Winter Vacation by WeasleyForMe

Hermione and George have been together through thick and thin, and it's about time they treated themselves to a vacation! But maybe Hermione shouldn't have allowed George to plan the trip... what could possibly go wrong?

Happy Birthday to my dear friend Clover Bay! I hope you enjoy it!

Chapter 2

George was so excited he had barely slept at all that night and was wide awake at six in the morning preparing a platter of breakfast for Hermione. He whistled while he cooked, frying eggs and bacon and flipping pancakes. He was about to butter a stack of toast when Hermione shuffled sleepily into the kitchen.

"What are you doing?" she mumbled, rubbing her eyes with the sleeves of her bathrobe and squinting against the light.

"Making your absolute favourite breakfast!" George replied jovially.

"But you're never up this early, and I always make breakfast," she muttered in response. "And why are you so happy? It's six in the bloody morning, George."

"You'll find out soon enough, sweet pea. Now eat up before it gets cold," he told her with a wink, shoving a large plate piled with food into her hands. She couldn't help but smile at her husband as they sat down in the breakfast nook.

"Are you going in to work early?" Hermione asked between bites of pancakes, still suspicious as to why George was already awake.

"Nope. Just got a lot to do today. And so do you, if you're going to take a week off from the Ministry and go away with me," he told her while plowing his breakfast into his mouth.

With her suspicions and wonder growing steadily, she finished her breakfast in silence all the while staring at his ridiculous apron which was bright green and read "Snog the Chef". She had bought it for him the year before as a gag gift and he constantly wore it while in the kitchen, even when he wasn't cooking her a heaping breakfast at six in the morning.

"You're ridiculous, George," she mused aloud, smiling and shaking her head at him.

"Isn't that why you love me?" he asked with a wink.

She snorted. "Yes, among other things." She set down her fork and gave him a gigantic hug.

George squeezed her back lovingly as he glanced at the clock. "You'll be late. Better hop in the shower."

Hermione mumbled in agreement and sauntered off to the bathroom to get ready for work. After removing his apron, George loaded all of the dishes and pans into the sink and paced the hallway nervously as his wife prepared for the day.

"Why is she taking so long?" he mused to himself after thirty minutes. There was a limited amount of time for him to accomplish his goals for the day. He could hear Hermione applying several hair charms to her tresses which meant she was almost ready to leave. She emerged from the bathroom and, with a flick of her wand, she transfigured her robe into a smart, grey skirt and suit jacket.

"Stunning as always," George told her, kissing her cheek and handing her a lunch bag. "Now, off you go. Don't want to keep the Ministry waiting," he said imitating a snooty voice.

Hermione examined his face for a moment. "You're up to something. I don't know what it is, but mark my words, I will find out in time. And if you're even thinking of tearing up the carpet again after I leave for work, you'd better think again!"

George laughed heartily. "I forgot about that. Now will you leave already?"

"Fine. Behave." She kissed George and Apparated to work.

"Finally!" he exclaimed, making a mad dash up to the attic. George tore through a stack of boxes, dumping the contents all over the place. Kicking through a pile of Hermione's clothes, he saw what he was looking for.

"Come to Papa!" He reached for a long crate set up on a shelf and staggered to the ground with it. He opened it to reveal a multitude of muggle sporting goods that Hermione had packed away. "Now, I just need to figure out what each of these do," he muttered holding up one of his wife's pink rollerblades along with a croquet mallet. "Shouldn't be too difficult!"

"Ginny!" George hollered as he trotted into Weasley's Wizard Wheezes with a gust of wintry air behind him. "Verity!"

"George, we're right here," Verity called from the first aisle.

"Seriously, where's the fire?" Ginny asked with annoyance as her brother ran down toward them holding up a ski and a tennis racket. "Have you gone mad?" Ginny asked when she caught sight of him.

"Do either of you know which one of these is a foot sled?" he asked both of his trusted employees holding up the sports equipment.

"A what?" both girls responded in unison.

"A foot sled. You know, those things muggles put on their feet to sled down snowy mountains." George placed both items on the floor and tried to put his feet on them.

"Hmm… I'm not sure, but that looks like a garden gnome swatter," Ginny said pointing to the tennis racket underneath George's shoe.

"Oh, I don't think that one is actually large enough for your foot," Verity said, also gesturing to the tennis racket. "I think it's the other one, and I think it's called a ski."

"Why do you need to know anyway?" Ginny asked, as she returned her attention to arranging Skiving Snackboxes on a shelf.

George grinned and picked up some of the Puking Pastilles to lend a hand. "I'm surprising Hermione with a winter vacation next week."

"So, we're in charge of the shop?" Verity asked.

"Yup, don't burn it down ladies," George warned good-naturedly.

"Where is this spontaneous vacation going to take place?" Ginny asked. "Please tell me you're not going to take her to the Wiltshire Fair again like you did for her birthday. You knew she was afraid of clowns!"

George laughed loudly. "Ha, I forgot about that! No, no, nothing like that. I'm taking her to Switzerland."

The girls both stared at him with puzzled looks as he stepped back to examine the display shelf. "Um, George? Do you know anything about Switzerland?" Ginny asked gently.

"Nope!"

Verity's face lit up. "You should talk to a muggle travel agent to help you plan the trip! There's one in London on the muggle side of The Leaky Couldron!"

"A travel agent?" George mused. "That's an excellent idea!" He picked up the ski and the tennis racket and bounded out the door.

"You should have sent him to a doctor. Nutters that one," Ginny told Verity as they returned to stocking shelves.

Woohoo! Chapter two! Please review!

More is on the way :)