AUTHOR'S NOTES: Chapter 21 is here. Sorry for the delay, some personal crap came up! (it was dealt with) Now a couple of things:
1. There are some short time-jumps so be ready for those.
2. You finally see things though Neville's perspective!
3. Some more of Sirius and Remus!
DISCLAIMER: I do not own Harry Potter, and I do not intend to make any money off of this. Harry Potter is the intellectual property of J. K. Rowling , and I take no credit of it whatsoever.
I was also inspired by Demon Eyes Laharl's: THE RED KNIGHT! and also from Random-Fruitcake04's: CHOICES! I hope you check them out as well because they are genuinely very good stories.
Fate
Chapter 21 – Homecoming
Ronald Weasley's POV
Ron was sitting with Pandora, Luna, his mother, and Ginny and they were all playing exploding snap, they were killing time before his therapy session. Ron was not excited at all for it because it had bloody hurt the last time… And that potion tasted worse than Aunt Muriel's cooking! And then the door to his room burst open, making them all jump. Ron turned around with a frown and was ready tear into the person who had scared his sisters, but upon seeing his friends rush in, Ron grinned ear-to-ear. FINALLY!
Ron quickly got up and was engulfed in hugs by the girls, all of them shouting over each other excitedly. Ron went beet-red, and he heard his mother and Pandora chuckling from behind him. Ron also spotted Theo and Blaise smiling at him from behind the girls, waiting for their turn. I hope they don't hug me as well…
"Girls" came a woman's voice from behind Theo and Blaise, and Ron looked at Lady Greengrass. She was smiling pleasantly. "Give the poor boy some room. We don't want him back in that bed now, do we?" The girls grinned sheepishly at Ron and took a few steps back. Lady Greengrass approached him and gave him her hand, which he took gently and kissed, and then he gave her a short practiced bow.
"A pleasure to meet you once again, Lady Greengrass" Ron said smoothly. "You look as radiant as the last time I saw you." Lady Greengrass smiled at him approvingly, maybe not all the Weasleys were lax with their manners. Ron missed his mother's and Pandora's jaws dropping to the floor at seeing Ron like.
"Thank you, Ronald" Lady Greengrass said with a pleased smile. "I am glad to see you finally awake. My Lord Husband sends his regards, he wished that he could have come here himself. Alas, he had business to attend to with the International League of Wizard's Chess Club…" Lady Greengrass said with a suggestive tone, which bewildered everyone in the room. Everyone but Ron. So it's finally happening?! YES!
"I am sorry to miss him, please send him my best wishes" Ron said politely, doing his best to not grin like an idiot.
"Certainly" Lady Greengrass said, and then she turned to his friends. "I will be back by six in the evening, enjoy each other's company." And then she left with a graceful walk. Ron then turned to Theo and Blaise, who grinned at him. Ron greeted his best friends with firm hand-shakes. Ron was glad that his right hand was bandaged up, and that his scars were hidden.
"It's good to see you two again" Ron said genuinely.
"Likewise, my friend" Blaise said with an actual smile. My friend? Is Blaise going soft?
"I'm glad you finally stopped taking your nap" Theo said with a smirk. "I was worried I'd have no one to copy homework off of next year!" Millie smacked Theo on his shoulder and frowned at him. Ron just laughed at Theo's comment.
"What can I say? My bed wasn't really all that comfortable" Ron joked, glad that someone was treating him normally. And not as something broken…
"He's back!" Tracey said loudly with a laugh. And then she hugged Ron tightly from his side. "We missed you so much!" The other girls laughed at his red face, and then followed Tracey's lead.
"Merlin this tastes good!" Ron exclaimed, and then he took another bite out of the pumpkin pastry. Daphne had indeed brought actual food, and Ron was now scarfing it down. His friends were just watching him in amusement, and all of them were sitting on his bed.
"At least chew, Ron" Millie chuckled. They don't know the taste of Hospital food…
"Let him eat" Theo smirked. "Look at him… no muscles at all. You're even weedier than me now Ron. I bet I'd run laps around you!" Ron stopped eating and swallowed his bite, and then he narrowed his eyes at Theo.
"Just wait until my physical therapy is finished" Ron muttered, unhappy about being challenged. I bet I'd still win!
"Physical therapy?" Pansy asked in a low and concerned voice. Nice one Weasley…
"Um… yeah" Ron said sheepishly, smiling at Pansy. "They said I was out of commission for too long, so my muscles lost their strength… The therapy is helping me get that strength back! So don't worry, I'll be back to normal in no time!" Hardly…
"When do you have it?" Daphne asked, she was sitting right next to him. Ron gazed at the clock in his room and grimaced.
"In thirty minutes…" Ron sighed.
"Well, we're here all day" Tracey said with a wide smile. "We can help you! And then I reckon we should go to the gardens! We brought a chess board as well, and we have other games too!" Ron was taken aback by her excitement to spend the whole day in a hospital. They really missed me that much? Why? I wasn't a very good friend by the end of the school year… Ron felt a pang of guilt as he remembered how many things he had kept hidden from everyone.
"That sounds like a great idea, Trace" Daphne beamed, and then she turned to Ron. "We are allowed to help, right?" She looks so happy to help… I don't want them to see me in therapy… It's embarrassing. But I don't want to keep lying to my friends…
"You can watch" Ron said slowly, swallowing his shame. He needed to be a better friend to them all, it's what they all deserved. "But I'm warning you… it isn't pretty…"
"Neither are you" Blaise said with a chuckle. "But we put up with you!" Theo and Ron laughed at that, while the girls frowned at the boys in irritation. I'm glad the lads are acting like they normally do! I was getting sick of this mollycoddling…
"Speaking of putting up with things…" Pansy said, shooting a glare at Blaise. "When did they say you can leave? I think it'd be great if you came over to Greengrass Manor for a few days. We're all staying there… including these two imbeciles…" Ron chuckled at Pansy's annoyance with the boys. It would be nice to stay with my friends! But my family needs me…
"I'd love to visit, but I can't stay over" Ron said, smiling at his friends apologetically. The all looked quite dejected to hear that. "My family wants to keep their eyes on me… I think they need to…"
"Well that's understandable…" Millie said softly, she wished it were different though. "After everything that happened… with you-know-who…" Ron shuddered at the memory of the worst night he had ever experienced, though he was shocked to learn that they knew about the Dark Lord. Never again… I'll be more prepared from now on! I just need to work harder than ever before, and then… then I'll be safer!
"Everything that happened… So you know the truth…" Ron muttered, and then he turned his head to crack his neck. His friends went quiet at his words, recalling how horrid the last month had been. None of them had come to grips with the Dark Lord's existence properly, and they treated it as a taboo subject.
"Why didn't you say anything?" Theo whispered, looking down at the white bedspread. "Why the fuck didn't you tell any of us?" He sounded quite hurt, and even a little angry. I was stupid enough to think that I could take on the Dark Lord alone… That he was weakened… And he overpowered me in a heartbeat…
None of them said anything for a few seconds, and the mood was beginning to get somber. Ron didn't want that, he wanted to have a good time with his friends! So he decided to open up a bit for a change, just to put their minds at ease.
"I didn't want you all to be in my shoes…" Ron said softly, looking down as well. "I didn't want you to worry, or get hurt. I thought I'd take care of it discreetly, and just pretend like it never happened…"
"You didn't want us to worry?" Daphne said in a hushed voice. "Well… you failed. This last month has been… Do you even… It was just so…" Daphne struggled to get her words out, and Ron could tell she was about to cry. Shite… I'm so damn bad at this…
"We thought you were dead" Blaise said softly, looking Ron in the eyes. "No one would tell us a thing… And we thought that they were covering up your death…" Ron flinched at that, feeling another pang of guilt. "If it wasn't for Draco, we wouldn't even know where you went… Not until the Daily Prophet came out…" Malfoy? Daily Prophet?
"What do you mean? What does Malfoy have to do with this? And the Prophet?" Ron asked, genuinely confused. He had missed so much, it was quite annoying playing catch-up like this.
