“The boy won’t speak. So far we’ve only got a name- Elia.” Lewis said as Ron entered the shared office.
Ron sat down and looked at the boy sitting across from him. It was the middle of the night shift and Ron was tired. He had had just about three hours of sleep and now he had to endure another gruelling 12 hours in the small office just outside of Muggle London. He still had another five months of probation before he became a senior auror but until then he was stuck with patrolling duties at weird hours and apparently trying to get words out of stubborn young wizards.
“Good evening, Mr. Elia. I’m Ron.” He said with a friendly smile.
The boy just stared at him with a bored expression and folded his arms and leaned back on the chair.
“I’m told you illegally portkey-ed in the middle of Muggle London an hour ago. You were lucky it was late and no muggle saw you.” Ron continued as he read the report on the desk.
Lewis had left the room and gone over to his tall pile of paperwork so the silence that permeated the four walls of the room was thick. Ron watched as the boy fidgeted with his sleeves. He looked young, maybe about fourteen or fifteen. It showed in the awkward limbs and the baby face. So innocent and child like.
By fifteen, Ron had seen war. He had lost so many just like everyone and even thought the war ended almost a decade ago, he still woke up screaming some nights. If not for strong hands enveloping him, pressing against him and overwhelming him so much the panic drowned under it, Ron would have checked himself into St.Mungos himself. More times than he liked, Ron felt out of place. He was a reminder of the war and now was a time of Peace. He felt like a relic even though he was only 25 years old. Ron looked at the boy and sighed.
“You don’t have to talk if you don’t want to but we can’t help you if you don’t tell us anything.” Ron tried again but Elia continued to remain silent.
“Alright, I’ll get you a warm drink at least.” Ron said and stood up.
Ron watched as the water boiled in the glass kettle. He could have easily charmed up a piping hot cup of tea but he liked the monotonous work of making tea. It was something he did everyday without fail; the same motions and the same waiting game. It grounded him. As he waited, his mind retracted back to the boy. He would have to check if he was a student at Hogwarts. He looked like he could be in his fifth or sixth year. Maybe he had run away from home? Maybe he was just sneaking off somewhere? Wizards were becoming more and more daring since the war with a significant number even choosing to live in Muggle England. But while it was perfectly legal to do so, apparating and port keys were a whole other thing. Surely the boy knew that,right? So maybe he really was running off or something? Maybe he too had awful guardians like Harry had?
Ron pursed his lips at the thought. He never saw the full extent of the abuse but he had seen and heard enough to know that Harry- his best friend and the saviour of Wizarding England- had endured hardships no child should.
With renewed vigour, Ron took the warm cup and returned to the room. He set it in front of the boy and sat back down.
“It’s chamomile tea, good for the nerves.” Ron said as the boy eyed the cup suspiciously.
“Look, I know you don’t trust us but if you don’t tell us anything, we can’t let you go.” Ron said slowly. “ I’m sure you also want this all to be over. Do you have any ID on you?” Ron asked knowing full well that the boy did not. He had been checked earlier. But he needed to ease into his interrogation .
The boy rolled his eyes in exasperation but chewed on his lips bruising them red.
“Maybe an address? Would you like someone to come pick you up? Do your parents know you’re out and about?” Ron asked and saw the panic rise in the boy’s amber eyes.
“Are you having trouble, say, at home or something? Have you run away from home?” Ron asked. Honestly he should have taken more time to ease into the more pressing questions but he was tired and he never really had any tact anyway.
“If you’re in trouble, I promise to help you to the best of ability.”
“Certo.” The boy breathe out in a soft whisper and rolled his eyes disbelieving.
“Si, Lo prometto.” Ron replied without missing a beat.
The boy’s eyes widened as he stared at the tall wizard who just spoke Italian like it was his first language.
Ron took that as a good sign and continued: “Sei molto lontano da casa.”
“I didn’t think you….” Elia said softly in English.
“Yes, I get that a lot. Don’t really look like the type, do I?” Ron joked as he watched the boy with a soft smile.
