A/N: This one's a little shorter than the others but... ILVERMORNY! Any other Pukwudgies out there? So fun to be sorted into *my* country's wizarding school. Not sure what to think about it, but hey... in celebration I made sure I'd have something :) Thank you for all the reviews so far! Loving your reactions!
Ron's Mistake
"Hermione, come with," Ron said.
"It's your family's gathering," Hermione said.
Ron moved in closer. "We're still a family, 'mione. Mum made it clear I was to make sure you knew you were welcome at the Burrow. Harry and Ginny will want to see you. Rose and Hugo will be happy if you come, too."
The children were currently packing up whatever they wanted to take with them. There was one weekend every November the Weasleys got together. The men went out and found the biggest tree they could for Christmas and the women all went shopping or helped Molly get some of her homemade holiday treats prepared. Hermione had always enjoyed being part of the chaos, but she looked around the house, trying to find some excuse to stay behind this time. She hadn't seen the Weasleys since Ron moved out. She had seen Ginny and George in passing, but to be there when everyone knew they were separated felt odd.
"Where are we even going to stay, Ron?" she asked.
The Weasleys had finally gotten rid of the ghoul in the attic and converted it into another bedroom. This way, every couple and adult had their own space while the children would pile into the sitting room in the winter and build tents in the summer months.
"My room," Ron said with a shrug.
"Ron—"
"Alright, if you're not comfortable with that I'll get a room in the village."
"No, it's fine," Hermione said. She took a deep breath. She wanted to go. She really did. And looking at Ron with his eyebrows raised at her made her feel like it would be like any other year. "Alright, then I need to pack."
Hermione turned towards their room and Ron caught her wrist, pulling her in for a moment. He moved his fingers up and into her hair. She closed her eyes, face tilted up as he leaned in and took her lips. As he pulled back, Hermione leaned into his chest, wrapped around his waist. They stood and swayed for several minutes before Hermione pulled away to go get a bag packed.
When they arrived at the Burrow, the house was already full and bustling. Molly stopped mixing cookie dough to hug Rose and Hugo tightly, kissing their cheeks and chatting with them. Hermione's heart pounded until Molly pulled her in as well.
"How are you, love?" Molly asked, her cheeks round and pink from chasing kids and working in the warm kitchen. Hermione already felt better.
"I'm well. How are you?"
"Good, dear. I'm glad you came," Molly said. "And there's my Ronald!"
She turned her attention to Ron. He reached out, taking Hermione's duffle with a wink. Hermione went to sit by Ginny, who was cracking walnuts. Hermione picked up a nut cracker and a handful of nuts to help.
"You two are looking sweet on each other," Ginny said quietly.
Hermione let out a heavy breath, looking over her shoulder as Ron went through the door towards the stairs. Rose and Hugo were already playing with their cousins in the other room.
"Until we actually try and resolve anything," Hermione said. Ginny nodded. "We're taking that slow, but I swear more just gets piled on."
"Like what?" Ginny asked.
Hermione looked around again. No children. "Well, Rose had a couple incidents with a girl at school she isn't getting along with."
Ginny tilted her head. "That doesn't seem like her."
"It's not, normally. But she lets this girl get the better of her and she's used some magic," Hermione explained. "I'm trying to teach her to be accountable for her actions, but Ron… he just undermines me at every turn. Tells her it's not her fault and then we fight over it and… it's a mess, Ginny."
"I see," Ginny said. "But it isn't like Rose is doing magic on purpose. They can't at that age."
"I know," Hermione said. "But that isn't the point. I want my daughter to not let what others think rule her life. She might not be able to completely control her magic, but she can control what she allows to get to her. Besides, what if it gets worse, Ginny? If she weren't at a muggle school it wouldn't matter, but if something happened there that was really terrible the ministry would be dealing with it. No matter what we did, she would bear a good amount with that. I can't let that happen to her."
