DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN HARRY POTTER. If I did... do you think I'd be writing fanfiction?
A/N: Hay guys. I've decided to rework this. I'm going to be reposting it and I've rewritting a lot of it. I apologize if this chapter seems... all over the place but I promise you the next ones are better.'
PLOT SUMMARY: Ron is an abusive boyfriend, coming home drunk every night after drinking away the pain of his washed up Quidditch career. When Draco Malfoy becomes Hermione's partner at work in the aurors office, Hermione thinks it's going to be another Hell on Earth... but feelings begin to develop over time. Will Hermione's long time enemy be the one to save her?
Hermione unlocked the door to their flat, heading to their room quickly. She'd just put down her purse when she heard the door slam and heavy footsteps to the kitchen.
"Hermione!"
She jumped, scurrying out of the room and to the kitchen.
"Why isn't dinner ready?" Ron growled. His eyes were bloodshot and his breath reeked of alcohol.
"I-I…" she stuttered, "I just got home. I didn't have time –"
She was interrupted by a hard slap across her face, falling to the floor in shock.
"Start it," he spat, stalking off to the living room.
She rose to her feet, the left side of her face stinging from the impact. She winced, cupping it gingerly. It was definitely going to bruise.
Ignoring the throbbing in her cheek, she began heating a frozen dinner for Ron.
This wasn't the first time Ron had hit her. He'd been coming home drunk for the past two years… since the Quidditch team had let him go.
He'd never used to be an alcoholic. In fact, he barely drank at all, save for special occasions where he'd sip a glass of Firewhiskey.
But that was when he was keeping for the Chudley Cannons. Harry, in addition to being an auror in the off season, was seeker for Puddlemere United and Ron, happy as he was playing for his favorite team, was incredibly jealous. He'd tried out several times but wouldn't make it and begin keeping for the Cannons again.
After some strings were pulled by Harry, Puddlemere finally let him keep for a bit. The thing was… he'd constantly try and upstage Harry, even if all he had to do was block a few goal posts and the team finally let him go for good after he had cost them their fourth game straight.
The Cannons offered Ron his spot back but he wasn't interested in playing anymore…
Hermione pulled the dinner from the microwave, carrying the plastic tray into the living room and setting it in front of Ron before scurrying back into the kitchen to clean up some nonexistent mess.
Ron's drinking began small… a trip to the bar every other night and him, miraculously, arriving home as late as four in the morning completely drunk. During the day he moped around the house, after sleeping his hangover off, before repeating it again.
Then, one day, Hermione'd come home to find all her elf-made win missing and Ron passed out on the floor surrounded in glass, an empty wine bottle in his hand. That was when the problem really began.
He blamed Hermione for loads of things. He blamed her for the Quidditch matches lost, claiming she was too much of a distraction. He blamed her for the lack of money.
He also started to get violent in his drunken rages, hitting her for the first time after she'd asked where he'd been all night. It was two in the morning and he smelled strongly of alcohol. He had slapped her, telling her never to speak to him like that again, and walked to the living room, leaving her on the floor in tears…
Hermione heard Ron snoring in the living room and walked in, taking the plastic tray and throwing it out. She turned off the television and went into the bedroom, undressing and crawling into bed.
She couldn't tell anyone of this. Not even Ginny. They just needed time. Hermione could help Ron… she could change him… all they needed was time.
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