Silver Chain Addendum
So, this is just self indulgence. Ever wondered how Ron and Charlie took it when their respective girlfriends informed them of Ginny's 'fling' with Remus?
So, on my whim and for your enjoyment:
"So, are you going to tell me what really happened to Ginny this weekend?"
Hermione bit nervously on her lower lip. She couldn't keep this secret and she knew it, but how did one explain this sort of thing? Ron was not going to take this well. "I am," she replied tentatively.
Ron walked over to her and set his hands on her shoulders. Normally she hated it when he physically guided her, accusing him of manhandling. But this time it was a comfort to have him push her gently into a chair. He sat across from her and took her face into his hands.
"It's okay, Hermione. Whatever it is. I already know I'm not going to like it, but I promise not to shoot the messenger."
She sighed and turned her face into his palm. "It's not so much that. I know how to handle you, but I fear for Remus." She lifted her gaze to see his confused one.
"Remus? What does Lupin have to-" he trailed off and his face took on an expression of abject horror.
"What does Lupin have to do with my sister?" he asked in a slow, deadly soft voice.
"They've apparently been seeing each other on and off for months," she whispered. "Last month she sat with him during the full moon and he got very angry with her. She thought it was over until he sent for her this morning."
"She's seen him transform?" said Ron, aghast.
"Yes," replied Hermione. "I don't think there's much she hasn't seen of him."
He cringed. "Really, Hermione, isn't it bad enough she's sleeping with a man twice her age who not only used to be our professor, but is also a werewolf? I don't need the mental images to go with it."
She smirked. "Good of you to take it so well." She frowned as the look on his face became decidedly less comical.
"What choice has she given us?"
"Oh Ron." She pulled her fiance into a tight embrace. "She's not Percy. I promise you she'd never leave; she just needs some space. This might just be a passing fit of rebellion, for all we know."
"Do you honestly believe Lupin would take part in some school girl fantasy?" he mumbled into her shoulder, but he grasped her tightly.
"I-I don't know, Ron. I hope not."
He pushed himself gently out of her arms and stood up. "Thanks for telling me," he said as he turned away from her. "I won't say anything to either of them. I guess they'll come clean when they're ready."
~ : ~ : ~
"You left awfully early," murmured Charlie.
"I know," whispered Tonks. "I had something I thought I needed to do."
"Thought?"
"Thought. It turned out my assistance wasn't necessary."
Charlie groaned. "When are you going to let him go, Tonks? How much longer is this going to be me, you and the ghost of werewolves past?"
Tonks flinched. Charlie had been so patient with her. It wasn't that she was in love with Remus, she just couldn't give up on him. Well, she hadn't been able to give up on him. That had all changed that morning. "I was worried," she said, her voice defensive.
He shook his head. "Tonks-"
"No, no, it's okay now Charlie. I promise you I'm done worrying about him. Well, once you promise me that you won't kill him, then I'll be done."
"Kill him? What'd he do, Tonks?"
"Your sister," she blurted out and then ducked her head. That wasn't really the most tactful manner to -
"What?!"
"Ginny was there," she murmured. "Remus let me in and while he was trying to placate me and, well, get rid of me, she came out of his bedroom wearing only his shirt."
She watched wide eyed as Charlie spun away from her and sent his fist into the wall. "Tell me that is some sick joke. It's not funny, but Ill laugh; just for you."
"No, Charlie, it's no joke."
He lowered his head to the wall. "How long?"
"Months, Charlie. I think we can safely say this is at least part of what's been going on with her. They were - comfortable together."
He gave a humourless laugh. "Comfortable," he repeated. He shook his head. "I guess if that's what she wants..."
~ : ~ : ~
Ron leaned against the doorway and silently took in the scene in front of him. It was Sunday dinner as usual, but it didn't feel usual. Bill was there with his wife and kid but Harry and his family had begged off for the night. Tonks and Charlie were cuddling in the corner and Ginny was playing Exploding Snap with Fred and Remus Lupin was discussing Muggle affairs with Ron's father. He swallowed angrily and cracked his jaw. They'd arrived separately and they'd been very careful not to spend too much time too close to one another, but Ron knew, and knowing, he could see.
They sat together at dinner, but didn't touch. Ginny caught him staring and stared back. He released his gaze first and turned his attention to Hermione's small talk. Conversations drifted easily around him, but for Ron, the tension was palpable. Not wanting any of his family to notice his reticence, Ron walked out to the garden when dinner was over for some fresh air.
"You know, don't you?"
Ron spun around to see his older brother leaning against the corner of the house. "How do you know?" he asked.
"Tonks walked in on them. How do you know?"
"He summoned her after a bad transformation. Hermione and Harry were sitting with her at the breakfast table when his Patronus came."
