Defiant Blood – Blood and Bone Saga - Part 2
Chapter 5
The shape fell.
A twisting, billowing black sheet plummeting towards a distant horizon that was growing fast. Screams of anguish and terror inaudible in the freefall. The great shape was dying, or it at least knew its death was imminent, life was to be extinguished at any second. In a moment it stood in a familiarity, it's understanding of its universe solid, enough to satisfy any possible question of physics or it's natural order. Now, it was sucked into a void of time and space that was unfamiliar to it, the walls of its reality crumbled.
The shape looked up, speed and sound rushing by it as its inevitability hurtled towards it, growing with every blink. As it did it briefed a glance, a night sky mixing with daylight on the horizon, where it met the ground light beamed in all directions. This was to be its death, a surging brightness that grew as it fell.
"And now, I die", it thought, but only before it's last fleeting thought echoed out in its head, like a death bell, "my love!" it left in peace and acceptance.
Miles away, in a silent place, quite distant and peaceful, a boy woke. In the dark he sat upright in fright, his body panting, his heart racing. Cold sweat dripped down his face to his neck, his arms and back. The darkness terrified him suddenly. He knew he was in a place of safety, a room full of his friends, but he was alone now, he knew this. But something else loomed in the moment, not in shadow or under bed but behind him.
He turned, only the headboard of a four-poster bed, ominously carved, solidified that there was no one there behind him. He turned back but felt it a second time, shaking he turned again, still alone.
The boy stood, walking weakly to the sink in the next room, he navigated the layout he'd long learnt. Passing the distant rumbling of snoring males. He reached the sink and poured a glass of water; he drank with shaking hands.
A noise caught him, he spun round in the dark, eye's straining to see the slightest change of black on black. Nothing! Then another, he turned again panting, his heart in his throat as it pounded his ribs. He turned back, lighting the small sconce by the mirror, his hands were shaking violently now.
Too scared to utter even a question to himself in the night air he ran the tap, pooling the water in his hands he threw it over his face, trying to emerge from this paralysis of fear. He repeated the action, then hands gripped the basin, he tried to control his breathing.
He looked up, his reflection visible in the mirror now in the dim light. He stilled, mouth hanging open. He leaned forwards, eyes narrowed as he looked at his own face closely. His breath caught and mouth fell. He screamed, his lungs pushing every cubic inch of air from his chest, but no sound came. Only an airy whisper escaped his lips as his face remained frozen, still screaming. His eyes fixed to the horror.
There, within this mirror, someone else was looking back at him from behind his own eyes.
"No!", a dozen voices shouted as Pansy crashed into Ron. Each with as much force and volume as there opposite then displayed as they all stood, stunned in the silence that followed from all of them. Ron gripped the girl back without a wince on his face, it didn't go unnoticed from any of them.
Pansy looked down into his face as the same worry struck her, "your arm!" she tried to step back.
"You're going nowhere, I've spent centuries waiting to get back to you", he said, only pulling her tighter, "Thought of nothing but you across time and space just for this".
"Ronald!" she breathed as she heard this, making her head swirl with dizzying heights of affection, attraction and hopeless desperation as his words plundered her.
"R…Ron", the Matron stepped forward, "this isn't possible!"
"You're not in pain?", Pansy asked tentatively.
"Of course I'm in pain, I'm in pissing agony!" he announced, "my face is killing me, I can't open my left eye. My ribs feel like each one's been kicked by a Thestral, and my heads about to split open".
The Matron nodded at a witch who came in to administer something, she turned back to him, "but your shoulder?"
"Nothing", Ron said firmly.
"That's not possible", she breathed.
Ron watched the nurse as she set up a bottle and ring next to his bed, the correlating band she placed on his wrist. That same feeling returned, the taste of something foreign and unpleasant hitting his throat.
"Well, I'm telling you", Ron said simply, "I don't feel a thing, I'm tempted to say it's the most peace I've had, the way it's been hurting this last month".
"Ronald", Pansy said softly, "you're worrying me". She tried to read his face, a fear gripped her as she looked into his dead eye, it was open, he thought it closed. Then his arm, he was making jokes, she was feeling more loss for him than he was.
"Ron, please", Pansy tried. She flooded with rouge as he lifted her bodily onto the bed with him, cradled in his arm. She ignored the desperation to feel this with him. He winced, "there, see, you're in pain!".
"I'm fine…", Ron shook his face loose, a force pressing into his head, fogging his mind, "what the? Wait! What the…hell, are, you…doing!", he breathed softly as his eyes closed. They opened, again fear flooded his face as when he first woke, "no! please, I can't go again", he was shouting now. His arm clutched at Pansy, holding her tight as he became terrified, he'd lose her.
"Ronald!" Pansy shouted in concern.
"It's ok, he needs to go back under", the Matron said, though yet more concern and confusion grew as he was able to fight off the effects of the potion they were administering to him. She aimed her wand at the bottle, increasing the dosage.
"No", he bellowed, his face scrunched as he tried to fight the heavy weight of his eye lids, "don't you Mording dare put me under!" Pansy had stood up now, stepping back in panic as he lashed out. "Pansy!", he cried, "please I can't go… Mum!" his eye's found hers and her hands covered her mouth as Arthur stopped her from running to him.
"Dad… please", Rons voice grew weaker now.
The Matron looked fearfully now as she'd gone well into a dangerous dosage.
"You'll have to keep going dear", Dumbledor said quietly, sadly, "he's become extremely resilient".
She'd usually never go this far, and Dumbledore or not, never let the judgement of someone else cloud her medical opinion. But she'd seen what he'd spoken of with her own eyes. Forcing a frown, she focused harder, her wand trained on the bottle as she forced almost all of the liquid into him.
"Please, Pansy…anyone… no!", Ron's voice was a whisper now. Pansy had returned to him, petting the back of his neck as she kissed his forehead, a terrible pain in her chest.
