Chasing Her Heart

The Only Thing That's Killing Me, Makes Me Feel So Alive

The summer had ended, and the girls began their seventh year, along with Harry and Luna. Hermione took up her position of Head Girl while Harry and Ginny began preparing for the upcoming quidditch season. Today was their first practice and while she had been invite to watch, Hermione couldn't pass up the opportunity to spend some time with a good book. She became so absorbed in the book that she didn't notice Ginny leaning on the door frame to her room.

Ginny wasn't sure how long she had been standing there, watching the older girl, but she just couldn't help but admire her. She had caught herself watching Hermione more and more since that night by the pond and every time she caught herself doing so, the pain in her heart hurt worse. She quickly gave up trying to convince herself that she felt nothing but friendship for the other girl.

Never before had she felt like this over a boy, even Harry, who for so long she thought she was in love with. It wasn't until last year that she realized, she was in love with the idea of Harry, not Harry himself. She didn't even feel attracted to him. He was still scrawny, even after years of her mom trying her best to get some meat to stick to him. His hair was always disheveled, and his glasses never seemed to sit properly on his face. That effects of that night had really forced Ginny to examine herself. She was startled too realize she had never actually been attracted to any of the guys she had dated. She had gone out with them because they had been interested in her. She hadn't actually felt anything towards them. She just figured it would come with time, or they just weren't the right one. But when she thought about it more she could recall feeling attraction (or what she thought was jealousy at the time) towards many girls of the school. Their legs, their lips, hell even their asses and chests.

She had spent a lot of time during the last weeks of summer taking in this realization and trying to come to terms with it. Honestly, she still didn't know if she had actually come to terms with it at all. She still hadn't gathered up enough courage to talk to anyone yet about what was going on inside her head. But as she stood there, all she could think about was how beautiful Hermione was. Ginny, still doubted the other girl believed what she had said that night. Even now, wearing a pair of old jeans, a baggy jumper, her hair thrown up in a messy bun, and reading a book, Hermione looked amazing to Ginny. Glancing at the book title quickly, Ginny smiled and shook her head. Honestly, That girl read Hogwarts, A History at least once a year. Hermione still hadn't noticed Ginny standing in the door so the redhead quietly walked over to the sofa and flopped down next to her.

"Merlin, Ginny!" Hermione exclaimed. "You just scared the daylights out of me."

"Sorry, Mione." Ginny said chuckling, "I just couldn't resist. You looked so comfortable, I thought I'd join you."

"Yeah right. I'm sure that was it." Hermione replied with a roll of her eyes. "What are you doing back here so early anyway? Practice is supposed to last all afternoon."

"Well..." Ginny started "After Dean threw up and and the two new beaters just about passed out, we made Harry call it an afternoon. He has this whole new approach to training that I guess he got from muggle sports teams. The spend just as much time on physical conditioning as they do their actual game skills."

"So what did he have everyone doing that made Dean throw up?" Hermione asked.

"Uh, well, he started us out running two miles then had all these weight and agility training things set up along with a whole bunch of exercises we had to do in between. He said he wanted to up our endurance so we can keep sharp during those games when the snitch just doesn't want to show."

"Well I can't fault his logic Ginny," Hermione said, "but that seems a bit much for your first practice."

"You're telling me" Ginny laughed. "But he said we don't have the luxury of easing into everything. Our first game is in two weeks. He even said everyone has to run two miles everyday we don't have practice. He better hope his plan works or I'm personally going to make him run ten miles while an angry troll chases after him. And he won't have his wand."

"Remind me never to get on your bad side" Hermione laughed and gave Ginny a light push on the shoulder.

Before she could stop it, Ginny let out a small gasp at Hermione's hand on her shoulder. She had done her best to try and act like she normally would around the brunette the past several weeks but she felt like it was getting harder. She thought she had been doing a pretty decent job of it, but feeling the warmth of Hermione's hand through her thin cotton t-shirt sent an electric current through her body and she couldn't stop the small gasp from escaping her lips.

"What?!" Hermione asked looking nervous. "Did that hurt? Is something wrong?"

"Oh no, it's fine Mione." Ginny said, quickly thinking of how to cover it up. "I guess I'm just a little sore. I might be in a lot better shape than most of the knuckleheads on the team, but Harry's practice was pretty intense."

"Well," said Hermione biting her lip, "if you want, I could give you a hand with some of those muscles."

"Not quite following you, Mione" the redhead replied looking confused.

"A massage Gin" the older girl laughed. "It'll help loosen up some of the stiffness is your muscles and let

At the mention of a massage, Ginny momentarily forgot about what just happened when Hermione barely touch her shoulder and she couldn't stop the giant grin that spread across her face. "Really? That would be amazing! Are you sure you wouldn't mind?"

"It wouldn't be a problem at all Gin" Hermione replied, amused at the other girl's excitement. "Why don't you use my bath and hop in a hot shower real quick. It will help to start loosening those muscles. I'll set some stuff up to make the room completely relaxing while you do that. Fresh towels are hanging up in there."

"Thanks Mione" Ginny called over her shoulder as she made her way to the bathroom. It wasn't until she had shut the door that Hermione was about to have her hands all over her skin."

Oh Merlin, Ginny thought as she got undressed, this is a bad idea. I shouldn't have jumped at the word massage without thinking this through. I couldn't even keep it together when she barely touched me. How the hell am I going to keep it together when her hands are all over me? And there is no way I can back out now without her nagging me to tell her why until I break.

Realizing she had just signed herself up for pure torture, Ginny stepped under the shower spray .