Fate

by TheTrueSpartan

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

64. Chapter 64 - Never Enough Time

AUTHOR'S NOTES: Chapter 64 is done! And I'm sick as hell... Now a couple of things.

1. Do you guys feel like I'm bashing any characters unfairly? I don't think I am, but it's just a thought that occurred to me yesterday. The characters in this story have all developed into either very different characters all together, or they're still very much who they were in Canon. So if you think I'm being unfair to any character, let me know your thoughts. I don't want to be needlessly cruel to any of the spectacular characters of the HP Universe.

2. To those who think that Ron has too many annoying traits, for eg. Stubbornness, hypocritical, entitled, violent, etc. Well, good! Ron may be the MC, but it's perfectly alright with me if you prefer the other characters in this story over him. If Ron was perfect in everything, this would be a boring ass story. And I write from different POVs to show the story from multiple angles. What Ron might be able to justify to himself, others might not fully understand. Same with how Neville used to hate Ron, but slowly and surely, he's come to see that the problem lay with himself all along. The story is about growing up, as well as the other stuff.

3. I'm terribly conflicted about something. This story has an M rating, and that was always planned. Now that my characters are becoming young adults, certain things will of course need to be explored. Which brings me to this question: How raunchy do you guys want this to be? I've barely read any smut, and I've never tried writing it. But somewhere down the line, sex will have to be addressed. Let me know what you guys want me to do, and we'll go from there. (Don't worry, that stuff is still ages away. I just want to get a handle on what you all prefer)

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 64 – Never Enough Time

Ronald Weasley's POV

Sunday 2nd August, 1993 (Greengrass Manor – Past Midday)

"Just try and relax Mr. Weasley, you're only making this more difficult for the both of us" Madam Roberts frowned slightly, her eyes fixed on left calf muscle. She was currently healing the boy's muscles, and once again, he was fidgeting and… blushing.

"You can call me Ron…" Ron said, looking anywhere but in her direction. "Mr. Weasley doesn't really suit me…"

"If it makes you more comfortable" she said, not sounding very amused. 'Comfortable' she says… Nothing about this is comfortable. I even rubbed one out before coming here, and yet, it's waking up again.

"So…" Ron started, but he stopped when she looked up with a frown. "What is it?"

"You are far too chatty" she stated, turning her attention back on the treatment. Am I?

"When are you going to teach me Dueling?" Ron asked bluntly, deciding to be straightforward.

"When you are ready" Madam Roberts replied.

"Ready?" Ron asked immediately. "How am I not ready?"

"You are impatient, undisciplined, and even lazy… Does that answer your question?" Madam Roberts replied coldly. Wow… This old tart.

"So I'm just supposed to keep jumping through hoops to please you?" Ron asked, feeling his temper flare.

"The mere fact that you would ask such a question proves my point" she replied, focusing most of her attention on healing Ron's left thigh.

"Whatever…" Ron muttered, deciding to let it go for now. The last thing I want to do is to piss her off when her wand is mere inches from my wand.

"Power is wasted on those who cannot control it" Madam Roberts told him. "When we Dueled each other, you lost control. You became a wild animal… An animal with no thoughts of strategy or foresight. That cannot happen again, so you will learn discipline first. And then you can learn to Duel."

"I nearly beat you" Ron reminded her, and that made her look up.

"Believe me, boy… If I truly wanted to take you down, you wouldn't last ten seconds" she said as she stared into his eyes.

"Is that a challenge?" Ron asked, hoping to Duel her again. Even if I lose, it'll still be fun to actually spar with someone.

"You have spirit, I'll give you that" Madam Roberts smirked, going back to his treatment. "You 'Slytherins' like deals, don't you?"

"Only when they benefit us" Ron replied slowly. What's she getting at?

"If you complete next week's training session without a single warning, I'll begin teaching you an extremely useful Spell used by experienced Duelists" she promised, and Ron lit up like a Christmas tree.

"Really?" Ron grinned, and she gave a curt nod. "I'll do it, I promise!" YES! FINALLY!

"Then it's a deal" she told him as his grin threatened to split his face. "Now stop talking… And stop fidgeting." Understood! I won't move a single muscle! This is great!

---

Harry Potter's POV

Sunday 2nd August, 1993 (Grimmauld Place – Dinnertime)

"Sirius, why do I have to wear these robes?" Harry asked, trying not to sound whiny.

"Because we are dining with important guests, Harry" Sirius replied, fixing his Godson's collar and tie. "Look… I know you don't like wearing these types of clothes, but sometimes, you have to put on formal attire. It's respectful… Not to mention that you look dashing in them. "

"I understand…" Harry sighed. Truth be told, he felt out of place in such clothes. He was used to Dudley's old clothes, or even just simple Muggle clothes. Wearing dress robes and suits made him feel like he was standing out too much, and Harry hated standing out. The bloody Scar on his forehead already did enough damage… Why add posh clothes into the equation?

"It's just for tonight, I promise" Sirius said, and then he looked at Harry's hair. "Let's do something about that mess, shall we?"

"What's wrong with my hair?" Harry asked. "I know it's a little… unruly, but it suits me."

"Harry, it makes you look like you were just attacked by goons" Sirius chuckled, earning a slight frown from Harry. No, it doesn't. It's always been like that.

"I like my hair like this" Harry said firmly.

"Your bangs are longer than most witches, Harry" Sirius pointed out. Good, they hide my stupid scar. "At least let me comb it back."

"So I can look like Lucius Malfoy's forgotten lovechild? No thanks…" Harry said, stepping away from Sirius.

"I used to comb my hair back… when I was younger…" Sirius tried, though he was lying blatantly. He had grown his hair out in order to rebel against his father's tyranny, but that had all ended when his father had tied him down and completely shaved his head. Sirius had been a teary eyed bald boy for weeks…

"Liar" Harry huffed, making his way out of the room. I'm never cutting my hair!

---

Ten Minutes Later

"Remus should be here" Harry said, he was standing in front of the fireplace with Sirius.

"I told you Harry, Remus is looking for work in the Muggle World" Sirius said, giving Harry's shoulder a paternal squeeze. He missed my birthday too…

"Why can't he just find work in Diagon Alley? Or the Ministry?" Harry asked, sounding a little childish.

"It's… It's complicated, kiddo" Sirius replied, and Harry looked up at Sirius with an intrigued look. "I will tell you after dinner, alright?"

"Promise?"

"I promise" Sirius replied with a soft smile. "Now cheer up, these people are family." The Tonks. I didn't even know that they existed until a couple of days ago. The fireplace suddenly roared to life, and both Harry and Sirius straightened their backs. A young witch with bubble-gum hair stumbled out of the fireplace, and Sirius caught her immediately.

"Sorry, cousin" the witch laughed, quickly recovering and smiling widely at Sirius.

"You're alright" Sirius chuckled just as two more people stepped through the flames, but unlike the young witch, they didn't stumble.

"Dora, I told you not to rush through like that" the older man sighed before smiling down at Harry. "Good heavens, Harry Potter…"

"Hello, Sir" Harry greeted politely despite feeling the need to roll his eyes. Everyone has the same reaction. I remember when Hermione lectured me on who I was. Or how Neville stammered around me for a whole week.

"Welcome to the House of Black" Sirius grinned at the older witch, who was looking around with wide-eyes.

"Siri… This place looks so different…" the older witch gasped, and then she smiled pleasantly at Sirius and Harry.

"We added a lot of color, and then we got rid of all the furniture in order to get new one" Sirius told her as he took her hand and kissed it. "Dromeda, meet my Godson… Harry Potter."

"A pleasure to meet you, Harry" Andromeda smiled widely, pulling Harry into a hug. "You're so adorable!" Good God! Help! She then let go of Harry and looked him over. "He's thirteen?"

"I am, Mrs. Tonks" Harry replied for himself.

"Just call me Dromeda" she said pleasantly. "You're a bit short for your age, aren't you? Don't worry, a nice growth spurt will change that."

"I hope it comes around soon" Harry said, smiling politely. She's not too bad, I think. She does look… familiar…

"It will" Dromeda assured him. "Nymphadora got hers when she was your age, and she grew taller than all the boys in her year. None of them wanted to date her because she was so intimidating."

"Mum!" Nymphadora exclaimed, gaping at her chuckling parents.

"This is my husband, Edward Tonks" Dromeda made introductions, ignoring her daughter's embarrassment.

"Just call me Teddy, Mr. Potter" Edward shook Harry's hand.

"Only if you call me Harry" Harry said, earning a nod from the fair-haired, big bellied man.

"And this is my daughter, Nymphadora" Dromeda said, gesturing to her daughter.

"Don't call me Nymphadora, mother" Nymphadora frowned deeply, her bubblegum hair turning fiery red.

"Woah!" Harry gaped. "Wicked…" Nymphadora smiled at that, her hair returning to normal. What kind of Magic is this? "That's so amazing!"

"Thank you, Harry" Nymphadora said, giving him a sudden hug. It must be a family trait. "Just call me Tonks, or Dora. My mother decided to ruin my life early by naming me 'Nymphadora'." Harry chuckled at that, as did Sirius.

"Let's head into the Dining Room" Sirius smiled at his ever expanding family, doing his best not to tear up. He had never imagined that a moment like this could ever exist while he was rotting away in his cell. "Dromeda, I made your favorite."

"He ordered your favorite" Harry corrected with a smirk, making everyone but Sirius laugh.

"My cousin was always a horrible cook, and a poor liar" Dromeda laughed, tangling her arm with Sirius'. "Where is Remus, Siri?" Siri? That sounds like a girl's name.

"Job hunting" Sirius sighed. "He doesn't want to be a housewife anymore." Ha! He'd never say that if Remus was nearby, otherwise he'd be in for a thrashing.

"My wife tells me that you're in Gryffindor" Teddy said, his voice was rather mellow and easy on the ears.

"I am, Teddy" Harry replied. "Which House were you in?"

"Hufflepuff" Teddy replied with a proud voice. "We Badgers have always been friends with the Lions."

"I think all the Houses get along fine" Harry shrugged. "Well… Slytherin being the exception."

"Truer words were never spoken" Dora piped in. "A bunch of bullies, that lot…"

"Not all of them are so bad" Teddy chuckled, looking at his wife's back. "Dromeda was in Slytherin, and she is the kindest woman that I've ever met." She was in Slytherin? Really?

"Mum's different" Dora waved a dismissive hand, and then she put her arm around Harry. "Sit with me during dinner, I want to hear all about Hogwarts. I miss that place every day." Me too.

---

Thirty Minutes Later

Dinner had been amazing, as always. Harry had regaled everyone with his stories about being the youngest Seeker in a century, as well as telling them about his everyday life at Hogwarts. In return, Harry learned a great deal about the people around him.

Andromeda Tonks was once a Black, but she was removed from the Family for marrying Teddy, who was a Muggle-Born. That had irked Harry greatly, and he had decided that he was glad that all the Blacks were gone except for Sirius and Dromeda. Just knowing that Dromeda had rejected the Black Family's bigoted views had made her a friend in his books. Maybe there was hope for some Slytherins yet… But that was a weak prayer considering the Slytherins that he had met so far. Ron being the only exception. Dromeda was also an author, and she wrote about Muggle Culture and about how it would benefit Wizarding-Kind today. Though her work was often just ignored…

Teddy worked in the Ministry, in the Department of International Magical Cooperation. As such, he had been rather busy of late. With Albania under so much stress, Minister Fudge had handed over quite a few workers to the Albanian Ministry temporarily. Harry had immediately started asking questions about the Muggle-Wizard war, and about what Dumbledore was doing to prevent it. And Teddy had told him that no one really knew. The International Confederation of Wizards was still meeting with Muggle Officials behind closed doors, but there were rumors of a massive undertaking happening in order to avoid war.

And as for Nymphadora, Harry had found her to be the most interesting person here. She was a Metamorphmagus, which basically meant that she could change her appearance on a whim. Or due to emotional outbursts. She had shown off her abilities to Harry, who had to fight the urge to clap like a child. Dora could even morph her face into the face of a duck, which was utterly bizarre to Harry. And then there was the fact that she was an Auror in training. Harry had bombarded her with questions about the Aurors, and she had told him that she was still in the Auror Academy, which was a two year program designed to weed out the weak.

"So in six months, you'll graduate and become an actual Auror?" Harry asked excitedly.

"That's right" Tonks replied, sounding a little boastful. The adults were discussing their own interests, but Harry's attention was now fixed on Tonks. "Just six more bloody months, and then I never have to train with that barmy old witch again." Barmy old witch?

"Your trainer?" Harry asked, and Tonks nodded. She then pulled back her left sleeve, showing Harry a dark purple bruise on her left forearm. Harry drew in a sharp breath at the sight of it, and then he looked back to Tonks' face with a slight frown.

"Don't tell mum and dad, but it's a rather brutal program. Our trainer, Madam Jane Roberts, is a bitter old cow. If you so much as make a single mistake, she hits you with this wooden baton that she carries around with her. No warning, no kind words…"

"She sounds horrible and cruel" Harry said, shuddering at the thought of such a woman. "And I won't tell them, I swear."

"You're a good lad, Harry" Tonks chuckled. "Tell me, do you want to be an Auror one day?"

"Yes" Harry replied immediately.

"Makes sense, given who you are" Tonks nodded, but Harry just blinked at her. "Shite… I'm sorry, I didn't mean it in a bad way…"

"It's alright" Harry forced on a smile. "I'm rather used to it."

"Still… Sorry…" Tonks smiled sheepishly. "I sometimes speak before I think… Trust me, I've gotten the baton for that plenty of times. Anyway… I got you something for your birthday." My birthday? "Mum and dad also chipped in, but you can't tell Sirius because he was adamant about them meeting you before buying you presents."

"You guys didn't have to…" Harry started, but Tonks just ruffled his messy hair.

"Nonsense" Tonks laughed, and then she reached into her robes and pulled out a trinket. "Here, it's a Sneakoscope."

"A what?" Harry asked, taking the odd looking trinket carefully. Harry eyed the trinket that looked like a glass spinning top, trying to figure out its function.

"A Sneakoscope" Tonks whispered as she leaned in, making Harry look back at her. "It's a type of Dark Detector, which are objects used to detect if anyone is doing something untrustworthy near you. It'll light up, spin, and whistle if someone shady is close-by." That's so cool. I reckon this'll help me loads considering my life.

"Woah…" Harry looked back down at the Sneakoscope. "Thank you, Dora!"

