"Ronald, do you always have to be such a prat?" Hermione's shouts could be heard comming from the garden in the backyard of the Burrow.
"Well if you would stop being so uptight, I wouldn't have to be a prat now would I?" Ron replied, just as angrily.
No one was surprised when Hermione asked Ron out. Most of them just mumbled "It's about time." Mr. and Mrs. Weasley, of course, were thrilled. They both liked Hermione very much and approved of the relationship. Everyone knew that they had liked eachother since their first year at Hogwarts but they never could admit it to eachother. Hermione was too stubborn and Ron was too shy. But as they got older and more mature, they found that it was becomming easier to express their true feelings to eachother. Finally, at sixteen, they both admitted how they truly felt. Ron, however, was still extremely shy so even though he could be a little more open and truthful about his feelings for Hermione, he was still too afraid to make a move. So Hermione, being quite shy herself but still not as shy as Ron, took the initiative and finally asked Ron to be her boyfriend. It was all she could ever want when he accepted.
The first few months were pure bliss. The couple were always seen together on the Hogwarts grounds snogging, laughing, holding hands, and just generally enjoying each other's company. Everyone who knew them were extremely happy to finally see them together. Especially Harry who, up until then, had to endure the tension between his two best friends because they were holding their emotions inside. Hermione helped Ron with his homework, and Ron even got Hermione to open up a little bit to Quidditch. Sometimes on the weekends, he would take her down to the vacant Quidditch pitch where she would use one of the school's brooms and she would try to throw the quaffle through the hoops while he would try to defend them. Yes, the first few months were indeed good ones.
But now things had changed. Neither was sure what it was, but the relationship just didn't feel right anymore. The spark that was once there had died sometime when they weren't looking. They were starting to spend less time around each other and in the time that they did spend together they tended to get irritable and they were beginning to argue more and more often. Harry knew of their troubles, of course. The had both sought council and advice from him when the other wasn't around. Harry didn't want his friends' relationship to fall apart in fear of their friendship being torn right along with it, but he didn't see much he could do about it.
"I can't believe you!" Hermione's shouts continued. "I don't know who you are anymore, but I definately don't like who you're becomming!"
"Well if you dislike me so much, then why are you with me?" Ron asked.
"I don't know! Maybe I should reconsider my decision shouldn't I?" she retorted.
"Why are you being like this, Hermione? I don't get you." he stated.
Ginny Weasley, a girl of fifteen with ocean blue eyes and flaming red hair, sat by the window of her bedroom, eavesdropping on the argument and feeling mixed emotions. She didn't want to see her brother upset, for he had been so happy when he finally got together with Hermione. But she couldn't help but feel a bit hopeful. She had had her eye on Hermione for quite some time now. She knew she wasn't supposed to feel like she did toward another girl, for homosexuality had never been widely accepted in the wizarding world, but she couldn't help it. She had fancied Harry Potter since the first time she saw him at Kings Cross station one year before she was to go to Hogwarts herself. She always looked forward to summers and Christmas holidays whan Harry would come to visit the Burrow. Finally, she accepted the fact that Harry simply wasn't going to return her feelings, and she gave up on him.
She moved on to other boys such as Michael Corner and Dean Thomas. Neither relationship lasted very long. Then, one day, it just happened. It was during the begining of her fifth year at Hogwarts. She and Hermione had always got on very well. She considered Hermione a great friend, and likewise. She was sitting next to Hermione at the Gryffindor table in the Great Hall at lunchtime. Harry and Ron were sitting across from them. Harry had made a witty comment about Snape which made Hermione burst into laughter.
Ginny had never noticed quite how pretty Hermione was until then. She was mesmerized by her wide smile which was accompanied by uneven dimples on either cheek. Her honey colored eyes lit up and sparkled as she shook with hysterical laughter. Her light brown hair, which was once bushy and frizzy, now fell in wild waves around her shoulders and down her back, glistening in the sunlight that shone in through the windows of the Great Hall.
Ginny found herself studying Hermione more and more in the weeks to follow. She became wildly aware of the way Hermione walked, her height, her figure, her skin. She was an inch or two taller than Ginny and slightly more lean. Not that Ginny was fat, or even chubby, but she had a more stocky build than Hermione did. And she was drawn to Hermione's laugh. It was almost as if she had developed a radar that detected when she was laughing. During mealtimes, she could discriminate her laugh out of the bustle of hundreds of voices of chatting students in the Great Hall, even if she was sitting completely on the other side of the room. And she found herself gazing at Hermione, dazed and lost in thought, whenever the smallest chuckle escaped her lips. Finally, the realization hit her. 'Oh my god!' she thought to herself, 'I fancy Hermione Granger! I fancy...a girl!'
