All characters belong to J.K. Rowling

It was another long sleepless night for Hermione Granger as she sat in the vacant common room. She had told her friends hours ago that she was going to sleep but when it did not come she saw no reason to lay silently in the dark. Hence she found herself curled in her favorite chair beside the dying fire, reading through the Standard book of Spells Grade 6 for the fifth time this year.

With a heavy sigh she shut the book and submerged herself in thought. She was averaging 3 hours of sleep a night since she got to The Burrow at the end of summer, which was much better than the complete insomnia she experienced since that night at the Ministry of Magic. At least at The Burrow she always had Ron or Ginny around to comfort her until she fell asleep, but at Hogwarts she was alone in the 6th year dormitories. She only got that comfort when Ginny and her would fall asleep watching Harry and Ron play wizard's chess.

'Ron.' Hermione sighed again. She had fancied Ronald for some time and recently they had finally gotten around to snogging and it was not what she envisioned. Kissing him goodbye when they parted ways during the day was sweet, kind, loving, and most importantly, short. Snogging on the other hand... that was a totally different story. It should be passionate and hungry, but for Hermione it was just boring and wet. She really didn't know what was wrong with her.

Hermione was so distracted that she hadn't noticed Ginny come out of her room and sit herself directly in front of her, staring intently at Hermione's face. " 'Mione. Hello, Hermione." Ginny had stated at a whisper, attempting to snap her out of her daze gently. Soon Ginny gave up on Gentle. She grabbed Hermione by the shoulders and shook. "Hey Hermione! How you doin'!"

Hermione lept out of her chair, panting slightly. "What pant pant the bloody hell pant is wrong with you?" Ginny smiled. "Now I know you spend too much time with my brother." Hermione picked up her book which had flown out of her lap and slowly sat back in her chair. She noticed that Ginny had pulled her chair incredibly close to hers, Hermione was amazed that she hadn't noticed Ginny at all. "I know I saw you go up to bed. Is this some act? You pretend to go to bed, but when the coast is clear you sneak down here and study until you pass out. I always wondered how you got such good grades."

"No no no. I simply couldn't fall asleep. I guess I was thinking of everything that's been going on lately. I needed a distraction." She said holding up the book as she finished talking. "However, the important question is: what brings you down here at this hour?"

"Good question. I don't know really, I was having a weird dream (not Harry weird) and I woke up about 20 minutes ago and couldn't get back to sleep. I'm not sure why I decided to come out here though." Ginny looked awy for a moment, then a smile slowly grew across her face. Ginny turned her gaze back to Hermione, "But I guess it's a good thing, I'll get to spend a little more time with my best mate." Hermione smiled back at her.

Hermione stood up then, pulling Ginny along with her and dragging her over to the couch where they plopped themselves down, limbs entangled. "So how have you been since you and Dean broke up?"

"Fine. It's not a bit loss really, but it is a bit awkward at quidditch practices."

"You know I think Harry's starting to realize how much he fancies you... I think you even make 'the chosen one' a bit nervous." Hermione commented cheerfully.

Ginny was silent for a moment before answering. "That's nice. I had really given up on him, just about. I sort of turned my attention on someone else..."

"So soon? You do move fast." Hermione joked.

"Yeah, well I've had my eye on them for a while, I was just never really sure if they had someone.'

"This is someone in our house I suppose?"

"Yeah." Ginny looked away from her friend, suddenly finding the empty fireplace quite interesting."

"I don't recall you mentioning anyone. Worried you'll jinx it if you talk about it eh?"

"Sure... something like that." Ginny looked over at the clock. 4am. "Wow, look at the time. Got about 3 hours before we have to start getting ready for the days classes." Ginny said. When her gaze finally found Hermione's face she asked, "You're not going to sleep tonight are you?'

She shrugged in response. Hermione was being shy, almost childishly so. This was odd for Ginny to see, so used to seeing Hermione boss everyone around, but she liked seeing this side of her. 'I think you would have gone mad from lack of sleep if you hadn't come to visit this summer. The only time I remember you getting sleep is when you and Ron fell asleep in the den or if I crawled into bed with you."

"I think you're right. ron and I would stay up late every once in a while because I was trying to explain something to him, but I'd bore us both to sleep." Hermione chuckled at the memory. "But having you around was the big difference. I don't know how to thank you for sharing your bed with me." Hermione leaned down and kissed Ginny on the forehead. "Now look, I've kept you up again. I'm sorry, you should be off to bed."

Ginny beamed and looped her arms around her. "It's ok. I'm staying with you because I love you. Maybe you'll fall asleep if I stay with you, if not then i don't care. I wouldn't be able to sleep knowing you were down here all alone anyway."

"Thank you Ginny." Hermione gave Ginny another kiss on her head and sniggled into the warmth of Ginny's arms.

