A/N Hey folks...this probably should have been in the last chapter but adding it to what I have planned next would make the chapter way too long...enjoy! And if you didn't check it out another scene was added to the last chapter...
When Ginny woke the next morning, she found herself laying with her head on Hermione's shoulder. She propped herself up on an elbow and then gently brushed the hair from Hermione's face. She sighed...so much had changed in the last year and this-waking up next to Hermione every morning-this was the best part. She leaned in and gently started kissing her neck, knowing she was waking up when she felt Hermione's hand come to tangle in her hair. Ginny pulled herself away just enough to see her girlfriend's face.
"Happy birthday beautiful," she said quietly before she kissed her.
When Ginny pulled away again Hermione reached up and touched her face, smiling.
"Already the best birthday ever," she said smiling.
"It's only going to get better…" Ginny replied as she sat up. She looked over to the table and summoned the presents that waited there over to the bed.
"You're getting really good at that-multiple items without wand or words...pretty cool babe," said Hermione as she sat up and stretched. "I was thinking...maybe you should volunteer in the hospital wing, learn some healing spells...make it easier for you to fake it."
Ginny blushed as she handed Hermione a very large parcel from her parents.
"I've already started learning," Ginny said smiling. "I took some books out of the library…"
"But when have you had time to study?" asked Hermione as she started opening her gift.
"Muggle Studies," said Ginny, looking down before she continued: "It's really boring-whenever we're supposed to be reading from the textbook, I read other stuff-Professor Burbage even caught me once," she looked up smiling, "I quoted back to her the part of the text we were supposed to be reading and then pointed out that it was actually incorrect-having spent a week in a Muggle home this summer."
"Oh god, I hope this will actually work here…" said Hermione as she saw the small battery operated cassette player. She looked back into the box and found a half dozen of her favorite cassettes-including a mixed-tape she had made for Ginny the week they had been apart at the beginning of the summer.
"What is that?" asked Ginny.
"It plays music...I just hope it'll work here," she said smiling as she handed Ginny the tape she had made her. "I was hoping maybe we could play it?"
"You made this for me?" Ginny asked quietly.
"I was hoping to play it for you when we were at my place this summer, but…"
"Luna was there?"
Hermione nodded as she reached for her second gift and opened it.
"Luna already gave me a gift," she said smiling. It was another of Luna's paintings-this time of her and Ginny kissing mid-air on their brooms. She handed it to Ginny and watched as she resized it, then sent to a wall where it hung itself perfectly.
"Okay, now you're just showing off…" Hermione teased as she reached for the last gift-a small box with a rolled up parchment attached. She removed the parchment first and unrolled it:
"Happy Birthday my dear...the enclosed coins will allow you to communicate between the three of you, myself and Minerva...no more need to send house elves with messages in case of emergency. With love always, Dear-Old-Dad."
Hermione handed the parchment to Ginny so she could read it and opened the smallest box. Inside were three coins like the one her father had shown her-the gold coin with the Amice Knot that would alert him whenever she was in trouble. She smiled and shook her head.
"He knew," she said quietly as she handed a coin to Ginny. "He knew we were in trouble and he knew we were okay before I even sent Rue."
"His coin...you mean the charms are still on you?" Ginny asked as she looked at the coin in her hand.
"Now more than ever I think…" said Hermione sighing. She took one of the coins in her hand and thought, 'thank you'. She opened her eyes when she felt the coin grow warm and she saw the words, "You're welcome," written around the edge. "He does think of everything though...doesn't it?"
"Plus Minerva probably told him how angry Luna was…"
"So...um...where's my gift from you?"
"You made me wait till after dinner so that's when you'll get your gift," Ginny replied before briefly kissing Hermione and then getting out of bed.
"Fair enough I suppose," Hermione said, smiling.
…
All day Hermione was sorely tempted to take a peek inside Ginny's head to see what she was planning-she refrained from it by reminding herself it was supposed to be a surprise. So she was surprised when, after potions, Ginny took her by the hand and led her away from the direction of the Great Hall.
"Where are we going?" Hermione asked curious.
"You'll see," Ginny replied vaguely.
Hermione realized fairly quickly where she was being led and smiled when they reached Rowena's Room.
Ginny had been planning for Hermione's birthday ever since they had gotten back. She wanted it to be perfect. She wanted to try and make it as special as Hermione had made hers. She closed her eyes and asked Rowena for Hermione's birthday surprise.
Ginny opened her eyes and looked to Hermione.
"Close your eyes," she said softly before kissing her.
Ginny stepped away and smiled-Hermione had her eyes closed and was waiting patiently.
