Chapter Seventeen

A/N: I OWN NOTHING! Okay, so the beginning is a little odd and I apologize for that. I also apologize for only having Ron in Hospital for one chapter. I need him though to get the plot moving.

Enjoy!

The next few days were chaos in the Black-Lupin-Tonks-Potter household. The day after Ron's accident, Charlie came flooing in.

"English Charlie," Tonks said from her spot on the ground as Charlie started to spew out random words. Her job, as his best friend, was to prevent him from leaving the house without getting the facts.

"What happened to Ron?" Charlie asked. "All Bill wrote was that something happened and I needed to get back to England pronto."

Tonks told him what happened and then had to forcefully restrain the man as he wanted to see his brother. She could understand a little what Charlie was going through, but he couldn't just go barging into the hospital.

"Healers have a three person rule right now," she told him. "Bill will be back at lunch. You can see Ron then."

Though I doubt anything would have changed by then, she thought. It wouldn't do much good though to tell Charlie or any of the Weasley children that. They needed the hope that Ron would be conscious soon. They all did.

The house got even more hectic when the rest of the group appeared. Sirius didn't mind though; anything that made the portrait of his mother upset was fine with him. Even though she currently was in the attic, she still screamed whenever anything was too loud or happy for her taste. Sirius, upon discovering this, urged everyone to be as loud as they wished-resulting in several arguments between Charlie and the twins in an attempt to be the loudest Weasley in Grimmauld Place.

"So what's the plan for today?" Harry asked one Tuesday morning, three weeks after the startling news. Fred was starting to lose that haunted look in his eyes and Hermione had completely read the entire Black library trying to find a way to locate the remaining Horcruxes.

"Prank," the twins said simply. They'd been developing new material for the jokes shop they wanted and would have in the future.

"Devise Quidditch strategies for next season and set up a possible reserve team," Oliver nodded with enthusiasm. Katie shot him a look. "Err…I mean spend time with my lovely girlfriend."

"Good answer," Katie said and kissed him. The team sighed in relief; ever since Katie had started dating Oliver he had become less of a Quidditch nut and more of a normal teenaged boy.

Harry looked at Neville and shared a grimace. Older kids were so weird; kissing all the time. They would never act like that when they got older, even if the future books said that they would. They were trying to change the future weren't they? Maybe they could change that as well.

"Hey Gin!" Bill called to his little sister. Charlie had his place with their parents visiting Ron. "You're late for breakfast."

"Overslept," Ginny said, grabbing a piece of bacon. Hermione walked in after Ginny and sat down next to Harry.

"What's her form?" Harry whispered, knowing that Ginny wanted to learn her animagus form as well.

"A fox," she whispered back. "Took her seven minutes in case you'd like to know."

"I see, and what's your form?" Harry asked innocently. Hermione glared at him. "What?"

"An owl," she whispered. "There, now make fun like I know you're going to."

Hermione stood up and walked out.

"Umm…what did I do?" Harry asked.

"It's nothing you did," Tonks said kindly, having noticed a red spot on Hermione's skirt. "I'll go and talk to her."

Harry's confusion doubled as Ginny tried to attack him when he pointed out a red spot on her skirt the next day. This got him on the bad side of not only Hermione and Ginny, but also Katie, Angelina and Cho. Luna just went along for the ride.

"THEY'RE GONNA KILL ME!" he screamed, running behind Neville.

"Mate, I hate to break it to you," Neville said as he tried to not laugh at his dorm mate's predicament, "but I'm not much help when it comes to angry girls. And Luna."

Harry glared at Neville, who quickly revised his answer. "I think Sirius might be of help. Shall we run to him?"

"Lets," Harry nodded and both boys took off running before the girls could catch up.

"I thought this day would never come," Sirius said proudly. "My little godson, running from pissed off females."

"PROTECT US, ONE WHO MAY WEILD A WAND WITHOUT FEAR OF BEING EXPELLED!" Harry and Neville shouted.

"Oh," Sirius said and cast Protego just as the girls rounded on them. "OI TONKS!"

"Come on girls," Tonks said. "Sirius has some things in the attic you may destroy."

Sirius watched the girls leave and then turned to Harry. "Harry, I know you're worried about Ron, but do you have to make the girls mad? They're scary when mad and dangerous as well!"

"Never stopped you in school," Remus told him as he walked in to the kitchen.

"That was different," Sirius snapped.

"Sure it was," Remus rolled his eyes. "You know you loved it when the girls chased you."

Sirius thought for a moment, and then shrugged. He knew that Remus was right.

"You snogged Tonks yet?" he threw out there and ducked as Remus threw a wad of paper towels at him.

"Come on," Harry sighed to Neville. "Let's go to Oliver and Bill. Maybe they'll protect us. After all, Katie is Oliver's girlfriend."

