Praesentia
Chapter Four---Herneith's Curse
*
Ron's body was on fire as his parents sat in the two chairs near their bed. As Hermione settled on the end of his parent's bed, still clutching Ron's hand, he hesitated. Should he sit next to Hermione on the bed? How would that look? Hermione let go of his hand and gave him a hard look.
At long last, after eyeing his parents and Hermione uneasily, he sat down gingerly next to her. He left plenty of room between them.
His mother was speaking, and Ron hadn't heard a word she'd said. After a moment, he forced his mind focus on her words.
"...and that is why I asked you up here. You both have become very close, we can tell. That is why we need to tell you about....the curse."
Ron was puzzled. He watched as his mother turned to his father and grasped his hand. Ron's father looked rather grave, and also embarrassed. Finally, it dawned on him.
"Curse? What do you mean?" Ron blurted loudly, and he could feel nausea in the pit of his stomach. He was afraid to know what she meant. He thought he had an idea....but it couldn't be....
His mother remained silent for a few moments, before giving his father a quick look. He saw his father swallow, and then nod. His mother turned back to look into Ron's eyes.
"Ron....don't you remember the story....about the Weasley curse?" Her voice was strained, so different from usual.
Ron felt his jaw drop, as Hermione turned to him, a confused expression on her face. Turned back to his parents, he said loudly, "You mean....that story you told Ginny and I before bed? What do you....I mean..." Ron's face burned, as realization came over him.
His mother nodded. "Yes, Ron. That's precisely what I'm talking about."
Ron shuddered, and then said slowly, "But...I thought that was just a bedtime story. I had no idea....that it was real. You can't mean..." Ron shook his head, unwilling to believe that the Weasley curse was real. It couldn't be....or could it? After all...Bill and Charlie had never gotten married. And neither had Percy.
Hermione made a loud sound next to him, and finally she said silently, "Well...um, are you going to....?"
Ron could see his mother nod out of the corner of his eye, as if allowing him to tell the story. He shook his head, and turned to face his mother fully. "I think you should tell it, mum--and dad--I can barely remember it." He rubbed his head, still afraid to contemplate it was true.
His mother nodded, and his father remained silent, looking at the floor. His mother spoke. "Well, it all began centuries ago."
She turned to Hermione. "The first Weasley ancestor...we believe...was born very long ago...possibly 5000 years ago. To tell you the truth....we wouldn't even know that, if the curse wasn't..."
Ron's father looked up at that, and he appeared very angry. He muttered, "We didn't tell you, Ron, because we didn't want to worry you. After all; there was no need. Until now..." He turned to give Hermione a quick look. Then he fell silent again.
Ron felt a numbness flow all through his body, realizing why his father was so upset. It all made perfect sense....
He turned to watch Hermione, as his mother sighed and appeared to collect herself, before continuing with the story.
"Yes, well..." His mother swallowed. "We understand that the first Weasley mother was an Egyptian woman named Herneith. She was a queen, and ruled the kingdom while her husband was away at battle. The legend says that Herneith was a powerful sorceress...she had the power to do both good an evil.
"While her husband was away...she used her powers to travel great distances in order to employ..." She stopped for a moment. Then she smiled. "I remember how we told you this story when you were young, Ron. We always said Herneith was lonely--so she gathered friends. In truth....she only wanted male friends." Ron saw his mother shuffle a bit in her chair, and Ron's face burned hotter than before.
After a moment, Ron risked a look at Hermione. She was leaning forward, hanging on his mother's every word. Ron swallowed as his mother began again.
"Herneith was not native to Egypt. We believe she was born in Western Europe, but we don't know for sure. That was why she traveled as far away as the British Isles...to gain these--friends. One of those "friends" was named Wesand--at least, that's what legend says."
His mother paused for a moment to give Hermione and Ron a glance. Satisfied she had their attention, she continued.
"Wesand, we believe, was rather pale and blonde, while Hernieth had light brown hair--at least, that's what legend tells. Once Herneith selected Wesand to be her...companion...from a group of eligible young men, she brought him back to Egypt with her. And legend says that while Herneith was married to her dark-complected, dark-haired husband...she bore a pale, red-haired son."