"Keep your voice down" Tonks shushed before smiling widely. "Just keep it on your person all the time, and you should be golden. I doubt any of the other students at Hogwarts know how to get past it, so you should definitely hear those Snakes sneaking up on you."

"Do you use this when you go on missions?" Harry asked, pocketing the gadget before Sirius saw it.

"Sometimes" Tonks smirked. Awesome! "Though I have actual Aurors hovering over me all the time. They look down on such gadgets because they think that Dark Detectors dull a person's instincts. Smug old coots."

"Thank you" Harry said again, smiling from ear-to-ear.

"You already said that" Tonks chuckled, her hair turning bright blue. "Happy belated birthday, Harry."

---

Daphne Greengrass' POV

Monday 3rd August, 1993 (The Davis' House – Midday)

Daphne stepped into the Davis' home from the fireplace, ready to finally put her feud with Tracey to bed. Truth be told, it was Tracey who was causing problems right now. But Daphne knew that she had done nothing to help the situation, if anything, Daphne had made it worse with her spiteful comment regarding Theo. But that all needed to end today. It had been two weeks, and Daphne missed her best friend terribly. It was time to make-up and move on.

"Daphne" Susana greeted her with a smile. "What brings you here?"

"Good afternoon, Susana" Daphne greeted back, happily letting Tracey's mother hug her. "I'm here to see Tracey."

"Ah…" Susana nodded in understanding. "Well, it's about time I'd say. That girl has been moping about for nearly two weeks now, and truth be told, it's getting bothersome. I don't remember being so hormonal when I was her age."

"We had an argument" Daphne admitted, she didn't want Tracey taking all the blame.

"I figured" Susana smiled, ushering Daphne towards the stairs. "She's in her room right now. Don't come back down until everything is sorted between you two."

"I won't, I promise" Daphne said, and then she made her way to Tracey's room. I miss sleeping over here. I miss Tracey. Daphne knocked on the door, and when she heard feet shuffling from behind the door, she prepared herself. Tracey opened the door with a smile, but it fell when she saw Daphne. "Good afternoon, Tracey" Daphne greeted, but Tracey simply looked at Daphne's hair.

"I like it" Tracey said with an approving nod, and then she walked back into her room. Daphne entered behind her and shut the door, locking it immediately. I'm not leaving until we sort this out. "So it's one of those visits, is it?" Tracey asked.

"One of those visits?" Daphne asked in return.

"When you lock yourself in my room until I give you what you want" Tracey shrugged, hopping onto her bed. "Just like you used to do when we were little."

"If it isn't broken, don't fix it" Daphne shrugged back, making her way over to Tracey's bed and taking a seat on its edge.

"You can sit closer, Daphne" Tracey rolled her eyes, and Daphne moved closer to Tracey. That's a good sign.

"I'm sorry for what I said about Theo" Daphne apologized. "It was cruel and spiteful, and I'm ashamed of myself for saying something so horrible to you."

"How do you do that?" Tracey asked, giving Daphne a weak smile.

"Do what?" Daphne blinked.

"Apologize so easily, and genuinely mean it" Tracey replied.

"I know that I did something wrong, and I don't want it to hurt our friendship" Daphne said. Father would be disappointed if I refused to own up to my own mistakes.

"Me too" Tracey sighed, dropping onto her pillows. "I'm sorry for my remarks about Ron, and for not trying to understand your concerns. Truth is that I didn't even give his Chronic Stress much thought, but when you pointed that out, I felt like a complete arsehole." Language! "Have you seen him?"

"I have, and he's doing alright now" Daphne replied, scooting closer to Tracey. Daphne had underestimated just how much she had missed Tracey, but then again, since they had entered Hogwarts, the girls had been inseparable. Not seeing her for two weeks is bad enough, but we haven't exchanged any letters either. I think I have 'Tracey Withdrawal'.

"Daphne, can you lie down with me?" Tracey asked, turning to her side. Daphne didn't need any other incentive, and before she knew it, she was lying down next to Tracey, their faces close enough to touch. "I'm sorry…"

"Why didn't you reply to my letters?" Daphne asked, taking a hold of Tracey's hands. Tracey averted her gaze, and so Daphne put her forehead against Tracey's. "I sent so many…" I've missed you so much.

"I know" Tracey said, pushing her forehead forward slightly as she tightened her hold on Daphne's hands. "I wanted to, but I just… couldn't do it…"

"Were you mad at me?" Daphne asked. She would never admit it, but being this close to Tracey again made her feel whole again. Maybe I am too possessive, but right now, I just don't care. Tracey is mine.

"For a short while… I was" Tracey admitted. "And then I wasn't, but it was too late by then… I had made a mess of everything, and despite wanting to fix it, I didn't know how… No… I did know how, but I didn't have the courage to."

"It wasn't your fault" Daphne told her. "We both said stupid things, and I was… I was overreacting to everything."

"Periods will do that to you" Tracey smiled, whereas Daphne cringed internally.

"Yes… Let's not talk about that" Daphne mumbled, she never could understand how Tracey was so open about these things.

"Our friends?" Tracey asked, rubbing her forehead against Daphne's.

"I told them about what happened… Theo had left by then, but the others weren't too happy with me" Daphne replied truthfully. "Millie and Pansy accepted my apology, but they wanted you to be there. And Blaise… Blaise was Blaise." Cold and indifferent.

"Theo went back to his father?" Tracey asked, looking right into Daphne's eyes. They're so green. Like the emeralds in the Slytherin Hourglass.

"He did" Daphne replied, and Tracey's face fell a bit. "Trace? What really happened between you two?"

"I happened…" Tracey muttered, her eyes were starting to well up. Daphne quickly gave Tracey's forehead a kiss, and then she muttered some words of comfort. Did she really start throwing her insecurities on him? "I was upset… and really stupid…" Tracey started crying, and Daphne let go of her hands in favor of hugging Tracey tightly.

"It's alright, just let it out."

---

Ten Minutes Later

Tracey was an extremely jolly person, anyone who knew her would claim that. But when she was upset, she would become downright depressed. Daphne had just hugged her best friend tightly, while Tracey had just cried about her own 'stupidity'. Most of it was just incoherent crying, but what Daphne did make out was that Tracey had been feeling rather insulted by the fact that Theo had chosen to spend his break with Daphne instead of her.

"I'm sorry for making that remark about Theo, Trace" Daphne apologized again, feeling like a right git. "I didn't know that you were so upset with him already."

"Not your fault…" Tracey whimpered, her face had become blotchy and wet from her endless tears. "It was stupid of me to think that he'd spend his Holidays at my house…"

"Stop calling yourself stupid" Daphne said a little too firmly. "You're not stupid."

"I feel stupid…" Tracey admitted with a loud sniffle. "All it took was for him to pay some attention to my Muggle lifestyle, and I started crushing on him… It's just that no one talks to me about these things, and I just felt really… happy… when he showed genuine interest in it…" Daphne cringed slightly at that, she herself didn't like talking to Tracey about Muggle things. And it was mostly because Daphne didn't enjoy being outclassed in anything. "And now I've ruined everything between us…"

"No, you haven't" Daphne assured Tracey. "Friends fight, we all know that better than most." The amount of times that Ron and I have fought is astounding, and yet, we're together.

"I called him and his father 'bigots'…" Tracey sniffled. "I sounded like one of those idiotic and entitled Muggle-Borns from the other Houses…" Oh… That's bad. Theo hates that lot.

"You were upset, he'll understand that" Daphne told her. "Theo is a smart guy, probably the smartest in our group when it comes to people's emotional reactions. You know that he analyzes people as a pastime. Just talk to him when you see him again."

"What if he doesn't want to talk to me?" Tracey asked. "I don't want to be the reason why our group gets hurt. If we both can't stand each other, then the rest of you will feel burdened… And he's more valuable than I am…"

"Not to me, so don't ever say that again" Daphne ordered, clutching the back of Tracey's shirt in her hands. "All seven of us are friends… Not just allies, but friends. That means something Tracey, do you understand? It means that we will never turn our backs on each other. Not after everything we've been through. We found the bloody Chamber of Secrets together last year, remember?"

"You said 'bloody'…" Tracey chuckled, though it sounded more like a wet cough. "Ron is a bad influence on us all."

"Your language is just as bad as his" Daphne said, easing her hold on Tracey. "Alright… Maybe not as bad, but it's still bad."

"Can you stay here tonight? Please?" Tracey asked, snuggling closer to Daphne.

"I think that can be arranged" Daphne agreed. "We're friends Tracey, and one stupid fight won't change that. Not for any of us. Do you understand?"

"I do…" Tracey nodded. "And I'll talk to him when I see him again… I'll explain why I was so upset…"

"You mean you'll confess?" Daphne blinked.

"No" Tracey replied quickly. "I just want him to know that I… understand why he didn't stay at mine. That's all… I don't think that Theo and I would work well together…"

"Really?" Daphne whispered. Is she moving on from him?

"We're too different…" Tracey whispered back. "His father, my family, our ideals and personalities… They all just clash… I refuse to ruin our group by being selfish…" Selfish?

"Why would it ruin the group?" Daphne asked, thinking of her relationship with Ron. He and I are quite different, but we enjoy each other's company.

"It would make things awkward…" Tracey shrugged, oblivious to Daphne's ever-growing dread. "Especially if we dated and then broke up… I'll just wait this crush out, and then find someone from outside our group of friends… There is no way that I'm not getting a boyfriend by the end of the next school year, which would just be embarrassing…" I've never really thought about what would happen if Ron and me breakup… What if he stops being friends with me? Tracey's right, it would make everything so awkward. I need to talk to him about this.

"Girls! Do you want a snack?!" came Susana's voice from downstairs.

"I'm a bit hungry" Tracey told Daphne. "Want to come down with me?"

"Yes" Daphne replied, and the both of them broke apart.

"Your tits are getting bigger by the way" Tracey pointed out suddenly.

"I'm going home…" Daphne frowned, but Tracey lunged at her and hugged her from behind. Stupid breasts! At least wait for the rest of my body to keep up! I feel so disproportionate!

"Thank you for coming, Daph" Tracey hummed. "I love you."

"I love you too."

---

Ronald Weasley's POV

Wednesday 5th August, 1993 (The Burrow – Near Lunchtime)

"C'mon Ron, just do it…" Ron muttered to himself, his left hand hovering over his desk. "It'll only hurt for a second, and then you can heal it…" Ron closed his eyes, strengthened his resolve, and then he slammed his left hand down on the corner of his table. Pain shot throughout his entire hand, and Ron had to grit his teeth in order to keep his scream sealed inside his throat.

"What was that?!" came his mother's yell from downstairs. That was me being a dumb cunt!

"I dropped something!" Ron yelled, and then he pointed his wand over his left hand. "Episkey." Ron's entire left hand felt very hot, then very cold. And then, there was no more pain. Bloody hell… Ron scanned his hand, and he smiled as he watched the redness begin to fade. Daphne showed me this Spell, and I just found it again in my second year Charms textbook.

Ron opened up his new journal, which was sitting on his desk, and he jotted down the Spell and its effects. Episkey; used to heal minor injuries (Bruises, cuts, soreness). Simply point and say the incantation. So far, Ron had found three useful Spells to add to his new journal. Episkey the Healing Charm, Sonorus the Amplifying Charm, and Colovaria the Color-Change Charm. The Color-Change Charm wasn't anything special, but he was testing it out in order to sate his curiosity. This was the reason why his walls were now emerald green instead of bright orange. I should try to mix up the colors too, just so I completely understand this Spell.

"Mum asked me to come and get you…" came Ginny's voice, and Ron turned to face her. She was just staring at his walls with a deadpan expression.

"Is lunch ready?" Ron asked, packing up his journal.

"Yeah, lunch is ready…" Ginny rolled her eyes, and then she walked off. What was that? Whatever. Ron pocketed his wand before making his way down to the kitchen, eager to eat a lot of food. However, the moment he stepped into the kitchen his mother flew at him like a maddened Harpy.

"What have you done to your room?" Molly demanded, making Ron jump slightly from surprise. "Did you damage the paint on your walls?" Damage the paint on my walls?

"No, I just changed the color to green" Ron replied, shooting a look towards Ginny. Did she tattle on me? It's just a color change… What's the big deal?

"Oh…" Molly blinked. "How? When?"

"Just now, I used Magic to do it" Ron replied slowly. "I'm trying out new Spells…"

"Inside the house?" Molly asked. "No more of that, Ronald. The Ministry didn't give you that permit for you to abuse your Magic." With that, she walked back over to the kitchen counter. Ron walked over and sat down in his chair, his eyes fixed on Ginny.

"Why did you tattle on me?" Ron asked her.

"What was wrong with the color of your walls?" Ginny asked in return. What?

"Ickle Ronnikins wants to show his scaly pride" Fred smirked at him. Ah… Now I get it. Can't have the color green anywhere near the Gryffindors without them frothing at the mouth.

"Where's your Serpent-Ring?" George asked, imitating his twin's smirk. Ron reached into his pocket and took it out, putting it on with a smirk of his own. Nearly forgot to put it back on after my 'experiment'.

"It doesn't suit you" Ginny stated, putting food onto her plate. I'd disagree. Especially considering that I can speak to snakes. Though I should try and figure out why I can. The Hat mentioned that it was because Harry, the Dark Lord, and I are connected somehow. A shudder passed through Ron at the thought of being connected to the Dark Lord. I had my first panic attack when I learned that bit of bad news.

"Ron? Lunch?" his mother asked, watching him with a careful eye.

"Sorry…" Ron shook his head clear, and then he began making his plate.

"Fred and George, don't forget to de-Gnome the Garden after you're done with your food" Molly reminded her sons, who both groaned loudly. The Gnomes? They're back again?

"Why can't Percy help us?" Fred frowned at his smug older brother. Percy just cocked an eyebrow at Fred, not even remotely interested in Fred's problems.

"Or better yet, Ron?" George added. "The Gnomes will bolt at the mere sight of him." The whole room went dead silent at that, and even Fred was just staring at George with a look of utter disbelief.

"If you want my help George, then all you have to do is ask" Ron said, not really bothered by George's remark.

"You have your own chores" Molly reminded Ron, clearly not keen on the idea of Ron 'de-Gnoming' the Garden. They think that I'll attack another Gnome. I won't… Unless they give me a reason to.

"I don't mind, mum" Ron assured her. "I can clear the table and do the dishes in less than ten minutes."

