A wave of nausea overtook Ron as he sat alone in the back of the crowded office. This wasn't the same nausea he'd grown accustomed to over the last few weeks in the hospital after unending rounds of horrid tasting potions, but one born from his current dread. In less than an hour he'd be heading back home, and despite wishing for nothing else after months upon months he wasn't quite sure he was ready. The thing was for all the fantasies he had about being home, none of them consisted of him actually going home. As time went on in Australia his certainty that he wouldn't survive grew to a point that he hadn't even really considered what he would say to all his family and friends if he did make it back, and now that the reality of the situation was settling in he couldn't help but feel at a loss of what to actually say once he was there. Somehow he imagined a "sorry about that, won't happen again" wasn't really going to cut it here.
As he played through yet another apology scenario ending with an inevitable punch to the nose by one of his irate siblings (Bill this time), he felt someone drop into the unoccupied chair to his right, causing him to jerk up.
"Didn't mean to startle ya, I thought you'd seen me walk over" he heard Natalie say apologetically. The team had noticed Ron being a lot more jumpy since returning and had been trying to be mindful of this. They'd figured it was to be expected, after everything.
Ron relaxed slightly once realizing who was next to him. "S'fine. You alright then?"
Natalie snorted, looking him up and down "feels like I should be asking you that question. You keep shaking your knee at that tempo you're definitely going to dislocate it."
He looked down and noticed how his leg was giving away the anxiety he had thought he'd been keeping to himself, and forced it to slow to a stop. Once stilled he continued to sit in silence for a few moments before Natalie broke it.
"So then, how are you doing? Truly?"
Ron pondered the question for a moment. He'd gotten used to people asking this almost nonstop for the last few weeks, and felt the well practiced answer of "fine, now stop asking" swell to the tip of his tongue. Between the light yet noticeable scars on his face and the tremors that refused to fade in his hands (not to mention the weight he'd failed to gain completely back) he knew that he had been looking a bit worse for wear, something that irritated him to no end. His resolve was breaking though as the clock ticked down, and he knew Natalie was pretty understanding on the 'not being ok' front.
"Nervous, I guess. I mean, I'm excited to be going back. Everything's just so different now. It's not like I can just walk back into my old life like none of this ever happened. It won't be that easy"
"No, I suspect it won't" Natalie responded honestly. "But it'll get easier, in time. And once you explain everything I'm sure everyone will be pretty understanding."
"My family isn't exactly the understanding type. At least not for stuff like this. In terms of fucked up things to do this was a pretty big one."
"Yeah, but from what I've heard you've been through a lot of big fucked up things in your life. You guys got through those things together, so why not this?"
Ron let out a small laugh, "yeah, suppose that's true. Still… I dunno. I'm not really sure how they'll react."
"Exactly. You don't know. So maybe stop obsessing on it for now, yeah? Worse comes to worse, we'll just see you back here," she added, knocking her knee against his.
Ron offered a half smile back. After a debriefing while he was in the hospital the head of the Australian auror department, a middle aged witch named Patrice Vonderloh, offered him a spot with the Aussie team if he was interested in relocating permanently. He let her know at the time he would think about it. He figured he should see how things went back home before really considering the offer.
Natalie offered the same half smile back but clearly noted Ron wasn't convinced. He watched her reach into her robes while scanning the room before pulling out a tiny bronzed flask which she shoved into his hands.
"Well if words of encouragement aren't working, how bout some liquid encouragement?" she whispered mischievously.
"I already feel like I'm about to get sick all over my robes, Natalie" he half-joked before shakily handing the flask back. Despite being half the size of her teammates the witch was able to imbibe twice as much as any of them, something Ron learned quite painfully trying to keep up with her on his third night in Adelaide. She could be surly at times, but Natalie was a right laugh after a few drinks, and she was always as willing as Ron was to overlook the rules if it meant helping someone out. He realized he was going to miss this team he had become a part of, something he hadn't expected at all when he first made the decision to take this mission all those months ago. If things went south at home this wasn't the worst place to end up.
Natalie pushed the flask back towards him, shaking her head, "nah keep it. You've got a long day ahead of you, might as well have that on hand."
"Ron! We've got fifteen minutes, you about ready?"
Ron started and looked over to see Vonderloh calling for him from across the room. She was standing with Hawley and an older wizard he didn't recognize. Ron nodded at her as he pocketed the flask and stood up, turning to Natalie as she rose up beside him.
"'Spose I should say goodbye then. Hope I get to see you around again," Ron said.
"Maybe sooner rather than later, eh?" she shot back, grinning.
