A/N: Thanks you guys for all the reviewing, I appreciate it! ^.~
Hermione laid there on her bed, pushing her face into the warm pillows. She didn't want the anyone to hear her sobs, though she was pretty sure there was no one else in bed yet. She could see the last rays of sunlight filtering through the curtains encircling her four-poster. She brushed tears away from her cheeks.
She couldn't figure out why he would do that to her. Every time that he touched her, not just today, but any day, she remembered Malfoy. She knew Ron wouldn't hurt her like that, but she almost felt herself flinch whenever he touched her cheek or almost cry out when he kisses her.
She hated herself for doubting him, but she just wasn't sure about this relationship. Could they really make it work if she flinched every time he touched her? Could it really work if she saw Malfoy every time she closed her eyes?
Hermione was terrified that Malfoy would never leave her dreams, that he would continue to make her hurt for as long as she was alive. She let out a raging sob, tears falling down her cheeks. She was mad at the world. Hermione was mad at herself.
Ron had just been trying to be normal with her, she'd turned him away. She'd yelled at him. When he had started to touch her like that, she saw Malfoy in him and she had almost screamed. Hermione slammed her fist in the pillow, wanting it all to just go away.
"Hermione?" It was Ron, a timid and meek voice.
"Go away Ron, please, just………go away." She wiped quickly at her eyes, knowing Ron wouldn't listen.
Just as she had predicted, he pulled back the curtains and sat down on the bed next to her.
"Hermione, I'm sorry. It's my fault. I……shouldn't have done that." His eyes were downcast, and he was avoiding her eyes. His apology seemed legitimate.
"Ron, I don't think we can be together right now. I'm sorry I've been stringing you along, but I don't think I'm ready for this relationship." She looked back up at Ron, cautiously. He suddenly seemed very cold and detached.
" 'Mione, I said I was sorry, please don't throw away our future."
"Ron, the rape is still too fresh. I---" A sob choked out of her throat. "I see him in my dreams, Ron. I still see him when I close my eyes."
His eyes met hers. "Ron, I need to make it go away because I don't want to look at you and see his horribly malicious face. I love you, Ron."
His face was flushed in anger, but he held himself in check. He didn't explode on her, like she'd expected him to. "How long do you need, Hermione? I can wait as long as it takes. A week? A month?"
Ron looked at her, hopefully. His face fell when he saw the serious look on hers.
"Ron, I don't know how long it's going to take. I just really need some space, okay? I need to figure things out and we need to be apart for me to do that."
Then, the other shoe fell. He was angry, he was beyond furious. "Hermione! I am trying to be considerate, but I'm not just going to drop everything for you and for this. Hermione, I love you, but I don't think you can return a feeling like that. You're too selfish."
Before Hermione could protest, Ron stormed out, dropping a blood-red rose to the floor at the door of the dormitory.
Hermione hadn't noticed him holding it in his hands when he'd come in, but there it was on the stone floor, plain as day. She didn't even bother to pick it up, and left it there. She rolled over in her bed and let the sobs come again. This time, she didn't care who heard. Ron was an asshole, and he couldn't see her pain. She had to wonder why she'd fallen in love with the freckle faced red head.
Hermione laid there on her bed, pushing her face into the warm pillows. She didn't want the anyone to hear her sobs, though she was pretty sure there was no one else in bed yet. She could see the last rays of sunlight filtering through the curtains encircling her four-poster. She brushed tears away from her cheeks.
She couldn't figure out why he would do that to her. Every time that he touched her, not just today, but any day, she remembered Malfoy. She knew Ron wouldn't hurt her like that, but she almost felt herself flinch whenever he touched her cheek or almost cry out when he kisses her.
She hated herself for doubting him, but she just wasn't sure about this relationship. Could they really make it work if she flinched every time he touched her? Could it really work if she saw Malfoy every time she closed her eyes?
Hermione was terrified that Malfoy would never leave her dreams, that he would continue to make her hurt for as long as she was alive. She let out a raging sob, tears falling down her cheeks. She was mad at the world. Hermione was mad at herself.
Ron had just been trying to be normal with her, she'd turned him away. She'd yelled at him. When he had started to touch her like that, she saw Malfoy in him and she had almost screamed. Hermione slammed her fist in the pillow, wanting it all to just go away.
"Hermione?" It was Ron, a timid and meek voice.
"Go away Ron, please, just………go away." She wiped quickly at her eyes, knowing Ron wouldn't listen.
Just as she had predicted, he pulled back the curtains and sat down on the bed next to her.
"Hermione, I'm sorry. It's my fault. I……shouldn't have done that." His eyes were downcast, and he was avoiding her eyes. His apology seemed legitimate.
"Ron, I don't think we can be together right now. I'm sorry I've been stringing you along, but I don't think I'm ready for this relationship." She looked back up at Ron, cautiously. He suddenly seemed very cold and detached.
" 'Mione, I said I was sorry, please don't throw away our future."
"Ron, the rape is still too fresh. I---" A sob choked out of her throat. "I see him in my dreams, Ron. I still see him when I close my eyes."
His eyes met hers. "Ron, I need to make it go away because I don't want to look at you and see his horribly malicious face. I love you, Ron."
His face was flushed in anger, but he held himself in check. He didn't explode on her, like she'd expected him to. "How long do you need, Hermione? I can wait as long as it takes. A week? A month?"
Ron looked at her, hopefully. His face fell when he saw the serious look on hers.
"Ron, I don't know how long it's going to take. I just really need some space, okay? I need to figure things out and we need to be apart for me to do that."
Then, the other shoe fell. He was angry, he was beyond furious. "Hermione! I am trying to be considerate, but I'm not just going to drop everything for you and for this. Hermione, I love you, but I don't think you can return a feeling like that. You're too selfish."
Before Hermione could protest, Ron stormed out, dropping a blood-red rose to the floor at the door of the dormitory.
Hermione hadn't noticed him holding it in his hands when he'd come in, but there it was on the stone floor, plain as day. She didn't even bother to pick it up, and left it there. She rolled over in her bed and let the sobs come again. This time, she didn't care who heard. Ron was an asshole, and he couldn't see her pain. She had to wonder why she'd fallen in love with the freckle faced red head.