Written In The Body
Poetheather
A/N: Just fyi… working on chapter 25, so lots of story to go. I am loving how crazy this is getting.
Still not JKR.
Nineteen
After a few hours of rest Hermione had woken up, feeling a good bit more centered. Conversation was nice and light between the three and they eventually opened the compartment up so other people could visit them. Lots of people came and saw Ginny and Luna, people in most houses excited to see them back. The sight of Hermione sitting there kind of stunned a lot of them but most got over it fairly quick, though a few had to be helped from the compartment. When the train arrived at the station, Hermione kissed Ginny before she headed back to the Prefect's Carriage for her trunk and Perdita, making sure to help herd students, especially the younger ones out onto the platform. Her owl gave her a dirty look for leaving her alone in the compartment for the ride with only strangers for company. She was muttering apologies all the way out of the train.
Once she got her own things out of the carriage, putting her trunk with the others and Perdita with some of the other owls, she did another quick check of the train, making sure there were no stragglers inside. At the same time she knew Cameron was making sure there was no one lingering at the station or heading into Hogsmeade, fulfilling that part of their duty. She exited the train and left the platform in order to meet up with Ginny and Luna, who had been waiting for her, so she could catch the last cart to the school, since Cameron had gone on ahead.
It was a bit disconcerting being able to finally see the leathery skinned Thestral that was pulling the cart but Hermione was sure that there were now a number of students that were able to see the normally invisible creatures. She was sure that all those who had fought back in May could now see them, of that she had no doubt. There had been so much death and carnage in the last year that she was positive that the thestrals were etched in painfully sharp detail for most everyone. If they had gone far enough in school to have studied the creatures then they would even know why they could see them which might be even worse than being able to see the skeletal creatures. She closed her eyes and shook her head to clear it from that particular train of thought. If this was what she was thinking about when she had just gotten onto the carriage than maybe going back to the school was going to be harder than she thought.
Before the carriage moved on Luna moved in front of the carriage and began to pet the thestral, "Hello there again. You really did grow up to be big and strong. Thank you for waiting for us."
Ginny cocked her head and asked, "Wait, you know this thestral?"
"Oh yes. This is the thestral that Harry met with me. He is very sweet. I wish I had some meat to give him. I will have to give you some later. Thank you for this."
Luna climbed into the carriage and it took off moving away from the station. As they headed closer to the school up the road, Hermione lost track of the conversation going on between Luna and Ginny. They had been talking about something in the recent issue of the Quibbler and it was easy to tune something like that out. Things that seemed unlikely to exist or stories that could not have any shred of truth to them just couldn't seem to hold her interest, so naturally her thoughts drifted back to May, to the terror and pain and grief that filled them. Seeing familiar spots she remembered other events such as when Katie Bell had been hurt by that cursed necklace, or the presence of Dementors, or even the sight of Death Eaters wandering around on what should have been safe ground. So many little moments played through her mind, reminding her of all the little horrors she had faced since she had been here. She swallowed heavily, her stomach churning as her memories grew more complete, as she was beginning to recall things in greater sensory detail.
Coming round a bend and to the gap in the trees, she was finally able to see the castle itself, all lit up, shining brightly, like a beacon of hope yet all she could think of was the way the air glowed as the protective wards rippled under the onslaught of the Death Eaters. She could remember the sight of the impacts, the way the wards fell with terrible finality. She could still see in her mind the gaps rent in the stone walls, the terrible destruction everywhere tossing rubble about like confetti, the heavy pall of smoke that cut sight and sat heavy in the lungs, the unforgettable smell of destroyed and burnt stone, and the sounds, the terrible din of the spells, of the devastation, of the wounded and dying crying out. The closer they grew to the imposing edifice of the greatest wizarding school Europe if not the world, the sharper the minutiae became, remembering some of the faces of those lost, the events that were etched forever in excruciating detail, getting so sharp that they could cut you until you bled. The voices of Ginny and Luna were distant and almost tinny as she was lost to the past, eyes only seeing the events of May playing over and over in her mind.
