Chapter Eight: Home Sweet Hell

The first evening back at the Burrow was hectic as trunks were put into their respective owner's rooms. Ron had taken his own trunk back from Bill and carried it up all the way to the attic bedroom he had. Once there he begun to unpack, and he put the special parchment on his desk. He unpacked all his assignments for the summer except the ones he would not be able to do without Hermione's help.

When Ron was called for dinner, he declined saying he needed to get started on his work and so he was left alone. Three hours into his work, Ron received the first message from Hermione on the special parchment. It read that she had gotten home safely and that she told her parents a story about him falling out with Harry, and that his family were taking Harry's side. Hermione had also written what she had said to convince her parents that Ron was not to blame, 'Do you really think I would go out with Ron if he was at fault?'

Ron worked until eleven when he heard his father return home from work. Ron wondered why his father was working so late considering the Ministry's denial of the return Voldemort. Half an hour later, he heard his parents climb up the stairs to their bed. So, Ron, feeling hungry, went downstairs into the kitchen. He made himself a sandwich or six with the leftovers before grabbing a pint of pumpkin juice and going back to his room and bed.

Ron awoke the next morning and wrote to Hermione on the parchment for a little while before going down to breakfast. When he arrived at the breakfast table, he saw that his father was not there and when he asked where he was, he was informed that he was at work. Ron sat at the opposite end of the table than the rest of his family as he ate his breakfast. When he was finished he washed up his plate, fork and knife and made to return to his summer assignments but was stopped by the sound of his mother's voice.

'Ron, the garden needs de-gnoming,' she said.

'I can't, I'm busy doing these summer assignments, I don't want my girlfriend mad at me because I didn't do them,' he replied.

'Girlfriend, what girlfriend?' his mother asked.

'Oh, didn't Ginevra and the twins tell you, yet? My girlfriend is Hermione, well, got to get back to it …' said Ron and before his mother said another word, he left for his bedroom. Ron spent the entire day working on an Astronomy chart and was left alone. He had a quiet dinner with the rest of his family before going back to write to Hermione on the parchment. He told her what little information he picked up on as he spent so little time around any of them. He told her that there were plans to move to new secret headquarters very soon. He doubted that he was being included in the "we" part of the conversation. Hermione sent him a useful incantation for an Undetectable Extension Charm she had found in one of her advanced books.

He found a suitable bag on which to practice the charm and after twenty-five tries he got it to work. Once that was out of the way, he continued with his studies.

The next morning his mother didn't ask him to do the de-gnoming, she told him to do the de-gnoming. Ron did not like this so he turned around and said, 'Why don't you get one of the children you actually wanted to do it? Or better yet, get your new son Harry to do it! I've done my last chore around this house!'

'Is that so? Well, you can cook your own food then, can't you?' his mother replied.

'Fine with me!' he retorted.

Ron then left the kitchen to go back to his homework. When it was lunchtime, the door to his room was thrown open and Bill, Fred and George came in and started on him.

'Who do you think you are speaking to mum like that?' Bill asked scornfully.

'The son she never fucking wanted, so why don't the three of you piss off?' Ron replied angrily.

Bill, Fred and George drew their wands on him.

Ron looked back at them defiantly and said, 'Wow, aren't you three brave? Threatening to use magic on someone who isn't allowed to use magic to defend themselves! Your mother will be so proud!'

The three of them then put away their wands and left his room, closing the door behind them.

Ron then wrote to Hermione on the parchment telling her what had just happened.

Wednesday and Thursday had been relatively peaceful until dinnertime. Ron made his own dinner and ate with the rest of them, and as they ate, his mother spoke to them.

'Tomorrow night, we will be joining the Order of the Phoenix at their new Headquarters. By us, I mean your father, Bill, Fred, George, Ginny and me. Ron, you'll be spending the rest of your summer with your Auntie Muriel, is that understood, everyone?'

Fred asked, 'What about Percy?'

'Your father hasn't seen him all week, but he will be coming home tomorrow night, so I assume he will be coming with us,' she replied.

Ron finished his food and washed up his utensils before going up to his room. He was angry. There was no way he was going to stay with Muriel for seven weeks! 'Seven seconds is too long in her company,' he thought as he started to repack his books into his trunk, along with his old uniform that no longer fit him, he also packed the muggle clothes that were in better condition into another bag before tossing it into the extended bag. He then wrote a short three word note to Hermione on the parchment.

'I'm leaving tonight.'

He received a short reply from Hermione in return.

'We'll be waiting.'