AN: Happy Saturday! This chapter is purely Ron being a dad, and I loved writing it. I hope you enjoy reading it. All my thanks go to my lovely betas, who are amazing as always - adenei, cheesyficwriter, be11atrix, smjl and quicksilverfox.
Don't forget to drop me a review and let me know what you think xxx
The aftermath of Ron's chat with Hermione bleeds into his time with Hugo, ending up in a disastrous night for the both of them. The next day, Ron gets called to Hugo's school for a chat with Headmistress McGonagall.
Traffic through the village of Ottery St. Catchpole is typical for late on a Sunday afternoon—absolutely non-existent—and it doesn't take Ron long to get back to the Burrow. Unsurprisingly, by the time he pulls his car in at the top of the long drive, he isn't all that keen on spending any more time with his family. He abandons his vehicle across the Potters' people carrier and Charlie's Mini, not caring if he's blocking either of his siblings in, and heaves himself out with a heavy sigh.
Not wanting to give his mum the satisfaction of knowing he followed her advice, Ron runs his hand through his hair and pastes a massive smile on his face. It does nothing to mask the internal anguish aching in his bones as he wanders through the house and back out into the garden.
The adults are sitting around the old fire pit, the flames casting sinister smiles in the dying light. The conversation dies as soon as Ron steps out of the kitchen. Noticing his reappearance, his family stare at him with questioning faces.
He ignores them all, nosey bastards.
Staring at his beaten-up black Nikes, he asks, "Hey! Where's Hugo?"
His mum gets to her feet and rushes over to him. "Are you okay? I didn't know you were going to be gone for that long. I was worried about you. Where did you go?"
Assaulting Ron with a barrage of questions is a way of getting him worked up. His mother knows this too, not that it ever stops her. Her nosiness is the primary source of their arguments, especially when she's inquiring about Hugo. A knot of annoyance collects in his throat, threatening to suffocate him. He swallows it down before he snaps at her.
"I told you I had to pop out. I tried to be as quick as I could." He refuses to look at her, even when she presses her hand against his shoulder. "Where's Hugo, please?"
"I think he's with the other small ones in the treehouse, love. But there's no need for you to rush off. We've opened a bottle of good wine. You can leave your car here and walk home later."
"No thanks. Hugo has a spelling test tomorrow and needs to swot up before bedtime."
"You need to stay in the teacher's good books, 'eh Ronnie?"
George's teasing is innocent enough, but a pang of loss tugs at Ron's heart as he hears it. He's not in Hermione's good books right now, and he doubts he ever will again. Not wanting to entertain George or anyone else in his family, he walks straight past the group of them and heads down to the orchard at the bottom of the garden.
Arthur, Ron's dad, built the treehouse before Ron was born, with the help of the three eldest boys, Bill, Charlie and Percy. Back then, the wood was dark and smooth, and the tree was still young. Over the years, limbs have grown around it, and, during the spring and summer, it is shrouded by leaves, making it a fantastic hideaway from the British heat. The sun has faded the grain of the wood to a pale colour, and the elements have battered the structure, but Ron's glad it's stood the test of time and that the next generation of Weasleys are getting a chance to enjoy it.
He stands under the house, peering up at it as the sound of play-fighting cuts through the otherwise peaceful evening.
"Hugo, it's time to go home," Ron calls up.
The rowdy thumping ceases, and a set of footsteps creak across the ageing wood before Hugo's face appears in a wonky window. "But I don't want to."
"Tough. We need to go over your spellings before school tomorrow."
Hugo lolls against the wooden frame dramatically, as if Ron has told him that the world is going to end. "B-b-but Ron." He elongates his guardian's name, topping it off with a heavy sigh. "Lily isn't going home, and she has spellings too!"
Ron grits his teeth as he rubs the back of his neck. He doesn't want to deal with a petulant child today. "Lily's home time isn't up to me. I'm in charge of you, not her."
A thunderous look appears on Hugo's face. Ron braces himself for what's about to come next. The child takes in a huge breath, filling his chest with air as his face starts to turn red.
