Come on come on,
We always had the good and bad
And that will never change.
This is the closest, I've ever been
Oh yeah.
Ron never had any doubts that Harry was special for him. His best friend since they were 11. When they were 17 they started calling each other best mate instead of best friend. It seemed less childish, but the feeling was the same. Harry was the family he chose for himself, that's what friendship is about.
Now they were 21. They lived together for so long, Ron was not sure he could survive without hearing the idiot snoring on the living room couch. Or how he would still eat the food Ron ruined with a smile on his face. It was almost Christmas. They had a Tree decorated on the corner and stockings by the Floo.
It should not have taken seeing Harry play dolls with Vickie to understand that Ron was truly, madly, crazy, deeply in love with Harry James Potter.
"Vickie! Tell uncle Ron to come and play with us!" Harry whispered, a couple of butterfly hair clips on his unruly dark hair.
"Come play, Uncle Ron! You can even be the ginger doll!"
Ron shook his head, he was rubbish at playing with dolls, but he could not say no to his oldest niece, well, his only niece, since their sibling would be born only on the next year. But he could never say no to her, maybe it was her Vella heritage, maybe it was just because she was adorable. And he could never say no to her when Harry was laying down beside her, a blonde doll on his hand and the smallest hot pink brush Ron had ever seen on the other.
"Are you going to teach Uncle Ron how to play with dolls?" He asked.
"It's not hard… if you can play chess, you can play with dolls." She said, placing a ginger doll on his hand. "That's Colette."
Ron sighed, of course, the dolls would have French names. "And what shall Colette do?"
"Well… you can brush her hair!" The girl said dismissively like he should know that, and he was a fool.
"Harry, give me the tiny hairbrush!" Ron said, holding his hand open to the other man.
"No!" The tiny blonde girl screamed, looking up from the dolls she was tucking in bed. "No… you can't just ask Uncle Harry, Uncle Ron."
"Well, then can you give me one?" He asked pointing to the rainbow of little hairbrushes that Vickie had beside her. She shook her head.
"Then… how can I get the hairbrush? I can't just steal it!"
"Have Colette ask Giselle…" She whispered, stroking her own doll. "You will be Queen in a few days, Juliet. I asked Santa Wizard for the castle." The young girl was murmuring.
Ron sighed, before moving his doll closer to Harry. "Giselle… can you lend me your hairbrush?"
"No!" His fellow Auror and best mate said in a very non-Harry voice.
"No? Why not?"
"You can't brush your hair even when you're dreaming, Colette. I will brush your hair!" Harry summoned one of the little doll chairs.
Ron sighed and sat his doll there. He watched Harry, confused. This seemed so silly but at the same time...
"You two play better together than maman and papa…" Little Victoire Weasley said, a huge smile on her face.
Ron looked at Harry, finding the green eyes of his best mate already glued to his face. And he had never felt this close to Harry before.
Thank god I met you ooh,
And if you don't know.
Just put your hand on my heart,
Put your hand on my heart,
And I don't have to say yeah,
And I don't have to think yeah,
Just put your hand on my heart
Just put your hand on my heart.
You know.
With Vickie gone, the house was strangely quiet. Ron came back with two cups of tea and found Harry sitting on the sofa, twirling the little pink hairbrush between his fingers.
"Did Victoire forgot it?" The red-haired asked.
"Well… no… kinda… I had it in my pocket." He confessed, his eyes on the little brush, holding it like it was a wand.
"You stole a pink hairbrush from my niece…"
"Hey! I might not be her uncle by blood, but she's like my niece as well!" It's all he said. Like that was an explanation for his behaviour.
Ron could not stop himself from smiling at that. He sat beside his friend before chastising his face. "You cannot steal a toy from a child."
"It's not stealing. I will give it back." Harry said, ignoring the cup of tea that Ron offered him. "I'm so glad I met you, Ron. You and your amazing family."
Ron placed one hand on his forehead "Are you sick?"
"No, no, Ron. I'm perfectly fine." Harry assured.
"You seemed to have fun with Victoire." He said simply.
The other Gryffindor nodded. "I always wanted to be a father," Harry confessed.
