Ron’s Bestfriend
Second Caper: Belly Rub!
The next day would be a Saturday, and the Wizarding world freshly purged of the Dark Arts didn’t require its Aurors to go in on weekends unless the freshly purged Dark Arts were showing new patrons. As it was, Ron intended to have a lie in, with Hermione pillowed on him, but soon after they entered the door of their bedchamber for an extended ‘month-sary’ celebration in bed, they heard whines and scratches.
I am now pointing my wand to you, dear readers. Sonorus! “Ron groaned.”
Yes, you’re right, he groaned. Hermione laughed. “He’s so sweet, isn’t he?”
“I thought two steaks would keep him knocked out ‘til tomorrow! Hermione, I know I have no right to complain, but please don’t tell me your bossiness is nonexistent to puppies. Oh Merlin, you aren’t planning to take him to bed like you did with Crookshanks, are you?”
Hermione gave him a wounded look. “Don’t be silly, puppies grow up and dogs are too big to sleep with.”
“Well, what are we going to do with Cerb? Nice going, boy,” he scolded, as Cerberus pranced in after Hermione opened the door.
“Oh, look at him,” Hermione giggled.
Ron rolled his eyes at Hermione and continued to look sternly at Cerberus, who had dropped on his back by Ron’s feet now, his stubby legs in the air. “Cerb, you will sleep in your nice basket in the kitchen like a good boy, you hear me?”
In answer, Cerberus thumped his tail on the carpet and kicked his little legs in circles, as if he was working an invisible bicycle. Hermione turned her laugh into a cough as Ron shot her an exasperated glare. “Don’t encourage him, Hermione!”
“Ron, he’s a puppy, for heaven’s sake. A baby. You can’t expect him to be obedient yet. We’ll have to train him””
“And no better than to start now, show him who’s master.” With that, he picked up Cerberus and carried him out the bedroom and downstairs back to his basket near the sink in the kitchen. As soon as Ron let go, Cerberus scrambled up and tried to skirt past Ron, who grabbed him and plopped him again on his basket. Cerberus yipped unhappily.
“Hush, boy! Listen, we’ll romp tomorrow, but that will be a reward for being a good boy tonight,” Ron said firmly, and just as firmly held Cerberus down until the pup stopped straining against his hand and laid down peaceably on the fleece blanket.
To his horror, Ron felt a stab of guilt, as if he’d been too harsh. He stroked Cerb for another minute until the pup’s eyes closed before he stood up and went back to Hermione.
She was reading in the window seat, curled up there in a claret satin nightgown which displayed rather than covered her. Ron grinned. Hermione saw that grin and faked disinterest. Ron grinned wider, padded to their tallboy and began conspicuously rifling through his pyjamas. He didn’t stop even after he provoked a sniff and then a snap of pages. Finally, finally, he heard, “The plaid navy, please.”
“Oh, sure, love. You like that one, don’t you?” He smirked.
Hermione smirked back. “What I like is not at all in the pyjama’s weave or craftsmanship.”
Ron laughed, and then clapped a hand to his mouth. He listened tensely for a moment before smiling at Hermione, who was giggling into her book.
“You realize you looked like a father who was afraid of waking the baby?”
“Good practice then, isn’t it?” He swept her into his arms for a quick kiss. When they had decided to marry, they had also decided to have a family. No waits.
“I’m already excited about you becoming a dad.” Hermione smiled, linking her arms around his neck.
“And you becoming a mum. But the way you were going with Cerberus so far, I think you’ll spoil our kids. Two steaks, and even ready to let him sleep in the master bedroom.”
As if on cue, the whines and scratches started again outside their bedroom door.
Ron raised his eyes to heaven.
“Ron,” Hermione began, but Ron shushed her with another kiss. “You deal with him while I take a shower.”
Ten minutes later, Ron peeked into the bedroom, afraid to see Cerb on the rug, or worse, on his side of the bed. But Hermione was alone, brushing her hair by the vanity in quick business-like strokes. She saw him peeking in the mirror and laughed. Ron cowered and put a finger on his lips. She laughed again, though her eyes shone with satisfaction and something else as she looked him up and down.
“I gave him some warm milk. That always calmed Crookshanks.”
“And did you place newspapers in the floor?” Ron said, taking her brush and passing it through his hair thrice before he took her and swung her to the bed.
“Hmmm, I did.” She hummed as he began showering her with kisses. “But we’ll have to train him to do it outside when we install a flap on the kitchen door.”
“Anything you say, Hermione. But shouldn’t we be talking of something else right now?”
“Like what?”
“Like how I love you.”
“Oh, I’m well aware of that.”
“Are you?”
Well, need I go into details? I leave everything else to your” er, creative imaginations. You know how newlyweds are, and ones intent on making babies, too, at that.
After some moment’s imaginary interlude in the narration: Well, you know how amusing it is to annoy Ron, so, indeed, here came Cerberus again, begging on the door.
Yes, Ron groaned. “Can’t we just sedate him or stun him?”
Hermione laughed almost hysterically. “Ron! That’s mean. Let him in, he can sleep in the rug. Just the one night, c’mon. He’s probably lonesome, new place and all, no fellows to bark with.”
Ron disentangled himself from Hermione and got up to open the door, grumbling, “I’ve half a mind to return him to his barking fellows right now.”
“Oh no, you don’t! I adore him.”
Hermione might have spoken that line too loudly, because the moment he could fit between the gap Ron made with the door, Cerberus squeezed in, sprinted across the room and bounded on top of the bed, smack into Hermione’s chest. Hermione shrieked and giggled. Ron growled.
“Cerberus! On the rug. Now!”
“Ron, you’re being silly””
“I’m being silly?” And he pointed at Cerberus, who had scrambled off Hermione’s embrace to sprawl on his back on the bed, his feet dancing in the air again. He fought the smile that was threatening to form on his face.
Hermione chuckled at the puppy, crooned to him and rubbed his tummy. Cerberus whined delightedly, curling up to attempt to lick her.
“Oh, Ron, see, he just wanted some cuddling. When he’s had enough, he’ll drop to sleep.”
Ron didn’t answer; he just stood there, watching her play with the pup he had given her. She looked adorable, tickling and crooning at Cerberus like he was a baby.
Before Ron knew it, he was beside her, spooning onto her back and again interlocking their fingers in Cerb’s fur. She turned her head to smile at him tenderly. “If he doesn’t sleep within fifteen minutes, I’ll use the Somnus charm, I promise.”
Ron grinned that endearing grin of his and with another mock growl rolled over her and tackled Cerberus. Their laughter and the puppy’s yips mingled like music in the room.
Author’s Note: Dogs, like wolves, can be nocturnal. Their eyes are more sensitive in distinguishing the blacks and greys of the night, see. And puppies can get really crazy, and endearing, at night.
Somnus is the Roman god of sleep.
Feed the puppy-muse! Leave comments, thank you! I also invite you dog-lovers who come by my humble little fic to PM me amusing or touching stories with your doggies. I might use it here. Arf Arf!