-Chapter 4-
England won the match the next day and returned for a week off before staring practice to play France. It took some convincing but Ginny decided to stay at Grimmauld Place instead of the Burrow. Harry helped Hermione cover her tracks by telling everyone she had to work late so that she could meet after work with the builders.
Even though she was there at Grimmauld Place and the twins' first birthday party had been the previous night Hermione didn't see Ginny at all until Thursday. Hermione was standing in the foyer talking to Harry when Ginny came running down the stairs from her floor calling to Luna about some odd insect she had found under her desk. Behind her came another smaller redhead. Ginny stopped on the last step, the girl behind her nearly crashed into Ginny.
Hermione's jaw almost hit the floor. "Ginny…" she gasped.
"'Mione…it's um…not what you think." Ginny turned to the girl behind her.
"Y'need a minute Gin?" The girl put her hand on Ginny's shoulder. Hermione turned red.
"Yeah, thanks Willow."
"I'm gonna go to Diagon Alley, I want to look around the Quidditch store again."
"Okay, you can Floo from the sitting room."
The girl went passed Ginny and to the sitting room.
Ginny tucked her hair behind her ear, Hermione noticed the ring glimmering.
"Harry, do you mind…" Hermione gestured to Lennox.
"Yeah Hermione, don't worry. Come on Lennox," Harry said, taking the young boy's hand and leading him into the sitting room. "Uncle Harry is going to teach you how to use Incendio." He turned around and winked at Hermione.
"Well?" Hermione said sternly, her face almost purple.
Ginny didn't look too enthusiastic but she headed up the stairs and motioned for Hermione to follow. Ginny walked towards the door of the drawing room. Hermione caught a glimpse into Ginny's room and saw two separate beds, she relaxed a bit. She followed Ginny into the drawing room. Ginny sat on one end of the couch. Hermione looked around the room and spotted the painting she'd sent sitting propped up on Ginny's desk.
"Her name is Willow," Ginny said before Hermione could ask. "She's just a friend. We met four years ago at England trials."
"I see."
"I've never touched her and I have no intention of doing so. On top of the fact that she doesn't fancy girls she's more like my sister than anything."
"You've never mentioned her before."
"We've lost touch a bit, I still sent her owls every now and then to make sure she was doing okay. Obviously I've kind of had my hands full the passed year. That's why I invited her to stay here for the week, so we could catch up."
"Oh. Okay then. Congratulations on the wins, by the way." Hermione moved and sat down on the couch.
"Thanks." Ginny stared at the floor.
"Lennox…he got upset when he heard your voice in that interview and you weren't here. He missed you, Ginny. I-I did…do too."
"I missed him, too."
"Ginny please, we need to talk about what happened."
"What do you want me to say? For the love of Merlin, you snogged my brother and thought about shagging him!"
"He was the one that kissed me! And as for what I thought...It was just cold feet! That was the only time I ever thought anything like that since we've been together. You can't tell me you haven't thought even for a split second about it about some girl you saw in the street."
"Ugh...between you and Aislin...Ron is my brother, it's different!"
"How?!"
"It just is! Do you want me or him?!"
"I want you, Ginevra! You! Only you! I swear to you. If you want proof then here." Hermione pulled a small bottle out of her pocket and handed it to Ginny. The redhead inspected.
"What is this?"
"Veritaserum. I…procured it…from work. If you ask me to take it I will. I will do anything to prove that the only thing I want in the world is you." Hermione reached out and put her hand on Ginny's cheek. "I love you Ginny. You are who I want."
Ginny closed her eyes as Hermione's fingers slid through her hair.
"Why did you have second thoughts?" Ginny asked, resisting the urge to just tackle Hermione and make love to her on the couch right then and there.
"Because…this is going to be a really big change for the both of us," Hermione said. "Babysitting Lennox while I am at work and staying a few weekends in my flat is absolutely nothing compared to being a full-time mother. You haven't been with him while he's sick or throwing a temper tantrum in the middle of a busy store or cleaned up after he's finger painted all over the walls."
"I've spent plenty of time with him, I know his habits, his personality...what I don't know I can learn, Hermione! I'm not totally incompetent, you know?" Ginny tried her best to remain calm.
"I do not doubt your competence; I'm just very protective of Lennox. He's been my entire life since the day he was born and it will take some getting used to the idea of having someone there as a second parent to him rather than just a babysitter."
"I can't just have no involvement in his life."
"No, that's not what I am saying. I trust you with him more than anyone and I know he loves you but your relationship with him is going to change."
"Hermione, I am ready for this. I just want to know for sure that you are, too."
"I am, I promise you that this is what I want." Hermione moved close to Ginny and wrapped her arms around the redhead's slender waist.
"I love you, Hermione, I really do but I mean…it did happen. No matter what you say, you thought about my brother even if it was for just a split second. How am I to know that it's not going to happen again?"
Hermione debated back and forth whether or not to bring up that Ginny had once made her feel the exact same way. She knew the situation wasn't quite the same but she didn't know how else to get the point across.
"You have to trust me. It's not going to be easy, trust me I know from experience, but you just have to."
"How could you possibly…"
"Think about it, Ginny."
"What?!" Ginny stood up. "First of all that was what like…almost nine years ago!"
"I know it was but I still felt the way you do right now!" Hermione stood up as well and tried to get Ginny to stop pacing.
"You think this is the same as me kissing Luna?"
"I know it isn't the same! I'm just saying that I know how you feel. I know what it is like to be devastated like that and how it feels to not know if you can trust someone."
Ginny's lower lip quivered. She couldn't hold it in anymore. She'd been holding it in for weeks now. It was too much and she had to let it out. She had to let it out or she was afraid it would consume her. Finally she dropped back down to the couch and started sobbing. "I just…I hate this feeling. I hate it so much! I want to know that I can come back here and you'll be waiting for me."
