Chapter Twelve
Author's note: As always, thank you so much for reading. I appreciated it so much! Also, still not mine.
Hermione's confusion from Harry and Ginny's party lingered the following day. She tried to push aside George-related concerns and focus entirely on her House Elf work, but the task proved difficult. Often she would catch herself imagining his vivid blue eyes or remembering the way his touch had brought so much pleasure. After such incidences, she would force herself to disregard her foolish daydreams and return to her work. During her subsequent day back at work at the Ministry, she did her best to not picture George or to consider him, concentrating instead on her editing.
"Hey, Mione…how's it going?"
Hermione glanced up from her editing to the Amendment to the Act for the Proper use of "Electronic" Muggle Artifacts and saw her coworker, Holly Landry, standing in her office doorway.
"Oh, Holly…good to see you, come in," Hermione replied absentmindedly. Holly strode into Hermione's office and claimed the stool sitting next to the desk. Perching awkwardly on it in her short skirt, she grinned at Hermione.
"So, did you have fun at the party?"
"Eh?" Hermione questioned, not sure to which party Holly referred.
"Harry Potter and Ginny Weasley's engagement party this weekend. You were there, I definitely saw you,' Holly said with an easygoing laugh.
"Yah, I was there…I didn't realize you were too…" Hermione retorted, shocked that she hadn't been aware that her friend had been in attendance.
"Oh yah, I went with Oliver," Holly replied good-naturedly.
"With Oliver?" Hermione asked pointedly.
"Oi, you haven't heard? We've been seeing each other since that New Year's party…just having fun…you know, having fun," Holly answered with a wink.
"I know what you mean," Hermione added hastily, not wanting to encourage her friend to go into unwelcomed details.
"You and George Weasley looked awfully cozy at the party," Holly cast a furtive, sideways glance at Hermione as she brought up the topic Hermione had been trying to ignore all day.
"No…we hung out a bit…but it was nothing," Hermione stammered quietly.
"Really? Because he seemed to be pretty into you,"
"I think George is into a lot of girls," Hermione speculated under her breath.
"Well, that may be so, but you were the only girl he was rubbing up against at the party," Holly commented thoughtfully with a cheeky smile.
"H-Holly!" – Hermione sputtered – "I-I don't even know what you're talking about." She fell silent, knowing exactly to which Holly referred. "Did you just come by to interrogate me?" Hermione asked after a lengthy pause.
"No, I was bored," The blonde laughed. Her tinkling giggles were infectious and Hermione caught herself joining in. She leaned back in her chair, appreciating that Holly was a pleasant distraction from the tedious editing.
"How was your weekend other than the party, Hol," Hermione asked, preferring to chat with her friend rather than responsibly return to her work. Midway through Holly's response, the two young women were interrupted by another knock at Hermione's office door. Hermione looked up and quickly sucked her breath in past her teeth in surprise. The brilliant blue eyes, angular features, and crooked smile that she had spent the day attempting not to conjure in her imagination were at the doorway.
"George, good seeing you," Holly greeted the young man who had entered Hermione's office before Hermione was capable of response.
"What are you doing here?" Hermione asked once she had found her voice. "Ah, I mean it's nice to see you,"
"Hey you two," George said, striding towards the centre of the office in a couple of long steps. "I thought I'd swing by for a visit." Out of the corner of her eye, Hermione could see that Holly was visibly trying to conceal her excitement.
"What's going on?" Hermione asked, still confused as to George's presence in her office.
"Nothing much…I didn't have practice today…and I wanted to see if you wanted to hang out. What are the odds you'd be able to get the rest of the day off?" George's rakishly confident grin behooved Hermione to have to turn down his offer.
"Er, I don't know George…I have a lot of work to do…" Hermione considered aloud, motioning with her feather quill at the thick stack of parchment that sat in front of her to indicate the business of her schedule.
"Oh Mione, You can take an afternoon off" – Holly interjected – "Seriously, no one works harder than this girl," She continued, directing her comment towards George.
"See Mione. You should come with me," George's laidback tone was nothing if not convincing.
"Er, well…" Hermione murmured.
"I'll go get Minister Fitzcharles and you can ask him personally for the rest of the day off," Holly offered in reference to their department supervisor. The blonde energetically jumped up from the stool. Leaving the office, she turned and flashed Hermione a very obvious thumbs up. Hermione rolled her eyes, certain that George was aware of her friend's keenness at his presence.
