Hermione woke sleepily, to the pleasure of a warm body pressed beside her. She looked around the room she was in and noticed all of the candles had burned out and the fire was merely a pile of ash, leaving her in complete darkness. The dungeon had to be so far down in the school that sunlight didn't reach it. But she was sure it was late. Lucky for her Ron had had enough sense to wait until a Friday night, so there were no classes today.
Thinking of Ron . . . Hermione shook the body laying next to her. He didn't stir so she moved until she was completely on top of him, both arms on either side of him. She had a feeling he'd like to wake up to her like this. She began trailing kisses along his neck and collarbone until she finally heard him groan.
"I'm up," he mumbled, opening his eyes to reveal a grinning Hermione. "Sleep well?"
"Didn't sleep very much," Hermione said, still grinning at him. She sat up in the bed and looked around for her wand. She found it close to the bed and bent over to get it. The room was suddenly lit with a blue fire blazing from the fireplace after a quick spell from Hermione's lips. "There," she said triumphantly.
Ron moaned and hit her playfully. "I don't want to wake up. I'm too tired."
"Are you hungry?" Hermione asked, ignoring his comment as she reached around the room and began pulling her clothes back on.
Ron considered this. "Well, I'm always hungry . . ."
"Good. We should go down to the Great Hall for lunch."
"Lunch?" Ron demanded incredulously.
"Well, yeah. We slept in."
"Shoot," Ron said suddenly and pulled his clothes on quickly. "Ginny and Harry are still in that closet. Come on!"
"Oh, Harry is going to be so pissed at you," Hermione laughed.
Ron ignored her, deciding not to start an arguement after the night they'd shared, and used a spell to open the closet door. He had expected Harry to jump out and attack him, but nothing happened. He and Hermione went to see what was going on and were surprised to see Harry and Ginny both sound asleep.
Hermione shook Ginny and the red head opened her eyes, settling them angrily on Ron. Ginny then sat up and shook Harry until he woke. She quickly realized she was straddling him and jumped out of the closet.
"You idiot!" she screeched at Ron, shoving him up against a wall. "You know I'm afraid of the dark!"
Harry looked just as menacing. "Ron, let me have my wand back."
"Now, Harry . . ." Hermione began, but trailed off. She handed him the wand helplessly.
Harry disarmed Ron and shoved him in the closet. "See how you like it," he said to Ron before shutting the door and cursing it locked.
Ginny was smiling at him in approval, but Hermione was looking concerned. "How long will you be keeping in there?"
Harry smiled wickedly at her. "Until after dinner. Ron's been naughty -- he should go to bed without any dinner. Do you have my cloak?"
Hermione nodded. "We don't need it now, though."
"Can we just go?" Ginny asked, annoyed.
Hermione and Harry shrugged and followed the red head up to lunch, deciding it best not to make an angry Weasley wait.
However, when they were just going to go through the entrance to the delicious smells of food and the sound of kids chattering and laughing, Ginny grabbed Hermione's arm and held her back.
"Can I talk to you?" she whispered.
Hermione nodded, though she was a bit hungry, and followed Ginny to the nearest empty classroom. "What is it?"
"Well . . . last night Harry and I were playing truth . . ."
* * * * *
**The Night Before, The Closet**
Harry snorted. "Nope. Do you still like . . . me?"
Ginny stiffened. How dare he ask such a question! But that wasn't what was making her so mad -- it was the fact that she didn't know the answer that was grating on her nerves. A mere half hour ago she would have said no, giggled, slapped him playfully, and ask him a question. But being so close to him . . . feeling his breath upon her neck because he was so near . . . feeling his lean muscles underneath her hand, still located on his arm . . . Ginny let out a deep breath. She was starting to get turned on and that was never good.
"Sometimes," Ginny finally whispered. She wanted to kick herself for answering truthfully. Before Harry could say anything she jumped into her question: "Do you think you could ever like me? In a more than friend context."
Harry didn't answer for a long time. He must be battling with himself as well, she thought to herself.
"I honestly don't know," Harry finally answered. "I mean, I don't think of you as Ron's little sister like I used to, now you're just . . . Ginny. But--" he forced a laugh "--we are awful close right now and . . ."
Ginny's eyes widened and she quickly took her hand off of his arm in shock. "Oh!" she said suddenly, clamping a hand over her mouth. What was he saying?
Harry suddenly changed the subject. "Last year, who was the real one who turned Snape's robes lavender?"
"You know it was me," Ginny answered. She played along with him. It was her fault of course -- her reaction to what he'd said. He was obviously hinting that he--or was he? She wasn't sure anymore. She couldn't even bring it up now, the conversation had flipped and Harry had made it clear he wanted to drop it. She felt like banging her head against the wall until Ron let her out for being such an idiot.
