Chapter Five

Weasley Woes

Ron found life after the war quite busy. It was easy not to think of all the deaths that surrounded him. Everyday though, he lived in constant worry that Harry might go away. But each day Harry remained inside him, and that got him through his grief over all the other deaths.

His father and George were still in hospital even after three weeks, so Molly spent most of her time there. Bill was out with the rest of the Order members chasing after the last of the Death Eaters if he wasn't at work helping reconstruct Gringotts Bank. Fred was at home but was confined to bed. That left him and Ginny to oversee things. But Ginny was too dejected to do much. Ron (with Harry) automatically came to check on everyone's needs. Harry taught him to cook the muggle way and they spent hours in the kitchen trying to use magic to make meals. They tried to cheer up Fred and Ginny endlessly with their failed cooking experiments, and after several days, his two siblings pronounced that he was getting better at it.

Hermione apparated to the Burrow every now and then to talk to Ron. She was still in a bad state and her relationship with her parents wasn't in any way improving. They were adamant in their decision to not let her return. Hermione, was an adult under wizarding laws and she could leave and do as she pleased. But it was her own guilt over her prior dishonesty to her parents that kept her from disobeying them and running away from home completely.

One evening after Ron and Harry were resting after completing their daily chores, Molly arrived looking more harrowed than Ron and Harry had seen her and they knew something was wrong.

"Mum! It's not Dad or George, is it?" Ron hurriedly asked.

"No," Molly murmured and she burst into tears. Ron and Harry made her sit down and prepared for the worst.

"You're father and George are fine, but their hospital bills are taking their toll on us. We don't have any money. I came from Gringotts today and I got the last sickles out of the vault. We haven't a knut left."

Ron had a sickening feeling inside his stomach. It was a mixture of helplessness and embarrassment. He hated Harry hearing this. He had always felt uncomfortable about his poverty and he didn't know what to say. Harry spoke for him.

"But isn't there anybody who could help? I'm sure somebody could extend something... you could pay them later." Ron knew Harry added that last one as an afterthought. He was well aware how proud his family was and would not take charity.

"I couldn't bear to ask anyone. Everybody's on hard times. Business is down for most people. Nobody's buying; they're all saving up for necessities. Your father couldn't even work if he could. The Ministry's still trying to rebuild itself. There's no money from Fred and George since their business burned down. We've been living on what Bill could give for the past few days but he can't give anymore. We may have to sell the house, if anyone would buy it. Dumbledore has offered us to stay at Grimmauld Place."

Ron was in shock. Sell the Burrow? But this house had been in his family for generations! It was his only home besides Hogwarts. He couldn't believe this was happening.

"Don't worry, mum," it was Harry who said it. "We'll think of something." Harry hugged her. Ron was fighting not to cry but he knew it was pointless. Harry could feel his emotions as well as he could feel Harry's sympathy. It was humiliating.

"Please don't tell Ginny and Fred yet. I don't want to worry them. I didn't want to tell you but I couldn't help it. I'm so sorry dear."

Ron nodded and pulled away from her to prepare supper before calling his siblings. Ron was extremely glad that Harry was with him. He maintained a cheerful conversation around the table, while Ron kept quiet. Harry didn't even speak to him and he knew his best friend understood he needed the silence.

When they were finished, he and Harry cleaned up and went to his room. Harry finally spoke to him.

"Look Ron, you don't have to sell anything. I have just the thing."

"What is it?"

"Use my money, anything you need. We can get it out of my vault."

"Harry, no. You know I won't take charity, not even from you."

"It's not charity. Alright, look at it this way. I'm sharing your body. Whatever happens to you happens to me. Think of this as something I do for self-preservation."

Ron felt sick. He hated being poor! But there was no way out of it and he convinced himself Harry made sense. But then he realized something else.

"I can't take your money even if I wanted to. It belongs to you. The Gringotts goblins aren't going to give me access to your vault even if I had a key."

"You're right they won't, but they'll give you access if you were my heir."

"What?"

"My heir. I don't have one, Ron. Normally possessions go to next of kin when someone dies. But I don't have any relatives left except for the Dursleys, and I don't intend to give them anything. Think about it. If the Gringotts goblins found my Will naming you as my sole heir then you get access to everything I own."

"But you don't have a Will, Harry."

"Not yet. I could just write one and owl it to Gringotts. We'll make it appear that I wrote it before I died and had it post-owled."

"Alright, Harry. But if I get you another body or find a way to revive you, I'm returning every single knut."

"Deal. Now help me compose a Will."

Harry put his quill down, then crunched up the parchment he was writing on and tossed it aside.

"What's wrong with that one?" Ron asked.

Harry uncrumpled the paper and read it. "I, Harry James Potter give everything I own to Ronald Bilius Weasley." "It sounds stupid, Ron. It needs refining." He re-crumpled it and tossed it on the table.

Harry and Ron had been trying to write Harry's will for over an hour now. Ron's desk was littered with so many pieces of discarded parchment that he was running out of desk space to write. Ron finally grabbed a handful of the drafts and tossed them to one corner of the room where his old books and last pieces of homework lay.

"Well I've never written a Will before either. I don't know how to word it." Ron said. Hey, maybe we could ask Hermione."

No, Ron! We agreed on this. Nobody knows I'm here until we figure this thing out."

"But it's Hermione. She's our best friend. Besides, she could help."

"You saw how she was at my funeral. You've seen how she cries every time she comes here. She's getting over it now. I don't want to put her through that misery all over again if there's no way I can live."

"Alright, fine Harry. But let's just finish this."

Harry took a fresh sheet and was about to start over again, when they heard a tiny screech from the window. A minute later, Pigwidgeon came bouncing in, landing with a thud on the mountain of parchment Ron tossed aside earlier.

They picked up the owl and took out the letter on the owl's leg. It was from Hermione.

Dear Ron,

I've finally told my parents I'm leaving home. I just can't stay here anymore. I'll go mad if I do. I need to be with you. My parents are taking it hard, but I think they're finally beginning to understand. I don't want to seem too forward, but could you ask your parents if I could stay at your house for the moment? Just for a week or so until I find a place near the Burrow, maybe a flat in Ottery St. Catchpole.

Love,

Hermione

"She's coming here. This is great, Harry. Go write her a reply. I'm sure mum wouldn't mind. She could bunk with Ginny. It would probably do Ginny good to have a girl to talk to."

Harry used the fresh parchment he was holding, scribbled a note and gave it to Pig. When the owl flew off, they turned back to the desk.

"Alright, Ron let's get this Will done. But we need a dictionary."

Hermione caught Pig as he flew into her window. He was exhausted from the flight and lay on her hand, gasping for breath. Hermione placed him gently on the windowsill and got him a cup of water to sip. The owl drank swiftly and twittered his thanks.

She found the tiny scrap of parchment on his leg and opened to read the note. She took one look at the single line telling her she could stay at the Burrow as long as she liked and she almost dropped the note in surprise. The writing was Harry's.