It was a dark and stormy night, or it should have been according to the Hero's Best Friend, what with the foreboding doom that his gut seemed to insist. Instead, Sir Ronald Weasley stared at the star-studded sky which somehow mocked the very stillness of the night with its continuous blinking and sparkling. Maybe it was just him but he thought he saw a star actually bounce.

Other than that, everything outside the window was eerily immobile, not a sound and not even a breeze as if time had stood still. It might as well, he thought with a snort. Seeing that all his siblings had retired for the night --- no longer able to tolerate his urge to strangle each and every one of them and being quite vocal about it, too --- he just sighed tiredly and took to bed. Besides, a bouncing star was the last straw to his sanity. Sleep embraced him with his last thoughts leaving his lips in a mutter, "Parkinson, you wench."

Come dawn, Ron swore he only just slept a couple of hours at most and the sun was blaring through his window already. In truth, it was a couple of hours and the sun had simply risen early that day. He pulled the duvet to cover his face and turned his back away from the light, intent to continue his slumber. Alas, this was not so as the sun's rays began to burn on his exposed nape.

He sat up, suddenly too awake, and shot a glare at the now normal sunlight. He could have sworn that something almost cooked his skin. Figuring that sleep was now a lost cause, he left his bed with a disgruntled scowl and grabbed the robe from the nearby chair. As soon as he left his room, he already heard the racket downstairs. No doubt people had already begun the race. Such was the pain of living with six people and one bathing room.

Meanwhile, up in Heaven – a place Mortals called as such for the lack of a better term available – was the loud laughter of father and son. Lucius the Sun God could not deny his son the small mischief, besides, he needed no reason to toy with the lineage of Weasleys. For all the chaos the family line had created, they should be glad that there existed an Eternal Law which every immortal answered to: no god or goddess should directly intervene in the lives of the mortals lest they be tried for eternal sleep or worse, be bound to the Natural Law and become puny mortals themselves. Without that Eternal Law, every single Weasley would have tasted Lucius's overwhelming hand and they would call it 'fate'.

At times it was irritating that Immortals had no access to Fate's books. They could lead the Mortals to any direction but they could not move them and it was infernally frustrating to watch the idiots take every stupid step before stumbling over to right track in achieving their goals in life. He had the sneaking suspicion that Fate's books were all empty but just there to be used as a scapegoat every now and then.

"Well, boy, you owe me one," was all Lucius had said before he directed his cloud to hover elsewhere, all the while shining brighter and higher to wake every lazy Mortal earlier than the normal today.

"What was that all about, dear?" Came the soothing voice of the Moon Goddess, Narcissa. She covered her lips to stifle a yawn, droopy eyes giving Draco an impatient stare.

"Nothing important, Mother. I saw stars amok in the night sky. Hmmm… What do you suppose Father will ask of me when I am to pay a debt?"

"Ah, don't remind me. My jewelries were all over the sky and I think four stars fell because of some game the avatars were playing." She shrugged one shoulder and stretched. Just as her body seemed to fall, she remained afloat and their surroundings had changed from endless clouds to her bed chambers. "As for your father… maybe another crown. I suggest constructing a room full of mirrors and then locking him in it." She smirked and yawned daintily, waving her son off. "I am to sleep. Play elsewhere."

Why no one treated him like an adult would always be a pet peeve. Draco shook his head and glared one last time at his slumbering mother before he left her chambers with just a step. One second he was in her marbled palace and with his next step, he was in Burrow City. The itinerary of the day included a visit to the Chosen Ones. It was unfortunate that the current Crown was a commoner and with the merge, Grimmauld was the capital. He should suggest war to right things.

Draco paused, and then smiled to himself as he made his way through the busy streets of Burrow City. Once in a while, he would enter a shop disguised as an ordinary mortal and enjoyed himself with their goods.

Meanwhile, Ron had arrived at the Parkinson Manor without his entourage of siblings, not that he needed them nor could they stop him if he suddenly felt the urge to strangle the light out of one countess. "Parkinson!"