"Er…Y-you didn't have to come by, you know," Hermione stammered.
"Yah, I did…I felt like seeing you-"
George was interrupted when Minister Fitzcharles stuck his head in through the doorway. "Miss Grammar…I heard you wanted to see me."
"Ah, yes, Minister Fitzcharles" – Hermione replied as the Minister entered her office – "I, ah, must say, I love your outfit today," She recalled her reminder to always compliment Minister Fitzcharles on his wardrobe. Even though she didn't find his eggshell blue suit and ruffled white shirt overly attractive, Hermione thought best to begin her request by flattering her superior.
"It's really sharp, mate," George added with a grin that Hermione thought looked almost sincere.
"Who are you?" The balding, blonde man snapped at George.
"Ah, this is George…he's-"
"I'm her…ah….I-I'm her landlord" – George interrupted Hermione's explanation in a tone of adopted self-importance – "I ah, had to come see Miss Granger…because…you see…well…there's-there's been an issue with her flat." Hermione furrowed her eyebrows incredulously at George as he concocted a reason for why she would need to be excused from work. His account seemed so blatantly fabricated, that Hermione was certain that Minister Fitzcharles was aware of its falsehood. She didn't interject though, curious as to where George was taking his story. "There's been a problem you see…I'm afraid…well…the tenant directly above Miss Granger was-was…ah, experimenting…with the most unfortunate magic…and there's been extensive damage to Miss Granger's flat," George grinned as his tale began to take life. "It requires her immediate attention. She must come with me at once."
Hermione cast a disbelieving look at Minister Fitzcharles as he absentmindedly nodded along with George's story, clearly buying the made-up tale. Based on the way he was flipping through a stack of parchment in his arms, Hermione figured her superior hadn't really been listening to George.
"Very well…take the rest of the day…best of luck with your flat, Harmony," Minister Fitzcharles mentioned without looking up from the parchment after George came to the completion of his fabrication.
"Well…we must leave at once. Come along, Harmony…time is of the essence." George stated pompously, quite obviously channeling his older brother, Percy. Hermione coughed to hide her giggles at George's use of the name Minister Fitzcharles had incorrectly called her.
"Oh this is ever so stressful…thank you so much for giving me the time off, Minister Fitzcharles," Hermione added in her best frazzled yet appreciative voice. Standing up from her chair, she hastily tidied the parchment she was working on and grabbed her beaded bag off her desk.
"Hurry now. We must make haste," George's wide grin was transparent. Fortunately, the distracted Fitzcharles didn't notice.
"Good luck," Minister Fitzcharles called after the pair as they hustled from Hermione's office. Once they had traveled the length of the hall, George slowed their pace.
"Well done, Harmony…er, Hermione," He smiled. "You took to deception very well, I must say."
Hermione chuckled after catching her breath from their sprint down the corridor: "Well, you better have a good reason for taking me away from my work."
"Oh...I do…" George stated cryptically.
"And what is it?"
"Oi, you'll find out…first we do have to stop by your flat though,"
-o-O-o-
"So are you going to tell me what we're doing at my flat?" Hermione asked once they reached her front door.
"You have to change," George grinned.
"What's wrong with what I have on?" Hermione asked, looking down at her smart pencil skirt, fitted blouse, and sensible ballet flats.
"Nothing…it's very lovely…but you need something that is easier to move in."
"I don't understand you at all, you know that, right," Hermione joked as she let herself into her flat. "Come in George. You can sit tight I suppose while I go change." She purposely rolled her eyes in an over-exaggerated manner to indicate that she didn't appreciate being told what to do without any information as to why she was to do it.
"It's good to see that your flat is back in order," George joked, referring to the pretense he had used to excuse Hermione from work. As George lay across her couch, Hermione hurried into her bedroom to find a more suitable outfit for the unknown activity. Basing her decision on the fact that George was wearing comfy-looking jeans and a worn hooded sweatshirt, Hermione pulled on a pair of faded jeans. She removed her blouse and, keeping on her pale blue camisole, yanked a hunter green, Weasley jumper from a past Christmas over her head.
"So are you going to tell me what you have in mind, George," Hermione asked as she wandered back into the living room. Collapsing into the edge of the couch beside George's feet, she pulled on an old pair of trainers.
"Not yet, Mione," George smiled cheekily.
