2. Ron
She heard someone enter the bathroom.
Ginny.
,,Hermione, are you okay?'' Her voice was slightly scared. Hermione nodded with difficulty, holding back her gag reflex.
,,Yes, I must have food poisoned myself somehow. '' Of course it was a lie. She had not had anything in her mouth since she showed up.
,, Should I bring you any water? T''he care in the redhead's voice made Hermione want to cry and pour out everything she had hidden so far. However, she knew perfectly well that she couldn't do it, she had to be strong. ,,Or maybe call Ron?''
Each subsequent attempt to help stuck a pin in Hermione's heart. If only she knew who she was talking to ...
,, No, thank you, it's much better for me.'' She smiled to Ginny. It was a pale, weak smile that did not convince Hermione herself. But Ginny believed.
,,In that case, let's go back. Mom is looking for you.''
At the thought of Molly Weasley, Hermione felt dizzy. Molly, like Arthur, did not know. Actually, they could not know, since their breakup had a dozen or so hours ...
The morning in Godric's Valley was foggy and rainy. The same tough aura was also hovering in Hermione's house. For the first time in a few months, the woman was not alone. Ron came from Brazil yesterday to accompany her to the Ball at the Ministry of Magic.
He came for her was, of course, an overly statement. He left only his belongings and immediately apparated to Nora. He devoted a few minutes to Hermione to ask if she had refreshed his suit. She confirmed and his only reaction was informing that he was going to the Nora and that he would come back late. And he told she should not wait with dinner for him, he will eat at Molly. With family. He returned well after midnight and after some of the deeper glasses of whiskey. Alcohol helped Ron with feeling unexpected sexual attraction .
Hermione was asleep, but she woke up as soon as she heard heavy footsteps
Ron came back.
She pretended to be asleep, but at the moment when Ron's hands were on her waist, something broke in her.
,,Ron!'' In her voice the man heard pretensions, which he immediately reacted to.
,,What are you like this, Hermione? I just wanted to hug, we didn't see for long time, I missed you."
,,I already know your alcohol hugs! They start and end always the same and I have enough."
She got out of bed and took a pillow. Ron was in a serious shock, he did not believe in this situation.
,,What are you doing? Get back to bed! Hey! '' He called for her, as she was already leaving the room and hissed:
,,Never!''
Hermione went downstairs and made her a couch. She listened to whether Ron was following her, but for a quarter of an hour nobody appeared on the stairs. She was alone again. Everything came back to normal, but why did she start to cry?
In the morning she put up the bed sheets and went to the kitchen. She felt a strange smell and felt nauseous.
The first trimester was over, so she shouldn't react to smells like that - she thought and started to look for the source of the smell.
Ronald brought something from Nora. This is the shortest way to summarize the quail stew that stood on the kitchen table. From the beginning of her pregnancy, she hated the smell of poultry, it made her sick.
She put it in the fridge and boiled the water for coffee. A hell of a difficult day awaited her.
,, Hermione?'' It was Ron's voice.
She turned and looked at him, realizing that it wasn't Ron –it was a stranger standing in front of her. They were so close and at the same time so distant. He did not know anything about her, nor she about him.
"Hermione, I do not know what happened last night, but ..." He began his outpourings when she raised her hand to silence him.
,,Ron. '' He fell silent, and she looked at him intently. ,,I think we should break up.''
These words crossed the kitchen like the sharpest razors. The man looked at her, as if disbelieving what she just said.
,, Are you kidding Hermione?'' His voice began to rise dangerously, but she did not want to be upset.
,,You can stay until tomorrow. Take your stuff and give me the keys. The house is mine.''
Hermione did not believe that she had the courage to say that. She had thought about this for so long. The last few months she have considered the scenarios of this moment, and in the end it came out very prosaically.
Ron stood and looked at Hermione as if she'd lost her mind. He was unable to expose any specific, logical answer. The abstraction of this whole situation has outgrown him.
,,Are you kidding?'' It was the only sentence that occurred to him. ,, If it's about yesterday night, forgive me...''
,,No, Ron.'' Hermione's cold voice was like a shower.
