While Ginny was with Harry at the burrow, Hermione was enjoying Christmas with her parents. She hadn't seen them for quite some time, and tried her best to enjoy the short amount of time she had with them.
She opened her gifts from her parents, and was pleased to find that she received a few muggle novels. It would be a good distraction when things got too complicated for her. Hermione also got a new scarf, some homemade cookies from her mother, and some perfume from her father. All around it was a good Christmas with her parents.
Hermione had given her parents a book about how Harry Potter had defeated Lord Voldemort; it had just released in the wizarding world. Her parents were proud of her for sticking with her education, and not continuing to hunt down dark wizards. Her parents felt it was an honor to have a child like Hermione; she was so selfless.
Hermione tried pushing the thoughts of Ginny out of her mind as much as she could, but Ginny just kept coming back to haunt her thoughts. Ginny was like an addiction, Hermione wouldn't just be able to stop thinking about her, it was impossible. Her feelings for Ginny had grown deeply in just the last couple of weeks; it scared Hermione to think of what would happen if Ginny didn't feel the same.
Hermione's mother had noticed the way she was acting, and became concerned for her daughter. Mr. and Mrs. Granger decided to confront Hermione about her recent behavior, and figure out just what was troubling their daughter before they had to say goodbye to her once again. They only had her for a short period of time, and wanted to know exactly what Hermione was thinking. So much time had been missed between Hermione and her parents. Her parents felt that they needed to become a bigger part of Hermione's life for fear that she would one day stop talking to them all together.
"Hermione, are you feeling okay?" Mrs. Granger asked Hermione the day after Christmas. They were all sitting in the lounge, enjoying a cup of hot tea.
"Of course, I'm just feeling a lot of pressure from school. I'll be fine, don't worry about me." Hermione lied.
"You know you can tell us anything, right?" Mr. Granger joined in.
"Yes, I know. It's just something silly. I probably shouldn't even be worried about it." Hermione tried convincing herself that there wasn't anything wrong. Her instincts yelled at her to go back to Ginny, that there was something going on, but she ignored it and hoped for the best.
"If there is anything you need to say to us, please let us know. We miss you so much while you're away; we just want to know what is going on in your life." Mrs. Granger said; trying to encourage Hermione to tell them the truth.
"It's just silly relationship problems." Hermione slipped.
"I had no idea you were in a relationship, sweetie." Mrs. Granger said.
"Who is the lucky guy?" Mr. Granger smiled.
Hermione became uncomfortable, she wasn't sure if her parents were going to like that it was Ginny she was worried over. She didn't want to keep anything from her parents though; she needed to tell them what was going on.
"Well, I'm not exactly in a relationship yet. I'm just really confused about how I feel about someone, and how they feel about me." Hermione said nervously.
"Well who is it dear? Is it Ronald?" Mrs. Granger asked.
"No, it's not him. It's someone else in his family. It's Ginny." Hermione whispered Ginny's name so quietly, her parents almost didn't hear her.
"Ron's sister?" Mr. Granger asked, honestly surprised.
Hermione nodded her head, "Yes Dad, his sister. I'm sorry if I've upset you, but I really do care for her. She is a good person, honest. She makes me happy, happier than I have been in a really long time. I know she is a girl, but that doesn't matter to me." Hermione was starting to rant, when her parents stopped her.
"You don't have to give us excuses Hermione. You know we just want what is best for you, and we know you have a good head on your shoulders. I must admit I am a bit surprised though." Mrs. Granger admitted.
"I'm sorry; I didn't want to make you angry. I just wanted to see if this was something I really want, and…"
"It's all right Hermione. Don't worry yourself over what we're thinking, because no matter what we will always love you. If you want to have a relationship with Ginny, then that is your choice. As long as she treats you right, then I don't see anything wrong with it." Mr. Granger said with a smile on his face.
Hermione looked at both of her parents who were both smiling, honestly surprised that they were okay with her pursuing a relationship with Ginny. "I didn't know what kind of answer I was going to get. I thought you would have been upset."
"Why would we ever be upset with you? If you've found someone you can truly be happy with, no matter whom it may be, then we are happy for you. You deserve to be loved Hermione, you're our little girl, who is now a grown woman. Hold on to whatever happiness you find in the world, we just want what is best for you." Mrs. Granger said, moving closer to Hermione, and pulling her into a hug.
