Chapter 6

Hermione POV

"You really know how to keep a girl wanting more, you know that?"

Hermione smiled softly and gave her girlfriend a soft nudge that drew a faint laugh out of the younger girl. The brunette continued to rest her head on Ginny's shoulder, the redhead having just forfeited their heated encounter – even if only because Hermione requested they wait. Ginny really was sweet to her. Yet, a thought nagged at Hermione's mind and it had been pestering her for months - even before their relationship had begun. Now was as good a time as any to bring it up.

"Ginny?" She asked, her voice a bit softer than it might've normally been.

"Hm?"

"Did you and Demelza ever...," Hermione trailed off momentarily, having trouble spitting out the words despite having gone over this conversation hundreds of times in her head. With a bit of a hurried sigh she gathered up the nerve and forged on. "Did you ever sleep together?" She closed her eyes in apprehension before forcing them open to look at Ginny and wait for a response. Even though Hermione had gone through the various ways this scenario could go, she still wasn't sure how she'd react if Ginny said what she feared she'd say.

"No," Ginny responded incredulously and pulled away enough to make eye contact with the older girl. Hermione nearly had to laugh at how completely insulted the redhead looked. Suddenly, a look of distress crossed Ginny's face and she hastily pulled back even more.

"Dear Merlin, did you sleep with Mandy?" Her voice growing shrill.

"No," Hermione countered, frowning deeply and knowing she sounded as irritated at the suggestion as she felt. "Goodness, Gin, her and I were only together a month and I was hardly around." Ginny continued to stare in scrutiny, but reluctantly relaxed and settled herself into the pillow again. Hermione went on, still sounding a bit cross, "It was a fair question for me to ask. You were with Demelza a long time."

"So what?" Ginny retorted with the same insult as before. "I told you before, I didn't even like her that way."

"I know," Hermione relented, "but you still might've slept together. I don't know."

"Well you know now," Ginny responded flatly. Hermione was going to speak when the younger girl turned her head to make eye contact, her expression indicating that she was still offended. "You think I'd sleep with her even under those circumstances?"

Hermione huffed a little and propped herself up on her elbow to look at her girlfriend. "Well, you dated her for months even though you didn't like her. So, logically speaking, I couldn't rule it out."

Ginny scoffed with a roll of her eyes, her gaze lingering on the wall for a bit before shifting to Hermione. "You're always going to be able to hold that over my head, aren't you?"

The older girl had a retaliation on the tip of her tongue, but the hurt look on Ginny's face halted her defense. Hermione sighed and lay back down, both girls now staring up at the ceiling.

"I was just- never mind. I'm glad to hear you didn't sleep together," she said softly.

"And if we had?"

Hermione snapped her head to the side to stare at Ginny in question. The redhead sighed a bit impatiently. "We didn't," she repeated, "I'm just asking."

The brunette relaxed and let her head fall back onto the pillow to look up at the ceiling, finding its blank canvas comforting as she worked through her thoughts.

"I don't know," she responded slowly with a sigh. Just the thought of Demelza and Ginny being intimate made her chest ache in pain. She scolded herself for being so silly, the two hadn't slept together and even if they had, Hermione had not been Ginny's girlfriend and had no right to stake any sort of claim over her despite the deep-seated feeling that Ginny should have been hers even then.

"You must have some idea," the younger girl said with renewed patience. "I have the feeling this isn't the first time this topic has crossed your mind."

"No, it isn't," Hermione reluctantly admitted. "Well, if you had slept together...," she paused as she thought it over once more, "I would've been really hurt, though I know I'd have no right to be."

"Well, I couldn't blame you if you were upset," Ginny offered as she reached over and gingerly grasped Hermione's hand. "I would've been going off the walls if you had slept with Mandy," she chuckled softly.

Hermione's solemn expression cracked slightly as her lips began to pull into a small smile, knowing that Ginny's statement wasn't a huge over-exaggeration. Hermione noted how odd and a bit embarrassing it was that she found Ginny's possessiveness so appealing. The brunette guessed that it made her feel a bit better about her own bout of it, and she had to admit that Ginny being so protective made her feel special and well...wanted. She'd never admit to it, and in fact would likely laugh at whoever suggested such a thing, but that was how she really felt.

Additionally, Ginny confirming that she had never gone further with Demelza cemented something for Hermione - the fact that Ginny was never intimate with her ex served as a bit of a testimonial to Hermione for all that Ginny had claimed about how her emotions for the brunette had never gone away. It made Hermione feel wonderful. She shifted her body so that they were now in the same position that they were in when the conversation started. She smiled as she felt Ginny laugh quietly.

"So does this mean we're okay?" Ginny asked in a teasing voice, though Hermione knew Ginny was actually being serious. Hermione nodded against the girl's shoulder.

"Good," Ginny remarked. "I'd hate for you to go back on your promise," she said lightly.

