A really- really bad idea - By Billybob-csagun36
Chapter 10
Original title: Princess by Jeconais (from his abandoned section)
Rated M – adult subject matter
Alternate Universe - (AU) – obviously; - I've changed the original sub-plot from during Hogwarts to post. I've mixed in the plot lines from some of my own stories (my take on Ron's post war career … for example) and my bias opinion that 'Harmione' would never work … even if it was given the fair shot that it didn't get in cannon.
I've tried to pull Granger down from the Goddess like pedestal that too many put her on. Tried to paint Ron in a favorable light without resorting to the kind of complete 'makeover transformation' from Cannon; that the 'Dramoine' nut-jobs … are so often guilty of.
And I have tried to stress that not all snakes are bad
88**88
88**88
Begin flashback
"Melissa and I," Harry said firmly. "Have a busy day planed for us. So we better get going. - Oh by the way, Hermione; don't worry about me becoming enthralled, for I am not as weak willed as the wizard who tried so hard to cover for your fatal mistake.
End flashback
88**88
"You knew", I said in a resigned tone.
"Knew what exactly"; Melissa asked suddenly curious.
"Bill won the bet, my dear … as my 'little mother' here", Harry said as he pointed at me. "Became rather concerned recently about my lack of dating … and as usual, she wasn't one hundred percent sure about which type of bird that I currently fancied",
"Ron didn't tell me any of this by-the-way, I have other sources". – Harry said in an aside to the others in my office. - "In fact, I'm reliably told by his house-elf, that my best-mate tried to talk this never wrong Goddess out of manipulating me into two blind dates… and he even offered to take the lumps that you actually deserved. When I left him an hour ago, the poor sod still thought he was covering for you.
"I like this Ron of yours, loyalty to one's life-mate is greatly valued in my culture" Melissa said
"I'm rather fond of him myself", Harry said with a tiny smile; before looking hard at me and saying: "When will you learn that that ickle Harrykins is all grown-up and doesn't need someone to change his nappy?"
"I'm really sorry", I said
"Not sorry enough", Harry growled at his old friend. "You have stepped on my toes a dozen times or more over the years – way too often for a quick forgiveness this time, worse still … you've tried to manipulate me … and that, was the final straw - - I am sorely tempted to tell you that we're done as friends and render myself unplottable to you … but as always, you have a trump card in your control, that keeps you in the game",
"Ron" I whispered softly
"This one … I can walk away from; without looking back", Harry said sternly as she pointed me out to the others. - She thinks she knows what's best for everyone… she thinks she is the smartest person in any room she enters, but she's not. - She can't give up on the concept - that manipulating me, like Albus did; anytime he liked … is a really-really BAD IDEA."
"But if she is exiled, Ron will go with her", Bill pointed out softly.
"She dis his week spot … yes?" Fleur added in the same calming tone.
"Perhaps we should postpone our first date to another time", Melissa said, seeing how angry and tense Harry was.
"No … when confronted with bad news … off set it …with good news", Harry said.
"Hey, that's one of Ronnie's favorite sayings … isn't it?" - Bill asked.
"I need Ron's outlook on life … his love of family, he's my rock … my right arm, the foundation of what little sanity I possess", Harry declared before turning to me and saying: "but this arrogant bitch … I can do without and I'm warning you Hermione, there is a limit to the number of times you can play the same trump card".
"Thank-you Harry" I said letting out the breath that I didn't know I was holding.
"Don't thank me, the only thing that saved you, is the dimwitted tradesman you look down-on … who loves you more than his own life. Muck-that-up and you'll die alone".
"I won't", I said with a relieved tiny smile … as Melissa looked at me strangely as if she knew something that I didn't.
"You better not", Harry snarled.
"Harry, we should go", Melissa said tentatively.
"What I need right now to clear my head, is a party".
"A Party?" - Bill said clearly surprised. "I image something small can be arranged.
"In the spirit of international relationships," Harry said. "Specifically, mine, we should have a huge dinner party – with dancing and fireworks" he added in a low tone while glancing at Melissa for approval. - After a moment of reflection … she nodded yes
"A few hours is not enough time to organize a really Big Party". Bill warned.
