Disclaimer: The Characters are not mine, but I am sure J. K. Rowling won't mind if I borrow them just a little bit...

When the love dies…

Hermione Weasley couldn't sleep. This was the fifth night in a row she was tossing and turning. And this was not just because of Ron's constant snoring, she actually didn't mind that all too much. She in the dim light looked over at her sleeping husband, he was face up, his cover half off showing his upper body. Sleeping peacefully as always.

Normally this would have calmed her and she would have curled up next to him, letting her head rest against his chest to listen to his heartbeats. Only the last days she hadn't seem to find peace with him.

She let out a sigh and rolled over on her side, only to sit up and get out of the bed. Slowly she walked over to the window, looking out, wishing she was anywhere but there.

As she stood there looking out of the window like a caged animal, her only thought was, "I have to get out."

She in a hurry got dressed. Very quietly to not wake her sleeping husband, then she cast one last look at him as she whispered, "I'm sorry Ronald, but I can't stay here any longer, now that the children is gone, and I don't love you anymore, there is nothing tying me here."

She closed the door to the master bedroom quietly, not to wake him, the wandered down the hall. She stopped at the next room, the door read, "Rose." She opened it and looked inside, it was empty, their daughter had moved out some years back, she was now pregnant with her first child.

She looked at the pictures at the shelf over her desk, there were two. Rose and her friends and then Rose and her boyfriend, now husband. They were smiling to the photograph, seeming so happy, it seemed like just yesterday she had left them.

Hermione could still remember her first words, "Mama." They had been spoken one hot summer's day. The then young woman had been so happy that she had cried. Lifting her up and twirling her around, telling her how proud she was. Ron had stood behind them, smiling ever so proudly.

Hermione let a hand stroke over an old bear that was sitting in her bed, the second she and Ron had given her, it was left behind for those times Rose needed shelter there for one reason or another. Her first bear she had taken with her when she moved out.

The middle-aged woman sighed heavily closing the door to her daughter's room for the very last time. She knew she would never return. Her hand stroked gently over the doorsign, it was made when Rose was ten.

She then opened the door to Hugo's old room, he had moved out earlier that day, her once little boy had grown up and was now twenty. Hermione still found it hard to believe he had just turned twenty, in her eyes he was still the little boy that stole her wand and ran off with it.

She looked over at the empty bed, remembering how she used to read him bedtime stories when he was younger, now they were all left behind in the bookshelf near his bed. Hermione sighed as she for some reason grabbed one of the old books, before closing the door.

She cast one last glance towards the master bedroom, hearing Ronald snors from behind before she hurried down the stairs. She knew she should probably have left him a note or something, but she just couldn't bring herself to do so.

As she locked the front door, she looked up at the house whispering, "Goodbye Ronald Weasley," and with that she was gone.

A couple of moments later she knocked on the door to the Scamander residence only to have a tired Rolf open and asked, "What do you want?"

"I'm really sorry to have woken you Rolf, but is Luna in?" asked Hermione, looking rather embarrassed over having woken him up.

"I'll get her, if you just…" he gestured towards the dark living room, before going back upstairs.

Hermione sat down on the light green couch, only to hear Rolf exchange a few words with Luna upstairs and a door being closed. Then she heard Luna's light footsteps coming down the stairs and entering the living room.

"Hermione," said Luna with a yawn, before sitting down next to her.

"I…left him," said Hermione, looking into her silvery grey eyes.

"I could only assume as much as you are here this late, so what can I do for you?" asked Luna, looking at her with concerned eyes.

"Can I please stay here until tomorrow morning, I promise to leave early, I just need a place to sleep," said Hermione, looking at her with pleading eyes. Normally she would have gone to Harry and Ginny, but as Ginny was Ronald's sister she didn't find it appropriate.

"Certainly, you are more than welcome to stay for as long as you want, I can make up one of the boys old room if you wish," Luna offered.

"No, no, don't make any trouble on my account, I'll just take the couch or a chair," said Hermione, nodding towards one of the light green chairs nearby.

"Are you sure, there will be no trouble at all," said Luna.

"I'll be fine and thank you for letting me stay here," said Hermione, giving her a smile.

"You are as I said more than welcome, well if you have to leave before we get up there is food in the fridge, just help yourself. If not see you in the morning, and please watch up for wrackspruts," said Luna before leaving the room to go back upstairs to join her husband.

Hermione just shook her head before she somehow managed to settle on the couch, only to fall asleep after twisting and turning for a few hours.

The middle-aged woman woke up around 5 Am by the sunlight shining through the windows. She yawned and stretched, before rubbing a very sore spot on her side. Groaning that she hadn't been sleeping as comfortable as she first assumed.

She sighed, slowly getting up, and walking over to the window, only to look out. It was going to be a great day, at least weather wise. For her on the other hand…

Slowly she walked towards the kitchen and opened the fridge, looking inside, finding just enough to make toast with ham and cheese and a glass of milk. She made a few more that she wrapped in some plastic bags and snatched and apple she put in her purse.

As she ate the toast she found a pen and a paper to write a note to Luna and Rolf saying, "Dear Luna and Rolf. Thank you so much for taking me in as such a late hour. I just didn't know where else to go. I simply couldn't stay with him anymore, as…I don't love him, at least not in the same way. I haven't done so for the longest time. I just stayed there for the children, but now that Hugo has moved out I could no longer live with this lie. I hope that he will someday understand this and not be to upset with me. I hope that you two can understand this. I don't know where to go next or how long I will be gone, but I promise to keep in touch. I love you both so much. Hermione."

