Chapter Text
When Ron got home, things were as bad as he dreaded, he hadn’t taken but one step before his mother (as if sensing his presence or waiting for him like a Bond villain) had descended upon him.
“ RONALD WEAASLEY! ”
“Mum?” Ron choked out in a pathetic whimper. Oh boy, not all the preparation he had done on the way home had helped. He looked at Ginny, but she had weaseled her way out and was climbing up the stairs.
“DO YOU REALIZE HOW WORRIED WE ALL WERE!”
“I thought about it…”
“WELL YOU CLEARLY DIDN’T THINK ABOUT IT ENOUGH! YOU’RE GROUNDED”
“I-It wasn’t my fault!” Ron responded, and his mother put her hand on her hips.
“OH REALLY! Then whose fault was it, Ron?! This new friend of yours?” His mother questioned sharply, the glint of an interrogator in her eye.
He could have easily blamed it all on Luna, although that would then make Mum look too closely at him and he didn’t need that, besides he was sure Ginny would never speak to him again “I-I got a bit carried away”
“Well, you know what I call it—running off! Getting lost! What if you never came back? What if the last time I saw you was in a missing poster!” Some emotion was slipping into her voice, a slight shaking at the end of her words that made Ron’s insides squirm with guilt “What the hell were you doing anyway?!”
Ron quickly responded with a lie he had made up on the way: “I was with a friend, and we got a bit carried away while Walking and got lost. Eventually, I ended up at their place…”
“Hmm” His Mum was obviously unimpressed “And who is this friend ?”
Ron responded quickly “Someone I’ll never hang out with again” he lied with the most honest voice he could “I promise” It seemed to work since his Mother’s glare softened.
“You promise?” She raised a brow.
“I promise” For a moment he had the foolish hope that he might have gotten away with it but-
“Oh and also you’re grounded for the rest of the Month, No Telly, No Music! Nothing! you hear!”
Ron sighed, he had accepted it on the way home and he had already thought up ways to keep himself entertained so he wasn’t overly affected.
“Yes Mum” he turned around and marched up the stairs, thinking already of playing chess against himself.
After a few rounds in his room, he came to the conclusion that he was too good at chess against himself, he threw himself down on his bed, maybe he could read a book? The thought didn’t excite him, he could get started on that History homework… he decided to step outside, maybe a little bit of movement somewhere else besides his confined room would do him some good, he stepped outside and immediately found Fred And George hanging outside, like two predators that had tricked their prey to come out.
“What are you doing here?” Ron asked.
“Standing Around” Fred Said.
“Can’t we stand around in our own house?” George Continued “For shame, seems you’ll have to do something aside from moping around”
Ron sighed and attempted to walk away but was stopped by Fred and George appearing in front of him, acting like a sort of human wall.
“So! You must have done something to get yourself grounded” Fred Said “What was it? I heard you stayed over at a friend’s house!”
“A friend’s house?” George got that smirk on his face, that sadistic and awfully happy smirk that made Ron want to go into his room and never come out “Wouldn’t bother to introduce us to her?”
“She wasn’t!-” Ron quickly fell silent before stammering again “He and I just talked, then we just fell asleep and didn’t wake up”
“It’s such a shame you didn’t inherit any of our ingenuity Ronnie” George smirked.
Fred continued “Could have saved you some trouble”
Ron sighed again “What were you doing outside my door? Are you just here to annoy me? Go annoy Percy! He deserves it”
“Good idea, Ron. If you keep those up, maybe you’ll make something of yourself.” They shoved through him and swaggered away. Ron once again cursed his life in general.
He walked down the hallway, on the prowl for Percy. The last thing he needed was a speech from him. Thankfully, he heard Ginny’s friendly voice.
“So everything’s fine Luna?” Ginny said, holding the phone to her ear.
Ron’s interest peaked.
“I see” Ginny muttered, Ron walked towards her and tapped her on the shoulder.
Ginny spun around, the cable almost twisted around her neck. She raised the phone defensively but stopped when she saw Ron.
“Do you want to call Ronniekins?” She gained a mocking style as Ron went red “Yeah that’s what we call him, Totally, He gets red and embarrassed when mom calls him that in Public”
Ron who was red with embarrassment rolled his eyes and turned to walk away, Friendly voice, Right.
