Foolish Hearts

Seven

Ron's Pov...

"Hermione and I got married right after the Battle of Hogwarts. I always liked her through school, and she always liked me, but I never thought that I would have a chance with her. She always liked older wizards. First, Lockhart in our second year, and then Viktor Krum in our fourth year. I should have seen the signs. But it was Professor Snape she always had a thing for, gods only know why.

"I saw the way her eyes would follow him every class, how she listened to his every word. It made me sick. It still does, actually. In our fourth year, I made an ass of myself by getting all jealous when Krum took her to the Yule Ball instead of me. Harry Potter and I had to take the Patil sisters. I even had a hand in breaking them up."

"In what way?" Malfoy asked.

Ron fidgeted as he wanted to lie, but then the fit passed. "I intercepted Hermione's letters to him, and destroyed them. I couldn't think of what else to do, really. I wanted her, and she was supposed to be mine, end of story. Well, they broke up, and I consoled her as best I could. But Harry Potter did a better job of it. Then what made me leave the friendship for a while, was when we were hunting horcruxes, and they couldn't take their eyes off of each other. I didn't need the damn locket horcrux to tell me that she preferred Harry to me.

"I began to resent her in my heart, especially the night all three of us arrived at Hogwarts on the night of the battle. I watched her go back to Snape, though Harry was too busy fighting off deatheaters to notice my absence. I watched her kiss him, and hold him in her arms, crying. When she came back to us, I pretended to care about her grief, but Harry seemed to just get her, you know what I mean?"

"Yes, I do know. Go on," Draco said, gesturing for him to continue.

"Yeah, well, the battle happened as you know," Ron continued, trying not to puke as the truth drug coursed through his veins. "And then there was a moment between me and Mione' in the chamber of secrets. We had our first kiss, and I decided then and there to marry her. She was the best thing that ever happened to me. Fred died, Professor Lupin, and Tonks died, lots of people died, including the girl who really loved me, Lavender Brown.

"Well, after the battle, I proposed to Hermione, not really expecting her to say yes. But she did, but kind of like in a voice like, 'what the hell, I might as well.' I really resented her for that, and we soon had a backyard wedding like we did for my brother Bill and Fleur's wedding the year before. I remember feeling so damned lucky to have her, but she didn't seem to care, like nothing I did for her was worth a damn.

"I tried little odd jobs after we got married, but nothing was good enough for her and her stupid muggle family. My mum agreed, and said that Hermione was too snooty and uppity to be a true Weasley. I...I'm ashamed to admit that I began slapping Hermione for attention, but those other times, I swear wasn't me. I blacked out, and didn't remember...the other stuff. But I guess if I did that stuff, I did."

Draco Malfoy looked at him with utter disdain as he smiled sardonically, "I think the case rests on this one. Now, Weasley, I want you to say the words to the nice recorders what I want you to say. Do it, and I promise, you won't be as badly treated."

"I...I'm sorry?"
An orderly smacked him with his nightstick. Ron whimpered in pain, and said, "I..Ron Weasley, dissolve my marriage to Hermione Granger."

The white bands of light were cast around Draco and Ron's arms. "And do you swear to never contact Hermione Granger again, on pain of death?"

Ron cried and shook his head, "I...I swear to never contact Hermione Granger again on pain of death."

Malfoy tucked his wand back in his hiding place on his person, and said, "That's a good boy. Now, we can begin with the real fun..."