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Rivalry	By : starstruck86 Category: Harry Potter > Slash - Male/Male > Snape/Ron Views: 7472 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- 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: Hey all! Thanks for your reviews *grin* Getting closer�
a little romance and intrigue and Ron sets down an ultimatum� *ducks out of the
way of thrown rubbish*

---

The bath had been a calculated gesture to help calm him
down, but Ron�s stomach was still full of butterflies as he lay amidst the very
pink bathwater. His masculinity in tatters with the wafting rose scent around
him, he was desperately trying to ignore everything on his mind, but was
failing.

Fucking French. They
had to win. The boys�ll never pay attention. That
seventh year even caught my eye and I�m pretty sure I�m completely gay�

Thinking of his sexuality took him on to another problem. It
had been three days since his confrontation with Severus by the greenhouses and
their communication problems had remained static. After storming off Ron didn�t
feel comfortable being the one to make the first move, he felt he had
instigated enough. But Severus had been mostly absent; Ron had seen him attend
the second game of the tournament, and then dinner everyday, but not breakfast
or lunch, and that was it. Each instance in which Ron saw him they were
surrounded by others and it wasn�t the time to strike up a �so, you going to do
anything, then?� conversation.

Especially seeing as
you just know it�d end up another snog� mmm� snog.

Groaning Ron ducked beneath the water and stayed there,
feeling the water swamp around his skin and beat at his ears. He had been hard
pressed to get their parting kiss out of his mind and it was with begrudging
honesty that he had realised he didn�t particularly want to. All he could feel
on his lips were firmness, the surprised tongue gently smoothing against his
own, thin hands holding his back.

Ron burst out of the water noisily, spitting the excess from
his lips and shaking his head.

Thinking of Severus took him onto his third problem, which
was that the day before Sprout had suddenly cornered him in a dark corridor and
told him she was sick of seeing him alone and that he would do much better with
a partner. Ron had fumbled for the words to try and say that he was happy
single, liked having the freedom, but he wasn�t even convincing himself by the
end of it. And that had been when the plump grey-haired witch had smiled and
said that, if he was interested, she could fix him up on a blind date with a
man who was his type, older, dark-haired and just what she believed Ron was
looking for. She went onto hint he was foreign.

It was as if she knew
all the right buzz words to get me panting� Ron thought moodily as he stared
at a rose petal floating by the in the water. And it worked.

He had agreed with very little persuasion after that, but
had since regretted it in sporadic bursts of guilt. There was no real reason
for him to feel guilt; there was nothing between him and Severus but some
pathetic trysts which so far they had both walked out of one apiece. That was
all.

No, a year of hard
sarcasm and bitching has gone into your �relationship��

�It isn�t a relationship,� he snapped at himself, sliding
down into the water again and slopping a fair amount over the sides.
�Bollocks.� But you said yes because you
knew if he found out he would be madly jealous�

And finally, his last problem, that of whether or not to
accept McGonagall�s invitation to teach until he wanted to leave, blossomed in
his mind. His problems were all interlinked, it seemed, revolving around the
one man who had disliked him from the start, formed an attraction and then,
somehow, madly, caused Ron to form one in return.

No matter how hard Ron tried to think of Severus as he had
in his youth, as a thin, ugly being with no hope of kindness, love or passion
in his life, he couldn�t. Their two physical clashes had told Ron he was wrong
on at least the last count, the painful truth about Severus� devotion to Harry�s
mother dispelled the second and the first� Ron doubted whether the man would
ever be one to hand out sweets to carol singers on his doorstep, but then not
everybody in the world could be so benevolent.

Hadn�t he enjoyed the challenge, hadn�t he enjoyed thinking
up sarcastic retorts, throwing filthy looks and putting the man down in front
of their colleagues?

More than you should
have.

And there was his truth. Maybe they were actually more
similar than he had first thought, and their attraction was born from that.

And the fact that you
both obviously need a good shagging, someone to warm your bed up at night and
someone to moan to.

SO, why are you even
accepting the blind date?

�Because he�s never going to come after you,� Ron mumbled
beneath his breath, and sighed.

He had done all the chasing with Alex, he had been the one
to instigate dates, dinners, made the effort to like the things that the
Romanian liked, and it had gone badly for him. He didn�t want to admit it but
he was tired of chasing, because it wasn�t the first time. Wondering just how
feminine it made him, he wanted someone to chase him for once, for someone else to make all the effort to show him
that they cared.

And he couldn�t help but feel that if he was waiting for
that from Severus Snape, then he had finally, truly gone mad.

***

Severus yawned as he stirred a cup of tea in the staffroom,
not bothering to keep his manners and cover his mouth with his hand as the room
was completely empty. The castle was drenched in hazy June sunshine, the heat
kept out by the immense cooling charms which Flitwick
had outdone himself with. The next day the castle would empty of students,
staff and people and finally be put to rest for the summer, and he wasn�t
entirely sure he was looking forward to the end of it.

He picked up the paper from where it rested on the side and
turned, making for his usual armchair, but the staff room door swung open and
Sprout bustled in.

Seeing his colleagues out of their usual teaching robes
never seemed normal, Severus thought, which was why he remained in his usual
black garb until he was in the confines of his rooms.

�Severus, morning!� she smiled, far too chirpily for such an
early hour, which Severus was still at a loss to see quite why he was awake at.
�Just the man I wanted to see.�

Those words out of Pomona Sprout�s mouth never ended well
for him, and he barely held in his groan of discontent. He looked at her,
waiting for her to speak.

�How long are you going to pretend to be asexual, Severus?�

He slopped half his tea down his front as he jolted with
surprise �there would never be a right time of day for this conversation, let
alone at half past eight in the morning.

�I don�t quite follow,� he glared at her.

�Yes you do,� she rolled her eyes.

�Maybe, but what I really
don�t follow is why you think it would be any of your business.�

He let the paper land on the seat cushion of the chair he
had been about to sit in and brushed down his tea-sodden robes with the free
hand.

�It�s not good for you, you know,� she moved to the tea
station and began making her own cup. �You never leave your dungeons; you�re
all alone, barely partaking in anything social��

�I have always been withdrawn, I doubt it has done me much
harm,� he muttered, walking to the window to find a view so that he didn�t have
to look at her.

�I disagree,� Sprout�s spoon tinkled loudly as she stirred
her drink. �Which is why I think I have a proposition for you.�

The tea nearly went flying again as he spun round, eyes
wide.

�Not from me, you daft bastard,� she sighed exasperatedly,
and he tried to remember the last time he could remember her swearing. Probably
at him, he realised, during his stint as Headmaster. �No, I think I might have
you a little�hmm, what the muggles would call a blind date, tomorrow night, if
you�re interested?�

�Absolutely not,� Severus turned back to the window and
drank the tea before any more harm could come to it.

