Ron was initially against his father's suggestion that he moved away, and he spent days fuming over what his father had said to him. But slowly the doubts started to creep in, and he began to wonder if Arthur did have a point. After all, since being released from Azkaban his life hadn't exactly gone anywhere. He worked a dead end job, his love life was non-existent, aside from a few work colleagues he occasional drank with he had no friends, and the only family members he was truly close to these days was his mother and sister. So would it really be a bad thing if he walked away and tried to restart his life before it was too late to do so?
Not sure what to do for the best, Ron decided to speak with Ginny to get some advice from his sister. With three children, two of them only small, Ginny didn't work and so on his day off work, Ron headed to his sister's house. His eldest niece was busy in her room, preparing to head to Hogwarts for the first time, while the younger two were happy playing in the garden while Ron and Ginny sat at the table in the garden, keeping an eye on them and sharing a bottle of wine.
"I take it you know what happened with Victoire," Ron said to his sister. It had been almost a week since Arthur had visited him, and he was sure that his sister would have paid a visit to The Burrow in that time.
"I called into The Burrow a few days ago and found Mum in right state," Ginny said with a deep sigh. "I can't believe Victoire would be so cruel. She's broken Mum's heart."
"I very much doubt this came from Victoire, no matter what anyone is saying," Ron snorted. "This is those sodding Malfoys again. First they poisoned Daniel against the family, and now they're getting their claws into Victoire."
"Mum didn't seem to see it that way," Ginny said with a frown. "In fact, she seemed to be blaming herself. She said something about you and her acting rashly. Although that was all I could get out of her as she was too upset to say more."
"They're trying to blame me and Mum, but it's all bullshit," Ron snorted, quickly telling Ginny about what had happened at the hotel. "All I was doing was showing Daniel I was being reasonable. But that bitch of a mother of his, and that scum she married were there, and no doubt they had a few things to say. I was the one trying to reach a compromise, and it was just thrown back into my face."
"Then maybe it's time you stopped trying," Ginny suggested. "I know this isn't what you want to hear, it's never been what you've wanted to hear, but maybe it's time you accepted that you're never going to be part of Daniel's life."
"Now you're sounding like Dad," Ron groaned, knocking back his glass of wine and refilling it. "Do you know he actually had the cheek to come and tell me I need to leave. He wants me to move away and start a new life."
"Then listen to him, Ron," Ginny urged, sensing her brother had a real opportunity to leave his obsession with Harry's son behind him and focus on his own life. "I think it could be just what you need."
"Really?" Ron questioned.
"Really," Ginny insisted with a firm bob of her head. "This desire to be part of Daniel's life cost you two years of your life, and quite honestly, you were lucky it wasn't more. But that wasn't the only cost, Ron. You lost your career at the same time, your friends deserted you and even your standing with the family was affected. You've already lost so much, and you have to ask yourself if it's worth it."
"But it's Harry's son," Ron protested. "Harry would want me to be part of his life."
"Would he?" Ginny retorted with an arched eyebrow. "I've given this a lot of thought over the years, and I've come to the conclusion that maybe Harry wasn't as invested in our family as we thought. He slept with Hermione, all the time knowing I was waiting for him and that you had feelings for her. He deliberately chose to do something he knew would hurt our family, or at the very least me and you. Once, I could have forgiven. I can understand him making one mistake. But he was with Hermione several times, and that was a conscious choice on his part, Ron. He chose to do something that would hurt us, and maybe if he had lived, he would have used it as a way to walk away from us."
"No," Ron gasped, shaking his head in horror at the suggestion Ginny was making. "He loved us. We were his family. And he would want us to be part of Daniel's life."
"I've shared my thoughts, but I won't try and force them on you, Ron," Ginny said calmly. "But at the end of the day, Harry isn't here and that changes everything. Daniel is now twenty one and it's his choice to lift the restraining order, something he clearly hasn't chosen to do. I know you will argue he's being manipulated by the Malfoys, and maybe he is. But in his eyes, they are his family, and he will not chose you over them, Ron. You really need to accept that you will never be a part of his life, no matter how much you want it, or how much you believe it's what Harry would have wanted."
"But giving up and walking away is tantamount to letting them win," Ron protested.
"They've already won," Ginny snorted, shaking her head at her stubborn brother. "All that can happen now is that you lose some more. I'm begging you Ron, don't let that happen. Don't let Hermione and the Malfoys take anything else from you. Do what Dad suggested and leave. Start a new life for yourself."
"That is easier said than done," Ron muttered.
"If money's an issue, I can help," Ginny offered. Even though she hadn't worked for years, she had once earnt a decent living as a fashion reporter for Witch Weekly and her husband wasn't short of a galleon or two. "I can help you get set up somewhere. Somewhere nice where we can come for visits. It could be just what you need. At least promise me that you'll think about it."
"I'll think about it," Ron promised, meaning every word of it.
He had come to Ginny for advice, and he would be stupid not to take the advice which she had offered. Besides, if he was being honest with himself, she spoke a lot of sense and he was starting to think that maybe she and Arthur were right, and the best thing for him would be a fresh start away from the toxicity of the Malfoys.
The day after his talk with Ginny, Ron was on the late shift at work and didn't have to be there until late afternoon. That gave him enough time to visit Diagon Alley and check his Gringotts account. After much overnight deliberation, he'd decided that his father and sister were right and he needed a fresh start. However, while he felt better accepting financial aid from his sister rather than his parents as she had more money than them, he still didn't want to end up in too much debt as he intended to pay every galleon he'd borrowed back to Ginny.