"Why, good morn to you, my sweet." Pansy waved her hand at the house elves and the double doors slammed shut before the crackling sound to signal that the servants had left the vicinity. She wore an off-shouldered red gown that flowed freely to her ankles, never once brushing the polished ground as she walked.

Ron had to blink at her attire. "Expecting someone? And I reckon you hated red."

"My fiancée, and not anymore because my fiancée is obsessed with red," She haughtily replied, raising her hand for him to kiss. Pansy Parkinson was the current countess of Burrow City, a position of power she wields like an iron maiden. Ever since she had taken over, Burrow had had a busy reconstruction.

He only raised an eyebrow, crossing his arms. "I don't remember us being together, let alone the day I 'proposed' an engagement."

To this, she laughed, covering her lips with a matching red fan she had produced out of thin air. "Darling, darling… all marriages are political by origin. People of our standing aren't like the fools who marry for lo…" And she suddenly found her voice gone.

Her glare spoke volumes as she folded her fan with a snap. She slid it open over her throat and her voice was back, growling, "That was low, Weasley. I assumed we've grown past the pranks. I knew those commoner friends of yours wouldn't be good for you."

"That was mild considering the kind of 'prank' you pulled at announcing our engagement. Now," he stepped closer and took her fan, which he knew was her wand, then smiled, raising his left arm, "you will rectify this matter at the council. Shall we?"

"The nerve…" she took his offered arm nonetheless, mocking as it were. "Let me just state that this was not my idea."

"And correction, I am not obsessed with red."

"Could've fooled me…what with all the red in your life, red upstairs, red downstairs and…" And for the second time that day, Ron had silenced her with a spell. There were times when she hated how the purebloods had evolved, and Ron being able to cast spells without speaking or waving his wand was a reminder of it.

Because of the wars of the past, especially against the Muggles, the Pureblood had found fault in their weaponry. The spells were powerful, sure enough, but the Muggle inventions were swift and getting better the longer the war continued. In turn, Purebloods grudgingly surrendered if only to acquire the knowledge and adopt their magic into these things before another war broke out. Now, all the Purebloods with enough practice only needed to embed their wand into an object of their choice. For as long as the wand ingredients were intact and within the person's grasp, there was no need to wave the stick.

In Ron's case, his wand was forged with his dagger and that piece of metal never left his side. Pansy also spitefully admitted that having fought the war, Ron had improved with his magic immensely. Wandless magic may have become common, wordless spell-casting were of a different league.

The whole Quidditch could do it. It was one of the requirements to enter that band of brotherhood. Pansy used to be in Quidditch but she had chosen to lead the disintegrating Burrow City instead. Besides, field work was a tedious profession for someone of her class --- which then reminded her, once more, about the unfavorable situation the Weasleys were currently at. Financially.

Pansy's mind had wandered so deep that it took Ron tugging her ear to bring her back to the present. "What?" She hissed and realized that the silencing spell had already worn off. If Pansy compared Ron to the lanky boy of his teen years, this was far beyond remarkable of an improvement. Personality didn't improve, however.

"Ah, welcome back. Just thought I'd wake you up before I open the door to the study," he peered intently at her, daring for a retaliation that didn't come because he opened the door and there was just business from there on. The two councilors stood up in acknowledgement, nodding in greeting.

The Council was made up of the representatives from the four powers in Burrow City, belonging to the four Grand Houses of Slytherin, Gryffindor, Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw. Legend said that the Houses were in the direct bloodline of the four Creation Gods whom the Grand Houses were named after. But, the Grand Houses had been around for as far back as the time before their people had evolved from the oral to the written history and no one could trace the oldest family lines farther than that.

These Grand Houses represent the four regions of Burrow City, each region maintained and protected by a chosen family. Slytherin to the south, where the busiest trading districts and ports were; Gryffindor to the east with a tropical climate and expanse of forests that melded with the Forbidden Forest at the edges, which made the area the perfect ground for Burrow's military; Ravenclaw to the north, a mountainous region where most of Burrow's precious minerals were mined; Hufflepuff to the west, vast plains and farmlands where Burrow's food and raw supply mainly came from.

Despite this distribution of territories, each family could have their say and hand across their designated lines. The main goal was still the betterment of Burrow City and the maintenance of its foundations was of grave concern to everyone in power.

