"Behind Closed Doors" By Meg
I don't own Harry Potter…I simply enjoy using the characters conjured up J.K. Rowling for my own sweet pleasure.
Pairing: Hermione/Ron and Hermione/Mystery man (okay, the cat's out of the bag. It's Remus.)
A/N: I usually write chapters to songs, and I feel that listening to the song helps to better feel the flow that the song has established, so...from now on, I will list the song below.
Song: "All around me" by Flyleaf, "This Animal I have become" by Three Days Grace, "One thing" by Finger 11
Hermione swallowed hard and looked away from Ron's pleading eyes. She could feel convulsions start in the muscles of her abdomen; the deep sobbing had already begun to happen even though she tried her hardest to remain calm. Her lower lip quivered and she bit it in a futile attempt to stop the tears from coming.
Ron tried again and again to form words. He'd utter part of a syllable before shaking his head and looking over at Remus. The blood had gone from his face, and his lips were the same greyish-white color as the skin of a corpse. In sharp contrast, Hermione's lips and eyes were deep cranberry red. Her hands covered her face as best she could, digging into her hair as low cries, almost moans of pain, emitted from between her fingers. The only thought in Remus's mind was "What have I done?"
Ron found himself unable to stand any longer. He slumped back onto the couch, body looking so frail that Remus was convinced if he touched Ron, he would feel the crackling of his bones. Ron hung his head, and his ear-length strands of hair obscured his face from view. Damp spots began to appear on the lap of Ron's trousers from the slowly dripping tears he cried. All of Ron's fears seemed to be confirmed, and he let out a long, semi-strangled breath.
"How long, Remus?" Ron choked out, voice nearly gone and looking thirteen again.
"No, Remus! Don't!" Hermione suddenly whipped her hands away, spraying sparkling tears about. Her face was panic-stricken, pupils like pin pricks in the whites of her eyes
"You never loved me at all," Ron said, words just above a whisper. "Did you, Hermione? Was this all just a game?"
"Ron!" She cried out, falling to her knees in front of him. "Don't ever think that. Please..."
"No, Hermione. If you loved me...if you...how could you do this to me?" He said, anger peeking out from behind his pain. His whole body conveyed his confusion. His brows we pulled down, chest muscles pulled tight and arms rigid.
"Ron. Forgive me. Ron, please!" She whimpered, picking up his large hands into her own tiny hands.
Without speaking, Ron pulled his hands out from within Hermione's. Her small fingers curled around Ron's as hard as they could, and he had to tug decently hard to wrench free. Once his fingers left hers, she grasped onto his thighs, begging for forgiveness. Ron exhaled sharply, lip drawn up into a snarl. Shoving hard, Ron flung Hermione's hands from his knees.
"No, Hermione." He growled. "Not this time!"
"Ronald!" She whimpered as he pushed her away and stood, drawing himself up to full height.
Ron stood face to face with Remus. Hermione clung, sobbing, to the fabric at his knee. Remus felt suddenly small when Ron was so close. Ron towered over Remus when so close. He was a solid six inches taller now, not like in the old days. Once, when Remus was a professor at Hogwarts, Ron was a child. He and Hermione had been thirteen, two young children with their whole lives in front of them. Both had been so innocent.
Remus reflected back on those young children. Then, they'd probably not even shared a kiss with a member of the opposite sex. Now, Hermione had shared some of the raciest sex Remus had ever had the pleasure of being part of with him. Remus's image of Hermione would forever be skewed for having known her as a child.
"If you won't tell me, Hermione, I know Remus will. He's enjoying this." Ron said, voice low and monotone. Remus opened his mouth to contradict Ron, he was not enjoying it at all, but was cut off.
"Ten years!" Hermione cried out from Ron's knee. "Ten years, Ron. Since Hogwarts."
"Since Hogwarts?" Ron shouted, his anger level suddenly jumping up tremendously. He reached down and grasped Hermione by her wrist. He pulled hard on her frail arm, dragging her entire body up, nearly pulling her shoulder out of its socket.
"Ron...I know you're upset, but...don't hurt her." Remus said, nearly touching Ron's flexed arm that held onto Hermione's hand.
"Tell me the truth about the babies, Hermione." Ron seethed through his teeth. It was clear now that he'd pieced together the puzzle. Whether he'd done it years before, or only just that moment, no one knew.
When Hermione couldn't speak through her tears, Remus spoke very plainly. "They were mine."
"Yours?" Ron repeated, as if the words were unable to sink in.
"Yes." Remus replied quietly.
"I'm sorry, Ron!" Hermione sputtered from next to Ron, her arm still held up in the air, still held in Ron's tight grasp. "I didn't know! I thought you were the father just like you did!"
Before Remus had any idea what was going on, he felt his palm make stinging contact with Hermione's cheek. The loud noise of his slap seemed to echo in the tiny room. The hurt in Remus's heart was so immense, it seemed to fill the hollow spaces in his ribs. How could sh lie like that? Remus finally knew that Hermione would do anything, anything, to keep herself from being hurt. She'd even lie about something so precious. While Ron and Hermione did not seem surprised by what had occurred, Remus was shocked by his own instinct. He'd just warned Ron to not hurt his wife. Ron, looking stern, place a hand on Remus's shoulder and pushed him, gently, to an arm's distance from he and his wife.
"I know you're lying, Hermione." Ron said slowly. " Harry told me he knew that...I wasn't the father. Harry honestly thought he was the father, himself, from the beginning."
Hermione's eyes were wide, and her sobbing seemed to quiet. "When did he tell you?"
"The day before we got married. The first time." Ron answered curtly.
"Why did you marry me, then, Ron?" Hermione asked, hands raking back her hair.
"Because I loved you, Hermione." He looked her in the eye. "You were the only girl I'd ever loved. From day one...you were special to me...What I'll never understand...why have I never been special to you?"
"Ron..." She murmured.
"No, let me finish!" He interjected. "I've been good to you! I've never lain a hand on a single other woman, never even thought about it. I married you and accepted that those weren't my babies. But, I loved you. I knew you needed me... and having you made me happy. I even looked the other way when you cheated on me with Draco."
It was Remus's turn to be wide-eyed.
"And Harry."
Hermione made a small choked noise.
"And Viktor."
"You knew?" She coughed out. "Why are you still with me, then, Ron? If you knew...why stay?"
"Because I loved you, Hermione!" He yelled, hand to his chest. "I know you don't understand love...you've never loved anyone the way I've loved you!...But, I'm done."
"Done?" She cried.
"I'm done, Hermione." He said, turning to Remus. "You can have her, mate."
Ron pushed her hands off of his arm, after she'd clung to him desperately. He looked at Remus, face devoid of any emotion but streaked with now drying tears. When Remus met his eyes, Ron shook his head and looked down. With a flick of his hand, Ron brushed his hair out of his eyes and then rubbed his cheek with the back of his hand. He turned, stepping over the pillows strewn about and walked out of the room.
After a moment, Hermione and Remus heard the front door close. And for a moment, there was silence.
Please R&R.
One chapter left.
Meagan