InsaneJournal

Tweak says, "do you have a toolbelt of love"

Lavender Brown is teaching Sex Ed at three. (inlavender) wrote in takingamulligan,
@ 2010-05-17 01:29:00

Who: Ron and Lavender
When: April 28th, shortly after this journal entry
Where: The hallway, then Ron's bed
What: Ron snuggles his girlfriend and tries to make her feel better on the full moon
Rating: PG
Status: COMPLETE

The worry Ron was feeling for Lavender sped his hasty goodnight and departure from the Common Room. His journal was clasped in his hand, and he checked the dorm quickly before heading back to the stairs to meet her. He was glad the dorm was empty, since it meant he didn't have to explain, he would've still brought her in if it wasn't. If she wasn't feeling well and she wanted his company, he wasn't going to say no.

He smiled a bit when he spotted her in her pyjamas, and leaned in to kiss her gently on the forehead. His voice was low as he asked, "Hey. You okay?"

By now, Ron knew how she got around the full moon. Sometimes she did get crazy, but he had a feeling tonight wasn't one of those nights. Which was okay, really. He liked being with her anyway, and if she wasn't feeling well, he'd do his damndest to make her feel better. She had wanted to see him, after all. She had to think he'd be able to help somehow.

She had thought the mania was the worst of it, but these potions brought her so low that she only felt like curling into a ball and sleeping. Tomorrow she'd have to ask Gus to adjust the dosage a litle, but for tonight she thought time with Ron would be enough to get her through. He was the person she turned to when she needed someone to hold onto her like this -- Parvati was her best friend, but it would be kind of odd if she asked her to cuddle.

Normally she would wear something slinky to go and see him, but tonight she was wearing a pale pink nightgown that was definitely a few years old, and she had also pulled on a green cardigan jumper that didn't match at all and was obviously just for propriety. She padded down the stairs quietly, her bare feet silently against the steps as she finally came level with him, stepping right into his arms. His kiss made her smile weakly, and she nodded. "I just need a hug."

"Well, I'm good for that," Ron said and curled his arms around her, just standing with her for a moment. Her night dress wasn't risque, so there was no reason to rush off to his room if she wanted a hug first. In fact, she looked kind of cute in the pink with the little ruffles at the top and the bottom. Still, if she wasn't feeling well, there was no reason to hang out in the hallway.

He only partially released her, letting on arm curl around her as he began moving towards his dorm, asking as they walked, "New potions no good, huh?"

She rested her head on his shoulder and let him lead her, glad to get out of the chill of the stairway. Even in the hottest days of the year, it always seemed to be freezing there. It was all that stone.

Slinging her arm around his waist, she was glad to see that there was no one else in his room. Even if they weren't going to be doing anything naughty, the rest of his dormmates didn't need to know she was there. "They're not bad, but I think there's too much stuff to calm me down. Makes me feel... just sad. Empty."

Ron nodded, because even though he didn't really know what potion-induced melancholy felt like, he was sympathetic to sadness. They made their way to his bed, and though it was pretty early for him to turn in, he didn't hesitate to kick off his shoes and start pulling off his uniform. She'd seen him with his kit off enough times by now that he didn't really think much of stripping down to his boxers and then reaching for a night shirt.

"You want some water or anything? I can get you a glass," he offered.

Without asking, she slipped between his curtains and lifted the covers to slide underneath, content to wait for him to join her. It occurred to her that she had never seen him in bed just... sleeping. She wondered what he wore, now that he had seen her less-than-glamourous nighttime wardrobe.

"No, I'm okay. I only need you," she said softly, managing a bit of a smile to show that she knew the line was quite cheesy.

Ron chuckled a bit but was happy to climb under the blankets and draw the curtains shut around them. He settled in next to her and didn't hesitate to reach out for her. "Yeah, well, you want me, you got me." He paused a moment and then added, "I wish you weren't feeling sad."