The touch on her leg was gentle, little more than a brush but she still started, moving away as her hand snapped her wand out in an instant, pointed straight at Ginny. Her eyes were wide and she was panting as she realized that she was afraid and far, far too ready to fight, her heart racing. The redhead was a bit shocked at the action but her features softened as she smiled comfortingly at her girlfriend, "Hermione it's okay, we're here. No need to hex me now is there?"
After a few tense moments, as Hermione's eyes darted about, scanning the area, and seeing more of the past, she closed her eyes and exhaled, lowering her arm, already starting to tremble as the surge of adrenalin began to fade. She groaned as she rubbed her sore head, as it was pounding with a growing headache. Oh Merlin, she had drawn her wand on Ginny. What was going on with her? Why would she do that? She was supposed to be in control of herself, a Head Girl, and this didn't look anything like control. She was losing it and it felt like there was nothing she could really do to stop it and that scared her. Could she really do this? Go back to the school? Walk over the spot where Voldemort died? Past the place where Harry had lain when they had all thought he had been dead and all hope had gone? Past where so many people she had known had died, day in and day out? Where their bodies had lain, both where they had fallen and where they had been placed in the Great Hall? Could she really do this? "I… uh…"
Ginny took the wand from her before Hermione dropped it and put it back where Hermione usually kept it, so it would be where her girlfriend would have easy access to it. Without turning away from her curly haired girl, Ginny said, "Luna, why don't you go on ahead. We'll be right there after we make a quick stop."
"Okay. I'll see you soon." Luna took one more look at the two of them, compassion heavy in her eyes, and then she skipped off towards the main doors, giving lie to Hermione's dark thoughts.
"Come on 'mione, let's go see Madame Pomfrey. Something is clearly wrong and we need to get you looked at before we head to the Great Hall. We'll skip that if we have to, because I'm worried about you. This isn't normal for you. Have you been taking your potions like you are supposed to?" They moved slowly, Ginny's arm around her shoulder helping to support her and keep her steady as they moved into the castle.
"I… I have been trying to get stronger. I need to be stronger if I am going to be the best Head Girl possible. So I have been trying to do this on my own the last few days." Her voice was shaky and she had her face turned towards her girlfriend, her forehead against Ginny's shoulder. She did not want to look at those spots on the ground where she knew who had passed away there, whose blood the stone and earth had drunk. Just knowing that they were there, amongst those spots made her left arm itch and ache, and she so wanted to scratch, to try and scratch away that permanent reminder of that horror. She swallowed hard and scrunched her eyes closed.
"Hermione, listen to me. You need to stop thinking that way. It isn't right and that kind of thinking is going to wind up hurting you. You are one of the strongest people I have ever met. Just because you are having this particular moment where your illness has overcome you, does not mean you are weak. It just means that you are human. It happens to all sick people. You should have stayed on your potions like the healer said for you to do. There is a good reason that they were prescribed after all. He knows what he is doing, right? What would you have told Harry if he had done this?" It was clear that Ginny knew that logic and reason was a far more effective tool to use when dealing with her as opposed to simply berating her.
"I would have called him a stupid git and pointed out the same things you just did." mumbled Hermione, growing embarrassed over what she had done. Now that Ginny had held it up to her face so she could see it she only felt like a fool. She had tried to do something, to be brave and strong and yet in the end the whole thing only made her look weak and like a failure. How was that fair?
They passed into the building and away from where the rest of the traffic had gone moving towards the hospital wing, Ginny clearly leading. It took them a little bit as Hermione's feet felt a bit like lead as she walked. She just felt drained, like someone had poured her out and left this hollowness behind that filled with each memory of pain as it passed through her making each step through the former battlefield a misery. Once they reached the doors, Ginny opened them and led Hermione inside, moving with a purpose towards the healer who was just outside of her office. Madam Pomfrey looked up in surprise at their presence, clearly not expecting students at this point in the year now that Harry was gone. "Miss Weasley? Miss Granger? What's wrong?"
