Okay, so I have always been a fan of Ron Weasley because of his insecurities and feeling second best. However, I feel this character really got the short end of the stick in terms of character development. So I'm rewriting at least his role in Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix and if this particular characterisation is something that appeals to people, I may keep writing more for it. This was not initially written for it but I am using this for 'Snicket Fence' as it focuses on characterisation. I hope you guys enjoy.
Chapter 1: The Path We Choose
Ron Weasley's fists clenched as he heard what his best friend Harry Potter was saying. Professor Snape? Professor Snape was teaching Harry how to block his mind from You-Know-Who? That did not make any sense at all! What was Dumbledore even thinking? Okay, fine, he would begrudgingly admit that Snape had been saving Harry's life in their first year but that did not mean this was a good idea. He glanced over at his best friend from where the boy was sleeping next to him in the room, they shared at Grimmauld Place and wondered if he was sleeping as soundly as he looked. Hadn't his best friend been through enough? Dumbledore and the whole bloody Ministry had the wrong idea on how to help him. I let Harry down enough last year. Not this time. Even if it was just, him, Harry and Hermione, they didn't need anyone else. He almost snorted at his train of thought. Maybe Fred and George have had more of an influence on me than I knew because I sound like them.
He slowly crept out of his bed but didn't get far as Fred and George apparated right in front of him, causing him to jump.
"You guys!" Ron hissed, looking around to make sure no one was coming. "You'll wake up Mom!" He couldn't hear the sound of footsteps here and no one else but the twins had the habit of apparating in, unannounced and startling people.
"Your sneaking could use some work," George remarked. "Where you off to, Ronniekins? Maybe we can help."
Ron's ears turned red, gritting his teeth slightly. "I don't need your help." Besides, he knew if he told them that he wanted to see Hermione, the teasing would never stop. For some reason, whenever he mentioned Hermione, the twins and pretty much anyone in his family would have this smirk as if they knew something that he didn't. It drove him mental because he didn't get what they weren't telling him and he wished someone would just come out and say it! Okay, sure Hermione was brilliant and lately, spending time with her was awesome but they were best friends – what was the big deal about it now?
Fred wagged his eyebrows. "Aw, come on, Ronniekins, we won't tease you."
"Much," George added, also grinning. Yeah, right.
Ron groaned. "Oh, bloody hell. I need to talk to Hermione, ok?" There, he had said that although he wished he hadn't because his ears turned even redder if it was possible as the twins' smirk widened. Why did I open my mouth again? Did I actually think they wouldn't tease me? Maybe if Iris was here but not otherwise. Iris was in their year, but she had been friends with the twins since her first and was practically a third to their little trio.
"Ooh, look at that, Forge," George said. "Maybe our Ronniekins isn't as clueless as everyone thinks, after all."
Fred wiped away a fake tear from his eye. "Our Ronniekins growing up so fast…how sweet."
"Oh, sod off," Ron muttered, face now also matching his hair. "Will you help me or not? I need her help to help Harry, ok? It's not whatever you guys are thinking."
The twinkle vanished from the twins' eyes and they dropped their teasing immediately.
"Is this about the nightmare that Harry's been having?" Fred asked expression clouded over in thought. The entire Weasley family was grateful to Harry because otherwise by now, they would have lost his Dad.
Ron nodded, a scowl replacing his embarrassed look. "More like what the adults are doing to stop it. Hermione and I have always been by Harry's side, not them and even if Dumbledore doesn't agree, Harry needs us to be there." His fist clenched and he stared at the twins, who both looked at each other before nodding.
"Go," George said.
"We'll cover you, while you go in and wake Hermione up," Fred said, more serious than Ron had ever remembered hearing from his brother. His posture had stiffened, thinking all that Harry had been through last year in the graveyard. No one was helping him – with anything! He walked ahead to the room Hermione and Ginny shared, stepping inside and gently shaking his female best friend.
"Hermione," Ron hissed, shaking her gently. It was a good thing that his friend was not a heavy sleeper because she shifted immediately, opening her eyes.
"Ron?" Hermione whispered. "What's going on? What are you doing? It's midnight."
"Can you come outside with me?" Ron asked her. "I need your help."
Hermione sat up, rubbing her eyes, frowning a bit only for a moment before she nodded. Pushing her bushy brown hair back down, she sat up and got out of bed, not questioning any further than that. With his best friend being quiet and the twins guarding them, it wasn't too hard for Ron to get her out of there. He was glad his brothers had understood him this time because he quickly brought Hermione to a secluded corner.
"Ron, what is it?" Hermione asked, still speaking in a hushed voice, her face flushed at how close the two of them were. A yawn escaped her, but she quickly covered it with her mouth to stifle it.
"I want to help Harry," Ron said simply, blue eyes locking with her brown ones.
Hermione's eyes were immediately open, the slightly disoriented look changing into a firm expression. "I want that as well, but Ronald, learning Occlumency is the best way to do that."
"Then why don't we learn it too?" The suggestion left Ron's mouth before he could even really think about it but why couldn't they? Brewing the Polyjuice Potion wasn't something three second-years were known to do either, after all. Hermione ended up with cat hairs, so something did go wrong. He ignored the nagging doubt that something could go wrong now because they could not afford to. Harry needed them not to doubt themselves.
