About Harry

Chapter 1 - Nineteen years later

'It was a mistake; it has always been a mistake...' Hermione sighed. It was with resignation, a weariness of spirit that she was talking. Harry had seen her so many times in this condition in the last few months, he couldn't count them.

They were having tea in the kitchen, cleaned and tidied up after dinner. It was quite late; Lily had been in bed for a few hours already.

Hermione visited them when Ron was working late and Hugo was at the Burrow, and Harry believed it was good for her not to stay alone at home to brood over unhappy thoughts. At least, with them, she could brood in company.

'It's just...' she said hesitantly 'it's just like I've always known it couldn't work. He is a lovely person really, but we are so different.' She paused for a few seconds in reflection and then sighed 'We are not made for each other. We always argue, for everything.'

Her marriage wasn't going at all well. They had always been quarrelling since he knew them but now it wasn't the light bickering of youth anymore. It had turned into a bitter and frustrated exchange of opinions that, very often, transformed into long and nasty fights.

He felt sorry for her, aware that there was nothing he or Ginny could do if not listening and being sympathetic.

Ron was his best mate; however, he was sadly aware of his flaws. As Hermione said, Ron was a lovely person, but his insecurity and his absolute lack of domestic effort made life in their house strained and punctuated by continues rows.

Hermione had a good working position in the Ministry of Magic as head of the Law Enforcement department and she absolutely loved it. Of course, it kept her very busy and when she returned home in the evening, she was just too tired to be the perfect housewife Ron was expecting her to be.

Ron moved from his mum's house to a place with Hermione and was expecting it to be like the Burrow without considering that Molly was a housewife and Hermione worked long hours at the Ministry.

Making the situation worst, he couldn't cope with the fact that she had a better working position; while she made a career, he was stuck in the Weasley joke shop in a admin position which he considered boring and monotonous.

Considering that even Harry had managed, without too much effort through a quick, painless and expected by everybody ascending, to get the position of Head of the Auror's office, Ron couldn't refrain to constantly compare his working situation with everybody else and felt a complex of inferiority he could not overcome.

'I envy your relationship' she would say looking longingly at them 'You always cuddle each other and kiss often. You do it not even realising it.' Her eyes were almost tearing up.

Harry trying to lighten the atmosphere recounted 'Well, actually, just last night, I tried to hug her innocently while we were in bed and she kicked me real hard...' Ginny interjected enraged 'Innocently?! I had just fallen asleep after a very intense day and I had my alarm set at five o'clock the next morning! Excuse me if I wasn't exactly in the mood!'

Hermione started to laugh diverted but then she turned sombre again 'Ron never hugs me in bed...' she whispered.

'What?!' Harry exclaimed perplexed 'Do you mean to say that he doesn't come close to you?!'

Hermione shook her head dejected.

'So, everybody stays on his own side of the bed and that's all?!' he asked again even more puzzled.

Hermione nodded even more dejected.

'Do you mean to say...' at that moment Ginny stamped his foot under the table with force. He stopped in his track getting the painful hint 'Ergh.... I'm sure it's ok... It's not a big deal.... It's very uncomfortable anyway to sleep hugging somebody... Arms start to go numb after a while and in summer it's unbearably hot...' he concluded.