Character(s): Ron, Hermione

Prompt #80 Why?

To Fear

Tuesdays were the day the Aurors generally had the least to do. It was like all the Dark wizards – all the ones who seemed to enjoy giving them a hard time – took the day off on Tuesdays.

Some days, Ron found himself wondering why he even bothered to go to work. He would much rather be at home doing the uneventful, boring paperwork than in the small office he shared with Harry and three others.

"Sounds like we've got a Boggart in the office," Harry commented absently as he too, was bent over a pile of parchment. Ron and Harry had to be the two worst people at staying on top of it. Neither of them knew what they would do if, one day, Tuesday was busy.

Ron never heard Hermione complaining about being behind and she probably had more than they did put together. Unfortunately, that was one thing magic was unable to complete; unless he wanted Kingsley on his back about it.

Ron glanced over his shoulder at the small cupboard in the corner. A familiar rattling sound had been coming from it ever since they had arrived that morning, but no one had bothered to do anything about it.

The Aurors dealt with worse things than a Boggart everyday; no one was too worried.

"Do you want me to get rid of it?" Ron asked. "Or send in one of the noobs?"

Harry glanced around. "Nah, they're all out. Just us and Rowe here," he said.

Ron made his way to the cupboard, took out his wand and opened the cupboard. He wasn't really sure what he had been expecting to come out of there. He hadn't faced a Boggart in years. That was generally left to the trainees as it was deemed unimportant by most.

But when a Boggart-Hermione, Rose and Hugo stepped out, he wasn't at all surprised. He guessed that was his greatest fear; something bad happening to the three people he loved the most.

He braced himself, ready for whatever bad things were going to happen to them. He couldn't help but think of the worst. If they were going to be tortured, hurt, start screaming, there was nothing he would be able to do to turn it into a humorous situation. He'd simply have to put it back in the cupboard and let someone else deal with it later.

But they didn't start screaming. There were no mortal wounds on their bodies. The Boggart-Hermione simply looked at him with contempt as she pulled Boggart-Rose and Boggart-Hugo closer to her. It was almost as if she hated him.

It's not really Hermione, he reminded himself.

He pointed his wand at it, thinking of the Tickling Jinx, when the Hermione opened her mouth.

"I'm leaving, Ron," it said. I'm leaving you and I'm taking the kids with me... I found someone else; someone better."

Ron stared at it, his mouth open in shock. He completely forgot about the wand in his hand.

"You were always just second best to me; someone I could be with until I found the best. And I've found him." She looked down at the Boggart-Rose and Hugo. "And by the way, they aren't yours. I never loved you and neither did they."

The Boggart smiled at him with cruelty, before it shot back into the cupboard, the door locking with a click.

Ron realised that Harry was standing beside him, his wand pointing at the cupboard. "I'll deal with it later," he said softly. He nodded towards the office door. Hermione was standing there, a pile of parchment in her hand. Her face was whiter than he had ever seen it and she seemed to be just as shocked as Ron was. Her eyes glistened with tears.

"I-I just came to hand you some of... the cases we're done with." She glanced back at the cupboard, where the Boggart had returned to rattling away.

Harry took the parchment from her. "Thanks, Hermione," he said.

Hermione nodded, looking at Ron with concern. He pretended not to notice and strode back over to his desk where he returned to his work without another word. He didn't need to see them to know they were silently communicating with one another behind his back.

"I-I'll see you later." There was a shuffle behind him and he knew Hermione had gone.

Harry summoned a chair and sat opposite him. "What was that about?" he demanded.

Ron shrugged. "It was just a Boggart, it wasn't real," he replied, pretending he didn't care. He knew it was pointless – Harry knew him to well.

"You know as well as I do, mate, that those can seem very real..." Harry studied Ron. "You're really afraid she'd do that?"

Ron shrugged.

"She never would... even if something ever did happen between you, she'd never take the kids. You know that right?"

"Fear isn't always logical."

"She loves you."

Ron nodded, swallowing a lump in his throat. "I know."

