-Chapter 2: The Truth-

After dinner, Hermione and Ginny helped Molly clear the table and get the dishes started. Molly shooed them out of the kitchen while the dishes washed themselves, she insisted they needed some girl time. Ginny and Hermione went up the rickety stairs to Ginny's bedroom on the first floor. The lamp on the bedside table lit itself when the two came into the room. Hermione excused herself to go to the bathroom to change into her pajamas. When she stepped out of the bedroom and closed the door George grabbed her and pulled her into Bill's old bedroom across the hall.

"George, what are you doing?" Hermione screeched, "You can't just grab someone like that!" Hermione rubbed her arm.

"Sorry if I startled you, Herm, but there's something I gotta ask you."

"Well good luck getting an answer, grabbing me like that!" Hermione growled. She turned to the door.

"Do you have a thing for my sister?" George said bluntly.

Hermione stopped abruptly.

"I…uh…what? Why, why would you ask me that? That's just…not uh. You can't just ask…"

"Come on, Hermione, the way you looked at her every time she touched you at dinner. I'm not blind."

"George, you have to understand, I didn't mean…I just…I don't know how…" Hermione stammered.

"So that's a yes?" George said with a smirk. "Well, the good thing about that is when someone asks who you fancy and you tell them it's a Weasley they have too many options to figure it out before you run away."

Hermione dropped her head and stared at the floor. Quietly she said, "You won't tell anyone, will you? I just…I don't know how she feels and she's only fifteen…please don't say anything George."

"Oh I won't. But just so you know, Fred and I have figured for a while that Gin fancies girls…more specifically she fancies you, has for about a year now. We may or may not have used some uh…less than ethical methods to find it out but it's all true, I swear it. Mum asked us one day what we thought about her liking girls because she was wondering, too. We didn't tell her how we knew but that we had guessed about it."

"I…uh. Thank you George." Hermione turned around. "Do I even want to know what those 'less than ethical' methods were?"

"Probably not."

"Okay, well, thanks. I…I don't know when I'll talk to her but…you've helped quite a bit."

"Fred is in her room talking to her; I'd wait a few minutes before going back in. We both figure she would get a little defensive so it's probably taking a bit longer to get it out of her."

"Alright. See you in the morning, George. I appreciate everything," Hermione said with a smile.

...............

Hermione left Ginny's room and shut the door. Just as Ginny was looking for some pajamas Fred rushed in and shut the door behind him.

"Bloody hell, Fred, you scared the piss out of me! Have you forgotten how to knock!" Ginny yelled.

"Sorry, Gin, I knew you'd be getting dressed and I didn't want to miss the opportunity to talk to you while Hermione was out."

"Well it better be good. My heart almost blew out of my chest."

"Again, sorry. Okay. Before I ask you have to promise you won't hit me."

"The fact that you want me to promise that almost guarantees I am going to hit you, you know that, right?"

"Fine. What is going on with you and Hermione?" Fred demanded.

Ginny froze. She tried to find words but all she could manage was, "Huh?"

"Oh come on Gin, you know exactly what I am talking about. I know you fancy her."

"That's none of your business!" Ginny yelled. "You…you can't just assume things like that! I-I don't fancy girls, I'm not like that. Leave. Just, get out!"

"Rubbish! George and I have known for a while now that you like girls…and that you like Hermione! Mum knows, too. She knew by instinct, George and I…well I don't feel like having you hex me right now so that will be a different story, but come on. Just tell me, Gin. You know you can tell me."

Ginny glanced around the room for her wand. She knew the only way they could've known was to jinx her quill or her diary. If rage was any indication, Fred was in for one of the worst Bat-Bogey Hexes the world had ever seen. She spotted her wand on the desk but before she could move to get it he jumped to the desk and grabbed it. Fred put the wand in his pocket.

"Ginny, just say it, alright? Tell me the truth and you can have your wand back."

Ginny sighed. They knew already and there was nothing she could do so she figured she might as well tell him.

"I fancy Hermione. I have since last summer. She's all I've thought about for a year but I can't tell her how I feel. She's my best friend and I cannot sacrifice that." Tears welled up in Ginny's eyes and she quickly turned away from Fred and wiped them from her face.

"Aw sis, I didn't want you to cry. Well, look, if it is any consolation, George and I were watching her at the table and all signs say she might fancy you as well. I say you ask her."

Ginny's heart raced when Fred told her he thought Hermione might like her. She didn't want to get her hopes up but hearing it from someone else, she couldn't help it.

Fred took Ginny's wand out of his pocket and carefully set it back on her desk. "Talk to her sis. And you know you can always talk to me or even George if you want. I wouldn't suggest talking to that git, Ron, though. He's been a pain in the arse since the hormones hit him."

Ginny turned back around. "Thank you Fred. You are still so in for it for reading my diary though! Even if it was for a good reason." She hugged him.

"Alright, I better be getting out of here, Hermione will be coming back in soon I am sure. George was talking to her in Bill's room. His was probably a quicker discussion since her reaction to simple questions isn't to try and hex the hell out of someone." Fred laughed when Ginny stuck her tongue out at him.

Fred left and Ginny rummaged around for some pajamas, she settled on an old, yellow Holyhead Harpies t-shirt that was almost too small and some loose green shorts. She purposely pulled her shorts a little low on her hips, a bit of her black underwear showing out the top and some of her stomach showing between the waistband and her t-shirt. There was a knock on the door just as Ginny was checking herself in the mirror on her chest of drawers, straightening out her hair and making sure her eyes weren't red from crying.

"Come in!" she said. It was Hermione. She was in grey sweatpants, riding low on her luscious hips. Her t-shirt matched, of course, it was grey and had a Muggle clothing logo on the chest.

Hermione closed the door behind her and put her dirty clothes in her trunk and her toiletry things in their bag. She didn't know if she could talk to Ginny at that moment. There was too much to sort through, too much to plan. She needed to write things out and be logical. Before she could think any more she felt Ginny push her brown bushy hair away from her face.

"I think we need to talk," Ginny said. She didn't move her hand from Hermione's cheek after she brushed away her hair. Hermione put her hand over Ginny's and pushed her cheek closer to Ginny's hand.

Hermione nodded. Her heart raced.