Skinny Love - Ron Weasley

Chapter 9

Hermione runs after Harry sending a look of concern to her best friend as she does, "Lex-"

"Don't."

Sighing she walks away aimlessly. She continues to walk, fresh tears forming in her eyes, until she reaches an abandoned corridor.

Looking up and down the corridor once she leans against the wall sliding down until she can pull her knees up to her chest. A sob echoes off the walls as she buries her head into her knees.

Her hand hits something attached to her jeans and she finds her Walkman, with a scream she throws it at the wall opposite her.

It smashes into pieces as it hits the brick wall and she shakes her head as tears begin to uncontrollably fall down her face, burying her head in her arms she doesn't notice the curious looking dog at the end of the corridor.

She looks up when she fells something nudge her arm, "Go away."

The dog sits in front of her, is tongue falling out his mouth as she sniffles and tires to hide the small giggle form coming out of her mouth, "Hi."

She reaches forward and scratches behind his ears, with a sighs she leans her head back against the wall as the dog sits on her right and lies down slowly, keeping her company.

"You know, I grew up with no dad," She says the dog looks up at her, barley moving to do so, "I used to sit up every night and wish for him to come back, wherever he was, I knew my mum was dead, but the only things I got of him were 'He was a Gryffindor' or 'You look like him'."

She shakes her head and laughs bitterly, "And then I find out he's a bloody murder who tried to kill me and my best friend when we were one year old." She scoffs and angrily rubs away the tears.

"I shouldn't even be crying over this, it's so... stupid. 'Granny, where's daddy? Does my father love me?'" She mocks in a high pitched voice trying to sound like a child, "When's daddy coming home?' God, grow up."

The dog nudges her with his head and she rests her hand on top of his head, "My friend found out, well, I told him, doesn't want to talk to me know, does he?" She shakes her head, "Won't even look at me. And we share friends so now I'm lonely, no one will ever leave him."

They sit in silence, her staring at the wall while the dog looks at her, as if he's trying to recognise her from somewhere, "Lex?"

"Go away, Ron."

He shakes his head and slides down the wall beside her, he raises a brow at the broken Walkman and crawls forward grabbing it before settling back beside her, "You clearly don't understand when someone wants to be alone."

"You're not alone."

"The dog doesn't count, Ronald."

He shrugs, "Hermione'll have a spell for this." He says placing the Walkman beside him.

She sniffles and wipes her nose as she looks up at the ceiling. He studies her for a moment, the blue strands in her black hair that clearly indicate how she's feeling, but there's also some red streaks in there, it works weirdly well. Her eyes are glossy and puffy, tear streaks are on her cheeks as more fall down every so often.

"If you like Piña Coladas," Ron sings quietly, "And getting caught in the rain, if you're not into yoga," The dog's head looks up upon hearing the song, "If you have half a brain..."

"You're a terrible singer, Ronald." She says while laughing and wiping her tears.

He shrugs and nudges her with his shoulder lightly, "If you like making love at midnight, in the dunes of the cape, then I'm the love that you've looked for, write to me, and escape."

~~~~~

"Alex?" She offers the Professor a smile from her place in the small crook of a window, "Are you okay?"

"Probably not." She admits.

Lupin smiles, "You know, I knew your mother in school, hard worker, great at Quidditch, like yourself-"

"Did you know my father?" He freezes, "I know who he is." She clarifies.

"They told you?"

She shakes her head, "More like whispered behind my back, but I know who he is, I know he's Sirius Black."

Remus nods, "I knew him, we were quite close, along with Harry's father."

"What was he like? In school, before he... he-"

Seeing her struggle he interrupts, "I'll be honest, he was a player, but your mother and Sirius, they enjoyed playing cupid. They liked setting people up together, and every couple they set up has stayed together."

"Besides them." She says coldly, he sighs and nods, "Do you believe he did that stuff?"

He shrugs, "I don't know," He says honestly, "But the day after he found that house in ruins he turned up at my house, he was crying, had been for hours by the looks of it and he just kept repeating, 'I lost them both. I failed her, I failed them both.'"

"He thought you were dead, I don't think he realised you were there when he did what he did. But, the question is, do you believe everyone?"

Alex thinks for a moment, "I've only had one side of the story, but, I'd like to believe that he didn't. I'd like to have a little bit of hope for him."