Hellooooo everyone! Quick update, non? So! I really hope you like this one. Sorry the previous one was so short but it was necessary for this one to happen. This one's really juicy and tres tres interesting!

Please read this (TRES IMPORTANT): All Ron and Hermione have ever done thus far, is cuddle (as in hugging) and a little bit of making out. Just so we're clear. ;)

And this (ALSO TRES IMPORTANT): I really need more reviews guys. I don't think I'll put up chapter 5 until I get over 30 reviews. So help me to get it up there please!

Enjoy!

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Everything Is Just Roses

Chapter 4: "Dinner with…Friends?"

Clothes were strewn everywhere and Hermione stood in the midst of them. Every one of her dresses, skirts, and flouncy tops were either hung lazily on the back of her desk chair or lain all over her bed. She just couldn't decide what to wear.

Was this a formal dinner or was it one of those casual get-together things? What were Harry and Ron going to wear?

Finally, after much debate, she settled on a short strapless lacy black number and a pair of sexy turquoise round-toe 4-inch-heel Mary Janes. Once dressed, she pulled up her silky curls with two ebony chopsticks.

As she swept kohl pencil along her lash lines, she wondered about Harry. Why hadn't he told Ron about going to see her? Of course, he could have left out the tiny itsy-bitsy teeny-weeny detail of sleeping in her bed…with her still in it. But in any case, he still could have told Ron that he'd gone to see her. Ron wouldn't have done anything. Or at least, she didn't think so.

There was a knock at her door. Quickly, Hermione finished applying her lip-gloss and threw it in a little black purse she was taking along.

She sighed. She trusted Harry, so she had to play along.

When Hermione opened the door, Harry and Ron stood grinning at her. She was glad she'd worn something dressy, for her two friends were both wearing tuxes.

"Harry!" Hermione shrieked rather convincingly, throwing her arms around his neck. "It's been so long!" She could feel him breath her in. She ignored it.

"It has…" Harry voiced softly when Hermione released him.

A short silence followed where they all stood smiling at each other like silly gits. "So come in! Come in!" Hermione broke the silence, ushering them into her apartment.

"You look great, but you better get yourself a coat, Herms," Ron advised. "It's freezing outside."

"Oh!" Hermione exclaimed. "I almost forgot! Well go ahead, sit down while I get my things. Can I get you anything?"

"No thanks," Ron answered.

"No thank you, Hermione," replied Harry.

Hermione hurried back to her room. Darting to and fro, she gathered the different things she needed: her jewelry, purse, and a fur-collared coat from her closet.

Wow, so the two boys she'd ever really deeply cared for were sitting in her living room and were now about to take her to dinner. Hermione had never been particularly wonderful when it came to Divination, but she could already tell that this wasn't going to be the most comfortable dinner in the world, at least for her.

After taking one last look around for anything she'd forgotten, Hermione motioned her hand and the lights were off. She was thankful that she now knew how to do magic without a wand.

"Okay, I'm ready!" Hermione stated as she waltzed back into the sitting room. Both men rose.

"You really do look amazing, 'Mione," Harry said, a sad little smile on his face.

"Definitely!" agreed Ron with a grin, not noticing Harry's expression. "Shall we?"

"We shall." Hermione snaked her arm through Ron's extended elbow. They walked out of the apartment together with Harry following close behind.

Just as there was a Knight Bus, there were also Knight Taxis, only these weren't as maniacal as the Bus. It promptly dropped them off at a rather posh restaurant in Hogsmeade Village called 'Le Fleur de Magie.' The Flower of Magic.

Hermione shivered as she stepped out of the taxi. Ron placed his arm around her shoulders and drew her near. She smiled, he was always so sweet. A faint smell of lavender lingered about it. It smelled nice, but she didn't recognize it. 'Maybe it's a new soap,' she thought, making a mental note to ask him about it later.

Turning her head back, she saw Harry staring around him in all directions, probably remembering it from their days at Hogwarts.

A large muscular wizard in a suit who kept eyeing Hermione, took her coat just inside the door of the restaurant and a tall, blonde witch seated them at a small table in a nice spot by the window.

Ron and Harry immediately jumped into conversation. Harry told them the same story he'd told Hermione the night before about leaving the Ministry. He was more melancholy this time than depressed. When he began talking about Ginny, Ron went quiet, then he told Harry, "Look, mate. I'm sorry, but she called sometime back about it. She said she'd fallen for someone else. It's not your fault, Harry—she said it wasn't. Ginny just said that you were always so busy, and she understood that, but she… she well… she's gone back to Dean."

"As in Dean Thomas?" Harry wondered.

"The one and only," Ron admitted quietly.

Harry sighed. Hermione could tell he was trying his hardest to hold back tears. "Well, I'm glad she found someone who can take care of her…"

"Let's just get off the subject for tonight, eh?" Ron suggested. Then he began talking to Harry about the latest Chudley Cannons game.

