Loverboy - ron weasley

21

"it looks like they've been fighting again." ginny said.

"who?"

"briar and jessie. whenever she goes to see him after she sees us it looks like she's been crying. she told me a little bit of it but she made it sound like squabbling. i've payed more attention and she looks like she got beat up after he takes her somewhere. hey, you're close with her, right?"

"yeah i guess, but so are you." ron argued. "yes, but she seems to let her guard down more around you... you should try and talk to her, but don't make it obvious you wanna ask about jessie."

"i don't even know how i would talk to her, she's always with jessie."

ginny shrugged, "you can figure it out."

~

"um, hey... briar? i was wondering if you wanted me to take you to that bookstore. i know i said i would weeks ago but-"

"-i would love to. this friday good?" he nodded as he watched her walk off to her next class. since he has free period he sat down in the common room with his friends.

~

briar was sitting down in the common room reading with toulouse on her lap. ron walked down to the common room and started walking towards her. she didn't acknowledge his presence, she was so deep in reading he had to lightly cough for her attention. "are- are you ready?" nodding she got up and placed the book in her bag as she set toulouse on the floor.

as they were walking through hogsmeade he examined her face. seeing her eyelids dropping slightly, lips puffed out to seem bigger, cheeks with a red tint, and she was biting her lip while looking down at her shoes.

soon he came to a stop and she looked up, "how did i not know about this place? i've walked all over hogsmeade when i've come down here, i've never seen this"

"well it is kind of hidden..." referring to the huge trees covering the entrance. walking in they saw a lady with large glasses was asleep in a chair. "she was in that position last time i was here" he awkwardly laughed. she looked up at him with a worried expression "do you think she's alright?"

"oh, yeah- watch," he walked over to the counter where she was sitting at and tapped a bell a few inches away from her cash register. she shot straight up with wide, bloodshot eyes. "oh, it's you again" she sighed sitting back down. he nodded curtly and walked back towards briar. "when i came in she didn't move or make a sound the entire time i was in here. i thought she may have... you know, so i tapped that bell and she woke up."

briar nodded as she moved to look at the towering bookshelves. she ran her fingers along the spine's of some books before she picked them up. after a little while ron was holding books for her too, remembering what ginny told him he cleared his throat, "um- so, how are you?"

"i'm alright."

he didn't have the willpower to bring up her relationship with jessie so he decided to keep beating around the bush. "are you sure? you seem kinda... upset." sighing, she looked up to him "well, yeah. i'm just kinda on edge about... the second task coming up. you know, for cedric, fleur, and- harry..."

"yeah it's happening next month." briar hummed a reply. trying to keep the conversation going he continued, "my um... birthday, is the month after the next."

"mine is next month."

"what day?"

"21st"

"ah- well erm, what kind of cake do you hope to get?" finally not giving him one word responses she spoke up, "well, i like red velvet cake with cream cheese frosting, but i also love cheesecake with strawberry sauce on top. so i guess either of those would be nice. but, i won't be getting a cake this year, i'm allowed to go and see my mum, but i'll just feel like staying. she will probably send me a tiny gift or something by owl."

"she could always send it with the gift." she shook her head, "no... cooking isn't her strong suit."

"february 21st. that has a nice ring to it" he said smiling down at her.

ron soon started racking his brain with what he would get her, he still had weeks left until her birthday but he wanted it to be good. she had walked over to a different place in the room looking at books. he couldn't get her a book, he had already gotten her what seemed like 100. they had been friends for months now but he just realized he doesn't really know that much about her. he knows what kind of things she is interested in to an extent. he knows her father and grandmother have passed. he knows what classes she takes. he knows what will make her laugh. but he doesn't really know her, he felt very comfortable around her. but he wanted to know more. he could describe her very well, extremely smart, funny, energetic, shy around people she doesn't know very well, charming, beautiful, mysterious, kind, and very likeable. she is the kind of person you meet and you instantly want to know her. you're immediately drawn to her, she seems... untouchable and perfect.

pulling him out of his deep thoughts she waved a hand in front of his face causing him to drop some of her books. "hello? i said, when is your birthday?" he hadn't even realized she was in front of him ironically when he was thinking about her. "march first."

"that's not too far off." he smiled awkwardly as he followed her up to the register, laying her books on the counter as she scrounged up enough money to pay for all of them. once she did she was hanging trouble holding all of her books while walking. "here, let me," he said as he casted the levitation charm "hermione taught me in first year, took me a while to perfect" his ears turning slightly pink.

as they walked he began to ask her many questions, "what's your favorite color?"

"green... purple is close. but green takes the cake."

"favorite... movie?" he asked slowly trying to remember what it was called that they watched that night. "ah, that's too hard, i have many favorites. so many it would take me an hour to name them all."

"i've got time."

she smiled rolling her eyes up at him, "well no, you've asked me questions, now it's my turn." she paused to think of one, "hm, i change my mind. tell me a story, a real story, that happened to you. or, someone close to you it had happened to."

he began rambling on and on about the many adventures he, harry, and hermione had endured together over the years. spending a little extra time on the parts where he came into play and slightly exaggerating, but briar didn't need to know that.

soon they arrived back in the gryffindor common room. "walk me to my room?" blushing he nodded as he followed her up to her dorm. she stopped at her door turning to look at him, "that was really nice, i haven't had a good time in weeks, but that was very nice, thank you."

he shrugged it off although his cheeks were flaming up and his heart started racing. he was the person who she had, had a good time with in weeks. not jessie, or anyone else for that matter.

as she opened her door they were greeted with jessie sitting on her bed, with his head low. once he heard them walk in he stood up, "where were you? i- i was worried." suddenly noticing ron standing behind her with a pile of books hovering in the air, his face hardened. "you blew me off, for books?"

ron visibly saw briar's body tense up when she finally saw him.

she knitted her eyebrows "we didn't have any plans..." he scoffed bringing his hand up to his forehead "i'm sorry, don't we always meet up after classes? or is that somebody else?"

"i'm sorry." she said in a small voice embarrassed with ron standing behind her witnessing this. "it's fine i guess. you'll just have to... make it up to me." trailing his eyes up to ron. she gave a small nod as he walked out of her room narrowing his eyes on ron, pushing his shoulder on purpose as he walked to the door. the books that were levitating, fell with a loud thump as jessie did that.

"well... it's almost curfew, i better be getting to my room." she nodded watching him turn to the door as well, "thank you again." she spat out just before he left. he gave a small smile and closed her door behind him.

arriving back at his own room he was greeted once again with jessie sitting on his bed waiting for him to enter. "what's going on with you and briar?"

"nothing. we're just mates." ron said trying to square up to him. jessie just simply raised an eyebrow before he walked out of the room once more. not coming back until after breakfast the next day.