It was Sunday morning before the girls knew it, and they were packing their things back into Hermione's backpack, when Ginny sat heavily on the bed and sighed.
"What's wrong, babe?" Hermione asked as she went to sit beside her.
"I just want to get the next couple of days over with..." she replied as she looked down.
"I thought you were looking forward to the World Cup?" Luna asked as she went to sit beside her.
"No...I am...it's just..." She sighed and looked at Hermione. "It was hard enough not holding your hand or touching you the whole time we were in London...but at least I didn't have to hold back while we were here."
"You understand why we had to in London though, right?" Ginny shook her head. "Muggles aren't as tolerant...not all of them anyway...and dad told us to keep a low profile," Hermione explained.
"It's only today..." said Luna, "tomorrow at the World Cup won't be so bad, and you have a tent to yourself." Luna smiled. "Remember when you were so worried about it-sharing a tent with Hermione?" Luna teased, and was able to coax a small smile out of Ginny.
"And why can't we get it over with today?" Ginny asked.
"Because, if Ron takes it badly, it'll make the World Cup really uncomfortable."
"And what about our comfort?" Ginny asked ruefully.
Hermione looked into Ginny's eyes a moment before suggesting a compromise.
"We'll play it by ear...okay? Like we did around my parents...and I guess if anyone asks, we'll tell them." She smiled. "Besides, it's not like we're going to be spending much one-on-one time with Ron...so it should be okay..." She kissed her. "And I thought we'd play Quidditch this afternoon...I want to see if I'm just as good playing against your brothers..."
Ginny grinned, and was about to kiss her, when there was a knock on the door.
Hermione's mother walked in and smiled.
"You three ready to go?" she asked them, and then continued when they nodded: "Hermione, dear, can I speak to you a moment, alone, before you go?"
"Sure, mom...you guys head down." She replied, and kissed Ginny one more time before watching her and Luna leave.
Hermione's mother came to join her on the bed and sighed.
"What is it mom?" she asked with concern.
"Hermione...we've never had the 'birds and bees' talk...I know I don't have to worry about you getting pregnant, but..."
"Mom?" Hermione interrupted her, and waited for her to meet her eyes. "I know I'm too young to be having sex yet, even if Ginny wasn't only thirteen." She smiled and showed her mother her Promise Ring. "Do you know what this is, Mom?"
"I noticed you're both wearing them-I assumed it was a symbol of your commitment to each other."
"It is Mom...but it's more than...they're called Promise Rings, and they're charmed in such a way that, no matter how strongly Ginny and I feel for each other, they help us to to take things slowly."
"You really love her, don't you-I mean I know you do, but..."
"I really do, Mom, and I respect the fact that she's two years younger than me...even if I forget that sometimes."
"She is very mature for her age; Luna, too," her mother replied.
"Mom...if you were so worried about us rushing things...why the new bed?" Hermione asked curiously.
Her mother smiled. "Well...your old bed was getting too small for you and..." she hesitated, then continued: "I asked Minerva for advice, and she told me the three of you have been sharing a bed all summer..."
"You're the best Mom, thank you for everything this week..."
"It was my pleasure...I enjoyed getting to know your friends," her mother replied and smiling, she added: "And I'm relieved you're taking things slow."
They stood and hugged.
"You're growing up so fast, Hermione..."
"I'm still your little girl Mom...I always will be," she assured her mother.
"You're not...you're a young woman, and so is your girlfriend." She smiled and cupped her daughter's cheek with her hand. "I'm so happy you're happy."
"I really am, Mom...thanks."
…
The car ride to the Burrow was spent mostly in silence. Every so often one of them would try to spark a conversation but they would lapse back into silence again soon enough. When they finally arrived at the Burrow, Sirius sent the girls ahead so he could speak to Harry alone.
"I wonder what that's about..." Ginny remarked quietly as they walked towards the house.
"I couldn't get a read on Sirius, like, at all-but Harry is both worried about something and amused about something." Luna shook her head. "He really is an odd boy."
Hermione laughed lightly and then replied: "We'll talk to him later...if he wants to talk." And then opened the door to the Burrow.
"Good morning you three." Mrs. Weasley greeted them then turned to Luna, "Your father will pick you up after lunch...maybe you and Ginny can take your things upstairs? I'd like to talk to Hermione alone a moment."
"Want to bet it's another 'birds and bees' talk?" Hermione thought to them as she watched them leave the kitchen. She had shared the conversation she'd had with her own mother with the girls in the car-even though no one had been talking, they'd had a whole conversation silently.
She went to sit at the table and waited for Mrs Weasley to join her. She had wanted to talk to Mrs. Weasley as well and began thinking about how best to phrase her request.
