Title: Second Time Around
Author: Billybob
Chapter: Three
Chapter title: Pawn to D5 - or - Frustrations and Serious Injury
Category: AU alternate universe ¼ PGFH Post Graduation from Hogwarts
In other words; it takes place after J. K. Rowland's - seventh and last book
Word count: 6794 (plus or minus a word or two)
Rated; PG-13, for adult language, UK slang and profanity, with implied sexual innuendo
Pairings: HP-HG, CC-OQ, HP-GW and HG-RW
Author's disclaimer: This story is based in the wonderful magic world created by J. K. Rowling, she owns all legal rights to the characters, setting, etc. - I am merely borrowing the contents of the JKR world for my own amusement and that of my readers. In other words…her characters…my plot - savvy?
Author's thanks: to Dennis and Mark for beta-reading this and M&I
96 hours of little food and even less sleep later, Harry found himself facing failure for the first time as an Auror. His investigation of the RHB so far had ended in one dead-end after another. He had interviewed carefully every single person visible in the picture Kingsley had dropped on his desk that Monday with not a single lead worth following. Several people he had interviewed had indeed remembered a red-haired bloke (RHB) pass by but none of them could attach a name to the face. It had been seven years since Ron's death and very few, except old school chums remembered what the Gryffindor Quidditch Goal Keeper looked like.
After coming to a dead end with those pictured outside the building, Harry turned his attention to the people inside the Hotel where the All UK National Wizarding Chess Championship had been held the previous Saturday. First, Harry talked to every single member of the hotel staff that had been on duty during the competition, management and house-cleaning staff. From there he moved on to bar tenders and food service people, the results of this inquire was far different than his experience outside. Not a single person inside the hotel recognized the RHB when shown his moving wizard photograph, it was as if he had apperated just inside the lobby door and existed only as long as it had taken for him to move in front of Colin Creevey's camera.
Interviewing members of the organization that had put on the competition had not proven to be any more informative, the really good wizard chess players were few in number and none of them resembled the RHB and the officials and rule judges did not pay much attention to the small audiences that attended the chess matches.
The competition had occurred on Saturday last, with the picture itself appearing in the back of the Monday Daily Prophet local news page, Harry had begun his search late Monday afternoon and now 96 hours later, Friday afternoon at 3 pm Harry was not one inch closer to the RHB than he had been when he had first seen the moving picture.
The Prophet hadn't published anything in the last four days for the same reason; Colin's search for Ron had clearly turned up just as empty as Harry's had. In fact the only thing that Harry was certain of, after four sleepless days and nights staring at that bloody photo, was the now unwavering conviction that the RHB was indeed his former friend, Ron Weasley.
Thankfully, Colin must have reported his lack of luck back to the Weasley's because Kinsley, Harry's boss, hadn't gotten any more nasty howlers or threats from the twins. He had however stuck his nose in Harry's office long enough to get an update on the investigation and then to order his favorite Auror to go home and sleep the weekend away and come back on Monday for a fresh start. The only event that Harry was reminded to attend was the seventh year anniversary ceremony at Hogsmead, the commendation of the final battle and victory over the Dark Lord. Much to Harry's great regret, the newspapers, even after seven years, still couldn't bring themselves to call him Voldemort.
Even Harry admitted to himself that he was exhausted, having just read the same paragraph on the same page for the sixth time, the words were beginning to blur on the page, so yielding to the weakness of his body, Harry closed the file and began to get up to go home. His departure was interrupted by a tall thin grey haired elderly wizard who knocked politely on Harry's office door.
"Excuse me sir, do you have a minute?"
"What is it, as you can see I am about to go home," Harry replied. "I have been on duty for a long time and I am very tired."
"This won't take long sir, I am Mark Dogood and I normally work out of the Royals office."
"Royals office, what's that?" Harry asked puzzled.
"I not surprised you don't know about us sir, there are only six of us, we are all Muggle-born, with families that are either squibs or pure Muggles. Raised among non-magical folk we have extensive knowledge of their ways of doing things, so we find it easier to blend-into their culture. Our office is charged with providing discrete magical security for top officials of the British Muggle government as well as guarding the Royal family, the House of Windsor."
