Chapter 3

"Evening, love," Ron kissed her head as he strode through the floo, dropping his jacket down on her living room sofa. Hermione smiled as she made her way to the kitchen.

"What do you feel like today? Cumberland pie? Or the beef parsnip pudding?" Hermione pulled out the leftovers from the weekend.

"Both," Ron smiled, settling down at the counter overlooking the kitchen. "The more food, the better."

"As always," Hermione chuckled before popping them in the microwave. "How was work, today?"

"Decent. We've made some progress in finding Yaxley - it appears he may have disappeared into the Bulgarian wilderness. We're currently 'coordinating' with the Bulgarian government, but to me it sounds like a load of bollocks," Ron emphasized his irritation.

"Why's that?" Hermione asked as she placed the silverware and plates in front of him, pulling out the food and serving them both.

"I don't see what's so hard about having a few trackers dropped off in the Bulgarian woods. It really shouldn't take a whole week of negotiating, especially since we're losing more and more time while the trail is hot," Ron pointed out.

"That's a valid concern, but I can understand why it would take a while to get the negotiations through," Hermione noted as she settled down next to him. "We're not always friendly with the Bulgarians, especially after having accused their best school's headmaster of assisting a genocide. They likely wouldn't feel comfortable about having a team of British aurors invade their territory."

"But it's a simple enough job. Send in a few trackers, apprehend Yaxley, and bug out. It's not like we're there to overthrow the government or otherwise," Ron sighed exasperatedly.

Hermione narrowed her eyes, feeling that Ron hadn't really even listened to her. "Still, why would they let a potential threat into their country if they could prevent it?"

"Yaxley's a threat, too," Ron said heatedly.

"I never said he wasn't-" Hermione began.

"Then we need to get him as soon as possible! We need to put him away before he hurts anyone else!" Ron ranted stubbornly.

"I agree, but there are other matters to consider, Ronald," Hermione began to be annoyed.

"Nonsense," Ron spat. "He's a Death Eater, and they all belong in Azkaban if they're not given the Kiss."

"Just because someone's a Death Eater, doesn't mean that they necessarily deserve death or a life sentence," Hermione lectured. Ron looked at her as if she had grown two heads.

"How could you say that? Have you forgotten what they've done to you? To your family? To my family? Why don't you ask George-" Ron began to shout.

"Calm down, Ron," Hermione snapped. "Of course I haven't forgotten. But the title 'Death Eater' means very little - what they actually did, or omitted to do, is what counts."

Ron was breathing heavily, and Hermione didn't have the patience to get in a row over something as simple as the Bulgarian government's stubbornness. "Forget it. Can we just eat dinner?" Hermione asked. Ron nodded sharply, stabbing his fork into the food Hermione had warmed up. For a while, all that could be heard in the flat was the slightly angry clinking of silverware.

"I got a job promotion," Hermione said flatly after a few minutes had passed.

"Oh really? Congratulations," Ron halfheartedly smiled, hoping to put their almost argument behind them. "Are there new responsibilities? Or is it basically the same job with a different title?"

"It's almost an entirely different job, but it's got considerable overlap between my current job and what I did in the Department for the Care of Magical Creatures," Hermione explained. "I've been selected as a potential ambassador and legal advisor for British-Italian relations."

"Wow, Mione, that's great," Ron smiled, but it was forced. "When do you start?"

"I'm not really sure yet," Hermione sighed, running her fingers through her knotted hair. "I'm still debating on whether I should take the job, since it will require a lot of travelling. Especially in the first year of negotiations."

Ron was suddenly silent. Hermione turned from her food to look at him, a muscle working in his jaw. "What?" she asked. Ron refused to respond.

"What did I say wrong?" Hermione asked frustratedly. "Tell me what's going on in that head of yours."

"You ought to be able to figure it out, Miss Brightest Witch of Our Age," Ron gritted out.

"I'm not a mind reader, and you know that I think Divination is a load of hippogriff dung. Please, just be straightforward with me," Hermione pleaded.