"Challenge accepted," I said strongly
"Hermione?" - Harry said in a threatening tone.
"I wish to make amends to you and Melissa; I can't let Ron take the heat for what I did. Let me organize this dinner party; just tell me; how big is the budget, what do you want to eat and how many guests."
"Unlimited budget" Harry replied … the Black/Potter family fortune could easily afford a nationwide party for everyone in magical Great Britain to celebrate the first day of my official engagement to Melissa".
"Number of guests?" I asked in a now deeply worried tone.
"Two hundred plus at least" he replied casually
"Menu" I asked.
"Don't worry about that, I going to burrow a few hundred house-elves from Hogwarts for the meal".
"May I borrow some of these elves for location prep?"
"Yes" Harry said
"Location?"
"Covert an empty warehouse that I know of, with an unobstructed view of the Thames River, I'll give you the address"
"It will be done…" I began weakly_ and with deep sigh of relief, I drew back from the edge of destruction (and personal ruin), but I was still way to close to the edge for my liking. - One tiny misstep … and I could lose everything. But then a thought accrued to me (little miss organize-everything) and I stepped over to the corner of my tiny office and said in a firm a voice: "Come to me … Winky, Leena," and finally after a reflective pause … Tweaky".
The excitable house-elves appeared. All three of them took one look at Melissa and grinned, before Winky, Leena and Tweaky curtseyed to the Veela royalty. Melissa winked at them and they winked back. Winky and Leena then turned to Harry waiting for orders but Tweaky turned towards me.
"How do you two feel about an excessive amount of work in a short amount of time?" Harry asked Winky and Leena.
"Really?" Winky asked hopefully.
"Yes, there will be four of us … my date, plus two escorts and I. - - We will be going to Disney World in Florida for the day. We might even stop-over at Universal studios; as I hear that they have a new theme park planned … that I might like. - Winky we need you to arrange everything … first class, spare no expense. - And we have to be back here; by seven".
"Can do", Winky said with determination.
"Leena; your task is to provide a banquet, of seven courses, beverages, the tables - the silverware - the works. Recruit the entire Hogwarts kitchen staff if you need to.
"Harry Potter is barmiest wizard in entire world," Leena added and with a pop she was gone.
"Agreed," Winky agreed with a huge smile and a second later; she too was gone
88**88
"You called" Tweaky asked me
"I need your help; it involves the honor of your masters Household"
"De honor of mia master dis Tweaky's firstie concern. Dosie thee speak for mia master din dis?" The house-elf asked me.
"Do you think he would let me?"
"I is not – n - never willie be youies house-elf. So no's givie me clothes, I doesie not wishie to be free" Tweaky insisted.
"No clothing I promise, I need your help in the cleaning and sanitizing of an old warehouse on the Thames River; for a dinner party for three hundred plus guests. - I want it totally clear of vermin, insects and birds for one hundred yards in all directions. The whole area has to be scrubbed clean, roofed in glass (it might rain) be magically unplottable and heavily warded … as this will be by invitation only …by-the-way; make the place undetectable by Muggle's - We'll also need the appropriate music and a solid wood, ballroom style, dance floor"
Tweaky thought it over before asking, "Canies I recruit druthers house-elves that be wit-out masters?"
"As many as you need?" I replied
"Whenies din-din eats"
"Seven tonight" I said
"Five centuries be enough, but if dey do dis for you …wills you bree helps de orphans of mia kind, findie Homes and families due serve" Tweaky asked.
"Freedom is out of the question I suppose", I said.
"Master be knowing dur culture better dan yousie …"
"Yes-yes… I know he does", I said while reluctantly giving in to Wizarding reality. "I swear to personally work on a (ERA) bill for the Wizengamot (Elf Resettlement Act) to help those without masters to find new families… if that is what they want. - Just remember; this party must be flawless? - The warehouse must look like the insides of a royal palace, fit for Veela royalty? - I said deeply worried
"We elves dot need loads of wizard lording (supervision), gut other–n-wise it cannie be done - - youie canna not bedoing dis alone mistress"; Tweaky added in warning. "firstie off I be gather mia clan", and with a pop the elf was gone
88**88
"Granger" Harry said, and there was still a thick bit of anger in his tone. He hadn't called me by my surname since first year.
