Chapter 10
Ginny POV
Ginny sat with Hermione, Ron, and Harry in Hermione's living room, the new flat still as neat and organized as any of them would have expected. Ginny had been staying with Hermione since she moved in a couple of weeks ago. It had been exhilarating spending so much time with Hermione one-on-one, nobody to bother or interrupt them as they explored Paris together. Things had been amazing, but all the while Ginny was doing her best to not think about how she wouldn't see her girlfriend again until Christmas.
They couldn't be alone forever though; a week ago Harry and Ron came to visit and tonight was their last night before heading back to England to prepare for Auror training. When Ron had arrived, he had brought along some interesting and, to Ginny, slightly disturbing news with him. Apparently, there had been some updates on the team that the British Ministry was sending over.
"Updates?" Hermione asked with a frown, and Ginny could have sworn that Crookshanks was giving Ron the same doubtful look. "No offense, Ron, but how would you know?"
Ron did take offense, judging from the look on his face and the tone in his voice. "Percy, if you must know."
Ginny scoffed. "Great."
Ron's upset quickly faded and he gave a laugh at Ginny's reaction. "Yeah, good luck with that git," he said as he eyed Hermione.
"He better not cause trouble," Ginny replied in a low voice as she thought back to how he had tried to unnerve Hermione back at the Burrow during Christmas holidays.
"I'm sure it'll be fine," Hermione said. Ginny couldn't imagine that Hermione was entirely genuine in her statement, but figured she was probably just trying to keep her head up. "Besides, it'll be nice to have someone I know here."
"Watch out, he may act like he doesn't know you," Harry mocked, surely referring back to his trial years before in front of the Wizengamot when Percy hadn't even acknowledged him.
Hermione shot him a look. "Percy is very capable. He will be a great asset to the team," she said decisively.
"Well, there's more," Ron went on. "Apparently, that Ms. Blake is going to have a bigger role in your project than originally intended." Ron's eyes went a bit buggy and Ginny gave him a questioning look. "She's a nightmare," he announced with a grimace. "She interviewed us, too, and I don't think anyone's seemed that unimpressed with me since Snape."
Hermione looked uneasy. "I didn't like her much initially, either. But perhaps she's not that bad. She just wants to get things done and done right. She's come into a terrible situation, what with Pius Thicknesse being sent to Azkaban and all," Hermione asserted, though she didn't look very convinced herself. "Why is she taking on a greater role anyway, she seemed outrageously uninterested during my interview."
Ron shrugged. "Percy said it has partially to do with how much the Minister is pushing this England/France relations thing, you know. And your department reports to her in the end, and it'll be her 'yes' or 'no' at the end that greatly decides if they do the same project back home."
Hermione gave a derisive laugh. "Good luck to us, then." Her previous good-will seemingly pushed aside. "She probably has a house-elf at home, doing her bidding..."
"Actually," Ron said in wonder, "apparently she used to have one, but she freed him a while back."
Hermione looked absolutely shocked, her mouth actually agape. "What? Are you sure?"
"Yes," Ron glared. "Percy said so."
Hermione looked contemplative, her eyebrows pulled together in a frown. "Perhaps I shouldn't have judged her so quickly," she said before turning to Ginny. "Maybe you were right, you know, about the good guy/bad guy approach in the interview."
Ginny gave her girlfriend a mock look of grateful surprise. "Really?"
"Gin," Hermione chided. "Okay, well...maybe this is good news."
"I still think she's a nightmare. Glad it's you working with her and not me," Ron said. "Anyway, it's Harry and I's last night here, I say we go to the pub," Ron suggested as he walked towards the window to look out into the darkening streets.
"Sure," they all agreed excitedly.
