A/N: I don't own Harry Potter! Teehee. Also, thank you to everyone who's reading so far. I hope you guys won't be disappointed in the coming chapters. :)
Hermione
"'Mione, before you continue, I have to talk to you. Okay, this is a bit awkward - I don't know how to start." Ron looked at her sincerely, and sat up straighter. Hermione couldn't take him too seriously, though, not when his tie was done the wrong way, the ends of his shirt popping out of his school jumper, and his top buttons undone. She would have to remind him to tidy, but he didn't seem to be in the mood to be nagged.
Hermione decided to formulate a grand scheme of how she was going to tell Ginny the truth - she had feelings for her. Yes, not she liked her, or fancied her, or was infatuated with her, not even was in love with, although she knew she was. She chose feelings. So conveniently vague. She trusted to include her two best friends, Harry and Ron, because she didn't want anyone else in on it. Who else if not them? They might be buttheaded boys sometimes, but they were generally cooperative and not daft. Not to mention she knew they were good people to the core.
"Well?" She urged Ron on.
Ron cleared his throat. "I just... I dunno, honestly. I had this speech prepped for Harry, goodness." Harry raised his eyebrow at Ron. Hermione groaned.
"Ronald, honestly? Is this necessary?" Hermione gave him a mildly exasperated look.
"She's still my sister, 'Mione." He cracked a sheepish grin. "If you want her, you have to get the big brother speech."
"Oh this should be fun." Harry couldn't help himself, but earned a glare from his other two friends.
"Get on with it." Hermione rolled her eyes.
"I should have said brothers, sorry. Big brothers speeches."
Hermione groaned again. "Good lord, every single Weasley boy before Ginny? All of you?"
"No, no. Just Fred and George - I'm sorry I told them, they don't mind the whole girl on girl action, though." Hermione looked mildly insulted at that last comment, "They'll be dropping by Hogsmeade this Friday to talk to you about it." He pulled on the hem of his shirt. "So, what am I supposed to say." He turned to Harry.
"Do I look like I've got younger sisters?" Harry gave him a sarcastic look.
"Right. Sorry mate." He faced the brunette again. "So, er, I'm Ginny's brother. Before you get to her, you'll have to get to me." He said as confidently as he could to Hermione.
"We've been best friends since we were eleven." Hermione gave him a flat look.
"Just... be careful with her feelings."
"This is funny coming from someone that I've told had the emotional range of a teaspoon."
"It's just... from what I know girls have delicate feelings."
Harry just had to snicker at that one. "Oh this is priceless."
Hermione snorted. "I know, trust me. I cried in a bathroom with a troll in it during first year because you had such great consideration for my delicate feelings."
Ron turned a light shade of red. "Sorry about that."
"You saved my life," Hermione managed with a smile. "I think I can get over you being a git."
"Right. As I was saying," Ron turned visibly redder than he was. "She's... she's young and er, you know, innocent. Okay, not innocent, but you get me?"
Hermione just stared at him, confused.
"This was so much easier when I thought I'd be yelling at some horny teenage bloke younger than us." Ron sighed. "She's just a fifth year, I doubt she's ready for some, you know, activities you might have. What more since you have access to each other's dormitories, you being prefect and generally being both girls and all -"
"Ronald!" Hermione called out, feeling a blush flood her cheeks. Was Ron seriously giving her this talk? She looked over to roll her eyes at Harry, who had his hand over his mouth and was biting back otherwise boisterous laughter, although slightly pink himself.
"I'm serious!" Ron raised his hand in surrender to Hermione, who looked like she might stun him.
"Black?" Harry grinned. Hermione and Ron just looked at him with straight faces. "Fine. Don't appreciate my joke."
"Anyways, I wouldn't do that to her or you." Hermione said indignantly. "Or at all?" She added as an afterthought, although a very uncertain one.
"I wouldn't be too sure," Ron raised an eyebrow at her. "What was that again during breakfast? Make, Sound and Bad?"
Hermione flushed slightly but couldn't help but smirk. Okay, maybe she did get the innuendo and couldn't help but appreciate it. "Relax, Ronald. I won't ravage her. I'm not even sure if I'll get her."
"You two are quite shameless flirters." Harry pointed out. "You'd snog right there in the Great Hall if you could."
"What more your dormitories." Ron added, not fighting the embarrassed smile he had.
Honestly, these boys would be the end of Hermione. "I fancy your sister, not what's in her knickers, so don't get ahead of yourselves like you always do."