"You want me to be straightforward?" Ron asked, his tone rising. "I'll be straightforward. From what I see, we get engaged for a couple months, and as soon as we're talking about wedding dates, all you want to do is push it off, off and off, even though I think the sooner the better. And now, you're going to take a job that's going to place you in Italy for a large portion of the next year. That sounds like an awfully convenient runaway plan!" Ron ended shouting at her.

Hermione looked at him, hurt. "No, Ron, that's not what I intended it to be! Besides, I haven't decided on if I'm going to take the job!"

"Then what did you intend? Because it seems an awful lot like you don't want to marry me at all!" Ron bellowed.

"Ron, I said yes to your proposal!" Hermione bit out frustratedly. "I want to marry you. I just wanted a long engagement because we can have a bit more time to develop our careers and adventure like the young couple we are before settling down into married life-"

"What's wrong with married life?" Ron shouted.

"Nothing!" Hermione shrieked, losing her patience. "It's just different from what we know now! And I like what we have now, and I want to keep it this way for just a bit longer!"

"Sounds like you just want to put marriage in the far distance," Ron growled.

"I want to marry you, Ron, just not so quickly! Can't you get that through your thick head?" Hermione yelled.

"Oh, I'm sorry I'm not as brilliant or intelligent as you," Ron sneered, standing up from his seat at the counter. "Miss high and mighty who always has to be number one and perfect."

"Ron, I didn't mean to say you were dumb - just that you're so stubborn sometimes-" Hermione tried to apologize, but Ron would hear none of it.

"Me? Stubborn?" Ron laughed derisively. "It's you who won't budge on any of these matters, who won't compromise-"

"I was going for a two year long engagement, but since you wanted earlier I cut that request to half!" Hermione interrupted.

"Like that's much better," Ron snapped.

"It's a whole year earlier!" Hermione emphasized, waving her hands around her. "I tried to provide a compromise; it's you who wouldn't hear any of it!"

"All right, Miss Know-It-All," Ron snipped. Hermione was sick of his childish name calling.

"JUST BECAUSE YOU'RE INSECURE ABOUT YOUR OWN INTELLIGENCE AND CAREER DOES NOT MEAN YOU HAVE TO TAKE IT OUT ON ME!" she screamed.

Ron's mouth snapped shut, his eyes hardening and his face stony. She had hit the nail on the head, and Hermione knew she had gone too far.

"Oh, Ron-" Hermione suddenly said quietly, trying to take back her words. Ron ignored her, walking past her as he grabbed his jacket from the living room and made his way to the floo.

"Ron, I didn't mean that-" Hermione fruitlessly tried to stop him, but he wouldn't even look at her as he grabbed the floo powder and threw it down into the fireplace, returning to the Burrow.

"I'm so sorry… I love you…" she whispered to the empty fireplace, the words dying on her lips.

"Swanky," Blaise commented as he strode out of Draco's Floo and looked around at Draco's modernized office: simplistic, elegant, yet severe. Draco rolled his eyes from his dark walnut, almost ebony desk, which was highlighted by the thin stainless steel hardware placed on the drawers. The black leather chair was all business and straightforward, no cushion or fancy adornments were to be found. "I don't think I've ever been in your new home, before." Blaise surveyed the rest of the room, from the neatly organized bookshelves to the single silver candelabra. There wasn't a single picture frame in sight.

"Is there a particular reason why you wanted to see me?" Draco asked dryly.

"What, I can't call on my best mate?" Blaise smirked.

Draco turned his chair back around, clearly signalling that he had little time or patience for Blaise's facetious comments. Blaise sighed. Draco was no fun, anymore.

"Did you decide to take the job?" Blaise asked seriously.

Draco nodded once in affirmation.

"What about the Granger girl?"

"How should I know?" Draco asked, still with his back to Blaise as he perused more paperwork on the DM Investments stock options.

"Well, it appeared that you were keeping track of her, to some degree," Blaise noted slyly.

Draco raised an eyebrow. "I don't like what you're insinuating."

