For Loserslurgy who wanted Ginny and Hermione making a bet on who will get married first from when they were younger. I've added a bit onto it, so it's not just them when they're younger but I hope you enjoy it regardless!

Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter

Ginny Weasley and Hermione Granger, 4th/5th Year (Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix)

It was almost midnight on the night of the 24th of July and instead of being sound asleep, Hermione Granger and Ginny Weasley were wide awake. As Hermione was still relatively new to Grimmauld Place (she'd arrived the day before) the girls hadn't quite caught up on everything that they'd been doing over the summer (although Ginny's activities mostly consisted of decontaminating the house and calling Percy a prat).

"So have you heard from Viktor at all?" Ginny asked, a grin on her face that Hermione swore she could make out in the darkness.

"Yes," Hermione said trying to keep her voice as neutral as possible, "he wrote to me about coming to visit him and asked how my summer was going."

"So are you?" Ginny asked excitedly.

"No, my parents can't afford it and anyway, I don't think they'd be too pleased with me going to another country to stay with my eighteen-year-old male friend."

"Friend, Hermione, really?"

"Yes! Viktor is just a friend! I don't what's with you and Ron but he is. I know he wanted to be more but it just wouldn't work for me."

"Hermione, he's the best seeker in the world! He would have married you and you would have been envied by every single female on this planet." Ginny said incredulously. "How would that not work for you? Hell, if it'd been me I would have gone to Bulgaria on the spot!"

"I don't care that he's an international Quidditch player that's perfected the wonky feint, I've never cared. He was really nice but I don't know, it wouldn't have worked." Hermione replied.

"With that attitude, you'll never get married." Ginny sighed. "Viktor was fit, not to mention smart and an athlete. What more do you want, woman?"

"I don't know." Hermione said. "I'll know it when I see it."

"You'll never get married at this rate." Ginny said matter-of-factly.

"I will too!" Hermione protested. "Quicker than you, I'd say, if you're still hung up on Harry!" She added the last part teasingly.

"Pfffft..." Ginny scoffed. "I don't like him like that anymore."

"Uh-huh." Hermione rolled her eyes.

"I still reckon I'll get married before you." Ginny said, crossing her arms across her chest defensively.

"Sure you will." Hermione said sarcastically. "You'll need to find someone with as big a hero complex as Harry; I don't see that happening any time soon, do you?"

Ginny didn't respond. The two girls lay in the darkness, each lost in their own thoughts. Thoughts probably about big white weddings, gorgeous dress robes and the perfect groom.

"Five galleons say I will." Ginny exclaimed after a minute or two.

"Five galleons say what?" Hermione asked, looking over to Ginny in the dark.

"Five galleons say I'll get married before you do. I mean, If you're going to keep turning down international Quidditch players, I can't see how you'll find anyone who lives up to that." Ginny shrugged.

"You're willing to bet on that?" Hermione asked.

"Sure am." Ginny smirked.

"Fine then." Hermione said primly. "It's a bet."

"Oooh, what'll Ron and Harry say? Goody-two-shoes Hermione Granger taking a bet!" Ginny teased.

"Oh be quiet, Ginny!"

Five years after the war

On a warm summer's day, Hermione Granger was standing in the kitchen of the flat she shared with her long-time boyfriend, Ron Weasley. Pouring two glasses of white wine, she sighed.

"I'm telling you, Ginny." She called out to her friend in the lounge. "It's never going to happen."

"Oh please," Ginny rolled her eyes as Hermione walked into the room, "Ron's crazy in love with you, it'll happen any day now."

"You'd think that, wouldn't you?" Hermione said through pursed lips as she handed Ginny her glass and sat down on the arm chair opposite her. "I found the ring for Merlin's sake."

"Then shouldn't it be soon?" Ginny questioned, raised eyebrow.

"I found the ring four months ago." Hermione informed her. "So either he's got another girlfriend that he's hiding or he's way to chicken to propose."

"The latter." Ginny grinned. "I've known Ron my whole life; he's always scared of rejection. Always has been, in fact."

"You'd think after being with me for five years, he'd get the fact that I'm not going to say no." Hermione sighed.

"Hermione, this is Ron we're talking about. I love my brother but seriously, he's not the best when it comes to women."

"Don't I know it." Hermione snorted. "I've got half a mind to propose to him myself."

"You should." Ginny replied. "It's the 21st century and all that jazz."

"Mmm." Hermione nodded. "I think I'll just wait, clearly he wants to do it – he just hasn't worked up the courage to do it yet. Maybe by the time we're 50." She snorted.

"Well he's going to be quicker than Harry, that's for sure." Ginny said. "We've talked about marriage and we both want it, he just doesn't seem to click that maybe a proposal would be a good way to start."

"Well that's Harry, isn't it?" Hermione grinned. "Anyway, how's work? Not getting hit with too many bludgers are you?"

Ginny laughed. "Not enough to be a serious problem, no. Though I will tell you about this one thing that happened the other day..."

Later

When it all came down to it, it would be hard to work out who won the bet. Ron did, in fact, propose first (eight months after he bought the ring, six since Hermione found it). A nervous, sweaty, love filled proposal on an autumn night at home. No one could deny that it happened. However it is, after all, true that Ginny got married first (Ron and Hermione agreeing in order to organise a wedding was never going to be a quick and easy task). She married Harry on a warm summer's afternoon in the garden of her parents' house.

The bet did state – no one can deny it – that it was the person to get married first who would win the bet. However, if Hermione had remembered the bet to realise it, I'm quite confident she would have put up a fight. Unfortunately, she didn't remember. Ginny didn't either. The bet stayed lost in long ago memories of Quidditch players and hero complexes.

Even if they had, it wouldn't have made much difference to the girls who made the bet, nor the women who fulfilled it.

Author's note: Sorry for the wait, not much inspiration when it came to chapters. Also super busy at school. Last year and all that nonsense.

Anyway, thank you so much for all the reviews! As always, they mean the world to me.

Also, to Hunter of Slytherclaw (your Private Messaging function is disabled so I cannot get back to you via that method of communication): I'd love to do that bet! I shall start writing it as soon as possible. I'm glad you're enjoying the fic!

TTFN

Dork-with-glasses

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