fics_by_maple: (Harry/Ron kiss)
[personal profile] fics_by_maple
Title: Taking Liberty With Happy Endings
Pairing: Harry/Ron
Word Count: 1329
Rating: PG-13
Warnings: Slash, Deathly Hallows Spoilers
A/N or Prompt: Written for the Deathly Hallows Slashy Epilogue Challenge at [livejournal.com profile] harry_and_ron.
My thanks to [livejournal.com profile] mrsquizzical and [livejournal.com profile] gwen1170 for the help.

I’m not entirely certain this qualifies or even makes a lot of sense, but here you go!




~^~

Ron joined Harry where he sat on a fallen tree trunk, blown over long ago by the tempestuous winds that blew up the cliff side by Shell Cottage. Ron followed Harry’s gaze where he watched the family and friends gathered there.

“So …?” Ron’s open-ended question lingered. “What should we do now, mate?”

“I guess it depends. There’s something I haven’t told you yet.”

Ron huffed. “There’s a surprise.”

But in spite of his sarcasm, he turned, raising a leg to straddle the trunk, facing Harry and edging a bit closer. “Tell me, then,” he said, looking hopeful.

“Ok … I saw something else when I was … you know?” Harry shifted and Ron frowned. Neither was comfortable with acknowledging Harry’s recent death.

“Alright, go on.” Ron nudged Harry’s knee with the back of his hand, but he didn’t retract it. He rubbed the outside seam of Harry’s jeans with his knuckles while Harry spoke.

He told Ron of the future life nineteen years ahead of them. Ron’s cool blue eyes met his with understanding warmth each time he gave him quick, furtive glances during the tale. When Harry finished, he finally looked up and Ron’s ginger eyebrows knitted and the look of compassion dissolved into a boggled scowl.

“You dreamed all of that?” Ron said.

“No, it wasn’t a dream. It was real.”

“But you said King’s Cross was white and clean and stuff. That’s not real.”

“Well no, that part wasn’t real, obviously, that was all in my head. But what will happen later, that was real.”

Ron gave him that look again and drew a deep breath. “So, are you trying to tell me that’s what you came back for?” He was clearly trying to be Harry’s strategist here, but the tone of hurt in his voice was still evident. “To marry my sister and be a dad and give your kids insane names?

No. I came back for … everything.” Harry waved his hands around indicating the world at large. “I couldn’t just leave everyone … you, to him.”

Ron was clearly not interested in dealing the more serious issue at hand.

“Only you’re barmy enough to experience the ‘here after’ in King’s Cross Station of all places!”

“Well I wouldn’t have stayed in King’s Cross. … I don’t think. I could have taken a train to someplace cooler, you know.”

“You couldn’t have, you were naked!”

“I wasn’t always naked. I found clothes!”

“And besides, you already said there weren’t any trains.”

“That’s because it was metaphorical!” Harry snapped, his exasperation mounting. “It’s where I crossed into the magical world and began my life as a wizard. I was on a journey, get it? And I had to figure out what direction I wanted to go in.”

“And what kind of ‘after life’ could you have in the Underground anyway? What, were you going to eat from a fish and chips cart forever? Raid the Starbucks trolley for the rest of time? That’s a rotten paradise.”

“Will you stop it?” Harry poked Ron in the ribs. “This isn’t funny! I’m trying to tell you about the life we can have.”

Frustrated, Harry stood, but before he could take a step, Ron grabbed his arm and yanked him back down hard, so that he was sitting on the tree between Ron’s legs, his back to Ron’s chest. Then Ron’s arms were around him, his fists clenching where they crossed over Harry’s chest.

“I do get what you are saying, Harry,” Ron said sharply and low into Harry’s ear. “I heard every word. How you want for us to go over there,” he shifted their shoulders so they could see the people in the distance in Bill’s garden, “and get together with Hermione and Ginny and have normal lives and make babies. … I get it, OK?” He released Harry and sat back. “But you’ll forgive me if I’m not thrilled about you choosing my sister over …us.” The last word he muttered quietly.

“Us?” Harry turned to face Ron, only inch apart.

“I dunno.” Ron shrugged. “Sometimes I thought maybe … guess I was wrong.”

“You’re not wrong. Sometimes …” but Harry couldn’t voice it either. There were so many moments when he’d been forced to think of what he loved the most in the world, and wasn’t it always Ron? “But that’s not it,” Harry continued. “Ron, I had to tell you. It’s not just my future. It’s yours too. You have a right to choose.” Harry looked over at the people gathered in garden. Most were coupled off into tidy pairs, gazing adoringly at baby Teddy. “We’re happy, our future selves. We have good lives and we’re still best mates. That’ll never change.”

