A Weasley Tradition

Chapter 10: Exile

A/n: -laughs nervously- So, yeah. Hi. I actually had about this much done at Thanksgiving. And I swore up and down I would write more to it. But, I obviously haven't. So here is the inexcusably late, painfully short chapter 10. –to the random face…I'm sorry you didn't like it. Thanks for telling me…not that I care, really.-

A/n2: Just a quick recap, cuz it's been so long. Ron bought Draco. He takes Draco home. Hermione storms out. Harry stays. We learn Harry isn't good at coping with loss, and depends heavily on Ron, via a sexual relationship. Harry mistakes this for a real relationship, of the romantic sort, and a falling out ensues. Ron goes downstairs, an odd sort of power surge occurs, and on a vaguely conscious note, considers raping Draco. Not really though, it's not like he would have. Because that would be OOC, and I'm trying to work on that. –and only because it'll come up in this chapter…George is choosing to ignore the existence of Percy-

Warnings: twincest. If you squint….hard

Antami: You have no sense of priority, do you know that?

Azamystic: I don't ever remember you being this nagging. When did this happen?

Antami: Shut up and write the rest of the story already! Dammit you're annoying.

…On with the story…

Not a lot of words were needed to describe the following morning's breakfast. In fact, one summed it up quite well.

Awkward.

The familiar mayhem of a Weasley breakfast had turned into an uncomfortable silence filled affair. The usually long gone food sat practically untouched.

The twins kept glancing at each other, as if waiting for the other to make a move. Ginny looked bored out of her mind; Harry was busy staring a hole in the wall with red-rimmed eyes, Draco looked like he'd rather be anywhere else than there, and Ron appeared to be trying to hide the fact that he was nervous. And obviously not doing a very good job of it.

Arthur had elected to stay at work until the storm passed, which resulted in him not getting home until very early that morning. He hadn't noticed Draco then. He most definitely noticed him now. And just like his wife had suspected, he didn't like it. He didn't like it at all.

Occasions where Arthur Weasley would get truly angry were few and far between. So far in fact that Ginny was probably too young the last time it happened to remember it now.

The warning signs were clear. He would completely tense up, clench his fists, knit his eyebrows, and basically fit every other literary cliché of anger. And if he spoke, it would start out very, very soft.

"I take it this is your unpaid servant Ronald?" The use of the full name wasn't missed.

"Yeah, this is the slave I bought yesterday Dad," the use of the derogatory term too emphasized to not be deliberate.

"And is this who I think it is?" As if there was really no point to the question.

"Well, that would depend on who you think it is." Not a trace of sarcasm.

"Lucius Malfoy's son, without the glamours his pig of a father no doubt put on him."

"The one and only."

Arthur grasped his fork so tightly it bent, and turned a shade of red that rivaled his hair. The quiet part was over.

"Get him out of my house!"

Ron held up his hands in the universal hold-off-on-the-offense gesture. Keeping his voice calm, he tried to placate his father.

"Look Dad, if you think about it…"

"No. I'm not going to think about it. I will not have a Malfoy in my home. I don't care how low his status is. It doesn't matter that he's second class. He can't stay here."

Ron gave up trying to reason. "I can't take him back! He has no where else to go."

"Then you'll just have to go with him."

Ron gaped, and a moment passed where he couldn't, for the life of him, think a coherent thought. But he finally managed. "Are you kicking me out?"

"If that's what it takes. Dammit Ron, you never think of the family! Just like Percy."

Apparently a line had been crossed. The entire table, which had been doing their best to pretend there wasn't a screaming match taking place at breakfast, was now focused intently on the fight between father and son.

"Don't you dare compare me to him, and don't you dare say I don't think about this family. Everything I've ever done has been for this family! You're the only one who has a problem with him being here. It's not like he poses a threat!" It was true. Being a slave was somewhat similar to being under the Fidelus charm. Secrets could not be shared.

George turned to Fred. "Who's Percy? Ron mentioned him the other morning too." Before Fred could answer Molly turned on him.

"For Merlin's sake George, he's your brother. Quit this stupid game already!"

George looked like she had gone crazy. "Mum, I don't have a brother named Percy."

From across the table Ginny slammed her fist down in frustration. "Yes you do! If everyone else has to remember so do you. Damn it, it's not fair if you get to forget!"

George looked almost ready to cry. "What are you all talking about? You're starting to freak me out."

Fred cast an intense glare at his mother and sister. "They aren't talking about anything of importance George. It's nothing. Don't worry about it." He hugged his twin, yet the comforting embrace would have seemed too intimate, would have lasted just a moment too long for an outsider to consider it normal.

"C'mon, we're leaving." To Ron, who had stopped arguing for a moment, he said, "You're welcome at the shop anytime. You and Malfoy. And hell, Harry if he wants to come." He received a nod in return.

Arthur stood up from the table, knocking his chair over in the process. "You have three days to get him out of here. No discussion." He stormed out of the house, making sure the door slammed on his way out.

The twins had apparated out, and the remaining people sat in a silence that seemed almost surreal. It remained unbroken until Molly began clearing the table.

"Well Ron, you had better get packed," she said resignedly, and without looking at him.

"Yeah," he murmured, shaking his head as if to clear it. "Yeah, I'm out of here. C'mon Malfoy."

He got halfway up the stairs before remembering something. He looked back down. "Harry?" His friend looked up at him, Ron noticed, maybe imagined more confidence in the posture.

"Yeah?"

"You staying here, or coming with me?" His answer would determine how broken their friendship really was.

"I'm not sure. I might just go back to my Aunt and Uncle's."

Ron swallowed, nodded, and gestured to Malfoy to follow before turning to continue his way upstairs, the beginning of his own exile.

A/n: I know. I know it's short. Like I said, I wasn't originally planning to end the chapter here, but…I just can't figure out what comes next. And, for those few who care, I'm writing a new story, it's planned, so updates should be regular. I'm not abandoning this one; it's my first multi-chaptered fic, so I think it deserves to be finished. I don't know when I'll update next though. Don't put money on anything under a month though. Not that you'd put money on it, or anything. Please review!