Hope Floats

Ginny Weasley was seated atop the bed in Hermione's room at 'The Leaky Cauldron', folding Diana's clothes. Hermione sat across from her staring blankly at the wall before her as she took a couple days worth of clothes out for herself.

"Hermione," Ginny called.

"....Hermione...," Ginny called again.

"HERMIONE!" she snapped.

"Uh, er, what?You didn't have to yell like that, Ginny," Hermione responded.

"Oh, yes I did!" Ginny replied.

"You were completely out of it," she added.

"I... I - know," Hermione offered solemnly.

"Well, go on, out with it," Ginny supplied in effort to encourage her.

"We - We were so... Happy, Gin," Hermione admitted, the tears now silently rolling down her cheeks.

"I know, luv, I know," she said as she went to go hug Hermione, "I saw how you would look at him,"

Hermione broke down just then, sobbing as she gripped Ginny's shoulders for support. She felt as if her world had ended, her life destroyed. She'd have to rebuild it, rebuild everything; and she had to start with herself.

With this thought in mind, Hermione pulled away from her sister-in-law and wiped away her tears. Ginny took Hermione's face in her hands and looked her right in the eye. She'll be damned before anyone ever avoids her attention.

"Hermione, you listen to me," Ginny said as she continued to stare at her sister-in-law," My brother....is SCUM. He hurt you, and he hurt my niece, and for that - i'll never forgive him,"

"You're speaking nonsense Ginny, He's your BROTHER. I'm just the woman that married him," Hermione said as she pulled her face away and tore her eyes to the floor.

"First of all," Ginny told her, "Keep your chin up,"

"Second of all: Family, is what you make it," she stated, "You are family, blood or not."

"Besides," she began with a mischievous smile, "Chicks before dicks,"

Hermione gasped with the crudeness of it, but couldn't help smiling at her sister.

"There you go! Who said anyone ever needed cheering charms?" she jested.

Hermione smiled once more, although this time, she tried to hide it.

"Oh, I saw that Miss Granger," Ginny teased, " You can't fool me, there's hope for you yet. Before you know it, you'll be out there giving chase to all the magical men - available or not,"

"Sometimes I think you're downright wicked," Hermione admitted with a raised brow.

Ginny simply grinned for effect.

"What was this you said about Miss Granger?" Hermione prodded afterwards.

"Well, you certainly don't plan on staying married to him, do you?" Ginny asked.

"Well....I suppose you're right," she confessed.

"Right then, a new name requires a new setting..." Ginny hinted.

"I have yet to figure that out," Hermione said mostly to herself.

"Well, I have a small house in Hogsmead...That is if you'd want to stay there. You and the little bug," Ginny offered.

"Ginny, we could never impose upon you!" Hermione exclaimed, "Besides, I doubt we'd fit,"

"Sure you would. There's nothing a few flicks of a wand can't fix," she asserted with a smile.

"I don't know...." she trailed off.

"Come on, Give it a shot, just until you get on your own two feet again," Ginny offered once more.

"Alright then, Maybe just a little while," she said in acquiescence.

Ginny smiled and went off to find Diana.

*****************************************************

"Alright, little bug, let's go to Florean Fortescue's to stuff our faces with ice cream while mummy mopes a little while," Ginny offered kindly.

" That sounds great! But, I don't know if we should leave mummy all by herself. Won't she be sad?" the little girl inquired.

"Yes, she will be sad. Sometimes people need to be sad for awhile before they can get happy again," Ginny informed.

"How long will mummy be sad for?" she asked, half fearing the answer her aunt would give her.

"I don't know, luv. Mummy just went through something awful. She needs time to heal. How much time, no one knows. It's really up to her, isn't it?" she replied.

"I guess so," Diana said sadly.

"Ah, but don't you go getting a long face! I, have a surprise for you!" Ginny said excitedly.

"Really?! What is it?!" Diana said, her mummy temporarily forgotten.

"You and your mummy are coming to live with me in Hogsmead!" her aunt told her.

Diana's face lit up as she heard the good news. She had always wanted to live in Hogsmead. 'HARRY LIVES IN HOGSMEAD!' she thought excitedly. Harry always gave the best of presents to his little God Daughter. He didn't show up very often, but she knew him alright.

She took her Aunt's hand as she led her to the brick wall that concealed 'Diagon Alley'. Diana took in all the wonderful sites as she was lead to the ice cream shop. She'd been here before a couple times. Once with her mummy, and once with grandma Weasley. The excitement she felt was palpable. Not only was she with Ginny, but she got to have icecream in DIAGON ALLEY!

The two young ladies spent the rest of the day chatting in the ice cream parlor as a certain brown eyed woman watched through the window of her room.

A/N: And there is chapter TWO! I did change it some because I have to be faithful to TWO works of art. therefore I can't make it EXACTLY like the movie, although I'd love to. I hope you like it! Being that Hermione's mother is a muggle, I can't have her go live with her mother and fall in love with Harry all at once. And for all of you waiting for Harry to show up, keep the patience up, he's coming.