Aaand here is Chapter 4. The chapter that, I admit it, didn't really take me long to write but it took me a long time to start writing. I'm really sorry I took so long with it... But anyway, it's here now. So yeah. I admit as well that it's not very long, either. But in my experience, short chapters are easier to read as well as write. So I really hope you like it!

I won't waste any more of your time rambling.

Here is Chapter 4 of DFRF!

"You want me to take them out? Where?"

Ron's incredulous voice sounded from the kitchen. Hermione heard Gabrielle shush him and mutter something unintelligible.

She was upstairs, in the bedroom that was to be hers for the duration of her stay – which, now that she knew about the coming baby and the tense atmosphere between her and Ron, was hopefully not to be a long one.

The room was a comfortable size, like the rest of the house, with cream walls and dark, polished floorboards. The rest of the space was taken up by a wardrobe, a bedside table, and their large suitcases.

Hermione sat on the bed. The boys were playing in the back garden. Katerina was lying in a carrycot in the other spare bedroom – the bedroom that was to be the nursery. Hermione felt it very awkward for her baby to be sleeping there, in the space that was meant for another. But Gabrielle had insisted that it was perfectly fine, so the room stayed occupied.

As if she had heard her thoughts, Gabrielle appeared in the doorway.

"So, Ron has agreed to take you and les enfants into town. Do not worry if he is a bit... annoyed. He did not sleep good last night. I am so sorry, if I could take you I would, but I have to go to work today. Ron is more, how you say – bendy – with his job."

"I think you mean flexible," laughed Hermione. Then her face became serious.

"Ron's part of the Chudley Cannons isn't he?" she asked, although she already knew the answer. Gabrielle nodded.

"He is the goalstopper – I mean, goalkeeper," she said proudly. "But they do not have any games right now, and Ron only does his practising trois days a week. So he is fine to go." She reached out and patted Hermione's shoulder sympathetically. "Do not worry – it will be okay. This will all be okay."

"I hope so..." Hermione's voice trailed off. She got up.

"I should start getting the kids ready, then, shouldn't I?" Without waiting for an answer, she walked round to the suitcases and began to pull clothes out of them. Gabrielle nodded understandingly.

"I shall leave you to it, then," she said softly. She walked out of the room. Hermione could hear voices downstairs again.

"Ron, please talk to me!"

They were walking down the road towards the nearby Muggle children's zoo – since Muggles were prominent in the area, Apparation was not an option. Ron walked on ahead, face stern, whilst Hermione struggled to keep up.

"Ron! We can't go on like this forever... I – I'm sorry for everything I did, I'm sorry for hurting you. I realise now that you've changed... you're not the person you were ten years ago. But somehow, I don't know what's worse – that person, or the person who won't forgive me now."

He turned around. Glancing at the children, who were playing happily as they walked along, he spoke.

"Hermione, you did more than just 'hurt' me. You broke my heart. I didn't know what to do with myself. And then I found out you were with that – that hook-nosed bastard! I knew you would never want someone like me when you could have someone like him. Yet now that he's bored with you, you come crawling back to me, expecting me to let you in with open arms! It's not fair, Hermione – on me, on Gabby, on our family."

His words stung. He turned away, his lips clamped firmly shut. It seemed that that was what he had been waiting to tell her, and now that he had said it, there was nothing more to say.

Hermione looked down at the ground. She glanced back at the boys again, checking that they were not listening. But they were still engrossed in their game.

Once they got to the zoo, Ron brightened up. He still wasn't making eye contact with her, let alone talking to her, but he played happily enough with Andrei and Stefan as they ooohed and aaaahed at the goats and owls and ferrets.

He looks like their father when he does that, Hermione thought.

A plump Muggle woman with greying mouse-brown hair and a round face approached them at the capybara enclosure.

"Oh, 'ello, Ronald, love! What a surprise to see you 'ere!" She looked at the boys, who were jostling eachother to get a good view. "'Oo are these little lads then, eh?"

Ron smiled uncomfortably. "They're, er, sons of a guest who's staying with us right now. Um, Hermione, this is Marjorie, Marjorie, this is Hermione."

Marjorie smiled warmly at Hermione. "Lovely to meet you, dear. 'Ow do you know Ronald, then?"

"Er, through school," said Hermione, quickly. Marjorie smiled again. "Very good, very good. School days are always the best. I expect you're wondering how Ronald and I know eachother, eh?"

Smiling, Hermione nodded.

"Well, 'e comes into our corner shop almost every week, don't you, Ronald? And we always see eachother when we're out and about, like now." She put her arm around him. "'E's the son I never 'ad." Marjorie smiled for a third time. "Anyway, I'll see you later, then. Have a good day!"

Ron nodded. "You too, Marge." He glanced at Hermione, who was looking at him with amusement as the woman walked away.

"What? I try to make friends with the Muggles round here... Marjorie's just one of the closer ones," he said grumpily. Then he turned to the boys.

"How about we go into the shop and get you something special?"

The boys squealed with delight and raced in the direction of the shop. Hermione gazed at their retreating backs, and then at Ron, who had a strange look on his face. He looked... wistful. But he didn't meet her gaze again.

"Gabby, we're back! We're – "

Ron's voice suddenly cut off. They were just entering the house, Andrei and Stefan clutching plush miniatures of their favourite animals – Andrei a monkey, Stefan an owl. Hermione followed behind them. She looked up to see what had stopped Ron.

Gabrielle was standing in the kitchen, looking agitated and worried. And in front of her, in the doorway, stood Viktor Krum.

A/N: Woo! The end of the chapter!

And I'm really not that experienced in cliffhangers, but is that one? Or not? Tell me in the review section.

Hope you enjoyed it! I'll hopefully write more soon because SUMMER IS HERE! WOOOO! So keep a look out for more chapters!

Byeeeee