I finally leave the infirmary on the very day that the train is boarded to say goodbye to the school year, I can observe how my fellow Griffindors promise to write to each other among friends, plans for visits between homes and promises to see the quidich world championship this summer.
I can also notice how the seventh years are with a nostalgic tone together with Professor Mcgonagall giving the last goodbye and thanks before leaving to the adult world... seeing the teacher gives me an unimaginable nostalgia and oppression in my chest. As the proud head of Griffindor that she is, she and most of my family stayed behind so that all the remaining Hogwarts students could escape from Voldemort on that fateful day when Harry died.
According to the death eaters we captured for interrogation, her corpse is the first thing you see when you enter the Griffindor common room.
Promising myself again that no one I care about will suffer that terrible fate again I finish packing at the last minute (You'd think Harry would take pity on me and help pack for his poor hospitalized friend but well he's still on cloud nine for having a godfather so he's forgiven) and head towards Hogwarts station along with my best friends.
Curiously the first change happened sooner than expected, something small but very important for me, this time Sirius didn't send me Pigwidgeon along with his letter apologizing for costing me a pet (I find it truly surprising that Sirius didn't lose his sense of humor in Azkaban) confused and somewhat hurt at the possibility of losing a friend so soon from time travel I decided not to do anything about it since it's really not as if I could demand Sirius to give me such a small and hyperactive ball of feathers that won my heart no matter how hard I tried to avoid it.
With a train ride as mundane as I remembered it being the first time we found ourselves once again at the time of being separated even if it was only for a few weeks thanks to the Quidich World Cup. For Hermione and I it has always been hard to let Harry go knowing that we will leave him alone with his horrible relatives, I just hope that the threat that Sirius can hurt them is enough to at least give Harry some peace. With promises of letters and strong hugs (This time I didn't give Hermione the option to give me our annual awkward handshake, I hugged her as soon as I had the chance and gave her a kiss in her hair that I love so much, and then I started a last conversation with Harry leaving the poor girl with a short circuit in her mind and Harry with a raised eyebrow) I finally returned again to the ancestral home of the Weasley clan: The Burrow, home that had for every crack a thousand happy memories.
It wasn't long before Voldemort set up training camps for the Muggle-born on our lands. He hated it so much that the Weasleys never looked down on him, that we represented everything he hated and yet we had purer blood than most of his bootlickers and above all himself.
If the war gave me anything it is a greater respect for my roots and what every Weasley represents... I need to fix my mistakes as soon as possible so I can look my ancestors in the face when my time comes.
The first day back at The Burrow was nothing special as usual, each sibling unpacked their trunk, the twins quickly started hiding their inventions before mum could confiscate them (but leaving a few for her to discover so as not to arouse suspicion) Percy was talking animatedly to our parents about how he got an offer in the transport department for his school achievements, Ginny simply took a nap mentioning being tired (all of us siblings know it's so she can stay up at night practicing quiddich behind mum's back) and I'm just lying in bed looking at the ceiling, these weeks without Harry and Hermione should be used for two things: start conditioning my body with exercises and my mind with occlumency and make friends with Luna who is practically my neighbor (Ronald Weasley, bad friend, brother, love interest, son and now add neighbor).
Luna and I spent most of our free time thinking of strategies that would apply to every moment in the past that our time-turner could send us, if it was any time before the one I was transported to, I would have been able to prevent Peter's escape and prove Sirius' innocence. If it had been second year it would have been so easy to prevent the whole chamber of secrets dilemma by simply grabbing the diary before Ginny noticed. First year would be left as it was, after all the mystery surrounding the philosopher's stone had been good practice in honing the research skills of the three of us (and starting to get used to being wrong most of the time).
The plans for fourth year were the ones Luna and I discussed the most (which is why Luna only mentioned them a few hours after we had shared a bed) we had to be realistic about how much we could change things both for the sake of our abilities and to avoid creating a worse future. Honestly we couldn't stop Harry from being chosen to be a participant unless we wanted to apply a Dobby on him, if we could uncover the fake Moody which was my idea but Luna was showing her intelligence on that point.
"Ronald, the dark lord's return is inevitable" she told me as she ran her hand over my bare chest "He must have come back in the cleanest way he could have planned, the deaths were minimal and except for Cedric they couldn't be avoided, if we let things flow as they normally did we will have the advantage of knowing the movements of his side, besides it will be easy to avoid Cedric's death".