Soon enough they found themselves at the wizard pub a few blocks over. Ron and Harry hit the Firewhiskey and Ginny would have too if her mind didn't immediately flashback to Hermione busting her last year with Firewhiskey at Hogwarts, coupled with the brunette's discontent over Ginny's exposure to the beverage at New Years. She'd stick to butterbeer this evening. However, that didn't stop her, Harry and Ron from urging the former Head Girl to have a glass of the fierce liquor. She had vehemently refused the first five or six requests, and Ginny thought they wouldn't win, that is until she pulled out the dewy eyes and Hermione begrudgingly agreed.
Many sour faces and a coughing fit later, Hermione had finished her drink. Shortly thereafter, one glass turned into two and the brunette seemed to finish the second drink with far less difficulty. She was now awfully giggly, her face was flushed and she held Ginny's hand between both of her own.
"I'm so glad you both came here to see me," Hermione said earnestly to Ron and Harry who sat across from them.
"Oh geez, don't get all teary eyed on me now," Ron ribbed as he eyed her with an unimpressed look that Ginny knew was covering up his affection for the girl.
"I'm not," Hermione insisted though her voice wavered. "I just...this is the end of a chapter," she paused, struggling to remain composed, and inadvertently giving Ron a chance to chime in.
"Always with your books!"
She flashed him a furious look. "Stop that! I'm being serious here," she took a breath as Ginny gave her hand a gentle squeeze. "Anyway, the end of one thing...but the start of new, wonderful things. I just want you to know that you guys have been the greatest friends ever and I'm going to miss you so much, despite how much trouble you cause that I always have to bail you out of," she grinned at them, her eyes damp, "and I will always be here for you - no matter what."
Harry smiled at her and reciprocated her sentiments. Even Ron looked slightly moved. Ginny had to smile as she saw her girlfriend attempt to hold herself together throughout Harry's speech, but still ended up sniffling despite those efforts.
"Blimey," Ron muttered with wide eyes. "There's too much emotion going on right now," he chuckled as he drank more Firewhiskey. "I don't know what life's going to be like without you crying every time I turn around." Hermione gave him a tired look and he grew serious, though a smirk still graced his face. "I wouldn't have made it into the Auror program without you. I know I complained a lot, but...well, thank you."
Hermione inhaled in a shuddering breath and abruptly shot up and out of her chair to lean across the table, nearly knocking over a couple of glasses, and flung her arms around Ron. Ginny and Harry erupted into laughter at the whole exchange and how frightened Ron looked.
"See, Gin," Ron mumbled, Hermione still smothering him. "No hands." He waggled his fingers to showcase this, his arms out and far away from Hermione.
Ginny snorted. "It's fine," she said and gave him an amused smile. He slowly brought his arms in and gave a couple of tentative pats on Hermione's back. Shortly after, she pulled back and sat down in what Ginny had to note was a bit of a clumsy manner.
"I love you guys," she said, her voice still unsteady. "Promise you'll write?"
"Yes, Hermione," both boys agreed patiently, laughing at her behaviour.
"It's kind of hot in here," the brunette announced absently as she fanned herself with her hand and looked around.
Ginny, her brother and Harry all looked to one another wide-eyed before the youngest Weasley rose from her chair and held out her hand to Hermione.
"Come on," she said lightly as she gestured with her head towards the door.
"What," Hermione snapped as she flashed an offended look towards the redhead. "I can't express my emotions to my friends?"
"You can," Ginny responded lightly with a nod, "but you're swaying in your chair, and your face is beet red, so perhaps some air would do you good."
"Oh," Hermione replied with a blush that made her already red cheeks grow darker. "I do feel a bit lightheaded..."
"All right then," Ginny laughed as she held her hand out a bit further to Hermione in emphasis. "Come on."
The youngest Weasley put in a valiant effort to not laugh unabashedly at how she had to practically hold up Hermione on the walk out of the pub and into the street. She eventually steered them to some empty steps of a shop and sat them down, the brunette readily resting her head on Ginny's shoulder the moment they were seated.
Ginny turned her head slightly to eye the brunette and again tried not to snicker. Wouldn't this be a sight for all of Hogwarts to see?
