Disclaimer: don't own.
A one shot, based off The Other Way universe, just because I thought it would be cute, and I can't think of another plausible way to get them together at the moment-and as this was inspired by that story, I have written it in that universe. Read and enjoy. Its slash folks-but very mild. Set almost a year after Ron 'saved' Draco that first time from Harry's evil clutches.
Smile
"Ron!" Draco called from the living room. As he usually did in the evenings he was sprawled out over the sofa, book held in the air as he read it.
"What?" I called back.
"I forgot to tell you, your brothers are coming over-the owl arrived this morning after you left." He called back. "They said they'd be here for dinner."
"What?" I said, poking my head out of the kitchen doorway to look at him. The book wavered in the air before disappearing downwards and Draco's head appeared instead. "What do you mean their coming for dinner-there's not enough ruddy food for them." I complained, like I always did when Charlie and George were stopping over.
They had made a habit of it, especially since they had found out about myself and Draco. Not that I minded the teasing, but when George had pulled out that baby book I nearly died of embarrassment. Draco had laughed. He was doing a lot more of that now, and smiling. He was still pretty withdrawn though-you could hardly get a sentence out of him when anyone is over. Its conditioning, it happens to people who are made to stay silent when others are about. He'll come out of it eventually, I think. I can't really be sure of anything with Draco. There are still things he'll never get over-like small spaces.
A bit like me and spiders-which he obligingly steps on if I ask him.
"And how do they know when dinner is anyway?" I grumbled.
He smiled. "Maybe they keep the floo network open until they smell food." He shrugged.
I rolled my eyes and went back into the kitchen, and grudgingly pulled out some more chicken from the fridge. "We'll need to go shopping tomorrow-we've nothing left now." I muttered. I stood and watched it cook.
"Hi Draco! Is our baby brother fixing up dinner for us?" I heard Charlie ask from the living room. Draco probably nodded because suddenly George came bounding in, grabbed my arm and pulled me out into the living room. "Ah, Ron, good. Sit down."
George pushed me onto the chair beside Draco.
"Guys-what's going on?" I asked, frowning at them.
"We decided to give you both a present. In honour of your anniversary." Charlie smiled.
"Anniversary?" I asked, I looked at Draco, he shrugged.
"Yes, the anniversary of the day you two met." George supplied.
"Shouldn't that be the first of September?" Draco asked quietly.
"No-that was way too long ago. No, this is for when you two actually met each other for the first time." Charlie said.
I thought back. What on earth was Charlie on about? We had first met each other on the way to Hogwarts. Then it hit me-he meant… oh hell, that was today? Nearly a year ago, if not exactly a year ago I had found Draco at Harry's. casting a glance to Draco I saw that he'd reached the same conclusion.
"Right!" Charlie said, drawing my attention back to him. "For this momentous occasion-and because we couldn't wait another six months for your official anniversary with the two of you going out and stuff-we have decided to give you a present."
"It took us ages to find two that actually got along. They're worse than you two were during school." George said, shaking his head. "But we found them eventually."
"What are they?" I asked, looking round, worried now. If my brothers chose a present it was guaranteed to be trouble-and there were two of them.
Charlie pulled a box from behind his back and handed it to me then stared at me expectantly.
I stared at it apprehensively. You have to understand. I've been the victim of my brothers pranks many times before-granted it was usually the twins, but even George on his own was a force to be reckoned with, and he and Charlie teamed up was nothing short of apocalyptic for the victim. I never knew Charlie had such a wicked sense of humour until it was turned on me.
Draco reached over and pulled the lid off the box, and I cringed.
Nothing popped out to attack me, nothing exploded, there was no puff of smoke that would turn me into something. Cautiously I peeked into the box. Then up at my grinning brothers, and back down. Inside the box was what looked like a ball of reddish and white fur.
"The white one's yours Ron, the red one is Draco's." George smiled, sharing a grin with Charlie.
"What are they?" I asked as a stubby red face disentangled itself and looked up at me.
"It's a Weasel." Draco breathed. He reached in and moved the white bundle of fur. "And a ferret." He said, looking up at Charlie and George.
"Do you like them?" George asked, leaning forward, his eyes shining.
"Why did you get us those?" I asked, poking at the ferret as Draco pulled the Weasel out of the box.
"It's symbolic." Charlie said.
"I can see that." I frowned.
"Read the name tags." George said, he was almost bouncing in excitement.
