Fic: Semper Vigilans (5/?)
Semper Vigilans
- Chapter 5 -
Hermione fought off tears as she leaped from the car and rushed into the house. But once she had slammed the door she'd been unable to keep them at bay any longer. With tears streaming down her face, she ran up the stairs and down the hall to the bathroom. Wiping furiously at her eyes, she turned the shower on full blast and began to undress. The sound of George laughing at her echoed in her ears as she stepped under the steady stream of hot water.
With steaming liquid beating down on her in a steady, rhythmic spray, she brought her emotions under control. Taking a shuddering breath, Hermione finally was able to reach for the loofah and her favorite peach scented body wash and began to lather her body.
Moving on to her hair, she applied shampoo to her mass of curls, massaging her scalp as she did so. Finally, she stepped back under the shower head, allowing the water to wash away all of the suds from her body and hair.
Stepping from the shower, she grabbed a towel from its holder near the tub and wrapping the soft, fluffy piece of cotton around her wet body. Using a second, smaller towel for her hair, she patted dry the tresses as she stepped from the bathroom and made her way into her bedroom to dress.
Standing before her full length mirror, Hermione dropped first her head towel, then the one wrapped around her body. Critically, she gazed at her bare reflection. Her legs, she noted, were nowhere near long enough. She stood only five and a half foot, and next to the twins' own six foot two frame, she was a little on the short side. Her legs led up to a slight flare of hips and a slightly rounded abdomen. Her breasts, while not on the large side, were not exactly small either.
'One could say a little over a handful, given the right set of hands...'
With a huff, she pushed the thought away. George, nor Fred for that matter, would want to hold or touch any part of her body in that way. His laughter from earlier had proven that.
Giving a resigned sigh, she reached for the first article of her underthings to don: a white lacy bra, which dangled on a hook beside the full length mirror. Hermione gave a startled yelp as the door to her bedroom burst open revealing a rather dumb-founded George Weasley staring at her.
She was shocked. So shocked in fact that her normally sharp mind hadn't the chance to kick in. So, instead of immediately attempting to cover herself, she simply stood there, frozen as her eyes locked with the reflection of the equally shocked man's in the mirror.
To say that George got a peek at the goodies would be an understatement, no matter how much he protested to the fact afterward, claiming he didn't see anything. In reality, it took a full minute before he was able to stop himself from allowing his eyes to hungrily rake the expanse of soft flesh and supple curves on full display in the mirror, and another thirty seconds to get his vocal chords to work so that he might even begin to issue a single word of apology.
That minute and a half was all it took for Hermione's brain to kick start into gear. Stooping to grab the towel from the floor, the irate woman clutched it tightly to herself as she whirled around and began advancing toward the redhead.
"What the hell do you think you're doing? Get out!" She screamed as she reached out, her open palm making contact with his hard chest with every intention of shoving him out of the room.
He didn't budge, as he also had every intention on apologizing. He brought one hand up to capture hers and kept it anchored over his heart as he looked deeply into her eyes.
"Hermione, I just wanted to say that I'm sorry. Ever since we first met, you've been special to us. To me." He broke off as he sensed her anger beginning to drain away. His other hand had come up to caress her cheek, and at her softening expression, he continued. "I have never, nor would I ever, make fun of you. Don't you know that?"
She wanted to believe him. Did believe him, if truth be known. Out of everyone she knew, she was certain that neither he, nor his twin would do something as awful as enjoy a good laugh at her expense. It was what had endeared them to her in their school days and what drew her to them after they'd graduated. They would take turns picking her up from school and just hang out. They were truly her best friends.
Who she just happened to find herself extremely attracted to.
She looked deeply into George's eyes, finding them sincere. Then his eyes flickered downward and her breathing stopped, reality kicking in and the situation they were in took hold. She was standing in front of George Weasley. Naked.
Her anger was completely gone now replaced with an entirely different intense emotion. Sheer, mortifying embarrassment.
"Apology accepted. Now get out!" She shouted as she once again attempted to push him out the door.
