Iris - A Ron/Ginny Cookie
***

And I'd give up forever to touch you,
Cuz I know that you feel me somehow,
You're the closest to heaven that I'll ever be…
And I don't want to go home right now.

The casket closed, and Ginny stole a glance at Ron, looking at his face. He was distraught, it was plain to see, the look in his eyes of a tender, brotherly love. A grim look upon her own face, Ginny reached under the black lace veil that shaded her eyes and wiped a tear from her cheek... For The Boy Who Lived was gone. His body lay in that casket, the casket that was quickly being covered with roses of every color as the mourners passed by. Ginny herself placed one of a light yellow hue upon it, signifying friendship, not the school-girl's love she had once felt, and walked over to her brother.

"Ron?" she asked timidly, not sure of how he was going to react to her concern. But Ron turned to her wordlessly, his face blank and desolate. Looking at his eyes, Ginny thought she saw a single tear streak down his face... but it was hard to tell through the newly falling rain. Taking his arm, she led Ron to a weeping willow planted nearby, and sat him down on the bench beneath the branches. "He died nobly, Ron, for you. And for Hermione," Ginny told Ron, her voice breaking slightly. A new stream of tear began its descent down her face, but Ginny didn't even bother trying to prevent them. It was all so natural, crying over Harry Potter for one reason or another.

"I just... Gin, he was my brother, or at least one of them… One of us," Ron replied, his voice low and filled with regret. "I should have been the one who died, but I froze, I couldn't move, couldn't think of anything to do. He didn't die for us, Gin, he died because I couldn't think of how to react to You-Kn... to Voldemort."

"Oh, Ron," Ginny sighed, turning to him. She placed her hands on his shoulders... looked into his eyes. Some might say that she had had her eye on The Boy Who Lived from the first time she had met him. True she had, at the time... but somewhere along the lines it had changed from one Boy to another. From The Boy Who Lived, to The Loyal Sidekick of The Boy Who Lived. Yes, her own brother. He was just as daring, brave, smart and sweet as Harry, but without the Potter name. He had protected her virtue, as well as Hermione's, had warded off ridiculous suitors, and had always shown her the utmost in respect and familial love.

Ron pulled Ginny close, embracing her and putting his head upon her shoulder, cheek to cheek. Her breath caught in her throat, and the feelings overwhelmed her; Ginny turned her face to Ron's, looked quizzically into his eyes. Blue orbs, snapping with a fire that had been missing for weeks, against brown soulful irises intense with a desire...

And all I can taste is this moment,
And all I can breathe is your life,
Cuz sooner or later it's over…
I just don't want to miss you tonight.

Ginny closed her eyes, swallowed lightly. There was no longer a space between her and Ron, it was completely filled by his lean body. His lips touched to hers, feathery light; so lightly she wasn't even sure he had kissed her. But then there was a soft groan, and Ron's mouth was pressed against hers with a ferocity that was sweet all in its own. Emotionally driven, he let his hands explore what they had ached to for what seemed like a century and a half, they traveled up Ginny's back, crushing her to him.

"Oh God, Gin," Ron murmured against her lips, a beautifully hot feeling pouring through his skin, spreading from his torso to his fingertips, head to toe. Ginny… Ron let the name run through his head… and then realized what he was doing. It was his sister that sat before him, lip locked with him, on purpose. Yet although he knew that whatever they did under that willow tree would never be exposed to anyone else, Ron found himself afraid that someone would find out.

And I don't want the world to see me,
Cuz I don't think that they'd understand,
When everything's made to be broken…
I just want you to know who I am.

Ron pulled away, breaking off the kiss, and said, "Gin… I…"

"There are going to be consequences, Ron," Ginny told him seriously, "But I'm not afraid." Ron sat silently, contemplating his options. He was deathly afraid of the price he would pay if their love was discovered.

"I am," Ron confessed. "Honestly, I am afraid. Gin, I'm sorry… but I can't."

Those words… dreaded words… Ginny prepared herself for emotional breakdown.

And you can't fight the tears that ain't coming,
Or the moment of truth in your lies,
When everything feels like the movies…
Yeah, you'd bleed just to know you're alive.

She felt as if she were floating on a bed of nails, her chest felt so heavy, she thought it might have collapsed any second. But it didn't. She had no feeling, her whole body was numb, her mind was blank. Just again and again in her mind, those words repeated themselves. Honestly, I am afraid. Gin, I'm sorry… but I can't. Again and again. Over and over. Mindlessly, continually, repetitively. Hollow-eyed, Ginny watched Ron part the branches of the weeping willow, scattering a few leaves, and parting without so much as a backward glance. She sat, on the cold stone bench, letting the rain fall through the branches of the tree and splatter upon her upturned face.

And I don't want the world to see me,
Cuz I don't think that they'd understand,
When everything's made to be broken…
I just want you to know who I am.

"I love you, Ronald Weasley!" Ginny cried. She shrieked it, howled it, screamed it… yet no one heard.

Whispering beneath her breath, Ginny spoke aloud.

"And I am but your sister."

***
Author's Note: This was a cookie challenge, presented by JazzPizza, and I'm hoping I did it some justice. The challenge was to use the song, "Iris" by the Goo Goo Dolls in a song-cookie, as seen above. Enjoy!

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