10—Out of the Frying Pan and Into the Fire.
Hermione woke confused. Harry was yelling—something. She raised the upper half of her body from the bed and turned to the door when Harry opened it. He said—something. Hermione blearily rose and donned her dressing gown. She reached her door as Harry was talking to Severus in his doorway. Did the man sleep fully clothed? Hermione had yet to see him in less than a crisp button down shirt, waistcoat and trousers with his feet smartly shod in leather shoes. Mary was gracing the doorway of her room, yawning and tying the sash around her own dressing gown. Hermione was finally able to make out the words "Daily Prophet", "Rita Skeeter" and "big problem". She instantly awoke fully.
Harry gestured for the three of them to follow him to the kitchen. Upon entering the room, Emily looked up from the newspaper at the quartet, tears shining in her eyes. "None of this is true," she said a tremor present in her voice. "Why would they tell lies like this?"
Mary rushed to Emily, plucking the newspaper from her hands and gathering her into an embrace. Severus took the newspaper from her as she comforted the young witch. He placed the newspaper on the table with Harry and Hermione crowding around him to read as well. There was silence for a few moments until:
"WHAT THE FUCK? 'The former Death Eater is silent on the subject of the conception of his so-called love-child. One can only infer that Snape forced himself on the virtuous Lily Potter'..."
"... 'She was so scared of his reaction, she formulated a convoluted scheme, travelling back in time to birth her baby and then pass her care to the first Muggle she saw'..."
"... 'The potion was modified by the Master to ensure this would one day come to light'..."
"... 'One has to ask if the Department of Magical Law Enforcement has investigated whether or not the so-called "maintenance worker" was Confunded or even Imperiused to cause the "accidental" explosion. As you are all aware the term "gas explosion" is often used to cover-up incidents of magical murder'..."
"... 'The Muggle is set to inherit the equivalent of 4.6 million galleons in Muggle money. One has to ask how this would supplement a mere teacher's salary'..."
"... 'The Malfoys are said to be overjoyed at this development reasoning that an association with the so-called "war heroine" will be beneficial to restoring respect to their family name'..."
"... 'The fact she is now a "half-blood" as opposed to a "Muggle-born" is the other reason they are keeping quiet in regards to their son's dalliance with the formerly plain-looking girl'..."
"... 'The Boy-Who-Lived is likely under the influence of a little-known potion to induce compliance. My source informs me our saviour wishes to cast out the memory of his mother as well as the spawn created from the illicit relation between her and his most hated Professor'... Hermione, you realise who her source is, don't you?" Harry asked.
"Ronald. These are almost the exact words he used the day this all came out," Hermione shook her head in disgust. There was no chance now of Ron ever becoming her friend again. Not after this betrayal.
"... 'Our saviour is worried that the protection previously afforded him by his mother's sacrifice is no longer in place and so feels he is unwise to upset the players of this little drama. He fears for his very safety. Dear Readers, rest assured that I, Rita Skeeter, will uncover the answers to all these questions in the upcoming days.' And so ends the article," Severus finished reading, anger lacing his every word.
"If it can be called that," Hermione stated, just as angrily. "Respected journalists are reading that rubbish and lamenting that they are tarred with the same brush as that foul bug."
"I don't understand," said Harry. "We have all been gold in the eyes of The Daily Prophet since the end of the war. What happened to change that?"
"It's simple, Harry. None of the stories written about us since the end of the war were written by her. I don't recall anything authored by her at all since her book about Dumbledore. I don't know why the editor suddenly allowed the paper to backslide into its former tabloid status. I was talking to him before we started back at school and he was really eager to distance the paper from its former reputation," Hermione explained.
"I am surprised we are not being inundated with correspondence. Usually this sort of article generates an immediate response," Severus mused.
"We got lots of owls before you all came downstairs," said Emily. "Everything is in piles depending on who they are for." She pointed towards the stacks she had made earlier.
Hermione and Harry whipped out their wands as Severus pulled Mary and Emily away from the piles of mail. Now knowing what pre-empted the deluge of mail, Harry was wary of its contents. He had forgotten about it until Emily pointed it out again. The three approached the stacks cautiously.
"None of them are smoking," said Harry. "That means no howlers at least."
"That doesn't mean they don't contain something more noxious. Remember during the Tri-Wizard someone sent me bubotuber pus," Hermione reminded him.
Severus looked at her in horrified astonishment. "Bubotuber pus? In the mail? Did you report it to anyone?"
"Madam Pomfrey, I guess, I went to the hospital wing anyway to be treated. She just tutted in that sweet way of hers, healed me and sent me on my way. I thought she might have said something to Dumbledore because after that there were only letters, nothing cursed or laced with anything."
Severus shook his head. What these children had had to put up with since they started school... He began to wave his wand over Hermione's stack of mail. He removed two letters directly to the fireplace. "Cursed," he simply said. He would not elaborate. Hermione, Mary and Emily looked horrified while Harry looked outraged. Three letters were removed from the pile addressed to Severus and one from Harry's. "I do not know about the rest of you, but if I do not recognise the name of the sender as one of my associates, the letter will suffer the same fate as those," Severus indicated the letters burning in the fire. He picked up the first letter and sure enough, it had soon joined its comrades in the hearth.
