Chapter 12
"Dueling the Death Eater again?" Ron asks when she gets back to their rooms.
"No, the substitute Potions professor," she says, ignoring the barb and keeping her tone pleasant. "He's quite good. Better than Malfoy, actually."
He looks her up and down. "Do you have to dress like that?"
"It's comfortable."
"I'm not particularly comfortable having other men looking at your arse."
She bites back the comment about Veelas and body parts that springs to mind, and goes into the bathroom to run a bath. While the tub is filling, she goes into the living room, casts the strongest Muffliato she can, and floo calls Harry.
"What's up, Mione?"
"Are you and Ron in the office or out in the field tomorrow?"
"I'm out most of the day, but Ron's in the office all morning finishing up some paperwork. Not sure about the afternoon. Why didn't you ask Ron?" He frowns. "Is he…out?"
"No, he's here. I just wanted to surprise him during my free period tomorrow. Don't tell him I asked, okay?"
"I won't," Harry smiles. "I'm glad you're, well, working on things, I guess."
"Me too," she says, then closes the connection, cancels the spell, and walks through the bedroom without so much as looking at Ron. In the bathroom, she Vanishes the steam from the mirror, closes her eyes, and concentrates. When she opens them, ice blue eyes framed by long, silver-blonde hair look back at her.
She's working on things, all right.
"Come in," Ron calls.
Hermione takes a breath, runs a hand through her Glamoured hair, and opens the door to the office Ron shares with Harry.
"Gabi!" Ron's face lights up and he stands and walks around his desk.
She closes the door behind her and smiles, hopes she doesn't have to do much talking, because she's not all that confident about the accent. She needn't have worried, as Ron has her pressed up against the door in a trice, his mouth on hers, hot and seeking. She channels her fury into the kiss, returning it ferociously.
"Couldn't wait till tonight?" he grins, unbuttoning her blouse. He misinterprets the growl that escapes her throat and says, "Aren't you the little wildcat today?" before taking her breast into his mouth.
"All right, that's quite enough of that," she says, ending the spell and putting her bra to rights. "I have what I came here for."
"Mione?" Ron gasps. "What the fuck?"
"It's a relief, actually," she says, and the funny thing is, she means it. Things have been so bad between them for so long, that she feels an unaccustomed sense of freedom. She went through the anger and betrayal and hurt the first time, with Rosmerta. Watching him with Gabrielle at dinner last night, she found she just didn't have the energy for it again. She was angry, but not enraged. She was sad, but not devastated. Mostly, she was just tired.
"Relief?" he says. "What are you talking about?"
"Not to have to pretend anymore. This marriage has become painful for both of us. The kids are nearly grown. There's no reason to keep on with it."
"You want a divorce?"
"Under the circumstances, it sort of goes without saying, don't you think?"
"No, I don't think. Weasleys don't get divorced."
"Ron, this isn't the Victorian age. Practically everyone gets divorced."
"Tell that to Mum."
"Really, Ron? You want to stay married to a woman you don't love anymore so your mummy won't be cross with you?"
"You tricked me," he says, changing tack. "That's unethical."
"Unlike shagging your brother's sister-in-law, which I suppose is fine?"
Ron's brows furrow like he's trying to figure something out. "Why aren't you more upset?"
"You want me to create a scene in the Ministry in the middle of the work day?"
"I want to know why you're happy our marriage is over, and not upset about Gabi." He gives her the Auror look. "Who is he?"
"Oh, for crying out loud, Ron."
"No, Mione, who is it? One of your pet Death Eaters? My money's on the old man, but it could be the ferret."
"You're insulting, and I have to get back to work."
"Or is it the bloke teaching Potions? You've been spending a lot of time with him."
"I'm only going to say this once, Ron. I have not been unfaithful to you. But I've had enough. I'm done. And what I do from here on out does not concern you, any more than what you do with that Veela—or anyone else for that matter—concerns me."
With that, Hermione turns and walks back toward the lobby and the Floos. She might just make it to her fourth year class on time if she hurries. Last time she had to run to the loo and leave that class unattended, her niece Felicity was setting off fireworks in the classroom when Hermione got back.