Disclaimer: Nothing that came from the books is mine.

That was when I bumped into Hermione, who was walking blindly ahead, and quickly folded a large piece of parchment and stuffed it into her pocket as she became aware of our collision. I hoped she couldn't see the tears that fought to escape my eyes.

"Where were you?" she asked, exasperated.

"Why do you care?" I spat.

"You're my friend, Ginny. I worry when you're gone." Wrong answer.

"I was with Dean."

"Are you okay?"

"I'm fine, Hermione." Actually, I was fighting tears. I couldn't stop thinking about everything I felt for her, and how badly I wanted her to acknowledge that there was something between us.

She stopped me. "Ginny, what happened?"

"None of your fucking business."

"I care about you. Please, talk to me." She looked at me with an intensity that was hard to resist or deny.

"I was with Dean." I grudgingly acknowledged.

She didn't look surprised. "What happened?"

She was standing close now, but I pushed her away. "I don't want to talk about it."

Hermione moved closer, and I found myself pinned against a wall.

"Talk to me." she insisted.

"No." My voice was flat, devoid of emotion as I turned and started to move away from her again

She stopped me. "Why are you shutting me out?"

"You damn well know why, Hermione. The innocent act doesn't work for you, so drop it."

She looked so hurt then, I almost wanted to apologize.

Almost.

I tried to leave again, and this time she didn't stop me. I hated myself when I realized that I couldn't walk away from her. I turned around, and she looked like she was about to start crying. I sighed.

"Dean just wants things I'm not ready for yet. He tried to get me to do something, and I wouldn't. End of story."

"Something you aren't ready to do, or something you aren't ready to do with him?" Hermione could see right through me, and I hated it.

"What do you think?" My voice was full of poison, even though I wanted nothing more than to kiss her right then and there.

"What do I think?" Tears threatened to spill down her cheeks, but she clung to her composure. "I think Dean is completely wrong for you, Ginny."

I was drawing closer to her again. I didn't want to, but I couldn't seem to stop. "If he's so wrong, please enlighten me, who's right?" my face was inches from hers, even though I couldn't remember drawing this close.

She didn't say a word, but her fingers dove into my hair and her lips met mine. Maybe I was naïve, but I couldn't stop her from kissing me. It felt too perfect. My arms wrapped around her, and soon our bodies were as close as was physically possible, legs intertwined. We clung desperately to one another, kissing furiously, until finally, she pulled away.

"Ginny…" Her voice was pained.

"What?" I was praying she wouldn't tell me this was wrong, or ask me to stop touching her. The world swam around me.

"I can't have people think I'm… like this." You know what I'm talking about. I don't think it would be good for you either if rumors started to spread.

"Rumors?" That was the last thing I cared about right now. We were alone, and she was touching me, and it was perfect. What could be wrong?

"That I'm…" it sounded like it hurt her to say it, "not normal."

"I don't understand."

She sighed. "Maybe you're too young to fully understand how much it matters what people think. But this-" she gestured between us, "this, as far as everyone else knows, can't happen. I can't like you that way. I have to be normal."

"Hermione, nothing has ever felt this natural to me."

She sighed. "I know. I feel the same way, but…"

"But what?"

She pulled me closer, smiling sadly. "You really are innocent, aren't you? If people find out how we feel, they'll talk."

I knew that. On some level, I had always known. "So let them talk."

She sighed. "I wish it were that simple. I want to be something. It's going to be hard enough as it is just because my parents were muggles,"

"Hermione, no one cares who your parents were."

"I wish you were right. Everyone cares, Ginny, and I don't think I'm supposed to be the way I am. It messes everything up."

I didn't understand, but still, I nodded, hoping she would feel less alone, daring to hope, on some level, that she might feel closer to me.

"We should probably be getting back." She muttered.

I nodded, even though I would have gladly sacrificed a night of sleep to spend the time with her instead. I followed her back through twisting halls, toward the common room, I suspected.

Suddenly, she turned. I almost bumped into her. I didn't back away, because standing this close, I could almost feel the heat radiating from her incredible body, and I could smell her. She smelled like everything I had ever loved. Hermione stared at me in the moonlight falling through one of the large windows, and I remembered that night first year, when I followed her through darkened corridors and together we saw things we were too young to fully comprehend. Her eyes were pleading, and I felt myself starting to give in before she could say anything.

"Do you promise me that for now, this will stay our secret?"

"Yes, Hermione, I promise."

And for the second time that night, she kissed me, making my heart race and leaving me breathless, desperate, gasping for more. She smiled, and it made my heart melt. It didn't even occur to me to resist as she pulled me into a deserted classroom, stepping through pools of starlight on the cold stone floor.