The Web Of Love

Charlie had to stay in hospital for two days which luckily he managed like a champ as he had lots of visitors to keep him occupied. Although he was back at home now, he was still ordered to rest by the doctors, so he had to lie in bed almost all the time, which he didn't enjoy very much.

"When will daddy come?" he asked, interrupting Hermione, who was reading him his favorite book.

The brunette stopped reading and gave him a look. Charlie held tightly to the plush locomotive that Theo and Daphne had brought him to the hospital, his brown eyes fixed on her. "I don't know, but I'll text him, how about that?" she suggested since she and Blaise had not agreed on anything. Yesterday he walked them home, stayed with Charlie for a while, and then left with just a hello in her direction.

"Okay," he agreed.

“I'll go text him and make you some tea and snacks, okay? If you feel up to it, you can go play outside the bed for a while,” she allowed him, kissing his forehead before heading into the kitchen.

She decided to send him a message on his cell phone as it was the easiest and fastest for her and prayed to Merlin he would keep this muggle device with him. Looking up from the phone, she met her mother's gaze and gratefully accepted the mug of coffee she handed her.

“How about pancakes?” she wanted to know her opinion on the afternoon snack, completely ignoring her concerned look.

"I'm sure Charlie will be delighted," she nodded, motioning for her to sit down. "Just rest for a moment while I prepare them."

"Nonsense," Hermione protested immediately.

“Don't argue with me, honey. Sit down and start telling what exactly happened at the hospital," Jean basically ordered her.

The younger brunette reluctantly sat down but remained silent. She knew very well that she would have to come out with it sooner or later, but of course, she preferred it later. Even though her mother knew about her escapade, she was still incredibly ashamed.

"What do you think happened? I told Blaise about me and Draco," she sighed after a moment and put her head in her hands.

"Did your conscience get the best of you?" asked Jean, who had of course guessed this, but was surprised that Hermione had told him herself. She hadn't shared her opinion with her, but she thought he should know, even if it was nothing pleasant.

"Something like that," she said softly, taking a deep breath. "He wanted me to marry him."

Jean dropped the measuring cup of flour into the bowl and glanced hastily at her daughter. "Has he finally come to his senses?" she blurted out with a smile on her face.

Hermione shrugged, trying in vain to hold back the tears. “If so, he lost it very quickly when I told him. But I couldn't lie to him. What if I told him yes and he found out later anyway? That would be the end. This way I can afford at least some hope, even if it doesn't look too bright at the moment," she sobbed before wiping her tears away.

"Oh honey," Jean whispered, moving to hug her, but Hermione quickly jumped to her feet.

"I'm fine. Seriously," she assured her with a small smile.

Jean watched her for a moment before returning to making the pancake batter. Not that Hermione didn't want a hug, quite the opposite. But she knew that if she allowed herself to be comforted by her mother, she would burst into tears. And she couldn't. She had to be strong. She brought it on herself, she can handle it herself.

“You'll have to give him time now. It's not exactly something he can dismiss without blinking an eye," Jean said after a moment of silence.

"I know," she nodded. "And if he decides that our marriages should remain consummated, at least this time I'll know why. Sometimes I think what a shame I don't have a time turner anymore."

Her mother was about to argue that even if she had it, she definitely shouldn't be using it for this, but before she could, a knock on the door came through the apartment.

Hermione was glad for this distraction, even though she knew full well who would be waiting for her outside the door. She therefore took several deep breaths before opening the door and greeting her ex-husband.

Blaise just nodded in greeting and went inside.

“Don't you have to be at work?” she asked quietly as she closed the door behind him.

“I'm taking time off now to be with Charlie. I was just there today to move things to the new office," he replied completely emotionless.

It made the brunette's heartache. She didn't want it to end up like this.

"Do you think we can talk later?"

"Not yet," he rasped, swallowing hard.

Hermione just nodded. She wanted to fix it all, but she didn't know how. All she had to do was wait until Blaise was ready.

“Charlie is in his room. If you think he's tired, put him to bed, okay? I'm going to help mom in the kitchen. We're making pancakes, do you want to have some too?” she asked, trying to sound composed.

"I'm not hungry," he said simply.

But whether he wanted to or not, she had known him for some time. "And what did you eat today?" she wanted to know, even though she suspected that she already knew the answer.

Blaise didn't say anything because he didn't want to give her the pleasure.

"So you will have some," Hermione concluded, walking back into the kitchen. He could be as mad at her as he wanted, but that didn't mean she was going to let him neglect the basics. She wouldn't want them to have another trip to the hospital in a few days.

"How did it go?" asked the older brunette immediately.

“He's aloof, which was to be expected. But he's taking time off for Charlie, so we'll be here a lot together, so maybe he doesn't hate me that much? He needs to know that I'm not going to move away from Charlie further than into the next room, so he has to figure that if he's going to spend time with him, he's going to have to spend it with me," she said, taking a drink of coffee before going to get the pan out for pancakes.

“I hate to tell you this, but you should know by now that Blaise would do anything for Charlie. That means spending time with you even though he'd rather not."

"You really know how to cheer someone up, Mum," she muttered in a slightly choked voice because, of course, her mother was right. But Hermione still had hope that he didn't despise her as much as she did herself.

“I'm sorry, but I don't want you to get your hopes up. I wish you could get your marriage back, I swear I do. But I definitely don't want to see you broken again. You both did something stupid, and hopefully, you can put it behind you, but if you don't, I know it will break you again. And we both know very well that some of the pieces of a broken heart you can never put back together," she informed her worriedly before she set about frying the pancakes while Hermione sat back down at the table lost in thought.