Lost in Translation

Chapter Eleven

Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter or any related characters.

A/N: Hello again! Lots of writing time this weekend, which allows for lots of updates! Thank you all, as always, for the reviews so far. I love reading all of the theories about what might be coming. This chapter might hurt a little, as it hurt me writing it, but another update will be coming very soon! Hang in there :)

I was lost and found

Like a lonely glove nobody cares about

But you saw, something worth having

You picked me up, tugged on my heart strings

But I'm still cold inside

Maybe we could try

Somewhere down the line

But I still need some time

Before we burn each other up

Before we lose our minds

Before I'm not enough, for you

Baby I need some time

Before you break my heart

Oh before we need to talk

Before we even start, all I'm saying is

I'm sorry I didn't call

Before - Ulrik Munther

Angry

Ron arrived at the Ministry on Monday morning, hot-tempered, marching intentionally towards his boss' office, as he gripped the paper lodged within his hand tightly.

"Ah, Mr. Weasley, come in!" Robards greeted Ron enthusiastically upon arrival.

"Sir, I've run across something that you should see." Ron handed the piece of paper in his hands over to Robards, who put on his glasses and reviewed it.

"Hm. And you found this where?"

"It was actually found on the ground in Diagon Alley. Sir, I think we need to do a cross examination of the handwriting, see if we can connect it to Belinda Williams, or even Declan Ritter."

"Yes, yes, that is a good idea. You should know, Mr. Weasley, that we were able to confirm Saturday evening that Robert Hastings was an accomplice to Mr. Ritter in a previous case. They were both indicted with the torture of Alice Stronghold, a muggleborn, just prior to the Battle of Hogwarts. He is currently being held at Azkaban. We were able to catch him before he left the gala Saturday evening." Ron briefly wondered how the other aurors managed to capture Hastings without his awareness, but then recalled how abruptly he left the event with Hermione by his side. Ron's face flushed as he thought back to the evening and it reminded him of the other reason why he wanted to speak to Robards.

Ron sighed out loud. "Sir, there is something else I wanted to talk about."

"Oh?"

"I think...it would be best if Miss Granger were to be dismissed from the case."

Robards stared at him intently for a moment. "May I ask why?"

"At the gala Saturday night, Miss Williams threatened Hermione. Her specifically. I know we already discussed using Hermione as bait to draw Ritter out, and I think that's working, but she's too far into this now. I'm not sure we have the team it requires to properly protect her in the event something goes wrong."

"I see your point and I hear you. I will assign two other aurors to assist with the raid," Robards commented. Wait, what?

"So you're still thinking she should go into the field?" Ron asked incredulously.

"I think…" Robards paused, "I shall speak with her first to debrief her on the situation and let her decide for herself if she feels she is not protected enough to handle the case any further. It is only fair."

"I don't think…"

"I will discuss this with her, Weasley."

"But, sir…"

"That will be all for now." Ron's shoulders slumped as he backed out of the room in frustration. Well shit.

Ron stomped into the Auror offices, breathing heavily, as he slumped himself down in his seat. Harry watched him barge in with eyebrows raised. "Whoa, what happened to you mate?"

"I don't wanna talk about it," Ron mumbled and attempted to busy himself with the paperwork on his desk. "Bloody Robards."

Harry leaned forward. "So you just had a chat with the big man?"

"Tried to get Hermione off the case and it backfired."

"Did….something happen between you two?"

"She just has no business being that involved. She isn't properly trained," Ron gritted his teeth in agitation.

Harry observed how tightly Ron was holding his quill. "...and that's the only reason?"

"She's also a bloody menace."

"Ron - what else happened?"

"Fine...we shagged okay? Saturday night, after the work event."

Harry's eyes bulged out. "You're serious?"

"Yeah."

"And - it, er, wasn't good?" Harry asked cautiously, afraid to inquire too much.

"It was…bloody amazing," Ron confessed.

"So - what's the issue here?"

"The issue is she just up and left the next morning like it all meant nothing...oh yeah, and she's got another bloke that she is into." You hypocrite, he thought in his mind, but he didn't dare say it out loud.

