Fate

by TheTrueSpartan

When Ron discovers that he can see the future, his entire fate is thrown off of its course. A story about adventure, friendship, growing up, and pushing forward through hardships. This story will get darker as it progresses, just like the original Harry Potter novels. It will cover all Seven Years of Hogwarts, but mostly from Ron's perspective. No Mary Sues, no Character bashing.

50. Chapter 50 - Weasley, Our New Celebrity

AUTHOR'S NOTES: Chapter 50! Bloody Hell, never thought that I'd ever make it this far! Happy day, people! 50 more chapters till we reach 100!

Let me just thank you guys for your support again, it is very much appreciated and it helps me keep going. Especially when the nights are cold, and I feel lonely =(

Enjoy!

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.

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Fate

Chapter 50 – Weasley, Our New Celebrity

Ronald Weasley's POV

Wednesday March 25th, 1993 (Greengrass Holiday House – Early Morning)

Ron had just finished up his morning shower, and now he was staring at his Chess Uniform whilst being covered by a towel. If someone walked into his room right now, they'd see his naked upper body that was blemished with scars. He wanted to put on his Uniform, he wanted to go to Beauxbatons and win. But he also feared putting more stress onto his brain. Could he really afford to risk his Cycle for a game?

Ron hadn't slept much last night, he was too busy plotting his moves for the future. The Entity's words echoed through his head all night, and Ron feared that his Cycle would also end in failure. He had thought about the Cycles intensely, and what they meant for him. But in the end, they seemed to be inconsequential. The previous Cycles belonged to the Ronald Weasleys that had all failed, and Ron couldn't bring himself to care about what had happened to their families. Ron had his own family, his own friends, and his own life to worry about. So he had decided that he would just focus on making his Cycle successful. The other Rons had clearly made mistakes that ended their Cycles, so Ron had to be better than them in every way possible.

Which meant that he had to train harder, study harder, begin making proactive changes around him, and he had to get his brain damage under control. There was so much to do, but so little time. The upcoming war was looming ever closer, and Ron had already wasted too much time. To that rectify that, Ron had made a revised plan. He would still join the Order when the time came, but he wouldn't be just another soldier in Dumbledore's army. He would be the commander of that army. The more power he held, the safer his family and friends would be. And in order to achieve that power, Ron couldn't afford to be held down by any moral obligations. It was time to revisit the Dark Arts. It was time to grow beyond his family's beliefs, and to truly be his own person. Dumbledore had told him that he might have an affinity for the Dark Arts, and ignoring that natural talent was not a smart move. It'd be like ignoring your own bishops whilst playing Chess, and therefore failure would be inevitable.

Ron however had no intention of becoming a killer, or any other form of a sadist, but he wasn't an idiot either. People died in wars, this was an irrefutable fact. So if it came down to it, Ron would do whatever it took to make this Cycle succeed. Everyone he loved depended on his success, even if they didn't understand it yet. And then there was the whole 'Death destroying this Universe' thing… Ron didn't even want to start contemplating about that shite. What was he even supposed to think about something like that? It was so far out of his scope of understanding.

Ron was taken out of his thoughts when he heard the Greengrass Family eating breakfast downstairs, and he let out a long sigh. Time to make a proactive change. Ron began dressing in his Uniform, some semblance of doubt gnawing at the back of his head. Competing in this Tournament was risky, but it had to be done. Ron needed to win this in order to achieve more fame, more influence, and more Galleons. He needed to make allies beyond just Great Britain, and this Tournament was the perfect opportunity to do all of that. I'm putting my faith in you, Entity. Keep up the defense, and I'll do the rest.

Ron left his room when he was fully dressed and ready, and he made his way down to the Dining Room. He knew that the Greengrasses wouldn't approve of him risking his brain being further damaged, but Ron knew that the reward was well worth the risk. Plus, the Entity is getting used to their allures. If I win this despite all the odds, I could really make a name for myself. Ron entered the Dining Room, and all eyes focused on him immediately.

"Merlin…" Mary sighed in defeat when she saw him dressed in his Uniform. Good start, now I know for certain where they stand.

"Ron" Lord Greengrass greeted with a nod, and Ron took his seat next to Daphne.

"Good morning all" Ron greeted them, and then he began making his plate. He could feel them just staring at him, but he chose to ignore it. "Am I going alone?" Ron suddenly asked.

"No, I will be accompanying you" Lord Greengrass replied resignedly, and Ron shot a grateful smile at his mentor.

"We're all going" Mary said tiredly, and then she shot Ron a slight frown. She doesn't agree, but she's still showing me her support. That's the best that I could hope for, all things considered.

"Thank you" Ron said as he cut into his toast and poached eggs.

"But the moment you look like you're in pain, we're bringing you back home" Mary added on. "Healer Bernard was very clear, Ron. This is dangerous, and we don't approve of you risking your mind for this."

"I understand" Ron nodded. "But like I said yesterday, I'm getting used to their allures. I should be able to better handle them today."

"How does it work?" Daphne suddenly asked him, her curiosity taking over. "How do you just 'resist' them?"

"I think of anything but them" Ron shrugged. "I resist the urge to look at them, or to even acknowledge their presence. It's hard to explain…" Damn, I need to come up with a more coherent lie.

"You were all over the Daily Prophet yesterday" Daphne told him, a slight smile on her face. I need to apologize to her about last night. To all of them, actually. They just wanted to help, but I simply ignored them.

"The exclusive" Ron figured.

"No, it was more than that" Lord Greengrass told him, and Ron looked to his mentor with a confused look. "You've garnered a lot of support and recognition for resisting the Veelas, and many of the spectators have given testimony about your resistance against their allures. The French Ministry isn't too happy about this scandal, and neither is the International League of Wizard's Chess Club. But you're quickly becoming a celebrity of sorts in other countries."

"A celebrity?" Ron asked, this was great news. I'm already gaining recognition, and if I win this thing, then I'll definitely gain a lot of influence. Influence that I can use at a later date.

"Your list of achievements in the exclusive has certainly helped boost your growing popularity" Lord Greengrass smirked. "The Wizarding World is starting to learn of your name, Ron."

"Well, that's great news" Ron chuckled. "Thank you, my Lord. The exclusive was a great idea, and it worked out just like you planned."

"I never expected these kinds of results, but thank you" Lord Greengrass responded.

"So…" Tori piped in, a grin forming on her face. "Can I get your autograph?" Ron choked on his orange juice, and then he grinned back at her.

"Depends, will you frame it?" Ron asked in return.

"Don't be arrogant Ron, it's not a good look" Daphne huffed, but her smile showed just how happy she was for him.

---

Ginny Weasley's POV

Wednesday March 25th, 1993 (Grimmauld Place – After Breakfast)

"I still can't believe it" Percy chuckled as he re-read yesterday's Daily Prophet for the hundredth time. The Weasley children and Luna were visiting Grimmauld Place this morning upon Sirius' insistence. Ginny sat with Luna on a loveseat in the Living Room, and she occasionally shot looks at Harry sitting beside the twins. It filled her up with guilt, but she couldn't stop herself.

"How many times are you going to read that?" George laughed, a massive grin on his face.

"I don't know" Percy shrugged. "I just don't want to stop, that's all I know." They had all learned of Ron's growing fame yesterday, and they had all read the exclusive interview together. Percy was ecstatic, George was just awed, Ginny and Luna were extremely proud, and Fred was… Fred was conflicted. Ginny knew that he was the more emotional twin, and she knew that he wasn't happy with how Ron was treating their parents. Truth be told, a small part of her was also unhappy with Ron's cold behavior. But she understood where it stemmed from. She, after all, had taken a lot of guilty pleasure from seeing her mother choose her over Ron time and time again. She wasn't proud of it, but as a little girl growing up with all brothers, Ginny treasured the fact that she had trumped her brothers in something.

"Is it that hard to resist Veelas?" Harry asked, and Ginny shot a quick look at him. Her face flushed when she saw him eye her quickly, and she shifted in her seat. He's noticed me looking, hasn't he? He probably thinks I'm a weirdo. Not to mention I opened the Chamber and ruined his friendship with Ron.

"Next to impossible for blokes" George answered. "Just one look at them, and you'll be begging for their attention. Or at least that's what I've read."

"You read?" Fred sniggered, and George chuckled.

"One of us has to" George shot back.

"George is right" Percy told Harry. "This is utterly unheard of, and that's why it's getting so much attention."

"Wait…" Fred's eyes went wide suddenly, and everyone looked to him. "You don't reckon Ron's into… other boys, do you?" Ginny's jaw hung open, Percy frowned deeply, Harry looked uncomfortable, and George sniggered. What if it's true? I mean, I don't mind. But still, I never thought about that.

"No, he's not" Luna said airily.

"And how do you know that?" Ginny asked with narrowed eyes.

"Not my secret to tell" Luna smiled at Ginny, and Ginny felt the need for a 'girl talk' with her best friend. I'll ask her later. She definitely knows something juicy.

"I'm pretty sure he's dating Davis" Harry told them.

"Davis? Tracey Davis?" Percy asked.

"Yeah, I saw her cuddling him on the train" Harry went on. "As a matter of fact, I've seen her being really… handsy with him. She's always hugging him, or giving him kisses."

"Kisses?" Ginny blurt out in surprise, and she instantly regretted it when Harry looked to her.

"On his cheeks" Harry amended quickly, and all of the children relaxed slightly.

"All of his female friends do that" Luna smiled. "You haven't noticed?"

"Um… no" George replied. "What about that Greengrass girl, she seems to hover around him quite often."

"Can we not discuss his personal life behind his back?" Percy said firmly. "I'm more interested in knowing how he resists the Veelas."

"That's literally what we're discussing" Fred frowned at Percy, but then a smirk appeared on his face. "Don't like talking about dating, do you?"

