One project after another can really drain one's motivation

Summary: Ron and Harry talk; after the ball, things go back to normal (with Harry gushing over Ron a little more freely)

Harry stared at Hagrid's retreating back, wondering what the hell was going on? First he learned Snape and Karkaroff were on first-name terms, now Hagrid was a half-giant? And he thought his name being pulled out of the goblet was confusing enough.

Fleur and Roger Davies, who had been disturbed from the rosebush they had been in, disappeared, probably intent on finding another clump for more privacy.

Without anything to distract him, Harry went back to making up scenarios in his head, none of them pleasant. One of them was Ron waking up the next morning and telling Harry it was all a mistake and they should just remain friends. And the Dursleys jumped out of nowhere to taunt him.

"See? Even other freaks don't want to be near you!" Dudley shouted, pointing a chubby finger at him.

"Maybe there are some freaks who use their brains after all," Uncle Vernon remarked, smiling nastily.

Aunt Petunia didn't say anything, just sniffed and looked down her nose at Harry.

"Harry, Harry!"

Harry jumped and turned to see Ron running up, his long hair flying back.

"You didn't need to come after me," Harry said. "I told you, I just needed some air." He wasn't surprised when Ron just stared at him skeptically.

"You don't have to worry," he said softly. "I'm not going anywhere."

Harry felt very warm, which shouldn't be possible; it was very chilly outside. "I— I don't understand."

Ron took a step forward, making Harry crane his head back to keep his face in view. "Look, whatever she writes, whatever others think, we'll face it together. Just you and me. And Hermione will support us, too. And Lavender and Parvati and Ginny."

"I know that, I just— I just feel like this is just too good to be true," Harry admitted. "Something will ruin this for me. For us..."

But Harry wasn't really concentrating on his words; Ron's hands were warm and soft. There was nothing better in the world than feeling them around his own.

"Let's not worry about that right now. Focus on tonight. Right now. Can you do that?"

Harry nodded, his eyes flitting over Ron's face. His eyes. His freckles. His lips... Harry really wanted to kiss them.

So he did.

It was short and wasn't a kiss so much as a brief touching of lips, but it was, for lack of term, magical.

Harry broke away first, unsure as to how Ron would react, but Ron pulled him back in and deepened the kiss. This time, Harry registered the faint taste of butterbeer. And the fact he was kissing Ron Weasley. He was kissing Ron Bilius Weasley.

Regretfully, they had to break apart again seconds later.

So now what? Harry wondered, shivering from the cold.

"Are you ready to go back inside?" Ron asked.

Harry nodded and allowed himself to be steered back to the Great Hall. Hermione and Neville were sitting with a group of students from all three schools, looking very relaxed as they chatted. Percy was sitting alone, looking toward the entrance every few minutes. When he saw his brother reappear with Harry, he smiled to himself and stopped looking.

"Anything exciting happen while you were out?" Ron said as he and Harry took their previous seats.

So Harry told Ron about Hagrid being a half-giant and learned a thing or two about giants in general. When midnight came, many voiced their wish for the ball to be longer. Harry didn't fully agree; he had a lot of fun, but he preferred hanging out with Ron when it was just a normal day at Hogwarts.

As they rejoined Hermione and Neville, Cedric called Harry back to speak with him. Something about the egg, though Cedric could have been speaking a foreign language for all he said.

"'Take a bath'?" Ron muttered when Harry told him what Cedric said. "What kind of advice is that?"

Harry shrugged, just as clueless as he was. At least he hadn't been vague when he said dragons were involved in the First Task. Maybe he should have been.

They headed to their dorm. Seamus were obviously waiting for them, for he pounced as soon as they arrived.

"Guess I wasn't imagining it, huh?" he said, eyes lighting up mischievously.

"Shove off, Seamus," Ron muttered.

"I'm just saying, there was no way you two were straight with the way you looked at each other."

Dean shot Harry an apologetic look. "He hasn't shut up since the ball."

Seamus chucked a pillow at him. "That's not true! So how long have you been dancing around each other before dancing with each other?"

Harry didn't have a good retort. "Go to bed."

Seamus snickered but didn't question him further.

As Harry changed back into his pajamas, he made the mistake of looking at Ron as he removed his dress robes. Did I really think I was straight for one moment? he wondered as he stared at the pale skin. How did he not realize Ron had freckles on his back?

Sleep came swiftly, along with pleasant dreams of him and Ron dancing, only this time without any interruptions. And maybe they kissed again, but no one had to know that.

The next morning, Harry awoke with a jolt. His eyes immediately sought out Ron, who was sitting up and yawning. Their eyes met. Ron smiled brightly, and Harry felt the last of his concerns evaporate.

Thankfully, Seamus was too tired to make any lewd remarks, so Harry and Ron headed out together without a word to meet up with Hermione and tell her what Harry had overheard. Hermione wasn't surprised and declared it was all bigotry like that of the werewolves; Harry could see her starting up another campaign, although he doubted people would be as tolerable as before.

But a second S.P.E.W became the last thing on Harry's mind. February 24th felt much closer now that the Yule Ball had passed, and everyone now wanted to know about his relationship with Ron.

It wasn't all that bad, Harry decided. At least it was something that made him happy, not the rumors he wanted Muggle-borns dead or that he somehow cheated his way into a tournament.

Many girls would gush about how lucky Ron was to be going out with Harry Potter.

Ron normally shrugged, half pleased half embarrassed by the attention. "I am, aren't I?"

"They think he's lucky, they should try being me for a day," Harry muttered to Hermione later that day.

"You wouldn't like that," Hermione said.

Parvati was nodding sagely. "Only you know what it's like to be in those long arms of his."

"His very lovely arms," Harry agreed, only half listening. Ron just had to have the habit of scratching the back of his neck when he was nervous, making his sleeves slide down and expose his bare arms.

"I bet his hair is soft."

"Very soft!" Harry exclaimed, closing his eyes. "And it's long. I like it at this length."

"I guess I'm not cutting it anytime soon, then."

Harry nearly fell out of his chair. "How long have you been standing there?" he demanded as Parvati and Hermione burst out laughing.

"Long enough for hear you really like my arms," Ron said, grinning.

"They fit around my entire body, of course I like them!" Harry said. Merlin's pants, why did his mouth have no filter?

Parvati's laughter subsided enough for her to speak. "Oh, I have got to tell Lavender about this. Bye!" She stood and sprinted off through the portrait hole.

Hermione was still rolling around on the floor giggling. "He wasn't even being quiet and you still didn't hear him!"

"Oi, knock it off," Harry groaned, and she recollected herself, though her lips were twitching.

Ron shook his head, then turned back to Harry. "Did you really mean all you said?" he asked.

"Of course I did," Harry said without hesitation. "You're not just my boyfriend, you know? You're my best friend."

"Yeah." A small smile crossed his face. "And you're stuck with me forever."

"Shame. Because you're stuck with me, too."

On the first day of the second term, they trudged through the snow for Care of Magical Creatures, only to find that Hagrid was not there. It didn't take long to find out why.

Rita Skeeter had published an article on Hagrid's parentage. It was unsurprisingly filled with her usual twists, but what was surprising was that she knew.

"Maybe she overheard him telling Madame Maxime at the ball," Hermione suggested.

"Harry would have seen her in the garden!" Ron pointed out.

Harry didn't admit he was so caught up in his own worries he wouldn't have noticed. "Maybe she's got an Invisibility Cloak. Sort of thing she'd do, isn't it, hide in bushes listening to people."

Descriptions are not my thing, especially when it comes to kissing and especially especially the other thing, so do not expect any of that