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A Long Night
By DragonHeartstring

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Category: Post-OotP
Characters:Harry/Ginny, Hermione Granger, Ron Weasley
Genres: Fluff, Romance
Warnings: None
Story is Complete
Rating: PG-13
Reviews: 13
Summary: Hermione sheds some light on Ginny and Harry's relationship. HBP one-shot.
Hitcount: Story Total: 5410



Disclaimer: Harry Potter Publishing Rights © J.K.R. Note the opinions in this story are my own and in no way represent the owners of this site. This story subject to copyright law under transformative use. No compensation is made for this work.



Author's Notes:
Ok, so this is my first attempt at publishing something, so please review and let me know what you think of it: good or bad. This is a short little chapter, but there will (hopefully, and if you all want it) be more to come soon.

This is all just for my own entertainment and hopefully yours as well.




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November 21st
7:36 pm

Ginny Weasley sat down gingerly in a chair at a table in the Gryffindor common room. A large mass of brown bushy hair lay strewn across the table, covering the mountains of parchment and books that Ginny knew were hidden underneath. Ginny also knew that this mass of brown hair belonged on the head of one Hermione Granger, her best friend. What happened to Hermione, on the other hand, was something Ginny could only guess at. Right now, there appeared to be three options: she had fallen asleep doing ridiculously boring and tedious homework; she had somehow been struck dead at the table in a room full of awake and alert Gryffindors; or she had seen Ginny coming and was trying to avoid conversation.

“Hi Ginny, how was practice?” came Hermione’s weary voice from under the mass of hair. That ruled out all three options actually.

“What happened, Hermione?”

“What do you mean?” Hermione finally picked up her head and glanced at Ginny with tired eyes.

“Well, let’s see,” Ginny began teasingly, “Here you are, brainiac extraordinaire, with unfinished homework assignments in front of you, and you have your head down in a state of slumber.”

Hermione regarded her red-headed friend as if she had grown another head. “I just… well, don’t you ever feel like none of this is worth it all, like it doesn’t matter in the long run?”

It was now the red-head’s turn to observe Hermione as if she had just admitted her ever-lasting love for Ronald Weasley (which of course would be less shocking). She reached out slowly and felt Hermione’s forehead. “It doesn’t feel warm. Who are you and what have you done with Hermione Granger?”

Hermione just smiled and swatted Ginny’s hand away. “No, I’m serious, Ginny!”

“So am I! But honestly, Hermione, not a day goes by that I don’t question why I put up with this. For what reason do I need to know who the leader of the Goblin Rebellion of 1579 was if I plan on playing professional Quidditch and —”

“Marrying rich?” Hermione asked with a smirk on her face. “And by the way, the Goblin Rebellion started in 1578, not -79, and was led by Graffindornk the Fifth, and goblins have a lot of influence in the founding of Quidditch because —”

“There’s the Hermione we all know and love,” Ginny said dryly. “And whatever do you mean by marrying rich? What does that have to do with anything?”

“Nothing, it’s just that if you marry rich, you don’t have to worry about getting a job that requires you have the knowledge of who the leader of the Goblin Rebellion of 1578 was.”

“True, true,” Ginny observed. “And I could not have a worry in the world. It would be nice to be rich. What?” She had just looked up to see Hermione’s face bright red with exertion, hardly able to contain her laughter. Ginny leveled a glare at Hermione for a full minute until she was able to calm down enough to carry on with the conversation. Instead of providing a suitable answer to the question posed at her, she instead brought up a new topic.

“Are you coming to the Slug Club tonight?” she asked with an innocent face, one Ginny could see right through.

She decided it wasn’t worth the energy to fight just then. “I suppose so. Normally Harry would have ended practice later so he wouldn’t have to go but —” Ginny stopped abruptly as Hermione burst into laughter at the sound of Harry’s name. “What is so funny, Hermione?” she asked testily.

“Nothing, nothing at all.”

Ginny glared at Hermione again until she stopped laughing, and then continued on in a whisper. “Hermione Granger, just what are you trying to say to me?” she said with acid dripping off of each word.

“How was Quidditch practice?” came Hermione’s giggling response.

“HERMIONE!” Heads around the room turned to stare at the girl who was the source of the commotion. Ducking her blushing face, Ginny turned back to Hermione with an angry questioning look on her face.

“Oh, I’m sorry Ginny, it’s just so funny that you —” Hermione abruptly stopped her explanation, her eyes focused on a point behind Ginny. Turning quickly, Ginny saw her brother Ron enter the common room with Harry. “Why doesn’t Ron talk to me anymore?” she whispered.

Suddenly, guilt gripped Ginny like an icy hand. She realized that Ron wasn’t talking to Hermione because of something she said to him about the girl in question.

“Well, I might know the answer to that…” she trailed off; hoping to delay having to tell the older girl what transpired that fateful evening earlier that week.