Hermione thought that was a sensible approach. She decided to simply skim hers as even if she did not know the writer, good wishes were always pleasant to read. The first two letters were banished after she scanned them only picking up words such as 'spawn', 'liar' and 'blood traitor'. The third was in fact three notes, proving to be from Draco and his parents. Hermione smiled as she read Draco's note, full of loving words of support and assurance that nothing said in the article was a true reflection of his or his family's feelings.
Lucius Malfoy had reiterated the conversation they had the previous evening. He stated he was glad they had cleared the air prior to publication of 'this drivel' and he hoped she understood his position remain unchanged.
Narcissa Malfoy's note started as a polite thank you for the previous evening. It covered all the social niceties until about halfway through when the tone immediately became more frantic and emphatic regarding the enjoyment of the company and the hopes for a future close relationship with her and her family. Hermione could almost picture Mrs Malfoy as she wrote a normal note in the morning as any society doyenne would, following an important social engagement, then hastening to reassure her once she read the article. Hermione was reassured after reading these three notes. Draco had also promised a lengthier letter later in the day.
She quickly read notes from Neville, Luna, Ginny, Mrs Weasley and Headmistress McGonagall. They all assured her of their love and support. She really didn't care about the reactions of anyone else. Ginny was promising retribution on her brother on a daily basis until they returned to school. George was apparently eager to assist. Hermione grinned at this information. Ron's life would be a living hell!
The most surprising piece of correspondence was actually addressed to Severus. It was from the Editor-In-Chief of The Daily Prophet. He apologised for the publication of the piece but he had been absent with an illness and had left the paper in the care of his deputy editor. Rita Skeeter had been able to intimidate the young man easily which allowed for the article's inclusion in that day's edition. He promised a full retraction both in the Evening Prophet and tomorrow's morning edition to ensure all their subscribers would read it. He also informed Severus that all the remaining copies on sale in the Ministry and in Diagon Alley and Hogsmeade had already been withdrawn from sale. Severus felt a grim satisfaction from this news. It would put a huge dent in the profits for the day and the hit to the paper's reputation was enough punishment for them—if the contents of the editor's letter were to be believed. He had plans to ensure this was the case.
Severus was seething in anger towards Rita Skeeter and Ronald Weasley. The darker side of his nature was screaming at him to collect Lucius from Malfoy Manor then hunt down the two perpetrators of this heinous act of vindictiveness and enact a few rounds of the Cruciatus curse on their persons. The Slytherin side of him however was recommending a different course of action. Let them spend the day secure in their little triumph then following the public retraction of their lies, hit them with the full force of retribution in the form of lawsuits, a systematic dismantling of their reputations and ultimately blacklist them from British Wizarding society.
The floo suddenly went off in the sitting room. Harry hastened to answer it, Severus following closely in case the caller was not a friend. When they entered the room it was to find the Minister of Magic's head floating in the fire. Harry quickly adjusted the wards to allow Kingsley Shacklebolt entry into the house. The three men exchanged morning greetings as the Minister dusted himself off. Mary appeared in the doorway to inform them that breakfast would be served in the dining room. Mary did not see the need to neglect the basics during this small crisis. Kingsley quickly agreed to join them.
As they entered the room, Mary began to introduce Kingsley to Emily. He waved off the introduction, informing her that he and Emily were old friends. He enquired after her and they briefly discussed how she was faring at Hogwarts and how she came to be spending the Christmas Holidays in Grimmauld Place. Once everyone was seated and served, Kingsley launched into the explanation of why he was here.
"The DMLE has been inundated this morning with demands for your head, Severus. There is concern regarding the allegation about the gas explosion," Kingsley held up his hand to forestall the shouts of exclamation from the other four adults. "I know you are innocent, Severus. I simply wanted to ask Doctor Granger the identities of the investigators from the Muggle police so I can get a copy of the report into the accident. I also wondered if any of you had an idea who Skeeter's mysterious source is. I did not need this baseless distraction so close to Christmas."
"I have the business cards of the investigators back at Hogwarts, Minister. I will get Winky to get them for you," Mary called for Winky to ask her to return to the school and retrieve the information. As she did, Hermione and Harry told Kingsley of their suspicion of Ron Weasley, adding the suspicions that Neville Longbottom, Luna Lovegood and Ginny Weasley had also supplied in their letters that morning. Kingsley was surprised.
"I thought you lot were all best friends. Why would he suddenly turn on you all like that?"
"He was upset that I was willing to acknowledge Severus as my father and build a relationship with him. He still thinks Severus guilty of the murder of Dumbledore. He thinks I lied to him about being Muggle-born, even though I didn't know my birth parents were magical and he holds it against me. In the last couple of months he has called me a spawn, a bastard, a bitch, and a thing," Hermione listed off the nouns on her fingers. "I really don't know what's motivating him to act this way. I think the final straw was him seeing Draco and I together. He still wanted a relationship with me up until this all happened and I had already told him we would never be a couple. This is his way of getting even with me for that." She explained all of this very matter-of-factly.
