InsaneJournal

Tweak says, "You'll have to toss me!"

Hermione Jean Granger (brightestxwitch) wrote in liberalis,
@ 2009-05-29 22:38:00

Who: Ginny Weasley & Hermione Granger
What: Hermione needs to get some things off of her chest
When: June 25th, afternoon
Where: Ginny's flat
Rating: PG
Status: Incomplete

Hermione was glad she was getting a chance to talk with Ginny, but she was also nervous. Nothing had been going well for her lately, and if she ended up fighting with Ginny, too, she wasn't sure she'd be able to handle it. She wasn't quite on the edge of a nervous breakdown, but she felt she was getting too close for comfort.

She'd stopped by her flat to change clothes, getting into something more comfortable than her proper business attire. After that, it was straight to Ginny's flat. She probably should have brought something with her, but she didn't have a clue what, and couldn't think of anything at the last minute. So she brought herself, and hoped Ginny would forgive her.

Arriving on her friend's doorstep, she knocked on the door, waiting for the other young woman to answer.

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not_a_damsel
2009-05-30 03:10 am UTC (link)

While she knew she'd been reasonably wrapped up in her upcoming wedding, working at St. Mungo's, and her fiance herself, Ginny hadn't quite realized that she might have been neglecting one of her best friends. True, they'd had a few conversations over journals - mostly to do with her brother, whose jealous tendencies seemed to cause more conflict than anything else - but the real world hadn't allowed for much one-on-one time for the pair of them. After all, they'd seen each other more than once at D.A. meetings and the biweekly Order meetings, but that was hardly the place to discuss important things, with so many people around; and Ginny doubted that what Hermione needed to speak with her about was unimportant.

So, in the short time she had before getting off work and the arrival of Miss Granger, the redhead had hunted up a box of cookies from the slightly messy pantry - her mum would be proud - and tossed them at the coffee table. The rest of her time went to scribbling a note to Harry about her plans for the evening, combing her fingers through her hair, and kicking a few things back into their rightful places. Harry's shirt had still been hanging over the back of a chair in the kitchen; promptly tossed in the laundry basket.

As the knocks sounded on the door, she made her way across the modest apartment, pulling it open with the smallest of grins. "Hey, stranger." Throwing her arm out toward the apartment, she gave an easy invitation for her friend to enter before closing the door behind them. Making their way toward the couch - she mentally scanned it, trying to remember if she and Harry had removed their socks the night before while sitting on it - her voice sounded once again, this time a little more concerned. "So what's going on?"

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brightestxwitch
2009-05-30 12:55 pm UTC (link)

Hermione wasn't sure how terribly important this all was. Certainly in the grand scheme of things there were much more important things to worry about. But since she was finding it hard to worry about those more important things, perhaps this was fairly important after all.

But she was still worried she was going to be aggravating Ginny with all of this. Her friend had other things to worry about, as well, and unloading more onto her seemed unfair, especially when much of it concerned her brother and fiance. There wasn't really anyone else who could reassure her, though. She appreciated Viktor's efforts, but since the problem wasn't with him, it hadn't helped very much. And out of the three who were bothering her, Ginny was the most likely to get annoyed with her for talking about it.

She only half-suppressed her sigh as she made her way over to the couch with Ginny. "Do you ever feel like everything's just falling apart?" she asked, glancing at her.

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not_a_damsel
2009-05-30 03:23 pm UTC (link)

In the grand scheme of everything - every time Ginny stopped to think about the war and Voldemort and everything that occasionally crushed Harry's spirits to the point where he could do nothing but lay next to her in paralyzing fear - she didn't have any problems. Compared to everything that her fiance had to face, the fact that her brother alienated himself from the family, or the fact that a Death Eater was out to get her second oldest brother, or even the fact that she might lose her fiance - it was nothing compared to the terror that gripped Harry at times.

But whether there were bigger problems in the world or not, it didn't change the fact that life went on, and that people still had to deal with the little things when they came about. So - of course, not one to slight a good friend of hers - the youngest Weasley sibling was more than willing to listen to whatever was going wrong on the end of the fellow Gryffindor alumni.

She flopped down at one end of the couch, settling her back against the armrest and facing the bushy-haired girl with the typically curious visage she always wore. At the question, one eyebrow furrowed for just a moment as if attempting to understand the meaning behind it, before she answered, almost cautiously, "I'm fairly sure the whole world feels that way right now, Mione."

