Title - Getting Away 9/24

Author - Lena

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

Rating - this chapter - R

Feedback - [email protected]

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

Chapter Nine - Friday/Saturday

Harry and Ron took the "C" bus to South Beach, which was where the party at Paul's apartment was. When they got off the bus, they walked down the street until Ron pointed out Paul's apartment building. They walked up the few steps to the door and Ron pressed a button with a speaker above it. A voice spoke out of it and said, "Yeah?"

Ron stepped closer to the speaker and said, "Hey, it's Ron."

A buzzer went off and Ron grabbed the door and opened it. They walked in and Harry followed Ron down the hallway. Ron knocked on a door at the end of the hall, it opened, and they walked in. Music was blaring and it was very crowded.

Paul was standing in the small kitchen looking out towards the door and said, "Hey, Ron, Harry." Paul was dressed in a sequined dress with a feather boa around his shoulders. He seemed in a much better mood than when Harry first met him at the swimwear store. "Here!" Paul handed them each a drink.

Harry yelled to be heard over the music, "What is this?"

Paul said, "Rum punch. Goes down smooth, but potent. Enjoy!"

Harry took a drink. It tasted like fruit punch with a kick. He liked it. Ron steered Harry towards a group of people and introduced him. They were all dressed in different costumes, some outlandish, others simpler like Harry's. They were friends Ron had made through Paul and at the clubs he had been hanging out at.

They all chatted for a while and Harry thought they were pleasant. He was enjoying the party in spite of himself. He felt the glass in his hand being taken away and another one replacing it.

Ron walked over to another group of people and Harry stuck close to Ron, because he really didn't know anyone else. He started tapping his foot to the music. He somehow had a new drink in his hand.

A guy in a doctor's outfit walked up to Harry and said hello. Harry said, 'Hi! You're a doctor?"

The guy said, "Well, I like to play doctor! What's your name?"

"Harry."

"My name's Tommy. You're a friend of Ron's, huh?" Tommy looked at him a little odd.

Harry's foot continued tapping. "Yeah. Sssss." Uh oh, Harry thought, his parseltongue was coming out again.

Tommy asked, "Do you want another drink?”

Harry said, "Yeah. Sssss."

Tommy asked, “Why do you hiss like that?“

Harry had presence of mind to say, “Oh, I can’t sssspeak well when I’ve been drinking.“ He hoped that was a good enough explanation. He knew he was becoming a bit incoherent.

As Tommy walked away, Harry’s eye caught on a blonde girl. She was dancing by herself. He thought she was really cute. He walked over to her and started dancing next to her. She looked over and grinned. She yelled over the music, "Who are you?"

Harry leaned close to her ear and said, "Harry."

She leaned into him and said, "I'm Hillary. Wanna dance closer?"

Harry breathed, "Yessss."

Just then Tommy came over with Harry's new drink and placed it in his hand. Tommy laughed and walked away. Even though it was a fast song, Harry and Hillary moved so close together, it was difficult to see where one stopped and one began.

After that things were a blur to Harry.

His thoughts were so fragmented...

He danced with Hillary to songs...

...fast and slow.

Very close.

He was totally up for her and leaned into her to show her.

He tried to impress everyone by doing magic...

...it wouldn't work with the wand he had.

People thought he was funny.

But why won't it work?

He could hardly think...

He lost count of his drinks.

He saw Tommy laughing at him again.

He started dancing again.

Tommy joined Hillary and him in their dances.

This was fun. That punch was good.

Ron was scowling at him.

Just having fun, like Ron wanted him to!

He scowled back.

Having fun!

Tommy and Hillary were close.

Very close.

Kiss. Was that Hillary or Tommy?

Touch. Soft. Breast.

Kiss. Rough. Face.

Stumble. Soft. Bed.

Want her. Want her. Want...

Again. Kiss. Rough. Face.

Want her. Want her. Got her...

In...her...yeah...

Kiss. Rough. Face.

Harry woke in the morning in an unfamiliar bed. He moaned as he started to remember the night before. He remembered being offered rum punch and then...he moaned again.

