Hey everyone!

Well, here's chapter 5! Read and enjoy and REVIEW PLEASE!

Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter… poop.

Ch 5: Spilling the Beans and Picking Up the Slack

"Well, Harry, I'm going to go out for a walk then." Hermione said, hoping to excuse herself so she could go somewhere to think. 'How come Ginny's able to make all this progress and be having a grand old time with Harry, while I'm the one struggling to keep their secret. I'm the one who has to feel guilty every time I see Ron instead of only feeling... the same old constant pain. I shouldn't be responsible for lying to Ron for her. I shouldn't be the one hurting him.' Hermione thought, walking towards the portrait hole.

As soon as Hermione reached the portrait hole, the portrait swung open revealing Ron on the other side.

Hermione looked up at him surprised, her heart racing furiously as he looked worriedly at her.

'God, she's so beautiful. I hate how I can't seem to let her in—or let her know how I really feel about her—but yet I feel like I have to protect her from anyone who comes slightly close to her. I couldn't even imagine what I would do if something happened to her…' Ron thought, cursing Malfoy silently.

Hermione looked him up and down. 'What happened? Why is he so angry? Did he find out that I knew…' But the look on his face wasn't really anger. It expressed all of his love for her and seemed to be saying, 'I'm going to love you and protect you no matter what. I won't let anyone hurt you as long as I'm alive to hurt them back.' Hermione smiled slightly, realizing that the fire and fury on his face was kind of a vow to protect her. She started breathing in deeply looking at the masculine bulge of muscle on his forearms, due to his clenched fists. 'How is it that his devotion and protectiveness and… passion… is so sexy?'

Ron stepped through the portrait and stepped a little closer to Hermione until he was slightly towering over her, their bodies just inches apart.

They stood there, Hermione closing her eyes when she felt Ron's soft breath against her cheek, lost in each other, until Ginny cleared her throat loudly behind him.

They stepped apart quickly and looked around nervously. Ginny wore the same smug grin on her face that she wore many months ago.

Hermione blushed and went to step around Ron to leave mumbling something like, "Going to get some air" under her breath. Ron grabbed her arm, making her face him.

"Wait, 'ermione." He said softly. "I need to talk to you for a minute."

"Oh, um, ok Ron." Hermione said, as if she was deep in thought and abruptly interrupted. "Let's go step outside, then."

"No, um, let's go upstairs." Ron said, receiving quizzical, but highly amused looks from Ginny and Harry. "Just for a moment." He added, tossing Ginny a look saying, "stop thinking like that!"

Ron and Hermione quickly escaped upstairs to his dorm.

"Well…" Harry said after a while, as they noticed they were left alone.

"They are totally in love." Ginny said laughing slightly.

"You think?" Harry asked her.

"No. I know." Ginny said. They were silent for a moment. "And I also know that they're probably making out up there."

"Really?" Harry asked, kind of surprised. How had he missed all of this?

"Yeah."

"When did all of this start up?" Harry asked.

"Ummm… Well, nothing really happened before today… since fall."

"Oh." Harry said. 'Nothing had happened since fall… because of me. They got in a fight and then… well, me and Hermione almost made a horrible mistake.' Harry thought. 'They're in love… They've been in love for such a long time and it all got screwed up because of me.'

"Harry." Ginny started. "Did last night mean anything to you?"

Harry looked at her. 'I should just tell her the truth.'

"Well, at first… it didn't. But now, now that you've… I know you understand me… now that we're spending more time together, I know I'm getting involved with something… great." Harry stopped, seeing the stressed look on her face. "Yesterday was just so unexpected and I didn't really think much of it, but now… Ginny I really really like you."

"You do?"

"Ginny, yes! When you said… those things earlier… about Sirius, I started realizing you were right. In fact, you were so right, I was even thinking the same thing you said earlier today. And I… I want to be with you because you understand me and you're the only one who's been tough with me." Harry said, slightly laughing. He looked at her.

"Harry… thank you." Ginny said.

Harry nodded.

"Harry, earlier when I was out in the school, Malfoy… he kissed me." Ginny said.

"What?" Harry said sounding alarmed.

"He did that to Hermione too. The other day he was forcing her to and hurting her and he… he groped her and then Ron came and just hexed Malfoy, but Harry, he did the same thing to me today."

"What? Are you all right? Did he hurt you, Ginny?" Harry asked squeezing her hand.

"Yes, I'm fine, Harry."

"You sure?"

"Yes." Ginny smiled, happy that he was so concerned.

"And Hermione's all right too, right?"

