A/N I have to heavily thank my fabulous and amazing British new friend, Bekah Read, that has been helping me with this for this chapter. I relied on her extensively. You will see why. I hope you enjoy this chapter as much as we did! It was so fun to write!
Chapter 12
The first thing George noticed upon waking was the crick in his back. The second thing was the warm body wrapped around his and the curls in his face. Huffing out an amused breath, he batted at the hairs that had tangled in his beard and caught in his mouth.
She snuffled in her sleep and shifted so that her lips brushed his neck. Shuddering, George traced a thumb down the side of her face as he stared at the ceiling. He should move her to the bed, or wake her. The sun peaking through the curtains told him they'd slept there on the floor all night.
He could sit there on the floor with her a little while longer. It wouldn't hurt anything. They didn't have any solid plans for the afternoon anyway. For now, he could just sit there and hold Hermione while she slept.
After the breakdown she'd had the day before, she no doubt needed it. He couldn't imagine having to relive all of his worst and most traumatic memories all at once. If it hadn't been for her skill at occlumency, he knew she would have fallen apart at Snape's feet. His own skill likely wouldn't have been enough, and he'd never been physically tortured. She was so strong and he loved her for it.
And someday, when they'd destroyed all the horcruxes and dealt with every Death Eater—if they were still alive—maybe he could tell her. He hoped it would be ok with Fred.
<>
Hermione stormed into the sitting room a few days later, hair still wet from her shower, looking much too close to either tears or an outburst of angry accidental magic for George's liking. Making his final move in the chess match he'd been losing to Gideon, he turned as she came to a stop right beside him.
"What's happened?"
"I've been so stupid, George!"
Reaching for one of her fisted hands, George frowned. "I doubt that very much."
Pinching the bridge of her nose with her other hand, she shook her head and sounded like she was trying very hard not to cry. "Oh George. I was wrong on the year. Regulus might have already taken the mark, but he's still a year behind Sirius. I don't know much about him but I do know that he finished school before he died." She looked back up at him, miserable. "We've at least a whole year before we can get the locket. I can't believe I thought we could have this done so fast. It was too easy. I should have known better, nothing in this war has ever been that easy."
His stomach dropped. A year. A year to keep her safe, to protect his family and watch over his brother. Feeling the frustration radiating off of her, George tried to think of something he could say.
"Well, I guess we'll just have to fight a little longer, love."
She scoffed. "But I'm tired of fighting. And running and hiding. I thought we could do this and maybe..."
George watched her as she wiped at her eyes and yanked her hand through her tangled wet hair. If he was honest, it didn't really change much. They had no idea how long it would take Snape to get the horcruxes from their various locations, and it wasn't as if they were going to be able to go back to their own time after they finished. He thought about telling her all of this, but he wasn't sure it would be helpful.
"What would you want to do after, Hermione?"
"I thought we could... Try to be happy here, build a life in the wrong time." She huffed a dry laugh. "It sounds ridiculous. But this damn war and that damn snake face bastard just..." Shaking her head, she shook her hand free from his and turned away. "I'm going back upstairs for a while. Have another look at my notes and see if I've missed anything else."
The weak, apologetic smile she cast him before she left made George wish he could cheer her up somehow. Not that he felt particularly cheery himself just then. Though he had noticed over the last week or so his mood had gradually lifted. Whether that was down to spending time with his uncles or the comforting presence of Hermione beside him every night he wasn't sure. Either way, he didn't like the idea of her sulking up in their room for who knew how many days.
"Didn't you say that in your future, the first war lasted until 1981?"
George had almost forgotten his uncle had been sitting there. Blinking out of his thoughtful daze, he frowned at Gideon. "What? Oh, that... yes. It goes on until Halloween 1981."
Gideon shrugged. "Well, so we have another year, still two early though, innit? Surely loads of lives would be saved in those two years."
"That's true. Still, we've just come off the last few years of fighting and all. She's not wrong, I'm tired of it too." He stood and stretched his back. "Not much can be done though."
"We all are... What did she mean by, 'snake faced?'"
Laughing at the reminder and his uncle's confused expression, George rubbed the side of his face. "Ah, well... turns out splitting your soul so many times does a number on your looks. Only saw the Dark Twat the once myself but, well after reincarnating he looked a bit more like his pet snake than a proper man."
"Interesting..." Gideon shook himself and leaned back in his chair. "So, what's the plan today? Fabian and I don't have anything going for Dumbledore. The two of you gonna mope about here?"
He tried to think. They needed to get out of the house and do something. Going back to the Burrow was out, he didn't think he was ready to face that again. Walking around Diagon would probably just be depressing for both of them, though they could do with some more time period appropriate clothing. George was a whizz at transfiguration, but charmed clothes just didn't fit the same.
Suddenly inspiration struck him.
"You know what, Uncle? I think I'm suddenly feeling a toothache coming on."
When Gideon looked up at him like he'd grown a second head, he smirked. "Feel like exploring muggle London?"
<>
After poking his head in on Hermione to let her know he was popping out, and a quick chat with Fabian, the three of them apparated to Diagon Alley. George swapped a few Galleons for pounds and they stepped out onto Charing Cross road. Both of his uncles had occasionally ventured out of Magical neighborhoods with a muggleborn friend before he'd been killed, but never on their own. At least they all had acceptable looking muggle clothes.
"Why don't we take the Knight Bus? If you know approximately where this... what'd you call it? Dentist office?" Fabian still looked dubious at the idea of tooth healers. "If you know where it is, Ole Ern can get us there."
George nearly laughed. "Ernie? He's still driving in my time. A bit surprised he's lasted so long actually."
"Course he has. Been driving it for ages. Oh, except I heard he once took a break to try his hand at the muggle bus line. Did not end well." Gideon started to discreetly reach his wand arm out but George stopped him.
"No. I want to try and find it the muggle way. I told you, get her out of our world for a bit—totally." His uncles shared a look but he ignored them. "I only have the neighborhood. We'll have to ask directions once we get there." They still looked unimpressed. "How many dentists could there be in one area? We've got muggle money and we can read a street sign. How hard could it be?"