Mrs Weasley set a glass of pumpkin juice down in front of her and then sat down across from her. She was just about to speak when Harry and Sirius entered.
Mrs Weasley visibly recoiled when she laid eyes on Sirius, remembered he was innocent, then relaxed and smiled.
Sirius laughed lightly.
"It's quite alright, Mrs Weasley-I'm getting used to that reaction." He assured her. "I just wanted to thank you for letting Harry stay here and taking him to the World Cup. I'm going to leave my car here, if that's alright, and I'll come back on the first with a second car to help you get the whole lot to King's Cross."
Molly studied him a moment then smiled slowly as she replied: "Thank you...I admit we wondering how we were going to manage but we're having a small celebration on the 31st in Ginny's honour...did you hear? She's skipping a grade!" He nodded and smiled. "Oh and Sirius, please, call me Molly."
"Thank you Molly...around four p.m. then?"
She nodded, "And thank you for driving Harry and the girls here."
"My pleasure Molly." He replied smiling and then looked to Harry and tried to assume a parental tone, "Behave."He said then laughed before continuing; "Have fun at the Cup...I'll see you soon." He finished then hugged Harry briefly and ruffled his hair before leaving.
"Harry?" Mrs Weasley said and waited for him to look her way, "The boys are out playing Quidditch why don't you join them...I'll take your things upstairs later."
"Thanks Mrs Weasley," He turned to Hermione, "You and Ginny going to join us?"
"Maybe after Luna leaves." She replied.
Harry smiled, nodded and left with his Firebolt over her shoulder.
Hermione turned back to Mrs. Weasley and waited for her to begin while she thought to Ginny and Luna. "Want to hear what we're talking about?"
"Yes." They replied.
"What's he like, Sirius?" Mrs. Weasley asked.
"He seems nice enough and he cares about Harry." She responded.
"That's good," She replied and studied Hermione a moment before continuing: "I wanted to thank you-Minerva told me your Promise Rings were your idea?"
Hermione could almost hear Ginny and Luna laughing as she replied blushing, "I take it she explained how the charm works?"
"She did." Molly replied smiling. "And she explained why they're such a good idea."
"Mrs Weasley you know how much I love Ginny...but I also know she's only thirteen." She smiled. "I respect that and to be honest, I'm not ready either-the rings make it easier to cope with what we feel." She sighed. "I love her and am planning to spend the rest of my life with her-what's the rush?"
"None whatsoever." She smiled. "But I'm relieved you see that."
Hermione took a sip from her juice as she gathered her courage.
"Mrs Weasley there's something I'd like to talk to you about as well." She steadied herself. "When I went to buy Ginny's broom I gave Mr. Besom, the shop's owner, some ideas that have made his shop flourish." She took another sip of her juice. "Went I went back in July to buy brooms for Luna and I he offered me a silent partnership that entitles me to thirty percent of his shop's profits in return for my silence that I had given him the ideas."
Mrs Weasley looked suitably impressed.
Hermione took a deep breath and then continued: "Mrs Weasley...if I hadn't bought Ginny a broom it never would have happened-I already have enough money to support Ginny and I for a very long time-please, if you'll let me, I'd like to share some of this windfall with your family- ten percent if that's okay..."
Mrs Weasley stared at Hermione in shock.
"Before you say no, please hear me out." Mrs Weasley nodded reluctantly. "Someday, when Ginny and I are old enough, we're going to get married and you'll officially become my family but I already think of all you that way." She smiled. "And if you hadn't let me buy Ginny a broom in the first place I wouldn't have this extra money to begin with...consider it my way of thanking you."
"You have a way with words, Hermione, but..."
"Please Mrs Weasley, don't say no...not yet. Please just think about it...and if not ten percent then maybe five?"
Mrs Weasley shook her head slightly and then replied, "Why do I have a feeling you won't take 'no' for an answer?"
"I'd rather you didn't make me..." Hermione replied.
"I'll talk it over with Arthur..." Mrs Weasley finally conceded.
"Thank you Mrs Weasley..." Hermione smiled as they both stood, "I understand your reluctance, and I respect your reasons but it's really only fair you receive Ginny's share of the profit as everything I have I already intend to share with her."
"You are a remarkable young woman," Mrs Weasley replied as she stood to hug Hermione, "It was a very lucky day for the Weasley clan when you first made friends with Ron."
"Luckier for me I think...I've never been happier thanks to Ginny and Luna." She replied as she stepped back smiling.
She climbed the stairs to Ginny's room shaking her head as she went.
She'd barely made her way into Ginny's room when she found herself being hugged by both girls.
