Misunderstood
Chapter Four
Muggle Trouble
Disclaimer: I don't own anything besides the plot to this story. All characters that you recognize belong to J.K. Rowling and Scholastic and all them people.
Author's Note: Thanks for the reviews! I hope you enjoy! Oh and just a reminder, football in England is soccer in America. I promise only the first part is about Ginny. I'm just trying to take up space and get to August at the same time. Anybody's who is paying very close attention will know that we're on July 10th now. I'm trying to go into as much detail, but I'm not very good at it. By the way I had to shorten the summary for Fanfiction.net I'm not going to tell you what happens just yet, but I will tell you the Grandfather situation is only in the beginning, but it is very important for my whole story to take place by having this situation. So I'll hope it makes sense when I finish. ~*Carey*~
Ginny awoke in an unfamiliar room, and it took her a few minutes to realize where she was. She quickly changed and walked out of the guest bedroom that was on the first floor of the Creevey's house. Ginny walked to the front of the house and peered out the window. She saw six boys around her own age kicking a ball back and forth. She smiled with amusement.
"Morning Ginny!" Colin said excitedly as he came down the stairs.
"Morning Ginny!" Colin's younger brother Dennis said just as eagerly as he followed his brother down the stairs.
"Morning." Ginny said softly not looking away from the window. "What are they doing?"
"Who?" Colin asked edging his way next to her to see out the window. "Oh, they're playing football. It's a muggle game." Colin explained with a shrug.
"Is it any fun?" Ginny asked.
"Well, I hardly play muggle games." Colin said quickly.
"Colin used to play all the time, before he went to Hogwarts, now he doesn't play with the muggles anymore. Even though we're practically muggles during the summer. We're not allowed to use magic, after all." Dennis said.
"Why did you stop playing with muggles?" Ginny asked turning around to look at Colin.
"He's afraid to talk to them because he goes to a different school. They think he's weird now." Dennis explained.
"Dennis!" Colin said warningly.
"Dennis, don't embarrass your brother! You three come get some breakfast." Mrs. Creevey said.
Ginny followed the two Creevey boys to the kitchen, where five plates of eggs were placed around the table. Ginny sat next to Colin and looked up at Mrs. Creevey. "Thank you again Mrs. Creevey for having me." Ginny said.
"Oh, it's not a problem dear. Colin's told us so much about you! So you've resided in a non-muggle environment your whole life?" Mrs. Creevey asked. She seemed to be looking at her sons for a correction on her words.
"Yes, my whole family's pure-blood." Ginny said, then seeing Mrs. Creevey's confusion, she explained. "I mean we're a wizarding family. My mum and dad were born from wizards and witches, and their parents were too."
"Were you taught magic before Hogwarts then?" Mrs. Creevey asked.
"I observed a few charms my parents performed, but Hogwarts is actually the start of magical education." Ginny explained as best as she could.
"Now, because your family has magical blood in them, are you allowed to perform magic during the summer? Colin and Dennis explained to me that they aren't allowed to." Mrs. Creevey said.
"No, that rule goes for any witch or wizard whose underage, or who hasn't completed their seven years of Hogwarts." Ginny explained.
"So your summers aren't that different from a muggle's? That's what Colin refers to as non-magical people anyway, is that the term?" Mrs. Creevey asked.
"Well my brothers play Quidditch during the summer, but only because we're isolated so that the muggles in the next village don't notice anything abnormal, but we're not allowed to perform magic." Ginny explained.
Mr. Creevey came downstairs and stole his wife's attention away from Ginny, which was fine by her.
"So after breakfast, can you teach me how to play football?" Ginny asked Colin hopefully.
"Well…" Colin began to protest.
"If he won't I will!" Dennis chimed in keenly.
"I will!" Colin said glaring at his brother.
"You don't have to if you don't want to." Ginny said.
"No, it's not a problem." Colin said.
After breakfast Colin, Ginny, and Dennis headed outside. Colin had the muggle football in his hands.
"Okay, it's really simple. You kick it to your teammates, and try to get it past your opponents. You get it into a net and you get a goal. You can kick it, bump it with your head or knee, but you can't use your hands for anything, unless you're the goalie. The goalie stops the ball from getting into the net. They can catch it, hit it, and throw it, but they stay by the net the whole time." Colin explained.
"Hey Colin!" A kid from the street called.