She turned when he pulled the curtains shut, tucking her head under his chin and wrapping her arm around his waist. It might have been more comfortable, in the long run, to let him spoon her, but she just wanted to listen to his heartbeat for awhile and smell his scent. It made her feel like she was grounded again, it kept her mind from wandering off to the dark place it was going to before.

"I'm feeling a bit better now."

"That's good," Ron mumbled, mouth moving against her hair. Whatever shampoo she used smelled familiar and nice, and he hadn't really realized until that moment that he'd even known what her shampoo smelled like. He wasn't tired quite yet, but he was relaxed enough to let his eyes fall closed, focussing on rubbing his hand gently up and down her spine. "Healer Pye'll find something that works. Or if he can't, we'll find someone who can. You'll be all right."

It was a promise he didn't know if he could keep, but Bill had found ways to cope and he really hoped she would too. Ron would do whatever he could to find a solution. He didn't like the thought of her sad and empty every full moon. Or crazy, come to think of it, for her sake. He couldn't imagine it felt good to be that out of control.

She sunk into him, his hands on her back soothing her, making her feel like she could breathe again. Despite the warmth of the night, she curled into the heat of his body, comforted by how absolutely solid he felt. "Pye'll fix it. The problem is that we only really get three chances to see how it makes me feel ever month, so it just takes awhile. I just have to tell him to use less of whatever he put in to bring me down."

She sighed, sliding her leg between his as if she was afraid he was going to pull away from her at any moment. She had thought quite a bit about how lovely it would be to just be able to lie around with him, to sleep next to him and not have to sneak around. Now that she had a little taste of it, she could already tell that living with him was going to be wonderful. "Talk to me about something else. Talk about Quidditch."

"Talk to you about Quidditch, hm?" Ron said. Who was he to say no to that? "Okay then. What do you know about the Chudley Cannons? Anything?"

Just like Lavender was enjoying just being with him, so was he with her. He let his leg curl around hers, linking together at the knee, and kept the gentle movement of his hand against her back, only pausing once to slide his hand up underneath her nightgown. It wasnt done out of an attempt to move things towards something else. It was just because Ron thought skin against skin felt better than skin against cotton. Or whatever her pyjamas were made out of.

"Cheeky," she muttered when she felt his hand against her bare skin, though she knew he wasn't trying to take advantage of the situation. Despite how frequently they managed to paw at each other, she knew Ron wouldn't want her to sleep with him unless she was one hundred percent involved, and they both knew she would only be going through the motions tonight.

"I know they're you're favourite team, and they wear orange," she supplied, and omitted that she also knew they weren't renowned for their winning record. That bit she had gleaned from an offhand comment Seamus had made about the team at dinner one night. From Ron's reaction, she had gathered it was a bit of a sore subject.

"They've won the league cup twenty-one times. Er, not since 1892, but still, that's pretty bloody good, right?" Ron rambled conversatoinally, not really expecting a response. She's just asked him to talk, and he could do that. Especially about the Cannons. "They may not have the best luck anymore, but I reckon they've got the right spirit, right. And say what you will about them, but Joey Jenkins would probably be one of the best beaters in the world if he, er, cared more about winning. Do you know what their club motto is?"

Here Ron paused, smiling as he hung onto his favourite piece of Cannons trivia. He knew most people probably thought it was ridiculous to root for the Cannons as he did, but he loved that team. Had since he was a kid and always would, even if they never won another match ever. What he liked best about them was that they didn't really seem to care. They were probably the most laid back professional team in the league, and even if people said the league only kept them around because everyone loves an underdog, Ron still thought they might one day make a comeback.

She liked the way he lit up when he talked about his favourite team -- it was like the permanent scars that the war had left on him lifted away, like she could see and remember what he had been like when she had first met him, before everything became so dark. Unconsciously, she reached up and rubbed the bite mark at her neck, trying to massage away the ache there. He was distracting her from most of the sadness, and the pain was dull, but for some reason that bite always hurt the most. Maybe it was all in her head.