"Ginny," Hermione said lazily, her head rolling a bit on the redhead's shoulder in the process, "can't you go to Beauxbatons? Hogwarts is so far away."
"Why? You actually want me to hang out with all those seductive girls?" Ginny chuckled.
"Well if you think you'll be so easily tempted-" Hermione replied sharply, cutting herself off as she sat up straight and gave Ginny what was probably meant to be a harsh stare. Unfortunately, the look was such that it did nothing but make Ginny grin at her girlfriend. Apparently the brunette didn't appreciate the gesture because she quickly shifted her position on the step so that her back was to Ginny.
"Oh come on," Ginny said while doing her best to keep the smile out of her voice, "you know that's not true."
"Still. Don't joke about things like that, Ginny, you know it bothers me," Hermione stated in a quiet voice.
Ginny bit back a sigh and instead apologized. "I'm sorry. I'm just letting you know that you have nothing to worry about, okay? And if anyone should be concerned it's me. I have to somehow keep you interested in me when you're going to be surrounded by a bunch of impressive Ministry women every day."
Hermione turned back around to face the redhead and studied her for a few seconds before speaking. "Well, I'm telling you that you have nothing to worry about."
Ginny smiled at her girlfriend and reached out to brush some hair out of Hermione's face.
"How are you feeling? Better?" She asked and smirked as the brunette blinked tiredly in thought.
"I'm okay," Hermione eventually answered.
"Right," Ginny laughed as she stood up, smiling affectionately at how Hermione's gaze turned hurt and confused in the process. The younger girl offered her hand yet again to the brunette and rolled her eyes when Hermione's upset dissipated instantly. "Let's go inside, settle the tab, get the boys, and then let's get you home, Love."
Harry and Ron had gone home about week ago, and Ginny was leaving tomorrow. She still had some time until she had to leave for Hogwarts, but her parents wanted her to come home a bit early since they hadn't seen her much this summer and wouldn't see her again until Christmas. She knew they were being quite reasonable and had been generous in allowing her to stay with Hermione here in Paris for as long as she had, but she still didn't want to leave.
"Sure you want to do this?" Ginny asked as she eyed Hermione a little warily.
Hermione gave a decisive nod. "Yes. Now or never," she said.
"Okay," Ginny replied with a gentle smile. "I promise I won't do anything stupid this time." Hermione flashed her a quick smile that was swiftly replaced by an uneasy look.
"Okay, you first," Ginny instructed as she held out the broom they had rented from a quidditch shop in town.
Earlier this afternoon, Hermione had surprised Ginny by suggesting that they go to a nearby field and fly for a while. Ginny was sceptical of the suggestion at first, wondering if Hermione had knocked her head in the middle of the night or not. Hermione had reasoned that this whole time they'd been doing things she'd wanted to do, like going to museums, galleries, cafés, or staying in. She said that she knew Ginny was just dying to get out on the pitch again and that if she were at the Burrow she could've been practicing for the upcoming quidditch season, but so far she hadn't had that opportunity. While Ginny enjoyed doing all of the listed activities with Hermione, she had to admit that she did miss flying.
Hermione exhaled softly as she put away her wand after performing a Disillusionment Charm on them - just in case. She climbed onto the broom, the first time since they last attempted this in the Astronomy Tower nearly a year ago.
Following Hermione, Ginny climbed on behind her, this time feeling no hesitation as she wrapped her arms around the brunette's waist to grip the broom handle. She kissed Hermione's shoulder, just as she had wanted to the first time they did this.
"Ready?" Ginny asked.
Hermione briefly readjusted her grip on the broom and gave another nod. "Yes."
"Why don't you kick off for us?" Ginny suggested.
"Oh, I don't really remember how...," Hermione responded.
Ginny leaned forward enough to be able to catch Hermione's eye and give her a look of suspicion.
"Can't you do it, please?" Hermione asked rather sharply.
Ginny pulled back with an amused smile on her face. "Just this time," she answered and sent them up into the air.
