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.

67. Chapter 67 - A Different Side

AUTHOR'S NOTES: Chapter 67 is here, and I'm sorry for the slight delay. Things got really hectic, and I ended up losing track of time. Now a couple of things before you all get into the Chapter:

1. Some of you are feeling put off by the ever looming demise of Ron, and I can understand why. I mean, it would make all of his struggles irrelevant, right? Well, I don't think so. Personally, I still haven't decided how this story ends just yet. I am currently still planning how the war will fully play out, and many characters are on the chopping block. I don't intend to massacre a lot of people for simple shock value, and the deaths that do happen will be realistic and fair. And yes, everyone is fair game. Life ain't fair, and I'm not going to drop my theme of realism for a rainbow covered ending.

But even still, a story isn't just about its ending. Its about the journey to the ending. There are soooo many things that I have planned, and yes Ron will struggle a lot, but that's what happens when you're fighting a war. Ron may be the MC, but he's not some hero archetype. I treat my characters as human, and humans struggle constantly.

2. Now I'm not saying that Ron won't do a lot of damage during the war, because he will. The Dark Lord, the Death-Eaters, the Ministry, and even Snape and Dumbledore don't know just how long Ron has been obsessing about this war. And because of that obsession, he's sort becoming warped in his thinking. Trust me, when a Future Seeing (potential) Psychopath shows up, and he's been preparing to fight and kill his enemies for years, head will roll...

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 67 – A Different Side

Sirius Black's POV

Monday 24th August, 1993 (The Burrow - Near Midday)

The Weasleys… They were a Family made up of good-hearted and hospitable individuals. Sirius had truly begun to see them as his extended Family, especially because of how much he loved the Weasley children. Ron was his favorite by far, but Sirius still loved the others. And as for Molly and Arthur, they were his lifelong friends now. They were the sort of people who gave instead of taking, and after spending his entire childhood with takers, Sirius truly saw Molly and Arthur as what Pure-Bloods should be. Proud of their Pure-Blood heritage, but not arrogant about it.

But despite all these good qualities, they were certainly a dramatic lot. Sirius, Remus, Harry, Neville, and Hermione had been eating breakfast when Molly Weasley had come screeching through the fireplace, nearly giving Kreacher a much-needed heart attack. Sirius didn't even need to hear her out to know that this tantrum was related to Ron somehow. It was always Ron… Sirius was sure that his pup didn't mean to start trouble, but his different mindset constantly clashed with his Family's. Ron was brilliant, but he was extremely closed off. This often resulted in him doing things that no one would see coming, which in turn would start the monthly spectacle of his parents being at their wit's end.

Sirius and Remus had ended up sending Harry, Neville, and Hermione to Diagon Alley for the day, even though they seemed more interested in what Ron had done. After being lightly scolded by Remus, the Trio had decided to mind their own business. Well… Neville and Hermione had decided to mind their own business, Harry had just gotten really angry and stormed off. Once the children had left for Diagon Alley, Sirius and Remus had traveled to the Burrow alongside a furious Molly. Sirius had never seen the stout woman so filled with murderous rage before, and truth be told, he feared for his pup's life.

Pandora and Xenophilius were already at the Burrow, both of them looking slightly put out. As it turned out, Ron had somehow convinced Xeno to hand over The Quibbler to him, something that made Sirius and Remus gawk openly at the eccentric man with shock. Ron had been planning some massive business venture right under everyone's noses, and now it was too late to stop him because he had twisted Xeno's arm and made the man sign the agreement. And not just any agreement, but a fucking Magically Binding Contract. It was over. Ron was now in charge of The Quibbler, and not even Merlin's ghost could change that.

Oddly enough, Xeno wasn't angry about what Ron had done. If anything, he was defending Ron and his brilliant idea. But Xeno had made the mistake of telling Molly that Ron had traveled to Knockturn Alley and come across some prostitution ring, and Molly had lost it. Remus had to physically restrain her from killing someone, and a lot of plates had ended up shattered on the floor. In her blind rage, she had accused Sebastian of being behind this. Sirius, uncomfortable with being around such an angry woman, had volunteered to go and get the man.

Getting Sebastian and Mary wasn't the hard part, keeping Molly from murdering Sebastian was. And Sebastian being who he was, had told them that Ron had come to him before he had gone to Xeno. Sebastian and Mary had agreed to become investors in Ron's new business, and they had elected to keep this a secret at his behest. Turns out, Ron knew how his mother would react to him spending thousands of his Galleons at the young age of thirteen. Sirius was actually rather impressed with Ron, but he made sure not to show it. He didn't plan to leave the Burrow in a body bag.

"THIS WILL NOT STAND!" Molly screamed, her face becoming slightly purple. Merlin help Ron, because I'm sure as shite not going to. "HE… HE WILL UNDO THIS, OR I SWEAR TO MERLIN!"

"Molly, please…" Pandora piped in. "Please just calm down."

"HE STOLE XENO'S PAPER!" Molly screamed at herself, nearly pulling at her own hair. "HE STRONG-ARMED YOUR HUSBAND, PANDORA!" Fuck me, my ears are ringing. She's been screaming for nearly an hour now.

"He can't undo it" Sebastian said, giving Molly a bored stare. "A new contract would need to be drawn up, and then he would need to sign it. Other than that, nothing can be done."

"THEN I'LL MAKE HIM SIGN IT!" Molly yelled at Sebastian, who just rolled his eyes at her. He literally doesn't give a damn about her wrath, does he?

"Sebastian, stop it" Mary sighed, and then she looked to Molly. "Where is Arthur?"

"At work" Remus replied for Molly, who was once again pacing in front of the Family Clock. "He won't be back until tonight."

"Then neither will Ron" Sebastian told them.

"How do you know that?" Pandora asked him, and he pointed to Molly.

"He knows what he's doing, which is how he planned an entire business empire under our noses" Sebastian shrugged, relaxing in his seat and closing his eyes. "You won't see him until he decides to come here."

"YOU DID THIS TO HIM!" Molly accused Sebastian, who didn't even bother denying her accusations.

"Ron was sorted into Slytherin long before he met my husband, Molly" Mary said firmly, defending her husband from her friend's mad accusations.

"I signed the papers, and I'm not even that angry" Xeno piped back in. "Molly, his idea is quite amazing…"

"DON'T DEFEND HIM!" Molly yelled, glaring at Ron's golden hand on the Family Clock. In transit, whatever that means. Where are you, kid? Well, wherever you are, don't come home yet.

"Molly, please calm down" Remus implored. "This is not helping anyone, especially not you. We need to talk this out, and then we need to figure out a way to make Ron give The Quibbler back to Xeno."

"Why?" Sirius asked, deciding to break his silence. All the eyes in the room went to him, including Sebastian's. Fuck me. Should've stayed quiet.

"Sirius…" Remus just blinked at his friend, which made Sirius strengthen his resolve. I need to defend Ron, even if I don't agree with his devious methods.

"It's Xeno's paper, and from what I've heard, Ron has saved it from being destroyed" Sirius started, eyeing Molly with a slightly scared look. "He's giving Xeno twenty percent of the shares, which is extremely generous. Not to mention that Xeno will have a steady job, and his own section. What other alternative is there? If Ron's 'contacts' are right, then he's saved Xeno from the Daily Prophet's schemes."

"Exactly" Xeno agreed, and then he looked to Molly. "Molly, Pandora and I discussed this all night…"

"And we've agreed that Ron has done right by us" Pandora finished for her husband. "He is saving The Quibbler, and he's turning it into something that might truly help people less fortunate than us."

"And his business plan is viable" Sebastian added, glad that the Lovegoods at least had a brain unlike Molly Weasley. "He stands to earn eight times per subscriber per month, which will boost The Quibbler's profits significantly."

"He spent three thousand Galleons on a whim!" Molly snapped, her voice strained from all the yelling.

"Not on a whim" Mary told her. "Ron planned this, and he planned it well. He has already saved up enough for a staff, and an advertising campaign. All of this will cost him roughly ten thousand Galleons, but in a year or two, he'll have broken even."

"TEN THOUSAND GALLEONS?!" Molly screamed, digging her fingers into her temples. Oh fuck me, here we go again.

---

Ronald Weasley's POV

Monday 24th August, 1993 (Greengrass Manor – Past Midday)

"I need a break" Daphne said, her head on Ron's chest as they both swayed back and forth. "My feet are killing me."

"Sorry about that" Ron sniggered, he had stepped on her feet constantly for the first thirty minutes.

"It's alright, Ron" Daphne hummed, and he felt the vibration of her voice inside his chest. Ohhh, feels weird.

"Let's go and sit down on the bed, and I'll give you a foot rub" Ron said, and she looked up with a confused smile.

"Really?" Daphne asked, and Ron simply shrugged.

"I don't mind" Ron smiled at her. "You're saving me the trouble of having to deal with my Family's wrath, and… And I'm having fun. It's not that weird, is it?"

"Not at all" Daphne agreed, eager for a free foot massage. "But you have to carry me."

"Carry you?" Ron laughed, and she smiled innocently.

"My feet hurt, Ron" Daphne whined as she pouted adorably. She's trying to challenge me, isn't she? I accept. Ron suddenly moved and put his right arm behind her knees, while his other arm stayed on her back. And then, Ron lifted her up like a baby. Oof… Well, look at that. She's not that heavy at all.

"RON!" Daphne squealed, wrapping her arms around his neck tightly in order to cling to him. Merlin, her chest is pressing against mine, and it's really soft. "Ron! I was kidding!"

"Too late" Ron laughed, walking over to the bed. "I'm not letting you go. You're mine now, and I'm going to carry you around everywhere from now on."

"Merlin!" Daphne squealed/laughed, something that made Ron grin widely. Ron slowly sat down on the edge of her bed, fixing Daphne on his lap.

"A safe landing, my Lady" Ron sniggered. "You can ease up on the headlock now."

"You're mental" Daphne giggled, slowly easing up her hold on his neck.

"What you call mental is just another part of my charm" Ron said, their smiling faces inches from each other's. Ron didn't think twice before showering her with light pecks, while she did the same to him. Despite the mess that was waiting for him at home, Ron was in complete euphoria at the moment. Moments like these had that effect on him, and so he had begun to count the minutes before he could be alone with Daphne again. And the best part was that he knew that she felt the same way. This is what life should be like, not the grim horror show that I'm forced to face alone. No Entity, no 'She', no Dumbledore, and no Dark Lord.

"I'm really glad that you're here, Ron" Daphne whispered before planting a kiss on his chin.

"Me too" Ron admitted, planting his forehead against hers. "This is pretty insane, right?"

"What's insane about this?" Daphne asked, closing her eyes and relaxing in his lap. Ron had his arms around her in order to support her, and she was certain that he'd keep her in place.

"I just never thought that we'd become like this, that's all" Ron replied. "I… I look forward to these moments. Like a lot…"

"Me too" Daphne told him. "Doesn't it feel like we have no worries when we're together like this?"

"It really does" Ron smiled before planting a sneaky kiss on her lips.

"No school, no drama with our friends, no parents ordering us around…" Daphne listed, her eyes still closed.

"Yeah" Ron whispered, not really surprised about the difference in their worries. "Are you excited for Hogwarts?"

"I am" Daphne replied. "This is going to be a good year, I can feel it. Tori is coming to Hogwarts, so I'll get to see her all the time. We'll be in third year, which means that we will no longer be the babies anymore. And you and I can spend more time together. I resent that I don't get to see you every day."

"What about our friends?" Ron chuckled.

"Them too" Daphne replied. "I actually miss my dorm, can you believe that? I miss waking up with my friends, and then eating breakfast together. I even miss our classes, and that odd sense of comradery that comes with learning together."

"As do I" Ron agreed. "I miss having a schedule to follow, and I miss Theo and Blaise's company."

"Only seven more days, Ron" Daphne snuggled her head into his neck. "And then we'll be on the Hogwarts Express, followed by another year at Hogwarts." One less year before the war comes for us all. No! Stop that. Stop bringing your problems with you everywhere that you go. "Ron?"

"Sorry" Ron apologized for zoning out, and then he squeezed her gently. "Merlin, you smell so bloody nice."

"Are you talking about me, or Merlin?" Daphne giggled.

"Smart-arse" Ron chuckled.

---

Thirty Minutes Later

"Sweet Circe, Ron…" Daphne moaned, her chest heaving up and down. "That feels so good… Please don't stop…"

"I won't" Ron promised her, digging his thumbs into the sole of her right foot. "I'm sorry about stepping on your feet, by the way."

"Think nothing of it" Daphne moaned again, her eyes closed as she enjoyed his foot massage. Bloody hell, her voice is kind of turning me on. I bet she has no idea just how pleasing her voice is when she's moaning like that. Stop it, Ron. Don't turn this into a perverted game… Nah, fuck it. Make her moan again. Ron redoubled his efforts, while also being careful not to hurt her. "That feels amazing…" Daphne moaned, smiling in content. Win! I'm a God!

"Other foot?" Ron asked, and she quickly presented it. Ron took it into his hands, and he began massaging it as well.

"I could get used to this" Daphne told him, and he smiled and shook his head.

"As could I" Ron said, his eyes once again traveling to her heaving chest. Yes, I certainly could. How did I never take notice of her amazing knockers before? I'm an idiot, that's why. I bet that both Tracey and Pansy are envious of Daphne's rack.

"Are you staring at my chest?" Daphne asked him, and Ron noticed that her eyes were now open. Oh shite!

"No" Ron lied blatantly, and she frowned slightly. She then reached for a pillow and planted it on her chest, effectively hiding her breasts. NO! THEY NEED TO BREATHE, WOMAN!

"Ron, I don't feel comfortable with that…" Daphne told him, and Ron tensed slightly.

"I'm… I'm sorry" Ron apologized, still massaging her foot. "I won't do it again."

