Chapter Three
Thoughts are Never ending...
I yawned, trying not to glare malevolently at Harry.
Harry was babbling on about how fantastic Ginny was. It was three months since I let Ginny go and there was not a moment the Boy who Lived didn't remind me how stupid a move that was on my part. Not that he was doing this on purpose. He didn't even know that I was in love with his girlfriend.
Whoa! Did I just think that? Was I in love with Ginny?
I took a moment to take stock of my feelings.
I liked Ginny. That was a given. I liked her a lot. I had let her kiss me. Ok, so I let Harry kiss me once, but I was just practicing. I loved being around her. Even in school there was something about her that made me seek her out on a rainy day and talk girl talk. I had to wonder if she had been flirting then. Was she attracted to me back then? Had I been as dense toward her as Ron had been toward me?
I riffled through my memory. Ginny and me sitting in a cabin on the train ride to Hogwarts. I had absently touched her hand as I ranted about something or other. Now I could see the rose blush on her cheeks and how she left her hand there.
How had I missed that?
Another memory rose to the surface. Ginny was finishing an essay in the library. It would have been about third year, her second. She stretched languidly. I did what I always did with essays and pointed out a mistake, saying "You'll want to fix that."
I had walked on, barely noticing that she turned to watch me go, a faint blush on her face.
Third year rolled by in my head. She comforted me as I struggled through the issues with Ron and Buckbeak. She helped me research Buckbeak's dilemia and made me laugh on days I thought I couldn't do it. I wondered how she kept up her grades with all the time she spent helping me. She was the first to know about the timeturner. She was cool with it. She never asked for help. But I helped none the less.
Fourth year came rushing in. The girls in my class were giggling over Viktor Krum. GInny had joined me in the eye rolling and put downs. I asssumed it was because she was still in love with Harry. I had guessed wrong.
When word came of the ball she had asked what I thought of girls going together. I had shrugged and replied that if that was what made them happy.
Then fifth year she had gone out of her way to get my help.
Dear Merlin, was I really that thick? I was worse than Ron.
Harry bumped shoulders with me, pulling me from my thoughts. "What cha thinking about?"
I blushed. How could I tell him?
Harry sighed. "I wish you would just admit it to me."
I frowned. "What?"
He smiled. "That you fancy Ginny."
I stared at him.
His smile turned into a smirk. "Yeah I know. See if you admit it, I can be all indignant and ask what kind of friend you are. But at the same time I'll be having doubts as to whether Ginny feels the same way. Which she does. Then I'll go home and ask Ginny. When she admits it I'll be upset and she'll comfort me by saying she still loves me and that you don't even love her. Then I'll let it slip that you fancy her. Then she'll get quiet, thinking about it. Finally I'll be the better man and say if it will make her happy she should go with you."
I stared at him some more. "YOu've been thinking on this a while. How long have you known?"
"Ginny, since fourth year. You, since sixth."
I shook my head. "I didn't want to..."
He laughed. "Mione, I've known I'm not the only one in her life. I've accepted that she loves you and I'm willing to let her go. She was never really mine to begin with."
"And when do you plan to put your plan in action?"
"What ever plan it may be," Came a voice from behind. Hermione and Harry turned to see Mars Catcher. Mars was a good looking man of about forty, happily married with three kids. He was a teacher at Auror school where Hermione, Harry and Ginny went. Ginny was in the Medical wing, training to be a feild medic. Harry and Hermione were in the Espionage wing, training to be feild agents. As a rule, a feild agent always had a feild medic with them and Hermione now had a good idea who hers would be.
"It's going to have to wait til you get back Potter." Mars continued.
Harrry looked at thier boss over his glasses. Hermione knew he couldn't see a damn thing that way but it made him look imposing. (Except when he did it to her, then he just looked silly, in her view point.)
"Back from what?"
"From your first mission."
(A/N: Slight cliffie, but I was rushed. Yes I know there's no angst here, but there will be lots later.
