Chapter 7

A/N: Hey everyone! Happy Easter! Hope you all had a good weekend. As promised part 2 of the Spring Gala is here. I don't know why but I found myself listening to "No Surprises" by Radiohead as I wrote an important scene below, so if you know that song, try to use that as the background music when you read it, it will add a little magic to it I think. Anyway, thank you for everyone who has added this to their favorites stories and/or have alerted it. I hope you enjoy this one! Please let me know what you think and review! :)

JK owns it.

They exited the room without looking back both beaming with excitement. As soon as they started walking further down the hallway towards the Atrium Hermione quickly performed a disillusionment charm on both of them to covered their tracks, after all, she knew for a fact what they were about to do was completely against Ministry rules. They walked to the lift in silence, Ginny had asked a few times where they were going but Hermione refused to answer each time. They turned a corner and were faced a wall full of lifts. Hermione turned around to check no one was behind them and quickly ushered Ginny inside. The redhead's heart almost jumped out of her chest as soon as that lift came to life- much like the last time she had come to the Ministry to visit Hermione. After a few sharp turns down and sideways and the lift finally stopped and opened its doors.

"Level 9- Department of Mysteries"

A tiny voice inside Ginny panicked. We are breaking into the Department of Mysteries? That is soooo wicked! Wait-how is this possible?

She recalled many occasions when her father had told her about the strict security and secrecy of the Department and how only very few select ministry workers knew how to get in.

How did Hermione know how to get in? She definitely knows this is in violation of every Ministry rule in existence. Wasn't Hermione supposed to be notably stringent with rules? I guess she has a little bit of a dark side...and I love it!

Hermione stepped out of the lift and took a few steps. When she realized she wasn't being followed she called out Ginny's name. The redhead was frozen from nerves, the repercussions of being caught would definitely be severe, but another part of her was bouncing with excitement and a need for adventure (and some alone time) with the brunette.

"I'm here" she announced, "I'm following"

Although Ginny couldn't see her Hermione smirked; her veins filling with adrenaline.

With quick pace they went down a long hall and through a dark door that opened shortly after they met it - Ginny assumed Hermione had nonverbally done some sort of powerful spell to open it. They then found themselves in a circular room full of doors.

What in Merlin's beard is this!

Now out of danger Hermione undid the disillusionment charm and came face to face with a curious looking Ginny. She noticed the younger girl's cheeks were flush and her hair was slightly tussled looking oh so enticing. Focusing back on her not-so-very-thought-out plan she remembered the inconvenient and annoying trick the doors played and realized she didn't have the slightest clue how she could identify the one she wanted. Oh well I guess I'll have to try them all.

She approached one door and peaked in; immediately her eyes fell to the big rectangular tank with brains – in a flash, memories of that dreadful night flooded back to her memory. She pushed away the negative thoughts, closed the door briskly, marked it, and continued with her task. The next door revealed a very large and deserted room. She didn't recognize it at first but Hermione assumed this was the thought chamber- now devoid of the thousands of glowing crystal balls they had destroyed- the room looked dark and ominous. Hermione quickly closed it as well and marked the door with an X. Finally she opened the third door and let out a short gasp. This is it! Hermione had been curious about the room since their fifth year after the battle. She had never been there herself but when recollecting each person's take on what had happened she remembered Luna had described it as "unusual". Anything that merited that description from Luna was definitely something she wanted to investigate.

All the while Hermione was looking into doors Ginny was waiting anxiously behind her. She caught a glimpse of a room with tanks full of some rather unattractive and circular fish, she assumed, right before the door closed and moved. Interesting. The second room she peeked into was too dark for her to see anything. At the third Hermione turned to her - apparently having found what she was looking for.

"Ginny come here" she motioned the girl forward and Ginny willingly complied.

"Take my hand" Hermione instructed holding it out to the younger girl. Ginny looked at it for a second and then at Hermione and grabbed on tightly knowing that whatever was in there she would only want to face with this girl by her side.

Hermione grinned as soon as she felt Ginny's hand in hers – she opened the door again. It took a second for Ginny's eyes to adjust to the darkness. She let out a small shriek when she felt herself start to float but relaxed when she heard Hermione giggle softly next to her.

"It's okay Gin, there's no gravity - just look around"

And Ginny obeyed. Oh my gods! What in the world! Nothing she had ever seen in her entire life held as much beauty as what was surrounding her at that very moment. As her eyes adjusted Ginny realized the dark room was now full with bright colors glowing all around them. She felt like she had somehow flown into the ceiling of the ball room and just left this world entirely, and in a way they had. They were floating through a sea of stars, literally floating around them. Ginny saw Jupiter and then the majestic rings of Saturn not far behind. She saw shooting stars ignite and propel through the sea of darkness. Ginny kept her eyes wide trying to take it all in without missing a second of this surreal place she was in. She was beyond stunned, she was flabbergasted – it was just beyond anything she could believe. Am I really here? Did someone slip a potion in my drink and made me hallucinate? She was about to burst with so many emotions that washed over her unexpectedly that she felt her eyes water from sheer and utter bliss. It was the most beautiful and peaceful thing she had ever seen. As she glided through space Ginny stretched out her arm to try to reach for the stars that were now just beyond her reach - this was by far the closest she had ever seen them, and they were perfect. After what seemed like hours Hermione finally spoke, softly as if not trying to break the spell they were both under.

