For the most part, Ginny's 21st birthday party had gone exactly as planned. The Burrow had played host to the largest buffet Hermione had ever seen, an open bar, and what seemed like half of wizarding Britain. Once the food had been consumed, and the alcohol was flowing freely, music had begun, sending witch and wizard alike onto the impromptu dance floor. That had been when everything had gone slightly… wonky.
Hermione had started her night off clearing the air with Mr. and Mrs. Weasley. It had been a bit stilted at first (thanks to her break up with Ron two months previously) but as they talked, both sides had quickly realised that they had more in common than just Ron. And so, by the time the band started up, things were slightly less tense and Hermione was once again sure that she was welcome at the Burrow.
She'd paused by the drinks table where Bill was playing bartender when Ron had approached her.
"Hermione? Can I talk to you for a second, please?" he asked, twisting his hands nervously.
Taking her drink from Bill, Hermione nodded and smiled shyly at Ron. They hadn't talked since their breakup, and whilst she didn't want to get back together, she missed their friendship. It would be nice if they could go back to how they'd been before the complication of a relationship.
"Do you want to dance?" she asked, tilting her head towards their classmates who waltzed between the trees.
Ron nodded hesitantly, his eyes wide. "Sure, yeah. Why not…"
They made their way over to a spot that was empty of people, Hermione doing her best to remain upright in her very much not-appropriate shoes.
"So, what did you want to talk about?" Hermione asked, swaying gently to the music.
"Us," Ron said, standing rigidly straight.
Her stomach sank.
"I want us to go back to being friends, Hermione. Maybe in another lifetime, we could've worked as a couple," he smiled sadly, "but I think that we might be too different."
She sighed with relief and smiled.
Ron's posture relaxed when he saw her smiling.
"Best friends?" she asked tentatively, holding out the hand that wasn't holding her drink for him to take.
Ron beamed and grabbed hold of her hand. She'd take that as a yes.
The uncomfortable weight she hadn't even realised she'd had on her shoulders for the past six months lifted. She felt free.
Hermione resumed swaying, this time tugging on Ron's hand to make him join in.
He groaned good-naturedly, his eyes twinkling.
"So, where's Harry?" Hermione asked, taking a sip of her prosecco as they danced.
The last she'd heard when she'd met up with Ginny for coffee a few months previously, Harry had apologised for leaving her the way he had before the Battle of Hogwarts, but refused to promise he wouldn't leave her again for 'her own safety'. Needless to say, Ginny hadn't been particularly happy with him.
Of course, it had been a month since that coffee, so everything could've changed.
The meet up itself had been uncharacteristically awkward - and when Hermione thought about it, so had the previous couple of coffee dates. Ginny had seemed slightly off; she had been quieter, less boisterous than usual and hadn't really met Hermione's eyes at all. It was as if she didn't know how to act around her anymore. They'd still hugged when they said hello and goodbye but Ginny had almost seemed nervous around her. When Hermione had asked what was wrong, Ginny had just said that it was nothing.
Ron guffawed, "Didn't you hear? Ginny banned him from coming unless he got his head out of his arse. He was still moaning about it when I left, the git."
"I thought they were going to give being friends a try?" she asked.
Ron shook his head, clearly amused by the whole debacle, "He fucked that one up too. Brought up the time they spent together in sixth-year."
Hermione shook her head, amazed. She would never understand men.
The song changed to something more upbeat, throwing off their rhythm - they laughed as they tried to find a way to dance together that wasn't hilariously out of time or just awkward.
Ron smiled at her, the same kind smile he always used to send her before everything had fallen apart.
"I've missed you, 'Mione."
Hermione smiled sadly, "I've missed you too."
Ron dropped her hand and pulled her in for a hug. She'd forgotten how safe his hugs always made her feel. It made her remember how things had been before. How they'd always supported each other. When there had been no pressure to be more than they were.
As friends, they could just be Ron and Hermione. Not Ron-and-Hermione, the couple, who must conform with what society says a relationship is and eventually get married and have two children. It hadn't been right for them. But that hug and the friendship it symbolised was so very right.
"May I cut in?" a feminine voice asked from behind her.
"Sure, Gin, seeing as it's your birthday..." Ron said, releasing Hermione from the hug and reaching past her to offer Ginny his hand.
