Adult-FanFiction.org : Harry Potter

Invitation	By : starstruck86 Category: Harry Potter > Slash - Male/Male > Snape/Ron Views: 6834 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter, nor do I make any money from these writings

Chapter List
- 10
- 11
- 12
A/N:
*slopes back in* Hello everyone. I had a lovely weekend. Here is the next
chapter, written on bouncy trains. I am not sure when the next chapter will be
up but just keep watching this space, I suppose. Chapter title of this comes from me listening to my iPod far too much on the train, it might be Katy Perry, and nobody's dressed like Elvis, but I thought some of the other lyrics were suprisingly apt!

Thanks so
much for your reviews, I was scared I was going to lose some of you with my
abrupt twist (which had always been planned, as the whole thing has always been
planned, but I am a worrier):

Morganabythesea �definitely
them against the world. Thank you for reading and I hope you continue to enjoy!

Kai �Mistress of surprises, I am ;)
*sweeps cape*

Sheree �I know!
That�s how Ron ended up blonde, as I said. If it had been Severus it would be
like the sky had turned green or something! Hope the dentist wasn�t too bad,
and this is for you.

Abbi cee �Ron is unsubmissive there because
his first instinct is to protect them both as a unit. If Severus had said no,
he probably would have stayed behind. But Severus did not say no. ;)

Talley �Never fear, my foot is recovered.
And also never fear about that other little point you mentioned, I have sorted
it in this chapter as I realised the difficulty in reading about a whole new
appearance. So, just read on� I�m glad you liked the hand holding. Severus
knows his mouth can only make matters worse so he finds a simpler way of
expressing himself.

DaVinci �I hope
this chapter answers some of the questions you posed. But I am still blushing
beacon red over that �Deity of Fantastic Characterizations� comment. *combusts*
Thank you!

So, on with the show� I missed you all, and writing the fic,
I have to say! Thanks for staying with me. Just so you know, whoever reviews first gets the honour of being my 100th reviewer on AFF.net overall. I'm so thrilled by that! x

--------------

Severus
awoke with a start, wondering where the unholy racket was coming from. His head
was already thumping and he could only have been awake for a matter of seconds.
His withdrawal from the anti-sunlight potions was not going well. They'd
decided it would be best for him to hoard the remaining vials should they need
to travel on, and so he had cut straight off them the day after they'd moved
into Bridgette's flat. The unsubtle pounding against his skull made his stomach
curdle as he lay on his front in the luxurious bed. He'd still not figured out
the source of the noise. Severus cracked open his eyes and looked through the
curtains, seeing the fading sky which told him it had to be around half past
five. Winter was bliss -the sunlight did not linger.

Pushing
himself up with his hands, Severus groaned slightly, the nausea creeping up
through his body. What he was experiencing had to be closer to a migraine than
a normal headache and it seemed constant.

Wrapping
himself in one of the many sheets on the bed for warmth, he got to his feet and
walked dizzily out of the bedroom, wincing as the noise grew louder with every
step that he took. Pulling open the door it took a definite upturn and then he
saw why.

Ron was
standing in the kitchen, with his back to Severus lingering in the bedroom
doorway. The radio was on, and he was singing loudly and badly to a muggle pop
song. Severus saw as Ron turned slightly that he had a toothbrush hanging out
of his mouth and his hips were moving in a dance which shouldn't have been sexy
but looked thoroughly indecent to those that watched closely. When he revolved
at first, Ron didn't have his eyes open so he couldn�t see the dishevelled man
watching him, but when he eventually did open them he dove for the radio, red
faced and mortified, and turned it off, then spat out in the sink.

�I'm sorry!
I thought I had a while yet before you woke up,� he blushed, removing the
toothbrush from his mouth and holding it by his side guiltily.

Severus
didn't particularly know what to say to him. He hadn't lived with anybody since
his schooldays and had twenty years of solitude battling against his desire to
laugh at what he'd caught Ron doing.

�How do you
feel?� Ron asked quietly, as if trying to make up for the volume of his music.

�Awful,�
Severus croaked and coughed slightly.

The same
worried look from the first day of Severus' abstinence flashed over Ron's face
and he walked closer. �Not the answer I was hoping for.�

�Sorry to disappoint,� Severus sighed, and turned to go and sink into the sofa.
He heard Ron following; the man even walked loudly.

�What'll
help?� Ron whispered, leaning over the back of the sofa to gently massage at
the brunette's tense neck.

�Sledgehammer and a bottle of scotch?� Severus tried.

�Well I
rejected that yesterday so I�ll do it again today,� Ron gave him a wan smile
that he could not see. �I was thinking more of... I dunno,
I could go and try my French in the pharmacy? It's a headache and sickness,
right? Ginny gets migraines all the time... Muggles must have their own version
of drugs for that? I'm willing to make a twat of myself if it helps you.�

�I thought
we agreed not to leave the flat for a few days?� Severus melted into the
kneading fingers.

�Well, we
can see four electric green crosses just from the flat window, Sev... I�m sure
one of them will have something to help? Or do you want me to go and find
Bridgette and see if she can get you anything from our world?�

�You're not
going to the coven alone,� Severus snapped. �Totally out of
the question.�

�Just
trying to help,� Ron muttered, and then his fingers were gone and Severus
regretted chasing them away.

Ron walked
up to the big window which made up the whole side of the combined living room
and kitchen. As night fell over the city, he got a flutter in his chest looking
out at it. He'd never really travelled in his life; the last place had been Egypt
at thirteen. Even though he was there for terrifying reasons, Ron couldn't
believe where he was. The lights on the Eiffel Tower
were fascinating and he wasn't sure he'd ever grow bored of gazing at them.
Severus seemed unaffected, but then he had been there before.

Not to mention that Severus seems pretty
unimpressed by everything... food... baths... and we can apparently add happy
singing to the list as well.

Learning to
live with the grumpy man was a sharp learning curve. Ron had never thought
someone could be so obtuse and apathetic about everything, even when outstanding effort had gone into a project,
or a meal. And Ron wasn't going to deny that it stung. He was from a world
where if he did not say please, or thank you, he was clipped around the ear and
reprimanded. Severus seemed to think, at least with Ron, that he was exempt
from such manners. To deflect arguments Ron chose to bite down his angry
retorts and just got on with it, though it was essentially against his very
being to do so. And, of course, he made sure he was sugary polite in response
to Severus, just to prove to himself he didn't have to be so rude.

Even with
the difficulty of the older man on the sofa, Ron couldn't regret his decision
to up and leave. They weren't doing badly for themselves and there had been
nothing, no hint of anyone tracing them. Bridgette had visited the day before
and told them there had been nothing in the Prophet or the French version, but
that she would keep them updated if she thought they were in danger. Ron had
already grown to appreciate the blonde and her humour, though Severus had
seemed more acid during her visit than he had previously.

Probably hasn't forgiven her for
slapping him. Ron
still couldn't quite believe he had witnessed a woman slapping the great
Potions Master of Hogwarts. If there was anybody who could keep Severus in
line, it seemed to be Bridgette. And that was why Ron thought it best he align
with her. Maybe he could pick up some tricks.

�So what
have you been doing all day?� Severus asked him.

�I slept
for most of it, only woke up an hour ago,� Ron said. �Hence
the toothbrush.�

�I did
wonder...� Severus looked at the television, turned off because Ron wasn't
controlled enough to keep his ambient magic from cracking the picture -he could
only watch it when Severus was up to turn it on for him. �You seem to have
adapted very well to being a night owl.�

Ron
shrugged. �I'll sleep anywhere, any time.�

�You're
lucky�� Severus half-yawned, the movement in his jaws charged the thumping in
his head to a new level. �Do you mind going out for me?�

�'Course
not,� Ron rolled his eyes. �So do you think I'm asking for migraine stuff?�

�It feels
like it,� Severus rubbed at his temples.

�Severus...
just had a thought,� Ron walked around the front of the sofa to look down at
him. �You've not had a drink since the night after we got here... and it�s
nearly a week now. Maybe that's making it worse?�

Severus
just stared at him, trying to mentally calculate if Ron was correct.

Ron sat
down next to him and offered his wrist, which Severus took and held in his
hands for a while, before lifting it to his mouth and biting. Ron enjoyed the
slow thrum of desire which built in his tummy and groin, filling him with
comforting warmth as Severus sucked away his blood, hopefully to help alleviate
his pain. From the little appreciative groan he heard, Ron hoped that truly was
the case.