"That's true," Ginny agreed. "No, you're right about that. Have you talked about moving her? There's an opening in Albus's class."
"I actually told Ron he was right about the school issue, but Rose likes her teacher. She begged us not to move her. At this point, we just have to help her control what she can with that."
"Yeah," Ginny said. They cracked a few more walnuts a piece before Ginny spoke again. "You know, I bet Ron's just trying to keep her from carrying the guilt in the long term. After what he did when we were kids."
Hermione stopped, tilting her head. "What do you mean?"
"He never told you?" Ginny asked. "Well, I guess he probably wouldn't want to talk about it."
"Talk about what?"
Ginny took her own turn looking around, making sure Ron hadn't come back. "There was once when I was about four that Mum made him take me with him to play in the yard. Of course, he was annoyed because he didn't want to watch over me. Honestly, I was probably being an obnoxious tag along as well. George says I used to gloat when Mum would make them take me somewhere. Anyway, we were out in the garden and he got really brassed and pushed me. Next thing I know I'm in the middle of the forest, fifteen feet up in a tree."
"No!" Hermione gasped. Ginny nodded, her lips pressed together.
"I was there all evening and most of the night while they were looking for me," Ginny continued. "Turns out I was in a spot about a quarter mile behind the Lovegood's house. Xenophilius was the one that got me down. His wife, Pandora, held me crying all the way over the hill, back to my family's. She was a very sweet women. We didn't see her much, really, but I've never forgotten her from that."
"I'm guessing Ron got into trouble," Hermione said.
"Not as much as you would think. My parents lectured him, I'm sure, but I think he felt bad enough about it on his own. He let me follow in whatever he was doing for awhile after that. At some point when we were teenagers, I was telling the story at a family dinner. Everyone was laughing. I mean, it had been years. Ron didn't think it was funny. He left to go up to his room and when I went up to tell him to not be so moody about it, I saw him on his bed practically sobbing."
"Ron?" Hermione asked. If something happened to Hugo or Rose she could see him getting worked up. Or anyone in his family. But the Ron she remembered from Hogwarts wouldn't have been that way over something that had happened that long before. Still, Ginny nodded.
"I think he always carried that with him," Ginny said. "I'm guessing he just doesn't want Rose to feel that way."
"Yeah," Hermione said with nothing else that could be added to that revelation.
Fleur came to help, which meant her going on about how they would have done this in France, and soon after Angelina, who was already larger at six months this pregnancy than she was with Fred at full term. One activity moved to another which moved to another. And Hermione continued to think about what Ginny had told her.
Ron, Harry, George, and Bill took the kids all out to build snowmen and play in the snow. Several of them kept trying to tackle Ron and Harry, though the two had wands out, sending each into a built up bank of snow at a steady rate before they could even touch. Hugo fought against it, his feet swinging in the air as he gritted his teeth. All the way into the snow. George was egging on a snowball fight, making his own with magic and blocking the ones coming his way.
"Daddy, I need to talk to you," Rose said, her voice distressed, her eyebrows furrowed.
Ron lowered his wand and squatted down. "What it is, Rosie?" he asked.
He was face-to-face with her when Rose's face lit up with a smile and she pulled her hands from behind her back, squashing a snowball in each hand on either side of Ron's face. She giggled, covering her mouth as Ron grimaced against the cold.
"Why you…"
Ron reached over, throwing Rose over his shoulder easily. She continued to laugh and squeal. Harry was left on his own to continue with the others now closing in on him while Ron moved her over to the pile of fresh, soft snow.
"No, Daddy, no!" she shouted through her laughter. "Daddy!"
"What do you say?" Ron asked, grabbing her by the ankles, swinging her back and forth in front of him. Her curly red hair bounced comically below her.
"I'm going to get you!" Rose shouted.
"Nope, wrong thing," Ron said and swung her, letting go so she fell into the snow screaming.
"That's my sister!" Hugo came up, pounding on the back of Ron's legs.
