Hello Everyone, it's me again. I just wanted to take a moment to say sorry for taking so long once again. I've had so much to do with the school term coming to an end and I just haven't had the time to work on this like I would have liked. But I only have one more week and the term is over and I head home so hopefully long waits won't happen again. As always I wanted to thank everyone who reviewed, your insight is invaluable, so thank you. I really hope you enjoy this chapter. I know nothing about law so I'm a little apprehensive, so let me know, yeah? Alright. That's enough of me wasting your time. I hope you enjoy it. Happy Reading, Noterwomann

Chapter Eighteen: The Blythe Baby

Hermione felt a gentle tap on her shoulder. Leaning back in her seat as far as she could she felt Harry bend forward to meet her ear. "How do you think its going?" He asked for the third time that morning.

Hermione did her best not to show her annoyance when she whispered back, "It's hard to say." She glanced at the older Official sitting half hidden behind his bench. "Ceemist is a hard man to read."

Harry, who was offered a better advantage of the man due to the raised bench he was sitting on, sat back in his seat, arms crossed and stared at the old man. As soon as they had learned who would be presiding over Blake's custody hearing Harry had pulled every file he could find on the man. From the information that he had gathered Triaquin Ceemist was a fair and just man, and best of all decidedly anti-Death Eater and anything that had to do with the dark arts, which of course bode well for them. To help add to Harry's feeling of well being, the man bore not a single controversial ruling to his name. So, despite his continued pestering, Harry was quite confident that Ron could not lose.

"Would you please tell Official Ceemist," The sound of Paxman's overbearing voice drew Harry's attention back to the hearing, "how long you've known, I'm sorry, knew Timothy and Vyvica Blythe?"

Sitting in the wooden chair, hands and feet bound in shackles was Malacar Amadeus. Harry didn't like him on sight. He had a mean sort of look about him, like he enjoyed attacking people just because he could.

"Well," Amadeus shifted in his seat. "Timothy's mum and mine were always real close. I suppose you could say we've known each other since the cradle. He asked me be best man at his wedding."

"So you two were close?"

"You could say that."

"Tell me, when did Timothy and Vyvica ask you to be godfather to their child?"

"First thing they did when they found out. They'd been trying for years to have an heir. Someone to carry on their legacy, you know. Uphold the family honor and the like."

"And they asked you to do watch out for her. To take care of her, to teach her if something were to happen to them?"

"Didn't I just tell you they did?"

"A yes or no answer please, Mr Amadeus."

"Yes."

Paxman nodded. "Why do you think they asked you? Besides the obvious lifelong friendship?"

"What you have to understand," Amadeus tried to shift into a more comfortable position but the shackles held him, "Timothy and Vyv were of a certain, shall we say, social standing. They would have wanted their daughter reared to uphold that tradition and to eventually take her place amongst her peers."

"And you don't think this is a task that Mr Weasley is capable of upholding?"

"No, I do not."

"Why is that?"

"Because," Amadeus turned and sneered at Ron. "Not only is Mr Weasley not of the same social standing as the Blythes, he does not share their same political views. He would undoubtedly ruin any chance she had of functioning as a high standing member of society, which would in turn prove impossible for her to make an acceptable marriage."

"An acceptable marriage?"

"Tim and Vyv would have arranged her marriage. They would have wanted her to uphold her noble bloodline."

"Thank you. I have no more questions."

"Ms Granger?"

Hermione remained sitting, her eyes focused on Paxman. "What's the matter?" She heard Harry whisper.

"I thought Paxman would have questioned him longer." She whispered back.

"What do you think it means?"

"I have no idea."

"Ms Granger," she snapped back to attention when Ceemist called her name. "Your witness."

"Yes, right." She rose to her feet as Paxman took his seat, a smug look etched on his face. "Mr Amadeus," she stepped around the side of her table, "Can you please tell me where your current residences is?"

Amadeus narrowed his eyes at Hermione. "Azkaban Prison."

"An unusual choice in location to raise a child, don't you think?"

