RP: Two Brothers

[shh_charlie]

Date: May 30, 2005
Characters: Charlie Weasley, Ron Weasley, Slibovitz the Cat
Location: Charlie's House
Status: Private
Summary: Two brothers hang out
Completion: Incomplete

Comments

[shh_ron]

Since his talk with Hermione that morning, Ron had tried to keep his current unhappiness out of his mind. He'd vented to Hermione and told her his plans, and he spent the rest of the day doing his job the best he could. He did send Keeper with a very brief note to Charlie at lunch time to ask if he could stay there for a bit. With that squared away, Ron finished work at half-four, returned to his room at the house, shrank all his belongings and packed them in a cardboard box. Once he retrieved Keeper from the mini-owlery behind the house, he took his box and his owl and stepped into the Floo, bound for Charlie's house. When he stepped out into the cider house, he found Charlie waiting for him.

"Oi, Charlie, thanks for having me."

[shh_ron]

Ron couldn't help snorting at Charlie's reaction to the words dragon pox. "Yeah, green spots'd probably do Bill's looks some good," he joked, well aware that Bill was probably the best-looking of the Weasley brothers. Still, he couldn't fault Charlie for taking a little shot at Bill, who wasn't there to defend himself so really, they could say whatever they wanted. It seemed Charlie was almost as pissed off about the situation as Ron was.

"No, I reckon we're not in the chosen few," he agreed. "Just don't know why Harry got to see Bill in hospital while the rest of us had no idea what was going on. Then he didn't bother to tell me about it from then until now. I just don't know what the hell he could've been thinking. I thought I knew him pretty well but, bugger... maybe not... I don't know anymore."

[shh_charlie]

"Don't let it bring you down, baby brother, yeah?" Charlie patted Ron's arm in sympathy. "Mum always said that if your friends treat you like shite then you don't need 'em. Well, she didn't say it precisely like that." He flashed Ron a cheeky grin. "But you know wot I mean, don't you?"

"Green spots and a burlap sack over his big fat head," he muttered. He'd always teased Bill about his looks, always needing to take him down a peg in order to keep him from getting big-headed. Even the werewolf attack hadn't stopped him -- to do so would've meant something was wrong. "Obviously Bill wanted Harry there for some reason. They up to somethin' I don't know about? Seems bloody odd to me but..." he shook his head, "don't talk to Harry or Bill much so I dunno. Just hacks me off that you've been hurt by your best mate and all that. Hermione have any clues?"

[shh_ron]

"I've been friends with Harry, best mates, since we were both eleven," Ron said, biting his lip as he looked down from the floor. "Only been on the outs with him, really, one other time, back in fourth year, and I know I was pretty miserable about it then. Thought he'd put his name in that goblet thing to enter the TriWizard Tournament without telling me. We'd joked about trying it together, you know, and then suddenly his name got spat out the goblet and Harry looked gobsmacked but I wouldn't believe him when he said he didn't put it in. Pretty much didn't talk to him for a month after that, not till after he faced that Hungarian Horntail. Then I reckoned he'd never offer to almost get himself killed, even Harry isn't that self-destructive. Ever since then everything's been good between us until now. Dunno if they're up to something. Don't even know if Bill asked Harry to visit him or how Harry found out, I just know Harry knew Bill was there and didn't tell any of us

[shh_charlie]

"I know you've been best mates since you got on the bloody train," Charlie mused. "Harry's been like family ever since. I don't know him well -- just the times I've been there when you've brought him round and he's a great bloke. I just..." His shoulders slumped and he took another drink just to gather his increasingy muzzy thoughts. "Dunno."

"If Bill was a different sort of bloke," he said, a slightly drunken grin forming on his lips, "I'd say we might want to question why a bloke his age was hanging about with a guy 10 years his junior but...nah. Our Bill's not like that. He's always been a ladies' man, not...you know."

[shh_ron]

"Yeah, you're right, he has been like family since before we started second year," Ron said. "Dunno either, Charlie. It's all sort of weird."