Colin looked over to the kids in the street expectantly. One of them ran over to him. "Hey Dennis! Colin, who's your friend?" The boy asked looking at Ginny.
Despite her outfit, which was a plaid button down shirt under a pair of jean overalls that were about a size too big for her, Ginny Weasley was a very attractive girl. She had long, straight, red hair and a beautiful face, despite the bruise that darkened side of it.
"I'm Ginny Weasley. I go to school with Colin and Dennis." Ginny said in a friendly manner, holding out her hand for him to shake.
"Andrew Jones." He answered shaking her hand.
"Colin and Dennis were just about to teach me how to play football." Ginny explained.
"Well, we can show you. It's not hard to learn." Andrew said eagerly.
Ginny smiled. "All right then."
In less than an hour's time Ginny would learn how to play football.
Meanwhile, Ron was waking up in tears knowing all the skin had been taken off his back with his grandfather's belt. He had been caught late into the night. He didn't understand how his Grandfather found him. He was a good distance away from his Grandfather's house, but he must've gone in the wrong direction. He had run straight into him. Oh did he pay! He just was grateful that through everything he had gone through, he hadn't told where Ginny was. That's what he paid dearly for. He protected the one person who protected him, and he wasn't even sure that Ginny was all right. He was still worried about her, even though he should be really worrying about himself considering the situation. Ginny was the only reason he wasn't punished during the day. He had sent her off, and Grandfather could kill him whenever he wanted.
Ron heard a voice besides his Grandfather's upstairs and decided to check who was there, despite the fact that he was very unwelcome in his Grandfather's presence. Ron opened the basement door to see his Grandfather actually crying! His Grandfather was crying, and he was crying to Mrs. Weasley. Ron thought it best to go back downstairs, but Mrs. Weasley had seen him from the corner of her eye.
"Ronald Weasley! Don't you dare move! Come up here immediately!" Mrs. Weasley snapped.
Ron looked at her bewilderedly. "You said not to move, but to come to you immediately… what is it you want me to do?" Ron asked sarcastically. He knew he was in trouble, and now was not the best time to be mess with his mother, but he needed to be normal again, for his own sake. Sarcasm was in Ron's nature.
"COME HERE RIGHT NOW!" Mrs. Weasley yelled.
Ron jumped and nearly fell down the stairs, but caught himself. He walked into the living room looking at his mother with raised eyebrows, as if he had no idea why she was angry.
"What brings you here? You said you'd visit every week, not everyday, although you were here Saturday and Sunday, but you weren't here yesterday so you can't be coming everyday." Ron said casually.
"You know very well what brings me here! In fact, I believe you're the one responsible for this!" Mrs. Weasley yelled.
"Since when have I been responsible? You're always saying I need to be more responsible, but I haven't done anything different. If anything, I've become more irresponsible, so what-"
"Enough!" Mrs. Weasley snapped. "Where is your sister? You were supposed to be responsible for her!"
"No, Grandfather was responsible for her. That is a good question though… did you ever ask Grandfather, where he was last night or any other night, when I've had to watch Ginny?" Ron asked.
"I don't know what you're implying, but you're in enough trouble as it is! Don't you dare make accusations toward your Grandfather!" Mrs. Weasley snapped.
"Then don't accuse me! I didn't do anything. Did you ever think that Ginny might not have been completely happy here? I mean, she was safe, but she wasn't happy." Ron said. "But if you want me to take the blame again, sure I'll take it. I sent Ginny away, so she'd stop getting me into trouble. Now I won't be told on for trying to sneak out at half past two in the morning. I mean that's what you want to hear, isn't it mum? That's what you want me to say, right Grandfather?"
"You stop this right now! What is wrong with you?" Mrs. Weasley asked.
"A lot! What is wrong with you? Why can't you see past your father's lies? Why can't you look at mine and see the truth? You used to care mum, but now you don't try to understand. You don't look at me without looking at Grandfather first! Ask me everything you want once you asked Grandfather first! You want to know where I was? Ask Grandfather where he was. You want to know what I was doing? Ask Grandfather what he was doing! I'm so sick of this! I can't take it anymore! I'd rather be gone, long gone, in the most dangerous place on the planet, than to be here safe, but hated!" Ron yelled.
"Stop!" Grandfather yelled dangerously.
"The truth hurts, doesn't it?" Ron asked.
"Where is Virginia?" Grandfather asked.