"Poor Percy, can't even think of girls without blushing" George grinned.

"It's a good thing that there's a lot of boys in our family" Fred went on. "If it was left to Percy, the Weasley line would end." George and Harry sniggered at that, while Percy just rolled his eyes. He was used to their teasing and rude comments, and he pretty much just ignored them at this point. Ginny on the other hand had just started noticing how cruel the twins could be. Sure, they were absolutely hilarious. But their jokes were always at someone else's expense. And it's always Ron or Percy. I can't believe they used to say such terrible things to Ron.

"I don't see you two dating anyone" Ginny said hotly, and the twins blinked at her. Even Percy was surprised to see her jump to his defense. "And dating each other doesn't count." Harry and Luna chuckled at that, and Ginny felt rather proud of her comment. I made Harry laugh!

"Little sister has claws" Fred remarked.

"Indeed, Fred" George nodded. "Shall we cut them off?"

"Enough, you two" Percy narrowed his eyes on the twins. "Leave Ginny alone, understand?" Ginny resisted the urge to frown at Percy, he was being particularly overbearing lately. It was sweet on the first day, but it had quickly lost its charm. He keeps acting like I'm made of glass, and that I'll shatter if something goes wrong. She was still recovering from her ordeal, but she was making good progress. She had started sleeping well again as long as Helios was in the room, and with Luna's presence, she had even started laughing every now and then.

"Refreshments?" came Sirius' voice, and Ginny looked to see him entering the Living Room with a tray full of food. "What are you lot up to?" Sirius asked as he put the tray down on the coffee table.

"Discussing Ron's dating life" Luna replied aloofly, and Sirius just blinked at her. Every other child in the room looked in different directions, but Luna just stared right into Sirius' eyes. Oh Merlin, Luna. What's wrong with you?

"Well…" Sirius muttered, and then he shook his head clear. "Is he as popular with the ladies as I think he is?"

"Lots of girls like him" Luna smiled. "A few of my friends ask me to introduce them to him, but I don't."

"What? Why?!" Sirius asked a little too loudly, and Ginny just stared at the two of them. What's happening here? Ginny shot a look towards the others, and she was glad to see that they were just as gobsmacked as she was.

"Ron doesn't like people snooping around him" Luna shrugged. "He would just get irritated by their company."

"Luna, sweetheart" Sirius smiled slyly. "Come with me, I want to have a quick chat with you."

"Okay" Luna agreed, and then she got up and picked up a few biscuits from the tray. And just like that, Luna and Sirius left the room.

"Um… what just happened?" Ginny asked the others, and they all shrugged. Ginny looked to Harry, and she saw an annoyed expression on his face. What's wrong?

"I'm going to go stop him" Harry said as he suddenly got up. "He's trying to fill her head with his insanity, Remus warned me about this." And just like that, Harry also disappeared from the room.

"There's something wrong with that girl" Fred muttered, and Ginny shot him a glare.

"There's something wrong with your face" Ginny said hotly, and Fred sniggered.

"Don't laugh you moron, we're twins" George frowned at his second half.

"That's not why I'm laughing" Fred shrugged, and then he looked straight at Ginny with a smile. "Gin, are you coming back to school with us?" Ginny tensed at that, and she looked down at her lap. I don't want to go back there.

"I don't know…" Ginny replied meekly.

"I think you should" Fred said softly.

"You're certainly looking better, and you've got that hot-headed temper back" George added on. Ginny didn't respond to that, she really didn't want to go back to Hogwarts. She had almost killed people, and she had succeeded in killing Mrs. Norris.

"She'll come back when she's ready, don't push her" Percy said as he shot a meaningful look at the twins. Ginny shot Percy a grateful smile, and then silence engulfed them. And there's the awkward silence again. Over the last couple of days, whenever they all got together, things gradually became awkward. Ginny knew it was because of her, and she hated herself for it. They knew that she was behind the attacks, they just didn't know the full story. Except for Percy, he knows most of it. I'm so stupid… Ginny absent-mindedly made sure that her left arm was covered up, and then she just sat there. When is Luna coming back?

"You reckon we could ask Ron to share some of his fame?" George asked suddenly, and everyone gave him deadpan looks. Don't try and stop the awkwardness, it only makes it worse.

"I doubt it" Fred replied. "I don't think he cares much for us."

"Speak for yourself" Ginny blurted out, her temper flaring. "If I were him, I'd never want to see your face again." Fred looked genuinely hurt by her comment, and Ginny noticed that Percy and George were frowning at her.

"Ginny, that was unnecessary" Percy said softly, and Ginny scowled a bit. Let me guess, he thinks I'll break if he scolds me. Ugh…

"I'm going to go find Luna" Ginny said, and then she got up and left. They can dish it out, but they can't take it? I wish Ronnie was here, at least his company wouldn't be so awkward. Ginny found Luna talking with Harry in the corridor leading out of the kitchen, and she froze when she saw that Harry had his hand on Luna's left shoulder. Harry noticed her, and he drew his hand back slowly.

"Hey, what are you doing out here?" Harry asked her with a smile. Ginny felt her cheeks burn, and she once again made sure that her left arm was fully covered.

"I was looking for Luna…" Ginny replied with a meek tone.

"Oh, I see" Harry responded. "Well, I'll be on my way then." Harry then moved past her, and he gave her a reassuring smile as he left. When Harry was out of sight, Ginny quickly ran over to Luna.

"What was that?" Ginny asked quickly, her jealousy clearly evident in her voice.

"What was what?" Luna teased with a playful smile.

"Luna, why were you talking with Harry?" Ginny asked with jealous look.

"He wanted to ask me how you were doing" Luna hummed.

"Huh? Then why didn't he just ask me? Why did he talk to you about it?" Ginny asked with narrowed eyes. She knows how I feel about him, so why is she talking to him in a dark corridor?

"I asked him that too" Luna replied as she cocked her head a bit. "He says that he's worried about you, but he can't talk to you because you always act like you're uncomfortable around him."

"Oh…" Ginny blushed deeply.

"He doesn't like it" Luna went on, and Ginny blinked at her. "He doesn't like how you act around him, but he's too polite to say it. I don't think Harry likes being seen as the Boy-Who-Lived."

"Why? He's famous the world over" Ginny said softly, Luna was clearly about to impart her keen insight into people. Make sure you listen to her, she's almost like a Psychic with this stuff.

"Because he lived, but his parents didn't" Luna said in a sagely voice. "Every time someone calls him the Boy-Who-Lived, they remind him of that fact. I think it would hurt quite a lot, don't you?"

"I guess it would" Ginny replied softly, she had never really thought about that. But then again, she hadn't really spoken to Harry much. She wanted to, but she would just freeze up whenever he was near her.

"I think if you act like you normally do, he'd love to be your friend" Luna shrugged. "But that's just what I think, you don't have to follow my advice." Luna then began to leave, but Ginny quickly stopped her.

"Wait" Ginny said as she stepped in Luna's way. "What else should I do?"

"About what?" Luna blinked at her.

"About Harry, Luna" Ginny sighed, how was Luna so airheaded sometimes?

"Oh" Luna smiled widely. "Just talk to him like he's an actual person, and not some famous wizard."

"But he is a famous wizard" Ginny responded slowly.

"He doesn't want to be" Luna told her. "He wants to be just Harry."

"How do you know all of this?" Ginny asked her.

"There's an aura of pain that engulfs him whenever people talk to him like he's some hero" Luna shrugged. "I noticed it, and since everyone knows his past, I figured that he missed his parents. I know I'd miss my parents if they died, so it wasn't a hard conclusion to make."

"Right…" Ginny nodded slowly, Luna clearly had no idea that other people weren't that insightful. "One last thing… Who's Ron's girlfriend?"

"Ron doesn't have a girlfriend" Luna replied, and Ginny smiled slyly. Oh, I know you know.

"Come here, Luna" Ginny cooed, and then she put her arms around Luna. "You can tell me, I won't tell anyone." Luna giggled, and then she hugged Ginny. Okay, I wasn't really trying to go for a hug. But it's Luna so I don't really mind.

"Ron doesn't have a girlfriend" Luna repeated as she squeezed Ginny tightly. "And even if he did, I'd never tell anyone."

"Why?" Ginny chuckled at Luna's tight hug.

"Because he doesn't like people going behind his back" Luna replied aloofly, and Ginny stopped chuckling. "Poor Harry learned that the hard way." Luna pulled back at that, and all Ginny could do was stare at her airy smile. I sometimes forget about what Ron did to Harry, it was horrible. "You guys shouldn't be discussing things about him behind his back, it might not end well for you." Ginny blinked at Luna's words, but Luna simply walked past her with her airy smile in place.

"Luna" Ginny called softly, and they both turned to face each other. I have to ask this. "Are you scared of Ron?"

"Sometimes" Luna smiled. "Aren't you?" And just like that, Luna walked back to the Living Room whilst humming her mother's favorite melody. Ginny just stared at where Luna had been standing, and then she took in a deep breath. She remembered Ron laughing as he attacked Harry like some wild beast, and a shudder passed through her. I guess sometimes I am as well.

---

Tracey Davis' POV

Wednesday March 25th, 1993 (City of London – Afternoon)

The holidays had been nothing short of disappointing so far. Theo was staying in the guest bedroom just down the hallway, but she hadn't manage to spend a single second alone with him. Her dad was everywhere, and his eyes were glued to Theo's every move. And Theo himself wasn't helping matters… He hadn't even tried to get her alone once, instead he just seemed withdrawn. Uncomfortable. The rational part of Tracey understood that he felt unease due to living in a Muggle home within the Muggle World. But the irrational part of Tracey wanted him to get over it and talk to her.