Severus and Harry frowned at her unruffled manner. They both felt she was too calm in the face of the betrayal by her former best friend. Hermione was over it, though. It did not matter what she said or did, Ron was never going to change.
Kingsley shook his head. He was the Minister for Magic. His time was carefully managed and he resented that he had to stop working on real problems to address this issue which only came about due to a petulant teenager's desire to cause as much trouble as possible. "Do you have any plans about what to do now?" he asked.
Hermione and Harry both sported evil grins. Harry spoke, "Ginny and George are going to embark on a pranking campaign for the rest of the holidays. George has loads of products he needs to test. When they're in that stage, well, anything can happen." Hermione nodded her head in agreement. She remembered the black eye she received from one such product when staying at the Burrow. Emily also smiled at this information. She had been on the receiving end of some pranks from her year mates as well as participating in pranking some of them in return. Every one of those pranks involved at least one product from Weasley's Wizarding Wheezes.
Severus looked at the three students condescendingly. 'Gryffindors,' he thought. 'Never thinking beyond the next prank.' He cleared his throat. "Whilst that may seem like retribution I had thought to retain the services of a lawyer to start proceedings in a libel suit. If we can force Miss Skeeter to reveal the name of her source then the public humiliation alone will force him to cease any further attempts to destroy our reputations."
"Journalists don't reveal their sources, Severus. It is one of the cornerstones of their profession," Mary stated. Severus, Hermione, Harry and Kingsley all began to laugh.
"You are right, Mum, but Rita will be much more concerned with protecting her own skin, rather than Ron's. She is a disgrace to the word 'journalist'," Hermione replied.
"So, how do we get a lawyer?" asked Harry.
"If you are all in agreement, I will retain one on behalf of all of us," Severus offered as he looked around the room. Mary, Hermione and Harry all nodded their agreement. Showing a united front in this situation would be important and they all trusted Severus to make a good selection. Severus thought perhaps Gerard Westin would be a good choice. He was the lawyer who had sent the letters Lily had written, so had been retained in the past by the Potters. It would help to have Lily's lawyer represent them now and show that link.
Once they had finished their meal, Kingsley rose from the table. He asked Severus for a private word before he left. The two headed back to the sitting room to talk before Kingsley used the floo once again.
"I didn't want to mention this in front of the others, Severus, but there has also been a question in relation to the allegations regarding the issue of force in Hermione's conception."
Severus drew himself up to his full height, prepared to defend himself against these accusations. Kingsley forestalled him once again with a hand to his arm. "I do not believe that allegation for a moment, Severus," he reassured. "However there are those that do. Any proof you have to refute this would be beneficial."
Severus nodded. "Hermione, Harry, and I all have letters from Lily delivered via a lawyer which alludes to her complicity in the event."
Kingsley nodded. He needed more though and was reluctant to ask. He knew how private Severus was. This would be the ultimate proof though. "Your memory of the time in question would prove to be the most accurate proof of all Severus."
"WHAT?" thundered Severus. "No, there is no way I am giving up that! It was a private moment and without Lily's consent I cannot betray her memory in that way. I will testify under veritaserum if I have to but no one will view that memory. Her two children do not need to see their mother in that light." Severus was incensed that this could be asked of him.
Kingsley understood his friend's reticence. It was a private matter, brought out into the open now by a petty pair, determined to destroy the reputations of good people. People who had recently contributed to the saving of their world against pure evil. 'And this is how we repay our heroes,' he thought sadly. "I can promise you, the only people who will see the memory are the Head of the DMLE, three members of your choosing from the Wizengamot, and myself. You have my word it will be no one else. I am prepared to swear an oath if need be," Kingsley reassured Severus earnestly.
Severus broke away from the other man, furiously pacing the room while he thought about the situation. He knew this would prove beyond a doubt the accusations against him were false but he still had trouble putting Lily in the unflattering light she would be seen in if this memory was exposed. "I will want that oath from all who see the memory Kingsley," Severus bargained. Kingsley nodded in agreement. "I also will not give up the memory without the consent of both Hermione and Harry. This is their mother who is involved; they are the only ones who can assent on her behalf."
Kingsley breathed a sigh of relief. He hoped this matter could be dealt with swiftly. "Thank you Severus, I will wait to hear from you," Kingsley said as he took his leave.
.
"I won't have to look at it, will I?" Harry asked a faint expression of horror across his face. He did not want to see Severus and his mother doing... that!
Harry and Hermione were sitting next to each other on a sofa in the sitting room, Severus seated on the edge of an armchair opposite them. He had just informed them of what Kingsley needed.
"No, Harry. I would rather prefer it if no one saw it, you certainly do not have to be one of those that do," Severus replied. They had started to refer to each other by their first names since arriving in Grimmauld Place. Severus reasoned that as the brother of his daughter, he would be sharing the young man's company for many years to come and the constant formality would wear thin after a while.
