Life After You

by klash62

When the trio leaves their 7th year of Hogwarts to embark on a mission that Dumbledore had laid out for them, they never expected all of the problems that would come their wy. So, when Ron gives up and decides he's done hunting Horcruxes, he gives Hermione an ultimatum: stay with Harry or leave with him.

1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1:
Hermione

Hermione woke up, as always, from a terrible nightmare. The war was over; Voldemort had died, six months ago in fact. But, no one had seen Harry since she and Ron left him that night in their search for Horcruxes. She couldn't remember now, exactly why she had decided to leave. All she could remember, was that in the heat of the moment, she knew Harry would forgiver her for leaving and Ron would never forgive her for staying. So, she packed everything except for the things that she thought would help Harry, and she and Ron ventured of onto their own. If she could go back and re-choose, she would stay. Hindsight is always 20/20.

Knowing she wouldn't be able to fall back to sleep, she crawled out of bed and walked to her kitchen. Hermione and Ron, not knowing how to move on, had married and moved into an apartment once the war ended. She looked at the clock above their sink: 3:17 AM. She took a deep breath and sighed. She made herself a cup of tea and sat down at their table. She had been there for a mere seven minutes before the big light flipped on. She looked up to see her husband standing in the entry way. She didn't say anything.

"Hello, Hermione." Ron said hatefully.

She could smell the whiskey on him from across the room.

"Ronald." She spat back.

He just looked out her, anger brimming in his eyes.

"Why are you drinking at 3 in the morning?" Hermione asked, she didn't really care though. Things had been bad lately. Really bad.

"My best friend is missing, Hermione. Probably dead." Ron said, his voice steady. He drank so much he built up a tolerance to the alcohol; it never phased him or his speech.

"He was my best friend, too. I don't need it." She replied.

"YOU SCREAM HIS NAME IN YOUR SLEEP, HERMIONE!" Ron yelled at her. "You say you don't need it, but what are you using to numb the pain? I don't only drink this because he's gone. I drink this because I left him. I drink it because I made you leave him. If it weren't for that he'd probably still be here. This -" He waved his arm in the air as if he actually meant the apartment. "All of this is my fault. I have to live with this." He finished.

Hermione walked across the room and slapped Ron's faced. "Don't. You. Dare. You don't belittle my pain. I left, too. I have regrets, too. But Harry's death-" Hermione shuttered and swallowed deeply. "Harry's disappearance was worth more than that. You don't get to act like this is all out of spite." Hermione took his bottle and smashed it on the floor. She couldn't stand to see him like this; she could barely stand to see him at all.