Salt in our Wounds

Disclaimer: It's all JK's!

A/N: Thanks for the reviews!

Chapter 3 (Gone with the Sin)

"Hello, my dears!" Mrs Weasley squealed and shoved Harry and Ron into the kitchen. She eyed Ron's hair and sighed. "You should really get a hair cut, Ron. If you just let me ..."

"No! Mum, really, I like my hair the way it is."

Mrs Weasley shrugged and went back to make lunch. Ginny came downstairs and Harry had to admit that Ginny was prettier than any other girl he had ever seen; her long red hair fell gracefully over her white shoulders and her dark eyes shone brightly. She was holding her baby, Anastasia, in her arms. She had gotten married to Neville two years ago and they were obviously happy. Ginny's brothers and parents hadn't been too happy when she had told them that she was pregnant at the age of eighteen, but since she was a married woman there wasn't much they could have done against it.

"How is my favorite niece?" Ron asked and kissed his sister and the baby.

"She stole Neville's wand AGAIN!" Ginny laughed. "And she bewitched her teeth so that they were growing and growing to no end and ..."

But neither Ron nor Harry were listening to her really. They were more than nervous and they wished the twins would finally turn up so that they could ask them for help in case Mrs Weasley was taking the whole thing badly. They had both agreed that Mr Weasley would probably just leave the whole matter to his wife.

"Where ARE they?" Mrs Weasley who had discovered that her sons were missing, too, grumbled. "One should mean that they ..."

At that moment the twins Apparated with a rather loud 'plop'. Harry winced when he saw their outfits: Both had chosen bright yellow robes with purple pinstripes and pink Muggle-style hats.

"You look ... great?" Ginny tried.

"You are LATE!" Mrs Weasley grumbled.

"Sorry mum," the said at once and hugged their mother.

"Oh well, it doesn't matter, I suppose." To Ron it did matter; they had no time left to tell the twins.

"Where's dad?"

"He should be there soon. He took a Ministry car, you know."

And indeed, a few moments later Mr Weasley entered the house.

"Ah, Ron. Harry. I talked to Hermione today. She says she's sorry, but she is too busy to come today. Too much work ..."

Ron sighed. Hermione was working with Ron's father, but she acted as though it was the most important thing in the world and she hardly had time for her friends anymore. It would have been nice to have her around though, since she knew about Harry's and Ron's secret, too.

Finally everyone, including Neville who had arrived shortly after Mr Weasley, settled around the table and they started to eat. Ron hardley managed to get down something although the food was much, much better than what he cooked for Harry and himself usually.

"Is anything wrong?" Ron's mother asked when they had reached dessert. "Don't you like the pudding?"

"No, mum ... it's just ... Harry and I ... need to tell you something."

"Will you have to move? Have you been promoted?"

"No," Harry replied, his voice firm. "Mr and Mrs Weasley ... it's something else we have got to tell you."

"What is it, Harry-dear?" Mrs Weasley replied.

Fred and George looked at each other; they were pretty sure that they knew what their younger brother and his lover were up to.

"Well ... I know this has to be so ... weird and bad for you, but ... we ... we are in love," Harry finally managed to say and took one of Ron's hands with both of his.

Mrs Weasley didn't shout, nor did she say something like 'oh that's nice' and she didn't hurt either of them: She laughed.

"That's a nice joke, Harry-dear. But now tell me what it **really** is!"

"It's the truth, mum," Ron whispered.

His mother stared at him in disbelief. "B-but ... RON! That's not TRUE!"

"It is," Ron replied, tears falling over his pale cheeks. "I-I'm so-"

"No, you are **not** sorry," Fred spoke up. "You **love Harry and ..."

"Shut up, Fred!" Mrs Weasley yelled. "You aren't involved in this!" She turned back to Harry and Ron. "How long? JUST TELL ME HOW LONG YOU HAVE DONE THAT SICK THING BEHIND MY BACK?!" "Since our fifth year," Harry replied softly. "I really do love Ron and ... please don't act as though it is wrong. It can't be wrong. Not if it feels that good."

The expression on Mrs Weasley's face was pure disgust. "Out of my sight. Both of you. GO!"

Ron cried harder now. "Mum, please."

"GO! YOU ARE SO SICK!"

Ron's father put a hand on his wife's arm. "Molly, please stop that. There's no use in saying these things to them. It was kind of obvious that this would happen some day."

Everyone, including Neville who had been hiding under the table, listened to him now.

"They have always been really close to each other and sometimes when they thought no one was looking ... well ... the way they looked at each other spoke more than words could. And if they do want to love each other they have my support," Mr Weasley ended his little speech firmly.

"B-but ..." Mrs Weasley wasn't used to her husband standing up to her. "Very well. Who else thinks that they are right with this?"

Fred and George raised their hands as well as Ginny and Neville.

"Fine," Mrs Weasley said cooly. "Then please leave this house. All of you. And don't you dare and come back."

They all stared at her. "Didn't you listen? GOOO!!!"

Before anyone could do or say anything against it, Ron had jumped up and Disapparated. After more of Molly Weasley's yells the rest of the family, except Mr Weasley left, too.

Harry Apparated to his and Ron's apartment, but the moment he entered he knew it was empty. It was like all happiness had vanished from the place.

Harry sat down on the couch and waited. Ron, however, didn't come back. Later on he could never tell how long he had been waiting, but when the twins Apparated into the living room it was around ten in the evening.

"Where's Ron?" they asked immediately.

"He hasn't come back and you know he has a real gift with hiding himself. He's ... gone."

At that moment an owl flew through the window and dropped a letter into Harry's lap. He opened the envelope quickly and read through; his hands were trembling and he handed it over to the twins.

How weird, Potter. You have been chasing me and I have caught your little toy. If you want him back you'd better stop going after me.

"Your man"

Ron's and his target had obviously proven to be too dangerous to handle and Harry had let down the one he loved again.