AN: This is the rewritten version of 'The Weasleys' Hatred', redone because of the expressed opinions of reviewers who felt the chapter was inadequate.

Just so that it's clear, I am in no way promoting the use of drugs for recreational purposes. Don't do it, kids! I am however of the opinion that drugs play an important role in the development of many teenagers, and as such, I have included them in this story for that purpose. If drug fics interest you, go read 'The Battle Within', another one of my one-shots.

Please enjoy! This is written for your enjoyment as much as my own.

Disclaimer: Don't own any of the characters or anything even remotely related to the Harry Potter Franchise, except my own copies of the books and some merchandise.

Confronting the Weasleys

The kids were all safely back at Hogwarts and Teddy was thriving in his new job as a musician (Harry unaware that his business with Scorpius was paying for his new 'career') playing guitar by day (and dealing drugs by night). He'd moved in with Harry and Ginny since there were three empty bedrooms anyway. So even though there was another person in their house, he was hardly there, what with his jobs.

Harry could finally concentrate on the task at hand. . . Talking to Ginny about their marriage. It had been ages since they'd had an honest, open discussion where they didn't skirt around the edges. Usually they just ignored their problems, sweeping them under the rug in hopes that they'd go away. Obviously, the never did.

Harry wasn't sure if he wanted to divorce Ginny or not. They had a history, and there was no doubt in his mind that he loved her. He just wasn't in love with her. He had no idea what he would say to her when they finally spoke, but he resolved to just be honest. He owed her that much.

Eventually, Harry worked up the courage. "Gin? Can we talk?" he asked timidly, cornering her after a long day at work. He knew she was probably tired – he was too – but he couldn't avoid her any longer.

"Not now, Harry. I've had a long day" she said predictably. She threw her bag on the kitchen counter and put the kettle on.

"Ginny. We need to talk" Harry said firmly, giving her an imploring look.

She was startled by his sudden conviction. "About what?" she asked, stopping her tea-making procedure to turn and face her husband.

"Our marriage" Harry said solemnly.

Ginny cocked an eyebrow. "What about it?" she asked, crossing her arms in what Harry recognized to be her defensive stance. She wasn't going to make this easy.

"You know that I love you and that I care about you a lot" Harry started nervously.

"I don't want another child, Harry. Three are enough, if that's what you're getting at"

"No!" Harry corrected, horrified by her presumption. "Neither do I. . . That's not where I was going at all"

"Good" Ginny said, nodding. "Than what is it?" she pressed, getting impatient.

"Do you think you could be happier with someone else?" Harry asked.

Ginny's eyes went wide. "You're my husband. . . I'm happy with you"

"Are you really, though?"

"I'm happy enough" Ginny huffed, looking as though she might cry. She wasn't the aggressive woman that screamed at her son for being gay; now she was a scared wife who was watching her marriage come undone.

"I'm not, Gin" Harry said. He didn't want to hurt her but he'd promised honesty.

Ginny nodded in understanding, all the fight gone out of her. She looked down and bit her lip, holding back tears. "Is there someone else that makes you happier?"

"I don't know" Harry replied, again, in honesty. "I'm not sure"

"I'm sorry I couldn't be what you needed" Ginny said through a sob.

"Ginny" Harry moved forward and wrapped his arms around her. She went stiff for a moment before melting down and crying into Harry's chest. He was tempted to say, "it's not you, it's me" but decided against it. "You were always perfect" he crooned softly into her hair instead. "This is no one's fault"

After a few moments she quieted down and stepped back. "Where do we go from here?" she wiped her eyes.

"Maybe we should spend some time apart and just . . . see what happens" Harry suggested, conjuring a tissue for his wife.

"And the kids? What do we tell them?" Ginny was calm. This was nothing like when she found Albus in bed with Scorpius. That had been a reflection on her parenting. This was a reflection on her marriage, which she'd worked so hard to preserve, but Harry's happiness was more important than image. If only she could apply the same logic to Albus's situation.

"The truth" Harry replied.

Ginny nodded and managed a small smile for him. As hard as this was, she knew in her heart this was the right thing.

*

Harry thought the hard part was over, but he knew deep down that only half the battle had been fought; now he had to tell Ron. Ginny hadn't freaked out. . . She'd been compliant and understanding and she hadn't, despite Harry's initial assumption, made it hard for him.

He'd been prepared for the fury of one hotheaded Weasley. Well, he got it. . . Just not from the Weasley he'd expected.

Harry wrung his hands nervously as he paced up and down his kitchen; that seemed to be the main location of conflict nowadays. Ron was coming over.

There were twenty minutes before he'd arrive, still. Harry wasn't sure how his long-time friend would react; he just hoped the redhead would stick by his side. The way he saw it, there were two ways Ron could approach this situation: one, he could bring drinks and offer to drown their sorrows together, or two, he could storm in here in a rage and ask what the fuck is going on with him and Ginny.

After what felt like an hour, the doorbell rang and Harry rushed to let him in. "Ron!" he greeted with a grin, giving his friend a one-armed hug.

"Don't 'Ron!' me, Harry!" Ron pushed Harry away. "What the fuck is going on with you and Ginny?"

'Oh' thought Harry. 'It's THAT approach'

"How could you do this to my little sister?! All these years you've been together! Your lives are perfect!" Ron yelled at Harry.

Harry sighed. This would end badly, he could just tell. "Hi, Hermione" he added with a false smile, waving at the witch that had been obscured by her husband.

"Hi Harry" she said meekly, with a small, reassuring smile. 'Sorry about this' she tried to say with her eyes.

"Why are you giving up on her?" Ron interrupted their brief exchange. He sounded wounded and angry and confused all at once.

"I'm not giving up. . . I'm accepting what's been staring us in the face for months. Years! We're not in love any more, Ron! Even Ginny admitted it. We haven't been happy for a long time" Harry tried to explain. It was hard enough, losing Ginny as his wife (once again: he did love her. But not as a husband should) but now he was losing his oldest friend too?

"But you were! Everyone's jealous of your life together" Ron just didn't understand. Hermione just put her head in her hands. They were still standing in the entrance.

"It was all a lie, okay? We made a perfect home that everyone would approve of, that everyone would expect! But underneath, we were two miserable people who shouldn't be married! Not to each other at any rate"

"But we were friends" Ron said sadly, putting his hands on Harry's shoulders and shaking him to iterate the point.

"We ARE friends, Ron! Don't do this" Harry pleaded. He needed his best friend's support, not to have him throw their friendship away.

"YOU don't do this" Ron spat, letting his hands fall to his sides.

Harry and Ron were both exhausted. No consensus had been reached, as the two school-mates each believed themselves to be right. Hermione was unusually unhelpful, choosing to withhold her opinion. She refused to get involved. She was both Harry and Ginny's friend, and she wanted them both to be happy; but at the end of the day, Ron was her husband and she would stick by him. So when he left, she left too.

Harry sighed in exasperation. It had been a difficult day. And all he could think of was a certain blonde's face; that smile that made everything better.

AN: Gosh I'm really sorry that Ginny's character is so inconsistent! I just feel like she would be pretty unstable beneath the surface of her 'perfect' façade.

Next Chapter: Of Tattoos and Magic

They seemed to have separated on a note that indicated they might salvage their friendship, if not their marriage.

. . .to be continued!