Hermione and Ginny had never really fallen asleep. One would doze off, and the other wouldn't have noticed, and asked a question that would wake them. Hermione looked at her watch when she felt Mr Weasley pass her charm at the door and enter their tent. She sat up quickly and vanished the mead bottle-her head spinning from the sudden motion.
"Girls?" Mr Weasley said from just outside the bedroom.
"We're awake..." Ginny replied as she rubbed her eyes and sat up beside Hermione.
"Good-I want to get us all out of here as soon as possible-your mother is probably worried sick if she's already gotten the Prophet," he replied.
"We'll be right out," Hermione replied, her voice very scratchy.
Ginny placed a hand on Hermione's head and frowned.
"That's some headache...why can't I heal it?"
" 'Cause I think this is what they call a 'hangover'," Hermione explained as she waved her hand over their glasses from the night before and magically filled them with ice cold water.
"But why do I feel fine?" Ginny asked as she watched Hermione drink one, and then two, glasses of water before refilling them and handing one to Ginny.
"With your gift I'm surprised you even got tipsy," Hermione smiled, kissed her bemused girlfriend, then stood before she continued: "You're always healing yourself so your body shouldn't feel the effects of alcohol-unless, I suppose, if you wanted to get tipsy."
"It was your idea..." Ginny teased as she stood.
"Speaking of which...Cara?" Hermione called and smiled when the elf appeared and rushed to hug them both around the knees.
"You're okay!" Cara squeaked.
"We are...can you go to Ginny's home and let her mother know we're all safe? And let Minerva know as well." Hermione asked her kindly as she was vividly reminded of the sad, scared and now, unemployed elf, Winky.
Cara nodded vigorously then disappeared.
"Thanks for that..." Ginny said and kissed Hermione as she folded their blanket.
She watched as Hermione put their blanket in her backpack and then reach for her hand. She had just leaned in to kiss Hermione when her father called to them; "Come on, you two, we need to get going."
They kissed one last time and exited the tent to find all the boys waiting impatiently and their tent already packed. They both noticed as Ron seemed to notice they were holding hands, frowned, then whispered something to Harry-who, in turn, merely shrugged in reply-a small amused grin on his face.
Hermione squeezed Ginny's hand then thought to her, "I think Ron is finally catching on."
They watched as he continued to whisper in Harry's ear. Harry frowned and walked away from him and over towards them, shaking his head.
The three of them waited as Mr Weasley used magic to pack the girl's tent and then led them away. They hung back with Harry so they could talk privately.
"What's up with Ron?" Ginny asked.
"He finally noticed you guys are almost always holding hands," he replied chuckling and shaking his head. "He's worried people might think you're together-I think he's planning to talk to you about it when we get back-oh, and he plans on asking you to buy him a broom."
"You're joking!" The girls said together, laughing.
"After all the grief he gave me over that stupid rat last year?" Hermione added.
"Hey, don't kill the messenger-I just wanted to give you a head's up," Harry said holding his hands in front of him in a mock defensive way.
"No, babe, you should get him one-one of those miniature tiny ones, to go with his Krum toy." Ginny joked.
Hermione laughed, reached into her jacket pocket, and took out one of the toy brooms in question.
"When did you buy that?" Ginny asked.
"Just after Ron bought his little Krum...that's why I let you guys go ahead." Hermione replied.
"Okay," Harry said, "but why?"
"'Cause Ron's predictable...I figured he'd ask me at some point and I thought I'd have this ready," she replied as she put it back in her pocket.
"My girlfriend...always ten steps ahead." Ginny said proudly and fought the urge to kiss her, "and so damn cute when you're being a brat," she added.
Hermione playfully bumped her shoulder into Ginny's then asked Harry: "What did Ron say to make you walk away."
Harry shook his head.
"I won't tell you what he said because I'm sincerely hoping he'll think better of it when he speaks to you," he replied.
"He's not going to take it well, is he?" Ginny asked.