�You haven�t even heard about the gentleman I was proposing
you go and meet?�

Severus didn�t know exactly how the woman had come to decide
what she had about his sexuality, but he certainly wasn�t comfortable standing
on the brink of a discussion about it.

�Why are you so protective of it?� she asked warmly. �It�s
not as though you�d be the first not-completely-heterosexual male to grace the
halls of this school �look at Albus. He told me, by the way.�

�When?� Severus growled, thinking he might participate in a
little fancy wandwork concerning the old man�s
portrait at the first possible instance.

�When you started teaching here,� she said sheepishly.

�Oh, so, what, we�re going on twenty years here? I don�t
suppose it would be completely unrealistic of me to hope that you�ve kept your mouth shut for the majority of them?�

A painful slap landed on his upper arm and he glared down at
the offending hand.

�How dare you suggest that I don�t have the decorum to keep
something quiet that you obviously do not want people to hear?� She was glaring
straight back at him.

As proved during the
battle, you can�t win against these women.

Unable to force an apology through his lips through sheer
obstinacy, Severus instead muttered, �Well, forgive me; it appears Albus was
unable to do so.�

�Albus had had rather a lot of sherry, as it happened,� she
turned away from him. �So. Just listen, Severus� you might not find yourself so
unhappy.�

He didn�t answer her, which caused her to turn and look at
him with expectantly raised eyebrows. It was very clear that she was not going
to accept his answer until he had at least heard about the no-doubt completely
unsuitable match she had found for him. Memories of Filius� tale of the Irish
witch in Mexico
floated through his mind and he considered bolting for the door.

�Go on,� his traitorous mouth willed her on.

Delighted, she launched into a description, �Tall, thin, a
bit on the pale side,� Bollocks� �A
little younger than yourself,� Good,
hopefully less experienced and therefore pliable� �Intelligent, very funny,
a keen interest in chess,� Is she reading
from a script? �He�s probably open to the idea of something long term�� Which is good, because I refuse to put up
with five hours of sobbing about whether or not they think a holiday is too
soon for the relationship� �And he�s a very handsome man. Does that sound
at all appealing?�

It sounds more than
appealing.

But as he stood watching the sun-drenched grounds, there was
a definite guilty pang in his chest. Ron had very clearly left the quaffle in his court and it was up to Severus to make the
next move, but he couldn�t bring himself to do so. Too ashamed of the way he
had misjudged the redhead, he had spent as little time as possible in even very
distant company, so that he would not be faced with an expectant look and the
resultant hurt when he failed to live up to Ron�s expectations.

Severus didn�t do well when it came to expectations, except,
of course, academically. He had failed to meet his father�s, by being magical
full stop, his mother�s by not being stronger about what his father put them
through, and for loving a Gryffindor, and then said Gryffindor�s
disappointment in him too, then Dumbledore�s, then the Dark Lord�s. The names
rolled into a blur into his mind and he suddenly felt extremely foolish.

What would be the
point of going on this excursion only to disappoint another man? She cannot
have told him the truth about my appearance and nature, otherwise, unless he is
a sadistic fool, he would never have agreed to meet me.

�To tempt you,� Sprout said suddenly, �And to prove to you
how very much I want you to be happy, Severus, and how very convinced I am that this man is right for you, I will offer to
pay for your entire night. The place I have arranged for you to meet is run by
a very good friend of mine, and he will accept a signed but blank Muggle
cheque.�

Severus immediately became suspicious. �Why are you so
desperate for me to go and meet this person, Pomona? And why now?�

�Because I�m bloody sick of your temper and attitude,� her
face dropped, some steel clouding in her eyes. Severus knew she had been
prepared for the fight. �And I think it would be beneficial for all of us if
you found somebody that might make you happy.�

�I very much doubt that anybody will make me happy,� he
rolled his eyes. �Some people are just too badly� ruined, for that ever to be a
possibility again.�

�Do you want me to cry, Severus?�

�What? No!�

�Because I will,� she sniffed. �If you keep talking about
yourself in such a god-awful manner. You are not ruined, you are just someone
who has made bad decisions, been granted your reprieve �and now you are wasting it.�

�That�s a matter of opinion,� he set the mug down on the
windowsill.

�And mine is that you are wasting your life being bitter and
believing that you are unlovable.�

Okay, yes, this is
becoming far too counsellor-session-on-a-lumpy-chaise-lounge for my liking.

�If I agree to go on this� meeting,� he turned to her. �Will
you give up on this charade for at least six months?�

�And pay,� she shrugged.

�Why?� he asked disbelievingly.

�Well, I believe in good deeds,� she said simply. �I�ll drop
the cheque by later, before the match. If Hogwarts win I�m sure we�ll all be
too drunk to remember anything until tomorrow night.�

She smiled at him, waiting for an answer in the affirmative.

�Fine,� he knocked back the last of his tea. �But you should
know, I have expensive taste in both wine and food and I will most certainly be
ordering dessert.�

�That�s fine,� she laughed, as he left the room.

His retreating back missed the devious smile that she threw
at it.

***

�Time out!� Ron bellowed loudly to the referee and was
relieved to hear the whistle blow.

Things were slowly but surely falling apart. The game had
started well and they had shot into the lead by sixty points with some very
quick goals. But then one of the Beauxbatons team
member�s hair had swung loose, a shimmering wave of gold, and one of his
chasers had smashed into a goal post and broken his nose. And from then on
everything had gone to pot.

Steeling himself the team landed around the box.

�What in the name of Godric�s arse
are you lot doing? What happened to
the formation?�

�Well it kind of got lost when Sam broke his nose,� the
seeker piped up quietly.

�Is it fixed?� Ron looked at the fifth year with raised
eyebrows.

�Fine,� the boy shrugged.

�Then why are we losing?!� Ron huffed at them.

�Sir, did you just stamp your foot?�

�No,� he hissed.

�Liar,� the seeker grinned at him.

�Bottom line here,� he pointed. �You, score goals. You, wait
until they score four more and then you find that snitch before I get up and
find it myself, and you,� he jabbed at the keeper. �Don�t let any more bloody
goals in!�

�I think he wants to win,� one of them sighed.

�Damn right I want to win!� Ron rolled his eyes. �You know,
I thought you might have more killer spirit than this.�

�We have it, we�re just letting you get your yelling out of
the way,� the seeker snorted. �It�s cathartic, sir.�

�Then get back up there and win!� he groaned at them. �And
roll out those plays we did last week.�

�Yessir,� there were several
sarcastic eye rolls and he snorted as they took off.