"Are you going to tell me what that duffle is for?" Hermione continued her questioning while nodding towards the navy blue bag George had been carrying since he had arrived at her office.
"Nope,"
"You're insufferable, Weasley," Hermione laughed.
"I know," George's eyes shone mischievously. Even though she didn't particularly appreciate that way he had just stolen her away from her office without any explanation, Hermione was pleased that George had injected himself into her day. Spending time with the noted prankster was certainly superior to working. "Well…I guess we're ready to leave," George stood and motioned to Hermione to stand next to him. Hermione rose from the couch and George picked up his duffle, tossing it over his shoulder. Looping his arm around Hermione's waist, he muttered the necessary incantation for apparition. Hermione's flat melted into a blur and her stomach churned as the magic whisked the pair away to George's intended destination.
-o-O-o-
"Well, here we are," George mentioned once they had settled onto the ground. Hermione blinked several times and shook her head, working to establish their bearings. The biting cold in the air was a sharp distinction from having just been inside of her flat. The frostiness and the fact that she was standing ankle deep in untouched, fluffy snow indicated immediately that George had taken her outside.
"And where is here?" She asked once her dizziness subsided.
"Just here," George laughed, gesturing over their surroundings with his free arm. Hermione glanced around her, trying to determine their environment. The pair was standing on a snowy bank next to a frozen-over lake. The expansive pond was lined with towering, snow-covered evergreens. Hermione thought she recognized the lake as one that was in a park near the Burrow, but she couldn't be certain.
"What exactly do you have in mind, George?" She asked. George knelt down to remove a couple of pairs of skates from the duffle and she didn't require an answer. "Oh, George…I'm rubbish at skating," Hermione continued. She had always been poor at all winter sports and had never particularly enjoyed any of them. As a child, when her parents had taken her skiing she had always been more content to pass the day in the lodge with a good book than to join her folks on the slopes.
"Not a problem…I won't judge you," George grinned, handing Hermione a clean, white pair of figure skates. "I trust you'll be able to adjust those to your size." Hermione nodded and produced her wand from her beaded bag. Kicking through the deep snow, Hermione reached a log that had fallen near the water that she could use as a bench. Clearing the snow with a simple spell, she perched on the log and slid the too-big skates on her feet. Using her wand and the proper incantation, she adjusted the skates down to a suitable size. As the laces responded to her spell, twisting and fastening into a snug pattern up her ankle, Hermione located her ivory, knit tuque and matching mittens in her trusty bag.
"Ok, I think I'm ready," She spoke hesitantly, after pulling on her winter accessories and insuring that her laces were secure. "Do you think this is safe for us to skate on?" The pond was clearly frozen, but the ice was slightly transparent and Hermione thought she could see water underneath the top cover of ice. There were spots on the pond where Hermione noticed free-standing water and worried that such areas might not be strong enough to bear the weight of a person.
"Don't worry, I got that." George smiled. Walking awkwardly in his skates to the edge of the pond, he knelt down and tapped the surface several times with his wand. Starting from the tip of his wand, the pond gradually turned an opaque whiteness as it solidified into a sturdier sheet of ice. Hermione smiled at the clever spell, knowing that she no longer needed to have qualms about falling through a weak spot in the ice. "Get over here, Mione!" George called excitedly. Gracefully stepping on to the icy surface, he waved to Hermione to join him.
Hermione carefully shuffled several meters through the snow to where George was standing. The scene was quite beautiful – Hermione had to admit – even if skating wasn't her favourite activity. Other than her and George, there were no signs of human presence nearby. The whistles and calls of birds echoed from the tall trees, yet none were visible. A slight mist rose from the perfectly smooth surface and the ice gleamed in the mid-afternoon sun. The whole environment possessed a wondrous stillness.
"Here I got you," George offered, grabbing Hermione's mitten-covered hand in his bare one. Cautiously, Hermione hopped onto the slick ice with George's assistance. She recalled how she used to skate on the neighborhood pond as a child. Then, the ice had been uneven and covered in bumps, cracks, and other impediments. Unlike that surface, the magically induced ice had no undulations. There were no fractures over which she might trip and or blemishes that might make skating difficult. Instead, the ice lay perfectly level and remarkably smooth. Even the snowflakes that fell plentifully didn't stick and ruin the flawlessness of the surface.