“Right. So you have to choose between finally getting the family you never had or. … I can’t give you Little James and Little Lily – morbid as fuck by the way - and Albus Severus.” Ron rolled his eyes and fake retched. “You must be wrong, because if we’re still mates in the future I’d never let you name one of your kids ‘ASP’ – honestly!”

Harry reached out and aimlessly took a handful of Ron’s t-shirt in his hand.

“I just wanted to give you a choice, Ron! To tell you that I know you’re going to be happy! I can’t promise that life with me would be that easy.”

“Life with you has always been a picnic, has it?” Ron snarked.

Harry sighed. Ron’s fingers began slither over Harry’s hand where he gripped his t-shirt. He rubbed over faint scars and circled his knuckles and then ran his thumb over the edge of Harry’s thumbnail.

Their eyes met and Harry raised his eyebrows acknowledging the attention Ron was bestowing on his hand. Ron let out a snuffled, breathy snort. He let go but Harry grabbed his fingers and held them.

They looked at their clasped hands and both blushed, unable to meet each other’s eyes.

“I guess it’s stupid to consider this. I mean we’ve never even - we don’t know for sure if-”

Ron pounced. In the twinkle of an eye, Harry was flung off the log out of sight of the house, with Ron on top of him.

He yelped and wrestled on instinct as they’d always done. Ron was chuckling too and he was focused on Harry’s eyes with a fiery intensity that took Harry’s breath away.

He stopped trying to throw Ron off then. Instead he relaxed, for the first time like this, and let Ron’s weight settle onto him. Ron gave into the closeness as well and became heavier, letting his lithe body press onto Harry’s, touching solidly from thigh to chest.

“I thought you knew when the Horcrux showed you what I was afraid of,” Ron said quietly.

“That you were afraid Hermione fancied me?”

“No. That you fancied Hermione.”

“But I told you then, she’s like my sister.”

Ron nodded. “Yeah, I get it now.”

Harry was breathing deeply through parted lips when Ron dipped his head and pressed his mouth against Harry’s.

They separated, watching each other and breathing heavily into each other’s mouths before kissing again, longer this time, teasing with the slight touch of wet, curious tongues.

They parted once more, looking for renewed assurance. Their pounding hearts thundered against their joined chests, which confirmed the unasked question. They dove into a kiss again with unashamed open mouths, pulling each other closer with handfuls of hair and clutched clothing. Harry felt the rasp of stubble along Ron’s upper lip, a thrilling texture he’d never felt during a snog before.

It was perfect.

“Yeah?” Ron breathed the question.

“Oh, yeah.” Harry answered.

“So, we can just choose a different future?” Ron asked, nuzzling his nose along Harry’s cheekbone.

“Exactly. We’ll just, pretend like we never knew about the other future.” Harry turned to seek another kiss.

And all was well.

~^~
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Date: 2007-07-29 02:36 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] pperthinhymn.livejournal.com
Oh my. Now this was just gorgeous and for sake of all argument, I'm pretending this happened instead of -- well, yes. We don't talk about that.

Amazing♥

Date: 2007-07-29 03:09 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] fics-by-maple.livejournal.com
:D Awesome. I was a bit wibbly about how it would be received. Thank you!

Date: 2007-07-29 02:52 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] abusing-sarcasm.livejournal.com
Awww! I loved every second of this!

Date: 2007-07-29 03:10 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] fics-by-maple.livejournal.com
Well that's great - thank you! :D

Date: 2007-07-29 02:52 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] tqpannie.livejournal.com
That was perfect.

Absolutely perfect.

Very well done and very in character!

Date: 2007-07-29 03:10 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] fics-by-maple.livejournal.com
Thank you so much. Oh - 'IC' is the best compliment. *hugs*

Date: 2007-07-29 02:59 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] elladarcy.livejournal.com
Lovely!

Ron's right... he would have had SOMETHING to say about 'ASP.'

..JKR has to have done that on purpose. She can't have just... not noticed.

Date: 2007-07-29 03:11 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] fics-by-maple.livejournal.com
Ron will never let Harry get away with shit - no matter how old they get! :P (she totally did it on purpose! hee)
Thank you!

Date: 2007-07-29 03:00 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] ella1983.livejournal.com
ooh this is like the epilogue's epilogue, and exactly as it should be, i love it.

Date: 2007-07-29 03:12 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] fics-by-maple.livejournal.com
I wasn't sure about it at first - thank you!

Date: 2007-07-29 03:03 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] moon-peonies.livejournal.com
....

You have given me hope, O Messiah of a better world!

No, but seriously. This alternate look is love.

Date: 2007-07-29 03:13 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] fics-by-maple.livejournal.com
haha - I try to be very respectful of canon as it is, but if I want the boys together we'll have to do a little 'tweaking' ;)

Date: 2007-07-29 03:16 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] domerupert.livejournal.com
Oh! I'm all teary-eyed.

