Of the Proud and Stubborn

Chapter I. ~ Molly’s Toast

“Hannah, stand still or I’ll never pull this sweater over your head,” groaned Ron, as he duelled with a small girl that had chocolate brown eyes and bushy red hair. She was about four years old, thin and tall for her age. A couple of freckles appeared on her face and when she smiled, her front teeth seemed rather large.

She was laughing, obviously pleased about the fact that her father had trouble dressing her. She jumped up and down and spun around in circles only to annoy him. She then pulled lightly on his thick red hair and smiled cheekily up at him.

“No sweater!” she exclaimed, and stomped her foot. “It’s too hot, I don’t want it.”

“But we’re inside now. Once we get outside, you will freeze and what will we do then, huh?” Ron crossed his arms over his chest and gave her a look of disapproval. Hannah stopped fooling around and stood still, watching her father.

“Is it really so cold?”

“Yes, but if you want to go outside just like that…feel free to. Come here, I’ll show you something.” Ron picked her up in his arms, supporting her light body with his left arm, and held her sweater in his right hand. Hannah rested her head on his shoulder and curiously waited for what he would show her.

Ron walked from the warm spot in front of the fireplace towards the window. They both sat on the windowsill and watched the heavy raindrops slip down the glass. They looked outside and saw everything covered in fog, the naked trees bending under the enormous strength of the wind.

“See? That’s where we’re going. Do you still want to go out in this short-sleeved shirt?”

Hannah shook her head in disagreement as the hammering of rain on the window intensified and wind howled throughout the house. Ron put her down, clearly satisfied with himself, and pulled the warm sweater over his daughter’s head. He smiled when she looked up and grinned at him. He had to pull out her hair due to its thickness. It was just like a lion’s mane, and exactly like her mother’s, only a different colour.

“I hate when it rains on Halloween,” Hannah said grimly, and crossed her arms.

Hermione emerged from the hall into the living room, fastening her cloak. Her hair was tied into a thick ponytail, but, as usual, small strands were falling into her face. Ron felt a quick lurch in the stomach and the tip of ears turn pink, as always when he was caught off guard by Hermione’s sudden beauty.

“Are we ready to go?” she asked and knelt down, dressing Hannah into a jacket.

Ron dressed into a cloak of his own and nodded. “Right, let’s go then.”

“Why won’t we go by the Floo?” questioned Hannah, as she took hold of her parents’ hands on each side.

“Because the network is blocked for a few days, sweetie,” answered Hermione, as all three of them walked outside. The strong wind pushed into their bodies; it was so powerful Hannah nearly fell over, but Ron held her hand tightly and she was safe. Hermione locked the front door and with a flick of her wand an invisible shield appeared in front of her, repelling the rain.

“What about a Portkey? I don’t want to walk all the way to Grandma’s house. It’s too far and too cold.”

“Stop whining, Hannah. A walk here and there never hurts, and besides, we’ll walk only a bit before the Knight Bus will come for us.”

“The Knight Bus? What is that?” Hannah asked excitedly, forgetting all about Floo powder and Portkey.

“You’ll see.” Ron grinned and fastened the last remaining button under his neck to avoid the icy wind getting to him through those little spaces. “I bet you’ll have a lot of fun.”

“Of course,” Hermione retorted sarcastically, as they exited their front lawn and headed down the foggy street.

They were very lucky they had the shield Hermione conjured earlier; otherwise they would be completely wet. “We will be very lucky if we get off that bus alive. The Ministry has really been messing up these past few days. Blocking the whole Floo Network and we’re not even allowed to use a Portkey. They say that we can Apparate, well, they’re forgetting that some people have children that can’t,” Hermione said crossly.

Ron grinned. “Calm down, Hermione. They will fix it soon. You know the Ministry. It’s been going downhill ever since Harry-”

At the very sound of the name, Ron stopped dead in his tracks and cast a fearful glance at Hermione, who suddenly felt like all the rain had splashed into her face. Pursing her lips together, Hermione dragged Hannah forward, quickening her pace. All the color from her face seemed to fade for a moment, as she blinked her eyes hastily and Hannah could swear she sniffed.

