Misunderstood
Chapter Fourteen
Confessions
Disclaimer: I own nothing but the plot to this story. Any characters you recognize belong to J.K. Rowling, Scholastic, and all them people.
Author's Note: Thank you all so much for the wonderful reviews I've received after continuing this story. I didn't know you would all like my story so much! Thanks so much for your reviews I really appreciate them! Enjoy! ~*Carey*~
Ron kicked angrily at the bars of his cell in Azkaban. "LET ME OUT!" Ron yelled punching the wall with all the strength he could muster. Ron was so angry that he couldn't feel the pain in his knuckles.
The dementors wouldn't bother him, they weren't allowed to, but that didn't necessarily mean that they wouldn't suck out a lot of his happiness when they were to check on him every hour, as Fudge had ordered.
Ron knew that the dementors would come to his cell and stay there sucking out every good thing he could remember the minute Fudge had left. As it was, Fudge was still there, checking on the other prisoners.
"Let me out right now!" Ron yelled angrily as he kicked the bars of his cell again when Fudge stopped by.
"You listen here!" Fudge snapped. "The dementors aren't to go near you unless they're checking on you or giving you your meals. It's either this or they can be here around the clock with the exception of mealtimes, like last time."
"It's going to be like last time anyway! They don't give a damn about what you want! They're going to do what they want, and they're going to be coming to me, because I'm somewhat saner than the other prisoners and I have some good memories for them to suck out of me! YOU CAN'T DO THIS!" Ron said angrily.
Ron was shaken out of his madness. "Ron, son, wake up." It came from a voice Ron missed so much, but it couldn't be real, could it?
Ron opened his eyes and saw his father's weary and smiling face looking at him with much concern.
Tears fell down Ron's face. "Dad?" Ron cried throatily.
Mr. Weasley nodded.
"But how?" Ron asked in a whisper. "I had the worst nightmare, and you were dead, and I was in Azkaban, and…"
Ron looked around him. Ron was in a very cold cell in Azkaban.
"And I still am in Azkaban… how are you still alive?" Ron asked.
"I'm not." Mr. Weasley said.
"Then how am I talking to you?" Ron asked.
"You could keep talking to me, and the nightmare could end if…" Mr. Weasley paused.
"If what?" Ron breathed.
"If you tell Mr. Malfoy who Harry's secret keeper is. I know what you're thinking… but I would never lie to you, nor would I ever steer you wrong. Malfoy's turned spy for our side, and he happens to know that somebody who keeps Harry safe on the holidays, is working for Voldemort, but he can't see the person from behind the masks that they have to wear. Tell him, so he can prevent Harry's death. The killing or imprisonment of this person will bring me back to life, and then I can get you out of here." Mr. Weasley said urgently.
Ron curled himself up into a ball.
"You're not my father." Ron whispered.
"Ron, I know you can't believe me, but you must!" Mr. Weasley said.
"My dad would never say You-know-who's name, dead or alive, and if Malfoy has turned spy for our side, Dumbledore's on our side, and he could go to him on the information that he thinks Harry's secret-keeper is a death eater. Get away from me." Ron cried.
"Ron, please son…" Mr. Weasley cried.
"Fine." Ron cried. "Fine. I'll do it. I'll tell."
"I'll see you soon." Mr. Weasley said as he left the cell of Azkaban.
Ron looked up as tears fell down his eyes. He was expecting to see the sky, but no he still saw the brick ceiling of his cell. Ron imagined how the sky outside Azkaban looked right now. It was probably gray, very cloudy, with stormy weather. Ron didn't know what time it was, but that didn't matter. That's how he imagined the sky outside his prison at any time. He was in a new cell that didn't have a barred window or any windows, so he could never know. There were only three brick walls and a cell door, which now was guarded by a dementor.
"Weasley," Lucious Malfoy hit Ron hard to bring him back to reality.
Ron looked up at Lucious with disgust.
"You used Polyjuice Potion to make me think you were my dad, didn't you?" Ron asked.
