AN: Here is chap two. I hope everyone is liking the story thus far, feel free to reveiw I'd love to here what people think. I'm sorry if there are minor grammatical errors and such things, I still don't have a beta :(
Chapter Two: Soft Spoken with a Broken Jaw
She finished in a graceful bow, and it was only then that Ginny had gotten a good look at her face, that Ginny realized who the dancer was. Ginny's dark blue eyes met her chocolate brown and she knew that the beautiful dancer was in fact Hermione Granger.
Hermione saw the red hair, the leather jacket, and the blue eyes and then promptly fainted. Her graceful bow collapsed, like a puppet without strings her body fell to the ground in a crumpled heap. Her vision blurred, and then was dark she could hear raised voices and then nothing at all. Ginny saw Hermione as though she was falling in slow motion, Gin quickly jumped over the handrail and on to the stage. Running to her she was momentarily blocked a rather big burly stage hand.
"You can't come up here-" He had started in a firm voice.
"I know her, I know Hermione- I'm Ginny Weasley. I just want to see if she's okay-" She stopped when she saw the odd look on his face.
"Ginny Weasley...Yeah, you can go see her." He backed away but Ginny didn't think much on his strange behavior, she was much more concerned about Hermione. When she reached her she had been surrounded by stage hands, other performers, and the owner of the club. She pushed her way past all of these people and leaned over Hermione's still form. Gin checked Hermione's pulse, which was strong and steady. She put her hand to Hermione's face.
"Wake up Babes, please wake up." She whispered quietly. Everyone was still for at least a minuet straight before Hermione's chocolate brown eyes fluttered open to meet Ginny's worried dark blue ones. Hermione blinked several times trying to be certain that this was not a dream but Ginny was really here with her after months of hoping.
"What happened to your face?" Hermione was the first thing she asked and Ginny then remembered her swollen eye. She smiled at Hermione, that girl really was ridiculous, there she was passed out on the floor asking about Ginny's own welfare.
"I was in a fight. But I'd say that I'm in a better shape than you are right now. " She said helping Hermione to her feet. The feeling of Ginny's hand on her skin made her flush with nervousness, she was actually here after nearly a year. The owner of the club was giving Hermione a stern look. She quickly ushered them off stage, calling out for the next dancer to do her routine. The pain in Ginny's jaw had caught up with her for speaking so much, when Hermione had pulled her along as they followed the owner of the club who was clearly angry about the entire situation. They were led through the dark hallways of backstage to a door with a silver name plate that Ginny couldn't read from where she was standing. The club owner knocked quickly on the door when a male voice yelled out "Come in". Opening the door she shoved Hermione in, and Ginny seeing Hermione's pleading expression followed. The owner then closed the door giving them one last look of contempt.
The room was occupied by one Draco Malfoy. This surprised Ginny greatly but Hermione took no notice of Ginny's shock she sat down in the nearest chair and held her head between her hands. Draco was the first to speak.
"What happened?" His voice was crisp convoluted mixture of anger and concern.
"I passed out on stage at the end of my routine. Madame was not pleased." Hermione sighed into her hands. Draco ran his hand through his messy hair, he had been expecting something worse. Grabbing a bottle of water and handing to Hermione he raised an pale eyebrow.
"Why is she here?" He asked. Ginny was about to speak when Hermione looked up.
"Why are you here? And where have you been for the past 11 months? And what happened to you face? Why are you grimacing at me like that?" Ginny's jaw throbbed painfully as Hermione's flurry of questions loud and sharp echoed around the hollow room.
"It's kind of a long story." Gin said taking the seat next to Hermione. "But I have a couple questions of my own. Why are you dancing in a club? And why are we sitting in a room with Draco Malfoy?" Her voice was soft but full of confusion.
Hermione and Draco exchanged a look. "When I left the wizarding world I didn't leave without knowing where I was going. I had gone to the ministry and went through lists and lists of jobs that witches and wizards could do in the muggle world. Luckily I have a muggle identity having lived in the muggle world, but without a high school diploma I still didn't have very many options. But I knew that I could dance, so I found the most respectable club I could and applied for a job. And that's how I came to be working here." Hermione explained. Ginny then looked to Draco.
