So, About Those Werewolves - Order of the Phoenix [closed]

[so_harry]

He didn't think he'd seen so many people in Grimmauld Place since the summer before his fifth year. The nostalgia hit him hard but he tried not to focus on it. Too many were missing, too many lives lost in the last fifteen years. It hurt to see the empty places standing among them all

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[whythespiders]

Everything about this felt strange. The last time Ron had been to an Order meeting in Grimmauld Place, the faces had been different. They had been the children, the young ones, the ones they were trying to protect even when that was a moot point.

Now they were running the show. Apparently. Ron wasn't sure they were doing a very good job at it, considering the crack team they'd assembled. Everyone had a lot of merit, Ron knew, but they were such a strange mix.

It could probably be worse.

He was carrying around a glass, bored of Hermione's conversations that were far too technical and not half as tactical as needed to keep his interest in anything. Ron sipped his water, spared a moment to wish he'd brought whiskey, and spotted Skylar standing slightly awkwardly by herself.

He hadn't seen her often, not nearly like he did before Harry had abandoned him. Crossing the room, Ron stood beside her. "Are you supervising, assessing, or trying to stay out of the way?"

[skylar_x]

Skylar was a little bit shocked to find that Ron had come up to her, considering that the two of them had never really gotten past the stage of acquaintances towards a friendship of their own. Though, of all the Weasleys he was definitely her first choice.

Besides, it would be nice to get to know him a little bit better. Probably.

"A little bit of both?" she offered, though it probably came off as annoyed. It was her first instinct that was hard to shake.

She forced herself to soften.

"Mostly just trying to find where I fit in-"

[whythespiders]

"If it helps, you don't seem to be the only one doing that." Ron nodded toward the other side of the room where Cecilia Jacobs was standing then to a different corner where Sebastian Daley was.

"If anyone has a which one doesn't belong vibe, it's one of them." While she hadn't been around the Order in the past, Ron actually didn't have a hard time seeing Skylar there. Then again, he was also very used to associating her with Harry.

"I don't think any of us know exactly what we're doing right now."

[skylar_x]

"You're supposed to say that kind of stuff to the outsiders," she told him, actually cracking smile this time around.

It was sort of amazing to her to be so closely associated with The Golden Trio after watching from afar for so long. They lived in this world that she never thought that she'd ever be apart of.

And now here she was, living with Harry and having casual conversations with his best mates, surrounded by the family of his ex and former house mates. It was all very surreal most of the time still.

"Is it weird for you? With the house being so different-"

[whythespiders]

"A little." It was strange. Every time Ron had been here in the past, no matter how often everyone was there, the entire house seemed like it was about to give up and collapse in a pile of dust. That was on the good days.

Now it looked like a real place where people lived. That changed atmosphere also changed the way Ron was feeling about Order meetings.

"But it's better than expecting the floor to cave in under you. It looks good. And it's still the best place to be doing all of this." Somehow, being somewhere that seemed actually lived in felt like it gave the Order a bit of legitimacy it had lacked before. There were also more members than there had been in years past, it seemed.

[skylar_x]

"Yeah, I can see that. I mean, its more than just the charms to keep this all secret. There's something that just draws people together here," Skylar offered, running her fingers through her hair as she looked around the room.

It still amazed her just how many people could fit in their kitchen and the living room upstairs. Most days it was just her, roaming from room to room as she got used to the strange floors and walls. She hadn't really settled yet, still feeling like this wasn't quite her house yet and this definitely wasn't going to help.

"I think-" She paused, licked at her lips, "I think it's good for Harry to be back here."

She offered a small smile, wondering if Ron thought the same, if he noticed all the positive strides he had been making.

[whythespiders]

Skylar might not have known about this for long and lived here for about that same amount of time, but Ron couldn't help nodding. She was right. Even without the charms, there was something about this house that seemed to lend itself to this, that called to everyone to gather there without trying to think of anywhere else.

He tried not to think about it too much.

"Yeah. It's the first place that was ... home. Outside of Hogwarts." That possibly wasn't strictly true. Harry had taken well the the Burrow, but that was different. This had been Sirius' house. It was a little more like family, given the ties to Harry's parents. "It's good that you guys are here. And that it's taken care of. Harry's good with it."

[skylar_x]

Skylar felt a bit of warmth spread through her, satisfied to hear that she wasn't the only one to notice the positive change in her boyfriend. And, of all people, Ron, who knew Harry better than anyone else.

She constantly feared, even now more than ever surrounded by the Order, that this would become his entire life again.

And she'd lose him over it.

"He enjoys taking care of it. He enjoys coming home now-" she told him quietly, "And I enjoy being here with him."

[whythespiders]

"Good." Ron might have been vaguely irritated that Harry was moving out and moving in with Skylar - regardless of location - but he'd gotten over it quickly. He could see how Harry was doing better.

"He's less reckless, too. Which I'm sure you know," Ron rolled his eyes as if annoyed, but he wasn't. He tended to still be more reckless than he should be, but he was starting to get that under control now that Harry was and Hermione was back.

"But if you didn't know? Now you do. Because a lot of that has to do with you. So." It almost felt like he should say thank you, but that felt weird.