George didn't resist this time, allowing her to shove him from the room and slam the door, cutting off his view of the her naked beauty.
Hermione leaned back against the closed door, her cheeks aflame at the knowledge that such a thin panel of wood was all that stood between George and herself. 'Oh, God, he saw... he saw everything!' Her mind flew into a panic as a thought plagued her. What if he hadn't liked what he saw? And then, her whole body throbbed pleasantly as another thought took hold. But... what if he had?
Taking a deep, cleansing breath, Hermione smiled as she remembered the expression on George's face she had caught a glimpse of in the reflection of the mirror. Oh, yeah, he definitely had.
Ever since we first met, you've been special to us. To me.
Hearing those words had honestly meant the world to Hermione, because it was true for her as well. Both of them, George and Fred, were extremely special to her. They always had been. Through thick and thin, they had always been by her side, so maybe it was time she started showing how much she appreciated them.
Releasing the breath slowly, Hermione pushed herself away from the door and began dressing with purpose.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~
After being pushed from her bedroom, George leaned against the opposite side of Hermione's door similar to the way she had. He bit back a curse as he shifted in an attempt to make himself more comfortable. Much like his twin earlier, George had a not-so-little problem, and with the image of a naked Hermione playing on repeat in his brain, it only served to heighten his desire for her, resulting in an overflow through the link.
As George was dealing with the aftermath of his glimpse of perfection, across town at 93 Diagon Alley, Fred almost dropped the contents of the sizzling pan on himself, as he felt the wave of unadulterated passionate yearning coming from his twin. He hissed as he burned his left index finger, and a string of colorful expletives escaped from his lips.
"Fuck." He groaned at the pain as he carefully balanced the pan over the stove, and marched towards the kitchen sink to hold his hand under cold water.
'Georgie? I don't sense that your upset anymore. But you do seem to be a bit... worked up. Anything happening I should know about?' He snarked at him through their bond.
'Well, I apologized...' Came George's short response.
Fred became suspicious, as he sensed that his twin was withholding something vital from him. There was no way the simple act of Hermione accepting his twin's apology would result in such an elicit response.
'Why do I get the feeling that's not all you did?' Fred asked.
'Welllll....' George began, and he could hear the teasing tone in his brother's voice. 'I might have happened upon our lovely Kit sans clothes...'
Fred's jaw dropped at his words. 'Bloody fucking hell!'
~*~*~*~*~*~
Hermione's face was flushed scarlet, as she donned her favorite pair of jeans, over her white lace underwear. Her thoughts flickered back to the intensely heated gaze George gave her, as his eyes trailed the exposed flesh of her body. Her skin trickled with heat and electricity, when she noticed the desire gleaming in his bright blue eyes.
She swallowed at the memory, and pulled on a slightly over-sized knitted sweater, and ran her fingertips through her wet curls. She decided to forgo drying her hair, and simply applied a light layer of natural make-up, and grabbed her favorite pair of light yellow converse shoes.
The brunette girl tied her shoelaces, silently dreading the moment where she needed to face her handsome friend again, but she grabbed her bag, squared her shoulders, and opened the door.
George looked up at her, his breath hitching in his throat. Hermione was beyond beautiful, and it didn't matter to him whether she was wearing clothes, or not, she was breathtakingly beautiful, both inside-, and out, which he voiced to her with a lopsided smile.
"You are so beautiful, love." He whispered sincerely.
Hermione's heart skipped a beat at his genuine compliment, and she was struggling to catch a breath. "T-thank you, George." She said shyly, and then looked down at her feet. "I want to apologize for over-reacting earlier. I realize now you were simply amused, and not maliciously laughing at me, like our peers in school used to." She paused, her fingertips playing with the sleeves of her knitted jumper. "It was unfair of me to assume such. Can you forgive me?"
George was stunned by her words. He hadn't expected her to feel guilty over her reaction, because he thought it was natural, given her circumstances. Stepping closer, he took her into his arms, his chin dipping into her lush hair atop her head. "No, Kit. You have absolutely nothing to apologize for." He rasped. "I was wrong to laugh at you, but you were so adorably flustered, I just couldn't help myself." He admitted. "And, um... speaking of apologies... I didn't mean to barge in on you earlier, I just wanted to make sure you were alright."