“Hey, hold on. Do you want to talk to him?” Ron could practically hear Ginny’s evil grin. With all the annoyance he could show, he turned with a frown and saw her holding out the phone to him.
“Hi,” he said as he took the phone, he looked around paranoically for his mother.
——————————————————
Luna was staring at the Roof with a blank expression, the design of her room was one of navy blue lines over a softer lighter blue, it reminded Luna of Present Decorations, she wondered that if her room was turned into a present with her on it, would the recipient like her?
“Oh hello, Ronald,” she said plainly after a moment of silence.
“Hi Luna, are you fine?”
A part of Luna felt touched that Ron cared. She also felt tired; she was fine, could nobody see that she could handle it?
“Oh yes, no problems over here,” she said, looking into the blue lines, did they ever end? They were twisting and stretching infinitely across the light blue sky, like cosmic highways that led to other planets, she could imagine someone proposing on the road overlooking Jupiter, despite the celestial ring behind them, the only one that mattered was the one that had the spirit of love in it.
“Oh that’s good,” Ron said, he suddenly realized he didn’t have much to say “So what are you doing?”
“Thinking” Luna responded, scrunching her nose in thought “Say, Ronald, if you were a gift would you think you were a good one?”
“Huh?” was the response on the other end.
Luna continued “If you were gifted to someone, would you consider yourself a good gift or a bad gift?”
There was silence on the other end, it was a strange question but she’d like to hear Ronald’s perspective on it.
“You’re not planning on selling me right?” He Joked.
Luna giggled “I wouldn’t mind getting you on Christmas,” she said “I don’t particularly like Christmas, I never want enough things for Christmas to make a list”
“Well we can’t afford too much so we got one thing only, no need for lists, not unless you’re Ginny of course”
“You still haven’t answered my Question Ronald” Luna switched positions and sat up, her head intensely leaning in as if Ron was there with her.
“Well, I guess, I guess I’m kinda funny” He giggled nervously “Don’t put that in print though, I do not want to be a bestseller”
“Humbly, I think I would be a good gift,” Luna said.
“That’s the least humble thing I’ve ever heard”
“Wel,l what do you think? Would you like me as a gift?” A part of Luna noticed that she had set up Ron in a trap but she was too busy noticing the way her wooden bed frame distorted impossibly to notice.
“Sure…” Ron sounded Unsure “Why Not?”
“Thanks, Ronald”
“Why were you asking that? What could possibly inspire that question?”
“My roof looks like gift wrapping, or now it looks like the lines in a candy cane, strange”
“Riight” he drew the word out as if he was still trying to understand “I hope your life is alright at the moment, mine isn’t”
“Whatever could that mean?” She asked.
“My mum was pretty pissed off when I came home, she was afraid someone murdered me, and now I’m afraid she’s gonna murder me”
“It surely can’t be that bad?” She said,
“Yeah cuz you mostly talk with Ginny, Mum would defend her in court if she stole the crown, you don’t know what it’s like out there for me, I bet your mom never shouted at you”
Luna’s stomach churned uncomfortably, the walls seemed to close in tighter and tighter, she longed now for the green hills of her previous home, it was all too suffocating now, she started taking deep breaths.
“Hey, you alright?” Ron asked “You sound weird”
“Oh yes, fine, completely,” she said quickly, trying to focus on something else aside from the images of her mother… she focused on the sound of Ron’s voice “Talk to me, please” she pleaded.
“I-?” Ron sounded distressed “Are you sure you’re alright?”
“Ronald,” she said softly but commanding in a way that was almost imperceptible “Please”
“Well- I can tell Ginny if something’s wrong,” he said but Luna sharply responded;
“No I need to hear you, your voice is nice but rough, it’s a lot like you, It’s common but special”
“Maybe you oughta try to be a poet, Luna, Nobody complains you’re weird if you’re a poet,” Ron said “Besides sometimes I get poetry and sometimes I don’t, so it’s perfect”
“I’d rather be a photographer really,” She said “Oh, Ginny told me not to tell you this but I’ve photographed you a couple of times”
“Oh” Ronald didn’t sound as surprised as he would have been earlier “Yeah that Figures… wait when did you?”
“Most often when you were smoking after school”
“You Need to Burn Those,” he said quickly “I don’t want that getting out”
Luna sat up on her bed, a perplexed look on her pale face “And how would that happen?”