Ginny shook her head and rolled her eyes a little. "Hermione here was trying to be a big strong Head Girl and had not taken her potions for several days apparently. I noticed that she was having a little trouble on the train but she said she was just tired, playing it off as if it were nothing. Then as we were on the carriage ride up she seemed to have a lot more trouble, sort of closing off and turning inwards. I think it was one of her flashbacks or something like that. When I touched her leg, to let her know we were here, she pulled her wand on me and looked frightened."
Madam Pomfrey clucked her tongue once disapprovingly, glancing at the girl. "Miss Granger, I thought better of you, especially after all the speeches you have heard me give Mister Potter. You know the importance of medication in the treatment of various injuries. Do you remember what Senior Healer Bainsley told you about this particular course of treatment?"
"That it would take a while, to deal with the injured nerves and the mental trauma due to the nature of the curse and the torture and because of that, I should keep taking my potions for at least six months from the start of treatment to ensure I am properly healed." repeated Hermione, understanding the chiding she was getting. She should have known better than to argue with a healer, and a Senior Healer at that, but she had been feeling better; didn't that mean she didn't need the potions anymore? Most of this was just in her mind right? She knew she was strong enough to beat this, she just knew it. So why did this happen? How did any of this make any sense?
"You are having these issues because your nerves are severely overtaxed and need to heal. Their damage is what's keeping you from fully moving past the trauma. That is what your file says and I am inclined to believe him. Hopefully you have not set yourself back with this. Well, take a seat." As Hermione complied, Madam Pomfrey bustled off and went to a locked cabinet, unlocking it with a brief gesture of her wand. She then began looking in it for something.
Ginny sat down next to Hermione and hugged her across her shoulders, leaning in and laying a kiss on her temple, clearly not caring that Madam Pomfrey was heading back towards them and thus able to see what she was doing quite clearly. Before Hermione could say anything in protest or Madam Pomfrey could, Ginny came out with, "Madam Pomfrey, I don't know if she would tell you this or not but Hermione still has nightmares because of this. Apparently one of the only things that help her through these is sharing a bed with me. At least, that's what she told her mother a few weeks ago which got passed on to me when she had another issue. I figure tonight with all of this it's going to be a bad one for her, so would it be okay with you if I stay with her tonight, to help her sleep and get her anything she might need. If I can get a note saying it is okay to stay with her as needed that might help as well."
Hermione turned her head and looked at Ginny in surprise. This was a completely unexpected development. She had not even remotely considered that Ginny might ask something like this from the Healer. She had not even known it was possible to ask her something like that. It was true that she was planning to ask Ginny to stay the night as her thinking began to clear, but to ask Madam Pomfrey? The idea alone just froze in her head and refused to go any farther.
Madam Pomfrey just smiled at the redhead indulgently and shook her head, quite amused with the turn of the conversation as she handed Hermione a potion. As Hermione drank it down and making a face, she said, "I take it from the closeness you both are showing that the two of you are a couple now?"
"Yes. That happened a few weeks ago." admitted Ginny, obviously not hiding anything from her. "But that is not the reason for this request."
Hermione was not sure how to respond. Her mind was still seized due to the topic. This conversation between the two seemed so relaxed and casual that it didn't seem real to her. Was Ginny really talking about getting together with her so nonchalantly with the nurse? Was this a thing that was really happening or was she dreaming? Were witches actually this casual about same sex relationships or was it just Madam Pomfrey? Her thoughts kept spinning, gaining no purchase.
"And you would not be doing anything untoward? She will need her sleep." The Healer's gaze was much sterner at this point and extremely directed.
