Interloping Enticement

..interloping enticement..

...*chapter four

ron's POV

all right near twilight

in feverish anticipation

of a new day

my words become

mangled in a

burning bowl

I received the letter from Dad the next morning. Nothing could have prepared me for it.

Dear Ron,

I’m afraid I have some terrible news. I have lost my job at the Ministry. It was very sudden. Your mother and I would appreciate it if you and Ginny could come home for the weekend so we can address the issue together as a family.

Please don’t let your spirits abandon you. We will get through this.

With love,

Dad

I closed the letter numbly, and automatically searched for Ginny. Even though I already knew about Father’s losing his job, much thanks to Malfoy, it still hit like a thousand cold knives, rushing through my body at once. I felt a plethora of different emotions at once: anger at the Ministry, sadness for my father, embarrassment about the situation, and shattered pride for my family. I felt helpless. I knew there was nothing I could do about it, but I couldn’t help feeling completely helpless.

I climbed through the portrait and into the Gryffindor Common room, clutching the ill-fated letter in my hand. I scanned the room for Ginny. No sign of her. I plodded down the steps like a zombie. I hadn’t had a good sleep the night before, I’d lingered in that place between being awake and asleep all night long. My thoughts had never given me a break once. It was completely dreadful.

I felt two hands from behind me reach up and cover my eyes.

“Guess who?”

“Well,” I said, “judging from your feminine voice and cat-like, slender fingers... I’m going to take a risk and guess Professor Snape?”

I heard a giggle, and Hermione stepped in front of me. “I hope you’re not suggesting that Snape and I have similar features!”

“I HOPE not,” I said, giving her hair a little tug. She smiled brightly at me. I suddenly remembered that there had been awkwardness between us for the past few days. I hoped everything was alright now. I could use all the support I could get. “Listen, Hermione, I have some bad news...”

Hermione saw the grave expression on my face, and immediately shifted into her empathetic mode. I told her the horrible news, and I read her the letter. I felt a lump forming in the back of my throat, and sharp tears stinging in my eyes. I tried fighting them.

“Oh, Ron,” said Hermione, furrowing her eyebrows in deep concern. “Oh, Ron, I really don’t know what to say. Do you need anything? Is there anything I can do? I’ll do anything I can, just let me know. How awful, Ron. I’m here for you.”

I felt the tears welling up in my eyes again. “I’m fine, Hermione. Honestly. I just feel so horrible for my father. I mean, he doesn’t deserve this. I feel so helpless,” I admitted, feeling a hot, fat tear tremble down my cheek.

Hermione reached a finger up and caught the tear, then took my hand and led me to a corner of the common room. She grabbed some cushions from a couch, and put them on the ground. We sat in silence for a few minutes.

“So, you have to find Ginny,” stated Hermione slowly. “I think she is in Herbology right now, but it should be over any minute, so that’s good, right?”

She gave me a kind smile, and I nodded without saying a word, for fear of completely breaking down. I heard movement behind me, and when I turned around to see who it was, I was greeted with Harry’s smiling face. My chest tightened. He was exactly the person I wanted to see.

“Morning,” greeted Harry happily, still cleaning his glasses with his robes. “I feel like I could have slept through the whole day. Bloody class.”

Harry gave his lens a final polish, and slid the glasses onto his face. He blinked a few times and looked at my expression. Immediately, he dropped to his knees, and put a hand on my shoulder.

“Ron? Are you alright? Why are your eyes red? What’s going on? Is everything alright?” Harry looked like he was going to implode with curiosity.

“Dad lost his job,” I said in a robotic tone. It was becoming easier to say it as the day wore on.

Harry’s eyes widened, and he instinctively took my hand in his, and started rubbing it. “Oh no, Ron. Just... Oh, no.”

“I have to go home this weekend,” I croaked. My voice sounded foreign to me. It was daring me to cry, and daring me to stay stable at the same time. “We have to discuss things as a family.”