"Not the just that," Ron started. Hermione relaxed, welcoming the change of topic. Moving on to the next issue, Ron was suddenly serious again. "She's not just some... fleeting fancy is she?"
Hermione looked insulted. "She's my best friend. I wouldn't do that to her." She said in dead seriousness.
"Good." Ron gave her a sincere look. "Please don't be upset with me, Hermione. I care for her. I care for you too."
Hermione couldn't help but feel warm inside. Ron only wanted to the best, not just for his sister, but for his best friend.
She smiled a little. "Fine. Maybe you can be a tablespoon now."
"Touching. Let me get a napkin for my tears." Harry smiled.
"Why are you even part of this conversation? I thought this was between suitor and brother. Not suitor, brother and the best friend who used to like the girl." Hermione rolled her eyes.
"Oh, come on. As if the three of us aren't in this together." Harry smiled genuinely, and Ron and Hermione couldn't help but ease into the comfort he gave. He was right. They would always have each other. Even if Hermione screwed this one up, she'd have Harry and Ron. Annoying as they were, she loved them.
"I know you'll be good for her." Ron said honestly. "I guess, I just needed to remind you that she's my sister, and I'll protect her. Even if it's from my best friend. But you should know if Ginny fucks something up and screws you over I will have her skin."
"Crude language," Hermione scolded. "But much appreciated." She smiled.
"So let's get on with your master plan while we have the free time?" Harry rubbed his palms together excitedly.
"Well, I plan to be completely traditional." She said shyly. Harry and Ron had to admit, it was odd to see Hermione uncomfortable about talking about anything, though it seems today was the day to see it.
"You mean boring?" Ron whined.
Hermione scoffed. "Traditional is hardly boring, Ronald. I think she'll find it very Romantic."
"Well, I'd expect such from you." Harry crossed his arms in thought. "Where, though? I imagine it would be a dinner?"
"Yes. At the evening of this Friday, when we're free to go to Hogsmeade. There are few places I have in mind." Her eyes glazed over as she strained to remember details. "I plan on going for visit ahead to book the reservation, though. When we get there, I'll be with you and she'll most likely be with Luna and Colin. Maybe I'll have to speak with them and hope they keep quiet and help." A slight look of worry overcame her.
"And what happens next?" Ron tilted his head.
"Well, you, Harry and whoever else should distract her while I prepare at the restaurant I'll pick, and you'll have to be effective, I can't have her following me." The two boys nodded. "After that, I don't think I'll have much trouble finding you two, maybe just stay within the area I've left you, or perhaps the Three Broomsticks?" Ron was going to say something but Hermione cut him off. "Just don't ruin her supper, please."
"Right." The red head nodded.
"So how are you going to spill it?" Harry inched in a bit closer.
"Tell her."
"Just like that?" Ron furrowed his brows. "I mean, no fancy poetry or what not?" Harry rolled his eyes at the mention of poetry.
Hermione rolled her eyes. "You two know I'm not a romantic. Besides, I'll do the works. Neville will help me pick out the most wonderful flowers, I'll pay for the dinner. All that." Harry and Ron shared a relieved look, happy they weren't going to have to pick out bouquets and match colors.
"Gee, I kind of feel useless now. I thought we were going to help plan out." Ron chuckled to himself.
"Of course you are," Hermione gave him a look. "The plan is hardly close to smooth. I mean I haven't even picked out where to take her, oh and Merlin, what to wear?" Hermione bit her lip, tucking a lock of her brown curly hair behind her ear as she thought.
"But you've got everything you need, haven't you?" Harry asked, confused at the fuss. Hermione rolled her eyes, these two clearly didn't know how to plan out properly.
Hermione dove into the details, and Harry and Ron could only whine that it wasn't actually necessary to be that particular about everything, but there wasn't any arguing. This was, after all, Hermione Granger. She was in the middle of discussing her tactics on keeping Ginny away, then her back up plan, and her back up plan for that when Harry interrupted her, reminding her that they had to be going because try outs were going to be soon. The trio quickly went up to their dormitories and changed to the appropriate clothing before meeting back in the common room to head for the Quidditch Pitch. It didn't take too long for them to arrive, and soon Hermione was sitting at the stands beside Neville. She looked around for Luna and Colin, but figured that the fifth years must have had a class at this moment and that a certain Weasley was probably overjoyed at the fact that she was pulled out of classes for the try outs. Hermione looked over to the pitch, not being able to help the snicker when she saw Romilda Vane stumble around with her broom, not looking like she had the slightest inkling she knew what she was doing. She looked up at the already flying players and saw Ginny hovering beside Harry. They were having a serious conversation and were discreetly pointing out some of the students trying out - likely discussing who has potential and who doesn't. Hermione saw Dean and Seamus kick off effortlessly - surely they were going to be part of the top picks. Her thoughts wandered off to Ginny and she found herself looking at her again. It was only yesterday that she was up there, holding. Hermione swallowed a hitch in her throat. She was going to steel her resolve and tell the girl - straight to the point, no more riddles or hints or clues. She had to be sure, and she didn't want to be misunderstood. She just hope she'd be able to do that when she saw her. She would've liked to be able to hold Ginny like that on other occasions, and she cursed herself for picking up quickly on the flying lessons, she wouldn't have minded another lesson sharing a broom with the younger witch.
