CHAPTER TWENTY SEVEN - Unofficially Official 

Ronald Weasley wasn't sure he had been this nervous in regards to anything that had involved Claudia since the very first time he had approached her. When he had asked her to enter this fake relationship, since then things had been so easy. So calm, relaxed and happy. Yet today, today he was full of more anxiety than he thought possible. His hands clenched with sweat, his heart pounded in his chest and he was sure if he spoke in that moment his words would focus as a splutter. Today was the day he intended on asking her on their first official date. Today he wanted to ask her to go on a date with him, a proper one and not one they had fabricated to play a part of a story. He wanted to really show her just how much their relationship meant to him. Just how little he was pretending now. 

Knocking upon the office door of which held her name was something he had since become familiar with. It had become a sort of routine now, one of which he would complete most if not all days of the week. He had made himself into a familiar face around the law department, he had made himself someone people recognised due to his link to her. To his Claudia. The muffled tone of her 'come in' would be forever etched into the routine of which he started, and never wanted to finish. 

"Mr Weasley of what do I owe this pleasure?" Claudia spoke immediately putting down the documents she had been working on prior. Her attention fully on the person who had entered her little office, the person she had wanted to see all morning but had missed at every opportunity prior to this point. 

"I was wondering if the lovely Miss Parkinson was free this evening?" Ron started off in a jokingly formal tone, one of which he knew would get him a reaction out of. 

"Well Mr Weasley I would have to ask my dear sister if that is the case." Claudia played along and Ron gave an overdramatic cough to her words.

"Why Miss Parkinson you must be confused, for it is you I dare enquire about." He had hoped the multiple times he had rewatched Pride and Prejudice with Claudia was paying off right about now. 

"Well, Mr Weasley I am indeed flattered by your proposal, and I would be delighted to accompany you this evening."

"That's great Claude, I'll pick you up from yours at 8? Go to a movie and then grab dinner?" His idea came out as a question but Ron had already brought the tickets and knew that she would agree to going to see it, Claudia had developed a true love of the muggle cinema and was always looking forward to seeing the next big picture there. 

"Sounds amazing Ronald, I'll see you then." Claudia gave a bright smile in response, hoping that she didn't seem overly eager for the idea but knowing that she probably did. She knew that she would have agreed to anything he wanted to do that evening, just because he asked her so.  Ronald Weasley was after all her biggest Kryptonite. 

8pm that evening drew much slower than Claudia wanted it to. She had spent enough time getting ready but had seemed to have rushed through the entire process and found herself waiting anxiously for the clock in her living room to etch itself closer and closer to the time of which she expected him to arrive. Claudia found herself both excited and a little nervous for the night unsure of what to expect regarding the entire event. She trusted Ron, more than probably any other man she knew, and therefore she knew that he would only organise something that they would both enjoy. A sharp knock on her front door was enough to draw her attention away from the small clock upon the wall she had previously been transfixed upon. Claudia stood from the chair she had been previously sat upon, making her way to the door, not forgetting to stop at the hallway table to pick up a single silver key. 

Perhaps she was going a little fast, being overly just about everything but something in her was telling her that this idea was the right thing to do. That she wasn't overstepping any boundaries. After all, with all the time they had started to spend together in the evenings, Claudia thought it was just for Ronald to have his own key to her house. It would save him having to wait for her at his before coming over after she had finished work. It would save one trip and make things just a little more convenient. She felt deeply that this was the right decision to make, and if things went horribly wrong she supposed she would have to deal with the fallout and get the locks changed. Simple as that. 

Opening the door, Claudia took a moment to take the sight in. Ron stood there, dressed probably the most perfectly she had ever seen him. In a pair of casual black jeans but a silk shirt. And she could smell his aftershave but not in an overpowering way. She chose not to greet him with any words and only pull him into a hug. One of which was reciprocated quickly and she took a moment to realise just how much being in his arms felt right. Everything about this just felt right and she knew that she was making no errors in her choice of moves next. 

"Good evening beautiful." Ron spoke first pulling back from the embrace they had previously been in. 

"Good evening Ronald."

"Are you ready to go?"

"Just one thing before we leave. I have something I want to give to you." Claudia paused moving to show the silver key she had kept hidden in her hand. Ron looked down, a brief look of confusion passing through his features before it settled upon a look of almost disbelief. 

"Is this a key to your place?" His disbelief was still clear in his words and Claudia hoped the smile she gave him would help him with his confidence even just a little bit. 

"It is yeah, I want you to have it."

"Are you sure?" Before he could say anything else Claudia cut across "I'm one hundred percent sure Ronald."

The film passed quicker than expected and Claudia was unsure whether Ron had expected the film to be the exact way it was. If he had accounted for the number of slightly more erotic scenes, whether he knew or not she had not expected him to come out of the cinema so boldly. She had half expected him to come out just a little bit brash and blundering just a bit at what they had just witnessed, but rather he seemed to have rather enjoyed what they had seen. At first she herself, was a little unsure of what to think of the whole thing. Initially she had felt a little awkward knowing that they were in a full cinema of other people watching the scenes progress. However, as they left the cinema and she caught on that other people around them did not seem totally displeased by what they had seen or in the slightest bit embarrassed she allowed herself to truly tune into her current emotions on the whole situation. Therefore, when Ron suggested skipping dinner for now and heading back to hers, she allowed him to pull her. With the empty promise of ordering something in, and the sly comment to allow him to finally try out that new key she had given him. She would have done so regardless finding herself completely enamoured with him. 

Claudia let out a giggle as she allowed him to pull her through the floor plan of her house. Dragging her past the living room, up the stairs and in the direction of the master bedroom. Their fingers slotted in conjunction she could feel as her heart rate quickened, and the adrenaline of what they both knew was coming began to take effect. The second she pushed the door to a close shutting the outside world away, his hands had moved anchoring themselves to her hips. She looked up into his eyes, noting the dilation of his pupils and the way they seemed to challenge her. To dare her to see what she would do next. She responded by wrapping her arms around his neck moving to touch the short section of hair at the nape. 

"You leave me as a starving man." Ron's words were unexpected but they were doing the charm as she became putty in his hands to mould. 

"Let me quench your thirst." Claudia tried to be as seductive as possible with her words, considering the last time they had been in this position she had been much less sober, she needed to fake her confidence for now. Until it could naturally take over. Ron was the one to kiss her, just like the las time, and Claudia had forgotten just how much she enjoyed the sensation. The pair had not kissed since the last time they had been in this position and she knew she wanted to make it a normal thing. Something they did daily. 

"Get out of your head baby." Ron commanded and though his tone still remained slightly sweet she could tell that she was not supposed to mess around, and she didn't want to. 

"Yes Ronald." Her words came out a little breathy as he once again focused his attention onto her neck. She knew not what item of clothing was removed first, but before she knew it she stood there in the floor of her bedroom with only her underwear remaining. Ron weathered better remaining in his jeans, but she knew it wasn't long until those too joined the developing pile of clothing on the floor. 

"On the bed Claude." He commanded again and like a good toy soldier Claudia moved onto the bed laying herself down so that she was propped up by her pillows. He was quick to move on top focusing more on trying to please her than anything else. A string of kisses down her stomach caused a feeling of bliss to travel from her head to her toes. Claudia almost felt like she was floating in that moment, floating in a sea of lava.

"Are you sure?"

"Yes Ronald I'm sure."