This is a short chapter, but I felt like it cut off at a good point. Hopefully, the next one will be longer.
Speaking of the next chapter, I have a request. I'm running low on ideas as to what to write, and could use some suggestions of things you'd like to see. I think I know where I'm ultimately going with this fic, but it's the in-between parts that I'm lacking. So any suggestions would be welcomed! Thanks :)

I'm pretty sure things can't get any worse. I'm banned from quidditch, have no broom, am being forced to take DADA with a miserable teacher who won't stop giving me and Fred detentions in which she tortures us, and I haven't gotten to spend nearly enough time with my girlfriend lately because of studying for her OWLs. I dragged myself along the seventh floor towards the Room of Requirement, thinking that at least I have one bright spot in my day – the DA meeting I'm headed towards – when it happened. My day got worse.

Because there, standing at the entrance to the room, was Hermione, kissing Zacharias Smith.

I pushed past them angrily, shoving Hermione's shoulder in the process. Walking into the room, I immediately located Fred. "We're partners today, Fred. Tell Angie to partner with Hermione."

Fred looked at me with concern etched across his features. "Georgie, what happened?"

"Zacharias Smith happened. Or, better yet, is happening right now with Hermione in the corridor."

Fred blanched. "WHAT?" He ran out into the hallway, leaving me standing in the room by myself, silently fuming. He ran back in less than a minute later, looking slightly frantic. "George. I think you missed part of the situation...I just found Hermione crying in the hallway. Maybe you should talk to her."

"Absolutely not. Of all the people I could have found her with, Smith by far takes the cake. The only worse choice would have been Malfoy. At least if it was someone better, I could concede that maybe they deserved her more than I did, but SMITH? He can have her now, for all I care."

"Georgie...you're overreacting-"

"No, Fred," I interrupted, "I don't think I am. I didn't think my day could get any worse, but this is the straw that broke the camel's back. Just tell Angelina that you're my partner today, I don't want to talk about this anymore."

Fred walked away to talk to his girlfriend, and I relocated myself to the furthest corner of the room from where I normally sit with Hermione, dropping onto a cushion on the floor. He came back to sit with me a few minutes later, but not before I spotted Hermione sitting across the room from me, her face red and eyes puffy, with a sad, desperate expression on her face. I kept the stony look on my face and turned away from her gaze.

The meeting dragged on for ages, when all I wanted to do was go to my room and crawl up in bed, maybe punch a few pillows. Hermione came over at one point and tried to talk to me, but I turned a cold shoulder. "Can't you see I'm trying to practice Reducto right now, Hermione? Leave me be." She looked at me with sad eyes and turned around and walked back over to Angelina, her shoulders slumped. Fred gave me a look that clearly said he was miffed at me, then sighed and turned back to our practicing.

-oOo-

"George, this has gone on long enough," Harry announced, barging into my dorm room and throwing aside my curtains. It had been two days since the DA meeting; two days since I'd spoken to Hermione. "You need to go talk to her. Hear her side of the story. Aren't you tired of this? Don't you think you misread the situation?"

"I don't think I did," I snapped back. "How can you misread seeing your girlfriend snogging another bloke?"

"Did you ever consider the idea that maybe he caught her off-guard, and you stormed off just as she was about to shove him away from her?"

I paused, and stared at him blankly. "Wh-what?"

"Yeah," he replied, "that's what she told me. And that's what I got out of Smith, too, after I threatened to hex him. I might just do that anyway, considering what he told me. But seriously, George, do you not trust her to do right by you?"

I couldn't help the frown that fell across my features. "Well this is awkward. Now I feel like a complete prat..."

"I hate to say it, mate, but that's exactly how you've been acting."

"Thank you, Harry," I said quietly, collecting myself. Standing up and righting my rumpled clothes, I started towards the door. "I think I'll go talk to her now."

"That's a good idea, George."

-oOo-

I walked down the stairs to the common room, intent on finding Hermione and apologizing to her, but I didn't need to look very far. I found her standing with her fists balled on her hips, feet slightly apart, and her face redder than I'd ever seen it. She was facing Fred, who was sitting next to a first year he seemed to have been testing one of our products on.

"You CAN'T test on first years! How many times do I have to say it to get it through your thick skull? And in how many different ways?" she shouted.

I strode over to stand by my brother as he shouted back, "And why not? Show me where in the rules it says we can't do that."

"It's not fair to them!" she threw back. "They're too young and innocent to realize what they're getting themselves into! I simply will not allow it."

Fred rose to face her, steam practically coming out of his ears. "You can't stop us. Besides, it's not like you'll report us anyway, you don't want to see us get tortured."

Hermione drew herself to her full height; her eyes were narrowed and her hair seemed to crackle with electricity. "No," she said, her voice quivering with anger, "but I will write to your mother."

"You wouldn't," I said, horrified, finally making my presence known in the argument and taking a step back from her.

"Oh, yes, I would," she said, grimly. "I can't stop you from eating the stupid things yourself, but you're not giving them to first years."

We both looked at her, thunderstruck. That threat was way below the belt. I can't believe my own girlfriend is treating us like this! Granted, we're not exactly on speaking terms at the moment, but she's still my girlfriend regardless...so much for trying to talk things out with her, guess our reconciliation will have to wait for another day.

Fred stormed away from Hermione, heading up the stairs. I stooped down to quickly collect all our products he had strewn about, chanced one last look at Hermione, and followed my brother to our dorm.

Posted: 30 November 2011
Word Count: 1,126