000000

Molly Weasley was an easygoing woman. But when her children started turning red at the sight of their father and her alone together, and little Harry flushing and muttering about finding Neville whenever he saw a female around his age, she knew something was going on.

"Ginny?" she said when she was gathering laundry after the hospital's visiting hours had ended.

"Yeah Mum?" Ginny asked from her spot on her bed, curled up into a small ball. Molly clicked her tongue in sympathy. A girl's first period was not something to enjoy.

"Is something going on between your brothers?" she asked, sitting at the end of her bed. "They keep turning red whenever they see your father and I alone."

Ginny squirmed. "They're….just worried about Ron. We all are," she said. "When's he going to be able to come home?"

Molly sighed. The healers had reported that Ron was doing well but he still wasn't conscious. Of course the last time she had gotten a report was two weeks ago.

"Soon, I hope," she told her youngest. "Do you want something dear? I can have Harry or Neville run it up?"

Or maybe have Oliver do it, she said. That young boy should be doing something productive than sitting about snogging all day!

"I'm fine Mum," Ginny said with a smile. "Hermione's right next door and Angelina's been through this a time or two."

"True, but don't forget I have as well," Molly said as she got up and left the room.

Ginny heard her mum leave, and sighed. She felt sorry for scaring Neville and Harry, but she couldn't help it. Of course, she couldn't help blushing whenever she saw her parents alone.

"Mollywobbles," she shuddered. Just that thought alone made her queasy. She fell asleep and dreamt of oddly shaped clouds, books and her parents being alone.

"GINNY!" Fred ran into her room.

"What is it Fred?" Ginny sat up, being shocked out of her odd dream. Fred was holding an official looking letter causing Ginny to gasp. "You think—"

"Either that or Percy's head boyship," Fred said. "Can't be the latter as we haven't gotten our book lists yet."

"But it's not yet July," Ginny gasped. "The Healers would have told Mum if they'd made progress. Wouldn't they?"

Fred shrugged. "Dunno. Want to go give this to Mum? George is working on the Extendable Ears."

Ginny nodded and ran downstairs. Fred sighed. He felt guilty for not seeing Ron, but how could he? Even if he wasn't dead, seeing him like that…it didn't bode well.

"OH!" he heard his mum shout and ran downstairs. Everyone else did as well.

"What is it Molly?" Sirius asked, a serious look on his face.

"It's from the Ministry," Molly said. "Arthur! You won the drawing!"

Arthur, who had been given some time off due to Ron being in the Hospital, gasped and sat down.

"What are we going to do with seven million galleons?" Molly asked and their kids gasped as well.

"New wand for Ron?" Ginny supplied. "You know, when he wakes up?"

Molly smiled gently at her only daughter. "Yes, I think that would be a good idea. How about some new school robes as well? For all of you?"

Harry smiled but noticed a sneaky look on his Godfather's face.

"You added more to the drawing?" he asked Sirius.

"Only fair," he said. "They lived with a traitor under their roof, paid for his food and for his cage. They deserver compensation."

Harry nodded and went back to the celebration.

"This is great news!" Remus exclaimed. "How about a feast for a celebration?"

Molly's answer was interrupted by an incoming owl.

"That's a St. Mungos owl," Percy exclaimed. Molly took the letter with shaking hands and opened it.

"What does it say Molly?" Arthur asked, standing up. Molly looked at her husband with tear filled eyes.

"He's awake," Molly whispered. "Ron's awake."

Silence filled the room but then everyone cheered. Everyone ran to the fireplace to Floo to the hospital.

"I'm sorry," the Healer said. "Only family is allowed just now."

"They're all family," Arthur said sternly. "Now let me see my son!"

The Healer sighed but let them in as technically all purebloods were interrelated anyway.

"Oh Ronnie!" Molly cried entering the room.

"Hey Mum," Ron grinned. He was sitting up in bed, his back supported with several pillows. "What's for dinner?"

"Whatever you'd like son," Arthur said with a grin. Ron was asking about food. His son would be alright. This pleased him more than winning any amount of money would ever please him.

"Hey mate," Harry grinned.

"Hey Harry," Ron grinned back. "So is anyone going to tell me what I did to land in the hospital?"

The entire group froze.

"You mean," Ginny asked, "that you don't remember?"

"I remember going for a fly," Ron said, "and then nothing else until just now. I mean, it's not that I fell right?"

Fred and George avoided looking at each other.

"I didn't fall," Ron tried again. "Right?"

"Of course not Ron," Hermione took charge of the situation. "No one knows what happened. Fred found you unconscious and that's all we know."

Ron smiled at his brother, who gave a small smile back.

"Thanks Fred," Ron said. "You're a great big brother."

If I was so great, Fred thought, I would have caught you. I didn't. I haven't earned that title yet.

But he would. Even if it meant watching his baby brother day and night, he would earn Ron's praise.