From the Gryffindor, the Weasleys had been voted in due to their ancient family line which some assumed that if the legend was true, then they would have the bloodline of gods, but the unanimous vote was mainly because of the contribution of the Weasleys. They were among the founders of Burrow City and the technology available today when the walls were breached, crossing over to the Muggle realms – now called Grimmauld City. Not to mention that the family had produced gifted mages in its long existence. Even the commotions of some Weasleys that could threaten to dishonor the lineage were overlooked in respect to the achievements of their ancestors.

From the Ravenclaw, the Li House had been chosen because they have the closest familial ties with the ancient Fu Zi, who was treated as if he were a living legend up until today. He was a known professor in his time and his passing was a great loss to the academes. His influences remained apparent to the daily lives of the citizens in their city-state. Some built shrines for him, revered his once existence as if they were worshipping a god. And if he were to become one, none of their people would begrudge him of that elevation.

From the Hufflpuff, the Cauldwells, a pacifist house that had always been, and without fail, the representatives of Burrow City through ages in negotiations. It seemed innate in their family line to have one or two Benign Souls for every generation. A Benign Soul was rare. The ones born with a Benign Soul could exercise the power to calm any battle, verbal, physical, magical, name it. They could stop it but only for a given time, and the more the Benign Soul used this power to suspend a war, he was shortening his life span. For every day that a large scale war was suspended due to them, a year was taken away from their life.

From the Slytherin were the Lestranges, mainly due to their marriage with the Black. The Blacks were more ancient than the Weasleys, noble and a line of kings. The line had been abruptly cut short, unfortunately. The last living Black was dishonored in the previous war for aiding the cause of the merge. With no relative willing to restore his position, he was considered dead until the war was over.

Other families had argued over the legal rights for years, and the Lestranges won. Sirius Black was still treated with civility but the man would rather live at the capital than at Burrow. The Lestranges didn't bother to insist that he stay. They were known mostly for their ambition and the tangible proof that they could back their claims. The family had built a network of influences all over Burrow City that it was impossible to live one's life without having to brush against a Lestrange-run facility.

The Parkinsons had married into the Lestranges and the union produced a staggering duopoly that alarmed the three houses. As of the present, checks and balances had been re-established so that there would not be another Parkinson-Lestrange duopoly of the Burrow City's economic and political sectors. The four families representing the Houses were licensed to execute a councilor, even eradicate the whole family line, if there was a threat of overpowering each other or ruling over Burrow as an authoritarian. It was a pact of blood their generation had made between Bill Weasley, Pansy Parkinson, Su Li and Owen Cauldwell.

Ron and Pansy took their seats after the exchanges with the others. Legally, it was Bill who should be sitting here but the eldest Weasley already had enough on his shoulders concerning their family's small fortune and region. The only other man who was willing to sacrifice his time of the day was Ron. And so, the oldest and youngest male of the Weasley house shared responsibilities when Ron was not on duty serving Grimmauld's government.

"First thing's first," said Su Li of the Ravenclaw, "we do not approve of the engagement."

"Oh, that one…" Ron sent a withering glare at Pansy, who just replied with a roll of her eyes. "I assure you that that is a misunderstanding."

Su Li leaned over, lacing his fingers together as his eyes volleyed from Ron to Pansy and back, "Be that as it may, do you both know why we are going to step in concerning this matter if this pursues?" He turned his head towards Pansy.

"I do. Don't assume me to be ignorant, Li." She crossed her arms and glared through narrowed eyes. "Our union would have suggested an overpowering of both the Slytherin and Gryffindor Houses, imbalance and such and such."

"Which begs the question as to why you made the announcement in the first place," Ron's voice was flat.

"As I have mentioned earlier," Pansy pointedly glared at Ron before turning back to the table, "it wasn't my idea and I do not wish to marry Ronald Weasley if it's a matter of choice."

"And what's that supposed to mean?" Ron was affronted. His confidence was still as sensitive as it had been when he was younger about certain things; relationships, among many.