Ron scanned the room for familiar faces, hoping to get his goodbyes out of the way quickly. He noticed the magazine models immediately as they seemed to stand out anywhere they were. The exchange was blissfully brief, with Ron very unenthusiastically promising to try out the cleanse Daniels assured him was the key to her quick recovery when he got home. After this uncomfortable conversation he looked around the packed room trying to find the one person he actually wanted to say goodbye to but he was nowhere to be found.
After airing his frustrations with Ron in the hospital that first day, David had been spending quite a bit of time at the hospital checking in. Occasionally this was work-related as he continued to share more with him and the rest of the team about the ongoings of the investigation, but for the most part he seemed to come by just to offer Ron a distraction from the monotony of hospital life. He wouldn't really call the conversations they had 'intimate' as they mostly consisted of discussions about quidditch, politics, and department gossip (which was mostly David complaining about the people he didn't like at work, which seemed like most of the people there). Still, despite their short time together he'd found himself getting pretty close with the man, even if he could still be an insensitive arse half of the time.
As he began to feel certain that he wasn't anywhere in the room, he turned with mild disappointment back towards Hawley and Vanderloh just in time to watch David enter the office. Ron caught his eye immediately and beckoned him over.
"So you're leaving then" he stated more than asked. Ron couldn't help but notice the fixed smile David was holding that seemed to radiate discontent, a noticeable deviation from the self assured smirk he was used to seeing.
"Shortly here, yeah."
An uncomfortable silence accompanied that as Ron struggled to think of something more meaningful to say. Goodbyes weren't really his forte, nor were sentimentalities. As he prepared to awkwardly finish this conversation with a lackluster 'hope to see you around then' he was saved by David speaking up instead.
"So have you thought much about Vanderloh's offer then?" he asked, staring at him as intently as ever.
Ron blinked in surprise, not to the question itself per se but from the way in which it was asked. They had discussed this offer briefly the day Vanderloh mentioned it to him, but not in much detail or care. The way he had asked about it now had an air of hopeful vulnerability attached to it, which wasn't a tone he was used to from him at all.
"Um. Yeah, a bit." he responded slowly, and upon noticing the question hadn't faded from David's eyes, he continued on. "I just wanted some time to think about it. I'm still trying to figure out how to get through everything that's already happened, so I haven't really had the energy to start thinking about any future life changing decisions. I can barely think about the next 24 hours without feeling sick to be honest, so I'm really not thinking much further ahead than that right now."
"Fair enough I suppose" David conceded, the edge of disappointment in his voice impossible to miss. The conversation was leaving Ron feeling entirely wrongfooted. Based upon their previous encounters Ron had gotten used to being the more "emotional" of the two (which was really saying something). He couldn't help but feel confused by where this was suddenly coming from.
"I'll keep in touch though, yeah? And let you know what I decide. Once I figure out everything else, that is" he assured him earnestly. "And if you ever end up in Britain you better reach out."
David let a laugh slip at that, "yeah if I decide on a holiday drowning in the cold London rain I'll definitely let you know." He clasped Ron's shoulder, giving it a tight squeeze before wandering to the back of the room where Natalie was still situated. Ron noticed the fixed smile drop as his face turned away from him and found he wasn't quite sure how to feel about the interaction they had just had. Before he could think much on it he heard a whistle from behind him and turned to see Vanderloh pointing at her watch with obvious impatience. He moved to follow with a last glance at David and Natalie who had just sat down together, clearly in deep conversation.
Vanderloh led him, Hawley, and the wizard who was with them out of the office towards the International Transportation and Infrastructure Department he was set to leave from. Outside of the auror department the halls were mostly empty, unsurprising due to the lateness of the hour. The Australian ministry was quite a bit smaller than its British counterpart, only containing five stories, and was far less austere in its appearance. The building was well lit, with bright colors and relaxing artwork adorning the walls. Its casual air was mirrored in its employees, most of whom didn't look at all disgruntled to be there, a vast deviation from the work environment he was used to back home.
Two staircases and a few turns later they reached their destination in the back of a nearly abandoned hall. Entering the office one at a time Ron had to slow to nearly a stop to avoid bumping into Hawley's back. The room was incredibly crowded, looking more like an old junk shop than a ministry office. Old bits of rubbish cluttered every corner of the room, tin cans and beer bottles climbing up to the ceiling. Two desks sat in the room's center in front of a tiny brick fireplace bearing an 'out of order' sign in front of it. Hawley, Vanderloh and Ron huddled together between the two desks as they watched the old wizard who accompanied them sort haphazardly through the mess in front of them.
