Disclaimer: I'm not JK Rowling.

V.

"Hello, Ms. Granger."

Hermione closed her eyes, attempting to still her pounding heart. Somehow, she'd known he was around. She'd felt hyper aware and ready ever since she'd entered the stadium, and stupidly hoped it was because it was the first time she was seeing Ron in over a week. In fact, she'd almost gotten away with the childish wish, but she'd lingered too long after the game. So, she'd fucked herself, really.

Ginny gripped the soft flesh of her wrist, looking over her shoulder before Hermione could, obviously recognizing the voice.

"Ginevra Weasley," he murmured, just as fondly as he had nearly a month ago. She felt her throat fill with air. "What a sweet surprise."

There were a few other people in the elevator, none of which she knew, but the curious look the dark haired woman next to him told her that he wasn't alone. He was just crazy.

"Hey, Riddle," Ginny smiled beautifully.

Hermione turned slightly, eyeing the dark-hair woman before meeting Tom's eyes, "Hey."

"Quite the win for you all," he commented. He paid them equal attention, and for some sick reason, she hated it.

"Not really," Ginny commented at the same moment Hermione said, "This is Chelsea."

A stranger laughed. It was so quiet.

"Excuse my manners. Bella," he draw his arm over the woman's shoulder as she smiled surely at them, "this is Ginevra and Hermione."

It was the first time he'd said her name. Beneath her Rolex, it felt as though someone was attempting to pry the skin from her wrist.

"You look a bit like the Chelsea's goalie," Bella commented.

"He's my brother, so," Ginny smiled tightly. Everyone knew exactly who she was, despite her connection to Ron, due to her relationship with the prince.

Unfazed, Bella looked over Hermione, "You must be his wife, then."

The elevator dinged; it wasn't their floor. Everyone else got off.

She brushed her hand through her hair, discreetly flashing the stones on her ring finger. Tom smirked; Ginny smiled. Bella was still unfazed. "Yes. Ron is my mate."

"Mate," Bella repeated, as though she'd never heard the word before. It was odd. It was uncomfortable. All Hermione could think about was the fact that this was more than likely the woman he'd told her about, and she was far prettier than she'd expected –older, too, if she were being honest.

Her wrist continued to burn.

The elevator dinged, Ginny tugged her off. "Charmed to meet you, I'm sure, Bella; and, it was nice seeing you, Riddle. Have a lovely day. Sorry your team lost."

Once the elevator closed, Ginny shoved away from Hermione. "What was that?"

"What? What are you talking about?" She started toward her Lexus. "Should I not call him my mate?"

"That's not what I'm talking about, Hermione Granger."

"Why…why did you call me 'Granger?'" She touched the door handle and tugged it open. As soon as they were in, she pulled out of her parking spot.

Her palms were damp and flesh hot. Even her head pounded. She didn't get it. It shouldn't have been that way.

Bitterly, Ginny said, "That's what he called you. You didn't correct him. You just….let him."

"I didn't notice, Gin. I'm sorry."

She pulled a bottle of water from the middle console. "Do you think he's dating her? Bella?"

"I don't know, Ginny?" Hermione blinked repeatedly, trying to clear her vision as they neared the garage exit. Her wrist burned painfully.

"She's quite pretty."

"What does it matter?"

"What's wrong with you?"

The car jerked to a stop. "I don't know. I don't," she pried off her watch, carelessly tossing it into the cup holder. "God. It hurts, Gin." Unbuttoning the sleeve of her blouse, she rolled the cuff up to see her clock.

Ginny gasped. Hermione began to cry.

Her skin was red and inflamed, as though someone really had tried to pry her flesh away. The clock no longer displayed the time and date she and Ron met. It had gone blank. Exactly like Tom's.

"Call Ron," she demanded. The car repeated the command, ringing filling their ears. It went to voicemail. "Call Ron," she repeated.

"Hermione?" He answered in the first ring, his voice full of fear.

She fell forward onto her steering wheel, sobs shaking her body. The sound of Ginny putting the car in park registered, but she didn't care. "God, Ron. I thought the worst."

"Me, too, love. What…what's happened?"

The fear didn't leave his voice. Instead, it only seemed to change. She wasn't dead, but it felt a lot like the end. It was the most empty she'd ever felt, and it was incredible how instantly it'd happened.

"I don't know."

"Gin?" He questioned lightly.

"Yeah."

Ron sighed. "Hermione, I love you. I'll try to grab a taxi home. This is….did it hurt you, too?"

"I feel empty and alone."

"Yeah. Me too. I'll be home. We'll be fine. See you soon, love."

