Just let me say that I am so, so sorry about this. This story never has been and never will be abandoned. I was diagnosed with a very serious illness two years ago and that, as you can imagine, took priority in my life. But I'm back now and fully intend to finish this story, so please hang on and stick by me! As always, reviews are much appreciated and I will try to answer them!

Molly Weasley's life had not been without pain. She and Arthur had a good, strong, loving marriage and a wonderful family to be sure, but the past two wizarding wars had taken their toll, not only on her, but also on her family.

In the first war, she'd lost her brothers Gideon and Fabian Prewett. And the second…well, it still brought tears to her eyes to think of Fred. And she'd very nearly lost Percy too. For a brief moment, before the final battle began, her family had been together once again. She was thankful that, given what had happened later, they'd had that last moment together as a family, no matter how brief it had been.

In the nineteen years since the end of the war, however, she'd learned to enjoy peace again. Having lived through one war and a tense time of peace and then another war…peace had almost been a shock. It had been hard to realize that the He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named was gone, for good this time and peace was here to stay. But they'd eventually adjusted and she'd learned to find joy in her remaining children and the grandchildren that had followed shortly after.

In short, life had been peaceful, happy and calm.

So when Ron popped out of the Floo, crying and swearing, with tears running down his face, it took Molly a minute to react, with her first thoughts going to Hermione and Rose. Had something happened?

"Ron! What's wrong?" Arthur asked, standing up from his chair in front of the fireplace where he'd been reading The Daily Prophet and Molly had been knitting, trying to get an early start on Christmas sweaters. There were so many more to make these days.

"Ron, whatever is the matter? Here sit, sit down and tell us what's wrong." Molly said, moving her knitting from beside her on the couch to the basket at her feet. Ron collapsed beside her, his elbows propped on his knees, his head buried in his knees. His shoulders shook with sobs as Molly rubbed her hand over his back, a slight hysteria growing in her throat.

"Ronald. Answer your mother. Has something happened to Hermione or Rose?" Molly demanded and finally Ron shook his head.

"N-n-no," He croaked out. "Wh-Where's Hugo?"

His voice broke on his son's name and it took all Ron had to keep from bursting into tears once again…not his son. Snape's son. How in the hell could Hermione do this to him?

"He's out in the garden playing with the gnomes," Molly answered. "For heaven's sake Ron, what is wrong?"

Arthur sank back into his armchair and looked at Ron. "Come on son. You can tell us."

Ron took a deep shuddering breath before raising his head from his hands. How could he tell his parents this, how could he expect them to deal with it when he couldn't even deal with it?

He blew out a deep breath and pressed both fists against his eyes before beginning his story.

"I came home tonight and Hermione said that she needed to talk to me," he said. "I thought maybe something had happened to Rose or Hugo..but then she tells me…," he took a deep breath. "She tells me that Hugo's not my son."

"What?" Molly and Arthur exclaimed simultaneously.

Ron nodded his head miserably. "She said that she had an affair and that man is Hugo's father, not me."

"Well..well!" Molly sputtered, unable to turn her thoughts into words. "Did she tell you who this man is?"

Ron's eyes brimmed with tears as he nodded.

"Who is it, son?" Arthur asked quietly.

"It's Snape. Severus Snape, a murdering Death Eather, is Hugo's father."

Molly's eyes widened and she pressed a hand to her chest, unable to believe what she had just heard.

Arthur stared at Ron and then bowed his head.

"Ron, that can't be true! Did you have a fight? She must be mad at you, what have you done now? Severus can't be Hugo's father! You're his father!" Molly cried.

Ron looked up at his mother in disbelief.

"What did I do? I come here and tell you that my wife had an affair and you asked me what I did? I didn't do anything, Mum! We didn't have a fight, she isn't mad, I just came home this afternoon and she sprang this on me!" He exclaimed.

Molly shook her head unable to believe what she was hearing, while Arthur thought back over Hugo's childhood, searching for any sign that he wasn't Ron's son.

There was the matter of his looks of course, dark haired and dark eyed. But Hermione was dark haired with brown eyes…and hadn't they always attributed Hugo's looks to her side of the family? Surely different looks didn't mean infidelity. He thought of Hugo's personality, the happy little boy that was currently playing in the garden, how he bounded into rooms and always had a smiled on his face. There was nothing of Severus Snape there. But, Arthur, reasoned, he'd only known Snape in times of war, after he'd joined the Death Eeaters, after Lily Potter died, after he became a double agent…he'd never known Severus as a child..and who knew what he would have been like if given the chance to be happy? And then there was Hugo's love for learning and books, how he preferred reading to play Quidditch. Arthur loved his son, but school had never been on Ron's list of favorites.

It was, Arthur decided, quite possible that Severus was Hugo's biological father.

"Ron, listen, why don't you go on up to bed and we'll discuss this later? We musn't let Hugo see you upset like this," Molly said, tugging Ron off the couch and pushing him in the direction of the stairs that led to his old bedroom.

And even though it was early evening, Ron let himself up tugged and pushed towards the stairs, knowing even as he climbed them that there would be no sleep for him. That he would lie awake all night wondering why this had happened to him.

After Ron had disappeared up the stairs, Molly turned frightened eyes to her husband.

"Arthur. What happens now?" She asked, as her husband wrapped an arm around her and pulled her close.

But for once in his life, Arthur could find no words to comfort his wife.

Next chapter will be up within the week!