Chapter 7

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

And the chapter dedication goes to... tizzy13! Hoorah! I got 15 reviews! If we make it author thinks cunningly above 20 (ie 21+), then it will make me happy, and make me want to update sooner!

This is the penultimate chapter, and then comes the epilogue. I had fun writing this story, so I'm going to make these last few chapters rock!

(Hermione's pov)

"Mione," He said slowly. Oh, I love it when he calls me that. "Tell me what's wrong."

And I took a deep breath and opened my mouth...

"Me and... Malfoy aren't seeing each other anymore." I said, and waited for him to say something. When he didn't I just sat down on the nearest bench. He sat next to me.

"Why?" he said, looking at the floor. I could feel my heart racing.

"I, er..." I wanted to tell him. I felt I owed it to him, as a sort of explanation, so maybe he could understand why I was so hurt the day he left, so maybe he could see what I had been through...

"You were right," I finally said, two tears cascading down my cheek.

"About what?" Ron asked. Poor Ron – he had no idea.

"He – he only wanted to go out with me to have s-sex. You were right, you were right, and well, I'm just going to get up and leave now, but if you had something to say it would be nice, no? Well, I'll just be going now..." But as I stood up, he pulled me back down without even looking at me.

(Ron's pov)

I was right. I was right. He was using Hermione. I knew it. Then I realised; I had to ask her something, and she wasn't going to like it.

"Did you?" I asked, looking into her eyes, trying to read her face. Because if they did, I was going to hunt Malfoy down and –

"No," she said. "But he tried to make me, Ron. I was so sc-scared, I thought I was going to do it, I really did." She paused for breath, and I slipped my arm around her. "And at that point, I knew you were right. And I just wanted to get out of there, but he just kept hitting and kissing me, and he ripped my dress," Hermione dissolved into sobs.

My brain showed me a mental image of Hermione on the stairs a few days ago, with her torn dress and her swollen face. How could I have missed that?

"Mione," I said, though I was admittedly struggling for words. "It's all over now. He's never going to come near you again. I promise."

"He won't?" Hermione asked, and I could hear the note of fear in her voice, and I swore to get him back for doing this. She slowly rocked back and forth, clutching onto her over-sized jumper.

"He won't," I confirmed, and she sobbed onto my shoulder. I knew she had given me the short story. I knew that there was much more to it. I didn't want to hear it.

The news shook through me, and I started to understand how bad Mione must feel. It was probably just as close to what I felt. I don't know.

I let her hug me closer, and she sobbed even harder. I knew I could only begin to understand what she had gone through.

(Hermione's pov)

I sobbed my heart out on Ron's shoulder, forgetting that I loved him. All I could think about was how stupid I was not to take Ron's advice, how much Ron had been there for me, how Malfoy had taken advantage of me, how stupid I was to believe that he loved me, how I told Ron that I loved Malfoy back, how much I made a fool of myself, and I how I didn't know what was coming, but mostly because I had just told what had happened to the one person who meant more to be than anyone in the world. The one person who couldn't forgive me.

And I will never forgive myself for what I've done.

I gulped for breath, and wanted to tell Ron how so, so sorry I was, but he just made shush-ing noises, which made me cry even more.

(Ron's pov)

I can't believe it. I don't believe she actually went through that. And then she told me. But she said it herself; she told me not as Ron, her heart's desire; but Ron, her old best friend. Oh, how I just wanted to be her best friend. To leave it all up in the air. To let things go back to the way they were supposed to be. Us, being happy.

Mione resurfaced form my shirt (which was getting rather wet), looked at me and bit her lip. I hated seeing her like this, and, admittedly, when I looked her in the eyes, all I wanted to do was to let her know how much she meant to me. But I couldn't. I couldn't, could I?

"And you know what?" she whispered, so quietly I nearly had to lip-read it. She looked into my eyes like a lost child, looking for some comfort. "I l-love you so much, you wouldn't even begin to understand." And she cried some more into my chest, and I made soothing (or what I thought to be soothing) noises. I think it only made her cry some more.

So she loved me. She loved me, Ronald Weasely. Why? I don't honestly know. But I know she loves me. She really does.

That just makes my decision harder. Even now, now I know why she's so torn and damaged, I know that she loves me, it doesn't make my decision any easier. I had made my decision, even though I knew I might regret it, I had made it. Feeling as though this was the hardest thing I would ever have to say, I just opened my mouth and said it.

"I'm... I'm just not ready, Mione."

She wailed loudly and sobbed into my arms just as, if not harder, than before.

(Molly Weasely's pov. A few hours later)

"How are you two, you've been out there for quite a number of hours," I said, walking through the garden. "Are you alright?" I yelled, panicking slightly that I couldn't see them. It was beginning to get dark.

I saw the two dears round the corner, huddled together on a bench. Aww. How cute.

"You kids better get inside, before you get too chilly," I said, worrying that neither of them had said anything.

(Hermione's pov)

I knew I had to go. But all I wanted to do was stay in his arms. Even though I knew he 'wasn't ready'. The thought of it made me go teary eyes. I unhappily slid off of Ron's lap (however did I end up there?), and started to walk towards the gate, not looking backwards at Ron, the burrow looking so inviting as I left it behind me...

"Hermione, dear, where are you going? The Burrow's over there!" Mrs Weasely pointed to her house, in which Ron had already gone into. I must have confused him deeply.

"I, er... you want me to stay the night?" I said, uncertain. Ron can't have told his mum what had happened, because she'd be having me for dinner... And I did want to stay...

"Of course, dear. You can shrink some of my clothes to wear tomorrow. Now, chop chop, you don't want too late of a night." I ran up to her and hugged her tight.

"Thank you," I whispered, and I walked back with her up to my room for the night.

OK, so maybe this isn't your idea of long, but I didn't want to round it all off in just this chapter, so I decided to split it into two. That way you get to read chap 7, and I can write chap 8 when you're reading it, and we will all be happy. Comprehende? Anyway... thank you for all of your reviews, and tizzy13 – here's your cookie!