If they did lose, it wouldn�t be through lack of skill �Beauxbatons were just very, very fast. And good looking,
apparently. There were several coaches from the big league teams in the stands
they were watching closely. As long as they managed to pull themselves
together, they might win, and a few of them might get the possibility for
reserve positions when they left school. The thought of setting some of his
students up like that made him very happy, so he didn�t feel too angry as he leant his elbows on the
edge of the wooden box.

Whilst he waited for the referee to blow the whistle to
re-instate play he looked out at the crowds, shivering when he saw just how
many people were there and watching him. It felt odd to be the coach of a team
when he only had the basic qualifications, all of which he had obtained after
beginning the job, and being so young. It was then that he felt a pair of dark
eyes watching him and he met Severus� stare across the pitch.

I wonder just how much
he�d hate it if he found out I�m going out with somebody tomorrow night?

Even though he should have kept his focus on the game as the
whistle trilled, his eyes lingered over the slender man, but his thoughts were
shockingly on his wardrobe. Sprout had said muggle dress, as the pub was
muggle, and he was glad he had thought to bring a decent selection with him.

Doubt turning up in
ripped jeans and a hoodie makes a very good
impression, though� Ron remembered, completely ashamed that he had not
realised at the time, the way that Severus� eyes had hungrily drunk in his
scruffy appearance on the night when Ron had barged into his office. Yeah, I�d definitely say he was interested
in the messy stuff�

A roar startled him back into life and he looked up, guilty,
seeing his team whooping. He looked at the glittering scoreboard. They had
managed to score two goals one after the other without him even looking.

You�re an absolutely
shite coach! Rubbish! Thinking about your bloody non-existent love life when
you should be concentrating! Baaaaaaah.

One of the plays now used and no longer holding the element
of surprise, Ron nervously chewed his lip, seeing the Seeker dip. He had never
seen someone that could so elegantly and inconspicuously trail a snitch without
alerting to anybody that she was doing it. She kept her broom movements
erratic, her stare wide, but because he knew her game, Ron could tell she was
keeping her focus locked on her target. He looked up again, seeing another
formation in the set of the brooms and held his breath. The opposition chasers
were fast, but not fast enough. Blue robes streaked through the air and bodies
swerved but it wasn�t sufficient to beat his team; suddenly the fixed-nosed
chaser dropped, the other two split, the quaffle
soared through the hoop and was caught with deft hands and thrown back, where
it then scored again, the keeper just missing the save by the skin of their
fingertips.

�GO!� he yelled at the seeker, as though she could hear him, and whether she
did or not, she suddenly fell flat against her broom and dived, thrusting out
her hand.

The first attempt was a fail and he could almost hear he
growl of frustration from where he stood on tenterhooks in the box, and the
second nearly dislodged her from her broom. By the time she was ready for a
third the Beauxbatons seeker had guessed their game
and was speeding towards her.

Ron had never thought he�d feel sicker watching a game than
participating in it, but that was what happened when the two ended up in a neck
and neck race around the stadium, so close together that their shoulders
touched.

Stay a lady� if you
elbow now you�re going to get us �SHIT!

His seeker had suddenly dropped from the competition and
thrown herself into a barely held Sloth Grip Roll, one hand grasping at the air
beneath her head. And then her fist clenched, she yelled, the referee blew the
whistle, and there was a very loud roar. The scores were close and had they
been playing on points Ron wasn�t sure they would have won, but as he watched
the girl swing herself back into position on the broom and be swallowed up by
the mass of golden Hogwarts team robes, he didn�t care.

***

�You were brilliant!� Severus watched as Hermione Granger
threw her arms around Ron�s neck and half-strangled him in her happiness. �I�m
so proud, Ron, you�ve done so well.�

�Said with barely even a trace of surprise,� Potter poked
Ron in the shoulder and went in for his own hug. �Fucking brilliant mate.�

�Well, I sort of learned from the best,� Ron made a face at
him and Harry gagged.

Severus hid his smile by looking away, not wanting to admit
that he had found anything Potter had done humorous.

And by looking away,
you don�t have to watch them laying their hands on his body which you can�t do�

His dark eyes had focussed especially on the Granger girl,
his blood pumping with jealousy because he assumed that she had seen the
redhead in various states of undress and he had not. She hugged him like a
lover still, he had noted, and realised just how insane that drove him.

It had taken the school team a long time to even let their
coach�s feet touch the floor again, Ron had looked rather green about the gills
by the time they had released him and he could stumble to safety to watch them
collect their cup.

�He�s wonderful, isn�t he?� a foreign voice said from the
left of him and Severus found himself looking up into the perfect face of �The
Italian�.

This will look rather embarrassing
when you don�t know the dear man�s name� dear man my backside!

�He has done very well this year,� Severus conceded with a
tight smile.

�I don�t know how you work with him,� the man lowered his
voice. �How you ever get anything done?�

�We manage,� Severus replied dryly, and watched as nearly
the entire Weasley clan descended on their jubilant youngest male.

That is an awfully big
family to have to deal with. If we� if anything� the thought of�

Too scary to even voice in his mind, Severus shivered
slightly when he thought of the absolutely absurd scenario which would play out
if anything developed between himself and Ron.

�He comes from a large family.�

Oh, are you still
there? Bollocks.

�Yes, one of the last large pure-blood lines in the
country.�

�And ah, I hope you don�t mind me asking but� is he� I don�t
know the British word� homosexual?�

My, my, a dilemma. Severus
had the words �no, he�s straight� on the tip of his tongue, but forced them
away, thinking he had done Ron enough verbal damage over the past year.

�It is not my place to say,� Severus flicked his eyes up and
down the suave form. �Why don�t you ask if you are so interested?�

�I did not wish to make a fool of myself,� the man didn�t
even look discomforted then and Severus wondered what it would take to unseat
him. �He is very handsome, though.�

�He has been well accepted by the students.�

�I can see why,� the voice took on a leering quality.

Get away from him you
bloody foreign lecherous wanker, leave some for the bloody English why don�t
you?! Nobody good enough in your own fucking country-

�Professor Snape?� Ron�s pleasant voice cut through his
mental tirade.

�Ah, Ron, there you are,� The Italian spoke with a dazzling
smile. �Congratulations, your team were simply marvellous. I cannot believe
your seeker is only fifteen.�

�The credit goes completely to them,� Ron said graciously.
�I can�t wait to see how she progresses as a player. There have been a lot of
interested murmurs.�

�So I couldn�t steal you to come and work for us in Italy, then?�

Severus nearly dropped his drink and couldn�t cover his
clumsiness. Ron watched him with wide eyes.

