WARNING: Mentions of character death, slash. Mentions of Harry/Draco and Ron/Hermione; Ron/Harry.
DISCLAIMER: If I'm J.K.Rowling then you should all feel incredibly blessed with this sneak preview of Harry's life post-Hogwarts. However, I am neither a bestselling author or rich, so don't sue me!
SUMMARY: Sometimes Ron thinks he sees the old Harry in his best friend's eyes. Sometimes Ron thinks that he is the naieve one.
Sometimes.
Sometimes Ron thinks he sees the old Harry in his best friend's eyes. When they're sitting together, talking or playing Wizard's Chess, when they can "forget" Hermione for a while, he thinks he sees flashes of naieveity and amusement in his old friend.
Sometimes, Ron sees Harry screaming in his nightmares, and Harry lets him hold him as he cries afterwards. Harry remembers all the losses, the grief and guilt still fresh in his heart, no matter how long may have passed - is it days or years now? Harry cries out for parents long dead. He even cries out for Quirrel, the first person Harry ever killed, when he was just eleven. Sometimes, Ron thinks that he is the naieve one, for ever believing Harry was naieve or innocent.
Sometimes, when Ron is making love to Harry, faded Gryffindor mingling with jaded Slytherin now instead of once bright days, of bold Gryffindor tangled with books and old parchment and chocolate and femininity. Sometimes, Ron thinks he feels the old Harry again. The one who was relaxed, who didn't flinch and reach for his wand at the smallest sound.
Sometimes Ron wakes from visions of death and pain at the age of eleven, from life-long grief, flashes of her face and his and their faces, all fixed in pain and death. He thinks Harry'll never relax again. He never was in the first place.
Sometimes, when Ron sees Harry talking to Draco's portrait, or Hermione's and Rose's, or talking to little Elizabeth, Ron thinks maybe, just maybe, he can see love in Harry's eyes.
Sometimes, when Harry lets Ron go out alone for a while - but never alone, because Harry will be at home with Elizabeth, worrying and Mirroring him every ten minutes - Ron remembers that Harry will never love. He can't, not with images of smooth cream and silver drowned in crimson burnished in his mind. Not with his lover's screams echoing in his ear, Malfoy pride thrown out the window in agony. Not with Ron's own wife's cries echoing in Harry's head. Not with Rose's scared brown eyes blinking up at Harry, begging her Godfather to save her when all he can do is watch her die. He knows they can kill Elizabeth, or take Ron from him. This little care could be enough to cripple him, and he knows it.
Sometimes, Ron thinks he can touch Harry on his own, the connection has become that deep, until Harry shivers unconciously and moves away.
Sometimes, Ron thinks it's all wishful thinking. He knows the truth. He knows Elizabeth will never answer them back. He knows he will never again touch without Harry's magic. He knows Harry will never be naieve or innnocent, he'll never love, or relax. Even a smile is a luxury.
Sometimes Ron thinks it's unhealthy for Harry.
Mostly Ron understands that it's for Harry's own peace of mind that his only contact is with a cat and a ghost.
A/N. I love the ending! I have no idea where it came from, though. My Muse is a Snake, can't you tell?
Three things to clear up, I think. Rose is Ron and Hermione's daughter. The three of them died at the same time, but Ron stuck around as a ghost. Harry was forced to watch.
Ron touches Harry because Harry does a temporary Wandless Magic spell to make him corporeal. It's my own invention, and I'm quite proud of it.
Elizabeth is an incredibly cute and fluffy little female tabby. She can be however old you want her to be, I refrained from imposing a timeframe on this, except that Voldemort is dead and Harry is out of Hogwarts.