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Chapter 5: May old acquaintance.
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Ginny was exhausted when her set finally came to an end. She exited the stage and made her way towards her dressing room as quickly as possible.
She wanted to change her clothes and try to search Draco's office before the night was over. Hopefully, he would be occupied until the club closed, and she figured this was her best shot at finding some useful information.
The moment she entered her dressing room, she realized she was not alone. Thinking it was probably one of the crew members, she turned around with a pretty smile, but it quickly faded.
Hermione was sitting on the couch. Her hands were folded in her lap, she was playing with a wedding band, something Ginny found fitting, considering her former friend's obvious pregnancy. For a brief moment, she considered faking it, but she knew it was not a realistic option. Hermione Granger was the smartest person Ginny had ever known, and that probably hadn't changed.
Ginny drew in a couple of deep, calming breaths before facing the woman she had once considered one of her best friends.
"Hello, Hermione. Long time, no see." Her voice was cool, without a trace of the nervousness and apprehension she really felt
Hermione looked as if she was ready to strangle Ginny with her bare hands.
"Virginia Weasley, you better have a damn good explanation for this." Something in Hermione's behavior reminded Ginny of Minerva McGonagall.
"Hermione, you know I had to leave."
"So what does this mean?" The woman Ginny had thought would be her maid in honor looked at her with apprehension. "Are you back?"
"No, I don't know. Maybe."
"I can't believe you didn't tell me."
"It's auror business, Herm. I couldn't tell anyone."
"Auror? You don't owe them anything. Ginny, please tell me what's going on - let me help you. You can't just leave for four years and think we won't react. We were frantic, and then you sent that letter from New York and we knew you were alive, but still. You shut us out, Gin, all of us. We could have helped you, if you had let us. But no, you had to run of to the other side of the world and leave all the people who loved you behind. And now you're finally back, and you can't give us as much as a note or a goddamn owl to let us know?"
When Hermione stopped her rant, Ginny was in tears. She knew she had hurt the people close to her when she ran away; she had hurt them even worse when Charlie had finally tracked her down in New Orleans three years ago, and she had told him in no uncertain term that she had no interest in going home. Her mother had written letter after letter begging her baby girl to return home, but Ginny had refused. Over the past three years, she had written her mother a couple of times, and her mother would write back, but that was all. The Weasley's had always been a tight knitted family, and to Molly, the loss of her youngest child had been devastating.
As Hermione embraced the sobbing girl, she felt tears trickling down her own cheeks. She had never had many female friends her own age. Even if she considered Ron and Harry to be the best friends she could ever have wished for, there were times when you needed another girl to talk to. So, over the years, she had become close with Ginny Weasley - Especially during the period when she had dated Ron and Ginny had dated Harry. Poor Harry - he had never forgiven himself for what happened to Ginny. He was probably the one who had hurt the most when Ginny disappeared, feeling once more that he had failed her.
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The two girls sat there for a while holding each other tightly until the sobs and sniffling finally came to an end. Ginny looked down at Hermione's round stomach and smiled.
"So, does this mean I am going to be an aunt?"
Hermione blushed furiously.
"Err, no. Ron and I broke up not long after you left."
"Really? So who is the lucky man then? Is it anyone I know?"
Hermione stuttered
"Err, well you see ."
"It's not Harry is it?"
"No! Oh god, that would be like having sex with my brother or something."
"Well, stop stalling then, just tell me. It's not as if you are carrying the spawn of the devil...or worse, Snape." Ginny giggled.
Hermione's face clouded over at Ginny's comment.
"Oh god, I knew I would get this reaction from you. You are just like your brother. I wish you could forget those silly prejudiced notions of yours, and realize that he really is a nice person. Well not nice, per say, but he is a good man. And. and."
"Hermione, calm down. What are you talking about?"
Hermione looked flustered and was clearly holding back tears.
"Well, Severus, of course."
Hermione sounded as if she was stating the obvious, but Ginny was still thrown.
"Severus? As in Snape?"
"Yes, as in my husband."
"Noo." Hermione might have proclaimed Dumbledore as the baby's father and Ginny would not have been more shocked.
Hermione rolled her eyes and nodded.
"Oh well," Ginny mused. "I guess he is rather hot, in more of a brooding, dangerous, playing with fire kind of way."
Hermione looked scandalized.
"You think Severus is hot?"
"Well, yes. Don't worry - it's not as if I will try to seduce him or anything. I like my men a bit closer to my own age. But he isn't bad looking; if he would only wash his hair and cheer up a bit he would be a right catch."
"He has." Hermione inserted.
"He has what?"
"He has washed his hair."
For some reason both girls found that statement so funny that they were soon reduced to tears, both rolling on the floor with laughter. When they finally calmed down, about 15 minutes later, Ginny couldn't help but ask.
"So how is he?"
"Oh, Severus? He's fine."
"No, I mean; how is he?"