"Ms Granger, you must realize that I wouldn't be raising the child there?"

"Where would you be raising her then?"

"I wouldn't be."

"You wouldn't be?" Hermione's eyes narrowed. "Then who will be raising Blake?"

"Objection. Your Honor, I thought we'd already covered this. Until a decision has been made over her custody…"

"Yes, yes Mr Paxman, I quite remember. Ms Granger," Ceemist sighed heavily. "Please refer to the child in question as the Blythe Baby so we can continue without anymore unnecessary interruptions."

"I'm sorry your honor. Mr Amadeus," she turned back to the Death Eater, "Who will be raising the Blythe Baby while you are carrying out your sentence?"

"My sister, Melantha and her husband Carbonell Javed."

"Melantha and Carbonell Javed?"

"Yes."

"The same Melantha and Carbonell Javed who are currently being investigated by the Ministry for Death Eater activity?"

Amadeus glared at Hermione. "Yes."

"And when they're convicted?"

"Objection!" Paxman was on his feet again, "If the Ministry had any concrete proof that Melantha and Carbonell Javed ever participated in Death Eater activity they would have been charged already. As such, the investigation against them should have no bearing in this case."

"Your honor, if custody is granted to the Javeds and if the charges are carried though, which I am told should happen in a matter of days, and they are convicted, Bla- the Blythe Baby, will be in the same predicament she is in now. I am merely asking if that should happen who would be taking over the care of the child?"

Ceemist nodded. "It seems a fair question. Mr Amadeus, please answer."

The look Malacar Amadeus threw at Hermione was one of pure loathing. "I suppose then my mother would raise her."

"And how old is your mother?"

"Seventy-eight."

"And her health?" Hermione took a step forward when he didn't answer. "How is her health, Mr Amadeus?"

"Not good."

"That's a bit of an understatement, isn't it? In fact, isn't your mother in such power health that a private Medi-Wizared had to be hired to care for her?"

"Yes."

"She isn't expected to live much longer, is she Mr Amadeus?"

"She could make a recovery."

"According to the files I've obtained from St Mungos, she's been given anywhere from three weeks to four months. She's bed ridden and heavily potioned. How is a woman this sick meant to care for a child under the age of one?"

"Someone will be hired to mind her."

Hermione spun on him, her eyes wide with surprise. "Are you saying you're going to hire someone to raise the little girl if you gain custody."

"Yes." He turned up his chin. "Yes I am."

"You're going to let a complete stranger live in your house, I'm assuming, and pay them to raise your best friend's child?'

"If that's what it takes."

"It doesn't seem a very healthy situation for a child to grow up in. What happens if this care giver decides they no longer wish to work for your family? Who's going to watch the baby while someone new is hired?"

"I don't know."

"You don't know. I also suspect you don't really care who raises her, do you Amadeus? That's not what this is about, is it?"

"I don't know what you're talking about."

"The Blythes never asked you to be their child's godfather did they?"

"Of course they did."

"No," Hermione said firmly, "they didn't. Do you know why they didn't, Mr Amadeus?"

"I tell you they…"

"Haven't talked to you in nearly three years. Isn't that right?"

"I…"

"You didn't like Vyvica Watter Blythe, did you?" Amadeus pinched his mouth tight and turned away from her. "Timothy Blythe asked you to be his best man at their wedding, but you turned him down. Got into a big fight over it. It came to punches according to witness reports. You two had to be torn off each other, didn't you?" Hermione was standing right in front of him now, staring him down with a fire in her eyes that matched the loathing in his. "I have people willing to testify to the fact. You were so angry with him, you hated them so much, you wouldn't have talked to him again if you hadn't found yourself in a bit of trouble, would you? He helped you flee the country out of a sense of duty, because of your past, not because of any friendship you hold still. He never asked you to be Blake's godfather did he?"

"Objection!"

"Fine! Timothy Blythe never asked you to be the baby's godfather, did he? The only reason you're pursuing this is because you discovered that the man who tracked you down and caught you, who brought you back to England to face trial and thus got you sentence to life in Azkaban, was planning on adopting that baby. You wanted to punish him for what he did to you? Isn't that right?"