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brightestxwitch
2009-05-30 03:31 pm UTC (link)

Hermione shook her head, not to deny what Ginny was saying, but just because she knew her problems weren't anywhere in the league of what many people were facing. She sank back into the sofa, looking up towards the ceiling. "I know," she agreed with a sigh. "That's why it's so silly that I'm getting so worked up over such little things. We're in a war, and I'm worried that my friends don't like me anymore."

She chuckled slightly, though it wasn't a very happy sound. It would probably be easiest if she just came out and said it, though she dreaded the answer. "Ginny," she began, looking back over at her, "would you tell me the truth? Am I really just too much of a pain?"

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not_a_damsel
2009-05-30 03:45 pm UTC (link)

Every word that she seemed to utter gave the redhead more and more cause for worry; while it was true that this couldn't possibly be the biggest problem they were facing at the moment - the more significant of them being Voldemort's existence - she was still worried that something was off. Undeniably, she'd been busy lately with all the preparations for the D.A. and the wedding and all that sort of thing, but she'd been more than aware of the fights between Hermione and her brother, at least, and certainly tried to stay involved in everything else. Was that was this was about?

At the comment about her friends not liking her anymore, Ginny's mouth opened, brows creased in an indignant manner; but then Hermione went on with the chuckle and she shifted against the couch, waiting for whatever question she was obviously waiting to pop. When it did come about, however, Ginny stopped short. Literally, with her light brown eyes frozen on Hermione's. It took her a moment to get her bearings, but when she did, her voice was strong and sure; if she had to be the pillar occasionally for all three of them, so be it.

"Hermione," was her beginning, tone almost stern but certainly no-nonsense; much like her mum's on occasion. "You're not too much of a pain." Reaching up, she pushed the stray lock of hair back behind her ear, sighing at her friend. "You clash with Ron and you always have, and that doesn't change no matter how old you get. For that matter, Mum says that Ron fights with everyone he loves, so don't worry about him." Then, brow creased once again, she went on to ask, "And your friends not liking you?"

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brightestxwitch
2009-05-30 04:02 pm UTC (link)

Hermione knew Ron was difficult. She didn't know why she loved him, but he wouldn't be the same person if he didn't get sullen and difficult over little things that he had no business getting worked up over. Just like she supposed she wouldn't be the same person if she didn't worry over everyone and everything in her life.

"I think Ron and I may just need some time alone... Really alone, not just for a few hours while Harry's visiting you. But this is a terrible time for a vacation, even if it was just for a weekend." And Hermione was flushing slightly at the idea of going away with Ron somewhere, too. She wasn't entirely a prude, but they hadn't gotten very far yet, and it seemed pretty inevitable that if they went away together somewhere, something was going to happen.

She bit her lip at Ginny's next question. This was the harder part. "I just feel like you're slipping away from me... I tend to annoy Harry more often than not anymore, and we don't talk about anything anymore. I know you're both busy, but sometimes I think everyone would be happier if I just went away and didn't bother you."

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not_a_damsel
2009-06-04 02:42 am UTC (link)

As far as Ginny knew - despite the fact that her brother and her friend were undeniably interested - if they went away for a weekend, they were just as likely to blow up at each other and fight all three days than to do anything inappropriate. Still, the slight hint of red to her friend's cheeks was understandable, even if it hadn't much happened to the Weasley girl herself. But then, she had Harry, and he was embarrassed frequently enough for the both of them - particularly thanks to her eldest brother or family in general.

Brows again creasing at the comment about it being a terrible time for a vacation, she again gave Hermione the chance to finish her thought before jumping in, but when she did, it was with a sense of finality. "I think that's brilliant." Crossing her arms loosely - as she often did when she thought - she went on before the brunette could respond. "Terrible times are going to come or they aren't, whether you two are here or not. And it's best to do it now, before--" she paused, thinking of the horrific fate that too many had already met. Finally, softer, she went on. "We don't know what'll happen. So why not?"

The hardest part, however, was what Ginny considered the most ridiculous. Not that she'd belittle Hermione by saying so - insecurities were insecurities, and it wasn't something to reject one over. But after so many years, she really thought that suddenly they disliked her? Already shaking her head by the end of her statement, Ginny clipped the end of her sentence by jumping in with her own uncontrolled reply. "Hardly!" Her arms had fallen loose from where they were crossed across her chest, and she was now gesticulating a little as she spoke, accenting words here and there. "Just because we're busy, Hermione, it doesn't mean we want you to go away." Almost exasperated - not at her, precisely, but just by the fact that there were so many miscommunications - she went on. "And if Harry's annoyed, you have to remember that he's.." Growling to herself, she couldn't hold back the start of the rant that was constantly on the tip of her tongue. "He's facing more than anyone else on earth."

