George's View Point

"NO! George!" A garbled cry came from my left, making me jerk awake and look around the room wildly for its source. Who was calling my name out, and why did they sound so scared? My eyes moved to Fred first, but he looked perfectly content in his sleep. Someone clutched at my shirt and I looked down to see a very not okay Hermione. She was curling in on herself, her eyes clenched tight and her mouth open in a silent scream. Worry filled me and I clutched her to me protectively, shaking her awake as I grabbed my wand off the nightstand and cast muffliato. No sense waking Fred up, and I wasn't sure Hermione would tell me what was wrong if she thought he was listening.

"Wake up Hermione." I said, brushing the hair from her face. She whimpered and tensed her body up, but didn't wake.

"Come on Hermione, wake up." I said a bit more loudly, I was beginning to get really worried.

"George!" She cried out, whimpering even more. She still wouldn't wake up though and I was now past worried. I grasped her more firmly, giving her a shake and looking directly into her face so she couldn't not hear me and I tried one more time.

"Hermione, wake up!" she jerked awake, her eyes wide, terrified, and wild as she looked around. She let out apathetic whimper when she saw me and buried her head in my chest, openly crying as she shook in my arms. I was at a loss as to what I should do. I'd never seen some one have such a bad nightmare, I rarely had them and Fred hadn't ever had one that I could recall. I did the only thing I could think of, I wrapped an arm around her and moved the other hand to her hair, holding her tight and trying to comfort her.

"George, please…" she cried, trembling even harder.

"Talk to me, Love." I whispered, my throat constricting at her obvious pain. I hated to see her scared or hurt, it was like someone was pulling my heart out. Now I was causing those tears, I wasn't sure how but I'd upset her somehow. Something involving me had terrified her in her dreams and she couldn't even talk about it.

Finally, after what felt like hours but was probably only minutes, she stopped crying and grew still. I kept rubbing circles into her back softly, hoping she would talk to me.

"Wow," I said, trying to look into her eyes. "That must have been some nightmare."

"So sorry." She mumbled into my chest, clenching my shirt in her hands. "shouldn't have made you sleep with me."

"What?" I asked, completely flabbergasted. What was she talking about?

She pulled back from my hold and looked into my eyes, tears still falling from her beautiful brown ones. Her lip trembled and she sucked in a deep breath, letting it out slowly before continuing. "I made you mad at me somehow, and then I forced my company on you. I wanted to make sure you were alright, but now I'm keeping you awake." She sat up as she spoke, wrapping her arms around her body self consciously. "I'm so sorry." She whispered again before scooting to the edge of the bed. I realized what she was about to do a second before she could actually do it. She was trying to leave. I reached out and grabbed her shoulders, holding her in a vise grip before tugging her body back to mine.

"You must be mental." I murmured, turning her back around so she was facing me. "I was a right git and you think it's your fault? You just wanted some comfort, but I didn't want your pity." I said. Her eyes grew wide and she looked shocked.

"Pity?" she questioned, raising her eyebrows in surprise. "Why on earth would I pity you?"

I sighed and lay back down, moving my eyes to the ceiling. She propped herself up on her arm and looked over at me. She raised her other hand and placed it on my chest, right above my heart. "Come on, Hermione. You know what I'm talking about." I said, not wanting to voice my thoughts. She just stared at me in disbelief, her beautiful chocolate eyes wide and surprised.

"Are you kidding me? That's why you're being distant? Your ear?" She asked, her ability to make me feel mental in so few words astounded me.

"Yeah, that's what I'm talking about." I said, closing my eyes. I really, really did not want to see her looking at me with pity.

"Oh George," she said, and she said the last word with so much tenderness that it made me falter. I felt her hand run up my chest, causing my heart to speed up. I forced myself to keep my eyes closed, I was that scared to look at her. Her hand continued its path up my chest, pausing at my neck before moving to trace the right side of my jaw. She reached the bandage, and instead of stopping like I expected her to, she kept going, stopping only when she reached my missing ear. Her hand pulled away and I actually found myself disappointed, don't know why, I hadn't expected anything else. She deserved someone handsome and whole-not a one eared freak. I felt her move beside me and I held my breath. A pair of warm lips settled on my bandage and I gasped, snapping my eyes open at the feel.