Hermione smiled, and hugged her mother back as tight as she could. "Thank you for caring so much about me. Some people aren't as lucky as me to have parents like you."
"Don't worry Hermione; you'll always be our daughter and we will always love you." Mr. Granger went in to hug Hermione as well.
"We must have a chat with you and Ginny sometime. We would like to get to know her more if you're going to date her." Mrs. Granger said, trying to lighten to mood.
"Maybe sometime after graduation we could do that." Hermione suggested.
"That sounds lovely; I'm looking forward to it. When will you be going back to the Weasleys?" Mrs. Granger asked.
"I would like to go tonight; I promised that I would be back soon. I still need to give them their gifts." Hermione said.
"It always seems so short when we visit, but I understand that this is your education. I hope to see more of you after you graduate. Even if you are a witch, you're still my daughter." Mr. Granger said quietly.
"I promise I will visit you more often after I graduate. I will try to write to you as much as possible while I'm at school too. There are a lot of things happening that I would love to tell you about. I have so many opportunities, I really love Hogwarts." Hermione smiled.
"We would love if you wrote to us more, Hermione. We need to catch up on so many things."
Hermione nodded her head, "I'm going to go gather my clothes. I'll let you know when I'm going before I leave."
"Okay, take all the time you need. There's no need to rush now." Mr. Granger said, trying to get Hermione to stay just a bit longer.
"I know Dad. I'll be back in a little bit." Hermione said, already walking toward her room.
Later that night
Hermione had all of her things gathered, and was preparing to go back to the burrow. She hadn't told anyone when she was coming back because she wanted to surprise Ginny with her gift.
"I'm going to go back now." Hermione called out to her parents, who were in the kitchen.
Mr. and Mrs. Granger came out to meet Hermione, and told her goodbye.
"Remember what we said about writing to us. We want to know how you're doing." Mrs. Granger said after hugging Hermione. She wiped a tear from her cheek, and smiled with pride for her daughter.
"I will, I love you." Hermione said, speaking to both of her parents.
"We love you too." Mr. Granger said, and then gave Hermione a kiss on her cheek.
"I'll write to you as soon as I'm back at Hogwarts." Hermione gathered her bags in hand, ready to apparate.
"Bye dear; be safe." Mrs. Granger replied.
"Bye. I love you both." Hermione said, right before she apparated. Her destination was the burrow.
Hermione had appeared just outside of the burrow, a far enough distance to where she wouldn't startle anyone. She glanced around, and found the house just as peaceful as it ever was.
She wanted to surprise Ginny; she knew Ginny wasn't expecting her to come back so soon. Maybe Hermione would be nicer this time and let Ginny touch her a little bit more.
Hermione grabbed her bag, and began walking toward the house, but was caught off guard when she heard whispering coming from the side of the house. Giving into her curiosity, Hermione approached the house carefully, edging closer to the source of the noise.
She was just around the corning from the whispering, when she heard a bell start to jingle. Crookshanks was beside Hermione, rubbing himself against her leg. Hermione smiled, and went to pet her cat, when he decided to run around the side of the house. He wanted Hermione to follow him, so she did.
Maybe he caught a mouse and wanted to show me what he did. Hermione thought.
Hermione followed Crookshanks, trying to get him in her hands so she could take him inside to warm up, but he wouldn't stop running. Every time she got close, he would move just a little bit faster.
"Where are you going?" Hermione whispered, wondering why he was running so fast. It wasn't usual for him to run away from Hermione of all people.
Suddenly Crookshanks stopped and meowed, and Hermione stopped as well. Curiously she approached her cat, but stopped completely when she noticed what was in front of her.
There, right in front of Hermione was Ginny and Harry, sitting together in the garden, with their lips pressed tightly together. Harry tried to pull her closer, but Ginny moved slightly away each time he tried.
Hermione couldn't move, her heart stopped, her breathing ceased. They hadn't seen her coming, and Hermione finally knew the truth; the horrible, heartbreaking truth.
She stood there and watched her friends for what seemed like eternity. How could they not see her standing there? Were they that into kissing that they were blind to the outside world? Hermione needed to do something, because they weren't going to stop anytime soon.
"Ginny?" Hermione's voice cracked.