"THAT'S NOT FAIR," he yells, and the rest of the garden turns quiet. Heck, the residents in the next village over can hear Hugo's protests.
"Yeah, well." Ron kicks at a lump of grass before peering back up at his nephew. "Nothing is fair, mate, and the sooner you learn that, the better. Now please come down, or I'll put a stop on you helping Miss Granger and me on the stall."
The child closes his eyes against the hot tears that are already spilling over his cheeks. His tight grip on the wooden house turns his knuckles white. It takes him a moment, but the hissy fit subsides long enough for him to mumble, "Okay."
Still, Hugo takes his time saying goodbye to his cousins, pushing Ron to the limit of his already thin patience. Once they're back at the top of the garden, Hugo then drags out his final going home time even further with his adamance to give every family member a kiss and a long hug.
⁂
Ron tries to keep his cool as he leads Hugo through the house and to the car. He unlocks it with a push of the button. Trying his best to summon the friendliest tone he can muster, he says, "Get into your seat then, mate."
"No." Hugo lingers at the passenger side back door.
Shoulders drooping, Ron suppresses a swear word before squatting down in front of the kid. A tantrum is the last bloody thing I need. Why can't I catch a fucking break? Taking a huge breath, he tries to keep his voice calm and even. "Do it, or I'll do it for you."
Hugo's lower lip starts to wobble, but he yanks the door open and gets himself into the car. Ron mirrors the child's aggressive movements, hauling himself into the driver's seat with a hard puff of air. He doesn't even check his blind spots as he pulls out of the Burrow's drive, earning a loud honk from a passing car.
"Oh, piss off," he mutters under his breath, flashing a rude hand signal to the driver, not even caring if Hugo can see it.
All the way home, the child protests about his early removal from playtime with his cousins. Ron stopping Hugo's fun has ruined the boy's life. Each complaint grates on Ron's nerves, and to prevent the inevitable explosion, he has to remind himself that when you're young, even the smallest of problems can seem awful. Ron knows that in the grand scheme of things, going home early isn't the worst that can happen. But right now, Hugo doesn't understand this.
Eight-year-olds can't see the bigger picture.
Even though it's only a short drive, by the end of it, Ron is ready to throttle Hugo. By the time Ron parks up outside their small terraced house, the kid has already unfastened his seatbelt and is fighting against the child locks to get out of the car. After pulling the key from the ignition, Ron turns to look at him.
"Look, Hugo. I've had a tough afternoon. Can you quit moaning for the night and give me a break?"
Hugo stares back at his uncle, and it's a good indicator of how the rest of the evening will go.
Over the next few hours, Hugo doesn't utter a word unless it's to whine about Ron: the supper Ron cooks is at the same time far too hot and way too cold for Hugo to finish. The bath Ron draws doesn't have enough bubbles in it, but when he adds more, Hugo complains that there are far too many, and he needs to get out. The spellings are way too tricky for the eight-year-old to comprehend, and he refuses to spell a single word right, even though Ron knows he's tackled more complex words than the ones on his list.
Bedtime comes along, and Ron and Hugo are both far too worked up to read the next chapter of Holes, not that Ron even thinks that the kid deserves a bedtime story. When he shuts the door to Hugo's bedroom, Ron is uneasy about how the whole evening has gone.
Hugo's sobs fade as Ron makes his way downstairs. He's the worst person in the world, and he doesn't even need Hugo to tell him that for him to believe it. Ron doesn't deserve nice belongings or lovely people in his life when all he does is ruin them.
In the space of a few hours, Ron has embodied a reckless whirlwind of bad decisions and mistakes. Hermione is fantastic, yet after letting his mum get under his skin, he has called time on what could be the best relationship of his life. And to top it off, he has upset Hugo, and the kid is currently crying himself to sleep.
Deciding to ignore the washing up this evening, Ron throws himself down on the sofa with a loud harumph. He lounges across the worn material as his fingers seek out the nearest cushion. Locating the biggest pillow, he picks it up and holds it to his face before screaming as loud as he can into it. The noise is endless; it keeps on coming until he runs out of breath and his lungs feel like they might explode. His heart pounds ferociously against his ribcage as if protesting the duress Ron has put it under.
