Alright, you'll asked for it, so here it is! The second chapter to Before the Day Ends. I hope you like it. I hope it's not too cheesy or cliche...in fact, let's just call it sweet : ) Let me know what you think in a review! Thanks.

Hermione could feel him shaking in his sleep. She felt him clutching his stomach, heard his anguished whisper of "no".

She turned around toward him, "Ron?" she asked, shaking his shoulder lightly, "Ron, wake up."

He had snuck into Ginny's room in the middle of the night. He knew Ginny wouldn't tell. He had laid down so effortlessly next to her that at first she didn't know if he was a dream or if he was real, until he kissed her neck—their nightly ritual before sleep.

"Please," she pleaded, "just open your eyes."

Wearily, as if afraid, blue peaked out from beneath nearly invisible eyelashes.

"Hey," she said, searching out his gaze.

""Mione?" he asked sleepily.

"You were having a night mare," she explained, kissing his red and puffy cheek.

"I'm sorry," he whispered kissing her ear in return. "Let's go back to sleep. I don't want to wake Ginny." He gazed temporarily over Herimone's shoulder.

"Is it anything you want to talk about?" Hermione asked, knowing the answer was probably going to be no.

"No, it's just images. I'll try not to be so loud next time." Ron explained.

Hermione looked at him again, seeing the sadness that lurked just beneath his expression, "What kind of images?"

Ron shrugged as best as he could from his position on the bed, "Nothing really, just our trip. The places we went, the things that happened."

Hermione half nodded, snuggling her face into Ron's chest, "Like Malfoy Manor?"

Ron nodded again, then remembered she couldn't see him, "Ya, like Malfoy Manor, and the battle. And other things I just can't seem to forget."

"Why don't you tell me about them? I'm a good listener, I promise."

Ron smiled at the top of Hermione's hair, her voice muffled because of their current positioning.

Ron closed his eyes again, remembering the dream he was so desperate to forget.

"Presumptions!" echoed the Riddle-Hermione, who was more beautiful and yet more terrible than the real Hermione… "Who could look at you, who would ever look at you, beside Harry Potter? What have you ever done, compared with the Chosen One? What are you, compared with the Boy Who Lived?"

Ron tightened his embrace on the brown haired girl in his arms, "Hermione?" He asked, opening his eyes again to look at her. "There is something I need to talk to you about."

"Okay," Hermione nodded.

Ron looked at Ginny again, shaking his head, "Just, understand, okay, that if I don't tell you now, I don't think I'll ever tell you."

Hermione nodded, leaning away from Ron in order to see him a little more clearly in the night light.

"When I left you, I knew I had made a mistake right away. And, just so you know Hermione, I'm never going to leave you again."

"Ron, stop it, I know you're sorry, and I'm sorry about it all too, but you don't have to explain yourself. I understand."

"Do you?" Ron questioned. "Harry never told you what really happened with the locket, did he?"

Hermione looked at him seriously and whispered, "No, why, what happened?"

"I grabbed him out of the pond, and we went to destroy the locket with the sword, but before we could, the locket did something." He looked at her grimly, "It opened up. And you came out of it. Wait, don't say anything Hermione, I know you want to know more and I'm going to tell you, but just let me say it all, ok?"

Hermione nodded, biting back the question she was about to ask him before he quieted her.

"You and Harry came out of it. And you, well, not you, but Riddle you said some stuff. Stuff about me not being good enough for you, about how I'll never be good enough for anyone—especially when compared to Harry."

Ron's ears had turned red, blood was rushing to his cheeks, but somehow, knowing Hermione couldn't see his coloring face in the darkness gave him courage to keep going.

"The thing is, Hermione, I have known I've liked you for the longest time. I've never, for one moment, thought I deserved you."

"Ronald, seriously, you are the thickest bloke I've ever met. You're sleeping in my cot for goodness sake!"

"Shhh, Hermione, I know, but just listen," Ron pleaded, trying to quiet her down. "All I'm saying, Hermione, is that I know that now, but I didn't then. Then, that day in the woods, with everything out in the open, I couldn't handle it—until Harry explained some things to me."

"Like what?"

"Like your relationship to him and his to you."

"Oh."

"Yah."

"So, why are you telling me all of this?" Hermione questioned.

"Dunno really, just wanted to be honest with you I guess," he shrugged again.

"Oh."

"I think I'm just trying to tell you that I'm never going to let that happen again."

"Let what happen again?"

Ron looked guiltily away, "I'm never going to leave you again, I want you in my future Hermione, and if that means I have to grow up and stop getting jealous of every bloke who comes in ten meters of you, then that's what I'm going to have to do."

He raised he hand off Hermione's back and held it to his heart, "I solemnly swear to never get jealous of another friend of yours or mine, no matter what kind of eyes he is giving you, and to never leave you again, no matter how big our fight is."

Hermione sighed, "how do you know we'll never fight again? Maybe I like fighting," Hermione blushed in the darkness, "maybe I like the way you look when your fighting."

Ron laughed softly to which Hermione slapped him lightly on the arm, "Hey, no laughing. I just figured you were putting yourself on the line then I should stand up there with you."

"So we can fall together?" Ron asked, winking.

Now it was Hermione's turn to laugh, "Exactly." There was a moment of silence before Hermione said, "And maybe I like that you're a little protective of me—A little, mind you, not a lot. I think it's sweet."

Ron thought it over, "Well, how bout I swear to try to never get jealous again and you swear to put me in my place if it crosses the line from sweet to not so sweet?"

And with that, in very Ron fashion, he kissed Hermione, just a peck, then backed away, "Now the swear is sealed."

"Let's seal it again," whispered Hermione, kissing Ron on the jaw line.

Ron didn't even bother answering, leaning lower to kiss Hermione again. Just a chaste kiss: something sweet and sincere.

When he broke away he looked at her, imploring her to understand him. "We shouldn't do this here," he looked pointedly at Ginny.

Hermione nodded, "Ok," she said, nudging his chest with her head, "let's just go to sleep?"

"Goodnight Hermione," Ron said, kissing Hermione once more.

"Sleep well," Hermione replied hugging Ron tighter.

I'ld just like to point out before you go and review (wink wink) that this story is a partner to my other story "The Morning After", so if you like this, you'll hopefully enjoy that one.

Hope you liked it! : ) and review, thanks!