"No one would have to actually see the—act, would they? I mean, they only really need to see up to the part where you... start," Hermione sounded nervous. This was really not a discussion she wanted to have. She wished her mother was in the room but she understood why Severus had only wanted to speak with her and Harry.
"Yes, that's a good idea," Harry enthusiastically agreed. "Only the lead up and not the part where people start to get... naked."
Severus looked at the pair in confusion. "You are both extremely prudish for your ages. You are surely both experienced enough to be able to discuss the act of sexual intercourse without embarrassment." Hermione and Harry both turned red and looked down. "Are you both innocents?"
"Well, we were kind of busy fighting a war, you know," retorted Harry not without some anger. "There were more important things to worry about."
"And since the end of the war?"
"I was always taught the act should involve serious feelings and not be something you entered into lightly. Up until now, I have never had feelings for anyone that were strong enough for me to act on," Hermione said primly.
"What do you mean 'up until now'?" Severus questioned.
Hermione's face went redder if that was possible. "I just mean that no one has elicited those feelings in me yet, although don't be surprised if Draco is that person," Hermione stated, rising to the challenge presented. "What about you and Ginny, Harry?" she asked, trying to deflect the conversation from herself.
"We aren't in that place yet, either. Although, don't be surprised if we are soon, too," Harry replied.
Severus realised they had gotten off topic. He also was not comfortable discussing this with the pair. He found himself relieved to hear that his daughter was pure though. He decided to direct the conversation back to its original subject.
"I am not wholly comfortable giving others access to this memory even though it will prove my innocence beyond a doubt, and I will not do it without the consent of both of you. You two are the only ones who can speak for Lily now," Severus waited for Hermione and Harry to come to a conclusion.
"It's your decision, Harry. She's your mother," Hermione said as she turned towards him.
Harry likewise turned his body slightly so he was facing his sister. This was the perfect opportunity to bring up something that had been plaguing him for a while now. "She's your mother, too, Hermione. You need to start acting like it."
"No, she gave me up to Mum and Dad. She signed away her rights and in doing so, made it so I have no rights concerning her."
"How can you say that? She loved you."
"She loved me enough to lie to her husband after cheating on him and then make up some completely mad scheme to hide me forever. What if we never brewed that potion? I would never have found out the truth."
"Well, you did find out the truth. It was what you wanted. You could have stopped before adding the hair but you wanted to know. You've accepted Severus easily as your father and from that moment we have been full brother and sister. As far as I'm concerned that gives you back your rights."
"Harry—"
"No, Hermione," Harry held up his hand as he interrupted her. "By not acknowledging Mum, you're not acknowledging me! I know your mum and dad raised you and loved you and they're all you've ever known. I wish more than anything Mum could have taken me back in time as well and given both of us over to your parents to care for us as we grew up. Believe me; you got the best deal there. I'm really happy as well that Mary is willing to step in and be like a mum to me now but you're my sister through our mother and this decision will be made by us, together!"
Hermione had tears pooling in the corners of her eyes. She had never realised Harry felt this way—like she was rejecting Lily from her life. 'The way Lily rejected you from hers,' Hermione squashed the traitorous voice in her head. She had no wish for resentment to cloud her thinking. She took the handkerchief Severus was holding out to her. Harry was still looking at her imploringly, desperately hoping she would not refuse him once again. She wiped her eyes as she nodded.
Harry slumped back into his seat, relieved Hermione was able to see his side. His resentment over this had been simmering inside him for weeks. He reached out for her and pulled her to slump back as well, his arm draped over her shoulder. "Yes?" he asked. He could see Hermione think for a few seconds.
"Yes," she agreed.
Harry looked at Severus and nodded. "The final decision of course rests with you, Severus. It is your memory. Hermione and I agree on behalf of Mum though."
"Thank you, Harry. I will let the two of you know what I decide." Severus rose from his chair and left the room. There was silence for a few minutes until Hermione started speaking.
"It's just easier accepting Severus as my father because he had nothing to do with the original decision," Hermione said quietly. "It's also a bit easier because Severus can make up for the lost time now. Lily can't explain away her actions or try to atone for them. I guess it's just easier in my mind to make her the villain. It hurts to know she chose you over me."
"But you got to be with Mary and Michael and I had to spend my life with Petunia and Vernon. As I said, you got the best deal there," Harry said, a touch of bitterness to his voice.
"She didn't know that! She thought you would have gone to Sirius and been brought up as a junior marauder. She knew he would have doted on you completely. What did she know about Mum and Dad other than they were kind to her for a few days? What if Mum didn't have a doctor's appointment that day? She would have been nowhere near that hospital! I would have been adopted by random people she never even met!"
"We can sit here and trade 'what ifs' forever, Hermione. The facts are not ideal. It hurts me that my dad no longer found my mum attractive after I was born. I was the cause of that according to Professor McGonagall. If he could have been a man about things instead of a boy then she wouldn't have had to cheat on him. Maybe then she would have been pregnant to him and you would have been my sister from the beginning. But then, you probably would have been killed that night as well and I would never have known you.
