Disclaimer - I own nothing you recognise.

Written for Quidditch League, Holyhead Harpies, Beater 2.

Mandatory Prompt - Ron and an Order Member.

Optional Prompts - Ferocious / Book / Skull

Hogwarts Assignment, Literature task 8 - "Tomorrow is another day."

Word Count - 1093

Beta'd By Sam

An Exercise in Distraction

Ron dropped the book into his lap in disgust. How did Hermione do this? He'd tried, honestly tried, to use her suggested technique for distraction by reading, but he just couldn't focus. He couldn't sit in the library with a book while his dad was in the hospital.

Sure, he was going to be okay, but Ron couldn't make himself believe that. He knew he probably wouldn't fully believe it until his dad was home again, tinkering with his Muggle things and just being… there, the way he always had been.

The door opened and Ron looked around, raising an eyebrow when he saw Sirius, ashen faced and running a hand through his hair.

"Everything alright?" he asked, unable to fully hide his smirk when Sirius startled.

"Oh, Ron. I didn't realise you were… are you reading?"

Ron snorted at the evident disbelief. "Trying to. It's what Hermione does when she needs a distraction so I thought it was worth a try."

"It's what Hermione does," Sirius replied, his lips tilting into a small smile. "Not just when she needs a distraction. It's just what she does. She's just like Remus was when we were your age."

Ron nodded. "You're not wrong."

"Of course I'm not," Sirius replied, slumping into the armchair facing Ron.

"Harry still not coming out of his room?" Ron asked then.

Sirius shook his head, pressing a hand at the space between his eyes, as though trying to ward off a headache.

"I don't know how to help him," Sirius said after a long moment. "He… he's a big ball of teenage angst, but his angst is real, you know? It's not like the usual teen problems. It's hard."

"He's having a hard time at school," Ron said, twisting his lips. He didn't want to betray Harry by telling Sirius about the problems at Hogwarts, but at the same time, he wanted to help his best friend and Harry listened to Sirius when he didn't listen to anyone else. "Dumbledore is still ignoring him, and Umbridge is… well. She's a proper wrong'un. And then some of the other students… nobody is making it easy on him."

Sirius looked helpless. "I know. I know all of that, and yet I still… I can't help him. Never have I wished for James and Lily to be alive more than I do now."

Ron didn't know what to say to that so he chose to say nothing, fiddling with the edge of the pages of the book still in his lap.

"How's your dad?" Sirius asked, dropping his hand onto the armrest of the chair. He pulled his legs up too, getting comfortable.

"Mum says he's doing better. I… She said we could maybe go see him, in the next couple of days."

Sirius nodded. "That's good. He's a fighter, your dad. He'll get better."

"I think I know that," Ron admitted. "But him not being here… it's different. He's usually always just… there, you know? And now he's in hospital and… I guess it makes everything a little bit more real."

"It was the same for us," Sirius replied, his eyes glazing slightly, as though he was suddenly in a different time and place. "We left school and immediately joined the Order. We wanted to be part of the fight against Voldemort. We wanted to help."

Sirius shook his head.

"I don't think we really understood that we were at war until we found out what happened to Benjy. It really brought it home that it wasn't a game. It wasn't just an event that was happening around us. It was a reality that would, eventually, affect us all if we couldn't win."

Ron swallowed hard as he listened. Sirius blinked and looked back at Ron.

"I wish that you lot had a better start to your adulthood. You're all being forced to grow up far too fast, and it's shit. It really is. Maybe if we'd…"

Ron shook his head. "My dad told me what it was like, back then, and the relief when it was all over. Nobody could have known that he'd come back."

Sirius looked like he didn't quite agree with that, but eventually he shrugged his shoulders.

"Doesn't stop it being shit."

"No," Ron agreed. "It really doesn't."

With a deep sigh, Sirius closed his eyes and leant his head back. "Tomorrow is a new day, I suppose. It's what Remus is always telling me. Maybe one day, we'll have a tomorrow where there's no fighting. No war. Just… just normal life."

"My best friend is Harry Potter," Ron replied. "I don't know what normal is."

A surprised chuckle left Sirius and he lifted his head to meet Ron's eyes. "That's… James said exactly that about me once."

"At least someone feels my pain," Ron deadpanned. "But… Harry's worth it. And… I'm sure you were worth it to James."

"I always hoped so," Sirius replied quietly. "Keep an eye on him at school for me, okay? Don't let him isolate himself too much."

Ron nodded. "I will. As much as he'll let us. And… even if he does, we'll be there for him, when he's ready."

"Get that off Hermione?"

"Of course I did."

"I'll keep an eye on your lot too," Sirius promised. "Well. Your mum keeps more of an eye on us, actually. But… I'll try and make her laugh a bit. Laughter is good for the soul, or so I've been told."

"Remus?"

"Remus," Sirius confirmed. "What would we do without smart friends?"

Ron snorted. "We'd have been dead ten times over without Hermione. But… maybe don't tell her I said that."

"Your secret is safe with me," Sirius replied with a wink.

Ron got up and put the book back on the shelf he'd taken it from, knocking a skull off with his elbow when he turned around. He wrinkled his nose, and picked it up with the very tips of his fingers, putting it back where it belonged.

Sirius chuckled at the look on his face.

"Whoever decorated this place was seriously problematic," Ron muttered, making Sirius laugh harder.

"You've seen the portrait of my mother, Ron. Did you really think any different?"

"S'pose not. She's… pretty ferocious when she gets going, isn't she?"

"No," Sirius deadpanned. "No, your mum is ferocious. Mine was batshit."

Ron snorted. "When you're right, you're right. I'm gonna go see if I can convince Harry to stop moping long enough to play a game of chess. I… thanks. For the chat."

Sirius grinned. "Any time, Ron."