InsaneJournal

Who: Ron and Harry
When: Afternoon, 19 June
Where: the Quidditch Pitch
Rating: PG
Status: Complete log


It felt a bit like the ring in Harry's pocket was on fire. He'd been carrying it around with him since it arrived by post yesterday, and he couldn't stop thinking about it. Even while he and Ron were flying, he was distracted by thoughts of how he would ask, how he would bring it up, how he'd bring it up to Ron.

It was important for him to have his friend's support, but he knew how difficult it was for Ron to accept his and Ginny's relationship, especially when it had started. It was going to take a lot to convince him that this was okay. That this would be good.

"Hey, Ron?" Harry said awkwardly as they started their descent, landing in the middle of the pitch and dismounting his broom.

Ron landed just a moment after Harry, feeling pleasantly tired out from some good flying. He really was getting better, just in time for school to finish of course. Maybe they could still organize some pick-up matches every once in a while. He bet the others would be interested in getting together every so often after school to catch up and play a game here or there. Even if they were all working or travelling or spread out all over the United Kingdom, surely they'd still keep in touch.

His mind was on the future and what it might be like as he slung his broom over his shoulder and looked over at Harry, calling, "What?"

Bugger. Here went... everything. "Got something I wanted to talk to you about," Harry started. "...You know. About me and Gin. And, um. Our future. Together. Me and Gin, not you and me. And. ...Well, sort of you and me too, because we're best mates, right? And I want to do right by you with... with Ginny. You know?"

Ron looked at Harry like he'd grown an extra head. His rambling wasn't making all that much sense, and Ron had no bloody clue what he was getting at. Rondropped his broom and leaned against it, giving Harry a curious sort of look. "Uh, what are you on about, mate?"

Right, sense. He should probably be making some. Harry went quiet for a moment as he tried to think of what to say, then gave up and dug the ring out of his pocket. "...This," he said, holding the ring out for Ron to see. "I... I want to marry her, you know?"

The ring sort of drained all the thought out of his head and he stared at it for a moment. It was nice, sure, but... did Harry mean to give it to Ginny? Now, while she was in school?

"Uh, okay. Right, but like, in a year or two once you're both out of school, right?" Ron asked, pretty damn proud that he was keeping his head and not freaking out that Harry planned to marry his sister. His little sister. His little sister who was only in sixth year and was obviously far too young to get married.

"Yeah, of course," Harry said quickly. "I mean. She still has a year left of school and I doubt we'll get married the moment she finishes. Maybe just live together for a year or something, to make sure we can actually do it. But I... I was going to give it to her now. And I'm going to write your mum and dad, and ask their permission, properly, but I just. ...I want you to support us too."

He realized after a moment that he was still holding the ring out and stuffed it back into his pocket awkwardly, waiting for Ron's response.

"Just so... we're all clear here. You want to give a ring to my seventeen year old sister while she still has a year left of school?" Ron clarified, and even though Harry had put the ring away, Ron was still staring at Harry incredulously. Ron accepted that they were dating, and he could even understand that they were in love, but they were too bloody young to be getting engaged to be married.

...This wasn't going how Harry had planned. Not at all. "Yes?" he ventured, wishing Ron wouldn't look at him like that. Like he'd grown an extra head or two and was suggesting they go for an afternoon walk through the Forbidden Forest. "...I love her, Ron. And I know she knows, because I tell her all the time, but I... I want to show her too."

"But there are other ways to do that than to get married. She's seventeen bloody years old, Harry," Ron said, both confused by Harry wanting to propose to someone who's still in school for a year and a little defensive still of his sister. Regardless of the fact that she'd made it painfully clear she didn't want Ron nosing in on her and Harry's relationship, Ron still worried about her, and even if he thought Harry was the best bloke for her, he wanted her to have a chance to grow up a bit. Marriage was for adults, and Ron wasn't even bloody there yet. How could she be ready for that? He wanted to make Harry see that, that Ron wasn't against them getting married -- eventually -- and that the only issue he had with it was that it was so soon. "Proposing now is... like... I mean, Lav and I are both finishing school and getting a place together and... and everything, and we're not bloody engaged. You know?"

"Yeah, I know," Harry said, chewing the inside of his cheek. Ron and Lavender's relationship was different, though. They were moving in together. They didn't have to spend the whole summer together only to say goodbye for another ten months. "But I just. ...She'll be here and I'll be in London with you and Lav. Even if I do visit on Hogsmeade weekends and come to Quidditch matches, it's still a bloody long time to be apart. I want to give her something to show her that I'm serious about this. About us. That I won't... I don't know. Find someone else while she's here. I know I won't, but this would prove it, yeah?"

Now, Ron frowned. To Ron, that didn't sound like the right reason to get engaged. In his mind, an engagement was more than just proving you wanted that person and only that person. It was asking someone to marry you. "An engagement is... it's saying you want to marry her, soon. It's engaged to be married, Harry. If you want to make a promise to her, then make a promise. But that's different than proposing."

"I do want to marry her," Harry argued, but there was no real heat behind his words. Ron was making a lot of sense. They were young, and maybe it was better just to give Ginny a promise until she was finished with school. They could move in together when she was finished and then, maybe, they'd be ready to be engaged. "...I still want to give her the ring. It doesn't have to be an engagement ring yet. It can just be a promise, yeah?"

Finally, Ron smiled a bit. "Yeah, I suppose," he said first, but then punched Harry lightly in the arm and added, "And 'course I support you seeing my sister, prat. She seems to like you well enough, and I know you're about as good a bloke as there is. And I suppose it's good to know you're, uh, in it for good or whatever." After a brief pause, Ron hastened to add, "Once she's done school, of course."

Harry's cheeks turned a bit red when Ron gave him the punch, shrugging and rubbing his arm half-heartedly. "Yeah, I know. And I am, you know. I'm really in it for good. No matter what." Ginny was the best thing that had ever happened to him. There was no doubt in his mind about that. She was the one.

"Ugh, mate, if I have to watch you blush over my sister, I'm going to sick up all over your quidditch robes," Ron said teasingly. Before Harry could reply, though, he added, "Thanks though, for, you know. For coming to me first. It means a lot, and all that rot."

Harry nodded, giving Ron a smile. "Yeah well. You're my best mate. ...Let's go in. What d'you say to a trip down to the kitchens? I'm bloody starving."