"Wake up, Love." George's deep voice sounded in my ear and it caused me to shiver delightfully. This past week had been wonderful, incredible, I'd never had a better time in my entire life. It almost seemed unreal, like a week out of someone else's life. I'd healed quite well, regaining back my energy and strength, both physical and mental. The only thing that hadn't healed was my arm, the word 'Mudblood' was still etched into my skin, and I knew now that it wouldn't ever heal.
I'd reconnected with George, in far more ways than I had ever before. I was falling more in love with him every day, and I was terrified by the idea of taking him with us, of putting him in danger. I couldn't live if I lost him, if I caused him harm, I'd sooner give up my own life.
George's hand trailed down my cheek, stopping when it reached my neck. He gently pressed me back into the mattress, his lithe form moving on top of mine. I stretched my head forward and kissed him on the lips, pressing my body up into his. My arms wound around his chest as I deepened the kiss. He kissed me back, hard and moaned against my mouth when I writhed underneath him. He broke the kiss off, rolling over and laying on his back, breathing heavily as he looked at the ceiling. I moved over and stared at him, breathing deep as I attempted to calm my racing heart.
"Merlin, you're going to be the death of me." He said, a smile lifting his swollen lips.
"Do we really have to get up?" I asked, trailing my hand along his chest. His eyes fluttered shut before he opened them again and turned to face me.
"Fraid so, Love." He moved his hand up and cupped my cheek, caressing it with his thumb. My eyes fluttered shut at the contact and I leaned into the contact.
"We have to go." I said, forcing my eyes open and sitting up. I pushed off the covers and gave a cat like stretch, working out my muscles and yawning. George got up off the other side and walked to my side.
"Need any help getting dressed?" He asked, wiggling his eyebrows. I shook my head and laughed, shoving him gently in the chest.
"No, I can manage that just fine on my own." I gave him a cheeky grin and moved around him, reaching the drawer and pulling it open. I grabbed out a weird sisters t-shirt, and a pair of old faded jeans that I loved. George walked up behind me and wrapped his arms around me, nuzzling into my neck and making me shiver delightedly.
"Mmm," I mummured, craning my neck so he could get at it better. "If you keep this up I'm going to insist that we don't have to leave." I said, giggling slightly when he grunted and pulled away.
"It would be far more fun." He said before walking into the bathroom to get dressed. I watched him go with a smile, appreciating the build of his back and the fact that he was only wearing his blue boxers. He paused right before he shut the door and turned towards me, a cocky grin on his handsome face.
"Like what you see?" I smiled and tilted my head.
"Most definitely." I said before turning around and pulling my shirt off. I was reaching for my other shirt when I felt someone grab my waist.
"I love what I see." George said whispering in my ear. I shivered and grabbed his arms, squeezing them to my waist before turning in his grasp.
"We really, really need to get to breakfast. " I said, gasping as he pulled me into his chest. God, that felt so good. "I promised Harry we'd help him with the plan, plus I wanted to work on the animagus, Merlin!" I finished with a gasp as he started kissing my neck.
"No," I said, trying to catch my breath. "We are getting dressed, we are going to breakfast." I said, pushing him away gently. He smiled, wiggling his eyebrows.
"Okay, but I'm getting you alone the first chance I have." He said before turning around and going back into the bathroom. I pulled my shirt on and my jeans, pulling my hair back in a quick ponytail. George came out of the bathroom, wearing a tight fitting green shirt and faded blue jeans. Did he have to look so cute in everything?
We left the room hand in hand, heading to the breakfast table where everyone else was already waiting. We ate a quick breakfast and then went to talk to Griphook. He was still hesitant about our idea, but he was slowly warming up. He seemed to be most comfortable with me, probably because under the new regime, I had just as few rights as he did. I even had my station written on my arm, never able to be healed. I'd almost cried when I found out that it couldn't be healed. I'd never be able to wear a short sleeve shirt again without showing it. I then realized how silly that was, George had lost an ear in this war, and he wasn't bothered by it anymore. I wouldn't let this bother me, I'd view it as a badge of honor, not a mark of shame. I was a mudblood, and I was proud to be one. I could go toe to toe with any pure blood, and I could probably beat them.
