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Seraphim Beneath The Christmas Tree	By : starstruck86 Category: Harry Potter > Slash - Male/Male > Snape/Ron Views: 8943 -:- Recommendations : 1 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter nor do I make any money from these writings.

Chapter List
- 6
- 7
- 8
A/N: Wow, hey guys� so many reviews again. You really do
spoil me. *blush*

Fuschia Screams �I don�t know. I
seem to have a lovely group of people who spoil me with reviews. I can�t offer
up any more explanation than that.

Kai �yes, issues abound weren�t there. Not to worry though
;)

Sheree �Oh, you and your puns.
*sends out the wind tunnel alert*

Abbi cee
�you�re right, he probably does need that closure. It will come, but not yet.
For now, he�s getting there without it, read on� ;)

Davinci �Glad you liked the fight
scene, it was a challenge for me to write it as I�m not very well versed in
writing fighting like that. So I�m pleased it was well received.

Morganabythesea �Yes we all do! LOL. But I hope that Severus lives up to your expectations
in this chapter.

Tambrathegreat �thank you *blush*
I am worried about this chapter being a bit choppy as it has to show the time
progression� I hope it works as a suitable follow up to the last.

Seraphime �thank you! You�re
right, very fragile and hiding it the best he can up until that point. But it
did him good to lose it.

Lady Zombie �Hello, thanks for reading! I don�t think
Severus could be anything but� remembering essentially he isn�t particularly a
nice person. The snark serves as a welcome reminder�
this chapter will tell you how Ron feels about that!

hairsprayX12 �alright, come on then, what�s a Snoopy Dance
of Joy?

Talley �of course not! You actually made me very aware that
it wasn�t really clear, so thank you very much. I think you will find a lighter
Ron but not entirely sure of a stronger Severus� let me know what you think.

On with the show, eh? Sorry for the
length. Fingers of fury kicked in. Enjoy! x

-----

�I can�t believe I�ve already been here a week,� Ron took in
a deep gust of sea air, looking out over the crashing waves through the trees
making up the wooded area in which they were walking.

Severus said nothing and kept moving,
his own eyes trained down at the path beneath their feet. They were walking by
the coast and the weather was absolutely freezing if surprisingly sunny.

Ron shot him a nervous glance and closed his mouth. He had
indeed been in Scotland
a week and had found that staying with Severus for longer than one night at a
time was very different to leaving the next morning. Severus was not a morning
person, and Ron was still cringing about how he�d learnt that the hard way.

How the fuck was I
supposed to know he�s not good at waking up? Do I look psychic? He was fine all
the times I�ve been here before, and at mine� grrrrr�

�We should probably head back soon,� the quiet comment made
up the most amounts of words that Severus had spoken since they had left the
pub.

�Oh, sure�� Ron turned to him. �You�re being really quiet this
morning.�

�No more than usual,� Severus gave him a tight smile.

Ron just stared at him. �What?�

�I am not feeling my best.�

�Why the fuck did you come then?� Ron frowned, mouth falling open in
exasperation. �Severus, I�m twenty-seven,
not seven. I can look after myself for a day or five.�

Anger flared in the dark eyes and Ron winced that he�d
provoked it. Especially seeing as without Severus he didn�t really want to be
tramping the frozen countryside at all.

�I merely wanted to spend some time with you, however if my
presence is hindering your freedom, I will leave,� there was a definite sneer
in the tone and Ron surprised himself that he was actually pleased by it.

He looked at Severus, whose hair was loose and blowing in
the wind, at his pale face and dark eyes and was glad that man could still find
some contempt for him. Over the past week they had undoubtedly grown closer
than either of them had expected and their words, in the bedroom at least, had
become ever softer, beyond romantic and utterly unmanly. Ron knew that was
largely down to the protector role Severus seemed to have taken on over his
personage. Ron was all for being cared for, but he hated seeing the sarcastic
side of Severus lying in wait.

�Do what you want,� Ron shrugged. �I�m the one imposing on
your hospitality; you don�t have to follow me around like a loyal puppy.� With
that he shoved his hands in his pockets and walked further down the path,
listening to the way his boots crunched over the twigs.

There was silence behind him and he had absolutely no idea
if Severus was following him or not. He kept walking, unwilling to stop.

Over the seven days, Ron had come to realise that his
holiday was doing him every kind of good imaginable. He was resting and
allowing himself to think, which was good. He was eating properly, which was
also good. He had learned how to pull a pint properly, which had been
disastrous, and then fun when he got his cock-ups for free. But on top of all
of those things, Ron had realised that everyone who had told him he had been
hurting, and he needed to just stop
the merry-go-round and get off for a while, had been one hundred percent right.

Whether they would have been right without Severus� presence
in his life, Ron wasn�t sure. Nor was he completely convinced it was healthy
for him to have bounced straight up to his lover to help get over his eight
year relationship. But every time that he was kissed, or embraced, all the
thoughts were chased from his mind, he merely felt safe.

And he just has that
way of melting me with his eyes� not sure he�d like that if I ever said it.
Ron snorted at the thought of telling Severus Snape that his eyes were
scorching to his soul. It was only then that he heard the low voice which
announced that Severus had followed him.

�You know, there are plenty of anecdotes about finding one�s
own humour funny,� Severus muttered, catching up with him and falling into
step.

�Well, so what, at least I know I have one fan, eh?� Ron
winked.

Severus smiled and looked pointedly out at the sea. �Ah, I
think there�s a beach through there now.�

Ron turned immediately and started through the thick
brambles, searching out the best possible path.

�Don�t wait for anything as normal as a pathway, will you?�
Severus muttered tetchily.

Turning round and staring, Ron asked, �Problem?�

�You act on things as soon as they are put into your head,�
Severus frowned. �You are willing to rip your legs to shreds because you will
not wait and see if there is an easier route to reach your destination.�

Ron swallowed then and looked at the ground. �Heh, guess that�s the story of my life really, isn�t it?�

He turned back to the path and started along it, thinking on
Severus� words and how they had stung for no real reason. He knew he was impulsive
and he let his emotions �whether they be angry, happy or otherwise, rule his
actions. The last week alone would prove that without looking to the rest of
his life �storming to the training room, and then running to Severus without
really thinking about the situation first, not until it was too late to halt
the journey�

Guess things don�t
really change much, do they? For some reason he found himself once more
thrown headfirst into recollections of the past, to an argument in a tent, to a
shield charm separating from Harry, and then running, storming out to
disappear, convinced he was justified in his actions... and then the crushing
regret when he could no longer find his best friends again and he was forced to
return home like a dog with its tail in between his legs.

Severus looked at the redhead and saw the shift on his face,
in his eyes, which indicated the man had slipped into thoughts which were not
necessarily good for him. To that end he cast a quick look around them and on
finding no human presence, slipped his arm around Ron�s waist.

The touch in public made Ron jump and snap his head right to
look at Severus.

He never touches me in
public. He never touches me outside of the fucking living area of the pub.

�What are you doing?� Ron inched closer, loving the feel of
the warm weight about his waist.

�What does it look like I�m doing?� Severus ignored him and
kept walking. �Sometimes I really fear for your mentality, you do rather like
to question the obvious.�

�I rather fear for your personality
when you insist on making people feel like idiots,� Ron mumbled.

�Are we going to snipe at one another all afternoon? I must
confess if we are I will turn back now.�

�Who started the sniping?� Ron groaned. �You! Don�t
get pissy with me just because I don�t let you get
away with it.�

�Don�t be ridiculous.�

�You hate it,� Ron told him bluntly. �You hate that I don�t
back down from you. And I�m not going to, Severus.�

Severus said nothing and kept them walking.

�Oh, very mature, the silent treatment,� Ron snorted.
�Sometimes you�re just as immature as I am. Considering there are twenty years
between us it�s worrying.�

�You push your luck,� Severus growled.

�And you�ll do what?� Ron stopped and turned to face him
with a laugh on his face. �You�ll ignore me for a while and then crack at the
first instance I offer you a head massage or a kiss?�

�I am fairly confident I could ignore you during such offers
should I feel the need for overt shunning.�

�You and your fancy words,� Ron rolled his eyes. �Just say �I
want you to fuck off� if that�s what you want me to do Severus. Godric�� he
reached up and pushed his fringe out of his eyes. �I am having a great time being up here, Severus. And I
love this little verbal sparring thing we have going on when you�re not doing
your best mothering impression. But dancing around your moods is fucking hard
work.�

�You are an adult, you know not every relationship is full
of sunshine and rainbows,� Severus glared at him.

