-Chapter 25: You're Kind of My Inspiration-

The weeks moved by quickly, Ron and Hermione stopped hating each other and started acting like friends again at Friday night dinners.

The Friday night before Hermione's birthday her parents insisted that she invite everyone to go out for dinner at a fancy Muggle restaurant. Hermione met everyone at Grimmauld Place beforehand so Ginny could ride with her over to the restaurant.

"Ginny, can I talk to you for a minute before we go to the sitting room?" Hermione asked after Ginny greeted her at the door.

"Sure, something the matter?"

"No, I just wondered if after dinner you'd like to come spend the weekend at my flat."

"Yeah, I'd love to! We can try out what I got your for your birthday." Ginny winked.

"Ginevra Weasley, you didn't!"

"I didn't, I just wanted to see your reaction," Ginny chuckled and kissed Hermione on the cheek. "I'll pack my things when we get back from dinner."

Everyone piled into the two vehicles and traveled through Muggle London to the restaurant Hermione's parents selected. Luna was wary of the centerpiece and informed Hermione's parents that there had been a recent surge in the Nargle population, even in Muggle plants. In between hitting on the waitress Ron explained Quidditch to Hermione's father.

"So, Ginny, you play that Quidditch quite well Ron tells me," said Mr. Granger.

"Well…I-I do, yeah."

"It sounds quite dangerous to me," Mrs. Granger didn't look pleased.

"It can be but if each person on the team does what they are supposed to then there isn't much danger involved."

"I'm glad Hermione was never interested in such a thing."

"Mum the only reason I wasn't interested is because I hate to fly. I used to love watching Ginny play at Hogwarts."

"I suppose you meet a lot of...interesting people in your travels, Ginny?"

"I guess so." Ginny was puzzled. Hermione's mother wasn't exactly acting warm and friendly and Ginny wasn't sure what she'd done to offend her.

"So you go gallivanting about Europe playing an incredibly dangerous sport for a living?"

"That's one way to put it, I suppose."

"Hermione!" Mr. Granger interrupted. "I've uh…found some old books of yours. I thought you might like to have them."

Ginny instantly became rather fond of Hermione's father. He chose the right times to interrupt his wife for the rest of the evening.

"Hermione, I have a feeling your mother doesn't like me," Ginny whispered to Hermione during dessert.

"She um…well…it's not you as a person exactly. She just doesn't think it wise me letting Lennox getting attached to you when something could potentially…happen."

"Oh wonderful." Ginny rolled her eyes.

After dinner back at Grimmauld Place Ginny packed her overnight bag and said goodbye to the Potters. After a drive through London Hermione pulled into a garage just outside of her building. They made their way up to the second floor and into Hermione's flat.

"It's not much," Hermione said as they stepped into the small flat, "only two bedrooms, but I like it. I would like a house someday out of the city but I want to wait until Lennox is a bit older or I have someone to help me out with cleaning and such."

"Well you know if you need help just to let me know, 'Mione. You think I left the Burrow without knowing how to clean? Mum taught me loads of spells to help out with that stuff."

"I'll keep that in mind. Would you help me get Lennox to bed?"

Ginny smiled and followed Hermione into the toddler's bedroom. It was blue and there were planes all over the walls.

"That explains his fascination," Ginny said as she looked around.

"Actually the plane thing is recent, he didn't even care until you made his toy fly. I drew and painted all these a few weeks ago." Hermione changed Lennox into his pajamas and got him settled into bed.

"You drew all these? I didn't know you could draw."

"I took some classes in Paris."

"What else have you drawn? I'd like to see."

"Here in a bit, can you turn off the overhead light? It's the switch by the door."

Ginny turned off the light and there was a dim glow from the nightlight plugged into the wall by the small bed. She sat on the floor next to the bed while Hermione sat in bed with Lennox and read him a story. Ginny smiled as she watched Hermione's face light up at the exciting parts of the story. She reached her hand up, touched Hermione's hand and the brunette intertwined her fingers with her lover's.

When Hermione was done with the story and Lennox was asleep she leaned over and kissed him on the forehead. She helped Ginny up off the floor and the redhead kissed Lennox goodnight as well. They made their way to Hermione's bedroom. Ginny looked around and saw paintings and drawings stacked everywhere. One particularly large stack caught her eye and she started heading towards them.

"Uh…wait." Hermione stepped in front of Ginny before she got to the paintings. "Just um…I've been painting a lot lately and…you're kind of my inspiration."

"Okay, what can be so bad about it?"

"Just…keep an open mind."

Ginny started looking through the paintings. They were mostly of her by herself occasionally clothed but mostly not, a few of her on a broom with her main of red hair streaming behind her, some of her holding Lennox and others of her and Hermione in a passionate embrace. Ginny felt slightly embarrassed, she'd never seen so many portraits of herself.

"I…I don't mean to sound egotistical but these are really good, Hermione." Ginny pulled one out of her and Hermione. The two were standing, pressed up against each other's bare torsos. Ginny's hand was tangled with Hermione's thick hair and Hermione's arm was wrapped around Ginny's waist; their foreheads were touching and both were smiling. "I…I love this one. This is amazing." Ginny ran her fingers over the painting.

"It's yours if you want it. Take any of them."

Ginny went through the stacks of paintings, there were lots of Lennox throughout his life. She noticed a familiar moving photograph on Hermione's bedside table and smiled. It was the two of them at Bill and Fleur's wedding. She picked up the one painting of the two of them and Hermione nodded.

"You should do this for a profit, Hermione. These are really fantastic, all of them," Ginny said, looking around the room.

"It's just a hobby, really. I did do a few for money while in Paris, people's family portraits and things like that. I might ask Harry and Luna if I can do one of their family. I need to do some sketches of the twins first so I can get it all right but I have an idea of how I want to do it."

"You should, I think they would love it. You could surprise them with it for Christmas or something. I can get you pictures of the twins so you don't have to worry about sketches."

"That would be great. Come to the kitchen, I'll make some tea."

The pair went to the small kitchen and Ginny sat at the table while Hermione started a kettle of water then joined Ginny at the table.

"Okay I have to be honest here, I have yet to get you an actual birthday present. I had no idea what to get you but I think now I have a pretty good idea."

"Ginny you don't have to get me anything. You staying here is going to be plenty of birthday fun." Hermione winked.

Ginny felt strangely at home in Hermione's flat for the weekend. She thought about it and figured that they could be living in a tent in the middle of the woods and she would probably feel at home as well. Ginny was up early both Saturday and Sunday morning to cook breakfast for the three of them, they all snuggled up on the couch and watched movies all day Saturday since the weather was rainy and dreary, and on Sunday they spent the day shopping around London. They walked by an art supply store and Ginny dragged Hermione inside and bought her a multitude of paints, brushes, and blank canvases for her birthday.