Chapter 28
Dad stared at the letters in my hand, stumped. He closed his eyes, sighing, before looking at me.
"Ron, I'm so sorry," he said, shaking his head.
"It's okay, Dad," I replied with a small sad smile. "I was more worried about not getting any letters from my friends. I guess I'm more glad that they didn't just forget about me."
"Of course they wouldn't." Dad shook his head. "And you say you were given too many chores?"
I took out the list Mother gave me and nodded. "I thought it was strange that Percy and the twins didn't seem to have any of them. Ginny I could understand, but—"
"Ginny?" Dad interjected. "What do you mean?"
I shrugged. "Mother never gives her any."
"Merlin," Dad muttered, covering his face with his palm. "Again, Ron, I'm so sorry. I'm going to take care of this. I promise."
I shook slightly, looking away hesitantly. "Wo-would Mother punish me if she found out that I talked to you?"
Dad gently took the list of chores from me. "I'll make sure that doesn't happen. Now, go to the kitchen. Don't say anything, just get something to eat quickly. I'll be there soon and put a stop to this."
I nodded meekly and began to scuffle away. I didn't know how to feel about this. Sure, I was about to end this ridiculous situation that Mother put me in. At the same time, though, domestic disputes with people you knew were not the easiest things to witness.
I was glad Dad usually had an even temper.
Going into the kitchen, I saw the rest of my siblings sitting around the table, while Mother was heating up a bit more food. Taking my seat, I began to stuff my mouth, counting down the minutes until Dad would make his appearance.
He didn't disappoint.
"Morning Weasleys," he greeted as he entered the room. Everyone stopped what they were doing, looking at him. I couldn't blame them. The greeting didn't have its usual cheer and Dad wasn't smiling.
"Arthur," Mother greeted back, frowning. "Did something happen?"
"Yes, Molly dear. We have something to discuss." He turned towards the table. "Children, please return to your rooms."
"Why Dad?" maybe-Fred asked.
"Just do as I say," Dad replied neutrally. "Now if you would please."
Percy just nodded, standing up first and leaving the room. The twins glanced at each other before following him. I saw Ginny looking between our two parents before also taking her leave. That was when I took my cue, calmly walking towards the door before ascending the stairs, passing Ginny as I made my way to my room.
Locking my door, I grabbed a small parchment with a familiar rune symbol written on it, giving my silent thanks to George from my old world for teaching me some of his trade secrets. With any luck, neither of my parents would notice the corresponding rune mark that I drew on the chores list, linking the two.
When I placed the parchment on my ear, I heard Mother ask, "—about, Arthur?"
"I had an interesting conversation yesterday," Dad replied. "Darius seemed a little curious why Ron hasn't been replying to any of the letters he had written to him. I thought it was strange, so I took a look around."
I heard the sound of paper being thrown on the table. There was silence that lasted for quite a while, making me wonder what was going on. After a minute, I heard Mother's voice again, more subdued and hollow this time.
"Where'd you find those?"
"Where do you think? Took me a while, too, and I honestly don't know what to say."
"What is there to say, Arthur? I don't want that boy fraternizing with that family!"
"And why's that, Molly? Have you forgotten that Ron's their Family Friend? Or that he has a Friendship Contract with their Heiress?"
"Which you shouldn't have agreed to in the first place!" Mother replied, her tone getting harsher. "What were you thinking, Arthur, placing our boy in their clutches? Have you forgotten about their… questionable bloodline?"
"If you're talking about Mariana and her daughters, I haven't forgotten." Dad sighed. "It doesn't mean anything, though. Ron liked Daphne enough to agree."
"He doesn't even know what the contract really entails! Or their curse!"
"He will when he's of age," Dad replied. "It was the first condition I put in there. He even has the power to opt out once he knows all the details."
"And you think they will follow it? That they won't try to manipulate him, to steal him away? Have you talked to our son? He's changed! He gives me fake smiles and won't even talk to me!"
