Title - Getting Away 13/24

Author - Lena

Pairing - Harry/Ron, Harry/various OC's (slash and het), Ron/OC (slash)

Rating - this chapter - PG-13

Feedback - [email protected]

For warnings, disclaimers, etc. please see chapter 0/24 - msg#11257

Chapter Thirteen - Tuesday

Ron had not returned when Harry had gone downstairs for breakfast. After finishing, he returned upstairs to figure out what he wanted to do for the day.

Harry opened the room door to find Ron and Ryan in a lip lock on the edge of Ron's bed. Harry didn't turn around fast enough and Ron saw him and pulled away from Ryan.

Harry grimaced and said, "Sorry."

Ryan said, "No, that's okay. I'm leaving on a road trip so I was saying goodbye. I might not be back before you guys leave."

Harry said, "I'll leave for awhile."

Ron said, "Okay, we'll only be a couple of minutes."

Harry shut the door and returned a half an hour later. Ron was alone, lying in his bed with his arm over his eyes.

Harry said, "Ron? You okay?"

Ron sniffled and said, "No. I know it's way too fast. God, I’ve barely known him three days, and he has all this crap going on right now, but I love him."

Harry said, "Did you tell him that?"

Ron said, his voice cracking, "Yes and he feels the same way."

Harry had never seen Ron like this over someone before, but he figured it would be pretty much over when Ron went home. Harry figured it was fling, it always was. He thought Ron should have a good vacation in the meantime, so he said, "Well, why don't you go on his road trip with him for a couple of days. Then I can go to all those museums I've been wanting too."

Ron sat up in bed. "I asked and he doesn‘t want me around the media. He doesn‘t want to put me through that."

Harry said, “Well, then I guess that means he really cares for you, but I’d go anyway. Even for just a day or two.”

Ron wiped his eyes with his sleeve and looked at Harry. “Should I just go and not tell him?”

Harry said, “Oh, no. Call and insist. Where is he going?”

Ron said, “New York, then Philadelphia, then...” He scrambled for some papers on the nightstand by the side of the bed. “Oh, here...”

Harry said, “Just call him and tell him you are going to be in New York suddenly for the next day or two and you want to see him.”

Ron rushed to the phone and stared at the numbers. Harry took it from him and said, "What's his number?"

Ron put his hand on the phone. "Wait...Harry you don't mind? Oh, your court date?"

Harry said, "Oh, I'll be fine. Harry continued, "Ron, just have fun."

Ron touched Harry's shoulder. "Thanks, Mate."

Ron spent the next ten minutes on the phone, talking Ryan into him coming to New York. When Ron got off the phone, he was smiling.

Ron shook his head and said, “Isn't this ridiculous? What is the big deal with a gay athlete? Remember when Johnston and Davis came out on Puddlemere? I mean all the girls were disappointed, but I just don't remember it being like this!"

Harry said, “But you are going?”

Ron grinned broadly and said, “Yes, but he doesn’t want me to stay in the same hotel with me. Trying to protect me from the press.”

Harry said, “I’m glad for you, Ron.”

Ron grinned and took his suitcase from the closet. He laid it on his bed and began to fill it with clothes. He stopped and turned back to Harry. “I’m gonna tell him I’m a wizard.”

Harry nearly stopped breathing. “Hang on...you‘re going to tell him you‘re a wizard!”

Ron said slowly, enunciating the first two words. “Yes, Harry, I want to tell him I’m a wizard. I feel like I’m keeping a secret from him and I don’t want to.”

Harry said, “Ron, that’s dangerous. You can’t do it!”

Ron said, “Why? Wizards go out with Muggles all the time and he would never judge me!”

Harry said, “But will he believe you?”

Ron looked down and said softly, “I think so. Harry, we have talked about staying together. You know, me staying here until the baseball season is over...it's only another month...” Ron’s voice tapered off.

Harry said sharply, “Ron! What about your job? And you’d be living with Muggles, not being able to use magic!” Harry was concerned because he just hadn't really realized how serious the relationship had gotten so fast. Even though Ron had said he loved Ryan, Harry hadn’t really believed it.