"What are you talking about?" Lucious asked.
"Tell the truth, or I won't tell you anything." Ron said.
"And if I did this, and admitted to it, you'd tell me something?" Lucious asked.
"I'll tell you the name of Harry's secret-keeper and where Harry stays during the holidays if you give me some answers." Ron said seriously.
"All right. Where does Harry live during the holidays?" Lucious asked with his eyes flashing malevolently.
"No, see how this works is, I ask a question, and then you ask a question." Ron said. "Otherwise, you don't get any answers."
"Okay fine. It was another death eater who came a bit ago under the influence of Polyjuice potion pretending to be your father." Lucious said.
Ron looked as if he were waiting to hear more.
"Wormtail." Lucious said. "But you wouldn't know him."
"I know who he is." Ron said.
"My turn." Lucious said.
"No it's not. I didn't ask anything yet. You assumed that's what I wanted to know, but I asked that before I told you the rules. It doesn't count. Answer my next question, and I'll tell you anything you wanted to know about Harry, where he lives, who protects him, who he cares about so much that he'd run into a trap to save them." Ron said.
"What's your question?" Lucious asked.
"I want to know what happened that night at the burrow. I want to know who was there, and who killed my father." Ron said.
"I killed him. Wormtail and I were sent to kill you, Harry Potter's best friend. Voldemort said Potter would be so depressed he'd probably kill himself saving him the job. That or he'd want to avenge your death by going after Voldemort himself. This would make him walk right into Voldemort's hands, and then he'd be murdered. Unfortunately, when Wormtail was checking to see that nobody was awake, your father woke up. He went to chase the rat out of the house, and I heard this. I summoned for your wand, and it reached me before your father did. And I came up behind him and he assumed I was you. He told you to go back to bed, it was only a rat, but then he turned around. Before he could stun me, I killed him. Then I had Wormtail put your wand back." Lucious said.
"Was You-know-who pleased?" Ron asked bitterly.
"I tore one of the closest and oldest wizarding families apart, and I placed you in Azkaban. He was very happy indeed." Lucious said.
Ron stood up and punched Lucious hard across the face. He hadn't been expecting it, and fell against the bars of Ron's door hard.
"GET OUT!" Ron yelled angrily, trying to get a dementor's attention. The dementors started coming, and Ron started hitting Lucious repetitively, so the dementors would remove him.
Ron felt something so cold and terrible pull him roughly off of Lucious. Everything went dark.
Ron woke up after a familiar, soothing voice called him as hands shook him gently. Ron opened his eyes seeing his mother.
"Mum?" Ron asked disbelievingly.
Mrs. Weasley nodded as tears fell down her face.
"Ron I am so, so sorry."
"No! No, I'm not stupid! I'm not falling for your tricks again! Just leave me be!" Ron yelled, remembering his dad under the Polyjuice potion.
"Ron, what are you screaming about? Please, just give me a chance to apologize. I don't deserve it, I know, but you don't deserve not to hear me say how sorry I am for everything!" Mrs. Weasley said sobbing.
Ron looked at her with confusion. Was this another of Voldemort's tricks or was it actually his mother?
"Do you honestly expect me to be so stupid? You got me the first time. It's not going to work this time!" Ron yelled.
"Ron, I don't understand…" Mrs. Weasley cried.
"LEAVE ME ALONE!" Ron yelled.
"Ron!" Mrs. Weasley sobbed covering her mouth with horror written all over her face.
"GO AWAY!" Ron screamed.
"Ron, I'm taking you home now." Mrs. Weasley cried.
"I'm not going home with you! I know it's one of your tricks! Who are you Malfoy? Wormtail? Or some other death eater?" Ron screamed.
"Ron, what are you talking about? Did somebody come by here earlier or…" Mrs. Weasley cried in confusion.
"You're not my mother! Don't treat me like I'm stupid! I know you're not my mum, because she wouldn't take me home! She lives with my Grandfather, and both of them hate me, so you lose. I'm not going to answer anybody's questions!" Ron cried angrily punching the wall in anger.