Harry nodded, and patted my hand gently. Hermione did a double-take at the affection that Harry was so blatantly showing, but just shrugged it off and started rubbing my back. “We’re here for you,” said Hermione in a whisper. “No matter what, we’re here for you.” Harry nodded again.

I looked at the clock on the wall and sighed. “I wonder if Professor Dumbledore and Professor McGonnagal know about this yet.”

“I think you should go talk to them, either way,” said Hermione. “I’m willing to bet that they do, but I still think you should go talk to them.”

“I’ll walk you there. We can go now,” offered Harry, standing up. Hermione and I stood up as well, dusting our bottoms off from the dusty floor.

“I’m afraid that I have to go to the library,” said Hermione. She gave me a warm smile. “I trust Harry to take care of you. You’re in good hands.”

Hermione gave me a quick kiss on the cheek, and darted away. I looked at Harry. He looked at me. I shrugged. “Shall we?” asked Harry, with a flourish.

Harry and I walked side by side down the crowded corridors without saying anything. I watched all of the other kids. They were so happy. They didn’t look like they had a care in the world.. I cursed the Ministry again. How could they be so heartless? They must have known what they were doing.

Harry placed his hand gently on my back as we walked. It was that simple gesture that made me feel more at ease. We rounded a bend into a corridor that was empty, except for us. Harry walked me to where Dumbledore’s office was.

“Do you want me to come in with you?” asked Harry softly.

I nodded. “If you don’t mind.”

Harry smiled and shook his head, and muttered “Lemon Drop”. We stood back as the gargoyle statue jumped aside, and revealed a large, spiral staircase, escalating higher. We got onto the staircase, and walked up it.

I had been in Dumbledore’s office before, but it never ceased to amaze me each time I saw it. It’s such a grand room, which fits the personality of Dumbledore exactly. His phoenix, Fawkes, was sitting quietly in the corner of the office, watching us curiously. We stood before Dumbledore’s desk. Harry reached over and took my hand, rubbing his thumb ever so slightly over my palm. I shivered.

“I was expecting you,” said a voice from behind us. We jumped a little, and turned around. Professor Dumbledore was ascending the staircase gracefully. He made his way to behind his desk, sat in his great chair, and looked at us. “I just want to start by saying how very unfortunate your situation is. I am very, very sorry and am offering my deepest empathy.”

I bowed my head. “It’s alright. I mean, thank you, sir.”

“I understand that you are going to need to return home this weekend,” said Professor Dumbledore. “I have arranged for a Portkey to be available that will take you straight to your front door. Your parents will be expecting you Friday, around noon.”

“Thank you, Professor.”

“Ron,” said Dumbledore gently, “worse things have happened to worse people, and they always find a solution. You have a wonderful, strong family. I have absolutely no doubt in my mind that your devotion to each other will be all you need to thrive. Your father is an extremely determined man.”

I nodded and bit my lip to keep from crying again. I knew Harry could sense how close I was to breaking, because he moved closer and put a hand on my shoulder. Dumbledore’s face softened. “And you have the most loyal friend that anyone could ever ask for,” he said softly.

Harry looked at me with a small, sad smile. “I know everything is going to be just fine, Ron. And I’m going to help out in any way that I can.”

Dumbledore stood up. “I will let your sister know about the arrangements, Ron. It is Thursday. You have a day to relax and gather your things together.” He walked out from behind his desk and escorted us down the spiral staircase. “I know things will be alright. Have a safe trip. Take care of yourself.”

Harry and I watched as the staircase ascended with Dumbledore standing on it. The gargoyle jumped back into place, and all signs of Dumbledore’s office were then gone. The corridor was completely empty and had a dim glow, the late morning sun peeking in through the opaque windows. I sighed shakily and looked at Harry tiredly. “I should go put my things together to go home tomorrow, like Professor Dumbledore said,” I said quietly.

Harry put his arm around my waist, and I kissed his forehead. He moved his other hand so that it danced up my back, my neck, and finally entangled his fingers in my hair. I stroked his cheek for a moment, just looking at him, feeling like he was the only thing in the world that I felt sure about.

