She put the now empty bottle down on the coffee table and handed her best friend a glass of the rather wonderful sauvignon blanc that she had been saving for a girlie night like this. Sighing, she leaned back into the sofa and pulled her feet up under her legs.
"I tried to tell him that this would happen, but you know what my husband is like"
"I don't know what he was thinking" Hermione muttered, taking a rather long sip, thankful that Ginny had pulled out the "big guns" as she liked to call the large wine glasses that she reserved for "emergencies" such as breakups with Ron- the reason they were purchased in the first place.
Ginny smiled at the memory
"I swear Ginny," she licked the spoon contemplatively, if I eat an entire tub of ice cream every time we break up I will get ridiculously fat. It's alright for you" she grinned, patting her swollen tummy "but we aren't both eating for two!"
"I guess he figured that this case needed the best" she took a sip, glancing at Hermione "you can't deny he is the best Hit Wizard"
Hermione snorted with derision.
"And you are the best researcher"
"Stating the obvious there Ginny" Hermione grinned, raising her glass in mock salute. She was getting tipsy as she drained its contents.
"And you know Harry has been working cases with him since he started at the Ministry" Ginny finished.
"Yea, why is that?" Hermione wondered, leaning forward awkwardly to place her glass on the coffee table. Wine always went straight to her head. It was lucky for her that her on-off relationship with Ron was now decidedly OFF because she had been in danger of turning into a raging alcoholic.
"No one else would work with him at the beginning" Ginny whispered. "It was hard for him you know. You are Ron were still travelling around Europe at the time and he had just come through the London-Trials, the press was all over him practically 24/7. Harry was the only one who trusted him, other than Kingsley, and truth be told Kingsley had privately worried if they didn't find a way to solve the situation, Draco might be vulnerable to the various vigilante groups that were springing up at the time". She sighed, remembering the way her husband would come home from work, genuinely worried about the ramifications for the Department and the Ministry as a whole.
Hermione felt a twinge of guilt when she heard this.
She knew Harry and Malfoy had partnered on numerous cases but she had always assumed it was at Kingsley's insistence rather than by Harry's design. It was true, she and Ron had spent the first two years after the war hopping from one hotel room to the next, from luxury apartments to run down guest houses, from city to city, lost in the whirlwind of it all. They would be fine for weeks on end, then have a massive row, not speak for days, and then make up and make love. It had been fun in the beginning, when everything was fresh and novel, but after spending a year on the run, the novelty of being away from home had worn off. The rows got more frequent, the length of time they spent not talking longer, and they would simply make up and not bother to make love.
Coming back to London had been Hermione's idea and in the end insistence then finally Ron took off again 6 months later after just as many fights.
She couldn't deny that she had been relieved when she came home one day and found his letter.
Ginny however had been fuming at the cowardly actions of her "prick of a brother".
"He comes here every other Sunday for dinner you know?" Ginny said turning in her seat.
"No, I didn't know that" Hermione whispered, her eyes wide and bright.
"Yep" Ginny confirmed "has done since way back then."
Now Hermione felt even more guilty.
She wasn't a slack friend, she was sure, but how could there be so much she just didn't know?
"I feel like a crap friend now" Hermione muttered quietly, not making eye contact with Ginny.
"Relax" she smiled "you have had your own shit going on, and you've had to deal with so much. We were all kids fighting an adults war- conscripted child soldiers is what we were. And on top of that…." she didn't finish the sentence.
Hermione's eyes glazed over.
Everyone well knew about Hermione's parents and that, as far as Ginny was concerned, was what made her brother's actions even more deplorable.
Ginny grabbed Hermione's hand and gave it a gentle squeeze.
"We can only do what we can, while we can" she whispered. "You have been here when it counted, when it mattered. We love you, James loves you, and you are anything but a crappy friend. You will find a way to sort this out with him, it just might not be overnight and that's ok" Ginny smiled at her, before turning her attention to clearing the empty bottle and glasses from the coffee table.
"Narcissa might not be ok with that" Hermione chuckled.
Ginny stopped what she was doing and turned to Hermione, the confusion evident on her face.
Hermione smirked at her best friend
"Malfoy hexed the shit out her Ming vase as I left the Manor this afternoon"