The Ginny Rationale

Hermione maintained the upward angle of her chin and ran her tongue expectantly along her lips. It confused her profoundly, but she eagerly anticipated the prospect of kissing George and was certain it was about to happen. Her lips tingled at the prospect of meeting his and her tongue ached for the taste of George's. She blinked softly, hoping to indicate her willingness. Preserving his snug grasp of her body, George continued to lower his face towards her. In a move that infuriated Hermione, he bypassed her lips and moved his mouth next to her ear, allowing their cheeks to brush delicately.

"You look gorgeous tonight Hermione. I feel awful for not telling you that yet," He murmured into her ear in his raspy, sexy voice. His completely unwanted complement rushed Hermione back to reality as her fantasy completely plummeted away.

"Thank you. And likewise I might add," She told him, tersely pulling her body off of his. Her hands were removed from around his neck and she crossed them in front of her chest, closing herself off from him.

"Perhaps we should find a drink?" Her voice was brisk; her question completely destroyed any potential moment. As if to further signal that their intimacy had ended, the slow song finished and Lee started one with a more rapid beat.

Hermione felt profoundly stupid. "Honestly, what are you thinking, you git?" She chastised herself not entirely kindly, "fully prepared to snog George Weasley in the midst of all his family. Like some sort of silly school girl."

"I'd like that," George replied gently to Hermione's suggestion of having a drink.

He offered her the crook of his arm, which Hermione begrudgingly accepted, feeling discontent at having such an insignificant portion of their bodies touching. As the pair made their way off the dance floor towards the direction of the bar, Hermione vainly tried to read George's demeanor. She had no idea if the passion felt in their embrace had been one-sided, but feverishly hoped that it was not. George slipped his arm around Hermione's waist as they strolled over the grass towards the bar.

"Hermione, Hermione, Hermione," She thought wistfully as she walked along side George. "Do not let yourself get caught up in his charms." She knew the flirtations of the Weasley twins was legendary and didn't want to be yet another girl to fall for George's notorious allure. Another side of her conscious joined the mental conversation: "He definitely wanted to kiss you, though. He wouldn't have held you like that if he hadn't." Her logical side replied, "No, he just likes making you fall for him. If he wanted to kiss you, he would have kissed you," and with that, rational Hermione recovered control and quieted fanciful Hermione.

The pair approached the bar and George struck up a conversation with the bartender.

"What would you like, love?" George directed his question towards Hermione, motioning towards the bar.

"Er, um. A glass of white wine would be lovely," She replied, forced to leave her quieting thoughts.

"I'd love the same," George replied although his comment was more intended for the bartender.

They found a vacated bench and Hermione sat down tentatively, conscientiously insuring that at least several inches separated her and George. They both seemed intent on their sips of wine.

"It sure has been a beautiful evening, hasn't it," George commented.

"Yes George, just lovely," Hermione replied, her tone short. As soon as she spoke, she desperately hoped that George didn't sense her frustration. It was simply hard to be content with small talk when she wanted to be snogging.

The two sat in silence; a pervasive uncomfortable mood lingered around them. Hermione felt split in two; part of her wanted so badly to reach over and grab hold of George and yet another part of her wanted to get up and leave, putting the moment they had shared well in the past. Hermione looked out over her friends, who were spinning, laughing, and gradually drifting into intoxication. With purpose, she upturned the last few mouthfuls of wine and swallowed them with a gulp.

"I think I'm going to join Angelina and Ginny out there," Hermione declared, deciding that the leaving option was the safer choice. She stood up to find her way towards the whirling bright yellow and pale pink outlines of her girlfriends.

"Hermione." Hermione turned meet George's soft request with anticipation in her eyes. "Ahh…have fun," George faltered.

Hermione smiled quickly in recognition of his comment, but swiftly turned to begin gingerly picking her way across the grass to meet her friends. She didn't dare turn around to see if George was following her.

