She was in love with a Weasley. Anyone could tell you that. You could walk down the street and ask who it was Hermione Granger loved, and someone was bound to answer you, "Weasley, of course. Haven't you heard the news? They're engaged. It was bound to happen. By the way, have you heard that Harry Potter is planning his wedding for the fifth of May? Why that Ginny Weasley must be so pleased." And indeed, Ginny Weasley was pleased, and Hermione Granger was pleased for Ginny.
But that didn't mean she wasn't bitter about it. Hermione had her own Weasley whom she loved very much. But she didn't love him like she loved Ginny. She couldn't love him the way she loved the other Weasley. They both had similar features: flaming red hair, deep blue eyes, and porcelain skin marked only by warm chocolate freckles. But their personalities were different. While Ron would jump into danger for the sake of his family and friends, he was generally a very mild man who liked to stay on the good side of the people he loved so as not to incur their anger. Ginny, on the other hand, would launch into danger and pranks no matter what was at stake and she was very rarely able to be calmed down by other people. Hermione knew this from experience.
"Hermione?" A twenty-year-old witch stepped out of bright green flames into the dark living room. "Hermione, are you there?" The redhead lit the tip of her wand and found the girl she was looking for curled up on a sofa. A light smile graced her face as she strode over and knelt down beside the curly-haired woman. A slender hand with perfectly manicured nails swept aside the brown hair that hid the angelic face underneath.
"Ron?" the pink parted lips asked softly and the redhead felt a twinge of pain and jealousy in her heart that shouldn't have been. "Thought you were going to be with Harry." Big brown eyes slowly blinked open as they turned towards the person at her side. "Oh!" she exclaimed suddenly. "Ginny. What are you doing here?"
The redhead grinned. "I'm here to ask you the same thing. It's the night before my wedding. My bachelorette party that you planned. How come you aren't there?" She stood up and placed her hands on her hips very sternly.
Hermione forced a smile on her face as she slid out of the sofa and onto her feet. "I was going to go, but I got ready too soon," she lied, refusing to look into the clear blue eyes of the other. "So I thought I'd just wait for a bit, but I must have fallen asleep. I'm so sorry, Ginny."
"And you were going to come in your work robes?" Ginny questioned with an eyebrow delicately raised.
"Of course," Hermione retorted, sliding easily into the playful banter the two used to share before Dumbledore's death.
"Were you planning on giving us a little show, Ms. Professional? In place of the strippers that didn't make it?" Ginny teased as she stepped towards Hermione who suddenly flushed red.
"Th-they didn't show?" she asked quietly, still reluctant to meet Ginny's gaze. "I thought they were supposed to be there at seven-thirty." Her eyes darted towards the clock, confirming that it was now eight at night. "Maybe I should go find-"
"Hermione," Ginny stopped her and the other girl finally looked up. "Is something wrong?" she wondered as she tried to figure out if the usually bright eyes were rimmed red or if it was a trick of the light. "Are things going well at work? Is everything okay between you and Ron? Hermione, you know you can always tell me everything."
Not everything. She smiled vaguely and turned away. "No, no everything's just fine. Why don't you go back to your party and I'll come along in a bit."
Ginny raised her arm up to touch Hermione, but the other girl was already shuffling away. So she let her arm fall to her side and settled herself down onto the sofa that was still warm from Hermione's body. "There's nothing fun at that party anyway. I don't really know anyone else that well aside from Luna and Luna's not exactly the ideal conversationalist. I'd rather stay here with you and do whatever boring thing it was you were planning on doing instead of coming over to my party."
"You mean sleeping?" Hermione questioned as her hand fumbled along the wall searching for a light switch, before remembering that there was none because she currently lived in a wizarding apartment.
Ginny grinned devilishly, and, though Hermione wasn't facing her, she could feel the grin on Ginny's face. "Oh, Hermione, I'm engaged!" she teased and both girls felt a terrible aching inside them, but neither would ever admit it.
Hermione rolled her eyes and began searching for her wand. "Would you like some tea, Ginny?"
"You are the epitome of fun," Ginny replied. "Sleeping, tea, what's next? Knitting some dollies?"
"I could actually do with some dollies," Hermione answered thoughtfully as she picked up her wand and prepared to light up the area.
"You're so boring," Ginny responded, sounding, for a moment, just like the eleven-year-old Hermione had met in Diagon alley nine years ago. "Leave it dark," she demanded as she saw Hermione wave her wand. "It's nicer this way."
"Maybe it's nicer for you, but for people who can't exactly see in the dark, it's a bit of a hindrance," Hermione said hotly, but she lowered her wand anyway.
