AUTHOR'S NOTES: Chapter 60 is done!

Please 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.

Fate

Chapter 60 – Old Friends, and New Friends

Ronald Weasley's POV

Tuesday 7th July, 1993 (Greengrass Manor – After Breakfast)

"Do you really have to go?" Tori whined as she stomped her feet in a spoiled manner.

"Tori, I won't be gone forever" Ron chuckled, looking to Daphne for help.

"You can spend the day with Theo and me" Daphne provided, trying not to frown at Tori's unladylike behavior.

"Ugh…" Tori groaned, earning a deep frown from Daphne. And there it is.

"Ouch" Theo sniggered before looking to Ron. "Take care mate, and please come back as soon as you can. Don't leave me with these people…"

"These people?!" the Greengrass sisters hissed at Theo, who looked to Ron with a frightened look.

"Never mind, take me with you" Theo demanded. Ron just sniggered at his friends' antics, but deep down he wanted to stay here. Back home, I have to deal with Charlie and my family… And all of their questions and problems. Ron walked over to the floo-powder, and he grabbed a handful.

"I'll see you guys soon, I promise" Ron smiled at them, but they didn't even notice as the girls were too busy pinching Theo to death. "The Burrow" Ron called as he threw the floo-powder into the fireplace, and when it blazed green, Ron stepped through. The moment he stepped into his home, he heard loud chatter coming from the kitchen. Loud chatter, and the smell of his mother's cooking. Here we go.

"Good morning" Ron greeted as he stepped into the kitchen, and the talking died immediately. All the eyes in the kitchen went to him, but Ron maintained his composure. Charlie was sitting with Percy, and Ron's eyes lingered on his older brother. He looks healed, which is good I suppose.

"Welcome back, Ronnie!" his mother exclaimed as she walked over to him and embraced him, crushing his bones into a fine powder.

"Hello, mum" Ron whispered as he hugged her back. "I'm sorry for…"

"Shhh" Molly shushed him with a hushed whisper. "Think nothing of it… Please don't leave again." Ron's stomach tightened because of guilt, and he nodded firmly. Molly let him go, and then she began scanning him from head to toe. "Look at you, you look peaky… Come and sit down, I'll fix you a plate." I already ate, but I don't want to refuse her either.

"Thanks, mum" Ron put on a smile as he walked over and sat beside Pandora, ignoring everyone's stares. "How is everyone doing?"

"Where were you?" Ginny demanded, her voice coming out much harsher than she intended.

"Ginny Weasley, speak to your brother with manners" Molly frowned at her daughter, something that made Ginny frown at Ron. What? It's not my fault that you got told off, it's your own. Molly walked off to fix Ron some food, while Pandora gave Ron's back a rub.

"Welcome back, Ron" Pandora smiled in her usual airy way, but her eyes were sharp. "How was your stay at Greengrass Manor? Do you have any tournaments coming up?" What the…? Wait, is she giving me an excuse to use? Thank you, Pandora!

"I do actually" Ron smiled at her. "There is a competition happening at Flourish and Blotts on the tenth of August, and it's really important that I win this." His siblings all nodded slowly, effectively buying his story. Charlie gave Ron a weak smile, but Ron chose to ignore him for now. There's no point in us talking about our problems on the dining table.

"Why is it important that you win this?" Percy asked, genuinely interested in Ron's career.

"Are you getting paid a lot of money to win?" Fred asked, his eyes gleaming golden.

"You are, aren't you?" George grinned.

"Probably" Ron shrugged. "But the money isn't the important thing, it's the interview that I'll get for winning that's important."

"Interview?" Charlie asked, keeping his voice casual.

"With the International League of Wizard's Chess Club" Ron replied.

"Try saying that quickly five times" Fred challenged George, who grinned at his twin. Both of them began muttering to themselves, while Ron cocked an eyebrow at them.

"Are you going to be in some magazine?" Ginny asked, not sounding very interested in hearing Ron's answer. Did I do something to her? Or does she just enjoy spoiling my mood now? Ron took in a deep breath, hoping that Pomfrey's exercises would keep him centered.

"Maybe" Ron replied, he wasn't too sure himself. "But enough about me, how have you all been?" Ron looked to Luna, who was asleep in her chair. "Long night?" Ron asked Pandora, who smiled at her sleeping daughter.

"Xeno sent her a book from his travels, and she spent the whole night reading it" Pandora replied.

"He's still not back?" Ron asked.

"No, and I imagine that he'll be gone for another week or so" Pandora replied, pinching Ron's right cheek.

"Here you go love, tuck right in" Molly said as she put a plate full of food in front of Ron. Shite, that's so much. I already ate three plates worth of breakfast at Greengrass Manor. Merlin help me.

Tuesday 7th July, 1993 (The Burrow – After Second-Breakfast)

Ron fell on his bed unceremoniously, and he let out a loud groan. My stomach… My poor stomach. I'm sorry for doing this to you. Ron sat up slowly, his bed creaking loudly because of his weight shifting. This damn bed. Ron looked around his room with an analytical eye, and he decided that he needed to change it. Maybe some green and silver? Or maybe the color scheme that Daphne picked for my room at Greengrass Manor? I'll get new furniture, a new bed, maybe even change up the floor boards. I certainly have the money for it. A sudden knock on his door ripped him away from his thoughts, and he looked to the closed door with a slight frown.

"It's open, you can come in" Ron called, fixing his features. The door swung open, and Charlie stepped in and closed the door behind him. Yay, drama time…

"I figured that we should talk" Charlie gave Ron a weak smile, one that Ron couldn't be bothered with returning.

"Sure, take a seat" Ron gestured to his weathered chair. Charlie walked over to it, and he sat down with his elbows on his knees.

"I'm sorry for hitting you" Charlie said immediately, his face dead-serious. "I'm sorry that I yelled at you, and I'm sorry for twisting your arm."

"I'm sorry for breaking your nose, and for kneeing you in the balls" Ron apologized as well, earning a firm nod from Charlie. "And… I'm sorry if your girlfriend felt… alienated… because of me. It was not my intent."

"Thanks" Charlie pinched the bridge of his nose as he let out a tired sigh.

"What?" Ron asked, taking in another deep breath.

"It was not my intent" Charlie copied Ron's words, and then he looked at Ron with a sad smile. "You talk differently, you eat differently, and you dress differently… Hell, even the way you walk around is different now. Dad told me in his letters about how much you had changed, but I stubbornly believed that…" Charlie trailed off.

"Believed what?" Ron asked slowly.

"That I'd still be able to recognize you" Charlie shrugged. "This visit has proven me wrong…"

"People change" Ron told his brother, he had no intention of apologizing for evolving.

"I know…" Charlie nodded weakly. "And don't think for a second that I'm not proud of you, because I am. Truly. I just found myself missing… the old you." The weak brat, you mean. The one who ran around hoping to gain people's attention, all the while lazing about and wasting his talents.

"I understand" Ron responded. "But I'm still… me. Who I am deep down, that hasn't changed. I've just learned to apply myself, and I've learned of the benefits of hard work."

"Too much hard work" Charlie chuckled, though he didn't sound happy. "I was wrong to lose my temper like that, it's not your fault that you've grown up. I was being incredibly… childish. I wanted the 'old you' back so badly that I lashed out at you, and I fucked everything up."

"Siblings fight" Ron shrugged, giving Charlie a reassuring smile. "We fought, and now we've apologized. Can we please just bury this and move on?"

"Yeah" Charlie nodded firmly, imitating Ron's smile. "But before we do, I have to tell you that for a Slytherin, you've got a mean jab."

"Thanks" Ron sniggered, a compliment was a compliment. "You're pretty good yourself, or at least when you're beating children."

"You little cunt" Charlie laughed, grateful that Ron wasn't holding this against him. They both sat in silence for a few seconds, calm smiles on their faces. I'm just glad that this didn't turn into a big scene. Also…

"The others don't know that we fought" Ron stated, and Charlie nodded as he relaxed into his seat.

"Mum and dad kept it all under wraps" Charlie informed Ron.

"Tell me."

"Well, you ran off after our fight" Charlie started, and Ron leaned forward. "You also closed the floo behind you, so mum and I had no idea where you'd run off to. She was hysterical, and after I told her what happened, she slapped the shite out of me."

"I've been there" Ron muttered, remembering how hard his mother could slap someone.

"Yeah" Charlie smirked. "Knocked my senses out of me. That's when dad came in, ready to go to work. He took one look at us, and his face just dropped. After mum told him what happened, I was dead-certain that he wanted to hit me. He went purple with rage, but you know dad… he always manages to keep himself in check. Dad instead focused on calming mum down, while I found something cold to put between my legs."

"Then Pandora came in, and things got even more awkward" Charlie went on, while Ron just listened intently. "She didn't yell, or do anything to harm me… But Merlin… Her glare was terrible. She just stared at me like I was the worst cunt to ever walk this Earth. I wanted to skulk off back to Romania, truth be told. And then your mentor came in, yelling and demanding answers. He told dad to sod off, and threatened to kill me if I ever put my hands on you again. Charming man…"

"Sorry about that" Ron apologized, but he was rather happy that Lord Greengrass was so protective of him. Loyalty is a marvelous thing.

"Don't be, I deserved it" Charlie shrugged with an easy smile. "Sirius and Remus were more understanding, but they were definitely pissed off with me as well. In the end, we all decided to keep everything quiet. Just to avoid drama… Mum said that it's not good for you." Yeah, because it's tedious.

"Well, for that I'm grateful" Ron admitted, now he just had one more question. "What's Ginny's problem with me?"

"Pardon?" Charlie blinked.

"It's been going on for a month or so…" Ron remembered. "She either ignores me, or talks to me in this uppity tone. Like I've done some ill against her… Has she mentioned anything to you?"

"Sort of" Charlie rubbed his forehead, how was he supposed to tell Ron that Ginny was jealous. "Girls are… complicated creatures, Ron. And Ginny is a girl…"

"Astounding perception" Ron said with a deadpan look.

"Arsehole" Charlie snorted, making Ron smile. "What I mean is that she's just used to being the apple of mum and dad's eye, but now… Now their eyes are always fixed on you…"

"Because of my brain-damage" Ron stated, and Charlie flinched and averted his gaze. Really?

"Yeah, because of… that" Charlie nodded, still looking down at his own hands. "She has no idea about it, none of them do. So she's a bit jealous, that's all." Ginny is jealous of me? Well, you don't see that every day.

"So what do I do?" Ron asked. "Charlie, I'm getting sick of her attitude. Not to mention that she's trying to pry into my business all the time too."

"I tried talking to her, it didn't go well" Charlie sighed. "I was never any good with her, but you might have better luck because she likes you more. If you do talk to her, just be gentle please." Have I ever been anything but whenever she's concerned? "Anyway… You want to play some Chess?"

"Chess?" Ron blinked.

"Yeah" Charlie smiled. "I'm leaving tomorrow, and I didn't get to spend as much time with you as I wanted."

"Chess sounds great, Charlie" Ron agreed. But I won't be taking it easy on you.

Tuesday 7th July, 1993 (The Burrow – Lunchtime)

"Do you want to go again?" Ron asked, trying to hide his amusement.

"Fuck off" Charlie frowned at the board, making Ron snigger at his brother's frustration. Charlie has always been the most competitive one out of us, and he hates losing to anyone but Bill. "How do you do this for a living? Just sit there and move pieces on a board?"

"Do this for a living? Charlie, I'm thirteen" Ron laughed, and Charlie looked up with a bemused look. And then, Charlie broke out in a laugh as well.

"Sorry little brother, it's hard to think of you as a kid sometimes" Charlie managed in between his laughter. There was a sudden knock at the door, and both brothers looked to it.

"Come in" Ron called, and Luna opened the door. She had an airy smile on her face, and her tired eyes were fixed on Ron. "Luna! You're awake!" Ron got up and hugged his sister tightly, who giggled in response before hugging him back. Why is she so small? Ginny's starting to outgrow her.

"Mum woke me up for lunch, and she told me to come and get you both" Luna told him as he let her go.

"Luna, how much do you eat?" Ron asked, his eyes scanning her tiny physique. Luna blushed at his question, though her airy smile stayed in place.

"Don't ask girls that, you simpleton" Charlie sniggered, and Ron turned to him with a smirk.

"That's a big word Charlie, did you look it up before I came home?" Ron asked.

"Look this up" Charlie gave Ron the bird, something that made both Ron and Luna laugh.

"I eat just fine, Ron" Luna assured him, but he didn't really believe her.

"Is that so?" Ron asked slowly, a mischievous smile creeping onto his face. I bet I could carry her downstairs without breaking a sweat.

"Ron… don't…" Luna tried to hide her laugh as she took two steps back, but Ron closed the distance quickly. "NO!" Luna squealed as Ron lifted her up like a baby, her laughter ringing throughout the Burrow. "Put me down!"

"No" Ron chuckled, though his stomach fell at how light she was. She weighs nothing… What the fuck? Charlie just laughed at Ron's antics, but he was slightly worried that Ron would drop Luna by mistake. But before he could say anything to discourage Ron, the youngest Weasley boy began making his way downstairs with Luna still in his arms.

"Ron, you'll drop me" Luna giggled as she wrapped her arms around his neck for support.

"Well if I do, you'll be too dead to worry about it" Ron snorted.

"That's not helping" Luna laughed.

"Don't worry Luna, I won't drop you" Ron promised. How could I drop you when you weigh as much as a bag full of feathers? Hmmm, I'm going to keep an eye on how much she eats. At least two plates at every meal should bring up her weight a bit. Ron made his way downstairs with Luna in his arms, and Charlie at his back. Once they entered the kitchen, Ron's thoughts were interrupted by Molly Weasley gasping loudly.

"Ron, put her down this instant" Molly scolded, whereas Pandora just smiled widely at Ron and Luna. The twins sniggered at their mother's reaction, while Ginny just blinked at the sight of Ron carrying Luna around the house. Percy just frowned at the danger Ron was putting Luna in.

"Brace yourself Luna, I'm going to drop you" Ron lied with a serious voice, but Luna just laughed in response. Ron gently helped her land on her feet, his thighs burning slightly from the workout. Maybe that should be my new exercise? Am I old enough to do weight training? I'll have to ask Madam Roberts.

"What's for lunch?" Charlie asked as the new arrivals took their seats.

"Roast chicken with lots of vegetables" Molly announced, earning a groan from the twins. "Vegetables are nothing to groan at, and you two better eat them!" With that, Molly starting putting food on the table and everyone began helping themselves. Everyone but Pandora, whose plate was filled to bursting by Molly Weasley herself. Pandora just smiled gratefully, though Ron could see the horror in her eyes. Ha, maybe I should do that to Luna.

"Why don't you kids go to Diagon Alley after this?" Molly smiled at them as she sat down in her husband's empty chair. "We've got nice weather today."

"Yes!" the twins both agreed immediately, while Ginny beamed at the prospect of getting ice-cream.

"I do need new quills" Percy spoke to himself.

"That sounds nice" Charlie replied, looking to Ron.

"I'm in" Ron nodded, his eyes darting to Luna's plate. ONE PIECE OF CHICKEN AND A DWARF-PORTION OF VEGGIES?! Without a second thought, Ron speared two pieces of chicken with his fork and placed them on Luna's plate. Luna blinked at him, but his stern glare made her look back down at her plate. "Finish that" Ron ordered, and she nodded quickly. Ron missed the twins trying to stifle their laughs, while Pandora, Molly, Percy, and Charlie just exchanged slow looks. Ginny narrowed her eyes on Ron, she didn't like him bossing Luna around.

"So… finish up quickly, and we'll head out" Charlie said slowly, his eyes fixed on Ron.

Ginny Weasley's POV

Tuesday 7th July, 1993 (Diagon Alley – Late Afternoon)

"I'll be at Flourish and Blotts" Percy told the group, eager to run off and look at new books. Ginny often wondered if her brother preferred the company of books over people, and Percy had a way of proving that every time he opened his mouth.

"Be wary of papercuts" Fred sniggered, earning an eye roll from Percy.

"They can be deadly" George added on as Percy walked off. Charlie clapped George on the back of the head, making the twins snigger even more. Hit him again please, maybe then they'll learn to give Percy a minute of peace.

"Can't you two give him a fucking break?" Charlie asked with a frown.

"Can't do that, Charlie" Fred smirked.

"If we let him get away with his anti-social behavior, our brother will be crushed under the weight of his prefect badge" George added on with an equally arrogant smirk.

"Now if you'll excuse us" Fred stated.

"Wait…"

"We have some items to collect" George hummed, and the twins both ran off to be on their own.

"Bloody…" Charlie muttered, massaging his temples with his knuckles. "I could use a drink…"

"Then you should get one" Ron smiled at Charlie, and Ginny fought the need to look at him. Seeing him stirred unwanted feelings of envy in her, and so she had decided to just ignore him until she got over it. Then things can go back to normal.

"Ron…" Charlie started, but Ron just waved a dismissive hand.

"I can take care of the girls" Ron assured Charlie. "I have my wand with me, and my pouch."

"You can't even use your Magic" Ginny blurted out, immediately regretting her impulsive action.

"I have permission from the Ministry to use Magic outside of Hogwarts" Ron smiled at her, but she just blinked. What? Really? Can that even happen?

"Nearly forgot that" Charlie tapped his chin, and Ginny gaped at him. It's true?! The Ministry gave Ron permission to use Magic outside of school?! And there it was again, Ron was once again the special one. Even the Ministry was handing him freebies… "Well, it would be nice to have some time to myself… If you need anything, come straight to The Leaky Cauldron. Got it?"

"I understand" Ron nodded with a smile. "Go have your drink, Charlie."

"Thanks, little brother" Charlie grinned, and then he turned around and left for The Leaky Cauldron.

"So… where do you girls want to go?" Ron asked them, but Ginny was still recovering from what she had just learned. How did he manage to get permission from the Ministry itself?

"I'd like to go to Sugarplum's Sweets Shop" Luna hummed, and Ginny nodded dumbly.

