Of course, as we all know, I don't own anything JKR has created.
A/N: Okay y'all, here it is. The moment you've all been waiting for. I've discovered, in my own opinion, that I'm completely horrible at this stuff. It took me forty forevers to figure out how to write the scene at the end. I hope I did it justice, but y'all will be the judge of that. Please, I need input on this. Did I write it well enough? Thanks for reading, and I really hope you enjoy this chapter.
Chapter 10: Love's Embrace
Ginny ran into the kitchen and made it to the door before she heard her mother call her name. Darn, and I had my hand on the doorknob, too. She promptly turned around, hand still resting on the doorknob.
"Mum, I'm sort of in a hurry here," she said very impatiently.
"Don't you take that tone with me young lady," Mrs. Weasley replied.
Ron looked up from his meal and began to snigger at Ginny. Mrs. Weasley gave Ron the most infuriated look. She had been dealing with him all morning, and she didn't want his opinion on anything at that moment. She would be thoroughly glad when he was finished with his breakfast, and he occupied himself somewhere other than in her presence for a while. Ron was so shocked by his mother's glare that he choked on the piece of bacon he had been swallowing. Once he righted himself again, Mrs. Weasley turned back to Ginny.
"Between Ron wanting to eat everyone's food, and you not wanting any, I've been forced into a very foul mood young lady. You need to sit down and eat something. You had nothing for supper last night."
"But mum…" her voice was cut short as it was severely overruled by her mothers'.
"Ginevra Weasley, don't argue with me!" her voice taking on that tone that all mothers' voices get when their children are treading on thin ice. Uh oh, Ginny thought, she used my whole name. I think I'd better eat something before she blows her top. Ron must have really put her through the ringer this morning.
"Yes, mum," she whispered, as she sat down at the table, wishing to avoid her mother's wrath. She speedily inhaled the food that was set before her. She hadn't realized how hungry she really was until she was finally forced to eat something. I guess, sometimes mothers really do know best, she thought amusingly.
"Okay mum, I'm through. Can I please leave now?" she queried, testing her mother to see if her mood had changed at all since she had finally been obeyed by one of her children that morning.
"Yes dear. Where are you off to?"
"Oh, um… I'm meeting Hermione. Don't worry mum, we're not leaving the property. We'll be safe," Ginny replied, hoping her mother wouldn't make her elaborate.
"Okay love, but take Hermione some food please," she said, as she was putting some breakfast on a plate and covering it up. "She must have slipped past me this morning. Don't stay out too long dear, I don't want the sun to affect you the way it did yesterday," she cautioned her daughter. All traces of her foul mood gone, she gave Ginny a hug, handed her the plate for Hermione, and sent her on her way.
As she approached her secret haven she saw Hermione sitting cross legged by the edge of the stream, elbows propped on her knees, and her chin resting in her hands. She moved closer to her, and Hermione still didn't realize she was there. Ginny hesitantly called her name, and Hermione seemed to come out of a daze.
"Oh Ginny, you're here. Good. Are you feeling better this morning?" Hermione had been so deep in thought about what she was going to say that she hadn't heard Ginny's footsteps. When she finally realized the girl was there, she immediately forgot everything she had been planning.
"Much better actually. I would have been here sooner, but I had a talk with Harry, and mum made me eat some breakfast. Oh," she said, remembering the plate of food in her hand. "Mum wanted me to bring this to you."
Ginny held the plate out to Hermione, and when she placed her hands on the plate, her fingers overlapped Ginny's. She looked into Ginny's eyes to gauge her reaction and saw a fleeting look of desire pass over them. Finally taking the plate into her own hands, she said, "Have a seat. Tell me about what happened with Harry."
As Hermione ate her meal, Ginny relived her conversation with Harry. Hermione's heart sank when she heard the part about Harry telling Ginny he still loved her. Maybe I made a mistake telling Ginny to come here, she had thought as she lost her appetite and put her plate down next to her. She looked over to Ginny who was just finishing her tale, and thought, I can't take the chance of not telling her and regretting it the rest of my life. Be brave Hermione, make Godric Gryffindor proud.
When Ginny was finally finished, she looked to Hermione questioningly, as if to see whether the older girl was disappointed or not. Hermione asked her, "So, you two have settled whatever it was that was going on between you then?"
"I suppose…"
"Well, that's wonderful Ginny!" Hermione replied, trying to fake enthusiasm, but failing miserably. Ginny, gave her a feeble smile, and they were both quiet for a moment. The tension in the air was so thick, that even Dudley Dursley, who was oblivious to everything but himself, could have picked up on it.
"Do you still love him?" Hermione finally blurted out, unable to hold the question in any longer.
