Title:  Wildflowers

Rating:  G

Warning:  Femslashy fluff.  Two girls kissing.  Not really much to warn about, but hey, tell the flamers that… : )

Disclaimer:  I don't own anything.  Everything is JK Rowlings', or Warner Bros', not mine.

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"How about this one?" The girl lifted one of the golden cup-shaped blossoms to her companion's eyes. Another was tucked behind her own ear, nicely complementing her vivid red hair in the afternoon sunlight.

"Ranunculus. Buttercup. They're poisonous, you know; it gives you horrible stomach problems if you eat it."

The other girl took the stem of the proffered flower and rolled it between her fingers, twirling the golden head around and around. She had a characteristically serious look on her face, even though there was absolutely nothing to be serious about. The two of them were in the middle of an open field, flecked with bunches and clumps of various wildflowers. It was summer, one of those hot days in July, where the memory of school is long-past and next term not even a speck on the horizon.

"Isn't there some old wives' tale about if you hold one under your chin and the skin there turns yellow, it means you like butter?"

"I don't know. Sounds silly to me."

Ginny held up another blossom to her friend's chin.

"Look, see? You like butter, Mione, d'you know that?" Hermione giggled and kissed Ginny on the nose. The redhead just smiled and bent down to pick another flower.

"Okay, how much do you know about this one?"

"Foxglove, or digitalis digitalis, very strong poison that speeds up your heartrate. Biennial. My mom pulled up a whole patch of these in our yard before she realized they were flowers."

Ginny giggled and said, "It's also used in healing potions. You forgot that!"
"Oh, fine, maybe I did. So that's Ginny: one, and Hermione..." She trailed off, ticking off handfuls of fingers, a mischievous smile on her face.

"Funny." Ginny smirked and shoved her gently. She hadn't expected Hermione to grab her arm though, and they both lost their balance and toppled over into a clump of violets.

"I suppose you're going to tell me these are poisonous too, right?"

"Nope. I think you can cook with them, actually. Sugared violets, or something."

"Hm. Wonder if they really taste good."

"I'm not trying any."

"Come on, where's that Gryffindor courage?"

"Left it at the Burrow."

"Bother you."

They lay there, silent, for what felt like hours or only a few seconds. There was no way to tell but the sun, which also seemed to have been just past its peak for days. No sense of time existed; it was like stepping into a fairytale or a spell.

"'Eternity lies in the present.' Or something like that."

"Did you come up with that?"

"No. I paraphrased it from some poet, or philosopher, or whatever."

"I thought you memorized everything."

"No. There's too much to memorize."

And Hermione is staring at Ginny through her lashes, eyelids near closed with the lazy afternoon, and Ginny just smiles.

"Like this afternoon?"

"Like you."