Did I write a disclaimer in the last chapter? If not.. I didn't own Harry
Potter and his friends then and I still don't. no matter how much I wish
that I did.
Part Four
Harry looked up at the newest gasp. Mrs. Weasley was standing there with Hermione and Professor McGonagall standing behind her. This was not the way that he wanted to break the news but what happens is what happens. He looked down at Ron who was cowering in Harry's shirt and beginning to shake again.
Realizing that he needed to get rid of them quickly, he brushed a kiss across Ron's temple and slid out of the bed. He whispered that he would be right back. Ignoring the redhead's squeak of protest, for the moment at least, he walked over to where the trio of women was standing.
He motioned for them to follow him outside the room. Ron's mother seemed to be in some semblance of shock and was just standing there staring at her youngest son. Her eyes were wide and her hands were gripping the cloth at the neck of her robes. The back of Harry's mind noticed that those were the robes that Ron had gotten her for her birthday that year. He had agonized over the perfect shade of blue for a week.
'He really tries so hard to please her. Especially lately. Ever since Mr. Weasley took over Fudge, he has tried to be the perfect exemplary son. I wonder if she even noticed.' Harry talked himself out of his defensive frame of mind. He needed to be as calm and diplomatic as possible. Mrs. Weasley needed to be shown what was wrong with Ron with out making her feel at fault. Because it wasn't her fault, it was all their faults.
Harry lightly tugged the shocked woman in to the hall and closed the door softly behind them. He slipped his hands in his pockets and looked down at the women. Sighing, he asked, "How long were you standing there?"
Hermione walked over to where he was standing and threaded her arm in his left one, leaning slightly into him to lend her non-verbal support. "When we came in the two of you were kissing. I hadn't realized that you felt that way."
She stepped back. "I think that I will go sit with Ron. I don't want him to feel like he is alone." Hermione had wondered over the years how Ron felt. She knew that he was somewhat left in the background by not only his brothers, but also his two best friends. While Ron was happy for his friends in their accomplishments he longed to be seen as Ron Weasley and not as Charlie's youngest brother or Harry Potter's best friend.
She felt was what people didn't realize is that although Harry was the one that defeated Voldermort, with out Ron's support of Harry it may never have happened. What made her heart hurt the most was when she'd heard people wondering how long it would be before the slight redhead sold his friends out for power and fame. She hoped that Ron had never heard these, but knew that most likely he had.
When she entered the room, she saw that Ron was lying on his stomach staring blankly at the wall. She sat on the bed next to the prone boy and rested a hand on his back. He turned over slowly, as if it pained him to move. He looked up at her and his eyes filled will tears.
"You don't hate me do you, Hermione? I don't think that I could bear it," he whispered.
"Ron, I could never ever hate you. You are one of my two best friends. I've loved you ever since we fought that troll together. You don't go through that with out some kind of bond" Hermione grinned weakly and brushed a tear from Ron's cheek.
Ron pulled himself up slightly and wrapped his arms around Hermione's waist. He rested his head in her lap and closed his eyes. "Thank you."
'Oh Ron, how long have you been going through this pain? Why do you think that we could ever hate you?' She sighed and gently stroked the soft red hair.
Meanwhile outside the dormitory room, Harry looked at the two older women. "I'm not sure what is at the root of Ron's problems, he hasn't been awake that long. What I do know is this. He has lost an enormous amount of weight, and hasn't been sleeping well lately. This morning I walked into our room when he was changing shirts," Harry paused for a moment. "And I could count his ribs. I knew that he'd lost weight since the beginning of the year but hadn't realized how much. The past two weeks he seems like he's slept even less. He collapsed in front of me twice today. The second time he didn't regain consciousness until just then."
The head of his house raised her hand to speak. "I know why Ronald has been more stressed lately than he normally is. Approximately two weeks ago, Ronald was sent a letter from the Wizarding Chess Team of England. They have had their eye on him for sometime. I admit that they have been receiving their information through me. They invited him to join the team and offered some nice incentives. He, in turn, accepted their invitation. I had assumed that he would have told you, his best friend and his mother, this piece of news. I see now that is not the case."
Harry was in a slight bit of shock. Ron was going to be on England's Chess team? He had know that his friend was very good, he'd never been beaten in all their years at Hogwarts and that included the giant chess set their first year. 'Well, he must have been really good to beat McGonagall as a twelve year old.'
"We have been playing a few times a week for the past couple years. I'm sad to say that I have only beaten him once."