When he had first asked her to host him, she had been left utterly stunned. But after a few minutes, she had become extremely excited. Theo showed a keen interest in the Muggle World, her World, and now she would get to show him around. She didn't know why he was so interested in the Muggle World, considering that he genuinely hated Muggles with a passion, and so at first she had thought that he was trying to get to know her. That was how her crush had started, a crush that he seemed to know all about. Though he never acted on that either. His sole interest in her seemed to stem from her ties to the Muggle World. But then why had he sent her a Valentine Card this year? Ugh… He was so confusing!

But not today… No, today Tracey had it all planned out. Theo had expressed his interest in going to the Leaky Cauldron, and so Tracey had channeled her inner Slytherin and set a plan in motion. She had begged her mum to keep her dad occupied so that Tracey could spend time with her friend. Merlin that had been an awkward conversation. Tracey loved her mum to bits, but the woman had the most inappropriate sense of humor that Tracey had ever witnessed. And some would say that it was a sense of humor that she had passed onto her daughter, but Tracey disagreed wholeheartedly. Either way, today Tracey would get some alone time with Theo.

"Theo, didn't you mention that you wanted to see more of Charing Cross Road?" her mother asked Theo, they were all at the Leaky Cauldron. Here we go. Thanks mum!

"I did…" Theo smiled softly, and Tracey narrowed her eyes a bit. What's wrong with him? Even in the Leaky Cauldron he seems withdrawn.

"Why don't you and Tracey go have a look around" her mother smiled at him, and her dad choked on his beer.

"What?" her father managed to ask.

"James, we'll be right here if they need us" her mother replied. "And kids should get some independence every now and then."

"I will keep her safe, Sir" Theo smiled at James Davis. "You have my word."

"Please, dad" Tracey made her best puppy dog eyes, and her father sighed.

"Fine" her father consented. "Be back here before four, understood?" An hour?! That's it?! Just take it, Tracey. It's the best that he will offer.

"Thanks, dad" Tracey faked a grateful smile, and then she hurried out of her seat. "C'mon Theo, I can show you some neat little places around here." Theo nodded, and he too slid out of his chair. Tracey wasted no time, and she hurried out of the Leaky Cauldron. Finally. I finally get to talk to him alone. She turned around, but Theo hadn't come out yet. Damn, Dad is probably giving him some weird talk. Tracey waited for a few seconds, and then Theo suddenly walked of the pub.

"Here" Theo said as he handed her some Muggle money, and Tracey blinked at it. "Your father gave it to me, you ran out of there before he got a chance to give it to you."

"Oh" Tracey blushed, and she quickly took the money from him. Smooth, Tracey. But you can still recover. "So um… where do you want to go?"

"Foyles bookstore" Theo immediately answered, and Tracey was a bit taken aback. "Though I've forgotten the way there…"

"You've been there before?" Tracey asked slowly, this was news to her.

"I have, and I want to revisit that store" Theo replied.

"Alright" Tracey nodded. "Follow me, I know a really quick way to get there." Theo smiled a bit, and they both began their little trip. I didn't know that Theo had been here before, but then again, I don't know that much about him. Or Blaise. Or even Ron. They don't like talking about themselves. Well, time to change that. "So Theo…" Tracey started, but then she stopped. What the fuck do I even say?!

"Yes?" Theo cocked an eyebrow.

"How's life?" Tracey asked, and she instantly felt like throwing herself in front of a car. How's life? What the fuck, Tracey?

"Same as usual" Theo shrugged.

"Cool…" Tracey responded, and Theo suddenly stopped walking. Tracey turned to face him, and he was just staring at her.

"Can you just tell me what's on your mind, please?" Theo asked, and Tracey blinked at him. "In the past two days, I've caught you staring at me over a dozen times. And half of those times, you were frowning." Tracey's face burned at that, he knew that she was staring all along? Just go for it, it's now or never.

"Why haven't you tried to talk to me in private?" Tracey asked softly.

"Because your father is always watching me, and I don't want to disrespect my host" Theo replied.

"Disrespect your host?" Tracey asked.

"Do you really need me to explain it to you?" Theo sighed. "I'm a boy, and you're a girl. And your father doesn't want a boy talking to his little girl."

"Don't be an arse, Theo" Tracey frowned at his mocking tone. "You're the one who asked me to host you at my house, and now you won't even talk to me."

"I asked you to host me because I have nowhere else to go" Theo rolled his eyes, and a pang of pain shot through Tracey's chest. Theo saw it reflected on her face, and his expression softened. "I didn't mean it like that…"

"You… You're an arse" Tracey grit out, her eyes burning a bit. "I'm leaving…" Tracey began to make her way back, but Theo jumped in her way.

"Tracey, I didn't mean it like that" Theo repeated.

"Well, that's what it sounded like" Tracey snapped. "All I wanted was to talk to you… And you're just being a jerk for no reason… Go and find your own way to that bookstore." Panic shot through his face, and then a pleading look marked his features.

"Tracey, please take me there" Theo pleaded softly. "I'm begging you, I just need to see that store one more time." Tracey just stared at his face, half-angry and half-confused. When does he ever 'beg'? What's with his need to see this bookstore?

"Why?" Tracey asked.

"I just do" Theo replied. "Please, Trace… I just need to see it once, and then I'll start acting normal again. I'll spend every second with you if you want, but just take me there first. And don't ask me why…" Tracey stared at him for a few seconds, and his expression weakened her resolve. What's so special about this bookstore?

"Fine" Tracey said softly. "But you're telling me everything after we get there." Theo gave her a nod, and he gestured her to show him the way. Tracey turned around and began leading the way again, her curiosity piqued. As Tracey led them towards Foyles bookstore, she noticed Theo looking around as if he was remembering something. His face had become pale, even a little haunted, and that set off alarm bells in her head. Something didn't make sense here, why was Theo so interested in a Muggle bookstore?

"There it is" Tracey said as she pointed to it, and then she looked to Theo. "Now can you tell me why you wanted to see it?"

"Foyles bookstore…" Theo muttered as he just stared at the shop. As Tracey watched his haunted expression, she quickly forgot her anger and hurt at his previous words.

"Theo…" Tracey nudged him slightly, but his eyes were fixed on the store. "You're starting to worry me, why did you want to see this particular bookstore?" Theo didn't answer, instead he crossed the road and went straight for the entrance. Tracey followed behind him, and she watched him look around as if he was putting some sort of puzzle together. I'm starting to get really worried? How does Theo know of this place? Theo suddenly stopped, and Tracey followed his gaze which was fixed to a back alley.

"There…" Theo said softly, and he began making his way to it. Tracey quickly followed after him, her instincts telling her to stop Theo from going there. But she chose to ignore them. And then, they were in the back alley. Tracey looked around the shady back alley, and nothing special stood out to her. Some bins, surrounded by buildings, and a gross smell. Tracey looked to Theo, and she was horrified to see tears welling up in his eyes.

"Theo?" Tracey put her right hand on his left arm. "What's wrong? What happened here?" Theo didn't reply, his gaze was fixed at the center of the alley. "Theo, how do you know about this place?"

"My mum… she died right over there" Theo pointed to the center of the alley, and Tracey felt like she had the wind kicked out of her lungs. She stepped back involuntarily, her brain turning off for a few seconds. By the time she processed his words, Theo had begun moving to the center of the alley. Tracey trailed behind him slowly, her stomach tightening and her heart pounding. "This is where she died…" Theo said as he stopped walking, his eyes fixed to the cobblestone just ahead of him.

"How do you know that she died in that spot?" Tracey asked before she could even think, her mind was burning with a hundred different questions.

"Because I was right over there" Theo whispered as he pointed to the wall to their left, and Tracey's heart clenched painfully. All she could do was just stare at Theo's back with wide-eyes, what was she even supposed to say? "I asked to stay with you because I wanted to come here at least once… I've waited for so long to be here. My father never let me come back…"

"How did she die?" Tracey asked softly.

"She was shot" Theo replied, his voice cracking slightly. "She was shot by a Muggle…"

"Why?"

"He wanted money" Theo replied, bitterness evident in his voice. "We were coming back from that bookstore, she loved Muggle novels…"

"Theo, I'm so sorry" Tracey managed, there was a massive lump in her throat suddenly. "I'm sorry you saw something so horrible."

"I don't remember much, I was around five or six" Theo said in a hollow voice. "But I do remember the shop, and the loud bang from his… what are those things called?"

"Gun?" Tracey provided as she rubbed her eyes clear.

"Yeah, gun…" Theo repeated, his eyes still fixed on the spot where his mother bled out. "It all happened so fast, Trace… One minute we were in that bookstore, and the next minute she was hiding me behind her. And then, she was bleeding out. All I could do was stare at her from that wall… They said that she died from shock, but I know that she suffered incredible pain before she passed on. I couldn't do a fucking thing to help her… So I just watched her suffer, and then I watched her die."

"Theo, it's not your fault" Tracey quickly blurt out, and he turned to face her. "It's his fault, the man who shot her."

"I know that" Theo said, pain and anger etched on his face. "And one day, I'm going to find him."

"And do what?" Tracey asked, a sudden fear crawling into her brain. When he didn't reply, Tracey had her answer. They just stared at each other in silence, and Tracey finally realized that she didn't know Theo at all. He was a stranger, one with a horrible past. One that hated Muggles so much that he planned to kill one of them. But the worst part was the fact that she understood why he was so hateful, she would go mad if she saw her mother die like that before her eyes. "What would your mother think about your actions, Theo?" Tracey finally broke the silence.

"She'd be angry, and disappointed" Theo replied. "She was a good person, the best person. People mocked her for marrying my father, who was over twice her age, but she loved him to bits. She planted trees and flowers all over Nott Manor, she sang stupid Muggle songs, and she read me bed-time stories with Princes and Princesses. She stood by my father when people labelled him a murderer, and she shielded me from their hate. She even treated her servants as friends, much to my father's annoyance. She was a good person, and she died in an alley that smelled like piss and vomit. Her killer has to pay for that, and I'll make sure that he does."

