Ok time for the next chapter! I didn't get any reviews but it doesn't matter. I'm enjoying writing this fic anyways. R&R.
Disclaimer: If I owned Harry Potter, would I be writing on this website?
Chapter 2The wind was in his hair and he felt exhilarated for the first time in a while. But he didn't forget about what he wanted to do. He looked down below and was thankful that he wasn't afraid of heights. It was going to be a long way down. He picked the highest building he could find so he would definitely die when he hit the bottom. He took a small step forward, his feet at the very edge of the ledge. He took several deep breaths, preparing himself for what he was about to do.
Someone was walking across the street when it was about to happen. She noticed him at the top of the building, recognizing him from those dozens of times she stared at him when he wasn't paying attention to anyone. She sighed and stationed herself so she would be able to see if he would actually do it. She doubted it very much. He may be suicidal, but he didn't strike her as the type to jump.
"He is so strange," Luna said to herself. A chilly wind blew and she tightened her sweater around herself, waiting to see what he would do. "I don't think he'll do it, but I could be wrong. I hope I'm not."
Ron gulped a few times, took a few more deep breaths, then walked off the ledge and began his fall. He tried hard not to scream, but he was going so fast he was sure he was going to.
Luna gasped and covered her mouth. She couldn't believe he had done it. Her mind went blank. She couldn't remember any spells that might help her save him. She closed her eyes, afraid to look at him, when suddenly she heard him swear loudly.
"Shit! How the hell did this happen?" Ron asked aloud. His jacket had got caught on a jagged ledge near the ground, keeping him from falling. "At this distance, the drop won't kill me." The jacket ripped off the ledge and he landed right on a garbage bin. "I should've checked to see if there was something there before I jumped," he grumbled.
Luna ran forward, wondering if she should say something or just help him up. Then she wondered if it would be better if she just pretended she didn't see anything. But before she had made up her mind, her legs started moving.
"Ron, are you ok?" she asked, helping him up.
"Luna! What are you doing here?" he asked, bewildered. "What did you see?"
"What do you mean what did I see?" she asked angrily. "I saw your dumb ass jump off the roof of that building! What were you thinking?"
"Why should you care what I was thinking?" he asked jerkily, ripping his arm out of her grip. "Why does everyone care what I'm thinking? It's not like they would ever understand!"
"I could try to understand," she said.
"Well you couldn't. You weren't there when it happened. You didn't have to see what I saw. Your entire family wasn't murdered right in front of your eyes so don't say you can understand," he said violently. He stormed off in the opposite direction.
"He's so stubborn," she sighed. "He needs to accept that he might need help."
Ron stomped through the puddles of water left over from the storm from the day before. He was furious. He hadn't died because a ledge saved his life, then someone decided to pretend like she could understand him.
"I got saved by a freaking ledge. This is so unfair," he said. "And what does Luna know? Nothing! She could never understand! Why did she have to make me feel even worse than before? She has no idea how it feels to lose everything all at once right in front of you."
He ended up right back in that alley in the same spot he always sat in. He wondered how she had managed to find him or what she was doing there, but found that he really didn't care. Her presence made him feel even worse, because she was a reminder of his sister, who had first introduced them and had been one of Luna's only friends. It hurt to think of Ginny, so it hurt to think of Luna. He wanted to rid himself of the pain, but he didn't know how. He wasn't a cutter. Cutting would make him nauseous. He had his ways of relieving himself for a few hours, but he didn't have the money right now. A sudden clear thought popped into his head and he took out a quill and parchment.
Dear Harry,
Ok I know I wrote to you yesterday but something's come up. I need some money right now. I know I don't usually ask for money but this is an extreme emergency. If you could send anything you have to spare as soon as possible, I'd be so grateful. Give Hermione my best.
Ron
He folded it up and headed towards his place. He didn't like apparating at all, so he walked everywhere. By the time he got into his house, his shoes were caked with mud, but the carpet was so dirty it didn't matter. He headed over to Pigwidgeon's cage and unlocked it. He tied the scroll to his leg.
"I need you to take this to Harry," he said, patting him on the head. "Be quick."
Pig hooted before taking off. Ron flopped onto his bed and sighed. He hadn't really done much in his house in a long time. It had been a while since he took a shower and he didn't even know what he looked like anymore. He broke every mirror in the house to hide from his reflection. It reminded him too much of his family.
