*So if you read this let me know what you think because I don't know if I'll continue it yet. I jump from fic to fic so sometimes there are updates everyday, sometimes they'll be a couple weeks in between, just depends on what mood I'm in. I've always loved reading Hermione/Ginny fics because to me their personalities complement one another and the relationship I see them having is much like one I had with a girlfriend in high school, so I figured I'd try my hand at writing one. This is rated M for later chapters(if I write them) so please don't read it if scenes like that are going to offend you because I don't write it with lemon warnings(I think fics like that don't flow as well) so it's just blended into the fic. Also, I apologize for any typos I wrote this whole thing on my iPad and I'm still getting used to it. R & R.
-Enjoy-
It's amazing how one moment can change your life. Mine was during the battle of Godrics Hollow, two months after graduation, as I watched the killing curse hurtle towards the woman I never realized I loved. They say it was a miracle when Harry's mother sacrificed herself for him, saving him from the killing curse, making him the only person to ever survive. Until now.
Thirteen Months Earlier
Hermione walked down the hall towards the library, Harry and Ron on either side of her talking animatedly about the Quidditch match that would be taking place in a couple weeks. She sighed inwardly, wanting to just escape; everyday it was the same thing, the same search and still she'd come up with nothing. They were depending on her to save them, depending on her to figure out how to keep everyone alive and how to kill him. Wasn't it Harry who was the chosen one? Wasn't Harry the one who should be spending countless hours in the library researching the methods to kill him once and for all? But no, Hermione Granger, brightest witch of her age was looked to for saving them all. Even Dumbledore had given her more freedom strictly in the hopes that she would have more time to spend working towards a solution.
"Hermione!" she heard the call and groaned out loud.
"What?" she said slightly exasperated.
"Sorry to bother you, I just figured I'd see if you wanted to go to Hogsmeade next weekend? Just the two of us. I wasn't sure how much I'd get to see you next week since you've been so busy." Ginny said slightly breathless as she came jogging up to Hermione.
"Oh." she said a little shocked. " I guess I could, it'll depend on how much research I can get done this week. Why...why do you ask?" she stuttered slightly. She mentally berated herself for sounding ridiculous, get it together, breath then speak, she said to herself.
"Well we've barely spent anytime together this year and I really miss our girl time. If you're too busy it's really okay, I'm sure we can make time another weekend."
"No, I'll always make time for you Ginny." Doh, she thought, way to go Hermione, hit on the straight girl.
-Break-
We'll stop here for a second. You see, now that I'm looking back on this I feel like a complete idiot. I can't believe I never noticed the signs, it's not like Ginny was the first girl I'd had a thing for, not the first girl I wanted to hook up with but she was the first girl who made me nervous. Of course she was also the first ex boyfriends sister I had a thing for, the first straight girl too, or so I thought.
I look over at the woman laying in the bed to my right, her auburn hair standing out against the stark white sheets of the bed, her face drowning in the freckles which stood out against her pale skin. How could I have ever thought this beautiful, powerful woman was straight? How did I miss all the signs of how much she cared for me? How long had I wasted with other girls when I had her right in front of me? Even though I had all of these questions racing through my head, there was one that I couldn't silence.
Would I ever get to tell her that I loved her?
-Break-
"Why do you let them get away with it Hermione?" Ginny asked glancing to her left as the two girls walked towards flourish and blots.
"Who? Get away with what?" she asked, a slight scowl marring her face.
"Harry and Ron. I'm not sure if you're aware of this but this war, it's not just your war to fight. Harry has to defeat him, not you, he should at least be researching with you. You're running yourself ragged and you don't even see it!" she responded tossing her hands in the air when Hermione rolled her eyes. "I just don't think I can continue sitting around and watching you struggle like this. We've only been back at school a month and you're already looking worn down; you've even lost weight Hermione."
