Redo

Chapter 16

Arthur let out a breath, he still felt like a student in trouble as he stood outside Dumbledore's office. He had been called by Dumbledore to discuss something. Presumably it was about Harry and the holidays. Events were different this time than last time, Dumbledore had rarely called him to talk, and it had taken him way too long to figure out what Dumbledore had really been doing. 

"Enter." Though the grandfatherly voice had not changed, hearing it made a shiver run down Arthur's spine. 

Even as he entered the office, Arthur was cursing himself for having practically sold his family to this man. He may have discussed it with Molly, but he had raised it as a good thing, and he knew better than anyone else how guilty she felt about not being able to work. She would never reject a way to get money that Arthur was phrasing as a good thing. 

"You called for me Professor?" Arthur may no longer be a student, but he didn't think that anyone who had ever met the man since he became a teacher could stop calling him that. 

"Yes, I know that your family no longer needs to worry about the debt you owe the Malfoys, but I do hope you and your family keep in mind that they were Death Eaters. Your youngest here, Ron, has been keeping close contact with Draco Malfoy, the boy also having close connection to Harry Potter." Dumbledore's look of concern could convince almost anyone. 

Anyone who had not seen his response to the boy in question's death. 

"It's not like parents can control their children and who they want to befriend." Arthur's heart was in his throat. 

Of course he knew that Dumbledore didn't like Harry being close to Draco, and he knew that the reason he had taken over the Weasley family was to put people on his side around Harry. But why-? 

Oh. 

Oh no. 

Please, anything but that. 

"But it is the job of a parent to guide their children." 

Please! 

"I believe it would be best if you tell Ronald to be more aware of the people he befriends. He is not only making friends for himself." Dumbledore's face was kind, his eyes closed. 

It was likely to hide the malice in his eyes Arthur was sure hid there, but he was glad for it nonetheless. He didn't have to worry about hiding his horror, his heartbreak. He had sold himself and his family to Dumbledore, how could he get out of this? Was there a way to get out of this? 

"You're... Telling me to make Ron stop being friends with Malfoy's son?" Arthur didn't know how he was supposed to act. No, he didn't like Lucius, and if this had been the first time through he would have strongly advised Ron to avoid Draco, he now knew the situation, and thus how they needed support really only the Malfoys could give. 

"I'm just saying I see evidence of your second youngest son needing guidance." Dumbledore's voice was light, though Arthur couldn't help but hear it as sinister. Where last time he had assumed it was a genuine mistake on Dumbledore's part, Arthur also realised now that Dumbledore did not want to gender Ginny correctly. 

"From my understanding, Harry is the friend in common between them, making Ron move away from Malfoy might just cause him to lose all of his friends. As a father I would feel wrong forcing my son to separate from a friend and possible lose all of them." Arthur hoped his words, which were far from false, were enough to stop Dumbledore. 

"That will remain to be seen. You shouldn't refuse to protect your child, and hopefully Harry Potter by association, just because you are worried about hypotheticals. I don't want to have to press this, Weasley." There was nothing Arthur could do.