"I meant, Hermione, Ron."
She could hear the laugh in Ginny's voice. Hermione turned to face her, one of her heels catching on a clump of grass. She threw her arms out for balance.
Ginny quickly grasped one of Hermione's arms firmly, keeping her upright.
"Thanks!" Hermione squeaked as she regained her balance.
"No problem, 'Mione," Ginny grinned, her eyes lighting up. "There is a shoe pile if you want to abandon those… I have."
Sure enough, her feet were bare, her toenails painted the same green as her dress.
Hermione slipped her feet out of her shoes eagerly. Heels had seemed like such a good idea when she'd put on her dress, but now she was actually here, not so much...
"Why don't you and I dance, Gin, while Hermione puts her shoes away?" Ron suggested.
Hermione picked up her shoes by their heel strap and made her way over to the shoe pile Ginny had gestured towards. The grass was soft beneath her feet as she dodged dancing couples - some of whom she vaguely recognised.
Within about a minute she came across the shoe pile, which consisted of both pairs of heels and flats. It was a bit odd that there'd be flats on there too - but then when Hermione considered how freeing it felt to go barefoot, she reckoned she understood why. There was something nice about not having to worry about her shoes falling off, or twisting an ankle. She could just put her foot down and know she'd remain upright.
She placed her shoes down on the edge of the amassed collection before turning to look back across at where Ginny and Ron were dancing. Holding her drink before her with both hands, she couldn't help but think about just how different they looked despite being siblings.
Ron; tall with his long, skinny limbs that seemed to stretch on for miles. Ginny, on the other hand, was short (or as she liked to call it, compact). Her hair was a bright orangey copper compared to Ron's lighter ginger. Ginny was also stockier than Ron, less graceful in limb and more of a powerhouse in small packaging. Ron's face was long and thin, his eyes a clear blue; whereas Ginny's features were more rounded, less angular and her eyes a deep, warm brown.
Hermione just stood there for a minute, taking the opportunity to finish her drink, before wandering back over to the pair.
The orchard was beautiful, illuminated by fairy lights hung from the apple laden trees. People dancing in and out, laughing and talking, finding people they'd not talked to since Hogwarts and gasping about how they needed to stay in touch more. The whole area practically buzzed with contentment.
She smiled softly, it was bittersweet in a way; so many people that should've been there that weren't, but also so many people who were alive that may otherwise not have been - such as herself.
Having drunk the last of her drink, she set the glass down on a nearby table before making her way back over to the two Weasleys.
"Hermione!" Ginny greeted her happily, "Quick, rescue me from my brother before I have no toes left…"
Ron just shook his head with a roll of his eyes, before releasing Ginny's hand to walk over to where Neville stood talking with Dean and Seamus.
"Hey," Hermione said, hugging the somewhat-stiff younger girl eagerly. "How're you?"
Ginny hummed, meeting Hermione's eyes for the first time in what seemed like years, "Incredibly, fantastically excellent."
Hermione chuckled, "Incredibly, fantastically excellent, huh?"
Ginny nodded, "It's everything I planned it to be."
Hermione hugged her again, "I'm glad, Gin. You deserve it."
"Thanks, Hermione," Ginny said, her voice muffled slightly.
They pulled apart as the song changed into an upbeat Muggle song Hermione had definitely heard on the radio at her parents'.
Ginny grinned widely and grabbed Hermione's hand, "Come on! I love this song!"
She was tugged over to where a group of girls who had been in Ginny's year at Hogwarts were already dancing around somewhat madly between trees.
Hermione shot Ginny a look but the red-head just smiled even wider and kept a firm grip on her hand. It looked like this was going to happen whether she liked it or not - she might as well enjoy it. Besides, hadn't her dad said when he'd taught her how to dance that if she looked like she knew what she was doing then it wouldn't matter how crap her dance moves actually were? (Of course, her mum had then scolded him severely for swearing in front of her.)
To her mild surprise, it was nice to be able to just throw herself around with her friend and the other girls and completely let go. She hadn't realised exactly how much she needed it. And it wasn't like anyone she worked with was actually at the party, or if they were, that they would remember her behaviour - there was a free bar after all.
So it came as a bit of a let down when the song ended and something a lot slower came on in its place.
