Notes: Not only is this chapter huge, compared to the others in this story, but it's also
packed with things.
I'm also done with synchronizing the story in FFnet, Portkey (org) and Ficwad (com). So, now I won't have to
feel confused each time I update it. :P
Chapter Ten - The Failure
It was the second day I had woken up without a problem. The two potions I had to take every night were very helpful. Even if I was sure Muggle medicine could help me the same way, I had to admit magic was very handy.
There was a knock on my door. "I'm awake," I said loud enough for Mrs Weasley to hear me. I instantly wondered why she hadn't simply burst in like she usually did.
The door slowly opened, and I realized it wasn't Mrs Weasley at all. It was Uncle. "Morning, John," he said, entering and walking towards the window, to open the curtains. He then turned around. "Luna will be here in an hour, so why don't you get ready? I'll be waiting downstairs with breakfast."
Uncle left the room, and I noticed he seemed to be wearing clean clothes and that his hair was a bit damp. My room also smelt of some kind of strong cologne because of him. I sneezed as I got up. That was the first time I had seen him so dressed up.
I remembered how Mother would always make me look presentable whenever there were guests back at home. Many dentists and business-people would visit my grandparents from time to time. I sometimes had to spend hours listening to their boring business talks.
Maybe the Weasleys also had to get dressed up when they had visits.
Nearly half an hour later I went to the kitchen, to find breakfast served and Mrs Weasley gone. Only Uncle was there, eating. "Good morning," I said, sitting next to him. I also noticed my breakfast was a little more bearable: toast, jam, milk and cheese. Uncle had his usual energetic (and cholesterol-filled) food.
After swallowing a string of bacon he turned to me and smiled. "Morning, John," he said, and went back to his food. I already knew it was a lost cause to talk to him while he was eating. Most of the time, I didn't understand what he was saying, because he talked with his mouth full.
We ate in considerable silence. All the while, I was thinking of where Mrs Weasley had gone to. I wasn't worried, just curious. I'd never seen that woman leave her house, in the few days I had been living there.
Nevertheless, the oddly calm breakfast came to an end, and after Uncle left the dishes in the sink (I didn't think I'd get used to watching them clean themselves), we went to the living room. I sat on a small worn-out couch, while he sat on a larger one.
We waited in an awkward silence for Miss Lovegood. Since I was rather short for my age, my legs hung in the air, so I busied myself by kicking the air and moving my feet in circles.
Uncle had his elbows resting on his knees, and was leaning forward in his couch. He was fidgeting with his dark blue jumper, and seemed to be nervous about something. After a while he looked up at me. "John," he said and stopped, as if measuring his words. "You know - you know you can trust me, right?" He didn't give me time to answer, because when I opened my mouth, he spoke again. "I mean, when you need any help, you know you can ask me. I'm... Well, I'll do anything for you, okay?"
I found myself speechless. Mostly because I didn't know what to make of it.
A knock on the door startled us, and Uncle quickly went to answer the door. Miss Lovegood stepped in, dressed in casual dark robes. "Hello, Ronald," she said as she walked into the house. She spotted me and smiled softly. "Hello, John."
"Good morning, Miss Lovegood," I said, standing up.
She looked over her shoulder at Uncle and raised an eyebrow. He simply shrugged. I wondered what was that about, but neither of them seemed interested in sharing that with me. Turning back to me, Miss Lovegood sat down on the couch where Uncle had been sitting. "John, do you want your uncle Ron to stay in the room with us, or do you want to talk with me alone?"
I looked at Uncle nervously. He smiled. "Whatever you want, I'll respect that, John," he said.
My gaze shifted to the floor. "I... I want to talk with Miss Lovegood... alone."
"That's all right," she said, her voice calm and casual.
When I looked up at Uncle, I was relieved that he wasn't angry or disappointed. He smiled at me and nodded. "Have a nice chat. I'm going to Diagon Alley to help Mum with the groceries."
"That blue suits you, Ronald. It even repels Inu-jins," Miss Lovegood said vaguely. Uncle blinked and blushed, before nodding and leaving quickly through the front door.
I looked curiously at her. "What's an... Ee-noo-sheen?"