Hermione's face lit up with a bashful smile, as she glanced up at George. "Well, it was unexpected," She admitted, then gathering a bit of courage, she continued cheekily. "But I couldn't help but notice you enjoyed the view."
A lazy smirk tugged at his lips. "Now, Miss Granger, who wouldn't enjoy looking at such divine beauty..." He flirted playfully.
The brunette girl laughed. "Well, Mr. Weasley, you sure know how to exaggerate."
"Au contrare, my sweet." He whispered softly, his fingertips tenderly caressing her cheek. "You are beautiful. Never doubt that!" He murmured as he leaned in to brush his lips against her forehead.
Hermione's eyes drifted closed at the feel of George's soft lips on her skin. For a second, the thought of how his lips would feel pressed against other parts of her body invaded her mind, but she hastily pushed them back.
There had always been playful banter between the three of them, ever since their first meeting, which grew to include mild flirting from the boys, the older they got. Even when the twins had been dating in school, they would always throw lighthearted innuendos her way, much to the dismay of whoever their current girlfriend was.
She hadn't really taken them seriously until now. The hugs and kisses they frequently bestowed upon her hadn't effected her this strongly until now, but she couldn't allow herself to act rashly.
The revelation that, at least in George's case, their relationship was evolving into something more than friendly, would take some getting used to, but still, there was also the fact that she harbored feelings for Fred as well. What if she became involved with George, and he found out about the attraction to his twin? He would surely be hurt, resulting in things like jealousy, which would more than likely cause problems between them.
The last thing she wanted was to ruin their friendship and come between the brothers, they meant too much to her.
Unaware of Hermione's conflicting feelings and thoughts, George was fighting the urge to kiss her properly, like he so desperately wanted to. But he couldn't kiss her. Not yet. Not until Fred had been allowed to reveal his own intentions toward their beautiful Kit.
"So, I take it we're ready to go pick up my less handsome twin, and begin our adventure?" He asked, changing the subject.
Hermione smiled a teasing smile. "I wouldn't be so sure that Fred is the less handsome twin..."
George feigned offense, grasping at his chest dramatically. "The damsel wounds me!" He proclaimed before breaking out into a wicked grin. "Are you sure it's Freddie whose closeness gets your pulse racing, Princess?" He wriggled his eyebrows teasingly.
Hermione fought back the blush that threatened to rise, determined to get the better of George this time. Taking on a contemplative stance, she rested the elbow of one arm on the other and brought one hand up to her chin in mock thought. "Hmm... I might have to test that theory." She stated, inwardly smiling at the shocked look that spread across George's face and shrugged. "A little research never hurt anyone, you know."
George's eyes widened at her words, and he grinned a lopsided grin. "Well, well, we might get you comfortable yet with flirting, Miss Granger."
The blush blossomed on her cheeks this time, but Hermione felt a sense of pride fill her at his words. It was a strange thing to feel proud of, but she couldn't help it.
"Now, let's go, before Fred eats everything. You know how much of a bacon hog he is!" He chuckled softly, and slipped an arm around her waist, pulling her towards the stairs.
They arrived at the flat a few moments later, George opening the door to allow her in ahead of him as both laughed at a joke he'd just told. Their laughter stopped abruptly at the sight of a rather peeved Fred Weasley standing in the kitchen doorway, glaring at them.
"What the devil took you two so long? Do you know what time it is?" Fred inquired. "I slaved away at this breakfast all morning, but do you care? Noooo. Now it's probably gone cold!"
George and Hermione looked at one another and broke into a fit of laughter again. They wondered if they should mention to Fred the fact that he sounded exactly like his mum at that moment. Then they caught sight of the spatula he was waving about during his dramatic speel and thought better of it.
George wiped a tear of laughter from his eye with his right hand as he waved his left hand toward his brother in a complacent gesture. "Sorry, Gred. Completely lost track of time."
