Father of the Witch

Ch. 4

"Ronald Weasley! Get up and I mean now!"

"Mione!" Ron groaned.

She gave him another push, more firmly on the arm. "You've got to go pick up the kids from Kings Cross Station!"

He groaned, this time earning yet another push.

"You know you can't wait to see the kids," she said, and he could practically hear

her smile, despite his eyes being closed. And she was right. But then, Hermione was always right. Their kids, Justice, Constance (Connie), Abstinence (Roy), and Hope, would be coming home today from Hogwarts. They would be meeting Jonas, and staying for the summer holiday. As he got dressed he thought about his kids. Faith, of course, was the eldest and had just graduated Hogwarts at 18.

Justice and Connie were 17 year old twins, and just completed their sixth year at Hogwarts. They were just as mischievous as their Uncles Fred and George. Ron would never forget Hermione's reaction when the doctor said they had twin girls. He smiled at his mirror imagine in remembrance. The girls were the exact image of Hermione at their age. It was spooky.

Roy was fourteen and had just completed his third year. It had been three years after the twins' birth that they had had him. Ron and Hermione had been sure that they would not have any more children, because it had taken so long. Hence, his name Abstinence. They called him by his middle name Roy, to prevent any teasing. Roy, shockingly, looked like Hermione's mother. He was tall, with blonde hair. The only way you could tell he was a Weasley was the startling blue eyes. He was the smartest boy in his year and Headmistress McGonagall had confided in Ron that Roy was sure to become a Prefect and eventually Head Boy.

Hope would be turning thirteen this summer and had just completed her second

year at Hogwarts. She wasn't really shy. But as the youngest, she was overlooked a lot, Ron hated to admit. She was an incredible artist. She didn't have the best grades, but Ron considered her to be the deepest of the Weasley children. He and Hermione had spent many nights awake, talking and worrying about her. Hermione once commented that it was ironic they had named her "Hope".

He walked down the hall and knocked on Faith's door. "I'm going to go pick up your siblings. Wanna come?"

"For sure!" she said, grabbing her coat and bouncing out behind him. Ron couldn't help thinking, She considers herself old enough to get married, but still used juvenile phrases like 'For sure'?!

Ron picked up the old family Bluebottle and grabbed some Floo powder. With Faith at his side, they both chorused, "Platform 9 3/4!" They reappeared in front of the familiar scarlet steam engine. "The Hogwarts Express," he whispered to himself. He hasn't seen it in about twenty years.

"Connie! Justice!" Faith called. The two seventeen years old turned around. They were tall (taller than Ron himself) and had brown frizzy hair, along with chocolate eyes.

"Faith! Dad!" they called. Ron reached out his arms as expecting the twins to run to him and engulf him in a hug. But instead they called, "Wait a minute!" and walked back onto the Hogwarts Express.

Roy came out, nearly bumping into the twins. But they passed by each other without even a glance of recognition. He had his trunk and walked to Faith and Ron. "Hey, Dad, Faith. Can we leave?"

"Uh, no. We've gotta wait on Connie, Justice, and Hope. Why?" asked Ron, wondering why his son was so cold.

"Ask your precious twins," he spat. "Can I Apparate home?"

"Your only fourteen! And don't be fresh."

Roy rolled his eyes. "Dad, I've known how to Apparate since I was nine! You and Mom said it was crucial in case of emergencies."

"The Ministry would kill me! So would your mother, for that matter. What's going on, anyway?"

"Dad!" came a squeal. Ron turned to see his youngest child. Her red hair had turned almost orange since the last time he'd seen her, and her frizzy hair was pulled back into a sloppy ponytail.

"Hope! Darling, how are you?" He grabbed her into a hug.

"Fine, Dad! Wait until I tell you what happened this year!"

Suddenly the twins ran up to Ron. Together, they chorused, "We're going to a friend's house! Be home at eight!" They kissed his cheek and ran off. Ron buried his head in his hands.

He looked up at Faith. "Did you get that?"

"Yeah, Dad, don't worry. I'll tell Mom," she laughed.

"Faith, go ahead and Apparate home. I'll see you there."

She nodded. All of a sudden, she disappeared.

"OK. Now, Hope, Roy, get on the Bluebottle. On the way back to the Tree House, you," he pointed at Roy, "talk. What did the twins do this time?"