This surprised Harry. He could understand waiting to tell everyone that he was going to be a chess player, some people wouldn't understand that at all, but why hadn't he told them that he was practicing his chess skills with McGonagall and beating her. Most people would brag incessantly that they could beat the deputy headmistress at chess. 'He couldn't think that we wouldn't care, could he?'
Molly was also standing there trying to digest this information. She knew that he did like to play chess and that he was passably good at it. She had always reminded him though, that you could not make a living playing chess. She guessed that she was wrong. She didn't berate him out of hate but out of love. She thought that the only way to help her stubborn son was to point out what was wrong. She knew that this was somewhat at the heart of Ron's 'illness'. Molly had know that there was something not quite right with Ron, but didn't know what it was.
Harry broke into her thoughts. "Obviously, you, uh, know now that Ron and I have feelings for each other." He looked to Mrs. Weasley, "I've been in love with him for a long time, but didn't realize it until I began to date Cho."
Mrs. Weasley nodded to him. "I understand Harry. Please take care of my son he needs us now. I think that Minerva and I need to have a talk. Tell Ron that I love him and will be back as soon as I can to see him." With that she hugged Harry and the two adults set off to Professor McGonagall's office.
Harry went back into their room and saw Ron and Hermione on the bed. A wave of jealousy swept over him then dissipated. Hermione noticed the movement by the door and waved him over. "He's asleep again," she whispered.
The black haired boy slid under the sheets and took the frail looking boy into his arms. Hermione smiled down at the couple and waved slightly and went out the door. The door closed rather loudly and Ron woke up from his light doze.
The red haired boy snuggled into his bedmate. "Harry? What happens now?" He raised his head and looked at the face of the one who meant so much to him.
Harry smiled down at him. "We graduate from Hogwarts, find a flat that we can afford and live happily ever after." He ran a finger lightly over his beloved's lips and said, "I love you, Ron, and we will never be apart. I promise."
Settling his head back on Harry's shoulder, Ron replied, "I love you, too. We don't need to look for a flat though, the team is giving me one."
"We need to talk about that, but sleep now." Ron nodded before drifting back off.
A/N: I had to think long and hard about whether or not Molly was just surprised or disgusted that Ron 'dirtied' Harry. I figured that she wasn't the type to do that. Even if she ignores my favorite character half the time. Please review it makes me oh so very happy! ^_^ Now I'm off to watch Kaikan Phrase. one of the best animes ever! They have a cute red head too!
Part Four
Harry looked up at the newest gasp. Mrs. Weasley was standing there with Hermione and Professor McGonagall standing behind her. This was not the way that he wanted to break the news but what happens is what happens. He looked down at Ron who was cowering in Harry's shirt and beginning to shake again.
Realizing that he needed to get rid of them quickly, he brushed a kiss across Ron's temple and slid out of the bed. He whispered that he would be right back. Ignoring the redhead's squeak of protest, for the moment at least, he walked over to where the trio of women was standing.
He motioned for them to follow him outside the room. Ron's mother seemed to be in some semblance of shock and was just standing there staring at her youngest son. Her eyes were wide and her hands were gripping the cloth at the neck of her robes. The back of Harry's mind noticed that those were the robes that Ron had gotten her for her birthday that year. He had agonized over the perfect shade of blue for a week.
'He really tries so hard to please her. Especially lately. Ever since Mr. Weasley took over Fudge, he has tried to be the perfect exemplary son. I wonder if she even noticed.' Harry talked himself out of his defensive frame of mind. He needed to be as calm and diplomatic as possible. Mrs. Weasley needed to be shown what was wrong with Ron with out making her feel at fault. Because it wasn't her fault, it was all their faults.
Harry lightly tugged the shocked woman in to the hall and closed the door softly behind them. He slipped his hands in his pockets and looked down at the women. Sighing, he asked, "How long were you standing there?"
Hermione walked over to where he was standing and threaded her arm in his left one, leaning slightly into him to lend her non-verbal support. "When we came in the two of you were kissing. I hadn't realized that you felt that way."
She stepped back. "I think that I will go sit with Ron. I don't want him to feel like he is alone." Hermione had wondered over the years how Ron felt. She knew that he was somewhat left in the background by not only his brothers, but also his two best friends. While Ron was happy for his friends in their accomplishments he longed to be seen as Ron Weasley and not as Charlie's youngest brother or Harry Potter's best friend.
She felt was what people didn't realize is that although Harry was the one that defeated Voldermort, with out Ron's support of Harry it may never have happened. What made her heart hurt the most was when she'd heard people wondering how long it would be before the slight redhead sold his friends out for power and fame. She hoped that Ron had never heard these, but knew that most likely he had.
