Je t'adore

Dusk had settled over the schools grounds, the students who went on the Hogsmeade trip were just back, their laughter and chatter breaking the all consuming silence Hermione had managed to conserve in the common room.

"Hey Mione! Look - new sweets from Honeydukes, they make your hair stand on end. Try one. Come on."

It had escaped Harry and Ron's notice that Hermione had obviously not wanted to be disturbed, with her school books teetering dangerously high on the table blocking her from most of the room and a deep furrow of concentration etched across her forehead.

"Oh...yeah...great."

"Here - they taste like apple. Ah try one! Come on. You know you'll like it."

"Ron, I'd seriously advise you to vacate this area before I cause some fatal damage to your body. I'm not in the mood. Go away."

The boys backed away to a safe distance, surprised at the fury each word carried with it.

Hermione hadn't seen her favourite Weasley since after breakfast, and she was getting worried. The desk she'd purposefully sat at was right across from the door to the girl's rooms, so she could see if Ginny came down. As she was contemplated going back up to try and convince her to at least talk, a shadow darkened the parchment on which she was writing. Siria was standing in front of the desk, a look of distaste on her dark features.

"You have blue ink, here," pointing to beside Hermione's nose.

"Okay," rubbing furiously at the mark, "Now you said you needed my help? What gives you the impression I'd help you?"

"Frau McGonagall found myself and Johann yesterday in his room. She caught us in a rather compromising situation, and she also seems to think we were drinking."

A slight blush had settled on Siria's cheeks.

"Which you weren't?"

"Err.."

"I see. Now why do you need me?"

"You see, we were told there would be severe punishments for anyone who broke any rules on this trip."

"Which you did.."

"I'm also on a scholarship to H.G.G.M because of my marks, and being in this kind of trouble will affect that. You are the one who is supposed to punish me and inform my teachers so I think, considering what I know, we might have a deal."

Hermione let what Siria had just said sink in. If she let her off, then nobody would know about Ginny and she'd have a chance at being Head Girl.

"I don't know. I really..."

"Please. God I never thought I'd be begging you, but I need you to do this for me. You cannot destroy my life like this."

"I can't?" Hermione spluttered, "Last night you were threatening to ruin MY life, and now you're asking me to HELP!"

Siria looked crushed. Her shoulders drooped, and the pleading in her eyes intensified.

"I need you to do this for me but if you can't... I'm sorry for acting terribly. I'll leave you to continue your work."

As she began to walk away, dragging her feet, defeated, Hermione called out.

"Okay. I won't report you. You'll have to do a punish..."

An ecstatic Siria cut her off, pouncing on her and grabbing her into a bear hug.

"Thank you Prefect Granger. I promise you, you won't regret this."

Her last words were enforced with a large kiss on Hermione's cheek, and with that she skipped away, delighted with the result of her blackmailing.

The Gryffindor gave a half smile, thinking that maybe the girl wasn't half as bad as she thought she was. But, just as the smile replaced her frown, she caught sight of Ginny, standing in the doorway, an expression of pure shock and horror on her face. Hermione was a little puzzled at this, until she realised what Ginny must have seen. Herself, in a very tight embrace with Siria, and then her being kissed on the cheek. Ginny spun around and took the steps in twos. Hermione followed her, taking the common room in 3 bounds, but she was too late. By the time she'd managed to get to the door of Ginny's room, she could hear the creak of the bed, and her girlfriends voice screaming the spell. As she came into the room, the drapes were almost shut, and her last sight was the look soul-destroying pain inscribed on Ginny's drawn, pale countenance. Hermione fell to her knees trying to catch her breath.

"Gin love?"

"You BITCH. I tell you I need some space to think, and you go off with that WHORE Siria. I thought you said you hated her. I never, ever want to see you again Hermione Granger. Get out of my room, and my life. Run along to your... new girlfriend. I HATE YOU. I FUCKING HATE YOU."

"Virginia. First off, I have never heard you swear so profusely. I didn't think you even knew those words; your brothers are a bad influence on you. Secondly I am NOT going out with Siria. She just hugged me because I... let her off a punishment."

"Really?"

"Really. I promise you. Now are you coming out of there so you can say to me what you were going to down in the common room?"

A small sniffle and a quiet muttering could barely be heard, but seconds later Ginny was standing in front of Hermione, her tiny stature made up for by the fire blazing in her eyes.

"Ok. I think I can live with your insane insecurities. Just about. But if anything like this ever happens again, I want you to do the right thing, and not the one that'll help just you."

"I swear with all my heart Gin. I love you more than anything."

A few little words and Ginny's face crumpled. A flood of new tears streamed down from her swollen eyes and her whole body shook with emotion. Hermione sat on the bed and hugged her.

"Can you forgive me for everything? Because if you can't I don't know what I'd do."

Ginny gazed up into Hermione's kind eyes, filled with devotion and love.

"I forgive you Mione. I love you to much to let you go."

"This last day has been utter hell Gin. I wouldn't have believed such a pain existed. It was like a constant dull ache in my heart, like someone was crushing it, slowly but surely killing me, just because you weren't there. I couldn't breathe, I could barely eat, and I couldn't concentrate on anything except for you. I don't think I can live without you. I'll do anything to keep you with me. And because of that," she took a long, shuddering breath in, "I've decided that I'm ready to admit that I love you - To everyone. I've realise that I cannot afford to lose you, and I will not let you compromise what you feel in front of everyone else. I'm sick of pretending myself," admitted a slightly bashful Hermione.

Ginny couldn't believe what she was hearing, but one glance at the brunette showed her the conviction and determination behind the words was real. Ginny grabbed the prefect by the front of her robes and pushed her onto the bed, layering kisses onto her willing mouth. Hermione giggled, delighted at her good fortune.

"Maybe I should agree to come out more often if this is the response I'm going to get."

"Less talking, more action."

Hermione gave one last laugh, and fell, satisfied into Ginny's warm embrace.

You are my sunshine, my only sunshine. You make me happy when skies are grey. You'll never know dear, how much I love you, so please don't take my sunshine away.

~Fin~