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Don't Let The Whirlwind Pass By	By : starstruck86 Category: Harry Potter > Slash - Male/Male > Snape/Ron Views: 5611 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter, nor do I make any money from these writings.

Chapter List
- 3
- 4
- 5
A/N: Good morning all. Down to some gritty stuff in this
chapter (which is why I needed the comic distraction of �The Man Drawer� last
night, LOL!). I�ve added an extra content warning and will warn here too of
some abuse and frank talk of suicide.

Thank you for all your reviews on the last chapter:

Sheree �Vat of cheesecake? Om nom. Yum! Some cheesecake play
in here for you.

Kai �I�m glad the difference between Severus� character came
through well, I thought it was a good way to show his hang ups. But this
chapter� well, things they are a-changin�.

HairsprayX12 �they�re both stubborn. This cheesecake was
such a hit I had to include it in this chapter ;)

Seraphime �yay,
glad to see you again, lovely! Sorry about the addiction part, though. Truly
thrilled to see you back for more!

Daisyplayer �Hello! Thank you for
reading and your lovely compliments. Cheesecake� why, read on ;)

Talley �I�m glad you liked the Patronus change, I was a bit
wobbly over it but then I couldn�t resist implying Draco�s reaction to seeing
it. I have nothing against Draco, but I like writing him with that cocky edge
that he has here, it�s more fun. Severus does love him,
he�d just never admit it ;)

Abbi cee
�Ooh, glad the suspense has got you. But bomb, what bomb? *innocent whistle*

I�d say enjoy, but� well. This is another up and down
chapter �starts good, goes sour, and the pattern repeats until the end, which
is probably rather bittersweet. By the way, the planned chapters are now up to
7 in total. I don�t think there�ll be any more changes to that. xx

----

Severus walked quietly through the snow, hardly paying
attention where he was going. The destination was so firmly imprinted in his
mind that he didn�t even need to visualise his route, his feet simply took him
there. It left his mind free to consider what he had scarcely been able to
forget since the event had occurred.

God, nobody should
look like that covered in dessert� or taste that delectable� In his mind�s
eye he saw the long and ever-thin body stretched out on his floor in front of
the fire, an accompanying mouth open with pleasure as the mixture was licked
from the creamy flesh adorning the frame.

Funny how I should know the body of a man so intimately and yet I don�t
even know his middle name� The thought was unwelcome and he was surprised
at the ease with which he chased it away. Even the tread of his feet didn�t
seem as desolate as it usually did as he walked through the dark, quiet
yuletide streets in search of his paradise.

Because that�s not melodramatic at all� Severus didn�t know what else to be
when confronted with the incredibly lucid memory of the fact his first foray
into rimming had involved a large quantity of cheesecake and how very much he
had enjoyed it.

He buried his hands deeper inside
the pockets of the muggle coat he wore, keeping his eyes down on the cobbles as
he silently walked along them. He was cold but for some reason which he didn�t
care to examine for want of finding himself utterly absurd, it didn�t really
register. His mind replayed a scene and Severus made no effort to stop it.

�What do you mean; you�ve not had a bath in five years?�

�My flat doesn�t have one,� Ron said with an eye roll. �Just a shower��

Severus smoothed one hand down the naked back and cupped at the protruding
globes at the base.

�Well then�my wish is your command, I suppose.�

�My wish,� Ron answered provocatively, wrapping his arms around Severus
in turn, �Is for you to join me?�

The memory skipped forward then in
the eternal viewer of his mind and a minute smile crept over his lips. He was
so wrapped up in the recollection he didn�t appreciate that it was the first
time he had ever done such a thing en route to the brothel.

�Gods, so warm,� the redhead groaned, stretching out and sinking as far
down into the water as he could manage, not finding it too hard on account of
his slender nature. His entire body was submersed, right up to his earlobes,
his hair looking dip dyed in a stunning two-tone of dry fire and wet deepest
auburn.

�That is generally the purpose of hot water, yes, to be warm,� Severus
smirked at him, from the opposite end of the bath, trying to throw up his
sarcasm to mask the fact that it was the first time in his life he had ever
shared a bath with a lover, and he was rather aglow at the fact.

�Shut up and let me enjoy this,� Ron smiled, his eyes closed with a
happy sigh.

Severus watched. They�d had enough sex; after the cheesecake was
suitably disfigured, the entire bottle of wine drunk and enough of both
accidentally smushed into the rug, they were plenty
sated. And so he simply watched the peace steal across pale features, flushed
in the apples of the cheeks by the gloriously hot water. He sank down further
himself, hoping to achieve even just a sliver of the serenity the redhead
seemed to have attained, but he found he could not arrange himself comfortably
without nudging him. So Severus returned to his first position, his skin
screaming as the cold air of the bathroom replaced the heated blanket which it
had so briefly been blessed with. He looked, as a distraction, at the body he
could see sporadically through the bubbles in the water. Despite the man�s
thinness, there was tone and muscle, especially in his arms, his stomach like a
washboard nestled between obscenely slender hips. The thin line of red hair
trailing down from his navel to the wider patch of curls at his groin kept
Severus� dark eyes hooked as he gently guided the bubbles out of the way to see
more. The redhead�s eyes opened.

�You know, you don�t have to be so sneaky about it if you want to cop a
look, Severus�� he raised an eyebrow, before ducking down and throwing his head
under the water, emerging seconds later with rivulets pouring off his thick
hair.

Momentarily stunned, Severus simply stared before he could shepherd his
words into form. �Men gawk at you like a piece of meat every night� I thought
you might appreciate the subtle approach...�

Something flashed in the sapphire eyes and Severus would have given
almost anything to know exactly what. But then it was gone, the blush on Ron�s
cheeks deepened, and he gave Severus a small but ultimately grateful smile.

He was dragged from the heating
memory by the fact he turned into the lane which contained the man who he was
counting on to make his miserable Christmas day better. He had spent it alone,
rejecting Draco�s request for his company, preferring to curl up with the cat
and read, spurning the radio due to the inane Christmas cheer that insisted on
pumping through it. Severus knew, as he moved closer, that it had all been an
act, a stopgap until he could reach what he really
wanted.

And what Severus also knew was how
much he had agonised over that fact since he had seen Ron last. The redhead had
departed the morning after with a surprisingly warm kiss and embrace. Severus
had stood at the door and watched him down to the gate in the weak winter
sunlight drenching the fields surrounding his cottage. Both of them had smelt
the snow in the air, not that they bothered to comment on it. With gentle nod
of his head, Ron had turned into the spot and popped away, leaving Severus
leaning with a slight shiver against the doorframe, looking at the devoid patch of road where he had disappeared. It had taken
the cat to meow and complain about the cold before Severus returned to his
senses and re-entered the house.

Which felt inexplicably empty and cold
without him, which is absolutely idiotic.

Severus neared the steps to the
brothel and was about to set foot on them, waiting for the usual slam of
self-loathing, but found it neglected to come. What did, however, was a
barrelling dark form through the door, and Severus only just threw himself to
the side in time to prevent a collision. The figure paid him no heed and all
but jumped from three steps up. Turning slightly, Severus caught a whiff of rose
and vanilla on the air and stared at the retreating back. A secondary wave of
scent washed over him then and his lips turned into a frown, unable to place
the unpleasant odour. He made his way up the steps and slipped inside as
quietly as he ever had, but he found himself unable to bear the thought of
having to clear his arrival with the witch at the desk.

He raised his eyes and looked at
her. She fixed him with a false smile before speaking.

�You can head up, he�s free now,�
her voice was as polite as ever.

So it fucking ought to be with what I�m paying her for this,
supercilious bitch.

Thinking of which he reached into
his pocket and set down the galleon sack on the counter and turned without
another word, heading for the stairs. He found, once again, that the usual
battering of hatred did not come, and the guilt he felt at paying for the
redhead�s services was absent.

Because the other night you gave him peace and not a knut was exchanged? God, Severus,
how easily your conscience can be placated these days�

Severus thought on that as he
turned onto the second flight of steps. Was his conscience settled by the fact
that what they were sharing, at least on his behalf, appeared to be evolving
into something more than a man visiting a whore? A shiver ran down Severus�
spine at the word and was glad to see that his loathing of referring to Ron�s
official title hadn�t changed.

And he is a whore, you
cannot deny that fact� the sling of his hips, the way he walks, the way he
positions a glass in his hands� whoever trained him, trained him well.

Severus had never thought on that
much. Ron had told him that his dancer friend had showed him the ropes but
never elaborated on his past. He didn�t blame him �Severus wasn�t sure he would
be willing to share such information, surely wrought with embarrassment and
depravation, either.

He levelled onto the top landing
and sped up, his heart quickening with an excitement which should have made him
feel disgusted with himself. Even as he tried to force some hatred through his
veins, Severus found that he could not. He couldn�t make himself resent his
entry into the whorehouse, not when he knew what waited for him, the night of
pleasure and warmth.

Approaching the door, Severus
noticed that it was slightly ajar and a mental frown cut through his enthusiasm.
It had never been open before. The skin of his fingertips graced the doorknob
and the wood pushed back easily, but before he had even crossed the threshold
with the rest of his body, Severus knew something was wrong.

The scent of the room was out of
place. He found himself trying not to breathe it in as he recognised the
indistinguishable odour he had smelt coming off the retreating figure outside,
mingled in with the beautiful blend he had come to associate solely with Ron.
His eyes flew around, looking for the occupant of the dreary room. His stomach
turned when he saw him.

