As she enters the room, her smile widens "Oh Min, I've missed you" she begins. But then she takes in the rest of the room, the suitcase on the bed, my tear stained face "what's going on?" She questions.
I take her in, she's wearing different clothes to the ones I saw at the ministry in Ronalds office, her eyes look truly worried as she looks me over. She goes to take a step closer, but I raise my hand
"Please don't, Hermione" I whisper brokenly.
She looks confused. "Min, please, what's the matter? What's happened? Why have you packed all your things?" her hands are out in front of her, palms up, "talk to me, please" she begs. "Are you…..Are you leaving me?" She asks with a tremble in her voice.
I feel my anger getting ready to boil over
"Damn right I am, after what I saw at the Ministry no more than an hour ago. How could you, Hermione? How could you do that to me?" I shout, tears filling my eyes with my anger.
"Do what? What did you see?" She asks, baffled.
"Pull the other one, it has bells on." As if she's trying to deny it. "I saw you in Ronalds office, getting fucked" I scream "watching Ronald with his hands all over you, hearing you moan as he fucked you up against the wall" I wail, a few sparks fly from my wand. I haven't been this angry for years.
"I beg your pardon? Ron and I, having sex? Are you crazy?" She asks complexly mystified.
I can't see past my anger so I say "Quickly Ron I need you" I mock in her tone. "No im not fucking crazy, I'm absolutely fuming" I breath harshly through my nose, my eyes darting around her face, waiting for the inevitable bow of the head as she realises I caught her out.
"I have no idea what you saw Min, but it wasn't me. I swear it to you" her eyes are looking straight at me, imploring me to believe her. "I flooed into the ministry, went straight to the international travel registry office and then came straight here. I haven't seen Ron today. I wouldn't cheat on you Min. I love you" Her voice breaks on the last part, tears have gathered in her eyes. "If you really think so little of me, and my feelings for you maybe you should leave" she turns from the room, and stalks down the hall. I hear a cabinet open in the kitchen, a glass hit the table. The glug of a bottle's contents being emptied. I then hear the bottle hitting the wall and smashing into pieces.
"How dare you?" She screams as she makes her way back towards the bedroom "how dare you accuse me of fucking Ron. After everything I've told you, everything that happened, how could you think that I could do that? How?" Tears are streaming down her cheeks, there's a fire in her eyes. "It wasn't me, Min." She finishes as she slides down the wall, defeated. "Just go, if you're going" she whispers.
I lift the suitcase from the bed, and as I walk past Hermione says
"If you walk out that door, don't ever come back"
I hesitate on the threshold. I don't want to leave. But I don't know if I can get past the betrayal. I turn to leave, and my arm swipes across my inner pocket and I remember the ring that's inside. I reach inside and pull the box out. I open the lid and admire the glint of the light from the diamond in the centre. I place the box on the dresser and say "goodbye Hermione" and walk down the hall. I glance into the dining room, and see it still set up with the candles and roses and the best china, tears pool in my eyes again. I sigh and make my way towards the front door, ready to leave, when Trixie appears before me
"Mistress, please. Don't do this. Miss Hermione wouldn't do this to you" she implores me. She's ringing her little hands together. "She's telling the truth, Mistress" and then she's gone.
"Min, wait!" Hermione comes running down the hall "I swear to you, it wasn't me. What do I have to do to prove it to you?" She stops a meter from me. Her hair is wild and all over the place, her eyes are big and bloodshot but I can see that she believes what she's saying.
"If it wasn't you, then who did I see?" I ask quietly.
"How am I supposed to know? It wasn't me, why don't we ask Ron?" Her eyes lighten up as she suggests this. "Yes, let's go find Ron and ask him"
"Hermione, no, I don't need Ronald to confirm what I saw. What I heard. I'd know that noise anywhere"
"What noise?" She questions.
I reach out and pull her towards me. I bring her lips to mine and kiss her, my tongue seeking entrance into her mouth. As she opens her lips and our tongues meet, she moans exactly like she did in the office. Until then, I was ready to carry her back to our room, forget what I saw, but the moan echoes in my head. I pull back "that noise" I say brokenly and release my hold on her.
