AN: Hey guys. Lucky you folks, I had a long weekend and managed to get a half a day of writing in yay! Like I said before, I should be able to write more often. Maybe not so close as this chapter and the last. But still.
This chapter deals with the girls a bit more one on one. You can maybe get an idea of how they interact atm. I know there was mentions or queries (and by that I mean one, but I'm trying to feel self important here hey) of what happened between the girls in the past. And I do/have planned to get around to it in the next chapter regardless. Maybe not like an entire flashback scene, but enough to hopefully give some better insight into the dynamics and reasoning of their relationship.
I do appreciate all the feedback I get. All the follows, favs and reviews...However little it may be. So really, thank you for reading the shit that comes out of my head.
On with it.
Coffee.
The addictive aroma wafted through the kitchen, easing her unserious thoughts of homicide this early in the morning, as Hermione slid into a dining chair and poured herself a cup of the delicious liquid. Inhaling deeply, she treasured the cup's warmth and took her first gulp of the morning. Two things the studious brunette would never be able go without in a day: A cup of this gloriously intoxicating dose of caffeine, and thoughts pertaining to a certain redheaded woman.
The other redhead in her life promptly appeared, dressed and clearly on the brink of leaving for work. Much to Hermione's delight, for serenity surely followed. He smiled at her, changing his direction slightly to greet her with a kiss on the forehead while she woke up
"Morning love. Thought you would have slept in again." Ron hesitantly grabbed his cloak as it hung over his seat at the table. It happened to be Wednesday, and the day Hermione and Ginny had come to agree on to 'catch up and all that other girly stuff'. And of course, she couldn't have slept in even if she tried.
"Just wanted to make sure I was up and ready in case Ginny wants to head out early." Blatant lie Granger.
Truth be told, she couldn't sleep because of the sheer amount of worry that plagued her. Unsure and paranoid about how things would turn out between her and the illusive witch, she barely got more than a few hours of solid sleep time. Hence, the necessity of caffeine.
"Well, I've gotta' head off for work," Ron finished pulling on his dark trench coat and glancing at his watch meaningfully. He's trying to look so utterly important. Eying his watch and puffing his chest like that. "Duty calls and all eh. Have a good time with Gin then honey." After a final goodbye kiss to his fiancée, he stepped to their fire placed and flooed away, calling his destination to "The Ministry of Magic".
The Gryffindor, now left in her solitude, pondered without serious intent her partners use of the floo network. He'd never been the best with apparating regardless. Being splinched on one of his first experiences, then there was the motion sickness that presented itself all too forwardly. Being brought up in a magical home that had a floo network available anyway, he's always preferred flooing to apparating. This was very unlike Hermione, and totally foreseen in the habits of his behaviour.
She got up after finishing her coffee, not even realising she had done so. And she'd certainly not stomach breakfast on a day like today. One where she would be once again brought into and then through a shamble of emotions. So instead she treaded into her bedroom, and got dressed as well as she could, letting her mind ponder again in distraction.
No, Hermione much preferred the benefits of apparition. Ever since she was able to take her test, the advantages of it were obvious. Direct, quick and simple. No nonsense. No trouble if you need to bring along multiple travellers and it just made sense. Why would you want to bother with going somewhere, then finding another way to get closer to your ultimate destination. When you could literally just pop right there. Illogical.
An unwelcome noise quickly tore her from her thoughts, the sudden and recognisable sound of apparition arriving in her living room. For them to get through her wards so easily, without her even feeling someone trying to make entry they'd have to be keyed in at least. Wide eyed, and only slightly panicked at the noise intruding on her ears, she called out firmly towards the open door that led out into the hallway.
"Hello?" She questioned, moving steadily to take a cautious step towards the doorway. She immediately got her reply, and confirmation of her dreaded suspicions.
"It's just me 'Mione. No need to come running," Hermione couldn't help but shut her eyes and clench her fists at the sound of the dripping sarcasm in the other's voice. What the hell is Ginny doing here this early?