She faced her palm to him for silence and continued, "It means you're not my type. Now, moving on… I have discussed this with my house. And we all must admit that the financial situation of the Weasley house isn't pleasant. Everybody respects their name, there is no doubt about that, but for a family in the position to govern, the poorly maintained lifestyle needs to be looked over. There is a need for all of us here to maintain certain decorum in public."

Slighted, Ron arched an eyebrow, "Thread carefully, Parkinson. You are insulting my family."

"For your information, Weasley, your finances are staggering. I'm sure Bill is working hard and individually, some of you are well enough to afford an above average living. But, you are public figures, and above average will not cut it. To add to that, you handle the military and we do not want starving soldiers. Admit it, finance is not the strongest asset of the Weasley house."

"And your point?"

"A legal union of our houses could support the Weasley's broken leg."

"Excuse me! What will you get out of this, Parkinson? Be honest. The taxes shoulder the expenditures and development projects are discussed in this room. Unless you're suggesting that Bill should try corruption---"

"Are you hinting on something?"

"Hit a nerve?"

Su Li sat back and looked at Owen Cauldwell, waiting for a voice of opinion.

"I have to agree with Weasley on this one. If it's just a financial backing for a regional project and the military, then it's a duty for all of us to take treasuries from our respective regions to support the Gryffindor area." Owen commented thoughtfully, preventing Ron and Pansy to have a row.

Pansy snapped her attention to Owen, "I know that but the estate…"

"Hah! I see it now." Ron slammed his hand on the table, standing up and pointing an accusing finger at Pansy. "It's the land!"

"Have you seen your land, Weasley!" Pansy's voice was getting louder and she was now standing as well. "Don't you know how to invest or your family simply does not know how to take an opportunity when there is one!"

"This doesn't concern the region, then! It's all about your personal empire and acquiring more than you'll ever need!"

"Why you bastard, I'm trying to set your family back to its old glory because your reputation as a leader is on shaky grounds! Can you imagine if some other family will overthrow your position simply because you can't support yourselves!"

"What do you care!"

"If one family takes a fall, the people will begin to question the validity of the rest. Don't you understand? You have to build your forte!"

"Come to think…." Owen turned to Su, eyes wide.

Su nodded, considering it. "Lestrange overthrew the Blacks in the past and something like it can happen in Gryffindor, given that someone in your region would be ambitious enough."

"I don't believe this. Do we rule this city-state based on fear?" Ron's face was red, struggling with his temper.

"There had been a few misdemeanors in Gryffindor as of late," was Owen's only reply.

"Your twin brothers with their businesses aren't helping any. They're often the first ones to bend the law in their favors. Not really a good example and reflects that the ruling house itself doesn't seem so stable." Su explained, weighing the odds mentally.

"A marriage with Slytherin would likely induce fear in Gryffindor, and you both should file for a divorce once the stirring doubts are tamed. We will maintain the balance of power in Burrow."

Just then the sound of hands clapping came from one corner of the room, "Bravo. This is what I expect from such gatherings." There stood a blond so familiar to Ron, he drew out the dagger from its sheath. Everyone in the room stilled at Ron's reaction.

"My Lord," Pansy curtseyed and lowered her head, as did Owen and Su.

"And this is why you are the Chosen Ones, but as for this imbecile… where is the true heir of Gryffindor?" Draco narrowed his eyes at the dagger Ron held. "Haven't you learned from our previous meeting? Bow to your superior lest you pay a visit to Voldemort with my graces. Say hello to him, by the way. I think Death is quite bored with the ugly beasts that your knights send."

The pale hand had barely lifted to strike when Ron's words cut open a memory.

"You bled by my blade."

Draco's fingers reached for his cheek instinctively, checking if there was a scar or blood once more but found none. He growled and sent a wind to knock Ron off his feet, slamming him against the closed doors.

Three sets of eyes met upon hearing the exchange. The same question echoed in their minds, concerning Ron's roots.

Wincing, Ron hoped he didn't break anything. His back was giving him a difficult time of standing up. He hated this god. Of all the gods who could have woken up during his lifetime, it just had to be this inconsiderate bastard who flaunted his power if dissatisfied.