Charlie nodded sagely. "Have you spoken with her?"
"No, have you?"
Charlie grimmaced. "I don't know what to say."
"Yeah, me either."
They stilled as voices drifted over from the other side of the house.
"Are we staying at my place tonight?" came Ginny's soft voice.
"Mmm," rumbled Remus.
Ginny gave a throaty chuckle. "Well, why don't you go on and make us some coffee and I'll be home as soon as I'm done letting Tonks corner me."
Remus snorted. "Best to let her get it out of her system, or she might burst."
The sound of the couple kissing was sickening and both Ron and Charlie looked a little green. They heard the distinct pop of a wizard Apparating and then the slam of the door as Ginny went back into the house.
"And now it's real," muttered Charlie and Ron nodded, feeling more than a little nauseated.
~ : ~ : ~
Arthur watched as his wife slowly stripped off her clothes and prepared for bed. Absent was the gauzy nightgown that she'd taken to wearing when Bill, as a toddler, had started climbing into their bed at night. She'd worn it in later years, more out of habit than continued necessity, but it was finally relegated to the back of a bureau drawer.
"Well, that went well," she said as she pulled back the covers.
Arthur grimmaced as he began to pull off his own clothes. "Really? What part? The impromptu duel out in the garden? Or having our daughter threaten one of her brothers with an Unforgivable?"
"They look good together, don't you think? And it's wonderful to see Remus so happy for once."
"Hmph. Admit it, Molly you're concerned."
"Of course I am," she huffed. "Is that going to change her mind? Is that going to make Ginny fall out of love him?"
"What can she possibly know about love?" he groused.
"As much as we tried to prevent it, they grew up, Arthur. Ginny knows about more than just love and Remus is a man capable of dealing with that."
"I know. Molly, he told me he was taking her to Gretna Green tonight." She jerked her head up and he winced at the tears in her eyes.
"Oh it's okay, Arthur, they'll let us throw a party for them. I'm just happy that they're getting married!"
He shook his head and slid into the bed next to his wife. "I love you, Molly."
She wrapped her arms around him and drew him into her embrace. "We're going to have a werewolf for a son-in-law," she giggled. "He's really quite handsome, you know."
"I think you're a little too giddy about this. Living vicariously through our daughter?"
"Maybe."
Arthur growled as as he flipped his wife under him. "Allow me to endeavor to fulfill your fantasies, madam. I can't have you lusting after a damn dog."
"Mmm. Bite me."
And he did.
Silver Chain Epilogue
Index
So, on my whim and for your enjoyment:
"So, are you going to tell me what really happened to Ginny this weekend?"
Hermione bit nervously on her lower lip. She couldn't keep this secret and she knew it, but how did one explain this sort of thing? Ron was not going to take this well. "I am," she replied tentatively.
Ron walked over to her and set his hands on her shoulders. Normally she hated it when he physically guided her, accusing him of manhandling. But this time it was a comfort to have him push her gently into a chair. He sat across from her and took her face into his hands.
"It's okay, Hermione. Whatever it is. I already know I'm not going to like it, but I promise not to shoot the messenger."
She sighed and turned her face into his palm. "It's not so much that. I know how to handle you, but I fear for Remus." She lifted her gaze to see his confused one.
"Remus? What does Lupin have to-" he trailed off and his face took on an expression of abject horror.
"What does Lupin have to do with my sister?" he asked in a slow, deadly soft voice.
"They've apparently been seeing each other on and off for months," she whispered. "Last month she sat with him during the full moon and he got very angry with her. She thought it was over until he sent for her this morning."
"She's seen him transform?" said Ron, aghast.
"Yes," replied Hermione. "I don't think there's much she hasn't seen of him."
He cringed. "Really, Hermione, isn't it bad enough she's sleeping with a man twice her age who not only used to be our professor, but is also a werewolf? I don't need the mental images to go with it."
She smirked. "Good of you to take it so well." She frowned as the look on his face became decidedly less comical.
"What choice has she given us?"
"Oh Ron." She pulled her fiance into a tight embrace. "She's not Percy. I promise you she'd never leave; she just needs some space. This might just be a passing fit of rebellion, for all we know."
"Do you honestly believe Lupin would take part in some school girl fantasy?" he mumbled into her shoulder, but he grasped her tightly.
"I-I don't know, Ron. I hope not."
He pushed himself gently out of her arms and stood up. "Thanks for telling me," he said as he turned away from her. "I won't say anything to either of them. I guess they'll come clean when they're ready."
~ : ~ : ~
"You left awfully early," murmured Charlie.
"I know," whispered Tonks. "I had something I thought I needed to do."
"Thought?"
"Thought. It turned out my assistance wasn't necessary."
Charlie groaned. "When are you going to let him go, Tonks? How much longer is this going to be me, you and the ghost of werewolves past?"