Mrs. Weasley screamed in fright.
"Ron! Ron, please… don't! Stop!" Mrs. Weasley sobbed trying to reach for Ron's damaged hand.
"Don't touch me!" Ron yelled.
"Look, I'll have Charlie come get you, but I don't want you to be here any longer! I'm sorry for hurting you so badly! You don't deserve this, and I don't deserve you, and I know that, and I'm sorry, but please at least let me get you out of here. Charlie's waiting for us at the dock, you can go home with him, and I'll stay as far away as you need me to, but I want you to come home. Please." Mrs. Weasley sobbed.
"I want to go home." Ron said as tears streamed down his face. He was in a state of torment. He couldn't be sure this was his mum, but if it was her… she was going to take him home. What if it wasn't? Ron wouldn't be able to handle it. At least he'd be out of Azkaban, once at the dock, if Charlie wasn't waiting for him, he'd run.
"Then please come home." Mrs. Weasley said.
Ron got up to his feet shakily. He crossed the cell with two strides and found the way out of Azkaban with his mother only a few steps behind him. She had tried to put her arm around him, had tried to comfort him, but he kept pulling away. He wouldn't even accept his mother's cloak, despite the fact that he was freezing and very sick.
It was a very long ferry ride, but when they were reaching the docks, Ron smiled at the people awaiting him.
Ron practically jumped off the boat and ran to his older brothers. He was in tears as he smiled at them.
Charlie picked his youngest brother slightly off the ground as he hugged him.
"Can't you ever stay out of trouble?" Charlie cried.
Ron laughed and was put back down on to the ground, but only until Bill took two steps over to him and hugged him just as tightly.
"You're freezing." Bill said with concern. Quickly he removed his cloak and held it out for Ron.
"No thank you, I'm fine." Ron said.
"You're sick, I can hear it in your voice, and you're freezing. I felt that when I hugged you." Bill said.
"Let's get him home, then shall we?" Mrs. Weasley asked.
Ron nodded but didn't say anything, nor did he look at his mother.
Bill and Charlie noticed this, but neither looked surprised.
Bill waved his wand for the Knight Bus, and Charlie pulled Ron out of the way as the bus landed crazily in their path.
The Knight bus took them home to the burrow. Ron walked in silently. He knew that his brothers and mother were watching him closely, wondering what he was thinking, but he didn't care.
Ron walked into the kitchen.
"Ask him if he's hungry." Mrs. Weasley urged in a whisper.
"I am." Ron said before Charlie or Bill could ask.
"Can I make you something to eat then?" Mrs. Weasley asked.
"Please." Ron said and he walked past his mum out of the kitchen and into the sitting room.
Bill and Charlie watched him in the sitting room.
"Do you know what time it is?" Ron asked.
"About eight o'clock." Bill answered.
"What day is it?" Ron asked.
"The thirty-first." Charlie answered.
"Fudge didn't want me released until the first or second." Ron said looking at them suspiciously.
"Fudge had no right putting you in Azkaban. As soon as we got an owl from Ginny that Fudge had taken you again, because of a location problem, we spoke to Fudge and after mum slapped him across the face, he changed his mind." Bill said.
Ron nodded and went back into the kitchen.
"Why'd you leave your father?" Ron asked. He refused to think of his mother's father as his Grandfather.
"I shouldn't have been there to begin with." Mrs. Weasley said.
"When did you realize that?" Ron asked sitting down.
"When it was too late." Mrs. Weasley said.
"It was never too late." Ron said. "You realized it and got away."
"I realized it right after your father was killed. I knew you needed me, but I was scared. I didn't know what I was to do or how I was to live without your father. I thought my father was the only person who could take care of me, take care of us. I was wrong of course. I could've made it all this time without him, but I just couldn't leave him. He would make me feel so guilty every time I tried to leave." Mrs. Weasley said.
