Nothing Will Tear Us Apart – Chapter IIX
"Mrs. Weasley, if you'd just sit," Dumbledore said calmly.
Remus noticed that Harry wasn't moving, and he stepped forward holding Hermione by the elbow and steered her to the armchair Harry had been sitting on so far. Once sat, she sagged; perhaps the force that had brought her this far had now dissipated, Hermione looked dead on her feet with worry. Harry noticed age lines that hadn't been there before now were, and quite pronounced.
"I was watching the map, waiting for them to return, and saw when Harry stepped foot inside the castle," she explained without having been asked too. Perhaps speaking was what would keep her going for the moment. "I – I thought that maybe Ron had fallen behind a bit so I waited but he never did show up and I noticed how Harry hurried towards your office sir, that must mean something's wrong and I need to know if Ron is alright. I need too," she ended pleading, Hermione rarely pleaded for anything in her life; in a way she was just like Draco, she had whatever she wanted only she didn't grab it as forcefully as he did.
"Hermione I myself have just found out what has happened to your husband, perhaps it would be best if Harry explained everything to us all, properly this time," Dumbledore said, and Harry wondered if he didn't want to take that responsibility out of his shoulders and into Harry's.
"He's been arrested by Aurors," he explained. Hermione looked a little more relieved. "Their holding him in those jails inside the Ministry of Magic, he's been accused of spying and conspiring against the Ministry. And the problem is that if you look at it properly it's quite true. He has been spying on them, Moody motioned or me not to say anything while they were there, we best wait for him, Tonks and Kingsley to return because they'll know the details."
Hermione nodded slowly, Harry could sense that she was trying to take in everything that had happened, especially the fact that her husband had just been arrested for spying of all things. She slumped back into the chair, and Harry who was standing behind her, rubbed her shoulders in support.
"Maybe it would be best for us to sleep for today, we'll meet tomorrow morning and discuss this properly. I'll send note to our three Auror friends and they'll be here to give us better details on Mr. Weasley's arrest."
Harry nodded wearily and hugged Hermione by the shoulders leading her away. On their way out he noticed a painting covered with red curtains in Dumbledore's anti-chamber, he was certain it hadn't been there the week before. Ron's situation was more important than a covered up curtain though, and he led Hermione to her own quarters through the various short-cuts he had learned during all his years at Hogwarts.
"Hermione maybe it would be best to leave Nathan with Molly for a bit, than you'll have some time to yourself," he said once they got to her door. Hermione nodded but no word seemed forthcoming.
"Nathan!" he called out for the child, it didn't take long for him to stumble out of his room holding a scarlet toy train. "Nate come with Uncle Harry, you'll be spending some time with Grandma Molly."
Hermione hugged her son tightly on her way to the bathroom. Harry gathered Nathan in his arms and was out the room making his way to the Weasleys' Den, as they called it, just three doors away from the Gryffindor Tower. Most of the Weasley's still lived together, their patriarchs, Ginny, Charlie, and the Twins. Bill had married off with a co-worker of his, which Harry rarely saw. Ron and Hermione had a room of their own.
He took his time taking Nathan there; he didn't want to scare off the little boy, neither did he want Nathan to realize something was going on. The boy was oddly perceptive as it is, it was no good in letting him find out his father had gone missing and his mother would go insane if he didn't come back soon.
"Is mummy alright Uncle Harry?" came the quiet voice that took Harry away from his own thoughts.
"She's a bit worried, because Headmaster Dumbledore sent your daddy on a very important mission," Harry explained the best he could without lying much. "Daddy's been to missions before; you remember what those are don't you?" Nathan nodded somberly. "He'll be back soon Nate and mummy will be better then." The young Weasley nodded once more but didn't seem much convinced.
Harry rapped him knuckles on the Weasley's door and it was Ginny who opened it. A fierce scowl graced her face once she saw who it was at the door; this same scowl disappeared as soon as she studied Harry's pained expression. She opened said door wider to let him pass and as soon as Nathan was on the floor he ran away in search of a few toys he always left behind.
"Harry what's wrong?" she asked him quietly.
"Is everyone here?" he questioned and she told him that yes, they all were. "Call them for me Gin', we need to talk."
