Chapter 7
Every time he saw her his stomach clenched with emotion. She was always radiant and always beautiful. He savored every moment he spent with her, and made it last. Tonight was one of those nights.
"Harry," she laughed on a breath as he kissed her neck softly. "We have to get back, its getting dark. Hermione-"
"Will entertain Ron for a few more minutes." He said huskily, tightening his arms around her and raining more kissing on her neck, making her heart flutter pleasently. They were on the balcony again, the sky was turning a dark shade and stars were beginning to shine.
She pushed back on his shoulders, and raised a brow at him. "I never knew you could be so-"
He crushed his mouth to hers in a quick peck.
"So what, Ginny?" He asked with a grin.
She watched him and his eyes, and the moonlight that danced there. Something in her stomach churned, as she answered, "I don't know anymore."
Assuming the look on her face was surprise from a good kiss, he squeezed her once more, and let her go.
"We should probably get back. Hermione is probably dying in Ron's company."
They made their way to the door, hand in hand.
"You're probably right," she muttered.
They arrived at the portrait hole, and Ginny decided to climb in first to give the impression she had been alone. She climbed inside, and saw two shadows on the couch, connected at the lips. When she realized one was her older brother, and the other was her bushy haired best friend, her breath caught in surprise.
"Oh my goodness." She whispered, covering her mouth with her hands. The two tore apart, and Hermione shot up.
"Ginny!"
In the firelight, she saw Hermione turn a bright shade of red. She stepped closer, and saw Ron trying to hide.
"Please tell me I did not just see what I thought I saw." Ginny was in pure shock of what she had just witnessed.
"Listen, I can explain." Hermione said.
"Explain what?" Harry turned up behind Ginny, and she spun around.
"I just found Ron and Hermione sucking each other's face off!" Harry's eyebrows rose in astonishment.
"Really? Well . . ."
Ron was trying to creep away from the scene, but Ginny spotted him as she turned around.
"Ronald Weasley, get your butt back here." She barked.
He crawled back at the mercy of his baby sister and sat on the couch next to Hermione.
"Explain." Ginny growled. She was mad, no, beyond mad. How could they do this behind her back? How could they?
"Well," Ron started, gulping loudly.
"No wait." Harry interrupted, throwing his hands up. "I don't really want to hear this."
"I can't believe you!" Ginny said at Hermione. Hermione threw her a nasty glare, slitting her eyes. "What are you glaring at?"
Hermione raised an eyebrow and crossed her arms. Her eyes were cold. "You Ginny Weasley."
Ginny's brows drew together in puzzlement, watching Hermione cautiously. Then she realized. Wasn't she pulling the same stunt? Wasn't she sneaking behind her own brother's back, and having a fling with his best friend? Although, she knew it was growing to be much more than a fling, it was still wrong. She was criticizing Hermione for doing something she herself had been doing for the past few weeks. Ginny uncrossed her arms and frowned.
"I don't care. It's not my business." She decided, and stalked away, out the portrait hole, to pace.
Ron let out a huge sigh. Harry stood there, watching Ron with a smirk. He winked at him, and followed Ginny out.
"What's wrong?" he asked quietly, watching her pace.
"Don't you realize?" She asked him, stopping in her tracks to look at him. "We're doing just what they're doing. Sneaking around. Our friendships have too many secrets. Harry, we have to tell them. I can't stand living this lie anymore."
"You think what's between us is a lie?" His voice was suddenly hard.
"It's not what's between us, its what's around us. Sneaking off is thrilling, and I admit I love it," She stared to pace again, "but I feel guilty Harry. Like I'm lying to my brother everyday. I feel like I'm living in betrayal, every single day. I love Ron, and I don't want to hurt him."
"Well it looks like he didn't think like that when he was making out with Hermione."
She was suddenly hurt. He was right. They were both playing the same game, and they both needed to come clean.
"I imagine he'll be more angry with me than I with him."
"I think it will be about the same." He strode over to her, and gathered her into him. "We'll tell him together, and they can spill at the same time."
"God I hate drama." She rested her head on his shoulder.
"Life is drama, there is no avoiding it." She looked up at him and smiled.
"Sometimes you amaze me with your wisdom." She said matter-of-factly.
"Ditto," he replied, thinking of the night he fell in love with her. He kissed her lightly, as he led her back toward the common room.
A storm is brewing, she thought, and it awaited both of them on the other side of the portrait.
