Marriage Problems

A/N: Written for the QLFC Season 3 Round 3: Not Your Average OTP Round

Team: Montrose Magpies

Position: Captain

Round prompt: Write about a member of your OTP keeping a secret from the other

Thanks to Liza for checking this over!

This is a slight AU in that Ron died during the final battle (as JKR had originally planned). So obviously no canon pairings, but instead my OTP: Harmony.

With a wide smile on her face Ginny walked back into her sitting room. "Deany Beany is finally asleep," she announced to her guest.

Hermione gave her a small smile, saying, "I still can't believe you named him after his father."

"Dean insisted on it," Ginny said, playing with her wedding a little as she sat down next to her best friend. "You know I can't resist him... not with the way he positively makes me squeal each night!"

"Ginny! Too much information, thank you very much!" Hermione protested, flushing.

"Ah, I'm just teasing you," the ginger young mother said, laughing. "So, how are you and Harry doing? A little Potter on the way yet?"

Hermione's smile disappeared. "No... and we're not doing so well, to be honest."

"Oh? What happened? You two were so in love!"

"Harry is... I think he is... He is away a lot, lately," Hermione said, softly.

"Well of course he is, he is Chief Auror, that'd keep anyone busy," Ginny said. "You knew that when you got together, so what's the problem now?"

"It's not his work, Gin. Harry sent an owl he was working late again, last week. But when I flooed over with some dinner for him, Auror Savage said Harry had left at the regular time! And when I confronted him about it later, he made some lame excuse about doing some field work before retiring for bed."

"So he made a little mistake in scheduling, that happens."

"It's not the first time, Ginny! He said the same on Wednesday, but when I flooed to the Auror office for a chat Harry wasn't there. And he's 'working late' again today! I... I think he is having an affair..." Hermione let out a sob.

"Oh, Hermione..." Ginny embraced her. "I am sure there is some other explanation. Harry wouldn't do that to you!"

"But what else could it be-e-e-ee," Hermione sobbed. "It's not just that he's working late, Gin. We've... we've hardly been affectionate, lately. The last time we had sex was on my birthday, over two months ago!"

"Hermione... have you asked him about it?" Ginny said soothingly.

"I tried, I really did! But he just says 'I'm fine' in that infuriating way of his and clams up. Ginny, what can I do?" Hermione's eyes were puffy from crying.

"I refuse to believe he's cheating on you... not Harry. That silly boy doesn't have a dishonest bone in his body," Ginny stated. "You just wait, you'll find out soon enough, okay? Just trust him."

Hermione sniffed again. "Okay, Gin... I'll wait. Merlin, I want to believe you. The idea that... the sheer concept of my husband cheating on me... is..."

"Is ludicrous. There's a perfectly logical explanation, and you just wait until you find it," Ginny ended the discussion there, not realising Hermione was anything but convinced.

–-

One of Hermione's better kept secrets was that back in her first year, long before her life had ever gotten entangled with Harry's, the Sorting Hat had wanted to place her in Slytherin.
'A devious mind you have, child. Slytherin would serve you well,' it had suggested, but reading books about 'evil Slytherins' had hardened her mind against the green and silver House even before she ever boarded the train. Surprisingly the Hat never even considered Ravenclaw for her and she had ended up in Gryffindor pretty much by default.

Still, Hermione was not one to rush forward like a fool and she knew the value of subterfuge. Asking Harry straight on about what he was doing those nights he was 'working late' wouldn't work if he didn't want to tell her, so she just had to be sneaky about it.

The logical step was enlisting the aid of one Rita Skeeter.

"Let me get this straight. You want me to follow Harry around and report on who he's seeing?" the former reporter asked.

Rita had fallen on hard times following the War and the closure of the Daily Prophet. For 'some reason' the people of Magical Britain didn't feel inclined to forgive Voldemort's Ministry Mouthpiece and with its head editor revealed to carry the Dark Mark, the newspaper shutting down was inevitable. A revived Quibbler had taken its place, the new daily paper focusing on actual facts and its former eccentric content relocated to the Saturday special edition only.
The new paper had no place for a universally hated gossip writer like Skeeter so the desperate woman now made her living as a private investigator.

"Correct. I want you to bug him, if you get my meaning, and find out where he's going," Hermione said, placing a few Galleons on the table between them. "I'll give you ten up front, with another twenty if you find out something. Talk to anyone else about it... and I get out the bug swatter instead," she added.

Rita shuddered at the brunette's look. "I'll take it," she said.

"I knew you would. Remember, I just want to know who he's seeing, when, and where," Hermione repeated.

"Yeah, yeah. Follow the Man-Who-Won, find out who he's shagging, and tell you," Rita affirmed.

Hermione just glared until Rita started to squirm. "Well? What are you still doing here? Buzz off," the former Granger stated. Rita shot to her feet, grabbed the small pile of gold, and disappeared out the door.