'I'm sure you did.' Fred's mental voice sounded somewhat poutier than his audible one, much to George's amusement.
Hermione ended Fred's tyraid when she crossed the room in order to rise up on tip toe and bestow a lingering kiss, not quite on the mouth, but not quite the cheek either.
When Hermione pulled back, she noticed that Fred's eyes had darkened somewhat and they were now focused solely on her. "I'm so sorry we're late, Fred. It was totally my fault. Please forgive me?"
"You know there is nothing you could possibly do that I wouldn't forgive you for, Kit." Fred replied, slipping the hand not holding the spatula around Hermione's waist and pulling her to him.
Hermione blushed slightly at his heated gaze, his words tugging at her heart and causing her body to react similarly to the way it had to George earlier. How had she not realized before now how utterly perfect her twins were? She ended up burying her face against his chest to prevent herself from giving into the sudden urge to snog him good and proper.
Fred held her to him as his eyes locked on his twin. 'This thing between us is progressing rather quickly, Forge. What do we do?'
'As much as I hate to say it, Gred, we're going to have to stall whatever is happening between us. We can't allow it to go too far, at least until we get get some answers. We haven't even begun researching yet.' George mentally projected his reply.
Their attraction to Hermione was growing by leaps and bounds every day becoming less and less containable. Now that it was becoming evident that it was affecting her as well, making it a two way - or rather - a three way, street, the twins knew they had to slow it down.
In agreement, Fred pulled Hermione away from him gently, fixing her with a trademark grin and a wink. "Georgie, what say we consume this breakfast feast I've prepared so we can enjoy the rest of the day with our lovely Kit?"
George appeared at Hermione's side instantly, grinning playfully. "I second that idea, Freddie. After you, love." He gestured to the doorway leading into the kitchen with flourish.
Hermione loved this. The easy-going banter between them always made her feel at home. As if she were right where she belonged. All of the tension, both emotional and sexual, that had been building since the night before was wearing on her and she was grateful for a return to the norm.
"Thank you, kind sirs." She replied politely, her own playful grin firmly in place as she entered the kitchen before them.
Breakfast passed quickly and happily as casual conversations returned and the attractions each felt for the other took a backseat to pure and simple friendship. Soon, Fred was excusing himself from the table in order to go get ready and George and Hermione joined forces to tackle the mess Fred had made of the kitchen.
It was nearing noon by the time the trio left the flat on the way to the promised zoo excursion.
From the shadows of a nearby alley, Gregory Goyle's eyes darkened as he spotted the curly-haired woman exiting the joke shop on the redheaded devil twins' arms. His orders were to locate her, then follow and learn her schedule, so they could abduct her more effectively. Lucius Malfoy's word was law in the Underground, and he was a very loyal lackey. Part one of his mission accomplished, the vindictive man gestured to his partner to follow as he moved on the the second part. He did not mind this assignment in the slightest, as he carried a grudge against those Weasley boys for the simple fact that they had turned more female heads than he had in school.
Gregory's lips twitched with a malicious sneer, as he thought about how much he would enjoy taking what seemed to be theirs. They would not know what hit them...
Vincent Crabbe raised a dark eyebrow at his colleague. "A penny for your thoughts?" He teased as he moved to follow the unsuspecting trio as well. 'As if that brute's thoughts would be worth more...' Vince thought darkly.
Gregory sneered at Crabbe. "I was just thinking how much fun I'll have with the girl Lucius wants abducted."
The other man's stomach dropped at the thought of what this cruel man wanted to do with her, no doubt anything less than Malfoy's snobbish prick of a son intended. "You know that Mr. Malfoy wants her unharmed for now. It would be unseemly, if she was injured, before her guilt has been proven with the situation." He reminded him.
Goyle grimaced at the thought of what punishment could befall him if he disappointed Lucius Malfoy. No, as much as he wanted to play with the pretty brunette and cause the red headed menaces pain, he would wait. Surely his employer would see fit to reward him for a job well done?
Maybe, just maybe, once the elder Malfoy was done with Miss Granger, he would allow Gregory to have the left overs.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
TBC...