---

Five Minutes Later

Ron was still massaging her left foot, and Daphne was still hiding her breasts from him. Did Ron feel guilty for making her feel uncomfortable? Certainly. Would he sneak a glance again? Probably. Was he getting sick of the awkward silence? Most definitely. I should apologize again, just to break this silence.

"Why were you staring at my chest?" Daphne suddenly asked him, propping herself up on her elbows. Huh?

"Um…" Ron blinked, and she frowned slightly. "I'm a boy?" Why did I phrase that like a damn question?

"I see…" Daphne mumbled, falling back onto the bed.

"Daph… I won't do it again" Ron sighed, but she didn't say anything back to him. Ugh… The silence returns.

"They're too big…" came Daphne's voice, and Ron just looked at her pillow covered chest. Too big? "They make me look… disproportionate…" Sort of… But I don't give a shite about that. Is she covering them because she feels insecure? The same way I cover my scars constantly? Well, fuck that. There's only enough room for one insecure person in our relationship, and I've already taken that spot.

"Can I be blunt about something, Daphne?" Ron asked her, and she propped herself back up on her elbows.

"If you're going to insult me, then don't even bother…" Daphne frowned deeply.

"Insult you?" Ron repeated, and then he shook his head. It's time for truth, brace yourself Daphne. "Daphne, I want to bury my head in your chest." Daphne's mouth dropped open, while Ron just gave her a dead-serious look. "I'm sitting here, mentally smacking myself for not noticing your amazing assets until now, and you think that I'm going to insult you? No… Your chest is a gift from the Universe, and I won't hear you say otherwise. Also… Your bum is soft but firm at the same time, which is simply awesome. There… You may now kill me for being a pervert."

"Um…" Daphne mumbled, her face slowly turning red. She then simply lied back down on the bed, not uttering a single word. Maybe I was too blunt? Oh well… Ron went back to massaging her foot, while she just stared at the ceiling. After a minute or so, she threw the pillow aside. Ron's eyes immediately darted towards her chest, but when he noticed her looking at him, he quickly looked back down.

"Whoops" Ron said, and then a chuckle escaped his lips. "Sorry… Ahem…" Ron cleared his throat, concentrating on her foot.

"You're a massive pervert" Daphne told him, and he nodded to himself. "But… Thank you…"

"I should be thanking you" Ron joked, looking up with a grin.

"Don't grin like that…" Daphne said, her lips twitching upwards.

"Like what?" Ron asked, wagging his eyebrows as well.

"Stop" Daphne giggled, trying to kick him with her free foot. Ron caught it, and immediately started tickling it. "NO! NO! STOP!" Daphne started laughing, all the while writhing about like a fish out of water. "Ron!"

"No, this is what you get for kicking" Ron laughed, holding her legs in between his left arm and chest while using his gloved hand to tickle her feet.

"Stop! I'm going to end up peeing myself!" Daphne laughed, reaching forward and grabbing his collar from behind.

"Hey, no pulling on my good shirt" Ron laughed, stopping his assault on her feet. "There, I've stopped."

"That was mean, Ron" Daphne panted, smiling from ear to ear.

"That's me…" Ron chuckled, rolling onto his back and planting his head in her lap. "Ron the Bully, that's what my gravestone will read." Daphne just smiled down at him, all the while absentmindedly playing with his hair. Ah, head scratching… I've missed this.

"You're a complete weirdo, you know that right?" Daphne asked him, but he simply shrugged with a grin on his face.

"You owe me ten minutes of head scratching for the massage, that's all I know" Ron replied, and Daphne nodded.

"That's fair" Daphne agreed.

---

Ten Minutes Later

"Are you hungry?" Daphne asked, and Ron's eyes snapped open. Food?

"I could eat" Ron replied.

"Then let's head down to the Dining Room" Daphne suggested, and Ron quickly sat back up. They both hopped off of the bed, and while Daphne fixed up her jumper and jeans, Ron bolted to the door.

"Let's gooooo" Ron hollered, making Daphne laugh at him.

"I'm coming" Daphne said as she made her way towards him, taking his gloved hand into hers when she reached him.

"Are you sure that you want to hold hands?" Ron asked her as they left her room. "What if your parents are home?"

"They're not" Daphne assured him. "If they were, then Spinny, our Head-Elf, would come and tell me."

"You have your own spy?" Ron chuckled.

"No, and she would do it because I'm expected to greet them once they come home" Daphne replied, swinging their hand back and forth. Ron looked at their joined hands with amusement.

"You act really different when you're alone with me" Ron pointed out. And I like it. It's so bloody cute.

"Well, like I said" Daphne smirked. "I don't feel the need to worry when we're alone together. It's just you and me, and I know that you'll never tell people what I'm like. What I'm really like, that is. I have an appearance to maintain, after all."

"Appearances are important" Ron imitated Lord Greengrass, and Daphne laughed.

"Daphne, don't be sorry when you can be better" Daphne imitated her father as well.

"Ha! He's hit me with that one as well" Ron laughed. "Hmmm, what else? Oh yeah… There is nothing wrong with a little hard work, Ron."

"Family comes first, Daphne" Daphne added, both of them sniggering like idiots.

"The difference between successful people and failures can be determined by their level of focus" Ron added.

"I swear to Merlin, he writes his quotes down somewhere" Daphne giggled, and Ron nodded his agreement.

"I bet there's a secret place in his study where he keeps them, and I guarantee you that they are laminated" Ron laughed as they entered the Dining Room.

"Where should we sit?" Daphne asked him, her eyes already set on her mother and father's chairs.

"I don't know" Ron shrugged. "Same spots as usual?"

"No, that's boring" Daphne replied, and then she pulled him to the head of the table. "You sit here, and I'll sit there." Um… These are her parents' seats.

"Daph… These are Lord and Lady Greengrass' seats" Ron pointed out, and she gave him a shocked look.

"Really? I had no idea" Daphne gasped.

"Was that sarcasm? It's hard to tell considering your intelligence" Ron smirked, and Daphne smacked his arm playfully.

"Ron the Bully indeed" Daphne huffed, and then she pushed him into her father's chair. "Now stay. Good boy." Oi, I'm not a dog. Daphne then took a seat in her mother's chair, and then she rang the bell.

"Are we really pretending like we own this Manor?" Ron asked her, amused by her childish desire to play 'house'.

"Who says we're doing that?" Daphne asked him innocently, but before he could reply, the food appeared. Nice. Look at all of this. All mine. Daphne can have a bit too.

"If you confess that you want to play a game of house, I'll join in" Ron said, deciding to humor her. "But only if you confess." Daphne stared at him for a few seconds, and then she smiled sheepishly.

"I want to play house" Daphne admitted, deciding that it would be fun to act as if they were married. "Starting from now, we're married. So don't break character." What the actual fuck?

"Alright… wife" Ron stifled a laugh.

"Can you pass the bread, husband?" Daphne asked, and Ron began laughing. "Shhh… You're breaking character, Ron."

"Sorry… Sorry" Ron apologized, and then he drew in a deep breath. "Here you are, love" Ron said as he passed her the bread basket, and she took it with a smile.

"Thank you, husband." Weird day, that's for certain.

---

Thirty Minutes Later

"What do married people do in their spare time?" Ron mused as they left the Dining Room, his stomach filled to bursting.

"Mother and father cuddle on a chair, and then mother reads to him" Daphne replied, and Ron nodded slowly.

"Study?" Ron asked, and she took his gloved hand.

"I have the perfect book, husband" Daphne laughed.

"Then lead the way, wife" Ron smiled widely in return.

---

Monday 24th August, 1993 (Greengrass Manor – Late Evening)

"Ron, wake up" came Daphne's voice, and Ron opened his eyes groggily.

"Hmmm?" Ron hummed, looking around lazily. I fell asleep, didn't I? "What time is it?"

"Late evening, but other than that, I'm not too sure" Daphne replied, shifting slightly in his lap. That's when Ron realized that she was still sitting on his lap, and that he still had his arms around her waist. My legs are asleep.

"Sorry for falling asleep" Ron apologized.

"It's alright, I fell asleep too" Daphne told him. "I just woke up a few minutes ago myself." Oh, that's good. It means that I didn't ruin anything.

"Mind hopping off of me?" Ron asked her. "My legs are asleep…"

"Fine…" Daphne said overdramatically, earning a weak chuckle from Ron. Daphne then slowly got off of his lap, and Ron stretched his legs.

"Ah, fuck…" Ron groaned, enjoying the feeling of his leg muscles stretching.

"You'd better not swear near our children, Ron" Daphne warned him, and Ron looked at her with a scared look. Our children?! What fucking children?! "From the game of house, Ron" Daphne laughed at him, and Ron relaxed into his chair.

"Bloody hell, I thought that you had gone all psycho on me" Ron laughed from genuine relief. "Help me up, please."

"Humph" Daphne grunted as she pulled him up, and Ron's legs wobbled.

"Ah, pins and needles!" Ron exclaimed, and then he looked to Daphne with a smile. "What now?"

"Now, you go home" Daphne replied, and Ron sighed in defeat. She's right. Her parents are no doubt still at mine, and are waiting for me to get back. And I'm just wasting their day in order to avoid my Family. "From what you've told me Ron, you've done nothing wrong. You saved Mr. Lovegood's business, and now you plan to improve it. You even gave him a steady job plus twenty percent of the profits. You did an amazing thing, and I'm proud of you."

"Wow…" Ron blinked at her, confused as to where that had come from.

"I just thought that you should know that" Daphne smiled at him, and then she held her hand out. "Let's get you to a fireplace."

"Thank you for saying that, Daphne" Ron said, unable to stop his smile. He then took her hand, and they left the study together. "I left my briefcase in your room, by the way."

"Do you want me to call Spinny? She can get it for you" Daphne suggested.

"No, I need you to hide it in your room" Ron replied, and Daphne waited for him to go on. "My mother is bound to be frothing at the mouth, and she has a tendency to not control her temper."

"Hmmm, I wonder what that's like" Daphne smirked at him, making him snort. "Oink, oink."

"C'mon, be serious" Ron said, smiling widely at her.

"I am" Daphne assured him. "No one will find it Ron, I promise."

"Thank you, I can't afford to have those documents damaged" Ron said. And knowing mum, she'll set them on fire.

"Don't you have copies?" Daphne asked, and Ron shook his head.

"I will make them when I get a chance" Ron replied. "All of this has been rather rushed, if I'm being honest. I still need your father's signature, and I also need Sirius'. Theo and Blaise will probably get their agreements in the next couple of days, and then it'll take a day or two after that for their copies to come back to me."

"My father's shares will be in my name?" Daphne asked.

"That's what he told me" Ron replied. "We're going to be business partners, Daph. Well, sort of…"

"Here you are" Daphne said as they stopped in front of a fire place. "I guess this is goodbye for now."

"It is" Ron nodded, and then he took in a deep breath.

"Ron, you've done nothing wrong" Daphne reminded him. "Don't let your parents, or anyone else, make you think that you have. Don't give them an inch." Her father also says that.

"I won't" Ron replied. "Like I said before, I'm done with roadblocks. And I'm done with people constantly jumping in to make decisions for me. I'll see you soon."

"I had a great time with you today" Daphne said, and then she leaned up and pecked his lips. "For good luck."

"I had a great day too" Ron admitted, and then he turned to face the fireplace. So much for waiting until dad got home. Here I go. Ron took a handful of floo-powder, and he cast it into the fire. "The Burrow" Ron called, and once the flames roared to life, Ron stepped through them. The moment he entered the Burrow's Living Room, he spotted the wide-eyed twins just staring at him. Ron went to greet them, but they quickly gestured him to keep his mouth shut.

"What are you doing here?" Fred whispered as they quickly snuck up to him. What?

"I live here…" Ron whispered back.

"You need to leave, Ronnie" George whispered, shooting a look towards the Living Room.

"Mum has gone mental, and she's been howling at your clock hand" Fred told him, and Ron nodded slowly. I figured. But you know what? I don't give a damn about what she thinks about this.

"We used a Silencing Gizmo that we created on the fireplace, so you still have time to escape" George told him. "Also, what did you do? No, never mind…"

"Just leave, and come back once dad is home" Fred added. They really did that? Wow. I'm touched. And what's this Silencing Gizmo?

"Thanks, you guys" Ron whispered, smiling at the twins.

"Thank us by leaving" Fred whispered.

"I'm not leaving" Ron whispered, and they blinked at him. "Thank you for this, but it's not necessary. I intend to stick to my conviction, and if she has a problem with me, then I'll deal with that too."

"He's lost it, George" Fred whispered to his twin.

"Ron, please just go" George implored, but Ron just shook his head. "Oh Merlin, this is going to be bad."

"Maybe" Ron shrugged. But I really don't give a damn about what she thinks. If she wants to micromanage someone, then it bloody well won't be me.

"You owe us ten sickles" Fred frowned.

"That Gizmo wasn't cheap to make, and now we feel like we wasted it" George sighed.

"I will reimburse you" Ron promised. "And… And I'd like to see your other creations too, if possible."

"Why?" Fred asked with a suspicious look.

"I have the money, and you have the skills" Ron shrugged, and the twins blinked at him. "Maybe we can help each other out?" I'd love some useful gizmos in my inventory. Even I can see that the twins could really help in the war to come due to their amazing creations. We'd just need to focus more on… lethal creations… instead of joke items.

"Right…" Fred said slowly.

"We'll see about that, little brother" George whispered. "If you live, that is."

"Where are Percy and Ginny?" Ron whispered.

"Hiding in their rooms" Fred replied.

"Like we ought to be" George added on.

"Tell you what, you two go on up" Ron suggested. "I'll wait here for a minute or so, and when she explodes on me, you two will be out of range."

"Done" Fred nodded, and then both twins just walked out of Living Room. I'm not really surprised at their readiness to leave. Let's just get this over with.

