After the reading up to the 1st of September…
Ron Weasley & Family
Ron arrive home a little before dinner, he tried to pass unnoticed but George and Ginny catch him, the first asking about the reading, the second asking about the job, unfortunately for him, Mrs. Weasley was too close to the door and she ears both questions and was puzzled, so he just tell them that wait until dinner, so his father could know at the same time, then he went to his room to change and wait for his father to arrive, but has often happened to him, he forgot that his family was helping with George and all of his brothers (with the exception of Charlie that was staying with them) were coming to dinner every other day…
Even when Bill & Fleur lived in Tinworth and both been recently re-hired in Gringotts, they made the effort of eating with the family every Sunday and some weekdays, they were still adjusting to their new reality, after their wedding and a very short honeymoon they were back to their jobs in Gringotts but they both needed to resign when the Death Eaters and Snatchers mark the Weasley family as more than blood traitors, when they realize that Ron was with Harry and the trio escape from Malfoy Manor, there were in the death list, they were offered by the Delacour's a safe place to hide in France but both decline since they were committed to the war and eventually want to make a life in England.
Since Charlie, along with a few other wizards came to England as reinforcements and they break into Hogwarts after the armistice, he not only fought against Death Eaters, he also was on time to see his mother killing Bellatrix Lestrange and to mourn his younger brother, a part of him was impress and terrified of his mother, but he was also deeply sad, Fred was a part of his heart, he couldn't believe that in the span of one year the Weasley family had planned and celebrated a wedding and a funeral, nevertheless, he decided to stay for the remaining of the summer and mourn as well as help for his family to cope, he was spending the majority of his time reading on his father home study but also writing down properties of particular creatures to try and inspire George to go back into his feet, maybe not the same goofy and cocky attitude, but just happy, right now, he was a shell of himself, he was considering taking him to Romania…
The relationship with Percy was still a little rocky but he did apologize before the battle, been Fred the one who fought alongside with him and was the one that ear him making a joke as he remembers what it was to be part of a family, just to be ripped away half second later when the wall exploded and kill his brother, grief stricken he refuse to left his brother body and after hidden it he went back to the battle to avenge him, defeating the puppet minister alongside his father and after seeing his mother kill Bellatrix and Voldemort been defeated, he went to his family and mourn but he was still ashamed so his mother and father were making an effort to mend the ties, same as his brothers and sister, he was still employ on the ministry and after the battle he just came back to work and keep his head down, every Sunday he was at home, and he too tried to attend to dinner a few nights a week, he had miss his mother cooking and was just trying to be fill in on everything he had miss, his younger brothers business, his older brother wedding, his father injuries, everything, he also was backing up Ginny about his escapades with Harry just to be back in her good books…
George was not better, all the siblings were grieving but he was the worse, he was his older brother, the older twin, they were together every single day for all their lives, the only time they separated, he died, he wasn't deaf he knew the family was concerned, he was not the shadow Bill thought, the shell Charlie was thinking or the stranger living in his body that Ron and Ginny thought, Merlin knows what Perce thinks, but he was none of it, he was just a ghost, a lifeless person, he pretends to be different, showing interest for things, but he knew, it was no real, he didn't miss the odd looks when he went out of the house, the quiet shadowing of his mother or siblings Patronus, a part of him was wondering what was the view from the bottom of the cliff but he also knew that they make them even sadder and felt bad because the thing that will make him happy will definitely make his family sadder and broken that before…
As far as Ginny was concerned, her family was safe, they were the biggest blood traitors of the wizarding world but they were one of the oldest pure-blood families, all family were supporters of Dumbledore, all were members of the Order of the Phoenix, all of them fought as one in Hogwarts, even Perce was there, they sacrifice one of their own for the wizarding world, one of the bests member of her family and now, she was dating the biggest wizard in history, her family was together every Sunday and they were just enjoying the peace they fought so hard for, Bill and Fleur were back to work, Charlie was visiting, Perce was mending relations and she was taking a lot of advantage of him, but more importantly they were being a family for the first time in four years they were a family and all of them were helping each other to cope and to be the family there were always been.