"Weasley, do remember that I am a god and that I can hear your thoughts without trying. Hurry and pick one that you can live without for the rest of your life, a limb or your tongue?"

"What?" Ron pushed to stand, picking up his dagger and sliding it in its sheathe. The god bled but Ron highly doubted it could happen again. Not today or until he could figure out why. He shoved the idea out of his mind and replaced it with random things from chocolate to varying treats until he heard his stomach grumble.

Draco's eyes turned cold as his mind was bombarded with the most ludicrous combination of feasts. He gave credit for the attempt to cover up one's thoughts but the mages usually used a spell which was ineffective when one was against a god. This mortal succeeded by being mundane. How insulting. Was that a smirk? Draco seethed.

Firewhiskeys and a fountain of absinthe filled Ron's mind but he saw the slight in Malfoy's eyes and was happy. In his mind, he was drinking with his mates and his lips twitched as he walked over to his side of the table.

Pansy cleared her throat, mindful of how the temperature had dropped. She didn't know what occurred between Ron and their Lord but her door now had scratches, her marbles had cracked and some vases were now uselessly lying all over her flooring in shattered pieces just from that short clamor. And if things didn't stop, there might be more broken things and a broken Weasley would not bode well with the balance. "My Lord…"

"What is it?" Draco sounded irate, now trying to shield his mind so that he would not see nor hear the gluttonous thoughts of the irritating knight.

She flinched but deigned to continue, "We were not forewarned about your visit. Please accept our apologies for the lack of preparation."

Ron couldn't help but roll his eyes. He was about to take his seat when the chair slid off to the side and settled behind Malfoy, who sat on it without making sure that the chair was, indeed, over there.

"You should have known that after the Introduction to the current Crown, I would seek the Chosen." Waving his hand, the room was as pristine as it was before he came. The vases, floor tiles and the door were once more untouched. "Don't let me interrupt your council meeting. Carry on and I will listen."

Nodding, everyone slid into their seats except for Ron who remained standing and glaring at Malfoy.

"You can sit on the floor." Draco yawned.

Su, Owen and Pansy exchanged looks and bit their lips as some invisible force sent their temperamental knight to the floor, face first.

Owen began to stand and reach out for the fallen knight but was stopped as Ron waved a hand. He removed his face from the floor with great effort as if something was keeping him down there. "I'm alright. Continue with the meeting." He snorted, hoping his glare was enough to scourge the unflinching god not too far from him and sitting on his chair, too. Ron caught sight of a smirk from those lips but it was gone by the time he managed to pry his head off the ground. He knew the god was watching him despite the fact that he was facing the other three.

"It is agreed then. There will be union between two houses until the Gryffindor region stabilizes."

"Hey, don't I get a say in this matter?" Ron had settled on leaning against the window, arms crossed. If it weren't a god who had literally mopped his face to the floor, he would be embarrassed. It had been a long time since anyone tried to fight him and got away with it unscratched.

"No. This is beyond you." Pansy sniffed, glaring him down despite that fact that he was standing and very much taller than she was. "It's bad enough you service Grimmauld's government and prioritize that place over our continent."

"It's not that I prioritize Grimmauld over Burrow!" Ron snarled. This was already an old issue that just kept coming up in every council meeting whenever he was the one in attendance and not Bill.

"Hush!" Owen flattened both palms on the table and the air around them had shifted. Both Ron and Pansy felt a calmness that soothed their nerves and seeped the anger out of their wills. Everyone knew that Owen just lost a few hours of his life. Ron looked apologetic and Pansy looked accusingly at Ron.

All this Draco watched with interest. Apparently, the peace in Hogwarts was as illusionary as he assumed. He hadn't observed the workings of the Grimmauld government but as far as he could see, Burrow's was a sleeping dragon waiting to reclaim the right of leadership in Hogwarts. He was told not to play favorites but considering how disrespectful Grimmauld's peoples were, he would gladly dethrone the commoner and his slave pretending to be the Crown and an adviser.

"This brings us to the next issue, actually." Su spoke, his voice louder than necessary as if wanting to break the tension.

Ron rubbed his face with his palm. This was going to be a very long day.