A/N: Hey all! Thanks for reviewing! Sorry everyone (HERMIONE) has been crying so much! They may be all depressed now, but it's part of my big plan! Be prepared for another beloved pairing! REVIEW!

Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter. I did in my dream last night. (Honestly!)

Ch 6: Deal With It

"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. "Ron wait!" Ginny followed him down the hall, almost needing to break into a run to keep up with him.

"Ginny no." Ron said, turning around to face her.

"You know, sometimes you can be really stubborn." Ginny said, catching her breath and walked over to him. "And some times you can be a real stupid prat."

Ron glared at her. But when a group of giggling girls entered the corridor, he turned and started walking away. Ginny followed him.

"Ron, come on." Ginny insisted, struggling to keep up with his long strides.

"No Gin. Not here." Ron turned to corner and led them to a deserted classroom. They walked inside and he locked the door with a flick of his wand.

"Why are you doing this, Ron?" Ginny asked scowling and sitting on top of the teacher's desk.

"Doing what?" Ron asked leaning against the wall by the door.

"You're running away."

"Oh not this again."

"Ron, Hermione loves you. And you love her. But you're pushing her away again! Why?" Ginny asked, already knowing the answer.

"Because! She and Harry… they made out in my own bedroom!"

Ginny winced.

"Well, that does sound bad when you put it that way."

Ron nodded then took a deep breath.

"I'm surprised you're not upset too." He said.

"Why should I be?" Ginny asked, motioning for Ron to sit down next to her. He did.

"Why shouldn't you be?" Ron asked, looking at her in shock.

"Oh, I don't know. Maybe because Harry and I weren't together then, Hermione was hurt and confused and wasn't thinking at all when she did it. Which is completely understandable."

"How so? How is it 'completely understandable' that she was confused and upset?" Ron asked, feeling sick to his stomach.

"Ron, you and her just kissed! For the first time! And it was actually kind of heavy and passionate. It was a lot for her to swallow. And it was unexpected, but it wasn't like her and Harry. It was the result of the loads of feelings you two had for each other. You loved each other even then. It was like when you shake up a bottle of soda and you take off the cap, releasing all of the pressure. Like fireworks…" Ginny said, sounding a bit dreamy.

Ron sighed.

"What? It's romantic. You shared this crazy passionate moment and then you got into a fight. A stupid crazy fight. And you left Hermione in tears. I would be totally confused if I just made out with someone I was wild about and then they start a ridiculous fight that really hurts." Ginny paused and started at her brother. "I have no clue why Hermione likes you at all."

"Thanks." Ron said sarcastically, rolling his eyes.

"Well, I take that back. I can see why. You're my big brother who has to save the world. I usually find it annoying, but I can see how that could seem… um, not annoying… to her."

Ron scoffed.

"Ron, Hermione loves you. She made a horrible mistake that she totally regrets. It's is tearing her apart."

"It's tearing me apart."

"I know, Ron. I'm really sorry." Ginny paused. "I really don't want to see you hurt and I know you are. But do you really think that hurting Hermione back will help?"

"Gin, it hurts to even think about what they did!" Ron exclaimed looking like he was just punched in the gut.

"They didn't do much, because it didn't mean much!" Ginny said. "I know it hurts, but you love Hermione, and being with her is the only you're going to feel better! Take some time away from her to cool off, but you have to remember you love her and you two are meant for each other!"

"What?" Ron asked, looking at Ginny.

"I've told Hermione this too." Ginny said, and then continued when Ron's mouth dropped open to say something. "And she was surprised and really happy about it. You two are meant for each other, Ron. You too love each other so much that it hurts."

"It does hurt, Ginny." Ron said, burying his face in his hands.

"I know. I feel that way too." Ginny said.

Ron looked up.

"You love Harry?"

Ginny took in a deep slow breath and then nodded. 'Yeah I do. And Ron's just going to have to deal with it.'

"Ok." Ron said quietly.

"What?"

"I said ok."

Ginny grinned.

"You know, Hermione needs you."

"I know."

Ginny smiled, knowing everything would play itself out.

"And I'm going to be damned if I let anyone hurt her." Ron said.

"Well…" Ginny hesitated, not wanting to hurt Ron with what she would say. "Then you had better stop treating her like you are."

