Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter.
The war was won. The dead were buried and tears all shed. Pockets of remaining Death Eaters were being rounded up by the aurors nearly daily-in some cases, even turning themselves in hoping for lenience.
At Hogwarts, the effort to rebuild was finally winding down. It had taken eight months of intense work to set things right. Professor McGonagall, surprising no one, had been named permanent headmistress of the school and was now settled into the headmaster's office, her desk sitting just beneath Dumbledore's smiling portrait.
Harry had been gone about a week. He desperately needed to take a break from the madness that had been his life for the last eight years (eighteen, if he really wanted to be honest about it) and now that the repairs were largely complete, he finally allowed himself to take that break. With Harry gone and Ron curiously keeping to himself, Hermione was most often either with Ginny or on her own these days.
The female member of The Golden Trio sat in one of the two large squashy chairs by the fire in the Gryffindor common room after dinner. She had taken to doing so almost every evening after the day's work was done. She was staring into the flames, lost in thought. It just so happened that her thoughts currently centered on Ginny.
When the war ended, Harry had tried unsuccessfully to renew his relationship with the youngest Weasley. Ginny refused him. Hermione tried to get Ginny to tell her what happened but the redhead would only say that he was no longer what she wanted. Hermione wondered absently what it was that Ginny wanted. Or who. Thoughts of Ginny often distracted the brunette these days. She bit down lightly on her lower lip as her thoughts continued to wander over the redheaded witch.
She did not hear Ron walk up beside her and kneel down. He waited for a moment then cleared his throat, pulling her back to the present, "Hi, Ron," she turned and smiled at her friend. Her face immediately contorted with concern as their eyes met and his appeared troubled, "Ron? What is it?" she asked anxiously. After all they had been through, she could not imagine what would have him looking as he did, like he might run and hide at any second. She shifted in the chair, hand automatically closing around her wand.
She stared hard at the boy, willing him to speak. Alarmingly, he seemed to be trembling slightly and his lengthy pause before answering did nothing to relieve her worry. "Ronald!" she said a bit louder growing desperate for a response, "What is wrong?" She emphasized the first and last words to prompt him into speech. Finally he spoke, reaching out to take Hermione's hand in his own, "Hermione, I love you," he said. Her brow furrowed at his words, it was not the sort of statement she expected to accompany his odd behavior. "Er...yeah, I love you too, Ron," she replied somewhat confusedly, giving his hands a gentle squeeze.
Hermione found it puzzling that Ron seemed even more frightened and upset now. He also looked as though his courage was fading. The brunette had a fleeting, somewhat nauseating thought that he might be about to propose but she shook it off, praying that wasn't the case. Still worried, she pressed him, "What is it?" He looked at her and drew a deep breath, his courage would hold-it had to. "Hermione, I love you," he began again, swallowing hard, "but...I'm not...in love with you." He paused for a moment, trying and failing to read the strange look on Hermione's face, before barreling on, "I thought I was. I mean all the signs were there...and, see, there was so much going on...and. Well...when we kissed I knew...I knew that I loved you but...not like that. More like another sister. Please...I'm so so sorry it took this long for me to say but I just didn't want to hurt you. I don't want to lose you. Merlin's Beard! I always want you in my life...I just...don't wanna snog you..." he stopped talking only because he had completely run out of air.
Ron pulled air into his now burning lungs, dropped his eyes to the floor and waited for Hermione to react: to punch him or hex him or tell him off or something. He knew it was coming and waited quietly for it. The nervous redhead was thoroughly unprepared for what came next as Hermione flung herself out of the chair and into his arms, hugging him tightly and laughing, "Oh, Ron! That is so wonderful!" she managed to squeak out as she kissed him on the cheek. "It is?" he replied quizzically, "I thought you'd be devastated."
Ron felt an odd mixture of confusion and relief as he pushed himself up and into the chair behind him while Hermione sat back down in the other. Hermione was smiling ear to ear as she stared at the boy across from her. He was her best friend, her brother in arms, her brother, "Yes. It is wonderful. It's wonderful because I feel the same way and have been wondering for weeks how to tell you." She met his eyes, blushing slightly that he had found his courage before her. She continued, "Why do you think I've been sort of distant? Why haven't we so much as kissed since the war? I knew then too. I love you a best friend and brother. Nothing less than that...but nothing more, either."
