Disclaimer: I do not own anything related to Harry Potter. At all. Zip. Nadda. Nothin'. So don't sue me. Besides, I don't have any money anyway. It all goes to pay for my University tuition. I didn't even have enough to pay for the 5th book when it came out. I had to borrow it from my friend.

Author's Note: I'm really sorry it's been so long. I know this is the BIG chapter, so I had to make it perfect. Anyway, I hope it's worth the wait!

The Truth Comes Out

Harry and Hermione sat there in an awkward silence for a good few minutes; the only sound their nervous breathing. They both had the same look of "now what?" planted on their faces, though they didn't know that because they didn't dare look each other in the eye. For the most part, they sat staring at the floor. Occasionally they would sneak the odd glance at each other, until their eyes met and they both turned away awkwardly; their faces scarlet red with embarrassment.

The silence was finally broken when Hermione said in a soft voice, that was almost not audible, "So, what were you saying before?"

Harry glanced upward, startled by the sudden sound, and looked at her. Man, is she gorgeous! he thought almost out loud. He resisted the urge to kiss her right then, and started to speak. "I don't really know what you thought happened between us, but I didn't dump you."

Hermione sat silently for a moment; taking in what Harry had said.

"So, if you weren't dumping me, then what were you doing?" Hermione asked cautiously, unsure as to whether to believe him or not.

"I actually thought you were dumping me. The way you acted that morning, it seemed that you didn't like me. I was just trying to salvage what was left of our friendship."

"You did a great job of that," Hermione muttered under her breath a little too loudly.

"I know, and I'm sorry. What else was I supposed to do?" Harry replied looking down at the floor again because he couldn't stand to look into those beautiful eyes and see nothing but disgust for him.

"I don't know. Something else. Anything. I don't care. But when you said we could still be friends, it was just too much. I couldn't handle it. And besides, you got the wrong impression. I was not dumping you. My logical side just took over, and said that it was too good to be true. So I convinced myself it was a dream. Then, when I realized it wasn't, it was too late. You had already started the 'let's be friends' speech. And then when I saw you in the halls, you were fine. I was a wreck and you were fine. Just fine. As if nothing had happened. That was what really got me; that I cared for someone who didn't like me. That I was wasting my tears. But my logical side didn't take over then. It didn't make me stop crying. I just... it was... "

Hermione burst into tears. Harry longed to put his arm around her, to hold her, to take her pain away. But he was afraid to. She hates me right now. It'll just make things worse. And how does she think I was FINE about that! I was anything but! How do I get her to understand that?

He sat silent for a minute. I guess I did handle things a little better than she did...But that's because I talked to Cho...What she said helped a bit. I guess I could try explaining that to Hermione.

"Didn't you have anyone to talk to about it? You and Lavender seem pretty close, and she seemed to know about it."

"Yah... I told her, but it...it... didn't help much," Hermione managed to get out between sobs. "Did it...help...help you??"

"A bit. When we had just...um..." Harry wasn't sure whether 'broken up' was exactly the right way to describe it, "well...whatever that was...Cho gave me some advice...and it helped...so..."

Hermione tensed at what he said. "Cho was just trying to get you to have sex with her, that's it! That wasn't advice; she was just trying to win the bet!"

Harry was shocked. Hermione said Cho wanted to have sex with me for a bet. What bet? With who? Hermione? It couldn't be. Harry considered it for a moment. I can't believe it! The only two girls I've ever liked were just using me!

By this time Hermione had realized her mistake. Shit! How the heck did that slip out?! She figured she should try to explain herself. "I was going to tell you about it...and it didn't do any harm...it's not like either of us succeeded."

"NO HARM!!! WHAT THE HELL DO YOU MEAN?!!! YOU CALL CHO RAPING ME 'NO HARM'?!! YOU'RE JUST SCREWED UP!! JUST BECAUSE IT'S 'NO HARM' TO YOU, DOESN'T MEAN IT IS TO ME!!! BUT I GUESS YOU WERE PLANNING ON DOING THE EXACT SAME THING!!! WEREN'T YOU?!!! I CAN'T BELIEVE-"

Hermione couldn't take it any more. She stood up and shouted "SHUT THE HELL UP HARRY!!!! IT'S NOT HOW YOU THINK IT IS!!!!"

There was a long silence before anyone spoke again. Harry was shocked that Hermione had sworn, and Hermione was still trying to figure out how to explain her side of the story.

Harry was the first one to speak. "Then how is it?" he asked in a low voice.

"It was different with me! I wasn't planning to rape you! I would never do something like that! I liked you, maybe even loved you! I thought you knew that."

There was another pause as Harry was still taking in the information. "Then what about the bet? How were you planning on winning?" Harry asked, unsure of whether to trust her.

"Oh...I don't know," Hermione spilled with a sigh. "I don't even know why I agreed to it in the first place. I guess I just wanted to see Cho put in her place for once. She always gets the guys, and she thought she could get you too. I just wanted to prove to her, and to myself I guess, that not just the pretty girls can get the guys. So I bet my grades on it. But I guess she was right, and now I'm going to have a failing year to show for it."

"You can't let yourself fail! Weren't there any rules about rape? What about drugging? Did you even make any rules?" Harry asked frantically, devastated by the thought that Hermione might not be able to move on from Hogwarts with him.

Hermione shook her head sadly and Harry felt increasingly helpless. What should I do? What CAN I do? Harry searched his mind furiously, until he came to the conclusion he dreaded; he could do nothing.

They sat in silence again.

"I guess I should go," Harry said finally after several minutes had passed.

He stood and started to head to the door, when Hermione said, "Wait."

He turned around and looked her in the eyes.

"You never told me; did you ever really love me?"

Harry paused and Hermione wondered if he was trying to break it off gently. Then he said, "Yes I did...and I still do. But that means nothing since you don't feel the same way about me." He turned away and started back to his room.

"But I do," she said softly.

Harry spun around again and looked at her. It was true; her eyes held the same look of longing that he felt in his heart.

She stood up and he ran up to her. They looked each other in the eye and smiled. He leaned in and they kissed passionately. Authors Note: I'm sorry but I'm a sucker for romantic endings