Authors Note: I always loved the song she can't save him by Reba for various reason. And I figured the lyrics would be good for a story about Hermione and Ron.
Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter and I don't make any money from it. Everything belongs to the wonderful J.K Rowling.
She can't save him
Hermione could hear Ron's footsteps coming up the driveway to their house. Dull, and heavy as always. She sighed heavily opening the door for her husband, looking at him. His usual aggression was showing in his eyes, even if he seemed calm. She knew without asking that he had a drink before he made it home. He always did.
She greeted him with the usual hug saying, "How was your day?"
"As usual," he answered without elaborating. She already knew by the rumors he had a fight with some of his coworkers.
"Are you hungry now, or do you want to eat later?" she said, as she hadn't had time to start with the dinner yet.
"Later will be fine," he said, walking pass her, only to sink down in the living room couch, turning on the TV.
Hermione swallowed hard, watching him, he was no longer the man she once loved. She wondered what had happened with that man. What happened to the man that used to make her smile, that used to make her so happy. The man she had two darling children with?
"Ron," she said, nearing him.
"What?" he asked harshly without looking at his wife.
"I was thinking, maybe we should go away for a weekend just the two of us, I'm sure my mother or yours could watch the children," Hermione tried. She didn't even know why she suggested it, knowing that a weekend away wouldn't solve anything.
"In case you haven't noticed I don't have the time, I do have work," he said, still not glaring at her.
Hermione rolled her hazel eyes lightly saying, "Yeah we all know what a great job you are doing there."
Ron was about to have another comeback when Hermione heard the door flung open and their children's voices nearing them. Under a breath she said, "Don't you dare making a scene in front of them."
"Fine!" He breathed back.
The two children that sensed there was something in the air, approached their parents slowly. Hermione gave Ron the 'we'll continue this later look', before she turned to their children saying, "My little angels."
Both of them walked over and hugged both of their parents before Hermione said, "So what have you been up to today?"
The two children usually spent their days with Arthur and Molly or Hermione's parents Jean and Thomas while Ron and Hermione was working. This week they were going to be with the Weasley's as it was their week. The two set of grandparents had the children a week each, but the situation was far from ideal.
"Reading, playing wizard chess and some other game, reading most though," Rose said. Hermione sensing her husband was going to roll his eyes at this and gave him a warning glance before turning to Hugo. He was not a big reader like their daughter. He did read, but not as much.
"I was helping grandma with something in the garden," he said, smiling proudly.
"You did, that's great Hugo," said Hermione and smiled proudly of him.
"Yah it's gonna grow and become something," he told them excitedly.
Hermione nodded as Rose looked at them and asked, "When is dinner?"
"In about an hour," said Hermione.
"Good, then I can read some more," said Rose and ran up the stairs in a hurry.
"Do you want to play wizard chess with me?" Hugo asked and looked at his father with hopeful eyes.
"No, I'm busy," Ron dismissed him, making his son's excitement vanish, as he sighed and run up the stairs as well. His father wasn't fun anymore.
"Would it hurt you to show a little enthusiasm?" Hermione asked her husband as soon as they were both upstairs.
"Over books and plants?" he said with a frown.
"You know sometimes I wonder why I even bother," she said with a sigh, heading towards the kitchen.
"What is that supposed to mean?" he asked, getting up to following her.
"You don't care about them and you certainly don't care about me, so why do I even try to convince myself otherwise?" she asked him back, her eyes were filled with helplessness.
"Don't give me that crap again," he said annoyed.
"Why can't you see its true?" she wanted to know.
"Because it's not," he protested.
"And that's where you're wrong," she said, but her voice didn't sound angry, it rather seemed sad as she turned her head away from him. He backed away and went back to the couch when he should have done the opposite.
Why wasn't he trying harder, didn't he love her?
That night like so many times before Hermione was curled up on her side of their bed crying. Ron was fast asleep. He had one drink too many after dinner, and they had continued their arguing after the children had went to bed. It hadn't led to anything other than angry sex and now the middle-aged woman was sad and sore. Why had she not fought him off.
Maybe because it was easier to stay passive, at least her bruises were not visible. They would be easy to hide so no one would know. No one ever did, except her.