The next morning (or rather, later that morning) they awoke to Ron's voice. "What are you girls doing down here?" Ginny and Hermione stirred, opening their eyes to find Ron peering at them over the back of the couch.

"Oh... I guess we fell asleep." Hermione said smiling at Ginny as they both say up. "What time is it Ron?"

"It's nearly 7, I woke up early and remembered I left a book out here last night."

"Thanks for waking us Ronald." Ginny said with a tinge of bitterness in her voice. "I guess I'll be off to get ready." She untangled herself from Hermione and headed up the stairs to the girls dormitories.

Hermione stretched and looked around, her eyes comming to rest on the text she was reading last night. She knew that was the book Ron was looking for. She reached over and grabbed the book. As she pulled it toward her she could feel Ron's eyes on her. "This the one you were looking for?" she asked handing him the book.

"That's be the one. Thanks 'Mione." Ron leaned in to kiss her but Hermione quickly covered her mouth with her hand.

"Sorry Ron. Er... morning breath, you know? I really should get washed up." She mumbled from behind the safety of her hand before running off in the direction Ginny had just gone.

Breakfast that morning was the usual circus, though this time Ron had sat next to Hermione rather than Harry as he usually did. This put Hermione in the middle of the two Weasleys, while leaving Harry relatively alone on his side of the table. Like every Thursday morning Hermione had to leave breakfast a little earlier than the rest to get to Arithmancy on time. When she got up from the table, so did Ron. He gave her a kiss on the cheek and said "See you later Hermione." with a large smile.

"Yes, don't forget your parchment for charms this afternoon." She looked from Ron to Harry. As Ron sat back down Hermione placed a hand on his shoulder and patted it. Turning to Harry they exchanged a brief goodbye from opposite sides of the table, and finally, right before she left she gave Ginny a kiss on the head and a warm smile, then set off to cross the campus.

What went unnoticed was that Ron and Ginny took a particular interest in watching her walk out the door.

The next week passed with nothing of excitement. Hermione continued to keep her kissed with Ron as chaste as possible, while balancing her hectic class schedule with no sleep. The only thing peculiar was Ginny. She had begun acting rather oddly. She was conatantly asking for Hermione to help with her work which she had always done on her own before, and when Hermione joked that she was just like Ron she took great offense. She had also taken to being quite mean to her brother.

That came to a head on saturday when they got scolded by Harry in front of the entire quidditch team. He made them fly laps around the pitch and tke in all the equipment.

"I can't believe he made us do this! Harry's really letting this team captain business go to his head!" Ron complained as he chased around the final bludger.

"If you were a better flyer maybe we'd be done already and back in the common room!" Ginny yelled from the ground where she put away the other bludger which she caught after already grabbing the snitch.

"You're so good, Miss one woman quidditch team, why don't you get it?" Ron called back.

"Because I've already done more than my share of the work!" Ron growled in frustration but finally got a good hold on the bludger and flew it back to the chest. He locked it up and they both carried the chest back from the pitch in silence.

"So what's gotten into you Ginny? You haven't been this mad at me in ages." Ron said meekly as they placed the chest down in the equipment room.

"I'm not mad at you Ron. Not really." Ginny admitted.

"This rotten attitude can't possibly to show you care. i'm the only one you've been this way with. What's the deal?"

"It's Hermione. The other day she said I was like you, and I don't know why, but it really set me off."

"Does Hermione even know you're mad at her?"

"I'm not mad at her either... I don't know. She's Hermione. Rather hard to be mad at her..."

"I know exactly what you mean. It's hard to be mad at her when you know she's right." Ron looked at Ginny weakly.

"Yeah. And she's always right." Ginny locked the door and slumped against it for a moment.

"So what aren't you telling me? I haven't seen you this bummed since you thought Harry didn't know you existed."

"Ron, we're family, most importantly we're Weasleys and to Weasleys family is everything right?"

Ron looked at her slightly confused. "Well unless you're Percy... yeah, family is everything."

"So you'll love me no matter what, right?"

"Ginny are you possesed by Vol- you know who- again?" Ron asked, only half joking.

Ginny smirked. "No, no, but I..."

"Come on Ginny. You what?

"I'm in love with Hermione." she blurted.

"That all? We all love Hermione--"

"No Ron. Not love, in love." Ginny couldn't look at her brother's face.

The first thoughts that entered his mind were of anger and disgust, and these feelings were reflected in his face, but no words came. No screaming, no harsh accusatiuons, nothing. He liked Hermione. Very much. He loved his sister. He loved Hermione. But he was not in love. Ginny had said in love. Of all the boys she had dated she had never uttered anything about love. "Are you gay!" He finally asked.

Ginny had her eyes closed tightly, but when his response came she slowly opened them and was able to meet his gaze. She nodded. "I think so."