Ron reached into his robes and took out Snape's last Tonic, and he chugged it down. After steeling his resolve for a minute or so, Ron walked into the Kitchen with a calm expression. He immediately noticed his mother by the kitchen counter, hacking away at various vegetables. Sirius, Remus, Lord and Lady Greengrass, Pandora, and Xeno were just sitting around the table, no doubt waiting for him. Ron focused on the cool feeling inside of his stomach from the Tonic, and then he stepped further into the room.

"Hello" Ron greeted them all, and every eye went to him immediately. Ron's mother turned around with a murderous glare, but it didn't even faze Ron. What is she compared to the Entity? "I didn't know that we were having a large family dinner tonight. Not that I'm not on board, of course." Lord and Lady Greengrass hid their smiles, while the other adults just gaped at him.

"Ronald Weasley!" Molly shrieked. "Come over here this instant!" Oh shite, that's what she said before she hit me across the face in Dumbledore's Office. But you know what? I'll do as she says. If she lashes out at me, then I'll have dad on my side immediately.

"Yes?" Ron smiled as he approached her, and just as predicted, she grabbed his right ear and twisted it.

"Molly, there's no need for that!" Pandora suddenly shot out of her seat, but Ron put his hand up to stop her from intervening. It doesn't hurt that much at all.

"You will give Xenophilius his paper back! Today!" Molly yelled at him, and despite being on a Calming Tonic, Ron felt his blood boil because of her tone.

"Enough of this shite!" Sirius snapped, and then before Ron knew it, Sirius had yanked him away from his mother and placed him behind himself. Ron heard a rip come from his shirt, and his ear nearly came right off. "Molly, we are going to wait for Arthur! That's what we all agreed upon!" I'm just getting manhandled here… And why are they all yelling? It's starting to irritate me.

"This doesn't involve you, Sirius" Molly snarled, utterly shocked that he had pulled Ron away from her.

"If it involves him, then it involves me" Sirius snarled back. Again… I'm touched. But stop tossing me around like I'm a slab of meat.

"Will you people just calm down?" Ron groaned, turning his head and cracking his neck loudly. "You're all beginning to irritate me." The whole room was engulfed in silence because of his words, and now even Lord and Lady Greengrass were just staring at him.

"What… What did you say?!" Molly shrieked, while Sirius gave Ron a bewildered look.

"What are you doing, pup?" Sirius whispered quickly.

"And stop manhandling me" Ron frowned at Sirius, who just blinked in return. "You've ruined a really good shirt" Ron hissed as he checked the popped buttons on his collar. Fuck sake, this shirt cost me twenty Galleons. "This is Egyptian cotton that you just damaged, Sirius."

"Um… Sorry…" Sirius blinked again, while Ron looked to his apoplectic mother.

"I'm not giving anything back" Ron told her, and she all but snarled at him for being such a disobedient child. "It's already done. The new account is open, the funds have been transferred, and I've even hired a Logistics Officer. The advertising campaign will start in October, and after that, my business will take off."

"It will not!" Molly snapped. "You are throwing away thousands of Galleons at the age of thirteen! You will give back The Quibbler to Xenophilius, do you understand?!"

"Xeno, do you feel cheated by my deal?" Ron asked Xeno, deciding to ignore his mother's tantrum. Xeno shook his head slowly before looking to Molly, who shot him an angry glare in return. "Lord Greengrass, is my business model viable?"

"It is" Lord Greengrass replied, glad to see that Ron was handling this with some semblance of tact. Sebastian had grown worried for a second there, the last thing that they all needed was Ron losing his temper. That would only escalate this into something vicious, and Sebastian didn't want Ron to go through that.

"So Xeno doesn't feel like he was cheated, and Lord Greengrass just confirmed that my business model is indeed viable" Ron summarized, looking back to his seething mother. Merlin, she's so pissed. But I'm not changing my mind. She has no say in what I do with my own money. "And as for 'throwing away thousands of Galleons'… Well, they're my Galleons. And you have no say in what I do with my money."

"I have no say?" Molly asked him, her expression becoming a mixture of hurt and anger. "I am your mother!"

"And that money is mine, not yours" Ron said firmly, keeping his own expression clear of any signs of frustration. "I earned it through pain, sweat, and hard-work. And therefore, only I get to decide what I do with it."

"As long as you live under my roof, you will follow my rules Ronald!" Molly snapped, her voice ringing in his ears.

"And what are those rules?" Ron asked, his temper flaring. I will not be controlled by other people, especially not some house-wife. "To be a slave to your every whim? This deal doesn't even involve you, and yet you're throwing your weight around because you are a complete control-freak."

"Ron, that's enough" Lord Greengrass stood up, Ron had clearly decided to throw away his tact. "This conversation is devolving into petty slurs, and you will both put an end to it before one of you says something that you can't take back."

"My husband is right" Mary said, looking between Ron and Molly. Both Weasleys were just glaring at each other, and while Molly's glare was one of pure anger, Ron's glare was more bitter and clearly born from disgust. "Ron, please go to your room and wait for your father's return."

"Molly, please just wait until Arthur gets here to sort this out" Remus urged. Sort out what? There is nothing to sort out. She clearly needs to get checked for rabies, and she definitely needs Pomfrey more than I do. Remus then looked to Ron with a pleading look, something that made Ron feel a pang of guilt. Their entire day has been wasted because of her tantrum. "Ron, please go to your room."

"Fine…" Ron relented, deciding that silence was better than this idiotic conversation. "But before you tell dad of my 'crimes', make sure that you explain to him that I saved Xeno's livelihood. And tell him that this business has the potential to succeed." Ron then looked to Lord Greengrass, who nodded in agreement. Good. After shooting his mother one more frown, Ron left for his room. I was perfectly happy today, and then she shows her face and ruins everything. As usual.

---

Arthur Weasley's POV

Monday 24th August, 1993 (The Burrow – Nearly Dinnertime)

This Gaia Project was turning out to be a logistical nightmare, and Arthur was starting to regret his decision to help with it. It was one thing to sort out the volunteers from the British Ministry, but micromanaging volunteers from all over Europe was just insane. Not to mention the volunteers who didn't even work in any of the Ministries. Running background checks on them all took an infuriatingly long time, and despite advising the Minister against it, Arthur and his fellow workers were being forced to do it constantly. Cornelius Fudge wanted the whole World to know just how amazing the British Wizarding Community was, and the following good press was coming at the expense of his workers' sanity.

Everyone working on this project was taxed and frustrated, and Arthur was no different. The only saving grace about this mess was that Arthur was being payed a handsome sum for his work on the books, and he planned to use that money to buy his children new clothes and books for the upcoming school year. That was the only reason why he was still spending hours working on the books of this insane plan. It didn't matter to him that his work in the Misuse of Muggle Artefacts Office was being put on hold, the only thing that mattered was sending his children to school with new things for once.

Arthur smiled from ear to ear as soon as he stepped into his Living Room, eager to take off his work clothes and finally eat a meal. I'm actually feeling light-headed from hunger. This whole back-and-forth between the different Ministries is so ineffective. Everyone who is helping with the books needs to be in one place, at least that way we won't constantly make mistakes. I mean seriously, if one piece of parchment gets misplaced, it takes hours to figure out what the hell went wrong.

"Evening, Weasleys" Arthur said as he entered the kitchen, but he wasn't greeted by his wife and children. Instead, all of his friends were here. This could only mean one thing… "What did Ron do this time?" Arthur sighed, his eyes going to his grimacing wife.

"Your son… He is completely out of control…" Molly grit out, eager to tell her husband about Ron's disgusting schemes.

"Arthur, please just take a seat" Sirius said, he wanted nothing more than to go home already. Arthur nodded tiredly as he took off his coat, and then he took a seat next to his wife. I'm going to end up in an early grave at this rate.

---

Twenty Minutes Later

Arthur rubbed his face over and over again, he was still struggling to come to terms with Ron's actions. His son had been planning out a business empire right underneath everyone's noses, and he had even managed to buy The Quibbler from Xeno. Surprisingly, both Pandora and Xeno had come to terms with it.

Pandora and Xeno, although shaken by seeing a very different side of Ron, were both vehement about defending Ron's deal. They had explained it in great detail to Arthur, who himself was immensely impressed by his son's thoroughness. Ron had thought of everything, and he had even procured professional help in order to achieve maximum success. Arthur would be lying if he claimed that he wasn't masking his pride right now, and the only reason he was masking it was because his wife was once again seething at Ron's Clock Hand.

Molly was the only adult in the room who was completely against Ron's actions, and she refused to listen to other people's say in the matter. Her son had lied to her, hidden a life-changing decision from his parents, all the while pretending like he was up to nothing. Ron had been hiding his intentions with a mask of normalcy for the sole purpose of keeping his own parents out of the loop, and despite Arthur's awe, he was also rather hurt by Ron's actions. Ron clearly didn't trust them, nor did he care about their opinions enough to ask them for their help. Arthur was certain that Molly's rage was entirely based on Ron's devious behavior, and it was clear to him that he was the only person in the room who understood that.

Sirius, Remus, Sebastian, and even Mary were making the mistake of thinking that Molly was just trying to keep Ron from doing something so drastic, but Arthur knew better. His wife was hurt, and she was barely keeping herself from crying her heart out. This is what Molly Weasley did when she was on the verge of a breakdown, she'd start yelling and screaming. And while she screamed and yelled, she'd try and take control of the situation in order to neutralize it. Only this time, she had no idea on how to do that. Her son didn't respect her enough to come to her, nor did he love her enough to trust her with his plans. And as for Arthur… He was just as hurt as her.

Arthur was certain that he would have heard Ron out properly, and the fact that Ron didn't believe that whatsoever wounded Arthur greatly. Ron was quickly becoming far too independent, and Arthur often felt like he was simply trying to grasp at Ron's shadow. He didn't want his youngest son to miss out on his own childhood, and he certainly didn't want Ron to push himself into an early grave. But any attempt made at telling Ron what to do was met with scorn, and any suggestions that Arthur made fell on deaf ears. Molly no doubt felt the same way, and her rage was no doubt being fueled by her need to protect Ron from himself. The boy already had enough going on in his hectic life, and now he wanted to run a bloody business as well.

"Where is Luna?" Arthur asked, suddenly remembering the little Lovegood. "If you two are here, then where is she?"

"In Ginny's room" Pandora replied, smiling at Arthur for his concern over her daughter. "She knows that Ron bought The Quibbler, and she has probably told Ginny by now."

"Arthur, you have to talk him out of this" Molly urged, and Arthur groaned tiredly. I'm utterly exhausted.

"I don't think that you should" Sirius said, he had been particularly vocal about defending Ron's actions. All of Ron's actions…

"I agree with Black" Sebastian joined in. "Ron's deal is nothing short of a miracle for the Lovegoods, and he made sure to give Xenophilius as much as he could. And believe me Arthur, this business has the potential to set your son up for life. He saw an opportunity, and he seized it. You should be proud of him." I am proud, I just wish that he came to me before he came to you…

"I personally don't see any other alternative for me, Arthur" Xeno said, giving Sebastian a nod. "He is giving me more for The Quibbler than what the Daily Prophet planned to, and his 'contacts' told him that the Daily Prophet planned to dupe me… I was going to lose everything, and Ron stopped that from happening."

"My husband and I have come to terms with it, Arthur" Pandora assured him, and then she drew in a deep breath. "What I can't come to terms with is why Ron felt the need to be so secretive…"

"Isn't it obvious?" Sirius asked, frowning at Molly.

"Sirius, don't…" Remus said, putting a hand on Sirius' shoulder.

"Me?!" Molly snapped, glaring at Sirius. Great…

"Yes, you…" Sirius replied. "He literally came home, and within five seconds, you were twisting his ear as hard as you could." What?

"You put your hands on him?" Arthur asked his wife, he was both shocked and angered by that.

"Sirius is exaggerating" Molly scoffed. "And he has no say in how I choose to discipline my children."

"Just as you have no say in what Ron does with his money" Sirius retorted, earning a weak shove from Remus.

"Black, stop dousing the situation with fuel" Sebastian said, staring right through Sirius.

"We are finally getting somewhere" Mary told him, and Sirius frowned down at the table. Mary then looked to Arthur, who was still frowning at his wife. "In Molly's defense, Ron certainly wasn't putting his best foot forward. He was patronizing her with his 'innocent' act at first, and then he outright called her a 'control-freak'."

"Did you really have to twist his ear?" Arthur asked Molly, who grit her teeth at Sirius. Arthur suddenly felt a pang of lightheadedness, and so he rubbed his forehead in a harsh manner. I can't even concentrate.

"Arthur? Are you alright?" Pandora asked.

"Sorry… I haven't eaten all day…" Arthur replied, what was he supposed to do with Ron? I can't punish him, he's wronged no one. I can't tell him off for hiding things from me, that'll only make him more closed off. Merlin, please help me… Give me a damn sign.

"Neither have we" Sebastian said. "Which means that neither have the children upstairs."

"Harry is probably home by now" Remus realized. "And knowing him…"

"He probably hasn't eaten properly all day" Sirius finished for Remus, who gave him an understanding nod. Harry was still far too used to eating small portions of food, and both Remus and Sirius cursed the Dursleys daily for it.

"Why don't we put a pin in this?" Mary asked, and everyone but Molly nodded their agreement. Molly simply stood up, and then she walked over to the kitchen counter to begin preparing food for her children. How could she have forgotten to feed them?

"We'll be off then" Sebastian said as he stood up, his wife following his lead. "We bid you goodnight, and good luck with Ron." With that, Sebastian and Mary left for the Living Room.

"We'll be off too" Remus said as he stood up alongside Sirius, who was giving Arthur a meaningful look.

"Just hear him out" Sirius implored, and Arthur nodded. Sirius and Remus both left after that, while Arthur looked to the Lovegoods.

"You should dine with us tonight" Arthur suggested, and the Lovegoods exchanged looks.

"That sounds lovely, thank you" Pandora agreed, planning to keep an eye on Ron for the duration of dinner.

