Chapter 27
As usual, it was clear that Molly and Arthur had done quite some effort to make sure Rose had a great birthday party, as they always did for all of their grandchildren on their respective birthdays. Hermione noticed several paper lanterns with magical lights in them hanging from posts. With a tiny smile of gratitude for the work of her ex-mother-in-law, she noted they were shaped like Rose's favorite animal ── a butterfly ── and various in their size and their color. The Weasleys had placed long tables in the grassy yard, as they did very often with parties. Their kitchen was too small for both family and friends if they, too, were invited. Molly lifted her gaze up from laying the last sparkly tablecloth as Hermione neared her. "Would you like some help?" Hermione asked.
"Oh no, dear," Molly said, and she cast a warm smile up at the younger Gryffindor as she did, "I'm already finished," she clarified, then leaned in and hugged Hermione tightly before briefly pecking her on the cheek as a way to wish her welcome.
Hermione returned the gesture. Once again, she felt a big wave of gratitude for the Weasley matriarch. She knew that it had been hard for her ex-mother-in-law to accept Ron and hers divorce, but that had never changed how the older Gryffindor treated her, for she still did so with just the same kindness. Neither Molly nor Arthur had blamed Hermione for it all, either. Hermione and Molly had had a long talk about the matter the week after she had announced that Ron and she had decided to separate on a trial period, to take some time and evaluate what had happened to their marriage on their own and in their own time. Molly knew that the decision had not been made rashly at all. She would have liked for them to remain married, but she was very well aware that her ex-daughter-in-law had made any and all effort to save their relationship, and the same just couldn't be said for her son.
Hermione Jean Granger remembered the day she told him that they should take a break for a while very well. It hadn't been very unlike the conversation they had had the day before: scarlet ears, angry screams...
"What did you do that for?! I──"
"Ron..." she interrupted the father of her children when he yelled at her for turning off the television ── she swore he didn't even like Muggle football, though. "We have to talk," she stated as she let her back rest against the TV closet and looked him right in the eye.
Ron's eyes rolled as he suspected she was only going to lecture him about not helping more in the household again. She had scolded him that morning when she walked in the bathroom when he was taking a shower and saw that he had thrown all of his dirty clothes right on the floor instead of sorted them like she had asked him to do so often already in the dirty clothes baskets. Like usual, Ron had stated that he would do it after his shower, but she had doubted him and had told him that, as he didn't really make any contribution to the housework in any other way either and that fact wasn't likely to change, he could at least do that. He hadn't done it after his little shower either, and Hermione had had to pick up his dirty clothes and sort them herself.
"I..." Hermione started. She sighed. She chewed her lip. It didn't help her. There was no other way to say what she knew she had to ── or not without the seriousness of the situation somehow getting compromised, at least. She spoke. "I'm not happy, Ron. I haven't been for many years really. Therefore, I would like for us to try live separately, for a little while, so that we can re-evaluate what we expect from this and see if it is possible."
"A separation?!" Ron had exclaimed at the top of his lungs.
"Only for a while, maybe... I just, I need some me-time to re-evaluate this marriage right now. I need a bit of distance to do so."
Hermione had hoped that a bit of alone-time would have made Ron realize that they had to work on their marriage. He hadn't. At first, she had had hope that just maybe they could have a clean slate and go from there and be the people, the couple, they had been when they first got together, but as the months slowly passed, that feeling had dissipated. After nearly a year and no more hope, she had told him that she saw no future for them as a couple anymore. Ron and she signed the divorce papers weeks later. It hadn't been easy, but to her, it had felt like the only right decision in their situation.
Like the alone-time then, she had very much needed the day before ── no obligations, no stress. Before noon, Hermione had visited a few shops in Diagon Alley, and, after noon, she had shopped in Muggle London. She had gotten a few things for herself and some new towels and sheets and covers for Hugo and Rose, for the move. She got Rose's birthday gift in Muggle London, ordered long before: a large art box with sixty oil-based pastels, paints and pencils and a sundry of other items that she could draw and paint with. Additionally, Hermione had bought half a dozen canvases for her to draw and paint on.
"Are you all right, dear?" Molly asked when she saw the look in Hermione's eyes: faraway, unfocused.
Hermione blinked. "Oh. Of course," she said. "I'm sorry."
Molly smiled. "Go ahead," she said. "Everyone's inside."
Hermione smiled, as well. She made for the door only to pause for a moment when she reached the doorframe. While she really liked getting quality time with her children and friends and family, for she saw the Weasleys as such still, she wasn't too fond of having to see Ron so soon after their row. She stilled her nerves and hoped for the best as she walked into the kitchen. When she stepped in the room, she noticed her ex immediately, as well as their children, with Harry and Ginny and their three children right across from them at the large table, and George and Bill and their respective wives and children scattered across the rest of the room. The Gryffindor brunette suspected that Charlie and Percy had other commitments, with the first still in Romania and Percy and his family in Germany to visit with his in-laws. Arthur was seated in his usual chair at the end of the table. He was laughing at Lily's childish antics.
"Hello."
Immediately, a chorus of greetings from all sides rose in response. Ron's gaze fell to the carpet when his ex-wife's eyes lingered on him. As she walked up to the others, she hoped he would just act like an adult tonight and be sensible.
He did for most of the evening only.
