La courbe de tes yeux

Chapter Two: Hearts Broken.

The next couple of weeks were a living hell for Ginny. The night of the coup de foudre, she had felt so light and happy, she hadn't thought that it might be harder to be around Hermione now that she knew why she felt the way she felt. But then...it was probably hard only because of Ron.

It seemed the simple fact of Ginny telling Hermione he wasn't in love with her had been enough to ensure that Ron would fall in love with her. And he did. Or so he seemed to have.

Oh he still didn't dare telling it to Hermione, but Harry and Ginny didn't miss a single look, a single sigh. And while Harry was feeling quite amused and happy for his friends, Ginny wanted to kill her brother with her bare hands. The day she looked at him and thought Hermione's mine, you hear that? Mine!, Ginny knew she was in trouble.

Sure, Hermione had said he was just a friend. But what if that changed? Ginny had fallen for her so quickly, why wouldn't it happen to Hermione too, but for Ron? Ginny couldn't stand the thought. Every time Ron and Hermione left them to go take care of one Prefect duty or another, Ginny felt sick to her stomach, sure that this time, this time, Ron would take the opportunity to tell Hermione how he felt, and that this time, surely this time, Hermione would decide she felt the same way.

Her life was always bittersweet now. On one hand, every moment spent with Hermione was pure bliss, and the hours during which they studied in the library for the upcoming exams let her plenty of time to gaze at Hermione's graceful features, at the way she kept sucking the end of her quill as if it had been a sugar one. But on the other hand, and though Hermione never brought the subject up, Ginny knew she was thinking about Ron, and it drove her mad. She wanted to talk about it, but she couldn't bring herself to. She was scared that Hermione would tell her she was thinking of dating Ron.

'Ginny?'

Ginny looked up from her book, right into Hermione's hazelnut eyes.

'Are you alright?'

'Yes, why?'

Hermione's lips curled into a small smile and she looked down briefly. '...I didn't know you could read ancient Rumanian.'

Ginny looked down as well, and grunted. She had been so distraught by her thoughts about Ron that it was a miracle the book hadn't been upside down. She felt herself go red in the face and looked back up with a sheepish grin, wondering if running away was a viable option.

But Hermione's gaze was kind and concerned. 'Not to be nosy or anything, but you've been acting quite weirdly recently...' she said, closing her own book and laying her hands on the cover.

'I'm worried about Ron,' Ginny admitted before she could stop herself. She sighed and looked down. How come it sounded so pathetic? She was worried about Ron's heart getting broken, after all. Only...not as much as she was worried it might get rewarded.

'...do you think I should talk to him?'

Ginny gawked at Hermione for a second of two, Hermione who was looking back at her with obvious nervousness. She didn't know what to say. In the end, did it really matter if Ron were drooling over her? Ginny would never get Hermione anyway.

'Ginny?'

You're so beautiful...

'Ginny?'

'Uh...I don't know. Maybe. He's getting quite mushy, isn't he?' Ginny finally managed to say, her eyes wandering on Hermione's cheek, then lower. Have you ever been kissed? I haven't.

Hermione sighed. A long, heartfelt sigh. 'It doesn't help that Harry seems to be on his side...'

Ginny nodded, admiring Hermione's fragile eyelids as the girl looked down at her hands. It'd be nice if you were the first person to kiss me.

Ginny didn't know for sure how it had happened, but it couldn't have gone well. She saw Ron first, storming out of the Common room, down the stairs leading away from Gryffindor tower, red faced and near tears, hesitating between fury, humiliation and despair. He didn't stop when she called him, didn't look back when Harry came running after him. Harry came to a halt when he saw Ginny, but his eyes didn't leave Ron's trail.

'What happened?' Ginny asked, although she knew very well that only one thing could have affected Ron that way. Unless Draco Malfoy had somehow sneaked into the tower, but she doubted it.

'Hermione,' Harry panted, trying to catch his breath back. He had almost fallen down in the stairs, running after Ron that way.

'Oh,' Ginny said. She was trying hard not to smile, and at the same time she wanted to go look after Ron. She didn't like the thought of him being miserable, never mind that he had tried to steal Hermione away from her. 'Maybe you should go with him, you know,' she offered hesitantly. 'Just to make sure he doesn't do anything stupid...you know how he gets...'

Harry nodded. She could see in his big green eyes that seeing Ron so hurt was something Harry had a hard time dealing with. He was hurting, too. This time Ginny didn't hide her smile.

'What?'

'Nothing. Did you see Hermione?' she asked.

'Nope. They did it in the girls' dormitory.' Ginny flinched at Harry's choice of words, but he didn't seem to notice. 'I just heard Ron stomping down the stairs, and her calling after him.'

