Chapter 67

Ginny POV

"Hermione's here!" Ginny heard her mum call from downstairs. Ginny's heart skipped a beat, then she sprang up from her bed, gave her room one last look over, and headed downstairs. She thundered down the stairs in her green Harpies racerback tank top and dark grey athletic shorts and found the brunette, looking as beautiful as ever in a flowing, light short sleeve top and jean shorts, standing in the doorway being fussed over by her mum.

"Oh, that's quite alright Mrs. Weasley. I believe Ginny would be more than willing to take my things up to her room, since this would be the third year in the row she's done it. She's so considerate," Hermione sweetly at Mrs. Weasley before focusing on Ginny, lifting her eyebrows ever so subtly at her.

"It's Molly, dear. And yes, it seems that my youngest is the only one who has been able to understand the manners I've been trying to teach all of my children for ages. Oh well, at least one of them caught on. And I'm sure she'll make some woman very happy some day with her thoughtfulness," Mrs. Weasley said, smiling at Ginny fondly.

"I'm sure she will," Hermione agreed innocently, giving Ginny a look that she sincerely hoped her mum had not seen.

Ginny looked down immediately as she could feel a blush forming on her cheeks and picked up Hermione's bags to take them upstairs. The light steps she heard behind her indicated that Hermione had followed her up the stairs.

Ginny bumped her bedroom door open with her hip, and placed Hermione's things on the end of her bed. It was the third year in a row that Ginny had given up her bed for Hermione, and she didn't mind one bit. No sooner had Hermione's bags hit her bed were Hermione's arms wrapped around her, her lips kissing Ginny's exposed shoulder and neck from behind. Ginny spun in Hermione's arms and kissed her hard, walking her back until she was pinned up against Ginny's bedroom door.

"I've missed you," Hermione managed to get out as Ginny started kissing down the brunette's neck, moving her sun-kissed curls out of the way as she did, "Ginny…"

Ginny stopped at the inflection in Hermione's voice and locked eyes with the girl. Suddenly, they heard a scratching at the door, followed by a clearly offended meow.

The two girls broke apart, smoothed their clothes and hair, and Ginny opened the door, allowing for Crookshanks to sprint in and jump up on the bench beneath the window. As Ginny looked from Crookshanks back to Hermione, she found the older girl staring at her.

"Erm, sorry about that. I just… I couldn't help it. Five weeks was too long Hermione…"

"39 days, to be exact… So, a little over five weeks," Hermione added.

"Well, there you go. That explains it. Five weeks would've probably been fine, but as soon as we went over that, I was gone…" Ginny grinned, playing with the end of her long, wavy ponytail.

Hermione smiled at her, and Ginny's heart melted.

"I am sorry though. I'll try to practice better self-control from now on. Just had to get it out of my system I guess," Ginny blushed a little, rubbing the back of her neck.

"Honestly Ginny, there's no need to apologize. I started it. But I do think we should have a conversation about it before anything else happens."

Ginny nodded, then thought about that a bit.

Hermione had dated Juliette for about six months, and Juliette was surely very experienced when it came to… Things… Had Hermione and Juliette…? What had they done? What had Hermione done already when Ginny had done nothing more than snog Demelza and accidentally touch her bare back?

"Girls! It's time for dinner!" Ginny heard her mum shout up the stairs.

Ginny snapped out of her thoughts and met Hermione's gaze. She was looking at Ginny concerned.

"Ginny…? Are you alright?"

"Yeah, of course, why wouldn't I be?" she said quickly.

"Ginny… We've talked about this… We need to work on our communication and be honest – "

"Oi, what's taking you two so long? I'm hungry!" Ron bellowed up the stairs from the kitchen.

"We'll talk after dinner, okay? I promise," Ginny said sincerely.

Hermione nodded, then followed Ginny down the stairs to the kitchen where everyone was already waiting for them. Ginny and Hermione sat across from each other, Ginny between Fred and George, who had come by a night early before Ginny's birthday, Hermione between Harry and Ron, with Mr. and Mrs. Weasley on opposite heads of the table.