“I’m sorry. I just assumed.” Elia said with an apologetic thin smile.
“Don’t worry about it. Now, that we’ve got that out of the way, would you like something to eat as well?”
“No, thank you.”
“Okay.” Ron said and then put his hands on the table: “I know you probably don’t want to be interrogated but the questions still stand. Have you run away from Home?”
The boy shook his head in denial and Ron finally let out the breath he was holding.
“Okay, do your parents know you’re out here in muggle London? Also where are your parents now?”
“They’re at home.”
“At home being…?”
“Back home.”
“In Italy?”
The boy nodded and refused to look at Ron who kept his face blank.
“Its okay. So do they know you’re here?”
“No.”
“Okay. Well, I’m going to have to call them to come pick you up.”
“No! Please no. My papa will kill me!” Elia stood up and grasped Ron’s hand: “I just wanted to sneak out for once. I didn’t mean to do anything bad or something.”
“Hey! Calm down.” Ron said softly as he patted the boy’s shoulder. “I won’t call them just yet but you’re going to have to explain to me how you got your hands on a portkey and why you’re here.”
“It’s my father’s. He works for the Ministry. I…I took it but you have to believe me, I just wanted to sneak out!”
“And for what purpose did you want to ‘sneak out’ to our beautiful isle?”
“I just wanted to meet someone. I wanted to surprise him for his birthday but London is so damn confusing and I got lost.”
Ron smiled at the boy who fidgeted with his sleeves again. He looked down hiding his face with his brown curly hair but Ron could see his reddened ears.
“Just a boy? Seems like a lot of effort just for just a boy.” Ron couldn’t help himself from asking in a teasing tone.
“This is so embarrassing.” Elia whispered to himself as he looked up at the ceiling.
“What is your full name? School?” Ron asked as he turned his notebook to a fresh page.
“Why?”
“While we can write this off as just stupid teenage shenanigans, I’m still going to have to submit an accurate report if I want to keep my job. So, your full name and school.”
“Elias Amato. I’m a sixth year at Durmstrang.”
“Hmm. Okay… and his name?”
“Why? He has nothing to do with this! Please don’t get him involved in this. It’s entirely my stupid plan. He doesn’t even know I’m here.”
“Don’t worry. I’m just curious.” Ron said with a cheeky smile.
He had always been a bit too inquisitive for his own good and it wasn’t everyday he spoke Italian and witness stupid young love all in the same night. In all honesty, the most he had seen during his past three months were drunk wizards and the occasional flying without proper caution or license witches.
“Can I not tell you?” Elia said grumpily as he finally took a sip of the now lukewarm tea.
“It’s not everyday I see someone dumb or brave enough to risk getting arrested for Love.” Ron said knowing full well the effect it would have on the boy.
“Wh-what? Love?!” Elia spilt a few drops of the chamomile tea on his navy jumper.
“ Is it not? Is he not your lover boy?” Ron stifled a laugh and tried to plaster his best serious face.
“Uh….” Elia stuttered: “No. And his name is Ruben.”
Ron smiled triumphantly at himself for coaxing the name out from the boy across from him. Elia, on the other hand, just leaned back in defeat.
“That’s a nice name.” Was all Ron said as he continued filling up his report.
“You speak really good Italian. Do they teach it in Hogwarts?” Elia said as the silence settled a bit too uncomfortably for him. Ron seemed fine as he scribbled on a new parchment.
“Thank you. It took me a good decade to be where i am now.” Ron beamed up at the boy. “I’m not sure they do but I had a good teacher who taught me in between classes and the like.”
“Really? Well, they must have been a good teacher then.”
“Yup, the very best. Good thing I married him.” Ron said as he rolled up the parchment and set it aside.
“Uh…” Elia watched him with a shocked expression not knowing what to say at the new revelation.
“Oh no. It’s not like that!’ Ron laughed: “He wasn’t really a teacher at Hogwarts. He was…a friend? Frenemy? A batchmate of mine, yes. He’s Italian too.”
