Disclaimer: I don't own anything to do with Harry Potter.

Chapter 1

Percy looked up from his newspaper as his wife fiercely scrubbed a pan in the sink. He could hear her breathing heavily with frustration; it was the only sound that echoed through the large room. He had never understood why she had insisted on doing things the Muggle way. She never used to, but lately it seemed she was looking for ways to avoid him; not that that really bothered him.

He heard her groan. "What's the matter?" he asked from behind his paper.

"It won't come clean," she exclaimed as she threw the pan into the sink angrily and stormed out of the room.

He wanted to lift back up his paper and ignore the situation but he knew better. He stood up from the table and started making his way upstairs.

As he reached the bedroom door he could hear the sound of muffled crying. He made his way into the room and sat down on the bed. "What is the matter?" he asked again, trying to mask his annoyance at this display of behaviour.

"What has happened to us?" she demanded, as she stood up. She went to the window and stared out over the garden. She let her fingers linger on the sunlit pane of glass for a moment before turning back to look at him.

"What are you talking about? What is the problem?"

"We never talk. We never do anything together. I feel like we are strangers. When was the last time we made love?" she asked sadly. He could see soft tears spilling down her cheeks, which she didn't bother to wipe away.

"We've been busy."

"For six months? This is not how it used to be. You have changed."

"I have not changed. I'm the same as I always was," he said defensively.

"I always knew you were jaded by Fred's death, but lately you have become even more distant Percy. I can't live like this anymore."

"Well what do you suggest?" he asked bitterly, but instantly regretted the tone when he saw the look on her face.

"I don't know, maybe acting like we're actually married," she spat before stomping from the room.

Percy groaned and buried his face into the duvet before he stood up and followed her back downstairs. She had car keys in her hand and was pulling her jacket on. "Where are you going?" he asked with frustration laced in his surly voice.

"You don't consider this a marriage. You treat it like a business partnership. I want to be appreciated and loved."

"I do love you," he insisted.

"You don't know what love is. When was the last time you showed me?" He moved towards her and touched her cheek but as he did this she pulled back. "It's too late Percy. You had your chance to love me."

She threw open the door and went to leave. He grabbed her arm. "Stop running from me. Let's talk about this."

She shook free from his grasp. "I can't do this right now."

"You are my wife. This is what husbands and wives do. They talk things out."

"I have tried to talk to you, repeatedly. You never want to talk about anything except your job. You don't visit your family anymore since they all have kids. Seeing your mum and dad at Christmas is not enough."

"My family is my business," he muttered, and with those words he really knew he had screwed up.

"Your family? That's the problem right there. You don't even consider them our family."

"That's not what I meant," he argued. "You know how I feel about my family. I am responsible for my brother's death. I can't stand seeing that in their faces anymore."

"No one blames you. No one ever blamed you. You only blame yourself and you are punishing yourself by avoiding them."

"When did you get your psych degree Freud?" he asked.

"You know I'm right Percy. I can't live in this isolation anymore…"

"You keep saying you can't do this anymore. The only thing we can do is talk it out and make it work."

"It's not the only thing," she said, as she pulled the thin, white gold, wedding band off of her manicured finger and placed it into his hands.

Percy was too shocked to speak as he watched her walk down the pathway that led to the driveway. He watched her silver car speed into the street, and in that moment he remembered what it felt like to be completely alone.

He turned and went back inside. His eyes scanned the room and fell upon a photograph framed in a beautiful silver frame. He lifted the picture and stared at the happy couple smiling back. Their wedding day had been quite magical and even then Percy had not enjoyed it. He still imagined Fred's body lying lifeless on the floor of Hogwarts.

He tried to push the image of Fred from his mind and stared back at her happy face. Her blue eyes stared back at him. She really was beautiful with her raven black hair and very pale skin. He tossed the picture down in anger and watched the glass shatter into several pieces.

He stormed away from the living room and back to the kitchen where the frying pan was still sitting in the sink. He shoved his hands into the hot water and began scrubbing it clean. When that was finished he cleaned the counter and lifted back up his newspaper attempting to pretend his life was still normal.

After several moments he slammed the paper down and couldn't stop the tears that began to fall. Like he had failed as a son and brother, he also failed as a husband.