Ron was so surprised at this turn of events that he had completely forgotten which side of the argument he was on, "What do you mean you aren't in love me?! We kissed! We've gone through hell together. What about that time in the Room of Requirement? Did you not enjoy our kiss? Of course you must have! I'm a great kisser! Just ask..." fortunately his mind caught up with the situation just at that moment and he had enough sense not to finish this last as Hermione's eyes still flashed dangerously at the mention of Lavender Brown in relation to Ron.
He sat in the oversized chair gawking at Hermione, his mouth hung open, ears now matching his hair. She just stared at him for a moment, then burst into laughter again, "Ron. What are you on about? You just said you don't have romantic feelings for me either!" Hermione clutched at her sides as she tried to calm her giggles. Ron closed his mouth for a moment, his face reddening even further, and muttered, "Oh yeah, right! Well, um, that's a relief then...I guess." His face twisted into an awkward smile as he stared at Hermione, who was trying desperately to bite back the laughter threatening to tear through her again. He watched her face turn red and after a few seconds he began laughing. Hermione's composure quickly dissolved again into giggles. It was the best laugh either had had since before the war, filled with relief, and happiness and love (just not that kind.)
After their laughter died down, Ron hugged Hermione again and left the tower to find George. The older Weasley had apparently made a bet with Ron that Hermione would hex him into next week when he told her the truth of his feelings, or lack thereof. Hermione rolled her eyes at the thought and decided to go see Ginny. She knew the young witch was in her room as she had heard the door slam only a short while ago. The redhead must have had a bad day. She seemed to be having more and more of those lately. The brunette also knew that if Ginny heard that her brother had broken things off, she would likely hex first and ask questions later, especially if she was in a bad mood. Amused by her train of thought, Hermione climbed the stairs toward the dormitory her friend occupied. Seconds later she heard the sound of breaking glass and sprinted the last several stairs ready to fight.
Ginny was exhausted and in a terrible mood. She just needed everyone to stay out of her way for a while. Her hands were balled into fists by her sides and she grumbled angrily to herself as she approached the portrait of the fat lady. She had even skipped dinner, which for a Weasley was quite a big deal. The youngest of the Weasleys planned to go fly to help her relax and hopefully improve her attitude. "Phoenix fire," she grumped at the painting covering the entrance to Gryffindor Tower. The portrait swung open and Ginny stepped inside, ignoring the Fat Lady's huffy response to redhead's grouchy demeanor. She entered the common room just in time to see Hermione launch herself into Ron's arms.
Ginny's jaw tightened and she felt her cheeks getting red, tears stung at the corners of her eyes. She strode quickly across the room and up the stairs to the sixth year girls' dormitory, which currently doubled as her room. She slammed the door behind her and began to pace the floor, her mood having instantly gone from bad to worse, "Fucking wonderful!" Ginny said to herself through clenched teeth, "Just what I needed. Really makes my day!"
She walked back and forth across the stone floor, her mind reeling. After several minutes, she stopped pacing right in front of her mirror and looked at the red, tear-filled eyes staring back at her, "Why does she have to be with my fucking brother?" she felt the frustration building, fast losing control of her Weasley temper.
Ginny glanced again at her reflection bitterly and, without thinking, she slammed her fist hard into the mirror. The glass shattered, raining shards down onto the dormitory floor. Ginny surveyed the broken pieces of mirror now littering the floor and actually found herself feeling a little better. She chuckled sadly as she knelt down to pick up the pieces, noticing for the first time that her hand was bleeding. Just then, there was a loud knock on the door and Ginny heard Hermione's voice call out to her, "Ginny? I'm coming in!"
Ginny tried to discourage the intrusion, "'Mione, no. I'm fine. Don't co..." but before she could say anything else, the brunette was standing beside her, wand drawn, "Ginny! Your hand! What happened? You're hurt! My goodness! Come here," she pulled Ginny, amid protests, to her feet and guided the younger girl over to the bed and sat her down taking the redhead's hand in her own. Ginny stared at her hand, blood trickled from her knuckles while tears ran down her cheeks against her will. Hermione muttered a quick spell over Ginny's hand, mending the gashes easily, "Thanks," Ginny responded without looking up. Then the clever brunette waved her wand in the direction of the broken mirror, "Reparo," she said with a slightly quavering voice before turning back to her friend, the mirror once again in one piece.
