Chapter 3: A Blip in their Life

Hermione landed on almost unsteady feet in the still, quiet countryside of the Lakes District. There was nothing for miles around, nothing except fields and wildflowers and peaceful silence. It was the perfect place for her to hide until she figured out what to do. Gravel crunched under her feet as she stepped out of the small ally she'd apparated into and peered around the stunning flowers that poured over the stone fence that lined the street. The quaint little village that she couldn't remember the name of, looked exactly the same as it had when she was 12 years old. It had been the end of her first year at Hogwarts and also the summer her mother and aunt had had an argument which had resulted in the Grangers not going to Paris for the summer. Instead, they'd taken a holiday just the three of them and it had turned into one of Hermione's fondest memories.

The mainstreet was quiet for this late in the afternoon and she could see up ahead the pub where she'd had the best bangers and mash in her whole entire childhood. She gathered her skirts and walked quickly, hoping that the inside of the pub would be just as quiet as the street.

A little bell rang above the door as she stepped into the pub, and the scattering of patrons looked up in interest; but as she went to the bar and took a seat on the stool, they went back to what they were doing.

"Didn't know there was a wedding in town today." The grizzled barkeeper said as he polished a glass.

"There's not." She shook her head but didn't elaborate. "Could I have a pint of Guinness please?"

His brow rose but he obliged, placing a large glass in front of her in a few moments.

"Anything else, love?"

She shook her head and took a drink, sucking back the dark ale quickly. She hadn't realised she was so thirsty in all her haste to get away.

The barman watched her for a few moments longer before he knocked his knuckles on the bartop.

"Let me know if you change your mind."

She nodded and then picked a point on the bar to stare at while her mind raced, the events of what she'd done catching up with her. A hysterical laugh escaped her lips and she pressed her knuckles against them as her eyes burned.

Hermione Granger had run from something for the first time in her life. She'd meant to get married today, had meant to do what had been expected of her but instead she'd run.

There was no going back now. No fixing what she'd done.

Her heart raced in her chest and her vision swam.

She swallowed the rest of the pint in two mouthfuls and raised her hand.

"Sorry, sir. Could I have another?"

Ron Weasley sat on the couch in the flat he shared with his fiancé and listened to his mother argue with Harry Potter. He felt strange, like he wasn't quite in his body; as if somehow he was looking at the room from above and there was nothing he could do to bring himself back from the ceiling.

"How dare she do this to us…To my Ron." Molly practically sobbed, anger and shock melding into one.

"It's not on purpose Molly. She loves you all, she loves Ron, but no one has ever asked if this is what she wants." Harry defended, his tone twanging that jealous point in Ron's chest that he'd worked long and hard to ignore when it came to Harry and Hermione's friendship. He'd been jealous of them on and off over the years, their friendship coming easy where Ron and Hermione's hadn't. It had obviously been a lot worse when he was under the influence of the horcrux and it had taken a long time to get past the visions the dark magic had given him; so, as Ron studied him from that far off place, taking in the fierce look that Harry was giving Molly, he wondered, like he'd done many times before, if there had been something between them.

"We expect so much from Hermione and because she loves us, she just… went along with it." Harry added, running a hand through his already messy hair. Nerves.

Anger started to bubble in Ron's chest and he went to snarl at his best friend and accuse him of being in love with Hermione; but then Ginny walked into the room with a cup of tea in her hands and Harry's expression softened. He looked at Ginny like she was starlight and when he pressed a kiss to his wifes' cheek Ron knew there was no way Harry would ever have someone else.

It wasn't until Harry was tucking Ginny into his side that he realised it for what it was:

Harry wasn't defending Hermione because they were having an affair – he was defending Hermione because she was his sister. It was why Harry was walking Hermione down the aisle, why Hermione had been a groomsmaid for Harry when they'd gotten married. Why they'd been inseparable since the war had ended. They were all each other had in this world, two orphaned muggle-raised wizards who'd survived the unthinkable.

They'd been siblings since that first train ride, never anything more and sometimes he envied that more than if there actually was something there.

"Of course it's what she wants!" Molly scoffed, the venom in her tone pulling Ron from his realisation. "Why else would she go through with saying yes and planning everything only to run on the actual day?"

"Because she's terrified. Hermione has done everything anyone has ever asked of her; she's never had a chance to make her own choices and this was where she drew the line." Harry shook his head, his expression more tired now than angry.

Molly sputtered incoherent noises for a second before she snarled.

"Oh thats bullshit, Harry. Did she tell you that?" Molly's face pinched as she whirled around to face Harry. To Harry's credit he didn't flinch under her wrath. He just stood firm and watched the woman rant. "Give me one way she's never been allowed to 'make her choice'?" Sarcasm dripped from her tone and Ron steeled himself for the answer – because he knew Harry had one.

"Her parents." Harry's reply was clipped and Ron couldn't remember him ever speaking to Molly like that. "She didn't want to lose them so she removed herself from their memories to protect them. That wasn't her choice but it was the one she had to go with."

Ron closed his eyes as Harry continued.

"After the war she finished at Hogwarts as only one of ten students. She did it because she figured if people saw her return, then they would follow. The tabloids loved her for it, even though being in the castle gave her nightmares, brought up things she'd seen and done during the battle. There were weeks she didn't sleep - but she did it because it's what we all expected of her. The 'brightest witch of her age'" he quoted and rolled his eyes.

Ron frowned. They'd been apart while Hermione had studied. She'd mentioned nightmares but Harry made it seem like they were worse than she'd let on… worse than he'd ever asked her about.

"Oh don't be silly Harry. These are all things our Hermione wanted to do."