In the back Bill was struggling to keep a grip of Charlie who was struggling to fight, wanting to get to his brother an overwhelming urge to protect came over him. "Stop it, he doesn't want to! Don't force him".
"Calm down lad", Bill gritted, while all the taller, he wasn't as well built as Charlie, luckily the twins came to Bill's aid as Arthur tried to restore order from where he held Molly back.
Ginny lost her perch from where she clung to Tracey as her girlfriend strode to Pansy, taking her shoulders, she guided her back from Ron. Trying to make sure the girl didn't go to pieces; she was surprised when she found she was quite complacent.
Turning her eyes found Molly, then Charlie, "he needs this", she said gently, but with a firmness that struck at each of them. The comment stopped Charlie in his tracks.
"Severus, Minerva," Dumbledore said, "can I ask you to escort everyone back to the waiting room while I speak with the Matron in private".
They nodded and thanks to Pansy's words that caused an unknowing stillness in them no one argued. All except Charlie whose actions started a line of people to follow suit. He walked up to Ron and carefully hugged him where he could. Asleep or not, he needed this.
Taking que, Ginny followed, placing a very rare but necessary kiss to his uninjured cheek. The twins to a turn each, giving him a quick hug and whispering something private as they did. Everyone mirrored this, slowly leaving the room without word. Only Molly and Arthur lingered the longest as they knelt by Ron, holding desperately and whispering their love to him.
Molly was glad Pansy hadn't left yet, she went to her and put her customary arm round her again.
"Your maturity astounds me", Arthur said with a smile, "I can see why my son would venture into the snake pit to find you, he's always liked to be different".
Pansy smiled warmly at this; she was surprised how much she enjoyed the flicker of banter at the Slytherin dig. "I'm glad I can look on you and not feel desperate now", Arthur pulled a face, "your eye's", she admitted, "he has your eyes, and it hurt before".
Arthur smiled again, "he's back and at least now we know that, and I'm sure this is what he needs".
Pansy nodded, "somethings not right, I felt it, it worried me. Like he needs to reset, I think it's going to hit him when he wakes". His parent's nodded sadly their agreement. "Mr Weasley-…".
"Arthur", Molly corrected her.
She sighed, "Arthur", she forced, "I think I need to tell you something".
She looked at Molly, her eye's widened but only for a moment, accepting that now was the right time and that Arthur should be the exception to the secrecy. Gently smiling she nodded and led them to a corner in private.
"You know, what little we talked about family life, he talked of you the most", Pansy was sat in the waiting room in the hospital. Around them most were asleep or dozing.
"Really, I thought maybe Bill", Charlie said.
"He admires you both, but you're the one he forgets himself over when he talks, "Pansy smiled, "I mean, it could be the dragons, I think he's secretly obsessed with them, but it's made him hero worship you a bit, even if he wouldn't admit it".
"I always found myself missing Ron that bit more when I'm away, well there's also mum and dad too, obviously. And I've always had a thing about dad's approval if I'm honest between me and you, whereas Bill has always been mummy's boy, the big girl", he laughed. "But Ron always made me sad and annoyed, he worried me the most. I could never help but think he was his own worst enemy, even as a little'n. He was always so… unsure of himself and shy. Always doubting, flying with him was a nightmare because he was so good, but one word from Fred and George and he went to pieces. I always felt like he might just have the most about himself out of any of us", he paused, "except maybe for Ginny", they both smirked in amusement as they heard the same argument again.
While they talked, they'd both been watching as Ginny repeatedly tried to, at first, persuade her parents to allow her and Tracey to share a bed. Pansy had to hide her face as she heard her own name get dropped in. Something to the effect of, 'Ron's had Pansy in his bed all year so far!'. Then came the later attempts to bypass the permission and go straight to sneaking into Tracey's curtained off bed, which hadn't worked, thrice now.
The two snorted again as her latest effort was undone, "the trick would have been not to draw attention to it in the first place", she laughed.
"Then sneak in later when everyone's asleep", Charlie conferred.
"You sound proficient in the art", she teased.
"Cultivated a bit of a reputation in school, Quidditch Captaincy and winning the cup helps".
"Another flying idiot", she snorted.
"Urgh", Charlie snorted back, "never thought he'd go for a Quidditch blasphemer. Anyway, Ron found the wonders of the Room of Requirement then?" he gave her a look, he laughed as she blushed, "He wrote me when they first found it, don't worry, he didn't mention you".
Her blush receded slightly, "so that was your secret?" she teased.
"One of them", he nodded, "was gonna' tip him off if he hadn't found it by the end of this year, seems he didn't need to?"
"I'm starting to see why the lot of you have a reputation now", she scoffed, "thank god's Farah's not here is all I'm going to say".
"Pretty name, a name that matches the girl I wonder?"
"She's in Ginny's year", she said with victory.
He pulled a face, "perhaps not".
"Harrier and Liza on the other hand, year above us". Charlie quirked an eyebrow, she laughed, "gods, its bloody genetic in you lot. No wonder Molly had seven of you", another victory as he retched.
"Please gods don't, I really don't need transporting back to my childhood memories and the noises I suffered through", Pansy rolled forward holding her belly as she laughed. Charlie noticed this but said nothing, "best day of my life going off to Hogwarts, no more bumps in the night", they both laughed.
"So, how did Ron land you?" he asked after a few minutes.
"The truth or the banter version?" Pansy quizzed, there was a lot to like about Charlie, she could see a great deal of Ron in him. They had the same build, but Ron was taller, taking the most of what both eldest's seemed to have. But he had a very similar personality. She knew he'd be a distraction had she not already fallen for his brother.
"Go on, give us the truth, warts and all. I can't believe his first girlfriend's a knockout like you, can't help but be at least a bit proud of him".
With great pride she retold the story of how they'd collided repeatedly over such a short period of time. She was mindful to be as honest as she could when she told him of how horrible she used to be to him. He just laughed and said all his best flings were with girls he hated at one point or another.