"Finally, I left. I didn't need my father, but my children needed me. I guess the little girl inside of me took over so that I had to depend on my father for comfort. I neglected my children, and especially you. I ignored you when you said my father hit you, because I didn't want to believe that the man who raised me so well, my father who I loved was hurting my youngest son. My father's never lied to me growing up, and to think that he would lie to me- To think that he has been lying to me, is heartbreaking, and I ignored you and your father to believe him." Mrs. Weasley said wiping the tears falling down her face away.
"Do you still believe him?" Ron asked.
"I never did. I couldn't believe him, but I did… But I don't." Mrs. Weasley said trying to explain herself to Ron. "I believe you, and I have always believed you, but my father manipulated me into needing him and I felt I couldn't leave him, because he was old and lonely, and without my mother, he's just been miserable. I thought if I could do anything to help, by cooking, cleaning for him, or just being there for somebody who was always there for me growing up, that maybe I wouldn't feel so much guilt. But then I would think about you kids, and my heart would break even more. After your father- I couldn't leave my father after that. I thought you only see me two months out of the year, I could help out with my father the rest of the year, but then Fudge had to arrest you and put you through so much, and when the truth came out, I couldn't stay with my father anymore. I shouldn't have been there to begin with. Ron- I messed up really, really bad. You don't know how sorry I am, and maybe you'll never forgive me or understand me, but I am so very sorry."
Ron got up and walked over to his mother. He hugged her tightly and cried as she returned his hug.
"Thank you! Thank you!" Ron sobbed on his mother's shoulder. "I'm sorry for earlier. It's just that Malfoy, Malfoy's dad, came to Azkaban, and one of the death eaters had used Polyjuice Potion to become dad… and I couldn't help but think he was real, and when he wasn't… I couldn't believe that it was really you! I'm sorry mum!" Ron sobbed.
"Don't apologize for that. That wasn't your fault. I wouldn't have believed me either." Mrs. Weasley said.
"What did he want?" Charlie asked.
Ron only now noticed Bill and Charlie were in the room. He didn't let go of his mother though he just talked into her shoulder.
"One of the death eaters used Polyjuice Potion to pretend that they were dad, and I was half mad at the time, and I believed it was dad, but the stuff they were saying wasn't making sense. He said to tell Malfoy who Harry's secret-keeper was, because he was working as a spy for our side, and Harry's secret-keeper was a death eater, and he needed to know who the secret-keeper was so he could stop that person from telling you-know-who where Harry stayed on the holidays, but if Malfoy really was a spy for our side, he could've gone to Dumbledore. So after dad 'walked out' of Azkaban, Malfoy came in and asked, and I told him I'd tell him everything he'd need to know if he answered my question first. I asked him what happened the night of dad's murder. He said he and Wormtail, another death eater, came here to kill me, so that Harry would be really depressed and kill himself, saving You-know-who the job. But when Wormtail, who's an Animagus, went to check that everybody was sleeping, dad woke up and chased him down the stairs. Malfoy said he summoned for my wand and killed dad with it. Then he made Wormtail put it back upstairs on my dresser so that I would be framed. I started screaming and hitting him so the dementors removed him, and I didn't have to answer his questions." Ron said.
"I knew it was him!" Charlie said.
"I wanted dad to be alive again so badly!" Ron sobbed. "I miss him so much! I think if I wouldn't have known better, I might've told them everything about Harry just to see dad again. They said they'd be able to bring him back, and I want him to come back so badly. It might've cost Harry's life… I'm so sorry!" Ron sobbed.
Mrs. Weasley hugged Ron even tighter as he broke down.
Bill and Charlie walked over to their mum and youngest brother and tried comforting them both. Mrs. Weasley was crying from guilt and crying because her youngest son was crying. Ron was crying, as every bad feeling in the world seemed to be running through him.
"Ron, you don't have anything to be sorry for. You didn't jeopardize Harry's life in the slightest! You didn't!" Bill said pulling up a chair and sitting down.