"No, Molly. No one ever asked. We just assumed that she would because she's our Hermione… But you know she never wanted to join the Ministry. When she was approached for it, she told us she didn't want that job but we all said to her who else would be good for this role but you, Hermione so she did it. She took it… even though she wanted to travel, she wanted to explore the wizarding world – "

"She did travel. Her and Ron took that trip to Australia!"

"That was a trip to retrieve her parents, Molly and myself, Bill and Kingsley accompanied them. That was hardly a holiday." Harry scoffed, rolling his eyes so hard that Ron saw only the whites for a solid three seconds. "And she returned without her parents because we couldn't reinstate their memories so it was all for nothing." He sighed, his shoulders sagging. Ginny held him tighter and he rested his head on hers. "She wanted to travel to all the wizarding places in the world to learn and none of us wanted to go with her."

Ron winced. He knew that was true. Hermione had always pestered him about getting out of this place, pestered him to take some time just the two of them, and he'd put her on the back burner for his Quidditch career because he knew she'd always be there for him…

"She wanted to teach, Molly, She wanted to go back to Hogwarts and help McGonagall fix the school, make it safe again and teach the next generation of witches and wizards… but that would have taken her away from us, from Ron, from the whole damn wizarding world to whom she's a hero; so she did what was expected and she stayed."

The silence was deafening in the room. Ron could hear himself breathing, could hear the cogs turning in his mothers brain and by the small tick in the left side of her mouth and the way her eyes narrowed he knew she was gearing up for something big. The silence was tense right up until Molly broke.

"There's someone else, isn't there?"

There it was. Harry's rationale made perfect sense – obviously he'd spoken to Hermione about it when they hadn't arrived with the bridesmaids – but his mother still wanted to blame Hermione.

"Oh for Merlin's sake, Molly."

"It's you isn't it?"

"Mum!" Ginny exclaimed, holding onto Harry tightly. "Don't be ridiculous… There's no one else for Hermione, right Harry?" There was an edge to her voice, almost as if she believed it for a second. Harry's face pinched with annoyance and he gave her a sharp look.

"Ginny, seriously?" He snapped and Ginny cleared her throat.

"Get a grip, mum. Hermione would never."

"There's no one else, Molly." Harry shook his head. "She loves Ron. She's just not in love with him…"

Ron squeezed his eyes closed as his throat tightened. He came crashing back into his body at those words.

She loves Ron, but she's not in love with him.

It hurt to hear but a small part of him felt like he'd always known it.

Being with Hermione had felt safe, it had been easy. He didn't have to think about things with her and because they'd been friends for so long he didn't have to go through the process of getting to know her. He'd had a crush on her since he was 11 years old, it was a dream come true for him and she'd always been there for him so it just made sense for them to be together finally as adults.

It was convenient and maybe that's where he'd gone wrong.

"Ron?" His sisters voice was soft, the hand she placed on his back softer. "What are you thinking? You've been awfully quiet…"

He cleared his throat, that was thick and tight. There was a stinging in his nose and his eyes burned as he sucked in a deep breath.

"I'm… I'm alright." He muttered. "I'm just… I… I'm ok." He had nothing else to say. He wished he could be angry. Wished he could break things and scream and shout and demand they find her so he could give her a piece of his mind for doing this to them – but he didn't have it in him. He was tired, he was hurting, he was numb. She'd always said he had the emotional range of a teaspoon but honestly it wasn't true. He felt things so deeply, but sometimes being the 6th in a family of seven meant he'd never quite figured out how to channel those feelings. "I think… I'd just like to sleep on it. Please."

"Did you want to stay at mine and Harrys?" Ginny asked but he shook his head.

"No… No I want to be here if she comes back." He muttered.

"Oh my poor baby." Molly sat on the other side of him and pulled him into her arms. He let her, for the first time since he could remember and cried.

"Don't hate her mum," He said softly. "I think I understand where she's coming from."

He didn't notice exactly when his mother left, just that she needed to get back to the wedding and sooth peoples worry. Ginny left with her, leaving Harry alone with him.

"Did you know?" he asked, but there was no accusation or anger in his tone.

"I didn't. Not until I saw her this morning." Harry sighed, sinking to the couch beside him.

"Mum hates her."

"Molly will come round. So will Ginny… I might, ah, kip on the couch here tonight if that's ok."

"Yeah, mate. Of course." Ron nodded. He didn't know if that was because his tenacious little sister was a little mad at her husband, or if she'd asked him to keep an eye on Ron, but Ron didn't mind. He didn't particularly want to be alone in the space he'd shared with Hermione for 4 years. There were so many memories…

A shining, silvery light lit up the room before it shrank to the size of a little otter on the rug in front of them.

"Ron…" Hermione's voice came from its mouth and damn near broke his heart again. "I'm sorry… I'm so…" She broke off with a gasp and a sob. "I'm so sorry that I did this to you. I just didn't know what else to do. I wanted to let you know that I'm safe, I'm… I'm safe for now. I'll come home soon. I do love you and I hope you don't hate me for this… I… I'm so sorry."

The sob broke off and the Otter vanished in an explosion of stars.

He pulled out his own wand. It took him a few goes to create a patronus – noting that his happiest memory had nothing to do with Hermione, but was instead his team winning the English Cup – and he sent a return message.

"Don't be sorry, Hermione. I…" His voice cracked and he cleared his throat. "I understand. Please come home so we can talk about this. I… I love you too, ok? Always."

He didn't know what else to say so he flicked his wand and sent the Jack Russel Terrier running off into the darkened room.

"How about you head up to bed, mate?" Harry said gently and Ron nodded, dumbly.

He'd head up to bed, get a good sleep and sort all of this out in the morning. This was just a blip in their life. Nothing that couldn't be fixed.