As usual I don't own any of the character's or places of the Harry Potter series.
A/N: I realized as I was writing this story that it's full of clichés and got a little discouraged that I couldn't come up with something more clever then the same stories told my everyone else, but then I decided that it's not amount of clichés you use, but how you use them. So I will press on and hope I throw some unexpected curves your way. Thank your for all the reviews, I love reading them, and I hope you continue to enjoy my story.
Ginny!
"Hermione!" Ginny gasps as she envelops me in her slender embrace. "I'm so glad I found you. I knew you'd be all right, but I was worried when we went to your parent's and you weren't there." Well Draco was right, they looked there first, but something else she said gave me pause, 'we'. I look around the surprisingly crowded pub; I guess Tom does a booming lunch business because I have never seen the place so packed. I don't see any familiar faces staring back at me, but the 'we' still sets my nerves on edge, I'm not ready to face Ron, I need some time to think.
"Hermione? Did you hear me?" Ginny prompts when I don't answer right away.
"Oh, sorry Ginny, I didn't mean to worry anyone, I was just so angry with Ron I had to get away." I continue to scan the crowed, not only for whoever is in this 'we' party, but also for Draco. It wouldn't be good for him to run into Ron or Harry, or anyone of my friends for that matter, and also I didn't want anyone to see a possible connection between us, because no matter how much I wanted deny it, there was definitely something there.
"If you're looking for Ron, he's not here." Ginny breaks into my thoughts and I turn to look at her. "I left him at home with George, he seemed like he was having so much fun. George, not Ron, no, Ron looks miserable, as he well should." I think of telling her to not get involved, but that never seemed to concern Ginny.
Could I tell Ginny what happened? Would she understand?
"Let's find a table and we can get lunch and talk." I turn without waiting for a response and head for the last empty table, thankfully, a quiet booth in the back. After we get settled and tell the waitress what we want, I still haven't figured out how much to tell her, but start anyway.
"I don't want Ron to be miserable." I know he will be no matter what the turn out of all this is, because the one option I won't consider is acting like nothing happened. In the end he may not know all the intimate details, but he will know that there was someone else, maybe even who. "But I don't want to be miserable either." I tell her as the waitress brings our tea and assures us that our lunch will be ready soon.
"Honestly I don't know how anyone could be anything but miserable with a git like Ron, but you never seemed to agree with me before." I know she's trying to lighten the mood with a slur at Ron, like she always does, but I'm really not up for it today.
"Ginny, please, no jokes. Okay? I have a lot on my mind right now, and none of it's funny to me. So please, no jokes." She looks confused, and I can't blame her, I'm a mess.
"Hermione, what's going on? You've never been this upset about an argument with him before." I look into her warm brown eyes and see the friend that I have been able to share all my girly secrets with for the last six years and wonder again if I can tell her. Would she understand? Suddenly the shame and guilt wash over me and I can't look her in the eye.
"I wish I knew Gin." I pause, but she doesn't push, she just waits me out. "I'm just so tired of fighting all the time. I don't think I can do it anymore." I tell her, although a passerby may think I'm talking to my fork as I stare intently at it on the dented worn table.
"Are you going to break up with him?" I can tell by the tone of her voice that she didn't see this coming. So I guess she thought our constant arguing was just playful banter. It's always been over such stupid things too, both believing we're right about something so inconsequential in the grand scheme of things, ridiculous.
"I don't know. I just was to take some time to myself and figure out exactly what it is I do want." I look up at her then and a flash of blond hair catches my eye, oh no, it's Draco, and he's headed over this way with a big goofy grin on his face. Before I can do anything to stop him he bounds over, in a very undraco like manner, and kisses me right there in the booth, on the mouth! In front of Ginny! Before I can say anything he starts rambling, he doesn't seem to notice Ginny or the stricken look on my face.
"I did it, finally, I got a job." He says very quickly and excitedly. "I ran into Justin Perarra just outside, he was an old friend of my father's, although not as bad as the others, obviously as he's walking around free. Oh, Hermione, he offered me a job with his import company, here in London. I can't believe it I can finally move out of my mother's." Finally he notices my face, which felt like it was on fire. "What's wrong? I thought you'd be happy for me?" I can hear the hurt in his voice, but I really can't deal with that right now because all I can think about is my firecracker friend sitting across from me.
"No Draco, I very happy for…"
"Draco?!" Ginny finally found her voice and it is so shrill I can't help but wince. "How long has this been going on Hermione? Is this the reason you're going to break up with Ron?" He previously warm eyes are now burning into mine with an intensity that instantly brings Mrs. Weasly to mind, but I don't think she'd appreciate the observation at the moment. "I can't believe you'd choose this low life over my brother. How could you!"
