Chapter 21:

It had been a little more than a week since he last saw her. He didn't even know if she was there in the country or out on a mission. He'd almost talked himself into going to the Burrow on both the Sundays after she'd left him, simply to see her, hear her voice but he'd held himself back, knowing she'd need more time.

So, Puddlemere Captain Oliver Wood, got dressed, picked up his quidditch bag and made his way to the stadium every single day after that first leave of absence he'd ever taken. He put on his mask of professionalism, one that he'd perfected over the years and worked through the day. For once even quidditch wasn't giving him any peace. He rode the team, punished the bludgers and quaffles and flew grueling lengths but nothing numbed his pain.

On the second Monday after Hermione left, during lunch break when he came down to the family box, he was immediately enveloped in a long hug. Tatyana, he groaned. And that's when it hit him. Out of respect for the fairer sex, he had never really been mean to her about the long hugs and kisses and the unwanted pet name calling. Sure, he'd liked it at first, but once he'd married Hermione, he'd only ever felt discomfort at it all but he'd never stopped her. Maybe Hermione saw all of this and that's what made her leave him, he thought, grouchily. Just when he was having his eureka moment, he felt Tatyana running her hand up and down his back, slipping it lower with each stroke and he narrowed his eyes at that.

"You know I really think this will work out well for us all. Maybe we could discuss it in more detail over dinner tonight? My place?" she added suggestively, leaving him in no doubt about what was on offer after the dinner.

What's wrong with women and their understanding of holy matrimony! he thought darkly, deciding to put an end to that charade right away. He fixed her with his most icy and contemptuous glare and lashed out in no uncertain terms that he was a married man and that he was absolutely not in the market for a mistress.

She stood there mute through it all and as a parting shot asked him to speak with his wife about his current marital status and then he'd understand his need for her in his life. She even threw back bitingly that he'd know where to find her once his chat with his wife was done.

And he saw red! If Hermione was quitting on him and throwing Tatyana on his face as a replacement she could think again! His scathing look was enough for Tatyana, making her stumble back and he apparated away to the Burrow with a loud crack.

!

Ginny had finally managed to talk Hermione into going to the Burrow that same day. She had missed both the Sunday lunches and no one had a clue about what she did anymore. So George, Harry and Ron were on a leave that day to take her mind off things and hear her out should she want to talk to any of them. Hermione was too emotionally spent to do anything other than smile at the antics the five people around her were playing. Mrs. Weasley was out with friends so the little group was way too boisterous without any supervision whatsoever.

Oliver stormed into the Burrow, anger etched in every taut muscle, a nerve popping at his forehead. He saw her sitting there laughing with George and Harry. She was laughing! After making him go through hell twice over, she was sitting there laughing with her friends! He seethed in his own anger, huffing out his question at her back, uncaring about causing a scene anymore. "Could you please tell me why you're throwing another woman at my face Hermione?" She stiffened at his question. She had honestly thought he'd appreciate her efforts by now, that the weeks away would have helped him understand her short comings and so she was not ready for this showdown. She turned slowly to face him and saw him rooted by the door, his entire body taut with tension. He was still wearing his practice robes and since it was mid-day she assumed he was here from between the session.

"Oliver" she smiled tentatively, "are you here on your lunch break? You know you need to….."

He fisted his hands at his sides, trying to control his fury, willing her to assuage his fears and abate his anger when he finally snapped, "Don't you dare go there, lass. Tell me why is it that you're so keen on hooking me, your own fucking husband, with another woman? Is it some twisted sort of a game for you?"

Hermione cringed at his insinuation but tried to help him understand her reasons again. If only he realized that it was all for his happiness, he wouldn't be this angry, she reasoned. She didn't want to end things badly with him. Merlin knew she needed him to be a part of her life, however small, but she needed him there. She just couldn't bring herself to think of a life without him in it, and that's why she had speeded up the process, fighting with Kingsley first and then tracking Tatyana down and helping her understand everything, wanting for Oliver to be happy sooner.

Oliver was so zoned in on Hermione that he did not even realize when all the others filed out of the room. A good thing too, for if he had, he was sure to have asked them to wait to help him understand what exactly was wrong with her and with him! "Damn it woman! Answer me!" he growled at her.

