A/N Thanks to everyone who reviewed :D
So here's chapter seven…you thought Ron was mad? Well, he's got nothing…wait till the heavy artillery thunders out…here's a hint: it's plump and has red hair.
Chapter VII: Furious Encounters
Mrs. Weasley was humming happily under her breath, as she perused various items on her shopping trip to Diagon Alley. The sun-filled Saturday promised her a calm day of attending to the rather lengthy list of items she had prepared the very same morning.
The matriarch's steps led her to her first destination - Madam Malkin's, to purchase a new set of daily robes for herself and Arthur. Once inside, she began inspecting the generous selection of apparel, but failed to notice madam Malkin herself, because she was sitting in a chair, hidden behind a copy of the Wizarding newspaper, The Daily Prophet.
Mrs. Weasley, slightly put off by the shop owner's ignorance, coughed purposefully to attract her attention.
Her gesture worked; Madam Malkin, seeming irritated at the interruption, put the paper down slightly haughtily.
"Oh, Molly!" her annoyed demeanor evaporated immediately upon the sight of her client, and was promptly replaced by a mechanical smile.
Mrs. Weasley eyed her host suspiciously. "Is everything alright?" she asked slowly.
Madam Malkin's smile faltered under Mrs. Weasley's scrutinizing gaze.
"Molly, look," she said quietly, "as your friend, foremost, I should tell you…"
"Yes?"
"You…you do appear to be in excellent spirits today!" Madam Malkin said in a falsely cheery voice; Mrs. Weasley induced that she was protecting some secret.
"Well, yes," she replied slowly. "Shouldn't I be?"
"No, not at all," her adversary replied quickly. "Would you prefer me to help you choose your robes today?" she hastily changed the subject.
Deciding to leave the matter at rest for current, Molly Weasley assented to the change of topic.
An hour had passed, and content with her choices, Mrs. Weasley stepped out of the robe shop, and made her way to Flourish and Blotts, anxious to purchase a newly released cookbook that she had had anticipated for quite some time.
Eventually, she weaved her way through the crowded Diagon Alley, and managed to enter the bookstore. Full of a chattering crowd, Mrs. Weasley huffed in annoyance as she attempted to squeeze her way through the rather packed situation.
The buzz of heated conversation between people did not entice her much, but her disregard of the surroundings was short-lived. As soon as she had picked up the book she was in pursuit of, Mrs. Weasley heard the name of one of her sons being mentioned.
"It isn't believable," a stout woman was saying to her companion of identical physical stature, "but Ron Weasley is supposedly divorcing. You know, without him, the Chudley Cannons do not stand a chance this season…"
"Hmm, I think it's true, though," the other woman replied. "Rumor has it, the informant was straight from the Ministry."
Her curiosity peaked; Mrs. Weasley paid for the book, and departed once more to investigate the reasons behind the rumor the entirety of Flourish and Blotts was so preoccupied with discussing under their breaths…
**
Just as she was beginning to cut up the potatoes for tonight's dinner, an unexpected knock came on the window. She flipped open the latch, and a tawny owl flew haphazardly inside. It carried a small envelope, inscribed with the crest of the Ministry of Magic.
Mrs. Weasley placed the knife near the sink, and took the envelope from the owl, and opened it. A short note fell from it.
Dear Mr. And Mrs. Weasley,
You have been chosen to participate as witnesses to the divorce proceedings of your son, Ronald Bilius Weasley, and your daughter, Ginvevra Molly Potter. The hearing will commence at precisely eleven o'clock, on Wednesday of next week. Your presence is necessary and encouraged.
Best,
Motley Peshkir
Department of Legal Matter, Ministry of Magic
Confusion and bewilderment; she had never received any notice of Ron and Ginny divorcing. As far as she was concerned, they were happily married to Hermione and Harry respectively; at all the family events they had showed, both marriages seemed fine to her, and they ought to be!
This matter must have been a prank of some sort; it was all too sudden, too unexpected. She needed to talk to at least one of her children. Coincidentally, Mrs. Weasley remembered, Ginny was supposed to be coming for a visit today - she had been meaning to talk to her daughter about married life anyways, and see if she could persuade her to divulge details of her arrangement with Harry.
Because, more than anything else, Mrs. Weasley wished to become a grandmother, and five years had already passed. However, with the brand new development of divorce at hand, she considered that putting another pause on that wish might be the wisest choice at the moment.
**
Several hours later, the front door creaked open, and three voices could be heard talking merrily - those of Arthur Weasley, Ron and Ginny.
"Hey, mom!" Ginny greeted enthusiastically when the party had entered the kitchen.
Alas, their recipient was in a far from a celebratory mood.
"Hello, Ginny," her mother replied very sternly, and the wide smile on Ginny's face faltered; then, it disappeared completely. Ron and Mr. Weasley stood aside, watching the exchange with interest, and not uttering a word. Quite clearly, the tidal wave of anger that was Molly Weasley would soon break loose…
"I received a curious letter today, Ginny," Mrs. Weasley proceeded speaking, her voice still strained; she flicked an accusatory glance in Ron's direction too, as she said this.