Ron said, “So? We haven’t used magic for a week now and anyway...I work for my Dad, Harry, who cares about my job...” Then Ron looked up at Harry and yelled, “And besides, you’re the one who introduced us! What did you want to happen? For me to have a fling? To forget you?”

Harry sighed. He said quietly, “I thought we sorted this out. I just thought you two would like each other.” Harry knew they really hadn’t sorted anything out, but, since he hadn’t wanted to deal with Ron and his conflicted feelings, Harry had tried to put it out of his own confused mind.

Harry’s voice got louder, “And I thought maybe you guys could visit each other or something, I don’t know, I didn’t think that far ahead. God, Ron, I didn’t know you were going to fall for someone in record time!!”

Harry knew he was being a little cruel and was thinking about himself and not what was best for Ron. A question floated through his head. Was he jealous that Ron was having a relationship with someone other than him? He quickly dismissed the notion.

Ron yelled, “I can’t help what I feel or when!”

Harry said meanly, “Really? About me or Ryan?”

Ron threw the closest thing he had at Harry and that was only a pair of jeans. They landed at his feet. Ron said, “That’s it. I’m going to do what I want! Not you or my mother or anyone can tell me what to do anymore!”

Harry yelled, "What the hell is wrong with you? You know you do go on a lot of...dates! Sorry if I can't be convinced that this will last."

Ron narrowed his eyes and said, "Are you calling me a...slut?"

Harry didn't want to come out and say it, because he knew Ron would go over the edge. "Well...no..."

Ron said, "Really, you sound convincing..." He continued sarcastically, "Bloody interesting talk from someone who has been, let's see, arrested for coming on to a cop and slept with two people in the last week! How many was that, yes, two people at-the-same-time!"

Harry knew when Ron's sarcasm reared its ugly head it could be viscous. Harry didn‘t bother to add that he‘d had sex with some bartender, whose name he never knew. He knew he was being a jerk, but just decided to ignore it, as usual. He said calmly, "God, Ron, you really do hate me for being straight, don't you?"

Ron didn't say anything. Then Ron said, in a voice so low, Harry had to really listen to hear him. "Sometimes. But sometimes, Harry, I don't believe you are..."

Harry tried to calm himself down further, as he ignored the last comment. He didn’t want Ron to leave mad like this. Harry said, “You can do what you what, but decide because you really love him and not because you’re just trying to get away from me.”

Harry knew he had softened Ron, because his face seemed to crumble. Ron sat down on the bed and put his head in his hands. “Harry...” Ron’s voice cracked. “Harry, I’m not trying to get away from you. I just have been trying to figure out who I am for so long, between being the youngest son, and your best friend, and trying to figure out my sexuality...and I know...it’s the same old boring complaining...I’m sick of it myself...”

Harry sat down next to Ron and put his arm around Ron’s shoulder. Ron continued,” With Ryan, he treats me like I’m...just me...I’m Ron. That’s why I want to tell him, so he knows all about me...”

Ron pulled his hands from his face and looked at Harry, “I don’t want to lose our friendship...but I go back and forth between loving you for being my best friend and wanting more and hating you because of all the crap we had to go through with Voldemort and you not wanting me the same way I’ve wanted you for years...”

Harry whispered, “For years?"

Ron said, “Of course. The times when we were young, I know you did it out of curiosity. As for me, I loved you.“

Harry felt so bad. He knew he was pretty stupid, too. He had been toying with Ron’s feelings for years and didn’t even realize it or if he had, he had just ignored it, like everything else in his life. Then they had kissed over the weekend and Harry had hoped that would be the end of it, when in reality there was much more under the surface that he was unwilling to deal with. Harry said, “I‘m sorry.”

Ron said, “You don’t have to be sorry.”

“Ron, I don't ever want to stop being friends“

Ron said, “Harry, it’s just something I have to sort out.“

Harry said, “But I don't want to lose you.”

“You won’t, Harry.”

This vacation had brought out feelings and thoughts about themselves and each other, that forced them to realize that growing up meant their friendship was going to be changed forever.