"I have never met their Prime Minister or any of the Royals so what does this have to do with me?" Harry asked growing short tempered.
"Well sir, a lot of us were reassigned in light of the memorial ceremony Sunday in Hogsmead, so when there was a robbery at the Veteran's Museum there, my partner and I were dispatched to investigate.
"Jolly-good for you, Mark, but again where do I fit into this?"
"Well sir, Wednesday morning the caretakers arrived for work at the museum, which had been left open 24 hours in light of the expected crowds for the ceremony this weekend. They found upon entering that all the display cases had been smashed open. A preliminary check of the contents indicated that none of the expensive exhibits had been taken so at first vandalism was suspected. A more though check of the museums contents was ordered and I just received the results earlier this morning.
"You're trying my patience, Mark; does this story of yours have a point?" Harry asked.
"Yes sir, sorry sir, well we discovered that one item from the exhibit had indeed been stolen and as that item came from your wife's private collection on loan to the museum for this week only, I thought it best to ask you about your wife's odd behavior."
"Hold-on, are you saying that someone stole something that belongs to my wife?"
"Yes sir"
"Then why are you talking to me? Her office is on the third floor, Department of International Cooperation, go talk to her!" Harry said in an angry tone.
"I did sir and when I told her what had been taken she became very upset and ran from the room, canceling several appointments for this afternoon, before leaving the building. As the item in question was appraised for insurance reasons at less than 30 Galleons, I was hoping you could tell me why it's lost was so devastating to your spouse?"
"What was the item that was stolen?" Harry asked, puzzled by Hermione's reaction.
"The manifest lists it as a friendship ring," Mark replied.
"My wife never received a friendship ring from anyone, you must be mistaken. Describe this thing to me!" Harry said, all but growling.
"Let me see, it is described as being a ring made of silver and depicting two tiny dragons, one brown, the other red, both fighting over a tiny diamond chip in the center. The place card next to it in the display case read;
"Friendship ring, presented to Hermione Granger by Ronald Weasley, spring 1997"
Henry looked up from the file where he had read this information, only to behold a frozen in place, suddenly ghostly pale, Harry Potter, staring off into space with a horrified look on his face.
"Oh…my…God," Harry said at last. "I never knew she took it off, she never takes it off, what in bloody-hell is going on here?" Harry asked in a tone dripping with panic.
Just then Kingsley Shacklebolt entered Harry's office, determine to read the younger man the riot-act, for disobeying his order to go home two hours ago. He was shocked to see the nearly hysterical Harry, deathly pale, jump up and rushes to his fireplace, throws floo powder in, and then sticks his head into the green flames. A moment later he pulled his head back out again, mumbling to himself "She's not there…Buggers! Where in bloody-hell can she be?"
"Harry, what are you going on about?" Kingsley asked.
"Ron's alive…Kingsley, and I can prove it!" Harry said triumphantly. "First, he shows himself at the All UK Nationals on Saturday, and then Tuesday night he broke into a display case to retrieve a ring I stole out of his school trunk after his 'alleged' death during the final battle seven years ago."
"You stole something from a dead man?" Mark asked shocked.
"Yeah I did, I wanted Hermione to have something of his to remember him by. I found a tiny velvet box in the bottom of his trunk wrapped in silk, inside of it was a ring. I shrunk it down to fit her pinkie finger and told Hermione that it was a ring that Ron had bought for her. A ring he never gave her, because he'd broke things off with Hermione romantically, when he and Ginny caught us red-handed during that infamous charm classroom 'slap and tickle' after Dumbledore's funeral.
