Title - Getting Away 19/24
Author - Lena
Pairing - Harry/Ron, Harry/various OC's (slash and het), Ron/OC (slash)
Rating - this chapter - PG
Feedback - [email protected]
For warnings, disclaimers, etc. please see chapter 0/24 - msg#11257
Chapter Nineteen - Friday
Harry woke rather early and went downstairs to eat breakfast. Frank wasn't around. Before he left he had wanted to thank Frank for asking him to go out with Laura.
Harry decided to walk across the street to the marketplace to get something to eat. He stopped at a little bakery to get a cup of tea and a pastry. He sat on a bench and ate, looking out towards the bay. It was really clean, clear and blue. He was so glad that these last few days had gone smoothly and going like a vacation should.
He was glad he finally seemed to be relaxed. Harry was apprehensive of Ron staying behind and of his feelings about, well, just everything, but he felt okay. He wanted everything to be okay.
He walked along the sidewalk that ran against the water's edge. He spent the morning walking and looking through shops. He nodded his head and said hello to people walking by. He liked this town. It was diverse and was so interesting, with different kinds of people, different languages and interesting neighborhoods.
He purchased a few things for people at home. He and Ron really hadn't done that and now that the vacation was almost over, Harry felt he needed to bring home a few presents.
He stopped in a bookstore and got Hermione a book of Shakespeare. She knew who he was, but Harry knew since she had started at Hogwarts all those years ago, she hadn’t had time to read a lot of Muggle literature.
Harry stopped at the electronics store and got a small electronic game for Mr. Weasley. Harry figured Mr. Weasley would try to take it apart and make it do something else completely different, but Harry got it anyway.
He wasn’t sure what to get Mrs. Weasley. She wasn’t into Muggle things. He looked at different shops. He was getting frustrated. He bought candy for Ginny, Fred and George. They would like it just because it was different than what they were used to. He bought some more of the jellybeans that seemed like Bertie Botts’.
He went back to his indecision about Mrs. Weasley’s present. He finally just got her some nice smelling dried flowers. The sales clerk said it was called ‘Potpourri’. It reminded him a bit of his massage, but he knew Mrs. Weasley would just be happy with a gift, that Harry had thought of her. She would like the way it smelled, too, he figured.
He came back to the hotel around noon, took his packages upstairs and he came back down right away. He sat in the lobby, waiting for Ron and Ryan, when he saw Frank. He walked over to him and said, "Hey, Frank, I wanted to thank you for asking me to spend the day with Laura. She's a nice girl."
Frank smiled and said, "Good, Harry. She said she enjoyed you, too. She's visiting with my mom today."
Harry said, "Oh, well, I'm waiting for Ron and..." He lowered his voice. "...Ryan."
Frank looked at Harry with interest. "Really. How is Ron?"
Harry said, "Oh, he's okay. He's staying."
Frank looked shocked. "In Miami...with Robinson?"
Harry said, "Yeah. Don't say anything, though, okay?"
Frank said, "No, of course not. " Just then Frank looked over Harry's shoulder. "Wow!"
Harry turned around and saw Ron and Ryan walking in the lobby. They made a nice pair. Both were tall, and their looks complemented each other. Ron with his longish red hair, fair skin and freckles and Ryan, with his brown hair and tanned skin. They were both good-looking men, Harry noticed.
Harry saw Ron looking around and Harry waved at him. Ron and Ryan walked over to where Harry and Frank were standing. Harry said, "Hey, this is Frank, Ryan. Frank, this is Ryan."
Ryan reached out and shook Frank's hand. Frank was quiet for a moment. Then said, "It's really nice to meet you. Good game, yesterday!"
Ryan laughed, "Yeah, thanks!"
Ron said, "Well, we are going to lunch, so see you later." Harry could tell Ron was nervous, because he was talking fast and knew he wanted to get this over with, good or bad.
Frank waved goodbye and Harry, Ron and Ryan walked out to the sidewalk. Ryan said, "My car only seats two, so we'll have to walk somewhere. Somewhere hopefully that won't have the press show up."
Harry asked, “How did court go?”
Ryan said, “Oh fine, I knew it would. Looking back on it, I guess, getting arrested was the best thing to happen to me!”
Harry looked at him in shock. Ryan added, “Harry, don’t you get it? If I hadn’t been arrested, I wouldn’t have met you and you wouldn’t have introduced me to Ron.” He placed a hand on Ron’s shoulder.
