"GINNY!" Molly Weasley's voice penetrated up through the floor, and Hermione, already fully dressed and reading a book on counter-curses, laughed as Ginny groaned and rolled over in bed.

"Do you think we can really pretend we didn't hear that?" Ginny asked, a disgruntled expression on her face.

Hermione shrugged. "I suppose you could just about have slept through it," she suggested doubtfully.

"Good," Ginny said, relieved. "Merlin, I am not looking forward to this. I hate shopping with Mum. No doubt she'll want to buy me the rattiest set of robes in existence," she muttered grumpily. "And it'll be even worse than usual without you lot there."

"Trust me, I wish I was going," Hermione said darkly. She did. She wished that she was going back to school as normal, that she hadn't had to erase her parents' memories, that Voldemort wasn't out there killing and torturing and gradually taking over the Wizarding world. But wishing wasn't going to do anything about it.

Ginny snorted. "Really? I'd swap any day. I'm so sick of being stuck in school and not being able to do anything useful in the world. I'd much rather go off and fight evil with Harry," she said longingly.

"You make it sound so glamorous," Hermione laughed. "It won't be like that at all."

"I know," Ginny sighed. "I shouldn't complain. But I just can't help wishing it didn't matter that it would draw attention to my family, or that I still have the Trace on me. Because... I'd be with him," she said in a small voice.

There was a sad silence between the two girls, broken only by Mrs Weasley's continuing calls, and Hermione was overwhelmed by sympathy for Ginny. The poor girl, hopelessly in love with the Boy Who Lived since the age of eleven, was being left behind on the sidelines yet again, just as it had started to look like she was going to get her happy ending. At least Hermione would have Ron where she could look out for him...

Ginny heaved herself up out of bed. "Just getting dressed, Mum!" she yelled, walking over to her wardrobe on the other side of the room and grabbing some clothes.

Hermione sighed. "Ginny?" she asked tentatively.

"Mm?"

"Being in love... what does it feel like?"

Ginny smiled knowingly, a little sadness in her eyes. "Well I don't know if it's the same for everyone, but for me... I get distracted from everyday tasks just thinking about him. When he's not around, I imagine myself having conversations with him, what he'd do and say. I imagine spending the rest of my life with him, despite the fact that we're not even together anymore. And then I get so infuriated by it that I wonder why I feel like this at all. But I do, and I can't help it."

Hermione nodded; these were all-too-familiar feelings to her. "I'm sorry, Ginny," she said quietly.

Ginny shrugged. "Don't be. It's what I signed up for, dating the Chosen One."

"But it's still not fair," Hermione insisted.

"Life's not fair." There was a pause, and Ginny started to get dressed into her Muggle jeans and t-shirt. "You should tell Ron how you feel, by the way," she said, grinning mischievously.

Hermione noted the abrupt change of subject; Ginny was obviously more upset about all of this than she was willing to let on. Hermione decided to humour her, however. "Hey, I never said it was Ron I was talking about!" she said indignantly.

"You didn't, but I'm not blind," Ginny told her, smirking. "I've seen the way you look at him."

"Am I really that obvious?" Hermione asked in exasperation.

"Yes," Ginny said simply. "So tell him, because he's a guy and he needs things spelt out for him."

She makes it sound so easy, Hermione thought. "Okay, I like him," she confessed. "But I... I don't know how to tell him," she said, feeling foolish.

"It doesn't matter," Ginny told her. "Just say whatever comes into your head. Then even if he doesn't feel the same - which, for the record, I'm pretty certain he does - at least you'll know, and you'll be able to move on. What have you got to lose?"

It was a rhetorical question, but Hermione had actually given it a lot of thought over the past few months. "Everything," she whispered. "We're in a time of war, Ginny. Either one of us could die. I could lose him, just when I've found him."

"Which is exactly why you should make the most of the time you have," Ginny told her urgently. "Whatever happens to Harry, I've always got the memories of those few months I had with him before Dumbledore died. Those are special."

Hermione sighed; Ginny had a point. "I... I suppose I'll talk to him when I get the chance, then," she said uncertainly.

"Good." Ginny looked as if she was about to say something else, but couldn't find the words. Then, "When are you... leaving?"

"I don't know," Hermione told her truthfully. "Harry seems to want to get away as quickly as possible, so it'll probably be pretty soon after the wedding."

"GINEVRA!" Molly's screech interrupted them, and Ginny made a face: she was obviously in trouble if her mother was addressing her by her full name. "We don't have all day!"

"Alright, keep your hair on, Mum!" she shouted exasperatedly. "I'm coming!" She put down her hairbrush and got up, starting to leave, but she lingered in the doorway. She turned back to Hermione. "I... I suppose there's no point in me asking where you're going again?"

Hermione shook her head apologetically. As much as she wanted to tell Ginny about the Horcruxes, she knew that Harry would never forgive her if she did. "It's not because we don't trust you, Ginny, because we do. It's just... Dumbledore said not to tell anyone. Besides, you'll be in a school with Death Eaters - they'll be sure to target you."

Ginny nodded. "Fair enough. But just... look after them, will you?"

"I will," Hermione promised. "I'll do everything I can to keep them safe."

"Thanks. I mean, I knew you would anyway, but it's nice to hear you say it," Ginny told her. She stood awkwardly by the entrance to her room for a few more seconds before her mother called yet again. "I'll see you later," she said hastily, closing the door, and Hermione heard her almost sprint down the stairs.

Sighing, Hermione attempted to go back to her book, but for once in her life she found that she couldn't concentrate. Ginny's words had left her head reeling. She knew that she'd had feelings for Ron for years, but now they were really building up and the thought that either of them could die before she had the chance to let him know was starting to become unbearable.

She needed to tell him soon.

A/N: I've always imagined a little scene like this at the beginning of DH. I think Ginny would definitely be the person Hermione talked about this kind of thing with. :)

This was written for the Canon Relationships Challenge and Ancient Runes on the School Subjects Competition, both on HPFC.

Disclaimer: I'd love to be J K Rowling, but unfortunately I'm not. Oh well.