"Whose fault do you think that is?" Dad demanded, his tone getting harder. There was a sharp, almost deafening rustle of parchment, making me wince. "I found this in his room. You know what this is? A massive list of chores to be done daily, in your handwriting."
"It was necessary to keep him busy," Mother countered with a huff. "With his hands full, he can forget about all this nonsense!"
"So busy that Ron won't even have time to do his homework?" Dad demanded. "He hasn't even opened his books yet!"
"He'll have enough time before the start of the term."
There was a pause. "Molly, have you even thought this through? You don't think that any of his friends will ask why they haven't gotten any letters from him?"
"I'll take care of that, too. By next term, our son won't be in that House anymore."
"Really?" Dad asked in disbelief. "How?"
"I will talk to Dumbledore. He can fix this."
"There's nothing to fix! Our son is doing well in school and has good friends! What more could you ask?"
"Our son is in Slytherin! With Slytherin friends!" Mother shrieked.
There was a long pause. After what seemed like hours, Dad finally spoke in a low tone. "And you wonder why Ron's changed. You don't get it, do you, Molly?" He sighed. "Merlin. They told me, and I didn't listen."
"What are you talking about, Arthur?"
"Darius and Mariana asked me if you were mistreating Ron."
"Wha—!? How dare they—!"
"It's not only them," Dad interrupted. "Pandora was also asking the same thing."
"And you believe them!?" Mother demanded.
"I didn't, and I'm regretting that," Dad said softly. "Did you really think I was going to forget you sending Ron a letter, threatening to have him disowned? Or the fact that you didn't tell me that we received letters from Hogwarts, telling us that our son landed in the infirmary?"
"Arthur—"
"Three times, Molly! If you want someone to blame for Ron changing, it's you!" Dad shouted. I heard a few shifting footsteps and heavy breathing. sighed again, and his tone softened. "Can't you see it? You're turning him against you. Against us! Ever since you sent that stupid letter, he doesn't write to us anymore! He doesn't even call you 'mom'!"
"No, no, it's not me," Mother replied, a quiver in her voice. "They are to blame for this. Can't you see, Arthur? They are poisoning our family! We have to put a stop to it! Let's write to Dumbledore. We'll get our son away from Slytherin, away from them. Please, Arthur! Before it's too late!"
There was another pause. "You're right, Molly. Ron has to get away. I'm going upstairs and I'm going to tell him to pack his things. I'll floo Darius, have him pick up Ron early."
"No!" Mother nearly screamed. "My son isn't going anywhere near those people! I'm putting my foot down on this, Arthur!"
"Put it down as hard as you want," Dad replied evenly. "I'm not going to let you keep poisoning our son against us. Clear your head and correct that reprehensible behavior of yours. If you don't, I'll ask Darius, or maybe Xenophilius to take him in."
"Wha—why Arthur?"
"Better than what would happen if he continued living with you like this. Better to at least take him away from you before he completely turns away from us."
I frowned when I heard footsteps before the sound of the door opening and closing. Crumpling my parchment, I pondered over the conversation. The thing that stood out for me wasn't, surprisingly, my mother's behavior. I already knew I was in a different world, that she was a different woman.
While I was curious on what had made this Molly Weasley different from Mom, I was more bothered by the talk about the Friendship Contract and the Greengrass family curse.
I was a bit familiar about the latter. Astoria died because of it at a pretty young age; Draco and Scorpius weren't the same after that. While the way it worked wasn't really detailed, being a family secret, the way Mother worded it made me wonder if it was different in this world.
There was also that emphasis of being stolen away. I worked my occlumency, trying to find any sort of clue. The closest thing that seemed stand out was the legends of the Fae, where they would steal young children away from their parents. It was a myth that even the muggles were aware of. Maybe I should do research on that.
