I decided that the chapters were to short to make this a multi-chapter fic. It seems to work better as a one-shot. I also made a few changes where what I wrote made me cringe.
Um, I don't really have to say that I don't own these characters, do I? Because I know you guys are smart enough to figure that out.
Ron was half sitting, half lying on his four-poster bed, leaning against his pillow. He stared forward at his closed curtains, deep in thought about the events of the previous day. He knew Harry and Hermione were becoming suspicious of his increasing reluctance to show his face in the common room or even at meals. This was getting ridiculous. Here he was, 8:30 in the evening, sitting on his bed with no intention of sleep, when he could be downstairs winning a good game of wizard's chess.
- I don't think I'll be able to stand seeing Harry again tonight. I mean, not without wanting to jump him. - The thought brought a (recently) rare smile to his lips. Lips that would like nothing better then to be pressing against Harry's while his hands traveled along smooth skin and lean muscle, blue eyes locked on emerald green.
Suddenly, as if on cue, Harry pulled open the curtains of Ron's bed.
"Hey Ron, what are you doing in bed at 8:30? What's up, mate?
- Me! - Ron thought, calmly adjusting the position of his pillow so it would cover his lap. He couldn't help it any longer and he felt himself become trapped in Harry's eyes, continuing to stare as Harry's expression turned from concern into confusion and finally to slight discomfort.
"Umm, Ron? What are you staring at? I haven't still got that third nostril Neville gave me in transfiguration, right?" Harry chuckled nervously. But Ron couldn't help staring at his best friend and one true love.
— Love? Am I sure about that? Yeah, I guess it is love. It's love and it's destined to remain unrequited. Harry... perfect Harry could never see anything other then a friend in me. — As hard as he tried, Ron couldn't stop the tears that welled up in his eyes at that thought. Harry noticed and walked over to Ron.
"Ron, what's wrong? What happened? Did I say something wrong?" Ron just shook his head and continued to try, unsuccessfully, to hide his tears.
"Look, I'm your best friend and if you can't tell me what's up, you won't be able to tell anyone." He put his arm around Ron's slightly shaking shoulders. "And from the looks of you," Harry continued, "you really need to talk to someone." Ron slowly turned to face Harry and tried to find the words.
"W-w-well, umm, it's j-just that I-I th-think... I mean I know th-that, well...I think I've known for a while and I... What I'm trying to s-say is..."
He couldn't find the words, but he found the action. He leaned in and kissed Harry softly. For a few seconds they sat there, Harry wide-eyed in shock and Ron happy for the first time in the month that they had been back at Hogwarts.
As quickly as it had come on, Ron's happiness flooded out of him and his blood rushed to his face. Realizing what he had just done, he pulled away from Harry and got off the bed, his arms crossed nervously in front of his chest. Harry continued to look shell shocked.
"W-what was that?"
Ron was mortified.
- He's disgusted! He'll hate me forever. Oh, how could I have been so stupid?-
Ron turned and ran out of the dormitory before he could hear Harry shout "Ron! Wait!"
Ron didn't know where he was going and, quite frankly, he didn't care. He just had to get away from the school, his friends, his best friend turned emotional tormentor. His feet carried him to a place of comfort: The Quidditch pitch. He climbed in to the stands and tried to drown himself in his happy memories. Life before he had been abysmally stupid. Anything to rid his mind of Harry. Salty tears ran down his face and his head dropped in to his hands.
Every happy memory starred Harry.
-What have I done?-
Harry was still sitting on Ron's bed, wondering if what he thought had just happened had really just happened. Could it be possible that his feelings for Ron, feelings that had torn him up inside since the return to Hogwarts that year, were mutual? Harry quickly got up and retrieved the Maurauder's Map from his bag.
"I solemnly swear that I am up to no good." He said, tapping the parchment and watching the map appear. He search for the small dot labeled Ron Weasley and found it in the stands of the Quidditch pitch. Harry pulled on a sweatshirt and his invisibility cloak and grabbed an extra sweatshirt.