"I said no, Ronald" Molly said firmly, making Ron blink at her. Ron's siblings began eating their food in silence, occasionally shooting looks between Ron and Molly. Wow… I'm not some deranged psychopath.

"Two people aren't enough for that job" Ron said, trying his best to sound reasonable.

"Then Ginny can help them" Molly stated in a far more authoritative voice.

"But I cleaned the Living Room today…" Ginny groaned, shooting a frown at the twins for even bringing this up.

"I'm volunteering" Ron said, he was quickly beginning to get irked by this unnecessary argument.

"Ron, just let it go" Percy piped in, frowning at Ron for riling up their mother.

"Alright…" Ron frowned at Percy, and then he turned that frown towards his mother. "But one last thing… Why don't we just get a fence around the property? Something warded to keep those blighters out?"

"And who will pay for it?" Molly asked, annoyed with Ron's tone.

"I can pay for it" Ron replied.

"No."

"Why not?" Ron asked. "It would save us the trouble of having to deal with those Gnomes every three weeks. And your Garden would be safe from their pillaging."

"I said no, and that is final!" Molly all but yelled. "There is nothing wrong with a little hard-work!" Hard-work? Is she serious?

"You're lecturing me about hard-work?" Ron asked in a cold whisper, his mood shifting completely. Molly blinked at him, whereas Ron's siblings just frowned at him. Dial it down, Ron. Just tell them that you're not trying to hurt their pride, and that you just want to help out. "Mum, please… It will help everyone out, especially you when we're all at school."

"You need to save your money, Ronald" Molly turned around, she was done with this conversation. "Now enough is enough… Eat your lunch, do your chores, and then go back to your studies." Fine. De-Gnome that cesspool you call a Garden for the rest of your life, see if I care. Ron looked back to his lunch, but his appetite was now gone. Just eat for the sake of eating… And then I can go back to learning new Spells. My Wandless Magic still needs work, and I want to try and test out different Charms without using a wand.

---

Daphne Greengrass' POV

Friday 7th August, 1993 (Greengrass Manor – Midday)

Everything had worked out with Tracey, but that had made way for another problem. Daphne was currently worrying about her friendship with Ron. Tracey's words had become glued inside of Daphne's head, and no matter what she told herself, doubt kept creeping into her thoughts. What if Ron never asked her out? Sooner or later, she'd get tired of their games. She wanted to be his girlfriend, whereas Ron, who was a moronic boy, was still having trouble figuring out his own thoughts on the matter.

But what if he eventually asked her out? How would that change the group's dynamics? What would it mean for Ron's partnership with her father? Would their parents even approve of such a thing? There were so many things that she hadn't thought of yet, and that had caught her off-guard. Daphne was meticulous when it came to planning her moves, but this time, she had thrown good sense out of the window. That alone bothered her, but what bothered her even more was the fact that Ron also didn't think of these things. One of them had to think of the Future, and Ron certainly wasn't interested in doing so.

"Daphne?" came Ron's voice, followed by a knock on the door.

"Come in" Daphne called as she stood up, it was time to have a long chat about what they were doing. I really hope it doesn't ruin things between us. Ron entered the room, her letter clutched in his gloved hand, and he closed the door behind himself. "Lock it, please."

"Alright…" Ron said slowly, doing as he was told. "Daph, what's the matter? Your letter sounded urgent."

"It did?" Daphne asked.

"You told me to, and I quote, 'Come down to the Manor right now!'… Why didn't you just floo over?" Wait… Why didn't I just floo over?

"Sorry… I have a lot on my mind" Daphne sighed, sitting on the edge of her bed. Ron quickly walked over and sat down beside her, a look of concern marking his features.

"Tell me what's happened" Ron said. "I'll help in any way that I can." I know. Daphne couldn't help but give him a weak smile, her stomach was beginning to float again.

"I made up with Tracey" Daphne started, and Ron smiled knowingly. "She was upset about something else, and I made things worse by saying something hurtful. Anyway… We've made up again."

"So what's bothering you now?" Ron asked.

"She and I were talking… And she said something that got me thinking about the Future" Daphne replied, and something shifted behind Ron's eyes.

"The Future? What about it?" Ron asked, and Daphne blinked at him. Is he worried about what I might say about us?

"I was thinking about us… and about what we're doing now" Daphne replied, and Ron nodded slowly. "What happens if we… breakup?" I said 'breakup'… That's going to get to his tiny boy brain.

"Breakup?" Ron blinked, and Daphne fought the urge to roll her eyes. "But we're not dating…"

"I know that" Daphne huffed. Calm down, don't lose your footing. "I'm just talking about our different relationship. Normal friends don't act like we do, Ron. What happens if we decide to put an end to it?"

"Are you thinking of putting an end to it?" Ron asked nervously. I won't make the mistake of hurting his feelings again, so I need to be dead-clear about this.

"No, I'm not" Daphne assured him with a firm voice. "But what if one of us decides to in the Future? What if our parents find out, and then tell us to stop? What happens to the group? What happens to us?"

"Give me a second" Ron took in a deep breath.

"Take your time" Daphne said gently, scooting closer to him. He put his arm around her, but the look on his face told Daphne that he had done it absent-mindedly. See how casual we are with these gestures now? What happens when we're forced to stop them?

"First of all, I'm not thinking of putting an end to this" Ron assured her, clearly thinking his words through. "And since neither are you, we are safe for the time being. Now about our parents… I don't really care about what they think."

"You don't?" Daphne asked slowly.

"Honestly… No…" Ron sighed, giving her a faint smile. "Sure, there was a time when that's all I cared about… But now? Now I just plan to do what I think is best. And if they don't like it, then they can keep their opinions to themselves."

"Even my father?" Daphne asked.

"Even your father" Ron nodded.

"What about me?" Daphne asked slowly. "Do you care about what I think?"

"It… depends…" Ron answered slowly.

"It depends?" Daphne asked, doing her best to not get angry at his response.

"Look… I just think that if you want to do something, and you care about doing it, then you should be able to" Ron replied in a placating manner. "I want to keep 'this' going, I enjoy it… I look forward to it, and I know that I can depend on you. I don't want to give that up just because someone else is telling me to. Being around you makes me… happy…" He's starting to blush, but then again, so am I. He really feels that way when he's around me? "But if you wanted to stop, then I would respect that… I'd be upset, but I'd understand…"

"Which is why I said 'it depends'…" Ron continued. "If you decided to stop this simply because your mother and father told you to, then I'd be… I'd be really hurt, I think. I wouldn't agree with it, and I know myself enough to know that I'd do something stupid…"

"So if we 'broke up' because I genuinely didn't want to do this anymore, you'd understand?" Daphne asked.

"I would…" Ron sighed. "As long as it was your decision, I would do my best to respect it. Despite what we are now, we're still friends Daph. That means something, you know? I depended on your help long before we started kissing and hugging in secret, and I'd still rely on you. And I'd want you to rely on me as well."

"What if things get awkward between us?" Daphne asked, she was doing her best not to kiss him right now. Ron could be the sweetest person when he tried, and right now, she knew that he was trying for her sake.

"Then we would work on that" Ron replied firmly. "Despite not liking you very much when we first met, I've come to… care… about you. A lot…"

"I feel the same way" Daphne quickly piped in.

"Then it's quite simple then" Ron smiled at her, giving her a squeeze. "We will respect each other's decisions, and still be friends with each other."

"But what if we can't?" Daphne decided to ask, it would be her last question.

"We get to choose our own Future" Ron replied in a rather sagely voice. "I truly believe that… The Future is what we make it, be it better or worse. So I'll do my best for a better Future, and I hope you will too." Daphne would be lying if she claimed that she wasn't much calmer now, and for that, she was truly grateful. Not to mention that she was starting to feel 'that way' again… He deserves to be rewarded, I think.

"You can be really smart sometimes, Ron" Daphne hummed, feeling goosebumps on her arms. "And cute… Very cute…" Ron blinked at her, clearly starting to get nervous and excited.

"Cute?" Ron asked, his voice cracking slightly at the sight of her sly smile.

"Yes…" Daphne hummed, turning her body to face him. And then, she jumped onto him. Got you.

"Daphne?" Ron squeaked, looking like a deer caught in headlights. Daphne rested her elbows on his chest, pinning him down on the bed. She knew that he could throw her off easily, but she also knew that he wouldn't. No, he's enjoying this. Just listen to his breathing, it's already erratic. That only made Daphne more excited, she definitely wanted to kiss him senseless now.

"Can I tell you a secret?" she asked playfully, and Ron nodded meekly as he just stared up at her. "Sometimes I have trouble holding back on you…"

"Holding back on me?" Ron muttered.

"Remember when you paid for my sweets on the train because you were worried that I was upset with you?" Daphne asked, bringing her face closer to his.

"I do…" Ron whispered, remembering how she had given him a long kiss for the first time right after.

"You were really sweet when you did that, and I wanted to kiss you really badly" Daphne confessed, blushing at her own words. Ron gave her a nervous smile, and she could feel his heart thumping against her elbows. "So I just kissed you as hard as I could, for as long as I could… And you were really sweet just now."

"I was?" Ron asked.

"You were" Daphne nodded, giving him a quick peck. "I've been fretting over this for days, and you made me feel better about everything so quickly… How did you do that?"

"I… I just said what was on my mind…" Ron replied, just gazing up at her. He wasn't going to lie, he was both scared and excited right now. Daphne seemed to be possessed by something, and Ron wasn't sure if it was a good thing or a bad thing. He just said what was on his mind?

"An honest Slytherin?" Daphne hummed teasingly, bumping her nose against his. "Is that what you are?"

"I… sometimes…" Ron replied.

"Sometimes?" Daphne smiled shrewdly.

"I lie…" Ron confessed, his voice barely audible.

"Just the fact that you'd admit that makes you a bit more honest than the rest of us" Daphne told him before giving him another peck. His lips are really soft. I could kiss them all day. "Ronald Weasley, the most honest Slytherin student at Hogwarts."

"Are you teasing me?" Ron whispered.

"A little" Daphne giggled. "You don't like it?"

"I… It's fine as long as you're the one doing it…" Ron replied in a bashful manner, looking towards the closed door. Only I get to make him act like this. Only me. Daphne kissed his cheek a couple of times, and she shuddered when he did. "Someone… could walk in…" Ron breathed out, his heart thumping in his ears.

"The door's locked" Daphne kissed his temple. "Look at me, Ron." Ron looked back to her, his face as red as a tomato. "You just said that you didn't care about what anyone else thought. So there's no reason to be scared of getting caught, right?"

"Your rebellious streak is terrifying, you know that right?" Ron muttered, not really caring that her elbows were digging into his chest.

"Avoiding capture is part of the game" Daphne kissed his nose. "And what's the point of playing if you don't plan to risk things? I know you're enjoying yourself, Ron. Admit it."

"Of course I'm enjoying it…" Ron admitted softly. "I just… I'm not good at this sort of stuff…"

"Which is why we're practicing together" Daphne hummed, kissing him again. "Don't you love practicing things?"

"I do…" Ron replied, swallowing thickly. "Can I try something?"

"Try what?" Daphne asked, becoming curious.

"I… I want to put my hands on your back… Your lower back… Is that fine?" Ron murmured, looking more and more flushed by each word.

"It is… but don't go any further" Daphne nodded, and Ron slowly moved his hand onto her lower back.

"Is that alright?" Ron asked, and she nodded again. "Merlin… What are we doing, Daphne?" He's starting to overthink again. Ugh… There goes my fun.

"Do you want to stop?" Daphne asked him, she had no intention of pushing him any further than what he was comfortable with. I read that girls mature more quickly than boys, which is clearly true. Ron gets rattled rather quickly when it comes to our games.

"I do…" Ron admitted. "We're too young to be… This just feels really… What's the bloody word?"

"Inappropriate?" Daphne smirked.

"Yeah…" Ron replied, taking his hands off of her lower back. "And I'm starting to…" he trailed off, his eyes widening as he realized that he was about to admit something rather private.

"Starting to what?" Daphne asked.

"Nothing." Okay, so something is definitely up.

"You can tell me" Daphne cooed, still refusing to get off of him.

"Daph… It's… It's really embarrassing, can we please stop?" Ron asked nervously, fidgeting under her elbows. Embarrassing? Wait… Oh Merlin! Daphne quickly sprang off of him, her eyes darting towards his 'boy parts' for a moment. He has an erection, doesn't he? Wait, of course he does. We were kissing and stuff… Getting aroused is only natural. I… I made him feel aroused… The thought made her face burn, and she began fidgeting with her hands. I had my oversized tits on his chest! What was I thinking?! My elbows were in the middle, but still…

"I'm going to go…" came Ron's voice, and Daphne was ripped out of her thoughts. She cringed internally when she looked back at him, he was completely red and rather subdued.

"Wait…" Daphne blurted out. "Don't go… Just sit down, please." Ron blinked at her, but he didn't move to sit back down. "We decided to not let things get awkward, right?"

"This is… different…" Ron replied, scratching the back of his head.

"I don't want us to avoid eye contact for the foreseeable future, so please sit down" Daphne steeled her mind, but just barely. She was rather embarrassed herself, mostly because she had just given a boy an erection. But oddly enough, she was still clearheaded enough to know that Ron would start avoiding her for a while. And I don't want that. "Ron, it's alright… Please don't go…"

"Okay…" Ron sighed, sitting back down on the edge of her bed. "I'm sorry."

"Don't be" Daphne assured him. "It's natural… Mother is making me read a book on puberty, so I know that boys can't really control it… Especially at our age."

"She's having you read a book?" Ron asked slowly.

"Amongst other things…" Daphne replied, remembering her awkward lessons. "Most of it is just about… myself… But the book is for both boys and girls… Do you want to borrow it?" 'Do you want to borrow it?' I'm such an idiot! Merlin, why did I say that?

"Um… sure…" Ron replied, looking back to the closed door. Time for drastic measures, otherwise he's going to bolt out of here. And I won't see him again for ages.

"This is part of learning about these things" Daphne announced, startling Ron due to her raised volume. "It's natural, and feeling embarrassed by something that you can't control is idiotic. Are you idiotic, Ron?"

"No" Ron shook his head, waiting for her to go on.

"Then let's leave it at that" Daphne suggested. "We both had fun, and we stopped before it got out of hand. We were responsible, and that's what matters."

"You're… You're right" Ron nodded to himself. "No harm was done."