Little Hannah stared up at her parents, a chill running down her spine. She didn’t know who Harry was, yet she had heard his name a couple of times and every time she did, something similar happened. Her feet were starting to feel numb because the ground was full of pools of water that she kept stepping in. She tried keeping up with her mother, pulling Ron behind her, because he, too, walked as if all the life had been drained from him.

Ron looked ahead of him, trying to avoid Hermione’s eyes. He really needn’t have bothered, for she sped up, stopping suddenly once she was free of them. She looked around to see if there were any Muggles, and without waiting a second longer, she shakily pulled out her wand, and pointed it to the sky. It lit up with a deafening BANG! that made Hannah jump, and a soft yelp escaped her lips.  A triple-decker, violently purple bus came to a halt where they were standing. Hannah looked up and her mouth formed a small ‘o’. She had never seen a bus like this one.
 

“Is this the Knight Bus?” she asked, looking up at Ron, who nodded with a smile on his lips.

They entered and were very thankful for the sudden warmth that spread throughout their bodies. A conductor in a purple uniform came from the back of the bus, a sleepy look on his face. He yawned and began to speak loudly.

“Welcome to the Knight Bus, emergency transport for the stranded witch or wizard. Just stick out your wand, step on board-”

“Hello Stan!” Ron cut in. “Aren’t you tired of saying the same thing over and over again?”

The conductor stopped his speech and looked closer at Ron. Stan Shunpike had changed much. He still sported his large, protruding ears and a few pimples, but there was a haunted look in his eyes and both Ron and Hermione knew why. Azkaban left its mark on everyone.

“Weasley? Is that you?” he asked, a smile forming on his face. His look then travelled to Hermione and he gave out a soft whistle. “Hello madam, I’m sure we haven’t met before.” He grinned and bowed in a sort of cheesy manner. Hermione didn’t feel like it, but for the sake of his happiness, forced a small smile.

“We have. I travelled by this bus twice and hoped I would never have to again, but times change.”

Stan then looked down at Hannah and bent down to pet her hair. He messed it up terribly and received a frown from the little girl.

“Hey there little one, wotcha doing here?”

“I’m with my parents,” she answered, trying to put her hair back in order.

“How sweet. Would you like some ‘ot chocolate?”

Hannah’s face immediately lit up. She nodded and took a closer look at the bus. Instead of normal seats like those in normal buses, there were kitchen chairs beside the curtained windows with tables in front of them. Candles were burning in brackets beside each window, casting an illuminating glow over the whole bus since it was pretty dark outside.

“Where you wanna go?” Stan peeked his head from the driver’s cabin.

“Ottery St. Catchpole. There’s a house near it. I’m sure you’ll find it,” Ron exclaimed.

“Okay, tha’ll be thirty seven sickles.”

Hermione shoved some wizard money into Stan’s hand and took Hannah to the back of the bus.

“So, where’s Neville? I haven’t seen him for quite long,” Stan said to Ron. Ron turned around and gave him a questioning look.

“Neville? I have no idea; I haven’t been in touch with him for a year now. You know Neville?”

There came another tremendous BANG! And suddenly Ron found himself on a bed directly behind him. Stan seemed to forget his question and turned back to the driver Ernie. The bus was moving so fast that Ron soon found himself flat on the floor. He quickly stood up and walked to where Hermione was sitting with Hannah until the bus would come to another abrupt halt.

He sat down beside them and watched Hannah’s amused face and Hermione’s strong grip on her.

“I hate this bus,” Hermione said through clenched teeth, but Hannah didn’t share the opinion, because she shrieked with glee every time the bus jumped, or stopped abruptly, or turned very sharply, which made them fly back and for.

“Have we ever ridden this bus with Neville?” Ron asked.

“I don’t know. When I have been on this crazy thing called a bus, it was without Neville. Why?”

“Stan just asked me how he was. Like I know. I have no idea how he figured out that I know him.”