"So what if I did?"

"Objection!"

"It doesn't change what they would have wanted."

"But that's what this is all about, isn't it?" Hermione persisted, ignoring Paxman's shout of outrage. "You care more about punishing him then what is right for that little girl."

"Ms Granger," Hermione's eyes snapped to where Ceemist was sitting, no longer passive but at attention, sitting forward, starring down at her through slightly narrowed eyes. "That's enough."

Hermione stared at him a moment longer before nodding and taking a step back. "No further questions."

"Mr Paxman, care to redirect?"

"No your Honor."

"Then you're free to take your seat, Mr Amadeus."

When Hermione sat down there was almost an immediate tap on her shoulder. She leaned back.

"That was amazing." She could hear the pride in her friend's voice. "Did you see him squirm?"

Hermione tried her best not to smirk. "As a matter of fact I did. I had a front row view."

Harry snickered as he squeezed her shoulder encouragingly. "You're doing great."

"It's only the first day."

"Still,"

Another bench groaned behind them as Parker leaned forward and braced his arm on the low wall that separated the gallery from the rest of the court room. "When does Ron testify?"

Hermione looked over at the silent redhead. "If things go my way I'll call him last. I would rather his testimony be the last thing the Official hears." And with that she sat forward in her seat and redirected her attention to the next witness.

Three days later Hermione and Paxman were still battling it out. It was a clash of words, each side tearing into the other leaving their opponents feeling raw and bloody. Ron was reacting particularly bad. Every accusation and attack of character Paxman threw in his direction seemed to cut him deep and Hermione no longer trusted her decision to wait so long to call him to the stand. The man now sitting in the witness chair looked like he had never been in a courtroom before let alone testified at the hearing of countless numbers of Death Eaters. He looked like he was going to crack at any moment.

Hermione, who was still sitting at her table, didn't look like she was faring much better. Taking a sip of water, she set down her glass, smoothed her official robes, and rose to her feet. Ron looked up at her sudden movement and she tried to flash him an encouraging smile but he didn't seem to notice.

"Would you please state your full name?"

The blood was pounding deafeningly loud in his ears and so it took him a moment to realize she had asked him a question "Er," He swallowed and forced himself to look up at her. Their eyes caught and his nerves began to calm. "Captain Ronald Bilius Weasley." He finally said.

"Occupation?"

"I'm an Auror. For the Ministry."

"And your full title?"

"Well, I'm Captain Ronald Bilius Weasley, Alpha Squad."

"Would you mind explaining what that means?"

"The Auror department is divided into five different teams. Alpha, Beta, Gamma, Delta and Epsilon. The members of each team are decided by ability. The higher the skill or the ability of an Auror determines which squad they join. Cases are then divided between the five teams based on danger, importance, risk, and many other factors. The Epsilon team will handle minor cases, the Alpha team top priority."

"And you're Captain to the Alpha Squad?"

"Yes."

"That's quite an honor."

"So I've been told."

"How long have you been an Auror?"

"I guess I joined up almost six years ago now."

"And how long have you been Captain of the Alphas?"

"A little over two and a half years."

"And since that time how many Death Eaters have you brought to justice?"

Ron's brow scrunched in thought. "I have no idea. Haven't exactly kept a tally, have I?"

"Would you be shocked to learn that records indicate you've brought in over four times as many Death Eaters in as much time as your predecessor?"

For a moment he stared at her, clearly not sure how to answer. "Yes."

"So the Ministry trusts you?"

Ron's lips twitched in the barest hint of a smile. "I would say so. Yes."

"How did you come to have the Blythe Baby in your care?"

"How exactly do you mean?"

"Just start at the beginning."