It wasn�t the fact that Ron was on
the bed on his entry which set his teeth on edge. It wasn�t that the room stank
of sex, meaning that the redhead had not, for whatever reason, performed his
usual handy spellwork between clients. No, what had
Severus propelling himself into the room, not caring whether the door shut
behind him, was the pained slump of the figure on the bed, and the way the usually
white sheets where splotched with hideous crimson in more places than he cared
to count.

He found himself at the side of
the bed before he had thought any more, and he took in the trembling limbs,
bleached skin somehow covered with the black robe he hated.

�I-I�m f-fine,� were the first
words out of Ron�s mouth, but he didn�t lift his eyes from where he had fixed
them on the mattress.

Severus took in the wand clenched
in his hand, the way the robe was barely onto his shoulders. Now that he had
the visual proof he knew the coppery scent in the air, on the departing man,
was blood.

He waited for the fury. He waited
for the need to reap vengeance to curl through his veins and take hold and
possess him. But all he had were hard breaths and clenching fingers.

�What did he do?� he ground out.

�Nothing,� Ron answered defiantly,
and lifted his head a little.

�It hardly looks like nothing,�
Severus sprang to life and managed to rip open the robe so that he could assess
the damage.

And what damage he saw made his gut
turn to ice. Bruises were already forming over the skin of Ron�s torso and
stomach. Severus reached out cold fingers and pried his chin up, revealing a
bleeding nose, battered face and heavy winces with the forced movement.

Severus had been waiting for the
anger. What he had not been expecting was to be thrown headfirst into painful
recollections he had fought to eviscerate from his memory for five years.
Images flashed through his mind�s eye of bashed bodies, the stench of blood,
sweat and abuse, the awful artwork made on stone floors from leftover crimson
pools before they were cleaned away.

The memories assaulted him and he
was highly surprised when he felt his legs weaken and his hand, still holding
up Ron�s chin, begin to tremble.

Ron moved then and Severus
instinctively stepped back, watching in disbelief as he staggered to his feet,
limbs tight with pain, and clutched onto one of the bedposts.

�This is� horrific,� was all
Severus could really say, still confused by his lack of rage. �You� you need to
lie down, Ron, and we-�

�No,� the voice was steely and
unnervingly determined. �No, just give me a minute, Severus, and I�ll be with
you.�

�You can�t be serious?� Severus
heard his own voice escalate to a terrified gasp. �You can�t mean to work like
this?�

�I can,� Ron�s voice was gravelly
and weak, but when he raised his head the set of his jaw and the look in his
eyes was firm.

�Well not with me you won�t,�
Severus declared flatly, one of his hands coming out to make a gesture which
clearly indicated that there was no deal. �No. Sit down, I�m going to go
downstairs and sort this out and then I�m taking you home.�

If Severus had been shocked by the
display of Ron�s strength up until that point it was inconsequential compared
to his dismay when the redhead reacted to the last part of the sentence.

The slender body forced upright
and fists clenched tightly by his side. The words, when they came, were almost
a shout. �No. Shut the door, Severus, give me five minutes and then I�ll give
you the fuck you paid for. Don�t
argue!�

�Don�t argue?� Severus spluttered.
�Are you fucking mad? You�ve been beaten to a bloody pulp and all you can think
of is that you want to work?�

He made for the door and actually
gasped when an iron tight grip landed around his upper arm and the pain made
his eyes sting. Severus turned and saw the desperation written all over the
pale, broken face and he tried hard to think of what motive Ron could possibly
have for stopping him, for wanting to pleasure another man that night.

The grip didn�t lessen when Ron
staggered, shaking his head and clearly trying to fight off the fog of
unconsciousness. He convulsively swallowed a few times and blinked, as if attempting
to rid an image hovering before his eyes. Severus saw Ron�s breathing become
steadily shallower and was appalled to see even more colour draining out of the
man�s skin, when he thought there had been none left.

�Ron, you need to lie down,� he
tried in a soothing, persuasive tone. �And you need to go home for the night.�

�No,� Ron spoke, looking to the
side, and at first Severus thought it was just a standard rejection. But then
Ron spoke again and the rest of Severus� innards joined his stomach in an ice
bath. �Harry, I�m not going with him.�

�What did you just say?� his eyes searched wildly over Ron�s face,
but the eyes were pointed off elsewhere, to the space where they had often
kissed goodbye, to the space where Severus had found Ron dancing strangely with
his friend. Maybe the place where that
piece of shit did this to him.

�C-Can�t you see him?� Severus
could see the fluttering of Ron�s eyelashes as he blinked. �Harry�s right
there� he�s� telling me to��

�What�s he telling you to do?�
Severus changed his tack, noticing how the grip on his arm slackened slightly. If
Ron was hallucinating then he was close to passing out, and if the Harry he was
seeing was telling him to go home, then maybe it could be used to an advantage.

�T-Telling me to trust you and go
with you, but I can�t,� the eyes closed then, and Ron�s body swayed.

Severus caught it almost
gracefully, as though the arc of his form through the air was planned. He tried
not to think of what damage he could be doing to Ron internally as he fought to
get him horizontal on the bed, flailing limp limbs proving a hindrance
considering Ron�s height. His body spilled onto the mattress, one arm flung
wide and the robe parted. Severus couldn�t believe the pain that Ron must have
gone through to obtain all of the injuries. Bending his head, Severus detected
shallow breathing swallowed the tiny amount of relief that gave him.

The stench of the room was
becoming overpowering, even though he knew that it only smelt as horrific to
him because of his past, and because of the burgeoning feelings he harboured
for the victim on the bed.

Pulling out his wand, Severus knew
what he was about to perform was a gross invasion of privacy, but he simply had
to know. He was suddenly driven by his thirst for knowledge and it was with
that need pulsing through his veins that he aimed the wand at the pitiful body
and muttered, �Legilimens.�

There was no resistance from the
tired mind and Severus closed his eyes as the man�s thoughts flooded his brain.
He tried respectfully to simply hunt for the thoughts he needed, suspecting
that they would not be far from the surface. No matter how many times he had
ploughed through the morass of other people�s memories, Severus had never liked
the sensation it evoked, the way it made his head swim with the converging
information or the guilt he felt at invading so brutally.

He felt pain then and stopped to
grab the nearest image and flinched when he found exactly what he had been
looking for. Severus fought down the wave of nausea at the scene as clear as a
muggle television in his mind; he couldn�t afford to jerk out of the damaged
mind so roughly to take care of physical reactions. He forced himself to pay
attention as he saw blows fall repeatedly and hard. He saw his warm, sensual
whore be thrown to the floorboards and kicked mercilessly in the gut. A flash
of silver and he saw the knife, explaining the blood. Only then, when the sharp
edge penetrated, did he realise that Ron�s mouth was open, he was clearly
screaming� but he was not, because there was no sound except from the man
hurting him.

Unable to stand any more, Severus
pushed out of the redhead�s mind and staggered against the wall, his wand
dropping out of his hand with a loud rattle as it landed on the floor.

He had never been able to mentally
cope with the Dark Lord�s love of torture and brutal punishment, even more so
when it was teamed with sexual abuse, though he sat and watched it because he
was expected to. But he realised that through all of that, the man he had
considered to be a demon had left his victims with a voice. Severus couldn�t
bear the cacophony of screaming when he was there. But what he had just seen
�the victimisation of someone who had had the ability of speech ripped from
them, their ability to protest; he realised he had stumbled upon a different
level of terror and cruelty committed by someone who found the actual
inflicting of damage the main event, rather than the terrified screams.

His eyes drifted to the body
slumped on the bed and immediately stooped for his wand again, springing to
life and thriving on his need to heal. His healing skills had always been
sufficiently high and he cast the first diagnostic, the one to check for
internal bleeding, without even really thinking about it. The haze poured from
his wand and settled over Ron�s body, the magic working whilst Severus thought
on his next actions.

Well, clearly he cannot remain here. He needs rest and more medical
attention� I should take him to the hospital but under the circumstances�

The haze remained green and
Severus was shocked, the blows had looked firm and absolute in Ron�s memory,
enough to severely damage. They certainly looked as though they had caused
enough pain to rupture organs. His eyes fell over the scar he�d not noticed
before, jagged and long over one hip. He choked back more vomit when he realised
that the blade had probably connected to bone and that Ron must have managed to
heal it in the changeover period between his clients.

And then the old emotion that
Severus had been waiting for, that he�d felt almost adrift without, stole over his body. Anger caused him to grip the handle
of his wand so tightly it creaked beneath his fingers and his lips curled into
a sneer. Without another thought for Ron�s words, his protests, he stormed from
the room, marshalling his vocabulary into the best battalion he could.

He was making too much noise, he
knew, as his feet clattered down the stairs of the establishment, knowing that
he might disturb the men working but not caring one iota. Severus landed in the
lobby in what might have been record time, even compared to the days where he
was so ashamed he left at almost a run. Taking a deep breath he reached up and
tucked one side of his hair behind his ear and moved to the woman at the desk
who looked up at him, her eyes widening slightly.

�Is there a problem, sir?�

�Yes, I�d say there�s a sizable
problem in the fact that the previous client has abused my-� he faltered, not
knowing what to call Ron and unable to say the word �whore�. �Abused your employee to the point where he has
passed out.�

The witch�s face coloured red,
Severus saw her eyes darken. �What�s happened?�

�Maltreatment in the form of
punching, kicking, knifing and what I assume was raping by the end,� he glared
at her, not exactly knowing why he was acting so hostilely when he had no idea
of what would happen next.

Perhaps he had subconsciously
sensed her reaction.

�I�ll kill him,� she hissed.