"Hermione, my life is nothing without you in it. If this is how it had to be, then I would gladly live my life with the Dursleys all over again just so you were my friend. You always stood beside me, no matter what. There isn't anyone else in the world who can say that."
Hermione snuggled closer into Harry's side. "I will always be by your side Harry Potter. Never doubt that. We're all a family under this roof, you know? I think even Emily will be an official part of it before long. We all love you and I'm sure we will all be by your side forever."
"Even Severus?" Harry asked sceptically.
Hermione laughed as she lightly swatted Harry's chest. "Yes, even Severus. The number of times he's saved your skin, I doubt he will stop now. He can hide his feelings behind the fact that now I'm your sister, he's duty-bound to treat you civilly. Don't expect him to admit anything, though."
"I won't. So we're okay?"
Hermione smiled, her green eyes sparkling. "When haven't we been?"
.
Severus was sitting in the library brooding over the decision he now had to make. Trust Potter to put it back on him. He could have said no, and then Severus would be justified in refusing Kingsley. But no, let's leave the decision to others, as usual.
It had been a hard enough decision once before to give up his private memories for the perusal of someone else. This was just one memory though, not several. 'The one memory you thought would just be yours forever.' Could he do it? Even though he was no longer in love with Lily, there was a special place in his heart reserved just for her. He did still respect her and this memory did not paint her in a flattering light.
There was a quiet knock on the door. Severus looked up to see Mary hovering in the doorway. "Do you need to talk?" she asked quietly.
Severus almost sent her away. He drew in a breath to harshly order her to leave when an inner voice stopped him. 'It will help to talk,' the voice said. It sounded eerily like Albus's voice which was enough to give him pause. Instead of rejecting Mary's offer, he gestured to the chair opposite him. She came into the room, softly closing the door behind her and taking the chair he offered. She sat and waited patiently for him to begin.
Silence reigned for several minutes. Severus was grateful that Mary did not push the issue, but waited until he was ready. He tried to put his thoughts into some form of order.
"Part of me wants to hunt down Rita Skeeter and Ronald Weasley and show them just why the followers of the Dark Lord were feared," he began. "They both have a vendetta against Hermione. Sweet, innocent, pure Hermione, who never asked for any of this. Who willingly dove head first into a war she had no reason to fight. These two are willing to drag her through the mud now just to satisfy their own petty need for attention.
"They are also besmirching the name of a woman who cannot defend herself. I realise Lily's position is not the most honourable but questioning her morals does nothing but dredge up ill feeling in her children. I have just had to witness the two of them as they questioned the rights they had to speak for her now. The right to release my memory of the two of us having consensual sex. The right to release it for the view of judges who would like nothing more than to lock me away.
"Tell me I am not justified. Tell me I should not seek these reprobates out and serve them up a dose of what I once willingly enacted on innocent people who did not deserve it. Tell me these two do not deserve to experience the torture I am capable of performing. Tell me I may not seek retribution on behalf of my daughter, the woman I once loved, and her son."
"I can tell you none of that, Severus. Not when I share those feelings. I would ask for a front row seat to see the two of them get what they richly deserve. But torture? No, too quick for me. What goes around comes around and they will find their just desserts in the fabric of time. If there is some sort of magic you can all enact to help that along, well who am I to say no? But Severus, also remember that Hermione's not so sweet and innocent. You know she trapped Skeeter in a jar for several weeks. I believe she also led one of her professors into the Forbidden Forest and left her to the mercy of the centaurs. There are some other tales I could tell. Our daughter has a wicked streak in her."
"That is just the Slytherin in her coming out."
"Don't make excuses. My point is she can take good care of herself. She would not want you running out and torturing anyone which would land you in a world of trouble. She would want the Slytherin in you to enact your revenge the way you described earlier. Draw it out to make it as painful and as long as possible. My advice is to release the memory.
"Hermione has told me what you have said about that night. She told me Lily initiated the sex between you. Pick the three members of the court who are most opposed to you and make them suffer as they see you as a man, simply enjoying the attentions of a woman, rather than the monster they believe you to be.
"Once everything is cleared through the court, you can then demand compensation. Not monetary—you are above that. Perhaps Rita Skeeter cannot publish another word about you, Hermione, Harry or Lily ever again. Harry especially seems to be her staple. Perhaps Ronald Weasley will never again be able to hold his head up in polite society. That is certainly the fate he wishes for Hermione. From what I have observed, these are the actions of a true Slytherin."
Severus looked at Mary in admiration. He was sure she would try to talk him down from any truly vindictive measures. The fact the only reason she did not want him to torture Skeeter and Weasley was because it would be too quick? Here was a woman to be held in high regard.
"I believe you may be right. I will be extracting an oath from the judges as Kingsley offered. I will contact him and set things in motion."
Severus stood and offered his hand to help Mary from her chair. As she stood they locked eyes for a few seconds. Each recognised a similar spirit. Mary offered a small smile and turned towards the door.
.
Ron Weasley sat sullenly in his bedroom at the Burrow. His moment of triumph this morning when he saw the newspaper article 'on the front page no less' was short lived as first his sister, then his father, his mother, and one by one his brothers all berated him for his part in exposing the truth about life at Hogwarts. He had been stewing by himself for the best part of the day. It was nearly dinnertime.