Ginny continued to strain her ears to hear the argument between her brother and her crush. They weren't going to last much longer. That much was obvious. And to break up on holiday break must be horrible. She felt slightly angry at her brother for treating Hermione like he had. He had been saying some pretty harsh things to her lately, just because he got irritated with her. Admitedly, Hermione did have a tendancy to be a bit uptight, but that's just the way she was. Ron could have talked to her about it, but instead he would snap at her irritably. Finally, Ginny heard Hermione huff and give up the argument. She peeked out her window and saw Hermione storm across the back yard and into the house, leaving Ron fumming. Ginny stepped out of her room and greeted Hermione on the staircase.
"Need to talk?" Ginny asked the raged girl in front of her.
"No." Hermione snapped, crossing her arms. She didn't mean to snap at Ginny. She only wanted to help. But she was just so angry.
"Well, do you at least want to come in?" Ginny pressed, hopefully.
Hermione looked thoughtful for a moment before replying, "Yeah. Sure. You always cheer me up."
Ginny felt a small jolt in the pit of her stomach when Hermione said this. She held open her door, letting her enter the room before following her inside. Hermione plopped down on Ginny's bed and looked curiously at the book laying on her nightstand. She picked up the book and started flipping through it, a sulky expression still residing on her face. She figured it might help her get her mind off things. Ginny returned to her chair and began working on the homework that had been assigned for her to do over the holidays. Every once in a while, she could hear Hermione's frustrated huffs behind her.
"Ugh. It's just..." Hermione started, obviously changing her mind and wanting to talk after all. "He's just so...UGH!"
Ginny turned to her and smiled. "Wow Hermione. I'm surprised. Usually you have such a way with words." she teased.
This just made Hermione grow more irritated. "Ha ha." she scowled sarcastically. "He just makes me so mad! I don't know why he started being like this but I really hate it."
"Yeah, Ron can be a git sometimes. He shouldn't snap at you like he does." Ginny agreed.
"I don't even do anything to set him off! I'll just be talking and he snapps at me out of nowhere! He says it gets really annoying when I use 'big words'." she said, crossing her arms and looking at the floor. She was feeling extremely hurt. She loved Ron. Though he was turning into quite the prat, she did care about him.
"Well, just because he's not as intelligent as you, doesn't mean he should degrade you just to make himself feel more superior." Ginny offered.
Hermione couldn't help but giggle. She was greatful for Ginny's will to cheer her up. She had always been that way. Ginny felt goosebumps rise up on her arms as Hermione giggled at her comment. There was that heavenly laugh. That almost musical laugh that could pull anyone out of the deepest of sorrows.
Hermione heaved a sigh and started fiddling with a lock of her gorgeous golden brown hair. "I'm just scared, Ginny. I'm scared of what's going to happen to us."
Ginny felt a twinge of jealousy at these words, but nonetheless, crossed the room and embraced Hermione in her arms. Oh god! She was embracing her in her arms! Hermione tensed with surprise at first, but then felt a strange wave of comfort in Ginny's arms and she returned the hug, letting herself be comforted by Ginny.
"I'm sorry." Ginny whispered in Hermione's ear. It was true, she was sorry she was feeling so upset, but at the same time, couldn't help but to feel a tiny flicker of hope in the back of her mind. Hope that maybe she and Ron would break up and that maybe Hermione would be hers someday. But she knew it was hopeless. Hermione was straight as an arrow and would never have those kinds of feelings toward her. But she was enjoying the hug, nonetheless.
"Come on." Ginny suggested, finally pulling away from her crush. "Let's go see if Mum could use any help in the kitchen. It may help get your mind off things."
Hermione obliged to this offer. She didn't want to think about Ron, she didn't want to think about their fights, she didn't want to think about anything to do with ther relationship. She just wanted to put it out of her mind, at least for the time being. She followed Ginny out of the bedroom and down the spiral staircase that ended just outside the Burrow's small kitchen.
Mrs. Weasley set the girls to work immediatly. She was working on the Christmas feast, which she liked to get started on a few days early so there wouldn't be madness on Christmas day, but she had no one to help her. Fred and George were off in the orchard playing one on one in Quidditch and Harry was consoling Ron, who was still fumming out in the garden so Mrs. Weasley was more than greatful to accept the girls' help. Ginny was right; It did indeed get her mind off her previous heated argument with Ron. After working on a few things they would be indulging in on Christmas, the three females started on dinner for that night.
At 6:30, the time dinner was served every night, the house immediatly filled up, for they knew what Mrs. Weasley would do to them if they weren't back in time for supper. Fred and George entered through the back door, each holding their brooms over their shoulder and wiping the sweat from their dripping brows. They set their brooms down by the door but after receiving a warning glare from their mother, they obediantly picked them up again and carried them upstairs, returning moments later in clean robes. Harry and Ron came in shortly after. Ron still hadn't cheered up. That was made apparant by the sulky expression that still resided on his face. Harry just looked rather annoyed. Mrs. Weasley looked up at her extraordinary clock just as the hand with Mr. Weasley's picture on it moved from 'work' to 'traveling', and then a moment later it shifted to 'home'. Just then, a soft pop was heard just outside the front door and them Mr. Weasley made his entrance, looking pleasantly cheerful.
