A/N: I was really surprised by how many hits/visitors I've had to my story so far. It inspired me to write another chapter. I thought about waiting a week to post it, like all the other authors seem to do, but I'm too anxious. Let me know if it's something worth continuing, or if I shouldn't really bother. I still don't have much of a major plot idea in my head. I'm hoping it will unravel as I write. Let me know if you want me to keep writing. If so, I'll try to get something posted by the end of this week. A single review would probably be enough inspiration at this point! :D Thanks for reading!

WARNING: Contains an almost rape scene. Don't read it if you don't like it. It's pretty obvious when it starts, and it goes until the end of the chapter, so feel free to skip it if that kind of thing bothers you. The details shouldn't be horribly relevant to the rest of the story.

Disclaimer: I own nothing but the plot, or lack thereof.

Hermione went to bed that night with feelings of relief. Although, her relief concerned her. Shouldn't be feeling sad and disappointed? Or at least angry? It just felt so good to sleep in her own bed. Alone. No worries about pretending to orgasm.

She wondered if this was the end of her relationship, or if Ron would decide to forgive her for refusing his proposal. She doubted he would stay angry. She found herself hoping that he would, though. She laid in bed for quite some time willing herself to have the proper feelings.

Hermione tensed and reached for her wand as she heard a knock on the door. It was an automatic reflex. Another one of those little things she can thank the war for.

"It's me," she heard Harry's voice through the door.

Stowing her wand away, she invited him in.

"So, what happened?" Harry asked, taking a seat on the foot of her bed.

"He didn't tell you?"

"No, he just told me to go away when I knocked on his door. I was going to ask him if he wanted to play some quidditch before it gets dark out. I came straight here after."

"Ugh, why couldn't he have just told you?" Hermione groaned, covering face with her pillow, hoping that this would somehow help make the soon-to-come awkward conversation go away.

"So…?"

"HeaskedmetomarryhimandIsaidno." The words flew from Hermione's mouth in one breath.

"Oh, shit. He said he was going to do it sooner than planned. I told him it was a good idea. I didn't think he would be doing it quite this soon."

"This is all your fault!" Hermione said, throwing her pillow at Harry. He knew she wasn't being serious, but he couldn't help but feel she was right.

"Well, why did you say no?"

"I'm not ready to get married yet… or anytime soon. Or to him." She smacked her forehead when she realized she said that last bit out loud. Only Harry could get her to speak so candidly.

If Harry was surprised by this information, he didn't show it. "Do you still love him?"

"Yes. Well, I think so. I don't know…" Hermione sighed.

"The sex is that bad?" Harry asked, trying to make a joke. But when Hermione's eyes widened, he realized there was some truth to it. "Oh shit, Hermione. Am I right?"

"Partly. It's not just that, really. We don't have anything in common. I think we just got together because everyone expected it, and it just seemed right, and we both needed comfort after everything that's happened."

"You know that's not why he's with you, Hermione. He really loves you." He wasn't saying this to hurt her. He was just always honest with her. When it came to anything.

"I know."

"You were right to say no."

"I know."

"Are you guys still together?"

"I have no idea. Do you think he'll forgive me?"

"He probably will. But is it right for you to get back together for him when you don't feel the same way about him as he does about you?"

"I don't know, Harry. What should I do?"

"It's your decision to make, Hermione. You need to decide how you feel. And maybe invest in a vibrator if you decide to get back together with him…" Harry joked. Hermione couldn't help but laugh. Her laughter died away and it was quiet.

"Shit. I don't know if I can make this decision. If I end it, it might ruin our friendship."

"We both know it will. You know how Ron holds grudges. He still won't have as much as a civil conversation with a single Slytherin. And he probably never will, even fifty years out of school."

"Why couldn't I have just fallen in love with you. From the sounds of it, you're really good in bed." Harry blushed at Hermione's bold comment, even knowing it was a joke. The things that came out of her mouth sometimes would have been enough to send the old, innocent Hermione into a blushing, babbling mess.

"I should probably start using muffliato, huh?"

"Uh huh…" she said with a roll of her eyes. Harry grinned sheepishly.

"Well, it looks like you have a big decision to make. And you should probably do it before tomorrow. It's going to be a long train ride if things go unresolved."

"Will you hate me if I temporarily destroy the golden trio?"

"Yes."

"Harry…"

"You know I couldn't hate you. I can still be friends with both of you, no matter what you decide."

"Thanks, Harry." Hermione pulled him into a hug. "I suppose I'll go talk to him now."

"Good idea."

"Don't forget – muffliato," Hermione said, with a grin, as she waved her wand.

Hermione knocked on Ron's door and heard the "Go away," she was expecting.

"It's Hermione." She heard him sign through the door and slowly get up to open it. His eyes looked red. "Can we talk?" she asked him. He just nodded and let her in. She sat down on his bed, biting her lip. She wasn't quite sure how to do this. She didn't think it out ahead of time, because she knew she would chicken out if she did.

