Chapter 6: Witholding Information
Ron Weasley had always wanted to be the hero not the sidekick. He would love it if someone wrote an epic seven book series starring him, but alas it seemed he had been destined to be the star sidekick to one Harry Potter.
And for the most part it wasn't that bad.
He enjoyed the perks of being Harry Potter's best mate. Well, at least until Voldemort decided to take over the world again and now it seemed like Ron was fighting for his life. Or being tormented at Hogwarts with Snape as headmaster. He was sure he was somehow going to be thrown in detention for the little impromptu break he took—even though Ginny and him had lied and said a squib aunt had died.
Thank God for McGonogall, otherwise he would've dropped out of school for sure.
Harry hadn't told him much about his plan about sneaking into the school. A lot of the plan Ron was guessing by how things were going, involved Harry hiding under his invisibility cloak on the way back to the school.
Harry hadn't said much said the less that he and Ginny knew the better. Besides, it was obvious he was still pissed about last night.
How was Ron supposed to know Emma was up the duff? Then again, he doubted that the baby was Harry's.
He really did.
Maybe that made him a horrible person, but he had a hard time buying the blonde's relationship with his best friend. He didn't dare say this to Harry though, given how all the glass in the room pretty much exploded after Emma had left the table.
"Sorry," Harry snapped when everyone stared at him. "I have a hard time controlling it these days."
"That was you?" Ron asked even though he should've known better.
"Of course it was Harry, Ronald, who else would it be?"
"I dunno. There are like six other magic users in here. Me, Mum, you, Ginny, and Dad."
"That's five. Seriously, don't you know how to count? Harry, are you okay?"
"I'm not stupid Hermione, I just saw six placemats. Forgot that Emma is a muggle."
Hermione and Harry ignored him. "Can you check on Emma, Hermione? I would but I obviously need to calm down first."
She nodded her head leaving the room, as Harry just stared into space as if he was thinking about something.
"Really, dear, there's no need to be upset." Ron's mum said trying to calm down Harry.
The wrong thing to do if Harry's expression was anything to say about it, " I need some air, dearie." He said, "You all better hope Emma's okay."
He then seemed to strut outside. Ron didn't get the strutting. He didn't seem to remember Harry doing in the past, but he now seemed to strut everywhere.
Mrs. Weasley shook her head. "If I didn't know better I would've thought Harry was threatening me."
"Well, you did interrogate his wife till she got sick, Molly Wobbles." His dad said.
"I was just asking some questions, Arthur. Not interrogating. Now I can see why they got married. I would've thought Harry would've been much more responsible."
"Mum, please." Ginny said clearly upset with the fact that Harry and Emma had been intimate.
"Well, I'm just stating facts, Ginny." Their mother said, "I always thought Harry was a responsible young man. But you saw that girl. I can't believe he impregnated her."
"He might've not," Ron found himself saying.
"Ronald," His father. "Don't be ridiculous, I'm sure Emma wouldn't lie about something like that."
"I think Ron might have a point, dear." His mother said, "It does seem a little suspicious the whole thing. Don't you think, Ginny?"
Ginny shrugged but he could see the look on his sister's face, she thought the same thing. "I think we just should let things run its natural course, Mum. You can't change Harry's mind and clearly he has feelings for Emma."
"Well, at least one of you is sane." Harry said appearing out of nowhere.
"Harry," Mrs. Weasley said with a big smile on her face. "Feeling better?"
"That depends, how my wife's doing." Harry said.
"I—I haven't seen Hermione, so I don't know how Emma is doing. You're more than welcome to check on her yourself." Ron's mum said.
Harry nodded and seemed to glide towards the bathroom.
Mrs. Weasley shook her head as he strutted past her.
To say the least meeting Harry at the appointed spot this morning had been more than a little awkward, especially since Hermione had given him quite the tongue lashing before telling him that he should try to be nice to Emma.
"I know it's not what you wanted, Ron. But like it or not, Harry makes his own decions in his romantic life, not you."
"But that muggle, seriously?"
"She's perfectly nice. Besides, I think she suits him nicely."
"You're ridiculous, Hermione. Ginny is his soul mate."
"Soul mate, Ronald? Honestly. Are you hearing yourself?"
"But it's true," He said. "They were perfect for each other."
Hermione shook her head. "No, they weren't."
"But you encouraged him."
"To date her. Did I think they were going to last? I don't know. But obviously they didn't. Emma is a nice girl, Ron. If you care about your friendship with Harry you'll try to get to know her and stop this nonsense about Harry and Ginny being written in the stars."
He frowned at her and said. "I can't believe you're okay with it. You're usually more on the cautious side. I would think you of all people would see what an impulsive mess of a mistake Emma is."
Hermione closed her eyes for a brief second as if she was trying to regain her composure or something before she turned her attention towards Ron. "Look, it's not the choice I myself would've made. But it was Harry's and he and Emma are good together."
