Staying in love is the problem
Ronald Billius Weasley, second-in-command, one of the best Aurors the corps had, best friend to the Boy-Who-Conquered, youngest Weasley son, Hermione Granger's ex-boyfriend, just Ron please for his friends – had become a young man of calm, regularity and cleanliness through war and training. He had made some mistakes during his Hogwarts years, but he had stuck with Harry and Hermione as they had went on a scavenger hunt for the Horcruxes, aided by no other than Draco Malfoy. The young man had sent them care packages with money, food, potions, and other various things that they could need on their trip.
Ron had been in charge of their protection and strategies, while Harry kept the horcruxes safe from them, got in tune with his magic, learned how to fight, and kept them well fed. Because the man could cook up a storm. Especially Ron had had a hefty reaction to being close to a horcrux, and so Harry would eventually be the only one able to shield him from it. Hermione was on research, and would be aided by Blaise from his closed manor in Italy through correspondence. The Countess had found a way for them to converse, and the young witch did so regularly.
They hadn't managed to escape the hit wizards after they had to flee because some supporter had spotted them, and after they were being taken to Malfoy Manor, it was Draco who helped them escape. Harry had offered Narcissa a way out as a member of the House of Black, but she knew she couldn't leave now, as she wanted to stay with her son. It had taken until the final battle for them to know that the Malfoy's were safe enough as they could be in their predicament.
After the war, after they had come to terms with their situation, after they had lifted Harry practically from his grave; Hermione and him tried dating. They found out very quickly that they loved each other, but not in the way that people expected. It had been a weird few years for Ron after that. He never finished school as 'Moine and Draco did, but he went on to train as an Auror, all the while keeping an eye on Harry as well. When he realised he was more bisexual than he expected; he kept it quiet. His mother didn't need that stress on her plate, and while Harry knew and Hermione probably realised it, he didn't broadcast it. It was of no use, since he wasn't going to bring anyone home real soon.
Not that he hadn't tried a few things here and there. Mostly with Muggles, to keep his name out of the papers, but Ron had a crush that he couldn't explain to anyone. He knew his two besties would understand, but he doubted that it would be welcomed. Draco would probably scoff at him if he ever found out. So Ron kept quiet.
Real quiet.
So quiet, that when Charlie came to town that night, the older Weasley noticed immediately what was wrong, and had cornered his brother. The reassurance speech had been welcomed, but Ron had shook his head when Charlie had wanted to tell the others. George was still grieving, Bill was trying to keep the family together and Percy was of a different leaf. He had gotten into a better relationship with his third oldest brother, but he didn't think Percy would understand it. Being gay was totally okay with their family, straight too … but bi was frowned upon. You needed to make a choice. Don't ask him why.
Ron didn't want to make a choice. He knew his love would never be reciprocated, and he left it at that. Better to look and enjoy from afar, than not.
"Ron, I might not be the right person to give advice," started Harry, as Ron sauntered into the kitchen, his Auror uniform badly damaged, and his holster was visible. "But I think you need to do something for yourself, something that makes you happy. You've been moping ever since the last anniversary party, and …" the raven-haired man silenced himself, "I dunno, go out, snog someone. Something like that."
"Thanks, mate." Ron shook his head at Harry's attempt to give him a 'feel-better'-speech. It wasn't bad, and it came from his hearth, but of all people Harry was probably the worst one to give advice about relationships or even hook-ups. He knew Harry had had zero hook-ups, although he and Theo were pretty close right now.
"Yeah, I suck at these speeches." Harry shook his head, as he pulled out another pot for the evening meal. Food was more his love-language.
"Nah, I get your drift, you're probably right, but I haven't had the time to be honest." Ron tried to suffocate the lie within truths. Something he had actually learned at the academy: you learned how to bring the truth home even if the truth wasn't nice.
"Seen anyone interesting at Pansy's?" Harry asked hopefully, as he had a knife chopping vegetables, while he was tenderizing and seasoning the meat … or something like that Ron thought absently. It was like watching his mother in the kitchen; he didn't know how to do that even if he tried.
"Don't worry, you can keep your Slytherin all to yourself."
"I wasn't worried, mate. Theo and I, we have a special thing going on. It's nice." Harry shrugged, and the now young adolescent looked more like a teenage boy that had his first crush than the actual business man he was nowadays. Harry ran the portfolio's with a vigour that nobody had expected. Ron knew that he just wanted nothing to do with danger anymore. That was exactly what they had fought for, and it was what the other man deserved.
"I think it's great that you guys found each other. We're all happy for you, although I feel that Draco hasn't grasped it yet." Ron smiled softly, as he nipped on the hot cocoa that Harry had put in front of him.
"Draco is really oblivious if he wants to. Theo says he could get loads of things past the man, if he was in the mood." Harry snickered, as he summoned one of Ron's sweaters, and handed it to him. "Get out of those rags, take a shower. I'll have tea ready in half an hour or something. Dunno who's coming, but I invited Theo and Hermione."
"Nice, thanks Harry. I should indeed get a shower going. Would you mind putting some bruise balm on me later on?" Ron felt it burning and pulling on his back. He had been hit quite a few times that day it seemed.