"Live a little! You don't have Lucius on your back, and your mother only wishes for your happiness. Maybe it's time to be a bit rebellious," Blaise grinned.

"Oh, like you and Parkinson?" Draco laughed derisively. "Please tell me the two of you have quit your ridiculous tryst." It was well known that the Parkinsons had little respect for Tazia Cascioferra's long list of ex-lovers and husbands, many of whom died mysteriously. After the war, however, Pansy's most massive "fuck you" to her parents was fulfilled by dating the son of the woman they so despised.

"Currently, it's a mutually beneficial relationship," Blaise waved his hand dismissively. "And so long as it continues to be so, it will continue."

"It will never last," Draco predicted.

"Oh, we both know it won't. That doesn't stop us from having a little… fun," Blaise smirked.

"It must be nice to be so careless," Draco mused.

Blaise nodded, turning back to the fireplace. "You ought to try it sometime. I have to find a new science consultant. Let me know if Granger accepts, too."

"Perhaps you ought to woo her," Draco suggested sarcastically. "No woman can withstand the Italian Stallion."

"As always, I am at least two steps ahead of you," Blaise sighed, before disappearing in a whirl of green flames.

"Hello, Ms. Granger," a smooth silky voice interrupted her from her case files. It was just as well, however, since Hermione had been starting at the same sentence for the past half an hour.

"Zabini!" Hermione acknowledged, surprised that he was actually standing in front of her desk. She examined him as he stood before; she had never really had the opportunity to see him up close, and she couldn't deny that he was quite the looker. Lean, tall, dark, and handsome. What a cliche. "What are you doing here?"

"Oh I was passing through, and I thought I'd drop by and see what your thoughts were on taking the job," he asked politely. Nessa looked sharply at Hermione, having overheard Blaise's faux pas.

"Err..." Hermione glanced quickly around after shooting Nessa a warning glare. "I'm still in the process of making my decision, but I'll do my best to get back to Kingsley as soon as I can. I also haven't mentioned my receiving of this job offer to my coworkers and boss, so I would appreciate your discretion."

"I'm sorry, I was unaware that your current situation is largely unknown," Blaise apologized deferentially. "I will certainly be more wary in the future until you've made your decision."

"Thank you, I appreciate that." Hermione smiled - talking to her formal school rival was easier than she expected. Although she had never conversed much or fought with the Slytherin, it was apparent that the only real competition for the number one ranking at Hogwarts was Blaise Zabini, Draco Malfoy, Anthony Goldstein, Hannah Abbott, and herself. There had always been a certain amount of tension whenever they were forced to interact.

"Is there anything I can do to perhaps swing you to our side?" Blaise asked innocently, but Hermione sensed a slight undertone of something that unsettled her. Before she could respond, however, he continued.

"I realize that Draco and I have not had the best history with you, and Draco especially so. I can understand why you may feel uncomfortable by being placed in a situation where you would be working with us in close proximity. Draco and I, however, truly believe that you would be a valuable asset to this team and would treat you with the respect that you deserve. I acknowledge that our track record does not speak well towards our characters, but I hope you will give us the chance to demonstrate our professionalism and collaboration. I believe we could do a lot of good, especially with the three most brilliant minds in our year working together," Blaise concluded, alluding to what he expected she remembered of him. And he was spot on.

"Mr. Zabini-" Hermione began.

"Blaise," he interrupted. "I think we can start on a first-name basis now, especially seeing that we may be future partners in a short while."

"Blaise," she smiled thinly. "Although our past histories were definitely a factor in my consideration, believe me when I say that it's exactly that. Past history. There is an innumerable amount of other variables that I haven't yet figured out, but I will absolutely get back to Kingsley by the deadline." Blaise knew a dismissal when he heard one.

"I'm glad to hear we may yet have the chance to move on from our misguided childhood choices. Thank you for your time, and if you do feel yourself leaning towards the other way, please give me a ring if you would like to hear a few more persuasive arguments," Blaise smiled widely as he handed her his business card.

