John was in a panic, he could have sworn Hermione's arm was starting to change colors. He may have been a healer, but there was a reason like aurors, healers were not meant to work on cases they were personally involved in. As much as he cared deeply about Cara, she started out as a patient, not Hermione. He couldn't believe this was happening, it was less than two days until his wedding, and Draco was meant to propose that night to her. The corsage was part of it, Draco had re-enacted her dad's proposal, well on the grounds of the manor and not in London, and even had her parents at the manor to celebrate. As he put her down on a gurney, and was forced to watch as she was taken away, his pulse raced. He tried to tell himself she would be okay, but he didn't know, and if she died he would be to blame. He knew this had something to do with him, and if he lost his best friend, he couldn't live with himself.
The Malfoys, as well as the Grangers who were brought through the floo with aid, arrived moments later. John was shaking badly, but he held it together long enough, to tell them what happened. Pansy had tried, but she had been so frantic, from what she had seen happen.
Lucius held John in his arms. "She is going to be okay."
Draco was pacing. "This can't be happening, I was supposed to propose to her tonight."
Michael put a hand on him. "Our daughter is a fighter, and even if it is postponed, you will propose."
John was holding on to Lucius for dear life. "She is my second witness, I can't get married without her, I can't."
Lucius kissed him tenderly. "If we have to postpone the wedding a few days we will. I will work it out with your work, whatever."
Draco was not happy. "You know it is those red heads, they wanted to stop your wedding, and now they have."
Lucius knew his son was upset, but he was likely right, when he said it. They could both remember seeing Ron, and what he had said about the wedding cake, and what Molly had wanted done to it. Draco had thought they needed to see to Ron's mental stability, perhaps have Arthur have him committed, as he seemed pretty out of it. They had to wonder, they had been near the florist, and he could have seen. Lucius had placed those false orders, and maybe Molly and Ron had assumed the flowers Draco ordered, were in fact for John.
Lucius helped his fiancé into a chair, hoping they would not have to postpone, at least too long. He would though, he would never ask his fiancé to marry without Hermione, even if Fred was his witness. It would be like John asking Lucius to marry without Draco by his side.
A healer came out and looked at them. "You can come in now."
Draco was relieved as he entered the room and saw Hermione awake, though pale. "I was so worried about you."
Hermione kissed him and motioned to her arm. "Luckily John got me here quick enough. It is only minor I promise."
The healer saw their looks and confirmed it. "It was filling her with venom which was sapping her magic from her, but it was stopped."
Lucius turned to him. "Does she need to stay in the hospital over-night? I'd like to see to a private room if she does."
The man shook his head. "No, she can go home, I have some potions she will need to take for a few days though."
He suggested she have a few days of rest, it would not be too much to be out of bed for gifts tomorrow, but little else. Hermione worried, she knew that John's wedding would likely be out, and she hated to stop it. She loved John like her brother, and knew how much he had been waiting for the day, and didn't want to stop it. She knew he would keep his promise though, that he would never think to marry without her.
Back at the manor the party was gone, it had been called off, when Hermione was taken to the hospital. Hermione was taken into the den, she refused to go to bed right away, and the men reluctantly agreed if she was on the couch.
Hermione shook her head when told they'd postpone the wedding a few days. "No, I won't let you."
John reminded her. "Even if Fred is standing at my side, you have to be there too."
Lucius agreed. "John can return back to work a day or two, and we can marry a few days late. Cara and her parents don't leave for a week."
Andromeda smiled, she and Ted had stayed. "We will help see all the wedding plans are moved to a new day."
Lucius saw Moody still there, and moved towards him as the others spoke. "We need to look into Molly and her son, soon."
Moody agreed when he heard what Lucius told him. "It should be grounds to question them. I will also speak to Arthur."
Lucius looked at John, and knew no matter the truth about Ron, deep down John cared. He had seen how John reacted, when they suggested Ron may have killed the apothecary, and it was proof enough. If Ron was mentally unstable, they would see to him being put in a psychiatric hospital, not locked up in prison. Molly on the other hand, Lucius had a nice black cell in mind for, if he could prove she was involved in this.
Lucius sighed. "I better get started on my own work. Postponing the wedding even for three days will be a bit of work."
