I am so sorry about the long wait. My exams were long and I had to spend all my time studying. But they are now over and I am now free to give you what you have been waiting for. I really do hope you enjoy this chapter.

Harry woke up as the first rays of the sunlight began to sip through the window. He turned and watched Hermione as she slept. She looked so peaceful that what they had done last night felt like it had been the right thing to do. He knew that he did not feel the list bit guilty and hoped that she wouldn't either.

He propped himself up on his elbows and looked at her steadily moving breasts with want and listened to her steady breathing, while he thought back to her moans last night, and felt himself stiffen at the thought.

Last night was so wonderful that I just don't want this to end. He thought sadly.

He started reaching for her but he retained himself. Reaching out for her would mean having to risk waking her up, and he was not ready to face her rejection if she felt like what they had done had been a mistake. So he continued to stare at his wild beauty with longing knowing that just this once she was his, but for how long was indeed the most important question.

Then suddenly, as if she had heard his thoughts, she began to stir. She turned to face him and slowly opened her eyes. At first she seemed to not know what had happened and with whom she was, but then suddenly realisation dawned on her face.

'Harry we didn't…' she implied tentatively, while covering herself with the bed spread and wincing at her soreness.

Oh no please don't tell me that she forgot and if she didn't please don't tell me that she's going to act like she didn't care for it and wants to forget this happened! He thought panic stricken, but then he calmed himself and answered her steadily.

'If you're asking if we had sex the answer is yes.'

'I know we had sex it's just that I can't believe we did.'

'So you remember everything and you're not mad at me?' he asked trying to get some kind of reaction out of her.

'If I should be mad at anyone it should be at me for being so stupid and vulnerable!'

'Oh stop it Hermione. You're being too hard on yourself and you are not being vulnerable. Just tell me that last night wasn't a mistake. That you loved it as much as I did. That you needed it as much as I did.'

'As much as I want to Harry I just don't know what to say to you anymore. Last night should not-'

'Don't you dare Hermione! Don't you dare say that it should not have happened when we both know that we both wanted it and needed it! For goodness sake woman for once in your life admit how you really feel!' he pleaded.

'Oh Harry,' she sobbed, 'don't you think that I wish things were as simple as you make them out to be, but they aren't. I still love Ronald and I'm afraid that what happened last night was brought on by my longing for him.'

'You're lying to me and I want you to stop it. Stop protecting him because he sure as hell isn't right now. You get me so angry at times woman and I hate that you have that kind of power over me. Can't you see that he's not in love with you but rather that he's in love with the idea of being with you? You love me and we both know it. He doesn't have the love I have for you and seeing you running after him like that is really a hard pill to swallow. So stop messing around and admit that you damn well wanted to shag me and you enjoyed it!'

'Why are you being so harsh to me?' she replied sobbing.

She could not believe that Harry was speaking to her in that manner, but it did make her realise that she really did want this last night as much as he did. It had been because she had asked him to that he remained, and she was as much responsible for this as he was. What she could not figure out was the reason why she would not allow herself to be happy and accept what Harry was offering.

Why am I pushing him away? Why won't I let myself succumb to my love for him? Isn't that what I've wanted to hear for so long? She asked herself while looking into his frustrated glare.

'Harry I did want last night to happen. No let me finish,' she commanded so that he wouldn't interrupt her, 'and it was wonderful and I don't regret it. Given the chance I would do it all over again.'

'But…'

'I don't want to ruin your relationship with Ron. You two have been friends for so long and I won't be able to live with myself knowing that I caused you two to break up something so sacred.'

'Hermi you have nothing to do with him and me.'

'Yes I do and I feel responsible.'

'We are grown men and he'll get over it!'

'No he won't, you saw how he reacted last night '

'Hermione like I said before you're being flipping ridiculous. Stop sacrificing yourself for that prat it's not worth it Hermi! I know Ron better than you do and he will get over. This is like the Triwizard Tournament all over again. Damn it, let yourself be happy for once,' he implored with his voice breaking with each word.

'Harry I have thought this over again and again and I have made my decision. I am going to remain with Ron and make it work.'

'Yea and forget about us and act like this never happened? Hermione you know that things do not work that way. He broke up with you!'

'Then we will make it that way.'

'I refuse to do what you are asking of me!'

'Please Harry, let's not make this more than it really is,' she implored while fighting to prevent the tears that were building up in her eyes from rolling down onto her blotched cheeks.

'Hermione I love you, and if you see my love as making this more than it should be then you really don't deserve it.'

Harry had had enough of her continuous denial of their affection for one another, and if being with Ron was really what she wanted even with the knowledge that he loved her, and was willing to fight everybody to be with her and after the fact they had slept together, then he really would let her go. He picked up his wand from where it lay on the bedside table and summoned his clothes. He then proceeded to put them on and began to leave the room when Hermione's voice stopped him in his tracks.