�We are situated right next to the sea on the south coast, a
beautiful area of our country. Have you ever been?�

�No,� Ron gave him a nervous smile. �And I� well, I hope to
stay on here for a while longer, I think.�

�Shame, I would have loved for you to join us.�

The Italian sounded more than gutted at Ron�s obvious
rebuttal and Severus chewed on the inside of his cheek to keep from smiling.

�Ron!� Sprout�s voice rang out from nowhere. �I�ve been
looking for you everywhere, talking to a lovely chap from the Ballycastle Bats. He�d like a word with you.�

�Why?� Ron frowned.

Maybe because you�ve
just shown a stadium of people that you are rather apt at Quidditch coaching?
Severus wondered what on earth had happened to his taste that he had fallen for
somebody as seemingly thick as Ron was at that moment.

�I don�t know, but if he�s going to try and steal you from
us, I�m not leaving your side,� the witch said with very real passion in her
voice and Ron blushed across his cheekbones.

Take him away, Pomona, or I�m going to
lose all modicum of sensibility and throw him over the canap� table and fuck
him in front of everybody.

Ron walked away with a nod to the Italian, he ignored
Severus, which was fine, because his mind was thinking about pressing a pale
body into decadently thick cotton and wrapping it up so the participant could
not move, and then stealing away to his dungeons with it.

�Alas, not to be,� the Italian spoke quietly, and walked
away without another word.

Good riddance.

Realising he really was a bitter old soak as he drained the
wine glass in his hand, Severus wondered if it was too early to leave the
celebratory party.

***

Ron looked around at his office as he straightened from
doing up his bootlace. He couldn�t quite believe that he had accumulated so
much stuff over the year that he had lived in the rooms. Everything was packed
and stored, some of it would be left there for the summer.

He had finally accepted McGonagall�s offer that afternoon at
the feast to send off their foreign visitors and the remaining students. Making
her wait longer was cruel, and if it came to it, he could handle another year
of Severus� games. Obviously nothing would be solved before he departed. With everybody
truly gone the castle stood eerily quiet, he expected to hear laughter along
the corridor outside his quarters at any minute.

Looking in the mirror he saw the dark jeans, black boots and
deep blue shirt he had picked out for his date. In the midst of the
celebrations and feasting, he hadn�t had time to feel guilty over the fact that
he was going out on a date when he really wanted to be seeing Severus.

Ron hadn�t missed the look of triumph the afternoon before
when the raven-haired man had smugly looked on as Ron had been forced to rebuff
the booted and suited Italian. It tumbled from his every pore, the pleasure
that the thought of them being in the same castle for another year brought the
sour figure.

Ruffling up his hair a little to make it more interesting,
Ron grabbed his jacket and wand and headed for the door. He was leaving for The
Burrow the next morning, and he and George were swanning
off to a sunny Caribbean beach that afternoon,
so he didn�t plan on having a late night. There was a dubious feeling in his
gut as to how the whole date would go, though it might have been nerves. It had
been so long since he had met anybody completely new it unsettled him �he had
even known Alex since he was fifteen, when Charlie had brought him to The
Burrow a few times.

Nothing would come of the date, and he would be home in bed
snoring by eleven at the latest. It made him wonder why he was bothering to go
at all.

***

Dovetown was the next largest
dwelling near Hogsmeade, with the difference that it was completely Muggle.
Severus had arrived for half past six, and was waiting with cool indifference
for his entertainment of the evening to arrive.

One probably should
not refer to them as entertainment, that�s rather sordid� but either way, this
is never going to work, he is half an hour late.

Severus had been early, wanting to check Sprout�s story
about the cheque being accepted. The man had just given him a grin and nodded,
and asked him what he would like to drink. So Severus sat in what he had been
worried to find was an Irish-themed pub with jaunty live music played from a
violinist (when he wasn�t buried in a pint).

The pub smelt of food and he grew more and more impatient as
the clock ticked closer to seven and his belly rumbled with hunger.

Honestly, who aims to
make this first impression?

He finished his first drink and boredly
looked at one of the vintage signs for beer which adorned nearly every space in
the muggle pub, wondering how long it would take him before he grew tired and
decided to leave.

The atmosphere was relaxed and the air full of chatter,
which was why Severus hadn�t already left. Not to mention the fact that the
beer he was drinking wasn�t bad at all.

The pub door swung open then but he couldn�t see who had
entered due to the fact a large group in the centre of the pub had stood and
were gathering their belongings to leave. Tutting
impatiently under his breath, he craned his neck to see if the person who had
entered was alone.

Suddenly the gaggle of people parted, and Severus nearly
dropped his drink.

***

The June night was balmy and surprisingly warm for Scotland,
Ron wasn�t wearing his jacket, it was slung over his shoulder. His mother would
be proud that she had engrained the need to take a protective layer absolutely
everywhere he went.

Dovetown was larger than Hogsmeade
and had plenty of Muggle amenities, but most of them were closed on account of
the late hour. The pubs however were crowded in the outside seating areas, with
chattering people enjoying the lingering sunlight.

Maybe this won�t be so
bad�meet the guy, have a few pints and migrate outside for a bit. There are
worse ways to spend an evening�

Like lying alone in
bed when you should be with your lover and he�s hatching a fucking dragon.

Bitterly Ron grumped at the memories of all the time Alex
had left him alone for his work, and knew that whoever wanted to date Charlie
would face the same kind of mad devotion. But then, as Ron well knew, there had
to be a certain madness anyway to find the prospect of a fifteen hour work day
and sleeping on the forest floor appealing.

He caught the sign of the pub he was headed for and
nervously checked his watch. It was nearing seven and that meant that he was
early, but it didn�t matter. He could get a drink and be fully seated to wait
for the man to come in. He only hoped that his partner for the night had a
better description than he had been given, because dark hair wasn�t much of a
clue to go on.

Taking a deep breath he placed one hand on the door and pushed it open, the
warmth and noise blasting out to meet him. Irish, he could tell instantly from
the shamrocks around the bar, and his heart warmed, thinking of Seamus who he
hadn�t seen in a few years. He looked around as he slipped inside; a group of
people were getting ready to leave in the middle of the square room.

Looking around he could see nobody that met Sprout�s
description and had a moment of joy when he realised he was indeed early, and
would have the tactical advantage of being able to see who came through the
door.

Then the people in the middle stepped aside, walking around
their table, and Ron suddenly found himself staring into two very familiar
eyes.

