A/N: Sorry you all had to wait so long for this update! Over the past month, I've been busy with all kinds of challenges and updating Sappho's Verses just got into the background. But I bring you a new chapter. :) I've decided that there will be two more chapters, instead of just the one I had originally planned, because the things that are yet to happen wouldn't fit into one chapter. Thank you all so much for the wonderful reviews! They really make my day. I know I haven't gotten around to responding to those either, but I will get to that tomorrow. Anyway, before this turns into an overly long A/N: just enjoy yourself with the next chapter!


9. DISCORDIA

They were up until deep in the night. Ron had kept firing questions at her, demanding an explanation and demanding that she'd reveal the name of the person she was leaving him for.

"It doesn't matter Ron," she had sighed time and again. "It started long after you I began to fall apart."

But he didn't seem to grasp that she had fallen in love with someone else because she and Ron had fallen out of love, and that that wasn't the same as her and Ron falling out of love because she had fallen in love with someone else.

"I cant' tell you," she said resolutely. "I'm afraid you'll kill them when I do, and I don't want you to become a murderer Ron."

"So kind of you to think of me in this," he sneered.

Their verbal fight had gotten worse and worse and the only thing stopping them from physically hurting each other, was Rose coming the stairs, her face white from sleep.

"Why are you fighting?" she asked in a drowsy voice.

"Because your mother here…" Ron began sneering, but Hermione cut him short.

"Don't drag her into this. This is between you and me," she said.

"She's gonna find out eventually," he said.

"Ron, please, don't do this," she pleaded in a tight voice.

"You should have thought about them earlier, Hermione," he snarled, but he did hold his tongue against Rose.

"Are you mad at me?" Rose asked Ron in a small, trembling voice. She looked like she was about to burst into tears.

"Now look what you've done," he growled to Hermione. He turned to Rose and sighed. "No sweetie, I'm not mad at you." He even managed to smile to her, which Hermione thought was quite the achievement given the circumstances. "Come, let's get you back to bed Rosie." He extended his hand to her, which she took hesitatingly. Ron didn't look back when he took Rose upstairs, but Rose cast her mother an uncertain glance over her shoulder. Hermione cringed at the questioning look on her daughter's face. It's all my fault.


Hermione got up early the next morning. She had spent the night on the sofa and she had barely slept because of everything that kept racing through her mind. After one look in the mirror, she concluded that she looked like a mess. She splashed cold water in her face and tried to hide some the dark rings around her eyes with concealer. It was a little better, but still nothing like you used to look. But it would just have to do, she decided. She tiptoed up to Rose's room and shook her gently. "Rose sweetie, wake up," she whispered.

Rose yawned loudly. "Huh, is it morning already?" she asked sleepily.

"Yes it is," Hermione replied. "It is still a bit early though, so try not to wake your dad, okay?"

Rose nodded and Hermione went over to Hugo's room to wake him up as well. "Come on honey, we're going to gran and gramps'."

It was her day to drop off Rose and Hugo at The Burrow and she had decided to drop them off early to avoid running into Ron that morning. Maybe she was being a coward, but she couldn't face him right now. She didn't want to arrive at her work looking even worse than she did now, because people would ask questions. Questions she wasn't willing, nor ready, to answer.

Hugo was still rather sleepy and wasn't exactly cooperating when she tried to get him dressed. It took her over twenty minutes to get both Rose and Hugo ready to go. As she tied the laces on Hugo's shoes, she could hear noises in the upstairs bathroom, indicating that Ron had gotten out of bed. She straightened up, took both children by the hand and Disapparated.

All was still quiet and dark at The Burrow and Hermione doubted her decision to get here this early. Arthur and Molly weren't even up yet! Then, as on cue, a light went on in the kitchen and she sighed in relief. At least she didn't have to worry about waking them. She knocked on the door. It took a moment, but then it swung open, revealing a startled Molly, still dressed in her nightgown and with her hair undone.

"Hermione! My, you're early! Is everything alright?"

Hermione bit her lip. She already regretted bringing Rose and Hugo to The Burrow ahead of schedule. The small gesture didn't escape Molly's keen eye and she looked concerned.

"Rosie, perhaps you and Hugo can go and play in the living room?" she said. "Your grandpa should be up by now."

"Grandpa!" Rose yelled and rushed towards the living room, dragging Hugo with her. Hermione smiled. Rose adored Arthur even more than she adored Ron.

"Do you want some tea?" Molly asked her and she shook her head.

