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Invitation	By : starstruck86 Category: Harry Potter > Slash - Male/Male > Snape/Ron Views: 6834 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
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Chapter List
- 11
- 12
- 13
A/N: Bonjour! Hope all my lovely readers are well. This is
the second to last chapter. There is one more and the epilogue to go, and they
will probably be posted together, so this is your last update before the final
completing one. The next chapter will be fairly long and heavy, so it may take
me more than my usual day, I�m not sure. Just watch this space and bear with
me! Thank you for your reviews:

Kai �I�m glad the
slow lovemaking has gone down so well and that you liked it. They�re back to
normal now though. ;) And, you were the hundredth reviewer *sends virtual
cupcake*

Sheree �Ron was holding his breath too. ;)
Enjoy, oh, and *issues a fan warning for the beginning of this chapter*

DaVinci �I had to look up what that meant *has
big shame*. But I�m glad you liked it and thank you so much for your
compliments!

Talley �Well� I
don�t quite know what to say. *blush* Thank you! LOL.
Trains do suit me. I love them which is a good thing
as I don�t drive. Hope your heart has stopped aching now and that this chapter
doesn�t set it off again. *innocent whistle*

Enjoy�.

------

�No, no� fuck��

Ron closed his eyes and let them roll back in his head,
thinking absentmindedly that it was a good thing nobody lived in the building
with them. The bed was making an indecent drumming rhythm on the wall as
Severus drove into him. The thoughts were torn from his mind as he cried out in
a series of pleas, begging for it harder, faster and louder.

Severus would never admit it but he was having a hard time
keeping up. Sweat trickled over his temples and his body was covered in a fine
sheen of perspiration, his breath wheezing with every thrust of his hips.

Ron was on his back, his head
thrown against the pillows with his mouth open when he wasn�t begging for more.
His long legs extended up the front of Severus� body and bent over his
shoulders, feet locked behind his neck. Looking down Severus had a blatant and
indecent view of the cock straining against the muggle cock ring, which would
never be as effective as what he could have produced with his wand but it was
holding up thus far.

�Fuck me deeper,� Ron growled,
straining his arms from where they were tied above his head.

�If you wanted to touch
yourself you should have considered that before you fondled me in all the wrong
places whilst I was asleep.�

�S-shut up,� Ron gasped as he
felt a hand grip his dick and tug painfully. �I was just��

�I don�t care what you were,� Severus shook his head, sweaty hair flying about
his face in the process. �I�ve told you before; you do not touch me like that without my permission for your own safety��

�I�m s-sorry��

�Sorry enough to stop you doing it again?� Severus rubbed his thumb across the
leaking slit.

�Yes,� Ron still had his eyes
closed, raising his hips with every thrust into his body.

�Liar,� Severus muttered.

They stayed that way for a few
minutes, Severus snapping his hips back and forth in a punishing pace, gripping
Ron�s erection tightly whilst the redhead begged and pleaded for his release,
growling with frustration when none was granted.

Watching him like that, Severus
lost his usually tightly held control and gave himself over to his orgasm long
before he would usually have done. He liked to feel his partners climax first;
it was usually what gave him the drive to achieve his own. But Ron was
essentially being punished and to see him so desperate and wanton, to feel him
so hard in his hand was going to be more than enough. Dropping the cock he
held, Severus bucked twice out of rhythm as he spiralled into pleasure, pumping
his seed into Ron�s restrained body, groaning out his name with an animalistic
voice.

Ron froze as he felt heat deep
within him and watched Severus shudder above his body, face contorted into a
sexual snarl with his eyes firmly closed. Possessive hands gripped his legs
tightly and Ron gasped and shivered as he would have had he been heading into
orgasm, but the band around his dick prevented him from doing so.

�My my,
a dry orgasm�� Severus opened his eyes, having recognised Ron�s reaction in the
way he had clenched tightly around his own still twitching cock. Breathing
heavily, Severus pulled out and shoved Ron�s legs sideways off his shoulders;
they fell with a muted thump to the bed and left Ron spread with his arms tied
above him, torso stretched out and his legs wide. �I�ve half a mind to just
leave you here� I do need to go out this evening��

�No, Sev, please�� Ron resented
the way all of his power had been taken from him and he groaned when one long
finger ran up his shaft.

�Please what?�

�Don�t leave,� Ron choked, as his erection flexed against the touch
unwillingly.

Severus looked down at him and
smiled cruelly. �You couldn�t do a thing about it if I decided to leave� why on
earth should I listen to your pleas?�

�Because�� Ron trailed off,
gasping, as the finger slid down in between his legs and prodded at his abused
entrance.

�I�m waiting,� Severus crooked
an eyebrow at him.

�Because you wouldn�t do that
to me,� Ron finally breathed as the finger slipped inside of him, collecting
Severus� leaking come on its skin as it did so.

�I wish I could say you were
wrong,� Severus sighed, sliding the finger back out.

He got down on his knees
between Ron�s legs and ignored them as they cracked. Lowering his face he
kissed at the reddened sac which contracted eagerly at his touch, and the
redhead hissed in delight. His hips already helpfully propped up on a pillow
and legs wantonly spread, Severus was able to lick in a straight line down to
lap at the entrance he had been engulfed within only minutes before. Ron
shuddered as his tongue laved, and Severus tasted himself.

�You�re so filthy,� Ron felt
the tongue slide within him and groaned heavily. �You don�t have to��

�Do you want to come or not?� Severus hissed, sitting up and glaring at him,
Ron looked back and blushed. �I�m waiting to hear you say it, of course��

�I want to come,� Ron closed
his eyes and tried to ignore the steady throbbing in his groin.

The verbal confirmation made
Severus smirk and kiss up the hot shaft, dotting little licks here and there, sucking
every so often. His lover hadn�t finished during sex and that gave him the
opportunity to suck him off, and Severus intended to seize the opportunity with
both hands. Grabbing the erection upright, he slid his lips over the tip and
shot his tongue forward to lick away the anticipatory fluid there which had
somehow escaped.

�Oh gods suck me,� Ron begged,
his legs flying up to trap Severus into position, but they were shouldered back
into place immediately. �I need to come� yes� fuck�lick
it��

Severus did as he asked, but
slowly, letting his tongue whet the tip with every drag, knowing it would
infuriate Ron. The angry growl told him he was succeeding. Tied down, Ron could
only lay and be licked, the energy to even thrust upward was deserting him with
every precise swipe of his partner�s tongue. He had come before without being
sucked at all, just being licked for what felt like hours, until he was howling
for release and when it happened, he had been incoherent for half an hour.

He was punishing me then, too� this is obviously his chosen method�
Ron whimpered as gentle lips smoothed back his foreskin and the tongue kept on
licking at him, hot and tasting. That continued until Ron was mewling and
writhing on the bed, his energy back as he tried everything he could to achieve
his climax faster than Severus was willing to let him have it.

�Your impatience only makes me
continue this torture longer,� Severus spoke to him in a low, gravelly voice.
�Is that what you want? To lie here tied to this bed forever with me licking
your cock?�

All Ron managed in reply was a
strangled moan and a furious shake of his head.

�Shame,� Severus gave him
another lick. �I could happily sit here and suck away the proof of your rule
breaking for hours, at least��

Ron shuddered at the thought of
his torment lasting so long and he heard Severus� dark laugh.