"Probably not," he sighed. "I understand now, Hermione, why you told me first," he said as he put on arm around Hermione's shoulders, "Don't worry, I've got your back."
"Thanks, Harry," they replied together to his amusement.
They met up with the rest of the Weasleys at the back of a very long line of people waiting to receive a Portkey.
"Mr Weasley?" said Hermione and waited for him to turn to her before continuing: "Why use a Portkey? Four of you can apparate-why not just take us by side-along apparition? I mean, we could be there in one or two trips."
Mr Weasley smiled then answered: "Many wizards, myself included, simply do not feel comfortable with side-along apparition-apparition is already difficult at the best of times and having an extra person with you means it's much easier for something to go wrong," he looked at his three eldest sons. "And if I'm not comfortable with it after apparating for almost three decades-you think I'm going to let them try it?"
"Fair enough," Hermione replied.
They reached the front on the line then crowded around the old rubber tire they were given, arriving back on Stoatshead Hill in moments.
Hermione and Ginny again let the others walk ahead, this time Harry joining the rest of the Weasleys.
"How many times have we gone by side-along apparition now?" Ginny asked.
"Lots-but always with dear-old-dad or Minerva-they're both older than your dad, though, so they've had more practice." Hermione replied.
"I guess," Ginny replied with a yawn.
"We'll talk to Ron after lunch-I just want to take a shower, curl up with you, and take a nap," said Hermione as she yawned as well.
As they walked up to the Burrow they found Mrs Weasley waiting for them-although she appeared anxious and somewhat pale, she smiled weakly as they approached.
"Oh thank goodness, thank goodness!" she said as they approached.
She surprised everyone by going to hug Hermione first.
"Thank you for sending Cara-I was so worried after I read this," she said as she stepped away and showed them the Prophet in her hand, "this morning."
As she next went and flung her arms around Mr. Weasley's neck, the paper fell from her hand and landed face up and Hermione read the headline: SCENES OF TERROR AT THE QUIDDITCH WORLD CUP, complete with a moving black-and-white photograph of the Dark Mark over the treetops.
"You are all right," Mrs. Weasley muttered distractedly, releasing Mr. Weasley and staring around at them all with red eyes, "Cara, Minerva McGonagall's elf, came to say you were okay, but I wouldn't believe it till I saw you myself.…Oh boys…"
She surprised everyone again as she turned to Fred and George and pulled them both into a hug so tight they knocked their heads together.
"Ouch! Mum - you're strangling us -"
"I shouted at you before you left!" Mrs. Weasley said, starting to sob. "It's all I've been thinking about! What if You-Know-Who had got you, and the last thing I ever said to you was that you didn't get enough O.W.L.s? Oh Fred…George…"
"Come on, now, Molly, we're all perfectly okay," said Mr. Weasley soothingly as he gently pulled her away from the twins and into the house. "Bill," he added in an undertone, "pick up that paper, I want to see what it says…"
As soon as they were in the kitchen Hermione brewed Mrs Weasley a very strong cup of tea and then, as she set it down in front she said quietly, "We didn't get much sleep-we're going to go take a nap till lunch."
As Mrs Weasley looked to her she noticed Mr Weasley pour a shot of Ogden's Old Firewhiskey into the tea she had placed on the table. "You sure you don't want to eat something first?"
"No...we're both just really tired."
"Alright then...I'll wake you for lunch."
The girls left the kitchen, hand in hand, and ascended the stairs to Ginny's room slowly.
When they entered Ginny's room, Hermione took off her backpack and retrieved her pajamas from inside it. "I'm going to go take a quick shower," she told Ginny before she kissed her briefly.
When Hermione returned she found Ginny fast asleep, still clothed, across the bed.
She gently turned Ginny, trying not to wake her, lengthwise on the bed. She grabbed their blanket from her backpack and spread it over her sleeping girlfriend. She then carefully lifted Ginny's head and put a pillow under it. She moved Ginny's arm, then laid down beside her, and rested her head on her shoulder. She cast a spell at the door to lock it then fell asleep almost immediately.