�Yeah, I�m aware of the fact,� Ron glared right back, then
turned away and stomped down the path again, wondering if sometimes Severus
forgot the reason that he was there at all.

Which isn�t really� it
isn�t his problem� Ron conceded and aimed a kick at a leafy patch in the
floor. Silence had fallen behind him again but he kept walking, noticing an
indent in the grass ahead, and with a tut of resignation Ron had to agree that
it would have been foolish to kick through the brambles when there was a path,
which he found as he walked it, led him down onto the rocky beach.

The wind was colder and he shivered as he picked his way
over the rocks to the shoreline, where the water angrily jumped against the wet
sand. A wave rolled in and the freezing spray sank into his jeans. He looked around
for some flat stones, and on collecting them retreated
to find a good skimming position.

The first he threw was moot and sank where it splashed and
he groaned, thinking of how badly his brothers would have ribbed him for that.
There was a little pang in his chest as he thought of them and not for the
first time he wondered how George was coping without him.

He�d Patronus if
anything was badly wrong, I told him he could contact me any time.

The second stone made it further into the steely grey but
was another flop. The third tried to bounce and didn�t quite make it. In
frustration Ron properly spun the last out of his wrist and watched as the
damned thing proceeded to bounce out three times before sinking.

�You got there in the end,� Severus� silky voice came from
nearby and Ron straightened, looking around for him.

Dressed all in black �god
forbid colour might kill him!- Severus was
watching him with his hands tucked up in his armpits, hair still blowing around
in the wind and his face was almost ghostly.

�I thought you�d gone back,� Ron said, colour flooding into
his cheeks.

�And leave you to fend for yourself?� Severus raised an eyebrow.

�I�m not a child.�

�I am not saying you are, I simply think whilst you are here
you would be better off with company than without.�

�And you?� Ron asked pointedly. �How about
you with all this buddy buddy companionship?�

Severus looked at him and Ron was surprised to see a small
smile curl up his lips. �I will not deny that having to make such an effort to
be sociable is hard work.�

�You call this sociable?� Ron grinned.

�Out of practice,� Severus excused himself.

�Not really... you�ve been seeing me for a while now. And
I�m pretty sociable.�

�When you are not wallowing in your self-pity.�

�Cor, the punches are really
rolling today, aren�t they?� Ron bent for another stone.

�If you wish to take them as such.�

Ron fell silent and gave up trying to decode the cryptic
words �he hated it when Severus got like this, saying everything in a way which
could have a million different meanings. In seven days he had already learned
to just shut up and not chase the ball when Severus threw it. It only annoyed
him and if anything it was really fun
to watch.

But to Ron�s disappointment Severus did not seem to be in
the mood for games, and simply sighed and turned away. Ron looked out at the
sea and wondered how cold it was.

A memory rolled into him then of being on holiday in Greece when he
was twenty-one with Hermione. It served as their first holiday away together and
the weather had been scorching. He remembered gaining the tan of his life which
obliterated all his freckles and made him look slightly dirty in a sun-kissed
way. The feeling of warm sand and warmer sea came back to him and he smiled. An
argument was playing out in his head about, of all things, skinny dipping.
Hermione had told him he was stupid and Ron had retorted �I didn�t live through
a war to not do anything because someone might think it was stupid�. Against
his better judgement, though, he�d been swayed by the sulky upset on her face
and neglected his plan, retreating instead to the shade of a tree whilst she
read.

�Are you listening to me?� Severus� voice cut through the
mental flashback and Ron jumped.

�Er, no.�

Severus blinked at him a few times. �Where on earth were
you? You were grinning like a lunatic.�

�Remembering a holiday to Greece, actually,� Ron scuffed his
boot against the sand.

�With Hermione?� Severus� tone was
laced with bitterness.

�Yeah� but it wasn�t� well. The sun and sea were a happy
memory, but what I was actually thinking about wasn�t.�

�What was that?�

�Ah, c�mon, don�t pretend you want to know,� Ron shot him a knowing look.

�If you wish to talk about it, I�ll listen.�

�It�s nothing� I just� we were on a beach, secluded like
this� heck of a lot warmer though. And I suggested that we could, as we were
alone, sort of have a swim with nothing on��

�I bet the locals just loved that��

�I wouldn�t know, Hermione stopped me from doing it, she
called me an idiot and told me if one of those scary fish that can swim up you
when you piss got me it was my own fault.�

�Well, I know we�re anti-Granger but I have to confess I
quite agree with her. There�s a time and a place for nudity.�

�But we were alone,� Ron groaned. �And it was so hot, and
gorgeous� the water felt like silk, I�m telling you.�

�Still, as I said.�

�The point was she stopped me,� Ron looked pensively out at
the water. �I let her words change my mind and I� guess that was just one time
among many in the eight years.�

�In a relationship I always assumed there should be
compromise, but it sounds like she went above and beyond that and demanded your
compliance.�

Ron hummed his agreement. �Or I let her do it.�

So what would I do if
he told me I was an idiot for skinny-dipping here?

He laughed out loud at the notion of plunging into the freezing North Sea. But he was absolutely sure that if Severus
told him he couldn�t do it, he would
do it just to prove he was nobody�s fool except his own.

�What�s funny?� Severus asked.

�I� hmm,� Ron turned to him with a calculative smile. �So am
I right in guessing you wouldn�t approve of skinny-dipping anywhere, Severus?�

�Absolutely right,� Severus eyed him suspiciously, as if he
sniffed the potential trap.

�You know,� Ron reached for the neckline of his coat. �I�m
feeling the need for a swim.�

Severus just stared at him with widened eyes and then shook
his head slowly. �You�re mad.�

�Maybe,� Ron shrugged off his coat and threw it onto the stones where it would
not get sandy. His hands flew to raise the hem of his jumper, revealing his
toned stomach to the cold beach.

�You�re serious?� Severus� mouth was slightly open.

�Deadly,� Ron gave him a wink and chucked his jumper on top of his coat.

�It�s fucking March!� Severus burst out, hands flying from the warm confines of
his armpits to gesture his disapproval.

�Aren�t you clever, you know how a calendar works,� Ron
snorted, trying to fight the shiver already pervading through him as he
unbuttoned his jeans.

�This is madness, stop right
now,� Severus� voice turned commanding.

�Or what?� Ron frowned, stepping
out of his jeans, trying not to think too hard about the fact that he was
standing nearly naked on a beach in temperatures still suited to February,
despite the sunshine. He bent for his boots.

�What are you trying to prove?� Severus demanded.

Ron kicked away his socks and turned to the sea. �What d�you
reckon, do I need underwear?�

Severus� lip twitched then and Ron thought he saw the
beginnings of a smile, but a particularly loud and icy wave splashed spray over
them and it disappeared. �You need to
put your clothes back on before you catch hypothermia, Weasley.�

�Oh so you�re last naming me to intimidate me into putting
my clothes back on?� Ron�s eyebrows rose into his hair and he shoved his
underwear down, letting his cock, small as it was chased away by the icy cold,
hang free. He stepped out of the boxers.

�You take one step
towards the water and I will-�

Ron took a very pointed sidestep and then something in
Severus obviously snapped.

�There is no need for this, idiot! Whatever you want to
believe this doesn�t prove anything.�

�Shut up,� Ron turned to the water and wondered if he had actually lost his
mind.

Could
have picked somewhere warmer.

�You cannot be
this fucking stupid!� Severus� voice was boiling with anger over the wind. �If
the shock hits you and freezes your body up, Weasley, I am not coming in after
you. I like life. I like the fucking warmth.�

Provided with the words he needed, Ron leapt forward and
kept going until he was waist deep in the water. It was beyond cold and when he
finally stopped moving the shock ripped through his body. A wave swelled around
him and he was aware of shrieking but he didn�t care. He kicked out his legs from
beneath him, grabbed his nose and disappeared beneath the undulating ice.