I wanted to protest, to scream at him that we could prevent his return until perhaps forever. But my inner fire died with my Hermione, I knew Luna was right, if Voldemort's plan didn't work he wouldn't stop at it, he would create another more desperate one which could cost us more lives and even advance the war, I knew that following the events with small changes was the most convenient, I could use the excuse of the tournament to encourage Harry to strengthen his body, I could easily say a list of useful spells in the war in front of my friends with the excuse that they could be useful to Harry, I could use Harry's infamy to bring Neville, Ginny and Luna closer to the group and form close bonds, with Harry distracted trying not to die to entertain 3 different schools I could start with my plans concerning Snape, a bridge I was not eager to cross.
Apparently I fell asleep while rambling in my thoughts as the next thing I knew mum was shouting for us to eat, with little desire to eat but plenty to be surrounded by my living, happy family I lazily got up from my bed, bumping into a newly awakened Ginny in the corridors, a newly awakened Ginny is a comically grumpy Ginny, with a subtle bump of my hip I made her stagger and let out a shout of surprise from which I couldn't help but giggle in time, looking at me with an annoyed face Ginny retaliates by pushing me with both her arms while with a hidden smile she says "prick".
The food is as wonderful as I remembered, even when the family was always in the red my mom always made sure every meal was a feast, only when I lost my parents did I appreciate every subtle way they had of saying "We love you".
How many times did I not dream this during the war, the twins in their personal chat between murmurs of laughter and mischievous glances between Percy and me, Ginny and mom talking about the new album of the weird sisters and finally my father animatedly giving Percy tips to move among the minister, while he absorbed all the information that was presented to him.
Percy...
It's hard to watch him especially, during my fifth year at Hogwarts he turned his back on the family to follow the minister. None of us took it well, mum would cry when she thought we weren't listening to her, the light in dad's eyes would dim when he came home from work or when my brother was mentioned and we: Ginny, the twins and I were furious with him, how could he turn his back on the family, the Weasleys always put family above all else, loyalty being the value that characterizes us the most.
At the battle of Hogwarts Percy returned, with a regretful look on his face and with a resolution to fight side by side with all of us, it was a sea of emotions that I felt when I saw him at that moment: anger, disappointment, relief, joy, hope. For a moment I let myself hope that everything would be alright, but like everything that day it didn't last long, Fred was the first of us to die shortly after, George followed him by an avada kedavra from an unknown death eater, after recreating the scene for a long time I realized that he decided to die because he could have avoided it easily and the fact that he died near Fred's body.
Percy really lived his last moments as a Weasley, he together with Billy were the ones who made sure that as many Hogwarts students as possible could escape, leaving them in the last line of defense, I wanted to stay with them, I wanted to defend my family or die with them, but Hermione prevented me from doing it, with a pleading look, even with Harry's recent death she didn't want me to leave her alone, I could see in her eyes that she was begging me to escape and live, with a last look at my older brothers I could see the love they had for me in their eyes, with a subtle nod of their heads they exploded the entrance that separated us to slow down the advance of Voldemort's army and prevent me from following their destiny.
The nights that followed I could not sleep, no one really could, every time I closed my eyes I could see Harry and my family in their last moments, their corpses staring at me as they asked me why I did not help them and run away leaving them alone, I could not answer them, all the time I kept asking myself the same question.
In my thoughts Percy was the one of my family that came up the most, I remembered how he was the one who took care of me and Ginny when we were little, I wanted to remember the good old times but as much as I tried there were few moments where my brothers or I treated him with love and respect.
And that's when I felt the most like a hypocrite.
I always felt excluded from my brothers, but when with very few words I could have made Percy not feel like a stranger among us I decided that he didn't meet the standards of a Weasley, that the way the twins looked down on him was right, that if I treated him the way they treated him they would let me be a part of them.
"You've always been the least liked by a mother who longed for a daughter..."
And come on... who am I to accuse of betrayal? When the situation needed it most I let down the people I swore to protect.
The meal ended without me noticing as I was immersed in my thoughts, the twins shot off to their room to do things that if I'm unlucky I'll find out, mum was knitting while her spell was washing the dishes from the meal, dad was browsing the daily prophet in the living room while Ginny was reading a Quidditch magazine sitting next to him and Percy was just sitting around without much to do.
Taking advantage of this I headed to the fridge and pulled out a couple of bottles of butterbeeer, I don't know at this point how much my relationship with Percy could be salvaged but I didn't defy the laws of time to not give it my best shot at this second chance.
"Perce" I shouted as I headed to the main entrance of the house, my brother gives me a curious look to which I show him the beers and with my head I sign him out of the house, Percy stays a few moments thinking seriously with a frown to the point that I thought he would ignore my gesture but after a moment more he stands up from the couch and starts to follow me, I can't help a little smile in his gestures so Percy.