"I should warn you again that I am absolutely rubbish at skating," Hermione grinned nervously, worried that George was going to take off at a quicker pace than she could handle.
"No worries, Mione…I'm in no rush," He laughed. Kicking off from the edge of the pond, George drifted to the centre of the ice as Hermione continued to hold tightly onto his hand. The smooth surface was easy to skate over and Hermione found that she was gliding more capably than she ever had on skates. Her magically tightened laces helped keep her upright and prevented her ankles from caving inwards. With George securely holding her hand, the pair slid across the ice. Hermione never felt in danger of falling or losing control. "How's the speed, Mione," George asked over his shoulder as he quickened his pace slightly.
"I'm fine!" Hermione yelled back at him with a smile, maintaining a tight grasp of his hand. She laughed, enjoying both the way the cold air felt blowing past her face as well as the sensation of gaining adrenalin from their ever increasing speed. As they neared the far side of the pond, George turned sharply, whipping Hermione around him. She shrieked gleefully as she accelerated through the tight spin, feeling more excitement than fear from the speed.
"Do you want me to slow down?" George hollered as he started a wide, clockwise loop around the edge of the pond.
"No, no," Hermione shouted enthusiastically. George increased the speed even more and Hermione had to kick the edges of her blades against the ice to maintain his pace. She leaned forward and cycled her legs vigorously, moving faster on skates than she ever had before. Her heart was beating rapidly form the excitement and her face was growing raw from the cold air whisking past her, but she continued to smile, loving the excitement. The swift velocity that George had coaxed them into as they circled the pond caused Hermione's hat to slide to the back of her head. With her free hand she held her hat in place as her legs worked furiously to keep up with George. The tips of her ears started to prickle once they were exposed to the chilly air, but Hermione hardly noticed.
They completed several loops of the lake. Each lap was slightly quicker that the one previous and Hermione's heart beat faster with every completion. Her throat was dry from the cold and breathing started to prove difficult, but she gamely kept skating at her full speed, capably remaining no more than a half-step behind George at all times. Midway through a lap, Hermione felt her mitten start to slip from George's grasp.
"Whoa, whoa…you're losing me," She called out with a raspy giggle, but George had already lost his grip on her hand. Their hold released, Hermione directed herself so that she was drifting to the centre of the ice.
"Oi, sorry about that, Mione," George hurried to catch her. Skating past her, he doubled back and looped her. "How you doing?" He asked, skating around her.
"I'm good," Hermione chuckled, slowly sliding into a halt.
"I don't know what you're talking about when you say that you're rubbish at skating. You seemed to have no problems."
"Well…I've never skated on ice like this…it's kind of perfect," Hermione stopped hunching her back and stood up straightly on her skates, grinning at George. Her face was a vibrant flush, her bright red ears matched the colour of George's hair, and her smile was wide. In the pale light of early evening, surrounded by the natural wonder of the ice and the trees, and with her face aglow from the cold and the activity, she looked stunning, even if she wasn't aware of it.
"Thanks for coming with me," George said, quickly stopping on the edges of his blades right beside Hermione. Hermione chuckled as her skates and the lower portion of her jeans were covered in a spray of snow.
"You do remember that you didn't really give me an option," She laughed in return.
"Oh right," George replied with mock embarrassment. "What do you want to do now, Mione?"
"I don't know…I didn't really have plans for this evening," Hermione replied even though she had intended on working on her House Elf research for the rest of the night.
"Want to come over and have dinner at my place?" George offered kindly and eagerly.
Hermione considered his invitation. She had reached an impasse in her research and dinner with George sounded more appealing than sitting in her chilly flat with a book, even for a self-described bookworm. "Yah, George, that sounds brilliant," She responded eventually.
"That's great," George answered brightly. He, once again, took Hermione's hand in his and the pair skated towards the edge of the pond where George's duffle, Hermione's beaded bag, and their discarded shoes sat. Once they gathered up their things, George snugly wrapped his free arm around Hermione and they vanished in an instance. Other than the pattern of grooves from their skate blades decorating the otherwise unblemished ice, there were no signs that the pair had spent the afternoon enjoying the lake.
Author's Note: Thanks for reading! I know I said I wouldn't beg for comments, but I lied. Comments are great. If you get the chance follow, leave a note, encouragement or review to make my day! Thanks so much to those who are reading and following this story…especially those who are regularly commenting. So appreciated!