Chapter 2
When you have people in your life that love you and those you love equally in return, at a certain point you have to take responsibility for that. That the love you have for them and that they have for you means something. And it is all that matters.
August 1987.
If someone were to ask Bill who he felt close to, mum or dad, he would bashfully reply "Both" but deep down he knew it would always be his dad that he was closest to. There was a time when Bill had been bitter and resentful about his relationship with his mother. Or lack thereof. Not that he blamed her. Raising a gaggle of kids under the age of ten with dad almost always out for overtime or too tired to help out with the chores, Mum didn’t exactly have it easy. Bill could understand that and he hated that he could. He wasn’t like Ben who had his muggle parents wrapped around his fingers or Merula whose pureblood parents were willing to bow themselves backward to get her pompous ass what she wanted. He's even seen Tina throw a temper tantrum at her parents back in first-year supply shopping at Diagon Alley. To Bill, being the oldest of six siblings, shouldering responsibilities came almost naturally to him.
Though Dad tried his best to cater to his child-like tendencies, "Why Do I have to always share my things, the broom is mine, not Charlie's." "It's not my fault I am older, Percy could’ve said he wanted an ice cream too when we were at Florean's why do I have to give him mine!"
Mum hadn't always been too understanding. Her words never failed to annoy him at the time.
"You will listen, William Weasley! You should always share-" "You're the eldest, hence should be more responsible-" "Percy doesn’t know any better! He's your baby brother!"
But Dad would take him aside and calm him down before listening to him and deciding whether he needed a scolding or not. When he was seven, sometimes it felt like no matter what happened he would be responsible because he was the eldest. When he'd shared this with Dad, he had, no matter how busy he was, started making time for Bill. He took Bill out in the fields and taught him how to ride a broom. Taught him chess when Mum was too busy with Charlie, or when Percy was sick, or when she was too heavy and tired with the Twins' pregnancy.
Bill liked to spend time with his father because it was one of the rare occasions where he felt like he was just Bill, not the older brother, who should shoulder the responsibilities of little brothers. But just Bill who was a bit of a nerd liked to play quidditch and was good at magic.
Dad would always explain and defend Mum when Bill felt like she was being too unfair telling him that all would be alright if he just apologized. After he got his Hogwarts acceptance letter, Bill stopped arguing with his mum altogether even when it felt like she was being unfair. Most of the time she wasn't and Bill would understand her stance on the matters eventually. Like the water adjusting to the pot, it's being poured into, raging, and waving before becoming still and coming to terms with its new shape.
Nevertheless, Bill was never really as close with his mother as Percy and Charlie were. Charlie was the mama's boy through and through. Percy didn’t have much of a choice, he spent much of his childhood sick and in bed with Mum fussing over him.
Dad, however, was another story. It wasn't long before it became a routine for Bill to spend most of his summers, back from Hogwarts at the burrow, outside in the sun flying around the paddocks and fields surrounding his home, and then waiting for Dad to come back and play a game of chess with him well into the night. They'd talk about everything from his dad's interest in his latest project to enchant one muggle device or another to Bill talking his dad's ear off about ancient runes and arithmetic.
Bill was sure that most of the stuff went over his dad's head but he never interrupted and always showed interest in whatever Bill had to say. Sometimes Mum would set him to watch over and babysit his youngest brother, but Ron was never a bother. His youngest brother kept mostly to himself. Give him a toy wand and he'd spend most of his afternoon in his room playing around and doing pretend magic.
Charlie was never home if he could help it after his fourth year. Regularly joining summer activities and scout camps and went off to look for anything about his obsession with magical beasts. Bill wasn't going to deny that he was rather jealous when Charlie had come home after last summer gushing about meeting Newt Scamander, The Newt Scamander, at the scouting camp in Arizona. Charlie had earned those bragging rights; Bill would give him that.
Percy, after he'd Joined Hogwarts had made it his mission to scavenge and devour anything and everything that would help him in his ambition to outshine everyone and move past the shadow of poverty and the strain on their reputations as a part of the Weasley family. His ambitions had put a dent in his friendship with the twins but try as he might Bill couldn't fault Percy for that.
The twins, Bill couldn't understand what they got up to half the time. The other half, he was trying to avoid becoming collateral damage bound to happen in their pranks. They rarely confided in anyone other than each other, Bill had never seen them fight. If one was upset, the other would know immediately and they'd both disappear until another family member, usually poor Ron, would become a victim of their latest prank. By the time Ron was born, Dad was doing the longest hours at his job. It was becoming more difficult to make ends meet and Bill suspected if Hogwarts wasn’t free of cost for anyone learning magic, Bill would have to say goodbye to any hopes of attending the best school of Witchcraft and Wizardry.
