Chapter 81: Chapter 81 - Legend of the Weasley Family [THE END Part 1] III
"That's me. I just got out of the Veil," Ron replied, clearing the confusion as he approached the table. "What's going on? Where is Madam Bones? How long was I gone?"
He doesn't look that old.
From Shacklebolt's point of view, a man who looked like Ronald Bilius Weasley suddenly appeared. Was he just going to believe it without making sure? Absolutely not.
"Prove it." Shacklebolt prepared to draw his wand quickly if need be.
Ron scratched his head. "How?"
Shacklebolt froze too. How indeed. "Memories? Show me the memories where I was present too. That way, I can examine if they are true or a fabrication."
"Brilliant idea! Do you have the sink?" Ron asked back. Having lived with so many Sirius Blacks for so long had changed his personality slightly. A little more eccentric and quick.
"I have one right here."
Ron then quickly put his memory in the pensieve. The memory of his first meeting with Shacklebolt. Their work together in the Knockturn Alley, and then the final battle.
"It's really you!" Shacklebolt exclaimed. "How did you survive?"
"It's a long story."
Clak!
"Minister, the draft is completed. They need your appr…"
That voice! Ron jumped up from his seat and turned around. Sirius had taught him to never show tears in front of a girl, but it was really hard. Seeing Hermione again was the true approval that he was truly home.
Right there, he saw Hermione lose her grip on the file folder she was carrying. Her face froze in a shocked expression. But Ron honestly appreciated how amazingly beautiful she had gotten. She was clearly older now, but whatever weight she had gained, had made her look taller and finer. Her hair was somehow straight, and she looked charming.
"W-Who are you?"
"He's him." Minister Shacklebolt left his chair all of a sudden and walked past Hermione. He tapped on her shoulder before leaving. "I've confirmed, it's Ron Weasley. I'll leave you two to talk."
Ron matched with her watery eyes. He didn't move and let her slowly reach closer to him. He felt worried about how she might react. The last memories he gave her before 'dying' weren't really happy memories.
Let's just face it like a man.
"Hey, Hermione."
Pat!
Pat!
Hermione softly tapped on his cheeks. Her eyes looked as if diluted, her movement stiff.
Pat!
Pat!
"It's really me, Hermione."
Pat!
Pat!
"Bloody hell, just slap me for good if you want." Ron felt more worried at the lack of outbursts. "I'm sorry, I couldn't return earlier. I was stuck inside and so much happened. It turns out, you don't really die once you fall in there. You get stuck in a time pris—"
Woosh!
Hermione lunged at him and hugged him, arms wrapped around his neck. Her little sniffles became audible, and her tears drenched his neck. He shut his mouth and embraced her back by her waist and held her close.
"I missed you," Hermione murmured weakly. "I missed you so much."
"Me too," Ron replied. At the end of the day, she was one of his two closest friends. More than friends perhaps. "I'm sorry, Hermione. I'm sorry for everything."
"Shh… Don't, it's been seven years. No need to bring that up—"
"S-Seven?!" Ron broke the hug abruptly and shouted. "Seven bloody years? What? Merlin's beard! Oh no, no, no… That's almost a decade!"
Anne and Edgar must be seven too. Oh dear Merlin's tits! Oh no, they won't even recognize me. What have I done? This is madness. Death was better.
"Ron? What happened there? You look… the same."
Ron looked at his absolutely stunning friend and grabbed her hands. "Hermione, bring Harry along to the Burrow. I will explain everything there. I'm sorry, I must go home now and check something."
Snap!
Ron vanished instantly.
Blank-faced, with dry tears, Hermione was left standing there dumbfounded. But Ron leaving didn't shock her.
"H-How did he apparate away from the Minister's office? Wait, was that even Apparition?"
####
Snap!
With the crackle of the air, Ron appeared right outside the front door of his house. The place looked just as it was back then, but he could feel there was more magic in it. He had already upgraded it and increased the space inside with magic.