"Alright," he folded his fingers painfully together. "My team was put in charge of the Blythe case sixteen months ago. We had reason to believe that they were guilty of Death Eater activity. We immediately set out to get one of our Aurors infiltrated into their house to gather evidence. We lost," he swallowed, "we lost some of our best to this case. It wasn't until I sent Felix Blume in that we got anywhere. He was able to successfully collect and pass enough information to put both Timothy Blythe, his wife Vyvica, and several of their closest friends and colleagues in Azkaban. However, as invaluable as he was to the investigation, Blume failed to pass on the information that the Blythes had recently started a family. He assumed it was something we already knew, and it was something we never thought to ask. My team was forced to move in on the Blythes when Blume failed to meet me for one of our debriefings. By the time we arrived at Blythe Manor it was to find they had taken Blume hostage. When we attempted to bring them in they fought back and that resulted, unfortunately, in both of their deaths. With no known living relatives the decision was made for Blake to…"

"Objection," Paxman was on his feet. "Your Honor please remind Mr Weasley…"

"Captain." Ron barked over the other man's voice.

"My apologies. Please remind Captain Weasley that he had no legal right to name that baby, and as such…"

"Yes, yes." Ceemist raised his hand. "I know, I know. Captain Weasley, please restrain yourself."

Ron took a breath as he flexed and unflexed his figners. "As I was saying, with no known living relatives to place her with, the decision was made to place the Blythe Baby with me until other accommodations could be made for her. We made every effort to locate a surviving member of her family, but none could be found."

"And when did you make the decision to adopt her?"

"I don't know if there really was a moment when I decided. It was more a slow realization that I wasn't giving her up unless I had too. Which is why I pushed my team to find anyone who might have any possible claim to her, which included potential godparents. We found none."

"Now tell me, why did you decide to adopt the her?"

"Because," Ron looked beseechingly at the judge. "I love her. I couldn't love her more if had fathered her myself. She saved me."

"How so?"

Ron swallowed audibly. He turned his face away from Hermione, focusing solely on his hands. "I was hurt very bad by someone I cared a great deal about. I shut myself off from people in hopes that I would never be hurt again. She changed that. I'm willing to take that risk again, and it's because of her." The chocking sound Ron made was halfway between a laugh and a sob. "She snuggled her way into my heart and I'm afraid she's stuck there now."

Hermione stared at Ron a moment unspeaking. Needing something to do she flipped open a file and focused unseeingly on the page so she wouldn't have to look at him. "Is that why you decided to hold a naming ceremony?"

"Partly."

"Please elaborate."

"I guess there are several reasons why I made that decision. She's a part of my family now. She's been accepted as a niece and a cousin and a granddaughter, and truth be told we were all tired of calling her baby all the time. As a member of the Weasley family she deserved to have a name. And as to why I held an official ceremony, it was my way of honoring her parents."

"How so?"

"Traditionally, Blythes only have one child. Because of that they want to make sure they have the name exactly right. Traditionally the naming ceremony is also the families chance to officially welcome the new heir into the fold."

"Why did you feel it was so important to carry on that particular Blythe Family tradition?"

"Because, weather I intended it or not, I stole her family from her. And I want to make sure she has a little bit of them with her always. Because, I don't want Blake to…"

"Objection! Your Honor,"

"Captain Weasley,"

"I'm sorry." Ron turned to face the official. "I'm sorry your Honor, but she's not the Blythe Baby to me. She's my daughter."

"She's not your daughter."

Ron turned his eyes on Paxman, blasting him with a look of bitter loathing. "She is my daughter." His voice rang filled with resolve. "I love Blake. I would do anything for her. Anything. I don't want to cause her anymore pain then she's already been through. I don't want her to suffer the way my best friend did. I want her to know who her birth parents are. I want her to understand where she came from and to not be ashamed of it. I held the naming ceremony because it was not only an important part of her family history, but the perfect way to officially make her a part of mine."

Hermione gave Ron a moment to take a few breaths and compose himself while Paxman took his seat. When she thought he was ready she continued. "You said holding the naming ceremony would officially make her a part of your family. It's interesting that you should say that." Ron watched her turn and walk back to the table where she pulled out her wand and cast a levitating charm on a massive, leather bound book sitting in the corner. She directed the book to where Ron was sitting. "Tell me Captain Weasley, what name did you choose to bestow on the Blythe Baby?"