- Chapter 5 -
Hermione fought off tears as she leaped from the car and rushed into the house. But once she had slammed the door she'd been unable to keep them at bay any longer. With tears streaming down her face, she ran up the stairs and down the hall to the bathroom. Wiping furiously at her eyes, she turned the shower on full blast and began to undress. The sound of George laughing at her echoed in her ears as she stepped under the steady stream of hot water.
With steaming liquid beating down on her in a steady, rhythmic spray, she brought her emotions under control. Taking a shuddering breath, Hermione finally was able to reach for the loofah and her favorite peach scented body wash and began to lather her body.
Moving on to her hair, she applied shampoo to her mass of curls, massaging her scalp as she did so. Finally, she stepped back under the shower head, allowing the water to wash away all of the suds from her body and hair.
Stepping from the shower, she grabbed a towel from its holder near the tub and wrapping the soft, fluffy piece of cotton around her wet body. Using a second, smaller towel for her hair, she patted dry the tresses as she stepped from the bathroom and made her way into her bedroom to dress.
Standing before her full length mirror, Hermione dropped first her head towel, then the one wrapped around her body. Critically, she gazed at her bare reflection. Her legs, she noted, were nowhere near long enough. She stood only five and a half foot, and next to the twins' own six foot two frame, she was a little on the short side. Her legs led up to a slight flare of hips and a slightly rounded abdomen. Her breasts, while not on the large side, were not exactly small either.
'One could say a little over a handful, given the right set of hands...'
With a huff, she pushed the thought away. George, nor Fred for that matter, would want to hold or touch any part of her body in that way. His laughter from earlier had proven that.
Giving a resigned sigh, she reached for the first article of her underthings to don: a white lacy bra, which dangled on a hook beside the full length mirror. Hermione gave a startled yelp as the door to her bedroom burst open revealing a rather dumb-founded George Weasley staring at her.
She was shocked. So shocked in fact that her normally sharp mind hadn't the chance to kick in. So, instead of immediately attempting to cover herself, she simply stood there, frozen as her eyes locked with the reflection of the equally shocked man's in the mirror.
To say that George got a peek at the goodies would be an understatement, no matter how much he protested to the fact afterward, claiming he didn't see anything. In reality, it took a full minute before he was able to stop himself from allowing his eyes to hungrily rake the expanse of soft flesh and supple curves on full display in the mirror, and another thirty seconds to get his vocal chords to work so that he might even begin to issue a single word of apology.
That minute and a half was all it took for Hermione's brain to kick start into gear. Stooping to grab the towel from the floor, the irate woman clutched it tightly to herself as she whirled around and began advancing toward the redhead.
"What the hell do you think you're doing? Get out!" She screamed as she reached out, her open palm making contact with his hard chest with every intention of shoving him out of the room.
He didn't budge, as he also had every intention on apologizing. He brought one hand up to capture hers and kept it anchored over his heart as he looked deeply into her eyes.
"Hermione, I just wanted to say that I'm sorry. Ever since we first met, you've been special to us. To me." He broke off as he sensed her anger beginning to drain away. His other hand had come up to caress her cheek, and at her softening expression, he continued. "I have never, nor would I ever, make fun of you. Don't you know that?"
She wanted to believe him. Did believe him, if truth be known. Out of everyone she knew, she was certain that neither he, nor his twin would do something as awful as enjoy a good laugh at her expense. It was what had endeared them to her in their school days and what drew her to them after they'd graduated. They would take turns picking her up from school and just hang out. They were truly her best friends.
Who she just happened to find herself extremely attracted to.
She looked deeply into George's eyes, finding them sincere. Then his eyes flickered downward and her breathing stopped, reality kicking in and the situation they were in took hold. She was standing in front of George Weasley. Naked.
Her anger was completely gone now replaced with an entirely different intense emotion. Sheer, mortifying embarrassment.
"Apology accepted. Now get out!" She shouted as she once again attempted to push him out the door.
George didn't resist this time, allowing her to shove him from the room and slam the door, cutting off his view of the her naked beauty.
