I didn't realize I had a lot of slashy stuff grouped so close together until I started going through this chapter-by-chapter...oh well. Don't like, don't read. If you do like it then by all means, read it again!


-Chapter 8: It Was a Gift-

After Hermione's birthday the girls couldn't spend much time together in the Room of Requirement. Even when they did they were too exhausted to do anything but sleep. Hermione was throwing herself into her studies after she received a less than perfect score on her first Charms examination so Ginny spent her spare time on the Quidditch pitch. If the weather wasn't agreeable she would join Hermione in the library and study for her O.W.L.s.

The Halloween Feast came, Hermione and Ginny attended together "just as friends", or so they told everyone who was clueless as to the depth of their relationship. Hermione's dress was full bodied and bright green with a plunging neckline that showed off quite a bit of cleavage thanks to a tight corset. Ginny knew she did it just to tease her. It took days of begging from Hermione but Ginny caved and had her mother send her dress robes. The dress was simple. It was a floor length powder blue gown with a modest neckline. The one thing Ginny did win on was that she got to wear her trainers.

There were jack-o-lanterns in every corner of the Great Hall and hundreds of them floating above, there were bats flying around and all of the ghosts were popping up out of random places. Sir Nicholas winked at Ginny and Hermione, both girls blushed. He had caught them a few days before stealing a quick kiss (and possibly a grope or two) behind a suit of armor before they headed to afternoon classes after lunch.

After the feast the tables in the Great Hall disappeared and there was music playing and students were dancing. During a slow song Hermione and Ginny found a bench against one of the walls to sit down. They had danced until they could dance no more. Ginny was covered in glitter from rubbing against Hermione every chance she got. They had been dancing dangerously close and had to remind themselves more than once that they couldn't start snogging on the dance floor. Hermione looked at Ginny and smiled.

"I've had a fantastic evening," Hermione said with a sigh. "But this corset is about to kill me. What do you say we go to the Room of Requirement and get a little more comfortable?" She winked.

Ginny raised her eyebrows and nodded and the two left the Great Hall and snuck upstairs. They stood in front of the wall and a door appeared, as usual. The room was a little different this time. There was a glowing jack-o-lantern in the corner and floating above, just like in the Great Hall. The sheets were black with orange trim as were the armchairs. Hermione went to the chest of drawers, retrieved her pajamas and headed to the bathroom. Ginny quickly undressed and put on her pajamas. The Room never gave them their old pajamas back but neither minded. The silk ones Ginny had bought were comfortable. Ginny was buttoning the bottom button on her shirt when Hermione emerged from the bathroom.

"You know, I never did get a chance to pay you back for my birthday," Hermione said seductively as she walked towards her smiling girlfriend.

"Well it was a gift so there isn't…" Ginny was cut off by Hermione's lips on hers.

"Yeah, don't care," Hermione said when she pulled away.

She led Ginny to the bed and sat down. Ginny crawled on top of her and they continued kissing. Ginny's tongue grazed Hermione's bottom lip and she nipped at it. Hermione pushed her tongue into Ginny's mouth and the redhead gave it a gentle bite and sucked it. Hermione moved her hands down to the top button of Ginny's shirt and before Ginny had any time to react, Hermione had unbuttoned the entire shirt and slid it down off of her arms. Hermione smirked and surprised Ginny by flipping her over onto her back. Hermione sat up and stared at Ginny's bare torso; she wanted to memorize every freckle on every centimeter of her girlfriend's beautiful body. Hermione quickly removed her own shirt and Ginny smiled. Hermione's fingers traced Ginny's bare, heaving chest. The elder witch slid one leg between Ginny's and laid her full weight on top of her. Their bare flesh touched and an electric shock went through them both. Hermione rhythmically started moving her hips and torso. She ground her leg into Ginny's groin, one of Hermione's hands found its way between the two bodies, grabbed onto Ginny's bare breast and began pulling on her nipple.

"Hermione…oh gods Hermione…" and before Ginny could moan another word Hermione ground her leg hard into Ginny's groin, pushing Ginny closer to the edge. She moved her head to Ginny's chest and took one nipple in her mouth, sucking and licking at the pale flesh. Ginny's hands found Hermione's back and her fingernails dug into the brunette's skin, she moaned Hermione's name and arched her back as adrenaline rushed through her body. Her hips pulsated and pushed against Hermione's leg; she shuddered and let out one last loud moan as the orgasm coursed through her.

Hermione moved back up to eye level with an exhausted Ginny.

"That…you…oh Merlin…" the redhead gasped between breaths. She couldn't form a coherent sentence; with all the sensations in her body, her mind wouldn't allow it.

Hermione smiled and then kissed her. She collapsed next to the redhead and played with the pendant around her pale, freckled neck. The lovers' breathing slowed and before long they were asleep, their bodies were so close that the only clue that there were two bodies instead of one was the difference in the hue of their skin.

The first Quidditch match of the season came around quickly. Hermione was excited to see Ginny play. As a Chaser the redhead would get quite a bit more actual playing time than when she had previously played reserve Seeker. Hermione cheered on her girlfriend; Ginny tried to stay focused on the game but occasionally after she'd scored a goal she would catch Hermione's gaze and smile at her. Gryffindor crushed Slytherin and the after party in the common room lasted nearly all night.

Every chance they got the two girls would steal glances or light touches. Hermione wanted to go up to the Room of Requirement for their own personal celebration but every time they would try to sneak out of the tower someone would catch them to tell Ginny how amazing she had done.

Dean Thomas was one of them that caught the girls trying to sneak out, he took Ginny's arm and pulled her away from Hermione. The brunette could only watch as he went on and on about the match. Hermione turned nearly purple when his hand grazed Ginny's cheek and he tried to pull her in for a kiss. Hermione started walking towards the two but before she could reach them a group of people blocked her from them. She watched through the crowd as Ginny pushed the boy away. He tried to pull her in again, a bit more forceful and she planted her knee into his groin.

"I did not, nor will I ever give you permission to touch me, Dean," she yelled at the boy writhing on the ground in pain. She pushed her way through the group of people to Hermione. "Ugh, that boy. Such a pain in the arse."

"I think now it is more like pain in the…you know." Hermione half smiled.

"That, too."

"Should I start learning more hexes to keep them away from you?"

"Don't worry about it, 'Mione. Look, everyone's leaving. What do you say we try to get upstairs?"

"Sounds good to me."

The girls snuck through the portrait hole and rushed upstairs.


I just want to say thank you to everyone that is still reading/will continue to read. It's kind of ridiculous how happy I get when I see alert e-mails indicating someone favorited or reviewed anything I've written so thanks a ton, guys! You're definitely helping me come out of my shell quite a bit.

And just to let you know if any of you want to talk to me personally I do have AIM. If you want to just send me a message on here I'll make sure your s/n gets on my safe list and give you mine as well. I would put it on my profile but I've gotten too much spam that way. I welcome talking to new people and making new friends =)