And Ron held his breath. Bloody Hell. This was the moment his best friend, the only person Ron truly loved besides his family. Hell, he considered Harry family as well. And now that Ron had finally understood that he had fallen in love with the git, he was about to break his heart.
Ronald was sure he was about to tell him that he was moving out or that Ron had to move out because he had a secret girlfriend that he had impregnated and wanted to bring her to his home, their home.
Ron was panicking so badly that he spilt his tea all over his legs.
"Blimey, mate," Harry said, vanishing the tea. "You only do that when you're nervous. Why are you nervous?"
"You were saying something… something about leaving?" Ron whispered, biting his lower lip.
"Leaving? Why would I leave?" Harry asked, turning to face Ron, and placing one hand on his arm, above the crook of his elbow. Harry's touch was so warm, that it felt almost painful to Ron.
The Gryffindor shook his head, unable to get his words out. The thought of losing Harry's presence was terrifying. "Ron… Look at me! I'm not leaving… Unless… Do you want me to leave?"
The Gryffindor finally looked up, finding Harry's green eyes. "Do you want to leave? Do you want to bring someone else to live with us?"
Harry raised an eyebrow, his free hand messing with his hair even more. "Like whom? Hermione? I think she's happy with her boyfriend and her days of living with us are forever over." He chuckled.
Ron did not laugh. He did not feel like laughing. He could not lose Harry. "You said you always wanted to be a father."
"I wanted a family, I always wanted a real family, Ron. One that could love me. And you gave me that. You give me that every day!" He explained. "I love you, Ron. Fuck… Why did it take me this long to say it? Why?" And Harry was laughing, leaning his forehead against Ron's shoulder.
Ron was speechless, he could not explain what he was feeling. Bloody Hell, he did not truly understand what he was feeling. How could he tell Harry that he was in love with him? The red-haired picked the other man's hand and brought it to his chest, right over his heart. And he prayed to Merlin, Godric and all the other wizards and witches that Harry would understand.
Harry smiled and leaned closer, brushing his lips against his own. So gently that, at first, Ron thought it was a dream. The red-haired raised one hand to cradle Harry's cheek, and that seemed to wake something inside of Harry, whose kisses become more demanding. It was not like Ron would ever say no.
Come on come on
'cause you're the one that I want for myself
The strength you give I wanna live,
Inside our little shell.
Nothing comes close too,
Nothings supposed too yeah.
Ron was not sure how they ended up on Harry's bed. They could have walked, ran or apparate and Ronald would never be sure. He had been so overwhelmed by the kiss. By the fact that Harry James Potter was kissing him.
The red-haired was not even sure why they had moved from their Christmas decorated sitting-room floor to Harry's bed. They had just cuddled like bloody teenagers, legs entangled, arms around each other, Ron had ended up with his head on top of Harry's chest, listening to his heart.
And under the covers, inside that room, within the walls of their apartment, Ron had never felt this close to Harry. And the Gryffindor thought he and Harry had always been close, but everything changed the moment Harry's lips touched his.
"How long have we been dancing around each other?" Harry asked, playing with Ron's hair. The boy had let it grow longer like Bill's had once been. In the Auror office, he used it tied but at home, it was usually free, like a lion's mane, Harry had once teased.
"Too long…" He replied, with a content sigh.
"How long do you think we should wait before telling someone?" Harry asked.
"Someone? Like Mum and Dad?"
"And your siblings and our friends… but I was also thinking about Robards… I think there are some papers we need to sign to have a relationship…" Harry murmured.
"Oh… right…" Ronald suddenly remembered about the presentation they were given when they became trainees. "But because we are both on the same tier there will not be a problem. Just do not go raise in your career too soon or we can get in a hard predicament."
Harry nodded, kissing the top of his head. A silent promise. "And what about your family? Do you want to tell them soon? Or do you want to wait?"
"Christmas is just in a few days…" Ron murmured.
Harry chuckled. "You want to surprise them… offer them our new relationship as a gift? Do you really think that's a good idea?"
Ron looked at him. "My parents love you like a son. Mother encouraged Ginny to fall in love with you while we were at Hogwarts because she wanted you to have a bond with the Weasleys. And now…"
"Now we're together…Boyfriend… seems so…"
"Simple?" Ron whispered, his eyes closed. He did not mind being simple if he was this happy all the time. He drifted to sleep, wrapped on Harry's scent, teakwood, peppercorn, and vanilla.
