A/N Sorry its been a bit. Been a little busy in life. Here is a short one to tide yall over.
Chapter 16
Mid Night Chat
Ginny woke up in the middle of the night to her knee throbbing and aching. She opened her eyes and smiled seeing Hermione laying next to her in the bed. The bedside lamp was on and the brunette had a book in her lap and her glasses on. Hermione had Ginny's hand in her lap and was softly caressing her palm, wrist and arm. The brunette's dark curls were back in a pony tail but her curly bangs had slid forward and dangled near her eyes. The redhead watched her for a while, until she couldn't handle the ache. She moved slowly and felt her brace still on.
"Bloody hell, that's why it's hurting," Ginny grumbled. It always hurt if she fell asleep with the brace on.
"You alright, baby?" Hermione asked, taking off her glasses and leaning closer to the redhead. Ginny nodded and leaned up.
"I'm fine. It just hurts, my circulation isn't great with this thing so tight and when I sleep I'm not moving, so it doesn't push blood flow and such," Ginny said while struggling to unstrap the brace. Hermione quickly shuffled to her knees and began helping.
"Thanks," Ginny whispered as she laid back down, "You being here makes things so much easier sometimes," Ginny whispered. Hermione smiled and began to gently rub Ginny's leg. "I don't know what I'm going to do without you," Ginny whispered.
"I like being here to help you," Hermione said and leaned down gently placing a kiss on the side of Ginny's hurt knee. Ginny watched the brunette and felt her heart ache. She wished she had Hermione's impressive memory so she could memorize this and every moment they have had together, so she could remember it when she was inevitably alone.
Ginny reached out for the brunette who immediately moved into her arms. Ginny allowed herself to accept Hermione's comfort.
"What time is it?" Ginny asked.
"About 0300 hrs," Hermione said as she laid in Ginny's arms and gently ran her finger tips up the redheads side under her shirt.
"Why aren't you sleeping?" Ginny asked.
"I can't stop thinking about you, about having a life with you, getting married, having kids, maybe a dog if Crookshanks is alright with that. I've been imagining it for hours. I decided to try to read to distract myself but I was just mostly staring at the book and thinking of you," Hermione said.
"I think the effects of the potion are getting worse. It can happen sometimes. The potion wasn't fully ready, anyway, so it's properties are probably not very stable. I'm sorry, Hermione," Ginny said and softly kissed the brunette's head.
"I like thinking about you," Hermione said. "Do you ever think of me?" Hermione asked quietly. Ginny sighed.
"Way more than I probably should," Ginny whispered.
"Would you ever want to marry me, Ginny?" Hermione asked quietly. Ginny was quiet for a while. "Maybe sometime in the future?" Hermione asked hopefully.
"In the morning we are going to make the counter potion honey, you won't want to marry me anymore after that…..You probably won't ever want to see me again after that," Ginny said quietly.
"You're my best friend, Ginny. I love you," Hermione said. Ginny smiled softly.
"You're my best friend too, and I also love you. You can't believe how much I missed you while you were gone," Ginny said.
"I missed you so much. I would wait for your owls, hoping to get one everyday. When you were really busy with quidditch and couldn't write as often I would get really sad," Hermione said.
"I looked forward to every letter you sent," Ginny said with a smile.
"I still have your knickers," Hermione said in an amused voice.
"What?" Ginny said with a laugh.
"From the night we made love. I found them in America. They were in my bed. I have them. I kept telling myself I was going to give them back to you, but I'm not. I'm keeping them," Hermione said and Ginny laughed. "I never did find mine though. I looked everywhere," Hermione said. Ginny smiled.
"I have them," Ginny said.
"You do?" Hermione said with a laugh. Ginny nodded.
"I couldn't find mine that morning, so I put yours on. I still have them," Ginny said. Hermione grinned.
"Well, I don't have the bra anymore so you can just keep them if you want them, I'm keeping yours anyway," Hermione said.
"I liked that pair. They were very soft," Ginny grumbled.
"I know. I feel them sometimes when I'm thinking about that night," Hermione said.
"Do you think about that night a lot? …I mean, before this weekend," Ginny asked. Hermione nodded.
"I used to try not to think about it, but I did….a lot. Especially the closer the time came for me to come home and see you. I was so upset that you weren't here when I got back. I cried every night the first week," Hermione said.
"I'm sorry, honey," Ginny said as she gently ran her hands up and down Hermione's back.
"I thought about it a lot at night. I tried to recreate it in my mind when I was touching myself, I would think of your fingers and tongue. How you teased me slowly until my body burned and ached for a deeper touch from you, but no matter how hard I imagined…it wasn't really you," Hermione said. Ginny took slow even breaths, trying not to think of Hermione pleasuring herself to thoughts of their night together. "I really want you to touch me again, Ginny. I've wanted it for years," Hermione said quietly.
"I'm sorry, Hermione, I can't. Especially not while you are under the influence of the love potion. I know you feel like you love me, but you really don't," Ginny said. Hermione snuggled closer into Ginny's shoulder and neck.
"I really do, but that's alright. I'm just glad you are holding me. I'll remember this moment forever. I'll often think of you when you've moved on and left me," Hermione whispered.
"I'll think of you. Perhaps not in the same impressive detail that you can remember, but I'll remember this weekend and I'll remember what it felt like to feel loved. Even if it isn't real," Ginny said quietly, "Go to sleep, Hermione. It's late," Ginny said.
"Can I stay here, laying on you?" Hermione asked.
"As long as I don't wake up to you doing inappropriate things to me," Ginny warned.
"I won't. I promise, I've kind of picked up on the fact that you don't want me that way. I'll leave you alone. I just can't quiet my mind to sleep when I'm away from you," Hermione said.
"Hermione, I do want you, I just can't allow that to happen right now. I'm sorry it's making you sad, don't feel unloved or unwanted, because I do," Ginny said. Hermione smiled and wrapped her arms tighter around the redhead.
"I love you so much, Ginny," Hermione whispered. Ginny leaned down and kissed the brunette's forehead.
"I love you, Hermione. I'm sorry all of this has happened. I wish things had worked out differently….I wish all of this were real," Ginny whispered with a broken heart.
"Maybe tomorrow, after we brew the potion we can go on a date. A real date?" Hermione asked.
"You won't want to go out with me after the potion is done, honey," Ginny said as she gently ran her fingers through Hermione's dark curly hair, trying to memorize the feel.
"If I still do, will you go with me?" Hermione asked and Ginny sighed.
"You won't, but if you did I would love to….but I know you won't, Hermione. You don't care about me the way you think you do. We've been living together for a while now. If you really loved me you would have said something a long time ago," Ginny said sadly.
"I'm sorry, Ginny," Hermione said and leaned up and gently kissed the redhead. Ginny caressed Hermione's face as she kissed her back.
"We should sleep, the owl with the Ingredients will be here pretty early. Good night, Hermione," Ginny said. Hermione laid back down on Ginny's chest.
"Good night, baby," Hermione whispered.
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