"Oh, for Merlin's sake she didn't even know about his food allergies."
"And my Dad didn't know my Mum had a fascination for horses when they married." Hermione said, "That didn't mean they were good together. Still are good together but—"
She trailed off, he inwardly grimaced knowing that he had brought up bad memories. He knew how it stung for her, obliviating her parents but she had no choice. She hoped to revive them of their memories later on, after the war, but obliviation could be a tricky thing. Sometimes it was easy to reverse and sometimes next to impossible—look at Gilderoy freaking Lockhart. Of course, Hermione was the best witch of their age so Ron was sure things would end up all right and he told her as much.
When he told her as much she smiled, but the conversation was pretty much over at that point.
And Harry hadn't been that talkative either this morning.
"So, what's the plan mate?" He asked.
Harry looked at him. "The plan is to not get caught."
"Harry, really?"
"Keep everyone out of the way, if I need help I'll let you know."
Ron just shook his head as he stared outside of the window and counted how many bales of hay he saw coming out the window. He found it so odd riding the train when it was so empty. He, Ginny, and Harry practically had the entire train to themselves. Well, him and Ginny. Harry wasn't supposed to be there.
He really hoped this didn't end in disaster, but God knows it could given how everything ended up.
He was thinking this when Ginny slid back in the room she was dressed in her school uniform now.
"Is Harry in here?" She asked.
Ron shook his head. "No. He seemed to want to get away from us as soon as we got on the train."
She sighed heavily, "I think you should apologize."
"Oh, bloody no, I'm not doing that." Ron said, "I haven't done anything."
"You haven't been nice to Emma," Ginny said.
Ron looked at her.
"I know," She said. "But I want you to do things my way, Ron. Please."
He shook his head. "No, Ginny."
She seemed shocked.
He explained, "I'm tired of walking on eggshells. Harry is my best mate, but I'm not going to lie to him."
"I understand, but you saw how he's been acting. I don't—I think we could lose him."
Ron nodded his head. "Let me think about it, okay, Gin?"
She nodded her head as she squeezed his hand. "Okay, and just to let you know I do think you were on to something last night. We just have to be careful about it."
But how could you be careful about it?
There wasn't really a way to walk on the whole thing with eggshells.
"Mr. Weasley," Professor McGonogall said causing him to almost jump. Merlin, she seemed to appear out of nowhere. Must have been in cat form, it was a bit weird that no one was at the entrance of the school to greet them. "I wanted to have a word and wish you condolences again for the loss of your great aunt, Violet."
This meant: come into my office and tell me what's going on with Harry.
You couldn't argue with Professor McGonogall.
She was even scarier than her Mum. As Ron was thinking this he felt a sudden vibration coming from his pocket.
There wasn't much he kept in his pocket. Some Bertie Botts beans and his DA coin.
He frowned, wondering why heated up to the address of Sirius's home.
Hermione!
Ron looked at Professor McGonogall. "I need to go."
"What?" She said.
"I just remembered, I forgot something at my aunt's. I need to go back, it's important."
His teacher frowned at him. "Mr. Weasley I—"
"Professor, please." He said, "It's important."
She sighed heavily. "Come in my office, you can use the floo network I set up there."
He nodded as she led her into the sanctuary that was her office. Looking at him she said, "I was hoping you resolved everything with your aunt before you came to the school."
"This was unexpected," Ron said.
A part of him knew he should ask for help, but he didn't trust Snape to have the place bugged. Looking at McGonogall he said, "I said be back this evening if I'm not things got complicated."
"I understand Mr. Weasley," She said. "I'll tell Headmaster Snape that you were delayed, please finish your business as quick as possible."
Ron nodded as he took the powder and murmured the nearest location to Sirius's since Harry had taken the floo down.
At least he could apparate to the edge of the wards once he got to London.
Imagine to his surprise, when he saw an unconscious Hermione and Emma.
"Hermione," He yelled as he looked at her wondering what happened.
His attention was turned to Emma who was murmuring something on the ground.
"Are you okay?" He found himself asking, he might've not liked the girl but he did want to help her.
"Hospital," Emma croaked opening her eyes for a brief second. "For the baby. Now."
It was then that Ron noticed that her pants were coated with blood as the woman passed out.
He took both of them to St. Mungo's. He couldn't figure out how to contact Harry. He wasn't sure if it was possible. And to be quite honest about it, he was more concerned with the condition of Hermione and Emma.
They were just lying there on the ground unconscious, and he had to take them to St. Mungo's. From there he had heard nothing and it seemed like an eternity had passed.
"Sir," One of the healers came out. "Were you the man who bought the two women in?"
He nodded. "Yeah, how are they?"
The healer frowned. "I can't give you that information unless you're family."
"Then why do you want to talk to me?"
"One of them, our diagnosis spell shows is a muggle."
"That's right," Ron said.
