Chapter 4 – Not Just A Normal Friend
Washing her cuts with a swish of her wand, she stood up feeling better. Another swish and any stains on clothing or sheets were gone. Hermione smiled, she didn't really know why, but she just did.
The common room went quiet as she walked down the stairs, but she just smiled again at them all, and began to go over to where Ginny was. Then she saw her and Harry were in a very heated discussion. "Weird," Hermione thought, "I've never seen them fight before. I mean, there have been petty fights, but never that look in her eyes..." The happy feeling quickly fell out of the bottom of her stomach.
"Harry, I'm sorry ok? But it's not exactly something I can help! Anyway, after that display with 'Mione back there, I'm not too sure if I even like you anymore let alone love you!"
"And I'M sorry for THAT! But I can't help it if she wants to go round looking like she's dressed out of a bloody jumble sale!" At this, Ginny raised an eyebrow. Jumble sales are muggle things, so Hermione knew. She looked down at her clothes, then back up at the back of Harrys head. "You know, a place where people dump their old stuff they don't want and weirdo's come and buy them again? You know, whack jobs that enjoy provoking people to beat them up. ####### losers." he spat out.
Ginny's mouth dropped open, her arm extended and her hand made contact with Harry's cheek, hard. Very hard. Harry froze for a split-second, touched his cheek, and then gritted his teeth. With fire in his eyes, he pushed Ginny. She stumbled backwards, and tripped over the curtains. She hit the floor with a crack. Hermione charged. She knocked Harry down to the floor and ran over to see Ginny. Her head had cracked on the marble hearth, and a trickle of blood ran out of her fiery hair and across the stonework.
"Ginny? Oh God Ginny, please, open your eyes, hunny don't go, please, SOMEONE GO GET A ####### PROFFESSOR!" Hermione screamed, and several people charged out of the portrait hole. Screams and shouts were heard echoing around the castle.
Harry was staring, horrified, at Ginny. Unable to move, his mouth hung open and suddenly, seeing the blood for the first time, he threw up all over the carpet. Hermione turned on him.
"YOU! This is your entire fault! How DARE you insult me, then when she stands up for me you ATTACK her!" She stood up, and spat on Harry, breathing heavily on the floor.
Just then, everyone's attention was distracted by Mme Pomfrey heaving herself through the portrait hole. "Where's the girl?" she panted, and ran in the direction of everyone's fingers, over to Ginny's lifeless form. "Whose fault is this? Because him or her and Hermione are the only ones to accompany me to the Infirmary." All heads turned to Harry and the pile of sick on the floor. Except there was no Harry.
Hermione screamed in frustration as she saw a broom disappearing off into the distant sky at high speed. He had run away, the coward. Well, flown. She knelt down next to Ginny.
"I'm so sorry, please hold on Gin. You can't go, you're all I have left, Gin, darling, I love you, please..."
And the world went black.
She awoke in a bed in the infirmary. For a moment, she was confused. Then it all rushed back. In one second the flashbacks rushed through her mind, up until seeing Ginny's porcelain face, her dry lips, the deep red seeping through her hair...
She shot upright, and scanned the room for her beautiful Ginny. There was a screened bed right at the end, which must be her. After quickly listening for Pomfrey, and hearing nothing, she crept out of her bed and tip-toed towards the green screen. Suddenly, she heard the door into Pomfreys office click open, and Dumbledore entered with the Matron behind. Panicking, she collapsed on the nearest bed, hoping Mme Pomfrey wouldn't notice the change.
"Where is the poor girl?" She head Dumbledore ask, in his now old-sounding voice.
"She's hidden from view. And Hermione's on that bed over there." Came the reply, and she heard footsteps making their way behind the screen. Risking opening one eye, she saw the shadows of the two adults cast on the screen. Dumbledore had a hand outstretched, placed on Ginny's forehead. Pomfrey was mixing a potion.
"Where's Harry now?" He questioned
"No-one knows. Maybe the forbidden forest, maybe out of Hogwarts all together. He's a very intelligent boy, could be anywhere. Probably thinks he's killed her."
"He very well could have done. She's bad enough as it is." The old man paused, considering how to say what was on his mind. "There has been a certain . . . change in the boy lately."
The matron nodded in agreement
"Many professors have noticed it." Dumbledore continued, "Seems to have a high stress level over something. Not just exams."
Hermione considered this. Dumbledore was right. Harry had been very different. She doubted it being to do with Gin; it just wasn't that sort of change. Christ, everyone's going mad! "Including me," she thought, "after all, I did go off with Draco!"