Yeah yeah yeah, cleansing bollocksy shite and all that� but fuck, it does feel like
that. He felt his hair plaster to his head and knew when he broke the
surface again he would instantly be hit with cold and so stayed down a little
longer, forcing his eyes open to look at what lay beneath the water. Eventually
the need for breath won out.

His first view was of the beach and he shook his hair out
madly with another obscenity shouted out at the cold which claimed him. And
then he laid eyes on Severus who looked caught between rage and shock.

Ron shivered and made his way closer to the shore again,
knowing just how ridiculous he was going to look tumbling out of the sea with
his cock shrivelled up in protest, but he was riding too high on the justice of
his point.

�I don�t have to listen any more,� he said with a gust of
breath.

�That much is obvious,� Severus� tone was just as icy as the
water had been.

�Hey,� Ron frowned. �Where are my clothes?� he whipped round
to look at Severus who slowly hooked up an eyebrow and shrugged. �You bastard,�
Ron growled, feeling the cold permeate his bones. �Give me back my clothes.�

�You wanted to be naked,� Severus slid his hands into his pockets nonchalantly.

�S-Severuss,� Ron�s teeth began to
chatter as the joke slid dangerously closer to the edge of unfunny.

�Hmm,� Severus looked at him. �You�re lucky,
I�ve heard certain body parts actually fall off at temperatures like this�� His
eyes fixated at Ron�s much diminished genitals.

�Alright, I get it,� Ron fumed. �Give me my stuff back.�

�No.�

�What do you mean no?� Ron cried. �For
fuck�s sake. What fucking big thing is it to you if I want to do
something mad like jump into the North Sea
naked? I can do what I want!�

�You�re a fool if you think I�m happy to stand back and
watch you push limits that have no need of being pushed!� Severus sprang to
life in front of him, the anger back again in his eyes. �You have been hurt,
Ron, but there is no need for inane actions to make yourself feel human.�

�I just�� Ron shuddered hard and wrapped his arms around
about himself. �Look, can we have this fight at the pub?�

�That would involve me giving your clothes back,� Severus
hissed.

�And what, you�re going let me stand here and catch my death
simply to make your point?� Ron
glared. �Shame, you know, I thought you quite liked my cock.�

Thinking he might about to be on the receiving end of a
punch, Ron flinched when Severus moved, but all that happened was a swift wave
of a wand, and then Ron found himself fully dressed, dry and with a continual
warmth rolling across his skin.

He lost himself in it for a moment, closing his eyes and
groaning slightly as his cock was enticed into growing to its usual dormant
proportion.

�Thank you,� he breathed, his eyes still closed.

When lips kissed his own he was surprised and took a step
back, but firm hands held him in place.

�I understand that you feel the need to prove to yourself
that you are yourself again, so that you can find the good in your relationship
ending,� Severus said softly in his ear. �But please, keep a lid on actions
like this. You have only forced me into acting like she did, and that will do
neither of us any good if you force us to assume those roles again. I will be
your liberator, Ron, but not like
that.�

Ron looked guiltily at the man and realised he had never
even thought of it like that. �Sorry.�

Another soft kiss was administered before Severus spoke again.
�But, then again, you didn�t stop when I kicked off about it��

�I won�t start doing it with everything,� Ron was quite sure
he knew where Severus was going with that sentence. �I promise. I just� you
know��

�Come on,� Severus tried to move away but Ron pulled him
close.

�Thank you,� he said simply, and kissed him again.

�For what?�

�Being a prickly bastard,� Ron grinned and hooked his hand
around Severus� neck and pulled him close for an even deeper kiss.

***

�Ungh, Severus�� Ron broke off in
a gasp, trying to extricate his chin from the tight grip in which it was held.
�What part of �I�m going for a bath now� don�t you understand?�

Severus answered him by sliding a slicked finger up his arse
and biting down on his collarbone.

�Oh fuck,� Ron
giggled, his breathy reactions aided by the four glasses of whiskey he�d drunk.

The finger cajoled his passage open and Ron bucked forward
into the hand suddenly tugging at his cock.

�This is far more satisfying than a bath,� Severus whispered
hotly in his ear and added a second finger, plunging them in to the hilt and creeping the tips softly back and forth.

�Oh godddddd,� Ron whimpered,
unable to force himself into moving despite the fact his hands were completely
free. �Severus if you� I�m going to come��

Severus licked the shell of his ear and grinned wickedly at
the shout his third finger drew from the redhead. He moved them back and forth
slowly, holding the steady pace as Ron thrust back to try and gain his pleasure
faster. Wrangling the cock outright from the auburn curls it rested on, Severus
let his wrist flip freely back and forth, wanking the
shaft with abandon, loving the way Ron�s cries escalated in his ears.

�Fuck me�� the begged whimper was like harmonic music and
Severus flipped him over then, so they faced each other.

Flushed sweaty skin and bright, glittering sapphires looked
up at him and his cock twitched at the very sight. Having already lubricated,
Severus grabbed Ron�s thighs and pushed them up to his body, exposing his crack
and deliciously stretched hole. Dragging ankles up onto his shoulders, Severus
grabbed the angry neglected erection prodding against Ron�s stomach and held it
before plunging balls deep in one move, grateful of the pillow Ron had somehow
had the sense to shove beneath his hips.

�Fuck yeah,� Ron choked, looking down and seeing thin
fingers wrapped around his cock and feeling the deep burning intrusion in his
backside. �So good, Severus��

Severus gave him a sweeping look from beneath dark eyelashes
and then committed himself to thrusting hard, pounding the tight passage
without restraint, He let go of the erection to wrap his hands around the
thighs trailing up his front for better leverage, feeling the strain in his
back and legs.

�Come on, fuck me harder�� Ron taunted and then was reduced
to gasping as Severus complied and hit hard over his prostate repeatedly. �Oh!
Oh� OH��

Severus looked down at him losing control and barely clung
onto it himself. Ron had not been lying on the first night they�d been together
�he was loud. But instead of finding
it embarrassing Severus drank in every single sound he could make, from the
desperate begs to the little gurgles of disbelief in his throat when the
pleasure spiked beyond what he expected.

�Going to�c-comAghfuck!�

The verbal warning was unnecessary due to the way his
stomach suddenly flooded with hot sticky liquid and Ron thrust hard down on
Severus� cock and squeezed, as usual bringing the impetus for his completion.

Ron watched through hazy eyes as the pale face adorned by
flushed cheeks contorted into an unflattering grimace with parted lips, a
positively filthy moan ghosting out of the sinful mouth as his ex-professor
pumped his come into his arse.

Unflattering if he saw
it, I just think it�s fucking hot�

Ron groaned as Severus pulled out and then dove down and
licked his come from his stomach.

�Oh, god, you�re filthy,� he muttered, rolling to try and
stop the tickling tongue on his skin.

�Tell me something I don�t know,� Severus imitated one of
Ron�s favourite retorts with precision and lifted off with a lick in Ron�s
navel.

***

In the middle of his second week Ron became far too aware of
the time slipping away fast. He didn�t mention it to Severus but he knew that
all too soon he would be boarding a train home and he wasn�t entirely sure that
he wanted to.

I like it here. It�s
easy. And the guy in the kitchen is an amazing cook.

Ron bit off another bite of the cake he was munching just to
prove his mind�s thought, and looked into the fire. Severus was in the bedroom
doing something for his cousin. He�d gotten snappy the last time Ron had
interrupted so he�d retreated to the living room to sulk and stare into the
fire moodily, but he found he didn�t really have the heart to be grumpy.

He�d had a good day, having decided to apparate back to Edinburgh for a look
around and a shop. Severus had neglected the opportunity to go with him and it
felt good to explore on his own and call the shots on his own day.

Not like Severus
really marshals me into anything� I just tend to go along with what he wants�

Ron knew that had been half his problem for eight years, that he had been too content to let his life be ruled
by another. He carried the acute awareness that it had to stop, that he could
not merely let Severus be his new controller, but it was hard to snap into the
independent mindset.

There had been an awkward moment on the Royal Mile where his
heart had leapt into his mouth because he caught sight of brown bushy hair and instantly
thought it was Hermione. There was no logical reason she should have been in Scotland but
the fear rose in him and rooted his feet to the floor. Of course, the woman had
turned around and been nothing like the one he had been due to marry.

