This is the hardest chapter I've ever had to write ever. I'm sorry it's short, but it's deliberate! Please forgive me

"Hermione?" The line crackled and Ron stared at the phone, wondering if she had already hung up on him. He swore loudly at it, hating the fact that this was the only way he could contact Hermione at the moment.

She had found her parents with ease, mostly owing to all the information Ron and Harry had given her, but instead of coming straight home as planned, she had chosen to stay in Australia with them. The distance was too far for a direct Floo so he'd had to resort to his trusty phone. The 9-hour time difference had made it even harder.

"Ron?" A voice that sounded a million miles away finally spoke back. "Ron, are you still there? You need to hold the phone up to your mouth so I can hear you..."

Ron bit back a barbed retort and sighed. "I know how to use the phone by now Hermione. We spoke to each other at least once a week while you were in Hogwarts. Ginny said the NEWT results have been sent out. Did Hogwarts send them to you in Australia?"

"Yes! I got seven Oustanding's. Professor Babbling is also highly impressed with my first few translated stories. We've been corresponding by owl. We've just got home from a celebratory meal!"

"Brilliant! I know you would! So does that mean you're coming home?"

"Well actually, that's what I needed to speak to you about..." The line crackled again and Ron feared she had gone. He managed to catch a few words; Shacklebolt, research, wizarding laws, women's rights, lovely weather but it was enough to make his blood start to boil.

"You're staying?" His stomach plummeted. "But... you promised me you'd be back soon!"

Hermione sighed. She knew this conversation was going to be hard, and she'd already put it off for a week before Ron had called. Her parents were really enjoying their life in Australia and the desire to spend more time with them after the war was a temptation she couldn't resist right now. To top it off after some correspondence, Kinglsey had agreed to pay her to do some research on the way the Australian Wizarding Community did things and she felt she'd only just scratched the surface.

"You can come and visit whenever you want, we can pay for your flights..."

"I can't because I'm still in Auror training..." Ron sighed. "I'm not allowed any more holidays; certainly not enough to spend a decent amount of time with you and make the flight worthwhile..." He stared at his feet, blinking back tears before speaking again in a small voice. "Don't... don't you love me?"

Hermione scoffed. "Come on Ron, you know I love you..."

"If you did, you couldn't be apart from me for so long. You don't even sound like you're missing me!"

"Of course I miss you Ronald, I miss you with all my heart but I need time with my parents and I'm really enjoying the research. Why are you being so selfish?"

"I'm the one being selfish?" Ron curled his fist up, trying to fight his anger. "You promised me just a few more weeks... We've already been apart from a whole year!"

"All I'm asking for is one more year, maybe even less than that..."

"A year?" Ron's stomach plummeted even further.

"Look..." Hermione's voice cracked, though this time it wasn't the long-distance connection. Her eyes filled with tears. "If you can't support me with this then maybe we should consider calling it a day..."

"What, wait Hermione no! Look just come home and we'll sort things out..."

"I told you, I can't come home right now!" She let out a shaky breath. "You're right, I'm selfish and it's unfair of me to make you keep on waiting. I'm sorry..."

Ron pulled the phone away from his ear, trying to form some sort of sentence that could persuade her to take her words back and come home, but nothing came. Eventually he spoke again; his voice shaking as he fought back tears. "If that's what you want..." He hung up quickly and stared at his phone, willing himself not to cry.