We started walking back, and we eventually had to let go of each other as we approached the crowded corridors. I didn’t like being in crowds of people anymore. I felt like everyone knew about my situation, and I felt embarrassed. I could feel my cheeks flushing as we walked through all of the students from different housesthat were running about, trying to make it to class on time. Again, I couldn’t help feeling spiteful towards the other students; I wished I only harbored the concerns of getting to class, like they did. Like I used to.

When we reached our dorm, Harry dropped me off and said a quick goodbye. He had to go to class. I didn’t feel like focusing on Herbology, so I decided to stay in the dorm and pack for my weekend at home, as planned.

I stood in front of my trunk and inspected it. It was my older brother Bill’s from when he had attended Hogwarts. Though he had taken excellent care of it, it still showed signs of wear and tear. There were scuff marks on the sides. One of the brilliant brass locks was falling off. Placed about the trunk were old, peeling Quidditch team stickers. It was a typical Weasley hand-me-down. I gazed around the room, eyeing the other boys’ trunks. None of them were second-hand. They were all shiny, and proud. Brand new at the beginning of their Hogwarts career.

I carefully opened my trunk and took a look at what was inside. I owned a good amount of clothes, but they were also all second-hand. That is what you get, growing up in a pauperized family, with five older brothers. While I appreciated it, I also hated it. Having gone through five boys already, the clothes had holes, and the edges on the pants and sleeves were frayed. My robes were also survivors of previous Hogwarts students, so they too were fraying and holey. I caught sight of my heinous dress robes, which I had attempted to put a spell on to make look more presentable, but had only resulted in making them look even more stodgy.

My only new pieces of clothing were the sweaters my mother had knitted for me each Christmas, and some socks that Dobby the House-Elf had given me as a present. The sweaters were in varying colours, and had the letter ‘R’ on them. They made me feel like I was branded, letting the world know I was part of the Weasley family. I think it must have been pretty obvious, by my vagrant appearance alone.

I took out a bag and tossed some clothes in it. For some reason, it seemed like everything was making a lot more noise than usual. The sound of my clothes hitting the coarse bag was enough to give me a headache. It made me realize how truly alone I was right then. I closed my trunk and sat down on it. It creaked irritably. I sighed and drew my knees up to my chin.

It would be good to be home, I thought to myself. I needed my mother’s love and touch. I missed my brothers. I had to see for myself that Dad was alright. I longed to sit in my own room at home, and gaze out my window at night. The stars didn’t seem so out of reach when I was in the comfort of my own room.

I let my mind wander to Harry, and the time that I saw him wish on a star. I smiled to myself. Just the very thought of him put me at ease. I wished he had stayed with me rather than going to class, but I didn’t want him to get into trouble with anyone. I closed my eyes and imagined his face, his smell, his touch. I imagined his sweet voice in my ear. I could nearly feel his smooth fingers, tracing the lines of my back, easing the tension out. I felt hypnotized by my own thoughts.

My mind eventually traveled back to my family. I felt exhausted. Times were going to be a little harder than usual, I told myself. Maybe I was worrying for no reason. I sincerely hoped that my innate desire to overreact and embellish things was coming into play this time. At least I had a strong, closely knit family. Dumbledore had said that it would be all that we needed. I trusted Dumbledore. I shouldn’t have been worrying.

But still...

I didn’t have time to delve into any more thoughts. The door burst open and Dean, Neville, and Seamus came charging in. My eyes lingered on the door to see if Harry was right behind them, but no such luck.

“How’re you doing, Ron?” asked Seamus, patting me on the back.

“Swell,” I replied dryly, wishing so much that his voice hadn’t been quenched in pity. “How was Herbology?”

“Simply arousing,” replied Dean, grinning. “But don’t let us bore you with the erotic details.”

