Chapter Thirty-Two

Having spent most of the afternoon explaining to Ron just why Harry had "never said anything," Hermione decided that there was only so much masculinity she could take for one afternoon, and made a beeline for Jules and Louise when she entered the Great Hall. Between the Quidditch final and…what had happened after, there was plenty to talk about, and Hermione wanted to speak to Ginny the second she arrived, and so, she left Ron to the thankless task of cheering up Dean.

Jules and Louise must have guessed what was on her mind, for before Hermione had even sat down, Jules said, "She's not here yet. She's still out with him."

Hermione felt her hackles rising at Jules' tone, but Louise intervened before things could get really ugly. "Did you know about this?" she said.

Hermione nodded. "It's been fairly obvious for a while now." She grinned and added, "I love Harry, but he isn't subtle – you should have seen the looks he kept giving her. Mr Darcy had nothing on him."

"Mr Darcy?" Jules said curiously, but she was interrupted by Louise, who let out a wolf-whistle and said, "There they are!"

And so they were. Harry and Ginny were hand-in-hand, walking up the Great Hall, and the strange thing was, neither of them seemed to notice just how many people were staring at them. Until Jules called out "Ginny!" they seemed to be completely in a world of their own. Harry smiled at Ginny when he heard her name, and kissed her once, before walking on up to Ron. Hermione blinked as she watched him go – Harry was strutting.

She started laughing then – no doubt he had good reason, but she'd never seen look so unabashedly sure of himself, and wickedness or not, it was truly hilarious to see the grin on his face. Harry heard her laughter and caught her eye, and Hermione had just sense enough to grin right back at him. It wasn't often she and Harry were 'at one,' so to speak, but she didn't have to say a word to show him how truly happy she was for him.

Ginny joined them a moment later, her dishevelled and her face simply…shining with happiness. She rolled her eyes at the hubbub that broke out the moment she sat down and grinned at Hermione. "So," she said. "How was your afternoon?"

Jules and Louise exploded with questions, and Hermione decided to let them handle the interrogation. She just wanted to look at Ginny – it had been a long time since she'd seen her looking so content. "So how long has he liked you?"

"Well," Ginny said, smiling a crooked little smile, "He said since last summer."

"Last summer?" Hermione said, surprised. She clearly hadn't given Harry enough credit.

"Yeah," Ginny said. "Well, basically. He said it took him a while to realise – remember he kept getting grumpy whenever I mentioned Dean? – but since last summer."

"And what did you do?" Jules asked suspiciously.

"Well…"Ginny put her fingers to her lips and flushed a little as the girls started giggling.

Finally Louise managed to say, "And how was he?"

For a moment Ginny looked slightly smug, and then she said, grinning, "He was lovely."

Hermione really didn't want to think about Harry and kissing, and so she hurried on to the next question. "How did it…you know, happen?"

Ginny tucked a lock of hair behind her ear and glanced shyly at Harry, further down the table. "When he came in," she said, "I just had to hug him. I wanted him to know that he'd done it, that he'd led us to victory even if he hadn't played, and…the way he was looking at me, I've never seen anyone so… So, I thought 'the hell with it,' I thought 'why not, what's the worst thing that could happen,' and I kissed him. And it was just…perfect."

"Everything you've always dreamed of?" Jules asked.

"Yes, Jules. And get that tone out of your voice. Look," Ginny continued, "I know you're not that fond of Harry, but…but I really like him, like, really like him, and –"

If Hermione was astonished that Ginny would actually admit it, she was even more astounded by what Jules said next.

"Like you liked Dean?"

Ginny glowered at her friend. "No. Not like I liked Dean. That was for a week or two, this is…this is…"

"It's Harry." Louise said. "We know that, Gin, we understand… So lay off, all right Jules?"

There was a silence for a moment, and then Jules said, "Sorry. I just don't him to hurt you or anything, and you know there'll be something. After what happened with Cho Chang…. Though, you know, maybe I'm wrong, now that his whole doom and gloom phase is over. And," she added, looking miserable, "I suppose I'm a bit jealous."

