Chapter Text
Hermione was bored.
That much she knew, but she didn't know why. She had all her friends around her, who usually had her with a smile on her face permanently. No it wasn't because she was alone, well not in the sense that you're thinking.
She realised with a sudden jolt of pain that she had no-one to love, she was twenty three years old and the only real boyfriend she’d had, barring Krum, was Ronald. Ronald was a sweet guy but after months of going out Hermione realised that she just didn't see him as a boyfriend, more as a very close friend. Any romantic feelings she’d once had for him had petered out throughout their short time as a couple, leaving Hermione confused and unsure as to how to tell Ron this.
His reaction to this revelation was less than desirable, while Hermione’s feelings had lessened, Ron’s had seemed to only grow.
"I thought we were fine Hermione, I love you so much why won't you see that" Ron Whimpered.
"I can't keep pretending Ronald, it would be no good for the both of us, I love you but not in the way you want me to" Ron's choked out words had really gotten to Hermione who was now also lightly crying. “Can’t you see it would be bad for both of us if we stayed together, I would grow to resent our relationship and you would get the brunt of it when it finally blew up … I don’t want that”.
"I know I can't force you to come back to me but this hurts too much, I don’t understand how this went so wrong". Ron’s eyes looked at her pleadingly, as if hoping Hermione would suddenly change her mind on the matter.
"I can’t do anything other than apologise Ronald, I don't like this either but there’s just no other way. I can’t give you what you want". Hermione’s words had a tone of finality to them which hit Ron like a tonne of bricks.
With these words Ron walked out of the room, leaving Hermione with feelings of guilt but also as if a huge weight had been lifted.
Hermione sighed as she remembered the event feeling glad that, although Ron had been hurt, he had soon gotten over it and become friends with her once again. It had taken time but he’d started to see her point of view and had eventually met a girl who loved him as much as he loved her. Hermione was relieved, not only to have one of her best friends back but also to see Ron happy again.
Hermione had grown up since her school days; she was making a good living working within the department of magical law enforcement at the ministry for magic. She lived on her own in a nice little flat that just suited her. Books were strewn everywhere but in a neat way that only Hermione could perfect.
Her looks had also changed as well with her once massively frizzy hair calming down, to become wavy and manageable, and her body maturing with its age; she had grown to become an attractive woman. Despite this though her hectic schedule of work and spending adequate amount of time with her friends left her with little other time to go out with any suitors who may happen along her way, not that there were many of them either.
During the pondering of her quite miserable love life Hermione soon realised that she had promised the Weasley family that she would come to dinner that night, bringing along with her their Christmas presents (being that it would be Christmas in a few days). She rushed to get ready putting on some comfortable jeans, a relatively Christmassy jumper and some boots, there was ice everywhere and she didn't want to be slipping over like she regularly tended to. Grabbing the presents she grabbed her wand and apparated to the burrow.
When Hermione had arrived at the Burrow she was bowled over by the sudden attack on her of the Weasley family. Mrs Weasley had swooped her up in to a large hug whilst Ginny had whipped the presents away from her before she could even utter a word and George, who was weirdly missing a twin, had run up to her like a mad man and quickly started to blabber to her about silly things like.
"Any presents amongst them for me?"
"Wanna be a test subject for our latest product, guaranteed to have no lasting after affects"
When Hermione finally escaped Mrs Weasley's clutches saying a quick thank you for inviting her, Hermione quickly turned around to George saying.
"Of course I brought you a present, I brought presents for everyone, it's Christmas and that is what happens. No I will not test any of your products EVER stop asking me this is the only answer you will ever get. GINNY! COME HERE WITH THOSE PRESENTS OR NOTHING WILL SAVE YOU!" She finally shouted, directing her words to a different Weasley this time
And with that she left the room chasing after Ginny. Leaving George with a slightly glazed look in his eyes and a faint smile on his face
Mrs Weasley's dinner was, as always, delicious. Hermione found it hard to fit in everything that was put in front of her and she was slightly frightened of the prospect of what would happen when she visited for Christmas day.
George had insisted on sitting next to her like he always did, this continuously confused Hermione because she had never been very close to him. This being said she did not mind it at all, she found him thoroughly entertaining and he was certainly handsome enough for her to occasionally stare at him starry eyed. There was nothing wrong with that was there?
She was now sitting in the Weasley's living room, in front of the fire, reading a book. She was on her own because the Weasley boys and Ginny had wanted a snowball fight; Hermione had refused and walked away laughing under her a breath at the antics of her supposed adult friends. Hermione didn't mind at all because it was rare for her to get the time to just sit on her own and think or read.