The girls she'd been dancing with - Demelza Robbins, Luna Lovegood, and four other girls she knew only by sight - started to disperse, breaking off into groups to visit the various tables of snacks, sweets and drinks - leaving her alone with Ginny.
Ginny took Hermione's hands in her own, her eyes meeting Hermione's shyly.
She couldn't name the expression on Ginny's face, but it wasn't the usual wide grin or mischievous smirk - it was softer, more… tender. Similar to how Ginny had looked at her when they had met up for coffee last month.
It was strange, Ginny wasn't prone to expressing softer emotions. In mannerisms, she was more like the twins, boisterous and almost always sassy.
They danced slowly together, once again moving with the flow of the music - only this time with much less bouncing.
Ginny was vibrant, her bright hair flowing loose around her shoulders in soft curls that were fire the fading sunlight. Her cheeks were pink and her eyes bright after their previous wild dancing. It reminded Hermione of how Ginny looked whenever she stepped off the Quidditch pitch - exhilarated to the extent she glowed.
Hermione swallowed, suddenly feeling really rather warm.
She'd never really considered girls as potential objects of affection before. The idea just hadn't been on her radar. But as Ginny had spun under her arm, her smiling face lit by the setting sun, the idea suddenly seemed less alien.
Why shouldn't she be attracted to the red-headed witch? Ginny was a brilliant person, just as great as Ron was or Harry was. It was illogical that her gender would put a stop to that brilliance, or the fact she was attractive. That Hermione already knew that Ginny was just as stunning in personality just added to her allure. It made sense.
So she'd danced with her, twirling under Ginny's arm, before sending her spinning under Hermione's own. Both laughed as they inevitably slipped on the grass and got grass stains on their hands and knees; the ground was soft enough that it barely hurt. And when the song drew to a close, so did they. Hermione pulled Ginny in tight to her body, the younger girl facing her, her face upturned.
Ginny's lips parted as she smiled and met Hermione's stare. It was like the red-head was looking straight through her - all Hermione's secrets laid out before her. She rose up on her toes, partially supported by Hermione's arms. Ginny's eyes never left Hermione's - one of her hands rising to gently cup Hermione's cheek.
Hermione inhaled sharply - how had she known? But more importantly - Ginny liked her?
"Ginny, I just wanted to say Happy Birthday and goodnight; it's getting late and I have work in the morning," Percy called, striding briskly over the grass towards them - apparently oblivious to the moment he'd just flattened.
Ginny dropped back onto the soles of her feet and pulled away.
"Meet me by the pond when everyone's gone," Ginny muttered quietly, squeezing Hermione's hands before dropping them.
"Of course, Percy, thank you for coming," she said loudly, walking to meet him halfway.
Hermione's heart dropped into her stomach. What was she thinking? Ginny was her friend - one of her best friends. When they met later, Hermione would tell her she just wasn't interested in her that way. She wouldn't have another friendship jeopardised by her catching feelings.
Hermione watched Ginny retreat through the trees, giving Percy one final hug before the man separated from her and walked off in the direction of the house. Clearly, their talk would wait. Hermione knew that Ginny was right to delay it until later - she still had an orchard of guests to entertain - but that didn't stop the most impatient part of her from huffing quietly.
Hermione drifted through the trees back toward where the rest of Ginny's guests were, relishing the grounding feeling of cool grass against her feet and the light breeze that brushed her hair off her shoulders. She could do with another drink.
There were significantly fewer people standing around and dancing then there had been before she'd followed Ginny earlier - it was a Thursday evening, after all. Hermione was glad she'd had the foresight to take the following day off; after the emotional rollercoaster that evening had turned out to be, she'd be glad to be able to catch up on her reading and do nothing for a day.
Deliberately skirting around where Ginny was talking with a group of her Harpies teammates - all of whom were holding their shoes - Hermione made a beeline for the drinks table.
Thankfully, despite now being unmanned, the drinks table still had some prosecco on it. Hermione snagged a glass before spotting Neville gazing in her direction. She gestured towards the table with a raised eyebrow. He started, looking around to see if she could've been talking to anyone other than himself. Upon not seeing anyone, he nodded and gave her a thumbs up.
She grabbed another one before walking over to him.
"How are you, Neville?" she asked as she drew closer to him.