"You're kidding! that's bloody genius, can't believe I didn't think to take someone up for a moonlit tour and some mid-air snogging, that's class!"
"Well, I like to think of it as our time to collide completely, not quite the useful tool you'll have intended to get into some girls knickers!", she sneered.
"Hey, I'm a gent thanks".
"Hmm", she hummed, "endless trouble you boys", she shook her head. "Anyway, neither of us remember the rest we just woke up in the room of…", she looked up as his smirk fixed into a devious grin. "Oh, I really hate you".
"Good lad Ronnie baby!", he laughed, "so Recky Room is your two's hotspot".
She paused, deciding to go with it, "actually no, I usually sneak into his bed in the hospital wing, he's spent so much time in there this year, its's sort of… our thing!"
"Bloody brazen", he laughed, "Poppy will kill you if she found out".
"Luckily, she's got a soft spot for me, so it cushioned the news when I had to mention it".
"So, Bill wasn't having me on before about your wee outburst".
He looked down at her and she saw his gaze travel along the corridor to where Ron's room lay, still looking there he spoke up. "I know your both kids but, I hope you two have whatever mum and dad had at your age and you last. I could get used to having you around come Christmas and New Year's". He looked back to her, "I'm so glad he's got himself a girl like you".
"I'm not about to leave someone who's travelled time and space to get back to me", she muttered to herself, "not if I have a choice".
"What?"
"Nothing, just something he said when he woke", she admitted.
After a few moments of silence Pansy felt him hit her in the shoulder as he nudged her with his, "what?" she asked looking round. Her face froze as she saw how hard and serious his face was now. Not angry, if anything he looked scared to speak up.
He looked down at her stomach, her hand was clutching it again. "You keep scaring the crap out of me", he whispered, "doing that".
"It's just, just the thing I spoke to Dumbledore about, same as Ron", she answered, "I'm sure Bill's filled you in".
"He has", Charlie admitted, "but I can't help worry it's more than that".
"Well, it's not!" she dismissed quietly.
Silence stretched out as the twins started kicking each other in their sleep to their right, they snorted and grunted, turning over again in opposite directions.
"Am I going to be an uncle?" he forced out in a hushed whisper, even as he said it he winced, wishing he hadn't.
"What! No", she looked at him in shock, mild anger mixed with fear forming in her eyes.
"Oh shit!" he breathed, recognising the fear in her eye and what it meant, "oh shit!"
"Keep your voice down", she hissed, "who the hell told you, Molly or Arthur?"
"They know!" he yelped, his mouth open.
"Shush! None of us know, it's all kinds of fucked up!" she frowned at him, "every test negative then positive, I'm like a pissing pregnancy pendulum. Who told you? Were supposed to be sitting on this".
"No one did", he whispered, "well, you did actually".
"Don't be daft", but as she said it, they both looked down to where both hands were clutching herself protectively now.
"That's a dangerous habit", he warned, she quizzed him with her eyes. "Pansy, I specialise in Dragon gestation, I work with breeding pairs and gravid females. I know the signs".
"Oh great!" she hissed at him, "I'm a bloody dragon now".
"No, but an expecting female is the same in any world"
"Any other time, this wouldn't even be theoretical, not at least for four to six weeks' according to Poppy, so how you can know is beyond me".
"Because piss take or not there is definitely something of a dragon about you. It's an aura they have when their carrying. And the way you carry yourself, your emotions and protectiveness, I just see it alright. And what's the point in arguing, we already know I was right. Besides I've seen my mum pregnant five times, and if anyone's a dragon it's her, there are massive similarities".
"Don't you dare tempt fate and compare me to your mother", she hissed, "have you seen the size of me, or your brother. If I'm forced to carry his child there is no way I'm doing it another six times!"
Charlie's hand clamped to his mouth as he bit down his laughter that burst free, she hit him, hissing for him to shut up.
"You can't mention this to anyone, not Bill, or Ginny, don't even let your mum and dad know you know, and certainly don't tell Ronald".
"You can't hide it from him".
"Charlie!"
"Alright, you have my word I won't tell a soul, but why not Ron".
"Because he has so much to overcome", finally her eyes glistened again, but she was strong now, she didn't let any tears fall as they welled. "I need to know for certain before I tell him. Poppy's already had me off for more tests".
"Where you went after he woke?"
Pansy nodded, "she took me down the hall, another six tests, another three negatives and three positives".
"Shit!" he breathed, "and this is that same theory about his arm?"
"Yes", she said quietly, "only Dumbledore's leaning into it being very plausible now".
"But this is only a cock up in time right, it's only a maybe from future stuff yeah? You both haven't?" he couldn't say it now, for all their playful banter. Pansy looked down at her belly again, not answering, "oh fuck!" he breathed sitting back.
"Oh fuck", she echoed quietly.
"Pansy, I'll keep your secret, I promise", Charlie said with a tangible honesty.
"Are you in pain again?" Farah asked delicately.
"What?" Pansy asked looking up from her plate.
"Your stomach, you keep holding it".
"Oh, no", Pansy said coming too, she'd been in her head again, "It's a stupid habit from when I had been in pain". "Shit Charlie", she thought knowing how right he was, "I really hate you right now".
She was sat with Harrier, Liza, Farah, Tracey and Ginny in the kitchens. The heads had all pulled them into Dumbledore's office after they spoke with each in turn about the night on the hilltop. Obviously looking for anything concrete to do with identifying the attackers, as was paramount. This was more apparent after she confessed, she believed Draco had been behind it. Or at least being the one to push for some sort of attack, as retribution.
After correlating the facts, all involved personally with Ron were warned about any actions within the school. The twins and Harry were held strongly to answer to any hints they might think of attacking Draco or any of his lot.
