"How are you doing?" Astoria asked as she entered the steamy bathroom.
Hermione was sitting in the hot water, face stained with tears.
"I'm feeling a little better." She said softly, closing her eyes to stop the room from spinning.
Astoria sat down next to the tub and leaned against the wall.
"I'm sorry." Hermione continued. "You must hate me." She gave a little hiccup.
Astoria laughed softly. "Of course, I don't hate you." She said softly. "I understand that you're going through a very difficult time right now."
Hermione frowned. "How can you be so kind? Did Draco not tell you why I was here?" she was expecting a lot more conflict from Astoria, and it was frustrating to see how calm she was. Didn't she know that she should fight for Draco? Did she even love him at all?
Astoria looked at the floor and let out a soft, nervous laugh. "Oh, he told me." She said.
There was an awkward pause. For a moment, they both sat in silence, before Astoria spoke up again.
"Tell me about your husband." She said, looking up at Hermione.
Hermione blinked back at her, caught a little off guard. "Uhm…" she began. "His name is Ronald." She paused. "I'm not sure what to say about him."
"Tell me what you like about him." Astoria pressed with a gentle smile. "Why did you marry him?"
"Well…He's been one of my best friends since my first year at Hogwarts." Hermione said, and she smiled a little as well. "He's not always the most considerate…and he's pretty thick sometimes…but he's kind to me, and I know that he would give me the world if he could."
"So why are you here?" Astoria asked, the tone in her voice a little firmer than before. "Why are you here, asking my husband to love you, if you've already got someone who loves you, waiting for you at home? Probably worrying about you, and missing you?"
Hermione didn't know what to say. She was beginning to sober up, and with each minute that passed she felt more embarrassed. What was she doing here? Ron did love her. Was she chasing after a fantasy that didn't even exist anymore?
"Do you love him?" Hermione asked suddenly. "I mean…do you really?" She felt herself becoming emotional again. "I've known him for practically my whole life. I've known him through every struggle he's been through, and I've always been there for him. He was forced to marry you. From my understanding, it was something that neither of you wanted. Do you really think that your relationship is stronger than the one he could have with me?"
Astoria stood. "You were there for his juvenile struggles. You helped him survive a horrible childhood. For that, I will always be grateful to you." She looked down on Hermione. "But you were never there for him during his real struggles. Where were you, in the aftermath of the war? Where were you when he was tearing apart at the seams?" Her voice remained steady, and though she spoke firmly, Astoria didn't raise her voice. "And worse than simply being absent, you were the cause of his greatest struggle. The unrequited love he had for you caused him torment like you wouldn't believe." Astoria picked up a towel and placed it on the edge of the tub. "Yes, our marriage was arranged…but I was the one who pieced him back together, after you left him broken. So, ask yourself again, which one of us, truly loves him?"
Hermione sat in the now luke warm water, looking up at Astoria as though she had been slapped in the face. Astoria knelt and placed a gentle hand on Hermione's shoulder.
"Your husband misses you Hermione." She said softly. "Go Home."
Hermione awoke early the next morning as the sun had barely begun rising. She sat up in an unfamiliar bed, and looked around. It took her a moment to realize where she was, and the second she remembered, she felt her face growing red in embarrassment. As quietly as she could, she got out of bed and dressed. As she collected her things, she noticed a steaming pot of tea on the bedside stand, along with a muffin and some still warm eggs. Suddenly famished, Hermione quickly ate the breakfast that was left for her, and slowly opened the door to peer into the hallway. She crept along the hall, and down the stairs, thankfully not seeing anyone on her way out. Once out in the cold snowy morning, Hermione took a deep breath, allowing her lungs to fill up with the fresh chill of the morning air. She set off into the village, deciding that she ought to walk instead of dissaperating. She was a bit too hung over, and didn't want to risk a splinching.
"Mornin' Miss" said the old bar tender as Hermione pushed open the pub door, and climbed the stairs to her room.
She sat on the bed she had been renting for the last week and a half. Looking around the worn down room she realized that Astoria was right. It was time for her to return home. Hermione packed up the rest of her belongings, and taking a deep breath, turned on the spot, vanishing into thin air with a small 'pop.'
"Hermione!" Ron's face went white when he saw her coming up the drive. He threw the front door opened and rushed out into the front yard, not even bothering to put on his shoes. The snow crunched between his bare toes as he ran towards her, his arms outstretched. "Hermione, you're back!" He threw his arms around her. "I thought I had really lost you this time."
Hermione dropped her bags, and wrapped her arms around her husband. "I'm sorry Ron." She said quietly.
"No, I'm sorry." Ron continued, picking her suit case up as he ushered her towards the house. "I love you Hermione. I'm just glad you're back."
That evening, as Hermione lay in bed, the events of the past few days turned over and over in her mind. For the first time in her life, she felt like the dumbest person alive. She loved Ron, but she couldn't shake the feeling that she was in the wrong place, living the wrong life. No matter how tightly Ron held her, she just couldn't get Draco out of her head.