He felt like he was being suffocated. He slowly opened his eyes. He saw someone else's arm over his face and he realized he didn’t have a stitch of clothing on. Uh, oh. He felt something touching him on either side. He looked on one side and saw a girl. Hillary. He looked on the other side and saw a guy. Tommy. Oh, no. What the hell had happened?

He thought about trying not to wake these people, but he had to get out of bed and fast, so he just jumped out of the bed and scrambled to find his clothes on the floor. The people just moaned and moved closer to each other.

Harry found his glasses on the floor and put them on. Somehow it made the room lighter and he winced. He quickly threw on his clothes and grabbed all his things and dashed out the door. He didn’t bother putting on his shoes. He just grabbed them by the laces and ran. He ran through the living room, when he saw Paul. Harry stopped and said in a panic, “Where’s Ron?”

“He went back to the hotel, but boy, is he pissed at you!” Paul had a satisfied smirk on his face, which Harry wanted to hit off.

Although Harry knew very well why Ron was angry, he said, “Why is he mad?”

Paul laughed and said, “You aren’t really that stupid, are you?”

Harry was furious. “Shut up!” Harry stomped out the front door. He groaned at the bright sun beating down on him and hurting his eyes. He walked down the steps of the building and continued down the street.

He didn’t know where he was, really, and couldn't remember how to get back to the hotel. He figured he’d just keep walking until he found a taxi or a bus. Harry thought back to when Ron had told him that it would be okay and he would have fun. Well, Harry thought, yeah, he’d evidently had fun, but it wasn’t okay.

He had walked for a while when he saw a bus. He ran for it, caught it and asked the driver if this bus would take him to Bayside. The driver told him it wouldn’t, but he would take him to another bus stop that would. Harry sighed and put in his money for the ride and the driver gave him a transfer ticket.

Harry sat heavily on a seat. Harry began to think of the night before. He knew that he had done nothing more than snog the guy and he remembered hazily the girl being active enough to keep both Harry and the other guy entertained. He sighed again loudly.

The guy across from Harry said, “Rough night?”

Harry snorted and said, “That’s an understatement.”

They made it to Harry’s bus stop and he got out. He waited another twenty minutes for the correct bus to come. It finally came and he got aboard. He checked with the driver that the bus did go to Bayside, so Harry relaxed for the first time that morning and sat down.

He got up when he saw his stop coming up. He made sure he had all his things and when the bus stopped, he got out and walked down the street to his hotel. He padded along the hotel lobby in his socks and knew the staff was going to talk about him again. He got into the elevator and went up to the room.

He opened the door and Ron was sitting on his bed watching television. Ron didn’t look up at him. He just said, “About fucking time.”

Harry dumped everything on the chair and sat on his own bed. Harry knew he was about to ask a really stupid question, but he asked anyway. He didn't want to deal with what he suspected was coming. “Paul said you are mad at me. What did I do?”

Ron said through gritted teeth, “Nothing. You just had a good time, didn’t you?”

Harry said, “ I don’t know. I embarrassed you?”

Ron finally looked at him and Harry could tell he was really angry, probably angrier than he had even been. “Harry, what you do is your business.”

“Ron, please...don't be mad.”

Ron yelled, “Harry, you have always told me you're straight. Are you, really?”

Harry’s stomach churned. He said, “Yes, I am. I'm straight. You know that.”

Ron shouted, “Then why were you snogging that guy last night?”

Harry whispered, “I don't know...I was drunk.”

“Right...you’re pathetic.”

Harry was getting angry back now. “Look, I'm straight. I am.”

Ron yelled again, “Quite bloody saying it, okay, I believe you. Look, snogging a guy doesn’t make you queer, okay, so stop worrying!”

Harry yelled back, “I don’t think that. Anyway, if it’s no big deal, why are you yelling at me?”

Ron stood up with his fists clenched. He shouted, “Because you stupid git, if you are going to snog a guy, it should be ME!”

Harry was speechless. Ron stomped across the room and walked out, slamming the door behind him, for at least the third time on their trip.

Harry lay back on his bed, rolled over and curled up in a ball, holding his head. He knew that Ron had always feelings for him, but they had never talked about them. Now, he really didn’t know what to think or what to say to Ron.