Severus
sucked the life force down his throat and thought how Bridgette had been right
-Ron did smell, and taste, like apples and cinnamon on the inside. It was that
which he tasted as he drank his blood. Detaching, Severus gave a small lick at
the point of entry before pressing a kiss to the wrist.

�Better?�
Ron raised his eyebrows hopefully.

�Maybe,
give it a moment,� Severus released him and leant back into the sofa, enjoying
the fullness he felt from his feed.

�Do you
want anything? Tea?� Ron got up to find a mouthful of
replenishing potion.

�No, the
blood was enough for now.�

�Okay,� Ron
tipped the vial back against his lips taking in the least amount he could to
stretch their stash further. If it wasn't quite enough it wouldn't matter, he
could sleep it off -it wasn't like they could do anything taxing.

That was
another thing he found unbearably hard; he was in a new city and he just wanted to get out and
explore it, but that broke their pact to lay low for the first few weeks, when
surely the search effort would be strongest. But it was frustrating to sit and
watch the city bustle, see the lights and sights from his window, and not be
able to go out and touch it. And again, it seemed Severus did not understand
his impatience. It was probably sad, Ron knew, but the thought of escaping out
early to the muggle pharmacist was exciting him beyond belief and he wanted to
get out before Severus changed his mind.

Should have saved the blood till I
got back... Ron
thought ruefully as he walked to their bedroom to pull on his clothes. Yeah, I'm starting to stink... got to figure
out that washing machine soon or my pants will get up and walk around by
themselves... if he'd let me out I could go shopping... we can't live in the
same things forever...

They had
spent a great deal of the last week in various states of undress, but they had
not had sex at all. They'd barely touched one another apart from being in the
same bed. Ron liked the equality of being in a bed which was neither his nor
Severus', but theirs jointly, and as such he felt a lot more in control than he
had for a month. Severus probably didn't like that, Ron knew, but he wasn't
going to submit when he did not have to.

The escape
had actually done wonders for his confidence, Ron felt. Never before had he
felt so definite about taking his destiny into his own hands. Even though it
wasn't in the way he'd ever dreamed, it still felt like he was taking a step
towards adulthood. He couldn't believe what Dumbledore had wanted to do to him.
Bridgette had brought books with her for him to read on the rebellions and he
had sat and devoured them, growing angrier by the second. Severus had taken
them away from him in the end.

Stepping
into his jeans, Ron looked over and noticed Severus hadn't even made the bed.
It seemed so odd that one so prim had seemingly lost all manners and his tidy
nature. Ron grabbed hold of the main sheets and threw them up to air them,
before settling them over the mattress and folding them back in half to let the
lingering heat escape from the bed. He sighed and ran his hands through his
now-blonde hair; he was still getting shocks every time he looked in the
mirror. But, his new hairstyle was his favourite part. It wasn't hard to maintain,
just a bit of wax. He looked on it as a vast improvement, though he knew
Severus did not think so. Even being blonde wasn't so bad, especially not the
colour he'd chosen for himself. He didn't tell Severus it was the same shade as
that of the girl he had slept with. There was no point making life more
difficult for himself than it already was.

Finishing
dressing and wishing he had something other than his old jeans and jumper to
wear, Ron took a deep breath and headed into the living room again to hunt out
his shoes. Severus was gone from the sofa but Ron bit down his curiosity;
coddling the man would be a move even he was not stupid enough to make.

Though if that bastard doesn't show
me some bloody affection soon I'm going to go fucking mad... Taken by surprised by that acerbic
thought, Ron located his boots under the coffee table and headed for them, but
then the toilet flushed and the bathroom door opened.

�The blood
worked. I'm an idiot,� Severus growled. �Forgetting the essential nature of
what I am. And what it feels like to go without blood. You needn't bother going
out.�

Faced with
it, Ron battled the urge to scream with frustration. How that one tiny trip out
had been the sliver of light in a darkened room... and now it had been
eclipsed. He froze where he had bent down to pick up his boots, wondering if he
had the daring.

�I think
I'm just going to go for a little walk anyway,� Ron said, and started pulling
on his boots; Severus was over by his side in seconds, still wrapped in his
sheet.

�Why?� The
impetuous demand made Ron's belly roil with indignation.

�Because I
need a walk, even if it's just round the block,� Ron did up the laces.

�No,�
Severus dictated.

Before Ron
could retort, there was a knock on their flat door, and despite the fact that
there was only one person that knew they were there who would bother to knock,
they both jumped. Severus threw Ron a filthy look as if it were his fault
they�d been interrupted and hurried to the bedroom to dress; Ron got resolutely
to his feet to answer the door.

�Hello!�
Bridgette said brightly as the door swung inward. �How are... oh. Well, you've
got a face like thunder so I won't bother to finish the question, shall I?�

�If you
think this is bad wait until you see him,� Ron muttered and closed the flat
door again.

�What's
wrong with you both?� She asked imperiously, setting down the bag she had
carried with her.

�I'm just
losing my mind, nothing important,� Ron breathed quietly, though he knew she'd
heard him.

Bridgette
assessed him with her grey eyes, which narrowed, possibly taking in his pale
skin, tired eyes and weakened constitution.

�Severus!�
she barked, turning on her heel and sending her hair up in a wave of platinum
over her shoulder. �What have you done to this poor kid? He looks like
someone's killed his puppy!�

�I was not
aware I had done anything,� Severus arrived back in the living room, fully
dressed.

�Look at
him,� Bridgette waved her hand in Ron's direction. �What have you done?�

�It's
nothing,� Ron reached for his coat. �I just need a walk is all.�

�I told
you, no,� Severus growled.

�Ah, so
that's it. The reason I came over was to invite one of you out shopping with
me,� Bridgette announced. �And it looks like Ron wins.�

�We don't need any food, we're fine,� Severus shook his head.

�Not for
food,� she indicated Ron. �He has nothing with him, and he can't go about the
fashion capital of the world in the same old jeans... you could be here for
months. He needs some things of his own and the shops are open late tonight. So
here I am.�

�That's
really nice, thanks-� Ron spoke as Severus said �You think I'm letting him out
of here with you?!�

Bridgette
looked between them with a cool smile. �Ron's coming out with me, Severus. I
will return him to you safe, well fed and human, I promise.�

�You can't
take him out without my permission and I don't give it,� Severus growled,
folding his arms over his chest and narrowing his eyes.

�Your permission?� Bridgette laughed. �Oh, Severus, please. Don't be a fool.
You two are stuck with one another; don't drive the poor lad to insanity just
because you're reclusive and depressive.�

�I am
neither such thing.�

�Oh, really? Been here a week� gone out yet?�

�We agreed not to.�

�No matter
what you agreed, look at him. He's going mad, I think he's got cabin fever...
and being here with you, in this mood, I'm not surprised in the least. I am
taking him shopping. So. We'll see you later? Maybe
you should go out, drink some blood and feel like yourself.�

�I am not myself,� Severus told her frankly. �Any notion of 'myself'
went out of the window when I was roped into eloping to Paris.�

�Because of
your own protection,� Bridgette snapped.

�And I
remember giving you a choice,� Ron shot angrily.

Severus
turned on his most imposing glare and expected Ron to back down. But the blonde
just stared back at him.

I miss the way you used to look. I
can't cope with you like that. You're not mine.

�We'll be
back by midnight. I have some things I need to do, but we'll hit the shops,
then feed the human, maybe go for a drink and get to know one another, and then
we'll be home. Safe and sound.�

Severus
hated that as his mentor Bridgette was the only person who had ever really
stood up to him, ever told him when he was an idiot, or called him on harsh
behaviour. Severus glared at her, then Ron, turned on his heel and stomped into
the bedroom, giving the door a hearty slam behind him.

***

�Au revoir, Claude,� Ron tried again as they passed the second
to last flight of stairs.

The ghost
of the elderly woman that seemed to linger in the small landing looked at him,
scowled, and floated through the wall.

�She's
cheerful,� Bridgette tried to make conversation.