Ronald Weasley shook himself in surprise and looked at her as if he had seen her for the first time in his life. He realized that she was alien to him, different than before. When did all this happen? At what moment they have become strangers for themselves?
,,I'll take my things after the ball. Do you mind my presence at the ball?''
Hermione replied she didn't.
A kettle of water whistled. Ron walked over and extinguished the fire, then left the kitchen. She heard the front door slams hard.
Ginny dragged Hermione directly into the Weasley's maw. Almost everyone stood chattering cheerfully, she didn't notice only Ron and Bill in the crowd.
-,,Hermione!'' Molly's warm, sticky voice cornered her like tentacles of an octopus. ,, We already thought something had happened because you suddenly disappeared.''
,,She's poisoned by something, mom.'' Ginny tried to defend her with all her strength, she knew very well what kind of relationship Hermione had with Molly Weasley.
,,Let her breathe'' - She added with reproach, because she saw how her mother is going to say something.
,, Okay, Ginny. Hermione, are you better or need something? Should I call Ron? He is somewhere - a moment ago he went with Bill.''
Hermione felt like someone had separated her body from her soul for the last few seconds. As if her soul were above and whirled in the air, ignoring Molly.
,,No, Mrs. Weasley. It's already fine.'' It was difficult to get rid of the chill in her voice, but in the noise of the crowd, Molly did not pay any attention to it.
,, Perfect. This can make a toast for your great success! Promotion to such a high position at an early age!'' The spiral began to wind up, and Hermione felt the world spinning in front of her eyes. Voices from outside were heard as though through a wall, from a distance, even though they were right there.
She felt a large hand that held her in the waist. And this voice.
,,Mom! '' Bill Weasley's sharp tone could not be as easily ignored by Molly as Ginny's request. "Stop ruling, it's the Ministerial Ball, not the Weasley party.''
Hermione reawakened and got out of his embrace. Fleur stood next to Bill, beautiful and sweet as in the picture. Fluer nodded, supporting her husband's words.
Molly Weasley visibly dulled and flashed, and all her attention moved back to Hermione. Hermione had gathered herself together and with the last of her strength said:
,,Thank you very much for coming. Celebrate and play with me and the Minister of Magic.''
At the same moment, Minister of Magic, Kingsley, approached Molly himself. Hermione felt relieved, she managed to leave this battle. But it was just one of the many that awaited her in the near future.
She turned and wanted to leave, but Bill and Fleur blocked her path.
"Hermione," said the Fleur. ,, We want to congratulate you on your success!''
,,Thank you very much ... Fleur. '' Sh e cannot afford weakness. She is a strong and proud woman.
,, Let me go try this delicious cake in your name.'';Her snow-white teeth gleamed in a sincere smile and waited for approval. Hermione said she was supposed to eat and drink at will on this great day.
At the time she was alone with Bill. She looked at him and saw large, wise eyes filled with a kind of tenderness. He smiled at her, grabbed her hand and hid her in his and said: "Congratulations, Hermione.''
The warmth and softness of his voice allowed her to forget for a few seconds. But reality came back to her faster than she ever wanted.
,,Thank you, Bill.'' She saw Ron from the corner of her eye. He stood nearby and watched the whole situation. "Excuse me," she said to confused Bill, and began to walk toward the other Weasley.
Ronald Weasley held a glass of Firewhiskey in his hand. It certainly was not his first glass of the evening. He has had a fierce look on his face as soon as he saw her. She felt that it did not portend anything good. Ron was a completely unpredictable man after alcohol.
,,Are you having fun, Hermione?'' He started in a mocking tone. ,, All this great party is for you.''He swung his hand as if to emphasize the glamour of the ball. ,,For the brightest witch of his time.'' The last words were almost spitted by him, and Hermione felt offended.
,,Ron. ''There were warning tones in her voice, but the man ignored them altogether. The alcohol in his blood was already so heavy that it made it difficult to think logically.
"Ron, Ron, Ron ..." he changed his tone to mimic and began to strangely make his lips every time he repeated. ,, Are ou on repeat mode? Nothing else, has you lost your tongue?''
Hermione felt her anger is building up, but she held back as much as she could.
