Songfic. Ron and Hermione are 8 years out of Hogwarts. Ron is a doctor in a wizard-hospital, Hermion is an Auror. They are married and having trouble. This is about them dealing with it. Sequel may happen if requested. Also, I'm not sure how to make italics in Fanfiction. So you might have to guess where the song lyrics are lol. Please R&R! Tell me how to do italics! lol --Gwyn

Hermione sat sideways on the overstuffed couch in her and Ron's apartment in London. She was facing him, but not looking at him. Her eyes were on her bare feet and her fingers playing with her toes.

Ron leaned back onto one of the fluffy pillows. He looked at his beloved wife. You would have never known that that bossy know-it-all, curly mop of brown-haired girl would have grown up into such a sophisticated, intelligent, beautiful woman.

He finally had to break the uncomfortable silence that always broke the progress in their arguments, when one of them said something too mean, or the other said things they would regret later, and they both knew it.

"Hermione." He said it in such a tone that she had to look up into his determined, comforting blue eyes. "What's bothering you so much? Why are we having so many fights lately?"

"You don't know?" she asked, and Ron shook his head. Her usually warm brown eyes went cold. "I'm surprised." Icy tones to match her eyes.

Your body's warm

But you are not

She got up and started walking towards the kitchen. Ron followed her, knowing better than to try and stop her from going where she wanted to go. When they reached the kitchen, she started banging things from cupboards and getting out the fixings for soup.

"HERMIONE."

Her back to him, her shoulders sagged and she sighed. "What?" she asked, turning around to meet his eyes.

"What have I done wrong? Tell me, please, I'll do anything to try and fix it."

"I'm not sure. But it seems as though you don't...I don't know. Try and romance me anymore? You don't act like even the littlest acts of kindness are god-given treasures anymore. I miss that." She said, her eyes welling up with tears. By the end of her statement, a single, salty tear had slid out of her eyelids and down to her chin.

You give a little

Not a lot

Ron was puzzled. "I didn't think I ever did that much. And I didn't think you cared so much."

Hermione started slowly to cry. "I do care. We never seem to have time for each other anymore. We don't talk to Harry enough. I miss him. I'm worried about him. We don't have time...for anything, it seems." She sniffed and started to sob. "We don't even act like we love each other anymore. I've seen this happen to couples when they let their work get in the way. I don't want it to happen to us, Ron! I...I love you too much to -"

Ron strode over to where she was and enveloped her in his arms. She leaned her head against his shoulder and let the tears fall.

"You love me to much to what, darling?" he asked softly.

"To...to lose you."

You coup your love

Until we kiss

You're all I want

But not like this

"Lovely," he said so quietly only she could hear, and no one else. "You are all I want. If I didn't have my job, I would spend every waking moment with you. You would never lose me."

"But that's just IT," Hermione said, frustrated and the tears still coming. She pushed away from his protective hold to look him straight in the eyes. "If, if, IF!"

It's only your shadow

Never yourself

It's only your shadow

Nobody else

It's only your shadow

Filling the room

Arriving too late

And leaving too soon

And leaving too soon

"Ron, the real you would never tell me if you didn't have your job you would spend every minute with me. It sounds like your married to your job, not me. We need to make more time for each other. I'm working twelve hours a day and I still get home in time to make us dinner – that you usually don't make, and I eat by myself and leave yours on the table."

"I'm sorry, darling," he said, slightly ashamed. "But work is such a priority...being a doctor takes so much of my time. I agree that we need to talk to Harry more, but don't you see him at work?"

"No," Hermione replied tearfully. "He works too hard, and he's always too busy to talk for more than five minutes." She moves as if she's about to let him hold her again, but then decides against it.

Your body gives

But then holds back

The sun is bright

The sky is black

Can only be another sign
I cannot keep what isn't mine

You left and it lingers on

But you, you were almost gone

Ron sat down at the kitchen table with his head in his hands.

It's only your shadow

Never yourself

It's only your shadow

Nobody else

It's only your shadow

Filling the room

Arriving too late

And leaving too soon

And leaving too soon

Hermione saw his shoulders shaking. Looking up, she saw he was crying as well. "Hermione, I am so sorry. I miss Harry too. I miss YOU. I miss talking to you about everything. I miss having time to love you."

Hermione's angry, cold façade broke down and she went over and gave him a hug and kissed him. "I'm sorry too," she said through her tears.

Ron took a deep breath and took ahold of her hands and lifted her chin to meet his eyes. "I'm going to cut back on hours," he said sincerely. "We need more time for US."

Hermione looked in disbelief at him. She wasn't sure if he was serious. He loved his job. He was the most wanted doctor in the country. How could he cut back on hours?

I cannot tell if you mean what you say

You say it so loud, but you sound far away

Maybe I had just a glimpse of your soul

Or was that your shadow I saw on the wall

I'm watching you disappear

But you, you were never here

"Really?" she asked, disbelief evident on her face. The tears were still coming, partly from relief and partly from missing him so much.

It's only your shadow

Never yourself

It's only your shadow

Nobody else

It's only your shadow

Filling the room

Arriving too late

No, no, no

It's only your shadow

It's only your shadow

Nobody else

It's only your shadow

Arriving too late

And leaving too soon

"Really," he said. Hermione's face broke into a smile. Ron smiled as well, the most genuine he could muster.

"I love you," she said, hugging him.

He kissed her softly and replied, "I love you too."

It's only your shadow.