“What?” Hermione asked eagerly, and the mixture of hope and confusion on her face was too much for Ginny to handle.

“Well, after last practice, Dean and I were on the way back to the tower when we stopped for a little… break,” Ginny looked at Hermione, who nodded enthusiastically for her to continue. “And we were there in the secret passageway when Ron… and Harry walked in on us.” Despite the look of shock on Hermione’s face, Ginny plowed on with the story. “And Ron and I got into this huge row right there in the corridor, and I’m not even sure how it came to it, but I let slip that you snogged Krum, and I think that is what got to him.”

Ginny waited on baited breath for Hermione’s reaction, not sure what to expect. Finally, Hermione nodded.

“Totally expected of him. Don’t worry Ginny; I’m not mad at you at all. It’s not your fault that your brother is a prat.” She smiled at Ginny to show the red-head that there was no animosity between them. “But I have some questions for you.”

“Yes?” Ginny replied, glad to see that Hermione didn’t seem too upset or surprised that this was the reason for her brother’s immaturity.

“What was Dean doing throughout this ‘huge row’?” Hermione asked, eager to jump onto another topic.

Ginny sighed, not wanting to think about Dean at that moment. “Dean left right after the two of them showed up. He was waiting to talk to me when I got back to the common room, but I was in no fit state to have a civilized conversation at that point in time because of what happened with Ron and…” Ginny trailed off, not wanting to finish the statement.

“Hmm… so what was Harry doing throughout this ‘huge row’?” Hermione observed Ginny appraisingly, peering at her as though she could hear the unfinished end to Ginny’s last sentence. Ginny, stalling for time, turned her head away from Hermione and looked across the room to where Harry and Ron sat playing chess. Finally, she swallowed and started her answer, knowing what Hermione’s reaction to the story would be.

“He did nothing at first, just kind of stood there and stared. Probably just shock. But he stopped Ron when he went to hex me.” Ginny crossed her fingers under the table, hoping two things: that she had made that vague enough to seem like it was not important, and that she was able to fight the blush she knew was coming. Apparently, neither wish was granted.

“Exactly how did he stop Ron?” Hermione asked eagerly, a gleam in her eyes. Ginny refused to make eye contact with her, and continued to watch as Harry’s pawn put up a gallant but useless fight against Ron’s knight.

“Well,” Ginny started, picking her words carefully, “he stepped between the two of us when Ron pulled his wand. And he kind of… pushed Ron up against the wall when he sent a hex at me.” The last sentence came out in a rush of a mumble, but Hermione heard every word.

Having watched the knight drag the two halves of the pawn off the board, Ginny turned back to Hermione, and her smug expression. “What?” she asked irritably.

“That’s… awfully nice of him now isn’t it?” Hermione started with a grin.

Ginny decided to play dumb. “No, we could have settled the argument without spells. Even if it was just a stinging jinx Ron really didn’t have to —”

“I’m talking about Harry,” Hermione cut her off with a sigh. “It was nice of him to stop Ron from hurting you like that. He protected you. How… sweet.” She smirked. Actually smirked.

“No, I really wouldn’t have been hurt —”

“You know, I have known the two of them for over five years now and I have never seen them get physical with each other.”

“I should hope not, they are both guys, and I didn’t think either of them swung that way…” it was now Ginny’s turn to smirk as Hermione scowled at her.

“I’m talking about restraining him from fighting. Harry’s probably only had to stop him from hurting Malfoy, if he’s even done that. He should have known Ron wouldn’t really hurt you. So why be so… chivalrous?” Hermione was scrutinizing Ginny’s face for an answer, but Ginny refused to reveal that she had been pondering the same question ever since the event.

“Well, that’s just Harry isn’t it?”

“I suppose it is.” The silence lingered for about thirty seconds until Ginny couldn’t take it anymore.

“What are you thinking now?” she asked with a sigh.

“Nothing really. It’s just that it isn’t unheard of for a man to want to impress the woman that he fancies with acts of physical prowess.”

Ginny’s jaw dropped. Regaining her composure, she swallowed and whispered her reply rapidly to Hermione. “First of all… did you actually say physical prowess?” When Hermione nodded, she continued. “And from what you just said, it sounds like you are assuming that Harry, being the man in that scenario, was trying to impress me, the woman, because he… fancies me?” Hermione nodded, beaming. Ginny observed her incredulously before declaring, “Where do you come up with these things?”

“Oh, I don’t know. I analyze things. I also observe things. And I have observed some changes in both Harry and...” she trailed off, adding tentatively, “…you.”

“Me? What changes in me have you noticed, oh wise one?” Ginny cocked her head to the side, trying to look like she didn’t care about the changes in Harry, even though her heart was hammering after Hermione’s proclamation of Harry fancying her. No, she had given up on that long ago. She didn’t want that. At all. For sure. Absolutely, positively. No.

