I write, alter text passages, write, and then, I read stories by writers such as Coyote Laughing Softly, ozzel1, MsBinns, Windschild8178, , jesrod82, TenderHooligan, wazlib88 and the other good writers out there. With the result, that my hand hovers over the Del-key on my keyboard.

Despite the use of an online spell-checkers, my stories will always belong to the lower average. But hey, I also write for me and therefore I'll finish this story!


Elaine grew up in a family of healers and were practically born with a particularly pronounced helper syndrome and the ability listen to others with great sensitivity, an open heart and ear.

Even as a young witch, it was clear, that she will follow in the footsteps of her parents, who both worked as a healer in St. Louis des Invalides (the French counterpart to St. Mungo's in London).

However, her school time at Beauxbatons Academy of Magic changed everything. The news spread quickly, that Elaine always had an open ear for the problems of her schoolmates. It turned out, that she was not only a good listener, but also a good caregiver. The initial problems of the witches, such as homesickness and school, followed in later years by issues in matters of love.

Elaine enjoyed, to help others and to be confronted with different characters. For this reason, she decided, to make her passion to her profession by becoming a marriage counselor.

Just like Fleur Weasley, nee Delacour, she moved after her graduation because of love to London, where she completed her training as a marriage counselor. Her father, who was at first not very enthusiastic about the decisions of his daughter (such as the choice of career and the move to London), was now her biggest supporter. Of course, that has a bit to do with his three granddaughters, whom he spoiled rotten, and the fact, that Elaine's husband worked as a healer.

And so it happened, that she now sat across from the golden trio, or rather 2/3 of the golden trio. Ronald Weasley, Ron, sitting on the right side of the sofa, visibly uncomfortable in his skin, seemed to be miles away, while his wife Hermione, who sat on the left side, looked totally focused and determined.

Elaine crossed her legs, pulled her dress down over her knees and smiled encouragingly: "Who would like to begin today?" She glanced at Ron, who looked down at his hands in his lap: "Ron?" When he said nothing, she turned to Hermione: "Hermione, do you..." – With a deep sigh Ron cut her off: "No, you're right, I should start." Both women stared at him in surprise.

He glanced up from his lap and smiled wryly: "Did you not say in the first meeting, that I'm tight-lipped?"

Elaine smiled and nodded approvingly: "I can't remember, that I used the term 'tight-lipped', but yes, this hits the nail on the head!"

"And since a fault confessed is half redressed, I'll start." He rubbed his palms on the thighs of his jeans. "Although, I would rather talk about my favorite sport!"

Elaine couldn't resist and muttered dryly: "2nd floor, room 301." - At Ron's questioning look, she winked: "Meeting place of the self-help group for sports fanatics." Hermione snorted, while Ron grinned: "I'll keep that in mind." Elaine suppressed a smirk and waved a hand: "Please continue."

Ron nodded and turned serious. He faced his wife and didn't hesitate: "My unpaid leave was in reality an unpaid suspension!" – Hermione looked at her husband speechless. – "A few days after the..," he halted and cleared his throat: "incident with the followers of the death eaters, Tim Burton, I had the great fortune, to ride in the elevator with two guys from the Office of Improper Use of Magic. Apparently, both believed to be experts in law enforcement and chatted about the adequate punishment for the death eaters and their followers."

He closed his eyes for a moment, to collect himself: "I lost it, as one of them brought this stupid motto 'only a dead Death Eater is a good Death-Eater'. I grabbed him by the collar and…." He halted again and rubbed his neck.

Elaine scribbled 'PTSD?' on her notepad.

Hermione asked her husband shocked: "You hit him?"

'Violent?' ended up next to the word 'PTSD'.

Elaine waited with bated breath for his answer. There was one / two things, which in her eyes are unacceptable. Violent men (or women) usually don't not shy away from violence in marriage, which was absolutely a no-go.

Appalled, Ron's eyes widened: "Of course not, I just gave him a piece of my mind, a right royal dressing down."

Relieved, his wife inhaled audibly, while Elaine firmly crossed out 'violent'.

As she looked up from her notepad, she met Ron's curious glance. She nodded to him: "And then?"

He faced his wife again: "Although, my behavior was inexcusable, Robards let me off with a slap on the hand. " Without taking his eyes from his wife, he declared to Elaine's benefits: "Gawain Robards is the Head of the Auror Office and therefore my boss." He furrowed his brow in an expression of a concentration: "Where was I? Oh yes, my punishment – one month unpaid leave and a half year office duty. And the entry in my personnel file will be deleted after one year, assuming of course, I don't anything wrong."

His wife was quite literally flabbergasted: "Why in heaven's I hear thereof today for the first time?"

"You knew nothing about it?" Elaine asked her in surprise. The Ministry was not exactly known for discretion.

Ron answered her question and laughed bitterly: "This is one of the benefits, when you are a member of the Golden Trio, the Ministry covered up your outbursts."

"That still does not explain, why you didn't come to me!" Hermione remarked, slightly acidified.

"Actually, this was my first impulse, and immediately after Robard's bollocking.." – Elaine raised an eyebrow and Hermione clicked her tongue disapprovingly. – "Uh, his lecture, I came into your office."

His wife frowned: "I can't remember, that…"

"No wonder, you were busy with more important matters.", he interrupted her.

"And later? For a whole week, you didn't breathe a word!" She asked through clenched teeth.

He ran his fingers through the hair and sighed: "That's the problem, when you are alone at home, you begin to brood. Along came my meeting with Luna, right on the first day of my leave. When she invited me, uh, actually, I invited myself, to join her expedition, I considered it as a kind of sign – no one needed to learn about my suspension."

"Why?" interjected Elaine.

He lifted his eyebrows, surprised, as if the reason should be obvious: "I wanted no one to burden with my mess."

"This concern apparently you did not have with my mother, am I right? She knew everything, from Burton's death, up to the reason for your trip!" Hermione scolded.

"She didn't know the whole story, only a little!" He defended himself.

