Je t'adore

Hermione sighed as her tired eyes scanned the common room. She was looking for that burst of red hair that popped up so often. A shot of pain seared across her brain, throwing everything else apart from it out of consideration. There was a louder hub-bub of conversation than usual, and it was giving her a raging headache. A contingent of top German students had arrived yesterday, and they were being honoured with a ball. Hermione could not see why a load of perplexed, sexually frustrated boys stepping on random girls toes in time with bad music was a good thing, but the whole school was really getting into the spirit. In her opinion it was being blown out of all proportion. No ball was going to ever measure up to the Triwizard dance, but no one seemed to realise that. The 6^th year Ravenclaws were convinced that the Great Hall was going to be converted into a huge ice palace and the 5^th year Hufflepuffs were telling all who would listen to them that Dumbledore was ordering chocolate sculptures standing 20 feet high from Honeydukes. The Gryffindors were just as bad, so far as Hermione could tell. Their ideas were something along the lines of swimming pools full of butterbeer, with ice cream piled on floats drifting around in the liquid. She rolled her eyes, and started to settle back into her Arithmancy essay. A loud jabbering interrupted her thoughts. A group of Germans were in the corner and it looked like an argument had broken out between a tall blond boy, and a short dark-haired girl. The blond was almost going purple with anger, shouting at the top of his voice. For some reason the girl seemed unaffected by his verbal assault, answering calmly during breaks in the abuse.

Hermione stormed over and confronted the guy.

"What on earth do you think you are doing?"

He ignored her, and continued in a higher pitch. His accent was starting to grate on Hermione's nerves.

"Excuse me? EXCUSE ME? Hello?"

Ignored again, Hermione lost her temper.

"SHUT UP - FOR GOD'S SAKE SHUT UP."

Silence. The whole room was staring at her, amazed that their normally demure prefect had snapped. She could feel a blush rising, scalding red as it climbed up from her neck.

"You two, outside now."

She ushered them out into the draughty corridor.

"What on earth were you shouting about? I'd appreciate a bit of peace and quiet, especially when I'm trying to get some work done."

"I'm so very, very sorry. My friend here gets a little excited sometimes," replied the girl.

There was a sarcastic tone in her voice that Hermione didn't like. She glared at her, desperately trying to find way to bring her down a notch or two. Noisy first years she could deal with, but the bored malevolence smouldering in the girl's eyes scared her a little.

"Yes, sorry."

The boy seemed to find his voice, now much subdued.

"It was my fault. I started it."

"What are your names?" stammered Hermione, dragging herself away from the unspoken challenge set only a few minutes ago.

"I'm Johann, and she's Siria."

"Sorry to interrupt this delightful interlude, but who the hell, may I ask, are you, and when did you have the right to reprimand us?"

The brunette drew herself up to her full height, but as she only reached Hermione's chin, she didn't look so intimidating, as long as the Gryffindor didn't look her in the eye.

"I'm Hermione Granger, and I'm a prefect. I could give you two detentions for shouting, and disrupting the common room. Are you staying in the tower?"

"No, but I enjoy taking walks at 10.30 at night, with the sole purpose of getting into a fight with one of my fellow students."

"Pardon? Can you at least give me a civil answer? You are on very thin ice at the moment, and being sarcastic will not help."

"Of course I'm sleeping here. Where else would I be staying?"

Hermione could feel a burning desire to slap the infuriating girl, but rather than waste precious energy, she merely told them to keep it down, turned back into the room, and collapsed on a vacant couch. She yawned widely, and settled back, slumping into the soft curves of the sofa. As her mind became fogged with sleep, the last thing she thought of was how much that Siria girl irritated her.

A slight touch across her lips awoke her. Hermione grinned.

"Hey you."

The touch became a caress, glossed lips sliding over hers. She could feel a smile breaking out on the silent kisser's face. A finger traced her eyebrow, down her cheek, resting on her chin, finally pushing gently to stop. Hermione opened her eyes, and gazed longingly into Ginny's. The common room was dark around them, and the information that everyone must have gone to bed passed through her head. Then it was gone, and instead filled with the fact that in her arms she held one of the most beautiful people she knew. The blazing fire highlighted golden streaks in the otherwise red hair, contrasting against her pale skin, and in Ginny's pupils danced a light of mischief, love and joy.

"Gin, you do know how much I love you, don't you?"

"I do. It's almost as much as I love you."

Hermione's face glowed with pleasure, and she pulled the willowy figure of Ginny onto her lap. Ginny leaned in again, slowing inching her hand up Hermione's robes. She was almost at the top when a loud clapping crashed through the darkness. A harsh voice followed, ripping through the night.

"Well it's quite a PG-13 show of lesbianism you two put on."

Hermione and Ginny leapt apart, and spun round towards the intruder. When Hermione caught sight of a short, dark haired person smirking in the doorway she cringed.

"My God.... Would you please...you have to knock.... storming in like that...not allowed," Hermione spluttered.

"Well I was under the impression that the common room was a public place. Then again, I could have been mistaken. Are there any more rules that I didn't hear about? Or it is just after 11 that they apply? Or is it only when Miss. Prefect and her little girlfriend are, as you would say 'fooling around'? Maybe I should ask that woman, Professor McGonagall."

Hermione fell onto the couch, her head in her hands. No one knew about her and Ginny, and it would ruin her chances of being Head Girl next year if they did. You couldn't be in charge if people were sniggering at you behind your back, or making snide comments every time you walked past. If Siria mentioned this to anyone, her school career would be destroyed.

"Oh.... no"

Ginny had remained standing, and when she saw how distressed Hermione was, she decided to try and help the situation.

"No there are no other rules. It's just...that.... Mione was showing me what she learned in...Medical Magic today. It's a new way of administering oxygen when a patient has choked."

"Really? Well I'm sure she gave an adequate demonstration. It's nice of her to help the younger students. Now what you have to do is to come up with some ingenious excuse to cover your hand up her robes and her obviously enjoying it. It doesn't have to be that believable, because as you can see, I'm very gullible."

Ginny stumbled. There was no explanation, as it was just as it looked.

Siria's mouth pulled into a wide smirk when she saw the scowl settle on Ginny's face.

"I see. Not quite quick enough to save yourself, and your sordid relationship. Miss. Prefect - What's your little girlfriend's name?"

"Gin..inn..y."

"Short for Virgin..ia, I assume? I'd get that name changed, doesn't suit your, shall we say, personality."

With that she turned and strode out of the room, confident she'd got one over on Hermione.

That's the last time she'll embarrass me in front of everyone.