The wind whipped around the Burrow, bending the trees back and forth and causing the precariously balanced house (though it was held up by magic) to sway ominously.
Sheets of heavy rain came down, soaking the ground and causing the small, potato-like gnomes in the overgrown garden to run for cover. The storm waas strong and the torrents of water fell from the heavens, causing the small lake to expand over the sandy beach.
The sharp drops falling caused the mud made by the rain to be stirred up. Brown poked through and surrounded the green of the flattened grass and drops of muddy brown splashed up on the cowering flowers only to be washed away split-seconds later.
Across the yard of the Burrow, where puddles grew by the minute and covered the stones on the path leading down to the village, was a broomshed. The old wood was reinforced with magic, but the enchantments were growing thin so that only a few trickles of water fell from the roof into the humid air and onto the frizzy red hair of a teenage girl.
Her eyes were red and puffy, her teeth very white. The white blocks peeked over her light pink bottom lip as she worried it and every so often a hand came up to brush away a drop of water from her face; a mixture of rain and tears. She sniffled, though it was hardly audible over the drumming of the rain on the roof over her head and the thunder that echoed off the surrounding hills.
Rose shivered with cold, despite the warm air of mid August. The rain heralded the new fall season, and had brought a chill on its wings.
I can't believe I was so stupid to think he might love me. she though angrily, shaking her head and clenching her hands into fists. I'm better than that.
She heard sloshing footsteps coming closer to her hiding place and for a moment she contemplated the thought of running to a new place before discounting it immediately, thinking of the rain and mud and her restrictions to using magic over the holidays. Instead she just curled closer to the thin wall she was leaning against and closed her eyes, forcing out a few more tears that she hurriedly wiped away.
The door creaked open, admitting a familiar head of red hair that peeked into the shed.
"Rose?" he asked.
She said nothing.
He sighed, closing the door behind him and casting a drying spell on himself.
"Lumos," he whispered quietly, creating a small ball of light in the shed that glowed softly from the tip of his wand.
Rose pulled her knees up to her chest and turned her head to the side and into her arms, away from the light from her father's wand. Why can't he leave me alone?
Ron gathered up a few of the broomsticks scattered over the floor and shifted them to the other side of the shed so he had room to sit down next to his daughter. Groaning softly as he sat on the floor and his muscles protested, he stretched out his long legs as far as the small space allowed.
They sat in silence while the rain pounded out a varying rhythm above them. The elder of the two was the first to break the silence, if a bit awkwardly.
"I know you probably would rather have your mum here-"
"Naturally." Rose interrupted scathingly, head still tucked into her arms.
"But she insisted I come instead," he continued, not deterred. "Because I know what it's like to fall in love with the wrong person. It happened to me once."
Rose shot him a disbelieving look.
"Yeah, I know," he continued, raising his voice slightly over a crack of thunder. "Who could I ever be with except your mum? Unbelievable." He shook his head, as though marvelling at the wonder of his own stupidity.
"In our sixth year, I was a bit of a prat," Ron began, leaning back against the wall and shifting so he was more comfortable. "There was this one girl in our year that I was convinced I was in love with. We hung out all the time, went on a few dates, had nicknames for each other," he chuckled softly, "and gave each other gifts."
He winced suddenly, as if remembering something painful and amusing at the same time.
"What happened to her?" Rose asked, interested.
"Not what happened to her, but what happened to me," Ron said, staring past the wooden wall in front of him. "I was poisoned by accident on my birthday that year. Your Uncle Harry saved me, but I still was in the Hospital Wing, unconscious."
"She didn't like you anymore because you were poisoned?"
"Not because I was poisoned, but because my subconscious didn't seem to want her there, or something like that. I had been having doubts about our relationship for a time, but while I was unconscious I said your mother's name and not hers. I wanted your mother by my side instead of her, and she really didn't like that." He frowned as he remembered her cold shoulder for months afterwards.
"You broke up with her while you were sleeping?"
"Yeah," Ron said, ears turning a delicate pink from embarassment. "You could say that. La-my old girlfriend actually thought that your mum was trying to steal me back for a few weeks before that. It was just crazy all the time."
"I wish Scor would try to steal me back," Rose whispered, almost too quietly to be heard over the rain, which was fading after almost two hours of a constant downpour.
Ron straightened slightly, but said nothing.
"I'd much rather be with Scor - he's a much better person and he actually understands me. He likes me for me."
"Just because What's-his-name - Alex? - decided to dump you doesn't mean that Malfoy is the next best option," grumbled Ron, stony-faced.
"It was Andrew, dad. And Scor's my best friend. You told me to try to love someone different, and look what happened! I was disgraced in front of the entire school and my other friends think that I was stupid for letting him lead me on for so long!" A few tears dripped down her face as her voice grew louder. "And I did it just because you wanted me to! I fell in love with the wrong person just to MAKE YOU HAPPY!"
Her tears flowed in earnest. Ron looked very worried and tried to wrap one of his arms around her shoulder, but she just pulled away into her corner again. He groaned.
"I knew I should have just had your mother do this," he mumbled under his breath. "I told her I was still no good with talking about feelings and stuff..."
Sighing, he gazed at his daughter where she was weeping and resolved to try again, in the same way he had with Hermione so many times before.
"Look Rose, I'm sorry," he started, reaching out to hold her hand gently. "I naturally assumed that any spawn-" he fumbled at the glare she shot him "-um... offspring of Draco Malfoy would follow in their father and grandfather's footsteps. I realize now that I was being a, well, an idiot and that it was wrong of me to apportion blame or faults where none exist. I should have known to just let you follow your heart to where it led you. Trust me that being true to your heart is one of the most important things in the area of love."
He chuckled, thinking of the rocky start he'd had with Hermione.
"And just so you know, judgements in love are difficult, and not always what you expect or what others want. Even I should have realized that didn't only apply to me. Can you forgive me for being a hypocrite?"
He finished a little lamely in his opinion, but was happily surprised to find himself full of red-headed teenager. Rose's wiry arms wrapped tightly around his chest and threatened to crack his ribs with their force.
"Thanks dad," Rose whispered, burrowing her head beneath his chin like she used to do when she was younger and loosening her arms a bit so their embrace was more comfortable for the both of them.
They both sat in silence, enjoying the understanding and warmth coming from each other, until Rose decided to speak again.
"You know dad," she said, lifting her eyes up to meet her father's, a playful grin on her face. "I think mom was right, and you were wrong again. You do pretty good with feelings and things."
They both laughed and left the shed just as the sun came out from the clouds it had hidden behind for so long. Wet puddles of mud and leaves still covered the ground, but in the new light they sparkled brilliantly.
A/N: So this was written for the Fanfiction Wizard Tournament, using the prompts Burrow (setting) and quote "Once upon a time I fell in love with the wrong person." (Inspiration) I hope you like! Please leave a review! :D