"Here" came Molly's voice, and Arthur looked to see her holding a glass of beer for him. Arthur took it with a weak smile. "Dinner will be ready in twenty minutes." With that, Molly went back to her cooking. Twenty minutes. I can wait twenty more minutes… I think. But what am I going to do about Ron?

---

Ronald Weasley's POV

Monday 24th August, 1993 (The Burrow – Dinnertime)

"I'm never going to get this Spell right" Ron sighed, he had been at this for nearly an hour now. "No. No, I've got this." Ron took in a deep breath, and then he aimed his left hand at his chair. "Glacius" Ron chanted, and he immediately felt his left hand tighten. OW! Ron quickly took a look at it, and much to his surprise, his palm had a thin, cold sheet of ice on it. "Well, that's progress" Ron grinned, shaking the ice off of his hand. "Bloody cold though…"

"Ron?" came Percy's voice, and then there was a knock on his door.

"It's open" Ron called, and Percy opened the door slowly.

"Mum's calling you down for dinner" Percy informed him, his disappointment in Ron written on his face. Damn, I was starting to forget about her. Bloody hell, why is it that she's the main cause of my stress and anxiety lately?

"I'll be right down" Ron said, hiding his left hand in a subtle manner. Percy didn't even wait to question him, and he was gone before Ron could even utter another word. Wow, what's his problem? Does he even know why mum is so livid with me? Or is he that much of a kiss-arse that he doesn't need an excuse to jump onto a bandwagon? Whatever… Ron quickly wrote down the progress that he had made with his Wandless Magic in his journal, and then he made his way down to the Kitchen. His other siblings were already seated, and their eyes stuck to him like glue once he stepped into the Kitchen.

"Hello" Ron greeted them, deciding not to be rude to them despite feeling vexed by their stares. Unsurprisingly, the Lovegoods were still here, and Ron was glad for it. Their presence will hopefully keep things calm.

"So you've really bought The Quibbler?" Ginny blurted out, looking right into his eyes. There goes the calm…

"Ginny…" Luna sighed, she hadn't told Ginny that for her to blurt it out in public.

"You bought The Quibbler?" Fred asked, while George gaped at Xeno.

"I did" Ron replied, shooting a quick look to his already agitated mother. Fuck, she's about to lose it again.

"Why did you buy The Quibbler?" Percy asked him, at least now he knew why his mother had turned into a banshee after the Lovegoods had shown up. "Wait… You're selling The Quibbler?" Percy asked Xeno, who nodded slowly.

"I am indeed" Xeno replied, trying his best to sound normal. "Ron purchased it from me yesterday."

"What do you need from The Quibbler?" Fred asked him.

"He wants to turn it into some sort of Daily Prophet copy" Ginny replied for him, and he frowned at her.

"Not a 'copy', an improvement" Ron corrected her. "I want to help spread unbiased information out to the public in order to raise awareness about the issues that are plaguing our society. Issues that the Daily Prophet doesn't touch on because it's too busy kissing the Ministry's corrupted arse."

"Ron… Language…" his father sighed, though he wanted Ron to go on.

"Sorry" Ron apologized.

"The Ministry isn't that corrupted" Percy told him, and Ron bit back a laugh.

"Not that corrupted?" Ron repeated, earning a deep frown from Percy. "Dad, is the Ministry corrupted down to its bedrock?" I know it is. Those dumb cunts let people like Lucius Malfoy walk around despite the fact that he's a murdering sociopath. The Dark Lord's second in command, and he still has his head on his shoulders.

"It's… It's complicated…" Arthur elected to say, taking a long sip from his beer.

"That answers that" Ron smirked at Percy, who was now frowning at their father.

"What's your problem with the Ministry?" George asked him, and Ron thought about it for a second. My problem is that they don't care about their people, they only care about good press.

"Not that we don't agree with you" Fred quickly added.

"They are a boring lot" the twins said together.

"Your father is not so boring" Pandora joked, hoping to lighten the mood.

"I appreciate you saying that, Pandora" Arthur chuckled. "But it's completely untrue…"

"Arthur" Molly scolded, and then she looked to the twins. "Your father's work at the Ministry is crucial, and one day, you two will also work there."

"Fat chance" the twins sniggered, but Molly just stared at them until they stopped sniggering. Yeah… I can't see the twins working at the Ministry. Maybe burning it down, but not working there.

"So dad is going to be working for you now?" Luna asked Ron, and everyone looked to him. Should I say yes? I don't want to hurt anyone's pride, but at the end of the day, he is my employee.

"Yes, he will be working for me" Ron replied, deciding to stick by his decisions. No half-measures.

"Well, I reckon that you'll make a good businessman" Luna hummed as she shot him an airy smile, and Ron couldn't help but smile back. "You have the mentality for it. And it was kind of you to let my dad keep his own section."

"Thank you, Luna" Ron said genuinely, at least someone had some faith in him. Bloody hell, I can feel mum's glare on me.

"Shall we eat?" Pandora asked, shooting a look towards Molly who was just frowning at Ron.

"Yes… Let's eat…" Molly said, her tone making everyone go quiet. Awkward family dinner commencing… Now!

---

Thirty Minutes Later

Not one word had been uttered for the entirety of the dinner, and the only sound in the room was that of people chewing their food. Ron had zoned out around ten minutes in, electing to think about why the Freeze Charm wasn't working without a wand. He had cast it properly, of that he was certain. And yet, all it had done was cover his palm in a thin layer of ice. It didn't make any sense… Why was it that Madam Roberts was able to freeze everything in a thirty feet radius around her, but Ron couldn't even freeze a chair? She slammed her wand into the Earth, if I recall. I'll test that out tomorrow. Maybe it'll help me figure out why I can't use this Spell Wandlessly.

"Thank you for the dinner Molly, it was delicious" Pandora said, breaking the thirty minute long silence.

"You are welcome" Molly gave her a weak smile, and then she began taking the plates. She even took Ron's, but she made sure to not look at him. Does she seriously think that the silent treatment is going to work on me? She has no clue that I don't want her talking to me in the first place. All she does is chew my ears off.

"Do you guys want to play a game?" Ginny asked her siblings.

"Mum?" Luna looked to Pandora, who gave her a nod. "I'll play, Ginny."

"Gobstones?" the twins asked together. That sounds fun.

"I'm in" Ron agreed.

"Ron, I need to speak with you" his father jumped in. "Children, go play upstairs please. Percy, you can stay here if you want." Fuck.

"I can?" Percy asked.

"He can?" Molly gave her husband a surprised look.

"He is seventeen" Arthur replied, shooting Percy a parental smile.

"Then I'll stay" Percy decided, his chest puffing up involuntarily. Great, here we go again. I swear to Merlin, if he tells me to hand The Quibbler back to Xeno, I'm going to start throwing punches.

---

Ten Minutes Later

"And once Sirius and Lord Greengrass sign their shareholder agreements, I'll have all five investors" Ron finished explaining his business model to Percy and his father. The other children had left for upstairs, while Ron was asked to explain his business model. Much to his father's credit, the man had heard out Ron in a civil manner. And Ron was certain that his mother had been listening in keenly, despite 'ignoring' him while she did the dishes.

"And you put all this together in a week?" Arthur asked, still utterly dazed by his son's plans.

"That's right" Ron lied.

"Merlin…" Arthur shook his head slowly.

"And you plan to use The Quibbler to belittle the Ministry?" Percy asked, and Ron shook his head.

"No, I want to use The Quibbler as a means to spread unbiased information" Ron replied. "There are far too many problems that the Daily Prophet doesn't report on, and by reporting on them myself, I'm hoping to make a change for the better."

"What kind of change?" Percy asked, he would be lying if he claimed that he wasn't impressed with Ron's efficiency. His little brother was clearly a genius, and with the lessons that he had no doubt learned whilst being in Slytherin, Ron was now a proper schemer as well.

"I… I went to Knockturn Alley" Ron confessed, deciding to tell them why he was doing this. Pandora and Xeno already knew about, so they didn't really react. Percy, Arthur, and Molly however, went pale with shock.

"You did what?!" Molly yelled, her face a mixture of panic and anger.

"Ron, what's the matter with you?" Percy asked, his shock written all over his face.

"When?" Arthur demanded, his tone taking on an angry edge. "That place is not for children, Ron. How could you be so reckless?"

"I wanted to see it for myself" Ron lied, he couldn't tell them that he was doing dirty business deals there. "And I'm glad that I did… It showed me that I really have no clue about the Wizarding World as a whole, and that pushed me to learn more about it."

"Ron, tell them everything" Pandora said, and Xeno nodded in agreement.

"Everything?" Molly asked, and then she glared at Ron.

"I met a girl there… Her name is Priscilla" Ron went on, watching his Family's reactions carefully. "She is two years older than me, and… And she is a prostitute." Arthur and Percy's jaws dropped, while Molly nearly passed out from panic.

"Tell me that you didn't…" Percy started, but Ron cut him off by clicking his tongue.

"I'm not some sex-fiend" Ron frowned at his brother, making his father blink at him. "I just spoke to her, and she was extremely friendly. She was a fan of mine…"

"A fan?" Arthur asked, glad that his son hadn't crossed 'that' line yet.

"She knew about my exploits because of the Daily Prophet" Ron explained, and his father nodded slowly. "And judging by her telling me to leave Knockturn Alley for my own safety, I can safely assume that she's not a bad person. She's just an ordinary kid… But she has to sell herself in order to stay alive, and she is just stuck there because no one will hire a Squib… That is unacceptable to me. That's when I started thinking about doing more than just getting good grades in school… I want to help people, and people like her need the most amount of help. So that's where I'll start. Xeno's magazine was an opportunity sent by Merlin himself, and since it was only there for a limited amount of time, I had to act fast."

"I signed The Quibbler over to him not only because he was offering me a way out, but because he wants to use it for good" Xeno told Ron's parents, hoping to end this fight once and for all. "Ron has done right by me, and despite my initial… shock, I'm glad that he came to me. I had no other way out, and Ron gave me one. And not only that, but The Quibbler will be used to help people. Which is why I don't want complete ownership of it again. I will still get to keep my life's work, and this is a change that I can live with."

"He is doing a good thing" Pandora told them, shooting Ron a loving smile. Ron returned her smile, glad that the Lovegoods weren't offended by his offer. He was certain that if he lost Pandora's love, he'd just curl up and die on the spot. His Cycle be damned…

"Then why did he lie to us?" Molly demanded, she was still struggling to come to terms with Ron becoming a businessman at the age of thirteen.

"Because I couldn't afford to be slowed down by you both" Ron told his parents, choosing to be truthful over saying honeyed words.

"Slowed down?" Arthur asked, barely masking his hurt.

"I knew that you'd act like…" Ron started, but then he stopped himself. Don't be a cunt. Try to tell them why you did this without hurting them. "You would both get scared, and then you'd both panic. You'd refuse to let me put any 'unnecessary' stress on myself, and you'd probably put me in house arrest in order to stop me from buying The Quibbler. Am I wrong?" Ron asked, and his father sighed in a tired fashion.

"We are your parents" Molly frowned at him. "You can't make decisions this big without our permission."

"I don't ask for permission, and I never will" Ron said, unable to hide the coldness in his voice. "If I see an opportunity to make a better Future, then I'll take it. My life is my own, and I won't give up my control to please any one."

"You are just a boy" Molly said, resisting the urge to smack him for being so defiant. "You are not ready for a responsibility this big, Ronald. You need to focus on your health, and on your studies."

"I will be seeing Pomfrey every week once Hogwarts re-opens, and I study just fine" Ron told her, and then he looked to Percy for back-up.

"He… He does study a lot" Percy admitted, he would never dare deny that. "Even when we all socialize or just play some games together, Ron studies instead."

"You are putting too much stress on yourself" Molly told him, refusing to back down.

"You are putting too much stress on me" Ron said firmly, and she blinked at him.

"Me?" Molly asked, looking rather scandalized.

"I was having an amazing day, and it went to hell the moment I came home" Ron replied, wishing that he was still in Daphne's company. "A couple of weeks ago, this exact same thing happened. I came home from Longbottom Manor, happy with how everything was going, and you launched yourself at me the moment I stepped into the Kitchen. And today… You did the same thing. I didn't tell you about The Quibbler for this exact reason. I knew that you'd go mental on me, and then you'd seal me away in order to 'help me'. I don't need that kind of help, and I'm getting tired of being bossed around in matters that you don't know anything about."

"Ron, stop" Arthur said, he had heard enough. "You can keep The Quibbler…"

"Arthur?!" Molly exclaimed, utterly shocked by her husband not backing her on this. YES! I win!

"Molly, it's already done…" Arthur sighed. "Xeno and Pandora are both fine with it…"

"We are" they said together.

"And Ron has it all planned out" Arthur went on, he knew that his wife was going to tear him to shreds the moment the children went to sleep. "He has the money saved up for his staff and expenses, and his Logistics Officer will handle the books. From what he's told us, his only job will be to determine what gets published. And that's not so hard… Ron, you are excused." Ron smiled at his father as he stood up, grateful that his father was looking past his own worries in order to be fair to Ron. "Oh, and you're grounded until Hogwarts re-opens. You still hid something extremely important from us, and as your parents, we had the right to know. Is that fair?"

"That's fair" Ron agreed, deciding that being grounded for a week was a small price to pay for keeping his business. Ron then looked to Xeno, remembering that he had to inform Xeno of something. "You need to publish your last issue before the thirtieth of August Xeno, otherwise all the profits will go to the new Quibbler."

"So I get to keep the profits if I publish it before the thirtieth?" Xeno asked, and Ron nodded. "Thank you, Ron. I look forward to working with you."

"This'll be great, I just know it" Ron smiled at the Lovegoods, and then he left for his room. YES! I got to keep my business! Ron had to resist the urge to skip out of the Kitchen, but once he was well on his way towards his room, Ron pumped his fist into the air.