"You know mom will give you a lecture when she sees you drinking that right?" well it wouldn't be a talk with him if it didn't start with a lecture.
"You say that like she won't give you one knowing you didn't stop me Perce" my mocking look just makes me roll my eyes, I guess I'm losing my touch.
We head right outside our house where we have some rocking chairs older than Aunt Muriel each taking the less horrible ones, I pass him a bottle while he magically uncaps both.
"I heard about the job offer you got Perce, it hasn't even been 2 days since you left Hogwarts and you're already moving around the government branches huh?" I knew that flattering his ego was the best way to start the chat, I could see his self-satisfied smile adorn his face as his shoulders relaxed and he sank deeper into the rocking chair (we really are alike).
"Well Ronald, that shows that hard work has its rewards, the ministry recognized my N.E. and my position as headboy of my generation, that I can prove that my dedication was not wrong..." with the last more to himself Percy took a slow sip of his butterbeer, as he looked at the land surrounding our home, taking his example as well.
I looked at the green grounds, simply the tranquility and familiarity that our ancestral home exudes is unmatched.
"You know I'm proud of you right?" I decide to break the silence "You despite the mockery of the twins never gave up your convictions and achieved your goals so far, I'm sure that in a few years you will be the head of the Minister of Magic".
I decide to turn to look at my brother to meet his surprised gaze, how sad is it that acceptance from some of your own blood would catch you so off guard? (Of course it's a stupid question, I know I would be surprised myself).
"Is it so strange that I show appreciation to my older brother?" I try to joke to get him out of his trance, with half success because although he closes his mouth and his eyes don't seem to pop out of his face he looks with a frown at the bottle in his hands.
After what feels like several hours but only less than a minute, he responds with a simple "Yes".
Forgive me...
"It's hard not to think about you, Ginny or the twins complimenting me only to let my guard down for a practical joke" I can tell he says it with a certain tone of humor but the sincerity that escapes behind that "joke" ruins it.
"I don't blame you" I take a swig of my beer to clear my head a bit "We were never the best brothers to you" I can't help a small laugh escape my lips, what a way to lessen a serious fault, Fudge would be green with envy at my ability.
"I won't say that I did my best to get close to you Ron, but why the change of heart?" he asks me an accurate question.
But this scenario is created by me, just as I don't start a game of chess without a strategy already thought out and countermeasures for a possible counterattack, this talk is already planned in advance,
"You're thinking of moving right?" it's said in the form of a question but it's a statement, which doesn't go unnoticed by Percy but he still nods without saying more.
"This year has been bloody exhausting, between the Dementors, my fight with Hermione and the whole Sirius Black fiasco it's helped me think of a few things."
Percy knows more than most Hogwarts about what really happened, partly because he's headboy partly because he's from Harry's close family, but he's only limited to knowing that the murderer wasn't Sirius but Peter, he doesn't know that Scrabbers was a death eater all this time and if it's up to me he'll never know, it would destroy him to know that he indirectly helped one of the worst scum go unnoticed for so many years.
"I don't want to go back to fighting and stop talking to someone I love, you never know when the last time you will see people" I take the last swig from the now empty bottle "To think of Professor Lupin, who through a misunderstanding I hate who was once as close as a brother...I don't want that to happen to us Percy."
"I never saw you try to get close to me Ronald you always looked happy making fun of me with the twins" His gaze was staring off into nothingness, surely remembering all those moments where I showed what a horrible brother I am.
"I always wanted Fred and George to include me in their group? Ginny had all of mom's attention and you had dad's, while Charlie and Bill were too old to pay attention to me... I thought if I acted like them I would finally have a place in the family" I can see in his eyes that he empathizes with that feeling "I didn't realize or pretended not to that it just made you feel like we were all against you..."
I search Percy's gaze until our gazes are locked together "I know that in the world outside of Hogwarts people will quickly recognize your worth, congratulate and reward you for simply being you Percy, a hard worker with a diligent mind and an unmatched sense of duty, I know you will see all that positive attitude you deserve and you can't help but compare it to the treatment we gave you."
"I...I don't want you to leave our home thinking there is nothing to come back for, I know I was...that I am a hypocritical jerk who wanted to gain acceptance at the expense of you, but please don't
ever think that I am not proud of you Percy... never think that I don't love you" I never want you to think that you are alone anymore.