Draco couldn't be touched as there wasn't a shred of evidence. To counter this Tracey and herself were moved into lessons with the Ravenclaw's and Hufflepuff timetables. To further this they were given use of the old unused prefect bedrooms, separate from those of Slytherins Dormitories. They both resented this before they saw the positives. Leaving what felt like their personal bedrooms. The familiarity, comfort and homeliness of the Common Room.
Once Liza pointed out what the advantages of being cut off from prying eyes could mean, with their very own slice of privacy, they eased into the truth of it. With adjoining bedrooms, bathroom, full living quarters, complete with miniaturised common room like living room. Open fire, couches and study area and more, they were living the idea of high life in school terms.
The Gal's didn't stay there as the necessity to move them hadn't come up, but they all made use of the privacy daily. What started out as a once-a-day thing, Pansy watched grow and soon Ginny was there with them at any given chance. This turned out to be a lot of time too, as the heads had also shaved their timetable by more than half. Recognising the difficulties of schooling with Ron now in a medically induced Coma, they were given allowances. Then there were the daily evening floo visits to St Mungo's to visit him. There they met Molly and Arthur. Bill had stayed too but Charlie was back in Romania.
"So, tonight's the night then", Harrier said smiling.
"Yep", Pansy smiled. Tonight, they would get to visit him, with all hope, awake and out of his coma. It had been two weeks and Dumbledore had negotiated an early end date owing to the physiological differences within Ron.
"What is it?" Liza asked.
"Actually, I'm a bit hesitant to see him", she looked to Tracey and Ginny, "the last time we saw him awake he begged us all not to let them put him under. I just have this feeling he's not going to be ok".
"Do you think they'll let you three come too", Tracey asked.
"Pansy!" Farah said sharply, Harrier snorted a laugh into her mug seeing Farah's face, "can you please tell Tracey, that yes, we will be going to see him, but not for a few days so we don't overwhelm him".
"Farah, it was funny the first week, now it's just pissing me off", Tracey said, throwing daggers at Harrier and Liza who were laughing, Pansy too annoying her with the smirking.
"Did anyone hear that?" Farah asked dramatically, "sounded like a stupid mouse!"
Tracey pulled a face, "what is she even… urgh, Pansy, please tell Farah to pack in being an annoying tit!"
"Me!" Farah snapped looking at her.
"Ha! You spoke to me", Tracey pointed.
"This is the dumbest thing I've ever heard", Ginny said deadpan, "I actually thought she was cool at one point".
"Hey!" Tracey scolded.
"Never mind her" Farah said pointing back at Tracey, "she's alright, she's not a little lying snake…unlike some!"
"I didn't pissing lie!" Tracey laughed incredulously.
"No? only the biggest news of your life and do you share it with your sisters, do you heck".
"Harrier and Liza are fine, your just being petty now. Come on, will you two shut up laughing!" Tracey snapped, "you can shut it and all!" she looked at Pansy. "Look, Farah, I couldn't just blurt it out, I had to think of Ginny didn't I".
"Oh, don't hide behind me, I wanted to come out in the pub when you were rubbing my leg under the table!" Ginny sneered.
"See!" Farah accused.
"Gin!" Tracey pleaded, "shut it!", she turned back to the other three as they corpsed now in silent fits.
A gleam of menace and cruelty flashed in Ginny's eye as she delighted in torturing her girlfriend. Tracey had learnt this side to Ginny was a very problematic thing indeed. She loved to tease and torment, secretly Tracey loved that about her, but she didn't want her to know about it. Finally, Ginny sighed, taking pity on her. She stood and walked to round the table. "Farah, come on", she offered her hand.
"What, where are we going?"
"Round the corner for a snog, your right, she's completely in the wrong, now it's time she pays, by me and you going off and having our minute of fun at her expense".
"Woah, back up!" Tracey called.
Farah looked up into Ginny's face, she pouted and inclined her head. It made Farah blush, panic showing on her face. "Ginny…I, I'm not sure that's…".
Ginny leaned down and looked into Tracey's face, whispering to Farah. "No, come on, take your revenge, make her pay cutie".
Farah looked from Tracey to Ginny, "no! …I mean, honestly it doesn't even matter, I was just joking more than anything. Tracey, I'm sorry I carried it on, ok!"
Tracey sat as wide eyed as Farah, looking between them both, "yeah, no problem girl, thanks".
"Oh well", Ginny said, she came back round to Tracey, leaning down she kissed her cheek, "you owe me", she whispered.
Tracey turned to whisper back, "honestly it scares the crap out of me how good you are at that. You don't do that to me do you".
"Baby, no", Ginny smiled.
"Oh, she's an absolute fucking peach", Liza gripped Harrier's shoulder as they continued to laugh at the faces on their friends.
Pansy stood quickly as an idea hit her, "well if the offer's there". She navigated the table and took Ginny's hand, pulling her across the room and round the corner.
"Parkinson don't you bloody dare you've got your own Weasley!" Tracey's voice called after them.
Ginny knew it was nothing but a ploy, "Pansy, what's the matter, are you ok, is it Ron, did you feel something?"
"No Ginny don't worry; I just need to ask a favour".
"Yeah sure", she shrugged. Pansy could seem to do no wrong in the girls' eyes. She figured it was Poppy's heaps of praise that she'd saved her brother.
"Can you keep Tracey occupied for a bit, I need to slip away, and she's been clingy all week".
"She worries", Ginny said, then in confession she added, "I actually got a bit jealous of you at first, If I'm being honest. I didn't like just how much she seemed to care about you. But then I got to see how you were with Ron and, how you and Tracey are really, I get it now, I like that she has someone like you".
"Well, if it helps, Tracey drinks coffee, I like tea, so…".
Ginny smiled, "I get it. Are you alright though?"
"Difficult to say, but hopefully I will be once I've done this", she smiled, "and I see your brother".
…..
"Come!", the door opened, "argh Parkinson, come in".