Angry, his wife raised her voice: "Should I now also feel relieved or even be grateful?" – Ron said nothing. – "Put yourself in my shoes, Ron, instead of talking with me, your wife, you speak with my mother..", she frowned, "and most likely, with Bill, Fleur and Harry, and then you simply disappear for three weeks."

He sighed: "I didn't just disappear, you knew, where I was!"

"Right, that's the only difference to the last time."

Ron asked, puzzled: "What do you mean?"

"Whenever, problems occur, you're running away!" She looked over at Elaine, apparently looking for confirmation: "And I'm certainly not the only one, who recognizes a pattern in your behavior, right."

Ron's head snapped to Elaine: "You also think, that I'm a coward?"

Before Elaine could even utter a peep, already started a shouting match between the couple.

"Don't be ridiculous, Ronald, you know very well, that nobody's consider you as a coward."

Her husband snorted: "Right!"

"There is a difference between cowardice and..."

"And what – fearfulness?"

"We both know, you hide from problems."

"I didn't hide!"

"Hiding or running away, it comes to the same thing! "

Ron jumped up from his seat and gestured with his arms: "I didn't ran away, I only took a break!"

Hermione jumped up as well (Elaine wondered, briefly, if she should conjure a shield between the two): "With another woman?"

"Luna is just a friend, mind you, OUR friend!"

"Who had a crush on you, since, since forever."

"She is engaged and .." He stopped and threw his hands in the air in defeat: "You know what, you're right, I screwed up, again." – Hermione narrowed her eyes. – "But unlike others, I'm mature enough to admit it."

Hermione took several steps toward her husband, who did not back away: "Unlike me, you mean?"

"Yeah, but maybe you think, making out in a hotel room, is a peccadillo."

"It was only a kiss! Besides, I am still waiting for an explanation for Luna's nude photographs from you, you hypocrite!"

Now, where the squabblers stood face to face, respectively, shoe to shoe, Elaine thought it was time, to intervene.

She closed her lips firmly around her fingers and whistled, which had the desired effect: The shouting match stopped and the couple looked at her dumbfounded. She pointed to the sofa and asked kindly: "Won't you please sit down."

Silently, both took their seats without a murmur and Elaine looked from one to the other: "Now, that you calmed down, do you think, we can proceed?"

Hermione sighed and said in a calm voice: "What I really wanted to say, was, that running away, does not help either."

Ron, who pinched his nose, looked up and murmured quietly: "I'm here, didn't I!"

Hermione's face softened and she shifted a bit closer to Ron: "You are!"

Elaine used the opportunity and asked: "Why you can talk to other, but not with your wife?"

Ron thought for a moment and finally replied: "They make it easy for me."

"How so?"

"Take for example my mother in law, she puts on a kettle of water, sits down next to me and everything bubbles out of me. With Fleur it is no different, and Harry is Harry, we don't even need words."

"You mean, they don't not push you?"

He stared at her surprised, but nodded in confirmation: "Exactly."

As Hermione opened her mouth, Elaine held up her hand, to stop her: "Go on, Ron."

"I grew up with 6 siblings..", he shrugged his shoulders, "the most expressed words in my childhood were 'not now', followed up with 'other have bigger problems'!"

Out the corner of her eyes, Elaine observed, how Hermione placed her hand, seemingly at random, close to his hand, which lay on his thigh. Ron, unaware of his wife's advances, nodded in thought: "At some point you are used to it, you know, to keep your troubles to yourself."

"Ron, I know, it's hard, to break through well-worn patterns, but you need.."

He sighed: "I tried!"

"Sorry?"

"After the war, I realized…", he looked a little embarrassed, "of course, with the help of my pesky sister, I would have saved us a lot of heartache, if only I had opened my mouth."

Elaine smiled: "A very sensible advice."

Ron and Hermione looked at each other. "Sensible? Ginny?", repeated Ron slowly and began to snort with laughter, even Hermione's lips twitched in amusement.

Since Ron was still laughing to himself, Hermione continued: "The first few years in our relationship, he followed this advice and I firmly believes, we are on the right road. We could talk about anything and everything." She rubbed her forehead and sighed: "Then, about a half year ago, he was suddenly broody and distant."

Ron's laughter died: "It's a wonder, you have noticed that at all."

"You are my husband, Ron, of course, I noticed the changes in you and in our relationship!"

Riotously, He raised an eyebrow: "Really? I had the impression, that you have only work in mind after your promotion."

Hermione shook her head vehemently: "That is not true!"

"Not true? Heaven knows how long ago, that we spent a cozy evening at home or went out, just the two of us.."

"It will get better, as soon as I am familiar with my new area of responsibility."

"And how long, do you think, that will last. A few weeks, months or even a year?" Ron asked.

"It takes, how long it takes." She defended herself.

"Put yourself in my position, Hermione. I'm tired of having to go everywhere alone, to eat alone. Fucking hell, I see your stupid cat more than you, while you prefer clearly the presence of Mr. Oh-so-charming-Whitaker."

Hermione stiffened: "We are colleagues, who happen to work closely together." – He muttered something under his breath. – His wife narrowed her eyes dangerously: "How was that?" – "I said 'to closely'" – She flushed in anger: "Do you think I'm office slut, who making out with her colleague in her office?" – Ron's jaw tightened. – "Answer me, Ronald, or I swear by merlin's…."

"I have seen you..." – "beard, that…what are you talking about?" – Ron blew out a long breath: "When I got back from this fucking mission, I wanted to see you." As Hermione looked confused, he rushed his next words out: "Although, it was already late at night, you were not home, so I came into your office. Imagine my surprise, when I saw you and him together on the sofa." - Incredulously, Elaine saw at Hermione, who frowned in thought. – "Eating something." – Elaine escaped a sigh of relief - unnoticed by Hermione and Ron.

"With the best will, I don't remember!" Hermione muttered.

"Should I refresh your memory? You had your shoes taken off, takeaway food in hand, sitting cross-legged,…."