Ron nodded. "Actually, I...um, I know something about that myself, actually. Before I hooked up with Lavender this time, I sort of found myself checking out a few blokes I knew. Never did anything about it, though. Not because I was embarrassed, but I could tell that the other bloke wouldn't be interested. But yeah, I had those thoughts. So I think I'd know if Bill was interested in blokes. Don't think he is, though I could be wrong. But now I'm so happy with Lavender I don't even notice blokes any more, plus I don't want to fuck up the best thing that's ever happened to me."

That was as far as Ron was going to go, because he didn't want to discuss Harry's possible sexual orientation when, really, he had no idea himself, and despite how angry he was with Harry, it wasn't any of Charlie's business. "

[shh_charlie]

"Mum thinks he's family, Ginny thinks he's family, Dad...Dad reckoned he was family and any time I've been around him in past, he was just one more of us, even if he wasn't lucky enough to be born ginger like the rest of us," Charlie opined. "It does seem pretty odd, if you ask me. Did Harry get hit on the head recently? That might explain it..."

His eyes widened as Ron explained about his interest in other men. "Huh. Well, learn something new every day about your brothers, don't you?" Charlie scratched his head, trying to think of the right words to say. "I've never been interested in any blokes m'self. Other than the usual changing room stuff... you know, seeing who's got the biggest willie or that sort of thing. But it's sort of alien to me. Only ever fancied girls. Not that there's anything wrong with the other. Just...not something I understand. If Bill's suddenly changed teams, it's news to me

[shh_ron]

Did Harry get hit on the head recently? Ron stifled a laugh. "Not that I know of." Possibly below the waist, but not in the sense Charlie meant. "I'm still too pissed off at him to talk to him about it and find out what the fuck he could've been thinking. Maybe in a week or two...but not now." He shook his head unhappily.

"You're the only one I've told so far," Ron admitted. "Yeah, I know what you mean, the changing room stuff... that was sort of my first hint that I didn't just fancy girls. Like I said, I've never done anything about it, so maybe that means I'm mostly interested in women. Doesn't matter that much to me, really, because I'm not interested in testing those waters. Lavender keeps me very happy that way" -- he blushed again -- "and I'm going to do my best not to fuck it up. Not for Mum, though I know the minute she meets Lavender she'll probably start sending out wedding invitations...well, that's not an issue yet, really, because I'm not ready for anything permanent yet, and neither is Lav. That's why I didn't consider

[shh_charlie]

"It might get sorted, Ron. You two have been friends for far too long for things to go that pear-shaped," Charlie said optimistically. "Just give t a bit of time, yeah?"

"Don't worry, your secret's safe with me. S'not like I want to shout from the roof tops about it at any rate." He laughed. "And it sounds like your girly is keeping you from noticing anyone else which is good, isn't it? No need to rush. If it's supposed to happen, it will. That's what Dad always said. Of course, he and Mum knew it was love at first sight, didn't they? Can't even imagine what that's like. Anyway, you're welcome to kip here as long as you like. Don't mind the company at all."

[shh_ron]

"Yeah, maybe a bit of time is all it needs." He hoped so anyway; he didn't want to feel this upset with his best mate for a long time.

"Thanks, Charlie. 'S not so much a secret, y'know. Just not something I run around telling everybody who walks past." He shrugged. 'Yeah, I reckon whatever happens with Lavender will happen, and I'm going to enjoy it for as long as it lasts. Thank for the offer to kip. Think I might stay till the weekend, if that's okay with you, then I'll spend the weekend with Lavender. After that? Well, who knows. I'll find something."

[shh_charlie]

Charlie leaned over and caught his brother up in a rough hug, thumping him on the back. "You're welcome to stay as long as you like, Ron. We're family and that always comes first, no matter what. Everyone's behaving so madly lately but...well, I just want us all to get on. I'm here for ya. Of course, I can see why you might want to spend more time with your girlie than me. Definitely better benefits." He laughed, raising his nearly empty glass in salute. "And I'll even admit that Lavender's prettier than me."