Pain

A/N: While thinking about the upcoming final book, my mind is mulling over the possibilities of how JKR is going to end it all. In reading the Evil!Ginny theories, I really think that it would be a great twist if Ginny betrayed them all and with all the Ginnyhate coming out of HBP, I think JKR has set it up nicely. But that's just my opinion! So I had an idea for a ficlet...it's kinda dark but not too much. It's Hermione, once again, being there for Harry. And since you guys know I love to write smut, yes, it's smut...but angsty smut, no fluff here this time. So yeah, it's NC-17. Here you go...

Pain

He had never been so rough with her before. Their lovemaking had always been about passion but with a gentle quality, as if Harry were worshiping her. She could always feel his love for her coming through.

But not tonight.

After the terrible news, they had all gone to bed, no one speaking. Grimmauld Place was silent as a tomb tonight.

As she made ready for bed, she stole glances at Harry, watching him undress down to his boxers. He walked over to the fireplace and picked up the poker to stir the ashes and stoke the fire for the night. She could see the muscles in his back were tight with unspoken anger and he suddenly threw the poker down with a crash on the hearth. She walked over to him to place her hand on his back but he jerked away and walked over to the bed to climb in.

She sighed quietly and turned to join him, blowing out the candle at the bedside. The room was plunged into darkness, except for the flickering firelight and she slid into bed beside him. She waited for her eyes to adjust to the darkness and turned her head slightly to look at him. He lay on his back, eyes open, unspeaking. She wanted so badly to comfort him but the words wouldn't come. She wasn't sure if he wanted her physical comfort, either. She reached out tenetively to touch his arm and he suddenly rolled over, pinning her beneath him.

He crashed his mouth on hers, kissing her fiercely, pulling on her nightgown to reach for her knickers. She gasped as he wrenched his mouth from hers and began biting her neck as he used his knee to open her legs. He groaned as he sought her mouth again and she knew that he just needed her right now. She pushed his boxers down and allowed him to push into her. She wasn't quite ready and she moaned softly at the pain. Still, she wrapped her arms around him and kissed him as he began to thrust almost frantically. She tried to meet him but he grabbed her hips as if to bruise her and all she could do was cling to him tighter to absorb the pounding pain. She whispered, "I love you" to him over and over but he didn't seem to hear her.

He suddenly pulled out and sat up and she gazed up at him. She felt a small pulse of fear as she saw his eyes, dark and unseeing, as if he didn't even know she was there. He growled and reached down to turn her over, pulling her hips towards him and plunging into her again. She pushed against him, wanting to satisfy his hunger but she knew he was lost to her at this moment and it wasn't about their love tonight.

He grabbed her hair and slammed into her so hard, her knees gave way and she fell forward with a gasp. She couldn't help but moan his name, "Harry". He fell on top of her still thrusting like a man possessed until he cried out with a pain that tore at her heart and she felt his warm liquid fill her. He collapsed onto her and lay there breathing hard until he let out a sob and rolled off of her. She didn't move for a moment except to turn her head to look at him. He lay there, his hand covering his eyes as he cried. She longed to hold him and tell him how much she loved him but she waited.

He lowered his hand and turned to look at her, his eyes reddened and the tears still on his cheeks.

"I'm sorry," he whispered, "Oh, God, I'm sorry, Hermione."

She reached out to touch his cheek and whispered back, "It's okay, love, it's okay. We'll talk in the morning. I love you, Harry, and I always will. We'll get through this, like we always do. I'll always be there for you."

"I love you...so much," he said, his voice cracking with pain.

He began to cry again and she wrapped her arms around him, pulling him close. He lay in her arms like a child and she let him cry, kissing him over and over till he finally gave into exhaustion and fell asleep.

She lay there in the dark, holding him, her mind whirling with the thought of Ginny's terrible betrayal. She would never forgive her for this. She would never forgive her for Harry's pain. He had suffered enough and this was too much. Ginny would pay and pay dearly. She would see to that. Oh yes, she would.