“I can see Ginny using them to blackmail me” Ron responded, it sounded like someone was shouting at Ron’s house but Luna couldn’t hear well over the phone “I have to go” he whispered into the phone with urgency “Take care alright?”
Luna heard the line disconnect but she was still holding the phone as she got out of her bed, she could feel the air leaving and entering her body despite that it felt like there was no air at all, it often happened with her that she couldn’t feel things even if she was consciously aware that she was feeling them. It was like how she didn’t take in that she had left the bed, it all happened in a single moment.
She approached her record player and with no care, played the disc that was already on there and laid back on her room’s floor.
A soft smile crept up on her face as Please Please Me played, the phone laid next to her.
——————————————————
Ron stepped to the Dining Room, scratching the back of his head, what was all that about? He’d hoped to escape his troubles and worry by talking to her, it certainly worked, now he was mainly confused and worried about her! A part of him wanted to cut the whole thing off and go back to the expected grayness of just a few days ago but now he was far too struck thinking of the colorfulness that Luna seemed to bring to a stop.
“Hey mum,” he said, avoiding her as she finished cooking, danger seemed to beam from her, from the way she was moving the bacon in the pan to the way she was standing, Ron had learned from his mother (and Fred and George) that even the simple act of existing could be the most threatening thing one could do.
“You’re not going to talk your way out of this Ronald” she snapped “At least Fred and George know to beg forgiveness”
Ron stood still for a moment, his eyes moving around the room as if she was talking to thin air “I was just saying Hi”
“I’d prefer if you set up the dishes” she ordered “Just wait till your father hears about this”
After Finishing Setting Up the Dishes, Ron sat down on his corner of the table, there was a mundane miserableness to it, at least People on Death Row got the chance to be alone, he would have to deal with his family first.
“ EVERYONE! DINNER’S READY!” Ron Hadn’t realized how loud his mother needed to shout to get everyone’s attention until he was standing next to her.
“Mum, you know I think you missed your calling As a Rock Singer or Opera Singer,” he said.
Everyone came scrambling in at once, Percy came down first, hurrying to his chair with an annoyed expression on his face.
“Fred and George are at it again” he bemoaned.
Fred got down first, rushing towards the table Before George grabbed him by the hair and pulled him to the ground with a slam.
“Boys! Boys! No Running!” Ron’s mother cried.
“Sorry Mum, I just wanted to be the first to taste your delicious grub of today,” George said as Fred stood up.
Ron’s Mum rolled her eyes as she started to serve up Dinner; Beef with Roasted potatoes and some pie. The food was delicious (like his mother’s cooking always was) but his mood hampered any enjoyment he could gain, It was a pretty depressing situation if he might say so himself and he couldn’t see any way to make it better unless he spontaneously developed Magic Powers and told Ginny that Luna was acting strange.
“Say Ron” Percy said, after swallowing a fork-full of potato “Where were you last night? Not getting into any troublemaking I hope?”
Ron felt bad for Percy’s possible future children, they would surely come out as tight-bolted as he was and live in one of those colorless houses. “No, nothing at all,” he said demurely Picking at his beef
“What do you care Percy? Fred exclaimed, not at all for his defense, of course, this house was everyone-against-everyone, especially for Fred and George concerning Percy “You stay out sometimes too”
Their mother spoke up “That’s because we know who he is getting out with! We know he is trustworthy! We have no idea what Ron was doing! He may have been smoking marijuana for all we know!”
Ron almost choked on his drink- a lmost- but he thankfully saved himself, he steadied his breathing and remembered how he had prepared himself for this occasion “Mum, you’re being paranoid, I wanted to call but-”
His mother sent him a glare that made him shut up and sink into his seat “Not. Another. Word. Ronald Weasley, until your father gets home” That murdered the conversation and they all relegated back to silence, Ron shot a look at Ginny who responded in kind with a raise of her eyebrows and excitedly munching down on her food. There was no sympathy in this house, Ron knew that because he’d done the exact same thing.
“We’re finished ma,” the twins said instantaneously, showing off their empty plates as if they’d done an effective magic trick which in a sense it was, the fact they’d controlled their appetite so they could pull off the joke was impressive, most times they’d race each other to the finish.
Next Was Percy, who quietly excused himself and washed his plate (alongside the Twins’). Ginny must have kicked herself for that one.
