Disclaimer: Unfortunately, I do not own Harry Potter characters, nor did I write the original Sense and Sensibility.
A/N: Here is my try at combining works from two of my favorite authors. I hope you enjoy this, as I have put some thought into it. I love reviews as well, so take time to give me feedback please!
Sense and Sensibility
It was a sad day at the Weasley house.
The Weasley family had been long settled in their home at the Burrow, just outside the village of Ottery St. Catchpole. The house was large, in a topsy-turvy ramshackle sort of way, but had a certain charm to it. Many respectable witches and wizards had come from the household, and their relations with the local Muggles raised the general good opinion of the family.
The Weasleys were a jolly bunch. A big jolly bunch. In fact, along with being one of the most notable Muggle-loving families, they were also one of the largest. Arthur and Molly Weasley were the parents of seven children, all but one a boy. All the boys of the family had left to earn their way in the world. Charlie Weasley, the eldest, had traveled to Romania, and was on his way to being an expert dragon-tamer. William Weasley (who preferred to go by the name of Bill) was also out of his home country, gaining a great reputation as one of the best curse-breakers of his age. He was currently located in Egypt. Percival (Percy) Weasley had decided to try his luck in his homeland. He was now proudly assistant to the assistant of the Minister of Magic. The twins, Fred and George, currently had their own business in the making. Ronald Weasley, the youngest male in the family, had gone into the wizarding equivalent of law enforcement, known as Aurory. He and his renowned friend, Harry Potter had gotten into the Aurory right out of school. This would have left Ginevra (Ginny) Weasley as the only child of the house, if not for unforeseen circumstances that had happened previously that year.
Hermione Granger's parents died during what was known as the 2nd Voldemort War. Hermione, a long-standing friend of Ron Weasley and Harry Potter, and by extension, the whole Weasley family, was almost immediately taken in by Molly and Arthur. Eleanor Branstone, a Hufflepuff four years her junior and also orphaned at the time, was taken in as well. Thus, they were at the Weasley home when tragic events came to pass.
Arthur Weasley, in all his good character and kindness, was not a careful man. He had experimented enough with Muggle artifacts to know that some were quite volatile and dangerous when used the wrong way. There had never been a serious accident before the night previous.
The Weasley parents, in all their jolliness and busyness, had never thought to write up a will, a serious no-no in the wizarding world. Because of this, Arthur laid in his death bed, with only five members of his family surrounding him, trying to stay lucid enough to come up with a will. Percy was the only son close enough to attend to his father on such short notice, and it was to him that the will was gasped, as Molly, Ginny, Hermione and Eleanor witnessed from the background.
"My son…Must take care…of them…My wife…" At this, the man choked on a sob, and Percy bowed his head in reverence, but raised it as he spoke once again. "You…promise…promise to help…"
"I promise," Percy interrupted steadfastly, grasping his father's outstretched and shaking hand.
"I know…I know…love you…" With one last longing glance at his wife, the patriarch of the Weasley family passed away. Molly Weasley rushed to the bedside and hugged the lifeless body gently to herself, her sobs causing the entire house to appear to droop. The three girls gathered at her side, their hands on her back in silent support, while Percy stood stiffly by in indecision. He had never been good at dealing with emotions.
Percy Weasley was not a bad man, unless to be rather impassive, and rather selfish, is to be bad; but he was, to most in the wizarding world, well respected; for he conducted himself with decorum in fulfilling his duties, whether familial or work-related. If he had married a more amiable woman, he might have been more respected, given that he was influenced greatly by those he thought highly of, but Mrs. Penelope Weasley (once Clearwater) was also rather selfish, and quite a lot more narrow-minded.
The young Mrs. Weasley knew that her influence was very great upon her husband, and used that influence to further her monetary goals in life. The Weasley patriarch passing away was a perfect time to indulge her selfish nature.
Percy had, when promising his father at his death bed to help the women of the family, thought to be very charitable in the act. Giving a more than needful sum of money to each woman built up his own character unto himself, and warmed his heart with what little emotion he could stand to feel at a time. It would be little inconvenience. He thought about it for many days, each time, feeling a little flicker of emotion, astounded at his own generosity and reveling in it.
No sooner than three days after Mr. Weasley's funeral, the young Mrs. Weasley, without any sort of notice, arrived with her child. It was to be expected that she would come, as the house was now her husband's from the moment of his father's decease; but the tactlessness of her conduct was appalling, made worse by Mrs. Molly Weasley's keen sense of honor and generosity. This renewed the opinion of disgust she had for the young, manipulative woman. Penelope Weasley had never been a favorite with most of the Weasley family, and she took this time to show them just how awful her bad qualities were. She wasn't done with her meddling yet, either.
Mrs. Weasley, offended and emotionally unstable from the previous events, would have left the house forever in a fit of pique at the other lady's arrival, had not Hermione set her down and talked to her. The young but intelligent woman reminded her calmly of the propriety of going, and Mrs. Weasley's love for her girls convinced her to stay, if only to avoid a fall-out with her son.
Hermione Granger, the eldest of the three girls left in Mrs. Weasley's care, was a very understanding woman of good judgment. This qualified her, though only nineteen, to be Mrs. Weasley's unofficial counselor, and enabled her to stop any act of imprudence that Mrs. Weasley might have done towards Penelope, to everyone's benefit. Her heart was that of a Gryffindor, big and easy to give affection, her feelings strong. She knew how to govern them though, an understanding that Mrs. Weasley had yet to learn, and one that Ginny Weasley was determined never to be taught.
Ginny Weasley had wonderful attributes in her own right. She was sensible and clever, but enthusiastic in everything; her sorrows and joys could have no moderation. She was also possessed of a Gryffindor heart, amiable and generous: she was everything but prudent. She was an almost exact likeness in attitude to her mother.
Hermione was concerned at Ginny's excessive sensibility, but Mrs. Weasley valued it greatly. They encouraged each other now in the violence of their affliction. Their grief was doubly so when in the company of each other, voluntarily renewed again and again. They wallowed together in their sorrow, seeking increase of misery in every thought that could afford it, and were both resolved to never be consoled. Hermione was deeply affected as well, but exerted herself, and tried to govern her emotions. There was enough running free in the air between the Weasley women. She sought instead to make up for the lack of decorum her adoptive mother and sister displayed. This she did by talking to Percy, welcoming his wife (though it took great pains of conscience), and treating both with proper attention. She encouraged Mrs. Weasley to do the same.
Eleanor, the young Hufflepuff adopted into the family, was a good-humored, well-disposed girl; but Ginny, closer in age to her than Hermione, influenced her greatly with her passionate disposition, and Eleanor did not, at fifteen, have quite the amount of sense of either sister.
A/N: I hope you like it so far! It sure is enjoyable for me to write! I'll try to get one chapter done each week. There will probably be about fifty of them, as I'm basing them around Jane Austin's book, and her short chapters give her story a good pace, one that I hope will reflect in this version I have concocted. Anyways, enjoy, and please review! Your feedback may help me write all the faster! Lol.