Hermione, Harry, and the Weasleys seemed to just drift through the next few weeks. They attended countless funerals and ceremonies. There was a never-ending stream of requests for the "Golden Trio" to appear at various re-openings or memorial unveilings. It was exhausting and morbid, but they didn't know how to say no. It seemed the whole wizarding world was looking to them as a guiding light into the next era, an era of peace.
It wasn't all bad, though. She met so many people that were touchingly grateful for everything they'd done to end Voldemort's tyranny, especially muggleborns like her who were able to come out of hiding because the registration requirement had been lifted. And Ron had been so wonderful, a much more supportive and caring partner than she could have anticipated. It also didn't hurt that where Harry went, Ginny tended to follow.
The youngest Weasley had been such a comforting presence in her life since that first night. The whole Weasley family had decided to stay together for a while after the war, packing in tightly at the Burrow, so Ginny and Hermione continued to share a bedroom. Ginny had kept asking Hermione to share her bed night after night to the point that Ginny didn't even have to ask anymore. Sometimes Hermione was in the bed before Ginny even finished brushing her teeth. In bed next to Ginny felt like her safe space, the only space where she felt she truly relaxed.
One July morning, after things started to calm down a bit, Hermione woke in Ginny's bed once again. Ginny's arm rested across her middle. That happened sometimes. Ginny would reach for her in her sleep, and Hermione would let her, worrying too much about waking her to move her. That's what Hermione kept telling herself, anyway. Deep down, though, she knew something was different. Even now as she looked at Ginny's sleeping face, she had the urge to reach out and brush stray hairs off her forehead and back behind her ear, an urge that felt like more than just friendly affection. She swallowed down the lump that formed in her throat at the thought and shoved the feelings down like she normally did whenever they popped up.
Ginny stirred next to her, smiling as her eyes opened and found Hermione's. "Good morning," she said in her sleepy voice.
"Good morning," Hermione replied, returning Ginny's smile before rolling over to get out of bed.
Ginny groaned in protest. "Is it time to get up? Please tell me there isn't another parade with a giant balloon of Harry floating above it or something that we have to go to."
Hermione giggled, "No, there isn't. You can stay in bed if you want."
The other girl huffed before throwing the covers off herself. "If you're up, then I'm up. Hopefully, breakfast is ready."
"You and your brother," Hermione joked as she pulled her messy curls up into a ponytail and shoved her feet into some slippers.
A hand flew up to Ginny's chest as she shot an affronted look at Hermione, "How dare you? I have a healthy appetite. My brother is like one of those things in muggle sinks that makes too much noise and sucks down leftovers."
"It's called a garbage disposal," Hermione offered with an eyeroll and a smirk.
"Perfect. That's exactly how I would describe our dear Ronald," Ginny joked before they both walked out of the room and into the kitchen.
Harry, Ron, Mrs. Weasley, Bill, and Fleur were already in there. Mrs. Weasley and Fleur over at the stove and the boys seated around the table speaking animatedly about broomsticks or something. Ginny sat in the chair next to Harry and leaned in to kiss him on the cheek. The feelings Hermione had just shoved down threatening to boil back up with jealousy, but she distracted herself by going over to offer help to Fleur with the bacon.
Ron quickly got up from the table to join her, resting a hand on the small of her back. She raised her head to look up at him and accepted the quick kiss he offered. Her stomach twisted in response. This was getting harder. She honestly had no complaints about Ron as a boyfriend, which is a thought she would have laughed at even a year ago. He was much more mature since returning to camp after abandoning her and Harry in the middle of the woods. Not that Hermione was harboring a grudge or anything. Really though, he was less whiny, less confrontational, more considerate. It should be perfect. Except it wasn't. . .because as time went on, the more Hermione changed as well. The more she realized that the feelings she had for Ron were growing increasingly platonic. Try as she might to feel some kind of spark there, she just couldn't find it. She felt her attention drifting where it shouldn't, to another redhead, another Weasley. It couldn't happen though. She couldn't fall for her. Not for her best friend's girlfriend, her boyfriend's sister. No. Way.
