Chapter - 2
"Ron, get up. We still have to pick up Rose and Hugo." Hermione said pulling Ron's blanket.
"5 more minutes" Ron said pulling the blanket again on top of him causing Hermione to sigh. She pulled out her wand and cast 'Aguamenti' causing water to sprinkle from tip of her wand on Ron's face.
Ron woke up abruptly covering his face, "Bloody hell Hermione, what the hell are you doing? Stop it, stop it now." Hermione stopped. Ron glared at her, "You could have just woken me normally." Ron said getting up from the bed.
"Oh really" Hermione said folding her hands. "I have been waking you from half an hour and you are telling me I could have waked you normally. You are becoming worse than Hugo." Hermione said taking her clothes wardrobe.
"Hey, I only sleep late on Sundays." Ro protested. "All the week I was too busy with the case. Now I got one day break and you are pouring water on me." Ron said pouting.
"Ok, I am sorry; I shouldn't have sprinkled water on you." Hermione said keeping her arms around Ron's neck. "But we were getting late. We have to pick up Rose and Hugo from Harry and Ginny's house." Hermione said as she kissed Ron and went into the bathroom and closed the door.
"Where are we going? I am not in a mood to go anywhere today." Ron said banging bathrooms door.
"What do you mean by not in a mood today? We have to take Rose's school supplies today. Don't tell me you forgot it." Hermione said opening the door and glaring at Ron.
Ron gulped, "I didn't forget it just slipped from my mind." Ron said turning back and hurriedly went into the living room. Ron sat on the sofa and an owl came in. Ron took the letter and read it once and burned it than wrote the reply and giving the owl some treats he sent it away. Thanking merlin that the owl didn't came when Hermione was there.
After an hour both of them were ready and flooed to Harry's house.
Ron and Hermione entered the house and they were greeted with the sight of neatly dressed Rose who was sitting and reading a book.
"She is definitely your daughter." Ron said to Hermione in her ear and then he saw Hugo who is running around the living room without his shirt on and a messy looking Ginny is running behind him.
"And he is definitely your son." Hermione commented with an amused look on her face. Then Hugo saw them and he rushed towards Hermione.
"Mum, did you bring my dress? Aunt Ginny is making me to wear Al's dress. I don't want it; it's too big for me." Hugo complained hiding behind Hermione.
"And you were saying he is my son. He doesn't even look at me." Ron said amusingly before Hermione reply Rose rushed towards them.
"Dad, did you see this dress this is my present from Aunt Ginny for going to Hogwarts." Rose said excitingly hugging her father.
Hermione is an authoritative parent and whereas Ron is lenient. Their children Rose and Hugo are polar opposites of each other. Rose is more like Hermione and Hugo's behavior mirror image of that of Ron. Even though Rose is more like her mother whenever she has a problem or anything she always comes to Ron first and Hugo goes to Hermione. Rose and Hugo are very protective of each other and are very close. James and Fred never dared to pull a prank on either of them. Once they pulled a prank on Rose she took it humorously but Hugo who is smaller than both of them cursed one with bat-boogey hex and other with 'eat slugs'. He even got warning for doing under age magic from Ministry. James and Fred took their revenge against Hugo and pulled a prank on him. Hugo face turned into pig face for an entire day. But to their horror this time it's Rose who retaliated by cursing them with a spell from an auror book which made them not to have any control over their urination. It took a week for Harry to find a counter spell and they became a joking stock to their cousins. Needless to say they never tried to pull any other prank on both of them from then.
"I brought your clothes here wear them." Hermione said as she handed Hugo his clothes. "I hope they were not much of a trouble Ginny." Hermione said causing Ron to snort loudly. Hermione glared at him before continuing. "Where is Harry and where are the children?" Hermione asked.
"They were good kids except this morning Hugo decided to make me run after him for everything." Ginny said looking pointedly at Hugo. "Harry got an owl in the morning he went to office and the children are upstairs watching movie." Ginny said.
Hugo smiled innocently, "What did I do Aunt Ginny? You told me last night you used to run 5km every morning when you were playing quidditch with the Harpies. I am just trying to see whether you can still do it or not." Hugo said slowly making his way to Ginny making puppy dog eyes he knows by which he can get her Aunt to forgive him instantly.