She eyed the redhead intently for a minute before speaking, her heart was breaking for the girl and she wanted nothing more than to help. Hermione reached up to wipe the tears from Ginny's face only to have the redhead pull away from her hand. Ginny's reaction hurt the older girl but she tried not to let it show, "Ginny, this isn't like you. What is it? What's wrong? Is this about Harry? You can tell me anything, you know. Please, let me help you. Whatever the problem is, I'm sure we can solve it."
Ginny sat motionless with a strange sort of sad smile. At length, she sighed heavily and spoke, her voice was ragged and tired, "It's not Harry. It hasn't been Harry in a long time," Ginny paused long enough to swallow hard. She could feel the older witch's gaze on her, "It's you, Hermione. You are the problem."
Hermione was taken aback, "Me?! I'm the problem? What did I do, Gin? I don't understand," she furrowed her brow as a wave of sadness crashed over her. What had she done to hurt the youngest Weasley? Hermione wracked her brain, but could find no answer.
Ginny shook her head, still not looking up from her lap, "Well...I guess it isn't you...exactly. It's just...I can't stand it any more, 'Mione. I just...can't."
Ginny moved to get up, but Hermione took hold of her arm, "Can't what, Gin? Tell me. Please," she sounded on the verge of tears.
The redhead pulled her arm out of the older girl's grasp, "I like you." Hermione was perplexed by this answer, "Ginny, I like you too. You're my best friend."
Ginny scoffed, "No. You don't get it. I don't just like you. I...I want you. I bloody love you, all right. You're all I think about now. And you're with my brother...my fucking brother," she could feel her temper rising and stood from the bed, resuming her restless pacing.
Hermione stared after her, dumbfounded, her heart and mind racing, 'She's in love with me?'
Ginny finally got up the nerve to look Hermione in the eye. The brunette was simply breathtaking, even in her current state, "I can't keep seeing you two together. It just..." the young witch shrugged, "It hurts too much." The image of Hermione in Ron's arms not ten minutes before flashed through Ginny's mind making her feel sick. She made her way to her bed and pulled her Firebolt out from under it, "I can't. I gotta go. I'm sorry," she said as she set out for the window.
Hermione could not speak, her voice had left her, but she was not going to sit there and let Ginny leave. She jumped up to stand between Ginny and the window, "So, you're just going to tell me something like that and then run away? Not even going to let me respond or try to explain?" Hermione felt her face flush with anger as Ginny pushed past her "I have never known you to be a coward, Gin."
Ginny stopped in her tracks and wheeled around, staring at the brunette, "I don't want to walk in on you two rolling around on the floor again...Merlin's Fucking Balls, Hermione! Right in the middle of the common room!"
Hermione was shocked by the implication, as well as the language the younger girl used, she responded, her voice shaking, "That was nothing! It was not what you think, Ginny."
The redhead angrily interrupted, "I know what I saw."
Hermione held her temper as best she could, but could feel rage building within her, "You have no idea what you saw!" she practically shouted, surprising both Ginny and herself. She took a deep breath before continuing more quietly, "For your information, your brother just told me he had no romantic feelings for me and I was hugging him out of relief because I don't feel that way about him either. We are just friends and now each of us is free to pursue relationships with other people. I am finally free to go after the one I want...the one I am really in love with...you."
Ginny's mouth hung open as she stared at the beautiful creature in front of her, the reality of what she said sinking in. Hermione dropped her gaze from the youngest Weasley's emerald green eyes and looked down at the floor; she laughed dryly, "This...is not the way I ever envisioned telling you..."
Without another word, Ginny let her broom fall to the floor as she closed the distance between herself and Hermione, pressing her lips firmly to the brunette's. Hermione moaned softly, melting into the kiss, and wrapped her arms tightly around Ginny's waist, pulling her closer. The redhead responded in kind, placing one hand on the small of Hermione's back while the other wound itself into her hair, deepening the kiss. The older girl felt Ginny's tongue running softly along her lower lip, begging entry, and Hermione happily obliged, reveling in the contact as their tongues danced and twirled around each other. The need for air eventually forced the girls to break apart. Ginny pulled back slightly, panting as she gazed into Hermione's smiling face, "Hi," she said shyly, resting her forehead against the brunette's. Hermione blushed, opening her eyes slowly, "Hi," she replied, tightening her grip on the younger girl's waist.