---

Millicent Bulstrode's POV

Wednesday March 25th, 1993 (Bulstrode Manor – Afternoon)

"So how did your parents react to Ron's exclusive?" Millie asked Pansy, they were having tea in the Bulstrode Manor Gardens.

"Father made some lame jokes about Ron being adopted" Pansy frowned as she sipped her tea. "And mother… Well, she doesn't believe it to be true. She said that this was just another publicity stunt pulled by Lord Greengrass in-order to 'make his Blood-Traitor pet look good'. She still wants me to go groveling back to Malfoy."

"I'm sorry to hear that" Millie sighed, Pansy's mum was a piece of work.

"Don't be" Pansy smiled at Millie. "And thank you for inviting me over, Millie. I couldn't stay in that Manor for another minute. Mother was constantly glaring at me, and father was just hiding in his study." Millie smiled back, it always amazed her to see Pansy like this. I actually hated her more than Malfoy once, but now she's so much better. But then again, we're all better than we once were.

"You're welcome to stay here as long as you want, Pans" Millie told her.

"Oh!" Pansy suddenly squealed, and Millie chuckled at her sudden excitement. "We can do a sleepover, and try on new makeups!"

"You can do that, I'll just watch" Millie said, she hated that kind of stuff. It just wasn't for her.

"Nonsense" Pansy chuckled. "I've been looking into new hairstyles for us girls, and I want to show you some of them. But enough about that, how did your parents react to Ron's sudden rise in popularity?" Did she just change the topic before allowing me to refuse? Whatever, I'll just refuse later on.

"They took it rather well, actually" Millie smiled. "Mum likes Ron a lot, mostly because he helps me with my studies. And dad was extremely impressed with his feats. He even broke into a rant about how 'at least one lad in Slytherin had a pair'." Pansy giggled at that, and Millie found herself giggling too. "Mum went into a rage at hearing him say that near me, it was rather amusing."

"Well, I agree with your dad" Pansy said as her giggles subsided. "I still can't believe that he's able to resist so many Veelas at once."

"Same" Millie agreed. "I know that Ron's impressive, and that he's earned his 'Prodigy' title, but this is something else entirely. This is just… unheard of."

"Mother said that Ron probably fancies boys" Pansy said in a haughty tone. "She's so… stupid!" Millie blinked at Pansy's new defiant nature, and she found herself smiling. I like this Pansy.

"Maybe he does" Millie shrugged. "I mean, he does seem rather oblivious when it comes to Daphne's crush. And unlike other boys, he doesn't care when we show him affection in public." Millie then looked over to see Pansy staring at her with wide-eyes. "What?"

"You really reckon that he's… gay?" Pansy whispered, and Millie let out a sigh.

"I said that he might be" Millie said firmly. "And even if that's the case, it doesn't really matter to me."

"Hmm…" Pansy hummed with a soft smile. "What kind of boys do you think he likes?"

"What? Pansy, I said that he might be" Millie frowned. "We don't know for…"

"Humor me" Pansy chuckled, cutting Millie off mid-sentence. "If Ron was gay, or is, what type of boy would he be into?"

"This conversation has gone down the gutter" Millie shook her head.

"Nonsense, it just got so much more interesting" Pansy laughed, and then she quickly moved closer to Millie. "I think that Ron would like someone powerful, but also someone that shares his noble attitude." Wow, this is not a conversation I want to take part in. But still…

"Potter has a noble attitude" Millie said slowly, why was she entertaining this idea? "Remember how self-righteous he was when we were working together?"

"Ohhh!" Pansy cooed. "Potter and Ron, that's a nice pairing. What about Ron and Longbottom?"

"I imagine that Longbottom would be the bottom in that relationship" Millie joked, and Pansy melted into wild giggles. "Ron seems the dominant type."

"He does, doesn't he?" Pansy laughed, and even Millie found herself amused. "Let's see if we can think of more suitable boys for Ron!"

"Okay, but this is just hypothetical" Millie replied. "Alright?"

"Of course" Pansy smiled widely. "Now, what about Ron and Theo?"

"Blaise seems more like Ron's type to me" Millie replied.

"I could see that" Pansy said, she was clearly imagining it judging by her sly smile.

"I'm sure you can" Millie chuckled, and Pansy blushed a bit.

"I'm only human, and they're both rather handsome" Pansy shrugged. "How do you reckon Daphne would take it? That is, if she found out that Ron was into the same sex?"

"I imagine that she'd wipe out the male species from the face of the Earth" Millie guessed. I wouldn't put it past her.

"As her friends, maybe we should make her aware of that fact" Pansy said. "I don't think I like the idea of her chasing after Ron while he chases after other boys."

"Pansy… Ron might not be gay" Millie sighed. "This is just hypothetical."

"I know" Pansy smiled.

"You sound like you want him to be" Millie stated with a raised eyebrow.

"It would definitely be interesting, don't you think?" Pansy's smile got wider.

"Perhaps" Millie shrugged. "Or perhaps Ron doesn't really think about stuff like that."

"What? That's not even possible" Pansy blinked. "Everyone thinks about that stuff at our age."

"Asexual people don't" Millie informed her, and Pansy gasped.

"What if Ron is asexual?!" Pansy asked loudly, and Millie shushed her.

"Don't yell that out-loud" Millie hissed, and Pansy covered her mouth.

"Ron's asexual" Pansy muttered under her breath, and Millie rolled her eyes. I'm sending her home. But in the end, she didn't. Instead, they discussed Ron's asexual/homosexual interests… It was a fun day.

---

Neville Longbottom's POV

Wednesday March 25th, 1993 (Longbottom Manor – Afternoon)

Awkward. That was the only word that he could think of right now. He was sitting at the dining table with his Gran, within smacking distance no less. She had just read Ron's exclusive, and she had begun asking questions about him. She wanted to know if this was all true, and so she had launched an inquisition about Ron right there and then. Neville couldn't bear answering those questions for long, his guilt over accusing Ron of being the Heir was too much. And so, he had broken down and told her everything that had happened between them. She was not pleased.

Usually when his Gran got angry with him, she made sure that he heard it. But right now, she was just staring at him with a dark look. They had been sitting in silence for almost five minutes, and Neville was on the verge of tears. He had never elicited such a reaction from her before, and he just wanted her to start yelling at him already. I deserve this. I ruined everything because of how jealous and threatened I felt around him. He says that he's moved on, but I know that he hasn't. He barely talks to us anymore, he even ignores Hermione sometimes. I ruined everything…

"I gave that boy our eternal friendship" Gran suddenly broke the silence, and Neville fidgeted in his seat. "You have turned me into a liar, and you have brought dishonor to our name." Neville sniffled at that, but that only made her angrier. "Stop crying, you are almost a man!" she shouted, and Neville flinched.

"I know, and I'm sorry" Neville muttered.

"You will write to him at once, do you understand?" Gran said in harsh tone, and Neville nodded. "You will invite him here, where we will both apologize to him. You, for your petty behavior, and me, for raising a fool. He saved your life, and you do this? You target him and his friends, even after you knew that I had given him our eternal friendship? That boy honors the old ways, and he will never forget this."

"I know" Neville replied with a weak voice.

"Do you?" Gran demanded, and Neville couldn't even bring himself to nod. "My Grandson… I have put up with your incompetent behavior for far too long, and it ends today. Never did I imagine that you'd be the sort to betray your own friend this way, especially one that spared you a Life Debt. Your mother and father would be ashamed." With that, Gran got out of her seat and left the room.

Neville just stared at his full plate of food, his vision blurring because of unshed tears. He let out a meek sob as he rubbed his eyes clear, he was such an idiot. His Gran was right, she had given Ron the Longbottom Family's eternal friendship for saving her Grandson's life. Neville knew all about that, but it just didn't seem to matter at the time. He had been so sure that Ron was the Heir, even before Ron had attacked Harry. And although it felt like he had all the proof that he needed from his observations of Ron, the truth was that a part of Neville didn't like Ron simply because he was scared of losing his only two friends to Ron.

It was no secret that Hermione liked Ron better than she liked Harry and Neville, she made that quite clear every day. But it was Harry that Neville truly feared losing, he was Neville's truest friend after all. His first friend. But even Harry showed a blind side to Ron's actions, and Neville had feared that it was because Harry wanted to be Ron's friend no matter what. And so, Neville's mind had become clouded from fear and jealousy. And he had ruined everything.

Hermione made her disappointment in him quite clear, while Harry just blamed himself for it all. Neville had damaged his own circle of friends far more than Ron ever could, and there was no greater shame than that. But right now, while he sat here trying not to cry, Neville was adamant about one thing. He had to be the one to fix this. He would do his best to put everything back to normal, and he'd try even harder than he had been. And so, Neville got out of his chair and marched towards his room. He had a letter to write, it would be his first step when it came to making amends.

---

Ronald Weasley's POV

Wednesday March 25th, 1993 (Beauxbatons – Last Match of the Day)

As much as Ron hated thinking it, he had to give the Entity some credit. The allures hadn't started hurting Ron until the beginning of his third match, and now he was making sure to hide his pain. He could feel Mary watching him from the stands with unblinking eyes, just waiting for him to wince or show any signs of pain. Luckily, Ron had someone helping him stay distracted. Someone named Amanda DuPont.

They talked to each other in between the games, and he had learned quite a bit about her. She was taught by her father, who was taught by his father. Her Family loved Chess, and they passed down that love from generation to generation. Which was the reason why she was openly defying her Madame, and why she didn't care about being Ron's ally in this. Ron and Amanda shared a love for the game, and so they respected each other immediately. He had also learned that Amanda held no love for the Veela students, mostly because they acted like they owned the school. They had their pick of the boys, and it was a common game for them to steal other girls' boyfriends. Amanda herself had been a victim of this nasty game very recently, and Ron felt disgust on her behalf.

