Chapter 13

"Good morning to you too." Hermione said happily.

"Ah, well – that is to say…" Ginny babbled, stopping when Hermione placed a finger on her lips and said "Quiet love. It's okay."

When she felt Hermione's finger leave her lips she detachedly felt regret, but most of her was far too busy trying to convince her heart to start beating again to give that little part much attention or consideration.

After she was reasonably sure both her heart and ears were working she attempted to check how well her lungs and tongue were working by forcing out, "What did you say?"

Hermione smiled sleepily and stretched again, this time one of her legs managing to wrap itself intimately around one of Ginny's. Needless to say, Ginny had completely forgotten the question by the time Hermione answered it.

"I just called you 'love' because I love you. We went over this sometime yesterday morning. I guess you don't remember because your fever was so high, but you told me you loved me too. Then you passed out again. Don't you ever scare me like that again!" she said vehemently, tightening her grip so much that Ginny's already labored breathing became more so, and she gasped out, "Air. Need. Air!"

Hermione blushed and loosened her grip but didn't let go. "Sorry, but you scared me. A lot. I don't ever want to be that scared again."

Ginny was still too dumbstruck to actually form words and lay there staring at Hermione for what felt like an hour but was probably closer to five minutes.

"You love me."

Her sweet and happy smile awoke some fuzzy memories of the last time she had seen Hermione smile that way. "Oh. You do. I kinda remember." She closed her eyes and scrunched her face up trying to remember the details.

Hermione wanted so badly to kiss her, the look of utter concentration was so cute she could barely restrain herself but she didn't want to send Ginny into a panic.

"Did you actually carry me here?" Ginny asked incredulously, opening her eyes wide with disbelief.

"Yeah."

"Why didn't you cast a levitation charm or something?"

Hermione squirmed in Ginny's arms and looked away. "I didn't think of it." Looking back at Ginny's face and seeing her smile she quickly looked away again. "I was so absorbed in what we had said and my feelings of panic were so overwhelming … I just didn't think."

Ginny considered teasing her, but realized that was what Hermione was expecting. So rather, she decided to throw her off as Hermione had been doing to her for the previous hour or thereabouts.

"It's okay. I understand." She got her wish as Hermione whipped her head back to scrutinize Ginny's to see if she was being serious.

She slowly relaxed and smiled. "You know, I think you really do."

The sweet irresistible smile on her face made her heart race and started a train of thought that Ginny just couldn't ignore. She slowly tilted Hermione's face towards her own until their lips were scant inches apart. The smile gone, Hermione licked her lips and looked at Ginny's clam face and anxious eyes.

At the same time they leaned those few inches and their lips met for the first time in a feather light caress that left them both fighting for air.

Parting, they couldn't speak, only watch to see if the other had felt the same spark.

Soon they stopped caring, and as they shared their second and third kisses with each other that spark turned into a raging fire.

Again they broke apart, having only felt each other lips thus far. Breathing heavily, they tried to organize their thoughts, if only to ask the other if she wanted it as much as they did.

Hermione had gathered her thoughts enough to realize that, while their world seemed to be standing still, the rest of the world wasn't. She was hungry, and the bar on the side of the bed was digging painfully into her back.

When she looked back over into Ginny's eyes she nearly lost her grip on reality again. How could anyone look into those eyes so full of love and uncertainty without wanting to erase all doubts, however long it took? But she saw movement and, tearing her eyes away from her love's, she saw Madame Pomfrey headed their way.

"A pox on reality." She said softly, untangling her body from Ginny's and climbing out of the hospital bed.

Madame Pomfrey pretended not to notice and instead gave all her attention to her patient. "Ah! Awake at last." She bustled around the bed and began muttering as she gave Ginny a thorough examination.

Just as Ginny was beginning to get embarrassed she apparently finished and cast a minor spell that illuminated Ginny in a bright green glow for a moment before fading. Then she took herself off stilling muttering, though with a vaguely content quality in her incoherency.

Hermione smiled down at her love and could not imagine a life without this wonderful young woman in it. She had a sudden thought, but this was neither the time, nor the place.

She was about to climb back into bed when Madame Pomfrey came back in. "Okay younglings. So long as you get plenty of bed rest I pronounce you fit to go. If you feel any of your sickness returning I want you to come see me straightaway, and I'd like you to come back in a few days anyways so I can just make sure it's all going okay. Sound agreeable?" they both nodded, though she was obviously more concerned about Ginny's condition than Hermione's.

She smiled, secretly pleased that the pair were so obviously smitten with each other. They would do their very best by the other and there is no better suited match than that in her opinion.

"All right, off with you!"

Ginny was a little confused, as Madame Pomfrey was usually very strict and didn't let her patients out of her sight until she was completely positive they were alright. But Hermione had caught the approving look. Surprised and grateful she helped Ginny up. A quick spell got rid of the wrinkles in their clothes and they took themselves off.

A/N: So. Little bit of action, and major stuff in next chapter. Sorry to all my readers for taking so long to get this out. The woman I loved decided a short drop and a sudden stop was the answer to her problems and I just haven't been able to stand anything happy… but I'm making an effort. Hope you liked it.