A/N: Hi everyone!

First of all, thank you to those of you who have reviewed! Much appreciated :)

I don't know if you guys will like this chapter so much, not much happens and Ron is not in it =/, so I'll try to get cracking on a better one soon haha. I always imagined Ginny and Hermione were quite close but we never saw much of their friendship - at least they must have had a conversation a bit like the one in this chapter, so got an urge to write it!

hope you enjoy, and please review :) Constructive criticism welcome - I actually would expect it from this rubbishy chapter...lol

~ Mediwitch

Chapter Three: The Confidantes

Hermione

Several weeks had passed since the second task, and for once Hermione was not worrying about Harry and how he was going to get through the tournament. They had time enough before the third task, and besides, Harry hadn't even been given instructions from the judges yet.

She had, however, been having a tough time recently. It was bad enough the way everyone was behaving about the fact that she was the person Viktor would miss the most; with Rita Skeeter's article on top of that she was having to endure teasing, whispers and stares everywhere she went. It made meeting with Viktor very difficult indeed.

She hadn't exactly gone to the library to hide…no, it was just that it was fairly empty that evening and she simply wanted some time to study in peace.

Except that, since she had finished all her homework for the next few days she was simply browsing; running her fingers over the spines of huge volumes, considering them. She was having trouble focussing. Lines of Skeeter's article kept running through her mind and she couldn't understand how she had known all those things…how had she known Viktor had invited her to visit him over the summer? How on earth had she heard him say he'd never felt this way about another girl?

She sighed, shaking her head and picking out the closest book to hand – it was the only way she'd be able to distract herself. She looked at the title; The Ten Most Important Discoveries in Wizarding History…well, that sounded promising…

Turning to find herself a table, she came face to face with Ginny Weasley.

"Oh!" she jumped slightly, taking a step back.

"Hi Hermione," Ginny smiled.

"Ginny! You shouldn't sneak up on people like that," Hermione reprimanded quietly.

"Sorry," she grinned.

"Are you alright?"

Ginny nodded, "Yeah, I'm great. You?"

"I'm fine," she replied. "Just, uh, looking for some light reading," she added, holding up her book.

She led them over to a nearby table, where they sat across from one another.

Looking more closely, Hermione noticed that Ginny looked very pleased about something. She couldn't stop smiling, and her eyes were sparkling.

"I just wondered how you were," she said. "All these rumours about you and Krum…"

Hermione looked at her, the corners of her mouth twitching. "You know, it's not all rumours."

"Well," Ginny grinned. "I expect Ron's really pleased about that!"

Hermione tilted her head, "how d'you mean?"

"Well, he's jealous," Ginny stated. "Not that he would ever admit that. He's being a git. I hope you haven't been taking any notice! You can go out with whoever you like!"

Hermione did not reply; her cheeks felt rather hot and so she opened her book and began skimming the contents.

"So," Ginny whispered. "What exactly is going on with you and Krum?"

Hermione looked up at her, eyebrows raised quizzically. "Since when have you been such a gossip?" she teased.

"Ah, c'mon, I'm not gonna tell anyone!"

Hermione chuckled, but didn't answer.

Ginny sighed, rolling her eyes. "Oh, fine. But listen," she leant forwards. "I wanted to tell you that I took your advice, about Harry. I've decided to let it go…and, well, I'm going out with someone else now!"

Hermione beamed. So this was what had her looking so happy! "Ginny, that's great!"

"Yeah! It's Michael Corner – you know, he's a Ravenclaw in your year? We got talking at the Ball, and went to Hogsmeade together last weekend…and, well…"

"You kissed?"

Ginny's face broke into a smile again, and she nodded excitedly.

Hermione closed her book; now they were conspirators. "So, how was it?"

"It was…" Ginny bit her lip, considering it. "It was nice," she finished lamely.

Hermione nodded knowingly. "Viktor and I have kissed," she confessed.

"I knew it!" Ginny exclaimed. Madam Pince and several serious looking sixth years turned around to hush them.

"Sorry," Hermione whispered to them, embarrassed.

"So," Ginny continued, unabashed. "How was it?"

Hermione sighed again, turning to look out of a window to their left. It was dusk, just early enough for the last of the day's light to touch the place where she and Viktor had first kissed, under the beech tree. She looked it for a moment, allowing the memory to fill her up.

The problem was just that - it didn't fill her up.

"It was nice," she echoed. "It just wasn't…there was…"

"Something missing?" Ginny supplied.

Hermione looked back at her, and some understanding passed between them. She nodded slowly, "yeah."

There was a pause.

"You never know," Ginny eventually said. "Maybe it'll all work out in the end."

Hermione frowned slightly, reopening her book. She guessed from her behaviour that Ginny knew she had feelings for Ron, and she did not particularly want to discuss it. Was Ginny suggesting that she and Ron would be together in the end? Or was she talking about herself and Harry, and hoping that they would end up together? She decided not to ask.

"But you're having a nice time with Krum?" Ginny broke into the silence again. "He's obviously really into you."

Hermione allowed herself a smile. "Yes," she replied earnestly. "He's really nothing like you'd expect – he's really nice, very gentle really…"

Ginny snorted at the word 'gentle'. "Oh, shut up," Hermione snapped, though she was grinning. "What about you – are you having a nice time with Michael?"

Ginny nodded, "yeah, really nice."

"Well, good."

"Yeah."

And to that, both girls sighed, perhaps each wishing for a day when a certain boy would no longer occupy their every thought.

They were certainly heading in the right direction though, Hermione thought; she with Viktor, and Ginny with Michael.

A/N: Just to be clear - in the last sentence I don't mean to imply Hermione thinks she will end up with Viktor and Ginny with Michael - just that they're moving on and having their own lives etc. Thanks for reading anyway! I heart reviewers :D