Chapter Eight: Conversations and Confrontations
As I walk this land with broken dreams
I have visions of many things
Love's happiness is just an illusion
Filled with sadness and confusion,
What becomes of the broken hearted
Who had love that's now departed?
I know I've got to find
Some kind of peace of mind
Maybe.
The fruits of love grow all around
But for me they come a tumblin' down.
Every day heartaches grow a little stronger
I can't stand this pain much longer
(What Becomes of the Broken-hearted ~ sung by Jimmy Ruffin)
Hermione covered her head with the blanket to block out the morning sun. She really didn't feel like getting out of bed. It had been a week and she had been staying at Ginny's apartment. Luckily her flatmate had just moved out leaving a vacancy. She felt as if she was at a standstill in her life, a pause button. She felt so lost, she didn't know which way to move. She never left the apartment, she had yet to contact Oliver and she refused every owl she received. She had cried a lot the first few days but now she didn't have any more tears to shed. What went wrong? What had happened to her life? She was beginning to think that she didn't deserve love, that she was being punished for something she must have done. Wasn't she worthy of it? It seemed her love life was one disaster after another. How many times could a person fall in love? She fell so hard for Harry. Harry. She never really got over her first love, his rejection nearly destroyed her.
**Flashback**
"Harry," she began, hesitating, wondering if she should ask it. "Can you think of any reason, any at all, why I shouldn't marry Oliver?"
"No," he replied after a pause, "none at all."
Was she being punished for hesitating about marrying Oliver? That she was still in love with Harry but said her vows in front of friends, family, God? She loved Oliver, she did, he was her husband, her future, he represented a new start in life for her. She made a promise to herself, to get over Harry, start a new life with her husband. She didn't even owl Harry, the feeling must have been mutual because he never owled her. It was going to be the start of a new life for her.
**Flashback**
"Oliver!" Hermione squealed as her husband swept her up and cradled her in his arms. "Can I take the blindfold off yet?"
They had just arrived back in the states after their honeymoon and she had been blindfolded since they left the airport. Hermione wondered what the surprise was.
"Not just yet. Patience my love," Oliver teased. She felt him walking up some steps, a small jingling sound then a door opening. "Okay…now."
Hermione took off her blindfold and gasped. "Oh my God! Oliver…is this…?"
"It's the house, the one you loved. I signed the papers the day before the wedding. See? I had all of our boxes shipped here."
Oliver put her down and she walked around the house in awe.
"It's ours? It's really ours?" she asked and her husband nodded. She let out a squeal of excitement then leapt into her husbands arms, giving him a big kiss.
"Wanna check out our bedroom?" he asked suggestively, picking up his wife and carrying her upstairs.
She couldn't pick out the feeling at first. Things had been going great after all. While Oliver went off to practice with his new team, she occupied her time unpacking their things and making their house a home. She was learning how to get around town, adapting to the American wizard culture as well as the muggle one. Driving had been a unique experience on its own since everyone in United States drove on the opposite side of the road than she was used to. But she was a fast learner and had begun to pick up the culture well. But it was difficult at first, all of her friends and family were so far away.
**Flashback**
"Hermione? Hermione, what's wrong?"
Oliver opened the bathroom door to find his wife sitting on the floor, crying. She looked up at him, hands clenching a tissue, tears in her eyes and running down her cheeks.
"I…I got…my period today," she said between hiccups.
"Oh, darling," Oliver sighed. He sat down next to his wife and took her in his arms.
"We've been trying for months, Oliver. It's never going to happen," she sobbed.
"It'll happen love, it will. We'll just keep trying," he soothed.
Incomplete. That was the feeling. She felt like something was missing in her life. She had a husband, a home, her parents, her friends but it still felt like she was incomplete. A baby. She wanted a child, maybe that's what was missing. It was the next step in life, right? But she had failed at that, too.
**Flashback**
"And you suspect that you're husband may be the reason why you're unable to conceive?" Dr. Reed sat behind his desk, writing notes on a pad of paper.
"I just want to make sure that he's…fine," Hermione replied.
"And have you considered that you yourself might have trouble?" he asked.
"I know that I don't have any trouble conceiving."
"Have you had yourself examined?"