He looked particularly unconcerned with how Hermione might be doing. Thinks she's not hurting, I bet...Boys!... 'You should go look for Ron,' Ginny repeated.

'Yeah...' Harry replied absently, already walking past her. He was running again before he'd even reached the end of the staircase.

'I'll check on Hermione, don't worry!' Ginny called after him. She shook her head and walked up to the portrait of the Fat Lady, a weird mixture of happiness and dread twirling in her veins.

Knock-knock-knock.

So simple a sound, though suddenly so hard to make.

There was no answer. Ginny turned the doorknob and carefully peeked inside the room. Maybe she had gotten the floor wrong...

Hermione was sitting on the side of her bed, her hands in her lap, looking down at her feet. She looked tired. No, she looked exhausted.

'Hermione?' Ginny shyly called out, stepping in.

The fifth-year girl raised her eyes on her, and Ginny's heart caught up in her throat when she saw the glistening pearls on Hermione's flushed cheeks. She shouldn't cry...someone as beautiful as she is should never cry.

'Hey...' Hermione softly said, her voice wavering. She quickly wiped her cheeks with her trembling fingers.

I wanted to kiss your tears away...

'Are you alright?'

'I guess.' She gave Ginny a wobbly smile.

You should go sit next to her... 'I saw Ron downstairs...'

'Oh yeah? ...did he...look okay?' Hermione asked, her big eyes shining with fresh tears and concern.

'No.'

'Oh. I thought so...'

Hermione looked down again, more tears falling on her cheeks. Ginny could have slapped herself right then. Great. Really, bravo. She sighed and went to sit next to Hermione, careful not to make their bodies touch. She didn't know what would happen if they did.

'He looked so hopeful when I told him we needed to talk...' Hermione began, but then her voice faltered and she burst into quiet sobs.

Ginny sat rigid on the bed, not knowing what to do. Not trusting what to do.

Hermione sniffled and wiped her cheeks again, looking shameful. 'He was so cute, too...all blushing and smiling...and then...' She let herself fall back on the bed, spreading her arms at her sides. 'He must hate me now...can't blame him.'

And still Ginny didn't move. Do something, for Christ's sake! Say something, at least! But her voice seemed to have gotten lost on the way up to her mouth.

After a short, awkward silence, Hermione spoke again. 'Do you...do you hate me, too?'

'Of course not!' It was a heartfelt shout if she had ever heard any. Ginny sighed and turned slightly to look down at her friend, wishing she knew something to say that would make Hermione feel better.

Hermione smiled slightly, then whispered, 'Good. ...I'm not sure I could stand it if you were.'

Really?

'It's funny to think that one year ago you were still nothing but Ron's little sister, and now you're the best friend I've ever got...' The tears had stopped falling.

Really? 'R-really?'

'Yes.' She said it as if it were completely obvious, smiling brightly up at Ginny, who felt another blush creeping on her cheeks. 'I mean, I know we don't talk a lot, because the guys are always around but...' She did her trademark well-what-can-we-do-about-it little sort of grimace, which looked halfway between a pout and a forced smile, and Ginny sighed softly, feeling all warm inside.

They didn't say anything else for a while, but this time it felt quite cosy. Hermione stared at the roof of her bed, and Ginny cautiously let her eyes wander along Hermione's body, nuzzling in the soft fleshy nest of her palm, following the curve of her arm, brushing against her white creamy neck, and then going lower, up the small hills of her breasts, down to her stomach...

'Ginny?'

Ginny blinked several times, then looked back up at Hermione's face. 'Yes?'

'D'you think Ron will forgive me?'

'Of course he will!' He'd be foolish not to...

Hermione sat up again and folded one leg on the bed, the other one still dangling above the floor. Her features gradually fell and saddened. 'He just...he always takes everything to heart and...' She sighed deeply and a single tear escaped from her eye, slowly making its way down her cheek.

This time Ginny didn't have time to stop herself. She shakily reached out and rested her hand on Hermione's warm cheek, softly wiping the tear away with her thumb. Hermione smiled sadly and lowered her eyes.

'God I'm such a fool...He's the one that has a reason to feel horrible, not me...Why the hell did he have to fall in love with me!' What should have been shouted had been nothing but a broken whisper, and before Ginny could understand what was happening – 'Plus...he thinks he is, but I'm sure...I'm sure he doesn't even k-know what love is...yet...' – she was holding the shaking body of her friend tightly against her chest, feeling Hermione's helpless tears against her neck, gliding down under the collar of her shirt and tickling her skin.

She felt a little guilty about it, but it would have been fine with Ginny if Hermione never stopped crying.