Hermione blushed and smacked Ginny lightly on the arm.
"Not that I am one to kiss and tell, but if I was... Well, I would have plenty to talk about."
Ginny gave her a smug smile. "That good, huh?"
Hermione's furious blush spoke volumes. ----------------------------------
The girls spent the next hour catching up on what had happened over the past four years. Hermione's marriage and pregnancy were, of course, the dominant topics of the conversation. Finally, when the clock was drawing close to four in the morning, Hermione got up to leave.
"It's good to have you back, Gin. I've missed you." Hermione said, embracing the younger woman.
"I missed you too. I missed all of you."
"Do they know?"
Hermione didn't have to clarify, Ginny knew who they were. Her family, her loved ones, all the people she had abandoned four years ago.
"No, don't tell them. Please. I'll contact them soon; I just need a bit more time."
Hermione hesitated before agreeing to Ginny's request.
"Okay, but you are going to talk to them. You can't keep running, Ginny."
"I know," Ginny sighed "I'll talk to them soon, I promise."
"Harry searched for you for months."
Ginny stiffened at the mention of her ex-fiancé's name.
"I didn't want to be found. Harry knew that."
Hermione opened her mouth to speak, but she knew that anything she could say would only scare the girl in front of her further away. So she stayed silent, hoping that she was doing the right thing.
She looked at the girl standing in the doorway. Earlier this evening, when she had spotted her on stage she had seamed so strong, so confident, but now she looked more like a lost child. Ginny had changed from her glamorous dress to a pair of old baggy jeans and a male dress shirt that made her look like a twelve year old. Her makeup was all but gone, her hair a tangled mess. And Hermione couldn't help thinking that maybe she was doing the wrong thing keeping Ginny's presence in London a secret. The Weasley's had never really recovered from loosing their daughter. Sure, Ginny was alive, but she was no longer a member of the Weasley clan, and it showed. For so long Ginny had been the littlest Weasley, always in her brothers' shadows, and no one had realize how much she meant to them before she was gone. They missed her, and they loved her. And if there had ever been a person in need of a safe, loving family, it was Ginny Weasley in that moment.
Hermione brushed a lock of Ginny's errand hair away from her face and gave her shoulder a light squeeze. She couldn't help but fear that when her mission here was over, Ginny would disappear once more.
"Call me." She whispered, knowing that if Ginny ever did call, it would mean that she was staying, and chances were, she would leave.
Ginny nodded, and with a sad smile, she closed the door, shutting Hermione out once more.
Chapter 5: May old acquaintance.
----------------------
Ginny was exhausted when her set finally came to an end. She exited the stage and made her way towards her dressing room as quickly as possible.
She wanted to change her clothes and try to search Draco's office before the night was over. Hopefully, he would be occupied until the club closed, and she figured this was her best shot at finding some useful information.
The moment she entered her dressing room, she realized she was not alone. Thinking it was probably one of the crew members, she turned around with a pretty smile, but it quickly faded.
Hermione was sitting on the couch. Her hands were folded in her lap, she was playing with a wedding band, something Ginny found fitting, considering her former friend's obvious pregnancy. For a brief moment, she considered faking it, but she knew it was not a realistic option. Hermione Granger was the smartest person Ginny had ever known, and that probably hadn't changed.
Ginny drew in a couple of deep, calming breaths before facing the woman she had once considered one of her best friends.
"Hello, Hermione. Long time, no see." Her voice was cool, without a trace of the nervousness and apprehension she really felt
Hermione looked as if she was ready to strangle Ginny with her bare hands.
"Virginia Weasley, you better have a damn good explanation for this." Something in Hermione's behavior reminded Ginny of Minerva McGonagall.
"Hermione, you know I had to leave."
"So what does this mean?" The woman Ginny had thought would be her maid in honor looked at her with apprehension. "Are you back?"
"No, I don't know. Maybe."
"I can't believe you didn't tell me."
"It's auror business, Herm. I couldn't tell anyone."
"Auror? You don't owe them anything. Ginny, please tell me what's going on - let me help you. You can't just leave for four years and think we won't react. We were frantic, and then you sent that letter from New York and we knew you were alive, but still. You shut us out, Gin, all of us. We could have helped you, if you had let us. But no, you had to run of to the other side of the world and leave all the people who loved you behind. And now you're finally back, and you can't give us as much as a note or a goddamn owl to let us know?"
When Hermione stopped her rant, Ginny was in tears. She knew she had hurt the people close to her when she ran away; she had hurt them even worse when Charlie had finally tracked her down in New Orleans three years ago, and she had told him in no uncertain term that she had no interest in going home. Her mother had written letter after letter begging her baby girl to return home, but Ginny had refused. Over the past three years, she had written her mother a couple of times, and her mother would write back, but that was all. The Weasley's had always been a tight knitted family, and to Molly, the loss of her youngest child had been devastating.