"Well we don't need the lights. Just come over here and we can talk, like we used to, yeah?" Ginny stood up and walked over. She placed her hands gently on the slim shoulders and lightly shoved them towards the couch she had been on. "When was the last time we seriously talked, anyway?"
"Five years ago," Hermione replied almost automatically.
"That long, huh?"
--
When Hermione first laid eyes on Ginny Weasley, she knew exactly who she was. It wasn't exactly a mystery. The little girl had been gathered near her older brothers and had been sneaking occasional glances at Harry Potter. Hermione thought the apparent crush Ginny had on Harry was extremely cute and adorable, until she felt those same eyes flickering towards her every-so-often. She never had the chance, that day, to talk to Ginny, but she made sure to do so as soon as school started. At first, Ginny had been very shy and prone to stuttering, but, after a couple months, Ginny began warming up a bit to her.
They got to know each other more throughout the next year and Hermione found herself looking forward to whenever she and Ginny had some time together. Of course, it was a bit hard to do, especially since she seemed to spend most of her time helping Harry and Ron with whatever it was they were trying to do next, and Ginny had her own friends. But, it was during that period of time in third year when the two weren't talking to her, that she found Ginny to be her solace. Yet, it wasn't until a year after that Hermione came to find she had feelings for the other girl.
"Happy Christmas, Hermione," Ginny said as she stepped through the portrait hole looking gorgeous. "Haven't had a chance to say that yet." She smiled softly and walked to Hermione.
"You too, Ginny," she replied emptily.
"I saw. Ron's a git. Don't pay any attention to him." The redhead sat down next to Hermione and held an arm open for the other girl who threw herself at Ginny immediately.
"I know! But the way he talks to me sometimes, it's like he doesn't realize I'm a girl. It's like he takes me for granted and I'm just…just a friend. Not even!" Her arms wrapped tightly around Ginny as she sobbed onto her shoulder. "He's so stupid. What right does he have to be jealous about Viktor? Wasn't he the one who was all over him at the beginning of the year?"
"Ron's never been the smart one in the family," Ginny teased as she pulled Hermione's hair down from its sleek bun. "You really can't blame him for being so stupid." She began stroking the hair that now fell straight down the bare back.
"I know, but," Hermione sniffled and squeezed Ginny tighter. "I wish he were like you," she whispered. "Smart, understanding, cunning, gentle, and sweet."
"And with a terrible temper too?"
"He already has one." She was done ranting, but she didn't move away from Ginny. There was something very relaxing about just being there with Ginny and in her arms with her stroking her hair, her fingers occasionally touching her back.
There was silence that held only the occasional crackling of the fire in front of them as they both thought about the events of the night and how everything had started off wonderfully and then took an unexpected turn for the worse.
"Hermione?" Ginny asked softly. "Have you ever been kissed?"
"No," she replied without hesitation just as quietly. "Why?"
"Because I was wondering if you knew what that was like." She brought an empty hand up and cupped it under Hermione's chin. "Will you tell me if I'm a good kisser?" she wondered, asking for permission as well.
There was surprisingly no panic in the brown eyes, only shock and then acceptance as she nodded once. The worry disappeared from Ginny's face as she leaned in and gently pressed her lips against Hermione's. The other girl seemed hesitant at first, as if unsure what to do, but then she leaned into Ginny and her lips parted slightly. Then they broke off.
"You didn't need me to tell me that you're wonderful," Hermione whispered accusingly as she saw the blue eyes sparkle.
"Maybe not, but it's always nice to hear that I am," Ginny joked in return before she closed the distance between them once more.
--
Hermione didn't reply as she sank down onto the couch and felt the leather beside her dip as well.
"Amazing, isn't it?" Ginny asked, not specifying what it was that was amazing. She didn't need to, though.
"It is," Hermione agreed. "You and Harry." Despite all she felt, a small smile spread across her face. "I knew it would happen all along." It was no lie. Hermione had known, but still she had let herself fall in love with Ginny because it didn't matter how smart one was, no one had control over who it was he or she loved. None at all.
"It was as obvious as you and Ron," Ginny replied, her smile a bit larger than Hermione's. "When do you think your wedding will be?"
"Probably not for another year." Hermione wondered if Ginny was planning on continuing this small talk. "We haven't started planning yet, not with yours and Harry's wedding happening tomorrow. I might show up late to that, though. The dress doesn't seem to fit right for me and I want everything to be perfect for you."