�What?� Severus demanded. �You
mean you�d chase down a-�

�I mean him,� she growled, chucking her head up at the ceiling. �Enough is
enough.�

�What on earth are you talking
about?�

The woman moved around the high
counter faster than he had anticipated, and she darted past him, moving for the
stairs.

�Enough is e-fucking-nough,� she snarled, and he saw
the wand rip out of her robes and was doused with horror that Ron�s reluctance
was more deep-seated than Severus had had the intelligence to realise, and with
very good reason. �I gave him one more chance,� the woman was almost yelling
with her anger. �I can�t have this when the Ministry are sniffing around, I
can�t have a fucking murder on my hands!�

Her feet were thudding on the
stairs and panic gripped him then, but before he moved to chase after her, his
eyes caught the night�s client sheet on the lowered part of the counter. He
knew not to touch �Ron had explained how everything was charmed to combust if
anyone other than staff touched it- but his eyes gave him the information he
needed to know. He located Ron�s sordid little slice of the sheet, and locked
the name written above his own slightly fraudulent alias, struck through on the
man�s departure but still recognisable, into his mind.

And then Severus turned and ran
hell for leather back up the stairs, his speed shocking him despite his age. It
had been five years since he�d had the need to properly run and he couldn�t
quite believe that he still had all of his breath when he arrived on the second
landing, just in time to hear the door of Ron�s room smack back into the wall.
He saw unassuming blue robes whipping through the doorframe.

�I�ve had enough!� he heard the
shriek. �I want you out, you�re sacked!�

He clipped the edge of the frame
as he darted into the room, his shoulder groused at the pain.

�P-Please,� Ron�s voice was
strained and full of begging which was horrendous to observe. �I�m sorry� I
tried but he��

�Removed his voice and I assume
his wand,� Severus filled in and the woman jumped and looked at him, clearly
shocked to find that he had followed her back up the stairs.

�Sir, please wait downstairs and I
will find someone else to attend to you,� she tried to force graciousness into
her tone but completely failed, due to the fury on her face directed at the
redhead.

�I do not want anybody further to �attend� to me,� he informed her in an
icy tone, taking a step closer to the bed, his fingers tightening on his wand.
�What I want is for this young man to
be safe.�

�Why?� The blunt question tumbled
from her lips before she could stop it. �He�s a suicidal little prick who does
this for fun.�

�No, he doesn�t,� Severus replied
with eerie calm.

�And what would you know about
it?� Her eyes glittered as they flicked over him, and then back to Ron on the
bed, who was blearily watching the exchange.

�I know enough.�

�And more reasons to get rid of
you keep crawling out of the woodwork,� she erupted, her hands thrown up in the
air. �I thought there was something odd going on for him to keep coming back so
frequently. Well, carrying on with clients out of hours is a breach of your
contract. Get out.�

�No, I can�t leave,� Ron groaned
pathetically. �Don�t��

�OUT.�

Severus was momentarily stunned by
the sheer volume which poured out of the petite figure, by the anger ripping up
her features. Once he was past his dismay, though, he quickly noticed that she
had trained her wand on the redhead.

�I suggest you desist,� Severus forced his voice to a low threat and raised his
own.

�Don�t be a fool,�
she laughed suddenly, throwing her head back and shaking it in disbelief.
�What�s he told you, hmm? That you�re the only one he cares about, that he�s in
love with you? A load of bollocks,
I�m afraid, and if your sort of intelligence level is all that�s needed for
Ministry job these days, I�m worried.�

�Shut your mouth,� Severus hissed
and advanced on her, his wand firmly pointed in front of him. �You have absolutely
no right to comment on the intellectual state of the government when you stand
there borne by filthy money you earn from whoring humanity. If the Ministry
fails on intelligence, you fall at the first hurdle on morals.�

�And yet, you�ve been on my books
for four years,� she threw at him with malice in her eyes. �Four years of
secret visits, and when your first whore killed himself, you bounced onto the
next without a bat of an eyelid� hmm� what does it say about you, and your
morals, Sir?�

�Severus, please�� Ron�s voice was
a whisper, but Severus ignored him.

�Those actions may not imply the
best of my nature,� he answered her coolly. �But this will. You are going to go
downstairs, and you�re going to collect everything you owe this man in payment.
And then you�re going to bring it up here and give it to me.�

�What makes you think I owe him
anything?�

�Call it intuition; I�ve worked
with your kind long enough to know how you function. How many months of pay do
you owe him?�

Severus was, as he had done with
Ron those times alone in the bedroom they currently stood in, playing on a
whim. He only had select information from Ron, but guessed from the state of
his flat, the lack of food and more that the so-called monetary benefits of his
job were only there when his employer decided to pass them on. It made Severus
sick to his stomach, considering what he had paid for that night alone would
probably have kept the man in rent, bills and food for a month.

�What else has he told you?� Her
face was cold and slightly ashen.

�More than enough to present a
decent case to the Ministry,� Severus threateningly arched an eyebrow. �And, if
you don�t leave to do as I request within ten seconds of me finishing this
sentence, come the morning of the twenty-seventh there will be a sizable
report, with evidence, sitting on a very important member of the Ministry�s
desk.�

�Blackmail?�
She stared at him defiantly, though her resolve was weakening and Severus knew
it, from the slackening of her mouth.

�I never said that everything I did here tonight would illustrate
the best of me,� he tilted his chin up.

He could see her mind working
through her options, even her eyes sizing him up. Severus wondered if she was
thinking on if the other men working for her there would come to her defence if
he attacked her. Perhaps she realised they would not, as she swallowed hard,
and without another word strode from the room.

Severus kept his grip tight on his
wand and kept his eyes on the door.

�Why?� the wail from the bed was
hollow. �Why, Severus, why did you fucking do that?�

The latter half of the question
was choked with tears and he had to steel himself against them.

�Were you hurt more tonight
because the man couldn�t have my slot?� Severus asked loudly, without turning
around. �Was this the man that had you the other night and paid more than me
for the privilege?�

�Severus��

�TELL ME!� His own voice rose to a
shout, rather rage-free compared to how they both knew he could usually bellow,
but still enough to frighten Ron into answering.

�Yeah� he was� mad��

Understatement of the sodding
year, Weasley. Sweet fucking Circe�s tits.

�Where are your things?� he asked
stiffly, looking around.

�Dresser,� Ron�s voice grew faint
again and when Severus directed the clothing onto his body with his wand, the
sapphire eyes were hidden tightly away. �My bag is��

Severus looked around and saw it
stowed carefully beneath the little table. He snatched up Ron�s cigarettes and
match box and placed them in the bag as he picked it up. Looking down into the
dark material he saw something which looked like wrapping paper. Frowning, but
not having any more time to investigate due to the footsteps on the landing, he
placed the bag on the bed and raised his wand at the open door. But the figure
that peered around the frame was not the sour faced witch who owned the
brothel, but a man who looked even younger than Ron, with blonde hair and grey
eyes. He reminded Severus starkly of Draco and he had to breathe deeply to
stave off the thoughts of his godson in such an occupation.

�What�s happening?� The voice was
quiet.

�Nothing,� Severus replied. �Get
out of here before she comes back and sees you.�

�Is he alright?� the man tried to
look past Severus� form to the bed.

�No, he�s not,� Severus shook his head. �None of you fucking are. Take my
advice and get the hell out of here, before this happens to you.�

�It won�t, though, he only gets in
this mess because he refuses the protection,� the blonde chewed on his lip.

�Well I�ve told him he�s an idiot
plenty of times,� Severus muttered, only just noticing that their visitor was
completely naked.

�So have we,� was the whispering
answer, and then there were footsteps on the stairs. �Everybody wants someone
like you,� he said finally, in a strange voice, and disappeared.

Everybody but Ron, Severus corrected him mentally. Any one of you would want saving like this
except him.

Heels clacked on the wood and the
woman appeared back. She didn�t deign to re-enter the room. She threw a sizable
pouch of money to Severus, who caught it deft hands.

�If I hear so much as one word
about you opening your mouth, now you�ve had that,� she motioned to the money,
�I warn you both, I�m a powerful woman. And there will be hell to pay. Just remember that before you spout your mouth
off, Snape.�

It was the first time she had ever
bothered to use his real name and Severus knew it was a calculated stab to
enforce her apparent power.

�Now, get out. Use the back
apparition point. I hope when he�s finished screwing you that you can see how worthless
he is.�

Severus acted in response to the
barb before he rationally considered it. Pushing the woman back into the wall
of the landing, his wand at her throat, Severus broke all of his rules of
etiquette.

�If he is worthless it is only because you have made him so in
your abuse of his body as your star attraction,� Severus growled, and
immediately stepped back. �Get out of my sight.�

The woman left without a second
glance and Severus walked quickly to the bed. �Come on, up, now.�

His words were edgy and Ron
understood the tone perfectly. If he had wanted to protest, Severus could tell
that the man simply didn�t have the energy to fight after the brutal abuse and
subsequent events. He shrunk the bag down enough so that it would fit in his
pocket and shoved it there, before bending down and placing one arm beneath
Ron�s arms, aiding him to stand up.

�Can you walk?� He asked quietly.

Ron tentatively shook his head and
Severus instantly charmed his body weightless before sweeping him up into his
arms.

He thought, as he moved much more
stealthily through the brothel to avoid unwanted attention, that
he would have liked to have been able to eschew the charm, to properly bear the
weight of the body he was carrying out of hell.

But then, as he saw the blank look
on Ron�s pale face, he guessed he would have more than enough weight to bear
when the redhead finally came out of his stupor.

