So um, I'm really sorry that this took so long but I just started school again and I've been busy trying to keep up but I will try to keep up with this.

Chapter Seven

"I can't believe this!" Harry shouted angrily. "I fucking hate Rita Skeeter! Is there anything she won't do?"

"I knew you weren't going to like this." She mumbled.

"Smart." He sneered.

She looked at him with a hurt expression and he sighed and pressed a hang to his forehead. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to snap at you like that. It's just sometimes things can be a little much."

"Harry you don't have to apologize." Ginny said. "I understand."

"But there should be no reason too and now I've gone and upset you." He groaned and dropped in a chair, his head in his hands.

"Harry don't worry about it." Ginny said and she bent down in front of him and kissed each of the hands that were covering his face. "Let's just enjoy our time together, I'll have to be getting home soon before mum realizes that I'm gone."

Harry nodded and pulled her into his lap. "I missed you and I got something for you too." He said with a smile.

She smiled and ran her hand through his hair. "You didn't have to."

"I wanted to and as it turns out I have an affinity for shopping."

She looked at him with a confused look.

"I'll explain later dear."

She giggled. "Dear, I can get used to that."

"Good."

"How absolutely disgusting."

Ginny jumped up and grabbed her wand and Harry pushed him besides her when he saw them.

Alecto and Amycus Carrow.

"How nice for you to come out of hiding." Harry said.

"Who said we were hiding?" Alecto laughed. "Maybe we've been right in plain sight."

Amycus threw a curse at them and Harry pushed Ginny at of the way but it hit him square in the chest. He groaned as his body erupted in pain and Ginny screamed as she could see him withering on the floor.

Ron and Hermione ran downstairs but were hit with another curse by Alecto.

Ginny didn't even think as she blasted them backwards and into the wall and suddenly Mrs. Black started screaming.

"What is that dreadful noise?" Alecto screeched.

"The lady of the house." Harry mumbled as he stood up and hit them both with a binding curse.

"That seems almost too easy." Ginny mumbled.

Ron and Hermione stood up and Ron seemed fine but it was already evident that a bruise was forming on half of Hermione's face.

Ron tried to check her face and she winced as soon as he touched her. "Sorry."

"Kreacher!" Harry yelled.

There was a loud crack, louder than the yelling, and he stood in front of them. "Can you please get Kingsley here immediately, tell him it's an emergency and please get Mrs. Black to shut up."

"Yes Master!" Kreacher shouted.

It only took a few minutes for Kingsley to appear and Kreacher instantly went to quiet down Mrs. Black.

"Figure they'd appear sooner or later. People like the Carrows do not like to stay hidden for long." Kingsley said as two aurors and one surprised Neville Longbottom carried them away.

"That was my enjoyment for the day." Neville said. "I've had dreams of taking them away. It was a lot more pleasurable than I dreamed." He looked over to Ron. "Why aren't you wearing a shirt?"

"I was…" He stuttered and Hermione turned red.

"Oh, well then I'm back off to work. Thank you very much Harry for well, you know." He smiled and apparated away.

"We have to start protecting this house better." Harry mumbled angrily and he ran off to his room with Ginny trailing behind him.

"Let me see your face." Ron said and reached over for Hermione's face.

"I'm fine." She shrugged him away.

"Please." He whispered and she turned to him slowly.

She had a bruise on half her face and he could see her tearing up.

"I could kill her." He mumbled as he gently held her face.

"It's fine, just hurts a little." She said. And they walked up back to the bedroom where they had been.

He sat down on the bed and pulled her down to straddle his waist. She wrapped her arms around his neck and hid her head on his shoulder.

"What are you doing?" He asked.

"I don't want you to have to look at me like this." She mumbled into his shoulder.

He chuckled and lifted her chin up to meet their eyes. "I will always want to look at you."

She smiled shyly and looked down.

He reached over and softly kissed the side of her face that was bruised. She sighed contently and ran her hands down his bare sides.

They laid down and he kissed his way down her neck before stopping briefly at the collar of his shirt, which she was still wearing. She reached up and pulled the shirt off and quickly kissed him again.

He loved the feeling of their bare skin against each other and couldn't think about anything else. She was perfect and in some crazy turn of events she was his.

He pulled his lips off of hers and pressed their foreheads together staring intently in her eyes.

"Ron, you're scaring me." She laughed.

"Sorry, I just…"

"What?"

"It still amazes me sometimes that you're with me. I'm not even sure why."

She smiled softly. "I'm not sure why you're with me."

He laughed. "Are you joking?"

She shook her head.

"You're smart." He kissed her temple. "Beautiful." He kissed her nose. "Funny." He kissed her lips, chastely, much to her dismay. "Amazing." He kissed the side of her neck. "And so many more things I can't even begin to describe. There are times when I can't even think because all I see is you—"

She pulled his head down to hers forcefully. She passionately kissed him and made it impossible for him to do anything but respond. She wrapped her legs tightly around his waist and he moved his mouth down to her chest and slowly began sucking on her nipples through her bra.

