This request if for the lovely JulzLovDraco4Eva, I hope you like it! It's my honor to make this request a reality, and I shall do so to the best of my ability! This one-shot will contain all the fluffiness, so reader discretion is advised. Now I'm gonna stop talking, and let's get to the story!
Y/N's POV
I didn't think Ron would ever abandon us. I knew he was under a lot of stress with the search for the Horcruxes well and truly under way, but the fact that he wore the locket and told me to basically shove it was a knife to the heart from the man I loved; I hadn't told him I'd loved him, however. And since he'd left me, Harry, and Hermione alone in the middle of bumfuck nowhere, it didn't matter what I thought of him anymore.
I sat on my bunk bed in the tent alone, playing with my wand when I heard, "You gotta stop thinking about Ron, Y/N. He's no good for you, and you know it." When I looked up at who'd spoken to me, Hermione's eyes met mine and her hands were firmly on her hips like a disapproving mother chastising her daughter. She then pointed at the food I hadn't touched and said, "Eat."
"I can't, 'Mione," I countered and stared back down at my wand as it twirled between my right thumb and forefinger. I heard her growl in annoyance and I added, "I don't want to eat something that was Ron's favorite food. Harry gave me a tuna sandwich and that was Ron's favorite." (A/N: I don't know if tuna fish was actually Ron's favorite food, but for the sake of the one-shot, it shall be so! Now, on with the fluff!)
At the mention of Ron from my mouth, Hermione whipped out her wand and cast what I called the Instant Lighter spell, also known as Incendio. I smiled thankfully at her and she said, "You do know that at some point, you're going to have to let us help you. I can only do so much and we all know how bad Harry is at reading women's minds." I giggled and wiped a stray tear from my cheeks while Hermione smiled at me and wrapped a reassuring arm around my shoulder. She then asked, "Do you think you'll be alright to stand watch tonight?"
I nodded, wiped more of my tears away, and answered, "Yeah, I should be fine. If not, I'll scream like a little girl and run for cover." I always tried to make jokes when I was down to keep the mood light, but it wasn't working as well as I'd hoped. Hermione crossed her arms and cocked her eyebrows at me; she knew as well as I did that I hated scary things and wouldn't' last one day on my own in for her and Harry being by my side throughout all of this. They were two of the best friends I could ever ask for, and I'd die for them.
Speaking of Harry, he poked his head into the tent from outside and asked us , "Who's going to take over for me, girls? I have to go to the bathroom and I don't want to leave you two in here alone." I raised my hand and Harry said, "Alright, but if you need me, send up a flare."
While standing up off the bed, I nodded and stated, "Yes, sir!" I fake saluted and started marching out of the tent, parking myself on the stool Harry had been sitting in and engaging in statue mode; my back was stick straight and my wand was ready to set someone on fire. Harry and Hermione chuckled at me and I said, "I got this, Harry. You go off and clean up by the nearby lake because you smell worse than I do right now."
Harry looked at Hermione and she added, "Y/N's right, Harry. You smell vile and need to bathe now." That got him moving and by the time I'd finally settled down in the rather uncomfortable chair, Harry was gone into the darkness probably looking for the lake we'd seen on our journey out here earlier in the day. I heard Hermione sigh and ask me, "When do you think Ron will come to his senses and come back to help us out?"
I shrugged and answered, "I have no bloody clue when he will or if he will come back. And to be honest, I don't know how I'd react if he did decide to come back and help us out after the shit he told me yesterday." I felt her hand squeeze mine as the sun went down on the horizon before us. Only she and Harry knew why I was so torn up about Ron leaving; he'd told me last night that he'd never date me and that I should go out with Crabbe or Goyle since I looked like their right woman. And when I heard those words, I slapped Ron upside the cheek and told him to go fuck himself. Well, you all know the rest of the story now, so I'll shut up about it at the risk of sounding sad or potentially crying in the process of telling it.
Hermione started speaking but stopped when something or someone rustled the trees not ten feet in front of us. I hadn't noticed the sun rising, however, so who would be out at this stupidly late hour other than Harry? Hermione squeezed the hand she was currently holding and whispered, "Let's go, Y/N. I don't think anyone's out there, but we have to check."
"What if it's one of Voldemort's men, Hermione? We'd be killed faster than Fluffy could bite us in half!" I countered while still standing up and letting her drag me into the woods to find the source of the rustling; please let it be Harry and maybe Ron! I wasn't going to get my hopes up too far on that regard, however, since I partially wanted to slap Ron upside the head for what he told me under the Horcrux's influence. As we stalked through the woods, I whispered, "I just hope that whoever's out here is prepared to be burned." Can you tell I like the fire spell? Probably, and I'm not ashamed of it!
I watched Hermione's shoulders tighten when we got about ten feet away from our camp and heard the same rustling from before but louder. She yelled into the night, "Harry! If it's you out there trying to prank us, then you're toast!" No one answered and Hermione said, "Harry, this isn't funny. Where are you?"