"Her name is Ginny." Ron said.
"Where is your sister?" Mrs. Weasley asked firmly.
"Not here." Ron said spitefully. Ron went downstairs into the basement, locking the door behind him. He grabbed his bag that was thrown to the corner of the room and gathered it's spilled contents back up shoving them hastily into the bag.
Finally, he climbed out the window. Only this time, he kicked the glass in deliberately, breaking the window loudly, before running away. This time he wouldn't be stopped.
Ron had no idea how he managed to survive six cold nights and long days. He just knew that he was still alive, extremely thirsty, extremely hungry, and exhausted. Yet Ron somehow managed to keep moving. He managed to stay out of trouble those first six night and days, and his Grandfather hadn't caught him yet. He prayed that if he ever found him, he'd give him the option of death, because after all Ron's efforts, there was no way he'd go back to his Grandfather's alive. No way.
It was on the seventh night, however that got him into trouble. Ron was walking along the outskirts of another village, when he heard someone follow him. He didn't see anybody, but he could hear the footsteps. He walked quicker and the feet, he heard, did too. He started running! Surely, his Grandfather hadn't caught up to him!
WHAM!
Ron hit the pavement… hard. Strong hands pulled him up to his feet. Two people picked him up and carried him away from the street behind an old warehouse; one of the two people was smart enough to cover his mouth. It wasn't like Ron would scream anyway. The authorities would come, and they'd bring him home to his Grandfather's.
Six muggles around Ron's age were standing outside in the dark, all wearing black. Ron couldn't run because the six would easily catch him, and he knew running and getting caught were ten times worse than staying still. Ron had a plan to get away though, but he'd have to wait for them to make the first moves.
"Give us all your money and valuables." The leader of the gang said. He had said it in a tone that basically suggested, 'or else.'
"I don't have any money or valuables." Ron said out of breath. He watched the leader's eyes trying to figure out what the plan was.
"You're a runaway. You've got to have some money on you, or if not money, something you could hock. That or you're just plain stupid." The leader said.
"I'm just plain poor. I wear hand-me-downs. I have six brothers and sisters, I have no money, and nothing is better than my Grandfather's, so I'll just be on my way now, if you don't mind." Ron tried.
"Wrong move!" The leader warned slamming Ron against the brick wall of an abandoned building. If it had been under any other circumstance that he saw the building, he would've thought it'd be a great place to stay for the night. The leader searched the pockets of his robes and pants and the contents of his bag. True to his word, Ron had nothing for them.
"Hey, check his teeth. He may have some gold or silver on a cavity." One of the other boys suggested while picking up a lead pipe.
The leader shined a flashlight as he opened Ron's mouth. He looked around as he held Ron's mouth open.
"Nothing." The leader said tossing the flashlight to one of his buddies.
"Well, in that case, let the fun begin." The one with the lead pipe said, starting toward Ron.
"Eddie! His broken bones aren't worth anything. Let's just let him go." A girl cried. Ron couldn't tell the difference. Her hair was pulled back into a ponytail and a hat shadowed it. Ron never got a chance to look at their faces. Now that he'd heard, he looked and saw that there was indeed a girl, but only one.
"Emily, I'll kill you! You never say my name!" Eddie yelled starting toward her, much to Ron's surprise.
"Relax. He doesn't live around here, and God knows how many Eddie's there are in the World. Besides, he's just trying to get out of here, you saw him running." Emily said not scared at all.
"Eddie, calm down. She may be on to something. You saw him running. Extremely fast, he is. He could get us breakfast." The leader said.
"I don't steal." Ron said quickly.
"No, but you will. If you want to stay alive." The leader said looking back at Eddie who still held the lead pipe.
"What makes you think he'll come back?" Emily asked. "All I was suggesting was that you let him go."
"We send him for breakfast, the police will identify him immediately, and if he's on his way back to us, all they have to do is follow to know where we are. His red hair gives him away." Eddie said.
"I won't steal!" Ron said.
"Fine, let's just pretend that you get away, and you continue to run away. You don't have anything to hock, and even if you did you'd only get by a couple of days, and you don't have any money. How do you intend on surviving without food? There isn't a decent person around here that'll help you." The leader said.
"My intention is not to survive, but to get away." Ron said.
"We could help you survive. We've got a place to stay. If you're on the streets this late at night, the police will come for you, and they'll take you down to the station for being out past curfew. They'll contact your grandfather, and you'll only be back where you started." The leader said.
