Work Text:
The sun was beginning to set on the Burrow as the remaining wedding guests made their way to their apparition points to call it an evening. Hermione took a few moments to take one last look at the beautiful decorations that she and Mrs. Weasley had spent the better part of their evening the night before arranging. The flowers had started to wilt at the loss of the sun, but everything else seemed to be holding their own.
With a gentle sigh, Hermione smiled and turned on her heel to head back into the Burrow to join the others for one last cuppa before the newlyweds left for their honeymoon. As she neared the front door, she could see everyone gathered in the sitting room laughing at one of the twins' latest products from the shop. Hermione shook her head with a laugh before making her way inside to join them. The only spot in the room left to sit was beside George, so Hermione made her way over to him and took a seat quickly before someone else could steal it.
"It's about time you joined us, 'Mione," Fred exclaimed, glancing at her out of the corner of his eye as a smile pulled at the corners of his lips, seeing her sat next to George. "What took you so long?"
"I was just tidying up a few things," Hermione replied, rolling her eyes at him. "I was just trying to be helpful."
"Why would you want to be helpful when you could have been in here experiencing the newest batch of products ready to hit the shelves of Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes?" Fred asked, pulling another item from his bag and handing it to George. "Georgie, my boy, why don't you tell the family all about this one?"
Reluctantly, George took the orb away from Fred and carefully set it on the floor in front of where he and Hermione were seated. He let out a sigh before reaching forward and tapping the top of the orb three times, releasing a beam of light onto the ceiling. A few moments later, the beam of light exploded as a high-pitched ringing sound echoed through the room. Everyone's hands immediately covered their ears.
"George Fabian Weasley!" Molly shouted, storming into the sitting room. "Turn that bloody ringing off!"
George snickered, reaching out to tap the orb three times with a half-smile on his face. "Sorry about that," he said, shrugging his shoulders as the noise faded away.
Molly rolled her eyes, shaking her head. "I can barely hear myself think over the normal level of you all talking, but now you've added noisemakers to your toys," she huffed, crossing her arms over her chest. "I'm going to bed. No more shrieking toys for the rest of the night, please?"
"Of course," George and Fred said in unison, offering Molly a smile. "Sweet dreams."
Molly laughed softly to herself and looked around the room at the smiling faces of the rest of her children and their friends. It had been a beautiful day to celebrate Ron and Pansy's wedding. After everything they had been through in the past two years, it was nice to celebrate for once. But for now, she needed her rest.
"Don't you all stay up too late now," Molly warned, meeting each of their eyes. "We've got a wedding to clean up in the morning, and I expect everyone to be ready to help."
An echo of agreement arose from the group, so Molly said her good nights and made her way to bed.
A few hours later, everyone was struggling to keep their eyes open. Fred would yawn, then Harry and Ginny. Not long after that, George would yawn, which would inevitably cause Hermione to stretch her arms over her head and let out a yawn, which would start the entire circle of yawning all over again.
"I think that might be a sign," Hermione laughed, pushing herself up off the floor. "I'm headed to bed. Mrs. Weasley is going to expect us up and ready to work in a few short hours."
"You're right," George agreed, following Hermione's lead which inspired everyone else to follow suit. They all made their way upstairs and dispersed into separate bedrooms, leaving Hermione and George alone in the hall.
They crept down the hall to the last pair of bedrooms left in the Burrow. Hermione turned to the door and grabbed the doorknob, turning it slowly to the left. Hermione found Bill and Fleur sprawled out on the bed inside the room as the door pushed open.
"Oh," Hermione mumbled, pulling the door closed and turning on her heel slowly. "I guess I'll just sleep on the couch."
"What?" George asked, turning around to look at Hermione from inside the other bedroom. "Who's in there?"
"Bill and Fleur must have snuck away during the wedding and fell asleep," Hermione said, shrugging her shoulders as she leaned up against the door. "I don't mind sleeping on the couch. It would have been nice to know before I made it all the way up here."
George chuckled as he looked her up and down for a moment. After a few moments of thinking, he carded a hand through his hair as he nervously looked at the ground. "You can sleep in here," he offered, glancing up at her with a small smile. "The bed has plenty of room, and if you'd prefer, I can sleep on the floor."
"George," Hermione began, looking him up and down. "I can't take your bed, and I certainly won't make you sleep on the floor. I can sleep on the couch. I really don't mind."
George let out a sigh and stepped out into the hall, reaching out to take Hermione's hand. "You are not sleeping on the couch. I am insisting that you sleep in this room with me."
Hermione's cheeks flushed as she reached up to tuck a strand of hair behind her ear with her free hand as she looked down at George's hand holding hers.
"I didn't mean with me, with me," George insisted, chuckling nervously under his breath as he looked up at her with a half-hearted smile. "I just meant -"
"Share the bed with you so that neither of us has to sleep on the floor or on the couch," Hermione chimed in, squeezing George's hand. "Thank you."
"You're welcome," George said, nodding his head as he led her into his room and pushed the door shut behind them. He watched as Hermione made her way into the en suite loo to change from her dress into something to sleep in quickly. It was a weird feeling, knowing that he was about to share a bed with the one and only Hermione Granger.
George shook his head and pushed all of the thoughts running rampant in his mind, and reached for the buttons on his shirt. He let out a sigh as he dropped the shirt from his shoulders and tossed it on top of the dresser. George let out a yawn, stretching his arms over his head before making his way over to the bed. Laying down, he rested his head against the pillow and folded his arms behind his head.
A few moments later, Hermione emerged from the loo in a pair of shorts and a Gryffindor jumper. She smiled when she saw George drifting off to sleep on the bed. Shaking her head, Hermione placed her dress on the chair on the far side of the room before walking over to the bed. She reached out and pulled the blankets back, and climbed in, next to him.
She looked over at George and flashed a smile. "Now remember, all we are doing here is sleeping tonight, and it'll be our little secret."
"Deal," George replied, chuckling under his breath. He looked at the lamp on the far side of the room. "Nox."
"Good night, George," Hermione whispered, rolling onto her side and pulling the blankets up to her chin.
"Good night, Hermione," George said, smiling as he watched her drift off to sleep before rolling on his side and allowing rest to take over.