"Oh, ah…really?" Ginny replied slowly. "What did it say?"
"Ginevra," the use of her full first name never boded good, "I think we both know the answer to that question."
Ginny, however, was still at sea.
"What answer?" she exclaimed in impatient frustration.
That response was the last undoing of Molly's restraint.
"Your divorce!" she said loudly. "How do you expect me to be calm when you never told me you had planned on divorcing Harry! It's despicable, an outrage! And to think, I am your mother…"
Ginny was simply terrified of Mrs. Weasley's reaction. She had indeed planned on telling her parents eventually, shortly before the hearing commenced, but certainly not in this fashion…
Mr. Weasley's expression, however, was unreadable. His eyes were full of disappointment, shock and if it was possible, disgust.
"Why didn't you tell us?" he asked his children both quietly. "It would have been correct to let us know, not keep us in the dark. What have we done to deserve such treatment?"
Red with shame, Ron and Ginny had bowed their heads, unable to formulate a respectful response; not that they could have - the situation demanded of them to endure their parents' fury with silence.
"And you!" Mrs. Weasley rounded on her son. "How could you put Hermione through this! She has done nothing for you, but cared! I would have never thought it of you, demanding to divorce her! Have you no courage, decency? And you call yourself a man! Shameful!"
The tirade continued, and Ron's vain attempt to correct his mother that Hermione had actually demanded of him to end the marriage, was only met with increased anger from her.
"Mom!" Ginny said loudly to capture Mrs. Weasley's attention; it worked - the latter's fierce gaze immediately locked on Ginny, and her jaw was set, ready to spread another round of fiery words…
"Listen," Ginny attempted to reason shakily. "I know you're angry about the whole affair…"
"Affair!" Mrs. Weasley exclaimed. "You mean to tell me, you're both divorcing because you each had a secret lover!"
Ginny knew that in her anger, her mother had interpreted her wrongly, but unfortunately, that wrong interpretation was also correct about the actual matters of the situation.
Her subdued gaze was the only affirmation Mrs. Weasley was looking for.
"Despicable!" she whispered under her breath. "I would have never expected it, let alone of my own two children!" her tone rose to a dangerous pitch once more.
She turned her eyes to Ron again. "And who is it you shagged behind Hermione's back?" her voice shot at him.
"Mom, it was Ginny who admitted…" Ron started, but immediately fell silent; two pairs of furious eyes were directed at him, and if looks could kill, by now he would be a dead man.
"Luna Lovegood," he murmured to the wall under his breath.
"I didn't hear you well enough!" Mrs. Weasley told him.
"Luna Lovegood, alright!" Ron shouted in return.
She was slightly startled by Ron's outburst, but Mrs. Weasley knew how to retain her dominant position.
"And for what possible reason, could you choose Luna Lovegood over Hermione! Ridiculous! Have you lost your ever-loving mind! ?"
The thunderous ranting of the Weasley matriarch rendered Ron incapable of producing an answer - he could only stand in silent anger, listening to his mother verbally berate his relationship with Luna. Unconsciously, his hands had curled into fists over the coarse of Molly's tirade.
Then she rounded on Ginny once more. Somehow, Ron knew what would come next, as two fatal words were uttered from Ginny's mouth - Draco Malfoy.
The sharp sound of a slap across the face echoed in the kitchen. Ginny lost her balance, and nearly fell, but managed to catch herself in time and regain her stability. Livid, Mrs. Weasley was inches from her, shouting profanities and curses that Ron thought he would never hear his mother ever say.
Mr. Weasley, still sitting at the table, was observing the whole scene with passiveness, and still looking quite hurt by the concealed knowledge. He made no effort to restrain his wife, because he quite agreed Ron and Ginny deserved the verbal lashing they were currently being subjected to.
Ginny, however, could not bear her mother's assault any longer. Her head swam with all the horrible insults that her angered mother had directed at her, purposefully or not, and her will broke at last. A tear slid down her cheek, and she averted her eyes from Mrs. Weasley's face. Soon, the stream of tears was intensified, and Ginny moved to sit on a chair, still facing away from Mrs. Weasley. She placed her palms over her face, in an effort to hide her emotion, and let the sadness that her welled within her take hold…
Motherly instincts were not suppressed entirely in Mrs. Weasley; upon seeing her daughter crying, her shouting ceased immediately. The other two people in the room looked up in surprise, taken aback by the turn of events.
"Ginny?" Mrs. Weasley asked quietly, albeit hoarsely.
"Don't look at me," Ginny sobbed into her hands.
Mrs. Weasley placed a hand on Ginny's shoulder, but she moved away. Tear-strained eyes looked up.
"Why won't you permit me to live my life the way I want to? Why do I always have to meet your expectation?" Ginny asked her mother quietly.
Silently, Ron only agreed with his younger sister.
"I only want the best for you, Ginny," Mrs. Weasley replied. "As any mother would for her children. My expectation of you is to fulfill your life however you want, but if you are making a bad choice, I feel the need to step in."