***

Severus had never quite
appreciated how narrow the staircase was in his house until he tried to haul a
six foot two body up it. It wasn�t the weight which posed the problem, as he�d
successfully kept Ron weightless through the apparition. The problem came from
organising somewhat limp limbs around the bends and Ron was proving absolutely
no help at all.

The dead silence was what worried
Severus the most. In his arms Ron was awake and looking around, but he made no
effort to make Severus� climb easier and his lips were welded tightly together.
Laying him down on the side of the bed nearest to the door, Severus immediately
summoned the rudimentary healing kit he kept in the bathroom and spelled off
Ron�s clothes again. Even that failed to get a response.

He must be in shock and that explains the silence. Determined not
to let his fear of Ron�s quiet prevent him from healing the man, Severus
grabbed the first jar he laid hands on, which he began to rub over the
prominent bruising. There was a little hiss of pain from bloodless lips but
other than that Ron did nothing but breathe.

And even that is deadly quiet.

Liberally coating the bruised skin
with the unction in the jar, Severus worked quickly until the only part left to
touch was Ron�s face. With his wand he gently cleaned away the now-dried blood
leading from the long nose he was so used to, and sat nearer on the bed for a
better angle. Only then did the blue eyes look up and fix on him.

�I understand you must be in
shock,� Severus said quietly, and softly stroked the mixture onto Ron�s skin,
keeping his fingers delicate in their touch. He was barely even tracing his pads
over the bones outlining the sockets of Ron�s eyes; he was so desperate to be
gentle.

There was no answer but the eyes
kept on staring to the point where Severus had to wonder if Ron was seeing him
at all, if he�d not slipped off into a trance. Finished with the bruise healing
cream, Severus reached for a vial in the kit and uncorked it, lifting it to
Ron�s lips.

�What is it?� he finally spoke, but his voice was a low, resentful mutter.

�It�s just something for the
pain,� Severus nudged the glass closer. �Open your mouth.�

There was a sudden glitter in the
sapphires which immediately told Severus just how Ron was reacting to his
�rescue�.

�Please, Ron, don�t be obtuse,
you�re injured and you must let me mend you.�

�Why?� Ron reached up and
forcefully pushed Severus� hand away from his mouth, and he had to work hard
not to spill the potion.

�Because staying in this condition
when I can easily abate the pain is ridiculous,� Severus raised an eyebrow.

�Why did you have to do it?� Ron
asked again, his eyes narrowing. �Why, Severus?�

�What I can�t comprehend is why
you aren�t glad you�re out of there,� Severus swallowed. �You look like a punchbag and all she could care about was her infernal business.�

�That�s the point,� Ron hissed.
�Nobody cared there.�

�And why it was suicidal for you to remain. I know you saw that as your
ultimate goal, Ron, but I will make no apology for the way I acted this
evening.�

Severus was suddenly very tired,
and his shoulders slumped. His hand nearly tipped the potion out onto the duvet
in its laxity.

�And what about the other blokes,
could you apologise to them?� Ron�s voice dropped to a husky rumble. Severus
saw that his eyes were wet. �You said it yourself, Severus, nobody cares.
Nobody cared there, but me and my fucking unused potions. Now who are they
going to get them from? I was the only
one that gave a shit, Severus and now� now who�s going to fucking protect them when
she gets in a strop?�

Awkwardly swallowing on a dry
throat, Severus looked down at what he held. �My thoughts were only of you.�

Ron threw him a filthy look which
told him explicitly what he thought of Severus at that very moment and he was
loathe to admit it actually hurt.

�Open your mouth,� Severus forced
steel into his voice and raised his hand again.

�No, Snape, fuck off. I�ll be out
of here in the morning,� Ron muttered. �Don�t touch me.�

Whereas back in the brothel, it
seemed like Severus� rage had deserted him, in the relative normality of his
home he found it flowed easily and he reached forward and grabbed the redhead�s
nose, forcing his mouth to open instinctively. With one tip of his wrist, the
potion sailed down the back of Ron�s throat and he choked, face contorting with
disgust.

�Seriously, Snape, fuck off,� Ron
tried to push himself up into a sitting position but all it took was one
splayed hand on his chest and he was pinned to the bed, his weakened state
aiding Severus in holding him down.

�Listen to me,� Severus hissed. �I
did not just intimidate a woman so
you could waltz out of here and go and do God-knows-what to yourself. You will
stay here until I�m satisfied that monster didn�t hurt you any more than I
already know, do you understand me, Weasley?�

He threw on the harsh addition of
Ron�s last name to try and grab his attention �he wasn�t fool enough to try for
respect.

�No more potions,� Ron glared at
him.

�Yes, there will be more,� Severus
corrected him. �Because whilst you are perfectly content to let yourself writhe
in agony, I would prefer not to have such a painful soundtrack to my Christmas evening.�

Severus watched as the redhead
seemed to suck in all the energy he could, just like a gathering tornado, and
then he focussed it into trying to get up off the bed. Acting impulsively,
Severus had him immobile on the mattress before Ron could get the pads of his
feet on the floor. Jaws locked together, he could only glare in anger. Severus
nervously reached for another potion and pulled out the stopper. He looked
between Ron and the glass, knowing he was about to sedate him against his will.

It�s like an awful low-grade muggle horror movie where the evil, ugly
old man captures the young and beautiful hero and holds them captive�

He shivered and forced his hand to
stop trembling.

�This is for your own good, you need rest, and if you won�t let me heal you
awake then I�ll do it as you sleep.�

Even as he said it, he hated
himself. Moving up so that he half-kneeled next to Ron�s head, he removed the
immobiliser from the angry face, quickly opened his mouth and poured the
sleeping draught down his gullet. Choking slightly Ron just stared up at him.
Severus reached for the last vial.

�This strictly isn�t necessary but
I would rather not take risks, this will tend to any internal injuries you may
have sustained. None showed up in my scan but still, I feel uneasy and as I
know you will not go to the hospital, I want to be sure.�

�When did you scan me?� Ron�s
voice was quieter, and rather afraid.

�You passed out,� Severus lowered
his own voice in response, switching back to the honeyed,
soothing voice he had tried to tempt Ron with back in the brothel. �And I was
so worried I started scanning.�

�So nothing��

�Nothing,� Severus assured him,
though he knew the redhead would more likely be disappointed than relieved.
�You�ll be asleep within another minute, so here.�

He thought they might have made
progress as Ron�s jaw fell open and he obediently swallowed once more when
Severus� wrist tipped. Releasing the rest of his body, Severus helped the
increasingly sleepy man into his bed, pulling the duvet back so that he could
arrange him beneath it.

Eyelids which were healing closed
and Severus nearly let out a sigh of relief, but Ron spoke, his words a whisper
but damning all the same.

�I fucking hate you, Severus��

Ron�s words trailed off to quiet breath
and his head gave a shift on the pillow which indicated that the potion had
taken effect. Severus reached out a hand to brush the hair off Ron�s brow.

�Sweet Merlin�s�� he knew his
mouth was slightly open as he looked down, his hand still outstretched.

The approaching fingers had caused
Ron to throw up a shield around his body, one which was shimmery enough to see
but Severus knew he wouldn�t be able to penetrate. It was magic which one most
often found in the aftermath of combat, where the ambient magic of a witch or
wizard managed to protect them from enemy when they were injured. He reached
out his index finger and tried to broach the shield, but as he expected he
couldn�t touch any part of Ron�s body. The redhead didn�t even have his wand on
him.

His natural response to my help, it would seem: fuck off. Well, he said
as much.

Severus sighed and reached out for
the duvet, layering it gently over Ron�s body, though the shield prevented it
from touching him. He set it down anyway, simply to keep the heat in, and then
he moved the healing kit off the bed onto the dressing table. Only then did
Severus let the trembling overtake his hands. He reached up and dragged his
fingers back through long hair tangled by the wind, then placed his face in
them, the tips resting just beneath his tired eyes.

We should have been lying in a sweaty warm heap round about now� He
looked wistfully at the clock on the bedside table. He walked quietly from the
bedroom, even though there was no chance of Ron waking up with the amount of
sleeping draught he�d been given, and made his way back down the stairs. He
flicked the lights on, which he�d neglected to do in his haste to get Ron
resting, and shrugged out of his coat, hanging it on the hooks beside the door.

Everything seemed such a blur that
he was having trouble comprehending all of his actions. He wasn�t quite sure
how what should have been a merry little Christmas fucking session had been
turned into a rescue attempt with plenty of threats laced in. That reminded him
of Ron�s belongings and money in his coat pocket, and he retrieved them,
leaving them on the small table by the door for him to collect in the morning.

The thought of the morning had him
turning into the kitchen and putting the kettle on to boil.

How very English of you, Severus� a night like that and you�re reaching
for the teabags instead of the bottle.

He had to snort at his own mind�s
accurate assessment. But Severus failed to see how getting drunk with a hurt
man upstairs would be a sensible conclusion for the night. So instead he
methodically made his tea with milk and one sugar and held it in his hands, not
caring that the scalding water was stinging his skin through the cheap
craftsmanship. He hovered, not knowing where to go or what to do. Severus
settled for aimlessly wandering around the bottom floor of the house, drifting
from small room to small room, not really looking at anything, only thinking.

He�s already said he hates me for what I did� and the shield is valid
proof that he didn�t want to be rescued and he certainly didn�t want to be
healed of his injuries.

Nausea stole over Severus then,
replaying the horrific abuse in his mind again as he had seen it in Ron�s own.
He did not recognise the man by face or name, but he longed to hunt the
miserable excuse of a human being down and make him pay in kind.

