Potions and Parchment Match

Ron smiled to himself as he walked the last block home from work. It had been a busy day at work and he had made almost two hundred dollars in tips. He liked the feeling it gave him to earn his own money and support himself. He liked not having to answer to anyone for the things that he did. He briefly thought of the Burrow and his family but abruptly shoved it to the back of his mind. He had no interest in revisiting his past now.

It was an unusually nice day for January in Seattle. He had gone with his roommate, Kate, to a party the night before to celebrate the New Year. He found that the Muggle way of celebrating was not that different from the Wizard way. There was loud music, drinking, dancing and then at midnight fireworks. He had left right after that because he knew he had the early shift at the restaurant. He had enjoyed himself and met several new people but thought that Kate’s taste in friends were not really the same as his.

He came up to his building and opened the gate that led up the to the front steps. Sitting on a bench, dressed in a heavy over coat and hat was the crazy crying lady from upstairs. Ron looked behind him debating if he could sneak around her. He decided that he just needed to quickly pass her before she yelled at him again. Ducking his head down, he rushed up the steps. His hand barely touched the door when he heard her call out to him.

“Can we speak for a moment, please?”

Ron turned red and stopped. “Me?” he asked stupidly.

She nodded. “Come sit with me,” she sat patting the empty spot on the bench next to her.

Ron slowly eased back down the steps and gingerly sat on the very edge of the bench. He wondered what she wanted. At least today she wasn’t crying, and that was a bonus.

“I wanted to apologize for my behavior the other day. You startled me.”

“I heard you crying and was only trying to help,” he said.

“I appreciate that. That’s not what startled me though. It was seeing your face. You look a lot like your brother.”

“Weasley family curse,” he said in disgust. Even here he was going to be known as a Weasley, the younger brother of Fred and George, the brother who couldn’t make head boy like Percy and Bill.

“I think that we got off a bit to the wrong start. Shall we start again? My name is Kim,” she said holding out her hand.

He hesitantly took her hand and said, “I’m Ron.”

“Do you know who I am?” she asked.

“Kim?” he said with a confused frown.

She smiled at that. “Do you know who Natalie is?”

Ron thought for a moment. He’d heard that name recently. It finally clicked. George’s baby. “You’re the baby’s mum?” he asked in shock. He took a long look at her. She was blond with green eyes and a smattering of freckles across the bridge of her nose. Her eyes were a bit puffy and red and her lips were swollen. He knew she had a decent figure underneath all of the heavy winter clothing that she wore. Overall, she didn’t look like George’s usual type.

She nodded. “I take it he told his family?”

Ron rolled his eyes. “Showed up at my parent’s house with the baby and a couple of Muggles in tow,” he said.

“He brought my parents along?” she asked in surprise. She wondered how her parents took it when they found out about the magical world that had coexisted silently with there’s.

“Yeah, introduced them to everyone. Tried to show them what a big happy family we all are,” he said disgustedly.

“You’re not?” she asked.

“I guess it depends on who you ask,” he said.

“I see,” she said wondering about the family. “Why are you here, Ron? Did my parents and George send you after me to bring me back to England?”

“Why would they do that?” he asked, genuinely perplexed.

“To take care of Natalie,” she said as if it was the most natural thing in the world.

“George and Luna are doing that.”

“Who is Luna?”

“Looney Lovegood, George’s wife.”

She gasped. “George is married?” She had done some awful things in her life, but usually she stayed away from married men. She wondered how his wife took it.

“They just got married at Christmas,” he shuddered remembering what happened after the ceremony.

Kim sighed in relief. “So Natalie is with George and his wife? And nobody sent you here after me?”

“Nobody sent me here. In fact, if you speak to anyone from home don’t tell them that you saw me. I’m hiding out myself.”

“I was so afraid that they were trying to force me to come back,” she said in relief.

“Why don’t you want to go home? How come you left the baby?”

“I don’t want to be a mother. I really don’t like children.”