"What is it?" she asked, clearly happy to play along.

Without really even thinking about it, Ron noticed the way she rubbed at her neck and he pulled his hand out from under her nightgown, raising it up to replace hers, massaging her shoulder and neck as he answered.

"'Let's all just keep our fingers crossed and hope for the best'," he said, still smiling. "It used to be 'We shall conquer', but they changed it in 1972 because the hadn't been doing much conquering I reckon."

She moved her hand away without protest, comfortable enough with him touching her scars now that she didn't shrink away from him. Instead, she just let her head fall back against the pillow, giving him enough room to properly massage the area, feeling the ache melt away under the pressure of his fingertips. "You can go hard, love," she said softly, apparently oblivious to the innuendo in her words -- which was a clear indicator of how subdued she was feeling.

"That's a good motto. Is it in English or Latin? English would be funnier," she said, thinking of the Hogwarts logo which sounded so imposing in Latin until you learned what it meant.

Ron pressed his fingers harder into her skin, kneading the muscles with his big, quidditch calloused hands. He smirked a bit, but didn't comment on her innuendo, instead focussing on her apparent interest in the Cannons. He wondered if she was faking it or if she really did like to hear about his favourite team. He could offer to lend her Flying With the Cannons, but he had a feeling she wasn't quite that interested.

"English. It is funnier, isn't it? We should go to a game sometime. You'd probably like it. And I haven't been since I was old enough to actually drink, so it'll be a completely different sort of thing now," Ron said, still smiling. "Cannon fans are very rarely sober at the end of a match."

She laughed, shaking her head a bit as she squeezed his waist, thinking about what it meant to be moving in with him. They would be a part of each others interests from then on -- she would listen to Quidditch games on the Wireless with him, and he would have to endure she and Parvati's marathon gab sessions. Of course, that was the compromise, but it was worth it to be able to be with him, to make a life with him.

"Oh Merlin, you're going to get absolutely pissed and sick up on my shoes, aren't you?"

Her words inspired a chuckle and his attempt to look offended failed when he wasn't quite able to banish the grin. Every so often he was just struck all over again with how happy she made him, and this was one of those times. He felt proud that he'd cheered her up enough to earn a laugh when she'd been feeling so terrible before, and for some reason that felt more fulfilling to Ron than any good grade or good save.

"You saying I can't hold my alcohol? I'm wounded," Ron said. "Come on. Give me a little credit."

"I'm sure you can, but I know how these things go. It's pretty much a requirement that you drink too much at these things, and I just know I'm going to be side-along Apparating you home and putting you to bed, making you drink water and giving you a potion for your headache. And then you're going to wake me up at three in the morning because you're pawing at me, thinking I must have been incredibly turned-on by you vomiting on my shoes," she teased, poking him in the ribs for emphasis.

Ron rolled his eyes at her and managed a bit of a pout. He didn't think her was that big of a prat, but then again, they were young. Maybe they would do stupid things, or insensitive things, or things that made them look like complete prats like what she'd just described. But they'd do them together, or help each other come through them unscathed, or forgive each other for them, or whatever the situation called for.

"Yeah, well, if I do, it's good to know you'll nurse me back to health and hopefully not hold it against me that I'll be trying to get in your pants even when I'm so drunk I can barely tell your elbow from your eyeball." He kissed her on the top of the head and smirked. "What can I say? I'll always find you irresistable. Drunk or not."

"Good answer, Weasley," she replied, leaning forward to press a kiss against his chest. "Though you should maybe leave my elbows and eyeballs out of it. That's just asking for trouble."

Snuggling closer to him, she sought the warmth of his chest, shifting around a bit to make her nightgown lay more comfortably against her. It was bunched underneathe her side and driving her crazy, and she was wondering if she should tug it down -- though she had enjoyed him stroking her back earlier.

"Anyway, goodness knows there's going to be times I come home from a girl's night out with Parvati, pissed as anything, and try and come to bed fully clothed to tell you about the boy she ended up going home with."