He smiled widely at her and took his drink with quiet thanks.
"I'm fine, thank you, Hermione. How are you? How's work at the Ministry?"
Hermione was about to reply when Ginny laughed, throwing her head back so the moonlight caught in her hair. All thoughts of Neville and his question fled her mind as she stared over his shoulder at her friend. She didn't know how she hadn't seen Ginny this way before.
"She's beautiful," Neville said quietly, with a kind understanding smile that brought her attention back to him.
"She is," Hermione whispered. "Sorry, Neville, I'm a bit distracted. What were you saying?"
Ginny took a sip of her drink.
Hermione shook her head slightly, trying to focus. What was wrong with her? She wasn't normally so rude.
"Not a problem, Hermione. I was just wondering how your work at the Ministry was going?"
"Yes, the Ministry - it's going fine. Um, lots of legislation on House Elves," Hermione said hesitantly before focussing completely on Neville. "You're doing a Herbology Mastery aren't you?"
Neville nodded, smiling.
"Yes - well, sort of. I just finished it actually," he added, blushing.
"Oh, wow! Congratulations, Neville! That's amazing!" she shook her head, "So, what are your plans now?"
"Thank you! I've applied for a position at Trundow's - they mass produce most of the plant-based potion ingredients in Britain - so it should keep me busy for now."
"That's great, Neville-"
The hairs on the back of her neck stood up. She could feel eyes on her. Sure enough, when she looked at Ginny, the red-head was staring at her, the girls she'd been talking to previously nowhere to be seen. Ginny smiled, ethereal in the light of the moon. But before Hermione could do anything more than smile back, Ginny had moved onto another group - men this time, who Hermione was fairly sure belonged to one of the other Professional Quidditch teams. They also looked like they were preparing to leave.
Hermione shook her head apologetically. She really did want to catch up with Neville. It just seemed to be that she couldn't keep her eyes off Ginny long enough to give him the attention he deserved.
"I'm really sorry, Neville, maybe we could catch up over coffee sometime next week? I'll owl you?" Hermione said somewhat dazed, pausing only to take in his startled nod before walking briskly towards the pond. There were still plenty of party-goers, so Ginny wouldn't be down there for a while, but Hermione could do with clearing her head.
It didn't take Hermione long to reach the pond having stopped briefly at the alcoholic table to trade her glass for a bottle of prosecco. Why bother with a glass when she was planning on drinking the whole thing anyway?.
The whole area was illuminated in the light of the moon. Trees, different to those in the orchard, came right up to the edge of the water, on the side nearest the orchard, shielding her from the sight of both those in the Burrow itself and from the party-goers. She was glad. She just needed to pause for a moment and think.
Placing her feet carefully between the gnarly roots, she made her way down to the water. Hermione gently sat down on a well placed root, her dress tucked beneath her, and her toes just brushing the surface of the pond.
Hermione smiled as she uncorked the bottle; she needed this.
She needed to just breathe. To take in the swaying of the trees in the breeze and accept the fact that she wasn't quite as heterosexual as she and the rest of the world assumed she was. And then there was the fact that she was experiencing some very not-best-friendly feelings towards Ginny, and that Ginny actually reciprocated those feelings.
But most importantly, she needed to remember that she was Hermione. She was the same girl she had been that morning, and the morning before that, and the one before that. She hadn't changed - just realised something about herself that had previously been unknown.
So she drank her prosecco and stared out across the water at the moon, digesting what she'd learnt about herself.
Hermione could handle that she liked her best friend that way - love for a friend was not that far from love for a partner. What was harder to comprehend was that Ginny returned her feelings. Or at least Hermione thought she did. It was just a little difficult to reconcile the fact that Ginny was a renowned Quidditch player and the fact that she liked her, Hermione - the bookworm. When she considered their long friendship, the feelings of inadequacy mostly faded into insignificance, but it didn't change the fact that they existed - however irrationally.
She took another couple of sips of Prosecco - she was careful not to go overboard, wanting to be of sound mind for her meeting with Ginny.
The water stretched out before her, silver in the light of the moon.