Ron began to remember the intricate details of the story as it was being told, and he cringed. It was still hard to believe the story was actually true. He didn't want to hear it; he didn't want to know what might mean for the future.
He had no choice but to listen as his mother continued.
"The king shunned Herneith, and married her sister. As all this transpired, Wesand fell in love with a young Egyptian servant girl, and they ran off together. Herneith was enraged...both because her husband had cast her aside...and because her lover had betrayed her. So she cast a curse...a curse that effected the son of her and Wesand.
"The curse was designed so that her son, and the sons of his sons, would never be able to marry any woman not specifically chosen by Herneith. She didn't even care that her son might end up without a wife or children to carry on the bloodline. It mattered very little to Herneith; she was so enraged.
"To uphold this condition, Herneith used her powers to create a curse. The curse meant that if they did marry someone inappropriate, they would die."
Ron sat up straight, as a chill ran down his spine. He felt Hermione shudder next to him. He turned to her, concerned, and felt the urge to take her hand. When he did, he felt how cold she was. Her face was pale.
He risked a glance at his mother. Just as he did, he heard Hermione say something softly beside him.
"So...how did Herneith keep track of...the wives?" Ron turned to Hermione again, and saw that she was looking at their locked hands. He grasped her hand tighter.
His mother spoke up. "For many years, she approved the wives herself. She used her powers to outlive her normal life span. After many years, she finally realized she couldn't live forever. So...." She stood up at that, and crossed over to her wardrobe, and pointed her wand at one of the panels.
Ron watched, transfixed, as his mother muttered something, and a hidden drawer popped open. He felt his mouth drop open, as his mother lifted a very old wooden box from the drawer brought it to them.
She opened the lid of the box, and sitting inside on a ragged piece of green cloth was a worn brown limestone tablet. It appeared to have once had writing etched into it, but it was now worn to a point where none of it could be deciphered.
"This is called the Wesele stone. Wesele is believed to be the original name Herneith bestowed on her son, and it has carried on and eventually became Weasley.
"Any woman intending to marry a Weasley male must touch the stone. It's believed Herneith cast a powerful spell on it--one that can judge a woman's character as fitting to the Herneith strength and determination. She left much of her own personality in this stone, to make sure that someone fitting was chosen as a Weasley mate." She sighed, and stepped back to sit down--leaving the box open on her lap.
"The only drawback is this...once a woman touches the stone, there's no turning back. If the stone glows green, Herneith approves. If the stone turns blue....."
Ron couldn't hold back, and blurted loudly, "If the stone turns blue, there's no hope for you." Ron groaned. It was something Bill and Charlie used to kid about with each other all the time, and Ron hadn't understand it. Every time they said it, and Ron asked them to explain, they had refused.
His mother nodded. "I assume you heard that saying from Bill and Charlie?" She didn't wait for an answer, but tut-tutted and looked a bit miffed. Ron nodded, and his mother sighed.
"Well...it's more complicated than that. Once a woman touches the stone, they're either committed to a Weasley for life, or they can never see that Weasley again. If the son ignores what the stone indicates, or they marry an inappropriate woman....they will die."
Ron heard Hermione expel a great deal of breath beside him. After a moment, there was silence in the room, and Ron's father awkwardly squirmed in his chair.
Ron spoke up. He could no longer hold back everything he yearned to say.
"Why didn't you tell me all of this before?" He let go of Hermione's hand, stood up, and crossed his arms.
His mother arched an eyebrow at him, and said softly, "You said yourself, we told you when you were young."
"I told you, I thought it was a story! I had no idea it was real!" Ron felt ire rise in him. "And what about Bill and Charlie? Have they had anyone touch that thing? They obviously knew about all this....why didn't they tell me?"