Then there was the Friendship Contract. There was nothing in the Hogwarts Library about it, which I had found odd but not really important during that time. However, the way Dad spoke of details being divulged when I was of age and the condition that allowed me a window of opportunity to back out made me really suspicious. It was supposedly a simple Friendship Contract. What was in there that made my dad put those kinds of conditions? Was there something in it that was permanently binding?
I sighed. I still needed to work on that plan in regards to Violet and Granger. Now there was this. What in the bloody hell had I gotten myself into?
"Ron!" Luna shouted as she saw Pandora and I enter the Rookery. I smiled back as I saw her running towards me. She enveloped me in a hug, which I returned. When she released me, she gave me a big smile before looking at the floor beside me. "Why do you have a trunk?"
"Luna, dear," Pandora replied as she put a gentle hand on my shoulder. "There was a small problem in his home, and his dad wanted to make sure he had a place to stay for the night."
"Just for one night?" Luna asked. Huh, she caught that pretty quickly. I can already hear that old hat shouting 'Ravenclaw!'
Pandora nodded. "The Greengrasses are picking him up tomorrow."
"Why?"
Pandora looked at me with a curious expression.
I shrugged and replied, "Well, there's a competition in France. I think Lord Darius is hiring someone to help me prepare for it."
"Oh, what kind of competition?" Luna asked with an eager smile.
"Dueling."
Pandora raised an eyebrow at that. "If I remember correctly, the entry level ages are at around twelve to fifteen."
"It was mentioned," I replied with a nod.
"Ronald, are you sure you are up to this?" Pandora asked doubtfully. I wondered if I should be offended. "Most of the competitors will have two to three years more knowledge compared to you. You only just finished your first year in Hogwarts."
"Well, I'm sure I'll learn a few things before the competition starts," I reasoned with a small smile. "Besides, facing older kids isn't as scary as facing a troll."
"Of course," Pandora said with a smile and a pat to my head. She turned to her daughter. "Luna, why don't you show Ronald the guest room?"
"Sure!"
"Do you need help with your trunk?" Pandora asked me.
I shook my head. "Dad put a feather-light charm on it." To demonstrate, I was able to lift it up with two fingers. Okay, maybe three.
"Okay, off you go then. I'll prepare the table for supper, and I'll call both of you once the food has been delivered, okay?"
"Sounds wonderful, Mrs. Lovegood," I replied. "Thank you."
"No problem, Ronald," she said with another pat on my head. I could get used to this.
Once she walked away, Luna and I ascended to the second floor. When she showed me the room, I was pretty impressed. Either the Lovegoods really kept up with their cleaning, or Pandora prepared it just after hearing about my situation. It was spotless, with the bed made. I even had my own desk, clear of any clutter.
"You can put your trunk anywhere," Luna said, grinning. "Now come on! Let's go to my room."
One day, Luna, you will be more hesitant about inviting a boy into your room. Nodding, I put my trunk down and made to follow until I paused, saying, "Oh!"
She looked at me questioningly.
"Luna, why don't you go ahead?" I asked. "I forgot to ask your mom something."
She crossed her arms. "Can't it wait?"
I smiled, shaking my head. "I'll be quick." I put my palms together. "Promise."
Luna frowned but nodded all the same. I gave her a quick hug, which earned me another smile before we parted ways. I descended the stairs and made my way towards the kitchen. I saw Pandora going through the plates, and I gently knocked on the open door to get her attention.
"Ronald," she said as she saw me. "Something wrong?"
"Um…" I pondered over my words for a moment before shaking my head. "I… maybe, Mrs. Lovegood. I just—" then paused, hoping I got the right effect.
She frowned before taking a chair. "Have a seat." When we both sat down, she gave me a gentle smile. "What's on your mind?"
I took a deep breath. Acting like an innocent, confused kid was actually much harder than one would think. "It's just that… Merlin," I muttered. I dipped my head. "I… heard them."
"Heard who?" Pandora asked, frowning.
"Mother. Dad." I sighed. "Fighting about me."