"Yes. I think so."

"Why is Malfoy doing this? He hates us and you and Hermione. This doesn't make any sense!"

"I know it doesn't."

"And you're sure you're all right?"

Ginny nodded.

Harry looked into her eyes and leaned closer to her. Ginny held his face with her hand and pulled him closer to her, bringing his lips onto hers.

/\/\/\

"What is it?" Hermione asked upstairs in Ron's room.

"Malfoy." Ron said.

"What about him? What happened?"

"The same thing he did to you… He just did it to Ginny."

"What? Is she all right? What happened?" Hermione asked surprised.

"He was kissing her and then she tried to hex him and he took her wand and then I came in…"

Hermione smiled. Ron came in and fought him off. There he was again, saving and protecting everyone he cared for from harm. And there she was, lying to him.

"Hermione?" Ron asked, noticing she looked upset.

"Yeah?"

"What did Malfoy do to you earlier… when I found you guys by the Great Hall?" Ron asked looking worried. 'I'm tired of Malfoy being a git. Why does he have to hurt my sister and hurt my… and hurt Hermione?'

"Well… Malfoy did call me a Mudblood again, Ron." She said. "but that wasn't what bothered me."

"Well, what did?" Ron asked, walking over to her quickly and putting his big warm hand on her slightly shaking shoulder.

She looked up at him.

"He called me… Well, Ron, he called me 'ermione." Hermione said, sitting down on his bed.

"Oh." Ron said, his throat tightening a little.

"Yeah. That kind of caught me off guard. Seeing as though you are the only person who calls me that. And well, if you call me that because you… you care about me, I was wondering if Malfoy was starting to… you know."

Ron looked up at her slowly.

"What? That's impossible! He's always being such a git… Well, he still is a git, but…"

"Ron, that would explain the other day." Hermione said, feeling completely miserable.

"That sick bastard! Hermione, if he hurts you…" Ron said, shaking his fists.

"Ron, he won't hurt me!" Hermione shouted.

"What?"

"He can't hurt me Ron. I just know that he can't." Hermione said.

"How come? Hermione, you don't know what Malfoy's capable of—"

"He can't hurt me, Ron, because of you." Hermione said, looking at the floor nervously. She knew what she wanted to say, but for some reason, it was hard. 'Ron will always protect me. He loves me and he's too good to me. I don't deserve him one bit. I'm only going to hurt him. Everything with Harry… Lying for Ginny… Here I am sitting right in front of him, knowing Ginny is with Harry and not telling him, even though I promised him I would. I can't do this to him.'

"Because of me?" Ron asked, walking over to his bed and sitting next to her.

"Ron, you always protect the people you love most. You always defend them and you're constantly loyal to them. The people that you love." Hermione looked up at him, and saw he understood what she was meaning to say. "I know you wouldn't ever let Malfoy—or anyone—ever hurt me… because you love me."

Ron was silent.

"Yes."

"You love me?" Hermione asked with a sound of hopefulness in her voice.

"I love you… 'ermione." Ron said, with every feeling and compassion he had for her in his heart. Hermione smiled, one tear escaping her eye. "And I promise you that… well, that you were right just now. I promise that I will never let anyone hurt you… as long as I'm alive."

Another tear escaped her eye. 'He loves me.' She finally heard him say that he loved her and she couldn't have been happier. 'And I'm still lying to him and betraying him, but still taking this all in.' She couldn't have felt guiltier. 'But Ron will protect me from everything now. I shouldn't have to worry about Malfoy anymore. He may have promised me, but I knew he would protect me anyway.'

"Ron… I love you too." Hermione said finally. "And I promise… that I will always love you, no matter what happens between us. Because honestly, no one could ever make me feel like you make me feel."

And there it was. To seal the most perfect moment.

They kissed. They kissed softly and carefully, as if both silently trying to keep their promises to each other. Ron carefully laid Hermione down on the bed holding her back with his strong hand. There they were, kissing on Ron's bed.

But Hermione couldn't help but think of Ron's bedroom back at the Burrow. How could she have done that? She kissed Harry in Ron's very own bedroom. And now she was here kissing him, not only hiding… that meaningless time with Harry, but also the secret about Ginny and Harry that she promised Ron she would tell him.

Hermione pulled away from Ron.

"What?" Ron asked suddenly concerned. "Did I hurt you?"

"No." Hermione said, trying to make herself smile. She sat up. "I have to say something."

"'ermione, don't worry about Malfoy. We're going to take care of everything." Ron said seriously.