"Molly, you don't have to bother...," she began, but Molly wouldn't take no for an answer. "Nonsense. You look dreadful and something is obviously bothering you. Some tea will do you good." She was already fussing over the stove with a teakettle and Hermione reluctantly accepted.

"I can't stay long," she said.

Molly pretended not to hear her and with a sigh, Hermione sat down on one of the chairs. She looked around the familiar kitchen, where she had spent so much time since her Hogwarts years. The Burrow had always been her second home and after the death of her parents in that car crash, it had been Molly and Arthur who had become her substitute parents. She realised with a pang that once she and Ron had divorced, she wouldn't be able to spend as much time here anymore, if any. Her gaze lingered on the family clock Molly still had hanging on the wall. It had stopped working when Fred's pointer got stuck on 'lost' and she didn't know why, but suddenly that got the better of her.

Molly put down a mug of damping hot tea in front of her and Hermione blinked her tears away.

"Now, tell me what's wrong," she said invitingly.

Hermione blew at her tea to gain some time. She swallowed. Molly was going to find out sooner or later anyway. "It's just…The thing is…" She found it hard to find the right words. How did you tell someone you were going to divorce their son? "Ron and I…" she started again.

"Oh dear, is anything the matter between the two of you?" Molly asked sympathically and grabbed her hand in a reassuring gesture. "Now, I'm sure whatever it is, the two of you will work it out. These things happen in relationships, you know? Even Arthur and I used to have some rough patches on the road."

Hermione shook her head. "It won't be okay," she said and swallowed again. "Molly, I…we…we're getting a divorce," she finished. There was no point in beating around the bush; Arthur and Molly were going to find out anyway. She stared intently at the mug in front of her, avoiding eye contact with her mother-in-law. There was an awkward silence. Right, this is it then. I knew this would happen. Abruptly, she got up from her chair. "Thanks for the tea Molly," she said. "I'd better be going."

"Hermione, wait. You can't drop a bomb like that and then just take off like nothing happened!"

She froze in her tracks and turned around slowly.

"I'm sorry Molly."

"It pains me to hear this," Molly said. "Surely you'll understand that."

She did, which didn't make things easier. "I'm sorry," she repeated.

"Are you sure that there is no way you and Ron can sort things out?" Molly asked hopeful, but Hermione shook her head.

"No, there isn't. It'll be painful and I don't really feel like elaborating, but it is the best solution."

"Well, if you're sure…" Molly voice trailed off and Hermione noticed how defeated she looked.

"I am," she replied resolutely. "I really should be going now. Oh, one thing: Rose and Hugo don't know yet, so I would really appreciate it if…"

"I won't tell them," Molly said in a flat voice.

"Thank you," she sighed. She was nearly at the door when Molly called her again.

"Hermione? I just want you to know that whatever the reason, you're still welcome here."

She knew it took Molly a lot to say that and she appreciated that she tried. She had only ever seen Molly like this and she hated herself for putting her through this.

"Thanks Molly, that means a lot to me. Though I'm not so sure you'll feel the same way once Ron has talked to you," she added muttering a little bitter before she Disapparated.


She couldn't really focus on her work that day. She had practically locked herself in her office all morning, not wanting to have to speak anyone, yet she couldn't seem to be getting any work done. She sighed and shoved the pile of parchments aside. She'd better take her lunch break now; maybe it would go better in the afternoon. At that moment, the door to her office flung open and she looked up, startled at the aggressiveness of the gesture. Astoria was standing in the doorway.

"Hi Astoria, what can I do for…" she started, but Astoria cut her short.

"What in the name of Merlin are you thinking?!" Astoria exclaimed angrily.

Hermione blinked. "What are you talking about?"

"You know damn well what I'm talking about! I'm talking about your little affair!"

How on earth did Astoria know?

"Look, I…"

"I'm not stupid Hermione! I saw you at Hyde Park yesterday. I saw the two of you kissing. Did you really think no one would find out?!"

Hermione heart cringed at Astoria's words, but she was also starting to get angry.

"I don't really see what that has to do with you," she said, harsher than she had intended.

"It doesn't matter how messed up your marriage is, that doesn't give you the right…"

"Don't you think we're old enough to decide that for ourselves?"

"She's fallen for you and you're just leading her on!" Astoria raged.

"Wow, wait a second there. Just who do you think you are, barging into my office like this and accusing me! What makes you think that I'm leading her on?!"

