Summary: It's Hermione's birthday, and Ginny wants to tell her something she should've said long ago.
Pairing: HGGW/GWHG. Implied HP/GW and RW/HG.
Yuri. Don't like? Don't read?
Hermione sat cross-legged on the sofa that was positioned in the middle of the front room. There were several unwrapped items on the coffee table and on the floor; birthday gifts. Today the young witch had turned seventeen. It was a day she had always been looking forward to; not that she wasn't always excited when she turned a year older. She enjoyed telling herself that she became more mature with age.
She was reading the new edition of The Wizardry Theory, and it interested her greatly. Someone rang the doorbell.
"I'll get it, Mom." Hermione said aloud to her mother, who was probably in the kitchen.
She got up and answered the door. Outside stood her best friend, Ginny. The redhead was holding a bouquet of roses and was smiling. Hermione's jaw dropped.
"On, Ginny!" They're beautiful!" she breathed.
"I know roses are your favorite." Ginny laughed.
Hermione invited her friend inside. Ginny accepted, immediately going over to the couch and examining her gifts.
"When did Ron come over?" she inquired.
"Around noon." Hermione answered.
"Oh."
Ginny came over to the brunette and touched her shoulder. Her eyelids lowered.
"Sorry I didn't come sooner."
"Oh, no. It's fine, Ginny." Hermione assured, laughing off the comment.
"Are you sure?"
"Of course I am."
Ginny nodded, "Okay."
The roses were put in a glass vase by the far wall, on the chimney. Hermione remembered her book on the couch and flicked her wand. The book closed.
"Hey, 'Mione, are you busy right now?" Ginny asked.
"No." Hermione replied, "Why?"
The redhead looked at the roses. The vase was shining in the light. Then she looked back at Hermione.
"Can we hang out?" she asked, "Just...walk around town?"
Hermione shrugged, "Sure."
Ginny smiled gleefully.
"Just give me a second to get a sweater." the brunette said and quickly ran upstairs.
Hermione ran into her room. She walked over to her closet and her eyes searched for a sweater she desired. When she found it, she flicked her wand and it floated to her. She pulled it on and ran back downstairs.
Ginny was still standing by the sofa.
"Okay, I'm ready now." the brunette told her as she came down the steps.
Ginny nodded and opened the front door.
"Mom, I'm going out." Hermione called to her mother, who was still nowhere in sight.
"All right, dear. Come back by six." her mother's voice said back.
"Okay!"
The redheaded girl insisted they go to the coffee shop that opened a week ago.
"Two lattes, please." Hermione told the waiter.
The man scribbled down their order and went over to the fancy coffee maker.
"'Mione, I have to tell you something." Ginny spoke as soon as the waiter was out of earshot.
Hermione leaned back in the chair she was sitting in.
"All right. What is it?" she wondered.
Ginny opened her mouth, but closed it again. Hermione recognized that Ginny wasn't quite sure she wanted to say anything.
"Is something wrong?" she asked the redhead.
The girl shook her head.
"No, it's just that I don't want to scare you." she said quietly.
"Scare me?" Hermione chuckled, "Come on, Ginny. Nothing you say could scare me. Unless..."
The brunette leaned forward, and her expression turned serious.
"...It's about Voldemort?" she finished in a whisper.
Ginny's eyes grew wide. She shook her head vigorously.
"No, no! Nothing like that!" she exclaimed.
The waiter came back and set two steaming cups in front of the girls. Hermione looked up and gave a curt nod to him. The man left behind the counter. The brunette turned her glance to her friend.
"If it's not about You-Know-Who, then what is it?"
"I-well-I love you." Ginny said nervously, "For a while, actually."
Hermione didn't say anything. As she took in the information, her eyes squinted. She took a few sips of her latte. Ginny waited uneasily for her answer.
"What about Harry?" Hermione asked.
Ginny sat up straight. She'd forgotten about him.
"I do love Harry..." her voice trailed off as she drank her coffee.
She averted her gaze to the floor, in thought.
"Who do you love more?" she heard Hermione question.
"I-I'm not sure." she admitted, "I mean, I love you both. You can't expect me to choose."
"Ginny," Hermione sighed, "you have to. And since when are you bisexual?"
Ginny took another sip of her latte.
"Well?"
"Ever since I met you, 'Mione." Ginny told her, quite confidently.
The brunette looked surprised. In spite of this, she broke into a smile. She tucked her hair behind her ear.
"Wow." she breathed, "I never knew."
"I didn't want you to. But I knew I had to tell you sometime. Or else I would go insane." Ginny laughed a little, slowly getting rid of her nervousness.
They finished their coffee. Hermione left five bills on the counter and the two left. When they were outside, Ginny pushed Hermione up on the wall behind her.
"Ginny! What are you doing?" the brunette demanded.
The redhead leaned in close to her friend. Hermione realized that Ginny was going to kiss her! Her heart raced as their lips connected. Ginny's eyes closed. Hermione felt something she always had when she was kissing Ron, something she still hadn't quite figured out; it intrigued her. Hermione's hand reached to the back of Ginny's neck and pulled her into another kiss. It was soft, sweet. Ginny let out a small moan. Hermione released herself from the kiss.
"Happy birthday, 'Mione." Ginny uttered in a hushed tone.
"Thank you, Ginny." Hermione acknowledged, "For everything."