He tried to deny to his parents that he had anything at all to do with it but they had overheard him crowing to Ginny that Hermione and Snape got what they deserved and he should have contacted Rita a lot sooner than this. After that he had to put up with bat bogeys, vomiting slugs, and a hex sent at him by Fleur of all people which felt like spiders were crawling up his back. George had laced his food with puking pastilles and his own mother had shot stinging hexes at him when he tried to get into the kitchen to get food!
'I did the right thing! Everyone deserves to know the truth about what's going on up there. Hahaha I bet they got loads of hate mail this morning. I bet they got howlers and cursed letters sent to them by the dozen. Good! They deserve everything they get. Stupid gits! Now everyone at school will see I was right all along! Rita will keep the articles coming over the next few days and by the time the holidays are over they will all be begging me for forgiveness!' he thought petulantly. His stomach growled, signalling it was time for dinner.
'They'll all still be giving me dirty looks, I bet. Just wait till Snape is convicted, then we'll see who gets the dirty looks,' he thought as he made his way downstairs.
Sure enough as he entered the kitchen Charlie, George and Ginny glared at him as though he were a bug they wished to squash. Bill, Fleur and Percy simply ignored his presence. His mother began to serve up the dishes, practically slamming his plate on the table in front of him. He looked up at his father, the colour in his face draining as he took in the headline of the Evening Prophet his father was currently holding in front of his face:
MINISTER REFUTES ALLEGATIONS: PROOF OF SNAPE'S INNOCENCE WILL BE PROVIDED TO THE WIZENGAMOT
"What's the matter, Ron?" Ginny asked sweetly. Ron could hear the fake tone to her voice. "See something you weren't expecting?" Ginny had been speaking with Harry on and off during the day and keeping her family informed of any and all developments.
"WHAT THE HELL IS THIS?" he screamed.
There was a loud crash behind them as Molly threw a pot into the sink. "This," she hissed scathingly at her son, "is the result of months of poor judgement, childish behaviour and arrogance on your part. All the good you have done for our world, undone by your stubborn refusal to accept life doesn't always go the way you planned." Ron cowered under his mother's furious gaze. He had never seen her this angry and that was saying something. She continued in that eerie, quiet hiss.
"That a child of mine and Arthur's could act in this manner. That you would be so vindictive and undoubtedly petulant that you are willing to destroy the lives of three people we hold dear and in such high respect, makes me physically ill. I never dreamed I would have cause to say this to one of my own children, but I wish now Fred had been spared and you were in his place. At least we would be able to remember you with respect."
There was a collective gasp in the room as Molly's words sunk in to the rest of the occupants. Molly sobbed as she rushed from the room, Arthur following close behind her. Fleur stood and took Molly's place at the counter lest the food spoil. She knew it was her husband's and his siblings' place to remonstrate with Ronald. She would do her best to hold the fort any way she could.
Ron had gone white following his mother's words. 'She wishes I was dead?' And what was with the hissing? Molly Weasley was a yeller—everyone knew that. Ron cleared his throat and attempted to lighten the moment. Anything to escape the incredulous looks he was getting from his brothers and sister following the admission by their mother—one no child regardless of their age would wish to hear.
"I guess she's pre-menstrual or something."
There was silence for a few seconds then an explosion of noise, much more familiar to the Weasley household. Never one of this content though. Voices could be heard yelling over one another, accusations and insults hurled at volumes to be heard clearly from the yard. Even Fleur had foregone her previous conviction to stay out of this argument.
"YOU UTTER BASTARD!"
"HARRY THREATENED TO NEVER COME HERE AGAIN!"
"SEVERUS IS BEING DRAGGED IN FRONT OF THE WIZENGAMOT BECAUSE OF THIS!"
"FUCKWIT! WHAT SORT OF SON CAN CAUSE A MOTHER TO HAVE TO SAY THOSE WORDS?"
"THE MINISTER IS INVOLVED NOW!"
"WHAT SORT OF LIFE DO YOU THINK YOU WILL HAVE ONCE IT GETS OUT YOU WERE BEHIND THIS?"
"'ARRY AND 'ERMIONE WERE YOUR BEST FRIENDS! IZ ZIS ZE WAY YOU WISH FOR ZEM TO ACT?"
Ron recoiled from the aggressive words pouring out of the mouths of his siblings. Gone were the easy-going, cheerful and loving individuals and in their places were angry, distressed and disappointed strangers.
"WHAT? I haven't done anything wrong!" he defended. He started to pace around the room. "My former friends have proved they are lying, cheating scum. Harry just accepted Hermione, no questions asked, going completely against what his Dad and Sirius would have said. I'm the only one who sees her for what she really is—a bastard Slytherin whore!" Ginny had to be restrained by Percy from physically lashing out at her brother. Ron didn't notice as he continued his tirade. "You should all be defending me and stand by me, no matter what!"
Ginny stilled in Percy's arms. "I told you months ago I would stand by Harry and Hermione. That is as true today as it was then."
