Lying

They Apparated to the garden gate and made their way up the snowy path. Hermione hesitated at the kitchen door and took a step back. Ron took her hand. "Come on."

"But Ron, there are lights on. People are up. If we go in there—"

"They'll be happy to see us."

"They'll know, Ron. I can't, not with that stupid article sitting there on the table. I feel like a slag. I should just pop home and come back in an hour."

Ron took her by the shoulders. "There isn't an adult in there that hasn't bled next to you, saved your life, or been saved by you. Give them some credit, Hermione. Pull yourself together. Everyone here loves you."

Her breath hitched. She shrugged off his hands and squared her shoulders. "You're right, I just need to get over myself. I'm sorry."

"Don't be sorry." He opened the door. She seemed skittish, so he kept his hand on the small of her back, to keep her grounded as they walked into the kitchen.

Fleur was sitting at the table feeding her little girl. His mum was using her wand to shred potatoes, fry bacon and crack eggs into a bowl. "Mum?"

"Oh, Ron!" His mother hugged him, "And you've brought Hermione. It's so good to see you, dear." She hugged Hermione, who seemed relieved at the reception.

"Thank you for having me, Molly."

"You're welcome any time, you know that. Sit down, you two, let me get you some tea." His mother flicked her wand and two cups of tea came sailing toward them. Ron plucked them out of the air and handed one to Hermione. They took seats at the table. He was relieved to see that the copy of Witch Weekly had disappeared, he hoped into the dustbin.

"How are you Fleur?" Hermione asked.

"Oh, I am good, but Marietta will drive me to drink. She screams to eat at the most awful hours, but when I feed her, she eats next to nothing."

Ron smiled. Fleur had made the same complaint every time he saw her feed Marietta, and yet, the little girl seemed to be thriving.

xXx

As more and more of his family awoke, the noise and activity level reached a fever pitch in the house. His mother put out an enormous breakfast casserole and everyone dug in enthusiastically. The grandchildren were pushing for presents to be opened, and everyone talked over each other. Ron enjoyed the chaos of his family. It was a pleasant change after the silence of his flat. After Harry and Ginny finally came downstairs, the collected family moved from the kitchen to the parlor, where the tree was surrounded by presents. Within minutes the floor was covered in wrapping paper and the children were playing with a variety of charmed toys. The adults began opening their presents. Ron watched as Hermione held up a red sweater with a yellow H on the front. She reached across several children and touched his mother's arm. "Thank you."

His mother patted her hand. "I'm so glad you're here."

Ron leaned over and tapped Ginny on the shoulder, he tilted his head toward the kitchen. She got up and followed him. "Can you cover for me for a bit. I have to run an errand."

Ginny folded her arms across her chest. "What kind of errand can you run on Christmas Day?"

"An important one, all right?"

She frowned at him. "Okay, but try not to be long. Mum'll worry. Christmas dinner is at five."

"I'll be back way before then, I promise."

xXx

When Ginny returned to the parlor without Ron, Hermione asked where he went.

"Haven't a clue," Ginny said. "Something about an errand, but do me a favor, if anyone asks, say you think he's in the loo or the garden or something. I don't want Mum knowing he's stepped out."

Hermione nodded. "Sure," but Ron's departure left her uneasy. Not certain what else to do, she started picking up empty glasses.

Arthur was making balls of wrapping paper disappear to the delight of the children. He looked up at her. "Do you think you could finish this for me? I feel as though my head will explode if I don't have another cup of tea."

Hermione set down the glasses and pulled out her wand. "Of course. She decided to make the game a bit more exciting for the children by turning each piece of discarded wrapping paper into a fully mobile creature that would run into the fireplace and burst into a plume of colored flame. They were squealing with delight as their grandfather slipped quietly from the room.

A while later, when the paper was gone and the children had all dispersed to play with their toys, Harry came into the parlor.

"Fancy a walk, Hermione?"

"That sounds good. It'll help make room for dinner."

Harry patted his belly. "My thoughts exactly."

The two bundled up and headed outside. Hermione took his arm as they walked through the thin crust of snow.

Harry shook his head. "Good grief, the noise level in there is amazing."

Hermione chuckled. "I suppose the rest of them are used to all the kids running around."

"I suppose."

"So, are you and Ginny planning a brood of your own one of these days?"

Harry shrugged. "We're working on it. Hasn't happened yet though."

Hermione patted his arm. "I'm sure it will."

"Me too. We haven't really been trying all that long. How about you?"

Hermione smiled. "I don't think now is such a good time for me to have a baby, do you?"

"I didn't mean that. I meant how are you doing? How are you handling the whole Krum situation?"

Hermione shrugged. "It's for the best really. We just aren't at the same place in our lives. We want different things."

Harry nodded and they walked in silence for a while.

"I hope you don't mind me saying so, but I got up at two o'clock and no one was sleeping on the sofa."

"Was there supposed to be?"

"Well, if you count the number of beds in the house."

Hermione shook her head. "I wasn't planning on spending the night at the Burrow."

"Right, but I couldn't help noticing the door to Ron's room was open all night, so I don't think he slept here either." He gave her a pointed look.

She sighed. "We went back to his flat. All right?"

Harry grinned.

"Don't. It's not what you think. It was old times, talking, drinking."

"Shagging?"

Hermione could feel herself blush. "Really, it's not a big deal. Last night was just a one-off. Two single people on Christmas Eve. Ron doesn't want anything from me. He's done with me. He's been done with me for a long time."

Harry stopped walking. "What makes you say that?"