Her solitude was not to be kept for long though because soon after she had gotten to the third chapter of her book she was disrupted by George bursting through the door. He smiled at her and proceeded to stand in front of the fire, his back to her warming his hands with the fire.
While George had his back to her Hermione took the time to ogle, His shoulders were broad and strong although hidden by his large coat, his messy hair sticking up every which way and dusted with snow from the fun he had been having outside. Hermione had taken a liking to him recently but obviously felt that this liking wouldn't really translate to anything. George didn’t like her in that way and Hermione is never quite sure of her feelings when it comes to romance.
A voice broke through Hermione’s musings "What? Have I got something on my face?"
Uh oh, Hermione had been so caught up thinking about George that she had not noticed him turn around and look at her with a bemused smile. While she had been initially staring intently at his neck she was now gazing at his face.
"Oh, no sorry, just daydreaming, it's too comfy and warm in here I think my brain is turning into mush" Hermione garbled, wishing that she wasn't so tired, it was seriously turning her into a softy, she shouldn't be staring at George like that, he is Ron's brother.
George laughed and proceeded to sit next to her lifting her feet up, which were draped over the whole of the couch, and then proceeded on to put them back down, resting them on his lap.
"So, got anything interesting planned for the holidays, other than reading copious amounts of books and spending time with me and my family?” George asked, his fingers grazing lightly over Hermione’s legs lazily.
"Well" Hermione blushed, distracted slightly my George’s ministrations. Embarrassingly George had pretty much gotten her plans for the Christmas holidays exactly right and the fact that Hermione had no other plans at all just served to fuel this embarrassment "Erm, I will probably go see my parents on boxing day, other than that just taking my time off of work to relax, I don’t really get to do that often". Hermione breathily replied to George’s question, completely flustered by the complete lameness of her response as well as his fingers which continued to dance almost unknowingly around her ankle.
George laughed throatily at her response, causing Hermione to reply in kindness glad that George wasn’t going to make fun of her for her less than exciting plans.
"Well then" George grinned devilishly. "I'm gonna have to make it my obligation to make this holiday as little boring as possible, what do you say to that?"
George stopped his fingers on her ankles to firmly grasp at them instead looking firmly into Hermione’s eyes with a look of determination. Hermione couldn't help but secretly smile over this comment and his actions, she certainly wouldn't mind spending most of her Christmas holidays with George, and she knew that the days wouldn't lack laughs.
"I suppose I'm going to have to keep you to that Mr. Weasley, it sounds like a big task you're taking on there, I wouldn't want to be left with it".
"But my dear Hermione it is my pleasure". George replied back with a wicked grin on his face, leaning back again onto the cushions of the sofa and starting back again with grazing his fingers over Hermione’s ankle.
Hermione started to laugh, he really did not realise what he had let himself in for.
"What? Why are you laughing?" George spoke, his mouth curling into a smile "Am I that funny?"
"No, it's not that, it's just that you do not realise what you have just let yourself in for". Hermione giggled, face reddening at the thought.
"Oh so you don't think I'm funny … fine you're not very smart, ha see how you like it" George replied childishly, sticking his tongue out.
George's comment brought Hermione to a new wave of laughter, George's very haughty response was hilarious and Hermione just couldn't help it.
"Hey, stop laughing, it's not funny, I don't even know what you're laughing at".
George's mystified look only served to make things funnier for Hermione but she was able to rein herself in and within seconds had stopped herself with the majority of the laughing and only occasionally went into tiny fits of giggles.
"I'm sorry George" Hermione eventually said, looking at him intently. "you really are quite funny".
"Bloody hell George, why where you out so long? You only said you were going to warm your hands up, hey Hermione". Ron came into the room looking accusingly at George for leaving their obviously epic snowball fight. Fred trailed in behind Ron with a lazy smile on his face when he saw Hermione and George sitting together.
Hermione's and Georges gazes quickly snapped away from each other and focused on the two brothers. She felt a slight annoyance at the interruption but quickly chastised herself for this thought; she had no right to feel this way.
"Well my dear brothers. I came in here to do as you just explained and happened upon lovely miss Hermione, we got to chatting and I totally forgot about the game" a mischievous smile was now on his face. "And you'll never guess what, she agreed to come out and play".
Hermione immediately opened her mouth to argue against this but was soon stopped by both Ron and Fred, both had started whooping and immediately lunged forward and picked her up by her arms, dragging her out of the living room.
Hermione looked back at George in the living room still sitting on the couch with his mischievous and twinkling smile and mouthed to him "you'll pay for this".
George just winked, smiled even more and mouthed back "bring it".