“Maybe Neville told him once,” said Hermione, but a memory hit her shortly afterwards. The first time she was here, when she was on her way to Grimmauld Place, Stan had called him Neville. Could that be it? Hermione looked away so Ron wouldn’t catch her eye, and wiped away a tear that had slipped down her cheek.

***

“I’m so glad you’re finally here,” cried Molly Weasley as Ron, Hermione, and Hannah entered The Burrow. Hermione now deeply regretted that she thought conjuring the Rain-Repelling Charm wasn’t necessary since they were only a few feet away from the house once they exited the Knight Bus. However, the rain was just too heavy and strong; they were completely wet.

“Hi Molly,” Hermione smiled, hugging her mother-in-law and removing her soaking cloak.

“Give me those, I’ll take them.” Molly took Hermione and Ron’s cloaks from them and put them to dry in front of the fire. Hannah, meanwhile, battled the buttons on her jacket trying to get rid of the wet fabric, but her stiffened fingers made the job much harder for her. Ron knelt down and helped her out of it, which made the little girl very happy. Once she was free of the wet jacket, she ran into Molly’s outstretched arms and hugged her heartily.

“Hi Grandma!”

“Hello, sugar. I’ve missed you loads; I’m so happy you’re here.”

While Hannah was still hanging on her neck, Molly cast a sideways glance at her youngest son, disappointment reflecting in her eyes. Once Hannah pulled herself away, Molly straightened her back and walked closer to Ron. “It’s about time you finally came to see me,” she said coldly.

“Mum, if you only know how much work there is-“

“I know how much work you have, Ronald!” Molly cut him off, raising a hand in front of his face. “But it wouldn’t hurt you to come sometimes. It would actually only take you a few minutes to drop by and say hi. Floo Network isn’t always blocked!”

Ron stood in front of her, unable to say anything, searching for the right words.

Hermione was sitting in an armchair helping Hannah change her wet socks, watching the whole scene very closely. Biting on her bottom lip, she tried to look away.

“You have no idea how dreadful it is for me!” Molly continued heatedly. “I have to stay inside this empty house for hours. Ginny is gone, you are gone, everybody is! It was much easier and bearable when your father was around, but he’s not anymore!” Tears formed in her eyes and her shoulders shook with sobs. Ron didn’t hesitate a second more and pulled his mother into a hug. She pressed her head against his chest lightly and sobbed her heart out into his shoulder. He whispered encouraging words and promises into her ear and kissed her on the cheek. Hermione had to look away and blink back the tears. Hannah stared at the pair and felt a very uncomfortable feeling in the pit of her stomach.

She pressed closer to her mother as if she were trying to hide away.

After a few minutes of silence, only Molly’s soft sobs echoing in the kitchen, she pulled away from Ron and wiped her eyes on her apron. Her face was flushed and her hair a bit out of proportion, but she managed a small smile.

“I’m sorry about that, I was just a little--“

“It’s okay, Mum,” Ron said, patting her shoulder. He gave her an encouraging smile and so did Hermione. Molly heaved a sigh and went to the kitchen counter.

“I’ve made sandwiches for you,” she said happily as if the situation that occurred seconds ago never happened. Ron followed to help her. As he did, he exchanged looks with Hermione full of guilt and worry.

“Has Ginny arrived yet?” Ron asked.

The door to the kitchen suddenly opened and in walked Ginny, all soaked.

“Hello family, I’m here!” she called happily, as she laid down her small trunk and took off her cloak as fast as possible. Her red hair had fallen out of her hood and she ran a hand through it. Hannah shot up from her seat and sprinted towards Ginny, throwing herself around her waist. Ginny let out a gleeful shriek and hugged her niece.

“Hannah! Hi, girl. How have you been?”

“Awesome, Aunt Gin. It’s so cool to see you after so long.”

Later on, Fred, with Angelina, arrived and so did George with his son Arthur. To everyone’s pleasant surprise, even Tonks and Remus dropped by to pay them a visit. Molly was in her element, greeting and hugging everyone, pointing out they’re too thin or too pale. For the rest of the evening, Molly kept smiling, her eyes glinting with love upon looking at everyone seated in the living room, chattering cheerfully.