"I finance this club, I knew it would be wise to invest in the muggle world, especially places that would attract witches and wizards, I saw the economic collapse in the wizarding world coming before it hit, so I took the money I inherited when my father died and invested in muggles, my father is rolling in his grave no doubt. I invested in many clubs this being one of my personal favorites and the owner being good friend of mine, I was there for Hermione's interview, they almost didn't give her a job, said she wasn't ...provocative enough. But under my threat to withdraw some funding they gave her a spot. Not a very good spot, but she's been doing quite well." Draco smirked at her and she scoffed at him. "Does that answer your questions?"
Ginny nodded. Draco and Hermione were looking at her expectantly. "My face is an unfortunate result of my recent career choice." Ginny began speaking softly but loud enough for them to hear. " I am making my living fighting in an underground fight ring." Ginny looked at her shoes so she didn't have to see the look on Hermione's face. " Me and my trainer Arnie and his friends were out "celebrating" my victory tonight. I didn't really even want to go, I may have a broken jaw." Ginny looked up at Hermione. " But now I'm really glad I did." Draco snorted.
"So that's why the Weasley is so soft spoken." He went to a mini fridge in the corner of the room, and pulled out and ice pack. He threw it at Ginny. " That's for your jaw, but you have to go get some food in Hermione, she hasn't been eating well and expect that's why she passed out on stage." He gave Hermione a pointed look and she looked guiltily at the floor. Then he grabbed his jacket off of the back of the chair. "I'm going now, and I hope that you two can keep each other from falling apart." And with that he opened the door and left.
The silence in the room was suffocating. Ginny had a thousand things to say but didn't know where to begin. Ginny examined Hermione. She was hunched over in her chair looking at the floor, Ginny was trying very hard to not look at the tops of her breasts that were pushed deliciously high, but she was failing miserably. Hermione then looked up to see Ginny staring at her, Ginny blushed and smirked at her.
"Do you want to go get something to eat?" Ginny asked finally breaking the silence. And then Hermione smiled a true and honest smile. "I thought you'd never ask." She then looked down at her clothes."Um I'm just going to change and then I'll be right out." Hermione said as Ginny went to the door. Gin stepped out of the room at released a breath she didn't know she had been holding. Leaning her back against the wall she rubbed her jaw gently testing it for tenderness. It throbbed back at her. It's going to be a long night.
Inside the room Hermione was frantically searching for something to wear. She hadn't been caring as much what she looked like since Gin was gone, but now that she was waiting outside her room she understood why Draco kept telling her she should get some new clothes. She eventually found one of her old dresses, there was a slight tear in the fabric but she probably wouldn't notice, the dress was a striped blue and black cotton affair she had bought it so long ago she couldn't even remember when it was, maybe when her parents were still alive, but she never thought to get rid of it. Hermione looked in the mirror it was slightly to big for her which was strange, when she had bought it, it had seemed too small, but it looked good especially since she left the push up bra on. After slipping on some flats, making sure that her long hair was still secured in it's bun and grabbing her long coat and purse she stepped outside to find Ginny leaning against the wall eyes closed.
The sight of her long lean figure made Hermione's heart beat faster in her chest. She had forgotten exactly how good she looked. But on closer examination she saw some changes in Ginny, she looked leaner, fiercer than when she had last saw her. The sound of the door clicking shut, made Ginny's eyes open. She looked to over to see Hermione wearing the dress. It was the dress that Ginny had dreamed about many times in the past eleven months, how the tear in fabric would let her sneak glances at the pale smooth flesh of Hermione's thigh. How that dress had gotten that tear was a story she would replay over in head on some of her longer more grueling runs.
We're going to go back early. Hermione had said to Harry and Ron as they had all been sitting in the Three Broomsticks on a Hogsmeade visit during the trios seventh year. The snow had be coming down fast and hard, and no one could see Ginny and Hermione holding hands as the trudged there way back to the castle. They had walked into the castle shaking snow off as the went, Hermione jeans completely soaked underneath the dress. They were laughing and joking until they came under the enchanted mistletoe. Ginny leaned in and kissed her gently in the empty hall. Hermione's hands quickly snaked around her waist and pulled the taller girl closer. Ginny smiled against her and deepened the kiss, and for awhile it was just them on snowy day kissing under mistletoe. But then the sound of a gaggle of kids broke them apart. Breathless and giggling they ran, Ginny opened the nearest door and pushed Hermione in. It was a broom closet and despite the cold of the castle their skin was on fire and they were touching and kissing each other in the dark silence of the broom closet. Ginny had tried to pull Hermione dress up a bit, but it was caught on something in broom closet. Ginny pulled and tugged and finally ripped the dress free. But by that time they heard the sound of Filch complaining to Mrs. Norris, they quickly bolted from the closet to the Common Room, laughing the entire way. And the rip in the dress had remained there this entire time.