"She's unconscious right now and I need to know, does she know? You know by law that technically we have to obliviate muggles who aren't family members. And it would be easier for us to do so if she was unconscious. Less chance she'd experience post traumatic stress over it in the future."
Obliviate.
Technically, Emma did have a magical family member—Harry—but he wasn't related to her by blood. And that baby, Ron was a hundred percent that that baby wasn't Harry's. He knew it. Call it Weasley intuition. If she was still even pregnant, which he doubt. There had been a lot of blood.
So much blood.
He shook his head, a part of him feeling for the girl. While she might've ruined his sister's life, no one deserved to lose a child. Even a child they were trying to pass of as his best friend.
The oblivaiton might be the easiest way, he told himself. It could spare Harry from pain. He could make up a story, so Harry could get his priorities straight and then when the war was over—well, he would be thinking right then and Emma wouldn't matter. It wasn't like she would even know the truth either after her memory was adjusted. She'd just go on to scamming some other bloke.
Might make the pain easier on everyone.
Of course, there was a part of him that was telling him that this was wrong. But what was right? Letting Emma slowly twist and contort his friend's mind to ruin whatever potential happiness he had with Ginny? Letting Harry be overwhelmed in grief for a baby that wasn't even his?
Looking at the healer he made up his mind. "As far as I know, she's just a muggle I met in the street and that she's pregnant. Is the baby okay?"
"I'm not allowed to give out health information about Ms. Swan or her child, muggle or not." The healer said sighing heavily as if the situation wasn't good.
"Ms. Swan?" Ron asked.
The healer nodded. "That's what the library card she had on her said, Emma Swan. Odd enough there was no driver's license or passport. Do you know who the baby's father is?"
"Sorry about that, she said she had no idea."
The healer nodded. "Well, that helps us out enough. I wish we knew why she was in London, the girl is an American, but it's easy enough to send an American muggle back where they belong. Just put them on one of those bird looking tin cans."
Ron nodded. "So, you're going to do it then?"
"Oh, no doubt about it. She'll have to be obliviated. Secrecy statute, you know."
Ron nodded again.
"Do you know what happened," The healer asked.
"I just know that my friend was stunned. Err—Emma said that someone was pointing sticks at them. To be honest she was just sort of babbling."
Ambushes on the street had become a common occurrence with the war going on and ended up saying, "This is the third muggle this week. I'll get the obliviation process underway. Don't want the poor dear to wake up even more confused. I know they're muggles, but still—we have a duty of kindness."
Hermione came out into the waiting room a few hours later
"That was fast," Ron said even though he had only just arrived back at the hospital after ridding the place of Emma's belongings.
"I was only knocked out." She said, "Ron, why are you here? Where's Emma?"
"Don't you remember?" He asked.
She shook her head. "Quite frankly, I don't remember a lot after Harry left the house. Just Emma throwing up and that's pretty much it. The healer said it's probably the head trauma."
Well, that was ridiculously convenient. He was afraid he was going to have to do some cover up story or was going to have to obliviate her. Which honestly, he wasn't sure he could stomach. Sure, he could easily allow the ministry to obliviate Emma, but Hermione was one of his best friends no a gold digging muggle. "Um, I found you unconscious. I think Emma knocked you out, she was nowhere in the house and her stuff was gone. Maybe the magic thing got to be too much to her."
"Ron don't be ridiculous," Hermione said. "Emma wouldn't knock me out."
"Would she?" He said. "Hermione, you don't know this girl. Think about it, Harry's been watching her like a hawk since he's been here. This was really her first chance to get away."
"I don't believe it." Hermione said, "It doesn't seem like Emma."
"Hermione, please. For Merlin's sake when I found you unconscious today, I thought I lost you."
"I'm fine," She said. "I just want to get out of here. I felt like a walking target the entire time that healer was looking me over. This place is so unfriendly to anyone that isn't a pureblood."
She had no idea.
He came back to the school that evening after dropping Hermione off at Harry's. She still seemed to think Emma was going to pop out of the woodwork. Ron knew better.
At this point, he had no idea where Emma was and didn't care. She was no longer an issue. He really wanted a drink, but he couldn't get fire whisky at Hogwarts.
McGonogall shook her head at him when he arrived back at the castle. "You look exhausted, Mr. Weasley."
He sighed heavily, "Everything's going to be okay."
"Well, I'm glad to hear that. I told Headmaster Snape that you would be running a little late and he wanted to speak to you immediately. The password is pureblood."
Ron groaned. "Really, Professor. You know he's going to assign me a bucket load of detention."
"I can only do what I can do, Mr. Weasley." She said, "You know how the headmaster feels about squibs."
Ron nodded and began to walk towards the exist of McGonogall's office.
"Oh, and Mr. Weasley."
"Yes, professor?"
"I'm glad everything worked out."
He was expecting a lot of things when he arrived at Professor Snape's office. What he wasn't expecting was to see the professor slumped over dead on his desk.