�The hero looks, the
crowd parts, and then there is his future happiness waiting for him��

Those were the exact words Sprout had spoken in her
cajoling, saying how romantic she thought blind dates could be. The crowd had
most definitely parted, but rather than being blown away by romanticism Ron just
wasn�t able to breathe at all. Severus looked to be in much the same state.

I can�t� oh fuck�

He was forced to move as the departing group needed him to
get out of the way of the door, but he never removed his gaze from the man
sitting stiff-backed in the little booth style seats. Forcing his legs to walk
he moved over to the table.

�What are you doing here?�

Really polite, Ron,
your mother would be having harpies.

�I was under the impression that I was meeting somebody,�
Severus� voice was tight and his jaw worked hard as he spoke.

�So was I,� Ron looked around the pub.

They looked at each other then, and Ron winced as he realised
that the only version of Sprout�s description was right in front of him.
Severus� face seemed to be displaying the same sort of realisation.

�Let me guess,� Ron heaved a sigh and dropped into the empty
padded bench seat opposite Severus. �Sprout?�

�Yes,� the reply was brusque. �You?�

�Cornered me the night before the match,� Ron made a face.

�That devious old witch,� Severus muttered beneath his
breath.

Ron hummed his agreement and sat awkwardly back. �How did
she find out?�

�I have no idea, I got a lecture about being alone� did she
treat you to that, as well?�

�That plus her
romantic notions about blind dates.�

Severus visibly shivered.

�Why are you here if you don�t like blind dates?� Ron asked
interestedly, fiddling with the cuff of his shirt.

�Because I thought that� oh, fine, Weasley, I will be
brutally honest with you because you have been every bit as tricked as I have
�she sent me off with a signed cheque and bartered with her generosity to get
me to come�.

Ron couldn�t help it, he snorted his laughter. �Clever old
witch indeed.�

They didn�t say anything for a moment, each of them looking
off in the opposite direction, and Ron was suddenly very hot. He tried to sort
out his long legs beneath the table and accidentally brushed against one of
Severus�.

�Sorry,� he blushed in apology.

Severus gave him a disparaging look and Ron blushed harder.

�Is there anything you don�t blush at, Weasley?�

�Are you just going to be an arsehole all night?� Ron
deadpanned, quirking an eyebrow. �Because I�ve got to say, Snape, I�m not
really in the right place for that. I�m still buzzed from yesterday. Don�t kill
the mood.�

�Apologies,� Severus� voice lowered and Ron immediately felt
petty.

�No, let me��

�Drinks?� a man appeared at the end of their table. �Pomona is a very good
friend of mine and she asked me to give you the best possible service.�

�Um, I�m not sure we�re staying,� Ron said apologetically,
with a quick glance to Severus. �Could you give us a minute?�

�No, Ron,� Severus said suddenly, reaching across the table
with his hand. �Now, let�s not be hasty here. We might find ourselves the
subject of a gross manipulation of trust by a woman we thought respected our
privacy�however, she is also a very silly woman who sent us out, together, with
a signed cheque. Tell me,� he turned to the man. �Do you have any champagne? My
friend here does rather have a lot to celebrate.�

�Er, no,� the man looked back at
Severus like he had grown an extra head. �All I have is white wine.�

�A bottle of that then,� Severus looked back at Ron with a
smirk on his lips.

�Have you got any cocktails?� Ron smirked back, cottoning on
and flicking his eyes up to the slightly bemused bartender.

�A few, I can make you whatever you want, though, as long as
I�ve got it in.�

�Sex On The Beach?�

�How many?�

�Oh, I think a whole pitcher and two glasses will do,� Ron
grinned.

The man disappeared, still looking totally confused.

�Sex On The Beach?� Severus raised an interested eyebrow.

�Vodka, peach schnapps, orange and cranberry juice,� Ron
explained. �The name never fails to make my inner eleven-year-old giggle.�

Severus cocked him a wry grin and looked away.

�So, you really don�t wear anything other than black, do
you?� Ron hooked his fingers over the edge of his seat and locked his arms
straight.

�Not unless somebody holds a wand to my throat, no,� Severus
looked down into his lap. �But you are, ah� you look very handsome this
evening.�

�Thank you,� Ron couldn�t hide the spreading shock on his
face.

�Why would you be surprised that I might find you
attractive?� the voice stayed quiet, as though with every word a painful chunk
of carefully constructed armour was gouged out of Severus� skin. �Even when you
dress like a layabout, Weasley, you look good.�

Ron didn�t quite know what to say to that and he looked down
at the table. �Can I just ask why you�ve spent the entire year being a git to
me?�

�How long is a piece of string�� Severus� eyes flashed with
guilt. �Part of it was the sport, and when I realised that I� that I rather enjoyed
your presence in the school, then provoking you became just part of my��

�Charm, game, flirting?� Ron supplied with a tiny grin.

Severus let out a snort and looked away, and Ron took the
time to properly assess the man�s appearance. His hair was clean and hanging to
his shoulders, like usual. Facial skin was pale and the clothes were simple,
black trousers and a shirt.

�Drinks,� the bartender walked back to their table and put
down the bottle of wine with two glasses, the jug of cocktail and another two
glasses, and the pub�s menu.

�Thanks,� Ron flashed him a smile, immediately picking up
the jug and filling the glasses.

Severus eyed his a little apprehensively as Ron slid it
towards him. �It won�t bite, Severus.�

�So very odd to hear you call me that,� Severus looked at
him, almost warmly.

�Well, it�s just� childish to keep up this last name shit,�
Ron said finally, deciding he was going to throw everything to the wind, and if
it came back and hit him in the face, then he would be on a beach watching the
moonlight by that time the next night, and he�d deal with it then.

�Yes, it is rather,� Severus picked up the glass and took a
mouthful.

�What do you think? I�m sure they cost a fair whack, we
could run up a lovely sum on the tab with them.�

�It�s nice, but��

Severus primly wiped his mouth and Ron watched curiously as
the man picked up the wine bottle and up ended half of it into the pitcher, and
topped up their glasses to rim.

�I have a feeling that might make it rather more
satisfactory.�

Ron blinked at him before his face broke into a wider grin.

So apparently we can
add alcoholic experimentation to the list of reasons why Severus Snape is
startlingly attractive to me. Oh, Godric�s balls�

***

They were finishing up their meal and the conversation was
surprisingly easy between them, and Severus wasn�t sure whether he was still
angry at Sprout or simply grateful to her. Ron was engaging with the stories he
had to tell, and Severus would have been content to let him talk for the entire
night, but part of the redhead�s attractiveness was an obvious dislike of
talking about himself.