"Ginny…"

"What if you're hurting her by not being with her? Because if you aren't with her she's blaming herself and feeling rotten. She hurts when she's with you and when you isn't."

"How do you know all of this stuff?" Ron asked amazed.

"Many nights of the two of us crying ourselves to sleep together." Ginny said honestly.

"Oh."

They sat there in silence.

"Hey Ron? Whose classroom is this?" Ginny asked slowly, noticing a few cauldrons lining the wall.

"Oh shit. It's Snape's." Ron stood up quickly. "We should probably leave."

The two of them ran back to the Common Room and went to their separate dormitories. Ginny crept inside the darkened room and found what she had been dreading to find.

"Hermione?" Ginny called softly, unsure if she was asleep. Hermione slowly sat up, just so the moonlight lay on her face. "Are you alright?"

"I'm fine." Hermione said, sounding distant and emotionless.

"You know everything will be ok, right?" Ginny asked, sitting down in her own bed.

"Sure." Hermione mumbled. "It'll be great waking up tomorrow and remember the mistakes of today."

"Hermione—"

"It'll be so fun going down to breakfast unable to make eye contact with Ron because I know he'd just ignore me."

You don't know—"

"And I'll definitely enjoy regretting ever making that stupid promise to you." Hermione finished sharply.

"I know. I do too. I'm so sorry. You have no idea—"

"Right, Ginny. You regret having everyone else suffering to keep your secret. As long as everyone was listening to you, you could go on enjoying your life with no worries about it coming out. I wish you didn't even tell me in the first place. Then I wouldn't be in this mess at all."

"Hey! You can't do that. I know I shouldn't have made you promise. I was just confused! I didn't want Ron getting mad at me over it!"

"Of course, but who cares if he gets mad at me, right?"

"No, Hermione, I didn't mean it like that! Earlier I was being ridiculous and stupid. I should have known Ron would have ended up fine. I really do regret it! This is my fault. My secret wasn't your responsibility. I just kind of forgot it was a secret that would hurt what you too have."

"Well, Ron is protective of you and I knew he would want to know about this. I'm in love with him, Ginny! And now we don't have anything together, thanks to you!"

"I just talked to Ron now! I just saved your relationship!"

"What the hell do you mean? Don't try and act like a martyr, it can't make up for this."

"I wasn't the one who cheated on him with his best friend in his own bloody room!" Ginny shouted. The words rang out leaving the room silent and it's inhabitants a little damaged.

"I know." Hermione squeaked after a moment.

"I'm sorry, Hermione. I don't want you feeling guilty anymore or hurting, but Ron's my brother. I reasoned with him on your favor already, now it's time to defend him." Ginny paused.

"I know he didn't do anything wrong, trust me." Hermione said quietly, again sounding distant and empty. "That was all my fault and I hate myself for it." She said bitterly.

"I'm sorry. He's just really… hurting." Ginny said, causing a tear to roll down Hermione's cheek.

She couldn't say anything.

"Hermione?"

Hermione sat on her bed feeling numb.

"What are you thinking?"

"I don't know." Hermione took a deep breath.

"Ok." Ginny said, unsure if she should leave her alone. "I'm sorry."

"Me too."

A cold breeze escaped the window that was cracked open. Hermione shivered in her bed and Ginny ran over and shut the window.

"Christmas Eve is just five days away." Ginny said.

"Yep."

"Hey…" Ginny started, remembering something. "That means… only five days until we go to the Burrow!"

At first Hermione smiled, but then she remembered what happened there last time she was there.

"I can't go."

"What? Hermione, why do you say that?" Ginny asked, only thinking of the upcoming Christmas Eve. "Oh… Come on, you can't let that get in the way of having a good time."

"It's Ron, Ginny." Hermione said as if that should explain everything. "It's his house."

"It's mine too."

"Well, it's his family."

"Hermione, I'm in that family."

"No. It's his bedroom." Hermione sighed. "It's what happened there."

"This time will be different there. And you have to face the music and deal with it eventually. The longer you wait, the more it'll hurt."

"Yeah."

"Look. I talked to Ron. He said, he just needs some time, but then, everything will be all right. You can still have fun." Ginny said, not really believing herself that what she said was true.

A/N: Well kiddies, that's all! Next chapter: Remus and Tonks.

Review!