New chapter!! Yay! I like/hate this chapter, but it had to be done. Please review!
"I'm home, Hermione."
Ron walked in nonchalantly late that night. Hermione was sitting in bed, her knees drawn up to her chin. She looked up at the boy who she had known for so long and got up. Taking his pillow she handed it to him, saying very quietly,
"You can sleep on the couch tonight."
He looked at her, bewildered. For a long time silence reigned as he looked from the pillow to Hermione's tear-streaked face and back again. Finally he asked her,
"Why?"
She took his collar gently between thumb and forefinger. Pointing to the lipstick on it she explained softly,
"That's why." She laughed when she saw horror dawn on Ron's face. "Did you think that I wouldn't find out? All those late nights at work. You paying less attention to the relationship, always brushing problems away. Did you take me for a fool? Merlin Ron, you have a picture of her on your desk in place of where I used to be. How obvious can you be?"
Tears were once again streaming down her face as Ron turned redder and redder. He knew that it was stupid to put that picture of her up, but he had never expected Hermione to go into his office without him being there. Defensively he said angrily,
"You had no right to go into my office like that. It completely invades my privacy. And it's not like you'll break up with me! You can't survive without a guy at your side plus I'm the only person who will put up with all of your crap."
Hermione gasped and slapped him. They stared at each other, a red handprint forming on his cheek. She eventually said in a steady voice,
"Get out. Pack a bag and get out of this apartment. Go stay with friends or something, just not here. I don't want to see your face here. Get out."
Realizing that he had gone too far this time Ron tried to placate her, but it was too late. The damage was done. He summoned a suitcase and packed it quickly, before shrinking it and leaving. Just before he walked out the door he said quietly,
"I'm sorry. It wasn't meant to happen in this way."
Then he was gone and Hermione was left to cry, alone in her bed. It was too late to go to Ginny and Harry and to be honest, she just wanted to wallow for a while. She had always imagined she would have a picture perfect life. After Hogwarts she would work at the ministry and marry Ron and grow old with him happily. But that hadn't happened…well the ministry part had, but growing old with Ron hadn't. He had changed since Hogwarts and now she didn't even recognize him anymore.
GROWING UP GROWING UP
"Harry, can I stay here for the night?" Ron had just knocked on his best friend's door, dreading having to explain why he needed a place to sleep. Harry looked confused and asked,
"Why? Did Hermione kick you out finally?"
This last remark was said jokingly, but when Ron didn't reply Harry's vibrant green eyes widened. He asked, shocked,
"She kicked you out? But why?"
Ron shifted from foot to foot, knowing that Harry would not let him in until he gave an explanation, but if he gave the explanation then Harry wouldn't let him in anyway. But he was spared having to give any details by Ginny coming back behind her boyfriend and saying coldly,
"He's cheating on her with his secretary. Right, Ronald?"
Her brother looked down, unable to meet the accusing gaze of his baby sister. Harry's mouth was open with astonishment and anger. His eyes shot daggers at his best friend and he said in a deadly voice,
"How long?"
"Um, er, w-well, half a year," Ron said after a lot of prevarication. Ginny slapped him, hard, her hand leaving a mark similar to the one Hermione had given him. Nonetheless she pulled him into their house and slammed the door. She yelled,
"How could you do this to her? She's been so good to you. She loves you and she's been faithful. She's always been sensitive about your feelings, never flaunting the fact that she had a better job than you in your face, never rubbing it into your face that you're so dumb and she's so smart. She's the best thing that's ever happened to you and you do this! You are a good for nothing!"
Harry tried to calm her down, but she turned on him,
"No, Harry! Don't try to defend him. He's at fault. Why do you always try to defend people when they're in the wrong?"
For a moment Ron was confused because Ginny hadn't seemed angry at Harry before, but at Harry's weary expression he realized that their relationship might not be as picture perfect as it seemed. Thinking that they might want to yell at each other in private he tried to slip out, but Ginny caught sight of his 'sneaky' getaway.
"Oh no you don't, Ronald Weasley. You don't get off that easily. Get back here this instant! Mum would be ashamed of your conduct. In fact I will make sure I tell her so that you can get a howler at work and you can be humiliated! I swear that I will expose you and that slut. How could you hurt Hermione so?"
Ron was helpless before this onslaught and finally fled from the scene, leaving Harry to deal with the angry redhead by himself. As soon as Ron was out of her line of fire, Ginny turned to Harry.
"So back to what we were talking about before Ronald came."
Harry said dryly, "No darling, back to what you were yelling about before Ron came."
Ginny glared at him and said,
"You don't get out that easy. You've become disrespectful. You leave your filth everywhere expecting it to magically disappear and then when it doesn't you wonder why. You've become used to taking me for granted!"
Harry said,
"No, Ginny. I have not! You have just become bossy and overbearing. You think that because I love you so much you can step all over me. Well I have news for you, madame, my love can only stand so much!"
They glared at each other, each refusing to budge from his/her position. Finally Ginny said,
"As long as Ronald is here we will pause this conversation, but afterwards we will need to have a long talk."
Harry readily agreed, sick and tired of constantly arguing with the fiery redhead. Lately they couldn't seem to agree on anything and he was being to wonder if they had drifted too far apart for them to ever come back and be what they used to be. Sometimes he even thought that it would be better if they just broke up and parted on amicable terms, but deep down he knew that Ginny would never give up on them until they were bitter enemies. That stubbornness in Ginny was something he used to love and prize, but now he wished that she was just a bit more giving and less demanding. But every time he tried to talk about it she would ignore it or get furious and he had learnt that it just wasn't worth the effort anymore.