�So, I�m going to shut up now,� Ron mumbled, taking another
mouthful of cocktail. He chewed thoughtfully on a chip. �So, where do you
live?�

�Still at my childhood home,� Severus looked down at his
food, which was delicious. �I suppose one of these days I will grow a spine and
make the move to somewhere bigger, less depressing��

�Depressing?� Ron made a sympathetic face.

�I� there are issues there,� Severus fended off the question
with a vague answer and a gulp of his drink.

�Who doesn�t have issues?� Ron shrugged with a smile. �I
know I do. Nothing to be ashamed of.�

Severus only just managed to cover up his shocked little
jump when Ron�s knee knocked into his own beneath the table, and stayed
touching.

Oh lord, he can�t have
any idea what he�s doing to me when he does that�

�I, uh� Your knee is��

�I know,� Ron shrugged. �Do you have a problem with it
encroaching on your personal space?�

�No,� Severus put his eyes back on his food. �Not at all.�

�It�s nice to have some bodily contact where we know one or
the other of us won�t do a bunk, hmm?�

Severus laughed. �You are easier to be around than I thought
you would be.�

�I�m an easy person,� Ron shrugged, and Severus raised his
eyebrows. �Yeah, okay, that didn�t come out the way it sounded in my head.�

The beautiful face screwed up with embarrassment and Severus
laughed again. �Don�t worry, I am merely sat here blown away by the fact that
you are able to talk in coherent sentences whereas I appear to have reverted
back to the age of fifteen again with monosyllable grunts.�

It was Ron�s turn to snort. �Can I ask� when did you� when
did you decide that you found me attractive?�

�From the beginning,� Severus said simply. �Don�t comment on
how absolutely ridiculous that makes my behaviour, believe me, I already know.�

�I won�t say a word,� Ron licked his lips. �But I didn�t
think it was so soon� you seemed to have a problem with me from the off.�

�I make no excuses, I am�completely socially inept.�

�You�re doing alright now,� Ron knocked against his knee
again with a small smile. �But you were such a� prick, especially over your
Slytherin Quidditch thug.�

�Petty, puerile, infantile, there are many different words
to describe my behaviour over the course of the year.�

�Its fine,� Ron insisted. �If we� If we want� look. We�re sitting
here now, getting on. Clean slate?�

What�s his game?

Severus stopped eating and concentrated on breathing.

There doesn�t have to
be a game, he looks perfectly genuine.

�I mean it,� Ron threw in nervously.

�Why?�

�Because� look, you�re going to laugh, but when I� when
Sprout talked

me into this she described you, and you are right for me�
you�re what I look for.�

�You look for scathing middle-aged men?�

�No, I look for someone I can have a fucking good barney
with every now and then, and have brilliant make up sex. I look for someone who
has something in between their ears� the only thing I don�t get,� he paused,
flushing, �Is why someone like you would want me, and why Sprout implied you
were foreign.�

�She was probably thinking that you�d agree if you thought
that, the women are obsessed with the thought of you and your foreign Romanian
lover.� Keen to not answer Ron�s question about why Severus would want him, he
seized on the new direction for their chat. �Speaking of him� what happened the
other day?�

Ron sank the last of his current glass. �First time I�d seen
him in over a year� he... Do you want me to be honest?�

�Be as honest as you feel comfortable with, I would
understand it if you did not trust me.�

�I was� well. I fell in love with him, because around Alex
there�s nothing else to do. He just reels you in. By the time I was there�
well. That�s when he chose to roll out the fact that he loved me too, but he
also loved another bloke, Lucian. He was totally gorgeous, everything I�m not��

Oh, God, if he drives
himself any further into the ground�

�And it was fine, for a while�getting in the middle,� a
dirty smile curled up the perfect lips. �And yeah, I do mean like that��

Severus gave him a smirk and leant back with his drink in
his hand, waiting for Ron to continue.

�But it got to the point where I wanted to come back home,
but I would have stayed for him, you know? He was the best I�d ever� um, had,
and I loved him��

�He chose the other man,� Severus sighed.

�Yes. I know it hurt him,� Ron chewed on his lip.

�I would hazard a guess that it hurt you far more, though.�

�Mm,� Ron nodded. �And then the other day� he had decided he
missed me far too much.�

�Came crawling back?�

�Yeah� but I said no.�

�Good for you,� Severus gave him a toast with the glass.

�I had another reason for doing that, though, sort of� put
me in his position.�

�Oh?� Severus� eyes dropped to the sunset coloured contents
of his glass.

�Yeah. I told him about you. Not specifically� just that I
wanted to see what� if anything, was going to happen between us.�

Ron finished and looked back at Severus nervously.

And what on earth am I
meant to say to that? Jesus Christ!

�Finished?� the bartender interrupted them with a smile.

�Yes, thank you,� Ron turned on the charming smile again.
�Can we see your dessert menu please?�

�What�s the point?� Severus asked abruptly.

�Eh?� Ron frowned.

�Whatever you�ve got with custard on it,� Severus turned to
the man.

�It�s June,� the man deadpanned which caused Ron to burst
out laughing.

Severus had consumed far too much of the delicious doctored
cocktail to be bothered by the man�s sarcasm. �Fine, then, the menu,� he turned
to look at Ron.

�I think he thinks we�re a bit odd,� Ron made a face.

�If he knows Pomona
then he�s just fine with odd,� Severus muttered.

�So� are we going to make her suffer for our enforced night
on the tiles?� Ron smirked. �Or just let her think that she was successful.�

�Was she not successful?� Severus froze.

�Oh, well� who knows,� Ron shrugged. �We�ve not killed each other yet, but I�m�
probably wouldn�t take long.�

�You really have such little faith in me?�

�We�re out of dessert,� the bartender hollered from the bar.

�Honestly,� Ron sighed. �What kind of place runs out of
dessert?�

Severus snorted and reached up to brush his hair back from
his eyes. �Another pitcher?�

�Why not?� Ron�s eyes glittered in the dim lights of the
pub.

***

�So did you ever like the Italian?� Severus asked him.

They had re-located out into the pub�s beer garden, where
the hot day had finally started to cool down. Ron was sitting with his legs
along the bench crossed at the ankles with one elbow resting on the table.
Severus was sitting opposite him with his elbows on the wood, propping up his
chin. It was considerably later, and there had been two further pitchers of
cocktails.

�No,� Ron snorted. �Fucking hell, I�m not stupid, Severus.
Out of my league much?�

�I thought that about you,� Severus answered quietly.

�I�m nothing,� Ron shrugged, taking a mouthful of drink. �I
can�t even believe he was interested.�

�You appear to be in demand.�

�And still alone.�

�Not much longer if Sprout has anything to do with it.�

They fell silent listening to the sounds of the night garden
and the fiddle music floating out from the pub.

