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 was quick upon returning to her house to let the pair of them inside. Noticing that Ron seemed more comfortable the further away from Malfoy manor the pair of them were. She led him to the living room gently pushing upon his shoulders to encourage him to sit down on the sofa. She took a moment to think just how she was going to approach the topic of conversation, knowing she didn't want to push him into sharing anything he wasn't comfortable with. But also knowing that she wanted to support him, and to do so she needed to know what was going on so she could not only be there for him but to prevent him being put in a situation he wasn't ready for. She felt thought that this was going to be a long and intense conversation if he did chose to share. And the little skirt and top outfit she had on was not going to be either appropriate or comfortable for doing so. And neither was what he was currently wearing.
"I'm going to get into something a bit more comfortable if that's okay. I have some stuff here for you if you want to settle more as well." Claudia waited for his response unsure of what she was going to get from him.
"But I left none of my things here last time?" Ron questioned and she gave him a small smile in response.
"I know, I went out the other day to get you stuff for here just incase. You never know when you just might need stuff like that." Claudia tried to fight the small blush which rose upon her cheeks as she spoke, and she was sure if there wasn't alcohol in her system she would not have blushed so hard. Or at least that was what she was going to tell herself.
"You continue to amaze me Claude you really do." Ron seemed to perk up at this getting a little bit of his normal personality back, and Claudia was happy she could at least distract him from whatever was going through his head at the current moment in time.
10 minutes later, after a rushed little shower with just how sticky Claudia was feeling the pair of them settled back in her living room. Ron was on the three person sofa having chosen to take a seat in the middle, something he often did which must of been a habit from his childhood. Claudia took the seat to his left a mug of tea in her hands as she passed it over to him. Unsure of how he was going to respond or what he was going to do. Rather feeling surprised the moment his head came to rest upon her shoulder. Though she chose to not let it show, for the fear he would remove it from where he seemed relatively comfortable. Rather she just allowed him to do whatever he needed in that moment to feel better. And the moment he reached out for one of her hands there was something in the back of her mind which told her, that this was it. That he was it for her, forever onwards.
Silence would continue to pass over them, neither she was sure clear on how to start the conversation. Ron knew she had questions, it was clear in her whole demeanour that she had many questions to ask him about his aversion to Malfoy Manor. But he couldn't have been more thankful that she wasn't pushing those questions onto him. As if he was being honest he had never discussed what had happened there, not even with those he had been with at the time. Nobody in his family knew exactly what had happened when he had been there, well not from his side of the story. And he was unsure how to even approach the subject. But he knew he wanted to trust Claudia with what happened. He knew she would never judge him, he knew she would never hold anything against him. She wouldn't mollycoddle him either not like his mother would do. He wanted Claudia to know, he wanted there to be no secrets between the pair of them. He wanted to do that because this whole act was no longer pretend. It hadn't been 'just pretend' for a long time now. And therefore he wanted her to know everything about him, especially stuff like this. He just remained unsure how to even start the conversation.
"I have a history with Malfoy Manor." Ron started waiting to see what Claudia would say or do in response to those words, though when she chose to remain silent he knew it was to show he had her full attention. Especially if the squeeze she gave his hand was anything to go by. "During the war, when I was on the run with Harry and Hermione, we were captured at one point." He paused for a moment again, just trying to formulate in his head just how he wanted to share everything.
"At first we tried to disguise ourselves as other people, but that didn't last long and upon knowing exactly who we were they brought us to Malfoy Manor where the Death Eaters were gathering so we could be presented to Voldemort." He paused again waiting to see Claudia's reaction to the name of the dark wizard. He was more than aware that her family was not publicly out but they were on the opposite side to what he was, and that uttering the dark wizards name was not something they did in that community. But when she did not jump or react negatively in the way he had initially expected he realised that at some point they would actually have to talk about what role she really had during the whole war, well as much as a 15 year old could have done at the time he supposed.
"You don't have to say anything more in specific if you do not want to Ronald, I know what kind of things they did to their prisoners there. I just didn't realise you were one of them." Claudia finally spoke and he could see in her expression just how much those words rung true. "Had I known I would have never expected you to step foot upon those grounds again."
"You know of what they were doing there?" Ron remained a little confused considering he still remained unsure of what she truly knew about the war. It had never been something they had discussed before. He waited for Claudia to respond in any manner being only a little bit confused when she brought their conjoined hands upwards to press a kiss on the back of his hand.
"My father, though not a proactive member he remained in that circle, and some of them they would boast what they would get up to. It was disgusting and vile and it's the reason my father does not speak to many of them anymore. What they did to you is inexcusable and I am so sorry for any part my family played in that." Claudia half expected Ron to freak out at her words and push her away, after all she had just confirmed to him that her father had been a Death Eater something she knew he must have been very much against. Especially after everything he had been through and everything he had done for the entire magical community.
"You are not your father Claude, nor were you there I hold nothing against you. I just don't think I will be ready to enter that place for a very very long time."
"You never have to enter again if you do not want to." Claudia confirmed she went to say something else before she felt herself yawn. The late night now finally catching up with her as she began to fully sober up from the alcohol she had consumed hours prior.
"I think you need to get to bed."
"You're staying right? I don't think I could let you go home after knowing this." Claudia spoke, not really giving him a chance to say no or argue otherwise. And Ron wouldn't have done so anyways, he wanted to be with her in that moment in time, unsure of what just letting the basics out was going to do to him.
"I'm not going anywhere. Don't think I could be alone tonight."
"You don't have to be alone ever again Ronald." Claudia was sure she would kick herself in the morning for saying that to him, knowing that whatever was between them wasn't exactly solidified but she didn't care. Not anymore. He was her person and she was going to treat him as so. Claudia went to stand first, however before she could actually get herself off the sofa Ron pulled her back down. To the point where she landed half on top of him and half on the sofa. She was quick to reposition herself so she was straddling him. Looking down from her height advantage she was met with a grin she could only describe as purely cheeky. She only gave a small smile in response and moved to place a kiss upon his forehead.
"Let's go to bed yeah baby?" She asked noting as he almost melted in his seat allowing her to stand this time around and drag him in the direction of her bedroom.
