Ron Wealsey's Horrible, Awful Summer
Chapter 1--Second Best
Ron Weasley wasn't having a very good summer. Sure he was now out of school, sure he had signed with the Chudley Cannons like he had always dream, oh and also the Dark Lord was defeated. Yes this was all well and good, but Ron still felt miserable. So he sat outside next to a tree with his head down, feeling sorry for himself.
A giggle in the distance interrupted Ron stewing in his gloominess. He raised his head to see Harry and Hermione walking up to him. Those two, his suppose best friends. Him, Harry Potter, the famous boy who lived, the one who saved them all, to Ron was nothing but a traitor. And her, Hermione Granger, smartest witch to ever study at hog warts, was nothing but a liar.
Ron remembered specifically telling Harry about his feelings for Hermione. Ron remembered Hermione denying that she had any feelings for Harry. But look at them now, holding hands, laughing, sneaking quick kisses, Ron felt himself go red in the face just thinking about it. He wanted nothing more than to just yell at them and run away, but instead he had to just pretend.
"Hey, Ron!" called Hermione as she spotted him.
Hermione dropped Harry's hand and ran over to Ron.
"We've been looking everywhere for you! Lunch is soon and your mother is trying to round everyone up. Luna and Neville are here now. Well, aren't you going to come?"
"I'll be up in a while, I'm not really hungry right now," replied Ron trying not to meet Hermione's gaze.
"Something wrong, mate? We are going to have a game of Quidditch this afternoon, and I'd like to have the best keeper to ever come out of Hogwarts on my team," said Harry as he came over and took Hermione's hand again.
"Nothings wrong," said Ron looking back down at the ground. "Quidditch sounds good. I'll meet you in the field behind the house."
"Sounds good," said Harry as he pulled at Hermione's hand.
Hermione gave a worried smile and Ron and then walked after Harry towards he house.. Ron threw a small twig after them and got up. He walked all over the grounds surrounding the burrow. He visited the old hollow tree that still stood where he and Ginny used to try and hide from George and Fred. He climbed the small grassy hill he used to roll down, and after and hour he finally found his favorite spot at the Burrow.
It was a large rock by a small stream that ran through a small grove of trees. The rock jutted a little ways above the stream, and Ron used to love to climb the rock and throw small pebbles into the stream below.
Ron climbed the rock awkwardly and sat down on the edge. He let his feet dangle off it as he picked up a small pebble.
"Lousy friends," he mumbled as he threw the small stone. "Nothing good ever happens to me, and now I have to watch them together?" said Ron more loudly as he threw another stone.
Ron suddenly stood up to walk back to the burrow to go and play in the blasted Quidditch game. He could just see Hermione on the ground clapping for show-off Potter as he flew through the sky. Ron shook his head and turned around to go when suddenly he heard something that made him stop dead still. Some one was humming a song, but it couldn't be the song he was thinking of, could it?
"Weasley is our king, Weasley is our king, he didn't let the Quaffle in, Weasley is our kind," sang Ron under his breath. It fit the tune he was hearing humming perfectly. Where was it coming from? Who could be humming that?
Ron listened carefully and found that it was coming from underneath the rock he was on. Ron walked to the edge, laid flat on his stomach and bent his head over the rock to look underneath it. In the shadows he saw two legs bent at the knees, two delicate hands holding the Quibbler, hiding the person's face from view, and dirty blonde hair.
It was Luna Lovegood. Ron was about to lift himself back up when Luna lowered the Quibbler and looked at him.
"There was once a man who hung upside down for too long. All the blood rushed to his head, and it just popped off," said Luna in a matter of fact way/
Ron gave her a skeptical look as he still hung upside down.
"Fine, believe what you want, but dad said it was extremely messy so if you are going to hang there for a while do you mind telling me so I can leave?"
Ron flipped down and landed on his feet. He humped over and scuttled underneath the rock to sit by Luna.
"Do you really believe everything your dad tells you?" asked Ron looking at the headline of the Quibbler that read 'Hairy Giant spotted flying atop flying Ford Anglia near Hogsmeade.'
"Mostly, of course he's not always right. He said that the Cannons would want a faster keeper than you. I told him he was wrong, that you're inventiveness would make up for any flying skill you might lack."
"Oh," said Ron as he was not sure what to say.
The two sat in silence for a few moments as Luna flipped through her magazine.
"Why are you out here all alone," asked Ron breaking the silence.
"Oh, well, I suppose I could ask you the same thing."
"Do you ever answer a question normally?"
"What is your definition of normal? This is normal for me, but then again I've been told I'm weird before. I've never noticed myself."
Ron looked Luna over as she continued flipping through her magazine. Ron hadn't ever really noticed her, but now that he looked, he noticed Luna was actually quite pretty. Her long dirty blonde hair went well with her pale skin. Her light eyebrows sat perfectly above her large pale eyes. Rom couldn't stop his eyes from wondering down Luna's nice figure, from her pretty face to her nice slim legs. He wondered how he had never noticed Luna before.
"Probably because you were to focused on someone who was out of your league, Weasley," muttered Ron under his breath.
"What?" asked Luna distractedly.
"Oh, nothing I wasn't really talking to you," said Ron a little harsher than he meant to.
"Talking to yourself? I do that all the time. You are your own best listener."
"Oh, ' said Ron as he again wasn't sure what to say.
"I thought you were going to play Quidditch this after noon. I heard Harry trying to talk Neville into playing. Surely you aren't going to miss a game of Quidditch," said Luna putting down the Quibbler.
"Oh, that. No, I suppose I do need to get going, but…" said Ron slowly.
"But, what?" asked Luna. "Wouldn't you rather play with your friends, then hangout by some old stream?"
"Some friends," muttered Ron.
"Hmm?" asked Luna.