�Oh, hush, I�m not going to
actually do it� We both know you�d pass out before we made it that far.�

He gripped more tightly with
his hand and looked up at Ron�s face. �Now, will you ever try to finger me
again when I�m asleep?�

�N-no,� Ron tilted his hips
upward as the pressure began to hurt.

�Will you behave?�

Furiously nodding, Ron bit into
his lip.

�Fine.
Then prove it to me,� Severus released his grip and reached to pull off the
cock ring. �You will come the second this leaves your cock, and you are not to
make a sound. Am I understood?�

Ron�s eyes flew wide with
comprehension �sometimes he just didn�t understand how Severus expected so much
of him. He�d been whipped up into a state of orgasmic frenzy and all he wanted
to do was bawl it out to the room as he bucked and coated his stomach with
spunk, and yet he was being instructed not to.

Severus didn�t wait for an
answer to his demand, knowing it was too much, but it would be fun to watch Ron
battle his command. Of course, the older man knew he would lose, and that was
the point. He eased off the ring, making sure to scrape along Ron�s shaft with
his fingers. The redhead bucked, the pressure released through his cock and he
choked on his first scream, trying to hold it in, but it was impossible.

�No, no, no fuckfuckfuckfuck,� he cried, shuddering
violently, legs twitching. �No. oh god stop� I can�t
stop��

�No, you really can�t, can
you?� Severus smirked, watching as his partner dirtied himself.

With a final, throat ripping
grunt, Ron collapsed sated into the bed, panting. The come was heavy and hot on
his skin and he felt so spent he didn�t even have time to recognise his
failure. The next thing he felt was Severus lapping gently at his cock,
cleaning it of his semen.

�Oh god stop,�
he begged, arms beginning to ache as the rest of his body relaxed.

Severus did as he asked, taking
a mouthful with him as he leant up and kissed Ron, forcing it into his mouth
with a determined drive of his tongue. Ron willingly took it �refusing never
got him anything he enjoyed, and groaned again into the older man�s mouth.

As his hands were released, Ron
rolled his wrists to get the blood flow back into his hands, but Severus was on
them, messaging with light fingers, kissing them gently. Letting himself be cared for, Ron blinked hazily at the room.

�I think we could both do with
a wash,� Severus dropped his hands and kissed Ron again.

�If you prop me up,� Ron gave a
lazy smile through his breaths.

***

Freshly washed and dressed, Ron
wished he didn�t already feel sleepy, but there was no way he could deny it.

�Hello?� Severus waved his hand
in front of his face, trying to steal Ron�s attention back from fairy land.

�What?� Ron jumped, shaking his
head.

�I do believe it�s your turn to
pick up?� Severus waved his hand of cards at the space in between them on the
sofa.

Stuck together in Bridgette�s
flat, without the use of their wands, they had had to resort to all sorts to
entertain themselves. Playing cards was usually the very last resort, because
Severus was a hideous cheater.

�I�m sorry, my brain�s not in
this tonight,� Ron dropped his cards onto the sofa and heaved a sigh. �Too tired.�

�Why? You slept for thirteen
hours straight�� Severus carefully collected all the cards up in his hands.

�I wasn�t counting on being
ambushed as soon as I woke up.�

�Well, neither was I,� Severus
said pointedly. �And if you won�t learn, I�ll just continue to dish out the
lesson��

Ron grinned and yawned, not
bothering to put his hand over his mouth.

�You did take the potion after
I drank yesterday, didn�t you?� Severus flicked him a concerned glance.

�I did,� Ron shrugged. �Maybe I
didn�t take enough. I experiment��

�What do you mean?� Severus narrowed his eyes and stopped shuffling the cards.

�I, uh� well. I can take half
the mouthful of what you normally make me drink and feel fine. So I sometimes
take even less than that. Maybe I took too little.�

�And you didn�t think these experiments would be worth mentioning to me?�

Ron shrugged apologetically but
didn�t say anything, looking past Severus out at the dark sky.

�I know you hate this,� Severus
said softly, taking in his longing eyes. �But we go out and prance around the
city� it�s just asking to be caught, I think��

�I know�� Ron sighed. �And we�re going out tomorrow anyway� I just get so tired
of being inside.�

�You seem to thrive on fresh
air.�

Falling silent Ron shrunk back
into the plump cushions of the sofa, feeling adrift.

�Do you ever wish you had acted
differently?� Severus asked him, dropping the pack of cards down onto the
coffee table and leaning back, playing absentmindedly with the cuff of his
sleeve.

They had safely managed to
survive in Paris
for a whole month but neither of them was able to shake the way they jumped
when Bridgette knocked on the door to their flat, or the way they shuddered
when there were loud bangs in the street outside.

�No,� Ron murmured quietly.
�Whatever I feel now is preferable to feeling nothing at all.�

Severus looked at him,
withdrawn and quiet, and sighed. �Come here,� he asked, motioning to his side.

Surprised at the invitation for
a snuggle out of their bed, Ron scooted across
instantly, settling himself against Severus� body, sapping all his warmth.

�I wish there was a better way
for us to hide,� Ron murmured, closing his eyes.

�I wish for that too,� Severus
told him dryly. �It is just a further sting in the Ministry�s tail that they
placed restrictions on who exactly can partake in a Fidelius
Charm.�

�Vampires can�t?� Ron�s eyes
re-opened with surprise.

�No, neither can werewolves or
banshees� not that anybody in their right mind would entrust a secret to a
banshee, of course, but you know what I mean� the whole motley crew of
wizarding villains �prevented from taking part in certain spells.�

�So what would happen?�

�We are cursed, the magic
simply fails,� Severus said in a dead voice. �And if someone found you trying
it��

Ron sighed and hummed a
depressed response. �I�ve been wondering� don�t get mad with me for talking
about this. I still don�t want it, just so you know� but if you were to change
me now, and I were to become a vampire, and then we were found, what would
happen?�

�I imagine I�d be forced into
custody,� Severus said quietly, reaching up to stroke Ron�s hair. �I don�t know
what would happen to you� if they still believed I had forced you, you�d
probably be released to your family and closely monitored.�

�They�d just imprison you?� Ron asked pointedly.

�That would all depend on if
the abduction report had been filed. If it had not� probably
just imprisonment. But if it had� I honestly do
not know what the outcome would be.�

Ron shivered involuntarily. �Bunch of fucking bastards.�

�They just think they�re doing
best by their kind,� Severus responded in a dead tone.

�But what
about your kind?� Ron protested heatedly.

�We are superfluous,� Severus
swallowed.

�Not to me,� Ron muttered
contemptuously and got to his feet, walking to the window.

�You are not the first to love
an immortal,� Severus called to him. �And you will not be the last. But you
cannot change our status in the world.�

�I�m not bloody Hermione,� Ron spun round and gaped at him. �I don�t profess to
be some �saving the world� hero.�

�No, that position in your little trio was already filled, that fact slipped my
mind,� Severus gave a disdainful scoff and looked at the coffee table.

Ron fell silent and turned back
to the view, trying to ignore the slight on his best friend.

Is he your best friend any more? Really? Ron
batted the thought away and followed a drunk meandering down the road far below
with glassy eyes.

�I just don�t know how much
longer we�ll be able to sustainably live here,� Severus spoke, pushing on with
the theme of uncomfortable subjects.