Ginny tried to fight back the smile that is about to slowly creep on her face, she couldn't hold it back seeing Hugo's puppy dog eyes she laughed out loudly.
"Oh you are a charming boy Hugo, that's why you are my favorite nephew." Ginny said ruffling his hair.
"We will say goodbye to James, Al and Lily." Rose and Hugo went upstairs.
"You let the children to see the movie this early in the morning." Ron said clearly amused. "What happened to my little sister is she feeling alright?" Ron said keeping his hand on her forehead checking for fever.
Ginny hit Ron's hand away, "No need to be so dramatic. Harry said he won't be back till the evening so we are not coming to Diagon alley today." Ginny said regretfully.
"Harry is busy doesn't mean you can't come right. We can all go and take Al's and Rose's books and all." Ron said sitting on the sofa.
"No Ron, you know Harry he wants to be there with the children when they take they shop for their first year of Hogwarts." Ginny said settling beside Ron.
"I am his friend for more than 25 years and I never knew he was this much sentimental. Mental he is." Ron said smiling.
"Once you become the father you tend to mature and protective." Hermione said. "You were much worse before Rose was born. You used to leave everything as a mess until you knew I was pregnant than all of the sudden you were a different man." Ron tried to interrupt. "Before you say anything who is it that went weepy over his daughter leaving to Hogwarts last night?" Hermione said folding her hands.
"Hey that's not fair. I didn't go weepy I was just… Just sad, that's it. You are making it sound like I was crying." Ron started arguing.
"For the heaven's sake you both stop it. I don't know how you start an argument out of nowhere." Ginny said exasperatedly. Before they answer Rose and Hugo came back into the room.
"Mum, Dad we are ready." They both said simultaneously.
"Why didn't your cousins came down?" Ginny asked.
"They were too busy watching movie." Rose said disapprovingly.
"They are forgetting their manners day by day." Ginny said and as she about to shout their names Ron interrupted.
"Leave it Ginny, they see us every day. Even I wouldn't come down if I was watching movie." Ron said and grabbed the floo power and went first followed by Rose, Hugo and Hermione.
All the four reached laughing and joking reached Gringots. As they entered the bank all the Goblins stopped working all at once and glared at them and then some went back to their work and some were still throwing loathsome looks at them.
Ron and Hermione were familiar with this but Rose and Hugo are coming here for the first time are stunned to see the loathing looks they got from the Goblins and they even observed that they were the only ones who are getting those looks.
"Dad, why are they looking at us like that?" Rose asked her father.
"Well for one thing they are miserable, loathsome and idi—ouch!" Ron was about to run his foul mouth but Hermione silenced him by kicking Ron's leg.
"Hey what was that for?" Ron asked trying to rub his foot. Hermione glared at him. "Ok, ok I shouldn't curse in front of children." Ron said looking apologetically at Hermione. "Well Rose you know about Uncle Harry, Mum and I fought a bad wizard when we were small right?" Rose and Hugo both nodded excitedly they like their parents past stories very much.
"Well once we had to get into a death eaters vault which has a weapon to fight the bad wizard then we broke into their vaults and while coming out we freed a dragon and destroyed some portion of the bank. From then the Goblins hate us." Ron explained briefly as they reached the Goblins desk.
Ron handed the key to the goblin and he gestured them to follow him. Rose and Hugo liked the cart ride very much. Once they reached their vault the Goblin put in the golden key and opened it. Rose and Hugo unable to hold their curiosity peeked inside and saw a huge heap of gold coins lying there. Ron and Hermione saved a very good amount of gold for the future. They were not as rich as Harry or George but they can lead a luxurious life for years to come.
Ron counted the gold galleons and tied them in a cloth bag. As they exited the vault Hermione dragged him aside.
"Ron that is more gold than what we need. That's two times more than what we need for the shopping." Hermione said disapprovingly.
"Hermione, don't make a scene. You know I don't waste money unnecessarily right?" Hermione nodded. "You trust me?" Hermione nodded again. "Then you leave this matter alone, please." Ron said pleasingly and pecked on her lips once to distract her and they excited the Gringots.