Soon Molly and Arthur had come through their bedroom door, looking a little tired both of them, Charlie and the Twins followed but they were wide awake and looking extremely worried already. Harry had been waiting on the couch, his head in his hands and eyes tightly closed.
A hand on his shoulder startled him out of his position and he looked around to find everyone looking at him expectantly. Molly looked worried sick now and he wanted to reassure her everything was fine, even if that would be a lie. He placed a spell around Nathan preventing him from listening in their conversation.
"It's Ron," he said finally. "He's been captured by Scrimgeour." With those words molly sat heavily on the closed piece of furniture she could find. Charlie, Arthur and the twins had the same pained expression as Harry's, Ginny sat by her mother on the couch.
"Captured? But what are they capturing him for? They should be going after Death Eaters!" Molly expressed everyone's sentiments in those little words.
"Yes they should, but you don't know how frantic the Ministry is these days dear, their in a frenzy going after anyone or anything suspicious. Scrimgeour takes particular taste in catching Order members, just to set us back," Mr. Weasley tried to explain to his wife.
"Is there anything for us to do Harry?" the Weasleys questioned in unison.
"Not right now, I'll be meeting with the some of the Aurors who were present when Ron was arrested and then we'll start working on something," he said. "He'll have a trial we can try to set him free legally."
"I'll contact Bill then, he was always very good with the legal side of things," Charlie said setting to his bedroom certainly to write Bill a letter.
"Who was Ron's contact do you know Mr. Weasley?" Harry asked.
The older man scrunched his face, Harry wondered if it was in irritation, pain or disgust. The Twins had returned to their bedroom as well, leaving only Harry, Molly, Arthur and Ginny in their small living room.
"Percy," he finally said tersely.
Someone gasped and Harry wasn't sure if it was Molly or Ginny. He would never have thought that Ron was in talking to their brother. He wondered if Percy really had handed Ron in, like Mr. Weasley appeared to be thinking or if he had been found out just like Ron had. He put that aside preferring to think about it later. Arthur took his wife to back to their bedroom with only a nod in Harry's direction, leaving Harry alone with a sobbing Ginny Weasley.
He had never been very good with crying woman, but these days when he himself cried endlessly he thought he could handle them better. Better than he had handled Cho at least, then he hadn't known what to do; now he knew that it would be best if he just shut up and hug Ginny tightly.
As soon as he had his arms around her Ginny wrapped her arms around his neck and sobbed in his shoulders shaking with the force of each sob. Harry rocked her and rubbed her back but thought better not to talk; he was very good at sticking his foot on his mouth in such situations.
Ginny calmed down after some time and together they put Nathan on her bed, he was asleep in a few minutes. Harry wanted to leave and curl up in a ball on his own bed, but Ginny it seemed had other ideas and offered to make him tea. Harry followed her to their small kitchen as sat o the counter while Ginny, by his side, boiled the water.
"I didn't even know Ron was spying on them," she commented.
"Neither did I actually, I just found out this afternoon. What's worse is the fact that I wasn't arrested with him, they assumed I was caught in the middle of it all," Harry huffed in annoyance. He hated being famous.
"It's just as well that they didn't arrest you Harry, we can't afford to loose Ron. But loosing you is out of question, we'd be lost and Voldemort would choose that exact time to strike, ending this war once and for all."
Harry shrugged, he still hated being famous though.
"I wish I had more control over the Ministry nonetheless, maybe I would've been able to change this situation. I don't know take responsibility over him, anything, we need Ron we can't afford to loose him either," Harry said resignedly. They sat in silence, Harry mulling over everything that had transpired that day.
"Let's not think about Harry," she said handing him his tea.
He stood and joined her by the couch were they watched the dying ambers on the fireplace. Ginny made herself comfortable in Harry's shoulder and he decided that this whole situation was not leading to any direction he'd care to go. He lifted Ginny from his shoulder, informing her that he would best go back to his room because he was dead on his feet.
"Maybe we should all rest," she said a deep frown marring her forehead.
The girl followed him to the door and before Harry could protest move away or do anything really. Ginny pressed her lips insistently against his. Harry gurgled and pushed her away staring at her wide-eyed. He had never met anyone as stubborn and persistent as Ginny Weasley. When would she understand that he wasn't interested!