"Madam Pomfrey, Hermione is going to sleep rather poorly tonight. I know that she doesn't sleep well after high stress incidents or reminders of the past. Given all of this, I just want to be there tonight to hold her and calm her down when she wakes up, to tell her it is going to be alright and make her take what potions she needs. Isn't that a better and safer plan than having her have to use a Dreamless Sleep potion? I remember you telling me that they were not overly helpful in cases like this one." replied Ginny, not giving an inch, and clearly speaking with the voice of experience.
"You are correct. Based on all of that, I have no problems with it. If having her share your bed helps you in coping with your nightmares and these issues, Miss Granger than I am provisionally alright with it at this point. I would hesitate to have Miss Weasley completely move in with you unless you speak to the Headmistress and the Head of your House first to make sure that is okay. That is a bit more serious a step. Now, I will want to check on you in the morning before breakfast, at least for the short term, but it should be a brief check only. And do not neglect those potions any more or you could seriously set back your healing. If I have to treat you like an errant First Year or even Mister Potter to ensure that you get better, do not doubt that I will do so." lectured Madam Pomfrey.
"Yes Madam Pomfrey. I give you my word that I will do my best to not be stupid anymore. Besides, I am sure that Ginny will now be hounding me about it all the time, ensuring I never forget." Hermione answered, cutting her eyes over to Ginny with a slight smile on her face to show the girl that she was okay with that notion. The potion was already making her feel a bit better and lightening her mood from where it had fallen. It was also taking care of the dull ache she had been feeling for the last few days, as if her muscles had been overly sore, as if pain had been her constant companion. That more than anything else told her what a fool she had been.
After a quick and subtle Cheering Charm, she sent the two girls on their way, along with their note. They headed towards the Great Hall, hand in hand, with Hermione feeling somewhat embarrassed over the whole situation. Ginny noticed her red cheeks and said comfortingly, "Hermione, it's okay. You tried something to show that you were doing better and it didn't work out like you had planned. That happens."
"That doesn't make me any less embarrassed by it. I thought I was going to be fine and this whole thing blew up in my face. Oh, and what are we going to do about us Ginny? Are we going to be upfront and just let everyone know or what?" Hermione was a bit worried about everything to be honest, as they had not been able to talk about that before arriving here since she had slept for a portion of the trip. Now here they were, at Hogwarts and needing to deal with this issue immediately if not sooner.
"Can we not do anything about it right now and discuss it in your room after dinner? I figure we can manage to not do anything overly obvious for one meal and then figure this out afterwards."
"Sure Gin. We can do that." Hermione was still under the effects of the Cheering Charms and so was quite amenable to most anything. She smiled at Ginny and swung their joined hands as they walked.
The two of them entered the Great Hall, heading for the nearest part of the Gryffindor table catching only the last of the Sorting Hat's song. This allowed them to take their seats without being noticed by everyone except those at the head table. There were a couple of new faces up there at the table, which was to be expected but it was still a strange sight. The loss of some of the old teachers was a sad thing but the potions and the Cheering Charm were keeping her grief over that at bay. It made this whole thing a lot easier to endure.
Ginny clearly had still been paying attention to her as she reached across the table towards her and Hermione noted this and took the proffered hand. Ginny squeezed her hand tightly, trying to give her girlfriend the comfort of a hug through her hand alone. She whispered intently, "It'll be alright."
Hermione smiled softly, trusting in the redhead implicitly. She still felt embarrassed by her weakness but Madam Pomfrey and Ginny were both right. She was still recovering from spell damage and the psychological trauma of both the torture she had endured and then going into a major battle before she had fully healed where she had pushed her magic more than she ever had. When she thought about everything logically there was little surprise that she broke down upon her return to the castle, especially when she had done something as incredibly foolish like not take her potions like she was supposed to. Sometimes she was an idiot. Being lost to her thoughts, she applauded automatically as new first years were announced for the House not even hearing the names.