Hermione blushed profusely when she saw that Ginny was staring at the hole in the dress. How did she see it so quickly? She coughed slightly to get Ginny's attention. Ginny looked up and smirked. They walked down the hall in silence until Ginny decided to break it softly.
"Do you remember how you got that tear in your dress?" She asked. Hermione shook her head. Ginny then quietly told the story with a small reminiscent smile, and Hermione soon remember the incident and laughed at all the right moments.
By then they had reached the lobby of the club. Ginny saw Arnie, drinking a beer watching the stage. They went over to him.
"Arnie I'm leaving." She told him motioning to Hermione. He looked between them.
"Who is your pretty friend? I saw you rush to the rescue when she took that fall." Arnie asked sounding only a little drunk. Hermione walked over placing her hand in Ginny's.
"I'm Hermione Granger, you must be Arnie, Gin's...trainer." She said politely.
"Speaking of which we have a training session tomorrow afternoon, and make sure you say to your running schedule." Said Arnie while eying Hermione shrewdly.
"I know I'll see you tomorrow but I'm going, have a good night." She whispered then she and Hermione made their way to the exit of the club and out into the cold of night.
"What kind of food can I interest you in?" Ginny asked as they walked hand in hand down the street. Hermione wanted to say Chinese but she was smart enough to remember that the red head didn't like Chinese.
"Is there a diner around here, I was kinda hoping for a burger." Hermione said knowing that Ginny would know every burger place in a twenty mile radius. Ginny eyed Hermione, she knew it wasn't just a coincidence she wanted a burger and Ginny happened to love a good burger. But Ginny just played along, she wouldn't be able to bite a burger anyway.
"There's one really close to my flat, one of the main factors when I decided to live there." Ginny said seriously. But Hermione laughed anyway. They made there way to the restaurant talking about Gin's flat, Arnie, and Draco Malfoy. When they reached the diner Gin held the door as Hermione went in, it was pretty clean as far as dinners went and they waitresses seemed to know Ginny.
Ginny choose her favorite booth by the window as the waitress Jeanie came over.
"Hey, Gin, we were wondering if you were going to show up tonight. Someone from the ring popped over and told us about your big win. Congratulations dear." Jeanie said in her raspy smokers voice.
"Thanks Jeanie, I actually hadn't planed to come tonight, I don't think I'll be able to have a burger tonight, may have broke my jaw." Gin explained. Jeanie shook her head.
"What are we going to do with you? I told you if you ever want out of those fights I can get you a job waitressing here." Jeanie was always trying to persuade Ginny to get out of the fights.
"I don't think that's going to happen anytime soon, remember what I told you. If the dinner suddenly doesn't require the waitresses to wear those ridiculous outfits I'll consider it." Jeanie looked down at her pink waitressing outfit.
"It's not that bad. At least I don't have a broken jaw." She rebutted.
"Yeah, well that isn't stopping me from eating. But I'll let Hermione order first." Ginny said. Hermione had been watching them with amusement. She was glad that Ginny had people who cared for her.
"I think I'll just have a burger." Hermione hadn't really had much of an appetite for a long time. Ginny raised an eyebrow at her.
"We'll also have two cherry milkshakes and a basket of fries." She knew that Hermione would never be able to resist the fries. Jeanie just chuckled and wrote down the order. She sauntered off saying she'd be back with their food in a bit.
"Draco said you haven't been eating, and it shows." Ginny said with concern.
"I haven't had much of an appetite. But I have a feeling it's coming back." Hermione said. Ginny's eye suddenly clouded, in the light of the dinner her eyes became the color of the night sky just before the sun is gone.
"Hermione..." Gin searched for the right words. "What I said that day...I didn't mean. I never stopped loving you, I just want you to be safe. I feel like I'm cursed." Her words held a strange intensity because they were being whispered.