"Sweet shop it is" Ron smiled widely as he began leading the way, and the girls followed after him. Ginny stared at his back, her eyes scanning his shoulders. Square shoulders, long strides, and a straight back. He walks around like he owns the place. And why is he always wearing such expensive looking clothes? Wait… Ginny looked down at herself and frowned, she was wearing the designer Muggle clothes that he had bought for her.

"Ginny, are you feeling alright?" Luna asked in her aloof voice, one that didn't match her worried look. Ginny noticed Ron's ears perk up, but he didn't turn back to look. Eavesdropping? Really?

"I'm just feeling tired after eating so much at lunch" Ginny replied, hoping to throw Ron off. It worked as Ron's stride went back to normal.

"Me too" Luna hummed. Of course you are, he practically forced food down your throat and no one said anything about it. Ron can do whatever he wants, can't he?

Fifteen Minutes Later

Her mood was considerably better now that she had a bag full of sweets, curtesy of Ron and his overflowing vault. Ginny had slowly started ignoring her bitter feelings of envy towards Ron, at least for now. It was too hard to stay upset with him, especially when he had no idea why she was upset. Ron was just his usual cheery self, and even Ginny struggled to ignore him because of it. And truth be told, she had missed him terribly over the last five days.

Spending her time with Luna was great, but Ginny also liked spending time with her brothers. Charlie was a delight to be around, but he was constantly fighting to give everyone equal attention. So sometimes when it was her turn, she often just left him alone so that he could take a break. Percy was… Percy, and he all but ignored anyone who wasn't Ron or an adult. The twins spent their time with each other, and they never wanted to involve her in their pranks. Ron was the only brother who spent time with her, and she had missed his kind and loving nature. No amount of envy could change how much she loved him, and she was eager for the day when she'd just get over her jealousy.

"Now that we have sweets, where do you want to go?" Ron asked, his eyes on Ginny. He's addressing us both, but he's asking me. Something sprang to her mind, a shop that she had read about in her father's discarded Daily Prophet. A shop that had been advertising jewelry with Glamor Charms placed upon them. Having a look won't hurt.

"There's a jewelry shop in the upper district, can we go there for a look?" Ginny asked, her voice coming out as rather timid. But that couldn't be helped… The ad in the Daily Prophet had claimed that the Charmed Jewelry could hide any blemish, and Ginny's entire left forearm was a blemish. I just want to see my arm without the scars… Just one more time…

"A jewelry shop…" Ron blinked, something flashing behind his eyes. "Sure, let's go."

Twenty Minutes Later

"Proudly sponsored by the Greengrass, Parkinson, and Bulstrode Families" Luna read the sign, and Ron chuckled to himself. "What?"

"Nothing, there used to be another name on that sign" Ron smirked at the sign.

"You've been here before?" Ginny asked slowly, why would her brother come to a jewelry store?

"Um… Maybe" Ron replied curtly, and then he cleared his throat. "Let's go in." Ginny nodded slowly, her eyes fixed on Ron who was averting his gaze. He's definitely been here before! Why? Wait… Did he get his rings from here? His snake ring… Ginny didn't even want to bring that up, it was a pet peeve within the siblings that Ron openly wore a snake ring. Like he was throwing his sorting in everyone's face. Ron however, had no idea just how vexing his siblings found that ring. Even Percy doesn't like it. And the fact that he only wears one glove just to show it off is rather obnoxious.

"Ginny, are you coming?" Luna asked, and Ginny shook her head clear. She was knit-picking Ron again, something that made her frown at herself. Ginny followed Ron and Luna inside, and her eyes immediately darted around the store. Her girly excitement turned her mind blank in an instant, and she quickly began eyeing all the different pieces on display. Merlin! Look at all of these! This one has black gemstones on it! OH! This one has rubies! Just like the ones inside the Gryffindor Hourglass! Ginny missed Ron and Luna sniggering at her because she was too busy being in heaven.

"H… Hello…" came a meek voice, and all the children looked to see a frail young man come out from the back of the shop.

"Hello, Martin" Ron greeted with a pleasant smile, something that made Luna and Ginny go slightly wide-eyed. That settles that. Ron's been here before, and he even knows the Jeweler's name.

"Mr. Weasley" the frail young man relaxed, a shy smile appearing on his face. He's kind of cute, but he looks too shy to be dateable. "Welcome back… How can I help you today? Perhaps another gift for the young Lady Greengrass?" Huh?! Ginny's eyes flew to Ron, who kept his eyes on Martin as he blushed slightly.

"No Martin, I'm here with my sisters today" Ron replied, his voice slightly panicked. Gifts for 'the young Lady Greengrass', eh? He's wasting his money buying gifts for Daphne Greengrass? Wait, are they… Are they dating? Is that the person that Luna wouldn't talk about? Ginny had to wrestle the urge to start asking Ron questions about Daphne Greengrass, a girl that Ginny didn't really feel anything for. Sure, Ginny had had breakfast with Ron's friends multiple times. But she only really spoke to Ron or Luna, and she actively avoided making friends with the Slytherin students.

"Ah, I see" Martin nodded in understanding. "What are their tastes?" Tastes? Ron looked to his sisters, both of whom didn't really know what to say. "It's… It's alright if you don't know" Martin smiled in a comforting way, his voice barely audible because of how meek it was. "We can have a look together while Mr. Weasley waits."

"Sounds good to me" Ron nodded, while Ginny and Luna exchanged worried looks. "I'll be by the windows. If you like anything, pick it up, and I'll pay for it." Ron left to wait by the window, while Ginny fought the urge to gape at him. He's going to buy us whatever we pick?! This place looks really expensive though… I don't really want him to spend so much on me.

"Let's have a look, shall we?" Martin asked as he moved past the counter. "I'm sure we'll find you both something beautiful."

Ten Minutes Later

Ginny had come to one horrible realization today. She had no clue about jewelry, despite her love for it. Martin was asking her questions that often left her lost for words, whereas Luna had just stated that she was in Ravenclaw and would like something that shared Ravenclaw's color scheme. Ginny desperately wanted to ask about the Glamor Charmed jewelry, but with Luna there, Ginny was forced to hold her tongue.

"Here, try this one please" Martin handed Luna a bronze-colored bracelet that had three small sapphire studs on it. "This is made from silver, but the bronze texture was added on after with Spell-work" Martin said proudly, his voice a little more confident. "I'm from Ravenclaw myself, and I love paying homage to our wonderful house."

"Are you really?" Luna beamed, putting on the bracelet. It looks great on her.

"I am" Martin smiled politely. "How is our Grey Lady?"

"She's well, though I do hear her crying sometimes" Luna hummed, and Martin nodded in understanding. "I like this one, it's beautiful."

"Wonderful" Martin smiled, and Luna handed him the bracelet back. "Would you like me to package it for you? Or do you wish to wear it out of the shop?" Luna looked to Ron, her features slightly conflicted. Maybe we should just leave before Ron spends too much money on us. Ron was reading a magazine, completely ignoring the girls and Martin.

"I'll be right back" Luna said as she left to talk to Ron. Ginny looked to Martin with a smile, one that he reciprocated.

"Would you like something that matches your house colors as well?" Martin asked.

"Actually…" Ginny started, deciding to ask about the Glamor Charmed jewelry. "I read that you have certain jewelry that is… Charmed to… to hide blemishes" Ginny whispered as her face turned red, and Martin nodded slowly.

"Of course, I have them in the back of the store" Martin replied, his voice also coming out as a whisper. The girl was clearly embarrassed, and he did not wish to make her any more so. "Along with a mirror."

"Can I…?"

"Of course, come along" Martin said as he walked behind the counter, and Ginny followed after him. She shot a quick look to Ron and Luna, both of whom were currently focused on each other. Please keep occupying him Luna, I won't take long. Ginny followed Martin to the back of the store, which looked just as neat and tidy as the front of the store. The only difference was that there were no display cases, instead there were small metal lockboxes.

"The Glamor Charmed Jewelry is rather new, and I've just recently had some of my pieces Charmed by a Master of Charms" Martin explained as he unlocked one of the lockboxes with a flick of his wand. "Maybe something made of gold… With rubies… Yes, that would suit you" Martin said, though he was speaking to himself. Ginny didn't really mind, she just wanted to see her arm as it used to be. Just one more time… "Here, try this on your opposite hand" Martin said as he carefully handed her a golden cuff bracelet, one with a sizable ruby in the middle.

"Why opposite hand?" Ginny asked, she didn't want to roll up her left sleeve in front of Martin.

"Glamor Charmed objects are very tricky" Martin replied. "Outside Magic interrupts them very easily, so if you wear this near your wand hand, you'll interfere with the Glamor Charm whenever you cast Spells." I see. I can't ask him to leave me back here with all of this jewelry, he might find that suspicious. Ginny swallowed thickly, and she pulled up her left sleeve. The sight of her own left forearm made her wince, but Martin wasn't even fazed in the slightest.

Ginny quickly put the bracelet on, and much to her astonishment, her disgusting forearm began to look like it used to. It was clean again, just smooth pale skin. She couldn't look away from it, even when her eyes started stinging horribly. I'm normal again… Just like I used to be… Martin was polite enough to stay quiet, and when she sniffled, he took out a pocket handkerchief and offered it to her. Ginny took it and dabbed her eyes, fighting her hardest to not start crying in front of the kind stranger. Her arm looked normal again, and so she never wanted to take this bracelet off. It was a mistake to come back here…

"Would you like to look into a mirror?" Martin asked after a few seconds, and Ginny nodded weakly. He guided her gently to a mirror, and she looked at her reflection.

"My freckles are gone…" Ginny muttered, her heartache momentarily forgotten. She might not have had as many freckles as her brothers, but she still had enough to notice the change.

"As I said, Glamor Charmed items are very tricky objects" Martin explained in a gentle voice. "They cannot pinpoint what one wishes to change, and so they make one appear completely flawless. But if you touch your arm, you will still feel your scars." Ginny traced her right index finger over her left forearm, and she immediately pulled away when she felt the jagged bumps. No…

"Excuse me" came Ron's voice, and Ginny turned around with a panicked look. "Is everything alright?"

"Yes Mr. Weasley, everything is fine" Martin assured Ron, much to Ginny's relief. "I was just showing the young Lady some of my newer items." Ron nodded slowly, his eyes going to her left forearm. Panic gripped Ginny again, and she quickly hid her arm from his sight. Ron blinked at her, and she nearly smacked herself. They're hidden, I'm so stupid. Ginny slowly revealed her arm again, and she let Ron look at the golden cuff bracelet. He smiled at it, and then at her.

"Do you like it?" Ron asked, and she managed a weak nod. Her throat was closing up again because of how guilty she was beginning to feel. She didn't want him to spend so much money on her, but she also wanted the bracelet. She wanted it more than she had ever wanted anything, and that made her feel like the worst sort of person alive. "Do you want me to buy it for you, or do you want to keep looking?" And there it was, the moment of truth…

"I… I'd like this one…" Ginny muttered, her eyes looking down at her clean forearm. The lump in her throat began hurting, but she kept her features steady.

"Alright, I'll be at the counter" Ron beamed, utterly oblivious to her inner turmoil. He was just glad that she was letting him buy her something, maybe they could start being close again. He didn't like that she was jealous of him, mostly because he knew how miserable one felt when they were. After Ron left, Ginny went to take off the bracelet, but Martin stopped her.

"There is no need for that" Martin said with a compassionate voice, and Ginny managed a grateful smile. They made their way out to the counter, and Ginny noticed that Ron had talked Luna into getting the bronze-colored bracelet with the three sapphire studs. That made some of her own guilt go away, but only a very small fraction.

"How much do I owe you, Martin?" Ron asked as he took out his Gringotts pouch, and Ginny's stomach tightened. I'm the worst.

"Four-hundred Galleons" Martin replied, and both Ginny and Luna went wide-eyed.

"That's all?" Ron looked up at Martin, clearly confused at how much cheaper the items were than what he expected.

"I've taken off fifty Galleons because of your continued patronage" Martin replied with a shy smile, his eyes darting to Ginny for a split second. Ginny's eyes widened even more at that, did he know that she was feeling guilty because of the price?

"I won't argue against that" Ron smiled gratefully as he began paying Martin. I was wrong, Martin is one of the most dateable people that I've ever met. "And four-hundred" Ron said as he handed over the last Galleon.

"Thank you, Mr. Weasley" Martin bowed slightly, and Ron gave him a polite nod in return.

"I'll see you soon, Martin" Ron told the Jeweler, who nodded in understanding.

"And I will make sure to keep an eye on whatever young Lady Greengrass fancies" Martin managed a wider smile, one that Ron mimicked with a slight blush. He's blushing again.

"Let's be off then" Ron turned back to the girls, and they nodded. Luna had her airy smile on her face again, whereas Ginny managed a weak smile. They made their way out of the shop, and Ron stretched as he stepped into the Sunlight.

"Thank you, Ron" Luna hummed, giving Ron a quick kiss on his left cheek.

"Luna, you don't have to thank me" Ron smiled at her. "Didn't I just explain that?"

"I know, but thank you nonetheless" Luna hummed. What did he tell her?

"Thank you" Ginny said quickly, despite her guilt, she had no intention of being ungrateful. Ron may not know it, but he had given her something that she'd treasure forever.

"Ginny, don't worry…" Ron started, but then he stopped. His eyes focused on her face, and her eyes widened slightly in response. Did the Charm break?! My arm! Ginny shot a quick look to her still naked forearm, and much to her relief and joy, it still looked normal. "Something's different about you…"

"Different?" Ginny muttered, was he really that bloody observant?

"I… I don't know…" Ron whispered. Ginny saw Luna looking at her face, and Luna blinked at what she saw. She knows!

"Let's go find Percy" Ginny blurted out, and without a second thought, she began walking towards Flourish and Blotts.

Twenty Minutes Later

"Your pretty freckles are gone" came Luna's voice from behind her, and Ginny had to bite back a frightened squeal.

"Luna… Don't do that" Ginny turned around with a scared frown, but Luna just studied her face again. Ginny was hiding behind a bookshelf, pretending to look at a book in order to hide her guilty, freckle-less face from Ron.

"They're all gone" Luna observed, and Ginny shushed her.

"Luna please… Don't do this" Ginny begged, the urgency in her voice making Luna adorn a concerned look.

"Gin, what's the matter?" Luna asked, and Ginny's eyes began stinging again.

"I did something horrible…" Ginny's face contorted, her voice cracking. "I made him spend so much money, even after I've been nothing but horrible to him…" Luna just waited for her to go on, but Ginny knew that if she kept talking she'd start crying.

"The bracelet" Luna figured, and Ginny nodded fervently. "It's hiding your freckles… and your scars." Ginny's heart stopped beating, and she whimpered as she looked at Luna staring at her left forearm. She… She knows about…

"Luna…" Ginny's voice hitched.

"I saw them recently, when you were getting dressed when you thought that I was asleep" Luna explained, while Ginny tried her best to not pass out. She knows about my… my disgusting arm...

"You can't tell anyone… please" Ginny croaked.

"I'd never do that" Luna blinked. "And I don't care about the scars, you're still Ginny. With or without them, you're still my best friend." Ginny pulled Luna into a hug, and she squeezed the smaller girl so tightly that Luna let out a pained groan. "It's alright Ginny, I won't tell a soul" Luna managed, her back cracking because of Ginny's unnatural strength. Ginny couldn't even explain the relief she felt in that moment, but it was quickly dashed to smithereens by her guilt.

"He spent so much on this, and he doesn't even know why" Ginny sniffled.

"He may not know about your scars, but he knew how much you wanted it" Luna replied, and Ginny tensed. "I told him that I didn't want him to waste his money on me, but that irked him greatly. 'What's the point of me having this money if I can't spend it on you two?'… That's what he said." Luna was probably trying to make Ginny feel better, but it had the opposite effect. I'm such a git. "He misses you."

"What?" Ginny asked as she pulled back, studied Luna's face as if she had never seen it before.

"He misses you" Luna repeated. "I know that you're… not happy with him, but he misses you a lot. And he doesn't even know why you're upset with him. Please stop making him feel like that, or at least tell him why. He deserves that much." Ginny swallowed thickly, the wind knocked out of her lungs.

"I'll stop" she promised Luna, and herself.

Ronald Weasley's POV

Tuesday 7th July, 1993 (Diagon Alley – Close to Evening)

"Where do you two get your money from?" Percy demanded from the twins, both of whom just smirked at him. "I know for a fact that mother and father don't give you two money anymore."

"Do you now?" Fred lost his smirk.

"Percy, do you have something to tell us?" George asked, his eyes suddenly gleaming with anger. Percy blinked, and then he looked away from the twins with disgust.

"Git…" they both whispered, but they made sure everyone heard it.

"Will you all stop that, we're in public" Ron sighed, his head feeling light. A sudden wave of exhaustion had hit him, and he was barely managing to keep his head clear. I didn't drink my Nutrition Potion today, and now I can barely function. Eh… A small price to pay to avoid that despicable brew. They were all making their way to The Leaky Cauldron, and for that, Ron was grateful. He wanted to get home and take a nap, preferably near Pandora because she would play with his hair while he slept. As they stepped into The Leaky Cauldron, both girls covered their noses. The stench of cheap alcohol was everywhere, along with tone-deaf singing.

"There's Charlie" Percy pointed out, and they all looked to see their brother laughing loudly at some other patron's joke.

"Is he drunk?" George asked, his voice humorous.

"I believe so, brother mine" Fred replied. Mum is going to kill him.

"Let's grab him and go, I don't want the girls being caught up in this" Percy said firmly. "Fred and George, keep the girls with you." The twins would usually argue, but after watching this rowdy crowd of wizards and witches, they decided to do as they were told. They all made their way to Charlie, who was still laughing loudly. "Charlie!" Percy called, and then he patted his brother's shoulder. Charlie turned around with a smile, a smile that widened at the sight of his siblings.

"Hey there you lot, what brings you here?!" Charlie asked a little too loudly.