You have your doubts the same way I do,
When you're out safe in my love that's the truth.
Just put your hand on my heart,
Put your hand on my heart,
They should be leaving for The Burrow in just a couple minutes. The wrapped presents had been shrunk and were in his pockets. Harry had wanted to get some nice flowers to give his mother, so he had gone out to buy some from muggle London.
But he was not back yet. Ron paced around the sitting room. And one of the thoughts that went through the Gryffindor's mind was that Harry had broken up with him after only two days. Maybe Harry thought that they were not a good fit. But they were? Right? They were best mates and partners in the Auror Office, they would always have each other's back. So, they were a good match. They were a great match.
Then the Floo came to life and Harry appeared, not with one bouquet of flowers but with so many colours that Ron could not seem to understand what was happening. "Was the flower shop giving flowers to every client on Christmas day? They had flowers that would get ruined until tomorrow?"
"I bought the sunflowers for your mother. And then I saw a pink orchid and it was exactly the colour of Vickie's little hairbrush so I thought she would love it… And then I could not arrive at the Burrow with flowers for Molly and Vickie and not the others…" He explained. "But I did not have enough muggle money with me, so I went to Gringotts, and then back to the flower shop! Sorry, it took me so long."
"Oh… okay… you're here now. That's all it matters." Ron said with a smile. "Shall we go? They will be waiting for us."
Harry took his hand, shrinking the different bouquets so they fit inside his pocket, under a stasis charm to keep them fresh.
And together, they moved to the Floo.
And I don't have to say yeah,
And I don't have to think yeah,
Just put your hand on my heart
Just put your hand on my heart.
"Uncle Ron! Uncle Harry!" Little Victoire ran to their arms as soon as they landed on The Burrow.
"Merry Christmas, Vickie! How are you?" Ron said, picking his niece up.
"Good! Maman is asleep upstairs and papa is with her. I was helping grandmére." She explained, kissing both Ron and Harry's cheeks, before climbing down. "Did you clean your house?"
"Why? Was it too dirty?" Harry asked.
"No… I lost my pink doll hairbrush and I thought I had left it in your house… papa told me that you two would find it when you cleaned it." She explained, an innocent smile on her face.
Harry summoned the little plastic brush from his pocket and held it for her. "Uncle Harry was wondering if you would like to exchange this brush for something else."
She thought for a bit, playing with the blonde ends of her ponytails. "What would you give me to keep the brush?"
Ron rolled his eyes, only Harry would get in a bargain to keep a little plastic hairbrush. He moved to the kitchen to greet his mother, making mince pies and treacle tarts and other Christmas sweets.
"You seem busy, ma. How can I help?" He asked after kissing his mother in the cheek.
"You can eat some gingerbread cookies, and stay away from the pies, I don't want them to be ruined." She explained.
"That only happened once." He argued.
"You think Harry does not tell me the experiments you do at your home… how one day you burned eggs while boiling them…" She accused with a smile. "So, you sit and eat a cookie before lunch is ready."
"Grandma!" Victoire walked into the kitchen with a little flowerpot, a small bright pink orchid growing on it. "Look what Uncle Harry gave me! Even before we exchanged the wrapped gifts! Uncle Harry is the best!"
"Oh, that looks beautiful, dear. You're such a good girl that Uncle Harry spoils you like that." Molly announced. "Happy Christmas, Harry. Oh, and wearing last year's sweater. I can't believe it still fits you."
Harry chuckled. "I stopped growing a few years ago…"
"I can't believe you two are old enough that you don't grow out of your clothes anymore, unless you grow fat. And you two work too much as Aurors for that to happen." She whispered.
Harry smiled. "I got you some flowers as well, Molly. I know they do not seem very Christmas, but I always remember of you when I see sunflowers!" Harry said, producing a bouquet from behind his back.
"Oh, dear! These are so wonderful! Thank you!" The Weasley Matriarch said. "When we were younger, Arthur used to always bring me one after work when I was pregnant with Bill."
Harry crossed the room again to stand beside Ron, and placed his hand on his shoulder. "By the way, where's Arthur? There's something we would like to tell you both, before telling the others."
