The Break-up

The Argument

It was a normal day in Ottery St Catchpole, when suddenly the normality was disturbed by the raised voices of Ron and Hermione Weasley.

Not for the first time, Hermione and Ron were arguing about a trifling thing. This time, Ron had annoyed Hermione by not preparing the dinner before Hermione returned from yet another late night at the Ministry of Magic offices in London. Normally this would not have been a problem, but he had not put their daughter Rose to bed. After an angry Hermione had rounded on her husband, she discovered that instead of doing the list of chores she had left him, he had gone to play Quiddich with his best friend Harry and his children, James and Albus. This proved the final straw for poor Hermione, who had had a trying day and had hoped to come home to a clean and tidy cottage. In a desperate attempt to make amends, Ron had tidied up with his wand, having insisted that it would 'only take a second'. Hermione was slightly mollified, but carried on lambasting Ron, on the grounds that he should have tidied up earlier, if it 'only took a second'. Ron merely shrugged, causing Hermione to conjure some more attacking birds, which promptly launched themselves at Ron.

Now satisfied that he had been punished enough for then, Hermione stalked upstairs to bed, and fell into a deep and dreamless sleep. She was so tired she did not hear her husband follow suit some hours later.

Hermione woke early the next Saturday morning, and was glad that she didn't need to work that day. It took her a moment to remember why she was so upset and sad. Then it all came flooding back and a large knot of anxiety settled somewhere between her chest and her stomach.

After she washed, dressed, cleaned her teeth, she roused her daughter Rose, saving the more sleepy Hugo for later, when he had had his full quota of sleep after a late night playing Quiddich. Then she composed herself and thought about what she would say to her husband. As she entered the kitchen, she took in deep breaths, shut her eyes, and opened them again.

'Good Morning' she said frostily.

'Hi' replied Ron grumpily.

'Look, about last night-'

'I know. Maybe we should…'

'Should what?'

'I don't know. Maybe we should take a break. For a while.'

'WHAT?' said an incensed Hermione.

'I said maybe…' Ron trailed off, looking worried, almost certain he had done something really bad this time. His worries were confirmed a moment later as Hermione launched into full flow.

'How dare you-'

'I didn't mean it like that-'

Oh, yes you did, and don't deny it! You're secretly tired of our marriage, and you want to end it! How dare you!-'

'Hermione, please just listen to me! I don't mean it like that, I really don't. But maybe we should take a rest until we have sorted out our differences, got our lives back into order. You can take some time off work, go visit friends, that kind of thing.'

There was along silence, only broken by the creaking of the floor boards above as Rose cleaned her teeth and washed her face.

'O.K. But don't you dare contact me. I want a little time to myself, without my new life getting in the way. Oh, and by the way, Rose and Hugo are your responsibility'

'Oh, alright. I can look after them, can't I?'

' I hope you do a better job on her than you did on you.'