The other marked improvement in his mindset was that along
with fear there was outright anger, and his thoughts were becoming increasingly
harsh towards the bookworm he had loved. He wasn�t churlish enough to wish her
ill, but he couldn�t help sneering when he thought of her face, her hair, her
faults and her quirks.

I knew I was fucking right, Severus has no fucking trouble in making me come�
He had never admitted to anybody that for the last year �the year she was fucking her boss- he reminded himself, Hermione
had increasingly struggled to bring him to completion, either through her own
lack of trying or through his lack of interest.

He hadn�t questioned his interest in her until he had seen
just how explosive his unions with Severus were. The first time he had blamed
it on her, on her touches being subpar, but Ron was really beginning to
question whether his own willingness was just as big a factor as anything else.

But I�m not going to
tell anyone else that, they�ll just say I�m blaming myself for what she did�

Ron swallowed the last mouthful of cake and brushed off his
hands. He got to his feet and quietly wandered over to the bedroom door and
leant against the frame, looking at Severus writing something at the desk. He
didn�t interrupt by speaking, but he ambled to the bed and laid down on his
front, pulling his pillow from the head of the bed and shoving it under his
chin. His feet rose up behind him and waved lazily in the air and he closed his
eyes, enjoying the peace and quiet.

And anyway, if she wants
to throw things in my face now, she�s the childish one. And
if she wants to get married to her new bloke, then bloody good luck to him.
I�m glad she�s off my hands.

Ron liked that he could wear whatever underwear he wanted.
He wondered how he�d become quite so whipped that he had let Hermione chose
what was most comfortable for his body.

I�m actually free� He
smiled serenely into the pillow and found himself feeling better than he had in
weeks. Taking a deep inhale he didn�t realise he�d let out a happy purr until
it was too late, and instead of disrupting the other occupant of the room even
more he just kept his eyes shut carried on sifting through his thoughts.

I think when I go home
it�ll be better� sure, she�ll piss me off� but� �A light feeling blossomed in his chest and his
placid smile turned into a beam.

�What are you so happy about?�

Severus� quiet question was heard first, but then Ron felt
him as he climbed onto the bed, pushed Ron�s legs down and then straddled
across his backside, pressing hands to his back and beginning to massage.

�I didn�t mean to interrupt you,� Ron apologised.

�I was finished, and this is your space too whilst you are
here, you need not worry about walking into the room whilst I�m working��

Ron just smiled further and rejoiced in the way Severus
worked out the tension in his lower back.

�Did you have a good time in the city?�

�Yeah, had a nice wander round the castle,� Ron shifted his
head on his arms. �And went shopping� Did you have a good day?�

�As simple a day as ever,� Severus leant down and kissed him
on the back of the head.

�I like your quiet life,� Ron whispered. �So
peaceful.�

�It is preferable with company.�

He can�t just say �I
like you being here�, can he? Noooo too fucking hard.

�Quite lonely by yourself, I
imagine�� Ron commented and finally opened his eyes.

�Mm, you could say that,� Severus sighed, and shifted off to
drop onto his back.

Rolling to face him, curling one arm up under his pillow and
resting the other hand on Severus� impossibly flat stomach, Ron focused his
eyes on the spread silky hair. He didn�t feel the need to speak but smiled when
one of Severus� hands laced into his own.

�You seem much calmer,� Severus turned to him, onyx eyes
sweeping over the contented countenance of Ron�s face.

�I feel much
calmer,� Ron breathed. �Everything is��

He faltered looking over Severus� very straight hair. It
glistened to the very tips and was flat even as it was splayed on the blanket.

�Does your hair ever curl?� Ron blurted suddenly, not taking
his eyes from it.

�Not to my knowledge,� Severus frowned.

�Fucking good.�

Severus raised an eyebrow but didn�t need an explanation. He
could remember Hermione Granger�s hair well enough without making Ron talk
about it. He rolled onto his side and engaged the redhead in a kiss, smoothing
his hand down over his arse.

�Mmm, yes please,� Ron laughed hopefully.

�I�m going to need a break to get over yours,� Severus
muttered and kissed him harder.

***

�Are you busy?�

The voice made Ron jump as he ducked back out of the closed
kitchen, having washing up his lunch plates. The speaker was Severus� cousin,
Helen, who had had never really talked to bar the few nights in the pub when
she had utilised him as a bar hand. He wasn�t particularly sure he liked her,
she never really spoke or smiled much but he had to wonder what he�d expected
�she was Severus� cousin, after all, and he himself wasn�t one for beaming
daily.

�No,� Ron shook his head and looked at her enquiringly.

�I need help moving some stuff back at the house,� she was
halfway out of the door. �Sev is useless at that stuff because he�s not healthy
enough to do the lifting, but you look like you�re in good shape?�

�Sure,� Ron shrugged �he certainly had nothing else planned
bar retreating upstairs to nibble at more biscuits and his gut and running
schedule would certainly be better off if he found something else to do.

�Brilliant,� her face relaxed into a true smile and she
waved him out of the door. �Don�t bother with a coat; you�ll be hot enough when
you start what I need help with.�

Ron followed and put his hands in his pockets, she closed
the door with a bang and he looked at it, wondering if he should nip back and
tell Severus where he was going.

�Ah, don�t worry about him, he�s stuck listening to a group
of elderly ramblers go on about their walking tour,� there was a slightly dark
grin on Helen�s face as she said that and Ron couldn�t help his little snort.

�Bet he�s engrossed.�

�Thrilled,� she led him along the village roads. �So. Are you enjoying your holiday?�

�Yeah, it�s great. Thank you again, for letting me stay.�

She waved her hand. �Sev rents from me, he can have who the
hell he wants to stay� though I can�t say I�m not surprised,� she turned dark eyes
on him.

Ron swallowed nervously and wondered, not for the first
time, quite how much Helen knew about him, about Severus and his past, about
what they were.

�I know,� she gave him a small smile. �How could I not? My
dad was Sev�s dad�s brother� and� well� news travels
fast. I�ve always known what Severus was, what Auntie Eileen was��

It was so odd to walk and hear someone talk about Severus�
family like that and he was suddenly bursting with questions.

�You�re younger than him, aren�t you?�

�You should never ask a lady her age,� she winked. �But yes,
I�m about seven years younger. I only remember Sev from when I was tiny as he
went to school four years after I was born� and then his dad died when he was
sixteen and we kind of lost track of them after that.�

�How did he get in contact with you?� Ron voiced the
question which he�d wanted to ask Severus but never quite worked up the balls.

�It was me that found him,� Helen raised her eyebrows. �By
chance, just after his� shall we call it an accident?�

�That down plays the role but yeah, it�s probably simplest,� Ron shrugged.

�I gave him my address and he did stay in contact, but not
until November did he come up here after I said about that fucking bastard
leaving me for that bitch in the Post Office,� she snarled at it as they walked
past.

�I�m sorry to hear about your break-up,� Ron offered.

�Ach, bastard was never good enough for me. Sorry to hear
about yours, too.�

�What has Severus told you about�?�

�The fact he�s got a twenty-something popping in and out of
his rooms?� She burst out laughing. �He�s not said anything. He�s Sev. But I kind of figured it out.�

Ron flushed and looked determinedly at the concrete.

�I must admit half the reason I asked you along was to find
out your intentions,� her voice turned subtly hard.

�My intentions?� Ron burned redder.
�I��

�I know you�re hurting,� she said in a no-nonsense tone
which reminded him of his eldest brother. �But he�s damaged, any fool can see
it. And if you�re only going to damage him further I�m going to rip your balls
off and feed them to my horses, do you understand me?�

�Understood,� Ron mumbled, running his tongue around the
inside of his teeth for something to do. It felt odd having someone to discuss
Severus with, because it was a secret at home and he wasn�t going to discuss
the man with him himself.

�You live a long way away,� she commented next. �Are you
planning to move closer to be near him?�

�I can�t,� Ron swallowed. �My job requires me to be close to
the capital.�

�But can�t your lot do that travelling thing?�

�We can, but I have to be ready to protect our� well,
government, at any moment, and that is based in the city.�

�So what about Sev, hmm?�

�We�ve agreed that I�ll keep travelling back and forth.�

�Sounds stupid to me,� she led him around the back of her
house towards the stables she had for the riding school. �You can�t keep this
up. One of you needs to move, and as he doesn�t seem willing to go back to your
society��

She looked at him pointedly.

