Arthur watched both young Gryffindors slowly exit the car and his heart ached seeing the look of pure misery on their faces, particularly Ron's. Having to dole out the discipline was definitely the worst part about being a parent. The man stayed seated in the car for a moment, watching Harry and Ron as they wheeled their trunks up the dusty foot path, past the pig pen and into the Burrow itself. He needed a moment. He needed to prepare himself for what he was about to do. Arthur Weasley sat there and thought back to that particular morning, remembering how frightened he and Molly had been the day they'd gone back through the barrier - only to find Harry and Ron had disappeared. They'd not followed them through, they'd not waited for them on the other side, either. In a blind panic, both Weasley parents had rushed to the car outside the station, expecting to find their son and his friend stood by the ford Anglia, giving them some excuse as to why neither of them had crossed through the barrier.

They were not. Not only were the children gone, but the bloody car too!

"Didn't Harry and Ron come through?" a look of confusion crossed Mrs Weasley's features as she glanced around the emptying Platform nine and three quarters, the train had just began to pull out of the station.

"Well of course they did, where else would they be?" Though Mr Weasley did not look too sure. His heart rate began increasing as his blue eyes quickly scanned each passing window. Ron usually leaned out with his brothers to give them a reluctant wave (for Molly's sake really) and Fred and George were currently half way out the window, Percy beside them, and Ginny below them, all waving excitedly. Where was Ron? Where was Harry?

"Arthur dear, you don't think…?" Molly cast an anxious glance over her shoulder and to the barrier. Had they not come through? "What on earth are those boys doing?"

"I'm not sure dear, but I intend to find out." Arthur answered quickly. They stayed a moment more, waving and blowing kisses to their children before the Hogwarts Express pulled completely out of the station and out of sight. "Right, let's go." Arthur frowned, making his way back through the brick barrier (with his small wife following quickly behind) and back to the busy, bustling King's Cross station platform. "Harry? Ron?" He glanced around, half expecting to see both boys standing on the wrong platform completely. Perhaps one of them had rushed to the loo and gotten lost on the way back, and the other had gone to find him? It was a possibility.

"Ronald?!" Molly cupped her hands around her mouth to amplify her voice, her brown eyes widening and watering as each second passed where she did not see her son, or their summer guest. "Harry?!" The short, plump woman scanned each group of muggle children's faces quickly, the anxiety growing in her strained voice as she continued to call for the boys. "Oh Arthur, where could they be?!" she asked, throwing her hands up in despair, close to tears.

"Settle down, love." Arthur was quick to put a hand on his Wife's shoulder and offer her a calm smile. "Maybe they're waiting by the car?" After all, where else could they have gone?

"The car. Yes, yes of course." Molly released a sigh of relief, her small hands shaking. She hurried after her husband as Arthur lead the way through the noisy, busy muggle crowds, along the bridge and to the car park outside.

Not only did they not find either of the Lion cubs, but the turquoise Ford Anglia was missing too. It didn't take very long for both Weasley parents to put two and two together (knowing Fred, George and Ron had flown the car to Surrey and back a few weeks ago). Molly was distraught, bursting into tears, and Arthur-Arthur was furious.

"I'm going to kill him."

His blood had boiled with fury that morning. How dare his own son steal his car and fly it without any knowledge of driving nor flying! It was more than that though. Both boys could have been killed. Never mind the added trouble of being seen by Muggles. Suppose the engine had died while they were both in mid air? Ron didn't know a thing about cars, how they worked, how they ran. Suppose they'd lost control of the wheel and crashed? An icy wash of dread shot down his spine at the very thought of it. Hadn't Professor McGonagall written to them and explained how both young Gryffindors were lucky to be alive after taking some serious damage from the Whomping Willow?

Not only that, but how could the man not feel an overwhelming amount of guilt? How could he not feel personally responsible for what happened? He had charmed the car to fly. He had been the one to show leniency toward his kids about taking the car to Surrey the other week, and obviously making it clear that there would be no consequences for doing so. Well, his leniency was certainly coming back full force to bite him in the arse, that was for sure.

It was hard to put yourself in the right frame of mind in order to punish your child, but thinking back to the icy wash of dread he felt on that cold September morning certainly helped. Arthur needed to ensure that neither lion cub thought about doing something so completely foolish and so completely dangerous again. Steeling his heart, his mind and his emotions, Arthur pushed open the ministry car door and stepped out.

THUD!

