Right Here Waiting (A Harmione Fanfiction) [ON HOLD]

Chapter One

Hermione

Hermione sat in silence as she read through the reports of the Queen Doxy infestation at the Caddell Manor. The house had evidently been invaded by Doxies- otherwise known as Biting Fairies. She looked at her silver watch tiredly to check the time, and realised that she had been unintentionally working after hours once again.

Hermione sighed and rubbed her temples. She found that she had been working after hours more often than she had before, because she had dreaded what awaited her at home. As Hermione finished writing down the last few sentences of her report on how to restore the Manor from the Doxy infestation, her mind wondered what state she would discover Ron in when she got back to their flat.

Perhaps she would find him unconscious on their couch, with a bottle of firewhiskey slipping from his hand. Or maybe in the bathroom, where he was vomiting out the vile substance that was in his system. Either way, Hermione knew that she wanted to do anything but go home.

Still, she knew that at one point she had to. So, Hermione sent her report to the head office, packed her things, and left the Ministry.

Once she was outside, Hermione felt the cool, midnight rain trickle down her face, waking her up after the long hours sitting in her tiny ministry office. She looked at the busy streets of central London, cars and double decker buses zipping past her despite the time. Hermione shivered in her coat as the chilly winter air grazed her skin. Not wanting to stay in the cold any longer, but still worrying about what she might find at home, Hermione took out her wand and apparated into her flat.

Hermione suddenly found herself in her living room. The curtains were drawn, the telly was on in full volume, and Ron was drunkenly circling the house with an empty bottle of beer doing what looked like searching for more alcohol.

"Ron," Hermione said weakly, anxiety coursing through her. Ron's head snapped up and his eyes met hers- sunken and glossed over.

"'Mione!" He said drunkenly, "You're home!"

Hermione scanned the room, counting the amount of bottles that were strewn across their flat. She had counted six in total. Three bottles of beer, two bottles of whiskey, and a single bottle of brandy. Unsurprised that Ron was able to consume all of this alcohol while she was gone, Hermione approached the young man cautiously to inspect him.

"How did you get those?" Hermione asked as she examined him. Ron's skin was pasty, his eyes droopy and tired. He was dressed in his old checkered pajama bottoms and a black graphic t-shirt. He reeked of liquor and the stench had assaulted Hermione's nose, causing her to almost back away.

She remembered him visiting her at her office only hours before he went off home, giving her a single camellia flower and kissing her sweetly on the cheek. Now he was a wreck, his ginger hair wild and messy with a half drunk bottle held tightly in his hand.

"Oh, I bought 'em from the liquor store on the way 'ome," He drawled. He began to stroke Hermione's hair roughly, and it took all her efforts to not pull away.

"I thought you promised you wouldn't drink anymore," Hermione spoke softly as she gently pulled his hand away from her hair.

"I did?" Ron questioned, cocking his head up and furrowing his eyebrows. Then he smiled and guffawed, "Oh, yeah, I did, didn't I?"

The way Ron didn't take this seriously rubbed Hermione the wrong way. He had begun drinking two years ago just after the Second Wizarding War. It had taken a toll on him, losing his older brother and his friends. He had become addicted to alcohol while she was away finishing her education at Hogwarts. When Hermione came back, she had done everything to get him to stop- all the while keeping this secret from all of the people whom she and Ron knew.