This will be a collection of talks between Hermione and Ginny, all set during Half-Blood Prince. This isn't really a story; more of a collection of related one-shots. A 'missing moments' fic, I believe it's called.

Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter. I don't make profit off JKR's words.

Setting: This conversation takes place during chapter five, "An Excess of Phlegm." It's at the Burrow, the night before Harry comes.

Waiting for Harry

Hermione knocked on Ginny's door.

"Who is it?" a muffled voice called.

"It's me."

"Come in."

Hermione walked in, but stopped short when she saw Ginny. Ginny was bent over, her head at her knees with her long hair almost touching the ground. She was vigorously brushing her hair.

"What on earth are you doing?"

"Brushing my hair," Ginny said, voice still muffled.

"Why? It's almost bedtime," Hermione said as she sat on the bed.

"It's important to brush your hair, Hermione," Ginny said. Finally finished, she straightened up and flipped her hair behind her.

Hermione eyed her for a moment, before breaking out into a slightly evil grin.

"You think Harry might get here early, don't you?" she asked wickedly.

"What does Harry's arrival have to do with my hair care?" Ginny asked, not quite meeting Hermione's eyes.

"Don't play innocent with me, Ginny."

"Oh, fine," Ginny sighed, defeated. She sat down next to Hermione on the bed. "I thought he might get here early—the boy never could follow a plan—and I figured it couldn't hurt to look okay for him."

"Oh, Ginny."

"Don't 'oh, Ginny' me," she snapped.

"Moving on didn't work so well?" Hermione asked gently.

Ginny shook her head.

"What about Dean?"

"Oh, Dean's great," Ginny said quickly.

"But what about Harry?" Hermione asked, genuinely confused.

"What about Harry?"

"You're brushing your hair for him," Hermione said, as if that explained everything.

"That doesn't mean I don't like Dean."

"But—you just said moving on wasn't working."

"Well… it is, but it isn't," Ginny said slowly.

"Oh, good," Hermione said sarcastically, "that clears that up."

"Hermione," Ginny whined, "I'm confused, okay? I'm sorry if I can't explain myself to you."

Hermione didn't know what to say, but she also knew better than to say something stupid just for the sake of saying something. Instead, she gave the younger girl a quick hug and prepared to leave the room.

Just as she stepped into the hall, though, Fleur's feather-light, perfect footsteps could be heard coming up the stairs. Without pause, Hermione swept back into Ginny's room.

"I'm sorry, Ginny," Hermione whispered, "I just can't take a conversation with her right now."

"I know what you mean," Ginny said with a weak smile. "It's fine. I was getting bored, anyway."

"You mean Fleur's riveting conversations about her figure don't enthrall you?" Hermione asked, still in a voice barely above a whisper.

"Were you always this sarcastic?" Ginny asked.

"It comes and goes," Hermione said. She spoke normally now that Fleur's footsteps couldn't be heard. The danger was past.

"Well, Fleur really seems to bring it out of you," Ginny said.

"That's what Ron said."

"Ron," Ginny muttered disgustedly, "you'd think he'd be used to her by now."

"You really would," Hermione said dejectedly.

Ginny studied Hermione. She was sorely tempted to keep the conversation on Ron, but she suspected Hermione would leave if she did. Hermione tended to do that whenever Ron's name came up with another female's.

Ginny was, to put it mildly, suspicious. However, as the only girl in a large family, she also had some tact; she let Hermione think her feelings were a secret.

"How do you think Harry will react to her?" Ginny asked after a pause.

Hermione smiled knowingly.

"Don't look at me like that," Ginny protested.

"Like what?" Hermione asked innocently.

"You know what I mean."

"I don't know how he'll react," Hermione said, becoming serious again, "I'm more worried about how he's reacting to Sirius' death."

"I hope he's okay," Ginny murmured.

The two girls looked at each other sadly. Both knew Harry was far from okay, but neither could bring themselves to actually say it aloud.

"He was so angry last year," Hermione remarked.

"Remember how he yelled at Grimmauld Place?" Ginny asked.

"Do I remember?" Hermione asked incredulously. "I was there. Trust me, I remember."

"He can be loud when he wants to," Ginny said softly.

"Yes, he most certainly can," Hermione said vehemently.

For some reason, this comment struck both girls as hilarious. They burst into laughter.

"Oh, Merlin," Ginny said as she calmed down, "I'm not even sure what's so funny about that."

"This must be one of those laughs that releases tension, instead of a reaction to something that's actually funny," Hermione said as her giggles slowed.

"You're too smart for your own good, Hermione," Ginny said. "Why do you even know that?"

Hermione seemed puzzled for a moment.

"I don't know where I heard it. I must have read it somewhere," she said with a shrug.

"You read too much," Ginny said simply.

"That's what Ron says."

Once again, Ginny had to exercise great self-restraint. For a smart girl, Hermione could be really thick sometimes.

The kitchen door squeaked. Ginny and Hermione stared at each other, frozen.

"He's here," Ginny breathed.

"He can't be," Hermione said, "it's too early."

"Since when has anything Harry's been involved with gone according to plan?"

"This is a stupid argument," Hermione said briskly, "I'll go see if it's him."

Hermione tip-toed into the hallway and peeked over the stairwell. She could just make out Tonks taking off her coat in the kitchen.

With a defeated sigh, Hermione turned to go back into Ginny's room, but collided with Ginny herself.

"Watch where you're going," Ginny hissed.

"Don't sneak up on people," Hermione hissed back.

"Is it him?"

"No."

"Damn."

"I know."

"Why are we whispering?"

"Because Fleur has remarkable hearing."

They walked back into Ginny's room.

"Who is it?" Ginny asked as soon as the door was closed.

"Tonks," Hermione said.

"Again?"

"Again."

"Something's going on with her," Ginny said.

"I know," Hermione agreed, "she's really not taking Sirius's death well."

"I don't think that's it," Ginny said slowly.

"What else could it be?" Hermione asked.

"I'm not exactly sure."

They were quiet, lost in thought.

"Well," Hermione said with a yawn, "we're not going to figure it out tonight. I'm going to bed."

"I might as well, too," Ginny said.

"Not going to wait up for Harry?" Hermione teased.

"No," Ginny said with great dignity, "I'm going to go to sleep."

"Don't toss and turn too much," Hermione said as she left, "it'll mess up your hair."

"I hope Fleur corners you on the way to your room."

Hermione stuck her tongue out at Ginny, waved her 'good night' and left the room.

xxxxx

xxxxx

Thanks for reading.

See you at the next chapter, I hope.