For QLFC Season 5, Round 1.

Position: Seeker

Team: Puddlemere United

Word Count: 923

The Affair

After the Second Wizarding War, when he was already settled with Hermione Granger as his wonderful wife—and what he had ever done to deserve her, he would never know—and two beautiful children—Rose and Hugo—when Ronald Bilius Weasley made the biggest mistake he had ever made and would ever make.

Hermione was working late in the night once more—she had predicted she might sleep at the office and that was fine, as long as he knew and didn't have to worry—and Ron had just managed to get Rose and Hugo to fall asleep after an hour or struggle when there was a knock on the door.

With a frown on his face, he went towards the door and answered it.

He didn't know what he had expected—Hermione to arrive home earlier, Harry or one of his other friends wanting something or other—but this was definitely not it.

Lavender Carter nee Brown, his old girlfriend from sixth year, was standing in front of him, apparently not caring about the rain that was falling from above, drenching her and ruining her make up. And that was something, considering who he was observing here.

"I'm sorry to bother you at home; I'm afraid I don't know where else to go," she said. She sounded hoarse, like she had been crying and screaming for days on end. "Since the Patils are in India and all…"

"Come in," he replied, moving away from the door to let her through. As she entered his house, Ron was able to notice the bruises on her neck she was trying to hide with her scarf. Bruises in the shape of hands…

"How can I help you?" he questions.

"You're too kind," she spoke so quietly that he wasn't quite sure he hadn't imagined it. Lavender shook her head, as if she was trying to banish a thought before she continued. "It's Nicolas…"

"Your husband?" Ron prompted when she didn't speak another word for a minute.

She nodded. "Yes."

"What's he doing?"

Lavender gulped. "He-he doesn't like the fact that I'm writing for the Witch Weekly. Or that I still have the scars from Greyback. Or the habits and instincts that follow from it...He doesn't really like a lot of thing about me and he makes that very clear," she explains slowly, tears in her eyes.

It takes a moment until Ron grasps the full meaning of that statement. "You mean he- he hurts you?"

"In more ways than one," she confirms.

There is a second of silence as Ron tries to think of ways to help. He can't let this continue. Lavender is such a nice girl—woman, he corrects himself—and she doesn't deserve to go through such a pain.

"How about you stay here for the night and then we work out where to go from there?" he proposed.

Her face lightens up and she falls around his neck. "Oh, thank you, thank you!" she repeats.

And then, then follows the moment that truly marked the beginning of the downward spiral that followed. Until this point, he hadn't truly done anything wrong, but that was about to change.

She kissed him on her lips, like they had always used to do, back in sixth year.

And Ron, foolish as he undeniably was, he returned the kiss.

Logically, he knew he shouldn't have done that, that he shouldn't have thrown the life he had built for himself out of the window, but it felt so right in that moment.

He kissed her and—and this was even worse—they stumbled towards the bedroom he shared with Hermione.

He wished he hadn't done that, but he did.
The worst thing was that he did not regret his choice, not really.

Apparently—it was a surprise to himself as well—he did still have feelings for her. He hadn't thought that was the case and why should he?

He had been happy with Hermione. Hell, Ron had only dated Lavender to make Hermione jealous!

But here and now, this was different, somehow.

Actually, that wasn't quite the worst thing. The actual, true worst thing was, that the whole affair—that was what it was, wasn't it?—didn't stop there.

It didn't stop with a single mistake, partly born from exhaustion, oh no. The two of them continued.

Ron spoke with Harry and Ginny, telling her of what Nicolas was doing to Lavender and they offered her a spare room, which she gladly accepted.

But every time Hermione was working late—and after a few months even more frequently—he would debate calling her over or going to visit her.

He didn't always do it, although even that soon became a lie. It didn't take long until he was doing it more often with Lavender than he was with Hermione and—this was yet worse—his feelings seemed to follow accordingly.

The next shock came a few months later. It took the time to prepare, almost as if it was a plan of the universe to lure him into a false sense of security before punishing for his numerous sins.

"I'm pregnant," Lavender announced, her tone somehow managing to be both happy and terrified at the same time. "And you're the only possible father."

And that was when the last of his world finally shattered and he realized how terrible it was what he had done.

Ron let himself fall onto the bed. "Fuck," he exclaimed. "Fuck, what have I done? What am I doing?"

Actually, he had been wrong before. The true worst thing was, that even now he knew he wouldn't stop.