With a glance at her left arm she muttered a curse towards Bellatrix, damning the woman who still continued to haunt her daily practically four months after her death. This sliding back when she had felt like she had been getting better made her feel like she wasn't strong, like she wouldn't be able to live her life her own way, on her own terms, like she would be trapped by that woman forever. It made her feel helpless and weak, exactly like she had felt on that cold marble floor where her only hope was that the lies she was quickly spinning would be believed. She gripped her forearm, swallowed deeply, and shook her head, clearing her thoughts from this path. This was not what she needed to be thinking of on her first night back and certainly not at the Welcoming Feast. There were many, many pleasanter things to consider, such as all those who had survived such a horrific battle, that the school itself had survived, that she was still here when there were so many times when that could have been otherwise, that Ginny was still here, that Ginny was with her. She had to admit that the last ones made her smile.
Her eyes looked up towards a worried Ginny. She gave her girlfriend a loving smile, trying to reassure her that she was feeling better. Hermione hoped that it would ensure the redhead that she was doing well enough to get them through the meal. The last thing she wanted at this point was to be dragged back to the hospital wing thanks to an overly cautious girlfriend. It was sweet but also a touch annoying. Honestly, she was allowed to be a touch introspective.
Headmistress McGonnagall stepped up to the lectern in front of the head table and looked out over all the students. She smiled at them and then said genially, "Welcome all of you to a new year at Hogwarts. This last year has been rather trying for us all and has seen some great upheavals in our society and at this school. I do hope that with this new school year we can all return to a sense of normalcy and calm after all that pain. To that end, the Heads of your House will inform you of the various changes that have been made to the rules here at our school and we will expect you all to behave appropriately. We need to pull together right now as a school and as a society so that we can get past the dark times we have faced and move on into a new and better future. Now, as a reminder to you all, the Forbidden Forest is as the name implies, forbidden. As you can tell we have two new members of the staff joining us this year and there are plans for a third but they have not arrived yet. The first is Professor Edward Thatcher who will be teaching Muggle Studies and the other is Professor Octavia Cottington who will be teaching Defense Against the Dark Arts and will also be the new Head of House for Gryffindor. Please give them both a warm welcome."
After the applause died down she continued, "Now all other truly important messages about the changes and such shall be passed to you by your Head of House later so for now, Welcome back to school and please, enjoy your feast."
With that the food appeared on the tables and people began eating and talking. That was a lot easier to deal with than any of the other stressful events that day as it was so very normal and familiar. Hermione and Ginny just relaxed and enjoyed the excellent meal that the house elves had prepared, making sure to grab the food they wanted and trying not to overeat. Occasionally they were dragged into the conversations of those next to them but not often, as they were sitting next to a group of Fourth Years that neither were very familiar with. Soon the meal was finished, desert and everything, and the first years were ushered out by the Prefects. Hermione looked over at Ginny as she rose and said, "I need to talk to Headmistress McGonnagall really quick, just to check in. It's a Head Girl thing. I'll meet you in the common room in a little bit?"
"Sure. See you there." They squeezed hands and Ginny left.
Hermione headed towards the head table and saw that Cameron was headed that way as well from the Slytherin table. She nodded towards him and they both came to a stop in front of the Headmistress who was smiling at the two of them. Headmistress McGonnagall seemed to look far better than she had the last time she saw her right after the battle. "Ah good, Mr. Boyle, Miss Granger. Now, have you both gone over your duties as outlined in your letters?"
"Yes ma'am."
"Yes Headmistress."
"Very good. I expect the both of you to work together to try and help this school heal after the damage from last year. I do not want to see members of both your houses fighting in the hallways. You need to strive to keep the peace here as we do not want any innocent students to pay for things that were not their fault. Do you both think you are up for the task?"
At their affirmatives she continued, "Good. Be mindful of that when doling out point deductions and the like. I want discipline but not divisiveness. If I discover that your deductions are skewed you might have that privilege revoked. We will speak more on this over the weekend. I do hope that will be good for the both of you?"
Again they nodded. "Very well. Have a good night and enjoy your classes in the morning."