"Perfect. Thank you," Hermione returned, and watched as Blaise exited the Wizengamot Administration offices.

"You got another job offering?" Nessa hissed at her. Hermione merely nodded.

"Well tell me the details! Who, what, when, where, why, how?" Nessa fired them off, one by one.

"Kingsley asked me the other day if I'd be willing to work as a legal consultant for the newly appointed British-Italian ambassador," Hermione began explaining.

"Ah. And the infamous Italian Stallion has been chosen?" Nessa drawled.

"Infamous?" Hermione queried.

"What do you know of him?" Nessa narrowed her eyes at Hermione, who shrugged.

"Not much, beyond the fact that he's a Slytherin and one of the few other people at Hogwarts who had been competing for my first place ranking. I believe he and Hannah just beat out Malfoy, who slipped during our sixth year… as to be expected," Hermione explained.

Nessa nodded. "Well, at least in the pureblood community, Blaise's mother isn't well respected. She's had more than six or seven husbands, not that anyone can really keep track anymore. Almost all of them have died in mysterious ways, leaving her large sums of money that even non-Slytherins can sniff out as a gold digger," Nessa explained in a low voice.

"Really?" Hermione asked worriedly.

"To be fair, her first husband, Blaise's father, was someone that the rumor says she actually loved and cared for. He was the only one who didn't pass mysteriously - he was killed during the first war. I suspect that she's never really been able to settle down with anyone else, and that her family in Italy has taken care of her leftovers."

Hermione looked saddened and horrified at the same time. "Well it's no easy thing to lose your better half… though dabbling in others' lives and having your family put out hits on them… that's not exactly the best way of coping, I'd say."

Nessa shrugged. "Naturally, since her husband passed away due to the first war, she also was not particularly supportive of Voldemort's reign both during the first and second war, which made her exceptionally unpopular amongst the wizarding aristocracy. I daresay that's what kept Blaise out of the trouble with the Death Eaters that Draco and the other Slytherins were forced to participate in. He was always treated a bit as the outcast, and made up for his loneliness by going through loads of girls at Hogwarts," Nessa said a tad bitterly.

"Were you one of those girls?" Hermione asked curiously.

"No, but my sister was. Broke her poor heart - I think she was two years below you."

Hermione patted Nessa's hand consolingly. After a minute of silence, Hermione asked gently. "Other than his dating habits, do you believe he's a person that I could work with?"

Nessa contemplated for a while, before finally nodding. "The true Blaise, underneath all those layers of fake confidence and defence mechanisms, is probably a decent bloke. I never outright saw him be mean to muggleborns, though it was clear that he didn't respect them much. He's an intellectual, and spent much of his time in the library, if I remember correctly. Likely a result of his inconspicuous role as the outcast of pureblood society. I remember my mother telling my sister that she really shouldn't have gotten mixed up with Blaise, especially since the Italians can be ruthless. Morally, which I know is important to you, he's certainly better aligned to your values than the ever ambiguous Draco Malfoy."

"Oh Merlin, please don't get me started on Malfoy," Hermione sighed.

Nessa shrugged. "He's human, just like the rest of us. Seven, eight years ago, he learned his lesson, though. You can't deny that he's come a long way from his misguided childhood."

"That's true," Hermione acknowledged. "Doesn't mean he still has to be an arrogant prick."

Nessa laughed loudly. "Preach it, sister." Her laughter died off fairly quickly though, and Hermione looked at her co-worker questioningly. "Have you made up with Ron, yet?"

Hermione sighed, rubbing her temples. "No. I'll apologize for hurting him, but every single word I said was very true."

"Which, likely, is why it hurt him so much," Nessa pointed out.

"I don't know what to do," Hermione sighed frustratedly. "On one hand, I feel like I should apologize, but really there's not much to apologize for. Ron, on the other hand, has never been the first one to give in after a row, and he has far much more to apologize for."

"Too stubborn for your own good, you two," Nessa smiled sadly. "Do you think you need his input on this new job of yours?"