Harry winced. "You have a right to be upset, Ron. She clearly hurt you. But...I don't know how wise it is to take it out on her professionally….you know this isn't going to end well. As soon as she finds out what you've said…"

"Ronald Weasley," Ron jumped in his seat at the harsh tone. Whispers of curiosity rang out amongst the cubicles of his fellow aurors. Oh bloody hell, here we go. "I need to speak with you now, in private." Someone nearby let out a low whistle.

Hermione stood before him, arms crossed with a flaming look on her face. "Actually, I'm a bit busy now so..." Ron started.

"I wasn't asking," Hermione cut in darkly, spinning on her heel and striding out the door. Murmurs of disbelief and low chuckles filled the room.

Ron gave Harry a pained look, who was quite obviously holding in his laughter. "You've done it now, mate," Harry muttered.

Ron gave him a quick flip of the bird before sauntering off after Hermione.

Ron followed Hermione down the hall at a safe pace behind her. She opened the door to her office and gestured for him to step inside with pursed lips. Ron avoided all eye contact as he slipped past her, shoving his hands into the pockets of his pants as he heard Hermione slam the door shut behind her.

They stood on opposite sides of the room in tense silence. Hermione pinched the bridge of her nose and took a deep breath. "I don't even begin to know what to say to you right now."

"Well, that's a first."

"Ronald, you are…" Hermione paused, trying so hard to find the right words.

"Go on, " Ron muttered.

"Why? Why are you trying to get me off this case?" Hermione questioned in almost a whisper. "Is it - is it because I left you yesterday morning after we…"

The implications of that statement made Ron's chest tighten up. "That is absolutely not why and you bloody well know that."

"Well, if it's not that, then…"

"Did Robards not show you what I found?" Ron cut in.

Hermione regarded him with a curious look, tilting her head. "No, quite frankly, I didn't give him much time to explain past him mentioning you wanted me off the case before I disappeared in a fit of rage to come find you."

Ron sighed and backed up towards the door. "You should go back and have him tell you."

"Oh no you don't!" Hermione called out, making Ron's hand freeze on the door handle. "I'm still talking to you!"

"I said what I said to Robards and I don't regret it because it's for your own protection."

"I don't remember ever asking you to protect me!" Hermione shouted back.

A pained expression flickered across Ron's face and Hermione immediately softened. He's trying to protect me.

"You're angry at me. I get it. You have a right to be," Hermione acknowledged in a calmer voice. "But, what happened Saturday night, was impulsive and irresponsible of us...we got rather caught up…" Hermione fumbled with her words, trying yet failing to explain herself.

"Was that all this..." Ron pointed his finger between them as he drew closer to her, "...was to you Granger? A moment of weakness in a fit of frustration?"

Hermione flinched as Ron intentionally called her formally by her last name.

"Got yourself wound so tight you went looking for a good fuck?" Ron continued darkly, Hermione's eyes widening with disbelief at the harshness of his words. She thought she saw a brief flash of regret in Ron's eyes, although it dissolved back into anger quickly.

"You unimaginable bastard..." Hermione whispered, tears threatening to fall from her eyes, her hand coming up fast to swipe Ron's cheek. He caught her wrist at the last second, holding it near her head, as he stared stonily into her eyes. "I wouldn't, if I were you…"

"I should slap you for what you just said…" She whispered, shaking from the sudden closeness. She could feel Ron's ragged breath hot against her face.

"I know," he responded in honest agreement. They stood unmoving for several seconds. The attraction between them was undeniable. Hermione bit her lip, her heart beating wildly in her chest, and despite all of the anger she currently felt towards him she seemed to want nothing more than to grab his face forcefully and kiss him full on the mouth. And so that is what she did.

Ron growled in response, reaching low to grab her waist and hoist her up onto her desk. He reached for his wand in his back pocket and flew silencing and locking charms towards the door before letting his wand clatter to the ground. He kissed her ravenously, moving his lips roughly down her neck and towards her collarbone.