They both had differing views
of what they should do if they were discovered. It wasn�t helped by the fact
that each of them seemed to change their mind every time they discussed it; as
soon as one came round to the other�s way of thinking, it was changed and they
were back to square one, convincing each other of arguments they wouldn�t even
believe themselves the next day.

�I say we fight,� Ron wiped a
smudge off the glass. �They won�t change their minds about what they want to do
to me, not now this case is high profile and it looks like the Ministry is
allowing vampires to run off with society�s dear young ones.�

�And I�m still attached to the
idea of bartering,� Severus leant forward and rested his elbows on his knees,
propping his chin up on his left hand. �I think if we threatened to send
everything public, the way that you were under threat of force� they might be
willing to negotiate with us.�

�They�re too slap-happy,� Ron
shook his head negatively. �They want to be in control. Everything since the
end of the war has been so bloody tight their arses are squeaking. They want us
all in nice neat little boxes so their perfect, quiet lives aren�t ruined� and
if we challenge that they�ll only come down harder.�

Ron turned and smoothed his
fingers over his mouth, looking down at Severus� dejected form on the sofa.

�It�s foolish to hope that we
will never be discovered,� Severus said finally.

�Well then why don�t we just go home now and give ourselves up?� Ron threw his
hands up in frustration. �That�s no different to waiting for them to find us,
really, is it? We�d try to bargain, they�d say no� the only difference is if we
stay here and keep fighting we get more time together.�

�If that is what you want you
know I will stay with you,� Severus shrugged.

Groaning slightly, Ron dragged
his fingers back through his hair. �We have to keep fighting,� he said
decisively, a surge of adrenalin pumping through his body. �This is fucking
ridiculous, Sev! I�m an adult, in love with another adult. When did that become
a fucking crime?� He gestured between two invisible points.

His words reverberated around
the flat and he didn�t give them another thought other than how angry he was
about the whole situation. However, Severus� head snapped up and assessed him
with shocked eyes.

�What?� Ron frowned, irritated
at the close inspection.

Severus just looked at him with
slightly raised eyebrows.

�What�s the matter with you?� Ron grumped.

�Do you have any idea what you
just said?� Severus breathed.

Ron thought back over his
words. �That this whole thing is ridiculous?�

�You...� Severus cleared his
throat and got to his feet. �You said something about being an adult in love
with another adult.�

Heat flushed Ron�s face with
embarrassment. The words had come out so flippantly he didn�t even remember
speaking them, and yet he had. And he was amazed by the shocked look which took
over Severus� face, the way pale skin blanched paler and dark eyes grew
emotive.

�I�� Ron wasn�t quite sure what
to say. He had known that his feelings for Severus had come on leaps and bounds
in the last month, but had never considered them anywhere close to love. But then what the fuck would you know about
love? You�ve never experienced it outside of your family�

Severus was still staring at
him and hadn�t moved since he�d stood up and Ron wondered if he�d turned to
stone. He moved a little closer and swallowed. �Sev, I-�

�Do you mean that?� Severus
asked in a husky voice.

�I�m not� I didn�t� I just said
it�� Ron tried wildly, his face burning red. �I feel for you and I� Godric, Severus, I don�t know� it just sort of��

�Slipped out,� Severus nodded at him, and turned to the kitchen.

With the impression he�d fallen
at a surprise hurdle, Ron quickly thought on what to do to remedy the
situation.

People say things they don�t mean all the time� that�s how mistakes
happen, how families fall apart and how friends fight.

Ron watched Severus wander
aimlessly around the large open kitchen.

But then saying I love you and not meaning it is just� cruel. Why would
I have said that if I didn�t mean it?

�You don�t have to explain
yourself,� Severus said shortly. �I understand. In the heat of the moment,
passions run freely and your mouth gets the better of you.�

�No, Severus, look-�

�Implications of love should
never be made unless they are meant,� Severus looked at him with cold eyes,
though Ron could never have called them unfeeling in a million years �they were
anything but.

Inside, Severus was a torrent
of emotion, stirred up by the hope he hadn�t known that he had cleaved to being
sliced in half by Ron�s hesitation. He did not blame him, either; on the run at
eighteen was enough to contend with, let alone falling in love.

And yet, if I do not blame him, why on earth does this hurt so much?
Severus blinked away the mawkish question and opened his mouth again. �You
needn�t bother to try and find a way to spare my feelings. People in
relationships hurt one another.�

�Hang on,� Ron breathed. �Why
on earth are you� do you want me to say it?�

�Only attention seekers wish to hear such a thing when the words are empty and
I assure you I am not so desperate,� Severus shrugged.

�Well then do you feel that way
about me, is that why you look so� lost?�

�No,� Severus shook his head vehemently.

�Why not?�
Ron asked, slightly stung at the defiant and instant answer.

�Now do you understand my
reaction?� Severus leant back on the kitchen worktop.

�And what,
Severus, what if I know that I love you? That saying it aloud had made
me realise the fact?�

�Then I�d say you were lying to
try and please me. I warn you now; your lies will do nothing but drive us
further apart.�

�You can�t accuse me of lying
when I didn�t even know what I was saying!� Ron sprang forward, brow furrowed
in frustration. �You can�t tell me what I do or don�t mean! Christ, even speech
isn�t fucking free anymore, even with the person you bloody love!�

Severus gaped at him and Ron
flushed redder than before. �I just did it again, didn�t I?�

�Yes,� Severus spat.

�You don�t believe me,� Ron
squared his shoulders.

�Not particularly,� Severus
tried to sound nonchalant but his passionate being, the one he was born with
that had been acerbated by the monogamous loyalty born to him with his change,
caused hurt to blossom through his voice and a sad hope showed in Severus� face
which made Ron cringe inside to have provoked.

�It is good you have not said
it properly,� Severus swallowed finally. �There are� well. You�ve read the
books on my kind enough times to know that when you speak those three words you
do more than express your love.�

�You feel it,� Ron breathed, remembering.

�Quite,� Severus gave a stiff
nod. �So I�d be grateful if you could guard your tongue more closely.�

Something incontrollable had
begun burning within Ron�s stomach, and he was fairly sure his mouth was about
to get him into gargantuan trouble. He walked simply across the tiled kitchen
floor and stopped in front of the black-clad man before him. He reached forward
and took up his hands and gripped them tightly. Severus watched him with wary
eyes which flicked everywhere, over Ron�s face, assessing his body language and
finally settling on his lips.

Ron edged closer and trapped
their joint hands between them. Trouble be shot down to hell. The fuzz could turn up tomorrow and I
might never get the chance to say this to anybody. Of course I fucking love
him. He�s all I�ve got and without him I�d be so lost.

�I love you,� he whispered
directly into Severus� ear, pressing a kiss as his quiet words were met with
total silence.

Severus closed his eyes as a
blanket of warmth fell over him, just as though someone had thrown it over him tenderly
to keep him warm as he slept on a cold night. He felt Ron�s closeness and felt
his hot breath tickling his neck. Without really knowing he�d moved, Severus
encircled Ron with his arms and held him tight. Ron looked into his face and
watched with fascination at just how peaceful the mature face suddenly appeared.
The frown lines in his forehead, the sharp set of his mouth and chin all seemed
to relax like Severus was enjoying a very pleasant sleep. Feeling his chest,
Ron discerned a steady and slow rhythm of breath.