"Stop, just stop Ginny. I'm not sure if you've hit your head and given yourself amnesia but have you met Harry and Ronald? I mean really? Do you want our lives in their hands? I certainly don't or we'd be completely unprepared for the final battle or any battle for that matter! This is my war, Harry may be the chosen one but I'm fighting for my right to be a witch, for my right to be taken seriously in the wizarding world."
Ginny stopped and grabbed Hermione by the shoulders and spun her towards her. "How can you not see Hermione? Who doesn't take you seriously? Who are you trying to prove yourself to? The pureblooded elitists? Voldemort himself? What about what your friends think of you? What about what I think of you? Are you going to run yourself into the ground to prove your worth to people you'll never be good enough for?"
"That's not what I meant." Hermione responded slightly defeated. "Of course I care what you think, I just-It's so unfair that people look down on me because of who my parents are and not for who I am. I know you see me, Harry and Ron see me but if this war isn't over when we graduate how will I find a job? The ministry is so full of these purebloods who think anyone with muggle heritage can't possibly be as powerful and it makes me nervous. I want to make a difference in this world, our world, my world."
"Do you know how jumbled you sound right now Hermione? This is what all this work is doing to you. You have to ask the boys for help, or ask me, I can help you. Stop trying to do everything on your own." Ginny sighed.
"You're right. I've been so tired and so frazzled over the last few months with all the research I've been doing. I guess not taking a break over the summer hasn't really helped either and now being back in classes has only added more work, plus head girl duties." she let our a breath she didn't know she was holding. "Let me start over. I'd love your help Ginny, if you have time?" she finished a little shyly, cheeks tinted red with embarrassment of how unhinged she'd let herself get.
Ginny took a step forward bringing her body within inches of Hermione's and slowly brushed a stray curl from Hermione's face. Hermione's breath hitched and she willed herself to be level headed and not do something forward but as she felt Ginny's thumb trace down her cheek and gently graze across her bottom lip she would swear her heart stopped beating momentarily.
"I don't mind at all, I'll always make time for you Hermione." Ginny said repeating Hermione's own words back to her from the previous week. Ginny stepped away and held her hand out towards her, "Now that that's settled, flourish and blotts right?"
-Break-
If I had to pinpoint when our relationship changed I'd say it was in that moment, when I reached my hand out and took hers. Gods I still remember how it felt to have her finger run across my lip, just as if it were it wasn't yesterday, it'd been three weeks now since I'd felt Ginny's hands on me and it was killing me. The healers hardly come in anymore and when they do they never have anything new to tell me. It's always "just be patient Hermione, she may wake up, her vitals are perfect, but remember we've never had anything like this before so there's no telling how long it could take her to wake up."
What they really mean though is that they have no idea if she will ever wake up. How am I supposed to function without her? How am I supposed to live without the woman laying in front of me. These last months have changed our lives, we bonded in ways I'd never thought possible and now we're bonded in ways no one thought possible.
Dumbledore gravely told me I'd die if she did, but really I can't seem to see how that would be a bad thing. Of course for them it would be a bad thing because then they wouldn't be able to have the brightest witch of their age to do all their research and the only female Weasley to do all their dirty work. The power couple of the Order, that's what they'd all been joking about in the last couple months. But all I really cared about right now was Ginny; screw the war, screw everyone else, all I wanted was to feel her lips on mine like the first time all those months ago.
-Break-
"Seriously boys sit your arses down and get to work. It's been two weeks since I started helping Hermione and it's no wonder she was so close to pulling her hair out with as little as you two help."
"But Ginny we have Quidditch this afternoon, aren't you worried we'll lose? We really need to go over the strategies that we're going to use." Ron whined.
"That's it!" Hermione said throwing her hands in the air with frustration. "I'm done, I'm done with both of you. I've been slaving over books month after month and neither of you even fucking care! So if you're so bloody worried about Quidditch go play perhaps those skills will teach you how to dodge the killing curse on a battlefield but most likely it'll just end with your parents putting your dead body in the ground!" she screamed at him, turned on her heel and fled.