Ron
shrugged. �She doesn't answer me even in French. I think a man might have
pushed her down the stairs and that's why she doesn't like me... all she�s ever
said is the name Claude, it could be her name or someone else�s.�

�She's
probably just unhappy there's someone living here... I don't visit it unless I
have a muggle I really like.�

�And that's
not often?� Ron pulled open the front door and swept his eyes up and down the
darkening alleyway, and what he could see of the main street.

But there
was nobody there. He couldn't sense any other magic than Bridgette's, either.
He stepped out into the cold January air and shivered.

�First stop
is a decent coat, yes?� Bridgette closed the door behind them. �And no, it's
not often... muggles aren't resilient enough for what I like.�

�Somehow I
have no trouble believing that,� Ron grinned and stuffed his hands in his
pocket.

�How are
you finding all that with him? He�s very� I have a friend who didn�t walk
straight for weeks.�

�Well for
the past week there's been absolutely nothing anyway,� Ron shrugged, surprised
at the way jealousy surged at the thought of Severus being with someone else.

�Oh dear,�
she fell into step next to him. �I think I know why that is.�

�He's not
been well,� Ron offered up. �In all his worry the silly bastard forgot to drink
from me for better part of the week.�

Bridgette
looked at him incredulously. �Right. Well, when we get
back you're going to make yourself scarce and me and him are going to have a
little chat.�

�Don't slap him again,� Ron pleaded. �He's not over the last time yet and I
swear that's part of his bad mood!�

�Cross
over,� Bridgette grabbed his arm suddenly. �And remember, they don't stop.
You've not come this far to land in a bloody pile on Paris' finest roads.�

Ron let her
guide him along the streets, drinking everything in with the wide eyes
befitting a culture shock.

�I think I
need to do some work on the door to the flat,� Bridgette said conversationally.
�It's already warded. Some extra magic won't hurt, it�ll be virtually
indistinguishable.�

�What will
you do?� Ron worried, dodging through some electric doors.

�I think
Severus is taking the appearances changes badly. I'm going to charm the door.
When you walk out, you will be in disguise. When you walk in, you are
yourselves. And that way, you're safe, but together you're as you've always
known...�

�How do you do that?� Ron marvelled.

�What?

�Read him so easily!�

�Practice...
and close observation. You will get there. He prides himself on being all
mysterious and dark, but really he's like a moderately easy book. He claims to
hate romance, but really he's a very deep and meaningful person. He's a
horrible character because he doesn't know how to be nice, but in the moments
he's off guard, he is truly beautiful, inside and out.�

�I'm glad
someone else sees him like that...� Ron mumbled. �Sometimes I think it's just
me...�

�It would
be if you went home?�

�I don't
even like to think about what they'd say...�

Bridgette
gave him a sad smile. �It's hard when you're first alone... you miss them.
Severus, at least, had nobody to miss when he was changed, when he was cursed
to his life of solitude.�

�Did you?�
Ron asked, following her without question to wherever she was leading him in
the shop.

�My father,
around a hundred years ago give or take, was Minister for Magic. There was no
way I could go back to him and admit that I had landed myself as a vampire...
through my own stupidity. It would have ruined his career... so I just let it
look like I had died, and my body never found. It was hard for them, but I have
to believe the shame would have been worse.�

�I'm
sorry,� Ron murmured, not knowing where to look or what to say.

�I do have
issues with the fact you've willingly left your family behind,� Bridgette told
him truthfully. �But I understand why you did. Faced with the same choices... I
cannot honestly say I would have done any different to what you and Severus
chose to do.�

�Except he
didn't have a choice, did he?� Ron swallowed on the hard guilt which had been
bubbling away in his stomach for a week. �It's... the protection. That's the
only reason he followed me, he would never have done it without that. He
doesn't seem like the sort of bloke to up and run just because someone's given
him the sack.�

�No, he
isn't,� Bridgette shrugged. �But he could have talked you out of running.�

�There wasn't time.�

�But
there's always a choice,� she reminded him gently. �Remember that before you
eat yourself up.�

They walked
in silence through the shop for a while before she spoke again.

�There�s a reason I hoped to get you alone, Ron��

He looked
sideways at her, fear sparking in his brain.

�Relax, I�m
not going to eat you,� she gave him a slight smile. �But I thought� I should
probably tell you alone that your disappearance hit the headlines yesterday.�

Ron
swallowed the bile which rose in his throat and blinked at her. �What did they
say?�

�Well it
looks like it had been hushed up, actually. Someone at the Prophet had done
some digging and then the whole sorry tale unravelled for them, and now��

�The whole
bloody world knows,� Ron breathed.

�Quite. Just the English version at the moment. And they don�t
suspect for a minute you�re here. They really have no clue where you went as
you covered your tracks so well.�

�Well, that�s what they�ve told the Prophet,� Ron pointed out. �So� was he
right, is it abduction?�

�They�re
talking about it,� she muttered bitterly. �I think there�s contention in the
ranks. It�s not abduction if you went willingly� they�re probably trying to
decide how to make it look like you were snatched. Your age has nothing to do
with that, though. An abduction is an abduction where
vampires are concerned, I could steal a fifty year old and he would have been
�abducted�.�

�I�m
eighteen�� Ron sighed. �Does being an adult count for nothing
at all?�

�Ah, see, this is why it�s been hushed up,� Bridgette stopped them in
front of the menswear department. �Dumbledore is pushing his luck and it brings
up the whole murky world of something called �in loco parentis�, which is
basically that whilst you are at school, you are under the care of the
Headmaster and he is your guardian. Now, normally, it�s not a problem �seventh
years understand their position and its fine. But you surpassed it because you
are nearing your twenties and yet he has tried to control you. Some people
probably feel he has had no right to meddle as he has.�

�But he is the Headmaster,� Ron murmured.

�Yes, and
my point is I think he would have liked to have kept it that way� but there
comes a time when every great man meets a scandal he cannot beat.�

�What did they say about Severus?�

�They
weren�t actually too horrific, they were shocked at his vampire status but
surprisingly someone told them he was changed at the hands of Voldemort� he�ll
be just delighted his dirty washing
is being aired for the country to see. I left him a copy of the paper in the
bag of food I bought.�

Ron shuddered thinking of the anger he might go back to, but
then he had to ask his next question. �Was there any comment from my family?�

�Yes,� she
said quietly. �They had something from your father,
and from Potter��

�Godric they�re probably hounding Harry up the wall,� Ron was overcome with
disgust at himself.

�They both
just wanted you home.�

�But by
myself.�

�That coat
would really suit you,� Bridgette sharply changed the subject.

***

�No!� Ron
laughed. �He'll be going spare. You can take me up the tower next week if he
still won't leave the flat.�

�Oh, fine,
you're so under his thumb it's ridiculous,� Bridgette gave up trying to entice
Ron up the Eiffel
Tower and turned to walk
back to the flat.

The night
was cold and the Parisian streets were quiet, but Ron loved it all the same,
seeing all the lights and the old architecture.

�So how do
you think you like my fair city?�

�It's
great. Traffic is a bit...�

�Insane?
Yes, you'll get used to it fairly soon, I'll bet... first time nearly getting
squashed will have you right, don't worry!�

They walked
in silence a while and Ron wondered what kind of reception he was going to get
back in the flat, and then he remembered Bridgette's threat of having a little
chat with Severus, and her plans for the door. He'd had a few pints with his
dinner and despite the upside down nature of his life, Ron couldn't help
feeling very, very right.

�I'll sort
the door out now; it's quite simple, really...�

�If you say
so,� Ron snorted. �My eighteen years worth of mediocre magic is nothing
compared to over a hundred years worth, I suppose...�

�From what
I've seen you're far from mediocre!�

Ron gave
her a grimace. �I'm not the best. Surprised I survived the war, really, and so
were my friends.�

�I think
your friend Mr. Potter would have been so relieved for your help he wouldn't
have cared if you were a squib.�

�I s'pose,� Ron shrugged, his chest aching again with the
thought of Harry miles away at home in England.

�Ah, that
hurt, if I'm right?� Bridgette looked at him.

He gave a
curt nod and looked down at his feet walking along the pavement.