In hindsight, it was a good thing that by the time Ron would have to go to school there would be way fewer mouths to feed, and perhaps his youngest siblings would be able to enjoy the luxury that the twins and Percy were denied by circumstances.
Ginny, simply by the nature of being a girl and the youngest of seven siblings was different, she stuck out and demanded attention and was prone to throwing tantrums when something didn’t go her way. Charlie would occasionally call her dragonling, which wasn’t far from the truth. She was brash and outgoing. Vibrant and charming in a way none of the other Weasleys were. She was smart and athletic to boot. Bill knew for a fact that Ginny could easily take down one of the twins in a physical fight. Which broke out within the siblings more than he liked.
In contrast, Ron seemed to be the opposite of the twins and Ginny who would thrive in chaos, but so unlike Percy and his rather inflexible and studious nature. Bill had tried to get their youngest brother out of his shell, trying to play pretend magic with him and teaching him how to ride a broom but it seemed the age difference between them made things more than a little awkward. Ron always seemed to be wary and reserved around Bill. He recalled a time when he was back for summer after his third year and Ron, who was essentially meeting him for the first time (it's not like the little redhead remembered anything from last year) had hidden, rather unsuccessfully, behind the kitchen table every time Bill had so much as looked at him.
He was sandwiched between Ginny and the dual problem children of the twins, who were twice the attention-grabbers since they reinforced each other. Ron was witty, but he was not a braggart jokester like the twins; he was brilliant, but not an academic overachiever like Percy; and he wasn't a standout athlete like Ginny or Charlie. He was often overlooked as someone who was functioning normally without continual oversight or attention. Bill thinks that out of all his siblings, Ron might be the only one to whom he can relate the most. But the younger redhead never had Bill’s self-assured nature that came with being the eldest of seven kids.
From the time Ron was born, his mother's attention was grabbed by his demons of twin brothers lest they accidentally killed themselves, or their brothers, blow up the house, or all of the above really. Their mum's “what’s good for one is good for all” philosophy didn’t take into account that Ron might have needed more support than his brothers and even sister.
Mum wasn’t very observant of him unless he did anything wrong. So, when he would do something stupid or just act his age, she'd get the impression that he was taking after the twins and would scold him accordingly. This was probably the reason that out of all his family, Bill was the least surprised when it all went to hell.
It was a normal summer afternoon, Charlie was once again on an expedition to Merlin knows where with Hagrids and other members of Care of Magical Creatures Club. Mum working on dinner all the while muttering about reckless young men, never listening to their mother and going off with those dangerous creatures of his and whatnot. Charlie was in for a draconian tongue-lashing. Pun intended.
Bill, as usual, was making his way out for a little fly when he saw his younger siblings circling around and roughhousing in the pen. George was dragging Ginny around by her ankle, her hair going all over her face as she screamed bloody murder. Bill would be alarmed if the next moment she hadn't pushed down on her hands and planted her free foot right on George's crotch until both of them fell over shouting and screaming and landing in a pile of red hair and lanky limbs.
Bill winced.
Fred was pestering Percy by handing onto the broom the older was riding which was to his alarm hovering at least 10 feet above the ground. Considering Percy wasn’t very good at riding a broom, both of them could come crashing down in the yard. If they did there would definitely be a broken bone or two and Mum wouldn't be happy. Sighing he swiftly made his way over to the pair. Fred, the gremlin that he was, noticed his approach almost immediately and cocked his head to the side like a fox.
A devilish smirk came over his face as he yelled swinging his legs back and steering the broom almost perpendicular to the ground. But before he could do anything else, Bill was on him leaping up, his considerable height of 6’2 a definite advantage, and grabbing the broom with one hand and wrapping the other around the struggling twin and pulling them both down to a safe distance near the ground and setting down Fred on the ground.
"Not fair Bill!" he whines before tackling Percy, who had just gotten off the broom, and they were both down as well. Percy's disgruntled expression changed into a dangerous scowl but before a fight could break out, again, the bespectacled boy could hold grudges like nobody's business; Bill separated them.
"Now Fred, play nice, that was dangerous-" aaand there he goes! The younger redhead had already moved on to George, who was still moaning on the ground, blowing a raspberry at Bill and Percy. Bill just heaved a sigh. It was no use taming Fred, even more so when he was alone. Hopefully, George would set him straight. Or distract him with another super secret scheme for a spoof. After he could manage to stand up that is. Ginny was making her way over to him. She was also upset with Charlie, who was admittingly her favorite brother, for leaving her over another summer. But Bill also knew that she would come around soon enough when Charlie brought trinkets and souvenirs and whatnot for her after he came back. Ron was as usual hiding out in their father's workplace, the only place where the twins weren't allowed to set off their pranks.
