12th January, 2000. 7:40a.m.
“Harry?” an anxious, slightly grating female voice called down the Floo into The Burrow. Although it was early, both Harry and Ginny were awake – Harry to prepare for work, Ginny to take care of their young son. “Harry?” it shrilled again.
With an angry grumble, Ginny placed Xander into his high chair and called back, “He’s upstairs, Lavender. Why don’t you just come on through?” There was a short pause after this brusque, accusative question – after all, Ginny had better things to do than be expected to wait hand and foot on prospective Weasleys at this hour of the morning. She had her hands full with the Potters.
A moment later, a disheveled, poorly dressed Lavender tumbled into the kitchen. “Good morning, Lavender. What on earth is the matter with you? What on earth are you doing up?” Ginny exclaimed, observing her soon-to-be-sister-in-law’s attire: her robes were somewhat rumpled and half-slumped off her shoulder, her hair was sticking out all over the place, and she was only wearing one shoe.
“Where’s Harry? Where’s Ron?” Lavender demanded, brushing aside Ginny’s questions and looking wildly about the room.
Ginny felt a rising concern in her belly and unconsciously reached out a hand to stroke Xander’s head, reaffirming the safety and well-being of her family. She had no idea what her soon-to-be-sister-in-law was talking about. Wasn't Ron supposed to be with her? The panic on her old schoolmate's face was distressing, and with a hand still resting on her son's head, she called out for her husband, leaning back and aiming her mouth at the staircase in an attempt to reach him more effectively. “Harry’s upstairs. Harry. Harry!”
“Yes, my sweet?” he responded, his words followed by a clatter of his footsteps on the stairs before he burst into the room. “What’s all this commotion? Lavender, what on earth are you doing here at this time? Is everything all right?” He gave Lavender a confused look and then turned to his wife, as if to request an explanation. She raised an eyebrow and shrugged, passing the burden of dealing with Lavender on to him, before returning her suddenly anxious attentions to her young son.
Huh. Harry knew that look from his wife. Lavender was apparently <i>his</i> concern now. Generously, Harry turned back to Lavender, who he had grown to like more and more after the War had ended, although they hadn’t gotten on all that well whilst at Hogwarts. He had thought her frivolous, silly, and, well, a little scary, but she seemed to suit Ron well, and they were making a good go of things. The woman in front of him appeared scared and confused now, however, and not at all like her usual self.
“Where is he? What’s going on? You told me he would come home last night, but…” Lavender’s sentenced trailed off, for the conclusion was obvious.
“What do you mean? Didn’t he come back last night? He’s not here!” Harry added, protesting his innocence. Ginny stood erect now, whereas she had been hunched over the high chair before, and she was giving her husband a concerned look. She stepped closer towards the pair, and Lavender’s attention was drawn towards her.
“He didn’t come back, Gin! You told me he was going to! What happened last night? Where would he be?”
Ginny and Harry exchanged looks. They had told Lavender that Ron would be out late on ‘wedding business’. Although she knew that he wanted to get back in touch with Hermione and attempt to heal the rift between them, she hadn’t known that he was intending to visit her last night. Lavender caught their gesture, however, and her eyes narrowed accusingly.
“He went to see <i>her</i>, didn’t he! That bastard! We were supposed to do that <i>together</i>!” she snarled, her face flushing in anger.
“Lavender, Lavender, calm down. Ron needed to do it by himself. He wanted to spare you the burden of having to try and fix something that wasn’t your fault. He didn’t <i>want</i> to hide it from you.”
“Oh, he’s gone to profess his love for her. Don’t think I don’t know about that! How he always says 'I loved her' in a wistful voice and forgets to add that he still does.” Harry shifted his weight uncomfortably from one foot to another now. How did Lavender know about that? Ginny was looking at him. Obviously, he was supposed to say something. Oh, no, it was too late. Lavender turned to Ginny with a small wail. “He wouldn’t run off with her, would he, Gin? He would never do that to me, would he?” she sobbed, throwing herself into Ginny’s arms now, her anger apparently having run its course.
“No, no, of course not. He loves you, Lavender,” Ginny told her soothingly, rubbing the other woman’s back gently as she did so.
Harry noticed that she was still looking at him. What on earth did she expect him to say? Well, agree with her, for starters.
“No, Lavender. Ron would never do anything like that.”
“Are you sure? I know the history, Harry. I’m not stupid. You don’t know that he won’t leave me for her." Harry wondered how Ginny could get away with saying the same thing and <i>not</i> get the third degree. He <i>really</i> didn't want to be dealing with this right now. " I… I don’t know what I’d do if he did… What would I tell Mummy?” Lavender sobbed out, her chest heaving.
“Lavender, shh. I promise you, Ron would never hurt you. He isn’t capable of doing such a thing. Ron is the sweetest guy you could ever wish for. He’s definitely the sweetest of the Weasley boys! I’m sure there’s just been a misunderstanding. Perhaps he’s gone to see Bill or something,” Ginny suggested hopefully. Their elder brother lived in London now with his wife and two small children. He’d become rather domesticated since he’d married Padma Patil, and the couple were so accommodating that Ron was known to frequently take refuge there when he and Lavender had a fight, or when he had been out drinking. It wasn’t <i>that</i> unlikely a solution to their current problem.