Harry hadn’t really thought that through, but he supposed it was true. He said, “Yeah. I guess so!”
Ryan said, “I believe everything has consequences and related somehow.”
Both Harry and Ron were quiet. Harry really didn't know how Ron planned on telling Ryan he was a wizard.
They continued walking until they reached a deli a few streets over, in a rougher part of the city. Ryan said, "Oh, this place has good food." He opened the door and walked in with Ron and Harry following.
There were only a few people in the place. They all looked up when the door opened. They stared for a moment, and then all went back to their food. They didn't seem to care that baseball star Ryan Robinson had walked through the door.
Harry asked, "How do you know all these out of the way places?"
Ryan laughed, as Ron pushed Harry in the back with his hand. Ryan said, "Oh, when you need out of the way places, you can find them."
Harry said, "Oh." He was a little embarrassed that he hadn't realized that, of course, Ryan tried to find places, where he wouldn't be bothered, because of him being a famous ballplayer and gay.
They ordered their sandwiches and sat down at a table waiting for them to be prepared. Ryan said, "So, Harry, heard you saw everything on T.V.?"
Harry said, "Yeah, Ron seems okay, though."
Ryan looked at Ron and said, "Looks like he can handle himself." Ron beamed at him. Ryan continued, "Yeah, but it's been a little tough though."
Harry asked, "How have the fans been taking it?"
Ryan shrugged and said, "The Miami fans are great as always. There were some nasty comments from the crowd in New York, but I guess I just expected a lot worse. The press is the ones who are the problem. Even my teammates aren't that bad."
Harry said, "What do you mean?"
Ryan said, "Well, I was worried how they would react. You know, I dress in close quarters with these guys, but the majority of them have come up to me and said, they either had already figured it out or they just didn't care, as long as it didn't effect my playing."
Ron said, "How would it effect your playing?"
Ryan said, "You know, the press putting stress on me. I've only had two of my teammates be a little mean to me, but they are both religious, so they think I'm some sort of sinner or something. Whatever. That's their opinion. I didn't choose to be gay."
Harry and Ron shook their heads in the affirmative. Ryan was on a roll, so they just let him talk. "I mean, like I would choose to be different." Ryan seemed very thoughtful and looked off into space. Harry and Ron were quiet again.
Ryan started the conversation again by asking Harry what he did while Ron was away. He told them a little bit about watching a show being filmed and the museum.
Ryan seemed exciting about that. He said, “Oh, I love that show!”
Harry said, “Yeah, it was pretty cool.”
When their meal was ready, Ron and Ryan went up to get all three lunches. They sat down again and all three started munching on their sandwiches.
Ron had a huge bite of sandwich in his mouth, when Ryan asked, "So, Ron, what do you need to tell me?"
Ron choked and Ryan slapped him on the back. Ron finally stopped coughing and said, "What do you mean?"
"Well, as much as I like Harry and think it's very nice he's here, Ron, you made a really big deal about him going to lunch with us. So what gives?" Ryan said all of this very matter-of-factly.
Harry was amazed at Ryan's perception. Ryan had been from the beginning, when Harry had first met him.
Ron said nervously, "Uh...uh...well, I..."
Ryan looked at Ron and seemed to be getting upset. "Do you not want to stay? Are you trying to tell me you're going home?"
Ron blurted out, "No! No! That's not it at all! I want to stay with you!"
Ryan said, "'Kay, then, what is it?"
Harry didn’t know what to say to help Ron. He thought Ron should just blurt it out and get it over with, like he said he was going to.
Ryan said, “Ron, I’m getting mad. Tell me.”
Ron stammered, “I just don’t want you to get upset.”
Harry said, “Ron, just say it.”
Ryan looked really upset at this point and said, “I’m already upset, because you won’t tell me whatever it is!”
Ron stuttered, “Well...I...uh...I’m...” Harry reached over and punched Ron in the shoulder. Ron continued quickly, “I’m a wizard.”
Ryan cocked his head to one side, looked at Ron, then Harry, really puzzled and said, “What?”
Ron said softly, “I’m a wizard. They’re real people, not just in stories. Harry is, too.”
Ryan said, “Wizard?”
Harry couldn’t tell if Ryan was upset or not believing them or what.
Ryan whispered, “Okay.”
Harry, Ron and Ryan all stared at each other. Their sandwiches lay forgotten on the table.
Ron finally whispered, “Do you believe me?” Harry glanced at him. Ron looked frightened.
Ryan was quite for a moment and said, “Okay.”
