"And then I called her pretty, like a loon! I could have crawled into myself and died, I was so embarrassed," Hermione said into her butterbeer desperately.
"Well, she is pretty," Neville responded sagely, his butterbeer very nearly full compared to the massive gulps Hermione had been taking of her own.
"Obviously she's very pretty. But I shouldn't have said it! It was completely out of line; I think I'm just sort of off-kilter after that night in my dorm."
"Do you think so?" Neville asked curiously, and Hermione watched him consider that possibility.
"Of course. That must be it. I'm probably still odd from my breakup with Ron, and just… seeking attention. I just need a release probably. That's typical of a breakup, right?"
"Hmmm, maybe. But I've only ever broken up with Luna and we're still friends, so I'm probably not good advice. Have you spoken to her?"
"Merlin no. I think she's avoiding me, which is fantastic because it makes avoiding her easier," Hermione said matter of factly, quickly scanning the Three Broomsticks for Rosmerta, the conversation quickly calling for firewhiskey.
"How have you managed that when we have classes together?"
"My nose to a book at all moments, obviously," she responded, now spotting Rosmerta taking drink orders from some 4th year Ravenclaws.
"Merlin, Hermione! Ron broke up with you almost 2 months ago! And the hallway incident was nearing a month after that! You'll run out of books at this rate."
"What hallway incident?" a confused voice asked from behind her, causing Hermione's stomach to drop.
She knew that voice well. It was a voice she had spent years listening to worry about Voldemort, endless nights whispering to each other in a crowded tent, a voice that provided her the only constant love since she lost her parents.
Harry.
Hermione's eyes widened at Neville, silently begging him to keep quiet about Harry's ex-girlfriend, and her current situation regarding the very same witch.
"Harry!" Hermione forced; the squeak obvious as it caught in her throat.
"Hey Hermione. Neville, was hoping to run into you two here."
"Oh?" Hermione asked as Harry took an empty seat at their table, and she turned to see Rosmerta finishing up with the other students.
Hermione shot her hand in the air, waving it fiercely to draw the older witches attention. That firewhiskey was desperately needed now.
"Yeah, just grabbed lunch with Ginny and thought I'd spend the rest of the afternoon with my best friend. Don't have to be back to London til the morning," Harry responded as he dragged Hermione's nearly empty mug towards himself and stole a drink, finishing off her butterbeer.
"Ginny? Are you two back together?" Neville asked Harry, and Hermione was thankful for that, knowing she'd never be able to ask without another crack in her voice.
Once Rosmerta reached the table, Hermione ordered them all a round of firewhiskey, bouncing her leg as she waited for the amber drink.
"No, definitely not. We just meet occasionally, we're still friends. No hard feelings and all that," Harry continued.
Hermione knew this, of course, she wrote to Harry multiple times a week. But for some reason the shock still hit her, and she felt a twinge in her stomach as she thought of the two of them alone together.
"How's the cloak treating you? Finding any use for it?" Harry asked her as Rosmerta placed the drinks down on the table.
"Actually yes," Hermione responded, grateful for a change in conversation. "I'm writing a book you see, an updated Hogwarts: A History. There's so much that's occurred since its initial publishing! And it's my favorite book, you know? So, I've been using the cloak while I gather material to write about, I'm usually out late after lessons doing it… it helps me avoid Filch tremendously."
"I didn't know you were working on a book, Hermione!" Neville exclaimed; his mouth slightly agape as he looked at the girl.
"Me neither," Harry joined, a small furrow in his brow as he said this, and Hermione knew he wondered why he was kept in the dark.
"Yes, well, the only one who knows is Minerva… I needed her advice on how to start this whole thing, I'm rather nervous it'll be a failure" Hermione told the boys.
"Well, it's a brilliant idea. If anyone can do it, it's you."
"Thanks Harry," Hermione said feebly, a timid smile as she looked to her brother.
Harry mattered to her more than anything, they had become the only family the other had. He had even started setting a room for her at Grimmauld Place once she graduated. She could never knowingly hurt Harry. She was sure of it.
Hermione turned back to her short glass of firewhiskey and brought the amber liquid to her lips, cherishing the burn as it went down. The Ginny situation was terrible, she decided, and entirely made up. She was just reaching, really. Looking for a distraction from her own insecurities.
"I've decided to start dating again," she said after a moment, her eyes widening urgently as Neville choked on his drink. He needed to keep it together.
"R'lly?" He coughed out; disbelief plastered on his face as he flashed a glance at Harry.
"Great idea, Hermione. It's about time you found someone your own speed anyway!" Harry said to her, raising his glass in a silent toast. "Ron would have never lasted."
"Thanks Harry. Just casually anyway. Maybe Theo Nott? Or Cedric?"
"Hmmm, I could talk to Ced when I go back to the office on Monday. You could take him to the Remembrance Ball next month? He works in the department for International Magical Cooperation, did I ever tell you that? Felt like it was a good place for him after the fiasco that was the Triwizard Tournament," Harry told them, and Hermione observed as he absentmindedly rubbed his scar.
"Wow, that's wonderful for him. How'd you know about the ball? Tell him he can owl me if he'd like to be my date."
"Ginny mentioned it over lunch, think we might go together," Harry said, taking a swig of his own drink.