Though Ginny could clearly see that Hermione was far from comfortable, she did seem considerably less anxious than the time they went flying at Hogwarts.
"It's up to you now," Ginny instructed quietly as she slowly pulled her hands off of the handle to wrap around Hermione's waist, not wanting to move too fast for fear of alarming the older girl.
"Are you holding on?" Hermione asked unsteadily.
"Yes," Ginny replied, stifling a laugh.
A few heavy moments passed before the broom lifted a bit higher in the air and Ginny beamed with endearment. "You're doing great," she said.
Once they had reached the height that Hermione had determined was sufficient, which to Ginny wasn't overly high, they began to slowly move forward.
Ginny kept quiet as Hermione moved them along. After a period of very tame flying, Hermione started to fly with a bit more confidence. She moved them along a bit faster, still slow overall, but faster and with the speed slightly increasing.
Approaching a corner, Hermione slowed down and the decrease in speed was so significant that both girls lurched forward on the broom. The brunette let out a gasp and they went from slow to stopped altogether. It was so abrupt that Ginny had to put one hand on the broom to brace herself so as not to push Hermione off balance and potentially off of the broom with her own momentum.
"I'm sorry," Hermione breathed in worry. "Are you okay?" She turned her head to try to see Ginny.
"Yeah, I'm good. Are you okay?" Ginny asked with a light laugh, trying to urge Hermione not to berate herself over this.
"Yes. I'm sorry. I didn't mean to slow down so much," Hermione said in an embarrassed and remorseful voice.
"It's okay, honestly. No harm done," Ginny insisted. She leaned forward to kiss Hermione's turned cheek. "Let's try again."
"Um, you take over this time," Hermione said. Ginny was about to argue when she caught Hermione's pleading look.
"Okay, okay," Ginny conceded. "Hold on tight," she grinned.
Once she was sure that Hermione was holding on securely, laughing softly at how Hermione tried to push herself even closer than she already was, Ginny brought them up significantly higher in the air.
"Tell me if this is too much," Ginny said. She received a curt shake of the brunette's head in response. "All right then, here we go."
They shot forward, Ginny putting in a conscious effort to prevent herself from rocketing forward as abruptly as she normally would. Hermione squealed, but soon started laughing as Ginny started flying them in figure eight's and flew them closer to the heart of the city to look at the beautiful landscape beneath them.
"A little less dreary than London, hm?" Ginny commented, speaking loud enough to be heard over the wind rushing through their ears.
"It's so beautiful," Hermione said. Ginny could hear the smile in her voice.
The younger girl continued to fly them over the city, allowing Hermione to dictate where they should fly next. After a while, Ginny flew them back over to the field they started in and she casually circled high above it.
"Should we head back then?" She asked.
"Sure," Hermione replied, still sounding giddy.
"You're still holding on tight, right?" Ginny warned.
"Yes...what are you-"
Hermione's question was cut off as Ginny put them into a dive, ensuring that Hermione was pressed securely against her, and the consequent weightlessness of their dive did its part to reinforce this. The dive wasn't anywhere near as steep as the ones Ginny was used to, but she was sure it was more than intense for Hermione.
Nearing the ground, Ginny evened the broom out and gently landed. Hermione got off of the broom and turned sharply to glare at the redhead. Ginny didn't drop Hermione's gaze as she got off of the broom and awaited the older girl's reaction.
"Ginny!" Hermione yelled. She opened her mouth to speak again, her finger pointed at the younger girl, but she cut herself off, turning away before turning back. She opened her mouth again once more, but no words came out. Ginny stood, growing more uncertain and was likely giving Hermione a very puzzled look.
Suddenly, Hermione's extremely stern expression disappeared as the girl broke down into a fit of laughter.
"Ginny," she said more calmly between laughs. She tried to muster up a serious face, but couldn't and Ginny started to join in on the laughter, though she did vaguely think that Hermione had lost her mind. The brunette stepped forward and gave Ginny a small punch on the arm, making a face at her.