Hermione didn't reply for awhile. "I just…know," she said discretely.
The whistling of the teapot brought her out of her reverie. She was preparing herself a cup when a knock came at the door. She tied a robe around her and answered the door. Her stomach dropped when she opened it.
"Uh…Ginny isn't here…right now," she said when she found her voice.
"I know, I saw her earlier in Diagon Alley," her raven haired visitor said as he walked across the threshold. "I came to see you."
Hermione regarded him warily. "Still acting as Oliver's messenger boy, are you Harry?"
"No…actually I came here to apologize for my behavior at dinner."
Hermione closed the front door. "Well if you're looking for an invitation to tea, you're not going to get it."
"That's fair," he replied. She walked back into the kitchen to finish her cup of tea. Harry followed. "Did you give any thought to what I said?"
"Why should I be the one to try and work things out? I'm not the one shagging some blond!"
"I don't mean that, I meant that you should at least talk to him."
"If this is about that bloody deal…"
"He is being an ass about it, extremely difficult to Ron."
"That's none of my business!"
"The last two deals Ron negotiated with the Cannons have fallen through, if he loses this…he could lose his job."
Hermione sighed and sat down at the table. "I can't believe this," she said quietly. Harry didn't join her, he leaned against the wall.
"Just talk to him, okay?" he asked.
"Why didn't he just come to me himself? Why did he go to you?"
"He thought you might have been to see me."
"That is just so typical. Poor little Hermione goes running to Harry Potter," she scathed.
"Oh don't start," Harry rolled his eyes.
"Don't start what?"
"Your own little pity party, you made these choices yourself…no matter how bad they were," he muttered as an afterthought.
"Here we go again, are we going to have this same argument?" Hermione stood up abruptly.
"You only had a year left and you threw it all away so you could marry the git and run off to America!" he followed her into the kitchen.
"If he was such a git, why did you let me marry him?" She dumped her tea in the sink.
"Don't blame me for that."
"I asked you if there was any reason, any at all!"
"What did you want me to say, Hermione? It was your decision, and yours alone to make. You could've said no when he asked you!"
"Yeah, well at least he asked!" she shot back.
Harry threw up his hands in frustration. "Okay, you know what, that's it, I'm done!" He reached for the door and yanked it open. "I just came to apologize!"
"Apology NOT accepted!" she yelled as Harry slammed the door. She threw the teacup she had been holding, shattering it against the door.
**********************
She stepped out of the car and adjusted the simple grey dress she wore before heading inside the restaurant.
"Table for Wood," she informed the host.
"Yes, right this way please." He led her through the restaurant to a table where her husband stood to greet her.
"You look beautiful," he praised.
"Hmm," was all she said as she took her seat.
"I'm really glad you came," he began after they ordered their meals. "I was beginning to think you'd never talk to me."
"It would serve you right, wouldn't it?" she said as she took a sip of her wine.
"I completely deserve that and every nasty word there is in the book. I am so sorry, Hermione. Words cannot express how sorry I am."
"Try it," she replied crassly. "Exactly how long has it been going on Oliver?"
"Hermione…"
"How long, Oliver?"
"Four months," he sighed defeatedly.
"Four?!" she exclaimed, turning a few heads. She quickly lowered her voice, "Oliver…"
"I'm so sorry."
"Do you love her?" she asked.
"No! No of course not!"
"Was she the only one?"
"Yes."
"Why, Oliver? Why would you hurt us like this?"
"I'm not entirely to blame, am I?"
"Are you trying to say that I made you do this?" Hermione hissed.
"The only reason we've been having sex, lately, is so we can conceive a child. And when we are doing it, it feels like a duty, like I have to get it over and done with."
Hermione's mouth dropped open. "How dare you! Maybe if you spent your energy on your wife instead of some blond you would know it can be quite enjoyable."
"Look, let's just stop. This is going nowhere," Oliver sighed. Hermione crossed her arms and looked around the restaurant. "So, what do we do now?"
Hermione uncrossed her arms and looked sadly at her husband. "I don't know," she answered quietly.
"Are you going to come back home?" he asked, hopeful.
Hermione sighed. "I don't know, Oliver. I need some time to think about things."
"I understand," Oliver said softly.