�I always thought they
exaggerated this feeling,� Severus spoke softly. �It is simply� beautiful.�

Ron smiled and reached up to
tuck some dark hair behind Severus� ear, his blue eyes never leaving the happy
face before him. He kissed Severus softly and nearly melted at the contented
sigh which escaped from the older man, even though only moments before he had
looked anything but joyful.

�I can�t even be angry at you,�
Severus fought to stay afloat in the sea of warmth carrying his body away. �I
can�t even rebuke you for doing this� not when it feels so��

�I know,� Ron whispered. �Just enjoy it, Severus� it�ll never feel the same way
as the first time again, I remember what the books said� just� you deserve to
enjoy this�� he smoothed his hands up to massage gently at Severus� shoulders
and kissed him again.

Severus wasn�t sure about
deserving, but even his self-deprecation seemed to have deserted him as his
heart thumped with seemingly new purpose. Only one thought floated through his
conscious which was not related to how miraculous he felt.

Does he expect me to say it in return?

He felt a gentle kiss on his
lips and returned that instead. Severus had never told anybody he romantically
loved them in thirty-nine years and he would not allow himself to do so merely
in casual response to someone else. He would say it when he meant it.

And Ron knew that, strangely,
as though he could read the dark one�s mind. And it�s probably better that I went first. I can wait for him to be
ready...

Still, Ron couldn�t help but
envy the state of pure happiness splashed across Severus� usually dour face.

***

�Bonsoir, Claude!� Ron called
as he jogged up the steps to their flat, carrier bags of food shopping weighing
him down.

�Bonsoir Monsieur,� the ghost
smiled at him as he passed, and Ron felt her ghostly eyes watch him until she
could no longer see him.

He set the bags down and
reached for his key, but there was no need �no sooner than his fingers had
scraped against the denim of his jeans did the door swing open and Severus
looked at him and the carrier bags on the floor.

�Hey!� Ron beamed, leaning
forward and giving him a fleeting kiss. �You�re up; I didn�t expect to see you
for a few hours because it was sunny today.�

Ron bent down to pick up the
bags again, thinking on how odd it was to live his life around the sun�s daily
cycles when he didn�t have to. But then, for Severus, he knew he would probably
do anything asked of him. Anything except
going home�

Humming his cheeriness, he
stepped into their living room and set the bags down on a counter in the
kitchen. He immediately began packing items away, tapping his fingers against
the wood of the cupboards and the door of the fridge.

�You�re in a good mood,�
Severus� voice was quiet when he spoke again, much nearer to Ron than he had
first realised.

�Well it was a nice day, I got
a bit of sunshine,� Ron shrugged, stretching up to put something on the top
shelf. �And I got some really cheap food and saw someone get proposed to next
to a fountain at Place de la Concorde. She said yes. It makes for a happy me.
Or it did until she dropped her ring in the fountain and had to get in to find
it. But she was wearing a white shirt and of course it�s February and I�m
telling you this bird�s nipples could have cut glass-�

�Ron�� Severus spoke up and
interrupted him but lost his nerve.

�What, you�re being awfully
quiet �not one comment on over the top displays of affection,� Ron turned to
him. �What�s the matter with you?�

�Something came,� Severus
pointed shakily to the coffee table. �But you can�t��

Ron had already sprung forward
to look at it. There on the coffee table was a letter addressed to him, still
sealed in an envelope. The address was written in a hand he had known since he
was tiny.

�That�s� it�s from my Dad,� he
swallowed, and immediately took a step forwards.

�Don�t,� Severus reached for
him and latched his fingers around Ron�s upper arm. �It could have anything on
it. It could have tracing spells.�

�How did it� how did it come?�
Ron frowned in confusion, and turned to him.

A guilty, almost sickened look
came over Severus� face. �By owl.�

Ron�s mind kicked into
overdrive at what that would mean �an owl would either be instructed to wait
for a reply, or to return instantly to its owner. If it had
come from his family�

�What did it look like?� Ron
breathed, his fingers beginning to shake.

�Tiny, little rat of a thing��
Severus still looked guilty and knew it.

�Pig,� Ron smiled slightly,
looking back to the letter. �But what� where is he? Did he fly off?�

�Not exactly,� Severus
swallowed, and stepped away, folding his arms over his chest and raising his
hand to cover his mouth.

Only then did Ron assess the
situation and think of the precautions that Severus might have taken to ensure
their safety. �Oh my� what did you do?� He asked finally in a sullen tone.

�What would you have done?�
Severus asked him desperately. �I am no fan of committing murder, Ron, human or
otherwise� but it could have given everything away��

�He has a name,� Ron proclaimed tremulously, thinking of his poor little
innocent owl. �What did you do?�

�Do you really want to know?�
Severus looked ill.

�He�s my pet, I deserve to know
how you killed him,� Ron growled, flushing an ugly red colour.

�Fine,� Severus shrugged and
dropped his arms. �I grabbed him, stuffed him in a bag and�� he paused and
shuddered, remembering the sounds of the dying bird.

�Enough,� Ron swallowed hard,
though it did not take away the burning feeling ripping up his throat.

�Well, you asked,� Severus
turned to look out of the window, observing the fading sky.

�So what do I do about the
letter?� Ron forced himself to ask. �If I open it, I�m assuming it could place
all manner of markers on us?�

�You would be correct,� Severus
did not turn round.

�Could we use magic to reveal
what spells are on it?�

�We agreed not to use our
wands�� Severus gave a heavy sigh.

He half expected Ron to argue
to be able to see what his family had written to him, whether they were willing
to forgive him for running away, and Severus was surprised when he did not
suggest it. He looked out at the Paris
landscape and willed them both the strength not to bow to the pressure and use
their magic for the first time in over a month. There was a loud clang behind
him and he jumped.

�What are you doing?� he asked
Ron, seeing him placing a metal bin next to the table.

�What needs to be done,� Ron
said stonily, carefully bending down and nudging the letter off the table with
the cooking tongs he�d picked up from the kitchen and letting it drop into the
bin.

Severus watched as his defiant
redhead struck a match and placed it into the receptacle, quickly withdrawing
his hand so that he did not catch himself on fire. Then Ron simply stood and
watched.

I wish I knew what I was sending up in flames. The thought was on
repeat in Ron�s head and he stuffed his trembling hands in his pockets as smoke
began to rise from the bin and the faint orange glow reflected on the sides.
Whatever his father had placed on the letter, he certainly hadn�t factored in
fire, because the letter instantly caught and began curling and blackening
whilst flames danced along the edges of the envelope.

�What did you do with Pig?� Ron
asked.

Guilty once more, Severus
gulped slightly before answering. �I� uh��

A breeze caught Ron�s face then
and he turned and saw one of the smaller windows in the room open. �You threw
him back out?�

�I didn�t know what to do��
Severus protested.

�Now he hasn�t even got a
proper burial,� Ron said miserably. �He�s just a dead bird in a bag somewhere.
For fuck�s sake, Severus, where�s your compassion?�

�I didn�t know he was yours,�
Severus moved forward with his palms up placatingly.
�Ron, I really� I apologise.�

The letter crackled loudly as
it burnt and Ron had never before hated the smell of smoke so much. Wordlessly
he flopped down onto the sofa and put his face in his hands, squeezing his eyes
shut. His family had made contact but he would never know what they had wanted,
and of course he still wanted to know, even though it had taken them a month to
bother. And his owl was dead, killed by the man he had only just professed his
love to.