Ron said in a panicked voice, “But do you believe me?”
Ryan said, “Well...I should believe you, right? Because you wouldn‘t lie to me, right?”
Ron said defiantly, “NO! I‘d never lie to you.”
Ryan said, “Well, okay.”
Ron said, “Why do you keep saying, ‘Okay’?” Harry could’ve smacked Ron. Ryan was taking it pretty calmly, but Ron had to keep at him, making Ryan explain himself.
“What do you want to hear, Ron? That I think it’s a little odd, you telling me you’re a wizard?“
Ron stared at Ryan. Ryan continued, “That what I know of wizards are from storybooks. That when I was a kid, I thought maybe they were real, but everything adults told me made me think they weren’t?“
Ron was very pale. Ryan continued again, “That I can tell when someone is lying to me? And I can tell you aren’t lying?”
Ron’s mouth hung open. Ryan said, “”Cause all those things are true?“
Harry could tell Ron was a nervous wreck. Ron stammered, “You...can tell when...people are...lying to you?”
Ryan said, “Yes.”
Ron said, “How?”
Ryan said, “Just can, that’s all.”
Harry interjected, “Then how come you got arrested?”
Ryan looked a little annoyed. “Because I had been drinking, so I wasn’t as perceptive as I usually am.”
Harry said, “Is it some sort of...gift?”
Ryan shrugged, “I don’t know if ‘gift’ is the right word for it. To be a good baseball player, you have to have extremely sharp senses, if one of them is lacking, you make up in others. My perception of everything from where the ball is going, when I need to swing the bat, to my daily life, is extremely strong. It always has been.”
Harry said, “Oh.” He really didn’t know what to say.
Ryan looked from Ron to Harry, “Harry, don’t you have something, that makes you a little different from everyone else? I mean besides being a wizard.”
Harry didn’t know what to say. He really didn’t want to tell Ryan just yet about Voldemort or being a parselmouth. He wasn’t so sure that was the kind of gift Ryan was talking about.
Ryan looked at Ron and said, “Ron has one.”
Ron gasped and said in shock, “I do?”
Ryan chuckled, “Yes, you do.”
Ron said, “What? What do you think it is?”
Ryan placed his hand on Ron’s and said, “Love.”
Ron whispered, “What do you mean?”
Ryan said softly, “I’ve never met anyone who loved with such passion.”
Ron lowered his head and turned pink. Ryan continued in a low voice, “That’s not what I mean. The way you talk about your family, even though you say they drive you crazy, and the way you talk about Harry. You love without questions. Without asking for anything in return.”
Ron said, “No. I want it in return.”
Ryan said, “Yes, of course. But if you loved someone and they were incapable of returning your love, you’d still desperately love them, right?”
Ron whispered, “Yeah.”
Harry was totally unnerved. Ryan was very right and he was really, really perceptive.
Ryan turned to Harry and said, “So, Harry, what is yours?”
Harry sat there, not saying anything. Ron looked at him and said, “Courage.”
Harry jerked his head up and looked at Ron. “What? I’m not!”
Ron said, “Yeah, you are. I’m not talking about just the last year of school. I’m talking about everything.”
Ryan looked puzzled but didn’t say anything. Harry said, “Everything? What are you talking about? You know inside...“ Harry pointed to himself. “...I’m not courageous at all!”
Ron said in exasperation. “Oh, Harry. Living with the Dursleys’? All those adventures we had in school? Yeah, the last year, but especially letting me go...now?”
Harry stammered, “But...but...I have to. It’s not because I have courage or because I want to!”
Ron said, “Okay, that may be true that you don’t want to, but you’re letting me go just the same.”
Harry said quietly, “Yeah.” He didn’t know what else to say. He didn’t quite believe he had all the courage Ron thought he had, but he wasn’t going to argue with him.
Ron looked at Ryan’s hand on top of his and said, “Ryan, I love you.” Harry felt like Ron wanted to say more, but didn’t know what. Harry figured they would have a long conversation about all this later in private.
Ryan gently rubbed the top of his hand and said, “I know. I love you, too.” Harry looked away at the intimate moment between the two. He felt that jealous pang again and grabbed his forgotten sandwich and took a bite.
Ryan cleared his throat and let go of Ron’s hand. He picked up his sandwich as well. All three got back to eating after their incredibly intense conversation.
Ryan asked in an attempt to speak of more lighthearted conversation, "Well, what are you guys going to do tomorrow? Harry, isn't it your last day in Miami?”