-Ron will be cold-
Harry snuck out of the portrait hole past an entering group of fourth years and headed out of the castle to find Ron.
Ron was still sitting, shaking slightly due to his nerves and to the fact that it was getting rather cold.
-I can't just sit here and freeze.- Ron scowled. -Or maybe I can. Maybe it would be a good thing if I froze. Better yet, why don't I just go take a long walk off a short cliff? Then I wouldn't have to deal with Har...- his train of thought was halted suddenly as he heard someone whisper his name.
"Ron!" Harry appeared from underneath his invisibility cloak beside Ron and sat down.
"Here," Harry said, handing Ron the extra sweatshirt. "It's getting cold."
Thanks." Ron grunted, under his breath.
They sat for a few moments before Harry tried to break the awkward silence.
"It's really cold for this time of year. I wonder how much longer it's going to be warm enough for Quidditch."
Ron suddenly found his voice.
"Oh, come off it Harry!" he yelled. "I don't care about the bloody weather! Why don't we talk about the real reason we are sitting on these ice cold stands at 9:30 at night." Ron sighed and calmed down a bit.
"Or do you just want to pretend it never happened?"
Harry could barely stifle a small chuckle at Ron's outburst.
"Well, I would probably still be in our dormitory right now trying to pretend this never happened if your actions hadn't been, well... welcome."
Ron's face broke in to amazement.
"You can't mean that!"
"You know, you're really cute when you're dumbfounded."
"Please tell me you mean what you're saying, Harry."
"Every word. What's wrong? You still look confused."
Ron paused for a moment. "Well, it's just that I never thought there was any chance. I assumed that you were, well..."
"Completely and utterly hetero?"
Ron chuckled. "Pulled the words right out of my mouth. I mean, you've had girlfriends. You never seemed interested in blokes."
"Ron, I've had as many boyfriends as I've had girlfriends. They were just more... discreet. I'm already on the Daily Prophet shit list. I don't need headlines calling me the Pouf-Who-Lived." Harry paused. "What about you? You dated Hermione over the summer."
"Ha! That could hardly count as a relationship. More like me trying desperately to distract myself from you. Just served to prove what I already know; I have no interest in pursuing the fairer sex."
For a second time tonight, Harry was stunned. He had been assuming Ron was bisexual, like himself. Obviously not.
"Well, you had me fooled. Otherwise I would have done something about it when I first had feelings for you."
"When was that?"
"At the end of third year. During our first, um... encounter with Sirius. The whole time we were in the Shrieking Shack I was worried I would lose you or die before you knew how I felt." Harry shifted along the bench to sit closer to Ron and wrapped his arms around the redhead's waist, looking right into his eyes.
-Looking into my soul.- Ron thought.
"I realized I didn't ever want to live without you."
Ron's mouth dropped open. "You've fancied me?"
"Yeah."
"For more than three years?"
"Yes."
"And you never acted?"
Harry laughed and rolled his eyes. "Well, I didn't see you putting yourself out on the line for my affection. I assumed you would figure it out eventually. I mean," Harry chuckled "what kind of mental genius does it take to figure out why you were the thing I'd miss the most in the Triwizard Tournament." Ron mentally slapped himself for not having noticed that bit of information.
"You mean to say I could have been snogging you for the last three years if I had just spoken up sooner?"
Harry grinned "Yeah, basically. Well, you know what that means." His face was barely two inches from Ron's and each could feel the other's warm breath against their mouth.
"What?"
"We have to make up for lost time." He breached the last couple of inches and pressed his lips to Ron's. When Ron felt Harry's tongue teasing at his lips he gladly parted them and rejoiced in his second blissful moment of that year. Harry's eager tongue caressing his own promised it wouldn't be his last.
I hope you enjoyed this story. Please review it. I love you all!