Hermione stared at him as if he had grown three heads. "Ron…"
"What?" Ron asked, scratching the back of his head. "Hermione, Harry faced the graveyard alone and he has to face his nightmares alone too. That's not fair on him, is it? I share a dorm and a room with him and even though he asks me to put a Silencing Charm around him, I know he still has nightmares. I can hear him muttering in his sleep for them not to kill Cedric and he had been tossing and turning for a while before I woke him up when he saw my Dad being attacked. We…we weren't there for him last year. You were at least with the Triwizard Tournament, but I wasn't. I was a git." He glared at the ground, thinking back to how he had acted last year and wanted to turn back time to punch himself in the face. He had been such an asshole that Harry couldn't even talk to him that he was chatting with Sirius through the fireplace. He had heard voices back then and come to check. Despite them not being on talking terms, he would have never ratted Sirius out. He could never do that to his best mate, no matter how much of a git he had been acting like back then.
Hermione's expression softened and she smiled. "It won't be easy learning Occlumency, I hope you know that. I'm going to have to research into it a lot and we're going to need someone to guide us." Her expression was crossed over in thought, forehead wrinkled together in concentration, a look she only had when she was trying to figure something out. "But it's not like you're wrong. Harry needs us, now more than ever. I want Harry to learn Occlumency but if we can help with that, it might be a better option than Harry simply having lessons with Professor Snape. His teaching methods don't always suit Harry, after all."
Ron snorted. "That's because he's a right old bat, he is."
"Ronald, he's our Professor," Hermione scolded, and Ron shrugged causing Hermione to sigh. He would not forgive Professor Snape so easily after the way he was willing to hand both Sirius and Lupin to the dementors, not to mention the fact that he bullied students. All teachers were not holier than thou like Hermione thought them to be, after all.
"Should we head back to our rooms?" Ron asked her.
"Soon, probably but I was thinking who would be willing to teach us?" Hermione asked. "Iris would know a bit about Occlumency or at least where to get the resources given her parents but asking her without giving away her position as a spy in Umbridge's Inquisitorial Squad would be risky. Also, she isn't a teacher anyway. Maybe one of your brothers, Ron? I mean, not Fred and George obviously and of course not Percy but maybe Bill?"
Ron thought about it. Bill was more easy-going with rules than Percy was – then again, even Hermione was a lot more easy-going about them in comparison to his perfect Prefect brother. He would also understand that the two of them wanted to help Harry and keep their secret. "Bill would probably be cool with it, but I'd have to talk to him about it. Or maybe I should get the twins to ask him." Bill and nearly everyone found the twins a lot cooler so they would be most likely to get listened to when it came to this.
"You don't think Bill will agree if you ask him?" Hermione asked expression morphed into a frown.
"I mean, I could try," Ron said, rubbing the back of his neck. He loved his friends – he really did but not enough to admit this part of his life to them. "I'm just not so sure what he'll say, that's all." He shrugged. "I mean, you know, it's not like he knows anything about our crazy adventures at Hogwarts."
He could feel Hermione's gaze scrutinizing him and refused to look up. His best friend was too smart for her own good sometimes and he didn't want her to know more than she already did due to his behaviour last year.
Hermione could tell that Ron wasn't meeting her eyes on purpose, but she also got the feeling that he didn't want to share. She knew a little bit from Ginny, and it was nagging at her brain to press further – she couldn't help it!
"Ron," Hermione began softly. "You know you can tell me anything right? Is something wrong?"
Ron finally looked up and smiled at her, pushing his hands into his pockets but his smile didn't quite reach his eyes. "No, nothing's wrong, Hermione, really. We should get back to bed." He began walking, not giving her a chance to respond causing her to frown even more.
Hermione pursed her lips. She had seen hints over the years she had been Ron's friend, he would normally laugh it off but back then, Ron had been so happy to receive a little bit of attention when he thought Sirius to have lunged at him with a knife. If they had been on talking terms, she would have pushed more even if that would have led to more fights. She would have to keep a closer eye on her best friend from now on.
It was easy enough to return to her room and crawl into her bed. Her eyes flitted closed when she heard a voice speak.
"Hermione, is everything ok?" Ginny's voice rung out causing the brunette to wince a little.
"Yeah, everything's fine," Hermione assured her.
"Mom came in to check up on us as well as Harry and Ron," Ginny said, and Hermione's heart raced. Did Molly know they were out of bed? What kind of excuse would she make? Especially since Molly probably knew that Ron was out of bed too.
"Ron wanted to talk to me about something," Hermione admitted. "He didn't want anyone overhearing but what did you tell Mrs Weasley anyway?"
"Don't worry so much, Hermione," Ginny said with a small laugh. "I covered for you. I knew if Ron gave up his beauty sleep to come and talk to you, it had to be important. I'm sure the twins found a way to cover for Ron as well."
Hermione let out a breath she hadn't realised she was holding and smiled, even though it wouldn't be seen through the darkness. "Thank you, Ginny."