He hung up, and she somehow felt worse.

"Do you want to talk about it?"

"No. I just…I just need you to drive."

They switched seats, and Hermione grabbed her phone from the backseat.

RW: Have you cheated on me

HW: No

RW: typing

typing

typing

I can't come home.

We're flying out to Paris tonight.

I love you.

HW: Have you?

RW: typing

typing

I love you.

HW: Ron…

RW: I'm sorry. I love you. We'll talk soon.

She didn't know how to feel. Or what to do. They sat in silence until they got to the house.

"I need you to be my friend," Hermione murmured as they sat in the car. "I really need you to just be my friend right now."

"Okay. I can do that, Hermione."

Wiping the tears from her face, she said, "He cheated."

"What?"

Hermione passed her friend her phone. "I don't know how I'm supposed to feel, Ginny. I have…I've done nothing to deserve this. I've been so good. I go to church. I go to games. I go to mass, by myself sometimes. I changed my name for him, Gin. You know how I felt about that. You know," she started crying again.

Ginny rubbed her shoulder soothingly.

"Is it because I don't want to have children? How could I have children right now? He is constantly away; I'm working on my PhD. How could we have children? How would that be fair? Why…why…why would he do this?"

"There is no good reason, Hermione. And it was nothing you did. You know that."

"Ask him when he did it," she nodded to her phone.

They waited ten minutes in silence before he replied. "He says you all will talk about it when he gets back."

"Ask him again."

Five minutes later he said, "Three months ago."

Hermione laughed sadly. She'd known Tom for just as long. But, she hadn't cheated. There was no way in hell she'd ever considered what she'd done cheating. Sure, she'd gone out with him knowing that he thought more of her than he should. She'd gone out with him knowing she'd dreamed of him, too –as a teenager, even after Ron, his face haunted her young years so poignantly she was surprised that it'd taken him saying it for her to realize where she knew him from.

Still. She never cheated. She loved Ron. And it hadn't gotten her anywhere.

Ginny laughed bitterly. "What a fucking- oh my god. Oh my fucking god, I'll kill him. I'll fucking kill him. I'm going to kill my brother." She moved from panicked insanity to resolution so quickly that Hermione feared the worst.

In a smaller, careful voice she said, "I'm sorry, Hermione. I really am. I'm sorry for how I reacted earlier, too. About your name. Maybe you didn't realize because of this. You know, the whole soul-mate thing. The world conspires to get you together…I don't see why it wouldn't conspire to keep you safe, too. Especially from each other."

"What are you talking about, Ginny?"

"He's still seeing her."

# # #

Ginny stayed the night, sleeping with Hermione in the guest room, and the witch found that she was grateful in the morning. She was still empty and alone, but her mind was quiet. She'd accepted that all it took was a stranger –a moment- to change the course of someone's life, and finally understood Ginny's fear that Harry would one day wake up and decide she wasn't good enough.

Love was a dangerous ledge she didn't want to be anywhere near. Not anymore. Not with…not with Ron, at least.

"Do you really believe in all that?" Ginny asked quietly.

Hermione looked over to see her friend rubbing her eyes, the morning light catching her hair as it came through the window. "Do I believe in magic?"

"Yeah," she breathed.

"How couldn't I, Gin?" She tucked her crystal amulet back under the collar of her shirt. Sighing, she said, "Your mother is going to hate me."

"Why? Because Ron cheated on you?"

"No. Because I'm going to ask for a divorce."

They laid in silence long enough for the sun to warm the room, nearly blinding the both of them as it covered the white interior. Ginny reached over for Hermione's hand, her fingers brushing the clock on her inner wrist as she observed it.

"I support whatever decision you make, Hermione. My parents didn't raise any of their children to be unfaithful or half-in. I'm with you, and Mum will understand. I promise."

"I should go to Paris," Hermione murmured.

"I don't think so. Give it a week. We could have a girls vacation. Wanna go to Mount Kenya? We could stay in Will and Kate's rooms."

"That's awfully romantic."

"You're right. How about Dubai? Meet a nice billionaire..."

She smiled at her friend's teasing tone but didn't saying anything. At length, Ginny asked, "Are you going to call him?"

Hermione laughed, rubbing her eyes as she sat up. It didn't take a genius to know who she was talking about it. "Should I?"

Ginny grinned, hopping out of bed and dancing around the room. "I would, if I were you. Aside from the fact that your clock looks like his now, and maybe he could provide some insight on what thats like, I saw the way he was looking at you. And he said your name like it was the only one he's ever wanted to say."

She rolled her eyes.

"If nothing else, I heard he's got a big cock, too."