Chapter 17.
Ron didn't quite believe what he had heard Dumbledore tell his mother. He had seen the girl . . . Francheska Weinstein come
in as a black haired version of Hermione, then saw her transform into a female version of himself! He saw her stare at herself
in the mirror, watching her confusion, which matched his own, and then saw his mother shout at her to leave. He had never
been so angry before. He had apparated straight to Hogsmead and spoken to the Headmaster, who had told him everything.
The old man told him the moment his daughter was found and he was there sitting by her side holding her hand until she woke
up.
Blue eyes slowly opened and stared at the ceiling above her, brow furrowed in concentration wondering where she was.
'You're in St.Mungo's . . . if you're wondering.'
She sat bolt upright and stared at the red-haired man on her left. She ten noticed he was holding her hand. He seemed
familiar.
'Who are you?'
'Ron Weasley.'
Then it clicked. The blue eyes, the freckles, the nose. . . it was a reflection of her!
'Are. . .are you. . .are you my dad?'
'Yes. I'm not going to let you go. I won't reject you. I now know about you and there is no way I can turn my back on my
daughter. It'll take time to get to know each other and me being a father of a 16-year-old, but we can learn together. . .if you
want. . .do you want that?'
Instead of answering, she threw her arms around his neck and cried. Ron instinctally out his arms around her thin frame and
sat on the bed rocking her back and forth.
'Ssh. You're safe now.'
They spent the day getting to know each other. It wasn't awkward like they thought it would be it was just perfect.
After the match.
'Harry? . .I really need to tell you something. . .on your own.'
'Are you ok?'
'Urm. . .yeah. . .I will be. . .please this is major.'
'Ok, hang on. Lincon? Take this portkey to the burrow ok, I just need to do something with Uncle Ron, ok?
'ok dad.'
All three children disappeared. Harry turned back to Ron.
'Ok, Ron you're worrying me. What is it?'
'Go to St.Mungo's.' He apparated away before Harry could ask anymore questions.
'What the hell? Oh well.' Harry followed and looked around for his best friend in the crowed reception room at the magical
reception.
'Harry! Over here!'
Ron was standing over by the lift waving at him. Harry finally got through the crowd getting annoyed.
'Ron, what is all this about?'
Ron walked into a relative's room, closed the door and beckoned Harry to sit down, while he paced up and down, wringing
his hands.
'Please don't freak out on me and please no interruptions. I have a 16-year-old daughter.'
Silence.
Ron looked round and saw to his amusement, that Harry was having some trouble getting over the fact they would have to
been in school and nether knew about it.
'Who the bloody hell is the mother then?'
Ron chuckled at how the roles had been reversed, and remembered all to well the woman who had tried to pass off a Death
Eaters son as Harry's own! Rons' reaction had been the same at Harrys' now. He stood up and walked out of the door
giving Harry the idea to follow. He led him up a narrow staircase next to the lift. He followed him down along wide corridor
and then onto a corridor Harry spent most of his time as his job of an Aurur.
'You remember the muggle girls?'
'Yeah, Mara was found dead, the other we have no idea. Albus won't let the healers tell us anything'.
'Well, she's alive and well.'
Silence.
'WHAT? She's your daughter?'
'Yes. Come on.'
Harry still shocked smiled and followed his friend into the room, which already looked like a typical teenager's room. 'Just
what I have to look forward to'
He saw a painfully thin redheaded girl lying on her stomach on the bed with her legs in the air, ankles crossed her head stuck
in a book. The room was a complete mess, books, cloths make up, trunk, everywhere. He looked back to the girl who
hadn't noticed them arrive, 'sounds like Hermione,' he watched her frown in concentration, and bite her lower lip. He saw
the wand in her hand twirling it around her fingers as she played wit it. It was all too obvious now and she remembered the
night perfectly.
'Hermione,' he breathed. Ron heard him.
'Yeah, I'll tell you later.'
After Francheska had finally noticed them, Harry got to know what had happened to her. It was all too familiar to him,
though kept it to himself, even when Ron shot his concerned looks. She just took it all in her stride.
Harry also noticed how well father and daughter got on, even after only meeting in the early hours of that morning. They
joked about, took the Mickey out of each other and neither minded. It reminded him of Ron and his own children.
All sorts of things went through Harry's head as he watched them. The girl had obviously grown up with muggles. Or was
she the reason their best friend hadn't contacted them for 16 years. Why didn't she tell anyone, especially Ron? He voiced
these to Ron when they left leaving her asleep. Ron sat him down in the park outside the hospital and told him everything
including Dumbledores' suspicion of Hermiones' marriage. Harry sat there for a while not saying a word.
'So. . . so Dumbledore believes her husband is beating her?'
'Yeah.'
'Oh god. . .but. . .no way. . .she wouldn't let it happen. . .'
'She has 3 kids with the guy Harry.'
Harry groaned and out his head in his hands, not really believing what he was hearing.
'Mate, go home. I'll bring the kids over tomorrow.'
Harry just nodded. He looked up at his friend.
'She's great you know. A lot like you.'
Ron smiled back and Harry apparated away.