Day Nine

Rabastan wasn't as sneaky about keeping the morning newspaper from her as she thought he suspected he was. When she found him reading the day's headlines at the kitchen table over the simple breakfast he cooked for them both, he folded up the Daily Prophet just a little too quickly and thoroughly for it to be accidental. Hermione didn't care. It was sweet and unnecessary. She didn't need to read the words on the page herself to know that Rita Skeeter was up to her old tricks again.

Besides, she rather enjoyed him attempting to distract her from what would most likely infuriate and upset her with a searing good morning kiss. At the rate they were going, they weren't going to make it to the thirty days they initially agreed on. She didn't think she would mind if they had to renegotiate. After a little more than a week, she wasn't regretting accepting his proposal yet. Maybe they would get lucky and there wouldn't be any major issues.

"Now, I think it's best that you go downstairs to the shop before I…"

He cleared his throat as he gently pushed her away. There was no reason for him to explain what he meant. It was written all over his flushed face. If she just touched his hand in that moment, he would drag her to the bedroom or maybe just take her right there on the kitchen floor. She had to smile. Either option would be fun.

"I'll be taking a very cold shower."

Taking pity on the man, Hermione went downstairs to give him some time alone. Saturdays were nearly always busy regardless of the time of year. If there were going to be customers, they would most likely be coming that day. So hopeful was she that it would be a busy day, she hadn't sent an owl to either her manager Nicholas or Amelia, the witch who worked there part-time, that they wouldn't be needed that day. She very much hoped they would be.

Both of her employees were waiting for her when she descended the staircase. Nicholas seemed recovered from whatever imaginary illness he claimed to have to miss the day before. She didn't care nor even ask him if he was feeling better. The less said to the frustrating arsehole, the better. Immediately she set them to deep cleaning the shop. Even if there weren't any customers that day, they wouldn't stand around being idle. If they hated her for forcing them to do something so menial, she didn't care either. It wasn't as if she wasn't working right alongside them doing the exact same tasks. She had never been one of those bosses that asked their employees to do something they weren't willing to do themselves and she wouldn't start that day. Besides, the shop had been needing a thorough clean for awhile.

The bell above the shop door rang for the first time around noon. Excited and hopeful that maybe they were finally about to get a customer, Hermione had to try very hard to hide her disappointment when she saw it was just Ron. She finished cleaning the shelf she was nearly done with before crossing the shop to greet him. It was evident that he wasn't there to do some browsing amongst the stacks for a new book to read. She worried there would be some sort of embarrassing incident with her old friend before the visit was over. Though he had mellowed as he grew older, he still had the infamous Prewett temper.

"This is a pleasant surprise. Hello, Ron."

After she hugged her friend 'hello' and the required pleasantries were exchanged, he grew serious. Her fear that he was about to demand to speak to her husband returned. Wouldn't that scene just be one Nicholas would be glad to share with anyone who would listen?

"I'm sure you're busy, but I wonder if we could talk?"

"Of course."

Hermione started to lead him towards her office, but remembered what Nicholas said to Rabastan the day Kingsley came to visit. Unlike with the Minister, she did have a past with Ron that might make being alone in the office with the door closed inappropriate. Instead she chose to lead him up the stairs to the book loft. They could be easily seen from the others in the shop, but a silencing spell could keep their conversation from being overheard.

"I'm not going to waste your time, Hermione. I'm just going to be honest."

"Okay."

She felt her stomach flutter with nerves. Confrontation was never something she enjoyed and as it had been a long time since she had one with Ron, she was out of practice.

"It was very hurtful to read about your marriage in the newspaper."

There was no hint of anger in his statement, only pain and disappointment. One look into his blue eyes and she knew he was telling the truth. He wasn't angry, only sad.

"I know everything changed when we stopped dating and I'm really the one to blame for not handling that as well as I should have."

A bubble of laughter exploded out of her unexpectedly at his explanation. Seeing the humor in it too, the corner of Ron's mouth curled into its own smile. The failure of their relationship had been explosive and it was honestly a bit of a miracle they were ever able to speak to each other again after it ended. It took a few years to stop being awkward around the other, but no matter how hard they tried, they would never be able to go back to being the friends they were when they were younger. Love and sex and heartbreak often ruined friendships. They had been no exception.