I loved this.

Absolutely Perfect. ♥

Date: 2007-07-29 03:13 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] fics-by-maple.livejournal.com
I invoked emotion? cool! thank you!

Date: 2007-07-29 03:26 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] thepsychicclam.livejournal.com
this was nice! on top of a lovely moment between ron and harry, IT WAS HELLA FUNNY. you had me laughing out loud a few times. XD

Date: 2007-07-29 03:14 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] fics-by-maple.livejournal.com
I NEVER get told I'm funny - that's awesome. Thank you!

Date: 2007-07-29 03:38 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] sabine91175.livejournal.com
::happy, satisfied sigh:: That soothed an ache in me I didn't know was there. Thank you. :D

Date: 2007-07-29 03:14 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] fics-by-maple.livejournal.com
Heh - awww, thank you so much. H/R do soothe aches - yes. :)

Date: 2007-07-29 04:09 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] nakeefeet.livejournal.com
*contented sigh*

Lovely, Maple.

Date: 2007-07-29 03:16 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] fics-by-maple.livejournal.com
*hugs you* Thank you!

Date: 2007-07-29 04:15 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] strickens-girl.livejournal.com
Yay for choosing a different future. I loved how the other future was just part of Harry's trip into death. Lovely.

Date: 2007-07-29 03:17 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] fics-by-maple.livejournal.com
*stares at icon*

I'm SO glad that worked for you. I thought I might have been getting a little 'too too' there. Thank you!

Date: 2007-07-29 04:22 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] hpaa.livejournal.com
Nice :)
I am just gonna have to print that out and stick a copy in my book now!

Date: 2007-07-29 03:17 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] fics-by-maple.livejournal.com
haha - very nice! Don't forget if you loan it out. :P

Date: 2007-07-29 04:29 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] weasleynut.livejournal.com
Beautiful! :)

Date: 2007-07-29 03:17 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] fics-by-maple.livejournal.com
Thank you! LOL icon.

Date: 2007-07-29 04:36 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] ms-worplesdon.livejournal.com
Gorgeous. :)

Date: 2007-07-29 03:18 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] fics-by-maple.livejournal.com
Thank you! It's just H/R, not me. ;)

Date: 2007-07-29 06:11 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] pghpatronus.livejournal.com
OK. I lied. I didn't go to bed. I wanted to read this.

Absolutely brilliant sweety. It's like the next part of the Epilogue. It works perfectly.

You write our boys men so very well.

And the inclusion of Harry getting Ron to understand that when he told Ron he didn't LIKE Hermoine, it was to let Ron know that he liked HIM! I kinda read it that way too.

Yep, their canon!

Applause!

Date: 2007-07-29 06:12 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] pghpatronus.livejournal.com
Oh yeah. It'll go on my rec list when I update it next week.

NOW, I am going to bed.

And dreaming of Harry...and Ron too.

(no subject)

From: [identity profile] fics-by-maple.livejournal.com - Date: 2007-07-29 03:19 pm (UTC) - Expand

Date: 2007-07-29 06:26 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] tattooedsiren.livejournal.com
This was so great. Ron's reaction to the epilogue!future was perfection. And twisting the Horcrux scene around like that was awesome. Love your work. :O)

Date: 2007-07-29 03:20 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] fics-by-maple.livejournal.com
*giggles* Yeah, I really took liberties with that Horcrux scene :P If you squint while you read you might be able to see it that way!

Thank you!

Date: 2007-07-29 06:32 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] wolfiekins.livejournal.com
Yeah! Now THAT'S the way it's done! Brilliant, luv, truly brilliant!

Yes, it was all a metaphysical dream/premonition thingy!

So good...loved it!

Woot!

Date: 2007-07-29 03:21 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] fics-by-maple.livejournal.com
That icon always distracts me for a minute.

And thank you! I was hoping it wouldn't just be another loopy 'it was all a dream' thing, but well, it was the best I could come up with. :)

Thank you!

Date: 2007-07-29 07:04 am (UTC)
ext_2780: photo of Josh kissing drake from a promo for Merry Christmas Drake & Josh (hp harry sitting on cliff - by madzilla_)
From: [identity profile] aizjanika.livejournal.com
This is very...mmmm...nice. *g* It's a lovely thought. This may become my new canon. *g*

Date: 2007-07-29 03:22 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] fics-by-maple.livejournal.com
Oh, love your icon.

Thank you! Yeah, I twisted things a bit there. I'm glad it worked for you. :)

Date: 2007-07-29 07:23 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] bunnypatronus.livejournal.com
“You must be wrong, because if we’re still mates in the future I’d never let you name one of your kids ‘ASP’ – honestly!”

LMAO Ron is so damn right!