If there was one thing Ron had resigned himself to in their relationship, it was a whole lot more Parvati in his life than he ever really had any interest in. But Parvati was nice enough, and she was Lavender's best friend, so Ron figured he ought to at least get to know her a bit. She was important to Lav, so Ron supposed that meant she was important to him too.

"So long as it's her going home with a boy and not you, I suppose I can tolerate that," Ron answered, hand still rubbing idly at her neck. He considered Lav and Parvati's friendship for a moment, and asked, "What does she think of us moving in together?"

"Why would I ever go home with a random bloke when I have the best boyfriend in the world at home, ready to help me undress and put my heels away and stroke my hair until I fall asleep and drool on his shirt?" she asked, grinning. Yes, in a weird way she was looking forward to the more undignified moments of living together.

"She's supportive," she said, knowing that Parvati's feelings on the matter were complicated -- and that Ron didn't need to know the full extent of them.

"Well, supportive is good," Ron said slowly. It was about what Harry was. Harry was pleased for him, but a bit put out that they wouldn't be living together, at least for the year Ginny was still in school. Not that he wanted Harry and Ginny to move in together right out of school or anything. Sure, he and Lav were, but...

No point going down that road right now. Or ever. It would just get him in trouble with his sister again if it ever came up.

Instead, Ron just shook his head a bit and said, "You know, that kind of makes me look forward to you drooling on my shirts. Do you think it'll be weird to live together? I mean. There's a lot we don't know about each other yet." Ron paused and let go of his grip on her neck to return his hand to her back, palm spread wide as he sid his hand over her skin.

"I think it will be an adjustment," she said, pressing back against his hand. "For one thing, we need somewhere that has two closets. And you have to accept that I own more girly potions and clothes than is probably reasonable. But I will try and keep them in my space and I won't take over the bathroom." She paused, thinking. "Okay, I will try really hard to not take over the bathroom," she promised, though she knew it would be a struggle.

She wondered if Ron understood just how many things it took to make Lavender... well, Lavender. He certainly enjoyed the results of the pampering and the potions and the primping, but could he fathom how many products and how much effort it took to make that happen? Would he still find her sexy if he had to watch her half-hour moisturising routine every night? And while he certainly seemed to enjoy the vastness of her wardrobe -- at least where the underthings were concerned -- he only saw them individually. What would he think when he saw the entire thing en masse?

"So long as I can shower and shave, I don't need much in the bathroom," Ron said, but he was already occupied pondering what sort of girly potions she meant. He was actually kind of curious to see what exactly she had. She always looked nice and smelled nice and Ron knew she put in effort for it, but he didn't know how much. He was also kind of curious to see her with her guard down, to see her in a way no one else got to. His biggest concern was that being around each other so much would sort of showcase just how... ordinary he was. He was used to not having all that much privacy, given how many of them there were in his family, but he'd never been that close with someone who didn't have to love him. Still, he wasn't too worried. They'd adjust, he was sure. "I think we'll be all right."

"We'll be fine. We just have to remember to stay honest with each other," she said, knowing that that simple thing was often what went overlooked in making relationships work. She and Parvati had been practically glued at the hip since they had met, and the reason it kept working was because they didn't lie to one another. As long as Ron could tell her when to reign in her shopping and she could tell him when to pick up his dirty pants, they would make it work, she was sure of it.

"Although maybe you should leave off shaving. I bet some stubble would look sexy on you."

The comment caused Ron to bring a hand to his chin, rubbing the slight stubble he had there contemplatively. He always kind of thought the fact that he was a ginger meant stubble would just look patchy on him like it did on his dad, but then again, Bill and Charlie sometimes came home for holidays with it and even if Mum didn't like it, Ron reckoned it looked pretty tough. Then again, cursebreakers and dragon tamers were a hell of a lot more badass than Ron figured he was, so maybe he couldn't pull it off. But Lav thought it would look good.

