Pale in the Shadows

Part I Magick in the Air – Growing Pains Chapter 8

About: Bitterness can poison people. Feeling inadequate can lead to a self-destructive cycle. Quarreling parents can make people uncertain and even hateful.

Note: Thank you for the reviews, likes, etc. I appreciate it. I hope you're still enjoying this story as much as I'm enjoying writing it, and I'm sorry if I disappoint. Again, this is a shorter chapter than I expected, but here comes the end of Part I and onto Part II.


He held the thick yellowed letter, staring blankly at the wall. It had come sometime before noon just after his mother had left for the store. Some part of him was elated he realized; however, he couldn't bring himself to be excited. His excitement came from the realization that he really wasn't a squib, but actually wizard enough to attend Hogwarts just as his family had for centuries. Ron sighed heavily, clenching his eyes. In the end it really wasn't anything special. He still wasn't remotely as magical as his brothers and sister, nor was he as smart. Charlie was thriving as a dragon breeder in Romania, helping to protect them from poachers and protect muggles from inevitably becoming dinner. Bill had quickly found himself in charge of a branch of Gringotts in Prague and worked diligently as a curse breaker. Percy, too, had received a letter that day from the school deeming him the Gryffindor House Prefect, and even though Fred and George were frequently in trouble, they too had received accommodations from their instructors for inventiveness.

'Even Ginny is special,' he muttered feeling his eyes tear.

As an earth witch, Molly had trained for years to focus her magick into a single element. She had bound it into the earth, which was part of the reason the gnomes and faeries were attracted to their house. It was traditional magick that was dying out as more witches and wizards sought more diversified paths. She had taken to tutoring Ginny, though Ron knew part of it had to do with Ginny being the only girl. All he wanted was be recognized for something, but it was more like he wasn't even there. He had tried to learn spells by going through the old spell books, but none of them worked or turned out how they should. Ron just wasn't as clever or magically talented as the others.

There was a soft knock at the door. 'Ron?'

Surprised, Ron wiped at his eyes. 'Dad?' He got up and opened the door to his father, allowing him in. Arthur took a seat on his bed, patting the comforter. 'What are you doing home?'

'I took some time off for a bit,' he said as Ron took the seat beside his father. Ron could see the smile on his father was forced. 'What are you doing up here by yourself? Surely you got your letter today.'

Ron nodded, jerking his head at the parchment on his bed. 'Who would I tell? Ginny? She's busy doing her own thing and Mum's at work.'

'I would be very surprised if your sister wasn't happy for you. Both of you get along so well,' Arthur said with a sigh. 'Then again I'm realizing maybe I don't know the way things are as I used to.' Ron was surprised at his father's thoughtful attitude. Smiling, the man patted his son heavily on the knee. 'It's taken me some time to realize this, but, you know, after the Dark War, I was running from facing some things—things about myself and this family. It's time I do, my boy.'

Unsure of what to say, Ron let the silence grow until it was almost unbearable. 'Dad, why did you take those muggle things that time? I mean, you knew it was wrong and stuff, but you still did it anyway.'

'I wish I had a good answer for you. An adult answer. But I really don't,' Arthur mused, not at all surprised at his son's question. 'No, I would have to say it was childish curiosity and some desire to stay out of reality. You see, even though I'm in charge of aiding muggles who are at the ends of jokes or terrible curses, I really don't understand their thinking. I like to take things apart and put them back together, in truth. Find out how things tick and work.' Chuckling, he turned to give Ron a serious look, one with sincere guilt. 'But curiosity killed the cat as they say. I did your brother, Percy, a great wrong with my actions, and from that peculiarity of mine I've done some damage to this family and your mother.

'But, Ron. Did you know that Gryffindor is considered the house of the courageous?' Scratching at his balding reddish hair, the man continued, 'Sometimes we stray for a bit before getting on track.'

'Dad, why are you telling me this?'

Smiling, Arthur stood to leave. 'Ron, you need to be strong with yourself. I know I don't spend much time with you and you often get buried under your brothers and sister, but that doesn't mean you're any less a part of this family. I want you to know that I'm making an effort for the family.' He pointed at the wall that separated Ron's room from his parents'. 'I know you can hear us argue at night. I have noticed on those particular days you don't leave your room until we're both off to work.'

'Thanks, Dad.' Ron had been worried about his parents, but he also knew that once Arthur set his mind on something he would go through with it. As Molly had commented once, that was part of the reason she had married him. He didn't have the heart to tell his father that it wasn't as bad as he thought it was, though. Ron had walked in on his mother crying to herself in the kitchen the morning after one of their particularly loud arguments. Sometimes it took even parents a while to find common ground again.

Lost in thought, Ron was surprised when Arthur said as he shut the bedroom door. 'For a bit you'll hear people say some things about me and my character. You're getting ready for school and whatnot.' He gave his youngest son a sad smile. 'Some of it will be true, and some exaggeration, but I want you to know that no matter what I am your father and I love you.' The door closed giving Ron some awkward things to ponder.


'Ron doesn't really talk to me anymore,' Ginny said with a pout, leaning back against the apple tree, a few of the faeries and gnomes perched around her. 'Cedric is off at school, too, so I don't really have anyone to play with or talk to.' She toyed with the ends of her flaming red hair, which was down to her waist, watching her companions. Two of the faeries were working on making dresses, while a third was whittling a tiny flute. The gnomes on the other hand were weaving baskets out of pine needles.

'Your youngest brother just hasn't found his purpose,' said the gnome Little Rock. She was deftly braiding the needles with strands of grass, the basket coming together quickly. 'We gnomes go through it. We find us a time where we feel less than everyone else. Can't do much for others that others can do better, don't really stand out. We don't have family like you people, but instead a clan. Then one day we wander out and find our path. It's a walk that can take a moment or longer. Then one day we find our path and all this right.'

'You're saying my brother will one day be stronger than he is now?' Ginny asked. She felt hopeful as the gnomes nodded and the faeries agreed. Ron had certainly changed as the problems between their parents escalated. There weren't many words to put to Ron, other than troubled. He wasn't like their other brothers who thrived on independence. It was shame that Ron didn't see it, too; however, it was a bigger shame that their parents didn't pay it any heed.

They're too used to the others, she realized, sighing. But Ron doesn't fit in their neat tidy category and all of this insecurity and unknowing is eating him whole. That was when she realized why Ron was having so many problems. 'Oh, my word,' she said, surprised.

Little Rock stopped what she was doing. 'Revelation?'

'Yeah,' Ginny muttered. 'When Mum was teaching about some earth magick with planting, she told me that we have to help the plant think it's strong or it will believe it's weak. Same with baking and the like, with weak spots in dough or an unsharpened knife for cutting, things inevitably become weak and fall apart. Breaking. Do you think Ron could be making his magick weak?'

Smiling one of the fairies respond, 'Now you understand. He needs to find his purpose so he can be stronger.'

'And he has you to help him,' Little Rock said, continuing her weave as the group relaxed in the afternoon sun.

Ginny let the warm of the sun soak into her, curling her bare toes into the soil. 'I will of course help him because who else will? I'm afraid he's going to bully people away when he gets to Hogwarts without me.' She sincerely hoped that wasn't the case, but sometimes she could tell the way their paths would take and Ron's hardest year would be his first.