�Wonder why she chose Irish?� Ron asked randomly, shifting
along the bench before lying his back down on it.

�I�ve been thinking on it,� Severus mused. �The barman is
familiar to me though I can�t figure it out.�

�I�ve enjoyed it,� Ron shrugged, looking up at the stars.

A cheer went up in the pub as the music stepped up a notch.

�She doesn�t know me as much as she�d like to think,�
Severus said finally. �She sent me to a place where people are dancing.�

Ron struggled to sit up, groaning at the strain in his
abdominals as he did so.

�Dancing?�

�Yes, look,� Severus gestured to the pub.

�Irish dancing at that,� Ron laughed. �Reminds me of Seamus�
fancy a dance?�

Well, if you needed
proof that you�d had far too much to drink, there it is� you just asked Severus
Snape to dance.

�I, uh, well, with all due respect, no,� Severus shook his
head.

�Awh c�moooon,�
Ron cajoled with a grin.

�I think you�ve had enough,� Severus dragged the glass jug
away from Ron�s side of the table.

�Meanie,� Ron cringed inside as he
heard himself horrifically flirt.

�You are quite charming drunk,� Severus assured him, and
poured himself another glass.

�As are you,� Ron didn�t bother to keep the surprise from
his voice and stole back his drink. �So. Let�s say�� he trailed one finger
around the rim of the glass. This has got
to stop! Stop talking! Stop flirting! �Let�s say tonight�s gone really
well, Severus� what would you want from this?�

�I don�t know,� Severus breathed, holding the breath in. �I
came on this because�well, because she paid. But I felt��

�Guilty?� Ron asked hopefully.

�Exactly that!� Severus slapped his hand on the table and
Ron realised for the first time quite how much the high mix of alcohol affected
the Potions Master.

�I�m going on holiday tomorrow,� Ron made a face, looking
down at the picnic table. �With George� he�s never suggested it before, I said
yes �cause it�s not like him to� suggest anything really, not since Fred. It�s
like he�s just waking up, d�you know what I mean?�

�I know,� Severus nodded, and from the sombre look on his
face Ron assessed that the man really did know.

�So yeah, we�re off to the sunny Caribbean
tomorrow afternoon, so��

�Do redheads generally do well in sunshine?� Severus
narrowed his eyes.

�There�s a hefty amount of sunblock
involved,� Ron winced. �But I look great with a tan.�

�You�d look great in even a sack,� Severus muttered beneath
his breath.

�What?� Ron asked incredulously.

�You heard,� Severus looked awkwardly away.

�You really do have the hots for
me, don�t you?� Ron breathed, eyes widening.

�Has it taken you this long to notice?�

�Well you�ve been a� prick,� Ron shrugged helplessly.

But all night long
you�ve just looked really good, and been funny, made me laugh, made me want to
do everything you ran away from in my office� and now�

�Hey,� a voice neither of them knew rang out. �I hope you
don�t mind me interrupting��

Ron looked up at the woman, who was curly haired and
smiling. �How can we help?�

�Well� it�s just� you�re kind of cute, and my friend over
there really likes you,� she nodded towards the pub door. �She wants to know if
you�ll dance with her?�

There was a quiet but derisive snort from Severus and Ron
threw him a glare.

�I�m really sorry,� Ron said apologetically, �But I�m not�
just got out of a bad break up,� he put on his best hurt expression and hoped
it would work.

�He�s been tragically shafted,� Severus� voice picked up.
�Woman stole all his money and even worse, his heart.�

The girl let out a sympathetic whimper and Ron kicked
Severus hard underneath the table.

�I understand,� she simpered, and scurried away.

�You�re a bastard,� Ron hissed as Severus broke out into
dark chuckles.

�Well, did you want to dance with her?� Severus levelled.
�You turned her invitation down.�

�There was no need to make up a story, though��

�Oh, do stop being so dull,� Severus sighed. �It�s not the
end of the world. If you want a dance, be my guest, go and tell her you�ve
changed your mind.�

�I don�t want to dance with her,� Ron said irritably.

�Then why are we arguing?�

�Because I�d rather dance with you!�

Oh, GOD this stuff is
poison.

�And I have already made it perfectly clear that I don�t
dance.�

�Don�t you want to dance with me? Is it because of my broken
heart?� Ron asked sarcastically.

�No, it�s because dancing is nothing a middle-aged man such
as myself should get involved in.�

�So age is the barrier here?�

�The barrier to what?!�

Their voices were rising and hands were beginning to
gesture.

�I�m sick of barriers,� Ron burst out suddenly.

�I thought that maybe tonight we would have overcome some of
them,� Severus stiffened.

�You won�t dance with me!�

�I don�t dance!�

�With me or anybody?�

�Anybody!�

�Why not?�

Severus groaned and dropped his face into his hands.� �Ron, shut up.�

�Don�t�� Ron climbed off the bench. �This has been going so
well.�

�I�d dance with you,� Severus muttered.

�What?�

�I�d do it if it meant I could keep you.�

Ron stopped dead. �What did you say?�

�You heard!�

Oh hell yes I heard.

He sank down on the bench next to Severus and knocked into
his shoulder. �Yeah. Guess I did.�

�Please don�t make me prove that I mean it,� Severus hissed.
�I�m not averse to begging.�

�Bet you sound pretty begging,� Ron murmured.

�What?�

�Really fucking hot.�

�What did you say?� Severus� voice was a wisp.

�You heard what I said,� Ron smirked.

Severus exhaled then, a long gust of air and Ron saw the
usually broad shoulders slump in defeat. �Getting drunk with you wasn�t a
clever idea.�

�Shut up,� Ron groaned, and threw his arm around Severus�
back and pulled him close. �So, we can just leave?�

�I suppose, he has the cheque��

Ron stood and collected both of their jackets, and then
extended a hand to Severus. �Let�s get out of here.�

***

The gut jerking sensation of apparition forced them both
back towards sobriety and Severus was glad as they passed through the gates of
Hogwarts. The castle was so quiet, with so few windows glinting against the
dark backdrop.

�Creepy here when everyone�s gone,� Ron commented, shoving
his hands in his pockets.

�I�ve never found it so,� Severus answered quietly. �Just
peaceful.�

He had had the strangest night of his life. He thought that
his Death Eater initiation held the award but spending a night becoming slowly
drunk on a cocktail far too young for him with a man he realised that he could
very easily fall in love with, Severus was completely confused.

�D�you want to go and throw rocks at Sprout�s door?� Ron
grinned at him.

�I know I�ve acted like a child for most of the year but
there is no need to sully my reputation further.�

�I enjoyed tonight,� Ron smiled easily at him. �It was nice
to� just be with you, to try and figure you out.�

�Did you manage it?� Severus arched an eyebrow in doubt.