…
They were woken abruptly several hours later by someone pounding on the door and trying the handle. Hermione did a quick scan and found that it was Ron who had woken them so rudely. Hermione pulled herself from Ginny's arms and went to the door, unlocking it as she went. The door opened to reveal a red-faced Ron.
"Why was the door locked?" he asked.
"'Cause we were sleeping and didn't want to be disturbed," Hermione replied evenly.
"Pity it backfired," Ginny yawned as she she sat up. "What do you want?"
"Mom sent me to get you for lunch," he replied, turned on his heel and then stomped down the stairs.
Hermione closed the door behind him and went to lay back down with Ginny.
"I fell asleep in my clothes?" Ginny asked as she lay back down, Hermione resting her head back on her shoulder.
"You must have been tired...I moved you and everything and you didn't wake up," said Hermione as she propped herself up on her elbow to look at Ginny. "Been awhile since you fell asleep without me."
"You weren't gone very long," Ginny teased.
"We should probably head down for lunch though...I am hungry," said Hermione before kissing her.
Hermione pulled herself away and got up to get dressed.
"I'm going to take a quick shower," said Ginny as she got up and grabbed a change of clothes. "Meet you downstairs?"
Hermione nodded and then walked over and kissed her before watching her leave for her shower.
She got dressed quickly and went down to join everyone in the kitchen.
"Where's Mr Weasley, Percy and Ron?" she asked Harry as she sat down next to him.
"Mr Weasley and Percy headed in to work," he replied between mouthfuls, "and Ron just grabbed his lunch and walked out the door."
"Hermione, dear?" said Mrs Weasley and waited for Hermione to turn to her. "You got a letter," she handed Hermione a small rolled parchment.
"Damn," she thought to herself. The letter was from a very worried Luna and she chastised herself for not thinking of asking Cara to let Luna know they were okay. "Mrs Weasley? Do you have a spare bit of parchment and a quill?"
Mrs Weasley nodded and brought them over to her, "You can use Jeanie to send it."
"Thanks, Mrs Weasley." She quickly wrote Luna a note letting her know they were all fine and safely back at the Burrow-apologizing profusely for not letting her know sooner. She had just stood up from the table when Ginny joined them. She walked over to the Jeanie, the owl she had bought for the Weasleys, and tied her reply to Luna to it's leg.
Hermione returned to the table and sat between Harry and Ginny.
"Who'd you send a letter to?" Ginny thought to her.
"Luna...we're both idiots for not sending Cara to see her too," Hermione thought back.
Ginny shook her head and started eating her lunch.
"Can I talk to you after lunch?" Harry said quietly to Hermione, then added: "Privately?"
"You know I'll just tell Ginny everything you tell me," she teased quietly.
Harry laughed quietly. "I meant both of you...just no one else."
"Oh, okay, then," Hermione replied.
After they had finished eating they followed Harry into the living room.
"Maybe we should go to Ginny's room?" Hermione suggested.
"Here's fine...they're going to play Quidditch," Harry replied.
Hermione sat in the corner of the couch, Ginny sat down beside her, tucked her feet underneath her and then leaned into Hermione as she put her arm around her shoulders.
"You too are awfully cute together." Harry teased as he sat down beside them.
"What's up, Harry?" Ginny asked.
He took a deep breath then told them what was bothering him.
"On Saturday morning, I woke up with my scar hurting again."
Hermione leaned forward a little so she could see him better.
"But the last time it hurt it was because Voldemort was nearby..." Hermione said quietly, then asked: "What was going on at the time?"
"I was dreaming about him…him and Peter - you know, Wormtail. I can't remember all of it now, but they were plotting to kill…someone."
"Dreams are our mind's way of processing information," Hermione said. "All those things...they're things you've been worrying about since Peter escaped and Trelawney made that prediction."