Harry looked at Ron questioningly. Ron said, "Remember, Ryan's leaving in a while for Philadelphia. I'm going to spend tomorrow with you."
Harry looked so pleased. He and Ron were going to spend his last full day in Miami together.
Ron and Ryan went upstairs to the room, to say goodbye and Harry sat in a chair in the lobby waiting for them to come down. They finally did, about fifteen minutes later. They both looked fine, as they would see each other in two days time anyway.
Ryan shook Harry’s hand, said goodbye and jumped in his car and headed to the airport for his flight.
Ron turned to Harry and said, "I've got to tell my parents, don't I?"
Harry said, "I'm not doing that for you. I'm not telling your mother."
Ron grimaced and groaned, "Won't you, Harry?"
Harry said, "No. We'll take care of it tomorrow."
Ron crinkled his face in what seemed genuine pain.
They sat in the lobby for a moment, both thinking about all kinds of things, that they wouldn't say to each other. Finally, Harry said, "We've got a whole afternoon to do something."
Ron hesitated, "Yeah...mmmm...you know, what I haven't done yet? I kind of like to if you want...?"
Harry asked, "What is it?"
Ron said, "I've never been on a boat before and when we went down to the beach, I saw that you could take something called a harbor cruise?"
Harry's eyes sparkled. "That would be fun!"
Ron smiled and said, "Okay, great!"
Harry said, "Let's go upstairs and get into some shorts."
Harry and Ron took the elevator upstairs to their room. They quickly changed from jeans to shorts and put on their sandals. Their t-shirts were still clean so they left those on. Harry grabbed the camera before they left the room.
They walked down the sidewalk through Bayside towards the port. Ron spied the boats he had seen last week. "Hey, there they are!" There were two boats, one a bit larger than the other. They looked at the signs in front of each little pier where the boats were docked.
One sign said that one boat went out next at three o'clock and then other went out at four o'clock. They were both two-hour cruises. Harry looked at his watch and saw it was just before two o'clock. They decided to take the three o'clock cruise, as that would be less time to wait.
They bought their tickets from a small stand near the little pier and the man told them to be ready to board fifteen minutes before three. Harry and Ron had about forty-five minutes, so they wandered around the marketplace. Between the two of them, they had seen all of it, so they wandered down Biscayne looking at the scenery of the port to one side and the neighborhood to the other.
Ron looked up at the Metromover running over their heads on its track. He followed the train with his eyes, as it pulled into its station two blocks over. He said, "That little train is really cool."
Harry said, "Have you not been on it yet?"
Ron said, "No. I've been taking buses and taxis."
Harry said, "Okay, after our cruise and before we go back to the hotel, we'll go. It's quick, but kind of fun."
Ron grinned, "Cool."
They headed back to Bayside and the little pier with the boat they were going to take. When they arrived, there were other people waiting to get on board. Harry and Ron stood in line behind them, as Harry handed Ron his ticket.
The boat crew started allowing people on board and Harry and Ron followed. They got on board and found seats near the edge of the boat to be able to see the water. Once all the people had got on the boat, the guide in the front of the boat reached for a speaker. He spoke into it welcoming everyone on the board.
The crew unwrapped the ropes that kept the boat steady against the pier. The boat began to move away from the shore and Ron got up and leaned over the edge a little looking at the water splashing up on the sides of the boat.
Harry pulled out the camera and took a picture of Ron. A crewmember walked by and asked Harry if they wanted their picture taken together. Harry jumped up and said, "Oh, yes. Thanks!"
The crewmember took the camera while Harry and Ron leaned up against each other. They looked into the camera and smiled and the man took their picture.
Harry and Ron walked around the boat, looking at the scenery that the guide was talking about over his speaker. Ron was having a more difficult time walking on the deck of the boat, as it was swaying back and forth. He had to grab the side of the boat and Harry's arm to keep from falling.
Ron groaned, "Ooooo, Harry. I'm not sure I like this."
Harry looked at Ron, steered him over to the edge and said, "You aren't getting seasick, are you?"
Ron started looking green. "What's that?"
Harry leaned him up against the rail and said, "I'll be right back."
Ron moaned, "Don't leave me Harry!"
Harry rubbed his back and said, "It's okay. I'll be right back."
Harry walked to one of the crewmembers and said, "Do have any of those seasick pills?"
He said, "Are you seasick?"
Harry said, "No. My friend seems to be."
The crew member said, "Well, yeah, but you are supposed to take them before you get on board. It might not do your friend much good."
