6 years earlier
"Harry!" Ginny cried when she saw the tall, lean dark haired teen appear at the top of the hill about a half a mile away. A large duffle bag was slung over his shoulder, yet he still managed to wave to my giddy red headed sister.
I put down my advanced potions book, grateful for a reason to do so. How I got into Advanced Potions was beyond me, seeing as I nearly blew up the potions room four times that previous year. Ginny hopped up and took off running barefoot toward Harry, her soft green sundress fanning out behind her along with her mid back length red hair. I didn't run along with her, instead I took my time getting there surveying him as I got closer. Even from my distance I could see he was no longer shorter than I was. Ginny, however, jumped up into his arms before I could calculate just how tall he was now. With the weight of her and the duffle bag he toppled over into the tall grass. Their loud laughter rang in my ears and I knew the summer would finally be complete.
"Hey Ron" he laughed
"Hey"
I held out my hand to help him up, he took a hold of it and as I tried to pull him up, he pulled me down with them. I couldn't help but laugh too.
"You're almost as tall as I am now" I said picking up a piece of grass and twirling it in between my fingers.
"Yeah" he laughed casting his eyes up and down my long, skinny body. "This summer has been filled with a bunch of surprises"
"GINNNY, RON!" Mum called
Ginny sat up and called out "MUM HARRY'S HERE!"
"YOU'RE ON PUNISHMENT GINERVA! GET IN HERE AND HELP ME GET LUNCH TOGETHER!"
Ginny looked down at us and pouted. Mum had put her on punishment for staying out past 10:00pm with Dean Thomas at Diagon Alley. She sluggishly walked over leaving Harry and I in the grass. I noted that his once shaggy hair was long and almost tamed so that it sat neatly on the back of his neck. And that the clothes that he wore actually fit and were current.
"I see you went shopping"
"Yeah, I stopped in Diagon alley and stayed at the Leaky cauldron for the weekend. I needed a few days alone before coming home"
"Home hmm?" I said coyly. As I stared at him staring back at me I couldn't help but resist saying "You look really different"
"RON, HARRY! COME INSIDE AND EAT!" Mum called
"Oh good" Harry exclaimed getting up in a swift moment and pulling me up effortlessly.
He picked up his bag and we walked slowly back toward the house occasionally looking at one another and smiling. It truly was that feeling of seeing your best friend again, you knew you missed them but you didn't want to tell them outright that you did.
"So . . . You said that I looked different. Is that good or bad?" he asked
I looked at him chuckling nervously "I dunno" I answered un-gracefully "Good I guess. You even got a tan"
He laughed nervously too. "Yeah . . . Well I'm glad you approve"
"Are you?" I questioned
He looked at me with those brilliant green eyes and said "Yeah. I value your opinion Ron. You're my best friend"
It made me smile to know that someone valued my opinion. In a family as big as mines, it was easy to get pushed into the background. Yet as he was talking I was watching his mouth. I was sure I saw a glint of silver in there that kept flashing about.
"You prat!" I shouted pushing him playfully "You got the tongue ring"
"Oh yeah" he chuckled sticking his tongue out
"We were supposed to do that together" I reminded mock anger in my voice.
"I know. But I met some new friends and we went out and it was pretty spontaneous" he explained a smile on his face yet looking as if I didn't forgive him he would burst into tears.
"New friends? Spontaneity? Why Mr. Potter I do believe you have had a great summer" I announced
Harry let out what I perceived to be a sigh of relief before he said "It was better than most I mean now that Voldemort's gone things are going well. Really well"
I smiled at him and placed my arm around his shoulders as I'd done more times than I could count. But this time it felt different. I wasn't holding him as I did typically, I was holding him as I would a girl on a date. And It felt right.
"I'm glad" I expressed "You deserve one , we all do"
We walked a couple of more feet before I took my arm from around him. The feeling was beginning to weird me out.
"Did it hurt?" I asked
"Not that much to me" he answered "But when you've grown up with my aunt and uncle you learn to tolerate a lot of pain"
I nodded understandingly once again as he continued.