“Oh. I see. Sorry for jumping to conclusions again. I’ve been told I do that a lot.” Elia said sheepishly.
“No, its my fault for not elaborating further.” Ron continued to laugh as he settled back against his own chair.
“So what now?” Elia asked warily.
Ron thought for a moment. He was tired but more than that he was bored. He looked at the small clock on the wall and counted the hours left. He still had a good 10 hours left on his shift. He would give anything to get out and get some air. A thought passed his mind and he smiled. It would be cutting it close but then again it would give him a chance to get out.
“Alright. Come on.” Ron said as he stood up.
“Huh?” Elia looked up in panic once again.
“Don’t worry, I’m just going to drop you off at home. Now come along.” Ron smiled as he shrugged on his jacket.
“OKay.” Elia said warily.
Ron exited the room and explained the situation to Lewis. The other man smiled and agreed. Just teenagers being teenagers so it would not be that much of a problem if Ron made sure he spoke to their higher ups later.
“Well, I’ll be back soon. “ Ron said as he pocketed the charmed plastic covered torchlight into his pocket.
“Are we not going home?” Elia asked as they walked onto the empty street.
“Oh yes, we will. But we need to get to an authorised point for any apparation or portations. It’s just a little bit ahead. Do you not enjoy walks?” Ron asked light-heartedly.
“No. I just thought we would port-key from the office.” Elia said as he followed Ron across the street to a well lit pavement.
“Oh no. We would have to do a ton of paperwork if we apparated from inside there. Unless we are in immediate danger, we try not to. Does Ruben also go to Durmstrang?”
“Uh…Si.” Elia was caught off guard by the nonchalant question.
“I’ve always wondered how Durmstrang was? Do you like it there?” Ron asked again in the same friendly tone.
“Yes. It is much more liberal than it was before. Or at least that is what i have been told.”
“Hm, it seems so. My husband nearly went there. Thank Merlin, he didn’t. He would have a bigger head than he already does if he did!” Ron chuckled but Elia heard the endearing tone underneath the words.
“You must love your husband very much.” Elia found himself saying before he caught himself.
Ron stopped and stared at Elia before a smile graced his face: “Yes. Yes, I do.”
“Do-um… have you ever fought with him?” Elia asked. He knew it was overreaching but he asked anyway.
“Of course! We do all the time.” Ron laughed again: “L’amore non è bello se non è litigarello, no?”
Elia laughed then and looked at the lanky man beside him. And he could see it. He was young but the way he carried himself belied his age. It seemed like Mr. Ron carried the world on his thin tired shoulders and eye bags but when he spoke, his youth shone through. The words that spilled from Mr. Ron’s mouth were cheesy but they were seeped with devoted emotions for his husband. Elia felt an involuntary pang of envy.
“During the war, everything else seemed trivial so my husband and I rarely fought. We didn’t want to waste time fighting when we could have died at any given time.” Ron said simply but Elia saw the haunted shadow in his eyes: “After the war, we had more time so we spent half of it working and rebuilding and the other half fighting with each other!”
Ron laughed again and Elia could not help himself but laugh along as his contagious voice echoed in the cold winter air.
“What did you do to resolve your fights?” Elia asked softly.
“Depends on the day and circumstances. To be honest, I just wait for my husband to break first. He always does and we make up after that but don’t tell anyone because I will deny that with every fibre.” Ron said happily.
“But what if it’s your fault? Then what happens?”
Ron eyed the boy suspiciously but replied seriously: “Then I apologise, I guess. It’s not really hard if you know why you’re doing it.”
“But what if they don’t accept your apology? Then what?”
“Then I try until he forgives me. But this is not really about me and my husband, is it? Why? Is dear Ruben being stubborn?” Ron asked as he followed his hunch.
“No! It has nothing to do with me or Ruben. I’m talking about you and your husband, I was just curious.” Elia spluttered as his cheeks reddened like his nose from the cold.
