It had been Harry who realized first. The summer after the Sirius death. Ron went home having watched Harry leaving with his relatives at the station. He looked some more conforted after the…advice the Order set on them. And Ron thought that it would release him too.

But Ron kept having nightmares. He didn't know why, but he felt tired, worried, unconfortable all the time and the scars that the brains had left in him felt sort of "scratchy". And he had nightmares every night about his friends and his sister in the DoM and often woke up screaming.

"How do you feel today darling, sleep well?".

"Fine, mum"

"You don't look fine"

"I am"

"You can't feel fine, you had another dream, I heard you"

"Sod off Ginny"

"Ron!"

"Sorry if I woke you, why don't you quit the nagging and help me casting a silecing charm on my walls? I would not bother you any more"

"That's rude Ronald, apologized"

"Sorry"

Ron understood now how Harry felt every time he and Hermione tried to make him talk about his nightmares. There were his parents and his siblings all looking at him with an unbereable expression of pity, he could almost feel the waves of commiseration rolling over him. He never could stand it, never, he would just stand up and leave his food almost untouched. And it was the same with each meal."How do you feel?", "leave me alone", "don't be rude, we are just worried about you", and Ron could not stand that anymore.

For the first week of the summer it all went like that. Even Bill and Charlie, who had never been close to him tried to approach to make small talk, with stupid jokes and meeking counsels. So Ron took the habit of slipping by himself to the pod the Weasleys owned or locked himsel in his room and spend all day avoiding every one.

Harrys letters didn't help either. They were sort and never carried enough information. Just: "I'm fine, noone is bothering me, leave me alone".

Bill was in the backyard of number 4 Privet Drive guarding Harry today. As usual the kid had not sleep at all to finally drift off in the early hours of the morning to being wake by a nigthmare, just like Ron. Bill was really worried for his brother. He was so different from what he remembered of him. He had become a sober guy, quiet and so tall. It had been a shock for Bill to see how much he had grown up while injured in the Hospital wing. So tall in fact that no clothes fit him any more, he had the size of a man and was barely a teen of sixteen. Their mother had had to take him to town to buy him new jeans and shirts, the first ones that Ron have ever had. He now looked so different, he was an aloof and handsome young man that Bill couldn't connect to his baby brother. Bill didn't realize it was his fault, he never paid much attention to the babies and he had not been there to see them grow up, he had been to busy living his own "adventures" in Egypt. An now his own brother was a stranger to him.

Just then Tonks interupted his musings to take over from his guard on Harry. Bill made a little of small talk with her (She was also worried about Harry) and aparated outside the wards of the Burrow.

Ron was sitting at the kitchen table peeling peas for their mother. He lifted his head as soon as Bill crossed the door. "How's Harry?".

"Asleep when I left, What are you doing up so early, care to have breakfast with me?"

"I've eaten already. Is he OK?"

"Hell Ron, I don't know. I didn't know yesterady and I won't know tomorrow. I don't spend my time peereing through his window, that's not my duty"

"It isn't? I thought that's what you had to do. At least it's all that Dumbledore seems to care about. Spy and control Harry Potter"

"Ronald!"

"What!… Mum"

"Don't "What" me boy; that's rude you just said, no one is trying to control Harry. Dumbledore just wants to protect him!. Honestly Ron, I don't know whats wrong with you, you are just imposible. Go to your room and finish your homework!"

"I've already done that"

"Your school homework"

"I'm telling you: I've already done it"

"Oh, come on.." moaned Bill "no one is going to buy that"

But Ron didn't reply to that. He just went quiet and stared hard at his brother. Even Mrs Weasley held her breath. At that very moment Mr Weasley entered the kitchen tieying up his robe. "Good morning Weasleys!"

Without a word Ron stood from the table and left the room. His steps could be heard climbing the stairs. "What happened?" asked Mr Weasley bewildered. But neither Bill nor Molly answered him till the door of Ron's room was heard closing. It had been eiree. That look on Ron's eyes was completelly foreing for Bill.

"What the hell was that mum?"

Mrs Weasley sighed "Wish I knew honey. Arthur, I can't stad this any more, Ron is unbeareable. There must be something we could do to cheer him. I don't know, perhaps if we ask Hermione to came earlier…".