She didn't lift her head, keeping it next to my ear as she peppered my bandage with kisses, making a path up to the temple of my head. She shouldn't be kissing me, I look awful and shouldn't let her continue. My eyes close again, but this time it's to fight back the tears that want to fill my eyes. I want nothing more than to grab her in my arms and smother her with kisses. Still, I can't make her stay with me when I look like this, she fell in love with a two eared man. Not the freak I must look like now.

She moved by my side and I almost opened my eyes. Her body heat disappeared and then I felt her again. She settled on top of me, straddling my lap so that she could get at my face easier. I let out a hiss of air as she moved against me, probably completely unaware of the sensation she was causing in me. She continued kissing a trail across my face, moving to my left, complete ear now.

"I love you George, just the way you are." She whispered, causing me to shiver against the feel of her. Her hands move to my shoulders, pinning me down to the mattress beneath her light body. "A missing ear won't make me feel any differently." She continued, laying open mouth kisses down my jaw as she scooted down my body. I was breathing heavier now and my heart was racing from the feel of her gliding over me. "All this shows is how brave you are, how loyal." She continued, kissing me between each word. "Tonight was the scariest night of my life. I came out of a battle and no one would tell me where you were. I saw a trail of blood leading into the house and I knew. I knew it was you, that you were in there." She paused, hovering above my chest, her lips barely above my throat.

"I cried in relief when I found out you were alright." She said, her voice heavy with emotion. A drop of water hit my neck, and I didn't realize what it was at first. Then she was kissing me again, and I felt even more drops. Tears, they were tears. She was crying.

"You're still the most handsome man I've ever met." She said. I opened my eyes in surprise and found her face directly above mine. Her chocolate eyes were darker than usual, full of love and desire, making me even warmer and my heart beat still faster. Tear tracks lined her cheeks and I instinctually moved my hand to brush them off. I'd never meant to make her cry.

She leaned into my touch, her eyes fluttering shut at the contact. She ran her hands up my chest, underneath my shirt, just letting her hands glide over me. She was killing me with her light touches, and I couldn't have been more willing to die by her hand. She placed her hands palm down on my chest and pushed herself up. "You have no idea how hot you look in these pajama's." She said softly, a blush coloring her cheeks as she spoke. A well of emotions filled me and I had to speak, had to tell her what she meant to me.

"I love you too, Hermione." I said, my voice surprisingly deep. A ghost of a smile lit her face and she moved her hands from my chest, grabbing my hands in her own hands. She placed my hands on her hips , having me grab her shirt. I stared at her for a moment not understanding what she was wanting. She smirked a slight bit and then pulled my hands up the smallest amount. In that moment I knew exactly what she was getting at and I'm sure my entire body heated up in an embarrassed flush. Had I really been that dense?

"Are you sure?" I asked, not wanting her to do something she would regret. She nodded her head, a few tears leaking out of her beautiful eyes.

"George," she said, her voice still thick. "I thought you were dead, and then I thought you were going to die. I love you, I want to let you know that."

"I already do." I replied hastily, I'd never stopped loving her.

"I need you to know beyond a shadow of a doubt George, and I need to know you love me." She said, running her hands along my chest. I gasped at the feel as she swayed her hips over my lap, causing me to feel another flare of desire.

"Bloody Hell," I gasped, feeling shocked that she could make me feel attractive again. How did she do that? How could she still look at me as though I was the most handsome man she had ever met? How could she not look at me as damaged? She was beautiful, breath taking, she could have her pick of men. So why stay with me?

A devilish grin stole across her face at my gasp and she swayed her hips on top of me again, making me close my eyes and groan. Merlin, she felt incredible!

"You… are… hot..." She said slowly, swaying against me again, her own eye fluttered at the feel, but she forced herself to maintain eye contact with me. I remembered saying those same words to her not so long ago. Funny that our roles should be reversed now. I was always trying to get her to realize she was beautiful…

Oh Merlin, I'm doing what she always does. Merlin help me, I'm doing it to her. She doesn't see my missing ear, she sees me. She sees the man she loves, just like I don't see any of her faults, just the woman I love.

