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052. Taboo

"Show me your hands!"

The sound of his father yelling caused Ron to almost drop Pansy; being so unfamiliar with the sound that shattered the quietness that surrounded them. At the last moment, he was able to catch her and set her down on her feet. As soon as she was safely on her feet, Ron tugged her into his body, wrapping his arm around her protectively.

"I'm not asking again. Show me your hands!"

"What's going on?" Ron asked, trying to figure out what exactly had set his father off. And more importantly why their hands all of a sudden mattered.

"I want to see your hands," he yelled, grabbing for Pansy. Ron instinctively hit his father trying to protect Pansy before pulling her back behind her and pinning her with his arm. By now, the three of them were surrounded with people as Arthur collected himself.

Ron growled, "What is so damn important about her hands?"

"Let me see them," Arthur ordered again. Ron could feel Pansy start to move and tried to fight her silently about it but in the end she won. As stepped from behind Ron, he watched as she slowly put her hands out for Arthur to see. He studied them for a moment before he raised his wand and said, "Finite Incantum."

Those who had never seen Pansy's scars, watched as the ones on her face, neck and hands appeared; as her eyes started to water and her cheeks turn pink in embarrassment. Ron watched as Hermione and Molly's hands went flying to their mouth; while Theo walked away; and Draco and Charlie just stood where they were staring at the scars horrified.

"What are you looking for?" Ron asked aggravated, not entirely sure what Pansy had done that was so bad that it deserved this kind of public embarrassment, pulling her back closer to his body but she resisted, instead choosing to stand by Ron with her hands outstretched..

"Remove it." Arthur said softly, his eyes glued to Pansy's hands, as tears started to leak out of her golden, hazel eyes which she closed.

Markings started to appear on her hands in front of everyone: the henna-colour symbols that she had hidden her all her life. Arthur took another step closer and gently touched her hands; focusing on her right one, the symbols and lines ran up her right ring finger wrapping around it.

"Let me see your hands," Arthur said turning to Ron. Looking between his father and Pansy confused, he did as he was told and to his surprise saw a henna-coloured band around his right ring finger.

Quietly, Arthur sighed, "The Weasley marriage bind won't help you now."

"What?" came the collective outcry.

Arthur just looked at Pansy and asked, "House-elf magic?"

Pansy nodded.

"How long?"

"How long what sir?"

"How long have you had them?"

"As long as I can remember. My nanny told me I shouldn't show them to anyone until a Weasley asked. That it was safer this way."

"Do your parents know?"

"Not that I know of. Do you know what they mean?"

Arthur nodded but said, "I need to go get your bands to complete the bind, you two have already done."

"We did what?" Pansy and Ron asked the same time the others said, "They did what?"

"You two binded yourselves together at some point. I doubt the heir charm is a factor with this kind of magic."

"What kind of magic?"

"Guardian." Arthur whispered..

"But there hasn't been a Guardian in over five hundred years," Hermione whispered.

"And there has never been one who wasn't a Weasley by birth," Molly added sadly.