This whole story was inspired by two songs, Wild Horses by the Rolling Stones and Rose Tattoo by the Dropkick Murphys. No copyright infringement intended.
The lyrics to Rose Tattoo (in part) are below:
Some may be from showing up
Others are from growing up
Sometimes I was so messed up and didn't have a clue
I ain't winning no one over
I wear it just for you
I've got your name written here
In a rose tattoo…
This one's for the mighty sea
Mischief, gold and piracy
This one's for the man that raised me
Taught me sacrifice and bravery
This one's for our favorite game
Black and gold, we wave the flag
This one's for my family name
With pride I wear it to the grave
Obviously, the last part is what inspired me. I think the solidarity is pretty in character for them. Also, YES I am aware that the tattoo the boys get would take a hell of a lot longer than it does in the story. Suspend disbelief :)
Thanks for reading! Leave me a review!
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His brain woozy from the marijuana, Ron stumbled out of the fireplace behind Charlie. He was starting to feel the full effects of it and leaned on Harry for support. Getting himself oriented, the room appeared to be a basement. There were boxes neatly stacked and labeled as far as his eyes could see (or was he seeing double? Triple?)
They followed George through the maze of boxes and up a set of stairs. Passing through a door, they found themselves in what looked like a pub, save for the fact that there was no bar. There was a billiards table in the corner and people milled about, talking and laughing. Loud music blasted from speakers attached roughly to the walls. The walls were painted white, but large posters covered most of the white space.
"Amir?" George called. A dark-skinned man poked his head in. He was just a little shorter than Ron, thinner with large black eyes and thick black hair. He smiled, recognizing George.
"You've finally decided to come in, George!" He approached and shook George's hand, then pulling him in for a good natured hug.
"I was ready ages ago – this lot took some convincing." George said, using his thumb to point over his shoulder.
"So good to meet you all. Welcome Weasleys!" Amir said with his hands clasped in front of him. "We can accommodate three at a time, who would like to go first?"
"I'm in!" George said, turning to the rest.
"Me as well." Charlie raised his hand.
"I'm game, I'll get it over with." Percy said.
Bill exhaled nervously. He had the same "thing" about blood as Ron. He wasn't in any hurry.
Ron and Bill bounced their knees anxiously while they waited. Ginny and Harry flipped through the pages of an artist portfolio together. Harry was toying with the idea of getting one himself ever since Ginny told him about George's idea for a Weasley Family tattoo. He couldn't be sure how much time passed, but Ron thought it felt like hours before he saw his brothers again. All of them had their right biceps covered with cellophane. Ron turned green at the sight of a thin trail of blood dripping down Percy's arm.
"Let's see then." Ginny asked excitedly hopping up from her seat. George made a show of ripping the cellophane away revealing a palm-sized tattoo of a W in black ink. The letter was more intricate upon closer inspection. It was two continuous parallel lines that looped and curved around itself in an elaborate Celtic style. Tucked underneath it, in calligraphy was printed:
Fred 1978-1998
Ginny clasped a hand to her mouth and smiled with her eyes. "I love it. It's perfect."
George grinned back at her. Charlie and Percy showed off their identical tattoos.
"Your turn, too late to leg it." George said grinning at Bill and Ron.
To look at them, one wouldn't say that Ron and Bill resembled each other much apart from their identical hair and eyes but at that moment, they were the exact same shade of sickly green.
"It's not that bad, Ron." Percy said wiping sweat from his brow. Ron looked at him skeptically.
"If this skinny git can do it, Ron..." George put his arm around Percy's neck and gave him a playful squeeze.
Ginny kissed Harry and pushed her way through the curtains without a backward glance.
"Tenacious little squirt." Bill laughed, shaking his head at Ginny.
Harry nodded. He was quite familiar with Ginny's indelible spirit.
"Are you going to come with?" Ron asked hopefully. Harry wasn't planning on it, but he nodded anyway.
As they walked through the curtain George coughed and got Harry's attention. Harry turned, his eyebrows raised, questioning.
"Amir is a good chap but he's a Muggle. He thinks Fred died in a car crash." Harry nodded and rushed to tell Ron.
It was a comical sight.
Ginny's cast iron stomach allowed her to sit like a rock as the artist dragged his needles across the pale skin of her right ankle. She preferred that placement to her bicep.
Harry sat near Ron and Bill who wiggled and screeched something fierce.
"Fuuuuuck me!" Ron yelped.
"Bloody fucking Christ that hurts!" Bill whined.
"Will you two shut up? I didn't go on like that giving birth - three times!" Ginny scolded.
"Talking helps sometimes." Amir said kindly as he pinned Ron's arm down to keep him from jumping. "Tell me about your brother, it's a fine tribute to him for you all to do this."
"He was a bloody waaaaaaaanker, fuck ow!" Ron shouted. Suddenly they were all laughing.
"Bill, you survived a sodding werewolf attack, locate your stones!" Ginny teased. Harry widened his eyes at her, he'd forgotten to tell them about Amir.
"Yeah well, Greyback only slashed me once, this hurts mooooore. Ow fuck!"
Harry cleared his throat, and coughed "Muggle!" He said.
Amir raised his eyes from Ron's quivering arm. He looked over at the scars on Bill's face. "Werewolf?" The artist doing Bill's tattoo hadn't thought twice of his customer's odd facial scars until then.
Harry shook his head, "It's just a joke. It was a big dog."
"Yeah, a really big dog with giant bloooooooooooooody fangs." Ron howled when Amir set back to work.
It took some doing, but the tattoos were finished and even with all of Ron and Bill's squirming and low pain tolerance, they were perfect.
The five brothers stood in a line, their new badges of manliness gleaming on their arms. Amir had them all stand close together for a photograph. He paused when it came to Ginny. Harry came up with the solution. He ducked his head between Ginny's legs, lifting her up onto his shoulders. She posed with her ankle right in line with the others.
There was still time for a drink before last orders. George led the way.
They marched into the pub one by one. Finding a table large enough to accommodate them all, they ordered pints of Guinness and shots.
"To Family!" Ginny heralded with her shot in the air.
"To Freddy!" George declared.
Clinking glasses together, they drank. They all agreed not to show their mum until the tattoos had healed. They were sure she wouldn't approve, but she'd be more upset to see them red and raw.
"So George, if he's a Muggle, how is it that Amir's shop has a connection to the Floo Network?" Harry asked.
"He's a Muggle, his landlord isn't." George explained. "Katie Bell's dad owns that building."
Round after round, Ron drank until he'd forgotten how much his arm was throbbing.
It was very, very late by the time they Apparated back to the Burrow.