I am surprised she took it off, she never did that before, but that doesn't matter now. Ron must have seen it in the display case, became enraged, and then broke the glass to take back his property. I can understand why he did it too, I didn't known his intentions for that ring at the time I took it, in fact, I only found out the truth a week or so ago…" Harry said hysterically rambling on. Then all of a sudden he froze again. "…what if Hermione somehow found out what Ron really intended to do with that ring? She'd go mental and she'd…"
"POP"
"HARRY POTTER Sir," Dobby the house-elf shouted as he suddenly appeared in the room, "You must come home at once, I fear Mistress Grangy has done herself serious harm," without waiting for a reply, the clearly worried house-elf grabbed his Master's arm and the two of them disappeared with a;
"POP"
At eleven o'clock in the morning the following day, a rather unusual sight was seen by the Saturday morning shoppers wandering about in Diagon Alley as a small fully cloaked and hooded figure limped its way up the alleyway in the general direction of Weasley Wizarding Wheezes.
This sight was unusual due to the fact that one seven years after the war, few if any people felt the need to conceal their identity with fully hooded robes. Secondly, it was unusual due to the fact that in an age of advanced magical medicine there was no reason for anyone to have such a pronounced limp. Had this disguised person been a Muggle, then a movement restricting plaster cast for a broken leg would have been suspected, but Muggles didn't know of the existence of the Wizarding World so that explanation was unlikely.
Luckily for the limping figure, witches and wizards by long-standing tradition kept their nose out of each others businesses, as Harry Potter had discovered to his regret during the last war. So no-one stopped or questioned the hooded figure as he or she made it's way up Diagon Alley, avoiding with extra care the usual crowd to be found around the twins shop, the small figure headed straight for the locked tight door of Black Knight Chess Ltd. Where a sign could be seen, which in large bold letters declared;
Closed this weekend, Conducting Inventory
Please visit us on Monday, during normal business hours
Cordially: Jon and Orla
Totally ignoring the sign the hooded figure began to loudly pound on the doorframe, demanding entry. After ten minutes or so, the face of Orla Quirke appeared behind the glass above the sign and shouted through the locked door;
"WE…ARE…CLOSED…COME…BACK…MONDAY."
"I don't want to buy anything," a woman's voice shouted back from within the hooded robes. "I must see the propitiator of this shop Jonathan Veselkin, it's an emergency."
"COME…BACK…MONDAY," Orla shouted back
"You listen to me you silly girl, you open this door or I will open it for you," the voice from within the hood threatened.
"Ginny? Merlin's beard! Ginny, is that you?" a voice from behind the hooded figure asked.
"Colin… thank Merlin you're here, I need your help. Tell your girlfriend to let me in I must see Ron at once." Ginny declared before the world around her began to spin and she fainted dead-away on the shop's front doorstep. Luckily, Colin managed to grab his collapsing former girlfriend before her head smacked the cobble stoned alleyway outside the small shop.
"Orla, open the door and help me, I know this girl."
Several minutes later, Ginny's head began to clear again and she found herself stretched out on a comfortable couch in the small office/break-room in the back of the wizard chess shop. The shades were drawn once more in the front of the shop, the door locked tight. As she regained the use of her limbs she overheard Colin and Orla talking.
"…so this is the famous Weasley girl, the one you carried a torch for? Not as impressive as you led me to believe, Colin. To think I have been jealous of her for months.
"Now, Orla…honey, you know that's not true. I dated her for a bit, but she never really fancied me, it was always Harry Potter that she 'loved' and still does, or so I hear."
"I have heard rumors that she is his not-so-secret mistress, has been for more than a year," Orla declared in a gossip-like tone of voice. "I have even heard her parents have disowned her because of it. The tittle-tattle is, he's paying the rent on that expensive flat she shares with Hannah Abbott. I wonder if he does them both, you know, the kind of kinky three-way…thing that is a favorite fantasy of yours, my sweet darling."
"Sweet Merlin woman, I'll never tell you any of my fantasies ever again. Allot of blokes have thought about bunking-up with two birds at the same go-round. I have never…ever even remotely suggested that I need more than you to make me happy," Colin hotly replied. "Besides didn't you once confess to having a fantasy about a whole naked Quidditch team at your beck an call?"
"I really hate to break-up your discussion of sexual fantasies but can I get a drink of water, just thinking about sex makes me nauseous." Ginny said as she opened her eyes to see two blushing people.
"Sure Ginny," Orla said beginning to move toward the door just as the owner of the shop entered the room.
