Hermione heard Ginny swear loudly where she was sitting, down by the Common Room fire. A moment later she saw a roll of parchment flying over Ginny's shoulder, followed by an inkwell, two large textbooks and a miniature Quaffle.
As Hermione sat down she had to dodge a rather battered quill that Ginny tossed away with a moan of displeasure. She put her head in her hands and shook her hair out dramatically. "Don't talk to me," she said.
"Why? What did I do?"
"It's all your fault, Hermione!" Ginny pointed at her accusingly. "I wouldn't even be doing this class if it wasn't for you. I must have been mad – I mean, Percy said it was a good idea. Percy!"
Hermione crossed her legs, Indian style, checking that her skirt covered everything that needed to be covered – Ron was sitting on the sofa only a few feet away – and said, "What's the problem."
"It's this blasted Runes translation – it's impossible Hermione! There are about five different tenses, and six different subjects, and I'm not even good." She shook her head, and thrust the exercise at Hermione. "Look at it," she said, "It just doesn't make sense."
Hermione scanned the page; it only took her a moment to recognise it from the year before. "It's not supposed to," she said. "It's a trick – it's untranslatable."
Ginny stared. "What!" She sputtered incoherently for a moment or two, before saying, "That's just mean."
Hermione smiled reassuringly. "Well," she said, "Professor Hardcastle can be difficult like that."
Ginny uncurled like a cat, sitting up straight and saying, "Oh well, thanks for telling me. That's all of it done now. Did you see where I threw that Quaffle?"
Hermione blinked, but she spied the red ball by the poker and handed it back to Ginny, saying, "I think you missed."
Ginny shrugged. "I wasn't exactly aiming – I'm much better than that usually."
"You like Quidditch?"
Ginny stared at her. "Don't you?"
"Yeah… I suppose." In truth, Hermione could take it or leave it, but Ginny looked so scandalised that she thought she'd leave that revelation for later.
Ginny curled her legs under her and said, "Well, yeah, I like Quidditch. I love it actually, so… anyway, I mentioned it to Michael, and he gave me that."
Hermione raised an eyebrow. "Oh did he?"
Ginny looked quizzical. "Yeah. He said he got it in one of his crackers at Christmas."
"Oh."
Shouting broke out behind them as Fred and George started a game of Exploding Snap with Harry and Ron. Hermione was glad – if Ginny thought there was any possibility of someone hearing she'd clam up immediately.
Ginny looked irritated and said, "What's your point?"
"Ginny, have you ever thought that Michael might like you?"
Ginny gave an odd-little half laugh and said, "Of course he does – we're friends."
"No, I mean like you."
Ginny had an odd expression on her face, as though she thought Hermione was telling a not particularly funny joke. "Don't be stupid Hermione."
"I'm not being stupid."
"Why would Michael like me?"
"Well, you are pretty Ginny, and you spend a lot of time together…"
"So...?"
"So – put two and two together."
"I think you're getting six," Ginny said, folding her arms with a stubborn set of her jaw, "I'm just 'the Littlest Weasley.'"
"You don't want to be as tall as Ron."
"Yeah, but… do you really think he might?" There was an odd tone in Ginny's voice, and Hermione could see that her eyes were shining, and suddenly there was something rather familiar about the whole thing.
"Of course he would," she said reassuringly, "It just shows he has good taste."
Ginny looked confused. "But… should I do something? I mean, I don't… I still…"
She looked as though the words were causing her actual pain, and Hermione said, thinking very carefully. "I think it would be a good idea."
She didn't want to offend Ginny, but she'd been meaning to say this for a few months now, and the right wording was hard to find. "I think," she said, "It'd be good for you. You know, good for the confidence and all that. I should know."
"Yeah, but, if I know I like someone else then… isn't that a bit?"
Hermione bit her lip – she'd really hoped it wouldn't come to this. "The thing is Ginny – Harry likes Cho, and, since you get so…"
"Nervous," Ginny interjected, a morose expression on her pretty face.
"Yeah – around him, he's never going to…pay attention. I mean, if he saw what you're really like then of course he'd… but at the moment."
"I'm that girl who blushes you mean?"