Pig would have risked everything we�ve worked for� Ron tried to
justify Severus� actions in his mind but kept coming back to the fact that the
man had killed his pet and it was all for him that he was stuck in the middle
of Paris living
a miserable life with no normality and not another friend in the world who
would care for him. That�s not true� you
and Bridgette have grown closer� Ron knew that would all abruptly change if
he were to hurt Severus, though �it was always very clear to him that Bridgette
only tolerated his presence because Severus wanted him.

Severus watched the scene of
quiet despair in front of him and had never felt so sick with himself. The
mini-bonfire raged in the tiny rubbish bin and he himself could not rid the
image of the way he�d sent a dead bird sailing out of the window of an eight
story building. The worst thing was that he knew his discomfort was nothing
compared to what Ron must have been feeling. Forcing himself to place one foot
in front of the other, Severus walked back to the sofa and sat down next to
Ron. Taking a deep breath and preparing himself for rejection, he pulled the trembling
form into his arms and pushed Ron�s face into his shoulder.

No matter how distraught he
was, Ron couldn�t turn down the comfort being offered to him �not when it came
from such an unlikely quarter. He threw his arms around Severus� middle and clutched
for all he was worth, not stopping to think that his grip might have hurt the
older man, which it did. Wincing, Severus didn�t bother to mention it to Ron.

�I just wish I knew what he�d
said,� Ron whispered. �I just wish I-I c-c-could know if he a-accepted� or just
said that h-he��

�Shh,� Severus stroked the back of his hair gently.
�I know. I know it�s hard.�

Ron fell silent, still gripping
hard and keeping his face tightly screwed up pressed into the crook of Severus�
neck. He was determined that he would not cry and he was confident he could
keep to his guns, but it didn�t detract from the fact that inside he really,
truly hurt.

�I love you,� he whispered
desperately so that Severus could hear him �somehow, saying the act of saying
those words was a port in the storm of his emotions. �I�m sorry I was rude� you
did the right thing. He� he could have given everything away.�

�Shh,�
Severus whispered down to him, the forgiveness washed over him but it was
eclipsed by the repetition of that sweet little phrase he had wondered if he
would ever hear during the bleaker parts of his life.

�No,� Ron shook his head
rebelliously and sat up properly, his face pale. �I should have expected this.�

�Should have expected I�d be forced to brutally murder your owl?� Severus was
caught off guard by Ron�s sudden turn around of gumption.

�No,� Ron looked at him sadly.
�I should have expected that I would have to destroy any correspondence that
they sent� at least until the Ministry called off the search. If they ever call it off.� His voice wavered at the end.

�He only got in because I
opened the window to get some fresh air,� Severus explained, lowering his eyes
to his knees. �He only would have waited outside,� Ron shrugged. �He was always
very persistent if a little loopy.�

�I�m sorry about your pet,� Severus reached for his hand and held it tightly.

�Its�� Ron swallowed. �I� suppose I�ve just not had
such an obvious display of what I left before now.�

Severus followed Ron�s eyes to
the flaming bin and sighed. Ron let his hand be gripped.

It did not take long for the
letter to burn to ashes, and with no fuel the fire quickly died to an annoying
crackle. Ron stood and took it to the sink, shoving it under the tap and
drenching the ashes with cold water, before tipping them away down the plughole
and upending the bin on the draining board.

�Gone,� he said bluntly, looking at the dregs littering the stainless steel.

A wave of longing crashed over
his head and he gripped the edge of the sink tightly, heart beating erratically
as he fought off the urge to collapse under the burden of his hurt. It was not
long before he felt cool hands and strong arms holding him up, rocking him
slightly, and holding his body to a firm chest and warm pillar of flesh. And
then there were soft words in his ear.

�You are so strong,� Severus
told him. �Not many people could have managed to do something as selfless as
that, Ron. Thank you.�

�It wasn�t selfless,� he muttered,
confused. �If they find us I�m the one that gets doctored.�

�But you also did it to preserve your life with me�� Severus murmured, and
kissed the shell of Ron�s ear. �As you well know� And I thank you for it.�

Ron took a pacifying breath of
air and opened his eyes again. He turned wordlessly to face Severus and held
the man tightly in his arms, taking everything he could from the only source of
comfort he had. One hand stroked at his hair and the other rubbed small
comforting circles at the base of his spine, where his tattoo lay beneath his
clothes.

�I love you,� Ron repeated
pointlessly, not being able to focus on anything else to say for the meantime.

�I know you do,� Severus was
once again drenched with warmth and he fought hard not to lose himself to the
joy when Ron was so miserable in his arms.

The grandfather clock in the
living room chimed out six and Ron jumped slightly.

�I will go to the Coven in a moment and explain to Bridgette that we�ve changed
our minds about tonight,� Severus told him.

�When did we do that?� Ron
frowned.

�Well, I just thought that you would like some time�� Severus explained.

�No,� Ron pulled back and scrubbed his fingers roughly over the skin of his
face. �No, Sev, I�ve been looking forward to this for days and I don�t think I
could actually bear losing tonight.�

�If you are sure you can handle
it?� Severus asked apprehensively.

Truth be told, he was not looking forward to the evening which lay ahead of
them. Bridgette had been pleading with them to go out with her, Christos and
their friends for the entire month and a week they had been in Paris and Severus had managed to stalwartly
refuse until Ron agreed for him. They�d had an argument over the subject,
shortly followed by many more, but Ron had won out when Bridgette had produced
a way to mask his oh-so-delicious mortal scent.

�I�m deadly sure,� Ron snorted.
�I�m looking forward to it, even if you�re not.�

Severus sighed and looked at
the clock unnecessarily, considering that it had just chimed and given him the
hour. �Then we had best eat. Are you absolutely sure you would like to go?�

�Sev, stop,� Ron begged softly.
�I need to get out and this is the perfect chance. I can�t stay in here and
know that you murdered my owl��

�Are you going to throw that in
my face all the live long night or are you merely removing it from your system
now?� Severus breathed with closed eyes.

�Getting it out now,� Ron
managed a soft laugh. �Bird murderer.�

Severus had to swallow down his
sick but could not hide his full-body shudder.

***

�God, it�s a crime to cover up
this beautiful scent,� Bridgette sighed, pointing her wand at Ron. �I just� he
smells so delicious.�

�Hence why we�re doing it babe,� Christos spoke with an easy smile. �So that
half the club doesn�t end up feasting on his blood and Sev here doesn�t get
ripped apart trying to defend his loverrrrr.�

The end of the word was a purr
brought on by already having had five shots of tequila. Although it was the
first time they had properly met, Ron could not help but like Christos, the
dark haired Grecian Bridgette had chosen as her boyfriend. His Greek accent was
long gone, as he himself was older than Bridgette at two hundred and fifty, but
he still, obviously, retained his gleaming black hair, dark eyes and tanned
skin. He had a smiling face and seemed more comfortable in his own skin than
anybody Ron had ever had the pleasure to observe before.

