Author's Note: First let me thank everyone who had reviewed, alerted, or put this story on their favorites it means a lot to me and keeps me writing.
Enjoy!
Disclaimer: Do I really need to say that I don't own them? I'm just playing with someone else's toys and do return them in the same shape I have found them (well that may not always be the case).
Hermione was sitting at the table the next morning for breakfast when Ginny came up to her asking,
"Do you mind?"
Hermione looked up, Ginny had been trying to talk to her for a few days now. Hermione thought she might as well get this over with.
"No."
Ginny sat across from her before saying,
"I owe you an apology, a huge apology. I believed Ron when I….."
"Ginny, Ron is your brother that is how it should be."
"No, I spent a lot of time with you in your sixth year I knew you weren't sleeping with any professor yet I let Ron tell me you were. I didn't believe you when you caught him with anyone."
"I never said…"
"Harry, anyway I said some truly terrible things to you and about you and I'm so sorry that I did."
"Ginny I understood, Ron is family, it's important that you believe him…."
"That may be, but he was so wrong."
Ginny slid a photo across the table saying,
"I ran into Lavender about six months ago, she told me a story when I asked about her daughter."
Hermione looked down to see Lavender and a girl that looked to be about ten with red hair. She looked back up at Ginny.
"Yeah I was shocked too, I found out from her that Ron gave her money to leave….. no I didn't believe her until I confronted Ron. He finally spilled the whole story, but he pissed me off to no end trying to lay the blame everywhere but at his own feet."
Hermione looked between the photo and Ginny wondering what the woman across from her really wanted her to do with this information. None of it mattered anyway.
"What do you want Ginny?" Hermione finally asked.
"Just for you to know that I am sincerely sorry for what I said to you and about you, I said some truly awful things behind your back. Wished for some truly terrible things to happen, I didn't understand then like I do now."
Hermione knew that Ginny was trying to clear her conscience, and she may even be in earnest but she didn't know if she'd ever be able to forgive the red head girl.
"I have a question."
"Anything."
"You always thought I was a terrible person after I left Ron, why in the world did you agree to allowing me to be godmother to your children?"
Hermione watched as tears started to fall down Ginny's cheeks before she took a deep breath saying,
"I…. I was angry at you when….. about the intent you filed. I said something truly awful that I hoped would happen."
"What was that?" Hermione asked.
"I…. that you would….. never have kids."
Hermione gasped, Ginny had known that Hermione had wanted to have at least a child.
"I…. when I had James within a month of your last….. I felt so awful for saying that, I can't imagine the pain you went through losing a baby I know how I would have felt. I told Harry that I didn't care what they thought I wanted you…. That I would share ours with you. That I didn't care if you ever talked to me again, but I wanted our children to know you."
Hermione had no idea what to say, she reached across the table laying her hand on Ginny's. finally saying,
"I can't say things would ever be like before, but….. I do appreciate what you've said and done. Maybe the rest will just take time."
Ginny nodded at her not able to speak.
~~^~~SSHG~~^~~
Harry started to walk into the great hall when he stopped at seeing Ginny and Hermione across from one another.
"About time." He whispered.
"For what?" Severus asked as he had been watching them also.
"Ginny's carried a lot of guilt over what happen between them. Yes I know it was Ginny's fault, but it didn't stop her from having terrible guilt over the things she thought and said."
"I see."
"Come on, let's join them."
Harry sat down next to Ginny putting his arm around her shoulder, he looked at Hermione who nodded at him. Severus sat down next to her rubbing her back as he asked,
"Everything okay?"
"Yes, fine." Hermione said she'd tell him later about what was said. "Oh, Harry about what we talked about last night. Don't worry about it, I took care of it."
"Sure."
"Okay, now tell me how you got the black eye." Hermione said.
Severus sighed he had avoided the question the last three days but he thought that was at an end.
"I went to see Redding."
"What does that mean?" she asked suddenly tense.
"Just that."
"And how did he look when you left?" Hermione asked.
"Worse." Harry said.
She looked over at him then back to Severus.
"Do I want to know?"
"If you do I will tell you."
"No, I will." Harry said. "It seems Redding had an accident, broke a few ribs, oh and his nose and cheek bone. I don't think he'll even think about a sexual act ever again."
Hermione's head whipped around looking at Severus, he beat someone up for her. She smiled at him feeling him relax next to her before saying,
"Well I would think he needs to be more careful."
"Yes he should." Severus said as he started eating his breakfast.
Author's Note: Comments really do make me smile and brighten my day.
Also I wanted to let you know that I have a couple of Severus/Hermione videos on youtube, the link is in my profile.