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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When Claudia awoke she felt strange. Firstly she knew she was not in her own bed, the colour of the bedsheets was completely wrong. Claudia would never use navy blue bedsheets not when it contrasted her own bedroom colour scheme so much. She also should have known considering she felt a lot warmer than usual. It was the kinda warmth you only felt when you shared the bed with another person. A hand twirling her hair was what continued to bring her back to the world of the awake from her rather deep, alcohol induced, sleep.
"Good morning Claude." Claudia knew that voice and the events of the night before came slamming back. Images of the dance floor, the bedroom. Their conversation.
"Ronald." She went to sit up, try to say something maybe apologise for her actions. But the second she was sat up she was not only hit with the feeling of her hangover but the instant knowledge of the fact that she had drunk way too much the night before and it was no longer settled in her stomach. "Oh I don't feel so well." She was quick to take herself from under the covers and head in the small distance of which took her to the bathroom. She supposed that would be the benefit of a studio flat as there wasn't very many steps.
Ron would come across her a few minutes later, once he had fully redressed himself, hunched over the toilet looking a little worse for wear. And as her body worked again to remove the alcohol still left in her stomach he moved to gently pull her hair away from her face.
"That's it beautiful bring it all up." He thought for a moment he could have felt the urge himself but it was gone as quick as it came the more he focused on Claudia and how she was feeling. Rather just lowering himself so he could also rub circles on her back.
"That mixed so bad." Claudia mumbled the moment she was able to pause.
"I'm not sure how much you actually had to drink." Ron voiced making Claudia aware he wasn't sure how long she would be stuck over the toilet.
"This is so gross, I'm sorry."
"Pay me back sometime, yeah." Ron didn't particularly care that this was considered gross in the heiress' eyes. He was sure he had gone through many nights with other people where they had ended up in a similar position. Claudia did not reply for her body decided it was ready to go again and Ron returned to rubbing small circles on her back for support.
It would be about half an hour they remained stuck in the small bathroom passing small conversation between themselves when able. But eventually it looked as though Claudia's stomach was finally empty and they could move. Though upon standing Claudia became more aware of what they were in that moment. Ron was fully dressed, comfortably but still and she remained stood there in her underwear. She felt a little subconscious in that moment, completely different to the woman Ron remembered encountering in the hotel room nearly a month prior.
"No need to get all self conscious now Claude. You're still stunning even if you've made my bathroom stink. I'll get you some of my things to wear for now and we'll think maybe about something to eat?" Ron was being gentle with her, no signs of sarcasm or anything in his voice and Claudia almost wished he'd been a little more sarcastic with her. She liked this version but the dopey overly kind Ron wasn't the version she preferred. It didn't feel completely like him.
Changing into the jogging bottoms and t-shirt he had handed her Claudia soon realised why girls loved to steal their boyfriends clothes. She could feel the comfort the items provided. They were so warm and fluffy even if they had been sat in his draws for an extended period of time. She would slowly peel herself back out of the bathroom she had chosen to get dressed in just incase her stomach turned again and back towards the main part of the flat. She could see Ron sat on the sofa drinking what she assumed was most likely tea but who knows. Slinking her way over she placed herself down beside him.
"Feeling any better?"
"Yeah don't think I want to chance putting anything in though." Claudia sighed even if her stomach rumbled she felt like it was a dangerous path to dance down.
"Fair enough, let me know if you change your mind. Suppose this wasn't the way you were imagining your Saturday morning to go?"
"It could be worse." Claudia allowed them to settle her eyes wishing to rest just a little more in a way to try and reduce just how much her head was hurting in that moment. She could feel herself being lowered onto something not exactly soft but she knew it would be more comfortable for her neck.
"Get some rest pretty girl." With his words she found herself settling down for rest completely forgetting she had something she wanted to say to him.
Whilst Claudia slept, Ron took the time to think just how things were going. Things in his life seemed to have started to look up again and he realised it was most likely because of the brunette who was currently lying upon his lap. It seemed so stupid but her lying there resting in his clothes was always something he wanted to happen. When he had been in his last relationship with Hermione this would have never happened. The other woman would never have allowed herself to rest like this, would have complained about it instead. Nor would she have ever agreed to wear his clothes, even if she had none of her own to wear. She would have preferred to stay in her clothes from the night before. Everything with Claudia was different.
Better.
It was so much better. But it was all fake. Or perhaps it wasn't. Ron knew they might have been encouraged by the alcohol in their system. But what had occurred the night before that, that was hard to fake. Those were real emotions, real feelings. For both of them. And as Claudia continued to sleep away he knew that he wanted things to continue on as they had the night before. Not as they had been before that, where things were not real. He wanted the real deal. He was just unsure of how to approach and get it.
Claudia would stir again an hour and a half later, upon noting her wake this time even Ron noticed she looked much brighter than she had when she first awoke. Her hands went to brush through her own hair grimacing upon noting the knots at the bottom of it. Though she would stop and give Ron a little smile afterwards.
"Ron?" She would speak and he pondered why it would come out as a question but nod his head anyways. He was more confused by her calling him by his nickname rather than his full name and took a moment to realise how wrong it sounded her calling him anything other than his actual name.
"I just want to thank you for last night." Claudia paused again as she waited for him to reply and Ron looked at her first with confusion before he was piecing the pieces together.
"I was serious Claudia. I want us both to be fully consenting, and last night I think we would have come to regret it." Ron went to hold onto her hand and give it a squeeze, when he got two back he was almost ready to laugh. Looks like that rule wouldn't be going anywhere anytime soon.
"I don't think I could ever regret you Ronald." Claudia realised afterwards what she had let slip but it was out there in the world now, too late to go back. Ron went to speak once before stopping, he had to think a little more on how to reply to her statement. Settling on something like 'me neither' sounded pathetic and he didn't want to ruin this not right now.
"The only regret I have is not getting to know you sooner."