"Professor Snape, may we talk?"
"Certainly, I have time, you're ok, yes?"
"As well as I can be, considering…".
"Quite, well shut the door and take a seat".
She closed the door but passed the chair, walking to his desk she silently lay a number of envelopes in front of him, inclining her head he understood she gave permission to read as she turned and sat down.
After a number of minutes, he slid them back into the envelopes and gestured for her to take them back. She shook her head, and he nodded, sending them flying to the fireplace where they quickly burned.
"So", he said evenly, "what would you like to do about this?"
"I don't think it can wait until half term", Pansy said quietly.
"Agreed".
"I'd like to ask if I can be escorted with a professor, and then return?"
"Who did you have in mind?" Snape asked, Pansy looked into his face, remaining silent, "I see". He took a moment, looking to the fireplace, watching the letters incinerate. "I will consult the headmaster, but I see no issue. Your plans after haven't changed?"
"No, Sir", she stood, "thank you Professor", he nodded curtly, "and Sir?"
"Go on".
"Might it be the end of the week, after I've had some time with Ronald, just in case…".
"I'm certain no complications will arise Parkinson, but yes, I will try to schedule it to give you time".
"Thank you, Sir",
"Be gone child", he shooed her away with a hand as his head already returned to his work on his desk.
Smiling Pansy exited, taking care to close the door silently. She took off walking the narrow corridors of the dungeons she reached a fork that was usually a right to the Common Room. Now she turned left, heading past the entrance up to the Grand Hall. She turned down a narrow-hidden stairway, into a further cavern of old unused doors.
Reaching the only one with a cleaned and dust free handle she entered. Walking into their personal Common Room, she found herself alone. She decided to shower, give herself extra time to ready herself for seeing Ronald. She exited her bedroom with only a towel round her when she heard a noise from Tracey's room.
"Oh, your back!" she said, opening the door, "Woah! No no no, did not need to see that!" she slammed it shut.
"Pansy!" Tracey's scream barely muffled, "what did you see?"
"Nothing!" she shouted back, shutting her eyes to the embarrassment.
"Pansy join us!"
"Ginny!" Tracey squealed.
Pansy ran off to the shower feeling the need to Obliviate herself.
Pansy burst through the doors to the waiting room, her mind registered people but not faces as her only thought was for him. She turned to run down the corridor when she stopped seeing two men close ranks on the door, blocking her way.
Slowing she stopped as her arm was caught, "you can't yet dear"
"Who are they Molly?", she asked, their eye's fixed her intently, ones thumb hung his hand off his waistband, the others inside it's coat and she knew they were poised, close to their wands.
"Auror's, here with someone who, well they had to come but it's ok, he's a friend". She guided her back to the waiting room. "There speaking to Ron now, with Dumbledore and Arthur".
"So, he's awake!", she said excitedly, "have you seen him?".
Molly's face was readable to her eye, "I have yes", her voice quiet.
"It's bad isn't it", she said in knowing.
"It's going to take time love, but I hoped maybe once he sees you". Molly smiled hopefully.
"How could he not cheer up!"
"Charlie!" she went to him, folding into his embrace, "you made it!"
"Of course, not going to let him down am I".
"Bill", she nodded, accepting a quick hug from him too, she knew it would look odd if she hadn't.
Nothing about it meant anything of course, there was no subconscious thoughts that she needed to hide, just the acceptance that of all his siblings she liked Charlie the most. Even when discussing the family with Tracey, she admitted a physical attraction, but there was with Bill too, to a point. As was both an honest observation as well as the reason behind this, Ron had the physical features of both. In her mind he was an amalgamation of them all, the twins and Ginny included. Bill's size, Charlie's strength, George's whit, Fred's deviousness and Ginny's passion.
"Bill, I 'ope you don't 'ug her like Charlie does when you are without me!" a voice said to the right of Charlie, she'd been quite transparent to Pansy's eye.
The feintest noise hit Pansy's ear from behind her, she'd been around Hermione enough to know a good 'tut' when she heard one. This one was restrained though and had been let off by Molly, who she had now been around long enough to get a good feel for. One glance at her and she knew there was a disliking there.
"William, you 'av not introduced me", the girl's voice simpered baby like for his attention. Pansy knew exactly who she was.
"Oh, sorry darling", Bill said, Pansy had to bite her lip looking at Charlie as they heard his voice go to a distinctive 'none-Bill-like' tone of the upper class. "Pansy, this is Fleur, Fleur Delacour. Darling this is Pansy Parkinson, Ron's girlfriend".
"Enchante'", Fleur said sweetly.
"Yeah, I know", Pansy said flatly, then smiled remembering she didn't want to seem rude to Ron's family. "You were at school last year, I was one of the Slytherin's, like Tracey", she nodded behind her.
"Arh, wiz' the blonde boy non'?"
Charlie coughed loudly and Bill took the hard look his brother gave him. He turned into Fleur and leaned into her ear, whispering something.
"Well, charmed", Fleur smiled, "and of course you remember me, once la championne, always one, like 'Arry oui?"
"Oh, give me a fucking break", she heard a voice behind her breathe, the volume low but uncaring if heard.
"Ginny!", Molly hissed.
"So, this your girlfriend Bill? Us Brit girl's not quite enough", Pansy spoke up covering the noise, she didn't care in earnest, she wanted to see Ron, but as they were here.
Fleur laughed shrilly, knocking them with how out of place it was. "Oh Pensèe", Pansy was impressed as she spoke her true birth name, "non' I am not his, but we are dating, and he is doing a fine job slowly persuading me. And, you know what they say, all the greatest dishes are from France".
Pansy smiled as the vomit rose in her throat, again she saw the look Charlie was exchanging with her. "Oh Charlie", she said sweetly, "we need to get you hooked up for a double wedding, they could match walking down the aisle together…a dragon should do it", she said the last out the corner of her mouth.
