Disclaimer: I own nothing except for my ideas. Everything else belongs to J.K. Rowling.
Chapter Seventeen: Decisions
Ginny and Harry,
I know that neither of you want to hear from me. I don't blame you. There's a reason why we haven't spoken in over sixteen years, and we both know what it is. What happened happened and I wish every single day that I could change it, but I know that I can't.
I was married for ten years. My wife died a few months ago, leaving me with our two kids, Connor and Rose. I haven't any idea what to do anymore, so that's why I've reached out to Mum and Dad, as I'm sure you already know. I would love to talk to you both. Hermione as well. But I won't blame you if you don't even tell her that I've contacted you.
Please, please just consider it.
Ron
Hermione had read the parchment at least seven times. She kept reading it and reading it, as if expecting it to change in some way.
Had Ginny responded? Had she agreed to speak with him? Had Harry?
Hermione stood up, dropping the letter onto the floor and stepping to the fireplace instantly.
"Angel, hang on a minute." Draco called out.
She turned around, finding him staring at her with raised eyebrows. She just groaned and stared right back.
"What?" she said loudly.
"Just... before you go barging over there... take a minute." Draco whispered, reaching her and taking her face in his hands. "Process this. See the kids. And then... then we'll go over together, okay?"
Hermione stared into his familiar eyes and sighed. She knew he was entirely right. The first thing she had thought of that morning were her children. She did want to see them. She needed to see them.
All of them.
"Okay." she whispered, kissing him lightly.
"Mummy? Daddy?"
They pulled away from one another and Hermione found a small, genuine smile come across her face as she caught sight of Scorpius and Lyra on the stairs. It had been Lyra who had spoken, a small pout on her lips.
"What's wrong, love?" Hermione asked, approaching them and crouching down in front of the two.
"Scorp said my hair was ugly, but we have the same hairs!" Lyra shouted, her lip quivering.
Hermione looked up at Draco who had a tired, yet amused expression on his face. She felt the exact same as he looked. This was one battle that they could definitely deal with.
. . .
Meredith hadn't been able to look at the photo album with Marley. She had just sat there and stared off into space. Now, she was lying with her head on Marley's lap - as if she were the little sister, and not the other way around.
"Meredith?" Marley whispered.
"Yeah?" she answered, realizing just how lifeless her voice sounded.
"I... I think it's okay for you to love Leo, despite what's happened." Marley said softly.
Meredith pressed her lips together, her eyes watering. She hated this. She was supposed to be the comforting, older sister. Ever since Marley had been born, Meredith had wanted to just be there for her. She wanted to be someone that her sister could count on - but she felt she was too messed up.
She had always been too messed up.
Suddenly the door to Meredith's room opened, revealing Teddy and James, both of whom were carrying two mugs of coffee. Meredith sat up, taking a mug from Teddy and moving over to make room for both boys on her bed. She watched as James instantly kissed Marley's forehead before sitting beside her, the action giving her slight happiness.
At least something was coming together in all this sadness.
"Mer... I've got to tell you something." Teddy suddenly said.
Meredith looked at Teddy, taking in his expression. She didn't like it - not one bit. He looked scared and Meredith knew from experience that it was never a good thing when Teddy was too scared to tell her something.
"What is it?" Meredith asked.
"It's... okay. Your Mum and Dad are going to kill me for telling you, but I just can't not tell you anymore." Teddy sighed.
Meredith was now insanely curious. She looked at Marley and James who were both staring at each other, exchanging a glance.
"What is it, Teddy?" Meredith asked.
"It's... okay. It's Ron." Teddy started slowly.
Meredith's heart all but stopped beating. She knew that she had to have heard him wrong. He hadn't said Ron, had he?
"I'm sorry, what?" Meredith asked, her voice hoarse.
"It's Ron. My grandparents said that he came to them a few days ago. He was married with two young children and well... their Mum's just died." Teddy explained. "He needs help, apparently. He wants to speak with Ginny and Harry - and I'm sure with your Mum, as well."
Meredith shook her head. There was no way that was happening. She could not deal with that. Despite how young she had been, Meredith still remembered how traumatic the two months with Ron had been, and how distraught she had been afterwards.
"No." Meredith whispered. "H-he can't just do that! He can't come into my life and - and -"
Meredith stopped as she tried to catch her breath. She felt herself begin to hyperventilate and was grateful as Teddy reached forward and took her hand.
"He won't hurt you, Mer. You know that." Teddy whispered. "I-I'm not condoning what he did, and I'll never understand it. I'll never be able to accept him, but I'm just saying that it wasn't something he was consciously doing, you know? He was sick."