"Ow," Ginny laughed as she set the broom down and rubbed her arm. "Geez, use your words not your fists."
"That's what you get for doing that to me," Hermione retorted as she gestured into the air.
"Okay, fine, fine, I deserved that," Ginny resigned as she rubbed her arm more for effect now than anything.
"I'm sorry," Hermione said softly with an indulgent smile as she came forward and tenderly touched Ginny's arm before kissing her on the cheek.
"Yeah, I'll bet," Ginny remarked as she went to tickle Hermione's sides.
Hermione shrieked and tried to run away, but Ginny swiftly wrapped her arms around the laughing brunette. They playfully struggled for a while until Hermione spun around in Ginny's arms to face the redhead. She was still smiling, but suddenly turned serious. Ginny was about to question her when the brunette wrapped her arms around the back of Ginny's neck and kissed her deeply. The redhead was caught off guard, but in the most pleasant kind of way. She eagerly returned Hermione's kiss and pulled the smaller girl closer to her.
A short while later, Hermione pulled back, both of them breathing a bit heavily, their faces flush. "Want to go?" She asked.
As much as Ginny was enjoying their exchange, she agreed. She walked over to where she had dropped the broom and picked it up. She returned to Hermione who was holding her hand out. As they laced their fingers together, Ginny was pulled through what always felt to her like a slipstream, and they appeared in Hermione's living room.
Ginny was about to suggest that they go return the broom when Hermione reached over and plucked the broom out of her hands and briskly walked with it to the front entryway and set it against the wall. The redhead watched Hermione as she walked back at the same pace, the expression on her face one that Ginny hadn't quite seen before. She was going to say something when, again, she was cut off.
Hermione had continued at her brisk pace and only slowed down just as she reached Ginny, and even then, only barely. Ginny had to take a step back to steady herself as Hermione's lips crashed against her own as she felt the brunette's arms come around her waist to steady her, and pull her closer as well.
Regaining her senses, however remotely so, Ginny returned Hermione's kiss and reciprocated the embrace, pulling them upright. Soon Hermione separated her lips from Ginny's and Ginny leaned forward into nothing. She opened her eyes in surprise and disappointment and just caught a glimpse of Hermione tilting her head down to kiss her neck before she closed her eyes again, biting back a moan. Ginny was lost in the moment and just when she thought it couldn't get better, she felt Hermione sneak a hand up underneath her shirt to let her hand graze along the sensitive skin of Ginny's lower back. Ginny couldn't do much more than tighten her grip on the brunette. If she hadn't been so horribly distracted by the wonderful things Hermione was doing, she might have laughed in disbelief at how forward the girl was being.
Hermione pulled back momentarily - Ginny missing her instantly - but swiftly tilted her head in the other direction and began to pay as diligent attention to the other side of Ginny's neck as the first. Emboldened by Hermione's actions, Ginny moved her hands down the brunette's back to her waist and began to lift the bottom of her shirt to touch her skin in much the same way Hermione was doing to her.
A few moments after Ginny began caressing Hermione's back beneath her shirt, Hermione's hand gripped Ginny's shirt and began to tug upward at it.
"Do you mind?" Hermione breathed between planting kisses up and along Ginny's increasingly sensitive neck.
Ginny let out a shuddering breath, feeling she should be embarrassed over her lack of coherence, but couldn't be bothered. "Not at all."
In a swift movement, Hermione had lifted Ginny's shirt off of her body, leaving her remarkably exposed. Ginny felt cold and self-conscious for a moment, but those feelings were quickly driven away as Hermione dove back in to kiss the newly exposed skin.
"You are so beautiful," Hermione said, her voice thick with desire as she continued to kiss Ginny's skin.
Admittedly, Ginny was beginning to feel a bit weak in the knees, vaguely aware of how cliche it all was. Hermione must have noticed because she held onto Ginny tighter.
A short while later, Hermione began to toy with Ginny's jeans. Ginny just bit her lip in anticipation.