�I know,� she whined in
response. �But just� smell him, seriously, smell him.�

�I can smell him, and I�d try my luck if I didn�t want to hit the
floor before the words were out,� Christos shot Severus a wink. �But that scent
isn�t for us, or anybody else, it�s between them so perform the spell and let�s
get moving.�

Grumbling, Bridgette performed
the spell and Ron shivered slightly as his body reacted. Suddenly presented
with three vampires sniffing at him, he felt odder than he had done since
leaving England.

�Okay, stop it, you�re freaking
me out,� he groaned, and Christos laughed.

�You smell normal for the
company you�re in,� he shook his head. �Which of course is the objective.�

�You smell all wrong,� Severus hated how grumpy and childish that statement
sounded, but it was nothing other than the truth. His Ron had been swept away
with the spell and all that lingered was the generic vampire aroma he smelt
from Bridgette, not being able to notice his own scent.

�Good,� Ron smiled. �I don�t
fancy being anyone�s dinner but yours��

�Oh, Jesus� where did you find
this perfect specimen?� Christos groaned.

�Pissed locked in Hogwarts�
walls,� Ron sighed with a wink. �The perfect place to pick up
hot men.�

Even Severus laughed and Ron
possessively moved to wrap his arms around his thin waist, pressing a kiss to
Severus� cheek, grinning.

�Are we finally ready then?�

�I suppose we are.�

�Good, I�m dying for a Mojito here.�

�And the award for Mr. Closet Homosexual of the Year goes to�� Bridgette rolled
her eyes at her boyfriend.

�Awwwwwwh,
I wanted that,� Ron griped. �Bitch!� He tacked on
cattily with a grin.

Christos burst into laughter
and dragged Ron away from Severus� grip, throwing his arm around his shoulders,
leading him out of the door to the flat, saying �Me and you are going to get on
famously, kid.�

Bridgette gave them a grin and
turned to Severus, holding out her hand. �Ready to get your eardrums melted?�

�No,� Severus muttered, but
took her arm formally.

�Where are your leather
trousers?� She raised an eyebrow. �Don�t tell me you left them to rot in that
dingy dungeon of yours.�

�No, I have them,� Severus sighed.

�So why aren�t they
accentuating your backside perfectly like I know they can?� She pulled the flat
door closed behind her.

�I did not particularly enjoy
the thought of sweating profusely all night long.�

�You�re getting old,� Bridgette teased him, nudging his ribs with her elbow.

�And, anyway,� Severus nodded
ahead of them where Ron and Christos were walking. �He�s wearing them.�

�Ah, of course,� she laughed,
squinting to look. �He does look fetching.�

�Fetching?� Severus muttered.
�I�m having to work hard to keep my hands off him.�

�Well, in a few minutes we�ll be in a very dark club where you won�t have to
bother,� she laughed.

They walked in silence after
that, catching up with their partners on the stairs. Severus let go of
Bridgette in favour of tugging Ron to his side, and smiled with pleasure at the
way the faux blonde came willingly.

Despite his joking mood,
however, Severus was worried about Ron and his reaction to the day�s earlier
events. He had been expecting some kind of contact from the man�s family but
had never considered what he, or Ron, would actually do when it arrived.

�How do you feel?� Severus
murmured across to him.

�Fine,� Ron looked back pointedly. �Would you like me to make a sign? You�ve
asked me around fifty times, Severus.�

�I am only worried,� he
grumbled, looking down at the steps as they climbed, feeling the burn beginning
in his thighs.

They were heading to one of the
clubs on the second floor of the underground city which Bridgette, Christos and
even Severus favoured above all of the others. Ron was adequately disguised and
appropriately dressed, and there was no reason for anyone to bat him a second
glance, but Severus was still afraid. Ron gave his hand a squeeze.

�Right, ready Blondie?�
Christos called back to them and Ron shot Severus a disparaging glance at his
new nickname, so given as they were back in disguise.

�I guess,� he called back.

�Stay close,� Severus warned
him. �Do not disobey me��

Ten minutes later, Ron was
watching everything with wide eyes as he sipped at a delicious pint of cider.
The club was dark and he probably should have been scared by all the dark
recesses, but he felt completely safe sitting next to Severus, who seemed to
have relaxed when he saw Bridgette�s spell working successfully.

The music being played wasn�t
what he had expected �it was a healthy mix of muggle and wizarding songs, both
old and new, and the dance floor was filled with writhing bodies. What Ron
couldn�t stop staring at, however, was how brazen most
of the vampire community seemed to be. From his seat he could see three couples
indecently kissing, a man holding another man�s face to his open trousers and
one couple going all out against a wall which was sporadically hit by the
travelling red ceiling lights.

�They do not feel the need to
hide how they feel,� Severus noticed him watching and whispered in Ron�s ear.
�They simply act here as they would in their own homes.�

�How are you so different to them?� Ron asked and took a sip of his drink,
savouring the sweet bubbly taste.

Severus shrugged. �I suppose I
would be relatively young if you took a poll of the ages in this club� many
people who live here are over a hundred years old��

�That and you�re too reserved
to receive a blow job in a club?� Ron raised an eyebrow with a slight smile.

�Ha!� Christos burst out from across the table and they both started, not
having realised he was listening in. �Severus, this kid really knows nothing
about your first few years as a vampire, does he?�

�And that is the way I would like
it to stay,� Severus hissed through
gritted teeth with a pointed glare.

Ron�s eyes swivelled between the
two men and decided to let them glare it out, instead turning and looking for
Bridgette who was leaning against the railings talking to a friend. She waved
him over with the hand holding her drink and Ron instinctively got up.

�Where are you going?� Severus
grabbed his hand.

�To talk to Bridgette,� Ron
motioned to her.

�No you�re not, sit down,
please,� Severus tugged on his limb and Ron fell back down into his seat. �What
did I say about disobeying me?�

�So I can�t leave your side for two seconds?� Ron muttered.

�No, you cannot. That spell is
working now, but if it breaks and you are not by my side� I dread to think of
the consequences.�

Ron fell
silent, feeling stupid and na�ve. He took a mouthful of drink and was glad when
another man at the table, a friend of their hosts, engaged Severus in a
conversation. Christos noticed his silence and slid around the empty chairs to
talk to him.

�Bossy, isn�t he?� He said with
a furtive glance in Severus� direction.

�Yeah,� Ron gave a frazzled looking confirmation.

�That�s Severus though, so
uptight,� Christos shook his head and looked out into the sea of moving bodies.
�I don�t think that I could be in a
relationship with him.�

�He�s not so bad,� Ron sighed,
knowing that Severus was firmly ensconced in conversation beside him.

�You�re really head over heels,
huh?�

Ron�s blush was visible even in
the dim red club lighting and Christos grinned at him.

�We can tell. That feeling we
get when someone first says those three words to us� the glow doesn�t fade for
a few days, and it�s written in his skin. Bridge was going to mention it later,
but she�s no need now I already know.�

�Does he know you know?� Ron asked interestedly.

�He�d be a fool if he didn�t
remember that we�d recognise the signs,� Christos stubbed out the cigarette
he�d been smoking. �Now. Do you think I could tempt
him to let you up for a dance?�

�Good luck,� Ron laughed. �Talking was out a second a go, if you remember.�

Ron watched as Christos got up,
smirking, and bent down next to Severus� ear. He could not feel comfortable
with the way the man�s hand settled so casually on his Severus� shoulder, the
way his lips were so dangerously close to the shell of the ear which was only
Ron�s to kiss. Jealousy roared in his belly and Ron felt urges that he had
never quite experienced before.