"You" Percy frowned. "We're going home, do you want to tag along?"

"Nah…" Charlie shrugged. "Just use the fireplace over there to floo back home, I'll come back after a couple of more pints." He's so fucking dead when he gets home. Mum might actually bury him in the backyard.

"You heard him" Percy turned to his siblings. "Let's be off."

"Could…" the twins started, but Percy shut them down immediately.

"No, absolutely not" Percy cut them off. "Mother will kill us all…"

"Noted" George muttered. Ron just tried to block out the noise, his eyes getting heavier. If I fall asleep, carry me. When everyone began moving to the fireplace, Ron followed them lazily. Percy opened a floo channel to their home, and one by one, they all went through it. The sudden quietness of the Burrow was heavenly, and Ron smiled with heavy-lidded eyes. Home sweet home.

"Welcome back you lot" Arthur greeted them, he was sitting on the couch with Molly. Pandora was sitting on a nearby chair, much to Ron's disappointment. No… Now she can't scratch my head while I take a nap. Wait, she still can. Ron walked over and sat down on the floor by Pandora's feet, his back resting against the chair's leg. Scratch my head, woman. I wish to nap.

"How was…" Molly started, but then she stopped. "Where is Charlie?"

"Oh… He stayed behind at The Leaky Cauldron for a couple of pints" Percy replied, doing his best not to give away the fact that Charlie was already drunk when they left him.

"Couple of pints?" Molly Weasley blinked.

"Love, it's his last night in England" Arthur quickly told her. "After that, he'll be knee deep in Dragon dung again. Let him have this." Molly nodded half-heartedly, while her children breathed out in relief due to avoiding a calamity.

Ron looked up at Pandora expectantly, earning a slightly confused look from her. But when she realized what he wanted, she found herself giggling at him. She had been scratching his head lately, much like she did to Luna, in an effort to keep him calm. Had he really grown so accustomed to it so quickly? It didn't really matter to her, she'd give him the moon if he asked her for it. Pandora shifted in her seat in order to reach his head more easily, and then, she began scratching his head with her left hand. Yes, that's the stuff. Ron almost purred as he closed his eyes and leaned more against the chair's leg, content to stay here for the rest of the night.

Arthur Weasley's POV

Tuesday 7th July, 1993 (The Burrow – Evening)

Arthur found it hard not to laugh at his youngest son's behavior. His son was sitting on the floor, in clothes that looked more expensive than what Arthur made in a month, and he was completely gone as Pandora scratched his head. He looks like a ginger cat right now. The rest of the children gave Ron odd looks, something that Molly caught onto.

"Was he this tired all day?" Molly asked, trying to sound nonchalant. It came across as inquisitive instead.

"No, he was fine all day" Luna replied, sitting next to Ginny on the couch. "His exhaustion hit him very suddenly." Suddenly, eh? Did he not have his Potion today? Arthur felt Molly tense, though she didn't show any sign of it to their children.

"Well you're all home now, so it's nothing to worry about" Pandora hummed from her chair, clearly telling Arthur and Molly not to panic. She's right, we should just let him sleep until dinner. Pandora suddenly shifted in her seat again, her eyes locking onto her daughter's right wrist. "Luna… What is that on your wrist?"

"Oh" Luna hummed, showing her wrist to her mother from across the room. There was a bronze-colored bracelet on it, a bracelet with three noticeable sapphires. Merlin's beard! Where did she get something so expensive? Is it genuine? "Ron bought it for me today from a Jewelry shop in the upper district of Diagon Alley. I told him not to, but he didn't want to hear it." Bloody hell, how much does that boy make? Wait, if he got something for Luna… Arthur's eyes went to his own daughter's arms, and Ginny being the clever girl that she was, had crossed her arms while adorning a nonsuspicious look on her face. He definitely got her something too.

"Ginny, what did your brother get you?" Molly asked, not very happy that Ron wasn't saving his money like a responsible person should.

"Nothing…" Ginny muttered, her cheeks flushing.

"Ginevra Molly Weasley, do no lie to me" Molly tutted, frowning slightly. Arthur decided not to step in for now, he himself wanted to see what Ron had gotten Ginny.

"Sorry…" Ginny sighed, and then she showed them her left wrist. Arthur eyed the golden cuff bracelet with the sizable ruby in the middle, but his actual attention went to her slightly uncovered forearm. Wait… Where are her scars?!

"Ginny, a word?" Arthur quickly stood up, surprising even Molly. Ginny nodded meekly, clearly believing that she was in trouble. Arthur led the girl into the kitchen, thanking Merlin that his wife hadn't noticed Ginny's scar-free forearm before him.

"Dad… I can explain…" Ginny muttered, looking down at the floorboards.

"Show me your left forearm" Arthur said as gently as possible, and it seemed to do the trick. Ginny shuffled her feet before showing her father her left forearm. Arthur slowly moved her jacket's sleeve back, ignoring the fact that his daughter was fidgeting even more now. "They're gone…"

"Not really" Ginny looked up as she pulled her arm back, quickly pulling her sleeve back down. "The bracelet has a Glamor Charm on it, please don't tell anyone."

"A Glamor Charm?" Arthur blinked, weren't those horribly difficult to do? That's when he noticed that Ginny no longer had any freckles, and that she looked fair and flawless. "Ginny… Does your brother know that he's bought you a Charmed item?"

"No" Ginny mumbled, looking back down. Arthur resisted the urge to sigh and rub his face, how was he supposed to explain this to Molly. "Please don't take it away from me, I don't want to have scars" Ginny suddenly pleaded, her eyes welling up with thick tears.

"I won't do that, love" Arthur assured her quickly, pulling her into a gentle hug. "And I'll talk to your mother too, don't worry about a thing." Her plea had nearly ripped his heart out of his chest, he hated the fact that both of his youngest children were left scarred by that demon.

"Thank you" Ginny put her arms around his waist. My night just got a lot more complicated, didn't it?

Tuesday 7th July, 1993 (The Burrow – Dinnertime)

Charlie still wasn't home, the twins were annoyed that Ron had spent his money on the girls rather than them, Percy wouldn't stop talking about his plans to work within the Ministry, Luna and Ginny were eating as carefully as they could in order to not dirty their new bracelets, Ron was particularly grouchy for being woken up, Pandora was trying to urge Ron to eat his food, and Molly was still upset with both Ron and Charlie. This once again left Arthur in a position that he often played in his home; the peacekeeper.

"How much did your bracelets cost?" Fred demanded, his coming out as particularly childish.

"They look expensive enough to buy a thousand joke items" George glowered.

"Fred, George…" came Molly's voice from the kitchen, and the twins frowned at the girls.

"Enough of that" Arthur told them firmly. "Your brother can buy your sisters whatever he wants, it is his money after all."

"He should be saving his money" Percy piped in, making Arthur sigh. Thank you for your help, Percy. Arthur was about to defend Ron again, but they all heard the fireplace roar to life from the living room. Charlie's back.

"Good evening, everyone" Charlie slurred as he stepped into the kitchen, clearly drunk to the point of stupidity. For Merlin's sake! "How goeth your night?" Charlie grinned at them. "Wait… Is 'goeth' a word?"

"No" Percy answered immediately, while Arthur looked to his horrified wife. His horrified wife, who was quickly turning red with rage.

"Charlie, a word?" Arthur shot out of his seat, quickly making his way to his inebriated son.

"Sure dad, I've got all the words in the world for you" Charlie chuckled, the stench of cheap alcohol emanating from him. Arthur's face pinched without a second thought, how much had Charlie drank tonight?

"Upstairs" Arthur said as he took his son by the arm, hoping to get him out of the kitchen before Molly ripped out her wand. Charlie was so drunk that he was having trouble navigating the steps, and so the young man put most of his weight on his father. Arthur's back nearly gave out because of how heavy his overly-muscled son was.

"I'm a Dragon" Charlie stated out of nowhere, earning a confused look from Arthur.

"Son, how much did you drink tonight?" Arthur asked as he pulled Charlie along. Why is his room on the third floor?! My poor back.

"Enough that I had to piss a dozen times" Charlie laughed.

"Wonderful…" Arthur sighed out. When they finally made it into Charlie's room, Arthur helped the young man into his bed.

"My shoes" Charlie groaned, feeling a bit sick. Arthur nodded, and then he took off Charlie's shoes like he used to when Charlie was a toddler. "Thanks dad, I love you."

"I love you too, son" Arthur replied, trying not to sound too tired. He had done paperwork all day, and now he was trying to keep his house in order too. Arthur pulled out his wand, and he transfigured a nearby stool into a bucket. "Son, if you do vomit, try and aim for the bucket" Arthur instructed as he put the bucket near Charlie's head.

"Vomit? Little bitches vomit" Charlie waved a dismissive hand, his eyes closed.

"Language, son" Arthur sighed. "Goodnight."

"Night dad" Charlie muttered, dozing off. Arthur left the room, closed the door behind him, and then he travelled back downstairs. Molly was now sitting at the table, glowering at no one in particular. When she saw him, she frowned deeply at him. Arthur decided to ignore it and eat his dinner, he'd speak to her later.

"Is he alright?" Percy asked, not reading the atmosphere in the room.

"Your brother is fine" Arthur assured them with a smile, something that made the children relax a bit. Arthur took his seat next to Molly, who was still staring at him. "We can talk later" Arthur whispered to her, and she nodded before beginning her own dinner. Arthur managed one bite of his own dinner before it was interrupted by the sound of cutlery clanging against a plate. Arthur's head shot up, and much to his shock, he saw that Ron had fallen asleep on the table.

"Ronnie?" Ginny gasped, all of the children going wide-eyed at the sight of him.

"Love?" Pandora helped him sit back up, but not before shooting a panicked look at Arthur and Molly.

"I need sleep…" Ron mumbled, his eyes closing again. Arthur quickly shot out of his chair… again, and he made his way over to Ron.

"I'll take him up" Arthur quickly assured everyone, but his comment was mostly aimed at Pandora and Molly who had both gone pale with worry. "C'mon son, let's go" Arthur grunted as he helped Ron out of his chair, his youngest son was practically dead weight. I'm going to St. Mungo's tomorrow, that's for certain.

"Is he alright?" Fred asked, still staring at Ron with wide-eyes.

"He looks really pale" George added on.

"Ron's just tired, that's all" Arthur assured them.

"I didn't sleep last night…" Ron lied, his voice barely audible.

"Let's get you to bed son, you need your sleep" Arthur said as he helped Ron out of the kitchen and up the stairs, cursing Merlin that Ron's room was on the fifth floor. They made their way up at a steady pace, with Ron managing to regain some of his senses.

"Did you have your Potion today?" Arthur asked as they neared Ron's room.

"No, thank Merlin for that" Ron replied.

"Ron… You need to drink one every day" Arthur tried to say gently, but his tone came out as scolding.

"It tastes like Troll shite, and it makes me feel sick" Ron whined.

"It helps you fight off fatigue, Ron" Arthur told his son, ignoring Ron's language. "Fatigue is a major symptom of Chronic Stress, and since you won't stop pushing yourself, you have to drink it. No more arguments on this, do you understand?"

"Yes, yes" Ron nodded, sounding like he had heard this lecture before. Arthur led Ron into the boy's room, and he nearly jumped out of his skin when he spotted two bright yellow eyes staring at him from a dark corner. Helios hooted loudly at the sight of Ron, and Arthur relaxed considerably.

"It's just your…" Arthur started, but Helios hooted loudly once again before flying over to them. The Eagle-Owl began hooting madly at Arthur, while also trying to land on Ron's shoulder. "Stop Helios! I'm trying to help him!"

"Get him Helios, show dad who's in charge" Ron laughed, clearly amused at the sight of his father trying to hold off the angry bird. Arthur quickly helped Ron into his bed, and he took a step back as Helios landed by Ron's pillow. The Eagle-Owl hooted angrily at Arthur, glaring murder at him for touching Ron.

"Barmy bird!" Arthur snapped at Helios, who just intensified his glare.

"Helios, it's alright" Ron chuckled, his eyes closing again. Helios hopped closer to Ron, head-butting his master's head in a 'loving' manner. Ron didn't seem to mind, he even enjoyed it judging by his content smile. That thing is a bloody menace! Arthur took in a deep breath, still annoyed at being attacked by the angriest bird on the planet. Why couldn't Sirius get him a nice, ordinary owl?

Arthur skulked out of the room, hoping that he could finally eat his dinner before tucking in for the night himself. The moment he stepped into the kitchen, he realized that that wasn't going to happen. The children had moved on to the Living Room, no doubt playing games and relaxing, while Arthur stared at Molly and Pandora whispering to each other.

"Is everything alright?" Arthur asked as he sat down in his seat again, his cold food staring back at him. He shrugged his shoulders and started eating, regardless of the temperature, it still tasted good.

"We should be asking you that" Pandora replied. "What's the matter with Ron?"

"Is it his…" Molly started, but trailed off. She still hasn't uttered the word 'Brain-damage'.

"No, he simply didn't have his Potion today" Arthur sighed, and both women relaxed considerably. "Not just that, but he actively avoided drinking it. I'm sure of it. He probably told Mary that he'd drink it once he was home, and then when he got here, he just didn't bother mentioning anything."

"That boy" Molly frowned at the stairs.

"He's a kid" Arthur shrugged. "No kid wants to drink medicine. Now, about the bracelets…"

"We should have him return them" Molly said firmly, and Arthur felt the need to run back to his desk at the Ministry.

"You know he won't like that" Pandora stated. "And if we force him, he'll lose that temper of his."

"He bought his sisters a gift, he has that right" Arthur said, looking his wife in the eyes. "Molly, don't make problems when there are none. Luna and Ginny already love those bracelets, didn't you see how carefully they ate? Neither of them wanted to take them off." I imagine that Ginny will never take hers off.

"Is there a Glamor Charm on Ginny's bracelet?" Pandora asked, and Arthur was floored by her perception. Does she have the Third Eye or something?

"Glamor Charm?" Molly blinked, looking to Arthur for answers.

"It does" Arthur put down his cutlery, his dinner was no longer appealing.

"I figured as much" Pandora hummed. "All of her freckles were gone, and she looked more beautiful than ever. Utterly flawless, even."

"Her scars are also 'gone'…" Arthur whispered, and Molly winced at the mention of them. She had not taken the news of her little girl being scarred by the Dark Lord well, and Arthur had caught her crying constantly when they first found out. First Ron, and now my little girl. The moment that monster resurfaces, I'll be the first person to join the Order. I'm sure that Dumbledore will reorganize it when the time comes.

"Does Ron know about her scars?" Pandora asked, and Arthur shook his head.

"He just payed for the bracelet, I think" Arthur replied. "He probably has no clue that it's an Enchanted item. It must've cost him a small fortune, but he doesn't seem bothered by that at all." Arthur then looked to Molly, who was almost convinced of letting the girls keep their new bracelets. "Molly, don't take this away from her. I haven't seen her look so carefree for a long time, and she didn't once tug at her sleeve during dinner." Molly nodded meekly, giving Arthur a sad smile. Good, all of the fires are put out.

Ronald Weasley's POV

Wednesday 8th July, 1993 (The Burrow – Midday)

"Can't you stay one more day?" Ginny pleaded, trying her best to guilt Charlie into staying. "We never get to see you, and Merlin knows when we'll get to see you again." Ron and Ginny were currently saying goodbye to Charlie, who was about to leave for Romania once again.

"I'm sorry, Gin" Charlie smiled softly. "But I told you that I've already booked the Portkey, and it costs a lot of money to change your booking."

"Ron can pay for it" Ginny said, looking to Ron with hopeful eyes. Great, now it's all on me.

"I don't mind paying" Ron looked to Charlie, but Charlie waved a dismissive hand.

"I have work to get back to as well" Charlie told them.

"Work? Or your girlfriend?" Ginny pouted miserably, while Charlie looked around in a panic. Is he trying to make sure that our parents aren't around the corner? They're meeting him at the Ministry, along with Pandora and Luna. I hope Pandora's Medi-witch checkup is going well, and that my Godchild is healthy.

"I got your trunk" came Percy's voice, and Ron turned to see Percy step into the living room with said trunk.

"The twins?" Charlie asked.

"Being bratty as always" Percy frowned, the twins and Ginny had made it abundantly clear that they didn't want Charlie to leave. While Ginny was begging Charlie to stay, the twins had locked themselves away and refused to say goodbye.

"I'll go talk to them" Charlie sighed.

"You don't have the time, Charlie" Percy informed his older brother.

"I'll always have time for them" Charlie said as he began leaving the room, but then he suddenly stopped at the door. "Ron, come with me. I want to talk to you about something important." Important? Ron nodded and followed Charlie out, missing Percy trying to console a teary-eyed Ginny and failing miserably.

"What's this 'important' thing?" Ron asked, following Charlie up the stairs.

"Two things, actually" Charlie started. "Firstly, you can't let Ginny think that she has any claim on your money. She just tried to guilt you into paying for me, and that isn't right." What the…? She didn't try and guilt me, she's sad that you're leaving you moron.

"Charlie…" Ron started, but Charlie cut him off.

"Mum told me that you bought Luna and Ginny expensive jewelry yesterday" Charlie stated as he turned to look at Ron, his face dead-serious. "Buying gifts is fine, it's actually rather kind of you, but don't make a habit out of it. If you keep getting her whatever she wants, then she'll stop working to earn it for herself. Do you understand?"

"I… I understand" Ron nodded. He doesn't want my money to put a strain on my relationship with Ginny, and I agree with him. She's been rather nice today, and we even talked for over ten minutes at breakfast.

"Good lad" Charlie smiled, and then he began climbing the stairs again. Ron followed after Charlie, thinking about his words. "Now, the second thing… I should've told you this sooner, but I honestly forgot about it until today. Harry came over when you were at Greengrass Manor, and he wanted me to let you know that he's heading into Muggle London to meet some girl named Harmony." Harmony? Who the hell is that? Wait…

"Hermione?" Ron asked, and Charlie snapped his fingers.

