A/N: This was a hard song to use, as it's about Hurricane Katrina, so it might take a little reading outside the box so to speak. I've planned the rest of this story out, so it should be easier for me to update from now on!
Don't want to reach for me, do you?
I mean nothing to you
The little things give you away
But now there'll be no mistaken
The levees are breaking
All you ever wanted
Was someone to truly look up to you
And six feet underwater
I do
-The Little Things Give You Away
Hermione left work at four on Friday and Apparated home. Harry and Ron were gone, so she could get ready in peace. She took a quick shower, dried her hair with her wand, and stood in front of her closet wearing nothing but her bathrobe. After staring over her clothes she reached for her trusty pair of jeans and a nice top. She got dressed and threw her hair back into a messy ponytail. She grabbed her purse and walked towards the front door, thinking she could catch a quick moment in Flourish and Blotts before going out with George.
"Nice night in tonight, Dear?" the mirror asked as she paused in front of it to rummage for her Gringotts key.
"No," Hermione said, looking up into her own reflection. "I'm going on a date."
"Not interested?"
Hermione looked over her reflection. Her attire was much more casual than she would have worn on any other date. Sighing she pocketed her Gringotts key and went back to her bedroom. This time she took her time, looking through each article of clothing, looking for a nice outfit. She finally decided on a nice pair of black pants and a green kimono top. She laid them carefully on her bed. She then got a black thong and the black push-up bra and put them on before returning to her bathroom. She carefully applied her makeup, not too much, but enough to show she tried. After she got dressed, slipped on a pair of strappy high-heels, and looked at herself in the non-magical mirror. It was a vast improvement. She glanced at the mirror and saw she was already five minutes late. She grabbed her purse, turned on the spot, and Apparated to Diagon Alley. She hurried down the store fronts until she spotted George standing in front of his shop.
"Hey," he smiled, checking her out and beaming.
"Hi," Hermione replied, blushing slightly.
"Ready to go?" George offered her his arm.
"Just let me stop at Gringotts to make a withdrawal...."
"Not for tonight, right? Because tonight I pay for everything."
"I can get my share..." Hermione blushed again.
"I insist. Call it a 'thank you' for the dance."
Hermione smiled and took his arm. They strolled down Diagon Alley until they reached a small cafe. They sat at a sidewalk table, ordered sandwiches and tea, and relaxed after a long day of work.
"How's your shoplifter problem going?" Hermione asked with a smirk.
George looked sheepish. "I'm George Bloody Weasley, do you honestly think that I couldn't handle it?"
"You're the one who called me."
George smiled and shrugged.
Hermione smiled back and looked up and down Diagon Alley. She hadn't really paid attention to the street since just before her fifth year, before all the stores were boarded up and so many shopkeepers had disappeared. Some days she wondered how Fred and George hadn't gotten kidnapped or killed for the signs they put up in their window- their blood status probably helped.
"It's really bounced back, hasn't it?" George said softly, mimicking her eye movements. "I remember a few weeks there we couldn't open the doors without seeing someplace else boarded up, or someone else worried about a missing employee. It was terrible."
"It was pretty terrible," Hermione murmured.
"And those flyers they passed out had the most unflattering picture of you," he smirked again.
Hermione reached over to playfully slap him. "And yet you managed to thrive."
"People needed a laugh. We were able to provide. Even if Mum thought we were going to get killed every day."
"But she's okay with it now, right?"
George rolled his eyes. "She still thinks that I should go back and makeup that last year of school. She's even mentioned trying to get me to sell the shop and go do something 'more respectable'."
"Being a successful business owner isn't a respectable job?"
"It's more what we sell than that I sell."
"So are you thinking of selling?"
"Not for all the gold in Gringotts. Fred and I invented a lot of that stuff ourselves. You can't put a price on that," his voice was bitter.
Hermione smiled.
"What about you? How is being an Auror?"
Hermione shook her head. "It was all exciting at first, chasing Death Eaters, acting like part of the Golden Trio and all that. Then for a while it was all testifying at trials and stuff like that. And now it's boring as all get out. We're getting more calls to assist on stuff that people used to be able to do themselves, but now they want us to be their body guards or intimidators. It stinks."
"Why don't you quit?"
"What would I do?"
"Something exciting, that uses that brain of yours. I'm sure there's a bunch of stuff out there that would involve some action or smarts. You could talk to Bill about becoming a curse-breaker."
Hermione snorted. "Harry and Ron would love that."
"Why do you worry so much about what they think?"
"Because..." Hermione started, but she had to pause to think of a reason. "They're my friends," she finished lamely.
"Just because you're friends doesn't mean you have to get their permission for everything. You guys live together, you work together, you go to clubs together, I'd think you'd need a break from each other, but you guys don't seem to mind the arrangement."
Hermione sighed. She really did mind the arrangement, but she didn't know what to do about it.