It was decided John and Lucius would marry on the 29th, instead of the 26th, to give Hermione some time to recover. Cara and her parents were leaving the day after, and John really wanted her to be there, she was so excited. Draco's proposal was not forgotten either, unlike the wedding the plans were not just postponed, but changed a bit as well. The wedding would be identical, down to the location, except for the date of course. Harry didn't work on Christmas, but he returned to work for two days, so he could have his full honeymoon. He found having his fiancé being a major benefactor of the hospital, not to mention who he was, came in handy for some things.
Molly was happy, it was all over the news, the wedding had been postponed. She had been upset to learn it was not John, but Hermione was a close second, and not simply because it postponed the wedding. The easiest way to get at John, was at his precious friends.
Molly found her son in the work room again. "Ronald I need you to see to another errand for me."
Ron looked up from whatever he was working away on this time. "You have another gift for Harry mummy?"
Molly nodded. "The last gift it turns out was for Hermione. This time we need to make sure it goes to the right person."
Ron looked up. "The pretty flower was for Hermione? Well pretty flowers better for girls. She must like very much."
Molly sneered at her son. "If she likes having venom in her blood and losing her magic. It should have been Harry, being sucked dry."
Ron slammed his hands down on the table. "Mummy you naughty again. Mummy promised not again."
Mummy was so bad, first the cake, and now the flowers. Mummy was going to hurt someone, she needed to be stopped, mummy was very bad. Mummy had hurt Rollie Ollie, like the mean shop keeper, who had killed his other friends. Apothecary had his fun, was stinky and made Ron lie there for his fun, and then he hurt Ron's friend. And Mummy, she be so naughty, she make Harry hate Ron. Harry like him, if she was not so bad, and tell him to do bad things.
Molly looked at her son, and for a moment she was worried, but shook off the thought. Her son would never hurt her, even if she thought he may have done in the apothecary, it was not in Ron. Ron was like a small child, and he knew who his mum was, and to listen.
Molly pointed at the chair. "Sit down Ron and finish your project while I finish mine."
Ron stopped her when she tried to take his wand from the table. "Mummy no use my wand. Mummy is very bad, mummy in time out."
Molly sneered at him. "I am the mother here, and I am the one who puts bad children in time out. Now give me the wand Ron."
Ron shook his head. "Mummy not hurt anyone. If mummy hurt Harry again, mummy need to be cat food."
Molly snatched the wand from his hand. "If you don't want yourself Ronald, you will be. Who would take care of you, if I didn't? Who?"
Ron backed down a bit from her. "Harry take care of me, and Daddy."
Molly sneered at him. "Your father wants nothing to do with you, any more than Harry. I don't see any invitation for the wedding."
Ron clambered to his feet. "Because you, you."
Molly watched as her son left the shop, and assumed he was going to lurk out in the alley, for a while. He would come back, he always did, he had nowhere else to go. The little fool was delusional, he believed Harry wanted anything to do with him, like the blasted wedding. Her son was becoming more of a headache, and she had no idea what would happen, when she finally had her revenge on Harry. She knew she would have to watch Ron, he might snap on her.
Ron left the shop, and he looked around, he had to do something. He needed to prove to Harry, he could be a good boy too, and mummy was the bad one doing all of this. He thought about what Harry would do, Harry very smart, he always know what to do.
Ron went to the ministry and he looked at the guard. "I wanna see Mr. Crazy eyes Moody."
The security guard looked at him. "You can't simply come in here, and demand to see the head of the auror department."
Ron cocked his head to the side. "He wanna see me. I know who kill the stinky snake man, and who try to hurt Harry."
The man shared a look with his partner and escorted Ron to the elevator. "I have a feeling he will be open to an appointment with you."
Ron was surprised when he saw his Daddy in the elevator. "Daddy, you come? Daddy I be a good boy. Daddy I help Harry."
Arthur didn't look or speak to his son, but he had to find out what was going on, and accompanied his son. He and Moody were both shocked, without vertiserum or any prompting, Ron sat there and confessed to murder. Arthur was sickened when he heard how his son was used, and Moody knew it could even with the brutality, be declared self-defense. The boy obviously needed to be hospitalized, and Arthur agreed.
Moody stood. "Well at least we may have some good news for John for his wedding gift."