"We're all cursed Gin. I was hasty...I shouldn't have left that quickly, I should have given you time to cool off, I was scared of the wizarding world too. We could have left together. I'll always love you Gin, I'll make mistakes and I'll say things but I'll always love you." Hermione whispered even though there was no one around to hear, it just felt better, secrets whispered between lovers.
Hope bloomed in Ginny's chest, hope that she thought would never exist. She leaned across the table and placed a delicate kiss on Hermione's lips. The contact made them both flush and tingle. Ginny sat back her in seat feeling ridiculously giddy, and for the first time in many months, happy.
Their food arrived and they spoke of things that had happened since they had last seen each other.
"Have you seen anyone else? From the Order or the DA?" Gin asked Hermione as she sucked down her cherry milkshake. So many had died it was hard to be sure if the just disappeared into the muggle world or if they were actually gone.
"No, I some times get a letter from Harry saying that he's getting closer. He's very vague." Hermione said. She then realized that she had eaten her way through her entire burger and had started working of the fries. She started to blush, but Ginny laughed. It was such a true and pure laugh that it pulled Hermione into it and she began to laugh too. They laughed from some time as it is when the feeling strikes. Ginny could almost pretend that her jaw didn't hurt at all. Almost.
Hermione stopped laughing and wiped tears from her eyes.
"I've missed you." She said looking intently into Ginny's dark blue. Ginny met her gaze with equal meaning.
"Would you like to come see my new flat?" She asked softly. That's not all I want to show her. Ginny thought her gaze drifting down to the neck of that cotton dress.
"I'd love to." Hermione replied eyes shining brightly with an emotion Ginny couldn't quite identify.
Ginny payed for their meal, even though Hermione protested. Ginny didn't mind...this time. They left the diner and walked down the street fingers entwined. They were both quiet lost in there own thoughts. The city lights surrounding them casting strange shadows on the side walks and eerie glows on their faces. They reached Gin's flat in record time. Gin twisted the key in the lock and the door creaked open, she flicked on the light that revealed her small albeit cozy flat.
Hermione examined Ginny's flat as Gin locked the door behind them. The room the had stepped into was a kitchen/dinning room that was open to the living room. There was a hall to the left and a door to the right. The kitchen was small but well lit, a small stacking of beer bottles was on the counter and a newspaper was spread across the scrub wooden dinning room table. Ginny took her jacket off and led Hermione into the living room, she opened the closet door on the right to put her jacket in but then remember the money in the inside pocket.
"Whoa, you're loaded!" Hermione blurted when she saw all the money. She quickly put her hand over her mouth.
"No, I'm not I just got payed for tonight's fight. I have a fight about once a month, some times more." She said as she removed a cushion from her beat up burgundy couch. Hermione looked at her quizzically.
"Oh, yeah I hide my money in my couch." Having removed the cushion there was a slight slit in the underneath that most people wouldn't have seen unless they were looking Ginny stuffed the money into an envelope that was hidden there. She replaced the cushion and then went to put her jacket away but then she found the cherry cigarettes. She took them out and hung up her jacket, Gin turned around only to be handed Hermione's coat. Gin tilted her head, took Hermione's coat and handed her the packet.
"I remember these" Hermione said in a way that was almost sad. Gin sat down next to her on the couch digging through the piles of knick knacks on her coffee table until she found a lighter.
"Do you want to smoke one?" Gin asked. Hermione nodded in a way that said 'Why not?'. Gin lit it and Hermione took a drag. She then breathed out the cherry scented smoke. Gin took it from her and repeated the process. Inhale, exhale, day after day.
Gin looked to Hermione and her eyes were shining again with that emotion that she couldn't identify. Hermione took one last drag and then put the cigarette out in the ash tray on the table. Her eyes were deep chocolate brown and shone with a certain mischievous spark. Gin was about to ask her what was wrong but then Hermione kissed her. A kiss filled with so much passion that Ginny felt like she was falling away, her jaw protested loudly but Ginny was sure that if she stopped now that Hermione would disappear, after months of waiting and wondering they were finally together again.. Her entire body was on fire, and it was then that she identified what emotion had been in Hermione's eyes.
Lust.
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