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Author: Tarie
Title: Hands
Pairing: Harry/Ron
Summary: He stares at his hands a lot these days. Most people don't notice it 'cos they're too busy patting him on the back and congratulating him for finally killing Voldemort, saving the wizarding world, and all that.

But I notice it.

I notice it and then I stare at his hands, too.

Word Count: 1025
Rating: PG
Disclaimer: Harry Potter characters and universe are property of JKR, Scholastic & other assorted publishers.
Notes: This was written for [livejournal.com profile] shocolate, requested a drabble with "Ron looking at Harry's hands." This is way more than a drabble, so I hope you don't mind. All mistakes are my own.



He stares at his hands a lot these days. Most people don't notice it 'cos they're too busy patting him on the back and congratulating him for finally killing Voldemort, saving the wizarding world, and all that.

But I notice it.

I notice it and then I stare at his hands, too.

The first couple of times I caught him looking at them, I thought he was reading the lines that that cow Umbridge had made him scratch into himself all those years ago. I must not tell lies. They weren't as noticeable anymore like they'd been during fifth year, right after all those shite detentions he'd had. You had to sort of squint your eyes and tilt your head in just the right way, but you could still see them there, if you wanted. They'd faded a lot, but they were still there. They'd always be there.

He doesn't know I've been watching his hands and the way he watches them. Or maybe he does and doesn't let on otherwise. I don't know. I know Harry better than I know myself, but sometimes I convince myself that I don't. And that's when he surprises me.

One day I study Harry and then look at his hands, watching the way he threads his fingers together and rubs his thumb over the forefinger on the opposite hand. Then I chew on the inside of my cheek out of worry when he pulls his hands apart and starts pulling at them, like he's trying to tear the skin right off of himself.

I don't know what to say at first. I don't know what to do. So I don't do anything. I just watch, frozen.

And then I hear him say something. I hear him say something to me.

"What?" I ask, my voice all scratchy.

He repeats himself, still pulling at his hands, his eyes round and shiny and odd. "Help me." He sounds odd, too. Like he can barely get the words out.

I'm not sure what to say to that, 'cos he should know that I'd help him, no matter what. Saying something like that to him might not be a good idea right now, I think, so I don't say anything. I just get off my chair and go over to Harry. My knees hit the floor hard and it hurts, but I don't care. I don't care about anything but helping my best mate, so that's what I do. His hands are moving faster now, all frantic-like, and I tell him to stop and try to wrap my fingers around his wrists so I can pull his hands apart. But I don't think he hears me, 'cos he's still doing that and his skin's all red and he's– Bloody hell, he's crying now and I can't remember ever seeing him like this, with big fat tears running down his cheeks and it's dead scary.

"STOP!" I yell again, getting right in his face, and I put my hands on his cheeks, pressing my fingers in so hard that I can see his skin get red all about my fingers.

He makes a choking sound and there's warm stuff running all over my hands. Tears. Then I feel something on top of my hands. His.

They don't do anything. They just stay there, his hands on top of mine.

"What're you doing, mate?" I ask quietly.

"Want it off," he says in a voice so quiet that I have to lean in more to hear him.

I don't understand what he means.

"Want what off?" I ask slowly. "Those ruddy words?" I don't wait for him to answer me. "You know they can't come off, Harry. Scars from magic are dead difficult to get off. Impossible, even."

"Not those. Don't care about those." He's nearly moaning now, a sound I haven't heard him make since he broke his leg while duelling a Death Eater outside of Exeter nearly a year ago when we'd got ambushed.

"What, then?"

"S-stains. The stains. Can't get them off. I want 'em off, Ron."

I slide my hands out from under his and take hold of his hands, flipping them over and back again. I don't see anything, other than the red colour that's showed up on account of all his rubbing and pulling.

"There's nothing there, Harry."

"There is," he says, shaking his head. "There is."

I lean in closer and smooth my thumb out over a palm, watching as the red slowly fades way to the pinky-white that it should be. It's a lot quieter now. I can hear our breathing - mine low and shallow, his all sort of jumpy, like he's just done a Wronski Feint and is trying to come off of that high. "See it?" he asks, sounding like he wants me to say yes more than anything in the world.

But I can't lie to Harry. I've always been a crap liar anyway, and I wouldn't ever want to lie to my best mate, so I don't. "No. I don't see anything."

"It's there."

"What is?"

"Blood," he says simply, and then he pulls his hands out of mine and presses them against his face.

I understand. I understand now. I understand and I don't know how I'm going to help Harry get rid of it, or forget about it, but I'll help him do it.

I'm not sure how to start with helping him, but I'll try my best.

And I ought to start trying now.

"Hey," I say quietly, pulling one of his hands away from his face.

"Hey," he returns, pushing his glasses back up his nose with his free hand and rubbing at his cheeks. He looks all embarrassed and stuff, but I don't think he should be. He's been through too fucking much not to get like this sometimes. And that's okay with me, 'cos he's my best mate and I'll be there for him no matter what he's like.