An idea stuck with him just as Percy was making his way back inside, a thick book tucked under his arm muttering about never riding a broom even if it killed him again.
"Everyone,” He clapped his hands loudly to grab the kids' attention. “Come around, come on, Ron out, I know you're listening. Percy, no put that book away.” A small hand grabbed at his jacket impatiently. “Just a second, Ginny."
He waited until all of his siblings formed a semi-circle around him heads bobbing and tilting curiously. Ron somewhat hiding behind Percy. Bill really needed to spend more time with his youngest brother. Experience had taught his siblings that it was bound to be fun when Bill gathered them like this.
"Let's play a game, it's called Hide and Seek" he paused for the dramatics, of course.
"Is that the boring muggle game-"
“-That you learned from your friends at Hogwarts?"
The twins, Fred and George, looked up at Bill with wide, curious, and mischievous blue eyes. Ginny, the youngest, furrowed her brow in confusion, tilting her head to the side. Bill quickly raised his hand to forestall any complaints, his face breaking into a grin. "Settle down now. I promise it's not going to be boring. We'll add a little twist to it, yeah?"
As Bill began to explain the rules of the game, the children's excitement grew palpable. They hung on his every word, eager to get started.
"You can only hide inside the parameters of the house," Bill explained, setting the initial boundaries. Fred and George did not need any excuse to flee the burrow and wreak havoc in the village.
"What does 'parameters' mean?" Ginny asked
Percy spoke up, always eager to ‘educate’ the youngest two, before Bill. "It means the boundaries- " Before he could finish, Fred interjected,
"ooh- perfect Percy wants to play too-" Bill tried to gain control of the situation before another fight broke out between the twins and Percy, which would most definitely end with Percy storming off to his room in frustration.
"Boys, listen" he interfered, referring to all of them, and earned a hard kick to his shin courtesy of Ginny. Bloody hell, she hits hard!
"Alright, boys and Ginny,” he continued, making sure to address the only female in the group. “Listen to the rules. No hiding in the bedrooms and bathrooms."
The children let out a collective groan at this restriction. "Aww, shucks," one of the twins grumbled.
"The one who gets caught the first becomes the seeker for the next game."
The kids became more and more excited to play, Bill noticed in his peripheral that Ron had retreated a little further in behind Percy and was staring at him with equal amounts of curiosity and apprehension.
Ron felt equal parts excited and apprehensive. Bill had volunteered to become the first seeker (but not the quidditch one). And it was very hard to hide from him. Bill was the oldest and the coolest brother, in Ron's opinion. He also seemed too out of reach most of the time. Always doing one important thing or the other. But lately, he had started to make time for all of them. Even Ron. And the best part was that Bill had never excluded Ron from any game when all of them were playing together just because he wasn’t good enough.
Percy, the least athletic out of all of them, managed to be found first. Ron had hidden in plain sight on the balcony outside Mum and Dad's room. He hid under the green sheet Mum used for her potted plant to shield them from the sun. One by one all of them were found. He could hear Ginny shrieking and giggling. Bill was probably tickling her senseless. Bill never roughhoused with him though. Ron thought. Somewhat bitter.
As time went on, and his legs and bum became numb from sitting so long, Ron decided to come out. They'd probably forgotten all about him and started a new game. It wouldn’t be the first time. He shifted under the sheet and pushed it away from his head when the door to the balcony opened and in strode Bill. He looked tall and regal. Long red hair gleaming and dancing about his head like a whirlwind of fire. His eyes were shining in the afternoon sun. Ron almost forgot he was supposed to be under the sheet when his brother turned to look at him.
"Found you, Ronnie."
He looked amused and impressed. Ron shifted and tried to stand. His legs caught in the green sheet and he almost tumbled down face first before Bill caught him by the elbow, straightened him up, and started dusting his hair and shoulder. Ron couldn't help but lean into the touch. It felt nice. Bill smiled at him again before leading him out to the corridor.
"I win right? You found everyone before me."
"Yes, you did. Congratulations Ronnie. Percy is going to seek next. Let's meet everyone at the yard."