�We�re working on it,� Ron assured her. �Hey Dave!� He
called to the horse that was half hanging out of his stable.

He had become better acquainted to the horse in his two
weeks in the north and was no longer scared to be around him.

�How about after you�ve finished helping me move the hay and
stuff I teach you how to ride him?� Helen asked, looking between the horse and
Ron.

�Uh, I don�t-�

�Come on, big burly wizard like you scared of a horse?� She
let one eyebrow rise in a manner remarkably reminiscent of Severus and he
almost laughed.

�No, I�m not scared, I just��

�Great, so that�s settled then,� she winked at him. �I�ll
even put some mattresses on the floor if it helps.�

�Ha bloody ha,� Ron chewed his lip looking nervously at the
horse.

�It was because you grabbed his mane,� Helen muttered as she
helped Ron through the back door to the pub. �How the hell would you like it if
someone yanked on your locks, eh?�

�I was falling,� Ron hissed, �I didn�t know what to do!�

�Well now you�ve got yourself a sprained ankle and a lovely
cut on your forehead� some bloody help you�re going to be��

They were cut off from their grumbling banter by a swift
movement to their left, which happened to be a somewhat scared looking Severus
taking in their form.

�Don�t mind him,� Helen shoved Ron against the stairs. �He�s
a fucking klutz.�

�Ron-� Severus� voice was urgent.

�I know,� Ron muttered, his fingers flying to his forehead
where the cut was still bleeding.

�No, listen, Ron there�s-�

�Clean him up, I need a drink,� Helen instructed.

�Look,� Severus hissed loudly. �I� had to get the chef to
take over out there,� he jerked his head towards the bar.

�What, why?� Helen frowned. �Who�s cooking then?�

�Nobody,� Severus groaned and raised his hands up to his
temples. �Ron, you need to sort yourself out and go outside. There�s a wizard
in the pub, I think. Maybe an Auror?�

�What?� Ron gasped, the colour lurching out of his face. �Who? Not Harry, did he see you? Oh my
God!�

�I know,� Severus growled. �It�s not Harry, I�ve never seen
them before.�

�Did they get a good look at you?� Ron�s voice wobbled as he realised quite how
stupid he had been.

Of course his magic, which admittedly he had not used much
of in the two weeks he had been there, might have set off the sensor which had
led him to Severus in the very first instance.

Fuck and damn this all
to hell and back. Nothing�s easy, nothing will let us fucking be!

�Plan,� he said instantly. �Helen, help me out to the front,
make a fuss of my injury. They�ll recognise me if they�re an Auror, I�m senior,
and they�ll probably be all over me. I will get close and Obliviate any
memories I find of you out of his mind.�

�You can�t do that,� Severus was shocked. �Ron, you can�t
alter someone�s memory, you could lose your job!�

�Hell, Severus, they find out I�ve been seeing you for three
months they�ll probably give me the sack anyway,� Ron shrugged. �I�ve been so�
oh god, WHY, why didn�t I go and disable the fucking sensor?!�

Severus looked at him, half-angry and half-scared witless
and shook his head. He worriedly folded his arms over his chest and smoothed
his hand over his mouth, leaning against the wall. �I think we were lucky, I
saw him first and turned straight around. The only thing he probably saw was my
back.�

�One body part too much,� Ron sighed. �I want you safe. Come
on, Helen.�

�Please don�t do it unless you have to��

Ron ignored him and winced as he had to put his weight on
his already bruising ankle.

�Well there goes your horse riding holiday,� Helen played
her part admirably as she steered Ron through the door into front of house.

�I know,� Ron groaned, casting his eyes about the pub to see
quite who had been sent to investigate the reoccurring magic.

Relief flooded his body as he saw it was a Junior who was just finishing up their pint.

�Ron, is that you?� There was true surprise in the voice and
Ron instantly knew Severus was safe from the smiling notion of the man�s face.

�Hey Pat, what�re you doing here?�

The Auror threw Helen a nervous look and she took the hint
and walked away as Ron lowered into a chair. The Junior
took the seat opposite from him and looked worriedly at the cut on his
forehead.

�Never go on holiday to the country,� Ron gave him an
exasperated look. �It�s just dangerous.�

�What happened?�

�Horse,� Ron made a face. �Please don�t tell anybody at work
that.�

The man snorted and said. �Oh well now I know it�s you I can
go home again. Really is the back end of nowhere this, isn�t it?�

�Nice though,� Ron amended. �Why were you here?�

�Picked up some unexplained activity, but, well�� he waved a hand at Ron. �Explained. As long as you�re being careful I won�t even
bother to file a report.�

�Of course,� Ron lowered his voice. �I am always careful.�

Not
nearly fucking careful enough you fucking lunatic. Honestly, what a tool.

�So quiet, I�ve not seen another soul,� Pat got back to his
feet again and stretched. �Glad I�ve found you to be honest, going out for
drinks tonight and didn�t want to be late.�

�Good to see you, I�ll see you again when I�m back,� Ron
gave him a smile.

�I�m sorry about what happened mate, I saw the recording of
your fight in the room �fucking amazing.�

�Kings was right to sign me off,� Ron sighed. �But look, can
you do me a favour? I�m hiding from my family� wanted peace and quiet from
everyone. Do me a massive favour and not tell anyone where I am and I�ll buy
you a pint or three when I�m back?�

�Done,� Pat grinned. �You look really, really well, if you
don�t mind me saying. Apart from the horse injury.�

�You can laugh,� Ron rolled his eyes. �Get out of here.�

�See you soon. Enjoy the rest, �kay?�

Ron watched him leave the pub and then flew out of his chair
to watch him through the pub window. He disappeared behind the memorial and
popped out of sight. Ron breathed a huge sigh of relief.

�Alright?� Helen asked, watching
him wobble on his painful ankle.

�He�s gone, he didn�t know anything. Nobody in our world would be able to see
him and not comment on it, trust me.�

Ron said no more but limped his way into the back, but
Severus was nowhere to be found, so he awkwardly made his way up the stairs and
saw that the bedroom door was shut. It was never shut. Feeling a hideous sense
of foreboding, he knocked gently on the door and called out.

�If you know what is good for you, go away,� the muffled reply came and Ron
frowned, heart sinking that Severus had shut himself away.

Two weeks with the man had told him a lot about him. An open
challenge provoked him, an open disagreement riled him and blind devotion
invoked madness. So Ron turned away and sat down on the sofa to do as Severus
asked, knowing it would likely draw him out of the room. He put his ankle up on
the coffee table and pulled out his wand to cast a sweep for broken bones, of
which there proved none, because the entirety of his ankle stayed green before
the haze faded.

Well, that�s something
at least. Fuck me, I�m an idiot. Idiot idiot
idiot.

He levitated the mirror out of the bathroom and caught it,
positioning the glass so he could see the cut on his forehead.

�For fuck�s sake,� he muttered, seeing the gash which had
matted his hair with blood. He pushed it back and saw that the majority of the
cut had already scabbed. He jabbed his wand at it and hissed through the
antiseptic spell working its way through the wound, feeling the skin tighten
again. Then he poised the tip of the wand at the end of the cut, let his magic
surge through his arm and uttered the healing incantation, dragging it along to
form a well-healed pink scar.

�Did you just heal your own head?� Severus� voice was quiet
from the doorway and Ron�s eyes snapped up and saw him ashen faced, looking
slightly sick.

�Yeah,� Ron shrugged as he cleaned the blood out of his hair.
�I had training for work. To be honest, I prefer to heal myself than let
anybody else at me with their wand� I still remember Gilderoy
Lockhart and Harry�s arm in second year.�

�Ah, he was a ponce of the highest
kind,� Severus looked at the fire and smiled slightly, some of the colour
returning to his cheeks.

�I feel kind of guilty about what happened to him� it was
meant for me,� Ron set the mirror and his wand down.

�And that is why you are entirely too big hearted,� Severus
sighed and walked over to sit down beside him.

�The Auror was only a Junior,� Ron
assured him. �And he had no idea. And he�s not filing a report, and he�s not
telling anybody where I am.�

�They could always Legilimens him to find out,� Severus
muttered.

