Title: Everything Falls Into Place

Rated: M

Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter, JKR does.

Setting: This story takes place about 8 years after the end of Deathly Hallows and about 10 years before the epilogue. The main characters (such as the trio) are about 26 years old, if that helps at all. I completely altered the ending Deathly Hallows so it is completely out of character, just to let everyone know.

Chapter One

"You complete and utter arse, Ronald Weasley!" Hermione shrieked. She felt ready to pull her hair out of her scalp.

"Hermione, please, listen to me!" Ron begged.

Hermione screamed out of frustration and picked up the glass vase on the table that held the flowers Ron had gotten her for their anniversary. She threw it, hard, in Ron's direction. He ducked only just in time; the vase smashed into a million pieces on the wall behind him.

"Hermione!" He said weakly, starring at the spot on the wall where the vase had hit.

"What Ron? What? Are you going to tell me that I'm overreacting? Is that it?" Hermione shrieked. She grabbed a small porcelain figurine and threw that at Ron next. Ron whipped out his wand and flicked it so that the figurine bounced backwards and landed on the floor with a dull thud.

"Please, Hermione," said Ron from behind his magical shield. "Tell me what to do and I'll do it. I want things to be right between us again."

Hermione screamed again and drew her own wand, pointing it threateningly at Ron. "That's just it Ron!" Hermione screeched, tears starting to fall from her eyes. "You never know what to do for yourself! I'm not going to be the one to fix this relationship every time you screw it up!"

"Hermione," said Ron slowly, keeping a nervous eye on her wand. "You know I would never intentionally hurt you—"

"Ha! That's rich!" Hermione interrupted him. "You'd never wanted to intentionally hurt me, Ron? Then tell me, was it completely unintentional of you when you slept with your bloody assistant!"

Ron's face fell, his freckles becoming more pronounced against his pale skin. "Hermione—" He said slowly.

Hermione snorted. "So, you thought I only knew about your so-called little innocent kiss with your assistant a couple of weeks ago, did you? Yes, you know that Harry told me that you went behind my back, snogging that bloody assistant of yours, Hannah. But you didn't know, did you, that I walked in on you two in Harry's office!"

Ron took a step back as though she had slapped him. He dropped his wand and the shield charm dissolved. Hermione still held her wand aloft, ready to strike him at any moment. Her tears were pouring steadily down her face.

"Hermione, I am so, so sorry," Ron said. "Please, you have to forgive me! Give me a chance, please, I'll work on it. On us. Please, Hermione!"

"You've had your chance, Ron," Hermione said. "You've had one too many chances. I think you should leave."

"No!" Ron yelled. "Please, Hermione, just hear me out!" He took a step forward, as though reaching out to embrace Hermione in his arms, but she was too quick for him. Her jinx hit him before he knew what was happening. Immediately Ron was thrown backwards, his tongue glued to the roof of his mouth.

Hermione drew in a shaky breath. "I'm serious, Ron. Pack your bags and leave tonight. I can't stand to look at you anymore." Hermione turned her back on the man she thought she knew and marched down the hall to their bedroom. Hermione shook her head. It wasn't their bedroom anymore. It was just her bedroom. The thought drove Hermione over the edge. She collapsed in a heap on top of the bed and buried her face in her arms, crying mercilessly into the night.

She couldn't believe Ron could do that to her. She thought he loved her. She also thought that she loved him. But how could she be so sure? She was always so sensible and able to see right through things; how could she not see that Ron Weasley was really a dirty, rotten cheater?

And everything had been going so well lately. Only twenty-six years old and already Hermione had been named Head of the Magical Law Enforcement department at the Ministry. Ron had finally proposed marriage to Hermione and finally Hermione was feeling as though she was truly in love.

It was just last night, at the holiday office party at the Ministry did Hermione walk into the Auror office to find Ron in a very intimate position with his newly-appointed assistant. Ron had finally moved up a step in the Auror department, thanks largely to Harry who had been made Head of the department a couple of years ago or so. And so, as a part of his promotion, he was able to hire an assistant. Who he took an instant liking to and found it his new mission in life to seduce her first chance he got.