"Well…" Tracey started slowly. "After you went 'missing', we looked everywhere but we never found you. Blaise decided to approach Malfoy, who started muttering on about… you-know-who… and then he bolted to tell Snape everything. That's how we found out… and then…" Tracey trailed off. I forgot about Malfoy… he was in that forest with me! He's no doubt told everyone he knows! Shite!
"Then what?" Ron asked Tracey.
"Then they told us to lie…" Daphne said, she sounded pissed. "They told us to pretend that we didn't know any better, and then Dumbledore announced to the school that you were injured by a spell backfiring on you! They wanted us to lie, Ron! And they never explained why…" Bastards wanted to save face…
"But then Rita Skeeter released an article about your 'spell-backfiring' on you, and in it she revealed your coma-like state to the world." Millie joined in. "She blamed Dumbledore for being an incompetent Headmaster… and I agree with her for once…" Rita Skeeter? Where have I heard that name before? Ron thought harder, and then it hit him. She's that reporter who been writing about me! How did she learn about the coma? My family didn't tell anyone!
"That article caused… problems…" Pansy said, looking at Daphne with a sad smile. Problems? What problems? I've missed so much!
"What problems?" Daphne huffed in annoyance. "I don't remember any problems at all! I gave those fools what they deserved!"
"Um… what?" Ron asked, wondering what she had done. This can't be good…
"People came over to shower us with their pity on the train ride home" Blaise spat out, sickened at being looked down upon. "And then… then Granger and her lot came by…" Ron sighed at that. What did you do Daph?
"Granger had the gall to say 'Sorry for your loss'…" Pansy gritted out, remembering those pitying looks on the Gryffindors' faces. "Even after she had thrown you to wolves with that Dragon nonsense… fucking bitch…" Ron flinched at the venom in Pansy's voice, Hermione didn't deserve that. It was his idea to throw himself to the wolves, Hermione had simply made that sacrifice worth it.
"You guys…" Ron started, but he was cut off by Daphne.
"No, don't you dare defend them Ronald Weasley!" Daphne shrieked. "Every time something horrible happens, those three are there! The Mountain Troll, the Dragon, and when you were on trial for the Dragon… They aren't good for you! And you need to stop seeing them!" Ron frowned at that, he knew the truth that none of his friends did. I'm the main problem in all of these situations… I went after the troll, I chose to help with the Dragon, and I choose to admit my guilt… I didn't give the Trio a chance in any of these…
"Stop fighting" Millie said firmly. "We all just got back together… so stop it!" They all went quite but Ron could feel the anger coming off of Daphne and his friends. Great… they hate my Gryffindor friends now more than ever… Wait. Where are those three? Mum never mentioned them visiting me… They'd visit right? I mean Hermione definitely would! And Harry! Don't know about Neville though… Shouldn't Harry be here with Sirius? I mean Sirius has dropped by two times, and I've only been up for a couple of days… Ron decided that he needed to find out where his Gryffindor friends were, he didn't want to lose them just yet. He quite liked the Trio…
"On a good note" Theo said, breaking the awkward silence. "We won the House Cup…"
"What?" Ron asked, going wide-eyed. "How? We were done for…" How did we win? Ravenclaw or Gryffindor should've won. Victor said so himself…
"You" Pansy said with a soft chuckle. "Dumbledore gave you fifty points for playing chess… It put us in the lead, you won us the Cup Ron." Chess? Dumbledore gave us the cup? Bloody hell! We actually won it! Victor must've been ecstatic. Ron let out a happy laugh, and his friends started to relax and smile as well.
"And I missed it?!" Ron said, still laughing.
"There's always next year, mate" Blaise chuckled. He was glad they had gotten back to a more pleasant mood. Thank Merlin for Theo's inability to cope with anything emotional.
"Ugh…" Ron groaned. "Don't remind me… I really don't want to go through that again!"
"Go through what?" Theo asked with a smirk. "I'm the one who earned pretty much all the points…" Ron let out a laugh at Theo's smirking face, and even Blaise had to stifle a laugh when Tracey tried to smack Theo. They all laughed at Theo trying to dodge Tracey assault, but stopped when the door to Ron's room opened. The nurse from before entered, and she smiled at Ron and his friends.
"Mr. Weasley" the nurse greeted. "I'm here to take you to your session. Come along now, and your friends may join you if you wish." Bloody hell… Here we go again…
The session wasn't as painful as the last one, but it still hurt. Ron didn't miss the worried looks that his friends were giving him while he was trying to walk to that damn yellow line, and it made him feel quite inept. He felt like they would see him as someone who couldn't even bloody walk properly, and that fact made him feel… lesser. When the nurse called the session to an end, Ron quickly chugged down that disgusting potion again. It made him gag, and his friends winced at the sight. After that, he knew that he couldn't keep walking around, so he was extremely grateful when Blaise elected to push his wheelchair without saying a word about it. His friends also made sure to not even mention that he was in a wheelchair, and they chose to converse with him normally.
They went to the gardens and spent the remainder of the day playing games. Ron was excited to hear that both Daphne and Tracey had birthdays coming up, and that they were planning to throw separate parties. Parties that he was, of course, invited to. Things were now looking up for Ron! He would be out of this hospital in a few days, and he had plans with his friends! Now he just had to hear back from the Trio, and things would be golden!
"There you all are" came Lady Greengrass' voice. Ron and his friends looked to her, and saw that Lord Greengrass and Astoria Greengrass were with her. Ron smiled at the little Greengrass girl, and she smiled back. Her cheeks are so chubby!
"Mother, father…" Daphne greeted, and then a realization hit her. They had to go now, and leave Ron behind. It dampened her spirits greatly but she didn't show it. "Tori, you remember Ronald, don't you?"
"Of course" Astoria said, and then she gave him a cute little curtsy. Her mother smiled approvingly at her, and even Daphne was happy to see Astoria behaving herself. "I'm glad you're awake. Daphne was so sad without you."
"Tori!" Daphne scolded, and her friends stifled their laughs. "Mother, see what she does!" Daphne whined, and Astoria giggled at her sister's misfortune.
"Astoria Greengrass…" Lady Greengrass scolded, although she too found it quite funny. Ron was also trying not to laugh, and he decided that he liked Astoria Greengrass. She is definitely less wound up than Daphne!
"It is good to see you up and about Ronald" Lord Greengrass said, deciding to ignore his youngest daughter's mischievous antics once again. "We were saddened to hear of your misfortune. Love, take the children home please. I wish to speak with Ronald… alone." Ron gave him a nod, while his friends just looked between the two. Then Lady Greengrass beckoned and they had to leave.
The girls hugged Ron goodbye, except for Daphne who was clearly mortified because of Astoria. Theo and Blaise shook his hand again, and promised to visit again tomorrow. Ron was more than happy to hear that, and he grinned happily at his friends as they left. Then it was just Ron and Lord Greengrass in the gardens.
"It is good to see you again, Lord Greengrass" Ron said politely, and deep down his excitement grew. Is he going to talk to me about my apprenticeship?!
"Likewise, Ronald" Lord Greengrass smiled faintly, and then he looked around the garden. "Dreadful place… St. Mungo's. Don't you agree?" Pleasant talk? Really?
"Quite so, my Lord" Ron replied, agreeing wholeheartedly.
"I hear the food here is equivalent to 'stale garbage'…" Lord Greengrass said, his voice humorous. She showed him the fucking letter! DAPHNE! Ron gave Lord Greengrass a sheepish smile, but Lord Greengrass smiled fully at Ron. "It is alright Ronald. I agree with you completely about that statement, I once spent a week in this horrid place. The first thing I did upon my release was go to an actual restaurant." He was in St. Mungo's for a week? What for? It doesn't matter… not my place to know.
"Now that we are alone" Lord Greengrass continued. "I'd like to speak to you about a few things." Lord Greengrass then approached and sat down next to Ron on a bench. Ron was still in his wheelchair. "Your hospitalization… what was the cause?" Ron flinched at that question, now he was in trouble. Should I tell him the truth? Or should I lie? Merlin… why did he have to ask that before I could decide on what to do about this mess? Lord Greengrass stared at Ronald for a few more seconds, and then he sighed in a tired fashion.
