"A Love in Reverse"
by: S. Schumaker

Rated MA: For sexual themes, content, and adult language.
Please do not read this if you are under the age of 17.
Thank you.

(AN: Wow! I cannot believe how quickly those 65 reviews came in! I was expecting it to be a lot longer than that. Anyway, I apologize for setting that quota…I just needed to be sure people were still interested in this story. I'm glad so many of you are! Well, sooner than I had expected to be writing/releasing this chapter, but here it is! I really wanted to get it out to you all quickly because, well, you just plain deserve it after the many reviews I received in only 24 hours of publishing the last chapter. And, I promise, I won't charge for updates any longer, but reviews will keep me writing faster…hint hint! Enjoy chapter six! It's time for Ron's emotions to surface and explode on the two teens!)


Chapter Six – The Rage

He watched as she swiftly turned away from him and began walking out of the study area they had been occupying for the last hour. His mind replaying the idea of not being able to be around her for a few days was weighing on him. He wondered if he could suppress the memories of her nakedness beneath him, his desire to kiss every inch of her skin, and his aching hands that longed to touch her constantly. He hoped he could, for the sake of their friendship. He couldn't lose one of his best friends.

Best friends? He had completely forgotten about Ron, the last third to their near-inseparable trio. The secret that Ron had shared with Harry nearly two years ago came flooding back up to the surface. His crush on Hermione, and his trust in his best friend to conceal it until Ron felt the time was right. Harry couldn't believe himself. What kind of best friend snogs his mates girl, or potential girl anyway. He felt even worse. He had to do something to make it up to him. But he knew for a fact that Ron wouldn't allow Harry near him at the moment. Hermione, on the other hand, might be able to smooth things down, a little anyway.

Harry raced from the table after Hermione, running as fast as he could to catch up with her. He hoped she hadn't gone too far so that he could reach her quickly. He looked around the library entrance briefly before noticing Hermione just step out in the hallway, the large oak doors sliding closed behind her. Harry ran harder, his breath slightly labored. Madam Pince rose from her chair sternly. "Slow down, Mr. Potter. This isn't a quidditch field, you know!" She glared at Harry, as he slowed to a very fast walk. He pushed his way out of the library, spotting Hermione about twenty feet away.

"Hermione! Wait a minute!" Harry raced after her. She stopped in her tracks, turning to face him with an almost annoyed expression plastered over her face.

"I told you, Harry. I need some time and space away from you for a while." She placed her hands on her hips, as if speaking to a child.

"Yeah, I know. It's not about us…well, not directly. Ron walked saw us, remember?" Harry asked. He caught a bit of her scent wafting toward him and was having a difficult time holding himself back from moving closer to her.

"Oh no, I nearly forgot about him. Do you think he'll blab about it to everyone when they return from holiday break tonight?" Hermione suddenly felt really nervous. She had enough rumors spread about her on a daily basis. The way she was so serious about her schoolwork, how she clung on to the famous Harry Potter…as if trying to conceal the real dork that lay within. She really didn't need rumors about being a Potter conquest. It definitely wouldn't be a good thing, and it certainly wasn't true!

"Definitely not. But, there still is one little problem. He's got a bit of a crush on you and well, I'm sure seeing us in there was rather shocking and heartbreaking for him. I'd talk to him about it myself, but I doubt he'll be speaking to me. Remember that whole silent treatment I received about being apart of the Triwizard Cup. And, that wasn't even a huge deal, not like this."

"He's got a what? Oh, I can't believe I never noticed it before. Oh, Ronald. What are we going to do?" Hermione felt a little dizzy from the news, she leaned back against the castle wall, hoping it'd keep her balanced.

"Not to put this all on you, Herm, but I think it'd be better if you talked to him. Helped him understand what's happening between us…you know?" Harry shifted his weight from side to side nervously as he spoke.

"What's happening between us? Even I can't figure that out! How do you expect me to explain it to Ronald?" Hermione couldn't believe Harry was laying this all on her, but knowing Ron he really would be holding a grudge against Harry, and probably for quite some time too!

"I don't know. I guess it'll be a good chance for you to figure that out too…we both need to." Harry smiled softly at her before practically throwing himself in the opposite direction, walking off to roam the castle, hoping Hermione could salvage whatever was left of his relationship with Ron.

Hermione stood still, watching Harry's retreating form until it was out of sight. A few minutes later she took a deep breath and turned in the direction she was originally headed, hoping she'd find Ron in Gryffindor Tower.

Her mind tried to unravel her feelings a little faster than she was hoping so she could better explain her behavior in the library to Ron. But, what was she feeling? Her best friend for so many years who she could trust with her life was the same boy who she had given up her most precious gift, her gift of innocence. She had no clue what came over her or him for that matter. Harry certainly wasn't the type to jump into the sack like they had, not without some deep feelings inside. She wondered about his feelings too. Did he want to just remain friends with her or not at all? The thought of losing Harry from her life gave Hermione a sharp pain in her chest, in her heart. She wasn't sure if she could live her life without him. But living without Ron would be just as bad. Man, the situations she found herself in…

Still not having a clue what to say to Ron, she arrived at the Fat Lady's portrait and stepped inside the common room. She noticed the Weasley twins, Lee, Katie, and Angelina still lying about with a few other Gryffindors that had returned from holiday. But no Ron. She dropped her head in disappointed before deciding to head up to his dormitory, hoping he'd allow her to come in.