�Losing
friends hurts... leaving them behind hurts even more, I think. I hated losing
Severus to England
when the only reason he was there was little better than being a political
pawn. Used and now cast out when he's expendable... it makes me livid.�

�I wasn't
happy either,� Ron sighed. �And he's just...�

�You leave
him to me,� Bridgette set her jaw and turned into the alley way. �Stay back in
the shadows.�

Ron did as
she asked, retreating further back into the narrow path, hiding himself and his
shopping bags as she pulled out her wand and starting hissing incantations
faster than he could make them out. Blue sparks shot into the door and a haze
formed between two blazing lines of sparks, before fading to nothing.

�It's just
a sort of stasis spell,� she explained. �Which has preserved the spell you
performed to change yourself in the door, so that it'll activate when you walk
through -in is normal, out is changed. Give it a go!�

Ron unlocked
the door and pushed it open. Holding his breath, he stepped through the
doorframe and instantly felt the tickle of longer hair on his neck and saw
waving thick red out of the corner of his eye.

�You're
back,� Bridgette smiled at him. �Now, let�s get these upstairs. I'm meeting
someone soon and I want to talk to Severus before I go. Remember to give us
some space?�

Ron nodded
as he made it to Claude's floor. The ghost looked at him with calculating eyes,
and then Ron nearly fell down the stairs as the translucent face broke into a smile,
said a pleasant 'bonsoir!' and floated off through the wall, still looking
happy.

�Maybe it
was a blonde that pushed her?� Bridgette suggested, nudging Ron to walk again.

�Who
knows?� Ron half-laughed.

Out of
breath, he unlocked the main door to the flat and found all the lights on, but
Severus nowhere to be seen.

�Sev?�
Ron called out, setting his shopping down by the door and standing back for
Bridgette to pass him.

�I'm here,�
the low voice proceeded Severus out of the bedroom; Ron fought down a smile as
he saw long black hair and the usual overlarge nose back in place. �What the-�

�We need to
talk!� Bridgette announced and Ron stooped for his bags again, and walked to
the bedroom. Feeling brave, as he passed his tall, thin partner, Ron gave him a
small peck on the cheek.

Severus
threw him a disdainful look and sighed, moving to sit on the sofa where
Bridgette had sat.

�What?� he
asked, knowing he sounded depressed. �Did you tell him
about the paper?�

�Severus,
see how much happier he looks for going out, even with the paper?�

�He knew we weren't coming on holiday,� Severus pointed out to her.

�There's a
difference,� she shook her head. �He's hurting, Severus, and you're failing to
help him.�

�He's
fine,� Severus said defensively, even though in his mind he knew that was not
the case.

�So the nightmares, the fear, the pain of losing his loved ones?�

�He has not
mentioned any of those things to me,� Severus raised his eyebrows, inwardly
fuming that Ron had apparently been more honest with a woman he had only known
for a week than he had with his partner.

�Would you
have?� she laughed. �If you were him, and it was you
relying on you for sympathy...�

�He knows I
am not one for such displays of emotion.�

�That's no excuse for neglecting him.�

�I am not
neglecting him!� Severus hissed, eyes narrowing.

�Keeping him locked up would certainly count as abuse in several countries.�

�Oh don't be ridiculous,� he snapped. �This is about survival, not dominance.�

�Sure about that?�

�Get out,� Severus got to his feet. �I appreciate what you did for him, helping
him out to get his own belongings, it was a very
amiable thing to do. But at this moment, you are preaching to a brick wall. So
I suggest you leave.�

�Don't make
me hit you again,� she sighed, looking boredly at her
manicured nails. �I don't like having to do that.�

�Pull the other one,� Severus muttered.

�I only
like it when there's a rebuke,� she winked at him. �But all your rebukes are
for Ron, aren't they?�

Severus
just glared at her, refusing to believe words could be any more descriptive of
his irritation. She got to her feet and looked him over. �Shame, the brown hair
and nose job really did look good on you...�

�Why are we
both back to normal?�

�So you'll
have sex with him again,� she shrugged. �You're a strange one, Severus, I�ve
never, in a hundred years, met someone as inadaptable as you.�

�So what
else has he told you?�

�Nothing
more... but he is very, very lonely Severus and if you don't watch him...�

There was the
heavy hint of suggestion in her tone and Severus balked at it.

Just what is she saying? Is she
saying he'll run away? Go home? Or worse?

�Well,
instead of wondering what might happen, why don't you stop it before anything
has the chance to?� she said pointedly. �I'll go and
leave him to explain what I did to the door. I have somewhere I need to be.�

She walked
close to Severus as she walked past. �I mean it; you're all he has now. Don't
hurt him. Wizards get burned in the flames of the fires they create but they
aren't all as special as he is. If you want him turned but don't want to do it
yourself... you know where I am.�

Severus
watched her quietly close the door and thought on her words. Ron really hadn't
talked to him about anything over the past week, but then, with flushing
realisation, Severus acknowledged he had been awful company for those days.

Decisively
he walked to the bedroom and opened the door, surprised to find only the
dimmest lights on and to see Ron sitting on the bed, his gloriously red head in
his hands. Thinking on Bridgette's advice, Severus walked over and sat down
gently next to him.

�Hello,�
Ron said glumly.

�How was
your shopping trip?�

�Good, I
just got some stuff I needed... if I'm ever in the position to, I'll pay you back,
I promise.�

�No need
for that,� Severus said awkwardly, marvelling at just how much the week seemed
to have set their conversational skills back.

�Yes there
is,� Ron sighed quietly. �I'm tired; I think I'm just going to sleep...�

�Because
you would rather do that than sit here and talk with me?�

Ron looked
up at him then with a weary face. �No, Sev, actually, I�d really like to
fucking talk to you but I don't think we're going to get very far?�

�I'm
pleased that we're back to normal,� Severus said pointedly. �What did she do to
the door?�

�There's
now magic in it which means when we walk through to the outside world, the
appearance changes will kick in. But in here, we're normal...�

�I missed
your red mess,� Severus gave him a small smile, and wondered if Ron would say
he had missed anything about the way he used to look.

�I missed
you too,� Ron answered, feeling too resentful towards Severus to highlight exactly what he had missed.

�Bridgette
said you... you had talked to her about missing your family? And nightmares?�

�I did,�
Ron shrugged. �I needed to talk to someone... and she's the only person around
that I trust, other than you... and without you I...�

�I
understand,� Severus saved him the embarrassment of explaining. �For what it's
worth, I'm sorry for leaving you without a shoulder to lean on.�

�The
nightmares are just... well. Some about us being found... and
others remembering things from the war.�

�The mind always has a startlingly bad habit of throwing up bad memories
when we need them the least.�

�Too
right,� Ron nodded.

�Would you
like to talk about it? Can I... do you want anything?� Severus swallowed his
awkwardness at offering to do something for another human being.

�You don't
have to turn into my house elf,� Ron grinned. �I'm just... you've been so
unlike yourself for the past week... you're the man who makes the bed, then
corrects it when the house elves re-make it. You've just...�

�I'm not
going to apologise for being depressed by our situation,� Severus shrugged.

Ron turned
to look at him with resigned eyes. �But you should for everything else.�

�Well then
we differ in opinion. Nobody asked you to tidy up after me, to look after me.
You decided to do such things yourself and I will not award you a badge of honour.�

�I don't
want one,� Ron growled in frustration, jumping to his feet. �All I�m asking for
is a bit of fucking co-operation!�

�And you
will get it,� Severus looked at him.

�But, not
an apology for the depressing week when I really could have used you?�

�I am not used to catering for the needs of others above my own, unlike you,
and frankly, I think you should become versed in treating yourself as your main
priority.�

�What?� Ron
gasped.

�You need
to learn to put yourself first. A lifetime in the shadow of others will always
make you feel insecure but now, you are on your own.�

�And don't
I just know it?� Ron scowled. �Because I sure as hell haven't had any help from
you in the past week. Tell me, Sev, why the fuck did you bother following me?�

�Language!�

Ron laughed darkly. �We're not at Hogwarts any more.�

Severus
looked at him with angry eyes and joined Ron on his feet. �No, we�re not. And
yet you�re still acting like an impetuous child.�

�How exactly?� Ron�s mouth fell open. �When all I�ve done is reached out to somebody else for a bit of
bloody comfort?�

�You trust far too easily,� Severus scolded. �You barely know her from Adam
and yet you divulge secrets to her.�

�Well,
Severus, not to live in the past but I seem to remember it was your �implicit�
trust that you told me about to justify your fear of what Dumbledore wanted to
do to me� so should I trust her, or not? If not, I think I�ll just head home.�

Thwarted in
his line of argument, Severus� mouth snapped shut with an undignified crack and
Ron looked at

him
somewhat smugly. Resuming his position on the bed, Severus marshalled his
thoughts. Before he could speak, however, Ron loped to his side and fell down
onto his back, groaning as he went. Long fingers ran through born again red
hair.

