Edited 6/23/23: Minor Grammar/Spelling
Chapter 2/3. Make sure to read Chapter 53 before this one! :)
Tuesday, June 23, 1998
Hermione was thoroughly impressed with Pureblood Legal efficiency. The Malfoy family lawyer had drawn up the paperwork, including a Suppression Order (backed by Magic) on the current whereabouts or status of the late Lady Malfoy, before breakfast. Regulus had welcomed Narcissa back into the Black Family Magic and she was no longer a Malfoy by lunch.
Most of the afternoon was spent with Narcissa and Andromeda discussing midwifery and childbirth. Hermione could tell that Narcissa was attempting to distract herself from the divorce and the breaking of the Magical bond.
When they were about to sit for dinner with the Order, Ginny burst into the room. "Ron's gone," she panted.
"Where did he go?" Harry asked curiously.
"Mum sent him to live with his father," Ginny spat.
The whole table looked around at each other, concerned. Fortunately, they required the Unbreakable vow from both Molly and Ron so he couldn't share the few Order secrets he did know.
"What were they hoping to gain?" Theo asked conversationally as Ginny plopped down next to him.
"He's going to take on the Goyle Heir-hood," she snorted. "Ronald Billius Goyle," she said with a chuckle.
Hermione couldn't help but snort, "That does not roll off the tongue does it?" There were murmurs of agreement as the assembled group came to terms with the change.
The rest of the meal passed in quiet conversations about a variety of topics, most of which Hermione tuned out. She couldn't stop thinking about how this is not what she'd expected to happen.
She'd expected that Ron would get over his little crush on her and find someone he was actually compatible with. If he and Lavender hadn't been so disgusting they might have turned out. Now Lavender was another casualty and Ron was making terrible choices in his temper tantrum.
Suddenly without pause, a Howler came flying into the room, stopping directly in front of Hermione.
It opened, and Molly's voice began to speak shrilly.
"I hope you're happy, you little homewrecking bitch! Now thanks to you, Ronald, Ginevra, and I are out of our home, exiled from our family. I know that Percy is on his way out as well. Maybe if you hadn't been such a selfish cow and married Ronald like you were supposed to, more lives wouldn't have been destroyed. I hope that your filthy halfblooded children are exiled from the rest of society. I pity you and I'm disappointed in the Order for their acceptance of you!"
The Howler ripped itself up and landed in a pile on top of Hermione's mashed potatoes. She blinked a few times and wandless vanished the shreds, then continued to eat as if nothing had happened. The rest of the table roared in laughter. Molly was really reaching for straws at this point. Hermione smiled when she saw George taking bets on whether or not Molly would join her youngest son with the Death Eaters.
Thanks for reading! Let me know what you think or if you have any thoughts about what might happen next!