Disclaimer: Don't own, only play.
Summary: Ron meets someone from his past.
Notes: This is last installment of a series. Countdown is the first (Hermione/Harry) and Midnight Kisses (Ginny/Draco). For some reason, this one is a good bit longer than the others, probably because I'm in a different mood than when I wrote the other two. If you haven't read them, I would advise you to. It would make much more sense.
Well, this was a fine way to prepare for the new year. No one about, alone, while his friends and baby sister (gagging slightly at the thought of her with Malfoy) had someone. First, he had Harry but Ginny dragged him home to Hermione, then Ginny had left him to go annoy Malfoy. Well, he couldn't complain much for that. He still didn't like the prat, but as he was dating his sister, manners – and his mum – required him to be polite.
Leaving Ron to go back to Hogsmeade to welcome in the new year alone. Dismal start really. Though, Pansy's attempt to set him up with Goyle last year had been worse. Not that Goyle was quite as grotesque as he had been at Hogwarts, but the looks Crabbe shot him all night was warning enough. Shuddering at the memory, he didn't care to imagine what went on that relationship.
Ordering a shot of multi-flavored tequila, he found a seat alongside a window. Oh, good. Now he would be able to watch all the lovers walking hand in hand, especially the bloody Hogwarts students, who hardly left the school for hols since the demise of Voldemort. Parents no longer feared for the safety of their children, allowing them to stay and enjoy time with their friends. As he watched some students celebrating by tossing clumsily made snowballs at each other, and a few couples kissing here and there, he felt even more alone. Watching the students reminded him of awkward experiences at school: first kisses and dances, clumsy groping in closets, heated rows with Hermione back when he had loved her like that.
Lost in thought, he didn't hear someone sit across from him. It wasn't until the person spoke that he looked up.
"Hello, Ron." A tall mahogany-haired, grey-eyed man smiled.
"Hello, Terry." Half-wishing he were still alone and half-pleased to chasing away old ghosts, he grinned. "What brings you to Hogsmeade?"
"Oh, this and that. Didn't want to be by myself tonight. Plus, I needed to shop for a present for my sister. Her birthday is next week, turns eleven."
"Ah, little sisters. A bit of a pain, aren't they?" Snorting, he took a sip of the tequila (cinnamon and liquorice root) before offering it to Terry, who gladly took a swallow.
"Right pain. But you love them no matter what. Even if they do put chocolate spiders and mice in your sock drawer, just to see you scream like a girl."
The memory intrigued Ron. "Scream like a girl?" They had never been close, but bonding over devious sisters was certainly better than wallowing in self-pity.
"I've a bit of a phobia. Third year, when Lupin was our professor, that boggart turned into a spider. Screamed like a schoolgirl then too. Didn't quite endear me to Padma, my choice of the moment." Ron found the former Ravenclaw quite enjoyable, not as pretentious as his best mate Michael Corner, who had received a bloodied nose for hurting Ginny.
"That I understand. My boggart did the same thing. Took me a couple of seconds to utter the words to banish it. Spiders are just wrong. Of course, same year I was informed that my pet rat was the murderer of the Potters." Smiled turned into a frown.
Terry always did love a bit of gossip. "You were harboring Black?"
"Not Black; Pettigrew, a mate of Potter, Black, and Lupin. Scabbers was Pettigrew in Animagus form, rat. How very appropriate. Sold out his best mates to Lord Thingy." Blue eyes almost went black, and narrowed. "Begged me to save him. Then Harry. Should have let Lupin and Black kill him. Harry didn't allow it. Better man than me." A long swallow of tequila, this time a mixture of peppermint and lemon drops, made him grimace.
Terry simply shook his head. "Always did wonder about the adventures you shared with Potter and Granger."
That did make Ron smile. "Quite a few, and still some occasionally. Not as many since he's in training as Auror and I'm working with Bill at Gringott's. Hermione is working with a historian over at the Ministry. We all needed a break, I think. Plus, with them living together, now. Well." He shrugged. He honestly didn't mind they were together, so long as they were happy.
"Heard about that one. Can't really say I'm surprised."
That caught Ron's attention. "Why?"
"Well, she was always arguing with you until sixth year, when she stopped. I assumed it was because you told them you liked blokes." Terry paused a moment for effect.
Ron blinked. "I'm sorry. What?"
"Didn't you? I know you liked Hermione and a few other girls, but gossip said you never went far." Chuckling, he went on. "Justin pegged you in seventh, when Longbottom briefly had a crush."
Blushing a deep red, Ron looked down. "Neville had a crush…on me?"
Now it was Terry's turn to be surprised. "Yes, for nearly the whole year."
"Huh, never knew that. I reckon he thought I would say no to him, which at the time, I probably would have."
"Yes, well, you missed out." A slanted glance at the redhead, hoping the meaning was clear.
"You're…?" He certainly was learning a lot about former classmates today it seemed.
"Have been for ages, well nearly four years now. Neville was the first." Smirking, Terry felt a bit better at admitting it to the other man. "Neville and I helped each other. I was on about another bloke in Ravenclaw and he was over the moon about you." The arrangement had been a good release for both, and the split later the next year had been amicable. They still went out for a cuppa occasionally.
Ron swallowed. "Anyone else in our year?"
Terry thought a moment. "Neville, Justin, Crabbe, Goyle, you, Goldstein, and me. That's all I know of. Might have been others, but in seventh year, students concerned themselves more about surviving the oncoming war than gossip. I know that of the girls in our year, Padma, Millicent, Morag, Lavender, and Perks were the only lesbians."
News to Ron, on all accounts except Millicent, and everyone could have predicted that one. "Er, well." Another long swallow to steady nerves that were rattled to know all these people in his class were like him.
Suddenly aware of people counting down from ten, he realized the year was ending and the new was beginning. As the crowd called out one, he was surprised to find Terry's lips on his. Eyes widening in shock, he watched Terry wait to see if it was okay. It was in fact, more than fine. After a few seconds, they both drew back and smiled.
Joining the drunken chorus of "Auld Lang Syne," they both started the New Year in happiness. A toast of good will to all, and they Apparated back to Ron's flat. Never one to let chance slip away, Ron was going to start the new year out properly.