"Yeah, maybe," he said, dropping his hand back down, returning it to its place against the skin of her back. Despite thoughts of stubble, he was actually still a bit distracted still by the idea of them sort of... getting past the mystery. He figured once they were sharing a flat, it wouldn't take long. Ron liked all of the fancy things Lav had, and he liked how soft her hair was and how smooth her skin was. But as nice as those things were, they weren't really real things. They weren't the reason that he loved her.

Moments like this were the reason he loved her. She came to him to make her feel better, and no one had really ever given him that much credit before. And when he was pissed off and felt like avoiding everyone she was really the only person who could cheer him up too. He loved what they were to each other, and he loved how they made each other feel. And that was a whole lot bigger than girly potions and closets full of her clothes and shoes and stuff.

He squeezed her tight for a moment, expressing his fondness that way because he had never been very good at just telling people how he felt. Instead he said, "You seem like you're feeling a bit better now. That's good."

"Whatever you want to do," she tempered, not wanting him to think she was trying to change everything about him. After the whole hair-cutting fight, even if she knew that hadn't really been what he was mad about, she was still being cautious with what she said about him. She honestly loved him just as he was, so even though she made playful suggestions (and preferred his hair a bit on the shorter side), she never wanted him to think he had to change for her.

She had to admit that she was worried how Ron would react when he was exposed to her full-time. She knew she could be overwhelming, and no matter how much he loved her, she knew she was going to have to make sure to remember to calm down and relax sometimes. It was easy to just go full-throttle all day long -- she had the energy level, and being a bit manic made her feel like she was doing something -- but it wasn't healthy, and she knew she would have to learn to have both sides of the spectrum. Fortunately, Ron made her feel calmer than anyone else could.

"You distracted me," she answered, noticing for the first time how thoroughly he had managed to lift her spirits. "I guess you're just wonderful like that."

He grinned at her unabashedly. It was so easy to tell when something Lav did or said made him feel pleased with himself, since there was no disguising the sheepishly chuffed expression he got. He was quite a sucker for compliments, after all; a little praise and he all but melted. "Well, guess I must be then. Glad I could help."

"I hope you're prepared to do this every month until we get the potions sorted," she warned, though she knew he was ready and willing to do what he could to help her. That was why she adored him -- he was utterly selfless when it came to her feelings. "And you'll need to develop some crazy habits so that I can reciprocate."

Ron thought about that for a moment. Had she been looking at his face, she would have seen the gears turning (albeit someone slowly in his confusion) before he blinked and finally decided to just ask.

"Like... reciprocate... er, cuddling? I think I'm missing something here. How is this a bad thing again?" Ron asked. Sure, he wished she weren't uncomfortable over full moons, but he definitely didn't mind helping where he could. It didn't make sense that she thought she owed him for that. He liked being alone with her, and sure, he liked fooling around, but it was nice to just talk, too. Not that he'd ever really say that since it sounded bloody girly, but it was true.

"Cuddling isn't a bad thing. I just want to... you know, if you ever need me like I needed you tonight, I want to be able to be there for you. I mean, you take care of me. I want to take care of you. Or make you soup, whatever."

Ron smiled and decided to tease her instead of being serious for a moment, trying to sound mock offended as he said, "Oy, you saying you want me to get sick? Thanks, really. I appreciate the thought."

It was clear there was no real affront in his words, though, especially considering they were still rather curled around and into each other. Much as he'd been kidding, though, and though he did understand and appreciate her sentiments, he didn't want her to feel like she owed him something just because he took care of her. He did it because he wanted to, he wanted to make her feel better. Then again, assuming she felt the same way, it wasn't about feeling obligated.

"I'll tell you what," he added, still smiling. "When I get sick next, I suppose I can let you... play nurse."

"Pervert," she said with a smirk, nudging him with her knee. She would certainly tend to him, but she suddenly had the feeling that the first time she needed to, there was going to be some funny business going on. Well, there was always some funny business going on with him.

