Thank you for all the wonderful reviews and I hope you keep them coming. They make me want to write more and faster. I've been a little busy but as promised I'll keep uploading as much as I can. Hope you enjoy. ^_^

Wake Me Up

Chapter 7

The sound of footsteps woke her up, her lids opening quickly in alarm. She reached for her wand on the bedside table and held it to her, her heart pounding rapidly. Not daring to move she waited, holding her breath as a shadow stood on her bedroom entrance before a man with fiery red hair entered the room as if he had been previously invited. Hermione turned to him her wand pointed in his direction. His eyes were glazed, probably from too much alcohol and he stumble a little as he walked.

"What are you doing here?" her voice betrayed the fear she was feeling.

The man turned to her looking over her uncovered body before she reached for one of the sheets to cover herself. He walked to the bed making her back up against the headboard as she tried to remain as far from him as she could.

His tone was anything but warm, sending chills down her spine. "Hello Hermione."

"Please leave Ronald. You're not welcomed here anymore." she said with trepidation.

However he didn't leave, instead he got closer running his fingertips over her uncovered shoulder while she tried to move away from him. His alcohol infused breath reached her nose and she held her breath trying not to gag both from the smell and the memories. It had been a long time since Ron had come here in this state. After the breakup, he had found himself in this state more than once and always ended up coming to the brunette's apartment asking her to come back and begging for an explanation, which she hadn't had the courage to give him. His temper was volatile and she knew that if she hadn't defended herself on previous occasions he could have hurt her brutally.

His gaze went to her wand. "Why don't you give me that?" he said as his hand reached.

Hermione was faster and she jumped from the bed, putting some distance between them, but completely unaware that she was standing now naked to his eyes.

"I don't want to hurt you, please go." She said more determined.

He gaze roamed over her naked body and he stood up, prepared to get closer. But her wand remained pointed in his direction, her hand trembling.

Before she could react he took out his own. "Expeliarmus"

The wand left her grip and landed on the floor beside him. She thought to run but he was faster pressing her against the wall and capturing her with his body. His lips found hers as he kissed her forcefully holding her in place while she tried in vain to be released from is bruising grip.

"You're seeing someone, aren't you?" his gentled his grip looking into her chocolate eyes with a sadness she has seen before.

"No." her body was shaking and she could feel her heart beating rapidly in her chest.

His gaze turned deadly as he slapped one of her cheeks. "Don't you dare lie to me."

The pain shot through her body, her vision blurring for an instant. She tried not to panic not knowing what to do. She was defenseless without her wand; he was much bigger and stronger and could easily overpower her. However his mood changed and he moved away from her to sit on the edge of the bed as he started sobbing.

"You were dreaming of someone, I know it. You were mumbling in your sleep." He sobbed. "Why can't you be honest with me?"

The brunette retrieved her wand before hesitantly approached him. She knew he wouldn't hurt her anymore but she didn't want to take any chances. Sitting beside him she gently placed her hand on his shoulder.

"I'm not seeing someone Ronald." She knew he didn't deserve an explanation but she did it anyway. "But maybe I will."

He turned to look at her with teary eyes. "You said you were not interested in any other man, why can it be me then."

Hermione was uncertain for a second before finally confessing. "It's a woman."

"What? But you're not… you're not gay." Shock was clear on his face.

"I am. I'm sorry I didn't tell you sooner." She looked down at her feet. "I didn't understand what I was feeling and there hasn't been anyone I wanted to pursue a relationship with."

"But there is one now?" he asked incredulously.

"Yes." She admitted, not only to him but to herself.

He didn't question her, not wanting to share his feeling about the subject. Finally he sighted dejectedly before her looked at her once more. "Is she good for you?"

"I don't know."

It was incredible how he could change from being forceful and controlling to caring and vulnerable in a second. She knew she had hurt him by not telling him earlier and even when their relationship would never be the same, not as lovers nor as friends, she still cared for him. She would never forgive him for hurting her physically, she could never forgive him but she still cared for him in some part of her heart.

He stood up looking around the room, before green eyes found Hermione again. Her cheek was already bruising and he felt guilty for doing that to her. How had he become such an asshole? He didn't deserve a woman like her and he didn't deserve her forgiveness either but he still needed to apologize.

"Hermione… I'm sorry" he whispered "I know it doesn't mean much but I am."