"Hermione!" Harry shouted after her.
"Good going boys. I mean really do you even care about your friend? Or is she simply there for you to use and abuse whenever you feel like it? It's your job the finish this war Harry and Hermione is just trying to make it as easy on you as possible. And you," she said turning towards Ron "the least you could do is support your friend instead of encouraging him to go gallivanting anywhere you feel like. Or even just support Hermione by trying to help instead of complaining the entire time. I'm going to go find Hermione and you're going to sit here until the both of us come back and go through as many of these books as you can. Got it?"
"But what if you don't come back before we have to go to lunch or the match?"
"Ron mate, shut up." Harry said as he picked up the book Hermione had left open.
Ginny headed towards the head girl room trying to remember the password the whole way. As she reached it the portrait looked at her and spoke before she even gave the password.
"She has requested no one be let in."
"Well I'm not the one who upset her. I just want to see her and make sure she's okay."
"She has requested no one be let in."
"Look you piece of shit, do you know how easy it is to catch a portrait on fire or for that matter since I'm sure you're flame proof, how easy it is to just cut you out of your frame? Open the bloody door or you're going to find out." she seethed. She didn't have time for this, Hermione never got emotional like that and she just wanted to make sure she was okay. Before she knew it the portrait huffed indignantly and opened the passageway. Good, she thought, at least I didn't have to remember the password.
"Hermione?" she called but was answered by complete silence. That's when she heard the running water coming from the open bedroom door. As she walked in she looked around and noticed the closed bathroom door. Wow, these rooms are huge, no wonder everyone wants to be head girl, she thought. She heard the shower turn off and decided just to wait on the edge of the bed. Hermione came out, towel wrapped around her body and another towel in her hands drying her hair.
"Smartest witch of our age and she doesn't use a drying charm?" Ginny teased.
"You should see how disastrous my hair is when I use a drying charm, it's even worse than it usually is." Hermione said as she dropped the now damp towel from her hair into her laundry basket watching it disappear.
"Are you alright Hermione? I know Ron was being a prat and if it makes you feel any better I think you got your point across to Harry. He even told him to shut up a couple minutes after you left."
"Well at least it seems to be making a difference to Harry. I'm sorry I snapped, I'm just frustrated with the two of them. I mean, you're younger than both of them and yet you've managed to grasp how important figuring out how to destroy Voldemort is. I don't understand why that concept is so hard for them though!" she finished a little frustrated.
"Don't work yourself up again Hermione. " Ginny said walking across the room to where the older girl stood. "Besides I wanted to check on you but the other reason I came is that, I really wanted to talk to you." she finished as she took a step closer to Hermione, not quite far enough apart for Hermione's comfort.
"Sure what's up?" Hermione responded taking a step back.
"This right here." she motioned between them with her hands. "Every time I get close, you step back, every time I touch you," she emphasized running her fingertips across Hermione's collarbone and leaning in to whisper in her ear, "you act as those my touch lights you on fire. Does it Hermione?"
"Does-does what?" Hermione stammered.
"Does my touch," Ginny said pulling Hermione's body flush against hers, "light you," she whispered tracing her finger along Hermione's cheek, "on fire." she finished gently nipping at the girls earlobe and hearing Hermione's sharp in take of breath and a quick breathy "yes" leave her lips. Before Hermione could comprehend what she'd just admitted to Ginny pulled back and pressed their lips together.
-Break-
I chuckled lightly to the empty room, as if it had relived the memory with me. Ginny was never one for patience you see and apparently, according to her, I'd been a huge tease for months. Of course, I certainly didn't realize it, in fact I'd tried hard to avoid any physical contact between us which now that I think about it must have been the teasing part Ginny was talking about. That memory was definitely the beginning to our relationship, the committed one at least, it took us a few weeks but we finally got to the point where we both knew its what we wanted. It was quite interesting how that conversation finally came about actually. See she's always been the dominant, impatient, rash, passionate one where I'm a little more laid back, calculating and much slower to show my feelings than her. Headstrong, just like all the Weasley's. But that's what made her so good at her job, she'd do anything to protect the ones she loved, even kill. I won't dwell on that though, it's best if I not think about how she ended up in here. I will say this though. I constantly wonder how it is that the two of us, the power couple in the Order, who sacrificed so much, have ended up here in , alone.