With a happy sigh, she turned around and curved her body into his, settling back in. Now that she was feeling better, she didn't feel the need to hide her face against him. "Did you cast a Silencing Charm?"

"Nope," Ron answered lazily, and figured he probably ought to. It was just a matter of finding his wand, but since he was pretty sure he'd dropped it on top of his robe when he'd changed, grabbing it would require rolling over and that was just far too much work. He supposed he ought to if she was staying a while. He wondered even if Parvati was covering for her and Lav was maybe planning on staying all night. Even if they weren't going to do anything, he supposed he ought to put up a silencing charm up anyway, so they could keep talking even when the others came to bed. "Reckon I should, hm?"

"Probably," she answered, raising one arm to glance at the slim watch on her wrist. "It's such a weird hour now, your roommates are probably going to start coming in soon, and I'll have to wait for them to be settled before I can leave. So we might as well, just to be safe." She hadn't brought her wand down with her, or else she would cast the charm herself.

"Yeah, I suppose," Ron mumbled, then disentangled himself from her reluctantly and began the hunt for his wand. Sure enough, he could hear the sounds of someone in the loo as they readied for bed. He found his wand and disappeared back inside his bed curtains, casting the requisite spells and then sticking it under his pillow for safe keeping.

As he wrapped himself around her again, re-tangling their legs together and settling in with his face more level with hers, he pressed a bit of a sloppy kiss to her mouth and returned his hands to her skin.

"There, done. And... you know, you don't have to go. You could stay here for the night, sneak out in the morning maybe," Ron suggested.

She grinned into his kiss, lifting a hand to tangle her fingers in his hair. She had felt his absence distinctly when he left, so it was good to have him back, and have him tangled up with her. The thought of staying was definitely tempting -- she really liked the thought of spending the night with Ron, but it was risky.

"Do you think that's safe?" she asked, not knowing the habits of his roommates.

Well, Ron could say with certainty that Harry and Seamus wouldn't much care, and he didn't reckon Dean did either. Neville might, if only because he was Head Boy now and he kind of had to uphold the rules and stuff, but at the very least, Ron figured Neville would understand if he explained that she just got jittery on full moons--which was the truth, obviously--and they hadn't been doing anything but talking and sleeping.

"I don't think they'd tell even if they did find out, but I mean... I dunno. I don't want to get you in trouble or anything," Ron said, though he knew she wouldn't be the only one in trouble if she was found in his bed. He'd probably lose his prefect status, even if he only wanted to make the full moon easier for her. Though, if he was honest with himself, he was a shite prefect anyway.

"Well, I can stay for a few more hours," she tempered, though she thought it was pretty clear she was going to end up spending the night. He was hard to resist, and the thought of waking up next to him was really appealing.

She leaned down and placed a kiss on his neck, seeking out his pulse point. "You're a good boyfriend."

Maybe to some hearing something like that wasn't a big deal, but to Ron, who had been good at so few things in his life, it made him feel... appreciated, in a way that was pretty damn rare for him. He was a perfectly replaceable keeper, a completely un-extraordinary prefect, and apparently a disposable friend it felt like, if the fights between he and both Harry and Hermione this year were any indication. To actually be important to someone the way he was to her, and for her to be pleased with him even if they argued sometimes, or if he said stupid things, meant a lot.

He didn't really know how to respond without sounding cheesy or overly sentimental, so he just grunted a bit and squeezed her more tightly to him.

Ron may not have been the most eloquent boy in the world, but she knew what his grunt meant. She was becoming somewhat fluent in grunt, at this point.

She felt relaxed enough to fall asleep, and allowed herself to concentrate on the beating of his heart, the sound of his breathing. She let him soothe her, and closed her eyes, tightening her arm around his waist. "Love you."

Now that, at least, Ron knew how to respond to. He watched her close her eyes and settle against him, and he absolutely, completely meant it when he replied, "Love you too, Lav."