It's a childish action, and it does nothing to quell the knot of fury deep in Ron's stomach.
He likes to think that he's a happy-go-lucky kind of guy most of the time. When shit has gone wrong in the past, he's tried his hardest to roll with it. Eventually, life gets better. He's a firm believer that everything happens for a reason and tries to live his life with a "no worries" mentality. This way of thinking helped him decide to adopt Hugo two years ago, and it's how he treats his parenting duties, for the most part.
But Ron's head isn't always in the clouds. He's fully aware that problems and bad feelings can become too much, causing a massive explosion if you're not careful. As a parent, you have to find a way to let your frustrations out before affecting the kid. He hopes he hasn't done any long-term damage this evening.
Remaining sprawled on the sofa, Ron slips the cushion under his head. Once he's comfortable, his gaze settles on his mobile phone. Over the past week, the device has served as a primary source of entertainment and comfort, and the fact it's quiet causes his stomach to lurch.
He yearns to give Hermione a call and tell her all about his awful day. Of course, his dumping her was the catalyst for the rest of the afternoon going downhill, but aside from that, he's sure she'd be comforting and understanding. She may even have tips on fixing things with Hugo, not that he needs it. Two years of tantrums have given Ron the experience to know that Hugo will be fine by the time he wakes up in the morning. If Ron pops his head into the kid's bedroom tonight, he's pretty sure Hugo will be up for a quick cuddle.
Ron flicks through his phone book, looking for a friend he can talk to instead. Maybe he could text with Harry for a bit. They've known each other since they were small, gracing the corridors of Ottery St. Catchpole Junior School together, and his best friend is always ready to help with Ron has struggled with his parenting duties. Harry gives sage advice, and it's unbiased. He's dated Ginny since they were sixteen and knows the Weasley family inside out, yet he's the only man who doesn't compare Ron's fathering skills with Fred's.
Harry is always on Ron's side; even if he teases him about his life, it always comes from a good place.
But texting Harry means that Ron will have to tell his best friend everything, including Hermione's sleepover, Bill catching her in the kitchen the following day, and what has happened since—even the fact that Ron dumped Hermione the day after he slept with her. Burning shame creeps over Ron's cheeks at the thought of admitting to Harry the abysmal way Ron has treated such a wonderful woman.
His thumb lingers over his brother's number, anger bubbling in his stomach as he remembers the look on Fleur's face earlier. If anyone should suffer Ron's frustrations, then it should be Bill.
You can let Fleur know that her telling Mum worked. Hermione is out of the picture now, and I'm alone and miserable. Hugo hates me too. Thanks a fucking lot.
His pulse races as he pounds the send key then tosses the device to the side. Out of the corner of his eye, he gets a glimpse of it lighting up again. Bill must be trying to get hold of him to discuss the message, but Ron doesn't want to chat with his eldest brother. It'll only make things worse. Now that he has poured his annoyance into the text, he's beginning to feel a tiny bit better.
Flicking through the TV channels brings Ron no joy. Deciding he can't concentrate long enough to watch a show or movie tonight anyway, he turns it back off and gets up from the sofa with a groan. It's better if he gets an early night in the hope that tomorrow will be a better day. Scooping up his now quiet phone, he moves through the house, checking that the doors and windows are locked in his usual pre-bed ritual before dragging himself back upstairs.
Ron pauses at Hugo's bedroom door, his hand lingering on the knob. Soft snores emit from inside the room, and he resists poking his head around the entrance to check in on the child. With a small smile, Run turns into his own bedroom instead.
It's better to let Hugo have a whole night's sleep. In the morning, he should be in a better mood, and it'll be a lot easier for Ron to apologise to him.
⁂
Ron has what must be the worst sleep of his life. He tosses and turns all night, unable to settle or shake the thought of an upset Hermione or Hugo from his brain. The images haunt him every time he closes his eyes, and in the end, he gives up trying to sleep well before his alarm clock rings.
