Snippets of Desire

Ron woke up to the rustle of Harry moving around the room. He was still too heavy of a sleeper but he had gotten better at identifying sounds in the room as he woke. He stretched and tried to keep down a grin. Mornings were a terrible time to be awake but that was offset by the fact that now he and Harry could go for a run. The morning run had become one of the highlights of Ron’s day.

“Are you still asleep?” Harry asked, voice rougher than usual. Ron frowned…that generally meant Harry hadn’t gotten much sleep. The nightmares were increasing not decreasing.

“Nah. I’ll be ready to go in a couple…are you ready to get your ass kicked lazy bones?” He drawled the insult and was rewarded with a bark of laughter from Harry. Ron grinned back and rubbed a hand over his head. It was still strange not to find a mop of hair under his fingers but one wrestling session of Tonks dragging him around by his hair had been enough. Harry had cut his at almost the same time though not quite as short. Ron eyed his friend who had grown several inches and filled out over the summer. The shorter hair suited him. Ron furrowed his brow. It wasn’t the hair, exactly. It was more what the hair signified. No more tugging at the hair to cover the scar, no more slouching, very little sulking…it was the confidence that suited Harry more than anything.

Ron stood and walked across the room to his dresser. Harry was staring out the window, arms crossed. He pulled out a pair of sweatpants, undershirt, and trainers.

It had been Harry’s idea to spend the summer preparing for battle though Ron knew it hadn’t been Snape he’d been expecting to have as the principal teacher. Who would have thought Snape would be willing? Dumbledore hadn’t even protested or even been surprised…he had just looked at Harry and told him he thought that was very wise. Dumbledore had a lot more going on underneath that big hat of his than Ron would have expected. Snape had appeared, looking miserable as always, but managed to do a surprisingly neutral job of showing them a variety of disguises, poisons, and cloaking spells that could prove useful in a number of situations. The majority of their study time was with him.

Tonks came to Hogwarts several times a week to kick the shit out of them…they studied on their own the rest of the week: both armed and unarmed fighting has proven to be difficult though they had improved leaps and bounds over the past two and half months. Of course, Tonks still wiped the floor with them. It had been her idea to start the daily runs.

Mad-Eye Moody popped in now and again to introduce them to some of the most basic rules of battle. It was a lot like learning how to play chess and Ron found he had a knack for developing battle plans. Even Mad-Eye, who was notoriously unimpressed with everyone, had clapped him on the back and told him he was doing a good job. That had been a great day.

Dumbledore took over training all three of them in Occlumens and Legilimancy. This, for him anyway, was next to impossible. Ron just couldn’t get his brain to calm down. He just couldn’t.

He walked up behind Harry and aimed a kick at his backside. Harry twisted his hips to one side and skipped sideways.

“Almost, Ronald. Almost.” Then Harry was sprinted for the door with Ron close at his heels. They bolted down the stairs of the boys’ dormitory, nearly tripping over each other in their haste to get out the door.

The only sound Ron could hear was the sound of their feet pounding into the floor. They found their rhythm faster and faster every morning. They ran side by side, arms and legs pumping furiously and trying not to skid on the slick floor.

The moving staircases always presented an interesting challenge. He reached a platform that connected with nothing just a moment before Harry did. Ron spun around, dropping into a crouch. Without hesitation Harry put his foot in Ron’s interlocked hands and leaped into the air. Ron shoved with all this might…had to make sure he reached the next set of stairs almost 20 feet away. A tug of wandless magic in his navel and Ron was flying behind Harry. He landed just behind Harry and started out again at a full out tilt. Each time they came to the end of a set of stairs one of them would know to drop and prepare to help the other one across. It was a great feeling of being in each other’s heads with little or no effort and it was the one time Ron felt balanced.

When the attack came, as it often did during their run, they were ready. Sharp gusts of wind drove razor sharp icicles at them. Harry stood, effortlessly creating a shield to repel the deadly ice. Ron crouched behind and slightly to the side of Harry’s legs looking for the culprit. He narrowed his eyes and focused using his magic…if I were attacking here where would I…ha! Ron spotted the shimmer of a cloaking spell. With a wave shaped motion of his hands he melted the stone underneath the offender. His wandless magic still left something to be desired but he could manage the littler stuff. Harry had taken to it like a duck to water. It was amazing. As the culprit sunk into the floor, his concentration broke, the icicles stopped. Harry dropped his shield instantly and pointed sharply at the cloaked individual. With a squeak and a pop the cloaking charm broke and Tonks was tightly bound in rope.

“You guys have been practicing!” She said breathlessly. She did a little wandless magic of her own and the ropes slithered away.

Harry and Ron stood and blinked at each other and Ron felt the connection slide away like mist before sunlight. Then it was just him in his head and it felt a little hollow without Harry. Ron shook his head and blinked again. *Shit. Next I’ll be spouting sonnets or something equally as mad.*

“I hope you guys are ready to work. Snape and I have made some…plans…for the day.” Tonks bounced to her feet with a grin, wild green hair sticking out in all directions.

Harry and Ron groaned in unison and then turned to head to the Great Hall for breakfast.

A/N I promise something a little spicier next time I update!