"An Inu-jin is a tiny little creature that looks like a dog and likes to eat clothes. Some Japanese family brought them along many centuries ago, and they have spread all over Britain since then. But they don't like the blue color," she explained.
There were so many things I didn't know about the magical world that the Inu-jins seemed amazing to me. "Wow," I said. Thankfully I had blue socks on.
She nodded knowingly, before looking at me with an expectant expression. "What did you want to talk about, John?"
I sighed and looked at my hands. I didn't want to say anything bad about anyone. But I knew I could trust Miss Lovegood as a professional, even if Uncle seemed awkward around her. "I don't understand what's going on between Mrs Weasley and Uncle. They keep yelling at each other. Uncle seems mad at her, and she seems to always find a fault in what he does."
I could almost swear her lips twitched upwards when I asked that, as if she found that funny. "You're a smart boy, John," she said softly, before straightening up in the couch. She looked up briefly, like she was trying to think about how to go on. "Well, I've known them since I graduated from Hogwarts, seven years ago," she started. "Did you know Ronald is not Molly's only child?" I nodded, though I didn't remember exactly how many siblings Uncle had. "He has five older brothers and a younger sister.
"Bill, the oldest, became a skilled curse-breaker and works for Gringotts. He got married when Ronald was seventeen, and has a son of your age. Charlie is still working in Romania, as a dragon tamer. Then there's Percy, he works in the Ministry as the Minister's personal assistant. Fred and George are twins, they own a shop. They sell anything a prankster needs," she explained. "Ginny, the only female born Weasley in many generations, works with the twins. And she's married to an Auror."
I blinked in realization. "Uncle... doesn't have a job..." I said slowly, and then remembered about the newspaper. "He thinks he found one, a cook needs an assistant at the Leaky Cauldron. But Mrs Weasley wasn't happy about it." Miss Lovegood's eyebrows raised when I mentioned the possible job. "He says he likes it. And he knows how to cook," I said defensively.
She smiled, almost fondly. "I know he does. Your uncle is very talented when it comes to Quidditch and food."
"I think he's fun," I said looking at my hands again. "And he listens to me."
"Do you think Molly doesn't listen to you?" Miss Lovegood asked in a curious tone.
I shook my head. "She's nice, but she's... It's like she's... everywhere and I feel - I feel trapped," I said honestly. Her eyebrows had raised, once again, in what I supposed was surprise. "Is it bad?"
"No, John. You have the right to feel the way you do. If someone is not making you feel okay, you can't be forced to like them," she said as if it was obvious. "But I think you should tell people when they make you feel uncomfortable. It's important that you learn to do things for yourself."
I frowned at her, but not in anger. "Mother always told me that," I said softly, remembering.
"I'm sure she did," Miss Lovegood said. "I didn't know her like your father and uncle did, but I know she was great person. Very smart and wise."
My eyes watered, and I tried hard not to cry. "Why did she die? She could have used Apparition! But she didn't, she just placed some spells on me..." I choked, and pulled my legs closer to me.
Miss Lovegood quietly got up from her couch and hugged me. I felt I couldn't hold on anymore. I hugged her back and cried. "It requires a lot of concentration to apparate from one place to another," she explained softly. "Your mother was a smart woman, she must've known there wasn't enough time to try a side-along apparition."
I cried again, but this time more freely than when I had met Crookshanks after the accident. It felt almost like a betrayal, though. I was hugging a woman, crying, and seeking the kind of comfort I got when hugging Mother. That made me cry more.
When I finally stopped crying, I was feeling tired and sleepy. Miss Lovegood was still hugging me, rubbing my back from time to time. At some point, I had ended up sitting on her lap and burying my face on her shoulder and her hair. I sadly noticed it wasn't the same as Mother's hair.
I heard the front door open, and Miss Lovegood shifted a bit in the couch, but didn't let go. And I buried my face in her neck, not wanting to let her go. "Is he asleep?" I heard Uncle whisper.
"I don't think so," Miss Lovegood said as quietly. "John, do you want to go to bed?" she asked me.
I shook my head. "No."
They didn't say anything for a few moments, though I felt Miss Lovegood moving her arms slightly. "John, would you mind letting her sit in the other couch? You can sit next to her," Uncle said softly.