He got out of bed and walked into the bathroom to take a shower. The lights were dim and the bathroom dirty, but he didn't care. He turned the rusty handle in his shower and stripped down. He stepped in and felt the relaxing feeling of the hot water. Mud was streaming from his body down the drain. The shower floor was getting blacker every minute, but Ron was getting cleaner. When he finally stepped out, he felt different. For the first time in a while, his hair felt nice and his body wasn't a disgusting mess. He changed into fresh clothes and ran a comb through his mess of hair. He briefly wondered what he looked like, seeing as how he didn't like mirrors. Shaking his head, he stepped back out of the house and went straight back to that alley to wait for Harry's reply.
Luna was in her own house, sitting at her favorite window. She liked it so much because it allowed her to see the alley that Ron always went to. She waited for him all the time, sometimes even going outside to see if she could find him. He would wander a lot, so when he did she would go out shopping, hoping to run into him. She was an editor of the Quibbler, but she worked from home. She would turn in everything to her father, who would then run it through the paper. She vaguely wondered if anyone from Hogwarts knew what she did, but then remembered that no one would care, since no one read the Quibbler except for her. She was working on a long piece when she saw him return. She smiled a little and shifted the curtain slightly so he wouldn't be able to see her if he ever looked up. He rarely did, but she wanted to be prepared.
"Ron. Hey Ron!" a raspy voice called to him from behind some boxes in the alley.
"Someone there?" Ron asked.
"Yeah. Come here," the voice said.
Ron got up and walked over. When he saw who it was, he smiled. "Hey Flint," he said.
"Hey," Flint said, clearing his throat. "Sorry about that. I had to conceal my voice in case you weren't alone."
"But I always am," Ron pointed out.
"Not always. I've seen people nearby," Flint replied. He clapped his hands together. "So, let's get down to business, shall we?"
"I can't," Ron said. "I haven't got any money."
"When will you get some?" Flint asked.
"When Harry sends me some soon," Ron replied.
"Ok fine. I'll give you an I.O.U. just because you're my best customer," Flint said. "You want the usual, I presume?"
"Of course," Ron answered. Flint transferred several things from his pockets to Ron's hands. Then he wrote the I.O.U. and smiled.
"I'll be back in a few days with more. And I want the money then," Flint said.
"I always come through, don't I?" Ron asked.
"I guess. Later."
Flint disappeared and Ron stuffed everything in his pockets. He sat back down in his spot and Luna smiled again. She thought he had left during the brief seconds she had been paying attention to the article. She scribbled a few things down and looked up again. This time, however, she dropped her quill and parchment. Her ink bottle hit the floor and shattered. She felt like her heart was doing the same. She had never seen him do it before so she never imagined that he would. But he was and it wasn't a dream.
"Oh my god. Ron Weasley does cocaine!" Luna exclaimed in despair. "What should I do?"
Her eyes fell on her owl and she had a sudden burst of brilliance. She grabbed a new bottle of ink and some parchment and dashed to a table.
Dear Harry and Hermione,
How are you? How's training going? I know I never write but this is an extreme emergency. Ok I live across the street from this alley that Ron likes to hang out in all the time and I sometimes watch him from my window. Well I was doing that as usual when he disappeared for a minute. Then he sat back down and when I looked again, he was doing cocaine! I don't know if you guys know this already but I'm freaking out! I didn't know he did any type of drugs! But he's snorting cocaine and it's scaring me! I don't know what else he could possibly be doing! And earlier today, I was walking from the store when I saw him jump off the roof of a building. Thankfully, a ledge saved him from dying, but it was still a suicide attempt and I'm just really worried about him. What should I do? He doesn't want to be anywhere near me so I was hoping maybe one of you could talk to him! God only knows how many other drugs he does! It's terrifying! I hope I didn't upset you with this! I hope you guys are ok and I'm sorry to bother you but I didn't know who else to turn to!
Hoping you'll write soon,
Luna
She folded it up and rushed over to her owl and tied the letter to its leg. "Hurry and get this to Harry Potter and Hermione Granger. Please be quick."
She released the owl and watched it fly away before turning her attention back to Ron. He was now drinking insane amounts of alcohol. She felt her heart drop. Ron Weasley was an alcoholic and a drug addict. She didn't know. And now she didn't know how she felt. She wanted to help him more than anything, but she knew he wouldn't accept her help. She only hoped Harry and Hermione would write back soon and tell her what to do, or do something themselves before it was too late.
End Chapter 2Ok review! I know Ron isn't the type to do drugs or become a heavy drinker but that's just what I wanted to do. I hope this isn't too bad of a story. I've never tried the suicidal angst angle. It's really new to me. Well don't forget to review! Chapter 3 coming soon!