He knew that it was wrong to judge a group of people because of the actions of the few, he had learned that by being in Slytherin most of all. But he was quickly finding himself disliking these… creatures. Not only were they putting a severe strain on his mind, but they had also happily shamed so many other boys in front of the World. Sure, some of them had tried to help him yesterday. But that wasn't good enough for Ron. They were the reason behind his pain, and so offering him an ice-pack didn't mean shite. Amanda told him that it was in their nature to use their allures, just as normal people used their hands. But all Ron got out of that was the fact that Veelas were dangerous, especially to his gender. If they couldn't help themselves from seducing men, then they should be kept away from men. It was like housing wolves with sheep, soon or later the wolves would do what wolves do to sheep.

"Do you want me to destroy 'er?" came Amanda's voice, and looked to her with a smile. "I am playing Olivia next, do you want me to destroy 'er?"

"Depends on what you mean by destroy" Ron smirked, and Amanda giggled. "If you want to draw out your wand and hex her, then yes please."

"You are 'orrible" Amanda giggled. "No, I meant in Chess."

"Would be nice if someone avenged me, and put her in her place" Ron smiled. "I don't remember much from when I played against her, but you said that she was a horrible sport about it. So by all means, go right ahead."

"Zen I will 'avenge' you" Amanda gave a firm nod. "And I will be a 'orrible sport too."

"No need to sink to her level" Ron said. "Just beat her, and be polite about it. People like her tend take that worse than being rude."

"You 'ave much experience zen?" Amanda asked. "Wiz people like 'er."

"I'm in Slytherin, so I deal with people like her everyday" Ron shrugged. "Just be as polite as possible, trust me."

"Zen I will destroy 'er, and be polite about it" Amanda smiled, and Ron smiled back. "Do you 'ave a 'eadache?" Kind of, yes. But it's ten times more bearable than yesterday, and a hundred times more bearable than two days ago. Good job Entity, you demonic prick.

"Nothing I can't handle" Ron replied. "I've got four wins already, so even if I lose, I'll stay in the Top Eight."

"Competitors, take your seats!" Ms. Thorne, the announcer, called. Ron and Amanda stood up, and they faced each other.

"Good luck" the both said at the same time, and then they parted ways. Amanda took her seat across from Olivia Jones, while Ron sat in front of an Asian girl. Once everyone was seated, the announcer gave the call to begin.

Without an extreme amount of pain holding him back, Ron was quickly able to grasp his opponent's stratagem. She wanted to get her stronger pieces into the middle of board as soon as possible, which was exactly what Ron wanted to do. This left Ron with two choices: contest for the territory and lose a few pieces, or use his pawns to fortify his own territory. Ron decided to use his pawns, she could have the middle of the board. All Ron had to do was make sure that he didn't get boxed in. Plus, Ron really wanted to test out the 'Poisoned Pawns' strategy. This was a new strategy that Lord Greengrass had taught him while they were preparing for this Tournament.

Ron quickly moved his pawns further down the board, and by the time she got her stronger pieces out and into position, Ron had managed to move his pawns a quarter of the way up. Sensing Ron to be playing on the defensive, the Asian girl decided to slow down her own pace. She wants to draw me out, but that's not happening. We will sit here all night if that's what it takes. But Ron didn't waste any time as he began implementing his new strategy, while she brought up her pawns and guarded her king with her rooks.

The name 'Poisoned Pawns' was quite fitting, because that was literally the case. It was not to be mistaken with the 'Poison Pawn Trap' strategy, this was something else entirely. In this strategy, Ron was turning most of his pawns into easy targets. But taking them would mean losing a piece each time because his 'Poisoned Pawns' were being watched over by his stronger pieces. This strategy usually never worked because it took too long to set up, but this girl had just given him all the time that he needed.

The girl seemed unsure of why Ron wasn't marching on her, and that's when she made her first mistake. She used her fucking queen to take a poisoned pawn, and Ron all but leaped forward to use his bishop, which was sitting in the far corner, to kill her queen. The first two pieces of the game had been taken out, Ron had lost a pawn and she had lost her queen. The look on her face made Ron smile like a Cheshire cat, this game was over. The game turned into a slow, grueling affair as she took her time to play each move, but Ron just waited patiently. Every now and then, he broke his formation to take a piece that was more important than his keeping his trap. She on the other hand, lost pieces whilst only taking a couple. By the twenty five minute mark, she forfeited the game. A feeling of utter pride, and power, washed over him. Despite the Veelas, Ron had won five games in one day.

Ron stood up, and he shook her hand with a polite smile. She gave him a bow, and Ron gave her a deep nod. As Ron began making his way back to his seat, he saw Lord Greengrass smirking proudly at him. Ron gave his mentor a nod, and then he took his seat. His eyes went to Amanda's table, and he waited patiently for her to finish. A strong jolt of pain suddenly ran up his head, and he winced involuntarily. Oh fuck! His eyes went straight to Mary, and she was staring at him with a fretful look. She pointed towards the entrance, and Ron figured that his time here was done. Ron sighed in a resigning manner, and he walked over to the entrance. The entire Greengrass family met him there, Lord Greengrass and the girls were smiling while Mary looked pale and worried.

"Ron, is your head hurting?" Mary asked him as she put her right palm over his forehead.

"Not really, it was just one jolt of pain" Ron chuckled, but her frown shut him up.

"Love, he's fine" Lord Greengrass said. "And congratulations Ron, you've outdone yourself today."

"Thank you, my Lord" Ron smiled.

"So you've really learned to block their allures?" Astoria asked in awe, and Ron nodded.

"I'm pretty amazing, aren't I?" Ron grinned, and Astoria nodded fervently. His eyes shot to Daphne, and he saw her just smiling faintly at him. I was a real git last night, I need to apologize as soon as possible.

"Ron, don't grin" Lord Greengrass chuckled. "I've told you to never show your emotions when you play Chess but you grinned so widely at that poor girl, I feared that your face was going to split open."

"Husband, you were grinning too" Mary reminded him, and Lord Greengrass smirked.

"I wasn't playing Chess, I was simply observing that girl's stupidity" Lord Greengrass remarked.

"That's just rude, daddy" Tori said haughtily, and Mary smiled at her youngest daughter. "It's not her fault she was born stupid…" Mary lost her smile, and Ron had to stifle a laugh. Daphne watched them quietly, and she couldn't help but smile. Ron had indeed outdone himself, and he had made a new friend. A friend that Daphne wanted to head-butt for being too pretty, but also thank for keeping Ron distracted from his worries. That was something Daphne had failed miserably at. And thinking about the devil, Daphne saw said friend approach from behind Ron.

"Ron, are you leaving?" Amanda asked, and Ron turned around immediately. He smiled widely at her, and he missed Tori narrowing her eyes on Amanda.

"Are you a Veela?" Tori asked bluntly, and she was immediately scolded by Mary.

"No" Amanda smiled at Tori.

"Amanda is friend of mine, Tori" Ron told the youngest Greengrass. "Amanda DuPont, allow me to introduce you to Lord Greengrass. He's my mentor." Amanda gave Lord Greengrass a curtsy, and Lord Greengrass gave her a nod. "This is Lady Greengrass, Astoria Greengrass, and Daphne Greengrass" Ron introduced the others, and Amanda smiled at them all.

"A pleasure to meet you, Amanda" Mary smiled at the girl.

"Ze pleasure is mine" Amanda smiled back. "May I 'ave a moment of Ron's time please?"

"Certainly" Lord Greengrass replied, and everyone but Amanda missed Daphne's face twitching. Ron stepped away from the Greengrasses, and Amanda joined him.

"Did you beat her?" Ron asked, and Amanda smirked.

"I destroyed 'er" Amanda replied, and Ron grinned widely. "And I was ze most polite person about it, she was very angry."

"Ha, that's great!" Ron laughed, and Amanda smiled widely. "I managed to win as well, my opponent forfeited."

"Zat is wonderful news, Ron" Amanda giggled. "Two more days, and zen we will be in ze Top Eight."

"I look forward to playing against you again, Amanda" Ron smiled. "But I won't be taking it easy on you just because we're friends now."

"Good, I would be angry if you did" Amanda shot back. "I will let you go 'ome now, your girlfriend does not like me talking to you alone." Huh?

"Girlfriend?" Ron asked slowly, Amanda had to referring to Daphne. "I don't have a girlfriend."

"Does zis Daphne girl know zat?" Amanda giggled, and Ron's eyes widened for a second. "I study at Beauxbatons, Ron… A school filled wiz ze Veela population, I can tell when a girl likes a boy. She is very pretty, no?"

"She is" Ron muttered, a small blush on his face. "And no one knows that we're more than normal friends, so please don't tell anyone." And she's not my girlfriend. She's just my friend… that kisses me sometimes… Yeah, even I can't bring myself to believe that.

"Don't worry, Ron" Amanda chuckled. "Your secret is safe wiz me, you 'ave my word. Now go, before she gets angrier."

"I'll see you tomorrow, Amanda" Ron smiled, and she nodded. With that, they both parted ways. Ron rejoined the Greengrass Family, and he shot a quick look at Daphne. She was looking at a Unicorn that was running around in the distance.

"Ready to go?" Lord Greengrass asked. "I'd rather leave before the matches finish up for the day. I imagine that we might get surrounded again."

"Then let's be off" Mary answered for Ron. "Ron, I have some Potions that I need you to drink when we get back." Oh shite, not that pink Potion I hope.

