Chapter 3
Finals came, and they made love three weeks before with a fervor that came from knowing they'd be buried in work for a while. Hermione alighted in the Great Hall occasionally to eat; more often, she could be found in the library, or in one of the classrooms that wasn't in use with some third and fourth year students giving them some extra tutoring. She had to sleep some time, although no one was sure when.
"Are you doing all right, Hermione?" Ginny asked at breakfast one morning. Hermione was eating with a kind of doggedness that suggested that she wasn't tasting it, just using it to fuel her body.
Hermione sighed. "Tired as hell. One more week, though, and then I'll go home and sleep for a couple days and be fine." She pulled Ginny into an affectionate hug. "I would hope you and I have a date for the night before we leave, hm? I HAVE missed you, you know."
"I've missed you too." She wanted to say more, but didn't feel right saying it with everyone sitting around. But she could tell by Hermione's eyes that all the unspoken was understood.
"Saw you tutoring some of Ravenclaw, Hermione, " said Ron. "Don't you have enough to do on your own?"
"They need my help," she said, pouring herself another cup of coffee. "That's all."
"Still, you don't look like you're getting enough sleep, and you'll be sick if you keep living on coffee and nerves."
"Ron, you're one of my best friends in the entire world," Hermione said gravely, "but that fight we had in fourth year about the damn tournament isn't going to be beans on the fight we're gonna have if you don't lay the hell off. I won't explode, and I'll still be here in a week and a half. Stop fussing." Her tone was grave, and the one that you crossed only at your peril. Ron subsided, casting her a worried glance.
Ginny was worried, too, but she knew Hermione well enough to know that right now was not the time to try to find out what was going on. After finals, definitely.
"Get some sleep, sometime, Hermione," she contented herself with saying. "You know what Snape's gonna say if you fall asleep during the written half of potion finals?"
"I won't fall asleep there," said Hermione, laughing despite herself. "It's History of Magic you have to worry about."
"Hey, we're going to be late if we don't move, guys," said Harry. He grinned at Ginny, and said, as they rose from the table, "I do want to talk to you tonight, if we can find the time."
"I'll be in the library, " Ginny said. But the last Slytherin-Gryffindor Quidditch match of the year had been scheduled the following day, and an impromptu extra practice distracted Harry from his plans. And in the celebration of Gryffindor's win, and the end of term rush, they never did manage that talk he wanted, and both forgot about it. Ginny forgot about asking Hermione what was going on, too....when they did get some time alone, talking wasn't on the agenda.
* * *
Sooner than they expected, it was over, in a flurry of parchment and quills and tense silences. They were all standing on the platform again, headed back home, promising to write, and making plans to meet up in a couple weeks or so. Ginny and Hermione were still dazed from a night mostly spent awake, rather than sleeping, and the lingering stress from finals (which they had both passed with flying colors).
At an impatient cough from Vernon Dursley, Harry finally stepped back, and walked away. Ginny didn't worry. He'd be over to the Burrow in about a week or so, that being about the length of time before he'd send Hedwig over begging Ron for an invitation.
Hermione, though, was more of a worry. She was pale and nervous, and was staring at Ginny as though she was trying to memorize every strand of hair and freckle.
"Gin, Mum's waiting," said Ron, finally, taking a glance back at their mother, who with some delicacy of feeling was waiting a short distance away, so as not to disturb them.
"Yeah, hold on," she said, and embraced Hermione, feeling the shock in the other girl's body. Oh, to hell with what the Muggles think, she said impatiently to herself, she needs a hug. And then in the next moment she wasn't thinking at all, since Hermione was kissing her with one of her melt-you-into-a-puddle-of-lust kisses, right there in the middle of the damned station, arms holding Ginny up as she melted against her, and hands possessive on her ass. She finally released Ginny, and said, "Bye, love, see you soon," with a little courageous smile, and then turned to where two Muggles stood, mouth open with shock.
"Hello, Mother, Father. Shall we go home?"
* * * Author's note: Yes, of course there's more. I'm not that cruel. The next one is called Shifting Sands, and deals with the...fallout, and developments thereof.
