The Hunt

Chapter 4 - Everyone has a plan!

Tuesday Night – The Black Lake

Lily had taken them to the lakeside, far from prying eyes and ears. Demitri sat down on the grass without a word, before patting the spot beside him. Lily shuffled for a bit, unsure of just how close she wanted Demitri. When she sat down beside him, his hand wound around her and pulled her closer.

They didn't speak for a while, just watching the dark waters. It was only when Demitri was scared he had lost Lily to the silence that he spoke up.

"Lily?" he called tentatively.

She gave him a soft smile, "There's just so much to tell."

"Start from the beginning then," he said.

"Why do you want to know?" she asked now curious, "and don't' say you have your reasons," she warned as an afterthought.

Demitri sighed, "I always wished I could have been a better brother to Scorpius. Like he was to me... I feel that if maybe I know just something more than she's Rose Weasley and your cousin – that I might actually be a good brother and help... and maybe this insane plan might actually work." He said honestly though not looking at her but rather cast his eyes down to the floor.

Lily didn't speak, letting Demitri's words sink in. The silence was stifling and Demitri had started to wonder if mentioning Rose's father had been a huge mistake.

"I suppose to understand what happened in third year you have to know what happened ten years before that... though I'm sure it's no big secret to the Wizarding world," she said bitterly.

"Tell me anyway." Demitri urged gently. Naturally, Demitri had heard the stories about the disappearance of Ron Weasley but it seemed it would do some good for Lily if she talked about it, so he didn't stop her.

She flashed him a grateful smile, "He left before Hugo was born." She explained softly. "They'd been best friends since Hogwarts you see... and well everyone kinda expected them to get married. So they did. Mum says they were happy for a while..." Lily said softly with a distant look in her green eyes.

"But?" Demitri encouraged gently.

"But something changed for Ron Weasley, and he left. Aunt Mione was obviously still pregnant with Hugo and Rose was only three. I don't think my dad has ever forgiven him for leaving her in such a state."

"Has Rose?" Demitri inquired.

"No, I highly doubt that. Then at the start of Rose's third year, he resurfaced after ten years... with a new wife and daughter to see off to Hogwarts." Lily said angrily. "We were all excited to have Hugo join us at Hogwarts... and there he was sending his daughter off as if he hadn't abandoned his first family. He even had the audacity to ask why my dad was so upset at seeing him there."

"But... if Lacey Weasley is in seventh with Rose then..." he trailed off doing the math. It had always been a source of hot topic, the family dynamics between the three Weasley children. It was never officially made clear to the public what had happened so naturally people just assumed the worst sort of versions of the truth.

"Yeah," she said sadly. "That's when we realised... when we saw him at King's Cross saying goodbye to his daughter that we realised he hadn't just disappeared on Aunt Mione, he had left her... for someone else. And because he had left without saying why, everyone assumed he had just walked out on his new family... not that he was starting another one. He didn't keep in contact with anyone over the years so you can imagine the surprise we all got when we saw him and darling Lacey," she said sarcastically rolling her eyes at the thought of the girl.