-o-O-o-

Hermione danced well into the night with her friends. Angelina and Ginny had welcomed her excitedly when she had walked on to the floor and the three girls set to dancing, Hermione trying her best to get swept away in the music and movement. She wanted to forget what had previously happened: how she had been so willing to allow George access to her lips, how she had so desired the taste of his. She forced herself to stop dwelling on the eagerness in his eyes and the gentle passion of his touch. Instead, she gave full attention to her dance and her friends and found that the infectious joy of the other two girls managed to carry her through the night. When they were joined on the dance floor by Fred and George, Hermione did her best to maintain a distance between them and to always keep one of her girlfriends between them. After Fred procured another bottle of champagne, the awkwardness subsided slightly and the night settled into an overwhelming giddiness. The twins took turns spinning the girls around, giving Hermione a couple more opportunities to enjoy the feeling of George's hand in hers. To her disappointment, a chance to recreate the dance from earlier never appeared as a visibly intoxicated Lee insisted on only playing upbeat tunes.

With midnight long behind them, the friends made their way back to the Burrow where they could find their rooms or travel by floo back to respective houses. In her bare feet with Lavender's sandals slung around her wrist, Hermione couldn't help feeling satisfied as she made her way along the dewy grass. Despite her better judgment, she was forced to stifle laughter at the sight of George half assisting, half carrying a very drunk Fred across the lawn.

"Lovely evening, lovely Percy, lovely, lovely…Georgie, why's the ground moving?" Hermione could hear Fred babbling mostly incoherently several steps ahead of her. A soft giggle echoed behind her.

"It really isn't much of a party without Fred, isn't it," Angelina chuckled and fell into step with Hermione. Hermione felt a quick flash of pain at the older girl's wistful comment, knowing all too well that Angelina was referring to what could have been had Fred's stint in St. Mungo's ended in fatality.

"No, it's not," Hermione told her poignantly, wrapping her arm around her friend's waist. Angelina hooked her arm over Hermione's shoulder and pulled the younger girl closer. Together the two girls strolled across the grass until they reached the Burrow. Hermione felt more content, pleased at being able to share the moment with the other girl.

Once in the Burrow, goodbyes were exchanged as Fred, George, Angelina, Lee and Lavender took turns using floo travel to their respective places. Harry and Ron disappeared to their rooms and Hermione and Ginny made their way up the stairs. Hermione claimed first dibs on the washroom and underwent her nighttime routine, her head spinning slightly from the champagne consumption. Pulling on her flannel pajama pants and Ron's old, faded orange Chudley Cannons shirt, she returned to her bedroom.

"Hermione, we need to talk," Ginny informed her from her perched position on Hermione's bed, still clad in her bridesmaids' dress and her hair still styled from the wedding. Hermione jolted with a start, interrupted from her task of lovingly putting away the blue dress. She wondered briefly if Ginny had been sitting there, awaiting her return, the whole time she was in the washroom.

"Ginny! You scared me. I didn't expect to you to be there."

"In my own room?" The younger girl questioned incredulously.

"Well, not on my bed, I suppose." Hermione contemplated rationally. She sensed that the other girl had something serious to discuss so without questioning she came to join her friend on the bed. Sitting with her legs crossed, she grabbed her pillow and pulled it into her chest and held it snuggly. "What's up, Gin? What do you want to talk about?" She asked sympathetically, worried about what might be concerning her roommate.

"What's going on with you and my brother?" Ginny's question was direct. It was not in Ginny's character to tiptoe around matters she felt were important.

"Brother?" Questioned Hermione, wondering which brother her friend was considering.

"George, silly," Ginny huffed as though it should have been perfectly obvious.

"George?"

"Yes, George. You and George. You looked as if you were about to have a go on the dance floor," The younger girl asserted.

"Have a go?" Hermione question, certain she was not going to like her friend's response.

"Yes. Have a go. You know. Sexually," Ginny retorted in her straightforward manner, emphasizing the last word for effect. "Like you were going to have sex right there on the dance floor," She drove home her point.

"Ahh…Ginny…that is your brother you're talking about," Hermione's voice faltered, clearly uncomfortable with the topic the red-head was apparently keen on introducing.

"I know! But it's also you and you're my best friend, so I'm just going to have to push through the unpleasantness of it all, aren't I. Let's just push through the unpleasant?" The comment touched Hermione; she had never heard the other girl refer to her as her best friend.

