Okay here's another chapter. Enjoy!!
Chapter 26
When Ron went back inside he headed straight for the bar. He maneuvered his way through the crowd trying to avoid any family or friends that could delay him in getting to that one empty stool he had his eye on.
He wanted to get drunk. Not just tipsy or a little buzzed. Drunk.
He got to the bar and ordered a firewhiskey to the house elf in charge. He had never really gotten drunk before, since he woke up he had a few drinks but nothing major. Harry had gotten him into liking muggle beer, which made him get a small buzz a few times. Tonight though, beer wasn't going to cut it.
He thanked the house elf as he placed the short glass of firewhiskey in front of him. He could smell the potent fumes and he lifted the glass, wincing when he took his first long sip. "Whew," he breathed shaking his head. "Now that's what I'm talking about." He was well on his way to being sloshed.
His goal on getting inebriated wasn't because he was depressed. He knew Hermione was right, there was no chemistry at all between them. He was disappointed. Loving Hermione would have made sense. It would have been easy. It would have been safe.
But did he want safe?
Probably not. He wanted excitement. He wanted to laugh with someone one second, then snog the hell out of her the next. He wanted…
"Luna." Ron straightened in his stool when she all of the sudden appeared next to him. "I thought you and Harry left."
"Harry left, I stayed." She turned to the house elf. "I'll have what he's having."
Ron lifted a brow. "You drink firewhiskey?"
"I did once." She flipped her long blond hair over her shoulder. "The night Harry and I met for dinner."
"Oh?" Ron took another sip and shuddered. "What happened?"
Luna's drink was placed in front of her. "Don't remember much." Ron watched in awe as Luna took her first sip without so much as flinching. "Harry said I sang a lot….and he had to take me home."
Ron grinned. "Does that mean I'm going to have to escort you home tonight?"
"I told my dad I was staying over at the Burrow with Ginny tonight."
Ron frowned. "Oh, so you're going home with Ginny?"
"I'm going home with whomever I please." Luna smiled as she clinked her glass with his. "Cheers."
Ron couldn't help but smile when he was around Luna. He didn't know why but she made him smile and laugh all the time. She always seemed to have a glow around her. She always looked so fresh and wonderful no matter what she wore or how she looked. Tonight she looked beautiful of course, but the day he woke up from the coma she was the first thing he saw. She was a wonderful sight to wake up to.
"So Ronald, why exactly are you drinking here all alone feeling sorry for yourself?"
"I'm not feeling sorry for myself." He gave her a little shrug. "Just want to get drunk."
"Where's Hermione?"
"Home, I imagine." He took a sip and was please when he didn't wince. He was either getting use to it or his mouth was getting numb. Or both. "We talked. We bot agreed we're better off as friends."
"Are you okay with that?"
"It's for the best. I want Hermione to be happy and it's obvious I'm not the guy to do it."
"You seem a little disappointed," Luna mumbled as she finished off her drink then ordered another.
"I am, but not in the way you might think." His mind started to get fuzzy and found it harder to form words. He took that as a sign to slow down and now that he had someone to talk to, getting drunk didn't seem all that appealing anymore. "I just always assumed it would be Hermione." He nudged his half empty glass away and ordered a butterbeer. "Thought I was set. Thought wrong."
"You know what you need to do, Ron?"
Ron picked up his tall glass of butterbeer. "What's that?"
"You need to dive into a relationship with someone. Doesn't necessarily need to be serious, but something to get your mind off of your failed relationship with Hermione."
Ron didn't miss the subtle way Luna leaned into him when she suggested this. He always had a feeling that Luna liked him, but now she was making sure he knew it. "You think?" Ron asked with a grin. "Hmmm…maybe you're right."
Ron turned in his stool so he was facing the crowd. "Who do you have in mind?"
Luna looked out at the crowd then back at him. "I beg your pardon?"
"Who should I ask out?" he asked gesturing to the crowd. "I mean, look at all those beautiful women, you need to help me pick one."
Luna's look turned cold as she turned in her stool. "Pick one?"
"Sure," he said grinning. "Hey, what about Pavarti? She's not at all bad looking."
Luna lifted her chin as she watched Pavarti talking with Lavender. "I heard she plays for the other team."
Amusement filled Ron's eyes. "Really? What a shame. Maybe I should have another go at Lavender."
"Sure go ahead," she scowled. "If you want to get slut rabies."
Ron snorted a laugh. "Slut rabies?" Ron laughed again. "You slay me, Lovegood."