"Come on, Harry." Hermione let go of his arm. "Not once, from the time of our last fight, has he ever expressed any interest in getting back together. Not once."

"You hardly gave him a chance. You took up with Krum almost immediately."

"Please, I didn't move in with Viktor for almost a year after Ron and I broke it off."

"But you were dating him right away, it was the same week, if I recall correctly."

Hermione shrugged. "So, we went out. He was in town and asked me out, so I went."

"Yeah, but you were in all the papers with Krum. You two were on the cover of all the magazines. The whole thing was rather public."

Hermione rolled her eyes. "So what? Everything the three of us do is public."

"My point is that Ron hardly had a chance to say anything to you under those circumstances."

"What? He can't send an owl because I'm dating an international Quidditch star? Please, he was just done with me, and then he did that bloody interview."

Harry shook his head. "You know those comments were taken out of context."

Hermione crossed her arms in frustration. "What possible context could there be for him to say the three of us slept together?"

"It's not like he told the truth of it."

Hermione glared at him. "He didn't have to. What he said was enough."

"He just talked about being in the forest, in the cold and wet, bundled up and huddled together. It's Rita that culled from that that we all slept together."

"Rita, exactly, what was he thinking giving her an interview?"

Harry sighed. "We'd been drinking. She caught him coming out of the pub. You two had just broken it off. He was vulnerable."

"Yeah, well thanks to his vulnerability, I still get offers by owl post."

Harry gave her a withering look. "Like you're the only one."

She couldn't help but laugh at that. She took his arm again, and they started back toward the house.

"You know that article really helped bring him around. He calmed way down after that and started working on charming televisions."

"Ah, yes." Hermione sighed. "Ron Weasley, bringing Quidditch to the masses in living color."

"He makes a bundle of money selling those things."

"I'm sure he does."

When they reached the garden gate, Harry stopped. "He still loves you, you know?"

Hermione grimaced. "He may love me, but he's not in love with me anymore."

"I think you're wrong."

Hermione squeezed his hand. "I wish I was, Harry, but I'm not." She pushed the gate open and headed up the path.

xXx

Ron was in the kitchen talking to his mother when they came in. "Where've you two been?"

Harry patted his belly. "Trying to walk off a bit of your Mum's casserole before dinner."

Hermione started to ask where Ron had been, but Arthur came into the kitchen and interrupted them. "Hermione, Viktor Krum is here to see you."

For the first time all day, the house fell into silence.

Hermione blinked at him. She had no response for Viktor's arrival. She couldn't imagine what he was doing there.

Arthur grimaced. "He's in the parlor."

Confused, Hermione took a deep breath, squared her shoulders, and walked into the parlor.

Viktor was holding an enormous bouquet of roses. "Hermione."

"Viktor. This is unexpected."

He held out the roses. "These are for you. I am apologizing. I have," he searched for words, "I have not been right by you."

Hermione shook her head. "I don't–"

"No, listen to me. I know I have not done what you wanted, and that was wrong. You want to be married. You want to have babies. I have not made these things my priority. I will do that now, Hermione. We will be married. We can do it soon. How much time do you need to plan a wedding?"

"A wedding? I can't–"

He didn't seem to hear her. "Quidditch season is over. Do you think you can make a wedding before the start of next season? That would be good if you can do. After that, we start on babies. As many babies as you want."

Hermione shook her head. "I don't want to be a single mother, Viktor."

"What are you talking about? I said we will get married first. "Unless…" he raised an eyebrow at her. "You are pregnant now? No matter, we speed up wedding."

Hermione set the roses on the coffee table. "No, I'm not pregnant, but you'll continue to play Quidditch."

"Of course, I have to make living. It will be hard to support all those babies without Quidditch, Hermione." He smiled.

Hermione shook her head. "You're gone three quarters of the year with the team. I don't want to sit home alone with children who don't know their own father."

"You can bring them to matches. My mother did this. It will be fine. You will see." He touched her chin with his fingers, and she looked up at him.

"It won't work."

He glowered at her. "It will work. Come home. I will show you. It will work."

"Viktor." she closed her eyes. "I don't want to live like that."

His expression softened. "I have neglected you. Come, let me fix that."

She looked up at him. "I'm not coming back. I'm never coming back. It's over."

"You are being ridiculous!" He shouted.

Arthur stuck his head around the corner. "Everything all right in here?"

Hermione turned to him. "I'm sorry. We've hijacked your parlor. We'll continue this outside." She turned and began pressing Viktor toward the door.

xXx

The conversation switched to Bulgarian and Ron's stomach felt like it was twisting into knots as he heard the occasional shout drifting in from the front lawn.

"I didn't know Hermione spoke Bulgarian," Ginny commented.

"I'm sure after three years with Krum she's bound to have picked up a few words," Harry said.

"Oh, please," Ron grumbled. "I'm sure she's fluent."

The shouting stopped as quickly as it started. Hermione didn't come back in. Oh, please, please don't be making up. After a minute or two, Ron couldn't stand it anymore and went and peaked through the parlor curtains. It was snowing again. Hermione stood with her arms wrapped around her and her back to the house. Viktor was gone. She just kept standing there. Ron noticed she wasn't wearing a coat. He went back into the kitchen and pulled his heavy coat on, sifted through the coats on the rack until he found Hermione's and pulled it out.

"What's going on?" Harry asked.

"I don't know, she's just standing out there in the snow by herself with no coat on."

"Maybe, you should give her a minute," Ginny said.

Ron turned around and glared at her. "I gave her three years. I'm not giving her another minute. Besides, it's freezing out there." He strode through the parlor and out the front door.