Hermione frowned. "What prom-"

Her sentence was cut off as Ginny abruptly rolled them over so that Hermione was now pinned underneath and staring up wide-eyed at Ginny as the redhead dipped down to meet Hermione's unsuspecting lips in a heated kiss. Slowly, Ginny pulled back.

"Oh," Hermione breathed. "That promise."

"Yes," Ginny grinned wickedly. "That promise." Before Hermione could say or do more, Ginny pushed herself back off of Hermione and consequently up and off of the bed, but not before hurriedly lifting up the brunette's shirt just enough to plant a fleeting kiss on her stomach, more specifically, just above where her jeans rested on her hips. If Hermione wasn't mistaken, Ginny's tongue made a brief appearance during the kiss, making it that much more tantalizing. The whole thing happened so fast that Hermione didn't have time to control herself and her hips lifted slightly off the bed as if to follow Ginny, desperately wanting more despite what her mind argued.

In a daze, the brunette slowly looked down toward the end of the bed to see Ginny leaning against the wall looking far too smug.

"Ginny," the older girl warned as she very nearly glowered at her cheeky girlfriend.

"Well, we could always move that promise of yours forward," Ginny trailed off with a smirk as Hermione began to spout her retaliation, only silenced when Ginny put her hand up in amused defense. "Hey, I understand," Ginny said with that same smile. "Your rules, and I'm willing to play by them." Hermione scowled further at the redhead's demeanor.

Ginny's face grew contemplative and she spoke, "And really, you're correct. Waiting a whole year - at least - is a better idea. I mean, to give into our desires, that need, right now, just wouldn't be appropriate-"

"Gin," Hermione warned once more as she narrowed her eyes at the girl who was just too mischievous sometimes.

"-to continue kissing you there, to let my hands wander, to kiss even lower...to let my tongue trail-"

"Ginny!" Hermione exclaimed as she shot up out of bed and grabbed the laughing redhead and ushered her out of the bedroom and down the stairs. It took great determination to ignore the stirrings that Ginny's words caused, but she fought it.

"I think it's time for you to catch up on studying," Hermione announced firmly as she continued to force Ginny down the stairs.

"Oh Hermione, you're so domineering," Ginny taunted as she continued to giggle.

"Ginny, I swear to God..."

Ginny POV

Ginny stood in the Burrow's very cramped living room, a mug of butterbeer in hand (a few generous drops of firewhiskey mixed in thanks to Fred and George), and a toy hat on her head that her oddly persuasive girlfriend had insisted that she wear. Tonight was New Year's Eve and they were seconds away from entering the new year. Everyone was counting down the seconds.

The youngest Weasley greedily drank back her tainted butterbeer, rather than counting, the action drawing a nudge from Hermione.

"Six!" The brunette cheered. "Five!" She continued to chant with everyone else and tugged on Ginny's arm to get her to count down too.

"Four," Ginny said in an unenthusiastic voice, causing Hermione to pout. The young redhead smiled at her and finished the countdown with newfound energy.

"Happy New Year!" Everyone in the Weasley household exclaimed.

Ginny saw all the present couples link up in a celebratory kiss, ignoring how put off Percy looked. She turned to Hermione and smiled. "Happy New Year, Mione," she said just loud enough for the older girl to hear.

"Happy New Year, Gin," Hermione reciprocated and they joined together in a warm kiss.

When Hermione pulled back, she eyed Ginny suspiciously. "Gin...," she started.

"Hm?" Ginny asked.

"Do I taste...Firewhiskey?" Hermione asked, as she licked her lips in suspicion.

The redhead smirked before quickly replacing that expression with an innocent smile. "Firewhiskey?" She asked, with a perplexed frown. "Why would you taste Firewhiskey?"

Hermione instantly shifted her now unimpressed gaze from Ginny to the twins. "Fred! George!" She called out before storming off to them.

Ginny spied the twins peering over and she laughed at how ridiculous it looked to see this petite girl stalking over to give Fred and George, who easily towered over her, a piece of her mind. The youngest sibling locked eyes with her older brothers and gave them a small shrug.

Ginny finished off her drink and set it down before glancing around the room, trying to determine what to do next. Her attention was caught as Percy abruptly stood up and disappeared into the kitchen, clearly in a mood.

She had been meaning to give him a piece of her own mind since Hermione had told her about his little 'pep talk' the other day. They were heading back to Hogwarts the day after tomorrow, and Ginny figured no time was better than the present.

After taking off her bizarre hat, Ginny swiftly followed Percy into the kitchen. She saw him conjuring himself a drink and she called to him as he was about to take a sip, causing him to nearly spill.

"Ginny," he scolded, turning to her and looking just as annoyed as she'd imagined he would.

"Percy," she greeted evenly.

"Well?" He prompted, tapping his foot impatiently.

