Survivor

Chapter 12 - The Journey to Mount Doom

Ginny plonked herself onto Hermione's bunk, deaf to the girl's squeal as she was sat upon, her lips swollen and a dopey smile on her face. Hermione rolled her eyes at her love-drunk friend, enviously rather than in annoyance. "Isn't Harry great?"

Hermione sat up and scratched her head. "I wouldn't know Gin, I haven't seen you two apart since he returned. I'm starting to wonder where he ends and you begin." She joked. 

A dangerous look flashed across the face of the younger of the two, one that was reminiscent of her rascal twin brothers. "Well if you really wanna know-"

"No I most certainly do not!" Hermione flinched. "You and Harry are my best friends, I do not want to think about all of the horrible horrible things to do to one another when i'm not there. Somethings are best left to the imagination, thank you very much!"

Ginny clutched her stomach as she laughed. Hermione felt her cheeks go beet red. Ginny was her only real girl friend. She was the one she had confided in about Viktor, and later Ron. She had pushed Hermione to make a move, and had been there as a shoulder to cry on when it went wrong. Hermione felt like she had always been far less sympathetic with Ginny's love life. Sometimes, her choice in men was questionable. Hermione would admit that she was kind of rooting that things would work out between Ginny and Neville Longbottom, but there was simply no chemistry. She had wondered whether this was purely out of sympathy for Neville, though.

Most of the students were in classes and so The Room of Requirement was quiet. In her free period, Ginny had managed to get Hermione some books from the library, before sneaking off to entertain Harry. Hermione had been lay on her bed reading before she was interrupted from the love-struck witch.

"Judging by the interaction that you two had the other day, I'm guessing that nothing happened between you and Ron while you were away?" Ginny asked. 

"No offence, but Ron isn't for me. He wants to settle down and have loads of kids. I want to-" She paused. The truth was, Hermione didn't know what she was going to do once the war finished. If the war finished, she mentally corrected herself. Perhaps law? Healing? potions? "I want to have a successful career." 

"None taken. I know that he had his heart set on you. I'm not trying to send you on a massive guilt trip or anything here, but he did have it all planned out like you said. I think part of it is mum's influence though. Ron is very impressionable, and mum knows how to butter him up. She wants him to stay close by and have plenty of grandchildren so that she can look after them. I think it all boils down to her fear of being lonely. Its understandable, she does have 7 kids and the last one is about to leave the nest. Its a shame about you and Ron. It'll hit him hard, but he'll get over it." 

"What about you and Draco?" Ginny asked. 

"Pardon!?" Hermione gasped.

Ginny laughed. "You heard! You two seem close all of a sudden."

Not believing her ears, Hermione retorted. "Draco is - for want of a better word - an ally. I wouldn't even call him a friend just yet. So no, I don't fancy him! After 6 years of him bullying me, I think I would be crazy to love him."

"You have a fair point."

"Besides, I kind of get gay vibes." Hermione revealed. Ginny just snorted. "What? I do! I mean, look at his obsession with Harry."

"He best stay away from Harry, or he'll have me to deal with." Ginny squared her shoulders and cracked her knuckles causing Hermione to laugh like she hadn't in ages. The kind of laugh that makes you wonder whether you'll ever stop. "So, I guess we'll have no Gryffindor/Slytherin couples in the near future, then."