Chapter 29- New beginnings

"So we'll start the charms and potions next week and then when Eliza has her surgery she'll have an idea of how things are going." Penny finished, shuffling her papers and looking across at Ruby. "Are you okay, Ruby?"

"Yeah, start next week." Ruby repeated vaguely.

"What is it?" Penny asked, putting her papers down. Ruby glanced up at her and shook her head.

"I… I just need to talk to mom and dad."

"Ruby?"

"It's just… sometimes I feel like I don't know anything about them! I didn't know mom hurt her back in the war, did you?"

"Ruby, we were in Azkaban, we were tortured, at some point everything was injured. I'll need surgery on my hip within the next few years."

"Really?" Ruby asked, glancing down at Penny's legs.

"I don't know what happened to your mother's back but…"

"Something to do with a wand wall, when she was fifteen…"

"That was before Azkaban then, Ruby it's hard to talk to your kids about this stuff. Alistair doesn't know everything either. What time do you finish?"

"Seven."

"Then go straight home and talk to them, they'll understand." Ruby nodded and made to stand up, Penny passed her a sheet of parchment with a list of reading material.

"Try and read all of these by Monday, and ask Hermione for the Longbottom file, she's knows you'll be asking."

"Has she been read into the project?"

"In a manner of speaking, apparently she gets certain access to all of Eliza's projects because sometimes she's the only one who can follow her thought process." Ruby smiled, remembering what her mother was like at the end of the Dementor project.

"Don't stew on this Ruby, see them tonight." Penny said firmly, Ruby nodded and left the office, her head still lost in her own thoughts.

When she entered her own office it wasn't until she got to her desk that she realised Kyle was talking to her. She needed to do something about her concentration.

"I'm sorry sir, what did you say?"

"I said are you busy on Thursday evening?"

"Umm… no I don't think so, do you need me to come in?"

"Excellent, I'm taking you and Scorpius out for dinner, tradition at the end of the first placement, a celebration before all that change that we're about to have."

"Oh, thanks sir, I'd love to come."

Kyle looked pleased and walked back into his office. Ruby looked over at Scorpius' desk and noticed a box on it, curiosity getting the better of her she stood up and walked over. It was about the size of a box of chocolates and had a pink label on it, she bent down to read it.

Dear Scorpi,

Happy Valentines Day.

Love, La-la

Xxx

Supressing the desire to curse the box into oblivion with great difficulty Ruby walked back over to her desk and continued with her paperwork, her mind was a mess.

She had had the most amazing weekend with Scorpius and had felt so relaxed and happy this morning but now she couldn't feel more different. Her parents were at the top of her worry list, Lauren was not far behind, the project behind that, and her Uncle Ron not much further down the list.

When seven o'clock came Ruby left work but instead of going straight to Wales as Penny had suggested she went straight back to the flat and pulled on her running gear. Alice was not home so she could not stop her.

Ruby ran further than she had ran for ages, she ran until everywhere hurt and then ducked into an alley and apparated to Wales.

She walked up the garden path, still out of breath and heard her parents talking to someone, she opened the door noisily so that they would hear her and then walked into the kitchen. Aunt Hermione and Uncle Ron were sat at the table with her parents, each with a glass of wine. Ron straightened up when he saw Ruby, clearly not noticing the expression on her face.

"Glad you're here Rubes, I need to talk to you about this whole Malfoy…" Ruby didn't hear the rest of his sentence, she turned and walked back out of the house and apparated again.

She arrived at the wall without even realising that that was where she was heading for. The memorial was empty and Ruby leant against the wall with her knees pulled up to her chest, hugging them tightly.

Her legs were throbbing and her side was telling her, in no uncertain terms, that she had pushed herself too hard again. She was only alone for a few minutes before a crack filled the air.

Her father sat down next to her and Ruby leant her head against his shoulder.

"Hi Dad." She said quietly.

"Hey Poppet, rough day?" Ruby nodded.

"I had such a great weekend though but then today…" Ruby stopped and willed away the tears.

"Ron knows he's upset you…"

"It's not just Uncle Ron it's…"

"I know, it's me and your mom." Ruby looked up at him and nodded.

"It's just… sometimes I feel like I don't know anything about you."

"That's what I used to feel like about your mother, until she started to open up. Perhaps I've started to mimic her." He said with a small smile.

"Is there much more Dad?"

"Rubes, what you need to understand is… what we've told you is the big stuff to Eliza, the rest of it might seem big to you but, it pales into insignificance to your mother."

"What about you?"

"There are some things that we haven't told you just because they're not that… substantial to us."

