Order Only: Ron

[alt_molly]

Ron sent Arthur a letter (to his office), telling him that he won't be coming home for Christmas. He wrote that he's been getting behind in things, and he figures the holidays would be a good time to get work done. As if Ron ever cared about being behind in school! 'And, anyway,' it went on, 'that way it won't be so many of us for Mum to cook for and things won't be so mad.'

!!!

Things have gone so dreadfully wrong with Ron this year, and I just don't know anymore how to fix things. I sent him a letter to apologise for sending him the Howler over all that business with the car at the beginning of the year. But it's clear he hasn't forgiven me. He couldn't have even send an owl to his own mum at home? For Christmas? Talking as if feeding him and welcoming him home is a burden???

Arthur says we should just act as if we're taking the letter at face value, let him have some distance to work things out on his own. But, oh, I don't know how much longer I can bear to go along with the pretence that there's nothing wrong.

Comments

[alt_arthur]

My intention is to get the boys together this Christmas and to piece together their conversations with Ron to see if we can get to the bottom of this. I do intend to take whatever steps necessary to heal the breech with him, but first we have to find out what the trouble is, since he's apparently refusing to talk with us. I'm beginning to suspect he may have never read Molly's letter.

Molly just got a prompt reply this morning from Percy to her letter of yesterday, unexpectedly offering to stay at Hogwarts to keep Ron company this Christmas. He suggests using the same excuse that Ron has offered: the press of work is keeping him at Hogwarts. That was quite a surprise, but upon talking it over, Molly and I think it's actually a rather good idea. Molly strictly instructed Percy in her own letter NOT to try to interrogate Ron, but we hope Ron might open up a little bit more about what's bothering him if Percy can spend a little time with him, playing chess and so forth. And it's a comfort to both of us that he won't be alone without any family at all over the holiday. Of course, Percy's probably not his favourite brother--I suspect he'd appreciate the company of the twins more. But Percy has promised to be tactful, and his Prefect's training has given him a little experience in subtly encouraging troubled students to open up. Perhaps this scheme will break the ice and help us to learn a little bit more.

[alt_sirius]

I hope you're right, Arthur. I'm sure you know your boys better than I do, after all - and it sounds like you've chosen a wise course, to find out from his brothers what, if anything, they've observed.\

Good luck.