Come What May (Harmione)

Big Day

It was going to be a big day. Hermione knew it. Her and Ron's divorce had become official the day before, and they were getting everyone together to make the announcement tonight.

Hermione's work was almost finished. As she prepared to leave for the day, she practiced the speech in her head. She prepared an answer to every question she could imagine them asking.

"When did it happen?"

"A couple years ago, after we saw a counselor and it still wasn't improving."

"Why did you wait until now to tell us?"

"We knew there was no saving it, and we didn't want you to try."

"How will you split everything?"

"It's already taken care of."

Yes, Hermione knew, as she Apparated from the Ministry to Grimmauld Place, that it was going to be a big day. But she would never have guessed it's ending.

                               ~ooo~

Harry waited in his living room for Ron and Hermione, along with his children and theirs, wondering exactly what he was waiting for. All the others wondered the same thing aloud, but very few suggestions were offered. Nobody could seem to think of anything that would be important enough to gather them all here.

Ron and Hermione arrived together, but Harry could clearly see a difference in their behavior. Everyone had instinctively arranged themselves so that the couple could sit together. Ron and Hermione took the seats that had been left for them, but still sat at an awkward distance. They didn't touch or even look at each other. Then again, they didn't really look at anybody. Both were looking at the ground, not knowing how to start.

Hermione sighed before she began to talk, knowing that she would be doing all the talking. "I know you're all wondering why we're all here. Well," she paused, "Ron and I have something to tell you."

Everybody raised their eyebrows expectantly.

Hermione sighed again. There was no easy way to do this, so she might as well just rip the bandaid off. "We're here to tell you that... We got divorced."

For a moment, they were all stunned into silence. Rose was the first one to say anything. "It's not official yet, is it?"

"Yes, it is," Hermione told her.

"But that takes a long time," Hugo piped up. "How did you keep it a secret for so long?"

"The same way we kept it a secret the whole time you were growing up." Ron spoke, to Hermione's surprise.

"You were broken up when we were kids?" Rose cried.

"Not the entire time," Hermione said, trying to comfort her daughter. "But for some of it, yes."

"I don't believe this!" Rose shouted, rising from her seat and running from the room.

Hermione shook her head. Comfort never was her strong suit.

"I'll go make sure she's okay," Lily said, jogging up the stairs after Rose.

                             ~ooo~

"Rose?" Lily called, not sure where the girl had gone. "Rose?"

"In here," came Rose's voice from down the hall.

Lily found her in the bathroom that was connected to Harry's bedroom. She was clutching the edge of the sink, breathing heavily and looking sweaty and pale. She offered a weak smile when Lily entered. "Sorry. This was the first bathroom I came across."