I don't own Harry Potter or any of the characters mentioned here.

This character shipping is for Kelly C.

Hermione Granger sat on the tiny backyard balcony steps at Grimmauld Place and sighed. The garden was overgrown with weeds and long grass.

Ginny Weasley slipped out the backdoor. "What's up, Hermione?"

"I'm hiding," Hermione said grimly.

"From who?" Ginny asked. She sat next to Hermione on the cramped steps.

"From Ron," she said, exasperated. "I can't do this. I need my books, I need my research, I need space."

Ginny nodded and squeezed Hermione's knee sympathetically.

"I can't change who I am," Hermione said plaintively. "I can't be some smootch-happy girl. I need myself. I don't need Ron to complete me."

"It's been four months and he's still being clingy?" Ginny asked.

"Yes!" Hermione said, frazzled. "He's searching the Black library for me right now. I came out here to be alone."

"Oh," Ginny said and began to get up.

"No, Ginny, it's not like that. Please stay. I just need company who isn't trying to stick their hand up my shirt."

Ginny sat and smoothed down her short shorts.

"You could stick your hand up mine instead. You know, for variety," Ginny said, trying to joke.

Hermione stared at Ginny. "I didn't think… you're into girls?"

Ginny blushed red. "Yeah, sorry, that was a poor attempt at flirting."

"Well, I… I mean… I don't have anything against the idea. Well, except that I'd be cheating on Ron with his sister…" she trailed off.

"Okay so no make-outs." Ginny declared. "You sound tired of that anyway."

"Whatever happened to you and Harry?" Hermione asked.

Ginny shrugged. "He wasn't into me when he got back. We tried kissing a few times. Didn't work out. Honestly, I think Harry might be asexual."

Hermione blinked."I'm not terribly surprised to hear that."

"I didn't mind, he was a nice kisser because there was no pressure to have sex."

Ginny leaned her head on Hermione's shoulder. Then she perked up and dropped a kiss on Hermione's shoulder. "Let's explore the garden."

Hermione shivered. "That was nice. That little kiss just now. Ron's kisses are always about sex. It's nice to have a kiss just because."

Ginny looked up at Hermione through her eyelashes in shy coquetry. "I could be good to you, if you want?"

"Ginny, that means I need to break up with Ron." She added, "And soon because I want more kisses like that."

Ginny grinned at her friend. "You can do it. He'll go back to Lavender and try to make you jealous but you'll be too distracted by my freckles and kisses."

Hermione smiled her first smile of the day. "That's sweet, Ginny."

The air grew humid. Cicadas hummed loudly. They took tentative steps into the garden.

"Maybe we'll need jeans for this. There are probably burrs in the garden," Hermione said.

Ginny waved a hand in dismissal. "I'm not wearing jeans in this heat."

Hermione looked at Ginny then gave up. She reached out and they held hands as they waded through the vegetation.