"Orla…there you are, did you have any luck getting rid of that pest at the door? Oh I'm sorry, Colin, I didn't realize you were the 'one' trying to knock down my shop door. Ah, to be young and in love…"
"…I wasn't the one trying to knock down your door…she was," Colin declared stepping aside so as to reveal Ginny stretched out on the sofa.
"GINNY, what in blazes are you doing here? Jonathan shouted instantly upset.
"Ron, I had to come, they took Hermione to St. Mungo's last night!"
"Yes…yes, I know, it was all in the Prophet this morning. I left my copy on the kitchen table for you to read, didn't you see it? It was on the front page, top of the fold. A big article on how she collapsed at work Friday afternoon, 'overwork' an official Ministry spokesman was quoted as saying. The article declared that they would be keeping her overnight for observation, and then she'll be sent home for a few weeks of rest. Further back in the newspaper, an editorial theorized, that it's very unlikely that she'll be taking part in tomorrow's memorial service in Hogsmead.
One of the gossip columnists for the Prophet, who also writes stuff for a tabloid, was hinting about the onset of the long awaited first pregnancy, but has no proof to back up her suspicions. All in all, it's been a busy news day for the Wizarding press…right Colin?"
"RON, you prat, shut it and listen to me! The paper has it all wrong, Hermione attempted suicide last night," Ginny shouted.
What...No, That can't be? Why would a happily married successful career witch contemplate suicide? All the magazines and newspapers in England agree on that point. Hermione Granger-Potter, Doctor of Arithmancy has every reason in the world to be happy. She was the youngest woman ever to obtain a full fellowship in that difficult field of study, from the only Wizard University in the world, the one just outside of Paris.
She is the author of 'The Golden Trio, the Harry Potter years at Hogwarts," the only authorized narrative of the 'Chosen-one's' Hogwarts years. A biography of Mr. Potter and his friends which I hate to admit, although somewhat informative concerning an important moment in history, reads more than a little like a boring 'text-book history' of someplace like Beauxbaton or Dumstrang than a easy to read novel.
Doctor Granger-Potter's Ministry career appeared to be going gangbusters as well. Colin here insists she'll be the first Muggleborn Minister for Magic in history, within the next ten years. She is married to the richest, best known bloke in all of England; in short, she has it all. So why would someone like that contemplate suicide?"
"She isn't happy, Ron. I told you what Harry said…"
"… Harry is a married bloke, little sister. And they'll try anything to get into a single bird's knickers, your knickers I might add. Blokes like Harry will tell any lie that they can think of to get a girl to bunk-up with them." Jon said forgetting that Olga and Colin were still in the room listening as he roweds with Ginny.
"Harry doesn't lie!" Ginny retorted
"Oh really, Then he didn't lie to us seven years ago about the multi-year relationship he had in secret with Hermione…yeah right Gin. He didn't break your heart by telling you it was Mione and not you he loved."
"He had to Ron; it was the only way to keep me safe."
"You're being mental little sister. If his so-called lie kept you so safe, kindly explain why you walk with a limp?"
"That was my own decision Ronald. I chose to fight at his side that day, as did you."
"We fought, Ginny, for our way of life. We fought, to be free from the Death Eaters, and to bring about this noble cause Harry chose to lie to us, about his feelings for you and his love affair with my back-stabbing girlfriend. At least Harry had the decency to break up with you officially, before you caught him with his hands in the cookie jar, I wasn't as lucky as you may recall.
Hermione was still very much my so-called official girlfriend when you and I caught her with her top undone and her right hand buried deep inside the front of Harry's trousers. She certainly wasn't looking for loose change that day Ginny!" Ron shouted tears of angst pouring down his cheeks. "Merlin it hurts, every time I close my eyes, that's what I see, the two of them…devouring each other…"
"They didn't mean to hurt us, things just got out of hand" Ginny said trying to explain
"Bad pun Ginny, you forget I saw exactly where Harry had his hands, they were 'inside' her blouse, touching her…No Ginny, telling me that things 'got-out-of-hand' isn't funny at all." Ron painfully retorted, reacting to his sister's comment as if he had been slapped.