Surprisingly he felt his hand be released and Christos straightened. �Come on you, run
whilst he�s loosened the clasp on your manacle,� he winked, and held out his
hand to pull Ron up.

�Severus?� Ron asked him
tentatively, looking between them.

�Just be careful,� Severus
whispered, leaning close. �Come back to me.�

Ron let himself be tugged into
the sea of bodies, those words buzzing in his ears. Come back to me� Ron wanted to do just that and he felt an
immediate push of separation anxiety as Christos grabbed him to initiate a
dance.

�You should know I�m a terrible
dancer,� Ron shouted over the music, snapping out of his reverie.

�We�ll soon have you sorted,� the dark haired man laughed as the music flipped
over to a muggle song. �Oh, God, Bridge�ll be up on
the stage any second, she bloody loves Copacobana��

From Severus� point of view,
the night was already off to a bad start. Christos had stolen Ron from him and
was gyrating against his body in a way that made Severus growl continually
under his breath, even if he knew there was no threat, and Bridgette was up on
the tiny stage howling the words of the cheesiest song in the world into a
crackling microphone. Bored, he picked up his drink and took a sip, keeping his
eyes on Ron dancing in the crowd.

He couldn�t help but smile
watching the covert redhead copying Christos� moves and falling into rhythm
with him. Whoever had decided Ron was a bad dancer had seemingly had bad
eyesight, because Severus could see nothing wrong with the way those slender
hips moved to the beat, the way his head moved in time and his blonde hair
swirled when he moved more energetically.

I miss him. The thought rolled into Severus and nearly knocked him
out of his chair. How on earth could he miss somebody who was mere metres away?

�Knut for �em?� Bridgette adopted a cockney accent as she fell
into Ron�s vacated seat, following his gaze out to where her partner and his
danced together. �God, that really took it out of me. I�m getting too old for
this.�

�It wouldn�t be a night out without you singing badly,� Severus rolled his
eyes.

�So come on,
what�s the matter with you?� She snapped straight back to her original
point. �I already know, I�m just waiting for you to tell me like the obedient
charge of mine you are.�

�He told me he loved me,� Severus confirmed for her. �But this afternoon a
letter from his family arrived� and I might have murdered his pet owl without
knowing.�

�You didn�t know you were
killing a bird?� She gaped at him.

�No, I knew that part but I didn�t know it was his� I did not even know he had
an owl�� Severus trailed off, looking into his drink. �And that unnerves me. I
know so little about him, and him about me, and yet he tells me he loves me,
and it can�t be the truth��

�Why on earth not?� Bridgette frowned. �Severus,
please listen to me here, as a friend. You have been alone for a very long
time. Every effort we�ve made to set you up with men, women, whomever we can
bloody find �they all go down the toilet. You�ve never looked at any of them
the way you look at him.�

�You�ve certainly changed your
tune,� Severus assessed her with narrowed eyes, thinking back to when he had
first told her of his relationship with Ron at Christmas.

She gave a demure sniff and
took a mouthful of cocktail. �Well, I am able, unlike you, to hold up my hand
and admit when I am wrong, Severus. If he has said he loves you, then I am
inclined to agree with him, no matter what circumstances might have instigated
those words. You are his companion, friend and lover. What�s not to love,
Severus, even if you insist you are not the loving kind?�

�The fact that it is me,�
Severus shrugged simply, and downed the rest of his drink.

�Well, yes, it is you, and
you�re a moody, sarcastic bastard who really needs to cheer up a lot of the
time. But I�ve grown to appreciate you, and so has Ron. You are not as
unlovable as you would like to think you are.�

�I do not like to think I�m unlovable,� Severus grumbled, knowing, even
as he denied it, that it was the truth.

His hostile nature had been
something to hide behind for many years, a wonderful excuse as to why his
relationships always failed and of course, he had a well-thumbed book of justifications
on which to blame his bitterness. His abusive childhood, his miserable school
experience, and his change at the hands of the Dark Lord� but anyone who knew
him well enough could see through them. Dumbledore always had, and Bridgette
had learned to, and Ron was seemingly breaking through his defences as well. It
was an odd feeling, to know that someone was finally cracking through his hard
shell with the intent to love what was within it.

That alone was enough to make
Severus love him back, even if he did not want to acknowledge such a fact.

�Did you tell him you loved
him?� Bridgette asked interestedly, crossing her legs and causing several
people to stare at the delicious picture she painted.

�No,� Severus said softly, and
it was almost drowned out by the music.

�How did he take that?�

�Surprisingly well,� Severus
looked uncomfortably at her. �I don�t know whether he was hiding his
disappointment or genuinely did not feel any.�

�Why don�t you try asking?� She sighed exasperatedly.

�I cannot,� Severus got to his
feet and looked over at the bar. He was going to need several stiff drinks if
he was going to have to watch Ron be paraded beneath his nose, wiggling his
hips indecently in Severus� own leather trousers.

Suddenly feeling nauseous, he
took in a deep gulp of air and found it unsatisfactory due to the smoky nature
of the club. �I�m going to get some fresh air,� he told her, and turned
instantly, weaving his way through the dancing, laughing and drinking vampires,
heading for the entrance so he could gain some grounding in the coolly spelled
corridors of the Coven.

***

Ron laughed as he swung back in
to face Christos, who was grinning madly at him.

�The spell�s working well,� he
commented in Ron�s ear. �You smell so boring now.�

�Remind me to get her to remove it later or Severus�ll
never touch me again,� Ron snorted, dodging out of the way as a couple stumbled
past them, kissing frantically.

�Oh, someone�s about to get lucky,� Christos laughed, watching them collide
with the banisters leading to the upper level where they had been seated. �You
had enough yet; fancy a sit down and a drink?�

Ron thought about it. His body
ached in a good way and he felt so free amongst the heaving bodies on the dance
floor, but he wasn�t used to all the high-energy dancing, especially not after
his month of relative solitude holed up with Severus. �Sure,� he nodded
finally.

�Hold on tight, he�ll rip my
head off if I lose you,� Christos winked salubriously and grabbed Ron�s hand,
leading him up the stairs to the seating level and looking around for their
table.

�It was that one there,� Ron whispered,
pointing to the rounded table which was startlingly empty.

When Ron looked back at what
happened next, he wouldn�t be able to pinpoint what exactly triggered the
anxiety in his chest. Whether it was coming face to face with the obviously
devoid table, or realising that Severus was not there, or realising that he was
alone in the middle of a vampire nightclub, he would never be sure. But as all
of those facts sunk in, the prickling anxiety turned into full blown panic and
he gasped a gasp that nobody was able to hear through the music.

He let go of Christos� hand and
blinked stupidly around him, suddenly very aware of the oppressive heat bearing
down on him from all sides and the leather trousers he wore seemed two times
too small; they stuck to the sweat of his legs. His dance partner turned to
talk to someone else and Ron instinctively lurched away, looking blindly around
to see if he could spot Severus in the crowds, but he came up trumps �he
couldn�t even locate Bridgette.

Oh God� he�s gone and left me here� in the
middle of� oh fuck� this is because I said I loved him�

The irrational fear flowed
through him, straight to his brain and provided such a convincing strain of
argument he believed it in seconds. Devastating horror crashed around him as he
wondered how on earth he would escape without Severus� protection, how on earth
he would manage to function without the beautiful man who had taught him so
much, taught him to feel and how to love, how to have sex and how to make rice
without overcooking it.