"I don't steal." Ron said again, though these kids seemed to be getting by. Ron almost took up the offer, but Hogwarts awaited him in only one month… and a half. Would he be alive in a month? If he stayed here, he'd never get his school supplies and would never make the Hogwarts Express. He needed to keep moving. He needed to get home or anywhere but here right now. "Let me leave." Ron said determinedly.
"Oh, so you can go straight to the authorities? Have you lost your mind?" Eddie asked.
"I'm running away and it's one o'clock in the morning, I'll be long gone by morning, besides I don't know where I am, where this is. I don't even know where you stay, and if I alert local authorities at one o'clock in the morning, they'll take me back to my Grandfather's. So I'm not going to go to authorities. Let me go." Ron said.
"No, you're not going anywhere." Eddie said dropping the pipe and cracking his knuckles.
They decided to change his mind with violence, but Ron wouldn't let them change his mind, no matter what. Eddie walked up and slammed Ron against the wall, punching him in the face. Ron pushed him hard back, and he fell without even being punched. Ron decided to run, but Emily blocked him and kneed him between the legs. Ron fell to the ground at this holding himself. Pangs of pain ran through him as boots connected with already welted skin from his Grandfather's belt. Somebody kicked him in the jaw. The others were kicking him in the kidney, in the back, on his bottom.
Ron quickly got up between kicks, and ran as fast as he could, which was extremely fast, all pain considering.
However, these six kids were just as fast at chasing him. Ron and the others stopped, as they saw a car approaching.
To confirm everybody's fears, it was a police car. The six kids scattered in different directions, and Ron ran on the same course he was headed. It was opposite of the direction the police car was in, and Ron was grateful for that.
However, the police car's sirens went off, and another car was coming in Ron's direction. They chased after Ron, but Ron had the advantage on foot, and ran over a hill and through some woods. He heard a car door open and shut, and somebody trailing him.
Just as Ron thought the officer was about to give up, as he had given him a good chase, Ron tripped on a branch. The officer took this advantage to catch up to him, and chased him out of the woods on the other side, where waiting were more officers.
Ron tumbled past them and ran now having four officers on his tail. More officers were arriving and catching up, but still he had the advantage of his youth and long legs.
A gunshot startled him, and just as he turned around, he was tackled to the ground by one of the officers. He struggled to get away; he elbowed the officer, causing the officer to put more pressure on his back. Other officers caught up now, and one had a gun pointed at Ron. He didn't know exactly what it was, but he knew it was dangerous, because he was obviously being threatened with it.
The police searched him for weapons, or anything he might have had on him, but came up empty.
They handcuffed him and put him in the police car. It was about a ten-minute drive to the police station.
They questioned him.
"What's your name?" Officer Miller asked.
"Ron Weasley." Ron said, knowing they wouldn't have any record of him.
"How old are you?" Officer Miller asked.
"Fifteen." Ron said.
"Where do you live?" Officer Miller asked.
"Ottery St. Catchpole." Ron said.
"What are you doing here?" Officer Miller asked.
"It looks like I'm sitting and answering your questions." Ron answered sarcastically.
"Why are you so far away from your home?" Officer Miller asked.
"I was staying at my Grandfather's." Ron answered.
"Where does he live?" Officer Miller asked.
"Dublin." Ron answered.
"Oh so you swam across the Irish Sea, did you?" Officer Miller asked.
"No." Ron laughed.
"Then how are you here, if your Grandfather lives in Ireland?" Officer Miller asked.
"I was staying with my other Grandfather." Ron said smiling.
"Where does your other Grandfather live?" Officer Miller asked.
"I don't really know this part of Britain. I didn't really jot the town down." Ron said.
"Fine, you aren't going to answer us…" Officer Miller said and Ron could tell that he was annoyed. "What were you doing outside at half past three in the morning?"
"I was running." Ron answered.
"Why were you running?" Officer Miller asked.
"Because these gits were chasing me!" Ron explained.
"You will not disrespect officers of the law!" Officer Miller shouted.
"I was talking about other gits, my own age. Then your people chased me." Ron explained.
"Why were you outside at half past three in the morning?" Officer Miller asked.
"Because I had no place to go. I got tired of my Grandfather's house, and I decided to go for a walk… a long walk." Ron said nonchalantly.