�I�m
sorry,� he muttered through his fingers. �I don�t know how to live with you.�

�I have to
confess I�m at a loss as well,� Severus turned his body to face Ron�s prone
form. �When I found you dancing around the kitchen my mind nearly imploded with
the crossed reactions.�

�Sorry
about the loud music,� Ron apologised again, wincing at his inconsideration.

�Don�t
apologise,� Severus� tone lowered to a soft whisper, and by means of an olive
branch he reached out and gently rubbed along Ron�s thigh. �It was rather
endearing. You look delicious when you, ah, what�s the phrase?� He searched for
it. �Dance like nobody is watching.�

Severus
heard Ron�s gentle laugh through his hands and couldn�t help his own small
smile.

�I�m a shit
dancer,� Ron groaned. �Awful. And my singing is worse. I�m legendary for it.
Harry and Hermione disown me in clubs. Disowned, I guess I should say��

The sadness
in his voice made Severus uncomfortable once more. �What did you tell Bridge
about how you feel?�

�Not much,�
Ron shrugged. �I just said I was having trouble comprehending I might never be
close to them again� the people that raised and shaped me. And I�ve just walked
away and left them� for the sake of my sanity.�

�You feel
selfish?� Severus observed.

�Yes,� Ron
said quietly. �Selfish because of them, and selfish because
of you.�

�Me?�

�Without my idiotic drunken babble you wouldn�t be in this mess. Right
now you�d be in your rooms at Hogwarts, safe, employed��

�Borderline
celibate,� Severus threw in.

�Well, I
suppose one out of three isn�t bad.�

�You think
a week is tantamount to celibacy?� Severus raised an eyebrow. �Sweet Merlin,
you know nothing. And anyway� I think if you�ll let
me, we�ll be remedying that particular problem a little later on?�

Ron
realised as he lay there that he was so tired of aching, so tired of feeling
stretched between a million and one different quarters, that he actually wanted
to refuse, for the first time. He didn�t look at Severus, only at the ceiling,
but he knew his indecision must have shown on his face when Severus spoke
again, sounding dejected.

�Of course,
I understand if you don�t want to��

�It�s not
that I don�t want to,� Ron sighed, and pushed himself into a sitting position
with his hands. �It�s just� I feel a bit like a whore. You use me when you want
me��

�You didn�t
seem to mind being a whore a week ago.� It wasn�t said nastily, or
accusatorily, it was just a comment.

�I know I
didn�t,� Ron swallowed. �And I don�t think anything has really changed� I�m
just not up for the whole dom/sub thing at the
minute� I don�t need to be bossed around.�

�Sex
doesn�t always have to be like that,� Severus pointed out, feeling a fool for
not recognising that Ron might feel somewhat overworked, and that being forced
in their bed would be pushing his strength too far.

Ron gave
him a nervous smile before leaning into him, resting his head on Severus�
shoulder. He felt the warmth of Severus� arm come up around his shoulders and
he let out a little groan.

�All I�ve
wanted for a week is a proper hug with you,� he breathed, letting his lips
brush against the older man�s throat and working his own arms around the thin
waist.

�And whilst
I�ve been insufferable, I did appreciate every touch you gave me,� Severus
kissed into Ron�s hair, feeling that words could not express just how thrilled
he was it was back to it�s rich auburn shade. �You are an extraordinarily
talented amateur masseuse.�

Severus
felt Ron laugh against his neck before he spoke again. �I�ll keep that in
mind.�

�Why don�t
we have a drink and relax? I�ll make some food and we can just��

�Yeah.�

***

�Why the
hell have I been struggling for a week when you are clearly a better cook than
me?� Ron groaned around a mouthful of pasta, which Severus had forced on him
even though he had already eaten with Bridgette.

�I lived
alone for a long time before I became a vampire,� Severus shrugged,
though he did feel guilty he had never told Ron that he could cook. �And food
was an awful lot more important to me in those days.�

�Is my
strategy working, though?� Ron took a mouthful of wine. �If
you keep up eating human food your need for blood isn�t so forceful?�

�It would have worked if I�d taken the time to actually drink from you
at some point,� Severus looked down at his food with shame.

�Well, we
won�t make that mistake again, will we?� Ron shrugged. �I say once every three
days, from my neck, so you get enough.�

Severus
just nodded, trying to fight down the embarrassment that a mortal was setting
out his feeding schedule. At least he�s
kinder than the ministry would be. That thought sent a tremor down Severus�
spine.

�Stop it,�
Ron stabbed viciously at the soft shapes on his plate. �Don�t think about it.�

�It�s hard
not to.�

�I know that,� the redhead�s voice softened. �But we�ll both go mad. We just
have to get through each day.�

�Night,�
Severus reminded him that they were both now essentially living the lives of
vampires, even if only one of them carried the official title. �So, do you feel
improved for your excursion out into the city?�

�Much,� Ron
nodded enthusiastically. �It�s a great place, she was telling me all sorts and
took me to an amazing bar in the Quartier Latin� is
that right?� Ron shrugged. �Either way, it felt really good to be out.�

�I�ve never
been one for socialising, I�ll admit,� Severus stopped for a drink. �Are you
particularly versed in that whole� going out business, then?� He said it with a
teasing glint in his eye.

�Remember how this all came about,� Ron�s mouth hitched into a lopsided smile.
�You caught me coming back from the pub, getting pissed with my brothers. What
do you think?�

�Once more
it seems our personalities are at odds,� Severus mused.

�Sometimes
I find it hard to believe we�ll find anything we agree on or both like,� Ron
laughed.

�Life would
be remarkably boring if we were all the same, don�t you think?�

�Well, yes,
but some common interests probably help ease things along.�

�We both like sex,� Severus smirked. �And massages��

Ron nearly
dropped his fork when he felt a warm foot glide up the inside of his leg and
settle into his crotch. Burning red he grinned to his food.

�And, outside of the bedroom, we know we both like Quidditch-�

�Even if
you hate my team,� Ron said darkly.

�Everyone except you hates the Cannons, I�ve told
you before this is a fact you will have to come to terms with,� Severus rolled
his eyes. �Anyway� we also both enjoy drinking.�

�I enjoy
bad beer and you�re a fussy bastard.�

�We both
like that muggle programme set in the hospital,� Severus ploughed on.

�I think
you�d change your mind if you knew what they were actually talking about,� Ron
reasoned. �It is all in French� and,
you only like it for that fit doctor. You think I don�t know but I do.�

�I have
absolutely no idea what you�re talking about,� Severus narrowed his eyes and
gently rubbed with his foot, still indecently placed between Ron�s legs.

�You said
later, we�re eating,� Ron flicked him a cheeky glare and stuffed his mouth full
of pasta.

�When did
you become so boring?� Severus sighed and let his foot fall to the floor. �What
happened to my randy little Fire Imp?�

�He�s on
holiday,� Ron grinned.

�Could I
entice him back with the promise of a hefty bonus, do you think?�

�Depends
what you�re offering�� Ron wasn�t sure he was ready for sex, but he was equally
unsure if it was the wine or Severus just trying to make up for being difficult
for a week; the fact remained he was very much enjoying the fun side seemingly
trying to burst out of the usually reserved man.

�I would
not presume to know what offer the Imp would accept, I
would need guidance��

�The Imp
wants some control,� Ron played along, ignoring how utterly bizarre it felt to
be holding the conversation in a penthouse flat in the middle of the Paris,
with the lights of the Eiffel Tower twinkling through every window in said
apartment. �The Imp is interested in pursuing some� shall we call it �back door
activity�?�

Severus
thought about it, and let Ron see that he was doing so. But as usual, he came
to the conclusion that it wasn�t even worth beginning. �You know my nature
won�t permit you to do such a thing.�

�You let me
rim you,� Ron pointed out.