"Yes Harry" I replied.
"Do you know what happens if you fail me" he growled at me… - - GROWLED! - He'd never done that before.
"Yes; I think so"
He handed me a scrap of parchment with an address on it and then issued his threat. "I'll replace you … Ron will have no memory of you… and Susan Bones will do nicely as a replacement; she'll give him all the children he'd want without complaint … children that you won't even consider right now (Ron told me) Harry growled with a look that was border-line hateful.
"Harry I'm really-really sorry" I said while feeling more frightened than ever before … I couldn't lose Ron over this … and he was my everything,
"Then make this special for Melissa", He said before he activated the port-key (made out of my desk stapler) and with a loud pop … my tiny office was empty. - A moment later a large burlap bag filled to overflowing with goblin gold, faded into existence on my desk (the dinner budget)
88**88
I felt a headache forming. How could I possible oversee five hundred house-elves?
The quiet was then broken by a loud hiss, "Granger!"
At this stage, I'd kind-of forgotten about my wonderful plan … the biggest disaster of my entire life. - I had forgotten how Tracey was supposed to be going out to dinner with Harry tonight. And to go from insult to injury; I had forgotten that …as much as I personally liked him, how he was single handedly changing the magical science of botany in the UK. - - I really don't think that Tracey would be pleased to learn that I had chose her because; dear sweet Neville, has a 'thing' for her tightly sculptured arse!
"I'm sorry," I said meekly as I turned to face the angry witch standing in my doorway. "I swear I didn't know!"
"You didn't know that your best friend was learning French, and buggering-off to France half the time to chat-up a bloody Veela Princess!?" Tracey roared at me
"No," I said, feeling my face heat up in embarrassment. "I thought he was off moping somewhere. - His mood swings still happen (but not as often) and he disappears for long periods of time without notifying anybody… except my Ron".
"And you never asked your Ron where Harry had gone off to do this 'Moping' … really?" Susan asked, pushing Tracey out of the way and getting in on the act,
"Yes …well, Ron respects his privacy more than I ever did and after I hunted Harry down (more than once), to give him a piece of my mind over his foul moods - - which only made matters worse - - after taking a beating (or two) for ratting him out … Ron abruptly stopped telling me where Harry had gone off to", I said weakly, realizing only now that I had managed to avoid a lot of important clues. Like, well, (the fact) that all of his recent books I had seen …had titles written in French.
"So, the reason you didn't know what Harry was doing is centered on your habit of sticking your nose into other people's business. I'm guessing that's the reason you didn't know (until after the fact) that Potter; helped your Ronnie organizes a snow-ball fight; for_ 'inside' _the Great Hall, for the homesick firsties (lower years); because it was too bitter cold to go outside?" - Susan said harshly - "that stunt was against a dozen Hogwarts rules and the firsties loved it … (by-the-way) Ronnie could have gotten expelled for this much needed moral boast, I heard Snape demanded it. But luckily the headmaster reduced it an illegal prank".
"Ron got punished for it (of course) suspended his Perfect badge for three weeks (he got it back early due to all the mayhem you caused - doing the job alone) and served loads and loads of detentions without complaints (but you and Harry didn't get punished at all) … What he did for the firsties (of all four houses) made Ron the most popular perfect in Hogwarts history and put himn at the very top of a rather short list, for Head-Boy during the school-term … when the lot of you, went off camping".
"Ron … gave up being Head Boy?" - I said in a horrified whisper
"What I remember best", Tracey interjected. "Was Potter acting as 'banker' and paying for the Weasley Twin's great idea to bring roller blades into Hogwarts and teach everyone how to use them… it was pure mayhem in the hallways for weeks. - Pranking Potter wasn't punished for that one either, but he was the one behind it."
I was stunned speechless. Apparently I hadn't know half of what my two closest friends had done while was off in the library, I stood there wondering if my face could get so hot and flushed, that it would leave permanent third degree burn marks.
