Better Late Than Never

Hermione looked up at the sight of red hair apparating into her living room. “Hey Gin, you’re early.” She suddenly noticed the distant look in Ginny’s eyes. “Is everything all right?”


“I’m so confused, ‘Mione,” Ginny said shaking her head and walking into the kitchen.


Hermione handed the baby to her mother, who was sitting in a chair reading, “I’m sorry, Mum, will you excuse me?” Her mother nodded as Hermione followed Ginny into the kitchen.


Ginny wattintting at the table with her head in her hands. “Gin, what’s going on? What happened?” Hermione asked as she sat next to her sister-in-law.


“Is it too soon?” Ginny asked, not raising her head from her hands.


“Too soon for what?”


“Colin’s been gone for almost a year and a half. Is it too soon from me to… to move on?” Ginny looked up at Hermione through tear-filled eyes.


Hermione put her arm around Ginny trying to comfort her as best she could. “I don’t know. That is all up to you. I’m sure that Colin would want you to be happy. Why? Where did this come from?”


“I had this dream…” Hermione shook her head slightly, as Ginny continued, “You know, I don’t usually listen to dreams, or divination and such, it’s all a bunch of hooey. But I can’t ignore this one.”


Hermione got up to make some tea, sensing that this was the start of a long conversation. Ginny started again, “It started out the same as it usually does…”


“The nightmare with Tom?” Hermione interrupted as she set the tea down on the table.


“Yeah, but it was different. Tom was going after Colin. I watched Colin fall and then felt a warm sensation and Tom disappeared.” Hermione’s eyes got bigger as Ginny spoke, “Colin walked toward me and told me he loved me, to move on, that everything was going to be all right now.”


Hermione sat down across from her sister-in-law and took a sip of her tea. “Gin, you know I don’t believe in dreams and such, either, but this may not have been a dream. I may have actually been Colin reaching out, trying to tell you that it’s time to let go. You’ve cried over him long enough.”


“I was afraid you would say that.” Ginny’s head fell back into her hands.


“What?! Why?!” Hermione looked at humfoumfounded.


“Colin told be exactly why everything would be all right now.”


“And...?”


Ginny took a deep breath. “BecausenowIhaveHarry,” she said softly while looking down into her cup.


“Harry? Gin, that’s wonderful! You and Harry have been frien…”


“I’m scared, Hermione,” Ginny interrupted. “What if he doesn’t feel the same? We’ve been friends for so long, I don’t want it to be awkward. I don’t want it to be…” Ginny shook her head, not knowing what else she wanted to say.


“Ginny, stop this. You know that Harry loves you.”


Ginny looked up at Hermione her eyes full of fear and insecurity, “But is he in love with me? And what about the girls?”


“What about the girls?” Hermione was trying to keep from sounding annoyed. “They love him and he has always treated them as his own.”


“I don’t know… I feel like I’m betraying Colin feeling this way. It’s just too fast.”


Hermione grabbed Ginny’s gaze and cocked an eyebrow, asking, “Ginny, how do you feel about Harry?”


“I don’t know… I have missed him so much. The past couple days with him have been great. I love being around him,” Ginny smiled.


“Gin, you’re smiling!” Hermione gasped. “I haven’t seen you smile in a long time.”


Smiling bigger, Ginny said, “Yeah, I’ve been doing that a lot since he showed up.”


“Gin, I think it’s time. Don’t let him go back to New York without telling him. Do you think he feels the same?”


“I think he does, but I keep pushing him away,” she sighed, tears threatening to well up again.


“Ginny? Why do you push him away?”


Ginny looked seriously into her sister-in-law’s eyes. “Hermione, I have never felt like this.Never. Not even with Colin. When Harry kissed me, I thought I would die from the sensation.”


“Harry kissed you?” Hermione looked shocked. “Why didn’t you tell me that in the first place?”


“What difference does it make?


Hermione grabbed Ginny’s hands to reinforce the point she was trying to make. “Ginny, youknow that Harry doesn’t kiss anyone for the heck of it.”


“Maybe… but he had a lot on his mind. We had been talking about his split with Melissa and Colin’s death. It was probably just a moment of weakness.”


“You are as thick as Ron, I swear!” Hermione said, throwing her hands up in frustration. “This is Harry, we’re talking about here. You have been best friends forever. He kissed you. It must have been good by the way you described your reaction. But if, you are still unsure, he’ll be here this afternoon. We will find out how his lunch went and then I will help yourealize how he feels. All right?”


Ginny looked down at her cup. “All right.”


Hermione got up from the table and went to go into the living room. She stood in the doorway for a moment before calling for Ginny to come over. “Gin, take a look…”


Hermione held the door slightly open as Ginny looked into the living room. Her heart swelled as she saw Harry sitting on the couch holding Ron and Hermione’s new baby. Their twins were sitting on either side of him listening intently as he read them a story. Ron was sitting in a chair reading the Daily Prophet when he saw Ginny watching Harry and the kids. He smiled.


“Harry, can I get you a drink?” Ron asked. Harry shook his head not breaking from his narrations to the children. Ron got up and headed for the kitchen.


He brushed past his sister who was standing in awe watching Harry and the children from the doorway. He kissed Hermione softly on the cheek and then asked, “What’s with her?”


Hermione whispered, “She just woke up to the fact that she has feelings for Harry.”


Ron spat out a laugh.


“What?” Ginny snapped her head around glaring at her brother. “What’s so damned funny, Ronald Weasley?”


“You two are just so damned daft.”


“Ron, language, “Hermione snapped.


Ron looked at his wife with a hurt and angry expression, “Hey… you didn’t yell at her, why me?”


“Because I’m not married to her,” Hermione teased.


“Thank Merlin for that, “Ginny added, “but for your information Ronald, I am not daft!”


“Oh, yes you are, Virginia. You and Harry feel the same way about each other but can’t see it!”


Ginny looked fiercely at her brother. “And what do you know about it?”


“Oh, bloody hell, Gin! He came and talked to me before lunch. He… nevermind.”


“He… what?” Ginny snapped.


“Why don’t you ask him? It’s none of my business,” Ron said as he walked back into the living room.


“HMMPPHH!” Ginny huffed as she stomped out of the back door leaving Hermione in the kitchen laughing to herself.