Disclaimer: I do not own anything you may recognise. This applies to the entire fic
Chapter 1
Prompt No. 1 – Midnight
Date: Ron is about 4-5 years old
It was nearly midnight. He'd been watching the clock for ages… just waiting and watching it. The time crept by. Not like when you were having fun. It was much longer than that. Almost like a whole week had passed – and that was a lot.
Of course, Bill and Charlie were back from Hogwarts for the holidays. His dad wasn't at work this late, because that would just be silly. Although his mum had once told him of the time when his dad had stayed at work all night! The big, horrible You-Know-Who had been beaten, but somehow he just couldn't quite believe it.
Now his mum was bundling them all into coats and scarves and knitted mittens, all the while glancing at the clock. But it wasn't midnight yet… not quite. He reached his arms out and struggled into the sleeves of his coat, but one of them was the wrong way out. His mum sighed and dropped the arms, turning to the twins because they were being silly tying their scarves around their heads.
"Bill, sort Ronnie's coat for me, will you?" He noticed Bill walk over and pull the sleeve the right way. He stuck his arm out, but let Bill guide it to the sleeve because it was much more interesting watching the twins and their scarves than looking at his coat. He liked it when the twins were silly. So long as they weren't being silly with him. Although that was fun sometimes, too.
Eventually they were all ready. His mum was still watching the twins, his dad was holding onto Ginny, and he felt Bill's hand slip into his. He doubted that Charlie and Percy were holding hands because Charlie wasn't very good at holding hands. He didn't like it much, and even then no one in the house seemed to even like holding Percy's hand anyway (except maybe his mum and dad).
But it didn't really matter any more. It was nearly midnight. They all traipsed out and walked up to the orchard, because you could see the whole village from there and it was the best place to watch everything happen. So they all stood and waited. His dad said it was only two minutes 'til it got to midnight but it felt like ages. He could see his breath in the night air and the blackness made everything in the orchard different shapes. He stifled a yawn as he turned back to look out over the hill. He didn't want to fall asleep now. Not now after waiting for so long. Ginny was already dozing in his dad's arms.
But it was OK really, because then it happened. The sky exploded and suddenly everything was lit up. All across the village and the other towns that were further away, people had lit their fireworks. They were red and yellow and green and every colour imaginable. It was a bit sad that
they couldn't have their own fireworks but his mum said they couldn't afford them, and anyway, it was just as good watching them from the orchard. Fred and George had wanted to try to make some but his mum had told them off, then saying if they ever tried it she'd skin them alive, but Ron didn't really know what she meant.
As the fireworks lit up the midnight sky, he was vaguely aware of his mum and dad kissing and smiling at each other (but he didn't want to look at that too much). Charlie cuffed Percy round the head chuckling
"Happy New Year, Perce!" and the twins were making up a dance in front of the fireworks (Ginny was still asleep).
So he looked up at Bill. His brother was staring out at the fireworks silently. A soft drizzle had begun and in the light of the fireworks Ron could see it blowing across the hillside. It was like the stars were crying, Ron thought. He looked up at Bill again.
"Bill, are you OK?" Bill nodded. "What are you thinking about Bill?" His brother grinned and looked down at Ron.
"Just thinking about this New Year, Ronnie. About everything and everyone. My friends at Hogwarts. You know." Ron didn't reply because he didn't know what Bill meant, but instead looked across at the others, Ginny's head dropping over his dad's arm, the twins stood on the fence with Percy and Charlie next to them. It seemed to be right.
"Is that what you do at New Year, Bill? Think about people?" Bill offered him a small smile.
"You don't have to, but I suppose you could." Ron thought for a moment. Maybe he should think about people too… although he didn't know that many. Not apart from his family really. There were other people too though like the grown ups that sometimes visited and laughed with his parents, and the woman who came and babysat them sometimes with the little boy older than him, and the Mediwitch that they knew so well because his mum had gone to the hospital so many times for so many things, 'What with so many children like this' (as his mum had said). But he didn't even know those people very well. So maybe he should just think about his family. Maybe that would be OK.
They were going inside now, Ron slipped down from Bill's arms and raced after the twins, flinging his scarf to the floor and dropping his coat next to it. After coming back to pick them up (on his mother's orders) Ron stifled a yawn and ran through to the sitting room. He watched as the rest of his family bustled about getting to bed and sorting things out. Sometimes, he thought, watching Percy pick up his books to take up with him, it really was worth thinking about people a little bit more than he usually did.
It was well past midnight by the time Ron found himself being carried upstairs to bed. He pretended to be asleep so he wouldn't have to talk to his mum, and so she wouldn't know what he was thinking about. He didn't really want her to know too much. After all, it wouldn't be for much longer, and tomorrow, he could go back to thinking about much more important things. Even now, he thought, smiling slightly, what could he play tomorrow?
A/N: This fic has been written for the 50 Art of Words Challenge by Pinky Green. Each chapter will have a prompt, and my claim (of course) was Ron! Hope you enjoyed it and I hope you can find time to review. This is just the first chapter! Thanks to my beta Spinky! Thanks!
Elle xx