–-

'Where has he gone?' Rita cursed under her breath. She had been following Harry at work all day, following him from the Auror Office to the Courtroom to the Ministry Cells back to the Office, until finally the work day was over. Harry had left the Ministry using the public elevator and she had gone with him into Muggle London, only for her attention to be drawn by a bright neon light momentarily – curse her insect instincts! – and now Harry was gone.

Frustrated she flew up the nearest building façade, hoping to catch sight of the Golden Boy. She almost flew past the sixth floor, when... 'Jackpot,' she thought, and if someone had been able to get close to the ugly insect buzzing in front of the window they'd have seen it grin as it looked in on Harry lying down on a couch, with a sharp dressed woman taking his hand in hers.

A gust of wind blew Rita off course but she had found what she needed. She flew back down to ground level and noted the address, then decided to come pay Mrs. Potter a visit.

–-

"Honey, I'm home!" Harry called out, only to be met by a furious Hermione brandishing her wand.

"Who is she?" Hermione demanded.

"Woah! Hang on, love, who is who?"

"Don't you 'love' me, you bastard! Who. Is. She.?" Hermione's mouth was clenched shut in a grimace as she advanced on him, her wand tip glowing.

"Love, I swear, I have no idea what you're talking about! Please, can't we talk about this?" Harry backed off until his back was against the front door.

Hermione advanced until her wand tip was pressing against Harry's chest. "Do you take me for a fool, Potter?" she nearly spat. "I know you've been seeing that woman!"

Harry's expression fell. "Oh..."

"Oh? Oh!? Is that all you have to say, you cheating son-of-a –" Hermione's expression promised murder.

"Hermione... I love you. I'd never cheat on you. You have the wrong idea," Harry said as calmly as he could, even with his heart thumping in his chest harder than ever before.

"Har... I... I..." Hermione's wand tip dropped as her arm began to shake. She collapsed on her feet, crying., Harry rushed in to her her, but she pushed him away. "Talk to me, Harry! At least have the gall to –"

"She's my therapist," Harry said softly.

"Harry?" Hermione looked up through tear-filled eyes and saw Harry standing there, looking ashamed. "Your therapist? I... I don't understand?"

"I... I was too ashamed to tell you," he said. "I... the War... the nightmares, they came back, love. All I am seeing is... is Ron dead... and Remus, and Tonks, and Fred, and Colin, and –"

A brown blur bowled Harry over as Hermione hugged him close. "Oh, Harry... why didn't you just talk to me?"

"Love... I wanted to, but... it was so hard. I... I couldn't talk to you, or anyone," Harry said in a soft voice. They were both kneeling on the floor now, holding each other. She gently started caressing his wild hair as he continued speaking.
"I saw this thing in the Muggle news about soldiers and PTSD the other day... love, some of them went mad and killed their family and friends. I... I was afraid that'd be me, next."

"Oh, Harry..."

"I couldn't let that happen, you understand? So... so I enquired after therapy. Karen, she, she understands. She... I can talk with her. She helps me deal with it."

"Oh, Harry... oh, my love," Hermione said softly, embracing him again.

"I would've told you, promise. But I was too ashamed," Harry concluded.

"Harry?"

"Y–yes?"

"You never need to be ashamed of me. I... I should be ashamed, for thinking the worst of you."

"No! It's all my fault, you're the best wife I could ever have hoped for. Merlin, I love you more than when we married, if that's even possible!"

"Silly man," Hermione said, then leant in to kiss his forehead. "Do you forgive me?"

"Always," Harry affirmed. "Karen said I should tell you... I... do you forgive me, for keeping it a secret for so long?"

Hermione smiled and kissed him on the mouth instead of answering. When they broke their kiss, she had shifted so she was lying almost on top of him.

"Does that answer your question, Mr. Potter?" she asked, moving so she applied pressure on him with her hips in that spot he liked so much.

"Minx," Harry half growled. "I love you, Mrs. Potter."

They didn't make it to their bedroom until much later, leaving a trail of discarded clothing behind.

–-

"So, how are you and Harry doing?" Ginny asked. Her tiny one was at that stage where he could almost crawl so she kept a half eye on her son as she and Hermione drank a cup of tea that warm afternoon.

"We're doing great," Hermione said. "He cut back some on his hours at the Aurors. Kingsley complained of course, but he understood why. It's been... good having him home more often."

"I can tell, you're positively glowing again," Ginny said. "No more... worries about him working late then?"

"Oh no, that was nothing... just me being paranoid," Hermione admitted.

"Great to hear it," Ginny patted Hermione's hand. "The world needs two happy Potters in it." Hermione looked away a bit at that, a strange smile appearing on her face.

"I saw that look, Herms! Spill, you have something to say!"

"Merlin, Gin-gin, there's no keeping secrets from you, is there?" Hermione said, laughing a little. "It finally happened, Gin."

"You mean...?"

"We're pregnant," Hermione confirmed.

Ginny's squeal of joy could be heard throughout the entire neighbourhood.