Rose knew that whatever her parents had fought about had been serious. It had been three days and her dad still hadn't come home. Her Uncle George had come by the first day to pick up his toothbrush and a change of clothing. Rose overheard him sympathetically telling Hermione that whatever it was she and Ron were fighting about, he was sure Ron would come to his senses soon and be begging for her forgiveness. When Rose heard her mum burst into tears while she stood in the front doorway with her uncle, Rose wasn't so sure he was right.
Rose knew that her mum was putting on a brave face. She'd heard her crying from her bedroom each night and it was that that made Rose believe something was really wrong this time. Whenever her parents had fought in the past, her mum was always upset, but usually also frustrated and stubborn. Both she and Ron had an obsessive need to be right. Usually after a day, one of her parents would swallow their pride and apologize. This time, that wasn't happening. Whatever it was that her parents were sparring about, Rose was certain her mum believed she was at fault and clearly her dad thought so too. Rose had never seen Hermione in such a fragile state, and it unsettled her.
Along with Rose's concerns about her parents, Albus had said something unusual to her that gave her a strange feeling in her gut. He'd said that his parents were also acting strange, and it seemed as though Aunt Ginny was being cool towards Uncle Harry. When Albus had told her this, Rose wondered, could the two circumstances be related?
Rose thought about this as she picked away at the unappetizing food on her plate. Hermione had warmed up pre-made frozen dinners for Rose and Hugo, and the three of them sat at the dinner table at the Granger-Weasley house. None of them were too enthusiastic about the meal. They'd been eating leftovers and reheated dishes for the last three days, and Rose knew her mum was struggling to keep up with the daily household tasks along with demands from work.
"When is dad coming home?" Hugo asked, picking at his shepherd's pie, failing at masking his disgust.
"I don't know," Hermione replied quietly, her own meal untouched and her hands wrapped around a lukewarm cup of tea.
"I miss him," Hugo said, and then under his breath added. "We never have frozen dinners when dad's in charge of supper."
Rose shot her younger brother a stern look, but thankfully their mum didn't seem upset by his comment.
"I miss him too," Hermione said quietly, more to herself than to them. She seemed lost in thought in her own world, much like she had for the last few weeks, but worse.
"What did you two row about?" Rose asked, knowing it was unlikely her mum would answer, but worth a shot.
"That... " Hermione paused, as if to collect her thoughts. She eyed both of her children carefully. "Is not something I'll be sharing with the two of you."
"Why not?" Hugo pressed demandingly.
"Because," Hermione huffed, an annoyance creeping into her voice. "Children don't need to be involved in adult problems."
Adult problems. What did that even mean Rose thought to herself. How were adult problems any different than regular problems?
"Al says that Aunt Ginny and Uncle Harry are fighting too," Rose said, and as she did she attentively watch her mother. Rose saw the faintest flicker of emotion creep onto her face, and then it was gone.
"Did he?" Hermione asked, her voice a notch higher than normal.
"Strange coincidence?" Rose asked pointedly.
"Also none of your business."
A silence fell over the table, before Hugo piped in.
"Are you and dad getting divorced?"
"Hugo!" Rose's eyes were wide with shock, aghast at her brother's gall.
"What?" Hugo shot back. "Dad moved out. That's the first step!"
"Your dad did not move out," Hermione said firmly. "He's just... taking some time to clear his head. That's all."
Rose wondered if her mum was also trying to convince herself that Ron's absence was only temporary. Nothing else was said about the subject for the rest of meal. Hugo excused himself to play video games upstairs, leaving his untouched plate of food behind. Rose picked it up, assisting Hermione with clearing the table.
"Mum, what's really going on?" She asked, scraping the remnants of Hugo's plate into the trash.
"Rose - "
"I'm not a child," Rose interrupted. "I know whatever it is your fighting about is bad. You can tell me."
Hermione sighed, gently tossing the dishrag she'd been using into the sink.
