fics_by_maple | (no subject)

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

harry_and_ron.
My thanks to

mrsquizzical and

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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From:

gina87.livejournal.com

Perfect! Love it!

From:

maple_mahogany

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