Loverboy - ron weasley

24

tw: abuse

"i'm not totally sure, she told me she tripped in her room and that's how she got it. i don't believe it though." ginny announced sitting in fred and george's room.

"i don't think she'd fancy being talked about when she's not present." ron grumbled.

"are you not curious how she got that nasty bruise?" hermione chimed in.

"of course! but i don't think she would like being talked about to so many people."

"ron is right." luna hummed softly. "she wouldn't be fond of this." stroking her mooncalf resting on her legs.

"well, me, luna, neville, ron, and maybe fred and george are the closest friends she's got sitting in this room. sorry you guys." ginny turned to face hermione and harry. harry didn't seem to have any problem leaving the conversation. while hermione tried to argue against what ginny said, resulting in harry dragging hermione out of the room. "should we include cedric?" ginny continued blushing slightly.

"no." fred and george said in unison. "fine." she huffed.

"maybe she really did fall in her room." neville pitched. "doubtful." ron scoffed.

"hey, don't be rude to neville!" ginny threatened, causing ron to gulp looking down to his hands. "why not you guys, oh i don't know? just talk to her about it?" fred said sarcastically. "whatever. no one here cares or wants to help. so i'm going off to bed." ginny completed stomping out of the room.

~

"they look happier than ever. i could have sworn she was upset with him last week at dinner." neville spoke eyeing jessie and briar sitting together in the common room. "it's all a ruse." ron mumbled. cocking their eyebrows at him he explained, "i heard them arguing nearly every night before i come into the room."

if you looked close enough you could see the smile briar was faking. she had lost her last bruise but gained an even worse one around her neck. she was wearing turtlenecks just about everyday. hermione only knew about it because she saw briar getting out of the shower as she was brushing her teeth.

"this is getting ridiculous, someone needs to confront her, i say ginny." hermione suggested. "no!" she argued back.

"why not?"

"just imagine, 'oh hello briar, we haven't talked much in a few days but i was wondering, how did you really get those bruises?'"

"fine."

~

soon enough it was february 18th. ron was sitting in his bed trying to think of a gift to give briar, they hadn't talked in a while, but that didn't mean he didn't care about her. plus it was mostly his fault, avoiding her when she would start walking towards him. but he just didn't know how to talk to her after realizing his feelings.

it was a hogsmeade weekend that weekend. so he would have to find the perfect present the day before her birthday.

after the gifts she had given everyone at christmas it was clear she was good at gift giving.

he thought about this the following day not even realizing it was saturday morning. he quickly got dressed, racing down to the great hall to get some breakfast before heading to hogsmeade.

it was busy. as it usually was. he walked through what felt like a million stores until he walked in a second hand shop. he instantly saw it, hoping briar would like it he purchased it immediately.

~

"what have you got there weasel?"

"a gift." he said dully.