"What happened to mom's back then?"

"It was at the end of her fifth year, I'd already left school by then, anyway Harry was sent a fake vision from Voldemort, of Sirius being tortured…"

"Fake?"

"He didn't know that, anyway they went to the Ministry to 'rescue' him, the Death Easters were waiting and… at some point Eliza got separated and backed into a room with a Death Eater and fired a wand wall at him. She thought Minerva was dead and it was…"

"She thought Aunt Minnie was dead?" Ruby asked, horrified. Her father sighed.

"Let's get home, Hermione might be better at explaining this stuff."

"What about Mom?"

"She's not great at talking, you might have noticed…"

"Very funny, alright help me up." Her father stood up and pulled her to her feet.

Ruby spent the rest of the evening being talked through her parents Hogwarts years, during the difficult parts her parents and Uncle Ron disappeared into the basement to work on products and Aunt Hermione described the events. It took until ten and by then Ruby felt completely drained.

"So, that's it?" She asked, somewhat desperately, Hermione smiled slightly and then nodded.

"It's what I can remember anyway Ruby." Ruby nodded and put her head on the table and muttered a quiet thanks to her Aunt.

Ruby kept her head down and heard her Aunt and Uncle leave and her parents sit down.

"Poppet?" Her father asked.

"Yeah?"

"Do you want waffles?" Ruby grinned into the table and nodded. She looked up and smiled at her parents.

"Thanks, I'm sorry I freaked out."

"Don't mention it, go and lie down and I'll make waffles, you look exhausted." Ruby nodded at her father' words and attempted to stand up, her legs had fallen asleep and she ended up falling, her head colliding with the fridge as she did.

"…coming round now." Her mother's voice floated towards her but Ruby kept her eyes closed.

"Ruby, your dad made Waffles." That sounded like Scorpius, Ruby opened her eyes and saw him sitting next to her, her parents were also standing over her.

"Scorpius? What are…?"

"I sent him a Patronus, we were a bit worried." Her mother said quietly.

"m'fine, just banged my head."

"And ran too far too fast I'm betting." Scorpius said smugly.

"I was annoyed." Ruby replied as he helped her sit up, she felt absolutely shattered.

"So you ran?"

"You've a lot to learn about Ruby's coping mechanisms Scorpius, I'll get the waffles." Her father said, smiling.

Scorpius spent the next few minutes checking Ruby for signs of concussion, in spite of her protests.

"Are you done now?" She snapped.

"Ruby, there's no need to be difficult." Her mother chastised. Scorpius looked at Ruby with a strange expression on his face, as if trying to figure out what he'd done wrong.

"Come on." Ruby said, standing up and pulling Scorpius upstairs and into her room, her father told her not to be long and she nodded as they passed him. Shutting the door behind them Ruby turned to Scorpius.

"What's the matter?" He asked.

"Lauren. Lauren's the matter." Ruby replied bluntly.

"Ruby, I didn't meet her tonight, I told her…"

"I know but that didn't stop her from leaving a Valentines gift on your desk!" Scorpius waited a moment before replying.

"I can't control what other people do, Ruby. Don't you trust me?"

"Of course I trust you!"

"Then why are we having this discussion? Wait… is this why you went running again…?"

"No… well like dad said I run when I'm annoyed. I've just had one of those days and 'La-la' leaving you a Valentines gift certainly didn't help!" Ruby sat down in her bed and Scorpius sighed and then sat next to her.

"I'll talk to her, make myself clear that I am utterly and completely in love with Ruby Weasley." Against her better judgement Ruby found a smile creep across her face. Before she could say anything, however, her stomach rumbled loudly and Scorpius laughed.

"Come on, waffles await." He pulled her to her feet and they went back downstairs. After eating waffles shaped like Uncle Harry's head Ruby felt much better and left Wales with Scorpius just before midnight.

"Come on, my flat, you look completely shattered and I want to keep an eye on you." Ruby nodded and allowed Scorpius to side-long her to his flat.

They climbed into bed and Scorpius put his arms around Ruby and she snuggle into him.

"I'm sorry I was jealous." She said.

"Don't be, green is a good colour on you." Ruby snorted and Scorpius kissed her lightly on the head and within five minutes they were both asleep.

Ruby sat down at the table feeling hungry, she had worked straight through lunch and then had to rush home to get changed in time for the meal with Kyle. Still, she was quite pleased to be the first one there.

She ordered a glass of sparkling water and found her mind drifting back to her meeting with the Longbottoms earlier that day. Mrs Longbottom had given her a wrapper and then pushed Ruby out of the room. Ruby pulled the wrapper out of her bag to look at it, wondering why she had kept it.