"No, Ron. It's not that. I have something to tell you." Hermione said, taking a deep breath.

"What?"

"Ron, you know how you—" Hermione stopped, felling nervous and awkward. 'Way to ruin a perfect moment' Hermione thought. 'Well, say it.' A voice in her head said. 'No, it's not too late. If you tell him, everything will blow up in your face and in less then five minutes, Ron will be yelling at you and everything that just happened won't matter. Everything that just happened will hurt to remember.' Another voice said. 'No. You can't live with this. Besides, if everything stays as good as it is now, for even a few years, you can't keep hiding a secret like this.' The original voice pointed out. 'Well, you're never going to get this back. You were lucky once, but…' The second voice retorted. 'The longer you wait to tell him, the more it will hurt.' The first voice insisted. 'If you don't tell him, you may cry yourself to sleep tonight, but it will only be guilt. If you do tell him, you'll still cry yourself to sleep, but it'll be more painful.' The second voice said. 'Bloody conscious! Why don't you both shut the hell up?' Hermione thought furiously.

"'ermione?" Ron asked, leaning over to put a loose strand of hair of hers in place, making her heart skip a beat.

"Ron, I—I can't do this to you. You know that I love you, right?" Hermione said, feeling like she just made a crappy start.

"Well, blimey, yeah. You did just tell me." Ron said, starting to get anxious. "What is it?"

"Ok." Hermione took a deep breath. "Well, remember this summer? When I came to the Burrow and you and I kissed and Ginny walked in and then we got into that—that ridiculous fight?"

"Well, yeah, how could I forget?" Ron said, smiling slightly.

'There's no turning back now.' Hermione thought, knowing she had long passed the point of no return.

"Well, after wards—after I went inside crying—"

"I am really sorry about that." Ron said looking like he meant.

Hermione almost died. Ron wasn't making this any easier for her; by saying the sweetest things and making her feel even guiltier.

"Well," Hermione smiled nervously and blushed. "I went inside and—you remember how… devastated Harry still was about Sirius? Well, I mean, he still is upset, but it was a whole lot worse then, you know?" Hermione babbled on. "Well, I um, I kind of went upstairs into his room—"

"Well, it was my room, but he was sleeping there." Ron kindly pointed out.

"Yes, I know." Hermione said quickly, hoping to brush aside the fact that it was his room. She took a deep breath for the plunge and spit out the rest really quickly. "So, I went up to see him and me and him were talking and then we kind of made out."

Ron's jaw dropped. He closed his mouth and then turned away from her. 'So that was why Hermione was super weird around me for the longest time. Because she and Harry made out in—'

"In my own bedroom?" Ron said slightly robotically. He wasn't yelling, but was still processing it all, and was too hurt to pick out just one emotion.

"Well, yes." Hermione said, quietly, tears already rolling down her cheeks. She wiped one off as it made its path down her neck.

Ron stood up and wiped his mouth off angrily.

"Hermione. We just—! You just—told me you loved me!" Ron stuttered.

"I do Ron!" Hermione shrieked. "I love you so much! More then anything in the whole world, Ron!"

"But you—" Ron looked at her dumbfounded. His face was bright red, and he opened his mouth slightly many times in attempt to say something, but no words came out.

"I love you Ron, and I just promised I always would! I always will! Ron, you have to believe me, I—" Here came the desperate pleading.

"Hermione, you made out with my best friend in my room right after we had our first kiss together! We had that moment and Hermione, I—" Ron shut his mouth, still at a loss for words. He looked like he was about to cry. He felt like he was too. But he couldn't let her see that.

"Ron, I was confused and hurt and upset! We just had that moment on the couch and it was amazing! I was floating on air, Ron! And you have no idea how many times I replayed that in my mind, or cried myself to sleep thinking of it, or how many times I desperately wanted to go back in time, even to experience it again!"

"Don't turn this around on me, Hermione!"

"I'm not, but Ron, that moment changed my life! After that moment, I only ever thought about us, about how awful I screwed up, how sorry I am it happened, how much I regret it, how what happened with me and Harry meant absolutely nothing and it was all out of pain, and how much I wanted you back!" Hermione walked towards Ron.

"Hermione, don't do this." Ron said seriously, backing away.

"I want you, Ron! I love you more then anything else on this crazy planet! And Ron I need you!" Hermione walked towards Ron, backing him against the wall. She kissed him hard on the lips, feeling his strong shoulders under her fingers and pulling him towards her. Another earth-shaking moment. The kiss quickly deepened and Ron pushed her away.

