Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter
A/N: Firstly, this chapter is dedicated to the lovely and amazing Kiwipit, who has been helping me with figuring out where this story is going for a while now... I really should have done this before now, but oh well... I just hope she knows how much I appreciate her help :) thank you, gorgeous ;)
Secondly... there's been something that's come to my attention recently. I receive emails from AllOut dot org, and the one I received a few days ago was to do with equality in Brazil. If you go to the website it shouldn't be too hard to find the petition, but they talk about a group called "Equality Moms," who are going to Congress on the 29th of September to demand support for an anti-homophobia bill that would protect all Brazilians from discrimination. After having read some of the horror stories, I thought I should share this with you all. I know I have readers from Brazil... according to my stats, I have around 50 reading this story, and I'm assuming that not all of you are straight. I suppose the message I want to convey here is that you've got support. It doesn't matter if you're gay, straight, bisexual or transgender... this kind of discrimination effects all of us, and it makes me sick to think that there could be someone just like me being killed or beaten up just for expressing who they really are. Please guys, sign the petition. Every signature helps.
I'm sorry that this chapter is a little shorter, I decided to post it as it is because of what I found out. But, without further ado... here is chapter 12 of Unfamiliar Spell :) I hope you enjoy it!
Unfamiliar Spell
Surprisingly enough, dinner that night was free from awkward silences and shouting. Hermione's revelation seemed to have the desired effect on Mrs Weasley's opinions about divorce, and both Ginny and Hermione didn't hear another peep out of her about the issue. The conversation was mainly focused on how their children were doing at school, and Ginny's upcoming final season of Quidditch.
After dinner, Hermione and Ginny helped Mr Weasley clean up, while Mrs Weasley made her way up to bed.
"I hope I didn't upset her too much," Hermione said, glancing at the stairs leading up to the second floor as she waved her wand at the dishes in the sink.
"You're not the one who's upset her," Mr Weasley said, sighing slightly. "Believe me, Ron will be receiving a Howler tomorrow. She does love you, Hermione, like a second daughter. The only reason she was so worried about the divorce was that she didn't want to lose you. After the war... well, she doesn't want to lose any more children."
"I'm not going anywhere," Hermione said, sending the dishes towards Ginny, who was drying. "I just need to get out of the marriage, it doesn't mean that I'm going to cut you out of my life."
"I know," Mr Weasley said, smiling at her. "Molly just jumps to conclusions sometimes."
Hermione smiled back at him and pocketed her wand, having finished washing up. "I think I might go for a walk before bed."
"Want me to come?" Ginny asked, finishing up the last of the drying.
"Sure, if you want."
"I'll be off to bed, then," Mr Weasley said, walking towards the stairs. He turned to look at the girls and smiled tiredly at them, "Have a good night, girls. You can both sleep in Ginny's room, it's the only one that's been cleaned out properly."
"Thank you," Hermione said, smiling back at him.
"Walk?" Ginny asked as her father walked up the stairs.
Hermione nodded, "Yeah. I just need to get some fresh air."
The pair of them walked out the back door, heading up towards one of the hills just outside of the Burrow's limits.
"Are you alright?" Ginny asked, nudging her gently as they walked up the hill.
Hermione nodded, "I'm fine. Obviously I didn't mean to tell your parents about what Ron did, but I think it went better than I expected. Are you okay?"
"Oh, you know. Not entirely happy that mum did what I expected her to do, but at least she's stopped telling me that I should try to work it out with him."
"So, we're alright," Hermione summed up as they reached the summit of the hill, gazing up at the sky.
"I suppose so," Ginny agreed with her, gazing up as well. "We should have brought a rug to sit on."
Hermione smiled, pulling her wand out from her pocket. Ginny laughed softly,
"Right, sorry."
"And I thought I was the muggle," Hermione said, grinning at her. She summoned a rug, which came flying out of the house, making its way up to them. Hermione caught it and spread it out on the ground, and the two women sat down.
"I'm not entirely sure what to do now," Ginny said softly, pulling her knees to her chest to hug them tightly.
Hermione frowned, turning her head to look at her, "What do you mean?"
"It seems as though most of the drama is out of the way now," Ginny said, sighing slightly. "We just have to wait for the kids to come back before we tell them. I don't think we should tell them while they're at school, it'd just be unnecessary stress."
"I agree," Hermione said, lying down on her back. "We'll go away in May, and be back at the beginning of June to get things ready for them."
Ginny nodded, lying down next to her. "I can't wait to get away from here," she said softly, sighing heavily.
"I know what you mean," Hermione said, sighing as well.
"Is that Hydra over there?" Ginny asked, pointing towards the north at the stars.
