Edited 5/17/23: Minor Grammar/Spelling. Originally there was a plotline that had Draco and Ginny pretend to be betrothed, but the plotholes came waaaayyy too fast so that's gone now. If you're reading ahead of today (5/17/2023) that plotline still exists, but will be fixed in due time!

Um yes... hi... so still looking for opinions on a Ron redemption arc, but somehow this happened to Molly... Enjoy!

Sunday, May 17, 1998

Sundays were made for taking leisurely breakfasts in bed or diving into a new book with a pot of fresh coffee, not answering a patronus call from the Head of the Order of the Phoenix and being glowered at by your ex best friend and his mother.

Hermione sat between Draco and Harry, bouncing her knee anxiously. Draco reached out and rested his hand on her knee and gave it a light squeeze. Hermione had to bite back a smirk at how red Ron's face had gotten.

"I know that we've had a very busy few weeks," Kingsley said solemnly. Theo snorted and elbowed Ginny who was next to him, lifting his eyebrows suggestively. With a sharp look at the pair, he continued, "Remus, Minerva and I have discussed how we think Lord and Lady Nott should begin their introduction to society with a Ball. We've of course just missed Beltane, and we don't want to wait until the Solstice,"

"We'll just say we just arrived from meeting her family on the Islands," Theo said with a shrug, "I'll even pop down south to get a bit of a tan to sell the illusion."

"Very cheeky, Lord Nott," Draco growled.

"You're just jealous, hopefully our children have more of Hermione's melanin than your lack thereof," Theo teased, sticking out his tongue.

Draco blushed and gave a small smirk, but Hermione felt his hand creep a little higher on her knee. Ron broke the quill that he'd been holding and Remus cleared his throat, "How long do you need to plan a Ball with all the accoutrements?"

"Two weeks," Narcissa said primly, looking toward Andromeda who nodded, "How did you get on with your renovations?"

"Gertie said the elves would be done by the end of the week," Hermione said, crossing her legs, causing Draco's hand to creep even higher.

"Is no one going to say anything!?" Ron finally exploded. When everyone looked at him curiously, he continued, "They've obviously done something to Hermione, she is over here acting the Pureblood, talking about Balls and being alright with fucking House Elf slavery," he looked at her, expecting some response. "She's getting along with bloody Narcissa Malfoy!"

The table was silent, Hermione could feel her magic start to ripple and her hair start to spark. "What, pray tell," Hermione started, voice eerily calm, "could they have done to me?"

"Imperioused or drugged you!" he barked, standing now.

"You mean to tell me," she blinked at him, "that you think I'm weak enough or foolish enough to be tricked into years worth of sneaky Slytherin schemes?"

Everyone else around the table, with the exception of Molly, was looking at the table and scooting away from Ron. "Now come on!" he sputtered, "This isn't like you at all? You're all about bloody spew and books, not balls and spying with a bunch of snakes.

She felt Theo come up behind her and reached out her hand to grip his. "Ah yes, you still see me as the weepy little bookworm who can't get a date to the Yule Ball, don't you, Ronald?" He at least had the decency to look a little embarrassed. "But even that you're wrong about," she said, standing now, "I was asked by a World Famous Quidditch Star. I also spent the last dance with my now husband, who matched his robes to mine so that I would feel cared for."

"I'd have asked her if I thought she would have said yes," Theo said with a smirk.

"And I was so busy mooning after her that night that Pansy almost dumped me then and there," Draco chimed with a shrug.

"Theo spent all of Easter Holidays in Fifth Year at my home, learning to cook from my Mum and helping my Dad in his woodshop," she continued in that same eerily calm voice she'd started with, "Draco spent most of Fifth Year apologising to me until I forgave him after the hols, and Theo and I came on to him."

"So you really are a little upstart slut-" Molly started before Hermione barked out a laugh.

"Oh you're hilarious, Molly," Andromeda sneered. "As if you weren't the Gryffin-whore back in your day. Who did you go after again? Ah yes Avery, Rowle, McMillan, for a time you were after Lucius too weren't you? Poor little Molly Prewitt trying to rise above her station. There was lots of talk about how many of the kids were Arthur's and not someone else's, isn't that right, Theodore?"

Theo chuckled, "Well Father was awful but he always treated his married mistresses well."

Arthur paled even further, Theo cast the paternity spell and a rope connected him to Ginny for a few beats the whole table sat in silence. "I've been waiting years to do that," Theo said with a chuckle, then looked sheepish when Arthur exploded

"Mum told me not to trust you, but I was so blinded… Gin-" be cut off in a sob.

"Don't worry Daddy," she said softly, "I'd rather have you as a dad than him, but another brother doesn't hurt anything."

Arthur stood and wrapped his arms around Ginny and Theo while the rest of the table sat in silence staring at Molly. "You were saying, Molly?" Hermione asked, eyebrow raised. "Looks like we have at least one thing in common, but unlike you, I've only been with the two men I am married to."

The meeting then descended into chaos, the Weasley's minus Ron and Molly circled around Arthur, Theo, and Ginny. "Father had sworn me to secrecy, but now I'm Lord Nott so it doesn't matter what that arsehole wanted," Theo was saying.

"This might be the perfect in," Hermione said thoughtfully, the room falling silent around her. "Ginny can come live with us at Mitternacht, and 'embrace' her Nott Heritage. It would help to have another ally in the field."

Ginny grinned at her, "I'm in-"

"You will not corrupt my daughter too, you little bi-" Molly shrieked, until her mouth was sealed shut by Arthur's wand.

"That's just about enough from you," he growled. "Gin is an adult and can make her own decisions. All of my children are."

Molly spun and matched out of the room, angrily and Ron sunk into his chair.

"Well, Miss Nott," Theo said, holding out his arm dramatically to Ginny, "Shall we go plan your Debutante Ball?"

Wow Molly really is a bitch! Did you see that coming? I didn't... my fingers just started typing and THIS is what happened.

Thanks for reading! Let me know what you think or if you have any thoughts about what might happen next!