The familiar slam of a car door caused Ron and Harry (who were currently sat on Ron's Cannon themed bed spread) to exchange nervous looks and fidget around a little bit. Harry was tempted to go to the window and see for himself if Arthur was making his way into the burrow at that point. However, they'd been told to sit on Ron's bed and the bespectacled boy did not feel like disobeying the man.

Their nerves settled like a ball of lead in their stomachs as they heard the burrow door open, and then heavy footsteps making their way up the old wooden stairs. The creak of the floor boards increasing, getting louder as the sound of the footsteps drew nearer. Harry looked to Ron who had turned so pale he thought he might faint! Surely it couldn't be as bad as waiting for his Uncle Vernon to come thundering up the stairs to Dudley's second bedroom in order to give him a good wallop upside the head? Harry thought. Neither boy took their eyes off of the doorknob as it turned. The wooden bedroom door opened about half way and in stepped Arthur, who appeared to be more resigned than angry.

"Thank you for doing as you're told boys." Arthur said softly, shutting the door behind him and taking out his wand. He gave the door two good taps but said nothing.

"Silencing charm." Ron leaned in and whispered to Harry when he saw the confused look on his friend's face.

Ah. Comforting.

The oh so comforting feeling only increased as both boys noticed Arthur did not put away his wand, instead he'd set it down on the night stand before turning and facing both guilt ridden cubs. His thin arms crossed over his chest and he eyed both boys carefully, letting them adjust to the situation and what was about to happen. After a moment, he opened his mouth to speak.

"Ronald. What happened?"

Ron stared down at his lap, "Well…uh we were-"

"-Eyes on me please, son."

Ron forced himself to look up at his Father, his heart practically collapsing into itself when he saw that disappointed look etched into his usually kind features.

"We were about to run through the barrier…and uh-well we smashed into it, like…it had gone all solid." Ron explained softly. He'd noticed that Arthur's brows had drawn together in a perplexed frown.

"You mean the barrier had been… sealed?" he asked calmly.

"Yeah…I guess."

"I'll certainly be letting the ministry know about that." Arthur mumbled to himself. It wasn't normal for the gateway to seal itself, and there had never been an instance of it happening before. This deeply concerned him. "-So what would have been the smart thing to do in that instance?" he asked, arching one ginger eyebrow.

"...Well, I did suggest that we go and wait by the car, sir." Harry answered when Ron was silent for a little too long.

"That would have been the sensible thing to do, Harry." Arthur answered, nodding in approval. "So if you both knew it would be a good idea to go and wait by the car, why did I exit King's cross station to find my car stolen and two young Gryffindors missing?"

Ron's gaze had fallen back into his lap and he winced when he felt both Harry's and Arthur's eyes on him. Great. Thanks for throwing me under the train Harry. Ron thought to himself.

"Ronald?" the warning in Arthur's voice was not to be ignored and the youngest Weasley boy raised his head and looked up at his Father-who did not look pleased in the slightest. "Am I to believe this was your idea then?" he asked, not angrily but Ron could sense his displeasure.

"I uh…well…y-yeah." Ron stammered.

Disappointment crashed in waves inside the Father as he heard that. He had expected better from his son, he had raised him to know better and to behave better than he had that morning. It had been a while since the man (or Molly for that matter) had had to take the young man over their knee for a good smack. Maybe they had been to lenient with him up until this point and Ron had thought he could get away with it? Well, he was sorely mistaken.

"Ronald Bilius Weasley I am so disappointed in you. Your mother and I have raised you better than to behave like that haven't we? I cannot believe you would do something so foolish and so dangerous. Do you have any idea what could have happened? Did you think for a moment how mortified we'd be if we lost you? Either of you?" he eyed Harry at this point too and noticed the young man's gaze had now fallen into his lap.

"No sir…" the young man answered.

"No Dad." Ron mumbled.

"No. I didn't think so." Arthur blew out a small, frustrated breath and paused for a moment to gather his thoughts. "Harry?"

The twelve year old looked up and into Arthur's eyes, knowing that maintaining eye contact was the respectful thing to do. "Yes sir?"

"I'm aware that you are not my child but you were in my care, and my responsibility when the two of you took off like you did. I wrote an Owl explaining the situation to your Aunt and Uncle, letting them know the severity of what you did and how you could have been killed-"

"-Believe me sir, they wouldn't have minded."

"Don't interrupt me please, Harry."

"Sorry."