"She is still injured, I don't think her parens will allow her to come any earlier this year. Let me think about it dear, OK?" And he left for the ministry.

That evening Ron didn't even get down to dinner. The situation was really unconfortable. No one talked, the twins tried, but in the end every one remained quiet casting glances to Ron empty seat. Finally, just when they had finished clearing the table Ron entered the living room with a book in his hands. And Mr Weasley took the chance:

"Ronald. Your mother tells me you haven eaten all day. Why are you starving yourself?"

"I'm not, I'm just not hungry" He left the book in the self and started retreating. "Wait Ronald. I haven't finish." Bill exchage a look with Ginny. This was unnerving. Dad had not use that tone of voice since the big discusion when Percy left.

"This behaviour from your part can not continue. You are making everyone in the house miserable. Your mother is getting sick with worry with your not eating, not to mention that you are getting thinier that a wisp. I know it has been hard for you, and that it is difficult to come to terms with what has happened. But I have taken enough so you are stopping this right now. You are going to share the family meals and to eat, you are going to accept help with you bad dreams instead of locking your door, you are going to finish your school homework as your mother has told you to and the snaping answers are finished, have I made myself clear Ronald?"

"Yes Dad. I'm sorry, but I was telling the truth: I have already finished my homework, you can check it if you want." Fred snorted, but was immediately cut by a Mr Weasley glance. "Enough all of you. Ronald this can not continue, something has to change now."

All the Weasley children stayed quiet. It was not usual to see their father taking the lead in the telling-off, they all looked afraid. All but Ron, realized Bill, he just looked pensieve.

"All right, what about this: Bring Harry here tomorrow. I will feel better with him around, I'm worried sick about him. That would be a change."

"That's not possible. Dumbledore says it is not safe enough for him to…"

"And who has appointed Dumbledore god! He's got not the right to…!"

"Don't use that tone on me young man! Dumbledore is the wiser one we have..!"

"But Harry is grieving, He's alone, and that's not good! He doesn't answer my letters! He's bad, he's got to get away from those muggels, He's got to…!"

"Ronald, enough!"

"But, please Dad, you know he's got to come to us…please."

Mr Weasley was red from toes to balding head, and for once it was Mrs Weasley who tried to calm the mood.

"We know sweetheart, but you know he is in danger and that's the safest place for him. I'm sorry baby, but he wont be coming here. Dumbledore is right, apart from his aunt's the only place he is relatively safe is Sirius' house, and he will be taken there as soon as it is possible. Don't worry, Hermione will be here in no time, her mother told me…"

"But I'm talking about Harry, not Hermione."

"Aww, but Ronnie" said Fred triying to light the mood while bating his lashes "We thought that you would prefer to wait for Hermione here and have her for youself, without Harry. Are you telling us that you prefer skinny Harry over pretty Her …?"

"Would it be that bad?" Ron cutted him with lighting seep. He was in no mood to take any prank. And he got the desired effect, both the twins were speechless. "OK then, let ME go to headquarters."

Mr Weasley seem to calm down. "Don't worry, you will go at the same time Harry.."

"No, let me go now, tomorrow, with Bill or the twins, when they got there."

"But Ron, what for? Its just the Order there, oh wait a minute, you are not joining and that's all I have.."

"No Mum, not to join the Order. Just to wait for Harry. You are right: I'm not fine, I'm making you all miserable here. I need a change. I could just help in the house, clean and fix things and cook now that the house-elf is dead someone is needed to do that, you know I can. I could keep Proffessor Lupin company, he is alone there now." Ron turned to his father. "Please Dad, I have finished my homework, I've nothing to do but wait for the OWLs results and mop arround, please, I would be busy there, I'll behave there, I'll eat, I promise"

Mr Weasley looked pensieve and his wife upset. She didn't want her baby son alone and grieving, she needed to pamper him now he was injured…and growing so fast. Bill felt weird and Ginny looked dumbstruck. The Twins just stared.

Finally Mr Weasley talked. "I'll think about it and answer tomorrow. Now take the soup your mother has let you in the kitchen and go to bed".

And so Dumbledore was consulted. Bill was told to revise Ron's homework, wich was surprisingly perfect (Hermione must have finally got on him), and Ron left to Grimmauld Place two days later to play housekeeper… or sort of.