A/N: Connie Weasley: Thanks for the review. It's nice to know someone likes my story :).

Chapter II

"It's only natural that I see you as one" Why did it sting so much? It's not like I like him or anything. He's not even handsome. He should cut his hair. Wearing them long like he does only makes him look like a girl. And he's too tall for my liking as well. And all those freckles. Even Ron doesn't have as many and that's saying something. Not to mention he's too immature for his own good. She stepped into the shower and all her thoughts were forgotten as soon as the warm water hit her bare chest. She felt as if all the problems were floating away and as if the whole day's been just a bad dream.

"FUUUUUUUUCK!"I will not be angry. I WILL NOT be angry. He warned you Hermione. He warned you. Breathe in, breathe out. But it's SOOOOO FUCKING COLD!! AAAARGHHH! I will NOT be angry. You're a big girl now Hermione, you are perfectly able to control your emotions… Oooooh, it's warm again… Stupid shower. She stepped out and dried herself with a snitch-patterned towel. Trust the twins to have something as ridiculous as this. After dressing herself and charm-brushing her teeth she went to Fred's old room and got into the bed. It wasn't as comfortable as her marital bed but at least it wasn't her husband that fucked other women in this one. The thought of Fred having sex with Angie in the bed she currently have found herself in made her shift in disgust but then she thought about all those hotel beds she had to sleep in when she was a child. At least I know that neither Fred nor Angie have germs. With that thought she slowly drifted off to sleep.

George was still looking out of the window when he heard a furious shout. He cracked a smile. I warned her. Not guilty. He changed into his pajama bottoms and moved towards the bed. He tried to sleep but thoughts of Fred prevented him from doing so. Why didn't he tell me sooner. WHY? Am I not important to him anymore? Is our twin bond that insignificant to him? Calm down George. You're twenty-five. Surely you can exist without him. Merlin's pants you're a grown-up man George. Start acting like one. But. It's. Just. So. Damn. Hard. Fuck. One hour later he still found himself unable to sleep so he decided to make himself a cup of warm cocoa. He went to the kitchen. Five minutes later he was sitting silently on the couch in front of the cold fireplace and sipping his drink. He didn't even notice when he fell asleep.
He was in the shop and was talking to Fred. Just like old times. No Angie around and Fred's attention only on him. Finishing sentences for each other. He let himself smile at the thought.

"What are you smiling at George?" No response. "George?"

"George?"

"GEORGE!!"

"George wake up you sleepyhead. Why are you sleeping on the couch?" Hermione?

"WHA..?"

"Wake up."

"Hermione? Where's Fred? What are you doing here?"

"George what are you talking about? Fred's moving out, he didn't spend the night. I guess he's at Angie's. And I'm here because you invited me here yesterday, remember?" She was seriously concerned now. What if he wanted her out?

"Ah. Yeah. You. Break up. Ron. Free room. I remember."

"Not a morning person, are you? What were you doing on the couch anyways?"

"Couldn't sleep." He groaned as he got up from the couch, all his muscles were sore from the uncomfortable position he had slept in. His hair stood up in all directions and he had bags under his eyes.

"Don't you look… dashing." She burst out laughing and he joined her when he saw his reflection in the mirror above the fireplace. His shirt was covered in dried cocoa and he had the pattern from the couch imprinted on his face. "What's with the cocoa?"

"It has helped me sleep for as long as I can remember. When I was younger my mum used to bring me some when… Never mind. Want some breakfast?" He asked as he made his way over to the kitchen. Hermione wanted to ask him when his mother used to give him cocoa but it was obvious he didn't want to talk about it so she decided not to push it. She followed him to the kitchen when he was already making scrambled eggs with baked beans. "I hope you don't have anything against the menu since I don't really have anything else to eat at the moment. I'll have to go shopping later. Maybe after we take your things from your house."

"Scrambled eggs are fine with me but… we?" She didn't expect he'd like to go with her. Sure she could use some help but she figured he would have other things to do.

"I thought you could use help. After all it's not a handbag you have to take but most of your belongings." Seems not.

"Thanks George. It's really nice of you. Shall we go after we eat? Ron should be gone by then."

"Sure"

They ate in silence and after they were finished each went to their respective rooms to prepare themselves for the day. Hermione threw on her wrinkled clothes from the previous day and wriggled her nose in disgust. Who looks dashing now, huh? The pot calling the kettle black. She met George in the hallway and they apparated to her home.