"You should go and talk to her... or let her talk to you, so she can tell you what an idiot you're being."

"She tells me that everyday anyway."

Harry smiled. "I think she's on her break."

Ron shook his head. He wasn't in the mood to face Hermione. He knew her too well. She wouldn't be sympathetic like Harry, she would be upset, hurt and probably a little bit angry at what had happened. Of the few times Hermione came to their Department, she just had to walk in then. She normally just put a spell on the documents so they would make their own way there.

"I'll see her tonight anyway," he said to Harry. "For now, we have a lot of work to do." He picked up his quill and began scribbling notes on the parchment again.

Harry hesitated. Ron could feel his eyes on him, but he didn't look up. He didn't want to discuss it. As much as he knew it hadn't really been Hermione, or his children there, it didn't stop it from feeling like it had been. It had been Hermione's voice that had said those words, it had been her eyes that had looked at him with such loathing.

It had been all but real to him and it hurt to hear those words spoken to him. It reminded him of the Horcrux locket – when the Harry and Hermione had told him how worthless he was. It was the same feeling; one he had probably never completely shaken, even after so many years.

He just loved them all so much and seeing that made him more aware of that love. He couldn't lose them. It would be the worst thing to possibly happen.

Harry eventually seemed to realise he wasn't going to talk and returned to his own desk. Two words were barely spoken between them for the rest of the day, Ron choosing to keep his thoughts and opinions to himself.

Harry gave up trying by about three in the afternoon.

It had just hit five o'clock when Ron put down his quill again. He leaned back in his chair, rubbing his eyes.

"Been a long day," Harry said. "Will be good to get home and relax."

Ron nodded unconvincingly. Home.; he'd have to face Hermione then.

He got slowly up from his desk and picked up his coat. Harry seemed to realise what he was thinking.

"She won't be angry, mate," he promised. "She'll just be upset that you would even think that."

Ron nodded again and swallowed. He'd pick up Rose and Hugo first and then try and find a reason to tell Hermione when she asked. And she would. It was going to be something she'd keep asking about until he gave her an answer.

"See you tomorrow," he mumbled, before leaving the office in the direction of the fireplaces.

"Ron!"

He kept walking. He thought she was supposed to working until six.

She caught up to him quite quickly. "Ron, will you just talk to me about what happened earlier?" Her voice was pleading, not angry. Harry was right, she was just upset.

"There's nothing to talk about. It wasn't real, it didn't actually happen."

"Ron, there's everything to talk about!" she grabbed his arm and he was forced to face her. Tears glistened her eyes again. "I-I don't understand," she began. "Why...?"

Ron shook his head. "I didn't know it would be that." He looked towards the fireplaces, where many other Ministry members were now leaving. "Who's picking up the kids, you or me?"

Hermione opened her mouth and then closed it again. She shook her head in disbelief. "I'll do it," she said, irritated.

Ron nodded. "I'll see you at home."

"We'll have to talk then," she called after him.

"Okay." He had never walked to a fireplace so quickly before. He didn't want to have to see her. She was upset, she was hurt and he hated that. He hadn't intended to hurt her – it had been out of his control – but he still had.

Right now, he couldn't deal with his own pain. But he knew he'd have to talk to her about it eventually; she wouldn't give up until he did.

OOO

"Daddy!" Rose's small figure ran towards him, collapsing into his arms in a tight hug. Ron held onto her for just a moment longer than usual. She – and Hugo – meant so much to him. What had happened with the Boggart had made him realise how much.

"Hey, Rosie," he said. "Did you have a good day?"

She nodded. "Me and Hugo and James and Albus and Lily all made a house outside. Me and James were the mummy and daddy and Hugo, Lily and Albus were the babies." She beamed at him. "I got to be all bossy."

"Ah, that would have been just a normal day for you, then, Rosie," Ron teased.

Rose either didn't hear, or didn't understand.

"You should see it," Hermione commented with a smile as she put Hugo on the ground. He also ran over to give Ron a hug. "They made a big mess of Harry's yard."