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brightestxwitch
2009-06-06 12:04 am UTC (link)

Because it could be a terrible idea, that was why not. Ginny had a point, they didn't know what this war would bring and there might not be a later chance. But she also knew she'd feel horribly guilty if something happened while she was gone, whether she could have prevented it or not. Still, it was something to talk about with Ron.

And she knew Harry was facing a lot. She'd been around him since they were both eleven, and she knew as well as Ginny did everything he'd been through. She closed her eyes as Ginny started on part of her rant, biting back her own irritation. She could understand where Ron was coming from then; everything was about Harry. She'd been hoping Ginny could reassure her, but if things continued down this track, that wasn't going to happen.

So when she spoke, it was in a calm, measured tone, weighing each word as she said it. "I know he's under a lot of pressure, Ginny. I know everyone's busy. I'm busy, too." She really wasn't sure what else to say. She was still worried, and while she believed Ginny didn't think anything was wrong, that didn't mean Harry felt the same.

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not_a_damsel
2009-06-14 03:38 pm UTC (link)

It was that calm, measured tone which gave Ginny the obvious cue to calm down. That voice, the way she was careful about every word she was saying, made it clear to the youngest Weasley that Hermione wasn't interested in reasoning out why they had fallen apart lately - she was interested in being reassured that Ginny didn't dislike her. It wasn't that the redhead didn't think anything was wrong; if anything, it was the exact opposite, given the fact that she was attempting to work it out at that very moment. But with the circumstances - and with what the pair of them obviously knew about Harry - she was finding it difficult to keep her patience with the brunette in front of her.

So, watching as Hermione bit back her irritation, obviously picking up on the hint that what Ginny was saying wasn't what she wanted to hear - the eyes closing would have been a clue if nothing else - the redhead felt her temper rise, simmering slowly as she waited and listened to the girl sitting in front of her. Everyone was busy? Yes, everyone was busy.

In an outburst much like those she'd never been fantastic at controlling - and most of the time, never intended to control - her voice was slightly sharp as she went on in a retort, "Under a lot of pressure, Hermione? He's been criticized in half the publications in Wizarding England, harassed every time we go out; not to mention the fact that he's going up against one of the most formidable Wizards ever known." She was speaking so rapidly that some of her words were clipped to make room for the next in her speech. "I suppose you know what that's like."

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brightestxwitch
2009-06-15 01:45 am UTC (link)

This really wasn't going well. Hermione knew that part of what she'd wanted out of this conversation were reassurances, but barring that, she actually had wanted to know what she was doing wrong. But now Ginny had gotten her feathers ruffled and was going into mother-hen mode. Was this what Ron felt like every time he tried to talk about things? She certainly hoped not, though she knew she had a tendency to go into protective mode, too.

Anger, frustration, and most of all pain were welling up inside, and she couldn't do anything about any of them. Ginny just wasn't going to listen, not right now. Possibly not ever. Anything she tried to say was going to be seen as an attack on Harry. Ginny didn't seem to realize that she didn't think her problems were bigger than Harry's, but that she still needed to cope with them. Hermione sighed, her hand rubbing over her eyes. "This was a mistake," she murmured, half to herself. She shook her head again, getting to her feet. "I'm just going to go." If she tried to say anything else, things were only going to get worse.

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not_a_damsel
2009-06-15 01:54 am UTC (link)

Well, bloody hell.

The fierceness in the redhead's eyes - the same that was always there, if carefully controlled for when it was needed - wasn't unfamiliar to the fellow Gryffindor, but it dulled just the slightest bit as Hermione's voice went soft and obviously frustrated, and Ginny's lips parted as if to say something as she got up from the couch, making it clear that she intended to leave rather than argue with Ginny. In the deepest and most irritated part of her at the moment, she thought that at least it was good that she recognized there was no fighting with her when it came to what Harry had been through. That wasn't what she had intended to fight about; that wasn't what they had intended to talk about. But when she had made the comment about Harry being more annoyed than not...

Still. Taking a deep breath and forcing herself to calm down in a way she may or may not have been capable of when they were back in school, her voice was only slightly steely when she finally spoke again, getting to her feet and staring after her fellow Gryffindor. "We can talk about it, Hermione," her voice a little wearier than before, "but you have to make allowances." Touching her forehead with one hand, she couldn't help following it up with a quiet sigh. "We all have problems."

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