"Because…"

"Because it can't be possible that I might actually love her?" Hermione snarled. "Yeah, that's right, don't look so shocked. I. Love. Narcissa. There, I said it. Happy now?"

Astoria was quiet for a moment. "So…you're serious about it then? You love her, it's not just a fling?"

"I love her," she repeated. "I'm so sorry if that's awkward or inconvenient for you, but you can't help whom you fall in love with. And it still is none of your business."

Astoria sank down on one of the visitor's chairs. "How come I didn't notice anything?" She shook her head. "How long has this been going on?"

"We've been together for a while now." Hermione calmed down a little now that Astoria was no longer shouting at her. "Narcissa was the first to realise it though. I only realised how I felt about her after she kissed me." Hermione thoughts trailed off to that day and a smile graced her lips.

"Then when did you start…dating?" Astoria asked. Hermione could see that it was awkward for her.

"The dinner party," she smiled.

"The dinner party?" Astoria echoed. "She kissed you at the dinner party?" She shook her head in disbelief. "Is that why she asked to speak to you privately? To kiss you?"

"No, she didn't. She wanted to speak to me to apologise for kissing me earlier."

"I'm not following it anymore…"

"Narcissa kissed me before and I ran away, scared of my own thoughts and feelings."

"Than what has the dinner party got to with it?"

"The dinner party is where I finally kissed her back," Hermione smiled.

"With the rest of us, hell, with both of your husbands sitting in the other room?!"

"Retrospectively, it might not have been the way to handle things, but sometimes these things just happen." She shrugged. "Anyway, I won't be having a husband anymore anytime soon."

"You're getting a divorce?" Astoria gasped in disbelief.

"Yes. I'm pressuring Narcissa to do the same and if she wants to stay with Lucius, then that would pain me, but I would accept it. But I can't stay married to Ron anymore, not with the way I'm feeling towards Narcissa. It just wouldn't be fair, he deserves better than that."

There was silence for a moment.
"I still can't believe it," Astoria murmured. Suddenly, she lifted her head. "So when you claimed your son was ill that time we were supposed to go see Swan Lake, that was just you chickening out?"

"No, that was really my son being ill," Hermione replied. "Believe me, Narcissa gave me a hard enough time because of it; she thought exactly the same thing. But I made it up to her in the end."

"Spare me the details, please."


As if her day hadn't been bad enough as it was already, two hours or so later, Harry came bursting into her office. "What have you done?" he asked angrily.

She sighed. "Not you too. It really is none of your business."

"It is if my best friend is going to do something stupid!"

"What do you mean?"

"Greg overheard you having a argument with Astoria Malfoy and when mentioned this to Ron, Ron stormed off yelling he'd kill the bloody bastard."

"Oh Merlin!" she exclaimed. "When did all of this become such a mess?!"

"Really Hermione, Draco? When Ron told me you were having an affair, I couldn't believe it, but Draco? Have you lost your mind?"

"I'm not having an affair with Draco," she said. She felt all the colour drain from her face. At Harry's irritated look, she repeated: "I'm not having an affair with Draco."

"Well, than you'd better get the hell going, because I won't stand by and let my best friend become a murderer," Harry said harshly.

She got up, rummaging through her things.

"Hurry up!"

"I never meant for any of this to happen…"

"Save it for later, Hermione."

She cringed. She and Harry had always been good friends but it seemed like that was broken now too. As soon as she got a hold on Harry's sleeve, they Disapparated. Since Draco was an ex-Death Eater, he'd had to give the Aurors clearance to pay house visits from time to time and thus Harry was able to Apparate straight in front of his house. The door was slightly ajar and Hermione's heart hammered in her throat.

"If he's done anything stupid, I hold you responsible," Harry growled and pushed the door open to get in. She followed him in. It wasn't difficult to locate where Ron was. His yelling voice carried into the hallway and appeared to be coming from a room on their left.

"How dare you cheat with my wife, you scumbag! I'll kill you!"

"Ron, stop it!" she yelled as she ran into the room.

"Coming to save your boyfriend?" Ron snarled. He raised his wand to hex Draco.

"It isn't Draco!" she yelled. "It isn't Draco," she repeated, a little less loud.

"See, I told you so Weasley," Draco snarled. "Now get the hell out of my house!"

Ron ignored him. "Fine! So maybe it isn't! But I'm going to find out anyway!" He pulled out an envelope out of the pocket of his jacket and Hermione froze. She recognised the type of paper even from where she was standing. "This came this morning in by owl!" he shouted as he ripped the envelope open. "Now we'll see who it is!"