Neville shivered. “There is nothing erotic about Professor Sprout. Nothing. But you’re in luck, Ron. We barely did anything today, except listen to a lecture about classroom safety.”

“Didn’t we get that lecture the first day we ever had that class, five years ago?” I asked, slightly amused.

Neville blushed. “Yeah, we did. It was more of a reminder, because certain students are clumsy. It’s no great feat to break pots and plants, you know.”

“Not for Longbottom, anyway,” chuckled Seamus. “We’re going to head to the Great Hall for some food. You want to come with?”

“Sure,” I said, figuring that perhaps Harry was there. I stretched my legs and stood up, yawning. My stomach grumbled at me, and I realized that I hadn’t eaten in over twenty-four hours. Bloody unbelievable.

I walked with the guys to the Great Hall. When we arrived, I spotted Hermione sitting at the end of the Gryffindor table, away from everyone else, reading a thick book, and chewing on a dinner roll. I wandered over, and sat down in the seat across from her. She was so engrossed in her book that she didn’t notice my appearance.

I watched her face as she read. She was obviously concentrating pretty hardly, because her eyebrows were slanted downwards, and she was chewing on the insides of her cheeks, like she always did when she was deep in thought. Deciding not to disturb her just yet, I scanned the Great Hall for Harry. My eyes trailed over to the Slytherin table. I frowned when I saw Draco Malfoy, laughing and having fun with his toadies, Crabbe and Goyle. I wished I could deliver some horrible news to him. He looked up and noticed me staring at him. I quickly averted eye contact, but my eyes just simply couldn’t stay away. Draco was now staring at me, and I couldn’t read the look on his face. It wasn’t the usual look of disgust that we always exchanged. It sort of resembled sympathy, but I excused that thought. He wasn’t capable. Was he?

“Ron!” cried Hermione, finally. “I didn’t see you there, I was so engrossed in this book.”

I gave a little smile. “What’s new. How’s the food tonight?”

Hermione shrugged. “Nothing amazing, but nothing terrible, either.”

I nodded vaguely, and traveled my eyes back to the Slytherin table again. Draco’s gaze was no longer fixed on me. In fact, he wasn’t even there anymore. “Listen, do you know where Harry is?”

“He said he had to take care of some things by the Quidditch pitch,” replied Hermione. “He didn’t say what. I didn’t really think to ask.”

“Alright,” I said, slightly disappointed. My plate in front of me filled up with food, and I ate it hungrily. Hermione closed her book, and rested it on the table.

“Are you all set to go home? Did you get to talk to Dumbledore?” asked Hermione.

“Yes, to both,” I answered. “It went well. He knew all about it.”

Hermione nodded, and bit her lip in concern. “Ron, I’m sorry. I know I have been a pain lately, with all my confessions, and things of that sort. I just want you to know that I don’t want you to think about anything I’ve told you, unless it helps you.”

“It helps, Hermione. It really does. I feel so alone and embarrassed right now. It’s really great knowing that someone is sticking by me. Thanks, “ I added, reaching across the table and taking her small hand in mine. “I love you, Mione. I really appreciate everything.”

She nodded with a sad look on her face, but didn’t say anything. She just released her hand from my grasp, and gathered her things. She stood up curtly. “I have a lot to do,” she said, her voice catching in her throat, ever so slightly. “Um, I will talk to you before you leave, I’m sure.”

“Okay,” I said awkwardly, wondering what I did wrong. She said goodbye to me and ducked away. I was alone again. I could tell that it was going to be one big weekend full of unwanted solitude. I suddenly lost my appetite, and pushed my plate away from me. The word ‘alone’ flowed through me like poison. Alone, alone, alone. It was taunting me. I felt like I needed to get away from myself.

I then realized why I felt so alone; it was because I had not seen Harry all day. I was physically aching to see him. It was rare that I ever went so long without seeing him, unless it was summer, or something of the like. I abandoned my food and went off on a search for him.