“I wish you could be here, Arthur,” she whispered to herself while passing the living room, but no one heard her.

Molly sat in her comfortable armchair, staring at the rain-washed window. She had just finished dinner for their Halloween feast and the kids made her to rest a bit while they set the table. The sweet aroma of apple pie made contact with her nose and she inhaled it deeply. Angelina was just carrying it over to the table and Molly rested her head against the back of her chair.

Gatherings of a big family like the Weasleys were always very happy, Molly thought. Although, there were some people missing, and it was something that she could not overlook. Charlie had been killed long ago in the war, when Ron was in his seventh year. It was a shock for her. She never imagined the pain she would suffer after losing her child.

Then there was Percy. After the whole incident with Voldemort was cleared and the Ministry had finally started to put action into matters, Percy showed up only once and he hadn’t even apologised. After the Christmas visit, he had never contacted any of them and it broke Molly’s heart. He died shortly afterwards and they never made up. She never understood why he hadn’t come home. They would always welcome him warmly.

Bill, Fleur and their son were in France, unable to come. Molly was very excited to see them, but earlier that day they had sent her a note that they were staying.

She also missed Claire, George’s deceased wife. After all, she had given Molly her first grandchild and named him Arthur. She knew very well that George missed her very much, but he never showed sign of any emotional weakness. He was still the same funny and optimistic George and he seemed to take it well, yet she still found him teary eyed over her sometimes.

And Harry. No, she would not think about Harry.

“Mum, we’re ready to eat,” called Fred, and Molly got to her feet and slowly walked over to her family. They were all seated behind the table; many candles were lit, casting a strong flickering light upon the room. She sat down between Ron and George and smiled at the faces looking up at her.

“Before we eat, I would like to say something.” Everybody stood up, raised their goblets and patiently waited for Molly’s words. She stood up as well. “I want to thank you for coming. I’m so happy.” Tears sprung to her eyes, but she blinked them away. “I know we’re not entirely together since there are empty chairs by the table, but let us honour the memory of the ones we lost. I’m sure they’re with us somehow. It doesn’t matter that they’re not here physically; they have stayed in our hearts and will never leave. That’s what’s important.”

Nobody spoke a word, but raised their goblets higher and drank from them. A deep silence followed and only the moving of the chairs could be heard. Hannah gave a sympathetic look to Arthur who wiped his eyes and leaned against his father. Hannah didn’t know how he felt and she hoped she would never know. Life without her mother seemed worse than anything else.

Hermione stared into her plate, trying to ignore all the emotion that swelled in her heart while Ron intently stared across the room at an old photograph of everybody. He could not see it since it was faraway and in the dark, but he could clearly recall it in his mind.

The picture was taken the summer after their third year at Hogwarts at the Quidditch World Cup. His whole family … and Harry. He had tried to force his best friend out of his mind the whole evening, but it was quite impossible now.

‘The ones that left us will stay in our hearts…’

Ron snorted silently and turned his look back to his food. Harry, unlike his father, Charlotte and Charlie, chose to leave them and he would never forgive him that.

The dinner went on in a quiet manner, a bit of conversation here and there. After they were finished, their stomachs slightly full, Fred and George entertained the rest with their new toys that would turn into real animals when you tapped them with a wand. He gave a kitten to Hannah and a puppy to Arthur. Ron shot up from his chair and went to sit into a corner when they shoved a huge stuffed spider in front of him.

Hannah and Arthur played with their toys that were alive now, both very amused at their new presents. Tonks and Molly were in a deep conversation with Angelina about her pregnancy while Hermione discussed some article from the Daily Prophet with Remus.

Ginny sat alone on a chair frowning at the fire, not really paying attention to what was happening around.

“I just got a new broom from my godfather!” Arthur grinned happily at Hannah. “He was my mum’s best friend and he is my godfather. He travels all around the world and always brings me presents. Dad sometimes takes them from me because they’re too dangerous, but I always find them hidden in a trunk in the attic. And anyway, it wasn’t once that I’ve found him checking them out.”

“A godfather?” Hannah asked excitedly as she pulled the little kitten into her lap and scratched it behind its ears. “I haven’t got a godfather.”