"It won't bite me, right?" I asked.
"No, they're both tame. Read the name tags!" George persisted.
I reached in and pulled the ferret out; it looked at me with its beady little pinky red eyes. I turned the little silver nametag over so I could read the name. And laughed. 'Bouncing Ferret', I looked at my brothers-I had forgotten they knew about that. Draco coughed to cover his own laugh. "What's the Weasel called?" I asked.
"Weasel King." He said, and smiled.
"You two." I told my brothers. "Are insane."
"What? You two are practically married anyway-you need children." Charlie shrugged
"So you gave us a Weasel and a Ferret?" I asked, deadpan.
George nodded. "Perfect really, took us an age to think it up. The Ferret was easy enough, you went on about that incident enough-the Weasel was slightly harder-until I remembered Draco used to call you a Weasel. It's only fair you have a child each." He grinned.
I shook my head. "Children?" I said. "Are we even ready for children yet Draco? Even tiny rodenty ones?" I asked him.
He shrugged, but I could see he was very attached to that Weasel already. The decision was with me. If I said we didn't want them he'd agree. I think Charlie and George knew Draco would take to them, and they knew I wouldn't refuse him anything. So finally I nodded. "Fine, we'll keep them-though I think we'll have to give this little furball a better name than 'Bouncing'."
"Why? It's a cute name for the Ferret." George whined.
"Only you would think that!" I snorted. I lifted the ferret and looked at it carefully. "You had better be house trained." I told it in a no nonsense tone.
It gave me a look I couldn't help but attribute to Draco, it was exactly the kind of look I could imagine him giving me in ferret form.
"They are-they are!" George smiled widely, bouncing himself.
I looked to Charlie. "Did you let him eat sugur before you brought him over?"
Charlie laughed and shook his head, but I didn't believe him.
Draco leaned over suddenly and said softly in my ear. "Ron-dinner."
"Shit!" I yelped, I had completely forgotten about dinner, I handed the ferret to Draco and dashed into the kitchen. While I was in there, fixing up dinner I listened with half an ear to the conversation in the living room. He barely spoke, but that was normal for him now. I couldn't help but think back, the fact that my brothers had remembered and I hadn't was what really struck me. How could I have forgotten that this was the day I had found Draco? I glanced out to the living room to see his white blond hair. He had been so broken back then, so frightened.
He seemed to sense I was watching him, because he turned his head, flashing me a puzzled look. I smiled at him, he returned it with his own shy one.
He had come along in leaps and bounds since then, even after Harry had gotten hold of him that second time. One thing about him that struck me most during his recovery was that he hardly smiled. And as far back as I can remember I don't think he ever really smiled-smirked yes, but never smiled. It still catches me off guard if he smiles honestly and genuinely at something sometimes. It's taken a good long while to make him stop hiding it, which he does without thinking. And laughing. He has the most amazing laugh-but again he hides it, smothers it out.
I can't help but hate his parents for it, and Harry. If I had been able to see this side of him before everything-if anyone had been able to see this side of him before, things could have been so different for him.
"Hey Ron! Any chance of dinner any time soon!" Charlie called from the living room, startling me out of my thoughts. I refocused on the food.
"I'm coming, I'm coming-It's not my fault you decided to stop be for dinner!" I called back out.
I knew Draco was hiding a smile.
We ate, bantering and laughing. The furry little rodents had vanished, I didn't know where, but I was sure Draco had secreted them somewhere out of the way. After dinner Charlie and George left. I think they couldn't be bothered cooking for themselves, the amount of times they stop over here for dinner, the odd lunch, and on occasion, breakfast. I swear-you'd think they lived next door and not in Romania.
The Weasel and he ferret reappeared suddenly from nowhere. I took a seat on the sofa, lifting the book Draco had been reading earlier-Potions-why was he so obsessed with Potions? Draco curled up beside me, holding the two animals on his lap, stroking them. "You going to read that?" he asked me, a small smile playing on his lips.
I rolled my eyes inwardly; he had to be the only person in the whole world who could possibly get me to read a Potions book.
It had to be his smile.
I can only hope he doesn't realise just how powerful a weapon it really is.
There you go. I hope that tides over you rabid Ron/Draco shippers. I know it's not my best, so please forgive me. And review! I will update my other stories when I can-I have a seven week school placement starting next week. So please forgive me! And review! Make me feel all loved!