After our meeting with Griphook we went outside by the beach, Angelina, Fred, Harry and Ron with us. We continued our Animagus lessons, which we had all been practicing while we were apart. Last time I had tried to change I had actually grown some fur, I hadn't changed, but I'd gotten close. This time, I was determined to do it. So help me, I'd been trying for a year and a half, I would change by the end of the day. The week at the absolute latest.
We all grabbed out our wands and commenced trying. Nothing terribly exciting happened at first, but then we began to slowly change. Fred's eyes turned yellow, Harry grew a few feathers, Ron's ears got longer, Angelina's feet turned grey, George and I both grew fur. We tried again, thrilled by this almost success, and I changed.
I shrunk to all four, and a pain filled me as my body started to change, it was a lot like taking polyjuice, except my mind was also changing. It seemed like everything became simpler, and clearer. I opened my eyes and looked around, surprised that everything had lost its color, turning gray instead. My sense of smell and hearing had increased exponentially, I could hear everything, and smell things I had never noticed before. George, who was standing beside me, had the most incredible aroma, it made me feel hot and full of desire, I had no idea what was going on. I opened my mouth to talk, and I let out a loud bark. I snapped my mouth shut, shocked by what I had just done.
"Hermione!" George bellowed, laughing in excitement as he knelt on his knees to better look at me. "You did it! I can't believe it, you're a cocker spaniel!" I barked again, wagging my tail without even meaning too. I was excited that I had made George happy and couldn't help it. He grinned even wider, giving me the large toothy grin that always left me weak kneed and reached for my ears. He held them gently examining them with a sparkle in his eyes. The others had gathered around him, looking shocked and excited. "Look at her ears!" George said, holding them so the others could see them. "They're just like her hair!"
"They are!" Ron exclaimed, laughing. "They're bushy!"
I barked at that.
Harry laughed, both at Ron's exclamation and my indignation. "They are bushy Hermione, but it's sort of cute."
"Come on, let's try again." Fred said, looking excited by my success. The others all nodded their heads and picked up they're wands. After a few minutes, Fred and George both changed. They had been standing there one moment, and the next, two much smaller creatures were in their spot. I moved forward to better look at them and almost laughed when I saw what they'd turned into. Two Squirrels, it fit them so perfectly. They're fur was a red color that match their real hair, they had bright blue eyes, and they were both the same weight and height. The only real distinguishing factor between the two of them was an ear, one of them was missing his ear. It had to be George.
I walked up to said squirrel and looked down at it, feeling my tail wag again as I stared at him. He looked up at me and a grin lifted his lips. He glanced at Fred and then they both rolled over, making a strange hissing sound that made me think of laughter. Looking at the two of them lying on their backs, laughing, did me in, I started to laugh too. It came out as a strange bark, but it did sound like I was laughing. I heard another exclamation behind me and I turned around to see another new animal. It was a beautiful Horned Owl. I knew who it was instantly by its head feathers, they were sticking up in random places and looked like he had just been flying. He had dark black fur, and beautiful bright green eyes.
It was Harry. He even had a little white mark on his forehead where his scar had been. He let out a startled 'who', and moved his wings, hovering a bit before he let out a surprised squawk and fell back to the ground.
Another noise happened right behind me, and I whipped around excitedly. Ron and Angelina were both missing, and a Lab and Horse were in their place.
Awesome.
{}o{}o{}
We had a lot of fun changing; we ended up spending the rest of the day playing with our new forms. Harry got fairly good at flying, and actually managed to fly around the cottage a couple of times.
"So," Harry said as we neared the steps to the cottage. "We all need to decide whether or not we want to register ourselves."
"Heck no!" Fred and George exclaimed. "With Moldy in charge of the ministry?"
"I was thinking more along the lines of telling them after we beat him." Harry replied, looking amused.
"I still think no." I said, piping up.
"What?" Ron asked, looking shocked. "You think we should keep something like that from the Ministry, I'm shocked!"
"Well, I think it could be dangerous for them to know some our forms. At least to know Harry's." I countered, opening the door to the cottage and stepping through.
"Yeah, I agree, just never thought I'd see Hermione Granger suggest we break a law." Ron said, shaking his head in amusement. I stuck my tongue out at him as we entered the kitchen before I turned to help Fleur with dinner. Fred and Angelina left to help with Potterwatch, they were intending on airing another one soon, and they wanted to get everything ready for it. George was staying with us though, since I'd lost my bracelet we'd decided not to separate again.