"Yeah, sure. If Hermione gets here earlier then when I'm done with the food, I'll send her up."
Ron nodded his thanks as he dragged himself upstairs to get that shower, and to find something to wear without burn holes.
He didn't really think anything about it, when he heard the door to the bathroom open, as he expected either Harry or Hermione to help him out. The smuggling ring hadn't been easy to take down, and although they had all of the guys eventually, Ron hadn't come out unscathed.
"Ah, thanks for coming, 'Mione." He smiled at the wall, as he hadn't turned around.
"Not Hermione, but you are welcome." A voice caressed his eardrums, as Ron realised who it was. Ron heard that drawl immediately, as his body responded to it like it shouldn't do that without his permission.
The bite had been out of Draco as of late, but Merlin; Ron loved hearing the man speak with a vengeance. There was nothing more beautiful than the aristocratic blonde on a roll. He might have trained as a healer, which was his job on the side, but watching him debate whenever Ron was on Wizengamot Auror duty, that was quite something else.
Where Lucius always had that dangerous flair about him, a little poised but a silver tongue, Draco had refined that. The man had utilised everything his mother had taught him to be even better than the rest. Ron would only admit it to himself, not even out loud, that hearing Draco talk could get him aroused.
Not just wound up, nope, fully aroused. So that was also a reason why he didn't want to turn around right now, as he heard Draco prattle on about the damage his body had taken.
"… and you just had to …" he couldn't make out the exact words, but heard the timber in that soft, melodic voice all the same, "sometimes I feel like you forget about yourself when you are fighting. By Merlin, Ron. How did they let you get past the Healers?"
It stayed silent for a while, because Ron didn't trust himself to speak, and Draco took that as a silent confirmation that Ron had done what he always did.
"You didn't sneak past them, now did you?" Healer mode had been activated, and he knew that Draco was analysing him.
He wondered if Draco would even like a body like Ron's. He doubted it. Draco only dated real small men, barely any muscles. Polite guys. Not overly muscled, militarised, red headed men with freckles all over. Pale skin, red hair and his famous 'hand-me-down clothes' were still part of his life. Ron didn't bother with buying much new clothes since he wore the uniform most of the time. He still wore his mother's sweaters or just put anything on Hermione would hang in his closet. He was a simple man.
And that was the problem why he would never make a move towards Draco. He was a simple man. A man who had hated the other sometime before, but also a man who had learned to stop being prejudiced. Someone who had tried to be better in life, but still a simple man. No wine for him at dinner, no fancy food. Give him a steak with a beer all day, every day.
Ron didn't keep up with the current political climate – he never listened to the people talking in the Wizengamot – he barely managed to listen to Harry or Draco, but watched them more than anything else - he didn't care about fashion or who was who. He did his job and kept his head down. Ron made sure his friends lived, and he tried to let them live a bit more happy than before. That had been his goal after the war.
It was futile to believe that a man as handsome, poised, and elegant like Draco Malfoy would fall for the likes of a Ronald Weasley. As much as he wished it, he couldn't see himself with Draco on his arms at some fancy dinner or Merlin forbid: at the Manor with Narcissa.
"Ronald?"
Draco always used his full name whenever he wanted something from him. Now he probably wanted an answer.
"Yeah, I didn't feel for them today. They did a quick checkup, but Nolan was in a more worse shape than I was. Jillian let me go, after I wasn't bleeding anymore. I do need to check in with her the day after tomorrow. Gotten a day off from the boss."
"I'm sure Jillian won't mind an early report from me. Are you done in the shower? I need to check you, and then I'll administer whatever you need." Ron heard him rummage through a large bag, which was probably his medic pack.
"If you don't mind, Draco." Ron was always afraid that one day he would say that name with too much love in his voice, and the other would turn himself away from him. Probably in disgust.
"Never, Ron, never. You should have called me immediately, you know my schedule."
"Oi, mate, I'm not going to assume you'll just drop everything if I call. I wasn't bleeding to death. For all I knew, you could have been having dinner with someone important…?" Ron tried to joke about it, but it didn't land obviously.
"Enough, Ron!" The distress was visible. "I couldn't care less about any of that. I do care about your wellbeing. So, next time, you call me!"
It stayed silent for a while, and Draco had started to chant something under his breath, while Ron felt Draco's magic wash over him. Healing magic usually felt very rough. Most Healers, especially those that worked for the MOM, had to heal a lot of people at once, and you would notice that in the magic that was thrown at you. Draco on the other hand had a soft way of healing. He was especially very good with children, and was held in high regards on international level.
They were all very proud of him. Not only for shaking off the prejudice that came with being a Malfoy, but also for showing the world who he really was. As good as Hermione had been on their 'camping trip', it was nothing compared to Draco who could brew his own potions (before Severus' death, he had learned from the Master himself) and heal people in one go. Narcissa was a proud women when it came towards her son, and Ron understood. He couldn't always show it, but he felt it through his whole being, and he tried dropping some hints here and there.
"Please be careful, Ronald," sighed Draco, as he put the last dab of cream on Ron's muscular back. "I'll check before you go to sleep, and I will check again in the morning. Just swing by my room."
"Alright, I will." What else could he say.