"Yes," Hermione said with certainty. "This is going to affect the both of us for the next year or longer, and it should be a joint decision. He'll always carry it as a grudge later on if I make the decision without him."

"That would certainly poison your marriage," Nessa pointed out.

Hermione sighed. "I'm starting to see what Ginny was yelling at me about… I've sacrificed for him, during his Auror training and on countless missions where we had to relocate. It's only been this last year and a half that we've been able to stay in one spot. But now that it's my turn to travel a bit for my career, he refuses to even hear me out."

Nessa tapped her chin thoughtfully. "I'd say that if you really need his input, forgive him for now, at least, since your deadline is coming up. Talk to him about it, reach your decision, tell Kingsley, and then go back to being royally pissed with him. He needs to work out some issues with you, but it needs to come later."

Hermione nodded. "That makes sense. Thanks for the great advice, as usual Nessa."

Nessa smiled. "You want to hear my opinion on the job?" Hermione nodded.

"Take it. I remember how driven you've always been, wanting the real chance to really change our society for the better. And though you're certainly a step up from where you were in CMC, I think this is the next step. I'll miss you dearly, but this is a fantastic opportunity to learn how to really maneuver politics and get the experience working with the international community that you'll need if you ever get a bid for Minister. And honestly, if Ron can't see that, dump his ass. You'll know then that he doesn't know or apparently care about what's best for you."

Hermione nodded slightly, contemplating Nessa's words.

"Ron?" Hermione asked as she entered his cubicle in the Auror Office.

"Hermione?" Ron asked, genuinely surprised to see her.

"I just wanted to… say I'm sorry. I didn't want to hurt you, but I know my words cut deep, and that's unacceptable," Hermione sighed. "I don't know what got into me."

"Hey, it should be me, actually, who's apologizing," Ron said comfortingly, and Hermione's heart jumped up in her throat.

"For what?" Hermione asked softly.

"Getting mad at you over nothing. You were just trying to get me to see the other side," Ron said simply, without even addressing his inability to even hear her out, lack of faith in her in regards to the marriage, and his belittling attitude. Hermione sighed internally. This would be a problem she'd have to deal with later, though.

"So are we okay?" Ron asked.

"Yeah. One more thing though, before I run back to finish up my cases for today. Do you really think I should skip the job offer?"

"I really don't like the idea of you traveling. I know we haven't set a date yet, but I don't like you going off when we're so close. Isn't this supposed to be when we spend the most time with each other?" Ron pointed out.

Hermione forced a smile. "Okay, Ron, I'll think a little bit more on it and go to Kingsley once I've finalized my decision."

"Okay," Ron said softly. Hermione turned to leave when he spoke up again. "Just… just don't overthink it, okay 'mione?"

"Sure," Hermione smiled stiffly, but given Ron's genuine smile, it didn't seem like he noticed.

Three Days Later...

Hermione sat alone in her flat, idly fingering a barely filled wine glass, the red translucent liquid swirling melancholically at the bottom of the crystal. She looked across the table at the empty chair in front of her, flashes of ginger hair hovering above the wooden seat from the restaurant earlier that evening.

"You're… what with me?" Ron had asked, flabbergasted.

Hermione bit her lip, looking down at her barely touched salad. "Breaking it off. Ending it," she said after a pause.

Ron sat there, shocked into silence. They sat there, Hermione fiddling with the folds of her emerald cocktail dress, Ron dumbfoundedly staring at his now ex-fiance.

Hermione set the glass down, pushing back her chair. The scraping sound of wood on tile echoed throughout the silence of the flat, sudden and scratchy.

He hadn't known what to say. His mouth hung slightly open, his eyes glassy and utterly confused. She didn't dare meet his gaze, her hands shaking as she folded and refolded the cloth napkin in her lap. Ringless, as she had slid the ruby and gold band towards him after her long, drawn out speech.

She stumbled around in her kitchen, packing uneaten food away to store back in the refrigerator.

"Why?" He asked hollowly. "I thought... I thought we were good. After we made up."

"No, Ron," Hermione croaked. "We aren't good."