“I’ll go and Floo Bill, okay?” Harry suggested helpfully, although he was really just incredibly eager to be away from the crying woman. Ginny, who clearly knew his tactic, gave Harry a sharp glare, but she silently guided Lavender towards the kitchen table and into a chair as Harry slipped from the room.
***
12th January, 2000. 7:59 a.m.
“Nope, sorry, mate. Honestly haven’t seen him.”
Harry let out a large sigh. “I don’t suppose you’d lie to me to protect him, would you?”
“Harry, what on earth would make you think that?” Bill replied with a small chuckle. “No, seriously, though. I haven’t seen him. He hasn’t come around here,” Bill continued in a more worried tone. “Do you have any way of contacting him? Perhaps we can try the Patronus messages like we did during the War?”
“I have no idea where he might be. I couldn’t even guess at where else he would go if he’s not here, at yours or at Lav’s. Still, the Patronus message might be a good idea. Thanks, Bill. Give my love to Padma and the kids.”
“Will do, mate. Likewise to Ginny and Xander.”
Harry pensively watched his brother-in-law disappear from view and remained crouched in front of the fireplace for a brief moment. Where on earth would Ron have gone? He <i>knew</i> he shouldn’t have let Ron go alone last night. Could he be still at Hermione’s? It just didn’t make any sense. Unless, of course, Lavender’s worst fears were confirmed. But that just didn’t add up. Hermione hated them all. Hermione refused all contact with them. She wouldn’t just leap into bed with Ron the second he came to see her. Unless to punish him with it later on, perhaps, but wouldn’t that be just too twisted? It was not at all a Hermione thing to do. He couldn't believe that she would do such a thing. Then, with a shudder, Harry remembered all that she had been through. Who was he to say what a ‘Hermione thing to do’ was? He didn’t know her anymore. The Hermione he had known was dead to him.
He could vaguely hear Ginny’s voice in the kitchen, and he realised that he would be expected to report back to them as soon as he could. With a groan of worry and guilt at having to break the bad news, Harry pushed to his feet and strode into the kitchen.
“Well?” Ginny demanded forthrightly the second he entered the room.
“No dice. Sorry, Lavender, but Bill hasn’t seen him.”
“Actually hasn’t seen him or just says he hasn’t seen him?” Ginny responded before Lavender could open her mouth. From the look on her face, however, she had simply been intending to wail a little and then break down into sobbing again. They could do without that, and Harry thought it was kind of funny that she wouldn't do so unless she had a captive audience. Then, he shrugged the uncharitable thought from his mind. This was <i>serious</i>.
“I already thought of that. Bill said he really hadn’t seen him, and I believe him. He wouldn’t lie about this, would he?”
“He’s left me!” Lavender wailed, finally managing to break into their conversation during the pause after Harry's question. “I’ve been jilted! He’s left me for that murderous bitch!”
“Lavender!” Ginny chastised angrily, hurrying over to Xander and lifting him from his high chair. She shot Harry a glance, as if to say ‘You know what, you deal with this’, and then swept from the room with her young son.
Harry, feeling totally out of his element, laid an awkward hand on Lavender’s shoulder. “Honestly, Lavender, you’re overreacting.”
“Well, where is he then?” she retorted, wiping her nose with the back of her hand and glaring up at him suspiciously.
“I don’t know. Bill suggested we try a Patronus message. I’ll do that now, okay? Why don’t you go to the bathroom and clean yourself up, and I’ll make us all some tea?”
***
12th January, 2000. 8:43 a.m.
“Why isn’t it back yet? It’s still not back!” Lavender whined over her tea. Harry had sent his Patronus message, Ginny had Flooed her brother again, ‘just to make sure’, and Lavender had wailed and whined the entire time.
“I don’t know, Lavender,” Harry responded wearily. “Maybe you should go home and wait for him there?” he suggested as tactfully as he could. “We’ll let you know the second the Patronus gets back.”
“You’re just trying to get rid of me. You know where he is, don’t you? Is he here?” Lavender leapt up from her chair now, her voice rising in anger, her gaze furious. “You’re hiding him from me! How could you?” she burst out before fleeing the room. They heard her clatter up the stairs, and it was obvious that she meant to search the entire house.
Harry and his wife exchanged glances. Both of them knew what the other was thinking without having to speak. This was ridiculous. And annoying. Lavender under normal circumstances was fine. Lavender the emotional whirlwind was not.
“I’ll go after her. She’ll upset Xander,” Ginny muttered in annoyance. Just as she was about to stand, a Patronus burst through the wall and frolicked around the table. Harry’s Patronus. With a look of amazement, Harry flicked his wand, and the Patronus disappeared. Turning back to his wife, he was shocked at the pale, anxious look on her face.
“Harry, something’s wrong. Something’s dreadfully wrong.”
“What do you mean? What on earth’s happened?” Lavender demanded from the doorway. Apparently, she had completed her search and was satisfied that her friends weren’t hiding her fiancé from her.
“Harry’s Patronus came back, Lavender.”
“What? What do you mean? Was there a message from Ron? Why didn’t he send his own Patronus?” she queried, looking between them wearily.
“No, Lavender. No message from Ron. Just my Patronus,” Harry told her solemnly. He turned to look at his wife, and the look on her face compelled him to step towards her and put an arm around her shoulders. They had seen this before. During the War. A Patronus was always able to deliver its message unless one was in a deliberately charmed room. Or one was dead. But that couldn’t be the answer. Ron couldn’t be dead. But then, where was he?