Ginny preferred flying on brooms, so when Hagrid brought the hyppogriffs during her third year, she slinked towards the back of the group as other kids raised their hands to volunteer. She watched them take off and sent up a silent prayer to the wizard god. She had heard what had happened to the Malfoy boy last year, and even though Hagrid was even more safe this year, even using a proper saddle on his new hippogriff, she needed an excuse. She would never tell anyone about why she didn't really want to fly. Only one person knew, and that was the way it should be.

It had all started with a spell book from the restricted section. Merlin only knew why Madame Pince let Hermione go pawing through there. If the uptight librarian ever saw what the girl was doing now, she would never let her run her hand over a book's spine again. And if this new spell turned out wrong, Ginny would never let Hermione touch her again.

Hermione wrapped one arm around Ginny's shoulders and stooped to pick her up, muttering, "It's like Wingardium Leviosa except stronger. Leviata Fortza!" She flicked her wand and slid it into her back pocket as they took off at the speed of light. They crashed through the Hogwart's barrier, Ginny tucking her head into Hermione's chest as she felt the shimmering light of the enclosure shatter all around her. The girls clung to each other as trees cut at them and clouds made their eyes water, Hermione smiling all the way, partially from the exhilaration of the trip and partially from the feeling of Ginny pressed so close to her.

A satellite stabbed Ginny's knee as they left orbit, and she touched the wound, finding blood on her fingers. Hermione let her go and they hurtled through space. Ginny clawed helplessly at the air around her, her blood spiraling away from her leg. Her spread out behind her, and she tried to tuck it behind her ear to no avail. "Stop it," Hermione whispered, her voice magnified by the emptiness of the universe, "you're hair looks cute like that." Ginny spun around in fast circles so that Hermione couldn't see her blush.

"Why did you bring me here?" Ginny started swimming towards Hermione, brushing away pieces of space junk.

"Oh, muggles! They are so messy sometimes! Look at this! It's a piece of a satellite." Hermione clawed her hands through the air, pushing space junk out of the way.

"Yes, yes, I see, but why did you bring me here?"

Hermione made a space angel in the air. "This is even better than Christmas in Wales."

"Hermione!" Ginny grabbed her hand mid-angel. "This is great, and I'm glad you chose me to take with me, but why?"

"Close your eyes, Ginny."

"Oh, no, I know that trick! I used it on Harry when we hid that book in the Room of Requirement."

Hermione turned away. Without looking, she took Ginny's hand and counted: "Three, two, one!"

The girls hurtled back towards Earth, gravity pulling them closer together. Ginny felt her skull crash against Hermione's clavicle but the force of gravity was too strong for her to even open her mouth in a scream. She had never felt something so strong. She imagined this is what some people felt when they fell in love or conversely when they fell into a deep pit of despair. This freefall was a strange happy medium between the two for Ginny-a feeling of weightlessness that she equated with nothingness. On his darkest days, Harry had told Ginny about how he felt like nothing, and he always sad it with a frown, but to Ginny a short absence of emotion was nice.

She missed this feeling once they landed and Hermione stormed off, shouting, "I don't care if you don't like me like I like you, but at least show some appreciation for the journey! That was a difficult spell! Something even the great Harry Potter can't do!"

Ginny sank down to the ground next the lake with her head in her hands. "I didn't mean for any of this to happen. This is all her fault..."

Ginny sprinted away from the outer edge of the Forbidden Forest where Hagrid had taught the lesson on hyppogriffs. She ran to the broom shed and grabbed the first broom she could find-time was of the essence. The sixth years were getting out of their classes, too, and she spotted a bushy-haired girl waging a battle against the wind as she wound down the stairs to Hagrid's hut. Ginny smirked and circled around to fly behind her, unnoticed. She leaned forward to gain speed as she flew the broom right between Hermione's legs, making the older girl drop all of her books and rolls of parchment in the process.

"Merlin! Who are you? What are you doing?" Hermione twisted around as much as she could without falling off to try to catch a glimpse of her kidnapper. "Oh, Ginny! Merlin! Please let me down, I'm not ready to sort things out yet."

Ginny rolled her eyes and flew them up above a patch of storm clouds. "'Mione, look at me."

She raised her eyes as the brunette maneuvered herself around so that she was facing

Ginny.

"What?"

The red-head danced her hands over Hermione's thighs until they were holding onto the broom in front of her. She slid her fingers back so that they rested in between the girl's legs, pressing against the barrier of her jeans.

"Thank you for yesterday," she murmured as she grabbed the back of the other girl's neck.

"Now close your eyes."

Hermione fell for the trick, willingly, sinking into Ginny-the only thing that was keeping her from falling.