"Exactly" Daphne said. "Thank you for making me feel better about my worries."

"Happy to help, Daphne" Ron smiled at her, though it looked rather nervous. "And it was fun… The kissing part, I mean. Wait… What I meant was that I enjoyed helping you, and kissing you. Both. Equally." Helping me didn't give him an erection. He's beginning to spiral.

"We enjoy each other's company, and there's nothing wrong with that" Daphne said.

"Exactly" Ron snapped his fingers. "You're perfectly right, Daph. Let's just keep this between ourselves, and not make a big deal out of it." That sounded more like a plea rather than a suggestion. But I'll take it.

"Do you want to play cards?" Daphne asked, and Ron nodded fervently. "Just us… Friends… Playing cards together. They're on the table, I'll get them."

"Accio Daphne's cards" Ron pointed his left palm at her table, and much to her shock, her pack of cards flew into his hand. Was that Wandless Magic?!

"Ron… Did you just perform Wandless Magic?" Daphne asked as she stared at him with wide-eyes, completely forgetting the awkward situation that they were just in.

"I did" Ron nodded slowly, unpacking the cards. 'I did'? That's what he has to say to that?

"You can do Wandless Magic just like that?" Daphne asked him. "I thought you only managed to do it against Madam Roberts because you were in a 'battle frenzy'…"

"The 'battle frenzy' helped, but I know how to perform a couple of Spells without a wand" Ron replied, a faint smile appearing onto his face. "Pretty cool, right?" Pretty cool? That's amazing!

"Ron, you're only thirteen" Daphne reminded him. "When did you learn to…? Wait… Your practice sessions at Hogwarts. You were learning Wandless Magic as well?"

"I was" Ron nodded, shuffling the cards.

"You're amazing…" Daphne blurted out, making Ron smile genuinely.

"Really?" he asked, sounding a little unsure.

"Yes… Really…" Daphne blinked at him. "You can do Wandless Magic…" I'm both amazed, and slightly jealous. I think I made a big mistake when I didn't take his 'training' seriously. "Can you teach me? Next year, that is." Don't feel regret when you can fix your mistake. That's what father would say.

"Of course" Ron agreed, moving onto her bed completely.

"We can do it when we go over the old textbooks together" Daphne suggested.

"About that…" Ron started, losing his smile slightly. "I've been going through them in my spare time." What? But we were meant to do that together.

"You have?" Daphne asked, feeling a pang of pain in her chest. "Why? You… You don't want to study with me?" She felt rather hurt by that, she had been looking forward to studying alone with him.

"I do" Ron quickly replied.

"Then why?"

"I thought that we could both do third year subjects together" Ron replied. "I mean, I have time to spare in the Holidays, but once we're at Hogwarts, we'll both have homework and other responsibilities. I decided that it would be in our best interest if I had caught up by then, just so we can concentrate on our current work together."

"So… We'll still study together?" Daphne asked, calming down significantly.

"Of course, I'm actually really looking forward to it" Ron admitted, relieved that she wasn't sounding so upset anymore. "I was thinking that we could sit on the bed inside of Sanctuary, and then we'd just do all of our work side-by-side." Thank Merlin… That sounds great. I was worried for a moment that he didn't want to get help from me. "And then we could… cuddle or something…"

"Cuddle or something?" she repeated without thinking twice.

"If you want to, that is…" Ron quickly replied. "I know that we haven't really cuddled before, but it should be fine… Right?"

"Right" Daphne nodded slowly, a smile creeping onto her face. "Show me more Wandless Magic?" Ron blinked at her, and then he nodded firmly. Ron then put the cards down and aimed both of his palms at them, his demeanor changing completely.

"Wingardium Leviosa" Ron chanted, his mind focusing completely on the task before him. All fifty-two cards flew into the air, hovering over Daphne's bed like stars. Wow… Daphne just stared at them with a slack-jawed expression, and then she looked back to Ron. Does he realize how amazing this is? How amazing he is?

"Is it difficult?" Daphne asked him, and he gave a curt nod.

"I have to concentrate on the object completely" Ron replied, slowly bringing the cards back down. He then stacked the cards together right above them, and then placed them between himself and her. "Unlike using a wand, Wandless Magic requires you to think of the object as well as the Spell. Just imagine what you want the object to do, and imagine what the Spell can actually do. It gets easier with practice. I can even levitate my chair for a couple of seconds now."

"How often do you practice Wandless Magic?" Daphne asked, still just staring at him.

"An hour or so before I go to sleep" Ron shrugged.

"Everyday?"

"Everyday" Ron nodded, shuffling the cards again.

"You're not human" Daphne told him, something that made him snigger. "Why? Why even learn Wandless Magic at your age?" Ron looked up at that, a cocky grin on his face.

"To impress pretty witches" Ron replied, and Daphne blinked at him. Pretty witches? He's pulling my leg.

"Witches… As in plural?" Daphne asked him. "Do I need to sharpen my nails, Ron? Didn't I already tell you that I'd claw out any witch's eyes if they asked you out?"

"Pretty witch…" Ron corrected himself, still grinning at her. "A pretty blonde witch, who is sitting right in front of me. That's what I meant."

"I'm sure you did" Daphne hummed, smiling at him involuntarily. "I'd hate for someone to lose their eyes because of your decisions, Ron."

"Merlin… You can be really scary sometimes, Daphne" Ron chuckled. He thinks I'm kidding? Do I look like someone who likes to share? "Do you want to sit closer to me? For the game, I mean."

"You can come here" Daphne smirked, patting the comfortable spot beside her. Ron smiled and shook his head, and then he moved over to her side.

"What do you want to play?" Ron asked. I want more kisses, but I'll settle for a game of Wizard's Poker.

---

Ronald Weasley's POV

Friday 7th August, 1993 (Greengrass Manor – After Lunch)

After a delicious meal with the Greengrasses, and a long game of footsies with Daphne, Ron had completely put the embarrassing 'erection event' out of his mind. If Ron was being honest, he had half a mind to bolt out of Greengrass Manor and then ignore Daphne for a while. Just until he felt like he deserved to make eye contact with her again. But thankfully, he didn't do that. Instead he had played Wizard's Poker with Daphne, lost horribly to her, and had then eaten a Troll's share worth of food. All was right in the World right now.

"Ron, come with me" Lord Greengrass ordered after they had all finished. "We might as well spend your time here practicing for the Tournament on Monday." That's fair, I suppose. I really need to win this one, just so we can make friends with the Chess League again. It's just a shame that it's on Daphne's birthday.

"I understand, my Lord" Ron stood up, earning put off looks from Tori and Daphne.

"Can't you do that tomorrow?" Tori pouted miserably.

"I can, and I will" Ron chuckled. "But I might as well get some work done now."

"And you have lessons with me, young Lady" Mary reminded her daughter. "Just because Ron is here doesn't mean that you get to take time off. Daphne, why don't you join us? I'm certain that your knowledge on Herbology isn't perfect yet."

"Yes, mother" Daphne agreed, slightly annoyed at having to study as well.

"Ron, come" Lord Greengrass said, heading out of the Dining Room. Ron followed after his mentor, not really bothered about not going home. In fact, he was kind of happy about it. Things had been a little tense at home, mostly because of his family's fragile minds. The twins and Ginny were upset that Ron had turned his own walls green, Percy was bothered because Ron had ignored his orders to 'let it go', and his parents were upset because Ron had offered to buy them a fence. Ron entered the room behind Lord Greengrass, and he shut the door.

"Do you want me to solve more conundrums? Or are we going to go over my strategies?" Ron asked, taking his usual seat.

"A bit of both… after we talk about some important matters" Lord Greengrass replied, taking a seat in his chair. Important matters?

"Is everything alright, my Lord?" Ron asked. Does he know that I spent a lot of time with Daphne today? And that the door was locked the entire time? Oh Merlin, he knows about me getting an erection…

"You tell me, Ron" Lord Greengrass replied, and Ron swallowed thickly. "I've had a couple of interesting chats of late. Firstly, your mother and father. They are… displeased with you." Huh? Shite, this is about the fence problem. "Your mother mentioned something about you trying to buy them a fence instead of de-Gnoming the Garden by hand. Whatever that means…"

"I'm not even surprised that they told you about that" Ron sighed, he knew that the adults held some sort of meeting about him behind his back. The 'let's discuss the cripple' group. "All I did was offer to buy a fence around our property. I wasn't trying to insult them, I was offering to help us all. Have you ever dealt with Gnomes by hand?"

"No, I have not" Lord Greengrass admitted.

"They're vile little buggers" Ron told his mentor. "They bite, scratch, kick, punch, and even spit on people who try to remove them from a Garden. My father 'likes having them around' because he thinks that 'they are harmless bundles of joy', but let me assure you, those things are nothing but vermin. I'm tired of us having to deal with them every three weeks or so, and therefore, I offered to buy a fence to keep them out."

"Was that response rehearsed?" Lord Greengrass asked him. It may have been… Give me a break, I expected mum to tell Pandora about this. "Your mother told us that you were not even asked to help with this task, but you still volunteered to. Why?"

"To help the twins, believe it or not" Ron admitted. "They may annoy me sometimes, but overall, they're pretty great. And two people aren't enough to deal with dozens of those blighters. And... I can use Magic in the Holidays. My Lord, why are you discussing this with me? It has nothing to do with Chess?" Or you.

"Your father asked me to" Lord Greengrass replied, rubbing his forehead. "He thinks that I'm the 'Ronald whisperer', or something just as absurd. Just tell me that you didn't offer to buy that fence simply because you were ashamed of your Family's house, and we can move on from this dull conversation."

"Is that what they think?" Ron frowned deeply, and Lord Greengrass nodded. Ashamed of my Family's house? I love the Burrow, but that doesn't mean that I can't be ashamed of it.

"That's why they came to me rather than speak to you themselves…" Lord Greengrass rolled his eyes.

"Any person with half a brain would be ashamed of living in the Burrow" Ron said, deciding to be blunt. Lord Greengrass looked up at that, looking rather surprised for once. "What? It's true… Most of the house needs repairs, the furniture is far too old, the wallpapers are damaged and faded, there is little to no space in most areas of the house, Gnomes constantly invade our Garden, the shed looks like it was raided by Trolls, and there is a bloody Ghoul right above my room. It's pathetic… But I still love that house. And I can fix these problems rather easily, the only two things in my way are my parents and their 'pride'."

"Ronald… Even I think that what you just said was harsh" Lord Greengrass frowned slightly.

"Truth is harsh" Ron reminded his mentor. "I'm not trying to be cruel, all I did was offer to chip in a bit. They're making a big deal out of it because of their own insecurities, that's their problem. I haven't once brought it up again after my mother shut me down, so I refuse to apologize just because they feel inept."

"That…" Lord Greengrass started, but then he stopped suddenly. "That is something that I would say."

"Pardon?" Ron blinked.

"Personally, I think that you're right" Lord Greengrass admitted, he didn't really care about Arthur or Molly's opinions on 'fences and Gnomes'. The fact that they had come to him with such a trivial matter had irked him greatly, but he followed through with it simply because it involved Ron. "Just do us both a favor, and don't ever say that to your parents. I will tell them that you only wanted to help out. That ought to put this to bed."

"Thank you, my Lord" Ron said gratefully.

"Now, onto the other matter" Lord Greengrass started. "I was visited by Madam Roberts last night. She felt the need to make me aware of your progress."

"My progress?" Ron asked.

"She wishes to teach you how to Apparate" Lord Greengrass replied, and Ron immediately grinned. Apparate?! You can't do that until you're seventeen!

"Really?!" Ron asked excitedly, and Lord Greengrass cocked an eyebrow at him. "Wait, won't it be illegal?"

"That is what I asked her" Lord Greengrass replied. "Normally, Apparition is only allowed if you have a license, but as it turns out, Dueling Tournaments allow Apparition if you've proven that you can do it. She told me that none of the other Duelists your age will even try to learn it, which in turn will give you a massive advantage."

"Bloody hell" Ron chuckled, his mood couldn't be better right now.

"I advised her against teaching you something so dangerous" Lord Greengrass told him, and Ron felt the wind leave his lungs. He did what…?

"Why?" Ron asked, just blinking at his mentor. Why would he do that? How could he do that to me?

"Apparition is not like other Spells, Ron" Lord Greengrass sighed, he didn't like disappointing his apprentice in such a manner. But there were more important things than winning Tournaments. "One mistake, and you can die… I myself lost half of my right foot due to splinching. And if it wasn't for Professor Slughorn, I'd be footless today." Footless? What the fuck? "And I was three years your senior when I tried my hand at Apparition."

"But I'm good with Spells, you know that" Ron whined, his mood utterly spoiled. So she's not teaching me anything on Sunday? Fuck! I've been looking forward to it all damn week…

"I do know that, Ron" Lord Greengrass said. "But you are far too young to learn this ability. It's far too dangerous, and with your… condition… I'm not certain that you should learn it at all."

"My condition?" Ron repeated, trying not to sound like a whiny brat.

"Yes, your condition" Lord Greengrass replied. "A condition that she is still not aware about…" Oh fuck…

"I've been meaning to tell her" Ron started, but Lord Greengrass stopped him by raising his hand.

"I don't care about your excuses, Ron" Lord Greengrass said firmly. "I have given you more than enough time to tell her yourself, and since you refuse to do it, I will have to twist your arm. You will tell her yourself on Sunday, or I will do it myself."

"Why does she even need to know?" Ron asked, not happy about Lord Greengrass taking away his choice.

"She is teaching you a dangerous craft, and she is doing it without fully knowing about your health" Lord Greengrass frowned, why was this boy so secretive? "Ron, your condition is not a joke. I fear that you are under the delusion that it can't hurt you, but I have been speaking to Healer Bernard, and he has told me that your condition could be fatal." Fatal? "Do you know what that word means?"

"I do" Ron replied, his mentor's tone was getting harsher with each word.

"Then you understand why I'm forcing you to do this" Lord Greengrass said, and then he took in a deep breath in order to calm down. "I don't like raising my voice when I speak to you, you know that. But sometimes Ronald, your stubbornness infuriates me."

"Sorry…"

"Don't be sorry, be better" Lord Greengrass told him. "I don't feel the need to clarify this often, but I'm going to do it today. I have grown very fond of you, Ron." Fond of me? Ron stared at his mentor, doing his best to keep himself from making any sounds. "My Family has grown very fond of you. There are a lot of people who care about you. And every time I see you put yourself in danger, it makes me wonder if you truly understand the fact that you can die because of your condition. You. Could. Die. Does that mean nothing to you?" Ron averted his gaze, of course he understood that. It truly terrified him, but he feared failing his Cycle even more.

