"After I stabbed the bloody Horcrux, Harry told me that he loved you like a sister," Ron said, wrapping his arm around Hermione's shoulders. "And that he reckoned you felt the same way about him. Mind you, not that he's your sister, but you know what I mean."

Hermione just stared at her hands. Ron had been telling her the entire story of his stabbing the locket for about twenty minutes now. Never had she felt more hurt. And this kind of hurt was the kind only Harry could cause her. It was the way she felt every time she knew he was in peril, every time she knew she might lose her best friend.

"When Harry told me that, it really reassured me, 'cos, you know, when I left, it felt like you'd chosen him over me, and it really hurt because sometimes, it feels like everyone chooses Harry over me," Ron smiled at her, squeezing her shoulders. "Between you and me, I'm rather glad you didn't."

She took a shaky breath. "Yeah," she gave him a weak smile which made his eyes light up. "Me too."

Ron kissed the top of her head and stood up from where they had been sitting outside the tent. "I guess I'll go get some sleep, then. Night, Hermione."

"Night, Ron," her voice sounded weak and defeated and she knew it. But Ron would never recognize that. Not with his teaspoon full of his own emotions. Harry would in an instant. He would stop and make her tell him what was wrong. Never mind that he had lied to her.

Everything he'd been saying to her since Ron had left and they had 'admitted their love for each other' was a lie. Just pretty words you use to get a girl in bed. She watched as her hands began to shake. Her stomach had long since dropped and hit the floor. She felt nauseous. How could he do this to her? She had always been there for him, always by his side, and in return, he did this to her? He used her? How could he do such a thing! What happened to that 'saving people' complex? Did it, out of utter desperation and sexual frustration, turn into a 'use what you can to get what you want'? Her eyes burned as tears welled up. Her whole body began to shake. The next thing she knew, she was crying and sobbing and shaking, huddled up on the snowy ground outside of their tent.

She was still laying there when Harry came outside to take over the watch duty. He tried to ask her what was wrong, but she refused to answer him, even after he helped her up and got her inside. She curled up on her bunk, still trembling and cried herself to sleep.

Hermione sat up gasping for air and covered in sweat. She could hear her heart pounding. She looked around the room and remembered where she was. Harry had rescued her from Ron last night and, she looked on the other side of the bed, had stayed with her through the night. She vaguely remembered kissing him before falling asleep. She could feel panic begin to rise in her body and she quickly stood up, only resulting in the sheet tangling itself around her legs. She clenched her teeth shut as her hip collided with the hardwood floor of the hotel room with a resounding thud.

Through the darkness she saw Harry's disheveled mop of hair rise up from the bed, and saw him grab his wand. "Lumos," he whispered.

Hermione squinted as Harry shined the wandlight in her face. "Erm," she said. "Hi."

Harry chuckled slightly. "Hermione, why are you on the ground?"

She pushed her bushy hair out of her face. "Well, you see, I was trying to get up, but it didn't really work out," she finished lamely, feeling rather stupid.

Harry got out of the bed and turned the lights on in the room. "Hermione, are you all right?" He extended his hand to her.

She accepted it and gracefully disentangled herself from the savage bedding. "Harry, we need to talk."

She watched his face fall a little before he responded, "Sure."

Hermione sat down on the edge of the bed, inviting him to sit beside her. "I know we've been acting like nothing's wrong and that you love Ginny and I love Ron, but I think we both know that there are some things we have yet to say to each other." She took a deep breath and forestalled his next comment with a raised hand. "Do you remember that night you found me outside the tent, crying?"

Harry nodded, grabbing his glasses off the nightstand so he could see her properly.

"Ron told me what you said to him after he stabbed the locket. About you just loving me as a sister and you thinking I had similar feelings toward you. What in the name of Merlin possessed you to say that?"

Harry took a deep breath, running his hand through his already messy hair. "I had just watched Ron's greatest fears play out in front of me, knowing that part of them had come to fruition. He was shaken and scared and looking for reassurance. What else was I supposed to tell him, 'Mione? 'Hey, mate! Thanks for saving my life and for stabbing a Horcrux! By the way, that whole thing that the locket just told you about me and Hermione? Totally true! We've been shacking up ever since you left. Welcome back!' Oh, yes, Hermione, that would have gone over really well." Harry fixed her with a look.

She bit her lip. "I see your point," she let her voice trail off.

"I know," Harry sighed. "Why didn't I tell you otherwise after the fact? Well, two reasons. The first being I had no idea that he told you that until now. The second being, we all got a little involved with the war after that. One thing led to another and the next thing I knew, you were throwing around Basilisk fangs and throwing yourself at him in the middle of the fight!" Harry stood up. "I figured that you had all but forgotten about me, that I was yesterday's newspaper that would soon be lining the owl cage."

Hermione could see his frustration beginning to build. She chewed on her bottom lip. "Harry, you really can't blame me. Can you? Here I thought you loved me like a sister. Despite what we did, I still believed it because why would you have lied to Ron?"

Harry sighed and lay back on the bed. "Would me saying I'm sorry be enough?" He clenched his eyes closed. "Hermione," he sat up and took her hand in his, looking her straight in the eye. "I have never stopped thinking about you. You have never left my mind or my heart. You are the most amazing woman in the world to me. When I came home and Ginny expected us to get back together, all I could think about was the way I felt when you kissed me. The way I felt whole with you," his voice was desperate now. "If I got down on my knees and begged, would you forgive me?"

"Harry, you don't need to beg for my forgiveness. I forgave you the moment you took me away from the flat last night," a single tear rolled down her face. "I love you."

Harry wrapped her in his arms, never wanting to let go. "No more lies, all right?"

She nodded. He kissed her forehead. "I love you too."

(A/N: I know, this was shorter than the first installment. This was easy to write, partially because of a situation involving my lovely best friend and his antics. Sigh. I love him. Anyway. Let me know what you loved, what you hated (aside from the ship) and what you think. :)

Oh, and if I can shamelessly promote myself, I'm begging of you, go check out Candy Floss and Dark Chocolate. It has a cannon pairing and I'm in desperate need to suggestions. Fuel my fire? :)

I love y'all.)