Meredith knew that Teddy was right - she knew he was exactly right. He had been ill, really ill when he had taken her. But, it didn't really make her feel any better about what had happened. Sixteen laters, and she still didn't have any closure from the whole ordeal.
"But, this doesn't mean that you have to see him, okay?" Teddy continued. "I just felt like you needed to know."
"Thanks, Teddy." Meredith whispered in a faraway voice.
. . .
Marley recognized Meredith's tone instantly.
She was distancing herself from the situation, which was never good. Marley knew that her sister's mind had to be on overload. She reached for her sister's hand and squeezed it tightly. She wished that she had something to say, something that could help her from all the impossible pain in her life, but she knew that there was nothing.
Marley leaned against James, letting him wrap an arm around her and pull her slightly closer on Meredith's bed. She felt a slight comfort as his lips brushed her temple.
She knew that things were about to get really bad in her household, even if her mother didn't agree to meet with Ron - James' parents most likely would. It would explain why his mother had been acting so crazy.
"Look, I know this is a lot to deal with, Mer. But... it's just the way it is right now, okay?" Teddy whispered.
"Yeah." Meredith sighed. "I know. Trust me, if I hadn't promised to stay for the whole holidays, I'd be gone right about now."
Suddenly, Marley was angry. She sat up quickly, causing James to jump slightly.
"What?" Meredith asked.
"Don't do that! Don't just take off again, Meredith! I've barely seen you the last two years, okay?" Marley snapped.
"Marley, I -"
"I know something unimaginable happened to you, but you can't do that anymore. You have to stop running."
With that, Marley got up off the bed and headed for the door. She felt James instantly behind her, placing his hand on the small of her back. As much as she wanted to be alone, she knew that she would feel better with James with her.
So, she took his hand and pulled him out of the room.
"M&M, are you okay?" James whispered as they walked away from Meredith's room.
She turned to look at him, pausing and touching his face softly. "I just don't want her to leave again, okay?"
James nodded, pulling her to him and holding her close. Marley relaxed immediately in his embrace, the way she always did. She felt his hand brush against her hair and his lips brush the top of her head.
"It's alright, M&M. It'll be alright." he whispered. "I promise."
"Don't make promises you can't keep, James." Marley whispered, pulling away slightly to look up at him.
James sighed, pressing a slow kiss to her lips. "I'm not. I just know that things'll be alright in the end. Because if they're not... then I don't know anything anymore."
Marley looked into his eyes and touched his cheek gently before kissing him deeply, wrapping her arms around his neck.
"What was that for?" he asked.
"For being you."
. . .
Draco sat on the couch, impatiently drumming his fingers against his knee.
He could just not relax.
Hermione was upstairs with the twins, getting them ready to bring them to the Potter's house. Draco did not want to go to the Potter's. He didn't want to deal with any of this anymore. He just wanted to make it all go away. He wanted things to be uncomplicated, like they used to be.
Draco was pretty sure if he ever saw Ron again that he would pummel him to the ground. He would never forget walking into St. Mungo's and seeing Hermione's battered and bruised body after he had beat her. And he would never forget finding his daughter on the Hogwarts Express.
He knew that Ron hadn't been himself - he understood that. But, still.
It had all still happened.
"Daddy!"
He looked up, finding Lyra running towards him down the stairs. He put a smile on his face and opened up his arms for his youngest daughter to jump into them. When she did, he lifted her to let her sit on his lap.
"Yes, love?" he asked.
"You look sad." she said.
Draco smiled sadly at her and shook his head. "You are too smart for your own good, you know that? More like your Mum everyday."
Lyra kissed his cheek and hugged him with her little arms. Draco's heart warmed at the act and kissed Lyra's forehead. She pulled away and jumped off his lap just in time to see Hermione walking down the stairs with Scorpius.
"Did you see Meredith while you were up there?" Draco asked hopefully.
Hermione shook her head and Draco stood up, walking to his wife and kissing her forehead.
"I think she'll come out of her room when she's ready." Hermione said.
"So do I." Draco sighed.
Jeremy suddenly came running down the stairs, a book in hand. He stopped next to Hermione and grabbed her hand, causing Draco to smile at his son. He was so incredibly perceptive of Hermione's emotions - almost more than Draco was himself.
"Are you coming, too?" Draco asked.
"Yeah." Jeremy said. "Thought I'd hang out with Albus today."
Draco nodded gratefully at his son. He knew that Jeremy coming offered Hermione support in a wonderful way.