Hermione covered her mouth.

"Now it drops again, right!"

She lowered her hand and whispered incredulously: "That was the reason for your behavior? We ate only together, don't snog…" She broke off.

Ron laughed bitterly: "If I remember correctly, you saved this part for later." He waved: "But don't worry, that was not the only reason."

Elaine stepped in and asked: "Why didn't confront her, immediately, right there?"

He rubbed his neck: "Let me put it this way, I was not in good shape."

"And what did you do instead?"

He cleared his throat: "Since it was too late, to bother my sister-in-law and my brother, I picked my broom and flew around, you know, to clear my mind. Somehow I ended in front of the Burrow and, unfortunately, I remembered my Dad's Emergency Potion, which he hid in the shed. So, I grabbed the bottle of whiskey, sat down at Fred's grave and bathed in self-pity."

"All night?" Elaine asked curios, while Hermione looked frightened at the thought.

He blushed: "I'm not good with the heating-charm, so against three o'clock I sneaked into the house and fell asleep on the sofa. Thank merlin, my father found and woke me, before my mother. Since he thought, Hermione and I had a row, he gave me a slap on the back and a hangover potion, and sent me home."

"And I thought you got only then back!" Hermione muttered.

"Weelllll." he stretched the word out.

Elaine looked at her watch and sighed: "I fear, that's my cue! Any last words for today's meeting?"

Hermione faced her husband: "Ron, you are more important to me, than any work and that will never change!"

Elaine turned to Ron: "Ron?"

He thought for a second and then grinned: "In which room you said, is the meeting from the sports fanatic?"

As Elaine met Hermione's sad and disapointing glance, she gave her a reassuring nod.


Minister Kingsley Shacklebolt leaned back in his chair and looked at Ronald Weasley: "So, if I understand you correctly, you ask for financial support for a prevention program."

The young Auror nodded: "We, Professor McGonagall and I, also think of a meeting place in London, Sir."

"This all sounds great…."

Ron sighed: "I suspect there is a but, right, Sir."

"Unfortunately, my hands are tied. The Majority of the Wizards' Council decides on the allocation of funds."

"I understand, Sir! Anyway, thank you for your time." He replied, understandably disappointed with the outcome, and rose from his chair.

"Not so fast, my young friend!" Kingsley turned to his senior assistant, "Percy, when hold the Council the next meeting?"

"Tomorrow, in a week, Sir."

Satisfied, Kingsley rubbed his hands: "Plenty of time, to add one more item on the agenda." He winked at Ron: "And for you, to prepare a speech for the Council."

"W..what? You can't be s…erious!" Ron stammered.

Percy nudged his brother: "Ron, don't forget, who…"

Kingsley lifted his hand and stopped Percy's efforts, to remind his brother of the formally correct behavior towards the Minister of Magic: "It's all right, Percy." He gave Ron an amused look: "I can assure you, that I am very serious about it!"

Ron shook his head negatively: "No, absolutely not!" He pointed to his brother and croaked: "Ask Perce, ask everyone here, I am not an orator material."

Kingsley stood up, put his arm around Ron's shoulder and escorted him to the door: "A no is not accepted and I'm sure, my best man, will give you a hand, right Percy?"

"Of course, Sir", confirmed Percy seriously. He examined his brother: "But first, I'll take him to the canteen, I think, after this fright, he needs something sweet."


10 minutes later, the two brothers sat with their brother-in-law in the canteen of the Ministry and enjoyed their piece of chocolate cake.

Percy breathed into his teacup, took a sip and asked his brother curious: "How will you proceed?" – Ron stared at his brother with a blank expression. – Percy rolled his eyes: "Don't you think, you need a strategy."

Harry swallowed down a little chunk of his cake and grunted: "No problem, strategy is Ron's strength."

Said Strategist stroked his chin thoughtfully: "Mmmh, Perce, tell me, how many members of the Council are female?"

"Seven belong to the female and five to the male sex."

His little brother grinned and winked at Harry: "Problem solved. I bring the Witches on my site and have the majority in the bag."

"How will you to do that?"

He gets into a pose and threw his nonexistent mane over his shoulder á la Gilderoy Lockhart: "I bewitched them with my patented Weasley's charm." And stuffed a large piece of his cake in his mouth.

Chuckling, Percy punched him, while Harry snorted: "You're not at all cocky!"

Ron grinned: "Nope!"

The three of them laughed, until Percy held up his hand: "Guys, calm down. Seriously, Ron, it will not be easy, to wheedle the Council out of galleons. The treasurer sits literally on his galleons. You have to convince him with facts and figures. It would be best, if you had someone, who could help with the research!"

Ron gave his brother a pleading look, but Percy shook his head: "I would love to help you, but unfortunately, I still have to make some preparations for the upcoming meeting."

Harry pointed with his fork to the counter: "What about her?"

Ron looked over his shoulder and shrieked appalled: "Blimey, Potter, Brunhilda, are you crazy?"

Harry chuckled: "No, actually I meant the woman in front of the counter, Mrs. Graham. I've heard, she did a lot of research for Hermione."

While Ron observed Hilda Graham at the food distribution, he thought about Harry's suggestion and had to agree with him. There was only one problem, he turned back to Harry: "There is only one little problem", he leaned over the table and whispered: "SHE HATE ME"

His mate shrugged his shoulders: "So what, finally, thou shalt not marry her. You can also try your patented Weasley charm."

Percy nodded in agreement: "Harry is right! Mrs. Graham is known for her reliability and discretion."

"Are you sure?" – Harry and Percy nodded their agreement and Ron got up, he gulped: "Grit your teeth and get to it, right?!"

Harry gave him with both hands a thumb-up: "I believe in you, mate!"

Ron turned around and slowly approached the counter.

Percy faced his brother-in-law: "He looks, as if he is going to his own execution."

Harry eyed Ron with compassion: "Honestly, I would not like to be in his shoes."


