Ron’s Bad Day - a gift for riot_grrrl_ria
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Title: Ron’s Bad Day
Author: androgynouscat
Gift for: riot_grrrl_ria
Pairing: Ron/Luna
Rating: PG (I don’t think it’s quite PG-13)
Summary: Ron is not having a good day. Fortunately his sister sends Luna to look after him.
Word Count: 1,679
A/N: Well I hope Ria likes this! It’s my first time writing either Ron or Luna so I take the blame for any oocness that comes across. I tried to include as many of the things you wanted as I could. The story is AU where everyone has a chance to redo the year at Hogwarts that they missed out on because of Voldemort. Enjoy!
Ronald Weasley was not having a good day. First off, he had forgotten one of his bags in his rush to get out of the house and get to King’s Cross. By the time he realized this fact it was far too late to return to the Burrow and no matter how many times he accioed it, it wouldn’t come.
Hogwarts had been rebuilt and it had been decided that students who wanted to return to redo a year could. Harry, Hermione and Ron as well as most of their year had elected to return and finish their education. Although Ron wondered why since Hermione, Harry and he were clearly in no need of more education: but Hermione had said there was absolutely no reason they shouldn’t attend Hogwarts for their final year and Harry was fine with going back and having everyone together one last time before they all set out in the world.
Ron’s bad day continued when, after arriving at King’s Cross, Hermione pulled him aside to have a “private chat” which turned out to be their break up. She said that they quarreled too much and that she didn’t think the relationship could withstand the turmoil. She still wanted them to be “the best of friends”, just without the whole “in love” thing. Ron had just sort of nodded dumbly, unsure what to do and Hermione had sprinted off to catch up with Harry. He had been left with his thoughts and a dumb expression on his face, the sun cruelly shining brightly overhead. Ginny had come over and tugged him along to the train. Either she knew and didn’t want to say anything; or she didn’t and just thought, like she usually did, that he was being dense. After dragging him to an empty compartment she left him behind to go find the others.
That’s when Ron began to furiously punch the seat behind him. Each punch increased in ferocity and slowly they became messy as his anguish was beaten into the seat. He knew Hermione had always had a problem with how he left her and Harry in the woods. That was why she did it. At least, that’s what he told himself as he watched each dent appear and disappear as fast as his fists flew. He felt hot tears prick at the corners of his eyes and he growled and punched even harder. The world narrowed to just the seat, his fists and the pain that each fist was inflicting, desperately trying to relieve any small amount of pain in his chest. It was hard to breathe, and Ron’s breath came in short, gasping bursts that never seemed to fill his lungs but he didn’t really care. He’d had a thing for Hermione for years, true he wasn’t the best at showing it, but then again all Weasley men were notoriously dense. What was he going to do now?
The sound of the compartment door opening caused Ron to jump and quickly switch to sitting with arms crossed looking down. Unfortunately he didn’t quite time it correctly, so he ended up sitting on the floor, looking down with his arms crossed. His ears burned red as he hastily clambered onto the seat, determined to keep his arms crossed and his head down.
“Sometimes I find sitting on the floor gives one a better perspective on the question they are pondering.” Spoke a trancelike voice. Ron looked up to see Luna looking over another copy of the Quibbler.
“Oh, er, yeah?” Ron muttered, “Ginny direct you here?”
“Yes, she said she was searching for Harry and Hermione but hadn’t come across them yet. Do you know where they could have gone?”
“No idea.” The conversation died away but the air remained claustrophobic, at least to Ron. He squeezed his hands into tight fists, yearning for Luna to go away so that he could take his rage out on the cushions once again.
“I don’t agree with you beating on those cushions, especially since Billynwicks tend to burrow into train or bus cushions while they hibernate, but if you wish to continue I won’t stop you.”
Ron looked up, startled, only to find Luna once again perusing the Quibbler, this time upside down.
“Well I er…I wouldn’t want to disturb the…Billy….ticks.”
“This isn’t their natural hibernating season. So I don’t think any would still be sleeping. Billynwicks are harmless, but if tickled will give off light.”