"Yeah. So, why not see what else is out there? It'd be fun."
Ginny nodded. "You're probably right," she said.
She seemed thoughtful; and worried, Hermione said, "You're not angry with me?"
Ginny shook her head hurriedly, "No! No. Just, can I think about it? I'm not… I mean, you are probably right, it's just…"
Her voice trailed off and Hermione reflected that she was quite right – it was never easy to give up hope, there was always that niggling hope that somehow he would see the light, even though he spent all his time staring at Quarter-Veela's and getting angry over Viktor…
They had been silent for nearly a minute, and in an attempt to break the silence Hermione said, "I don't even like Cho."
Ginny burst out laughing. "Liar," she said, "You don't even know her."
"I still don't like her. She's not nearly as nice as you."
Still giggling, Ginny hugged her quickly. "I love you, Hermione," she said.
It took a moment for Ginny to calm herself, and Hermione said, "So, Quidditch?"
"Yeah. I think I might try out for Chaser in fifth year – you know, when Angelina's gone."
"Really, you like it that much?"
"Oh yeah." Ginny was emphatic.
"But, how come you never played with the boys?"
"They would have had to let me – and Mum always thought they were too rough, so…"
"So how did you learn?"
Ginny flicked her hair over her shoulders nonchalantly. "Oh, I borrowed their brooms when they weren't looking – which is a lot. There are some advantages to being the baby sister nobody notices."
Hermione was awestruck – she'd taken flying lessons of course, everyone had, but perhaps her hand-eye coordination was off, or maybe she just didn't like heights, but she'd never been able to muster up much passion for flying. "How long have you been doing this?" she asked.
"Since I was six."
"Six!"
"Yeah."
"But you must have been about three foot nothing."
"Four foot nothing actually," Ginny said, "And it's not as if I'm all that tall now is it?"
"On adult brooms? You're out of your mind."
Ginny grinned. "Fun isn't it." After a moment she added, "How are things with Viktor?"
Hermione opened her mouth to say that things were absolutely wonderful, that he was sweet and gentlemanly and romantic, but the words stuck in her throat.
"Things are…odd," she confessed. "I mean, after the lake, and what he said… you remember what he said?"
"Yeah – of course."
"Well, I kept thinking that… something would happen, and I'd feel the exact same way and he'd be all I could think about but… it just doesn't. He's nice, and clever, and I'm nice…"
"And clever," Ginny said.
"Yeah – and we're nice and clever together. There's no…" Her voice trailed off – she didn't know exactly what it was she wanted to say, only that it was the feeling she got every time she looked at Ron.
"He doesn't argue with you," Ginny supplied helpfully.
"Yeah," Hermione said, stretching the word out as she pondered Ginny's words. "Do you really think that could be it?"
"Well, it's what Jules says."
"You've been talking to Jules about Viktor?" She couldn't quite keep a trace of anger from her tone.
"No. And thanks for the trust Hermione – what I was going to say is, she's a bit like you – not as clever, but… anyway, Colin fancies her, but she's not interested, 'cause he just follows her around and agrees with everything she says, and Jules needs someone who'll challenge her a bit, you know."
"Having Colin fancy you would be a challenge all right."
"Hermione!" Ginny said, "Don't be mean. Colin's not so bad really – he's just a bit… enthusiastic. He can't help it."
"Yeah I know." Hermione stretched her arms over her head and said, "What are you doing today?"
Ginny opened her mouth to speak when Ron said, "Hermione! Come on – we're going down to Hagrid's"
She was about to glare at him for being so rude – they were in the middle of a conversation, and it wasn't exactly nice to exclude Ginny like that – when Harry said, "Do you want to come Ginny?" At least he had some manners.
Ginny stood up however, and grinning at Hermione said, "Not today – I've to meet a friend."
Harry shrugged – clearly not caring much one way or the other – and Ginny added, in a tone only Hermione could hear, "Michael asked me and Louise to go flying with his group."
Hermione clapped her hands and said, "That's wonderful! I'll see you later then … and, tell me what happens."
Ginny nodded and, eyes sparkling, made her way out of the Portrait Hole. Smiling, Hermione managed to convince Ron that she needed to get her coat, before she too left.