Work Text:
A Cunning Christmas Charm
Harry followed Ron with his eyes. Ron's red hair shimmered like copper in the warm, unsteady light from the fireplace and whenever he passed one of the floating candles, strands of gold shone forth.
Harry sighed and knocked back the last remaining inch of Molly's famous mulled wine, thinking about how Ron had been avoiding him all evening. Well, not avoided exactly, it wasn't that Ron ignored him or didn't talk to him, but his mate sounded a bit too matey, and his eyes never met Harry's for longer than a split second.
Harry had made an attempt earlier to start one of their usual discussions about whether the Chudley Cannons or Puddlemere United would win the Quidditch World Cup. Talking about Quidditch usually never failed to help them to get over whatever stood between them, but this time it hadn't worked. Ron had just stared at Molly's hopelessly fussy Christmas tree as if he would get a prize for spotting an unoccupied branch, and eventually Harry had given up.
Since then he'd tried to find comfort in the cosy haze that several mugs of mulled wine provided, and did his best to stay out of the way of the numerous members of the Weasley clan bustling around each other in well organised chaos. Molly's voice kept them all busy, ordering them to refill the biscuit plates, heat up the mulled wine, levitate the stack of plates from the kitchen to the living room, polish the wine glasses, and whatever else needed to be done to prepare the table for supper.
Harry's stomach tightened with uneasiness as he imagined sitting beside Ron and watching him flinch whenever their elbows or thighs would meet by accident. His gaze flicked to the mistletoe that hung over the door to the kitchen and he nodded to himself. Yes, he would rely on the tradition of kissing beneath the mistletoe to help him clear up the situation with Ron. He was certain that otherwise he wouldn't be able to do the Christmas goose justice or enjoy all the other hearty dishes Molly would serve.
When Molly next ordered Ron back into the kitchen, Harry stood up and followed him. Now was as good a time as any to try his luck, he thought. Harry stumbled into Ron and they both reached for the doorframe to steady themselves, the mistletoe chiming cheerfully above them.
Ron turned to face him and his eyes narrowed when he saw who he was stuck with. He pressed his back against the doorjamb as if to keep as much space as possible between them; his gaze darting up to the mistletoe and back to Harry.
Seeing Ron panicking like a trapped animal, Harry already began to regret his plan. With all the Weasleys curiously gathering around them, he wished he had chosen a more private moment to confront Ron. Even Molly had exited the kitchen, wiping her hands on a tea towel.
Harry followed her glance up to the mistletoe and when she opened her mouth, he pressed his back hard against the doorframe, half-expecting a howler-like tirade. But she only shook her head and stated with a sigh, "Some old jokes never seem to lose their appeal."
With guilty relief Harry watched her turn to Fred and George, her stern expression mellowed by the smile that tugged at the corners of her mouth. "Enchanting the mistletoe? I really thought you were much too old for such nonsense. I would at least have expected something more original!" Harry caught her exchanging an affectionate glance with Arthur. "The last time I heard that chime was about twenty five years ago!"
Fred and George raised their palms, eyes wide and innocent. "It wasn't us," Fred said.
"Yes, why does it always have to be us? Why don't you accuse her for a change?" George added, pointing at Ginny, who stood at Molly's side.
"Me? Why would I want Harry and Ron to kiss?"
"Right," George said. "You wouldn't want that, would you, little sister?" He wiggled his eyebrows meaningfully at her, and Ginny blushed and stuck out her tongue.
"Stop it, both of you!" Molly threw the tea towel at Fred and George. "When trouble appears on the horizon, it's always you!"
"But as you said yourself, we would never do anything as traditional as that!" The twins bristled, as if the accusation of pulling such a basic prank wounded their pride. Molly didn't seem to hear it, she waved in the general direction of Harry and said, "Look, you've managed to get our guest into a very embarrassing situation." The twins shrugged, expressions clearly indicating that they were used to being wrongly accused.
Harry hadn't felt that embarrassed until she had said it, but now he didn't know where to look and what to do with his hands. And it only got worse when Molly made a shooing gesture at Ron and him, saying, "Now, now, boys. Don't let them get at you! Just a quick peck and you'll be done."
"Mom, we know that you think Harry needs all the love he can get to make up for his years with the Dursleys, but this is taking things too far!" Charlie elbowed Bill and they both burst into laughter.
"Haha. Very funny! Why is it always me you're making fun of?" Ron complained, glaring daggers at his brothers. Strawberry-coloured spots were burning on his cheeks, giving Harry an idea of what his own face probably looked like.
Percy's humourless voice put an end to the bantering. "Finite," he said dryly and pointed his wand at the mistletoe. It rustled as if tickled and chimed dissonantly. Not a promising sound Harry thought, but Ron exhaled in relief and took a step towards Fred and George, blue eyes still blazing.