“Well for starters, you haven’t spoken to Dean much this week.”

“I have been busy lately, and I have had my mind on…”

“Other things?” Hermione finished with a smirk. “And you have been sneaking glances at us when we are all together here in the common room, or at meals.”

“Oh, I’m attracted to you, Hermione. Can’t keep my eyes off you.”

“Attracted to me, or someone else at the table?” The silence sat between them, and Ginny resigned with a sigh.

“Is this really the time or place to discuss this?” she asked, sitting back in her chair. Hermione beamed.

“So there is something to discuss?”

“Maybe there is, maybe there isn’t, but I am not continuing with this conversation now. Okay?”

“Fine.” Hermione rose from her chair, gathering her books and parchment and shoving the entire mound into her bag. “Let’s go to the Slug Club. Why don’t you go ask Harry if he wants to come?” The smirk was back on her face as she glanced at Ginny, waiting for a reaction.

“No, why don’t you go, I have to go say good-bye to my boyfriend.” With that, Ginny stood and stomped over to Dean, who was sitting in the corner with Seamus and Neville, working on an essay. She promptly told him where she was going, mostly because she had told Hermione she would, not because it mattered that he knew. Honestly, Ginny disliked the idea of Dean knowing where she was and what she was doing at all moments of the day. Wasn’t it enough that they lived in the same school? Their rooms were just two staircases away, for Merlin’s sake. Granted, he couldn’t climb one and she didn’t plan on visiting him anytime soon.

When she turned to find Hermione, Ginny saw her standing at the table Ron and Harry were seated at. Resolving herself not to make a scene, she marched over to the table and stood next to Hermione, who was explaining to Harry why he should go to the meeting, only further infuriating Ron .

“Besides, Harry,” Hermione was finishing her speech, “Ginny and I are going, and we are going to have to be all alone with a bunch of… how did you so eloquently put it, Ginny?”

“Prats, gits, tosspots, take your pick.” While Hermione scowled at her use of language, the string of words seemed to deeply entertain Ron and Harry. Both burst into laughter as soon as she finished, and the two girls had to wait until they could calm down to receive an answer from Harry.

“Well then, I suppose I have to accompany you two and protect you from the prats, gits, and tosspots.” He smiled at Ginny, making her heart stop beating momentarily, and gathered his things to leave. While Ron’s frown became more pronounced, Hermione looked fit to burst at what Harry had just said. Ginny just stuck her tongue out at Hermione and turned away, waiting to go. It was going to be a long night.

November 21st
8:04pm

Four minutes into the Slug Club meeting, and Ginny was ready to fall asleep. She stared down at her plate of cake so that no one would notice the faces she made every time McLaggen uttered something completely ridiculous. Which was about once every three seconds. She was tempted to cover her ears and hum loudly to block out the conversation, but realized just in time that those actions were usually frowned upon. Instead, she sat on her hands and bit her lip to keep everything inside. Glancing up, Ginny looked next to her at Hermione, who was staring at Slughorn trying to look like she was paying attention, but with an overall glazed-over look. Leave it to Hermione to pretend she was paying attention even if she wasn’t. Smirking, Ginny turned to look at Harry, who was seated on the other side of her. She had fully expected him to sit next to Hermione when the three of them walked into the room, but instead, he pulled out a seat for her and sat down in the adjacent seat, leaving a tittering Hermione to plop down next to Ginny and throw knowing glances at the two of them every opportunity she had.

When her eyes reached Harry, she found herself drowning in the bright green of his eyes. Harry was staring right at her. Their eyes remained locked together for a few seconds before he smiled radiantly and turned to answer Slughorn, who had just directed a question at him.

Blood was pounding in Ginny’s head, probably due to her increased heart rate. She took deep, calming breaths while staring down at her plate again, hoping no one noticed her rapidly coloring face. As soon as Ginny’s brain had stopped spinning, she was able to make a list of what had just happened to her.

1. Harry was looking at her before she looked over at him. That meant nothing. He was probably just as bored as she was and just happened to look at her at the same second she looked at him.
2. She was completely lost in his eyes. This was something that would just have to be controlled. It wasn’t actually her fault. Harry happened to have very nice eyes.
3. Looking at him for longer than a minute had caused her to have a mini stroke. That was probably a result of the heat in the room. It was getting kind of warm.
4. While they looked at each other, everyone else seemed to disappear from the room. And Ginny may have felt the bizarre urge to lean forward and kiss him. Which was completely uncalled for and physically impossible. She had no reason to want to kiss him. He was Harry. Harry Potter. Her brother’s best mate. Who she absolutely did not fancy.

Ginny spent the remainder of the dinner sneaking covert glances at Harry. Who she absolutely did not fancy. Anymore.
Reviews 13
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