Roommates || A Harry Potter Fanfiction

Chapter 7

"I thought I'd find you here."

Ginny's voice set Hermione's heart racing. Embarrassment, guilt and relief at an end to the waiting swept through her. She looked up from her Doc Savage paperback. Ginny held a breakfast tray in her hands. She looked normal rather than angry. Around them the Commons swarmed with students getting a late breakfast or an early lunch. Hermione had a table to herself.

"Mind if I join you?"

"Sure," Hermione said.

Ginny took a seat across from Hermione. "Haven't seen you all weekend, roomie."

"I've been busy." Hiding from you. Avoiding this conversation. Fortunately Ginny had apparently stayed in Harry's room Saturday night.

"So I gathered." Ginny picked up her silverware, then frowned. Lowered it. "Are we going to talk about this, or what?"

Hermione's face felt hot. She knew she had to be blushing visibly, and that knowledge only made it worse. She stared at Ginny, unable to think what to say. Ginny seemed equally lost.

"I'm sorry," they said in unison.

"What?" they chorused. Both of them drew breath to speak. Hermione waited.

"I'm sorry about the other night," Ginny said. "We didn't know you were there."

"I know." Ginny colored a little, which made Hermione feel a little better. At least until she realized that was because she didn't think Ginny could be embarrassed. That was an uncharitable thought. Ginny had been nothing but kind.

"I told Harry you were asleep," Ginny said. "I even called your name."

Hermione stood mute.

"You were awake, weren't you?"

Hermione looked away. Her cheeks felt hot enough to catch fire. The room felt warm, and it was never warm. She let her gaze slide sideways. Ginny watched her closely. Her face lit in a big grin. "You were awake!" Ginny said. "I knew it!"

"I couldn't help it!" Only as the words left her mouth did Hermione realize she'd confirmed Ginny's suspicions. She clamped her hands over her face, wishing she could vanish.

"It turned me on."

Hermione wasn't sure she'd heard Ginny right. She lowered her hands. Ginny sat with both elbows on the table, leaning forward. She lowered her voice. "I was surprised at first, and afraid you'd be upset. But when you didn't say or do anything, I thought maybe you were watching us. Were you?"

Hermione looked away again, wanting to deny it. Truthfully, she wanted this whole conversation never to have happened. She didn't want to answer. She didn't want to lie, either. Remaining silent seemed like a good compromise. It was a compromise she made a lot. All the time, in fact.

She met Ginny's eyes. It took her a full minute to work up the courage to reply. A minute in which she was painfully aware of the heat in face, of the way her pulse throbbed in her temples and fingertips in time to the rapid beating of her heart. Butterflies writhed in her stomach.

"Yes," Hermione said. It was damned difficult to push the words out. "I watched you."

Ginny smiled. "I thought so. Thanks for telling me."

Hermione wanted to say, "You're welcome," but the words wouldn't come.

"I know that was hard to say. We haven't been friends for that long, but I know you're a very private person. Thanks for telling me the truth."

Hermione dropped her gaze even as she nodded.

"So can I tell you something?"

Hermione looked up. "S-sure."

"I liked it when you watched us. Or when I thought you were watching us."

"You did?"

Ginny nodded eagerly. "It turned me on. A lot."

Hermione didn't know how to answer that. She didn't have to. Ginny wasn't finished confessing.

"Not because it was you. Just—being watched. By anyone. When I was having sex." Ginny's eyes shone. "I liked it a lot. I guess...I guess I have some exhibitionist tendencies."

Well, I could have told you that, Hermione thought. She recalled the whiteboard on their door. The one covered by crossed out times, each a bread crumb leading anyone paying attention to the knowledge of just how often Ginny had sex.

She imagined telling Ginny that. "Really?" Ginny would ask.

"Yes," Hermione could say. "It's pretty obvious you want everyone to know."

Ginny would blush a little, her eyes darting here and there as she considered the idea. Then a little grin would spread across her face. "I guess you're right," she'd say.

Hermione said nothing. It was too personal, too intimate.

"Are we okay, then?" Ginny asked.

Hermione nodded. "We're fine."

Ginny smiled. Hermione recognized the teasing aspect of it. "I'll try not to do it again," she said. She paused to watch Hermione closely. "Unless you want me to."

Ginny!" Despite her protest, Hermione felt a thrill sweep through her at the thought. Watching Ginny and Harry fuck, fingering herself while she did, was the most exciting sexual experience she'd ever had. For all the embarrassment she'd experienced since, all the effort spent to avoid this conversation, she'd recalled it often. And with great pleasure.

"That's not a no."

"No, it isn't."

The words came unbidden. Hermione couldn't believe she'd said them. Judging by Ginny's expression, she couldn't either. "I see. Did you like it too?"

The heat rushed into her face again. It was getting to be a too-familiar sensation around Ginny. Nonetheless, Hermione held Ginny's gaze as long as it took her to muster the courage to nod. The moment she did her courage deserted her. She dropped her eyes.

"Wow," Ginny said. "We're quite a pair."

She said nothing more, content to eat her breakfast in silence. Hermione went back to her book. When she looked up again some time later, Ginny was gazing into the distance, lost in her thoughts. Then she blinked and focused on Hermione. "I've got some studying to do," she said. She stood and picked up her tray. "Catch you later, roomie."