The day before the rescheduled wedding, John was to have his bachelor party. The day was to be special for another reason, Draco's postponed proposal was scheduled, and nothing was to go wrong this time. John smiled when he watched Hermione and Draco take off for London, Draco decided to do it in London and not the manor, where her parents had. He and Lucius were meeting them at the park, where Draco would actually pop the question, after a picnic. Thanks to a warming spell, it would be a far more comfortable event than with her parents. As with the earlier proposal, Michael and Jean were brought, so they could have a part in it.
John had no doubt Hermione would accept, even before he saw the ring on her hand, when they arrived. Hermione had her suspicions, back the night of the flower, that Draco had something planned. It had meant the world to her, that he had remembered what she told him.
Hermione hugged John who she was told had a part in this. "Thank you. I guess now we will both soon be Malfoys."
John shrugged. "You could make Draco a modern man over there, and he could be a Granger."
Draco smirked at him and shared a look with his dad. "Remind me why we are marrying the two of them please."
Lucius hugged his son, so happy for him. "It isn't a very good sign, if you need a reminder, this soon."
Hermione turned to John. "Shouldn't we be going? You have a bachelor party to get to."
John kissed her on the cheek. "We will have to propose a toast to you, and who better, then your future stepfather in law."
That brought a lot of laughter, and after Hermione spent some time with her parents, they went back to the manor. They were to have dinner there, like planned on Christmas Eve, and then out for the party. The picnic Draco had for Hermione, had been like her dad had done, mainly dessert of sorts. It was a bit backwards, but Hermione would not have had it any other way. She knew Draco would make it amazing, and like his dad's proposal to John, had not gone over the top in Malfoy style but special for them. The weddings they knew would be different.
Lucius was surprised after dinner, when he spotted Alastor, he had not planned to come tonight. He had seen the man and Remus talking, and went over, hoping not to worry John. Tomorrow they were to wed, and this time nothing would ruin that.
Moody had a surprise for Lucius. "Ron turned himself in, has admitted to well hurting the apothecary, and the flowers."
Lucius was stunned. "He turned himself in?"
Moody explained. "He told me he didn't want Harry to think him naughty any more. He seems to think John is his best friend."
John had appeared and though Lucius hadn't wanted him to, he heard. "What is happening with him?"
Moody turned to look at him. "He is under arrest and in a holding cell for now. Hopefully we can have him sentenced to a hospital."
Draco came to his side. "If it will help, Hermione and I will drop charges against him for the flower, on condition he gets proper care."
John was only slightly surprised, but he knew like himself, Hermione couldn't forget she once cared about Ron. Draco had seen how far Ron slipped, and though furious that his fiancé was hurt, he knew Ron was unstable. Moody assured them if they were willing, Ron could be transferred to the hospital mental ward for care. Lucius did one better, and offered to have him placed in a private asylum, which he was a benefactor of. Ron would get much better care there, and for the sake of his fiancé, and Hermione, he was willing.
Though the others were against it, John wanted to see Ron, and Hermione too. There was not enough proof Molly was involved, Ron said she was, but he was so unstable. They would keep a closer eye on Molly, and hopefully they could have her arrested soon.
Ron looked up when John came into a holding cell in the ministry. "Harry I know you come, you know I am a good boy."
John felt sorrow, he had no idea how Ron was like this. "Yes, I know. And you know we are going to have you sent to a nice quiet place."
Ron smiled. "You come visit me? I only have you. Mummy and the stinky man kill my other friends, feed to snake. You come visit right?"
John nodded. "I will come and visit, and maybe we can bring you a new friend to keep you company."
Ron started humming to himself and petting the air as if he was holding something. "See Tomtom, I knew he'd come."
Lucius took his fiancé into his arms, when John came out, knowing how hard it was on him. Moody had been to Amelia, Draco and Hermione in tow, and the charges had been dropped. The asylum would come soon to collect Ron, and he would be kept indefinitely, for the care he needed. Lucius mentioned pets were allowed, for patients who it could help, and he was sure John could give him one. John planned to visit Ron, and bring him one, but not until after he came back from his honeymoon. He'd worry about Molly, and visit Ron, but he wanted to marry first.
Lucius kissed him. "We will marry tomorrow, nothing will get in our way this time I promise. But now, it is time for your bachelor party."
An: So yes Molly is still free, but a fluff chapter to come. John and Lucius will make it down the aisle and on their honeymoon next chapter. So sooner you review, sooner you find out the dream wedding Lucius has planned for John.
Please review, review, review.
