Dumbledore looked outside, where two teenage girls sat lounging under a tree near the lake. One of the girls had curly bushy caramel colored hair, and the other had long vibrant red hair and freckles. They were of course Hermione Granger and Ginny Weasley.
"It's extraordinary," said Dumbledore to himself, "how those two remind me of Arabella Figg and Lily Potter." For, many years ago, they had sat under the same tree, talking. Lily Potter also had had red hair, but a shade darker than Ginny's. Hermione looked just like Arabella, with the exception of her curly hair, which she had inherited from her mother
Their characters were much alike, too. Ginny was upbeat and active, and had a sort of radiating power around her. Hermione was more of a shy school girl type. She didn't talk to many, but those who knew her could not get her to shut up.
So," Hermione asked, reddening slightly, "are you going to Hogsmeade tomorrow?"
Ginny looked her straight in her sparkling blue eyes. "I don't know. I've already been so many times, it's sort of becoming boring, and I don't have a date, and it's Valentine's Day! I dumped Dean, by the way." She added.
"Did you really?" Hermione questioned, but of course she already knew that. Dean had run right to Lavendar Brown for comfort as soon as Ginny had broke up with him. Hermione just happened to be Lavender's roommate.
"Yeah, he wasn't really my type. Oh well……" Ginny's voice trailed off.
Well, you could always come with us," replied Hermione You know, Harry, Ron and me." Suddenly she slapped her forehead. "Oh, yeah! I forgot! Ron is in the hospital wing. Those Slytherins really beat him up after the Quidditch game! Poor Ron. I hope he gets his ears put on the right way again."
"Yeah" Ginny muttered, looking at the castle. Suddenly she spotted a man looking at them from the top tower. Why's Dumbledore watching us?" She said, squinting at the tower
Hermione raised her eyebrows. "What do you mean?" she started looking around. "Where is he?"
Ginny pointed at the castle. "There he was, but now he's gone again." They sat in silence for a while. Then Hermione said, "Did you know Neville and Luna are going out? They're going together to Hogsmeade tomorrow. I still can't believe it! Neville and Luna!"
Ginny laughed. A tinkling sound filled the air. Hermione joined in. Then she said "And Harry's meeting Cho there, too!" she looked at her feet. "Then I'll be going alone, too." Another silence. Hermione watched Ginny. She was looking at the giant squid in the lake. She certainly was beautiful. Her red hair really stood out in a hall full of people in black robes. When Ginny had looked into Hermione's eyes, she had felt a soaring feeling in her stomach. She had thought she was hungry, stupid prat. It had been another feeling.
"What are you thinking about?" asked Ginny. She had seen her staring at the grass.
"Well, I kind of thought, that um maybe we could go to Hogsmeade together?" she blushed.
Ginny blushed, too. "Er..Yeah, I'd love to go with you." Hermione suddenly was relieved. She had said yes!
"Well, let's go back to the castle then, it's getting dark and cold." Hermione said, shivering slightly. They walked back to the castle. They went into the common room. Neville was looking attentively at the game of chess Colin and Dennis Creevey were playing. Harry was writing another letter to Sirius. Ron was still in the hospital wing. When Hermione and Ginny came in, Harry looked up.
"Oh, there you two are! We were wondering where you two had gone!"
"We were outside." replied Ginny and Hermione at the same time. Ginny grinned.
Just then Ron came into the common room, his ears back at their normal spot.
"Hey Hermione" he said, "I'm not allowed to go out tomorrow, I have detention." He made a face. "Snape found I deserved it after 'attacking my fellow Quidditch players'" He said sarcastically. "You'll have to go to Hogsmeade alone, or stay here with me. Sorry, Hermione." He added.
"No, I won't." She replied "A lovely lady is going with me."
"Ahhh?" Ron raised his eyebrows. "And who might this lovely lady be?" He said mockingly.
"Me." Said Ginny defiantly.
"You!"
"What?" yelled Ron, totally surprised by this news.
"My sister?" He turned on Hermione, his ears red.
"But…But….you are both girls….I don't understand it!" he said dangerously.
Harry jumped up. "Ron!" he exclaimed, "Calm down!"
"You're always so overprotective, Ron." Said Ginny coldly. "I'm a big girl, I can take care of myself."
Ron gaped at her, looking for words. Apparently he couldn't find any, because he turned around and went upstairs, mumbling to himself. "My sister and another girl. What is the world coming to?"
"Ron," said Hermione, "wait please!" But Ron had already closed the door on her. "Oh well.."
Ginny said "Don't worry, he's always like this, I'm already used to it." She sighed and went upstairs, after having kissed Hermione lightly on the cheek.
Hermione blushed. Harry said he was going to sleep, too, and he went up the stairs.
Hermione went to her own dormitory and fell asleep.
The next day
Harry woke up with a groan and got dressed. He hopelessly tried to flatten his hair.
"You're losing to your hair, you know." Said a grumpy Ron.