She curled up more shivering lightly, wondering how much longer she could keep this up, her love for him was slowly starting to fade and he didn't seem to want to change for her. She would fell asleep dreaming of happier times.
It was early morning and Ron had slept over her alarm bell. Hermione went to send an owl mail saying he would be late before she started on making breakfast for the children and coffee for herself. She needed it.
As she went out to open the door to let her other owl in with the paper, she heard her neighbor yell, "Good morning, Hermione."
"Good morning, Bill," she said, smiling at him.
"How are you this morning?" he asked, looking at the younger woman.
"Fine, just fine, you?" she asked back.
"Have a toothache coming on, other than that I'm fine," he said with a sigh.
"Better get that checked out, well talk to you later," she said and walked back into the house. As soon as she got to the kitchen she saw Ron and said, "I told them you'd be late."
"Thanks," he said, slumping down on a chair, grabbing for a toast and some jam. She pored a cup of coffee and handed him. She didn't bring up anything about the night before. There was no point, she had tried so many times. Having him change for her, she had yelled, begged and cried, but nothing worked. It was too late and she knew it. If she was strong enough she would have walked out and left him, but she just couldn't. She desperately hoped he would change, knowing all too well he couldn't.
He ate the toast and drank the coffee, saying, "I have to go."
She followed him to the door as always, saying, "Will you be home in time for dinner?"
"Most likely," he said opening the door. She kissed him goodbye as always, before she went back in. Once she closed the door she leaned against it hearing the children upstairs, she hurried back to the kitchen. She had to keep it up at least until they were out of the house.
Hermione watched at the water slowly was dragging Ron down. She truly doubted if she should try saving him or if she should let him drown. No she figured he didn't deserve to die, not like that. She reached for him, but he was stronger and panicked he pulled her under as well. The underwater current dragging them both down towards the depth.
Hermione gasped swallowing water, fighting for her life, feeling like her lungs were exploding inside her. She screamed in pain causing her to swallow even more water. Feeling he getting heavier, but as he had her in an iron grip she couldn't get lose.
She could feel this was the very end; she was drowning because she was trying to save him.
As another panic gasp left her lungs filling them with water, she woke up gasping for air.
She sat up looking around in the dark room, seeing him sleeping peacefully there right next to her. He hadn't even noticed her waking or that she was now hyperventilating due to fear. She could even have gotten dressed and left without him noticing.
'I can't do this anymore,' she thought. If he wasn't going to change for her or the children, she couldn't stay with him anymore; it was as simple as that. It was too late for them that much she knew. The best thing she could do now was to save her and the children and leave him to drown.
She thought back to when they were first falling for each other, how gentle he had been, how kind, how he had treasured her above all. How he had proposed unexpected a hot summer's day and how she had said yes with tears of happiness running down her cheek. She still remembered what if felt like to be that happy.
The wedding day was nothing compared to how happy and excited he had been when she told him she was pregnant. He had bragged to everyone, telling them about how he was going to be a father and how cute the baby would be. He was sure he was going to get a son, but in time he seemed more that pleased with their little rose.
She would be his sunshine, just like Hermione had been as Rose came to be a smaller version of herself. And then there was Hugo, curious and adventures Hugo. Ron had loved him at first as well, his son, someone he could teach.
Tears started to fall from her eyes remembering how happy they once had been, compared to what they were now. As the children had grown older he had seemed to lose intrest in them. That Rose was reading seemed to annoy him and Hugo not being as much as him as he wanted also. He mostly glared at them and ignored them.
And he ignored her and her feelings. Hermione's heart was breaking a little for each day, seeing how the man she used to love so dearly was turning for the worse. And there was nothing she could do to stop it. The only thing she could do was to take the children and leave.
That would be what she would be doing the next day when she was at work, she packed her and the children's things and left to stay with her parents. She would take no more of this man claiming to be her husband when he didn't seem to care about her at all.
She rang her parents doorbell moments later. It was her mother than opened, she looked at her daughter standing there with her two young ones and their things. She let them in before she asked, "Hermione, what is going on?"
"I couldn't do it anymore mummy, I just couldn't keep up appearances anymore when we were falling apart. I've tried for so long, but I couldn't save him. I couldn't stay with him, I just needed to get away. Please let me stay until I find something," she whispered, holding her tears back.