"Ronald" Lord Greengrass said. "You must act faster the next time someone asks you such a thing…" Ron was taken aback by that, and he stared at Lord Greengrass with an open mouth. "Albus Dumbledore has informed the Ministry that your current residence is the result of your 'experimentation with a powerful spell'… It is a good story, and one that they all believed. You should take advantage of it." What is he on about? Does he know the truth? Merlin… Daphne… She fucking told him, didn't she?
"So you know…" Ron said slowly, looking down at his bandaged hand. The scarred hand.
"Yes, I know" Lord Greengrass said, his voice was calm and collected. "It was a shocking thing to learn about, I must admit. The Dark Lord yet lives…" Lord Greengrass absent-mindedly rubbed his inner left fore-arm. "This is a grave thing Ronald… A grave thing. May I offer you some advice? One chess player to another?" Lord Greengrass asked. Ron nodded slowly at that, looking at the older wizard intently. "Stick with Dumbledore's story. Tell the world that it was just a mistake on your part. It is better that way." Better for who?! Not for me! I look like some idiot who disfigured himself forever! All the while the Dark Lord is running around free…
"It isn't fair…" Ron managed to grit out, feeling bitter at all these adults telling him to lie.
"No it is not…" Lord Greengrass said calmly. "But life is not fair Ronald. It is a cruel and vindictive thing, and it tries to break down the best of us every chance it gets. I am sorry for what happened to you, no child deserves this. But it is for the best that the Dark Lord's presence remains hidden."
"Why?" Ron asked, forgetting that he was talking to a Lord. But Lord Greengrass didn't mind, he liked people with a back-bone.
"How much do you know of the last war, Ronald?" Lord Greengrass asked, but then he continued without waiting for Ron's answer. "Not much I'd wager, you were only a baby when it ended after all. It was a dark time… a truly dark time. For everyone. Pure-Bloods… Muggle-Borns… The war found them all, and it did not show mercy. Thousands of witches and wizards died, and just as many Muggles. Both sides were unforgiving in nature. The Dark Lord knew no mercy, and the Ministry threw away its ideals just to survive." Ron was listening intently, and he shuddered at the thought of his parents being a part of such a world.
"And then…" Lord Greengrass continued. "A boy destroyed the Dark Lord, and the world was set free overnight. The darkness of the war had finally begun to fade, and the Ministry ruthlessly sought out the Dark Lord's minions. Most of those minions were glad that the Dark Lord was gone." That jarred Ron and he looked at Lord Greengrass in a confused manner. "Yes… Even the Dark Lord's Death-Eaters were glad that he was gone. The Dark Lord showed as much mercy to his followers as he did to his enemies. There were a few who were still loyal however, but they were as mad as the Dark Lord himself." Lord Greengrass sneered at nothing in particular.
"And then there was peace" Lord Greengrass went on. "The reign of the Dark Lord was a thing of the past, and most of his followers were either sealed away in Azkaban or they had cut all ties with the Dark Lord. One thing was clear to all, the world was better off without the Dark Lord in it. Do you understand, Ronald?"
"Shouldn't we find him then?! Find him and kill him while he is still weak?! Why hide his existence? It is not a wise move!" Ron spoke with desperation. Lord Greengrass gave Ron a sad smile.
"It is the wisest move…" Lord Greengrass said slowly, maintaining eye contact with Ron. Ron was about to speak but Lord Greengrass put up a hand to stop him. "Listen to me for a moment. The majority of the Dark Lord's followers followed him because they were afraid of him. Fear was his weapon, and no one wielded it with more skill. If you declare to the world that the Dark Lord yet lives, then that fear will be reborn. You may think that everyone will come together to hunt for the Dark Lord, but you are naïve. Those who cut their ties off with the Dark Lord will be compelled to aid him, for they still fear him. The peace that the Ministry has built will falter, and then it will crumble. A new war will ignite." Ron was stunned at the explanation. Was Lord Greengrass telling the truth? And why was he being so open with Ron?
"Here is my first lesson to you Ronald" Lord Greengrass continued. "There is always a better way to play the game! On one hand, you could tell the whole world what you saw and potentially start a war… On the other hand, you could act with discretion and avoid such a calamity. Dumbledore is most definitely hunting for the Dark Lord, and if you tell everyone the truth, you will take away Dumbledore's power to hunt for the Dark Lord in peace. If a war breaks out, then Dumbledore's attention will be split. This will only serve to aid the Dark Lord. Do you understand?" Ron nodded slowly, feeling his face burn with shame. I could have… I didn't even think… Of course Dumbledore would be searching for the Dark Lord, why didn't I think of that?!
"Good" Lord Greengrass said with a smile. "You are a smart boy, Ronald. But Daphne tells me that your emotions drive you, and while that is perfectly fine, it does hinder your thinking. And someone who aspires to become a Chess-Master must always think with a clear, and focused, mind. I will make sure to teach you that during your time with me… As my apprentice." Ron looked at Lord Greengrass and smiled ear-to-ear, and Lord Greengrass smiled back faintly. It's really happening then?! "I have spoken to the International League of Wizard's Chess Club Ronald, and I have informed them that you and I came to a deal just before your 'accident'. Now that you are awake, we can proceed."
"Thank you" Ron exclaimed happily, earning a chuckle from Lord Greengrass. "I won't let you down, my Lord. I promise!"
"Good" Lord Greengrass replied. "And I promise to be a worthy mentor to you, in all things." Lord Greengrass then extended his hand, and Ron shook it firmly. "Remember what we have talked about Ronald… Think on my words before you choose to act." Ron nodded firmly, still smiling widely. "As for the contract, I will bring it to your father after Daphne's Birthday party. You will attend, of course. You are an ally of our Noble house from this day on, and I imagine that you will spend quite a lot of time with us." Lord Greengrass then stood up, and said his farewell to Ron. And just like that, the Lord of the Greengrass family was gone. Ron let out a loud laugh and pumped his arms into the air, excitement taking over completely. WOHOO!
Ron was sitting on his bed and going over Lord Greengrass' words in his head, but he was interrupted when the door to his room opened. Ron looked up to see Sirius Black sneaking in, and he seemed to be a bit drunk.
"Hello, pup" Sirius greeted with a wide smile. Pup?
"Hello, Lord… Sirius…" Ron said, smiling at the well-groomed man. He looks so much better now that he isnt in Azkaban!
"Lord Sirius?" Sirius chuckled, and Ron noticed that the man was hiding something behind his back. "That's new! I'm not much of a Lord though, pup." Again he calls me pup… Sirius then approached Ron's bed and sat down in front of him. Then he pulled out a basket filled with sweets and treats from behind his back. "Tada!"
"Woah!" Ron exclaimed, looking at all the sweets hungrily. "Are these for me?"
"Of course, I resent that your mother won't let you eat the good stuff!" Sirius said with a chuckle. "Here, let's eat and enjoy." Sirius then spilled the treats in between the two, and they both ate them excitedly.
"You know, mum would be furious if she found out" Ron said, his cheeks full of Every-Flavored-Beans.
"Then we should finish these in one sitting" Sirius said, chewing a chocolate frog. Haha Sirius is great!
"The nurses told mum and Pandora to not let me eat things that don't provide 'nutrition'…" Ron complained, picking up a licorice wand.
"Fuck the nurses… I know I would" Sirius barked out a laugh, and Ron's ears and face turned red. Wow… "Oh… sorry pup" Sirius said with a sheepish grin. "I forgot that you're just a kid haha! But still… some of these nurses are quite pleasing to look at, don't you agree?" Ron smiled in embarrassment, and then he nodded his head. Sirius laughed happily again. "There ya go! Nothing wrong with looking kiddo! Everyone does it!"
"Everyone?" Ron asked, feeling nervous about thinking of his nurses in that way.
"Of course, it's natural" Sirius explained, and then he bit into another chocolate frog. "You can't tell me that you haven't noticed that pretty nurse that gives you a bath?" Then Sirius laughed when Ron went bright red. "Merlin… What I wouldn't give to be given a bath by that woman!" Ron laughed at that, and then he picked up another licorice wand.