�Whilst that
frank description is true, being totally unbefitting to the dinner table,�
Severus sighed, �I know it would be pointless us trying. I would not like to
hurt you� any more than my actions in the past week already have done so.�

Ron did not
reply to that, but took Severus� words to heart. He knew enough to know this
was as close to an apology as he was ever likely to receive from the man, and
he revelled in it. �Okay,� he nodded. �I was just playing along, really. I
didn�t expect you to say yes��

As their
hands were occupied, Severus pressed his foot to Ron�s under the table in a
soft display of appreciation, and left it there.

�I have a
question� so, if vampires are dominant� what happens if two vampires have sex?�

�Generally
vampires will have sex as equals,� Severus waved his fork as he explained.
�There is no determined top or bottom, and they will switch to make things
easier.�

�Bridgette seems very dominant?� Ron asked airily.

�She is.
But that is only because her boyfriend is content to let her be so� and not
always. It�s lucky for her that he gets a kick out of being dragged around by a
blonde power maniac.�

�Dragged?�
Ron�s eyebrows rose.

�Collar,
lead, the whole melodramatic debacle,� Severus gave Ron an exasperated glance.

�You don�t
approve?�

�I don�t
see why sex should be anything other than private between the two� or more,� he
added quickly, �participants. What they do there is their own business, of
course� but Bridgette isn�t necessarily discreet about her perversions, as you
might remember from the first time you met.�

Ron nodded
and swallowed some wine. �Are� are a lot of your kind like that?�

�A lot of
my kind are even worse.�

�So� why
aren�t you?� Ron knew his voice had taken on a nervous tone, but it was only
because sitting at the table, he was holding the longest conversation he�d had
with Severus in a week.

Severus set
down his fork and thought on how to answer. Only after chewing his mouthful around
ten times did he open his mouth. �I enjoy bondage, leather and body
modification as much as she does. Maybe more. But I
would never clip you into a collar and lead you around in public� that sort of
humiliation doesn�t sexually gratify me.�

�Because of how you were changed?�

Severus
nodded. �But to some extent I was like it before my change.�

�How many��
Ron trailed off and flushed, then shook the question out of his head.

�What?� Severus asked, looking at him, and leant back in his chair, folding his
hands in his lap.

�No, really, it�s nothing,� Ron said determinedly, still red as he looked at
his pasta like one might a fascinating work of art.

�Well it
must be something to get you so quiet,� Severus smiled.

Ron just
ate his way through his food and didn�t speak again. Severus realised his
hesitance and decided to skip over it by continuing with his own food until his
plate was clear. Then he stood up and carried it to the sink. Looking out at
the glittering view, Severus felt yet again the pang of guilt that Ron had been
faced with such a spectacle for a week and had been kept caged because of him.

We set down the rules together� if
he was feeling restless he should have told me� but I suppose I would only have
said no.

Ron made
him jump by suddenly slipping his own plate into the sink and sliding his arms
around Severus� waist. Severus turned into the thin, rangy form and pulled Ron
close. They met in a slow, heated kiss which tasted of wine and pasta on both
counts, though it detracted nothing from the sweetness of the meeting.

Groaning
slightly into Severus� mouth, Ron leaned against him, allowing the tension to
seep out of his shoulders. He felt so boneless without it. But then I�ve been wound tighter than a corkscrew for a week, no wonder
it feels bloody weird to relax.

�I think
you need me to teach you something new,� Severus whispered close to his ear,
his hot breath tickling. �You need to know how sex can be a healer, with the
right person.�

�I�m
listening,� Ron whispered back, and grew hard in his underwear when Severus�
hand slipped past the waistband of the pyjama bottoms he�d changed into when
Bridgette had been lecturing her charge. Thin fingers curled around his
erection, and then Severus pulled his body away.

He smiled
gently, grabbed his glass of wine from the table, and essentially led Ron from
the room by his cock, never gripping tightly or pulling, because Ron went
willingly, scooping up his own glass and turning the lights off as they passed
out of the kitchen. It felt so sensual, being led to the bedroom by his
erection, and Ron wondered just how Severus planned on educating him that
evening. It would be their first time since leaving England
and bar one wet dream Ron had severely missed what had grown to be regular
sexual contact before their flight to France.

Severus set
his wine down and took Ron�s from him, setting them so they rested on the
bedside table, all the while keeping his hand in the redhead�s trousers. The
shaft was hard and hot beneath his fingers, but there would be no raucous actions
to match it that night.

�Lay down
on your front,� Severus kissed him, his lips tacking against Ron�s own in
sticky movements.

�Should I
take these off?� Ron smiled, indicating his nightwear.

�Let me,�
the hands were already lifting up the thin Slytherin t-shirt, revealing the
flat stomach and creamy chest, deep thatches of auburn curls in stretched
armpits and the attached toned arms. When the material covered Ron�s face
Severus ducked and latched over one nipple, enjoying the little groan which he
evoked. Then he cast it down to the floor and fingered the elastic of the
checked flannel bottoms. �These make your backside look delicious,� Severus
informed him, but sent them casually to the floor like the t-shirt, along with
the underwear. �But I�d prefer it if you didn�t bother with those�.�

�I�ll bear
that in mind,� Ron�s breath hitched with anticipation as Severus slid his hands
back to cup his arse, massaging gently.

�Now, lie
down.�

Ron
complied without further comment, settling his head on arms bent flat on the
bed, his cheek pressing against his skin. I
wonder if he�s remembered he can�t use magic yet�

Severus
quickly stripped off all of his attire and climbed onto the bed, straddling
across the tops of Ron�s thighs, sitting just below his buttocks. He smoothed
his hands over the creamy rounded shape again, almost groaning as his cock
hardened between his legs. He bent his head and trailed feather-light kisses
where he had touched, before leaking them onto the curve into the redhead�s
back and up his spine, straight through the centre of the Fire Imp tattoo he
loved so much. Groaning appreciatively, Ron nuzzled into the bed and enjoyed
the feel of warm lips sweeping up his back, knowing that the display of
sensuality from Severus indicated that something extremely different to the
usual lay ahead of them.

Severus
leant forward and pressed his torso onto the relaxed back, bringing his fingers
up to massage nimbly at Ron�s shoulders. The move brought his lips up to Ron�s
ear and he kissed it.

�It doesn�t
always have to be about commanding; about having the sense fucked out of you�
sometimes it can be beautiful in its peacefulness� something I have not had
with someone for a long time.�

�And
something I�ve never had,� Ron closed his eyes and groaned again.

�No, but
you will have it now,� Severus pressed a kiss to one shoulder and stilled his
hands.

�I�m glad,�
Ron whispered. �Sometimes� it�s a bit much.�

�I was
holding off,� Severus admitted quietly. �This sort of sex� this is the type you
have with someone who you feel for� who you know will be there for the repeat
performance� a person you can lose yourself in.�

As he felt
lips at the nape of his neck, Ron�s body flooded with relief he didn�t know
he�d been waiting for. �And you want to lose yourself in me?�

�I don�t
see that I can deny either of us the joy any longer,� Severus nosed against the
red hair. �When we both looked so different I knew I would never be able to.
But now you are here, my Ron once more� and I think this is the most beneficial
thing we can do for our relationship.�

�I agree,�
Ron smiled to the bed sheets.

Severus hid
his smile in Ron�s neck, even though the redhead wouldn�t have been able to see
it anyway. He kissed with gentle lips and inhaled the scent from the tresses.
�I�m going to get off, and find what we need. I want you to roll on your side,
facing the wall. You don�t have to do anything. Just relax.�

Ron mourned
the loss of bodily contact when Severus got carefully off him, but did as he
was asked and rolled onto his side, wondering what the raven haired man had
planned for him.

�It has
been a long time since I�ve done this without the use of magic,� Severus said
quietly, dropping a jar onto the bed.

�Do you
want to wait? I�ll have a shower?� Ron made to sit up but Severus pushed him
firmly back onto the mattress.

�It wasn�t
a complaint,� he said softly, kissing along the outside of Ron�s thigh. �We�ll
survive and make do.�

�If you�re
sure�� Ron bit his lip and wondered what would happen next.

Severus
curled into him from behind, moulding their bodies together and neither could have
denied that they fit together like the pieces of a puzzle, legs bending
together and bodies curving to fit perfectly. Ron felt the hardened interest
pressing into his backside and pushed back to give Severus some friction.
Working one arm under Ron�s slight body, Severus pulled him backwards with a
hand in his chest hair and kissed at Ron�s neck.