"I'm so happy to hear that." She scoffed out a breath as she placed her glass on the bar. "I don't know why I bother, Ronald, you just don't get it. I'll leave you to it then. Hope whoever you pick has big enough boobs for you."
Ron let her walk away two steps before he reached out and grabbed her wrist. He swung her back until she stumbled between his drawn up knees and into his chest. "Hey, here's an idea." He leaned down and kissed her softly on the lips. "What about you?"
Luna's heart was hammering against her chest and her mind was fuzzy. One short little kiss from Ronald and she lost all senses. "W-what? Me?"
"I do have a thing for blondes," he said with a slow smile
"But you…you just said that…" His eyes were twinkling mischievously and it didn't take her long to figure out she was duped. "You were putting me on."
Ron let out a laugh. "A little, yeah." He rubbed the back of his knuckles across her cheek. "Mad?"
"Furious."
"Good, I'll have fun trying to convince you to forgive me." He nudged her closer and nuzzled her neck. "Want to get out of here?"
"I'm not sleeping with you."
Ron's shoulders slumped. "Oh, well." He sighed as he straightened back to look at her placing a hand over his heart. "I have no reason to go on living."
Luna couldn't help but laugh. "Yet anyway," she finally said and her eyes fluttered close when he kissed her forehead. "Yeah, let's get out of here."
He took her to the Burrow. He knew the house would be empty since his entire family was still at the ball, plus this way Luna wasn't technically lying to her father. She was staying at the Burrow, just not in Ginny's room.
Luna couldn't help but smile at Ron's room. There was so much of him in it. From the little boy to the grown man. "It's adorable."
Ron winced. "Adorable?"
Luna laughed as she wrapped her arms around her neck. "I didn't mean like cute adorable, I meant that it's such a guys room. It fits you perfectly."
"Hasn't changed much," he said looking around. "It's awfully small. I remember a time when I thought it was huge."
"Does your feet hang of the end of it now?" Luna asked.
"A little yeah." He smiled as he held her close. "I always wondered what it be like to sneak a girl up in here."
Luna giggled up at him. "Really? Well, you have one now, what are you going to do about it?"
"I imagined doing a lot of things," he said as he moved his head towards hers. "But I can get by with just a kiss."
"A kiss is a great start," she murmured as she lifted up on her toes to meet him half way.
He didn't rush it. Most of his snogs with Lavender were fast, clumsy and awkward, but he didn't want that with Luna. He wasn't impatient or rough. He just took what he wanted. He cradled her face with his hands as he kissed her softly. Slow and deep. Their tongues met gliding over each other again and again until Ron became addicted. He should have pulled away by now, give them both a chance to breath but he just couldn't seem to stop. She was so sweet. So breathtaking. And she was his.
Luna let herself be swept away by Ron's gentle and enticing mouth. She always wondered what it would be like, but she never expected him to kiss her like this. Like she was the most beautiful woman in the world. She felt cherished and loved. No one could ever make her feel this wonderful. No one but Ronald Weasley.
Ron finally eased away, coming back for only short kisses or quick nips of her bottom lip until finally he trailed his lips down her neck. He held her close and took a deep breath, moaning at the familiar scent of vanilla. "You smell so good."
Luna blushed as she buried her face in his shoulder. "Vanilla."
"I know," he murmured as he ran open mouth kisses along her skin. "I smelled it before I woke up at the hospital."
Luna arched her neck and fluttered her eyes closed when he hit a certain spot. "Really?"
"Mmm-hmm." He nibbled at her ear. "Then I heard you singing."
Luna groaned. "I was so embarrassed."
Ron chuckled as he hugged her close. "Don't be, I loved it." Ron gave her another kiss, this time short and sweet. "Come on, let's stretch out on the bed. We can talk."
"Talk?" Luna asked she let him pull her on his small twin bed.
"Well, I'd love to continue where we left off," he said leaning back against the headboard then wrapped his arms around her when she snuggled up to him. "But I'm respecting your request. No sex tonight. Got it."
Luna giggled tilted her head up and nipped his chin. "You could probably persuade me into changing my mind with a few more kisses like the one we just shared."
"Noted, thanks." He gave her a kiss on the forehead. "I want you Luna, I'm not going to deny that, but it's not just about sleeping with you. I want to know you, to be with you in every way. You're not just some random snog or whatever."
Luna smiled as she rested her head on his heart. "Thanks, Ronald."
"Don't mention it." He ran his fingers through her long blonde hair. "So…tell me something about you?"
Luna blew out a breath. "Where do I start?"
"How bout the beginning?" He linked his fingers with the ones that were resting on his chest. "I'm not going anywhere."