"You don't understand!" Ron sobbed. "I might've risked his life at the chance to have seen dad again! If it were possible, I'd probably do it. I hate myself for that! I'm so sorry! I'm a terrible friend! I'm so sorry!"
"Ron! Listen to me, listen to yourself… you might have… but you didn't. If you had the chance, you might have done it, but you didn't do it, and you did have that chance, even though it weren't possible. You didn't know what was possible when you were half mad! And you're not a terrible friend. You're a great friend Harry's lucky to have you there for him, not to mention you're a very brave, strong, and courageous little brother! You think you're a terrible person, because you miss dad? God knows we all miss dad, and I know I'd do just about anything to see him alive again. The fact is, nothing can bring the dead back to life, but that doesn't mean they've left us completely. Think of all the memories you've had with him." Bill said.
"I can't! I can't remember anything good anymore." Ron sobbed uncontrollably.
"Try and remember the time when you and dad were here by yourselves. You got to go to work with him everyday. You got to spend a lot of time with him. Perkins told me that you made dad laugh a lot and he was a bit happier with you at work with him." Bill said quickly trying to make his brother remember.
"It was my fault mum didn't come home, if mum had been here…" Ron couldn't finish.
"No, no, sweetheart… that wasn't your fault! That was mine! Please don't think that was your fault!" Mrs. Weasley said seriously.
"But it was…" Ron sobbed. He let go of his mum and fell to his knees, crying into his hands.
Charlie helped him up and actually fought with Ron to get him upstairs to lie down.
"I can't believe all the damage I've caused." Mrs. Weasley cried to Bill.
"You didn't cause all of it. The dementors and Grandfather contributed to most of it." Bill said.
"Ron should be hating me, but he's hating himself!" Mrs. Weasley said.
"You know how you can't hate your father, even though you know he was wrong?" Bill asked. "Because you thought you needed him so much?"
Mrs. Weasley looked at Bill curiously.
"He can't hate you, even if he tried to, he just couldn't. He needs you so badly. He's been to Hell and back, and he's been wanting you to save him all along, even if the worst is over, even if he was fine, he wouldn't care that you weren't there when he needed you most, because you're here now, and he was probably thinking you'd never be there for him again. He thought you hated him. I mean the rest of the world hated him, and you didn't rescue him when he was giving up hope. He couldn't help but think you hated him, but you're here now so he probably thinks this is like a second chance or a chance to make you forgive him. He doesn't hate you. He needs you more than anyone else right now, so there's no way he could hate you." Bill said.
"How do I make him understand that it wasn't him, that it was me, who was wrong?" Mrs. Weasley asked.
"I think Charlie's working on that as we speak." Bill said.
"Does Charlie still hate me?" Mrs. Weasley asked.
"No. Charlie's never hated you. He was upset with your actions." Bill said.
"What about you?" Mrs. Weasley asked.
"I never hated you. I was upset that you weren't there for Ron, but you came around." Bill said.
Charlie came downstairs looking exhausted.
"He's out. He's hurting though." Charlie said looking at his mother.
"We were actually discussing what I could do to help Ron. Maybe you have a suggestion or two." Mrs. Weasley said fearing his words.
"I can't tell you what to do. I don't know what's going through his head besides terrible feelings and pain. I tried explaining to him that he wasn't the one who was wrong, that it was you, Grandfather, and Fudge. I don't mean to be mean towards you, but he needs to know the truth, that it was you and not him that's wrong. If he doesn't realize it he'll hate himself, and he shouldn't have to do that." Charlie said.
"I know." Mrs. Weasley said.
"But he doesn't care that you're wrong. He's just glad that you're here. He's happy that you saved him. He's thrilled that you'd defend him. We told him how you slapped Fudge across the face when he wouldn't release him." Charlie said.
Their attention turned to the door as they heard a popping noise of somebody apparating outside.
Percy let himself in looking exhausted. He had moved back home to the burrow after Ron's innocence was proven, and after Mrs. Weasley moved back home. He decided he wasn't ready to leave his family for his girlfriend yet.
