Yuleride

Chapter 39 – What About Ron?


Hermione had been gone four months before Ron really began to mingle again, his brothers and Harry making him go out to have a pint or two. Ron did so, but although plenty of witches were interested in him, he couldn’t help but feel it wasn’t really him, but his status as a hero that attracted them.

Ron wasn’t like George. Yes, he had accepted the blowjob from Odessa, but that had been a one-time occurrence and under a bit of duress. He really didn’t want to sleep around and was of the opinion that if a witch let him get under her robes in one night, a lot of other blokes were probably lifting the fabric too. George even tried to treat him to a night at the brothel, but Ron just wasn’t interested.

Molly was worried and tried to get him to take more interest in getting a girlfriend.

”Ron, when you fall off the broom, you have to just hop right back on,” she chided him.

”Mum, witches aren’t brooms,” he told her with a frown.

George, who was sitting at the table, smirked a little. They might as well be brooms as much as he rode them.

”It’s not that easy. I was with Hermione a long time, and she was just like me and Harry, mum. Most of the witches out here want to be with me only because they see me as a hero. It’s not me they want, but—but the status,” Ron said. “I don’t want that. I want a witch that just likes me. Period.”

He left the kitchen. Molly sighed after him.

”He’s not going to find another Hermione,” she said softly.

”Ron wants a witch that’s not just a girlfriend, mum, but a friend, too,” George said, looking after his brother. “Hermione is a hero like he is, so they were on the same level that way. He’s got a hard road ahead trying to find a witch that likes him for who he is and not for what he’s done. Everyone knows what he’s done for the wizarding world.”

“My poor boy,” Molly said, her eyes glistening.

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Rosmerta, the owner of the Three Broomsticks, decided to try something a bit different for her Friday night crowd. Instead of them coming into the inn for free and ordering food, they would pay a cover charge at the door and have a buffet provided. They would still have to purchase alcoholic beverages but they could eat as much as they liked. Plus, it would have the added benefit of letting them get something on their stomachs while they drank. If food were readily available, they would eat more. At least, that was the theory.

Ron accompanied Ginny, Harry, Bill, Fleur and George to the inn that night to be supportive of Rosmerta’s new setup. The price was four Galleons apiece, but the food was more than worth the price.

They got a table, and Ron headed directly for the buffet. A witch was serving all the patrons, looking a bit harried, but doing a good job of it. She wore a long braid down her back. Ron recognized her immediately. It was Susan Bones. They had gone to Hogwarts together, although she had been in Hufflepuff house. They had also both been members of Dumbledore’s Army. She had been a rather quiet witch, but nice enough. She had also gone through her share of noterity when the Death Eaters that killed her uncle Edgar and his entire family escaped from Azkaban. She told Harry she finally understood how it was for him to be constantly asked about the people who killed his family. She went through the same thing and it was morbid and terrible.

”Oi, Susan,” Ron said to her as he stood in line.

She looked up and gave him a quick smile before piling food on a pointing witch’s plate.

”Hi Ron—oh, more chicken? Here you go, miss.”

She handed a plate to the witch in front of her, then took Ron’s plate and began to fill it as he pointed to what he wanted.

”You work here?” he asked Susan.

”Ah, no. I’m the caterer,” she replied.

Ron’s eyes widened as he looked at the spread.

”You made all of this?” he asked her.

She nodded.

”I love to cook,” she said, putting some Shepherd’s Pie on his plate. Ron experimentally tasted a bit of it with his fork. His eyes widened.

”Wow! This is great, Susan!”

She blushed.

”Thanks, Ron. Enjoy your meal and come back for seconds or even thirds. There’s going to be plenty.”

Ron went back to the table and ate every bit of Susan’s cooking. It was really delicious.

”I can’t believe she made all this. She’s like another mum!” he exclaimed, digging in.

”You better not let mum hear you say that. She’s the Cooking Queen,” Ginny said to him.

”Well, Susan’s a Princess then,” Ron said around the biscuit dripping butter in his mouth.

Ron went back several times during the evening, Susan smiling at him each time she served him. He came back more than anyone else, and he sat down with her during the lulls. They talked and he found out Susan had started her business right out of Hogwarts, starting with standing on street corners and giving out free samples of her food along with a business card that told how to contact her. She was very enterprising.