Hermione was glad to be headed towards the Gryffindor tower after saying goodbye to Cameron, heading towards Ginny where she so wanted to be. This year could all be good, be better than anything she had before if she was able to juggle classes, her work as Head Girl and her need to be with Ginny. There was no real threat from anything or one hanging over their heads and that should make all the difference. She was looking forward to such a novelty. That difference would make everything perfect. If she could just manage everything in her life and keep from being an idiot like she had been the last few days and setting her healing back then she should be good.
She smiled as she made her way upstairs towards the painting of the Fat Lady, she was fairly certain that she could make this happen. Since she now knew that Ginny was going to insist that she take her potions and Madam Pomfrey was going to check on her, at least for a little while, that should keep her from having a repeat of today's fun. The fact that she also knew she was going to have a nightmare tonight soured things a good bit but at least she was happily aware that Ginny was going to be there to hold her and keep her safe. In her opinion that was the best possible treatment she could imagine for her nightmares. She was also aware that her mother was going to chide her for being an idiot over this incident and for the mistake of thinking that she could just neglect her potions. She knew she had to tell her, as she had promised that she would keep her appraised on her health, but it was so embarrassing. She had thought she had been doing the right thing and was being smart when clearly she was actually being thick.
She reached the painting and smiled at the woman in the toga. She looked just like she had remembered her. It was funny just how much she had missed a painting but she really had. This painting was a vital part of her memories of Hogwarts. "Good evening."
"Good evening. How was your summer?" asked the Fat Lady, pleased to see her.
"Not that bad. It's good to see you again. We will have to catch up later. Oh, and before I forget… Petridophyta." Hermione gave the password and stepped into the noise of the common room. The room was filled with a lot of familiar faces that she was pleased to see as well as a number of new ones, as she had no idea who any of the first and second years were. That was something she would have to correct in the near future but she had other priorities at the moment. She smiled politely at them and waved at a few others, heading towards the stairs to the girl's dorms. She simply wanted to go up to her room, maybe have a soak in her tub and cuddle with Ginny. That might make everything so much better. She figured that she might be up there as there was no sign of the distinctive red hair anywhere in the common room. "Miss Granger, a moment please?"
Hermione turned and looked over at Professor Cottington, who was making her way over to her. She didn't let it show but she was kind of irritated with having to stop. Seeing Ginny was far more important than this. "Yes Professor?"
It was clear up close that the woman was in tremendous physical shape and moved in a manner that suggested controlled violence to Hermione. Even with the way that her hair was up in a braid and how her clothes clung to her it was clear that there had to be a good bit of martial arts training involved to gain that degree of bodily control and that was not something often seen in the wizarding world. Wizards were often a bit lazy, except for the athletes and to see someone this fit was an oddity. "Since we are doubtless going to be working closely together, and I have heard some wonderful things about you from other members of the staff, I was wondering if we could have tea tomorrow to discuss matters relating to this House and what we can do to keep its stellar reputation going strong. Your input would be valuable."
"That would be fine Professor. I look forward to it. Just let me know what time you want to meet me and I will come see you." Hermione smiled at the older woman, having no problem with agreeing to this request. It made sense as she thought about it and she had no issues at all with helping a new Head of House do what she could to keep the traditions of Gryffindor alive.
"I also spoke with Miss Weasley, briefly, as she came to me after dinner and I have no issues with her giving you what assistance she might be able to provide. If Poppy Pomfrey is convinced than so am I. I have been there myself and I know that if it is what you need to heal then it is something you should do it. Healing is always important. Good evening." Professor Cottington nodded her head and walked away.
Hermione watched the woman walk off for a moment and then shrugged, unsure of what to make of her yet. That the woman said she knew what she had gone through and seemed to be understanding of what Ginny had proposed surprised her, especially the assertion that Professor Cottington had been there. That was an interesting fact. She sighed, too much thinking for what she had gone through today. Tea would help. Right now she just wanted to get upstairs and start unpacking, doing whatever she could to relax. That was much more pressing than being concerned over a new teacher and Head of House.