Hermione leaned back against the closed door, her cheeks aflame at the knowledge that such a thin panel of wood was all that stood between George and herself. 'Oh, God, he saw... he saw everything!' Her mind flew into a panic as a thought plagued her. What if he hadn't liked what he saw? And then, her whole body throbbed pleasantly as another thought took hold. But... what if he had?
Taking a deep, cleansing breath, Hermione smiled as she remembered the expression on George's face she had caught a glimpse of in the reflection of the mirror. Oh, yeah, he definitely had.
Ever since we first met, you've been special to us. To me.
Hearing those words had honestly meant the world to Hermione, because it was true for her as well. Both of them, George and Fred, were extremely special to her. They always had been. Through thick and thin, they had always been by her side, so maybe it was time she started showing how much she appreciated them.
Releasing the breath slowly, Hermione pushed herself away from the door and began dressing with purpose.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~
After being pushed from her bedroom, George leaned against the opposite side of Hermione's door similar to the way she had. He bit back a curse as he shifted in an attempt to make himself more comfortable. Much like his twin earlier, George had a not-so-little problem, and with the image of a naked Hermione playing on repeat in his brain, it only served to heighten his desire for her, resulting in an overflow through the link.
As George was dealing with the aftermath of his glimpse of perfection, across town at 93 Diagon Alley, Fred almost dropped the contents of the sizzling pan on himself, as he felt the wave of unadulterated passionate yearning coming from his twin. He hissed as he burned his left index finger, and a string of colorful expletives escaped from his lips.
"Fuck." He groaned at the pain as he carefully balanced the pan over the stove, and marched towards the kitchen sink to hold his hand under cold water.
'Georgie? I don't sense that your upset anymore. But you do seem to be a bit... worked up. Anything happening I should know about?' He snarked at him through their bond.
'Well, I apologized...' Came George's short response.
Fred became suspicious, as he sensed that his twin was withholding something vital from him. There was no way the simple act of Hermione accepting his twin's apology would result in such an elicit response.
'Why do I get the feeling that's not all you did?' Fred asked.
'Welllll....' George began, and he could hear the teasing tone in his brother's voice. 'I might have happened upon our lovely Kit sans clothes...'
Fred's jaw dropped at his words. 'Bloody fucking hell!'
~*~*~*~*~*~
Hermione's face was flushed scarlet, as she donned her favorite pair of jeans, over her white lace underwear. Her thoughts flickered back to the intensely heated gaze George gave her, as his eyes trailed the exposed flesh of her body. Her skin trickled with heat and electricity, when she noticed the desire gleaming in his bright blue eyes.
She swallowed at the memory, and pulled on a slightly over-sized knitted sweater, and ran her fingertips through her wet curls. She decided to forgo drying her hair, and simply applied a light layer of natural make-up, and grabbed her favorite pair of light yellow converse shoes.
The brunette girl tied her shoelaces, silently dreading the moment where she needed to face her handsome friend again, but she grabbed her bag, squared her shoulders, and opened the door.
George looked up at her, his breath hitching in his throat. Hermione was beyond beautiful, and it didn't matter to him whether she was wearing clothes, or not, she was breathtakingly beautiful, both inside-, and out, which he voiced to her with a lopsided smile.
"You are so beautiful, love." He whispered sincerely.
Hermione's heart skipped a beat at his genuine compliment, and she was struggling to catch a breath. "T-thank you, George." She said shyly, and then looked down at her feet. "I want to apologize for over-reacting earlier. I realize now you were simply amused, and not maliciously laughing at me, like our peers in school used to." She paused, her fingertips playing with the sleeves of her knitted jumper. "It was unfair of me to assume such. Can you forgive me?"
George was stunned by her words. He hadn't expected her to feel guilty over her reaction, because he thought it was natural, given her circumstances. Stepping closer, he took her into his arms, his chin dipping into her lush hair atop her head. "No, Kit. You have absolutely nothing to apologize for." He rasped. "I was wrong to laugh at you, but you were so adorably flustered, I just couldn't help myself." He admitted. "And, um... speaking of apologies... I didn't mean to barge in on you earlier, I just wanted to make sure you were alright."
