A/N: I've almost finished NaNoWriMo! 4227 words to go. I'm going to be out for most of the day tomorrow, so I won't have any time to write then, but I will get it done in time.

"The two of you need to sort this thing out," Harry announces one morning over a breakfast of scrambled eggs on toast. The house feels quiet and empty without Teddy, who stayed the night at his grandmother's, but he appreciates the chance to talk to Hermione without interruption. As much as he adores the young boy, he wouldn't want him present for this. "It's getting ridiculous; you haven't talked to one another in months. I talked to the twins about it and they suggested locking you in a room together until you make up – "

Her food is halfway to her mouth when she freezes, looking at him incredulously. "You honestly think that would help? We'd probably end up maiming one another within the first hour."

" – but I vetoed the idea." A sheepish grin spreads across his face, and he admits, "I think they just wanted to see how long it'd take for the two of you to break – and what you'd hex Ron with."

"At least they assume I'd win." She slips the food in her mouth and chews it while she gathers the strength to say, "Speaking of, though, ah… How is Ron?"

Harry hesitates. They've all been avoiding the topic for the most part, not wanting to travel to that awkward place of conversational discomfort. It has made it difficult for him, forcing him to split his time between them. Even though he has resigned himself to it, he can tell that they both still care deeply about and miss one another, and he hates seeing them suffer in silence. "He's been better," he says cautiously, not sure how to best sum up Ron's emotional state, "but he is getting there."

"Good," she replies, relief colouring her tone. "But do you think he would actually be willing to talk? There's no use meeting up with him if he just wants to argue about how wrong I was for dumping him."

His first instinct is to reassure her that he would indeed be ready to talk to her, but he resists the urge and forces himself to think it through first. From what the Auror has said, he does seem healed enough for it. But, then again, he thought they were both ready the last time, too, and that ended with the two of them screaming at one another about whether or not she had been right to end it, so he knows that there is a very good chance that he is wrong this time as well. "I honestly don't know. He wants to talk – he hates this as much as you do – but I don't know if he'd be able to keep calm about it. Or if you would, for that matter."

"I can if he can."

"Then try." Harry shrugs before going back to his meal. "The worst thing that can happen is you'll be even more put out with one another and just keep not talking."

He watches Hermione out of the corner of his eye, not wanting her to feel pressured but impatient for her decision. Her expression is thoughtful as she stares down at her half-empty plate, worrying away at her bottom lip. Regret rushes through him at the sight; if they had held off on the first post-breakup meeting, this one might have been easier for everyone.

Still, as she nods to herself decisively and returns to eating her meal, he can't help but hope that this one will work out better than the last.

Surely it can't go any worse.