Love, Lies, and a Secret
Disclaimer: Harry Potter isn't mine!
AN: Guys, I read your reviews for last chapter, and PLEASE- the woman in the Ministry WASN'T TONKS! I've no idea why some of you think it's her, but let me get this clear: It wasn't her. Actually, if you've paid attention I put a Flashback scene where Hermione tells Harry that Remus and Tonks *can't* have children. They know about the law and don't want to risk it.
And Mr. Weasley would never say *this woman* if he was referring to Tonks, right?
Also, thank you so much for the reviews- and those who think my writing is so terrible, an advice: don't read it! :P
Chapter 16: Woes and Regards
Lavender Brown was laying on her bed, sobbing quietly. She had her arms around her knees, pressing them against her chest.
She had never wanted anything of that.
Or maybe she wanted, but in not that fashion of way. Obviously she had viewed a happily ever after life with Ron; living in a charming country house, their kids...someday.
She wasn't prepared to have a child, to be a mum.
And Ronald was still with her. Hermione.
Lavender closed her eyes painfully. Hermione had never been a close friend, but she couldn't help and not feel somewhat disgusted with herself.
`What am I gonna do' she asked herself. `What am I gonna do?'
**
Ron and Harry's apartment
Hermione rested her hands on her lap and rubbed them together as she half listened to what Ron was saying. He was repeating sentences like `I miss you´, `this job is dangerous´, `you should just quit´...If there were other times, Hermione would be angry at him, yelling at him that that was her work, her life, but she had the consciousness it wasn't the moment. It was time for another kind of discussion, and she was afraid it wouldn't be a pleasant one.
She returned to the `Magical World´ the night before, and after a long talk with Harry they thought it was better for her to talk with Ron as soon as possible. However, they had also agreed that Harry's name shouldn't be mentioned.
"Don't you think, Hermione?" The stress on her name made Hermione snap from her reverie and look back at her still boyfriend. "Hermione?"
She pursed her lips and loudly sighed. "We need to talk, Ron."
"But we're talking now, aren't we?" Ron asked confused.
"A serious talk, Ron." she closed her eyes painfully before re-opening them. Biting her bottom lip slightly, Hermione forced herself to continue. "It isn't working, Ron."
"W-What?"
Hermione smiled sadly. They were alone in the apartment but it didn't make the conversation any easier on her "You know what." She had her eyes fixed on him. "Us."
"How can you say we aren't working?!" Ron exclaimed, on full defensive. "We're perfect! Obviously we're working! We're going to marry, have children!"
"No, Ron, you know it isn't true," Hermione said firmly. "I want to break up."
It was done. That's it. She had finally said it.
And then she waited for the yelling to start.
However, for her utterly surprise it didn't happen. In fact, Ron started to laugh.
"Merlin, Hermione, you almost got me there!"
"I am not kidding, Ronald."
The smile suddenly fell from Ron´s face as he caught the seriousness of her words. He looked at her strangely. "Do you want to break up?" he asked oddly calm. "Is that right? Did I hear you right?"
Maybe it should be easier if he had started yelling.
"Yes, Ron," she said in a quiet but firm voice, laced with just a hint of sorrow, "I want to break up."
"Did you speak with Ginny?"
Hermione raised an eyebrow at him, slightly confused. "Ginny? No." Perhaps it was just an impression but it seemed that Ron looked quite relieved with her answer. "Why should I have talked to her?"
"Oh no, nothing! It's just she and Harry broke up- and...Actually, I have to give Harry a piece of my mind!"
Hermione held up a hand. "No, Ron. You will not do such a thing! That's their business!" She took a breath before continuing. "But Ron, I didn't come here to talk about Harry and Ginny. Please don't change the subject."
"Then why?" His voice sounded bitter. "Why do you want to break up?"
"We aren't working, Ron!"
"Since when have you decided this relationship isn't working?" he asked. "Is this because of what happened on your birthday? I already said I was sorry."
