Chapter 13 – Popping the Question
"W-What?", Hermione stuttered in shock. Had Ginny really just asked her whether she would like to kiss her?
"I asked if you would like to try my coffee", Ginny said in amusement.
"Oh, yeah s-sure", Hermione replied. She must have misheard. If the couple next to them only would stop kissing already, then she would not be that distracted!
"Just kidding, I actually asked you whether you would like to kiss me", Ginny said and grinned.
Hermione was glad that she had not tried the cake yet or else she would have choked on it. Her mouth snapped open and close a few times but she could not come up with any reply.
"Sorry, teasing you is just so much fun", Ginny laughed. "I noticed you glancing at them-", she made a movement wither her head in the couple's direction, "all the time and you trying to hide your blush did not really work out."
Hermione laughed nervously, still unable to say something. Instead she raised the mint latte to her lips and hastily took a sip.
"I want to kiss you", Ginny suddenly said.
This time, Hermione did choke and it took her almost a minute to stop coughing.
"Hermione, are you okay?", Ginny asked in concern and reached over to pat Hermione's back. "I'm sorry, I just meant that I want to kiss you like, in general, not now. Well, actually now would also be nice, but I heard that muggles are still pretty conservative about that and here might not be the best place to do it and- I'm sorry I should stop talking, shouldn't I?", Ginny asked as Hermione's coughing only increased. Hermione nodded and let out a final cough before she was able to regain her composure.
She cleared her throat once more and looked at Ginny. "Can I ask you something?"
"Of course, ask whatever you want", Ginny replied.
"Since when did you like me?", Hermione asked. She had wondered about it since the moment Ginny confessed to her.
Ginny bit her lower lip and mulled over the question for a few moments. "I think it started in our last year at Hogwarts", she eventually said.
"Really? That long?", Hermione asked in surprise. She had not noticed anything then.
Ginny nodded thoughtfully. "Yes. Since Harry and Ron where not around we had lots of time to really get to know each other and the more I got to know about you the more my interest and eventually my…attraction to you grew. I even considered to confess to you on our graduation day, but I was too afraid of my own feelings. I was still with Harry and I really, really liked him. I thought my feelings for you would stop once we left school." She sighed and looked at Hermione earnestly. "But it didn't. The longer I didn't see you the more I missed you. At the same time my feelings for Harry turned from something that hadn't been quite love to pure friendship. You know the breakup story. I tried to reach out to you after, that's why I sent you all those owls. But you refused my requests to meet so often, I thought you had no interest in me. Not even as a friend." Ginny hung her head and Hermione once more felt the urge to slap herself for putting her work above everything else in her life.
"I never expected that you'd like me back", Ginny whispered. "But strangely, the hope never died."
"Why is that?", Hermione asked curiously.
Ginny shrugged. "Mostly the power of my imagination, I guess. I saw meaning in everything you did or said, even though I probably over-interpreted everything." She took a sip from her coffee. "How about you?", she asked as she put the cup back on the saucer. "Since when have you liked me?"
Hermione had thought about the exact same question for days after she had admitted her feelings for Ginny. It had taken her some time and sleepless nights. "The moment I realized that I liked you was when you saved my life on the Quidditch pitch", she explained. "But I think I started developing feelings for you during sixth year when we did the DA."
"Wait what?! That was ages ago!", Ginny exclaimed in surprise.
"Yup. I had all the drama going on with Ron, because strangely I was thinking that I was supposed to like him. I didn't realize it then, but I think I actually liked you. I tried to be with Ron to make me like him, as weird as it sounds. And I was moody not because I was jealous of Lavender, but actually I was jealous of Dean and then Harry. Trying to convince myself that I had to be jealous of Lavender made me even more unbalanced emotionally." Hermione laughed humorlessly as she thought of those times.
"After graduation, I tried to focus on work so I could forget about all of it. As you know that's also the time when I broke up with Ron. In the end I never managed to convince myself that I loved him." Now it was Hermione's turn to hang her head.
Suddenly she felt Ginny's warm hand in hers and it strangely did not surprise her. She raised her head and looked right at Ginny. "I am so sorry it took me until last week to admit my feelings for you."
