He knocked lightly on the front door. Apprehension and fear etched on his face. Normally he would have just walked in, but it had been too long and he wasn't guaranteed a warm welcome. In fact he was pretty sure that was the last thing that he would get.
"Just come in Harry, how many times have I told you, you don't need to knock" came his mother's distinctive voice from inside. He braced himself and walked in.
From the kitchen entryway he could see his mother hard at work cooking that evening's supper. Spoons were twirling in their pots and knives were cutting vegetables on their cutting boards. Mrs. Weasley was sipping from a spoon that had come from one of the pots when she turned around. The spoon made a hollow clunk when it hit the floor and her face went as white as a sheet.
His mother was by no means a small woman, but the way that she moved towards her youngest son you would think that she was as light as a feather. The next thing that Ron knew he was in a bone crushing hug and could hardly breathe. After a few moments, just as he was starting to feel that maybe it would be a warm welcome after all she broke away from him. Then, in a tone of voice that was all too familiar, she started, "RONALD WEASLEY WHERE IN THE WORLD HAVE YOU BEEN? DO YOU KNOW HOW WORRIED I HAVE BEEN FOR YOU? WHAT WERE YOU THINKING…"
Her rant was interrupted by his father who had come in from the living room. "Molly…" he said cajolingly, "what's wrong?" Then he spotted Ron standing in the corner. He went over and gave her a hug where she all but collapsed into his arms. He was stroking her head while she sobbed into his shoulder. Mr. Weasley gave Ron a look that was both relieved and angry at the same time. Ron just stood there, not knowing what to do or say.
Finally his mum broke away from her husband's warm embrace and looked at her son. Her eyes were red and puffy, but warm. Ron took a hesitant step forward, then another, then another until he was just in front of his parents. He looked at them and gave a wan smile. "I am sorry mum, dad." His throat closed up and he couldn't say another word. His parents did not seem to mind and at the same tame reached out to embrace their prodigal son. The three of them hugged each other and cried right in the middle of the kitchen.
She was expected at 6:30 but was running a little late because Crookshanks had decided that he wanted to eat the pudding that she had made for dessert, and in the process got it all over his fur and the kitchen, not to mention ruined the pudding. It didn't take long to clean, but then she had to start from scratch again. She despised being late, but she had told Mrs. Weasley that she would bring the dessert, and she hated to not bring something when she said that she would more. So it was at 6:52 that she walked into the Burrow, not needing to knock because Mrs. Weasley always yelled when she did. She moved straight into the kitchen and put the pudding onto the counter talking as she was walking.
"Sorry I am late, Crookshanks got into the…" Then she saw him, sitting at the end of the table staring down at his soup.
It was a good thing that she had already put the pudding down because she surely would have dropped it. She just stood there, not knowing what to say, or do. Mrs. Weasley broke the silence, "Oh, you brought pudding, you are such a dear. Come sit down and I will get you some soup."
She pushed Hermione towards the other end of the table and sat her down. The soup bowl was in front of her and soup was being ladled in before she had even realized that she was sitting. As Mrs. Weasley busied herself getting everything ready for Hermione she looked around the table. She had been seated next to Harry who was sitting next to Ginny. Mr. Weasley was at the head of the table near Ron. George was across from her putting as much space between himself and his younger brother as possible. Mrs. Weasley sat down at the end by Hermione. When she sat everyone resumed eating (as they had all stopped to watch Hermione's shock, all except one that is). No one said anything, and Hermione couldn't help but feel that this silence had been going on long before she entered the room.
They ate almost in complete silence. You could hear the slurping or chewing of food, the silverware scraping the plate, or Mrs. Weasley would try and make some attempt at small talk, but nothing could break the palpable tension. Hermione dared a peek over at Ron and saw that he was eating slowly, something which almost shocked her as much as his being there in the first place. 'Maybe he had listened,' she thought to herself but she couldn't believe it. She looked to her left at Harry and gave him a questioning glance. He returned her gaze and seemed to be just as confused. She knew that he was as hurt as the rest of his family that Ron had not contacted him. Harry had not been doing so well either when Hermione left. The only reason she dared to go was because she knew that Harry would have Ginny to help him out, and vice versa. He hadn't been catatonic like Ron, or a drunken mess like George (who understandably took Fred's death the worst, although he did not feel the need to walk out on his family), Harry would just let his anger take control sometimes.
Due to the fact that no one was talking the dinner went by fairly quickly and before she knew it the pudding plates were being washed up by Mrs. Weasley. Ron had remained in his seat, not looking at anyone. Everyone else was pointedly looking away from him as well. Harry nudged Hermione in the ribs and eyeballed the garden. She got the hint and made her way out there with Harry and Ginny in tow. As soon as she stepped onto the grass she couldn't hold her tongue any longer. "What is he doing here?"
"We don't know" Ginny began. "I got home and he was there in the kitchen talking to mum. I didn't know what to say, so I just went to my room and waited for Harry." Hermione looked over to her messy haired friend.
"Don't look at me. I have no more clue than you two. He left me too ya know," he shook his head at Hermione, "I just don't get it, why would he come back and not even try to speak to us."
"He's probably just waiting for one of us to break the ice." She said heatedly, thinking that there was no way she was going to be the one to speak first.
"Not bloody likely, he screwed up and he can apologize, and even then I don't know if I will be able to forgive him." Ginny crossed her arms and looked daggers towards her red headed brother through the kitchen window.
"I dunno," Harry shrugged, "I guess I will wait to see if he is staying."
They talked a bit more about how it was weird and Hermione felt that she should bring up the fact that she had gone to see him, but she didn't. She felt that since Ginny didn't seem to be too pleased with her brother's return then she would blame Hermione, and there was no way that Hermione was dealing with the wrath of Ginny Weasley, not tonight, she was confused enough as it was.