"Oh, Hermione, you can't be late!" Ginny exclaimed as she grasped the other's hands firmly in her own. "You're my maid of honor! If you're late, then everything will be ruined. Hermione," she whined, her voice desperate as she steadied the shaking fingers tangled in her own. Ginny knew how much it hurt Hermione to be touching her like this but she couldn't help herself, especially when Hermione wasn't moving away from her or asking her to stop. She also knew the power she had over the other girl.
Hermione knew how much influence Ginny was over her, so it came as no surprise when she stammered out, "I-I guess it's n-not so bad." Her hands instinctively curled around Ginny's and she was thankful for the dark, because she was certain her face was inflamed. "M-maybe I can s-sort it out b-before the wedding. I-I'll need to wake up early, though."
"You'd like me to leave now then?" The pads of Ginny's fingers ran back and forth on the soft smooth skin beneath them. She was struck suddenly with the desire to lift the older woman's hands to her lips and kiss them softly like she used to do.
As if reading Ginny's mind, Hermione slowly drew her hands back reluctantly and answered, "N-not yet, but soon."
--
It had been the best time of her life when she found out that she was allowed to spend the summer with Ginny in Sirius' old house. The old house part wasn't at all interesting or entertaining; it was the staying with Ginny that made her most pleased.
"You're hurt!" Hermione exclaimed when Ginny came into their room one night with a cut on her cheek.
"Hmm?" Ginny asked cluelessly as she shut the door behind her. "Oh, yeah, I suppose so. It's really nothing," she added on as Hermione started fussing about it. "I just poked something bad. Really, Hermione, don't worry about it." Her arms came up and wrapped the brunette in a hug, partly to stop her from touching the cut and partly because she hadn't been able to all day.
"You should know better than to poke things in here," Hermione chided, but stopped worrying about it anyway. "What if one of those things kills you?" she teased with worry in her voice.
"Then I'll die knowing that you loved me," Ginny replied as she leaned in and kissed the other girl on the lips tenderly. "Because you do love me, right?"
"Of course I do." Hermione's frown lifted up into a smile as she stepped backwards and pulled Ginny with her to one of the beds. "Who wouldn't love you?" She pressed her lips against the ruby red ones, not patient enough to wait for an answer.
But Ginny gave her one anyway. "No one," she muttered cheekily against Hermione's parted lips before her tongue darted out and dragged itself along the other's pink lower lip. Then her lips pushed softly against Hermione's before they trailed downwards along the girl's jaw and throat, occasionally nipping and licking.
Hermione, for her part, kept one hand tangled in the fiery hair and the other on Ginny's back, rubbing up and down and occasionally grasping the shirt covering her back tightly. She could feel Ginny's lips grin every time she let out an unintentional moan and that made her smile until the redhead did something else with her mouth that made her smile drop open and another noise come from her own mouth. The other girl dipped below her collarbone and one hand unbuttoned the shirt Hermione wore as the other made large circles against her flat stomach. She had begun undoing the other's plain bra, when she suddenly stopped and laid her head down on the edge of Hermione's left breast.
"Ginny?" the brunette whispered, not letting complaint seep into her voice. "What's wrong?" They had gone this far before. They had even gone further than this. They had gone to the point where they had both been in between each other's legs. So that couldn't have been what was stopping Ginny. "Love?"
"I'm a bad person, Hermione," she whispered, not lifting her head up to meet the large brown eyes that sometimes glinted gold in the right light.
"What do you mean?"She threaded her fingers through the red hair.
"Michael Corner," she said very softly.
"Oh." Her hands stopped and, after a moment, pulled away from the other girl who had brought her arms around to hold Hermione in a hug. "Maybe we should stop this."
Her grip tightened, refusing to let Hermione get up or back away from her. "But this came first," she whined softly. "If-"
"It's wrong, though," Hermione reasoned. "You're dating him now. We never were. Ginny, we can't ever be. So maybe we should stop." There shouldn't have been a maybe, but,
despite her resolution to always do the right thing, she didn't want to stop. She wished Ginny had never agreed to date him.
"But I don't love him," she complained. Ginny had only agreed because he kept pestering her about it and had come too close to guessing their secret. "Hermione," she said, willing the other girl to give her an answer to all her questions like she did to the professors.
"There's nothing we can do about that now." Hermione sighed and shifted so that they were leaning against the headboard of the bed. Then her gaze softened as she saw Ginny resting against her with her red hair splayed across her own pale skin looking so forlorn and lost. Not being able to resist the urge, she lowered her head and gently kissed the girl on the head. "Let's think about this another day and just get some sleep tonight, okay?"
