Hello lovely readers! I've decided to write my first Hr/G fic! I've been reading Hr/G for a while and then this idea popped in my head. I didn't originally intend for it to go like this, because I first wrote this in Hermione's POV. But then I wanted to write it in Ginny's and I was torn between which to use because Ginny's gives us more detailed view, but Hermione's gives us a different perspective. Anyway, so then I decided to write the story in both. The first part is Hermione's POV, the second is Ginny's. Oh and this story is set in Sixth Year. The title of this fic is from Ellie Goulding's song, "Salt Skin". Enjoy!
"Ron and I are going down to the Great Hall a bit early. Do you want to come?" asked Harry.
I was sitting on the small couch by the fireplace in the Gryffindor common room, attempting to finish my homework.
"Oh, no, that's all right. I need to finish this Arithmancy essay. I'll be down soon, though."
Harry and Ron nodded and left me to it. This essay was starting to get the better of me. I had only the last paragraph and conclusion left, but I couldn't find the words. It was as if my brain had just been Obliviated and all of the information I had stored in there had suddenly been drained.
I threw the parchment and quill on the coffee table in front of me and exhaustedly rubbed my eyes. I was suddenly very jealous of Ron and Harry, for they had finished all their homework the day before. It was a first for the boys, but I had decided to leave my Arithmancy essay until today. The day previous, I had been helping Harry and Ron on their Potions essays that I simply ran out of time to do my Arithmancy one.
"Hermione, I'm going down to the Great Hall for dinner. Do you want to walk with me?" asked Ginny, interrupting my thoughts.
I looked up at her. She was wearing a big, warm jacket and her hair was a bit windblown, but my attention was drawn to her eyes. They were awfully bloodshot and had black smudges under them. I nearly asked her what was wrong, but I knew she'd just shrug it off and act like everything was fine, because that was just the person she was. Ginny was tough and I knew that she was embarrassed about crying. Ask her later.
I still hadn't finished my essay, but I decided that Ginny needed a friend right now. "Sure, Gin."
x
We walked through the corridors quietly, enjoying the sunlight that poured through the windows and the barely audible sound of footsteps throughout the echoed castle.
"I didn't want to ask because I know how you get with this sort of stuff, but I need to. What's wrong? Are you okay?" I asked.
She sighed. "I'm okay, I guess. Dean and I just had a fight earlier and we broke up."
I gasped and gave her a sympathetic look. "I'm so sorry. Are you done, or will you two make up?"
Ginny shrugged. "I think we're done."
I took her hand in mine and gave it a gentle squeeze. We both stopped walking and she turned to me.
"Look, things will be fine. Couples break up all the time and sometimes they get back together. So if you're missing Dean, there's no need to worry, Gin." I reassured.
I didn't like the thought of Ginny worrying about her relationship with Dean.
"This fight wasn't silly though," murmured Ginny softly, letting go of my hand. "It was pretty serious."
"Oh? What was it about, if you don't mind me asking?"
She bowed her head slightly and looked the other way. "You."
My eyebrows furrowed in confusion. "What? What do you mean? I haven't done anything with Dean, if that's what you mean. You know I would never, Gin!"
She looked up, shaking her head. "It's not Dean," She laughed bitterly. "It's me."
"I – I still don't understand..." I trailed off. The whole situation was confusing me.
"I like you, Hermione. That's why Dean and I fought... I told him that I like you and he said some hurtful things and it was awful. And now I don't know what to do."
I looked at Ginny, a vacant expression upon my face. "Oh."
"Please don't freak out, Hermione. I'm pretty sure it's just a little crush," She paused for a moment. "I don't want things to be awkward; you're my best friend."
I smiled weakly. "Hey, it's okay, Ginny. I'm flattered, really. I just..." I trailed off awkwardly.
She looked at me apologetically. Ginny moved closer to me and pressed her lips to mine. I could taste the salt on her lips from her tears. The kiss was soft and innocent and there were no sparks or fireworks. It was just my best friend kissing me.
"I'm sorry," said Ginny once we had pulled away.
She looked timid and terrified; it was as if she'd become the shy eleven year old again.
"I... I had to see. I just had to know what it was like."
I nodded and smiled nervously.
"So you're not mad? You don't hate me?" she asked.
I shook my head and laughed. "I could never hate you, Gin. This is confusing for you and I understand that. It's all right"
She nodded. "Right. Brilliant."
We continued on our way to the Great Hall. Every once in a while, I would glance to my left and see Ginny grinning. I look down and smiled to myself.
Perhaps it wouldn't be so bad if Ginny had a crush on me...
"It's so nice just being with you, Ginny," said Dean.
We were sitting down by the Black Lake. Well, I was. Dean was standing by the edge of the water, throwing random pebbles into the dark water.
"Mm," I agreed. I was staring into space and I was aware that I was ignoring Dean. I couldn't help but not care about a thing he was saying. My mind was too busy with thoughts of Hermione Granger.
"Hey," he said, joining me on the ground. "What's up? You've barely said anything today."
He stroked my cheek and I moved away. There was a very awkward silence for what felt like a very long time.
"Gin," said Dean, his voice cracking miserably. "Is everything okay?"
I sighed, shrugging stubbornly.
"Damn it, Ginny, talk to me!" He demanded, grabbing my shoulders and pulling me around to face him.
I burst into tears. Dean's face softened and he scratched his head exasperatedly.
"I'm sorry."
I shrugged and rubbed my nose with the back of my hand. "I can't do this anymore." I sobbed, closing my eyes.
