A Room With a View

Christmas Hols

He thought he understood what had happened to him over the past seven years, but as he listened to the story that Hermione, Ronald, and he wove about their individual experiences over the past seven years, the more he realized that he didn't have the whole story.

"Hermione, how long was it after Severus' abrupt departure that you began seeing Ronald?" Minerva asked, scribbling some notes on a piece of foolscap so that she could keep a timeline of events.

"Two years," she responded. "A little more, I think. He asked me out for the first time maybe six months after Severus left?" She shot a look at her ex-fiancé for confirmation. 

"That sounds about right," he said. "You refused the first, oh, dozen times or so."

She gave him a little smile. "Yes. We had decided we were better off friends not long after the Battle of Hogwarts. I was surprised the first time you asked me out; it kind of came out of nowhere."

"It did. I remember going home after the first time I asked and thinking that I didn't know why it seemed so important that you say yes. Eighteen months later, you finally did. And wasn't that a disaster?"

"Completely," Hermione agreed. "You and I never should have dated."

Ron nodded, then sent a brief glare at his brother.

"And Percival, when did you first apply a coercion charm to Ronald?"

Percy snorted, turning his head to expose a yellowing bruise under his eye. "I see no reason why I should further incriminate myself."

"Mr. Weasley," Kinglsey stated firmly, "I suggest you answer the questions posed to you. Otherwise, we will take this to a proper Ministry court and try you with the full force of the law. This Order hearing is a courtesy for your actions on its behalf in recent years, so I suggest you show the proper gratitude and answer the questions honestly."

Percy goggled at his former employer. "After all the work I did for you, Kingsley-"

The Minister cut him off. "Don't go there, Percy. You don't get to demand that I express my gratitude for the job I paid you for and then refuse to acknowledge the privilege I have shown you in not taking this to the proper authorities."

"Percy," Molly breathed, "just answer their questions. Please."

"I don't know the exact date," the redhead snapped in the general direction of the head of the table. "I waited a few months for Ron to make his move and he didn't, so I helped him along. About six months after Severus left sounds right."

"You mean about six months after you forced me to leave," the man in question corrected with a terse sneer.

"Yes," Percy hissed.

There was silence in the room but for the scratch of Minerva's pen on foolscap. "Then what happened, Ronald?"

Ron scratched at his nose before replying. "Then? Nothing. For a year and a half, I kept asking Hermione out until one day she said yes. We dated for four years. Were engaged for about a year of that. It seemed like, I dunno. Going through the motions, maybe? And I met Prunella a few months before it all went south with Hermione. That seemed more right. More emotionally there, you know?"

Severus saw Hermione was nodding, tears in her eyes. "That's what it felt like to me too, Ron. Like... we were just expected to marry. In a way, I'm glad you met your wife. It gave me an excuse to end it."

"Why did you ever say yes, then?" Ron asked quietly, genuine pain evident in his voice.

Hermione turned her eyes toward Percy, tilting her head just so in an attempt to make him talk. The bastard sat there, silent and sulking.