-Chapter 11: I'm All Yours-

The girls woke up late the next morning, the sun was coming through the frosty window at the head of Ginny's bed and it poured over the waking lovers.

"Good morning, beautiful," Hermione said when Ginny's bright brown eyes locked on hers.

The sweet scents from the night before lingered in the air. The lovers kissed and held each other close, enjoying the warmth of their soft skin rubbing together. Ginny was right in assuming she and Hermione would be spending plenty of time in her room during the Holiday vacation. If Hermione wasn't studying and there wasn't a meal then the two were entangled in each other in bed.

In no time at all it was time to go back to Hogwarts. Ginny was behind on studying for her O.W.L.s, Hermione spent as much time as she could tutoring her between studying for her own classes. Unfortunately because the two spent every moment possible together people started taking notice, especially the Slytherins. The younger tried as much as possible to shield Hermione from the vicious things being said but it was no use. No matter how many Bat-Bogey Hexes Ginny cast, none of the students would stop spitting insults at the two of them.

Harry and Ron tried their best to protect the two but Harry was spending most of his time with Dumbledore for his lessons and Ron was always being dragged off by Lavender Brown to an empty classroom somewhere. Luna gave the girls bracelets weaved from the bark of some magical tree that neither girl had heard of claiming they would bring positive thoughts their way. Neville was hexed more than once for attempting to defend the couple but to no avail. Ginny and Hermione were grateful for everyone's attempts at helping them but in the end they knew they could only rely on each other.

One night in the Room of Requirement a few weeks after term started the two were laying in bed, Hermione was upset over some comments made by Draco Malfoy and his henchmen. Ginny wasn't sure what all was said just that there were several slurs about the two of them and most certainly Draco's favorite word, 'Mudblood'.

"Ginny I hate this…I just hate it. I told you in the beginning that this was just what I was afraid of."

"I know baby, and you know I have tried to stop it but if I hex anyone else then there's nothing McGonagall can do about having me taken off the Quidditch team for good. Snape wants me expelled."

Hermione sighed. "I know you have been trying, love. I just need thicker skin I guess."

"You can't help who you are. And who you are is who I love. Maybe I could cast that Muffliato charm Harry talked about on you so you can't hear anyone?" Ginny suggested.

"I love you, too Ginny. And no need for a spell, especially one of Harry's, I just have to deal with it. The way you make me feel overpowers anything they could ever say." Hermione turned towards Ginny and kissed her. "You've got plenty of studying to do tomorrow, get some sleep okay love?"

Ginny nodded.

It seemed like no time at all passed and winter was gone. It was near one in the morning in late April, Ron, Hermione, and Ginny were in the common room playing a game of Exploding Snap when Harry came running in after his lesson with Dumbledore.

"You are not going to believe this," he heaved between breaths, "Voldemort…horcruxes…Slughorn…"

"Harry, calm down, you're going to hyperventilate." Hermione got up and sat Harry down in her place on the couch.

Harry calmed down and explained to the group about seeing Slughorn's memory about a teen Tom Riddle asking about horcruxes. He told them about Dumbledore suspecting how many of them were out there and what they were.

Ginny listened as Harry talked about all he knew. Voldemort had made seven horcruxes to preserve his soul. He couldn't die as long as they were all in tact. One of the pieces had been the diary that Ginny herself had found in her second year that lead to the devastation of opening the Chamber of Secrets.

The words, "I have to help him find them. He's too weak to do it alone. I just have to. It's our only chance." pierced her ears. She knew Harry had no chance of finding any of these horcruxes without her brother and Hermione with him, there was no way they could survive without Hermione's brilliance. She felt her face get red and her eyes well up. As Harry continued talking Ginny started shaking. She felt all of the blood leave her head in a rush and the room started spinning.

"Ginny? Gin, are you okay?" Hermione knelt in front of her.

"I…I don't know." Ginny slumped over on the couch. Hermione yelled for someone to get Madam Pomfrey.

Ginny woke up unaware of where she was. It was dark and she felt a body next to her but had no idea who it was. She sat up quickly in a panic.

"Where am I? Hermione! Hermione, where are you?!" Ginny cried into the dark.

"Ginny! Ginny it's me, I am right here." Hermione wrapped her arms around Ginny in an attempt to calm her down. Ginny resisted at first and tried to pull away but Hermione talked her down out of her panic and Ginny relaxed into her arms and put her head in Hermione's lap.

"What happened? Where am I?" Ginny asked, shaking.

"You're in the hospital wing, love. You passed out in the common room while Harry was talking about his meeting with Dumbledore." Hermione stroked Ginny's hair. Madam Pomfrey came running in having heard the commotion. She lit a lamp on the table beside Ginny's bed.