As she walked up the stairs and away from the noise to where the door to the Head Girl room was, she saw Ginny sitting there on the steps, reading something in the dim light, seemingly quite content to be waiting. The redhead looked up at her approach and smiled brightly, "Hey there 'mione."
"Hey Gin. Let me get inside so I can unpack and we can relax before bed. It's too noisy downstairs."
The doorway had a carved stone lion holding a crest of the Gryffindor coat of arms with one paw. It did look very interesting to Hermione, but that wasn't her main concern at the moment. Right now she had to set things up so that she could get inside. She pulled out her wand, recalling the directions she had read in her Head Girl letter and once they were set in her mind, tapped the lion's nose, eye and right ear. Once she did, she leaned down and whispered her chosen password to the door. After that was accomplished, the door swung open and allowed her and Ginny inside.
The room was a good bit larger than she had expected. It was close in size to the room she had shared with Lavender, Parvarti, Fay, and Sophie than her own room at home but it was so much nicer. The bed itself was larger and seemingly of better quality than the ones she had slept in before, with the mattress looking a touch larger and more comfortable. Due to that there was even a tiny set of stairs next to the bed which made her smirk. There was a good sized desk with a built in bookshelf against one wall that looked quite inviting as the chair had a cushion on the seat. There was easily room enough for her trunk plus there was a good sized wardrobe for her clothes, which made her instantly think of Narnia. There was a tapestry on the wall that depicted a nice garden scene with a lion and a unicorn on it as well as several faeries flitting about. The window was a good bit bigger than the windows had been in the room she had shared and there was even a nice throw rug covering parts of the wood floor. By the window there was also a small table and several comfortable chairs where she could sit and chat with someone. It was the nicest room in the girl's wing by far and it was all hers. Both girls took this in and gushed, "Wow."
Through the door they discovered the bathroom, which had a good sized tub plus shower and was similar in quality to the Prefects bath. This made Hermione smile broadly. She had been fond of that bath as it had a number of wonderful features that she had taken advantage of as often as she could but it would be nice not having to walk the distance to the far nicer baths to be able to use them. This was excellent luxury and would help her deal with the stress of her position. Ginny nudged her and said, "Do you see what I mean when I said the rooms would be worth it? Aren't you glad you said yes?"
Hermione was still feeling a bit of awe when she replied, "You were not wrong. This is fabulous."
"Come on. Let's get your stuff put away, get us some hot chocolate and relax. Unless you want some tea or something else. I just figured that the chocolate might do you good. I figured if it was good enough for Professor Lupin it would be good for us. You've had a hard day and need to call it a night."
"But I wanted to get some reading done." protested Hermione, whining slightly.
"No. Not going to happen. I do not want Madam Pomfrey after me because of you. I like being able to stay with you and I am not going to jeopardize it just because you have this weird thing for reading. Now let's do this and you need to promise to be a good girl for me, okay?" Ginny gave her puppy dog eyes to try and weaken Hermione's resolve.
Hermione groaned and then slumped some in defeat. It was so unfair when Ginny did that. She was still trying to find a way to combat against the puppy dog eyes. They should be listed as an Unforgivable in her opinion. "Fine. We can do that."
"Alright. Now you get started and I'll be right back with my night clothes and stuff for tomorrow. Oh, what's the password?" asked Ginny looking excited.
Hermione grinned, knowing that this would amuse her girlfriend. It certainly amused her when she had thought of it. "Well I wanted something that I know that no one else would ever guess that I would use ever, not in a million years."
"Yeah?" Ginny sounded intrigued by the notion. "So what did you use?"
Hermione grinned at her, knowing that she would absolutely have to wait to see this reaction, "Nargles."
Ginny started chortling which turned into full throated laughter as she made her way out the door and down the stairs. Hermione grinned, feeling warmth build within her. She really was happy.