"Ouch!" He jerked back as a flash showed where he had violated the magical boundaries of the charm that kept them locked in the doorframe.
"Sorry, brother. Seems as if there's no way around it." A corner of Percy's mouth dropped in a frown, and he tucked his wand away, looking even more disgruntled than usual by his family's inappropriate behaviour.
Harry cursed himself for his stupid idea to use this silly Christmas tradition to fix the situation with Ron. He blamed his impulsiveness for it. Why could he never wait for things to resolve themselves? Now there was no other solution than to do as the Mistletoe Charm demanded.
"Ron," he said, pushing off the doorframe and boxing his friend lightly on the shoulder. "It's just me. Let's get it over with, I'm starving." He tried for a casual grin, faltering slightly when Ron flinched from his touch, just as he had imagined earlier. At least, and Harry took it as a sign of progress, he didn't avert his eyes when Harry captured his gaze.
Slowly, Harry lifted a hand to Ron's neck, as Ron's brothers whistled and hooted in the background. Distracted, Harry swept his eyes over them, relaxing when he met friendly nods and encouraging winks. Only Ginny's lips were pressed together in a thin line, her stare burning into Harry. He sighed mentally, he had been afraid that she might have a crush on him, but had hoped he was only seeing things. Maybe the idea with the mistletoe had been a good one after all, as this kiss would clear up a lot of misunderstandings.
He turned to Ron again, who stood rooted to the spot. Harry looked into his eyes and smiled nervously. Ron didn't smile back, but Harry refused to get discouraged. This was the moment he had worked towards and he was determined to make the best of it. Burying the fingers of his other hand in Ron's hair, he pulled him close. Ron didn't answer his touch, showed no reaction of his own, just followed Harry's guidance.
Harry closed his eyes before bridging the small remaining distance between them. Softly, he pressed his lips to Ron's, brushing his nose with his own.
He kept the touch light, not wanting to scare Ron by putting too much of his heart into the kiss. For a long second nothing happened. Ron's lips were warm and welcoming, but his arms dangled at his sides, though Harry desperately wished for them to come up and wrap themselves around him.
Harry realised that he wasn't the only one affected by the rising tension; the whole room had fallen silent, the absence of the otherwise ever present mumbling and laughing too loud in his ears. He waited for a sign, for Ron to show him where he would like this to lead, but Ron stood stark still, as if he was only waiting for it to be over.
Disappointed, Harry cautiously retreated, his heart plummeting. The moment his lips were about to leave Ron's mouth, a barely audible whimper escaped Ron's throat, and his arms locked around Harry's waist, keeping him in place.
A warm glow sparked in Harry's chest as Ron finally answered the kiss, the feeling of his lips moving on his own melting Harry's anxiety away.
Whistling and clapping erupted around them, almost drowning out the excited jingle of the mistletoe signaling that its mission was accomplished. Ron broke the kiss abruptly, and when Harry opened his eyes, he saw him wiping his mouth with the back of his hand. Harry's happiness evaporated, he knew Ron well enough to interpret that gesture - he only did that when he had tasted something unpleasant.
Embarrassed, Harry turned to flee for the privacy of the loo, in desperate need of a few minutes alone with his shattered hopes, but Ron's fingers around his wrist stopped him mid-move.
"Mate."
There was a new tone in Ron's familiar voice, and Harry's spirits rose. This wasn't the matey mate he'd hated throughout the day, this was a mate full of new meanings Harry couldn't wait to explore. He took Ron's hand and when he looked up from their entwined fingers, Molly's eyes caught his.
She had an arm slung around Ginny's shoulders, whose face was pale, her freckles an unhealthy shade of grey. Molly's expression was torn, and though Harry had never really had a mother, he could understand how hard it must be for her to be happy for her son while she shared the grief of her daughter.
Harry smiled at her apologetically, though he couldn't really feel sorry about the way things had turned out, and dragged Ron to the huge pot of mulled wine, knowing that he would need another mug of liquid courage to face the teasing Ron's brothers would be sure to throw their way.
Later, when he returned from a visit to the loo, he took a moment to lean in the doorway and watch the family he thought of as his own. Sighing happily, he shoved the shrunk edition of Nikolaus Frost's Cunning Christmas Charms - 100 Tradition-based Ways to Make Your Wishes Come True into the back pocket of his jeans. It had proven to be very useful. He winked at the mistletoe, lifeless now that the charm had been solved with the kiss.
"Merry Christmas," Harry said when he sat down beside Ron, enjoying the feeling of their hips and thighs pressed together. Ron's eyes were endearingly hazed by several cups of mulled wine and Harry gave up all attempts at chasteness, kissing him fully on the mouth. Ron's lips tasted of cinnamon and pepper, sweet and sharp, and Harry thought it was the perfect flavour for a Christmas wish come true.
***** fin *****