Anyway...
You had a great idea for the challenge and did an amazing job! *-*
Thanks for making my day.

Date: 2007-07-29 03:23 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] fics-by-maple.livejournal.com
Ron would never let Harry get away with crap like that! :P

Thank you very much. I was worried about how much sense it would make. :P

Date: 2007-07-29 09:12 am (UTC)
ext_76731: Painting of Ron by Elspethelf from LJ (Maple's sunshine)
From: [identity profile] oncelikeshari.livejournal.com
Yes Ron, calling the kids Lily and James is a bit morbid of him.

Well done Maple, you are a genius!

Date: 2007-07-29 03:28 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] fics-by-maple.livejournal.com
Yes! I mean maybe using one name or the other. (I've written H/G with a Lily before, I do like thatOr as middle names. But James, Lily, Albus AND Severus! He's surrounded by dead people! *rolls eyes*

Thank you! I have to be genius now, I've stolen some of your brain cells! Didn't I always say I would? :P

Date: 2007-07-29 11:14 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] shocolate.livejournal.com
He rubbed the outside seam of Harry’s jeans with his knuckles

Utter love.

and give your kids insane names

Yup, that's the only bit that icks me.

“I dunno.” Ron shrugged. “Sometimes I thought maybe … guess I was wrong.”

Oh!

Sometimes I thought, too - it's just THERE....

I can’t give you Little James and Little Lily – morbid as fuck by the way

See - how can he be with anyone but his Ron??

Ron pounced. In the twinkle of an eye, Harry was flung off the log out of sight of the house, with Ron on top of him.

oooh - I love action!Ron

*acts it out with action figures*

“I thought you knew when the Horcrux showed you what I was afraid of,” Ron said quietly.

Oh.

Oh, that's simply .... you know the bit right after that, where Ron looked around at the darkness, as if hoping a bad enough word would swoop down upon him and claim him ?? Well, I am looking around at the Harry/Ron fanart, as if hoping a good enough word would swoop down upon me and claim me.

Oh!!!

“Yeah?” Ron breathed the question.

“Oh, yeah.” Harry answered.


And all was very, very well, indeed.

This is perfect, cupcake.

*squishes you to pieces*

Date: 2007-07-29 03:33 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] fics-by-maple.livejournal.com
*bounces*
This made me SO happy. *hugs*

Action figures are great - and yes we do need movie 7 action figures (they'll be gorgeous!)

Yeah, I really diddled with canon here, I was afraid it wouldn't make sense. whew!

:D :D :D

Date: 2007-07-29 11:44 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] lord-herve.livejournal.com
That's perfect. I need to find what font they used in the Deathly hallow. So I can print your epilogue and remove the original one. I like yours much better. ^__^

Date: 2007-07-29 03:34 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] fics-by-maple.livejournal.com
haha - cool!

I'm so glad, thank you!

Date: 2007-07-29 12:43 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] hedwigs-bane.livejournal.com
Much, much better. Let's get that off to the publishers, then, shall we?

Date: 2007-07-29 03:34 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] fics-by-maple.livejournal.com
Heh, heh. Aww. Thank you! :D

Date: 2007-07-29 02:01 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] magicofisis.livejournal.com
I was thinking of writing something for this challenge, but it would fail in comparison to this. Lovely!

You must be wrong, because if we’re still mates in the future I’d never let you name one of your kids ‘ASP’

I hadn't noticed this before. Do you think JKR did that on purpose? ASP, the snake-boy?

You rock so hard!

Date: 2007-07-29 03:36 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] fics-by-maple.livejournal.com
Oh my! *blush* I would love to read what you write! I hope you do! (I was justing thinking how Abigail89 and Auntee_Mame are out of town, I want them to write too!)

I think JK totally wrote ASP, the snake boy on purpose. Though I doubt she had consider the ship name ASS! :P

Thank you! *hugs*

Date: 2007-07-29 02:07 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] pettybureaucrat.livejournal.com
A most amusing tale and undoubtedly destined to become the Holy Grail of all the Ron/Harry devotees! Loved Ron's comments about raiding the Starbucks trolley and 'how real' could a white and clean King's Cross be.

I know the epilogue has the Ron/Harry fanciers gnashing their teeth, but since when did what JKR write really matter to true believers?

Date: 2007-07-29 03:40 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] fics-by-maple.livejournal.com
haha - oh thank you for noticing the Starbucks trolley! For some insane reason I was really proud of that! :P I went to London earlier this year, and just soaked up as much as I could (while running around the city at breakneck speed for 3 days) and the Starbucks just amused me to no end.

I think the Harry/Draco shippers are gnashing their teeth worse than the H/R shippers at the epilogue (balding! hee) but yeah, we have to fiddle with canon a bit to keep our boys together.

Thank you so much!
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