Ginny finished first and was about to wash her dish when her mum spoke up:
“Oh leave it to Ron, Dear, he’ll wash it alongside his”
Ron slunk in his chair at the Injustice, at that moment the front door opened with a groan to let in a man who also came in with a groan, it was unnerving how equally tired a door and man could sound.
“Hello Dear,” he said as he walked in and kissed Ron's mother on the cheek, Ron noticed his shoulders were unusually slumped and they made him look small, he hung his hat and coat and sat down, it took him a moment of scanning the table to realize Ron was there.
“Oh Hello Ron, I expected you to be in your room” It took him another moment to remember last night “And when did you get back?”
Ron opened his mouth but his mother cut off whatever he could say with her sharp voice “This Afternoon Arthur, Ginny had to meet up with him at school” She stepped back to the kitchen, turning her back on them.
“Hmmm and what did you do last night?” His Father said, contrasting his mother’s harsh tone with a more inquisitive one, if his mother was a tyrannical dictator who got the truth out by fear, his father was the one who got it out by niceness, Ron loathed his father’s approach, it made him feel guilty.
“I-Well…”
“It wasn’t a girl right?”
Ron felt dazed for a moment before getting his bearings “I-No-No, I was out with a friend and we got lost, so I stayed over at his place… I was too tired to call, I’m sorry really!” his voice cracked at the last part.
His father looked at him and then at his mother before sighing “Son, I understand you want to have fun with your friends, it’s a changing world out there, I get it, I really do but there are ways to do without blowing us off, we’re your family, we were put here so you could always have somebody behind your back, somebody you can come back to” he leaned back in his chair making the wood creak, his mother entered the room again she crossed her arms and stood beside his father like an executioner waiting for the judge to sentence “Son… Ron, I know that you have been quiet recently, and your mother and I… want to help you, you can’t stay in all day… and that is why”
Ron leaned in closer, he hated how he could feel his heartbeat reverberate across his whole body.
“That’s why we’re putting you to work son”
“WHAT?!” Ron was about to say something else before his mother cut him off.
“It’s final, Ronald Weasley, if you aren’t going to try in school, if you don’t do anything then you’ve forced our hand to try to give you opportunities”
“You Start next week, Ron”
Ron felt too dazed to speak instead he let his mouth hang open as he felt his body freeze almost as if his lungs had stopped taking in air “But that’s not- that’s not fair!” he finally let out
His father suddenly looked very tired “It’s what’s going to happen”
Ron looked at the two of them before standing up and walking out of the room without another word.
————————————————————————————————
The Bar played a song that Luna could barely understand, its guitar was slow and then fast, calming and then thunderous in its disorientation, much like the world around her it terrified yet awed her.
“As I was saying Luv” the man in front of her continued but it took a moment for Luna to focus on him, she was far too enraptured by a little girl in the corner who looked suspiciously like her.
The Man in front of her was Barty Crouch Jr. His father was a name that appeared in the newspapers right next to descriptions of new laws passed by narcotics, despite that he had a bud in one hand and a bottle of wine in the other which he seemed to take turns digesting.
“Your father owes me some Money that I really need” he took a swig of wine, his eyes which were bland and black and rested on sunken eyelids closed in ecstasy as he drank, his whole frame seemed to gain more life as he gulped it down but this newfound liveliness faded as soon as he turned back to stare at Luna “And I really need it, man”
Luna took a moment to readjust her mind, she remembered getting out of the house and coming to the Pub but what she couldn’t remember was how she had ended up sitting next to Junior nor if she had dressed herself, she looked down and was relieved she was wearing clothes, The fact she was forgetting bothered her, it was time to leave and go back home even if she would rather not be home but then where would she like to be? Luna couldn’t answer, that bothered her too.
“I think I'm gonna go on a flight,” she said with no tone “Because sir, frankly? You frighten me” She stood up to leave turning away from him, the wine bottle shattered against the floor, Junior had taken hold of her arm, despite his sickly form, he had surprising strength.
Luna felt as if the world around her must have stopped, the booming music fading into silence as everyone around turned to stare but no the music went on as did the million conversations around them.
“Listen to me Tinker Bell” Junior growled “You get me that money and I'll let your father drink himself to the grave, if you don’t, I'll put him there myself”
“My daddy’ll take care of it,” she said almost on reflex, Junior released her and Luna held her hand close to her chest.
“I doubt that” he flashed a smile of nearly yellow teeth, decaying but not yet dead.