That "another day" hadn't come around until a month after school started. It was then that Hermione decided it was absolutely immoral for Ginny to be having an affair with her while she was dating Michael Corner, even if their "affair" had come before her dating Michael Corner. She also reasoned that there was no time for the two of them anyway. Hermione had to be studying for her O.W.L.s and Harry was being absolutely insufferable about everything. So, perhaps it would be best if they returned to being just friends.
And so they had, but it had been hard for both girls to just sit next to each other without touching. They would have touched each other, because no one questioned it if two girls were just a little too close. That was called "best friends". But they couldn't touch, because when they did, even if it was by accident, they both felt the most terrible and pleasant feelings burning in their hearts and churning in their stomachs.
It was terribly hard, especially when they could both feel the other aching with the same pain and knowing exactly what it took to fix that pain. So, it came as no surprise when they finally gave in one snowy night after Ginny had burst into the common room screaming, "I hate Michael Corner!"
Hermione looked up from behind her book with an expression of mild surprise, before her face melted into concern for the other girl. "What happened?"
"He's a stupid fucking git!" Ginny replied as she stormed over and sank down on the couch beside Hermione. "He asked me where I had been all Christmas break and then when I told him my dad nearly died, he said I could have at least written to him. Dad nearly died and all he can say is that I should write?!" Bright tears threatened to spill from shining blue eyes and Hermione couldn't help but reach out and wipe them away before they fell.
"He was just worried about you, Ginny," she whispered softly as she felt the other girl press her soft cheek into her palm. "Don't be so mad at him."
"Why shouldn't I?" she asked in defiance though her voice was soft. "He's an idiot and he took away the best thing in my life." Her eyes tilted up and stared meaningfully into Hermione's. "I should call it off between us. I have half a mind to just bloody take you out to the Great Hall and snog you senseless. See who's talking then."
"Don't be ridiculous," she scolded softly, her fingers gently stroking the cheek beneath them. "That would end well for no one, and you know it. He's just being a bit mindless, and don't deny that you don't enjoy his kisses, because I've heard you rave on and on about them," Hermione joked, but Ginny could hear the hurt in her voice and she hated herself for being the cause of that.
"Not as much as I enjoy yours, but I can't exactly rave about those, can I?"
"Ginny," Hermione warned as she sighed, but her hand never left the other's face. "We've been through this. It just can't-"
"Just can't be! I know!" the redhead exploded as she grabbed Hermione's hand with her own. "You've only told me about that every other day for the past five months! But don't tell me you didn't miss me," she demanded pleadingly as her voice dropped. "You can't lie to me about not missing the way we were. You must have missed what happened over the summer." Then, suddenly, she sprung forwards and kissed Hermione with all the passion and lust she had been hiding inside herself. "You can't tell me you didn't miss that," she whispered, her breath tantalizingly sweet against Hermione's flushed lips.
In response, Hermione tossed aside all reserve she had been holding and threw herself at Ginny, thanking Merlin, a moment too late, that there was no one else in that common room of theirs.
--
Ginny frowned lightly when Hermione drew away. To her, it seemed unfair that Hermione would deny her after all they had been through, but then, she remembered, that it was because of all they had been through that Hermione pulled away. She forced a smile back onto her face and pushed her hair back with both her hands.
"Then what shall we do to pass the time, Ms. Granger?" she asked.
"What would Ms. Weasley, soon to be Mrs. Potter, like to do on the night before her wedding?" Hermione asked in return, control returning to her voice and body alike.
"To be honest, Ms. Weasley would like to be watching beautiful naked bodies dancing in front of her with the hope that one of those beautiful naked bodies will sleep with her tonight, but alas," Ginny sighed, "she is afraid that that will never happen as long as she is in the company of
Ms. Granger, unless…" She wiggled her eyebrows up and down suggestively, and, in the faint light that came from the windows, Hermione saw that and laughed and blushed simultaneously.
"Unfortunately, Ms. Granger cannot allow that to happen. Mr. Potter may come kill her if it does," she jested in return, ignoring her feelings for the sake of fun.
"Oh, posh." Ginny pouted and crossed her arms, looking much like a little kid who just threw her lolly down the river to see how far it would go. "It isn't as if Mr. Potter isn't looking at some supple flesh at the moment anyway."
"Well, it's very unlikely that Mr. Potter is going to be sleeping with said supple flesh," Hermione replied and instinctively reached a hand out to run it through Ginny's hair like she used to do whenever the girl pouted. But she realized her gesture just before she touched the other, who turned to look at her expectantly, and awkwardly took it back.