"Okay wise guy, that's fine with me. I reckon a night behind bars would do you some good." Officer Miller said.
Ron waited in a jail cell at the Fleetwood Police Station, wishing at this very moment, what his Grandfather had wished upon him countless times… that he were never born. The advantage Ron had now was that he was of wizarding heritage, and none of his relatives, including his Grandfather, had a telephone or an address for the muggles to reach them out. Their only way of contact was via owl. Ron, however, knew that he couldn't be so lucky forever, and that eventually somebody would find him, it was just a matter of time, and a question of how.
However, after two days, nobody seemed to have figured out where Ron was at, and Ron was grateful. The police were trying to send him to a juvenile facility until they could locate his parents, but everywhere was full, so they kept him in the police station.
On the fifth day, Ron noticed somebody wearing robes enter the police station, and knew it was a wizard, he didn't know who it was, but whomever it was, was definitely from his world. The stranger sensed Ron's gaze and looked up, and his eyes widened. That was all that Ron saw of him.
After a full week at the police station his cell gate was opened, and the officer waited expectantly. "You can go."
"Why?" Ron asked bewildered.
"Yes, your family's bailed you out." The officer said.
"My… family?" Ron asked hesitantly.
"Your grandfather." The officer said. "Not the one from Ireland."
Ron's heart stopped. Oh the price he would pay… Ron shuddered at the thought. He nodded to himself reassuringly, took a deep breath and walked out to find his grandfather waiting for him. He gripped Ron by his elbow and escorted him outside to a muggle taxicab. There was intense silence the whole two-hour ride. Grandfather paid the cab driver while still in the backseat gripping Ron's ear, so he wouldn't run. When the cab was out of view, Grandfather pushed Ron inside the house.
Mr. Weasley was filling out some paperwork in his office at the Ministry, when Percy entered. Mr. Weasley looked up at his son expectantly. Mr. Weasley flat out refused to speak to his brightest son, until he apologized.
"I know you're not speaking to me, but I'm all right with that. I thought that you should know about Ron, but since you won't admit you were wrong…" Percy trailed off waiting for his father to ask him.
"Percy, you are wrong, but that can be put aside for the moment if something is seriously wrong with Ron." Mr. Weasley said.
Percy sighed a little relief. He wanted to talk to his father, but he still thought his father was wrong. At least his father was concerned enough to respond. "Well, nothing's seriously wrong… but you should know that somebody in the office walked into a muggle police department a couple of days ago to look at a certain police report that might've been caused by a wizard, and spotted 'a Weasley' behind bars. Now Bill and Charlie aren't in the country… I was in the office… The twins wouldn't be apart from each other, though I thought it was one of them at first, they're still at the Jordan's. They said it was a male, so that ruled out Ginny… Grandfather bailed out Ron this morning. I just thought you should know…" Percy said with a shrug. He turned to leave, but Mr. Weasley stood up.
"Do you know why he was there Percy?" Mr. Weasley asked.
"They said he had been charged with a bunch of things… Disturbing the peace, breaking curfew, some charges that he had been fighting with muggles, resisting arrest, assaulting an officer, or something… Our contact only glanced at the report." Percy explained.
"Thank you Percy." Mr. Weasley said.
Mr. Weasley apparated outside of the burrow and entered his home. "Molly!" Mr. Weasley called.
Mrs. Weasley came down the stairs with a magical duster dusting the railing behind her. "Arthur, dear, why are you home so early? Is everything all right? Can I get you a cup of tea, or something to eat?" Mrs. Weasley asked.
"No, we need to go to your father's. According to Percy, muggle policemen arrested Ron. Something's really wrong, Molly. I don't know what it is, but for Ron to be acting so terribly." Mr. Weasley said.
"Well at least he found him. I've been worried sick! Oh, I'll kill him! First running away and being caught by muggles!" Mrs. Weasley cried.
"Running away… when did this happen, you never told me…" Mr. Weasley asked.
"When I was visiting last time, after my father told me about Ginny…" Mrs. Weasley explained impatiently.
"What about Ginny? When did you last go over there?" Mr. Weasley asked.
"Oh, I guess I've been worried out of my mind I forgot to tell you. I was sure I did though… Ginny disappeared a couple of nights after Ron hit her. Ron said he sent her to a friend's house. I tried to get it out of him, but he ran away, breaking a window in the process." Mrs. Weasley cried.
