Chapter 6: Memories, Mistakes and Staying Strong

The pair entered the room of requirement, hand in hand with goofy smile lighting their faces. They walked over to the large bed that was in the centre of the room, the only lighting being the candles that dotted the room. They were four months into their relationship and ready to celebrate that fact.

They began to undress each other amidst soft kisses. Once they were down to their underwear, Ron picked up his girlfriend and laid her on the bed. In the soft lighting of the candle, he admired Hermione's soft form. Not for long, though as he quickly joined her on the bed, once again reclaiming her lips in an age old gesture that showed his feelings.

Hermione responded to the soft kiss, intermingling their tongues intimately. She arched her back slightly so that Ron could reach behind her to unclasp her bra. He slid it down her arms and chucked it behind him as he returned to kissing softly down her neck. Hermione hooked her fingers on his boxers and together they quickly shed them, followed by Hermione's remaining article of clothing.

Ron was blushing slightly, whether it being at seeing Hermione naked below him, or her seeing him in all his glory is unknown. Even in the most intimate of moments, he averted his eyes as though to give her some privacy. Hermione smiled at his gentlemanly gesture and reached up to stroke his cheek. He looked down then, his blue eyes smiling into her warm brown pools.

Hermione leant up to kiss him once again and Ron took power from this and he carefully entered the girl that lay below him. Hermione bit her lip and uttered a small gasp at the sudden pain. She closed her eyes, waiting for it to disperse. When it did, she opened her eyes, and a lone tear ran down her cheek. Ron kissed it away, and at her small nod, began to move once more.

Hermione cried out. "Stop." Ron remained motionless, watching Hermione's face carefully. This wasn't without strain, however, and the muscles in his neck stood out with the effort.

"'Mione." He begged. "Please." Hermione nodded and Ron moved backwards. Then he carefully began to push back in, watching Hermione's face for any indication that he should stop. When he was nearly three-quarters in, Hermione cried out again.

"Ouch, stop." Hermione was breathing deeply, her mind going over the problem. "You're too big." She breathed, eyes closed as she tried to ignore the pain. Ron sighed in defeat and pulled out, flopping down on his back next to Hermione.

"'Mione?" Ron asked quietly as he pulled the blanket of the both of them. Hermione just shook her head, her eyes closed with her dark lashes stroking the pale skin of her cheek. As she curled up to his side facing the opposite way, the only think Ron could do was place a last kiss on the top of her head sigh dejectedly, before he settled down to sleep next to her.

"Hermione? Hermione." Harry shook her arm and Hermione opened her eyes blearily.

"Harry?"

"You were sleeping." Harry chuckled. "It's six in the afternoon."

"What day is it?" Hermione asked confused as to why she would be asleep in the middle of the afternoon.

"It's Monday. I think you've had too many late nights at the library."

"Oh." Hermione answered, remembering the party and the true reason she was so tired. "That must be it." She lied, sitting up straight. "Where's Ron?"

"He's just finishing eating dinner with Ginny; he'll be here in a second." Harry smiled, all too aware of Ron's appetite and his protectiveness of his baby sister. Hermione chuckled and was about to reply when Ron rejoined them.

"Hey, 'Mione you're awake." He kissed her forehead softly as he sat down, his red hair lit up by the fire. Harry smiled at the scene.

"I'm going to go and find Ginny." He said, letting the couple be without his interference.

"I've been thinking." Hermione said, breaking the silence as soon as Harry had left.

"Hmm?" Ron asked, not bothering to form a coherent sentence, after all Hermione was always thinking.

"Maybe we should try again."

"What exactly?"

"You know." Hermione smiled, swinging one leg over so she was straddling Ron and placing a soft kiss on the corner of his mouth. "Sex." She whispered making Ron pay full attention.

"I thought you'd never ask." Ron stood up and pulled Hermione after him, out of the common room and along the corridor to the room of requirement. Hermione was slightly shocked by Ron's blatant eagerness, but went along anyway.