Hermione tried to say something—anything—a few times, but every time she opened her mouth to speak, nothing came out. All she did was stare at her distorted reflection in her champagne glass, trying not to cry and listen to the blur of voices around her. By the time Harry and Ron had finished their meals, she had only nibbled on hers. Harry hadn't said anything to her the entire evening and barely looked at her. What was wrong with him? She took a deep breath trying to calm herself.

"You alright there, Hermione?" Ron asked. Noticing her pallid complexion, he leaned closer to her and took her chin between his thumb and index finger. She felt Harry tense at her side.

"Of course, I'm fine." Hermione tried to shake her feelings away, but couldn't. "I'm just going to go use the bathroom. I'll be back in a bit." She got up shakily and headed for the restroom, leaving her friends to look after her in concern.

Hermione leaning against one of the many beautiful green and white marble sinks and exhaled loudly. Then she did something she knew her dentist parents would kill her for if they saw her do it, she pulled out a cigarette, lit it up, and took a big, long drag. 'Pull yourself together!' she scolded herself for the second time in two days. She took another drag and held the smoke in for a while before letting it out. So what if Harry didn't tell Ron? It wasn't such a big deal. Harry could do what he wanted. It wasn't like she was his girlfriend or something. She loved Ron and Ron loved her. She couldn't believe that she's doubted her feelings for him at all.

Taking one final drag, she flick the cigarette into the toilet and flushed it down. Then she examined her reflection in the mirror. Perfect. Confidently, she sashayed out of the bathroom and back to the table.

She slid into her seat and with fluid motion, leaned over to Ron, placed her hand on his forearm, and murmured, "I think I'm finished. Let's go home." Then she whispered, "You can spend the night…"

Ron's face immediately lit and his hand shot in the air. "Check please!"

Harry looked confused as Hermione gave him an innocent smile.

Once they'd paid and left the restaurant, they piled back into a Knight Taxi. "The Three Broomsticks," Harry told the driver, he'd gotten a room there for the time being. During the short ride there, Harry kept giving Hermione strange looks, like he was hurt. She pretended not to pay any attention.

They both waved goodbye to him as he got out of the taxi. As the taxi speed away, Hermione looked back to see Harry standing on the sidewalk staring after them.

Hermione kept fumbling with the keys to her apartment as she tried to unlock it. Eventually, Ron had to do it for her. They dropped all there things on the chair by the door and turned to each other.

Suddenly Hermione pulled the chopsticks out of her hair, threw them on the floor and jumped into Ron's arms. As they captured each other's mouths with their own, Ron backed her up into a wall and let her down.

Their tongues battled as Ron played with the coils in her hair. He snaked his arm around behind Hermione and began unzipping her dress while she unbuttoned his shirt. Once her dress had slipped down to her ankles and she had kicked it off, he helped her pull off his pants and he kicked them off too.

One hand cupped Hermione's neck as the other traveled lower to her breast. She arched her back and felt herself getting warm when his fingers circled the tiny little flower-shaped pasty over her nipple. She lifted one leg with its still Mary-Jane-clad foot and hugged his waist. This would be her first time.

Then, as he began to peel the flower on her right breast off, she panicked. "Stop," she whispered. He didn't listen; he'd finished peeling off one and was now peeling off the other. "Stop!" she shrieked and pushed Ron away.

He stood there, about five feet away from her, the two small flowers in his hand, staring at her, bewildered for a good minute. Then he said, "But I thought you wanted…"

"I know…" Hermione trailed off. She lifted her arms and crossed them over her naked breasts and stared at the floor. "I'm sorry. I'm just not ready." When she looked up, Ron was already getting dressed. "You're going…?"

"Yeah," he stated gruffly. After his pants were on, he crumpled the pasties and threw them on the floor. They landed right next to Hermione's feet. "You know what, Hermione? You're a tease! You get me up and you leave me hanging!" He'd buttoned his shirt by now and was heading for the door. Hermione hadn't moved from her position; she was quiet as stone. "What the hell do you want, huh? If I hadn't put my foot down and told you we had to get married this winter, you would've kept on putting it off. WHY?"

Hermione didn't know what to say. She couldn't answer him because she herself didn't know why. What was she waiting for?

As if reading her mind Ron demanded, "What are you waiting for, huh?" When she didn't answer, he rolled his eyes, pulled on his jacket and shove his tie in its pocket. Opening the door, he took one last look at her before shaking his head and walking out.

A long time passed where Hermione didn't move. Then, she knelt down and picked up the crumpled flowers. He'd peeled these off her breast. Why hadn't she wanted him to? She looked down at her breasts. Why hadn't she wanted him to see them? Why had she freaked out like that? After all, she was going to marry him. He was right, what the hell was she waiting for?

Sighing, Hermione got up, walked to her bedroom, and lay sprawled on her bed face up. She swirled a finger around her navel absentmindedly. That was the second time someone she cared for had left; walked out her door. So, why wasn't she crying this time? She was sad…but she wasn't crying.

Groping in the darkness to get her shoes off, she kicked them off and crawled into bed and pulled the covers over her head, trying not to think about anything.

As she drifted off to sleep, only wearing her underwear, one name rang in her head: Harry.

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Weee! How'd everyone like it? Bit racier this time, huh? Review please!