"Oh, Arthur went to help George with the store, they decided to open in the morning after all. They are arriving soon. I'm sure!" Molly said, summoning a vase for the flowers and adding another charm. Victoire had disappeared, maybe to show her new flower to her parents.
Ron saw Harry's eyes focusing on him, a silent question. Should they tell Molly alone? "Ma… since dad is away we can just tell you first…"
"Just one minute, dears. Let me put the tarts in the oven!" She said, turning away from them to look at the oven. Harry squeezed Ron's shoulder. "You seem nervous…" He whispered.
"She loves you like a son… I know that… but will she love you as my… my…" Ron started.
"Boyfriend." Harry completed, kissing the top of his head.
"My boyfriend." He repeated, picking Harry's hand, and bringing it to his chest. His heart was beating so fast.
The last couple of days have been crazy. Confessing his feelings and understanding they were reciprocated by Harry.
They had told Hermione yesterday when she came to drop her presents before going to Australia, because keeping it from their best friend, the other third of the Golden Trio, seemed wrong. And the young woman had the audacity to tell them that it took them long enough.
And now they were telling their family. Harry's thumb hit his chest at a slower rhythm, making Ron's own heart calm down to match the beat.
Mrs Weasley turned to them. "So… you wanted to tell me something, dears? Are you going away on a mission? Later today?" The matriarch asked.
"No, no, ma. That's not it!" Ron assured. He knew how worried his mom got while they were away in official Auror Office business.
"C'mon boys, don't make me wait…" She said sitting across them on the kitchen table.
Just when Ron was about to open his mouth, Harry interrupted him. "Molly… you know I love Ron and all of you like family, I have for years."
"Of course, dear! You are like a son to me as well…"
"Well… I will always love you like a mother, Molly… and the Weasleys will always be my family, but Ron and I came to the conclusion that we love each other more than brothers… we love each other like a couple does." Harry's voice was so steady, so filled with love and admiration.
"We're boyfriends, ma! Harry is my boyfriend!" Ron blasted the words, squeezing Harry's hand tightly, maybe too tightly, but he could not be bothered to care at the moment.
When you don't feel that you're strong enough to make it,
When life treats you hard and you don't think you can take it,
When you don't know where you stand, you're close to breaking,
Just put your hand on my heart,
Put your hand on my heart
Ron feared for the worst when Molly remained in silence, hazel eyes moving from one man to another. This was it. The moment he would become the biggest disappointment in his mother's life. Because of love? Because he fell in love with his best friend? This could not be it. It could not happen like this.
Harry picked Ron's hand and brought it to the black-haired man chest. And the Gryffindor could feel his heart beating, steady, reassuring. Like Harry always was. All the times in the past that they were apart it hurt. And now…. now they were closer than ever, but he would lose his mother in the way… No! That could not be! He should be able to have everything!
The Floo roared to life. "Molly Wobbles! I'm back!" Arthur called.
"Oh, Arthur! In the kitchen! I have great news!" The older woman, her hair still bright red, called moving to the door and taking her husband's hand on hers.
"Great news?" Arthur asked, letting his wife pull him into the kitchen. "Hello, boys, Happy Christmas!"
"Ron and Harry are finally together!" Molly Weasley announced with a huge grin.
"Of course, they're together, Molly dear. They're Auror Partners, have been for years."
"No, no. Not like that. They're a couple, Arthur! They will get married! Oh, you will see!" She moved across the table to kiss both Ron and Harry's cheeks. "Oh! I'm just so happy! I've been waiting for this for so long… so long. I'm going to tell the others!" She said excitedly leaving the kitchen.
Ron was shocked and Harry just laughed, planting a kiss on his temple. The red-haired Auror looked at his father, but the older man was just smiling. "Were you expecting something different, Ronald? I'll try to calm her down before she decides to send letters to the extended family as well. News like this is yours to share, not your mothers."
"Had it ever crossed your mind that it would be this easy?" Harry asked, wrapping his arms around Ron's shoulders, pulling him close. "You seemed so nervous."
"I thought she would throw a fit… I thought she would say my feelings were mistaken…" He sighed relief, happiness, love, understanding. Fulfilment.