---

Wednesday March 25th, 1993 (Greengrass Holiday Home – Evening)

Ron gagged at the taste of the Nutrition Potion, but he drank it all down. Mary quickly passed him the blue Potion, and Ron drank that just as fast. He didn't really understand why he was drinking them, but he assumed that it had something to do with his brain damage. Might as well make sure.

"Mary, do these help my brain in some way?" Ron asked, and he could see the girls fidgeting from the corner of his vision.

"Yes, and no" Mary replied, and Ron gave her a confused look. "These help you with your overall health, and that will help your brain. We need to limit all the factors that might damage your mind, and poor nutrition is one of them. Which is why you will be drinking these once a day for the rest of your life."

"What? No…" Ron groaned, but Mary just tutted him.

"No arguments Ronald, this is happening whether you like it or not" Mary said firmly. "I will be sending them to you once you return to Hogwarts, and Daphne will make sure that you drink them. Understood?"

"Yes…" Ron sighed, there was no point in arguing this. They taste like shite, but if they help me protect my brain, then so be it.

"Ron, I will be in my study" Lord Greengrass said from by the door. "I expect your presence within five minutes." Lord Greengrass left at that, and Ron pondered what his mentor wanted to talk about.

"That's not fair" Tori pouted. "He just came back, and I want to spend time with him."

"There will be time enough for that later, love" Mary told her daughter. "This is important. Ron, you should go over now." Ron nodded at that, and he shot an apologetic look towards the girls. Tori looked annoyed, while Daphne just gave him a sad little wave. There's that guilt again, I really need to talk to her. Ron walked towards Lord Greengrass' study, and he knocked on the door.

"Come in" Lord Greengrass called, and Ron entered the study and shut the door behind him.

"You needed to speak to me about something important?" Ron asked, and Lord Greengrass gestured him to a seat. Ron took a seat while Lord Greengrass pulled out a file from his desk, and then Lord Greengrass sat across from Ron. "What's in that?" Ron asked as he stared at the file.

"This is a copy of Healer Bernard's report" Lord Greengrass replied. "He has sent one to Pomfrey at Hogwarts, and he gave me this one to show to your parents." Ron tensed immediately, he really didn't want that to happen. It will just create more problems than it will solve.

"My Lord, I would prefer it if you didn't show them" Ron said as he eyed the report, and Lord Greengrass let out a sigh.

"Your reasoning?" Lord Greengrass asked with an expressionless face.

"They will just overreact and cause me more problems than they already do" Ron replied. "I don't want them getting involved in this, please."

"I understand" Lord Greengrass nodded, and Ron smiled a little. "But I don't agree with you. And this is not up for debate, they are going to see this report whether you like it or not." Ron's smile fell at that, Lord Greengrass' tone showed how adamant he was about this. "This isn't some nonsense relating to which House you'll be a part of at school, Ron. This is serious, life threatening business. Your parents need to know this, they need to understand that you require professional help."

"They'll tell all the other adults" Ron sighed tiredly. "And everyone will start treating me like some cripple…"

"You are not crippled, Ron" Lord Greengrass said firmly, and Ron looked up at his mentor's slight frown. "I know that you don't like being treated like a child, I even sometimes forget that you are one. But the truth is, you are a child Ron. A thirteen year old boy… You can't handle this on your own, and I will not allow you to. Hate me for it if you want, but they are finding out about this."

"Okay…" Ron said meekly, he had no choice but to relent. "Can we at least wait until after the Tournament? If you tell them now, they'll go mental and call me home." Dammit, now I have to put up with their 'concerns' too.

"Of course" Lord Greengrass replied. "I planned on telling them after we returned from Paris, and I'd like you to come with me."

"The Saturday before the Hogwarts Express leaves?" Ron figured, and Lord Greengrass nodded.

"You can come home with me after, if you want" Lord Greengrass offered. "But I want you to see them."

"Why?" Ron couldn't help but ask.

"Because you may not believe it right now, but they do love you dearly" Lord Greengrass replied, and Ron blinked at him. "They didn't pull that Re-Sorting business to hurt you, they did it because they wanted to protect you."

"Ripping that choice out of my hands doesn't protect me, it betrays me" Ron frowned, his temper suddenly flaring. Just the thought of his parents grated his nerves, and Ron knew that that wasn't healthy. But he couldn't help how he felt about them right now, they had been nothing but a source of annoyance for Ron this year. And before that, they all but ignored my existence. But the moment I start being my own person, they start thinking that they have a say in how I conduct myself. Ron turned his head and cracked his neck, his stomach feeling hot from anger.

"How did I not see this before?" Lord Greengrass suddenly muttered, and Ron looked to see his mentor staring at Ron's clenched hands. "You went from being calm, to being resigned, to being furious in less than five minutes… How did I not see this?" Ron relaxed his tensing muscles at that, and he somewhat melted into his chair.

"It's not your fault" Ron told his mentor the truth. It's the Entity's fault, and my holier-than-Merlin parents.

"It is partly, Ron" Lord Greengrass sighed tiredly. "I've pushed you harder than anyone else…"

"You've pushed me to be better, and you have never held me back to satisfy your own views about the world" Ron cut off his mentor. "I mean look at me, I never imagined that I'd be in Paris playing Chess professionally. You made that happen, and I'll always be grateful for that."

"You've certainly gotten better at charming people" Lord Greengrass smiled softly, and Ron shrugged. "My wife wants me to stop pushing you the way I've been doing, she says that I'm hurting you." I'm not surprised, she's been fretting over me constantly. But I'm not some weakling like the Entity suggests, I can handle myself.

"I'm not going to lie and say that I don't feel stressed from my work with you, but it's the good kind of stress" Ron responded. "I know that my hard-work will pay off, so I put in the effort. And truth be told, I tend to get lazy if something isn't pushing me to keep working."

"Now that, I have noticed" Lord Greengrass said with a wider smile. "You tend to disappear into your own mind if someone isn't looming over your shoulder. Tell me, what do you think about when you procrastinate?" An upcoming war, the death of my loved ones, and how I'm going to go about changing everything for the better. And now I'll be thinking about how the previous Rons all failed…

"Veelas" Ron joked with a wide smile, and Lord Greengrass chuckled softly.

"Liar" Lord Greengrass smiled, and then he looked right into Ron's eyes. "But speaking of Veelas, we haven't discussed your bonus yet."

"My bonus?" Ron asked, a greedy glint in his eyes.

"Yes, the bonus I always give you when you win" Lord Greengrass replied, he could physically feel Ron's avarice. "Since this is a Junior League Tournament, and it is a particularly difficult one to win, I'll let you choose."

"Let me choose how much money you give me?" Ron blinked.

"Within reason, Ron" Lord Greengrass added. How much do I want? This is unreal, he's letting me choose? How much is an appropriate sum? I don't want to seem too greedy, but I do want that money. I could use it for my future plans during the war.

"Five hundred Galleons?" Ron asked slowly, was that fair? It's the same amount as the Tournament's winnings, and I'll net a thousand Galleons in total. Fucking hell… A thousand fucking Galleons. Has my family ever owned that much in all of our history? Probably… But still, that's a lot of money.

"That's a reasonable sum" Lord Greengrass nodded. "Very well, five hundred Galleon bonus it is."

"Now I'm definitely winning" Ron grinned, unable to hide his glee at the prospect of making so much money. Lord Greengrass just smiled at his childish behavior, and he decided to not tell Ron that he was willing to go up to a thousand. But there was one thing that he still had to tell Ron.

"Ron, do you remember our plans to get you a tutor in Dueling?" Lord Greengrass asked, and Ron nodded. I completely forgot about that. Having a trained professional teaching me Dueling is a must have. "Well, I've narrowed it down to two potential tutors. I thought that I'd let you choose."

"You're letting me choose again?" Ron asked slowly.

"Of course" Lord Greengrass replied. "They'll be teaching you, not me. My duty to you was to find the best available tutors, and these two fit that bill." Lord Greengrass then got up and went over to his table, and he pulled out two dossiers. "Here, have a look" Lord Greengrass said as he handed Ron the two dossiers. Ron opened the first dossier, and he read it out loud.

"Malik Hussain" Ron read, he knew that he definitely butchered that name. "Forty two years old, studied at Uagadao, has won four International tournaments, thirteen National tournaments, is currently living in Muggle Liverpool, has Mastery of Wandless Magic, fought against Dark Lord Sympathizers within Germany and Turkey." Ron closed the file, this Malik guy was clearly an amazing wizard.

"Impressive, isn't he?" Lord Greengrass smirked.

"How much is this costing you, my Lord?" Ron couldn't help but ask, but Lord Greengrass just waved a dismissive hand.

"Think nothing of it, I've already told you that I benefit from your success as well" Lord Greengrass replied. "Now read the next one." Ron nodded, and he did as he was told.

"Jane Roberts" Ron read. "Fifty eight years old…" Ron stopped at that.

"Keep reading, Ron" Lord Greengrass smirked.

"Fifty eight years old" Ron read on, Merlin she was ancient. "Studied at Ilvermorny, graduated top of her class, has won six International tournaments, twenty two National tournaments, is currently working with the Aurors Office within the British Ministry of Magic, expert at Wandless Magic, willing to teach about the Dark Arts, fought alongside the British Ministry of Magic during the Great War, earned an Order of Merlin: First Class for efforts in the Great War. Bloody hell…"

"Indeed" Lord Greengrass nodded. "She is an impressive woman, there is no doubt about that. And from what I've gathered, a harsh instructor."

"It's not even a choice, she's clearly the better candidate" Ron said, and Lord Greengrass nodded. "Then why present this as a choice, my Lord?"

"Full honesty Ron, I was planning to choose her myself" Lord Greengrass told him. "But her reputation made me reconsider… especially in the last few days."

"Reputation?" Ron asked.