“Oh…” They lapsed into that oppressive silence once again. Ron’s chest tightened as the minutes turned to a half hour, then an hour. Ginny hadn’t returned with Harry or Hermione. Ron had no idea what he would do if Hermione was here though. Overwhelmed by the pressure in his chest, Ron went to punch the cushions, then remembered the Billna…whatevers and punched the wall of the compartment instead. The force of his punch dented the wall and he scratched himself on a piece of the wood.
“Merlin’s --!” Ron gasped and sat down again; staring at his slowly swelling hand and the small trickle of blood that came from one of his knuckles. For some reason he didn’t pull out his wand to fix it. All he could think of was how the pressure in his chest was alleviated, emptying out of him with the blood. He was shocked when he felt a pair of hands gently grasp his and felt a soothing cool seep over his hot, throbbing hand.
“My father made this salve. It’s a mixture of Cryllssnap sap and the oil from the skin of Frowop.” Luna said as she spread more of it over his hands. Ron had to admit that the salve actually was working, although it had a strangely slimey texture to it.
“-is my hand supposed to be turning green?”
“That is a side effect, it goes away within an hour or two, usually.”
“…..great.”
Luna continued to massage the salve into Ron’s hands, and he didn’t object. He only wished she had a salve for his heart as well. After she finished, Luna moved back to her original seat and Ron stared down at his green tinged hands, missing the contact. He remembered holding Hermione’s hand when they walked through Diagon Alley, when they sat watching a Muggle movie, running his hands through her hair, cupping her face, holding her close, feeling her body…; Ron felt the corners of his eyes itch with hot tears again and the pain in his chest returned two-fold. The silence was crushing.
“A pitcher of pumpkin juice.” Luna said suddenly and Ron jumped slightly.
“Er, what?”
“Whenever my heart aches, the first thing that I want is a pitcher of pumpkin juice.” Ron looked startled.
“How did you-“ And then realization stole over him. “Ginny asked you to stay in the compartment with me she never actually was going to bring Harry or Hermione here, was she?”
Luna smiled sadly, “She wanted to make sure you didn’t hurt yourself. She knew you would take it hard.”
The tears that had been straining behind his eyes suddenly broke free of the dam and he felt them streak down his cheeks. “So she knew…for how long?”
Luna shrugged her shoulders. “She didn’t tell me.”
“Damnit!” Ron felt betrayed and loved all at once and suddenly he was heaving and tears were everywhere. His breath coming out in gasps, he could feel his nose dripping and he dropped his head into his arms, his hands out stretched. His ears were red from embarrassment: embarrassed that he was crying, that Luna had been sent to watch out for him, but mostly because he hadn’t seen it coming.
He suddenly felt hands take his again, gently and soothingly. Luna didn’t massage his fingers, didn’t try to intertwine their hands, she just held his hands quietly.
“It’s ok, Ronald. Your heart wants the anguish out, so that it can heal and be happy again.” Ron looked up at her, face red and eyes full of tears, and nodded. Gradually the sobs subsided into hiccups and Ron had to remove his hands from Luna’s to wipe his face on his sleeve. She didn’t even blink at this just watched him.
“Thanks, Luna.” Ron said as he looked at her. He noticed behind her that the window had darkened. Clouds were out and Ron knew that it was going to rain soon. Luna looked behind her and also noticed this.
“Some parts of the world need rain to survive. The rain washes away the dry and old soil and the new soil is revealed. Rain is quite nice.” Luna spoke as she picked up her Quibbler once again. Ron gave a small smile and nodded to himself.
A silence settled once again as Ron stared out at the clouds for a while; thinking. Then he drew his attention back to Luna.
“Er, say, Luna, mind if I read that with you?” Luna’s lips curved upwards slightly as she nodded and got up to sit next to him. She held out one side of the paper to him and he grabbed it. Together they read each page in comfortable silence. After a while, Ron stopped reading and glanced at the blonde head beside him. He felt a small stirring in his chest and smiled, then looked out the window and saw that it had started to rain. It poured so hard that the landscape was obscured and the light in the compartment turned on over their heads. It was too dim to read by and Ron thought briefly of mentioning how it would be nice to have one of those Billvicks things. But he thought the better of it and instead chose to watch the blur on the window. Luna put down the paper and joined him in watching the rain outside. They sat together like that for the rest of the ride, together in peaceful silence, listening to the rain clatter over their heads; their hands splayed out on the cushion with pinky tips touching very slightly.