Hermione sat next to Ginny and held on to her and set her head on Ginny's shoulder. "I will always wait for you," she whispered.
"I…I just wish that sometimes…I could make you physically feel how much I love you, Hermione," Ginny sobbed. "Because it's so overwhelming…so many emotions…I've been so scared…these passed two weeks…that I would come back here and you wouldn't want to go through with it."
"I'm so sorry I put you through that Ginny…" Hermione held her tighter. "I am not leaving you…I love you. I've loved you since I was sixteen years old and I will love you forever."
Ginny finally started calming down as Hermione rocked her back and forth and kissing her neck. The redhead embraced her lover.
"You okay, Gin?"
"I guess...how exactly did you get that Veritaserum?"
"I don't want to go there."
"You know you risked your job by nicking it, right?"
"I told you I'd do anything to prove to you that I love you."
There was a knock at the door.
"Come in," Ginny called out reluctantly.
"Hey…sorry to bother you guys," Harry said as he stepped in the room, "but there's someone here that wants to talk to you."
Both women looked at each other, confused.
"Who is it?" Ginny asked.
"Well…before I send him up I want to remind you that Luna and I have a rule that you can't kill anyone in this house unless we approve of it."
"If it's Ron then there are no promises," Hermione said. Ginny's face turned almost as red as her hair.
"Tell that bloody idiot if he thinks about coming up here it won't be pretty," Ginny added.
"He's here to apologize. He really is sorry, you guys. He came into my office the Monday after the party and he honestly looked worse than I've ever seen him," Harry pleaded.
"Fine," Ginny said sharply.
"Give me your wands." Harry held out his hand. Both girls stood and reluctantly handed them over.
"You know that I've been kicking his arse since the day I was born, right? I can still do it."
"Whatever. Cuts and bruises are easier to heal than the killing curse. I'll send him up." Harry left the room and they heard him head downstairs.
"Hermione I don't think I can do this without trying to kill him."
"Well I won't stop you."
They heard footsteps outside the door and there was a pause before the door opened again. Ron stepped inside and hung his head, he wouldn't look at either woman standing in front of him.
"H-hey…" he spoke cautiously. "Uh…listen…my behavior was um…really out of line." He finally looked up at Hermione. "'Mione…I'm so sorry. For everything. What I did…I'm just a git. I deserved the black eye and quite a bit more."
"You gave him a black eye?" Ginny looked at Hermione with an evil smile.
"Yeah…she did," Ron laughed a little. "Not even bruise removal paste got rid of it. Couldn't see right for about a week."
"She's nicer than I would've been."
"I know I deserved a lot worse. Gin…I'm so sorry. You're my sister and I should never have even gone near Hermione. And I won't ever again, I swear it. I just…I had a crush on her back in Hogwarts, you know? I've been jealous because…I've never had what you two have."
"You're not allowed to drink anything remotely alcoholic when you're near her again, Ron." Ginny pulled Hermione as close to her as she could.
"Deal. Anything else?"
The women looked at each other and shook their heads.
"Don't think so. At least not now," Hermione said.
"Alright well…I'll leave you two to um…yeah." Ron turned and left the room. Hermione and Ginny both fell back to the couch. Ginny leaned over and put her head on Hermione's shoulder.
"Harry will be shocked that he comes down in one piece," Hermione said with a laugh.
"I'm surprised he is still in one piece."
"I'm proud of you for controlling your temper."
"You're the one that gave him a black eye." Ginny smiled. "How did it feel? Not that I haven't given him one before but I've never had an outsider share in my glee."
Hermione laughed. "It was pretty satisfying, I have to admit."
Both girls laughed then Ginny let out a sigh. "Is this going to work, Hermione? Me and you?"
"What do you mean?"
"It just seems like when things can't get any better for us something always goes wrong."
"Well I think if we can just get married things will improve. It's the whole getting there thing that seems to be creating problems."
"Let's do it then, 'Mione." Ginny sat up straight and looked at Hermione. "Now. Before anything else has a chance to go wrong."
"Ginny we can't just get married right this instant, there's still a lot left to plan, you know?"
"Why not? Why not get married right now? We can do a quick thing as soon as possible, nothing formal, just make things legal. Then after Quidditch is done with we can do the big elaborate ceremony for our family and friends."
"Ginny, I wouldn't even know who to contact to make that possible."
"Someone at the Ministry, I am sure. "
"I…I don't know. We're not ready. I mean we are ready, you and I, but we have yet to even begin moving our things and…"
"Wait, what?" Ginny cut Hermione off.
"What? What did I say?"
"You said we have yet to move our things. Our things. I thought I was just moving in with you."
"Oh…well…" Hermione stumbled over her words. "Yes, that's what I meant. Depending on how many things you have to move in…I…I will have to move my things."
"Why is it that for some reason I don't really believe you?" Ginny smiled and put her hand on Hermione's blushing cheek.
"I'd really prefer it if you did believe me for the time being."
"Come on 'Mione, please?" Ginny pushed Hermione's hair away from her neck and started kissing it.
"No…no…I can't. Not yet." Hermione gasped when Ginny gently bit her neck. Ginny straddled Hermione and ran her hands up Hermione's shirt. She was interrupted by another knock on the door.
"Think if we ignore it they'll go away?" Ginny continued kissing Hermione's neck. Before Hermione had a chance to respond there was another knock followed by Harry's voice.
"Hermione, I think Lennox needs you. He keeps talking about using the loo!"
"Coming Harry!" Hermione shouted. She gave Ginny a quick kiss. "Sorry, love. We'll continue this discussion later though, promise." Hermione winked and Ginny laughed.