"Sorry Ron, I didn't mean for it to come out that way"
"Whatever… Look Ginny, I know it's all in the past for you, but it's fresh for me, like it happened yesterday. Besides, from what little I remember of you, I doubt you stayed mad at him for long," Jon said.
"I didn't speak to him at all for two years after you 'died' Ron, and when we did start to see each other again, it was three years before I let him touch me, that's five years big brother, it took me that long to forgive him."
"Well then cut me some slack, Ginny, I haven't had my memories back five days! I understand you trust him again, Harry always did get away with a lot, because of who he is and I know that. I'm just worried that you have more to lose by being with him, than he has by being with you.
If he and Hermione are as unhappy together as you claim, and I am not saying I believe it…mind you, then that's just too bloody bad. Merlin knows he has more than enough Galleons in Gringotts to support two separate households. So why doesn't he and his estranged wife just live apart, a lot of unhappy married couples do these days. The very fact that he isn't living somewhere else; that they are still sharing the Potter Mansion in Godric's Hollow, that fact speaks volumes that he and Hermione aren't as unhappy as you claim." Ron said argue-mentally.
"He calls her little sister; and she calls him Ron," Colin said speaking up for the first time, unable to remain silent any longer. "Oh bugger all to hell. No wonder I never got a picture of you at the Nationals. You didn't sneak out a side door, did you Jonathan? You walked right pass my camera as Ron Weasley…you're the bloke your parents and I have been searching for! Your Mum said you were alive and blimey…you are! This is bloody fantastic, the biggest story of the year, I'll be famous, the reporter who found the long lost missing member of the Hogwarts Trio… I'll be…"
"…I would prefer that no one knew my secret, Colin," The fully covered shop owner interrupted softly getting his emotions under control quickly. "Ronald Bilius Weasley died seven years ago in combat and as I have already explained more than once to Ginny, I would very much prefer that R.B. Weasley stayed dead."
"You can't be serious?"
"Very serious and if your wondering why, think back to how you yourself said Ron was portrayed in Dr. Granger-Potters book 'The Golden Trio.' You told me just a few days ago that Ron is portrayed as a laughable dim-witted clown. The bumbling stupid, utterly clueless about girls, an idiotic baboon, who was nothing more than a useful and disposable pawn. The court jester that Granger and Potter 'allowed' in their company to be some sort of pathetic comic relief for the stressed out hero…Harry Potter.
I have re-read her book since regaining some of the memories of the young man you knew as Ron Weasley and I find your assessment of Ron's portrayal spot on. Dr. Potter seemed to take delight in making me look foolish in her badly written book. With no other books concerning the trio in print, the Wizarding World only has her description of me to go on. The only good thing about Ron in the entire book was the passing reference to my death during combat. She doesn't even give me credit for how I died, if you hadn't told me what you saw I never would have know about my last moments.
So, leave things alone, Colin…please? Allow me some small measure of respect in life as my own person, Jon Veselkin, the wizard chess champion of England. Permit me to live the rest my days in peace as what I am now, rather than the stupid sidekick of the Chosen-One and the clueless-ex-boyfriend of the cold-heart shrew that betrayed me."
"I am sorry, sir, but the public's right to know veto's the individuals right to privacy, this story could make my career." Colin replied in the uncaring tone that was the trademark of a headlines hungry journalist.
"Don't you dare print one word of this Colin Creevey or we are through do you hear? If you submit a story on Jon, I swear to Merlin, I'll never speak to you again as long as I live," Orla said outraged.
"But Honey, this story can make us both rich! Think it over; if I'm famous, you won't have to work after we get married, no more shop-assistant's long hours that are killing your feet.
"Have I been overworking you, Orla, and why didn't you tell me? I'd rather die again than cause you pain," Jon said crestfallen.
"Everyone's feet hurt now and then, don't worry so much about me, I'll be fine." Orla said smiling up at a man she considered to be family.
"Your serious aren't you Orla? You'd cancel the wedding and break up with me if I go to press with this story."