They played a few more rounds. Fred and George had a little squabble. Ginny found Fred first but he said he was George and George had to be the seeker in the next game. George ended up finding him first but chose to ignore him in favor of finding Fred first, just to spite his other half. Both of them ended up fighting and tumbling through the grass and chicken pen scaring the poor rooster before Bill had to interfere and Fred was sent to be the next seeker. He was hiding behind the bushes in the little garden outside the kitchen where he could hear everything. Fred was still counting behind the shed when he heard footsteps approach his hiding place.
"Why are you hiding here? You were hiding here last round." It was Ginny. And she had an I will throw a tantrum if I don't get what I want face. But Ron was a Weasley through and through and he was not going to give up his hiding place just because Ginny wanted to hide there.
"Fred and George didn’t find me so I can hide here again if I want to. I came here first. Go away and find another place." He gave her an I won't listen to you just because you are younger and a girl face in return. Ginny scowled.
"Well, you hid here last round and you are supposed to change hiding places every round. I want to hide here." Ron didn’t get what her problem was. It was just a hiding place. There were plenty of more places to hide in.
"Says who? You find another hiding place." He was not going to back down this time. He was not. But Ginny's face was turning red and there were already tears in her eyes.
"Ten! Come out come out wherever you are!"
Fred's voice reached them and both of them panicked. Ginny came towards him hurriedly.
"You are such a loser! Besides, you are too stupid to find another hiding place." She said meanly and Ron felt a stab of hurt and humiliation at her words. He wasn't stupid. He wasn’t a loser. And right now he wanted to hurt Ginny the same way she hurt him. She looked ready to cry but Ron didn't care.
"At least I am not a spoiled brat and crybaby like you who goes running behind mum's apron every time she doesn’t get what she wants."
He didn’t feel anything but satisfaction as Ginny started crying. But he did feel a spike of wariness when she came even closer to him. Fred was searching inside the house and this would probably be the last place he checked since it was the farthest from the shed. That was why Ron had hidden here in the first place.
"You are such a tosspot!"
He wasn't prepared to be pushed down. Ron's right hand shot behind him to catch his fall and his left instinctively grabbed the first thing it reached. It happened to be Ginny's hair. She let out an awful shriek and both of them went down. Ron's back and head hit the soft ground with a rather painful thud, right wrist twisting at a painful angel as let out a yelp. Ginny's nose kissed his knee with a sickening crack and his foot was buried in her side.
For a few seconds, everything was silent before Ginny wailed nasally and loudly and shrill as she rolled over. Both her hands covered her face. It was a terrible sound to hear and Ron's heart seized in fear. He stood up hastily. Adrenaline rushed through his system making the dull pain in his head and sharp agony in his wrist disappear as he watched in horror the blood leaking through Ginny's finger. Tears sprang unbidden in his eyes. His magic leaked out of his small body making the wind pick up around him but he didn't notice too busy staring horrified at his little sister as she cried from shock and pain.
His body felt numb and cold, legs paralyzed, and hands shaking at the sight of red, red blood staining his sister's pale fingers. Dark clouds were gathering in the sky right above the house. The door of the kitchen opened with a bang. Mum made her way towards them eyes warry and concerned and steps furious ready to give the one who made Ginny cry a piece of her mind.
Ron looked up at her more than a little scared. She faltered at the sight of Ginny and turned her furious gaze at him. He shrank back, shoulders bunching up near his ears. He could hear the rest of his siblings making their way into the kitchen. Game of hide and seek forgotten.
"What in the name of Merlin-, Get inside now Ronald." She ordered and Ron didn't wait to see her picking up Ginny in her arms. He made his way inside the kitchen and stood beside Bill who looked worried. None of his siblings dared to utter a single sound.
Mum made her way inside, Ginny still sobbing in her arms.
"It was my hiding place and Ron called me a crybaby and a spoiled brat! He hit me!" Ginny sobbed and the cold dread inside Ron was suddenly replaced with fiery red hot fire. Anger filled him so intensely that he couldn’t even speak properly.
"I was hiding there first! And I DIDN'T HIT YOU!" He bellowed. Mum just glared at him running her fingers through Ginny's hair. Ron felt an ugly and scalding feeling bubbling in his heart. He hated Ginny.
"He pulled my hair!" Ginny wailed again and Mum shushed her gently rocking her in her arms. Ron hated Mum even more. But he couldn’t help but shrink even more under her gaze. He wasn't going to back down though. It was so unfair.
"Liar!" He shouted.
"Ronald Weasley! I am absolutely disgusted! There is no good reason to hurt your sister! She is younger than you. Family don’t hurt each other! " Mum didn’t shout but she as well punched him in his gut.
"But She-" he tried but Mum cut him off.