"All of this is my fault," Ron said, coming unexpectedly into my office at the Ministry. "I wasn't smart enough to talk her out to this idea. - If you really want to hex someone, you should point your wands at me",
'He is protecting me again', I said to myself … 'he's so ruddy sweet and … hot'.
"Bullocks - Ronald," Tracey retorted in anger, "You're noble as hell, but your offer to step in front of the hex that Granger deserves …won't work this time. This- 'knows it all - - grand idea'; has Granger's fingerprints all over it. So, miss organizes-everything … exactly why did you choose Susan and I to humiliate?"
"I thought he liked brunettes!"
"You have noted the fact that you're a brunette, right?" Susan asked again acidly, bringing up an old discussion - , "and didn't you tell me just yesterday that you gave Harry a go and he made it very clear that he's not interested in you?"
"Erm," I said, sounding like an idiot.
"Cho had black hair," Tracey continued, "the chaser Weasley, has red hair, and by her violent reaction (in a howler sent to me … not twenty minutes ago) Ginny doesn't appear to agree (at all) with Harry's 'just friends' assessment. – She's demanding a 'Friends with benefits' rematch and … 'right of first refusal' on Harry's naughty bits. - So, please answer the question. Why did you choose a couple of brunettes?"
"We gave Harry some charmed porn," Ron said, with a little more honestly than was perhaps needed at this junction, "and then analyzed the results."
"But as it turns out; Harry gave your test material to someone else," Susan said with a resigned sigh. "Granger, I knew I shouldn't have listened to you when you and Davies came up to me. Please, do me a huge favor, and next time you have a 'fucking' bright idea like this … don't bring it to me!"
"Agreed," Tracey said.
Susan looked at Tracey. "Shopping?"
"It sounds like we have a big party to attend tonight," Tracey agreed. "I just got my owl post invite. It's numbered 375",
"Mine is number 407", Susan said
"Shite", I mumbled to upset to care about my language.
"If we take a half day off from work … we can beat the rush."Susan said
"Meet me at my office at one (PM); I have a few things to finish-up here … first", Tracey replied.
Together, the two girls gave me another glare, and Susan marched out, head held high.
88**88
"Wow," Lavender said taking her turn in my still open office. "You really screwed this up, didn't you?"
"Yes, I did" - I agreed.
"In which case, I won't point out the fact that if Harry likes blondes, and I am 'natural' blonde… roof and carpet match … ya understand? - Just ask Won-won here he knows", she hissed at me with her stereotypical 'common-trollop' angry snarl (yeah, I still hate her for stealing Ron from me).
"Lavender, play nice", Ron pleaded softly
"Why didn't you go after a Veela; Ronnie, I hear they are desperately looking for breeders and we both know you seed is wasted on this 'career obsessed' shrew", Lavender said, pointing at me. "Think of the embarrassment you'll both suffer, as world-class idiots; for not knowing that your best friend Harry didn't want a leg-over with anyone that was even remotely human." Brown continued to ramble, giving living proof … of the lightning speed quality of the Ministry rumor mill. By now almost half of magical England already knew, how much trouble I was in.
"You have to admire his balls though," Tracey said from the corner. "First he kicks Voldemort's scaly arse, then goes after a full Veela Princess!"
Ron couldn't help but grin. "Good on him", he said with obvious pride. –
A moment later Lavender buttoned back-up her blouse. - - I think she was making another in a long-line of futile attempt at stealing my Ron, again - (growl…hiss) and with a disappointed huff, everyone's favorite tramp …stormed out of my office.
"Ron I love you with all my heart but…why are you here, right now?" I asked as only two visitors remained in my tiny office as my headache got worse.
"Tweaky told me about her chat with Harry, apparently no house-elf in England can keep a secret from the national treasure. Tweaky also mentioned that you 'volunteered' to handle the arrangements for Harry's dinner date (dance party) tonight. - Then the post came in at the shop (Black Knight Chess ltd.) and we got our invitation to the party; number 523" - Putting two and two together, I thought this was an 'all hands on deck' situation. I closed the shop, and owled the family (except for Bill) … they are on their way".