"That's the one" Charlie chucked. "Anyway, I told him that you were in."

"You did?" Ron nearly frowned, he didn't like having the option to refuse being taken out of his hands.

"Don't be like that" Charlie sighed. "They want to be better friends with you, and that's a good thing Ron. Just go down to Grimmauld Place tomorrow morning after breakfast, and then spend the day with your mates. It'll be good for you." I wanted to buy Clementine Zabini a gift for inviting me into her home, and to earn points with her for Blaise's sake. Now I'll have to postpone that plan till Friday, which is the exact same day I have go to her house. I'll ask Theo and Daphne for help I reckon, especially because I don't have much time now to get an appropriate gift. "Ron, are you listening?" came Charlie's voice, and Ron broke out of his thoughts.

"Yeah, totally" Ron lied, noticing that Charlie had stopped and was now looking at him with a furrowed brow.

"So you'll meet up with Harry tomorrow?" Charlie asked, and Ron nodded.

"Sure" Ron agreed. I don't have any Muggle money, and I don't really understand their currency. I really need to look into it, just in case it becomes important for the Future.

"Good" Charlie nodded firmly, smiling once again. "Want to help me deal with the twins?"

"No, not particularly" Ron admitted, making Charlie chuckle.

"I'll meet you downstairs then" Charlie said as he began making his way up again, while Ron turned around and headed back downstairs. So Muggle London tomorrow? I hope I don't have to spend the whole day there, I want to try and get a hold of Theo and Daphne. But I guess I can just do that on Friday as well. We'll see how tomorrow goes.

Thursday 9th July, 1993 (The Burrow – Past Midnight)

"Master" came a whisper, and Ron felt warm hands shaking him gently. "Master, Marty has returned…" Ron's eyes slowly opened, and he spotted the blurry face of his House-Elf hovering right in front of his own. SHITE! Ron sprang up from fright, his entire body tensing at the sudden movement, while Marty quickly hopped off of the bed.

"Fucking hell, Marty…" Ron breathed out, clearing his eyes quickly. "You scared the life out of me."

"A thousand apologies, Master" Marty gave a sheepish smile before bowing. What is he doing here? What's the damn time? "Marty has completed his task, and Marty has brought the secured items for Master to inspect." Items? The Basilisk! Ron quickly slid out of his bed, looking to the thick black trunk that was behind Marty.

"Are they in there?" Ron asked, barely managing to keep his excitement in check. That's a big trunk, which means that I'm going to make so much fucking money!

"Yes Master, all of the items are within" Marty replied, and then the Elf snapped his fingers and the trunk unlocked. Ron and Marty approached the trunk, and Ron opened it slowly. The smell hit him before the sight, and Ron's entire face pinched. Merlin, what the fuck is that smell? Ron's eyes then scanned the contents before looking to Marty for an explanation. Marty however, was just staring at the harvested organs.

"Marty, care to tell me more about what I'm seeing?" Ron asked, and Marty nodded as he looked to Ron.

"Chivvy, the House-Elf that harvested most of the organs, told Marty that the organs had to be bathed in a preserving solution" Marty started, and Ron nodded along. "That's where the horrid smell comes from, Master. The Basilisk's venom was keeping its organs preserved, but once Marty and his friends removed them, they had to be preserved another way."

"And what organs am I seeing?" Ron looked at the contents of the trunk. These are rather large, but then again, it was a big fucking snake.

"That's the heart" Marty pointed to three-chambered heart, and then he began pointing out the other organs. "That's the liver, the pancreas, the spleen, the right lung, and…" Marty pointed a shaky finger at a fleshy sac "that's the sac that stores the venom." Ron swallowed thick at the bulging sac, it was clearly full of the most dangerous venom known to wizarding kind. I can't keep these inside the house, it's too dangerous.

"Any fangs?" Ron asked, tearing his eyes away from the smelly organs.

"Marty and his friends found two" Marty nodded before opening a small compartment within the trunk, revealing two chipped fangs. "They are damaged, but Marty collected them anyway."

"You did the right thing, Marty" Ron smiled at his Elf, who beamed in return. "This is really amazing, well done. But… I can't keep this trunk inside the house… Is it possible that you can keep it hidden away for the time being?"

"Of course" Marty nodded fervently as he snapped his finger, closing and locking the trunk. "Marty will store it where Marty has stored the shed skin, within the Chamber. The skin was too large to be stored within the trunk." Around thirty feet, if I remember correctly. I'll keep the skin and have Marty line some of my robes with it, which will be really handy if I'm ever in a battle. As for the organs… I can't sell them tomorrow, or on Friday. I have work on Saturday, and training on Sunday. Bloody hell, I'll have to wait until Monday before I can meet up with Gornuk.

"Thank you Marty, well done again" Ron smiled widely at the Elf, who bowed deeply. "I've got a big day tomorrow, so I'm going to get some sleep. Can you do something about this smell?"

"Certainly, Master" Marty nodded firmly.

Thursday 9th July, 1993 (The Burrow – Early Morning)

It had been odd to go for his morning run around the Burrow without Charlie, but Ron had quickly found another thing to occupy his mind. The property needed a warded fence, and Ron kept his eyes peeled for where it would go. The Burrow had a vast amount of land around it, and putting up a warded fence around all of it would just be a waste of resources. So Ron had decided to replace the makeshift fence that they already had with a warded one, but that also meant that he'd have to get rid of quite a few hedges.

Ron decided that it was worth it easily enough, mostly because those filthy Gnomes tended to hide in the hedges to avoid detection. He'd get rid of all of those parasites, and maybe even build a small greenhouse around his mother's vegetables. He knew that his mother loved growing her own produce, but she hated working out in the Sun or rain, and a greenhouse would fix that. The idea of renovating his childhood home made him feel rather excited, especially when he thought about how much he could help improve his family's life.

"Drink your potion love, you've got a long day ahead of you" Molly said as she handed him a glass that had the Nutrition Potion in it. Ron's siblings were probably still asleep, and his mother had woken up early just to make sure that he ate properly after his run. And to make sure that I drink this shite. Ron drank the Potion down quickly, his face twisting as he fought the urge to gag.

"Thanks, mum" Ron managed a weak smile, his voice strained. Molly rubbed his back with a doting smile before she headed back to the sink to wash the glass.

"When are you leaving?" Molly asked.

"Right after this" Ron replied, he had already showered and dressed in Muggle clothes for his day out in Muggle London.

"Do Muggle children wear clothes like yours?" Molly asked, eyeing her son's casual grey suit.

"I… have no idea" Ron admitted, earning a chuckle from Molly.

"Well, you make sure that you learn lots today" Molly turned back to her cooking.

"I will, mum" Ron promised. I want to know how their currency works most of all. I'd rather not make Hermione pay for me.

Thursday 9th July, 1993 (Grimmauld Place – Early Morning)

Ron stepped through the fireplace, and he immediately spotted Harry and Neville. Both boys were lounging about, reading their own magazines. Neville was reading something on plants, while Harry was carefully eyeing a copy of Seeker Weekly. When they heard Ron step into Grimmauld Place, they both looked up at the same time and smiled in a welcoming manner.

"Good morning" Ron greeted them.

"Good morning" they greeted back, eyeing Ron's clothes. Neville seemed to approve of Ron's clothes, especially because he too was wearing an expensive looking suit. Burgundy? It looks good on him. Maybe I should look into getting a burgundy suit as well.

"You're wearing a suit as well" Harry sighed, while Neville chuckled. Ron blinked at Harry, who was wearing jeans and a black jumper.

"These are Muggle clothes" Ron said slowly. "The man who fitted me told me so himself…"

"Apparently normal Muggle children don't walk around in suits" Neville replied, an easy smile on his face.

"They don't?" Ron asked.

"No, they don't" Harry sighed again, and then he shook his head clear. "Why are wizards so clueless about the Muggle World?"

"Weren't you clueless about the Wizarding World when you first went to Hogwarts?" Ron smirked, while Harry blinked at him.

"He got you there, mate" Neville sniggered, and then he got up and shook Ron's hand. "It's good to see you again, I'm glad that you accepted Harry's invitation."

"It's good to see you too, Neville" Ron admitted. Ron had a new found respect for Neville after his amazing apology within the library, and it had definitely increased when Ron's friends had told him that Neville had tried to stand up for them when Harry was trying to start the 'blame game' after Ron's seizure. "So is Hermione meeting us here?"

"No, we're going to The Leaky Cauldron and meeting up with her there" Neville replied, and Ron nodded slowly. Why can't she just floo here? Maybe she doesn't have her house's fireplace registered with the Floo Network?

"And it's just us four?" Ron asked.

"Yeah" Harry replied, getting up from his chair. "Hermione had to beg her parents to not babysit us, but they only agreed after she promised that we'd stay near The Leaky Cauldron."

"It should still be great" Neville said excitedly. "I haven't seen much of Muggle London, so I'm pretty excited to see how the Muggles live." If it's anything like Paris, then it's going to be a great day. Plus, seeing Hermione is always good. I wonder what she's been up to.

"Ah good, you're here" came Remus' voice from the doorway, and Ron turned to see Remus step into the room. He looked exhausted, and utterly pale, something that worried Ron. Is he alright? The full-moon was over a week ago. He still can't be recovering from that, can he?

"Remus, you shouldn't be walking around" Harry frowned at his guardian, who just chuckled at Harry's concern.

"I am quite fine, I assure you" Remus gave a reassuring smile, but it didn't quite reach his eyes. "Sirius says that breakfast is ready." The children all nodded and began making their way out, but Remus stopped Ron. "I need to talk to Ron about something, you two go on." Neville and Harry exchanged looks before leaving, while Ron studied Remus' sickly features.

"Are you sure you're alright, Remus?" Ron asked, the older wizard looked shabbier than ever.

"If one more person asks me that question, then I swear to Merlin, I'll start screaming" Remus chuckled, but then he adorned a more serious look. "How are you? I heard about your fight with your brother, and that you two made up as well."

"Yeah, the fight…" Ron sighed. "We made up, and I'm trying to forget that it even happened. It was mostly because of a lack of communication…"

"Do you want to talk about it?" Remus asked with a kind smile.

"No, I really don't" Ron shrugged. "But I will… If you tell me what happened to you."

"A story for a story?" Remus asked, his smile was now more amused than kind.

"That sounds fair to me."

"Well, you can go first" Remus suggested, making Ron snort.

"Trying to cheat me?" Ron asked, earning a chuckle from Remus.

"Clearly we aren't getting anywhere, and you seem to be doing well" Remus put his arm around Ron's shoulders, and then he began guiding Ron out of the room. "So how about we just leave it at that?"

"That also sounds fair to me" Ron nodded, deciding to respect Remus' privacy. "Did Sirius really cook breakfast?"

"He burnt the bacon" Remus sighed. "I cooked the breakfast… But don't tell Harry, Sirius feels the need to show off in front of him."

"My lips are sealed" Ron sniggered, but he stopped quickly as they entered the Dining Room.

"Pup, you're here" Sirius grinned, a frying pan with scrambled eggs in his right hand. "Take a seat, I made breakfast." The lies! Don't laugh at him, or his scheme will fall apart.

"Thanks Sirius, it smells great" Ron said as he sat down beside Neville, while Sirius mentally patted his own back for his ingenious ruse. Remus took his seat quietly as he fought the urge to roll his eyes at Sirius. "Can I just have a little? Mum already fed me this morning."

"Your loss, I make great eggs" Sirius smirked, while Ron just smiled at him. "Isn't that right, Harry?"

"He does make great eggs" Harry admitted, he was just glad that he wasn't the one being forced to make breakfast anymore. Be careful Harry, those eggs are laced with lies.

Thursday 9th July, 1993 (The Leaky Cauldron – Morning)

"There she is" Harry said as he spotted Hermione enter The Leaky Cauldron, her parents following after her. Ron, and the Gryffindor boys, were shocked to see Hermione in a light blue dress, but what was even more surprising was the fact that she had her hair done up. She looks nice, but isn't it a bit too cold to be wearing a dress with no sleeves?

"She's wearing a dress…" Neville blinked at Hermione, he had never seen her like this before.

"Great, now I'm the only one wearing casuals" Harry sighed, fixing his glasses. Hermione spotted them, and she broke into a wide smile before waving to them. The boys approached Hermione and her parents, all of them wearing their best smiles.

"It's so good to see you guys" Hermione beamed at her friends, and then she turned to her parents. "We'll be alright from here" Hermione told them, and both of her parents blinked at her. She's keen to lose them, isn't she?

"It's a pleasure to meet you again, Mr. and Mrs. Granger" Neville quickly said, making sure to remember his manners.

"You too, Neville" Mr. Granger said, shaking Neville's hand with a smile. Mr. Granger then shook hands with Harry and Ron as well, while Hermione waited impatiently for her parents to leave. "Be back here by five, tulip" Mr. Granger smiled at his daughter, who went slightly red in the face. Tulip?

"Love, let's be on our way" Mrs. Granger suggested, an amused smile on her face as she watched Hermione squirm.

"Of course" Mr. Granger smiled widely, he was just glad to see his daughter being so excited about something that wasn't related to books. Mr. and Mrs. Granger left at that, but instead of leaving for Muggle London, they left for Diagon Alley.

"You look nice, Hermione" Harry complimented her, and she turned a slight shade redder. "I haven't seen you in a dress before, but it suits you."

"Thanks" Hermione managed an embarrassed smile.

"Why did your parents leave for Diagon Alley instead of Muggle London?" Ron asked, curious about what Muggles would even do in Diagon Alley.

"Oh, they're trying to learn more about the Wizarding World for my sake" Hermione replied.

"That's nice of them" Neville stated with a smile.

"It is" Ron agreed, looking to Hermione with a smile. She smiled back, though it looked a bit awkward. She didn't enjoy wearing dresses, but she had figured that today could be an exception… She was wrong. It was a bit too cold, and it looked like it might rain later.

"So what are we doing first?" Harry asked. "Have you had breakfast, Hermione?"

"I have" Hermione nodded.

"Same" all three boys said together.

"We should go to Gringotts first" Neville suggested, and Ron's ears perked up. Gringotts? I could let Gornuk know that I have some Basilisk items for sale.

"Why Gringotts?" Harry asked.

"To exchange currencies" Neville replied.

"Oh, there's no need for that" Hermione quickly piped in, shaking her purse gently. "My parents gave me a lot of money for us, so we'll be fine. They know that Wizards don't know how to use Muggle money."

"We can't just let you pay for everything" Ron started, but Hermione took on a defiant stance.

"Why not?" Hermione asked in a haughty tone, making Ron look to Harry and Neville for help.

"What he means…" Harry started, but Hermione cut him off too.

"I have the money, so there's no point in arguing about it" Hermione told them. "And if you still feel the need to repay me, then you can just give me Wizarding money after today and I will have it exchanged for Muggle money later." Damnit, I wanted to see Gornuk. Oh well, I'll just have to wait until Monday.

Twenty Minutes Later

"This is one of my favorite places on Earth!" Hermione beamed as she showed them 'Foyles Bookstore'. "You can find every kind of book in here! Action, adventure, thriller, fantasy… It's wonderful!" The boys exchanged quick smirks, deciding to let Hermione have her moment. "Let's go inside and have a look, maybe we can find something interesting!" Hermione led the way at that, her eyes glistening with excitement.

"I feel so underdressed" Harry frowned to himself, and then he shot his friends quick looks. "Who wears a suit to a bookstore?"

"These are Muggle clothes" Neville defended himself.

"The man who sold me these said so himself" Ron added on before giving Neville a firm nod, which Neville returned.

"And Hermione is wearing a dress, and she hasn't said a word about our clothes" Neville piled on.

"Why is she wearing a dress?" Ron whispered, hoping that Hermione didn't hear him. She definitely didn't, she's lost in her own world right now. "It's kind of cold today, and it might rain by the look of it."

"You're right" Neville whispered as well, shooting a quick look to a giddy Hermione.

"Keep up you guys, I want to show you how big this place is" Hermione said as she shot a quick look back. "What types of books do you three read?"

"Do they have books on Herbology?" Neville asked.

"They have books on Botany, which is kind of similar to Herbology" Hermione smiled sheepishly, but Neville didn't even know what 'Botany' meant. "Ron, what do you like to read?" Tomes containing powerful Spells.

"I'd like to have a look at the romance section" Ron replied, taking everyone by surprise. Maybe I can get Lord Greengrass a book that he hasn't read yet.

"Romance section?" Harry blinked at Ron, while Neville tried to hide his ever growing grin.

"What?" Ron asked.

"Harry, Ron can read romance novels if he wants to" Hermione shook her head, though she was rather surprised that Ron would read that nonsense.

"It's not for me…" Ron started, finally catching on.

"Sure it isn't, mate" Harry smiled, making Ron blink at him.

"It isn't" Ron said more firmly.

"Ron, there's nothing wrong with reading romance novels" Hermione gave him a genuine smile, she personally hated that tripe. In her opinion, romance novels tended to miss one important thing in them, characters who used their brains. What the fuck? It's not for me!

"I want to buy one as a gift for… a friend…" Ron finished lamely, he didn't want to out Lord Greengrass' secret love for Muggle romance novels.

"Which friend?" Harry smirked, clearly not believing Ron.

"Pansy…" Ron lied. "Yeah, she loves romance…" Why did I even mention getting a romance novel? I'm a moron.

"Yeah, that was believable" Harry sniggered, followed by Neville sniggering too. Great, now they think that I'm some ponce who reads love stories. Ron looked to Hermione, who was just smiling at him in an understanding way. I should've stayed home.

Thursday 9th July, 1993 (A Muggle Café – Afternoon)

"Merlin, how many sandwiches can a person eat?" Neville asked, his eyes fixed on Ron who was eating his fifth sandwich.

"What? I'm hungry" Ron turned slightly red, his other friends had simply gotten used to his appetite. Hermione just giggled at Ron, while Harry shot her a confused look. Harry had noticed that Hermione had been giggling constantly today, which was really out of character for her.