Mr Longbottom had spent the entire meeting staring at a non-existent mark on his left hand, it made Ruby sick to think of how her mother could have ended up like that. Penny and Ruby had spent the afternoon with the mediwitch, getting to know the routines and triggers of the patients. Mrs Longbottom hated green and Mr Longbottom had a problem with loud noises.

"Hey, you look great!" Ruby jumped slightly but then relaxed as Scorpius kissed her briefly on the cheek and then sat down next to her.

"Hi, thanks, good classes?"

"Dragon pox, I've got another essay to do as well!" Scorpius complained, Ruby smiled as he ordered a Butterbeer. "So, how was your afternoon?"

"Productive, I worked straight through lunch though so I'm starving!" Ruby said with a smile, it was already proving difficult not to talk about the project with Scorpius and Alice, and she had only been working on it for four days!

"Good evening both, sorry I'm a bit late, Muriel wanted to change her shoes, again!" Ruby and Scorpius stood up and greeted Kyle and his wife politely and then they all sat down and viewed the menu in silence.

They ordered and then Mrs Kyle started questioning the students about the placement and their families. When the starters arrived Scorpius looked up at Mrs Kyle.

"So, what do you do Mrs Kyle?" He asked, biting into his mushroom bruschetta.

"Me, oh not much these days! I used to work in a clothing shop in Hogsmeade but now I spend my time in the garden and doing knitting!"

"Ruby can knit."

"Can you dear? It's a rare skill with people your age!" Mrs Kyle said with a smile.

"My grandma taught me when I was younger, the others played Quidditch but I've always been a bit too clumsy to be let on a broomstick."

"I know your grandmother well, we were at Hogwarts together. I dated her younger brother for a while, in fourth year, before the war of course. Is Molly well?"

"Very well thank you, she's knitting all the time at the moment, we've got three new babies on the way."

"Oh, how lovely." Ruby smiled and nodded, just then a flash of turquoise had her looking across at the entrance. Teddy was walking in with Vic, he spotted her and made his way over.

"Hello, Rubes. What are you doing here?" He asked, looking around the table.

"Hey Teddy, this is Healer Kyle, my supervisor and his wife, they're treating Scorpius and I to dinner to celebrate the end of Scorpius' placement. This is my brother, Teddy Lupin and his wife, my cousin…

"Wait, that sounds weird! I'm Victoire Lupin, formerly Weasley, Ruby's cousin. Ruby and Teddy are adopted siblings, I promise!" Vic interrupted with a laugh.

"Good point, I never thought about it like that!" Ruby laughed before everyone shook hands.

"Anyway, we've got a table reserved upstairs, lovely to meet you and nice to see you again Scorpius, you'll have to come around for dinner soon."

"Sounds great."

"See you on Sunday, Rubes, oh and Aunt Ginny wants to know if your friend Amber wants to assist with the… delivery." Said Teddy, with an apologetic grimace at Scorpius as he swallowed a large bite of mushroom. Ruby grinned.

"I'll ask her tomorrow but I'm sure she'll say yes, anything to get her out of the Paeds ward." Teddy and Vic left and the starters disappeared.

"I can imagine you can't travel anywhere in Wizarding Britain without spotting a relative, Ruby?" Mrs Kyle asked, taking a sip of wine.

"Not really, it's worse at the Ministry but even at the hospital my parents have sources. Healer Shacklebolt is my sister' godmother, and my cousin Rosie works for the Department of Magical Accidents and Catastrophe's so she's in at least once a week. News travels fast wherever you are!"

"I can't imagine having such a big family." Said Scorpius quietly.

"Nor I, it's always been just Robert and I, hasn't it dear?"

"Don't forget the dogs, Muriel!" His wife laughed loudly and Ruby smiled.

The rest of the meal passed quickly and Ruby was just taking a sip of coffee when she noticed Vic running down the stairs and making an undignified dash into the ladies toilet. She excused herself from the table and followed her cousin/sister-in-law.

"Vic?" She called, leaning on the sink and looking at the closed cubicle door.

"Oh, fuck!" Her cousin exclaimed, a surge of vomit accompanied the swear words.

"You alright?"

"Fine, just got a sensitive stomach." Ruby smiled and snorted.

"Or perhaps your desert had some cinnamon on it?" She suggested delicately.

"Alright Sherlock, have you got a potion or something?"

"It depends." Ruby said, opening her bag,

"On what? I'm your cousin for Merlin's sake!"

"On how far along you are."