He disappeared with those last few words but Hermione knew it wasn't over.

She cried.

Her body shaking, the quiet room the only witness to her pain. She cried for Ron, for hurting him. She cried for herself, for the physical pain, for the emotional pain and for all the hurt he had made her go through. She cried for a life she hadn't had a chance to decide. And finally she cried for Fleur, for the chance they wouldn't have.

It was early dawn when sleep finally claimed her and she felt into one nightmare after another reliving all the times Ronald had hurt her, how he had abused her to only apologize the next day as if nothing had happened. She dreamt about the humiliation she had gone through when people had realized the bruises and cuts were caused by her lover, the pity some had felt for her and the difficulty it had been to accept that she would never be able to give Ronald what he so desperately wanted, a woman that could love him completely and passionately. How could have she mistaken friendship with love? And now not even that remained.

Her eyes finally shot open, her heart hammering in her chest after reliving the past, a past she never wanted to revisit.

Why had he come? Why had he come when she was finally rebuilding her life? A flash of blue eyes shot through her mind. She had accepted to Ron and to herself last night that she wanted to pursue this woman and see what could develop. But how naive was that when Fleur was living in a few days.

Her cheek was swollen she could feel the pain with even a blink of her eyes. Walking to the bathroom she stood in front of the mirror checking the purple bruise. Her fingertips brushed lightly over it and she flinched at the pain.

Fleur's night had been restless. Thoughts of the brunette had been swimming in her head leaving her anxious and scared. She knew what was happening; she had known the consequences of getting to know the other witch. She had had the feeling they would click perfectly and she had been right, though she still couldn't decide if that was a good or a bad thing.

And because of this connection two people kept popping in her mind. Gabrielle and Bill, both of them too painful to think about. She had decided she wouldn't get close to anyone else no matter what. She wouldn't but herself in a position of caring about someone. But she had and she would have kissed her if her mind hadn't interrupted. She would have pressed her lips to Hermione's and know if they were actually as soft as they looked.

She shook those thoughts out of her head and dragged herself out of bed, stopping in the bathroom to make herself a little more decent, before finally making her way to the kitchen.

"Good morning." Harry's voice interrupted her thoughts.

He was sitting at the kitchen table, the Daily Prophet on one hand and a cup of coffee on the other.

"Morning." Fleur managed unenthusiastically as she sat opposite him.

Harry's eyes locked on the woman, studying her for a second. The newspaper landed on the table close to him as he waited for Fleur to look at him.

"What's up?" He asked a little concerned when she finally looked at him.

"Nothing." She shrugged.

He was used to this Fleur; she had been like this after Gabrielle's and Bill's… He sighted flickering his wand before a mug of the brew flew toward the woman.

Fleur took hold of the mug and Harry could detect a small smile crossing her lips before she finally took a sip.

"What's on your mind?" He asked.

"You know, Hermione always does that when I come in the morning." She said taking a few more sips.

"Does what?" A look of confusion crossed his face before he realized "Oh, the coffee? Yeah, it's a little habit of hers."

His brow furrowed in thought as he considered her statement. So did this mean she had been spending some time with the brunette? That would explain the good mood Fleur had been in lately but it didn't explain the mood she was in today. For a second he wished Ginny was here, she was better at dealing with Fleur's mood swings, something he had barely managed to do in the past.

"Are you going there today?" he finally said tentatively.

He could see a flash of indecision cross her face before the cold mask she had been wearing all this years was back in place. A decision had been made.

"No." she said standing up. "Thanks for the coffee." She said politely before walking out of the kitchen.

She paced a few times in front of the building before stopping to look at the third floor window. She had been at it for fifteen minutes and the passing pedestrians were already giving her suspicious looks. Why had she come? She had decided this morning it was better for her to step away and keep some distance between her and the brunette. She was living soon and getting attached to the witch would clearly be a mistake. She was not interested, she didn't want nor need a friend, much less a relationship. She would never put herself in a position where she could get hurt.

She walked to the street corner, her intentions now clear. She was not going to see the brunette today. She was going to forget about their previous encounter and how wonderful Hermione looked in her sating robe and how soft her lips looked and how much she wanted to taste those wonderful lips and…

"Fuck it!" She turned around suddenly, walking at a fast pace towards the building before climbing up the stairs.