Skinny Love - Ron Weasley

Chapter 9

"Ho, ho, ho. Merry Christmas. Here we go. Daddy's back. Sit down, everybody, sit down. That's it. Now, presents."

Molly begins to pass out the presents handing them out to each person sat around the table, "And a nice big box for Ron. Big box for you. And... Fred and George. Come on, open up. I want to see your faces."

"Thanks, Mum. It's perfect."

"Just what he wanted, actually."

"Yeah, right. Thanks, Mum."

Molly smiles at them all and quickly hands Alex a grey wrapped present, "Come on, then, everybody. Here you go, Alex, that one's for you."

Alex unwraps it to find a knitted grey sweater with a large letter 'A.B' on the front making her smile, "Thanks Mrs. Weasley."

"Let's clear this away. Oh, Harry, Harry. There you are. Happy Christmas."

"Thank you."

Alex pulls her new jumper on making her hair become even frizzier than usual, she glances up at Ron who sits opposite her, he smiles softly at her and she quickly pats down her hair rolling her eyes at him.

"How much food have I got?"

"The same as usual, Ronald."

Alex leans back in her chair and flicks a pea at Ron, acting as if she did nothing as she talks to the twins who sit beside her, Ron looks around shaking his head only for a pea to hit him form the other direction.

His head snaps towards Alex, his glare softening when he sees her laughing and conversing with the twins. "Watch this."

She goes to flick another pea but Ron opens his mouth quickly catching it, "Fred, George," She says dropping her fork from being caught, "Who is it? I-I'm deaf." She tries feeling around pretending she can't see.

"Wrong one." Hermione whispers.

"Oh, yes, I mean, I'm blind."

~~~~~

"Jellybean."

Alex yelps and stands up right hiding the Dungbombs behind her back, "What are you doing?"

"Nothing!"

"If that prank if for Mad-Eye," Sirius says walking over and shaking his head, "Do it in the living room, he goes in there more than he does his own room."

She smiles at her father grabbing the one she planted on the floor under the bed, "I've got something for you."

He says sitting on the bed, she sits beside him as he hands her a small grey box, "It was your mother and I's, I thought you would want it."

She opens it up to reveal a silver chain with two rings, she lifts it up taking it carefully in her hand and turning the rings over in her hand, "Your wedding rings?" She questions quietly.

He nods, "This is our first Christmas together," He acknowledges, "I thought I'd wait to give it to you for when we were actually together."

She smiles carefully fiddling with the rings on the chain, "Can you tell me about her? Mum?"

"Your mother was the bravest, kindest and funniest soul I've ever met. I never loved anyone the way I did her, never thought I could love, we caused a lot of mischief around school in our days," Sirius smiles looking up in thought as he remembers the old days, "Gave your grandmother quite a good scare a few times."

"Dad?" He hums in response, "Where did- where Mum get buried?"

"What?"

She sighs playing with her hands in her lap, "It's just, Gran always got a bit upset if I asked where she was buried, after the third time she broke down I just never asked again."

"Godric's Hollow, your mother is buried in Godric's Hollow. I'll take you there one day, how about Summer? When you come home?"

She nods and clasps the necklace around her neck allowing it to hang on show, "Yeah, that'd be nice."

~~~~~

"Jellybean?"

"Hmm?"

"What that on you hand?" Sirius asks.

Ron slowly stops chewing and looks up watching them as everyone else goes quiet watching the father-daughter duo, "Nothing."

"Alex."

"Nothing, Dad, it's just my flesh, jeez."

He rolls his eyes and slowly places his drink down, "Alexandra-"

"Look," She exclaims lifting her right hand, "Nothing, see."

"Other hand."

She lifts her left hand showing him the palm, he attempts to reach over but she rips it away, "Alex, just-"

"It's nothing, okay, leave it."

She quickly stands and goes to grab her plate ready to wash and put away but he grabs her hand quickly uncovering it. Her eyes widen and she rips it away from him quickly covering it again, "Who did that?" He asks with a deadly glare in his eyes.

"I said it was nothing, okay?" She quietly grabs her plate and places it in the sink before walking out of the kitchen, sighing when she hears her father's footsteps following behind her.

"Alex!" He calls, "Alex, you stop right now!" She sighs and stops on top of the stairs, "What is that?"

"I didn't do it, okay?" She exclaims, "It was Umbridge, I'd never- I-I'd never-"

He wraps his arms around her and shushes her "I know, I know, it's okay, shh."

He gently sooths her by rubbing a hand up and down her back, "I know, I believe you."

"She's horrible, s-she doesn't believe me. She made me do it, she said horrible things about you, I had to say something."

He closes his eyes listening to her sniffle, he places a kiss on her hair line and sighs, "I'm sorry, Dad, I'm sorry."

"You have nothing to be sorry for, okay? Don't you dare apologise."

Her body shakes with quiet sobs as he smooths down her hair, "I was tired of my lady... we'd been tether too long, like a worn out recording, of a favourite song."

"So w-when I lay there sleeping, I read the paper in bed. And in the personal columns, there was this l-letter I-I read..."

"If you like Piña Coladas..."