"It might hurt a lot to you though"
"Thanks for the info. I think I'll pass now"
"C'mon" he pressed
"Nah, Maybe my eyebrows. Both"
"Cool. Maybe I'll get one done" he said in a tone that meant 'I'm most definitely getting mines done too'
"Come on, come on" Mum hurried.
We picked up the pace a little bit as I asked "So what else did you get pierced. A nipple?"
He looked at me smiling mischievously "Um"
"No!" I laughed "You didn't! Did you?"
We reached Mum before I could get an answer out of him. While Mum hugged and poked him and marveled at his brand new appearance, I stood impatiently at the table waiting for her to release him. He shot me a playful look from over Mum's shoulder, she was hugging him for the millionth time.
"Harry" Dad chirped cheerfully coming downstairs from his nap. "I'm glad you came. Thought we weren't going to see you this summer. From your letters you sounded as id you were having a good summer. And by the looks of you, you did."
Dad walked over to him and was about to embrace him but caught sight of Harry's tongue ring. (He'd been laughing at my pleading looks for an answer.)
"Merlin Harry" Dad said placing his finger on Harry's bottom teeth and pushing them down
"Dad!" Ginny and I shouter
"What's that metal-ly thingy in your mouth?"
"It's a 'ericing Mr. 'eesley" Harry answered ,Dad's finger still holing his mouth open
"A what?"
"Let his mouth go Arthur" Mum ordered
"Oh" Dad said turning a bit pink. "So Sorry Harry"
He laughed again and put his hand on dad's shoulder. "No problem Mr. Weasley"
"So . . . What is it?"
"A tongue piercing"
"A what!" Mum asked looking horrified as Harry explained the process.
"They're mostly for vanity" Harry added at the end
"Ohh" Dad cooed intrigued
"I don't know why anyone would put a hole in their body and then stick bits of metal in the hole. But Harry you're an adult now so . . . Happy piercing"
Ginny, Harry and I burst into a fit of laughter leaving Mum and dad puzzled.
"Ron set the table" Mum ordered
"But Mum Harry needs help unpacking, don't you Harry?" I asked looking for his support
"You can help him after you set the table. It'll take you a minute"
"Say Harry" Dad called as Harry ascended the stairs "Can anyone get those pierce-y thingies?"
"Yeah"
"Arthur you are not getting a piercing!" Mum stated
"I didn't say I was going to get one Molly. I was just asking" he said dejectedly going back downstairs.
I was setting the table when laughing he looked at me and said "Both"
I let out a roar of laughter and sped up setting the table, then ran upstairs. I was about to shout at him before I saw him standing in the doorway looking at my revamped room.
"Looks like I'm not the only one that changed a bit this summer" he voiced "Where'd all the Cannons go?"
He threw his bag on the bed specially transfigured for him and plopped down beside it. I sat on my bed across from him and looked at my room also. The walls were now scarlet and gold. Tacked up on the wall instead of the Cannons posters, (thought a few still remained), were the many pictures of my family and friends. The camera I'd gotten for Christmas last year had sparked my interest in photography.
"The Cannons are in a good place. They're with Ginny now" I explained "You've gotta grow up sometimes"
"Yeah I know all about that" he sighed.
We were quiet for a few minutes each of us occasionally letting out a sigh.
"Your hair looks good that way. I like it long" he commented
"Thanks. That's what everyone is saying. Well except Mum you know how she is first Bill, then the twins and now me. She's even saying Ginny's hair is too long"
"Really?" he asked rolling the bag over and opening it "I don't want to unpack now. I'll do it later. How about we take a swim after lunch?"
"Okay"
Harry changed into some board shorts and a white tank top. His semi defined chest had a lot of scars on it from the battle with Voldemort and of course from his uncle's beating. As he pulled on the shirt and kicked off his shoes (he never wore shoes when he stayed with us) I finally caught sight of the little rings that hung from his pink nipples. And I couldn't help but go over and pull on them.
"Ow! You prat!" he exclaimed leaving his shirt un rolled at the top and pushing me. I shoved him onto the bed playfully and took off downstairs. Harry gave chase and I was barely at the bottom of the first landing before he jumped on my back. We went rolling down the stairs and crashing onto the floor in a heap of laughter.