After showering, he sneaks downstairs and puts the radio on low to distract him from the repetitive thoughts. He rolls up his sleeves and tackles the washing up leftover from last night's supper first. With a list of tasks and the background music, he at least manages to find a moment of peace. With the dishes done, he opens the fridge door and starts pulling out all of Hugo's favourite ingredients, determined to cook up a feast. He may need it if the kid wakes up in an awful mood.
By the time Hugo joins him, there's a pile of pancakes waiting in the middle of the breakfast table with an assortment of toppings and sauces. He announces his arrival with a loud gasp. "Pancakes for breakfast? You're the best, Ron!"
Ron joins him at the table and starts dividing out the food. Although it seems that their relationship is better, he knows he still has to apologise and set a good example for Hugo's future. It's always important to ask for forgiveness, even if you think you've done nothing wrong. He's learnt that the hard way.
"Well, I wanted to say sorry for being grumpy yesterday."
Hugo is about to shovel a fork full of pancakes into his mouth, but he sets his cutlery down and grins at Ron, sending a flurry of love to the elder Weasley's heart. "I'm sorry for having a strop. I was really sad last night."
"I know, mate." Ron reaches over to ruffle his hair. "Arguing with you always makes me upset."
"Me too. But pancakes make it all better."
"They sure do, but be careful you don't get any down your jumper. I can't have you going to school with chocolate and syrup down you. Miss Granger will shout at me."
As if remembering Ron's threats last night, Hugo peers up at Ron with wide, scared eyes. "Can I still help you on the stall?"
"Of course you can. We're the dream team. We're not going to win without you."
The kid grins and gets on with his breakfast. It's a small action, but Ron knows it's an indication that he's doing his job correctly. By the time they turn up at Ginny and Harry's house to pick up Albus and Lily, it's like yesterday's horrific evening hadn't even happened.
"Everything alright?" his sister inquires as they wait on the doorstep for the two youngest Potters to pull on their school shoes.
"Yeah, we're all good here. Full of pancakes." Ron pats his tummy. "How are the Potters?"
"We're fine." Ginny's eyes burn into him with a quizzical look. "Are you sure?"
He narrows his gaze. "What do you mean?"
Just as Ginny opens her mouth to speak, Lily appears at Ginny's side, her arm twisting around her mum's waist in a half hug. It puts a stop to Ginny's elaborating on her confusing questioning, especially as Albus joins her shortly after.
"Never mind. I'm doing this afternoon's school run. What time do you think you'll be around to pick up Hugo?"
"I finish at six, hopefully. Can you feed him for me?" Ron gives his sister a pleading smile.
She laughs. "Like I would let him starve. See you later."
He lifts his hand in a small wave as he guides Albus and Lily to the car and helps them get their seat belts fastened. With a goodbye toot of his horn, he pulls away from the Potters' house.
⁂
Ron arrives at Weasley Watering Hole around ten in the morning. After opening up and greeting the group of staff who are here to get ready for the lunchtime shift, he wanders through to the office to dump his stuff. Even on a small amount of sleep, he's not sure he wants to sit at his desk all morning, so he plans to do an entire inventory of the restaurant, which George has nagged him to do for a long time.
A neon yellow post-it note waits for him on his computer screen. Ron plucks it up, grimacing at the capital letters scrawled across it: CALL BILL NOW! George must have come in early this morning, despite being booked for the late shift tonight, but that's not unusual for George. He can't always let go, not that Ron blames him.
Ron throws himself into his uncomfortable desk chair and pulls his phone out of his pocket. He locates his brother's number with ease and presses the green dial symbol, his stomach churning as he waits for an answer.
"Hi, Ron." Bill greets him with a cheery tone, putting Ron at ease. "Thanks for calling back."
Rubbing the back of his neck, Ron lets out a sigh. "Yeah, sorry about last night. I was feeling pretty pissed off with the whole situation—"
"What happened?" Bill interrupts.
Ron wasn't planning on telling anyone about what happened. He didn't want to risk word getting back to his mum. But his lips move of their own accord, spilling what happened from the moment Ron ventured into the Burrow kitchen yesterday after lunch, right up to bedtime last night.