The shock was dissolving, melting into something else. Something that Hermione cringed at every time.

Pain. Utterly pure pain.

"I'm so sorry, Ronald," Hermione whispered. "I don't want to hurt you…"

"Bit late for that," Ron laughed cynically.

Hermione shuddered as she breathed. "I'm hurting, too."

"Then why," Ron paused, his eyes flashing dangerously, "are you doing this?"

"We aren't… we aren't meant to be together," Hermione's voice quivered.

"AND WHAT THE BLOODY HELL DOES THAT MEAN?" Ron exploded. The entire restaurant turned to look at them, the clinking of silverware stopping suddenly. Hermione shrank back into her chair. Incensed by her continued silence, Ron continued.

"THE LEAST YOU COULD GIVE ME IS A REASON!" he shouted. "WHAT HAPPENED? WHAT DID I DO WRONG? IS IT ANOTHER MAN? AM I TOO DUMB FOR YOU? NO-" Ron cut her off before Hermione could speak. "DON'T GIVE ME BULLSHIT ABOUT HOW IT'S YOU AND IT'S NOT ME. YOU OWE ME THIS MUCH, HERMIONE. A FUCKING ANSWER!" he yelled.

Hermione continued to stare down at her hands. "Can we do this in private?"

Ron laughed once, a bitter laugh filled with hatred and disgust. "You made it this way. You brought me out here for a nice little dinner - what, did you think that was going to soften the blow?"

Hermione didn't respond. Stupid, stupid, stupid Hermione, she was repeating over and over in her head. What was I thinking?

"WELL?" Ron shouted. "IS THE WHOLE WIZARDING WORLD GOING TO KNOW BEFORE I DO? I'M WAITING!"

"This," Hermione gestured to him, hair in disarray and his red-face glowering in anger. "is why. Your temper, for one. You get angry over the smallest things-"

"Is this small to you?" Ron asked, suddenly quiet. "We - us, together… that's small to you?"

The tears finally started to fall. She hadn't cried since dinner; her eyes were as dry as she was numb.

Hermione finally looked up to meet his gaze. "Of course not, Ronald."

"Then why don't we work this out?" Ron asked pitifully. "Tell me what to do. Tell me how to fix us."

"You can't fix this, Ron," Hermione began crying, furiously scrubbing her face with her napkin and smudging her eyeliner. "You're jealous, you're insecure, you're angry, and whenever I have an opportunity to do something good for me, I always sacrifice it for you. You're unsupportive, you're ignorant, and you're selfish. When's the last time we talked about my work?"

"Just… yesterday…" he trailed off, realizing that their conversations had been solely about his job and his progress on Yaxley.

Hermione looked at him pitifully. "I can't do this Ronald. We can't keep pretending that we fit together when we don't. You need someone who's family oriented-"

"I thought you were," Ron pointed out accusingly.

"I am, but I think about my career, too," Hermione bit out frustratedly. "You need someone to dote on, or at least someone who appreciates that kind of attention. I don't. You need someone who's more focused on your children and you, rather than focusing on changing society. You need someone who can give you the constant attention that you deserve, but my attention is sometimes elsewhere. You need someone who's content with everything that you're content with. You need a certain type of wife. I'm not the wife you're looking for."

"So everything I've done… you don't care about it," Ron said stiffly. "Fine. You know what? I get it. I'm not good enough for you. Relationships are about working past the problems, since nobody's perfect. But I don't make the cut."

"Ron-" Hermione began.

"I just genuinely hope that you find someone who does," Ron said angrily, before pushing back his seat, tossing a few galleons on the table, and stalking off.

Hermione shuddered, grabbing her wineglass and gulping down the rest.

AN: Thank you all so much for the follows and reviews! I'm so excited by the response that I've been receiving, and I can't wait to get deeper into this with you all by my side! What do you think about Ron and Hermione's end of relationship? Does it seem reasonable? I didn't want to spend too much time pointing out their flaws, but I'm not sure how reasonable or believable this was. Let me know by dropping a review below!