Chapter 1

"Where's dinner?"

Hermione sighed heavily. This was how Ron had greeted her everyday for the past two weeks. No 'hello, love' or 'hi, darling', nothing. Frankly it was infuriating. They had been living together for 4 months and dating for just over a year and half. Not once in those four months had Ron made her dinner, or even had a cup of tea waiting for her at home. No, not home – her home. It was her flat and her food and her everything. Ron didn't even help pay the rent! He had just waltzed right in one evening, settled down, and made himself comfortable. And for the last two weeks, he hadn't even bothered to say hello. He expected dinner on the table every night at six, even if Hermione wasn't home or had just walked in the door. He rarely said thank you and never complimented any of the food. Bloody hell, he never even complimented her anymore.

In the first two or three months of the relationship, Ron had been such a sweetheart - telling her that she was beautiful, and taking her for romantic walks. She had completely fallen in love. And then one morning, it seemed like he had woken up and decided that enough was enough. He stopped taking her for walks, stopped using whatever small amount of manners he had picked up over the years and just generally became a slob. Hermione often found herself staring longingly at Ginny and Harry who always seemed to be looking into each other's eyes, smiling at each other, or holding hands. Harry took Ginny on dates at least once a week, and though Hermione knew that Ron didn't have that much money, taking your girlfriend on a date once in a while with an Auror's salary couldn't hurt, right? But no.

He hadn't even bothered to dance with her at the annual ministry ball last December! Hermione had bought a very nice dress, and spent two hours doing her hair and makeup with Ginny, and Ron hadn't even told her she looked nice. He had stopped romancing her, stopped looking at her, and it seemed like he had stopped thinking about her too. Honestly, Hermione sometimes wondered why she even stayed with him. She presumed that it was because she thought that they were meant to be together - they had been best friends, had conquered Voldemort together, had fallen in love, and so, Hermione naturally assumed that they would end up together as well.

She had spilt her heart to Ginny about Ron so many times and Ginny's advice had always been the same: "He's not good enough for you!" Hermione had always disagreed with Ginny but in the last couple of weeks she had began wondering if maybe her best friend was right. Even though Ron was Ginny's brother, their relationship had become rather strained - Ginny never failed to mention how much it bothered her that Ron was treating Hermione so badly. And two nights ago… phew. Two nights ago, she had had to restrain Ginny from going to hex Ron herself.

Looking back, Hermione could honestly say that the fight she had with Ron was completely ridiculous. She had been so tired after work that instead of cooking dinner, she had quickly gone to the Muggle supermarket around the corner from her flat and bought a frozen pizza to cook in the oven.

She had explained to Ron countless times about ovens, frozen foods, refrigerators and such, but he never seemed to grasp what she was saying. And when he had come home yesterday, Ron had gone into a rage over the fact that there was no dinner. When Hermione had pointed out that there was a pizza cooking in the oven and that it would be ready in a few minutes, Ron had gone on a tirade about how a frozen pizza wasn't a real dinner and how he refused to eat stupid Muggle food. She hadn't known what to say. How could Ron say something like that? The Weasleys were such an accepting family and Ron's dad loved anything to do with Muggles, so how could Ron have acted in such a way?

Ron had ranted and raved for 10 more minutes like a madman about the worthlessness of her cooking and of Muggle food and Hermione had just stood there and let the tears fall down her cheeks. When he had finished, Ron had apparated from her flat and did not come back until the next evening. Hermione had apparated straight to Ginny's and told her what happened, trying to force her not to go and hex her brother on the spot. After Ginny agreed to stay put, Hermione had crumbled onto the sofa and cried for what seemed like hours.

And the next day had barely been any better - Ron hadn't come home until the evening and Hermione's nightmares hadn't subsided a bit. She had gone to various healers and potions masters over the months to try and get some help but nothing seemed to work! She had just spent 20 galleons on another potion that was supposed to lessen the effects of the nightmares but it had had no results.

Every time she drifted off into sleep, Bellatrix's face invaded her subconscious and replayed the events of THAT night. The exact same nightmare, replaying itself night after night, like a broken record. And last night had been the worst; Hermione had woken up crying and screaming Ron's name, but instead of comforting her, he had muttered something about going to get some sleep and left.