Tonks flinched. Charlie had been so patient with her. It wasn't that she was in love with Remus, she just couldn't give up on him. Well, she hadn't been able to give up on him. That had all changed that morning. "I was worried," she said, her voice defensive.
He shook his head. "Tonks-"
"No, no, it's okay now Charlie. I promise you I'm done worrying about him. Well, once you promise me that you won't kill him, then I'll be done."
"Kill him? What'd he do, Tonks?"
"Your sister," she blurted out and then ducked her head. That wasn't really the most tactful manner to -
"What?!"
"Ginny was there," she murmured. "Remus let me in and while he was trying to placate me and, well, get rid of me, she came out of his bedroom wearing only his shirt."
She watched wide eyed as Charlie spun away from her and sent his fist into the wall. "Tell me that is some sick joke. It's not funny, but Ill laugh; just for you."
"No, Charlie, it's no joke."
He lowered his head to the wall. "How long?"
"Months, Charlie. I think we can safely say this is at least part of what's been going on with her. They were - comfortable together."
He gave a humourless laugh. "Comfortable," he repeated. He shook his head. "I guess if that's what she wants..."
~ : ~ : ~
Ron leaned against the doorway and silently took in the scene in front of him. It was Sunday dinner as usual, but it didn't feel usual. Bill was there with his wife and kid but Harry and his family had begged off for the night. Tonks and Charlie were cuddling in the corner and Ginny was playing Exploding Snap with Fred and Remus Lupin was discussing Muggle affairs with Ron's father. He swallowed angrily and cracked his jaw. They'd arrived separately and they'd been very careful not to spend too much time too close to one another, but Ron knew, and knowing, he could see.
They sat together at dinner, but didn't touch. Ginny caught him staring and stared back. He released his gaze first and turned his attention to Hermione's small talk. Conversations drifted easily around him, but for Ron, the tension was palpable. Not wanting any of his family to notice his reticence, Ron walked out to the garden when dinner was over for some fresh air.
"You know, don't you?"
Ron spun around to see his older brother leaning against the corner of the house. "How do you know?" he asked.
"Tonks walked in on them. How do you know?"
"He summoned her after a bad transformation. Hermione and Harry were sitting with her at the breakfast table when his Patronus came."
Charlie nodded sagely. "Have you spoken with her?"
"No, have you?"
Charlie grimmaced. "I don't know what to say."
"Yeah, me either."
They stilled as voices drifted over from the other side of the house.
"Are we staying at my place tonight?" came Ginny's soft voice.
"Mmm," rumbled Remus.
Ginny gave a throaty chuckle. "Well, why don't you go on and make us some coffee and I'll be home as soon as I'm done letting Tonks corner me."
Remus snorted. "Best to let her get it out of her system, or she might burst."
The sound of the couple kissing was sickening and both Ron and Charlie looked a little green. They heard the distinct pop of a wizard Apparating and then the slam of the door as Ginny went back into the house.
"And now it's real," muttered Charlie and Ron nodded, feeling more than a little nauseated.
~ : ~ : ~
Arthur watched as his wife slowly stripped off her clothes and prepared for bed. Absent was the gauzy nightgown that she'd taken to wearing when Bill, as a toddler, had started climbing into their bed at night. She'd worn it in later years, more out of habit than continued necessity, but it was finally relegated to the back of a bureau drawer.
"Well, that went well," she said as she pulled back the covers.
Arthur grimmaced as he began to pull off his own clothes. "Really? What part? The impromptu duel out in the garden? Or having our daughter threaten one of her brothers with an Unforgivable?"
"They look good together, don't you think? And it's wonderful to see Remus so happy for once."
"Hmph. Admit it, Molly you're concerned."
"Of course I am," she huffed. "Is that going to change her mind? Is that going to make Ginny fall out of love him?"
"What can she possibly know about love?" he groused.
"As much as we tried to prevent it, they grew up, Arthur. Ginny knows about more than just love and Remus is a man capable of dealing with that."
"I know. Molly, he told me he was taking her to Gretna Green tonight." She jerked her head up and he winced at the tears in her eyes.
"Oh it's okay, Arthur, they'll let us throw a party for them. I'm just happy that they're getting married!"
He shook his head and slid into the bed next to his wife. "I love you, Molly."
She wrapped her arms around him and drew him into her embrace. "We're going to have a werewolf for a son-in-law," she giggled. "He's really quite handsome, you know."
"I think you're a little too giddy about this. Living vicariously through our daughter?"
"Maybe."
Arthur growled as as he flipped his wife under him. "Allow me to endeavor to fulfill your fantasies, madam. I can't have you lusting after a damn dog."
"Mmm. Bite me."
And he did.
Silver Chain Epilogue
Index