2008
CHAPTER 4: a niggle
Hermione looked down at her son and then up at rons shocked expression
"we cant talk now, my fiancé will be here soon"
"your what?"
if possible Ron looked even more shocked than 10 seconds before
"ill explain all of it tomorrow, ill meet you back here at 11 okay?"
Hermione was looking around guiltily and quickly, searching for someone, looking worried, urgently, she shoed Ron away
Sat in a coffee shop the next morning neither knew quite what to say
"so, what have you been doing the last few years then?"
Hermione said, making a vane attempt at conversation
"im studying to become an aura, final exams are soon, im living just down the road from here, the landlords a muggle but that's life… fred and gorges joke shops still doing well, but I suppose you would have heard that any way"…
"no actually" Hermione stared down at her coffee, stirring it listlessly and way more than needed
"no I haven't, I, well, I haven't heard anything from the magical world for the last 3 years"…
Ron almost choked on his cake
"why the bloody hell not?"
Hermione shrugged, once again looking slightly guilty
"I don't know, I thought it would be safer and, well, I didn't want to run in to you"
"why? Why not?"
"because of si', I thought you'd hate me, hate him"
Ron's cake was crushed in his fist, his knuckles were white, but this was the only way he was showing his emotions
"you didn't even give me a chance to do that did you? Not that I would have, but you obviously don't need me now, your engaged to someone else, I bet he looks after you both just fine"
Ron pushed his chair back, ready to get up and leave but Hermione shot out a hand to stop him
"no, no, Ron, he doesn't even know im a witch Ron" tears began rolling down her face "he doesn't even now that the magic world exists, Ron, he doesn't even know my real name"
2005
Hermione blushed a deep red as professor McGonagall's words washed over her, she wasn't shouting, that's what made it worse, she couldn't tell the professor what was wrong, couldn't tell her about how she spent every moment wanting ron with every particle of her body, how the halls could be full of mass murderers on there nightly rounds and they wouldn't notice, they were so wrapped up in each other, how her homework was being neglected, her class work getting sloppy and most of all she couldn't tell her about a new, niggling, little worry forming in the back of her mind…