"You're not mistaken, Ron. We love each other!" Harry said and kissed him. Their first kiss on the Burrow. And it felt perfect.
Just put your hand on my heart,
Put your hand on my heart,
And I don't have to say yeah,
And I don't have to think yeah,
Just put your hand on my heart
Artur was able to dissuade his wife from telling the others first. To let the young Aurors do the honours. Harry had placed a flower beside each of the plates. And Ron had just laughed, the boy had really bought a flower shop. Coneflower, Iris, Antirrhinum, Carnation, Hyacinthus, Dahlia, Gardenias.
"I went overboard… I see it now…" Harry muttered.
Ron chuckled. "I won't deny it. But it looks pretty… I'm sure they will all love it." The younger Weasley boy assured his lover.
And Ron had not been wrong. When Molly summoned everyone to the table, Victoire Weasley had been extremely excited about more flowers.
Fleur chuckled. "Non, ma chérie. You cannot keep all the flowers… Aunt Ginny might want some as well. And Uncle Charlie and Uncle Percy like flowers as well."
"You can keep Uncle George's." The owner of the joke shop said with a wink. And the young girl reached across the table to take his.
Vickie placed her hand over her mother's belly. "Now we can save one for sister, as well!"
Bill stroked her hair and then her cheek. "You don't know if it's a sister! It can be a little brother!"
"Well… My Christmas wish is for it to be a sister… Grandmére Molly has too many boys!" She pouted, pointing to each of her uncles around the table, including Harry. "Too many!"
Everyone chuckled and Ron felt Harry squeeze his thigh under the table. This was the moment. Vickie had just given them the right opportunity.
"I know you are all enjoying this amazing meal. Thanks, ma. I… I have some news!" He said.
"Well… let's hear it!" Percy said, sipping from his goblet of Peruvian wine that Bill had brought as a Christmas gift.
"I'm going to be quick… Harry and I… We are… We're together! He's my boyfriend now!" Ron said quickly, taking the other Gryffindor's hand and bringing it to his chest.
"What does that mean?" Vickie asked, stroking the flowers in her hands.
"It means that maybe in a couple of years or earlier, Uncle Harry can really be your uncle," Fleur explained, stroking the blonde strands of hair that belonged to her daughter.
"That's silly, maman! Uncle Harry is already my real uncle! There's no difference…"
"There's one big difference!" Bill said, touching her nose. "It means now that they're boyfriends, they can kiss each other. Only now!" He teased.
Fleur rolled her eyes and whispered something in Bill's ear that made the older Weasley brother blush.
"Well, congratulations, you two!" Percy said, raising his glass.
"For finally understanding that you two have been dating each other for the past 2 years!" Ginny chuckled, raising her own glass of wine.
Ron was not sure who was blushing harder, him or Harry. They had not been dating each other for the past two years. They had not dated anyone else in the last couple years… but that meant nothing.
"Well, this is all awesome and I'm very happy for the both of you, truly, but let's open presents, because I need to be at the Bulstrode Estate in less than an hour or my Dragoness will kill me, slowly!" Charlie explained.
George raised to his feet. "I want to announce something! I deserve it. Ron can't always be the favourite! I'm kissing a seeker as well, and he's Bulgarian and I want to bring him home to meet my family instead of keeping him tied in the store!"
"A Bulgarian seeker? Krum? You're kissing Krum? How?" Ronald asked, astonishment present not only on his face but in everyone's around the table.
"Well, Ronnikins, he's my boyfriend!" He teased with a wink. "Obviously!"
Ron focused his eyes on his parents, and they seemed so happy, seeing their family happy and growing after so much loss. Maybe this was their Christmas wish.
Just put your hand on my heart,
Put your hand on my heart,
And I don't have to say yeah,
And I don't have to think yeah,
Just put your hand on my heart
When later that night, Harry and Ron arrived home, they just snuggled on the couch, watching the flames on the fireplace, and the never melting snow falling around the Christmas tree.
"I still cannot believe this is real…"
Harry brought his hand to his chest and placed its own on Ronald's chest. So they both could feel the other's heart. "It's real… can't you feel them beating in synch… maybe they always have."
"I love you, Harry!"
"I love you, Ron!"
The End