Sleepless Nights
Chapter
Seven: Magic in the Air
Disclaimer: Hermione and Ginny
et al belong to J.K. Rowling. I am just writing for them
temporarily, as she seems to be giving them a longish break.
This story is fluff and will contain much girl/girl angst, romantic
affection, and eventually f/f action, so if this is not your thing,
there are lots of other stories out there and I recommend you go read
one of them instead.
Spoilers: Don't I wish.
Ginny Weasley struggled to hold Pigwidgeon still while she hastily finished the brief note she was scribbling. Grabbing the fluffy owl with one hand, she signed her name with a flourish and affixed the letter to his leg. Pigwidgeon hooted happily and flew out of the Gryffindor Common Room to find Hermione Granger.
Ginny smiled to herself. Hermione had been fantastically busy this year, and while Ginny still saw her almost every day (particularly since she'd developed the habit of waiting up for Hermione to return from the library), she barely ever saw her without Harry and Ron nearby. It had been like that ever since they returned from the summer holidays. It wasn't that Hermione was avoiding her, exactly. More like she was avoiding any situation where she might have to be alone with Ginny. Ginny sighed to herself. Even though she thought she might have an idea as to what was behind Hermione's behavior, she still missed her terribly. Then she smiled again. Tonight was Halloween, and Ginny had worked out a plan to get Hermione all to herself.
Meanwhile, Hermione Granger was quickly finishing her porridge in the Great Hall. She was only half-listening to the conversations around her, as she kept her eyes on the main doors, half-hoping for and half-dreading the appearance of a certain fifth year red-head. She didn't notice the post owls arriving until a small feathery ball hit her upside the head.
"Pigwidgeon?" she said curiously. But Ron had only just left. Then her heart leapt as she recognized the handwriting on the note. "Ginny," she breathed. She eagerly tore open the letter.
"Feel like I haven't seen you in ages," it read. Hermione felt a stab of guilt. She had been trying very hard to keep away from Ginny, much as she longed to spend every free minute she had with the other girl. Her feelings for Ginny were growing harder and harder for Hermione to control. She simply couldn't trust herself to be alone with Ginny. She couldn't see her without wanting to touch her, and she could barely speak to her without wanting to kiss her. Hermione sighed. She missed Ginny desparately, but didn't want to risk making a fool of herself or creating a horribly awkward situation because of her crush. No, better to stick with just seeing Ginny in large group situations. Preferably where Hermione could sneak covert glances at her frequently. Hermione sighed again, and continued reading Ginny's missive.
"Feel like I haven't seen you in ages. Be my date for the carnival? Love, Ginny."
Hermione read over the brief message at least ten times. Her date? Ginny was probably just being cute, she thought. Her way of saying that she wanted them to go together without Harry and Ron. Not like a real date, Hermione assured herself. It wasn't the Yule Ball or anything. And she did long to see Ginny. Maybe she could arrange it so that Harry and Ron would just happen to meet up with them. Yes, Hermione thought to herself. That would be a good plan.
She wrote a quick response to Ginny. It read simply, "Can't wait. Love, Hermione." Her heart fluttered oddly as she watched Pigwidgeon fly out of sight.
Later that night, Hermione found herself strangely nervous and excited as she waited for Ginny to meet her in the Common Room. Ginny walked down the stairs and grinned when she saw Hermione waiting for her. Hermione grinned back, and they headed out the portrait hole on their way to the castle grounds.
"I've never been to a wizard carnival before," Hermione confessed. "What are they like?"
"A lot like Muggle carnivals, I bet." Ginny replied. "Only with a bit more magic to make things fun." She glanced over at the older girl. "Thanks for being my date, Hermione."
Hermione blushed involuntarily. Fortunately it was getting dark outside the castle.
The air was crisp and cool, perfect for a fall evening. And as they reached the bottom of the castle steps, the sight of the enchanted carnival made both girls gasp with delight.
There were thousands of multi-colored fairies blinking their lights on and off in mid-air.
The delicious smells of popcorn and assorted sugary confections was rising from the food booths, the magical rides were going full tilt, and they could hear ghostly screams emenating from the "Truly Haunted Haunted House."
"Ooh, come on!" Ginny shouted excitedly, grabbing Hermione's hand and pulling her towards the action.
