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The two women clung to each other, as their passion soared. Touching, kissing, stroking and just feeling each other's bodies and each other's love. Fingers caressing and teasing supple flesh, erect nipples and aching clits. Fingers embedded within each other, all aiming to bring that sought after release of emotion and energy that sealed their depth of feeling.
Moans, of pleasure and desire, faces flushed, a light sheen of sweat covering their skin, moving against one another. Words and whispers of endearment, words of pure lust, words to pull at the very heart strings.
"Yessss," Ginny said, almost delirious with passion. "I love you sooo much," she managed to pant out.
"Gin, I'm nearly there...come with me," Hermione said, beginning to shiver slightly in anticipation of her release.
"I'm coming...gods I'm coming," Ginny almost yelled, which set off Hermione's own climax.
Both women shook with powerful orgasms, loudly calling out each other's names, and collapsing against each other, breathless, still able to press light kisses to the nearest available soft skin before them.
Hermione felt mischievious and despite Ginny still trying to recover from her climax, she curled her fingers inside her lover and rubbed at that special place. Ginny made a feeble attempt to resist and was at her lover's mercy.
The brunette kissed Ginny deeply as her fingers made fast work of bringing an even more powerful orgasm to her girlfriend, catching her moans in her mouth.
"You're so very beautiful Ginny," she said, letting her lover come down from the huge high. "You're even more beautiful when you come," she kissed her.
Hermione felt Ginny's insides still twitching and grabbing at her fingers, and more so as she spoke.
"I do believe you'll be the death of me?" Ginny said with a breathy laugh.
The brunette placed tiny kisses to Ginny's cheek, chin, lips and jaw, almost soothing away the tension from her lover's body after such a powerful release.
"You're so wet, my love," Hermione said, naughtily moving her fingers a little, making Ginny's hips buck of their own accord. "Did you ever get like that for Harry?"
"No," Ginny replied. "It's the truth. I found him attractive and he was good in bed and attentive to me, but you have just brought something out in me I didn't know I was missing."
There was a moment of silence as both women thought on that.
"What about you and Ron?" Ginny asked.
"He was better than you'd think," Hermione said, trying not to chuckle. "I suppose I always knew it wasn't quite right. I wanted you, and no one else would have been good enough for me. And..." she tailed off.
"And what?"
"Most of the time I was with him, I was thinking of you," Hermione said, scrunching her eyes shut, embarrassed and a little ashamed. "I know that sounds terrible, and kind of twisted, but I couldn't change how I felt."
Ginny kissed her. "You don't have to think of me anymore, I'm right here and loving you back."
Hermione kissed Ginny tenderly as she finally slid her fingers out of her lover, swallowing her slight moans at the same time; she couldn't resist licking those fingers and then kissing her lover again.
They laid back with Ginny resting her head on Hermione's chest with Hermione holding her.
"Gin?" the brunette asked after a little while..
"Hmm?"
"Can I ask you something? And I want you to know that you can say 'no' and I'll understand, and don't feel you have to say 'yes'?"
"That's intriguing," Ginny replied, moving position so she was side by side with Hermione and they turned to face each other, still draping an arm over each other.
However, Hermione didn't say anything more, and was kind of pursing her lips, visually showing she was nervous to ask what she wanted to, and having difficulty of finding a way to ask whatever it was she wanted to ask.
"You OK?" Ginny asked, gently rubbing the brunette's back in circular movements to comfort her.
"I just don't know how to say it?" Hermione said frowning. "If I ask, then I might ruin everything, and if I don't ask, I'll keep wondering about it?"
"Alright," the redhead said. "First of all, I love you. So whatever you're having trouble in asking, it won't change that. Unless you're going to ask me that you want Harry or Ron to join us in a threesome?" Ginny chuckled, trying to make Hermione feel less tense. It worked because the brunette let out a laugh that could only be described as a loud guffaw.
"The point is, just ask me whatever it is on your mind. You won't know unless you ask?" Ginny smiled. "Besides which, I won't let you leave this bed until you tell me what it is?"
"OK," Hermione tried to steel herself. "Can I..."
"Can you, what?"
"Can I move in with you?" Hermione shut her eyes again, hoping to avoid seeing the horror or fear in her lover's eyes that she had become too clingy or was being a bit fast.
"Look at me, Herm," Ginny said, watching as Hermione opened one eye then the other, slowly.
"You think it's too quick for us, don't you?"
"I haven't answered you yet," said Ginny as she moved a hand to cup Hermione's cheek and moved it into the brunette's hair. "I would love to have you move in with me."