"One can never be to certain with Mr. Potter," she said softly, her eyes betraying the hurt she felt.
--
Ginny had eventually had a fall-out with Michael Corner, but had soon replaced him with Dean Thomas. Hermione had been dreadfully hurt until Ginny explained that this solution was a good one, because Dean had a thing for Sean and so wasn't really interested in Ginny. Therefore, she had added on in a delightful whisper, it would be perfectly fine for the two of them to do whatever they wanted without guilt. This had seemed like the perfect solution, until Ginny and Dean. Because it was then that Ginny realized that despite the strong feelings she had for Hermione, she had been and would always be desperately in love with Harry.
"I'm sorry," Ginny sobbed as she clung tightly onto Hermione who wanted nothing more than to run away from the redhead. "I'm a terrible person, but nothing I ever said to you was a lie." The darkened blue eyes looked up into the drowning brown ones, begging to be understood. "That counts for something right?"
Hermione swallowed hard before she answered softly and lifted her hand to run it through Ginny's hair. "Yes, it counts for something." As soon as those blue eyes looked away, she lowered the defenses she had put up and wrapped one arm tightly around Ginny's waist. "Don't be sorry. I always knew it was going to happen, but Harry…" She drifted off until she felt those eyes staring at her, wanting to know the ending. "Harry must be delighted," she lied, instead.
"I-I suppose," Ginny replied before she pressed her lips against Hermione's. The other kissed back softly before breaking away gently.
"This is wrong," she whispered and then untangled herself from the other. "Let's go back to being friends and never," she paused and took in a breath to strengthen her resolve, "never bring this up again."Then she turned around and fled, leaving Ginny behind with no option but to accept her conditions.
--
Ginny left soon after that and Hermione cried herself to sleep in her apartment. She woke up the next day and, after taking a Pepper-up potion, rushed to get her dress refitted. It didn't take very long at all, but still, she had barely made it on time. There were no guests yet, but the Burrow was still buzzing with people running around to make everything right. She waved at all the Weasleys and dropped in to give Harry a few words of encouragement before she went to find the bride.
"Ginny," she said after letting herself into the room. The best word, she decided then, to describe the bride was breathless. Her dress pooled around her royally, fitting wonderfully with all her curves and displaying her best features. Her hair was curled upwards into a bun and around that was a familiar looking tiara that had once been lent to Fleur. Her eyes, set off by the jewels hanging around her neck, were shining in a way that Hermione had never seen them before. The woman's entire body seemed to radiate a glowing white light. "You're beautiful," she whispered.
"Oh, Hermione!" she exclaimed at once, drawing the other woman into the room quickly. "Thank Merlin, you're here. I'm scared," she admitted immediately. "What if I've done the wrong thing agreeing to this at the age of twenty? I still have an entire life ahead of me, and what if I've just resigned myself to staying at home and taking care of kids?" Her eyes started to dampen at the prospect. "Harry and I have talked about the future before, but what if we're not ready? What if this is just a stupid whim and-"
"Shh," Hermione demanded gently as she lifted her hands and placed them around Ginny's face. "It's not stupid," she reassured tenderly, knowing that this is exactly what Ginny has wanted to do every since she saw Harry. "Harry's not going to force you into a life you don't want, you know that. So relax and be happy!" She smiled broadly. "It's your wedding day after all!"
"Hermione," she breathed in relief at feeling the warm skin on hers. "Merlin, Hermione, I love you," she said quietly. "I love you to pieces, and I've been so unfair to you. If we could go back in time, I would make everything right for you. Make it so that you'd have never been hurt by me and-"
"Hush, Ginny." She placed her thumb across the open mouth. "I wouldn't want you to change a thing," she lied softly. It was not the time for her to pity herself. "There's a better time for a conversation like this. So chin up, love."
Ginny's eyes widened. "You haven't called me that in years," she awed, wondering once more if she had made a terrible mistake in choosing Harry over Hermione.
Hermione laughed as carelessly as she could and shook her head. "Stop thinking, Ginny," she commanded as she let her hands fall away from the other's face. "Stop thinking and get married to Harry already. He hasn't stopped talking about you since the day you two got together, so hopefully this will make him shut up," she teased as she backed away from the other. "Go on and be happy."
"Hermione." Ginny's eyes were full of relief, confusion, desperation, and gratitude. "Don't go."
"I have to." Her hand reached the handle of the door and turned it. "But I'll see you again. Good-bye and good luck, love." She disappeared behind the door after memorizing the look of Ginny. Then she fled.
--
A/N: I just had to. Don't ask. It's such an improbable story, but I just had to.