"Stop it!" Shouts Draco, and I'm so stunned that she actually stopped her tirade that I can't think of anything to say. "Leave her alone! This has nothing to do with you, so just mind your own damn business." Oh no, I can practically hear Ginny's blood boiling. I open my mouth to intervene, but Ginny cuts me off and I notice her hand twitch in a way I knew means she's getting ready to reach for her wand.
"Nothing to do with me? You filthy toe rag! She's my best friend, and up until a couple of minutes ago, I thought she was soon going to be my sister-in-law, so I'd say it does concern me. What are you doing here anyways? I thought all the filth like you was still locked away awaiting a make out session with the dementors. Not that I really give one steaming pile of dragon dung what you are doing here, the better question is what is he doing kissing you Hermione?" I knew she would get to me sooner or later, so I guess now would be as good a time as any to lay it all out there. Why put off the inevitable?
"Well," I stall as I take in the stormy expression on their faces and the twitching fingers ready to whip out their wands at each other. "Draco and I sort of bumped into each other last night and, well, we got to talking, and um, well I don't want to go into the details, but, ah,…" I looked at Draco for help, but really wasn't ready for his idea of it.
"I really don't think you need to tell her any of this. It's none of her business who you do what with." He glances between the two of us and takes her stormy expression and my sad one. "If you want me to get you out of here I will, but if you still want to talk to her I'll be over at the bar. Either way, I can't risk staying here, I will not go back over this!" I realize he must be on some sort of probation as I search his face as he searches mine. Without me telling him what I want he nods and goes to stand at the bar. Surprisingly we already have the silent communication thing down, that one old married couples seem to do, Ron and I were never that in sync. My heart feels like it got a little fuller when he did that, and when he stood up for me to Ginny. I can't help but watch the way his tight butt moves under his dark jeans.
"No! Tell me you didn't!" I turn to look at Ginny, having momentarily forgotten she was there; she shakes her head back and forth. "Tell me you did not sleep with him!" I can't look at her, I feel so ashamed. The waitress arrives then with our food and lays it down in front of us, my appetite, earlier so fierce, has now been replaced by nausea and I push my plate away, Ginny doesn't even look at hers.
How dare she! How dare my friend make me feel ashamed! I know I didn't do the right thing, but I need my friend right now and all she can do is pass judgement. And just like that I was pissed!
"Look, I know you're Ron's sister first and my friend second, but I really need my friend right now. I'm really confused…." She cuts me off before I can finish.
"You expect me to be your friend after what you just did to Ron? To Harry? TO us all?"
"What does this have to do with anyone besides me, Ron and Draco?" She gives me a classic Ginny raised eyebrow, I've never had the pleasure of being on this end of an argument with her, and I really don't like it.
"You betrayed us all! You slept with a Death Eater Hermione, you don't see how that could be a conflict of interest, not only with your friends, and the order, but your future career? And here I always thought you were so smart." I don't know what to say to her, is that what she thinks.
"Ginny, he's not like that anymore." The pity in her eyes makes me even angrier.
"So what, he spun you some sad story about how he's a reformed Death Eater and you bought it and flung yourself into his arms?" How could someone I loved like a sister, be so cruel to me when I need her most.
"Is that what you think of me? That I just throw myself at men, because obviously of the two of us sitting here, it was me who snogged half of Hogwarts." Uh-oh, I knew that look in her eyes, she was thinking about hexing me now. I moved my hand a little closer to my pocket, and my own wand. She noticed the movement and a little of the wind seems to leave her sails.
"Look Hermione," she begins in a quieter, calmer voice. "I can see how this could all get a little out of hand for you and that you're messed up right now, but you have to know that I can't help you with this." She looks up at me then and I see a few rare tears glistening in her eyes and feel some prick my own. "I'm sorry I got so mean, I just can't do this." She says as she gathers her things and throws a few coins on the table for her untouched meal.
"Ginny please, I need you right now." I almost beg before she can leave.
"I'm sorry I can't." She looks like she is just as tormented with this as I am.
"Ginny I understand, but could you do me one favour, please?" She stares at me far what feels like eons before she nods.
"Please don't tell anyone yet. Let me figure out what I'm going to do first."
"Hermione, I don't know, everyone's been looking for you and if you don't turn up they're going to really worry."
"Tell them I went to meet my parents on vacation, I'm going to stay at home for a while and figure everything out." She looks into my eyes again and nods.
"I'll give you two weeks, and then I'm telling them. Goodbye Hermione. I really am sorry."
"Me too Gin, I'm going to miss you. I honestly don't know how I'm going to get through this without you."
"You'll figure it out, you always do." She looks at me with sad eyes before she turns and leaves.
What will I ever do without her?
Please please please review, even if just to tell me how much you hate Harry Potter (as if that's possible).
Happy Reading.