"Yes, Ron. Don't worry. I'm just realizing I've never met Harry's mother before now. She's not what I expected." Ron suppressed a grin.
"You mean they're both bloody freaky, yeah?"
"Ronald!" Arthur said, although by his tone, Ron knew he agreed.
"But it's true. Especially his mum. Makes me feel like I'm a rat being chased by an owl or something. Small and scared. Harry makes most people feel like that too."
"Is that why your sister refused to come home for the holidays? For a little girl with a crush, she sure hasn't written a word about Harry since she started Hogwarts."
"He hasn't done anything to her," Ron defended instantly. "I don't think they do it on purpose. I would think Harry's mum would know how to turn it off if she could. But yeah, I dunno about Ginny, but she avoids him like the plague. But everyone does that."
"It doesn't bother you?" his father asked.
"Nah," he shrugged. "You get used to it. At least, that's Hermione's current theory. Something about our magical cores adjusting, I dunno. I just know that Harry's a good bloke. He gives off this terrifying image but really he's a kid who really loves animals and Quidditch. If everyone else is too scared to see the real Harry, then that's their problem. I've barely spoken to his mum, but he talks about her a lot and I reckon any lady who reads her kid bedtime stories and lets him eat ice cream for dinner isn't a bad person either."
His dad looked down at him, his face calculating before he split into a wide grin.
"That's a very mature opinion, Ron. You're a great friend, I'm proud of you." Ron's ears burned red at the praise.
Molly began to usher everyone outside and Arthur's eyes gleamed in a very Fred and George sort of way as he corralled Ron over towards Ms. Adams, who looked a bit horrified at the beautiful sunny weather.
"Hullo!" He said brightly, fighting off the urge to shiver and run. "I don't believe we've met. I'm Arthur, Ron's father. It's lovely to meet you, I hope you and Harry had a good Christmas morning?"
"Yes, thank you," she said in a monotone voice. It crackled, low and hoarse and put gooseflesh on his arms but Arthur willed it away and smiled harder, although he faltered over what he was supposed to talk about next. His eyes flickered to Ron for assistance.
"Uh, Harry's been letting us read the notes you send him for Potions. They are very helpful, thanks. Snape's been barely teaching anything lately, Hermione's worried about our exams." He said.
The first flicker of emotion crossed her face - annoyance.
"Yes, I was hoping Harry had been exaggerating about that class. He is lucky he receives outside tutoring, I imagine it is very difficult for everyone else. Not to mention the safety hazard it is to leave students unattended like that."
"That is a very good point," Arthur frowned. "The younger ones shouldn't be trusted to brew safely and the older years work with very volatile potions." Ron grimaced at the thought of Malfoy sabotaging someone's work while Snape wasn't paying attention. He hated the man, but at least he kept the classroom from melting.
"Of course, Harry's issues with the man started before he succumbed to whatever madness ails him. Is it true he regularly brought students to tears?" She asked.
"Yeah. Snape's a right git and I hate that class. I can't wait until after OWLs so I can drop it."
She frowned again, the flicker of human emotion out of place on her corpse-like features.
"That's disappointing. You are the one who is brilliant at chess, correct?" Ron felt warm. Harry had talked about him to his mum? Bragged about his chess skills? He nodded to her.
"Well, Potions is quite similar to chess. It's about strategy. Knowing what the best ingredients to use are and when to use them. You would be quite suited to it if you didn't have such poor instruction."
Ron pondered that for a moment. He didn't really care about his grades, Potions the least of all. In class he was too focused on not snapping, helpless as Snape antagonized Harry or Hermione or Neville. Forcing down his bottled rage rather than on what he was brewing. It had been that way since the first day of class. He wondered what it would be like with a competent teacher. He'd always done better with hands-on learning, not through books like Hermione.
"Ms. Adams," Arthur began. "I'm thinking perhaps we should get some other parents on board and issue a formal complaint. With your expertise in the subject, I'm sure the Board of Governors will listen. It's painful to realize my children's education has suffered because of that man."
"Wow," Ron grinned. "If you two got Snape fired that would be wicked!" He ran off to go tell Harry the great news, not noticing his mum walking over to ambush their guest into further conversation.
"I'll be honest, I've not been pleased with what I've heard of Lockhart's teaching style as well," Arthur said as Molly joined them. She eyed Harry's guardian with a scrutinizing look. Much too skinny, that woman was, and she hadn't touched any of the food so far. That would not do.
"Yes, I heard from the mediwitch that it was his idea to vanish all the bones in Harry's arm when a simple bone-fixing spell would have sufficed."
Arthur shuddered in sympathy.
"Did he really?" Mrs. Weasley furrowed her brows. Professor Lockhart had seemed like such a charming, qualified young man through his books.
"I know our family did not appreciate his requiring his entire book catalog for the course," Arthur said.
"Oh I didn't let Harry buy that rubbish, I was not pleased either."
"I imagine it must be difficult, with them needing a new Defense professor every year now," Molly stated diplomatically. The trio lapsed into silence, watching the children running around the yard. One of the boys had pulled out the brooms, and they were playing a bit too close to the table for her liking. "Shall we move over to the table and get out of the shade?" she finally suggested, hoping to entice her guest into eating something. If she piled a plate full of snacks and left it next to her, well, Molly was a nurturer, she couldn't help it. When it became clear Alabasandria was not going to initiate any conversation, Molly carried on talking. "Tell us a little about yourself, dear. Are you married? What do you do for a living?"
"I'm not married. I have an apothecary in Knockturn and occasionally take on potions apprentices."
"Knockturn! Well, that seems a bit dangerous -"
"Molly!"
....
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