"I take it you heard everything then?" Hermione asked smiling.
"What are you going to do if my mom refuses?" Ginny asked.
"I'll set up an account in your name so you can help your family out with your share of the profits." She kissed Ginny and then looked to Luna, "I want to give you and your dad ten percent too."
"Um, thank you, but why?" Luna asked confused.
"Because if you hadn't been there for Ginny she might not have waited for me and I probably wouldn't have been buying a broom and have this extra money to begin with-so I just want you to have the share you're entitled to." Hermione replied before kissing Luna briefly.
"You won't take a 'no' will you?" Luna teased.
"No...I won't." Hermione replied.
"Alright then...but I don't think my dad should have access to it..." Luna replied smiling, "I don't want him to waste it on his wild goose chases."
"Fair enough," Hermione smiled, "I'll ask my dad to have a vault set up for you."
They broke their hug and Hermione went to sit on Ginny's bed.
There was another reason she wanted them to have a share of the profits-if anything ever happened to her she wanted to make sure they were provided for.
Luna sat beside her and put her arm around Hermione's shoulder.
"You shouldn't be thinking that way." She told her quietly.
"How do you know what I'm thinking?" Hermione asked surprised as Ginny sat beside her, a bemused expression on her face.
"Because I know how you think and I can feel what you just felt." Luna replied.
"Could one of you clue me in, please?" Ginny asked.
"Hermione wants to make sure we're provided for if something happens to her," Luna stated.
"Is she right?" Ginny asked, a small frown creasing her features.
"Partially...it also just makes sense not to have all our money in one place...if ever we got separated for some reason I want you both to have access to money, if you need it." Hermione smiled. "Just trying to think ahead."
"You're amazing, you know that?" Ginny said quietly before kissing her.
"Not so amazing...I just love you guys so much...I want to make sure you're always taken care of...is that so wrong of me?"
"No I suppose not..." Ginny sighed.
Hermione reached over and brushed Luna's hair behind her hair.
"I'm glad your dad isn't picking you up right away," She leaned over and whispered in her ear before kissing her neck. She felt Ginny get up and sit on Luna's other side. When she looked up she saw that Ginny was kissing Luna's neck as well.
"We wanted a chance to say goodbye to you and this part of our relationship with you properly." Ginny explained.
Luna groaned as she felt each of her friends begin to fondle her breasts and then pulled Hermione in for a deep and passionate kiss as they pushed her gently back on the bed. She broke the kiss only to find herself being kissed passionately by Ginny a moment later. Luna ran her hands up the back of their shirts.
"I am going to miss this." She sighed when they finally gave her a chance to breath.
"I have a feeling Padma might be able to help with that." Hermione teased as she ran her thumb over Luna's nipple.
"But I've gotten so used to kissing you guys..." Luna blushed then continued in thought: "And I love the way you both touch me and how you make me feel."
"We'll still be there...if you want or need us," Ginny replied as she kissed her, "and we're going to miss this too."
"Damn..." Luna sighed, "my dad's here."
They each gave her breasts one last squeeze and a kiss each as they heard Mrs Weasley call up the stairs to them before standing and hugging Luna.
"We're going to miss you Luna." Hermione said quietly as she laid her forehead against Luna's.
Luna kissed Hermione again and then Ginny.
"I'm going to miss you guys too...be safe at the World Cup."
"We will Luna."
They finally broke their hug and, after Luna had retrieved her backpack from inside Hermione's backpack, they headed downstairs.
As soon as they entered the kitchen Luna went to hug her father.
"It's good to see you too dear." Her father said as he pushed her away gently and held her at arms length to have a good look at her. "You're looking very well."
Mr Lovegood looked to Hermione and smiled.
"I wanted to thank you...I received a letter saying Luna would be skipping a grade...thank you for helping that happen."
"You needn't thank me, Mr Lovegood...Luna did all the work herself." Hermione replied proudly.
"Well thank you anyway." He replied smiling then turned back to Luna, "Shall we go dear?"
Luna smiled and nodded before going to give Hermione and Ginny one last hug.
"Oh and Xenophilius?" Mrs Weasley said and waited for him to look at her, "We're having a little party on the 31st to celebrate the girls skipping a grade if you and Luna would like to attend...and we can take Luna to King's Cross the next day if you like."
"Thank you Molly...what time should we be here on Sunday?" He replied.
"Around four should be good." She replied.
Luna turned to her friends smiling and thought to them, "I guess we get one more night before school."
They both nodded slightly and smiled.
"Have a good week Luna...we'll see you next Sunday." Hermione said smiling as they watched Luna leave with her father.