"No Hermione! Stop it!" Ron cried. "I can't take it when you do that!" He blurted out.

"Ron, you have to believe me though!" Hermione said, after catching her breathe. "I didn't plan on kissing Harry, just like we didn't plan on us that day! But trust me! There is no comparison between the two when it comes down to which one I would choose to repeat every day over and over again because it made me feel alive and loved and special and feel the greatest feeling I believe someone can feel!" Hermione cried, taking another cautious step towards him.

"Hermione, no!" Ron said, taking another step away from her.

"And there is certainly no comparison between which one I want to take back or prayed it never happened every single minute of every day! Or which one I regret more then anything, because it was the time between me and Harry!" Hermione chased after Ron and blocked the doorway. "Because it was the single worst moment and biggest mistake of my life! Every single day, Ron, I wanted to take it back! I still do!" Hermione said between sobs.

"Well you can't, Hermione!"

"I know I can't, Ron! I've had to realize that! I never wanted to hurt you Ron!"

"But you did, Hermione! YOU DID!" Ron yelled, trying to get past her to get to the door.

"I… I love you, Ron! More then anything! I promised you that!" Hermione said between sobs. "You have to believe that I love you… And that seeing you or hearing you or… feeling you… or that even the mention of your name makes my heart stop. Loving you makes me feel invincible and—and vulnerable, and amazing and whenever I'm around you I feel like I can't breathe! Do you believe that Ron? Because if you feel the same way about me, then you have to believe me! I need you, Ron, and you have to believe that!"

Ron stopped and looked into her eyes.

"I believe you… 'ermione." Ron whispered, leaning close to her and sending the same thrilling and unbearable chills up and down her spine. "I feel the same way about you. I need you Hermione and I'm still going to keep my promise… I probably will forever. I love you 'ermione, more then you could ever imagine." Ron gently wiped a tear off her face with his thumb.

They slowly leaned closer to each other and their lips carefully met.

The kiss deepened, and they held on to each other tightly, but after a moment, Ron pulled away with a fierce, but sad look in his eye.

"But we can't do this Hermione." He said.

"Why not Ron?" Hermione asked him quietly, holding his glance and determined to hold on to what they had.

Ron tore his glance away from her and turned around towards the door.

"Because… Because it hurts 'ermione." He looked at her with his hand on the knob. "Because any single moment we have together is… too good to be true. And we both know it. Every single… earth-shattering heart-stopping moment we have is like the greatest thing I could ever dream of, but it always leaves me—no, it always leaves US hurting." He turned the doorknob.

"No, Ron! Don't go. Don't run away again! Like last time." Hermione shouted. "Last time, you were too afraid that… that you would get hurt. So you ran. And where did it leave us? We're here, Ron. In this very moment. And you know what Ron? I'm still hurting!" She screamed at him, her face bright red and streaked with tears. "You can't run from pain Ron! If you didn't run last time, we both would be hurting a hell of a lot less! Because I wouldn't have been in your room at the Burrow with Harry! No… I would have been there with you!"

"You're blaming this all on me now?"

"No, Ron, I'm not meaning to. All I'm trying to say is that the more we try running from this bloody pain… the more pain we're gonna feel. Because when we think we're running from pain, we're really running from us. And I don't feel any pain when I'm with you." Hermione walked up to Ron and touched him lightly on his forearm.

Chills ran up his arm as she touched him.

"'ermione, I'm sorry." Ron shook his head and opened the door.

"Ron stop!" Hermione shouted as Ron walked down the stairs. "Why do you have to do this? I apologized! Is that what it's still about? You know I'm in love with you! Not ever him. You!" She screamed and followed him down the stairs.

Ron stormed down the stairs, not looking back at her.

"Ron! I don't know—" Hermione stopped. They reached the Common Room.

"Whoa!" A shirtless Harry yelled from the sofa… from on top of Ginny.

Ginny didn't look up at Ron. Ron was looking at them furiously with his mouth open. Hermione looked at Ginny nervously. She already let one major secret out today. Why not another?

"Get off her!" Ron yelled finally.

"Ron!" Ginny snapped immediately.

"What are you guys doing?" Ron asked, knowing the answer.

"Nothing, Ron—"

"No Ginny. Tell him the truth." Hermione said. Her voice was firm, but emotionless. She didn't really care if Ron flipped out at her. It couldn't make things any worse.