"That too, Ron," she replied truthfully, "I won't deny it. However, it isn't only because of that. It's because that night at Leprechaun's, it's because so many nights and days you treated me that way..." She closed her eyes and rubbed them with her fingers, and then looked again at him. "I'm tired of this, Ron. I am tired saying to myself you'll change. I'm tired pretending we are meant to be together."
"But Hermione every couple has arguments now and then..."
"Now and then, Ron! Not always!" she cried. "You keep telling you love me but don't seem to respect me, Ron! You don't seem to care about my family, my work!"
"I like your family!" His ears were turning red. "And your work...ha! I understand now! It's about your work then! It's about this necessity to be a working woman and-"
"Don't finish whatever you were going to say, Ron," she warned. "I don't want to be with you anymore. I do care a lot about you, but-" She shook her head. "Before you were my boyfriend you were one of my best friends, and I would never want to lose your friendship, but- but I can't be together with you, as a girlfriend, anymore. I'm sorry."
For the next minutes, Ron had his head buried in his hands, not saying a word.
`Please, Ron, say something,´ Hermione thought to herself.
"Are you in love with someone else?" he finally asked, looking up at her.
The question took the brown haired witch by surprise, and she groped for words. "Ron-"
His expression seemed to shift, his eyes darkening. "I see," he said flatly, as if he was trying to control himself.
"Ron-"
"GET OUT!" he shouted at her.
"Ron, please!"
"GET OUT OF HERE!" his face was red with angry, and his whole body was shaking with rage "GET OUT!"
"Ron-"
"Go to your lover, Hermione Granger! Did you already let him fuck you? Or are you gonna be such a-"
Slap!
Hermione slapped him hard on the face.
"Don't you dare, Ronald Weasley!" Hermione cried, angry tears began to fall, from her eyes and she fought to hold them back. "Don't you dare! I am not breaking up with you because anyone else but you! You are the main reason this-" She mentioned she and him with her hand. "-will never work."
And Hermione walked away without saying anything else.
***
Not so far way from there, a very anxious dark haired young man was sitting alone at a table in a Muggle Café.
He had just paid for his untouched water and was fidgeting with the paper napkin when a so familiar voice caught his attention.
"H-Harry?" Harry looked up at teary face Hermione. "C-Can we-we..."
Harry promptly stood up from his seat and he strode over to where she was, wrapping his arms around her body.
"Sweet, what hap-" he asked immediately.
"Please, Harry," she cut him with a low voice, "let's go someplace else."
Harry didn't need to be told twice, he took one of Hermione's hands and then they walked until the next safe point to Apparate.
***
Less than three minutes later, Harry and Hermione Apparated in a Muggle park. They sat down on a bench.
"Tell me, sweet, what did he say?" Harry gently asked, holding her hands tightly. He was secretly praying that Ron hadn't said anything too dreadful to Hermione. Because if he had...
"Doesn't matter, Harry," she weakly replied. "It's over."
"Hermione- it does matter. If he said-"
Hermione put a finger on his lips to silence him. "No, Harry," she whispered, "no. Yes, he said some nasty things, but to tell you the truth it was less than I'd expected. And that's exactly what worries most."
Harry nodded seriously. "Did-Did you tell him about..." us.
"No." Hermione shook her head. "But I think he suspects.... Not exactly about you but- I tried to say it wasn't anything like that- I tried to say-" She sighed, suddenly feeling very tired. "He is my friend, Harry. And even if I know he doesn't really love me like that- I think we shouldn't show..." She looked down at her lap, biting her lower lip. "I mean, If you..."
"If I- what?" Harry asked with a smile.
"Ifstillwanttobewithme," she mumbled, her cheeks flushing a tint of red.
"Huh? I didn't quite understand you."
Hermione looked up and hit him gently on the shoulder. "Honestly, Harry!"
The emerald eye wizard wrapped his arms around her and pulled her closer to him, resting his chin on her shoulder. "Yes, love, I want to be with you." he murmured as he breathed the scent of her. He kissed her cheek. "But I understand what you are saying. We better stay low profile, wait for things to calm down. I-I just think one person already knows..."
