Project 137.43.M.D.

XXI. | BONA FIDE

XXI.
BONA FIDE
(in good faith)

"Thanks!"

"For what?"

"For literally saving my evening. Do you have wine? James was in a terrible mood all day and Albus screamed himself hoarse. Merlin, I almost broke down with relief when Harry offered to put the two to bed."

Hermione smiled indulgently and closed the door behind Ginny, who stomped past her into the apartment, tossing first her bag and then her jacket onto the sofa in a pretty feisty way.

"Sounds like a great day."

"You bet! The years of relaxing weekends are long gone. I'll give you some good advice, Hermione: If you ever think about having a child, first think of my face tonight."

Ginny pirouetted gracefully and presented Hermione with a skillful grimace that made her snort with laughter.

"I'll keep that in mind," she promised, getting two glasses from the kitchen cupboard to pour them the wine her friend seemed to need so badly.

She let Ginny rant for a while longer and listened to her patiently. At some point, however, Ginny calmed down and eventually ended her tirade after a few sips of white wine. Then she scrambled into her usual cross-legged sitting position and eyed Hermione curiously.

"So, you needed to see me?" she asked formally, and Hermione had to smile again. "All right, hang on. It doesn't happen to have anything to do with a certain blonde ex-Slytherin and super sexy convict that you've been giving some extra care over the past few weeks?"

Hermione rolled her eyes and sighed.

"No?" Ginny's lips curled into an exaggerated pout.

"Actually yes, but not in the way you think. Get your brains out of the gutter, Ginny."

The redhead grinned and seemed unaware of any guilt.

"How come you're suddenly part of Team Malfoy?" Hermione asked, confused by Ginny's abrupt change of heart in relation to a former Death Eater.

It almost seemed like her friend would actually approve of her doing something with Malfoy, which of course she definitely didn't intend to do. She deliberately ignored their kiss at that thought, because she hadn't told Ginny about it yet and actually didn't plan to either.

"I'm not part of Team Malfoy. I'm just pro super sexy convict," Ginny retorted immediately, shrugging nonchalantly. "It's a temporary experiment anyway. And if you think he's hot and he reciprocates that, then I really would be the last one not to grant you a little trip into the chasms of Malfoy Junior. And well, maybe I'm a little selfish too. After all, I basically only live through you these days."

Hermione had to laugh again and shook her curls in bewilderment.

"You're incredible, Ginny, honestly."

The two of them giggled a little longer before Hermione grew serious again. In fact, she had been waiting for Ginny to finally arrive at her apartment longingly all day. She was dying to talk about what she had been mulling over since yesterday's broom race.

"Right, all joking aside. What's going on?"

Ginny had noticed that she couldn't wait to come to the point.

"Like I said, it is about Malfoy." Ginny raised an eyebrow suggestively. Hermione threw a cushion at her, but then continued, "I know we didn't talk about it that much because we wanted to put it behind us, but when I started therapy back then, I told you about my nightmares, didn't I?"