"You will tell her on Sunday" Lord Greengrass told him. "And if you don't, then I will. That is if I don't send her away completely… Your Dueling Skills pale in comparison to your health in my eyes. Do you understand?"

"I understand…" Ron replied, looking down at the Chess board in front of him. I have to tell her then. I can't afford to lose a trainer who is willing to teach me everything that I need to know. Ron suddenly felt a hand on his right shoulder, and he looked up to see Lord Greengrass giving him a weak smile.

"I'm sorry about this, Ron" Lord Greengrass apologized. "But this is for the best. You might not understand that just yet, but one day, you will thank me for it."

"What if she refuses to teach a cripple?" Ron asked, and Lord Greengrass held back his frown.

"You are not a cripple" Lord Greengrass assured him. "And if she refuses to teach you, then I will find someone else for you."

---

Sunday 9th August, 1993 (Madam Roberts' Suitcase – Morning)

"I have to tell you something, Madam Roberts" Ron piped up, his stomach clenching tightly. Here I go.

"Tell me what?" Madam Roberts asked, watching Ron stretch his arms.

"You know how I have scars all over me?" Ron asked, stopping his stretching. Just do it, and deal with the consequences afterwards.

"Yes" Madam Roberts replied, her eyes narrowing on him ever so slightly. "Boy, just spit it out already."

"I have brain-damage" Ron told her, and she just stared at him. Ron simply stood there, watching the old witch stare at him, his stomach feeling queasy. After five seconds, Ron couldn't bare the silence anymore. "It's not too bad, but if it increases, I could… I could die…" Fucking hell, I'm going to be sick.

"Was your faulty Spell the reason?" she asked him, doing her best to not sound surprised. But truth be told, this was a rather unforeseen event and it had shaken her. Faulty Spell? Should… Should I tell her the truth? That it wasn't my fault, but rather Dumbledore's for keeping the Stone in a school full of children. That the Dark Lord tried to possess me? No… I promised Snape and Dumbledore that I wouldn't ever discuss that again, and unlike them, my word still means something.

"Yes" Ron lied, and she nodded slowly. "And it's not just that…"

"There's more?" she asked him, how long had he been hiding this?! An old wound in her mind felt irritated once again, and she did her best not to lose her temper at him.

"I was also diagnosed with Chronic Stress Disorder" Ron admitted, keeping his eyes fixed on hers. She deserves to be told properly. I've been hiding this for too long.

"What's that?" she asked, just staring at him with disappearing shock and hidden rage.

"I stress… constantly…" Ron swallowed, he could see that she was getting angry. She's trying to hide it, but I can fucking see it in her eyes. She's pissed off. "There are other side-effects… Mood-swings, moments of irrationality, temper issues… Sometimes I even get depressed for no reason…" Madam Roberts drew in a deep breath, and then she walked up and grabbed Ron by his collar. Oh fuck!

"Weeks… We've been doing this for weeks… And you didn't say a word!" she suddenly yelled, making Ron flinch. "Foolish boy!" she pushed him back, but he barely moved at all.

"I'm sorry… I didn't want you to…" Ron trailed off as he looked down at his feet.

"You didn't want me to leave?" Madam Roberts asked, her tone was seething. "You and your mentor have been lying to me from the jump! So why shouldn't I leave?"

"We didn't lie…" Ron started, but he stopped himself immediately. Don't lie to her again, you moron. "No, you're right… But don't blame Lord Greengrass, he told me to tell you during our first session. I hid it from you… Just me… I knew that you'd be angry, and that you'd want to find another student."

"You think I'm angry because you have brain-damage?" Madam Roberts hissed as she raised her baton, and Ron clenched his teeth. But the baton never came down on him, instead she threw it on the floor in front of him. "Idiot boy… Is your condition fatal? Are there seizures due to the brain-damage? Is your life in danger if you stress too much?"

"Yes…" Ron muttered.

"Then tell me… What would happen if you had a seizure and I didn't know about your condition? What if you dropped dead in front of me? I would have to live with that for the rest of my life, whereas you would get to sod off to wherever the dead go… Tell me, did you even think of that?" No…

"No" Ron shook his head.

"We're done" she told him, and Ron felt his eyes sting. I was right, and I was so bloody wrong at the same time. "Grab your things, and get out."

"Please, just give me a chance" Ron resorted to begging. I need you! "My condition is manageable, and I've been managing it just fine…"

"Your condition cannot work alongside my teaching methods" Madam Roberts hissed. "I will not have any more deaths on my conscience, now leave…" With that, she turned around and marched towards the exit. Ron just stared at her leave, his hands trembling slightly because of the adrenaline… and anger. Anger at himself, more specifically. I fucked it up, didn't I? What did she mean by 'any more deaths'? Ron grabbed his wand from the couches, and then he followed her out. By the time he exited the suitcase, Lord Greengrass was already getting an earful from Madam Roberts.

"Find yourself another fool, Greengrass" Madam Roberts snapped at Lord Greengrass, who was simply staring at her quietly. She then turned to Ron with a sneer, and Ron stepped out of her way. She grabbed her suitcase, walked over to the fireplace, and flooed back to the Ministry.

"Perhaps this is for the best" Lord Greengrass sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. "I can't say that I particularly liked that woman…"

"I liked her…" Ron sighed, feeling like a piece of shite. "Did she really quit?"

"She told me to 'shove the contract down my throat so I would choke on it', so I'd say yes."

"Were you just waiting out here for her?" Ron asked.

"I was" Lord Greengrass admitted. "We will find you someone else, Ron."

"Will they be half as good as her?" Ron asked, but Lord Greengrass didn't reply. That's a no… Despite being who she was, I knew that she would help me more than anyone else could when it comes to Dueling. "I'll talk to her again."

"You will?" Lord Greengrass asked.

"I need her, and I don't give up easy" Ron said, deciding to fix this. Which other tutor is willing to teach me the Dark Arts? None of them. I need her for my Cycle's success, which means that I have to get her back.

"If you think it best, then by all means, do your best to persuade her" Lord Greengrass said, turning to leave the room.

"Any advice?" Ron asked quickly.

"She is powerful, and she respects strength" Lord Greengrass replied, heading for his study. "Don't avert your gaze, and don't let your voice crack. Oh, and give her a few days to cool off." Alright… Fucking great. I guess I'll need to go to the Ministry in order to talk to her. But when? I have that Tournament tomorrow, I'm meeting Lady Longbottom again on Wednesday, and I want to pitch my idea to Xeno soon. If he sells The Quibbler before I get a chance to speak to him, then I'll lose the chance to use it. Not to mention that school starts soon, and that Percy, Ginny, Daphne, and Tracey have birthdays soon. I really have no fucking spare time on my hands… There's never enough time.

---

Monday 10th August, 1993 (Diagon Alley – Morning)

"Merlin, what's this?" Daphne asked, all of them staring at the massive crowd near Flourish and Blotts. Ron was here with the Greengrasses only because Lord Greengrass hadn't bothered procuring seats for the Weasleys, which was fair because he wasn't their caretaker. Plus, they knew about this Tournament for as long as Ron did, so they had plenty of time to procure their own seats.

"I thought that this Tournament was supposed to be a small affair" Mary said to her husband, who was just eyeing the crowd with a frown.

"It was meant to be" Lord Greengrass stated. "I count six cameras… Damn vultures are here, and they're blocking the entrance."

"I'm going invisible" Ron told them. "And then I'll sneak in with you all."

"A good idea… but not necessary" Lord Greengrass suddenly smirked. "Ron, how do you feel about giving these people some words?" Some words?

"Husband…" Mary sighed, they had a deal with the Weasleys to uphold. Ron was to be kept away from the public eye for his own good, and in return, Ron could keep playing Chess despite his condition.

"It's up to him" Lord Greengrass said, looking to Ron. "Some exposure now is better than getting caught unawares down the line. This will be a good learning experience for him." Learning experience, eh?

"Then I'll do it" Ron agreed. How hard could it be? The last time I was interviewed by a lot of people, the Chamber of Secrets was on everyone's mind. This time, it'll be different.

"Ron, be careful with what you say to them" Mary advised as they all began making their way towards the blocked entrance. "Astoria, hold my hand so you don't get swept away."

"Alright" Tori said, grabbing onto Mary's hand tightly enough to make the older witch wince a bit.

"Daphne, fix his tie" Lord Greengrass ordered. "I want our Family's Emblem to be visible."

"Ron, stop" Daphne said, and he did as he was told. She began fixing his tie while he stared at the massive crowd, their loud chatter making him swallow thickly. "Don't be nervous" Daphne whispered, and Ron looked to her. "You can do this, I know it."

"Thanks" Ron whispered back.

"Are you two done?" Lord Greengrass asked. "We need to be inside by ten, and it's already quarter to." Merlin, we're cutting it close. "Ron, walk with me. Daphne, take your mother's other hand." They all got into formation, and then they began marching forward again.

"That's him!" some reporter yelled, taking a photo immediately. And before Ron could even say 'Hello', they were all surrounded by people shouting over each other as they snapped photo after photo. My fucking eyes, you bastards. I need them to play the damn game.

"Quiet!" Lord Greengrass' voice boomed. "We have time for a few questions, so ask them in an orderly fashion!"

"What are your chances of winning, Mr. Weasley?" a witch asked Ron, jotting down her own question on her notepad.

"Lord Greengrass and I have trained vigorously for this Tournament, and I believe that I have a real shot at winning this" Ron replied, thinking every word through. Yep, this was a terrible idea. What if I say something stupid?

"After your victory at this year's Junior League Tournament, your presence in the Media has been nonexistent. Why is that?" another reporter asked. Fucking hell…

"Um… I have school, and other responsibilities" Ron started, trying to come up with something other than 'my parents decided for me'. "My family and I decided that I should focus on my studies for now."

"Madame Olympe Maxime was seen entering the building not long ago, how do you feel about her being here?" a perky witch asked, and Ron blinked at her. Madame Maxime is here? Why? Doesn't she have a school to run?

"I was not aware that she was attending" Ron replied. "But she is more than welcome to be here."

"But how do you feel about her being here?" the witch asked again. Fuck, I didn't answer the question.

"I have no ill feelings on the matter, she and I actually got along splendidly at my victory gala" Ron replied, deciding to honor their alliance. "I'm glad that she is here, and I hope that she will be showing me her support."

"Did she truly apologize to you during your victory gala as many French sources claim?" a chubby wizard asked, his camera man snapping a photo of Ron.

"She was truly remorseful, and her apology was sincere" Ron replied.

"That's enough questions" Lord Greengrass stepped in, something wasn't right here. "We have to get inside soon, so please make way." Surprisingly, the reporters did as they were told. Unsurprisingly, they started shouting again and snapping photo after photo. Lord Greengrass put his arm around Ron in order to guide him, and to make sure that some reporter didn't snatch him into the crowd. After a bit of turbulence, they all stepped into Flourish and Blotts.

"Why did they all smell so bad?" Tori asked her parents.

"It's a prerequisite for their jobs" Lord Greengrass replied, and then he looked to Ron. "You did well."

"I did?" Ron asked. "I think that I overthought everything…"

"You did well, Ron" Mary assured him, still holding her daughters' hands. "With a bit of practice, you'll be even better." Yep, I was terrible at it. Oh well, whatever… I'm here to win this thing, not give speeches.

"Why do you think that Madame Maxime is here?" Daphne asked her father.

"She is no doubt trying to show Ron 'her support' in order to absolve herself in the Media" Lord Greengrass replied. "She has been particularly charitable as of late, and there are always reporters around to take pictures of her kind acts. I wouldn't be surprised if she was behind that lot being here."

"They started asking questions about her" Ron realized. "I think I just got used…"

"Welcome to the sad world of politics" Mary sighed. "Come, let's get inside the back." They all made their way towards the back of the shop, and they were greeted halfway by a young man with a large red ledger.

"Name of contestant?" the young man asked.

"Ronald Bilius Weasley" Ron replied, and the young man ticked off his name.

"Your tickets?" the man asked the Greengrasses, and Lord Greengrass handed them over. "Enjoy the Tournament." They all moved past him and stepped into the back, and much to Ron's surprise, the back of the shop had been made larger some sort of Spell. It's just like Madam Roberts' suitcase! So this Charm can be applied to rooms as well? Neat. I need to find a way to learn it. Then I can have a personal home with me wherever I go.

"Mary, take the girls to our seats" Lord Greengrass said. "I will take Ron to his, and then I'll meet you after."

"Come along girls" Mary said. "Good luck, Ron."

"Good luck, Ron" the Greengrass sisters said together, and Ron smiled at them.

"I'll do my best" Ron promised them as they left.

"Come, Ron" Lord Greengrass said as he put his hand on Ron's right shoulder. They both walked over to his seat amongst the contestants, and Ron spotted Madame Maxime in the crowd rather easily. She gave him a polite nod, one that he returned without any delay. Maybe I'll get a chance to talk to her after this. I definitely need to win this. I have to show her that I'm worth being allies with.

"I've got this, my Lord" Ron told his mentor, who smirked at him in response.

"I know" Lord Greengrass said. "Is a five hundred Galleon bonus enough incentive?"

"It certainly helps" Ron smiled widely, his eyes gleaming gold.

"Very well, it's a deal" Lord Greengrass nodded. "Win this thing. Don't rush yourself, and for Merlin's sake, don't get obsessed with your opponent's knights."

"I've stopped doing that" Ron sighed.

"Old habits die hard, trust me" Lord Greengrass said, patting Ron on the shoulder firmly. "Good luck, Ronald. Make me proud."

"I will."

---

Monday 10th August, 1993 (Flourish and Blotts – Afternoon)

Ron was genuinely surprised with himself. Either his training was really paying off, or Lord Greengrass had payed all of his opponents off. Ron had smashed through his matches with relative ease, especially his final opponent who was clearly rattled due to facing Ron. As it turned out, Ron's fame was growing rather steadily in the Wizarding Chess scene, and because of that, every opponent here was wary of him. The fact that Ron had won the Junior League Tournament despite the odds he was facing was something that scared his opponents greatly, and Ron loved it. It felt amazing to be recognize, especially because of the pain that he had put himself through for that win. It had been worth it.