“I remember one time my husband made a complete fool of himself trying to apologise to me. I was so angry for something I can’t even remember now but I had stormed out of our place and gone straight home to my parents. We were still dating then so I knew he wouldn’t dare disturb me at my childhood home since I was yet to introduce him to my parents. Well, as luck would have it, that pompous Slytherin actually had a little bit of the old Lion in him as well.” Ron laughed loudly as he reminisced: “He tried to sneak into my room to apologise but the thing is our entire house is boobytrapped by every single member of my large family. One minute I was wallowing and trying to sleep and the next my mother was shouting bloody murder at someone. I remember jumping out of my bed with my wand out only to see my dear old boy dangling outside my window and apologising profusely to my mother. It was a sight to see, that! I’d never seen him so scared and ruffled I could not help but forgive him instantly. I also had to subject him to my mother and father’s incessant questions so I took pity on the man.”
“Why are you telling me this?” Elia asked but smiled none the less.
“You remind me of him, with your one track mind to get your old boy to forgive you regardless of the consequences. Now, while it might seem like a great plan, the logistics as you have seen is more complicated than that. Dont you agree?”
“Yes.” Elia huffed in frustration. “Ruben is being stubborn. He hasn’t replied to any of my mail and I don’t understand what I’ve done wrong.”
“What do you think you’ve done?”
“I don’t know.”
“Now if I were a wise old sage, I would have some life changing advice to give you but alas, I am but an overworked auror; make that junior auror.” Ron smiled apologetically:
“However, I can only hope you and dear Ruben make up.”
“But what if we don’t?” Elia confide softly to the strange Auror.
Elia blamed his jumble of emotions taxing on him. He usually kept to himself but for some reason Mr. Ron seemed to have weaselled his way into the cracks of his walls in the past few hours. And Elia found he really did not mind.
“Then Life goes on. You pick yourself and go along with it because it always goes on. It’s up to you whether you go where it takes you or you settle in the dust.” Ron said just as they arrived at a phone booth.
“I just really wanted to see him.” Elia spoke softly in regret as Ron ushered him inside.
“I’m sorry, Elia.” Ron said sympathetically.
Ron understood in more than one way what Elia was going through. He had snuck off so many times even stealing his father’s car and nearly crashing to death. Speaking of which sneaking off to see a particular tall and handsome Slytherin in his last years at Hogwarts was in a way, a death sentence. The Zabini’s were officially in the grey but Blaise was a Slytherin; through and through. Ron must have been mad for even letting the other boy charm him so completely and so effortlessly. In the beginning it had only been subtle stares and catching the other’s eyes in crowded halls or in the pitch. Over time, Blaise had found ways to rub shoulders or even braved abrupt soft caresses of hands just in passing. When Ron looked at him in confusion, he always had that small smirk on his face and those hooded eyes. Yes, it was his face, it was definitely his face that lured Ron in initially. But it was his surprisingly calm and wise charm that got Ron hooked irreversibly. Fifth year was a revelation for Ron, partly because Lavender Brown pushed him to his realisation and gay awakening. It was also the first time he let anyone kiss him so passionately and so deftly his knees actually buckled. Good thing Blaise was strong enough to hold him up as he made quick work on him. They kept it a secret for as long as they could. So long that even after the war, they snuck around and only let themselves be with each other in the safe confines of Blaise’s apartment. Ron had the feeling that his family knew he was sneaking off but those times after the war were hard for everyone to care about such trivial things.
“You know, if you want you can send him a howler. Just to wish him a happy birthday if anything.” Ron suggested as he unwrapped the unassuming torchlight.
“That… actually seems like a good idea.” Elia beamed.
“Make sure you don’t say things you don’t want others to hear though. It will be quiet embarrassing for dear Ruben otherwise.” Ron smirked as they both grasped the porktkey.
Elia was still blushing red when they arrived at a small kiosk. It was slightly warmer but the streets were just as empty as in London.
“Lead the way, my boy.” Ron stated as they stepped into the pavement once again.
Elia nodded and started walking a little in front.