Without speaking a word or looking back he made his way to his rooms where he'd be alone and at peace. That night he slept and dreamt of Draco and how he wished it had been him who had kissed him instead.
He woke up the following day with his alarm clock insistently buzzing on his ear. He didn't know why he had acquired the damn thing, because it annoyed him to hell and he daily thought about smashing him against his wall. He showered and dressed himself mechanically urging his brain not to think about Ron or anything else at all. He knew today would take a great deal out of him and he was postponing it while he could
He ate by Hermione, who ate nothing at all, it was quiet and depressing. If Nathan had been there he would surely notice that something was going on, he was sure the all the castle's occupants now knew that something was going on. Or maybe they thought someone had died overnight, not a rare occurrence during these war times.
"We'd best go to see Dumbledore," Harry said once he noticed the man had not come down to breakfast.
Hermione nodded and they trudged all their way to the Headmaster's office.
"Harry, Hermione, I think we should postpone this meeting until Moody and the others arrive, they had a late night yesterday and I believe they will come by right after lunch," Dumbledore told them instead of any kind of greeting.
"If that's what you wish Headmaster," Harry said sharing a knowing look with Hermione. The Headmaster appeared to want to see the back of them, and quickly.
Harry and Hermione left his office, but by the door they heard the sound of someone flooing in and the Headmaster's voice "Thank you for coming in such short notice, the situation has change and thus so will our plans." But Dumbledore probably sensing them behind his door seemed to put up some wards around his office and they could hear nothing.
"Ginny kissed me," he blurted as they walked together.
"Wh – what?" Hermione startled her eyes wide.
"Yes that was my reaction. I told the Weasley's about Ron yesterday night, suddenly she and I were alone. I tried to escape but she kissed me before I could leave," Harry said in a rush of words glad that he at least had someone to confide in.
"My god I never thought she'd be so bold."
"Yes, well, neither did I, I thought if I could avoid being too close to her I could evade this situation all together but it seems Ginny is a girl on a mission, and she is set on having me as her next conquest."
Hermione giggled then, and it was contagious soon they both was laughing in the middle of a crowded hall. Everyone looked at them questioningly but neither noticed. Once the moment passed Harry smile grateful for being able to laugh even in such dire times.
"Come on you should tell me all about it before we return to the old man's office," Hermione said as she linked their arms and took him towards her rooms.
"What's there to tell, I wanted to run away screaming, I never in all my life expected to think kissing a girl would be gross," he said with a sigh, "but kissing Ginny was just that. I mean I think of the girl as a sister, it would be just like kissing Ron only worse because Ginny's is a girl."
"She lack's the proper set of bits doesn't she?" Hermione said giggling.
"What she lack's isn't just that set of bits, she lacks that personality and that hair and especially that pair of eyes," Harry explained a dreamy smile downing on his face.
"Harry stop it, you look like a teenage girl," Hermione said hitting his arm.
"Well, what am I supposed to do, I still love him."
Hermione couldn't possibly disagree with that, so together and in silence they continued in their way to her rooms. Hermione remembered to stop by and pick up Nathan who looked worried but then relieved once he saw the small smile that graced his mother's face. While there Harry hid from Ginny and stroke up conversation with Fred, ignoring the furtive glances the petite redhead kept sending his way.
Harry almost bolted of the room as soon as Hermione informed him that she was ready and he followed her best friend glared at her while she giggled all the way. Nathan didn't seem to understand what his 'mummy' found so funny.
"Did you see her batting her eyelashes at you?" she said between bolts of laughter. "She's got it as bad as you Harry, watch out or you'll never be rid of her."
"Maybe I should just tell her that I'm quite gay thank you very much," Harry muttered under his breath, ignoring more giggling that came from Hermione's direction.
"That might work as well, Ginny won't rest because she's under the delusion that you were hook-winked by Malfoy and that now you're bi or something of the kind."
"She's under such delusion because you said that to her Hermione," Harry said with his hands on his hips glaring angrily.
Hermione shrugged and with her hand on her son's walked calmly back to her room, ignoring Harry's incessant angry mumbling.
...tbc…
