Chapter 1
The day was sunny and the London's most popular flea market was busy, bursting to the rims with witches and muggles alike. There was an occasional wizard browsing the aisles as well, and on that particular day Ronald Weasley happened to be one of them. Ron was picking out antique-looking silver candleholders for his wife, whose birthday was coming up in a couple of days. Ronald couldn't really tell a silver one from a brass or a simply gray colored metal holder, but he was determined to find some that his wife would approve of. He had a spell handy for when he found something that looked like it could work, to tell whether it was real or not. Ron Weasley's wife was very fond of antique muggle furniture and household appliances. She collected them, and in that found a soul mate of sorts in Ronald's father, Arthur Weasley, who did the same.
Ron was walking up a particularly promising aisle, as he spotted something that looked like a long silver pole, which could potentially turn out to be a candle holder, so he quickened his pace and made a launch for it, at the same time as another hand reached for the same candle holder. Slightly irritated, he let go of it when he saw that the hand was female, for he was of course an aspiring gentleman who strove to be everything a fine lady, such as his wife, could wish for.
"I'm sorry," he mumbled, and lifted his eyes up to look the candleholder-stealing woman in the face, and experienced the oddest of shocks as he did so. He was standing face to face with Hermione Granger. A woman he has not seen in over seven years.
The shock was even a bigger one for Hermione. She was not planning on seeing Ron Weasley ever again if she could help it. Not after the way he treated her when she attempted to express her deepest regret over what she had done and salvage their friendship. Ron refused to accept her apology and chose to sever ties with Hermione, rather than adjust to her new position in life. That was seven years ago, when a wicked twist of fate changed the course of their lives forever. A twist that made Ronald Weasley vow to never want to speak to Hermione Granger again and left Harry Potter torn between his two best friends for years to come. And today, by yet another bizarre twist of fate, they met again. It seemed as if some higher power just did not want to let them be in peace, and was determined to keep bringing them together again, and again, and again, for his or her own, cruel amusement. Except that to them, - it wasn't funny.
Having recognized the man in front of her Hermione panicked. She didn't know what to say or do. Her entire body froze up and wouldn't budge an inch. They stood like that for what seemed like ages, looking at anything but each other, yet refusing to move. Finally, as the owner of the cart they stood in front of, coughed subtly but irritably, she was the first to sink out of the trance.
Hermione composed herself, looked Ron in the eyes and cringed apologetically. A large, shiny rock sparkled on her finger as she swept away a lock of brown hair from her cheek. His gaze fixated on it for a second before moving down to her midriff and resting there awhile. Hermione was visibly pregnant, and underneath her satin dress, a perfectly round belly was sticking out, symbolizing Hermione's domestic life, her hopes and dreams and happiness. The cursed baby bump was mocking Ron with its perfection. He knew that her earlier cringe meant only one thing- that she was happy, and she knew that Ron was not, so there it was, an involuntary pity cringe.
What was more, Ron's wife couldn't have kids. A tragic discovery for the clan of baby-loving Weasleys, that occurred a little over a month ago. Harry would have told Hermione by now, so she knew, and Ron resented that. He would never be able to have children, and there was the love of his life, giving that git-husband of hers a child. Her child, the child that could have been his...
Ron stared at her and waited for something, he did not know what. His face was screwed up in a scowl and his hands were twisting a piece of metal that had mysteriously appeared out of nowhere, into piece of mush. Neither one was willing to speak. Another moment passed and just as silently and determinedly Ron and Hermione stepped away from the vendor and having shot each other one last glance, promptly turned around and went in opposite directions as fast as Ron's long legs, and Hermione's significantly shorter ones could carry them.
It just so happened that Ron couldn't possibly forgive Hermione for doing something as atrocious as she did. He couldn't forget or forgive the fact that she had married the enemy. Not just an enemy, in fact, but the enemy, none other than Master Draco Abraxas Malfoy, the boy, now the man, whom Ronald Weasley will continue to passionately hate, until the day he dies.