A long puff of air breaks the silence after Ron finishes. "Jeez, mate. I had no idea Fleur did that. I'll have a word with her tonight, I promise. Who you choose to sleep with is neither Mum nor Fleur's business. I can't believe you called it off with Hermione, though."
"Don't you think it was the right decision to make?"
"Honestly? I'm not sure. You're the guy who has to live with Hugo and deal with whatever goes on, but I thought he was keen on Hermione. I thought you were sweet on her too."
"I was." A stab of longing twists Ron's stomach. There's no getting over Hermione that easily. "I mean, I am," he admits, more to himself than Bill. "A fucking lot, it turns out. But Hugo has to come first."
"I-I guess. I don't know," Bill muses. "Being a parent doesn't mean you have to give up on your life. It's not like you become a dad, and then life and love has to stop." A flurry of noise behind him invades their conversation. "Look, I have to go. But know that I'll support you whatever you do. Mum will, too, eventually."
After Bill hangs up, Ron sits back in his chair, contemplating his brother's words. Although he's still sure he made the right decision yesterday, Ron wishes he had heard Bill's advice before letting his mum get under his skin. Maybe he may have come to a different conclusion?
But hindsight is fucking useless, and it doesn't change what happened between him and Hermione. The best he can do now is hope that she'll at least be his friend.
Ron pushes himself to his feet with a groan and grabs what he needs to get on with the inventory. It's going to be a long day, and as soon as he can get it over and done with, the better.
⁂
A text pings onto Ron's phone just as he's finishing off his lunch. Assuming it's a sibling, he lifts it from the bar as he shoves the last of his sandwich into his mouth.
His stomach twists as he reads that McGonagall has called him to the school for an emergency meeting later. Fucking brilliant. Although it can't be urgent—if Hugo were ill or had misbehaved, then she would have called him straight away—the word emergency sticks in Ron's brain anyway.
Fortunately, there's a system in place at the restaurant for when problems like this pop up. George prides himself on running a family-friendly business, making it easier for Ron to juggle his home and work life. If he needs to, he can take paperwork home to finish in the evening, allowing him to spend more time with Hugo. In return, Ron offers to help out when a waiter or dishwasher can't make it in. Hugo even comes to work when there's nobody available to babysit him. He enjoys talking to the patrons, although he's rubbish at waiting tables.
After calling in the stand-in manager to fill the gap between Ron's leaving and George turning up, the younger Weasley gets on with the inventory, determined to get it finished before he has to go to the school.
⁂
Deciding he needs to make a good impression with McGonagall, especially after the PTA fiasco the other week, Ron pulls into the street next to the school a minute before three, even though the bell won't ring until ten past. He locates a parking spot behind Ginny's car, then wanders over to the playground.
He spots his sister chatting to a group of mums and sidles over to her. "Hey!"
Ginny almost jumps a mile. "Shit, Ron, you scared me! What are you doing here? Have you forgotten what we agreed to this morning?"
"Nah. I had a summons from McGonagall for an emergency meeting. Finished work early to be here. I'll have to finish what I was doing tonight once Hugo has gone to bed, but…." Ron trails off with a shrug.
"I had a text, too. Ugh, that means the pair of them have gotten into trouble, haven't they?"
"They've probably picked a fight again."
It's not a regular occurrence, but given how close Lily and Hugo are, they like to protect each other and team up, persuading Albus to take their side as well. The kids are adamant that they only fight for "good", so Ron finds it difficult to discipline them.
Ginny sighs. "Fuck's sake. It's only Monday as well. I had a hell of a day in the office…."
His sister carries on complaining about her shit day, but Ron is distracted when Hermione slips out of the school's entrance. His heart leaps at the sight of her but plummets into his stomach when he realises he can't rush over and sweep her up in his arms and snog her senseless like he wants to. He follows her gaze as it travels over the yard until it settles on Ron and Ginny.
With a small smile, Hermione waves him over.
"Be right back, Gin."
Ignoring his sister's disgruntled look, Ron's hesitant feet lead him towards the junior school teacher. As soon as he gets within a foot of Hermione, her familiar scent fills his nostrils, sending him straight back to the time he spent in bed with her Saturday night. A pang of longing tugs at his heart, and he tries his best to push it away.