Ron sat down next to her and looked at her expectantly. She wrung her hands. "I'm not really sure how to say this…"

Ron pulled her into a hug. "I know you're sorry, 'Mione. I am too. I shouldn't have gotten so angry with you. I just… wasn't expecting you to say no. I'm willing to wait."

She found herself completely unable to break up with him, as usual. She should have seen this coming.

Ron pulled back and kissed her. One hand was tangled in her hair, and the other began to snake up her shirt. Hermione thought that maybe she could learn to love him like he loved her. Maybe she could even learn to enjoy the sex. She was willing to try, if he was willing to wait for her to marry him.

He slowly kissed his way down her throat, leaving a trail of saliva, as he tugged at the bottom of her shirt. She pulled away and lifted her arms to let him pull it off. She knew the protocol. He then pulled his shirt off and he was back to kissing her throat. He kissed his way down to the swell of her small breasts and reached back to unclasp her bra. As usual, he couldn't get it, so she reached back to help him, letting her bra fall into her lap. His hands became glued to her breasts as he palmed them gracelessly.

His hands made their way down her stomach to unbutton her pants. He, as usual, proceeded to unbuckle his belt and unbutton his own pants. He stood up and removed his pants and boxers and pulled Hermione up by her hand the remove the rest of her clothing.

Nothing changed in the way he led her back to the bed and gently pushed her down. She spread her legs so he could lay between them and kiss her before he pushed into her with a shudder. She was disappointed even though she knew exactly what was to come. No foreplay. No teasing. Nothing. Ron was anything but adventurous.

Within a few minutes it was over and Ron lay on top of her panting.

At least it was faster than earlier, Hermione thought resignedly.

"I knew makeup sex would be good," Ron muttered, as he rolled off her. Did he expect her to laugh at that? Was that supposed to be funny?

Hermione began to feel unexplainable rage. This could not be good. She pulled away from him and stood up.

"Makeup sex? Really? Are you fucking kidding me? Is that the only reason you decided to forgive me? And for what? For not being ready to get fucking married at the ripe old age of eighteen?"

Ron looked at her, startled and confused. "What did I do?"

Hermione sat back down and tried to calm down. "I apologize for my outburst, Ron, but I just don't think I can do this anymore."

"I- I told we don't have to get engaged. Don't worry. I don't mind. Please stay with me, Hermione…" he pleaded.

"Please don't make this any more difficult than it already is. You were right. I don't love you like you love me. I love you like a friend. And that's it. I don't want this to ruin our friendship – "

Ron, once again angry, cut her off, "You think we could actually be just friends after all of this? You think that I could be just friends with you? How can I look at you every day wanting something more, knowing that you don't?"

Hermione sighed, nearly tearing up. "I don't want to lose you, Ron."

"No, Hermione, that's exactly what you want. That's exactly what you're doing right now. You've ruined us."

"I'm sorry, Ron.."

"I've heard enough of that bullshit tonight. Quit apologizing. You're not sorry. I don't mean a damn thing to you. You've made that pretty clear."

"I still care about you, Ron. You must know that."

"Don't think I haven't noticed the way you look at me. And then the adoring way you look at Harry. He's the reason you're doing this, isn't he?"

"What? Are you serious? You should know by now that there's nothing going on between me and Harry."

"JUST SHUT UP! I know you're lying to me. You have been from the very start. Probably just sticking around for the sex. Who knows who else you've slept with."

Hermione knew Ron had a tendency to say stupid things when he was mad, but he had gone too far.

"What the fuck is wrong with you?" Hermione practically growled. `

"Oh gods, don't pretend you haven't done your share of whoring around. Hell, you probably egged on those Death Eaters."

At first Hermione was confused. Then she literally became sick. She couldn't even imagine that he would bring this up, let alone use it against her in an argument.

"You think I wanted that? You think I wanted them to try to rape me? You disgust me, Ron."

"You probably fucked Harry after he saved you, too, you stupid whore." Ron looked blind with rage. Hermione was at a loss. How could he even claim that he loved her?

"When you wake up in the morning and regret this, don't bother coming to me to apologize. I never want to see you again. Oh and don't worry, I won't tell Harry about this. As much as you deserve it, I won't take your best, oh wait, I mean only, friend away from you. Go fuck yourself, Ronald."

Hermione apparated to her room, not bothering to get dressed. Hermione collapsed onto her bed, naked, and curled into a ball. She didn't even have it in her to cry. She never believed that he could do this to her. Her mind took her back to that night she had finally had started to let go of.

They were camped out in a forest somewhere in their search for Voldemort's horcruxes. It had been her turn to find dinner that evening. Ron was sick and Harry stayed behind to keep watch on the tent. She had taken the invisibility cloak with her and was hiding under it while she was picking berries from a patch she found. She spun around and grabbed her wand as she heard a noise behind her. When she turned, the cloak got caught on a bramble and exposed the bottom half of her calf and foot. Not noticing this, Hermione tried to remain still and quiet, as to not draw attention to herself.