"We told them...just like we're telling you...when we believed there was a young woman becoming close to one of them. And yes...those women did touch the stone. You can guess the result." His mother pursed her lips, and fiddled with the lid of the box in her lap. "We told them it was best we explained it to you when you were older....it would make it easier for you. And before you even ask..." She turned to Ron's father. His father broke his long silence.
"The curse is real. Men have died, Ron. One of my brothers was one of them. I never told you about him. For centuries, Weasley men refused to be ruled by the Herneith curse. They paid the price. And there's no countercurse...at least, none that we've been able to come up with." He sat back and rubbed his face, and he had a defeated look in his eyes.
Ron turned as he heard Hermione speak all of the sudden. He could see her perched at the corner of his parent's bed, leaning forward, both hands clenched on her knees. "So, Mrs Weasley...when did you touch the stone?" Her voice gradually became more soft, as if she was afraid to ask the question.
"I touched the stone when I was your age, Hermione." Mrs Weasley smiled. "It's best to try early on...before..." The smile on her face waned. "But you must understand...if you touch the stone, you will be committed. If it turns green, you will need to...." His mother stopped, and Ron couldn't meet her eyes as he stood with crossed arms.
"Marry Ron." Hermione finished the sentence, and the silence in the room became deafening. "And if it turns blue...I can never see him again."
Ron clenched his fists. How could this happen? What kind of choice was this damn curse having to make for him...for Hermione?
Before he could contemplate it any further, he saw Hermione stand up.
She walked quickly toward Ron's mum, and stretched her right hand toward the open box on his mother's lap.
Dozens of thoughts raced through Ron's mind in that short moment. What if the stone turned green, and he would know Hermione would have to marry him? Would she really want to marry a Weasley? What would her parents say?
But if the stone turned blue, he'd never see her again. Well, he would at school...but he'd never be with her again. He'd never touch her, kiss her, make love to her...ever again.
"No, Hermione, don't touch it!" Ron uttered urgently, and stepped forward to grab her.
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Okay...I know this chapter may have been a bit confusing. Please email me if you have a specific question about something that didn't make sense, and I will consider editing the story to clarify.
Thanks, and please remember all feedback is loved and appreciated!
Chapter Four---Herneith's Curse
*
Ron's body was on fire as his parents sat in the two chairs near their bed. As Hermione settled on the end of his parent's bed, still clutching Ron's hand, he hesitated. Should he sit next to Hermione on the bed? How would that look? Hermione let go of his hand and gave him a hard look.
At long last, after eyeing his parents and Hermione uneasily, he sat down gingerly next to her. He left plenty of room between them.
His mother was speaking, and Ron hadn't heard a word she'd said. After a moment, he forced his mind focus on her words.
"...and that is why I asked you up here. You both have become very close, we can tell. That is why we need to tell you about....the curse."
Ron was puzzled. He watched as his mother turned to his father and grasped his hand. Ron's father looked rather grave, and also embarrassed. Finally, it dawned on him.
"Curse? What do you mean?" Ron blurted loudly, and he could feel nausea in the pit of his stomach. He was afraid to know what she meant. He thought he had an idea....but it couldn't be....
His mother remained silent for a few moments, before giving his father a quick look. He saw his father swallow, and then nod. His mother turned back to look into Ron's eyes.
"Ron....don't you remember the story....about the Weasley curse?" Her voice was strained, so different from usual.
Ron felt his jaw drop, as Hermione turned to him, a confused expression on her face. Turned back to his parents, he said loudly, "You mean....that story you told Ginny and I before bed? What do you....I mean..." Ron's face burned, as realization came over him.
His mother nodded. "Yes, Ron. That's precisely what I'm talking about."
Ron shuddered, and then said slowly, "But...I thought that was just a bedtime story. I had no idea....that it was real. You can't mean..." Ron shook his head, unwilling to believe that the Weasley curse was real. It couldn't be....or could it? After all...Bill and Charlie had never gotten married. And neither had Percy.
Hermione made a loud sound next to him, and finally she said silently, "Well...um, are you going to....?"
Ron could see his mother nod out of the corner of his eye, as if allowing him to tell the story. He shook his head, and turned to face his mother fully. "I think you should tell it, mum--and dad--I can barely remember it." He rubbed his head, still afraid to contemplate it was true.