"Interesting form of celebration" came Percy's voice from behind him, and Ron quickly turned to face his brother. "You should've thanked father for being so… open-minded, Ron."

"If I thanked him, then that would imply that I was seeking his permission to buy The Quibbler" Ron said.

"Yeah… You don't ask for permission, and you never will" Percy repeated Ron's words, and Ron blinked in return.

"Is something bothering you?" Ron asked his brother.

"You know that you hurt them both by hiding this, don't you?" Percy asked in return, he himself was hurt that Ron didn't come to him for help on something so complicated. "Mother is probably livid because of how hurt she is. You went to the Greengrasses instead of our own parents, and that probably hurt them a lot." I know, I just don't care. Their 'feelings' are not my concern, I only care about their Future. And that Future is looking better now that I'll have more influence out in the real World. They'll get over this eventually.

"Are your feelings hurt too?" Ron asked Percy, who simply just stared at Ron. "Look… I didn't go to the Greengrasses because 'I like them more', that's just ridiculous. I went to them because Lord Greengrass is the wealthiest wizard in Wizarding Britain. He has businesses all over the World, and I needed his expertise. What can mum and dad offer me in this particular situation? They'd both outright refuse to let me do this, and knowing mum, I'd be locked away in my room until the end of the World."

"And me? You didn't think to come to me?" Percy asked, and Ron fought the urge to roll his eyes. What's with these expectations? I only ask for help when I need it, and I didn't need his help.

"No, I didn't" Ron replied truthfully. "And if I thought for a second that I needed your help on this, I would have come to you. But I didn't need your help."

"Alright… I understand" Percy nodded, turning to leave for his room.

"Perce? What's really bothering you?" Ron asked, feeling a small pang of guilt. "I'm not a mind-reader, and if you don't tell me, then we can't work to fix it."

"You're distancing yourself from this Family, Ron" Percy said, looking back to a confused Ron. "You used to spend hours and hours with us, but now… Now we barely get to see you. I barely get to see you…" Is he fucking retarded?

"You know where my room is, Percy" Ron said, why was this sort of shite always on him? Fuck that, I'm sick of their idiotic 'feelings' getting hurt constantly. Are they all really that fragile? "When Ginny is feeling lonely, she comes straight to my room. And I drop everything for her. The twins? When they need me, they also come and find me. You're the only one who doesn't do that, and I'm not going to take the blame for it. You not coming to me is your problem, not mine."

"I'm not trying to sound cold here" Ron went on, staring right into Percy's eyes. "But I'm sick of people blaming me for their own shortcomings. If you feel lonely, then why not come to me? Why do I have to figure out how you feel, and then help you feel better? It is completely impractical to put your shite on me, and it's even more impractical to make mountains out of molehills. You want to spend time with me? Then come to my room and we'll spend time together. But expecting me to figure out how you feel is just plain unfair, almost as unfair as making me feel guilty about not being a psychic." With that, Ron turned around and left for his room.

He genuinely couldn't understand why he was expected to do everything. Why was it his fault if Percy kept his feelings hidden from him? Ginny and the twins certainly didn't, and Ron never once told them to leave him be. If Ginny wanted to play with him, he would drop everything that he was doing in order to make her happy. He genuinely chose to study all night over saying no to her, and it was the same with the twins. Luckily for him, the twins seldom sought anyone's attention because they were at their happiest when they were creating things together.

And it wasn't like Percy or his parents ever asked him what he was up to. His mother and father gave him attention simply because they were worried about his health, and so they never really asked him about his interests. And Percy? Percy spent most of his time in Muggle-London, and when he was home, he'd stay in his room. How the fuck was Ron supposed to know that Percy wanted to spend more time with him when he never showed any signs of it? Damn Gryffindors, they're all a bunch of pansies. I mean seriously, do they get off on being so emotional all the time?

Ron entered his room, eager to put this day behind him. I get to keep The Quibbler, that's all that matters right now. Ron then looked to his chair, and it reminded him that he had to figure out why the Freezing Charm wasn't working without a wand. Bloody hell, I'm really tired… No, stop being lazy Ron. You have to be the best, and that won't happen by calling it quits because you're sleepy. You can go to sleep once you figure out what you're doing wrong.

---

Draco Malfoy's POV

Wednesday 26th August, 1993 (Malfoy Manor – Late Evening)

These Holidays had been perhaps the worst two months of his life, and yet, he didn't want them to end. He didn't want to return to Hogwarts, where he would be all alone again. Draco wasn't an idiot, and so he knew that not many people liked him. Hell, his only two friends, Crabbe and Goyle, hadn't sent him a single letter during the Holidays. Once Hogwarts re-opened, Draco would be facing a lonely year. A lonely, and dangerous, year…

He had spent all of July in his room, cursing Weasley for ever being born. Ronald Weasley had usurped his rightful position within Slytherin, and in doing so, left Draco out in the cold. Draco was the outsider of Slytherin, something that he could have never predicted. The older students didn't respect him, or his Family's name. The younger students tended to gravitate towards Weasley due to his ever growing fame, especially the female population. Weasley was what Draco had always imagined himself of being once he got to Hogwarts, and that realization… hurt.

It hurt knowing that he was letting his mother and father down like this, that he was lying to them in order to hide his own shame. He hated making up stories whenever they asked him about his school life, and he hated it even more when they smiled proudly at him. His mother knew that he was lying, of course. Blaise had seen to that when he had visited, but his father was utterly clueless about his son's current situation.

The final straw for Draco had been at the halfway point of July, when he had told his father about how he was the first person to finish Dumbledore's test. And as he was telling his father about how Dumbledore had rewarded him with Licorice Wands, it occurred to Draco that he was stealing Weasley's achievement. That realization had destroyed him, and when his father had told him that he was proud of him, Draco had to hold back his tears. His father was proud of Weasley, not Draco. This was when he had started isolating himself inside of his room, and this was when he had started hating who he was. A weak fool, one that was unworthy of his father's noble name.

July flew by rather quickly after his self-imprisonment started, and Draco spent his time trying to better himself. He knew that he wanted more respect, and maybe even adoration, and so he had bought a bunch of self-help books via Owl-mail. Those books had proven to be useless, and even off-putting… The books often listed characteristics that people tended to gravitate towards, and Draco only had two of the dozens that he had read about. He had money, and he had good looks. Both characteristics that he hadn't earned himself. The books had only served to make him angrier with himself.

And then, his Godfather had shown up. And Draco, in his fear and panic, had told him everything. But rather than helping his Godson, Snape had instead told Draco to fend for himself. Draco wanted to hate his Godfather for refusing to help him, but oddly enough, he just couldn't. He kept thinking about Snape's advice to 'look into the mirror', and whenever he did, he hated the person staring back at him. Draco had done this to himself, and no matter how much he hated admitting that, it was simply the truth.

No one had twisted his arm when he had made those false promises, no one had told him to refuse Weasley's offer of peace, and no one had ripped his friends away from him. They had all left voluntarily, including Pansy. And now, Crabbe and Goyle were also trying to leave. Draco was the person that they all wanted to stay away from, so the only reasonable conclusion was that something had to be wrong with him. He was undesirable, and he was weak. Who would want to follow someone like that? Draco certainly wouldn't.

And then August had come and flown past, and Draco had rarely left his room. He spent his time thinking of the mistakes that he had made, hoping to learn from them. But that didn't happen… Instead, he found himself hating who he was even more. Which in turn made him stop taking care of himself. His hair had grown out, and was now reaching his neck. He had lost a bit of weight as well, mostly because he hated coming down to eat with his parents. Both of whom were visibly worried for him, especially his mother. But Draco couldn't bring himself to care, he just wanted to stay in his room in order to be left alone. But even that was taken from him because Nott Snr was throwing a party tonight, and Draco's Family had been invited.

"Remember to be on your best behavior tonight, Draco" his father said as his mother prepared the floo, and Draco nodded absentmindedly. Theo and Blaise will be there, as well as Crabbe and Goyle. I'll just spend my time in the Gardens. Draco was broken out of his thoughts when he felt his father's hand land on his right shoulder, and Draco looked to see the man smiling weakly at him. "Your mother and I are going to Diagon Alley tomorrow in order to purchase your books. Do you want to come along?"

"No…" Draco admitted, deciding to not lie.

"I see…" Lucius said slowly, removing his hand from his withdrawn son's shoulder.

"The floo is ready" Narcissa told them, looking towards her son with a smile. He had let his hair grow out, and so he was now wearing it in a neat ponytail. The look suited him, but his slightly gaunt cheeks twisted her heart painfully. Draco was only eating one or two meals a day, and even then, he'd leave behind scraps.

"Then let's be off" Lucius said, hoping that a night out would improve his son's mood. They all stepped through the floo one by one, with Draco taking the lead. As soon as they landed in Nott Manor's Receiving Room, Draco felt his stomach tighten at the prospect of running into Flint tonight, who was no doubt invited as well. Just stay clear of everyone, and when you get a chance, sneak off to the Gardens.

"This is going to be fun, Draco" his mother said softly, trying to encourage him to socialize. She had no idea what was happening to her boy, but she refused to let Draco become an introvert. She couldn't bear to see him like this…

"I know" Draco lied for her sake, and he even managed to smile weakly at her.

"Ah, the Malfoys" Cornelius Nott greeted them as they approached the entrance to the Ballroom, and Draco's eyes immediately went to Theo. His old friend was smiling at him, though the smile didn't reach his eyes. Trust me, I don't want to be here either. And I'll be out of your hair as soon as this greeting finishes. "Welcome to Nott Manor, my old friends."

"Cornelius, it is good to see you again" Narcissa said, giving the old wizard her hand. Cornelius took it gracefully, and planted a quick kiss on her knuckles. And then, he looked to Draco.

"You look more like your father every time I see you" Cornelius smiled at Draco, who shook the man's hand firmly. I'm nothing like my father. My father is both powerful and respected, whereas I am neither.

"I know, isn't he handsome?" Narcissa beamed, making Cornelius chuckle.

"Theodore, take your friend inside please" Cornelius said, and Theo gave his father a nod. Friend? He doesn't even want to be near me. "I wish to speak to Narcissa and Lucius as old friends."

"Certainly" Theo replied. "Please enjoy your night, Lord and Lady Malfoy. I hope that we get a chance to speak later on in the night." Theo then looked to Draco with a 'smile', one that Draco mimicked. "Let's go, Draco." Draco gave Theo a nod, and then they both left their parents behind.

"This looks well put together" Draco noted, looking at the amazing water-works all over the beige ceiling and walls. "I like the Charmed water that is sliding up the walls and pooling on the ceiling."

"Thank you" Theo said curtly, and then he stopped them both by grabbing onto Draco's arm. "Listen here Malfoy, and listen well. Tracey is here tonight, and if you even mention Blood-Purity near her… I'll have you thrown out immediately. You will not insult my guests, remember that." Draco just stared at Theo for a couple of seconds, and weirdly enough, he didn't feel angry at being threatened. I… I just don't care. I don't plan to stick around them anyway.

"I won't" Draco said, but only because he wanted Theo to let go of his arm. Theo eyed him carefully, and then he let go of him.

"Just make yourself a plate, and then stand in some corner quietly" Theo advised. "You're only here because of my father, and if it were up to me, you'd be rotting away in your own Manor." With that, Theo turned around and left in order to continue his duties. This left Draco behind to stare at Theo's retreating back, wondering how long this party was going to go on for. I can't wait to be in my room again.

After looking around for a few seconds, Draco made his way over to the food. He hadn't eaten since breakfast, and so he was rightly starving. Not to mention that his throat was becoming dry because of how nervous he was… Somewhere in this crowd were Marcus and his goons, and they'd no doubt strike up a conversation with him when they spotted him. Draco had no intention of playing for the Slytherin Team this year, especially because Marcus would break his arms if he ever lost to Potter. Which I probably will… Scarhead is unbeatable as Seeker.

Draco quickly began making himself a plate, occasionally shooting looks around himself in order to make sure that he was safe. He spotted Crabbe and Goyle speaking to their parents, and if they had spotted him, they made no show of it. Which was fine with Draco, he didn't want to spend his time with people that didn't want him around. Both Crabbe and Goyle had taken a liking to Marcus, and Marcus had taken a liking to them. They were all meat-heads, and they enjoyed each other's 'personalities'. Draco often felt like his 'friends' would betray him if Marcus told them to, and as the year had progressed, that feeling was all but confirmed.

Draco was certain that Crabbe and Goyle were watching him, and then reporting back to Marcus. The Troll-like sixth year wanted to know how often Draco was practicing Quidditch, and what methods he planned to employ in the coming school year that would give him an edge on Potter. What am I supposed to do? I know that I can't always beat Potter, which means that Marcus is going to kill me. And… And I don't want to play Quidditch because that'll force me to spend hours with Marcus. I'm trapped…

"Are you going to eat something, or are you just content to stare?" came Blaise's voice from behind him, and Draco turned around slowly. "You need a haircut" Blaise pointed out, almost sounding friendly.

"Yeah…" Draco said lamely, looking back to the food.

"That's it?" Blaise asked, and Draco gave him a confused look. "Look, Malfoy… My mother sent me here to say 'hello'… The least you could do is save me some embarrassment." Draco nodded slowly, noticing Clementine Zabini on the arms of a rather old wizard. Another one?

"What do you think about that?" Draco asked Blaise, pointing his head towards Blaise's mother. Blaise didn't even bother looking back, instead he frowned slightly. "I'm not trying to start anything, it's just that… We used to talk about that sort of stuff… sometimes…" I'm an idiot.

"Used to" Blaise said coldly, and Draco got the message loud and clear. We're not friends, not anymore. "Truth be told, she prefers Ron over you. She just sent me here to 'keep my options open', whatever the hell that means. So do me a favor, and pretend like we're talking."

"Alright" Draco said, more interested in leaving for the Gardens instead. "How were your Holidays?"