Ron smiled, giving Hugo a turn. Then came Fred, who Ron handled more gently since he was only three, then James and so on. He collapsed himself into the powder snow when they had exhausted him and ended up with a whole pile of nieces, nephews, and his own children on him until Harry came over, calling them off.
"That's enough, James," Harry said. "Let your uncle breath, why don't you?"
George picked up Fred, holding him while extending a hand to Ron, helping him back up again as Bill distracted all the kids with another game to play.
"Merlin, when did we get so old," Ron asked, holding his back.
"You've still got a long way ahead of you, little Ronnie," George said, bouncing Fred on his hip as Fred laid his head down George's shoulder, obviously getting sleepy. "Best not throw in the towel just yet."
They both sat down on the worn out bench beside the house, Ron stretching out.
"I've been meaning to talk to you," George said.
Ron scoffed. "I live right over your shop," he said. "Did you forget the directions?"
"No," George laughed. "I think I was just waiting for the right time, actually."
"What is it?" Ron asked. It wasn't like George to get this somber. Particularly on a family weekend like this. "Did you need me to move out or something?"
"No, nothing like that," George said. "You've got the place as long as you need it. But I was actually going to see what you might think about a partnership?"
Ron blinked blankly at George. "What kind of partnership?"
"What kind do you think? With the business."
"You can't be serious," Ron said.
"Of course I'm serious. You've been helping on these Weasley Shack Traps—"
"No, I've been picking your brain on what you think the spells might be," Ron corrected him. "You've been the one making things up."
"You figured out that none of the spells can penetrate the ground," George pointed out.
"Yeah, so that the next time one comes up we know we can just do a digging spell," Ron argued.
"Look, you shouldn't piss off someone that wants to hire you," George said. "Angelina and I have been talking about this. She wants to spend more time focused at home."
"And in a few years when your kids are older?" Ron asked.
"She's never really been fully involved. Angelina wants to do her own thing. But you know, I've always wanted another real partner in the shop."
Ron knew he wouldn't bring up Fred in that way directly. At least he wouldn't say that he's felt that way since Fred died. And Ron didn't know how he felt about filling those kinds of shoes as it was. George and Ron got along really well over the past decade or so, but Ron would never be Fred. He would never be the twin that was always George's perfect match.
"I don't know," Ron said.
"Just think about it," George said. "I'll make it worth your while."
"Okay, I will."
Ron fell onto his bed, face planting into the pillow. Hermione laughed beside him. "They've done me in, Hermione," Ron said. "The whole lot of them."
"I bet," Hermione said. She reached an arm over and rubbed Ron's lower back.
He groaned and turned over. "Are you enjoying yourself?"
"I am," Hermione said.
Ron wrapped an arm around her, pulling her closer on the bed that was too small for both of them. He felt her cheek with the tip of his nose as Hermione adjusted herself, stroking her fingernails back and forth across his forearm. She closed her eyes, breathing in and out.
"I think that one book called this extended cuddling," Ron whispered.
A smile graced Hermione's lips. "I think it's only extended if we stay like this for awhile."
"I'm okay with that. I think I like this one."
"Me too," Hermione whispered back.
They stayed like this as the house seemed to settle on the levels below them. One door after another shut. Commands for children to go to sleep faded into silence and Ron took in every minute movement, every breath, every swallow. He loved the feel of her fingers, not because it meant more, but because it seemed to be enough. Just to hold each other. Hermione turned, looking at Ron. She turned in his arms and he tightened around her as Hermione's hand came up to his neck.
"Thank you for talking me into coming," Hermione whispered.
"Of course," Ron said.
"Ginny was telling me about a time you made her disappear," Hermione said. Ron pulled back a little. "When she was about Hugo's age."