She raced up the stairs, taking the opposite path she was used to and heading toward the boys wing. She spotted Ron's dorm quickly and rapped gently on the door. She heard someone mumble something out from inside as the door swung forward and Hermione stepped in. She saw Ron lounging on his bed, clutching on to his chudley cannons blanket as if it was his most treasured possession. A nervous lump rose in Hermione's throat as she slowly stepped toward him.

Ron lifted his head at the visitor, expecting Harry, and not expecting Hermione. "Wh-what are you doing here?" Ron sat up straight, dropping the blanket from his grasp.

"Well, I was hoping we could talk, about what you saw in the library." Hermione flushed in utter humiliation. How was she supposed to explain their behavior when she didn't understand it herself? This conversation was doomed.

"I…I don't really want to talk about that." Ron stood from his bed and walked over to the window, looking out over the castle grounds. He spotted Hagrid's hut. The light was shining and he could almost make out the movement of the large caretaker moving inside of it.

"Look, Ron, Harry told me about…about your feelings for me. I wanted to make sure you were okay. I mean, I had no idea you felt that way, and I can only imagine the pain we've caused you." Hermione sat down on his bed, fingering the same blanket he had been previously clutching.

"He did what?!" Ron turned back toward her, his face red with anger.

"He never would have told me if the circumstance was different, but he thought it'd be better if I explained things to you. I mean, how would you have reacted if Harry had walked through that door and not me?" Ron clenched his fists at his side as Hermione just continued to explain what had happened. "Last night, well, I'm not really sure what happened, but apparently we had sex with each other after the party in the common room, under the influence of the alcohol of course. Neither one of us knows exactly why it happened, but it did. We never wanted this, and now things are a bit…odd between us. I guess, what happened in the library was just driven by emotion, you know? There was no real thought to the consequences…it just sort of happened." Hermione stopped. This wasn't going well at all. She couldn't express herself the way she had hoped she could.

But, it didn't matter how she did it, the news of the previous night hitting Ron's ears seemed to open a floodgate. He walked toward her, his feet pounding on the floorboards. A slight dust rose from them, before settling back down as he passed. He moved toward Hermione, grasping her shoulders and lifting her up off the bed, pulling her toward him. "How could you do that? And, with him!"

"Ron, you're hurting me." Hermione croaked out, feeling frightened as this unbelievable rage he was emitting. Ron pushed her back onto the bed, pacing beside it. Hermione straightened herself up, looking at Ron as if he was a stranger. She really couldn't recognize him now, enshrouded in his rage.

"I mean, I always knew I really didn't have a shot with you, but Harry! He's even worse. Do you really want to be the whore that gave herself to the famous Potter, the boy who lived?" Ron steamed; Hermione felt the tears welling up in her eyes. She blinked furiously trying to hold them back. "Seriously, what were you thinking Hermione? I mean, Harry is always in the spotlight. I guarantee he'll be bragging about this in less than a week. I can't believe you were so ignorant. Just what were you thinking?"

Ron walked over to the window again, taking a deep breath to continue in his tirade. "Really, and in the library no less. I cannot believe that you would be so shameless, throwing your clothes off at the snap of Harry's finger. He really has turned you into a slut, hasn't he?"

He turned back toward her, his eyes full of disappointment, disgust, and shame for the girl. Finalizing his next thought, his eyes settled on Hermione's. He sucked in his breath in shock, seeing the beyond hurt expression on her face.

He reached out an arm to her, taking a step toward her, but Hermione was out of there before he could blink. "I'm so sorry, Herm!" He shouted out just as the door slammed shut behind her. She ran down the stairs, passed the stunned teens in the common room and through the castle hallways. She didn't know where she was going, but she just had to run.

She wasn't all that hurt at the way Ron reacted toward her, she realized. She had expected a similar reaction from him, but the things he said to her…they were the same fears she had been experiencing herself. She had made a huge mistake and now had lost everyone who she held dear to her, including herself.

To be continued…


(AN: Yowzers. That was a tough chapter to write. Hope I made Ron's feelings evident, let me know what you thought! All reviews are appreciated, but don't worry I'm not asking for a quota! The next chapter will be a little bit on the depressing side as the trio breaks apart completely and all three sides of that triangle are sorting through their emotions. Should be fun! If you want more, let me know!

Also, I'm not sure what happened, but some of you informed me that you couldn't leave anonymous reviews…strange thing is, I have them enabled on my account. Not sure what happened, but I hope it works for this chapter. Please let me know if you still can't submit them. Thanks and much love for the holidays!)