"She is really pretty…" Ron mused, thinking of the blonde nurse. And she's seen me naked… Ron felt his face burn.
"That she is…" Sirius said, clearly picturing her as well. "Pandora tells me that you have quite a few lady friends… Is that true?" Ron looked at Sirius with wide eyes, and Sirius chuckled and ruffled Ron's hair. "Well done pup! I expected no less from you!"
"It isn't like that…" Ron tried to explain, but then he remembered all the hugs they gave him and he blushed even harder. AGH! I'll never see them the same way again!
"I'm just pulling your tail, pup. Don't worry about it, if it happens it happens…" Sirius grinned, finding Ron's blushing rather funny. They ate in silence for about thirty seconds before Ron broke that silence.
"Why hasn't…" Ron trailed off, and then he mustered his courage. "Why hasn't Harry visited me? Or Hermione and Neville…" Sirius stopped eating, and he looked taken aback. But then Sirius sighed and smiled sadly at Ron.
"Harry is with his 'family'…" Sirius said bitterly. "I don't know about Hermione and Neville, I've only met them once. After the Hogwarts Express dropped them off, that is" Sirius elaborated. "That Hermione girl looked quite upset for some reason, and that Neville chap was trying to comfort her… Even poor Harry looked distraught. I imagine it was because of your… your situation." Or because Daphne destroyed their souls… Wait… Why isn't Harry with Sirius?
"Why isn't Harry with you?" Ron asked slowly, and Sirius let out a dry chuckle.
"It's… complicated, kiddo" Sirius said, clearly trying to avoid the conversation. Ron understood that, and chose to respect it. Merlin knows I have my own secrets…
"Forgive me, I did not mean to intrude…" Ron apologized. Ugh… I even sound like Daphne now! Sirius must've noticed Ron's odd way of apologizing because he laughed loudly.
"You're a weird kid, Ron" Sirius said, clearly amused. "But thanks… Just know that I'm doing my best to get custody of Harry, and then you two can be the best of friends! You can be the Padfoot to his Prongs!" Custody? Padfoot and Prongs?
"What?" Ron asked, confused at Sirius' words.
"I'll explain that to you someday soon, pup" Sirius said happily. "Now we'd better finish these up, or your mum will kill us both!"
Neville Longbottom's POV
Neville walked excitedly by his Grandmother's side because today was finally the day that he would get his own wand! He had brought it up last week, and demanded that she get him his own wand. Demanded! Merlin that felt great… even if I nearly fainted after… Neville smiled happily at the memory of him showing a backbone for once when it came to his Grandmother. Augusta Longbottom was not a woman many could stand up to, but Neville finally had. And he had managed to do it because he had made friends with two of the bravest people he knew! Harry and Hermione… Merlin I miss them…
Hermione was currently in Italy with her parents, no doubt sightseeing and exploring the beautiful country. Harry was… ignoring him. Neville felt his chest tighten at that thought. Neville had sent Harry over a dozen letters, and Harry hadn't replied to even one! Eventually, Neville stopped sending Harry letters, and instead sent Hermione a few. It turned out that Harry was ignoring her as well… and Neville couldn't understand why! Harry wasn't that kind of person, something had to be wrong!
Maybe Harry was angry at him and Hermione? But whatever for? He seemed fine on the train ride home, and now he was ignoring them… Neville felt his mood begin to change for the worse, so he stopped thinking about his best friend. Right now… right now I need to get a new wand. Then I can do something about Harry!
"Here we are" his Gran said, and then she opened the door and walked in. Neville followed behind, and he felt his heart beat faster and faster. "Good morning Garrick" his Gran greeted the old man behind the counter.
"Ah, Augusta!" Mr. Ollivander said. "I was wondering when I'd be seeing your grandson… Come in, come in." Both Neville and his Grandmother approached the counter, and Neville looked around the shop. It was smaller than he had imagined, and a lot dirtier… There's dust everywhere! Doesn't he clean this place?
"Yes… it seems my son's wand does not work well with my grandson" Augusta said, though she didn't sound disappointed this time around. That made Neville happier than anything.
"Of course, and why would it?" Mr. Ollivander said, and then he smiled at Neville. "The wand chooses the wizard, not the other way around! Come boy, let me look at you!" Neville stepper closer to the old man, and he felt embarrassed at being studied like this. "Hmm… yes, I see it. You have a spark about you, my boy… Yes, indeed" Mr. Ollivander mused, and Neville went wide-eyed. A spark? Me? Then Mr. Ollivander walked into the back of his store, and came back after a few seconds.
"Here, try this one" Mr. Ollivander said as he handed Neville a dark colored wand. Neville held it, and felt nothing. "Well give it a wave!" Mr. Ollivander said suddenly, making Neville jump a bit. Neville then pointed it away from the old man and flicked the wand. The shelves on a nearby cupboard shot out violently, and then the cupboard fell over with a loud thud. Neville went wide-eyed, but not half as much as his Grandmother.
"No, no… definitely not" Mr. Ollivander muttered, then he took the wand from Neville and left for the back of his store again. This went on for a few more minutes, and Neville was losing his excitement. What if I really don't have a wand? I might as well be a squib…
"Here…" Mr. Ollivander said as he handed Neville a light brown wand with a dark brown wooden hilt. Neville took it slowly, and he instantly felt its warmth in his hand. Neville then flicked the wand, and beautiful sparks shot out of its tip in abundance. Neville gave out a shocked laugh and looked to his Grandmother. She was smiling happily at him, and Neville felt his eyes burn. I have a new wand! I can't wait to show it to Harry and Hermione!
"This wand has chosen you" Mr. Ollivander said with a smile. Then he turned to Neville's Grandmother. "Cherry wood, Unicorn Hair core, thirteen inches, and surprisingly swishy flexibility!" Augusta Longbottom beamed at hearing that, and she felt proud of Neville.
"Put that wand down and eat, Neville" his Grandmother scolded, but there was no bite in her words. She sounded rather amused. Neville put the wand down and smiled at it, and then he began eating lunch. All he wanted to do was cast spells with his new wand, but he was underage and Hogwarts was still a month and half away… I actually want to go back to school! How crazy is that!
"Thank you for my wand, Grandmother" Neville said gratefully.
"You are welcome, Neville" his Grandmother replied. "I am… I am sorry." Um…? Did she just… apologize?
"Sorry for what Grandmother?" Neville asked slowly, his shock evident to his grandmother. She looked at him and smiled softly.
"I should have gotten you your own wand" she said softly. "It was… wrong of me not to. Especially after what happened during the end of the school year." Neville shuddered at the memory… It had been one of the worst things he had ever seen. He still had trouble sleeping because of that night. "You did the Longbottom name proud, Neville" his Gran continued. "You stood with your friends and faced Voldemort's spirit… Your mother and father would be proud of you as well." Neville flinched at the Dark Lord's name, and his Grandmother noticed.
"Do not fear his name, Neville" Augusta Longbottom said, hoping to teach Neville an important lesson. "It is only a name, and fear of a name increases the fear of the thing itself… Do not give that serpent that satisfaction. Do you understand?"
"Yes, Grandmother…" Neville said softly, thinking of the Dark Lord's spirit again. He had thought about it during the entire break so far. Poor Ron…
"Good" Augusta said, she knew that he eventually would understand. And she knew that she had underestimated him for far too long. Her grandson… was a true Gryffindor. One that threw caution to the wind in order to protect his friends.
Neville lay on his bed, and he was thinking of the Dark Lord once again. He knew that he probably wouldn't sleep for a while, the spectral form of his worst nightmare haunting him... Ron's screams haunting him… Ron's mangled body haunting him…
Neville Longbottom's POV (Flashbacks)
Neville was generally not a bad person… he just wasn't. He was always doing his best to just make it through the day, to just not mess things up. But on his very first day at Hogwarts, Neville had lost Trevor on the Hogwarts Express. He had searched high and low, and a certain bushy haired girl had come to his aid. Even if she had called him foolish for losing the toad in the first place, but Neville was used to being called a fool. Everyone called him a fool…
They had split up after a while, and then she had returned with his toad in her hands. That was the first time he had heard of Ronald Bilius Weasley. It was Ron who had summoned his toad, and thus returned his companion back to him. Then he shared a boat ride with the same Weasley, and Neville had to muster his courage just to thank him. He had failed, of course… And Hermione had told Ron of what Neville wanted, and Neville was glad to see Ron smile at him and tell him that it was 'no problem'… Ron was friendly towards him, and Neville had hoped to be in his house. And then the sorting ceremony happened, and Neville's world fell on its head.
