Getting Over It
Thank you my reviewers-
Amanda,
Morena-Forever,
illyria-light,
RandomSmirf13,
queenofdiamonds1
A/N – Just to it up and answer the few people who asked; yes this is an Oliver/Hermione fic, sorry I guess I forgot to put it on the summary.
Chapter 3
Party Time
Two pairs of small feet, thankfully shoeless, waked Hermione on a very sunny morning in July by jumping on her bed. It took her a moment to realise why, and then it hit her. Today was her twenty-ninth birthday. The feet were attached to her children Millie and Sam, who were getting quite heavy, she decided, and the person stood at the doorway holding the tray with her breakfast on it was Mark, on the rare chance that he wasn't working on the weekend. Birthdays and Christmas were the only times that Mark deemed it necessary to ask for time off. In fact, most of the time his boss would command that he took a holiday, as he had been working for too long and it wasn't good for his health. But that morning Hermione didn't care about that because he was there and it was going to be a good day.
Sam who then sat at her feet with a huge grin, waiting for her to unwrap it, dumped a heavy, scruffily wrapped, present in her lap. Hermione held it up and shook it, pretending to try to work out what was inside.
"I wonder what it could be?" She asked with an excited whisper that she knew made her children giggle, and sure enough they did as she began to peel off the paper.
It was a book titled, Common Magical Ailments and Afflictions, it contained all the cures for things like colds, flu and other viruses, as well as how to brew dreamless sleep potions and the spell to repair skin.
"I thought it would be a good idea, what with the kids getting bigger and more boisterous and Sam will start learning Quidditch next year, now you'll know what to do if they hurt themselves." Mark explained with a smile on his face.
She got a bracelet off Millie, which Mark told her would change colour due to her mood. It was, in fact the same thing she had considered buying Millie, as it was only a couple of Galleons.
Off Mark himself he gave her an envelope. Hermione opened it to find that there were three tickets inside, three Portkey tickets to Australia.
"I rented you a villa for a week, thought it would be good for you and the kids to get away." He told her with a smile.
"You're not coming too?" Hermione asked when she realised that there were four people in the family and only three tickets in her hand.
"Well I'll be working won't I? It's the week of half term after they all go bac to school; Sam will be in his first year of primary school and Millie will be in Hogwarts. It will be a treat for them after their first term." Mark explained to her like she too was a child.
"Oh." Hermione said with slight disappointment, she had wanted him to be with her.
"We're going to The Burrow for dinner tonight, remember." Hermione said as he ushered the children out of the bedroom and he started to climb down the staircase, probably to do a little work from home.
"Yes I know; I endure it every single year." He sighed as he walked away.
This grated on Hermione a little, he still didn't like Harry and Ron or any of his brothers, but he liked Ginny, of course, she was female and he could flirt with her. But Harry and Ron he didn't trust.
"They're boys, they wouldn't be friends with you unless they wanted something out of it." He often told her.
Very nice, Hermione thought in response to this comment, because no one could possible like me for my company of friendship, any male who buddies up to me must of course just want to get in my pants!
The thought upset Hermione, not only did her husband not like her friends; he didn't trust her to be with them. Whenever she met up with them, as she did about once every month, he would continually question her about what they did for the week after. Hermione had to give him a blow by blow account of all she had done, what she had eaten, what they had spoken about, where they had gone. Once he had even gotten as bad as to ask her what they had all been wearing.
He was so possessive of her, he chose all her clothes and if she bought something herself he would have to see it and decide if it was suitable before she was allowed to actually wear it. Some things were too 'provocative' he would tell her, they gave men the wrong signals and he didn't want that. So her wardrobe now consisted of baggy trousers, (no skirts allowed!) and loose, figure hiding jumpers and t-shirts.
Whenever Ginny had visited of the two of them would go shopping she would scold Hermione for giving in so easily and not standing up for herself more. But Hermione, secretly liked it, it showed that Mark still wanted her to be his only, meaning that he must still love her.
--
After eating the breakfast that Mark had prepared for her, burnt toast, cereal with milk that had gone bad days ago and a freezing cold cup of tea, Hermione dressed in the only top that she could find without food, crayon of other things belonging to her children smeared down the front to go with the pair of jeans that she hadn't had time to wash the night before.
Even though it was her birthday Hermione still had to do all the house work and look after the children until the babysitter arrived later that day while Mark sat in the garden scribbling away on a piece of parchment claiming to be working, the only time that he came back into the house was to tell Hermione that he wanted his lunch brought outside to him. She bit back all the moans and the comments that she wanted to make, as she always did, and instead smiled and said.
"Of course dear, I'll bring it out to you when it's ready."
Which she did while making her children's lunches, helping Sam draw a broomstick, telling Millie to put down her wand and trying to find her other shoe, the one she was sure she had seen Sam with earlier. It was a further hour until she herself sat down to eat.
--
The babysitter that they had hired arrived at five o'clock that evening, giving Hermione an hour to shower, dress and do her hair and make-up before they were expected to arrive at The Burrow, where her birthday dinner was being held.
Hermione was on time as usual; she had kept hold of her ability to be punctual when she had left school, which is always useful when you have two children. Mark had already lit a fire and taken the pot of Floo powder down off the top shelf when Hermione joined him and they stepped into the fireplace together to go to their destination.
"Hermione! Happy Birthday!" Mrs Weasley shrieked as soon as Hermione stepped out of the fireplace and into the kitchen of The Burrow.
"Thank you Mrs Weasly." Come the muffled response from where Hermione's face was pressed into Mrs Weasley's shoulder as she was hugged.
"Call me Molly, dear. Now how are you two darling little angels?" Molly asked as they walked through the kitchen and into the garden where everybody else was.