Harry fell asleep and awoke a few hours later. Ron still wasn't back. Harry thought for a long time. He told himself, he didn't feel for guys like Ron did, but he did love Ron. It wasn’t as if he had never been slightly intimate with Ron, either. But that was different, wasn’t it?

Harry wondered if he could consider being with Ron, but he was afraid if he tried, it wouldn't last and he wouldn't ever want to start something and wind up hurting Ron. His mind was racing with thoughts. What had happened the night before, Harry figured had just been...well...being drunk and indiscriminate.

Even beyond Ron's feelings, was the fact that Harry knew their friendship was changing and had been for a while. They were becoming independent from each other. Harry didn't want to lose his friendship with Ron, and hoped they could work things out between them.

Harry lay there for a long time. His mind was tired of thinking. He was utterly exhausted and not really all that hungry, but thought he should eat something. He forced himself up and looked at the room service menu. He ordered the least stomach lurching thing on the menu. It arrived quickly and Harry was able to eat the toast, but just stared at the bowl of soup.

He waited all day for Ron to come back. Harry moped around the room, occasionally sleeping and trying to push all his thoughts out of his head.

Ron finally returned in the late afternoon. As he walked in the room, he tossed a newspaper to Harry. "You said you wanted a paper yesterday. I'm sorry, Harry."

Harry had been laying in bed on top of his covers, staring at the television. He lifted himself up in a sitting position and said, "For what? I'm the one who should be sorry, Ron." Harry was relieved that Ron wasn’t angry anymore. He didn’t ask why. He guessed Ron just went to cool off, like he always did when he was upset.

Ron swallowed hard and said, "For making you uncomfortable. I just wish I could love you that way, not just as friends, you know."

Harry blurted out nervously, "Ron...I'll...kiss you if you want me to." Harry didn’t want Ron to think that he had liked that idiot Tommy more than him. Ron was worth kissing, just like he had been worth touching years before.

Ron looked surprised and said, " No. I don't want you to. You really don't feel that way."

Harry was conflicted with what he wanted, but he knew he did love Ron. "Ron, I care for you."

Ron said, "I know, but you don't love me."

Harry said quickly, "Yes, I do!" Harry knew he really did.

Ron said, "You know what I mean."

Harry said softly, “Yes, I do.“ Harry got up and walked over to Ron. Harry leaned into him and put his arms around his waist. Harry could feel the apprehension coming from Ron's body.

"Harry, don't."

Harry looked up at him and remembered far back to the few times when they had been very young and had touched each other in curiosity and comfort. It had felt good and felt right. "Ron, it's okay."

Ron moved his arms around Harry and pressed him close. Harry moved his head up and stared at Ron. Ron looked at him with longing, but hesitation. Ron reached down and moved his lips softly against Harry’s. Harry felt a pang of guilt. He wanted to love Ron just because he was...Ron, but he was suddenly frightened at the prospect of things going too far with Ron, when Harry really wanted other things.

Ron seemed to sense something, because after a moment, he pulled his lips away from Harry. He looked down at him. Ron said, “This isn’t right. We aren’t kids anymore, Harry. We want different things.”

Harry said, “So you think our friendship is changing, too?”

Ron said, “Yeah.”

Harry said, “So do I. I guess because we have grown up.”

Ron looked down and said, “Yeah, but it’s too bad. I think we could have been kids a little longer if it hadn’t been for Voldemort.”

Now Harry looked away from Ron, but still held him close. “I suppose, but this conversation was inevitable, wasn’t it?”

Ron glanced back up. “You mean, my feelings for you?”

Harry said, “Yeah.” Harry didn’t really know what to say. He felt he was being a little lame, not admitting some of the things going on in his head.

Ron finally pulled his arms from Harry and looked past him at the wall and said, “I guess.”

Harry was a little upset at himself for not having more courage. He whispered, "Sorry, Ron."

Harry had a feeling there was more to Ron, under the surface, but he felt guilty and didn’t think he wanted to hear what else Ron had to say. So he just stood there quietly, watching Ron’s face.

Ron’s face looked deep in thought, but he just whispered, "It's okay, mate."