InsaneJournal

Tweak says, "So come inside"

Dean Thomas (artisgratia) wrote in pandorarpg,
@ 2011-12-01 21:45:00

Entry tags:

!status: complete, ^date: november 05 2003, character: dean thomas, character: ron weasley

Drink up, me hearties
Characters: Dean and Ron
Setting: A muggle pub in London mid-afternoon (say, 2 PM) Wednesday November 5th
Summary: Dean drags Ron out to a pub to see how he's doing, though he already knows the answer to that.
Rating: Worksafe, but will probably have some cursing

Dean sighed as he finished putting away the last of the clean dishes. Lunch with Justin had been nice, but Dean had mentioned his concern for Ron and how he was seeing him later the same afternoon. Dean had the feeling that this would not be the easiest drinking session he'd ever had.

Dean picked a muggle pub not too far from the Blackpool area. He might run into a few folks he knew, but they were unlikely to know Ron, and thus even less likely to come up and offer sympathies for his loss. He'd let Ron know where to meet him and then headed over. Shortly thereafter he was seaed at at table, with an eye peeled for Ron at the entrance.

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pigwidgeoned
2011-12-02 05:59 am UTC (link)

Ron really didn't want to be here. He was pretty certain he'd told Dean that in his owl, but maybe he hadn't. Maybe his rudeness hadn't made it clear enough. It's not like he didn't like Dean, because he did, but right now he didn't want to deal with anyone, even if Dean did have more sense than most of them. So they wouldn't run into anyone they knew here, that was all well and good, but that still didn't mean he wouldn't have to sit and listen to Dean talk about how Ron was being an idiot or he was reacting irrationally. Truly he didn't know what Dean wanted to say to him, or what he thought he could say that was going to be any different than anything anyone else said.

He pushed his way in through the pub doors and looked for Dean. When he spotted the man, he headed for him, hands digging deep into the pockets of his jeans. He slid into the seat across from Dean and said simply, "Alright, I'm here," like that was a feat Dean should be proud of him for, but in all honesty, he probably should because Ron had considered canceling at least a dozen times.

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artisgratia
2011-12-05 03:34 pm UTC (link)

Dean didn't really think Ron would be in the best of moods, but he was hoping he wouldn't be in the worst of them either. In fact, he actually wondered briefly if Ron was even going to show. He looked up in relief when he heard Ron's voice and nodded as he sat. "Good to see you mate," he said simply. "I haven't ordered anything yet. What'll you have?"

Dean briefly studied Ron. He didn't want to look at him so long that the other man would bristle and demand to know why Dean was staring, but Dean was doing his best to gauge Ron's attitude. He didn't expect to be able to make him feel better, but he sure as hell didn't want to make him feel any worse either.

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pigwidgeoned
2011-12-05 06:58 pm UTC (link)

Ron usually favoured firewhisky, but they obviously wouldn't serve that in the Muggle pub so he had to opt for something else instead. "Larger," he replied lamely, looking around the pub, just for something to do. He rested his palms flat on the table, drumming his thumbs against the surface and wishing he could be anywhere else. Having Ginny over that morning hadn't been quite as bad as he had expected it to go, but that didn't mean this was going to go spectacularly. He hadn't been raised with Dean, after all, so their connection wasn't quite the same and Dean didn't have as strong a bond with Harry as Ginny had had either.

"So," Ron said, looking over at Dean, "what did you want?" He might as well get to the point here. He knew what Dean wanted anyway, but he might as well get him to say it out loud. He knew what everyone wanted when they looked at him these days, wondering if he was stable or not.

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artisgratia
2011-12-05 09:07 pm UTC (link)

Dean ordered the same; he might've suggested scotch for Ron, but he wasn't sure if he should encourage him to drink something hard. Ginny had stopped at one that first day, and then the next, gotten herself in trouble with Zacharias. He hoped his visit with Ron didn't turn out in a similar way.