"Well, what fun can you have when you don't make a mess?" Ron questioned, kissing each of his children in turn.

"I'm hungry," Rose then complained, pulling away from his hug.

"Dinner will be ready soon," Ron told her. "Same time it is every Tuesday."

She looked up at him, her lips forming into a pout.

"Why don't you and Hugo go and play for a while?" Hermione then suggested.

Ron breathed in deeply. He had thought – no, hoped – that she had forgotten. Of course, he should have known better.

"Great idea. Dinner will be ready in no time." Ron made his way back to the kitchen to check on the food which he had started preparing earlier. Hermione followed him a few moments later after – from what he had heard – she had been trying to convince their children to play nicely together.

"Are you going to tell me?" she asked.

Ron sat in one of the chairs and she sat opposite him. The look in her eyes told him she really did want to know, but he had no idea where to begin. What was he supposed to say to her?

"Why?" she asked, her voice a whisper. "Why would you be scared that would happen?"

Ron shrugged. "I didn't even know," he admitted. "I swear."

"Ron, there is no one else. I can promise you that. There is not a single person in this world I would consider leaving you for. No one. And I would never take the kids. Never."

Ron was silent for a long time, studying his hands intently. Hermione's hands closed over his own and he was forced to look at her again.

"It's just terrifying to think that I might lose any of you," he confessed. "I couldn't deal with it. Losing a brother, I dealt with; losing friends, I dealt with that too, but to have my – our – children taken away... I'd never get over that. To have you taken away... well, you're the only one willing to put up with me." He smiled half-heartedly at her.

"That's not true. Rose and Hugo adore you; you're their dad. Nothing will change that."

"You're not mad?"

"Why would I be mad?" Hermione questioned. "Seeing that today, I wasn't angry. I was confused, I was a little upset, but most of all I just wanted to know what I had done to ever make you afraid that I didn't love you."

"You've done nothing to make me think that."

"Then why? I don't understand."

"Because I'm always worrying that you're unhappy!" Ron blurted out before he knew what he was saying. "I'm constantly wondering if you are reconsidering, whether you don't want to be with me anymore. I worry, Hermione and I can't help it, because if you did ever decide that you weren't happy anymore, I don't know what I would do. I worry that I love you more than you love me."

Hermione looked at him with a blank expression. Her tone was just as blank, "After all the years we've been together, despite the countless times I've told you I love you, despite the two children we have together, we're married... you worry about that?"

Ron didn't reply.

"You're an idiot," she said.

"So... you're not unhappy, then?" Ron asked.

"No!" Her response was quick and sincere. He believed her.

"Good, because I don't want you to be. I want to make you happy; I want you to be happy. That's my greatest fear, you or Rosie or Hugo ever being unhappy because of me."

Hermione laughed. "You worry too much, you know that right? And you worry for nothing. If I wasn't happy, Ron, I would tell you and I wouldn't be as mean as you seem to think I would be about it, either. I do love you and if it's not one of Rose's many stories about how the garden gnomes attacked her or how she can fly without a broom, making me laugh, it's you."

"Yeah, I know. I was just being stupid, I guess."

"Yeah, you were."

"Am I forgiven?"

"Are you forgiven for loving us so much that you are terrified of losing us?" She smiled. "Yeah, I think I can manage to forgive you."

Ron smiled back. "Don't ever be that mean, okay?"

"I won't be," she promised. "Unless I'm really annoyed with you."

Thanks for your reviews. It honestly makes my day. And I hope you like this chapter. This idea was floating around in my head for weeks and I finally managed to write it. I am currently suffering from a bad case of writer's block, so I had quite a bit of trouble getting words out, but I hope I managed.

Also, because I have writer's block, I've hit a wall. So please PM me, leave a review or whatever with what kind of stories you would like to see. My Tumblr readers - feel free to send me a message on there. The only requirement of the challenge is I have to include all four of them someway into the story. Please give me some ideas and I will see what I can do. Thanks :)