Even at my real age it is hard to be honest with my loved ones, but after being the last Weasley alive I know I would not endure another life without my family by my side. Even if I don't change Percy's decision to take the side of the ministry I want him to know that he will always have an open door at the Burrow, in this life and the one before.
Percy stands with a hard to understand look looking at the floor as if he was going to reveal the mysteries of magic, then with a twirl of his wand he conjures two new bottles of butterbeer from the fridge, I accept the bottle he offers me while I see by his gestures that he is already starting to form the words he wants.
"Ron... no... you don't know what those words mean to me. I,,,,, I always knew you felt like me too, a stranger among our family, why... I don't know why I didn't try to get close to you, I think we could have been each other's pillar." his eyes start to water as they try to look at everything but me, the pride of the Weasley men keeps the others from seeing us cry, not that I care about pride anymore, my family deserves all the laughter and tears, you never know when it might be the last moment we share.
"I guess skipping the obvious choice is just another thing we have in common Perce" My foolish hope in belonging with the twins instead of Percy, my whole attitude in fourth year instead of being true to my friends, the fucking horocrux.
"I'm sorry too Ronnie" he takes another long swig of his new beer "As a big brother I should have reached out to you, no one deserves to feel alone in a house full of family."
"That's something you and I can make sure of right?" my tone in a joking manner.
"I always thought you were the most similar to me, you know that?" Instead of feeling those words as an insult like the first time, I see it for what they really are, a hope that I might have a bond with some sibling.
"But I'm still the better looking of the two of us Perce" it's time to forget the mistakes made by both of us and start forging new good memories.
Percy notices my attempt to take the conversation to something less emotional, with a smile on his lips he starts shaking his head.
"It's too bad appearances don't help you after you open your mouth Ronnie" heck that was good Perce.
"Are you kidding me? Girls love my personality"
"I'm sure Hermione would disagree" Are you a piece of Voldemort's soul Percy? That was a low blow.
"I-I don't know what you're talking about" even though I'm older than he is I can't help but blush, bloody preteen body.
"Come on Ronnie all of Griffindor.. no, all of Hogwarts knows, Penelope thinks you two are the most adorable thing in the world" I can feel all the blood in my face, if there was ever a doubt that the twins and Percy are truly brothers this one has just been dispelled.
"Sh-Shut up Percy" My eloquence precedes me.
I can't remember when was the last time I saw Percy laughing so hard, with a grin from ear to ear, for the thousandth time I give thanks for this second chance to right all my wrongs.
"You surprise me Ronnie, Hermione is the best student in her year, punctual and tidy almost like me, I would never have thought that would be your type."
I can't help but think of my Hermione with her bushy hair with color the same brown as her eyes, just as I can't help but think of my Luna with her golden hair and big grey eyes. Both with big minds and even bigger quirks.
What can I say Perce my kind are smart and a little barny.
With awkward chats, not bad love advice (I was definitely wrong about which brother to go for), chess and butterbeer, Percy and I spent the whole afternoon laughing and hanging out like two brothers, for once not feeling lonely in a house full of people.
Autor notes:
Writing this chapter made me want to start a new fic where Ron, Percy and Ginny have closer ties from the beginning (and also include Luna because Runa is my OTP). Maybe in the future I'll play with that idea, I have to finish chapter 2 of A new family and write the next chapter of this one.
In this chapter I had planned to just put a brief chat with Percy and dedicate it to the beginnings of Ron's training and his reunion with Luna, but I really liked the way the conversation ended. Next chapter will be dedicated to the training and the first days of the new friendship with Luna. Sorry if the plot is moving slowly but the character interactions will be a major focus at least in the beginning.
I think it is good to clarify something from now on, although Ron will be stronger both physically and magically in my story he will not become overpowered. His ability will be more focused on making plans of more than 3 steps, his knowledge of the future and the morale he gained by being a war survivor. He won't kill everyone who annoys him or he will be edgy but he knows that the priority is the lives of his loved ones (and well in canon he is the one who has the least mercy of the three against his enemies).
Answering reviews
weirdhead: This will be a Ron/Luna/Hermione mini harem story with the other couples being the canonical ones. and yes i have read the fics you recommend being Fate my favorite fic of them all in general. i recommend if you haven't read "There and Back Again" by Chuchi Otaku
TroyWeb: thanks, I'm going to spend a lot of time on improving Ron's relationships apart from his love interests, I really like it when in the fics they write a good friendship between Ron and Harry and don't just write the other one because they are always together. Rowling seemed to have a vendetta against Ron and it doesn't help that the director of the movies was also like that. It's a shame Ron is one of my favorite characters (as well as Ron I will always be rooting for the underdog).