Title: Ron’s Bad Day
Author: androgynouscat
Gift for: riot_grrrl_ria
Pairing: Ron/Luna
Rating: PG (I don’t think it’s quite PG-13)
Summary: Ron is not having a good day. Fortunately his sister sends Luna to look after him.
Word Count: 1,679
A/N: Well I hope Ria likes this! It’s my first time writing either Ron or Luna so I take the blame for any oocness that comes across. I tried to include as many of the things you wanted as I could. The story is AU where everyone has a chance to redo the year at Hogwarts that they missed out on because of Voldemort. Enjoy!
Ronald Weasley was not having a good day. First off, he had forgotten one of his bags in his rush to get out of the house and get to King’s Cross. By the time he realized this fact it was far too late to return to the Burrow and no matter how many times he accioed it, it wouldn’t come.
Hogwarts had been rebuilt and it had been decided that students who wanted to return to redo a year could. Harry, Hermione and Ron as well as most of their year had elected to return and finish their education. Although Ron wondered why since Hermione, Harry and he were clearly in no need of more education: but Hermione had said there was absolutely no reason they shouldn’t attend Hogwarts for their final year and Harry was fine with going back and having everyone together one last time before they all set out in the world.
Ron’s bad day continued when, after arriving at King’s Cross, Hermione pulled him aside to have a “private chat” which turned out to be their break up. She said that they quarreled too much and that she didn’t think the relationship could withstand the turmoil. She still wanted them to be “the best of friends”, just without the whole “in love” thing. Ron had just sort of nodded dumbly, unsure what to do and Hermione had sprinted off to catch up with Harry. He had been left with his thoughts and a dumb expression on his face, the sun cruelly shining brightly overhead. Ginny had come over and tugged him along to the train. Either she knew and didn’t want to say anything; or she didn’t and just thought, like she usually did, that he was being dense. After dragging him to an empty compartment she left him behind to go find the others.
That’s when Ron began to furiously punch the seat behind him. Each punch increased in ferocity and slowly they became messy as his anguish was beaten into the seat. He knew Hermione had always had a problem with how he left her and Harry in the woods. That was why she did it. At least, that’s what he told himself as he watched each dent appear and disappear as fast as his fists flew. He felt hot tears prick at the corners of his eyes and he growled and punched even harder. The world narrowed to just the seat, his fists and the pain that each fist was inflicting, desperately trying to relieve any small amount of pain in his chest. It was hard to breathe, and Ron’s breath came in short, gasping bursts that never seemed to fill his lungs but he didn’t really care. He’d had a thing for Hermione for years, true he wasn’t the best at showing it, but then again all Weasley men were notoriously dense. What was he going to do now?
The sound of the compartment door opening caused Ron to jump and quickly switch to sitting with arms crossed looking down. Unfortunately he didn’t quite time it correctly, so he ended up sitting on the floor, looking down with his arms crossed. His ears burned red as he hastily clambered onto the seat, determined to keep his arms crossed and his head down.
“Sometimes I find sitting on the floor gives one a better perspective on the question they are pondering.” Spoke a trancelike voice. Ron looked up to see Luna looking over another copy of the Quibbler.
“Oh, er, yeah?” Ron muttered, “Ginny direct you here?”
“Yes, she said she was searching for Harry and Hermione but hadn’t come across them yet. Do you know where they could have gone?”
“No idea.” The conversation died away but the air remained claustrophobic, at least to Ron. He squeezed his hands into tight fists, yearning for Luna to go away so that he could take his rage out on the cushions once again.
“I don’t agree with you beating on those cushions, especially since Billynwicks tend to burrow into train or bus cushions while they hibernate, but if you wish to continue I won’t stop you.”
Ron looked up, startled, only to find Luna once again perusing the Quibbler, this time upside down.
“Well I er…I wouldn’t want to disturb the…Billy….ticks.”
“This isn’t their natural hibernating season. So I don’t think any would still be sleeping. Billynwicks are harmless, but if tickled will give off light.”