She stands before me, fingers on her lips, the other hand still at my waist.
"I promise you, on my parents' lives, it wasn't me" she whispers.
At that moment I believe her. Her eyes are clear, she's looking directly at me. The hand on my waist grips tighter, "please Min, believe me" she begs.
I nod tightly and lean down to kiss her again.
As our lips and tongues collide, and our hands begin to roam, we begin to reconnect. To put our disagreement behind us, but then she moans again and I get a vision of Ron and her in that office and it's like a bucket of ice has been thrown over me.
"I can't Hermione, I'm sorry" I pull away sadly and go to pick up my suitcase again.
"Trixie" I hear her call out
"Yes? Miss Hermione" my faithful elf asks.
"Could you go and find Mr Ronald Weasley and bring him here immediately, please" she requests.
"Of course" and with a blink of an eye she's gone.
"Once Ron explains what really happened, I want you to leave and not come back. I could never doubt your feelings for me, I didn't think you could doubt mine. How wrong I was" she turns and makes her way into the den of our home. I follow behind timidly. I watch as she pours herself another drink, she knocks it back and pours another.
"Hermione, that isn't the answer" I say in disapproval, and she pours another. She looks over at me and knocks this drink back as well.
"Hmph, what do you care? It's my life Minerva. I'll do what I want" she turns back to the table and pours another drink. Instead of drinking this one she swirls the liquid around the glass. Watching as the light reflects off its surface.
"What the bloody hell are you doing, elf?" We hear from the hall.
"Miss Hermione asked for you" Trixie explains. She pulls Ron by his robe into the den and looks over at us. "As requested Miss Hermione"
"Thank you Trixie, you can go now" she dismisses. Trixie clicks her fingers and is gone from the room, she also takes the bottle of firewhiskey with her. Merlin I love that elf.
"What am I doing here 'Mione?" Ron questions. He can't look me in the eye.
"Why does Minerva think that I was in your office earlier this afternoon? That we have an intimate relationship?" She asks cuttingly, turning to look at him. I just now notice that her wand is in her hand. She's ready for battle.
Ron's face goes pale, "ah" he starts, "erm I don't know?"
"Cut the bullshit, you complete arsehole" Hermione bites back. "You've cost me my relationship, now, tell the truth" her voice has dropped a few octaves, and her eyes are cutting into him. She casts a mild stun spell at him, urging him to tell the truth.
"Ok, ok. I paid someone to take some polujuice, with one of your hairs in it so I could pretend I was fucking you." He explains, embarrassed. "You know how I feel, I've told you enough times" he concludes.
"Yes, and I've told you it was never going to happen again, not consensually. And the reasons why. How dare you get someone to look like me so you can fuck me, Merlin Ron what is wrong with you?" She looks at him like she's never seen him before. "You disgust me. Get out before I do some real damage!" She yells. Ron apparates away quickly, knowing how Hermione can be when she's angry. "You too" she whispers, turning her back on me. She places her wand on the table, grabs the glass and drains its contents. Her knuckles are white she's holding it that tight.
I'm ashamed that I ever doubted her.
"I'm sorry Hermione, truly, but it was you, it just wasn't you" I try. "How was I to know?"
"You should have trusted my feelings for you, believed what I told you when I said I loved you and only you, Min" she seems to deflate after she says this. "Please leave, I no longer want you here" she says calmly.
I stare at her, unable to believe that she's turning me away. I've messed this up so badly. I turn and leave the den. Grab the suitcase and apparate back to Hogwarts.
I move quickly to the rooms I occupy 9months of the year, or used to. Ever since Hermione and I got together I've spent less time here than I probably should. The Griffin allows me up to the heads office, I desolately walk across the office and to the staircase that will take me to the rooms beyond. How did today go so wrong? It started so well. I sit on the loveseat in my den and cry for everything I've lost today. The future that is no longer possible. My love for Hermione, still burning in my chest. I need her. I'm going to fight to get her back. I have to. She is my other half.