"Where do you think he is, little lady?" a sinister voice countered while someone else laughed without a care in the world. This was bad, and I didn't want to think about who owned that voice. However, the world hated me and laughter started up from all sides, forcing Hermione and I to look at who was the one laughing and finding Greyback with his minions staring daggers at us. My body froze as I watched Greyback reveal Harry and the man I'd never thought I'd see again in his arms; they looked ready to kill if we got into any kind of danger. I tried to surge forward, but Greyback tsked and said, "Ah ah, Y/N! If you come any closer, I'll kill these two boys on the spot and you 'll be forced to watch them die."
I growled, "Then fucking let them go or else you'll regret the day you were born, you son of a bitch!" This was apparently hilarious as Greyback started laughing out loud and pissed me off even more than I already was. I did feel Hermione try to calm me down, but it wasn't working as I didn't care what she said so long as Ron was getting hurt. When I tried to tell her to shut it and let me burn our attackers to the ground, a massive hand knocked me upside the head and darkness enveloped me. Whatever was going to happen next was unknown to me, but I did have a sneaking feeling it wasn't gonna be good.
TIMESKIP TO MALFOY MANNER ENGAGED! ALSO POV CHANGE MODE ENGAGED! :)
Ron's POV
Have you ever missed someone so much that you come back without really thinking about the consequences? Yeah, that was me when I showed back up at the camp and got attacked by Greyback and his minions with Harry. What I didn't plan on was Y/N and Hermione coming into the woods to try and save us only to be knocked out and dragged back to Malfoy Manor with Harry and myself in tow. Could today get any worse?
I kicked one of the pillars as hard as I could and Hermione stated, "You know, Ron, you could've told her how you felt without the Horcrux on your neck. She'd've understood what you were going through then."
"I know that, but I can't so anything about it now! Besides, I probably burned that bridge beyond repa-." I countered when an ear-piercing scream came from the floor above us followed by a nasally laugh that could only mean Bellatrix Lestrange was in the room; what the fucking bloody hell were they doing to Y/N?! I growled, "If that bitch touches one more hair on Y/N's head, I swear I'll kill her."
Harry grabbed my shoulder and asked, "Would that be what Y/N wants, Ron? You and I both know at her core, she hates violence in any form. Therefore, if you killed Lestrange before her eyes, Y/N may not wants to have anything to do with you again."
"Then how do you explain her love of fire, Harry? How many times had she almost set Seamus and Dean's clothes on fire when they peeved her off?" I asked and didn't think about how fast my heart was beating at the thought of Y/N getting hurt not even twelve feet away from me. Harry didn't answer right away and I said, "That's what I thought. I know she doesn't like to kill, but I also know Y/N doesn't like seeing those she loves in pain, which is my favorite quality of hers. And I will do whatever I can and need to do in order to keep her safe during our hunt for the remaining Horcruxes." I'd killed the necklace with Harry before Greyback and his goons showed up, but that was besides the point right now.
Before Harry or Hermione could speak, that same screech of unspeakable pain shot into the air again and my heart almost ripped out of my chest at the agony in Y/N's voice. Sure, she'd been hurt before when we were in school, but those were very minor incidents; this pain was something far beyond what Hogwarts had prepared us for and I knew then that I had to get free of where I was so I could protect Y/N. Apparently, Harry and Hermione saw my face change because Hermione asked, "What're you planning to do, Ron?"
Harry added, "If you're planning to break out of here, Ron, clue us in so we can help you out and make sure neither you nor Y/N get hurt in the process." I didn't answer on account of trying to figure out where Y/N was in the Manor and how I'd get to her; my plans didn't normally work, but I wasn't going to screw this up for anyone. Harry asked me again after a few seconds of silence, "Ron? What're you planning in that head of yours?"
Before my plan left my lips and was given voice, Y/N howled in pain again and I sprung into action, wand in hand and ready to shoot spells left, right, and center. I yelled back, "Distract the rest of them while I go after Lestrange and get Y/N!" before bursting through the dungeon doors and somehow sending one of Greyback's minions flying onto his back; I guess love makes me a superhero or something, and I'll take it. I heard Harry and Hermione following me up the steps and I got to the main ballroom in twenty seconds, shooing hexes at Lestrange to the point of almost breaking her wand in half while charging forward to try and get to Y/N. When I got close enough to her, I knelt beside her and whispered, "I'm so sorry, Y/N. I'm going to make this right for you, I promise."
She stared at me and I watched a small smile bloom onto her face, the pain evident on her face as well due to the amount of injuries I had a very good feeling she had. Y/N coughed a bit and asked, "W-What're you going to do, Ron? We're stuck here and I have a feeling Malfoy Sr. called Voldemort about Harry and he'll be here soon."
I grabbed the hand she'd raised to cup my cheek, squeezed it gently, and answered, "Don't worry about that now. I'm going to Apparate (A/N: I probably spelled that wrong, whoops!) us out of here so you can heal somewhere you know." Y/N didn't speak as I gently wrapped an arm around her shoulder, had my wand at the ready, and Apparated the love of my life and I home to the Burrow. Time literally flew by me as I flew and when Y/N and I landed outside home, I set her down and told her gently, "It's alright, Y/N. We're at the Burrow now."