Hermione said he was at the Quidditch pitch. I ran up to my dorm to get my outdoor robes and wand. I saw Harry’s Quidditch uniform and gear slung over a chair carelessly, so I knew he wasn’t actually practicing. I put on my robes, and headed down the stairs and out of Gryffindor Tower. I knew that soon I would be embracing Harry once again, and I felt excited.

I clambered down many flights of stairs to go outside, not stopping for anything or anyone. I hoped Harry was still where Hermione said he would be. I reached the outside door, and went out. Taking a few deep breaths, I immediately felt better. The crisp autumn air felt wonderful in my lungs. It was such a serene night, yet so alive with vigor. I stretched my long legs as I walked, taking long strides. The fallen leaves crunched under my feet. In the distance, I could hear the lonely voices of the night, such as owls, crickets, and other such evening creatures. They were hauntingly soothing. We were all alone, together.

I walked in the direction of the Quidditch pitch. In order to do that, I had to walk somewhat close to the outskirts of the Forbidden Forest. The Forest pretty much held no secrets for me anymore. I smiled to myself and thought about all the times that Harry and I had ended up in the Forbidden Forest. We had been through a lot together. With Harry on my mind again, I sped up my pace.

I reached the Quidditch pitch. It was strange to be there with no one in the stands, no cheering, and no people flying around on broomsticks, dodging bludgers. It was even stranger to be there at night. The grass was freshly adorned with dew, and the pale moonlight made it glitter like a thousand diamonds. I was almost afraid to walk on it.

I walked to the bottom of the stands and looked around. There was no sign of anyone, and I sighed. I guessed Harry had already gone back to the dorm. Feeling slightly put out, I shoved my hands in my pockets and started to walk away. I had only taken a few steps when I heard a slight movement from above. I paused and felt a little frightened. After all, I was outside at night, right near the Forbidden Forest. I dared to look up to see what made the noise.

It was Harry, sitting on the very top bench of the Quidditch stands. I could just barely see, but I knew it was him. I let out a big breath that I was unaware of holding, and started to climb the bleachers. With each step I took, I could feel my sexual tension rise a bit. It was almost too much to bear. I needed to feel Harry’s touch as soon as possible.

Harry saw me approaching him, and looked a bit startled at first. His frightened expression turned into one of silent elation. I felt wild movement in the depths of my stomach. He was so close, so within reach. He broke our tacit connection.

“Ron.”

Harry’s voice pierced the evening air, and floated between us. I finally reached him, and sat next to him, hardly containing my eagerness. Harry grinned at me and scooted over so that we were touching. I wrapped my arms around him, and kissed the top of his head.

“What are you doing?” I asked, brushing the raven locks out of his eyes.

Harry shrugged. “Thinking. Just thinking about stuff. Avoiding things. I don’t know.”

“Yeah,” I said quietly. “What are you avoiding?”

“Well,” said Harry slowly, “I’ve been sitting here trying to think of things to say to you that could possibly make you feel better. Trying to think up ways so this doesn’t have to be so hard for you. Wishing that it was happening to me, instead of you. I just feel like I have nothing to offer to you or the situation, you know? I’m at a loss.”

“Oh, Harry,” I said, taking his face in my hands. “Don’t ever feel like you have nothing to offer. I don’t care if you say nothing at all. I just want you. I feel like you are the only thing in the world that I have.”

Harry looked at me with sad eyes. “That’s not true, Ron. You have so much more than you think. You’re so amazing... you don’t even know.”

I smiled and kissed his lips. He kissed me back, and moved his hands down my back. I caressed his thick, dark hair and tasted his lips hungrily. He was cool and moist, refreshingly delicious. We broke apart, and he leaned against my chest.

“It’s nice here,” said Harry in a soft voice, “because it’s such an unlikely spot for solitude. During the day, it’s filled with activity, and you would never know how great a thinking spot it becomes at night. No one would ever think of it to be an escape from the chaos, because it is the center of it.”

“I’m sorry I spoiled your secret.”