* * * * *
**Present**
"Wow," Hermione said after Ginny recapped what had happened. "Sounds like you two could have used a fan in there."
Ginny sighed in relief. "That's what I was thinking but -- I wasn't sure. Do you think that he, er, *does* like me? I mean, he implied . . ."
"I honestly don't know any more about this than you do. I could ask Ron to ask Har--"
"No!" Ginny said abruptly. There was a tense silence. "So, what was your night like?"
"Oh, simply amazing." Hermione's face glowed and her eyes brightened. "I mean, it wasn't our first time, of course, but it was the first time I actually . . . because, you know, the first time always hurts. Except, for me it was the first two times. Maybe Ron is just--" Hermione broke off, blushing.
"No, it's okay," Ginny said quickly. "I'm pretending right now that he's not my brother and just your boyfriend. Did you like the room? And the poem?"
"What poem?" Hermione asked, confused.
Ginny snickered. "Nothing, nothing. Did you like the room, though?"
"I simply loved it! It was so beautiful in there . . ." Hermione sighed. She snapped back to reality. "Harry did it though, didn't he?"
"Well, Ron did *tell* him what to put on it," Ginny said a bit defensively.
"All the same," Hermione said. "I never thought Ron could be so hopelessly romantic."
"Well, you did kind of force him into it," Ginny pointed out.
"Yeah, but still!"
"I know, I know," Ginny said, laughing. She sobered up quickly. "Hermione, what is it like?"
"What?"
"Being in love."
"With Ron, sometimes bloody annoying. But the rest of the time . . . it's hard to explain. Just a sense of happiness and joy that overcomes you, and stays with you, it's the knowledge that you love somebody and they love you back. A little thrill almost. You know, one time after Ron kissed him I actually hid under the covers and squealed like Lavender and Parvati!"
Ginny smiled, but it seemed forced. "And the . . . other stuff?"
"Oh." Hermione's eyes widened slightly at Ginny's bluntness. "Well . . . like I said, the first few times weren't exactly a picnic in the park, but last night . . . you know, I never would have thought of Ron as a passionate person, but he surprises me sometimes."
Ginny gave Hermione a dreamy smile. "You're lucky at least. I've never been kissed by a boy, let alone fallen in lo--well . . . I've never been kissed by a boy let alone had, er, 'relations' with one."
"You think I'm lucky?" Hermione scoffed. She pointed to her midriff. "You think this is lucky? For two and a half months I woke up every morning to find myself puking in the toilet for half an hour. Luckily I'm passed that stage. Now, however, I'm so emotional I can start crying at the slightest thing, and I keep sneaking into Ron's room late at night to clean it, then come back to my own to clean all of the girl's seventh years dorms. I haven't gotten sleep since . . . well, I don't get to sleep very often. Ginny, a word of advice, don't ever get pregnant. Adopt."
Ginny snicked at this and Hermione joined in the laughter after she realized how ridiculous she sounded.
"Well, that cheered me up a bit," Ginny said. "I'll be that thing with Harry last night was just one of those mad, passionate 'caught up-in-the-moment' things. Of course, unfortunately, most people get one of those mad passionate kisses to go along with it."
"You really have never been kissed before?" Hermione asked doubtfully. "What about Colin Creevey. Didn't he have a crush on you in fifth year?"
Ginny sighed. "Yeah. But that was one of the problems with my crush on Harry. I didn't have eyes for anyone else."
"You're speaking past tense."
"I know."
"Well . . . there are plenty of guys out there that would love to go out with you. Why don't you find yourself a boyfriend?" Hermione suggested. "Afterall, you *are* sixteen. Only a year and a half before you get a job and you know how those office romances always turn out. Try to broaden your horizon. Find somebody the exact opposite of Harry to keep your mind off of him."
"What makes you think my mind is *on* Harry?" Ginny sniffed.
"Well, you did bring me into an empty classroom to talk about him and confessed to wanting to kiss him last night," Hermione pointed out.
"I guess so," Ginny said finally. "Do you think Colin still has a crush on me? How do you go about getting a guy to ask you out?"
Hermione snorted. "Like I would know. Ron and I skipped all of that foreplay, as you might remember."
"Not really. You two were dancing around each other for years. Remember the Yule Ball?"
Hermione blushed. "Unfortunately."
"Well, do you think they're still serving lunch?"
"Let's go the dining hall and hope. I really am starved."
* * * * *
Okay, that was one long, big, huge scene. But, hey, it's the same size as all my other chapters, so sue me. Let's see . . . since you guys proved being capable of giving me more than I ask -- can I have a hundred and five? Pretty please? It'd make my day!:)
Oh, and don't worry about Ginny getting a boyfriend. Afterall, as we learned before, jealousy really *does* do wonders when wanting to get two people together.