"No! look at her she's bleeding"
"It's her fault! She pushed me!" It was so unfair. He was already crying
"That’s it! Go to your room, young man! You're grounded!". Ron hated crying. The twins always made fun of him for acting like a sissy but right now he didn’t care. It was so unfair. Ginny was the one who pushed him. It wasn't Ron's fault. But Mum wasn't listening and Ron did what Ginny did when she wanted to be heard. He balled his fists, heaved, and exploded.
"I HATE YOU!" Ron bellowed as the wind gathered up inside the kitchen and living room, entirely unnatural.
"ALL OF YOU! Mum never listens to me; she always takes Ginny's side!" He screamed shrilly as the windows and furniture inside the living room and the kitchen started rattling. Mum seemed baffled, concerned, and a little wary. Anger was forgotten in the face of an impressive display of accidental magic as she put Ginny down and hid the younger redhead behind her which while understandable was a little unwarranted.
"George and Fred always pick on me! And you don’t say anything! You didn't do anything when they made me eat Acid Pop! Percy never wants to play with me!" Ron's face was as red as his hair. At this point, Bill could notice little kitchenware like pots and kettles and spoons floating in the air. The vase in the living room near the window exploded and Ginny let out a terrified scream. But Ron didn’t notice. Mum was white in the face as she brought her hands out and approached him cautiously. Like approaching a cornered animal.
"Now honey, Calm down baby" she cooed, but Ron didn't listen. Or couldn't as a ringing sound started echoing around the house. Amidst the rattling and ringing Ron's voice almost seemed to echo.
"Nobody wants me here, Nobody! and I- I want- I WISH I WAS NEVER BORN!" He roared and the windows exploded out pans and plates hit the ceiling and the younger kids let out terrified screams as the stove exploded into fireworks. Bill was too shocked to do anything but observe as his brother's hair lined out with white streaks. The red in his face receded until the freckles on his face became stark like brown paint on a snow-white canvas. The younger swayed slightly before turning and running up the stairs. His steps banged and echoed around until the door to his room was slammed shut.
Mum was rooted in her spot. Hands still stretched out. She stood there still as a statue, eyes wide. Bill himself felt shakey and pale. The twins were huddled around the crying Ginny whose face was still smeared with blood. Percy looked as pale as Bill felt himself and let out a shuddering breath. The house was utterly still and Bill had never in his life seen it so unanimated.
"Bill"
He startled badly at Mum's voice. "Percy, everyone to their rooms. I'll call you down for dinner. Ginny dear, come here. Let me fix that for you."
As Mum guided Ginny to the loo Percy, Twins, and Bill followed them upstairs into their respective rooms. Bill made a beeline towards his bed. It had started raining somewhere along the whole debacle even though Bill was sure the day was sunny and bright as the summer solstice. Feeling exhausted, thoughts running a mile a minute. He'd always prided himself in being an excellent big brother. He used to entertain Charlie, making funny faces and playing with him when Mum was running herself ragged looking after a sick Percy heavily pregnant with the twins.
He'd read bedtime stories to Percy well into the night when Mum and Dad were too exhausted and Percy too restless to sleep. He and Charlie took to running after and entertaining Fred and George at the height of the Wizarding War when they had to move from one safehouse to another after they were branded as Blood-traitors for pooling their loyalty with Albus Dumbledore. The next thought came with a ping of regret. He'd already been at Hogwarts before Ron and Ginny were born. But he'd been present at Ginny's birth holding a one-year-old Ron who was fussing and crying.
After his Hogwarts admission, he'd spent most of his year at the school, and every time he'd come home for summer, his youngest siblings were completely different people. This was especially true for Ron who, as a toddler was scared of almost everything. This was largely due to being the target for pranks by the rambunctious twins.
Ginny herself had settled into a boisterous and loud personality on par with Charlie and the twins rather quickly. But Ron had remained wary and mistrustful of anything new, which was why he'd vowed, to spend more time with his brother this summer. Try to bring him out of his shell a little. In a swarm of rowdy kids, Ron was often overlooked and unintentionally ignored until he'd do something stupid to gain attention. But he'd never exploded out at their mum and siblings, Bill was sure.
Bill sighed as he heaved himself up and made his way upstairs to Ron's room. With Ginny's injury and the ground floor in shambles, dinner to be made, Mum wouldn't be able to make time for Ron until well after dinner. Bill thought bitterly that it wouldn't be the end of the world if dinner was served later than usual, or if the repairs were done after Dad came home. As unintentional as it may be, the fact never changed that Ron would be the last one to be tended to.