"I'm not judging" Neville chuckled. "Just amazed, that's all."

"Well, be amazed because I have my eyes on your sandwich too" Ron eyed Neville's bacon sandwich.

"I'd better tell Gran to stock up our pantry" Neville laughed. "Which reminds me, are you free next week? She wants to have you over on Wednesday." Next Wednesday? Yeah, I'm free.

"I'm free on next Wednesday" Ron nodded.

"Great, I'll let her know that you're coming" Neville smiled. Dinner at Longbottom Manor… I still can't believe that Neville's parents were driven insane from torture. And that it was Bellatrix Lestrange who did it. She sounds like the scariest witch to have ever walked the Earth, and judging from what I've seen of her, she might genuinely be.

"What about us?" Harry asked, half-serious and half-joking.

"Um… She just wants to see Ron" Neville's smile turned sheepish. "It's mostly for ceremony…" Ceremony?

"What does that mean?" Hermione asked, trying not to shiver. The weather had gotten worse as the day had progressed, and she was really regretting wearing a dress.

"Well…" Neville started, not keen on explaining Pure-Blood traditions to his friends. "Gran gave Ron our Family's eternal friendship, and I… I broke that… So she wants to have him over in order to apologize, and to better the friendship between Ron and me."

"And I will accept her apology" Ron assured Neville, who smiled gratefully. We all fucked up, especially me. Attacking Harry like that is going to haunt me for the rest of my life. "By the way, what kind of gift would be appropriate for your Gran?"

"Oh, she enjoys a good Sherry" Neville replied, and Ron stored that information in his brain. A good Sherry, got it. I'll ask Lord Greengrass to order me one because I'm too young to buy alcohol myself, and then I'll pay him back.

"Friends fight sometimes, but is a 'ceremonial apology' really necessary?" Hermione asked, she was still blown away by how medieval the Pure-Blood Families were.

"It is when one Family gives their eternal friendship, and then a person from that same Family breaks it" Neville sighed, he didn't want to argue about traditions again. Not only did Harry and Hermione not understand Pure-Blood traditions, they actively didn't try to.

"And it'll get us your Gran's blessing, which is a plus" Ron nodded. And it'll get me another ally. She must already hate Death-Eaters and their master, and due to her wealth, she could be a great asset in the upcoming war.

"Right…" Harry nodded slowly, exchanging a quick look with Hermione. "Well, I hope it all works out."

"It will" Neville nodded at Ron, who nodded back. I'll make damn sure that it does.

"Now that we're all together, I can finally tell you guys something that I've been sitting on for a week or so" Harry said as he leaned forward, his emerald eyes blazing with intrigue.

"What is it?" Hermione asked, she knew that look all too well. Harry had been poking around, and something had caught his interest.

"You know how Dumbledore snuck off to Albania?" Harry started, and Ron tensed slightly. Fuck, is he still looking into that? I thought Snape was going to get Sirius and Remus to put a stop to that.

"He didn't sneak off, Harry" Neville sighed.

"What else would you call it?" Harry asked with a slight frown.

"Wizengamot business" Neville suggested, but Harry just rolled his eyes.

"There is no Wizengamot business, I'm sure of it" Harry looked to Ron and Hermione. Merlin, Harry's one inquisitive bastard. "I went to Remus and Sirius about it, and they got really secretive… Told me not to go spreading such things around, and that Dumbledore was in Albania for actual Wizengamot business. So I started looking at all the Daily Prophets that Sirius leaves lying around, and not once was Albania mentioned. Hell, there hasn't even been a mention of Dumbledore leaving the country…"

"Why would he go to Albania of all places though?" Hermione asked, suddenly forgetting that she was cold.

"Exactly" Harry smiled, his eyes burning with questions. "Every time I try and talk to Remus or Sirius about it, they both clam up. I think something big is going down, and whatever it is, it's happening in Albania."

"Something big?" Ron asked, trying to sound ignorant. I need to tell Snape that his plan to stop Harry failed, and that Harry is getting closer to the truth.

"I think that it's got something to do with Voldemort" Harry whispered, and both Ron and Neville flinched. He said the fucking name! WHY?! And for fuck's sake, he's onto it already! Harry ignored his friends flinching at Voldemort's name, though it vexed him.

"Voldemort? What makes you think that?" Hermione whispered back, while Ron and Neville shifted in their seats.

"Stop saying that name" Ron said, his voice coming out harsher than he intended. "It's taboo…" Every Wizarding child was taught to never say the Dark Lord's name, the war was something that was best left forgotten.

"I'm with Ron on this" Neville muttered, his parents' fate flashing in his mind. "Please stop saying it so openly…"

"It's just a name, Neville" Harry fought the urge to frown.

"That name carries memories of the war, which is why it's taboo" Ron frowned at Harry. "Just call him the Dark Lord, or something…"

"Fine…" Harry rolled his eyes, he hated that Voldemort held so much influence even after his defeat. "Anyway, I think that Volde… the Dark Lord… is hiding in Albania. That's why Dumbledore's there, he wants to defeat him." Well, Harry Potter figured it all out in his spare time. Bloody hell, he's as sharp as they come.

"If anyone can defeat You-Know-Who, it's Dumbledore" Hermione said firmly, clearly believing her words wholeheartedly. My Cycles indicate a very different outcome.

"Why would You-Know-Who go to Albania after…" Neville trailed off, looking at Ron with a worried look.

"After he nearly killed me?" Ron finished for Neville, and all three Gryffindors looked rather uncomfortable. "Well, he can't use the Philosopher's Stone because it's been destroyed… Which means that he's probably trying to figure out another way to come back. If he is in Albania, which is a big if, he's probably just plotting his return." That should suffice. I answered the question, and I didn't reveal anything that they didn't already know.

"Let him return" Harry said, his voice slightly bitter. "We'll be ready for him when he does." I fucking hope so, because if we're not, then we're all dead.

"Are you lot done with your food?" came the waitress's voice, and all four of them jumped slightly. Merlin, that scared me. "Sorry loves, didn't mean to frighten you. Are you done with your food?" Ron looked down at his fifth sandwich, but he didn't feel hungry anymore. The Dark Lord killed my appetite.

"We are" Hermione replied after looking to her friends for confirmation. The waitress began taking the plates, while the four of them kept silent.

"Do you want dessert? Coffee? Maybe some hot-chocolate?" the waitress asked, and they all shook their heads. "Alright then, just pay up the front when you're ready." With that, the waitress left for the kitchen.

"I'll go and pay, and then we can keep talking about this" Hermione said as she stood up to leave. Can we please not talk about this?

"I'll come with you" Ron offered, keen to see how Muggle currency worked.

"Oh… Okay…" Hermione replied, her voice slightly flat. Ron stood up, and they both walked over and stood in line. "Ron, you don't have to wait with me. But it's also fine if you want to, I don't mind…" What? Getting mixed signals here. Ron studied Hermione, and he noticed that her cheeks were getting red.

"I want to see how Muggle money works" Ron admitted, and Hermione looked to him with a slightly confused look.

"Oh…" Hermione muttered, but didn't go on. Why is she being so awkward all of a sudden? Wait… Does she still have a crush on me? I hope not, that could complicate things between Daph and me.

"Can you show me?" Ron asked after a few seconds, and Hermione broke out of her stupor.

"Sorry, and of course I can" Hermione smiled, though it looked slightly forced. Hermione then reached into her purse and pulled out a bunch of notes, all of them with different pictures on them. Is that parchment? Why not use gold? Gold literally symbolizes wealth.

"Why is it made of paper?" Ron asked.

"It's cheaper to produce than gold" Hermione explained, losing her slight awkwardness now that she was explaining something. "Muggles don't have any means to create gold, and they don't have Goblins digging up more gold constantly either. So they use paper, which is marked with these pictures and different colors. Mints, where Muggle money is made, use special techniques to avoid counterfeiting, and they sometimes even issue new notes to replace the old ones. It's really quite fascinating." It sounds rather well organized, Muggles are quite amazing. Ron remembered Paris, and just how mind-blowing some of the buildings were. Quite amazing.

"So you hand over these notes, and that's that?"

"Well, sort of…" Hermione bit her bottom lip, trying to figure out how to explain this in simpler terms. "Just watch me pay, it's actually very similar to Wizarding money. There are pence, and then there are pounds. One hundred pence make up one pound, and that's all there is to it." Ron nodded slowly, so he only had to understand two different categories of money. It seems easier than remembering that one Sickle is twenty-nine Knuts, and one Galleon is four-hundred and ninety-three Knuts. And that seventeen Sickles make one Galleon.

"So pounds are the more important form of Muggle money?" Ron asked, and Hermione nodded with a wide smile.

"See, you already understand it" Hermione replied, and Ron mentally patted his own back. One hundred pence make one pound, and pounds are the more important form of payment. Remember that.

"It's much easier to grasp than our currency, isn't it?" Ron chuckled, and Hermione laughed.

"Wizarding currency is so overly complicated that my parents just leave it to me to figure it out" Hermione told him. "Remember when we met you and your family at Gringotts?" Ron nodded, that was right before second year started. "The Goblins confused my poor parents so much that they just gave up."

"I'm sure that my dad didn't help by pestering them about Muggle money" Ron grinned, and Hermione nodded as she giggled.

"That'll be £48.50, love" the old cashier said, and Hermione handed over one note with a fifty on it. Ron watched carefully as the woman handed Hermione three coins back, while Hermione thanked her. So those three coins must make up one pound and fifty pence. Hermione put the coins in her purse, and then they both left the line.

"Is £48.50 a lot of money?" Ron asked, and Hermione nodded slowly.

"Sort of, but we did buy a lot of food" Hermione replied, and Ron grinned sheepishly. I ate five of the eight sandwiches that we bought.

"Sorry about that, I'll be sure to pay you back before you head home" Ron promised, but Hermione just waved a dismissive hand.

"Don't worry about it Ron, my parents gave me this money for all of us" Hermione stated as they approached Harry and Neville. "Are you guys ready to go?"

"Yeah" Harry replied as both Harry and Neville got up. "Let's go to a clothing store, I want to show Ron and Neville how Muggles normally dress." I'd prefer that over discussing the Dark Lord. "And we can bounce theories about why Voldemort is in Albania." Cocksucker!

They all made their way out, and the moment they did, a particularly cold wind blew past them. Bloody hell, that was nasty. Ron noticed Hermione rubbing her arms from the corner of his vision, and he turned to see her shivering slightly. Why did she wear a dress out today? Ron suddenly remembered offering Daphne his jacket back in Paris, and he figured that Hermione needed it more than he did. And I'm wearing a full sleeve shirt, so I don't have to worry about my scars. Ron took of his grey jacket, and he held it in front of Hermione.

"Here, Hermione" Ron smiled, and Hermione blinked at the jacket. "You're cold right, you should wear this. It'll keep you warm."

"What about you?" Hermione asked softly.

"I live in a dungeon for a majority of the year" Ron sniggered. "I can handle the cold." Hermione slowly took the jacket, and then she put it on. She smiled instantly, it was really warm and it smelled amazing.

"Thank you, Ron" Hermione blushed, pulling the jacket closer to herself.

"It's no worries" Ron said honestly. "So… Muggle clothing shop?"

"Yeah, there's one that's close-by" Hermione mumbled, and then she took off for it with a quickened pace. Alright then…

Remus Lupin's POV

Thursday 9th July, 1993 (Diagon Alley – Afternoon)

Five different shops, he had inquired about work at five different shops today. All of them needed an extra pair of hands, but they had all thrown him out because of his condition. But Remus wasn't deterred yet. He had been dancing this dance for years, a stable job was any Werewolf's dream. In this regard, Remus preferred the Muggle World and his small cottage in it. The Muggles didn't care about his scars, if he could do the heavy lifting, then he could work in construction.

But the Magical World loathed his kind, and that loathing had only increased as of late. Two months ago, a woman named Dolores Umbridge had passed an Anti-Werewolf Legislation that made it impossible for Werewolves to get work. Remus could almost respect the ingenuity behind it, if it didn't disgust him so much. If any business owner hired a Werewolf, they were bound by law to pay for the Werewolf's Wolfsbane Potion. Since the Potion was so expensive, it's ingredients being so rare, every business owner threw the Werewolves in their employ out into the streets.

Most of Remus' fellow Werewolves left for the Muggle World in order to find jobs, while others joined packs and moved into the wilderness. Remus himself detested the notion of packs, mostly because of how primal the Werewolves within these packs became. Their inner beasts killed the human half of them, and so they became no better than the monsters that Wizarding children feared. Remus, and a handful of other Werewolves who still wanted to be part of the Wizarding World, had very limited options in everything.

"Excuse me" Remus said as he opened the door to the Apothecary, the bell attached to the door signaling his arrival. A short, old man popped up from behind a shelf, his old face pinching at the sight of Remus. He already knows that I'm not a customer.

"How can I help you, young man?" the old man asked as he walked over behind the counter, a noticeable limp in his step.

"I couldn't help but see the 'Help Wanted' sign outside of your shop, good Sir" Remus started, and the old man looked Remus up and down.

"I'm rather old, and I can't keep working the front desk and making the Potions all by myself" the old man nodded, a smile appearing on his face. Remus felt a jolt of hope in his chest, but he quickly smothered it. Hope was for people who didn't turn into mindless monsters once a month. "Do you have any experience with Potions, son?"

"I do" Remus replied truthfully.

"Good, you look like an able bodied young man" the old man eyed him again. "Name's Gunther, you?"

"Remus Lupin" Remus replied, shaking Gunther's hand over the counter.

"Well, I'm willing to give a week's worth of trial period" Gunther smiled genuinely. "Just to see if you're any good. But don't worry, it's nothing too complicated. All you have to do is attend the front desk, pile some ingredients onto the shelves, and sometimes help me in the lab. You reckon you could handle that?"

"Yes, I can" Remus smiled, though he was still very guarded.

"Great" Gunther said as he pulled out a piece of parchment and placed it on the counter. "I just need you to fill out some details, and then we can start." Gunther then handed Remus a quill, and Remus began working on the details. He filled his address as Twelve Grimmauld place, wrote down his date of birth, wrote down which Wizarding school he attended, wrote down the details of his Gringotts vault, but he stopped dead in his tracks at the 'Magical Maladies' section. Merlin… Not again…

What was he supposed to do now? Lie? Tell the truth? Remus shot a quick look up, and he noticed Gunther writing down something in his ledger. The old man had been polite enough not to point out Remus' scars, and he had done nothing to offend Remus. I can't lie to him, he could lose his license if the truth ever comes out. Remus reluctantly wrote down that he was a Werewolf, his stomach tightening horribly.

"I'm finished" Remus managed a weak smile, and Gunther took the parchment and read through it. Remus' entire body tensed as he watched the old man read the parchment, and when Gunther blinked at the paper, Remus' heart fell.

"A Werewolf?" Gunther looked to Remus, a hint of fear behind the old man's eyes. Not again… "Your scars… Merlin…" Gunther's expression hardened suddenly, his lips pursing in disgust. "Get out. I don't want your kind in my shop."

"I have my own supply of Wolfsbane…" Remus tried, but Gunther scoffed at him.

"I don't care about the Potion, Half-Breed" Gunther spat out. "Get out of my shop, or I'll report you." Remus swallowed thickly, a pang of pain coursing through his chest. And then, he turned around and left the shop without another word. There was no point in arguing, none at all. If the old man called the authorities, Remus would be beaten into a bloody pulp and thrown into custody. He had been dancing this dance for a long time.

The moment Remus stepped out of the shop, a cold breeze blew past him. His light brown hair blew in the wind, and Remus felt his determination slip away. Six shops, and I was thrown out of all of them. I'll… try again tomorrow. Remus took out his dented pocket-watch, and he realized that he was late for his meetup with Sirius and the other adults. Remus quickly pocketed his watch before apparating to The Leaky Cauldron's entrance. Remus quickly made his way inside, and went upstairs where they all usually met up.

"Remus!" Sirius called, waving him over. Much to Remus' surprise, only Sirius was here right now. Isn't he meant to be with Sebastian?

"Where's Sebastian?" Remus asked as he sat down, his voice coming out a little weak. Maybe I should start looking for work in Muggle London? Or go back to my cottage? He didn't like thinking about his cottage, he detested the notion of being away from Harry. It had taken a lot of convincing from Sirius, but Remus was truly grateful for it. Just being near Harry made all of his struggles worth it.

"He went back home to collect his wife, but he should be here soon" Sirius replied.

"How was the meeting?" Remus asked, today was Sirius' first official Board of Governors meeting.

"Garbage" Sirius muttered, shaking his head. "Bunch of posh twats sitting around a table doing nothing… Seb tried talking about increasing the budget for the staff, and everyone clammed up immediately at the prospect of losing money. So I offered to pay the extra two thousand Galleons, Merlin knows that it's just sitting in my vault collecting dust, but that didn't go over too well either. Apparently, that's not how 'things are done'…"

"I'm sorry to hear that" Remus said, relaxing into his chair.

"What's the matter?" Sirius asked suddenly, eyeing Remus suspiciously.

"Nothing" Remus lied.

"What's that saying that Lily always said when someone was lying to her?" Sirius asked.

"Bullshit" Remus replied, thinking about the kindest woman that he had ever met. When he had heard about James and Lily's deaths, and about how Sirius had betrayed them and killed Peter as well, a part of Remus had simply died. And it never came back to life, not even when he got Sirius back.

"Yeah, that" Sirius clicked his fingers. "I'm calling bullshit on your 'Nothing's wrong'. You've been moping about for days, and even Harry is beginning to notice it. Is this still about that stupid Legislation?"

"I went to six shops today… They all threw me out…" Remus averted his gaze, looking down at the table through tired eyes.

"Remus, brother, why are you putting yourself through this?" Sirius asked, his voice far softer now. "You can just…"

"I can just stay at Grimmauld Place?" Remus looked up, and Sirius nodded. "I want to work Sirius, I just can't sit around all day doing nothing."

"You're not doing nothing, you're helping me raise Harry" Sirius provided.