"Oh, I dunno, when were you stabbed?"

"You and Teddy had sex while I was being stabbed!" Ruby replied, stunned.

"Of course not, it was the weekend before, we're not animals!" Her cousin replied, more heaving followed.

"About six weeks then, here you go." Ruby rolled a potion bottle under the cubicle door and a few minutes later Vic emerged looking pale but still stunning.

"Better?" Ruby asked as Vic handed her the bottle back.

"Yeah, thanks."

"You're welcome, congratulations by the way." Vic smiled and nodded.

"Thanks, I can't believe it, we haven't told anyone yet but Mum's been strange so I reckon she might know. It's a bit early to…"

"I won't tell anyone, don't worry. I will use it against Teddy though, you understand?"

"I wouldn't expect anything less. I better get back, why don't you and Scorpius pop around when you've finished, we could celebrate?"

"Sure, you don't mind him knowing?"

"Nah, he won't say anything, Teddy probably scared him enough already!"

Twenty minutes later Ruby and Scorpius arrived at Grimmauld Place and Teddy let them in, and handed them both a glass of champagne.

"I told you you'd be in the Burrow next Christmas!" Ruby said, taking the glass and then giving Teddy a big hug.

"I know, you're right. Come on through, she's got her pyjamas on already by the way."

"Congratulations Teddy." Said Scorpius, shaking Teddy's hand and then looking around the hallway with apparent interest.

"Cheers, looks a bit different from the inside, huh?"

"Yeah, my grandfather mentioned it once, made it sound like a smaller version on Malfoy Manor."

"It was until Auntie Eliza worked her way through it, she said it was her own form of therapy after the war, I'll show you around." Teddy and Scorpius disappeared and Ruby walking into the drawing room, complete with a grand piano and a large bay window with a false view of surround hills, and sat down next to Vic.

"So, when did you find out?"

"Only last week, Teddy bought a cake home and… well it didn't end well!"

"I'm so happy for you Vic, mom's going to flip out!"

"I know, I can't wait to tell everyone, we're going to wait until twelve weeks though…"

"Vic there is no way that you'll keep it a secret that long, I bet it will take once Sunday lunch for Grandma to work it out!"

"I know, I'm going to try and avoid the Burrow at mealtimes, claim my muse is keeping me busy."

"Your muse? How is the art going?"

"Really well actually, I sold a painting to Gringotts last week, the Goblins paid me more than Teddy makes in a month, we bought a new bed!" Vic said in an excited whisper.

"That's great, what was the painting of?"

"Goblin rebellion of 1914, Dad said they wanted to show the customers that they could hold their own so I had a look through my textbooks and used my imagination, Auntie Eliza really liked it. Anyway, enough about me, how's it going with young Mr Malfoy?"

"It's good, really good."

"But?"

"Why does there have to be a but?"

"Because I know that look, what is it?"

"It's his ex, she works at the hospital and she's started sniffing around. I trust him Vic, I really do, I know he loves me but…"

"You don't trust her?"

"Not at all, she's a slut, Rosie reckons she cheated on him and…" Ruby stopped talking as Teddy and Scorpius entered the room, laughing loudly.

"This place is amazing, Rubes, your mom should be an artist!"

"She is, sort of, she uses it while her brain is working on saving the world and eradicating suffering."

"Don't disturb her while she's painting though, she's scary!" Teddy whispered, collapsing next to Vic.

"That's not personal to Auntie Eliza, that's an artist thing."

"Or maybe a woman thing, I interrupted Ruby when she was studying at the weekend and she nearly hexed me into next week!" Scorpius added with a smile.

"I was working on top-secret things, it made me jumpy, and I missed anyway!" Ruby defended.

"Good thing too, you were aiming a bit too low for my liking." Teddy and Vic howled with laughter and Ruby smiled and leaned in to kiss Scorpius on the cheek.

"I made it up, didn't I?" She asked, biting her lip.

"Alright, too much information, we have a baby present!" Teddy said, pointing at Vic's stomach.

"It doesn't have ears yet, Teddy." Said Ruby.

"Yeah, but I do, anyway to my beautiful wife and my magnificent sperm!" He said, toasting in Vic's direction.

"Hey, I have ears too!" Ruby yelled, also raising her glass to Vic.

A/N So the Weasley family is getting even bigger, yay!

**I'm having a 2 week writers break, if you review lots I may shorten it**

xXMizz Alec VolturiXx- Thanks.

Scorubes4life- I'll see what I can do about Hagrid, it's the Quidditch final coming up so I'm sure they'll meet up at Hogwarts.

Luna- Thanks.