Disclaimer: Don't own it. Never will.
Dedication: Andy with lots of hugs and snuffles and… *wink nudge wink*
Author's Notes: The ending on this still bugs me, but I figured it was high time I posted another story. I'm still reworking my 'saga', which I only posted a few chapters to on Choir Boys. That'll be up in a couple months (I think). So in the meantime -
Like That
"Hey," Harry said, peering into the bedroom.
"Hullo," Ron replied from their bed. He gave a meek wave and went back to staring at the ceiling.
"You okay?" Harry asked. He walked over and plopped down next to his friend.
"Yeah," Ron shrugged, not looking at Harry.
"Hey mate, what's with the one word answers?"
"Nothing… it's just…" he furrowed his eyebrows, "It's over, Harry. I mean, completely over." Ron said, turning towards his friend.
Harry gave a wistful smile. "Yeah, I know what you mean. That's going to be a little hard to get used, isn't it?"
"More than a little. That's… like, five years of my life! That I lived in almost one place… and I'll most likely never go back there."
"Six years," Harry corrected.
"That's what I meant," Ron said quickly.
"And it's not over, Ron. We'll go back. There's still, like, reunions and stuff." Harry said, lying down next to him.
"I guess. But it'll never be the same, you know?"
"Yeah." Harry stared at the same stain on the ceiling that Ron was focused on.
"Think we can make it disappear if we try hard enough?" Ron whispered.
Harry grinned at him. "You know, I'm going to miss Hogwarts."
"Wasn't that what we were just talking about, Harry?" Ron said, smirking lopsidedly.
Harry chuckled. "No reason we can't still be. Or is your attention span still not long enough?" he baited, poking Ron in the ribs.
Ron swatted him playfully over the head. "You're one to talk."
"I beg your pardon?" Harry replied in mock indignance. "I'm not the one who practically got himself killed chasing after the 'pretty, shiny things' in Defense Against the Dark Arts last year!"
Ron blushed. "Look, Four Eyes, Eluceo Abducos are enchanted to make you do that! You just happen to be better at deflecting curses than I am."
"Well, goodness knows, I've had practice." Harry sighed.
"Yeah, you need all the practice you can get," Ron commented with a scoff.
Harry poked him again. "You should be a little more goddamn grateful to me, Freckle Nose. I've saved your life more than once."
"Yeah… well… I've saved yours too." Ron said. He rolled over, and studied Harry.
Harry looked back into Ron's light blue eyes. Impulsively, he reached over and gave Ron a hug. "Yeah. I know."
Ron hugged him back. Then he laughed a little. "Wonder what Malfoy would say if he could see us now."
Harry giggled and nodded.
"Ooh, lookit the little faggot Potter and his sex slave," Ron said, imitating Draco's incessant drawl. He rolled back onto his back.
"My sex slave?" Harry inquired, raising his eyebrows.
"Nah. If anything, you're my sex slave!" Ron replied, draping his arm around Harry. He leaned in conspiratorially. "What people don't realize," he whispered, "is that I'm really the masculine one." He gave Harry a saucy wink.
Harry laughed, and shoved him. "Masculine, my foot, Ronald Arthur Sheridan Weasley!"
Ron cringed at the use of his full name. "Have I ever even told you what that means?"
Harry shook his head.
"Well… Ronald is 'Advisor to the King'. Arthur means 'A Follower of Thor', whoever the hell that is. And 'Sheridan'…" Ron paused.
"What?" Harry asked.
Ron turned back to Harry slowly. He leaned in very close. "It means… wild."
Harry shivered. "Oh." His face flushed.
Ron leaned back and grinned. He tilted his chin up. "And I am, aren't I? Absolutely wild."
Harry grinned. "I don't know. You seem pretty tame to me."
Ron growled. "I can fix that, if you like."
Harry smiled seductively. "I would like that," he whispered.
Ron leaned forward again, but Harry pulled back. "But not now." He smirked.
Ron rolled his eyes, and turned away. "Oh, thanks, Harry. Make me feel so loved."
Harry laughed, and scooted closer to Ron. "Psst, Ron?" He wrapped his arms around his friend, and leaned his forehead against Ron's neck.
"Yeah?"
"Remember… remember the first time?" Harry asked.
Ron turned his head around slowly. "Yeah," he said quietly. "I do."
Harry smiled, and snuggled closer. "By the lake… with the sun setting and everything. It was beautiful, wasn't it?"
Ron nodded. "And remember after?" he added.
"What, telling Hermione?" Harry inquired.
"Yeah. Man, was she ever surprised."
Harry nodded. "And when the school found out?"
Ron laughed. "The look on Snape's face when he caught us in the Charms corridor! It was priceless!"
Harry grinned. "It was, wasn't it? But I liked this year's train ride home best."
"What? Me, you, Hermione, and Ginny sitting round in a compartment and sobbing our nostalgic little hearts out?"
Harry shook his head. "No, though that was nice. I meant after that, when Hermione and Ginny went go change."
"Oh."
Harry felt Ron's neck flush. "Ron, don't be embarrassed! That was romantic!"
"Harry, asking you to live with me while knowing full well I could never support the both of us, and that I didn't even have a job yet was not romantic. It was… stupid." Ron said, flipping back towards Harry.
"Well, I thought it was romantic at the time." Harry paused. "You said you didn't think you could live without me."
"Well, I can't." Ron said matter-of-factly.
Harry smiled. "Good. Wouldn't want you getting all independent on me, would I? Can't have my sex slave running off," he added.
Ron shoved him gently. "Wild," he said. "You forgot wild sex slave."
"I still think you're tame, Ronald." Harry said coyly.
Ron glowered playfully. "I can still prove you wrong though."
Harry shook his head. "Remember?"
"Remember what?"
"The first time…"
"Yeah."
"Like that. I want it like that again."