Hermione's face lit up with a bashful smile, as she glanced up at George. "Well, it was unexpected," She admitted, then gathering a bit of courage, she continued cheekily. "But I couldn't help but notice you enjoyed the view."
A lazy smirk tugged at his lips. "Now, Miss Granger, who wouldn't enjoy looking at such divine beauty..." He flirted playfully.
The brunette girl laughed. "Well, Mr. Weasley, you sure know how to exaggerate."
"Au contrare, my sweet." He whispered softly, his fingertips tenderly caressing her cheek. "You are beautiful. Never doubt that!" He murmured as he leaned in to brush his lips against her forehead.
Hermione's eyes drifted closed at the feel of George's soft lips on her skin. For a second, the thought of how his lips would feel pressed against other parts of her body invaded her mind, but she hastily pushed them back.
There had always been playful banter between the three of them, ever since their first meeting, which grew to include mild flirting from the boys, the older they got. Even when the twins had been dating in school, they would always throw lighthearted innuendos her way, much to the dismay of whoever their current girlfriend was.
She hadn't really taken them seriously until now. The hugs and kisses they frequently bestowed upon her hadn't effected her this strongly until now, but she couldn't allow herself to act rashly.
The revelation that, at least in George's case, their relationship was evolving into something more than friendly, would take some getting used to, but still, there was also the fact that she harbored feelings for Fred as well. What if she became involved with George, and he found out about the attraction to his twin? He would surely be hurt, resulting in things like jealousy, which would more than likely cause problems between them.
The last thing she wanted was to ruin their friendship and come between the brothers, they meant too much to her.
Unaware of Hermione's conflicting feelings and thoughts, George was fighting the urge to kiss her properly, like he so desperately wanted to. But he couldn't kiss her. Not yet. Not until Fred had been allowed to reveal his own intentions toward their beautiful Kit.
"So, I take it we're ready to go pick up my less handsome twin, and begin our adventure?" He asked, changing the subject.
Hermione smiled a teasing smile. "I wouldn't be so sure that Fred is the less handsome twin..."
George feigned offense, grasping at his chest dramatically. "The damsel wounds me!" He proclaimed before breaking out into a wicked grin. "Are you sure it's Freddie whose closeness gets your pulse racing, Princess?" He wriggled his eyebrows teasingly.
Hermione fought back the blush that threatened to rise, determined to get the better of George this time. Taking on a contemplative stance, she rested the elbow of one arm on the other and brought one hand up to her chin in mock thought. "Hmm... I might have to test that theory." She stated, inwardly smiling at the shocked look that spread across George's face and shrugged. "A little research never hurt anyone, you know."
George's eyes widened at her words, and he grinned a lopsided grin. "Well, well, we might get you comfortable yet with flirting, Miss Granger."
The blush blossomed on her cheeks this time, but Hermione felt a sense of pride fill her at his words. It was a strange thing to feel proud of, but she couldn't help it.
"Now, let's go, before Fred eats everything. You know how much of a bacon hog he is!" He chuckled softly, and slipped an arm around her waist, pulling her towards the stairs.
They arrived at the flat a few moments later, George opening the door to allow her in ahead of him as both laughed at a joke he'd just told. Their laughter stopped abruptly at the sight of a rather peeved Fred Weasley standing in the kitchen doorway, glaring at them.
"What the devil took you two so long? Do you know what time it is?" Fred inquired. "I slaved away at this breakfast all morning, but do you care? Noooo. Now it's probably gone cold!"
George and Hermione looked at one another and broke into a fit of laughter again. They wondered if they should mention to Fred the fact that he sounded exactly like his mum at that moment. Then they caught sight of the spatula he was waving about during his dramatic speel and thought better of it.
George wiped a tear of laughter from his eye with his right hand as he waved his left hand toward his brother in a complacent gesture. "Sorry, Gred. Completely lost track of time."