He can hear her heart thumping from where he's standing, or maybe that's the sound of his own pounding in his ears.
"Hermione. Are you okay?" Ron clamps his hands tight to his sides to stop him from reaching out to touch her.
"Yeah, I'm fine. Sorry to call you over, I wanted to give you a heads up. I caught two children bullying Hugo earlier. Normally I would deal with it straight away, but Lily and Albus stuck up for him and then there was a fight."
It's definitely his heart pounding in his ears. Poor Hugo. At least his cousins have his back, and Ron feels immense pride in his niece and nephew.
"Okay, well, thanks for letting me know." He risks a glance at Hermione's face. Her brown eyes are wide but dark, and her skin is pale. It's a striking look, and fear forms in a knot low in Ron's belly. She's hiding a vital bit of information from him. He knows her well enough by now to tell. "Why do I get the feeling you haven't told me all of it?"
She chews on her lower lip, turning it bright red as blood rushes to the skin. Finally, her shoulders shift with a heavy sigh. "They were calling him an orphan. He was upset by it."
Hermione and the rest of the world spins away from him as red rage fills his vision. How the fuck did the other kids even find out? The family is careful to keep the truth quiet, not because they're ashamed of what happened, but to avoid situations like this. They want the other kids in his class to treat Hugo like he's normal, not target him for having a different upbringing.
"Who?" Ron spits out.
"McGonagall will tell you more, Ron."
He's vaguely aware of Hermione placing her hand on his arm, but it does nothing to comfort him. The familiar pleasurable tingle she usually leaves across his skin is missing, replaced by the almighty urge he feels to protect Hugo. Hopefully, by punching someone in the face.
"Is the kid's parent here?"
"I don't know."
One look in her eyes tells Ron that Hermione is lying, but the look of concern is enough to make him take a breath. It wouldn't do for him to go marching across the playground to thump the parent for allowing their kid to bully others. He knows he needs to deal with this properly, even if it takes a lot of self-restraint.
"Ron," Hermione's soft tone helps to calm him further. "I promise you we're on top of this. I didn't want the headmistress to blindside you in the meeting. That wouldn't be fair. Are you okay? It must be a shock for you."
Letting out a shaky breath, Ron places his hand over Hermione's, allowing her to give him comfort, even though he feels guilty for taking it from her.
"Is Hugo okay?" he mumbles, the tips of his ears starting to turn pink with her proximity and the tingling sensation spreading from where they touch.
"He's a trooper. Thinks it's hilarious that Lily threw the first punch." Hermione laughs. "He's such a good kid. You'll be proud of his response, but I'll let him tell you. I'll keep a closer eye on him from now on. Maybe I could text you if it happens again?"
Ron nods his head. "Thank you so much, Hermione."
"That's okay."
A small moment passes between them. The teacher looks like she's fighting an internal battle. Her arm twitches, and with a rush of hope, Ron thinks she might throw her arms around him in a huge hug. But the sound of heels clicking across the tarmac distracts them, and they leap apart as Ginny approaches.
"Miss Granger, what's going on? Why have you called Ron and me in?"
The corners of Hermione's mouth turn down as she removes her hand from Ron's arm. He knows that feeling all too well; it's the same overwhelming sense of loss he is experiencing. She turns her head towards Ginny, ruining the small amount of intimacy they were sharing. In better circumstances, his interaction with Hermione could have provided an opportunity to make things up to her, but again, looking after Hugo has to be his priority.
The backward glance Hermione gives him tells Ron that she agrees. Their connection is strong still, as they communicate nonverbally, and it's all he can do to not throw himself down at her feet and beg for forgiveness. Only a day has passed, and already Ron is desperate to have her back.
As the school doors open again and a flood of children spill out, she gives Ginny a friendly smile.
"Oh, it's not too bad. Lily got a little too fierce protecting Hugo. You better follow me."
"Like someone else I know." Ron chuckles as he follows Hermione into the school, doing his best to keep his eyes trained on the back of her head and not let them drift any lower.
It looks like he's in for another fun evening.