Chapter 2
Ron was laying on Harry’s bed with a maroon comforter and matching gold pillows. Ron guesses Sirius picked it out. Even if Harry thought it was tacky he would never have said that to Sirius’ face.
Harry was sitting at the mahogany desk, which probably cost more than Ron’s room. Harry was reading a letter that Draco Malfoy had sent to him.
The letter went into detail about how Malfoy was sorry for treating him, Harry, and Hermione so badly. He explained that his father told him to act like that to muggle-borns and blood traitors and he had been embarrassed about Harry’s rejection in their first year.
He ends the letter by stating he wishes Harry a happy summer and hopes they can hang out more the following year.
“Well?” Harry asks, throwing the letter on the desk and sitting across from Ron in the bed.
“Well, what? I still don’t trust him but the letter seemed genuine,” Ron tells him.
“Yeah, that's what I thought.” Harry nods at him before sighing loudly and flopping on his back.
Ron mockingly sighs back. “What puts you in such a bad mood?”
“Sirius and Remus keep asking me what I want for my birthday,” Harry whines at him, plopping his feet into Ron’s lap.
“Why is that so bad?” Ron asks him. Harry’s birthday had crossed his mind but he isn’t quite sure what to get him. Maybe something muggle.
“Well, I don’t know what I want. I mean I didn’t even get presents until I was eleven.” Harry points out at him.
“Well, you don’t need to worry about money so you can really ask for anything you want,” Ron tells him, draping his legs across Harry's.
“Yeah I know that but I’m not going to make them spend money on things I don’t even want,” Harry responds.
“Then ask for something you do want. Come on, there has to be something you wish for. What about another familiar? Or a vacation out of the country? If I could afford it, that’s what I would ask for.” Ron fantasizes about what his life would be like if he was rich like Harry multiple times. Fancy balls every winter, vacations every summer, and maybe a new owl that isn’t crazy like Pig.
Harry sighs again, “Those are great gift ideas, but Hedwig would kill me If I got another familiar and I don’t even know where I would go.”
Ron laughs, “You’ve never left Great Britain. There are plenty of places to go! But if that’s not what you want then so be it.”
They live there in silence for a couple more minutes as the sun filters through the window and onto the bed. Ron’s about to fall asleep when he hears Sirius call them down.
He groans and sits up, he grins when he sees Harry’s hair sticking up from laying there.
“What?” Harry asks him, narrowing his eyes.
Ron shrugs innocently, “Nothing.”
“Wha- Oh.” Harry cuts off as he sees his reflection in the mirror. “Stupid fucking hair.”
He attempts to smooth it a few times before giving up. Ron follows him to the kitchen to see the food they set out for supper.
“Sit down wherever you want Ron. We got takeout from some muggle place in town.” Remus tells him, handing him an empty plate.
He looks over at Harry who's already putting food on his plate smiling at something Sirius said.
Ron piles food on his plate and thinks about how fun this summer will be.
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By the time it was a couple of days before Harry’s, Ron still hadn’t got him a gift. He hadn’t been able to get away from him since he first arrived there. Every time they went into town Harry just pulled him around to every store and place he wanted to show him. Remus had warned him not to go into the muggle town without one of them to stay safe.
Harry still hadn’t come up with any gift suggestions for Sirius and Remus which made him feel a little better about it. Because that means neither Sirius nor Remus had gotten Harry a gift and they were practically his parents. And by practically he meant they were the closest thing to parents he will ever have and ever had.
Ron feels immense gratitude towards them for this, Harry deserves them and they deserve Harry. But that did mean he felt like an incursion in their home every once in a while. Like when they make an inside joke and Ron can’t laugh with them because he doesn’t understand it.
He had to step back and remind himself that he is a guest in their house and nobody how at home he may feel he already has a home at the Burrow.
Draco Malfoy had written a few more letters to Harry all of which Harry responded to. Ron didn’t understand the blonde boy's sudden interest in Harry, perhaps he felt bad. Perhaps he was trying to take them down for the inside but if Harry wasn’t worried Ron felt he owed it to him to trust his judgement.
He feels a little jealous Malfoy had only been writing to Harry even though he had been a menace to both of them. Hermione as well, in fact, she was owed a bigger apology they the both of them were. Ron was thankful he wasn’t a muggle-born and he was guilty he has to be. He supposes all purebloods are guilty of that. Maybe not Voldemort but even he wasn’t a pureblood, his father had been a muggle.
Technically Ron was higher up on the food chain than he was. If Voldemort was still alive Ron would have the time of his life shoving that in his face. But thankfully he was long gone thanks to Harry. Maybe that's why Ron wanted to get him a good gift for his birthday. Maybe that's why Sirius and Remus wanted to get him a good one as well.
Ron looks over at Harry who was dead asleep on their bed. Ron is amazed Harry doesn’t snore from how deep he sleeps most of the time. Ron grabs his coin pouch and sneaks downstairs to where Sirius and Remus were making breakfast and chatting. Normally Ron wouldn’t be awake this early but today he was dedicated to finding the perfect gift for Harry in town.
“Oh! Good morning Ron, what are you doing up this early? Nightmare?” Remus asks looking up from the newspaper he was reading.
“Nah I just wanted to get Harry a gift before he wakes up. I figured I would get another hour or so.” Ron responds grabbing a mug and pouring himself some coffee and milk. Harry hates the taste of coffee, much like Sirius. But Ron and Remus both love it.
“Oh good, I needed to go into town as well for some stuff for his birthday dinner. I can take you after I finish this bacon and eggs.” Sirius tells him, motioning towards the stovetop where the bacon was sizzling away.
“Great, thanks.” Ron finishes his coffee in a few gulps and hurries to get dressed upstairs.