"I'M YOUR BROTHER! YOU DON'T GET A CHOICE IN THIS! YOU HAVE TO STAND BY MY SIDE! NOT THEIRS!" he screamed.
Ginny looked at him. Never before had he seen such disappointment, sadness and hatred in a person's gaze. "There is always a choice, and this is mine: I have no brother named Ronald Bilius Weasley," she said sadly. A glow surrounded her as her magic registered this statement. Percy let go of her.
Ron shook his head in disbelief. "Ginny, don't say anything you will regret later," he choked.
Ginny looked him directly in the eye. "I haven't, and I won't regret it later. Harry is my life now, my future, and my love. You're dead to me." She rushed from the room, crying. Fleur quickly followed her to comfort her. It left only the boys in the room. Bill placed his hand on Ron's shoulder and forcibly pushed him into a chair. His four brothers surrounded him, looming over him as he sat there.
"Let us tell you a little story so you can see just how much trouble you are in right now," Bill said.
"Severus has spent the day fighting with himself not to seek you out and show you why he was once a Death Eater. Considering you spent the day in your room, it wouldn't have been hard for him to do," supplied Charlie.
"Harry and Hermione had to give permission on behalf of their dead mother for judges to watch her and Severus have sex to prove he didn't force her," contributed George.
"Kingsley Shacklebolt has been going around the Ministry all afternoon muttering about having to meet with the Muggle Prime Minister to obtain a report about Doctor Granger's death simply because a 'petulant teenager has an unrequited crush'," added Percy
"And all of them, Harry, Hermione, Severus, and Mary, are hiring a lawyer to bring a libel suit against Rita Skeeter. How long do you think before she caves and supplies your name to try and save hers?" Bill asked.
Ron looked from brother to brother. "You're all on their side, aren't you?" he accused.
All four of his brothers stood upright. Percy groaned in frustration and pressed his hand to his forehead. Charlie and George threw their hands in the air as they turned away and Bill shook his head in astonishment that his wayward youngest brother could really be this thick.
Fleur returned to the room. "Ginny 'az gone to Grimmauld wiz ze blessing of your fazzer. Zhe will stay ze night zair," she stated. She once again made her way to the counter to try and salvage as much of the evening meal as she could.
"I think the best place for you right now, Ron, is to go back to your room. We'll send a plate up. We'll see tomorrow what the best course of action to take from here is," Bill took charge. He escorted his brother from the room, the rest reseating themselves around the table. Fleur served the food she had reheated and they ate in silence.
.
Draco and Hermione looked up from their places on the couch in the sitting room when the floo went off. Draco had decided earlier that he couldn't put his assurances to Hermione in a simple letter and so asked if he was able to visit instead. At the insistence of the entire house, he agreed to stay for dinner. Hermione and he were spending some time alone before dinner was served. Hermione jumped from Draco's embrace as Ginny Weasley tumbled out of the floo. His annoyance at the interruption instantly dissolved when he saw the state she was in. He left Hermione to comfort her, while he ran to get Harry.
At Draco's insistent calls, four heads popped out of various rooms of the house. Harry practically launched himself down the stairs when he saw Ginny being led from the sitting room by Hermione, the love of his life in hysterical tears. Harry embraced her and guided her back into the room, closing the door behind them. Hermione looked around at the others who were looking to her for an explanation. "She disowned Ron," Hermione explained. Severus and Draco drew in sharp breaths. Hermione gestured all of them to the dining room.
"I don't understand," said Emily. "What he did was really wrong. Ginny can take it back after a few days."
Severus shook his head. "No, Button, she cannot," he said gently, using her nickname for the first time. "In the Wizarding world, if you disown a family member then it is just as though that person has died. Ginevra will grieve now."
"But what happens when she sees him around? Like at school or at home?" Emily asked in confusion.
"She will basically see straight through him. She will acknowledge him politely when the situation calls for it, but she will never seek him out nor engage in a serious conversation with him. Her magic will steer her away from his vicinity," Severus explained.
"That's rather harsh, isn't it?" asked Mary. "What if she changes her mind?"
"She can change her mind but it can't be rash. She would need him to demonstrate that he has atoned for the reason she disowned him in the first place," explained Draco.
"And considering it's because he demanded they all stand by him and not us, I can't see that happening anytime soon," Hermione said sadly. She was upset her closest female friend had gone to these lengths. If there was ever a cause to doubt Ginny's loyalty, however, well, that was now long gone.
The five sat down at the table, the mood sombre. Mary asked Kreacher to take some dinner into Harry and Ginny, knowing they probably wouldn't eat it. The mother in her had to provide though.
.
Harry held an inconsolable Ginny gently rocking her back and forth. At one point, he noticed Kreacher appear with some food and quietly asked him to place it under stasis. After about an hour, Ginny had finally calmed enough to explain what had happened. Harry's anger towards Ron was renewed but he stayed silent. He would make sure he paid later though.
Harry finally coaxed Ginny to eat a few mouthfuls of food and have some tea. They sat quietly for a long time, Harry not noticing the passage of time until the mantle clock chimed ten.