"A couple of nights after Ginny was hit? You never told me Ginny disappeared! That had to be at least two weeks ago!" Mr. Weasley cried.
"Let's go and see him. Try and find out where Ginny is. He's been nasty towards me, and refuses to answer anything." Mrs. Weasley said.
Mr. and Mrs. Weasley entered the O'Riley manor and found it completely silent. "Dad?" Mrs. Weasley called.
A door opened, and Grandfather came downstairs to find his daughter and son-in-law. He looked terribly upset.
"I found Ronald. He's down in the basement. He's been beaten up pretty badly by muggles. Muggle authorities arrested him. They got a number of charges on him. I altered their memories, though there was a fine I was obligated to pay. Somebody from the Ministry said something about a muggle court appearance, but I paid him to drop the charges. He got caught fighting in the middle of the night about a week ago, with muggles. He ran from the muggle authorities, and fought them, when they tried to arrest him. He refused to tell them where I lived… luckily, the 'Weasley's' are well known, because someone from the Ministry spotted him and contacted me." Grandfather said.
"I'd like to speak with him. You said he was down in the basement?" Mr. Weasley asked determinedly.
"Yes, through that door." Grandfather said pointing toward the basement door.
"Thank you." Mr. Weasley said as he disappeared down the basement steps. The sight that greeted him took his breath away.
Ron was resting on his stomach in his bed; his face was bruised, bloody, and swollen. His one eye was completely swollen shut. There seemed to be bruises all over his body. Mr. Weasley spotted a few cuts and bruises on his ankles where his pants that were too short for him didn't cover. Mr. Weasley also saw a bruise on the back of his neck, and a red welt caught his eye.
Mr. Weasley originally intended on yelling his Ron and than talking to him. He was concerned for him, but also concerned for Ginny's whereabouts. Now he couldn't find his voice to yell. He walked over to Ron and very gently he lifted Ron's shirt collar and looked at Ron's back. He saw Ron wincing, every time Mr. Weasley's hands moved.
Mr. Weasley pulled up the back of Ron's shirt and tears came to his eyes. There were more welts, though there were plenty of bruises and cuts on top of Ron's back.
"This wasn't all from the muggles, was it?" Mr. Weasley asked, knowing the answer.
"It doesn't matter… it's nothing I don't deserve." Ron said.
"Ron you don't deserve this!" Mr. Weasley said shakily.
"Yea, well what's the difference? There's nothing you can do to change the situation." Ron said shrugging painfully.
"Ron, if you could only tell me why you're acting like you have been, I could take you home." Mr. Weasley said.
"As far as I knew, I wasn't sent here as a punishment. You sent me here, because of that warning on the burrow. Was it lifted?" Ron asked hopefully.
"Not yet." Mr. Weasley said.
"Then why would you say you could take me home! If I told you anything… I can't tell you anything." Ron said swallowing hard. "I want to tell you, but I can't."
"Please tell me Ron." Mr. Weasley pleaded.
"You can't tell mum." Ron said firmly.
"Tell me." Mr. Weasley said.
"Dad, Grandfather hates me. He's hated me since I was five. It's because I remind him of you. He hates you because mum left for you." Ron said.
Mr. Weasley took a deep breath and covered his mouth. He knew most of this was true, but he didn't understand how Ron knew he was hated since he was five.
"He drinks a few nights a week, and he's not the friendliest person when he's drunk, not that he's friendly to me when he's sober, either… My first night here, he threw me down the stairs. I knew he loved Ginny as much as he loved mum. I knew that she was the only person who could protect me from him, so I couldn't tell her that he hurt me. I lied to her, and I lied to you and mum so many times. I had to lie to you, and I had to lie for him, because there was no way I could leave. Hermione's in Bulgaria, and Harry's with the Dursley's! I had no friends to go to, even if I could convince mum to let Ginny go to a friend's house, I'd be stuck here. So I kept her here, until he hurt her! I swear on my life that I never hit her. Ginny will tell you too, now that she's away from Grandfather… I didn't touch her! She was trying to stop him from hurting me, and he was drunk and didn't know what he was doing when he turn around and hit her! He threatened us to lie." Ron explained.
"So you never fought with muggles?" Mr. Weasley asked.