Mark followed silently behind; Hermione's friends disliked him almost as much as he did them. It made to awkward situations when Hermione was around as she still thought the world of Mark and wanted the others to also.
A cheer came from everyone stood outside as she stepped out of the house and in to the Weasley's spacious garden. All of the Weasley family, along with Harry stood waiting for her and broke into a loud rendition of 'Happy Birthday'. Harry, Ron and Ginny all rushed over to give her a hug and the presents that they had brought for her.
After a few minutes of small talk they all took their seats at the large table set up, creaking under the weight of all the food that Mrs Weasley had prepared. It was the most delicious meal Hermione could remember eating since the feasts that were served in Hogwarts.
--
Once they had all stuffed themselves with enough food they retired to the living room for butter beers. Hermione sat down on the soft, squishy sofa between Harry and Ron so she could have a long discussion with them about what they had been doing since she had last seen them.
Harry was telling her about him spilt from his long-term girlfriend, Evelyn, who had left him for another girl. He was completely crushed, not only had he loved her, he now thought that he had driven her to turning gay.
"Am I that bad a boyfriend that girls would rather go with other girls than be with me?" He wailed to her.
"Of course not." Hermione soothed placing her hand upon his shoulder, "It's not your fault. These things happen, Harry you didn't turn her, she's probably known for a long time but was just in denial."
"Four years!" He said for the fifth time that night, "I wasted for years on that girl, I thought we were going to settle down and get married. I was suspicious when she said she was sleeping at a friend's house but when I found out it was a female's house I didn't worry. That proved me wrong!"
"Oh come here mate." She said and wrapped him up in a comforting hug. "You'll find someone and she'll fall for your good looks and great personality and she'll never look at another man or woman again. I promise."
"I' going to hold you to that, and when I'm still alone at fifty I'm going to be able to say 'I told you so'." He grumbled, "It's ok for woman, if there along they just get a cat and say they're tired of the dating game. If a guy did that they'd be called gay."
"Hey!" Ginny gave a cry of protest. "I got a cat and I'm dating thank you very much; so you can take your harsh generalisation back please."
Ginny was still dating Dean Thomas. They had started dating in Ginny's fourth year but had broken up when Dean had left Hogwarts. When they had bumped into each other a few years earlier they happily started up their relationship again.
Ron was they only other one out of the four friends who was married. Had he tied the knot three years after Hermione had done so with a woman, Rachel, he had met at his work at the Ministry in the Department of The International Confederation of Wizards (ICW). She was a Translator and helped him on a case with some vampires. They had fallen in love and married after a year of dating. Rachel was now heavily pregnant with their first child. She and Hermione had grown close in the seven years that she had been in their group of friends.
"Hermione can I talk to you for a moment please?" Mark asked as he came over to where she was sat. He took her arm and led her from the room and out into the garden.
"What wrong?" She asked, concerned, as he looked very odd.
"Could you be any more bloody obvious?" He snapped as soon as the door was shut.
"What? What are you talking about?" She asked him, confused.
"If you were any closer to Harry you'd be bloody sitting in his lap!" He yelled.
"Of course I would don't be stupid!"
"You've been all over him all evening." Mark accused.
"I have not, he's my best friend and he's just come out of a relationship that ended badly, I was comforting. It's what friends do." She replied hotly, feeling annoyed that he didn't trust her.
"Ron could have done it!"
"Yes and he probably already has enough as he can see him whenever he wanted as his spouse isn't completely irrationally jealous every time he steps foot outside the bleeding door!" Hermione yelled back.
Usually when Mark was like this she would remain calm, sooth him until he stopped shouting, mainly because they were at home when the arguments arose and she didn't want the children to hear their parents fighting. But the children weren't there and her tongue had been loosened from a few drinks so Hermione was more than happy to let rip.
"I'm being irrational now am I?" Mark asked making sound like it was the worst insult that she could have ever thrown at him.
"Yes you bloody are! Get it into your thick head; Harry is my friend nothing more. I don't want there to be anything more to it and there never will be, you'd see that if you could ever trust me enough to spend time with him and Ron."
"Of course you don't want it to be anything more than that you love me, but he's single and he wouldn't be friends with you unless he wanted you." He said, falling back on the same argument that he always used.
"Oh for Merlin's sake! How many times do I have to say this before it sinks in? Harry and Ron and I are just friends NOTHING MORE!" She screamed at him.
"Well it sure as hell didn't look like that the way you were panting all over him tonight!" He screamed back "It was embarrassing you looked like a complete whore!"
Whack, at these words Hermione's hand cam flying up and slapped her husband round the face.
"How dare you!" She growled, "All the time you flirt with other woman, right in front of my face and I never say a thing because I trust you enough to think that if you love me then you'd never do anything."
"Well maybe you're just being an idiot then!" Mark spat and Hermione couldn't bear to even begin to think of the implications.
"Well maybe you should bugger off then, you wouldn't want to stick with a idiot now would you? " She screamed.
"Fine, I'll find someone who isn't going to drool over every male she sees like a desperate little dog!" He snapped and with a loud cracking sound he disapperated, leaving Hermione stood alone.
She stood completely still for a few seconds, then turned and walked back inside. In the living room everyone turned red as she looked at them and stared at the floor, not wanting to meet her eye. It was quite obvious that they had heard every word.
"Thank you for a wonderful evening Mrs Weasley but I think I should get back to the kids now. Thank you for the presents everyone." She said quietly and began to walk out the room.
"Hermione?" Ginny called after her and Hermione stopped and turned round to see what she wanted. "If you need to talk anytime soon just owl me and I'll be there in a flash ok?"
Hermione nodded, not trusting herself enough to speak without bursting into tears.