"Yes, I am, Colin. Jon here is the big-brother I never had and I can't stand by and watch him get hurt again. So you have to decide which is more important to you, this story or me?"
There was a moment or two of uncomfortable silence, which was finally broken by Colin when he said, "Well, there goes the fancy wedding I was just contemplating," the young man declared with obvious regret. "In just one second I go from living in a five bedroom house in the country to sharing a small flat over a wizard chess shop with my girlfriend. Blimey the things we blokes give up for love. Oh well, cuddling with you at night Luv, will be allot more fun than a Pulitzer Prize anyway…so count me in."
"I know I was kidding the other day…but do I understand you correctly? You actually 'did' ask Orla to marry you, on the salary you make? Merlin on a bike, the two of you will starve to death."
"Yes Jon, he asked me last night and I told him that I couldn't answer him until he got the blessing of my next of kin."
"Colin, may I ask, what exactly Orla's aunt said to you when you asked for her niece's hand in marriage?"
"Not Aunt Margaret, silly. I refuse to get married without 'your' blessing and 'your' agreement to walk me down the isle."
"Me?"
"Yes you, my big-brother by choice, well how about it? Colin is willing to give up fame and fortune to marry me; does that make him worthy of your blessing?"
"Yes it does, and if it's a fancy wedding you want, as acting father of the bride, then its a fancy wedding you will get, …on me."
"Jon, you wouldn't"
"Why not? It isn't every day my little sister by choice gets married."
"Hey, what am I…chopped liver?" Ginny asked.
"You're the sister of my youth and blood of my blood, and I would do the same for you in a heart-beat. But honestly, I really don't remember all that much about you except that you have a favorite hex that the whole family was afraid of," Jon said with humor in his tone.
"Well, brother dear, I may take you up on that offer one day, especially as Mum and Dad have disowned me for being with Harry. Anyroad, if being afraid of my Bat-Bogey Hex is all you remember about me, then you have remembered the important stuff," Ginny responded.
"Jon, I am dying of curiosity, when did you get your memory back and how?" Orla asked all of a sudden.
"When was Tuesday night, and as for the how, well you can thank your fiancée for that one. After all, Colin was the one who suggested that I look in on the Veterans Museum on my way home." Jon replied with a sad chuckle.
"Details, I want details," Colin demanded and then seeing the expressions on his friend's faces he explained himself. "I can't tell anyone but I would like to know to satisfy my own curiosity, if nothing else. By the way sweetheart, you didn't seem to be at all surprised at the revelation of Jon's secret may I ask why not?"
"That's because I have known who he was for weeks and weeks now." Orla said proudly grinning from ear to ear. "You did, when…how…why didn't you tell me?" Colin asked crestfallen.
"Because, darling, I knew who he really was, but he didn't. Don't you remember, you stormed in here on Monday morning with your picture and we chatted about Ronald Weasley all afternoon and on to dinner, telling tales of the things we remembered about Gryffindor's finest Goal Keeper in twenty years. During all that time there wasn't a single spark of recognition on Jon's part, nothing clicked to unlock the man buried inside him. Jonathan spoke of Ron as if he was a different person entirely, so I knew he didn't remember anything from his past."
"Orla, may I ask how you knew?" Jon asked with an uncharacteristic shyness.
"Remember the last time I walked in on you when you had your hood down? You were trying out the Muggle makeup and wig for the first time. Although you had the fake eyebrows all wrong, I still knew who you were in one go, of course the long shoulder length red hair on that wig was a dead give-away." Orla said beaming with delight.
"But that doesn't explain how you knew that I was Ron Weasley. There are no pictures of him in the 'Golden Trio' you told me so yourself Orla and no one took much notice of Ron at school. He was always in Harry's shadow all the time…virtually invisible!" Jon stated, clearly confused enough, to speak about Ron as if he was someone other than himself.
"You underestimate how many of us saw you for the person you were. As far as many of us were concerned, the golden trio wouldn't have existed at all with some other than you." Orla said her expression turning serious. "I had a long talk with Luna Lovegood over lunch a few years back during an informal Ravenclaw get together. Did you know she fancied you, as Ron that is?"