"We're so happy to finally have you here Hermione, now the table is complete for the summer," Mrs. Weasley smiled affectionately at Hermione.

"Thank you Mrs. – I mean Molly. Thank you for having me. You know this is my home away from home," Hermione said, making Mrs. Weasley nearly tear up. Ginny smiled at this, loving how good the relationship was between Hermione and her mum.

"Touching, can we eat now?" Ron asked grumpily, eyeing his already loaded plate of food.

"Of course you can Ronald, for heaven's sake!" Mrs. Weasley said irritably.

Everyone dug in for a bit, enjoying the delicious meal that Mrs. Weasley had provided, before Hermione became the target of Mrs. Weasley's many, many questions.

"So, how's Juliette?" she asked the brunette. Ginny nearly choked on her Yorkshire pudding. She saved herself by taking a sip of water, but had still earned a glance from Fred, George, and Harry. Ron, of course, was too preoccupied with his mum's food to notice.

"Well, I'm not exactly sure. We broke up shortly after my birthday," Hermione explained calmly.

"Oh, that's too bad dear. No other potential suitors have come into your life since?"

"Sorry?"

"Mum, suitors are men, aren't they? I'm sure Hermione wouldn't want to have any men in her life," Fred suggested, his right elbow lightly bumping Ginny.

"Suitors can surely be women too, can't they?" Mrs. Weasley stated.

"I'm not so sure, Molly dear," Mr. Weasley added.

"Hmmm… Well, have any potential women come into your life then?"

Hermione was pretty red at this point with all of the talk of suitors and her personal life, "N – No… I've mostly been focusing on my studies. Honestly, that's all that I'm concerned with at the moment…"

"I see. Well, should we switch up the sleeping arrangements then? If neither you or Ginny are seeing anyone, I'm not so sure – "

"Mum!" Ginny interjected, now turning red herself.

"What? I'm not sure it's appropriate to have you two – "

"Molly dear, I'm sure they'll be just fine. They've been friends for years, they can sleep in the same room. You'll be just fine, won't you girls?" Mr. Weasley said kindly, smiling at the two girls.

"Of course we will Mr. Weasley," Hermione managed.

"Yes, we'll be perfectly fine sleeping in the same room, as we have for years. Even if we weren't just friends, it's not as if we don't have any self-control," Ginny added, staring down her mum. She could feel the twins smirking beside her and Harry giving her an appraising look, but she ignored them, refusing to give anything away.

Even though her mum was completely right to think it wasn't the wisest idea for the two of them to share a room, Ginny certainly wasn't going to admit to the entire table that she and Hermione had been together for over two months now. Parvati was right, there were perks to being a girl who fancied girls, and she was going to take advantage of that.

The dinner conversation drifted all over the place, from how Harry spent the first chunk of his summer holiday and his birthday, to the twins' new joke shop in Diagon Alley. Apparently, business was booming, to Mrs. Weasley's great disdain. Ginny looked across the table to Hermione when the twins told the fabricated story of where they got their start-up money from, and wondered how Hermione would handle the pressure of keeping two major secrets from her parents.

Once dinner was over, Hermione and Ginny worked together in the kitchen washing and drying the dishes while everyone else went outside to enjoy the warm August weather.

"Sorry about all of those questions from my mum, I had no idea she'd ask you about Juliette," Ginny said as she carefully began to put away dried plates.

"It's alright. It seems to come from a place of love and support, so I actually appreciate it. It'd certainly have been better if it hadn't been in front of the majority of your family and Harry, but still, I do appreciate her interest," Hermione said as she dried and handed another plate to Ginny.

"So, uh, speaking of Juliette…" Ginny said, trying to sound as nonchalant as possible.

"Yes?"

"What uh… What did you, uh…" Ginny couldn't quite find the words.

"Honestly, Ginny, whatever it is you can just say it," Hermione said, looking over at Ginny.

"What did the two of you do… You know… Beyond snogging?"

As soon as Ginny finished her sentence she dove to the floor, just barely catching one of her mum's favorite plates that Hermione had dropped.