Ginny jumped, and moved away from Harry as fast as she could. "Hermione, what are you doing here? I wasn't expecting you so soon."
"I thought I would surprise you, but I guess I was the one who got the surprise. What's going on?" Hermione asked, slowly coming to her senses.
Harry stood up with Ginny by his side and said, "I think you should tell her."
Ginny nodded her head at Harry, "Can I talk to her alone?"
Harry looked to Hermione, who was still standing in the same spot, and then back to Ginny. "Sure, I'll just be in the house. Let me know if you need anything." Harry whispered, then kissed Ginny on the cheek, and walked past Hermione without saying a word.
"What are you doing Ginny? I thought I just saw you kissing Harry." Hermione asked, realization not hitting her completely.
"I was kissing Harry. He and I have gotten back together." Ginny said, not knowing exactly what to say to make the situation better. She didn't want to hurt Hermione, but she had no idea what to tell her friend to make it better.
Hermione could feel her heart slowly beginning to tear apart. Ginny's words had stung her deeply. "What about me? I thought you wanted to be with me."
"I did Hermione, but I love Harry. I am better off with him." Ginny didn't mean any harm to Hermione, but she knew it wasn't going to be easy no matter what she said. It seemed like Ginny was being rude, but that wasn't her intention.
"Better off?" Hermione asked. The complete shock of the event was evident on her face.
"Yes, I think we're meant to be together. I'm sorry if I hurt you Hermione, I didn't mean you any harm. Just seeing Harry again has made me realize a lot of things. I'm not ready to give him up." Ginny moved closer to Hermione, and into the darkness. She was hiding her face from Hermione, and Hermione had a suspicion as to why.
"I don't believe you, Ginny." Hermione said, sounding cold and distant. Here she was once again, being left behind.
"It's the truth Hermione. I love him." Ginny tried to defend herself, but she wasn't doing too well. Ginny knew the truth, she knew who she really wanted, but she made herself pick Harry. She was too afraid to go after what she really wanted.
"That is a load of rubbish. Why are you doing this to yourself? To us? Don't you know how much I care about you and want to be with you? Does none of that matter to you anymore?" Hermione was trying desperately not to raise her voice, but it was extremely difficult given the circumstances. Ginny had switched gears on her completely. This wasn't the Ginny she had been with at school; this was the Ginny who was afraid of what people might think. Ginny was brave at school, she could express herself more, but now Ginny was at home, with people whose opinion mattered more to her. It wasn't so easy now.
"I'm not doing anything to myself. Being around Harry just made me realize I still love him. I'm sorry I mislead you Hermione, I never wanted to hurt you." Ginny was still trying to give Hermione an apology, but she wouldn't accept it.
"How can you be such a coward?" Hermione spat out, truly confused as to why Ginny was so afraid. Hermione's anger had caused her to lash out at Ginny, but she deserved it. Ginny was just making the situation harder than it had to be.
This made Ginny's blood boil. "I am not a coward, Hermione! I just told you what's going on, and it's the truth!" Ginny shouted.
"Like hell it is Ginny! I can tell you are miserable, you always have been with Harry, but if you want to live a life you can't stand, with a man you don't love, then go ahead! I just thought someone as brave as you could handle something like this, but I guess I was wrong. You're weak, and scared." Hermione shouted back just as loud as Ginny. This was a match that Ginny wasn't going to win.
Ginny began to cry, her emotions were getting to her. She was scared of what she felt for Hermione; she had never felt so much love for anyone before, but she didn't think her parents would approve.
"Just leave, Hermione. No one wants you here." Ginny pushed past Hermione, trying to get inside her house before she heard anymore of what Hermione had to say. She was upset more with herself than she was with Hermione, but being mean to Hermione helped take Ginny's pain away. She was hurt that Hermione would call her a coward, but wasn't that what she was? She was running from something she wanted, simply because she was afraid.
"You know I love you, Ginny. I thought that would mean something to you." Hermione said before Ginny had a chance to escape. She could feel the hurt in Hermione's voice, and in that moment she wanted to run to Hermione, and hold her tight, but she didn't.
Ginny wiped the tears from her face, ready to go inside her house. She could see Harry by the window, he was right there waiting for Ginny inside the warm house. Hermione was behind her, in the dark, cold night, probably crying her own eyes out.