Hermione was suddenly distracted when she saw Ginny suddenly dive down from her hover, racing at Dean Thomas, presumably to steal the Quaffle from him. Dean cursed as he tried to shake Ginny off, doing his best to speed towards the goal posts. This was in vain, however, because the maneuvers he had to do too keep Ginny of his tail made his broom dangerously unstable and he was forced to let go of the Quaffle in order to steady his broom with both hands. Dean sighed, looking defeated.
"That was brilliant, Dean!" Harry encouraged, "Ginny was going really hard on you back there, but you held your own well."
"He's pretty good, isn't he?" Neville mentioned.
"Yeah. Although I think Seamus can fly much smoother."
Dean gave Harry a thankful nod and caught the Quaffle again, this time he would go without chasers resisting him and only needs to get through Ron.
The try outs went on, and Hermione found it a drag. Sometimes she would watch when something interesting happened, the rest it was usually the same, so she would engaged in Herbology talks with Neville, and was surprised to see that he liked to talk about other things and was quite good company. She looked up to see it was Romilda Vane next. She smirked as she saw Romilda clumsily clamber onto her broom and pull of a rather bumpy kick off - but she couldn't laugh for it was much better than hers. Romilda hovered over the air, making her way to Harry slowly but steadily. Ginny smirked and immediately flew away to her brother just so she could be able to laugh out loud, although softly. Ron wasn't as subtle and let out a large snort when he saw Romidla bat her eyelashes and sigh dreamily at Harry.
"Well, there she goes." Neville called out when Romilda zoomed - or at least it looks like she was trying to - towards the goal posts, Quaffle in hand. Ginny wasn't going to go easy on anyone, though, and moved away from Ron to intercept Romilda. She dove in at full speed, with full intention of stealing away the Quaffle. However, the sudden thought of a collision didn't seem to fare well for Romilda, and she immediately panicked. The Quaffle quickly fell from her hands, and she desperately pulled back on her broom, intending to fly up to avoid Ginny. Her lack of experience showed when she pulled much too hard, and instead of going up, she flipped a hundred and eighty degrees. Soon, her feet were above her head, and it seems she didn't have a very good grip.
She fell.
Gasps echoed from the players and the students trying out, and Ginny, after being shaken out of her stupor, immediately nose dived after Romilda. Her screech echoed in the pitch, and Harry, who was watching from above, was quick as lightning when he dove down after Romilda, seeker skills in full play. However, Hermione abruptly stood up the moment she saw Romilda's panic - already having a clue what might happen next, ran over to the very edge of the stands and held out her wand. "ARESTO MOMENTUM!"
Romilda howevered barely two feet above the ground. Ginny and Harry pulled up to a sudden brake and the rest of the team looked at Romilda, bewildered at the sudden stop. Soon, people found Hermione's rigid form, reaching over the stands, wand pointed at Romilda. A look of relief overtook every face in the area, and Harry's shoulder slumped. He was probably thanking the fact that Romilda was the last one trying out, and dismissed the crowd. People gathered around Romilda on the pitch, and Hermione received several pats on the back from the others watching in the stands.
"Merlin." Neville muttered, pale in shock. "Just her luck you were here!"
Romilda quickly ran out from the crowd around her and sprinted up the stands, rushing towards Hermione before grasping her with shaking hands and rambling a teary eyed and endless thank yous and I owe yous.
"It's fine, honestly." Hermione reassured.
"You saved my life!" She insisted.
"Anyone would have. Harry and Ginny were practically heading for a suicide dive."
Still, the thank yous continued, but she managed to detach Romilda from her. Ginny swooped over up the stands via broom and landed at Hermione's side and took the older witch in an embrace.
