Author's Note: Hello!
Didn't I warn you guys that I love Harry/Ron bromance already? Cuz I do, and it happens again here. Not sure how I feel about this, but I got deadlines coming up and there's only so much good that can come out of staring at word document. This was written for the Globetrotter Drabble Competition on the Harry Potter Challenge Forum posted by why the caged bird sings for prompt #20 Prague. Some more thanks to NiftyGirl and TheHaloFreak for their advice, sounding board services and their motivation. Reviewers will be rewarded with the knowledge that I smile like an idiot when I see a review. Enjoy!

With hands that were still shaking slightly, he wiped the blood off his mouth. The many bruises on his face made it painful to move any of the muscles there, but he still could not keep the giddy smile off his face.

He'd done it. It had been a terrible long road to get here, but he was officially an Auror now.

The mission itself had been fairly simple, go to the last known location of a suspected dealer of Dark Artifacts and escort him back to the Ministry for questioning. It was childishly simple, yet he found himself trembling as he apparated to the spot. The distraction that his anxiety offered allowed the man to get in a well-aimed curse that Ron was not quite able to miss. Feeling the sickening sensation that he was about to die, he landed face down on the floor as his legs turned to jelly.

Fortunately, the other man seemed not to have expected his curse to land, and he paused in his retreat to gape in surprise down at him; which gave Ron enough time to reclaim control of his limbs and aim his own wand at the man. And then it was over, he had completed his first mission.

Now maybe twenty minutes later he traipsed victoriously through the halls of the ministry. He couldn't help it, he felt more proud of himself than he had when he had become Prefect, and won the Quidditch cup for Gryffindor and discovered his face on Chocolate Frog cards combined. He wasn't sure why exactly, perhaps the sheer amount of challenges that he had once seen standing between him and this moment was what made this victory feel sweeter than the others.

"What happened to you?" Ron turned to find the very person with whom he wanted to share his achievement most.

"Well, you know I didn't have 'The Chosen One' with me this time." He teased Harry, grinning broader at his best friend despite the protestations of his sore cheeks.

"So he got away then?"

"Why is it that I've saved your sorry arse so many times again?" They both laughed, which revealed injuries to his chest that Ron had not even noticed. "I've got to get my 'Post Operative Paperwork,' or whatever the bloody Hell we call it." He announced proudly, brushing his hair onto his forehead the way he only did when he was feeling exceedingly accomplished.

"Good luck." Harry said, the tone in his voice becoming marginally more serious. "Nice work mate, I told you you could do it."

"Thanks." Ron replied slapping him on the shoulder as he moved to continue down the hall. "Do me a favor and don't tell Ginny I fell on my face?"

Harry chuckled. "No promises. I'll see you later then, Auror Weasley."

Ron smiled as wide as possible at his new title, hardly daring to believe that he was actually off to complete his Post Operative paperwork. "See you tomorrow then."