“I am sorry for the trouble, Mr.Ron.” He said sheepishly as they climbed up the hill.
“Not to worry, mate. I needed the fresh air anyway. Besides Matera is always a nice place to visit. And your company is not so bad.” Ron said as he looked up at the clear sky and felt the ocean salt in the air.
“Have you been here before?” Elia asked with piqued interest.
“Yeah, I made my husband backpack through England with me during one of our anniversaries. He saw it fitting that I do the same for him in his home country too. Although, I must say, backpacking through Italy is so much more fun than England. Too much rain back home, I tell you.” Ron said shaking his head.
“Oh.” Elia muttered as they headed towards the large house on the hill: “That’s where I live. You don’t need to talk to my parents, do you?”
Ron watched the boy fidget again.
“Only if you promise you won’t do something reckless like this again.” Ron said seriously as he handed carefully wrapped port key to the boy: “And don’t go touching your father’s things without permission again. You never know what they are.”
“I promise! I won’t ever do this again.” Elia said as he quickly took the torchlight. He looked at it then snapped back up.
“But how will you go back now?”
“Don’t worry about that, my boy. I have my ways.” Ron smirked as he patted the boy’s shoulder: “Right, off you go then.”
“Thank you. And I am really sorry, Mr. Ron.” Elia said and smiled at the tall redhead.
He felt his chest tighten as he watched the man wave him goodbye. For some reason, he felt a wave of sadness fill him at seeing the man turn and walk back down. He hoped he would meet him again but even if they did not, it was okay. It had been good.
Elia sighed as he softly closed the front door and silently crept back to his room. He flopped on his bed and felt the heavy hand of slumber over his eyes. It had been such an eventful night and he was suddenly overcome by his tiredness. He smiled and closed his eyes because the following day, he was to send a howler to a very beautiful and stubborn boy. Beautiful and hopefully not so stubborn for his sake.
Ron pulled out his muggle phone which he used only during emergencies or when he missed his husband a little bit too much. He dialled in the number and waited as it began to ring. On the second ring, someone picked up.
“Hey love, could you come get me?” Ron said as he walked towards the sounds of the ocean.
“Ron? Where are you?” Blaise’s sleep deepened voice resounded in his ear and he shivered. He never really got used to how good his husband sounded on the phone late at night.
“I’m stuck in Italy.”
“What?!” Ron could hear panicked shuffling on the other side. Blaise was definitely up now.
“I’m okay, don’t worry! So come get me? Please?” Ron asked again happily.
“Merlin! Ron, you can’t just… where are you exactly?”
“Matera. I’ll be at the beach.” Ron said as he walked along the rocky path.
“Alright. Just stay there. I’m coming to get you in a minute. Why are you even… you know what, you’ll tell me properly when I get there.”
“Promise.” Ron said as he watched the moonlight reflecting off the surface of the water.
“Ron Bilius Weasley, I swear…” Blaise said in an exasperated tone but Ron could hear the smile in his words.
“Just come get your husband, will you?” Ron laughed as he put his other hand into his pocket.
“Okay. I’m coming. I’ll see you in a bit.”
“Okay.” Ron said and hung up.
He took a deep breath of the salty air and relished the soothing sounds of the ebbing water.
He closed his eyes and let himself relax. He didn’t know how long he stood like that before an apparation broke the silence. He smiled and knew who it was even before he turned. One of the perks of having a curse-breaker husband was that a port key was never too far away.
He turned and watched as the taller wizard marched up to him with long hurried strides. In a flash, he was enveloped by a warm body that smelt like fresh cut grass.
“Hello, husband.”Ron said just as strong arms embraced him once more and he felt soft lips ghost over his temple. Blaise must have been really shaken up he thought as they stood there in silence taking in the other’s heat and presence.
“Hello to you too, you loveable reckless idiot.” Blaise said and Ron laughed at his huffed sigh.
He would have to go back and talk to his supervisor about the entire night’s ordeal but in that moment, he couldn’t help but give himself a small content respite in the arms of his husband.