"No, I don't think I was aware of it."
"Of course not, you were too busy following Miss 'Know-It-All' around like a lost puppy," Colin said sarcastically. "That Girl wouldn't have been on speaking terms with anyone with Gryffindor had it not been for you. It wasn't Harry who took the time to mend fences within everyone because of the 'I know better than you' attitude that even now she still has. Harry also never defended her when Malfoy called her the 'M' word.
And how did she repay you for defending her honor? She constantly took you for granted and treated you like dirt. Honestly, Jonathan, most of us within Gryffindor could never quite figure-out what you saw in that self absorbed…witch." Colin said getting his feeling off his chest.
"Colin, behave yourself" Orla said as an order to her boyfriend who instantly became quite, the young man not realizing that he too was attracted to a strong-willed female and by his actions he was unknowingly answering his own question.
"Anyway, what was I saying, oh yes…Luna fancied you at school. Well to tell the truth, Jon, Luna wasn't the only one, allot of girls at Hogwarts did. But most of them also knew, that you were marked territory, by Granger, of course. Those who failed to get that message and tried to flirt with you, Granger put down…hard. After making an example of one or two of them, the others didn't infringe on her property."
"Hermione hexed a romantic rival, and I missed it, dang!" Ginny said clearly disappointed.
"Were you always this blood-thirsty, Ginny? I don't remember," Jon asked his sister.
"You bet I was, I grew up with six brothers, where only the strong survived." Ginny shot back with an evil grin on her face. "Pranks galore were flying everywhere, big brother, at home and at school. You've got to remember Ron, that you're related to the best Hogwarts pranksters since the Marauders, Gred and Forge, owners and operators of Weasley Wizarding Wheezes."
"I'm related to them, why didn't you tell me?"
"Just did, and you would have remembered in time. You're recalling a little bit more each day."
"Marvelous," Jon quipped.
"No Ron, what you mean to say is, Bloody-hell."
"I do?"
"Yes it was one of your favorite sayings"
"It was?"
"Absobloodylutely"
"Can I finish my story now?" Orla asked stomping her foot in annoyance at all the interruptions.
"Yes…we're sorry." Ginny smirked, but not meaning a word of it.
"Anyway as I was saying, I was talking to Luna and she said something I'll never forget. 'The trio' she said 'was made up of three people and three parts; the brain which was Hermione, the guts or courage which was Harry, and finally the heart, which was Ron'. What she meant, I think, is that you lived by feelings whereas Granger lived by intellect. By combining your three separate strengths, the trio made an unbeatable team.
Harry was, according to Luna, more emotionally balanced than you or Hermione and therefore when forced, could always stand alone. You and Granger on the other hand, in Luna's opinion couldn't. Granger's weakness was in her unshakable belief that all answers to life's questions could be found in books. She was admittedly brilliant in that area and when giving advice to others, but downright lousy when dealing with her own feelings.
According to Luna, you…are the type who will always need someone to love and care for, because you're outgoing and people orientated and that's the basic cornerstone of your nature. Neither Potter nor Granger realized how much of a subtle diplomat you were. Luna bent my ear for an hour telling me tales of how many times you smoothed things over after Harry had a bad mood swing or Granger had a hissy-fit over someone bending a rule.
I know first hand how kind-hearted you are having benefited from it for three years now and I thank Merlin every night that you were there for me when I got out of Hogwarts. Luna told me that a lot of girls at Hogwarts knew about your loving, good-natured, easy-going characteristics and would have gone after you, had not Granger guarded you better than the Crown-Jewels in the Tower of London.
By the time you were free of the arrogant Know-It-All, it was too late in the school year for any of the Hogwarts girls to try to take Grangers place. Luna herself, told me that she was going to make her play for you right from the start of your seventh year, but…well…then the battle happened and everyone thought you'd up and died.
So you see Jon, you were noticed in your own right, take me for example, I was what three or four years behind the Golden trio in school and yet eight years later I recognized you as Ron Weasley the second I saw you in that red wig."
"I don't know what to say Orla. I am flattered beyond words to express how I'm feeling," Ron said truly humbled.