Which is entirely the most logical thing to do,
isn�t it? He scowled in disgust at himself as he passed the hallway mirror
and moved to circling the sofa, keeping his ears open for any sounds of
distress above, even though he knew there wouldn�t be. The potion he had given
Ron was of his own making, and when he brewed he always laced his sleeping
draughts with a dash of dreamless sleep qualities. He thought that it stood to
reason that if one was having trouble sleeping in the first place then there
would probably be a decent excuse for not wanting nightmares when one finally
managed it.

Sinking down on the second to last
stair, Severus raised the mug to his lips and drank, the sugary liquid
comforting him even though it was still slightly too hot, and his tongue
burned.

Although he knew the road of the
morning would be hideous to travel, he couldn�t bring himself to regret anything he had done that evening. Everything
had gone so horribly wrong that just thinking about it made him tired.

I wonder just how paradoxical it makes my life that the first person I
have ever openly stuck up for, ever stuck my neck out for without an alternate
agenda, didn�t want it, or my help.

Severus groaned slightly thinking
of the fact that he had just forcedly drugged Ron into sleep, into remaining
with him, in his house �his bed, even, when he clearly didn�t want to.

Plenty would say that makes you every bit as foul as the repulsive
filth that abused him.

With that thought Severus got to
his feet again and reached out to flick off the lights. He didn�t have to look
down to recognise the warm brush of the cat against his ankles and he ducked to
pick her up, tucking her under his arm, and made his way back up the stairs.
Ron was exactly where he had been left, though he had sprawled slightly in his
sleep and his face had lost the tense expression.

�It�ll be back,� Severus muttered
bitterly to himself, but Artemis meowed in response. �Just what I need at the
moment,� he plopped her down on the bed next to Ron. �A cat
that talks back.�

He could see the shield still in
place from the shimmering glow around Ron�s face, so instead of heading for the
bed himself, Severus reached down to unlace his boots and changed into his
nightwear, non-descript black items which were thick and warm. Dragging a blanket
off the top shelf of his wardrobe, he threw it around his shoulders and
arranged himself on the large window sill, choosing to look out over the
snow-covered fields as opposed to the hostile if comatose redhead in his bed.

How in the name of all things magical did this even happen? Got to be
big to have you posing so melancholically on the fucking window sill�

The question almost made him laugh
and he busied himself by taking a mouthful of tea. It was true, since he had
first visited Ron everything seemed to have gone rather haywire in his life. He
had never had sex with anybody in his cottage until Ron. He had never felt so
comfortable with his sexuality before Ron. He had never so openly displayed his
protective nature until it was Ron that needed protecting.

Everything seemed to swirl inward
to the figure fast asleep on the mattress, the one who had claimed to hate him
as he had drifted off into a drug induced sleep.

Oh, Jesus. This is more complicated than I ever hoped life would be
again.

But Severus knew as he sat there,
looking at a fox creeping across untouched snow, that life would only be
complicated if he wanted it to be. He could wait for Ron to wake up in the
morning, feed him, clothe him, give him his belongings, and throw him out of
the front door. It was already certain he could never return to the brothel
again, anyway. There would be no reason for him to ever see Ronald Weasley
again if he didn�t want to.

He ruminated on that fact, fixing
his eyes down on the garden gate, aware that they would have taken on a gleam
as he tried to decide what he should do.

Boxing Day is hardly the time to throw the kid out in the road after
you�ve just lost him his job and possibly put him in danger from the old hag
that runs the place� after all your chivalry it would be a rather cruel slap in
the face for him.

Severus couldn�t help it; he
turned his head around and looked at Ron, and didn�t notice at first that the
shimmer was missing, or that the cat had curled up against his spine through
the duvet where he had turned onto his side. Severus was transfixed by the red
hair, pale skin �now nearly completely fixed by the paste he had used. He
didn�t suppose Ron would care that it was of his own creation and more advanced
than anything currently on the market for the healing of bruises.

He moved with purposeful slowness,
draining the rest of his tea mug as he went and setting it down by the alarm
clock. Ron didn�t move at all and Severus leant over him, wondering how he
should test if the shield would remain down.

Licking his lips, he held his
breath and aimed for Ron�s forehead, and almost moaned when his lips connected
to the warm skin and the shield stayed absent from their tender moment. Without
caring if he brought it back, Severus slid into the bed beneath the duvet and
wrapped his arms around Ron�s naked body, pulling him close.

Severus kissed his forehead again
and felt more relieved than he ever thought possible, knowing that he could
hold the man he had just rescued through the first night he could no longer
call himself the finest whore in the Knockturn district.
He reached back and flicked the lights off from the useful central switch next
to the bed, before settling once more against Ron�s hot skin, which was no
longer bruised.

And whether or not I agree with his position or what he was, it would
be idiotic to expect him to be happy about his fall from� Grace seemed the
wrong word with which to finish that sentence, but Severus didn�t know how to
do so without belittling the man he held tightly in his arms. He kissed his
forehead again and that time did not pull his lips away. He left them there and
closed his eyes, inhaling the vanilla and rose scent. The blood was gone but
there was still something sinister pervading the scent of Ron�s skin and he
wished he had the energy to reach for his wand to perform some basic cleaning
spells.

But his limbs felt like lead
against the soft mattress, which had probably been his only extravagance on
moving in. And Severus didn�t want to admit just how right Ron felt cradled in
his arms.

Fuck.

He let out a shaky breath. The
warm weight next to him only pushed him further towards sleep and his mind
filled with the hazy remnants of his rememberings of
their adventure with the cheesecake.

�Lick it off me�� Ron murmured provocatively, and brazenly buried his
face further into the sofa cushions, pushing his arse higher into the air. �You
know you want to, Severus��

Severus licked as instructed, his tongue curling along the heated flesh
whilst his nose brushed deeply within the spread crevasse. Ron�s moan was
enough to make him spill. He hadn�t even been touched.

�Fuck,� Severus muttered against
Ron�s brow, realising he had made his cock fill.

He lay there, willing away his
erection, when all of a sudden he had the feeling of being watched. The cat was
snoring; he could hear her over Ron�s gentle breaths next to him. So he found
himself at a loss as to where the sensation was coming from. His years as a spy
had taught him enough to know when he was under surveillance, but he was out of
practice on procuring the �who� part.

Heh. Maybe Ron wasn�t hallucinating. Well, if
you�re here, Potter, give me a sign.

Severus ignored the random creak
on the floorboard which sounded at that moment. He squeezed his eyes forcefully
shut and tightened his grip on Ron, trying desperately not to think of what
Harry Potter might be saying if he were indeed in the room, however dead, watching
Severus Snape cuddle up to his best friend�s drugged body.

***

Ron wasn�t entirely aware of where
he was. All he recognised was a tight grip about his waist, lips pressed to his
brow and an almost grovelling atmosphere surrounding him. He cracked open one
eye and found the room dark. He felt another warmth in
the small of his back but couldn�t imagine what it might be. The smell of the
bed and the body cleaving to him was comforting and he moaned a little in his
relaxation.

Something wasn�t right, but he
wasn�t going to fight to place it. He closed his eyes, inhaled the scent of tea
with almost a honey-sweet infusion, and fell back to sleep.

***

Standing waiting for the kettle to
boil again, Severus was looking out of the window. More snow had fallen during
the night and to anyone else the view might have looked rather idyllic. Even to
him, on a morning slightly better than the one which had broken, it would have
looked beautiful. But all he could think of �all he had thought of since his
eyes had opened to find Ron curled up against him- was how on earth he was
going to handle it when the redhead woke up.

And it was the issue of him waking
up that Severus was pondering over. It would be easy for him to give Ron
another dosage of the sleeping draught to ensure he was fully rested before
they had what seemed to be an inevitable confrontation over the events of the
previous night.

But drugging him again takes you one step closer to that evil image you
were wittering on about last night�

He looked at the bottle of potion
sitting on the side and glared at it as though it should be giving him the
answers. Next to it lay another that Ron might want, and Severus was more
tempted to try dosing him up with that before anything else �anti-depressant
potion.

The house was freezing and he�d
tried his best by lighting the main chimney and the tiny gas fire in the
bathroom but there was no doubt that it was bordering on arctic. Normally he
wouldn�t bother trying to warm it up but he kept forgetting that he was not
alone within the crooked walls of his cottage. He didn�t feel quite awake
enough to attempt a heating spell just yet so it was with the notion of waking
up in mind that he waited for the kettle to boil whilst his feet froze on the
kitchen tiles.

The night had been relatively uneventful after Severus had crawled
into bed alongside Ron and he�d woken up to find them both in exactly the same
position, the only difference being that Ron had formed his own grip around
Severus� body.

It was nice to have
somebody to wake up to like that, for a change�

The lonely thought drifted across his mind as he made his tea.

I can�t do it again.
He�s twenty-three, not a child, and I have no right in medicating him against
his will, because it�s not even for the benefit of his health now, like it was
last night.

And even then, Severus knew, it had been questionable.

Do it again and you�re
just� oh, what was that one where the lead character has a car accident and is
rescued by the maniac ex-nurse who ends up chopping his foot off? Runs a policeman�s
head over with the muggle lawnmower� oh� damn�

It was too early to be searching for the names of books read
long ago, Severus realised, and he retreated with his mug of tea back to the
sofa to try and warm up in front of the fire. The second his behind touched the
seat he heard the floorboards in the bedroom above creak and he almost groaned.
He didn�t feel ready to justify his actions, and deep in his heart Severus knew
he would never really be able to find any such rationalisations �because he was
still incredibly glad that Ron was free of obligation to the brothel.