"Yeah," he replied. "Are you still mad at Hermione?" he added nervously.
Ron shrugged. "Not really. I guess my sister has turned into a lesbian. So did Hermione. I never would have known." Harry didn't push any further and together they went down to the common room.
Hermione and Ginny were already there. Hermione had decided to go with a simple pair of blue jeans and a caramel colored sweater. Ginny, being not as self conscious, simply chose a plaid skirt with a white t-shirt and a plaid tie. Your stereotypical school girl look. She knew it would get her a couple of stares from people, which was exactly what she wanted.
"You look great, Ginny." Said Hermione, blushing slightly.
"Thanks." Was the reply from a bright red Ginny.
Ron was staring at the girls.
"Hermione!" he exclaimed. "Why are you all dressed up? Not for my sister I hope" He said, earning a smack from Ginny.
"Why, thank you, Ron. I really appreciate that. As for my dressing up, that is none of your business."
Ron suddenly frowned. "Oh fine." He mumbled. Then he said "Well, I best be going to detention at Snape's dungeon. I've been looking forward to it all night." And with that he climbed out of the portrait hole.
"And I had better go meet Cho. Have fun you guys." Harry told the two girls, giving them both a big smile and a cheery wave before departing himself.
"Well, let's go to the Great Hall, then." Said Hermione.
"Okay." Replied Ginny, and they set out for the Great Hall.
"Ohhh!" said a voice behind them. "Have you found yourself a new girlfriend, Weasel?"
"Yeah, that's right Malfoy. I see you still have your old one. How much did you pay her this time to come along with you?" Ginny replied coolly.
Malfoy muttered something under his breath and went out of the Hall with Pansy Parkinson
"So," said Ginny, "where do you want to go first?"
"How about Dervish and Bangs?" asked Hermione in a shy voice. She really wanted this to go good.
"Sure," Ginny replied, flashing Hermione a smile before bravely reaching down and holding Hermione's hand in her own.
After about an hour of walking around the village aimlessly, they both decided to go into Three Broomsticks for a butter beer. When they entered, they were ambushed by tons of Hogwarts students asking if they were "together", or if it was just an act, or maybe they were just cold and wanted to get warm. After shaking almost the whole of the pub off of them, they settled into a small table in a corner with their drinks.
"How about all those people thinking we were a couple." Hermione commented with a bit of a timid laugh.
"Are we?" Ginny asked, smiling a very small smile while attempting to casually hide behind her thick red hair.
Hermione smiled back at her. "Well, I suppose we are a couple of females who wanted to go to the Three Broomsticks together. Nothing inappropriate about that is there?" She said, trying to remain as calm as possible. This was a bit new to her as well.
Ginny stared at the bushy haired brunette in front of her for a couple of moments before commenting again. "Hermione…have you ever been on a date with a girl?" She asked, swirling her fingers around the rim of her foaming butter-beer mug.
"Well…I have been out to places with females before yes…And to those outside of the group of females might have considered us "together" Hermione said, quoting the word together with her fingertips.
Ginny frowned softly for a moment. "You know full and well what I meant Miss Granger, and that is not what I meant." She said, smirking at Hermione. She loved being able to control the situation.
Hermione began to play with the fraying edges of the placemat in front of her, clearly uncomfortable. "Um…well…Yes…ok, I knew what you meant. And no…I have never been on a date with a girl. In fact, this whole "homosexuality" thing is a bit new to me Ginny." She said, quoting the word homosexuality with her fingertips.
Ginny couldn't help but notice that a slight pink color was now present on Hermione's cheeks. "Well…what is new to you? I am sure that you have found other women attractive in some way or another. For example, have you ever noticed that a pink tint comes to your cheeks whenever you see Lavender walking around with those short, short skirts on and those heels that make her calves look splendid? Or how about the way that you bite your lip whenever you see Luna frolicking around the grounds in her white blouses, her silver hair whipping about." Ginny said, leaning over in her chair so she became face to face with the brunette in front of her. "Or how nervous you are getting now that my lips are inches away from your face, close enough to kiss you, my hands close enough to touch you." She said, bringing one of her hands up to Hermione's face, cupping her chin.
Hermione's mind began racing. How could Ginny have noticed all of those things about her. She thought she was the only one who knew about her habits. And now that Ginny was so close to her, she thought she might faint. Ginny smelled like peppermint and ginger spice. A combination that, under normal circumstances, she would have found a bit odd, but now seemed intoxicating.
Ginny chuckled to herself. She found this whole situation hilarious. The normal calm, and collected Hermione looking so bloody flustered. She smirked as Hermione tried to choke out a reply.
"Ahem….G…Gi..Ginny, wha…what are yo…you doing?" Hermione finally managed to say, her face turning a bright crimson color now.
Ginny, at Hermione's response, smirked again. "Nothing you don't want me to Hermione." she said softly, leaning forward and placing a chaste kiss on the brunettes lips.