Summer 1991

Ronald Weasley

Ron could hardly contain his excitement and had a wide grin plastered to his face. Finally, after eleven long years of waiting, he was going to Hogwarts. The morning was warm and breezy, the perfect kind of weather, and despite the franticness of packing everyone seemed to be in a pleasant mood. Ron felt as if nothing could go wrong.

"Excited, dear?" His mother asked. She took one end of his trunk and helped him lift it into the boot of the car. Percy had already loaded his own while the twins finished stuffing theirs with sweets and fireworks.

Ron nodded politely to his mother. Despite whatever feelings he still held about his parents and their mismanagement of funds, he loved them. And it hardly seemed to matter anymore. Charlie had fixed things behind their backs and everyone was better for it, or so Ron thought.

The door to the Burrow swung open and Ron barely had time to look before a set of arms swung around him and held him tightly.

"Can't I go?" Ginny asked him. If you fit in my trunk.

"Oh for heaven's sake, it will be your turn next year dear." his mother replied.

"I'll write to you," Ron offered, knowing it would do little to please her.

"You can say your goodbyes on the platform," their mother said. "No need to get teary eyed yet." She moved past them and into the house. Her voice carried through the door as she yelled for the twins.

"Are you nervous, Ron?" Ginny asked.

"Of course, I am." He smiled. "I'll be meeting a lot of new people. I just hope the professors are alright. Fred and George told me that some of them are proper gits."

Ginny laughed. "They can't be that bad, can they?"

"I hope not."

"Who can't be?" Charlie walked around the side of the house. He wore rather muggle looking clothes, a brown leather jacket and plain trousers. He reminded Ron of their eldest brother Bill and he wondered if there was much commonality in dragon taming and curse breaking.

"The professors," Ron answered.

"Oh, some of them definitely are. The potions professor, professor Snape, drinks piss for breakfast. Sad little git. Most of them are alright though. Maybe stay away from Trawlawny, if she is still teaching." Charlie said. Both Ginny and Ron laughed with him.

"Does he really?" Ginny asked.

"No, probably not." Charlie conceded. "Maybe it would lighten him up a bit if he did."

"Are you leaving?" Ron asked. He recalled that Charlie had arranged for a portkey back to Romania.

"I am," his brother nodded. "I came to say goodbye to you both. I already spoke to the twins and Percy."

"What about Mum?" Ginny asked.

Ron noticed Charlie flinch slightly. It sent a wave of bubbles up through his stomach. He isn't speaking to her?

Charlie stepped forward and wrapped them both in a hug. "I'll see you again soon, I promise. Just don't get in any trouble." He looked to Ron, "or fall off of any brooms."

"I promise," Ron muttered. He felt a lingering guilt as they parted. "Are you… okay, Charlie?"

"I'm alright," Charlie said with a smile. Ron wasn't sure if it was a sad smile or if he was just imagining things. "Just happy to go back to work."

"I want to come to Romania," Ginny said. "Will you take me?"

"Maybe, ask Mum and Dad about Christmas. But I'd definitely let you come, you could meet some of the dragons. You too Ron, you should think about it."

Ron smiled. "I will."

The door opened again and their mother returned, Fred and George dragging their trunks behind her.

"Leaving dear?" Their mother asked.

Charlie nodded. He hugged her but in a way that seemed half-measured.

"What's this?" Fred or George said and touched Ron lightly on the back. "A snake?"

Ron's heart raced, he immediately reached backwards and gripped his wand. Stupid, stupid, stupid. He shouldn't have stuck it in his back pocket.

Charlie frowned.

"Oooh," the other twin cooed. "Ickle Ronnikins is hiding something, Fred."

"Ronald Weasley, you better not be taking a snake to that school," his mother added.

"No, I'm not," he defended. "George doesn't know what he's talking about."

"Hmmm," George shrugged. "It looked like a snake to me." He looked up and then back down again. "Maybe it was the wind."

"A snake-like gust of wind, indeed," Fred laughed.

"Show me this instant, what's behind your back?" His mother demanded.

Ron bit his lip and looked up at Charlie. His brother sighed and nodded.

Ron pulled his wand from his pocket and held it out in front of him. Ginny gasped beside him.

"Who's wand is that?" Ginny asked.

"It's mine," Ron said softly. He felt his cheeks turn red.

"What do you mean your wand?" His mother asked. "What happened to the wand that your father and I gave you? Where did you get this?"

"I bought it for him," Charlie said. His mother turned her gaze with a shocked expression.

Now you're fucked, Ron swallowed.

"Why on Merlin's name are you buying your brother wands?" Their mother, Molly, demanded. "What a waste of Galleons, he had a perfectly good wand already."

Ron felt anger simmer in his chest. A waste!?

"Perfectly good?" It was Charlie who replied. "It wasn't even good enough for me, and it wasn't his wand."

Molly puckered her lips. "You took him to Ollivander's without telling us? Diagon Alley?"

Worse, way worse.

"Yes," Charlie lied. "I wasn't going to let you send him to school with a hand me down wand."

"You are not to take my children out of this house without my permission," Molly scolded.

"You're right, I'm sorry for helping my brother be the best wizard he could be." Charlie spat back. "Next time I'll get him to bring an old wand to school. Instead of clothing he can wear a burlap sack. I hear there are lots of house elves with extras."

"Charlie Weasley!"

"It's my money," Charlie said. "I'll spend it however I please."

"Get out," she replied. "Don't speak to me that way, and don't come back until you're ready to show me some respect. When your father hears about this—"

"Father?" Charlie laughed. "What will he do? He didn't take a single day off of work while I was home."

"Your father is a busy man!"

"Too busy to buy his son a proper wand. He works all the time and still we have no money? The ministry is killing him and he doesn't even see it."

"We're going to be late," Molly huffed.

Ron shifted on his feet uncomfortably. His mother looked nearly as red as he felt while Charlie seemed as if he was a mountain; unmoved by anything said. Beside him he noticed Ginny had leaned closer to him. He took her hand and squeezed it gently.

Charlie and his mother just stared at each other for a moment. Ron was worried that something else might happen, that they would start screaming, but instead Charlie just nodded and turned away. He muttered another quick goodbye and disappeared in a crack of apparition.