One hour later, the girls had gone on most of the magical rides, including a roller coaster that tried to throw riders out of the cars and then catch them again, a rolling ferris wheel which rolled all around the permiter of the carnival before coming back to rest in its original spot, and a merry-go-round that had wooden dragons and hippogriffs transfigured to act like the actual creatures. It was all very exciting. For Hermione, however, the most exciting part was the feel of Ginny's hand still warmly holding her own. "There are loads of people here, we don't want to get separated," Ginny said as they headed over to towards the food.
"Hmm, I'll bet we might run into your brother over here," Hermione said, almost wishing she hadn't told Harry and Ron to meet up with them in just a few minutes.
"Oh, I don't think so," Ginny said, her eyes sparkling mischeviously. "I heard that Dumbledore persuaded our favorite potions master to have a go in the St. Mungo's Charity dunking booth. I expect Harry and Ron will be trying to soak Snape for most of the night."
Hermione gulped at the thought of spending the rest of the night with Ginny alone. Just holding her hand already had Hermione's mind launched on all the lovely fantasies she had dreamed up over the years about Ginny being her girlfriend. And it wasn't too much of a stretch, really, as Ginny was certainly acting very...well, almost flirtatious with her.
"Here, try this," Ginny said, offering Hermione a piece of a sugar and cinnamon coated Erumpent Ear.
"Ooh, I don't know, Ginny," Hermione replied. "All that sugar...it's not very good for your teeth."
"It's also delicious," Ginny countered. "Come on now, trust me." And with that, she tore off a small piece and pressed it against Hermione's mouth. Hermione gasped involuntarily, and before she knew it, Ginny fingers were gently pressing her first bite of Erumpent Ear into her mouth.
"Mmm..." Hermione said as she tasted it. "It is...mmm...very good."
"Told you," Ginny said with a smile, as she fed Hermione another piece.
Ginny took hold of Hermione's hand again as the girls set off towards the carnival midway. Ginny was content to stroll along, watching others try to win large stuffed animals which had been bewitched to do various things. Colin and Dennis Creavy had managed to win an enormous parrot which was tormenting them by repeating everything either of them said.
Hermione paused as they passed a game booth run by pixies. The pixies were all zooming around carrying large balloons, and to win, a player would have to manage to hit with a bursting charm. "Hold on," Hermione said. "This one looks quite easy."
The pixies laughed fiendishly at her remark, and began to zoom even faster.
"I don't know, Hermione," Ginny said in a warning tone. "These games are usually lots harder than they look..."
But Hermione was already digging into her pockets to purchase a chance at the game.
Her first three bursting charms all went awry, either hitting the back of the booth or bouncing off one of the pixies, which were all covered by repelling charms. Hermione was frowning menacingly at the pixies as they giggled and taunted her by slowing their balloons down significantly. After almost fifteen minutes, Hermione finally succeeded in casting a bursting charm which bounced off one of the pixies, and then hit a nearby balloon. Hermione jumped up and down and hugged Ginny in excitement.
The pixies grudgingly flew over to let Hermione choose her prize. She selected a giant lion, which could growl, purr, and float along beside its owner. No sooner did the pixies take the lion down for her, than Hermione turned and handed it to Ginny.
"But Hermione," Ginny protested, "You worked so hard to win him."
Hermione giggled self-consciously. "Well. I mean...I...being you're my...my...date and all." She stammered.
Ginny smiled. "Thank you," she said with a twinkle in her eye. Then she wrapped her arm around Hermione's waist, "Come on, I'll treat us to the Truly Haunted Haunted House."
As Hermione and Ginny waited in line to enter the ramshakle haunted dwelling, Ginny could sense that Hermione was tensing up next to her. "You're not scared, are you?" she asked incredulously.
"Oh, no. No, nothing like that." Hermione assured her. She was battling to keep her mind off the feel of Ginny's arm encircling her waist, and the memory of Ginny's fingers pressing against her mouth. She looked over at the younger girl, and saw Ginny's deep brown eyes focused intently on her. Ginny reached up and ran a hand gently through Hermione's hair.
"I think it got a bit mussed on the Ferris Wheel," she said.
"Mmm..." Hermione muttered.
Just then the Fat Friar, covered in a white sheet and rattling chains, drifted out and beckoned them to enter.