"Like I said, she is a harsh instructor" Lord Greengrass replied. "She will push you much harder than Malik will, and she doesn't have a gentle touch. And with our recent discovery about your mental state, I do not wish to put more stress on you."

"Well, I prefer her over Malik" Ron said firmly. "But just one thing… What does she mean by 'willing to teach about the Dark Arts'? Is she willing to teach them, or about them?"

"I imagine both, many believe that knowing the Dark Arts is the best defense against them" Lord Greengrass replied, and Ron pondered that in his mind. I did decide to revisit the Dark Arts, and having her teach me is better than some dusty old tome. Merlin, I shouldn't have burned that Tome that Victor gifted me. That was so stupid of me.

"I'd like her, my Lord" Ron said firmly, and Lord Greengrass nodded slowly.

"Is it because she's willing to teach you the Dark Arts?" Lord Greengrass asked, and Ron looked into his eyes.

"Yes" Ron replied truthfully, the man deserved that much at least. I mean, he is paying her for my benefit after all.

"I see" Lord Greengrass nodded. "I will start setting it all up then. Your tutelage will begin during the End of School Year Holidays."

"Thank you" Ron smiled widely, this was fantastic!

---

Wednesday March 25th, 1993 (Greengrass Holiday Home – Evening)

C'mon, mate. Just knock on her door, and go in. You've apologized to her dozens of times, why are you so worried this time around? Ron was currently standing outside of Daphne's room, and he was failing to muster the courage to knock on her door. The last time they had spoken, Ron had been a dismissive git. Sure, he was on the Calming Draught. But still, she had come to his room to show him her support and he had all but wiped his arse with it. Just like he had done with Mary and Tori, who were next on his apology list. But he wanted to talk to Daphne first because… Well, because she was Daphne. With that in mind, Ron knocked on the door lightly.

"Who is it?" came Daphne's voice.

"A red-furred goat" Ron replied, and he instantly heard movement from beyond the door. And then, the door slowly opened. Ron saw Daphne peek a bit of her head out, and he gave her a sheepish smile.

"You're alone" Daphne said, and then she opened the door and walked back to her bed. Ron entered the lavish room that supported a Slytherin House color scheme, and he shut the door behind him. He then locked it, something that earned him a quick look from Daphne. I'd rather not get interrupted. Or murdered by Lord and Lady Greengrass. "Why did you lock the door?" Daphne cocked an eyebrow as sat down on her fluffy bed.

"I don't want Tori bursting in" Ron replied honestly, and then he made his way over to her and stood in front of her. "I wanted to say that I'm sorry."

"Pardon?" Daphne blinked. Damn butterflies in my stomach, stop it.

"I said that I wanted to apologize" Ron repeated as he rubbed the back of his neck. "I was a horrible git last night, and I dismissed you when all you wanted to do was talk to me. I'm sorry for doing that, Daph."

"Ron…" Daphne sighed. "I'm not even upset about that, your entire world was rocked yesterday. I'd have probably done the same if I found out that I had…" she trailed off.

"Brain damage?" Ron provided, and she looked down at her lap.

"Yeah, brain damage…" Daphne muttered. There was a short pause between the two, and Ron hated the silence. Don't let it get more awkward, just say something.

"May I sit with you?" Ron asked, and Daphne smiled softly.

"Stop being so formal and just take a seat" Daphne patted the bed with her right hand. Ron walked over and sat down to her right, and he put his elbows on his knees.

"Hmmm" Ron hummed. "Your bed is softer than mine."

"Jealous?" Daphne smirked.

"A little" Ron shrugged. "But it's too soft in my opinion."

"What can I say? I like to feel like I'm sleeping on a cloud" Daphne replied.

"Well, this is definitely the softest bed I've ever sat on" Ron nodded, and then he shifted around a bit. "Is your bed at Hogwarts this soft?"

"You have to understand how inappropriate that question is, don't you?" Daphne chuckled softly, and Ron felt a blush creep onto his face.

"I didn't mean it like that, I swear" Ron immediately told her.

"I'm just teasing, Ron" Daphne shrugged, and then she looked at him with a concerned look. "How are you feeling?"

"I feel fine" Ron replied, and Daphne frowned.

"Don't say that, not to me" Daphne said firmly. "How do you feel, Ron?" Ugh… Just tell her and get it over with, otherwise she'll keep asking.

"I don't know, truth be told" Ron replied slowly. "I mean, brain damage… It's just so surreal. I'm… I'm a little scared, I guess."

"Go on" Daphne said as she shifted closer to him, and Ron fidgeted in his spot. "Ron, you can't keep bottling things up anymore. You have to talk to someone."

"Do you want to be that person?" Ron asked.

"Would you be surprised if I said yes?" Daphne asked.

"Not really" Ron replied. "You always ask me to talk about this sort of stuff, even though you know I'm not good at it."

"It's not about being good" Daphne told him. "This isn't a competition Ron, no one is judging you on how well you can talk about your feelings."

"Feelings…" Ron sighed. "My brothers would label me a poof if they heard me talking about my 'feelings'…" I wonder how they'll take the news about my brain damage, and about my Chronic Stress.

"Well, I'm not them" Daphne said. "So tell me how you feel."

"Like I said, I feel a little scared" Ron told her, but the truth was that he was terrified. Not for himself though, he was terrified for the people he cared about. If his brain damage caused him to fail, then they'd pay the price.

"Scared in what regard? Are you scared of being treated differently? Or scared about being in pain?"

"Can it be both?" Ron asked in return, and she nodded softly. "I don't want the others finding out about this… Is that fair?"

"Ron, this is about you" Daphne replied. "If you don't want your friends finding out, then I'd say that it's fair in this particular case." Ron gave her a grateful smile, but she looked at him with a tired look. "Can I tell you something?"

"Of course" Ron replied.

"A small part of me wishes that I didn't find out" Daphne admitted, a shameful blush on her face. "I can't stop worrying about you, and I haven't been able to do anything to help you."

"You're helping now" Ron told her, and she shook her head lightly. "What is it, Daph? You usually just say what you're thinking. What's the matter?" It's one of my favorite things about her, I don't have to guess at what she's feeling. She just tells me.

"I feel guilty, and really stupid" Daphne admitted, and Ron gave her a confused look. "I noticed your mood swings ages ago, we all did. But none of us said a word about it… I took it upon myself to find out why you acted so irrationally sometimes, but every time I spoke with you, I just put my goal in the back of my mind and forgot about it. I really wish that I didn't do that."

"Daph, that's hardly your fault" Ron told her honestly, and she looked at him with a soft smile. "No one noticed it. Well, except for Dumbledore…"

"Dumbledore?" Daphne asked, and then she drew in a sharp breath. "Your talks with him after classes…"

"Yeah" Ron replied. "He mentioned that my behavior was… odd. He recommended that I see Pomfrey, which I was going to do after the Easter Break ended. Don't tell anyone that either, please."

"Ron, everything we discuss is just between us" Daphne told him, and Ron released an involuntary chuckle.

"You sound just like your father" Ron noticed, and Daphne smiled.

"He did teach me most of what I know" Daphne said proudly. "So tell me more about Pomfrey, what's she going to do?"

"Talk to me about my 'problems', I suppose" Ron shrugged. "I'm still not clear on what her job is, but I know that she's meant to help me cope with my stress." I can't really talk about my problems though, because my main problem can kill me on a whim.

"Well, she has her work cut out for her" Daphne said softly, and Ron gave her a sheepish smile. "Honestly Ron, why are you still competing in this rigged Tournament? It's not good for you." I need the money and influence that I'll get from winning it. I love Chess and all, but my only goal is getting the rewards right now.

"Didn't you tell your parents to not pull me out?" Ron asked with a grateful smile, and Daphne blushed.

"Father told you…" Daphne sighed.

"He did, and thank you" Ron gave her a weak nudge. "You were right about me not being happy with having them make a decision on my behalf. How did you know that?"

"Because you're stubborn" Daphne frowned slightly, but her blush increased a bit. "And because I know how angry you are at your parents for making decisions on your behalf. And I don't want you to be angry with us. But I did plan to talk you out of it last night, which I never got the chance to do."

"Sorry about that" Ron chuckled. "But I'm not really sorry about going back, I need to win this."

"It's alright, you resisted them really well today" Daphne smiled at hearing him laugh. "I'm sure 'Amanda' helped with that…"

"And there it is" Ron smiled widely, and Daphne immediately frowned.

"If you say that I'm jealous, I'll hit you" Daphne huffed indignantly, and Ron laughed.

"I'd never be so tactless" Ron grinned.

"That's a blatant lie" Daphne huffed again.

"Okay fine, I was going to say it" Ron admitted, and she narrowed her eyes on him. "But I won't say that… All I will say is that I don't see her like that, and that she knows about us." Daphne's eyes widened at that.

"You told her?!" Daphne exclaimed, and Ron jumped a bit.

"What? No, she figured it out" Ron quickly told her. "She mentioned you 'staring' or something…"

"I was not staring" Daphne hissed. "She must be imagining things, stupid French… bint…"

"Hey, ease up on the horrible language" Ron joked, but Daphne just frowned.

"I wasn't staring…" Daphne muttered as she looked down at small space between them. She really doesn't like coming off as a jealous person, does she? I guess that's fair, I always hid my jealousy from my siblings and parents.

"I believe you, and don't worry, she won't say a word about it" Ron told her. "She gave me her word."

"So she just figured it out by my 'staring'?" Daphne asked. "You didn't do anything?"

"She mentioned that she went to a school full of Veelas, and that she could tell when a girl liked a boy" Ron replied, and Daphne's red cheeks got redder.

"What did you say when she told you that she knew?" Daphne asked softly.