Although Ron was hoping he wouldn't have to borrow too much money as while his job was pretty boring and not overly well paid, it was more than enough to meet his meagre needs. Over the years his social life had dwindled away to almost nothing and aside from the odd drinks with friends from work, the only people he saw on a regular basis were Molly and Ginny. He hadn't had a date for years, and the last few holidays he'd had enjoyed had been taken with Ginny and her family and his sister had footed the bill. So aside from his rent and food, most of his wages stayed safely in his Gringotts account.
It was late morning when Ron arrived at Gringotts, and the goblins were able to give him an overview of the gold in his account, which he was pleased to find was enough to help aid him starting a new life. However, rather than just checking on his money, Ron wanted to see what else he had in his vault, so he headed into the depths of the bank to check the contents of his vault. Of course, he didn't have jewels and heirlooms like some families, but there might be the odd thing for him to sell as he knew he'd stored some old boxes in the bank shortly after he'd been released from Azkaban.
The first box Ron opened contained a few things that had once belonged to Harry. The bits and pieces were only things Harry had left at The Burrow before that final year of the war, and they weren't at all valuable, but they were sentimental. As he poked through the box, Ron considered that giving Harry's belongings to Daniel might be just what would convince him that he was genuine and that he would be safe reversing the restraining order. But no sooner had the thought entered his mind then Ron dismissed it. Firstly, he was sure that Hermione or her husband would try and twist the gesture in some way, but secondly, he'd already decided that he was leaving. Maybe in the future he could ensure that Daniel received the belongings, but for now he left them packed in the box safely stored in his Gringotts vault.
The next couple of boxes Ron checked out didn't contain anything of interest, or value. The next box was full of stuff he hadn't even looked at since before he'd started Hogwarts, and right at the very bottom, he found a muggle flick knife his father had given them before a camping trip. The blade on the knife sprung out with a press of a button on the side of the handle, and when Ron triggered the blade, he was surprised to find it was still sharp. When he'd received the knife it had been pretty blunt, which was the only reason that Molly had allowed him to keep it, but during their camping trip Arthur had cast a spell on the blade to sharpen it up so they could use it, and it looked like the charm was still holding and the blade was still useful.
Suddenly Ron's stomach belonged to rumble and when he checked his watch he saw it was lunchtime. Deciding that the boxes could wait and there wasn't anything useful in them, Ron abandoned his search and decided to grab something to eat. However, on an impulse he slipped the knife his father had given him into his jacket pocket. It would be a nice reminder of a time where Arthur wasn't so disappointed in him that he wanted him to leave the country.
Emerging from Gringotts, Ron found himself looking across at George's shop and a wave of regret washed over him. These days he rarely saw George and when he did things were tense between them. He missed the days when he could spend time with George, and Fred when he was still alive, and they happily teased him simply for being their little brother. Wondering if George was in the shop, Ron leant against one of the marble pillars that stood outside of the large bank, gazing across the street and willing his brother to appear.
By some miracle Ron's wish came true after a couple of minutes, and George emerged from the shop. However, he wasn't alone as Draco Malfoy was with him. As Ron watched his brother and Malfoy laughing together, the red mist began to descend and Ron's decision to move away suddenly seemed like the wrong one. Suddenly he wasn't sure why he should be the one to leave when he'd done nothing wrong. Leaving was playing right into Malfoy's hands, and quite honestly he wasn't going to give him the satisfaction. He was probably the one behind Arthur telling him to leave.
When Malfoy moved away from George's shop, Ron automatically descended the steps of Gringotts and followed after him. Despite the fact there weren't any crowds in the street and it was fairly quiet, the former Slytherin didn't seem to realise he was being followed, which was how Ron managed to be right behind the blond as he reached a small alleyway beside Flourish and Blotts. Quickly checking no-one was watching, Ron suddenly grabbed Malfoy and yanked him into the alleyway.
"What the hell?" Draco declared, quickly slipping out of Ron's grasp and whirling around to see who had grabbed him. "Weasley! What on earth are you playing at?"
"It won't work," Ron hissed, getting in the blond's face. "I won't let you drive me out of Daniel's life."
"What the hell are you on, Weasley? You're not part of Daniel's life," Draco spat in return. "He is nothing to you. He never has been, and he never will be."
"He is family," Ron yelled. "He is Harry's son and he is my family."
"No, he is my family," Draco retorted, shoving Ron in the chest.
Reaching into his pocket for his wand, Ron's fingers closed around the cold metal of the flick knife. Without thinking about what he was doing, he pulled the knife from his pocket and with a growl launched himself at Draco. Still not thinking clearly, his finger found the button to release the blade and it was only when he felt it disappear into the former Slytherin that he realised what he had done.
Time seemed to slow down for Ron as both he and Draco looked down towards the blond's abdomen, only to be greeted to the sight of the knife sticking out of his stomach, Ron's hand still wrapped around the handle. In a panic, Ron pulled the knife out of the former Slytherin, paling as blood started to gush out of the wound. Draco's hand immediately clutched at his bleeding side, and as Ron watched he swayed on his feet before his legs gave way beneath him and he slumped to the floor.
A voice in Ron's head screamed that he should call for help, but he found himself unable to move. He only regained the use of his feet when Draco shakily pulled his wand out from his pocket and he feared retaliation. Stumbling over his feet, he headed back towards the entrance of the alleyway. Before stepping back out into Diagon Alley he turned around just in time to witness Draco disappear with a small pop. Although what state he would be in when he arrived at his destination was anyone's guess as Ron doubted he was in any fit state to apparate successfully.
Although he wasn't much better and he knew he wasn't going to risk trying to apparate the way he was shaking and struggling to stay on his feet. But he did know he needed to get away from Diagon Alley. In fact, he needed to get away completely. Suddenly he wasn't leaving the country because his father had ordered him to do so, he was leaving because he had to. He had just stabbed someone, and if he was caught, he would be heading back to Azkaban for a long time.