Hermione tilted her head back to allow him access and moaned loudly as she fisted his shirt in her hands. His hands moved lower to cup her bum as he pressed his body into hers so that she felt the hardness between them.

His lips traveled back to hers and she opened her mouth as his tongue thrust inside, kissing her deeply. Ron felt Hermione's fingers on the buttons of his trousers and he grunted as she released the clasp and pulled his pants down to his knees roughly.

Hermione gasped as his hands gripped the hem of her skirt and hiked it up towards her stomach. She whimpered loudly as his fingers slid in between the lines of her knickers and skin, aggressively rubbing her wet folds. He shoved her knickers to the side and Hermione quickly located her wand behind her on her desk to mutter a fast contraceptive charm. She barely finished uttering the words before Ron entered her with a swift thrust.

They groaned together in pleasure, letting their bodies take over in an attempt to release the pent up frustration that had been building steadily. Hermione met Ron's thrusts evenly, letting him slide in and out of her vigorously as she listened to the sounds of her arse banging against the rickety old wood of her desk.

"Fuck you, Hermione," Ron roared gruffly in her ear.

"Fuck you too, Ronald," she panted back.

Their mutual release was building and Hermione let her head fall back as he thrusted quicker and deeper. Their deep moans reverberated around the room.

"Agh-shit…" Ron cursed, spilling into her as he continued to pump in and out, letting Hermione come to her own orgasm.

Ron's body slumped over hers on the table, both gasping for air as their bodily movements stilled. And all too soon, Ron was pulling out of her, hastily pulling up his pants and buckling his fly.

Hermione studied his movements, hesitantly lowering and flattening out her skirt. She reached up to straighten out her curls, which were haphazardly sticking out on several ends. "Ron…" she murmured, her eyes watering.

But he had already turned to exit out the door, not waiting or bothering to listen to what she had to say.

Ron Weasley. Hermione Granger. Eliminate.

Hermione stared down at the note she was now holding in her trembling hands in Robards' office. "This is what Ron found?" Hermione mumbled in a strained voice.

"Yes," he confirmed.

"Then it's not just me who is in danger here…" Hermione didn't like the growing pit in her stomach that she felt after reading Ron's name on the piece of paper. She couldn't help but feel like Ron's position in this important mission was now compromised because of her.

"Miss Granger, I understand that since we asked you to be a part of this mission, that things have...accelerated...more quickly than originally intended. If you would prefer to return to a consult only position on the case, I would understand. If you would like to continue moving forward as planned, I will allow you to do so with the proper training and debriefing on protocols as promised."

"Can I…" Hermione paused, taking a deep breath. "Can I take tonight to think about it?"

"Of course," Robards nodded and Hermione turned to leave the room. "Miss Granger?"

Hermione turned her head to meet his eyes. "I will expect both you and Mr. Weasley in my office, first thing tomorrow morning. There are some other matters we also need to discuss."

Nodding silently, Hermione left the room, feeling completely weighed down by confusion, regret, and fear.

The bell chimed on the door signaling Hermione's entrance into the secondhand bookshop. Mr. Bennison looked up to greet the person arriving and immediately frowned after seeing the expression on her face.

"Oh dear, is everything alright?"

"I'm not sure," Hermione attempted a weak smile as she sat down into her usual seat. "But, I think some writing will help."

Wordlessly, Mr. Bennison located the journal from behind his desk and handed it to her. "I'll leave you to your thoughts, then."

Hermione thanked him quietly, before opening the journal to the next blank page.

Dear Billy,

Words can't express how sorry I am for not writing back sooner. The last few days have been quite confusing for me and I didn't feel like it would be fair for me to dump all of my problems on you. Now, I'm realizing that I can't hide behind those problems no matter how much I want to just crawl under the covers and make it all go away. Have you ever felt like that?

I'm not sure I'm ready to say exactly what is going on, as I'm not sure I have quite sorted that all out myself, but someday soon, I do hope to be able to share more with you.

I really value your friendship a lot and I just really wanted you to know that. Thank you for being here for me. I hope that you feel the same way and that you will want to still continue writing to me. I know I would like that very much.

Jeanie