“No,” replied Harry, looking up at me. “I’m really glad you found me here.” He sat up and sighed, moving over a little so that we weren’t touching anymore.

“Harry?” I ventured.

He looked at his feet. “I’m going to miss you this weekend. A lot.”

I was about to ask him why, when I suddenly realized: I was going home that weekend. I would be without Harry. I would be more alone than I ever wanted to be. I closed my eyes, and took a breath. When I opened them again, Harry was staring at me intently. He moved back over to me and rested his head on my shoulder. I rested my head on top of his head, and reached for his hand. Our fingers laced together.

“I’m scared,” I admitted quietly. “I don’t know what to think. I feel like I can’t do this alone. I know my family will be there, and they are really terrific, but I don’t know if I can go through this without you.”

Harry looked me in the eyes. “Ron, I know how you feel. I know what it feels like to have almost nothing, and to be completely alone. Trust me. But you have a really good thing going for you.”

“What’s that?”

“You aren’t alone. You have a whole family. They’re all so supportive, Ron. You have everyone here at school. You have... Hermione,” he said quickly. He then dropped his head to one side and gave me a small smile. “But you also have me, and I am not going anywhere. I would have given anything to have someone like you all through my miserable years at Privet Drive, Ron. I love you. I want you to remember that any time you feel like you are alone. I love you. Look at the stars if you need to be reminded.” He smiled and kissed me on the nose. “I love you.”

I was at a loss for words. It was a somewhat good thing too, because I knew if I spoke, I would start to cry once more. Harry sensed this, and put his arms around me, rubbing his hands up and down my arms. I shivered at his gentle touch, and savored it, knowing I would be without it for a few days. I felt his warm lips on my neck, lingering near my collarbone for a moment, and then traveled upwards to my ear. His tongue flickered in and out quickly, grazing my cool skin.

Quickly forgetting about how cool it was outside, I felt the warmth flow into every vein of my body. I kissed Harry on the lips, lacing my fingers with his, taking in his scent. He smelled of thick grass after a spring rainstorm, with just a hint of butterbeer and spice, so refreshing to me. We kissed deeply, tenderly, desperately, until we gasped for air.

I leaned against the back of the stands, and Harry rested his head on my chest. He began fingering my belt buckle.

Stroking Harry’s raven locks gently, I sighed. “I don’t know how I am going to get through this weekend without you,” I said again, this time letting it really sink in. Harry’s hand traced up my stomach and chest, and fingered the clasp on my robes.

“I wish I could go with you,” said Harry softly, carefully undoing the clasp. He placed both of his hands on my chest, and pushed my robes off of my shoulders. He placed his lips on my collarbone, and kissed it gently. I exhaled, and shoved his robes off, too. I closed my eyes and nuzzled Harry’s cheek with my nose. He turned his head towards me, took my face in his nimble hands, and placed a single kiss on my hungry lips.

“Only three days or so,” Harry whispered, tracing my neck with his fingertips. “It will be alright. Everything is going to be fine.”

I sighed in what I wished to be relief, but it came out more shaky. I leaned back against the stands again, and Harry leaned against my chest. He wavered up and down with my rhythmic breathing. We sat in silence for a few minutes. Suddenly, I sat up, making Harry flounder.

“Harry, what if I can’t come back? What if it’s too much money, and I can’t go to Hogwarts anymore because we need to save up for house bills and things?” I panicked.

Harry had a slight look of alarm in his eyes, and then relaxed his face. “Nah,” he said with a little smile, shaking his head. “That can’t happen.”

“Why not?”

Harry squinted at me thoughtfully, and shook his head again. “Because,” he said confidently, leaning on my chest again.

“I’m tired,” I realized, stifling a yawn. Harry nodded, and we both stood up. I grabbed Harry’s robes and wrapped them around his broad shoulders. He was shivering noticeably, and I wrapped my arms around him to give him extra warmth. He gave a little laugh at my shameless excuse for contact. I smiled a little, and picked up my own robes.