-Break-
Ginny looked around the common room in hopes of finding Hermione, she'd been looking for her all morning and hadn't been able to find her anywhere.
"What are you up to Gin?" Harry asked when he saw her glance over the back of Hermione's favorite arm chair.
"Just looking for Hermione, I haven't seen her anywhere this morning."
"Oh, she's been out by the lake with Sarah all morning. I think they were working on their potions project or something." he said as he moved his knight. As Ron whooped in glory as he put Harry in a check mate neither boy missed the annoyed look that took Ginny's face when Harry had mentioned Sarah. Always bloody Sarah, she thought to herself, that girl is always with Hermione.
With that she headed towards the lake in hopes that Hermione would still be there and maybe be up for a walk, after all she'd been working all morning surely they'd be done by now. As the sun hit her face she smiled, it was beautiful fall weather outside, an abnormally warm November day, tree branches swaying slightly and the crinkle of leaves beneath her feet as she walked towards the lake. Her good mood quickly turned into fury as she spotted Hermione. This isn't bloody potions working!
"What in the bloody hell do you think you're doing with my girlfriend!" Ginny shouted storming up to the couple sitting on the ground.
Sarah jumped to the left slightly, pulling her hand back from where she'd just placed it on Hermione's head girl badge. "Jesus Ginny," Sarah exclaimed, "you scared the bloody hell out of me!"
"Yeah well guilty parties usually do get scared when they've got their grubby paws all over someone else's girlfriend!" Ginny snapped.
"Girlfriend?" Sarah stammered, turning her head to look at Hermione.
"Yes, girlfriend, Ginny? I wasn't aware I was your girlfriend." Hermione stated calmly.
"Of course you' my bloody girlfriend! Why else would I have kissed you?"
"That doesn't mean I'm your girlfriend Ginny, you've barely even talked to me since then and that was almost three weeks ago!"
"Well-Well I just assumed you knew, I was trying to give you space, pin case it wasn't what you wanted. I mean, do you Hermione? Do you even want to be my girlfriend?" Ginny finished.
Hermione sighed and then looked up at Ginny grinning. "Of course I do Ginny, I was just waiting for you to ask, you kind of took off and I thought maybe you regretted it."
"I could never regret kissing you Hermione, I've been thinking abut it for years." Ginny said leaning down and placing a light kiss against Hermione's lips.
The clearing of someone's throat pulled the girls out of it and other both turned to see a slightly blushing Sarah. "So I'm just going to go. Sorry for any misunderstanding Ginny, had I known..." Sarah trailed of.
"Sarah I'm so sorry, I never would've led you on intentionally, I really did just think that Ginny had, well it doesn't matter."
Sarah chuckled, "Really Hermione it's okay, I always wondered why you two had never hooked up. I mean, a few of us have been talking about it since Harry, Ron and you ran off last year, Ginny was constantly talking about how she missed you. And well, you two are always together. Anyway, good luck, I'm going to go tell Hannah."
"Ahh actually, mind to telling Hannah?" Ginny said a little sheepishly.
"Hm, good point, I'll let you guys come out on your own. I don't really want to be the bearer of bad news for her. Want me to just keep quiet about it?"
"That would be perfect; besides if someone other than me tells my brother I'm sure to hear of it."
"Yeah especially since they um-" Hermione stuttered slightly.
"They what?" Ginny asked.
"Well, they don't exactly, know. That I'm gay that is."
"What?" Sarah and Ginny said together.