"Oh… that'll be lovely. I'm sure the press will eat it up too. Oh, and Molly, you two will never live that down."
"Right, might have to tell Ginny to warn her" he mumbled and brought his hand to the nape of his neck before rubbing it awkwardly. "Well, erm, should we go back to the castle? It'll be getting dark here soon."
Hermione glanced at the windows behind her and was shocked to see how quickly time had passed.
"Yes, we can hang out in the Common Room. I'm sure Dean and Seamus would be thrilled to see you," Neville responded.
The group quickly swallowed down the rest of their drinks and dropped some sickles on the table before facing the cold night as they trekked back to the castle.
Ginny had come back to the castle a few hours earlier; she knew Blaise had gone to Hogsmeade with the other snakes and didn't want Luna to be alone all day.
So, after a quiet lunch with Harry, she stomped back to the castle and searched for her best friend. And finally, after trying the library, Ravenclaw tower, and the Room of Requirement, she found the girl by Hagrid's hut, feeding Thestrals with the half giant.
Ginny helped for a few hours, knowing Luna wanted to stay, and knowing Hagrid loved the company. But the night was growing colder and colder, and Ginny's fingers were quickly turning purple.
"Luna… can we go back now? I've been bitten twice by this Blast-Ended Skrewt, and I'm freezing, even Hagrid's gone back to his hut." Ginny whined to the back of Luna's head.
She watched as Luna turned back toward her and glanced around the small clearing, now noticing that it was just the two of them again.
"Oh, alright then. Where would you like to go now?" Luna asked, her voice light as a feather as the air carried it around Ginny.
"Don't care, want a jumper first though," Ginny mumbled as she rubbed her hands together ferociously, hoping to get the blood flowing through them again.
The girls walked toward Gryffindor tower, and Ginny listened absentmindedly while Luna began explaining a recent article her father had written for the Quibbler.
Ginny let her thoughts drift back to her lunch with Harry. The two were still friends; things hadn't been awkward in months. Though she was sure many thought them hanging out still was weird.
But their breakup was amicable. There was no love lost.
After the battle, and Harry's close encounter with death, they snuck off to a corridor, falling into each other's bodies as the celebrated all they had fought so hard for.
It was their first time. And while they had both acknowledged they loved each other unconditionally, the love they felt wasn't romantic, and while the sex was enjoyable, it wasn't earth shattering and felt wrong. They tried to ignore the feelings their first (and only) time had brought, staying together for two weeks after that. But eventually, they agreed it was no use holding on to the relationship.
They had saved the world, saved their families, and saved each other. That was good enough.
Mum had cried for a month after that, and Harry said she still wrote to him about "taking Ginevra back," but they were happier as friends.
While their relationship was still strong, Ginny knew there was still a line she couldn't cross, a line in the shape of a rather intimidating witch.
So, when Harry asked for the third time who her mystery crush was, Ginny threatened to tell Pansy about Harry's wet dream about her. She knew it was a low blow, but she was becoming desperate, and Harry was relentless in his lines of questioning, damn Auror training.
How would Harry react if he knew she liked Hermione? If he knew she had always liked Hermione? The thought was making her ill, and she didn't even want to consider her git brother right now.
"Hello Harry," Luna said in her whimsical voice, pulling Ginny from her thoughts.
"Luna! Lovely to see you! Ginny, fancy seeing you again," the wizard replied back, and Ginny could hear the smirk in his voice.
"Yes, yes, Harry, enchanted, now hurry up before I lose a finger," Ginny called back to the boy, still gripping her fingers as she continued her pace toward the tower.
She slowed her own pace a bit to allow the boy to catch up to her and Luna, but otherwise continued to her common room. Scottish winters were brutal.
"Merlin Ginny! You're walking as if you're taller than 5 feet!" A deep voice called from behind her, alerting her to Neville's presence as well.
"Because I'm 5'5, you giant tree-man!" Ginny responded, now turning to face the straggling group.
She straightened her shoulders, exuding overly false confidence as she turned to Neville, pretending that her height wasn't a disadvantage. But as she was fully turned, she finally noticed the tiny witch tucked behind the two boys.
Hermione.
Ginny's chest dropped to her stomach, and she suddenly felt nauseous. She hadn't seen the witch in 27 days. Not that she was counting.
Okay, she was definitely counting.
And she had obviously seen her during those 27 days, but not this close. And never her face as she burrowed it in texts. But Ginny had stolen glances at her during class still, growing very familiar with the various shades of brown that made up her wild curls.
"Oh, erm, hello Hermione, I almost missed you," Ginny said timidly, her ears growing hot as she realized double meaning behind her words.
"Yes, between Harry's large head and the giant tree man I am quite easy to overlook," she supplied with a gentle smile, and for a moment Ginny felt like everything was normal.
"Oh I'd never say you're easy to overlook, Hermione."
Ginny watched as a pretty blush rose to the tops of her cheeks, and her eyes turned toward the floor.
Neville cleared his throat and Ginny quickly remembered they weren't alone, and regretfully look away from Hermione.
"So, where are you guys off to?" she asked Neville.
"Same as you it seems. Come on, we'll walk faster. Wouldn't want you to lose some fingers to hypothermia, I think they'd be missed," Neville said dryly, and Ginny might have ignored the comment if it weren't for the discreet wink that made her swallow down his inuendo with a choke.