The brunette whispered, "Want to go to the bedroom?"
Hours later, Ginny lay awake in Hermione's bed, staring at the ceiling in quiet content, happily reflecting upon the recent events of this evening. It was true...Hermione Granger really was good at everything, said activities included.
Alarm rapidly unfolded in Ginny as she heard Hermione sniffle.
"What's wrong?" Ginny asked quickly, looking down at Hermione, whose head was currently resting on the redhead's shoulder, their bodies still entwined. Hermione hugged Ginny closer to her in response. "Oh no, are you okay?" Ginny asked, now in full blown panic, as she tried to sit up to examine the brunette. "Talk to me."
Hermione laughed, drawing an unimpressed look of annoyance from Ginny. The older girl reached up, revealing her teary eyes, and pulled Ginny back down to lay on the bed. Ginny reluctantly settled in, wrapping her arms around the brunette once more.
"Nothing's wrong," Hermione finally answered, her chuckle moving through Ginny as well. "I'm just happy."
"For Merlin's sake," Ginny grumbled before laughing good-naturedly. "You scared the magic right out of me. Don't make me panic like that."
Hermione giggled and kissed Ginny's shoulder. "It's not my fault if you're so easily flustered."
Ginny scoffed. "Yeah, I'm always on edge," she retorted dryly, though she gave the brunette an affectionate squeeze.
Hermione laughed and a moment later Ginny felt something wet on her shoulder.
"What-" Ginny looked down to see Hermione burying her head in her shoulder, eyes squinted shut and a tear sneaking out. "Merlin, what now!" Ginny asked in exasperation, caught somewhere between a laugh and concern.
Although she expected Hermione to be angry, justifiably so, she was surprised when Hermione laughed and hugged her closer.
"Silly girl, I'm going to miss you so much."
Ginny leaned her head down to kiss the top of Hermione's head. She pulled back, letting her head fall rather heavily upon the pillow and she exhaled audibly. She felt Hermione tilt her head up to look at her.
"It hurts already," Ginny said. "It feels like we just got together and now we're being separated. Don't get me wrong, I fully support you, I'm just going to miss you like crazy."
"I know exactly how you feel," Hermione responded. She sat up pulling some of the sheets with her and turned to face Ginny. "I already know for a fact that I can't really be away from you until Christmas. So," she trailed off as she shuffled over in bed and reached into the drawer of her bedside table.
A moment later she returned with something clutched in her hand, small enough for her to ball her hand into a fist to hide the contents. She stared down at her hand momentarily before lifting her gaze to meet Ginny's curious eyes. With slight hesitation she held her hand out, still closed.
"I got us these."
Slowly, Hermione opened her hand and in her palm lay two gold rings, each on a fine gold chain. Ginny's mouth dropped open and she was rendered completely speechless. She looked up to Hermione to see that the brunette's face was turning a pale pink, a bashful smile on her face.
"They're more than just rings," she stated. "And I got us the chains so we can wear them as necklaces instead. Might be a little less...obvious, that way. Here," Hermione said and held out one of the rings to Ginny. "Put the necklace on."
Ginny did as she was told, anticipation coursing through her body as she waited to see what Hermione had put together.
Hermione quickly got out of bed and retrieved her wand and returned to bed, staying a ways from Ginny and pulling up the sheets a bit once more to cover herself up. She set the ring down in front of her on the bed and pointed her wand at the ring. "Communicae Protea."
Ginny frowned as she felt a gentle heat begin to radiate from her chest. She looked down to see the ring, it appeared normal, but when Ginny reached up to examine it, it was warm to the touch.
"You can feel it, right?" Hermione asked.
"Yeah," Ginny said in mild wonder as she continued to inspect the ring.
"Okay, put it down on the bed and say the same incantation," her lover instructed.
Ginny did so, her eyes intently staring at the ring as she said the incantation. Suddenly, she was face to face with Hermione, the girl sitting exactly where the ring was a moment ago. What was even more odd was that Hermione was also sitting next to her still.