In the end, Hermione wished that she hadn't bothered. Her pain was too great for them to really get going, and the slow pace did nothing but wind her up and leave her irrefutably frustrated.

Ron, despite going slow, seemed oblivious to what Hermione was feeling and it didn't take fifteen minutes before he was lying next to Hermione, his eyes closed, a large smile on his face.

Hermione waited patiently until Ron had fallen asleep before she dressed and left the room. Half of her experiment had been conducted and considerably conclusive. Just what she had expected. There was nothing to tie her to Ron Weasley. They had nothing in common, except a friendship with Harry Potter, and she felt no passion in their relationship. Hermione headed to her dorm and crawled into bed, her tiredness leading to immediate sleep.

Ginny watched Ron leave the Hall, before she drained the last drop of liquid in her goblet and followed. She walked out of the door and face first into something very tall and solid. At first she presumed that she had walked into a pillar but when she looked up, she was met with the olive skinned features of Blaise Zabini.

"Little Red." Blaise smirked. "Back for more?"

"Yes. Wait, no! I mean...hi." Ginny finished lamely, her cheeks flaming.

"I was looking forward to dinner." Blaise chuckled, tucking a finger under her chin and lifting her head, so that he had full eye contact. "But I think we can find some other way to curb my appetite." Blaise walked forward, forcing Ginny to step backwards until she was pressed with her back on the cold stone of the wall and her chest against Blaise's, which was radiating heat. The contrasting sensations did nothing to slow her breathing.

Blaise attached his lips to her neck, his hand roaming under her robes.

"Wait." Ginny breathed hard, her hands pushing against the wall of muscle in front of her. Her eyes were closed in the effort it took to deny herself the pleasure before her. Blaise rested his head on the wall behind her.

"Don't antagonise me, Little Red. You won't like me when I'm angry." Blaise gritted his teeth trying not to grind his raging boner into the girl below him, no matter how much he wanted the friction.

"I can't do this."

"What? Cheat on your pathetic little boyfriend? In case you hadn't noticed you already have. And all it took was a little bit of alcohol."

"It was a lot of alcohol."

"Can't have been that much or you wouldn't have remembered." Blaise smiled when he saw Ginny frown at his words. He'd got her. He bent down slightly so he could whisper in her ear. "Why don't you come back to me when Potter isn't enough for you? I wouldn't worry it won't be long." Blaise slapped his palms on the wall above Ginny's head in an effort to rid himself of the frustration and anger that was coursing through his veins. He stepped back. "Now if you'll excuse me, I want some dinner. Maybe Pansy will be pudding." Blaise gave one last typical smirk and left for the great hall.

As soon as he disappeared from sight, Ginny allowed herself a moment to breath. She was shaking slightly with anger. Anger at herself for being so weak. Anger at Harry for not giving her what she desired most – passion. But most of all she felt anger at Blaise for casting her aside in her moment of doubt and choosing Pansy instead.

She was about to walk back into the Great Hall and give the Slytherin a piece of her mind when Harry walked past. "Harry." She gasped. "Haven't you had dinner?"

"Ginny? Yeah I've eaten; actually I was looking for you. Are you okay? You look kind of frazzled." Harry peered at his girlfriend, concern masking his features. Ginny shook herself to forget Blaise's touch.

"I'm fine Harry. Let's go back to Gryffindor tower; I have an essay I need to finish for potions." Together they started up the marble staircase with Harry's arm wrapped firmly around Ginny's waist.

Ginny looked back over her shoulder to the entrance of the Great Hall. Blaise stood there having watched the whole thing. When he caught Ginny's eye he winked. Before he turned and walked down the staircase to the dungeons. Ginny's head snapped back to the front and she gave Harry a shaky smile, he returned this with his own warm one.

"Are you sure you're okay, Gin?"

Ginny nodded. "I'm sure. There's just a lot going on at the moment, that's all." Harry smiled again.

"It'll all be over soon. I promise you. Voldemort is going down."