A/N Hello, sorry again for making you wait so long, I just get so busy. I had a few reviews concerning Hermione's behavior. I know she is blaming Ron even though she cheated but that's how she feels. I wrote her this way on purpose so that neither Hermione or Ron was perfect and both were at fault, just like in real life. She doesn't feel like she is 'cheating' like Ron did with someone he didn't even know. So I hope that answers your questions about her behavior, and it will probably get worse before it gets better. Happy reading and don't forget to review and let me know what you think!

Wants vs. Needs

When Hermione woke up that Monday morning she dressed very slowly for work. She was not looking forward to going into work. She knew Ron would be waiting for her in her office and she had no idea what she would say to him.

"Morning." Draco yawned from under the covers.

"Morning." she smiled.

"Are you sure you don't want me to go with you?" he asked.

"I'm positive. I can handle things." she sighed.

"Are you coming back tonight?" he wondered aloud.

"I don't know." she replied honestly.

"I'm going into the store. Try to get some work done." he said as he stood up and stretched. He didn't bother dressing just yet. Truthfully it was the first time he had been proud of his body since he was at Hogwarts. Asteria had made him feel ugly and unwanted. She hated his scars. Hermione thought they were beautiful. And she was what mattered right now. He walked slowly over to the dresser and reached for the leather case that held his gloves. It was gone.

"Hermione, did I leave my gloves in your bag?" he wondered, not noticing that all of Asteria's things were gone. He just wanted to find his invention.

"I have the spares. The ones we tried the protection spell on." she replied digging through her bag. "Here they are." she said handing them to him.

"They are gone!" he shouted. "I put them in the dresser here last night. Merlin, all of Asteria's things are gone." he said flopping onto the bed. "She took the gloves. She's going to blackmail me with them."

"Maybe not." Hermione said looking around the bedroom. "They might just be somewhere else. You were a bit distracted when we left last night."

"No, I put them in the dresser. She came back in the house somehow and took everything she could. How could I have been so careless?"

Hermione sat down next to him and put her arm around him.

"I'm sorry." she said.

"It's not your fault. It's mine." he said resting his head on her shoulder. Hermione patted his hand and felt the gloves he was holding.

"Wait!" she said taking them from him. "These don't look like the fake ones." she examined them more closely. "These look like the originals. Take a look."

Draco took them and put them on his hands. He felt the familiar tingling of the temperature spell keeping his hands perfectly comfortable. The tips had the gripping spell and the secure fit spell conformed to his hands so that they fit snugly.

"These are the originals!" he said joyfully. "How did they get into your purse?"

"You must have mixed them up when we were getting ready to go to dinner." Hermione replied.

"So Asteria took the fake pair and she's going to try to blackmail me with them?" he laughed. "Well I might have to pay her a visit today."

Hermione grinned.

"I will owl you later." she said grabbing her bag and getting ready to apparate to the Ministry. He stood up and closed the distance between them in two large strides.

"Talk to you later." he said before kissing her softly. "Whatever you deicide." he reminded.

She nodded before apperating to the Ministry lobby. It was still fairly early so few people were there. She headed for her office and was relived to find it blissfully empty.

"Thank Merlin." she sighed putting her bag down and picking up the large stack of papers in front of her. She smiled as she signed and stamped each one and began her monotonous job. But it was different. She found she didn't mind it so much today. So long as Ron stayed away and didn't try to harass her into forgiving him. She found the situation ironic. She was the first to cheat. The first to break their vows. And yet she was mad at him. Somehow she felt that what she was doing wasn't cheating, even though deep down she knew it was. But Draco seemed like so much more to her than a one night stand. It wasn't some tramp in the bar. They fit together better than she could have imagined. But she had been married to Ron for so long, was she willing to give that up? Could she give up the comfort and security that he had provided? All these questions ran around her mind that morning distracting her from her work. Suddenly she realized that it was nearly 11 am and Ron hadn't been by her office yet. Maybe he didn't want to reconcile. Maybe he was glad for an excuse to get out of the marriage. She didn't really know how to feel about that. After all Draco hadn't promised marriage or a long term relationship. What if her marriage was over and Draco began to tire of her? She would be a single mother raising two children.

"Am I ready for the ramifications of this?' she thought. It was then that she heard the knocking on her office door.

"Come in." she called. She sat up and prepared herself to deal with Ron. Instead she was looking at Harry.

"Hi Hermione." Harry said smiling slightly. He looked a bit older. Tired. She hoped her troubles weren't contributing to that.

"Hi Harry." she said standing up to greet him. He wrapped his arms around her and hugged her tightly.

"How are you?" he asked.

"Okay." she lied. "I'm dealing."

"Ron doesn't remember what happened." he told her.

"Why isn't he here pleading his case?" she asked.

"He wanted me to feel you out." Harry said sheepishly. "Make sure you weren't going to murder him."

"Then I would have to arrest myself." she joked. "I'm not going to murder him."

"You are going to forgive him that is if there is something to forgive right?" Harry asked her.

"I don't know. I feel so odd about the whole thing. I feel like he's my room mate sometimes. Not my husband. And I know part of that is my fault, but it's just not the same anymore Harry."

"You don't love him anymore?" he wondered.

"I do. I will always love him."

"Then what is the problem?"

"I don't know Harry." she sighed before plopping onto the sofa. "I know I haven't been there sexually for him in a while…"

Harry grimaced at the thought.