Ron took in a breath and held it, wondering of all the things they could have talked about why Ginny would have told her that. He still remembered that day so clearly. Running inside to tell his mum. The way he couldn't get the words out. How Bill and Charlie watched him while his mum called for their dad to come home early from work to search. All of it. Every painful moment. He didn't exactly have the words for it when he was five, but it was the first time in Ron's life that he knew he had been an asshole.
Ron licked his lips and tried to turn away from Hermione, tried to get out. She held onto him, pulling him back.
"It's okay, it's okay," she said frantically. Ron looked Hermione in the eye, worried about what conclusions she may have drawn.
"I thought I had killed her," Ron choked out quietly. "I just… they were looking and all I could think was that my sister would be dead and it would be all my fault and they would take me away to Azkaban."
Hermione's eyes softened as she moved her hand to his cheek, moving her thumb back and forth.
"I get why you approach Rose's use of magic in school the way you do now," Hermione said. Her eyes shifted between his, her hand held him there. Ron sniffed, turning his nose into his sleeve to keep from blowing snot all over Hermione. "You don't want her to carry that with her. You shouldn't carry it with you, either."
Ron licked his lips, looking over. Hermione leaned in and kissed his cheek.
"I'll be more patient with Rose," Hermione promised.
Ron reached for her again. He pulled her in, feeling her shape against his, her fingers curling against his skin as he kissed her. "Thank you," Ron said.
Ron and Hermione had actually had a decent week and half between sessions. Ron had even stayed over one night, rather than going back to his own flat. They had a real conversation on how to help Rose control her temper with Katie. They worked together on it and Ron couldn't have been happier about how the conversations had gone. They were civil and cooperative. When one of them didn't agree with an approach, they would brainstorm together until they had a solution they thought would work well. They hadn't worked on much else, but it gave him hope on how their future looked.
And then he sat alone in Yarbrough's office as the receptionist let him know an owl had just arrived and Mrs. Granger wouldn't be able to make it. Ron sat back in his chair, wondering why she couldn't have told him that before he ran out of a meeting—an important meeting—to make sure to be here on time. If she had even figured it out an hour before they could have cancelled.
"Well, I suppose it's just you and me today, Mr. Weasley," Yarbrough said in a friendly way. He stood and took his notepad, resettling in the chair that had been meant for Hermione.
"You don't need two people for couple's therapy?" Ron asked skeptically.
"There's always that aspect, but there's no reason you and I can't talk, is there?" Yarbrough asked. "Unless you have somewhere to be."
That meeting seemed like one that was going to go on for ages. Ron weighed his options, realizing he had already been excused today for however long he was here. He could spend half the time here and still take a long lunch if he wanted. Before George's offer, Ron might have hurried back to catch whatever he could. But now… now Ron was actually considering it. He found himself daydreaming and making lists of products to add to the shop and run by George. He started thinking of the barrier case the way George thought of it instead of investigating it anymore.
"No, I'm not in a rush," Ron said.
"So tell me how it's been," Yarborough asked, leaning his elbow against the arm of the chair and with his face against his fist.
"Until today? Better, actually," Ron said. "We've been dealing with a couple things and it's gone well."
"What happened today?"
"She didn't show up," Ron said incredulously. For a man who was supposed to be a doctor, he was rather dim. "Just like with everything else lately. I do what I have to so that things can happen when we agree they will and she just holes up at work."
"You think she doesn't try?"
"I think she gets sidetracked," Ron replied. "By good causes, sure, but she gets sidetracked."
"Do you think she sees your marriage as a good cause?"
Ron thought about this for a minute. "Sure," Ron said. "I mean, I hope so."
"You think it's a good cause?"
"Of course," Ron said. "I wouldn't be here if I didn't."
Yarborough nodded and seemed to be considering something. "So it's been better. Have you moved home?"
"Not yet."
"Why not?"
"I don't want to do that until we're sure this won't happen again," Ron replied. "This has been hard on Rose. Hugo, too, but more so on Rose."
"What do you think would make you sure?" Yarborough asked.
Ron shrugged. "Knowing we're on the same page, I guess."