No, Severus, please�

Who he was pleading with, Ron
wasn�t exactly sure. It wasn�t as though Severus could pick up on his desperate
thoughts. Forcing his legs to work, Ron moved away from their empty table to
where he thought the entrance was, not noticing how heads turned his way, how
eyes followed his attractive blonde form as he wandered through the vampires
with an utterly lost look upon his face. He reached the door and the security
figure allowed him to pass, staring curiously into his face just like everyone
else had.

Ron didn�t particularly realise
he was walking into the unknown, that he was walking into a maze of underground
tunnels and away from the two people that would have kept him safe. With a jolt
of his stomach he realised there was only one person that he wanted to keep him
safe, and that was Severus.

The air of the hallway was cool
on his skin and he slumped against the wall, looking dazedly at a couple
rutting against one another decadently a few metres away. They were too wrapped
up in one another to take any notice of him but Ron remembered Severus� advice
and quickly averted his eyes.

Maybe he went down to Bridgette�s flat? The little ray of hope
surged within Ron and he turned and hurried down the corridor heading for the stairwell
which would lead him down to the domestic residential levels of the coven. He
did not realise that his panic attack had caused the spell masking his scent to
weaken, or see the rutting couples� heads follow him as he passed.

***

Severus was drifting aimlessly
through the corridors of the coven, his hands shoved glumly and uncouthly into
the pockets of his trousers. His thoughts were on Ron, on his delicious little
Fire Imp, and how he might be faring amidst the crowd of vampires somewhere
above him.

There was nowhere he could not
walk within the underground warren and he felt the need to walk his legs long
and hard that night, to try and regain some sense of control over his emotions.
Talking to Bridgette had made him realise something she had already told him
before.

She said I would love him eventually and hinted there was little point
in me holding off� Severus turned a corner and entered the stairwell
heading downwards. But she isn�t me. She
doesn�t know how bloody hard it is for me to just trust, let alone love.

He did trust Ron, he knew.
There was surprising strength in that wiry body which he had not anticipated,
and emotion unsurpassed by anything he had seen before. Severus knew there were
not many men who could burn a letter from those whom he longed to hear of,
merely to protect the life he had begun to live clandestinely.

I am not sure that I could have done something such as that�
Severus swallowed and shook his hair back out of his eyes. And that he does all this for me makes me trust him.

He stepped off the stairs and
realised he was close to Bridgette�s flat. She would not mind if he retired
there for a while and took advantage of her whiskey collection.

However, as soon as he stepped
onto the residential floor all thoughts of a fine malt
flew from his mind as his body began to prickle with the sensation of danger.
And then a scent met his nose �a scent which should have been five floors above
and heavily masked.

His vampiric
instincts took over and his eyes flew wide.

***

�You�re a very pretty human,
aren�t you?� The female drawled, bringing her hand up
to hold Ron�s chin as her partner held him to the wall.

Ron was, to all intents and
purposes, frozen. There was a thigh in between his legs and teeth nipping at
his earlobe.

�What foolish person would leave a treat as delicious as you wandering these
dangerous halls alone?� the man breathed at him. �They must not care for you at
all� we would care for you��

�We would teach you pleasure
you�ve never dreamt of,� the female smiled dirtily and slid her hand down to
grope at his crotch. �And more.�

�Imagine the thought of two
vampires drinking from you at once,� the male spoke, causing Ron to shudder at
the threat in his tone. �Imagine how good that would feel, how hard you�d be�
come back to our room with us and we�ll give you whatever you want� in return
for what we want.�

The female chuckled and made to
add something to that, but was cut off by the sound of footsteps. Ron nearly
cried out in relief when he saw who had come to his rescue, though the look on
Severus� face was almost enough to still his pounding heart.

�Back off,� Severus hissed. �He
is mine.�

�Then you should not be so ridiculous as to leave your property wandering the
halls so early in the morning,� the man growled.

�I wasn�t aware this was a
school playground,� Severus spat. �Or that we were embroiled in a petty game��

�Finders keepers,� the man smirked, but Ron noticed how he stepped away. �Come
on, Marian� the brat has this fool�s scent all over him. It�s clear he�s been
claimed.�

�Shame, I should have liked to have seen him unravel for us,� she purred,
looped her arm around the man�s waist, and they stalked away.

Severus kept his wand pointing
at their backs but Ron couldn�t hold back the torrent of emotions �he launched
himself at Severus and sent him crashing into the corridor wall, luckily just
missing the door of a resident, stealing Severus� attention away from the
vampires who had latched onto his partner.

�Oh gods,� Ron choked, burying
his face into Severus� shoulder and clutching wildly at him.

�Did they hurt you?� Severus
frowned at Ron�s dramatic reaction �he knew that Ron would have been scared,
but not enough to provoke the fingernails almost ripping through his shirt.

�I thought you had left me,�
Ron breathed, face burning red. �I thought you�d fucked off and left me alone
here to die��

�What?� Severus blinked, and
turned, pressing Ron into the wall to gain a better look at his face.

Desperate hazel eyes met black
and Ron trembled beneath his hands.

�I just needed some air,�
Severus breathed. �You looked so happy with Christos I� I didn�t give a thought
to what my leaving would look like��

�Don�t,� Ron begged
desperately.

�Don�t what?� Severus was
beginning to grow dizzy with his confusion and the tightness of Ron�s arms.

�Don�t leave me,� Ron
whispered, and seized the front of Severus� shirt, dragging him into a messy
wet kiss which he quickly broke and begged Severus again with his eyes.

�I won�t,� Severus assured him with a quick kiss to his brow.

�I love you,� Ron breathed. �I
know you don�t believe me, Severus but� this is not me,� he gasped. �I don�t� I�m so unlike myself that I know
something pretty big has to be going on for me to bow to it.�

Severus stroked back the odd
blonde hair from Ron�s face and swallowed. �I know,� he whispered, his lips
barely moving around the words. �I know that you love me.�

Hearing those words were almost
as good as hearing his proclamation in return and Ron visibly sagged against
the wall, his eyes fluttering shut.

He nearly passed out when
Severus a pressed another warm kiss to his brow and said, very quietly, but undoubtedly
clearly, �I love you.�

Ron�s eyes flew open and he
looked deep within the onyx pools focused on him, searching for any hint of a
lie or a trick, but there was none to find.

Severus wanted to curse at his
own inability to control himself around the young man in his arms and was well
aware of the colour rising in his face as Ron scrutinised him.

�Do you mean that?�

Severus could only manage a
curt nod. Now it had been said he wasn�t going to pad it out with flowery
declarations and he was certain Ron was not stupid enough to ask for them. When
the blonde smiled at him tentatively, Severus knew he was right.

�I want to go home,� Ron
breathed suddenly.

�W-what?
You mean back to�?�

�No, I mean the flat,� Ron
clarified. �Our
home.�

�You think of it as our home?�
Severus asked him, hardly believing what he was hearing.

�Don�t make me say a load of
sentimental bullshit you�ll never forgive me for, or even believe,� Ron
pleaded. �Just take me home, look like you, Severus, and tell me you love me
again.�

�As long as you do the same,�
Severus whispered and kissed him gently.
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