"Well it just never came up and then Ron kissed me last year and well-I couldn't just go, sorry Ron I'm not as responsive I kind of like your sister. And all the girls I've dated before we're usually over the summer at home except for Astoria and we kept it quiet for obvious reasons." Hermione rambled on.
"Oh. Well maybe we should tell them together then?" Ginny suggested.
"Sounds perfect." Hermione grinned at her.
-Break-
I assure you, the conversation with Ron and Harry was at least amusing if nothing else. Of course Ron had his normal Weasley temper about how he thought we would be together after school, but after a few weeks he went back to normal and acted as though none of it ever happened. Of course I'm sure Lavenders tonsils helped that a long just a tad. Harry, well Harry didn't seem too shocked about Ginny and I, of course he told me that he always knew that I wasn't straight. Still it sure what gave me away. As for everyone else in the school, most people were fine with it, with a few exceptions.
"Healer!" I say leaning forward and running my wand over Ginny's body as she starts convulsing. It's the first movement she's had in the two months since she's been laying here. "Healer" I cry out again, my weight on her upper body and hands trying to keep her head steady. I don't feel the tears rolling down my face until after the healers push me behind them. I hear them shouting off orders, the head healer looking as her scans come back, her face contorted in clear confusion.
I go to take a step back as the healers bustle around me as Ginny's body finally stops convulsing but my vision swims. My chest aches and at first I think it's just from crying but then it's as if the whole world freezes and then I'm back there, on that haunted night, replaying everything over again in my head before finally watching the green light fly towards the only woman I've ever loved.
-Break-
I'm looking around the room, people are packed in here like sardines, they're all waiting on Harry. I'm scanning the crowd in hopes of catching sight of Ginny. I spot red hair but keep scanning as I realize that it's Fred and George with Angelina and Katie talking animatedly. Then I see her out of the corner of my eye trying to sneak up in me, so I keeps scanning the crowd as if I don't see her.
"Mm stop Sarah, Ginny could be here any second." I moan slightly as I melt into the body that's pressed tightly against my back.
"Ha, ha." she says placing kisses along my neck. "I don't believe you for a second. Besides I know for a fact you haven't seen Sarah since she left last week on her honeymoon two weeks ago."
"True. Do you remember where Hannah said they were going?"
"Tennessee I think she said. Apparently Sarah likes this muggle music called country and there's this big place there with all these singers. Plus Hannah said she wanted a Voldemort free honeymoon and I can't say I blame her."
"I can't either, but it's a shame they aren't here we may end up needing Hannah's healing expertise tonight. Hopefully we won't though."
"Why," Ginny says kissing the knuckles on my hand and grinning at me, " would we need Hannah's expertise when we have the great Hermione Granger?"
"Possibly because I'm it a healer!" I giggle as she nips lightly at my knuckle.
"You," I say pulling her around to my front and against me, "are completely insatiable. Didn't you get enough last night?" my breath catches as I see that look flash in her eyes as she leans towards me.
"I'll never get enough of you Hermione Granger. I want to take you every morning and every night for the rest of our lives. After all that's isn't that generally how you feel towards the person you're in love with?" she whispers in my ear. I'm stunned and I open my mouth to respond but she presses her lips against mine.
"Please don't say anything Hermione. I don't want you to say it now, I'll feel like its out of obligation to respond but I've wanted to tell you for weeks and now seemed like the best time. And when we get back after the battle tonight, I have a surprise for you and then I'm going to make love to you until after the sun comes up."
I swallow slightly, my eyes tearing up from how much passion is written on her face and words just seems to escape me so instead I lean forward and catch her lips in mine. We're interrupted as people start cheering as Harry comes in the room.
"Remember to be safe tonight and that I love you." Ginny says and disapparates fit in front of my eyes. I wipe the unshed tears from my eyes and make my way towards the front of the room where Harry is waiting for me. I'm used this by now, Ginny is the leader of the assassin team, they go in first, assess the situation and take out any patrols they can before the true battle starts. We know death eaters are going to be attacking this muggle city tonight and if they get in there it'll be a massacre.