"Harry doesn't need constant babysitting, he's far more responsible than you give him credit for" Remus responded, looking back down at the table. "I… I just want to work, to be more than just a caretaker… I want to able to leave something behind for Harry when I'm…"

"Fucking hell" Sirius muttered, shaking his head in disbelief. "You're not dying anytime soon, Moony… And neither am I." Sirius then looked at something behind Remus, but Remus already knew that Sebastian and his wife were here. He could smell their extravagant fragrances from the moment they had entered The Leaky Cauldron. Remus' condition was kept secret from the two Greengrasses, mostly because none of them really trusted the Greengrass Family. Too much bad blood from the war.

"Where's Arthur?" Sebastian asked as he took a seat with his wife by his side.

"Running late" Sirius shrugged, his eyes still on Remus.

"Are we interrupting something?" Mary asked, looking between Sirius and Remus.

"No Mary, it's nothing" Remus assured her, but he knew that she didn't believe him. I think she knows of my condition because of my scars, but why she hasn't said anything about it is beyond me. Her husband's hatred for 'Half-Breeds' is well known.

"While we wait for Arthur, maybe we should grab a pint" Sirius suggested.

"Alright" Sebastian nodded, earning confused looks from everyone. "What? The taste of stale beer has grown on me." Ha, being near Sirius has that effect.

"Seb, when you say things like that, I can't help but fall more in love with you" Sirius sniggered as he stood up, while Sebastian looked like he was having a splitting headache.

"Careful Sirius, I have my wand on me" Mary smiled at Sirius, who just chuckled heartily.

"Don't worry my Lady, your husband is safe… for now" Sirius grinned, earning a look of disgust from Sebastian. "Remus, come and help me get the beers." Remus nodded, trying not to laugh at Sirius' antics. Both men made their way downstairs and got into line, with Sirius still grinning to himself.

"You really love pushing his buttons, don't you?" Remus asked, and Sirius simply shrugged.

"I think that Seb wants people to see him like he's some sort of immovable object, which just makes me want to draw out a reaction from him" Sirius admitted.

"You haven't changed a bit since Hogwarts" Remus stated, not sure whether that was a good thing or not.

"We've all changed plenty" Sirius looked to Remus with an understanding look, taking Remus by surprise. "I'm just not fucking glum all the time."

"Fuck you" Remus smirked.

"Fuck you too" Sirius chuckled. "How about we both go into Muggle London tomorrow? And we can try and find something for you."

"Really?" Remus blinked, and Sirius gave him a kind smile and patted his back.

"Moony, if you want a job, then I'm going to help you in any way that I can" Sirius promised, and Remus couldn't help but feel his spirit lighten.

"Thank you, Padfoot" Remus smiled gratefully. "What about Harry?"

"Molly loves having him over, and it'll be good for him to be out of the house more often" Sirius replied. "Plus little Ginny has a crush on Harry, of that I'm certain."

"And there goes the maturity that I just saw" Remus chuckled, while Sirius gave him a wide grin. They ordered five pints, Sirius paid Tom the bartender, and then they made their way back up. Remus spotted Arthur coming into The Leaky Cauldron from the steps, the red haired man looked disheveled and out of breath.

"Here you are" Sirius said as he put the pints on the table, while Remus waited for Arthur to catch up.

"Sorry for being so late, I'm drowning in paperwork" Arthur panted.

"That's fine, we all just got here anyway" Remus reassured the winded man. "Are Molly and Pandora coming?"

"No, Pandora was having some trouble this morning and Molly locked the entire house down" Arthur replied.

"Trouble?"

"Pregnancy stuff" Arthur shrugged. "Nothing to worry about, I'm sure." I hope so. They both made their way to the rest of the group, and Remus could see that Sirius was once again trying to get under Sebastian's skin. He's going to end up in St. Mungo's if he's not careful, Moony is rather wary of Sebastian… which can't be a good sign.

"Finally" Sebastian said as he saw Remus and Arthur approaching. "Can we please start already so I don't have to see this degenerate's face anymore?"

"Ouch" Sirius sniggered, while Mary put a calming hand on Sebastian's arm.

"Sirius, behave" Remus frowned.

"We should start, I'm in a bit of a rush" Arthur said, his eyes fixed on his pint. "I can't drink, I have to get back to work."

"It's just one pint, Red" Sirius smiled. "No one will know… I can see that you want it…" Arthur blinked at Sirius, and then looked back to the cold pint.

"Just one…" Arthur said as he took the glass, while Sirius smiled wickedly. The amount of trouble that smile used to get us into… Arthur never stood a chance.

"How's he been since he came home?" Mary asked, eager to learn about Ron's behavior back home.

"He's been doing well" Arthur replied after he took a long sip. "He and Charlie made up again, and I had a long chat with Charlie before he left. He was just having trouble grasping the changes in Ron, but I think that he has made his peace with it now."

"That's good" Mary smiled, taking a very small sip of her pint. She grimaced slightly, much to Sirius and Remus' amusement. I don't think that she's ever had cheap beer before we started meeting here.

"One more thing" Arthur started, looking right at Mary. "When he left your house, did he tell you that he was going to have his Potion back home?"

"He did" Mary nodded slowly.

"He lied" Arthur frowned slightly, annoyed with Ron's lying habit. "He came home, and he never uttered a word about it. He then proceeded to pass out in the middle of dinner…" Wow… For a smart kid, he sure does some stupid things.

"That boy…" Mary frowned, while Sebastian pinched the bridge of his nose.

"Is he still going through with his Dueling training?" Remus asked, looking to Sebastian.

"He is" Sebastian replied.

"Is that wise?" Sirius asked. "Letting him push himself like this?"

"I think it is" Sebastian replied, his features expressionless. "Ron is very excited about it, and I think that this will be good for him." For him, or for you? "Oh, and Arthur… He's been training by himself at Hogwarts, Mary overheard his friends talking about it."

"Training? By himself?" Arthur blinked, while Remus and Sirius leaned forward in their seats.

"I don't know the specifics, but apparently he spends a majority of his free time honing his Spell-work" Sebastian replied.

"And it shows" Mary finished for her husband. "He nearly bested an Auror during his sparring trial."

"Nearly bested an Auror?" Arthur went wide-eyed, while Remus and Sirius exchanged shocked looks. Merlin, that kid… Every time I learn something about him, I have to fight the urge to gape like an idiot.

"She was taking it easy on him, but that turned out to be a massive mistake on her part" Sebastian replied, looking straight at Arthur. "He left everyone speechless, except for the Auror, who jumped at the chance to train him."

"Bloody hell" Sirius shook his head in disbelief.

"Did he… Did he use any Dark Spells?" Arthur asked in barely a whisper, and all eyes went to Sebastian.

"He used one" Sebastian replied, clearly conflicted between his loyalty to Ron and his concern for Ron's wellbeing.

"I see" Arthur looked down at the table, his left hand massaging his forehead. Remus put a comforting hand on Arthur's back, but the man didn't even notice it.

"The Auror said that it was fine" Mary tried, hoping to reassure Arthur. "It was not an illegal Spell, and she said that he could even use it in any tournaments without facing any problems." At least that's a positive, but still… Ron is clearly attracted to the Dark Arts.

"Just keep your eye on him while he trains, please" Arthur requested.

"We will" Mary promised, while Sebastian nodded curtly.

"Does his tutor know about his brain-damage?" Sirius asked, taking a long gulp of his beer.

"No, I still haven't brought it up" Sebastian replied. "I'll ask Ron if it's alright, and convince him if he says no." That's good, he doesn't like letting people in.

"Alright then" Remus nodded. "Do we have anything else to discuss?"

"Where are Pandora and Molly?" Mary asked Arthur. "And is Xenophilius still on his trip?"

"He is, and Pandora and Molly are back at the Burrow" Arthur replied.

"All is well?" Sebastian asked, and Arthur nodded.

"Pandora is just feeling a bit under the weather, that's all" Arthur replied, and then he drank down his entire pint in one go. Bloody hell. "I need to get back to work" Arthur said as he stood up. "Thank you all for coming, and for keeping an eye on my boy." With that, Arthur turned around and left in a hurry.

"Well, now it's just us" Sirius sighed, and then he looked to Sebastian with a grin.

"Mary, let's go" Sebastian made to stand up, but Sirius sniggered and pulled him back down. "Don't touch me."

"C'mon Seb, give me a chance" Sirius laughed. "I'll grow on you."

"Yes, like fungus" Sebastian frowned deeply, and Remus just smiled widely and shook his head.

"Seb, play nice" Mary smiled at her husband, who simply gave her a deadpan look.

"I suppose we can stay for one more drink" Sebastian said, his voice lacking any sort of enthusiasm.

Ronald Weasley's POV

Thursday 9th July, 1993 (Grimmauld Place – Evening)

Ron stepped through the fireplace, his jacket gripped in his right hand. Other than the terrible weather, the day had been a lot of fun. Except for near the end when Hermione gave me that really awkward hug in front of her father. Merlin, if looks could kill… I need to tell her that I'm not interested in her like that, and I need to do it before things get anymore… weirder.

"Ah, it's so warm in here" Neville said as he came through the fireplace, followed by Harry.

"We should let Sirius and Remus know that we're back" Harry said, patting down the ash from his clothes.

"I reckon I'll head home from here, I've got plans tomorrow and I'm a bit knackered" Ron said, and Harry's face fell slightly.

"At least say goodbye to Sirius and Remus" Harry suggested, and Ron nodded. That's fair. They made their way out of the living room and into the kitchen, and they found Remus cooking dinner while Sirius sat on a countertop with a butter-beer in his right hand.

"You're back!" Sirius beamed, hopping off of the countertop. "How was your play date?"

"It wasn't a play date" Harry frowned.

"Nonsense Harry, utter nonsense" Sirius laughed.

"Stop bothering the children, Sirius" Remus shot his friend a glare. I swear that those two are an old married couple.

"Listen to your wife, Sirius" Ron grinned, and Remus turned around with a frown.

"Ha, did you hear that?" Sirius laughed. "Stop bothering the children my arse, they're all nasty little blighters. Except for Neville of course, Neville's a sweet lad."

"Thanks…" Neville said slowly, unsure if it was a compliment.

"You didn't bring Hermione?" Remus asked Harry, who shook his head.

"Her parents had dinner plans with her, but we had a great time in London together" Harry replied. "I even showed these two how to dress properly."

"Ugh…" both Ron and Neville rolled their eyes.

"I'm dressed fine" Neville pointed out.

"The man said that these were Muggle clothes" Ron repeated for the hundredth time.

"They are" Sirius agreed, giving Harry a funny look.

"They are, but children don't walk around in expensive suits" Harry nearly burst a blood-vessel. "I lived with Muggles, I know how Muggle children dress."

"Well…" Ron muttered, shooting Harry's back a grin. He's getting mad. "I just came in here to say goodbye, mum will want me back for dinner."

"You sure you don't want to eat here?" Sirius asked, his eyes almost pleading.

"Hmmm…" Ron hummed, tapping his chin. "My mum's cooking, or whatever slop you two managed to put together… I wonder…" Harry and Neville sniggered, while Sirius stifled a laugh.

"No need to be a cun…" Sirius started, but Remus smacked him with a spatula. "Merlin! That's got hot oil on it, you tosser!" Sirius exclaimed, leaping away from Remus who went to smack him again. Ron, Harry, and Neville laughed hysterically, while Remus began issuing warnings to Sirius.

"Alright, I'm off" Ron said, giving Harry's back a firm pat.

"Take care, mate" Neville smiled at him. "Don't forget about next Wednesday." Believe me, I won't.

Friday 10th July, 1993 (Greengrass Manor – Early Morning)

Ron stepped through the fireplace, keen to get his day started. He had gone for his morning run, sent Helios to find Snape with a letter attached to his leg, had a big breakfast, panicked slightly because of Pandora's 'Morning sickness', drank down his disgusting Potion, and now here he was. I'm pretty excited to see Daphne! I haven't seen her in… three days. Merlin, what's wrong with me? I've become so needy when it comes to her. Charlie was right, I'm smitten. Ron made his way towards the Dining Room, but he stopped halfway when someone called out to him.

"Ron!" came Theo's voice, and Ron turned to see Theo running at him. Ron's eyes widened when he noticed that Theo's hair was blonde instead of brown.

"Theo? What happened to your head?" Ron asked, while Theo shot panicked looks around himself.

"It's Tori, mate… She's been coming for me constantly" Theo muttered quickly, and Ron's eyes widened even more.

"She did this?" Ron pointed to Theo's head.

"I locked my room last night, and she still snuck in somehow" Theo sighed deeply.

"What the hell did you do to piss her off?" Ron asked, looking Theo up and down. Merlin, he looks so bloody weird with blonde hair.

"You remember that joke I made about 'leaving me with these people'?" Theo asked, and Ron nodded slowly. "Well, it was a big fucking mistake… Tori just spent a fortune on joke items, and since she can't use them on Daphne, she's been coming after me instead. You have to fucking help me, you twat."

"Merlin, calm down Theo" Ron hushed, he hadn't seen Theo so agitated and scared before.

"I can't calm down" Theo grit out. "Twenty eight fucking pranks, Ron… TWENTY EIGHT!" Ron flinched a bit, while Theo looked like he was ready to kill someone. "Take me with you, please! I'll sleep in the fucking attic if need be…"

"There's a Ghoul in there" Ron blinked, and Theo looked at Ron like he was insane.

"A fucking Ghoul? In your attic?" Theo blinked rapidly, and Ron grinned sheepishly. Don't break into laughter! Control Ron, control!

"Why haven't you gone to Daphne for help?" Ron asked, his voice cracking because of the strain he was putting on it by not laughing.

"Merlin, why didn't I think of that?" Theo hissed, annoyed with Ron for thinking that he was an idiot. "She doesn't care as long as it's not her who's getting targeted… Look at my damn tongue!" Theo opened his mouth, and Ron broke into hysterical laughter when he saw that Theo's tongue was rainbow-colored. "She laced my soup, Ron… My damn soup! I can't take it anymore, please help me!"

"I'll do… I'll do my best…" Ron wheezed, his eyes stinging and his cheeks hurting.

"Wait, why are you here today?" Theo asked suddenly, realizing that it was Friday and not Saturday. "You don't have work today."

"Can't I just come here to see you?" Ron asked, still having small fits of laughter. That made my day.

"You want something" Theo stated, something flashing behind his eyes. "I'll give you whatever you want if you get Tori to stop harassing me."

"And what? End up on her list myself?" Ron asked, and Theo nodded. "What? No!"

"She respects you, Ron" Theo said, his voice coming out smooth as he put his arm around Ron. "She looks up to you. She'd never prank you, and you know that."

"Save the sales-pitch" Ron sniggered. "I'll help you, and you'll help me."

"Thank you, Merlin!" Theo praised the Heavens. "What do you need from me?"

"Blaise's mother… I'm seeing her tonight, and I want to get her a nice gift" Ron replied.

"Throw her a bag of gold, and you're in" Theo chuckled, while Ron rolled his eyes. "I'd get her a nice scarf myself, made from some exotic animal. And I'd make sure that it was over three hundred Galleons."

"What the fuck?" Ron frowned. "Does she want my kidneys too?"

"Probably, she's a man-eater" Theo grinned. "But in all seriousness, she can tell how expensive something is just by looking at it. I've never met someone so materialistic before, or since. Get her something amazing, and you'll be golden."

"Great…" Ron sighed, annoyed that he had to spend so much money just to kiss some woman's arse. "Want to tag along?"

"Yes, I would love that" Theo nodded, letting go of Ron.

"Alright, let's go find Daphne" Ron began to walk away, but Theo stopped him.

"Why her? Let's just go mate, it's better that way" Theo said, his voice slightly panicked. Merlin, what has Tori done to him?

"I want to see Daphne" Ron told Theo, who narrowed his eyes on Ron. Oh shite, I need to be more careful. "She's also my friend."

"Right…" Theo smirked. "She's your friend… Totally…"

"Are you done?" Ron asked.

"No."

"Well, you've already helped me so please… keep going. I'll just let Tori know that you've been talking behind her back" Ron smirked as well, while Theo's smirk fell.

"Why do you hate me when I show you nothing but love?" Theo asked, making Ron snort.

"Piss off" Ron laughed, pushing Theo away slightly. "C'mon, let's go get Daphne and be off." They made their way to the Dining Room, and they found the entire Greengrass Family having breakfast.

"Ron!" Tori beamed at him, hopping out of her chair and running straight at him. Ron braced himself, and he caught her when she jumped on him, hugging him tightly around the neck.

"How's my favorite little devil?" Ron laughed, giving her a squeeze.

"Oh, I'm doing splendidly" Tori said as she let him go, her eyes travelling to Theo. "Good morning Theodore, you look different this morning."

"I'm trying something new with my hair" Theo gave her a withering look.

"I preferred your brown hair, but that's just my personal taste" Tori smiled innocently. Ron shook his head, and he made his way towards the others. He took a seat next to Daphne, and she tapped his foot with hers. I missed you too.

"Ron, what brings you here?" Lord Greengrass asked, a small smile on his face. And then he looked to Theo, and his smile fell. "Theodore… What happened to your hair?"

"Nothing, my Lord" Theo lied as he took a seat beside Tori. "Just trying something new…"

"Astoria…" Mary frowned at her youngest, who just smiled innocently.

"Yes, mother dearest?" Tori asked in a sweet voice.

"Tori, enough is enough" Lord Greengrass said, his voice rather firm. "You will not harass my guests. I gave his father my word that I'd keep him safe, and you're making me a liar." How much contact does he have with Cornelius Nott?

"Sorry…" Tori pouted miserably.

"It's just jokes, my Lord" Theo sighed, he didn't want little Tori to be upset. Theo?! That's your escape! What are you doing?! "No harm done."

"Nevertheless, it ends now" Lord Greengrass ordered, looking back to Ron. "Now, what brings you here?"

"I need your daughter for the day" Ron smiled, earning a confused look from Daphne.