"Ronald Weasley! Harry Potter!" Mum shouted as we wrestled on the ground. Me trying to put him in a headlock and vice versa.
"Idiots" Ginny scoffed going back to the table
"Sorry Mrs. Weasley" Harry apologized slipping out of my grasp just as I'd finally gotten him into a headlock.
"What are those?" asked Mum with the same horrified look she had on when Harry explained the Tongue piercing.
Harry looked down at me. I was still on the floor trying to catch my breath "Um . . . Nipple piercing's"
Mum just shook her head and pointed us toward the table. Dad was about to ask a bunch of questions but Mum stopped him before he could start. He looked rather disappointed when he sank back into his chair. Harry pulled me up once more and we proceeded to the table where were hurriedly wolfed down several sandwiches.
"I'm done are you?" I asked Harry letting out a loud burp
Harry finished off his glass of pumpkin juice and nodded "Yeah"
"Alright then later Mum"
"Where are you two going?" she asked
"Swimming"
"No you don't! not after you've just eaten!" she barked
"Oh mum" Ginny sighed pulling off the sundress there revealing the gold and scarlet bathing suit she had underneath "I'll get the towels" she offered
"You're not coming" I informed her summoning the towels myself
"Yes I am"
"No you're not you're on punishment anyway"
"MUM!" she whined "I can go swimming can't I?"
"Did you do all of your chores?"
"Yes"
"Well for a bit won't hurt"
"Mum!" I whined now
"Ronald"
I glared at my little sister as she kindly asked if I could summon her towel for her. I did while glaring at her and made sure Harry and I were steps ahead of her. The lake near out house was surrounded by trees always assuring that it was cool, even when the heat was unbearable. When Harry pulled off his shirt again I found myself hanging back and watching him as he jumped into the water. His slim, tanned and toned physique enraptured me until Ginny asked while splashing water on me.
"Ron are you going to come in or not?"
I answered her with a cannon ball into the water. I don't know how long we swam but I know by the time Ginny saw Dean Thomas's owl flying toward our house and hurried off to get the letter, it was growing dark and colder.
"We'd better get inside" I suggested using my Chudley Cannons towel to dry my hair.
"In a minute" he said wrapping himself in his simple yellow towel and looking up at the orange sky above the trees. "The sun's setting"
I watched him for a moment., his eyes fixed on the sky that was slowly turning pink. I walked over and sat beside him trying to figure out what was so great about the sun setting.
"How beautiful is that?" he asked his voice barely above a whisper
"Pretty beautiful" I said uncertain whether it was or not
"Ron" he said still looking up and not at me
"Yeah"
"You're my best friend right?"
"Yeah, you know that"
"Would you still be if . . . If there was something different about me?" he asked in a shuddering voice
"Yeah" I said cautiously "Why wouldn't I be?"
"Because . . ."
"What's up?" I asked secretly afraid of what the next words out of his mouth might be.
"I'm gay" he whispered
I wasn't sure what I'd heard so I asked again "What?"
He finally looked at me and I saw tears glistening in his eyes " I'm gay" he told me looking me in the eye "I've been dreading telling you. I didn't know if you . . . Would accept it, me. I told you before I value your opinion, I do on this too. But I see by your response . . ."
After I regained my ability to speak I grabbed his arm, he was getting up to leave. "Hey" was my first word out
"Yeah"
"Relax. Its just a bit much at once. I was shocked"
"Yeah" he sighed " I have a tendency to do that to people"
I pulled him back down and kept my hand on his "Don't worry" I reassured "I'll accept you anyway you are . . . . Only if . . ."
"What?"
"You accept me anyway that I am"
He looked at me curiously and opened his mouth to ask a question I wasn't yet prepared to answer "Don't ask, not until I know for sure"
He nodded and let out a long sigh of relief "Thanks"
"That's what friends are for" I said still holding his hand. We looked up at the still setting sun and at that moment I finally saw the beauty in it.
Authors note: AngelMorph, Shazy13, Ingwaz, Soggie and lil Rook this chapter is just for you. Your review s have rekindled my love for this story and as an answer to your question AngelMorph yes you will find out why he's in Azkaban. And Lil Rook not necessarily.