"Ginny," he whispered. "Come on, let's get you to bed. You can stay with Hermione."
"No, Harry. Please let me stay with you."
"Ginny, no. You should stay with Hermione; we don't need any other distractions now." He started to guide her from the room. They met Hermione in the hallway. She had just closed the door behind Draco.
"Please, Harry. I want to stay with you," Ginny clung to him desperately. Harry looked at Hermione, pleading for her help. They guided her up the stairs, Ginny still beseeching Harry that she be able to stay with him. She had him almost in a death grip by the time they reached the landing.
Hermione bit her lip. "Harry, Ginny obviously needs you," she said. "It will be alright. I'll help you get ready for bed." Hermione squeezed Harry's arm in support. She knew her brother was worried about the propriety of the situation but she also knew Harry's good nature would mean nothing untoward happened. "I'll sleep in there, too, if you're worried," she offered.
"Thank you," Harry said gratefully. "I would appreciate it." Hermione quickly went into her room to change and grab her pillow. As she emerged from her room, she saw Emily coming down the hall, yawning while clutching her own pillow, a blanket and a plush rabbit. Her hair was slightly askew. Hermione was worried she was sleepwalking.
"Button, are you ok?" she asked quietly.
Emily nodded, another yawn escaping her mouth. "I heard you and thought it might help Ginny if I slept in there, too, you can never have enough people around when you lose a family member."
Hermione hugged the compassionate girl to her side and guided her into Harry's room. The four of them climbed on the bed, Ginny positioned between Harry and Hermione with Emily stretched across the end of the bed, holding one of Ginny's feet. Ginny fell asleep quickly, the events of the evening having caught up with her. Emily was also out like a light. Hermione was surprised she was conscious long enough to come into the room. Hermione smiled at Harry over Ginny's slumbering form. He returned her smile as he turned off the lights.
.
The next morning Ron made his way tentatively into the kitchen of the Burrow. His mother was back at the stove as normal. Percy and George were at the table, Arthur at the window receiving The Daily Prophet. He watched as his father unrolled the newspaper revealing the following headline:
SKEETER ADMITS TO FALSE ACCUSATIONS
Ron's shoulders slumped in defeat. He really was not going to get to them. He had thought for sure that contacting Rita would make everything right with the world once more. She was ecstatic when she met up with him the week before. She was the first person to listen to his side of the story and agree with him. She had promised she had loyal readers who would believe anything she wrote. She had assured him people would flock to his banner, decrying Granger and Snape to all and sundry and banishing them to social pariahdom—whatever that was. It sounded good though.
Molly turned from the stove, a pan of scrambled eggs in her hand. "Good morning, Ronald," she said quietly. She moved to his normal place at the table and began spooning a generous helping onto his plate. He smiled at her gratefully. She did not return the smile. His shoulders slumped further. He sat down in his chair.
Percy looked out the window. "Looks like it snowed pretty heavily last night," he said conversationally.
"Yeah, the Alley will be pretty quiet this morning, I think," responded George.
"Only if it snowed this heavily in London as well, it's still Christmas Eve," Arthur reminded him.
Charlie came into the room with Bill and Fleur. They wished everyone good morning, as sombre as the mood was. They sat down as Arthur folded the paper and Molly came to sit at the table. Ron visibly swallowed. They were all looking at him.
"Your actions are not those of a member of our family," started Arthur. "I confess I am sorely disappointed in you. We will not support you in any action you take to defend these accusations; in fact, we will publicly defend Severus and Hermione, as they have done nothing wrong. If you recant your allegations however, we will support you as you attempt to atone for your transgressions. We do not expect you to answer right now, we wish for whatever course you choose to be decided upon after reflection. You will stay with George until Hogwarts resumes, you cannot be in the vicinity of Ginny at the moment. We respect her right to disown you, as we would any of your brothers.
"You are still our son, as far from the line as you have strayed, and we will not disown you. We will exile you, if we have to, though. We do not agree with anything you have done recently and any number of verbal and written admonishments have gone unheeded. Perhaps this is what had to happen to make you see your behaviour will no longer be tolerated."
Arthur stood and drank the last of his tea. His word had been stated with the support of his wife and remaining sons. Ron was shell shocked.
He headed over and gave Molly a kiss on the cheek. "I'm going to stop in at Grimmauld on my way and check on Ginny. I'll tell her you'll see her later?" he asked. Molly nodded as she returned his kiss.
"Tell her I'll be there around ten."
Arthur kissed Fleur's cheek and patted the shoulders of Bill, Charlie, Percy, and George as he passed. He nodded politely to Ron in farewell. The tension in the room was thick enough to cut with a knife. Ron morosely spooned eggs into his mouth, not tasting them. The only sounds came from Percy turning the pages of the paper and Molly bustling about the stove and sink. The headline continued to stare Ron in the face, a visible reminder of his failure.
.
Ginny's idea for the pranks she writes about to Harry and Hermione at the beginning are her initial reaction to what Ron has done. When he fails to show any remorse, that is when she intensifies her reaction towards him. I just felt this needed to be clarified.