Neville had implored the Sorting Hat to place him in Hufflepuff. He knew that Hufflepuff was the house where all the rejects went… and he was a reject. But the hat had sent him to Gryffindor instead… Into the House of the Brave! Neville was shocked and afraid at the hat's decision, but he had no more say in the matter. Hermione was already sorted into Gryffindor, and then THE Harry Potter was also sorted into Gryffindor. Neville felt tiny compared to his fellow first year house-mates. And then it was Ronald Weasley's turn, and everyone already knew where he was going. He was a Weasley, and Weasleys only went into Gryffindor! So imagine everyone's surprise when the youngest Weasley son ended up a hat stall… a hat stall that ended with Slytherin! It was unbelievable to say the least, and Neville was shocked to see the helpful boy be sorted into the House of the Cunning. The Dark house of Hogwarts…
His brothers had been livid, especially one of the twins. But Neville knew that it was not his place to get involved, it just wasn't his business. So he had just ignored them all. When he went into his dorm, he found Harry being bombarded with horrible questions about you-know-who. Questions that were clearly bothering Harry, so Neville had asked the others to stop. Neville knew the pain of losing one's parents to evil, and he could see that Harry felt the same way. Neville finally made a friend that night, a friend that he had never expected to make.
It hadn't even taken a single day for Neville to find trouble. He had found himself cornered by a boy named Malfoy, and his two big friends. They smacked the books out of Neville's hands and pushed him around, laughing like maniacs the entire time. Neville was on the verge of tears when Harry Potter had shown up. Harry didn't care that he was smaller than Malfoy and the other two boys, Harry had just stood up straight and defended Neville. And to Neville's awe, the bullies had left while making rude remarks. The moment Harry helped Neville up, Neville knew that he wanted to be Harry's friend.
The two of them became best friends, something neither of them had ever had before. And Neville couldn't have been happier. At the same time, Ronald Weasley was quickly becoming the hottest topic on every houses' tables. Everyone was openly discussing the brilliance of Ronald Weasley, and Neville felt a small pang of jealousy at the mention of his name. Even Harry seemed to like Ron and when Harry had said that Ron was his first friend, Neville's jealousy had increased. They shared a few classes with Ron, and the boy always looked angry or bothered. Yet he answered every question and was easily the smartest person in the room, much to Hermione's anger. Neville hadn't really spoken to Hermione since their first day, and he was glad for it. She was the bossiest and angriest girl Neville had ever encountered. She would constantly tell people off in the common room, and only ever spoke in order to show off her knowledge. It took her only a few days to become a pariah, and even Harry found her annoying.
Neville wasn't going to lie about feeling insecure, especially when Ron started making an effort to get to know Harry. Harry was always eager to talk to Ron, no matter what anyone from Gryffindor said. Neville personally tried his best to get Harry away from the Slytherins, Neville was their favorite victim after all. And they all seemed to enjoy being cruel, and Ron was a Slytherin. Why would he be any different? He might even be worse, considering his family… Why was he a Slytherin, when his entire family was in Gryffindor for generations? Something must have been wrong with him, and Neville decided to keep his eyes on Ron. It was all for Harry's benefit… that was the reason…
It didn't take Neville long to realize that Ron had integrated into Slytherin rather well. He had a posse of friends following him around, and he seemed to get along with them just fine. This made Neville truly suspicious of Ron, especially because Neville knew that some of Ron's friends had… certain beliefs. Neville questioned whether Ron believed in them as well, and he just couldn't say… He didn't know Ron enough. But Ron's brothers did… and Fred Weasley was quite openly hostile towards Ron. Maybe Ron was indeed 'turning his back on his family'… And yet Harry wouldn't listen to Neville! They were both getting bullied regularly by the Slytherins, and Harry would still defend Ron! It made Neville… it made him jealous… Neville wasn't proud of that, but it was there. And it wasn't going anywhere…
Then Neville had seen something that truly made him suspicious. Ron was sneaking about in the library, looking for something no doubt. Neville had hidden behind a shelf, and overheard Ron talking to Hermione. Ron was polite and kind, and even made Hermione apologize to him! Neville had to admit, Ron was good with words… Too good… And then Percy Weasley had shown up and taken Ron with him to 'talk'. Neville had secretly followed the two, and although he didn't hear what they were fighting about, Neville did see Ron come out of the room looking absolutely murderous. And then Percy had come out teary eyed, and had just walked off with slumped shoulders. Neville had told Harry about this, but Harry had just said that 'brothers fight'. Neville had been rebuffed again!
Hermione's standing in the house was lower than ever before, she was even being bullied by their fellow Gryffindors… And much to Neville's shame, neither he nor Harry did anything to stop it. Becoming her friend was social suicide, and everyone knew it. Everyone but Weasley… who despite being in Slytherin… was still being friendly with her. It baffled Neville, and Neville eventually came to the conclusion that Ron wanted to abuse Hermione's intelligence. Neville had seen them both studying together in the library, and it was clear that Ron was asking more questions than he was answering. Neville's belief that Ron was bad news only worsened due to that discovery.
Neville tried sharing that discovery with Harry, who immediately reminded Neville that Ron had broken Malfoy's nose. That made Ron a 'good guy' in Harry's books, and Neville felt frustrated with this. He decided that he was done trying to show Harry the real Ronald Weasley. If Harry wanted to be Ron's friend, then Neville had no right to take that from him. No matter how much it hurt… And then that night happened, the night when Malfoy challenged them to a duel. They had accepted, even if Neville had done it hesitantly. He didn't want to leave Harry alone for something like this, and Harry couldn't be swayed. Both Hermione and Ron tried to talk Harry out of it, but Harry didn't listen… That was the night he and his friend were saved by Ron. Ron, who had endangered himself just to warn them… Neville felt like a proper git that night. Harry had been right all along, maybe Ron wasn't a bad person at all.
Even after their shared adventure, neither Harry nor Neville made an effort to be friends with Hermione. She wasn't as bossy as before, but the damage to her reputation had been done… The other Gryffindors ignored her openly, except for the prefects. And Hermione became more and more reclusive. She spent entire days inside the library, sometimes never coming out to even eat! Then Seamus had insulted her rather badly after their Charms Class, and she had run off… Both Neville and Harry were ashamed of themselves, but they didn't do anything about it. But Ron… Ron had shown up at the Gryffindor table and ripped into them, Harry specifically. So Harry had convinced Neville to go looking for Hermione… and that's when it happened. That's when they went up against a Mountain Troll…
Neville had never been more terrified in his life, but he had found himself moving without even thinking. He had tried to get Hermione up off of the floor, and she had not been very helpful in her own rescue. And then, once again, Ron had shown up to save them all. And save them he did… He had blown the troll's head off… And the smile on his face as he had walked over to Neville and Hermione had been horrible. Neville didn't know what to fear more in that moment; the troll or Ron…
Hermione became their best friend from that day on, because there were some things that just made bonds for life. Surviving a Mountain Troll was one of them… And Ron became a part of their group too. Harry and Hermione would constantly talk about Ron, and everything related to Ron… And Neville even joined in, but somewhere deep down he didn't enjoy it. He couldn't help but compare himself to his friends… Harry was the boy-who-lived, Hermione was a genius, and Ron was seemingly perfect at everything. Neville was just… Neville… Yet he buried his shameful feelings deep down because he knew that he couldn't bring himself to take Ron away from Hermione and Harry.