"You would?"
"I've thought of it myself, but I didn't want to push and wanted you to be ready first and decide it yourself," said the redhead smiling.
"You mean it?"
"When can you move in?" grinned Ginny, as she pressed her lips to Hermione's.
"Tomorrow?" Hermione said, happily.
"That's good with me. I have Monday off as usual, so I can help you."
"I can't believe it?" Hermione said, unable to stop a tear rolling down the side of her face. "This is what I wanted for so long. You are what I wanted for so long, and I get to live with you and go to sleep and wake up with you every day."
"Well, nearly every day, when there's not matches at weekends anyway," Ginny said, truly happy to see Hermione so happy.
"I love this cottage, and I love you Ginny. I'm at that point where I need to be where you are and need to find my way with you. Your parents have been so kind, but I need to move on again."
"I understand," Ginny said. "I've wanted you to move in for a while, but I wanted it to be your decision, with no pressure from me. Plus I couldn't be with you all the time, when you needed someone there. You've made me a very happy woman tonight in so many ways and this just tops it off."
"There's something else I want to do," Hermione said in a soft voice.
"What's that?"
"I want to go back to work at the Minstry."
Ginny's eyebrows rose in surprise. "Wow, I wasn't expecting that one yet?"
"I feel ready," Hermione said. "I want to start facing those people again, who were in that Courtroom and were involved with my case. To face them and say 'I'm still here' and 'I'm going to keep fighting on'. I want to get back to some of my work on magical laws and if the time comes to help put away more of those Death Eaters out there, so no one has to endure what I did."
"I'm so proud of you Hermione Granger," Ginny said in pure amazement and adoration. "Whatever you want to do, I'll support you, and even help if I can. Although I'm not sure the Ministry would want me involved anywhere...but the point is, I'm here for you."
"I know you are, and that makes me one extremely lucky and happy woman," said Hermione, then she rolled her eyes. "We both sound so soppy!" she laughed.
"As long as you don't write a new law banning lovers from being soppy to one another, then I don't care if we're like that?" Ginny stated firmly.
"First things first," Hermione said. "I'll move in with you properly tomorrow. Then I can think on talking to Kingsley about returning to work after that."
The two women were feeling mightily satisfied with each other and with life in general. They slept peacefully in each other's arms, ready to start a new chapter in their lives the next day.
XXXXX
Mrs. Weasley reacted to the news well, as she had been expecting it to happen soon. Hermione and Ginny could see that she was disappointed too, mainly from not having anyone to care for and pamper anymore.
It didn't take much to move Hermione's things, as she had most of her belongings magically down-sized into her old Hogwarts trunk. She decided to leave a few items of clothing in Ginny's room for the times they came to stay back at the Burrow.
Hermione did feel a little weird as she sat on her bed in Ginny's room, after packing up one of her last items. This place and this room had been, and had meant so much to her for years, but even more so when she thought about how her relationship with Ginny had started in here. She had been nursed back from near death in this room and always felt safe here. Yet, she knew that things would be even better moving in with Ginny.
"You look deep in thought?" Ginny said as she walked into the bedroom.
"I was just thinking about everything that's happened in here over the years," Hermione replied.
"I know, it does have a rather long history of events doesn't it?"
"Oh well, we'll be back in here again sometime, I know, it's just me feeling a little sentimental." said Hermione.
"Nothing wrong with that," Ginny answered. "So are you ready?"
Hermione looked over to her girlfriend. "I was ready years ago!" she smiled.
It was fortunate that Hermione was so skilled with her down-sizing charms, because it meant they only needed one journey with her items. They went down the stairs and met Mrs. Weasley by her trunk in the kitchen.
"All set?" the older woman asked.
"Yes," Hermione said, noticing that Mrs. Weasley's eyes looked a bit full and she had the expression of someone trying to avoid crying; so she went over to the woman and hugged her.
"Thank you for everything, I don't know how I'll ever thank you properly," Hermione said, feeling a bit torn up herself now.
"It was an absolute honour Hermione. Having you here has been wonderful, despite the reasons behind it," Mrs. Weasley said.
The two women pulled back from their hug and both had unshed tears in their eyes now.
"You always have a home here," Mrs. Weasley said. "Always. Whatever happens."
"Oh, come here Mum," said Ginny, getting her own hug in. "You're a bloody fabulous Mum."
"Ginny, I meant what I said the other day," her mother backed away to point at her. "Don't you ever hurt her. Don't you ever hurt each other? Got that?" she said pointing back and forth between them.