Finals came, and they made love three weeks before with a fervor that came from knowing they'd be buried in work for a while. Hermione alighted in the Great Hall occasionally to eat; more often, she could be found in the library, or in one of the classrooms that wasn't in use with some third and fourth year students giving them some extra tutoring. She had to sleep some time, although no one was sure when.
"Are you doing all right, Hermione?" Ginny asked at breakfast one morning. Hermione was eating with a kind of doggedness that suggested that she wasn't tasting it, just using it to fuel her body.
Hermione sighed. "Tired as hell. One more week, though, and then I'll go home and sleep for a couple days and be fine." She pulled Ginny into an affectionate hug. "I would hope you and I have a date for the night before we leave, hm? I HAVE missed you, you know."
"I've missed you too." She wanted to say more, but didn't feel right saying it with everyone sitting around. But she could tell by Hermione's eyes that all the unspoken was understood.
"Saw you tutoring some of Ravenclaw, Hermione, " said Ron. "Don't you have enough to do on your own?"
"They need my help," she said, pouring herself another cup of coffee. "That's all."
"Still, you don't look like you're getting enough sleep, and you'll be sick if you keep living on coffee and nerves."
"Ron, you're one of my best friends in the entire world," Hermione said gravely, "but that fight we had in fourth year about the damn tournament isn't going to be beans on the fight we're gonna have if you don't lay the hell off. I won't explode, and I'll still be here in a week and a half. Stop fussing." Her tone was grave, and the one that you crossed only at your peril. Ron subsided, casting her a worried glance.
Ginny was worried, too, but she knew Hermione well enough to know that right now was not the time to try to find out what was going on. After finals, definitely.
"Get some sleep, sometime, Hermione," she contented herself with saying. "You know what Snape's gonna say if you fall asleep during the written half of potion finals?"
"I won't fall asleep there," said Hermione, laughing despite herself. "It's History of Magic you have to worry about."
"Hey, we're going to be late if we don't move, guys," said Harry. He grinned at Ginny, and said, as they rose from the table, "I do want to talk to you tonight, if we can find the time."
"I'll be in the library, " Ginny said. But the last Slytherin-Gryffindor Quidditch match of the year had been scheduled the following day, and an impromptu extra practice distracted Harry from his plans. And in the celebration of Gryffindor's win, and the end of term rush, they never did manage that talk he wanted, and both forgot about it. Ginny forgot about asking Hermione what was going on, too....when they did get some time alone, talking wasn't on the agenda.
* * *
Sooner than they expected, it was over, in a flurry of parchment and quills and tense silences. They were all standing on the platform again, headed back home, promising to write, and making plans to meet up in a couple weeks or so. Ginny and Hermione were still dazed from a night mostly spent awake, rather than sleeping, and the lingering stress from finals (which they had both passed with flying colors).
At an impatient cough from Vernon Dursley, Harry finally stepped back, and walked away. Ginny didn't worry. He'd be over to the Burrow in about a week or so, that being about the length of time before he'd send Hedwig over begging Ron for an invitation.
Hermione, though, was more of a worry. She was pale and nervous, and was staring at Ginny as though she was trying to memorize every strand of hair and freckle.
"Gin, Mum's waiting," said Ron, finally, taking a glance back at their mother, who with some delicacy of feeling was waiting a short distance away, so as not to disturb them.
"Yeah, hold on," she said, and embraced Hermione, feeling the shock in the other girl's body. Oh, to hell with what the Muggles think, she said impatiently to herself, she needs a hug. And then in the next moment she wasn't thinking at all, since Hermione was kissing her with one of her melt-you-into-a-puddle-of-lust kisses, right there in the middle of the damned station, arms holding Ginny up as she melted against her, and hands possessive on her ass. She finally released Ginny, and said, "Bye, love, see you soon," with a little courageous smile, and then turned to where two Muggles stood, mouth open with shock.
"Hello, Mother, Father. Shall we go home?"
* * * Author's note: Yes, of course there's more. I'm not that cruel. The next one is called Shifting Sands, and deals with the...fallout, and developments thereof.