"Mum! Dad! I'm back!"
Clak!
Ron opened the door and stormed in. The same old cozy feelings overcame him, the same couch and the sitting area. He felt his heart throb in anticipation. So, he rushed towards the kitchen since it was almost afternoon.
"Mum!" He shouted.
As he entered the kitchen, he saw Molly's back. For some reason, she was so lost stirring the pot on the stove that she didn't even hear him shout and come so close. He reached all the way to her right side and looked at her aged face. It broke his heart.
"Mum, look at me. I'm back."
Molly's tears ran out. "I-I still hear him… Oh, Ron."
"..."
At that point, Ron ran out of patience, grabbed her chin, and turned her face towards himself. "Mum, I came back! I got out of the damn Veil in the Ministry. Look, tall and strong!"
"..."
There was still no reaction from Molly. She looked left and right, pinched her own face, and then tried to wave her hand across Ron's body as if to see if he was a ghost. But she smacked it right on his face.
Finally, she flinched. Then, she touched him all over. Then, without saying anything, she unbuttoned the top two buttons of his shirt and pulled it open. She glared at the mole right under his right nipple.
"My Ron!"
"..."
It was Ron's turn to be speechless. But he hugged her back nonetheless. At that point, weirdness ran in the family.
"Yeah, it's your Ron."
####
It was a grand feast that night. It felt like half the Wizarding Britain landed at the Burrow. Ron met with them all, and as soon as Harry arrived, he hugged his best mate and took his small gang to the top floor where his cozy room was. There, he sat down in the comfortable chair and watched every face. They all looked older.
"So you ended up marrying my sister." Ron looked at Harry and Ginny sitting shoulder to shoulder on the carpet floor. "Too bad, I couldn't be there."
"We missed you," Ginny said emotionally.
"Oh, it was a mess. But what about you, Hermione?" Ron looked at her with interest. "No romance?"
"Her work is her romance," Harry quipped. "It's rare to find her outside the Ministry. Gatherings like today are more uncommon than Luna's creatures."
I probably caused that. Ron felt guilty in his heart.
"And you, Neville? Hannah? When did it start?" Ron looked at the clumsy wizard who had grown tall, strong, and confident by now.
"In the sixth year… It just happened," Neville embarrassedly answered. "But enough about us. Tell us how you survived inside the Veil, Ron. We all saw you jump into it."
"Well, first of all, I thought Harry died back then." Ron looked at his mate. The scar on Harry's forehead had healed by now. "I was wrong, clear—"
Knock Knock!
All heads turned towards the door.
But it was only Ron who stood up. It was an automatic response to the stunning sight. Fleur was at the door, at last. In her comfortable slim blue jeans, a white t-shirt, and a jeans jacket. She had aged, and she had aged like a fine wine. Ron could see the hint of Apolline in Fleur, especially in her curves. Her hair had grown even longer, and her face even more beautiful.
"I brought cookies." Fleur waved the box in her hand.
"And yourself," Ron replied and walked up to her, pulling her in a warm hug by her soft waist. But Fleur responded with a shameless kiss instead, taking him by surprise and sucking the flavor out of him. She wrapped her arms around his neck as if trying to get her payback for going missing.
"Guys, not now!" Ginny shouted, a blush on her face clear.
"Oh!" Fleur shyly stopped kissing Ron and looked around at the room, waving her hand. "Pardon me, a certain someone promised to marry me... and zen disappeared for seven years."
The greatest regret of my life.
Ron sighed and sat back in his chair again. "I really wanted to come back, but the Veil had me stuck. It's an entire dimension inside of it. If not for the help I got in there, I'd still be stuck."
"Hmm…" Fleur hummed and put the cookie box on the floor in the middle. Then, she walked over to Ron and sat down sideways right on his lap. Her one arm hugged around his neck and she felt his strong arm support her back. She kissed his lips again, her heated body very evident from touch. "Don't expect easy atonement, Monsieur Weasley."
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