“So why did you have her?”

“I don’t believe in abortion. I knew that my parents would take care of her if George didn’t want her.”

“That one likes kids,” Ron said shaking his head in disgust. “Can’t figure out why everyone goes so nuts for babies. All they ever do is eat, sleep, and cry. Throw in a bunch of messy nappies and you got what sounds like hell to me.”

Kim giggled. “Exactly. That’s why I was crying. I feel bad that I don’t feel bad about leaving her. I know I should want her. I know I should feel something for her, but I don’t. I feel like she invaded my body for nine months and then gave me eighteen hours of horrible pain only to come out screaming and crying and demanding my attention. Everyone made me feel so awful because I didn’t want to be a mother. I am just so tired of everyone looking down on me. Just because I am a woman doesn’t mean I have to be a mother. I am happy that she will have a mother now though.”

Ron felt bad for her. “I know what you mean,” he said patting her leg. “I don’t want to have kids either. Back home I was being forced to marry and have children with someone that the Ministry picked out for me. She was a nightmare,” he said with a shudder. “Then when she snuck off to marry someone else I was glad. Next thing I know, everyone is talking about how the Ministry will match me up with someone else. I couldn’t do it.”

“Is that why you left?”

“Partly. Mostly because I couldn’t stand being around my family anymore. I’m the youngest son of six boys. I have a little sister as well, but she might as well have been a boy. She doesn’t act like a witch ought to. I was never just Ron. I was a Weasley because of my red hair. I was the younger brother of Fred and George but not as funny; I was the younger brother of Bill and Percy but didn’t make head boy and not as smart. I was the younger brother of Charlie only not as brave or smart. I just got tired of it all.”

“I’m an only child,” she said.

“You were lucky,” he said.

“No, I was lonely. I always wanted a brother or sister to play with. Someone to be my friend and look out for me when nobody else would.”

“Trust me, it doesn’t work that way. They don’t want your help, they don’t want to help you, and something else is always more important.”

“So how is Natalie?” she softly asked.

“I thought you didn’t care?” he demanded.
She was quiet for a moment, deep in thought and then said, “Honestly, I really don’t. I just thought it would make me look bad if I didn’t ask.”

Ron snorted. Who could figure out women? “She’s a baby, that’s all I know. I didn’t even look at her.”


Charlie followed the nosey reporter out onto the terrace. The terrace was well lit with floating candles and charmed stars. He could smell the scent of fresh blooming roses as well as other flora and fauna that was natural to Wiltshire. He looked around the immense grounds that were well manicured with signs of the great wealth that was part of the Malfoy family. He leaned over the railing and looked at the lights that were reflecting off of the lake.

“Well?” Rita Skeeter demanded.

He glanced at the impatient witch and turned back to his thoughts. What was he thinking? Everyone was right.

He would destroy her life. She was meant for better things than a weather worn dragon tamer. He looked down at his scared and calloused hands and the dark color of his sun ripened skin. How could he touch someone as delicate as Narcissa with hands like this? What was he thinking? She would never fit into his world and he could damn sure never fit into her high class society. He stood and walked back towards the door he had just exited. “Never mind, I made a mistake.”

“Wait!” Rita shouted. “Come on Charlie, tell me what you know!”

He ignored her and kept walking until he heard her shout, “I’ll find out anyway tomorrow. Its public record.”

He turned and glared at her. “I’m pretty sure that she never recorded the results.”

“It doesn’t matter. That’s part of the magic. Once the test is performed it is automatically sent to the Ministry of Magic. Same rules apply for everyone. If she doesn’t marry within thirty days of taking the test she loses her wand.”

“What?” he gasped.

“And her match as well. How long ago did you say she took the match?” she asked with her quick quill ready to write.

“I didn’t.”

All of the sudden they heard screaming and chaos erupting from the Ball room. “What’s going on in there?” he said to himself as he ran back in the room. He flew into the room only to see two crumpled women on the floor at the feet of Draco and Hermione and everyone either sobbing or staring in stunned silence. “What the hell is going on?” he demanded of Harry who was picking Pansy up off the floor.