“You don’t? That’s a pity! Godfathers are so much fun.” Arthur went on, playing with his puppy while Hannah stopped to think. Why didn’t she have a godfather? Arthur did, her friends did, but she didn’t.

She stood up and hastily walked over to Hermione.

“Mum?” She pulled on her sleeve and Hermione looked down at her.

“What is it?”

“Why don’t I have a godfather?” she asked loudly enough for everyone in the room to hear her. Everybody stopped what they were doing at the moment and turned their heads to Hannah, their expressions unreadable. Hannah felt uncomfortable with all those eyes on her, but she held her head up high. It seemed to her that she had said something forbidden to talk about. Something that was out of bounds.

When it seemed that no one was going to answer and they would all just ignore it, Ginny stood up walked over to Hannah, knelt down and said, “You have a godfather, Hannah.” Her eyes were full of tears, yet she was smiling. She looked like a sun peeking through the raining clouds.

“I do?” Hannah asked excitedly and Ginny nodded her head, a somewhat dreamy look in her eyes.

Looking outraged, Ron strode across to them and pulled Ginny up to face him.

“She does not have a godfather,” he said, his voice cold as ice, one that Hannah had never heard before. Ginny’s smile faded and turned to a deep frown.

“Yes, she does,” she said with the same coldness in her voice. Ron’s face flushed with anger and he clenched his teeth tightly.

“I don’t want her to know anything about him.”

“But she deserves to know!” Ginny yelled, taking a step back from Ron. She tucked a few strands of her hair behind her ear and stared into his eyes. Hermione silently watched both of them, clenching her hands in her hands, not knowing what to do.

“You do not tell me what my daughter should and shouldn’t do!” Ron yelled back. “I would expect you, out of all people, to not forgive or talk about him!”

“I didn’t say I forgave him! I’m just saying that Hannah deserves to know what a brave and good godfather she has!”

“Had! Not has, but had! I don’t consider Harry her godfather anymore because he abandoned her, but most importantly, he abandoned you! And Hermione and me! Our whole family! After all we’ve given him he just left us without a single word!”

Remus shifted in his chair nervously, his eyes traveling around the room to look for something that would distract him. Hermione noticed this strange behavior and for a second, she would bet everything she had that Remus knew something they didn’t.

A bright lightning lit up the whole room and the thunder that followed afterwards shook with the whole Burrow as if it was only a house built from cards.

Ginny felt as though invisible hands were slapping her. Her face went all red and she clenched her hands into fists, glaring at Ron. If looks could kill, both Ron and Ginny would be lying on the floor.

Molly looked utterly perplexed; she had never seen Ginny and Ron argue like that, but this seemed to be more than just an argument. Hannah had backed away into Hermione’s arms, tears in her eyes. She too had never seen her father yell so much at Aunt Ginny. She felt so guilty for bringing this up.

Just as Ginny opened her mouth to shout back, loud banging on the door came from the kitchen. Everyone turned his or her head to look at it. Someone was knocking, or rather beating, on the door loudly. Molly took this as a perfect opportunity to break this off and hurried to the kitchen, Hermione in her wake. When Hermione passed Ron, she gave him an odd look and continued walking.

Ginny stared at Ron for a moment, her mind a whirl, before turning on her heel and going to the kitchen as well.

Molly looked out of the window, trying to figure out who it was, but saw only a tall figure in a black cloak.

Fred strolled into the kitchen with his wand ready. Hermione herself clutched her wand in her pocket.

“You can open it, Mum. If it’s somebody dangerous, I’ll take him down,” reassured Fred, and Molly hesitated before opening the door. Another flash of lightning lit up the whole room and the figure quickly walked in, smashing the door behind him.

Streams of water dripped down from his cloak and he pulled the hood down. Molly gasped and Hermione screamed. Fred dropped his wand and Ginny suddenly couldn’t see because her vision became blurry. Fred had to catch her as she fell into his arms, unconscious. 

“I guess I’ve surprised you,” said Harry, as he ran a hand through his ruffled wet hair.

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