"I asked their permission to deal with you as I see fit. They were a little upset that I hadn't contacted them though the…hellophone is it? And they didn't appreciate it when Errol smacked into their window and gave your poor Aunt a bit of a fright. Well, they requested I never write them again…but they did make it clear that you were my problem as they put it."

"Sounds like them." Harry sighed.

"I see no reason not to punish you as I would do my own children, Harry. A good smacked bottom is certainly a decent deterrent for this sort of behaviour and my children know it well, isn't that right, Ronald?"

Ron's cheeks burned with shame and embarrassment as he slowly made himself nod. Arthur nodded too, and drew a straight backed chair from the corner of the room, bringing it centre and settling himself down onto it. "Harry, have you been smacked before?"

"Well uh…not on the bottom." Harry answered.

Arthur frowned deeply, concern flashing in his kind eyes. "Excuse me?"

Harry wished he had just said no, because now he had a feeling he had opened a whole can of worms that would take hours to address. He couldn't will himself to give the man an explanation, to tell him about the times Aunt Petunia had whacked him over the back of his head with a frying pan or how Uncle Vernon had often smacked him in the mouth when he said something he didn't like. Thankfully, Arthur didn't let the silence linger for too long. The man was still incredibly concerned, and he would get to the bottom of the matter before the day was out, but right now he had a different task to accomplish.

"All right. Ronald, you first." Arthur straightened his posture and gave his knees a meaningful pat.

Ron's eyes widened and he lifted his head so fast it was a wonder the poor boy didn't give himself whiplash. "W-What?! In front of Harry? But…but Dad!"

"No buts Ronald. You both acted out together, so you'll be punished together, the same rule that applies when you get into mischief with one or more of your brothers." Arthur was quick to remind his little kit. "Come over here please. If I have to come and get you, you know it'll be worse."

Legs feeling like jelly, Ron got to his feet and walked slowly over to his Dad, whimpering and biting his lip anxiously. Arthur sighed, Ron always knew how to pull at his heartstrings. The man took his son's upper arm and pulled him a little closer, then he unclasped his trousers and tugged them down just below his upper thighs. He tried not to smile when he saw Ron was wearing the same Chudley Cannon boxers he'd bought him last Christmas and upended his child over his knee. The Weasley patriarch secured Ron in place with an arm wrapped around his middle, and rose his free hand.

SMACK! SMACK!

His hard hand descended down across the thinly protected buttocks, alternating from his left cheek to his right cheek. Ron began crying out immediately which made this punishment all the more difficult for Arthur to administer, but he didn't let up.

SMACK! SMACK!

"You don't ever steal from me young man!-"

SMACK! SMACK!

"-You don't ever put yourself in danger like you did again!-"

SMACK! SMACK!

"Do I-" SMACK! "-Make myself-" SMACK! "-Clear, Ronald Bilius?" SMACK!

"Owwuhhhhh! Yes Dad!" Ron answered loudly, bucking his legs and arching his back as much as he could as the stingy fire began radiating over his thinly protected cheeks. "I'm sorryyyyyyyy!"

"Oh you certainly will be sorry when I'm through with you, young man." Arthur answered firmly, raising his hand and aiming for his upper thighs now.

SMACK! SMACK! SMACK! SMACK!

"Owww! Please Dad not there! Not there! OWWW! It hurts so bad!" Ron whimpered pleadingly.

"Well it's not meant to tickle, Ronald."

SMACK! SMACK!

Arthur, without giving any warning, then tugged down his child's boxer shorts to reveal his bright pink bottom, a couple of darker hand prints were visibly fading too. The man did not plan on stopping until his child's backside was a bright red and he was sobbing - though he did hate to make his child cry. Having Ron crying was an audible cue to let Arthur know the punishment was getting through to him.

"Noooo!" Ron wailed, tears brimming in his brilliant blue eyes. "D-Daaaad!"

"Hush Ronald." Arthur chided, aiming his firm palm to the sensitive under curves of his bottom now, where he knew it would be the most painful, so he tempered the blows a little.

SMACK! SMACK!

"Owwww! No more! Daaaaad! I'm sorry!" Ron howled. Oh it always hurt so much more on his bare bottom.

"You're very lucky-" SMACK! "-That I didn't take you to the shed-" SMACK! "-For my belt!" -SMACK! Arthur made clear to his son. Unfortunately though, that didn't mean Ron wasn't going to get an implement smacking down on his little freckled bum. Arthur reached over to the night stand for his wand and he pulled something small and blue from the inner pocket of his jacket. The head Weasley gave the small object a little tap with his wand and said, "Engorgio." the small object in his hand grew about ten sizes until it formed a very formidable looking slipper with blue tartan patterning.