He listened to the definite footsteps moving around the
ceiling and then heard the stairs creaking. Only with someone else there did he
realise the fact just how rickety everything was in the old building.

Severus purposefully kept his eyes on the mug of tea in his
hands and didn�t look up when the feet reached the bottom of the stairs. He
heard Ron moving quietly and then he noticed him drop the cat onto the sofa
next to him.

�Hey,� Ron�s voice was croaky.

�Morning,� Severus said quietly, and immediately felt
ridiculous, acting so humbled within his own home, as though speaking loudly
and offending the redhead would be the worst of his problems.

The sofa dipped as Ron sat down where Artemis had
immediately jumped off and Severus noticed that he had commandeered his
dressing gown.

�You�ll freeze,� Severus murmured.

Ron reached out a hand and tugged the mug of tea off him,
not particularly gently, and knocked it back to his lips, gulping hard.

That�d be the internal
healing potion making him dry�

Severus said nothing aloud and let
his cup of tea go where it was most needed. Ron swallowed with a gasp and
reached forward to set the mug on the coffee table. He leant back in his seat
and an uncomfortable silence fell between them. Severus noticed the way he then
wrapped his arms around his torso in exactly the same way he had in the
brothel, using the pretence of keeping the robe shut to hide the fact that he
was trying to hold himself together. Sapphire eyes were firmly fixed on the
fire and Severus didn�t know what he could say to make it better.

And, he might have moved on from his feelings last night, I might not
need to make it better� He knew he was fooling himself.

�I thought I might wake up and
find it had all been a dream,� Ron finally whispered, eyes falling shut. �I�
Severus� you lost me my job. Now what am I meant to do?�

Severus swallowed compulsively
�Look, Ron I� I didn�t know that when I went down there I would lose you your
job, you never even so much as hinted
that you were under threat of sacking.�

�Why would I have?� Ron protested. �Why on earth would I have told you?�

�Because you
trusted me?� Severus raised his eyebrows.

�No, and if I did any shred of
that�s gone now,� Ron flicked him a filthy look. �You had no right, Severus,
just like you had no right to bring me here, and heal me. I didn�t want to be
healed.�

�And you expected me to just leave
you?�

�Yes,� Ron shrugged simply. �I
want out, you know it. If you�d left me there it might have made the road a bit
shorter.�

�Well, I won�t apologise for
bringing you home, even if you lost your job because of it.�

�No, that�s right, because you
wanted me out of there the second you laid eyes on me,� Ron spat
contemptuously, his fists clenching.

�Will you hear me out for a
moment?� Severus asked quietly. �I have something to say.�

Ron shrugged but stayed quiet, not
looking at Severus at all.

�I� I spent years of my life
protecting someone only to find out that I had acted so that they might be
sacrificed at the opportune moment. I also spent years of my life watching
people die whom I had no chance of saving and as much as I am unfeeling, only
evil can watch that sort of cruelty and fail to be affected. Do you understand
why I can�t bear to see you sit there, a self-marked lamb for slaughter?�

�But it�s none of your business,�
Ron groaned, and he buried his face in his hands. �It�s not, Severus. You just�
I should� God, I just want to die, Severus.�

If Severus was already cold his
body dipped into minus degrees as the words filtered into the air of the living
room and hung with sapping profoundness.

He knew his next move had the
potential to be an unmitigated disaster. But, he needed to know just how serious the redhead was about
self-destruction before he decided on his next course of action. Pulling his
wand from the sleeve of his jumper, he summoned something from his private
stores and caught it deftly with his free hand. He knew Ron was watching him as
he leant forward and placed the vial next to the empty mug.

�Do you know what that is?� He asked
quietly, not looking at Ron, but at the vial, the clear liquid within it lit by
the fire behind the table.

�No,� Ron muttered.

�That is one of the strongest poisons
known to wizardkind that can be brewed,� Severus� words were brusque. �And all
it would take would be for one tiny little drop on your tongue, and you�d be
dead within the minute. Painlessly, for the most part.�

Severus let the words sink in
before he spoke again.

�If you truly want to die, then I
will not stop you. The poison is there, waiting. I can bury you here, nobody
would know, except me, and I doubt you care about my conscience in all of this.
Hell, if you need me to, I�ll pour it down your throat to spare you the trouble.
Your choice, Weasley.�

He finished and turned his head to
finally look at Ron, his eyebrows rising and holding there to leave the
invitation open. Severus focussed hard, watching the colour drain out of Ron�s
skin where it had crept back during his night of rest. Blue eyes had widened
and then Severus saw what he needed to observe, and knew that he had been correct.

Amongst the glittering blue he saw
ample fear supported by a healthy dose of telling horror at what was on offer
to him. Severus moved the wand and the bottle soared into his hand again, where
he banished it back from where he had summoned it. Ron�s face turned to him,
angry.

�Bring it back,� he hissed through
clenched teeth.

�You don�t want it, Ron,� Severus
said calmly, and leant back on the sofa feeling relieved.

�I do,� the voice grew a little
louder but it wasn�t hard to discern that it was balanced on feeble
foundations. �Bring it back and I�ll do it.�

�You should know me well enough by
now that I would never do that; your hesitation told me just how the situation stands.�
Severus assured him.

�Then what the fuck was the point
of all that?� Ron jumped up. �What the fuck are you playing at? And come on, a man can�t hesitate in deciding
whether to end his own life or not?!�

Severus got to his own feet and
was glad of their almost equal heights; it allowed him to feel every bit as
powerful as Ron.

�Because I needed to see how you would react confronted with a means to end
your suffering,� Severus answered him truthfully. �And if you can admit to me
that you weren�t scared, and horrified, by what I was offering you, I�ll bring
it straight back and you can be in the ground by noon.�

�You�re a bastard,� Ron choked out
then, and turned away, moving in front of the fire and pacing up and down. �I
just� why, why the fuck did it have to be you? Why couldn�t you be the bastard
we knew at school?�

�I am still that,� Severus assured
him. �I am a man who has just lost you your employment position, drugged you against
your will and offered to murder you. Do you really think, Weasley, that there�s
a sainted place in heaven in the offing for me?�

He raised an eyebrow and folded
his arms over his chest, waiting for Ron to answer him.

�Don�t forget that you used whores,
pretty sure that�s not going to do you any favours,� the reply was broken and
weak but it was minus the vitriol that Severus had expected. �You can put that
in the place of murder, we both know you wouldn�t kill me, even if I begged.�

Ron tripped back to the sofa and
threw himself down on it, drawing his legs up beneath him

�Would you have done it?� Ron
asked suddenly, looking up at him with gazing eyes. �If you were me, would you
have grabbed it and downed it?�

�I would not presume to put myself
in another man�s shoes,� Severus crouched down in front of him. �But Ron� come
on, do you see what I see? That you don�t truly want to die? If you have lived
in misery for so long, and want this to end as much as you say you do, I truly
believe you would have been on the bottle faster than� well. I know you loathe
me at the moment, and I understand that� but I need you to understand my
reasons for acting as I did.�

�I understand them,� Ron�s eyes
fluttered shut and he took what looked like a painful breath. �But I�ll never
forgive you.�

He seems to have a million and one different ways to say �I hate you�
and each hurts as much as the next. Jesus.

�I�m not asking for your
forgiveness, Ron,� Severus reached out and covered the large hands with his
own. �I�m just asking you not to die.�

�What do you want from me?� Ron
raised his chin. �What now? I�ve got no where to go to work, no income. The
reason I entered that fucking place is that, believe it or not, it was better than street walking, where any
fucker could grab you and drag you down an alley.�

�And you were so much safer in the whorehouse,� Severus� tone was rent with
sarcasm. �Or maybe you don�t quite remember how badly you were hurt?�

�I remember,� Ron murmured. �I always remember.�

Severus� legs were starting to
cramp up in their crouched position combined with the cold, but he didn�t want
to move from his supporting role.

�Last night,� he remembered
suddenly. �You managed to throw up a wandless shield
around your body��

�I�m sorry about that,� Ron raised
his chin then. �I� I know what I said as I fell asleep, and I�m sorry for that,
Severus. Whilst I hate what you did, I don�t hate you; you were only doing what you felt was right for me.�

�That�s a very mature reasoning,�
Severus� eyes fell down to the upholstery, his disappointment that Ron couldn�t
be even the slightest bit relieved evident in his tone.

�Come on, Sev,� Ron moaned gently.
�You couldn�t have thought I�d wake up and be glad that I�m out of there? Not
when it was my money, not when I watched over the other blokes?�

�But you didn�t have money,� Severus protested. �Not
until I threatened her for it.�

�I don�t remember much,� Ron
admitted. �I remember being back here, but before we left was a bit of a blur.�

�You passed out,� Severus said quietly.
�And I must confess something to you; if you are being so mature then I suppose
it would be prudent for me to be so as well. When you passed out on the bed I
performed a Legilimens on you to see the extent of the abuse. And for that
invasion of privacy, I must apologise.

�Its fine,� Ron answered, almost
warmly. �If our positions had been reversed, I suppose I would have done the
same. With the spell, I mean.�

�And not the
rest?� Severus looked up. �You wouldn�t have rescued me from that
hovel?�

Ron chewed at his lip thoughtfully
for a few moments, before giving a tiny shrug and whispering, �I don�t know.�

You do know, but you know telling me that will advertise the fact you
understand perfectly well why I acted as I did, why I feel like I do.

It was enough of an admission for
Severus anyway, however indirect, and he pushed himself upright with a wince at
the pain in his knees.

�So, just a second, then� do you not remember that you saw Harry, last night?�
he asked suddenly.

He watched colour burst into Ron�s
face and he saw the strong chin tuck down into his chest.