"Blake Weasley."

"Full name please."

"Blake Kinley Weasley."

"Blake Kinley Weasley." With a flick of her wand the massive tome flipped open and pages whooshed like a fan until they stopped suddenly. Your Honor, I would like to place into evidence the Official Hogwarts Registry." She turned the book until it was facing Ron. "Could you tell me what name appears fourth from the top?"

Ron leaned forward over the book until he could see the name scribed out in elegant swirls. "Blake Kinley Weasley."

"Your Honor, why is this relevant?"

Hermione whirled to face Paxman who was once again on his feet, "You would know why if you didn't insist on interrupting me all the time." She glared him back into his seat. "It's relevant not only because of the origins of the naming ceremony, but because of the binding magic it ensues. Captain Weasley," she continued to glare at Paxman, "Do you know the origins of the naming ceremony?"

"No."

"Don't worry. Most don't." She began walking in a broad circle so that her words would be directed at the entire courtroom. "Most parents believe that it is necessary to magically name a child so that that child's name appears here," she motioned to the book still open before Ron, "in the Official Hogwarts Registry. But that's simply not true." She walked briskly to her table and picked up one book after the other, "Viola Gwyn, Neilander Smithfield, Luton Vanbrough, Walbrook Hawksmore, Chelso Arimothea, Astoria Acton Spanler Murry Severndroog. All experts in their field and all agree on the same thing. A naming ceremony is held to magically bind a child to a family. They make it clear, a child is not only bound to its family through its blood, but through it's magic. That's why we see a proficiency in certain kinds of magic passed down through the generations. That's also why squibs have such a strained relationship with their magical families. It's because they can sense that bond, but never be a part of it. In the case of Captain Weasley and the little girl in question, that bond has already been establish. Her magic is Weasley magic. The proof of it is in this book." She tapped the page of the Hogwarts tome. "Blake Kinley Weasley. Not Blythe, Weasley. She will be a Weasley now, for the rest of her life, even if she were to be renamed. It wouldn't change here." Her fingers grazed the pages of the mammoth book.

"According to the ancient laws of magic," she summoned another book and flipped the pages open, "set down by the Council of 493," she placed the open book on Ceemists desk and directed his eyes to one of the paragraphs, "the Amadeus family has absolutely no claim on this child. The laws of magic are more binding then any court, and the results of their decision are clear." She used her wand to close the Official Hogwarts Registry and set it with the rest of the evidence. "No further questions."

Hermione returned to her seat, a slight smirk on her lips for Paxman. Seeming not to notice, Paxman remained in his chair, lazily flipping through his own files, ankles crossed in a relaxed pose. "I see here you killed Timothy and Vyvica Blythe."

"Excuse me?" Ron's spine stiffened with surprise, his eyes focusing on the other man.

"It says here that your team is responsible for the deaths of Timothy Blythe and his wife Vyvica Watter Blythe."

"Their deaths were a horrible accident. There was nothing I could have done to prevent them."

"But isn't that your job?"

"I can't possibly be everywhere at once."

"But aren't you trained to handle every situation?"

"Yes, but…"

"So how did this one get so far out of your control?"

"Objection. Your Honor, Captain Weasley and his team have already been exonerated of any fault in the Blythes' death."

"I'm aware of that Ms Granger, seeing as I as the one that cleared them. Mr Paxman, is there a reason you're dredging up a closed case?"

"Yes your Honor. I'm trying to establish that weather directly or indirectly, Mr Weasley…"

"Captain." Ron snapped, his eyes blazing bright with anger.

"Excuse me?"

"Captain Weasley, not Mr."

"I'm sorry Captain Weasley." He didn't look a bit of it. "As I was saying," he turned back to the Ministry Official, "Weather directly or indirectly, Captain Weasley and his team are responsible for the death of the Blythes. Is that a healthy situation for a child to grow up in? Knowing that the man she knows as father is in fact responsible for killing her real one?"

