Pureblood and Prejudice: a Dramione Romance

Chapter 1: Exciting News

Late April- early May 2008

It is a truth universally acknowledged that a single wizard in possession of a good fortune must be in want of a wife. This is especially true if said wizard is from a family of pureblood decent, the bloodline must continue! No matter the actual gentleman's views or feelings on such a matter, he is but no sooner come into the neighborhood than the mothers among the group have been viewing him as the rightful property of one or other of their daughters.

It was nearing 6 o'clock in the evening on a fine spring day at near the neighborhood of Ottery St. Catchpole. Mr. Arthur Weasley had just returned from a long day of work, and arriving home to The Burrow, to find the house quite empty settled into his favorite chair to read the Daily Prophet. Leaving the front door open to allow a fine summer breeze to flow through the house. He had only just begun when he heard the fireplace in the kitchen roar and a faint green light appear, followed by tons of giggling and his wife Mrs. Molly Weasley calling to him.

The Weasleys were parents to quite a large family, Bill, Charlie, Percy, Fred and George were twins, Ron, Ginny and two younger daughters Kathrine and Mary-Elizabeth.

The tumble of witches out of the fireplace was first Molly Weasley, followed by her two teenage daughters flirtatious Kathrine who was 16 years old and quiet and shy Mary-Elizabeth who was 14 years old accompanied by their friend Lydia Granger. Lydia was the younger sister of Hermione Granger "the brightest witch of the age," and although she had quite big shoes to fill, it did not worry her. She was very bright but also excitable, flirtatious, and very silly. Kathrine and Lydia were inseparable, and Mary-Elizabeth followed everywhere they older two went.

"Arthur! Arthur! Are you home yet?" his wife called excitedly although she already knew the answer from a quick glance at the magical clock on the wall which showed Arthur's hand on the clock safely pointing towards "Home" as hers and the two girl's clock hands also joined it to point to the same place.

"In the sitting room," her husband replied cheerily if maybe a bit tired.

The flurry of witches bustled into the room, led by the matriarch of the family, Molly Weasley, was a short about five foot one inches tall, she was once a great beauty, and she still had much of that beauty, especially in the eyes of her husband, she was now a little plump, but it did not detract from her beauty, her curly red hair in tight ringlets was a bit frizzy as it was late in the day, but the excitement shining from her brown eyes, and captivated her doting husband's attention immediately.

Arthur Weasley was a tall slender man about 6'1" and had claimed he had not gained a pound since leaving Hogwarts, despite his wife's delicious cooking, this was most likely true as he was still able to wear some very old pants, and given their financial condition he often did despite their tattered appearance, especially when he went to tinker with muggle artifacts in his workshop. His bright red hair was greying a bit and his dark blue eyes hidden behind dusty scratched glasses.

A/N I have described the Weasley's much like my own parents and their very loving relationship, #goals so if it differs slightly from cannon, I took it within my artistic license. (While still being Molly/Arthur and Mr. and Mrs. Bennett, it gets complicated)

"Well I have the most wondrous news. I have just been in Diagon Ally, as you know, and there I ran into Mrs. Longbottom," pausing to catch her breath, "Guess who has just taken the lease for Saltram House? The most impressive country house in ALL of Devon!? You know the mansion on the cliffsides overlooking Plymouth?"

"My Dear," her husband chuckling a little bit at her excitement, "I haven't the faintest idea, but since you are obviously ready to tell me, I suggest you go ahead."

This reply was met with giggles by the youngest three witches in the room.

"Why then you must know, my dear, it was taken by a young wizard of large fortune, who has just returned from working abroad. They say he is famous, its rumored that he is Harry Potter! The boy who lived! Can you believe it dear? Our Harry Potter coming back at last!" as she finished the last sentence with a contented sigh. In years past she had looked at Harry Potter as one of her own sons despite him having being black hair instead of red, and indeed he was not actually one of her sons, but he was the best friend of her youngest son Ronald for many years, and although years had separated the two best friends, she understood from Ron that they exchanged regular owls, and Ron would occasionally tell his mother the latest update.

"Our Harry...Harry Potter?" asked her husband incredulously? Then clearing is throat, "Achm, I mean THE Harry Potter, of course, he's not ours, but are you sure my dear?"

"Well," Molly replied, "Augusta was quite certain, it seems she's had a letter from Neville who is working in the Herbology division of the Auror department saying that he will be coming back to the neighborhood for a quidditch match of sorts. I don't understand, why Ron hasn't breathed a word about it. You'd think he would have told his mother this." She stated a little disappointedly that news of someone she considered family had to be relayed to her from a neighbor of all people. "But of course," she reasoned with herself, "he must not know, being on his honeymoon with Lauren, well it is such excellent news," she said putting off her disappointment and sighing again contentedly, "what a fine thing for dear Ginny!"

With this statement the younger three who had as such been mostly silent, while whispering amongst themselves, erupted into a fit of giggles at the mention of Ginny and Harry.

"Merlin! Oh, my goodness, Ginny! I must owl her at once. Mary-Elizabeth dear, run out to the shed and see if Odette (the new family owl) is around."

Mary-Elizabeth left through the kitchen and the other two girls, best friends went upstairs to admire their shopping finds or "Haul" as they ridiculously called it.

"Molly, Molly, MOLLY!," Said Arthur loudly finally able to interrupt his wife's train of thought which was blowing full steam ahead and if his instincts told him anything, which they ought to after being married for nearly 40 years, she was headed dangerously close to full blown matchmaker-ville. His wife looked up and gave him a scrutinizing look, taking a deep breath to steady himself under her gaze. "Death glare" was a nickname some of his children had given that look, and although he was not afraid of his loving wife, he knew he needed to choose his words carefully. "Molly, dear, don't you think it's a little bit soon to write to Ginny before you know if it's real? You know how this news can affect her," then more quietly he prompted, "last time he came to visit it was really difficult for her to get back to normal after he left."

Molly though cautioned, was not dissuaded. "Well we will have to see what happens then won't we." She said merrily though mostly speaking to herself. "Arthur, you will go visit him when he comes won't you?"

"Visit him?" Arthur asked incredulously, "why, in Merlin's name would I need to go visit him. And at Saltram Park no less? NO, I see no occasion for that. He knows where we live and knows that he is always welcome in our home, if he wants to see us, let him come visit. He is a busy young man, and we do not know how these past years have changed him, we do not want to push him away. Molly, please let's give him time, let him get settled."

Arthur while genuinely liking Harry a lot, was still quite overprotective of his eldest daughter, and cautious of letting her heart get broken yet again by the same boy. She had overcome heartbreak during school when Harry was too clueless to know any better, when he had his crush on Cho Chang, and didn't see Ginny as more than Ron's little sister, when he left to fight horcruxes, when he did not return to Hogwarts to complete their seventh year together. Arthur was not sure even his daughter's strong heart could take much more. The times he had come to visit for holidays had been awkward and Ginny had always been unusually quiet for weeks after he left. No, he was not ready to let her heart get broken again.

Word count: 1487

A/N: Yay my first chapter is up! This is a big deal to me.  Hopefully you like it, let me know.  Are there any favorite Pride and Prejudice scenes you hope to see included? Comment, Vote, and Keep Reading!