"Oh, Ron…"
I froze when she leaned forward and hugged me, pressing me a bit to her bosom as she patted my head repeatedly. I did not plan that!
"It's okay," Pandora said soothly. "Parents fight, but it doesn't mean they don't love each other. Or that they don't love you."
"I… okay," I quivered. I took a deep breath, as if to calm myself. "I didn't want them to scream or fight, you know. I just wanted to know why Mother was giving me so many chores. I thought Dad was just going to tell Mother to stop, or change it." I sighed. "They were shouting, Mrs. Lovegood. I've never heard my dad shout before."
"It's fine, Ronald. Natural, even." She sighed. "When people disagree strongly about something, it tends to come out that way. A lot of times, they end up regretting either saying something, or the way they said it. I'm sure your parents are fine now."
I nodded absently. "I just don't understand why Mother doesn't want me to go back to Slytherin, or to even to continue seeing my friends. She was being particularly harsh with Daphne's family, talking about some curse."
Pandora stilled, making me wonder if I pushed a little too far with that question. After a few seconds, she just rubbed my head. "Your mother is worried, that's all."
"Why?" I asked, moving away, eyes wide with worry. "Is there something wrong with Daphne?"
"No, of course not," Pandora replied. "It's just that her mother's family has a peculiar… gift. It's nothing to worry about."
I inwardly groaned. More details, please. "What do you mean?"
"Well, you'll find out more," Pandora evaded with a small smile. "It is a family concern. Don't worry, though. You're close friends with Daphne, right?" When I nodded, she continued, "She'll tell you about it when she's ready. Just don't be surprised if she acts a bit off from time to time."
Well, this conversation was going nowhere. Deciding to research more about the Greengrass family discreetly, I made my next query. "Okay… yeah, she will. I think. After all, we're Contracted Friends. Though Mother was mad about that, too."
Pandora blinked at me before smiling sadly as she looked up the ceiling. "Oh dear," she whispered.
Okay, that got me worried. "Mrs. Lovegood?"
She blinked again before looking at me. "My apologies, Ronald. I was thinking of something else." She smiled, then shook her head. "Well, Daphne must really like you as a friend if she convinced her father to offer it to your family. You are lucky."
"Why?" I asked, almost eagerly.
"Because it means you have a very loyal friend, and there's nothing better than that."
Merlin. I wondered if I should push more but I didn't want to raise her suspicions. So, I just smiled and nodded. "Thank you, Mrs. Lovegood. I feel better."
"I'm glad you do."
As I went up the stairs, I felt for the necklace that was hidden under my shirt. Taking it out, I walked towards Luna's room and knocked on her door. A few moments later, she opened it, eyes narrowed. "What took you—oh!" she paused as she saw my necklace. "You're wearing it!"
"Of course," I replied. "It was made by a dear friend of mine." That earned me a fierce hug.
Yeah, very nice Ron. Emotionally manipulate all your underaged friends. Feel good about it, you arsehole?
"How about my gift? Did you like it?" I asked.
"I love Princess Lulu!" Luna declared, smiling widely.
"Princess Lulu?" I asked.
"Yup. She's the ruler of Ponyland!"
I smiled at that.
We played for a few hours, and I told her some stories of my time at Hogwarts. I embellished them a little, of course, as I didn't want to scare her. By the time Mrs. Lovegood called us for dinner, I was pretty sure I'd given her all the heads up she needed, like the shortcuts and a few details of our lessons and the personalities of our professors.
I was going to need to make another order of those bracelets. While I doubted Violet or Granger would move against Luna considering they spoke her name with some sort of familiarity, prevention was far better than assumption.
Sometimes, I wondered if the most dangerous aspect of my friends' lives wasn't the two unhinged time travelers running around, but my presence. I hated thinking that, but there was an undercurrent of truth in it.
"Ron?" Luna asked, derailing me from my thoughts.
I blinked and looked at her. "Hmm?"
"Are you okay?" she asked.
"Yeah," I lied. "I am."