He had left her! He had left her, half conscious and sobbing his name, to go and get some sleep. Hermione had almost choked on her tears the next morning, wondering how and when her relationship had gotten so bad that she couldn't even rely on someone to comfort her.

"Hello? Hermione, are you there?"

"Oh Ron, I'm sorry, I was just lost in thought for a moment."

"Where's my dinner?"

Again, Hermione thought. Not 'how are you' or 'I'm sorry', or even 'where's our dinner.' Just the same old greeting. "I'm really sorry Ron, I don't have dinner. I've been swamped at work and didn't have time to cook anything tonight," Hermione answered evenly.

"Ha! Woman, you're a second level worker in the Department of Magical Law Enforcement! What could you possibly have to do? It's not like you do anything important," Ron laughed.

"Just because you think my work is meaningless, doesn't mean that everyone does. And just because you're a third level Auror, doesn't mean that you can throw insults at me." It had taken her all of her strength not to hex Ron. How could he! Did he not have any feelings at all?

"Oh just get over yourself, Hermione. And if we don't have dinner, then I have a better way to occupy our time," said Ron, licking his lips. He advanced toward her and planted a sloppy kiss on her neck before Hermione had time to wriggle away. "I'm sorry Ron, but I am not in the mood. No matter what you think, I do have a lot of work to do and I just can't."

"Merlin," stated Ron, rolling off her and getting up, "you're not even good for a shag anymore. No wonder I went looking somewhere else." At this, Hermione blanched. She hoped beyond all hope that she had heard him incorrectly, or that he was referring to something else, or anything.

But the look on Ron's face, and his scarlet tinted ears, reassured her of the fact that she had not, in fact, heard her boyfriend incorrectly. Drawing up to her full height and gripping her wand with a strength she had not felt in months, Hermione glared at Ron with all the power she could muster.

"What did you say? ARE YOU HAVING AN AFFAIR?!"

"Well, I wouldn't exactly call it an affair," Ron offered lamely.

"You wouldn't? What would be your choice of words then? Late night infidelity? Playing around? An extra-curricular activity? Is that would you would call it, Ron?" Hermione knew that her voice had risen quite high and that tears were beginning to swim in her eyes, but she didn't care. How could he? How could he? How could he? Those were the only words that she could say. How could he? After everything they had been through, how could he? "Who is the bitch?"

"Look Hermione, I don't think it's a very good idea for me to say who it is."

"Shut up, Ronald! You are in no place to make suggestions!" Hermione turned and moved towards Ron, her hand curled tightly around her wand. "Tell. Me. Who. She. Is." Fire seemed to have ignited in Hermione's eyes and Ron, Hermione was happy to see, looked wary of her.

"Fine. Fine. It's… Lavender Brown." Hermione stopped and went as white as a sheet. He had gone to Lavender Brown - the girl who had laughed at her for years over her crush on Ron.

"YOU LEFT ME, FOR LAVENDER BROWN?" Hermione spat. "Yesterday, you left me seeing visions of Bellatrix Lestrange, drenched in sweat and screaming your name, to go see Lavender Brown?" Hearing her, Ron seemed to find the grace to look slightly ashamed, but it soon passed as he started to look angry instead.

"So what that I left you? You haven't talked to me in days. You barely take care of me anymore! No wonder I went looking elsewhere - you barely even touch me nowadays!"

"I don't take care of you?! You would be lucky to find someone on this earth who will stay with you for as long as I did! I was there for you, always. I cook for you, I let you move into my house, I even let you not pay the rent, and you're telling me that it's okay for you to have an affair because I barely touch you? Relationships are supposed to be more than that! But you know what, Ron? I'm glad you're with Lavender. It relieves me of the task of being a girlfriend to an ass such as yourself," Hermione seethed.

She hadn't been this angry since Ron had left her and Harry in the forest during their search for Horcruxes. What an arse! What an incorrigible arse! Ginny had been right. She deserved someone better than Ron Weasley. She deserved someone who wouldn't talk down to her, who would appreciate her, and definitely someone who wouldn't leave her in the middle of the night.

Hermione Granger refused to be sloppy seconds for anyone - she was a fantastic woman who had lots to offer and deserved someone who would realize that. She was about to hex Ron when she heard her front door slam and turned to see a murderous looking Ginny.