*****************************
"So are you going to go back to the States?" Luna asked.
"I'm not sure," Hermione answered distractedly as she watched her husband in the sky.
She, Luna and Ginny were sitting in the stands watching an exhibition game being played by Quidditch players from all over the world, a sort of All-Stars game. It was the day after she and Oliver had had dinner together.
"God, that number 45 is hot!" Ginny said looking through her omniocculars. Hermione and Luna followed suit.
"Um, excuse me Hermione. May I have a word with you?" came a female voice.
"Meredith! How good to see you! These are my good friends Ginny and Luna, this is Meredith Fulton, her husband plays a chaser on the New England Rebels," Hermione introduced her.
"How do you do?" Meredith nodded to her friends. "In the stairwell, Hermione?"
"Oh, of course. Please excuse me ladies."
Hermione followed the woman to the stairwell. It was a pleasant surprise to see her here in London, she had almost forgotten that her husband Ryan was also playing in the game. He and her husband were the top two stars of the team. Meredith looked nervously about when they stopped walking.
"Meredith, is everything alright?" Hermione asked.
"First off, I want to say how sorry I am about you and Oliver," she replied and Hermione cut her off.
"Don't be sorry, there's nothing to be sorry about."
"Oliver didn't mention me, did he? I just want to make sure everything is okay between us."
Hermione's concern faded. "What are you talking about Meredith?"
"Well, it was just a one time thing, you know. I think it was because he and Ryan are so competitive," Meredith rambled on. "And you know, Ryan and I were going through a rough spot in our marriage and…"
Hermione sat back down with her friends, a dazed look on her face.
"Are you alright, Hermione?" Ginny asked her.
Hermione just stared out in front of her. A woman came up to Hermione, microphone in hand, accompanied by a man carrying some sort of antennae.
"Mrs. Wood, the spouses of the Quidditch players have contributed so much to the wizarding communities disadvantaged. As head of the US division, what do you ask of your fellow members?"
Hermione blinked at the woman. "Ask? Yes, I do have something to ask," she said as she yanked away the microphone from the woman. "I want to know how many wives out there have had sex with my husband!"
The people in the stands around her gasped, Luna made a movement to take the microphone away from Hermione but Ginny stopped her. Mrs. Weasley who was listening at home on the wireless, dropped one of the plates she was washing. Fred and George were in their shop listening cheering Hermione on. Sirius was sitting behind Hermione with Remus and his wife Tonks, who had promptly covered her son's ears. Harry was at his desk, jaw dropped before he quickly recovered and grabbed his jacket.
"How many goddamn wives out there have had any goddamn sex with my goddamn husband?" Hermione continued. "Meredith Fulton has just informed me that she was fucking my husband and I want to know-"
Luna had finally succeeded in taking the microphone away from her. "Um yes, the Foundation is doing great and uh, we expect more…"
"Calm down, Hermione," Ginny could be heard in the background.
"I'm fine! I'm FINE!" came Hermione's voice.
"…more…great things this year. Thank you. And uh, go Cannons!"
Luna and Ginny accompanied Hermione outside of the stands.
"I don't know what you are so upset about, Luna," Ginny said. "That was the best interview ever!"
"This isn't funny, Ginny," Luna replied.
"She's right," Harry's voice rang out.
"What are you doing here?" a surprised Hermione asked.
"Excuse us ladies," Harry said as he grabbed Hermione's upper arm and dragged her away.
"Harry, what are you doing?" Hermione tried to free herself.
Harry let go of her arm. "What's wrong with you? Have you gone mad?"
"Have I gone mad? Have I gone mad? Yes, Harry, I have gone mad because I've just found out that my husband has been servicing the wives of his fellow teammates! Now, leave me alone!" she hissed.
"Half of the wizarding world thinks you've lost your mind since they printed that picture of you screaming at your husband in front of a muggle hotel. They've pegged you out to be the cold, unfeeling bitchy wife. Now you've just confirmed their suspicions of you being a lunatic by accusing the female population of sleeping with your husband!"
"Sod off, Harry! You're only concerned about how this whole situation is going to affect Oliver's deal!"
Harry felt a hand on his shoulder and turned around to see his godfather.
"Come on, Harry let's go," Sirius said calmly.
