Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter.
Just the Sixth of Seven
By: ChoCedric
Sometimes, Ron feels as though he is nothing special, just the sixth out of seven children. He is the son his mother didn't want. After all, six boys was a lot to have before finally being granted her precious little girl. He feels as though he is just the misfit who doesn't belong in the Weasley family.
Bill is the cool cursebreaker who works in Egypt. Charlie is the down-to-earth brother who works with dragons. Percy is the pompous, serious Ministry-worshiping prat. Fred and George, they're the jokesters of the family, making everyone they meet laugh. And Ginny is that precious little girl his mother was finally given.
But Ron? He's no one. When he sits at the dinner table with his family, they talk amongst themselves, sharing tidbits about their day. Ron tries to join in the conversation, but feels as though he is left out of the loop. He feels the least loved of the family, and even when Ginny, who is closest in age, talks to him, he thinks she is only doing it grudgingly.
When Ron gets to Hogwarts, it doesn't seem to get any better. He's finally made friends, but why did they have to be the bloody savior of the wizarding world and a bookworm who is a pure genius when it comes to memorization? There's no mistake that he loves them, but he once again feels as though he offers nothing to the group. He's just the sidekick, the tagalong.
His fourth year is by far his worst year at Hogwarts. When Dumbledore announces that Harry is the fourth champion in the Triwizard Tournament, he feels nothing but a raging jealousy. He is so angry that Harry didn't fill him in on his plan, that he wasn't included. He remains in this grumpy mood for quite some time, refusing to talk to Harry. Hermione tries to get him to see sense, but he refuses to budge. He's sick of being the sidekick, sick of being the one on the sidelines.
But he knows, as soon as Harry comes out of that first task, that he was wrong; the look on Harry's face proved that fact for him. He apologizes profusely, and knows he has some major insecurities he has to work with. But he vows to himself that he will no longer be a bad friend.
His perceptions of Harry change even more when the boy comes out of the maze in June, clutching Cedric Diggory's lifeless body and claiming that You-Know-Who came back. Ron does some serious thinking then. Sometimes it's better to be on the sidelines, he muses, than be right in the action. He would never want to see someone die, to see the life leave their eyes, leaving them blank and empty just like Cedric's are. Does he really want that life of fame? He feels like such a prat, and a nauseous feeling enters his stomach. What a selfish, arrogant jerk he's been!
The next few years pass, and he develops feelings for the lovable bookworm he works alongside. But he knows she'll probably never reciprocate those feelings, for the hero always gets the girl in the stories he's read, and surely Harry's the hero, not him. That mound of jealousy begins to stir in him again, but he fiercely reminds himself that he's not going to fall into that trap.
The last thing he wanted to happen, he agonizes as tears stream down his face, was for Harry to find out about his insecurities. But that's exactly what's happened as he stares at what remains of the locket Horcrux. To have Voldemort look inside his soul, to have him know all his fears, hopes, and dreams is torture. He's never cried in front of Harry before, and he feels a huge amount of shame and embarrassment. But there's no taking it back now. What on Earth will Harry say? He wonders as he looks into his friend's shocked face.
But Harry blows him away by being completely understanding. He explains that he and Hermione are only like brother and sister, and that she cried for a week when Ron left. Needless to say, the youngest Weasley boy is shocked. Surely Hermione, the genius of all geniuses, doesn't like him back?
But as the final battle erupts around them and Hermione impulsively kisses Ron after he makes the house-elf comment, he feels his heart swell up and emotions hit him from all sides. Finally, something in his life is going right. He vows that he'll fight by Hermione's side, and no Death Eater will ever hurt her again like they did at Malfoy Manor. Finally, he doesn't feel like the sidekick, the tagalong; he truly feels part of the group now.
And after the battle is over, even though his family is grieving for Fred, they look at Ron with pride in their eyes. And he finally realizes, after all these years, that he is loved just as much as the other members of the Weasley clan. His mother hugs him tearfully, exclaiming that even though what he did was very, very dangerous, he could never have made her more proud. His father slaps him on the back, saying that he couldn't have hoped for better when it came to his youngest son. Ron feels his heart explode with happiness, for he has finally won the battle with his insecurities. After all this time, he's learned that he's not just the sixth of seven. He is Ronald Bilius Weasley, and he is loved.