,,No, Ron.''
"And again Ron ..." He sighed theatrically and Hermione realized pathetic man is standing in front of her. ,, I'm very curious where this sudden decision came from? We've had so many years, and suddenly. Boom! We are separated! '' His tongue was beginning to tangle, but it did not bother him to pull a solid gulp from the glass.
,,You should not drink more.''
,, Who are you to tell me such things? And no, I am sorry, you are the Minister, the Head of the Department. '' Each subsequent word was saturated with a dose of venom.
,, I am nobody. But I tell you that.'' She looked into his fuzzy, angry eyes.
If someone ever asked Hermione if Ron is an aggressive man, she would deny it. Not at all, Ron?
Yes, his character was explosive and he action before thinking, but his deeds carried goodness, mainly. It was like that for some time.
Ever since he left for a contract to Brazil, their every single encounter ended with the explosion and huge quarrel. Hermione was fed up of being in the background, because the scenario of visits at home always looked the same.
Ron was appearing in Godric's Valley, threw bags of dirty items, bags of equipment and went to shower. After the shower, he was dressing using clean clothes and went down to dinner. After dinner, he was proposing Hermione to accompany on his visit to Nora. She usually refused, so he went alone. And he was coming back late at night. Often a few deeper ones, which he drank with Arthur in secret before Molly. The scheme was not much different when Hermione accompanied him. Then, in addition, her nerves were torn through Molly and her talk and idiotic behavior of Ronald.
Hermione sometimes had the impression that after the war, Ron's brain either drastically shrunk or evaporated. Possibly, it could have been caused by a strong blow with a pestle in the head.
Therefore, she preferred to stay at home, wash his dirty clothes and clean the equipment. How many tears she poured that no one was aware of.
The last two years have sometimes differed in detail. The house did not shine as it should, and it dinner has not been fixed. She was exhausted, pale Hermione, but who would look at such nuances in appearance?
With each subsequent visit of Ron in Hermione something grew. A huge bump that has settled in the chest. And it grew so until the previous arrival, before she was appointed the Chief.
Ronald went through himself lately. And in a way that no woman should consent and certainly not the brightest witch of his time.
Ron drank too much and said too much. But words weren't that filled the cup of bitterness. He dared to raise his hand at her.
And although he didn't hit her, he raised his hand. And that was much worse than the strongest blow.
The next morning, Ronald left without a word. And only his laconic note left in the kitchen said he apologized. And that he is ashamed of what he did.
Hermione felt even more emptiness that day. She knew that this was the end and that there was no turning back.
How deeply she believed she knew Ron, she was so wrong. She absolutely knew nothing about him. And he recognized the subject as explained and closed. And in fact, it was closed. Until yesterday night, when his behavior worked like salt on open wounds.
Ron looked at her and Hermione saw that alcohol was more and more dominant over him. In the end, she couldn't stand it and she said:
,, Raise your hand at me the last time, please do. I know you can.''
Her eyes drowned, and he ... And he actually raised his hand. She shockingly realized that thelatest whim would not be a one-off.
Suddenly Bill appeared next to Ron and caught his hand in flight.
,, Are you crazy? '' He hissed towards his brother. ,, You're completely drunk!''
Hermione was stunned by the situation.
,, I am! And leave me, I'm talking to Hermione. '' Ron tried to pull out his hand, but Bill's grip was like steel.
,, I just see you talking to her. You have lost your mind, man. '' Bill's voice became icy, and Ron was looking at his brother, Hermione.
,, Who are you to tell me how I should talk to Hermione? And who are you to interfere?''
Bill shook him hard, and Hermione felt that the whole situation was starting to overwhelm her.
,,Bill, please. Release him. '' Her quiet voice shocked Ron, he had never heard Hermione speak in such a tone to someone other than him. When Bill let him go, Ron stepped away from the two and looked at them.
Hermione was pale and shaking, and Bill emanated a huge rage that showed his wolf traits.
Ron tried to piece together the elements of the puzzle – to understand the nature of intimacy between them.
And only when Bill took Hermione in a defensive gesture and hugged, he understood.
He understood everything.