�Well, Severus, if someone was that desperate to find me
they�d be able to trace me. I had to pay for my train tickets with a card
because it was so fucking extortionate� and I bought items in Edinburgh the other day, it would be very
easy for someone to trace me if they were looking.�

�That does not help.�

�It�s not meant to be helpful, I�m just saying,� Ron
shrugged. �You� look. Would you like me to go? If I�m gone, then the Ministry
is gone too.�

Severus had grabbed his hand quicker than Ron thought it was
possible for the man to even move.

�No, you�re staying with me till the absolute last second
that I have to let you go.�

The fervency in the words sent Ron reeling and his breath
caught in his throat. A glance sideways told him Severus was glaring at him
with glittering eyes.

�Okay,� Ron nodded. �If that�s what you want� you want me��

�I do,� Severus spoke softly, and then he blushed and looked
away.

�I�m glad to hear that,� Ron bit into his lip nervously. �I
want you, as well.�

�So� are we��

�What?� Ron swallowed.

With the sort of sigh one attributed to the weight of
finding Voldemort banging on the door, Severus looked down in his lap. �The
fact that we want each other does not change our logistical difficulties.�

�I know that,� Ron turned to him. �But this isn�t� I think if
we want this to work, we�re going to have to forget the �difficulties�.�

�How do you propose we do that?� Severus chucked Ron�s hand
aside and got up to pace in front of the fire. �I am meant to be dead. You are
a Senior Auror and a highly honoured War Veteran. All it takes is one reporter
sniffing around and my secret is out.�

�Would it� Severus� would it really be
such a bad thing if it was out?� Ron looked at him questioningly. �Don�t bite
my head off; just tell me why you�re
so scared of being found. You know you�re not headed for Azkaban.�

Severus gave him a long hard look and then said, �I suppose
I don�t really believe all of those good things would have happened to my name
if my body had been alive to accompany it. After all this time, with my magic
not fully up to scratch� I would not last five seconds in that hell hole, and I didn�t stay alive for eight years to be caught
and die there.�

�Well, I get that Severus� but Harry would fight.�

�I don�t want Potter to fight for me!� Severus hissed. �I thought
we made this clear on our very first night together? I never asked him to try
and canonise me.�

�Anyone who has heard you on a rant knows you are far from
saintly, Severus,� Ron smirked.

�Be serious. Today could have been an unmitigated disaster for
us both. I have told you, I do not want back in on your world, Ron. I cannot
even consider it for the changes it would reverse, changes I freely embraced
eight years ago.�

�Both?� Ron frowned. �Why me? What
would me being discovered here with you do?�

�Well, for starters, I�d imagine your job would go down the
pan, plus then you would be outed to the wizarding
world and your family��

�My family haven�t got anything to do with it,� Ron said
firmly. �If they didn�t approve they could shut up and hold their tongues. And
do you know what I�d say to make them do it, Severus?� he got to his feet and
walked close to him.

�What?� Severus� voice trembled slightly with the question.

�I�d say they all approved of Hermione, and to look how that
fucking turned out.�

Silence permeated the room and the only sounds were their
breathing, the fire crackling and one of the rats having a scratch in their
cage.

��And so you�d be
willing to announce your newfound sexuality to the wizarding world if someone
found us?�

�Yeah,� Ron shrugged. �People are gay, bisexual all the
time. Hell, it came out about Dumbledore.�

Severus� eyes flew wide. �They outed Dumbledore?�

�You knew?� Ron smirked.

�Of course I bloody knew -how does one man have a library of
knitting patterns and his own colour coded wardrobe and not be a flagrant homosexual?�

Ron choked on his laughter. �Oh� oh�� he was laughing too
hard to get his words out. �You� ah� fuck it Severus.�

�I spent a week clearing out that office of everything
belonging to the man,� Severus had a smile on his face. �The things I found.�

�Don�t want to know,� Ron put his hands up, still laughing.
�Look, Severus� I don�t know what we have, I don�t
know what we are� though I�m kind of interested to see what�ll happen when I
say you�re my �boyfriend��

�At forty-seven don�t you think that is a little��

�Well I�ve been referring to you as my lover in my head for
ages,� Ron shrugged. �Which you are.�

�Except that we do not love each other,� Severus rolled his
eyes and then flushed a little and looked away, which Ron didn�t miss but chose
not to highlight on the possible meaning just then, despite the fact it made
his heart flutter.

�Well to be honest, lover�s more the word you give to the
dirty mistress isn�t it?�

�I�m your dirty mistress?� Severus raised an eyebrow.

�No, you�re a man; it�d be dirty master��

�But then mastery indicates domination and slavery,� Severus
bartered, lips curving into a smirk.

�Well�� Ron took a step forward and ran a teasing finger
down Severus� chest. �I�m not saying I�d not be up for a bit of that at some
point� but then I can�t really take you home and say, �Hey Mum, Dad� you don�t
have to worry about me any more, this is my Master. He�s let me off my lead for
the visit but when we go home tonight he�s going to spank my backside for being
a naughty, naughty boy and fuck me over a whipping rack�� can I?�

�It sounds like you�ve thought a lot about that speech,�
Severus grabbed him around the waist and turned him towards the bedroom.

�Oh, I have,� Ron�s voice lowered to a gruff rumble. �I�ve
thought an awful lot about the finer points, especially the part where you
fucked me��

They were kissing then, stumbling blindly backwards with Ron
limping on his bad ankle.

�Painkiller,� Severus grunted, grabbing it from the
sideboard as they passed and flicking open the cap. Ron obediently opened his
mouth and felt it slide down his throat.

�Why did I need that?� he breathed after another ravishing
kiss.

Severus smoothed hands through his windblown hair and gave him
a dirty grin. �Well� what about if I were to point out that we have been
together for a while now and our� endeavours
have been decidedly� one-sided.�

�I�ve sucked you off more times these last two weeks than
you�ve had showers,� Ron protested.

�Ah, yes� a fact which gives me pleasant dreams at night,�
Severus manhandled him towards the bed with all the slick grace of a panther
waiting to strike on his prey. �But you�ve never taken me as I�ve taken you��

Ron gulped hard and his mouth fell open to protest, until he
realised that he didn�t want to.

Fuck yeah, the chance
to get him screaming like he makes me scream� oh yes, I�m going to enjoy this�

�What do you say?� Severus was running his lips over Ron�s
face in the pretence of gentle kisses.

�I say get on the fucking bed,� Ron looked at him from
beneath his fringe.

It was only then that he realised that Severus was shaking
with anticipation. The man stepped away from him and immediately began to strip
and Ron darted through to the living room, the painkiller having numbed his
ankle, and closed the door and locked it. When he made it back to the bedroom,
Severus was waiting for him, gloriously pale and naked on the bed, sitting up
against the headboard, his legs bent up and spread slightly.

Appreciating the view with raking eyes that he never thought
could stalk the outline of a hip or a thigh with such hunger, Ron stripped out
of his own clothes and took a moment to teasingly slide his jeans off when he
noticed Severus was watching him intently.

�Oh, really, you�re turning into a stripper now, as well as
being my slutty aside?� Severus smirked at him.

�What did you call me?� Ron�s mouth fell in mock indignation.

�Slutty aside,� Severus challenged.

�Filthy perverted bastard,� he was crawling across the bed
then, chucking his wand down beside him. �Honestly� preying on twenty-something
redheads and making them scream with delight on almost a nightly basis��

�Just to prove I�ve still got the stamina, of course,�
Severus� voice was getting lower and huskier and Ron thought he might start
sweating from the raw heat that seemed to be radiating from the pale skin.

He ran his hands over Severus� thighs with agonizing
slowness and made sure his thumbs dragged along the sensitive insides. He
wasn�t surprised when the cock in front of him twitched and swelled almost as
if someone had filled it manually.

�Easy, aren�t we?� Ron chided, before ducking down and
capturing it in his mouth, teasing it to full hardness with his lips clamped
firmly around the glans.

�For you,� Severus drawled disinterestedly, reaching out one
hand and spreading his fingers as they sank into Ron�s hair as he suckled away
between his legs.

