In Between Lovers

There came a point every night when almost all Gryffindors simultaneously began to drift from the Common Room, dragging their feet and itching to wrap warm blankets around their bodies. According to Hermione Granger's watch, it was two o'clock in the morning, and she was still not weary. She was the last person in the Common Room, and had contented herself with staring out the window at the falling snowflakes. It was a typical December morning. A layer of frost clouded the view of the landscape below. Over the course of a few hours, snow had piled up onto the windowsill.

Her mind was far from where she sat. Not too far, but far enough. Currently, her mind was filled with thoughts of a particular person. This person, with their soft hair and their supple, freckled skin, was damn near all she could think of. Hermione thought herself to be sensible most of the time, but this, this was not normal. She was not thinking and functioning like she normally would. She was in love, and she was afraid.

This was forbidden. They were friends, and they knew each other all too well. Love, Love was such a strong word to use. Perhaps, Hermione had reasoned with herself on many occasions, she was just feeling a strong, friendly love.

Hermione knew this was lie though, no matter how hard she tried to convince herself otherwise. She knew because every time she stared into the flames, she was reminded of the soft, flaming curls that she longed to wrap around her fingers. She knew that it was love, because every time she held his hand, it didn't feel even close to right. She cared for him, but she did not love him the way he loved her.

She knew she was in love because of the way she craned her neck, hoping to catch a glimpse of Ginny Weasley among the students passing through the hallway.

"Hermione?"

"Oh!" Hermione exclaimed, jumping up from her seat.

Right there, standing right in front of her was the person she had just been longing to see. Hermione tried to subdue the excitement and warmth that was growing inside of her. This is not okay. This is not allowed. She found herself constantly repeating that to herself these days. It had become almost like a mantra.

"Sorry to scare you. I just - couldn't really sleep. The storm outside's absolutely frightful. Mind if I join you?" Ginny asked, inviting herself to curl up in the chair opposite Hermione.

Hermione gave a quick nod and sat, curling one leg underneath her as she did. At this particular moment, Crookshanks leapt from his hiding place across the room and seated himself on Hermione's lap. Idly, she began to stroke his long, coarse fur. Ginny was staring down at her legs, twisting her mouth into various, slightly amusing shapes. Hermione hated how awkward it had become between the two of them. It hadn't been like this last year. Last year, they had been so close, and there had never been an awkward moment such as this between them. Hermione had never felt this strongly about Ginny before either. It had always been comfortable between them, but now it was as if they were walking on eggshells. The connection between them had become delicate, as were the words spoken between them.

"I should go," Ginny announced suddenly, rising from her seat slowly, as though hesitant to leave Hermione alone.

"Oh, please don't! I'm sorry. I've been so absent-minded lately. All this studying is getting to me, I suppose," Hermione said, a hint of desperation in her voice.

Ginny sat back down apprehensively, eyeing Hermione with worry in her soft, hazel eyes. Truthfully, Ginny was very worried for Hermione. She had first begun to notice Hermione's strange behavior a couple of months earlier, when September had been fresh and new. She had begun to keep to herself more often, shying away from company and attention. She buried herself deeper into her books. She began to stay up late. The dark circles under her eyes were evidence of this. Ginny stood suddenly, crossing to Hermione and sitting on the arm of the chair.

"Please tell me what's wrong, Hermione. You've never kept things from me like this. You've been acting strange and," Ginny began, choosing her words carefully. She knew how emotional Hermione could be.

"I'm fine, Ginny. I have not been acting strange and I don't know why all of you insist that I am. I'm a bit distracted with schoolwork. That is all," Hermione cut her off dismissively, petting Crookshanks a bit too roughly and causing him to fly off her lap with a hiss.

Ginny moved to place a hand on Hermione's head. There was a strong, tingling sensation that formed in Hermione's stomach the moment Ginny's fingers touched her skin. She stood up and pulled away abruptly, the feeling growing stronger by the second. Ginny immediately stood up as well.

"Hermione -"

"I'm fine!" Hermione repeated, turning from Ginny to face the fire.

Oh god. The flames.

The moment Hermione felt Ginny's hand on her shoulder; she knew that the last bit of self-control she had possessed was leaving her. When Ginny came around to hug her and tell her that she would listen whenever she needed to talk, Hermione knew that all hope was lost. In one hurried movement, Hermione's lips were against Ginny's. Hermione closed her eyes, praying that Ginny wouldn't pull away. She didn't. The sensation in her stomach had become much too intense to bear. Hermione began to deepen the kiss wildly, longing to satisfy the burning. She pressed herself up against Ginny, feeling every curve of her body. This was insanity. Ginny finally pulled away, her eyes wide and shining. Hermione wondered whether she had gone too far. In an instant, she began to regret everything about what she had just done. I'm so stupid, she thought to herself, biting her lip in shame and worry.

Ginny made no move to run. She simply stood there, astonished. Her heart was racing just as fast as Hermione's was. The words she wanted to say were all jumbled up inside her head, unable to form themselves into real sentences. She knew that every second of silence was killing Hermione. She could see the pain on her face. Finally, she closed her eyes and took a deep breath.

"Meet me in the empty classroom on the fourth floor at lunch."

Ginny uttered the words softly. They were music to Hermione's ears. Ginny stared into Hermione's eyes for a moment. Weariness suddenly overcame Hermione, causing her to glance at her watch; it was three o'clock now. An hour had passed, and Hermione found her body beginning to beg for rest. In five hours time she would have to be up and ready for class. Ginny nodded and said not a word more. They traveled up the stairs to their dormitories in silence. Hermione had now become aware of how empty she felt without Ginny's touch. She longed to reach out and take her hand. When they reached the top of the staircase, they exchanged one lingering look before heading into their separate dormitories.