Molly turned to her daughter and her girlfriend, "I was going to take lunch out to the orchard can you two give me a hand?"
They both nodded.
"I'll just go grab our brooms." Hermione stated before turning and running back up the stairs.
Molly turned to her daughter, "You have an amazing girlfriend...you know that?"
"I do Mom." Ginny replied smiling, "And you just couldn't resist throwing a party could you?"
"Well...the three of you deserve it." She smiled as she handed her a jug of pumpkin juice to carry.
…
They joined the boys in the orchard, Hermione meeting to the two eldest Weasley brothers, Bill and Charlie, for the first time. They sat down to their picnic lunch and watched Mrs Weasley return to the Burrow.
"Is that actually a Purpleheart wood broom Gin?" Charlie asked.
"Yeah...Hermione got it for me for my birthday." Ginny replied while trying not to laugh at the sour expression on Ron's face. "But she gave the shop owner some good ideas and he gave her a good deal on it-about the same price as Harry's Firebolt."
"Can I have a go on it?" Ron asked to everyone's laughter. "What?" He asked confused.
"Well...first off," Hermione replied and waited for him to look at her, "It's adjusted to Ginny...no one else can fly it as well as she does."
"Okay...can I try your Cleansweep then?" Ron asked.
"If it were a Cleansweep, you could." Hermione replied to his bemused expression. "When I went back to get brooms for Luna and I the owner insisted I take two more Purpleheart wood brooms on the house-I thought it would raise too many questions if all us showed up this fall with three of the most expensive brooms on the market-mine and Luna's are charmed to look like Cleansweeps, but they're exactly the same as Ginny's."
"Why do you even need a broom...you don't even like Quidditch." Ron replied a small frown on his face.
"Actually Ron...Hermione's getting pretty good," Ginny responded proudly, "She's a great Keeper."
"And it's not that I ever really disliked Quidditch...but since Ginny started giving me flying lessons I'm actually finding it kind of fun." Hermione added.
"The first time she tried her broom, she scared the crap out of Luna and me...she took off, straight up, at full speed." Ginny told them to their impressed looks.
"Well, let's see what you can do Hermione." Harry said as he stood, "Teams of four?" He asked looking around.
Everyone nodded and stood.
"How do we make the teams then?" Bill asked.
"Two Chasers, one Beater and a Keeper?" Hermione suggested to the surprised looks on all but Charlie and Bill's faces. "What?"
"Didn't realise you knew so much Quidditch is all." Fred replied.
"Really, Fred?" Harry said shaking his head, "This is Hermione Granger we're talking about...the girl who knows just about everything about everything, and you're surprised?"
"You have a point," George conceded.
They split into their teams of four: Ginny and Charlie playing Chaser, Hermione playing Keeper and George playing Beater for one team; Harry and Bill playing chaser, Ron playing Keeper and Fred playing Beater for the other team.
As Hermione flew up to her set of goal hoops, Ginny thought to her, "God I want to kiss you so bad right now."
"Later...let's kick some ass first!" Hermione thought back to her.
They played for the rest of the afternoon, Ginny and Hermione's team winning by ten goals. It would have been a bigger landslide as it took the first five goals for Hermione to gain confidence and adjust to playing against someone other than Ginny. Oddly enough, the better Hermione got, the worse Ron performed.
The game ended when he missed the tenth shot in a row that Ginny had aimed at him.
"It's not fair!" He shouted angrily, "How the bloody hell am I supposed to compete against a broom like that?" He flew off and went in for a hard landing, the laughter of the seven people still in the air echoing in his ears as he stomped off.
"Yes, Ron," Hermione thought to herself, "It has nothing to do with skill." She looked over and smiled to Ginny. "Race you back to the house?" She thought to her.
Ginny nodded and without a word of warning to the others she and Hermione raced off towards the Burrow.
They both came to land gracefully a few feet from the door then turned and watched as Ron walked up to them frowning. He pushed past them, muttering as he went: "Never bought me a broom..."
Hermione shook her head. "C'mon let's go put our brooms away...". She took Ginny's hand and led her inside and up to her room.
As soon as they were inside her room Hermione pulled Ginny into a very deep kiss. "I've been wanting to do that for hours." She sighed as she finally broke the kiss.
"Now I understand why you like watching me fly so much." Ginny said quietly as she rested her forehead against Hermione's, "It was quite the turn on watching you play..."
"I thought Ron's head was going to explode." Hermione replied, laughing lightly.
"You shut them up pretty quick though..." she said quietly, before kissing Hermione again.
There was a soft knock on the door, Hermione looked at it, then looked back to Ginny.
"It's Harry..." She said as she walked over and opened the door.