"They were alright, nothing to boast about" Blaise replied, putting various types of food on his plate. "You?"

"They were great" Draco lied.

"Crabbe and Goyle keeping you busy?" Blaise asked, and Draco nodded slowly.

"Yeah" he lied again. "How are things with Weasley?"

"They are… interesting" Blaise replied, smirking slightly to himself. Interesting? "Alright, I reckon that's enough. I'll be on my way now." With that, Blaise just turned around and left. Draco watched him leave, making sure to keep his face expressionless in order to mask his hurt. Draco hadn't realized just how much he had missed talking to people, and Theo and Blaise's 'conversations' with him were the only conversations that he had had over the Holidays. Not counting his parents, of course. Draco shook his head clear, deciding to leave for the Gardens before he was noticed by Marcus and his lot.

It wasn't all that difficult to navigate his way out without being noticed, Draco had spent a lot of time in this Manor as a child. He knew the fastest routes towards Theo's Gardens from every room, and the Ballroom was only three minutes away from a backdoor that led right into the Gardens. Once he was there, Draco ignored the fact that there was barely any light out. It was clear to him that the Gardens were closed off, which meant that he'd be safe here. Draco took a seat on a nearby bench, which was overlooking a bed of Dragon-Lilies, and he began eating.

"What are you doing out here?" came a girl's voice from behind him, and Draco jumped up and turned around in a panic. The girl was slightly short for her age, her neat blonde hair reached her shoulders, her pretty face still had some baby-fat on its cheeks, and she reminded him greatly of Daphne Greengrass. Astoria Greengrass, Daphne's little sister.

"I'm eating" Draco frowned at her, feeling slightly embarrassed by the fact that she had scared him.

"Eating, eh?" Astoria sniggered, walking around the bench and staring at his plate. "Why are you eating out here?"

"That's none of your business" Draco replied, taking a seat again. Much to his surprise, Astoria sat down as well. Great, she's not leaving.

"Eating alone in the dark?" Astoria smiled mischievously, making Draco feel slightly uncomfortable. "And jumping from panic when I approached you? Hmmm, are you hiding from someone?" What the fuck?

"No" Draco lied. "What do you want, Greengrass?"

"You're still quite rude" Astoria sighed, making Draco blink.

"Still?"

"We've met before, Draco Malfoy" Astoria reminded him.

"I know" Draco said, turning his attention back on his food. I know that I've met her, but I don't recall talking to her.

"And are you sorry?" Astoria asked, and Draco gave her a bewildered look.

"Sorry for what?" Draco asked, and Astoria sighed again. This time, she made sure to sound overdramatic.

"You came to our house, and when I wanted to spend time with all of you, you made my sister feel embarrassed because 'she had to change my diapers'…" Astoria reminded him, and Draco cringed internally as he remembered that particular memory. That was the first time I saw her. She was around six, and Daphne and I were around eight. She was so excited about 'making new friends', and I used that in order to make a joke out of her sister. Draco suddenly felt a pang of self-hatred, Snape was right… He did bring this upon himself. His friends had left him because he was a bully, and now he was going to become a victim of bullying himself. It's almost poetic…

"I'm sorry" Draco apologized, unable to look at Astoria.

"I don't think that you meant that" Astoria smirked at him. "If you had meant it, then you would look at me while you apologized." Draco bit back a harsh retort, deciding to 'apologize properly' instead.

"I'm sorry" Draco said, looking into her dark blue eyes.

"That's better" Astoria hummed, looking back down at his plate. "Can I have your chicken drumstick?" What?

"Fine…" Draco all but snarled, but it seemed to be lost on her as she nicked the biggest drumstick off of his plate. "Now can you leave? I want to be alone."

"Is that why you snuck out here?" Astoria asked innocently. "You really are trying to avoid someone?"

"You followed me?" Draco asked, feeling a small amount of anxiety. What if someone followed her following me?

"I did" Astoria shrugged, taking a bite out of 'her' drumstick. "I must admit, you looked particularly suspicious because of your panicked looks." What kind of Lady speaks with her mouth full?

"It is common etiquette to swallow before you speak" Draco told her, ignoring her comment about his suspicious looks. "Didn't your parents teach you that?"

"My parents don't talk to me very often…" Astoria replied, shrinking slightly. "Being the second born daughter does that…"

"Oh…" Draco muttered, looking back down at his plate.

"Did you seriously buy that?" Astoria laughed suddenly, making him look back up at her. "Wow… You're rather slow." What is this girl's deal?! Is she insane?! "It's a good thing that you're handsome, otherwise you'd be in for a tough lot in life."

"Were you dropped on your head as a child? Is that it?" Draco asked her, losing his temper. "Go away."

"Rude again" Astoria tutted. "If I leave, then those big boys who were eyeing you will show themselves." Big boys? Draco felt the blood drain from his face, and all he could do was stare at her. "You should be thanking me, I could practically see the malice on their faces. You're not very popular, are you?"

"Did one of them look like a Troll?" Draco asked her, ignoring her other tripe.

"Marcus Flint?" Astoria asked him, and he nodded dumbly.

"How do you know his name?" Draco asked her.

"I make sure to remember the people that come to my Manor, especially if they're in Slytherin" Astoria shrugged. "It's a secret though, so don't tell my sister."

"Your sister and I don't talk… Not anymore" Draco said, deciding to leave the Gardens. I need to stick by mother's side. Marcus won't approach me if she's there.

"That's good, she never liked you much" Astoria pointed out. I figured… Why else would they all leave me? None of them liked me much, not even Pansy. They only liked my father's wealth and influence.

"I'm heading inside" Draco said as he stood up. "You should head back to your sister."

"Or we could stay out here" Astoria suggested, and Draco blinked at her. "The party is boring, and there is no one here who is my age. Daphne is too busy keeping an eye on Tracey, and Pansy and Millie talk about irritating things. As for Blaise and Theo… Well, they're boys…"

"I'm a boy" Draco frowned at her, not missing her implication.

"Yes, but you're a boy that I haven't spoken to before" Astoria shrugged, patting the seat beside her. "I want you to tell me about Slytherin."

"Maybe some other time…" Draco said, deciding to leave the irritating girl behind. I need to find mother.

"Well, I tried" Astoria sighed, getting up and looking at him with a bored look. "Enjoy sneaking around alone then. And good luck with avoiding those boys." With that, the younger Greengrass daughter walked right past him. As Astoria headed for the proper route back to the Ballroom, Draco decided to take the shortcut. I'll head straight into the Ballroom, mother should be near the food table. As soon as Draco opened the backdoor, his entire body jerked to a halt.

"Finally" Marcus said, he was leaning against a wall. "I've been waiting for you for nearly five minutes. Come, I want to talk to you about this year's Quidditch strategies."

"Um… I need to go speak with my mother first…" Draco said, mentally smacking himself for sounding so indecisive. Marcus blinked at him, and then he gave Draco a curious smile.

"I only need five minutes, Draco" Marcus told him. "You can talk to your mother after that. Come on" Marcus said as he walked over to Draco, leading him back outside. What do I do? I have to tell him that I can't play Quidditch this year. "You need to get a haircut, by the way. Or keep your hair tied like this while you play. I don't want you to miss the Snitch because of your hair covering your eyes."

"Actually…" Draco started, his voice barely audible. I'm alone out here. The thought made him feel a ball of anxiety in his stomach, which was followed by a dose of fear.

"I've got our training regimen already planned" Marcus told him, eager to get Draco on board. "We won't hold a Team Trial this year, I've already got Snape's permission. We'll start training in the first week back, just to get Vincent and Gregory caught up."

"Crabbe and Goyle are on the Team?" Draco asked, rather taken aback by this.

"They'll be our substitute Beaters" Marcus replied. "They didn't tell you?"

"Um… No" Draco replied. So they really have left me. I'm… I'm actually friendless now…

"Right…" Marcus said slowly. "Anyway, tell me about your strategies to beat Potter. I reckon you're better on a broom than Diggory, and I've heard that Ravenclaw is looking for a new Seeker for their Team. Potter is our only real threat when it comes to the Quidditch Cup."

"I… I can't play Quidditch this year…" Draco mumbled, his throat closing up.

"What?"

"I can't play Quidditch this year" Draco repeated, trying his best to not show any weakness. "My parents want me to focus on my studies…" I'm lying again… But what other choice do I have? Draco couldn't help but notice the difference between their builds, which only served to frighten him even more.

"You can't play Quidditch this year?" Marcus asked him, losing all of his mirth. "What the fuck does that mean?"

"I… I need to…" Draco started, trying to keep his eyes fixed on Marcus'.

"You need to shut the fuck up" Marcus cut him off, his voice becoming harsh. "I put up with a lot of shite last year on your behalf, and your end of the deal was that you'd beat Potter. What was it that you said again? Oh, that's right… 'I'm already working on a strategy to beat Potter this upcoming year, and if you want my help, then you need to help me deal with the Blood-Traitor'. Well, I held up my end of the deal. I acted as your muscle, despite being mocked daily for it, and now you're telling me that you're backing out of our deal?"

"It's my parents…" Draco restarted, but Marcus shoved him into the wall behind him. Draco was instantly winded after his back collided with the wall, and he let out a surprised whimper as he leaned on the wall for support. What just happened?

"You listen to me now, you pampered little shite" Marcus hissed, getting right into Draco's face. "I put up with a lot of mockery last year, and I'm willing to look past it… If you hold up your end of the bargain. You made me a promise, and you're going to keep it. I don't care about what your parents want, I only care about what you promised to deliver. So bring your broom with you when you come to Hogwarts next week, or I'll spend the entire year coming after you. And if you tell anyone about this, I'll give you another bruise." Another bruise?

"I have…" Draco started, hoping to bribe Marcus with money. But before he could finish, Marcus punched him right beneath his sternum. What little air he had left inside of his lungs simply evaporated, and Draco was left wheezing on the ground, his eyes teary and his vision blurry. I… I can't breathe… Fear gripped his heart, and Draco wheezed even more loudly as he tried to stop the feeling of suffocation.

"Get up" Marcus said as he dragged Draco upright, but Draco immediately hunched over. My chest… Fuck, it hurts… "I held back this time, but if you try and cheat me again, I'll teach you a proper lesson."

"My father…" Draco wheezed, unable to hide his panic. "My father will…"

"He won't do anything, because if you tell him, then you'll have to spend an entire year with me as your enemy" Marcus warned him, effectively shutting Draco up. "And once I graduate, I have friends who will keep coming for you. You are not cheating me, do you understand?" Marcus suddenly grabbed Draco by his throat, and then he pinned Draco against the wall. "Do. You. Understand?"

"I understand…" Draco cried, his meek voice sickening even himself. "Please… Don't…" I can't breathe… I'm going to choke to death…

"And you won't tell anyone about this, do you understand?" Marcus hissed right into his face.

"I won't tell…" Draco sobbed, his voice and tears betraying him.

"Good" Marcus hissed as he let go of Draco's neck, and Draco coughed uncontrollably as fresh air jammed itself down his sore throat. "Make sure you clean up before you show your face to anyone, and don't you dare forget what I told you. A school year is a long time, Malfoy. And I'll spend mine torturing you every single day if you try and weasel out of our deal." With that, Marcus stormed off, leaving behind the sobbing, scared mess that was Draco Malfoy. No… What am I supposed to do?

---

Wednesday 26th August, 1993 (Malfoy Manor – Late Night)

Draco eyed the slight bruising on his upper stomach, and he winced from the pain of holding his shirt up. Marcus could throw a mean punch, of that there was no doubt. And if his warning had meant anything, then this wouldn't be the only punch that Draco would suffer from. I have to join the Team, otherwise Marcus will ruin me. And I have to beat Potter somehow. Draco lowered his shirt, his eyes already stinging again. He was fucked, and he knew it.

He knew that he was never going to be able to beat Potter, not every game at least. And every time he failed to do so, Marcus would beat him. There was no one on Draco's side, not at Hogwarts anyway. His Godfather had abandoned him, his friends were long gone, and now even Crabbe and Goyle had distanced themselves from him. They had clearly caught onto the fact that Draco would never be a powerful player within Slytherin, something that he himself was beginning to believe. The older students despised him, while the younger students only saw his father's money. And his year-mates worshiped Weasley, who utterly despised Draco. At least the feeling is mutual.

Draco slowly walked over to his bed, trying to keep his sniffling at bay. His upper stomach was hurting, and the pain just wouldn't end. His mother and father had noticed him walking with a bit of a hunch, and he had blamed his pain on 'food poisoning'. They hadn't questioned him any further, no doubt wondering where he had disappeared off to during the party. Draco refused to tell them that he was sobbing in the upstairs bathroom, whilst also doing his best to calm down his agitated nerves. His encounter with Marcus had scared him, and he was still shaken by it.

As Draco lay down on his bed, a sharp pain emanated from his stomach. Which in turn made him wince again, and a couple of thick tears rolled down the side of his face. What was he supposed to do? He had no allies, no friends, and no one liked him enough to help him at school. Draco was utterly powerless, and Marcus knew it. This… This is what my year is going to be like, isn't it? Draco found his bottom lip quivering at the thought, he didn't want to leave the safety of his home. He didn't want to be victimized and bullied every day… He just wanted to stay inside of his room, where he didn't have to worry about anything. Or anyone. But more than that, he wanted the pain in his stomach to go away already.

---

Ronald Weasley's POV

Saturday 29th August, 1993 (The Burrow – Afternoon)

Ron was still grounded, and according to his mother, that meant that he couldn't go to work either. She had taken away his wand, his books, his chessboard, his running gear, and now she had taken away his work. She had even tried to take away Helios, but that had resulted in her getting her hand scratched open by the angry Eagle-Owl. Ron figured that she was doing her best to make sure that Ron knew of her displeasure.