"Rose, I know you're just trying to help, but I really don't want to talk about it," she said and then more gently, added. "I promise you, I will talk to your dad, and we will sort things out just like we always do."
"Okay," Rose said dismissively, not entirely believing her. "Whatever."
"I have to step out tonight," Hermione said, drying the last dish from supper. "Can you watch your brother?"
"Where are you going?" Rose asked curiously.
"Work related."
Rose rolled her eyes, knowing she wouldn't be getting any more information. "When will you be home?"
"Late. Don't wait up for me."
...
"Thank you for agreeing to meet me," Hermione said, sipping on a butterbeer in a tucked away corner booth at the Leaky Cauldron.
"Like I had a choice." Ginny rolled her eyes, her arms folded tightly to her chest. "You basically threatened to ambush me on the street."
"Well... desperate times," Hermione smiled sheepishly, before saying. "Look Ginny - "
"Stop," Ginny said, raising her hand. "I'm not mad at you."
Hermione looked at her disbelievingly. "You're not?"
"No, I'm not," Ginny said firmly. "So save your breath and save your apologies."
The two witches stared at one another for a moment. Hermione thought of how anguished Ginny had looked when she'd seen her last. It pained her to know she'd caused her friend and sister-in-law so much distress.
"Al told Rose that you're icing our Harry," Hermione said, thinking about what her daughter had said over supper.
"Just because I'm not mad at either of you doesn't mean I'm not hurt and disappointed that you both chose to keep this secret from me," Ginny said, taking a small sip of her beer. "It was a lot to process for one evening. I needed some time and some space to sort out some feelings."
"And... have you?" Hermione asked, hoping she and Ginny could soon get passed it and go back to how things had always been.
Ginny paused, and then exhaled deeply, her eyes cast down at the table that divided them.
"I'm jealous," she admitted, flushing slightly. "I know it irrational but I am. I've always been jealous that you were there with him and I wasn't, and now to know that the two of you were also... together, well it just makes everything sting that much more."
Hermione was stunned. Ginny was jealous of her being on the Horcrux Hunt? The sex she could understand, but staying in that tent had been hell.
"Being on the run wasn't what everyone thought it was," Hermione said quietly, forcing herself to look into Ginny's hard eyes. "We argued almost daily. Most of the time we could hardly stand one another."
"Yeah, well clearly you were able to stand one another at least for one night," Ginny said bitterly.
Hermione cringed.
"I don't even remember it, Ginny," She said, heat rising into her own face as she thought about what it was.
"But Harry does," Ginny countered quickly. "Harry didn't choose to Oblivate his memory, and he could have."
Hermione considered this. Harry did remember. He had chosen to remember. Did that really mean anything, or what Ginny making a big deal out of something that meant nothing.
"I want to ask you..." Ginny began, looking painfully uncomfortable as she stared at her drink. "Did you ever have feelings for him?"
Hermione's chocolate eyes widened.
"What? No!"
"You swear? I won't be mad."
"Ginny, no," Hermione said emphatically. "It always was Ron for me, okay? Trust me when I say you don't understand what it was like in that tent. If it had been me and you alone on the Horcrux Hunt I probably would have ended up sleeping with you!"
Ginny stared at her for a moment, and then surprisingly, laughed.
"Could you imagine?" She asked. "Ron would implode with rage."
Hermione smiled and relaxed, relieved that she and Ginny could share a humorous moment despite the circumstances. It gave her hope that normal wasn't as far off as she'd feared.
"I'm worried what it's going to be like when this gets out in the press," Ginny said, steering the conversation back to a more serious subject.
"I've been thinking about that a lot too."
"I don't think we should tell the kids," Ginny said. "Not unless we have to."
"You think that's best?" Hermione asked, unsure if more secrecy was the right course of action. She'd already been burned by it before, but she had to admit she was onboard with any scenario that didn't involve her sitting down with Rose and Hugo to share what happened on New Year's Eve 1997.