Hilda Graham pushed her tray to the cash register. As she reached into her handbag, to bring out her purse, said a voice behind her: "May I?" Confused, she looked up. Before her stood Auror Weasley, who counted sickles in his palm and handed them to the cashier.

Annoyed, she scolded: "Auror Weasley, I am able to pay for my meal!"

Without being asked, he took her tray and gazed around searchingly. He pointed with his chin to a free table: "Hurry, before someone else snatches the seats from under our's nose."

Grumbling to herself, Hilda followed him to said table. He set the tray on the table, pulled out a chair and offered her a seat.

After he had taken his own seat, he cleared his throat and looked her straight in the eye: "I will not beat around the bush, Mrs. Graham, I need your help."

"First, you kidnap me.." – "There! There, if at all, I kidnapped your tray." – Hilda Graham shot him an icy stare. – Remorseful, he muttered: "Sorry!" – "And then you expect my help?" – "Yeah, I know we've had a bad start, but I cannot imagine any better for this, uh, work."

"You already know, that I work for your wife and not for the Auror Office." – Ron nodded and added in thought 'and for David fuckingwhitaker'. – "Besides, I'm fully occupied and and have therefore no time for whatever insignificant Auror-Stuff!" – "Insignificant Stuff?" Ron repeated dumbfounded. She tapped impatiently with her teaspoon against her tea mug: "May I finally enjoy my tea in peace, Auror Weasley!"

Ron rose and said stiffly: "Sorry for taking up your time, Mrs. Graham. Enjoy your tea and try the chocolate cake, which really tastes heavenly."

Hilda sighed and stopped him: "Just not as fast, Auror Weasley. Maybe you tell me first of all, what it's all about."

"That's all I wanted!" He grinned and resembled a boy, whose greatest wish was fulfilled. "But first..", his eyes sparkle with mischievous, "I'll get us both a piece of chocolate cake, all right?"

Shaking her head, she watched him, as he walked elated to the cash counter.


Elaine looked down at her notepad: "During the evaluation of the questionnaire, I noticed, that you answered the question no. 17 in different ways."

Ron looked questioningly at his wife and whispered: "Question no. 17?" Hermione shrugged.

Elaine glanced up: "How do you assess your sex life."

Simultaneously, the couple blushed. Surprisingly, Ron recovered the fastest from the shock. He gave his wife a quick glance, before he leaned forward to Elaine and whispered behind his hand: "No matter, what Hermione says, it is a normal size."

Horrified, Hermione screeched: "Ron!"

Elaine's lips twitched in amusement and winked: "All men say so – just as as women say, the size does not matter." – Ron's cheeky grin vanished. – "But don't worry, your wife answered the question with 'fulfilled and satisfied'…", she glanced down at her notes, "while your reply was 'scheduled'!" – Hermione's eyes widened and she turned with raised eyebrows to her husband. – "Could you please explain, why you gave this rather strange answer".

Hermione folded her arms over her chest and mocked: "Yeah, Ronald, please explain yourself!"

Her husband rubbed his neck sheepishly: "Uh, before we broke up, we had only scheduled sex, you know, if the appointment calendar of my wife allowed it." After looking at his irate wife, he added: "But if I, uh, get a leg over…" – Shamefaced, Hermione buried her face in her hands and moaned. – "it was bloody fantas…, uh, fulfilled and satisfied."

"Could you please explain?" – Confused, Ron stared at her. – Elaine laughed: "I'm really curious, what do you mean by sex according to schedule."

"When Hermione needs to prepare a case, she usually works late into the night. With the result, that she is dead on her feet. As soon as she gets home, she falls into bed and does not wake up before the alarm bells."

Hermione glared at him and hissed: "And every Friday evening plays my neglected husband with his colleagues Quidditch and comes quite exhausted home, isn't that so, honey?" She raised her eyebrow, as if to say 'dare not to say anything else'.

Ron snapped back: "Yeah, and it' a turns on, when I find a note in the morning, be ready at 20.00 o'clock."

"It's not like, that you have a great desire to make love anymore."

As usual, Ron blushed and glanced aside.

Elaine leaned forward and patted his knee "It is normal, that stress leads to sexual problems."

Hermione furrowed her brow in thought and tapped her lips with her finger: "I remember, that I've read something about it, just recently."

Horrified, Ron jumped up: "Bloody hell!" He pointed to his lap: "The problem is not here.. ", he pointed to his head, "but here."

Both women looked at him in silence, until Elaine said: "Brooding is one reason for a mental block. But don't worry, Ron, I can assure you, that many wizards have the same problem."

"And I can assure you, that my wand is fully functional..", shouted Ron and cast his eyes to his wife, "right Muffin?1" – Hermione's grin faded, as she stared at him. In contrast to the unsuspecting Ron, Elaine remarked immediately, that Hermionee was in the best sense positive surprised by Ron's sign of affection and Elaine suspected, that it was a while, since he had addressed her with this nickname.

When his "Muffin" did not respond, he looked at her irritated: "Hermione?"

To draw his attention away from a teary-eyed Hermione to herself, Elaine cleared her throat: "You really don't need to be ashamed, Ron, like you, no man like to speak about this problem, they deny it even."

"I don't deny it, because I did not have this problem." He pulled at his hair full of despair.

"That's not quite right.", spoke Hermione, who had apparently regained her composure, up, "On the day as James was born, you couldn't perform the act."

He laughed sheepishly: "That was once, and only because I was drunk!"

"More likely two or three times!" She turned to Elaine, who she had to bite the inside of her cheek to stop herself from laughing: "Do you have any book recommendations on this topic?".

Quite mischievously our Hermione, respect, Elaine thought. – Ron looked, as he wished the ground would open up and swallow him. – She nodded: "With pleasure. When you like, I can also give you some brochures."

Hermione's eyes lit up and clasped her hands: "I'd love to!"

Elaine pulled out her wand and called: "Accio brochures." And a short time later lay on the table a bunch of brochures. While Ron eyed them with disgust, Hermione took without hesitation one with the designated title 'If the wizard can't, then what?' in her slightly trembling hand, thus showing that she inwardly was churned.

