Caught Redheaded

a muggle named Caity

Rating: PG13
Genres: Humor, Mystery
Relationships: Ron & Luna
Book: Ron & Luna, Books 1 - 6
Published: 01/08/2005
Last Updated: 01/08/2005
Status: completed

Ron has been acting strange lately, always running off to places no one knows of; Harry is determined to find out. Seventh Year - Hogwarts. One-shot. PWP. Harry’s POV.

Chapters

1. Caught Redheaded

1. Caught Redheaded

Title: Caught Redheaded

Author: a muggle named Caity

Ships: R/L, slight H/Hr

Rating: PG-13

Words: 2,068

Summary: Ron has been acting strange lately, always running off to places no one knows of; Harry is determined to find out. Seventh Year - Hogwarts. One-shot. PWP. Harry’s POV. AU.

Disclaimer: You know the drill: This is not mine, it is not yours, it is not Portkey.orgs, it all belongs to the wonderful and talented J.K. Rowling, so please don’t sue (I don’t really have any money anyway)!

A/N: I know we are all depressed and downhearted from HBP, so hopefully, this little ficlet will keep your mind off of it for a while, it‘s my crack at humor. I wrote it at four o’clock in the morning and it’s not beta’d, so please forgive me if it’s terrible.

***

Chapter: Caught Redheaded

It was a peaceful, bliss filled Sunday morning. Harry Potter was in the Great Hall, sitting in his usual spot at the Gryffindor table, having a breakfast of eggs, bacon, sausage, toast, and pumpkin juice.

Next to him sat Head Girl, best friend, and (Harry liked this one best) girlfriend, Hermione Granger. She was quietly eating while tuned into her Ancient Runes textbook. Harry loved to just watch her. She had really grown up and filled out in the last seven years, this was definitely not the girl that had burst into his and his other best friend Ron Weasley’s compartment the first day on the Hogwarts Express.

Speaking of Ron, where was he? Harry had no idea. It was 8:55 on a Sunday morning and Ron was always up and eating at this time. Harry felt safe to say that eating was one of Ron’s major priorities. And yet, he wasn’t here. Harry suddenly took notice to the many times Ron had been absent and silently wondered where Ron always was. ‘He probably just overslept, but maybe not…‘ he thought suspiciously. So Harry took to glancing up at the entrance to the hall every few moments.

Hermione noticed this and quietly nudged him, “Harry, where’s Ron?”

‘It’s like we have one mind,’ Harry thought bemused before answering, “I’m not sure, he’s always up and eating by now. I mean, eating is one of his top priorities.”

Hermione snickered. “Was he up before you came down?”

“I can honestly say I don’t know. He had his hangings around his bed this morning and I didn’t want to pull them open, I mean, he never uses them so it must be for a good reason.” Harry looked at her shrugging.

“Do you think he’s sick?” Hermione asked, worry evident in her tone.

“He could be, I’ll go check after breakfast,” Harry assured his bushy-headed girlfriend.

“Never mind…” Hermione trailed off, nudging Harry to look again towards the entrance to the hall.

Ron came gliding into the Great Hall, passing many rows of students before stopping in front of his usual seat at the Gryffindor table across from Harry and Hermione. He merely glanced at them as he started piling his usual breakfast onto his plate: pancakes, scrambled eggs, bacon, toast, a blueberry muffin and pumpkin juice. As he began shoveling the food into his rather large mouth, he didn’t even acknowledge the suspicious glances being shot at him from a very curious Harry and Hermione.

A few moments later, Hermione decided to engage Ron in conversation, “Ron, where were you this morning? We were getting really worried.” She indicated herself and Harry.

“I swept vin ate,” he answered her, his mouth full of food.

“What?” Harry asked his fiery-haired friend, arching his eyebrows.

Swallowing all his remaining food he answered again, “I slept in late.”

‘Oh well,’ Harry thought, ‘I guess he did only sleep in late, no, oh bugger, wait a minute!’

