Ronald Weasley straightened his tie and examined his reflection in the mirror above the dresser. He didn't look bad. He didn't look the way he had before he'd spent four years at the bottom of a bottle, but he didn't look bad. Two years sober. He let himself smile.
It was time to go home. There were amends to make. His family had written at first, but he had binned the letters. He'd been in no place for happy news.
Hermione would make him pay. He knew he'd have to crawl a bit. She'd been the one he hurt the most. Sleeping with Romilda Vane while his wife was up the duff with Hugo had been stupid. The divorce shouldn't have come as a surprise, but he'd been shocked. Hermione had looked at him with red rimmed eyes and a firm jaw. The image of her pain played through his mind. He'd done that. It wasn't going to be a quick fix.
He'd left England after she'd refused to take him back. It had seemed like the thing to do, relax and regroup. Well, it had taken a bit longer than he'd planned.
He took a deep breath. He let his lungs burn for a moment before he let the breath out. It didn't feel cleansing.
Six years.
Six years in the Americas.
The anonymity had been nice. No pesky cameras catching him at his worst. No disappointed glares from his kin.
Just him and his guilt.
His Rose was headed off to Hogwarts today. He'd gotten a portkey to get him there. He'd see them all at once. Surprise them. It was the best plan.
Hermione glared at Harry. He was searching the trunks for contraband right there on the platform. Draco was handing Rose a small purse stuffed with galleons. Scorpius had already pocketed his. James was grinning as he looked into the bag Theo and George had given him. That was a friendship designed to drive her round the bend. Harry saw none of it.
"They'll have it all confiscated soon enough." Ginny grinned at her. "Despite Theo and George."
"Draco's given them each enough funds to last a year." Hermione shook her head. "And your husband is checking for false bottoms."
"It's amazing how blind he can be." Ginny giggled.
"Unless he was providing the distraction so the other idiots could load our babies down with contraband." Hermione raised a brow. "They can be so infantile."
"You're the one that wanted them to get along." Ginny smirked and bumped Hermione's shoulder with her own. "Happy?"
"You know I am." Hermione grinned as Scorpius darted over to hug her and then took off again with Roxanne hard on his heals. She watched as Draco and Theo helped Millicent Goyle haul in the trunks for her twins. The children were all hugging and laughing as if they hadn't been together the week before. Harry trotted back to them more like a puppy than the proud man he had become.
"Having fun?" Ginny smacked his arm. "Helping to drive Minerva to an early grave?"
"It's good for her." Harry shrugged. "Next year Draco can be the trunk inspector."
The sudden scream had them all turning with wands in hand.
Ron stared at the girl he'd been sure was his Rosie. The girl was the right age and her long red hair looked just like Ginny's had at that age. He took two steps back with his hands up and saw Susan Bones gather the girl.
"Sorry." He looked down at his shoes. This was not at all how he'd pictured it.
"What are you doing here, Ronald?" Hermione's voice was coming from right behind him with that sharp angry tone.
"I've come to see Rose off." He turned and looked directly into her eyes.
"After six years?" Hermione shook her head and took a few steps away from him. "You show up here after six years without a word?"
Hermione looked lovely. Her hair was tamed into some up do that showed off her neck or something. The robes she was wearing flattered her. She didn't look like the sad girl he'd left. She looked like a woman.
"Didn't even get the right girl." George appeared at her side. "Any Ginger will do?"
"I would like to see Rose." Ron looked at Hermione. There would be no sympathy from George. "I've come a long way."
"Well, so has she." George took a step forward but stopped when Hermione touched his arm. "She's not five. Grand gestures aren't so impressive anymore."
"I know she's not five anymore." Ron glowered at his brother. "I came to see her off didn't I?"
"Why the surprise?" Hermione tilted her head. "Does your mother know you're here?"
"She'd have told you." Ginny joined them. "This is beyond stupid, Ron. Do you honestly think five minutes before she gets on the train will make up for six years?"
"I need to start somewhere." Ron looked toward his sister. "I know I should have been here. I wasn't, but I am now. I want to make it up to my kids and my wife."
"Your wife?" George tilted his head. "You remarried?"
"Hermione." Ron glared at his brother. "I meant Hermione."
George blinked twice and exploded into laughter. Ginny gaped like a fish. He turned to look at Hermione. There was no softening in her eyes. Her cheeks were flushed and her eyes narrowed. He swallowed down the moment's fear. She wouldn't hurt him. Her lips thinned as she frowned.
"I am not your wife." Her voice echoed around the platform.