Soon, the five of them were Flooing to the Potter's house, stepping out into their living room to find Ginny sitting on the couch with Lily next to her, wrapped up in her arms. Harry was sitting on the love seat, a concerned expression on his face.
"You're here." Ginny said.
Draco nodded curtly. He didn't know what to say. He didn't want to see Ron Weasley. He didn't even want to think about him. Just the thought made him want to rip someone or something apart.
"Lily, why don't you and Lyra and Scorpius go play in your room, okay?" Ginny said, kissing Lily's forehead.
"Okay, Mummy." Lily said, getting up and grabbing both of the twin's hands and hurrying away.
Jeremy left the room without saying anything, walking up the stairs behind the youngest ones. When the coast was clear, Draco turned back to his friends and took a deep breath. He already knew this conversation most likely was not going to go well.
"Did you read it?" Ginny asked.
Hermione nodded. "Yeah. But, it didn't exactly tell me anything I didn't already know."
Ginny sighed, and nodded. "I know, but..."
"But, what?" Hermione said.
. . .
Hermione didn't want to yell again, but she wasn't sure if she could help it. She was so angry and stressed and scared of everything that was happening in her life that she was sure she was going to burst.
"I don't know." Ginny sighed. "I... he was sick, Hermione. And he's my brother."
Hermione felt tears in her eyes and looked at Harry. He was quiet, staring at Ginny and her. She left Draco's side and sat down next to him, placing a hand on his shoulder.
"I keep thinking about the fucking troll, Harry." Hermione whispered.
It was true. That morning, she continually had been thinking about the first true moment in their friendship, when Ron and Harry had saved her from the mountain troll in first year.
Harry just shook his head and turned to look at her. She knew that this was just as hard on him as it was on her. They had been best friends. The three of them had been through everything together.
"I can't even think of that Ron as the same person who... who beat you and took Meredith." Harry finally said.
Hermione closed her eyes, seeing flashes of Ron throwing her to the ground in the kitchen of their old flat. She would be lying if she said that that hadn't scarred her in ways she didn't like to admit. When Meredith had gone missing, that had completely taken over every part of her feelings. When they had gotten her back, Hermione had had some trouble in regards to the attack. She hadn't been quite the same for a long time after.
But Hermione really didn't care about herself. She cared about Meredith.
"It's been sixteen years." Harry mumbled.
"Look." Ginny started. "None of you have to see him. That's fine. I understand. But... I have to. I need to. I'm sorry."
Hermione wanted to feel angry. She wanted to be upset with Ginny, mainly because she wanted to be upset with someone. But she wasn't. She knew that Ginny had to do this.
"What about you?" Draco asked, addressing Harry.
Hermione looked at Draco in his spot next to Ginny on the couch. He saw his hardened eyes and tightened expression. He had never seen Ron afterwards. He had never seen him again.
"I... I don't know." Harry muttered, putting his face in his hands for a moment.
Hermione placed her arm around his shoulders and offered him a tight squeeze. He looked up at her, and she found him still fighting off tears.
"I think about everything we've gone through, the three of us. I think about the fucking tent, and how long we spent in there. I think about him stealing a stupid flying car with Fred and George to come and save me from the Dursley's!" Harry exclaimed. "But then, I also think about Meredith being born and Meredith crying her eyes out for months afterwards. I think about finding her on the train, and..."
Hermione nodded. She knew exactly what he meant. Exactly.
"Meredith comes first." Harry whispered.
"Of course she does." Ginny said. "I'm not saying she doesn't. I'm just saying... i have to do this."
Suddenly, they heard the flames erupt and they all turned to watch as Meredith stepped out with Teddy. Hermione took in her daughter's tired expression and reddened eyes. She knew that she hadn't slept.
"I know why you're all here." Meredith said, her voice shaking slightly.
Hermione froze. She looked at Draco, who looked just as surprised as she did. Then she looked at Teddy, watching as his cheeks reddened.
He had told her.
"Meredith -" Hermione started.
Meredith shook her head. "No, Mum. I wish you'd told me."
"We were going to. We just -" Draco started.
Meredith shook her head again and looked at Teddy who nodded encouragingly at her.
"You're all talking about whether or not to meet with... with Ron, am I right?" Meredith confirmed.
The four adults nodded slowly and Hermione felt Harry clutch her hand, much to her gratefulness.
"Well... I would like to." Meredith said quickly.
"I'm sorry, what?" Hermione gasped.
"I'd like to meet with him."
Author's Note: sorry for the long time between chapters! PLEASE READ AND REVIEW AND ENJOY! xx