Finally I nodded. "Okay," I said, letting go of Miss Lovegood and allowing Uncle to pick me up and carry me to the bigger couch. I saw the blonde woman standing up and stretching a bit, but otherwise calm and not angry. But I felt guilty for having acted like a leech.
Uncle sat next to me and allowed me to lean on him. I instantly hugged his side, like a tick changing hosts. He simply chuckled softly. I saw Miss Lovegood smile slightly at us and then she walked out of the living room. I panicked. "Where is she going?" Wasn't she going to say goodbye?
"I reckon she needs to use the loo," Uncle whispered in a conspirational tone. I blushed. "Which reminds me, you should go when she returns. I bought lunch from the Leaky Cauldron for the three of us."
I looked up at him curiously. "Where is Mrs Weasley?"
"Well, she went to see Fred and George, my brothers. They own a shop in Diagon Alley," he explained. "My sister was there as well. She won't come back until dinner time, because she's arranging everything for... Oh!" he said, as if remembering something. "Tomorrow night we'll have a... family dinner, for... New Year's Eve."
I raised my eyebrows in realization. It would be the first time I saw a new year without Mother. Suddenly I wondered if I'd be an intrusion to the Weasley family dinner. "Where do I go?" I asked.
Uncle seemed taken aback. "Well, here, of course. You're part of the family," he said. I felt happy to be considered part of the family, even if I didn't think I deserved it.
Right then, Miss Lovegood came back and sat on the other side of the couch. I quickly changed hosts, much to their amusement. "What were you two talking about?" she asked as she caressed my hair.
"About tomorrow night, New Year's Eve," Uncle explained. Then, after a few moments of silence, he spoke up again. "Who are you spending it with?"
I felt her shrug. "By myself," she said casually. I quickly looked at Uncle over my shoulder, and frowned. He looked at me and then nodded, a smile creeping on his face.
"Would you... um, like to have dinner with us?" Uncle asked, suddenly looking nervous.
"It's noon, Ronald," Miss Lovegood said amusedly.
He chuckled. "I meant tomorrow night. Though I'm counting on you eating lunch with us," he added.
I looked up at Miss Lovegood and put up my best puppy face, the kind that Mother never could resist. She smiled down at me and then turned to Uncle, and laughed softly. When I looked at him over my shoulder I had to laugh as well. It seemed I wasn't the only one who thought about the face, though he looked silly, being an adult and all. "I can't say no, if you both look so cute, can I?" she asked rhetorically. I knew I wasn't the only one blushing at that comment.
We sprung into action after that. Uncle heated the food he brought and the three of us sat at the kitchen table.
After swallowing a large piece of meat, Uncle looked at me. "Guess what?" he asked. I blinked and raised an eyebrow, curious. "I talked to Tom, the landlord of the Leaky Cauldron. I told him I was interested in the job, and after a little demonstration he said I'll get the job."
I felt very happy. My mind had been replaying what Miss Lovegood had told me about his siblings, and I knew he really needed to be told it was a good idea. "Congratulations. I'm sure everyone will enjoy your cooking, Uncle."
"Congratulations, Ronald," Miss Lovegood said brightly. "I think it's a smart decision. I'll be sure to pass by and eat lunch there, then."
They stared at each other for a moment. I blinked in confusion. They almost reminded me of the sappy books Mother used to read to me so I would fall asleep. Both adults blushed and looked back into their plates. Finally, I understood what was going on. I hid my smile as I drank from my cup.
Miss Lovegood stayed with us until five o' clock in the afternoon. I took a nap in Uncle's arms as he and she talked in the living room. Then they showed me a large Weasley family album, so I would know who was who on New Year's Eve.
As Uncle closed the front door and sighed, having said goodbye to Miss Lovegood, I smiled mischievously and said, in the most innocent tone I could manage. "Don't worry, Uncle. You'll see Miss Lovegood tomorrow night."
I almost burst out laughing at his expression, which was a mix of surprise and embarrassment.
Notes: Wow. Now we know more about the Weasleys, and John figured out something about his Uncle and
Luna. Also, Mrs Weasley made a good thing today! Congratulations!
Sometimes I get impatient, and this story is mostly an exercise to me. I had to rewrite a few things, because I almost
rushed into something that shouldn't happen until later chapters.