Author's Note: Rewritten and significantly longer than before.
Chapter IX - Attempting
Ron stared glumly at the ceiling of his violently orange bedroom. He had spent all day at a meeting with Kingsley, his dad, Percy, Harry and several other high ranking ministry officials. That, however seemed like a pleasant way to spend his day compared to the reason he was so gloomy.
He had known, since some time after the battle, that he would not remain at the Burrow much longer. Now that he was making his own money (and plenty of it, for the shop, as already said, was thriving, not to mention his promised position at the ministry), he was fully prepared to leave home. That left just one problem.
.
Ron doubted that after losing Fred, and he being the only of her children regularly at home, she would be reluctant, to say the least, to let him go. If only he could find a way to break it to her gently. He snorted. Issues such as these could never be broken gently to . He'd be lucky to get away alive.
Unable to find a solution, Ron thought back to when his older brothers had left home. It was all very well for Bill and Charlie, he thought bitterly, they just had to emigrate for work. A perfect excuse, but, alas, one that he could not use. Percy's departure had been a terrible affair, and even under normal circumstances would have seemed a bit drastic. Fred and George had just ditched school. They had been planning it for years though. And they got a right earful from . Coming to the conclusion that none of his elder brothers could help him in his current situation, Ron picked up an old muggle comic Harry had given him and began flicking through the pages.
"Ron! Dinner's ready!" Mrs. Weasley's voice carried up to his attic room. Exhaling deeply, he began to make his was to the kitchen. The smell of French Onion soup found its way to Ron's nose and his stomach rumbled audibly. He hastened his steps and soon he was sitting at the kitchen table, in front of him a large bowl of steaming broth.
"Oh Ron, before I forget, we have to go to Madam Malkin's to get you new dress robes for Bill and Fleur's Hallowe'en party, it's a formal occasion."
Ron cringed visibly.
"Ronald Weasley! Don't you dare give me that look! You are getting new dress robes and that is final!"
Ron thought it unwise, if extremely dangerous, to bring up the topic of him moving out with his mother in such a mood. But he knew he could not put it off much longer.
