When Victoire had informed her parents what was going on with Daniel, and the part he was playing in Ron's potential arrest, Bill had to admit that it would be the best thing all around if his brother was caught. Of course, it would mean he would end up back in Azkaban, and he hated to think of Ron back in that place, but living on the run simply wasn't any way for him to live his life. Not to mention the strain it would put the rest of the family under if he wasn't caught, especially Molly, whom Bill felt needed to accept once and for all that Ron had gone off the rails and something needed to be done about him.
Aware that Ron's arrest was quite likely imminent, Bill headed round to his parents house after lunch. He found the atmosphere was very tense and it didn't take him long to realise that his parents were barely talking to one another. In fact, he'd barely been there half an hour when his mother announced she was going for a lie down and she didn't want to be disturbed.
"Do you think things will get any better if Ron is caught?" Bill asked his father once Molly was out of earshot.
"I have no idea," Arthur admitted with a weary sigh. "At the moment, she is just in denial about the whole thing. She doesn't want to believe that Ron could stab anyone, even someone like Draco Malfoy."
"He really isn't a bad man," Bill insisted. "Yes, he has a troubled past, and even he won't deny he made some bad choices. But he was also trapped in an impossible situation, not of his own making. He was only a boy when Voldemort was threatening his life, and the life of his mother. He did what he thought he had to for his family. In his shoes, I can't honestly say I would have done anything differently."
"But you never would have been in his shoes," Arthur pointed out. "We didn't get mixed up with that rotten wizard, unlike Lucius Malfoy."
"As you said, it was Lucius who made the choices that put Draco in the position he found himself in during the war," Bill said. "You can't blame Draco for his father's choices. And if you are interested, Lucius regrets those choices. I don't know him very well, but I do know he's worked hard to make a fresh start for his family and to try and right the wrongs he made so many years ago. People deserve second chances, Dad."
"Maybe," Arthur conceded. "But none of this will cut any ice with your mother. She will still blame the Malfoys for what's going to happen to Ron. Well, when she's not blaming me for driving him to it."
"She doesn't really believe that, she's just upset," Bill said.
He knew all about his father's most recent conversation with Ron, and he fully agreed with what Arthur had suggested. If only Ron had listened to him, and to Ginny who also seemed to agree that it had been a good idea, then all of this could have been avoided and Ron would be off getting a second chance to make something of his life. Instead, he was about to be arrested and would spend who knows how many years in Azkaban.
"I hope so," Arthur muttered. "Because things are not good between us at the moment. I'm even sleeping in your old room as your mother refuses to have me in our room."
"Hopefully it will all settle down once this mess with Ron has been sorted," Bill said, hoping he was right and that Ron's foolish actions hadn't also cost his parents their marriage.
"Whenever that will be," Arthur sighed, getting to his feet and offering to make a pot of tea. "Who knows where Ron is, or when the Aurors will track him down."
As Arthur headed into the kitchen, Bill debated telling him what was going on that afternoon. He felt as if his parents had a right to know what was going on, but he didn't want to cause trouble with Victoire. The last thing he wanted was for the family feud to blow up even further and for his daughter to feel as if she couldn't trust her family. As it was, he wasn't sure if her relationship with Molly would ever recover from the wedding fiasco.
Before Bill could make up his mind either way, the floo lit up, signalling an incoming message. Bill answered the call, and when it was revealed to be the Ministry, he called for his father. Bill watched silently as his father took the call which let him know his youngest son had once again been arrested and would be needing legal counsel.
"Ron's been caught," Arthur said quietly. "Apparently Daniel helped the Aurors lure him out."
"Yes," Bill said with a nod.
"You knew?" Arthur asked his oldest son.
"Victoire told me this morning," Bill admitted, unsure of his father was judging him for not saying something or if he just wanted to know who knew what.
"And that's why you're here," Arthur snorted. "You knew this was coming."
"I thought you and Mum might need some support," Bill said. "Although you need to know that I can't condemn Daniel's actions. It's the best thing all round that Ron has been caught. He couldn't live forever on the run."
"No, he needed to be found," Arthur agreed. "And I can't say I can blame young Daniel either. In his shoes, I would want to catch the man who almost killed my stepfather. I'm not sure your mother will see things the same way though."
"Only one way to find out," Bill said, bracing himself for what lay ahead as they told Molly what had happened.
"I'll speak to your mother," Arthur said. "Could you do me a favour and contact a solicitor. I've got a card for one sitting on the mantlepiece. I spoke to him a few days ago, and he agreed to represent Ron when he was found."
"Is it the same one who represented him before?" Bill asked. He couldn't remember the name of Ron's previous solicitor, but he could recall that he'd worked for the Ministry.
"No, he left the Ministry years ago," Arthur replied. "I got this one recommended from someone at work, and he seemed competent enough when I spoke to him earlier."
As Arthur headed off to break the news to Molly, Bill found the solicitors card and placed a call to him. He did wonder if his parents would need help covering the legal bills, and made a mental note to have a quiet word with Arthur to assure him that he could help if it was needed. Although the thought of money was soon driven from his head by the sound of his mother wailing from upstairs. She sounded as though someone had torn her heart from her body, and when she hurried down the stairs, tears were streaming down her face.
"My boy, my precious boy," she sobbed, grabbing for the floo powder. "I need to get to him."
Bill wasn't sure if his mother could make it to the Ministry safely in her condition, but he didn't get a chance to stop her before she had whirled away in a flash of emerald flames. Quickly informing his father that the solicitor would meet them at the Ministry, Bill and Arthur followed after Molly, who had thankfully made the journey in one piece.