"Ron, seeing as you're in a generous mood, how about sharing some of it with me?" Ginny asked humbly.
"Ginny, I love you, and if you want me to pay for your wedding, I will. Concerning my blessing for your 'extramarital relationship' with Harry you have it too. But give me some time before asking me to forgive him for what he did to me. You had five years to forgive and forget, give me a few months at least to sort things out in my mind."
"And Hermione?" Ginny asked in barely a whisper.
"About her, I make no promises. Harry had the excuse of protecting you at the cost of our friendship; Hermione chose to sacrifice me and my love so that she could protect a friend's girlfriend. You came ahead of me in importance with her, Ginny, that's a lot to forgive."
"But she did it to protect me…your sister!" Ginny protested.
"And if I had asked you to set aside your relationship with Harry to protect 'Percy'…your brother. To lie and cheat on your beloved Harry…your reply would be?"
"That's not fair; it's not the same thing," Ginny said sadly.
"Isn't, Ginny, are you sure about that?"
"Never mind that now, my point is that only you can help her now?"
"And how do you figure that, she thinks I am dead."
"You have the key to her sanity, you have her dragon ring."
"IT'S MY RING DAMNIT, NOT THE STUPID FRIENDSHIP RING THE DISPLAY CASE SAID IT WAS, HARRY HAD NO RIGHT…" Ron screamed enraged.
"…Yes, I know," Ginny said calmly interrupting him. He should never have taken it, but he didn't know until a week ago Wednesday that you had bought it as an engagement ring for Hermione."
"Don't try selling me the cock-n-bull story Harry has been feeding you Ginny, I am not buying it. The important thing is that according to the display case, Hermione believes the dragon ring to be just a lousy friendship ring, which the class clown of the trio never got around to giving to her. Considering what you and I caught her and Harry doing, she can't think it to be anything else. It certainly can't be the cornerstone to her sanity."
"But it is Ron, my flat-mate Hannah owled me this morning and told me the real reason she is in Hospital. She was a in the same year as you at Hogwarts, Ron and finished her Healer training one years ahead of me. She just started doing her residency as a fully licensed Healer in the Janus Thickey ward where they keep Gilderoy Lockhart and the Longbottom's. Hannah says in her owl-post letter that they have Hermione just down the hall from her ward in private room number 11, on the north side of the fourth floor.
According to Hannah, Hermione isn't behaving rationally; she keeps repeating the same things over and over while staring off into space. Muggles call what Hermione is having a complete mental break-down. That's why I came here, to tell you what Hannah wrote me. Hermione keeps repeating.
"My engagement ring is gone, he was going to ask me to be his wife and now I have lost his ring."
Ron, she does realize it was meant as an engagement ring, Hannah told me in her letter of this morning that Harry sent Dobby back to his Godric's Hollow mansion to get Hermione's engagement and wedding ring set from her jewelry box, because she didn't have them on when she was admitted.
When he showed Hermione that they weren't gone, she just pushed them away and kept right on mumbling about her lost ring. Hannah saw this with her own eyes Ron. It's the dragon ring she's talking about, the one you 'recovered' Tuesday night."
"How could she have know I meant it to be her engagement ring, no one knew what I planed to do with that ring except Mum, Dad and…you!"
"Yes, Ron, I was the one who told her, she pissed me off during a Healer's meeting at St. Mungos and I told her the truth about the ring…four weeks ago." Ginny said softly in an apologetic tone.
"You did what! For Merlin's sake…why?"
To be continued, so please review.
I though that it is only fair to warn you readers that this story is major big-time jinxed. Any negative comments concerning my abuses of the Kings English will bring on seven years of being stuck reading Vincent Crabbe — Millicent Bulstode ships…'exclusively' for two solid years, followed by seven years of stories concerning the day to day details of the caring for their spawn…I mean offspring (slide-show included)…and that is so wrong on so many levels…yuck… I mean some things just shouldn't breed.
(This pathetic attempt a humor was brought to you by…Billybob)
Yeah that'll teach ya, behave or I'll tell another joke.