"More tea?" a waitress appeared next to the table.
"I'm good," Hermione replied, looking at her empty glass.
George asked for the check. He paid, and they stared walking back down Diagon Alley. As the sun went down they walked hand in hand gazing at storefronts until Hermione paused in front of a Realtor displaying several ads for houses and flats.
"Thinking of relocating?" George asked.
"Maybe. I don't know. It's kind of nice living with Harry and Ron."
"Are you just saying that?"
"Why would you think that?"
"This might just be me, but I'd be uncomfortable living in a flat with my ex and their current in the next room."
Hermione gazed at the ads and said nothing.
George moved so he was in front of her. He enveloped her in his arms and gently lifted her face to his. "I'm not trying to tell you what to do, you know that, right?"
"Even if you were I wouldn't listen," Hermione smiled.
"Ah, payback for all those times I ignored you at Hogwarts."
"A little bit."
"You know, some girls found my bad-boy attitude a turn-on."
"I didn't say I didn't," Hermione smirked before reaching her neck up to kiss him. He responded enthusiastically.
"So, where to next?" he asked after she had pulled away.
"Feeling adventurous?"
George smirked. "Always."
Quickly Hermione grabbed him and Apparated. They appeared in the alley of a quiet street. Hermione grabbed his hand and pulled him along the alley until they came out on a street lined with stores. They walked a short way down the street until Hermione entered a small storefront. Inside someone was playing a guitar and singing on a small stage, and clusters of people were sitting around on couches and comfy looking chairs. Hermione expertly guided George through the crowd towards the back, where five people were sitting.
"Hey, everyone!" Hermione called as she approached the group, causing them to turn towards her.
"'Mione!" a girl called out, scrambling out of a bean bag chair and hugging her friend.
"She brought another redhead," another girl said to a third.
Hermione smiled. "Everyone, this is George. George, this is Jessie, her boyfriend Steve, Amanda, her girlfriend Christy, and Brad," she pointed to the first girl and went in a circle. George quickly exchanged greetings and handshakes with the group before settling onto a couch with Hermione. A waitress appeared and Hermione ordered two drinks.
"This model looks a lot like the last one," Christy said, eyeing George.
"This is Ron's brother."
"Really?" Brad said, taking a moment to eye George himself. "Did they make any other brothers?"
"Actually I do have a brother, Percy, who is unattached..." George smirked as the waitress handed him a drink.
"George!" Hermione's fist lightly collided with his arm. "You know Percy is straight!"
"Percy is nothing. Percy is married to paperwork. I don't know what that's called, but ever since Penelope dumped him because he couldn't stop working he has only made the problem worse, not better."
Jessie smiled. "I like this one," she said, quickly glancing around the bar. "I'm assuming he's one of your type?"
"She knows?" George turned to Hermione.
"I told them because I trust them not to tell."
"She doesn't trust us. She just told us that if we told anyone she'd hunt us down and turn us into ferrets."
George laughed. "Going for the classics, Hermione?"
Hermione raised her glass. "To Mad-Eye. If I had half the balls he had..."
"... you and Ron would still be dating," Brad finished, toasting.
George burst out laughing.
"We had the 'pleasure' of meeting Mad-Eye," Christy explained.
"That man had more than a pair on him, and they must have been brass," Amanda added.
"You got to meet Mad-Eye Moody?" George asked in disbelief.
"He explained to us that there were people after Hermione, and that we had to protect her at all costs. Then he made us forget where she lived."
"He died two days later," Hermione said sadly.
"He was a great man," George nodded.
"He made me want to be an Auror."
"I'm sure if you were as daft as him it'd be an interesting job now," Steve said.
"Don't remind me," Hermione muttered, taking a drink.
Several hours later, after catching up, Hermione bid goodbye to the group and she and George walked out.
"I didn't know you kept in touch with your Muggle friends," George said as they started back towards the alleyway.
"They're good people, and I'm not dropping my entire Muggle life because I'm not one of them."
George nodded. "Is this where we say our goodnights, 'Mione?" he asked as they entered the alley.
"It's not very romantic," Hermione smiled.
"To Diagon Alley, then?"
"Actually, I was wondering if you wanted to come back to my place?"
George looked taken aback. "Won't Harry and Ron be there?"
"I owe them payback," Hermione shrugged.
"Well then, lead the way," George said, wrapping his arm around her.
They Apparated to her apartment, and they let themselves in.
""Mione?" came Harry's face from the family room. "Where have you been all night?"
"Out and about," Hermione replied, entering the room, George following sheepishly behind her.
"What are you doing here?" Ron asked his brother.
"Hermione invited me," George replied.
"Hermione what now?"
"He's my guest, Ron," Hermione smiled. "And we're going to, um, retire now."
Harry smiled and nodded. Hermione grabbed George's hand and rushed from the room, leaving a slack-jawed Ron in their wake.
Love it or hate it, please leave a review.
