Modern!AU || Muggle!AU

~ For 2D ~

Hermione swirled her wine sullenly, watching the red liquid slosh around in the wine glass before stilling as she lifted it to take a sip. Ron sat across from her, happily munching away at his food while he blatantly flirted with their waitress. She glared moodily at him over the tip of the glass, a glare he was ignorant to as he flirted with an old friend from school. I'm just being friendly, he'd tell her when she brought it up. But that was always his excuse.

It's not like she was normally a jealous person, she was fine with him talking with other women. But this night was supposed to be about the two of them, and he'd barely spared her a glance for the entirety of it. It was infuriating, and slightly disheartening if she was being honest. Ron got outraged if she so much as glanced at another man for too long, and here he was, paying her no mind at all. Some date night this was turning out to be.

She cleared her throat softly, watching Ron's gaze as it moved over to her. He looked irritated. Hermione sighed, she really didn't have time for this. The blonde girl he'd been talking to turned to look her way too. Her eyes widened as she looked between the two, as if this was the first time she was putting the pieces together. Not that Hermione could blame her, they didn't act like a couple. Not anymore. The girl slowly moved away, waving slightly before disappearing into one back room or another.

"That was incredibly rude," Ron chided angrily. Here we go again. She watched as his eyes twitched, and he raised a brow expectantly. He wanted her to apologize, Hermione realized. And that was the final straw.

"Rude?" Hermione laughed bitterly, her eyes narrowing in Ron's direction. "It's rude to want my fiance to spend his evening with me?"

Ron gulped slightly, adjusting his collar. The tips of his ears were growing more and more red. If this had been their first fight she would have assumed he was embarrassed. But it sadly was not their first fight, and thus she knew he wouldn't back down from this. Neither of them would.

"Tell me Ronald, is it incredibly rude," she began, quoting his words from before, "to want my fucking fiance to pay attention to me on our date night?"

"Yes," he replied icily, "yes it is."

She let out a scoff in disbelief. He was insane.

"It's incredibly rude for you to interrupt me when I'm trying to have a conversation with a friend."

"So that's rude, but when you blow up at me for talking to a male colleague it's suddenly fine?" She was shocked at the words spewing out of his mouth. It was absurd, the whole thing was absurd.

"Of course!" Ron practically bellowed. They were causing a scene at this point, but Hermione couldn't care less.

"That point of view is so-" she stopped short for a moment, trying to find the right word. "It's so old fashioned!"

"That's how I grew up Mione! That's how it was when I was a kid." She rolled her eyes. He had the gall to scold her, and then think it was alright to call her Mione.

"Things are different now Ron," Hermione spoke icily. She didn't have to put up with this anymore, didn't have to put up with him anymore. "It's the twenty first century and you need to grow up."

She glanced down at the ring on her finger coldly, it didn't belong there, and she didn't want it there any longer. Her eyebrows furrowed slightly as she made the decision to slide it off her finger, stopping Ron open mouthed. She didn't care what he'd been about to say, it would have undoubtedly been hurtful, and she wouldn't stand for this anymore.

"You can have this back." It was a cold whisper, barely heard above the buzz of the busy streets. She couldn't recall moving outside, though perhaps being in the heat of an argument had blurred her memory a bit. Ron looked shocked as she dropped the ring into his hands.

"Mione," he called after her retreating form. Ron hurried through the crowd, trying to grab onto her arm.

"Don't, Ron." Hermione whirled around with tears in her eyes. She'd tried for so long to make this work, she'd crawled back to him after so many fights. Each time promising herself it would be the last. But she'd never taken off the ring before. It felt so freeing, so relieving. It was wonderful to not be shackled to someone who wouldn't even pay attention to her. She didn't want to let this newfound freedom go. Hermione turned to leave again, a mix of emotions washing over her.

"Why?" he called after her almost desperately. Be strong, she reminded herself, don't fall for it again.

"I can't do it anymore," she replied. It was harsher than she'd intended it to be, though perhaps that was for the best.

"Do what?"

"The fighting, Ron." There was a trace of tears on her pale cheeks. "I can't be expected to love you, and never look at another man, while you're out here openly flirting with dozens of other girls."

Ron opened his mouth to speak, but Hermione wouldn't give him another chance. Not this time. He'd no doubt try and lure her back in, but she was done falling for it. She was done falling for him.

"I'm not going to waste my time loving someone who doesn't want to try and love me back. I can't and I won't."

The smile she sent his way was bittersweet, full of sadness and anguish. They both knew this would be for the best, even if neither of them were ready to admit it.

"Goodbye," she whispered.

And just like that she was gone.