Hermione knew he was fooling around behind her back but she didn't think it went past kissing. Harry had told her in confidence that he had walked in on Ron and Hannah, the new assistant, kissing in his office one afternoon after lunch. Hermione had no idea, however, that their relationship was much more then simply snogging.

Hermione was so outraged when she saw the two on his desk that she hit Hannah with a Bat-Bogey Hex and ran away before either of the two could figure out who cast the spell. She was so upset that she ran straight back to the house that she shared with Ron and just sat in the dark, wondering what she did wrong that made him stray.

Ron had apparently wondered where Hermione had went to at the party since he came home not to long after Hermione had, wondering what was going on. And that's when Hermione snapped and started screaming at him. And now, Hermione thought bitterly, we're done.

The thought finally seemed to have sunken in. Ron Weasley was no longer her boyfriend. She never wanted to see him again. All he did was cause her pain. Hermione lay sprawled out on her bed for what seemed like days. It wasn't until she heard the gentle knocking on her bedroom door that she realized it was morning and she had evidently fallen asleep.

Hermione groggily got up to the door. "Who is it?" She said wearily.

"Hermione, it's me," came the voice of Hermione's long time best friend, Ginny Weasley. Or should she say Potter now? Hermione bit her lip, realizing how close she finally was to having a different last name, a joint last name with the man she thought she loved. "Please let me in. We need to talk."

Hermione reluctantly opened the door and Ginny bustled inside, throwing her jacket on a nearby chair and taking a seat on Hermione's bed. "Hermione, Ron came to our house last night. He seems pretty upset, something about you being incredibly angry and never wanting to see him again."

Hermione sank down onto the bed next to Ginny. "It's true. Ginny…he cheated on me!"

Hermione heard Ginny's sharp intake of breath as she buried her face in her hands. She didn't want Ginny to see her like this. Hermione was always supposed to be strong, never weak and vulnerable. Ginny wrapped her arm around her friend's shoulder.

"Hermione, I'm sure if you just talked things over with Ron—"

"No, Ginny, you don't understand! He slept with another woman, I saw it! I walked in on them at the holiday party last night!"

"That stupid prat," Ginny said after several moments of uneasy silence. Hermione gave an unwilling giggle. "So, are you saying that's its over between you?"

Hermione took her time before nodding her head slowly. "Yes. I can't believe it but I need to start moving on with my life. He never treated me like he should have. I just wish I had realized all this sooner. I wasted so much time with him when nothing was ever going to come of it."

"Hermione, I completely understand," Ginny said quietly. "I wouldn't stay with somebody who treated me like that either. I just can't believe it. I was really liking the idea of having you as a sister-in-law, Hermione!"

Hermione grinned reluctantly. "I'll still be your best friend though. It's just never going to work out between Ron and me. I need to focus on other things now. Just, get my mind off of him."

"There's the spirit!" said Ginny happily. "You're looking much better. Come on, I still have some Christmas shopping I need to get done." Ginny stood and took Hermione by the hand, dragging her up to her feet.

Hermione laughed. "Christmas is a little less than a week away, Ginny! You are such a procrastinator."

Ginny shrugged. "Oh well, I get it all done in the end. Come on, please come shopping with me?"

"Oh all right," said Hermione, grabbing her coat and scarf. "By the way Ginny, where are the kids?"

Ginny smiled at the mention of her children. She had the two most beautiful kids in the world, James who was already one and into so much trouble and Albus who was born only a couple of months ago. "Don't worry about them, Harry's got them today. It's Sunday, he doesn't have to go into work. Besides, Ron's always there to give him a hand. He's going to be staying in our guest room for awhile."

Hermione made a mental note to avoid the Potter household for awhile; at least until Ron moved out. She felt a fresh surge of guilt; she had made Ron homeless. After all, she was going to continue living in the house she and Ron shared. So what was Ron to do? He'd just have to find a place on his own.

Hermione pushed all those thoughts aside. She should not be feeling anything for Ron. He broke her heart after all and betrayed her. Hermione stood in the doorway of her bedroom, clutching her jacket in her hands. She hated ending this relationship but somehow she knew that it was the right thing to do.

Ginny turned around, realizing that her friend wasn't following. "Hermione? What's wrong? Are you coming or not?"

Hermione shook her head, as though shaking all the thoughts out of it. "I'm fine. Come on; let's get a move on then!"