"Well Ron," Hawley started beside him, "I just wanted to say before you go what a pleasure it was to get to work with you. I'm sure you're excited to be home again, but I'd be lying if I didn't say I'm a tad bit disappointed to see you go."
Ron grinned back at the older wizard. He had genuinely enjoyed working under Hawley and would miss the excitement and hope he had radiated as a leader.
"Thank you, sir. It was good to work with you too."
The old wizard before them suddenly let out a self-satisfied sound as he pulled a deflated bicycle tire out of the pile in front of him, causing a tiny avalanche to ensue. He muttered a few spells over it as he checked his pocket watch before waving Ron over.
"Well, there's always a space for you here" Hawley reminded him kindly, "and thank you for everything, Ron. I wish you the best of luck on your return home!"
Ron offered a nod as a weak acknowledgement, suddenly feeling the nausea from earlier return as he got closer to his portkey home. The old wizard held out the tire for Ron to grab and began counting back from ten, every second causing his heart to beat harder than before. And then the familiar feeling of breathlessness overtook him. Within moments he found himself unsteady on his feet in a familiar office thousands of miles away.
"Good to see you again, Ron, and alive at that" a booming voice to his right called out. Turning he found himself faced by Kingsley, with Robards and Mr. Mullins at his side. "Though a little more worn down than I'd like to see," he noted, narrowed eyes taking him in. Ron tried to brush off the discomfort he felt by this.
"I reckon I still look a right bit better than you do, Kingsley... I mean minister" He added, seeing the disapproving look he was getting from Mullins. Kingsley for his part merely laughed.
"I think we surpassed formalities a long time ago, don't you?"
"A bit, yeah" Ron smirked back.
"So," he continued, his voice becoming a hint more serious, "this mission the three of you set up has created quite a stir since becoming public. The international attention has been mounting and will clearly need to be addressed. Mr. Mullins has spent the better part of the last two weeks preparing for the press conferences we'll be holding throughout the next week, starting tomorrow. Ron, I know you've debriefed with our Australian counterparts on this already but I'll need you to spend some time today with Mr. Mullins and Mr. Robards to ensure we're all in accordance here."
"Yeah, of course" Ron responded, secretly glad to jump back into work so quickly. It just gave him more time away from having to think about everything else.
Kingsley bowed his head in approval, "good to hear. I'll leave the three of you to it then. Oh and Ron," he added as the three men made their way towards the office door, causing Ron to pause, "do make sure when you see your mother you reassure her I was never made aware of this plan. I don't think I can bear another howler over breakfast."
Blushing from embarrassment, Ron nodded at him before departing the room. He followed Mullins and Robards down the hall, trying very hard to keep his focus on Mullins' back and not anywhere else around him. He felt jumpier than ever and the hustle and bustle in the crowded hallways did nothing to ease his increasing anxiety. He knew going back and getting used to his old life would take time, but it didn't make it any easier to bear at the moment. As they reached the floor of the auror department Ron began to hear an increase of mumbling around him, some of which sounded distinctly like his name. Against his better judgment he took his eyes briefly off their fixed point to look around and noticed the number of faces staring openly at him, many with fingers pointed in his direction. It was similar to his experiences after the war, though much worse. It reminded him more of how people used to react when Harry first started work at the ministry (and how some people still reacted when meeting him the first time). He tried to ignore his surroundings but found it harder to do now that he had become aware of what was happening around him. He barely noticed Mullins talking when they had stopped outside of the department, and did his best to focus in as his eyes continued to drift around the corridor.
"-when you're both done we can meet in my department to begin preparing our answers to the most likely questions we'll receive. Agreed?"
"Reasonable enough. Weasley, I recommend grabbing something to eat now if you haven't, this will take a few hours. Weasley?"
Ron hadn't taken in a word Robards had said to him, and instead was staring tight-lipped and wide-eyed across the corridor. His scan of the room had led his eyes to lock with the one person he most wanted and most dreaded to see. Harry stood stiffly beside Hermione, staring unblinkingly back at him, his face stony and unreadable. After a moment though his expression seemed to soften ever so slightly before he started forward quickly, making a clear path towards Ron. His heart began racing as he realized how ill prepared he was to have this inevitable conversation. Still, the desperate desire and want that had been growing in him ever since he left to just be near Harry again suddenly hit him full force. He didn't even care if the conversation dissolved into Harry shouting and cursing at him, just the fact that he was actually here in the same room with him was enough to draw Ron forward.
"I'll be right back" he said breathlessly to Robards and Mullins before walking forward, not even bothering to wait for a response.