The last time she'd been in the pond had been Ginny's 14th birthday party - they'd held swimming competitions, all of Ginny's brothers, Harry and herself. Of course, that had morphed into flying-swimming competitions, such as who could do the best dive off a broom, or the fastest to mount a broom from the water. This had led to relay races in and around the orchard tree's - in and out of the pond. Despite not liking flying at all, Hermione had had a lot of fun, being decent at swimming had made up for her flying deficits in some cases.
Her personal favourite had been the relay races. They'd formed groups of four. She had paired off with Ginny, Harry and Ron. The older Weasley siblings - with the exception of Percy - had made up the other team, while Mr Weasley had come up with the four different legs of the race, each focusing on a different skill ranging from tree climbing and swimming to two different types of flying. It had been so much fun.
A light, warm breeze sent ripples across the pond that lapped at her toes.
That was what she was worried about - losing the fun their relationship had once had. Ginny and Harry being her prime example. But then again, their friendship sort of already had lost it's fun. Ginny had been odd with her for the past couple of months and Hermione couldn't figure out why. So she resolved to sort it. No matter what happened to their relationship this evening, at the least that needed to be sorted out - she wanted her friend back.
The question was: did she want to be more than friends with Ginny? She was attracted to the girl without question (again, something she'd have to ponder more tomorrow), but did she want to be in a relationship with her? Ginny was one of her best friends and if something went wrong and they broke up, Hermione might lose her. Was it worth taking the chance? Being friends after a break up had worked once all the anger and frustration was out of the way with Ron, but it hadn't worked between Harry and Ginny.
Hermione sighed. Why was life always so hopelessly complicated?
Even if she did consent to date Ginny, at some point they'd become intimate and she'd be expected to know how to be intimate with her. Before she'd slept with Ron for the first time, she'd read what felt like the whole library in preparation. How was she going to do that this time? It wasn't like there was an abundance of books on how to pleasure a woman. Hermione knew she could always just go by what she herself liked, but wasn't the first thing the books had said in reference to pleasuring a man, everyone is different? But then again, it wasn't like she was sleeping with the girl tonight - she had time. Just as she had the ability to ask Ginny what she liked.
Hermione sighed. After all, it couldn't be more awkward then it had been with Ron when they'd had that conversation.
Taking her wand out of the purpose-built pocket of her dress, she cast a Tempus charm before returning the wand to it's pocket.
23:07
Her eyebrows lifted - that late and Ginny still hadn't come to find her?
Just as she was contemplating going back up to the orchard to find the witch, a warm hand landed between her shoulder blades sending her careening into the pond.
Cold. And wet. Very wet.
Hermione put her feet on the ground and pushed upwards. As she was near the edge of the pond, her head broke the surface before she could even straighten her legs.
The air was cold against her wet shoulders, making the water that had been Artic in temperature two minutes previously seem more Mediterranean.
She pushed her sopping hair out of her eyes, revealing a smirking Ginny standing on the bank. But before Hermione could do much more than splutter indignantly, the red-heads dress dropped to the floor. Then Hermione was spluttering for a very different reason.
It was one thing to realise she was attracted to her very female best friend, but it was something else to then see said best friend wearing nothing whatsoever.
Before Hermione could say anything, Ginny had planted her feet firmly on the root Hermione had previously been sitting on and launched herself into the air, her knees clutched to her chest. Hermione turned her head away and closed her eyes. Sure enough, a tidal wave of water engulfed her, splashing her face.
Hermione opened her eyes to a very naked Weasley standing a short distance away. Her cheeks flamed as she tried to decide where to look. Settling on Ginny's face (after a quick trip to her chest and what she could see of her stomach), Hermione waded through the waist high water towards her.
"What was that for?" Hermione huffed, as she got within touching distance.
Ginny grinned widely, "Why not? Surely you're not going to protest the dress, Hermione? I don't have to remind you about magic again, do I?"
Hermione smiled sheepishly, she had, in fact, been about to bemoan exactly that.
"If it was so easy to dry your dress, why did you take it off?" Hermione said imperiously.
Ginny's smile grew mischievous, her eyes wicked. "I prefer to swim naked… and I thought you might need a push."
"A push? Gin-"
But Ginny's mouth was on hers and suddenly everything else was irrelevant.
Hermione pulled the girl closer, her hand on the bare curve of Ginny's back. Even when damp her skin was silky to the touch. Her lips were soft, supple, and never seemed to stop moving.