Harry and I held onto each other’s fingers as we made our way down the stands. We didn’t say a word until we got back inside the castle, where we met up with Hermione. She had been waiting at the entrance of Gryffindor Tower, where she had been pacing around anxiously. She stopped in her tracks when she saw us coming, and put her hand on her hips and tapped her foot.

“I’ve been looking all over for you two,” Hermione whined. She stopped tapping her foot and folded her arms.

Harry and I looked at each other. “You couldn’t have been looking that hard, Hermione,” Harry teased. “I told you exactly where I was going to be.”

Hermione made a face. “Alright. Let’s go in, then.”

We crawled through the portrait, and walked to the stairs to the dorms. Our steps were echoing against the walls, and there were only a few Gryffindors sitting in the Common Room. The fire was dwindling down in the fireplace.

“Well,” said Hermione, twirling her hair nervously, “I don’t expect I’ll see you again before you leave for the weekend.”

Harry smiled awkwardly, patted me on the back softly, and hurried up to the boys dorm, leaving Hermione and I alone on the landing. I opened my mouth to say goodbye, but Hermione threw her arms around me, hugging me as tightly as she could. I resisted at first, but then relaxed and hugged her back. She seemed so delicate. I felt like holding on too tight would destroy her.

“You’ll be okay,” I heard her say in a muffled whisper. “I would do anything for you, Ron. I just want to let you know. You deserve the world, and I want to give it to you.”

“Thank you,” I said breathlessly, perfectly aware that I WAS potentially destroying her emotionally. She cared for me in a way that I wasn’t prepared to handle. I released her, and we just looked at each other for a few short moments. She finally sighed, and advanced to the door to the girls dorm.

“Give my love to your family, Ron,” she said, smiling faintly. I watched her go through the door, and shut it firmly behind her.

“I will,” I said softly to no one in particular. My voice bounced gently off of the walls. I turned around and headed up to my room. As soon as I walked in, I saw that everyone, including Harry, was already asleep. I trudged to my closet and changed into my pajamas, gazing wistfully at Harry’s mess of lumpy blankets on his bed.

As I approached my bed, a wave of fatigue washed over me. I drew back the curtains on my bed, fully prepared to fling myself onto my pillow and fall asleep.

As soon as I had drawn the curtains back, I gasped in surprise. I saw Harry, snuggled down under my covers, wearing blue too-large pajamas and a big smile.

“I saved you a spot,” he said impishly, motioning next to him. I grinned widely and climbed under the covers with Harry, closing the curtains behind me. He moved up against my body, intertwining his legs with mine.

“You’re warm,” I said, moving my hands up and down his torso. He smiled again, and wiggled his toes against my leg. They were freezing. “Hey!”

He laughed quietly, and silenced me by kissing my lips. I felt every part of my body and soul relax.

“I can’t believe you’re leaving me,” whined Harry, caressing my shoulders.

“Harry,” I said lightly, “I will never, ever leave you.”

“Promise?”

I nodded.

“Just making sure.” He smiled, and brought his fingers up to graze my lips. He yawned suddenly, and kissed my neck gently. “I really do love you.”

“I love you. Goodnight, Harry.”

“‘Night, Ron.”

*********

I woke up the next morning to the sun in my eyes creeping through the curtain cracks, and an elbow in my side. I shifted around until I heard Harry groan beside me. I rolled over and wrapped my arms around his waist, grazing his collarbone with my lips.

“Mmm,” murmured Harry. “Good morning.”

I grinned in reply, taking his lower lip in my mouth gently. He moaned and slid his hands down my back, lingering at the dangerously low-riding waistband of my pajama bottoms. I unbuttoned a few buttons on the top of his pajama bottoms and ran my hand over his smooth, silky skin. He was warm still, and smelled of sleep.

He looked at me, green eyes glittering against the intruding sunlight. “It feels like it is either really late, or really early,” pondered Harry, exploring my lower back area with his hands curiously.

“It doesn’t matter,” I told him, placing small kisses on his broad chest.