I can't do this you Hermione. I don't want to hurt you, but you won't leave it alone. Ginny thought to herself.
"How do you know what love is, Hermione?" Ginny asked without turning around to face Hermione. She didn't want to see what she had done to Hermione.
"What?" Hermione asked, wiping her own tears.
"How do you know you love me, if you've never been in love with someone before?" Ginny asked.
"Because I just know. You're the only one I think about, the only one I dream of. There is no one else that could make me feel as happy as you have, and every time I see you, it's like nothing else matters in the world. I've never been so happy in my life, and for once I have someone who I really care for who cares back. I do love you Ginny, and I know you're making a mistake by going back to Harry. Why won't you give me a chance? There is nothing to be afraid of, I can keep you safe. Don't you love me?" Hermione asked. Her heart was out in the open, giving what was left of it in Ginny's care.
Ginny cried, for she knew that she really loved Hermione, but she was too afraid to be with her. She kept her sobs down, holding them inside of herself, and bottling them up for a later time.
"No, I don't love you." Ginny lied. The words felt odd coming out of her mouth, she knew it didn't sound right and that Hermione wasn't going to buy it. Hermione was too smart to believe that Ginny didn't love her.
"You're lying." Hermione said quietly.
Ginny didn't have anything left to say. She walked away from Hermione and into her house, without giving her a second glance.
Hermione stood there, completely shocked at what just happened. She wasn't going to go chase after Ginny; she just told Hermione she didn't love her. Whatever hope Hermione had for a relationship with Ginny had just been crushed by the few words that came out of Ginny's mouth.
Why would she do this? It isn't logical. She was kissing me just the other day. Ginny is afraid to be with me, afraid of what people will think. I know she loves me. What can I do to change her mind? Hermione was still standing outside, numb from the cold.
"I can't change her mind. She has to be the one to realize whom she really loves. What if I'm completely wrong and she does still love Harry?" Hermione whispered to herself.
Crookshanks was at Hermione's feet, purring loudly by her side.
Hermione looked down to her cat, and reached to pet him on top of his head. "I don't know what to do Crookshanks. Where will I go now?" Hermione began to cry once more, she didn't want her parents to see her this way. She didn't want them to know that no one loved her, especially after just telling them about Ginny.
"I guess I'll go back to Hogwarts early. Would you like to come with me?" Hermione asked her cat.
Crookshanks rubbed his head against Hermione's hand, and she took that as a yes. Hermione wiped the tears as best as she could, and reached in her bag to pull out the gifts she had gotten for everyone.
"I guess I will just leave their presents by the door. Ginny doesn't want me to come in." Hermione was still in shock over what just happened; her full emotions had yet to emerge.
She walked over to the door, and placed the few gifts she had on the doorstep. Hermione gathered her bag, and picked up Crookshanks. Before she left for Hogwarts, she looked through the window.
The Weasleys were all gathered around each other in the living room, it was packed. She saw the look on Mrs. Weasleys face, and smiled for a brief moment. She looked so happy to have her family around her; she deserved it. Hermione moved her eyes toward Ron, who was sitting with George, laughing. Then her eyes fell upon Ginny, who was sitting next to Harry. They were speaking quietly, neither one of them had a happy expression on their face.
In this moment, Hermione felt completely alone.
Hermione looked at her cat in her hands, smiled weakly, and turned to leave. She had Hogwarts as her destination, and apparated without another thought.
Hermione appeared just outside of the school grounds, and then made her way slowly to her room. There were only a few people in the common room, but Hermione didn't stop to make small talk. She went straight into her room, and closed the door lightly.
She set Crookshanks down, who immediately went to lie on the bed.
Suddenly Hermione fell to her knees. Her heart was hurting, and she cried out in pain. All the emotions Hermione had harbored inside were all coming out at the same time. It was too much for Hermione to handle.
For the first time in a very long time, Hermione allowed herself to cry. She was tired of being brave. Wouldn't anyone ever be brave for her? Would anyone ever want to take care of her?
A/N: Thanks for reading, I'm trying to update sooner than I have been. I know most of you aren't happy with the way Ginny is acting, but give her time to sort out her feelings. This is a Hermione/Ginny fic, so don't think otherwise. :)