Charlie didn't bother hiding the snort of laughter that escaped his mouth, as did Ginny from somewhere behind her.
"Bill", Fleur said in confusion, "Qu'est ce que c'est?"
"Nothing dear", he smiled nervously, Charlie took the dagger's he shot for Pansy, "she was being cute, you know".
"Arh oui", her face confused, now turned smiling back at Pansy who reciprocated. "William, what time do we leave, we 'as a réservation non'?"
"Is she taking the piss, I'll have her!", Pansy heard Ginny start behind her.
"Woah, no you don't short round", Pansy saw Tracey grab her round the middle.
"Ginny hush", Molly admonished quickly, "Bill? What's this, your leaving?"
"You made plans?" Charlie now squared off to him, "with Ron waking from a fucking coma!" his voice was low, but Pansy recognised that look, and what type of temper came from it.
"Charlie don't, please, she whispered", she grabbed his shoulder, gaining his attention.
"It's just dinner", Bill hissed.
Pansy watched seeing how they operated instantly, imagining this fight occurred often during their childhood. Bill the height, Charlie all the build. It wasn't a tremendous height difference, but both tried to compensate. Charlie straightened his back, taking every half inch he could get while Bill tried to splay his shoulder, to widen them to the thickness Charlie displayed.
"And yet you're both dressed up to the Nine's, I see why now", Charlie's voice raised, "I came all the way from another country. I thought you were actually better than me, staying in England for him while I fucked off back to work, but no, you were just here trying to get your end away!"
"Boy's!" Molly warned and for the first time Pansy recognised why she was so feared by them.
The door behind them all opened as Fred and George entered, joining from the later portkey set up by Dumbledore. No one paid them any mind, but they recognised a fight brewing between Charlie and Bill more than anyone, a childhood of egging them both on.
"Getting my end away!" Bill spat back, losing his resolve now, "you sure it's Ron that's got you coming all this way and not this one swinging off your arm at every chance. You wanna' talk to me about him being in a fucking coma! Probably suits you while you're tapping this one up!"
"Stop it!" Pansy shouted.
Too late, the bull's locked horns. Charlie gripped Bill around the collar, forcing him back into the wall, Bill leaning over him, slipping his arms round his neck for a headlock. Pansy was shoved bodily in the scrap as Fred and George slammed into them both, wrenching at them to part. Bill leaned back, his arms flexing dangerously around his brother's neck as he tried to choke him out. Charlie snorted, dragon like as he forced himself to stand upright, taking Bill off his feet and slamming them both into the corner of the room as chairs scattered.
Whether out of necessity or a heightened sense of this being the Weasley way as kids, the twins abandoned the neutral break up duties. Fred began punching Bill heavily in his side as George shot a number into Charlie. A desperation move to stop them, or instinct to get stuck in with each other, it worked. But only in stopping two from knocking each other around in favour of all four now turning on each other in a four-way battle.
"What on earth are you all doing!"
The voice rang out from behind them all, by the door. Only a vague recognition brought the fight to a silent standstill. All four grasping at each other, they turned as one. The shock that filled their eye's, battled an anger and confusion for the right to be the one emotion that won out. But anger was more powerful than anything else after the week's they'd all endured.
"Where the fuck have you been!" Charlie snapped.
"You little selfish prick!" Bill shouted as the Twins too looked ready to throw in their two cents.
All four began bounding over to the boy who backed up in fear. They were met by the lioness of the family who stopped each in their tracks, a fierceness the like's each hadn't seen for an age. "Don't, you, dare!" Molly growled dangerously, and each of them felt the guttural fear that was angering their mother. She turned just as her eyes filled with tears. "Where the hell have you been!" she shouted.
Percy staggered over, his hand's each clutching a bouquet of flowers and chocolates. "M…mother!" he inaudibly stammered, "I… I'm sorry!"
She closed the distance and pulled him in, somehow feeling a pain harder than with Ron, she knew Ron hadn't willingly got hurt, Percy had made sure to stay away and her grip knew that as she crushed him. Both with tears taking in each other's eyes she stroked his face feeling lost after the months of absence.
The boys came over and Molly was too distracted to stop them now. His brothers rounded on him, Charlie to his right, his eyes flashed with fire as he gripped his collar, Bill to his left grabbed him too. Both had to battle a rage in them, a wanting to flatten him and give him the good hiding he deserved. The twins finally finished the kill circle that enveloped him, too young to hide the hurt they felt being abandoned to deal with everything.
Molly looked up into Bill and Charlie's faces in silent pleading and Charlie buckled, pulling his brother into him. The circle fell as Bill and the twins collapsed into Percy and Molly. From across the room Pansy's tear-streaked face came into view, perhaps with its own level of danger in her eyes that was somehow more painful for Percy to see.
Ginny had had to endure because of him, be the one to live the torment of Molly's grieving beyond what her brothers had to. They were bonded more than that, as the two household females. Then there were her father's eyes when his name was mentioned, seeing him hurt bit at her all the more as deep down she would always be his little girl however much she hid it. But Percy was blood, and she couldn't ignore that, but neither could she ignore what he'd done.
"How could you not come sprinting to him" Ginny said aloud the thought's that plagued her.
"Ginny dear, please", her mother begged.
"He should be dead, if only for the slimmest of chances and…", her eye's found Pansy. Percy had cut her deep, but he'd cut her more by not appearing when Ron needed him. She could never admit it before, fought it even in her own head, but Ron was her closest, dearest blood. Closer than Bill, than Charlie in their absence. Ron was her whole childhood, her everything for most of her life, and Percy betrayed him.
"I'll never be able to say how sorry I am Ginny", Percy managed.
From behind her Tracey came over, Percy's face flushed as he saw the girl's arms tighten around his sister's waste, kissing her cheek.
"Ginny, I know", she said sadly, brushing her nose against the skin under her ear, "but please don't waste this. You know I know what losing family is like, they can't come back, just push it aside, for them".
