Thanks for the reviews everyone, thanks to them (and my own supply of cookies) this chapter is up :D
The musty smell of the old house intruded everywhere and no matter how hard Hermione tried she couldn't remove it from the room she shared with Ginny. Their room wasn't one of the biggest ones in the house. With two beds on either side of the room shoved right up against the wall it gave you enough space to fit a reasonable sized set of drawers down the end. The dull walls were now undecorated since Ginny had packed her quidditch posters away and the room had a very unwelcoming feel to it.
Despite all this their room was one of the quieter places in the house that didn't have order members traipsing through every few seconds which is why Hermione had chosen to go up there and read after lunch. But her mind refused to focus on the words in front of her and after reading the same line for the seventh time Hermione sighed in frustration and closed the book.
Falling backwards onto her bed she closed her eyes and let the day's events play over in her mind. She couldn't help but smile at her moment in the library with Ginny, although she hardly knew what to make of it.
Liar. The voice at the back of her head whispered.
Ok, maybe she did know what to make of it and she had no problem with it what so ever. Ginny was her best friend, nothing would change that. What she didn't know what make of was her own actions in the library and why the idea that her best friend fancied the fairer sex excited her.
Liar. The voice in her head said again, louder this time, threatening to spill over releasing all the other muffled and suppressed thoughts.
Ok, so maybe there was a very obvious answer for what her actions meant and every other little thing to. For the excitement, blushing, daydreams, touching, butterflies in her stomach and everything.
She had a thing for her best friend.
Well less of a thing and more of a deep unacknowledged infatuation with her best friend, no big problem or anything. Except it's her best friend who is also a girl, perhaps a bigger problem than she first thought. But it is her best friend who'd just been about to come out to her, so does that mean it's back to it only being a small problem?
With her eyes still closed Hermione frowned in confusion, those thoughts weren't helping at all. If only Ron was slightly more sensitive to when he was interrupting private moments and had left her and Ginny alone instead of babbling on.
What was Ginny going to say? Was she simply going to admit that she likes girls? Or was Hermione being too hopeful in thinking that she was going to admit liking a certain girl, like maybe a certain brunette. What did Ginny's behaviour mean? Was she flirting before or just being her playful self?
A more important question bothered her though, and now she had given herself the chance to think about it she couldn't ignore it any more.
Did she, Hermione Jean Granger like girls? The evidence she had locked away behind ignorance spoke for itself but years of it had piled up and it was too much for Hermione to process at once. For once she didn't have an immediate answer.
The sound of her bedroom door creaking open made her sit up in surprise only to see Ginny.
"Sorry, didn't surprise you or anything did I?" She asked as she came in and sat down next to Hermione on the bed.
"No, I was just lying down." Hermione said, suddenly very aware of how close they were. If she shifted slightly her hand would be gently brushing against Ginny's thigh. She mentally slapped herself for thinking that and focused on Ginny.
"I still need to tell you what I was going to in the library." Ginny said her eyes seemed to be searching Hermione's, looking for any sign she'd figured it out herself. Heat rushed up to Hermione's cheeks under Ginny's gaze and she looked away, starting to play with the hem of her shirt. Ginny must've found what she was looking for because she continued on.
"You're my best friend Hermione, but it's not enough for me." Hermione's breath caught in her throat as she felt Ginny's fingertips under her chin. She looked up, her gaze quickly passing over Ginny's body before landing on her lips. Her heart beat faster with anticipation and her own lips parted slightly.
Her mind was a storm of emotions and reason battling against each other, but her body reacted instinctively paying no attention to her thoughts. She was begging to be kissed, though she wasn't able to form a coherent thought to realise that. Ginny fortunately didn't need any more of an invitation.
Her mind froze the moment Ginny leaned forward and kissed her. It was amazing to feel the soft movement of Ginny's lips on hers, to have her unrealised dream come true. Hermione put a hand on Ginny's waist, pulling their bodies closer together until Ginny was sitting half on her lap. She felt Ginny's hand move up to cup her cheek and she ran her tongue across Hermione's bottom lip.
Suddenly Hermione's thoughts caught up with her actions and she jerked violently back, causing Ginny to lose her balance and fall backwards on Hermione's bed.
"Ouch Hermione, what was that?" Ginny asked propping herself up on her elbows only to see her best friend staring at her with her eyes wide in confusion and fear.
"I'm sorry Gin! I mean, I like you but you're my best friend and I can't, I mean I shouldn't have, I just don't know, and it's not right!" Hermione explained in one flustered breath. Immediately she saw she hit a nerve with her last statement as Ginny's eyes narrowed. Quickly she got up, not looking back at Hermione.
"Well then Hermione, I'm sorry for interfering with your opinion of what's right and what isn't." Ginny said coldly. As she reached the door she gave Hermione one quick glance over her shoulder, "But you kissed me back."
Hermione stared blankly at the door as it closed behind Ginny, unable to rid the horrible look Ginny had given her of disgust and betrayal from her mind. Hermione covered her face with her hands and pulled her knees into her body.
"What have I done?" She whispered into her palms.