Chapter Twelve

Even though Ron and Hermione thought having two Giant Schnauzer's would work, about three days later they ended up taking the girl puppy, Ava, home. Hermione didn't want to take the puppy home, but two puppies was a lot of work and time that she and Ron did not have to spare. They begged Harry and Ginny to take Ava but they refused to have a dog that size in their home so there Hermione was standing back in front of the unsightly house with the puppy standing next to her sniffing the mailbox and soon marking her territory.

The puppy pranced up the brick path pulling Hermione along with her. Hermione stood in front of the vivid red door contemplating whether she should actually give the beautiful puppy back to grumpy man. The puppy soon lay down on Hermione's feet and began to gnaw on Hermione's expensive shoes. Hermione looked down angrily at the puppy and out of haste and anger punched the door bell and lightly pushed the puppy off her feet.

Walking in the house Hermione explained to the man why she was bringing back the puppy and with much talk the man finally relented and decided to take the puppy back.

"You know what? I will take the dog back, but you are not going to get your money back and that's that," the man was slightly offended that they did not want to keep the puppy.

"I understand," Hermione took the leash off the puppy then continued," and we would have kept her its just hard enough taking care of one puppy and the other one back at home is more tranquil. I am sorry about the inconvenience sir," Hermione said sincerely then quickly leaving the house and she soon found herself praying that she would never have to go back there again.

She was halfway home when she realized that Ron might be angry with her for not getting a refund. Hermione decided Ron would just have to get over it, and be happy that she took the dog back. Hermione soon looked on the bright side of the situation, at least the other puppy, Blitz, was home waiting for her arrival. Blitz was the male puppy that was calmer and easier going. He was still stubborn, but that was the schnauzer way.

Hermione walked into the apartment and was completely overwhelmed. All the boxes that once filled the foyer, the kitchen, and the living room were now gone and so was everything else. Everything that is except Blitz, who was sleeping in a corner on a tattered old blanket and snoring loudly and flinching in his sleep as if he was having a nightmare.

Hermione began to worry, she didn't really know what had happened to her stuff so her first instinct was to go see Ron, but on her way out of the apartment she saw a note that was tacked to the door.

Mione', come check this place out. 31 Beauregard Road. You can even floo here if you would like… it is temporarily connected to the network.

Yours,

Ron

Hermione smiled to herself and quickly grabbed the somnolent puppy's leash. Hermione decided to walk. It was only a couple of blocks away and the cool outside air would do her good. It was the beginning of April and the cold wintry weather was letting go and spring was taking its place.

Once outside, Blitz yawned, the cool air waking him up with a rush of anxiety at the noise that was held in the busy streets. Hermione moved swiftly through the crowd the puppy following close behind her. They soon arrived at the designated place and knocked on the door.

Ron opened the door and let her in. "Welcome… to you new and improved apartment." Ron was very enthusiastic about the whole situation.

"My a-apartment?" Hermione asked looking around at the extravagant room.

"Well…ours actually. You don't like it," Ron looked down at his feet and felt bad about his excursion.

"No, I love it," Hermione said wrapping her arms around Ron's torso and kissing him while standing on her tippy toes.

Two Weeks Later…

The happy couple was now situated in their new home. Everything was good, Blitz knew how to sit when bribed with a treat and he knew the command come. Blitz was growing rapidly and constantly wanting attention, precisely the reason why Hermione could not get a job. She considered it a maxi-vay, a maximum vacation, that would last a couple more months until she and Ron found a suitable doggy daycare place that wasn't a scam.

Ron regretted the dog while Hermione loved it and enjoyed playing with him all day. Hermione sensed that Ron felt jealous that the puppy gained more attention from her than he did, but life's life and he would just have to move on or perhaps come home earlier. She and Ron weren't exactly the same amorous couple that they had once been yet, but it would come sooner or later.

One month later…

Ron had his arms wrapped tightly around Hermione's waist and he was kissing Hermione feverishly. Ron had come home early that day smelling slightly of alcohol and complaining about his work. Hermione and Ron's relationship was defiantly not fully restored but there they were smothering each other in kisses and touching every part of each others body.

Ron was kissing Hermione's face and neck and whispering all sorts of beautiful things in Hermione's ear.

"Baby," he whispered," Mione—" His mouth came down hard on Hermione's, and his hands, which had worked their way to the back of her blouse were fumbling awkwardly around with the hooks on her bra.

Hermione suddenly realized that the lips pressed to hers had a foreign taste to them… a taste of alcohol. It did not taste like Ron and Ron sure was not acting like Ron. He was acting on his drunken mindset and using Hermione as some sort of play thing.

"Let go of me, Ron," Hermione said, trying to wriggle out from under his weight that was pressed on her.

"Come on, baby, don't play games with me," Ron muttered huskily. " We have been living with each other for nearly a month now and we were in a relationship for about twenty two years if you didn't want me and if you didn't want this you wouldn't have spent that much of your life with me.

"You don't understand," Hermione said. "You're drunk. You're thinking irrationally and I feel used."

There was a moment of terrible silence then Ron took his hands out from her shirt and stood up.

"I thought we were together again and I thought we loved each other, but maybe I was wrong about you and what you really want," Ron walked dizzily into the bedroom and left Hermione frazzled and angry. She did love him and she wanted this, but she didn't want everything to come undone now. She wanted everything to be right with them again before they started having a physical relationship together again and she wanted it to be great, but her idea of great wasn't having sex on the couch of their apartment because Ron was drunk and thinking irrationally.

A/N: Please review…