"Seriously, Hermione?", grumbled Ron.

"It cannot hurt, to get informed" She replied, seemingly deadly serious.

Her husband huffed and leaned back with a pout on his lips – and so he missed, that her lips twitched up in an amused smirk.


As usual, the men stopped after their weekly Quidditch game (several months after the war, they joined the amateur league) in their favorite pub 'Leaky Cauldron'.

Hannah, landlady of the pub, and wife of Neville Longbottom, gave them a short welcoming, before she busily turned back to her other guests.

George, Harry and Percy gathered around a bar table, as they waited for Ron, who was today responsible for the drinks. Immediately, George and Harry began a chat about their favorite topics (Brooms and Quidditsch). And as always Percy, a rather involuntary member of the Quidditsch team, was limited to listening.

To the cheers of George, Ron finally came with the drinks. It required much skill, to balance the filled glasses through the crowd, but the experience taught him, to give up a levitation spell in a crowded pub. Although, he knew now the spell' Wingardium Leviosa' from the inside out.

Arriving at table, he called cheerfully: "A round of whiskey for George, Harry and me…", he handed out the glasses, "and one glass of butterbeer for our Perce. Cheers!"

George grinned mischievously: "Wait, first a toast." He raised his glass and the others did the same: "There is more friendship in a glass of whisky, then in a bottle of butterbeer!" He emptied his glass in one swallow. Percy, used to be teased, kept a straight face, and sipped calmly from his butterbeer.

Ron, who took a big sip from the glass, shook himself: "Merlin, that stuff knocks your shoes off!" Harry nodded and croaked: "A true rotgut." George laughed: "You are all sissies, all of you."

Perce rolled his eyes and faced his little brother: "And how's it going with your therapy."

Ron wiggled his hand: "So-so….…" Before he could carry on, George interrupted him and asked, astonished: "I thought, you need only a therapist, if you….", he held his index finger to his temple and made a rotating movement.

His brother grumbled, upset: "Git! Elaine is marriage counselor and…" He stopped abruptly and his eyes widened: "Bloody hell!"

"What?" Harry asked, looking around.

Ron nodded gloomily towards to the doorway, where stood none other than a, as always, impeccably dressed David Whitaker. An arm casually around the shoulders of a very young blonde, he let his gaze wander around the pub, probably in search of a free table.

George followed Ron's eyes: "Who is this tosser?"

Ron slouched his shoulders and gazed into his glass: "It's him!"

George stared at the lowered head of his brother and asked incredulously: "And the bastard can still stand upright?"

"George!", warned Harry.

Ron sighed and glanced up: "Believe me, George, if I could, I would wipe that arrogant smile off his face."

At that moment, David caught sight of them. He whispered something into the ear of the unknown beauty. As she nodded in agreement, David gave her a pat on the bum. Judging the expression of her face, she was ashamed of his behavior. Face flushed, she hurried over to the counter, while David purposefully approached their table.

"I'll be back in a moment!", muttered George and set out on in the direction of the toilets.

Arrived at the table, David greeted Harry and Percy with an exaggerated smile: "Guys!". He turned to Ron: "Weasley!" Ron replied through gritted teeth: "Whitaker!" He eyed Ron with an raised eyebrow: "New look? I didn't know, that Hermione has a thing for bearded men." Ron's grip tightened on the glass and his knuckles turned white. Harry clenched his hands into fists, but otherwise stayed calm: "You shouldn't keep your date waiting any longer, moreover, in a bar full of gawking men, don't you think?!"

David glanced quickly to the bar and grinned broadly: "Who can blame them, Linda is a real hottie. A little shy…" He clicked his tongue and winked suggestively: "but it's always the quiet ones, isn't it?". Then he looked at Ron with a smug grin: "Don't you agree?" He briefly raised his hand in farewell and finally left.

Ron shut his eyes and took a deep breath: "I swear, a minute longer and I would have lost it." Harry gave a tired smile: "As soon as George gets back, we disappear, all right?" He put the glass to his lips and took a sip from his whiskey.

Percy muttered to himself: "The favorite of all female employees, my arse." – Harry choked on his whiskey and coughed. – His brother-in-law knocked him on the back: "What? It's true. If one deserves an lesson, then he." Ron hesitated, glanced thoughtfully at the counter and then turned to Percy and Harry: "Listen up guys, before we go, I have to do one small thing."

Harry, wiping his watery eyes, and started: "No frigging way …..!"

Ron put his hand briefly on Harry's shoulder: "Don't worry, mate." And walked over to David. He cleared his throat and tapped him on the shoulder. Surprised, David turned around. Ron dug into his pocket and pulled out the cufflink. He held it between thumb and forefinger, and smiled: "I think, that is yours."

David's eyes lit up: "Holy shit, I've looked everywhere, where you have found it?" As he reached out his hand, to take his property, Ron pulled the piece of jewelry out of his reach and replied: "In the hotel room my wife!".

Untouched by the involuntary gasp of David's date, Linda, he dropped the cufflink and as hoped, it plops down into the David's glass: "Oops, clumsy me."

Furious, David jumped up and reached into his jacket: "Fuck you!"

Harry Potter's icy voice rang out, saying: "Keep your hands off your wand, Whitaker!"

"He provokes ME!", cried David, his hand still in the jacket.

Harry stepped closer: "Come on, give me a reason!"

Meanwhile, a circle of audience had formed around them and someone called: "If I were in your shoes, I would leave my wand in my fancy jacket!".

David swallowed and withdrew his hand out of his jacket. As Ron turned away, David grabbed his arm and whispered: "You cannot forever hide behind Potter!"

Ron hissed: "Give me time and place, and I'll be there." He glanced down at David's hand: "And now, take your filthy hand off me!"

David dropped his hand, as if he burned his fingers, and Ron walked off. "It was only a matter of time, until your wife realized, that you are a pain in the arse!", called David after him, but, without turning around, Harry and Ron disappeared through the door.