His mother nodded, and his father remained silent, looking at the floor. His mother spoke. "Well, it all began centuries ago."
She turned to Hermione. "The first Weasley ancestor...we believe...was born very long ago...possibly 5000 years ago. To tell you the truth....we wouldn't even know that, if the curse wasn't..."
Ron's father looked up at that, and he appeared very angry. He muttered, "We didn't tell you, Ron, because we didn't want to worry you. After all; there was no need. Until now..." He turned to give Hermione a quick look. Then he fell silent again.
Ron felt a numbness flow all through his body, realizing why his father was so upset. It all made perfect sense....
He turned to watch Hermione, as his mother sighed and appeared to collect herself, before continuing with the story.
"Yes, well..." His mother swallowed. "We understand that the first Weasley mother was an Egyptian woman named Herneith. She was a queen, and ruled the kingdom while her husband was away at battle. The legend says that Herneith was a powerful sorceress...she had the power to do both good an evil.
"While her husband was away...she used her powers to travel great distances in order to employ..." She stopped for a moment. Then she smiled. "I remember how we told you this story when you were young, Ron. We always said Herneith was lonely--so she gathered friends. In truth....she only wanted male friends." Ron saw his mother shuffle a bit in her chair, and Ron's face burned hotter than before.
After a moment, Ron risked a look at Hermione. She was leaning forward, hanging on his mother's every word. Ron swallowed as his mother began again.
"Herneith was not native to Egypt. We believe she was born in Western Europe, but we don't know for sure. That was why she traveled as far away as the British Isles...to gain these--friends. One of those "friends" was named Wesand--at least, that's what legend says."
His mother paused for a moment to give Hermione and Ron a glance. Satisfied she had their attention, she continued.
"Wesand, we believe, was rather pale and blonde, while Hernieth had light brown hair--at least, that's what legend tells. Once Herneith selected Wesand to be her...companion...from a group of eligible young men, she brought him back to Egypt with her. And legend says that while Herneith was married to her dark-complected, dark-haired husband...she bore a pale, red-haired son."
Ron began to remember the intricate details of the story as it was being told, and he cringed. It was still hard to believe the story was actually true. He didn't want to hear it; he didn't want to know what might mean for the future.
He had no choice but to listen as his mother continued.
"The king shunned Herneith, and married her sister. As all this transpired, Wesand fell in love with a young Egyptian servant girl, and they ran off together. Herneith was enraged...both because her husband had cast her aside...and because her lover had betrayed her. So she cast a curse...a curse that effected the son of her and Wesand.
"The curse was designed so that her son, and the sons of his sons, would never be able to marry any woman not specifically chosen by Herneith. She didn't even care that her son might end up without a wife or children to carry on the bloodline. It mattered very little to Herneith; she was so enraged.
"To uphold this condition, Herneith used her powers to create a curse. The curse meant that if they did marry someone inappropriate, they would die."
Ron sat up straight, as a chill ran down his spine. He felt Hermione shudder next to him. He turned to her, concerned, and felt the urge to take her hand. When he did, he felt how cold she was. Her face was pale.
He risked a glance at his mother. Just as he did, he heard Hermione say something softly beside him.
"So...how did Herneith keep track of...the wives?" Ron turned to Hermione again, and saw that she was looking at their locked hands. He grasped her hand tighter.
His mother spoke up. "For many years, she approved the wives herself. She used her powers to outlive her normal life span. After many years, she finally realized she couldn't live forever. So...." She stood up at that, and crossed over to her wardrobe, and pointed her wand at one of the panels.
Ron watched, transfixed, as his mother muttered something, and a hidden drawer popped open. He felt his mouth drop open, as his mother lifted a very old wooden box from the drawer brought it to them.
She opened the lid of the box, and sitting inside on a ragged piece of green cloth was a worn brown limestone tablet. It appeared to have once had writing etched into it, but it was now worn to a point where none of it could be deciphered.