�Absolutely fucking not,� Ron laughed, as they walked up the
front steps to the castle.

Severus reached out and pressed his hand to the wood which
immediately glowed and popped open. They passed into the empty hall and Ron
turned to him.

�So, I suppose this is goodnight?� Severus licked his lips
nervously.

He was too drunk to feel particularly bothered by what might
come next.

But if he wants a
kiss�

�Isn�t� well. In old-fashioned romance,� Ron frowned,
�Doesn�t someone always walk someone to their door?�

�Weasley, are you seriously suggesting that I walk three
floors out of my way to deliver you to the room I know that you can find
perfectly well with your own feet?�

�Yup.�

Ron turned and walked up the grand staircase, his hand
gliding up the rail. Severus watched him go, and realised too late that it had
been Ron�s aim to have him do so. With a slight groan he rushed to catch up and
ran up the stairs.

When they drew level Ron smirked and threw his arm through
Severus�.

�If you tell anybody�� Severus threatened beneath his
breath.

�Who on earth am I going to tell?� Ron�s laugh danced along
the deserted corridor.

�Potter, or Granger��

�Ah, like they give a shit,� Ron shrugged. �They would just
prefer that I had a partner so they didn�t have to consider me when we go out
together��

�This is me, however,� Severus pointed out as they stepped
onto the floor which held Ron�s rooms.

�Is it you?� Ron turned to him. �This is� uh� me�� Ron
pointed to the door.

�Yes, I remember� from the night I came to apologise to
you��

�Ah, yeah,� a beautiful blush took up on Ron�s face. �That
night I was��

�Was there somebody in your room?� Severus moved closer to
him, so they were chest to chest.

�No,� Ron chewed adorably into his lip, looking far younger
than twenty-four.

�Then what were you doing?� Severus held his breath as he
reached up his hand and brushed Ron�s hair away from his eyes.

�Um, it�s a bit�� the boy went redder.

He trailed off when Severus pressed their lips together. The
kiss was unlike anything they had ever shared before, and Ron suddenly grabbed
him tightly and didn�t let go. Slowly they stood wrapped around one another,
kissing with intermittent groans in the corridor.

Sex On The Beach� I�m
sure that was a calculated stab to give me inappropriate thoughts.

The taste of the cocktails in Ron�s mouth was disgustingly
better than it had been in the glass, and a large warm hand slipped down and
groped at his backside. Severus wasn�t sure that anybody had ever done that to
him so brazenly before, but he was too blissfully drunk to care.

Finally they pulled apart with tiny kisses but Ron pressed
their foreheads together.

�I was� I have��

�Forget it,� Severus smiled.

�I�ll show you someday�� a wicked grin turned up the lips.

�Do you think that�� Severus trailed off as Ron kissed him
again. �Do you think it would be improper for me to come in for a nightcap?�

�Yes!� Ron snorted. �I know what that means, I�m not easy,
Snape!�

�Actually, earlier this evening�� Severus played with a lock
of fiery hair.

�Well I�m not,� Ron screwed up his face, as though it was
taking great personal effort to speak as he was.

Suddenly Severus became aware of the hot column pressing
into his belly through his thin shirt, and smirked. �No, you�re not easy at
all, Weasley.�

He shoved Ron back into the wall and dropped his head to
assault the perfect neck which had been taunting him all night long. The taste
of Ron�s skin was every bit as satisfying as the smell of it, and the redhead
moaned, throwing his head back.

�So good�� Ron breathed. �Yesssss�.�

Severus rocked his hips and wondered where they were
heading. And he knew, after their evening, where he wanted it to head. He kissed Ron on the mouth again and pulled
back.

�Let me in for a drink,� he whispered.

Ron�s eyes glittered at him. �I� look. I want this.�

�Good, I want this too�� Severus tried to kiss him again but
Ron ducked his head away.

�You want it now,� Ron whispered. �But� when we�re halfway
through, when� tomorrow morning?�

Severus closed his eyes and moaned. �Somehow I get the
feeling you are never going to let me live that down, are you Weasley?�

�It really hurt,� Ron muttered.

�So now?� Severus forced his eyes open, steeling himself for
the inevitable.

�We didn�t kill each other tonight,� Ron mused, tilting his
head to the side to look at Severus. �And I want to� god knows I want to drag
you inside and fuck you, Snape��

�Then�well, drag me inside, we�ll have to talk about who
does the fucking though,� Severus caught his mouth again.

They kissed for a few moments more before Ron broke away.
�You mean you�re a top?�

�What else would I fucking be?� Severus blinked dumbly.

�Oh� so, how�s that going to work?�

�What?�

�I�m not a��

�You will be,� Severus growled at him, and the sapphires
widened and dilated with pleasure as Ron�s body was truly flattened into the
wall.

�Maybe,� he breathed, bucking his hips forward. �But not
tonight.�

�No?� Severus drizzled kissed down the side of the creamy
throat.

�No,� Ron laughed.

�Sure about that?� Severus latched over the sliver of collarbone
he could reach.

�I don�t� the night you left me in my office I spent it
shivering on the floor!� Ron cried, and then when he pushed Severus away, he
burning red. �Fuck. Damned cocktails.�

�I�m sorry,� Severus stammered. �I��

�Clean slate,� Ron screwed his face up frustratedly.
�Just� Look. Just� fuck.�

Severus took a step back and shoved his hands in his pockets
to hide the fact that they were trembling with nerves.

�Come back to me,� Ron took a step forward and placed a
gentler kiss on his lips. �In the morning. I�m leaving at nine. Come to me
before then, and tell me that you still want me, and we�ll go from there. But
I�m not spending another night on the floor, Severus.�

Another gentle kiss, and then Ron turned and unlocked his
door.

�The morning, then?� the redhead asked hopefully.

Severus gave him a curt nod and watched Ron disappear behind
the ancient wood. As soon as it clicked shut he wanted to scream his
frustration. In his trousers raged a hard-on stiffer than he had ever achieved
in his life, his mind swum with the alcohol and his heart thudded an embarrassingly
hard rhythm.

One night together and
he�s got me acting like a fucking teenager, and he set an ultimatum. He set a
fucking ultimatum. I�m the one that sets ultimatums. Fuck�s sake!

He realised then that he was still staring at Ron�s door.
His fist was raised to hammer on it before he really thought about what he was
doing.

No, he�s asked for you
to come back in the morning� you should honour his wishes.

Morning, Severus could do that. He turned and walked down
the corridor, body tingling with anticipation.
- 6
- 7
- 8
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Rivalry