Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter.
Challenge fic for Seven Deadly Sins Challenge by reveur-de-miniut
Sin: Avarice (Greed)
Character: Ron Weasley
Greed
There were only a few times Ron ever remembered garnering as much attention as he had now and never had he ever had so many people's attention solely on him at the any one specific given time. He had never before had so many people hanging on to his every word as they were now. Usually their attention was held by Harry Potter, his best friend and the famous Boy-Who-Lived, while he was pushed into the shadows of Harry's spotlight. Now their attention was on him and he had not even done anything to receive the attention he was currently in possession of.
The simple truth was that Sirius Black had broken into their dorms and had stood over him as he slept. He had seemed to be looking for something as he stood there when Ron had woken. That had been the truth and what was told to the Hogwarts' professors. The man had not even looked dangerous only slightly unhinged but that was expected for a thirteen year stay at Azkaban. Ron shivered in fear at the mere thought of the feared Wizarding Prison that was a reaction anyone would have. A thirteen year stay would have affected anyone a lot worse than it seemed to affect Black, Ron simply pegged it down to the amount of Dark Magic the other man must have known being You-Know-Who's right hand man.
Black certainly hadn't attacked him or even threatened him in any way but no one but the professors needed to know that. It was only fair that he milked the situation as much as he possibly could. The attention would only last for a certain amount of time until a newer juicier piece of gossip or information came along.
He found himself repeatedly regaling the tale to his fellow housemates and everyone else who wanted to hear it. Each time he found himself changing his story slightly until even Ron himself was impressed with the epic tale he had managed to concoct within the very same day after all those retellings. Each making him seem a lot braver and more heroic than the last. He barely remembered the truth from the lies anymore.
In some part of his mind he knew what he was doing was wrong but he could not help it. It came from being the youngest male child in a large family with no open fields to impress anyone with. Everything had already been done before by one of his older brothers.
If he became a prefect, who cared both Percy and Bill had already been prefects and the latter had been Head Boy during his time. Percy was likely to follow suit. If he somehow managed to become Quidditch Captain, Charlie had already done that too. It did not make a difference what he did he could never gain attention through his own achievements. Nothing he did would be special to his parents.
That was a fact.
As was the fact that Ron Weasley was greedy for attention.