AN: So this is a little Hermione/Ginny. Hints at Ron/Luna at one point, and some Ron/Hermione as well. Hope you all enjoy. Bit angsty, but ends alright I suppose.
Disclaimer: Ha, yeah, right.
i.
The first time they meet, Ginny is eleven years old and starting her first year at Hogwarts. Her brother and Harry are noticeably missing from the train and Ginny stumbles around, looking for a compartment, when she sees a girl waving at her from a few feet away.
Confused but grateful for the place to sit, Ginny manages to break through the group of first years in front of her and closes the door behind her, sitting down across from the girl and letting out a breath of relief.
"I'm Hermione Granger, and from what Ron's told me, you're Ginny" the girl said, not bothering to let Ginny introduce herself.
Ginny is suddenly reminded of Ron complaining about a girl named Hermione in his letters home last year, and saying over the summer that surprisingly, they had become close friends towards the end of the year.
"Have you seen him?" Ginny asked.
She had searched all over the platform until she couldn't wait any longer, and then boarded the train, looking there too.
Hermione shook her head, looking just as worried as Ginny felt.
"What if they didn't make it onto the train? How will they get to school?" Ginny asked, her words coming out in a rush.
Hermione sighed and moved over onto Ginny's seat, patting the other girl's hand and hugging her to try to calm her down.
"Knowing Harry and Ron, they'll find a way to get to school, even if it will get them in trouble later. Trust me, you have nothing to worry about, alright?" Hermione asked, smiling at her.
Ginny nodded her head and realized with a shocking jolt that despite the fact she had only known the girl for a few moments, she did trust her.
The rest of the ride to school was spent in silence, as Ginny drifted in and out of slumber, she could clearly see Hermione move back onto the seat across from her and open a book, sitting down to read.
A small smile on her face, Ginny felt herself tip sideways slightly, and allowed herself to lay down and fall into a peaceful sleep, confident that Hermione would wake her up when they arrived at school.
ii.
"I think..I think I might fancy Ron"
Ginny's head snapped up and she glanced at Hermione with a look of utter shock, wondering where the sudden outburst had come from.
Before that, the two had been sitting in silence, Ginny trying to help Hermione find something to help Harry in the next task of the Triwizard Tournament, each girl so focused on what they were doing that neither had been paying much attention to the other.
"You think...what?" Ginny asked, blinking.
"I think I might fancy Ron. I know he's your brother and it might be awkward for me to tell you this, but I had to tell someone, and Harry is just so out of place when it comes to feelings and all that, so I thought you would be better to talk to, and I certainly can't tell any of the girls in my house, Ron would know in a matter of minutes" Hermione rambled, a slight blush covering her cheeks as she took a deep breath, trying to calm herself down.
Ginny said nothing, blinking again.
"Oh, never mind it" Hermione muttered, glancing back down at her book.
Ginny snapped out of her shocked state and shook her head quickly, realizing that her friend had wanted advice.
"That's not what I meant, Hermione. So you fancy Ron. Alright, that's not a problem. Why not just tell him?" Ginny asked.
Hermione snorted loudly and Ginny took the hint.
"Right, he's Ron. I suppose that's a good point. Well, you can't just sit here and suffer with it, can you? You have to do something about it. And besides, I thought you fancied Krum" Ginny said.
"I do not fancy Viktor! He may fancy me a bit, but all I feel for him is strictly friendship. It would be like me fancying Harry" Hermione explained, waving her hand as if she was dismissing Viktor Krum from the conversation completely.
"Alright, calm down. You're getting awfully flustered, Hermione. Bloody hell, I don't know. I'm not exactly the person to speak to when it comes to what to do about fancying someone, now am I? All I can tell you is to tell him. Ron might act like a git sometimes, but even if he doesn't fancy you, you're his friend, and he wouldn't just abandon you over something like this" Ginny said calmly, hoping she was right about her brother.
Hermione smiled and stood, hugging Ginny tightly before turning and racing away.
Ginny couldn't help but notice the empty feeling that settled in the pit of her stomach.
iii.
"Harry...can I talk to you?"
Harry looked up at the sound of Ginny's voice, his eyes unfocused.
"If you're busy, it's not a problem. I can come back later or find someone else to talk to" Ginny said.
Harry's eyes focused on her and he shook his head, rubbing the back of his hand where the fresh scars from Umbridge's detention were.
"No, Gin. It's alright, have a seat. We can talk" Harry said, patting the seat next to him.
Ginny sat down, smiling hesitantly at him. They sat in awkward silence for a few moments, until Harry cleared his throat, and Ginny's eyes sprang up to his, and she nodded her head, signaling that she was ready to talk.
"I'm in love with Hermione" Ginny said, her voice wavering slightly.
Harry gaped at her.
"Please don't make that face, Harry! I know it's horrid but I can't help it!" Ginny yelled, tears welling up in her eyes.
Harry stuttered for a moment at the sight of her tears, and shook his head quickly.
"No, no. It's not horrid at all, Ginny. It's how you feel, and there is nothing wrong with that, alright? I'm sorry I reacted that way, it's just...awful time to fall in love, don't you think?" Harry asked.
Ginny sniffled.
"I know, Ron and Hermione are dating and I'm Ron's sister, and I should only think of Hermione as a best friend, but I can't help it!" she yelled, and before Harry had a chance to react, she threw her arms around his neck and buried her face there.