"Very well, she is your responsibility then" Lord Greengrass nodded, looking back to his Daily Prophet.

"Father!" Daphne exclaimed, utterly horrified by her father's disregard of her.

"Do you not wish to spend time with your friend?" Lord Greengrass asked, still reading his paper.

"Well… I…" Daphne stammered.

"Then it's settled" Lord Greengrass said. "Ron, if anything happens to her, you will answer to me."

"I understand, my Lord" Ron grinned at Daphne, who just blinked at him. "We're going to have so much fun today." Daphne shook her head clear, and then began finishing up her breakfast. She loved the idea of spending her day with Ron, she just wished that her father didn't hand her over like a toy.

Friday 10th July, 1993 (Diagon Alley – Morning)

"So what are we doing today?" Tori asked Ron, clearly excited about not having her parents watching over her.

"I need to get a gift for a Lady of Noble Birth" Ron explained, and Tori grinned.

"Ron, you don't have to get me anything" Tori sing-sang.

"Well that works out for me, because I wasn't planning to" Ron grinned back, while Tori frowned.

"Is this gift for Clementine Zabini?" Daphne asked.

"It is" Theo answered for Ron. "I told Ron that a new scarf would be a good idea."

"A scarf?" Daphne tapped her chin. "That could work, but it'd have to be exotic. And expensive." My poor pouch. Blaise better be grateful for this. "I know just the place! Twilfitt and Tattings!"

"Ohhh, I love that shop" Tori clapped her hands. "I get all of my hats from there!"

"We're going to be here all day, you know that right?" Theo whispered in Ron's ear, and Ron gave him a confused look.

"We're here for a scarf, and that's it" Ron whispered back.

"You poor delusional fool…" Theo shook his head, a sad look on his face. "You should've taken my advice to come here with just me…" But then Daph wouldn't be here. It can't be that bad, can it?

Friday 10th July, 1993 (Diagon Alley – Nearly Midday)

Theo had been right… Ron should've taken his advice. Tori and Daphne were gushing about everything that they saw, and both girls had tried on a dozen different dresses but bought none. Ron still hadn't found a damn scarf for Clementine Zabini, and it was all the girls' fault. Instead of helping Ron, they were too busy indulging themselves. And I haven't had a second alone with Daphne… Dammit.

"Sorry about this" Ron looked to Theo, who was waiting beside Ron with a deadpan look.

"Shut the fuck up" Theo muttered, staring at the girls piling on more dresses in their arms.

"Fair enough."

Thirty Minutes Later

Ron's patience had come to an end, something that Theo noticed immediately. We've been here for over two fucking hours! FUCK! I'm putting an end to this garbage!

"I have to use the loo" Theo lied, getting out of Ron's way as quickly as possible. Ron ignored Theo, his eyes fixed on the two Greengrass girls. Deciding that enough was enough, Ron made his way over to Daphne while Tori ran off to try another dress.

"Ron! What do you think of this dress?" Daphne asked, putting a white dress over her chest.

"I don't care about your dress" Ron hissed, making Daphne go wide-eyed. "What?"

"Ron… You're speaking Parseltongue" Daphne whispered, throwing panicked looks around them. Really? Bloody hell.

"Sorry" Ron whispered, though he clearly sounded agitated.

"What's wrong?" Daphne asked, her face showing her concern. No, resist it! You're pissed Ron, don't let her take that from you! "Ron, you're worrying me" Daphne whispered as she put her right hand over his left arm. Damn… There it goes…

"Daphne, I just wanted some help with getting a proper gift for Blaise's mother" Ron sighed, losing his steam. "But you and Tori have made Theo and I wait for over two hours now…"

"Two hours?" Daphne blinked, and Ron showed her his Rolex. "Merlin… I'm so sorry, Ron."

"Can you please help me? I don't know anything about scarfs…" Ron asked, and Daphne quickly put away her white dress.

"Come with me" Daphne said as she grabbed his left hand, and this time Ron shot panicked looks around himself. Safe. Daphne led him into the far right corner of the shop, and there were dozens of scarfs locked away in display cases. "These are their best, so let's have a look." Three hundred and twelve Galleons for a scarf?! What the actual fuck?!

"Why are they so expensive?" Ron asked.

"They're made from rare materials" Daphne explained, and then she pointed to smooth white scarf. "This one is made from the silk harvested from an Acromantula." Acromantula? A giant fucking spider? Ron felt a cold shiver run up his spine, something that Daphne noticed. "What is it?"

"Don't like spiders" Ron mumbled, averting his gaze. Wait… Why did I tell her that?

"You're scared of spiders?" Daphne asked.

"No."

"You are" Daphne laughed as Ron's ears turned red. "Don't worry, they scare me too. Too many eyes…"

"I know right" Ron looked to Daphne, who was just smiling at him now. "And eight legs? What the hell? Complete horror shows."

"Ghastly creatures" Daphne agreed, making Ron relax and smile. She didn't really fear spiders, but she didn't want Ron to feel embarrassed either, so she had lied for his benefit. She also thought that it was rather cute that he was scared of spiders while being as powerful as he was.

"So should I get this one?" Ron asked.

"Let's keep looking" Daphne replied. "This may take more time, but you want to get it right don't you?"

"I do" Ron nodded. "This is important to Blaise, so it's important to me. What's that one made of?" Ron pointed to another white scarf. "Wait, it says Yeti fur under it… Yeti fur?" Ron looked to Daphne, who just shrugged.

"Not as rare as Acromantula silk" Daphne noted, and Ron nodded in understanding.

"Daphne, what are you doing?" came Tori's voice, and they both turned to look at Tori. "I need help putting on this dress" Tori explained, and Ron spotted a frilly pink dress in her arms.

"Sorry Tori, but I need to help Ron find an appropriate gift" Daphne apologized, while Tori groaned. "Tori, don't groan in public please."

"Fine… I'll look at another dress…" Tori sighed, and then she sulked off. Great, now I feel bad.

"Ignore her, she's trying to guilt you" Daphne told him, and he looked to her with a confused look. "Trust me, I know my sister better than anyone. She knew what we were doing, and she knows that we'll go home after we get you your scarf."

"So she tried to steal you away?" Ron blinked, and Daphne nodded with a smirk. Clever little devil. I nearly fell for it.

"Let's keep looking" Daphne hummed as she looked back at the scarfs, and Ron followed her gaze.

Ten Minutes Later

In the end, Ron and Daphne had settled for the Acromantula silk scarf. Daphne had droned on about how silk was good for your skin, and that it was a light and elegant material. But Ron's brain had simply turned off due to how dull he found that particular rant.

"You aren't listening, are you?" Daphne asked, while Ron was just staring at the wall behind her. "If you don't respond, I'm going to pinch your side." Maybe we should get some ice… AH! Ron woke up with a start, his side hurting slightly.

"What was that for?" Ron asked, rubbing his side with a cross look on his face.

"I told you I was going to do it, but you didn't do anything to stop me" Daphne smirked. "Also, it's very rude to zone out when someone is talking to you."

"Sorry, but your rant on silk nearly put me in another coma" Ron smirked back, and Daphne went to pinch him again. But Ron was ready this time, and he quickly dodged her claws. "Too slow, my Lady."

"Whatever" Daphne huffed, annoyed with Ron getting one on her. "Just get the scarf, and let's go."

"Don't be like that" Ron cooed, earning a glare from Daphne. "C'mon, give me a smile."

"No."

"Please?"

"No, just buy the scarf already."

"Alright" Ron shrugged, looking to the scarfs. "Do you… Do you like any of these?" Ron suddenly asked, his voice barely audible. Daphne blinked at him, and then looked to the scarfs.

"Ron, you don't have to get me anything" Daphne whispered back.

"I know, but I want to" Ron looked at her, and she managed a weak smile. I got my smile, I win. And I don't mind spending more money, I'm going to get a lot very soon.

"How about you treat me to some ice-cream instead?" Daphne suggested. "Spending so much of your hard earned money in one go isn't a wise move. It would be wiser to save it for a rainy day." I guess that's fair, and I do want ice-cream. I'll also order some for Ginny and Luna, and have it sent to them.

"Alright, let's get this scarf and go."

Friday 10th July, 1993 (The Burrow – Very Late Afternoon)

"Ron!" came Ginny's squeal the moment he stepped through the fireplace, making him jump a little. Ron noticed that Ginny and Luna were eating their ice-creams, while the twins were glowering at Ron from the couch.

"Hello" Ron greeted his sibling, wondering where Percy was. "Where's Perce?"

"Oh, he went to the Ministry with dad" Ginny replied, a big smile on her face. Merlin, she hasn't smiled at me like that for ages. It feels nice. While Ron basked in Ginny's good mood with him, the twins glared even harder at Ron.

"How was your day, Ron?" Luna asked with an airy smile.

"It was good" Ron replied, showing his siblings the bag that contained the silk scarf in it.

"Isn't that a lovely thing?" Fred asked, and Ron looked to his brother. What's with the glare?

"Ickle Ronnikins had a good day" George added on, also glaring at Ron.

"Ignore them, Ron" Ginny frowned at the twins. "They're just jealous with the fact that you didn't get them ice-cream." Oh shite, I didn't even think of them. Or Percy.

"Not jealous" Fred glared at Ginny.

"Insulted" George hissed. "After all we do for you, little bro."

"This is how you repay us?" Fred asked.

"All you do for me?" Ron blinked, trying not to laugh outright.

"We haven't pranked you in over a week" Fred replied.

"He's only been home for three days" Ginny gaped, were the twins delusional?

"It still counts" George tutted her. "Little sisters shouldn't interrupt when the big brothers are talking."

"Why you…" Ginny clenched her jaw.

"You two can have some of my ice-cream" Luna offered, and the twins shot out of their seats with the speed of lightning.

"Ah, Luna" Fred cooed.

"Why can't you teach Ginny to be more like you?" George cooed as well. Damn vultures. Ron looked to Luna, but she just smiled at him. She's trying to stop an argument from breaking out, I shouldn't ruin that.

"As fun as this is" Ron started "I can't stick around. I need to get ready for an important dinner, I'll see you guys later tonight." Ron made his way out of the Living Room, and up the stairs, he didn't have much time to spare. Once he was in his room, he stashed the scarf by his trunk, and selected his best robes. Soft black silk, yes. Ron felt the material with his left hand, and it put a smile on his face.

"Ron, can I talk to you?" came Ginny's voice, and Ron up to see her standing in the open doorway. She had her ice-cream in her hands, and a guilty look on her face. Most people wouldn't be able to spot that guilty look, but Ron knew her better than most.

"Yeah sure, is everything alright?" Ron asked. "Also… Why are you carrying your ice-cream around?"

"I don't want the twins to eat it, they ate all of Luna's" Ginny replied, and Ron frowned at the twins' actions. Damn vultures. I got that ice-cream for Luna, not them. "Anyway, I didn't thank you properly for the bracelet…"

"Ginny, there's no need to thank me" Ron smiled, looking to her left wrist. "It looks great on you."

"Thanks" Ginny smiled, relaxing considerably. "I know you're in a hurry, so I'll be quick." Ginny put her ice-cream on his nightstand, and then she hugged his middle tightly. Well, this is nice. Is she not jealous anymore? Are things finally going back to normal between us? Ron hugged her back, grateful that she wasn't on his case anymore. "Thank you Ronnie, this is the best thing that anyone has ever gotten me."

"You're welcome, Gin-Gin" Ron said. Should I ask her why she was jealous? That might upset her, but I really want to know what had her so bothered. "So… You're not upset with me anymore?" Ginny tensed a bit, but she didn't break her hug.

"I wasn't really upset with you…" Ginny mumbled. "I wasn't even upset…" Didn't seem that way.

"As long as we're fine, I'm happy" Ron decided to say, Ginny wasn't big on opening up to her brothers. Luna, sure… But us, barely ever. She doesn't want us to think that she's a 'girly girl'. "But if you ever do get upset with me, you'll let me know. Right?"

"Right."

Friday 10th July, 1993 (Zabini Residence – Six P.M)

Ron stepped through the fireplace with a polite smile on his face, ready for anything and everything. He had his wand in his inner robe pocket, just in case he needed it. He had Clementine Zabini's gift bag in his left hand, which he would present to her after greeting her properly. Then he would spend the night being nothing but charming, though he had no intention of bending his views on Blood-Purity just to impress her. Ron drew the line on that because he could never, and would never, judge someone for simply being born.

"Welcome to the Zabini residence, Ron" Clementine Zabini greeted him, her seductive lips forming a beautiful smile. Blaise stood to her right, but Ron's eyes were glued to Clementine Zabini immediately. She was gorgeous… She wore a shimmering golden ballroom dress, which was strapless and gave Ron a clear view of her bare shoulders and neck. She was dark skinned, had long raven-black hair, was strong jawed but slender, and her amber eyes looked like two polished Galleons. Bloody hell! Can I be her next husband? Wait no, control yourself Ron.

"Thank you for hosting me, Lady Zabini" Ron smiled more widely without even realizing it.

"The honor is ours, and please, call me Clementine" she responded, putting her right hand forward. Ron took it with his gloved one, kissed her knuckles, and gave her a respectful bow.

"Very well" Ron said, still holding her hand. She just smiled at him, deciding to let Ron hold her hand for a bit, it pleased her to know that she had this effect on the boy who could resist over fifty Veelas.

"It's good to see you again, Ron" Blaise piped in, staring at Ron holding his mother's hand. Ron's senses came back to him, and let go of Clementine's hand before looking to Blaise. Make a joke to alleviate the awkwardness, and for fuck's sake get a grip.

"Ah Blaise, I failed to notice you completely" Ron smiled widely, while Blaise blinked at him. "You didn't tell me that your mother was so beautiful, now I know where you get your good looks from." That earned him a soft laugh from Clementine, and a smirk from Blaise. Nice save Weasley, nice save.

"You were right my gem, he is quite the flatterer" Clementine said, her eyes shining golden due to the lighting.

"Just observant, that's all" Ron gave her his best smile, and she returned the favor. She is probably the most gorgeous witch I have ever seen, too bad that she's rotten on the inside. I can't let my guard down near her. I have to make this work for Blaise's sake. "Once again, thank you for hosting me" Ron said as he presented the gift bag to her.

"A gift? You shouldn't have" Clementine smiled as she took the bag, the boy was well-mannered too. She looked inside the bag, and her smile widened even more, he also had good taste. "Pinky" Clementine called, and a House-Elf popped into the room. "Take this to my room, and get the dinner table ready."

"Yes, mistress" Pinky bowed, taking the bag carefully before popping away.

"Thank you, Ron" Clementine looked to Ron, who was thanking Merlin for Daphne Greengrass. "Are you up for a small tour of the house before dinner?"

"I would love that" Ron admitted, he wanted to see Blaise's childhood home.

"Then let's start right away" Clementine announced. "This is the Living Room, which also serves as the Greeting Room…"

Ten Minutes Later

The Zabini residence wasn't as big as Ron had imagined it to be, but it was nothing to scoff at either. Especially considering the fact that this was just one of Clementine Zabini's twelve houses. While normal people collected objects, Clementine collected houses. And husbands. Still, Blaise's childhood home was beautiful. It was old, but it was kept in a perfect condition. The house was held up by polished ebony wood, and had a strong granite foundation. Expensive rugs, pieces of artwork, and polished furniture brought the house to life, while the thin corridors gave it a mysterious atmosphere. The house was only slightly bigger than the Burrow, but it felt like it had a lot more space in it. Ron figured that it was because this house only served two people, while the Burrow served seven.

"And here is Blaise's room" Clementine stopped in front of a closed ebony door. "It used to serve as his nursery, but he loved it so much that I had it renovated for him as he got older. He'd spend hours in there, drawing the stars and writing poems." Poems? Drawing the stars? What? Ron looked to Blaise, who was just smiling at his mother. That smile looks really forced.

"I didn't know that you wrote poems, Blaise" Ron smiled at his friend, who turned his forced smile on Ron.

"He is very talented at it" Clementine smiled at her son. "But he can be a bit shy." He still does it?

"Thank you… mother…" Blaise sighed, earning a chuckle from her.

"I will let Blaise show you his room, while I check on dinner" Clementine said as she stroked Blaise's left cheek. "Blaise, bring Ron to the Dining Room once you are finished." With that, Clementine left to go downstairs. Ron gave into his weakness, and he 'watched' her leave. She walked with the grace of a cat, her back straight and her hands held at her stomach. But Ron's eyes lingered on her lower back, watching the natural sway of her hips with keen interest.

"Are you done undressing my mother with your eyes?" Blaise asked, sounding rather agitated. Ron looked to him with a sheepish smile, his ears turning red.

"I'm sorry…" Ron swallowed, but he wasn't really. "She is… Bloody hell, Blaise…"

"Whatever" Blaise rolled his eyes. "I'm used to people looking at her like that. Theo used to find any reason he could to please her, hoping that she'd pet him like some puppy." Don't give me ideas, mate. I'd love nothing more than to be petted by your mother.

"Your room?" Ron asked, shaking his head clear.

"Yeah" Blaise replied as he opened the door, gesturing Ron inside. Ron walked in with his eyes peeled, excited to see where his friend had grown up. Blaise's room was quite breathtaking, mostly because of the fact that his ceiling made entirely of clear glass. It gave the room the sky's natural lighting, and Ron figured that it gave Blaise a perfectly clear view of the stars at night.

"Merlin…" Ron muttered, staring up at the ceiling.

"Pretty neat, right?" Blaise smiled slightly, looking up as well. "Coming home is worth it just for this." Just for this?

"So there is where Blaise Zabini grew up" Ron said, looking around the room. It too had the polished ebony design, and Ron was surprised to see drawings everywhere. All of them are of the stars though. "I didn't know that drawing was a hobby of yours."

"It's only a hobby when I'm in this room" Blaise shrugged. "Something I do to pass the time at night."

"Normal people sleep at night" Ron stated, but Blaise just shrugged again.

