draining gutters
“Ron, what’s been on with you?” Hermione asked the second week of school. She wasn't just school smart. She was able to read most people’s emotions, especially Ron's, because he wore his heart upon his sleeve.
"It's nothing. Really!" He scratched his head and looked away from her. "Okay. I can't lie to you. It's not nothing." He looked back at her, face tight and scared. Ron wasn't just scared, he was fucking terrified. Nothing could explain the pure terror he felt.
"You can tell me anything. You know I don't gossip. You're my best mate, Ron. I wouldn't tell a single soul." She stuck her pinky out for him. As a promise.
"Not anyone?" She nodded. "Not even.. er.. let's say.. people named.. Harry Potter?" He began to pick at his fingers. Hermione grabbed them and put them in her hands.
"I wouldn't tell Harry. I wouldn't even tell a Dementor. I promise, Ron. Spill." She said, letting go of his hands.
"Okay. Obviously you know I fancy Harry. I have since around second year?" He guessed. "But this year Hermione, it's really different. I think- I think that-" He paused, breathing out. Tears welled in his eyes, but he blinked them away. "I think that I'm in love with him." He admitted in a low whisper, not looking up at Hermione.
"Ron. That's okay. It really is okay. Harry has been there for you during everything and it's understandable on why you would fall in love with him. It doesn't matter what other people think." She wiped a stray tear from his cheek.
"Even if he did like me, I'm really afraid that he doesn't see me as who I am." He told her, looking up and sniffling. Never had been good with emotions.
"What do you mean by that?" Hermione pried, looking at Ron in a way that he couldn't exactly read easily. She raised her eyebrow at him.
"As a boy."
"Why wouldn't he see you as a boy, Ron? You are a boy. Never have you once been a girl. Never." She declared.
"I don't know. There's really no way of winning if in everyone’s eyes I'll always be a girl or the girl who wants to be a bloke." His tears spilled down his face, running wildly. He couldn't help the sobs that escaped as his friend held him close to her chest. She stroked his hair, shushing him gently.
"It's okay to cry." She whispered in his ear. She let him lie like that for a long amount of minutes, cradling him in her arms. Dinner was almost done, but she felt bad leaving him like that just because everyone was about to come back.
"Hermione?" Ron looked up at her, red staining his face in blotches. She hummed. "What if he hated me if I ever were to tell him that I was in love with him?" And then he burst into tears once more. They were more violent, and he let out more noise.
The simple thought that Harry could hate him for something like that brought him to shame and endless tears. He was violently sobbing and he couldn't stop them from coming out even if he wanted to. Every time he tried to speak, a hiccup came out.
Just as he began to settle down, the common room door opened and Hermione had a fear it was everyone. It wasn't. It was just Harry, with a few dinner rolls in a napkin in hand. His eyes widened at the sight—and sound—of Ron. He almost dropped the rolls onto the floor, but managed to keep a hold of them.
"He's okay for now." She mouthed. Hermione shifted slightly so that Harry could sit next to them. Ron was curled onto the couch, head on Hermione's chest and arms under his head.
He still emitted a slight cry, though it was much quieter than before.
"Ron?" Harry lowered his head down to look at his best mate's eyes, just to see that they were red and puffy. They would definitely feel dry and sore the following day. Ron's eyes slowly went up, and when he realized who it was, he darted up and wiped his tears. He let out a shaky laugh and smiled at Harry.
"Hey mate!" He said, straightening out his clothes, that were wet and a mess.
"Are you okay, Ron?" Harry inquired, handing both of them a dinner roll.
"Just dandy! Thanks for dinner! I'll be off to bed now." He exclaimed, and headed off for the boys dormitories.
"Does he seem a bit strange to you, Hermione?" Harry asked, looking at her. She brushed the crumbs from her fingers and sighed.
"Yes, and before you ask, I do know why. You have to let him tell you though. It's eating him up, and I promised I wouldn't tell a soul. Especially not you." She got up and dusted her pants down.
"What?" Harry looked at her and his whole face was contorted with confusion.
"You need to ask him yourself." She told him and headed off to bed herself.
Harry muttered a few words to himself as he made his way towards his own dormitory, which was shared with Ron and a few other Gryffindor boys in his year.
He was too tired for this right now he thought to himself, and promptly fell asleep.
~
Ron awoke due to a kick to his abdomen. It was a soft kick but it still hurt like a bitch. He groaned and looked over, wishing he had a lamp. Two legs were splayed out over his chest, and murmurs were heard beside him.
He felt beside him, trying to guess who was in his bed. He felt soft hair, and looked over to see Harry. His limbs were going in all directions. His face was contorted in confusion, tears pouring down his face, spreading all across. The tears made mini rivers on his beautiful face.
Ron reached out and used his sleeve to wipe the wetness off of Harry’s face. Just as he finished, Harry's eyes flew open. He looked around before landing his gaze upon his best mate. He opened his mouth and left it hanging for a few seconds.
"I.. I had a nightmare. I was half asleep when I came into your bed. Sorry. I can go back to my own-"
"No." Ron interrupted quickly. "You can sleep here." He nodded in assurance and pulled his blankets over the two of them and turned back over in bed before Harry could protest. He began to doze off, but before he could, a voice —so quiet that he almost didn't hear it—floated across the air.
"Can I hold your hand? My nightmares are getting pretty bad and.. erm.. never mind." Harry said, tossing over on his back.