"It was clear to anyone there tonight that there is something going on with you and George, and I want to find out what's going on from you." Ginny continued, casting a pointed look towards Hermione.

"I honestly don't know, Ginny," Hermione told her in relief; it was necessary for her to finally discuss everything that was happening with George. Without warning, words started to tumble out of her mouth, until she was babbling without direction: "Ginny, I-I didn't mean to have feelings for him…but there's just…just…something. I don't know what it is, but…I-I think, I think I'm falling for him." She finished the thought with finality; saying the words out loud only served to solidify their truth. "I'm really falling for him," Hermione whispered, mentally weighing the idea, knowing full well that it was far more directed at herself than her companion.

"Well that's great! You like George. You'll marry George. It's brilliant." Somehow Ginny's easygoing tone managed to make the situation seem perfectly simple.

"It's not that straightforward, Gin," Hermione countered.

"No? What's so difficult?"

"Well you know…"

"No, I don't. You like George! It's perfect!"

"Yes. But Ginny! It's actually very complicated. He's your brother!" Hermione voiced her concern. Another thought exploded from her: "He's Ron's brother!" – She paused to consider the matter further – "He's my fiancé….he's making me lose my mind," She lamely concluded. "It's just so-so bloody complicated."

"No Hermione. You're making it complicated. You're over-thinking it. You know I love you, but you have a terrible habit to interpret things in the most confusing way possible."

"I do not!"

"Yes you do."

"Well…" Hermione did have to concede that point to Ginny, but she did so unwillingly. "There is a problem though" – She continued running her hands aggressively through her bushy hair – "You're overlooking a very important detail, Gin."

"And that is?"

"Him!" Hermione exclaimed in a raspy voice which threatened to break on the simple pronoun. She turned her face away from Ginny so that the other girl wouldn't be able to spot the tears beginning to form.

"Hermione?" With one word Ginny encouraged her to continue.

"What if he doesn't fancy me?" Hermione's voice was tentative almost as if she was concerned that introducing the idea would guarantee it as reality.

"Oh, Mione!" Ginny said caringly, sounding almost identically to her mother. "Is that's what's bothering you?"

Hermione nodded helplessly and continued to spew her worries: "I thought he was going to kiss me and he didn't. I thought for one second that he might really fancy me, but now I don't think he does and I just feel so daft." Upon leaving her mouth, the comments sounded silly, but Hermione didn't care because they also felt real.

Ginny crawled up the bed in order to secure her friend in a firm embrace. Hermione allowed her tears to fall freely. She felt ashamed, as if such displays should be beneath her, but the other girl's arms were comforting and the crying felt cathartic. After a couple minutes and with several hiccups, she managed to pull her sobs into check and lessen them into whimpers.

"Thanks Ginny. I really needed that," Hermione sighed.

"Any time, you know that." Ginny told her with a force of certainty, whipping away a few lingering tears of her own. "Hermione, try not to worry about things with George. I know for sure that he's not out there trying to play you around. Give it time. I know that's probably not what you want to hear, but I've never before seen George loose his head for a girl and I think that's what I'm seeing now."

"You don't think he's playing me?" Hermione asked with her tone saturated in hope.

"I know he's not. Yes, George likes attention from girls. Actually he and Fred like any sort of attention. But he's never been a dick about it." Ginny laughed following her comment, but her voice was sincere. The love she felt for her older brother was apparent and she was clearly very invested in seeing him act in good character.

"You're the best, Gin."

"You are. And if you're worried that he's not snogging you, maybe you should just snog him." Mirth glowed from the girl's eyes and she gave Hermione a playful nudge.

"We are still talking about your brother."

Ginny got up from the bed with a noncommittal shrug, but a teasing look playing on her face. She left the room, presumably to get ready for bed. Hermione contemplated what her friend told her for awhile, but soon tired of trying to sort through everything and drifted into slumber.

Author's Note: Thanks again for all the follows and comments. I feel quite bad that I didn't give any fun, fluffy stuff this chapter, but not to worry, it will be coming. Delayed gratification. Also, I forgot to give due credit for the "L" prank from last chapter. I got that idea from my most favourite ginger ever, Prince Harry, who put a big L on the car Wils and Kate left the Royal Wedding in.