Ginny looked between the two Hermiones, and startled slightly when both suddenly laughed simultaneously.
"What the-"
"I got the idea from the two-way mirror that Sirius gave to Harry, and it's a bit of a variation on the Protean Charm as well," both Hermiones explained, the two voices coming at Ginny from different directions.
"Wow," Ginny breathed as she examined the two women before her. She reached out to touch the second Hermione and abruptly pulled her hand back when the moment she made contact, that part of Hermione disappeared in a smokey billow.
"It's just an image of me," Hermione explained. "Like a projection, really. I can't touch you either." To demonstrate, the brunette reached out, and the while the real Hermione's hand touched Ginny's shoulder, the projection's hand dissipated upon contact.
Ginny nodded as she examined the replica once more. The part that had dissipated moments before was now back in full clarity. Ginny looked up and realized that the background behind the image was the same as the background behind Hermione. She realized that it was projecting a real-time snapshot of Hermione and a portion of her surroundings.
"That's amazing," Ginny smiled. "What happens if you move around? Do you have to stay in one spot, or can the ring track where you are?"
"The ring tracks where we are. I mean, if I walk across the room, my image won't walk right across the room. The ring seems to have a range of a few feet before it starts to track."
"Brilliant," Ginny breathed. "Absolutely brilliant."
Hermione tapped the ring with her wand. Suddenly the second Hermione disappeared and all that remained was the ring.
"Do you like it?" Hermione asked, her voice tentative and her expression matched. "And um, you don't have to read into the rings...it just...was convenient, that's all."
Ginny threw herself at the brunette, hugging her tightly. "It's amazing, everything about it!" Ginny exclaimed. "Thank you so much. This is incredible." She pulled back and examined the ring again, still completely in awe about it. "Thank you," she said again and she kissed Hermione, the brunette looking relieved.
"Now we can talk whenever we want," Hermione explained. "We won't have to wait for owls, and we'd have to get special authority to get our floo networks connected. Now we can have a way of speaking with each other that's ours and ours alone. "
"You're incredible," Ginny smiled. "By the way, you look incredible too," Ginny complimented with a sly grin. Hermione was currently mostly covered up by the sheets, but she still looked tempting.
"Gin," Hermione chided as she readjusted the sheets slightly.
"Well, thank you very much for this," Ginny replied as she held up the ring. "I'll wear it all the time," she promised. "I'm going to miss you so much. All I'll be able to think about is you," her voice becoming rather glum.
"Aw, Gin, I'm going to miss you too," Hermione said as she hugged Ginny, remaining close. "And I doubt you'll be that distracted with me gone."
"Thinking about you and bunches of veela floating around every corner...," Ginny complained.
"Is my Ginny jealous?" Hermione teased as she began to kiss along Ginny's shoulder.
"Yes," the redhead replied in a tone. "Though, that's distracting me a bit from it."
"Mm," Hermione said as she moved to lay Ginny down. "Well, I guess I'll just have to double my efforts to get you to forget completely."
Ginny inhaled sharply as Hermione nipped at her neck. She teased, "I thought only after I had proven myself faithful at Hogwarts this year was I going to get this...'reward'."
Hermione continued to kiss down Ginny's neck, the brunette's hand running up Ginny's thigh.
"Oh fuck it," Hermione panted, "I couldn't wait."
Ginny mouth, already slightly agape from the things Hermione was doing , opened wider in surprised, having never, ever heard that kind of language come from the older girl. "Hermione! That mouth!"
Hermione smirked. "Yes. Let's see what else 'that mouth' can do, shall we?"
AN: Well, that's about as graphic as it's going to get, but again, I do apologize if I've offended anyone. So, the girls are wrapping up summer, and very soon Hermione will be all by her lonesome. Oh, and I have nothing against London, I'm sure it's not 'dreary' lol. Thank you to everyone for being patient with this story. As always, your patience and support is greatly appreciated :)