Harry looked up at him with tears streaming down his face. “Romilda Vane just killed Headmistress McGonagall.”

“What?” he gasped.

Rita was right behind him with an expectant smile on her face. “Oh do tell!” she cackled.

Hermione stood in stunned disbelief as she stared in horror at her beloved Professor. Minerva McGonagall had been her inspiration and her friend for the past seven years. How could she be dead? Hermione pulled away from Draco’s strong embrace and dropped to the floor beside the old woman. She lifted her head and put it on her lap. She smoothed back the hair that had came free from the severe bun she always wore her hair. “Oh
Professor,” she cried. A tear from Hermione dropped down onto her dry parchment skin and slid down her face. “It’s just not fair,” she moaned.

“Hermione,” Draco said leaning down next to her. “I am so sorry.” He wrapped his arm around her slouched shoulders and kissed her hair. “I am so sorry.”

Hermione leaned into his strength and sobbed. “She was so important to me, Draco. I don’t know how I would have survived everything in the past seven years without her.”

Draco nodded and continued to sooth Hermione. He was sad to see the death of the old woman, but he had never been close to her. She was the head of the Gryffindor house and a transfiguration professor. He really had had very little interaction with her over the years.


Kingsley stared at his beloved friend lying on the floor in Hermione’s arms. He felt the tears slowly falling
down his face and he didn’t even bother to wipe them away. She had been his friend and confidant through two wars and he would always feel the ache of her passing. He looked to Romilda and frowned. What the hell had that girl been thinking? To kill an old woman that way. Out of anger over being jilted? He felt a twinge of regret for his part in this mess. He never would have married Neville and Millie together if he had known that this would be the consequence. He looked across the room to Neville and Millie’s horror filled faces and knew that they would never forget this moment either. “Let’s get her to St. Mungo’s,” he said to the Aurors who had gathered around him.

“St. Mungos, sir?” Percy Weasley asked. “Why not Azkaban?”

“She’s a sixteen year old child who obviously has very serious emotional issues. Obviously she belongs in a mental ward.”

“But Kingsley!” gasped Molly Weasley. “She killed Minerva! With an unforgiveable!”

“I know what she has done!” he growled. “I was here, remember? She is going to St. Mungos and that is my final decision.” He would take partial responsibility for this debacle. He strode over to the unconscious girl and
scooped her up into his arms. A second later the room heard the pop or apparating and he was gone.


Narcissa looked into the tear filled face of her daughter-in-law and her son’s worried expression. She glanced around the room at everyone’s tears or pain and swallowed. She had always been known as a premiere hostess, but even getting past this was going to be tough for her. She watched as the Aurors took Minerva McGonagall’s lifeless body from her Ball room and felt a moment of sadness. She barely knew the woman but she knew that she was well thought of. Obviously the wedding was not going to continue today. With a flick of her wrist and a few incantations she changes the decorations from the happy cheerful scene she and Hermione had created that morning to the somber colors of mourning.

She pointed her wand again at her attire and then to Hermione and Draco. With a flick of her wand they were properly clothed in mourning. “Everyone, let us retire to the dining room where we can have a nice repast and speak of our fondest memories of Minerva McGonagall.”

Everyone was silent for a moment and almost as one they stood, changed their own attire and followed Narcissa Malfoy out of the Ball room into the formal dining room of Malfoy Manor.

Harry pulled Hermione into his arms as she walked by with Draco. The two of them stood holding onto each other and sobbing out their pain for the woman who had been there for both of them since they had first come to Hogwarts seven years ago as scared Muggles who had no idea what magic was.



A/N: I know it was sad, but its part of the plot...I have a reason for it...Just keep reading and you will find out why...wait a sec, what was my reason again??? oh yeah, I remember now...I think...I'd probably remember quicker if you all reviewed!!!