Dipping his
fingers into the cool gel, Severus made sure they were liberally coated before
pressing one, unannounced, to Ron�s hot entrance. Hearing the tiny gasp, he
smiled, and kissed what skin he could reach, letting his tongue out to lick
delicately against the peachy cream skin, all the while moving his finger
deeper into the roasting crevasse of the passage. Startled at how much his
young lover had tightened up with just a week of abstinence, Severus stopped
kissing and focussed on stretching him out, growing harder by the second as Ron
mewled against him, head tilted slightly back.

Adding a
second finger, Severus was ready for the uttered curse when it came, but it was
no less of a turn on for being anticipated. A moan of his own escaped as Ron
shifted back to get the fingers deeper and brushed against his erection.

�I want
you,� Ron whispered over his shoulder, not caring how stupid it might sound,
because it was the truth, and he wanted to be truthful with Severus.

�And I want
you,� Severus kissed again.

Breaking
into harsh pants as the fingers brushed against his prostate, Ron emitted what
could have been a sob, though his eyes were completely dry and he felt so
elated crying had never been further from his agenda. Severus curved his
fingers to produce the pleasure again, knowing exactly the effect he was having
and how much Ron�s erection would be straining to be touched by him. Sliding
his fingers back, he added a third and pushed back in.

The whimper
told him it was too soon, and he slowed his pace, easing the slick digits in,
and the whimper was replaced with a throaty moan. And
begging.

�God,
Severus, please� put them��

�Put them
were?� Severus asked, voice husky with want.

�Over the part that counts,� Ron groaned, digging his teeth into his lip as the
burn thrilled him internally.

�As you
wish,� Severus swallowed and licked with his tongue fully out of his mouth up
to Ron�s ear, guiding his fingers to press where Ron needed them.

�Unghfuck,� Ron gasped, body jerking at the sensation of
three fingers bearing down directly against his prostate, giving him exactly
what he had asked for.

His cock
was burning with need, leaking pearly drops onto his tilted stomach, whilst
Severus� hand rested against his chest, keeping him in place and a tongue
assaulted his neck. It was so slow and sensual he instantly knew he wanted more
of it, especially with Severus. The tension of the week and their entire
predicament seemed to fly far away as the fingers started to slowly fuck him,
moving in and out with agonising slowness, prodding against him when fully
sheathed, and leaving him wanting them back when they slid out.

Lost in the
sensation he did not realise that Severus was whispering in his ear, and when
he took a moment to decipher the words, he grew even harder and hotter, his
body temperature seemingly taking a massive leap.

�You like
my fingers fucking you, don�t you?�

�Uh huh,� the
capacity to form full words escaped Ron momentarily.

�And you
like that it�s me that has my fingers up your arse, stroking you to hardness?�

�Making me
leak,� Ron breathed, face burning at the filthy liturgy being poured down his
ear canal like molten wax and the way he instantly wanted to respond.

�I know I
am,� Severus whispered, resisting the urge to bite the skin beneath his lips.

�I want��
Ron panted and trailed off.

�What do
you want? More? Another finger?�
Severus breathed.

�No,� Ron
shook his head. �That�s� ah� e-enough,� his voice shuddered as the fingers
scraped him again. �I want� I dreamt about doing this to you the other night��

�And did
you come?� Severus sped up the pace of his fingers, aiming to drive Ron to the
edge.

�So hard I
woke up,� Ron smiled at the memory and grew just a little bit harder.

�And what
was it like, fucking me with your fingers?� Severus curved the tips of his
fingers and dragged out.

�It made me
feel so� good, to bring you off...� Ron gasped as the fingers left him
completely and he cried his displeasure.

�You might
be content to dream of finishing there,� Severus whispered. �But I am not.�

Severus
reached for the jar and slathered his cock with the gel, hissing with pleasure
at the cool substance on his hot skin. His hand ran over the familiar shape,
smoothing over the hard ridges with the aid of the liberal coating.

�Are you
touching yourself?� Ron breathed over his shoulder. �Let me��

�Just lie
still,� Severus whispered, and positioned himself so that he spooned against
Ron, but aimed his erection to slide into the stretched and gaping hole when he
shifted forwards, keeping the cheeks parted.

Ron nearly
came at the very thought, but willed himself to hold on as he was entered,
clenching his teeth and panting through them at the delicious burn creeping
along with Severus� erection as it slid inwards. And then Severus� lips were at
his neck, and his free hand was curling around Ron�s neglected prick, stroking
gently yet firmly.

�Oh God,�
Ron pressed backwards, impaling himself fully on the other man and groaned when
he heard the gasp from that refined figure.

Pressed
together and fully speared in their romantic union, Ron began to tingle. It
started in his fingers but swept slowly through his entire body, heating him
up, making sweat prick at the nape of his neck, at the
base of his spine and behind his knees. As one foot crept over his legs and
trapped them into place he moaned Severus� name, earning a kiss in his hair.

�This is
what sex can be with the right person,� Severus whispered to him breathily. �No
magic, no filthy adaptations� just this� pure emotion.�

The words
were simple, and not even particularly sexy, but they flowed like a
pornographic montage straight to Ron�s groin and he found himself torn whether
to press forward into Severus� hand or backwards into his crotch.

�Fuck�� he
breathed, his indecision proving too much in his heightened state of passion.
�Severus I� I don�t think I�m going to last long��

Severus
didn�t answer him. Personally with such slow movements he felt like he could
lie there for hours, slowly plunging in and out of the tight hole, groaning at
the pleasure he felt. But Ron was not as well practiced as he was.

�Come when
it takes you,� he breathed finally, eyes rolling back as he found a
particularly deep, squeezing angle.

�Can you�
talk dirty with me�� Ron breathed, moving his hips
slowly in time with Severus.

�When we�re
finished,� Severus whispered hotly in his ear, �And you�ve spilled over your
stomach, I�m going to roll you over and lick it off you� you are mine��

�Yours,� Ron breathed, curling one arm up beneath the pillow his head rested
on, as it had begun to ache beneath him.

�I wish I
could make you drink it yourself.�

�I�d rather drink yours��

�Another
time� but maybe I�ll taunt you by drinking it myself as it drips down the back
of your thighs��

Ron let out
a choked sound of approval at the notion. �I�m so close.�

�I will finish when you finish,� Severus knew that was the truth. When Ron
clenched his body in his orgasm it would push him over the edge into his
climax.

They lay
together, moving almost as one, sweating together, breathing hard as the lights
of Paris
twinkled through the window. A low whine growled out of Ron�s throat and
Severus knew the slow pace was tormenting him; it was obvious he had grown used
to their hard and fast encounters, where he could barely catch his breath for
the pounding into his body. This was totally different, slow, sensual, and
Severus couldn�t believe his good fortune as Ron burst forth into adoration, as
if it would get them there quicker.

�Gods, Sev� you� you make me burn,� he breathed, mouth staying open at the end
of his words. �I can�t� this is too� I need you� need to come� yes� gods� fuck
me� please, flip me over and fuck me��

�Just relax
and enjoy this,� Severus whispered, barely holding on to his own urges to
quicken the pace.

�Bite me,� Ron hissed. �We both know if you drink from me we�ll come. Bite me,
Severus.�

�I�ve never bitten you before during��

�Do it,� Ron pleaded. �I want to feel it, I want to know how it feels to be
fucked and drunk from at the same time� and I trust you, Sev� it�ll be amazing,
I know it�please��

Severus had
never felt the pleasure of drinking whilst fucking, let alone whilst making
love. And it was very clear that they had made the jump into those romantic
realms, because there was nothing raunchy or hot about what they were
experiencing; it was deep and emotional, the meeting of two trusts being
cemented into one with every slow thrust and groan.

He bent his
head, his hair sticking to his neck. He nipped playfully at Ron�s neck and
whispered, �Are you sure?�

�Please��
the whisper was cracked with emotion.

Without
further hesitation, Severus let his jaw drop, focussed on his want for blood
and sank his teeth into Ron�s neck.

�Shit,� the
desperate sanction from Ron�s lips was music to his ears as the first wave of
blood flowed over his tongue.