His mother was angry, but beyond that, she was simply done with Ron. She didn't acknowledge his presence beyond feeding him, and if he ever entered a room, she'd make a dramatic exit immediately. The fact that his father had let him keep The Quibbler clearly didn't sit right with her, and so she was punishing them both. Sure, she couldn't ground Arthur. But she could ignore him as well, something that was evidently getting to his father. There was just so much tension in the Burrow right now, and Molly Weasley was the cause of it.

Ron's siblings blamed him for her foul mood, which was fair. But they still spent a majority of their time in his room because their agitated mother would never come up there. Ron in turn asked them for their books, which Percy was all too happy to provide. They had a system going, which was also making them closer. Nothing created a bond like avoiding an angry Banshee, and right now, all of the children were doing just that. At least Percy had the good fortune of having a girlfriend in Muggle-London, the rest of the Weasley children were trapped.

But despite all of this drama, Ron was happy. He was content, truly content. He had worked his arse off, and as a reward for his hard work, the Universe had given him The Quibbler. He was genuinely excited to start his business, and he was counting down the days before his advertisement campaign would begin. Sirius, Lord Greengrass, Theo, Blaise, and Lady Longbottom had all signed their shareholder agreements, and Gornuk was already on top of the paperwork.

Helios and Marty had been instrumental in keeping Ron in the loop, and Helios had made more than a few trips to Gringotts. Gornuk had informed Ron via Helios that multiple copies of the documents had been made, curtesy of Marty's delivery skills. Everything was going right, except for his house arrest. But Ron was glad to pay such a small price for his business' success. Now all he had to do was to keep his head down until Monday, when the Hogwarts Express would be departing, and then he'd be golden.

"Hello?" came Pandora's voice from the Living Room, and Ron stopped making his sandwich. Mum left the floo open?

"In here!" Ron called from the Kitchen, and Pandora entered the room. "Hello, Pandora. What brings you here?"

"Just dropping by to say hello" Pandora smiled at him as she took a seat.

"Would you like a sandwich?" Ron asked, and she politely shook her head.

"Where are your parents?" Pandora asked, looking to the Family Clock. "Diagon Alley? Wait, your entire Family is in Diagon Alley?"

"They're buying school supplies" Ron told her, putting together his sandwich.

"Without you?" Pandora asked, giving him a sharp look.

"Mum's idea" Ron shrugged, his father had assured him that he'd get Ron whatever he needed. And he even signed my Hogsmeade form, despite mum telling him not to. Praise Merlin for Arthur Weasley.

"I see" Pandora nodded, watching him as he took a seat to her left. "How are you, Ron?"

"I'm fine" Ron smiled, and then he looked at her stomach. "How are you?"

"I am doing well" Pandora replied.

"I was talking to the baby, Pandora" Ron sniggered, earning a chuckle from her.

"He's as happy as they come" Pandora told Ron, who looked up with an excited look.

"A boy?" Ron beamed.

"I believe so" Pandora hummed, shooting Ron an airy smile. "My husband wants to be surprised, but I have a good feeling about the baby's gender. Don't tell him, alright?"

"I won't" Ron replied, fighting the urge to break into a happy dance. A Godson… My Godson… Bloody hell, I can't wait to meet him! "How is Xeno, by the way?"

"His article is being published today, and he took Luna with him to celebrate" Pandora replied.

"He didn't take you?" Ron asked, glad that Xeno had managed to beat the deadline.

"He really wanted to, but I had severe morning sickness" Pandora replied. "I actually made a mess of his shirt." Ha!

"That's good" Ron smiled at her, and then he blinked because of his own words. "Um… Not good that you threw up on him, good that he's celebrating his final issue with Luna…" Another fine moment from Ronald Weasley, the man who loves the taste of his own feet. "Pandora… Is Xeno happy? With our deal, that is." Pandora gave him a curious look, but her sharp eyes could see that Ron was uncertain about something.

"He is, Ron" Pandora assured him. "We both are, despite how shaken we were with how you got his signature."

"You were shaken?" Ron asked, scaring them was the last thing that he wanted to do.

"We were" Pandora admitted, and then she reached over and cupped his right cheek. "I didn't know that you had such a side to you, and it did jar me. But once my husband and I discussed your plans, and your intentions, we both slowly realized that you are doing this out of a need to help other people. And we both love that side of you. So yes Ron, my husband and I are happy. The Quibbler will live on, and it will do a lot of good under you."

"Thanks…" Ron smiled, feeling rather joyful at hearing her say that. "It means a lot to me that you're not angry with me, Pandora. One pissed off mother is all I can take" Ron joked, and Pandora laughed as she shook her head.

"Come here" Pandora said, pulling Ron into a sitting hug. "She'll come around Ron, I know it."

"Maybe…" Ron said, resting his head just above her chest.

"She's scared about your health, we all are" Pandora hummed, running her left hand through his hair. "And the fact that you aren't as scared as her is getting to her. She can be a little too protective."

"I'll be fine" Ron assured her. "It's everyone stressing about me that stresses me…"

"I understand, love" Pandora hummed, her soft voice making Ron feel sleepy. "Just make sure that you see Pomfrey as much as you need, and come to me if you ever need to talk. I know that sometimes it's hard for you to open up to your parents." You're my parent too.

"I'll do that" Ron promised. "I love you, Pandora."

"I love you too, my sweet."

---

Monday 31st August, 1993 (Platform 93/4 – Morning)

The noise around them was deafening, but Ron was loving it. Today was the day that they'd all return to Hogwarts for another year of education, and Ron desperately wanted this year to go by without too many issues. Merlin knew that the previous year was nothing short of a nightmare, the Chamber of Secrets being one of the simpler issues that Ron had faced. How fucked up is that? The King of Serpents petrifying me and three other people was somehow the least annoying thing to happen to me. I'm looking at you, Entity. You rotten prick.

"I guess this is goodbye for now, son" Arthur squeezed his left shoulder, giving him a paternal smile.

"I'll write to you, I promise" Ron said, and Arthur nodded in understanding. Mum is still ignoring me, but at least dad got her to return my things.

"Just give her some time to get past this" Arthur said, shooting his wife a quick look. She was helping Ginny board the Hogwarts Express, teary eyed at seeing her daughter leave again. "I'd wager three months."

"Six months" Ron challenged his father, who chuckled heartily.

"Five sickles?" Arthur asked, and Ron nodded his agreement.

"You can't actively try and make her come to terms with it" Ron said.

"Too late, you already took the wager" his father laughed, patting his back gently.

"That… was rather Slytherin of you" Ron smirked, earning a light nudge from his father.

"Go on" Arthur said, smiling at Ron's comment. "The train is already blowing its horn."

"Goodbye, dad" Ron said, hugging the man's side. "And thank you for everything." He spent his 'raise' on new books and supplies, including mine. Ron then let go of his father, and made his way over to Pandora and Xeno. They were waving at Luna, who was already boarded and on the Ravenclaw Carriage. I need to hurry up, we showed up here rather late.

"Ron?" Xeno smiled at him. "Why aren't you on the train? It's getting ready to depart."

"Just wanted to say goodbye" Ron replied, giving Xeno a quick hug. And then Ron hugged Pandora, making sure to be gentle. "Goodbye, Pandora."

"Take care of yourself, love" Pandora kissed his cheek. "And make sure that you beat your classmates."

"Oh, I will" Ron chuckled. Maybe… I haven't read the third year textbooks yet. I'm saving that for my study sessions with Daphne. Ron felt giddy at the thought of seeing her every day, so much so that he also felt slightly embarrassed. "Take care of yourselves, and please keep me informed on the baby."

"We will" Xeno chuckled, patting Ron's back. "Let me know when you start planning your advertising campaign for the new Quibbler, I'd like to help out in any way that I can."

"No worries" Ron said, heading for the nearest entrance. "I'll see you guys soon!"

"Take care!" Pandora waved at him, and he waved back before entering the Ravenclaw Carriage. Shame about mum, but it can't be helped. She just needs to get over it, and until she does that, I have no intention of acknowledging her either. As Ron was making his way towards the Slytherin Carriage, he suddenly felt the train begin to move. Here we go. Another year at Hogwarts starts now. Ron quickly made his way over to his friends' usual carriage, eager to see them.

"Hello!" Ron greeted his friends with a massive smile, his volume making some of them jump from fright. "Who's ready for another year at Hogwarts?!"

"Who's ready for Pomfrey to check their eardrums?" Blaise asked in return, making Ron snigger.

"I'm just gonna…" Ron started, shoving his trunk above Theo's head.

"Get your cock out of my face" Theo frowned slightly.

"That's not what you said last night" Ron joked, making Blaise and the girls burst into laughter. "Shhh, it'll be over soon."

"What the fuck, dude?" Theo laughed, shoving Ron back. Ron then took his seat in between the window and Daphne, and he had to stop himself from putting his arm around her out of habit. Careful old boy, careful.

"How was your party, Theo?" Ron asked his weedy friend.

"It was fun" Theo shrugged.

"Malfoy was there" Pansy pointed out, and Ron nodded in understanding. Theo's dad and Malfoy Snr are good friends, after all. I mean, why wouldn't they be? I'm sure that you'd bond with someone if you were both trying to bring back a Dark Lord. "And he was looking… different."

"Different?" Ron asked.

"He's grown his hair out, and Pansy loved it" Millie smirked, earning herself a deep frown from Pansy.

"He looked out of sorts" Pansy explained, deciding to ignore Millie's teasing. "He was jumpy, and he ran off somewhere at the start of the party."

"Who cares about what he was up to?" Blaise said coldly. "Malfoy's business is not our concern, and the moment we make it our concern, we'll invite him back into our lives. I don't know about you lot, but I could really use a calmer year after the last one."

"Agreed" Theo said, giving Blaise a firm nod. Ron nodded slowly, and then he looked to Daphne. She's being rather quiet.

"Daphne? What are your thoughts?" Ron asked, and Daphne simply shrugged.

"I really don't care about him, or his problems" Daphne replied. "Tori followed him for a bit, and she figured out that he was hiding from Marcus Flint. Whatever is going on between them, it's none of our business. And we should make sure to stay clear of it. If they come after us, then we'll just deal with them." Noted. I wonder though… Why would Malfoy feel the need to hide from his own goons? At some point, I need to start influencing him to join the Order. I want him to become the person that I saw in my visions. I want him to save people like he saved those kids.

"Then it's agreed?" Ron asked them all. "We're to steer clear of Malfoy and his lot?"

"Yes, fearless leader" Tracey chuckled, making Ron's ear turn slightly red. I'm not your 'leader'.

"Wait… What's that?" Ron asked her, eyeing the odd device in her lap. "It looks Muggle."

"This is a Walkman" Tracey smiled at him, showing it off to her friends. "And it plays music for you no matter where you are." Tracey then clicked a button, and a Muggle song started playing. Woah… Neat. "Also, if you put these in…" Tracey went on excitedly, plugging a cord of some sort into the 'Walkman'. "It plays music only for one person. Here, Pansy. Put these into your ears" Tracy said, handing Pansy the two ends of the cord.

"Um…" Pansy mumbled, slowly putting them into her ears. Her eyes widened, and then she smiled widely at Tracey. "I CAN HEAR IT!"

"Fuck me…" Ron winced because of her shout, while the others just blocked their ears.

"How awesome is that?" Tracey boasted, taking the cord away from Pansy. Muggles… They're bloody geniuses. It's no wonder that Hermione is so smart, she grew up with them. Wait… No, that can't be right. I know plenty of Muggle-Borns that are morons. Hermione is just special.

"That is pretty awesome" Millie admitted. "Do Muggles have other devices like this?"

"They have weapons built to level entire countries in one go" Ron replied quickly, remembering his conversation with Madam Roberts.

"Pfft…" Theo scoffed. "I'm sure they do…"

"They do, actually" Tracey told them. "They're called Nuclear Weapons, and one of them can completely wipe out a city from the face of the Earth."

"You're joking, right?" Blaise asked, not looking so indifferent now.

"Madam Roberts told me about them" Ron said, deciding to show his friends why hating Muggles was idiotic. "She said that if Muggles wanted to, they could wipe us all out within months. That's why the International Confederation of Wizards was so desperate to make peace with them. A Wizard-Muggle war in our current generation wouldn't end well for us, even people like Dumbledore know that."

"Nuclear Weapons…" Theo repeated slowly, did his father know about this? If this was true, then Muggles could destroy entire planets if they wanted to. What kind of Spell would be able to stop one of these 'Nuclear Weapons'? All of them except for Tracey look scared. Good. The war is looming ever closer, and I need to start putting ideas into their heads.

"And they have thousands of them" Tracey added on, enjoying the looks on her friends' faces. "It's actually become an issue amongst the Muggles. Nuclear Countries are making more and more 'Nukes', and people are scared that one mishap could end the World."

"End the World?" Pansy asked, her face going pale.

"Once a Nuke goes off, that area is uninhabitable for a long time" Tracey told them, and Ron blinked at this new information. Merlin, what the fuck is wrong with them? Why even make something like that? "Do you know what radiation is?"

"No" Daphne said, waiting for Tracey to go on.

"It basically melts people if there's too much of it in the atmosphere" Tracey explained, fighting the urge to smile maliciously.

"It melts people?" Theo asked, he had to tell his father about this.

"Yeah…" Tracey nodded slowly, sounding rather ominous. "Once a Nuke goes off, whatever is unlucky enough to survive the explosion suffers a horrifying death from radiation poisoning. Only two Nukes have been used before…"

"They used them?" Millie asked, horrified at the idea. "On each other? Why?"

"There was a massive war, and two Nukes were fired to put an end to it" Tracey replied. "Two cities were completely decimated, and none of the cities' inhabitants survived. The explosion was so powerful that people's shadows were left imprinted on the walls behind them, while their bodies simply… vanished. No remains, no traces of them ever existing… Just shadows…"

"Bloody hell…" Ron muttered, clearly he was underestimating the Muggles himself. We wouldn't have lasted a week!

