Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter nor do make money.

051. Thunder

Charlie dragged his feet as he made his way back to the group of teenagers huddled together. He just couldn't understand why Pansy's life just couldn't go easy for her: a childhood of being sheltered behind Finny; then to see what she had to see, do what she had to do that night; to survive a war as a child; and then to be raped and beaten within an inch of her life. And right now he couldn't stop kicking himself for running to Romania after Finny's death when he should have stayed and taken responsibility for her, for Finny.

Looking up as he neared the group, he saw tears frozen on their faces. His heart plummetted, quietly he asked, "What happened?"

"Ron went to ask your father for the Weasley marriage bind."

"What?" Charlie asked shell-shocked. Looking back at the couple still embraced on the dock; Ron stroking her back while she was wrapped around his body and in his arms. "Why would Ron do that? There is no way he'd ever say yes."

"Pansy was hit with an heir charm by her attacker a month or so ago," Theo replied, the only one who dared to look Charlie in the eyes. The rest hung their heads and murmured their agreement. "There's a possibility that the Weasley family marriage bind will alter it enough not to affect them."

"Does Dad know this?" Charlie asked, he felt his temperature start to rise. When he got no answer, he asked again firmer, "Does he?"

"I assume, he told him," Harry replied. "Especially given how your father reacted, when Bill asked for his bands, just because."

"Stay out of the house until I get back," Charlie growled taking off running for the house. Once he was inside, he yelled, "Dad! Where are you?"

Running up the stairs, thundering like a hippogriff, Charlie yelled again, "Dad!"

"What is it?" Arthur yelled back coming out of his room.

"How could you? How could you do this to them? To Ron?"

"Do what?"

"Deny him the bands if it could save her, if it could protect her. You have five sons because of her! The least you can do is give them, give her a chance at a normal life," Charlie yelled, finally close enough to his father to stand eye to eye.

"What do you mean I have five sons because of her?"

"Did you really think Callum and Finny Parkinson's death was as clean as The Daily Prophet reported it? Callum butchered Finny and was about to start on me when Pansy stopped him. Pansy killed him. Pansy..."

"No. No. No. NO!" Arthur was yelling by the end as he took off down the stairs still alternating between yelling no and muttering it.

Charlie turned to his mother and found her looking at him as confused as he found himself before they took off after Arthur.