We all sat down at the table a few minutes later and began to pass the food out. We had no sooner started eating than a loud bang sounded at the front entrance. Everyone's head turned and we all jumped, instantly on high alert. Bill was the first up, his wand pointed at the door. Everyone else followed suit. Griphook slipped out of sight, and I wished Harry would do the same. We couldn't risk anything happening to him.
"Who is it?" Bill called once he reached the door.
"It is I, Remus John Lupin!" called a voice over the howling wind. Remus? Why was he here? Had he left Tonks again? "I am a werewolf, married to Nymphadora Tonks, and you, the Secret-Keeper of Shell Cottage, told me the address and bade me come in an emergency!"
"Lupin," Bill muttered, wrenching the door open. Remus burst through the doorway, pale and drenched with rain. He straightened up and looked around, his eyes taking us all in before a huge grin spread across his face.
"It's a boy! We've named him Ted, after Dora's father!"
"Wha -? Tonks - Tonks has had the baby?" I squeaked, thrill rushing thorugh me. A baby, they'd had the baby! Oh, I couldn't wait to see it!
"Yes, yes, she's had the baby!" Remus replied, glowing with excitement and happiness. Everyone congratulated him and we made room for him at the table.
"Yes - yes - a boy," Remus said, looking far happier than I had ever seen him. He walked around the table and grasped Harry in a tight hug, tears filling his brown eyes.
"You'll be godfather?" he said as he released Harry.
"M-me?" Harry stammered his eyes growing wide and a look of astonishment lit his face.
"You, yes, of course - Dora quite agrees, no one better -" Remus said, smiling down at Harry.
"I - yeah - blimey -" He replied, blinking in astonishment. Fleur handed Remus a goblet, insisting he stay for a drink.
"I can't stay long, I must get back," Remus said, beaming as he looked at us. "Sirius is staying with her right now." He explained, accepting the goblet from Fleur.
We all got a goblet full of wine and held it up in a toast to Teddy Remus Lupin.
"'Oo does 'e look like?" Fleur inquired, smiling excitedly. She was just as excited as me about the baby.
"I think he looks like Dora, but she thinks he is like me. Not much hair. It looked black
when he was born, but I swear it's turned ginger in the hour since. Probably blond by the time I get back. Andromeda says Tonks's hair started changing color the day that she was born." He drained his goblet. "Oh, go on then, just one more," he added, beaming, as Bill made to fill it again. We all drank, celebrating the joy that the baby had brought us. We'd needed a bright spot in this dark war. We all felt up lifted, excited. Regardless of how hard he tried Voldemort couldn't stop this happiness, he couldn't stop love or the simple joy that this news brought. He couldn't stop Remus from falling in love with Tonks and letting himself be happy with her. He couldn't stop us from promising to follow Harry, from giving up everything to fight him. He couldn't stop our hope. Even on this dark night in this awful storm, even after the brutal torturing I received at Malfoy Manor, our hope still survived-if anything, it was thriving. Each day brought us one day closer to his down fall.
"No... no... I really must get back," said Lupin at last, declining yet another goblet of wine. He got to his feet and pulled his traveling cloak back around himself, still glowing with happiness.
"Good-bye, good-bye - I'll try and bring some pictures in a few day's time - they'll all be so glad to know that I've seen you –Sirius we'll be upset he missed you." He fastened his cloak of his robe, bidding us all farewell and giving us hugs before setting off into the wild night again.
{}o{}o{}
A week later and all our plans were made. I didn't care for them to much, but they were the best we had.
Now, I was getting dressed in long black robes and Harry was trying to convince me this was a good idea. "And you'll be using her actual wand," he was saying, nodding toward the walnut
wand we had gotten from her, "so I reckon you'll be pretty convincing."
I picked up the wand with a frown. It felt awful in my hands, like an evil animal. It was also really hard to do magic with.
"I hate that thing," I said quietly, staring at it with repulsion. "I really hate it. It feels all wrong, it doesn't work properly for me . . . It's like a bit of her."
"It'll probably help you get in character, though," Ron said. "think what that wand's done!"
"That's just it!" I snapped, spinning around to face him. "I know what this wands done! I've felt what it does. It's the wand that tortured Neville's mum and dad, plus who knows how many other people?" George was by my side in a second, his hand on my arm in an attempt to calm me. I took a breath and forced myself to calm down. I would not lose it, now was not the time to.