She found a refrigerator magnet and hung it on the fridge for them to find, before she grabbed her purse and left them, her tears flowing from her eyes as she really hated to do this. But right now she saw no other choice as she needed to think. She needed to figure out what to do, even if that had to be done alone. Or maybe with someone else, she didn't quite know that yet.

"Hermione, is that you?" Ginny Weasley asked, making the other woman turn to face her. It was in deed Hermione.

"Ginny," she said, looking at her former-sister-in-law, she and Ron had signed the divorce papers a couple of months after she left him. That was five months since now. She hadn't had much contact with either of her family expect her children after that.

"Hermione, how have you been?" asked Ginny, looking at her with wondering eyes.

"It was hard at first, getting by, but I'm going much better now, what about yourself?" Hermione asked, as they continued to walk down the street.

"I've been busy, Lily Luna is still a handful, spite the fact that she's moved out now, that girl never seems to calm down," said Ginny with a heavy sigh.

Hermione giggled and said, "Well I have no trouble believing that. I was wondering have you talked to Ron lately as well I haven't talked to him after…I just want to know how he is."

"Well to be honest he took it all very hard, in fact he was crushed. I would believe that is why you kept distance for so long. He's much better now though, you should stop by sometime, I think he would have liked that," said Ginny honestly.

"Maybe I will, I do still love him, just not…I am really sorry about how I left things," she changed the subject.

"I know, but it's not me you have to apologize to," said Ginny.

Hermione nodded before she said, "I better get back home, I'm supposed to make dinner."

"If you don't mind me asking, where is home?" said Ginny with a little frown, wondering where Hermione had stayed the months after she parted with big brother.

Hermione nervously bit her lower lip and started to look a little uncomfortable. She wasn't sure if it would be a good thing to speak the truth just yet, yet she had no desire to lie. So she sighed and said, "Well the fact is that about four months back I meet someone."

"You did, anyone I know?" said Ginny a bit surprised.

"You do yes," Hermione admitted, looking down into the ground.

Ginny looked at the older woman. Never before had she seen her this uncomfortable. It was almost as if she didn't want to share her new love interest. Ginny was trying to figure out anyone she knew that she might have a problem with. Then a thought crossed her mind and she said, "Please do tell me you are not seeing Harry behind my back."

"Ginny, I'm sorry to say this, but I'm seriously doubting your sane judgment; I would never do that. You're my best friend. Harry would never do that. I can't believe you'd even consider that thought," said Hermione rather shocked, looking at her with hurt eyes.

"I'm sorry Hermione, I shouldn't have said that. It's just that it seems you do not want to share your newfound love, made me draw the wrong conclusion," said Ginny, looking down a bit embarrassed.

"No you shouldn't have, as I said neither of us would ever do that, and Harry loves you more than anything. You should never question that. The reason why I didn't want to tell you who it is is that I am afraid of your judgment," said Hermione with a heavy sigh.

"I know that he does and that I shouldn't. Would it help if I promised not to judge you," said Ginny, putting her hand on the other woman's arm.

"It would yes, please promise not to tell anyone, we will in time, but this is very new," said Hermione.

"I promise," said Ginny, looking deeply into her hazel eyes.

"It's Minerva," said Hermione.

"You…you mean as in McGonagall?" asked Ginny shocked.

"Yes, we met down at three broomstick four months ago and started to talk. Before we knew it it was morning and since I didn't have a place to stay she offered me to sleep on the couch for as long as needed. We then started getting used to each other and one thing lead to another and…" Hermione stopped.

Ginny nodded saying, "There is no need to explain this to me. I just hope that you are happier now than you were with Ron. I could see that you weren't towards the end. And will you remind her that she is supposed to come to dinner on Sunday, you are of course welcome to come as well."

"Thank you for saying that Ginny and I'll keep that in mind, but now I really have to go," said Hermione and gave her a brief hug, before she headed in the opposite direction.

As soon as she had gotten inside the door she yelled out, "Sweetheart, I'm back."

"Did you get all that we needed," she heard Minerva yell back, her voice wasn't as steady as it once was.

"I did and I ran into Ginny, she said you are to come there for dinner Sunday, I'm invited as well," said Hermione as she walked into the living room where she found Minerva. She bent down to give her a soft kiss.

"Yes, yes, I do remember, so are you coming?" the old woman asked, stroking some of her grey hair behind her air.

"Do you think I should?" Hermione asked, afraid of what they others would say when they found out the truth. She slowly loosened her black and ginger hair from the bun, before putting it back up. She had it put in black striped about a month back as she needed some change.

"I honestly think you should as it has been too long since you saw them last," said Minerva and smiled vaguely at her.

"Then I will, do you want dinner now or later?" Hermione asked, still holding the bag with the groceries she had just shopped.

"I think later as we both need some rest," said Minerva with a low giggle.

"Then I'll put this away and meet you in the bedroom in a few," said Hermione and headed for the kitchen. Minerva looked after her, smiling, before she slowly got up and headed for the bedroom to await there for her other half, she did after all prefer to sleep with her and not alone. Things had become less lonely after the younger woman had come into her life, and she did hope that it would remain that way, because if there was one thing she was positively sure about it was that she loved Hermione. She also knew that Hermione loved her deeply. Her only sadness was that it had taken her so long to find true love, but then again it was worth it as she knew they most likely would spend the rest of their days together.

As she could see the younger woman enter the room seconds later she couldn't help but smile, Hermione of course smiled back before she slowly joined her in bed, and snuggled up close to rest. There would be time enough for other activities later…

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