“I bet we missed breakfast.”

I wrinkled my nose. “It’s comfier in here.”

Harry nodded, bringing his hand back up to my face. He stroked it tenderly, searching for something in my eyes. “What are you thinking about?”

Harry shrugged. “Mainly about how lonely the next few days are going to be. I’m trying to capture this moment clearly in my mind so that it stays fresh all weekend.”

I suddenly felt really awake, and rolled on top of him. He widened his eyes and looked at me curiously, the corners of his mouth turning upwards. “What are YOU thinking about?” he asked slyly.

“Well,” I began, suddenly shy and feeling knots in the pit of my stomach, “I thought-...”

I was cut off by a door bursting open and footsteps hurrying in. Harry and I froze, eyes open wide in fear. We looked at each other, and I smoothly slid off of him, and peeked out of the curtains.

I found myself face to face with Professor Dumbledore.

“Ah, good,” said Professor Dumbledore, eyes twinkling as he smiled. “You’re up. I came to tell you where your portkey will be.”

“Oh... great,” I squeaked, feeling my ears turn the shade of my hair. I sincerely hoped that Dumbledore’s skills didn’t go as far as being able to see through thick curtains.

“I’ve already told your sister. You will find an old watering can near my office against the wall on an end table. You know how to travel via portkey, I presume?”

“Yes,” I gulped, feeling Harry’s breath on my back. I moved my leg around, signaling for him to stop. He swatted my bottom in reply. “Yeep!”

“Very good. I hope your trip does you well, Ron. Try to relax this weekend. It is 11:30, you have half an hour to prepare yourself.” Dumbledore smiled warmly, and bowed his head as he walked out the door, closing it behind him.

I gave out a very lengthy sigh, and went back behind the curtains. I attempted to give Harry an annoyed look, but he was just sitting there cross-legged, with a winsome smile on his face. I gave his shoulder a nudge. “You’re funny.”

“I try,” retorted Harry, cocking his head to the side and rocking back and forth on his legs. I shook my head with a chuckle, and climbed out of the bed. He followed, dragging his too-long pajamas bottoms on the floor with him. We got dressed for the day in silence, exchanging awkward looks with each other every once in awhile. I knew he was thinking the same thing as me: We should have been taking advantage of our last half hour together for awhile. But just the same, we proceeded in silence.

I grabbed my bag, slung it over my shoulder, and looked at Harry. “Guess I’m ready,” I said needlessly.

Harry made a face and walked up to me. “Alright,” he said sadly. He placed his hands on either sides of my waist and explored my chest area with his eyes. He eventually was looking in my eyes, and gave me a little smile. “I’ll be here when you get back. I’ll always be here. You know that...right?”

I nodded quietly, taking his hands in mine. He sighed shakily. “Come on, it’ll be alright,” I said, trying to convince myself more than Harry. “We’ve gone months without seeing each other.”

“That was different, and you know it.”

“Yeah, I know,” I admitted. I wrapped my arms around him in a gigantic hug, followed by a smooth, passionate kiss. We broke apart, and I started walking backwards towards the door. Harry perched himself on my bed, and gave a little wave.

I smiled, gave him one last lingering look, and headed out the door. Trying to pull myself together, I strolled to where Professor Dumbledore had said the portkey would be.

Once I had reached there, I saw my sister Ginny standing near an old rusty watering can, clutching her weekend bag. We greeted each other.

“Ready?” she asked, trying to smile cheerfully.

“I guess so,” I said, walking toward the watering can. I looked at Ginny a little more closely, and saw that her eyes were puffy from crying. I closed my eyes and tried to think of something to cheer her up. “Mum’s cooking this weekend.”

“Mmm,” she replied half-heartedly. I shrugged at my effort, and checked the clock on the wall. It was exactly noon.

We each gripped hands with each other, and placed a hand on the old watering can. I closed my eyes tightly, and felt myself being taken away to another place... a familiar place.

It was going to be a long weekend.