In the end can they just pretend?
Ronald Weasley had hit rock bottom, his life as he knew it was over. He had lost everything. Well not everything, but it felt like the life he had imagined for himself was over. And his family wasn't helping him. Th...
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Ron Weasley was anxious the instant he stepped inside the incredibly small office. His heart had begun to race and his palms were sweating and he had even yet to place his eyes upon the owner of the space.
"Mr Weasley, how may I help?" Her voice was so pretty, so upperclass and clearly showed off her well to do attitude and Ron knew he was not only a goner but he was going to be laughed straight out of her room the instant he suggested his little ploy.
"Miss Parkinson." He started but was unable to state anything further. Claudia often enjoyed seeing people squirm before her, it was after all a reason she had even ventured down her chosen career path. Excited to see her effect upon people sat at the bench for questioning during a trial. But she also knew when she needed to be a little kinder. And could tell this was one of those moments.
"Please take a seat, would you like a drink? A glass of water, mug of tea?" She offered her unplanned guest. Taking a chance to fully take his presenting form in. Claudia knew that there were multiple 'Mr Weasley's' working within the ministry. Three directly and a couple more through outside associated companies. But she knew this one to be the youngest, she knew of him quite well considering he had been in the same academic year as her sister at school. Two years between them would have been enough that neither would have known each other well, would likely might have heard their name but not been able to associate a face. And Claudia was sure this was even more prominent for the man opposite her who's world would have been purely focused around Harry Potter.
"Tea, if you don't mind." Ron knew he was pushing it out postponing the inevitable but he could not stop himself. He watched as Claudia moved from the room, her pristine white blouse which must have been silk flowing in the sleeves as she breezed past. The lingering smell of her perfume a citrusy tone remaining upon her departure. He took a chance to look around the room, noting that there was very little personalisation to the space around him, he noted no photos anywhere upon the walls or her desk, no clear decorations. The only item he could tell which seemed like personal was upon her desk, was a strange decently sized figurine. It looked like a cross between a mushroom and a toad stall with a little face upon it.
He resorted to fiddling with his fingers whilst he was waiting for Claudia to return. Ron found that she was pretty speedy when he came to making drinks and found her back in the room only a few minutes after she had left.
"So I forgot to ask how you take your tea Mr Weasley so I brought all the add ons in." Claudia's voice brought his attention back up from where his eyesight had become fixed upon his fingers.
"It's okay I would have drunk it no matter." Ron confirmed as he added both some milk and a single packet of sweetener to the mug he was offered. And as Claudia took her seat opposite them the pair stayed silent each taking a while to sip on the drink they had now obtained. Ron took a moment to take in just how good the tea he was drinking tasted, wondering if it was possible that making tea was included in her Pureblood heiress training or not. Before also coming to realise that it was something that he shouldn't be bothered about.
"So what brings you to my office Mr Weasley." Ron found himself grimacing at her constant use of his surname. But also aware that she was possibly doing it to remain professional.
"Well Miss Parkinson I have a bit of an outlandish proposal I'd like to run past you." Ron's words were enough to pique Claudia's interest. She loved a few things in life and outlandish proposals usually were the start of all of them.
"Pray do tell." She took a long sip of her tea after speaking raising one well manicured eyebrow at him in challenge.
"I'm assuming the office gossip bounced between departments and you are well aware of my rather unfortunate circumstances." He paused to see if she was understanding where he was coming from.
"Which circumstances? Being let go from the Auror programme? Losing your house? Your girlfriend walking out on you after 5 years? Or your early receding hairline?" Claudia fired she was not a gossip persay herself but people for some reason felt confident in telling her all their secrets and she quickly built up an understanding of what was occurring across most departments in the ministry.
"My hairline is receding?" Ron's tone was shocked at her words as he raised his left hand to touch his forehead, unsure whether her words were true or not. Claudia let out a small chuckle at his actions. He wasn't receding but it was funny to mess with him, assuming that this wasn't a very serious meeting like she had first expected it to be.
"That's not why I'm here. Look I'm in a bit of an out of resources pit. My mum is pressuring me to bring a new girlfriend to her summer of events and there is no chance that I'm going to be able to find someone in time." Claudia was unsure if she should start to feel offended with the words he was speaking, her brain was trying to piece things together and she was sounding like a last resort. Claudia Parkinson was not supposed to be a last resort. She was a spare not a forgotten until it was too late.
"How do I play into this?" She asked him and his confused face having been stopped from continuing was enough to capture her attention.
"I am asking whether you'd be willing to pretend to be my girlfriend for these events." Ron gave the proposal and watched as her face dropped at his words.
"What's in it for me?" Claudia knew empty promises were not her thing, empty bargains were not either. She wanted something in response.
"A free full expense trip to France?" He offered.
"I have a summer house out in Nice." She shot his first offer down. "What events are you even talking about?" She tagged on.
"I have a wedding for my older brother. My mum turns sixty this summer and there's a big party planned. And the family holiday to France its two weeks long." Ron listed, noting it was not a long list at first but there was quite a few things at the same time.
"What if I couldn't get the time off work?"
"I've overheard that you never use your holiday here. So I know they'd let you go." Ron rolled his eyes at her words, it was very well known that Claudia Parkinson was an overachiever almost tied to her desk and often would be found in the very early hours of the morning still working on cases when she should have been long gone home and fast asleep.
"I'm still not seeing what I will get out of this agreement."
"I don't know what I can offer you, money is not going to be possible. I suppose a companion and a new friend?" Ron shrugged he knew that she should have never gone to a Slytherin for such a request. They were smart, cunning and knew how to get what they wanted out of an agreement.
"I'll think on it Mr Weasley." Her words were final and both of them were unsure what they meant. Claudia was confused as to what she would do. Whilst she new it would be a swap of unequal proportions, and she wasn't someone who jumped to help people exactly in need. She also didn't want an opportunity to see into how other families functioned when they were outside of the pureblood establishment. She almost wanted to treat it like an experiment into how the other parts of society lived.