Harry said, "Well, maybe just thinking he's taken something to help...will help?"
The crew member laughed and said, "Yeah, maybe." He walked over to some sort of kit that was hanging on a wall of the boat where the inside seats were and pulled it open. He handed Harry a packet of pills and said, "Only one and two, okay."
Harry said, 'Thanks", and rushed back to Ron.
Ron was definitely green by now and groaned out, "Don't like this boat, Harry."
Harry had to suppress a laugh and said, "It's okay, Ron. Swallow one of these.”
Ron grabbed it and swallowed it quickly without water. Harry stood next to him, rubbing Ron’s back, looking at the beautiful harbor. He was slightly reminded of a slug-eating spell gone bad from a long time ago.
Ron had his head down, and had quit moaning, so Harry thought he might have felt better. Ron lifted his head after awhile and said, “I’d like to sit down and can I have another of those pills.”
Harry said, “Okay.” He guided Ron to a couple of chairs behind them on deck. Harry handed Ron another of the pills. Ron popped it in his mouth.
They sat there quiet, but looking up at the huge cruise ships that they were passing. The guide said those huge ships were getting ready to go to the Caribbean. Harry looked up at them and saw tiny people on them waving. He waved back.
They passed the bridges that Ron and Harry could see from their hotel room and they traveled the shoreline of South Beach. Harry took pictures of the scenery and was enjoying the nice weather, when he heard a loud snore coming from someone next to him.
He glanced at Ron, who had fallen asleep and was sprawled out over his chair, with his head leaning back against the wall. Harry didn’t want to wake him, but he didn’t want him to snore anymore, either. He sat for a moment, listening to that horrible noise he’d been listening to for years.
He finally poked Ron in the arm and he snorted, moved a little, but didn’t wake up. He did stop snoring though. Harry thought for a moment, how in the world Ryan was going to put up with that night after night.
The two hours were over pretty quickly and the boat was edging its way back to the little pier at Bayside. Harry waited to wake Ron until the boat was safely secured and roped up. Then he waited until most of the people had gotten off the boat, and then gently shook Ron’s shoulder until he woke up.
“Huh?”
“Come on, Ron, we have to get off the boat now.”
Ron looked disappointed and said, “Oh, I missed everything!”
Harry laughed, helped him up and guided him off the boat.
Ron was very glad to be on dry land again and he seemed to be feeling a little better.
Harry asked, “Do you want to head back to the hotel or did you want to go on the train. We can do that tomorrow, you know?”
Ron clutched his stomach and said, “Let’s do that tomorrow. I want to enjoy it.”
Harry grinned at him and said, “Okay.” They walked back to their hotel. Ron wasn’t really up for any dinner for once in his life, so they just headed back to their room.
Ron laid himself carefully on his stomach on his bed. His head was at the end of the bed close to the television. He had grabbed his pillow and pulled it under his head. He turned on the television, but immediately his eyes began to droop.
Harry sat down with his back up against the front of Ron’s bed and watched television, while Ron fell asleep. After awhile, Harry was hungry and ordered room service. He ate in his original position, on the floor by Ron’s bed.
He was tired now, too, so he changed his clothes into his usual sleepwear. He looked over at Ron and decided he should help him get into bed properly. Harry took off Ron’s runners and then shook him a little on his back. Ron was too heavy for Harry to get him into bed himself. Ron woke groggily and said, “Wha?”
Harry said, “Come on, get into bed.” Ron rolled over and promptly fell asleep again. Harry felt a little funny about taking off Ron’s clothes, but pushed it out of his head, because this was his best friend who needed help and didn’t feel well.
Harry pulled down Ron’s shorts, staying away from his boxers. He tossed the shorts to the floor. Harry left Ron’s t-shirt on, as well. He moved Ron’s pillow up to the top of the bed and pulled the covers down as far as they would go with Ron in the way. He pulled Ron’s arm trying to move him up in the bed. He was getting frustrated because he said out loud, “Come on, Ron, help me.”
Ron opened one eye and saw Harry was pulling his arm. “Ow! What are you doing?”
Harry said, “Come on. Get under the covers and go to bed. Are you feeling at all better?”
Ron said, “Sort of”, as he pulled himself up, crawled to the top of the bed and slid under the covers. Harry stood there for a moment, watching as Ron fell immediately back to sleep. Part of him wanted to crawl in next to him, but he didn’t. He just went to his own bed, slid under his own covers and fell asleep.