"Hello." Percy said pouring himself a cup of tea as he sat down. He noticed Bill and Charlie looking at him. "Did I miss something?"
"Oh just Ron, he completely broke down." Charlie said.
"You got him out of Azkaban then?" Percy asked hopefully.
"Of course." Mrs. Weasley said.
"How long did you know he was in there, Percy?" Bill asked.
"Since Fudge threw him back in there. I wanted to get him out, honestly I did, but I couldn't afford to risk my job." Percy said.
"You care more about your job than your brother?" Charlie asked.
"No! Look, it's just with dad gone, and mum leaving Grandfather, somebody needs to bring money into the house. I'm thinking of the family." Percy said.
"Well perhaps you'd like to know what our youngest brother went through, while you were working so hard for the family." Charlie said.
"Percy, I appreciate your wanting to help, but I won't accept any money you earn from the Ministry. I wish you'd leave that place. After all the damage the Minister caused your brother and after everything that happened with your father…"
"Mum, don't be ridiculous! The Ministry didn't have anything to do with dad's death! May I remind you that dad's death and the framing of Ron could've been preventable if you hadn't left. The Ministry apologized to Ron, but then Ron screwed up, and when he did you didn't want him!" Percy said.
"YOU TAKE THAT BACK RIGHT NOW!" Charlie yelled pulling out his wand threateningly.
"No, none of this would've happened if it hadn't been for Ron!" Percy said. "If Ron would've just behaved himself over Grandfather's, dad wouldn't have had to sacrifice his relationship with mum to take him home! Then mum wouldn't have been at Grandfather's, and she'd be able to see who murdered dad and prevent Ron from going to Azkaban. She could've even stopped dad from being murdered!"
"Percy, I could've stopped your dad from being murdered, and I could've stopped Ron from being framed, but I made a wrong decision and stayed with your Grandfather." Mrs. Weasley said gently as Percy was trying hard to fight back tears.
"No you couldn't have." Ron said taking them all by surprise.
"Go back to bed." Charlie said.
"How much did you hear?" Percy asked.
"Everything." Ron said.
"I didn't mean what I said… I just needed somebody to blame." Percy said quickly.
"Well you can't blame mum." Ron said.
"Ron…" Charlie and Mrs. Weasley started at the same time, but Ron wouldn't let them continue.
"No. Mum I told you what Malfoy told me, and I've been thinking a lot about it. Maybe it was right that you stayed with Grandfather. Maybe none of this would've happened, if I wouldn't have runaway, but everything happened anyway, and you can't be blamed." Ron said.
"Ron, listen to me, I was wrong. I admit it. You should hate me and-"
"No, mum. I told you that Lucious Malfoy told me that his instructions were to kill me, but instead dad woke up because of a death eater in an Animagus form, so he decided to kill him and frame me. If you had been here instead of Grandfather's, you wouldn't have been able to stop dad from being murdered. After dad had been murdered you might've been able to stun or kill Malfoy, but the death eater that was an Animagus would've gone unnoticed, and you would've tried to get me out of there, but by the time I woke up, the Animagus would've killed you, and he would've gotten Malfoy out of there, causing me to be framed for both your and dad's deaths. I can't handle life without dad as it is, life without you too, would've killed me, and I probably wouldn't have been out of Azkaban, so maybe it was fate that you stayed with Grandfather." Ron said.
Mrs. Weasley embraced Ron tightly as she cried.
"I don't hate you or blame you for anything. I've been mad at you at times, but that didn't help me. You let me back in your life, and you're here for me now. So I can't be anything but grateful and happy. I'm happy that you've taken me back, but I just can't be happy in general when everything else is a mess." Ron explained.
"We'll work on everything else then." Mrs. Weasley said.
"Sounds good." Ron said with an old smile.
Author's Note: This isn't the end of the story. I thought about ending it here as well, but I still want to get Ron back to Hogwarts and I want to write about Sirius' trial. Expect another chapter soon. Thanks for reading and hopefully reviewing! ~*Carey*~