Ron shook hands with his defeated opponent, George… something, and then he made his way back to his seat. Ron smiled up at the Greengrasses, all of them smiling back at him. Ron then shot a look towards Madame Maxime, who was smiling at him in an approving manner. One more notch in my belt.

"This concludes our Junior League Flourish and Blotts Tournament, please give the winner, Ronald Weasley, your applause" the announcer said, and everyone applauded Ron. Ron could actually hear Tori's voice, and he wondered how such a tiny girl could make so much noise.

---

Five Minutes Later

Once all the ceremonial nonsense had taken place, Ron had won himself two hundred Galleons and an interview with an Official from the International League of Wizard's Chess Club. And an extra five hundred Galleons from Lord Greengrass. It's been a good day.

"Hand that over love, you need to get ready for your interview" Mary beamed at Ron, giving his left cheek a quick peck before taking his trophy. "I'll have this sent to Hogwarts for you."

"Thank you" Ron smiled at her, taking a good look at his golden trophy. Another one for my collection.

"Do I really have to wait to hug him?" Tori asked Mary.

"Yes" Mary tutted.

"Ugh…" Tori rolled her eyes, and then she grinned at Ron. "When we get home, I'll give you lots of hugs and kisses."

"Thanks" Ron shook his head, and then he looked to Daphne.

"Congratulations, Ron" Daphne said in a polite voice, and Ron blinked at her. That's it? I actually want hugs and kisses from you.

"Thank you" Ron replied, trying not to sound disappointed. "Where is Lord Greengrass?"

"My husband is making sure that the Official doesn't sneak out the back" Mary replied. "Hurry along to the back of the room, we will meet you both after your interview."

Ron said his farewells to the Ladies, and then he began making his way towards the back of the room. Luckily, there were no reporters inside of Flourish and Blotts, otherwise Ron might have been swarmed by now. As he looked around for Lord Greengrass, he saw a mountainous woman making her way over to him.

"Madame Maxime" Ron greeted her, and she smiled down at him. I know I've said it once, but I'll say it again. That's one big woman.

"Congratulations, Ronald" Madame Maxime said, offering Ron her large hand. He took it with his gloved one, kissed her knuckled, and bowed respectfully. "An outstanding display of skill, my boy. Well done on earning another win."

"Thank you, Madame Maxime" Ron replied, smiling rather genuinely at her. "And thank you for being here in order to show me your support."

"Is that why I came here?" Madame Maxime chuckled.

"I certainly hope so" Ron replied. "We're friends, are we not?"

"That we are" she nodded, amused by the boy's good humor. "I must say, I did not expect you to win so… easily. You truly are worth your weight in gold, aren't you?" Is she referring to my partnership with Lord Greengrass?

"We both benefit from working together, and Lord Greengrass has become more than just a mentor for me" Ron replied.

"That is good to hear" Madame Maxime smiled. "I recently found myself in the company of Frederick Laurent. Do you know who that is?"

"I do" Ron replied. "The French Chess Master who trains his own personal club of protégés. I hear that he's one of the best in the Chess scene."

"A true genius, and a very charming wizard" Madame Maxime said, sounding more like a salesperson than a Headmistress. "I told him of our friendship, and he was rather interested in meeting you."

"He wanted to meet me?" Ron asked, slightly taken aback. What does he want? Probably wants to poach me from Lord Greengrass, doesn't he? My loyalty doesn't sway with the wind, so I'm not interested.

"There is not a witch or wizard in France who doesn't want to meet you" Madame Maxime replied. "Your victory at the Junior League Tournament has become rather… well-known. I imagine that you have more fans in France than you do in England. You should visit us again someday. We would love to host you again, and this time, Veelas will not be the only ones trying to seduce you." Seduce me? Yeesh, I'm thirteen…

"I would love to visit France again" Ron started, and Madame Maxime smiled at that. "But Hogwarts starts soon, and I have quite a lot of… business… to conduct in what remains of my Holidays. Perhaps I will drop by after the first semester."

"I certainly hope you will" Madame Maxime said, her eyes darting towards Sebastian Greengrass for a moment. The man was just staring at her from behind Ron, and the boy seemed to be oblivious to his mentor's presence. "I will send your regards to Amanda, Ronald. The girl has become rather popular due to her adorable friendship with you."

"Please do" Ron smiled at the thought of his French friend. "Tell her that I hope to see her again soon, and that I will write to her again once school starts."

"Au revoir, Ronald" Madame Maxime said, giving him a parting nod.

"Goodbye, Madame Maxime" Ron imitated her gesture, and then she was gone. Ron watched her leave, her massive build towering over the people around her.

"You handled that well" came Lord Greengrass' voice, and Ron turned to face his mentor. "Will I be needing a new apprentice?"

"I would never starve you of my company, my Lord" Ron smirked, earning a light chuckle from Lord Greengrass. "Did you find the Official?"

"I did" Lord Greengrass replied, gesturing Ron to begin following him. They began making their way towards the Official, and Lord Greengrass put his hand on Ron's right shoulder. "You played well, Ron. I'm very proud of you."

"Thank you, my Lord" Ron smiled at his mentor, slightly taken aback by the fact that Lord Greengrass was showing him such open affection. Usually he just says 'Congratulation', and that's it. Maybe a look of pride every now and then, but he never openly admits it.

"Now, about this Official" Lord Greengrass started, surprised by his own previous words. He didn't know why, but he felt the need to show Ron how he felt right now. "His name is Henry Buckingham, and he is one arrogant piece of work. Be polite, don't antagonize him, and answer his questions truthfully."

"What sort of questions will he ask me?" Ron asked, annoyed at the prospect of dealing with another arrogant twat.

"He will probably want to know what your Future goals are, or why you wish to be a professional Chess player" Lord Greengrass replied. "There he is…" Ron looked over to see a man in his middle-ages. Henry was a gangly man with a thick black moustache, and he wore a golden monocle that made him look rather silly in Ron's eyes.

"Ah, finally…" Henry said, giving Ron and Lord Greengrass an irritated look. "I've been waiting for nearly five minutes."

"Sorry about that, Henry" Lord Greengrass said politely. "Ronald here needed a toilet break." Wow… Really?

"I should have gone this morning, sorry" Ron apologized, trying not to shoot a frown at his smirking mentor.

"Yes, yes…" Henry said quickly, gesturing Ron to take a seat on a close-by chair. Ron did as he was told, all the while smiling like a polite young man. What's this guy's hurry? Henry summoned a chair for himself via Magic, and then he sat down across from Ron. Lord Greengrass was now standing behind Henry, and Ron smiled a little more widely when his mentor started frowning at the back of Henry's head.

"Firstly, congratulations on another victory" Henry started, though he didn't sound too happy about it.

"Thank you, Sir" Ron said.

"As I'm sure you're aware, this interview will be published in Wizard's Chess Weekly" Henry stated, and Ron nodded. "So let's get started, shall we?"

"Certainly" Ron nodded.

"Let's start with something simple" Henry took out a notepad. "How long have you been apprenticing for Sebastian Greengrass?"

"It's been around one year now" Ron replied. "We first met after I won last year's Junior League Chess Tournament in Hogsmeade."

"You did not have a mentor when you entered the competition last year?" Henry asked. "You won with a perfect record, if I remember correctly."

"I did win with a perfect record, and no, I did not have a mentor then" Ron replied, earning a slow nod from Henry. "I didn't start apprenticing for Lord Greengrass until my end of year Holidays from Hogwarts." And he certainly didn't secure me beforehand by working in bad faith…

"Why Sebastian Greengrass?" Henry asked. "You must've had dozens of offers before him, so why did you settle for him?"

"Because he's the best" Ron smiled, earning a smirk from his mentor. "Not to mention that his eldest daughter is a good friend of mine. He came to watch me at her behest, and once we spoke, I really wanted him to mentor me. But Lord Greengrass chose to wait in order to give the other Masters a fair chance to send me offers. I kept refusing them, and eventually, Lord Greengrass made me his offer. I accepted his mentorship immediately."

"And it has certainly paid off" Henry said, sounding a little more polite now. "What is your training regimen like? Does your mentor push you to your limits?"

"He certainly does" Ron admitted. "Lord Greengrass values hard-work, as do I, so we're a perfect match for each other. We have spent countless hours training together, and much to his credit, he always keeps my training fresh. I'm happy to admit that I've never once felt bored by our work together."

"And how does this training fit into your school life?" Henry asked. "You are often labeled a Prodigy by the Media, do you ever feel that your training is affecting your studies?" Yeesh, these questions are getting harder.

"Lord Greengrass and I train on Saturdays, so I never miss out on my classes" Ron replied. "As for my training affecting my studies, there are no real negatives in my opinion. I always get my work done on time, and if I ever truly need to focus on my schoolwork, Lord Greengrass understands that completely." That was a straight-up lie. He'd tell me to get my head out my arse.

"How many hours do you spend training with him every Saturday?" Henry asked.

"From morning to late evening" Ron replied, and Henry blinked at him.

"So around ten to twelve hours?" Henry asked, and Ron nodded. "And no breaks in between?"

"We eat lunch together, but other than that, no" Ron replied. "Like I said, we both understand the benefits of hard-work."

"And I assume that you are also expected to practice in your own time?" Henry asked.

"I am" Ron nodded. "I love playing Chess, so to me, it doesn't feel like practice or work. And playing Chess certainly beats writing essays" Ron joked.

"Everything beats writing essays" Henry joked back, he was beginning to get impressed by this boy. The boy was clearly mental… but impressive. "What do you like to do in your spare time, Ronald? May I call you Ronald?"

"Of course you can" Ron replied. "And I usually study in my spare time, or I work to learn new Spells. And of course, solve Chess conundrums."

"What about Quidditch? Or spending time with your peers?" Henry asked.

"I enjoy flying around on my broom, but truth be told, I know that it doesn't really help me improve myself" Ron replied. "So I don't do it often. As for spending time with my peers, I have six amazing friends who are nothing if not supportive." That is when they're not making jokes at my expense, or when I'm trying to irritate them for a laugh.

"These friends are Slytherins too, I assume" Henry said, and Ron nodded.

"They are" Ron said with a genuine smile. "Daphne Greengrass, Theodore Nott, Blaise Zabini, Pansy Parkinson, Tracey Davis, and Millicent Bulstrode."

"Did you just say their names in order to give them a shout-out?" Henry asked.

"I won't deny that" Ron chuckled. And to show their parents that they can kiss my arse for all I care.

"You said that you don't think that Quidditch can help you improve yourself, what did you mean by that?" Henry asked, though it was more out of curiosity.

"Flying around on a broom doesn't really help me with my studies, or Chess" Ron replied. "Instead of spending an hour just flying about, I put that hour into my work. The more I get done, the better I become."

"That is a very… studious… way of thinking" Henry noted. "Do you ever feel alienated from the other students in Hogwarts?"

"Sometimes I do, but like I said, I have great friends who are always there for me" Ron replied. "And my House is also very supportive of me, especially the older students." Might as well give them a little credit. And by them, I mean Clara, Carey, and Samantha.

"I see" Henry nodded. "One last question about your school-life… What is your opinion of your teachers? Are they supportive of your work? Do they ever take it easy on you due to your responsibilities outside of Hogwarts?"

"The teachers at Hogwarts are the best, and no… They don't take it easy on me" Ron replied, deciding to raise his school's reputation. "They are extremely supportive of my work, especially my Head of House Professor Snape, who even spent an entire day helping me sign up for last year's Junior League Tournament. He also allows me to use his personal floo in order to help me get to work." And he's a massive, greasy cunt most of the time. And the last time I saw him, he jammed his wand into my neck.

"Speaking of Tournaments, we have to discuss your victory at the Junior League Tournament in France" Henry started, this is what he truly wanted to write about. "You have been very quiet about your… impressive… victory at Beauxbatons. Can you tell me why?"

"My school-life kind of took over after my victory, and before I knew it, I was knee deep in essays again" Ron replied, deciding to not bring up the Chamber of Secrets. Or my petrification.

"And is it true that you were petrified by the monster of Slytherin?" Henry asked suddenly, and Ron's smile fell a little. Merlin, people love talking about other people's lives, don't they?

"He will not be answering that" Lord Greengrass stepped in, frowning at the back of Henry's head.

"I'm sorry if it brings up any traumatic memories" Henry apologized, just staring at Ron's hollowed expression. "We… We will cut that from the interview."

"Thank you" Ron shook his head lightly, knocking the image of a possessed Ginny hurting him out of his skull. I could have captured her, but I held back instead. Ended up getting petrified for my trouble. I could have done a million things to help save her, but I panicked like some coward instead.

"It is no secret that the Veelas were abusing their allures at the Junior League Tournament, how did you feel about that at the time?" Henry asked, deciding to veer clear of the boy's school-life for now.

"At the time…" Ron started. I should tell the truth, otherwise I'll come across as a blatant liar. "I was angry, and extremely frustrated…" Lord Greengrass gave a slow, approving nod to Ron from behind Henry. "I felt like they were trying to cheat me out of a fair game, and that they were disrespecting something that I love at the same time. My friend Amanda DuPont, who is a student at Beauxbatons, was similarly vexed. She said that 'Chess is a game of skill and wit, and that it was being sullied by the Veelas' actions'… I felt the same way as her."

"It was truly shocking" Henry agreed. Then why did you people approve it? "It has been confirmed that you resisted over fifty Veela allures at once through sheer willpower, something that was believed to be entirely impossible at the time. Do you have any comments on making history?"

"Making history hurts a lot" Ron chuckled, though there was no mirth in his voice. "It… It hurt so much that I could barely even see by the end of the first day. Lord Greengrass had to carry me home, and I don't remember anything after my fourth game."

"Astonishing…" Henry whispered to himself. "Did you know that the French Ministry is currently attempting to conduct a study in order to reproduce your accomplishment?"

"I did not" Ron admitted. "Any success?"

"None whatsoever" Henry replied. "One man managed to resist four Veelas at once, but when a fifth was added, he had to be physically restrained." Figures. They don't have the Entity living inside their heads. "You resisted over fifty of them at once… How did you do it?"

"Like you said, sheer willpower" Ron lied with a smile, and Henry actually smiled at him. Though his smile looked more like genuine bewilderment.

"Could you do it again?" Henry asked.

"I'm sure that I could" Ron nodded. "But I'd really rather not have to go through that much pain again." Henry nodded slowly, and then he took a quick look at his pocket watch. He really has somewhere else to be, doesn't' he?