"It was just a nightmare, Harry," Ginny added.
"Yeah, but was it, though?" said Harry. "It's weird, isn't it?…My scar hurts, and three days later the Death Eaters are on the march, and Voldemort's sign's up in the sky again."
"At most Harry, what happened last night, the riot anyways, was probably instigated by Lucius Malfoy after he saw you in the Top Box...but it's more likely that it had nothing to do with you," Hermione said.
"What about the Dark Mark, then?" he asked.
"That I don't know," Hermione replied sighing as she leaned back again and began idly playing with Ginny's hair.
Ron came into the living room and fell into an armchair facing them-frowning when he saw how Hermione and Ginny were sitting.
Hermione sighed and thought to Ginny, "Well...we might as well get it over with."
"You know," Ron said quietly, "You two should probably cut that crap out when we go back to school...people are going to start thinking you're together or something."
Ginny laughed and sat up, Hermione taking her hand as she did and linking their fingers.
"Well, Ron...they'd be right." Hermione said evenly and smiled.
"You're joking!" he replied laughing and looked to Harry, who wasn't smiling, "They're joking, right?"
Harry looked his best friend in his eyes and replied, "They're not."
"You knew?" Ron replied angrily, standing when Harry nodded. He walked behind the chair he had been sitting in and began pacing, rubbing his face with his hands as he did so. "How long?" He asked Harry.
Hermione, however, answered first, "How long have I been in love with your sister or how long as Harry known?"
Ron looked at her, anger twisting his features, "I'll get to you in a minute," he hissed in her direction and looked back to Harry, "How long have you known?"
"They told me last week when we were in London." Harry replied, "But I already had a pretty good idea," he added, smiling at Ginny and Hermione, "And if you weren't so self absorbed, you'd of realised it too," he said looking back at Ron.
"What...you're telling me you're okay with this?" Ron asked incredulous as he pointed to the two girls.
"You should be too...if you were ever really Hermione's friend, you'd of realised, she was never this happy when she was hanging out with us." Harry replied as he stood, "And if you were her friend, you'd be happy that she's happy...I am."
Ron just stared him, the disbelief clear on his face.
"Ron?" Ginny said quietly, "Please sit."
"I'd rather stand," he said shaking his head and frowning at her, "How could you?"
"How could I what, Ron?" Ginny replied evenly.
"Fine, you like girls, whatever...why Hermione, eh? Why didn't you just get with your little freak friend Looney?" Ron asked her angrily.
Ginny went to stand but Hermione squeezed her hand and held her in place.
"Ron...you're my brother...but if you ever insult my best friend again..." she trailed off, barely holding her anger in check.
"You'll what, Gin? Take the girl I've had a crush on since I was eleven?" he spat back at her.
"And I've been in love with her since I was eleven..."
"You're thirteen! You're confused. How do you even know you like girls? Have you ever even kissed a boy?" he yelled at her.
"Have you?" she spat back, clarifying when she saw he clearly missed her implication, "How do you know you like girls Ron? Have you ever kissed a boy?"
"I'm not a poofter!" he yelled back.
"But how do you know, Ron? It's not like you've kissed a girl," Hermione replied evenly.
It was going a lot worse than she had expected and he hadn't even gotten to her yet.
Ron looked at her frowning, "How can you be so sure, eh? Maybe you just haven't met the right boy yet?"
Hermione laughed lightly before replying, "I'm sorry, Ron...but if there was the slightest chance that was true...it wouldn't be you."
"Why the bloody hell not?" he replied quietly as finally sat back down his chair again, looking defeated.
"Aside from the obvious fact I plan on spending the rest of my life with Ginny?" Hermione asked him, continuing when he just looked at her blankly, "Ron...I could never feel like that for you...Ginny is everything you're not, and I love her...how do you think that means I feel about you?"
"So what? You hate me then?" Ron asked angrily.
"No, Ron, I don't...I might hate the way you're acting right now...but I don't hate you."