Percy tried to distract himself by doing random tasks like cleaning and reorganizing his closets and drawers. He cleaned out the gutters and mowed the lawn. He even caught up on his paperwork.

As the sun began to slide behind the horizon he finally gave in and started driving to her mother's home. He arrived and nervously brushed his hands through his red hair. He pulled the keys from the ignition and walked up the front steps.

The door swung open and Charlotte looked at him sadly. "She's not ready to speak with you Percy dear," the elder woman said.

"Please," Percy began to beg. "I am her husband. I need to make things right."

"I know you love my Shannon, but sometimes love alone isn't enough to sustain a marriage."

"We can make it work if we just try."

"She has been trying with you for years now. She is tired of trying. She wants to be happy and you need to let her find that happiness however she sees fit. If you love her, you will be able to do that."

"I do love her but when she agreed to marry me that meant staying with me for better or for worse. I can make things better now. She has made me see that she is unhappy and I will fix it," he cried.

"You cannot just fix a broken heart. She loved you so much and you were never able to love her as much in return. I know you are haunted by a grief that consumes you, but she waited patiently for you to move on and you never did. She is too tired to keep waiting now. She gave you every opportunity."

"Please just let me talk to her? Even if it's only for a few minutes?"

"I will let her know you're here but I cannot promise you anything."'

Several moments passed and Percy was preparing to leave when the door swung open. He smiled, feeling as though everything would be all right now that she had come to talk to him. She however, frowned at him before opening her mouth to speak. "Nothing you say will make me change my mind."

"Please hear me out," he began to plead, his grey eyes trying desperately to see into hers. He had heard eyes were the windows to the soul but he had never mastered being able to read her emotions.

"You have had chance after chance. We live in our home as strangers."

"I love you."

"I love you too but that isn't enough to make me stay."

"I will do anything to get you to reconsider."

"You are just as unhappy as I am," she sighed. "You know that this is not the life you want."

"How can you say that?"

"I have not made you happy for a long time. In fact I'm not sure that you know how to be happy."

"I am happy having you as my wife."

"What part of our life together makes you happy?" Her question caught him off guard and he found he had no answer. "Exactly," she muttered.

"Everything," he said weakly.

"It's time for this to end."

"How can you say that so calmly?" he demanded.

"Because I have realized this for quite some time. You are not the man I fell in love with anymore."

"I can change for you."

"Living a lie would not make you happy either."

"It wouldn't be a lie. I will be happy as long as you are with me."

"Someone once told me when a person changes you can only do one of two things, accept them as they are, or leave. The one thing you can't do is change them back."

"You're not giving me a chance," he shouted with frustration as he felt a surge of anger flood through his veins.

"You know I have given you a chance. I'm never going to stop loving you but I can't be with you. I deserve more than the occasional peck on the cheek. I want a man that spends everyday feeling happy because he is married to me."

"I am happy to be married to you."

"No you're not," she cried. "I've been your wife for show for far too long."

Her words felt like a slap to the face. He backed away from her as he felt overtaken by rage. "Our marriage is that much of a joke to you?" he screamed.

"It was never a joke," she sighed, with obvious annoyance at his temper. "I am telling you what I know is the truth."

"How can you spit on everything we had together?"

"I am doing what is best. I know you love me but that is not enough."

"Is there someone else?" he demanded.

"No. I am just so unhappy. Don't you want me to be happy?" Her blues were filled with tears as she said this.

Percy narrowed his eyes at her. "Manipulation?" he muttered coldly. "I don't even know you anymore."

"Did you ever?" she spat.

He lifted his hand as if to hit her and then realized what he was doing and pulled back. He ripped his keys from his pocket and got back in his car.

As he drove, he moved from feeling furious to feeling absolute anguish at the situation. He had assumed he would be bringing her back home after they had talked. Instead he was given confirmation that the marriage he had built for five years was over. He had damaged the marriage, just like he had his own family. He had never felt more worthless than in that moment.

He arrived home and went inside. He pulled open the liquor cabinet that was full of Muggle alcohol. He poured himself a glass of scotch and consumed the liquid. It burned his throat like liquid fire but he kept drinking until he built up a tolerance. He finally felt free of the overwhelming emotional pain that was crippling him. He crawled up to their bed and fell asleep.