Meanwhile, George worked his way through the crowd to his brother and asked him in amazement: "Oi, what's going on here." Percy glanced at him and sighed: "The short or long version?"

At that moment, Hannah clapped her hands and shouted: "Come on, guys, the shows is over." And indeed, the crowd began to dissolve slowly, although not without murmurings.

"Crap, I'm going for a minute to piss, and'll miss a show!", complained George

Shaking his head, Percy gave him a push towards the door: "Come on, George, let's go too."

Unfortunately, now that Ron and Harry were gone, David's anger was directed against them and he prevented their peaceful withdrawal: "Your brother thought actually, he can keep a witch like Hermione?" George froze, his face flushed, but Percy quickly tried to calm him down: "Don't let him provoke you, he is not worth it."

But David followed them to the door and mocked: "Everyone thinks, that he's just a ball and chain."

Enough was enough, Percy revolved around and slammed his fist into David's face. The resounding crack of breaking bone went through the room and David Whitaker fell with a cry to the ground.

George looked with open mouth at Percy, who was breathing heavily. Suddenly, it was quiet as mice in the pub.

David pressed his a hand to his face and blood ran through his fingers: "Fluck chou, chou bloke my nothe.*" Shocked of himself, Percy tried to help him stand, but David pushed his hand away and pulled himself up. He fumbled a handkerchief from his jacket pocket and held it to his bleeding nose: "Wheaslech, chou'll pach fol that**." He pointed in the round: "Chou all ale mch whithneffef.***"

Hannah, who rushed to them, tried to calm him: "First of all, we take care of your nose."

"Ale chou clalzy? My nose whill be noth fixed by a balmaid****."

Hannah lowered her wand and shrugged: "Fine, fine, it's your nose. And as for that witnesses matter, to be honest, my husband and I are very close friends of the Weasleys. But maybe someone else is willing to help you." She cleared her throat and shouted: "Listen, did anyone seen, what happened here?"

General shaking of the head was the response.

George looked grateful in the round and raised his hand in thanks, before he pulled his brother out of the door.

Angry, shouted David in the round and pointed at his female companion "And ifh, my gillfliend, hele, can confilm ith*****!"

Right on cue, Linda slid off the stool and picked up her glass from the bar: "Well, David, you may think that, but you're wrong." Under the cheers of the crowd, she tossed her drink in his face and left with head held high – leave the humiliated David behind.

Hannah clapped her hands and cried: "Come on, everybody, drinks on the house for all of you."

Outside, George looked at his brother, as if he saw him for the first time. He shook his head and chuckled: "Merlin's beard, with which was your butterbeer peppered?" – Percy grinned sheepishly. – "Come, I'll apparate you home!" As George reached for Percy's hand, his brother yelled in pain.

George frowned and asked, anxiously: "Shit, what's wrong." – Percy looked at his knuckles, which were swollen, and tried to move the fingers. This action elicited him a sharp intake of breath and his face screwed up with pain: : "I think, my hand is broken." He clasped his hand to his chest and gave George a miserable look. George did not hesitate and grabbed Percy's left arm: "Alright, St. Mungo's, it is then!"


Elaine smiled at Hermione encouragingly, now it was time for her turn and moment of truth.

She inhaled deeply and faced her husband: "Let me start with the incident in Stockholm. When there was a knock on my door, I hoped, for a little crazy moment, that you are standing outside the door. Even, when someone called 'Room Service'. After all, you used to surprise me. You can't imagine my disappointment, as I opened the door and David stood before me." She looked quickly to Elaine, who nodded encouragingly, and continued: "I think, he has pretended to be my husband, to find out from the reception my room number."

Nervously, she wrung her hands: "First, I wanted to send him away, but he did not let up and insisted, that we drink to my successful lecture. In order not to attract more attention, I invited him into my room. Now I know, that was a mistake, but at that time I thought, a glass of champagne was the only way, to get rid of him."

She glanced at her husband, but he said nothing: "He probably felt, that I was not in a good mood and tried to cheer me up with Muggle-quotes. I will not lie, at some point, I couldn't help, but laugh. It felt so good, that I decided to enjoy the evening. So, we emptied the whole bottle of champagne, with the result, that were both tipsy."

Elaine observed Ron, who sat cross-legged in his corner of the sofa, except, a twitch of his little finger of his right hand, he showed no reaction.

"Later, when I guided him to the door, he joked, that you are lucky sod and he would not let me out of sight, if I were his wife." She blushed. "As I said, I had so much to drink, I only know, that I was in high spirits, probably also a little flattered, and something like 'you are really sweet' said. At the door, when I was about to kiss his cheek, he turned his head, so that I met his lips." She bit her lower lip and whispered: "A..and I let it happen."

Ron raised his eyebrows and asked, fairly quiet by his standards: "And how long was the kiss? 30 seconds, 1 minute?"

She shirked from his look: "I pushed him away, only when…"

"Only when what?", Ron questioned impatiently, "Come on, Hermione, I want to know every effing detail."

"He pushed me against the door and wanted to deepen the kiss!" Hermione's eyes filled with tears and Elaine handed her a handkerchief.

"In plain language, he shoved his tongue into in your throat!" – Hermione wiped her tears off and and remained silent. – "I'm waiting!" – She kneaded the handkerchief with her fingers and nodded.

"Why on earth did you allow this?", Ron inquired.

"I was tipsy, angry at you, jealous of Luna – I think, something from someone."

"Once again, others are to blame! If you are head over heels with him, why don't you just say that?"

Horrified, she croaked: "I don't love him." She reached for his hand, but he crossed his arms over his chest. "I love only you, Ron!" she replied.

Ron jumped up: "I refuse, to listen to your lies any longer." He turned to Elaine: "Sorry, but i gotta go", he cast his wife a contemptuous look, "I urgently need fresh air."

"Please stay!", begged Hermone, her voice choked with emotion.