"Could you get you marital issues sorted at home?!" Draco yelled.

Hermione looked at him. His face was red with anger at the intrusion of his home and Astoria had a look on face that told her that if she didn't leave this instant, she would tell."

"Ron, no," she said. "Let's not do this here. Let's go home and talk about this and…"

"No way. I'm going to show them all who you really are!"

"Ron, please," she pleaded.

"Don't you 'Ron, please' me!" he thundered as he angrily took out the piece of paper containing the letter. The envelope fell to the ground, but no one noticed because Ron had started to read out loud. "Dear H.W.G. – so your lover is writing to you with your married name? My name? That's sick!" he commented.

She went paler with every phrase he read.

"Yesterday was extraordinary. The plays were amazing but the most amazing thing about was that I was with you. It wouldn't have been half as good if you hadn't been there with me." Ron snorted before continuing. "It had been lingering beneath the surface for a while, but when you told me you loved me," – Ron gasped angrily – "I finally made the decision: I'm getting a divorce. I'm not asking you to do the same, because it is a difficult decision to make, but know that I'll be waiting for you. Forever yours, N.M.B."

Ron lowered the letter, disgust written across his face.

"You had this all planned out, didn't you? Getting the divorce and everything."

"I didn't! I…"

In the meantime, her heart was filled with joy. Narcissa was getting a divorce too…

"Now who is this N.M.B.?!" Ron continued, his voice constraint. He was waving the piece of paper in front of her. "Now?"

Before she got a chance to answer, Draco intersected. "Could you repeat those initials again, Weasley?" he said. He too had gone very pale and Hermione froze. He knows, she thought. He recognizes it. She felt her heart sink into her shoes.

"N.M.B.," Ron repeated obligingly. "Why, rings a bell? Do share, I'd love to find out who's banging my wife, so I can beat the shit out of them!"

"It's just… Those are my mother's initials…"


"Your…mother?!" Ron repeated in disbelief. He turned to Hermione. "You're fucking Narcissa Malfoy?!"

At the same time, Draco said: " You have an affair with my mother?!"

Hermione looked from one to the other. "I'm sorry, okay!" she yelled. "I never meant for any of this to happen."

"My parents are getting a divorce? And it's because of you? You disgust me!" Draco said.

"All this blabbering about you and her being just friends, and all this time you've been fucking her behind my back?" Ron growled.

"Stop talking about my mother like that!"

"Shut it, Malfoy. Stay out of this!" Ron hissed. "So, which one of you is the male in this relationship?" he went on to Hermione, his voice dripping in sarcasm.

"Ron, stop it!" she was close to tears now. She looked around at Harry. She sure wasn't going to get any help from him, he looked as disgusted at her as Ron and Draco did. "Yes, I love her!" she yelled. "I love Narcissa, better get used to it! Because if I hadn't told you I'd divorce you, I most certainly would do now. You've ruined everything, Ronald Weasley!"

"Oh, so now I've ruined everything?" his voice was threatening. She had never seen him this angry and it scared her. "You're the one having the affair and now I'm the one who's ruined everything?"

"Even wise Athena standeth not a chance against the mighty Aphrodite. No matter what your mind tells you, you heart will always be the stronger one," Astoria all of a sudden said. Everybody fell silent and they turned their heads to the brunette. Astoria shrugged uncomfortable at their looks. "That's what she told me."

"You knew about this?" Draco said in disbelief, while he stared at his wife.

"Well, that makes sense, considering the fight they were having…" Harry said. He had stayed out of it so far, but couldn't restrain himself anymore.

"So you did know," Draco said flatly. "And you didn't tell me?"

"Like you would have believed me if I told you! Let alone like what I had to say!"

"Do tell me, is she as much into kinky sex as Bellatrix?" Ron's low voice silenced the entire room and they started at him, baffled.

"You slept with my aunt?!"

When Ron realised his mistake, his face turned red.

"You are disgusting, the both of you!" Draco exclaimed. "You're both screwed up! Now get the hell out of here and leave my family alone!" he roared. "What's next, Potter here telling me he did my father? GET THE HELL OUT OF MY HOUSE, ALL OF YOU!"


A/N: If you didn't know so already, Discordia was the Roman goddess of strive. No need to explain why this chapter is entitled as such, I think. ;-) I know I've been using Greek denominations so far, but there's a reason why I picked Discordia over Eris (and it's not (solely) because Discordia sounds more fitting)…