She jumped and arched her chest into his back and couldn't help the uncontrollable throbbing near her pelvic area.

She moved the palm of her foot down the back of his leg and began thrusting herself into his groin.

He kissed his way back up to her mouth and made a grunt before being able to talk. "Hermione, you need to stop or I don't know if I'll be able to."

"Don't." She mumbled and reached hands down the back of his chest.

"What?" He asked in a slightly confused tone.

"Don't stop. I want you to…" She bit her lip nervously.

"Want me to what?" He asked. "Hermione, I need you to be perfectly clear with me."

"I want you to make love to me." She whispered. She had been nervous to say it but had never been so sure as soon as she said it.

"Hermione."

"Now, Ronald." She said with a smile.

He smiled slightly and laughed. "When did you get so forceful?"

"When the person I wanted most started denying me."

He kissed her. "I will never know what I did to deserve you."

"You are so much more than you will ever know." She whispered.

"I doubt that." He whispered but continued speaking before she could say anything. "Hermione, I'm not sure…I mean…I've never done this before…"

"Really?" She asked nervously. "I mean not even with Lavender?"

"Never!" He said instantly. "It's you, it's always been you. Even when I didn't know it."

"Well, I haven't as well." She said.

"No even with Krum or…Cormac." He practically spit the words out.

"Cormac was absolutely vile and I never liked Krum half as much as I love you." She stroked his face.

He smiled proudly.

"Don't let it get to your head." She mumbled.

"How can I not? You love me." He continued smiling.

"You knew that before."

"But that was before you were willing to give me every part of you." He mumbled.

She reached for his hand and kissed his palm. "Ronald Weasley, you are just a big softy aren't you?"

"Bollocks."

She rolled her eyes and kissed him. "I believe you have a promise you need to fulfill."

"Yes dear." He laughed.

He kissed her fiercely with a broad smile.

The next morning Ron woke up and saw Hermione sleeping next to him, peacefully as it seemed.

He internally cringed as he remembered what they had done the night before.

As cheesy as it sounded, even to him, he figured his first with Hermione would be completely life changing or miraculous instead it had just been awkward and, well for lack of a better word, terrible.

He crept out as quietly as he could. Either way he had to go to help George with the store today, he might as well go early and take some time to think up what he was going to tell her.

He reached over and pulled on the first pair of trousers he could find and then threw on any shirt he could get his hands on.

He had left his trainers outside so he was about to make a clean get away when he hit the edge of the bed and Hermione shot out of the bed with an arm around her chest to hold the sheets up around her.

"Ron?"

She seemed a bit groggy, he wondered if he could still make it out.

"Are you…going to work?"

Oh well it was a nice thought while it lasted.

"Uh yeah I told George I would come in today…remember?" He said quietly.

He currently hated himself. He had worked so hard to make his and Hermione's relationship less awkward and nerve inducing and here he had gone and fucked it all up already.

"Oh." She said with a small sad smile. "Well I guess you have to go."

"Yeah, but uh…" He sat down next to her and his face flushed red as he even thought about what he was going to say. "I'm going to miss…you."

She smiled. "Ron about last night—"

"Let's just talk about it when I get home." He said and quickly stood up to leave.

"But Ron!" Hermione said but he was already gone.

She sighed and laid back against the bed as she heard the front door slam.

"Hermione are you awake?" It was Ginny.

"Unfortunately," She muttered. "Yes."

"We're going to go and see the aurors about last night do you want to come?" Harry shouted.

"No, I'm going to stay here."

"Are you alright?" Harry had come up the stairs and was standing in front of the door.

"Yes, I'm fine. I just don't feel too well."

"Are you sure?" He asked.

She knew he knew that she wasn't okay. But this wasn't something she could talk about with him.

It wasn't until later when Hermione was walking around the house, in the shirt Ron was wearing the night before, that she even began to think. Though ironically, before she had been deep in thought.

It felt as if she hadn't been thinking though. All she could do was replay the memories of the night before over and over again.

Besides the fact that it hurt, which she had been aware would happen, she had found their night together awkward and forced.

She felt her eyes well up with the sting of Ron's behaviour this morning. She knew that, if possible, he felt even worse about the night before.

She knew that he would have a ridiculous notion that it was his fault that their first time together had been like that.

Hermione knew it wasn't but Ron, on the other hand…wouldn't.

She wish he had just let her talk to him. They needed to talk.

There was a knock on the door and she quickly brought down a pair of her shorts and slipped them on before answering the door.

She didn't even bother to look at herself in the mirror. Either way she knew she looked horrible.

"Are you alright?"

"Oh no your faze! Thiz iz zerrible!"

Hermione sighed. Perhaps she should have looked out the window before opening the door.

"Hello."

They brushed in before she could ask them too.