"Thanks luv", I smiled in gratitude
"What about you Tracey? - Are you still waiting to get your pound of flesh?" - I asked weakly nearly overwhelmed.
"I wanted to ask about your 'real' test subject, the one who liked my arse_ a lot _do you know who it was?" - Tracey asked with genuine nervousness, "And keep in mind; you owe me a blind date with a genuine war hero".
I looked her in the eyes and told the truth. "I have every reason to believe that Harry gave the porn to Neville Longbottom".
"Neville", Tracey said softly, thinking over this news very carefully, before smiling …huge. - "You still owe me introduction and I think, I'm calling it in …Next Friday … with Longbottom …Okay?"
"Really?"
"Yeah" Tracey said with indescribable joy on her face, before leaving Hermione's office
*** Finis ***
88**88
* * * Epilog - - - - do you remember the original Jeconais - plot?
*Harry and Melissa turned the dinner party on the banks of the Thames river into an impromptu wedding (a smashing success btw) with eight hundred and ninety two guests, served by half the house-elves in Hogwarts (at that time). And yet Hermione remained classified as; still on- 'friendship probation' - with Harry until after her divorce from Ron… after that; she had next to zero contact with Britain's National treasure, or any of the Weasley's.
* Yes; it was a really-really Bad Idea!
88**88
* * * Epilog - - 'Good ending'
*The blind date for Neville took place as planed and on the one year anniversary of that date surrounded by their friends; Tracey and Neville were married. - Theirs was to be a long and happy 'love match' that lasted until the end of their days … filled with joy – children, grandchildren and great grandchildren. Tracey would follow him into the 'next great adventure' (death) within a fortnight, unable to bear the thought of living without him.
*The Draco /Neville business partnership (a potions ingredient shop) was only enhanced by the addition of Tracey a journeywoman potion master. (Eventually: Tracey, as any cunning and ambitiously loyal, 'life-partner' would ... found a way to buy-out Draco's shares in the shop)
* * This Neville subplot was a 'means to an end' as it supported my long held belief that not all snakes are bad … some are redeemable (like a coupon). - Draco however; remains an evil self-centered git throughout (as he is in cannon). The ferret's one and only redeeming act, was in funding Neville's greenhouses project to make potion ingredients. Draco being far too spoiled, rich and self-centered; to want any 'hands-on' involvement in any shop.
*Greg who had been using Neville as a cover for his forbidden courtship of pugs nose Pansy (not said as a endearment)… had that 'cover' blown when Neville started openly dating Tracey … The Parkinson's (another bunch of pure-blood snobs) didn't approved at all of Greg, a mere 'low-life' tradesman (like Ron) so it wasn't until pug-nose fell pregnant, that Greg (Of … 'Goyle's Leather Goods ltd.') finally got permission to marry her. –
There you go … just another story of a pair of semi-good snakes getting a happy ending. Maybe Greg saw something in Pansy (that the rest of us missed … completely)
*Susan Bones (a healer) married Justin Finch-Fletchley (general manager of Obscurus Books) a year after Tracey – and Susan with the help of three house-elves acquired through the (ERA) gave birth to and raised … a total of eight children (she and Tracey remained close friends for life).
88**88
*** - I never approved of the Neville/Hannah Abbott relationship (he can do way better … and in this story he does)
88**88
*** Ron and Hermione married and had two children; Rose and Hugo (as bespoken in Cannon) and when I first started writing HP fan fiction the above would have been how I ended this 'blind date' tale.
My HP world view however was forever tainted on the Eighth of February, 2014; when an announcement was made by JK Rowling concerning the epilog pairing of Ron and Hermione. In published statements both JKR and the actress Emma Watson, who played Hermione Granger in the movies, 'both' believed that Ron would have been a 'poor fit' for Hermione as a life mate and that they would have many-many marital problems … but these problems, MIGHT have been fixed, with 'counseling'. However this outcome was made even more unlikely when Rupert Grint (Ron) stated in 2016 that his character and Hermione would be long divorced by the time of the 'nineteen year later' Epilog in September of 2017. JKR her-self admitted that if she could 'redo' her series; Harry would have ended-up with Hermione.