“Oh,” Hermione let out a sigh of relief, “I thought you were sick or something. Harry was going to check on you after we finished breakfast.”

“Nah, like I said, I just slept in late,” he said, digging into another muffin.

“Well, then why were your hangings closed?” Harry asked suspiciously, “You always have them open unless you’re sick or you’re hiding something.” Harry eyed him curiously, narrowing his eyes he saw tiny beads of sweat starting to appear on Ron newly flushed face.

“Um… um….” he stuttered.

‘I knew it.’ Harry, smiling inwardly, thought to himself.

“Ron,” Harry started smugly, “what are you hiding?”

“Nothing!” Ron stated a little too quickly for Harry’s taste.

“Ron, we’re your best friends, you can tell us anything,” Hermione told him soothingly, casting a concerned glance in the redhead’s direction.

“Nothing, nothing, it’s nothing. I have to go!” Ron suddenly stood up from the table and dashed out of the Great Hall like lighning, rushing up the large, marble staircase.

The two Heads looked after their friend of six and a half years with wide eyes. ‘So Ron IS hiding something! I knew it completely!! Now all I’ll have to do is find out what that is.’ Harry thought grinning to himself. Hermione noticed the anxious look on her boyfriend’s face.

“What?” she asked, not helping the grin starting to spread on her face.

“I think we should follow him,” Harry started excitedly, “and see what he’s hiding!”

“Harry!” Hermione warned.

“Oh, come on Hermione! You want to know what’s going on with him don’t you?” Harry gave her the ‘puppy dog’ eyes.

She rolled her eyes. “Harry, it’s his business, if he wants to tell us then he’ll tell, when he thinks the time is right,” she added at the look on his face.

“Fine,” Harry said pouting, “but when I find out what’s going on with him, you’ll have to wait until he thinks the time is right,” he imitated her stern voice.

Hermione glared at him.

As he got up to leave, Hermione suddenly grabbed his hand, “I’ll see you later in the common room right?” she asked, softening her gaze.

“You can count on it,” he reassured her, giving her a chaste kiss before departing out of the Great Hall and up the marble staircase in the direction Ron went only minutes before.

***

Harry looked everywhere and he could still not find Ron. He searched every floor, around the Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff dormitories (He knew Ron wouldn’t be caught dead around the Slytherin dorms). He looked into most of the classrooms, checked the bathrooms, heck, he even went as far as to ask Filch. And you should all know how that ended up.

Giving up, Harry decided to head back to his common room and possibly get some more studying for his NEWTs done. He knew that the NEWTs were still four months away, but being best friends and the boyfriend to Head Girl Hermione Granger, he decided to start early, or more as she decided for him.

He reached the portrait hole and muttered the password (“Snuffles”). Then proceeded into the small-crowded room, stopping abruptly and falling into his favorite chair before the fire to relax before studying.

As he awaited Hermione, he decided to go up to his dormitory and quickly retrieve his books, parchment, and quills.

Upon opening the door, Harry heard many moans and groans of pleasure coming from Ron’s closed off bed. Harry stared wide-eyed at the bed contemplating if he should leave them be or make sure this was actually Ron; he chose the latter.

“Ron?” he called out uncertainly.

Suddenly, the moans and groans had stopped and a disheveled Ron poked his head out from in-between the opening in the hangings. He flushed when he saw a smug looking Harry staring back at him.

‘So, this is what he’s been doing! Go Ron!!’ Harry thought, wordlessly cheering on his best friend.

“Oh, uh… hiya Harry, what’d you need?” Ron asked his bespectacled friend cautiously.

Harry couldn’t help grinning, “Oh, nothing, just making sure it was you shagging a girl in your bed, ya know, so no questions a rise.”

Ron stared at Harry in utter terror, before stuttering, “uh… uh….”