~HJtheB
Thinking of Ron . . . Hermione shook the body laying next to her. He didn't stir so she moved until she was completely on top of him, both arms on either side of him. She had a feeling he'd like to wake up to her like this. She began trailing kisses along his neck and collarbone until she finally heard him groan.
"I'm up," he mumbled, opening his eyes to reveal a grinning Hermione. "Sleep well?"
"Didn't sleep very much," Hermione said, still grinning at him. She sat up in the bed and looked around for her wand. She found it close to the bed and bent over to get it. The room was suddenly lit with a blue fire blazing from the fireplace after a quick spell from Hermione's lips. "There," she said triumphantly.
Ron moaned and hit her playfully. "I don't want to wake up. I'm too tired."
"Are you hungry?" Hermione asked, ignoring his comment as she reached around the room and began pulling her clothes back on.
Ron considered this. "Well, I'm always hungry . . ."
"Good. We should go down to the Great Hall for lunch."
"Lunch?" Ron demanded incredulously.
"Well, yeah. We slept in."
"Shoot," Ron said suddenly and pulled his clothes on quickly. "Ginny and Harry are still in that closet. Come on!"
"Oh, Harry is going to be so pissed at you," Hermione laughed.
Ron ignored her, deciding not to start an arguement after the night they'd shared, and used a spell to open the closet door. He had expected Harry to jump out and attack him, but nothing happened. He and Hermione went to see what was going on and were surprised to see Harry and Ginny both sound asleep.
Hermione shook Ginny and the red head opened her eyes, settling them angrily on Ron. Ginny then sat up and shook Harry until he woke. She quickly realized she was straddling him and jumped out of the closet.
"You idiot!" she screeched at Ron, shoving him up against a wall. "You know I'm afraid of the dark!"
Harry looked just as menacing. "Ron, let me have my wand back."
"Now, Harry . . ." Hermione began, but trailed off. She handed him the wand helplessly.
Harry disarmed Ron and shoved him in the closet. "See how you like it," he said to Ron before shutting the door and cursing it locked.
Ginny was smiling at him in approval, but Hermione was looking concerned. "How long will you be keeping in there?"
Harry smiled wickedly at her. "Until after dinner. Ron's been naughty -- he should go to bed without any dinner. Do you have my cloak?"
Hermione nodded. "We don't need it now, though."
"Can we just go?" Ginny asked, annoyed.
Hermione and Harry shrugged and followed the red head up to lunch, deciding it best not to make an angry Weasley wait.
However, when they were just going to go through the entrance to the delicious smells of food and the sound of kids chattering and laughing, Ginny grabbed Hermione's arm and held her back.
"Can I talk to you?" she whispered.
Hermione nodded, though she was a bit hungry, and followed Ginny to the nearest empty classroom. "What is it?"
"Well . . . last night Harry and I were playing truth . . ."
* * * * *
**The Night Before, The Closet**
Harry snorted. "Nope. Do you still like . . . me?"
Ginny stiffened. How dare he ask such a question! But that wasn't what was making her so mad -- it was the fact that she didn't know the answer that was grating on her nerves. A mere half hour ago she would have said no, giggled, slapped him playfully, and ask him a question. But being so close to him . . . feeling his breath upon her neck because he was so near . . . feeling his lean muscles underneath her hand, still located on his arm . . . Ginny let out a deep breath. She was starting to get turned on and that was never good.
"Sometimes," Ginny finally whispered. She wanted to kick herself for answering truthfully. Before Harry could say anything she jumped into her question: "Do you think you could ever like me? In a more than friend context."
Harry didn't answer for a long time. He must be battling with himself as well, she thought to herself.
"I honestly don't know," Harry finally answered. "I mean, I don't think of you as Ron's little sister like I used to, now you're just . . . Ginny. But--" he forced a laugh "--we are awful close right now and . . ."
Ginny's eyes widened and she quickly took her hand off of his arm in shock. "Oh!" she said suddenly, clamping a hand over her mouth. What was he saying?
Harry suddenly changed the subject. "Last year, who was the real one who turned Snape's robes lavender?"
"You know it was me," Ginny answered. She played along with him. It was her fault of course -- her reaction to what he'd said. He was obviously hinting that he--or was he? She wasn't sure anymore. She couldn't even bring it up now, the conversation had flipped and Harry had made it clear he wanted to drop it. She felt like banging her head against the wall until Ron let her out for being such an idiot.
* * * * *
**Present**
"Wow," Hermione said after Ginny recapped what had happened. "Sounds like you two could have used a fan in there."