Months passed, and nothing changed for Neville. They had their quest to save the stone, but even that was being ruined by Ronald Weasley. Ron's fame around the school was at an all-time high, and Hermione was constantly asking Harry and Neville about bringing Ron into their quest. Even Harry was skeptical of that, and Neville was happy to see his best friend using his brain. Ron was still a Slytherin, and he was the most dangerous of the lot… What if he decided to steal the stone for himself? What if he told the staff, or Snape, or his own friends? The only time Neville ever spoke to Ron was during their 'study sessions', and even then they barely spoke. It was mostly just Hermione and Ron doing their homework together, all the while Ron would sneak Harry answers. Neville could see that Ron was just being manipulative… It wasn't that Neville was paranoid about losing his only friends to Ron… No, it was because the youngest Weasley boy was as clever as they came. Ron was shrewd, and cunning… that's why he was in Slytherin… Why couldn't Harry and Hermione see that?!
And then Ron became a part of their quest, and he became a big part… Everything was run by Ron, and Neville hated it. He hated seeing Harry being pushed aside… He hated how Hermione would ignore Harry and Neville, and just listen to Ron… Hermione had even asked why Harry and Neville weren't more like Ron multiple times, and Neville hated it. Even Harry felt hurt by her comments, but Harry never showed it. He was too noble to do that, and so he quietly agreed and tried even harder. There was an unspoken tension in their group now, and its name was Ronald Weasley. Ron didn't ask, he ordered. He didn't question, he criticized. And if things were kept from him, Ron would glare at Hermione until she relented. Ron was a dictator, and Neville began seeing a similar pattern between Ron and his Slytherin friends. They all waited on him for everything… It was like he owned them or something, and Neville was scared of becoming just like them… What if Ron eventually put Harry and Hermione under his thumb? Neville couldn't let that happen to his best friends…
Neville wasn't blind however, and he could see that Ron was noble in his own way. Ron had helped them over and over again, and he had never asked for anything in return. And Ron had even thrown himself to the wolves to protect the stone… Neville respected that side of Ron, but Neville couldn't respect the side that had secrets. The side that lied like it was second nature. The side that manipulated people around him. The side of Ron that no one cared to see! And then that night came… The night that they set out to save the stone…
Ron was already there… He was already there! He was there before any of them, and Harry and Hermione didn't question that for a second! Ron openly lied to their faces, and they didn't question him! That had been the breaking point for Neville, and he had told Ron to go back to Slytherin. But Ron had turned Hermione against Neville with little to no effort… And Neville's worst fear had come true. Hermione had told Neville to leave instead, and that she would prefer Ron to stay. Neville was so hurt by that… he was so hurt that he didn't even argue… Neville could see the satisfaction in Ron's face for being allowed to stay, and it burned a hole through Neville's chest. Neville could never compete with someone like Ron… Because Neville didn't use people… But Ron did, and he did it well… Harry played peacekeeper again, and they all set off for the stone.
Then Ron asked Harry to destroy the stone, something that the Gryffindors had discussed not doing beforehand. Nicholas Flamel would die without it, but Ron didn't care about that. Ron only cared for his own goals… whatever they were... And to Neville's horror, Harry agreed with Ron immediately. Harry forgot all about their own plans, and just wanted to do what Ron was saying. Neville just gave up at that point, he knew he was too late… Ron had sunk his hooks into Neville's best friends, and those hooks weren't coming out any time soon. Ron didn't ask… Ron ordered… And Harry and Hermione were fine with listening to those orders… Neville felt ashamed of himself for not being good enough to save them…
That night had turned into a real nightmare at the end... Ron had screamed and thrashed about in absolute agony, and all Neville could do was cry his eyes out. He had never seen so much pain before… Is that how his parents felt that night? Were their screams as horrible as Ron's? Neville felt like he was in a nightmare, a horrible and real nightmare. The Dark Lord was alive… and he had savaged Ron's body… No one deserved this, no one…
Dumbledore had convinced them to never speak of what they had seen, and Neville had agreed. He never wanted to speak of this night again… Never. Ron was taken away to St. Mungo's, and Neville felt that his best friends went with him. Harry was dead quiet most of the time. Hermione cried constantly. And Neville was dying from the guilt of treating Ron so poorly… and all because Neville had felt jealous. Ron wasn't a perfect person, he may not even be a good person. But Ron didn't deserve to suffer like that… He truly didn't. Then the news of Ron's coma came to light and it set the whole school ablaze. The Slytherins were 'mourning' Ron, and they made sure everyone saw them doing it. Ron's Slytherin friends were genuinely heart-broken and Neville felt a swell of pity for them. Harry had become a ghost… a ghost that kept blaming himself for everything. And Hermione… Hermione was just gone… She didn't eat, she barely slept, and she refused to even talk about Ron.
And after Daphne Greengrass lost her mind at them, Hermione and Harry got even worse. Neville himself felt like a proper tosser for being so shallow towards Ron. His guilt was too much to bear, so he went to St. Mungo's to visit Ron. He never made it inside… He just stood there, and he couldn't move. Even thinking of Ron reminded him of the Dark Lord, and Neville was too afraid to face Ron's comatose body. He had written to Hermione, explaining how he felt when he got to St. Mungo's… and she had surprised him by saying that she felt the same way. Hermione wasn't ready to see Ron like that, she knew that she couldn't handle it. Not yet. And her parents definitely didn't want her to… Even Neville's Grandmother had decided to not push him… That's how bad things were… Neville vowed however, that he would visit Ron before the holidays ended. He owed Ron that much…
Neville ate breakfast with his Grandmother as usual, and she received her copy of the Daily Prophet as usual. But this copy was anything but usual, it was extraordinary. Neville's Gran smiled happily as she read the paper, and Neville was quite shocked at the sight. Since when does Gran smile at the Daily Prophet? His question was answered when she handed him the newspaper, and he read it with ever growing relief and joy. Ron was awake!
"It is a shame that such wonderful news had to be given by such a repulsive woman" his Gran said. Neville read the name of the journalist who had reported Ron's awakening. It was Rita Skeeter… "That woman will cling to anything or anyone that can get her more readers. Disgraceful woman… Defiling the Daily Prophet with her filth."
"You really hate her that much, Gran?" Neville asked. His Gran was about to say something, but then she stopped. Instead she smiled softly at Neville, taking him by surprise. She is smiling a lot lately…
"Your birthday is coming up" his Gran stated. "You will invite Ronald here, it is about time I met this boy. You will send him an invitation after breakfast, understood?"
"Yes, Gran" Neville said, deciding that he wouldn't mind Ron attending. Hermione would be back in England by then, and he wanted her to see Ron. He wanted both Hermione and Harry to see Ron, Neville knew that it would finally give them all some peace.
Ronald Weasley's POV
It had been a week since he had woken up, and the healers finally gave him permission to go home. Even though right after that they had handed him a crutch, and made him promise that he wouldn't push his body just yet. It turned out that Ron's injuries were not only on the outside, but also on the inside. His internal organs had been healed however, but they were still weak due to his month-long coma. Ron had noticed that he was easily tired out, and he would fall asleep for hours on end if he ever did any physical activities with his siblings and friends. And so he had agreed to their demands easily enough, he just wanted to get out of St. Mungo's.
Helios was still out searching for Hermione, and Ron was quite bothered by that. Where had she gone off to? He had sent his companion out four days ago! And Helios was a fast flyer… Ron decided that he just had to be patient, no matter how annoying it was. Neville had written to him however, and had invited Ron to his house for his Birthday party on the Thirtieth of July. Ron had accepted happily, although he was more excited to see Harry and Hermione than he was Neville. There was some kind of rift between the two of them that Ron didn't fully understand. Ron could just feel that Neville didn't like him all that much, and only put up with him because Harry and Hermione wanted to be Ron's friends. Maybe this was Ron's chance to turn that around?