At this truly breathtaking realization, I finally moved my hands, which were still on her waist. I began to inch them up her beautiful body painfully slow, making sure she had plenty of time to stop me. I pulled her shirt up all the way to just below her breast when I suddenly remembered that Fred was still in the same room, and in the bed beside us. I dropped my hands from her body, earning a moan of disappointment from her, and moved my head to look at Fred and see if he was awake. I love my twin, but no way in hell I was letting him see any of Hermione. Besides, Angelina would have killed him. I also was still irked that he had interrupted us last time I had gotten Hermione's shirt off. Merlin love him, but he had terrible timing.

A light giggle came from Hermione, distracting me before I could look at Fred. She had her hand over her mouth and an adorable blush was lighting her cheeks.

"What?" I asked, a grin lifting my lips for the first time tonight.

"I put a sleeping charm on him and a silencing charm on the door." She admitted, growing even redder. "I didn't want to be disturbed before I could show you just how much I love you." A wicked, devilish grin stole across my features and I moved my hand back to her waist, gripping her shirt in very eager hands.

"Brilliant." Was all I said before I pulled her shirt off. A gasp left my lips when I realized she wasn't wearing a bra. Don't know why that surprised me, wasn't like I actually expected her to sleep in one. I lay there for a moment just staring at her. How could she not see how beautiful she was? How could she not see how many other girls stared at her with envy?

My hands moved almost of their own accord, reaching up and grasping her eagerly. She let out a moan when I touched her and it caused me to grow even more excited.

"Not fair…" she moaned, her head falling back as I continued to touch her.

"Hmm?" I asked, lost in what I was doing.

"You're still wearing too much." She said, moving her hands to try and remedy the problem. She gripped my shirt firmly, sliding it up eagerly. I let go of her and leaned up, letting her get the shirt off me. She tossed it behind her before leaning down and claiming my lips in a kiss.

{}o{}o{}

"You two certainly seem cozy." An extremely chipper voice sounded above my head. I opened my eyes, blinking as the bright light hit me. Fred was smiling down at me, an amused look in his eyes. Hermione was lying partly on top of me, her arms wrapped around me and her head resting on my chest. I had my arm wrapped around her waist, and the other was buried in her incredibly soft hair. I froze for a moment but then I remembered everything that had happened last night. I couldn't believe she still loved me even with a missing ear. She'd proven it quite thoroughly last night. I hadn't expected another repeat of my birthday until we were married. No offense to Hermione, Merlin knows I love her, but she was really uncomfortable with anything even remotely sexual.

I couldn't blame her; she was extremely shy and hadn't even had her first kiss until she was sixteen. If I had known the reaction my getting injured would get out of her I'd have jinxed myself ages ago.

"Must have had fun last night." Fred said, laughing lightly. I started and turned towards him, I'd forgotten he was talking to me. A grin spread across my lip and I nodded my head, being careful not to disturb Hermione.

"I did indeed." I answered simply.

"Did you charm me to sleep?" Fred asked, a grin quirking his lips up. I nodded my head, my smile disappearing.

"Sorry about acting like a git last night." I said quietly, looking at Hermione's still sleeping face. She looked so beautiful in her sleep. All the tense worry that often lined her face while she was awake. She looked happy and peaceful, at ease, breathtaking. Her guards were lowered when she was asleep, it was a side of her that very few people ever got to see.

"It's alright Georgie." Fred said. "I figured you just needed 'Mione to help you."

"I thought she'd dump me." I whispered, feeling scared by the thought. The idea of not having Hermione by my side was terrible. Unfathomable even.

"You gonna be alright?" he asked, looking at me with his piercing eyes. I hated when he looked at me like that, like he was looking through me. He was probably the only one who could really read me, well, him and Hermione now I guess.

"Yeah, I'm gonna be fine."

"Oh, he'll be alright, we'll see to that." A lighter more musical voice said. Hermione's head popped up beside me and she gave me a vibrant smile before turning towards Fred. "We'll all be alright."

She finished quietly turning back to me so that just I could hear; "Believe me, your quite fine already."

A/N: Okay, in case anyone got confused, they still did not have sex, I will make it clear when they do. Sorry about the error this had when I posted it, not sure what happened there. Also, this chapter is longer than usual, hope you enjoy it :D I won't be doing anymore double updates for a while, but I thought I might as well go ahead and post this chapter. I really like it, not really sure why I do, I just do.