Harry put up his hands to let Ron know to stop, “Its ok mate, just go back to what you were doing. I wasn’t even here.” He quickly grabbed his books and parchment before rushing out the door leading back down to the common room without even a backwards glance at Ron.

***

When Hermione finally showed up in the common room, Harry already had his Transfiguration homework complete and ready for Hermione to check.

He watched her lovingly as she walked gracefully to the chair opposite him, plopped downs into it and relaxed.

“So,” Harry started conversationally, “what took you so long down in the Great Hall?”

“Oh, I just fancied a quick chat with McGonagall, but I had to wait until breakfast was completely over,” she answered casually, stretching out in her favorite, comfortable chair.

“What about?” Harry asked, handing his completed essay over for her to check.

“Just stuff about Head Girl duties and whatnot.” she replied, reading over his homework. “You know, since she is the headmistress now, what with Dumbledore gone,” she added sadly.

Harry had completely forgotten that McGonagall had taken Dumbledore’s place when he had died the previous year. Harry missed the old man very much, along with half of the Wizarding World.

“Anyway,” Hermione began again, steering away from the subject at the look of guilt and sadness on Harry’s face, “did you find out what’s up with Ron?”

“Yeah, and-” Harry started but immediately stopped. “Wait a moment, what happened to when he thinks the time is right?”

Hermione rolled her eyes at him for the second time that day, “Oh honestly, Harry, please tell me, I’ll make it worth your while,” she added, with a mischievous grin on her face.

Harry could hardly contain the grin appearing on his face at that, “Ok, ok, I’ll tell you, but I don’t think Ron wants anyone to know, so keep your mouth shut about it.” At her nod he continued, “Ok, I looked everywhere for Ron this morning and when I say everywhere, I mean everywhere-” Hermione cut him off.

“Just get on with it!” she ordered impatiently.

“Well, I came back here and decided to get my books from my dormitory and I found Ron in his bed shagging a girl.” At Hermione’s gasp, he added, shaking his head up and down, “Yep!!”

“Who?” she mouthed wordlessly to him.

The raven-haired, seventeen year old merely shrugged. “But, I think we’re going to find out,” he added, watching as Ron descended the spiral staircase.

Harry laughed as the look on Ron’s face drastically changed from happily satisfied to discomfort at the sight of his two best friends. Harry quickly beckoned Ron to come sit by them at which Ron reluctantly obeyed.

Harry was about to open his mouth to say something when Ron beat him to it, “You want to know who I’m shagging don’t you?”

Harry nodded his head vigorously.

“Promise not to laugh?” he asked nervously. Harry and Hermione both nodded, “Ok, it’s Luna Lovegood,” he said the last two words in a barely audible whisper.

“How long?” Harry eagerly asked, receiving a smack on the arm from a glaring Hermione.

“About three months,” Ron told them sheepishly.

Another thought sprang to Harry’s mind as he silently chuckled, ‘Merlin, that long? So this was what he had been doing every time he’d been disappearing?’

“Nice!” Harry said excitedly, receiving a full blow to head from Hermione this time. “What?” Harry asked her incredulously, “You won’t let me knock you up until we’re married, so I have to take refuge elsewhere.”

Hermione glared daggers at him while Ron laughed heartily.

“Yeah, come on Hermione, you can’t expect him to not want this at our age.” Ron informed her sniggering.

Hermione merely rolled her eyes and turning away from the boys, started on her studying, while they carried on with their ‘seventeen year old “sex” talk’ as they had put it.

No sooner then five minutes later, a dreamy voice, no doubt Luna Lovegood’s called out into the almost deserted common room, “Ronald? Are you coming back up?”

The trio all shared glances with one another before Ron got up, wiggling his eyebrows at his friends, shouted out in a would-be mischievous voice, “Coming!”

As the two seventh years watched the back of their departing friend once again, they couldn’t help falling into a fit of giggles.

~*Finite*~

A/N: I hope you liked!! Please leave me a review, it would really make my day. I hope you liked my attempt at humor.