"I think we were both at fault there, Ron, but I appreciate you saying so."

"It doesn't really matter. I just… I wish we still had the kind of friendship where you could tell me you were planning to marry a Death Eater to help him get out of Azkaban."

She had to laugh again. Just the way he said it so matter of factly was hilarious. He, thankfully, could find the humor in it too. It didn't take much encouragement before they were both chuckling.

"I never thought I'd be having this conversation with you, Hermione."

"And I never thought you would take this news calmer than Harry. He was almost out of his mind angry."

Ron chuckled.

"Anyone who thinks it's strange that Harry can't remain calm when he's upset clearly didn't know him in fifth year."

She had to smile. Yes, that had been one of their more uncomfortable years with Harry. It seemed like every few minutes their friend's mood was changing. Of course some of that had to do with the fact that he was sharing a weird mental connection with Lord Voldemort at the time, but a lot of it just had to do with him being an emotional teenage boy.

"I'm sure you've already been lectured by Harry, so I won't even bother. If you're happy and you are sure what you're doing is right, then I will trust you. Just know that I'll be the first one in line to hurt your husband if I find out he's hurt you."

"Yes, thank you. Rabastan is well aware that I have many people who will end his life painfully if he doesn't treat me well."

Ron exhaled in what she hoped was relief. Their conversation had gone far better than she expected it would. Before they went downstairs and ended the visit, he pulled her into his arms for a hug. It meant a lot to her that after everything, he still cared about her. When they stepped back and headed for the stairs, they could see Nicholas watching them from the corner of the shop he was supposed to be cleaning. Ron wouldn't take another step until he leaned over to whisper a warning into her ear.

"Be careful around that one. Part of the reason I came today was to tell you that I suspect he's been talking to reporters about what he's seen here."

That, unfortunately, made an awful lot of sense. She thought Nicholas might talk to the newspapers even without promises of payment just because he hated her so much. When they reached the bottom of the stairs, she was pleased to see Rabastan entering the room. Hermione waved him over to introduce him formally to her former best friend and ex-boyfriend. Seeing Ron not even hesitate to shake his hand calmed her down considerably. If the two of them could get along, maybe there was hope for the future with everyone else.

"Now, before I leave, Pansy gave me a list of books that she insisted I bring home. Do you think you could help me?"

Gladly, Hermione took the list out of his hand to find the books his wife requested. It was a kind gesture on Pansy's part too. The two women still had their differences after all of these years, but she appreciated that in her own way, Pansy was offering her own support. No doubt she was fully aware that there was a boycott going on. At least they finally had a customer after an entire week.

Later that night as they sat across from each other at the kitchen table over another delicious meal Rabastan prepared, Hermione answered the questions he had about her old friendships. He wasn't all that bothered to learn that Ron was her ex. It seemed to upset him more that her friendships weren't as strong as they used to be.

"Everything changed after the war, honestly. Harry and Ron went off to auror training and I went back to Hogwarts. We drifted apart. Ron and I thought we could date too and that just didn't work out. We made better friends, but by the end of the relationship, the friendship was changed too."

"Most people don't stay friends with the same friends they had in school all their life."

"I know that. No one else seems to understand that." She sighed. "Everyone always assumes that the three of us are still as close as we always were. We're not. After the war ended and the constant threat of dying stopped hanging over our heads, we could relax, figure out who we really were."

She didn't want to say what she was really thinking, but thought that if she couldn't tell her husband, who could she tell? For years, she'd kept her feelings to herself.

"Sometimes I hate Harry and wish I was never his friend. My life wouldn't have been so complicated. I'd probably still have my parents."

"Yes, that's true, but without you, he would likely not have been able to defeat the Dark Lord. I think we all owe you a great deal for what you did."

Hermione shrugged her shoulders. Whenever her part in the war was brought up, it inevitably made her uncomfortable. She was just doing what she thought was right, supporting her best friend. It didn't seem like such a big deal at the time. When she considered all of the sacrifices that she made, it made her bitter. She didn't want to think about how much she did.

Thankfully, Rabastan was perceptive enough to understand when she was done with a difficult conversation. He changed the subject to something amusing he read in the newspaper that morning about the Ministry. Before long, they were both laughing and the anger she felt in her stomach, began to lessen.