Sleeping Beauty

Ginny wakes up with a start.  She sees Johnny sitting beside her on the bed, looking far away and thoughtful.  Ginny reaches out with one hand to take Johnny's, startling the older girl from her thoughts.  "Hi."

"Hello," Johnny murmurs.  "Sleep well?"

"Not really," Ginny says.  "They say you attacked Dr. Zimmermann."

Johnny looks hard at Ginny.  "Do you honestly think I had time to attack the doctor?  Even if I did, I had something far more pressing on my mind at the time."

Ginny sits up.  "Me?"

"Of course you," Johnny actually manages a weak smile.  It fades as she remembers her current situation.  "Probably going to be expelled.  Attacking a teacher, even just an accusation, is enough to get me thrown out."

"But you didn't do it," Ginny says.  "Did you tell them what you were really doing?"

"I wasn't about to tell anyone anything about that, don't you worry," Johnny says bitterly.  "I'm going down all by myself."

Ginny touches Johnny's cheek.  "You could have told them.  I'm not ashamed of my feelings for you.  I just… didn't know you felt the same way.  I would have asked you to the dance if I'd known you were interested in me, too."

Guilt causes Johnny's face to flush.  She hadn't known she'd cared about Ginny till after the kiss.  After she looked into Ginny's soft brown eyes.  She'd wondered, through the awkward moments but then Hermione would enter the room and all thoughts of Ginny would be abandoned.  "What is it?"

"Nothing," Johnny whispers.  She gets up.  "I should start packing my things."

Ginny stands, too.  She watches Johnny gather her things.  "Don't do that.  I'll talk to Dumbledore.  Neville saw you there, too.  He was jealous, sure, but he's a good guy.  He wouldn't lie if asked if he'd seen you.  We'll tell him what happened and where you were.  You had no time to attack Zimmermann."

Johnny can't take it anymore.  She turns, looking into Ginny's passion filled eyes.  She grips Ginny's arms tight.  "I thought you were Hermione.  When I kissed you, I was thinking that I was kissing Hermione."

Ginny's expression of pain is exchanged with one of anger.  "So, you don't feel the same way."

"Does it matter?" Johnny asks.  She let's Ginny go and continues packing.  "I'm gone within the day, I already know that.  Back to my 'home on the range.'  Back to where magic doesn't exist and love is only another word for convenience."

"Do you feel the same way about me?" Ginny repeats her question.  She's never felt more hurt in her life.  Johnny doesn't answer.  "Of course not.  Why would anyone want the seventh Weasley anyway?  The baby girl, the odd one.  Red haired, freckly, poor.  Why have that when you could have Hermione Granger?  Perfect student, friend, beauty, and well off."

Johnny looks at her wand.  She throws it across the room.  "I want you!" she shouts.  She clenches her fists.  "But I can't have you.  I can't have anyone here.  I'm a stupid Squib who doesn't belong here anyway!"

Ginny pushes herself into Johnny's arms.  "Kiss me knowing it's me.  Even if you have to leave, I want my first kiss to be something special."

Johnny smiles and holds Ginny closer as their lips meet.  The magic she had felt when she thought she was kissing Hermione was nothing compared to the magic of a kiss shared knowingly with Ginny.

Someone clears her throat in the doorway.  Hermione is standing there, looking very uncomfortable.  She avoids eye contact with either girl as she rushes through her sentences.  "Dumbledore said he's ready to see you.  Zimmermann's waiting there, too.  Hagrid's here to escort you to his office."

Hermione walks away quickly.  Johnny and Ginny giggle a bit.  Finally, Johnny takes a deep breath.  "Well, I'd better go."

"Let me tell them what happened," Ginny pleads.

"No," Johnny says sharply.  She sighs.  "People… aren't very accepting of this… in the Muggle world or the Wizarding world.  I don't want you to have to deal with that."

"It's who I am," Ginny starts.

Johnny picks up her abandoned wand and stuffs it in her pocket.  "You should get back to bed.  I'll come back to say good bye."