"Don't be sorry", Ginny replied softly. "If I had confessed to you earlier we might be past this stage for years now." Hermione opened her mouth to protest, but Ginny laid her index finger on Hermione's lips. "But I don't want it to be any different. I like the way things are now".
Hermione smiled and glanced at their intervened hands on the table. The sight made her feel all fuzzy inside. What a strange yet nice feeling.
"Now let me ask you something else", Ginny said. The redhead nervously tugged on her Gryffindor scarf and Hermione felt her hand getting a little sweaty. Ginny cleared her throat and squeezed Hermione's hand lightly.
"Since I am officially not angry about the list anymore-"
"You're not?!", Hermione asked happily.
Ginny smiled in amusement at the other woman's reaction. "No, I am not. You apologized and I accepted your apology. But please just come talk to me from now on, okay?". Hermione nodded enthusiastically.
"Well, since we sorted that out", Ginny continued. "Hermione Jean Granger, most brilliant and beautiful witch of our time, do you officially want to become my girlfriend?" She looked at Hermione expectantly and Hermione could feel the redhead's fast heartbeat pulsating in her palm. It was even faster than her own. It was adorable how Ginny was so nervous when the answer was obvious.
"Ginevra Molly Weasley, most talented and attractive seeker of our time", she began and smiled at Ginny. "It would be an honor to be your girlfriend."
"So the answer is yes, isn't it?", Ginny asked nervously.
"Of course, it is yes, silly", Hermione replied playfully.
Ginny let go of Hermione's hand and instead cupped her face. The images of kissing Ginny flashed through Hermione's mind more vividly than ever before.
"I promise I'll do everything to make you happy", Ginny said with a smile. Maybe it was due to the light, but it seemed as if she was glowing.
Hermione gulped and closed her eyes for a second. A single tear rolled down her cheek before it was quickly wiped away by Ginny's thump. "What's wrong?", the redhead asked concernedly.
Hermione shook her head. "Nothing. I am just so happy", she said quietly.
The two women sat in silence for a minute or so, just enjoying the other's company before an unpleasant thought crossed Hermione's mind.
"Uhm…", she said hesitantly.
"What is it?", Ginny asked.
"What are we going to do about Ron and Harry?", Hermione asked. "I am not sure about Harry, but Ron won't be too happy about this development. He might lose it completely." Just thinking about telling Ron made her feel nauseated already. If she interpreted Ginny's expression correctly, the redhead was fearing the same.
"I really don't know", Ginny said and sighed. "Harry might be okay with it, I'm not sure though. But Ron will be furious for sure. Even though he's dating Sophie now, he will not be happy about the fact that his little sister is dating his ex-girlfriend. No brother would."
"You're right", Hermione said. "No matter how much I think about it, I don't see any possibility for him to react, let's say, nicely to the news of us being…a couple." Although Hermione was concerned about their best friends' reaction, she smiled as she said this. It felt unfamiliar but nice to call her and Ginny a couple.
"Let's just not think about it now", Ginny said. "I don't want to ruin our date by talking about them."
Hermione nodded. Ginny was right, but someday they would have to think about how they were going to tell Ron and Harry about it.
"I want to be open about our relationship, I really do, but I didn't even tell my mum that I like girls yet", Ginny continued. "I guess I should talk to her about it soon…I don't want to have secrets and I'm sick of pretending that there's no one I fancy."
"Will she be okay?", Hermione asked worriedly. She knew that Ginny's mother had still not given up on her daughter ending up with Harry.
"I doubt it", Ginny replied with hanging shoulders. "You know my mum, she's rather conservative when it comes to family…and the way she keeps asking me about Harry- I really can't stand it. Usually I just tell her that I am not interested in anyone right now, but sometimes I'm so exhausted I don't say anything and just let her talk. There were times when I wanted to scream at her that I like girls…that I want to be with you, Hermione. But I could never bring myself to do it. I didn't even tell Bill, even though I trust him like no one else. I'm just so afraid that…that they might reject me, you know?" Ginny had spoken quickly and without breathing, it seemed as if this was the first time she had ever spoken about her fears. The redhead quickly trained her eyes on her caramel latte but Hermione had already seen the tears welling up in them.
