They All Love You

part thirty-two

"Oh, Arthur, get off the armchair you num- George! Ginny! Harry, Hermione and...I'm assuming Theodore?" Miss Weasley's cheerful greeting came as the five delirious teenagers apparated outside the front door with a loud crack.

The sun had long gone, and it was nearly midnight when they arrived, proving Arthur's snoring to be rightful enough. The kitchen was as usual, tidy and squished, with only a few levitating sponges cleaning up some rustic pots near the sink. Ginny and George's spoons directly moved into place at 'home' when Molly wrapped each one into a warm hug, including a very shocked looking Theodore.

"Mum, this is Theodore Nott. He's our friend from school and-" Ginny started, noticing Theo's uncomfortable body language.

Molly inturrupted, waving her hands, "No need to introduce, Minerva has told me all about you and your previous efforts, Theodore, we are glad to have you in our home!"

Theo visibly relaxed, "It's a brilliant home, Miss Weasley. I truly envy your family."

"You're too kind. Now I'd love to stay and chat, but you must all be off to bed before I collapse on the floor! Hermione, you'll be with Ginny naturally. Harry, you can slip into Ron's room, the blasted boy might be snoring already...and George, perhaps Theodore could stay in your room for the time being?"

With the elephant in the room being Fred's absence in terms of sleeping arrangements, the group was collectively surprised to see such a calm reaction on George's part.

"Course," was his short, yet somewhat enthusiastic response.

Saying their brief goodnights, everyone followed assembly-line up the stairs as George and Theo were in their room first, next Hermione following a half-asleep Ginny, and Harry tiptoeing up the final stretch of stairs to Ron's room.

Hermione smiled, the Burrow always made her feel protected and apart of a large, vibrant family environment. She quietly chuckled as Ginny groaned, throwing her trunk on the floor and flopping onto her bed, practically asleep already. Hermione reached into her beaded bag and slipped into comfier, light sage pajama clothing and took a brush through her hair before slipping under the covers of Ginny's spare cot.

Hermione couldn't sleep, naturally. Bloody hell she muttered under her breath as she hesitantly stuck her foot out from under the blanket and pulling herself ultimately out of bed. Slowly, she made her regular excuse to sit in the one bathroom for a while until she felt tired.

The bathroom was right across the hall from George's, and, The Twins room, so she normally wouldn't be the only one up at this hour. Before her hand could grasp the whole circumference of the doorknob and twist it routinely, she heard light chatter coming from George's room.

Curious, she lightly stepped closer to the door, pressing her ear up against it to listen. It was faint, but she could make out a few exchanges:

"The portrait said that?"

"Word for word. Now, uniforms are only available to-"

"Reckon it's a student?"

"It's possible, or they could've stolen it from someone."

Once Hermione realized what George and Theo were conversing, her face pulled into a surprised and betrayed frown as she quickly turned their room's doorknob and shut it quietly with haste.

Theo's face was pale as he turned, wide-eyed, to face Hermione's scolding frown as George made no surprising notion, only looking at her and back at Theo like he was still piecing something together in his mind. 

"I can't believe you're discussing this without me!" Hermione whispered articulate, wacking Theo's head slightly as she criss crossed down next to George on the floor.