Title: Happy Trails

Author: Lena

Pairing: Ron/Harry

Rating: PG

Genre: AU, Romance

Warnings: None

Disclaimer: I don't own Harry or Ron or anything in the HP world. JKR does (and Warner Bros). *sigh*

Summary: Ron and Harry are cowboys loping along the dusty trail.

Author’s Notes: This was written for the harry_and_ron FQF. Challenge: An AU with Harry and Ron as cowboys. Thank you to Lorien_Eve for the beta and everything else…

Harry and Ron loped along the dusty trail on their horses, Heddie and Pig. Ron liked riding with Harry. Lots of time and no talking. Just understanding silence.

He could hear the rustle of the leaves on the trees and the swish of the high grass through the legs of his horse. Ron could smell the fresh honeysuckle throughout the grass beneath him and he could hear Harry clucking at Heddie to giddy-up. Ron liked hearing Harry’s noises with all the other sounds and smells around him.

Ron looked up at the nearly clear blue sky with the two puffy clouds hanging high. The sun was low in the sky, but it was still hot and beating down in the early evening. He reached up and adjusted his hat. They were coming closer to a stream; a perfect place to hunker down for the night. He looked over to Harry and smiled. Harry nodded and they continued riding.

As they got closer, they slowed their horses, pulling back on the reins. They stopped near a tree and swung down off the horses. Harry took their bedrolls off of Heddie’s saddle, as Ron took the cooking supplies off of Pig.

They silently worked side by side, getting their camp ready for the night. Harry touched Ron on the shoulder as Ron was sorting out his ingredients for their dinner. Ron looked back. Harry smiled and walked off. Ron knew he was going to find wood for their fire. Ron watched him walk away, noticing the well-worn jeans in all the right places, then turned back to his supplies.

In a short while, Harry returned with an armload of kindling. He laid the wood next to Ron and struck a match to one piece. Harry poked at the pile of wood, stoking it, getting it ready so Ron could cook their dinner. Ron looked up again, smiling as Harry got up once the fire was ready. He walked away once again, this time to feed the horses.

Over the years of riding and working together, Harry and Ron knew their jobs. They knew what each expected of the other and they understood each other, without the need for words.

While Ron readied the fire and placed the old cast-iron skillet on it, he glanced up more than once to watch Harry feed the horses. Once he fed and watered Heddie and Pig, Harry clucked at both horses, while brushing the beautiful mane of each one.

Ron looked down at his hot skillet that held potatoes and pieces of bread. An open can of beans was sitting at the edge of the fire. He lightly touched the coffee pot and realized it was ready. He pulled the pot away from the fire and sat it next to the two cups that lay on his left. He snatched the bread from the top of the potatoes and laid the pieces on the plates that were laying on his right.

Harry returned and placed the bedrolls out next to each other across from Ron on the other side of the fire. Harry’s bedroll was closest to the fire. Ron insisted on that a long time ago.

The sun was just peeking over the hills and the day had nearly disappeared. Ron heard the strike of a match once again, as Harry lit the lantern and placed it close to Ron, so he could continue to see. Ron lifted his head to look at Harry again.

When the food was finished, they sat side by side on Harry’s bedroll. Ron took off his hat and laid it beside him. He reached over and pulled Harry’s hat off his head and laid it next to his.

The steam from the potatoes rose from the plate, as Ron dug into his food. After a moment he turned to see Harry not eating, just looking at him. Ron moved a bit closer, so their thighs touched. Harry reached over and kissed Ron on the cheek. Ron chortled with happiness and continued eating.

After dinner, they walked down to the stream and rinsed their plates and cups. They washed their hands and faces, drying them with the ends of their shirts, pulled from their jeans. They walked back hand in hand. Ron put away the food supplies, as Harry smoothed out the bedrolls.

The fire crackled as Harry reached over to put another piece of wood on the stack. Ron walked around to the bedrolls. Sitting down, they pulled off their boots. The bedrolls were always open to each other, so it made more of a double bed than two single rolls. They crawled in and Ron sighed when Harry curled up next to him. The night was still warm, but a breeze was softly coming from the north.

Ron could hear the chirping of the grasshoppers and lapping of the water against the slight shore of the stream. He could smell the smoke from the fire as it was getting low and dim and hear the horses happily neighing to each other.

And as the night got darker and the air got still, Ron heard the whispers in his ear and the pulling of his shirt. He felt the wet lips trailing over his body. He breathed in the musky smell of the body laying beneath him and finally he rejoiced in the noises coming from Harry.

Lying there with Harry was all Ron ever wanted and it thrilled him to know that in the morning he would be riding with him again, down the not-so-lonely dusty trail.