"Oh, you genius!"
"It was a simple spell I'm surprised no one else did." Hermione shrugged it off, keeping her hands at Ginny's waist when they pulled apart. She felt the need to kiss her.
Ginny shook her head. "We don't bring our wands to Quidditch matches, why'd you have yours? Thank Merlin you did. That one would've been on me for going too hard on her."
"Was that necessary, Ginevra?" Hermione mock-scolded with a smirk.
"She had to know we took the try outs seriously." She said in defense, but still looked guilty. "Gave us a heart attack, goodness."
"Would you like to get going then? I'm sure you'd want to freshen up." Hermione offered, tucking a stray lock of red hair behind Ginny's ear.
"I'd love that. Walk me back to Gryffindor tower?" Ginny asked, taking Hermione's hand and smiling when the older girl agreed. She pulled on the brunette by the hand to the locker rooms so she could put her broom back, and they waited a moment for Harry and Ron to catch up before heading back to the tower. Hermione was feeling warm inside.
When they were freshened up and settled, Hermione and Ginny sat in the common room near the fire. Hermione was deep in a book (another giant tome, no doubt) and was absentmindedly twirling Ginny's hair. The younger witch was comfortably lying down on the brunette's lap, skimming through her Transfiguration notes (Hermione wouldn't let her read anything else).
"Hey, 'Mione?" Ginny looked up to peek at the older girl.
"Mm?"
"You busy this Friday?"
Hermione felt her heart beat slightly faster, she didn't know why though. "Quite. Why?"
"Oh." Ginny had an odd look. "Harry and Ron invited me to Hogsmeade. You coming, right?"
She swallowed. "I'm afraid not. I have... errands to accomplish." She tried her best to hid her expression by looking back into her book. Ginny seemed to be a bit annoyed by this and sat up.
"Can't they wait?"
"I wish they could, Gin."
"For me, please?" The younger witch frowned. Hermione didn't think it would be this hard to avoid Ginny, she was starting to worry about her plan.
"Gin, I have things to do." She said sterner than she had intended.
"It's really important." She pleaded.
"So is this, I'm sorry."
Ginny scoffed. "Fine, then." She said sharply. "If whatever that is is so important that you can't move it for one of your closest friendsthen I'll just bugger off!" She stood abruptly, marching off the to the dormitories.
"Ginny, wait!" Hermione dropped her book and reached for the girl's writs. "It's not that, it's just-"
"It's okay, really." Ginny said coldly before shaking off Hermione's hand and storming off to the fifth year dormitories.
Hermione stood there, exasperated. Wasn't she overreacting a bit? Ginny may have had the Weasley temper, but she was reasonably mature.
"Shit." Hermione sat on a couch and caught her head in her hands. Ron and Harry then appeared through the portrait hole and saw Hermione's frustrated state.
"What happened?" Harry sat beside her.
"Ginny... she. I don't know. She insisted I come with her this Friday- but that's when my plan is! And then she stormed off upset, I didn't think she'd get that worked up!"
"I could try to talk to her?" Ron offered.
"I need things to get better, not worse." She snapped. Then immediately felt horrible. "Sorry! I..."
"It's fine." Ron mumbled, though obviously already put off. "I'll be off." He said before leaving for the boy's dormitory.
"I'm such an idiot." Hermione hissed to herself. "Now both Weasleys tempers are out."
Harry patted her back. "They come around as quick as they get worked up."
Hermione just sighed in frustration. What was she going to do now? She had to find a way to make the plan work.
Ginny
"My plan is going to be ruined." She whined into her pillow, mostly to herself. She couldn't believe Hermione would blow her off like that. Sure, maybe it really was important. And maybe she did overreact. But how was her plan going to work now? She was supposed to spend the whole day dropping hints at Hermione at Hogsmeade. Flirting as excessively as she could, being great company, making her laugh before finally, she would take Hermione over to the hill where the Shrieking Shack was. It was a gloomy hill, but it had the most wonderful view of Hogsmeade at night. All the lights would be bright and flickering, and the people milling about would only make it look more lively.
They had been flirting around for a while, holding each other more than friends would, entangling hands, snuggling, hugging. But this time, she'd tell her through the empty books she had enchanted. She'd tell her in written word, as it was more reliable than simply speaking. It was there, it was permanent in ink. And it would be written in her book as it would be written in Hermione's. As it would be written in their hearts, she hoped.
But it would all be ruined because Hermione was too busy for her.
A/N: Here we go! I took a while, I know. I'm sorry. :(
