Harry wanted to say something to her, but before he could he heard the front door slam.
''Ry! I went to the DIY for some paint! It's beautiful, I bought it right away! Where are-…'
My redheaded girlfriend appeared before me. She had little blushes on her face, probably because of the chilling wind blowing outside.
'Hermione! How nice to see you!'
She hugged her tight and gave her a kiss on every cheek. Hermione smiled politely.
'Hi there Ginny! I just wanted to pay an unexpected visit, I hope you don't mind…'
'Of course I don't, Hermione! Please don't be so silly.'
She friendly patted Hermione's shoulder, but Harry could see the annoyance in his friend's eyes. No one was allowed to call her silly. She wasn't silly in the least.
'And Love! Hi!'
Ginny kissed Harry on the mouth. It was a small, loveable kiss, but Harry felt uncomfortable kissing Ginny in Hermione's present and he felt even more uncomfortable while Ginny was giving him nicknames. It seemed wrong. He quickly cut off the kiss by saying: "I heard you talking about paint, Gin?"
Ginny smiled widely while she put her groceries on the kitchen counter.
'Yes, I bought some. Do you want to see the colour? It's deep, Gryffindor red. I thought it would be wonderful to pay homage to Fred in that way… He loved red!'
She sighed deeply while thinking of her laid brother.
'I miss him so much, 'Ry. I miss him every day!'
'I know,' Harry said bluntly, but Ginny didn't hear the nuance in his voice. Hermione, however, did.
'Why don't you two wait in the living room,' Harry said with a sigh, being quite annoyed by the fact that his private time with Hermione was now over, 'I'll take care of the groceries. Right?'
'You're such a dear!' Ginny warbled in a horrid tone and she hooked her arm around Hermione's while walking away from the kitchen.
'It's so good that Harry knows how it feels, Hermione,' said Ginny seriously, holding her like they were soul mates. Hermione twitched uncomfortably.
'He lost his mom and dad and I lost Fred. We have a lot in common, don't you think?'
Hermione didn't respond, but Ginny wasn't waiting for her answer.
'We can talk days about our deepest and darkest feelings… I can understand him, you know. We have both been possessed by Voldemort! No one else can understand that, it's just the two of us. We both suffered so much and went through so much pain, I don't think anyone can understand that because they simply never had it! You see? We're bonded already through our history!'
Hermione pushed her nails into the palm of her right hand. On the same arm the words "mudblood" were stigmatised.
'And not only bonded through that… You see…'
Ginny was whispering now and her face was filled with so much excitement, Hermione could swear she'd explode.
'Haven't you noticed? I'm exactly like his mother!'
Her facial expression was pure bliss. Hermione thought she would go sick instantly. She never thought about that, but the idea that Harry would fall for his own mother just made her feel incredibly filthy.
'In looks, I mean… But in heart, I'm exactly like his father… I'm the embodiment of both his parents, Hermione! Isn't that wonderful? I thought about this for ages, of course… But I think it's up to 'Ry to find it out on his own. What do you think Hermione? I do look like Lily, don't I? And I love Quidditch and rule-breaking, just like James did! Our children would be perfect copies of James and Lily! Just think about it, Hermione! Think about it!'
Luckily for Hermione, Harry arrived in the living room just in time before she was able to puke into a giant, black flower pot. The thought of Harry as the father of his own parents just made her want to scream. Harry's parents were irreplaceable, for Merlin's sake! How could Ginny not understand that?