"And Hermione... is she gay!"

"I, I don't know." Ginny laughed to herself. She had never thought of that.

"Are you going to tell her? You have to tell her!"

"No I don't.' Ginny looked away again.

"You don't think she'll feel the same do you?" Ron asked rather sadly. "You'll never know unless you tell her though."

Ginny was suddenly angry as she turned back to Ron. "And risk her never talking to me! Forget it! Besides, what about you and her!"

"Nothing's ever really happened between us." Ron said sounding slightly embarrassed. "Some sparks, but no fire really. Mainly because I never could admit I liked her. But you love her! You can't just let her slip away! Tell her!"

"She'll never talk to he again!" Tears began to fall from Ginny's eyes.

"I'm no genius, but I know that's not true." Ron took a step forward and encircled his sister in his huge arms. "If Hermione is even a fraction of the person I know she is she'll stay your friend until the day she dies. No matter what." He rested his cheek on his sisters hair.

"Why Ron? How can you," She sniffled as she spoke into his chest. "Give me this advice? I never would have expected--"

"Me neither. But you're family and I don't want to see you make the same mistakes as me. With the same bird no less."

"I guess we really are alike." Ginny smiled at him.

Ron pulled her into a headlock and touseled her hair. "Come on, we've got a girl to find."

Ron borrowed Harry's Marauder's map to locate Hermione in the stacks in the library. Not that they couldn't have guessed where she was.) Together they walked the long cooridoors to the entrance of the library. "Alright now, just speak your heart. I'll be waiting right out here for you. Good or bad, I'm here for you." Ron pulled Ginny in for a tight hug, then pushed her toward the door.

Ginny found Hermione all alone in the back of the library with all the dusty books no one else touches. Hermione was too caught up in the massive book that lay in front of her to notice Ginny sneak up behind her. She covered Hermione's eyes with her hands and whispered in a deep voice "Guess who?"

Hermione smiled and played into the game. "Oh, I haven't got a clue. Please give me a hint?"

Ginny leaned in, her lips brushing lightly against Hermione's ear. "The one you've been dreaming of." she said in her fake voice.

Jokingly Hermione answered "Viktor? Is that you? Back for a visit?"

Ginny felt a pang of anger but knew it was a joke and so continued with the game. "Much sexier than Krum."

"Oh, well then you can't be a Weasley... unless you're the yopungest one. That Ginerva Weasley has the greatest legs. And her long red hair is so soft it's unbelievable."

"Tell me more." Ginny could have kicked herself. She had said that in her own voice. She really hoped Hermione didn't catch on that she was trembling slightly.

"Well... she wears those clothes that cling perfectly to those curves she's developed recently. Her lithe athletic body, so flexible..."

"Ok, game over, you win 'Mione." Ginny pulled her hands away and took a step back, finding it slightly hard to breath.

Hermione chuckled slightly as she turned around. Ginny hadn't had time to finish changing out of her quidditch gear, she still wore her form fitting uniform pants, with the big clunky boots, and the white tank top she usually had under her robes. She was still a little sweaty with a bit of dirt on her face, but she looked good. "Those'd be the clothes I was talking about..." Hermione said absent mindedly.

Ginny couldn't stop herself. The two or so feet between them closed instantly as Ginny's lips claimed Hermione's in a passionate kiss. Books were knocked over, quills were lostas sparks flew and minutes melted away. When they parted Ginny was in Hermione's lap, both of them breathing heavy. Hermione spoke first. "What was that?"

"Heaven." Ginny said without thinking.

"No, I mean-- you--me--how long have you wanted to--?" Hermione sputtered.

"I actually came here... for this. To tell you how I feel, and possibly, to show you."

"But what about Harry? What about Ron?"

"Harry? I don't like him anymore. And Ron? This was practically his idea, he forced me up here, he's still waiting to see how it went."

"His idea? He's waiting?" Hermione looked around sounding perplexed.

"Not in here, just outside the library, silly." She leaned forward and kissed Hermione on the nose. "Now there's something I need you to know..."

"You mean other than you want to snog me?"

"Yes." She took a deep breath. "I think... no, I'm sure of it. I'm in love with you Hermione Granger. I love you."

Hermione was speechless for a moment. "This is all new to me Ginny. I know that I do like you, much more than I should. And I definately love you, but as far as in love--" She was cut off by Ginny's finger over her lips.

"I know. I can't expect you to return those feelings. I just-- I just want a chance. That's all I ask. And I'll understand if you're scared and want to keep it a secret, or don't want to try it at all, but I figure there can't be any harm in asking." Hermione contemplated Ginny's words for a moment.
She replied with a fierce kiss that said it all, but when they parted she made it official. "Ginny would you like to go out with me.?"