"Ginny! What are you doing on the floor?" Mrs. Weasley asked as she entered through the back door, carrying a basket full of produce from the garden.

"Just practicing my Quidditch skills, I guess," Ginny replied, looking at Hermione who was avoiding her gaze.

"Ginny Weasley, don't even joke about that with my favorite plates. Up, up."

Ginny jumped up and placed the plate on the top of the stack on the shelf. Hermione still wasn't looking at her, and appeared to be very interested in the floor.

"Uh Mum, do you need us for anything else? Hermione and I were just about to head up to Stoatshead Hill so she could help me map out some constellations for Astronomy."

"Oh, that's wonderful that you're taking your studies so seriously Ginny! If only your brother did so as well. Go on, I'll have the boys help if I need anything else."

"Thanks Mum, we'll be back later," Ginny said as she grabbed a blanket and headed out the back door with Hermione quietly following behind her.

The walk was beautiful. Ginny loved this time of night when the sun was just beginning to set, casting a golden hue over the hills that rolled through the countryside surrounding the Burrow. The walk was quiet for the first half, until Ginny broke the silence.

"I'm sorry if what I asked you wasn't okay. I definitely didn't mean to offend you or ask you something that would hurt you. I just was thinking about it after you said we should have a conversation about all of this and realized that I have little to no experience in that realm…" Ginny said as she slowed down to walk beside Hermione.

Hermione looked at her for the first time since she dropped the plate, "And you think that I do have experience?"

"I mean… I'm sure that Juliette had plenty of experience, so I just thought… Well… I guess I assumed…"

"Yes, Ginny, you assumed," Hermione said, a bit stiffly, "Honestly, we didn't do much more than snog. There was some light… Touching… But nothing much more than that…"

Ginny was quiet as she processed what Hermione had said.

"Why was this something you needed to know?" Hermione asked.

Ginny ran her hand through her long, red hair, "I didn't need to know, it's more that I wanted to know. I just… I feel like Juliette has left some big shoes to fill, and I don't want to let you down or disappoint you…"

Hermione was quiet once again as they continued walking, and when Ginny looked over it was clear that Hermione was thinking. Suddenly, Hermione took Ginny's hand in hers.

"I want us to address this now so you don't have to worry about this again, okay?" Hermione said as they walked hand in hand.

Ginny nodded.

"My relationship with Juliette and the things that occurred within it have nothing to do with my relationship with you. You are two different people, therefore, the relationships are different. Whatever happens between us will be on our own schedule and our own schedule alone. I do not care what anyone else has done, is doing currently, or anything like that. Our relationship is our relationship, and that's it. I do not want you comparing yourself or our relationship to anyone or anything else, do you understand?"

Ginny looked over at Hermione, who was looking at her so seriously, but also so lovingly. Ginny nodded again, "Yes, I understand. Thank you."

Hermione smiled, "I love you, Ginny. As long as we continue to work on our communication and being honest with one another, we'll be just fine."

She pulled Ginny's hand up to her lips and kissed it softly.

"I love you too, Hermione. Thank you," Ginny replied as they continued on their way to Stoatshead Hill.

"So, do you actually want to look at constellations tonight?" Hermione asked, "Because there should be some visible if the sky stays this clear."

Ginny smiled, "Sure thing, Hermione."

They spent the rest of the walk talking about how their summers had gone so far, as if the numerous letters sent back and forth between the two hadn't kept them up to date the past five weeks. Hermione had gone camping with her parents in the Forest of Dean, while Ginny had spent the majority of her time taking care of the chickens, tending the produce patch and flower beds with her mum, training to get ready for the season, and flying with Ron. The Burrow had been different this summer, as now that the twins had moved out to live above their shop in Diagon Alley, it was just four Weasleys living under the roof of the Burrow. Harry had arrived shortly after his 16th birthday, which had livened things up a bit, but it was still odd.

