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‘I’ll be right back, just going to take a quick shower!’
Ron nods at Harry and takes a seat on the living room’s couch. They had been playing Quidditch outside and while he was still fairly clean, Harry had landed face first into a puddle trying to save the Quaffle. Hermione sighs next to him, she had reprimanded them about pulling stupidly dangerous stunts over a ball and Ron had to bite his tongue not to make a joke about the lengths some people went to for balls.
‘Oh, hello Ron, Hermione,’ Remus smiles warmly at them when he walks in the room. ‘I thought you were going to be outside for a little while longer?’
‘We were going to, before —‘
‘Before Harry went and got a mouthful of mud to catch that ball.’ Hermione butts in.
‘Ah,’ Remus’ grin grows tenfold. ‘Must be genetics. You have no idea how many times Lily threatened to scrourgify James’ mouth.’
‘Not only her,’ all three of them turns to Sirius who had just entered the living room. ‘My James, always eating dirt, it’s good to see some things just stick.’ His remarks about Harry’s father used to feel sour, but now his fond expression only ignited warmth and laughters.
‘Let’s hope he never tries to kiss somebody with that filthy mouth.’ Remus jokes and neither he nor Sirius miss the way Ron stops looking at them and smiling altogether.
‘Mm, any of you fancy a cuppa? While we wait for Harry, dinner will be ready in a while.’ asks Sirius and when both Ron and Hermione nod, he gives a meaningful look to Remus. His husband nods before moving to the kitchen. ‘Hermione, dear, give him a hand, will you?’
They share a quick look and Hermione’s eyes light up as she seems to understand at once.
‘Oh, yes! Of course,’ she stands up and follows Remus to the kitchen after giving Ron a wink. Ron blinks, confused.
‘So, out with it,’ Sirius starts, plopping onto the armchair in front of Ron. ‘Why won’t you ask my Godson out?’
Ron’s cheeks go crimson. ‘Wh — what?’
‘Wh — wh — wha, what?’ the older man mocks him, but it’s not mean spirited. ‘Don’t play dumb, Weasley. I asked you why you won’t ask Harry out.’
‘I, just, uhm…’ If Hermione was there, she would make a comment on how she could hear the screws turn in Ron’s brain. He ultimately gives up trying to find an excuse. ‘I don’t want to make a fool out of myself.’
Sirius blinks slowly, taking him in.
‘Why,’ his voice is careful when he speaks. ‘Why would you be making a fool out of yourself?’
‘Harry is so — !’ Ron slaps a hand over his mouth before his voice can get too high. ‘He is so… Amazing and bright and everybody wants him.’
‘That he is,’ Sirius agrees. ‘That’s all good stuff, yeah, but you haven’t answered my question.’
‘Don’t you get it?’ Ron looks at him strangely. ‘He is just… way too out of my league, I don’t want to ask him out and be humiliated when he says oh, Ron, that’s nice but —‘
‘You think that? You think Harry would humiliate you?’
‘No! I mean… Not on purpose… But he won’t go out with me just because he’s nice,’
‘Of course he won’t go out with you just because he’s nice,’ Sirius reasons. ‘He’ll go out with you because he is nice and he likes you.’
‘Harry doesn’t fancy me,’ Ron deflates visibly, then adds when Sirius raises an eyebrow, ‘he doesn’t! You can just see it when Harry likes somebody, you know it, he gets all quiet and shy and watches them from afar.’
‘You have that much experience watching the way Harry behaves around people he fancies?’
He gulps. ‘Yeah… With Diggory and that Ravenclaw Cho Chang… You know I had to watch.’
The older man shifts in his seat and when Ron finally gets the courage to look him in the eyes, he gets the feeling Sirius knows something he doesn’t.
‘So Harry doesn’t like you back because he doesn’t act the same way he did around Cedric —‘
‘You call him Cedric!’ Ron whines, interrupting Sirius. ‘He liked him so much, I know he’s going to come back and take Harry back —‘
‘Calm down, kid,’ Sirius interjects with a hard look. ‘Harry isn’t something anyone can just come and take, I hope you are aware of that.’
Ron’s cheeks colour once more. ‘Of course, I know that. He just… He wouldn’t like me, I’m not pretty or good at Quidditch or at magic and —‘
‘Look, Ron,’ the boy’s rambling is cut off once more. ‘I don’t know why you’d think you need to prove something for Harry to like you, but I can tell you that what Harry values is sincerity and what I value is the commitment one has for him. You have always stuck by him, haven’t you?’
A knot forms in Ron’s chest, at the height of his heart. ‘Well…’
‘That fourth year mess is gone and forgiven, you can stop dwelling on it. I recall you promise never to leave him again?’
‘Yes, sir.’
‘Alright. And you also seem to be pretty taken by him, no?’
The boy’s cheeks colour once more. ‘Yes, sir,’
‘Then I don’t see why you would be scared of rejection?’
‘I’ve already said, he is just… too good.’
Sirius sneers. ‘Yes, you’re right, my Harry is well too good for anyone, but I can’t keep him in a crystal ball because nobody deserves him. You make him happy, Weasley, don’t throw away your shot.’
Just as Ron is about to reply, they hear footsteps approaching and Harry, freshly showered and changed, hair still wet, enters the room.
‘Dinner’s ready,’ he announces and Ron realised that Remus and Hermione never came back with tea. ‘I hope Pads hasn’t been tormenting you.’
Harry smiles sweetly at him and Ron feels his chest tighten, his fingers clench from how much he wants to walk up to the boy and kiss his wet mop of hair. Harry was still short.
‘Too late, Bambi, I was just about to bring out the torture devices.’ Sirius jokes and Ron’s laugh is strained not because he was scared, but because Harry had walked up to them and took his hand.
‘Ah, ah, very funny. Let’s go, I want Molly’s treacle tart.’
‘You know you can’t have dessert before dinner,’ the older man reprimands him and Harry rolls his eyes.
‘The sooner we get to the table, the closer we are to dessert time!’
And just like that, Ron lets Harry drag him to the dining room, a small smile on his face as his eyes are fixed on the way Harry’s hand clasps his.