"Grow up Harry." Hermione said at the sight of his face.

"Fine, so you and Ron aren't…you know…anymore? It happens sometimes."

"I know."

"I don't think he actually cheated Hermione." Harry told her.

"How do you know?"

"I don't for sure. But I think he would remember if he did. And since he can't remember I don't think he did."

"That makes no sense Harry." she said dully. "I think you want to believe that one of your best friends couldn't do something like that."

"I would never want to think that he or anyone I'm close to would intentionally hurt the one they love."

"It happens Harry. Would you forgive Ron if it turns out to be true?" she asked.

Harry thought for a moment.

"I would like to say I would but I'm not for sure." Harry said honestly.

"What if it was me?" she asked tenderly.

"What?" he asked. "You? You cheated on Ron?" his voice was angry.

"No, no. I'm just wondering if you would be as forgiving if it was me. Hypothetically."

"Geez Hermione don't give me a heart attack like that."

"Answer me." she said trying not to pry so that he would become suspicious.

"Of course I would. People make mistakes. You're only human." he said, but not meaning most of it.

"I just don't know if I can forgive him." she said.

"You can Hermione. You have to. Think of the kids."

"That is who I'm thinking of. What if he brought home some disease from that woman? What if she gets pregnant? Oh my gods, I didn't even think of that before." she inhaled deeply trying to calm down.

"I'm sure that won't happen." Harry said trying to calm her.

"You don't know that for sure. Men can have children late in life. Wizards even later."

"Hermione, talk to him. He's in his office; I'll send him down okay?"

She folded her arms across her chest and nodded.

"Listen to him okay? And then come home." Harry said before leaning down and hugging her.

"Thanks Harry, for listening. Give me a little while before you send him here."

Harry smiled and nodded before leaving the room.

Hermione sat back down at her desk and waited patiently for her husband to appear. It was nearly an hour before he did.

The door opened slowly and Ron poked his head inside.

"Hey." he said solemnly.

"Hi." she replied. He looked like he was tired.

"Can I come in?" he asked.

Hermione shrugged her shoulders.

"How's Hugo?" he asked.

"Fine. My mum and dad took him to the zoo yesterday."

Ron was surprised how civil she was being towards him.

"Look Hermione…"

"No you look." she said placing her hands on each of her hips. "Harry has already told me you don't remember what happened."

"I don't. I swear Hermione. I wasn't unfaithful."

"You don't know that."

Ron sighed heavily.

"What do you want me to say Hermione?" he asked.

"I don't know." she told him.

"Are you going to come home tonight? I miss you. I miss Hugo."

"I know."

"So?"

"I don't know if I'm ready."

"When will that be?"

"I have no idea Ronald!" she half yelled. "I'll bring Hugo home for the night so that you can see him. I won't have him involved in our issues."

"Thank you."

"I need some more time to think."

"How much time Hermione?"

"I don't know for Merlin's sake. I just know that I'm feeling a lot of different things and they are not something that can be sorted out quickly."

"What feelings are you having?" he asked. "Do you still love me?"

"Of course. But I don't know in what capacity. It seems like we have been living different lives. Like you are my friend from school still."

"That's because of you!" he shouted. "You never want to kiss me, or anything that shows affection. The most I get is a swift kiss and a goodbye as you head out to work with Malfoy."

"He has nothing to do with this." she lied. "This has been going on for months. Before I started this project."

"I know all of that." he told her.

"So don't blame it on him, or my work or anything else. We have nothing in common!" she blurted out.

"That never bothered you before." he retorted.

"Well it bothers me now. It bothers me that we can't share books, or movies, or food or conversations."

"Opposites attract." he said quietly.

"That's a crock." she spat back. "I have loved you since we were eleven. I've managed to put my own needs on hold for years. I guess it's just all catching up with me now."

"Is this some kind of midlife crisis Hermione? A hormone thing?"

"I'm going to pretend you didn't just say that Ronald."

"Well I don't know what else it could be." he said throwing his hands up in the air.

"Could it be that you are an insensitive jerk?" she asked. "Do you think that's it?"

"No. I don't."

"You never think it's your fault." she sighed.

"It usually isn't." he said harshly. "If you would keep me satisfied…"

He didn't have a chance to finish the sentence. A large book flew past Ron's head.

"What the…?" he said ducking his head.

"So that gives you the right to find some one night stand? Because I don't satisfy you?"

"I didn't say that."

"Then what did you mean by it?"

"Just that I have needs too."

"And you don't care who tends to them?"

"Of course I do. I want you."

"I have needs too Ronald." she said, letting the tears fall.

"I try. I bought you that nightgown and everything." he said dimly.

"Not those kinds of needs." she growled. "Mental needs. Emotional needs."

"No one needs that much!" he replied furiously. "Sometimes I think it's just an excuse for you to get out of…you know."

"Oh my gods Ronald. Say it. Sex. You are 37 years old. Get over it. And it's not just an excuse. It is however a valid reason." she smirked. Ron hated that smirk. It had such a Malfoy quality to it.

"Merlin, you are even acting like him now." Ron huffed.

"What?"

"That stupid smirk he used to wear on his face all the damn time. You looked just like him a second ago."

"You are impossible."

"Maybe I am." he retorted.

"Get out. I'll bring Hugo by later."

"Are you coming home tonight?" he asked.

"No."

"Great." he said leaving the office. "Just great." He slammed the door behind him.

Hermione sat down in her chair and cried.