Author's Note: I received it absolutely terrifying lack of reviews and response to the story surprising considering how many of you kept repeating and asking me why such and such a thing happened! Oh well. I wasn't expecting a lot of response anyway the answer is there and so AI'm happy of course reviews would make me happy too
Part two:
the reaction
by Empathicallychosen
"Anger is only a natural reaction; one of the mind's ways of reacting to things that it perceives to be wrong. While anger can sometimes lead people to do shocking things, it can also be an instinct to show people that something isn't right." Author unknown
Sirius stopped dead in his tracks staring at the wand with apprehension. Harry, Hermione and Ron were all crying loudly. The combination of Molly's insanity and Sirius's fear was too much for their little minds to comprehend. I'm going to kill Prongs for making me come here and handle this on my day off. I'm going to kill him resurrect him and kill him again.
Sirius raised his hands in surrender to show Molly he meant her no harm. He tried to reason with her by pointing out once again that the sink water was just too hot for Ron but all that did was make Molly even angrier because she thought Sirius was calling her a bad mother. He tried distracting her by pointing out that Ron was crying hoping that Molly would attend to her son so that Sirius could get the wand away from her, but Molly seem to have forgotten Ron was even in the room.
Thankfully Arthur chose that exact moment to come running through the back door. Before even checking to see if Ron was alright, Arthur came up behind Molly and grabbed her around the waist. Stunned Molly dropped the wand and twisted around to see who had a hold of her. Her face relaxed as she calmly but rapidly tried to explain to Arthur the exact logic behind why she had tormented their youngest child and how Sirius who she was now convinced was a Death Eater had nearly ruined all of her valiant efforts of protecting their family.
Arthur's eyes widened in surprise. Clearly he must have thought Charlie was exaggerating when he tried to explain how out of her mind Molly was. Or maybe Charlie didn't even know that his mother was having a mental breakdown. Sirius cringed when he realized that the poor woman was probably going to lose the respect of her two oldest children for good.
Like Sirius Arthur tried to persuade Molly to see reason but she was just too far gone to make any sense at all. The longer Arthur didn't agree with her the worse she got until it became painfully obvious that neither man would be able to control Molly any longer. They were going to have to stun her. Rounding up Harry, Ron and Hermione, Sirius pressed the children collectively into his chest so they wouldn't have to witness the action. Sirius could only imagine how messed up Ron would be if he saw his daddy cursing his mummy. Unfortunately Charlie wasn't as lucky to miss the scene. Because he just hurtled down the stairs after Fred who'd escaped just in time to see Molly fall backwards at an arch. Sirius let out a low whistle. Today just wasn't Charlie's day.
-- -- -- -- --
Arthur Weasley sat dejectedly in his chair in the waiting room of St. Mungo's hospital for magical maladies and injurious, feeling that he would soon be suffering from an emotional overload. First, he was worried. Arthur was worried about Ron and was currently praying that not too much damage had been done to the boy. He was worried about Charlie and all the emotionally scarring things he had seen today. Arthur was just relieved the burns on Charlie's hands from when he was trying to rescue his brother were easily treated. Arthur was also worried that Molly would never come out of her psychotic state. Most of all Arthur was worried about what Molly would do when she realized what she done to her son. It would devastate her.
Arthur was also feeling like a tremendous failure. He should have realized something was wrong with his wife instead of just hurrying off to work and accrediting her peculiar behavior to exhaustion and worry. Finally Arthur was angry. He was angry at himself, angry at Molly a tiny sliver of himself was even angry at Sirius. Though why Arthur couldn't be sure exactly. He should have been grateful Sirius was around to help Ron in his time of need.
A jumble of footsteps rushing tithe waiting room alerted Arthur that they weren't going to be alone for much longer. He looked up just in time to see Lily, James, Remus, Victoria, Peter, Olivia, as well as James's parents hurry into the waiting room. Immediately James and Remus cornered Sirius demanding to know what happened. In spite of having heard this story already when the healers asked the young man the same questions, Arthur felt very queasy.
Excusing himself quickly Arthur ran to the restroom as fast as he could making it just in time to vomit in the nearest sink. He threw up over and over again until his stomach was exhausted from the effort and finally allowed him to rest. Arthur didn't even realize when the door opened and Aidan Potter swept into the room to stand behind him. When at last Arthur noticed he was there, Aidan pulled the younger man into a comforting embrace and allowed the distraught man to weep openly into his shoulder. When at last Arthur regained his self-control the two men left the room in total silence.
"How are you holding up Arthur," Olivia asked as soon as they reemerged. "Can I get you anything?"
"No thank you, Olivia. I think I'll be okay. Remus can I talk to you for a minute," Arthur replied.
Curiously Remus nodded allowing himself to be led over to a quiet corner away from everyone else.
"I was hoping I could convince you to take Ron for a little while. I'm going to have my hands full with the other boys and I probably won't be able to give him the attention that he needs," Arthur sighed feeling very much as though he was admitting defeat.
Remus smiled, "You don't need to convince me, I'm his godfather. It's what I'm here for."
