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Hermione woke up the next morning and stretched, feeling the coldness of Ron's side of the bed she remembered what had happened the night before. Grumbling she sat up and yawned before slipping on her comfy slippers and dressing gown and going downstairs. Hermione heard Ron snoring on the couch and walked carefully past him to the kitchen. She started cooking a full english breakfast for herself, deciding that she needed more than cereal when she'd only had two mugs of hot chocolate in around 15 hours. She drank a cup of tea as she fried bacon, eggs, bread, tomatoes, and sausages. Hermione could feel her mouth watering as she smelt the mix of smells up her nose. After plating up her food she opened the french windows and sat out in the back garden to eat her breakfast and read the paper in the sunshine. She sat with her back towards the house and failed to realise that Ron had stopped snoring.

Ron sat up on the couch and looked around him. He noticed the doors were open, and then smelled the unmistakable smell of a cooked breakfast. He jumped up and went to the kitchen, soon to be disappointed as he realised that Hermione hadn't made anything for him. He went out into the garden and saw her sitting in her favourite chair, currently biting into some fried bread. He leant on the door jamb and watched her for a little bit, he loved her so much. At first he struggled to show her how much he loved her, but he realised when she took Cormac to Slughorn's party. He still didn't tell her though, not when she clearly didn't feel that way about him. They finally got together after a perfect kiss in a not so perfect setting, Ron was so happy but Hermione had wanted to take it slowly, preferring to date first rather than jump straight into a relationship. It was all Ron could do to remain patient, and he could tell it annoyed Hermione each time he mentioned being in a relationship, then when they were "together" she was annoyed when he mentioned moving in together, then marriage. Now he knew she got annoyed when he mentioned children, but he really really wanted a kid and he thought they were ready for one.

Ron made his mind up that he was going to ask her again, he didn't understand why she didn't want a child. She had been in her department long enough now that they'd give her time off work for a baby, plus she was a war hero so who would say no? He'd seen how she was with James and Albus, she was a natural! Albus never left Hermione alone when they went to visit the Potter's. He clambered onto her lap as soon as she sat down, and often fell asleep on her whilst sucking his thumb and curling her hair around his finger. Ginny got jealous at first but soon realised that Hermione would be very useful as a babysitter and begged her about once a month to look after the children.

Hermione turned in her seat as she felt as though someone was watching her, she saw Ron and turned back to her paper. She had hoped he would sleep in later, but supposed that someone of his height sleeping on a couch can't be comfortable.

"Morning" she said, rather stiffly.

"Morning sweetie" he said, moving to sit next to her at the table. "How come you didn't make me breakfast too?"

"Well, one I'm still annoyed with you. And two you were asleep."

"Oh, well you normally make me food when I'm asleep and just cast a warming charm on it..."

"Yes I do, but I'm annoyed. So you can make your own bloody breakfast."

"Why are you annoyed with me? It burnt my mouth and I reacted!"

"Yes Ronald you did." Hermione said, putting her paper down and looking at him. "But I don't appreciate it when you come home from work, sorry, get dragged home from work with a broken leg after a stupid fucking argument with Draco Malfoy. Then after I take you to St Mungos to get your leg fixed you yell at me when I make you food! As I said last night, it's not my fault if you decide to eat it without seeing how hot it is!"

"A stupid argument? He was insulting Harry and Ginny! He said he was surprised even they had kids when we hadn't! I had to say something!"

Hermione blinked and furrowed her eyebrows. "I don't even understand what that means, how is that an insult?"

"Well... It... It is isn't it?"

"I... I don't think so, I think he was just saying he thought we'd have kids first..."

"Well, he said she's not as much of a Weasley as me!"

"Well, technically she's not" said Hermione "She's a Potter now. And she's never really been like a Weasley, like you boys because you're boys. She seems to be an amalgamation of all of your personalities. And she's not like your mum at all I don't think. I mean, she was a professional Quidditch star!"

Ron looked at her, trying to work out whether he should be offended or not. Hermione carried on.

"By that I mean that when your mum and dad married she didn't work did she? Whereas Ginny did, and she wants to work again when the kids are in school. Your mum didn't, and Ginny certainly isn't a kitchen goddess like your mum."

"I suppose so, but you didn't hear him! You weren't there!"

"If I'm honest Ronald it just sounds like you overreacted."

"What? Hermione it's Draco Malfoy! When has he ever spoken to me without insulting me?"

Hermione rolled her eyes. They had argued about this a few times, Ron seemed to be the only person in the wizarding world who held bad opinions of the reformed Draco. A lot of people didn't like him, but they didn't think of him like Ron did.

"Ron, you know full well that he's tried to speak to us many times and you haven't let him. In fact, you normally insult him!"

Ron was furious, his wife was taking the side of another man but Hermione cut off his angry retort with a tired sigh.

"Anyway, this isn't what I want to talk about. We need to talk."

Ron took a deep breath and tried to calm himself down. He didn't want to argue with Hermione so if she was giving him a get out clause he was going to take it!

"Okay, what about?"

Hermione took a deep breath and tried to start talking about five times before looking at Ron. He was smiling at her encouragingly and she knew she had to tell him, it wasn't fair.

"Ron, I'm having doubts about us." she said quickly.

"...What?"

"I'm having doubts about us, and this relationship. I've noticed over the past week or so. I don't think I feel the same way anymore."

"But, if you've only felt like this a week then maybe it's just a glitch?"

"No, Ron. I realised over the past week how long I've felt like this. I put it down to stress at first, but my job hasn't been stressful for a few years."

"But I thought it was... With people trying to get money from you when they don't need it..."

"Well, yes it is but I leave that stress at work. If I wasn't finishing my work to deadlines then I'd be stressed at home, but it's not like that."

"Oh..."

Hermione and Ron sat there for a while without talking, both trying to think of something to say.

"How... What do you mean you don't think you feel the same?"

"Um, it's hard to explain. You do everything I could want you to do, you help me with house work and shopping. You make me as many cups of tea as I could want. You run me baths. You let me stay in bed while you start painting the fence, or the door or whatever. But... I feel like I'm suffocating Ron. I've never felt so claustrophobic in my life!"

Ron looked surprised, then upset. He ran his hand through his hair then leant forward with his elbows on his knees.

"You never said..."

"I didn't realise did I? Surely you must have realised something was wrong? I've been snapping at you for months..."

"I thought... I thought you might have been pregnant"

Hermione snorted a laugh and Ron made a note to not ask her about babies for a while. He was sure they would sort their marriage out, but suggesting children in the midst of a discussion wasn't wise.

"Listen, I can change. We can work at it. Surely you're not going to let this end our marriage?"

"I don't see how though Ron, you're doing everything that I could ever want. I want you to do those things for me, but when you do I feel... I don't know."

"Please Hermione... I'll do less for you. Still do some things you want me to, but less so you don't feel like that..."

"Okay, we can try. I don't want to give up 5 years of marriage without trying at least..."

A/N I got confused with dates, but luckily it worked out well. James was born in 2002, Albus was born in 2003, and it's now 2006 meaning Ron and Hermione married in 2001, two years after the war. Harry Potter wiki states that James was born between 2002-2005 so I chose 2002 to work with :)