Private message to Ron Weasley

[alt_bill]

I got an owl from Percy. Never mind what he said. I'm curious to know what you have to say.

So why don't you tell me all about it.

If you like.

Comments

[alt_ron]

Yeah. I can guess what he said.

Doesn't matter.

[alt_bill]

No, it doesn't. As I said, I'm interested in what you have to say.

Take your time. Maybe just think about it for a day or two, then say whatever you like. I'll keep whatever it is between just the two of us, all right?

[alt_ron]

Have you ever had a mate who turned around and stabbed you in the back in front of everyone?

'Cause that's what happened.

And everyone's said 'You should've known he wouldn't really be your friend.' It was really stupid to think he would, 'cause it turns out he's worse than any of the rest of them.

[alt_bill]

Yeah. Yeah, I have. It's happened to me twice.

Once it was a girl I liked, sixth year. Phoebe I'm-not-going-to-tell-you-her-last-name. I was chatting her up after classes and then we got assigned a project together in Potions. She was really pretty, and I was hoping, you know.

Then one day, I was out in the courtyard, and I realised she just around the other side of the pillar that I was sitting beside. And she was talking to another boy and flirting with him. I guess the guy wondered about me, the way she was coming on to him, and so he asked her about it. And she sniggered and said, 'Bill Weasley? Why would I ever go out with a tosser like him?'

I could feel my face turning red as fire. I stalked out from behind the pillar and glared at her, and she looked just sick when she saw me.

I got another partner in Potions and I never spoke to her again. I could never see her again without thinking of it.

The other one's a little different. It was a bloke I got friendly with the first year I worked at the Ministry. We started going to the Leaky Cauldron after work to play darts and just talk. I liked spending time with him, because I was new to London and didn't know many people, and he was the one person near my age in my department. And then...he started giving me the brush off, saying he had to work late, that he had to get home. I didn't pick up the clues for almost a month, and then one day I overheard him telling someone that no, he didn't know me all that well, and that we weren't actually friends. It was like getting punched in the gut. At that point, I took the hint, and I left him alone. And yeah, that one hurt a lot, too.

It wasn't until four months later that I found out why he did it. He got arrested. He'd been involved in the black market. He knew he was being watched and he knew he was being followed. And I think...I'm pretty sure...that he cut off our friendship because he was trying to protect me. To make it clear that I wasn't involved in any way, too.

He's now serving a ten year prison sentence in Azkaban.

I guess my point, Ron, is that sometimes you don't always know why people do the things that they do. Or you can jump to the wrong conclusions. That's what Draco Malfoy did yesterday about your friend Neville, wasn't it? Sometimes people may treat you like shite simply because they're shites, yeah, I'll grant you that.

But in some cases, that may not be the entire story.

[alt_ron]

Yeah, well.

Thing is, what he did was in front of a whole load of people, which was really

It's like your first one, except for the part where it's not anything like that. I mean, it's just that if he doesn't want to be mates, okay, but don't say you do and then do that in front a whole pile of people. That girl was just talking to one bloke; she didn't tell you off in front of everyone.


I guess Mum'll be happy, anywiz. I got in kind of a load of trouble for being his friend.

[alt_bill]

I'm very sorry, Ron. Having it happen in front of a load of other people makes the rejection just that much more awful. It feels more...personal.

Maybe he just hasn't had much experience with friendships. Real friendships like you and I have, I mean. Maybe he does it because he lives in a fishbowl all the time, and so he often expects that people he doesn't know very well only are trying to get close to him because they want something. I'm not saying you're like that at all, you understand. But he doesn't know that. And I'm not saying it's right, either.

Sometimes understanding doesn't make it feel any less rotten. And sometimes you can't understand it at all.

And I don't think Mum will be 'happy' about this, honest. She'd vastly prefer to have your friendships be good ones, rather than give you a load of grief, trust me.

What do you want to happen with him, at this point? Are you hoping he'll change his mind, or have you given up on him entirely? Maybe there's still a way you can be at least respectful acquaintances, instead of wand-drawing antagonists. While still keeping your own self-respect, you know.

[alt_ron]

What do I want to have happen?

It's not like I get to say, is it? He's the one decided it. And I'm not an idiot--no matter what Malfoy says.

Thing is. He did this last year, too. And then sent that Granger to tell me he didn't mean it, he just can't be friends 'cause his real friends wouldn't like it, but I shouldn't get mad. Like you're any kind of friends at all if you're too spineless to say. And then later he changed his mind and wanted to be mates again. And he's the one asked me to sit with him on the train.

Then this.

So, yeah. What do I want to happen? Nothing. I'm done with it.

He can go stuff himself for all I care.

[alt_ron]

He knows plenty about being mates. He's mates with Malfoy.

So fine.

It's just

first year, when I got to know him, he was different.


Now he's not.

[alt_ron]

Respectful acquaintances?

I don't think so. I don't have any respect for somebody who does that.

I don't think you would either



except for who he is

which is just

yeah

no