He crossed his arms over his chest.
"You corrupted my little sister," he said accusingly. "She had a crush on Harry before you came along."
This time it was Ginny's turn to laugh.
"I never had a crush on Harry," Ginny replied and then looking at Harry continued; "Not that you're not a great guy...but Ron?" she said, looking back to her brother, "The summer before my first year...all you did was talk about Hermione and I had a crush on her before I met her...I fell in love, even if I didn't know it at the time, the moment she shook my hand in Gringotts."
"And Ron?" Hermione said quietly, "I fell in love with her too...only it took me a lot longer to figure it out."
"You're mental, both of you...you're not normal," he spat at them.
"Apologize," Harry hissed.
"Why are you defending them?" He yelled at Harry. "What? Are you gay too?"
Harry laughed, "No mate, definitely not...but they are my friends, I'd no sooner let you insult them than I'd let someone insult you."
"How can you call them your friends? You barely talked to Hermione all last year..."
"Because of a stupid broom, I know, and I've apologized for that," Harry replied, trying to control his temper. "And you stopped talking to her because of your stupid rat...she was happier hanging out with Ginny and Luna, so I choose to keep hanging out with you...if you don't drop the attitude, I won't make the same choice again."
"You'll choose them over me?" Ron spat, growing only angrier when Harry nodded, "Why the hell would you do that? They're a pair of dykes...they'd never be with you!"
Harry pinned him against the back of his chair before either of the girls could even react to the hateful words Ron had just said. Leaning close to his face he said quietly, "Until you can grow up and realise your little sister has never been happier...and you change your fucking attitude...we're done."
"I suggest you leave now, Ron." Hermione said quietly.
Ron pushed Harry away and turned to Hermione, "This is my house and you don't tell me what to do!"
"Fine," Harry replied and looking at the two angry girls, forced a smile and said, "Walk?"
Ginny and Hermione stood and went to take his outstretched hands.
"Ron...I'm sorry you're taking this so badly," Harry said quietly, "And mate, you're my best friend...but you're being an asshole..." he trailed off as he and the girls walked towards the kitchen and found Mrs Weasley preparing dinner.
"What was all the shouting about?" she asked as she turned to face them but seeing the tears coursing down Ginny's face asked, "What happened?"
"I'm sorry Mrs. Weasley, and pardon my language, but your son is being a homophobic arse...if it's okay, I'd like to sleep in the living room...I don't think I can stand sharing a room with him at the moment," said Harry.
Molly went to hug her daughter, "He didn't mean it Gin...he's just angry."
"I'm sorry, Mrs Weasley...but I've found that people usually mean exactly what they say when they're angry- he might have used better words had he not been so angry-but he used some very hateful words, I don't care how angry he is...I won't tolerate it."
"You shouldn't have to, Hermione...I'll talk to him."
"Don't bother...I only told him so he wouldn't find out from someone else, because he used to be my friend..." Hermione sighed as Molly hugged her, "He'll get over it or he won't...I'm honestly not fussed either way."
"No, Hermione...all you've ever done is been kind to him and try to help him. He has no right to treat this way." Molly sighed, "It's probably because he always had a crush on you...but still, I won't have him disrespecting either of you...:
"Thank you, Mrs Weasley." Hermione replied.
"Think nothing of it dear...his bad attitude reflects badly on all of us," Mrs Weasley smiled, "I need to go back to Diagon Alley in a couple of days...why don't the three of you come with me?"
The kitchen door opened behind them, Ron walked in, saw them standing there and walked back out.
"Thanks, Mrs Weasley...I need to pick up some supplies and go to Gringotts," Hermione replied smiling.
"Why are you going, Mom?" Ginny asked.
"You all need dress robes but I've decided Ron doesn't deserve the new robes I was going to get him and just get him the second-hand ones I saw," replied Mrs Weasley.
A/N Y'all got lucky. Most of this was already written and I'm almost done packing so...enjoy!