"No.. er.. I know this is awkward, but we can.. cuddle or something.. I think?" Ron told him, confused.
"Okay."
Harry draped an arm over Ron's turned figure. His fingers laced with Ron's and they sat together in the warmth of each other, breathing hard before they both fell asleep again.
~
”What’s this?” Hermione demanded at 6AM. She had sneaked into the boys dorms and watched as Harry and Ron—who were both intertwined and cuddling—awoke groaning.
”Hermione, what-“ Ron looked over at the clock. “It’s 6 in the fucking morning.” He informed her, dragging his hand down his face. “Why are you waking us up?”
”It’s actually 6:04, but that’s besides the point. We are going on a picnic! Untangle yourselves from each other and meet me in the common room.” She began to walk out and looked back at the both of them. “Quickly!” She urged, and left.
Ron got up first and rubbed his eyes, yawning. He quickly remembered the events of the night before, but brushed them off just as quick.
He just sees me platonically. Ron thought as he got ready. Harry was still stretching on the bed and rubbing his own eyes.
“Mornin’, Ron.” He said as he plucked himself from Ron’s bed and trudged through his trunk. He pulled out a coat for the cold morning air. Ron did the same.
“Ready?” Ron asked.
“Yeah, let’s not make ‘Mione wait too long. She’ll be on our arses.” Harry laughed at his own words and they began to walk out the door and towards the common room.
“Last night I slept better than I have in a long time.” Harry commented. He zipped up his coat quickly and stuffed his hands inside the pockets of his trousers.
“Me too.” Ron agreed. He hummed as they stepped, reaching the common room far too quickly for Ron’s liking.
”Record timing.” Hermione said as she stood up and took a look at the pair of boys.
“So a picnic on this cold morning? What’s the purpose?” Ron whined, pouting his bottom lip out.
“Oh, pish posh! It’s the perfect morning for a picnic, and we haven’t spent much time together this summer!” Hermione scolded Ron for pouting. “Calm your balls.” She realized what she said and her and Ron began laughing.
Harry looked at them confused, but soon joined in on the laughter as they made their way to the kitchen.
”Right, sorry I’ll calm my massive nutsack.” Ron remained stoic as he said this, but almost laughed. It was too hard not to, and he burst out into laughter.
“Ron!” Hermione hit him over the head gently. “Be a gentleman!” She repeated his mum’s words.
”My mum says that to me.” Ron noted as they reached the kitchen, using the trick that George and Fred had taught them to enter it.
Hermione asked one of the house elves for something she had apparently already asked to have prepared for their picnic.
Three house elves arrived with a picnic basket and Hermione thanked them graciously and picked up the basket.
They shuffled quickly out the door and resumed speaking.
“Why were the both of you sleeping in the same bed?” Hermione prompted as they stepped outside and headed for a partly hidden spot in the grass.
“I crawled into Ron’s bed half-asleep after I woke up from a nightmare.” Harry informed her as she spelled a blanket onto the ground and they all sat down together.
“Were they about You-Know-Who?” Hermione asked in a whisper. The food began to float out of the basket with a singular flick of her wand.
“No. Something else that doesn’t matter.” Harry grumbled, picking up a piece of toast and spreading it with jam.
“Well, my ears are always listening if you need to talk about it. The both of you.” She side glanced at Ron, and he knew exactly why.
They both nodded and continued eating their food. Ron remembered something he was supposed to tell Harry.
“Oh, Harry! Pansy and Blaise are plotting against I think. They’re planning to put Veritaserum in your drink at dinner apparently. I think it’s just a rumor but I wanted to let you know.” Ron took another bite of his french toast as Harry’s eyes widened.
“They can’t do that, can they? They would surely get in trouble.” Hermione said, worried for Harry.
“I don’t think they care about that.” Harry snickered. “They probably won’t do it. If they do though, I’m fucked.” His hands shook at the thought of it.
“I’ll ask you a question every night at dinner, and you lie to me. Something obvious so I know it’s a lie. If you tell the truth, then we’ll know.” Hermione concluded. “No more bad talk! We’re supposed to be having fun.”
They talked for an hour or two until Hermione declared that they were to head back inside.
“I think that’s a good idea. I would hate to freeze my bollocks off on a Saturday.” Ron laughed with Harry as Hermione cleaned up their food with her wand.
“Well, you two can do what you want now. I’m off to study.” Hermione left them standing in the halls of Hogwarts. They blankly looked around, and then turned to each other.
“She’s up and left us, hasn’t she?” Ron laughed for the thousandth time that day and Harry smiled.
“I guess so.” Harry said as they walked back. He was ecstatic and Ron had no idea why. But suddenly, his mood changed.
“Ron, why were you crying last night?”
Ron froze in place. He couldn’t move. No matter how badly he wanted to run he couldn’t make his legs move in any direction.
“Er.. Do I need to answer this now?” He asked, standing in place.
“Yes.” Harry breathed out and walked closer to Ron.
“I can’t tell you.” Ron answered, and his foot moved forwards. And he was now moving. Not just moving, Ron was running.
”Stop running you prick!” Harry yelled after him. And he did. He shook his hair out, and was extremely confused on why he made the decision to run.
“Okay, you don’t have to tell me. Unless you want to. But I’m always here for you. Remember that.” Harry smiled at him and Ron smiled back.