Both Hermione and Ginny were compelled to nod in obeisance, knowing there was no other response to that. Hermione put a hand on her trunk, slung a bag over her shoulder, held Ginny's hand, and with a last smile to Mrs. Weasley, they Apparated together to Holyhead.
Hermione looked at Ginny as they stood in the living room of the cottage, and the brunette embraced her girlfriend.
"I thought your mum was going to break down, she looked so upset. I felt so bad for her."
"She'll survive," Ginny said. "Unless of course, you'd rather live with my Mum, than me?" she raised an eyebrow.
"Noooo," Hermione said quickly. "No, I'm very happy with our decision."
"Me too," Ginny said, grinning. "I was getting so tired of having to use locking and silencing spells every time we slept there!"
The two women embraced again and shared a slow gentle kiss.
The rest of the day Hermione unpacked the things she needed, while leaving furniture type items in the trunk, which were not needed. She did pull out her desk, which fitted nicely in one corner of the living room. It was an item of furniture that had been in her life since primary school and had been everywhere with her; she didn't feel settled anywhere properly unless she had that desk close at hand. It hadn't mattered at Hogwarts, but she always loved sitting back at it in the holidays and loved getting to use it nearly every day since leaving Hogwarts.
Both being exceptional witches came in handy for space-saving in the wardrobes and other cupboards.
In their bedroom, Hermione sat on the bed and placed her own clock onto her bedside cabinet. She looked around the room, seeing her own pairs of shoes lined up to the side of the wardrobe, one or two of her own quirky ornaments on the windowsill and it suddenly seemed to hit her conscience properly.
I've moved in with Ginny, she thought, I've moved in with Ginny, not as a friend but as her lover and partner. I nearly died and yet here I am getting everything I ever wanted. Shit! I nearly died...I nearly died and nearly never had a chance at this love.
It all seemed to overwhelm her and Hermione felt ridiculously stupid to feel tears streaming down her face and finding herself upset at getting everything she had dreamed of, everything she had literally dreamed of.
All I do is cry at things, Hermione thought annoyed with herself. She was never a hardened bitch to emotion, but she used to be able to control herself better, especially over these sentimental things.
She felt incredibly drained at that moment so she lay back on the bed and curled up, she didn't want to close her eyes, so she looked at the sky out of the window on her side of the bedroom.
"You're awfully quiet?" Ginny said as she walked across the landing and through the bedroom door, a little while later.
Ginny set eyes on Hermione, and was immediately worried to see her curled up and that she had obviously been crying.
"Hey, what's wrong?" she asked, sitting down and laying a hand on Hermione's arm.
"Nothing, not really," the brunette replied, ashamed she was feeling the way she was.
"You don't cry for nothing, love," she leaned over and smoothed back Hermione's hair, tucking some loose strands behind her ear. "Talk to me."
"I'm being really stupid, Gin," Hermione said, almost groaning at herself. "Thinking too much, like I always do. And getting more and more annoyed with how I'm always bloody crying!"
"Better out than in," Ginny said. "That's what Mum always says...although that might have been advice on indigestion...whatever, it's better to cry out how you feel than to keep it all inside where it only festers."
"I'm being ridiculous," said an embarrassed Hermione.
"I doubt it, but let me be the judge on that," the redhead said smiling.
"Alright. I was thinking all nice thoughts about how I'm getting everything I ever wanted and dreamed of. To be your lover, to move in with you, everything is fantastic. Then I thought about how I might have died, how I wished at times back then, that I would die and that I would never have known any of this if I had died. Which then made me feel even more pathetic for thinking it and even more lucky for everything. Arrrrgghhhhh!" Hermione finished her little ramble, wanting to curse like a wagon driver, but only managed a rather puny roar.
"I get it," Ginny said. "I've felt some of the same things myself, partly."
Hermione sat up and turned to face Ginny.
"I knew that you were what I needed in my life and realized it the moment you fled the house, that day you found Harry and I in the attic. Then when you were taken, I felt a real physical ache in my chest. When we found you, and even back at the Burrow for a couple of days, when things were still unsure, I felt my heart breaking. I was already grieving at the possibility of never having the chance to be with you, to love you. And I'd be lying if I said I hadn't thought on it since then. I get it, I do."
Ginny leaned in and hugged Hermione fiercely. "But we don't have to think of that possibility now. It didn't happen. We have each other and we're together in every sense of the word."
They kissed and hugged for a while longer, before Hermione got to her feet, still slightly annoyed with herself, but also a little relieved to know she wasn't the only one to think on dark thoughts.