"Nothing, you're right I should be going," said Ron, sounding very much like he was about to be lead to his death.
Ron got to his knees and crawled from underneath he rock. He stood up once he was free and bent down to wave good-bye at Luna.
"Are you going to come and watch?" Ron asked
"Perhaps in a bit," answered Luna.
"Well, perhaps I'll see you then," said Ron as he straightened up to walk back to the house.
"Ron," called Luna.
"Yes?" said Ron bending back to down to look at her.
"I was talking to Ginny earlier, and I was reminded of when she was taken down in the chamber in her second
year."
"Yea," said Ron, wondering why Luna was talking about this.
"Well, I seem to remember that if it hadn't been for Hermione and Harry, she probably never would have made it out of there."
Ron cocked his head and looked at Luna strange.
"It's just something to think about," said Luna as she picked up the Quibbler again.
Ron stared at Luna for a moment longer, and then straightened up. As Ron walked back to the house, he kept repeating Luna's last word's in his head, wondering what to make of them.
Quidditch was about as much fun as Ron imagined. Hermione didn't jump up and down and fawn over Harry like Ron imagined her doing. She just sayton the grass and read a book, but Harry kept stopping his broom and staring at Hermione on the ground with a love sick grin on his face. At one point Ron passed Harry the Quaffle when he knew Harry wasn't looking just to see it hit Harry in the head.
After Quidditch it was time for supper and even his deep hurt and depression couldn't suppress his hunger. So he was forced to across from Hermione and Harry. While most people wouldn't have noticed anything at all going on between Harry and Hermione, Ron saw each time they stared at each other and he saw how they each knew exactly what the other on wanted to eat. It was almost enough for Ron to really lose his appetite, almost that is.
After dinner Harry challenged Ron to a game of chess. Ron and Harry played while Hermione and, for some reason, Luna watched. Of course Ron won like always, flattening Harry in short time.
"That was embarrassing. I should have known better," said Harry grinning at Ron.
"Well, Potter you didn't win the game so I suppose you will have to take the cancellation prize," said Hermione.
"And just what would that be?'
Hermione leaned over to Harry and gave him a quick peck on the lips.
"Wanna beat me again, Ron?" asked Harry with a goofy smile on his face.
That was about all Ron could take. Without saying a word, he got up and walked out the front door, leaving Harry and Hermione looking very shocked behind him. Ron walked across the dark grounds. As he got further from the house, he took out his wand and lit it. Ron walked until he reached the rock he had visited earlier.
"I shouldn't have left like that," said Ron to himself. He heard a small rustle behind him. "And that would be them, coming to find and talke to me."
Ron turned around slowly, expecting to see his supposed to best friends climbing up the rock when instead he saw the same two delicate hands he had seen earlier that day holding the Quibbler. The hands were on top of the rock trying to pull the rest of the body that was attached to it up. Ron crawled over and grabbed them, helping the owner of those small hands up.
"Thanks," said Luna as she reached the top of the rock.
"What are you doing here?" asked Ron.
"You're the only one who's allowed to enjoy a night time stroll?"
"Why come here? "
"Well, I suppose I wanted to talk to you. Harry and Hermione are looking for you?"
"I know," said Ron with a sigh.
"It wasn't very nice they way you left," said Luna looking up at the sky.
"I know," said Ron with another sigh.
"You must really like her," said Luna turning her face towards Ron.
"Who?"
"Hermione, I mean why else would you act like that."
"Oh, her Yea, I guess I do," said Ron lifelessly.
"You don't sound very sure about that. I mean after the way you acted back there, I figured you must been head over heels in love with her."
Ron didn't say anything, he just looked down.
"I guess it's none of my business. I'll leave if you like."
Ron thought about this for a moment. He had barely spoken to Luna before today, but for some reason he didn't mind talking to her.
"No, its ok. You're right, I thought I was in love with her, but now I'm not so sure."
"So what was all that about?"
"Its hard to explain."
"Lots of things are, try anyway," said Luna still staring at Ron.
"Well, you know Harry. He's famous. I mean he was the best Quidditch player Hogwarts had seen in who know when. He was pretty good at all his subjects. He defeated the darkest wizard ever. Everyone knows who Harry is.."
"He also lost his parents, Godfather, and grew up in a horrible home," said Luna quietly.
"Well yea, but look at Hermione. She's one of the most brilliant witches to ever finish Hogwarts. I mean look at all those N.E.W.T.s and O.W.L.s she got. People know her almost as well as Harry."
"But think of all those hours she spent studying. Not to mention all the stuff she has had to endure because she's muggle-born," said Luna in the same calm, quiet voice.
"And then there's me, Ron Weasley. Sure, I'm pretty good at Quidditch, but I'm not as good as Harry. And sure I was a prefect, and I passed all my subjects, but I could never be as brilliant as Hermione. Its like I'm the second best one at everything. That's what I am , I'm always second."
"You're not second best to them," said Luna still quiet and calm..
"To who?"
"All of them up there. Your family, and Harry and Hermione. You're the only Ron they want. You are Harry and Hermione's best friend, not second best friend."
"It sure doesn't feel like it. Harry and Hermione are in love now. I'll always be second to each on of them now. I might as well change my name to Ron, the second, Weasley, said Ron loudly. Yep, that's it just call me Sec…"
Ron's words were suddenly cut off by the fact that Luna's lips were now on his. Ron's eyes grew wide as they kissed, but after the shock wore off, Ron started to notice how nice this felt. He closed his eyes and settled into the kiss, which did not last long enough for him.
Ron opened his eyes to find a smiling Luan.
"There now, you aren't second to me. That was my first kiss and you will always be my first kiss."
With that Luna got up and walked back to the burrow. Ron sat stunned on the rock as he heard his two best friends calling for him.