"I admit," Ron said uneasily, "that concern has crossed my mind."

"And yet you still went through the adoption process?"

"Yes."

"But you never wanted to have children."

Ron sat back in surprise. "Of course I did."

"Not according to statements given by friends and family." Ron's eyes flashed to where his friends and family were sitting, instantly recognizable by the amount of red hair clumped together. Those that were there were looking around at each other, trying to discern from the others faces who was guilty of such treachery.

Paxman summoned a file from his table. "Twenty different statements, all saying the same thing. Ronald Weasley avoids children like dragonpox."

"That's not true. I have a very good relationship with all my nieces and nephews. Not to mention my relationship with Blake."

"You mean the Blythe Baby?"

"No," Ron said firmly. "I mean Blake. She's my daughter. I named her. Blake Kinley Weasley. That is her name. It's in the Hogwarts Register for Merlin's sake. Her name is Blake."

"Why did Roland Greene put her in your care?"

"What?"

"According to Greene's secretary, you fought him over it. He had to threaten your job in order for you to agree to take her home. Why is that, if you love children so much?"

"I was in a bad place. I didn't know how to take care of children and I didn't want her in my house."

"Then why was she placed with you when she could have been placed with someone trained to handle children in these types of situations?"

Ron sighed heavily. "Because Roland didn't want word getting out about what had happened." Paxman raised a brow indicating he was waiting for Ron to elaborate. "For the past five years, nearly six, we've been working to change the view of the Ministry in the eyes of the wizarding community. Those in power didn't want it widely known that the Aurors had played a role in her parents deaths. She was placed with me to help protect our image."

"Is it not also true that she was placed with you as a form of punishment?"

Ron's eyes widened for the briefest moment in surprise. "Yes. It is."

Paxman's eyes glowed with a knowing twinkle. "What were you being punished for?"

Ron felt a well of hatred, the likes of which he had never felt before. "Roland thought we had grown too comfortable in our jobs."

"Too comfortable? Don't you mean too careless?"

"I've never been careless. Not when there are human lives at stake. We had already lost too many Auros to this case. I wasn't willing to lose any others."

"So it didn't matter that two suspected Death Eaters lost their lives so long as you didn't lose anymore members of your team?"

"I didn't say that. If I had it my way Timothy and Vyvica would be rotting in Azkaban right now with the rest of their Death Eater mates. It's not my job to play jury, it's my job to bring them in. And your job to try and get them off."

"So," Paxman said, his voice as smooth as ever. "The Blythe Baby was placed in your care as punishment for you becoming careless. Sounds like a risky move if you ask me. Who's to say she wouldn't have gone the same way as her parents."

"Objection!" Hermione screeched.

"I'm a good Auror." Ron's strong voice rose above the commotion in the courtroom. "I have a clean record. The Ministry trusts me to head their most delicate cases. I think I can be trusted to handle one small child. I would never, I repeat, never hurt a child. Especially that one. Everything I have done since the day Timothy and Vyvica died I have done for her."

"Or her money." The courtroom fell eerily quiet. "You consider yourself an expert on the Blythe case, don't you, Captain Weasley?" Paxman walked towards Ron, a satisfied smile on his face. "Would you please answer the question?"

Ron forced the anger rising inside of him back down to the pit of his stomach where it twisted it into tighter knots, churning what little food he had eaten that morning until it was ready to make a reappearance. "What was that?"

"Do you consider yourself an expert on the Blythe case?"

"I know the case backwards and forwards."

"I thought you would. Why don't you tell us about your childhood?"

"What has that to do with anything?"

"Was your family well off?"

"That has nothing to d…"

"Just answer the question, Captain Weasley."

"Well, no,"

"You hated being poor, didn't you?"

"Yes but,"

"It even made you jealous of your best friend."

"Sometimes, but you see…"

"And that's the real reason you decided to adopt the Blythe Baby, isn't it?"