Every time he saw her his stomach clenched with emotion. She was always radiant and always beautiful. He savored every moment he spent with her, and made it last. Tonight was one of those nights.
"Harry," she laughed on a breath as he kissed her neck softly. "We have to get back, its getting dark. Hermione-"
"Will entertain Ron for a few more minutes." He said huskily, tightening his arms around her and raining more kissing on her neck, making her heart flutter pleasently. They were on the balcony again, the sky was turning a dark shade and stars were beginning to shine.
She pushed back on his shoulders, and raised a brow at him. "I never knew you could be so-"
He crushed his mouth to hers in a quick peck.
"So what, Ginny?" He asked with a grin.
She watched him and his eyes, and the moonlight that danced there. Something in her stomach churned, as she answered, "I don't know anymore."
Assuming the look on her face was surprise from a good kiss, he squeezed her once more, and let her go.
"We should probably get back. Hermione is probably dying in Ron's company."
They made their way to the door, hand in hand.
"You're probably right," she muttered.
They arrived at the portrait hole, and Ginny decided to climb in first to give the impression she had been alone. She climbed inside, and saw two shadows on the couch, connected at the lips. When she realized one was her older brother, and the other was her bushy haired best friend, her breath caught in surprise.
"Oh my goodness." She whispered, covering her mouth with her hands. The two tore apart, and Hermione shot up.
"Ginny!"
In the firelight, she saw Hermione turn a bright shade of red. She stepped closer, and saw Ron trying to hide.
"Please tell me I did not just see what I thought I saw." Ginny was in pure shock of what she had just witnessed.
"Listen, I can explain." Hermione said.
"Explain what?" Harry turned up behind Ginny, and she spun around.
"I just found Ron and Hermione sucking each other's face off!" Harry's eyebrows rose in astonishment.
"Really? Well . . ."
Ron was trying to creep away from the scene, but Ginny spotted him as she turned around.
"Ronald Weasley, get your butt back here." She barked.
He crawled back at the mercy of his baby sister and sat on the couch next to Hermione.
"Explain." Ginny growled. She was mad, no, beyond mad. How could they do this behind her back? How could they?
"Well," Ron started, gulping loudly.
"No wait." Harry interrupted, throwing his hands up. "I don't really want to hear this."
"I can't believe you!" Ginny said at Hermione. Hermione threw her a nasty glare, slitting her eyes. "What are you glaring at?"
Hermione raised an eyebrow and crossed her arms. Her eyes were cold. "You Ginny Weasley."
Ginny's brows drew together in puzzlement, watching Hermione cautiously. Then she realized. Wasn't she pulling the same stunt? Wasn't she sneaking behind her own brother's back, and having a fling with his best friend? Although, she knew it was growing to be much more than a fling, it was still wrong. She was criticizing Hermione for doing something she herself had been doing for the past few weeks. Ginny uncrossed her arms and frowned.
"I don't care. It's not my business." She decided, and stalked away, out the portrait hole, to pace.
Ron let out a huge sigh. Harry stood there, watching Ron with a smirk. He winked at him, and followed Ginny out.
"What's wrong?" he asked quietly, watching her pace.
"Don't you realize?" She asked him, stopping in her tracks to look at him. "We're doing just what they're doing. Sneaking around. Our friendships have too many secrets. Harry, we have to tell them. I can't stand living this lie anymore."
"You think what's between us is a lie?" His voice was suddenly hard.
"It's not what's between us, its what's around us. Sneaking off is thrilling, and I admit I love it," She stared to pace again, "but I feel guilty Harry. Like I'm lying to my brother everyday. I feel like I'm living in betrayal, every single day. I love Ron, and I don't want to hurt him."
"Well it looks like he didn't think like that when he was making out with Hermione."
She was suddenly hurt. He was right. They were both playing the same game, and they both needed to come clean.
"I imagine he'll be more angry with me than I with him."
"I think it will be about the same." He strode over to her, and gathered her into him. "We'll tell him together, and they can spill at the same time."
"God I hate drama." She rested her head on his shoulder.
"Life is drama, there is no avoiding it." She looked up at him and smiled.
"Sometimes you amaze me with your wisdom." She said matter-of-factly.
"Ditto," he replied, thinking of the night he fell in love with her. He kissed her lightly, as he led her back toward the common room.
A storm is brewing, she thought, and it awaited both of them on the other side of the portrait.