The past few months had been bliss. Complete and absolute bliss.
Maybe it was the thrill of sneaking around and not telling anybody; not the two others that they should have been with. It was exhilirating, even though it was taboo. Hermione Granger, war hero, the most clever witch of her generation, and cheater…
She admitted to herself that she didn't like branding herself mentally as a cheater – but it was true. You didn't just sneak around and snog and do various other unmentionable things without having a little bit of a guilty conscience.
Every time Ron would look at her with his sparkling blue eyes and say, "I love you, Hermione," her heart would twist a little bit, but being good at bluffing she would repeat the sentiment.
And then he would be gone working as an Auror and she would be working from her own home, trying in vain to tell herself that next time would be the last time.
But next time turned into next week, and next month, and next year, until Hermione gave up on convincing herself that she would end the sneaking around and the lying; because if she was being completely honest, she didn't want to end it.
It wasn't kissing Ron – his felt somewhat forced, and occasionaly dull, but Fred's were – passionate, the ones that blew your mind and left you unable to think straight with a silly smile on your face. There was always the lingering wonder if he kissed Angelina like that but was always forgotten immediately after his lips touched hers.
The last time Fred had been rigid and stiff – Hermione never initiated anything, she waited for him to do so, but he never seemed to. The silence had been awkward.
"I'll just be going," whispered Hermione, a little disheartened.
"No," said Fred, barely audible. She stopped and pivoted so that she was facing him, and wondered what he was going to do next…
"I'm proposing to Angelina."
A breath caught in her throat as the words were spoken, and she looked down. The cold winter wind was making her hair flutter wildly, but she wished it was able to cover the heartbroken expression.
Hermione nodded, and was completely determined to not let herself cry. He isn't worth it. He's with Angelina, you're with Ron, and now it's official. She knew she wasn't going to cheat with a married man… and that's exactly what she had been doing.
"I… congratulations, Fred," she said, and the smile on her face looked completely fake. Was it wrong already being in a relationship and wanting another man to stay out of anything serious, just for you? Yes, it was, and Hermione knew that if he wanted to spend a life with Angelina she wasn't going to stop him.
"Thank you," he replied, but his voice was lower than usual. "I just thought... I'd tell you."
"Yeah," she said, and there it was again - that fake little smile, plastered on her face. Her eyes told the whole story, though - shining with un-shed tears and a little bit duller than before.
"This means..." Fred drew in a breath, and continued talking. "This means we... Angie... I shouldn't have done this in the first place..."
Hermione closed her eyes and nodded slowly, determined to not let him see the tears. "I know," she whispered, and her voice cracked. "I know. It never should have been."
Word count; 576... this literally killed me to write. otp breakups are the hardest :(
Written for;
the King of the Fanfics Competiton, round 1
the Fantastic Beasts Challenge, Jobberknoll
the Hogwarts Classes Category Competition, category Arithmancy
the HP Potions Competition, category Heartbreakers Teardrops
the Colors Competiton, turquoise negative