(((A/N: Okay--quick thing. Lavender and Hermione have a history of dislike...Lavender is kind of--a biotch in my story. Sorry bout the language--but theres no other way to put it. She is. Get over it. Tough Love. Love ya'll! Enjoy the reading! 33)))
As Hermione walked into her room that night and started to undress, a voice stopped her.
"Where have you been?" Hermione whipped her head around and looked through the darkness into the direction of Ginny's bed, where the voice had come from.
"I went down to the kitchens to get something to eat…" Hermione said, turning her back to Ginny and pulling her shirt over her head. She tucked it in her drawer and pulled out a fresh one to sleep in. Tugging it over her head, she heard Ginny's reply.
"No…I was down there earlier and you weren't there. And I know you weren't out with Ron or Harry, because you would've let me know. And I know…I know…you didn't sneak out with one of my older brothers at two o'clock in the morning…I know you wouldn't do that without at least telling me first…I know….Hermione? What's going on?" Hermione hesitated as she slipped off her jeans and pulled on an old pair of boxers she usually slept in. She turned and walked towards Ginny's bed and sat on the edge.
"Gin, I…we…I did what I had to do." Ginny looked as though she was about to cry. She pulled her knees up to her chest and hugged them to her.
"I don't understand…" She said, staring at Hermione with a confused and hurt expression on her face. Hermione reassuringly put her hand on Ginny's knee.
"I can't expect you to…" She said wearily. She leaned over and gave Ginny a quick squeeze around the shoulders before standing up and climbing into her own bed. Before she rolled over and fell asleep, she heard a voice floating over from Ginny's bed.
"…I wish you would trust me…"
The next morning, Hermione was so tired she literally had to drag herself down the stairs and into the Great Hall. She knew she looked horrible, but she didn't particularly care. She slid into a seat next to Ginny and grabbed the glass of Orange Juice that had materialized in front of her like it did every morning. She was so focused on drinking her juice and keeping her eyes open at the same time, which was hard to do since she was so tired, she didn't notice three sets of eyes openly staring at her.
"Hermione?" She finally snapped out of her daze long enough to notice that Harry, Ginny, and Ron were staring at her.
"Oh, erm…good morning." She muttered, draining the rest of the juice from her glass and placing it on the table. She put her elbow on the table and propped her head up on the table.
"Morning." They all said together, still staring at her.
"'Mione, are you sure you're alright…you look kind of—tired." Ron said, reaching across the table and covering Hermione's hand with his own. Hermione snatched her hand away and placed it in her lap. The sudden action shocked Ron, and Hermione could tell his feelings were slightly hurt.
"She had a late night last night…" Ginny said, her expression not changing at all. Harry turned his head and looked at her, a question on his face.
"What--?" He started to ask, but Hermione stopped him.
"Ginny—" She started, but hissed the rest under her breath "—not another word." Ginny paled and took her eyes from Hermione, focusing whole-heartedly on her own plate of breakfast. Harry and Ron gave her an odd look, but continued on with their own breakfast. Ginny didn't say another word the rest of the meal. The tension was so thick, it could be cut with a knife. Hermione forced herself to participate in Ron and Harry's small talk, and managed to stay awake for the whole meal. She planned on skipping Herbology (she'd never skipped a class before) and going back to bed before Potions. Five minutes before breakfast was over, she heard movement behind her.
"Hiya Harry…" Lavender Brown stood behind her, smiling coyly at Harry. Her gaze hesitantly left Harry and moved around the table, greeting everyone else. "Ron, Ginny…" Her eyes looked down and rested on Hermione and she broke into a devilish smile. "Hermione! I'm surprised you're down at breakfast this morning!"
"Lavender, I'm at breakfast every morning." Hermione said coolly. She turned around and stood up so that she was eye to eye with Lavender.
"Yes well…I wasn't sure if you would be…seeing as you had a late night last night." Hermione was thankful her back was to Harry and Ron, so they wouldn't see the look of surprise on her face.
"I…" She stuttered out. She felt Ginny stand next to her, and was instantly glad Ginny was there to back her up.
"Lavender…don't you have to be somewhere?" Ginny said. Hermione saw out of the corner of eye that Ginny's face was turning pink…a sure sign of anger.
"Yes…my friends are waiting for me by the Main Doors." She smiled at Ron and then turned to Harry, smiling coyly and giving him a sultry wink. "Seeya Harry…" She smirked at Ginny and Hermione before she started to walk away. Harry rolled his eyes at her retreating figure and faked a gag. Lavender however, didn't notice. She took about five steps away from Hermione, then swung around and pulled her hand up to rest on her hip. She stared at Hermione and said loudly. "Hermione! Next time you go out with Fred Weasley at two in the morning—be sure to tell him I said hello!" She smirked again at the shocked faces of Hermione, Ginny, Harry, and Ron….along with all the others at the Gryffindor and Slytherin tables that had her, then walked off and out the Main Doors.
"Hermione…don't worry. Lavender was just trying to ruffle your feathers is all…don't listen to her." Ginny pulled Hermione's hair back from her face and rubbed her back soothingly. Hermione was draped across her bed, lying on her stomach, as silent as the grave. She wasn't moving; she wasn't talking, she wasn't even responding to anything Ginny said. The minute Lavender had left; Hermione had picked herself up and walked out of the Great Hall as if in a daze. The room was silent as she made her way out. The minute the doors closed behind her, however, it erupted into a loud roar of stories and expectations and theories about why she was with Fred at such an odd hour. Ginny had grabbed her things and dashed out of the room to find Hermione, followed closely by Harry and Ron. Ginny had hurried up to the Girls' Dormitories, leaving the boys to wait in the empty common room. She'd found Hermione on the bed, hugging a pillow and staring blankly at the wall. She hadn't moved, and Ginny had been speaking to her for almost ten minutes, trying to soothe her.
"I know I don't have much of a place to ask this…but…why was Fred--?" Ginny faded off, afraid to finish her question. Hermione finally blinked and looked at her, sitting up and hugging the pillow tighter. She stared at Ginny for a minute, then turned her face away and looked at the ground.
"We're married." Hermione said matter-of-factly. Ginny couldn't help but let her jaw drop. Her eyes bugged out of her head and her mouth fell open.
"You're serious?" Ginny said, already knowing Hermione was telling the absolute truth. Hermione nodded. "How long?"
"Just since last night…but Ginny—please don't tell Ron yet; or Harry—or anyone. Please—I want to speak to Fred about this…I don't know if he wants your family to know yet…at least not until he's told George. He'll want George to know first. George would get very offended if he wasn't told first---" Hermione knew she was rambling, but she didn't really care.
"Okay." Ginny said, and Hermione was surprised at her easy acceptance of the marriage.
"Are you serious? You're not angry with me?" Hermione said, letting the pillow fall to the floor.