"Good evening Weasleys!" he chipped. Then added "And of course, Hermione and Harry as well."
Everyone took their usual places around the table. Mr. Weasley at the head of the table, Harry to his right, Ron next to him, followed by Fred and George, Mrs. Weasley sat at the other end, and Hermione sat to her right, next to her was Ginny. Everyone began to eat in silence except Mr. Weasley who was cheerfully chatting about something that had happened at work. Ron looked annoyed and rather distainful at his father's chipper attitude. This greatly annoyed Hermione, and Ginny even more.
"Oh would you get over yourself already?" Ginny snapped at Ron before she could stop herself.
"When she gets over herself, I'll get over myself!" Ron retorted, directing his gaze to indicate to Hermione.
"Oh Ronald, you really are hopeless!" Hermione spat.
"Children! What in Merlin's sake has gotten into you?" Mrs. Weasley yelled above their bickering.
"Nothing, Mum." Ron muttered, looking down at his plate.
"There is no reason to fight!" Mrs. Weasley lectured, "Especially not at the dinner table! Now if you absolutely must argue, please wait until you've finished your meal and take your bickering upstairs."
"I don't have much of an appetite." Ron said, glaring at his girlfriend. He excused himself and disappeared up the spiral staircase.
"What on earth was all that about?" Mrs. Weasley asked, concerned.
"Ron and Hermione had a little argument today and neither of them are in a very good mood." Ginny explained. Hermione felt slightly annoyed at her for spilling her business, but then remembered how Ginny had gone out of her way earlier to cheer her up, so the annoyance disappeared and was replaced by guilt. She didn't want to worry Mrs. Weasley who was so happy that the two were a couple. The incident was pushed far behind them, however, as suppertime progressed. Conversation was started and everyone, now in a considerably better mood, joined in.
After a while, everyone left the table to content themselves. Mrs. Weasley waved her wand and all the remains of food and crumbs disappeared from the dishes. They sparkled, once again clean and good as new. She gave another wave of her wand and they stacked themselves neatly, levitated across the room, and stored themselves neatly away in the kitchen cabinets. Harry had gone upstairs to try once again to pull Ron out of his sulky mood. Maybe he would challenge him to a game of Wizard's Chess or Exploding Snap or something. Fred and George occupied both bathrooms to take showers to rid themselfes of the dirt and mud they had collected during their game of Quidditch. Hermione, once again, found herself taking refuge in Ginny's bedroom. She was worried that Ron was going to ruin her entire holiday. Ginny knew just what to do to cheer her up
"Hey Hermione, could you help me with my History of Magic paper?" she asked. This would work to Ginny's own advantage as well. She really did need help, and it would give her an excuse to be close to Hermione.
Hermione beamed. She loved helping others with their schoolwork, being so good at her own. It also gave her a good feeling that others could look to her and even depend on her when it came to keeping up their marks. It made her feel good that people thought of her as 'intelligent'. "Of course!" she said cheerfully. Ginny caught herself starring at her glistening smile, but shook herself back to reality a moment later. She needed to concentrate. Hermione read over Ginny's paper and then pointed out what she had done wrong. Ginny appreciated how helpful Hermione was. She was patient and explained why things were wrong, as opposed to just stating that they were. Finally, when the paper was complete, Hermione sat back in the chair she was occupying and couldn't help but let out a loud yawn.
"Well, I think I'll turn in for the night." Hermione said, turning to Ginny. "But thank you, Ginny, for everything you did today. Thanks for being such a great friend."
Ginny winced inwardly at the word 'friend', but shrugged it off all the same.
She'll never be more than a friend to you. Give it up.
Hermione turned and gave Ginny a hug. Ginny shivered slightly against her warmth.
"Good night Hermione." she said.
"Goodnight Ginny." Hermione returned the farewell. With that, she turned and left Ginny's bedroom to settle in her own.
Ginny was also feeling rather sleepy. It had been a long day. She climbed into her own bed and pulled the overs up to her chin to hide her from the bitterly cold December air. She turned onto her back and stared at the ceiling. If only you knew, Hermione, how I truly felt about you. You'd probably never even look at me again. You'd probably leave the room every time you saw me come in. With thoughts of Hermione racing through her head, Ginny found it near impossible to fall asleep. After a few hours, she finally did. But her slumber, as usual, was filled with dreams of the girl with wildly waivy hair, honey colored eyes, a breath taking smile, and magical laughter.