He blinked at Ron's question after he'd placed the order for their first round. "What did I want? To see you, mate. No questions asked, no trite sympathies. Just you and me and alcohol." He shrugged one shoulder. "For as long as you can stand my company at least," he added with a trace of humor.

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pigwidgeoned
2011-12-06 03:40 am UTC (link)

Ron gave a cynical laugh. He wasn't really buzzed from that morning anymore (they had eaten too many sandwiches for that) but he was surprised to feel more at ease just by the last comment Dean made. Or maybe it was all that he had said. Maybe Dean and Ginny had both had his best interests in mind and he was just being an arse. That didn't really change anything though.

"Not really up for anyone's company these days, mate. S'not just you," he said at last and not unkindly for once in the last few days. Though he wasn't particularly interested in small talk, it would be better than anything else so he asked, "How's Seamus?" even though he probably should have asked how Dean was first, but they had always been a bit of a package deal in Ron's mind, so asking about one usually meant asking about both of them.

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artisgratia
2011-12-06 08:52 pm UTC (link)

Ron laughed. It wasn't a cheerful laugh by any means, but Dean still took it as something. Maybe that offhand bit of humor had helped? "Well, I suppose that's better. I wouldn't want to be the only one you're avoiding. I's wonder if I'd suddenly begun to smell."

At the question about Seamus, Dean smiled. "Seamus is Seamus. he' off picking up an extra shift today at the Leaky, and then off to buy fireworks for tonight, you know Guy Fawkes' Day and all. Any excuse to blow something up." Dean's tone was affectionate; clearly he didn't mind Seamus's explosions one bit. Their drinks arrived, and Dean went for his, not bothering to waste time with a heartfelt, but likely unwanted platitude of a toast. "If teh lager's not up to snuff, I take no responsibility, yeah?"

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pigwidgeoned
2011-12-07 12:46 am UTC (link)

He shrugged with a bit of a smile tugging at the side of his mouth. "You've always been a bit smelly, we were always just too nice to say anything."

"Guess I'll have to go out and see some of 'em," Ron said, referring to the fireworks. Fred and George had always had some great fireworks—though it was just George nowadays. Ron grabbed his drink and took a long pull from it, not displeased by the ease with which it went down as opposed to the firewhisky he'd been consuming the past few days. "I'll blame you nonetheless," Ron replied with a smirk. He looked down at his glass, not really coming up with anything else to say then.

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artisgratia
2011-12-07 03:48 pm UTC (link)

Dean pulled a face at Ron. "And it's taken you this long to've told me? I could had a shower or two in the meantime," he added with a wider smile. He sipped at his lager, then nodded at Ron's comment. "I'll be going. Can't let Seamus loose on the world with explosives. Stop by for a bit, if you like. I don't suppose I'd mind seeing your face there."

He watched Ron drink and then shrugged. "If it's good I take full credit. If it's not, I'll find someone else to shoulder the blame. Easy as that." He drank again, then asked quietly, "Anyone giving you a rough time of it for not going to the service?"

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pigwidgeoned
2011-12-08 06:09 am UTC (link)

"We were trying to be good dormmates. Didn't want you to feel left out or anything." It would have been impossible for Dean to have been left out with Seamus always being around, but it was an amusing joke none-the-less. Ron shrugged a shoulder and simply said, "Maybe," though he wouldn't be going anywhere else after this.

Ron took a longer drink before he would reply to Dean's question. It was an easy question and it wasn't one that he really minded answering per se, but he still felt awkward for some reason. A little bit like himself but also still uncomfortable about being here to begin with. "Mum mostly. Ginny didn't care, though I thought she would. Haven't heard from Perce about it yet. No one else has said anything really. Most people are afraid of me right now. Think I've gone a bit funny and am going to end up in St. Mungo's pretty soon, I bet." He'd wondered that himself a few times—he actually wondered if it wouldn't be so bad of a place to go. He could spend his time with Lockhart, answer some fanmail like Harry had done in second year.