Ginny's tears fell and she pulled Tracey closer, her face buried in her neck. Tracey was good, of course she was, she'd stolen her heart with weeks of anonymous letters, well, anonymous for one of them. She kissed Ginny on the cheek and let her hand's slip through her own.
With tear filled eyes she trundled to the group, knowing it was best for the family, knowing that deep down she wanted to forgive, for all of her siblings, Percy included. She allowed them to pull her into the fold. She felt the pressure and heat all around as she was enveloped.
"I'm so sorry Pansy, truly!" Bill had pulled her out to the corner to be alone.
They both stood staring at the new family hugging circle that was now on show, Bill having only just left it himself. Arthur had left the meeting with Ron, coming to see what the commotion was. On seeing Percy his reaction was a mix of Charlie's, Ginny's and Molly's but he quickly embraced his lost child feeling finally complete having them all back, broken, but alive.
But Pansy wasn't feeling the love in the room, she partly didn't care about what happened, the fight. She just wanted them to stop. But in the here and now, she turned to him, fixing him her eyes in warning. "I don't know Bill, I get that your sorry, but that wasn't just something you plucked out of the air, that was personal".
"I get what you're saying, but I just wanted to hurt him", her eyes said different, "I see a lot of things, I see you, I hear what's happened and see how it's hurt you. Then I see you with Charlie, yes, alright, the idea came to me".
"Are you apologising or accusing!"
"Apologising of course", he stressed, "I know what I said was fucked up; I know you aren't screwing Ron over. If anything, I can't quite believe your Ron's age to be honest".
"Flattery really gets you nowhere in this case", she warned, "and I know that's true, but you need to start seeing that for your brother too. He isn't your daft little brother anymore; he's got more about him than I think any of you know. As for Charlie, yeah, I've bonded with him. But if were having this out, that could have been you and me. You've been nice and all, but Charlie's tried to connect with me, it could easily have been us".
"I see that now to", he said honestly, "now you're shaming me to my face", he smiled.
"Then the punishment fits", the corner of her mouth edged into a smile despite herself. "Charlie's a lot like Ron though and I've missed him, that's honestly all it is. Accuse me for thinking he's on the fit side if you like, I'll not fight you there, but the same is easily said about you", she made him see her deliberately eye him. "At the end of the day I just ended up with the one who's taken the best bits of both of you, I guess. I imagine given the chance I'd see more of Ron in you to if we ever spent time as I did with Charlie. But Bill, that really is it!"
Bill's eyebrows rose in shock how good she was at admonishing him. "You're serious about this aren't you, Ron I mean, it's not what I had with each one of my school girlfriends".
"Believe me, I think we'd both rather it was that simple, but yeah, I'm serious. I watched him dying and decided that wasn't happening. And as I started to fight to keep your brother alive, blood from his arm showering me and I wrestled to stop him bleeding out I made him a promise if only he'd just stay. And up there, he didn't, I watched Ron die in my arms until help arrived and they brought him back to living on a knife edge. I'm never breaking that promise Bill, never!".
"Fuck Pansy!", Bill breathed, he couldn't help it, she shattered him with her intensity, and he pulled her into him. It was a platonic hold, but also a personal one. It asked for forgiveness and showered thanks over her.
Fleur came over with Charlie, the look on her face was a moment from disaster if she continued to look at Pansy with those accusatory eyes. Quickly though she showed her maturity, seeing it for what it was. She smiled without malice to Pansy, "family!" she said, "oui?"
"Oui!" Pansy agreed nicely.
"Nice try Lanky", Charlie said as he thumped Bill heavily in the arm.
Bill punched him back, equally hard, "yeah, maybe you'll get one over on me one day Fat's",
Neither spoke with malice and Pansy was all but certain that the two had truly beaten the snot out of each other on many occasions during their youth, they clearly loved it.
"Fat's?" Charlie quizzed with a laugh, "oh no lad, you wish this was fat". Pansy and Fleur quickly glanced at each other as they turned, averting their wide eyes as Charlie lifted his t-shirt, rubbing his thick mound of abdominal muscles, proudly showing them off. "Only one of us can look this good mate".
"Prefer Ron's if I'm honest", Pansy dead panned, it brought an unladylike snort of laughter from Fleur that she quickly tried to hide.
"Please tell me you two have packed it in now", Molly asked as she came over, "I'm hoping they'll be done with your brother in there soon".
"What are they doing in there?" Pansy asked.
"Oh, don't worry dear, it's just there still has to be a serious investigation and they need what details they can. But Kingsley's a friend of the family and Arthur, he'll do what he can".
"William", Pansy noted that Fleur only used his full name when she wanted his attention on her, "dinner, the réservation!" Pansy's hand automatically went to Molly's as her subconscious decided the woman was about to do a Charlie.
"What, but… I can't leave yet Fleur!", Bill Stammered.
"Non'", she smiled, "can you cancel it. You must stay 'ere as long as you need, your family need's you".
"You're going?", he said hurt.
"Quoi?", she turned her head, "Non', I am to stay 'ere with you. You can take me anytime to silly Theatre's and such, this is important".
Bill didn't answer, instead he took her face and pulled her into a fierce kiss. Charlie winced looking at Pansy, sticking his tongue out. Pansy smirked and felt a squeeze from Molly's hand. She wondered if Molly agreed with Pansy's train of thought. That while a lovely gesture, there was something of the theatre about it in its execution.
Either way, "the girl done good", Pansy thought.
The kiss broke, "Mon amour!" Bill breathed, staring down into her eye's as they widened in alure filled shock at the words.
"Fuck me!" Charlie breathed doing his best to hide his laughter, he turned to face Pansy seeing her smirk too.
"Charlie!" Molly hissed.
"Erm, Floor dear", Molly tried.
"Fleur!... Mother" Bill smiled.
