Disclaimer: I own nothing.

Chapter 1: Leaving Everything Behind

Hermione looked around her surroundings after the final battle at Hogwarts. There was so much carnage and destruction she couldn't believe that she hadn't felt the shock yet of losing so many friends. But Hermione figured that the adrenaline from all the fighting was still coursing its way through her blood and it would be a little while yet before she really felt the shock of everything. All that she and Harry and Ron had fought through to get to this point, to get to the point where they had defeated the Dark Lord and she sighed with relief, it was finally over. Looking up she found Ron staring at her as she looked around. He walked slowly over to her never letting his eyes wander from her face. "It's finally over." He stated quietly. To them it was a reality that hadn't quite set in yet.

Hermione looked up at his face taking in the expression of a boy that was forced to grow up a too young of an age and her melted a little as she thought about everything that had happened to them. Turning to face Ron Hermione placed her hand gently on his face making him look at her. "Yes it is." Was all she said before Hermione leaned in and kissed him gently waiting for his reaction. Ron's surprise didn't last long when he wrapped his arms around her waist and promptly kissed her back with all of the emotion he had been feeling: fear, love, happiness, relief, sadness, remorse, and confusion.

When they pulled apart they stared at each other letting their breaths intermingle as they tried to figure out what this was and what it meant for them. "Marry me?" Ron asked quietly though it came out more as a statement than a question. Hermione looked at him with happiness dancing across her face. She didn't have the words to describe how she had wanted to hear that question for such a long time. Grasping his face in her hands she pressed her lips against his as hard as she could, putting all the love she had for him into that one kiss. He sucked in a breath as he sucked her bottom lip while tilting her head up so that he could deepen the kiss. Hermione smiled into the kiss and pressed against Ron harder bringing them closer as her hands found their way into his red hair. A few minutes later they came up for air panting as they smiled and just held each other waiting to see what would happen in the coming months. They both looked up as they heard people walking their way and smiled as Harry was walking with his arm around Ginny's waist whispering something into her ear to make her smile.

"Hey you two." Harry smiled, he felt so relieved

"Hey Harry! Hey Ginny!" Hermione couldn't stop smiling as Ron had slid his arms around her waist from behind and held her tightly against him.

Ginny smiled at both of them before turning to Harry and plant a gentle kiss on his cheek before snuggling closer into his arms. The four walked back towards the castle smiling and happy as they shared their joy with their respective partners. Things were about to change for the good and that happiness spilled over.

A year after the war Hermione was still feeling the effects of it. After she and Ron had become engaged their relationship progressed very quickly from just snogging to sex. Hermione loved the way that Ron made her feel but six months into the relationship everything stopped. No more sex, no sweet good-night kisses, no morning showers together. Hermione couldn't figure out what had changed, they were happy right? They wanted to be together, right? Hermione silently worried that she had done something wrong, that she wasn't pretty enough, and that she was boring. However, Hermione being Hermione decided to be logical, or at least make an effort, about it and talk to Harry and Ginny before her thoughts got the better of her. Writing a quick letter to Harry explaining that she wanted to talk about Ron's abrupt change in behaviour Hermione gave the letter to the owl before starting her morning routine. She was brushing her teeth after breakfast when she heard the light tapping of a beak on glass as she turned to retrieve Harry's response. Harry had also noticed the change and had wondered if she could meet him and Ginny for lunch at the apartment. Hermione sent a swift response saying that would work splendidly before getting back to her routine.

As the lunch hour approached she suddenly felt very nervous about talking to Harry and Ginny about something so personal. Once she and Ron and made it public there hadn't been a moments rest as reporters and journalists wanted all the inside dirty details about their relationship. Hermione did damage control while Ron just stood there for moral support, but Hermione had never talked about her sex life with anyone, even Ginny. Though Ginny was her best friend it didn't seem fair to talk about how good or bad the sex was with her brother and there really wasn't anyone else she was close enough with that she could talk about her sex life with. So she had settled a long time ago about just keeping it to herself. Now though, now she was going to have to discuss with Ron's sister and his best friend, to say she was embarrassed was the understatement of the century.