"I think there's still a chance that this will all blow over. If the blackmailer doesn't get what he or she wants, who knows, maybe he or she will just throw in the towel."
Hermione had been hoping for the same thing, thought she doubted that everything would just blow over. It couldn't be that easy. It never was.
"Ron's staying at the Shop," Hermione said after a moment.
"I know, Mum told me," Ginny frowned casting her sister-in-law a sympathetic look.
"Molly knows?" Hermione brought her hand to her forehead and groaned.
"George let it slip."
"Oh, god." Hermione took a big gulp of her beer. "She must be beside herself."
"She's been to see him twice. George said she shouted at him to 'man up and go back to his family.' I don't think that went over well."
Hermione shook her head. "If she only knew."
"He'll get over it, you know that right?" Ginny said comfortingly.
"I don't know that I do," Hermione confessed quietly.
"He'll be the world's biggest git if he doesn't."
Hermione gave a half-hearted smile.
"Gin, are we good?" She asked, desperate for some reassurance.
Ginny sighed.
"We will be."
"But not yet?" Hermione's heart sank.
Ginny said nothing in response and finished the last sip of her beer before setting a few Sickles on the table.
"I should get back."
...
Rose and Scorpius laid intertwined on Rose's bed, both of their shirts discarded on the floor and kissing heatedly. After Hermione had told Rose she'd be gone for the evening, Rose wasted no time flooing her face into Scorpius's fireplace and inviting him over for the evening. They'd hardly made it up the stairs and into her bedroom before his lips found her soft skin. It had been a five days since the two had been together, and both Scorpius and Rose felt they had some lost time to make up for.
Things were starting to get intense between the two of them, and Rose knew it was time to shut things down when she felt Scorpius's fingers dangerously close to the zipper on her jeans and a budge from his pants press into her side. When Scorpius began to unbutton the top of her jeans, Rose gently pushed him off her, breathing heavily as she tried to catch her breath.
"We need to stop," she said.
"Right," Scorpius agreed, distancing himself from her on the bed. He reached onto the floor and grabbed both their shirts, tossing Rose hers. He looked guiltily at her. "Sorry, I think I got a bit carried away."
"It's okay." Rose put on her tank-top. "I did too."
"I'll try to control myself a bit better," Scorpius blushed, and Rose noticed he was hiding an erection with one of her pillows. The sight made her think of something she'd been too bashful to bring up with him before.
"We've been... I mean... you and I... uhh... what I'm trying to say is I think about us," Rose fumbled out nervously. "And it."
"You do?" Scorpius asked surprised.
"I do," Rose confirmed, and then shyly asked. "Is that weird?"
"No, it's not," Scorpius answered. "I've thought about it too."
"It's just... we're only fourteen," Rose said, glancing at Scorpius to gauge his reaction.
"You're actually still thirteen for a few more weeks," he pointed out.
"Exactly. We're way too young to be thinking about... it."
"Probably." Scorpius nodded in agreement. "But thinking something isn't doing any harm."
"No, it's not," Rose sighed, playing with her necklace. "As long as we don't do what we're thinking."
"So let's just keep thinking only then," Scorpius proposed with a genuine smile.
"You won't get bored of me?"
"Bored of you?" Scorpius repeated teasingly, and then laughed. "I can hardly stand being away from you. I think it's safe to say I'll never be bored with you."
"Good," Rose smiled, satisfied with his response. "You should go. I know Mum has no idea, but she seems suspicious of something and if she's sees you here without Al I can only imagine what will be running through her mind."
"Can't be worse than what's running through mine," Scorpius replied playfully. "Your mum loves me."
"She does," Rose agreed, standing from her bed and grabbing Scorpius's jumper. She handed it to him. "But she probably won't anymore if she sees the marks you've left on the skin under my shirt."
"No" Scorpius smiled deviously. "Probably not."