As Harry is finishing his speech he turns to Ron and I. "You guys ready?"
"Course mate, are you?" Ron asks. Harry leans towards us and I turn my hand slightly casting a silent muffliato.
"Severus said that Voldemort might be there tonight, he's hoping to catch me off guard and try to take me out. And before you ask Hermione he couldn't tell me earlier because he didn't know. So just try to stay with me and we'll take out as many death eaters as we can. Ron try not to jump in front of any spells for Lavender tonight, I know you love her but we can't afford for you to get distracted."
Ron has the decency to blush a little. "Promise mate."
"Let's go you two." I say canceling the charm. We take a look around the room and I toss my hand up as a signal for everyone to apparate to their destination.
The battle is already raging when I feel my feet solid and I instantly know something's gone wrong. Harry grabs my shoulder and I turn around instinctively dodging a spell and the three of us begin to move forward through what seems to be a sea of death eaters. I keep my cool and try not to think about how Ginny's team is doing, I can't afford to lose focus.
Of course that couldn't happen though. I see Ginny drop to dodge a spell and come back out of the roll taking out two death eaters. She's amazing when she fights, it's like watching a ballerina, with the small exception of the knives glittering in her hands every time she casts a spell or catches a death eater unaware with the blades. I'm keeping up our shield charm as we're moving through the forces, Harry instinctively knows where to go to get closer to Voldemort. But everything changes when a curse cuts through my shield and I drop to the ground screaming. This has never happened before, no one has ever gotten through one of my shields, with the exception of the killing curse. I hear Harry scream my name but I'm too busy with the feeling of being stabbed in a million places to respond.
"See what being friends with you does Harry Potter?" I hear the voice of Voldemort over the now quieting crowd. I'm pulling myself to my feet as I hear him continue, "watch and learn what pain is." he throws the same spell at Harry that had just hit me but I know Harry can't afford to be distracted with the pain so I push him out of the way and the spell catches me in the arm. It isn't as bad this time, of course I'm still screaming, but I manage to stay on my feet only hunched over screaming. I swear the pain stops when I hear her voice as she screams my name. I look up to see Ginny slicing the necks of every death eater that stand in her path of me. I try to tell her to stop, but my voice is gone from my screams, I try to straighten up but it's as if everything is happening in slow motion. I see her moving towards me, death eaters moving near her, in hopes to harm her or flee from her I'll never know. Then I hear Voldemorts voice boom silencing them all.
"Ahh a Weasley. Still as headstrong and stupid as the rest of them but it will be a shame to spill such pureblood and for the love of a mudblood none the less." I instantly know he's going to kill her and I forget about my job of saving harry. I swear I don't even hear him cast the spell. I just see that sickening light heading towards her. But she isn't afraid, she smiles at me and I see her mouth 'I love you'. My legs give out before the spell even hits her and I'm screaming as the spell it's her so hard that it drops her already lifeless body to the ground. My body is on fire and I swear I'm the one who was just hit by the curse. And then, there's nothing.
-Break-
My hand raises to my heart, I can feel it, it's slowing down. The healers are all standing with their wands placed on Ginny's heart trying to get it to start again. But I know now what Dumbledore meant when he said if she died I would die too. She's dying and I can feel my heart slowing to match the last beats of her heart. Her heart, our heart, is breaking. My feet carry me forward and as I grasp her hand, I feel her fingers slightly tighten around mine and I know I'm where I belong.
*So I may continue this. It really depends on if anyone likes it. Yes Ginny survived the killing curse and I've worked out how I just couldn't figure out how to incorporate that into this piece of the story because at this point no one knows how she survived. There's a story for this in my head but unless people seem to like it I may not write it because I'm such a busy person that I tend to post kind of slow. However if you've read Hidden Among Them, I just finished hand writing a chapter last night and I'll probably have it posted by this weekend. Sorry for the crappy title, I would love suggestions for it if anyone has a good one. Let me know what you think!