Arthur Weasley was ecstatic, his family was safe and was even more respected than before, there was a time, not long ago that they were the biggest blood traitors of the wizard world, the biggest fools for follow Dumbledore to the cliff, the undesirables and they had been hunted by every single dark wizard on England but now, they were the Weasley's, the ones who fought, lost one of their own and won the Battle of Hogwarts, they were the ones who never lost their path or switch sides, they were true to themselves, embracing Muggles, Muggle-borns and half-bloods as equals, now, as reward, he just come back to work like nothing happen, Bill and Fleur were back on Gringotts, Charlie was visiting, Percy was making amends, Ron was offer a position in the Auror´s department, Ginny was going back to Hogwarts, all of his sons were back and George…he was broken, he see it, it scare him so much, that he went as far as to cast a boundary spell in the cliffs surrounding The Burrow and quietly he did the same in the Shell Cottage...
Ron went down to dinner, to his surprise his entire family was there, all of them will have diner together and he didn't have a choice once Ginny and George repeat the questions, the first one being noise, the second directing the attention away from him, so he told them about the job offer in the Auror's Department and about the will of Snape, told them about his last will and wishes, but not about the money, not yet, he shows them the Chess pieces and the invitation for the Wizard's Chess Qualifiers World Championship, he was so happy and excited that Mrs. Weasley didn't have the heart to deny him the trip, even if it was at the expenses of a Death Eater and the murderer of Albus Dumbledore no less, Mr. Weasley was a little sad that his boy will not enter the Ministry but he too was happy about his excitement, maybe it was time to not encourage him to follow his brother's footsteps, let him pursue a dream maybe was better…
Ron quickly invited his brother George to come with him to Scotland so he didn't travel alone, George look at him and agreed, he really didn't want to keep looking at the desperation faces of his family, not come back to the store either, at least for a while, it was painful, since the last time the doors were open and close, Fred was next to him, so he didn't feel ready to face the store alone, seeing the face of George a little happy or at least not shut it down immediately seal the deal for Mrs. Weasley, so much that she didn't protest and secretly was happy, since all the family agreed that George may just need to travel and work his mourning away from the store or the familiar locations, maybe even away from the family, after the trip to Scotland hopefully he'll be strong enough to keep on living...
The family was talking about the trip and about the Tournament, they didn't doubt of his abilities, but the chess was brand new, he needed time to break the pieces in his favor, so all of them volunteer to play against him in order to help him and maybe see if Snape was right about sponsorship him…
Ron was grateful and he plans and schedules time with all of them to properly prepare for the tournament, so the very next day he accompanies his father to the Ministry and went to the Auror's Department to decline the job, he told them about pursue other interests and was very respectful about it. Not closing the opportunity, in case he needs it later. After that, he went to Harry's to play chess, he practically spend the next week playing daily against his father, Charlie, Perce, George, Ginny and defeat them with relatively ease, but when he apparate in the Shell Cottage to play against Bill and Fleur, he spend half of the night playing against Bill, he was very good and Ron need to use all his knowledge to defeat him, Fleur present a similar challenge, but eventually that help him to break the pieces in his favor, in all his days of preparation the only person who defeat him, for the surprise of everyone was Mrs. Weasley, Molly, who was playing with a set of old gold pieces, see the surprise in Ron face and took pity on him by show him her trophy and title as International Chess Master, earned back in her youth, no one in their family know it because it was from before the birth of Charlie and she simply didn't have the time for playing once her kids start walking, even Mr. Weasley had forgotten, in the end, Ron break the pieces and earn their trust, so he was preparing everything for the trip with a lot of conviction and confidence in his abilities...
Since the Qualifiers were going to be a little after the beginning of the school year he had agreed to help with the store during the rush, George knew he couldn't close the shop, it was his dream, as well as Fred's so he didn't want to lose it, he just couldn't walk through the door so, he had employed a couple of people, for the front desk and Ron will be there with Charlie to supervise, Mr. Weasley also promise him that everything in the store will be fine, the peck season was the week before going back to Hogwarts after that he could easily just leave the employees and him or his mother could go open in the morning and do the closing in the afternoon, check the books and such, since he and Fred had the store in a lot of theft spells no one can steal, Ron assure him the same and after much consideration, he agreed.
Much to the Mr. Weasley demise, his wife will be a handful but at the same time, they will be alone for the first time since the birth of Charlie...
After all, Charlie was going back to Romania, Bill was married, Percy was living in London, Ron and George will be in Scotland, Ginny will be back in Hogwarts...
Maybe he should take some vacation days, after all, they will have the house for themselves for the first time in years...