"Hermione! You said—" Ginny started to yell. Then she stopped when she looked up and saw Hermione's face covered with tears and her clothes disheveled. 'Things have obviously went good… at first… and then really awful. Just let this go, it won't help your situation or hers. Plus she looks like she's already been to hell and back; so don't send her on another trip. It won't help to get mad at anyone. But then what happened?' Ginny looked at Hermione. She was looking expectant. Like she knew Ginny was about to scream at her. 'Why did things go so bad then?'

"You already told him?" Ginny asked her, narrowing her eyes.

"No, Ginny! I didn't!"

"You knew about them?" Ron snapped at Hermione, proving her point.

Hermione opened her mouth to say something in her defense, but she couldn't say anything. 'I promised Ron I would tell him. I'm so screwed.'

"You even just promised me that you would tell me if you knew something! And you knew!" Ron shouted at her, looking completely betrayed.

"Ron! Stop it! It isn't Hermione's fault!" Ginny yelled. "I made her promise not to tell you! This morning even before breakfast! But I shouldn't have made her promise anything!"

"She promised me, though!"

"Ron listen! I don't care! I shouldn't have made her promise! And trust me, she fought it, she never wanted to hurt you or lie to you! Hell, she's so in love with you, Ron! It was stupid of me to make her lie to the guy she cries herself asleep thinking about."

Hermione looked at Ron. He was avoiding her glance.

"You know what Ron? I'm just going to let it all out!" Ginny shouted.

Hermione looked at Ginny curiously.

"Ginny, no. You don't have to." Harry spoke up suddenly.

"Harry. Stay out of this!" Ginny looked back at Ron. "Ron, we had sex last night!"

"What?" Ron stammered. "Bloody hell, get off my sister!" Ron stormed up to Harry and tried to pull him off the couch. 'Not only Hermione… well almost… but my own little sis?"

"Ron, stop!" Hermione yelled.

"Hermione!" Ron yelled.

"Ron! Leave Hermione out of this! It's not her fault! None of this is!" Ginny screamed.

"Oh?" Ron said.

Hermione knew what was coming. She glanced at Harry, who wasn't paying attention.

"This summer… your dear friend Hermione made out with Harry!"

"What?" Ginny asked. Hermione looked away and tried to brush away all of the tears.

"Yes, Ginny. It's true. The same day you saw me and Ron together." Hermione said glancing at Ron. She had to let it all out. "Me and Ron got into a stupid fight and I was hurt and Harry was grieving and it just happened and it meant nothing and I regret it more then anything else I've ever done in my life." Hermione looked at Ginny. She couldn't tell what she was thinking. "I love Ron, Ginny. You know that. I just never told you about this, because I didn't want you to get hurt. But it meant nothing to both of us. Trust me, I love Ron."

"Yeah, Ginny, it meant nothing." Harry said.

After a while, Ginny nodded.

"Ok."

"What?" Hermione looked at her surprised.

"OK. I know you love Ron—you couldn't fake those crazy feelings." Ginny glanced at Ron, who looked uncomfortable and miserable. "And it was a mistake. And it happened ages ago, so… what good is it to hold a grudge?" Ginny said sincerely. 'Plus it looks like you're desperately going to need a friend tonight. And loads of tissues.' Mainly Ginny forgave her, the rest of her just felt sorry for her.

"Oh Ginny." Hermione said and started to well up again.

Ginny smiled slightly and then looked at Ron.

"Well? Can you try not to hate all of us and try not to hold a grudge?" She asked him.

"Well, Harry, I guess you were just grieving for Sirius. But you even try and hurt Ginny you're dead." Ron looked at Ginny. "Gin, you're my little sis. But you don't have to lie to me."

"I know Ron. I just… had a feeling you would react this way." Ginny said.

"Yeah. It's fine." Ron nodded and walked towards the portrait hole.

"Ron! I'm sorry!" Hermione called.

Ron just shook his head and pushed through the hole with his head down.

"Hermione, I'll get him." Ginny stood up and quickly squeezed Harry's hand and gave Hermione a very unconvincing encouraging look before darting after Ron through the portrait hole.

A/N: Well, that chapter was a lot of… drama! And a lot of fighting. All of these huge things just keep getting dumped on poor Ron. He's had a lot to take in so I'm sorry if he's being such a butt to Hermione. Poor Hermione too! Nothing goes her way either. Poor Ginny has to pick up all the slack. Poor Harry only gets about 5 lines in this chapter! He only has the nice "Yeah" additions like "Potsy". (Gilmore Girls, sorry!) So much for the 'title character'! (Sorry if this chapter was slacking, I finished this up at 2:08am. It was calling to me) Well, I'll write more soon! PLEASE REVIEW!