"I think she's alright," Hermione said.

"Yes, well, she needs to drink some juice and then get some rest." Madam Pomfrey poured a cup of pumpkin juice and handed it to Hermione. "I trust she is in good hands," the matron said with a soft smile.

"Gin, sit up a little, you need to drink this." Hermione lifted Ginny up a little and put the cup to her lips. Ginny drank a little juice and relaxed back into Hermione's body.

"Ginny, can I ask what happened that made you have a fit like that?"

"I just had a bad feeling about those missing horcruxes. You know Harry is going to want to go on some big adventure to look for them and…you know he can't survive without you."

Hermione sighed. She couldn't tell Ginny she was wrong.

"We're not sure what is going to happen right now, Ginny. Harry still has more to discuss with Dumbledore. We just have to take things one day at a time. Whatever happens it won't change us, understand?" Hermione held Ginny tight against her.

"Okay." Ginny felt a little better. Hermione gave her some more pumpkin juice and she didn't feel as weak.

"You need some sleep, orders of Madam Pomfrey." Hermione reached over and grabbed a thick, light blue book from the bedside table. She put a pillow behind her back and sat up partially in the bed. Ginny curled up next to her and wrapped an arm over Hermione's stomach. "I had McGonagall bring me this book of Muggle fairytales from my room. My mother read it to me when I was young. On nights I can't sleep I read it and remember her voice. This one was always one of my favorites." Hermione opened the book and began reading. Ginny listened to Hermione's sweet voice as she drifted into sleep. She dreamed of glass slippers, pumpkin carriages, princes and happy endings.

When Ginny awoke in the morning she heard birds singing outside the window. She turned to say good morning to Hermione but she wasn't there. Ginny sat up in bed and looked around. Light flooded the large room, all of the other beds were empty. The scent of different potions filled the air. The crisp, white sheets rustled as Ginny shifted around in the bed trying to make herself comfortable. Just as she was thinking about getting out of bed Madam Pomfrey came in.

"Oh look who is awake! Did you rest well dear? It is nearly noon now, you must be starved." The matron pulled a cord on the wall. "Lunch will be up shortly."

"Where is Hermione?" Ginny asked.

"Class of course. She begged Professor McGonagall to let her stay here with you but she had to attend her classes. I am sure she will be back though. She didn't once leave your side last night."

"Why did this happen? I felt fine one minute and the next I wake up here. Was I cursed?"

"Well from the details I got from your brother, Miss Granger, and Mister Potter it sounded very much like a panic attack. There isn't much written about them in wizard medical books but there is plenty about them in a book I was given by a Muggle-born student's parents a few years back. If you'd like to read it you'll have to wait. Miss Granger took it with her this morning to read between classes."

Ginny smiled and shook her head. "Of course she did."

A house elf appeared with a tray of food. Ginny sat quietly and ate her lunch; her favorites, turkey sandwich and chips. Right as she finished she saw the door to the room swing open and Hermione slipped inside. When she saw the redhead sitting up and awake she dashed to the bedside. She dropped her book bag on the ground and flung her arms around Ginny.

"It's wonderful to see you, too Hermione." Ginny laughed and Hermione gave her a peck on the lips.

"How are you feeling? How long have you been awake? I am so sorry I couldn't be here when you woke up, I begged McGonagall to let me stay here with you today but she insisted I go to my classes. I have a free hour now though and I am all yours."

"Hermione you don't have to stay here if you have something else to do. I am feeling fine, really."

"I want to stay. Did Madam Pomfrey say when you can leave the hospital wing?"

"No, she didn't. I feel all right so I don't see why I should have to stay much longer. Are my school robes down here?"

"They're in that wardrobe, over there." Hermione gestured to the other side of Ginny's bed. "Would you like me to get them for you?"

"No, that's alright, I just wanted to know where they were."

"Okay love, just tell me if you need anything."

"You're going to make a great mother someday, 'Mione." Ginny smiled.

Hermione didn't quite know what to say. She didn't want to make things awkward but she couldn't help wanting to say something about Ginny being by her side when she was a mother; when they were mothers. She couldn't though. Not after telling Ginny they had to take things one day at a time. All she could do was thank her for the complement and read to Ginny the section of the Muggle medicine book that described Ginny's symptoms. Obviously there was nothing in there about magical remedies, only a list of Muggle medications.

After she was released from the hospital wing that evening Ginny was told to take it easy for a couple of days, no strenuous activity. Much to Ginny's protests Hermione insisted that studying was not included in strenuous activity and she would still need to work on her O.W.L.s. Sure enough she was back to normal in a few days, spending a little time on the Quidditch pitch when Hermione wasn't drilling her for her fast approaching O.W.L.s.