for good measure.
Hermione was delighted by George's antics; he was really getting into the song. He also stared at her while singing, "You make me hot, you make me sigh," and Hermione was completely lost in images of them snogging. By the end of the song, she was snapped back to reality as people clapped and hollered for George. He responded by bowing, ostentatiously, before leaving the stage. Hermione was about to congratulate him on his first karaoke song, but George was cornered but a cute, little blonde girl on his way back. Hermione scowled, noticing that she was about their age, and glared at the short skirt the girl was wearing. He quickly shook his head and sidestepped around the girl until he reached their table.
"Well, that was fun!" he said as he plopped down in the chair next to Hermione. "I didn't sound too bad, did I?" he asked with a smile.
"What did that girl say?" Hermione asked, still glaring at the other female. George's smile faltered a bit.
"Nothing important. Something about buying me a drink, but I told her I was here with a sexy brunette who already bought me plenty."
"No, you didn't," Hermione said with a chuckle.
"Yes, actually I did," George told her, his face revealing his honesty. Karaoke singers continued on the stage, but Hermione was completely lost in the sparkling green of George's eyes. "Do you want another beer?" Hermione nodded. "Just let me buy one round, or else I'll feel like a rotten date." He kissed her cheek lightly as he stood and sauntered over to the bar. Hermione smiled as she touched her cheek and then grimaced as she heard a woman with a shrill voice trying to sing "Love Shack". George returned with their drinks, and they sat side by side, legs touching, while they listened to a few more singers. After awhile, Hermione stifled a yawn, and George whispered, "Ready to go home?"
"I probably should. It's been a long week."
They stood and left the pub, slowly making their way back down the Muggle street toward the Leaky Cauldron where they could both safely apparate away. "So, what are the other two Muggle songs you know?" Hermione asked as they walked along.
"I've heard "Do You Believe in Magic" a bunch of times; it's really overplayed on the Wizard's Wireless," he said, rolling his eyes making Hermione laugh. "I'm not completely ignorant to Muggle culture, but I don't know much music. The only other song I really know is "I Want to Hold Your Hand", which I really love."
"Oh, I love that song, too," Hermione agreed. She glanced up at George and was surprised by the look he was giving her.
"Karaoke was fun, and I did want to sing another song," George told her quietly before he started singing. "I'll tell you something, I think you'll understand. When I'll say that something, I want to hold your hand."
Hermione acknowledged the butterflies as they took up residence once again in her tummy, and she slipped gently slipped her hand onto George's outstretched palm. He wrapped his fingers around her hand and lowered it to his side, smiling. Their hands fit together perfectly, and it felt even better than it had on their first date. They continued to walk along slowly as George sang to her, his deep voice steady. "Oh please, say to me, you'll let me be your man. And please, say to me, you'll let me hold your hand." Hermione leaned her head against George's arm as they walked along.
Once they had reached the front of their destination, Hermione turned to face him. "I had fun, did you?"
She was surprised by the response she received as George's lips pressed against hers, and her eyes fluttered closed. Every fiber of her body was aware of the pressure and presence of his lips as they slid against her own. She could feel his hand as it wrapped around her lower back, pulling her closer against his body. She allowed her hand to find its way into his soft hair and ran slowly down his neck. George nibbled lightly on her lower lip, gently deepening their kisses, causing Hermione to sigh into his mouth. George continued to plant gentle kisses against her soft lips before pulling back slightly, and Hermione noticed that he had never released her hand.
"Yes, I had fun," he whispered with a smile and kissed her cheek softly.
She giggled. "Thanks for singing. I wasn't sure if you would."
"Now I'll definitely be singing 'Abracadabra' at work next week. Fred is going to kill me, unless I tell him it's your fault," he said, squeezing her hand while she laughed again. "Hermione, want to get some food again next week?"
"I'd like that," she said, finally pulling her hand out of his. "I'll see you soon. Good night, George." She apparated away, leaving George to smile as he walked home.
Ok, so there's an extra long chapter to make up for the last one! Thanks again for all the reviews so far! Please continue to review, and let me know if you have an idea you'd like to see! And wasn't George adorable?!
And a HUGE thank you to Mistymist and the other ladies in the twin exchange forum for their help when I got stuck! :D