'I'm sure you did.' Fred's mental voice sounded somewhat poutier than his audible one, much to George's amusement.
Hermione ended Fred's tyraid when she crossed the room in order to rise up on tip toe and bestow a lingering kiss, not quite on the mouth, but not quite the cheek either.
When Hermione pulled back, she noticed that Fred's eyes had darkened somewhat and they were now focused solely on her. "I'm so sorry we're late, Fred. It was totally my fault. Please forgive me?"
"You know there is nothing you could possibly do that I wouldn't forgive you for, Kit." Fred replied, slipping the hand not holding the spatula around Hermione's waist and pulling her to him.
Hermione blushed slightly at his heated gaze, his words tugging at her heart and causing her body to react similarly to the way it had to George earlier. How had she not realized before now how utterly perfect her twins were? She ended up burying her face against his chest to prevent herself from giving into the sudden urge to snog him good and proper.
Fred held her to him as his eyes locked on his twin. 'This thing between us is progressing rather quickly, Forge. What do we do?'
'As much as I hate to say it, Gred, we're going to have to stall whatever is happening between us. We can't allow it to go too far, at least until we get get some answers. We haven't even begun researching yet.' George mentally projected his reply.
Their attraction to Hermione was growing by leaps and bounds every day becoming less and less containable. Now that it was becoming evident that it was affecting her as well, making it a two way - or rather - a three way, street, the twins knew they had to slow it down.
In agreement, Fred pulled Hermione away from him gently, fixing her with a trademark grin and a wink. "Georgie, what say we consume this breakfast feast I've prepared so we can enjoy the rest of the day with our lovely Kit?"
George appeared at Hermione's side instantly, grinning playfully. "I second that idea, Freddie. After you, love." He gestured to the doorway leading into the kitchen with flourish.
Hermione loved this. The easy-going banter between them always made her feel at home. As if she were right where she belonged. All of the tension, both emotional and sexual, that had been building since the night before was wearing on her and she was grateful for a return to the norm.
"Thank you, kind sirs." She replied politely, her own playful grin firmly in place as she entered the kitchen before them.
Breakfast passed quickly and happily as casual conversations returned and the attractions each felt for the other took a backseat to pure and simple friendship. Soon, Fred was excusing himself from the table in order to go get ready and George and Hermione joined forces to tackle the mess Fred had made of the kitchen.
It was nearing noon by the time the trio left the flat on the way to the promised zoo excursion.
From the shadows of a nearby alley, Gregory Goyle's eyes darkened as he spotted the curly-haired woman exiting the joke shop on the redheaded devil twins' arms. His orders were to locate her, then follow and learn her schedule, so they could abduct her more effectively. Lucius Malfoy's word was law in the Underground, and he was a very loyal lackey. Part one of his mission accomplished, the vindictive man gestured to his partner to follow as he moved on the the second part. He did not mind this assignment in the slightest, as he carried a grudge against those Weasley boys for the simple fact that they had turned more female heads than he had in school.
Gregory's lips twitched with a malicious sneer, as he thought about how much he would enjoy taking what seemed to be theirs. They would not know what hit them...
Vincent Crabbe raised a dark eyebrow at his colleague. "A penny for your thoughts?" He teased as he moved to follow the unsuspecting trio as well. 'As if that brute's thoughts would be worth more...' Vince thought darkly.
Gregory sneered at Crabbe. "I was just thinking how much fun I'll have with the girl Lucius wants abducted."
The other man's stomach dropped at the thought of what this cruel man wanted to do with her, no doubt anything less than Malfoy's snobbish prick of a son intended. "You know that Mr. Malfoy wants her unharmed for now. It would be unseemly, if she was injured, before her guilt has been proven with the situation." He reminded him.
Goyle grimaced at the thought of what punishment could befall him if he disappointed Lucius Malfoy. No, as much as he wanted to play with the pretty brunette and cause the red headed menaces pain, he would wait. Surely his employer would see fit to reward him for a job well done?
Maybe, just maybe, once the elder Malfoy was done with Miss Granger, he would allow Gregory to have the left overs.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
TBC...