"So how did you even know I was gay?" Hermione said into the mouthpiece, just minutes into her first proper conversation with Lucy on the phone.
"I saw you with that girl." Lucy replied.
"Ahh, Katie" Hermione explained.
"She your girlfriend then?" Lucy said, less than impressed.
"I don't really have many girlfriends. I got really hurt once, really hurt. I lost the one girl I've ever loved. Nothing's ever really amounted to much since."
"I know how that can feel" she sighed wistfully into the phone. Hermione questioned herself, baffled she was telling a near stranger such personal things.
"Is it alright if I see you again soon. There's something strange and I'm not sure what, but I'm drawn to you"
"Of course, I finish work at eleven tomorrow, come in the bar just before closing."
"Ok, looking forward to it, erm, see you tomorrow" and Hermione hung up.
"Who was that?" Harry enquired, eating some cereal.
"Erm, Katie" she offered and Harry just nodded. "Can't you do yourself something proper to eat!" she sighed and went to the kitchen to make some food.
"You never make food for me, except that breakfast last week. Are you ok? Are you getting any?"
"Harry don't be so vulgar, and no. I'm not." She sighed.
"Liar." He said, sticking his tongue out.
"Maybe" she taunted back, and left it there.
The next day Hermione wandered to Isaac's the bar where Lucy worked, and walked in. Lucy was the only one in there.
"Hey! Come in!" she said, walking towards her rapidly and shutting and locking the door behind her. Hermione noticed she was always on the verge of tears, but wasn't effected by it.
"Are you ok?" she said quietly, taking a seat at the bar while Lucy cleaned in front of her.
"I've never been better." She smiled. "Yourself?"
"Ok" she sighed.
"Just ok? Here" she said handing her a bottle of wine. "Get started, I'll lock the back door and be back, pour me one" Hermione obeyed and sat with two glasses of wine. "Sit on the sofa's" she sighed "They're way more comfortable" and then she took a long slow sip of the glass. "So where are you from?" Lucy babbled all in one go.
"Surrey actually, born and bred. Went to school near there, and I'm a librarian now" she was careful not to lie, but not to give away her magic either.
"Really? I'd never have guessed" Hermione noticed a sense of sarcasm hidden in her wry smile and sensed she was just being rude.
"Yourself?" she returned politely.
"I've been in foster care since I was seventeen, I was behind on exams and stuff, so caught up, went to Uni. Did the most boring call centre job until last year, and bought this pub. And I am currently twenty five getting on twenty six." She smiled and drank yet more wine. "Sorry I didn't ask your age…wait, let me guess." She paused. "erm, twenty six going on twenty seven"
"Well done" she smiled. Hermione was studying Lucy intensely, trying to look through every pore of her skin. There was just something about her, an essence that Hermione instantly loved, Her smile seemed so familiar and reminded her of happier times, her laugh was infectious and her eyes glimmered with excitement whenever Hermione chanced to look. She was now certain to believe in past lives, and love at first sight. Hermione listened intently, and then Lucy leaned in to kiss her, and she just surrendered herself.
The kiss was electric, spine tingling. Hermione was grabbing at the girl wanting her flesh, and her taste and her scent all over her, and the Lucy kissed her deeply, and at that moment, Hermione felt sick. She pulled away. Quickly. Grabbed her coat and stood up.
"Is everything ok? Did I do something wrong?" Lucy sighed, clearly not wanting to upset Hermione.
"No. I just can't. I'm sorry."
"Is this about Katie?" she questioned.
"A little bit, it's mostly to do with Ginny. I don't know if I should tell you" Hermione said flustered.
"You can tell things to me, I can be a mediator. Please don't get upset." She paused. "Who's Ginny?" she sighed.
"When I was at boarding school, I fell in love with this girl, and she kissed me, and told me that she loved me. I told her it wasn't the right time, and minutes later she was murdered and her body was never found." She said, waiting for it to impact. "I suppose I never really got over it".
"That's awful" she said, returning the sentiment. "I know how it feels. I loved a girl at school. I told her and she wasn't very pleased. So I left, I couldn't take that rejection and I ran away from home." Lucy sighed as Hermione inched closer.
"I'm sure she loved you too. At least you're not still hung up on a dead girl" she laughed.
"Maybe she's closer than you think. In your heart you'll know" Lucy smiled back, and kissed her again. To Hermione's surprise, Lucy was crying. The saline mix of tears and fresh kisses was too much, but Hermione quietly continued. Every moment of it reminded her of Ginny, and this was the closest she'd ever get again. She kissed like Ginny, she tasted like Ginny, she moved and smiled just like Ginny. Hermione had found a blank canvas to paint her love onto.
"I should go, my flat mate will be wondering where I am" she smiled.
"Oh, Who's your flat mate?" she enquired.
"A boy called Harry. He's really nice, he's a bit, well, intense. And some people find it quite hard to live with him, but I love him to pieces, and he moved in with me last week" Lucy smiled in a very strange way, a mix of pride and knowing. Hermione shrugged it off.
"He was the one in here with you?" she said in more of a statement than a question. Hermione nodded.
"He'll be wondering where I am" she sighed, and stood up.
"Don't go" Lucy muttered.
"I have to" Hermione started to walk out.
"Same time Friday?" Lucy weakly offered.
"Of course" Hermione smiled and left. From the other side of the door Lucy was sure she heard a loud crack, and smiled.
"Where have you been?" Harry questioned when she came in the door.
"I was at Katie's" she said quickly, and Harry smirked at her.
"Is that why Katie floo'd asking for you?" Harry was nearly laughing.
"Fine, fine. You got me. I was at Isaac's – The bar." She added, just so he didn't think she was at a strange man's house.
"This late?" he said.
"Lock-in. Lucy asked me to go. She's the barmaid." Hermione stated calmly.
"The weird one?" Harry recalled.
"She's not weird." Hermione merely reconfirmed. There was an immense pause. "I know it's wrong Harry" she said, hugging him closely. "She reminds me of Ginny, so much, the way she speaks and smiles and laughs and smells" she sighed. "and I know it feels like I'm leading Katie on, but I can't let Ginny go again."
"Hermione." He said in a cautionary tone, which she took to mean, "you're being very silly" which inside she knew. "You know, she's not Ginny, she can't be. However much she reminds you of Ginny, it's not her. You can't throw away a good thing because of a memory, no matter how real it is." He said, stroking her hair as she cried softly.
"I want her back" she sighed.
"We all do" he whispered back.