Ginny put her hand on Jules' and said, "I promise, when we're living in London the three of us, we'll go out all the time and find you a girl. Or several girls."

"It's just the small population at Hogwarts," Louise added.

"I know," Jules said, "It's just… I never get to do anything."

"Oh join the club," Hermione said, reeling inwardly at the realisation. This must have happened very recently.

"See?" Ginny said. "Hermione knows all about sexual frustration. Just be glad you're not involved with a Weasely – time doesn't solve that problem."

"As Lavender gives us daily proof," Louise said, rolling her eyes.

Hermione wanted to laugh – four months before, she would have laughed, in joyful contempt – but she knew all to well how it felt to have Ron break your heart. She just hoped could Parvati could chivvy Lavender out of it.

Jules took a sip of pumpkin juice and said, "Are you going out with him?"

Ginny flushed a little, but she was still smiling as she said, "Yeah. He got a bit emphatic about it. He was scared I might say no!"

"It was all that pining he was doing," Louise said. "It sapped his confidence."

"Do you really think he was pining?" Ginny asked.

"Oh please," Jules said. "He's been mad about you for nearly a year, he was jealous of Dean and scared you might reject him – how is that not pining?"

Ginny grinned, and there was a delighted self-satisfaction in her voice as she said, "I suppose he did pine – a little."

"And took to writing dodgy poetry," Louise said.

"And wearing dark clothes," Jules added. "And staring into the fire late at night, dreaming of you."

"Or searching for metaphors," Ginny said. "For the dodgy poetry."

Louise and Jules both smirked at Ginny then, and she burst out laughing, her laughter ringing like a bell through the hall. "Don't say it," she warned them.

"We won't," they chorused innocently.

"His eyes are as green as a fresh pickled toad, his hair is as black as a - how did it go on?"

"Hermione!" Ginny said.

"What?"

"Don't remind people of it."

"Oh come on," Louise said, "It was cute."

"It was not," Ginny said from behind her hands, "It was horrifying."

"Actually," Jules said, "I think the word you're looking for…is dodgy."

Ginny moaned, and even Hermione had to laugh at her affect of despair – which didn't come even remotely close to convincing, as she was still smiling. Hermione had to admit, she felt a little out of her depth, but it was worth just to see Ginny's face. She'd never known someone could look simultaneously so happy, and so flummoxed.

Louise looked at her watch and swore. "Can you still help us find that red star, Ginny?"

Catching Hermione's eye, Ginny said, "Sure. Just run up to the Astronomy Tower and get the telescopes ready."

Jules and Louise thanked her and left, and Hermione couldn't help herself. "Jules likes girls? I thought she fancied Seamus."

"She used to say that to fit in," Ginny said, "Whenever we were talking about boys, but…well he never knew anyway. She only told us a month ago."

"Wow," Hermione said. "Is she all right?"

"I think so," said Ginny, looking pensive. "I think it's harder if you're pureblood – all that pressure to have nice pureblood babies."

"But Jules' family isn't – "

"They're not Death Eaters in training," Ginny said. "I mean, her sister's a Squib and her parents were killed in the last war, but…that doesn't mean her granddad wouldn't 'prefer' if the line continued, and continued 'pure.' She says she's going to tell them this summer."

"Well, good for her, I suppose," Hermione said.

"Yeah," Ginny said. "She seems so much happier now that she's told us – she said all these and thoughts, that she was just pushing down, are completely free now, and – "

"I understand," Hermione said. Ginny was starry-eyed, and it wasn't hard to guess why. Idly, Hermione wondered if Harry realised that he could make her this completely happy.

Ginny stood up, wiping her hands with a napkin. "I better go," she said. "Or Jules'll murder me. Could you tell Harry…tell him I'll be back after eight, if he'll wait for me?"

Hermione rolled her eyes. "Ginny," she said, "He'll wait, trust me. But you do realise will probably be there?"

Ginny gave a long-suffering sigh, and said, "Time to face the music I suppose. I'll see you later Hermione."

And off she ran down the hall, her face still lit up.