�I see him all the fucking time,�
Ron muttered. �I�m mad, I know, you don�t have to tell
me.�

�How long have you seen him?� Severus asked, his hand itching to reach out and
comfort.

�It�s not all the time, just when
I get really upset or when I�m really��

�What?� Severus had an inkling of
Ron�s answer.

�Injured,� he whispered.

�Well,� Severus moved to the side
of the sofa and looked down at the top of his auburn hair. �I don�t think you
are entirely mad. I think� last night in the bedroom I had the distinct
impression that somebody was watching us, and it wasn�t Artemis as she was
doing her hot water bottle impression on your spine.�

�Ohh, so
that�s what it was!� Ron almost smiled. �I woke up in the night, couldn�t
figure it out for the life of me. I knew you were there, from the smell, but
couldn�t place her. I was sort of out of it.�

�That would be the undesired healing and sleeping draughts I administered,�
Severus� cheeks had their own burning moment then.

�So you think he was there?� Ron
chewed his lip again.

�I did not see him if he was,�
Severus sighed. �But then I have never been particularly talented at dealing
with the paranormal. Even at Hogwarts, with the most obvious ghosts in the
world��

�I don�t see her,� Ron�s voice was
clouded with emotion as he spoke and Severus wondered what was coming next �Ron
had never talked about either Harry or Hermione in more than passing. �I don�t
see her and yet I� I loved her. And I was pretty sure that she loved me too. But its Harry that I see.�

�Well, you loved him too,� Severus reminded gently. �Even
if it was a different kind of love.�

�But why� I don�t get why he�s
watching over me, if he is. And it�s not all the time, so��

�Nobody knows the sort of deals
one can make after death, Ron,� Severus pointed out. �Or if the portal remains
open. Maybe he comes when he senses your need?�

Severus wondered how they had
ended up on the conversation of ghosts and life after death. All he knew was
that Ron�s shoulders had visibly slumped and his head was still hung in a
desolate way.

Moving to the back of the sofa,
Severus ducked down and threaded his arms around Ron�s torso, giving him a
rough yet warm squeeze. When Ron didn�t push him away Severus chanced to press
a kiss just beneath his ear. �Is there anything I can get you for breakfast? Or just�anything?�

�Can I use your bath?� Ron
murmured. �And more tea?�

�Of course,� Severus pulled off
him and used his wand to turn the kettle on to boil again. �Though I��

�You can come in and watch I�m not going to off myself,� Ron eased himself into
a standing position and stretched awkwardly. �And� seeing as you�re clearly
obsessed with healing, do you have anything for my muscles? They�re��

�Yes,� Severus answered, unable to
keep his small thrilled smile off his face that Ron was accepting his
medication.

Ron looked at him warily and
stepped around the sofa, his hips still moving whorishly beneath the dressing
gown and Severus had to look away. He also found himself having to ask.

�Ron� you� so did you work on the streets then, before you entered the brothel?
Is that how you started out?�

�For a while,� Ron confirmed. �But
I hated it. I was new to it and I didn�t know rules or limits� I guess now I
know that was because I didn�t want them,� he walked close to Severus. �But the
brothel, for all its faults, was safer for me.�

�And now?�
Severus� body had begun to tingle from their close proximity.

�Now I�m going to go and sleep
until I can�t sleep any more,� Ron whispered. �And then I�ll figure it out when
I wake up.�

He moved so fast that Severus had
no chance to stop the redhead as arms wrapped tightly around his torso. �I will
never forgive you, Severus, but I� I think I�m going
to need you. I�m not staying here, though.�

�You would be welcome to,� Severus
was loathing at the thought of Ron leaving when they had talked so frankly
about his suicidal tendencies not twenty minutes before. �You need someone to-�

�Take care of me?� Ron finished
for him. �No, Severus. Just let me be, alright?�

�Ron, just think about it,�
Severus murmured in his ear. �If you�re only going to sleep, you can do that
here.�

�I�m going home,� Ron said flatly. �And nothing you can say will stop me. You
could stop me physically, but I hope you�d know that would only fuck the
connection between us up even more?�

�There�s a connection?� Severus frowned.

�Of course there fucking is,
whether by nature or by your own forging, Severus, it�s obvious that there�s
something. Two people just don�t have this sort of thing without one. Even if the thing is the connection.�

�You�re not making much sense, Ron.�

�Well maybe I would if you hadn�t
doped me up on medicine.�

Severus stayed quiet even though
he could sense the light joke in Ron�s words. He held on a little tighter.
�Don�t leave just yet. Have your bath; I�ll sort out some potions for you. I��

�What?� Ron asked warily.

�Would you consent to something to
help your depression?�

�If it makes you happy,� Ron
shrugged.

�It would make me more than
happy,� Severus muttered. �But then I know you�re only agreeing because I have
no way of ensuring that you take them once you�ve left my house.�

�Clever man,� Ron pulled back and looked over Severus� face. �You�re tired.�

Severus rolled his eyes and said
nothing, causing Ron to reach up and brush back some
of his dark sleep-tangled hair from his forehead.

�You look rough because of me,�
Ron sighed. �And you didn�t even get your Christmas night fuck. All you got was
me mouthing off and that bitch threatening you��

�I thought you didn�t remember?�

�Hell, she�ll threaten anything if
it stands still long enough.�

�She was shocked that I�d followed
her up� she thought I was disgusted with you
over what had happened, and not the creep that did it.�

Ron shuddered then and Severus
shuddered in response.

�Chain revulsion, gotta love it,� Ron snorted. �He was a� I really hope she
doesn�t let him back on the books for someone else. I can say right now he�d�ve broken through any charms I had on me for protection.
Evil.�

Another shudder rippled through
his thin body and Severus wondered whether to tell Ron that he knew the man�s
name and was sorely tempted to take his revenge. Deciding against it, Severus
heard the kettle click off. �Come in here for a moment,� he nodded to the
kitchen.

Ron followed slowly but his eyes
darkened when he saw the sunshine yellow potion which Severus held in his hand.

�Make me content?� Severus
implored him, holding out the bottle.

�How much?�
Ron sighed, accepting it and pulling out the stopper.

�Just a tiny swig, it�s very
strong. Don�t drink it all or you�ll find yourself rather high.�

Ron swallowed with a slight grin, and
then replaced the stopper. �Where�s my stuff? I�ll stick it in now to keep you
off my back.�

�Hallway,� Severus kept his smile
back until he had turned away and was making the tea.

The morning hadn�t gone nearly as
badly as he had assumed it would, despite the hurtful barbs which Ron had
planted. Severus expected nothing less �after all, he had never been receptive
to people meddling in his personal affairs either, even though it was generally
only Albus that ever bothered, and nobody ever
won fighting back against Albus Dumbledore on a soul-healing mission.

�Well, we never got to actually
talking last night, so this is late,� Ron said from behind him, and then nudged
Severus on the arm.

�No, there were a lot of things
that we never got to do last night,� Severus found it hard to keep his tone
free of wistful longing; he had been so looking forward to their time together.
�You know, last night, on the way there� I actually managed a smile. Nor did I
feel like beating myself around the head for using such an establishment� oh��

Severus had turned halfway through
his confession and saw Ron holding something out to him.

�It was to make up for the
cheesecake, really,� Ron blushed a little. �Because I looked. Those things weren�t cheap and you let
me�well��

�Trust me,� Severus raised a hand
and placed it on his cheek. �What we used it for only made the cheesecake all
the more pleasurable. And you really, truly did not have to get me
anything.�� He indicated the wrapped gifts.
�Especially now that I know that the old hag was withholding your wages.�

�Well, she was,� Ron�s lips curved
into an almost impish smirk. �But she doesn�t know about the private tips I get
in the room. Didn�t, I should say.�

�I was meant to be tipping you?�
Severus raised his hand to his mouth in horror. �Christ, why did you never
say?�

�Well, if you�d been anybody else
I would have muttered what a tight bastard you were as soon as you were out of
the room,� Ron rolled his eyes. �But what we had� it was so different��

Ron trailed off and Severus found
himself looking into his blue eyes with no more words to say. The room seemed
to shrink around them as they stood, close but not touching, and the tea sat
forgotten on the worktop. Ron moved closer and suddenly he was kissing Severus
with dry, slightly roughened lips and his hands sprung up and framed his narrow
face between them.

Severus still had hold of the
gifts Ron had imparted and as such could only stand and be kissed as the
redhead moaned softly at him. They broke the liplock
but not the contact, their foreheads resting softly against one another and
eyes remained open.

Only when his heart seemed ready
to properly burst out of his ribcage did a sense of chastity come over Severus,
and he gently cleared his throat. �Your tea, and the
bath��

�Yeah,� Ron whispered, and then
reluctantly stepped back.

He disappeared to the bathroom
leaving Severus slightly dazed, still clutching onto the items in the festive
wrapping paper tighter than was safe for not knowing what they were. His
fingers were moulded around what seemed like glass, and he tilted it, hearing
the subtle slurp of liquid washing up and down. The other was a box.

Whiskey and chocolate� The wild guess was there and removing the
wrapping paper only confirmed his suspicions. There was a note on top of the
chocolates.

�I hope these are of suitable quality for your taste�.

Severus somehow remembered his
snotty indication on the last chocolate that had been involved between them.
The box was from an expensive Chocolatier in Diagon
Alley.

�You like?� Ron re-appeared.

�Well, I don�t particularly know
what to say� I am not versed in receiving gifts.�

�That�s sad,� Ron told him
bluntly.