"This is called the Wesele stone. Wesele is believed to be the original name Herneith bestowed on her son, and it has carried on and eventually became Weasley.
"Any woman intending to marry a Weasley male must touch the stone. It's believed Herneith cast a powerful spell on it--one that can judge a woman's character as fitting to the Herneith strength and determination. She left much of her own personality in this stone, to make sure that someone fitting was chosen as a Weasley mate." She sighed, and stepped back to sit down--leaving the box open on her lap.
"The only drawback is this...once a woman touches the stone, there's no turning back. If the stone glows green, Herneith approves. If the stone turns blue....."
Ron couldn't hold back, and blurted loudly, "If the stone turns blue, there's no hope for you." Ron groaned. It was something Bill and Charlie used to kid about with each other all the time, and Ron hadn't understand it. Every time they said it, and Ron asked them to explain, they had refused.
His mother nodded. "I assume you heard that saying from Bill and Charlie?" She didn't wait for an answer, but tut-tutted and looked a bit miffed. Ron nodded, and his mother sighed.
"Well...it's more complicated than that. Once a woman touches the stone, they're either committed to a Weasley for life, or they can never see that Weasley again. If the son ignores what the stone indicates, or they marry an inappropriate woman....they will die."
Ron heard Hermione expel a great deal of breath beside him. After a moment, there was silence in the room, and Ron's father awkwardly squirmed in his chair.
Ron spoke up. He could no longer hold back everything he yearned to say.
"Why didn't you tell me all of this before?" He let go of Hermione's hand, stood up, and crossed his arms.
His mother arched an eyebrow at him, and said softly, "You said yourself, we told you when you were young."
"I told you, I thought it was a story! I had no idea it was real!" Ron felt ire rise in him. "And what about Bill and Charlie? Have they had anyone touch that thing? They obviously knew about all this....why didn't they tell me?"
"We told them...just like we're telling you...when we believed there was a young woman becoming close to one of them. And yes...those women did touch the stone. You can guess the result." His mother pursed her lips, and fiddled with the lid of the box in her lap. "We told them it was best we explained it to you when you were older....it would make it easier for you. And before you even ask..." She turned to Ron's father. His father broke his long silence.
"The curse is real. Men have died, Ron. One of my brothers was one of them. I never told you about him. For centuries, Weasley men refused to be ruled by the Herneith curse. They paid the price. And there's no countercurse...at least, none that we've been able to come up with." He sat back and rubbed his face, and he had a defeated look in his eyes.
Ron turned as he heard Hermione speak all of the sudden. He could see her perched at the corner of his parent's bed, leaning forward, both hands clenched on her knees. "So, Mrs Weasley...when did you touch the stone?" Her voice gradually became more soft, as if she was afraid to ask the question.
"I touched the stone when I was your age, Hermione." Mrs Weasley smiled. "It's best to try early on...before..." The smile on her face waned. "But you must understand...if you touch the stone, you will be committed. If it turns green, you will need to...." His mother stopped, and Ron couldn't meet her eyes as he stood with crossed arms.
"Marry Ron." Hermione finished the sentence, and the silence in the room became deafening. "And if it turns blue...I can never see him again."
Ron clenched his fists. How could this happen? What kind of choice was this damn curse having to make for him...for Hermione?
Before he could contemplate it any further, he saw Hermione stand up.
She walked quickly toward Ron's mum, and stretched her right hand toward the open box on his mother's lap.
Dozens of thoughts raced through Ron's mind in that short moment. What if the stone turned green, and he would know Hermione would have to marry him? Would she really want to marry a Weasley? What would her parents say?
But if the stone turned blue, he'd never see her again. Well, he would at school...but he'd never be with her again. He'd never touch her, kiss her, make love to her...ever again.
"No, Hermione, don't touch it!" Ron uttered urgently, and stepped forward to grab her.
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Okay...I know this chapter may have been a bit confusing. Please email me if you have a specific question about something that didn't make sense, and I will consider editing the story to clarify.
Thanks, and please remember all feedback is loved and appreciated!