Ginny sighed in relief. "That's what I was thinking but -- I wasn't sure. Do you think that he, er, *does* like me? I mean, he implied . . ."
"I honestly don't know any more about this than you do. I could ask Ron to ask Har--"
"No!" Ginny said abruptly. There was a tense silence. "So, what was your night like?"
"Oh, simply amazing." Hermione's face glowed and her eyes brightened. "I mean, it wasn't our first time, of course, but it was the first time I actually . . . because, you know, the first time always hurts. Except, for me it was the first two times. Maybe Ron is just--" Hermione broke off, blushing.
"No, it's okay," Ginny said quickly. "I'm pretending right now that he's not my brother and just your boyfriend. Did you like the room? And the poem?"
"What poem?" Hermione asked, confused.
Ginny snickered. "Nothing, nothing. Did you like the room, though?"
"I simply loved it! It was so beautiful in there . . ." Hermione sighed. She snapped back to reality. "Harry did it though, didn't he?"
"Well, Ron did *tell* him what to put on it," Ginny said a bit defensively.
"All the same," Hermione said. "I never thought Ron could be so hopelessly romantic."
"Well, you did kind of force him into it," Ginny pointed out.
"Yeah, but still!"
"I know, I know," Ginny said, laughing. She sobered up quickly. "Hermione, what is it like?"
"What?"
"Being in love."
"With Ron, sometimes bloody annoying. But the rest of the time . . . it's hard to explain. Just a sense of happiness and joy that overcomes you, and stays with you, it's the knowledge that you love somebody and they love you back. A little thrill almost. You know, one time after Ron kissed him I actually hid under the covers and squealed like Lavender and Parvati!"
Ginny smiled, but it seemed forced. "And the . . . other stuff?"
"Oh." Hermione's eyes widened slightly at Ginny's bluntness. "Well . . . like I said, the first few times weren't exactly a picnic in the park, but last night . . . you know, I never would have thought of Ron as a passionate person, but he surprises me sometimes."
Ginny gave Hermione a dreamy smile. "You're lucky at least. I've never been kissed by a boy, let alone fallen in lo--well . . . I've never been kissed by a boy let alone had, er, 'relations' with one."
"You think I'm lucky?" Hermione scoffed. She pointed to her midriff. "You think this is lucky? For two and a half months I woke up every morning to find myself puking in the toilet for half an hour. Luckily I'm passed that stage. Now, however, I'm so emotional I can start crying at the slightest thing, and I keep sneaking into Ron's room late at night to clean it, then come back to my own to clean all of the girl's seventh years dorms. I haven't gotten sleep since . . . well, I don't get to sleep very often. Ginny, a word of advice, don't ever get pregnant. Adopt."
Ginny snicked at this and Hermione joined in the laughter after she realized how ridiculous she sounded.
"Well, that cheered me up a bit," Ginny said. "I'll be that thing with Harry last night was just one of those mad, passionate 'caught up-in-the-moment' things. Of course, unfortunately, most people get one of those mad passionate kisses to go along with it."
"You really have never been kissed before?" Hermione asked doubtfully. "What about Colin Creevey. Didn't he have a crush on you in fifth year?"
Ginny sighed. "Yeah. But that was one of the problems with my crush on Harry. I didn't have eyes for anyone else."
"You're speaking past tense."
"I know."
"Well . . . there are plenty of guys out there that would love to go out with you. Why don't you find yourself a boyfriend?" Hermione suggested. "Afterall, you *are* sixteen. Only a year and a half before you get a job and you know how those office romances always turn out. Try to broaden your horizon. Find somebody the exact opposite of Harry to keep your mind off of him."
"What makes you think my mind is *on* Harry?" Ginny sniffed.
"Well, you did bring me into an empty classroom to talk about him and confessed to wanting to kiss him last night," Hermione pointed out.
"I guess so," Ginny said finally. "Do you think Colin still has a crush on me? How do you go about getting a guy to ask you out?"
Hermione snorted. "Like I would know. Ron and I skipped all of that foreplay, as you might remember."
"Not really. You two were dancing around each other for years. Remember the Yule Ball?"
Hermione blushed. "Unfortunately."
"Well, do you think they're still serving lunch?"
"Let's go the dining hall and hope. I really am starved."
* * * * *
Okay, that was one long, big, huge scene. But, hey, it's the same size as all my other chapters, so sue me. Let's see . . . since you guys proved being capable of giving me more than I ask -- can I have a hundred and five? Pretty please? It'd make my day!:)
Oh, and don't worry about Ginny getting a boyfriend. Afterall, as we learned before, jealousy really *does* do wonders when wanting to get two people together.
~HJtheB