"Look over there Ginny. Do you see those stars?"

Ginny's eyes followed where Hermione was pointing.

"Ursa major" she gasped. She had studied all this while at school and had always been captivated by constellations- astronomy had always been one of her stronger subjects.

Hermione smiled at her friend's response.

"And there's Ursa Minor!" Ginny continued with child-like excitement. She felt like a child, pure, innocent, untarnished by reality, by the confines of the world and all the confusion that brought along with it. She was just Ginny right now and she was free floating through space with Hermione. Ginny sighed in contentment and chanced a glance at the brunette who was looking as elated as she felt. She saw her eyes shimmer with excitement the way she looked when she spoke about house elves. There was something about the sight of Hermione at that exact moment that made Ginny's heart swell and chest constrain. In this alternate reality where she was just Ginny, with no strings attached, she felt bold and liberated, and wanted nothing more than to pull Hermione into a passionate kiss as they drifted through the solar system. As if on cue Hermione turned and locked her eyes to Ginny's - and that look said it all. Without breaking eye contact Ginny inched closer to the brunettes face. Ginny let out a small gasp when she saw all the emotions lying behind those smothering chocolate eyes. Unable to wait a second longer she closed the remaining distance and placed a soft kiss on Hermione's pink lips. She was about to pull back when she felt Hermione start to kiss her back shyly. Ginny felt a bolt of electricity run down her body causing her to shivery slightly- Hermione tasted of the sweetest oranges and had the faintest spice of cloves. With trembling hands the redhead caressed Hermione's cheek slowly using the contact to prove that she was real, that this was happening. She felt the older witch pull their still intertwined hands towards her body to get closer, she carefully rested her other arm around Ginny's waist. They both were learning each others bodies, exploring each other mouths, letting each other experience absolute bliss. They weren't Hermione and Ginny now they were just two hearts finally speaking to each other, finally seeing, finally understanding, and finally allowing themselves to love. And so, severing all ties with reality, they let their bodies dance through the stars. So lost were they in each other that they were unable to stop their bodies from bumping into some sort wall. Breaking away from each other with half shut eyes they both of looked around in confusion, and to their dismay, realized they had reached the exit door.

"We should probably head back - I think we've been gone for a while" Hermione said reluctantly.

Ginny, still too lost in the feeling of Hermione's lips to understand what had just happened, just nodded dazedly.

As soon as they opened the door they both felt the ground beneath them again. They walked in silence back to the ball room putting some distance between them, neither of them wanting to say anything that would ruin the moment. As they approached their destination they saw that the party was starting to die down a bit. They continued walking both trying to mask what the lingering effects of the most earth shattering kiss they had ever experienced. They were both struggling to regain their composure when their paths were intercepted by no other than Harry and Owen.

"Hermione! Where have you two been?" Harry asked with agitated concern.

"Did something happen? Did someone hurt you?" He added quickly.

"No, no, nothing happened. I'm sorry we've worried you but Ginny and I were just talking about the Ministry and she said she hadn't really ever seen it except once when she was younger so I told her I'd show her around a bit. Must have lost track of time. I'm so sorry." She pleaded feeling guilty she had made him worry so much.

Harry visibly relaxed but was still a little shaken. He smiled at Ginny now.

"So how did you like it?"

"What?" Ginny who had not really been paying much attention to the exchange - her mind still reeling from what had just happened- looked at Harry curiously.

"The ministry, what did you think of it?" He repeated

"It's beautiful" she responded in wonderment. She briefly noted she sounded remarkably like Luna at that moment but she simply didn't care.

Harry eyes widened in surprise - yes the Ministry was architecturally appealing to the eyes but he didn't think anyone in their right mind would go as far as to describe it as beautiful.

"So Hermione ready to go?" Owen's words broke through the peculiar mood that was surrounding the group.

Hermione looked at Ginny with pleading eyes trying it convey that had happened between them was the most beautiful thing she had ever experienced and that it was her she wished she could leave with instead. Ginny just looked at her and gave her a small smile.

"Sure. Bye Harry. I'm so sorry about before- it won't happen again." She said looking at him square in the eye. He just nodded firmly and pulled her into a hug.

"Talk to you soon Gin" she said and hugged her too. She lingered in the younger witches arms a bit but no one else seemed to notice. Right before she pulled away she heard Ginny whisper,

"Thank you"

She left with Owen with a warm feeling still in her stomach. There were a lot of things that she had done today that weren't exactly planned but it turned out for the best nonetheless. She knew now how she felt about Ginny- what she felt with that kiss, it was just impossible to run away from. There was nothing platonic about the more than friendly feelings she felt for the redhead and she wouldn't pretend otherwise. She liked Ginny Weasley. Whatever that meant and whatever would happen between them she would just deal with tomorrow, tonight, tonight she would just let herself dream of stars, and the moon, and her sun.