Hermione laughed at the random question, "No, that's Draco. Hydra's behind us at the moment. Shouldn't you have remembered the constellations from Hogwarts?"
"Probably, but Hydra and Draco are both snakes so they have similar forms," Ginny said, turning her head to grin sheepishly at Hermione.
The brunette laughed again, "Fair enough. Why do you ask?"
"We can't see the stars in London," Ginny said, looking back up at the sky. "I haven't been out here at night for so long that I forgot how beautiful they are."
"There is a certain majesty about the night sky, full of stars," Hermione murmured, tracing out Ursa Major with her eyes.
"I always had this fantasy of taking someone out here to lie with them and make love underneath the night sky," Ginny said, sighing slightly.
Hermione felt her stomach lurch suddenly, immediately biting down on her bottom lip and trying desperately to keep certain images from entering her mind. She took a deep breath and sighed, "It is quite romantic out here."
Good job, she can't tell you want that person to be you at all.
'Shut up, shut up, shut up,' Hermione thought furiously, wishing that she could punch her conscience into silence.
"Do you have any fantasies like that?" Ginny asked, turning onto her side and propping her head up on her hand, resting her elbow against the ground.
Hermione laughed nervously, "No, I don't think so."
Ginny grinned, "Come on, Hermione. Everyone has at least one fantasy."
Hermione shrugged, "Not really."
"I bet I can guess," Ginny said, rolling back down to lie on her back, seeming to contemplate the topic of conversation very seriously.
"I bet you can't," Hermione replied, sitting up slightly to look sideways at her.
"How much do you bet me?" Ginny asked, grinning as she sat up slightly as well.
Hermione bit down on her bottom lip and smiled nervously, "No, I don't want to risk anything, now."
"Why not?"
"Because you're the only one who's ever been able to read my mind, or something to that effect," Hermione said reasonably, lying back down and crossing her arms across her chest.
Ginny laughed softly, "That is true. Alright, you don't have to bet me anything. I'll just guess for the fun of it."
Hermione snorted, "Go ahead."
Ginny looked at her, frowning for a moment, before smiling widely, "I'm going to have to say the Library at Hogwarts."
Hermione raised an eyebrow, "That's not very original, Ginny."
"Hey, I'm not finished," Ginny said, holding up a hand at her. "You'd go into the Restricted Section with... I'm going to have to say a girl." She paused, thinking hard. "And you'd probably completely forget about the option of silencing charms, just to make the experience a little more dangerous."
"I don't like you, sometimes," Hermione pouted, looking away from the beautiful redhead, who had just guessed exactly what her favourite fantasy was.
Ginny grinned and poked Hermione in the side, "I was right?"
"You know you were right."
The redhead laughed softly, "I suppose I'm just amazing like that." She lay back down next to Hermione, shifting a little closer to her. "It's a pretty hot fantasy, to be honest."
Hermione grinned and nudged her gently, "I know."
Ginny laughed again and nudged her back, "Been using that fantasy lately, Hermione?"
You haven't really had to, have you?
Hermione sighed at the voice, ignoring it, "Not really."
"Haven't you been thinking about girls lately?"
"Just the one time," Hermione said quickly.
Ginny grinned, rolling over to half-straddle her, "Come on, Hermione, it's me."
Hermione rolled her eyes, "Alright, I did it in the shower too. But I wasn't fantasizing about the Library."
"Why not?" Ginny asked, not moving from her position, looking down at her intently.
Hermione shrugged slightly, "I don't like to use it too much."
"Okay, so what were you thinking about those two times?" she asked, smirking down at her.
Hermione shifted uncomfortably beneath Ginny's weight, "Gin..."
"I'll tell you what I thought about when I got frustrated when I was with Harry," Ginny said quickly. "Please?"
Hermione sighed heavily, "Alright, fine." She paused, looking up at Ginny thoughtfully. "Well, the first time, it just sort of happened. I wasn't really thinking about anything specific, just the way it would feel," she said slowly, now avoiding Ginny's gaze by staring straight up at the sky.
"And the second time?"
Hermione smiled slightly, "That happened when I was getting ready for the party. I stepped into the shower and the water felt so good, and Ron wasn't there, so I could just let go." She paused again, looking back up at Ginny. "I just imagined that we were in the shower, that she was kissing me and telling me that everything would be okay. She pushed me up against the cold, wet wall, and started to suck on my neck, her fingers trailing down my body to touch me."
There was another short pause, in which Ginny watched Hermione thoughtfully, making her wonder exactly what she was thinking. She suddenly realised that Ginny hadn't moved from her position on top of her, and that her thigh was resting quite comfortably in that spot where Hermione had fucked herself, thinking about the youngest Weasley girl.