Ginny pulled back, her lips parted and her eyes shining.
"I like you, Hermione, if me kissing you wasn't enough of a hint," Ginny said with a laugh. "I have for a while, but I didn't want to make things awkward with Ron. Then you two broke up..."
"Wait, so that's why you were acting all strange? It wasn't the thing with Harry?" Hermione asked. Ginny's behaviour at their coffee dates made so much more sense now.
Ginny laughed, her eyes dipping down to their joined hands.
"Yes - definitely not Harry. I tried to act normal, but you're my best friend, I tell you everything. It was so weird keeping it from you."
Hermione nodded, she knew she'd be the same trying to keep anything of that magnitude from Ginny.
"I tried to ignore it for months - which didn't really work - as you could probably tell. But then I remembered a piece of advice a certain stunningly beautiful witch told me in my second year. About how the best way to start a relationship with someone was to be their friend first? Admittedly the advice was for a guy - but I assumed the principle remained. So I decided to try to squash the feelings.
"But then I saw in your eyes the exact same longing that was in my own. Then there was that moment at the end of that song," Ginny looked up, her gaze almost accusatory. "You like me too."
Hermione nodded, not trusting her voice. This was so unlike anything she'd experienced before.
Ginny smiled widely before walking backwards further into the water. Hermione, still not entirely knowing where she was meant to look, was almost relieved - the deeper they got, the less Ginny's skin was on show, and the more Hermione could think.
It was when water lapped over the top of Ginny's chest that Hermione could concentrate on what she had wanted to ask.
She didn't know why she was so distracted by something that had previously not been an issue. Although when she thought about it - it did make sense. She'd never found the female form unattractive or off putting, just different and not something she'd considered as something to seek out. But then again, she hadn't really thought of the male form that way either. Although she'd eventually come to see Ron's body as a source of desire, his physicality hadn't been a factor in their relationship originally. So it was strange to be so affected by Ginny's body when they hadn't done anything but kiss. That being said - Ron hadn't pushed her in the pond and jumped in after her stark naked.
"What does this mean though, Gin?" Hermione asked, pulling the younger girl closer.
Ginny rested her arms on Hermione's shoulders, "What does what mean?"
"Does this mean we're together? Like dating?"
Ginny smiled coyly, tilting her head to one side.
"Do you want to be together?"
Hermione threw her head back with a huff - sometimes Ginny could be so frustrating.
"Just answer the question, Gin!"
Ginny's smile softened.
"Yes, Hermione. I'd like to date you, if you're comfortable with that."
Hermione nodded shakily. So long as she had a label for what they were she would be fine. It would take some getting used to - explaining to Ron, and - Merlin forbid - Harry, would be interesting. But she would get there. She raised her chin ever so slightly - she could do this.
"Are we going to tell people straight away, or wai-"
Once again Ginny's mouth made speaking impossible.
She didn't know what it was about kissing Ginny that was so intoxicating. So intoxicating in fact, that her previous fears about being inadequate seemed to fade into background noise against the loud, pounding need.
But that didn't stop her from breaking away from the kiss. There were still things she needed to clarify.
"Ginny. We should really-"
Ginny's finger landed on her lips, silencing her protest.
"Nope - any decisions and talking that aren't about how comfortable you are with this," Ginny said before briefly planting a kiss on Hermione's mouth that somewhat scrambled her brain. "-will happen at a later date. No thinking. No talking beyond this moment -"
Ginny moved her hands up to cup Hermione's face, caressing her cheeks gently with her thumbs. Hermione's eyes fluttered closed momentarily - lost in the intimacy of the gesture.
Ginny met her eyes as they opened, her gaze steady but warm, "Tonight, we just feel."
She would have to let go of everything. Hermione nodded - she could do that. For Ginny.
And so Hermione kissed her - with absolutely everything she had. Disregarding all the stress, all the worry. Every single bit of her anxiety about how it might not work out. And utilising absolutely every bit of love and appreciation for the girl before her. She didn't know where this would go - and that was okay - because they'd work it out together.
Ginny was right - tonight was not about thinking.
It was about feeling.
A/N - Happy Naked Weasley fest!
A huge thanks to Li, Becky and CrazyKitCat for their parts in making this palatable and encouraging me to actually post it.
I hope you all have an excellent day!