Pretty girl

Ron was still eight when Bill decided to move far away from home. He was eighteen nearly nineteen when the perfect son turned out not so perfect.

Mum was both proud and mad at Bill. She had some good reasons for it. Bill pierced his ears and honestly Ron loved the stud earrings with two fake rubies in them. Also Bill's hair was chopped back to the short hairstyle mum preferred to Bill's annoyance.

"I said a hundred times already earrings and long hair are for girls and stuck up purebloods! You William don't fall into those categories!"

"Mollywobbles maybe it is a muggle trend." Dad tried to justify it.

"No muggle trend could make my son like this!" She shouted and the twins did what they were best at cherished that Bill fell from the favorite son role.

"You could be like Ronnekins girly together playing with dollys." Fred mocked.

"And you are shocked that I would rather move into Egypt than to stay one more moment home?" He spit it out and stormed into his room.

After that argument Bill did swallow his pride and apologized, but next week he left. His internship would have started only in September. Mum and dad didn't know but he did talk with every sibling alone. This is how he found out about the lies Percy kept up or Ronnie's feelings about being a girl.

Bill understood and felt guilty that none of his brothers trusted him with it. He was the protector they should have relied on but he only could protect Charlie and now he wanted to leave.

He wanted the independence and freedom his classmates talked about. He already lost friends thanks to Mum's controlling ways, he still mourned Emilio, his old pen-pal and other good friends. Egypt was a new start and a huge opportunity he will take as selfish as it is.

He talked with Charlie and asked him if he could look out for the other sibling. He put the pressure to Percy to protect Ron and do play up their roles, because mum could become more mad and dad was ignorant. He also talked with the twins if they could just be more friendly with the others, he understood that they had their bond but he wished they were more close to the others.

Then he talked with Ron. It was the hardest discussion. Ron begged him to stay. Bill thought that he wasn't there for her, not like Percy and Ginny was.

"Ron I have to go. This is my only chance to leave. I promise that I will write to you and when the time comes I will personally pierce your ears."

"You know about that. No no Bill I like the Chudleys and I like to toss around balls not dolls." Ron sputtered out the lies he made.

"I know and I accept it. Don't let mum control you too like she does with most of us and I ask you to be there for Percy like he is there for you."

"I will. One day I will be on my way to Egypt. First Hogwarts." Ron said wishfully.

"I will accommodate you." He ruffled her hair. "It will be beautiful when you could let it grow."

Those words meant a lot to Ron.

***

Mum did believe most of the lies Ron came up to. Ginny also played along. They pretended to argue over colors. Ron mocked Ginny's newfound love for the pink color. Also he started to hang out with the twins.

They eagerly welcomed a new set of hands and foot in their quidditch games. Percy participated too unwillingly of course. They were both shocked to see Ron as a better player, he wanted to say it is thanks to Ginny and their secret training but he never gave away that secret.

Now that they were older Mum let them out to the village. Fred and George became popular with the kids while Ron and Ginny were the annoying little siblings who tagged along. Ron liked games like hide and seek, tag and others but he looked wistfully at Ginny's group of girls who played some mom and dad family game. Ginny wanted to wave Ron over but both knew better.

Luna visited a few times a month, but now that she was older her daddy took her to long lasting journeys searching for fascinating creatures. Luna was always a girl with her head in the clouds but as she aged mum started to disapprove their friendship with her, because the conspiracy theories she made up was barmy.

"You know who is barmy." Ron defended his best friend. "Uncle Bilius and his grim stories."

"Yes Luna while she is a little Loony she is nice and more smarter than the muggle girls who only want babies." Ginny said too.

"I said I have to limit your meetups. Lest you two end up like Bill chasing cursed pyramids or like Charlie chasing dragons. Luna and her creatures are not real you two will end up with a respectable Ministry job not as a magizoologist." Mum shouted in anger.

"Who said we want that!" Ron shouted. "I will be the manliest Quidditch player and Gin will write for Witch Weekly!" Ron lied with every word and mum looked pleased.