"That's it," Hermione said quickly, beginning to feel acutely aware of the pressure that was mounting in her lower abdomen, caused by their closeness, and by the memory of what it felt like to fantasize about her.
Ginny smiled, "No, it's not."
Hermione sighed, "After I finished, I sat down in the shower and cried."
Ginny frowned, "Why?"
"I'm pretty sure that I'll never be able to enjoy that kind of closeness with her."
Ginny sighed as well, lowering herself down to cuddle into Hermione's side, leaving her leg in between hers. "She's a stupid idiot, then, if she refused your advances."
Hermione laughed softly, "And if she's straight?"
"No one's completely, and utterly straight," Ginny said reasonably, resting her head on Hermione's shoulder. "Besides, it should be about the personality and connection, rather than gender."
Hermione frowned, turning her head to face Ginny. What was she saying?
That's she's gayer than the day is long!
'Shut up,' Hermione thought furiously, turning her head to look back up at the sky. 'She was married for fifteen years.'
So were you, and you've clearly got a giant hard-on for the woman who's cuddling you at the moment.
"I don't know why people get so uptight about sexuality," Ginny said softly, resting her hand on Hermione's stomach and pulling her a little closer. "Love is love, why would it ever be a bad thing?"
"Because it's different," Hermione replied, her free hand finding its way up to the one Ginny was resting on her stomach. "People are always scared of what they perceive to be different. Why do you think the Wizarding World is kept a secret to the majority of the Muggle World?"
They linked fingers, and both women sighed at the same time.
"I know that this sounds terrible," Ginny murmured, running her thumb up and down Hermione's gently, "But I wish we didn't marry Harry and Ron."
"It only sounds terrible because we have children," Hermione murmured back, beginning to feel very sleepy. "I wish we could stay here and not have to bother with anyone else."
"I know."
"We should probably go back to the house," Hermione said, nudging Ginny gently.
The redhead sighed again and nodded, taking her leg out from between Hermione's and sitting up, "Alright. I'm quite tired, to be honest."
"Me too," Hermione said, sitting up as well. She looked sideways at Ginny and smiled at her, "Thank you."
"For what?"
"For being there."
Ginny smiled back at her and leaned in close to kiss her cheek tenderly. "Like I said, anything you need," she murmured to her ear. Then, she pulled back and stood up, holding out a hand for the brunette. "Come on, we should sleep before tomorrow. We have a long day ahead of looking at apartments."
"You never told me what you used to fantasize about," Hermione said suddenly, sitting up in the bed and not watching Ginny change.
The redhead laughed as she pulled her shirt over her head, "Sorry, I totally forgot about that." She turned away from Hermione as she undid her bra, shrugging it off and pulling a t-shirt over her head. Hermione felt her breath catch in her throat as the redhead did so, catching a slight glimpse of the side of her breast as she leaned down to pick her t-shirt up off the ground.
She regained her composure as Ginny turned back around, "So?"
"Well, the last time I did that was this morning in the shower," Ginny said thoughtfully, undoing her jeans and pushing them down.
"What?" Hermione asked, her breath catching in her throat again at the mere thought of Ginny doing... that in such close proximity.
Ginny laughed again, "Yeah, you really worked me up with all those moves you were pulling in your sleep." She winked at the brunette, grinning at her and stepping out of her jeans.
Hermione blushed furiously, looking away from her, "Sorry."
"Don't be," Ginny said, crossing the room to the bed and climbing in next to her. "I hadn't really felt the need to do that in a while, it was nice."
"How long is a while?" Hermione asked, raising an eyebrow.
"A few months, at the most, I suppose," Ginny said, shrugging.
"Really?"
"Yeah. It was nice to finally feel like I wanted to again." She smiled at the older woman, "So really, I should be thanking you."
Hermione grinned nervously and shrugged, "I suppose you're welcome."
Ginny grinned back at her and nudged her slightly, "Do you want to know what I was thinking about?"
"Well, I told you, so you should tell me."
"Very logical," Ginny said, winking at her. "I was actually thinking about you."
"What?" Hermione exclaimed, looking at her with wide eyes, her stomach feeling as though it was about to jump out of her body.
"Don't freak out, it's entirely normal, especially since you were the one who made me feel like I needed to do that," Ginny said quickly.
Hermione squeaked softly in response, the blush in her cheeks darkening.
Ginny smiled, "Do you still want to know what I thought about?"
Hermione nodded meekly, looking sideways at her, unable to stop curiosity from overwhelming her extreme embarrassment.
"Well, do you remember what happened right before that room service guy came in?"
"How could I forget?"
Ginny laughed, "Yes, well, I thought about doing that, except we went much further than me simply tackling you down onto the bed."