They talked about other things, Ron being interrupted by witches several times during the conversations. They were trying to cut in. Susan wasn’t ugly by any means, but she wasn’t fixed up since she was working. She looked, well normal. She had brown hair, brown eyes and an easy laugh. She was a bit toward the plump side, but pleasingly plump. Still, next to the gussied up witches out for a night on the town, she looked rather plain. Add that she was wearing a white uniform splattered with food and an apron and they considered her a non-entity.

Ron blew them off and continued talking to Susan. He found out she had a real love for the Chudley Canons, his favorite Quidditch team. Hermione never really liked Quidditch, although Ron did his best to try and make her appreciate the game more by buying her books about it. Since she liked to read, he figured that was the best way to reach her. Unfortunately, although Hermione did like to read, she liked to read about subjects that interested her. Quidditch didn’t, so the books did no good.

”Look at Ron,” Ginny said, nudging Harry with her elbow. “He hasn’t sat down and talked with a witch in ages.”

Harry squinted at the buffet table. He was quite lit.

“Isn’t that Susan Bones?” he asked Ginny.

”Yep. And it looks like they’re having a nice conversation,” she replied. “Maybe he’ll ask her out.”

”Hope so. He hasn’t been laid in ages,” Harry slurred.

Ginny scowled at him.

”This is about more than getting laid, Harry Potter!” she snapped at him. “Ron needs to really connect with someone on an emotional level!”

Harry shrugged.

”If you say so,” he said, taking a sip from his pint.

Like most wizards, Harry’s sensitivity became less as he drank more. Ginny just shook her head and continued to keep an eye on Ron. George was already gone, having picked up a willing witch and spiriting her back to his joke shop under the guise of “showing her about.” He had a bed in the back room.

Bill and Fleur were chatting and enjoying each other’s company, the witch flirting with him unmercifully. Well, they’d be leaving soon and he’d get her back for all the teasing once they got back to Shell Cottage.

At the end of the evening, Ron helped Susan pack up all her things. She gave him a huge plate of food to take home with him to snack on.

”I like a wizard with a good appetite,” she told him as she handed him the plate.

”That’s me, all right,” Ron said with a smile, then he looked a little furtive. “Ah, Susan?”

She had just closed up the little magical refrigerator on wheels, and looked up at him.

Ron cleared his throat, and she smiled a little.

”You want to go out, don’t you?” she asked him.

Ron blinked.

”Er—ah, yeah. I mean, if you have a boyfriend or something—“ he said, reddening.

She laughed.

”No, I don’t have a boyfriend, Ron. Most wizards can’t take the competition,” she said, shaking her head as she covered a pan of stuffed mushrooms.

”Competition?” Ron asked, frowning slightly.

”With the catering. I’m constantly cooking,” she said.

”And that’s a problem?” Ron asked incredulously.

”It can be,” she said with a sigh. “And I’m always asking them to try new foods. One gained twenty pounds while we dated. He said I was turning him into a fatty and we broke up.”

Ron blinked at her.

”He didn’t have the Weasley metabolism. I can eat all day every day and not gain a pound,” he informed her, putting a tray into another refrigerator for her.

”I wish I could say that,” Susan replied with a sigh. “I’m not exactly slim. One of the pitfalls of being a caterer and having to taste my own food constantly.”

Ron’s mum was very plump and his dad didn’t mind it at all. And Ron had inherited the same appreciation. He just didn’t know it until now. As far as he could see, Susan was just very shapely. She had nice hips and breasts. Sure, she was bigger than a lot of witches, but she looked just fine.

”You’re fine,” he said shortly.

”Thanks,” she said, blushing a little, then busily dusted off her hands.

”Well, I’m finished here,” she said, hesitating as she looked up at Ron, who cleared his throat again.

”Ah, yeah. You know, the Canons are having a match next Saturday,” he said.

”Yes, I know. I’m going,” she said.

”By yourself?” Ron asked her.

She nodded.

”How about I go with you? It’s more fun to watch the Canons with another fan,” he said, thinking this was a lot easier than just asking her out to dinner or something stuffy like that. She was already going after all. It was a no-brainer.

Susan smiled.

”That sounds like fun, Ron. It’s a date,” she said.

Ron grinned down at her.

With Susan’s cooking and love of the Chudley Canons, it seemed as if this could be the start of a beautiful friendship—

and maybe more.

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A/N: Had to go back and take a short look at what Ron was up to. Thanks for reading.