Harry wrapped his arms around her and patted her back, feeling slightly awkward.
Ginny pulled away and thanked him, wiping her eyes.
"You could just tell her" Harry said, shrugging.
"What am I supposed to say? 'Sorry Ron, I know you're my brother and all, but I fancy your girlfriend!' No, I don't think that will work out well" Ginny replied.
Harry had to admit she had a good point, but before he could respond she stood and thanked him again, and walked away.
Harry sighed and went back to his schoolwork.
iv.
"Are you bloody joking? You have to be joking, because there is no way you would do this to me!" Ron screamed, his face inches away from his sister's.
Ginny cowered backwards, and for the first time in her life, she felt frightened of her older brother.
"Hermione is my girlfriend, Ginny. There is no way around that. If you loved her, you would've told her before we started dating" Ron said, his voice calming down a bit.
"I didn't realize it then! Do you think I want to be in love with your girlfriend?" Ginny yelled.
"W-what?" a voice asked from the doorway, and Ginny spun around, seeing Hermione's shocked face behind her.
Ron smacked his forehead with his palm, shaking his head and muttering under his breath.
"I've got to go" Ginny said quickly, and raced past Hermione, ignoring the older girl calling her name and trying to grab her arm.
v.
Harry stood in the doorway of Ginny's bedroom, looking at her with a sympathetic look in his eyes.
"I know you lot are planning something and just won't tell me what it is. Of course Hermione wouldn't, she hasn't spoken to me in days, but I thought at least you would tell me if something was going on, Harry" Ginny said, her eyes full of anger and hurt.
"I want to, Ginny, but it's too dangerous. Just know that we'll be gone for a while, and we're leaving right after the wedding. You and Hermione need to talk, and you need to do it soon" Harry said, before turning and leaving the room.
Ginny waited until he was gone and then slammed her bedroom door, hating the fact that he was right.
The next day at the wedding when Death Eaters attacked, Hermione, Harry and Ron disappeared before anyone had a chance to react, and Ginny felt dread flood through her when she realized she hadn't taken the one chance she might have had to talk to the girl.
vi.
"Hermione"
Hermione turned around at the sound of her name, shocked to see Ginny standing behind her, her face slightly bruised and a long gash running from her shoulder to her elbow, tearing her shirt open with it.
"Bloody hell, Ginny. You were supposed to leave with everyone else! You know that!" Hermione screamed, pulling Ginny into an abandoned classroom, a curse narrowly missing them as it flew past, neither girl sure of what direction it came from.
"We can't stay here for long" Ginny muttered.
Hermione nodded, looking at Ginny's arm.
"You're hurt" Hermione mumbled, her voice quiet and worried.
"I'll be fine. Are you alright? I haven't seen you in ages...and even before that I thought you wouldn't want to be my friend anymore, not after what I told Ron" Ginny said, her eyes meeting Hermione's.
"Ginny, when you told Ron what you felt for me, I was three days away from leaving and I didn't know if I would be able to come back. I wanted to talk to you so badly but I couldn't bring myself to" Hermione said, shaking her head.
They remained silent, crashes and screams raining out around them.
"Ron and I broke up, Ginny. I told him I felt the same way towards you that you felt towards me. He was a bit upset at first, but when we were trying to find the Chamber Of Secrets earlier-" Hermione paused for a moment at Ginny's confused and shocked face. "Don't bother asking, I'll explain that part later, but Luna walked up to him and asked him if he was alright and told him she missed his jokes this year and hugged him and when she walked away he had this sort of dreamy look on his face. It was bloody shocking, honestly" Hermione finished, making Ginny grin.
"I knew Luna fancied Ron, just never imagined he would feel the same way.
Hermione smiled.
"We have to fight now, but after we both make it through this, I promise you things will be different. I promise you we will be together" she said, leaning down and pressing her lips against Ginny's for a moment.
And for a moment, even with screams of death and pain around them, Ginny finally felt like everything would be alright.
vii.
"It's over, it's finally over"
Harry's words rang in Hermione's ears as she searched the Great Hall for Ginny and her family.
She found them on the far side of the hall, all of them standing over Fred's body, sobbing.
Ron looked up and met her eyes and nudged Ginny, who glanced at him, then followed his eyes to Hermione. She leaped up and ran to her, wrapping her arms around the older girl and kissing her soundly on the lips in front of everyone, not caring who saw.
"He's gone" Ginny whispered when she pulled away, tears streaming down her face.
"I'm so sorry" Hermione said in reply, wondering what else she could possibly say to make the younger girl feel better.
Ginny shook her head and buried her face in Hermione's neck, as if hiding their would make everything that had happened disappear.
Hermione glanced one last time at the Weasley family, who all looked slightly shocked, but each also had an accepting smile on their face, so Hermione closed her eyes and hugged Ginny as tightly as she could, feeling joy and sorrow flow through her at the same time.
Fred was gone.
Gone forever, never to tell a joke again, or pull a prank with George.
Nothing would ever be the same.
But so many others were alive.
Harry, Ron, Luna, George, the rest of the Weasleys and especially Ginny.
Ginny was alive and breathing and in her arms and for the first time in what seemed like ages, Hermione felt herself smile a real, genuine smile, and in her heart, she knew everything would be alright.