"I know we got divorced, but it's always been you for me 'Mione." Ron smiled at her and raised his hands up placatingly. "I've come home to prove it to you."
"Oh, gods, I wish Fred was here." George was rocking back and forth with tears streaming down his face while he laughed.
"Ron, don't do this." Ginny shook her head. "Harry won't be able to keep them back much longer. You need to go. Go to the Burrow."
"No, Ginny." He shook his head. "I want to see my children. Where are they? Where is Rose? Where is my boy?"
Ginny tossed her hands in the air and stalked away from them. It didn't matter. Hermione was still listening.
"Hugo is with his Grandmother." Hermione pushed the words through her teeth. "And I'm so very glad that he is. You come here, cause chaos, and make demands? For what?"
"I'm not making demands. I just want to see my children." Ron looked down at his scuffed shoes. "I know I left for a long time, but I am done running away from my troubles."
The scuffle down the platform didn't distract him. He knew he could soften her. He raised his eyes up to hers. She'd always folded when he'd looked sad. Always.
He almost fell when a small child raced past him, but he kept his eyes on hers.
"Leave my mum alone." A small blonde boy that was the image of Draco Malfoy glared at him as he hugged Hermione tight around the waist.
"It's fine, Scorpius. I'm fine." Hermione buried her fingers in the boy's pale hair and hugged him against her legs protectively.
"She's not your mum." Ron looked down at the child.
"I am." Hermione's eyes hardened. "We made the choice together. I am his mother."
"That's Malfoy's boy." Ron shook his head. "He did not let you decide to be his perfect, pure blood son's mother."
"No." Hermione shook her head. "I married his perfect, pureblood self first. I'm the only mother Scorpius remembers, and he is my son."
"Malfoy shacked up with Nott after his wife died. I remember reading that before Rosie was born." Ron shook his head. "No way are you married to Malfoy."
"I married them both." Hermione smiled. It was a look he barely remembered. Contentment.
Peace.
Then they walked up behind her. Well dressed and pale. One dark, one light. He saw it.
His plans and his dreams burned to a crisp.
"You shouldn't have come here." Hermione pushed the boy behind her. "If you want to see Rose and Hugo, we can arrange it."
"If they agree." Nott looked at him through narrowed eyes.
"They're my children." Ron felt his anger flare to life. It felt good. Familiar.
"Not legally." Malfoy looked at him with pity. "The Wizengamot ended your paternal rights before we were married."
"They can't just do that." Ron clenched his fists. "They can't say I'm not a father. You can't bribe them and take that away."
"It wasn't them, Ron. It was your father. You didn't pay your child support." Hermione frowned. "Not once. Your father had to declare that the children weren't yours. The fines to your family would have destroyed them."
"I would have paid. No one contacted me." Ron gritted his teeth.
"She tried." Harry was suddenly beside him. "She had to sell the house. Hugo needed therapy. Rose would cry at the drop of a hat. Hermione had to give up her job at the ministry and start working at a primary school."
"Arthur didn't have a choice." Hermione stepped back into the arms of her husbands. "It wasn't easy for him. We all had a good cry."
"You had to report it." Ron pushed Harry back and took to steps closer to her. "There has to be a complaint for the Wizengamot to act."
"I reported it." Harry sighed. "You can't abandon your family without consequences. Hermione needed help and you weren't around to provide it."
"Well, I'll appeal their ruling." Ron snarled.
"Don't." Hermione looked up at him with disappointment clear in her eyes. "Don't make us go through that again. You made your choices. Go see your mother. Go apologize to your father. Do the right thing, and then we will talk."
Ron saw his bleak future in her eyes. He'd never imagined losing her. He'd never imagined anyone else loving her.
He stepped back and watched as she was absorbed into the warm embrace of her family. He saw Harry glance at him before turning back to the large group. He felt reality press in on him.
He watched Hermione kiss the blond boy and the girl with reddish brown curls from a distance. Rosie was beautiful, but she wasn't the girl he'd imagined. He saw Harry and his brothers wave at their children as the train pulled away.
He couldn't deny the evidence before him. This was a large weird family. He'd spent six years away, and it would probably take longer to earn his way back into their lives, albeit in a different roll. He took a deep breath and apparated to The Burrow. He had to start somewhere.
Author's Note
When he arrives and realizes Hugo is with Narcissa Malfoy, it isn't going to be all sunshine and daisies. I wanted to write a Ron that was trying to grow, but he didn't want to cooperate with me.
Theo and Draco were fairly happy about that.
Thank you for all the reviews. They are inspiring me in all sorts of directions.
-Anna