They appeared in the living-room. She moved to the shelf with pictures. There were many of them. Some from school with Harry and the DA members, some of just her and Ron after school. "Take all that don't have Ron in them, could you?" she told him and went to the bedroom. She took a large suitcase from under the bed and started packing all of her clothes. She didn't have many garments and those she had weren't anything special, just normal everyday robes and some stern looking muggle woman's suits. You could tell that she wasn't really interested in fashion. She didn't own any jewelry besides a small silver ring she got from Harry on her twentieth birthday. It was rather wide with swirling patterns and it had word "friends" inscribed on the inside. She haven't taken it off even once since the day she got it. She always wore it on the little finger of her left hand. Harry was her dearest friend. After they finished school (a year later than estimated because of the year off they took to hunt for the horcruxes) Harry and Ron decided to make a career in quidditch, Harry as a seeker and Ron as a team manager, he never was that great of a flyer but being the manager allowed him to spend as much time as he wanted meeting famous players and discussing techniques. Too much time. Harry managed to find more time for her even though his profession required more time away than Ron's. Harry has always been there for her but she haven't seen him for the last four months. He moved to the US to pursue his career there. She shouldn't have married right after finishing school, she should've lived a little, find a job, do something, and not be an obedient housewife Ron wanted her to be. She finished packing her clothes and went to the bathroom to pack her toiletries. After she was finished she found George in the living-room with her pictures lying in a neat pile, she shrunk them and put them inside the suitcase. She went over to a small chest of drawers and took some money from it. Then she turned back to George.

"I really like that old lamp that's in the corner, I think I should take it, after all it was me who bought it, and some other pieces of furniture too. Here, help me shrink them" After they were done she went to the kitchen and took her favourite mug with a moving picture of an orange cat on it. She felt tears well up in her eyes. George noticed that.

"Hey, what's wrong?"

"Nothing, it's just that… I really miss Crookshanks, you know? He was the most loyal companion. I was devastated after he died. I love cats so much. Ron never allowed me to get one. Said they were too messy… I'm glad he even agreed to this mug. Stupid prat." With that she packed the mug into the suitcase which was full of shrunk furniture. They looked around the house which was now almost empty. "Goodbye Ron, I hope I'll never have to see you again" With that she took some floo powder and threw it to the fireplace. She helped George place her now extremely heavy suitcase inside it and shouted "Diagon Alley 93". Green flames burst around them and in a second they were gone.

"You may put your things here, if you want" George said when they placed her suitcase in the middle of the living room.

"Put my things here? What do you mean?" Hermione looked at him in wonder. "Like put my clothes in the wardrobe?"

"No, I mean like everything. The house is bare and looks unlived in. Besides, I really like that lamp too. And that DA picture is really nice. Helps me remember how I looked when I was young and innocent."

"You, innocent? Yeah, right." She half-said half-laughed. "As for the furniture. I don't think it's such a great idea. I'm going to go to the Ministry later to get the divorce papers. I'll get half the money that Ron has and I'll get myself a place to live in few days. I'll be out of here in no time." Her back was turned to him so she didn't see the look of slight disappointment that passed his face. He really hoped she would stay longer because he couldn't imagine living all by himself. Even if they didn't have much in common, it was still another breathing person to be around. Gee, Georgie stop being desperate already… Did I just call myself 'Georgie'?

"Oh… Yeah, you're right. It was just an idea. I thought you'll feel better with your things around." He imagined he must have looked like a fool right then. Standing in the middle of his living room trying to persuade his little brother's wife to redecorate his house with her furniture.

"It's really nice of you, and it's a wonderful idea but with my things here I'd just feel like I'm living here permanently and I don't want to force my presence on you. I know I'm just troubling you, but fear not, I'll move out as soon as I can." She was standing before him now. What the fuck? Is she even listening to what I'm saying? Forcing her person on me? I'll die if I have to live alone! "I'm sorry"

"You don't have anything to be sorry about. I invited you here. That should be proof enough that I want you here and that I'm not counting minutes till your departure."

"You're not?" She faked surprise.

"Who would've imagined, eh?"

"Thanks"

"No problem. You're welcome to stay here as long as you need." It would've been a really great and meaningful moment if not for a large rumble coming from Hermione's stomach. "I think I should go and buy us something to eat or we'll starve to death"

"Meanwhile I'll go to the Ministry and see what I can do about the papers, oh and George…"

"Hmm?"