Hermione didn't get distracted but she got frustrated. Since Ron became the auror she knows how much he earns and how he spends the money. She made him to write the account of every sickle he spends. When they moved together newly and were low on money so they had to keep an account of all their expenses. But even after they got better Ron writes his expenses. But every month some amount of galleons from his salary he spends somewhere he doesn't say where he spends them. Hermione knows Ron doesn't have any bad habits but it's been years she still doesn't know.
She decided enough is enough she is going to talk to Ron about this today. They are husband and wife they shouldn't have secrets.
As Hermione lost in her thoughts she didn't see Ron buying ice cream to Rose and Hugo behind her back. When she saw them and glared at Ron he smiled sheepishly and shrugged. Hermione couldn't help but smile and roll her eyes.
They went to the Olivander's shop. Olivander is retired and now his son is looking after the shop. Rose got her first wand and then they went to Madam Malkins to purchase the robes and then Hernione saw a woman who signaled to Ron and Ron nodded back. Hermione never saw that woman before she is very beautiful.
"You select the robes Hermione; I will be back in a minute." Ron said and without waiting for her answer he went in the direction of the woman headed.
Hermione couldn't help but feel suspicious. She read many books about mid life crisis where the husband or wife gets bored and start to have affair. She never thought that kind of boredom will ever come in between them. They were still very much happy and are very much in love with each other if that's possible they are even more in love. But seeing that woman signaling Ron and he just went without much of the explanation.
Hermione thought maybe it is work related; maybe Ron is working on any case of her. But she knows all the cases on which Ron is working. Unable to hold her curiosity she told Madam Malkins to look after the children and followed Ron.
Hermione searched for Ron and then saw him going to the corner where the woman is standing. Hermione went as much nearer as possible without them seeing her and threw the new version of extendable ears which is wireless where the mike can be thrown at them and the receiver is kept in the ear like the Bluetooth and one can hear everything the others are speaking within 100metres radius.
Hermione held her breathe as Ron hugged the woman warmly. She felt her anger rise when the mysterious woman kissed Ron on his cheek.
"Ron, why you didn't come all the week, the children were asking for you." The mysterious woman greeted Ron.
"I was busy with a case. Where are they?" Ron asked looking around.
"Oh they are at the pet shop. Mary saw a rat and she instantly took the liking for it and her sister is with her. She is waiting for me to get it to her. I can't believe they both will be going to Hogwarts this year. Abbie wants a new broomstick this year you promised her you will get her a new broomstick when she reaches her third year." The mysterious woman said.
"Alright, take this money. Buy them all they want and if you ask me I really don't like rats you should get her an owl it would be very useful." Ron said as he handed the money to her. "One more thing from next time onwards you don't send me the owl post. I was lucky today morning when your owl came, Hermione was in the bathroom." Ron said seriously.
"Sorry, I tried to call to your mobile all the week but that was switched off." The mysterious woman said.
"My fault, but just remember from next time only call me to my mobile only. I don't want Hermione to know anything about any of this." Ron said with finality in his voice.
"Don't worry. but I think you must tell her. She will understand." The woman said keeping her hand on Ron's shoulder.
"Leave it. Tell me you put Mary's second name as your second name only, right?" Ron asked.
"Oh, how many times you ask this. Of course I know that. We don't want anybody to know who her father is, right?" The woman said rolling her eyes.
"Ok bye, I told Hermione I will be back in a minute. Ok than bye. If you need anything just call me. I will charge my mobile today." Ron said as she hugged him once more and started walking away.
"One more thing, stay safe." Ron said and the woman turned back rolling her eyes and said ok and then she got mixed up in the crowd.
By this point Hermione couldn't stop the tears that are rolling freely from her eyes. She never thought Ron would do this to her. He cheated her and by their talk they even have two children. She always thought Ron could never lie to her without his ears turning red. So he has been giving the money to them every month and she blindly trusted him all these years. But he kept this from her and he knows that woman before even their marriage and he still married her and worst of all the woman is okay with it. She had to enquire more about them before confronting Ron. Wiping the tears Hermione decided to give Ron benefit of doubt before drawing the conclusions. Normally if it was anybody else she would have confronted them then and there itself. But she knows Ron, she knows him since he was eleven years old. She knows Ron loves her with his life and he would never do anything that hurts her. She hoped against hope that whatever she heard is some sort of misunderstanding and there is a perfect explanation to it.