“Oh…” They lapsed into that oppressive silence once again. Ron’s chest tightened as the minutes turned to a half hour, then an hour. Ginny hadn’t returned with Harry or Hermione. Ron had no idea what he would do if Hermione was here though. Overwhelmed by the pressure in his chest, Ron went to punch the cushions, then remembered the Billna…whatevers and punched the wall of the compartment instead. The force of his punch dented the wall and he scratched himself on a piece of the wood.
“Merlin’s --!” Ron gasped and sat down again; staring at his slowly swelling hand and the small trickle of blood that came from one of his knuckles. For some reason he didn’t pull out his wand to fix it. All he could think of was how the pressure in his chest was alleviated, emptying out of him with the blood. He was shocked when he felt a pair of hands gently grasp his and felt a soothing cool seep over his hot, throbbing hand.
“My father made this salve. It’s a mixture of Cryllssnap sap and the oil from the skin of Frowop.” Luna said as she spread more of it over his hands. Ron had to admit that the salve actually was working, although it had a strangely slimey texture to it.
“-is my hand supposed to be turning green?”
“That is a side effect, it goes away within an hour or two, usually.”
“…..great.”
Luna continued to massage the salve into Ron’s hands, and he didn’t object. He only wished she had a salve for his heart as well. After she finished, Luna moved back to her original seat and Ron stared down at his green tinged hands, missing the contact. He remembered holding Hermione’s hand when they walked through Diagon Alley, when they sat watching a Muggle movie, running his hands through her hair, cupping her face, holding her close, feeling her body…; Ron felt the corners of his eyes itch with hot tears again and the pain in his chest returned two-fold. The silence was crushing.
“A pitcher of pumpkin juice.” Luna said suddenly and Ron jumped slightly.
“Er, what?”
“Whenever my heart aches, the first thing that I want is a pitcher of pumpkin juice.” Ron looked startled.
“How did you-“ And then realization stole over him. “Ginny asked you to stay in the compartment with me she never actually was going to bring Harry or Hermione here, was she?”
Luna smiled sadly, “She wanted to make sure you didn’t hurt yourself. She knew you would take it hard.”
The tears that had been straining behind his eyes suddenly broke free of the dam and he felt them streak down his cheeks. “So she knew…for how long?”
Luna shrugged her shoulders. “She didn’t tell me.”
“Damnit!” Ron felt betrayed and loved all at once and suddenly he was heaving and tears were everywhere. His breath coming out in gasps, he could feel his nose dripping and he dropped his head into his arms, his hands out stretched. His ears were red from embarrassment: embarrassed that he was crying, that Luna had been sent to watch out for him, but mostly because he hadn’t seen it coming.
He suddenly felt hands take his again, gently and soothingly. Luna didn’t massage his fingers, didn’t try to intertwine their hands, she just held his hands quietly.
“It’s ok, Ronald. Your heart wants the anguish out, so that it can heal and be happy again.” Ron looked up at her, face red and eyes full of tears, and nodded. Gradually the sobs subsided into hiccups and Ron had to remove his hands from Luna’s to wipe his face on his sleeve. She didn’t even blink at this just watched him.
“Thanks, Luna.” Ron said as he looked at her. He noticed behind her that the window had darkened. Clouds were out and Ron knew that it was going to rain soon. Luna looked behind her and also noticed this.
“Some parts of the world need rain to survive. The rain washes away the dry and old soil and the new soil is revealed. Rain is quite nice.” Luna spoke as she picked up her Quibbler once again. Ron gave a small smile and nodded to himself.
A silence settled once again as Ron stared out at the clouds for a while; thinking. Then he drew his attention back to Luna.
“Er, say, Luna, mind if I read that with you?” Luna’s lips curved upwards slightly as she nodded and got up to sit next to him. She held out one side of the paper to him and he grabbed it. Together they read each page in comfortable silence. After a while, Ron stopped reading and glanced at the blonde head beside him. He felt a small stirring in his chest and smiled, then looked out the window and saw that it had started to rain. It poured so hard that the landscape was obscured and the light in the compartment turned on over their heads. It was too dim to read by and Ron thought briefly of mentioning how it would be nice to have one of those Billvicks things. But he thought the better of it and instead chose to watch the blur on the window. Luna put down the paper and joined him in watching the rain outside. They sat together like that for the rest of the ride, together in peaceful silence, listening to the rain clatter over their heads; their hands splayed out on the cushion with pinky tips touching very slightly.