"Do you guys want to see pictures?" Tracey asked them, and they all shook their heads. "I could get mum to send me some from a local library."

"No thanks, Tracey" Daphne said, subtly shifting closer to Ron. "Why would they even make something so horrible?"

"Wizarding Kind has made horrible things too" Ron said, breaking out of his shock. Remember the plan, Ron. Just nudge them into thinking about where they want to stand if a war comes around. "The Unforgivables, hundreds of Curses made solely for hurting others… The only difference between us and them is that they don't use Magic to wage war, they use their intellect."

"I don't know about you lot, but I'm sending Dumbledore a fruit-basket once we get to Hogwarts" Pansy muttered, thoroughly put off from talking. If only she knew that it was Dumbledore's idiocy that nearly started that Wizard-Muggle war in the first place. Him, and the Dark Lord.

"I'll chip in" Blaise said, looking both bewildered and shaken. Ron shot Theo a quick glance, and he noticed that his weedy friend was looking rather conflicted. He's starting to realize just how idiotic war-mongering wizards are. Good. Let him stew in that for a while, and I'll keep nudging them all over time.

---

Monday 31st August, 1993 (Hogwarts Express – Afternoon)

Ron was trying not to doze off, but his eyes kept closing over and over again. All of them were now doing their own things, trying their best to just pass the time. Tracey was listening to her Walkman with Theo, Blaise was reading a book on 'Advanced Astronomy', Pansy was asleep, Millie was reading yet another book on Boxing, and Daphne was ever so slowly scooting closer to him. Ron feared that if she didn't stop, he'd be pushed out of the fucking window. Oh, and our friends are right here.

"I'm gonna grab some food from the Trolley" Ron said suddenly, slowly standing up and stretching his legs. "Do you guys want anything?"

"Ham sandwich."

"Five licorice wands."

"Two pumpkin pastries."

"Chocolate frogs, please."

"Two Cherry Pops."

"Okay…" Ron nodded slowly. "Yeah… I've forgotten already."

"I haven't" Daphne said, standing up as well. "Let's go." Oh, alright. Yay, alone time with Daph! Ron followed her out of the carriage, ignoring Blaise and Theo's smirks. As soon as Ron closed the compartment door, Daphne shot him a smirk. "Clever thinking, Ron. Acting like you'd forgotten their orders in order to get me alone, it was very shrewd." Huh?

"Yeah… Totally…" Ron nodded slowly, and Daphne blinked at him.

"Wow…" Daphne lost her smirk.

"They all shouted at once" Ron defended himself, a sheepish smile creeping onto his face. "I'm only human, Daph."

"I could debate that, judging from the things I've seen you do" Daphne said, smiling slightly. "C'mon, let's go find that Trolley." Ron nodded his agreement, and then they both began making their way towards the Ravenclaw Carriage first. "So… How have you been?"

"Good" Ron replied. "You?"

"Good" Daphne replied, and then she quickly shot a look behind them. "I missed you."

"I… I missed you too…" Ron said, keeping his eyes forward. We're in public. "Sorry about the lack of letters, my mum lost her mind because of me buying The Quibbler. She all but boarded up my windows, and she took most of my things. I only had enough parchment to send you one letter. Thank you for sending the briefcase to Gornuk, by the way. And for sending everyone their shareholder agreements."

"Think nothing of it, Ron" Daphne said, holding back a smile. "Did your parents sign your Hogsmeade form?"

"My dad did, despite my mum telling him not to" Ron replied. "She's really lost it, Daph. She's completely ignoring my existence."

"That sounds healthy" Daphne frowned, unable to hold back her displeasure with how Ron was being treated.

"Yeah, it's pretty bad…" Ron said. "But you know what? I'm not actually that upset about it. Crazy, right?"

"You can only take so much before you become numb" Daphne said, bumping her hand against his. "She'll come around, and then you two can go back to being normal again." Normal with her? I don't even know what that's like anymore.

"And if she doesn't?" Ron asked.

"Then it's her loss" Daphne replied. "If she can't accept this side of you, then she needs to deal with it by herself. You're you… And I think you're amazing just the way you are." Ron blushed slightly, his eyes looking around for potential eavesdroppers.

"I think you're amazing too" Ron whispered, and Daphne stifled a giggle.

"Your compliments need some work though" Daphne smirked, even though she did like the fact that he tried.

"Remember that time when I complimented your laugh in my room?" Ron reminded her, and she nodded. "I thought that was a pretty good compliment."

"Even a blind man finds gold every now and then" Daphne said, and Ron rolled his eyes. She wants a compliment? Fine. I'll give her a Weasley special.

"Your arse looks particularly nice in those jeans" Ron grinned, and Daphne's jaw dropped. "How's that for a compliment?"

"There are institutions built for depraved perverts like you, you know that right?" Daphne asked, her face flushing slightly. Did he really mean what he had said? He had complimented her buttocks before, right after telling her that he 'wanted to bury his head in her chest'. She was still trying to work her head around that one. She hated her ever-growing chest, but Ron clearly liked it. Somehow, that made her like her chest a bit too. Maybe there was a reason why Pansy and Tracey always gave her chest jealous looks.

"I'd easily break out of those institutions" Ron scoffed, he hadn't missed her flushing cheeks. They both entered the Ravenclaw Carriage, and sadly, there was no Trolley in sight. "Damn, we have to go to the Gryffindor Carriage now."

"Ron… No violence" Daphne warned him, she really didn't want to serve detention on the first day back.

"I am an advocate of peace, Daphne" Ron feigned being offended, earning a controlled smile from her. "How dare you suggest that I'd commit violence?"

"My mistake, good sir" Daphne said, turning around to head for the Gryffindor Carriage. "I always forget that you are a gentle soul."

"Gentle, but still firm" Ron corrected her.

"And how does that work?" Daphne asked him.

"I'm kind and polite, but if someone disrespects me, I smack them around with 'kindness'…" Ron grinned. "I sometimes even feel bad about it, I swear."

"When was the last time you saw Pomfrey?" Daphne asked him.

"Are you making fun of my condition?" Ron asked her, feigning hurt.

"No, I'm asking you if you've run out of your anti-psychotic Potions" Daphne smirked.

"Jokes on you, they don't even work on me" Ron sniggered, and Daphne visibly held back a smile. "C'mon Daph, you can smile if you want to. We're having good banter, and I know that you want to."

"There are people around" Daphne said.

"Yeah… But they're inside their compartments" Ron countered. "Just a quick smile, please. I really like your smiles." Daphne looked to him with a serious look, and then she smiled quickly. Ron snorted at that, earning himself a playful smack from her.

"Jerk" Daphne said, trying her best to not smile again.

"One more?" Ron asked her, and she huffed indignantly.

"I don't think so, Ronald" Daphne refused. "I'll save my smiles for people who won't snort at them."

"Like who?" Ron asked, captivated by the side of her face. Look at that face… Hell, just look at all of her. I really lucked out, didn't I?

"Ernest Macmillan" Daphne teased, shooting Ron a playful smirk.

"Yeah… He'd never snort…" Ron nodded slowly. "Probably because I'd put him in a coma. But yeah, you're right… He wouldn't snort."

"Jealousy doesn't really suit you, Ron" Daphne teased again, secretly liking the fact that Ron would fight for her.

"Didn't you threaten to claw out the eyes of any witch that dared ask me out?" Ron reminded her, and she blinked at him. "Uh-oh… I just trapped you, didn't I?"

"I liked you better when you were a moron" Daphne frowned slightly, she'd walked right into his trap. They both entered the Gryffindor Carriage at that, and Ron praised Merlin when he saw the Trolley.

"I hope you still remember their orders" Ron said, his eyes scanning the line at the Trolley. Mostly Gryffindors, with a few Hufflepuffs and Ravenclaws. No Slytherins though. Damn, we'll stand out in that line. "Do you want to wait?"

"Do I look like someone who waits for what she wants?" Daphne smirked at him, and he grinned in return. That's what I like to hear.

"Then lead the way, my Lady" Ron gestured towards the line, and Daphne began walking towards it with her head held high. Ron walked by her side, his broad shoulders square and his posture showing his full height. He was easily the tallest person in his year, and his height was only challenged by the sixth and seventh years. Ron figured that his growth spurt was being helped immensely by his constant training and his large balanced meals, as well as the fact that he had his father's blood running through his veins. Arthur Weasley was just over six feet tall, and Ron knew that he'd probably be taller than his father one day.

"Did you bring your pouch?" Daphne asked him as they got into line, shooting a blank stare at anyone who dared look at her and Ron.

"Yes, I brought my pouch" Ron replied, not really caring about the occasional onlooker. Yes, we're in Slytherin. Yes, we're here in your Carriage. But give us a break, we're hungry too. "What did you want, by the way?"

"The Cherry Pops" Daphne replied. "What about you?"

"I'll grab a couple of pies, and maybe a couple of sandwiches as well" Ron shrugged. "Just something light."

"Something light?" Daphne gave him a deadpan look. "How are you not fat?"

"I wear belts around my stomach to keep my blubber in place" Ron chuckled, and the older Gryffindor girl ahead of him gave him a quick look. "Afternoon" Ron grinned at her, and she quickly looked forward again. Daphne shook her head at him slowly, bewildered by his metabolism.

"Ron?" came Harry's voice from behind them, and both Ron and Daphne turned to see Harry, Hermione, and Neville. And Ginny? Ron's sister was accompanying the Golden Trio, much to his surprise. Is she trying to become a part of their exclusive group? She would be better served by making friends in her own year.

"What are you doing here?" Hermione asked him, completely ignoring Greengrass.

"I like the aesthetic of this Carriage" Ron remarked with a smirk.

"Oh…" Hermione blinked, and then she snorted when she realized how silly her question was. "How have you been?"

"Good" Ron replied. "What about you guys?"

"Great" Harry smiled widely. "I've got some awesome news to tell you." Harry then shot a quick look towards Daphne, something that made Ron fight the urge to frown.

"If you have something to tell me, Harry" Ron started. "Then you can say it near Daphne."

"It's alright, Ron" Daphne said, deciding to turn her attention back to the line. "You can go and talk to them, I remember the orders anyway."

"I'm not leaving you here" Ron said firmly, and she gave him a nod of understanding. She was definitely going to reward his show of loyalty to her.

"Harry, just tell him" Neville jumped in. "Everyone will know soon enough anyway. What's the point of hiding it?"

"You're right" Harry nodded. "I'm being an idiot… Anyway, guess who our Defense Against the Dark Arts Professor is going to be this year?"

"I don't know…" Ron shrugged, wondering which spastic moron Dumbledore had hired this year. First a servant of the Dark Lord, and then Gilderoy fucking Lockhart. There is a disturbing pattern here.

"Remus!" Harry beamed, and Ron blinked at him.

"Remus? Our Remus?" Ron asked, feeling a pang of guilt for calling Remus a spastic moron by mistake. What about the Legislation? Wait… Does Harry know about Remus' condition? Probably not. I shouldn't mention it in any case.

"Yes!" Harry exclaimed, his excitement making Hermione, Neville, and Ginny smile at him. "He told me yesterday, and I've barely stopped grinning. Can you imagine how amazing D.A.D.A is going to be this year?" I can. Remus is in the Order, isn't he? I bet he knows some crazy powerful techniques to combat the Dark Arts. I should ask him to give me some private lessons. He'd totally agree to that.

"This is great" Ron laughed genuinely. "Thanks for telling me, mate. My day just got even better."

"I can't wait to learn from a competent D.A.D.A Professor for once" Hermione smiled widely, already imagining herself getting perfect scores on Remus' tests.

"What about Dumbledore last year?" Daphne asked, deciding to not be a mute spectator.

"Oh, he was great" Hermione said quickly. "But he was only a temporary Professor… So he doesn't count." What kind of logic is that? Oh wait… He didn't really test us on anything. He gave us one test, and then nothing more than some annoying essays.

"Fair enough" Daphne said, deciding to go back to being a mute spectator.

"I bet Remus knows a lot of powerful Spells" Harry said. "He did fight in the Great War, you know." I know, but please keep that to yourself. There are people around.

"This is great news" Ron repeated, genuinely happy that his favorite subject was getting some justice for once. Dumbledore hired him despite him being a Werewolf. I… I should thank him for that. And then ask him what his angle is. There is no way in hell that Dumbledore hired him simply out of the goodness of his heart. The old man is making a move, and I want in. Ron suddenly spotted three very familiar girls approaching the line from behind Ginny and the Golden Trio, and they saw him staring at them. Carey and Samantha smirked at the sight of him, while Clara smiled her seductive smile. Uh-oh. The New Triumvirate…

"There you are, Ronald" Carey said as she stopped just behind the Trio and Ginny, her Head-Girl badge gleaming because of the lighting. The Trio and Ginny turned to face her, but she and the other two girls simply ignored them. "Can we please speak to you? This is urgent." Urgent?

"Ron, go" Daphne said, and Ron bit back his frown. No, I'm not leaving her alone in the Lion's den.

"I think I'll get something from the Trolley as well" Samantha said, walking right through the Trio and Ginny. What? Samantha stopped by Daphne's side after shooting Ron a meaningful look. Now Daphne's not alone… Bugger.

"Lead the way then" Ron said to Carey, who simply turned around and began walking towards the Slytherin Carriage. "Excuse me" Ron said to his Gryffindor friends, all of them just shooting him curious looks. Why are they approaching me so openly? And what's this urgent business? Are they really The Silver Triumvirate now? What does that mean for me? Shite… Guess I'm about to find out.

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AUTHOR'S NOTE: And it's done! I hope you guys enjoyed that! Third commences next chapter, and it's going to be a completely original year. Well, the entire story so far has been quite different. But from here on out, we're on a VERY different timeline.

Now a small hint about this year (My gift to you guys for being so late with this Chapter): Previous Cycles... That's all I'll say. =)

See you guys on Sunday!