The Truly Haunted Haunted House turned out to be a blast. Various school and visiting ghosts were reenacting their death scenes, while others moved about making spooky noises or trying to frighten visitors by suddenly walking out of walls. The death scenes ranged from creepy (Nearly Headless Nick's botched beheading, with Sir Patrick of the Headless Hunt playing the executioner) to downright boring (Professor Binns sleeping in front of the fire), but that didn't stop the girls from shrieking and clinging together for their entire walk through.
Once, as the Gray Lady emerged suddenly in front of Hermione, she started and trippped, falling backwards into Ginny's arms.
"Sorry," she said softly. "I didn't mean to --"
Ginny was holding Hermione tightly. She was really quite tall, Hermione thought, as she gazed up at the gorgeous younger girl. Ginny was staring down at her.
"Don't be sorry," she said, leaning in towards Hermione.
Hermione's heart stopped. Her breath caught in her throat. Time seemed to slow down. Ginny Weasley ...couldn't possibly be...about to kiss her!
At that moment, Moaning Myrtle darted out from the wall behind them, wailing as usual.
The girls jumped abruptly apart.
Hermione wasn't quite sure what to do, after that. They left the Haunted House in awkward silence, Ginny's lion floating along between them. Hermione was about ready to head back up to the castle, when Ginny grabbed her hand again and started pulling her towards a large pink tent just off to their right.
"Ginny," Hermione began, glad that Ginny wasn't too repulsed to touch her again, but uncertain as to where they were headed, "What on Earth..." Then Hermione realized what she was up to. "Oh no you don't," Hermione said flatly. "You know exactly how I feel about Divination. It is a bunch of mumbo jumbo dressed up as a very wooly and imprecise -"
"Shh..." Came the ethereal-sounding voice of Lavender Brown. "You are disturbing the clairvoyant energy."
Hermione wanted to laugh out loud, but she was sure that would disrupt the energy in the tent even further. Parvati and Lavender were each wearing turbans and mistly gazes, as they sat at small tables with crystal balls in front of them, looking like miniature versions of their idol, Professor Trelawney. Hermione hoped at least that their predictions would be slightly more pleasant.
"We want our fortunes read," Ginny told them.
Hermione could have sworn she saw Parvati and Lavender exchange a significant glance.
Ginny moved over towards Lavender, and Hermione reluctantly sat down at the table in front of Parvati. Parvati stared deeply into her crystal ball and began to mutter an incantation to her orb. Hermione, however, was straining to hear what Lavender was predicting for Ginny.
"There is someone who has had strong feelings for you for a long time," Parvati began. "I see you struggling to push them away from you, because you are afraid of your..." But Hermione was concentrating on Ginny's fortune being read over at the other table.
"You long for a person who often seems unattainable," Lavender was telling her. "One who is clever and brave and kind."
Hmph! Hermione thought to herself. So much for her being over Harry! Angrily, she turned her attention back to Parvati, who was still continuing with Hermione's fortune uninterrupted.
"This person who you are meant to be with, I sense that they come from a very magical family. They love magic, and good food, and Quidditch."
Hermione snorted inwardly. So now she was supposed to end up with Ron! How original! She turned her attention back towards Lavender and Ginny.
"Your chosen one," Lavender was informing her, "was raised outside the magical world.
This person is very close to your brother, but you are the one their heart belongs to."
As if Harry's ever even noticed Ginny's alive! Hermione thought furiously. While she, on the other hand, had been mooning over her non-stop for the last two years! Hermione was fully remembering just how much she had always hated Divination.
"I see hair the color of the setting sun." Parvati whispered to her, "And a strong W vibration. Their name begins with W."
Honestly! Hermione thought to herself, barely able to hear Lavender telling Ginny,
"It is definitely a Gryffindor. And a strong H sound is coming to me. Their name begins with an H."
"Are we done here?" Hermione asked loudly. "Because I've had just about enough of this nonsense!" With that proclamation, she turned on her heel and stormed out. Ginny scrambled after her, casting an apologetic glance at Parvati and Lavender, who shrugged in bewilderment.
Ginny caught up to Hermione on the steps of the castle. "Hermione, what's wrong? What did they say? Please don't tell me she brought up the Grim..."
Hermione smiled slightly, in spite of herself. "No, but all they did was repeat stupid school gossip in phony voices and pass it off as fortune telling."
"Gossip?" Ginny asked, confused. "What are you talking about?"