Y/N'd been cowering in my chest the whole time we'd Apparated to the Burrow, so her h/c hair kinda looked like a rat's nest but in a good way. I couldn't help but rub her back as she asked, "Are you sure no one followed us here? She didn't follow you when you left?" I knew she meant Lestrange, and the thought of what that woman did to the girl I loved made my blood boil with rage.
I nodded and answered, "Harry and Hermione are following behind us after distracting Lestrange. I swear to you that she'll never hurt you again." Although I hadn't planned it, my arms instinctively tightened around Y/N's body and I stated, "I'll never let you get hurt by anyone else again." I felt Y/N's eyes on me and it registered in my brain that I probably made zero sense to her in that moment. This was the first time I'd ever spoken like that in her presence, and if I were her, I'd be wondering what brought this attitude on as well.
What I didn't expect, however, was Y/N smiling up at me and telling me, "Help me up, Ron. I don't want your mother to see me sitting on the ground when she wakes up." I'd forgotten that it was pitch black outside my house, so I put Y/N down gently and helped her stand up, keeping her hands in mine so she didn't stumble and fall on her face or back. Y/N let go of my hands, started fixing her hair, and asked me after a few moments, "How do I look?"
I couldn't stop the smile blooming on my face at her natural beauty and I answered, " You look just as amazing as you did when I first met you on the Hogwarts Express before our first year." And I wasn't lying; Y/N's natural beauty radiated all around her and I had to stop myself from wrapping my arms around her and squeezing her tightly to protect her from evil. Y/N stared at me and I said, "I mean it, Y/N. You always look stunning, and for what it's worth, I'm so sorry I said those horrible things to you before I left camp."
"Then why didn't you come back the second you realized you'd said those things?" Y/N countered while putting her hands on her hips, staring daggers through me while frowning. She had every right to be upset with me-hell, I'd be upset with me due to what I told Y/N under the Horcrux's influence! So I didn't fault her for believing I was pulling her chain. When I didn't speak, Y/N asked, "Crabbe got your tongue, Ron? You can answer me, you know."
My brain and heart were running a mile a minute and I tried to come up with what to say in response to her. Y/N was right that I should at least tell her why I didn't come back right away after I knew my words were wrong, but what was the reason I stayed away in the first place? Was it the possibility I'd hurt her again? Probably, and I wasn't going to rule that out. Could it be love, then? That was what made the most sense to me and when I thought about it, it stuck. I loved Y/N, and I didn't want to lose her for anything in the world. Y/N kept staring at me, and I bit the bullet on my feelings to steel myself for what was about to come and I stated, "I didn't want you to be hurt again by seeing me, Y/N. That and I didn't know how to approach the woman I loved after I ripped her heart out of her chest in front of her."
No one was around us as I spoke, so I didn't expect much from Y/N in terms of a reaction. However, I heard Y/N's breath hitch and she asked, "Y-You love someone?" Whelp, I guess the cat's out of the bag and hiding somewhere! I nodded and heard feet rustling behind me; it appeared Harry and Hermione were free of Lestrange and Malfoy Manor. I looked at her and saw something in Y/N's eyes that I'd never thought I'd see after what I'd done to her; I couldn't even put to words what I was feeling at that moment, so I smiled as best as I could and kept our eyes locked together. Y/N smiled back at me and said, "Well, whoever you love is a lucky girl, Ron. You'd make the perfect boyf-."
"It's you, Y/N," I quickly said to cut her off, which she obviously didn't expect since her mouth shut and she stared at me. I gently grabbed one of her hands-I didn't care which hand I grabbed as long as I held one while speaking to her-made her look at me, and I whispered, "I love you, Y/N. I'll always love you no matter what anyone or anything makes me say to the contrary." The air around us was still and I didn't know what was going to happen from the moment my big mouth decided to open and force words out of it. Y/N, however, surprised me by smiling and cupping my face with her free hand gingerly. I tried to gently push her away from me since she was hurt and I didn't want to force her into anything, but she surprised me yet again. Y/N leaned forward and placed our lips together in a gentle kiss that sent my heart to the moon. I sighed into the kiss and wrapped my free arm around her waist, pulling her into me and deepening the kiss as much as I could without hurting her.
"Do you think Ron's confessed yet?" someone failed to whisper from the bushed behind me. Whoever was back in the bushed got whacked upside the head and groaned, "Ow! That hurt, Hermione! Remind me never to piss you off." Y/N pulled away, giggled, and I chuckled while Harry and Hermione smiled and joined us in the clearing outside the Burrow. I held Y/N close as the four of us headed toward my family home, gripping our wands and preparing for whatever was behind the front door; we knew it wasn't going to be anyone bad, but I was gonna be prepared for anything so I could protect Y/N.