"Oh mother!" Charlie whispered to Pansy with a poncey accent, prancing on the spot. She had to turn to hide her chuckling now.
"I'm sorry dear of course it is", Molly smiled, "that's a lovely thing to do, but you don't need to go throwing your table away, you could do both".
Fleur let go of Bill and took both Molly's hands in her's, "Madam Weasley, I could not do that in all good…", she paused looking to Bill.
Bill looked over to Charlie, still silently imitating Fleur behind her back, Bill's eyebrows angled, annoyed.
"Bill, what is word? In all good?" Fleur hadn't let go of Molly or looked away.
"Dick!" Bill hissed at Charlie.
"I could not do that in all good dick your son Ron".
Molly bit her lip, her eyes pressed shut, "Concience! dear".
"I could not do that in all good Concience dick your son Ron?"
"No, not unless you want Pansy to murder you", Charlie cried as he doubled over.
Pansy couldn't help it, she reached for the only stable thing near her, her sides splitting in laughter. The stable thing was Bill, who's own outburst of laughter was almighty, gaining everyone in the room's attention.
"Ignore them dear", Molly urged, pulling on Fleurs hands to bring her confused attention back to her, "there just idiots, animals, who are idiots".
"Oui!" Fleur said, somewhat confused, "please accept our apology".
"Of course, dear-…" Molly started, but never finished.
"Argh!", Pansy had come close to having an accident as she laughed, a most welcome distraction. However, quite on time from the universe, a pain, the pain hit at her right where she'd been clutching in mirth. "Ohh…gods!" she breathed out in agony dropping to the floor.
Bill caught her, concern sobering them in a heartbeat. He squat down as she slumped, trying to get a good look at her. "Pansy! What is it".
Charlie was at his side in the same instant, concern covered his face and he reached out to support her with his brother, Molly and Fleur coming to quickly crowd to help her. "Pansy… it's not the baby is it?"
"Charlie!" Pansy managed, in time with Molly who echoed her.
"You idiot!" Pansy shouted.
"Baby! What baby", Bill said in panic.
"Shit!" Charlie ground, "Pansy I'm sorry!"
The pain didn't subside, and Molly saw everyone getting up to come and help. "Charlie, get her up, quick, in there, "Arthur!" she shouted.
Charlie scooped her up as Arthur came over and Molly pushed them into a side room, no bigger than an alcove really, it held only two miniature couches.
"No", Molly said at the door as Tracey, Ginny and the twins came over.
"But Molly!"
"Mum!"
"Girls please, you already know its this… complicated thing, let me deal with it and you'll see her in a minute!" Amazingly it worked somewhat to stow them away back to the chairs and couches.
Inside Bill and Fleur stood looking down at Pansy with shock filled faces.
"Bill, avec un enfant?"
Bill shook his head, finding the right words, "Je ne sais pas!"
"Well done mouth!" Molly hit Charlie in the arm, she didn't need a translation book to understand them, "you shouldn't even know! What happens when you blab this to Ginny, or Tracey, gods!" she said, "or the twins!".
"She's pregnant!" Bill almost squealed as his throat caught, hearing his mother all but confirm it.
"What!"
Molly looked round seeing Percy stood behind her husband, "Arthur!"
"Oh great!", Pansy cried, one hand covering her face, the other clutching at the place it habited almost all of the time now. She cried real tears now, a mixture of physical agony and the embarrassment as the circle of knowledge had doubled in a heartbeat.
Molly wanted to ring everyone's necks, but she dropped to Pansy's side as they all stood watching.
"Molly, I didn't see him come in!" Arthur tried.
"Who…who even is she?" Percy asked.
"Ron's girlfriend", Charlie shot, still not forgiven yet.
"Ron… and is it… is it his?" Percy said going white.
"Of course it is!"
"What kind of a question's that!"
"Nob head!"
Arthur, Charlie and Bill all shouted as one, Percy's nose twitched, not sure who had said what.
"Molly!" Pansy shrieked, "it really hurts, I'm scared".
"What can I do?" Molly said as panic struck her.
"I don't know", she said through tears, "it's different now, its… its like my… it's like…It's my!" she tried to speak without speaking.
Molly's eye's widened, "what does it feel like?" she asked urgently.
"Cramping… its, its so bad… so much pressure".
Molly stood turning to Arthur, her face white. Seeing it he stepped forward as her voice trembled. "Go to Albus, say nothing to Ron! I need Poppy now, I think… I think she's in labour!"
A/N
This chapter was a lot of fun to write, the Weasley dynamic is always amazing, it was hard to not add more. But I had a goal to set in this chapter, to reach a point with Ron which I've failed to do. Nothing that does any harm for the story or pacing, it's just the start of the next chapter in my mind needed to be let's call it 'moving on', now that's just going to come later in the chapter is all. But this was nearly a 10k chapter and I didn't want to spill it.
It's important that Pansy has these interactions with them as she essentially has no parental or family figures at all. A person of one to a family of nine, its a big thing and I wanted more of that rather than bypassing and 'moving on'.
Another thing I feel is that this is huge to any family, death is permanent, close to, near death experiences can be just as hard and there's been lots of time my head goes to "lets write in this pain" and its wrong, we've got pain, the audience see the pain, 'move on'. Something I'm proud I learnt as that kind of thinking has helped my pacing. Even if its romance, we get it, they like each other, two paragraphs of petting is enough, 'move on'. But this chapter to me wasn't about pain but actually the moving on from the pain, building back up after the pain. An example is Pansy getting really emotional right from the off seeing Ron, but then she recognises he's not right and eventually stops being emotional and accepts what she thinks best. -It's nothing to brag about, just a little something I was proud of in myself.
And Moonie...The first section, mysterious something or other, that last line, 'someone else was looking back at him from behind his own eyes', boy did I get some Leyton vibes writing that lol, It's not the same dear I promise L&L