A/N: Sorry this has taken forever. Things have been nuts IRL. Hopefully I'll be better about it.

Are you lost/ in your lies

Do you tell yourself I don't realize...

I'm aware of what you've done

No/ no more sorrow

I've paid for your mistakes

Your/ time is borrowed

your time has come to be replaced

-No More Sorrow

Hermione waited outside the cafe where she and George had their first date. It was almost tradition that George showed up fifteen minutes late. No matter how many times he said that he would trust his employees to close up by themselves and meet her on time he never quite came around to it, and would stay until the money was counted, everything was cleaned and locked up for the night.

Arms enveloped her from behind, and lips tenderly touched her cheek. "Good day, 'Mione?' George asked, sitting opposite her and reaching for the tea Hermione had already ordered.

"More of the same," Hermione replied, packing up the files she had been working on.

"Would it do anything to try to convince you to find a different profession?"

"About as much as it has the other twenty times you've tried."

"Just thought I'd ask. Maybe one of these times you'll consider it."

Hermione sighed as she reached for the sugar. "Why is it so difficult for you to believe that I'm happy with where my life is at the moment?"

"Because you were always so active and all over the place at Hogwarts. Having such stagnancy to your life just doesn't seem like you."

Hermione rolled her eyes. Any further response would only set George off on another 'you'd be happier doing something else' rant. "How's the store?"

"We're expanding the Wonder Witch line. We're making a few more 'adult' items based on some suggestions from some of our more loyal customers, plus adding some purses with organization charms, hair accessories that won't fall out, and a perfume that will smell exactly like what turns your mate on."

"Really? Permanent organization charms?"

"Just like you to pick up on the organizational charm. They're tricky, but you gave me the idea. I saw you cast an organization charm on your purse in the mornings you stayed over and I thought that if I could put out a purse that would always be organized it might sell a few."

"That's pretty clever. I'll buy one."

"You're dating the owner. Somehow I think he might be able to wrangle you one for free."

"I don't need you to shower me with gifts, George. I can buy one myself."

"I wouldn't consider one gift to be 'showering', 'Mione. I don't see what's wrong with giving you a freebie from my own store."

"Just don't spend too much on me, George. I really don't mind picking up the tab for dinner or something once in a while. I'm a big girl. I even pay my own rent."

"Speaking of which, there was something I wanted to talk to you about. I was wondering if you might want to move into my flat with me."

Hermione put her cup down with shaking hands. She had been suspecting this recently, ever since George had started cleaning some of Fred's clutter away. She had thought about it. Leaving Harry and Ron would be nice, they could start their lives together and alone, but moving in with George was a big step. And she had come up with what she thought was the best response, in typical Hermione fashion, by writing out pros and cons. "I think what would be best," she replied slowly, "would be for me to mostly move in, but, if you don't mind, keep Fred's room as my room. So I have a place to be alone if I need to. It's not like I won't be spending every night with you anyways, but I need a place that's my own, where I can do my work or read without interruption."

George smirked at the obviously scripted response. "I think that would be fine with me, though I'll need some time to fix up Fred's room."

"You shouldn't have to do the work..."

"I want to do the work. Putting Fred's stuff away or giving it away... it's just something I need to do by myself."

Hermione nodded and put her hand on George's.

___

"You sure you won't be able to come tonight?" George pouted, his feet up on her desk.

"I've got all this paperwork..." Hermione motioned to her desk. She had spent a few days with George testing some new products and was now trying to finish her paperwork so they could go to the theater the next night. They had been living together for nearly two months and had gotten quite comfortable with the situation.

"Ditch out. Who is it going to hurt if you don't finish it until Monday? Hell, who is even going to know?"

"I will, and I promised I would get it done. Harry and Ron will kill me..."

"Harry and Ron need to do their own bloody paperwork."

Hermione opened her mouth to protest, but there was no argument. Ever since she started helping them do their homework at Hogwarts Harry and Ron had avoided putting quill to parchment as much as humanly possible.

"I'll be home by midnight."

"But it's a party, 'Mione. I probably won't." George was going to a party for Lee Jordan's birthday at his friend's flat.

"Then you have fun. I'll see you at home."

George sighed. "There's no swaying you, is there?"

Hermione reached across her desk and ruffled his hair.

"Fine. I'll be home by two."

"I'll be waiting for you."

"Wearing your leopard print nightie?"

"You," Hermione blushed slightly as her eyes darted around even though she knew they were alone.

"Will you?" George persisted as he stood to leave. "Because I might make it home by one if you promise."

Hermione gave a playful smile. "Maybe."

"Damn you. Now I'm going to have to come home to figure it out."

"You can always go back if you don't like what you see."

"You'll be in my bed. I like that no matter what you're wearing."

"Just don't do anything stupid," Hermione stood to kiss him.

"You know me," George responded.

"Precisely why I said it," she patted him on the behind as he left.

Several hours later Hermione put her quill down and rubbed her temples. She was getting a headache from squinting over the small, repetitive lines over and over again. She had plowed though most of the paperwork, it was ten thirty and she could probably finish in an hour. But she just didn't have the heart. Maybe she'd stop by the party for a few minutes to say hi to everyone and have a drink or two.

She walked quickly through the ministry. She hated being there alone, mostly because she dreaded the walk through the halls at the end of the day. It reminded her too much of the night Sirius died. The echoing of her footsteps through the halls often made it sound as if she were being followed, and more than once she checked over her shoulder. One night, after coming in off an exhausting case and staying until two in the morning, she had turned around and saw the face of Bellatrix Lestrange smiling back at her. She hurled the first curse she could think of, and took off running. The next day she found out she had Stunned a coat rack.

She made it to the lobby and nodded at the lone security guard, who waved over his copy of the Prophet at her. She left via the only open Floo fireplace, and went right to Lee Jordan's house.

"Hermione!" Lee wrapped her in a semi-drunken hug as she stepped out.

"Happy birthday, Lee," she hugged him back.

"How was work?" Harry appeared next to her.

"Don't ask," Hermione replied back. "I'm done being our group's secretary."

"That bad?"

"Worse."

"Well, if you hadn't taken Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday off to shag your boyfriend..."

"We weren't shagging!" Hermione protested. "We were testing products!"

"And how many of those products were adult-oriented?"

"Not all of them," Hermione muttered.

Harry smiled and shoved his drink in her hand. "Looking for George?"

Hermione nodded and scanned the room.

"Kitchen," Harry nodded his head towards the door to the room.

"Thanks," Hermione smiled and started towards the kitchen.

"Dinner tomorrow?" Harry's voice followed her.

"See you at seven. Our place," Hermione called back at him. She pushed her way through the people, stopping a couple times to say hi to someone she hadn't seen in a while. Finally she made it to the door to the kitchen and pushed it open.

Her stomach dropped at the sight that met her. George and his employee, Amanda, were locked in an embrace, kissing. She stood stunned for a moment, then let off a loud sob that broke the two apart.

"Hermione!" George said in surprise, jumping away from Amanda.

Hermione couldn't reply. As much as she wanted to shout, to go punch her in the face, to fall to the floor crying, she couldn't do any. All she could bring herself to do was to rush through the crowded living room, grab a handful of Floo powder and disappear on her way to her old flat.

Reviews, please?