His indifference melted away when there was a gentle
thrumming motion through his groin when Ron began to hum and he moaned aloud.
Ron popped off the end of his cock with a smirk, sending a few lazy laps at the
veiny flesh.

�Easy and desperate.�

�Oh, I hardly think you have any room with which to play the
desperation card,� Severus looked at him with raised eyebrows.

�I�d say you�re pretty desperate,� Ron moved back and
reached for his wand. He trailed the end of it over the reddened erection, down
over heavy balls and then continued down the perineum until he grazed over Severus�
entrance. �You�re the one that hasn�t been fucked in�how many years was it?�

�A fair point but I assure you I am quite effectively
prepared for you,� Severus looked away.

The next thing he felt was the stretching and lubrication
spell assaulting him and he groaned, a shiver running up his spine at the
sensation he had not felt for such a long time.

�You can�t even handle the spell,� Ron rolled his eyes.
�Maybe you�ll come before I even get in you�� He was rubbing lube over his
cock, fully erect despite the fact that Severus hadn�t laid a finger on him.

�Well� I give you that grace so it is only fair that you
should give me the same��

�I was a virgin,� Ron grinned evilly.

�No excuse, nobody gave me such breathing room...�

Ron launched at him then and crushed their cocks together,
his face right up in Severus� and he captured him in a searing kiss which his
tongue utterly dominated. Breaking off and seeing Severus gasp for breath, he
smirked again. �Fine then, no breathing room for you, born-again virgin��

He reached down and pinched at the hardening nipples,
keeping them between his fingers until they had sharpened into nubs, and then
he twisted them slightly, his cock growing harder at the half-scream which rent
the room.

Ducking and latching his lips onto one of the nipples, he
lowered his hand. Severus hadn�t noticed or commented on the fact that he�d
already greased his fingers and so when he reached down beneath twitching sacs
and pressed one into the man, the surprised shout didn�t make him falter at
all, he�d been expecting it. He released the nipple to look at him as he worked
his finger inward, creeping and searching.

�You�� Severus was breathless as Ron explored his body and
then arched and moaned when there was a gentle brush over his prostate. �Fuck�
I�d forgotten just how� ohhhh.�

Severus melted like an ice cream in the sun under Ron�s
administrations and it nearly made the redhead blow then and there.

�Would you like another?� He whispered in his ear.

There was an abrupt nod of the head and some of the jasmine
scented hair bounced into Ron�s face.

�Beg me for it then,� Ron kissed beneath the ear in which he
was pouring his velvet tone and waited for Severus to react when he roughly
moved across the spot deep within him.

�Ohhh you little whore,� Severus
writhed. �You��

�Beg me,� Ron kissed again.

There was an infuriated growl. �Please� more�.�

He complied instantly and slid a second in, the spell having
made his way wonderfully clear. He pushed all the way in and then pulled out
again before plunging in faster, making up the pace which Severus soon began to
shunt his hips to.

�So now then�� Ron pulled out until only his finger tips
remained inside the stretched hole, making his lover moan for the missing
fullness. �Now what do I do?�

�Fuck me,� Severus hissed, his eyes shut and eyelashes
scraping across his cheekbones, flushed to higher colour than Ron had ever had
the pleasure of seeing them before.

�How do you want to be fucked?� determined to make the man
squirm as he had been made to, so many times, Ron pushed his luck further and
further.

�I don�t care!� Severus burst out wildly. �Just fuck me,
please��

There was a rasp in his throat and Ron spared a thought for
the headache the man was going to have at the end of it. But it must have been worth it to him, or he would never have asked.

Damn, he asked� he
asked me to fuck him�

Ron reached out and pulled Severus away from the headboard,
turning him around so that he was in exactly the same position as the first
time they had ever fucked. He appreciated the man from behind, looking at thin
but strong thighs, peppered with dark hair; the firm outline of his buttocks
and the manly slim hips leading to a narrow back.

He really is so very
thin�

Ron smoothed his hands down the backs of the mans thighs and
tugged his knees apart a little further, before sliding� along horizontal calves until they bumped
over heels and traced onto the arches of Severus� feet. There was a hiss and
Ron jumped slightly, but then he realised the kind of hiss it had been and the
way Severus� back had gone rigid with anticipation. Extending an index finger
on each hand, he ghosted up the long arches and then over the pads. He danced
along the sensitive edge between it and Severus� toes and swallowed when the hiss
became a delicious moan.

�You like that?�

�Obviously,� the word was tense and Ron was delighted that
he had the man so tightly strung for him, on his first attempt.

�I�ll note that for later,� Ron raised his hands and parted
the cheeks in front of him, seeing the way the skin darkened and the hair there
was just as dark as that on Severus� head.

Seriously, if you�d
told me five months ago I�d find that as sexy as hell I�d�ve slapped you senseless� Ron had to swallow
his want at the explicit view.

�Fuck you�re sexy, Snape,� he bit into his lip as he smirked, and then he
grabbed one of the cheeks, making sure his nails dug into the skin, something
he knew Severus liked from the way he mewled when Ron clawed at his back.

�Then might I suggest you get on with it?� again the words
were hissy and wanton and there was absolutely no meaning behind the snark.

�Can�t you just lose the vocabulary during sex?�

�Why don�t you fuck it out of me and then we shall see?�

Ron wasn�t going to ignore a challenge issued so brazenly
and he kneed forward, pumping his cock a few times and guiding it forward. He
felt miraculously confident in a way he had never managed with Hermione, he
realised, as he pressed his weeping head to the entrance of the man who had
taught him such feeling.

�Ready?�

�I�ve been ready for fifteen sodding
minutes Weasley, just fuck me before I-�

Ron cut him off by thrusting forward and lodging himself in
the tight passage and he groaned at the heat. He had never thought himself particularly
well endowed but as the walls gripped him hard he had to wonder if he�d been
mistaken. He put his hands in a bruising grip on Severus� hips and growled as
he sunk all the way in, loving the feel of his balls pressing into another
pair.

Beneath him Severus was trembling and holding very still.

�Alright?� Ron lowered to press a
kiss into the visible spine.

�Never� ah� better,� Severus muttered back. �Move.�

Ron didn�t need to be told twice, he moved his hips back
before plunging in again and his eyes rolled back in his head at the way the
roasting heat felt so much better when he moved at speed. Soon he was pounding,
hard, holding Severus�s hips tight in place, and he opened his eyes to
appreciate the way that the dark head bobbed and flung about in front of him
teemed with the sensual approval tumbling forth out of Severus� mouth.

�And� you� called� me� ah fuck�� Ron gasped and sped up.
�Loud.�

�UnghfuckyouWeasley,� Severus
flushed hard at the way it all came out as one big undignified stream of words.
�Fuck you��

�No, you�re the one with my cock up your arse,� Ron was surprised at the way
the growling roughness tumbled out of him and he snapped his hips hard, arse
clenching tightly with every smack into Severus�.

He didn�t know what made him do it, but he reached forward
and tangled his fingers in the silky tresses flying everywhere because of his
thrusting. He tugged it back with moderate force and moaned when Severus�
moaned.

�Like that?�

�Fuck don�t you dare stop� ah��

Ron couldn�t have stopped if he�d been run over by a
steamroller. His orgasm was building in his belly and thighs and fire claimed
his balls and spread up his shaft, and then he was coming with a scream so
rough and raw it sounded painful and Severus lost it without a single further
touch to his own cock. He thrust backwards onto the dribbling cock in his arse,
determined to wrangle every last inch of pleasure that he could from the
redhead and wrapped a hand to milk his cock through his orgasm.

�Sweet Merlin�s balls,� Ron nearly laughed at the slang
which tumbled out of his sated ex-Professor�s lips as they both sagged on the
bed, trembling with their exertions.

Shifting his hips back, Ron had to look down when he pulled
out, seeing the abused hole and shivered when he saw his own come drip out and
land on his knee. He swallowed and with much more gentle hands reached for
Severus� hips.

�C�mon,� he whispered, moving out of the way as Severus fell
down onto his back and instinctively curled up to hide his naked body. �No,
don�t hide,� Ron chided, batting down the bent knees and forcing away arms
trying to hide his chest.

He covered the body with his own and wrapped his arms around
it, placing a sweet kiss on Severus� lips. Ron was thrilled when he was kissed
back with tongue, surprised that after such rough treatment Severus wanted to
kiss him so tenderly.