His Slytherin friends had been around every day since they found out, and Ron loved every minute of it. Theo and Blaise were his secret source of sweets, not counting Sirius, while the girls doted on him. Tracey would make joke after joke which made Ron laugh merrily for once in this horrid place. Pansy would talk to Ron about shopping of all things, and he liked seeing her be this open with him. Even if it bored him to death. Mille had told him that her grades were exceptional, and that her parents couldn't be happier with her. Ron was glad to learn that all of her hard-work had paid off. Though he did wonder how his own grades went, and whether or not he beat Hermione in the end. As for Daphne… She was everywhere. She wouldn't leave Ron alone for even a second, and would always sit next to him with a massive smile on her face. Their casual and fun conversations were back, and Ron had learned more about Astoria Greengrass through them. He had been reminded of the twins due to Daphne's description of her little sister. But Ron was just glad that things were getting normal again, especially with his friends.
"Ronnie's back!" Molly exclaimed to his family as she helped him into his seat. He was finally at the Burrow, he was finally home. The family dinner table had been moved outside, and had been transfigured to be much longer. Everyone was here today. The Weasleys, the Lovegoods, and even Sirius and Remus. It was a cool night, and the night sky was clear of clouds. The stars were shining brightly above them, and Ron felt his whole body just relax.
"Um… hello" Ron greeted lamely, but he was met with cheers and laughter. He was sitting in between Ginny and Luna, while his brothers sat across from him. Only Bill and Charlie were missing, and Ron felt saddened at their absence. They have jobs in different countries… I can understand that…
"Welcome home son" Arthur beamed, and Ron beamed back.
"Thanks dad" Ron replied. Things had been improving with his father, especially after Ron had agreed to do Dumbledore's bidding. Lord Greengrass' words had sunk into his head, and he now understood that his anger was blinding him to the big picture. He understood that he was being vindictive and cruel in his behavior, and that shamed him greatly.
"Dig in, honey" his mother said quickly, and then she started piling food on to his plate. And it was a lot of food… even for Ron. His mother had cooked up a feast to rival Hogwarts! Okay maybe not… but this is still a massive amount of food! "Let's get some meat on your bones again" Molly said as she kept on piling. Ron's siblings chuckled at Ron's shocked face, while the adults just smiled happily.
"Easy there Molly" Sirius said in a humorous voice. "Or we'll have to take the pup back to St. Mungo's to pump his stomach." Ron and his siblings laughed at that, but his mother gave Sirius a scolding look.
"Sirius behave" Lupin said, though he was chuckling lightly as well. Sirius raised his hands in surrender, and then he gave Ron a wink. Ron smiled at Sirius happily, Sirius was quickly becoming one of his favorite people. Apart from sneaking Ron sweets, Sirius had also been sneaking Ron amazing foods from all types of cuisines. Food that they would scarf down quickly inside the bathroom to avoid discovery.
They all began eating the grand feast, and Ron was bombarded with questions by his sisters. Ginny mostly asked about Harry Potter, and Luna mostly asked about Hogwarts. Ron answered the questions as best he could, but he was extremely grateful when Percy came to his rescue and told the girls that Ron couldn't talk about either things very much. Harry was still with his 'family'… whatever that meant. And Hogwarts was not a topic that you could discuss with people that weren't there yet without ruining the Sorting Ceremony… Ron didn't want to be hexed in the face by Snape or Dumbledore.
"So what are your plans now, love?" Pandora asked Ron, whose cheeks were filled to bursting. Pandora giggled at the sight and then smiled widely at him. Ron chewed and swallowed before answering.
"I'm going to finish all of my homework quickly, and then do some more study on the topics covered next years… Just to be ready!" Ron said, checking off things in his head. The twins booed him, and even his sisters looked a bit put down at that. At least Percy was happy… Ron quickly decided to change the topic. "Also I need to re-start my runs…" Ron started but Molly cut him off.
"Ronnie no" Molly scolded. "The healers said that you weren't to push your body just yet. You need to put on more weight and take it easy! You still need that crutch to move around… So no. No running around" Molly finished strongly, leaving no room for argument. Ron sighed and looked at back to Pandora.
"Guess I'll just be studying for the foreseeable future…" Ron said in a whine. Pandora giggled at her adoptive son's pouting face. She could literally pinch his cheeks all day!
"Or you could play with us?" Ginny complained, pouting sourly at Ron. Merlin that's her angry pout…
"Of course Gin!" Ron said quickly, worried that his sister would crush his hand again. "That was always a given! I promise." Ginny broke into a smile again and nodded, and Ron sighed in relief. The adults laughed at that, and Sirius turned to Molly.
"Molly" Sirius started slowly, and Ron's mother smiled at Sirius. "Remus and I were wondering if we could… If we could take the pup out tomorrow? To Diagon Alley?" Ron felt his excitement rise exponentially. DIAGON ALLEY! His mother was not as excited about the idea…
"So soon?" Molly asked, looking concerned. "He only just got back and he needs his rest…"
"Love, he has rested enough" Arthur joined in.
"And the fresh air will do him good, Molly" Lupin added in.
"There's fresh air here" Molly argued. Mum please! I want to go to Diagon Alley!
"We wanted to get him some new…" Sirius started but then trailed off, and Ron noticed his mother's expression change.
"Oh…" Molly said slowly. "Oh, alright then!" Sirius gave a loud clap and broke into a grin, while Lupin just smiled gratefully. Get me some new what? What's going on here?
"Molly?" Xenophilius Lovegood said slowly, and everyone on the table looked to him. "Could I also borrow Ronald? An actual Kappa has been sighted not too far from here…"
"No" Molly and Arthur said at the same time.
Ron hobbled down the stairs, cursing the Burrow for having so many of them. It was difficult to navigate them with a crutch, and his legs burned with exhaustion every time. When he finally walked into the living room, he was greeted with the sight of Sirius and Remus being lectured by Pandora and his mother.
"Bring him straight home" Molly said, her voice distressed.
"And don't let him out of your sights for even a minute" Pandora added on, and Molly nodded at hearing that.
"Ladies please" Sirius said with a smile, but that smile vanished when Pandora and Molly narrowed their eyes on him. Haha!
"What Sirius meant was that we won't" Remus said with a soft smile. "I promise, everything will be fine. We will go shopping, have lunch, treat him to some ice-cream, and if he looks tired we will bring him straight back." Shopping? Shop for what?
"Good morning" Ron greeted, deciding to make his presence known. He then hobbled into their view.
"There he is!" Sirius exclaimed, making Ron smile widely. Sirius walked up to Ron and ruffled his hair, but then Sirius took in Ron's clothing. "Why are you wearing a sweater and gloves pup? It's boiling out today..." Ron felt his stomach do a flip as he remembered his scars. Ron looked away from Sirius sheepishly and pulled the sleeves down even more. Remus smacked Sirius' arm from behind and glared at him, and then Sirius figured out why Ron was wearing a sweater. The adults had all seen the poor boy's scars… Sirius wished he never had, they were horrible to look at. He felt massive relief at the fact that none of the younglings had seen them. Sirius didn't want Ron's siblings to feel how he had felt at seeing those scars…
"Where are we going in Diagon Alley?" Ron asked, trying to shift the topic. Merlin this is awkward… These damn scars…
"You will see soon enough" Remus said, smiling kindly at Ron. "Come along Ron, we shouldn't waste any time!" Remus then guided Ron to the fireplace, and Ron could hear Sirius being lectured again by his mothers. "I'll go through first, and you can follow me" Remus said. Then Remus took some floo powder and flooed to The Leaky Cauldron, leaving channel open for Ron. Ron followed through and barely managed to stay standing because of the crutch.
"That was close" Ron smirked, happy at his small victory.
"Come along cub" Remus said, guiding Ron out of The Leaky Cauldron. Cub? What is up with these pet-names?
"Remus…" Ron said slowly, deciding to figure out his pet-names. Remus looked at Ron with a wide smile. "Why do you and Sirius call me 'cub' and 'pup'?" Remus just chuckled and ruffled Ron's hair as well.
"Because we see you as one of our own" Remus said softly, making Ron feel confused. "We both… we both owe you a lot… More than even you realize" Remus said with a hint of sadness.
"What do you mean by that?" Ron asked.
"It doesn't matter…" Remus said with a smile. "What matters is that we both care about you deeply." Ron felt his face go red at that, he barely knew these two… If that's how they feel, then I shouldn't push them on this. If they want to tell me, then they will. Both of them waited for a few seconds and then Sirius joined them. He looked rather subdued.