Hermione bit her lip, staring down at her hands, fidgeting with the hem of the blanket. She didn't try to say anything, for fear of not being able to actually speak.
"In the fantasy, the room service guy did not make an appearance," Ginny said, grinning as she nudged Hermione.
The brunette couldn't help smiling through her embarrassment, nudging the redhead back. "You don't like to share, huh?"
"Of course I don't," Ginny scoffed at her, sliding down in the bed to lie on her side, facing Hermione. "I get jealous, and I like focusing my attention on one person."
Hermione nodded, trying to avoid Ginny's gaze.
"Do you want me to go and sleep in one of the boys' rooms?" Ginny asked, frowning up at her.
"No," Hermione said immediately, "No, I'm sorry. I just never thought that you'd think about me like that."
Ginny shrugged, "Should I not have told you?"
Hermione laughed softly, "It's okay. Just a bit of a shock. Listen, when did you plan on seeing the Harpies about going away?"
Oh good job, a quick change of subject, she won't suspect anything at all.
'Shut up!'
"Tomorrow, after we finish looking at houses. Hopefully we'll find something tomorrow so that we can leave for Paris the following day," Ginny said, breaking the argument Hermione was having in her head.
"I don't know if we'll find something tomorrow, sometimes it takes a while to find the right place."
"I have a good feeling about tomorrow," Ginny said, winking at her. "Don't stress, Hermione, we'll be out of England soon."
"I hope so," Hermione muttered.
"Come on, let's go to sleep," Ginny said, yawning slightly. "We have a big day tomorrow."
Hermione nodded, sliding down in the bed to lie next to Ginny, facing her. "I just can't wait for all of this to be over," she murmured, resting her head on the pillow and closing her eyes.
"You and me, both," Ginny replied, rolling over onto her back and staring up at the ceiling. She looked over at Hermione and smiled, "Come here."
Hermione opened her eyes and smiled back at her, shifting a little closer to cuddle into her side, resting her arm across Ginny's middle, and slipping a leg in between hers. Ginny pulled her close and kissed her temple gently, her lips lingering for perhaps a second longer than they should have. Hermione sighed softly, leaning into her and closing her eyes.
When Hermione woke up the next morning, they were in the same position that they'd fallen asleep in. She smiled slightly, snuggling a little closer to the redhead, remembering with a small shock that she was only wearing underwear.
'Oh, who freaking cares, I'm comfortable,' Hermione thought to herself, shifting her leg slightly so she could feel Ginny's soft skin move up against hers.
The little voice didn't bother responding, so she smiled again, resting her hand down on Ginny's hip, tracing tiny little circles on the small patch of skin between her t-shirt and underwear.
Suddenly, she heard someone screaming downstairs. She sat up slightly, frowning at the door, and wondering what on earth was going on.
"She's making a howler," Ginny murmured, looking up at Hermione sleepily, with a slightly irritated look on her face.
"Oh," Hermione said, lying back down and resting her head on Ginny's shoulder. "Couldn't she have waited until a decent time?"
Ginny laughed softly, "Mum's up at six o'clock every morning, I'm surprised that she waited this long."
"At least we know that Ron's getting what's coming to him," Hermione said, sighing slightly.
"Are you okay?" Ginny asked, frowning down at her slightly.
Hermione looked up at her and smiled, nodding, "I'm fine, as long as I don't have to see him for a while."
"Well, you don't have to see him for as long as you want," Ginny said, throwing a glare towards the door.
"Thank goodness," the brunette murmured, tightening her grip around Ginny's waist. "What's the time?"
"Almost nine o'clock. We should get up and get ready soon," Ginny said, sighing slightly.
"We're seeing the first apartment at ten thirty," Hermione grumbled. "Half an hour more."
Ginny laughed softly, "We're not going to get much more sleep with my mother yelling downstairs. Come on, we should shower and then eat."
"Fine," Hermione sighed, rolling off Ginny and sitting up. "But you're making me breakfast."
Ginny laughed again and sat up, leaning in to kiss her cheek gently, "I see you're just as petulant as I am in the morning."
Hermione poked her tongue out at her in response, making her laugh again as she swung her legs over the side of the bed and stood up.
"I do enjoy it when we act like teenagers again," she said, grinning at her as she walked towards her open suitcase to find some trousers.
Hermione smiled, unabashedly looking at her arse as she bent down to pick a pair up and pull them on. "It does make me forget about everything, even if it's for a moment."
Ginny turned around, forcing Hermione to flick her eyes up quickly to her face, "We'll act like teenagers as much as we possibly can when we go away, then." She winked at the brunette and grinned again, "Come on, I'm hungry."
To be continued...
A/N: I realise that the top A/N is quite long, but if you care at all about the gay rights movement, please read it.
Alex