"Ginny", she began to speak, but words had left her. Judging from Ginny's openness about the subject in front of Neville and Luna and her bold behavior in front of Harry and Ron, Hermione had assumed that the redhead wasn't afraid of being who she was in front of her family as well. She had thought that Ginny would handle the coming-out, as the Muggles called it, with the same ease as catching a snitch.
"Don't worry, it will be fine eventually", Hermione finally said. She reached out and stroked Ginny's hair tenderly. "They might need time, but they won't reject you. They love you way too much." Her hand wandered to Ginny's chin and she lifted it slowly so that Ginny would look at her. She smiled reassuringly.
"Thanks", Ginny replied and smiled back at her hesitantly. "What about your parents? Are you going to tell them?"
"Yes, maybe not now, but I want to tell them sooner or later. They should be fine with it", Hermione replied. She was sure that her parents wouldn't mind her dating a girl at all. They had already accepted the fact that she was a witch, so her being lesbian, bi or whatever would not really shock them anymore. She refrained from telling Ginny this, though. It would only make the redhead's situation seem worse.
"Come on, don't think about it now and have some cake, it's delicious, isn't it?", Hermione said in an attempt to cheer her up. And then she did something she had never done before, because it had seemed too cheesy to her. She picked up some of the cake with her fork and brought it to Ginny's mouth. The latter stared at her surprised before she opened her lips to eat it. Significantly more cheerfully she munched on the cake.
Satisfied with her reaction, Hermione leaned back into her chair and had a sip of her mint latte which wasn't even lukewarm anymore. But she didn't care. Ginny was the only thing that mattered to her at that moment.
They moved on to talk about the upcoming Quidditch game and Hermione had to reassure the redhead at least three times that she would really attend the game. She had to promise to wear Luna's spare fan robe and the merchandise they had purchased at the Quidditch shop earlier.
After a while – it had become dark outside – they got up and left the café, because Ginny had promised Mrs. Weasley that she would be home for dinner. Hermione felt disappointed that the hours had passed that quickly and Ginny had complained all the way up to the trash barrels about her mother. Hermione however urged her to hurry up, since she didn't want Mrs. Weasley to think Ginny was late because of Hermione. She would have to make a good impression from now on.
"I had a great time today, thank you so much", Hermione said once they had disappeared behind the trash barrels.
Ginny grinned happily. "I cannot believe you're my girlfriend now", she said. "It feels like a dream, seriously. I probably won't believe it when I wake up tomorrow."
"Wait", Hermione said and began to rummage in her bag. First, she handed Ginny the stuff she had bought at Quality Quidditch Supplies then she pulled out a roll of parchment and a quill. She ripped a small piece from the parchment and carefully wrote: "I really am your girlfriend. – Hermione –". The dot over every i was a heart. She couldn't believe her cheesiness, but she knew it would make Ginny happy.
And sure, it did. Ginny's grin beamed like she had just been connected to a million-volt generator as she read the note. "You're so cute, do you know that?", she said and Hermione blushed.
"Well, I have to leave now. I have special training from tomorrow on, but I'll send you an owl as soon as I get some free time", Ginny said.
"Okay, but don't pressure yourself too much", Hermione replied.
Ginny nodded. The two witches stared at each other for a few moments, neither of them sure what to say next. Was this the moment you were supposed to kiss? Hermione thought it was, but first of all she felt still too shy to act on her feelings and secondly sharing their first kiss behind a bunch of smelly trash barrels wasn't exactly the most romantic thing to do either. So, she just said: "Well, see you soon then?"
"Yup", Ginny replied and quickly hugged her. As she pulled back her lips grazed Hermione's cheek ever so slightly. The touch sent shivers all over her body.
Ginny waved and disapparated.
Hermione quickly made a mental note to think of a good time and place for kissing Ginny for the first time.
She disapparated with a goofy smile on her face as the images started floating into her mind.