"Did not your parents taught you, that, if you play with fire, you must expect to get your fingers burned." He sneered, before he went to the fireplace, to grab there a handful of Floo powder.

Elaine got up: "Wait, Ron!" – He stopped, waiting. – "Before you go, I want to give you something on the way. You may think, that Hermione deserves not your forgiveness for this kiss, but let me tell you, with that, you harm not only your wife, but yourself. An open mental wound, keeps you from easy going through life, leads to constant brooding and prevents a fresh start."

He tossed the floo powder into the fireplace and whispered sadly: "Perhaps, I don't want a fresh start." He walked into the emerald green fire, declared his desired destination and disappeared.

Hermione covered her face with her hands, her shoulders shaking with harsh sobs.

"And the best thing about forgiveness: you can do it all by yourself." Elaine added in a whisper, while she sat down on the sofa and put her arms around Hermione.


A few hours later, it was already dark night, Hermione sat next to her sister-in-law on the sofa and sipped from her herbal tea. Relieved, Ginny noticed in Hermione's behavior a change for the better. The end of the world pain had given way to willingness to fight. Hours ago, after her and Ron's meeting, she appeared at the Potter residence and collapsed in Ginny's arms.

Ginny did, what she had to do, she pushed her son James into the arms of her helpless husband and sent both of her boys to bed. Then she put the kettle on the stove, took Harry's supply of chocolate frogs out of the fridge, sat down next to Hermione on the sofa, covered her sister-in-law and herself with the blanket and wept together with her.

Only when all the chocolate frogs were gone and their flow of tears stopped, Hermione told her down to the last detail of the meeting, only interrupted by hiccups. Ginny patted Hermione's hand compassionately. "That bastard!" After all, she's not one, to keep her opinions to herself.

Hermione wiped the remaining tears from her face and sniffed: "I'm – hic – the guilty, not – hic - he."

"You're defending him? Really? Even though this was his plan, right from the beginning?"

"Hic – Ginny – hic – what you're talking – hic – about!"

"I'm talking about the fact, that he wants to get in your knickers, and that for quite some time!"

Hermione opened her mouth - and closed it again. Then she croaked: "You mean, David?"

"Of course! I swear, when Harry told me about this disgraceful restrooms chat, I wanted to use the Bat-Bogey Hex on him."

"Restroom chat?", Hermione replied weakly.

Ginny's eyes widened: "Don't tell, you know nothing about it?" – "About what?" – Ginny whispered: "Harry James Potter, you stupid, stupid man..." Shaking her head, she threw the blanket aside: "I'll be right back!". Said it, apparate and came back with a sleepy Harry in tow, who wore an old bathrobe and pink fleecy slippers (hopefully, Ginny's).

Yawning, he put his glasses on his nose and waved over his shoulder: "Follow me, ladies." He headed to the bookshelf, where he faced his wife: "Are you sure, that's a good idea?"

Ginny put her hands on her hips: "She has a right to know, don't you think!"

Sighing, he knocked three times with his wand against a thick book and muttered an incantation with the result, that a secret room was visible.

He stepped aside: "Ladies first!" Ginny took Hermione's hand and pulled her into the room.

While Harry prepared his pensieve, Hermione glanced around curiously. Her eyes rested on Harry's possessions from his school days, the Marauder's Map and his invisibility cloak.

Without looking up, Harry told her: "As the father of a handful boy you have to take precautions!"

Hermione raised her eyebrows: "James is not even a year and cannot walk."

"Not yet, but soon!" He muttered and poured his memory in the Pensieve: "All right, we can start."

Hermione nodded and stepped to the basin, followed by Ginny.

Harry grabbed the hand of his wife and pulled her back: "What you are doing, sweetie?"

"I support my friend!"

"Ginny!" – "Harry!" – "Please, Ginny, be reasonable." – She leaned over and said quietly: "7 hours contractions!" – Shaking his head, Harry dropped his wife's hand and gave her a pat on her bottom: "Off you go, my little blackmailer."

Beaming, she stood next to Hermione. Harry cleared his throat: "Before you dive in my memory, I would like to remind you of the following: Firstly, Ron knows nothing of this and so it should stay! Secondly, this memory took place in the men's room. Therefore, a warning first…."

His wife rolled her eyes: "We see other men, when their nature calls – so what, I could imagine wors…" – Harry interrupted her hastily "Don't worry, you'll only see me…" – Hermione's eyes widened appalled. – Her brother-in-law blushed and added: "Reading the newspaper on the toilet." – "You read the newspaper on the toilet of the Ministry?" – "Not always, only, if I want to be undisturbed, you know." Embarrassed, he pulled his earlobe and gave them a sheepish grin.

Ginny nudged Hermione with her shoulder and winked: "I don't know, if I can keep this secret side of the great Harry Potter for me."

Harry ignored the comment from his wife deliberate and continued: "And thirdly, unusual circumstances call for desperate measures." Ginny stared at him questioningly, but her husband pointed to the Pensieve: "Now, go ahead!"

Ginny took Hermione's hand and squeezed it reassuringly: "On the count of three?" When Hermione nodded in agreement, Ginny began to count:

"One"

"Two"

"Three!" they said together and put their heads into the silvery substance.

And indeed, they caught sight of Harry, who sat on the closed toilet lid. Absorbed, in his newspaper, rather, in the sports section of the newspaper, he didn't respond to the creaking of the door. His wife shook her head, but smiled fondly.

A few seconds later, the door creaked again and someone muttered: "Long time no see, McCallum!" while the first person only grunted in response.

As the two men began to talk outside his cabin, Harry glanced up from the newspaper and listened. Hermione also pricked up her ears, and in fact, she recognized one of the voices. She mouthed to Ginny: "David Whitaker." – Ginny giggled: "Hermione, you don't have to whisper, you know, they cannot hear us!" – "Oops, I forgot." – "Shhh, now it gets interesting."