No they had different dreams. Ron would be satisfied just by becoming a girl her future job far from his mind. Ginny wanted to become a chaser. Ron secretly wanted the same but he wanted to be a keeper or a chaser if that place was filled.*

The journalist lie was also one which Ginny came up with. While she loved to scribble in her diary Ginny hated magazines, beside sport ones. Ron ate up the gossip and Divination ones but Ginny couldn't care less. Journalism was another job she considered, Luna suggested it but she would rather write for the Quibbler than Witch Weekly.

Mum wanted Charlie to go pro and become a star athlete but it was clear as day that he will be a dragon tamer, so one day Ron and Ginny can do something that no other brother did before them, they didn't mind sharing.

***

The Weasleys were a big family, Ron sometimes forgot that they have aunts, great aunts and grandparents.

There were family gatherings in every year. Muriel was one of their most hated visitors, mum loved to impress her. His grandparents also liked to visit Septimus and Cedrella.

Grandma is not as close to their family both because she is the only family member who was a Slytherin and because she is still a poised lady that mum also wanted to impress, but secretly hated.

Usually those gatherings included Mum, grandma and Ginny sipping tea elegantly, Ginny getting fed up and storming off while Ron, Percy and grandpa played Chess and dad, the twins, Charlie and Bill talked with Bilius, the cousins and Lancelot.

Muriel usually came alone and mum pulled out her best table clothes, silverware and teacups. She roped in the whole family to cut vegetables but only let Ginny help out with the stirring and baking. Boys were good only to cut carrots and wash dishes.

(Another thing Ron despised. He wanted to cook nice soups and bake yummy cakes but he couldn't.)

Muriel also said the same stupid things mum liked to say. She scolded Bill's and Charlie's long hair, Ron's shirt color being girly and Percy's soft spoken words.

"Ginny's hair should be longer and she is so pretty. Why not wear a dress?" She suggested and took out a present. They boys got their rock hard jelly thing, Ginny got a frilly blue dress robe.

"When I started to like pink you get me a blue one. Give it to someone else." She huffed while looking at Ron meaningfully.

"Don't be stupid girl who else could I give? You are the only Weasley woman in hundred years." Muriel scolded her.

"Sometimes I wish I wasn't the only one." She shouted and left.

"Ginevra Weasley come back this instant and apologize for your cheek!" Mum shouted in anger.

Ron also left bitterly. Muriel already mocked his height, need for new clothes when he only grows them out and his unkempt hair.

He envied the twins who could move past of the insults Muriel gave them. Her words weighted on his conscience far too long.

"Your mother wanted a girl she got you instead." Once she said after she became too drunk. He said back that she got two girls but she would only want one. Muriel just laughed and forgot their discussion next year when she came around.

***

Ron counted the days, weeks and months. He found comfort in playing Chess. Finally something he was good at. Percy and dad humored him, but the others gave up after he always won.

Ginny started to hate being inside. She even took up degnoming the gardens just to stay outside. She was running away from girl time with mum.

(Ron wanted to learn how to sew, how to make braids and bake and knit, but Ginny had no patience for that.)

Dad tried to include him when he tinkered with his muggle stuff, but nothing caught Ron's interests.

Finally before one day of Ginny's birthday he asked mum to help her out with making the cake because he wanted to give a gift for Ginny.

"Fine this once." She let him stay and linger around the kitchen. He could help with the dough and decorate.

"Ronnie you have a talent for decorating with frosting." Mum approved that was what mattered.

He didn't mention the secret afternoons he spent over Luna's house. Pandora let Ron decorate the cookies she made and taught him a few secret tricks of how to make nice stews.

"Mum can I learn how to cook?" He asked hopefully. "I talked with Gin and she feels a little lonely when you two have the lessons."

"We can work out something." Mum sighed in defeat. Molly tried everything to keep Ginny's interest but she was impatient. Ron while shouldn't bother to learn how to cook, one day he will have a nice wife to do that for him, was the only thing that could convince Ginny.

Ginny agreed only for her sister's sake. Every time they were roped into kitchen duty, Ginny asked for a flying lesson. What they didn't notice was the twins sending jealous looks that even Ron got more attention than they. Percy was happy that Ron finally got something she wanted.

***

The next two years were more bearable. Bill was always writing him letters, Charlie was also trying, but he was different. He was hyper-focused only to dragons, flying and to get praise from mom because this was the last year he had to put up with her. He was a prefect, quidditch captain casting a bigger shadow over the younger siblings. Percy at least knew what to do to finally become the favorite, even if the path was already taken by both of his big brothers Prefect and Head Boy he can achieve it.