�It is, isn�t it?� Severus heard
himself laugh, and he set the bottle and box down next to the forgotten tea. He
moved across the kitchen and smoothed his hands around Ron�s hips, dragging him
closer. �But I do believe that the most common form of acceptance revolves
around the words �thank you� and possibly an embrace��

Ron smiled at him as Severus
hugged him tightly, kissing into his hair.

�You�re welcome,� Ron whispered.

�I did bring you something but it
must be rather ruined by now, a somewhat feeble attempt at a portable Christmas
dinner.�

�If you made it, it wouldn�t have
been feeble,� Ron assured him. �You�re a good cook, I remember.�

Severus fell silent and tried not
to let on just how much he was enjoying their cuddle. There was no doubt that
it was one, either, when Ron�s hands arranged almost lovingly on his back and
the redhead shifted his weight between his feet to make himself more
comfortable in the hold.

�Shame last night never got to
happen as it should have,� he murmured morosely.

�Well,� Severus said quietly. �You
are welcome to stay, just for tonight, if you would like to re-schedule.�

�All that money, gone,� Ron
groaned. �I�m so sorry, Severus.�

�What on earth are you sorry for?�
Severus pulled back and looked at him in dismay.

�I know what you paid for last
night.�

�It isn�t important,� Severus
fixed him with a dark glare, just daring him to argue.

Ron flushed slightly, and then
nodded.

***

�What will you do now?� Severus
asked softly.

They were wrapped up in bed again
after Ron had used up all the hot water and the house seemingly point blank
refused to grow any warmer. Bed had been the only option, even though Severus
was surprised Ron had agreed to go with him. They were awkward at times, not
just in their speech but in their physical movements around each other.
Currently Severus lay flat on his back, one hand bent up to cradle his own
head, the other tangled with Ron�s on the mattress.
They touched no more than that one hand.

�Like I said,� Ron mumbled. �Sleep. For a long time, if I can. Being a whore isn�t
really conducive to normal sleeping hours.�

�You no longer have to call
yourself that,� Severus commented.

�I know that,� Ron�s voice
hardened. �But I��

�Hard to break a habit,� Severus pardoned him slightly. �And you were,
admittedly, so very good at what you did.�

�Do,� Ron corrected him gently.
�That�s not the only brothel in the world, Severus.�

�You plan to go elsewhere?�
Severus couldn�t help the annoyance filtering into his tone. �I rescue you from
one so you decide to find another?�

�It�s not� it�s not me being a
shit, I promise,� Ron squeezed his hand.

�Then tell me what the hell it
is��

�What else am I good for?� Ron
burst out. �I left school early, no NEWTs. I don�t
have any work experience. I don�t have anything but my body and my cock and�
stupid fucking vanilla and rose scented cards.�

�You are good for much more than
that,� Severus massaged firm circles on the back of Ron�s hand with his thumb.
�And you would find another job.�

�Like what?�

�Well, last time I checked nobody
needed NEWTs or a gold star in fucking to work behind
a bar, or in a restaurant.�

Ron said nothing.

�But then, they wouldn�t offer the
same level of punishment as another whorehouse, would they?� Severus asked
perceptively.

�No,� Ron sighed.

�You don�t need to punish
yourself. Have you ever considered, Ron, that if Harry is watching over you, then he wouldn�t approve of what you�re
doing? That he�d be absolutely livid, much like I was, to find you there?�

�Then he shouldn�t have fucking
left me, should he?� Ron answered bitterly. �At least you�re around to tell me
in person.�

�Have you ever talked about it,
Ron? What happened? Have you ever discussed how you feel?�

�No, and I don�t intend to start now,�
was the moody, abrupt answer and Severus let out a tiny sigh.

�I understand. I never spoke to
anybody, either. I had my moments of public grief but other than that� Believe me;
I do empathize with your silence.�

�Do you ever stop loving them?�

Severus considered his answer. �I
don�t know. I know personally up until my Patronus changed back to the form
which must have been my own, I didn�t.�

�Fuck,� Ron breathed, and rolled
over, releasing Severus� hand as he pulled away and curled into an impossibly
tiny ball, considering his size, facing away from him.

�But then your question�
are you referring to romantic love or� well, the love between friends?�

�Friends.�

Severus wondered why he had
bothered to make the distinction. He couldn�t imagine either loss being any
easier, especially if the party had never really known the love of a partner.

And he and Granger can�t have had much; they were barely able to remain
in the same room as one another in their sixth year� Severus didn�t even
know how he remembered that fact, that he�d paid that much attention to the
love affairs of Harry Potter�s friends. And
that�s all they ever were to you, his friends� nothing more than those who
followed him through thick and thin�

�I am sorry I�m of so little use
to you,� Severus coughed awkwardly to clear his throat, realising it was thick
with emotion he hadn�t felt building. �I have no practice in discussing grief.
I never bothered, not on the death of my father, my mother, or� Lily.�

He heard Ron�s breathing quiet with
the will to hear every single word that Severus might want to say, but the
dark-haired man suddenly found he could speak no more as pain blossomed in his
own chest. His eyes drifted over to the window where he saw it was snowing
again, and he took it as a welcome distraction, using the old tactic of
diversion to prevent himself from embarrassment.

Severus barely felt the mattress
dip as Ron�s light weight turned, but he was very aware when his face hovered
above him, looking down with concerned eyes.

�I�ve said it before,� Ron
whispered. �You�re broken, Severus.�

�As are you,� Severus kept his
eyes on the falling snow. �And you have far more reason to be. I am older, more
mature; I should know how to deal with such emotion by now.�

�You�re an idiot,� Ron told him frankly,
before sighing and settling himself down along Severus�s side, his head resting
on one shoulder, one leg draped between Severus� and his arm over the trim stomach.

Severus inhaled the untainted rose
and vanilla which wafted up from Ron�s washed hair. �Why do you smell so
delicious?� he muttered before he could stop himself.

�Well I do try,� Ron tilted his
head up to kiss gently at Severus� slightly stubbly jawline.
�Funny, I don�t think in all the years I�ve known you, Severus, I�ve ever seen
you anything other than immaculately shaved.�

�Well this is the real truth,�
Severus snorted. �Face unshaved, hair a veritable bird�s nest and body probably
smelling rather ripe, if truth be told.�

�You smell just fine,� Ron kissed
again. �And, if it helps, you look actually� the stubble is sort of sexy.�

�What do I smell of?� Severus
whispered.

�Don�t you know?� Ron asked.
�Nobody�s told you before?�

�Please, do fill me in on the
lovers you imagine me to have had,� Severus answered astringently.

�Have you never had a relationship
then?�

�There have been a few, but never� never beyond the awkward conversation over a
morning brew about the night before��

�Those weren�t relationships,� Ron
murmured softly.

�Thank you, for making my life sound bleaker than even I had imagined.�

�Sorry,� Ron flushed. �I mean� oh,
fuck.� He exhaled. �You smell of tea. Quite strong tea, like English Breakfast before you brew it. And then there�s something
sweeter, honey, I guess.�

�And that�s how you knew where you
were last night?�

�It�s a� well, trust me, you were
one of my most favourably fragranced clients.�

Severus laughed then, dragging the
hand out from beneath his head to brush the fiery fringe away from Ron�s eyes.

�And the kindest,� Ron continued,
his voice that low rumble which Severus recognised as one of his many hooks
into sex. �And the only one to ever bring me food.�

�The only one to ever lick
cheesecake from places unimaginable?� Severus raised an eyebrow.

�That too,� Ron assured him with a
small smile.

�I won�t go into the many things
that you have been the only one to provide me with,� Severus� voice dipped so
low it hurt his vocal chords to talk. �Only I will say thank you now.�

�You say that like this is some
kind of goodbye?�

�Is it not?� Severus worked up the
courage to turn his head back on the pillow and met Ron�s eyes as he rose up to
meet him. �Are you seriously telling me, Ron, that when I let you out of my
front door in the morning I�ll ever see you again? You�d come back to the man
who fucked everything up so royally for you?�

Ron surveyed him before answering,
and instead of speaking he met their lips together in a gentle kiss. �I can�t
change how I feel, Severus, about what you did. I feel so� lost, and that�s
only going to get worse. At least, with what you did, I now have enough money
to not have to push myself into anything straight away. I�m going to have some
time on my hands. And if you�ll let me, I�d quite like to fill that time� with
you. But I can�t promise what sort of state I�m going to be in.�

Severus reached up and threaded
his hands through fiery locks and massaged slightly. �For some reason that
thought doesn�t even make me worried, Ron. Only the thought of never hearing
from you, knowing of your safety� only that
makes me anxious at this point.�

�You really are an idiot,� Ron
breathed, his eyes fluttering shut as his head shook with disbelief. �I�m just
your whore, Severus, you don�t have to care.�

�No longer officially my whore,�
Severus reminded him and forced a kiss onto the plump lips, now healed by the
balm he had provided.

�But unofficially?� Ron raised an
eyebrow, his eyes opening to glitter slightly.

�Well� I�m sure we can come to
some arrangement which doesn�t involve money passing hands,� Severus swallowed.
�If it makes you feel better about the whole thing.�

�But you don�t need an
�arrangement�?� Ron questioned, seemingly holding his breath. �Even though you
know what I am, even though you know how many men have used me?�

�That only makes me more
determined to ensure that you have someone that makes you feel warm inside,� Severus
answered him, leaving out the last part of his sentence. �As you do for me.�

Ron studied him for a moment, then
sighed somewhat resignedly, and kissed him again whilst Severus was still trying
to recover from the way the blue eyes had cut straight through to his soul.
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Don't Let The Whirlwind Pass By