"Well, don't!" Ginny exclaimed; she was still crying. "I love Draco Malfoy, no matter what you have to say about it, and I am going to marry him!"
"Ginny! Control yourself," Mrs. Weasley snapped in return. "He is a Malfoy - shady, unpredictable and dangerous. Besides, you already have a good life with Harry."
"Not anymore," her daughter said quietly more still.
"What?"
"Mom, it's been too long…Harry and I put off what was inevitable. Our marriage is not what I dreamed it to be once upon a time, and the reality is different…from your expectations too."
"How is it possible?" Mrs. Weasley mouthed in, unsurprisingly, amazement.
"We grew apart, Mom, and he too initiated an affair; with Hermione."
Agape at the explanation, Mrs. Weasley swiveled her head in Ron's direction, asking him silently. He nodded in agreement with Ginny's statement.
"And I am to believe," she began incredulously, "that you two are completely settled and accepting of the circumstances, and you are willingly entering into new relationships?"
"Yeah, that would about summarize it nicely," said Ron.
"And you!" Mrs. Weasley rounded on her son again. "What have you to say for yourself? Is Hermione even agreed to this?"
"Oh, yes, mom, she has," Ron affirmed, and flinched slightly as Mrs. Weasley's eyes flashed dangerously again.
"It isn't complicated," he hurried to explain. "After I was aware that she and Harry had a relationship, I was mad, indeed, possibly worse than you are now," yet, he was aware of the futility of that last part, "and I did fight with Harry over it…actually, I did catch them both in the middle of, ah…well, the point is, it has been settled, and the divorces will happen."
"What about Harry then?" asked Mrs. Weasley. "How does he feel about it?"
"Well, me and him don't quite see eye to eye yet," answered Ron. "But that will change for the better with time…I hope you can accept it eventually as well…"
"And Luna! Why her, out of many, much more eligible women?"
"Mom," Ron smiled, "love is strange…it can surprise and amaze you, as well as smack you into the ground. Luna told me what I needed to realize for a long time - I was a bad husband to Hermione, and simply, she deserves someone better than myself. As it happens, that person is Harry."
Mrs. Weasley opened her mouth to retort, but closed it again - instead, her next question was for Ginny. Mustering all the remaining anger she had simmering within her, Mrs. Weasley turned to her daughter.
"And why a Malfoy? What is it about him you love so much?" she could not keep a small amount of disgust out of her voice as she said this.
"Why? Because he is everything to me that Harry isn't - attentive and understanding. He cares for me, mom, much more than Harry did…he isn't his father, and even if you have cause for a personal vendetta towards the Malfoys, or dad, for that matter, forget it!"
"Ginny, I do not have cause for revenge against the Malfoy family, nor does your father," Mrs. Weasley explained patiently. "The only concern is that, given the history, he may be swayed in the Dark Arts and suspicious dealings; our interest is to protect you."
"I know that, mom," said Ginny impatiently, "but I know he loves me! And why did you have to insult him, and me, so badly earlier?"
For the first time, Mrs. Weasley looked slightly uncomfortable. This time, however, Mr. Weasley reminded the other occupants of his presence.
"Because, Ginny," he said, and his daughter turned to him, "you are at fault for the most important aspect of the whole matter - you did not tell us in time. Place yourself in your mother's position; what would you have done, if, quite suddenly, you were informed by your children that they were divorcing for the sake of secret lovers?"
Ginny, and Ron, had to admit that their father was quite right.
"Well, for whatever it may be worth," Ginny said, "I apologize."
"Yeah, me too," Ron said immediately after. "I'm sorry."
Their parents remained silent for a few minutes. The tension was evident, as Ron and Ginny waited for a reaction.
"No matter what," Mrs. Weasley said, "your father and I will always support you - even if your decisions may not always be for the best."
"On the contrary, mom, this time they are," Ginny said confidently; she was not crying any more, but her eyes were still red from the tears they had shed earlier.
"So what of this hearing then?" asked Mr. Weasley. "Are we supposed to be the witnesses, dear?"
"Yes, Arthur," Mrs. Weasley replied thoughtfully. "The hearing will be next Wednesday."
"Hmm, I see," her husband replied just as thoughtfully. "What time?"
"Eleven."
"Alright, then I think we should be there."
"Mom, Dad," Ron said, "are you completely sure that you're all right with…you know…"
"Right now, Ron, no, we are not," Mrs. Weasley replied. "But in time, I hope, that we will be - there will certainly be many new changes to consider and become used to."
"I agree with your mother, Ron," Mr. Weasley said too.
Taking this to be a final cue of their conversation, Ron and Ginny expressed their apologies once again and bid their parents goodbye.
The sunset was beautiful as the siblings left the house to ponder their future…were they taking a right step in their lives?
A/N Chapter seven…we just saw a Weasley showdown, and a shaky reconciliation…will it hold at the hearing? Stay tuned to find out; as chapter 8 will hold the answer…in the meanwhile, reviews are more than welcome.
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