"I told her that our… friendship… was a secret" Ron replied. "And by friendship I mean…"

"I know what you mean, Ron" Daphne gave him deadpan look.

"Which reminds me, you haven't shown me around Paris yet" Ron smiled, and Daphne blinked.

"You've been busy" Daphne responded slowly.

"I won't be on Saturday, why don't you show me then?" Ron asked, and Daphne went crimson.

"Are you… are you asking me out on a date?" Daphne muttered, and Ron immediately felt his ears burn. What? No! That was not my intent! "You're not… are you?" she asked softly after she saw his expression. She wasn't going to lie, his expression hurt her feelings. It hurt quite a lot, but she'd never show it. Ugh, it just got awkward again.

"I want to spend time with you" Ron mumbled as he averted his gaze. "Just you, that is… Um… I don't know what that means, but I'd like to go see Paris with just you… Does that make sense?"

"No" Daphne sighed, and Ron fidgeted in his spot. "You want to spend some alone time with me, but you don't want to admit it."

"I thought I just did" Ron responded.

"No, you said that you'd like to see Paris with just me" Daphne said softly. "But you also said that you don't know what that means. So I'll just ask you because I don't enjoy beating around the bush. Do you want to see Paris with me as just your friend, or as what we are now?"

Ron looked at her, and she was just looking at him with an expressionless face. Her blush however, gave away the fact that she too was having trouble with this topic. How the hell did I land myself in this situation? All I wanted to do was apologize, and then I went off-topic. But when I think about it, I do want to spend time with her like we do when we're alone. It's just more… fun that way.

"I want to see it with you as we are now, and not as just normal friends" Ron admitted softly, his face burning with embarrassment. Don't look at her, don't show her that you're blushing. He didn't see Daphne smiling at his answer.

"Was that so hard?" Daphne asked.

"Yes…" Ron replied, and Daphne chuckled lightly.

"Ron, I'm not asking you to be my boyfriend here" Daphne decided to make that clear, she'd get him there eventually. "But I do want you to know that I prefer being more than normal friends."

"Me too" Ron admitted as he looked back to her.

"So it's a date then" Daphne said, and Ron's eyes widened to the size of dinner plates. "That was a joke" Daphne laughed. "I couldn't help it, I'm really sorry." But she kept laughing at his shocked expression, and Ron found himself being amused after a few seconds. She does look really cute when she laughs. Without thinking about it, Ron leaned forward and pecked her lips. When he pulled back, he noticed that she wasn't laughing anymore.

"Sorry, I couldn't help myself" Ron repeated her words, and she blushed again. "You know, I've been feeling really down lately."

"Are you really using the news about your brain damage as a way to get more kisses?" Daphne asked softly.

"When you put it like that, it is a bit weird" Ron blinked. "But since I've already said it, I'll just stick with it." Daphne blinked at him for making a joke out of something so serious. She suddenly put her hands on his cheeks, and she saw him turn red.

"What are you doing?" Ron asked.

"I'm worried that you're not taking your health seriously" Daphne replied. "Promise me that you'll stop making jokes about this, I hate it. Please take this seriously, Ron. There are people in your life who are scared for you, and if you don't take this seriously, you're hurting them as well as yourself."

"Okay… I'll stop…" Ron promised with a guilty tone. Daphne smiled softly, and then she gave him the kiss that he wanted. "Are you going to let go of my face now?" Ron asked softly, and she shook her head.

"No, I don't want to" Daphne replied. She leaned forward again, but a sudden knock at the door split them up. Daphne let go and shrank away from him, while Ron all but flew off of the bed.

"Daphne? May I come in?" came Mary's voice, and Ron went into a panic. I'm dead, I'm so fucking dead.

"What the fuck do we do now?" Ron whispered in a panic.

"Quick, hide under the bed" Daphne whispered sarcastically, but Ron went to do as she had instructed. "That was sarcasm you dolt, don't hide under my bed. Just tell her that you were talking to me about your worries."

"Oh…" Ron muttered, and Daphne got up and went to her door. She unlocked it, and Ron put on an act of normalcy.

"Daphne, since when do you lock your…" Mary started, but she stopped when she entered and saw Ron. "Ron?" Mary blinked at him, and then she looked to Daphne. "Daphne Greengrass, why was this door locked?" Goodbye, Entity. I fucked this Cycle up as well.

"Ron and I were talking about his… you know" Daphne replied softly, and she began fidgeting with her hands. Wow… Lying that well is probably not a good sign.

"Oh" Mary muttered, and then she looked to Ron. "I'm sorry for interrupting you two…"

"It's alright" Ron smiled softly. "I was done talking about it anyway… Not a fun topic."

"Okay" Mary smiled sadly, her eyes searching Ron's. "Well, Tori wants to play some Monopoly and she's worried about asking you two."

"Worried?" Daphne asked. "When is she ever worried?" Since I ignored her constantly… Damn, I'm a git. Also, what is this 'Monopoly' thing?

"Not sure what Monopoly is, but I'll play" Ron smiled, and Mary beamed at him.

"Excellent!" Mary exclaimed. "Tori will be so pleased!"

---

Wednesday March 25th, 1993 (Greengrass Holiday Home – Eleven P.M)

"This is so unfair!" Daphne exclaimed, and then she looked to a tired Mary. "Mother, tell them to stop cheating!"

"We are not cheating" Ron grinned.

"Yes, you are" Daphne glared at him, and then she glared at Tori. "Stop giving them your puppy dog eyes, Tori!"

"Love, please calm yourself" Lord Greengrass sighed as he rubbed his forehead.

"No, we've been here for four hour!" Daphne snapped. "And this game won't end because Ron keeps smuggling Tori money, and you keep forgiving her when she lands on your hotels!"

"Sebastian, I agree with Daphne on this" Mary frowned at her husband. "You three are unashamedly cheating, and we'll never end the game at this point."

"Unashamedly?" Lord Greengrass blinked. "The true shame would be if I forced my own daughter to pay to stay within my own home."

"You make me pay at your hotels!" Daphne accused haughtily.

"Well, that's because you have money to spare my dear" Lord Greengrass replied.

"Just roll the dice…" Daphne glared at Tori, and Tori smiled back innocently.

"Of course, sister" Tori hummed, and then she rolled the dice. The dice landed on a four, and Tori moved her top-hat piece onto Ron's hotel in the yellow section. "Ron, I don't have the money to pay you" she muttered meekly to Ron, and Ron felt a pang of guilt for ignoring her yesterday.

"You can stay here as long you want, Tori" Ron smiled at her, and she smiled back. "Don't worry about rent."

"NO!" Daphne exclaimed, and everyone looked to her. "Tori, pay him his rent!"

"I can't, Daphne" Tori said meekly, her lips twitching upwards. "I don't have enough money."

"Then give him your properties" Daphne said venomously.

"But I only have two…" Tori whined.

"Daphne, stop harassing her" Ron frowned at her, and she gave him an angry frown. "Tori, I don't want your properties."

"I'm done!" Daphne huffed angrily.

"Me too…" Mary joined in. "Ron, you need to go to bed. This game won't end anytime soon…"

"So we win?" Lord Greengrass asked.

"We?!" Daphne turned her angry frown towards her father.

"I said 'me', not 'we' love" Lord Greengrass replied calmly. He totally said 'we'.

"I'm never playing with you three again, come mother" Daphne huffed, and then she marched off.

"I'd better go and check on her" Mary sighed, and then she gave Lord Greengrass a disappointed look. With that, Mary followed after Daphne.

"So…" Ron muttered, and Tori and Lord Greengrass looked to him. "That was fun…"

"It was, wasn't it?" Tori giggled. "We can play Cluedo tomorrow!"

"Is it like this Muggle game?" Ron asked, and Tori nodded.

"Yeah, but it is way more fun" Tori explained. "In Cluedo, everyone has to find a killer!"

"A killer?" Ron cocked an eyebrow. "Why didn't we play that tonight?"

"I've got loads of games" Tori smiled widely. "We can play them all whenever you're free." Ron smiled at her excitement, and he decided that he'd love to play these other 'board games'.

"My wife was right about one thing" Lord Greengrass smiled at his many hotels. "You should get some sleep, Ron. You have two more days left, and I want you at your best."

"Daddy, stop that" Tori frowned at Lord Greengrass, and he put his hands up in surrender.

"Old habits die hard, my love" Lord Greengrass smiled at her.

"I don't mind" Ron said honestly. "But I am pretty tired, so I'll head off." Ron got out of his seat, and he looked to Lord Greengrass. "Good night, my Lord. I will see you tomorrow morning."

"Good night, Ron" Lord Greengrass nodded curtly. Ron then made his way out of the room, and he smiled when he noticed Tori following after him. Once he got to his door, and turned around and looked at her.

"This is my stop" Ron told her, and she suddenly hugged his middle. Ron was surprised by her hug, and he slowly put his arms around her.

"Don't push yourself, promise?" Tori spoke into his chest, and Ron couldn't stop his smile. He tightened his hug, and she tightened hers.

"I won't" Ron lied.

---

AUTHOR'S NOTES: And there it is! Now I know that Ron isn't taking things easy, but that's the thing with people who live under extremely stressful conditions. They tend to forget what being normal is, and Ron has had this on his shoulders for five years now. He can't just switch it off.

Now originally, I was going to pull Ron out of the competition. But due to high demand, I've changed it up. As you can see, his outlook on Chess has changed somewhat. He didn't quit, but it did become a means to an end. Sadly, that's the best that I could do without breaking Ron's Arc too much.

Now for some hints: There will be a time jump to Ron/Daphne's 'date but not date' (Whose Pov do you want it to take place in?). Ron will finally see Paris for himself, and do some shopping for people back home. Those calming draughts will start looking really delicious. An event that Lord Greengrass has planned will happen. Severus will return.

See you on Wednesday!