"We're going down for dinner, you coming?" He asked them.
"Harry? Are you okay?" Ginny asked him.
"Yeah...why?"
"Well you and Sirius were pretty quiet the whole way here." Hermione replied.
"Oh that." He replied shaking his head, "Sirius is just embarrassed-I was sleeping last night and I heard arguing coming from downstairs. When I went to see what was going on he and Remus were shouting at each other..."
"What about?" Ginny asked.
"Me..." He laughed shaking his head, "they started snogging in front of me and then noticed I was there...they'd been arguing about whether or not to tell me. It was really funny...they both started stammering...and then Sirius finally yelled at me to go back to bed. I guess that wasn't how they wanted me to find out."
"Sirius and Remus, really?"
"Yeah...that's what Sirius was talking to me about when we got here. I guess it's all pretty new...they'd had feelings for each other before Sirius got sent to Azkaban but they hadn't done anything about it. And then they spent the next thirteen years hating each other." He shook his head sadly. "Remus thought Sirius was responsible for my parents' deaths and Sirius was angry at Remus for not coming to his defense."
"But I should've known...Remus has been spending a lot of time at the house, considering he works in Hogsmeade, and the two of them act like an old married couple half the time." He laughed. "We should probably be getting downstairs though..."
They ran into Ron as they left Ginny's room and the four of them went downstairs in uncomfortable silence. They found Mrs Weasley in the kitchen preparing dinner.
"We're eating out in the garden," she said as she turned to them. "There's just not room for eleven people in here. Could you take the plates outside, girls. Bill and Charlie are setting up the tables. Knives and forks, please, you two," She said to Ron and Harry.
The four of them headed outside, their hands filled with plates and cutlery.
They were greeted by a loud crashing noise and found Bill and Charlie had the two tables they were to be using for dinner floating in the air and fighting each other.
With a huge bang one table had it's leg torn off by the other and Percy stuck his head out his bedroom window to yell at them, "Will you keep it down!"
"Sorry, Perce," said Bill, grinning. "How're the cauldron bottoms coming on?"
"Very badly," He replied and slammed his window shut.
Laughing lightly Bill and Charlie directed the tables back to the ground, Bill reattaching the broken leg and then conjuring table clothes from thin air.
By seven o'clock the table was groaning under the weight of all the delicious food Mrs Weasley had prepared. Ginny and Hermione sat fairly quietly as they ate their meal, just listening into the various conversations going on around the table. Percy was going on about the report he was writing for his boss Mr. Crouch, Mrs Weasley was bugging Bill about his hair and earring and Fred, George, and Charlie were talking about the upcoming World Cup.
They had finished eating their dessert when Mrs Weasley announced to the table as she looked at her watch, "Look at the time. You really should be in bed, the whole lot of you, you'll be up at the crack of dawn to get to the Cup. Harry, if you leave your school list out, I'll get your things for you tomorrow in Diagon Alley. I'm getting everyone else's. There might not be time after the World Cup, the match went on for five days last time."
"Wow-hope it does this time!" Harry said enthusiastically.
"God, five days around Ron pretending you're not my girlfriend? I sure hope not." Ginny thought to Hermione.
Hermione smiled as Percy replied a little haughtily, "Well, I certainly don't. I shudder to think what the state of my in-tray would be if I was away from work for five days."
"Yeah, someone might slip dragon dung in it again, eh, Perce?" Said Fred.
"That was a sample of fertiliser from Norway!" Percy replied as his face flushed from anger, "it was nothing personal!"
"It was," Fred whispered to them as they stood, "We sent it."
Ginny and Hermione climbed the stairs to her room sleepily, tired from all the food and Quidditch.
"See...wasn't too bad today." Hermione said quietly as she took Ginny in her arms.
"Ron's pissed tho'" Ginny replied laughing, "That I've got an amazing broom and you totally embarrassed him out there...just how many did you miss on purpose?"
Hermione laughed and shook her head.
"A few..."
"Why though?" Ginny asked curious.
"I haven't been playing long enough to be playing this well." Hermione explained. "I wanted them impressed, not suspicious."
There was a knock on the door and they separated from their hug as it opened to reveal Mrs Weasley. She walked in and smiled at them both. She turned her wand on Ginny's bed and they watched as it grew.
"If you're going to share a bed you might as well be comfortable..." She informed them.
"Thanks Mom." Ginny replied as she went to hug her.
"You two get to sleep though...you'll be leaving before dawn." She smiled at them both again, "Have a good night."
A/N Hey folks, just to let you know the updates may not be as frequent until the 28th but I'll try to get one up every couple of days...we're into the book's content now...yeah!