'Harry I am so sorry but I think that this is the best thing for the both of us.'

'Is it really?' he asked turning around to show her the painful look on his face to let her know how much she was hurting him.

She simply hung her head and wiped furiously at her tears.

'Just what I thought. I hope you enjoy continuing to play this charade with our hearts because I'm done playing. I gave you my heart and you took it for granted.'

With that he turned around and opened the door and exited the room. He walked up to his room and took a shower to get rid of the all signs of their love making the night before and to wash away his pain which turned out to be a lame attempt. Then he dressed and headed downstairs into the kitchen for breakfast, which he quickly prepared with one wave of his wand and he then sat down at the table and began to eat while losing himself in his thoughts.

It was a Sunday morning, and he thanked God for that. This gave him some time to pull himself together in order to go to work at the Ministry of Magic on Monday morning. After they had defeated Voldemort and his band of faithful Death Eaters, Ron and Harry had decided to sign up for the auror training program that the Ministry had set up due to the fact that they had lost mostly all their aurors in the final battle. It had been a terrible period which had followed the defeat of Lord Voldemort. Yes he was gone and both the Magical and Muggle world alike were saved, but in the aftermath many people discovered that they had lost their loved ones and friends and now, 5 years later, they were still rebuilding many cities throughout England.

Hermione had decided to become a Healer instead of branching of into a muggle field as she had intended to do while at Hogwarts because she had seen how important their jobs were when they had the task to heal all the wounded after the battle. It had fascinated her and now she was Healer Granger, one of the youngest in her field at the age of 22.

That thought brought Harry back in touch with the reality of their current situation. After the battle, Hermione and Ron had decided to go out with each other because they had decided that life was too short to waist anymore time playing their petty hate game, and that having almost died during the battle, they had sought love and comfort in each other. However, as the years went by, Harry observed that the more they grew older the more his love for Hermione grew while Ron and Hermione's relationship lost a lot of its initial meaning. Yes he did not doubt that they loved each other, but not the way that Harry and Hermione loved each other. Hermione was settling for Ron because it was a familiar and comfortable relationship. While there was nothing really wrong with that, there was still the fact that Hermione was putting her life on hold. He had witnessed many fights between Ron and her over the pettiest of things and he had always been the one to comfort her.

He remembered the time when Ron had brought up marriage and Hermione had brushed it aside quickly saying that it was way too soon to consider marriage. Ron had been deeply hurt and they had broken up and a month later. However, with Harry's help, they had found their way to each other. Harry now bitterly regretted his actions. Yes at that time he wasn't the least bit sorry that they had broken up, but he had not realised how much he did love her.

If I hadn't done that, maybe today she and I would be together and we would not be having a big fight over this! He thought to himself. But he had not and now he believed that he was paying for having acted too late.

He continued eating his breakfast in silence until a sudden noise made him stopped. He turned towards the kitchen door and he saw Hermione standing before it with all her luggage floating around her. She looked enchanting in her white and yellow floral dress with white accessories to match, except that her tear stained face made her look like a martyr. She looked at him sadly and smiled, and then she stepped into the kitchen with her luggage in tow.

Harry put his fork down slowly and calmed himself before he spoke to her.

'Where are you going with your luggage?'

'Harry, I've thought about this and I can't keep doing this to you. Living here has become unbearable and I think I would be right in saying that it has been for the both of us,' she sobbed trying her best to keep her voice steady and wiping away her tears,

'I love you so much and I've hurt you so much and I'm so sorry. Oh Harry,' she exclaimed when he got up and hugged her.

'Are you sure you want to leave?'

'Yes. I've been saving up quite a bit of money since I started working and I have enough to get myself an apartment in a good neighbourhood.'

'Ok, then stay until you have found one.'

'No. It's too much. I'll be staying at a friend's house until I find one, and I'll move on from there.'

'What about Ron?'

'I'm not sure. I really don't want to talk about him right now,' she told him while pulling away.

'I understand. When will I see you again?'

'I think it would be best if we don't for a while ok.'

'If that's what you want then so be it,' he said turning away from her.

She pulled him to turn him around and tried to kiss him, but he stopped her and pulled away.

'I understand. See you around Harry.'

With that she used her wand to light a fire in the fire place, and then she took a hand full of floo powder and tossed it into the flames. After which she ushered her luggage into the flames and followed them in. She faced Harry and mouthed the words "I love you" and then called out the name of the place she was headed.

Harry sat back down at the table and wept bitterly while asking himself over and over again why he had fallen in love with another man's woman when he could have gotten himself any other girl.

Don't forget to review please because I need to know whether I should continue. I am always open to any suggestions that you readers may have.