Should such a bad writer (as my-self) dare to say no to the maker of (hind sighted) second thought (JKR) revised epilog CANNON?
Warning; the worshipers of the Goddess Granger and her Muggle 'doppelganger' (carbon-copy double) the ultimate Feminist, E. Watson are going to HATE this.
**However: if Rupert Grint is correct and Ron and Hermione ended-up Divorced, what would be the core reason behind this happening, in the epilog of my tale, I present a theory:
88**88 - - the 'Sad ending'
* Melissa's foretelling proved correct, in spite of several attempts at marriage and personal therapy ,which Hermione attended only rarely ("nothing seriously wrong with me" … she'd say) 'over time' … Hermione would and partially due to being exiled from Harry's company … would, by feeling excluded … become every inch the fanatical workaholic as her parents had been. - They had little time for Hermione as she grew-up… which is why (in cannon) her 'teenage' summers were spent (at least one third of those school holidays) at the Burrow.
This work obsession over everything else, by getting far more personal satisfaction from work than at home with Ron, would eventually lead to repeated and 'very' heated arguments … over the number of children which Hermione; would ever so reluctantly 'gift' to Ron. - Her repeated insistence that maternity leaves combined with child rearing 'distractions', would seriously impeded her climb at the Ministry and that kind-of attitude … would put a serious strain on any relationship.
The discussion on having children (if any) 'should' always be made before marriage, just saying! - - If as I suspect Hermione is even half the feminists that Watson turned out to be (type casting) then the thought of giving-up her career for children would have been laughable … and utterly ridiculous.
Rose would then be; Hermione's very-reluctant compromise to keep the peace, but when she learned about Hugo … what would she do?
**Please note: no mention of Hugo is ever made in the stage play: 'Harry Potter and the Curse Child'.
Could the reason for this glaring 'theatrical' oversight … in a script that (JKR) her-self partially wrote _ and in line with the revised epilog. - - Hermione had insisted on having an abortion (it was her body) when she found herself pregnant for a second time. Could she have outright declared that Rose was her only 'concession' to making offspring?
But let's say for the sake of argument that Hermione yielded to Ron's gentle persuasion and the seven book's (two child) epilog remained relatively intact. How much time would a workaholic career girl actually 'allocate' to child rearing? - - Working 14 hour days; seven days a week for career advancement, leaves little time to change nappies. The only reason she would ever yield to Ron's point of view (did it ever happen in cannon … I doubt it) and have a second child – would be to prevent the career damage that might resulted from a messy divorce in a (post-war) desperate for magical children society.
To prevent such a disastrous possibility from happening in the future, having her tubes-tied would solve her problem … wouldn't it? - - Has there been any announcement from JKR as to why Hermione had only two children in the 'original' epilog, with that number reduced to only one in the stage play. - - With a life span of 150 years the ability to have a second batch after the first had grown and gone is at least a remote possibility. With no medical reason given by JKR concerning the now (official) count of one offspring (stage play) and I doubt that any discussion (as a couple) over the possibility of more children would have taken place – it is her body (I get that, okay).
I may sound totally sexist here, but in a relationship (as a couple) shouldn't the male have 'some' say as to how many kids (if any) the couple should have. - If this decision comes before the fact (marriage) as it should _and the couple fails to agree, don't both partners have the right to seek a companion that is in better 'sync' with their reproductive ambitions? –
However let us assume for reasons unknown, that the baby discussion 'never happens' until after the wedding between Ron and Hermione and when a 'unilateral' decision is made to end any chance of more children, without any weight given to her 'life-partner' desires on the subject … would-not, that decision alone become the foundation for resentment that could build into the major marital problems that (JKR) spoke of? … All kinds of things can happen in a nineteen year gap.
**88
In my tale; this series of 'unfortunate events' actually happened. - Hugo is aborted without Ron's knowledge and when he learns of it 'after the fact' and also discovers that Hermione had her tubes tied directly after the abortion (again …without any prior discussion) – could such a career centric act (yeah-yeah … it is her body) result in a rage to build inside of Ron to the point of an 'uncontested' legal separation, before Rose turned nine.