Arthur nodded uttering his thanks and the two rejoined the others just in time to see a pimply faced witch just barely out of Hogwarts come around the corner with Ron balanced carefully in her arms. The young woman seemed completely head over heels with the little boy as she announced that Ron was expected to make a full recovery. It looked utterly impossible when everyone took into account the number of potions, ointments and salves she was caring in a bag for them to take home. Ron's entire body saved for his head was tightly wrapped in bandages. Ron however didn't seem too terribly concerned. As a matter of fact wrong didn't seem to have a care in the world. He was totally involved in the blueberry lollipop he was consuming. When the child finally noticed his surroundings he Apparated directly into his father's arms, startling the poor witch who was holding him something terrible.
"Wook Daddy, lolly," said Ron trying to feed the treat to his father and getting very frustrated that Arthur didn't want to share. "Yummy!"
"Yes Ron, yummy," Arthur conceded taking a tiny lick of the lollipop.
Pacified Ron began looking around the room, curious as to what everyone was doing there. Quite unexpectedly, Ron's face fell and his bottom lip started to quiver. At once everyone started to lavish the child with attention hoping to distract the boy from whatever was bothering him. Hermione and Harry watched the adults with a mixture of jealousy and amusement. Arthur shifted Ron slightly so that the little boy could rest more comfortably thinking that he might have accidentally grazed the wrong part of the child. All of a sudden Ron twisted to look into his father's eyes.
"Mummy?"
The room at large was floored. After what he'd been through none of them were expecting Ron to want to be anywhere near Molly but apparently Ron understood more about Molly's actions then any of them could have imagined. Ron wanted Molly so he could share his lollipop with her and get his mummy back to normal. Arthur's sighed. How was he going to explain this to any of his children let alone the youngest one? Settling himself back into his chair Arthur positioned himself so that he was eye to eye with the little boy.
"Mummy needs to stay here so that the healers can take good care of her. The way they took care of you," he said.
"I find Mummy," said Ron stubbornly preparing to Apparate.
"Hey, guess what? I have great news," said Remus in a singsong voice effectively distracting Ron from his quest. "Daddy said you can have a sleepover with me and Padfoot tonight. What do you think? We can have ice cream and I'll even read you Dominick and the Dragon if you want."
Ron pondered this for a little while before extending his arms to his godfather and waving goodbye to his daddy completely unaware of just how long it would be until he would be allowed to return home. In fact none of them were aware that Ron wouldn't be returning to the Burrow ever again. None of them knew that by the first of November Ron would be famous and that said fame would allow the Weasley's to purchase a much grander home in the process.
Flat number eight on Juniper Lane in London was louder then Lily and James could ever remember it being. They just arrived to take Ron off Remus's hands for a while. They would be preparing to go into hiding any day now and they were going to take Ron with them. They had discussed it for quite some time and they didn't see a reason for all of the marauders to go into hiding. Peter would be going into hiding as well as the Potters secret keeper as would Sirius the decoy but there was just no way Remus could justify taking months possibly longer off of work. Both Lily and James could hear Ron screaming at the top of his lungs. Curiously Lily and James headed up the stairs to find out what was going on. They found Remus, Victoria and Sirius in the bathroom trying to get Ron into the bath.
"He doesn't understand the water isn't going to hurt him," Victoria called to their inquiring looks.
"Well, why don't one of you get in there and show him," Lily suggested,
"How about it, mate? Should we see what old Paddy thinks of the water," Remus asked.
"Me, why me? You're the child's godfather," Padfoot replied.
"Come now, Padfoot, don't tell me you're afraid of the water as well," Remus said playfully.
"Have it your way, Moony. Pay really close attention Ron. Padfoot is going to have a lot of fun splashing Moony.
Without another word Padfoot transformed into his Animagus form jumping into the water causing some of the liquid to spill onto the floor soaking Ron's feet. At first he screamed loudly then when he realized the water was only lukewarm his screams of terror turned into shrieks of delight. Unfortunately Remus and Victoria were unable to get Ron in the tub regardless because a certain grim-like dog was busy doing the doggie paddle and refused to get out.
This was the scene on Juniper Lane for quite some time. Everyone was rather enjoying themselves quite a bit as they listened to Remus shout at Padfoot who continue to ignore him as he did laps around the bathtub. At long last Padfoot got out but it was clear he only did so with the intention of shaking the water out of his fur all over an unsuspecting Remus.
"See Ron, the water is lots of fun," said Sirius when he transformed into a human smirking with satisfaction.
A formerly beautiful and magnificent house stood on a hill overlooking the village, some of its windows boarded, tiles missing from its roof, and ivy spreading unchecked over its face. Unbeknownst to the villagers who lived in the sleepy little town of little Hangleton a very evil man had taken up residence in his father's old home and at that very moment roughly one hundred of his followers were flocking to see him. It was past midnight and the man known as The Dark Lord was growing restless. He was hungry for blood. Addressing the man he thought would help him realize his goal The Dark Lord spoke in a deep hissing voice exactly like a snake.
"Wormtail, what news have you to report,": he asked.
"G-Good news my l-lord, Molly hasn't returned from St. Mungo's and Lily and James have decided to take Ron into hiding with them as well," stammered a portly young man from beneath his hood.
"How convenient. I do so love it when my victims clump together in a nice little package it makes the kill so much easier," said the dark Lord allowing his lips to curve into an alarming smile.
The end
Authors note: shorter chapter but it was never meant to be a long drawn out story anyway. Now you know why Molly is the way she is and now the story is done. go-ahead and review I'll be here.
