Chapter 67: Granddad Weasley Will Never Forgive You

"Master Weasley!"

Ron jumped about a foot in the air from where he was on his way back towards the bright lights of the Christmas festivities at the Burrow. He whirled about in the darkness, wand out, only to flinch away as his sister and brother-in-law's house elf emerged into the light.

"Kreacher! You? Here? Don't!"

"Aw, don't be like that, Master Weasley! Kreacher knows his face is ugly and his name's against him, but he ain't as bad as he seems!"

Ron studied the miserable cretin leerily. "What would you with me?"

"I've come to give you warning!"

"Ah!" Ron brightened. "Have you come to say that my sister has freed you and you'll be leaving us!"

"No, no! You misunderstand me! Listen! Kind Weasley, your young lady is a sighing, and if you knew just why, it would make you quake! This very night with Malfoy to be flying, say hey, the merry maiden and the snake!"

Ron felt the grip on his wand tighten with outrage. His Rosie…. she was sensible girl, she wouldn't dare to….! He straightened. "Kreacher, I thank you for your timely warning. I'll sort it, not to worry!"

Watching Ron stalk back into the house, Kreacher cackled with glee. "Ha! They are foiled! FOILED! FOILED!"

A bright bauble of light now illuminated the boys' guest room here in the Burrow as Lily Potter stepped into it. Bending over one lump, she shook it gently.

"You ready?" she whispered.

Quick as a wink, Albus threw back the coverlet, to reveal himself clutching his own Lumosed wand in his fist.

"Let's go," he rumbled gamely.

Quiet as mice, all of the Weasley grandchildren and Teddy were awoken before the group then finally fetched the happy couple.

Rose and Scorpius were found alone together in her room. The Weasley daughter's cousins now formed a protective posse ring around her and her intended as the group crept down the rickety, Leaning-Tower-of-Pisa front staircase and moved through the kitchen.

"There's a Portkey – a key fob – in the fake gnome, just out past the front garden," Teddy whispered. "It'll take you lovebird lot directly to the wizarding courthouse. A mate of mine works there as a junior clerk: ask for Dewey Yetis and he'll get you in to see a justice of the peace. …. Got all that?"

Scorpius nodded, his future bride dutifully memorizing it all in her head. "Check, Ted."

"All right." The group started to move across the front lawn. "After that, there's a flat in Bloomsbury owned by a…. another friend. Lavender. But she'll be out, so feel free to use it for the next few days."

"When should we come back?" Rose wanted to know.

Teddy surprisingly had a ready answer. "Before the next full moon wanes."

The group of grandchildren was nearly at the gate when suddenly, bobs of Lumosed light illuminated them from all sides.

"HOLD!" Ron Weasley burst forth from the group of adults that had suddenly materialized all around out of the darkness. "Rosalind Hermione Weasley, what is the meaning of this?!"

To everyone's surprise and admiration, Rose stood tall and proud, lacing her fingers through those of her lover. "So sorry for the late notice, Daddy, but I'm off to get married and I shan't be late."

Ron's blue eyes nearly popped in the moonlight and the light of his wand, swiveling between his only daughter and the son of that infernal ferret. "Like ruddy sodding hell you're running off to elope! Hermione," he turned desperately to his wife. "Back me up!" Hermione worried her bottom lip, perhaps attempting to come up with something more placating to head off their daughter; in the interim, Kreacher the house elf pushed between the group of adults and folded his arms across his elderly frame with a self-satisfied smirk.

Albus glowered at his family's house elf, piecing it together in seconds. "We should have killed that little bleedster when we had the chance…." He mumbled darkly.

"Here now – what's all this, then?" Arthur Weasley now came shuffling out the front door of the Burrow in nothing but his nightcap, gown and slippers, his wand held aloft in one arm while his wife clutched onto the other for support.

Ron ignored his father, too busy staring down Scorpius while shaking with rage. "In uttering a reprobation for any Slytherin tar, I've tried to speak in moderation but you have gone too far. I'm very sorry to disparage a humble pureblood lad, but to seek my only daughter in marriage?... Why, DAMME, it's too bad!"

"Daddy!" Rose gasped, drawing both hands to her mouth in horror.

"OH!" everyone cried.

"I mean it!" Ron glanced about at his family, eyes wild. "Yes, damme, it's too bad!"

Arthur pushed his way to the front, Molly chittering to him in offended outrage over her youngest son's swearing. The Weasley patriarch now studied the almost-eloped couple.

"Young man, step forward."

Glancing to each other, Rose nodded once, and Scorpius stepped forward as bravely as he dared.

"Now tell me, my fine fellow – for you are a fine fellow, are you not?"

"I reckon so, Mr. Weasley…. Your Honor."

"How did my son come so far to forget himself, as to behave like that? You gave him no cause for annoyance, did you?"

Scorpius gulped. "Please, Your Honor, it was thus-wise: you see, I'm only a Slytherin – a boy fresh out of school."

"Oh, but you mustn't be ashamed of that. My grandson is in Slytherin, as you know – I'd….. wager that your position in that House is a very exalted one."

Scorpius brightened, encouraged. "Well, you see, sir, love burns as brightly in the dungeons as it does in the Gryffindor Tower…"

"Of course it does…"

"Rosalind is the fairest bud that ever blossomed upon the tree of a poor fellow's wildest hopes!" Scorpius glanced back at his love, adoration in his eyes.

"Darling!" Elated, Rose ran to him with a beaming smile, ignoring her grandfather's gaping look of shock.

Ron seemed in danger of damaging his retinas from how hard he was rolling them.

It was nothing compared to Arthur's reaction, however, as the patriarch now glanced between his granddaughter and her intended. "…. What?! What? And again, I say, what?!"

"She is the figurehead of my ship of life – the brightest beacon that guides me into my port of happiness – the rarest, the purset gem that ever sparkled on a poor but worthy fellow's trusting brow."

By now, most of the Weasley women were damn near in a tizzying swoon over Scorpius's sincere words. "Oh, pretty….. very pretty!"

"Oh, ah! Ah! And again I say, ah! And yet again, AH!" Arthur moaned. "Ooooh….. insolent Slytherin pup, you! You shall repent this impertinent outrage! – Clap him!"

All of the women, including his wife, burst into applause. "No, no, no!... Clap him in irons!" Arthur spluttered.

"Um, Dad…. We don't have any irons," George gently reminded his father.

"Transfigure some, then!"

"Oh, spare him, Granddad, for I love him tenderly!" Rose cried.

"Pray, don't, love. I shall teach this uppity young pureblood to discipline his affections." The patriarch glanced about. "Have we, perchance, a suitable place to serve as a dungeon on these grounds?"

Kreacher eagerly and maniacally pointed towards the man's old toolshed. "You have! You have!"

"Ah, ah, ah, ah, ah – shut….. up!" Arthur chastised Kreacher. "Now: load him in irons - No, no, no, not him!" he screeched when James and Albus immediately went for Kreacher. "Him!"

Ron, George and Harry came forward with some transfigured irons to place Scorpius under a sort of citizen's house arrest, though the lattermost didn't look happy about it. "Take him there to my toolshed at once. Ohh….. Ohhhhh, and again I say Oh… I need to lie down…." And Arthur allowed his wife to help him back to bed.

Scorpius and Rose shared stricken looks with each other. In full view of most of her family, Rose swayed up on tiptoes to lightly kiss him farewell.

Scorpius nodded to her. "It's gonna be OK, Rosie." And he allowed her father and uncles to lead him away.