-Chapter 15: I Dream About it at Night -
After dinner Hermione, Ron, and Harry excused themselves to go outside; Ginny went to her room to read the latest edition of Which Broomstick.
"I'm not going back to Hogwarts. I have to find the missing horcruxes," Harry said as they walked around the Burrow. "I'm leaving a few days before you guys go back. I will owl you when I can and let you know that I am safe."
"Mate, are you dense? You aren't going at this alone. I'm coming with you," Ron said as he gave Harry a friendly punch on the arm. Hermione took a deep breath. Her heart felt like it was being ripped into two pieces. She knew she had to go with Harry but she also knew that leaving Ginny would be the hardest thing she had ever done.
"You boys can't go without me. You know you would never survive."
"Hermione you did catch that part about not going back to Hogwarts, right? I mean you wouldn't be able to drag the school with us or anything," Ron joked.
"Yes, thank you Ronald, I am aware of that. School can wait. I can't have you two going off somewhere with no plan and getting yourselves killed."
"And Ginny?" Harry asked.
"Ginny and I talked about the possibility a few times. She knows I would go with you if you left. However, now that it's a reality I am not sure how she will take it. I will talk to her tonight, the sooner the better. She'll need time to let it sink in."
"Yeah and I am sure you two want to get plenty of shag time in before you all face almost certain death!" Fred said coming out from behind a tree.
"That is absolutely none of your business, Fred!" Hermione yelled. She couldn't help but turn bright red and smile though.
"Ugh, you know that's our little sister you're talking about right?" Ron looked as though he might vomit.
Later that night the Burrow was quiet. Hermione and Ginny were on the sofa in the sitting room, everyone else was in bed. Hermione was sitting on one end of the couch with Ginny's head in her lap. She ran her fingers through Ginny's soft, fiery red hair.
"We need to talk about something, love. I know it is a conversation you didn't want to have but sooner is better than later."
Ginny heaved a heavy sigh. "When are you guys leaving?" She already knew what Hermione was talking about. She held back her tears.
"A few days before you head back to Hogwarts. That's the plan at least but you know how things come up. I figure the few days I am gone visiting my parents will help you ease into it a little. At least when you go back to school you'll be occupied by classes." Ginny couldn't speak, she knew if she did that she wouldn't be able to control her tears. That was all lost when Hermione put her hands under Ginny's head and guided her up to eye level. Hermione stared deep into Ginny's eyes.
"I love you Ginny. I love you more than words can describe and I have for a long time. I know I said I wanted to just take things one day at a time and not look into the future but I want to tell you now while I have the chance…I can see us together. Forever. I dream about it at night. I want us to be sitting in our own home just like this in ten, twenty, thirty years. Always. I want us to be at platform nine and three-quarters dropping our kids off every year. What I feel for you…I can't ever see it going away."
Tears streamed down Ginny's freckled cheeks and Hermione kissed her.
"I can't even find words…I don't know what to say to that."
"Just tell me that you love me and you'll be there for me when I get back."
"You know I love you, 'Mione. I love you with absolutely everything I have. I will be waiting for you when you get back. Right now all I want is to be here with you." They kissed again. Hermione put her feet up on the couch and stretched out, Ginny crawled up between her legs an put her head on Hermione's stomach. She fell asleep to the sensation of Hermione's fingers running through her hair and in that moment everything was perfect.
Hermione left three days later to go see her parents. Ginny was miserable. Molly kept her as busy as possible with wedding details and cleaning the Burrow. The boys tried their hardest to get her to play Quidditch but she refused. All she wanted to do was lay in bed.
Four days went by with no word from Hermione. Finally on the fifth day, a Friday, an exhausted owl perched outside of Ginny's window woke her early in the morning. Ginny excitedly took the envelope and gave the owl a treat from the bowl she had been keeping in her room, just in case. The owl stayed on Ginny's windowsill and fell asleep.
17 July, 1997
Dearest Ginny,
I miss you more than words can describe. It took more convincing than I thought but I finally got my parents to agree to a "vacation" before I "returned to school". I can't tell you where I am but right now I am working on getting my parents settled into a "vacation house". When all is settled I will alter their memories and it will be as if I never existed to them. I am assuming this will get to you sometime on Friday. If all goes well then I should see you very soon.
Love Always,
Hermione
Ginny jumped up and down excitedly. She rushed downstairs, only Molly and Fleur were awake. Ginny told them of the news from Hermione but was back upstairs before either woman could respond. Ginny set to work cleaning her room. She changed the bed sheets and straightened up the desk. She made sure her lamp was filled with oil and her clock was shiny. At the pace she went the entire room was spotless in only a few hours time.
Ginny spent the rest of the day doing whatever she could to keep busy. She even tried to clean Ron's room but he threw her out before she had a chance. By dinner she was exhausted and slightly worried. She'd read Hermione's letter over and over. She wondered if something happened. What if Death Eaters found out about her? That owl had obviously come quite a ways someone could have intercepted it and read the letter. Hermione could have been kidnapped on her way back. So many things could have gone wrong. Ginny started shaking and felt the familiar dizziness hit her.