"So, I hear you had a bit of advise to give my girlfriend the other day," Ginny stated, noting how he rolled his eyes at the word 'girlfriend'.

"I was just telling her the facts," he said, still annoyed. "If she intends to be out, she may be well advised to pursue a different place of employment."

"You honestly don't expect me to buy that load," Ginny warned. "Let me guess, you're jealous that she was approached about this opportunity and you weren't."

"Actually," Percy glowered as he set down his drink. "I've been asked to go as well."

"Oh yeah? Well I'm guessing that's a very recent development since you haven't bragged about it to everyone yet," Ginny retorted. "Alright then, so now since you may be working very closely with Hermione, you feel especially threatened."

"How could I ever be threatened by her," he replied, his mannerisms snobbish as ever. It only took a split second for his comment and delivery to set Ginny's anger aflame.

"Don't ever disrespect Hermione like that," she said in a low voice while staring Percy down. "You've been a pretty shit brother to the rest of us, but you don't get to treat Hermione the same way." Ginny seethed as she thought more about the situation and she continued on more forcefully this time. "She's the one that defended you when the rest of us were criticizing you, and this is how you repay her? I'd hex you to Hell and back, but it'll be sweeter when Hermione moves up faster and higher than you ever will. She sent her application in yesterday, so get ready."

Percy stared at her with hard eyes. Though he appeared unmoved, Ginny knew him well enough to know that she struck a nerve. A moment later, he regained his thoughts and spoke evenly.

"And why exactly are you defending her? She's leaving you."

Ginny bristled against her will and she concentrated hard on not exhibiting how much his assertion got to her. "She's not. Yes, she's moving, but we're still going to be together." She was tempted to exert her argument further, but thought that might incriminate her more than anything. Instead, she forced herself to keep quiet. She had to admit though, if she had any less self-control, she would've blasted Percy when she saw the hint of a smirk creeping across his lips.

"Oh Ginny, you're so young," he said in an amused voice. "You want me to be nice to Hermione? Fine. Maybe you didn't notice, but while you're out playing some silly game around on the pitch, at Hogwarts, no less, Hermione will be advancing a promising-" his delivery of the word clearly mocking and resentful, "-career at the Ministry. She won't have time for you and your juvenile past-times. Hermione is driven and career-oriented, and considering how clever she is, I don't imagine it'll take much time for her to realize that you're holding her back. Honestly, Ginny, your big aspiration in life is to play toss and catch on broomsticks while Hermione's is to change the world. How do those two dreams meet up? I'm not trying to be mean, I'm just letting you know what I see."

Percy's words stung more than any hit Ginny had taken on the pitch. Her whole body was tense with anger and hurt as his words rang painfully in her head. She had surprised herself with how well she'd taken Hermione's news about this move, but now it didn't feel nearly as easy to be at peace with it. It's not as if some form of Percy's sentiments hadn't crossed her mind, but having Hermione physically close had kept the thoughts at bay. However, once there were miles and miles separating them...And this whole thing about their lives after Hogwarts had always been Hermione's concern - Ginny just wrote it off as insecurity and it had never really bothered her. She loved Hermione and knew that she would continue to no matter how different their aspirations were, but maybe Hermione had a point with these worries. Hermione hadn't brought any of these concerns up for a while now and Ginny figured that the brunette was now satisfied and confident, but perhaps this wasn't actually the case.

"No," Ginny reprimanded herself. "Don't let him get to you. You know better than this. He's just trying to rile you up."

It's true – he was just trying to get under her skin. Hermione loved her. Though things would be changing, underneath this insecurity Ginny felt that they would be okay. She at least knew that no matter what, she'd fight for Hermione. She would never just give up like she did before.

While Ginny realized that she had a few things to work through still, she'd be damned if she let Percy get the last laugh in this. It would be too good to be true if she got along with all of her siblings - of course there had to be one that she clashed with, and of course that would have to be the one that would now be working alongside Hermione.

"Nice try, Weatherby," Ginny retorted with a smug grin. "Look, I'm sorry that Penelope dumped you, but that's no reason to get nasty about other happy couples, okay?" She continued patronizingly. Percy was about to throw a response her way when she cut him off, all prior taunting and jest gone and leaving only a serious tone and set features. "If you ever do anything stupid like what you did the other day, or say something completely ignorant like you did just now, I will be more than willing to put you in your place."

Percy scoffed, but his gaze shifted away from Ginny's and essentially forfeiting him from their debate.

Noise from the next room filtered into the kitchen and Ginny was reminded that she should join the festivities again.

"Well, Happy New Year, Percy," she said in a sweet voice that was deeply sarcastic before turning and leaving him with his thoughts.

AN: Hey, everyone! Thank you very much for all your continued support - it is absolutely astounding. Perhaps not the most riveting of chapters...but everything serves a purpose. It shall continue to chug along! Have a great week :)