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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Claudia only saw Ron Weasley in passing for the last few days. A simple hello and a smile would be exchanged between the pair whenever they would spot the other. But for the woman who had begun to understand her own feelings, this was far from being enough. She craved to spend more time with him, to get to know him even further. Yet she found it hard to find reasons to do so. She did not know how to just strike a conversation up with him. She wasn't sure whether he wanted everyone around them to know much about what was going on. She wasn't sure if he wanted the whole ministry to be thinking their little act was real. These were questions she needed clearing up but was unsure as to how to do so. For someone so confident, she found herself failing to do so when it came to him. Ron Weasley had broken her usual character and she knew not how to act anymore.
Unaware to her, this was not only the case on her side. Yet for Ron, he was not lacking the confidence. Rather he had come up with a little plan of which would allow him to see her. As it was for Claudia, for Ron had come to realise that just seeing her in passing in the corridor or on the odd occasion that they crossed one another at work was just not enough. He also had a little more flexibility to fix this. Therefore, when he once again rocked up outside a familiar office door he just hoped that his idea wasn't completely horrible and she wouldn't send him away. With another sharp knock on the door and the ever familiar 'come in' he supposed it would be now or never.
"Well, hello Mr Weasley."
"Miss Parkinson." His words had a teasing tone to them as he noted the small smile of which graced her features at his arrival to her office. Something he found himself ever looking forward to seeing.
"By what means do I deserve your presence today?" Claudia had paused her work the files on her desk no longer her main priority as he waltzed to the chair opposite her desk just like it belonged to him.
"Nothing spectacular. But I did bring lunch."
"You brought me lunch?"
"Can't have that little genius brain of yours starved." Ron answered before going to open the bag he had brought with him, the one Claudia hadn't paid much attention to until this moment. "It was a little bit quiet out on the desk so I popped down to the deli across the street." Ron gave a little smile at his own words.
"You didn't have to do this Ronald." Claudia replied and Ron didn't know what it was, but the way she spoke his name was different. When his mum called him Ronald he hated it, when his siblings teased him using his full name it was unbearable. But when Claudia used it, it was the opposite. He really liked her using his full name.
"Come on Claude, this is nothing compared to the money you've spent on me."
"I like spending money on you." Claudia shrugged in response taking the sandwich he held out to her.
"Well so do I." Ron challenged back half expecting her to want to argue about it. Only to get an eye roll in response. Taking this as a victory he started to eat his lunch.
"How did you know my order anyways?" Claudia suddenly thought considering he had got it completely right.
"Good guess? You're more predictable than you think Claude." Ron replied not wanting her to know that he had asked the lady in the Deli if she could remember, and luckily for him she had. Claudia seemed to be more of a regular customer there then she realised she probably was.
The two sat eating with little much to say to one another, there was no awkwardness. All Claudia could focus on in the room was just how comfortable the feeling was. There was no pressure for anything to occur, no need for anything to happen. No requirement for conversation to make things better. Things were perfect the way they were. It would only be once they had both finished that they would resume the conversation.
"How is it out on the desk?" Claudia gently probed, she knew it wasn't the most glamorous job. She knew it wasn't the job he truly wanted but she knew not how to help him get back. She also wasn't sure she was completely comfortable with the idea of him being back in the Auror's office anyways. All that danger, all that threat she wasn't sure she could stand the idea of him coming to harm from his job like that.
"It's... it's not particularly great." Ron sighed, he had barely admitted to anyone just how little fulfilment his job brought him. He couldn't tell his family. For he knew the response he would get. 'You were given the chance to repeat your final year before starting work Ronald.' They would chide him. He knew they were probably right but still it sucked. He waited on Claudia's response only to watched as she reached across her desk to gently take on of his hands into her own.
"I'm sorry Ronald. I wish there was something I could do to get you your old post back. Or just something that was more suited to you." Claudia replied before her brain soon fired something back at her.
"Actually there might be something I can do to help. I can't promise you'll get your old job back but I might be able to bring some closure and justice."
"Anything princess you tell me." Ron sat up in his chair just a little more at her words.
"Do you have your old contract? I'd like to read it over just to see if there's anything we can go off." Claudia's brain was getting excited by her own thoughts, as she tried to connect the different dots.
"And then what?"
"We sue our employer that's what." Claudia winked at him the idea was a little absurd she wouldn't lie but the way it got him excited was worth it.
"Fucking hell pretty girl. You want to sue the ministry?" Ron wasn't sure he could sit up any straighter with his words but he wondered just what was going through the head of the woman sat opposite him.
"If they let you go unfairly then yes." Claudia felt her heart skip at being called 'pretty girl' though she tried to hardly show it effected her. Yet the warmness she suddenly felt to her face she knew he had successfully made her blush.
"You might just be bat shit crazy." Ron laughed at his own words. Only to watch as he got a full smile out of Claudia.
"Bat shit but I think this could work. You don't have to return to the programme but we could use it to get you something you enjoy a little more." Claudia offered hoping that he would agree to not wanting to go back to the programme but she knew that it would be his decision at the end of the day. And it wasn't her place to say anything or try to stop him.
And this time she watched him, as he held eye contact for a moment before reaching back into his bag. And out from the bag came a tiny little toadstool. One of which was gently placed upon her desk with the other two. Her eyes went from watching him to looking at the three now upon her desk as she came to realise just how fast her heart was racing at such a small gesture. But she realised this little act, this little thing he had given her was just making her fall for him even more.
Claudia Parkinson was beginning to play a very dangerous game. Completely unaware her opponent was entering in the exact same way that she was.