Harry sat frozen on the bed, watching and wincing as Arthur firmly smacked his friend's rump. He had never seen anyone get punished this way before, it was all new to him. It didn't seem as terrifying as Ron had been making it out to be all morning-but he supposed he would understand a little better when it was his turn to go over the man's knee. The thought alone caused his stomach to knot uncomfortably with dread. That slipper did not look friendly. Poor Ron.

"Nooo! No!" Ron had chosen that moment to look over his shoulder, and he'd caught sight of the familiar implement, "Not that! Noooo! Please not the slipper Daddy!"

Daddy. That would never not cause his heart to break. Still, he pushed himself to continue with the punishment, knowing that if he was lenient now then his son would never learn anything, other than the fact that if he cried and pleaded enough, he would be let up.

"You're going to get twelve Ronald. One for every single year you've been alive. Maybe it will make you think about just how precious your life is to not only you, but to your family as well." Arthur explained, tapping the underside of the house shoe across the middle of his dark pink, chubby cheeks. With a sigh, Mr Weasley rose the implement just a little ways above Ron's bottom, so that the slipper would do no lasting damage, and he started the punishment.

WHACK! WHACK! WHACK! WHACK! WHACK! WHACK!

Each sharp wallop came down on either cheek, and Arthur alternated between his left and his right, turning his poor bottom a decent shade of light red. Ron's kicking and wiggling had stopped and made way for steady crying, tears rolling down his young face which increased every time he released a pained yelp. Arthur knew these yelps were genuine and not for effect this time.

"Why are you being punished, Ronald Bilius?" Arthur asked.

WHACK! WHACK! Two sharp smacks alternated his upper thighs.

"B-Because…" Ron paused to wipe his eyes with the back of his hand, "C-Cause we took the c-car and-and could've d-died…"

"That's right."

WHACK! WHACK! Two more smacks to his under curves.

"Ahaaaoowowwwwww! Daddy! Daddy please!" Ron wailed, a sob catching in his throat.

"Will you do it again?"

WHACK! WHACK! The final two smacks walloped the middle of his bottom and Ron let out the loudest wail yet.

"Nooooooooo! I'm sorry! Daddyyyyyyy!"

It was done, and not a moment too soon as far as Arthur was concerned. The man set aside the slipper on the night stand and rubbed gentle circles into his son's back, sighing as he got his sobs out. It was painful to hear, very painful. After a moment, when Ron's sobs had quietened down a little, Arthur pulled his boxers up and over his sore cheeks, wincing in sympathy when the boy whimpered at the feeling of the thin fabric rubbing against his skin. Arthur then scooped Ron up and sat him on his knee (with his bottom dangling and not making contact with his legs) before bringing him into a big bear hug. He squashed Ron against his chest, a hand cradling the back of his head as the young Gryffindor continued to cry.

"It's over now Ronald. Daddy forgives you, and Daddy loves you so much." he whispered softly to the child, planting a trio of kisses to his clammy forehead. "Daddy's got you, you cry as much as you need to, Ronnie." he added, resting his chin atop the mop of fiery red hair and listening with difficulty to every sniff, every hiccup and every shuddering breath. "Good boy." Arthur used his thumbs to gently wipe away the salty tears from his child's cheeks and the lid of his eyes, smiling down at him with absolute adoration and love.

There was no doubt in Ron's mind that he was very much loved by his Father, as all his siblings were.

"L-Love you too, Dad." the young man mumbled into the soft fabric of his burgundy sweater vest, the boy nuzzling his face into the depths of the wool for multiple reasons. He wanted to be closer to his Father, he found comfort in the warmth of the clothing, and he didn't want Harry to see his face, all sweaty and tear stained. Well, Harry would probably be sporting the exact same expression in a few moments.

After a little while, Arthur helped Ron to his feet and pulled up his trousers, fixing them into place for him. "All right Ron, I want you to go stand in the corner while I deal with Harry." he instructed gently.

"Aw Dad…the corner?" Ron groaned.

"Would you rather sit on the bed?" Arthur asked, arching a brow. Ron's eyes widened and he quickly shook his head, he did not want to sit down so soon! The young ginger boy hurried off to the corner of his bedroom and sighed, rubbing his sore, throbbing bum and wincing when he heard his Father say,

"All right Harry. Your turn."