"Oh sweetheart, I never knew it was this bad, and of course you can stay," Jean Granger said in a soft tone, hugging her daughter.
"Thanks mum, we won't stay for long," Hermione said. She didn't realize the children were watching them until Hugo said, "Mummy, what's wrong?"
"I'm just a little sad, but I'll be okay," said Hermione, putting on her bravest face.
Hugo went over and hugged her from behind, making her smile slightly. She sighed as she started to carry their things to the guest rooms.
'You can do this,' she told herself, taking a deep breath, knowing it was for the better.
When Ronald Weasley came home from work that day, he was surprised to see that his wife wasn't there. He looked around for her yelling out her name, but no one was answering.
"Hermione!" he called out again, but of course there would be no answer this time either.
She wasn't there, and neither was her things or the children's he soon figured. Where was she? She wouldn't just leave without telling him, that was not like her.
It was then he saw it, the envelope on the kitchen table with her signature and his name. He opened it and read:
My dearest Ronald.
When you read this we'll be at my parents house. I just couldn't stay with you any longer. I can't be in a relationship with someone that treats me like you do. I need to feel loved, I need to feel treasured like you did when we first got together. Now that that is going it's all routine and I just can't do it anymore. I can see that you are not willing to change. I'm not going to try anymore…I don't have the strength, I feel like I've tried long enough.
I want a divorce Ron, I think it's the best for both and we'll just find a way to make it work with the children.
I just wanted you to know that spite all of this I love you a great deal.
Hermione.
Ron read it over and over, trying to make it make more sense, but he couldn't. She had left him and she was not coming back, and it was all his fault. His big mistake was not seeing it before it was too late.
He sighed heavily knowing the right thing to do was to grant her the wish. As always his wonderful Hermione was right, it was the best for them both.
Hermione was meeting Ronald at the train station; they had meet over the years because of the children. They had polite conversations, but that was about it.
He gave her a hug and a smile saying, "You sure look great."
"Thanks, same to you," she said smiling back, he did look better than he had in the longest time.
"So how have you been?" he asked as he hadn't talked to her for some time as both have been busy.
"Good, have been working a little less to spend more time with the children. I hear you have been working less as well," she said.
"Yeah, in the end it got boring, I've been doing other things instead," he said.
For a second she could see the old glimmer in his eye, and said, "I'm sorry how I ended things with us."
"Don't be, you are right it was the best for both, we're both doing great, just not together," he said with a chuckle.
"True I do suppose, and now we are sending her of to where we first meet," she said, nodding towards Rose.
"Let's hope she's less adventures than we were," he said.
"Well if she is I think she's going to give old McGonagall a headache," said Hermione with a giggle.
"She's still there, I thought there was talking about last year being her last," said Ron with a frown.
"No, as they haven't been able to find a new headmistress or headmaster she's sitting thight, to be honest I think she likes her job too much," said Hermione as they waved goodbye as the train left the station.
"Well she always was the best," Ron admitted.
"That she is, so what are you doing now?" Hermione asked, looking at him with wondering eyes.
"Going home with Hugo I do suppose," he answered, looking at their son that at the moment were talking to Lily Luna Potter.
"You don't want to come out and eat with me?" Hermione asked.
"I could do that, muggle place or regular?" he asked.
"Regular s fine with me, lead the way," she said.
"Ok, Hugo!" he called out to make their son com along. She smiled as she walked next to him. She was not going to give him anything to make him thing she was getting back together with him, but it didn't hurt to be on friendly terms.
Ron was looking at the picture of Hermione smiling happily at the photographer; it was taken two years back of her new love interest. Someone at Hogwarts after what he heard, he never taught who, other than he or she made her happier than he ever managed to do.
Oh how he wished he didn't screw up back then he could have still had her now. She was however right, no one could save him but himself, which was why he was living alone except when their children was there.
He would never deny that he missed her, but then again he was also happy she was. The reason as to why he had gotten himself together in the end was their children, they like she did deserve better.
He sighed as he grabbed for a chain calling for the dog, but the name Hermi. She made him feel less lonely that and the fact that he loved taking her for a walk. She came running to her master as once and he attached the chain to her collar, and with that he was off for another walk in the sunny weather.
Feedback always welcome and very much appreciated :o)