"Don't tell anyone where I'm staying, ok? It doesn't look good for me to be living here while I'm still your brother's wife." She was fingering her blouse nervously. Not sure how he would react.

"Sure thing. Although, Fred will probably notice his bed has been slept in."

"I don't mind Fred knowing as long as he doesn't tell anyone. Especially Ron. I don't want him coming here, looking for me."

"He won't tell. I assure you." With that he gave her a quick smile and walked out of the flat. She threw a handful of floo powder into the fireplace and shouted "The Ministry of Magic!". In a flash she was gone.

She was more than surprised at how easy it was to get the divorce papers in the Wizarding World. Now all she had to do was sign them and make Ron sigh them as well. Then the magical contract is put to action and the marital vault in Gringotts is magically divided in half. It so easy it's almost laughable. The case would've taken months and months in the muggle world. Convincing Ron should be easy enough too. After all he knows I have the full right to leave him after what he's done. Besides, he probably would love getting a divorce with me so he doesn't have to sneak away to meet that slut. Glad she had one thing from her mind she flooed back to George's flat and found him in the kitchen cooking something... blue.

"Um... George... Do you mind me asking... Why is our dinner azure?"

"To be quite frank with you... I have no idea. But it tastes just fine." He dipped the wooden spoon he's been stirring with into the suspiciously looking muck and licked some of the goo from it. "Delicious."

"What is it anyway?"

"I probably wouldn't have tried tasting it if I knew. Want some?" He asked as he was taking the plates out of a kitchen cupboard.

"I'm famished. I wouldn't even have said no to pickles with strawberry jam."

"Blue goo sounds rather promising when compared to that."

"That it does." She took the plate filled with the goosoup, as she had taken to call it, and sat at the table. She looked at it still unconvinced and wondering whether it's wise to try something as unnatural as this. She noticed George happily slurping his soup. Live a little Hermione. The worse that could happen is stomach ache. She brought the spoon to her nose and smelled the substance. Smells like normal vegetable soup. Oh, what the hell... She swallowed a spoonful. Not bad... Not bad at all... She didn't even notice when the plate emptied out. Only after her spoon clanked against the plate did she realise that she had actually ate a plateful of blue goosoup. She stared intently at George and he looked up feeling that she's watching him, silent question in his eyes.

"As surprising as it may sound... Can I have seconds?" George gave her the widest grin of all the grins possible in this world. Are those the wisdom teeth? He shot out of his chair and gave her another plateful. "Why are you smiling so much? Was it something I said? Is there something in this soup that I don't know of? Is it another prank?"

"No, not at all. I'm just really, really glad you like it Hermione." As weird as she thought it was she decided to let the matter drop. Even if it was a prank, they were never permanent so she won't have to live with azure face for the rest of her life. Besides, she was still very hungry and it was the winning argument.

"I went to the Ministry. I have the divorce papers. I'll go to Ron today and have him sign them."

"Want me to come with you?"

"Nah, not really. It would be suspicious and he might guess where I'm staying." She finished the soup and cleaned the empty dish. "Thank you for the goosoup George, it was really satiating and surprisingly good"

"Goosoup?"

"Do you have a better name for it?"

"No, not really." He said with a smile and started to clean the rest of the dishes. She went to her room to fetch the papers and apparated to Ron's.

Later that evening George was sitting in the living-room thinking of some new pranks he'd like to have at the shop when suddenly he heard a loud pop. Hermione appeared in the hallway. Her shoulders were oddly slouched and she was grasping some papers in her hand. That's when he heard it. A silent sob, an intake of breath and a little sniff. He walked over to her and put his hand on her back.

"What is it? What happened?" She looked up at him, her eyes full of tears and an agonized and slightly surprised look on her face. "Hermione?" He gave her a little shook to wake her from her disbelieving trance. "Hermione, tell me what happened in there." New tears welled up in her eyes and she opened her mouth in a silent 'no'. "What is it? Tell me or I won't be able to help you!" He really didn't want to shout at her but his helplessness was getting better of him. He hated feeling unable to help. She looked at the wall as if it was the most interesting thing in the world. She nodded to herself and looked at him again as if she just persuaded herself to tell him. After a small pause she breathed in and said:

"He said he won't sign them."

Oh.

End of Chapter II