When she entered the room, she saw that Ron was lying on his stomach staring blankly at the wall. She sat on the bed next to the prone boy and rested a hand on his back. He turned over slowly, as if it pained him to move. He looked up at her and his eyes filled will tears.
"You don't hate me do you, Hermione? I don't think that I could bear it," he whispered.
"Ron, I could never ever hate you. You are one of my two best friends. I've loved you ever since we fought that troll together. You don't go through that with out some kind of bond" Hermione grinned weakly and brushed a tear from Ron's cheek.
Ron pulled himself up slightly and wrapped his arms around Hermione's waist. He rested his head in her lap and closed his eyes. "Thank you."
'Oh Ron, how long have you been going through this pain? Why do you think that we could ever hate you?' She sighed and gently stroked the soft red hair.
Meanwhile outside the dormitory room, Harry looked at the two older women. "I'm not sure what is at the root of Ron's problems, he hasn't been awake that long. What I do know is this. He has lost an enormous amount of weight, and hasn't been sleeping well lately. This morning I walked into our room when he was changing shirts," Harry paused for a moment. "And I could count his ribs. I knew that he'd lost weight since the beginning of the year but hadn't realized how much. The past two weeks he seems like he's slept even less. He collapsed in front of me twice today. The second time he didn't regain consciousness until just then."
The head of his house raised her hand to speak. "I know why Ronald has been more stressed lately than he normally is. Approximately two weeks ago, Ronald was sent a letter from the Wizarding Chess Team of England. They have had their eye on him for sometime. I admit that they have been receiving their information through me. They invited him to join the team and offered some nice incentives. He, in turn, accepted their invitation. I had assumed that he would have told you, his best friend and his mother, this piece of news. I see now that is not the case."
Harry was in a slight bit of shock. Ron was going to be on England's Chess team? He had know that his friend was very good, he'd never been beaten in all their years at Hogwarts and that included the giant chess set their first year. 'Well, he must have been really good to beat McGonagall as a twelve year old.'
"We have been playing a few times a week for the past couple years. I'm sad to say that I have only beaten him once."
This surprised Harry. He could understand waiting to tell everyone that he was going to be a chess player, some people wouldn't understand that at all, but why hadn't he told them that he was practicing his chess skills with McGonagall and beating her. Most people would brag incessantly that they could beat the deputy headmistress at chess. 'He couldn't think that we wouldn't care, could he?'
Molly was also standing there trying to digest this information. She knew that he did like to play chess and that he was passably good at it. She had always reminded him though, that you could not make a living playing chess. She guessed that she was wrong. She didn't berate him out of hate but out of love. She thought that the only way to help her stubborn son was to point out what was wrong. She knew that this was somewhat at the heart of Ron's 'illness'. Molly had know that there was something not quite right with Ron, but didn't know what it was.
Harry broke into her thoughts. "Obviously, you, uh, know now that Ron and I have feelings for each other." He looked to Mrs. Weasley, "I've been in love with him for a long time, but didn't realize it until I began to date Cho."
Mrs. Weasley nodded to him. "I understand Harry. Please take care of my son he needs us now. I think that Minerva and I need to have a talk. Tell Ron that I love him and will be back as soon as I can to see him." With that she hugged Harry and the two adults set off to Professor McGonagall's office.
Harry went back into their room and saw Ron and Hermione on the bed. A wave of jealousy swept over him then dissipated. Hermione noticed the movement by the door and waved him over. "He's asleep again," she whispered.
The black haired boy slid under the sheets and took the frail looking boy into his arms. Hermione smiled down at the couple and waved slightly and went out the door. The door closed rather loudly and Ron woke up from his light doze.
The red haired boy snuggled into his bedmate. "Harry? What happens now?" He raised his head and looked at the face of the one who meant so much to him.
Harry smiled down at him. "We graduate from Hogwarts, find a flat that we can afford and live happily ever after." He ran a finger lightly over his beloved's lips and said, "I love you, Ron, and we will never be apart. I promise."
Settling his head back on Harry's shoulder, Ron replied, "I love you, too. We don't need to look for a flat though, the team is giving me one."
"We need to talk about that, but sleep now." Ron nodded before drifting back off.
A/N: I had to think long and hard about whether or not Molly was just surprised or disgusted that Ron 'dirtied' Harry. I figured that she wasn't the type to do that. Even if she ignores my favorite character half the time. Please review it makes me oh so very happy! ^_^ Now I'm off to watch Kaikan Phrase. one of the best animes ever! They have a cute red head too!