There was a soft knock on the door and Hermione was pulled from her thoughts. She needed advice and she knew that Harry and Ginny were the only two that could be helpful, she set aside her pride and decided that this would be the logical choice. She politely invited them as she stepped back from the door and ushered them onto the lightly shaded veranda off the house. Sitting on the table were sandwiches, fruit, and freshly made lemonade. Hermione asked how they were doing, as Harry and Ginny had gotten married a little over a month ago and the smiles on their faces were the proof of how very happy they truly were. "So, you want to talk about Ron now?" Harry asked abruptly during a lull in conversation.

"We might as well." Hermione sighed, she really didn't want to talk about this with them but again the logical part of her brain told her that it was the only way to get answers. After a minute she bluntly asked, "Harry, is Ron…" she gasped for air before she finished the sentence, "Is Ron seeing someone else?" Harry and Ginny both exploded with no's as they were shocked with the question, once they had all calmed down Ginny looked at Hermione, "What's changed to make you think that?"

"We stopped having sex every night." Hermione answered quietly. Ginny blushed, she really didn't want to talk about her brother having sex with her best friend but that was a major change, no wonder Hermione thought that Ron was seeing someone else. Ginny sighed; she didn't know what was going on with him. She hadn't actually spoken with Ron in nearly three weeks.

"Hermione, love, when did this happen?" Ginny asked

"Two weeks ago. We were in the middle of you know…it and he just got up and said he was bored and left me there on the bed and went and took a shower. He didn't come back to bed that night." Hermione definitely saw Ginny blush as she was trying not to imagine what exactly they had been doing.

"Wait…he didn't finish? He just left you there?" Harry was furious.

"Harry, it isn't the first time…that was probably the third time it had happened. However after that he just stopped even trying to be interested. I did a strip tease for him Harry and he didn't move. At all." Hermione was beyond being embarrassed but he needed to know what had happened.

Harry was concerned for Ron this was a huge change because every time that Ron talked to Harry about Hermione in was usually in reference to her being a goddess of some sort. Ron had seemed so in love with her that no other woman could ever satisfy him like she could, but there was a time that Harry had like Hermione and if she was doing a strip tease and Ron wasn't responding then there was definitely a problem because Hermione was beautiful.

"Am….am I not-" Hermione was cut off before she could finish the question by Ginny.

"Hermione don't you even go there! You are one of the most beautiful people that I know. You are absolutely breath taking and amazing. Don't go there Hermione Jean Granger, you know better." Ginny was furious at Ron for even making Hermione doubt herself. Hermione was a strong, self-assured woman how dare he undermine her like this.

"Harry what do I do. He won't talk to me, when he comes home he's drunk and doesn't want anything to do with me. He's been sleeping in the spare room." Hermione looked away

"Is that why you have a black eye? Has he started to hit you?" Harry's voice was tense

"It…it wasn't him. It was me. I was clumsy and fell and hit my eye." She looked away

"Hermione-" Harry reached out and touched her arm lightly

"Harry, Ginny, you know I love you both right?" she looked to them for their approval "I need a holiday...a very long holiday and I don't expect I shall return...in fact, I mean not to.*"

They both looked at her and smiled sadly, Hermione had changed and she needed time to recoup, get back on her feet, they sighed, they knew that she needed to leave their world; they just didn't want to let her go. They got up and hugged her and then left without saying much else, it was then and there that Hermione started questioning why she was with Ron and to her surprise she could find no reason…no reason at all to stay with him. However Hermione decided that she would give him a little more time before leaving him completely.

Six more months had passed and there had been no good change in Ron's behaviour only bad. He started to come home drunk on a regular basis and hitting her had become a regular occurrence. To the outside world Ron and Hermione were the epitome of the perfect fairytale happiness that everyone sought. Ron and Hermione were set to be married within the next year but though everyone was anxiously waiting the wedding Hermione was dreading it. No one knew what this boy had become and in the face of danger and the war Ron did not know how to cope and so he turned his mind to other things, to the things that seemed better when liquor was added.