"Oliver, I … Oliver she is best for you. You must see that. She is beautiful, she understands you, your passions, she can speak quidditch with you, she….. She's everything I'm not Oliver…. You don't have to suffer me all through your life. You can be happy with her. You must see that."

He walked up to her, looking deep in her eyes. "So that's it then. You are pushing her on me because of your insecurities. You'd rather let your fear rule over you than face it?" he tried to understand. Maybe if I understand where she's coming from, I can help her see some sense he reasoned.

"It's more than that Oliver, much more. You should have had a chance to fall in love with her. You should have had a chance to marry her, instead you were stuck with me."

"So just because it's happening the other way around for us it's wrong? Is that it then?" he questioned, desperately trying to understand the reason behind his ultimate grief. He'd been officially announced as England's Captain for the World Cup team yesterday and there was still no joy in his life because he did not have this daft woman to kiss once he went back home and that rancid tea of hers to sip on while he spoke to her about the greatest achievement of his life till date, all the while knowing that she was the only one who could top that happiness for him.

He knelt in front of her taking her hands in both of his, "Hermione… please love.. just help me understand your reasons. We can work this one out together. If you tell me your reasons, I can try to resolve them. My cluelessness about your drive is not helping either one of us," he pleaded to her.

"Oliver look at me, I'm an absolute antithesis of a quidditch wife, a complete antithesis of you! You know you can do much better," she reasoned.

She has thought this shit through and convinced herself of it Oliver realized with a sinking feeling. "Since when have you been planning this?" he whispered, suddenly all his energy sapped out of him.

"Our first date. When you…. When we ran into her," Hermione replied, shocking him to his quick.

His eyes bulged out at that. "So everything after that point was nothing but fake to you. A part of the ministry law that you had to comply with. A part of the façade you had to portray?" he asked her, shaken.

"No, no it wasn't like that Oli…."

But he continued as if she hadn't spoken at all. "So every touch, every kiss, every second of our time together was a lie?" he sounded absolutely shattered and Hermione so wanted to take that emotion out of him.

"It's not like that Oliver. You have to understand, Tatyana is the one for you. Our marriage will only ever bring you grief, but you have a chance to be happy with her."

All his previous anger came back at the mention of that name and he snapped up straight in one fluid motion glaring daggers at her. "Yes. Yes I can see that our marriage will only ever get me grief. And do you know why that is? It's because I've gone and fallen in love with a heartless, adamant, moronic witch who is too busy caught up in her own idiocy and fears to look properly at something that's staring at her right in the face. And if you even for the slightest moment think I'll give up on that senseless, neurotically obsessive woman, you can think again," and with that he barged out the door, banging it on his way out, rattling it on its hinges and was gone.

!

Hard as they tried not to, everyone else at the Burrow had heard the entire debacle, even without the use of the extendable ears.

"I'd never pegged her for a stupid," George mused "that poor sod obviously loves her."

"I knew she was dense where boys were concerned, but this….this is just taking it to a whole new planet," Ginny said, going pale with shock.

"We need to talk to her," Harry said catching Ron's eye who looked too lost in his thoughts to comment. But their wives held them back.

"She needs to figure this one out on her own," Alicia whispered softly, interlacing tentative fingers with Ron's, not knowing if she yet had the right to stop him from going to comfort his friend but knowing she had to it, for the brunette's sake.

Ron stopped, looked at their interlaced hands and then up at her eyes. "Promise me you'll never do anything of that sort. Whatever it is, we'll work it out together but I have the emotional range of a teaspoon, ask anyone they'll vouch for it. I'll never be able to live that down," he whispered to her, as if seeing her for the first time ever and then he brought his lips crushing down to hers and just like that Alicia knew, she now had every right on him, feeling secured in his arms and in their relationship, finally.

Harry smiled at the scene in front of him and looked at Ginny. Her look echoed his thoughts - one down one more to go. He held her hand, squeezing it tightly.

"Ahh…. How I miss Angie…." George said and they all laughed, smiling internally when they saw the soft look passing between Ron and Alicia.