"Women…" Sirius muttered. "Here is some advice pup, don't ever get married to one…" Ron snorted at that, and Remus just sighed.
"So where are we going?" Ron asked, he was tired of the suspense.
"First off we will go to Madam Malkin's to get you fitted for some new robes" Sirius said with a grin, losing his subdued behavior. "Then we will go around shopping for anything you want, have some lunch at some fancy place, and then we'll end the day by going to Florean Fortescue's Ice Cream Parlour! What do you think about that?" New robes? And then shopping for anything I want? What is this?
"Um…" Ron said as he started following the two older wizards. "Why are we getting me new robes? I don't want to sound ungrateful… But I'm just curious." Sirius and Remus looked at each other for a second, and then Sirius sighed.
"Hogwarts sent your trunk back to the Burrow" Remus explained. "Your mother opened it and…" Oh shite… My things were destroyed by Crabbe and Goyle… This explains everything.
"Those little fuckers" Sirius snarled, and Ron flinched. "Who was it, pup? Tell me… I'll do something about it!"
"A couple of idiots…" Ron sighed. "But don't worry about them. The older students got involved and they sorted them out…" I don't want this to become a problem… Victor already solved my issues with Malfoy and his lot.
"The older students?" Remus asked.
"Yeah" Ron replied. "It was Slytherin business and they took care of it… Can we just drop it please?" Remus sighed at that, and Sirius just muttered something under his breath. This isn't over, is it…?
They walked into Madam Malkin's Robes shop and Sirius approached the elderly woman. "Good day to you" Sirius said with a pleasant smile that looked forced. "We were hoping to get this dashing young man some new robes." The elderly woman looked at Ron with a wide smile.
"And what kind of robes is he looking for?" Madam Malkin asked. "Formal, casual, or semi-formal?" Ron just looked to Sirius to answer on his behalf. He didn't know what to get…
"We'll take five robes of each of those three" Sirius said smoothly. "I want the best for him… Silks, linen, cashmere, wool… Use only your best materials." Madam Malkin was surprised to hear this, and then she glowed in excitement. Ron was just stunned, was this for real? Why is he spending so much money? Some normal robes would be fine…
"Any preferred color schemes?" Madam Malkin asked excitedly. Sirius turned to Ron, and then Sirius smirked.
"Black, with silver and emerald green…" Sirius said. "Or anything that will compliment his red hair and pale features…" Madam Malkin nodded in approval and then quickly walked into the back of her store. Ron approached Sirius slowly and tugged at his robes.
"Sirius…" Ron started. "Why are we spending so much on robes?" Remus chuckled softly at Sirius' behavior, and at Ron's confusion.
"Because pup" Sirius started. "We don't want those little snakes to think they have anything over you! We'll show them! You'll be the best dressed, and best looking, Slytherin in Hogwarts by the time we're done today! I bet those lasses at Hogwarts will love it!" Then Sirius let out a hearty chuckle at Ron's red face.
"Sirius" Remus said in a scolding tone, even though he was chuckling.
"He's a growing lad" Sirius laughed. "We need to prepare him for those sorts of things!" What sort of things?! Madam Malkin came back out before he could respond, and she had a tower of materials floating behind her. Merlin…
"This will take a while" Madam Malkin said gleefully. "You two better take a seat while I work with him."
Madam Malkin had not been lying… Ron almost fell asleep four times during the next four long hours. Madam Malkin fitted him with different materials over and over again, humming and smiling happily the entire time she did it… It was like he was some doll to be dressed. A scarred and gruesome doll… Madam Malkin was polite enough to completely ignore the scars on his arms and legs, and even the long one across his chest. She had however gone wide-eyed when he had first undressed for her, but she collected her composure and never mentioned them. Ron was grateful for that…
Eventually, Ron had twenty-one new robes… Six more than he was originally supposed to get, and they were all amazing to say the least. Madam Malkin had even charmed them to grow with Ron, and Sirius was quite happy with the end results. When Madam Malkin told Sirius that the robes would cost over four hundred Galleons, Ron had nearly passed out. But Sirius had simply smirked, and then asked her for the best gloves to go with the robes. She had happily provided him with several pairs, and Sirius had bought them all as well. Ron didn't know what to feel… He knew that he didn't deserve to have so much money spent on him, yet Sirius believed it wholeheartedly. So Ron didn't argue, instead he thanked Sirius multiple times. Sirius had just ruffled Ron's hair and laughed it off, smiling widely at his 'pup'.
Ron ate his ice-cream slowly, he was still filled up from lunch. Ron had managed to ask Sirius a few more questions regarding Harry's whereabouts, and Ron was quite shocked at the answers. Harry had been sent back to his terrible Muggle family on the orders of Dumbledore and even though Sirius was Harry's Godfather, the decision had been taken out of Sirius' hands. And now no one could contact Harry… Or rather it was Harry who was ignoring them… Sirius had suspected that Harry was in some kind of trouble, so he had asked Dumbledore to check up on Harry. Dumbledore did as Sirius asked via some squib woman, and then Dumbledore assured Sirius that Harry was indeed in good health.
Sirius was heartbroken at that, because that meant that Harry was angry at Sirius and was now ignoring him… Ron told Sirius that Harry had also ignored the letter that he had sent when he had first woken up. This baffled Sirius and Remus, and they became suspicious about Harry again. Even Ron had to admit that something didn't seem right…
"I'm telling you Remus" Sirius said with a frown, Ron was brought back to the present at that. "Something is wrong. Why won't Dumbledore let us see him? Better yet, why is Dumbledore refusing to let us raise him? James and Lily left Harry to me in their will… I was supposed to raise him. And now that I can, Dumbledore won't let me!" Dumbledore again? Why is that old man always in everybody else's business? Ron stayed quiet and ate away at his ice cream.
"We must trust him, Sirius" Remus sighed, though he looked rather fed up as well. "Dumbledore is doing whatever is best for Harry… You know that."
"Do I?" Sirius asked bitterly. "Dumbledore isn't all knowing Remus, he can be wrong… He was wrong about me wasn't he?" Remus flinched at that, and Sirius looked guilty immediately. "I'm sorry… I didn't mean you when…"
"It's alright" Remus said with a rather sad smile. Then Remus looked at Ron with that smile. "We can talk about this later Sirius, we shouldn't talk about such things near a child." Ron pouted at that.
"I'm not some child" Ron complained, annoyed at being regarded as one. "Harry is my friend you know. I want to help!" Sirius let out a proud chuckle at that.
"See, Remus" Sirius said with a smile. "Ron wants to help, so we should let him." Remus frowned at Sirius' childish behavior.
"Sirius he is…" Remus started but he was interrupted by a young waitress.
"Can I get you gents anything?" the waitress asked, smiling at Sirius. Sirius smirked back in return and the waitress giggled. What the…? Is she…?
"We're fine love" Sirius said with a charming smile. The waitress nodded and walked away to serve the other customers. "See that, Ron" Sirius said smoothly. "You have to stay confident and smile your best smile at the lasses, women love confidence." Ron chuckled at that, and Remus sighed at his friends antics.
"Sirius, we are here with a child" Remus scolded, even though he was struggling to not smile.
"So what?" Sirius chuckled. "I can use that you know. I can tell the ladies that I'm a single father who is taking care of his son all on his own… and that I could use a woman's comforting presence in my life. That'd work, I'm telling you!" Ron laughed at that, and Sirius grinned at him. Remus was chuckling despite trying to stop himself.
"Clearly I got my good looks from my mother then…" Ron joked. Sirius' grin fell, and Remus guffawed at that. Ron burst into laughter too, and both Ron and Remus laughed at Sirius' frowning face.
"Shut up and eat your ice-cream, wise-ass" Sirius said, his lips twitching into a smile.
AUTHOR'S NOTES: And here it is! I hope you all enjoyed it. Holidays will probably end in a couple of chapters, then we can get started on my second favorite year in all seven years! (Sixth year is my favorite) See you all soon!