It was a very hot summer evening with the stars out and glimmering in the beautiful dark blue night sky. Hermione was sitting on the porch of their shared apartment waiting for Ron to get home so she could tell him that it was over. She had given him six months and nothing had changed and she wasn't about to sit around and do nothing anymore. As she had predicted around one in the morning Ron stumbled through the door alcohol wafting from his breath.

"Ron, you're finally home. I was worried about you." Hermione stood and smiled at her fiancé. Ron looked at her and sneered before dragging her close to him for a too rough kiss. Hermione pushed Ron back with all of her strength and only barely was able to push him back enough to put more distance between them. The look of rage that crossed his face gave her all the warning she was going to get before he started his usual assault. "So, is that how you want it to be?" Ron spat at her. "I have no idea what you are talking about." Hermione responded trying to keep her cool. Hermione was rarely scared- after fighting and defeating the Dark Lord, chasing after the seven horcruxes, saving Harry, Ron, and everyone else she was afraid of nothing, but Ron….Ron was a matter quite different from everything else she had faced.

"You know what Hermione. How about you just have sex with me and that is the end of it?" He was tired and drunk and she was not going to have sex with him.

"I'm too tired Ronald. I'm not in the mood." Her voice steeled and she knew there was no turning back.

"What did you say to me?" Ron exclaimed "How dare you think that you can defy me!" Ron met her in two strides, slapped her across the face then punched her turned around and walked out. To Hermione the room was spinning, she could feel her eye swelling from where he had hit her and she could still feel the tingling sensation from where his hand slammed against her check. She tried sitting up only to feel the world spin ten times faster before she slid back down on the floor and passed out.

Ron walked out the door and leaned against the wall next to it. He wasn't sure what was going on. He hated that he hit her, but it always seemed to be the way to let off steam that was pent up from the months of trying to find and destroy the horcruxes. Ron sighed turning back into the apartment that he shared with his best friend and the woman that he had loved. He didn't know what else to do. He grabbed a piece of parchment scribbling a quick note, packing an overnight bag and leaving. He was going to go to Bill and Fleur's for a few days to blow off some steam and get some perspective. That's what he needed to do. He grabbed his bag and apparated away without even looking at Hermione.

It was late morning when Hermione finally came around and remembered everything that had happened last night. When she looked around to gain her bearings everything seemed the same that was until she stood up and very slowly made her way into the bedroom. There was a note that lay on the bed in his writing, Hermione made her way over to read the note.

Hermione, I'm taking a vacation for a few days, I'll be back and I hope that you are in more of a mood after I return than you were last night. See you in three days.

Ron.

Hermione had to laugh at the note; he thought that if he gave her some time alone than she would give in to him. He didn't and probably couldn't realise that she would never give in to him. She picked up the same quill that he had written his note with and turned the parchment over to write her own note.

Ron, I'll never be in the mood for you. I'm leaving. Don't try and find me, don't try and come after me. I've got a restraining order out on you and if come within even 100 meters of me you'll be body bound until the Ministry can deal with you. I'm done.

H.

Hermione had spoken with Harry again about the changes in Ron's behaviour, even going so far as to explain his hitting her. Harry wanted to hurt Ron for what he was doing to Hermione but every time that Harry came around Ron left too soon for him to say anything. Harry hugged Hermione as she told him of her decision, of leaving the wizarding world and never coming back. Harry held her as her body shook with sobs, she needed to leave, she needed to start over, but most of all needed to get away from him. Hermione asked Harry to get Ginny so that she could say good-bye before she left for the muggle world and a muggle life. Harry obliged and left so he could go get Ginny and explain what was happening. When Harry returned he was shocked to see all of the furniture gone, the apartment clean and Hermione with two suitcases waiting by the door.

"I'm so sorry 'Mione. I wish you didn't have to leave." Ginny whispered against her best friend.

"I need this right now, Gin and I think you know that too." Hermione whispered back before kissing Ginny and Harry on the check. She looked at them one more time, grasped her luggage and whispered "Good-bye."

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* The astrik is a direct quote from Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring, I take no credit for that line.

This is the first chapter of many. I hope you enjoyed it and please remember to review. Thanks!

Annika~