�That was� you� who knew you had that lurking inside you?�
Severus whispered as they broke apart.

�I wasn�t too�?�

�You were fucking perfect.�

Ron ducked his head and hid just how happy hearing that made
him in Severus� neck.

***

Ron hummed blissfully, looking over at Severus dozing on the
pillow next to him. They were both in bed on the Saturday morning as rain drove
past the window in rods and neither planned to leave their lodgings at all. The
bed was so warm that Ron thought such movement would be utter madness. He
rolled onto his side so he faced Severus and looked at him as he slept -an
action which was fast becoming his favourite activity.

It hurt to know that in two days time he would be back in London waking up in his
own bed, alone. His three weeks of peace and, he could not deny, happiness were
nearly over and he was apprehensive of what waited for him in London. Breaking from his job for a while had
really taught him just how much he loathed the thought of going to it of a
morning, of how much tension immediately crept into his neck as he stepped out
of the Floo and headed for his office.

An office I was so
bloody proud to get� Ron picked a stray bit of fluff of the blanket and
thought about the week ahead. He already had his cover story as to where he had
been �he would partially tell the truth and say he�d holed up in lodgings in
Scotland, and spent three weeks alone eating fine cheese and getting pissed on
delicious whiskey (thus far his lack of company was the only lie in the
description). He would say he�d had a lot of time to think and that he felt
much better for it. Again, it was not a lie. Ron felt better than he had in
months, even before the break up.

But he wouldn�t be able to tell his family and friends why,
who had made him feel so relaxed in the mire his life had accumulated.

There was no doubt it was Severus, and only the thought of
leaving him behind was threatening to pierce Ron�s happy bubble of contentment.

He�ll hit the roof if you get clingy� just try and get through today
and know that you�re leaving far closer than you arrived�

And closer they most certainly
were. Ron had learned incontrovertible evidence that really, when it boiled
down to it, Severus was a very simple man in terms of what he wanted in life,
and what he took from it, and Ron couldn�t help but cherish him for it. Even
though he knew the man�s financial status, Ron wasn�t convinced that he
wouldn�t have been the same with more money in the bank. He just took heart in
small things. He ate very little due to how the venom had affected his body,
but if one tried to separate him from his morning cup of tea there was all hell
to pay. Severus simply did not function before it. Nor did he appreciate people
removing books from his bookcase and leaving them lying around. Extremely tidy
unless he was in the heat of the moment, when all bets were off and if one�s
pants landed on top of the wardrobe it was one�s own fault for not removing
them first, the rooms remained as orderly as when Ron had first seen them,
despite his presence.

What else have I learned�hmmm�? Ron smiled at the sleeping figure. I�ve learned that he purrs somewhat like a
cat if you scratch behind his ears, which is fucking hilarious� I�ve learned
that he cheats at Scrabble and fixes the tiles�

Ron remembered the memorable night
where he�d received a rack of Q�s, X�s, Y�x and Z�s with
good humour, though he had reacted very differently at the time.

Dirty cheating Slytherin scum is what I called him� well, it was the
truth. He made up for it though�

Thoughts turned to dirtier
exploits and Ron�s grin widened. Severus was undoubtedly the most sensual
person he�d ever had the pleasure to come across. He wasn�t sure if he should
be as surprised as he was on that matter. A man who had given his life to
protect the boy of the woman he loved even though she never loved him back was
bound to be passionate in bed. And when Ron watched, and he had become an ardent watcher of Severus Snape, he
could see it in every little move the man made. Many would confuse him for cold
and unfeeling, but Ron knew differently. All he had to do was recall the spark
in the dark eyes to know that he was anything but cold and unfeeling, that his
restrained movements were the effort to hold in his true passionate flow, which
up until Ron, nobody had ever really seen.

�Stop staring at me,� Severus
grunted, shifting his head slightly on the pillow. �Feel like I�m on display in
a zoo, Weasley.�

�Good morning to you too,� Ron
snorted.

�What time is it?�

�Half past eight,� Ron craned his
neck at the clock and there was an enraged groan from beside him.

Light disappeared as Severus
yanked the duvet up over both of their heads and clamped the redhead to his
body. Ron thought he heard a distinct mutter of �too fucking early to be awake�
before there was a soft snore, and Severus was gone again. Ron followed shortly
after.

***

�I love this song,� Ron listened
to the half-decent person singing into the microphone.

The pub was full on his last night
in Scotland
and they were surprisingly both there, even though Severus had made sure he
didn�t have to work. It was an open-mic night and
there had been a surprising level of talent which kept Ron amused whilst
Severus read one of the muggle papers lying around.

�Yes, any song that contains the
line �She�s a PhD in I told you so, you�ve a knighthood in I�m not listening�
was bound to catch your attention,�
Severus flicked Ron a dark amused glance over the paper.

�Very true, it�s like the story of my life,� Ron gestured with a grin, the fine
whiskey flowing through his veins making him beautifully free in movement.

�You listen to me and I say that
all the time,� Severus rolled his eyes.

�Well, I don�t mind it when you
say it,� Ron nudged against him.

A cheer went up as the song
finished and the person hung up their microphone.

�Well the list is empty now so
I�ll put the music back on,� Helen�s voice crackled over the microphone and
then gentle music filled the pub and everyone fell to chattering.

Ron drained his glass and set it
down on the table, groaning slightly at the burn in his throat.

�Oh look, you�re empty!� One of
the locals noticed. �You�re leaving tomorrow?�

�In the morning,� Ron made a sad
face.

�Aye been good to have ye,� the
man smiled at him. �Even if ye are shite at pulling pints.�

�I�m clearly not cut out to be a barman,� Ron shrugged with a helpless
grin. �Which is probably best for everyone all round, really.�

The man winked and walked away to
the bar, waited for the girl working the shift to pour something and came back.

�That�s for you lad, hope you�re
over whatever little trollop broke yer heart.�

�Ah, trollop,� Ron laughed. �I
love that word. It�s fitting, actually, I feel. What�s that?�

�That�s just a little something
local,� he handed it over. �Don�t ask what�s in it, not safe for your heart to
hear such things. Just down it and be happy lad.�

He gave him a tip off with his
hand and left the pub.

�If that�s what I think it is,�
Severus peered at the glass, �You won�t make your train in the morning.�

Ron looked at the liquid, which looked
harmless enough, and brought it to his nose to sniff. He detected the matured
whiskey he�d fallen in love with over the last three months, and something
sharper, more like paint stripper and then something slightly coconutty.

�I seriously don�t want to know,
do I?� he laughed, looking at Severus.

�Definitely
not.�

�I�m going to drink it,� Ron took
a deep breath. �If I miss the train, oh no, I�ll just be a bit late.� He
lowered his voice. �And anything, Severus, that keeps me here for longer in
your arms� golden with me.�

He toasted the glass to Severus,
put it to his lips and knocked it back in two gulps. He was rasping as he came
out of the other side and he shook his head as his eyes watered.

Severus was looking at him with an
amused smirk. �I�m not carrying you up the stairs.�

�Well then you�ll just have to give me my goodbye fuck down here�� Ron
suggestively slid his hand along Severus� thigh which was blocked from view.

�You�ll receive no such thing,�
Severus looked back at his paper.

�What?� Ron yelped drunkenly.

Severus sighed. �What makes you
think I�m going to let you go in the first place to warrant such a valuable
gift?�

Ron wobbled on his chair as he
took the words in and sucked on his lower lip.

�I don�t want to go.�

�You have to.�

�But I don�t want to.�

Severus reached under the table
and took Ron�s hand in his own and lowered his voice. �I do not want you to
leave either. But you cannot hide here forever. You have healed and now you
must go and show everyone just how much. Including her.�

Ron nodded. �I�ll miss you,� he
mouthed.

�Trust me, Ron, not half as much
as I will miss you.�

Another squeeze of their hands
beneath the table made Ron flush with heat.

�Time to leave,� he looked up at
the ceiling pointedly.

�Indeed.�

They shared a small, secretive
smile.

------

A/N: Weeeeell. I told you he was going home
and meant it. But watch out for the next chapter� Ever get the feeling that
things are going just a bit too well? �.
- 6
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Seraphim Beneath The Christmas Tree