"You insensitive prats." George said, shaking his head at Harry and Ron. "This is the wand that tortured her." He finished, glaring at the wand.
"No, it's not that." I cut in, shivering as I realized just how right he was. This wand had tortured me. "I just feel like I'm supporting what it's done. What if I accidentally do something evil?"I asked, voicing my actual fear.
"You won't 'Mione. Your too kind to do something like that." Harry said, shaking his head earnestly.
"You can do magic unwillingly." I countered.
"Yes, but you still control it." George told me, spinning me around so that I was facing him.
"I've done destructive magic before." I said, lowering my eyes.
"We've all done destructive magic before." George said,
"It's the only type of magic kids manifest. We don't make flowers appear. Most kids only show magic if they're threatened or mad or scared." Ron interjected, surprising me.
"Why do you all always look like that whenever I say something clever?" Ron asked, looking at us all in annoyance. I laughed when I realized we all had the same shocked look. We all let out a relieved laugh, the atmosphere in the room lightened up considerably. They were all right, I was over reacting. I was in control of the magic, not the wand. Besides, this was just a dress rehearsal. I wouldn't have to actually do anything until tomorrow.
'What is going on?" A voice I was beginning to dislike asked from the door behind us.
"We've just been checking the last-minute stuff, Griphook." Harry said, somehow managing to smile. "We've told Bill and Fleur we're leaving tomorrow, and we've told them not to get up to see us off." We all smiled at him, trying to give him the idea that he could leave. Of course, he didn't get the hint; he just stood there staring at us.
Honestly, the goblin was incredible, he had tracking abilities that rivaled those of Mrs. Weasley. He could find us no matter where we were hiding in this house. He'd find us and then round us up, demanding to know what we were planning. As though Luna and Ron hiding away in a broom closet were planning anything. We'd actually used poor Dean to distract him. The two of them had gotten to know each other quite well during their months on the run. I think Dean was the only Human that Griphook actually trusted.
"Well," I said, pulling the dark robes off and setting the walnut wand down. "I think I'm going to turn in for the night. After all, we have a big day tomorrow and we'll need to get an early start." I smiled at the others and took a step towards the bedroom before looking over my shoulder. "Are you coming, George?" He nodded his head, giving me that big toothy grin. My knees wobbled and I had to stop myself from leaping over Ron and Harry and taking him right there. I somehow managed to turn around though and head back to my room, though I couldn't hide my smile.
I went straight to my room and changed into my nightgown before I brushed my teeth. By the time I left the bedroom George had arrived and gotten into bed. I smiled when he saw me and walked forward, climbing onto the bed next to him. He turned towards me and leaned forward so that he was only a few inches from me. My heart started to thump and my breath quickened. How was it he still had this affect on me? How did he make me still feel like this? I'd been with him for two years, and he still left me breathless.
"What are you thinking about?" George asked, running his hand along my cheek. I shivered at the feel and leaned into his touch.
"Nothing," I replied, not wanting to tell the truth.
"Worried about tomorrow?" He questioned moving his hand down from my cheek to clasp my hands.
"A little. So much could go wrong, I'd hate for anyone to get hurt."
"Nothing will, we've got a fairly sound proof plan." He paused, a grin quirking his lips when he saw my incredulous look. "Sound proof for us at least." He said with a little laugh. "We usually just wing it. We actually have an idea on how we're going to get in. That's pretty big for us."
I gripped his hands tighter in mine and leaned my head forward, tilting it slightly. "Thank you." I whispered before kissing him on the lips. He deepened it eagerly, letting go of my hands and grabbing me around the waist. I smiled against the kiss running my hands up his well defined back. He moaned and shifted in his seat, turning fully towards me and bringing his hands under my night gown to tug it up. An evil thought occurred to me and I moved against him, causing him to let out a groan. I pulled back from the kiss and moved out of his grip, backing up on the bed so that I was in the spot I usually slept.
"Well, we have a big day tomorrow, best get some sleep." I said, trying not to smile. His eyes were wide and he looked shocked and upset. His swollen lips were turned down at the corners in a confused frown and his bare chest was heaving as he tried to regain his breath.
"What?" he asked, sounding extremely disappointed and sad. I laughed, a huge grin erupting on my face and sat back up, grabbing him by the shoulders and pulling him down on top of me.
"Maybe I could think of a few reasons to stay up."