"Percy told us about what happened last night." Bill said and looked around at all the broken things on the floor. "Dad asked us to come and check on you."

"Oh dear." Fleur came over and carefully examined her face. "I zo not believe it will leave a mark."

"I'll be fine." Hermione muttered and looked away. "Harry, Ginny and Ron left and I—"

"Hermione have you been crying?" Bill asked as he suddenly got a good look at her red eyes.

Hermione sniffled and left a sob before she ran into Fleur's arms crying.

"Pleaze zo not cry!" She begged.

Bill winced and felt guilty.

"Whatz happened?"

Hermione hiccupped and looked at Fleur with tears streaming down her face. "Well, last night, after the attack Ron and I…we…" She started crying, much more softly this time though, again.

She maneuvered Hermione onto the sofa and quickly pushed Bill out of the house. "You must leave, now. Find your brother or zomething."

Ron had been happy to have a lot of work. The more work he had the less he had to think about the night before. He couldn't believe how horrible everything had been.

He sighed. He wished he had been more experienced for her or that he knew how to make her feel good. But he wasn't and there was nothing he could do about it now.

Perhaps for the rest of their lives they would just never attempt at sex again. He could live a happy life with her like that, right? Of course they'd never have children…

"Crap." He groaned to himself as he placed some extendable ears on the shelf.

"Are you alright?" George asked as he came over to him. "You seem distracted."

Ron hesitated. He could tell George hadn't slept in a while, he had dark bags under his eyes and Ron had the distinct idea that it had to do with Fred. Why should George be burdened with his problems when he already had his own?

"What the hell is going on?"

Ron was instantly confused when Bill stepped over behind them.

"What are you doing here?" George asked.

"Looking for this idiot." Bill said and then hit Ron over the head.

He groaned and grabbed his head. "What was that for?"

"For whatever you did to make Hermione cry!" Bill yelled. Everyone in the store looked at them and Bill lowered his voice. "What's it been? Two weeks? And you already fucked it up."

Ron groaned and turned around to pound his head into a wall.

"Stop that." George said. "What happened?"

"Well…" He sighed and looked down. Refusing to meet their eyes. "Last night…Hermione and I…well let's just say we're not as innocent as we were the night before…"

"Oh." Bill said.

George had a smirk on his face. "My brother, becomes a man."

"Stop it, it was so horrible." He groaned.

"What?" They both asked confused.

"It was horrifying. It was incredibly awkward and painful and everything seemed to go wrong and it was just plain bad." He placed his hand on his forehead. "I think it was even worse for Hermione."

"Think?" Bill asked. "Did you even talk to her?"

"No…" He groaned. "I couldn't even look at her; I was so embarrassed. I can't believe I already messed this up, it has to be a new record for me."

"Now, I'm sure you didn't mess it up but if you did I'm going to kick you're arse." George said. "I like Hermione better."

Ron groaned and supported himself on the shelves. "I have to go and talk to her."

The Ministry of Magic was a lot warmer than it had been the last time Harry was there. At least that was the first thing that he noticed.

He imagined that it had to do with the absence of dementors which had mysteriously disappeared after the battle. He wondered how they had managed that.

"Harry, good you're here." Kingsley walked over to them. "I'm glad you came, I was afraid that you wouldn't."

"Wouldn't miss it for the world." Ginny mumbled as she clutched Harry's hand.

"Yes well they asked for you specifically. Normally I wouldn't even condone it but, perhaps this could be good practice for later." He smiled secretly.

Harry laughed. "Yes, we'll have to talk about that after."

"Yes, apparently we will."

They had reached a room on a floor that Harry had never been on before.

"Ginny you should stay out here."

She huffed angrily.

"Only because the room is small." Kingsley clarified.

"Fine." She mumbled.

Harry kissed her on the forehead. "I'll be back soon."

He walked inside the room to see the Carrows chained to the floor.

"Finally!" Amycus shouted.

"About time." Alecto mumbled.

"You asked for me." Harry rolled his eyes.

"Yes, we don't want to be sent to Azkaban for life." Amycus said.

"You're in for a rough life then." Harry said.

"Well, we have certain information that may help the decision." Amycus said.

Alecto rolled her eyes. Apparently she was not too happy about Amycus' decision.

"We want less time." Amycus said.

"Tell us the information and we'll think about it." Kingsley said.

"It's about a certain friend of ours, who as it turns out has an obsession with one of your friends. He finds her quite delectable." Amycus laughed.

That is the ending it's kinda of a cliffhanger, so who do u think it is? and even though u hate me, please review. Also I'm not going to give any of the awkward Ron/Hermione scenes because I'm sure none of us would rather remember them that way. But be warned that this is a story that is rated M and there will be sex, so if you feel uncomfortable, please stop reading. Ok, that it for now but please review, since a lot of stuff happened in this chapter. Well, I'm tired so later, night. REVIEW!