Flower Petals

-15-

When Ron was very little his mother and father took him to a park not far from home, his father had built it based off a muggle school ground. George and Fred threw rocks at each other and ran around screaming, Ginny was content on the swing set, Charlie and Percy were arguing about whether dragons could win in a fight against Albus Dumbledore. Ron however just sat and watched his parents. He was sitting on the pavement with chalk, staring. Molly and Arthur were much younger then, but just as happy. 

Molly was casting spells, blooming a patch of flowers around them, and Arthur was reading aloud from a book, Wuthering Heights, one of mom's favorites. Dad brought her back muggle things all the time but this was by far the best. Molly leaned back onto Arthur's lap. He stroked her hair, kissed her forehead, and continued reading. 

"He's more myself then I am. Whatever our souls are made of, his and mine are the same."

Arthur said. But when he said it he looked at Molly, he meant those words, he felt them somewhere Ron's mind had never ventured. They looked at their children, at their life, and they knew, their souls were the same, they loved each other. Never did Ron know why his father was so happy all the time, why he loved that book so much, and he didn't understand how even in the face of darkness his parents smiled. 

Not until Alstroemeria. 

Not until they rolled through the grass together, staining their robes, not until he watched the auburn leaves fall in the autumn with her (and to that fact noticed that she loved to step on the crunchy ones), not until he waited for her letters by doing his homework in the owlrey, and not until she grew into a beautiful, strong, kind, woman, and he, a stupid man.

Because with her, he would be happy in a chasm, his soul and hers, were the same.

Ron squeezed Alstroemeria's hand. He looked into her eyes forcing him self to sit up straight against the head board in his hospital bed. He could tell that she was shaken up, though he wasn't sure why. 

Alli was compromised with thoughts of Draco. She was so utterly confused and it burned holes in her brain, Draco, Draco, Draco. 

Through the darkness Ron studied her, she wouldn't look at him. She seemed far off, confused, embarrassed, but even now, when she seemed so distant, in the little light of Alli's wand he caught angles of her face, harsh cheekbones and jaw, but soft cheeks, round eyes. Her hair was out of her braid, and pieces fell onto her forehead, they coiled up to her scalp and he pushed them behind her ear so that he could see her better. 

"Flower?" he whispered "Will you look at me?" she didn't. She felt dirty, and stupid, she wanted Ron, but maybe now what she needed was Draco. 

"Alstroemeria." she looked at him, it'd been a while since she heard that from him. But when she looked at him, looked into his eyes, they were blue like thin ice on a lake and she fell in. She fell into the freezing cold water, and it threw her into shock, no more dark forests and ivy of Draco, just the lake's, the snow imprinted with animal tracks and kids snowball fighting, she fell back into the comfort of Christmas at the burrow, with her head on Ron's lap, under a homemade blanket. 

Ron held up the blanket on his right side, sliding to the left to make room for her. Alli, thoughtlessly slid in next to him, laying her head on his shoulder. Ron snaked his arm around her. They fit together like puzzle pieces, or old souls that had been searching for each other since they'd been separated. 

"I'm sorry i've been so stupid Flower, so very dumb. I can't even fathom how much time i've wasted." she shifted onto him. He was warm, comfortable.

"What do you mean?" she asked

"I mean," he said moving her chin so she faced towards him. "i'm sorry. I've never been the kind of bloke to apologize but, i'm committed to changing that. I'm sorry I've been so blind, to both my feeling and yours."

Alli's heart stopped. This is absolutely not possible, she stared at him, but his face was serious. His hand smoothed his hair back, he looked nervous, and his palms were sweaty, but his eyes, bright like the blue in a flame, held nothing but the truth, nothing but affection and kindness.  Her brain went fuzzy for a moment and he kept talking through her silence.

"Look, i'm not good with words, and i don't know what's going on with Malfoy, frankly i don't want to know but, Merlin i am so sorry Flower. I should've been with you since i was eleven years old, that's how long i've needed you. 

You and I, we're like the two oaks by the house, we look separate but underground, our roots are intertwined. 

Even if i have to spend our whole lives making it up to you, i will wake up everyone morning with the intent to spoil you, and to make you see how much i adore you. I worship the ground you walk on. I will show you, no matter the amount of work it takes, and no matter how long, that i love you Alstroemeria. I love you and I have for as long as I can remember."

She was silent, facing him. 

"You what?" She said. There were tears welling up in her eyes, she clasped a hand to her mouth. Ron pulled her onto him, so that her legs were on either side of his body, he pulled her hand off her mouth, kissing the top lightly. 

"I love you. I love you. I love you." he whispered.

"Say it again." the words hitched in her throat. Ron was in front of her, holding the back of her head and the small of her back. He leaned in, touching the side of his nose to hers, eyes closed. Alli's eyes fluttered closed too. Her body became relaxed and she laced her arms behind his neck. They could hear each other breath, and neither of them dare move. 

"Let me show you." he opened his eyes, and so did she, and they sat, staring at each other. 

"Let me show you Flower." he said, quieter this time. Nobody ever asked permission to kiss her, or was ever this gentle. She couldn't talk though. She wasn't quite sure that this whole thing wasn't a dream, and that she wasn't just asleep on Ron's chest. She nodded. Grazing her nose against his in the process. 

"I love you." he whispered, leaning in, and touching his lips to hers, so gentle it was like he was barely there, he strung his fingers in her hair, pushing her harder onto him. Ron kissed her again but this time it  was different. He kissed her, moving his lips against her, pushing his chest closer to her. This kiss carried weight, she felt it in her chest, and for the first time, when Ron pulled away for a breathe, she kissed him. She'd never been the ones to kiss first either, but Ron, Ron's lips were a drug. She needed them, she wanted them, and she burned for them. When she kissed him, Ron ignited with a new kind of passion, and a new kind of fire grew in his stomach. 

"I love you too." she breathed. Ron smiled so big, it shone through his eyes like headlights and he kissed her again. Soft, like a whisper of 'I love you more'

They sat like that, Alli on top of Ron for what felt like hours, kissing until they couldn't breathe, smiling until their cheeks hurt, and muttering to each other anytime they could;

"i love you"

The sun began to rise, and the thin sheet of light was back. They became so exhausted that she fell asleep on his chest, they held onto each other with such fervor that it might have left bruises, Ron had spent a lifetime without her, and he was determined to never spend another morning in her absence. He woke up first, and he spent time staring, he pushed the hair off her face, she was beautiful. Beautiful beyond any woman in the world, and he was hers. He was, his body and soul had her name carved into them, he wouldn't have it any other way.

Later they'd talk, he'd ask her why the hell Draco was so cozy, but now he wanted to live in this moment with her. Sunrise, with Alstroemeria. 

He was prepared to go to hell and back for her, he couldn't lose her just as he had her. Love can be complicated, but it's not supposed to be. They weren't complicated, they weren't messy,  they were just in love, in blissful, beautiful, happy love. 

Their souls were the same.