She took her hand and led her inside.
Hermione gasped when she opened her eyes.
"How?" she asked as she spun slowly on the spot.
Ginny and Rowena had somehow managed to recreate the room they had used for Ginny's birthday.
"Luna helped," said Ginny smiling. "And we've been working on it since we got back."
"But…"
Ginny stepped forward and gently placed a finger over her lips.
"If you really want to know how I did this...I'll tell you later," she removed her finger and then kissed her softly. "But first your gift…" she trailed off as she led Hermione over to a small candlelit table with several silver domed plates.
When they reached the table Ginny lifted one of the smallest domes to reveal a small potion bottle, a glass of water and small gift wrapped rectangular box.
"Open it," she said quietly.
With a slightly shaking hand Hermione reached for the box and then removed the bow and lid.
Inside lay a silver snake.
"Will you Dreamwalk with me?" Ginny asked quietly.
Hermione looked up to Ginny's eyes and studied her a moment before replying.
"Gin...my love," she sighed as she she cupped Ginny's cheek with her hand. "I want to, god how I want to...but if we do this...go somewhere where we can do anything we want?" she leaned forward and kissed her briefly before continuing: "Waiting is already so difficult, my love, I don't know if I can live with the memory of what we could get up to in a dream…"
Ginny shook her head and stepped away. When Hermione looked closer she was surprised to see tears. "Gin...I know you already have memories of dreams...but if we do this? Dreamwalk? It'll be us doing these things…" she walked up to Ginny and gently took her in her arms. "It would be different, love… even with our lovely Promise Rings...it doesn't stop me from wanting more…"
"Really?" Ginny said softly as she finally met Hermione's eyes.
"Your birthday was as much for me as it was for you," she replied, smiling. "I think, even if we were just regular kids in love...maybe, just maybe...it would be easier," she paused to kiss her. "But us? Everything about us makes everything feel more intense…our power connection, your healing, your projecting, our souls reconnecting after hundred of years...and add damn Tom to the equation? The three of us haven't stopped maturing emotionally...it's getting harder and harder to fake being fifteen already…
"And yes...I know my love, how much harder it is for you…" she looked into Ginny's eyes and continued: "I just have no desire to make it worse…" she leaned in and kissed her passionately before concluding: "And I can't say I won't change my mind...about Dreamwalking, I mean...two years is a long time…"
"How about a compromise?" Ginny asked softly.
Hermione smiled and nodded.
"Dreamwalk back to my birthday?"
"We could," Hermione replied softly as she leaned in to whisper in Ginny's ear, "but I'd rather do what I can do and be awake…" she kissed just below Ginny's ear. "And the way I'm feeling right now...I don't know if I could control myself…"
Ginny sighed and shook her head as she reached for and removed another silver dome.
"I knew you'd find a way to talk us out of it…" she handed Hermione a rolled up parchment. "Read it later...it's what I had planned for our Dreamwalk…"
"Gin...I love you...you know I do…" she stepped forward and took Ginny in her arms again. "And I crave you...I crave your touch...even if I didn't think it would make it worse...I'd still want to wait, at least for now, until I can touch you for real...I know I don't have the same memories to deal with that you do love, but it is just as difficult for me," she smiled and kissed her before continuing: "There will come a time when I'll ask you to Dreamwalk for that very reason...because I won't be able to wait any longer...but I'm not ready, love…"
"Well...we might as well eat…" said Ginny sighing as she removed another two silver domes.
"Shepherd's pie?" Hermione said as she took her seat.
"Not just any Shepherd's pie...but your mom's recipe," she smiled as Hermione eagerly took her seat and took a bite. "I saw how much you enjoyed it so I asked your mom for the recipe before we left and I gave it to Rue...I think they'll be making it this way in the Great Hall from now on…"
Hermione swallowed a mouthful and reached for Ginny's hand.
"I know you're disappointed...about the Dreamwalk…"
"I just wanted to make your birthday as special as mine was…"
"You have," Hermione assured her. "A year ago I didn't even know I wanted this...and now I can't imagine my life any other way...just waking up to your kisses and having you in my arms...spending just about every minute of every day with you...love? Every day I spend with you is incredibly special and precious to me...but Dreamwalking? It's the same reason I didn't want you to have to face a Boggart."
"You don't think you can handle the memory?" said Ginny, shaking her head slightly and looking down to her plate. "Welcome to my life," she said quietly with a sigh.
Ginny looked up when she felt Hermione squeeze her hand.