"Oh, we'd better hurry this along" Henry said, shaking his head clear. "You have an undefeated record when it comes to Tournaments, how long do you imagine that you can keep it going?"

"I can't really see the Future" Ron chuckled, amused by his own personal joke. "But I'd like to keep winning for as long as possible. I'm more than willing to work myself to the bone if necessary, and I hope that that will help me along."

"Are you planning to achieve the title of Chess Master somewhere down the line?" Henry asked.

"I am" Ron admitted. "It is one of the reasons why I work as hard as I do when it comes to Chess."

"That is good to hear" Henry stated. "Do you have any more specific Tournaments planned for the remainder of the year?"

"Not at the moment, no" Ron replied. "But I'm sure that I'll be making an appearance at one or two Tournaments before the end of the year."

"Well, we hope to see you there" Henry stood up, and Ron followed suit. A bit abrupt, but alright. I'm starving anyway.

"Thank you" Ron said, shaking Henry's hand firmly.

"We will be using some photos that we took during the matches, is that fine?" Henry asked Lord Greengrass.

"It is" Lord Greengrass replied. "Please make sure that they're flattering."

"We will" Henry nodded, and then he quickly left for his 'appointment'.

"He was in a rush" Ron noted, and Lord Greengrass nodded curtly.

"A bit rude… but it hardly matters" Lord Greengrass said. "We got what we wanted."

"Did we?" Ron asked. "I thought that we wanted to make friends with these people, but it didn't feel like we made any form of alliance."

"You gave a superb interview, and you didn't once blame the International League of Wizard's Chess Club for the debacle in France" Lord Greengrass told him. "They're doing their best to piece together their reputation again, and you just helped them immensely. They won't forget that, I assure you."

"They're trying to fix their reputation… Madame Maxime is trying to fix hers… We really did a number on these people, didn't we?" Ron asked.

"You did a number on them, Ron" Lord Greengrass smiled at him. "Don't ever sell yourself short because you were nothing short of amazing in France. Even if I hated seeing you in that much pain, I won't deny that I was truly moved by your conviction."

"Th… Thank you, my Lord" Ron blinked at his mentor. "You're being awfully nice to me today."

"Am I usually not nice?" Lord Greengrass asked with a smirk.

"You are, but you're being extra nice" Ron replied. "Truth be told, it makes me feel like you want something from me."

"That's what I like about you Ron, you are paranoid enough to be truly successful one day" Lord Greengrass smiled and shook his head. "I just want you to keep working the way you have been, nothing more. And… And maybe fly your broom around once in a while…"

"Pardon?" Ron blinked again.

"It's nothing…" Lord Greengrass sighed, his smile faltering slightly. "Come along, Ron. Let's get some food in you. I've booked The Pond for us." Is he dying or something?

---

Monday 10th August, 1993 (Greengrass Manor – Evening)

"Are you sure that you're not upset with me?" Ron asked again, and Daphne rolled her eyes. They were both currently planning her birthday party in the Living Room, and truth be told, it was a disturbingly difficult task. "I know that it's your birthday today, but the competition…"

"Ron… I've already told you that I don't care about that" Daphne assured him again. "Tracey and I are having a joined birthday party, that'll count as my real birthday." You can't change when your birthday is, that's against the rules.

"Alright…" Ron whispered to himself, and then he looked back at the catering list.

"Ron, what's the matter?" Daphne sighed out, deciding to help him before working on her own things. "You're being rather… needy…" Needy?

"I'm not being needy" Ron quickly defended himself. "I just want to know if you're upset with me."

"And I've told you that I'm not" Daphne repeated once again. "Why would I be upset with you? Have you done anything to upset me?"

"Not voluntarily…" Ron replied slowly. "It's just that today's your birthday, but instead of celebrating it, you got dragged away to watch me play Chess… And then when I won, you didn't seem too… pleased…"

"Ron, I decided to have my party on the twenty-first of August long before father told me about your upcoming Tournament" Daphne told him. "And as for not being pleased about your victory, what gave you that idea?"

"Tori gave me hugs and kisses the moment we got back… And you…" Ron trailed off, and Daphne just blinked at him.

"You wanted me to be as excited as her?" Daphne asked slowly, and Ron felt his ears burn. I'm definitely being needy, I can see it now. "Ron, I am happy for you. I'm even proud of you for winning with such ease. But I can't show it in public, can I? What would my parents think if I told you that I wanted to hug and kiss you? What would they do if I did that the moment we walked into the Manor?"

"They'd be pissed…" Ron sighed. "So you're not mad?" Daphne pinched the bridge of her nose, and then she shot looks around them. When she noticed that they were completely alone, she grabbed Ron by his collar and pulled him into a bombardment of quick kisses all over his face. Woah…

"There" Daphne smirked as she let him go, and Ron stumbled back a bit. "Don't fall over, Ron" Daphne giggled, looking back to her party plans. "Still think that I'm mad at you?"

"No…" Ron replied, he was rather dazed by all of those kisses. She even kissed my right eyelid.

"Good, now help me with this" Daphne said as she handed him the catering list. "What do you think of these dishes?" Ron read through them, and he let out a pathetic chuckle.

"I don't know what most of these are" Ron admitted, giving Daphne a sheepish smile.

"Great…" Daphne sighed.

"Why don't we just ask your parents for help? Or Tori?"

"I might as well tattoo the word 'Incompetent' on my forehead, Ron" Daphne huffed in indignation. "Throwing a party is something that every Pure-Blood should know through and through." Hmmm, a party…

"Pansy…" Ron said, and Daphne looked to him with a confused look. "Pansy knows parties better than any one of us. Remember the party we all threw together? She pretty much helped with everything, including the guest list."

"You're right" Daphne nodded slowly, and then she smiled at Ron. "Well done Ron, you've actually managed to help me with this."

"You're welcome" Ron smiled, mentally patting himself on the back. Well done, old boy.

"Now go to my room and send Pansy a letter" Daphne waved him away, looking back to her plans.

"Ahem…" Ron coughed.

"Please" Daphne said sweetly.

"That's better" Ron imitated her huff, something that made her laugh to herself. "You'd better show me some respect, woman."

"What did you just say?" Daphne looked up with scowl. Oh fuck…

"I said that… I think you're beautiful, and that I need to go get Pansy for you…" Ron stuttered, and then he turned around and marched out of the room. Crazy bint! He missed Daphne giggling behind his back.

---

Tuesday 11th August, 1993 (The Burrow – Evening)

"Happy birthday, Ginny!" everyone shouted and applauded as Ginny cut her pink cake. She's officially twelve years old now.

"Go on love, I'll take it from here" Molly said as she took the knife from her daughter, and Ginny made her way over to an applauding Luna.

"She looks very pretty today" Hermione observed, and Ron nodded his agreement. "Thanks for having me over for this." Ginny had invited Harry over for her birthday, and she was smart enough to know that Harry was a packaged deal. Neville and Harry were currently talking to the twins, while Percy was asking Xenophilius about the Albanian Ministry.

"Thank Ginny" Ron smiled at Hermione. "She's the one who actually invited you."

"Because I'm friends with Harry" Hermione realized. "I guess that's fair, Ginny and I aren't really friends."

"You could be" Ron decided to say. "Ginny can be really tough on the people that she doesn't really know, but if you two spend more time together, I'm sure that you'll be fast friends." That is if you stop lecturing her about her studies.

"I've tried talking to her" Hermione sighed. "It always gets awkward after a few minutes…"

"Do you tell her to spend more time on her studies?" Ron asked.

"No" Hermione denied, but Ron just stared at her for a couple of seconds. "Alright… But she should really concentrate on her studies. It will benefit her far more than… um…"

"You don't even know her hobbies, do you?" Ron asked, making sure to sound amused rather than vexed. What's the point of telling Ginny to change when you don't even know her?

"She likes Quidditch" Hermione remembered. "And since she isn't applying for the Quidditch team, she should instead focus on her studies."

"Quidditch helps her deal with what happened to her last year" Ron pointed out, and Hermione blinked at him. "Just try and find a middle ground with her, and you'll be fine Hermione."

"Alright, I can do that" Hermione nodded firmly, and then she looked over to Ginny who was talking to Luna animatedly. Ron looked between Hermione and Ginny, and then he sniggered to himself. "What, Ronald?"

"Are you going over there now?" Ron asked her.

"I just said that I'll try and be her friend" Hermione reminded him.

"But what about me?" Ron faked a pout. "You'll leave me here all by myself?"

"It would serve you right" Hermione smirked. "You haven't even wished her happy birthday properly."

"I bought her earrings worth one hundred and fifty Galleons" Ron gaped. "What else am I supposed to do?"

"Wait… You bought your sister something that expensive?" Hermione asked, utterly bewildered by Ron's spending habits.

"Yeah… What's wrong with that?" Ron asked. "They suit her bracelet… Gold with ruby studs."

"Normal siblings don't spend that much money on each other" Hermione blurted out.

"Hey, we're normal" Ron frowned slightly. "Sort of… sometimes…" Give me a break, we've been poor for as long as I remember. What's the harm in Ginny getting something nice for a change? Wait… She always got the best things. Damn, am I weird? Maybe that's why mum is sort of annoyed with me again.

"Hello" Hermione clicked her fingers in his face. "Is my friend Ron around? I want to speak to him."

"Sorry, but this conversation bored him to death" Ron joked, coming back to reality.

"Oh…" Hermione muttered.

"That was a joke" Ron quickly pointed out. "Just some friendly banter, nothing more."

"Oh, of course!" Hermione snorted, punching Ron's arm 'playfully'. Ow! What the fuck? How about you grab the knife and gut me next time? "Sorry, was that too hard?" Hermione quickly asked.

"It's fine" Ron chuckled. Can't feel my damn arm.

"Hello, you two" Harry said as he walked over to them, he was carrying a plate with a slice of cake on it.

"Is that for me?" Ron grinned.

"I think I saw Ginny toss your slice in the bin" Harry remarked.

"How long ago? It might still be fresh" Ron laughed.

"Ew…" Hermione pulled a face.

"Why are you two standing away from everyone?" Harry asked, looking to Hermione with a 'smile'.

"We're talking" Hermione frowned at Harry. What was he trying to pull?

"Alright" Harry shrugged, still smiling at Hermione. I don't even want to know what's going through their heads. "By the way Ron, congratulations on your win yesterday. Sirius wouldn't stop talking about it… for hours…"

"Thank you" Ron said, his eyes darting towards Sirius and Remus. Is Sirius drinking from a flask? At a birthday full of children? Wow…

"You won a Tournament yesterday?" Hermione asked Ron, looking rather surprised.

"Yeah" Ron nodded.

"He was in the Daily Prophet's Sports Section" Harry pointed out. "You don't subscribe to the Daily Prophet? It only costs one Knut."

"I do, but I put the subscription on hold because mum and dad were getting worried by the owls" Hermione sighed. "Our neighbors started asking questions…"

"Were they curious about where all the bird shite was coming from?" Ron asked, making Harry snigger. Hermione, on the other hand, was not amused by Ron's inappropriate language.

"They were, as a matter of fact" Hermione replied haughtily, but then she smiled at Ron. "Congratulations, Ron."

"Thank you" Ron said, mentally patting his on back. "If you're interested, I'll be in next week's Wizard's Chess Weekly magazine."

"Really? They have a magazine for Chess?" Harry asked slowly. "Why?"

"Same reason why they have one for Quidditch" Ron shrugged.

"But Quidditch is… fun…" Harry said even more slowly.

"Harry, don't be rude" Hermione frowned at her best friend.

"I think he was trying to pull my leg" Ron pointed out, while Harry just sighed at Hermione's lack of social skills.

"Oh… Blast" Hermione 'cussed'.

"Where is Neville?" Ron asked, deciding to move the conversation along.

"The twins took him to their room in order to show him a few 'knick-knacks'…" Harry replied. "I warned him, but he was really curious about seeing the twins' room." Poor fool.

"Do you two want cake?" came Ginny's voice from behind Harry, and they all looked to see her carrying two plates.

"None for me, thanks" Ron refused, though he was eyeing the cake with a sad look. Why am I refusing sweets? Madam Roberts left me.

"Thank you, Ginny" Hermione said as she took hers politely. "Happy birthday."

"Thanks" Ginny smiled widely.

"Your earrings are lovely, they really suit you" Hermione complimented, doing her best to sound genuine. She honestly didn't get the allure behind fashion… Clothes were clothes…

"Really?" Ginny beamed, shooting Ron a joyous look. "Ronnie got them for me. Who knew that my brother had such good taste when it comes to jewelry?"

"Martin sends his regards" Ron chuckled.

"They do look really good on you" Harry complimented her as well, though he had a bit of trouble getting it out. He didn't want to sound like he was flirting with her. It's just a compliment, don't make a big deal out of it. It's Ginny's birthday, so keep yourself in check.

"Th… Thanks" Ginny's cheeks turned rosy, and she immediately looked to Ron. "Are you sure that you don't want any cake?"

"I… I'll have one slice" Ron said, losing his battle with himself. Ginny handed him the plate, and then she looked to Hermione. "Do you want to come and talk to Luna and me? We're better company than Ron, I promise."

"I would like that" Hermione agreed. The girls both left then, but not before Hermione shot a look back to Ron. Good luck.

"So… how have you been?" Harry asked Ron, and he found himself shocked beyond words when he saw that Ron had scarfed down his entire slice already. "Bloody hell, mate… Did you chew?"

"No…" Ron wiped his lips in a guilty manner. That was soooo good. I miss sweets so much.

"Do you want more?" Harry asked.

"I do, but I won't…" Ron sighed, giving his empty plate a miserable look.

"Alright…" Harry nodded slowly. "You're a weird bloke, Ron." Speaking of weird… Ron shot a look towards Xenophilius, who was talking to Ron's father about something excitedly. Is he alright? He looks rather pale.

"Excuse me, Harry" Ron said suddenly, deciding to find out if Xeno was sick. "I need to have a quick chat with Pandora."

"I'll be with the girls" Harry nodded, and they both parted ways. Ron walked over to Pandora, who was currently speaking with Molly.

"Hello" Ron greeted them.

"Hello, Ron" Pandora greeted back with an airy smile. "Congratulations for yesterday."

"Thank you" Ron smiled at her, why did it feel so much better to hear that from Pandora than most people? "Mum, can I talk to Pandora about something? Alone?"