"Hmm," Dumbledore was thinking. "Could it be worth getting the Marauders Map?"
Mme Pomfrey shrugged, but Dumbledore just looked at her and she knew she was the one to go and get it.
Once she had left, it was silent for a few seconds.
"So Miss Granger, how did all this come about?" Hermione jumped, God that man had a way of knowing everything. She hadn't made a sound, yet he still knew she was awake! "Care to come round here? I know you're fine, and that you want to see her. Good job we came in when we did, or else I think Mme Pomfrey would have had something to say about you being out of bed." He really did have a way. And Hermione just knew his eyes were sparkling behind that curtain.
She climbed gingerly out of bed, and padded bare-foot across the stone floor. Taking a deep breath, she peered around the corner. Ginny's head was bandaged up, making it look as if it would fall apart at any moment. She was still very pale, her brilliant hair standing out even more, and the freckles were more prominent. Still beautiful, Hermione thought. Her lips were dry still, and also a sickly pale colour. Blood soaked the bandage. As Ginny's eyelids fluttered gently, Hermione wondered what she was dreaming of.
"Don't worry Miss Granger. She's not in a coma or anything, just asleep."
Hermione breathed a sigh of relief.
"But I still wish to know what happened with her and Mr Potter."
So she began from her confronting the boys about their behaviour, right up to her fainting. Dumbledore listened intently, and when she was done, he let out a weary sigh.
"Oh, the troubles of teenagers. Shame it had to come to this, Miss Weasly certainly didn't deserve this."
"I can't believe Harry ran away. The stupid little bas-"
"-And I'm sure Mr Potter didn't intend for this to happen either." He interrupted, looking right into Hermione eyes. She looked down at her bare feet and felt slightly ashamed. He was right after all. As always.
They were interrupted by the sound of Mme Pomfrey coming back in. "Now I suggest you get some more rest, because you look like you need it." Hermione nodded, then as he walked past her he whispered in her ear "I know you wont, so I'll take Mme Pomfrey somewhere else for you." And he winked at her. What an amazing man, she thought to herself.
Once they had gone, she pulled up a chair and sat in silence, watching her best friend sleep. A tear leaked out of the corner of her eye. This was her fault. If she hadn't gone off on one and shouted at the guys, if she hadn't argued, if she hadn't been so different in the first place . . .
Then Ginny opened her eyes gently. Hermione smiled, leant forward, and placed a kiss on Ginnys forehead. "Welcome back hunny"
Ginny returned the smile, and Hermiones insides warmed up immediately.
And Ginny pulled her down into a warm embrace. As she felt Ginnys warm tears trickle down her neck, Ginny whispered "I was conscious, when you said you loved me."
Hermiones heart stopped.
"It sounded . . . sincere. And, different to how . . . 'just friends' say it. . ."
Her breathing quickened. Her mind was rushing. Thinking back on it, she did mean it differently. Thinking back on every thought she'd had about the young redhead in the past week, she realised they were different. The way she looked at her, admired her slender figure. Her amazing curves, that little wisp of hair . . . Was she, Hermione Granger, a lesbian?
"...And it was lovely of you..."
Did Ginny feel the same? Was that what she had been telling Harry she couldn't help?
"...It's amazing knowing that you don't think of me as just a friend, and I feel the same about you. Not just a normal friend...."
Here it was, she was going to admit it. How should Hermione react? What would happen, oh God would they kiss?! The butterflies in her stomach seemed to be caught up in some kind of tornado.
"...I love you as a BEST friend."
Hermiones stomach dropped out of her body. Best friend? She wanted to cry.
"You know what I think? I think you're one of the best friends anyone could ever had 'Mione." And Ginny hugged her tighter.
Hermione stuttered out a thank you, and then excused herself because she had been told to get back to common room by 7, and it was almost 7 now.
She half walked half ran out of the infirmary, and leant on the wall outside. "What the HELL just happened?" she thought to herself, "was I just admitting to myself that I'm a lesbian? Am I!? Oh God, Gin, what do I think about her? I can't believe I thought for 1 crazy moment that anyone could love this skanky whack job!! So I DO want Gin to love me, or do I? RAR man this is so ####### stupid!! Who AM i?"
She ran to the toilets and cried.
Poor Hermione, eh?
Well, to cut a long story short, i am mildly annoyed. Because i am not getting any reviews. Even if you don't think its absolutely amazingly fantastic, please review just to let me know you have read it. Becuase otherwise, i dunno if there is much point. Please.