A/N: So sorry I took so long to update this fic… I've been so busy with stuff… like I just finished two AP tests… which studying for it, pretty much took up most my time, and my life has been hectic. Also my comp has been acting up so I've been hesitant to use it, afraid it would stall on me while in the middle of doing something important. Well, here is the next installment of the story… I hope you enjoy!

Chapter 4: Forgiveness

Avoiding Harry, Ron, and Ginny become almost impossible. They had classes together, and during class Harry and Ron always tried to get her to talk, but she always told them that she wasn't ready to talk. About a week after the library incident with Malfoy, she was doing her homework in the common room at one of the desks when all of a sudden Harry, Ron, and Ginny approached her demanding to talk. She hadn't spoken to them in what felt like an eternity and she really missed her friends, but she wasn't sure if she could ever forgive Harry and Ginny for what they did. She didn't want to stir the emotions that had finally settled to the bottom of the ocean in her mind.

"Hermione we need to talk, now." Harry demanded.

Hermione looked up from her work into the face of her ex-boyfriend. He had such a serious attitude written on his face, but she could see the signs of regret and sorrow etched all over his it.

"Ok Harry. Lets talk." She realized that she needed to get this talk over with. She couldn't possible prolong it any longer.

She sat down on the armchair facing the couch while Harry, Ron, and Ginny sat on the couch.

"I want to begin by telling you how sorry I am. There are no reasons to describe why I acted like that and I want to beg for your forgiveness. I just want to go back to how we were before."

They waited eagerly for Hermione's answer. Every second of silence felt like an hour.

"Well Harry, you hurt me pretty badly. I'm not sure if we will ever go back to what we had before. But I just want to know how it happened and why you did it."

"I told you Hermione. I don't know how it happened. It was so sudden, so unexpected."

Hermione suddenly found herself shouting at her three ex-best friends. "HOW THE HELL COULD YOU NOT KNOW HOW SOMETHING LIKE THAT HAPPENED. YOU SLEPT WITH HER. WE DIDN'T EVEN SLEEP TOGETHER, BUT YOU SLEPT WITH HER AND YOU WEREN'T EVEN GOING OUT WITH HER." Hermione was shaking with anger. She was angry that her friends betrayed her like that. She was angry that Ron stuck to Harry's side instead of hers. If Ron had comforted her then maybe she wouldn't have run into Malfoy's arms, and she was angry that she had fallen for Malfoy of all the people possibly to fall for. Her anger just came out without her controlling it and after her explosion she suddenly realized how much she was keeping in. She felt like a bottomless well that had been somehow filled to the brim with these overpowering emotions. They had consumed her mind and engulfed her life as they ate away at her sanity.

"Hermione, it was my fault. I was so jealous that you and Harry had something so special. You know that I've liked Harry for the longest time. It just made me mad that you started dating him after knowing I've liked him forever. I wanted to seduce him to see if I could win him over, but it went so wrong. You weren't supposed to find out. I'm so sorry, I'm so, so sorry." All this came spilling out of Ginny's mouth. She had finally said something. She had finally taken up some responsibility for what she did to their relationship. But somehow after she confessed, this made Hermione calm down a bit.

The fact that her best female friend would betray her and try to seduce her boyfriend was beyond anything Hermione would have expected out of Ginny but it was almost relieving to have her stand up for what she put Hermione through and what she did to Harry.

"I can't believe you would do something like that Ginny. I thought you were my friend."

With this statement, Ginny suddenly broke down and started crying uncontrollably. Hermione just glared at the girl. She didn't want to be mad anymore. She just wanted this to be a part of the past. One thing she wished most of all was that she hadn't went to find Harry's map at all. Just as the muggle saying goes, "Ignorance is bliss", Hermione might have been happier if she hadn't of found out. She would have been so much happier. But she couldn't help but think, if Harry cheated on her, she would have wanted to know, right? This question pondered her mind as she stared at the crying Ginny. She realized forgiveness was the first step to recovery and she did want to recover so badly, she just wanted to get past this and move on with or without Harry.

Hermione took one good look at her three friends sitting before her, sighed heavily, and said, "I forgive you guys, even you Ginny. But I don't think we can be together anymore Harry. It's just not going to work out."

"Wait, why do you forgive me?" Ron blurted out. "I didn't do anything."

"You never attempted to console or comfort me, Ron. That was one thing I could have done with but you left me and went with your best mate who slept with your sister."

"Oh." Ron said in a small voice, turning bright red. "I can see why you were mad at me too."

"Hermione thanks for forgiving me. I can't help but wish we would get back together as a couple, but I understand if you don't want to be with my anymore. As long as we remain friends I'll be fine."

Hermione hugged her three friends but could still feel tension between them. It wouldn't just take a simple apology to go back to how they were before. It would take time.

As Hermione climbed in bed her mind kept wandering to Malfoy and his kiss a week ago. The first one was so soft and tender, but the second one was fierce and passionate. She felt that she was truly falling for him although she didn't want to admit it. If she agreed to become something more, she would have to keep it a secret. Harry and Ron could never know, not after she had finally gotten back on good terms with them. They could never know about the kisses and how she felt around. They couldn't know about anything that happened between them.

A/N: Hey, I hope you enjoyed that. I'll try to have another update in about a week or so.