Percy focused on his studies and letters. He wrote lies about liking a girl, but to Ron he wrote about Oliver. How Ron and Percy were similar. Ron learnt two new words from that letter. Percy was gay and Percy concluded that Ron could be a trans woman after they find a way of making Ron a girl. That sounded nice, but not the whole truth. Yes Ron was a girl, but he had yet to find a fitting label.

The house was more bearable without the twins. Ron could do his daily routine without checking every corner for a prank amd eat every bite without getting poisoned by their newest invention.

Also Luna was invited around to mom's annoyance. Dad put down his foot and said that their friendship should last. Ginny refused to play with the village kids she disliked all of the girly games and Ron didn't make any meaningful connections without the twins.

They played Quidditch more openly, of course dad found out about it but he let it slide. Luna was their cheerleader she only liked to fly when she went birdwatching.

The cooking lessons were more frequent now that only mum, Ron and Ginny were at home. Ginny couldn't cook and her dislike was obvious but Ron was getting better and better. Pandora also supported his talent and secretly taught him.

Finally Ron let himself get comfortable in his home but it didn't last long. Pandora and Molly had an argument.

"I only ask you to let Ron come over to our house and I could prepare him for Hogwarts and teach him Potions. I know Severus as brilliant he was he can't teach kids. Ron could excel in his class." Pandora smiled proudly at Ron.

"I can teach my kids thank you very much. I was good in Potions and Ronnie never said he wanted to learn!" Mum fumed in anger that stranger knew better her son.

"When he is over we brew our potions. Just last week Luna and Ron assisted me at..." Pandora tried to explain.

"Are you losing your last marbles? Your experiments could endanger my son! You can't let them help out with your pointless experiment Pandora they are children!"

"It was a simple hair color changing potion." She said and Ron never seen Pandora this mad. Her voice was like the furious pouring rain.

"Don't you EVER dare to teach my kids anything! Ron, Ginny your playdates are over. Luna won't be welcomed around. Say goodbye." Mum ordered.

Ron hugged Luna with tearful eyes and as they hugged Luna sneaked something into his palm.

"Your birthday present." She said sadly and she left.

Ron in that moment felt angry. His magic acted out as the tea pot shattered.

"Mum it is not fair we had only one friend. You can't do it." Ginny disagreed. Ron was fuming silently as he tried to hold back his emotions.

"I will not hear a word from you. Pandora endangered Ron and he could have died from a fatal potion accident. You two will learn how to brew potions in first year. Did I make myself CLEAR?" They nodded and accepted her punishment.

Ron finally had a moment alone in his room. It was different from how he wanted to decorate it. He had Chudley Canons posters like he really cared for that team, maroon colored sheets and orange walls, a cheap red rug was on the floor. He wanted dark purple, but he couldn't have that. He wanted his old posters back but he couldn't have them back.

He played with the cold object Luna put into his hand. It was a silver chain with a single blue, round marble glass in it. At his pocket he found a letter and a painting.

'To my dearest, best friend may this necklace keep you safe from Spurglis. Happy Birthday Ro!'

Ron teared up as he put on the necklace vowing to never take it down. He then looked over the painting it was a portrait with three girls. He could see Ginny wearing jeans and a sweater goggles on her hair, a nice broom in her left hand. With her right hand she was hugging a redhead girl. Ron didn't know her.

Luna was on her other side wearing her blue dress that accentuates her beautiful eyes. She also had her radish earrings she preferred to wear and a big witches hat with peacock feathers on it. She was hugging, no more like she was latching onto the redhead.

Ron studied the girl in the middle. She was wearing the brown skirt with sunflowers, she also had on a blue strapless top and long, golden sunflower earrings. Her shoulders were slim, full of freckles just like Ron's, but unlike Ron she had beautiful flame red hair pulled into braids also a flower crown weaved into the braid. She also had the kind of shoes Luna wore. She was beaming and so beautiful.

Ron read the small scribble on the side. 'My best friend Ginny and my pretty girl Ro.' It was him, he realized, or what he wanted to be. He wanted to be Ro, Ron he didn't want to be Ronald anymore.