"Yes, I suppose I'll always love him…but I'm not in love with him anymore, if that's what your asking," she answered, looking intensely at Hermione who was looking away at that moment. Ginny thought she saw Hermione expel a long sigh.
"How do you know?" Hermione asked.
"Well, it's not really something I know…it's more like something I feel. I still love him, and I'll always hold a special place in my heart for him, but I don't feel that ache to be in his arms anymore. I don't know if it was the way he treated me that did it, but I've just fallen out of love with him, if that's possible."
"Is it really that easy to fall out of love with someone?" Hermione said more to herself than to Ginny.
"Well, I think of it this way. You're going to fall in love with many people in your lifetime, but you're only going to stay in love with the one your love is meant for. The other's you will fall out of love with and some you may have never really been in love with at all; you just thought you were," Ginny replied, searching for some indication of what Hermione was thinking about.
"Oh…" Hermione's voice trailed off as she pondered what Ginny had just told her. There was silence once more, until Ginny interrupted Hermione's thoughts.
"What was it you wanted to tell me?" she asked Hermione.
Oh goodness, it's now or never, Hermione thought. "Well, I've had a lot of time to think about what you told me yesterday," she said, turning to face Ginny. She took the red head's hands in hers and immediately felt at home. All of her fears left her as she drew from Ginny's strength. "I wasn't exactly honest with you, but it was because I wasn't being honest with myself."
Hermione moved herself from her cross legged position and rested on her knees in front of Ginny. She placed her hand on Ginny's cheek and felt the softness of her skin under her fingertips. She looked into the younger girl's eyes, and felt a river of longing pass through them to hers. She smiled tenderly, and said, "I don't know what I'm getting myself into, but I think I love you Ginny Weasley. I think I always have, but I've just never admitted it to myself. When you told me how you felt, it awakened that part of me that had been in denial for so long…"
Ginny's heart began to beat uncontrollably, and she felt like she was going to pass out. Did I just hear her right? Can this possibly be happening? It is, I can feel the warmth of her hand on my cheek. A single tear escaped the stronghold of her eye lashes and rolled down her cheek. She put her hands over Hermione's and closed her eyes, pressing her face into Hermione's palm. I don't want this to end, I want this moment to last forever.
As she opened her eyes, she saw the most beautiful smile form across Hermione's lips. "I feel the same way Hermione. I don't know where it came from or why it took over my heart with such force, or so quickly, but I know I feel it down to my very soul. I know your heart is my home, and your love is my life. I felt so alone after I told you and I thought you didn't feel the same. I felt like a piece of me was torn away, but I would have waited for you forever."
"Oh Ginny…" was all Hermione could manage to utter. Ginny had just said everything Hermione had been wanting to tell her. "You said it so much better than I could have. I was too scared."
"You have nothing to be scared of with me, nothing to hide. Please don't ever keep your feelings from me, I want to know everything that's bothering you Hermione. I want to know everything that's going on in your mind."
Ginny reached out and ran her fingers through Hermione's hair. She felt herself moving closer to the woman she had just expressed her love to. She couldn't stop herself, she didn't want to for that matter. As she leaned into Hermione she saw the smile on her lips broaden, then she closed her eyes.
It was an explosion of raw emotions as Hermione felt Ginny's soft lips meet hers. A million things were said between them without a trace of sound as their lips mingled together. Hermione felt Ginny's hand move to the back of her neck and it sent a plethora of delightful chills down her spine. She wrapped her arms around the younger woman, and pulled her closer, feeling the heat from Ginny's body radiate through her own. She was glad she hadn't been standing because her knees would have given out on her. The heat coursing through her body, and the sensation of Ginny's lips exploring her own sent her into another world. A world where she completely melted into Ginny. She brought her hand up to Ginny's face and caressed her cheek as she pulled away, but not before leaving the slightest trace of a soft kiss upon the girls bottom lip.
"So this is what it's like to be one with another person?" she dreamily asked Ginny.
Ginny exhaled a contented sigh, and said, "Has anyone ever told you how beautiful you are?"
Hermione giggled, and replied, "Well, Ron tried once…" Her voice suddenly came to a halt as she remember her boyfriend. "Ginny, what am I going to do about Ron?"
"You told me once that a lot of things had to be figured out, but we didn't have to do it right then. Take some of your own advice Hermione!" Ginny playfully replied as she pulled Hermione closer to her.
Hermione blushed, as she remembered that night. "Ginny, you're completely incorrigible some-" she was cut off by Ginny's lips on her own again. She once again found herself melting into Ginny's warm embrace, and decided that thoughts of Ron could wait until later. She was with Ginny now, and Ginny deserved her complete attention.