There was a flash of light and she was immobilized. The cloak slipped off and she lay there fully exposed as a group of two Death Eaters and two snatchers came out.

"I told you they were hiding around here somewhere," one of the snatchers yelled excitedly. He was a sickly skinny man with crossed eyes.

"Shut up, you insolent fool," the larger of the masked Death Eaters hissed. "We don't want to alert the boy just yet."

"They must have sent the filthy little mudblood out to do a muggle woman's job," the other Death Eater said with a snicker. Hermione recognized the voice, but couldn't place it.

"Now," the other Death Eater began, turning to Hermione, "we need some information, you filthy little girl. You will cooperate if we remove the spell, correct?" Hermione had no way to respond. If she had, she would have told them to go fuck themselves. He took away her wand and removed the immobilizing spell. Hermione didn't move at first. She just looked around for an escape route.

"Get her on her knees," the larger Death Eater commanded the snatchers. They grabbed her up roughly by her elbows and tried to force her to her knees. Needless to say, she was uncooperative.

"Get on your knees where you belong you filthy mudblood." Hermione spat in his face. "You will bow down to us with the respect we deserve. Imperio." Her body worked against her will and she was down on her knees.

"Bow to us." She bent over at the hips and planted her face into the ground. A heavy boot forced her head to the side and held her head down. She felt the unforgivable curse lifted and she immediately began to struggle. She couldn't move her head, however, and the snatchers were now tying her wrists behind her back. She managed to get a punch to the face of the short, fat snatcher – the one she deemed to be the weakest of the group. She felt extreme satisfaction at his yelp, but when he growled and grabbed her forearm between his two hands and snapped both of the bones over his knee, she cried out in agony. The other snatchers' foot connected with her ribcage and she moaned. The group of men snickered at her pain and the fat man roughly continued tying her wrists together.

"Now, you are going to tell us where your little camp is hiding. We won't let our snatchers here have quite as much fun with you if you tell us quickly. Otherwise, who knows how far we'll let them go…"

Hermione tried to pull her focus away from her throbbing arm, and between clenched teeth growled, "You can just kill me now. I won't tell you anything."

"Have it your way, then." She heard his whisper something and with a wave of his wand, vines grew out of the ground and wrapped around her neck, holding her down. They were tight enough to restrict her air supply slightly, but not cut it off entirely. Vines also wrapped just behind her knees, holding her in a position with her arse in the air and her face planted into the ground. She could see the Death Eaters standing off to the side, watching the snatchers go to work on her.

"She's a pretty little mudblood, isn't she?" The voice belonged to the skinnier snatcher. He could sense them both standing behind her. She felt extremely vulnerable in her position. She cringed as she felt their hands on her thighs and arse and torso. Cool air hit her body as they removed her shirt with what she guessed was a well-practiced spell in their arsenal. She felt sick as she thought about how many others this had likely happened to.

"You should eat more. It might make your tits and arse fill out a little more," the fat one said, with a snigger.

"You would know you disgusting fatarse," Hermione responded with venom.

"Oh, we'll have to do something about that dirty little mouth, won't we? Silencio," she heard from where the Death Eaters stood. She knew she wouldn't be able to make a sound now.

She now felt the cool air on her thighs, and realized they had removed her pants. Tears began to escape from her eyes. She knew what would soon be coming.

"Are you ready to talk yet, mudblood?" The silencing charm was removed.

"Go fuck yourselves."

With a click of his tongue, the charm was replaced and the snatchers were once again allowed to have their way with her. The rest of her clothes were removed, and she was grateful for the time they spent admiring her naked body. She was disgusted, but at least it postponed the seemingly inevitable.

"She's probably all hot and ready for us. I bet that dirty little mudblood c-"

Something had cut off the snatcher's obscene comment.

"Hermione?" Harry asked, sounding alarmed. He was immediately at her side, removing the vines. He pulled her up off the ground and into his arms. "Are you okay?" He removed the silencing charm after he realized she was unable to respond. Even after he did, she couldn't. She only sobbed in relief, as she clutched Harry's back for dear life.

Harry let Hermione cry until she calmed down, and then pulled off his cloak and wrapped it around her naked body. "Accio invisibility cloak." Hermione looked around and saw the four men laying on ground, either unconscious or dead.

"Are you okay? Did they…" Hermione shook her head, knowing what Harry was asking.

"You came just in time, " she whispered, as the sobs overcame her body again.

Harry pulled Hermione up and covered them with the invisibility cloak, and slowly walked her back to the tent. She stopped Harry outside the entrance, and backed away.

"I don't want to…"

"Hermione, it's okay. You're safe now."

"But Ron…"

"Ron will only be happy that you're okay. He won't think any less of you."

Oh, how wrong Harry was about that, Hermione thought, pulling herself out of the painful memories.