The bookworm quickly gathered herself, checking her appearance in the mirror to make sure she looked presentable. And also, she told herself, completely not at all to make sure she had chosen a good outfit and her hair looked tamed for once.
She found Ginny perusing the small collection of photo frames that adorned the fireplace, and Hermione could see the smirk on her face from side on. Trying to gauge Ginny's mood, Hermione spoke neutrally.
"And what brings you here? I thought we were going to 'meet out and about'?" The quidditch star put down the moving photo of the four friends in younger, easy days and swivelled her body to face the other witch.
"I came here to tell you, well I thought it would have been obvious," Hermione could see the other woman hold back an eyeroll. "That I'll be in the Leaky Cauldron should you happen to need anything or if anyone comes looking." She finished with a tone of finality, crossing her arms in a gesture that reflected as much.
Hermione, for one of the few times in her life, was a little confused. She quirked an eyebrow at the other, as the redhead took another small step away from the mantle place. "You didn't actually expect us to spend the whole day together, did you? Honestly?" It was the youngers turn to quirk an eyebrow.
"Of course I didn't Ginny," the elder huffed before continuing. "I was under the impression we would meet up like we were supposed to, part ways for the day, and re-join only if we needed for appearances sake." Swapping gestures again, Hermione folded her arms as casually as she could.
"Yes well, I thought I'd save us both the trouble." Ginny seemed to collect her thoughts for a moment. As if in her moment of pause she had almost lost her exterior composure. "Thought it would make more sense if I was able to spend the day how I had originally planned. And not have to be disturbed with the need to, how did you say it, keep up appearances?" The younger witch sounded genuinely curious at the end question. The brunette knew it was all a well devised ploy to throw her off track. All in an attempt to emphasise the older witch's paranoia and need for total discrepancy regarding the whole thing.
"I said 'for appearances sake', but close enough" the beaming look on the redhead's face dropped slightly.
"Yes that. However you put it I had intended on spending the day in the pub." She sighed pointedly before continuing with much more irritation in her voice. "The plan was if someone should happen to come across me, it wouldn't be so hard to explain we'd finished our get together. What with Diagon Alley being right next door and all. I only came here to save myself the time and effort of meeting you out to begin with."
Hermione's brain clicked, toggling into that all so glorious sanctuary of intellect and reasoning that she held in her mind. Putting very obvious puzzle pieces together, and she knew instantly she held the upper hand now.
The bookworm tilted her head quizzically, looking to the clock on the mantle pointedly.
"To save yourself time?" She threw a pointing hand casually in the direction of said clock, drawing the younger witch's attention to it, before folding her arms again. "And how much time do you think you've saved then, turning up here unannounced with your half assed reasoning? Hmm?"
The other witch spun back and very nearly gawked at the sudden change in the brunette. She saved herself though, and retorted.
"Sure, in hindsight, I could have just stuck to our original plan. It would have worked out the same." Hermione took this pause in conversation to make her move. She wished she could take this moment in time to savour the look on Ginny's face, as she was about to be blessed with a look of pure astonishment. And if she was lucky, a purely unguarded reaction from her soulmate.
"You wanted to see me." The redhead froze, expression poised, stuck with her mouth slightly agape. The epitome of astonishment. "You wanted to see me and this was the best way you could figure how, without having to give anything away right?" Hermione's voice followed calmly, and she spoke as softly and genuinely as she could. The redhead still stood there, dumbfounded for a moment, until she kicked into gear, biting back as defensively as she could.
"Hermione, if I really wanted to see you then I simply wo-"
"You could have owled." The incoming rebuttals were throwing Ginny's excuses off. She cursed herself for not being more quick thinking, and instead came up with a rather dumb sounding comeback.
"What are you talking about?"
"You could have simply written this all down in a letter, owled it over, and then went about your day as planned." Ginny looked slightly alarmed at this point.