"I love you Ginny...and I can promise you that someday, I don't know when, but someday I'll be begging you to take me for a Dreamwalk," she smiled, "You're stronger than me, babe. I can't handle it., not yet...but someday? I know it'll be worth it…"
"How do you do that?" Ginny asked, shaking her head and smiling.
"What?"
"I was pretty sure you were going to say no...but how do you manage to make me feel okay with it?" she sighed as she looked into Hermione's eyes. "Why do you have to be so sensible about it?"
"Because, even though I've learned to think with my heart...I've spent too much time thinking with my head first," she smiled. "If I didn't want you...it would be easier...but I have to think of the consequences and I'm pretty sure…"
"It'll make it worse for both of us?" Ginny finished for her.
"And you have to admit...it's already not easy," she leaned over and kissed Ginny's cheek. "Why do you think I almost always use the shower in our quarters?" she whispered into Ginny's ear.
Ginny laughed lightly and blushed.
"For the same reason it's always about ten minutes before I go in the bathroom after you?" teased Ginny.
"You know...when your fifteenth finally gets here I don't think anyone, except for maybe Luna, is going to see us for a week?" Hermione teased back.
"You're lucky you're such a cute brat," said Ginny before she pulled Hermione towards for a kiss.
"C'mon, let's finish eating and take our dessert back our quarters…"
Ginny laughed.
"It's already there...told you I knew you were going to do this…" she teased her.
"Yes, well, did you also notice I scheduled us last for Quidditch tomorrow?" Ginny shook her head. "Well I had a pretty good idea you might suggest something like this and I wanted us to be able to sleep in tomorrow so I could make it up to you...the best I can, anyway…"
"You can't blame me for trying…" teased Ginny.
"No...I'm glad you did…" she replied smiling. "It's nice to feel wanted…"
"Just sometimes...with how much we have to hold back all the time…"
"It's frustrating to hold back with me?" asked Hermione, continuing when Ginny nodded: "We might always have to hold back how much we can do magically, Gin...but holding back with each other? That does have a time limit," she smiled and kissed her, "and I'm counting the days, not just till your birthday but to Valentine's Day, too…"
"It is nice to feel wanted…" said Ginny, sighing, as Hermione kissed her neck.
"You really are, love…" she replied as she looked into her eyes, "and you're still the best thing that ever happened to me."
…
Between their classes, Quidditch and their extracurricular studies for their Animagus training and Ginny's healing studies...the days and weeks passed quickly after that and, with Halloween in sight, the arrival of the visiting schools for the Triwizard tournament was to happen on the thirtieth.
Ginny and Hermione were sitting quietly eating breakfast at the Gryffindor table when Luna came and sat down heavily next to them with long sigh.
"What's wrong, Luna?" Ginny asked as she reached for Luna's hand.
"I just had a fight with Padma," Luna replied, shaking her head as she began filling her plate. "She doesn't understand why I want to spend Halloween night with you guys and she wants to know where we go…"
"I thought you told her we go to Rowena's Room?" Hermione asked quietly.
"She came to find me the last time we were together...but Rowena didn't let her in…"
"Maybe...if I tell her it's important to me too?" asked Hermione.
"No...it's okay...I've just been on edge lately and she started asking me, again, about what happened last Halloween…" Luna explained as she looked down the table to where Padma sat talking to her sister, "I hate that I have to hide so much from her…"
"I know it sucks Luna…" Hermione said quietly.
"But...it's more than that…" Luna sighed shaking her head. "Ever since Professor Moody tried to place that curse on you...I've just felt, I don't know, uneasy...like I'm waiting for the other shoe to drop."
"We've all been faking it better, and Moody seemed to buy dear-old-dad's explanation," Hermione thought to both of them and then said out loud; "I don't think we have anymore than the usual to worry about."
"I know...but I can't seem to shake it…" said Luna sighing.
"Well, we can try to make you forget about it tomorrow night," Ginny whispered into Luna's ear as Padma was approaching.
Padma sat next to Luna and leaned over and kissed her cheek.
"I'm sorry...I'm doing exactly what I said I wouldn't do," Luna finally looked to her, "I have you to myself almost every night...I should be happy with that and not be a jealous git…"
"I'm sorry I yelled," Luna replied quietly.
"No, you were right, I should trust you…"
Luna interrupted her with a kiss.
"You really should...but I know it isn't easy when you know I can't explain everything."
"You have your reasons and I know it isn't because you don't trust me," said Padma quietly with a small smile. "I just hope, maybe someday, you can."
"I hope so too…" Luna replied, trying not to let the sadness she felt show. She had often wondered if the day would ever come...when she could be completely honest with Padma.