"What?" Ron's skin turned a violent shade of red. "What exactly are you insinuating?"

"I'm not insinuating anything. I am coming to a logical conclusion. You admit to knowing the Blythe case backwards and forwards?"

"Yes."

"You admit you hated being poor as a child."

"Yes, but…"

"And when the Blythe Baby first came into your care you wanted nothing to do with children."

"Not children, just babies."

"Just babies?"

"Yes."

"And you don't find it odd that this child, a child who happens to be the sole heir to a vast fortune, is the one to change your mind?"

"You think I want to adopt her because she's rich?" Ron asked with disbelief.

"The information more than suggests it."

"I would never…To even…Your Honor," Ron turned on the grey haired man. "What need would I have for her fortune? I make more than enough money to comfortably support us both."

"But not at the same level as you brother-in-law."

Ron turned on the other councilor. "I could give a fuck how much money Harry has or makes. It was never about having a lot. It was about never having anything new. But I can do that for myself now. I don't need to live lavishly to be happy. I live in a house that's big enough for me. I can afford to go bigger, to buy more. But I don't need to. And to be honest, I would give away everything, all my saving if it meant I got to keep Blake."

Paxman smiled acidly. "What lovely sentiments."

"You smug prick." Ron seethed through his teeth.

"Ronald, stop it."

The redhead ignored Hermione's warning. "I love Blake. Blake, not her inheritance. Keep it for yourself for all I care. Give it to charity. Burn it. Throw it away. I don't care. I don't want it and I don't need it. All I care about is Blake. Do you want to know why I wanted to adopt her? Because I couldn't bear the thought of her leaving. Of her going to live with someone else, growing up to call him Daddy. It was me who stayed up with her all night when she couldn't sleep. I'm the one who knows her habits, what foods she loves, what foods she hates. I'm the only one who knows how to calm her into sleep. When she did her first accidental magic it was me who beamed with pride as I cleaned up the mess. Fuck the money, just give me my little girl back."

"Your sentiments are…admirable, Captain Weasley. But it still doesn't change the fact that you are not the type of person the Blythe's would have chosen to raise their daughter. You can't offer her anything the Blythes would have deemed important. Social standing, refinement, political awareness, respect for their historic bloodline. The Amadeus family can give her that and more. They can lead her through her role in society, a role they share in almost equal measure. Compared to that, what do you have to offer?"

"Love." Ron said to Paxman's retreating back. "Stability. A family that loves her. Strong women to look up too. A chance at a normal life. And most of all, a home free of mind poisoning prejudice. She'll be able to grow up making decisions based on what she wants and not what tradition dictates. That's what I have to offer her. And if you ask me, and I know you never would, that sounds like a whole hell of a lot more than what the Amadeus family can offer."

Paxman's lips twitched with annoyance. "I think you would be surprised what the Amadeus family can offer. There's no telling what lengths they would go for one of their own." His eyes flickered a moment to the Ministry official. "No more questions."

"Very well." Ceemist shifted in his seat. He took up a stack of parchment and shuffled it into a neat pile. "Ms Granger," he turned to her. "Would you like to redirect?"

She rose to her feet. "No your Honor."

"Then Mr Weasley you're free to step down."

Ron slowly pushed to his feet and walked back to his seat beside Hermione. His heart was pounding in his chest. He didn't know what to think anymore. Hermione had made it seem like their case was a cut and dry win, but after that… It took every ounce of restraint he had not to rush across the courtroom and pummel the smirk off of Paxman's ugly face. He loathed that man perhaps more then he even did Amadeus and his family.

Ron sank into his chair and Harry instantly reached forward to clap his shoulder while Hermione slipped her hand into his lap under the table and gripped his fingers. He squeezed her's back to try and tell her he was fine.

Up at his bench Ceemist was leaning forward on his elbows, face pressed into his locked hands. His eyes kept darting around the room, landing on one face briefly before moving to the next. Eventually his eyes focused on Ron. He blinked several times. "Alright then." He straightened to his full height. I'm ready to make my decision."