Once at the Ministry, Bill and his parents were taken to the law department, where Ron was waiting to be interviewed. When they reached the law department, Bill was surprised to find Draco, Lucius, Narcissa and Severus sitting in a corridor with Victoire. Even though he knew Daniel had been involved in Ron's arrest, he had figured that he would be long gone and there would be no overlap with his parents arriving.
"You," Molly wailed, waving her finger in the general direction of the Malfoys. "This is all your fault. Your horrible family has ruined everything. First you steal Daniel, and then you manipulate him into leading my poor Ronald into a trap."
"Your poor Ronald almost killed my son," Narcissa retorted frostily.
"Shame he didn't succeed," Molly sneered.
"Mum," Bill scolded at the same time as Victoire jumped to her feet and approached her grandmother.
"Don't say things like that, Gran," Victoire pleaded. "You wouldn't want Uncle Ron to be a killer, would you?"
"No, my boy is not violent," Molly sniffed. "He was provoked, that's what it was. That monster provoked him. He stole Daniel from us. And I bet he put him up to luring Ron into a trap. It's all his fault, that rotten Malfoy boy."
"No-one stole me," a sharp voice said from further down the corridor and everyone turned to see Daniel and Hermione. "I suppose technically your son did manage to steal me for a few minutes. But luckily, Dad was on hand to save me."
"He is not your Dad," Molly hissed. "Harry is your Dad."
"I have two Dads," Daniel replied with a slight shrug. "But that isn't the issue. I'm sorry Mrs Weasley, but it's time you also heard a few home truths. You and your son seem to think that I'm your family, and I cannot tell you what to think or feel, but you need to know that I do not share that feeling. I do think of some of your family as my family, but not you or your youngest son. And I also think you need to know that I was not manipulated into luring Ron out of hiding. I came up with the plan myself. I wanted him caught, and I want him punished for what he did to my Dad."
"You wicked boy," Molly gasped and before anyone could comprehend what was happening she raised her hand and slapped Daniel squarely in the face.
The sound of Molly's hand hitting Daniel's cheek jerked Hermione into action and quick as a flash she had sprung between her son and the older witch, her wand in her hand. Just in case Molly was going to move in for another slap, she also grabbed hold of her wrist. At the same time Victoire had rushed to her husband's side, while the rest of the family had gathered at their backs.
"If you touch my son again I will hex you so badly that you'll be seeing stars for the next month," she hissed in Molly's face. "You're as toxic as Ron, and you need to stay the hell away from my family."
"Oh, I'm so sorry," Molly wailed as Hermione roughly let go of her wrist and pushed her further away from her son. "Please Daniel, I didn't mean it."
"I think the time for apologises has long past," Daniel muttered. "It's time we were going home."
"I'll see you later," Bill whispered to his daughter, knowing that some work needed to be done to ensure that his mother's actions didn't cost him his daughter.
"Please," Molly begged as the Malfoy contingent swept past them and headed towards the lifts that would take then down to the atrium. "I'm sorry, Daniel."
"Gran, just back off," Victoire warned, throwing her gran a warning look. The way things were going a major kick off was about to occur and she really didn't want that as she wanted to maintain relations with all elements of her family.
"But what about Ron?" Molly wailed. "You need to tell them he didn't mean it. You need to tell them he didn't try and kill you."
"Are you talking to me?" Draco asked with a snort as he turned back to face the older witch. "Do you honestly expect me to help your son after what he did to me? Do you expect me to help when you come in here shouting the odds and insulting me and my family? I've given my statement to the Aurors, and I will not be changing it. The only help you're going to get from me is some advice. Get your son to plead guilty if you don't want him to spend the rest of his life in Azkaban. The way he's going, this will go to trial, and we all know his sentence will be longer once he's found guilty in a trial."
"If he's found guilty," Arthur corrected weakly. "He has not being convicted yet. And isn't everyone innocent until proven guilty?"
"We all know your son is not innocent, Weasley," Lucius said, actually sounding as though he felt sorry for Arthur. "He will end up back in Azkaban, the question only remains how long for."
With Lucius's words ringing in the corridor, the Malfoy contingent turned and left. Settling his sobbing mother down on a now free chair, Bill pulled Arthur off to one side and reiterated what Draco and Lucius had just said. They all knew Ron was guilty, so the best thing for him to do was to admit his guilt and take his punishment. Going to trial would only end up causing more heartache, especially for Molly, who was clearly reaching the end of her tether and quite honestly Bill didn't know if she would survive a lengthy trial where no doubt everything would be raked up again and certain Weasleys would be hauled over the coals by the press.
Bill stayed with his parents as they got a quick visit with Ron before his solicitor arrived. Once the solicitor arrived, it was made clear that Ron would be questioned for several hours, and there was no point in the Weasleys staying. Of course, Molly wanted to stay but Bill and Arthur eventually persuaded her to return home and that Ron's solicitor could call on them when he was finished at the Ministry to keep them up to date. As for Bill, once his mother was safely back at home he headed home himself and sent a message to Victoire, letting her know that he didn't want any further rifts in the family and he was hoping there was no hard feelings following the altercation at the Ministry.
When Victoire replied, she assured him that everything was just fine between them, although she admitted that for Daniel he'd reached the end of the line with her grandmother. Not that Bill could blame him, and even though he knew his mother was already regretting lashing out at Daniel, it was too late to change anything. She had well and truly blown any small chance she'd had of getting to know the young wizard who had just married her granddaughter.