Getting custody would be easy from a feminist that never wanted children in the first place - and in spite of repeated court attempts to get Hermione into counseling to 'save' the marriage, all of which failed … she no longer needed (by this point) a spouse for career advancement.
Everything would be declared 'entirely' Ron's fault - 'naturally' … (That's how the Ron-bashing (fan-fiction) writers usually describes it …don't they?) his unreasonable demands … Ron's verbal or physical abuse (according to her) … his 'mental illness' over insisting on having more than one child – his cruel efforts to transform her into a bare-footed breeding machine and thus, deliberately ruin of her ever so promising career … after all, it's not appropriate to bring any child into a war ravaged world.
I can easily imagine Hermione; being 'far too busy' to take time off from work (a waste of time) to go to court to fight over custody of Rose … one less non-work related item to deal with … besides; getting a proper nanny and boarding schools is crazy expensive. – It would be better in the long run, far more logical and less complicated to let Ron and his elf-slave (Hiss growl) to take care of the child, for he was the total nut-job about this insane; 'wanting a family' issue. Then after two years or so a divorce could be quietly arranged, on the understanding that- no requests -for 'career distracting' visitation be made by the dullard (intellectually inferior) ex-husband.
In fact; we have all heard the countless tales of movie stars and politicians having zero time for their spouse or families due to their career obsession and if you then add to the mix … Hermione's various political crusades, her repeated and 'failed' attempts to make the Wizarding culture more 'in line' with what she believed to be its superior Muggle counterpart. - Such activities would increasingly take her away from home and Ron for ever longer periods of time.
A lonely Hermione on the campaign trail; an over eager assistant; an innocent slap and tickle that went too far (it's an old story) would result (over time) in a near 'total estrangement' from her ex-husband and two children, (assuming 'Cursed Child' was wrong and Hugo was alive) some two years before Rose's graduation from Hogwarts. - Hermione would of course send her regrets for not attending, as she was at a Paris conference … as the key speaker on the expansion of Centaur sanctuaries … but this was (of course) just one price of many that she was willing to pay for her career advancement.
Fourteen hour days – seven days a week dedication to never ending ambition, at the 'minor' cost of home and family, plus her fame among the Muggleborn's now undisputed majority, was what made Hermione the youngest and first ever 'Muggleborn' Minister of Magic just as Melissa (and the stage play) had predicted. She proved to be an highly efficient Minister, but also a very lonely one, spending the remainder of her days - working on a variety of geo-political feminist causes, that never got much traction in the Wizarding world, while living alone with a series of cats.
** Ron and Tweaky preferred to spend this time period, raising of his child/children in a happy home filled with joy and laughter … sharing great times with Melissa, Harry, his many children with his Veela, Ron's siblings and their families and their many shared friends …Tracey and Neville for example (Pansy and Greg too …believe it or not) while putting only secondary importance on business success (and Ron's chess shop was successful … by-the-way.) - because the greatest lesson that Ron ever taught his children, was his heartfelt belief that … Family, always comes first.
**In my version of the original epilog's future, during the year AD 2036, after seeing both of his children Rose and (possibly) Hugo, graduated from Hogwarts (with honors) in a quite ceremony, Ronald Bilius Weasley was remarried; to a witch (unnamed) that he had been living with for eight years prior to their wedding. A witch who gave him four more children and finally put him- first -above everything else.
Who was this street wise; down to earth witch, who mended Ron's broken heart? - I leave that puzzle to my few readers to solve.
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Authors ending rant: - Before you condemn the end of my tale (sad ending) before you write a review saying that my theory as totally bogus; please compare it to real life of the 'gender neutral' and truly devoted feminist; Emma Watson whose highly successful 'career first' attitude as both an actor and political activist, is a fantastic example of (reversed) 'type casting' wherein the a feminist character, Granger - the arrogant-know-it-all _ as written in novel and movie fame - becomes the proud to be called; 'anti-male' (in a speech at the UN: September 20, 2014) actor of today.
Only one question remains: Which came first, the feminist or the egg?
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Thanks again for the abandoned story … Jeconais
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**Roll credits, lights come up – go home people, it's over.