Yarborough nodded and shifted in his chair. His smile stayed casual. Ron was surprised just how easy this man was to talk to.
"I'm curious about your work life, Ron," Yarborough changed topics. "Hermione is very involved. Do you find the same pressure from your own career path?"
"No, not really," Ron replied with a shrug. "I mean, it kind of all just came together. After the war Harry and I were both offered positions and we accepted. It's what I've been doing ever since. It's what I know."
"But you're not concerned with the possibilities of higher posts?"
"No," Ron said with an emphatic shake of his head. "No, this is about it for me at the Ministry."
Ron thought about mentioning George's offer. He had been dying to tell someone. Hermione and him were working through other things, though, and he didn't want to tell Harry unless he was turning in a resignation. But then it didn't seem right to tell a complete stranger before informing either of them first. Or at least giving them some inkling.
"What do you think of your job in conjunction to Hermione's?"
Ron let out a long breath, scratching the back of his head. "Well, I don't make as much money as she does."
"Does Hermione bring that up?"
"No," Ron said. In fact she had only mentioned his job one time. The one time that shot an arrow through his gut. "Not really."
"So you both make a decent salary—"
"Yeah, we do alright."
"—yet you're opposed to hired help."
"Not hired help, exactly," Ron said, feeling himself stiffen at the sense that this man might start in on how he should agree with Hermione. That he should give in. "Just a nanny."
"Why is that?"
"They'll be gone in seven years," Ron said. "Rose in five. They'll be gone most of each year. I want us to make the most with them."
"So they're at school most of the day now," Yarborough pointed out.
"See, but I can tell what would happen," Ron said, going down a path he wouldn't dare with Hermione. "We hire someone and it becomes an excuse to stay later and later. No matter what the initial intentions are, soon enough we could be those parents."
"What parents?"
"The parents who only see their children for an hour each night. The kind that don't read to them or play with them. I don't want that," Ron said.
"Were your parents 'those parents'?"
"Merlin, no," Ron said. "My mum raised us all. My dad… my dad would work full days—sometimes overtime—and still would come home and have time for us. They didn't have a pot to piss in at times, but there were seven of us kids and we never went without. That included not going without our parents' time."
It was something Ron could only fully appreciate once he was a parent himself. He never intended on having more children than he could reasonably support financially so they didn't feel like everything they had was second hand, but he gained new insight into the sacrifices and effort that had been made for him.
"You sound like you want to be that now," Yarborough observed.
"I can't think of anything better to be," Ron said proudly.
"Perhaps that's why your salaries seem to matter for you," Yarborough said. "Logistically, either of you could financially support your family. And being an Auror is not a job for layabouts. People work for years to achieve that position, some unable to qualify in the end."
"Yeah, well, when you're enforcing the laws your wife creates, no one thinks much about you," Ron said.
Yarborough gave a humoring grin.
"What about your family?" Yarborough asked. "You seem to have a great deal of admiration for your parents. What do they think of this whole separation situation?"
"They don't get it," Ron said. "I mean, they aren't the only ones that assumed I had done something wrong. Most people assume when a man has moved out it must mean he's cheating or that he's abandoning his family or whatever. They came around to wanting to help when they realized that's not what this all was. But no one in my family seems to have these kinds of problems. Just me."
Yarborough stood suddenly, walking to his desk, shuffling through drawers. He flicked his wand and a quill dipped itself in ink and started to write on a notepad on his desk.
"I'm going to give you an address," Yarborough said. He was practically bubbling with excitement. "There is a men's support group that meets weekly on Thursdays at 6:30. It's lead by a former client of mine. They gather, talk about their experiences, what's worked for them… I think it could help you."
"No offense, but that sounds kind of girly."
Yarborough simply smiled. "Well, think on it. If nothing else you can go see that there are lots of other people going through the same thing as you."
Yarborough held out the slip of paper to Ron. He looked at it, then reached out, taking it.