"Well, David, I've heard, that you enjoy your work - under the supervision of the new under secretary!" McCallum laughed. The noise of a zipper was heard, followed by a pee

"A gentleman never tells." David also began to pee, Hermione and Ginny looked at each other and twisted their faces in disgust.

"Shit, David, I just wanted to make a joke! Don't tell me, you jumped in the sack with her?!", McCallum cried stunned.

"Shhh, not so loud!" hissed David and the conversation died down to a whisper.

Ginny watched, curious, her husband's reaction, which followed on the heels. He pulled out a magic item from his pocket (Aha! The mentioned unusual circumstances) and pushed it with his foot gently under the cabin door. The upgraded version of the Extendable Ears, without strings, fitted with its handy size in every pocket.

Thank merlin, neither McCallum nor Whitaker didn't use the Imperturbable Charm, and so they could continue with the eavesdropping.

Just, when one of the two stopped his peeing and pulled his zipper up.

"I always thought, that married women are not your thing!" McCallum wondering and pressed the toilet flushing.

David Whitaker also flushed the toilet. Fortunately, he waited with his next words, until the noise subsided. "Maybe, I have changed my individual dating rules." He laughed suggestively: "In and out, no obligations. No, seriously, she is not like my usual bed bunnies, it…she could be more!"

"A One-Night Stand, well and good, but an affair is quite a different thing, especially, as she is married with Potter's sidekick!"

"So what?"

"Fuck, David, he is an Auror!"

"Who is, according to his wife, afraid of spiders!", mocked David Whitaker.

Ginny frowned, why for heaven's sake Hermione told him about Ron's phobia.

"Also, I'm not talking about an affair, more like something permanent." David continued.

"Why her, I mean, all the women faint at your feet." McCallum sounded a little envious.

"She is something very special, knows what she wants, is successful and famous." David clicked his tongue: "And her curves are in the right place. Short and sweet, she is the perfect witch for me and who knows, one day Mrs. Granger-Whitaker."

Outraged, Ginny turned to Hermione, who was paled.

"Aren't you forgetting something?!"

David Whitaker chuckled: "Of course, first she needs to get a divorce from the redhead."

Hermione gasped and clapped her hand over her mouth.

"And what about Linda?"

David sighed: "Her tits and ass are nothing to sneeze at, but, a successful man needs a successful woman at his side and frankly, I can't imagine Linda as wife of …."

McCallum interrupted him: "…the future Minister of Magic, I understand. There's only one thing left to say: good luck, old warhorse!"

"Shallow men believe in luck. Strong men believe in cause and effect."

Without washing their hands, they left the room and Ginny and Hermione the Pensieve.


On the Monday morning, following the incident with Percy Weasley, David hurried into his office, where he dropped with a sigh of relief into his chair. There were no indications, that the embarrassing episode had penetrated into the Ministry. At his curt nod in her direction, the old crow, Hilda Graham, responded as always: with a dark look. So nothing new.

He drummed his fingers on his desk, to resist the impulse, to palpate his nose on any deformity. It will take a few days, until the bones were grown together properly, and David didn't want to risk his good looks, just because he was too impatient. Instead, he contented himself with a glance into the magic window. And as he studied his reflection, he had to admit, the healer had done a great job with the 'refurbishment'.

All of a sudden, the door to his office flew open and an apparently very applied Hermione burst into the room, on her lips a wild abuse.

After he got over his surprise, David rose up and walked around his desk, to meet her: "Whoa, Hermione!" He lifted his hands and placed them on her shoulders: "Calm down!" Furious, she shook off his hands and shouted: "Don't touch me, you bastard!"

Fuck, she's heard about it. He forced himself, to calm down and took a step back, to settle down on the corner of his desk. He folded his arms over his chest and gently asked: "What's the matter?"

"What's the matter? You're the matter!" She hissed, her eyes shining with rage and disappointment. Shaking her head, she put a hand on her forehead and looked at the floor: "And I thought actually, I owned a good knowledge of human nature – only to discover, that I have not a bit of it." She glanced up and laughed bitterly: "Otherwise, I would not fooled by your friendly demeanor!"

Undeterred by her outburst, David looked her straight in the eye, as he lied: "I'm your friend!"

"A fine friend, who wanted only one thing, namely, to get laid!" David opened his mouth, but was cut off by her: "Don't lie to me!"

"If it were so, no one could blame me for it, after all, you're a very sexy woman." David answered deliberately.

"Shut up, David! You know very well, that I'm not interested in you, as more….."

"Let me finish, Hermione!" He got up from the desk and approached her slowly (well aware, that a different tactic was appropriate here): "You must have noticed, at least since Stockholm, that I developed feelings, which go far beyond friendship, for you. And if you give us a chance, I'm sure, we set the wizarding world on fire."

"Are you crazy?" She stepped back: "I love my husband!" She pointed a finger between him and herself: "That will never happen! It'll be a cold day in hell, when I let you touch me again."

David's mask slipped and he smiled arrogantly: "Judging by your reaction, Mrs. Undersecretary, your husband can't give you, what I give you. If I remember rightly, you were more than willingly and only because of your sudden pangs of conscience, it did not come to extremes."

She sucked air, before she spoke quietly through clenched teeth: "You've taken advantage of my vulnerability."

He went up, until he stood directly in front of her: "Vulnerability? Don't act naïve, Hermione! If you invite a man in your hotel room, you knew exactly, what you're doing." He pursed his lips: "Or maybe there is another reason, why you chickened out?!" Brows drawn together in thoughtful consideration, he nodded his head: "Of course, that also explains, why your husband was traveling with another witch to the other end of the world. You're frigid!"

Hermione reached out and slapped him across the face with full force: "How dare you!"

David howled in agony: "Mh noshe!"


1 = this pet name for Hermione I, unscrupulous, "borrowed" from an other Fanfiction

* Fuck you, you broke my nose

** Weasley, you'll pay for that

*** You all are my witnesses

****"Are you crazy? My nose will be not fixed by a barmaid."

***** And if, my girlfriend can confirm it."