"But instead you chose to apparate into my living room." Hermione took a purpose filled step forward, the younger's eyes following the tread of her foot. Merlin knows where she's getting this sudden burst of bravado from. Gryffindor indeed.
"At a quarter past nine in the morning," another step was trailed by Ginny's eyes. Hermione however didn't dare look away from the expression written on the younger Gryffindor's face. She was thoroughly enjoying this all too much.
"Narrowly missing Ron leaving for work by the way." After yet another step, the witches were now only a few feet apart. The redhead couldn't bare it any longer and shifted her gaze to look up into those hypnotising, warm chestnut eyes. The brunette exhaled loudly, staring back into strong amber eyes, before continuing gently. "And at the same time you would have been waiting for Harry to leave." Hermione could sense this was it. She could feel the other's resolve crumbling. Her day-to-day mask wearing thin at truth pushed so elegantly in front of her. "I know you had it planned."
Her last step taken, now standing at arm's length, the pair could do nothing else for a moment but stare at each other. Feeling that engulfing sensation of belonging take over, and in a moment so unlike anything Ginny Weasley would ever dare do, she finally let down her defences.
"I've missed you." It was silent. Barely a whisper and matched oh so perfectly the look on her love's face. The brunette wouldn't have even heard it if she were standing even a half step further away than what she was. But she heard it, so loud and clear. So clear it drowned out all thought of logic and sensibility that had ever possessed her. So clear that she didn't even feel herself lose control of her own motor functions. She could only sit back and watch from inside, while the rest of her body seemed to act of it's own accord.
"I've missed you too," trying to read further into the expression on the others features, eyes darting around hopefully, she lost herself further. "Merlin Gin', I still miss you."
And that was all it took for Ginny Weasley to convince herself she would be alright, and come out completely unscathed from kissing one Hermione Granger. The moment Ginny leant forward, Hermione thought she would wake up. She craved the feel of Ginny's lips on her own, and when she received them she was completely and utterly overwhelmed with satisfaction. With complete bliss, and that all too familiar sense of belonging they shared in their glances.
Ginny's lips were gloriously wonderful. Just as gentle and deliciously soft as she had remembered. She didn't want the sensation to end, feeling their soothing warmth move against her own. Her hands moved themselves carefully to hold the redheads face tenderly. They broke apart briefly, needing air for just a moment. Ginny looked like she was about to say something, but refusing the moment to end Hermione dove straight back to the feel of lips that belonged to her. She deepened the kiss desperately, seeking entrance with her tongue. When she received it and felt the others seeking her out in return, the eldest witch couldn't help but let out a low and satisfied sound. She moved her fingers through long locks of wonderfully silken hair. And she really, truly thought she would have awoken by now.
Gods how she missed this. She longed terribly to stay in this space of time. Nothing changing. Just replaying the same one minute cycle over and over again for the rest of her days. This piece of serenity the only thing she would have to remember.
What she didn't long for, was a distinctly unique clock chiming heard behind the both of them. As the younger woman pulled away from the kiss abruptly, her eyes landed on a replica Weasley Clock standing against a wall in her line of sight. The hand of "Ronald" quivered the tiniest bit as it finished landing in its occasional place of Mortal Peril.
This brought the redhead harshly into a daze, dumbstruck and staring at the old grandfather style clock. The elder witch could see the cogs turning and knew what would happen if she didn't act.
"Gin', don't. Don't, just look at me." Regardless of the longing plea in her voice, the other simply couldn't. Ginny tugged herself out of her arms, tears threatening to begin spilling themselves from her eyes.
"I…I can't…I don't…Hermione, I'm sorry." And with one last look into the brunette's now desperate and fearful eyes, she turned on the spot and disappeared completely from her one and only. Leaving the bookworm alone and frightened for what was held for their future, not unlike she had been at a previous point in time. She tried terribly hard to not cave in on herself, already missing her other half's presence in an excruciatingly unbearable amount.
Well, didn't see that coming. She sniggered internally. Still hurts the same too.