invisible string! → ron weasley

xii. the match

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"HE COULD BE PLAYING YOU for all we know," said Ron Weasley later that afternoon as he sat in an empty classroom with Kates Kinley and Nymphadora Tonks. One of the positives to having Aurors around Hogwarts was that, to get ahold of her cousin, all Kates had to do was make a few turns down the castle's corridors.

Kates finished her lunch quickly and left the Great Hall before any of her friends did, hoping to find Tonks and tell her about her conversation with Wesley. Ron, as it turned out, had noticed how preoccupied she was during the meal and went after her. Once they were in the relative privacy of the entrance hall he made his presence known, asking if she was all right. A few minutes of conversation later and they both set off to find Tonks together. The three of them were an odd pairing, but Kates couldn't think of two other people she'd rather confide in about her brother. Tonks was family, not to mention she was in the Order, and Ron was...he was different than her friends. He knew more about her family than anyone, even Seamus and Dean; besides, she knew he'd tell her what she needed to hear, even if it wasn't what she wanted to hear.

Like now, for instance, as he said the words she too had considered. Tonks, meanwhile, shook her head.

"I don't think so," she said from her perch on top of a desk, her feet resting on a chair and her elbows propped on her knees. "He sounded genuine to me." At that, Kates looked at her with an arched brow, and she gave a sheepish grin. "Oi, did you really think I was going to watch you go after him and not follow in case you needed backup?"

"I shouldn't be surprised," said Kates, who didn't even bother fighting off a smile, though it soon faded. "He's been different ever since Cedric was killed. It's just like I told you." She turned back to Ron. "That was when he started to question You-Know-Who and his cause's morals. After that, he stopped being a git towards me, not to mention he started looking downright apologetic every time I came across him and Carrow. If he was playing me, he'd be playing a very, very long game." Ron didn't respond, silently conceding her points.

"And he said he's planning on becoming a spy for us?" asked Tonks in a much quieter voice than she had used before. Kates nodded solemnly. "If he's talking to anyone, I reckon it would be Jackie. She told me that whilst he was different than you, she had a feeling there was still some good in him."

"She never lost hope," Kates confirmed. "And she told him as much every time she could, so long as our parents weren't around. Even if he does go through her, that's a dangerous thing to do. If anyone finds out..." She trailed off, and it hurt both of the others present to see her so worried. She was always so optimistic, even in the darkest of situations; this, it seemed for the moment, was a rare exception. Ron, who wanted nothing more than to comfort her, acted on instinct, placing a gentle hand on her shoulder. She was grateful for it, and for him.

"This is his decision," said Tonks reassuringly, "and he didn't make it lightly, I'm sure. He's doing this because he wants to do what's right, and he wants to make up for years of being on the wrong side. It's admirable." Kates nodded and straightened up a bit, and they could see her trying to convince herself all that made it worth the risk.

"You never gave up on him, even after how he treated you," said Ron quietly in disbelief as he removed his hand from her shoulder. His tone, she noted, was not judgmental, but more awe-inspired. "How?" Kates shrugged.

"I almost did," she confessed. "But then he began to change, and I knew there was still a chance. I just...I didn't think he'd get this far." A comfortable silence surrounded them for a moment, then Tonks stood.