Unable to
move his head without risking causing a tear in Ron�s neck, Severus pressed only
his hips forward tightly, clenching his buttocks and gripped Ron�s erection and
pumped him.

The noise
melting off Ron�s tongue was like nothing he had ever heard before, a desperate
growl punctuated with pleading cries and whining moans, begging for release as
the blood left his body and desire permeated every cell which made him up. The
usual sensations he experienced whilst being drunk from amplified coupling the
act with sex and he felt ready to explode.

�Severus,
Gods� I want you� you feel so good in me� and now you�re� oh��

Words were
swept away as the intensity stepped up several notches and his balls tightened
to his body. He felt raw enough to recognise that his orgasm was going to be
utterly undignified. It took several blinks for Ron to realise there were tears
pricking in the corners of his eyes.

Another
tingling surge was enough to cut through his control and he shouted out his
climax, pumping sticky white fluid out onto his belly, over Severus� hand and
onto the bed as he trembled and clenched with curled toes. Severus detached and
grunted his own finish into Ron�s neck as those tight muscles gripped around
him, squeezing his cock with intense heat. He thrust through it, groaning Ron�s
name all the while, making the redhead flush with the praise.

But
shivering through his aftershocks, Ron knew what was coming. Severus was still
buried balls deep within him yet his orgasm had unlocked a whirlwind of emotion
in his chest and nothing he could do was going to keep it in.

�Sev�� he
choked, reaching up with one hand to clutch at the one resting on his chest,
searching for solace.

Realising
that Ron�s shaking was no longer just from his orgasm Severus swallowed and
tightened his grip, bringing his sticky hand off the softening member to rest
across the stickier stomach. He buried his face in the red hair and whispered
softly to the shaking man in his arms.

�I
understand� I�m here.�

Those words
unlocked the final padlock and Ron closed his eyes, tears rolling down his
cheeks as his eyelids forced them out of their way. A hideous choking, snorting
sob broke out of his mouth and he wanted to combust with shame.

�I�m
sorry,� he licked his lips, pointlessly, as salty tears re-coated them
instantly. �That was amazing� the most��

�I know,� Severus said firmly in his ear. �But the horrible thing
about that kind of sex� it makes you feel and it breaks down your guard
and all your inner walls and there is nothing you can do��

�Why did
you do it?� Ron asked through his tears. �If you k-knew��

�Because those walls have to fall down eventually.�

Ron fell
silent, managing to just let the tears slide down his face without noise and
his chest fell into a slow, steady rhythm with Severus� and his hand resting on
top of it. Though Severus� heart was beating fast, he did nothing more than lie
there, pressed into the warm body and holding it through the first truly
physical display of grief Ron had ever really shown to him.

Anger is nothing compared to this� Severus kissed gently against Ron�s
hair. This so much
worse. Crying never gets me�
and yet here I am with him.

Severus
didn�t like that he found he could no longer distinguish his own wants from
what the Protection made him do. He could not help but wonder if he would have
lain against Ron, holding him, without it. What baffled him the most was that
he honestly could not decide on the correct answer whereas once upon a time it
would have been an unequivocal no.

�You don�t
have to stay with me,� Ron whispered miserably. �I�m sorry.�

�Shh,� Severus muttered. �I want to stay, and I should have
been there for this earlier in the week.�

Ron
shrugged in his arms and murmured, �Okay.�

Severus
watched the minutes slip by on the digital clock next to their abandoned
drinks, amazed at just how many tears poured out of the body by his side. Ron
was very quiet, just breathing and crying and Severus would have given anything
to have his wand in hand and to slip into the redhead�s mind, just to
understand better. His want to understand surprised him �he had never been one
for helping others to wallow in their grief, but with Ron it seemed different,
and above all else, justified.

�Would you
like to talk about it?� He asked finally, and Ron jumped, having fallen into a
trance looking at the opposite wall.

�No,� his
answering voice was hoarse and cracked, broken with the emotion of the sex and
the outpouring of emotions having outstayed their welcome in his mind. �There�s
nothing to talk about. There�s no point in trailing back over the past� it
can�t come back and it can�t be changed.�

�No, it can�t,� Severus conceded with a gentle kiss. �But the present we can do
something about.�

He shifted
his hips backwards, pulling his softened cock from within Ron, and removed his
arms, ignoring the drying semen on his hand. Wordlessly he got off the bed and
left the bedroom, turning to the bathroom, flicking on the lights and bending
over the bath, turning on the taps and letting the plug fall in. He grabbed the
first bottle he saw on the side, which wasn�t theirs but he didn�t think
Bridgette would particularly care. The scent of sweet baked goods hit his nose
the second the foam blossomed in the water and he turned away.

Ron was
where he had left him, curled up on his side on the bed. Severus walked to his
side and looked down at his face, which was so red raw it had to be painful
�despite the digs he had made previously, Severus knew crying wasn�t something
the youngest Weasley male gave himself up to regularly.

�Come on,�
Severus reached forward and with surprising ease swept him off the bed.

�What are
you doing?� Ron�s voice was dull and lifeless as he stood and swayed with a
light head against Severus� naked body.

Severus�
only answer was a kiss �he wasn�t going to hurt Ron with misplaced words, so he
made the decision to keep quiet. Keeping a tight grip on his hand, Severus led
him into the bathroom where the bath was already nearly full. Ron looked at him
with confused eyes.

�Get in,�
Severus whispered. �I�ll just be a minute.�

He doubled
back into their bedroom for the forgotten drinks, vaguely aware of a sensation
in his stomach which may have been nerves. His mind flicked back to think of
the last kind gesture he had made such as this and was startled to find he
couldn�t really recall it.

God, you�re a bastard� He walked back in the bathroom and
at first thought Ron had left it, but then the redhead broke the surface of the
water, his hair plastered to his head, eyes screwed up against the bubbles
which slid down his face, carrying away the salty tear tracks which had lingered
there. Severus said nothing as he climbed in behind him, setting the drinks
down on the windowsill, and Ron didn�t comment when long arms and legs
ensconced him from behind �he only leaned gratefully back into the touch. He
reached for his wine without waiting to be offered and took a long sip, his
throat welcoming the still-cool liquid.

Severus
wanted nothing more than to look at his face, but understood how Ron would shy
away from that whilst his eyes still bore the proof of his breaking.

�Thank you,�
Ron finally whispered, swirling some of the bubbles with his feet, stretched
all the way out in front of him due to the ample size of the bath.

�Is that��
Severus had been about to finish with �better�, but he didn�t know if that was
the correct thing to say.

�I feel
lighter,� Ron said gently, realising his partner�s awkwardness. �And I�m just
saying thank you because it meant a lot that you stayed.�

�Why would
I have done anything else?� That, at least, was a very genuinely surprised
question on Severus� behalf. Does he
really think I would have left him to cry it out alone?

�I suppose�
I still don�t think you�ll tolerate my emotions,� Ron whispered.

Severus
said nothing, because his recent and current actions showed just how tolerant
he was prepared to be of his Fire Imp�s emotional nature. As long as it�s not every bloody day, of course�

He mentally
chided himself for being so cruel. If Ron had wanted to cry every day, he would
have been justified, far away from home having kissed goodbye to his life,
family and friends. They had not spoken about the article in the Prophet, but
they both knew what had caused Ron to finally lose his tightly held control on
his emotions.

�It won�t
happen again,� Ron assured him after a mouthful of wine. �Or I�ll try��

�You don�t
have to hold it in,� Severus rested his chin on the shoulder in front of him.
�That�s unhealthy� we need to�� the next words were hard to force out, being
sentimental and overly clich�, �Look after one another.�

�You�re all
I have,� Ron murmured.

�And yet
for me� I have gained a companion. You have lost yours. We face this from
different angles.�

�Did I say
I was complaining?� there was a faint trace of humour back in Ron�s voice.

�You�d be warranted
to do so, as this last week has detailed, I am hideous company.�

�I forgive
you,� Ron smiled to the bathwater. �After that sort of sex how could I not?�

�All part
of my brilliantly evil plan, I assure you,� Severus took a sip of wine, glad
Ron could not see the sudden brightness of his eyes and beaming smile.

Or the way
it doubled when Ron�s warm laugh hit the bathroom tiles.
- 10
- 11
- 12
You need to be logged in to leave a review for this story.You need to be logged in to leave a review for this story.
Report Story

Invitation