It was shameful to look at Dean. I was embarrassed of my vulnerability and how much I was suddenly opening up to him.
"Do what?"
"This, Dean! Go out with you, be your girlfriend, whatever. I can't do it anymore." I ended quietly.
"Ginny... Don't do this. Please."
I shook my head. "I'm sorry."
Dean let go of my shoulders and crossed his arms tensely. "You could at least tell me why."
"I'm in love with somebody else."
Dean sighed. "Who is it?"
"Wh-what?" I stammered.
"Come on, Ginny. You've told me this much. You may as well tell me who stole your heart." He said cruelly.
"Hermione."
"What?"
"Hermione. I love Hermione."
"Hermione Granger?"
I resisted the urge to say, "How many Hermiones do you know?" and instead said, "Yes."
Dean laughed bitterly, his head thrown back and his laughter echoing around the lake. "You're in love with Hermione Granger? Ouch. You'll never get her, Ginny. You're a girl, for fuck's sake. Hermione's a girl and she's straight. Damn," he said, still laughing.
I stood up. "I didn't ask for your opinion, Dean."
"Whatever. Good luck with that." He said sarcastically, smirking like a right idiot. "You're a bit of a slut, you know that? Falling for someone else when you're with me... And a girl, no less. You don't want her, Ginny; you're just being greedy. Trying to have your cake and eat it too."
I walked up close to him and slapped him hard across the face. I stormed off quickly, wanting nothing more than to be as far away from Dean Thomas as humanly possible.
x
I wandered up to the castle, trying desperately to stop crying. On my way up to the Gryffindor common room, though, I bumped into Harry and Ron.
"Hey Ginny," greeted Harry, giving me a warm smile.
"Hi."
Ron's brow furrowed. "Have you been crying?"
I shook my head. "No. Why?"
"It looks like you have. Are you sure, Gin? It wasn't Dean, was it?"
"No, Ron, just leave it!" I cried exasperatedly.
He shrugged. "Uhh, all right, then. See you later,"
I nodded and he and Harry continued walking to wherever they were going.
I mumbled the password at the portrait of the Fat Lady and she let me in. And then I saw Hermione, sitting by the fireplace. She was staring into the flames and looked somewhat frustrated. I glanced up at the clock on the wall and realised that it was nearly dinner time.
"Hermione, I'm going down to the Great Hall for dinner. Do you want to walk with me?"
She looked up at me and looked at me for a moment. I knew she could tell I'd been crying. I didn't want her to ask about it, in case I accidentally let something slip.
After a moment's hesitation, she said, "Sure, Gin."
x
We walked down the corridor, neither of us saying anything. I was perfectly happy with silence; just being with Hermione was enough for me.
"I didn't want to ask because I know how you get with this sort of stuff, but I need to. What's wrong? Are you okay?"
I sighed. Of course Hermione would ask; that was how great a friend she was. "I'm okay, I guess. Dean and I just had a fight earlier and he broke up with me."
Hermione gasped and gave me a sympathetic look that made my stomach flip nervously. "I'm so sorry. Are you done, or will you two make up?"
I shrugged and said, "I think we're done" although I knew perfectly well that we were done.
She took my hand and gave it a gentle squeeze. We both stopped walking and I turned to face her.
"Look, things will be fine. Couples break up all the time and sometimes they get back together. So if you're missing Dean, there's no need to worry, Gin." Said Hermione.
I knew she was just trying to be a good friend, but those weren't quite the words of comfort I wanted to hear.
"This fight wasn't silly though," I whispered, pulling my hand away from hers. It was dangerous for me to be holding Hermione's hand. "It was pretty serious."
"Oh? What was it about, if you don't mind me asking?"
Here we go. My head dropped down a little and I looked away. "You."
"What? What do you mean? I haven't done anything with Dean, if that's what you mean. You know I would never, Gin!"
I sighed. She just didn't get it! I looked up and shook my head. "It's not Dean," I laughed bitterly. "It's me."
"I – I still don't understand..." she trailed off.
"I like you, Hermione. That's why Dean and I fought... I told him that I like you and he said some hurtful things and it was awful. And now I don't know what to do."
Hermione looked at me blankly. "Oh."
"Please don't freak out, Hermione. I'm pretty sure it's just a little crush," Liar, I told myself. I knew it was more than just a silly little crush. "I don't want things to be awkward; you're my best friend."
She smiled weakly. "Hey, it's okay, Ginny. I'm flattered, really. I just..." Hermione trailed off awkwardly.
I looked at her apologetically. I didn't mean to make things awkward, but I had to tell her. And there she was, looking so gorgeous. Her lips looked so... delectable. And then I took a step forward and kissed her.
It was short and completely chaste, but I felt like a million little firecrackers were going off in my head and my heart.
"I'm sorry," I quickly apologised. "I... I had to see. I just had to know what it was like."
Panic washed through me. What if Hermione hated me? What if she wanted to stop being friends?
She nodded and gave me an uneasy smile.
"So you're not mad? You don't hate me?" I asked. I felt like a stupid little girl again.
She shook her head and gave a tiny laugh. "I could never hate you, Gin. This is confusing for you and I understand that. It's all right."
I nodded. "Right. Brilliant."
We continued on our way to the Great Hall and I couldn't stop grinning like a fool. I had just kissed Hermione Granger! And she hadn't freaked out! At one point, I could have sworn I'd seen a smile playing on her lips through my peripheral vision.
Maybe this could go somewhere...