"Let Ginny take you back to her place, Hermione," Ron had joined the group.
Hermione's attention however was focused over his shoulder. Oliver Wood was storming toward the group. Hermione walked toward him.
"You told me she was the only one!" Hermione yelled at him. Oliver met his wife halfway and took her by the arms.
"Can you for once not make a scene in public?" he scolded.
"Get your hands off me!" Hermione growled as she broke his grip only to have him regain it.
"Come on, let's go somewhere else."
"I'm not going anywhere with you!"
"You heard her, she's not going anywhere with you!" Harry had approached the struggling couple.
"Harry, Harry come back here," Sirius followed Harry, reaching out to hold him back.
"Harry stay out of this," Remus joined Sirius.
"That's right, Harry, this is between me and my wife," Oliver stated.
"You wouldn't be in this mess if you'd only kept it in your pants!" Harry shot back as Sirius and Remus held him back.
"Oliver no, don't," Hermione warned her husband. She reached out and held his arm, stopping him as he advanced toward Harry.
"Come on, Harry, let's leave," Sirius advised.
"Fine words coming from you, Harry. You are a model of faithfulness," Oliver goaded.
"Oliver, stop it," Hermione tugged on Oliver's arm.
"I'm not the one who's married to Hermione!" Harry shot back. Sirius and Remus were still holding him.
"That's right, you're not!" Oliver sneered.
"Oliver, stop it. I'll go with you, come on let's go," Hermione pleaded.
Oliver smirked at a seething Harry and leaned forward to whisper to him.
"Don't think I didn't see you that day." He then turned around and walked away with Hermione, looking over his shoulder once to do the most childish thing.
He stuck his tongue out at Harry.
"Okay, that's it," Sirius said as he released his grip on Harry.
Harry didn't even hesitate. He ran toward Oliver, tackling him to the ground.
"Oh my God!" Luna covered her hands with her mouth.
"Kick his ass, Harry!" Ginny shouted.
Ron ran to the two men, who were in a tangle of arms and legs, punches being thrown to land wherever.
"HARRY! OLIVER! STOP IT! STOP IT!" Hermione screamed at the two, trying to find a way to pull them off of each other before Ron pulled her away.
"Let me handle this," he offered.
Ron pulled Oliver away from Harry, who was being pulled away by Remus and a very reluctant Sirius. Both men were bruised and bleeding, though Oliver looked far worse than Harry.
***********************************
"Have you gone insane?" Hermione asked her husband, when the mediwitch finished up with him. "Picking a fight with Harry?"
"I'm going to get Potter for this," Oliver growled as he motioned to his bandaged arm in a sling.
"She healed the break immediately, your arm will only be sore for a few days. You should know better," she scolded.
"Why are you taking his side?"
"I'm not taking anyone's side but you goaded him, you pushed him. What did you say to him, anyway?"
Oliver didn't answer her.
"Fine!" she said and picked up her coat and purse.
"Aren't you going to stay here with me?" Oliver asked.
"No," she answered.
"What, are you going to see him?"
Hermione paused before opening the door then spun around to face her husband.
"Why don't you ask Meredith to stay, or that blond?" she spat.
"Hermione," Oliver pleaded.
"What about Layla, or Danielle? Have you slept with them as well?"
She yanked open the door and left, ignoring her husband's calls for her as she headed towards the lifts. She passed Harry's room, barely glancing inside to see everyone else crowded in there. She jabbed the down button and waited. She could see Harry approaching her from the corner of her eye.
"Hermione," he began, but she whirled around to face him.
"What in the world were you doing, starting a fight with him?!"
"He started it!"
"It doesn't matter! You are an auror, Harry, trained in combat, he is just a quidditch player!"
"He was defending himself alright."
"You broke his arm, Harry! And nearly broke two of his ribs!"
"And you're telling me he didn't deserve it?"
The lift doors opened and Hermione stepped inside.
"It doesn't matter if he deserved it or not, Harry. This is between Oliver and me, it's bad enough as it is without dragging anyone else into it."
Harry swung out his arm to stop the doors from closing. "But you have to admit, it was nice seeing him get his ass kicked."
Hermione rolled her eyes and pushed his arm out of the way, letting the lift doors close.
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