"I like to sleep during the day" Blaise replied, which was only partly true. He only did that to avoid his mother, and he knew that she was grateful for it. It gave her time to entertain her… guests, and to pretend like he didn't exist.

'And when do you write poetry?" Ron smirked, earning an eye roll from Blaise. "C'mon mate, why didn't you tell me about the poetry? Do the others know of your hobbies?"

"They know that I map the stars" Blaise replied. Map? Sounds like a fancy word for drawing. "As for the poetry… No…" Noted. I'll keep my mouth shut about it.

"Clementine was right, you are shy" Ron sniggered.

"Is it Clementine already?" Blaise asked, and this time Ron rolled his eyes. "Ron, you need to be careful with her."

"I will be" Ron promised, and then he turned his head and cracked his neck loudly. Blaise flinched, grimacing at Ron's grotesque habit. "Let's just hope that she's careful around me too…" Blaise's eyes widened slightly, and his body tensed up for a split-second. Images of Ron's Duel with the Auror flashed in Blaise's mind, the image of Ron's murderous grin forcing Blaise to swallow thickly. "This is a really nice room, Blaise."

"Thanks" Blaise nodded once, his body relaxing as he saw Ron looking around with a wide smile. "So… What did you get her?"

"A scarf made from the silk of an Acromantula" Ron replied, holding back a shudder at the thought of a gigantic spider.

"Very nice" Blaise smiled a little. "Was it Theo's idea, or Daphne's? No… It was Pansy's, wasn't it?" Ron blinked at his friend.

"What makes you say that?" Ron asked. "I could have thought of it…"

"Ron… Mate…" Blaise smirked, and Ron blinked again. "C'mon, don't lie to yourself." Wow, his lack of faith is disturbing.

"It was Theo's…" Ron sighed, and Blaise chuckled softly. "And Daphne picked the scarf… But… I paid for it, so I'm taking the credit."

"I figured as much" Blaise said, clearly happy that Ron had found an appropriate gift. "Now that you've seen my room, let's head downstairs for dinner."

"Wait, I want to see your poetry" Ron said quickly. "No need to be shy mate, give me a look. Are there any poems about me?"

"Ron oh Ron, what a prick" Blaise said in a dull voice, making Ron snigger like a child. "There's your poetry, now let's go." They made their way outside, and Ron began telling Blaise about Theo being pranked by Tori. It turned out to be a pretty funny conversation, and they were both laughing when they entered the Dining Room.

"I was worried that the food might get cold" Clementine said, standing behind her chair at the head of the table.

"Sorry mother, but Ron and I were just catching up" Blaise said, calming himself down considerably.

"That's alright, my treasure" Clementine smiled at them, oddly pleased to see Blaise laughing for a change. Blaise went to sit on her right side, so Ron went to sit on her left. They all sat down at the same time, and Ron eyed the platter of Shepard's Pie placed right in front of his plate. My favorite… Blaise must've told her. "Let's get some food in us before we start talking, I have so much to ask you Ron."

Thirty Minutes Later

They had finished eating, and Clementine Zabini was lost for words at just how much food Ron could consume in one sitting. Not that she minded, she was glad that he enjoyed her House-Elves' cooking. She had also been pleasantly surprised with his good manners, and especially his good humor. She knew that he was on his best behavior, but it was still refreshing to see a Pure-Blooded child who wasn't as arrogant as their parents.

Ron himself was enjoying his time with the Zabini's, but his guard was up constantly. He thought about every word before it came out of his mouth, and he had paced himself well during dinner. He had also made idle conversation with Clementine, letting her talk about herself as much as possible. He didn't once interrupt her, and he laughed at her jokes even if he found them dull. He had learned a lot about the Zabini Family in the past thirty minutes, but the most surprising thing was that they could trace their ancestry all the way back to Africa. They were an old Family, something that Ron never really knew.

"So I come out the bathroom, it's the middle of the night, and then just like that, Ron appears out of the blue" Blaise told his mother, a smile on his face. Blaise had been telling his mother of the night when he had caught Ron using the Disillusionment Charm, which was the same night that Ron had been smuggling a Dragon out of Hogwarts. "Scared me half to death…"

"What were you doing being awake in the middle of the night?" Clementine asked Ron, an amused smile on her face. "And who taught you the Disillusionment Charm? That is N.E.W.T level Magic." Wow, she caught onto my Spell from just that? I guess you have to be pretty smart to get away with murder.

"I… was smuggling a Dragon out of Hogwarts" Ron admitted, deciding not to lie to her.

"A Dragon?" Clementine blinked, looking to Blaise for confirmation.

"It is true mother, the teachers were not too happy with Ron" Blaise stated, glad that Ron was being honest. Clementine looked to Ron with genuine intrigue, waiting for him to explain himself.

"Hagrid, the Gamekeeper, had a baby Dragon" Ron started, and Clementine leaned forward a bit. DON'T LOOK AT HER CLEAVAGE! RESIST! "And Harry, Potter that is, is friends with Hagrid. So he came to me because my older brother Charlie works at a Dragon Reserve in Romania. I decided that having Harry Potter owe me one sounded great, so I agreed."

"A wise move" Clementine nodded.

"And that's how I ended up sneaking around the castle with a baby Dragon, which I delivered to Charlie's friends at the top of the Astronomy Tower" Ron continued, earning a mixed look of humor and bewilderment from Clementine. "I had to use the Disillusionment Charm to sneak back down to the Dungeons, mostly just to avoid Filch. And that's when Blaise caught me, and I offered to teach him that Spell if he kept quiet about my midnight stroll."

"You can use the Disillusionment Charm?" Clementine asked her son, who gave her a firm nod. "My word… Your first year of Hogwarts alone was more interesting than my seven years there. Tell me, how did you get caught?"

"Malfoy…" Ron rolled his eyes, looking to Blaise who was shaking his head. "He told the Professors what I was doing, and he knew of my plans because he broke into our room and went through my letters."

"He invaded your privacy? And then he tattled on a fellow Slytherin?" Clementine asked, trying to understand the young Malfoy's plan. It made no sense to her, how would he benefit from being known as a House-Traitor?

"He doesn't like me much" Ron admitted, smiling at Clementine who smiled back.

"He's jealous, love" Clementine told Ron. Love? Already? She's clearly trying to get me to lower my guard, but that's not happening. Ever. Not around her.

"That he is" Blaise confirmed. "The amount of times that he's tried to turn the House against Ron… Truth be told, I've lost count." Me too.

"I imagine that he always fails" Clementine laughed, her soft and smooth voice was almost like music. "I never found him to be a particularly bright boy, nor did I detect a hint of a spine." He has a spine, believe me. I just hope he finds it before the war starts, those children he saved might need him to.

"Every time he gets close, we just throw a party to win everyone back" Ron stated.

"A party?" Clementine smiled, she liked their way of thinking.

"Blaise taught me the value of bribing the people who don't like you" Ron replied truthfully, giving his friend a grateful nod.

"I am glad to hear that" Clementine said as she reached over and stroked Blaise's right cheek. "It makes me happy that you two support one another within Slytherin. I know from personal experience how… harrowing… our House's inner politics can be. Now, tell me another story Ron. How did you resist those Veelas at Beauxbatons?"

"Mother believes that you used a Potion of some sort" Blaise smirked at Ron, who gave Clementine a wide smile. Maybe I should have her meet the Entity? What do you say to that, Entity? Nothing? I hope you're rotting to death wherever you are, you evil fuck.

"They had a Sphinx guarding the gate" Ron told Clementine, who went slightly wide-eyed. "She made sure that none of us were cheating in anyway. Believe me when I say this, the French Ministry did their best to rig that Tournament."

"So how did you do it?" Clementine asked, unable to hide her excitement. "I have been asking Blaise, but he wanted me to hear it directly from you." Ron saw Blaise give him a weak nod from the corner of his vision, and Ron decided to comply.

"There were a couple of tricks that I used" Ron started, deciding to share the story for Blaise's benefit. "My first trick was to stare at my shoes."

"Your shoes?" Clementine smiled in a bewildered manner.

"My shoes weren't trying to seduce me" Ron chuckled, and so did Clementine and Blaise. "The second trick was to avoid looking at any female, regardless of what they were. That became a lot harder when all the other boys dropped out, or got disqualified for…" he trailed off.

"For?" Clementine asked with bated breath.

"I don't wish to be vulgar, but some of the other boys decided to… help themselves by relieving their spiking lust" Ron explained, making Clementine smile in a way that sent a shiver throughout his body. Merlin, I might need to borrow a page from their books if she looks at me like that again.

"And yet, you resisted the Veelas" Blaise smirked at Ron, who just smiled back.

"It wasn't easy, the pain was enough to send me into a mini-coma on the first day" Ron told them.

"So you were truly in pain?" Clementine asked, losing her smile. Did she think that it was all an act?

"Excruciating pain" Ron looked to her as she went slightly wide-eyed. "Even though I wasn't looking at them, their allures were still hard to resist. I had to concentrate on nothing but Chess, and when the pain started, I had to suffer through it quietly. I passed out from exhaustion on the first two days, but I also began to develop my ability to resist them." Clementine blinked, she was lost for words. She had genuinely believed that some Potion-work was behind Ron's prowess.

"I scored enough wins to land in the finals, much to everyone's shock and displeasure" Ron continued, all the attention in the room on him. "But Madame Maxime decided to play one last trick, she brought older and more powerful Veelas to the Tournament. Resisting them was… It was pure agony." Ron stopped and took in a deep breath, still remembering how horrible that Tournament had been.

"During the final match, I couldn't even see clearly anymore" Ron admitted, he knew deep down that he only beat Amanda because she was completely focused on him.

"So how did you win?" Clementine asked, her voice was even softer now. She had, of course, read all about how Ron had bled out on the stage.

"I bit open the inside of my mouth" Ron replied with a casual voice, giving her a polite smile.

"Why?" she gasped.

"To focus my attention on anything but their allures" Ron replied, hiding his amusement when he saw her lose some of her color. "It's why I bled through my mouth after I won, my inner cheek was mauled to shreds."

"Sweet Merlin…" Clementine muttered, was it normal to feel afraid of a child?

"And what about your eyes and nose, Ron?" Blaise asked, looking at his mother with a smirk. This was going splendidly, he had never seen Ron be so well-behaved before. And his mother was clearly intrigued by Ron, judging from her current reaction.

"Well, my nose began bleeding because of my abnormally high blood-pressure" Ron replied, his eyes still on Clementine. "And as for my eyes, I suffered a Subconjunctival Hemorrhage."

"The blood-vessels in his eyes burst because of his intense concentration" Blaise explained in simpler terms, resisting the urge to grin at his paling mother.

"Why?" Clementine muttered.

"Why?" Ron repeated, unsure of what she meant.

"Why put yourself through something so… horrible?" Clementine asked, she was utterly lost for words and slightly afraid of this red-haired boy.

"Because I don't lose" Ron replied, it was the honest truth. I can't lose. I'll win, even if I have to break every bone in my body to do it. My Cycle will not fail, I will not let it.

"In all my years…" Clementine whispered to herself, staring at Ron like he wasn't even human. She looked over to her son, who was just giving her a faint smirk. She understood perfectly well why Blaise had changed his allegiance now, this red-haired boy was something else entirely. "Who wants dessert?" she asked dumbly, still trying to process Ron's story.

"I would love some, Clementine" Ron answered, looking to Blaise who was just smiling at his mother.

Friday 10th July, 1993 (Zabini Residence – Night)

Dessert had been wonderful, and once it was over, Ron had told Clementine many more stories about his adventures. He had stayed away from anything to do with the Chamber, but he had swallowed his trauma and told her about his petrification (Excluding Ginny's involvement, of course). He had even told her that he was left in a coma for over a month after one of his 'Dark Spells' had backfired on him. She had vowed to keep his 'secret', all the while being amazed by his stories.

"You must come over again before your school recommences, Ron" Clementine said with a smile that made Ron want to shiver. Merlin, she's just… Bloody hell…

"Thank you for the invitation, and I would love to" Ron replied, his back to the fireplace. He could see Blaise giving Ron an easy smile, and a subtle thumbs up, from behind Clementine.

"I wish you could stay for longer, your adventures were a delight to listen to" Clementine told him, and she meant it. It was not every day that one got to meet a Prodigy, and one who was quite the entertainer.

"I plan to have many more, and I hope that your son will share them with me" Ron decided to say, he wanted to make it clear to her that he planned to keep Blaise around. With, or without, your approval.

"He will, I'm sure of it" Clementine looked to her son with an approving smile, he done her proud today. He had cast aside a weak ally, and found himself a powerful one without any help from her. And now, she too had made one. "Take care Ron, I can't wait to meet you again" Clementine said, giving Ron two quick kisses on his cheeks. What is that perfume? It's heavenly.

"Goodnight, Clementine" Ron smiled, and then he looked to Blaise. "I'll see you soon, mate."

"Take care, Ron" Blaise nodded, hiding his relief at the success of this dinner. Ron turned around at that, and he took a pinch of floo-powder.

"The Burrow" Ron called, casting the powder into the fire. It blazed green, and Ron stepped through it with a confident stride. And then, he was in the Burrow. His shoulders immediately slumped, and he let out a groan as his cheek muscles relaxed. Merlin, I must've smiled for hours. Ron massaged his hurting cheeks, grateful to finally be home.

"How was your dinner, love?" came his mother's voice, and Ron jumped a little. He turned to see her walk into the Living Room, followed by the rest of his family.

"It went well" Ron replied, deciding not to smile for the rest of the night.

"Ron, come sit with me" Ginny said as she spotted him, smiling brightly at him. Ron broke into a smile, and he nodded firmly. Fuck, my face hurts! Ron took a seat on the couch with Ginny, and Luna quickly sandwiched him between her and Ginny.

"Where's Pandora?" Ron asked, looking at his mother and father.

"She was feeling tired, so she tucked in early for the night" Arthur replied. "Didn't even eat dinner…"

"Don't worry, I'll make her a big breakfast tomorrow" Molly said, talking more to herself than to them.

"So, how was your fancy dinner?" Fred asked.

"Did you eat lobster? Or something more posh?" George asked. Are they still mad at me for not getting them ice-cream? Ron saw his parents roll their eyes, deciding to talk to each other instead of scolding the twins. What would be the point? They'd be at it again in less than ten minutes.

"I had a lot of Shepard's Pie" Ron admitted, looking to Luna who had put her entire body weight on him as she read her book. Is that a Spell Tome? No… It's just that book Xeno sent her. "Wait… Where's Perce?"

"Writing a letter to his girlfriend" Ginny sniggered, copying Luna and cuddling into Ron's side. Yeesh, my ribs. Ron ignored the slight pain, he was just glad that Ginny was no longer avoiding him.

"Probably gushing about his date with the Minister" Fred laughed.

"Don't make fun of your brother's ambitions" Molly scolded, and then she returned to her conversation with her husband.

"Ambitions" George scoffed, earning a frown from his parents. The twins decided to talk to each other before their parents got angry with them, they had plans to make anyway.

"How was your day after I left?" Ron asked Ginny, planting a quick kiss on the top of her head.

"Stop that" Ginny snorted. "It was fun, Luna and I went to the ravine and took a dip. And then we spent the rest of the day doing our nails. Also, Harry and Neville came over for a bit. They asked about you, so we told them that you were having dinner with your friend. How was your dinner?"

"Successful" Ron replied, smiling to himself. All is right in the World tonight. I finally have my sister back, Blaise is as happy as they come, and tomorrow I get to see Daph.

Severus Snape's POV

Friday 10th July, 1993 (Snape's House (Spinner's End) – Night)

An annoying tapping sound ruined Snape's cold dinner. He removed his wand from his robes, and he flicked it angrily at the window. The blinds slid aside, and the window flew open, revealing a grey Eagle-Owl. Whose bird is that? The Eagle-Owl flew in, circling over Snape's head before landing beside his bowl of soup. Snape spotted the letter attached to bird's leg, and he used his wand to remove it. After casting the necessary Charms to detect any hint of Curses, Snape finally opened the letter and read it.

S.S,

Scar figured it out, and told their friends.

R.

Snape blinked at the letter, and then he set it on fire. The Eagle-Owl cocked its head at the burning letter, and then glared murder at Snape for destroying its master's letter. Damn Potter, and damn that gigantic oaf! At least Ron had the good sense to try and code the message, though it could use a lot of work. Another thing that I will have to teach him. Snape rubbed his eyes, thoroughly put off from his dinner.

"Those two fools had one job…" Snape muttered to himself, pushing his bowl of soup away. The Eagle-Owl took that as an invitation and began eating from the bowl. Snape frowned at the bird, but decided not to do anything about it. He had far bigger things to worry about right now. If Potter had figured it out, and then told his friends, things could get out of hand if the wrong person overheard them.

Snape, due to being a spy, did not trust anyone in the disbanded Order. He only trusted Albus, and even that trust was tested often enough. And yet, for the first time in a long time, Snape was genuinely worried for someone for over a week. He was worried for his old mentor, his friend. Albus, who still hadn't sent any word, was all that Snape could think about. And that left Snape angry beyond words, he wasn't meant to care. Not after Lily. He did not deserve to care, or to be cared for. Albus, at least send me a letter telling me that you're not dead in some ditch.

Snape got up and went over to study table, deciding send a letter to Ron in order to keep him in the loop. And to ask if he's had any visions involving the old man. I should never have let him go alone, he's far too important to lose this early. As Snape was drafting the letter, he also decided that he needed to figure out a way to keep Potter from flapping his mouth. How did that moron figure everything out? From this moment on, I will refuse to help with anything if Hagrid is involved. What kind of simpleton gets outfoxed by a child?! Snape drew in a deep breath, using his Occlumency to calm himself down.

He needed to be patient. Albus would send word soon, or come back safely. He had to.

AUTHOR'S NOTES: I hope you all enjoyed that! A slow chapter, I know, but certain things had to be addressed and taken care of. Next Chapter will have a Dumbledore POV (a long one). And maybe even a POV from a certain Dark Lord...

See you guys next Wednesday!