Chapter 4

"Well well well, look what the cat dragged in," a snide voice drawled, bringing Hermione's head snapping up.

She was confronted by a scene that was eerily similar to that morning; Pansy stood between her boss and the receptionist, all three wearing malicious expressions. It was Pansy who had spoken, obviously over her crying fit and out for revenge. Hermione couldn't help but wonder what she had ever done to the other woman to deserve the kind of treatment she was sure she was about to receive.

"Is there a problem?" she asked, glancing down at her watch and seeing she had made it back within her lunch break. She began to feel her heart drop to the pit of her stomach; whatever was going on wasn't going to be good.

"In fact there is Miss Granger. As of today you are trespassing on Ministry property," Phillip Bitstock said cockily, obviously enjoying the power trip.

"What?" Hermione asked, screwing her face up in confusion; the man wasn't making sense.

"I am afraid that you are no longer suitable for this position and that as of now your contract with the Ministry has been terminated. Bernice has saved you some time by packing your things," the old bastard sneered, motioning for the Bernice, who had been practically bouncing at the side line, waiting to come forward. She proudly handed over the box full of her certificates and random nick knacks, many of them given to her by friends and family when she had first gotten the job.

"I don't understand," she finally whispered, looking down at the box in her arms, not quite believing what was happening.

"You're fired, now get out," Pansy said, smiling cheerfully. Hermione looked up at her old classmate, shocked to see the vengeful hint to her expression. She opened her mouth to say something, anything to turn the situation around, but no words would come out and she ended up looking like an overgrown goldfish.

Finally she tore her gaze away from the once stunning raven haired Slytherin and looked toward her boss; he gave her a slight smirk as if challenging her. At a loss and more than a little confused, she turned as if in a daze and walked out of the building and back into the sunshine.

For the first time in many years, Hermione's mind was blank; she was too stunned to even comprehend what had just occurred. She didn't even realize where her feet were taking her until she stood before the massive purple and yellow building, complete with its flashing lights and multi-coloured products.

Swallowing the lump in her throat she walked into the shop. Seeing Fred in the far corner helping a young mother choose a present and George at the counter cooing down at an open cardboard box that must contain the infant elf, she decided she didn't want to disturb them any more that day and quietly walked over to the stairs that led to their apartment.

The wards instantly recognized her and she was granted entry to the place she had begun to see as a sanctuary of sorts. Dumping her own cardboard box on the couch, she kicked off her shoes and walked into George's room. Climbing on top of his bed and curling into a ball, she decided not to move ever again.

That was how George found her some time later; he and Fred had closed up shop to get ready to go out to the pub for Charlie's last night in London. He entered his bedroom and found Hermione curled on her side staring unblinkingly at the opposite wall.

"Hermione?" he asked softly, stepping onto the soft shag pile rug at the foot of the bed. Hearing his brother speak Fred ventured from the kitchen to investigate. When she didn't answer he tried again, while Fred walked around to crouch down beside her head and look at her face.

"What's wrong?" he whispered. She blinked at him and sat up. Looking between the two men, she turned back to the one addressing her and opened her mouth to speak but found she couldn't form the words. Sighing, she looked away from his concerned gaze to stare at the blue bed spread. She wasn't even aware that hours had passed and night had fallen; all she could feel was the damning numbness and feelings of utter rejection.

George climbed onto the bed behind her and pulled her back into his chest, and she suddenly felt something, just a small spark of feeling, of being wanted and comforted. Still staring at Fred, she reached her hand out to him and pulled him up so his face now hovered over hers; she ran her fingers along the slight stubble of his jaw before pulling him closer to him again.

George watched, mesmerized as she kissed his brother tenderly, seeming to gain confidence as the seconds drew on until she was all but crushing him in her embrace. Whatever was wrong with her had left her feeling desperate for human contact.

Hermione found the more passionate she became the less bleak her existence seemed, and she soon had Fred beneath her on the bed until he was desperately responding back. Just when George was beginning to feel a bit like a voyeur she broke away panting from his brother and rounded on him, pulling him to her until her head lay beside Fred's on the pillow and George loomed over her.

She wasn't even aware of them stripping of her clothes as well as their own until she cried out at the skin on skin sensation. She climbed on top of Fred as George shifted off her and without any further preparation, impaled herself upon him. Fred gripped her hips as she rode him hard and fast, eyes closed as she concentrated on gaining the most out of the experience; the only time she paused was when she felt George behind her.

Looking back she found him gazing at her in question and she nodded silently before falling still on Fred. She had only taken them both a handful of times, and right now she was desperate for any and all contact. George carefully shifted so his legs were on either side of Fred's but between Hermione's, and he probed her entrance lightly. She bit her lip and closed her eyes as he gradually worked his way in and began rocking against her.

Taking his brother's lead, Fred began to rock as well until they worked up to the desperate pace she had set earlier. After several minutes of working in tandem, Hermione felt her inner muscles begin to clench, and after half a dozen hard thrusts into her jerking body she felt her orgasm wash over her in waves, triggering both men to cry out, one after the other.

She opened her eyes some time later to find that George had tipped her to his side so he could spoon around her from behind while Fred had wedged himself into her embrace. She heaved a sigh as the pleasant warmth faded and the day's events came rushing back to her. Reluctantly pulling away from the twins, she climbed over Fred to get out of the bed, waking them in the process.

"You're leaving?" George asked, propping himself on his elbows to watch her dress in the same clothes she had been wearing for two days.

"I just want to go home," she whispered sadly, refusing to look him in the eye.

"Can you at least tell us what's wrong?" Fred asked, sitting up fully and swinging his legs to the side of the bed but not getting up.

"I lost my job", she answered quietly, getting on her hands and knees to look under the bed for her shoe.

"What? But how?" George exploded, knowing that working for House-elf rights was her dream career.

"I pissed off the wrong person okay? I don't want to talk about it," she cried, sitting back on her heels to look around the room, locating the missing footwear by the door and scrambling over to it.

"Are you sure you are okay to get home? I don't want you to leave like this," Fred said, standing up as she finally got the heel buckled properly.

"No, I'm fine. You two just go out with your brothers and have a good time. I just need time to think," she explained.

"We don't have to go if you need us; you don't have to go through this alone. We know how much that job meant to you," Fred continued, approaching her now as George got out of the rumpled bed as well.

"I said I am fine. Now you both had better start getting ready, or you are going to be late," she answered, fighting the lump in her throat. She turned from their concerned gazes and walked into the living room to scoop up the both the box containing her office paraphernalia and the box with her house elf. She apparated before they had a chance to try and convince her to stay again.

Arriving at the front door to her flat she tried to juggle both boxes in one arm while she dealt with the latch, but the door suddenly swinging inwards startled her. Ron stood just as startled on the other side of the door, obviously on his way out to the pub.

"Oh, hey Mione," he said, shaking himself out of his shock and kissing her quickly on the cheek, as he noticed the boxes in her arms. "Nice elf", he smiled before apparating away. She stared at the spot he had been standing in before entering their home, finding Harry sitting on the couch staring blankly at the television.

"I thought you were going to say goodbye to Charlie," she commented in surprise, a little annoyed that she wasn't going to have the house to herself for the evening to mope around.

"Didn't feel like it," he grunted, not even looking at her. She stared at him a moment longer before turning and heading for her room. It seemed that they had both had terrible a day and neither of them seemed very keen to talk about it.

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