"Oh, Ginny," Hermione exclaimed. "Did we really need to hear two of the silliest girls in my year prattle on about you ending up with Harry and me being meant for Ron?"
"Just because Parvati and Lavender are good at Divination and you're not is no reason to belittle them for it, Hermione." Ginny said, her eyes flashing angrily. "And I didn't hear anyone but you saying that I was meant for Harry."
"For your information, I wouldn't want to be good at putting on a big act and -"
"Well, I think you're pretty darn good at it, if you ask me."
"What is that supposed to mean, Ginny Weasley?" Hermione said, almost shaking with suppressed fury.
But Ginny had turned on her heel and stalked off in the direction of Gryffindor Tower.
Hermione headed slowly after her, still feeling very hurt and angry.
As she reached the Common Room, she heard soft sobs coming from the direction of the stairway to the Girl's Dormitories. Instantly, her anger at Ginny melted away. As Hermione reached the bottom of the stairs, she saw Ginny sitting on the landing halfway to her room, clutching her knees and crying quietly. Hermione sat down beside her and instinctively put her arm around Ginny's shoulder. If anything, Ginny's sobbing intensified.
"Ginny," Hermione said, stroking Ginny's tousled hair.
"Why?" Ginny muttered. "I really thought..."
"Ginny, what is it?" Hermione asked.
"Why do you think you're meant to be with Ron?" Ginny burst into a fresh set of tears. "You told me, you said you didn't...didn't feel anything...when you...you kissed him," she wailed.
Hermione was thouroughly confused.
"Ron?" she asked, in a stunned tone of voice. "I don't think I'm meant to be with Ron! That was just what Parvati said."
"No she didn't," Ginny exclaimed. "I heard her! All she said was it was someone who'd had strong feelings for you for a long time, and came from a magic family, and liked magic and food and Quidditch, and has red hair, and whose name begins with a W. You're the one immediately started going on about my brother!"
"Well who do you think she meant then?" Hermione asked, indignant.
"She didn't mean anyone! That's just the thing!" Ginny replied, her voice trembling. "If you'd carried on with Divination, you would have got to the part where it says, "What people read into their fortunes is often more telling than the fortunes themselves." So there you have it. All this time....you've wanted Ron."
"Ginny," Hermione said soothingly. "I told you, I don't like Ron like that. I promise. I didn't mean to upset you." She rubbed Ginny's back comfortingly. "I wasn't even really listening carefully to my fortune. I was half-mad because I thought Lavender was predicting a romance between you and Harry, and you'd told me you were over him, and..."
"Would it bother you?" Ginny asked suddenly.
"What?" Hermione asked, distracted.
"Would it bother you if I wasn't over Harry?"
Hermione stared at the floor, feeling a surge of jealousy welling up in her stomach. She didn't answer Ginny, who was studying her face very closely. Suddenly, Ginny pulled Hermione into a very tight hug. She was running her hands through her hair, and Hermione could feel Ginny's tears still wet on her cheeks. Hermione felt very confused, and simply gave herself over to the embrace, leaning into the younger girl and pulling her close.
Ginny looked into Hermione's eyes, her face frightened but resolved. Slowly she leaned towards Hermione and tentatively kissed her on the mouth.
Hermione felt like fireworks were going off inside her. This, she thought. This is exactly what it's supposed to be like. Ginny's lips were so soft. Hermione had wanted this for so long, and now Ginny was kissing her. She was sucking gently on Hermione's bottom lip. If it was a dream, Hermione did not want to wake up. Her hands were tangled in her hair. Their bodies were pressed together. Hermione thought she heard Ginny moan. She tasted like cinnamon. Sweet. Hermione's eyes were closed, and she felt like she was melting completely into Ginny. The kiss seemed to last forever. Neither girl wanted to pause for breath.
When they finally broke apart, Hermione rested her head against Ginny's shoulder. "Ginny." she breathed.
"Hermione." Ginny replied, her eyes still half-closed, a dreamy expression on her face.
"I...I've wanted to for so long...but I was never sure..." Hermione stammered.
"Shh..." Ginny murmured. "Shh...it's alright."
Tears of silent joy were running down Hermione's face. Ginny brushed her fingers against them lovingly.
"Hermione," she whispered.
"Hmm?" Hermione replied.
"I don't think you're meant to be with Ron."