"Oh…" Molly blinked at him, and then she nodded slowly. "I'll go and find the twins… I saw them sneak off with poor Neville, the boy is probably miserable right now." Molly then left the group, feeling a bit dejected because of Ron's preference for Pandora.

"How have you been, love?" Pandora asked Ron, cupping his right cheek and smiling at him.

"Busy" Ron shrugged, smiling back at her. "How are you, actually? Is everything alright with the baby?"

"It is" Pandora assured him.

"You should come over more often" Ron suggested. "I prefer it when you're around…"

"Then you should floo over to the Rookery" Pandora suggested back. "We can paint together like we used to."

"Friday?" Ron asked, and she nodded at him. I'll ask her about Spell-Crafting then. Right now, I want to know if Xeno is alright. And if he plans to sell the Quibbler soon. Though I should definitely try and be careful, I'm not supposed to know about that.

"What's going on inside that head of yours?" Pandora hummed as she pinched his right cheek.

"Endless schemes" Ron chuckled.

"I believe it" Pandora said, smiling widely.

"I was just wondering if Xeno is alright" Ron said. "He looks a bit pale… And by a bit, I mean a lot."

"My husband is… trying to move on from the things he witnessed in Albania" Pandora replied, deciding to treat Ron like a young man instead of a boy. She knew that he was clever enough to already know what was going on, and that he was here for another reason.

"What kinds of things?" Ron asked slowly, cursing Dumbledore in his mind.

"The Inferno, the Unicorn killings, the Cult… He has been through a lot recently" Pandora replied. "But don't worry Ron, he will be fine in time." She decided not to mention Xeno's nightmares, or the fact that he woke up screaming for a man named John every other night.

"I hope so" Ron said, shooting another look at Xeno. "Is he going to be writing about his experience in The Quibbler?"

"He is" Pandora replied, why was Ron interested in The Quibbler?

"When can I expect to read it?" Ron asked, trying his best to sound casual. I need to be careful here, Pandora is the sharpest person I know.

"He always publishes his magazine at the end of each month" Pandora replied. "Ron, what is this sudden interest you have with my husband's magazine?" Bloody hell, it's like she can read my mind.

"I'm just interested in reading about Albania" Ron replied. "And I think that Xeno owning his own magazine is pretty awesome."

"Yes… I think so too" Pandora said, looking slightly crestfallen for a moment. I have until the end of August to get my hands on that magazine. This is good, I have a bit more time than I expected.

"I'm going to go rejoin the others" Ron said, deciding to break away before she caught onto him.

"That's alright" Pandora said, looking into Ron's eyes with a sharp look. "Whatever you're up to Ron, just make sure that you don't put too much of a strain on yourself."

"Right…" Ron blinked at her. Mind-reader!

---

Wednesday 12th August, 1993 (The Burrow – Past Midnight)

A sudden pop made Ron look up from his Transfiguration textbook, his right hand immediately reaching for his wand.

"Marty…" Ron sighed as he relaxed completely at the sight of his Elf. That bloody scared me half to death.

"Master is awake very late" Marty said as he bowed deeply.

"Just reading some of my old textbooks" Ron explained. "What brings you here, Marty? Is everything alright?"

"It most certainly is, Master" Marty beamed at Ron, and then he put Ron's vault key in front of Ron.

"You're done transferring the funds?" Ron asked with a growing smile.

"Marty has completed Master's will without arousing any suspicions from those horrible Goblins" Marty said proudly. "Master's vault has once again been expanded in order to facilitate his ever-growing wealth." That's what I like to hear. I can now use that money for my Quibbler idea. "Would Master like a sandwich while he studies?"

"You know what, Marty" Ron beamed, reaching over to squeeze Marty's shoulder. "That would be great."

---

Wednesday 12th August, 1993 (Longbottom Manor – Evening)

"We do not have long" Lady Longbottom said as they both sat down in the Living Room. "My grandson is visiting Harry at the moment, and I'm expecting them both back soon." I'm glad that she understands my need for secrecy.

"Thank you for seeing me, Lady Longbottom" Ron smiled at her. "I truly do appreciate your help in my endeavor."

"The Ancient House of Longbottom owes you far more than what I'm offering" Lady Longbottom responded. "Now, how goes your research into The Quibbler?"

"Xeno fully plans to sell his magazine after he publishes this month's issue" Ron started. "I imagine that he will be working with the Daily Prophet by the end of September."

"Try the start of September" Lady Longbottom corrected him. "They made this deal a while ago, and I assure you, they've already sorted everything out on their end. I have a friend within the Daily Prophet, Kikis Trecus, and he assured me that the Daily Prophet already has their new layout ready."

"Damn…" Ron muttered to himself.

"Our time is short, but it is still possible to swipe The Quibbler from the Prophet's incompetent hands" Lady Longbottom told him. "Xenophilius has yet to sign any contracts, and luckily for you, he has only spoken to them of his interest to sell. They believe that no one else is planning to outbid them, and quite frankly, why would they?"

"That makes it easier for me to take The Quibbler behind closed doors" Ron realized, and Lady Longbottom gave him a curt nod. "There is no contract holding him down yet, so all I need to do is offer him a deal that he can't refuse."

"Be careful with what you promise him" Lady Longbottom advised. "You must make sure that he knows of your intentions to overhaul The Quibbler."

"I will let him keep his work" Ron began explaining his ideas. "And like you said, it will be called 'Xenophilius' Corner'. As for my sections, I've thought about a few that I definitely want to have. Each section will have their own designated reporter, who I will pay for personally in our early stages."

"That is good" Lady Longbottom nodded. "You will lose a bit of money before you begin turning a profit. Please, go on."

"There will be five new sections within The Quibbler" Ron started once again. "Word on the Streets, Local Opinions, International News, The Ministry's Politics, and Sad Reality."

"Can you explain them to me?" Lady Longbottom asked, she was glad that he was taking this seriously.

"Word on the Streets will cover the local news, sort of like a blend of both the Daily Prophet's 'Good News' and 'Bad News' sections" Ron explained, taking on a more serious posture. "Local Opinions will be directly related to the 'Word on the Streets' section, and it will feature interviews with the local residents of the British Wizarding Community. I want there to be a genuine discussion between people about the goings on around them, which is something that the Daily Prophet sorely lacks."

"An excellent idea" Lady Longbottom noted, and Ron mentally patted his own back. "If you ask the right population about a certain issue, you might even be able to change a lot of people's opinions."

"Exactly" Ron nodded. "It will be quite random, but I will definitely make sure to aim for people with the right opinions. Or rather, the opinions that match my own."

"Good" Lady Longbottom agreed. "It may seem crude, and even biased, but a bit of manipulation is very standard when you're attempting something of this magnitude. Now tell me about the others."

"Well, International News will cover international news" Ron said. "Things like Legislations being passed in foreign countries, a look into the different cultures and politics than our own, and so forth. Now, the last two sections are the most important to me. The Ministry's Politics will take an unbiased look at what the Ministry gets up to. It will report on the different political idiots who are poisoning our society for their own gain, so people like this Dolores Umbridge. It will also look at the Legislations that are being passed, and delve into what they could actually mean for the people of Wizarding Britain. It will be free of the Ministry's propaganda, and it will be the largest section in the new Quibbler."

"I will not lie to you, Ronald" Lady Longbottom gave him a rare smile. "This section alone will earn you many enemies."

"I figured as much" Ron said, he knew all too well that people tended to throw tantrums when they were challenged. "As for the Sad Reality section, I was thinking that it could be a long story about something that people normally don't even think about. So people like Priscilla, or the unemployed Werewolves. Or even just people still recovering from the last war. The Ministry and the Prophet are content to ignore these people, so I plan show their side of things. I think that if more people learn about these things, they might actually want to do something about it."

"I like that as well, but may I suggest something?" Lady Longbottom asked.

"Of course" Ron replied, eager to hear her advice.

"The name 'Sad Reality' is a bit too… morbid" Lady Longbottom told him. "Many potential readers would be put off by such a section because people generally don't want to feel gloomy. Name it something that catches your readers' attention instead, but also works to give them an idea of what it is."

"Alright, that makes sense" Ron nodded. What else could I call it? I'll have a think about it later.

"The magazine itself is coming together in your head, which is excellent, but you have to focus on the logistics too" Lady Longbottom said. "How often will an issue be published? Is it still monthly?"

"No, I was thinking that an issue comes out every week" Ron replied. "A lot can happen in a month, and if we only release one issue a month, we won't be able to cover all the topics in greater detail."

"Then you'd better be willing to pay a lot of money, Ronald" Lady Longbottom said. "You will need to buy The Quibbler shares, pay for re-advertising, printing, salaries, and even find yourself some investors. Oh, and find an appropriate staff."

"I know" Ron rubbed his forehead. My vault is about to take a thrashing. Is this really wise? Should I instead save my money for the war? "Lady Longbottom, what exactly are investors?"

"They are people who also buy into shares, or make payments in order to gain a profit in the future" Lady Longbottom replied, giving him a simple explanation. "My advice is that you find people to buy shares into The Quibbler, just so they can help save you money early on. They will each, of course, take a small cut of the profit, but overall, you will save more money than you will lose. That is, if your idea works out." Merlin, so much work… Fuck it! Just get started from one end, and go from there.

"Would you be willing to invest in some shares?" Ron asked her, and she actually laughed for once.

"You are as opportunistic as they come, aren't you?" Lady Longbottom joked, genuinely amused by Ron. "I, like the other potential investors, will only invest if I see something worth investing in. I suggest you speak to some Goblins, and get an idea on what kind of contract you want to present to Xenophilius first. Until you buy The Quibbler from him, you can't just hand out its shares."

"I understand" Ron said, grateful that she was being so patient with him. Truth be told, he was starting to get overwhelmed and confused by all of this. "First I need to get The Quibbler, own a majority of its shares, and then I can start finding investors. All the while finding an appropriate staff, and re-advertising The Quibbler."

"You have a busy few months ahead of you, Ronald" Lady Longbottom said.

"Bloody hell, we won't start publishing until the end of the year…" Ron realized. "I'll basically have to keep Xeno, and his family, alive with my own money. He plans to repair his house, and without an actual source of income, he'll be dead in the water without me." How am I going to fucking convince him to rely on a thirteen year old? Shite!

"The success of your endeavor relies upon how much hard-work you put in, but from what I've seen and heard of you, I know you can do this" Lady Longbottom said, deciding to encourage the only young man who was actually interested in making a change in the World. She was an honest woman, and she was humble enough to admit that Ronald's attitude was beginning to inspire her as well. Something unnatural had to be driving this boy, or he was simply one of those rare births that change the World forever.

---

Ten Minutes Later

Ron stepped into the Burrow from the fireplace, his mind working overtime on his plans for The Quibbler. He was excited, of that there was no doubt. But after speaking with Lady Longbottom, he had also realized that this was not going to be easy. He was going to be in for a stressful few months, and that would only happen if he managed to convince Xeno to sell The Quibbler to him. I need to start laying the groundwork on Xeno, and I'll start it on Friday. As for the Goblins… Next Monday sounds good. Tomorrow I need to go to the Ministry and speak with Madam Roberts.

"Ronald, there you are" came his mother's voice as he entered the kitchen. Ron looked around the room, and he was surprised to see his siblings just sitting silently on the dinner table, while his mother was staring at him through narrow eyes. Shite, what did I do?

"Hello" Ron greeted his family, and the twins and Ginny shot him sympathetic looks. Oh Merlin, it's that bad?

"You spoke to reporters?!" Molly demanded, waving around a copy of the Daily Prophet around. Huh?

"Um… Yeah…" Ron nodded slowly. "They were all waiting outside of Flourish and Blotts, and I spoke to them a little. I only answered like four questions…"

"Was it Greengrass? Did he tell you to speak to them?" Molly asked, frowning at the fact that the Greengrasses had broken their word to her. He did, but I'm the one who agreed to it.

"It was my idea" Ron lied. "I wanted to get a taste of what it would be like, and I'll be doing it more often from now on." I'll need to, considering that I'm trying to buy a magazine myself. "I hope that's alright."

"It absolutely is not!" Molly huffed. "You are far too young to be in the papers! You need to focus on your studies, and not on these distractions!"

"Mother, I think that it's good for Ron's career if he gets some coverage from time to time" Percy piped in, surprising everyone in the room. Especially the twins, who were slowly starting to smile at him. "I've been reading about the Wizard's Chess scene, and Ron barely has any coverage there despite his outstanding record." Ron just stared at Percy, and then he looked to his shocked mother. Oh Merlin, she's starting to get red.

"He is too young for these things" Molly repeated, frowning at Percy for acting out. "Ronald, you will not speak to any more reporters. Is that clear? And I will have words with your 'mentor' about this." What the fuck? Wait… I just realized that my parents are my biggest problem when it comes to buying Xeno's magazine. There is no way that they're going to let me spend so much of my money without a fight. Fuck!

"No, it's not clear" Ron said, and Molly blinked at him.

"Excuse me?" Molly scowled at him.

"It's not clear" Ron repeated, and the room was engulfed in silence. His siblings were just looking in-between him and their mother, just waiting for Molly Weasley to snap. I refused to let a God take control of me, what makes her think that she even has a say in what I do? I'm getting sick of her throwing her weight around near me. "I will be in my room, let me know when dinner is ready" Ron said, deciding to leave before this got worse.

"You have not been excused, young man!" Molly snapped, vexed by Ron's increasingly rebellious attitude. "You will apologize to me, and you will…" That's it!

"SILENCE!" Ron yelled suddenly, making everyone in the room flinch. Molly was stunned silent by Ron's murderous glare, while his siblings just sat there with wide-eyes. She will not get in my way. Not when I'm doing everything I can to protect this family. Ron turned his head and cracked his neck, shuddering because of how good it felt. "When I want your advice, I will ask for it… Until then, keep your opinions to yourselves. Is that clear?" Molly just blinked at Ron, her mouth hanging open slightly. "Call me when dinner is ready, until then, I don't want to see your annoying little faces." With that, Ron walked up the stairs and went to his room. Stupid, useless cunts. They can't even afford a fucking fence around their shitty house, and they think that they can tell US what to do?

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AUTHOR'S NOTES: There it is, you MUGGLES! Sorry... Anyway, I hope you all enjoyed that. It was slightly late, I know, but I'm really bloody sick.

Next chapter is the last chapter of the Holiday Arc, and then we can start Third Year together. Many plots are planned, and some of them are definitely going to catch your eyes. That's all I'll say.

See you guys on Monday!