Hermione broke the embrace, looking at him quizzically. "Who, Harry?"
"Ginny."
Hermione blinked her eyes surprised as if she hadn't understood what Harry had just said.
"Ginny?"
"Yeah." He nodded. "I've already told you about our talk. She just knew."
"Do you think she will-"
"No. Ginny still needs to grow up in several aspects, but she isn't stupid or anything. Our relationship wasn't going well and she knew that."
"Perhaps I should-"
"No, Hermione. I'll talk with her- see how she is doing. I don't want to lose her friendship." He looked straight into her eyes. "However, there's something that I am dying to do."
"What is it?"
"Kiss you."
And without another word he claimed her lips. The kiss was soft and tender.
When Hermione stepped closer, wrapping her arms around his neck, Harry took that as a sign to deepen the kiss. He ran his tongue along her bottom lip and when she responded by moaning softly, he slipped his tongue in her mouth and pulled her even closer so there was barely any space between them.
Some time later, Harry withdrew his face a few inches, but still held onto her tightly. Hermione rested her head on his shoulder, just above his chest, sighing contently.
They stayed there in silence, enjoying the closeness.
***
1978
London
James, Sirius, Peter and Remus´ apartment.
Remus´ and Peter's bedroom.
Remus Lupin was sitting in his bed reading a book when he heard a knock on the door.
"Come in!" he yelled.
"Hey, Moony," a smirking face Sirius Black showed up, "I think you have a visitor."
Before Remus could say anything, Sirius moved aside revealing a smiling Mary Addams behind him.
"Hey, Remus," she said shyly.
Remus smiled back and prompted got up from the bed, rushing to her.
"Mary." He swathed his arms around her waist. Closing his eyes, he released a content breath through his lips. "Mary," he whispered once again in her ear, just before kissing her.
Sirius smiled to himself, and then left without saying a word.
"Oh, Remus," Mary spoke quietly against his mouth, "I missed you so much."
"I missed you too, Mary," Remus replied with a happy smile, indicating her to sit down on the edge of the bed.
"So here's where you live?" She asked looking around at the middle-size bedroom. There were some Quidditch posters on the beige walls along with some photographs and two shelves with some books.
There were also in the room a wardrobe, a small chest of drawers, and a desk.
The two single beds were near the window and each one had a small nightstand by its side.
"Yeah," he said, "I share this room with Peter. He had some family issue this weekend, that's why it's only me today."
Mary nodded timidly; suddenly aware she was alone in a bedroom with her boyfriend.
"So next week is the wedding, huh?"
"Yeah, James can barely contain himself," Remus replied with a grin, his fingers touching her curly brown hair, caressing the locks with a delicacy that would not betray his feelings.
"Lily is the same. She, Alice, and Jane don't talk about anything else. I'm sure they will be a very happy couple."
"Me too," Remus agreed. "Lily managed to do one thing that no one had succeeded until now."
"What?"
"Transform James Potter into a serious man."
"Yeah, I suppose. Jane told me how he was before Lily."
Remus opened his mouth to say something but decided against it. Instead, his hands let go of her hair and brought them to her face, cupping it gently. "I don't think I want to talk about James and Lily." Remus said, brushing his thumb gently against her smooth skin.
"I don't think I want to either," Mary replied quietly, her cheeks flushing.
"Good," Remus said in a quiet tone before pressing his lips against hers, parting them slightly enough for his tongue to enter her mouth.
Her soft, firm and wet lips were like an addictive drug. He mumbled, his voice quivered with passionate love, "Mary."
It was a soft and gentle kiss.
And when they finally broke apart, Remus gazed at her, a smile playing on her lips.
And then- just then he knew.
"I love you, Mary."
Mary looked back at him, her eyes shining with happy tears.
"I love you too, Remus."
****************
Thanks Oliver for the beta. ^.^