Once they summited Stoatshead Hill, Ginny lay the blanket down on the soft grass and sat down, patting the spot beside her, inviting Hermione to join her, before they both lay down on their backs to look up at the night sky. The vast sky had darkened significantly since they started their walk, and the stars were starting to come out up above them.

"Do you see that cluster there, and how it connects through to the one beside it?" Hermione asked, pointing up at collection of stars, "That's Orion. For the Astronomy O.W.L. exam, we had to fill out star charts correctly mapping out the precise positions of the stars of constellations, and Orion was one of them. You'll want to start learning them to be ready for that."

Ginny exhaled deeply, suddenly feeling the weight and stress of her upcoming exams, "Do you think I'll do alright on my O.W.L.s?"

Ginny felt Hermione shift to look at her, "I think you'll do more than okay, Ginny. I'll help you prepare. It won't be easy, but your work ethic has already set you up better than most."

"Are you sure it won't be because I'm dating the brightest witch at Hogwarts?" Ginny asked, smiling lightly.

She felt Hermione scootch closer to her and nudge her playfully before she took her hand and intertwined their fingers together.

"I'm sure. You're smart enough on your own to do well, but I do enjoy teaching things to others and you've always been my best student, so I think you'll be set" Hermione said, her thumb gently rubbing across the back of Ginny's hand.

"I look forward to learning from you," Ginny said with a smirk.

They were close enough that Hermione could just see the smirk playing on Ginny's face through the darkness, "Ginny Weasley, that's not what I was talking about and you know it," she said somewhat scoldingly.

Ginny smiled broadly before rolling up onto her side so she was fully facing Hermione, "Whatever you want to teach me, Hermione, I promise I'll be the best student you'll ever have," she said before leaning down and capturing Hermione's lips in hers before the brunette could respond.

Ginny loved kissing Hermione, and now that they'd discussed the lack of expectation or pressure when it comes to the physical part of their relationship, Ginny felt free, and it appeared that Hermione did as well. They snogged for a bit in the position they were in, Ginny leaning down over Hermione while she lay on the blanket, before Hermione took control. Hermione rolled Ginny over onto her back, gently, yet decisively, and lay on top of Ginny, never letting their lips part. Ginny could feel Hermione's fingers struggling to move beneath the bottom of Ginny's top, so Ginny sat up, putting an arm securely behind Hermione to keep her from falling, still all the while maintaining contact with the older girl's lips. Hermione, now sitting in Ginny's lap, wrapped her legs around Ginny, firmly pulling the two girls closer, while her hands began to wander under Ginny's top across the lean muscles that rippled beneath Ginny's skin. Hermione moaned lightly into Ginny's mouth, and that finally broke the kiss, as Ginny couldn't help but smile after that.

"Sorry… Sorry…" Hermione breathed as she pulled away from Ginny slightly.

"Hermione, there is absolutely no need to apologize," Ginny said, smiling up at her, "I'm glad you appreciate my muscles."

Even in the darkness, Ginny could see that Hermione was blushing. She leaned forward and place a gentle kiss on Hermione's cheek, "Come on, it's getting late, we should probably head back. We'll surely do this again though, how else will I learn my constellations?"

Hermione shook her head at Ginny and smiled, before Ginny planted one last kiss on Hermione's lips. They then got up, Ginny folded the blanket, and they set back off for the Burrow, hand in hand.

Everyone was asleep when they arrived back at the Burrow, evening Crookshanks, who was thoroughly offended by their arrival in Ginny's room. They each got ready for bed, then settled into their respective beds, Hermione in Ginny's bed, and Ginny on the cot.

"Hermione?"

"Yes?"

"I'm really glad you're here."

"Me too. Did you happen to check the time before we came upstairs?"

"No, why?"

"Happy birthday, Ginny."

"Thanks, Hermione. I love you."

"I love you too, goodnight."

"G'night."

Ginny smiled to herself. She was finally 15, headed into her fifth year at Hogwarts, dating the best girl she could ever imagine dating – her life was pretty great. She glanced over at Hermione, who appeared to already be asleep with Crookshanks snoozing at her feet, before rolling over to fall asleep herself.