As Hermione embraced the sobbing girl, she felt tears trickling down her own cheeks. She had never had many female friends her own age. Even if she considered Ron and Harry to be the best friends she could ever have wished for, there were times when you needed another girl to talk to. So, over the years, she had become close with Ginny Weasley - Especially during the period when she had dated Ron and Ginny had dated Harry. Poor Harry - he had never forgiven himself for what happened to Ginny. He was probably the one who had hurt the most when Ginny disappeared, feeling once more that he had failed her.
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The two girls sat there for a while holding each other tightly until the sobs and sniffling finally came to an end. Ginny looked down at Hermione's round stomach and smiled.
"So, does this mean I am going to be an aunt?"
Hermione blushed furiously.
"Err, no. Ron and I broke up not long after you left."
"Really? So who is the lucky man then? Is it anyone I know?"
Hermione stuttered
"Err, well you see ."
"It's not Harry is it?"
"No! Oh god, that would be like having sex with my brother or something."
"Well, stop stalling then, just tell me. It's not as if you are carrying the spawn of the devil...or worse, Snape." Ginny giggled.
Hermione's face clouded over at Ginny's comment.
"Oh god, I knew I would get this reaction from you. You are just like your brother. I wish you could forget those silly prejudiced notions of yours, and realize that he really is a nice person. Well not nice, per say, but he is a good man. And. and."
"Hermione, calm down. What are you talking about?"
Hermione looked flustered and was clearly holding back tears.
"Well, Severus, of course."
Hermione sounded as if she was stating the obvious, but Ginny was still thrown.
"Severus? As in Snape?"
"Yes, as in my husband."
"Noo." Hermione might have proclaimed Dumbledore as the baby's father and Ginny would not have been more shocked.
Hermione rolled her eyes and nodded.
"Oh well," Ginny mused. "I guess he is rather hot, in more of a brooding, dangerous, playing with fire kind of way."
Hermione looked scandalized.
"You think Severus is hot?"
"Well, yes. Don't worry - it's not as if I will try to seduce him or anything. I like my men a bit closer to my own age. But he isn't bad looking; if he would only wash his hair and cheer up a bit he would be a right catch."
"He has." Hermione inserted.
"He has what?"
"He has washed his hair."
For some reason both girls found that statement so funny that they were soon reduced to tears, both rolling on the floor with laughter. When they finally calmed down, about 15 minutes later, Ginny couldn't help but ask.
"So how is he?"
"Oh, Severus? He's fine."
"No, I mean; how is he?"
Hermione blushed and smacked Ginny lightly on the arm.
"Not that I am one to kiss and tell, but if I was... Well, I would have plenty to talk about."
Ginny gave her a smug smile. "That good, huh?"
Hermione's furious blush spoke volumes. ----------------------------------
The girls spent the next hour catching up on what had happened over the past four years. Hermione's marriage and pregnancy were, of course, the dominant topics of the conversation. Finally, when the clock was drawing close to four in the morning, Hermione got up to leave.
"It's good to have you back, Gin. I've missed you." Hermione said, embracing the younger woman.
"I missed you too. I missed all of you."
"Do they know?"
Hermione didn't have to clarify, Ginny knew who they were. Her family, her loved ones, all the people she had abandoned four years ago.
"No, don't tell them. Please. I'll contact them soon; I just need a bit more time."
Hermione hesitated before agreeing to Ginny's request.
"Okay, but you are going to talk to them. You can't keep running, Ginny."
"I know," Ginny sighed "I'll talk to them soon, I promise."
"Harry searched for you for months."
Ginny stiffened at the mention of her ex-fiancé's name.
"I didn't want to be found. Harry knew that."
Hermione opened her mouth to speak, but she knew that anything she could say would only scare the girl in front of her further away. So she stayed silent, hoping that she was doing the right thing.
She looked at the girl standing in the doorway. Earlier this evening, when she had spotted her on stage she had seamed so strong, so confident, but now she looked more like a lost child. Ginny had changed from her glamorous dress to a pair of old baggy jeans and a male dress shirt that made her look like a twelve year old. Her makeup was all but gone, her hair a tangled mess. And Hermione couldn't help thinking that maybe she was doing the wrong thing keeping Ginny's presence in London a secret. The Weasley's had never really recovered from loosing their daughter. Sure, Ginny was alive, but she was no longer a member of the Weasley clan, and it showed. For so long Ginny had been the littlest Weasley, always in her brothers' shadows, and no one had realize how much she meant to them before she was gone. They missed her, and they loved her. And if there had ever been a person in need of a safe, loving family, it was Ginny Weasley in that moment.
Hermione brushed a lock of Ginny's errand hair away from her face and gave her shoulder a light squeeze. She couldn't help but fear that when her mission here was over, Ginny would disappear once more.
"Call me." She whispered, knowing that if Ginny ever did call, it would mean that she was staying, and chances were, she would leave.
Ginny nodded, and with a sad smile, she closed the door, shutting Hermione out once more.