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artisgratia
2011-12-09 03:48 pm UTC (link)

"Better ones would have said, 'Shove off mate, you smell. Go have a bathe before you come back'," Dean continued. "Seamus must have no sense of smell if that's the case," he added with a small smile.

He snorted at the last thing Ron said. "What do they expect, you to act like nothing's happened? Or do they expect textbook displays of grief? You can't predict how someone responds in a situation like this, but what you can do is be who and what they need to get through it. If you can and if they let you." He shrugged one shoulder. "Likely people are tiptoeing around you because they don't know how you're reacting yet."

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pigwidgeoned
2011-12-09 11:17 pm UTC (link)

Ron smirked. "It is Seamus you're talking about here. You know that he spends most of his time blowing shite up in his face."

Ron listened to Dean's explanations, a bit surprised that he actually sort of understood where Ron was coming from. Well, a little anyways. He shrugged as well, drinking his larger, not really sure how to respond to all that. "I dunno, mate, but to be honest, I don't really care either. I'm not worried about what they think of me and if they want to help me. I don't want their help. No one is going to be able to help me through something like this."

Ron's voice dropped to almost a whisper when he said, "I'm not sure there is any getting through this.

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artisgratia
2011-12-13 02:37 am UTC (link)

"Well if anyone were to set fire to his own nose and burn off the ability to smell, it'd be him," Dean conceded.

Dean listened to Ron and felt, well not pity, but a sure of sympathy. He couldn't pretend to know exactly how Ron felt; he hadn't been as close to Harry. his own best friend was also his boyfriend and he couldn't imagine Seamus being gone. He didn't even want to try. "You need someplace you can be when you want everyone to just shove off. I'd suggest telling only one or two people where it is, but not when you go. If only in case something happens, they know where to find you, but wouldn't be likely to actually follow you there and bother you. Anyhow,you might very well just need an escape, at least for a little while."

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pigwidgeoned
2011-12-17 07:03 am UTC (link)

The idea sounded nice. Getting away on holiday, being on his own, doing whatever he wanted for himself, whenever he wanted for however long he wanted. Even if it sounded nice, it wasn't going to happen. There was too much shite going on right now and the DMLE was up to it's neck in death and no one had any idea who or what or why and as far as he could see, none of them were going to get a holiday until they figured out who was behind all this.

Ron sighed and took a drink from his larger. He held it up to Dean in a gesture of thanks. "It's a nice idea, but it wouldn't be possible. Not now. And maybe I just need to get back to work anyway."

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artisgratia
2011-12-19 08:02 pm UTC (link)

Dean nodded. "What you often want or need most is hardest to get," he murmured, more to himself than to Ron, and then finished off his drink. At Ron's last comment Dean pursed his lips. "Working might help. Might help keep your mind off things." Possibly. If anything it'd give Ron some kind of focus, he hoped at least.

"Another?" He gestured at Ron's lager with his own empty one.

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pigwidgeoned
2011-12-20 01:16 am UTC (link)

Ron nodded at Dean's question. "Sure thanks." He downed the rest of his glass and set the empty on the table.

He wasn't really in the mood for small talk, but sitting there in silence wasn't going to be that comfortable either. He didn't know what to reach for, so he thought about what might keep Dean talking for a while. He'd already asked about Seamus, so he went for the next best thing. "How's the gallery?" It wasn't like Ron wouldn't be interested at any other time, but right now he just wanted to have a reason to sit in silence for a bit longer.

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artisgratia
2011-12-20 03:53 pm UTC (link)

Dean had both glasses refilled and traced a drop of condensation into a small but intricate design.

"It's going well," Dean replied, suddenly feeling like Ron wanted the silence filled. "The hours are still good and I'm being exposed to a lot of potential clients for my own art. I'm nailing down a proper date for my own showing as well. Actually I've been having a bit more work than usual. The curator's been having nightmares and his assistant has been taking on some of his workload, which means I've been taking on some of hers. Unfortunately it doesn't mean a pay increase for either of us, but it does mean I'm getting the skills I'll need to advance sooner rather than later."

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