"I don't see blood, Harry," I say. "I only see you."

I don't know if that's much help, but it's my way of starting.
Page 3 of 3 << [1] [2] [3] >>

Date: 2005-05-16 11:25 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] mirrorskippy.livejournal.com
Ohhhh...So enjoyed this.

I'm not particularly coherent at the moment, but damn this was good :)

Date: 2005-05-16 11:25 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] ryttu3k.livejournal.com
Yeah... which is why I think it might almost be better if he's killed off at the end of the series... I dunno.

Date: 2005-05-16 11:33 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] iulia_linnea.livejournal.com
I'm off to friend appropriately.

Date: 2005-05-17 12:55 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] madoldmrsfigg.livejournal.com
Oh. Love the Macbeth influence. The one word that I think describes this ficlet well is: elegent. It really was, and that's hard to pull off.

Well done.

Date: 2005-05-17 01:32 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] ofscarletwoman.livejournal.com
Thank you so much! :D I really enjoyed writing this.

Date: 2005-05-17 01:33 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] ofscarletwoman.livejournal.com
Thank you! As soon as I saw that prompt, I thought 'what else could Harry be looking at his hands for?'and I had to do it.

I really think that, if he survives, he is going to have a lot more issues with which to deal than he does already. I hope he makes it. :-ss

Date: 2005-05-17 03:10 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] annearchy.livejournal.com
That was lovely. Ron is so solicitous and his voice is perfect. And Harry -- oh dear, Harry is just so, so sad. *wibbles*

Date: 2005-05-18 02:16 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] silentauror.livejournal.com
Ohhh. Sad. But so nice! Poor Harry. And poor Ron, not knowing what he's supposed to do about it all. Nicely done!

Date: 2005-05-18 04:37 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] crikkita.livejournal.com
Gaahhh - that ending just killed me! I was yours already, anyway, from the rest of the fic, and then you just got me at the end there. Your Ron is RON. No other way to say it. And I love LadyMacbeth!Harry, too. It's going to hurt him a lot to have to kill, and you've captured that amazingly well. And of course Ron will watch him, and do whatever he can. Of course.

Guh.

Date: 2005-05-19 01:58 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] ofscarletwoman.livejournal.com
Aw, thank you! :-ss Poor Harry, definitely! I really think that, if he makes it, he's going to be like this. I just can't see him being overjoyed and forgetting about killing someone so quickly, which usually makes me cringe in a longer fic when I run across that scenario. :-ss He's so messed up as it is already, the poor thing.

Date: 2005-05-19 01:59 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] ofscarletwoman.livejournal.com
Thank you! Poor Harry, indeed. :-ss I think he'll be quite messed up if he makes it out of the confrontation with Voldemort alive, and I hope he has Ron and Hermione there to help him get through it.

Date: 2005-05-19 02:01 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] ofscarletwoman.livejournal.com
Thank you! This is just how I see Ron, based on what JKR's already given us; I really think he'd do anything for Harry and that he notices the things that other people wouldn't, simply because Harry's his best mate and they're so very close. I really think that Harry WILL be messed up if he kills Voldemort, and I can only hope that he's got Ron there to help him get through that pain. :-ss

Date: 2005-05-19 08:59 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] silentauror.livejournal.com
:) Indeed. And what are friends for? I rec'ced one of your fics in a recent post, by the by, as well - hope that's okay! Not my last post, which is all H/D, but the one before it. :)

Date: 2005-05-22 06:42 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] cmere.livejournal.com
I love this. Love it, love it, love it. Ron's voice is perfect, and Harry is so Harry, messed up but Ron's always there, oh. This came out sounding a lot stupider than it did in my head, so let me just say that this is extremely well-done and I really loved it!

Date: 2005-05-22 10:55 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] ada-farrow.livejournal.com
Out, damned spot! Loved the angst in this so much!

Date: 2005-05-23 09:56 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] ephrael.livejournal.com
Gorgeous.
Beautiful.
Loved it.

Date: 2005-05-23 09:58 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] ofscarletwoman.livejournal.com
Thank you SO much! If Harry makes it, I don't see any way around him feeling incredibly guilt-ridden and carrying a huge burden around on his shoulders. I just hope that he still has Ron and/or Hermione there to help him.

Date: 2005-05-23 09:58 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] ofscarletwoman.livejournal.com
Thank you! :D I am a big fan of angst. :D

Date: 2005-05-23 09:59 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] ofscarletwoman.livejournal.com
Aww, thank you! I'm glad you enjoyed it! :D

Date: 2005-05-25 01:16 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] acciodanrad.livejournal.com
Very good. I really like it. Brillant!!

Date: 2005-05-25 02:31 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] ofscarletwoman.livejournal.com
Thank you so much! :D
Page 3 of 3 << [1] [2] [3] >>

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