"Mum…" was all she got out before everything went black. Ginny fell out of her chair and hit her head on the edge of the table. Everyone panicked except Harry and Ron. They got Ginny over to the couch and tried to wake her up.
"I don't think this is just from the panic attack. I think she hit her head pretty hard," Harry said. Ron nodded his head in agreement.
"Panic attack? What are you boys talking about?" Arthur asked.
"Ginny didn't tell you? She said she owled you about it." Ron got a cool, wet cloth and put it on Ginny's forehead.
"Ron, we have no idea what you and Harry are talking about. We never got an owl from Ginny about anything like this." Arthur looked worried.
"Ginny has these attacks when she gets really upset or nervous," Harry explained. "Madam Pomfrey didn't know much about them until she read about them in a Muggle medicine book. Basically Ginny just panics about something, usually Hermione, and gets sick. She hasn't passed out since the first one though. We should've been watching her these last few days with Hermione being gone."
"The first one? How many times has this happened?!" Molly shrieked.
"Not many, Mum. Maybe three or four counting this one."
"I'm worried about her hitting her head like that. Should we take her to St. Mungo's, Arthur?" Molly asked nervously.
"No, I think we should wait and see. Ginny has taken blows to the head before. Don't forget who her brothers are. Bill, can you get her up to her room? Molly and Fleur will accompany you."
"Mobilicorpus," Bill said, aiming his wand at Ginny. He moved her very carefully up the stairs and into her room. He set her down on her bed and left to let Molly and Fleur tend to her.
"This girl, I swear one day she will drive me to insanity," Molly said. She silently cast a spell that turned Ginny's clothes into pajamas. Fleur pulled a blanket over her.
"She joost deedn't want to worry you," Fleur said. Molly looked at her, puzzled. Half the time she couldn't understand the young woman so she just nodded her head.
"Yes, well, thank you for your help Fleur. Go tell Arthur that Ginny is settled in bed. I am going to stay up here with her for now."
Fleur left and Molly settled in Ginny's desk chair next to the bed and watched over her sleeping daughter. She soon nodded off but awoke to a loud crack and saw a figure standing in the middle of Ginny's room. Molly pulled out her wand and aimed at the figure.
"Who are you!?" she demanded.
"Mrs. Weasley, please, it's me, Hermione!" The startled girl dropped her things and fell back against a wall.
Molly lit the lamp by Ginny's bed. She put her wand away and clutched her chest.
"Dear Merlin, Hermione! You nearly scared me to death. It's good to have you back."
"Mrs. Weasley, why are you in here? Is Ginny okay?" Hermione swiftly moved to the side of Ginny's bed, knelt down, and saw the bruise on the side of her head. "Oh gods what happened?! Please tell me there wasn't a Death Eater attack." Hermione turned around looking at Molly, petrified.
"Calm yourself, dear. She had one of those panic attack things at dinner and fell out of her chair and hit her head on the table. It nearly scared Arthur and me to death. Thank goodness Harry and Ron were here to tell us what was going on. She will definitely get a stern talking to when she wakes up since Ron said the both of you told her to owl us about this but she never did. I am going to go downstairs and get a fresh cool cloth for her head. Make yourself comfortable." Molly hurried out of the room. Hermione knew she could just as easily accio a cloth but appreciated Molly giving her some time.
Hermione sat down on the edge of Ginny's bed and took her hand.
"I told you I'd come back," Hermione said softly as she picked up Ginny's hand and kissed it. There was a soft knock on the door.
"Come in," Hermione said.
Molly had returned with a fresh cloth.
"Why don't you go to the bathroom and change into your nightclothes, dear," she suggested.
Hermione nodded. She carefully put Ginny's hand down and kissed her forehead, gathered her pajamas and went to the bathroom to change.
Hermione stood at the sink and looked in the mirror. She splashed cold water on her face and took a few deep breaths. She knew she had to remain calm. The Weasleys didn't need a hysterical guest along with an unconscious daughter.
"Mrs. Weasley you should get some sleep. I can watch over Ginny for the rest of the night," Hermione said when she came back in to the bedroom.
"Of course. Come get me if you need anything. You know which door is mine and Arthur's, yes?"
"Yes, fourth landing."
Molly smiled and leaned over to her daughter to kiss her on the cheek.
"You are very lucky, Ginevra," Molly whispered to her sleeping daughter. "That girl is very obviously in love with you." Hermione heard but didn't know if she was supposed to so she pretended to be rummaging in her trunk. When Molly left Hermione crawled in bed next to Ginny. She stared at her sleeping lover. She watched her chest rise and fall. Hermione didn't sleep, she just watched. She watched for any sign of movement. Anything.