"I got in two fights, but I swear, I only had a hit or a kick in, and that was only to get myself away! They could've killed me. I had to hit them, it wasn't even a hit more of a shove, so they would let me run. Dad, it took everything in my power not to fight them, because I know how much you try to protect them. The first fight I was walking through the village and they attacked me and stole my watch! I was on my way to the next village. Grandfather thought I should meet some wizards around here. Only I got attacked and it stormed first. The second fight was because they thought I had money, because I was a runaway, but I had nothing for them. They wouldn't let me go dad! They were trying to make me join their gang, and they wanted me to steal for them. I fought so that I could get away, and then the police caught me, and I only elbowed them, because I was afraid to be taken back here. After I helped Ginny get out of here, he hurt me really bad. Mum was so mad that Ginny was gone; she didn't even care about me. I only sent Ginny off to protect her. Dad, I swear that I never fought with the muggles except those two nights. I only got a hit in, and I regretted those hits… Grandfather's excuses of me sneaking out in the middle of the night to get revenge on the muggles were dragon dung." Ron explained earnestly.
Mr. Weasley wiped his face with horror. He hugged Ron as gently but as tightly as he could. "I'm so sorry!" Mr. Weasley cried.
"It's not your fault." Ron said hastily.
"No, it is. I should've known better!" Mr. Weasley said standing up. "Can you pack your things?"
"I can hardly get up." Ron said wincing.
"Well, where are all your things?" Mr. Weasley asked.
"In that trunk and in my bag." Ron said. "Why?"
"I'm getting you out of here." Mr. Weasley said.
"But how?" Ron began. "We don't have any Floo Powder."
"Don't worry about any of that… Come on…" Mr. Weasley said helping Ron to his feet. Mr. Weasley handed Ron his bag, while Mr. Weasley carried Ron's trunk up the stairs.
"Where's Pig?" Mr. Weasley whispered on the top step.
"With Ginny." Ron answered.
They stepped out of the basement and into the living room.
"Have you decided to walk out the front door in your efforts to runaway again?" Grandfather asked.
"He's not running away. He's coming home with me." Mr. Weasley said firmly.
"Come again?" Grandfather asked.
"Arthur, you can't be serious! The burrow is not safe for him right now, and he can't risk that trouble around the burrow…" Mrs. Weasley said.
"Your father started the trouble Molly." Mr. Weasley said.
"Arthur, apologize right now!" Mrs. Weasley snapped.
"No, no, it's quite all right. I'm sure Ronald has convinced your husband that I've been beating him. He's a terribly convincing liar, he gets it from the twins I expect." Grandfather said coolly.
"His problems didn't start until he came here, and he didn't have to convince me, I saw the welts you gave him!" Mr. Weasley said. "He wouldn't tell me, because he knew he was in a terrible situation, for if he told anybody nothing could be done, but something's being done about this, right now."
"Arthur, you are making a terrible mistake. If Ron goes home with you, I won't be." Mrs. Weasley said.
Ron looked at his mother with tears in his eyes. Ron picked up his bag and began to turn around for the stairs. Mr. Weasley stopped him.
"You are the one making a terrible mistake, Molly! For you to say that… I reckon I don't want you to come home with me, after the way you just spoke." Mr. Weasley said.
"Arthur, surely you can't mean that! My father is right. You believe a fifteen-year-old, who is surely lying! Think about Fred and George. When have they ever spoken the truth?" Mrs. Weasley cried.
"This fifteen-year-old is my son, and the twins only lie in good humor. Your father is wrong. You have a decision to make. I'll see if you made the right one, if I see you back at the burrow." Mr. Weasley said sadly.
"Arthur! The twins lie to get out of trouble, which is what Ronald is doing! You're the one making a decision. You have to decide whether you believe your son or your wife!" Mrs. Weasley snapped.
"No, don't you do that! Leave Ron out of this. This is not Ron's fault! You're faced with the decision between your father and me. You made a decision once, you can make another decision now." Mr. Weasley said.
"Arthur! Ron hit Ginny!" Mrs. Weasley cried.
"If Ron ever, ever hit Ginny… only then would he deserve to be here… but he didn't. Ask your father who hit her… Better yet, ask Ginny!" Mr. Weasley said pulling something out of his pocket. He had a small bag of Floo powder. He opened the bag, and offered it to Ron. Ron grabbed his bag and his trunk and he looked at his mother with tears in his eyes. He took a pinch of the Floo powder from the bag and threw it into the fireplace. He stepped into the hearth and cried, "The burrow!" He was going home… home, without his mother.