Chapter Thirty-Three

Hermione laid her head back against the sofa and listened to Harry and Ron chatting. She'd worked hard all afternoon on an essay for Arithmancy, and she wanted to bask in the satisfaction of a job well done. Besides, it was nice just to hear them talking, even if she would never understand the fascination of Quidditch.

Ron had taken Harry and Ginny's relationship surprisingly well, all things considered, though he did insist on using words like 'permission' around Ginny, which were simply guaranteed to wind her up. Hermione couldn't help but wish they wouldn't bait each other so much. She could see both sides of it of course, but she sometimes found herself wishing that Ron would be a little more welcoming, a little nicer to Ginny – and that Ginny would realise his protectiveness wasn't necessarily a sign that he thought her weak or foolish.

She was surprised actually when Ginny came slouching in through the portrait hole, a glum expression on her face. She sat down heavily beside Harry and hid her head in his shoulder. "Don't talk to me," she said.

Harry grinned. "I though you were still in the library?"

"I just had to leave," Ginny said, a touch melodramatically in Hermione's opinion. "I've had the worst day."

Hermione frowned. "Ginny, it's getting very close to your OWLs – you shouldn't come back just to…to see Harry, or…you really do have to work."

"I know that, Hermione," Ginny said, looking moody. "But I can take a break, can't I? If I spend half an hour just chatting, I can actually sleep at night, not wake up muttering Potions recipes."

Hermione sighed her most disapproving sigh. "Did you finish the plan at least?"

"You made Ginny a study plan?" Ron said.

"Yes!" Hermione said defensively. "I didn't want her to fail or….or get distracted," she added, looking pointedly at Harry.

"I thought you only made plans for Harry and me."

"Well you thought wrong," Hermione said. She didn't understand why Ron thought it was such a big deal. "Did you finish it Ginny?"

"Yes," Ginny said, avoiding Hermione's eyes.

"Ginny."

"Well, almost," Ginny said, now playing with Harry's left hand. "I didn't read the chapter on the Vampire-Troll Confederacy, but I'm going to fail History of Magic anyway, so – "

"That's the spirit," Harry said, looking as though he very much wanted to kiss her.

Hermione shook her head at her. "It's only thirty-five pages, Ginny. You should have stayed in the library and finished up."

"It's a good idea in theory," Ginny said brightly, "But Madam Pince wouldn't agree. She kicked me out."

"What did you do?" Harry asked. "Did you insult Filch?" Hermione grinned at him.

"No," Ginny said, "Nothing like that. Zacharias Smith was given Luna a hard time and I told him to knock it off, and…things got a bit heated."

"What was he doing?" Ron asked.

"Oh just…you know, calling her Loony, and he took her quill and wouldn't give it back and…I might have overreacted." Ginny said. "I think today was my day for fights."

"Speaking of which," Ron said in his big brother voice, "What's this I hear about you and Blaise Zabini?"

"Oh God," Ginny said, "Don't even remind me."

"What happened?" Hermione asked.

"The usual nonsense – I don't know what his problem is. He had a go at Louise this morning." Ginny sighed. "I don't know what it is about him. I mean, I get it, he thinks I'm some filthy blood traitor or whatever, but I don't understand why he has to keep harping on about it. I mean, I'm not going to let him talk like that to Louise, but…" She chewed on her bottom lip. "Does he give you that much trouble?"

Ron shook his head. "Can't say that he does – I barely even knew him before this year."

Ginny slumped. "Well then I don't know what it is," she said. "Ever since third year…the Yule Ball, I mean, he's been…I don't get it."

Harry ruffled her hair and said, "Do you really not know?"

Ginny shrugged. "Maybe I make some sound only gits and pygmy puffs can hear."

"No," Harry said. "And you call me thick?"

"I never called you thick!"

Harry looked at her sceptically, and Ginny gave in. "Well," she said, "Maybe once. But I meant it affectionately."

"Anyway," Harry said, "Blaise Zabini…well, he fancies you."

"What!"

Ron rolled his eyes at the way they both squealed, and Hermione smiled at Ginny as she continued, "Oh, he does not. You're just imagining things."

"I'm not," Harry said, "At least, Pansy Parkinson thinks so. You remember I eavesdropped on them?"

"Why didn't you say anything before?" Ginny said. "I could have started wearing garlic perfume or…or done something to put him off, if it's really true."

Harry grinned. "I wasn't about to inform on the competition."

Ginny's voice was bubbling with laughter. "Blaise Zabini, Harry? Have you no faith in me?"

"Maybe I was paranoid," Harry said.

"Crazy paranoid." Ginny intoned. "Fudge paranoid."

Ron groaned at them and said, "Could you two knock it off?"

Hermione, whose feet were resting in Ron's lap, poked him slightly in the stomach to get him to behave. He grabbed her ankle and said, "Getting frisky eh?"

Ginny raised her eyebrows and there was a moment's silence before she said, "I hope Luna's okay."

Harry looked concerned. "Does Smith go after her much?"

Ginny shrugged. "Who knows? Luna never talks about it, but you know what she's like. He's just a pillock."

Harry stood up. "Here," she said, "I'll walk her back from the library. Make sure he doesn't give her any hassle."

"Really?" Ginny said, her whole face lighting up.

"Sure," Harry said, blushing when she kissed him on the cheek.

Ron stood up as well, "I haven't talked to Luna in a while – I need a laugh," he said. He lifted Hermione's feet off his lap, somewhat to her regret, and both boys left.

Ginny yawned and said, "Luna's going to be the talk of our year tomorrow with those two escorting her you realise?"

"Yeah," Hermione said, still tingling from Ron's touch.

Ginny grinned mischievously. "You two are looking pretty cosy."

Hermione blushed, and said, "Yeah, I suppose."

Ginny stared at her. "What?" she said. "What happened?"

"No it's…it's nothing," Hermione said.

Ginny looked incredulous. "Nothing? Come on Hermione, I'm not blind – I see you two with the…foot flirting."

"Yeah," Hermione said. "I know. And we are…flirting, I suppose. It's just, I don't want to…put pressure on it. You know what I mean?"

Ginny shrugged. "I'm not sure I follow."

Hermione stared down at the table, pulling the words out. "The thing is…before all that mess with Lavender, we were so scared. Or at least, I was – I'm pretty sure he was too. So scared, and so obsessed with what every little word, or half-word, might mean, that…is it any wonder it all went wrong?" She paused; a little shocked at her daring in saying this next thing aloud, though she honestly believed it to be true. "But I do like him, I really like him, and he feels the same way…I know he feels the same way, so…when it naturally should happen – it will happen. I know that. So there's no point in dissecting every little thing, you know. I think…I think it's time to just let things be."

Ginny was smiling broadly at her, and Hermione sighed. "Did that get too heavy?"

Ginny's eyes were bright. "No," she said, "I understand. It's just really hard to get there."

"Yeah," Hermione said absently.

Ginny added a moment later, "Did I tell you McGonagall's been helping me with my practical Transfiguration almost every day now?"

"No," Hermione said, "But that was because every time I so much as mentioned Transfiguration you put your fingers in your ears and started singing to yourself."

"Yeah," Ginny said, "I might have. Still, it's pretty cool of her."

"It is," Hermione said. "Now do your work before Harry gets back from rescuing Luna."

"My hero," Ginny said, rolling her eyes. Hermione shook her head at her – however satirically Ginny might speak, they both knew it was true.