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Magic	By : starstruck86 Category: Harry Potter > Slash - Male/Male > Snape/Ron Views: 6549 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 1
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Chapter List
- 7
- 8
- 9
�I can�t
help what gets them to sleep,� Severus was fighting a laugh.

�Yeah but
come on ��Bad, Bad LeRoy
Brown�? Wonderful morals to teach our children!�

�They�re a
week old! They�re not going to remember it!�

Ron laughed
and threw his head back, finally caving to the humour of the situation.

�Whilst
you�re standing there cackling, can you pass me that?� Severus held out his
hand for the baby wipes. �Remind me why I�m doing this again, isn�t it your
turn for changing duty?�

�Well maybe I would do it if you didn�t sprint down the hallway like it�s a
race every time one of them snuffles on the monitor,� Ron replied airily.

But
Severus� protective nature and determination to be involved internally thrilled
him. It had only been a week and yet they were coping with the steep learning
curve between them, no matter how tired they were. Ron had hoped his strength
would return quickly after their birth, but the only difference was that the
sickness had gone and he�d stopped eating as much.

�I�m never
going to get this right,� Severus muttered, fighting against a nappy. It didn�t
help that Jack seemed determined he didn�t need one, and kicked his legs with
frivolity Severus was sure most normal one week old children did not possess.
�This child is going to be a naturist; he just wants to be naked.�

Jack seemed
to back up his claim with a happy gurgle and wide eyes. Ron flicked his wand
and conjured two charmed tiny tweeting birds from thin air, and directed them
up above his son�s face to distract him whilst Severus swooped at the lull in
leg activity, and fastened the nappy. Ron kept him busy whilst he was enticed
back into his sleep-suit.

�Teamwork,�
Ron laughed, and made the birds disappear.

Severus
sniggered in agreement and picked Jack up, carefully supporting his head, which
was already full of black and red curling hair. They�d already been forced to
trim it once. The hospital was utterly bemused as to why the triplets� hair
should be growing so fast, but nothing would stop it. It only served to make
them even more unique.

Ron
sauntered over to where Rosie and Elliott were lying together in the pop up
crib, something he frequently expressed the wish for someone to make for adults
because it just looked so comfortable.
He got down on his knees and reached out his index finger to tickle under
Rosie�s chin and her eyes lit up at the contact, lips drawing up in what might
have been a gummy attempt at a smile. He turned to Elliott next and smiled at
him, drawing his hand up to flap his fingers in a wave, which the baby never
failed to respond to with a wave of his tiny little fist.

Severus
watched him on the floor, holding Jack close, one hand smoothing over his warm
back. The baby was, as ever �as they all seemed obsessed with doing- snuffling
in his hair.

�You managed
to pass on a love of long hair to all of them, I think,� Severus said gently.

�They�ve
got good taste. But it�s just your hair, really.�

�I wish Elliott was a bit less grabby,� Severus winced in memory. �I�ll be bald
in three months at this rate.�

The quieter
son of the two, Elliott seemed to have a life-fulfilling wish to tug on
Severus� hair every time he got near it. Considering he was a week old, he
seemed to have surprising strength. Severus crossed the room and got down on
his knees next to Ron, and arranged Jack in the space next to Rosie, who
wriggled and inched closer to Elliott.

�I wonder why she likes El more than Jack,� Ron mused, chewing on his lip.

Severus
ignored the fact that Ron had already shortened Elliott�s name in a week.
�Maybe they were better neighbours in the womb. Would you like to sleep next to
him with the amount he kicks?�

Ron snorted
with laughter. �Suppose not. But then I sleep next to you, and you kick.�

�He always
did when he was a baby, too,� Eileen popped out of the wall next to them. �I
had lots of comments from the muggle side of the family he was going to be a
footballer.�

�Oh, I can
see that now,� Ron smirked.

�Shut up,�
Severus said airily, and reached a hand out to tickle lightly on Elliott�s
stomach, which he seemed to like.

�He really
is the absolute spitting image of you,� Eileen gazed at the baby. �Like looking at the past.�

�With the
exception of my nose, thankfully,� Severus commented wryly and reached up to
touch what had somehow formed into a perfectly normal nose on the son which
most resembled him.

�Let the
nose go,� Ron rolled his eyes. �Or go and get it magically altered. Or let me
do it.�

Severus
muttered something under his breath and got to his feet. �I think it�s time for
a cup of tea.�

Ron smirked
and also got to his feet, �I�ll levitate these three into the living room and
you make tea.�

Severus
turned on his heel and left the nursery, opening the gate they�d had to affix
to the doorway to keep George out. The dog was obsessed with the babies, but
not in a threatening way at all. Ron had only twigged he was being protective
when George refused to allow him into the nursery one night to perform an
unscheduled check which probably would have woken them all up.

George
leapt to his feet from his silent vigil in the hallway and wagged his tail at
Severus. �They�re fine, like they always are,� Severus told him with a slight
smile. �There�s no need for you to be so bloody over protective. We�re taking
good care of them.�

George made
a playful growling answer and Severus laughed and turned into the kitchen.

The
November was wet, dark and cold, but Severus was impervious to it all. Their
little cottage, though it made him feel disgustingly idealistic to admit it,
was filled with warmth and happiness which wasn�t only down to the fire.

He put the
kettle on to boil and looked out at the pouring rain. He heard Ron talking to
his mother in the living room, laughing at something, and then a shriek from
Rosie.

One of the
main fears Severus had had in the run up to the triplets� arrival was that
somehow they�d all blend in to one, and that he wouldn�t be able to tell them
and their needs apart. But, with great relief, he was learning that he couldn�t
have had a fear further from reality. They were all so, so different. Jack was
a giggler. He would sit and find the smallest things amusing in his own baby
way. Elliott was so quiet and brooding it was comical.
Ron commented at one point that he seemed to be weighing everyone up before he
accepted their acquaintance, which made him so much like his father it was
unbelievable �without the fact that the baby was only a week old. And Rosie was
entirely different to the both of them. Without a doubt she�d inherited Ron�s
lungs and she could rack up an ear-splitting scream on just one draw of breath.

Jack was by
far the easiest baby, followed by Elliott, and then Rosie was the one that
caused the trouble. Severus reached for the cups but suddenly heard Harry�s
voice in his living room, and walked in to see.

�That was
Harry�s Patronus,� Ron smiled. �Ginny�s finally given birth!�

�About
time, she was going mad,� Severus smiled at him.

�How are
we�� Ron looked at the babies.

�Go on,
I�ll be fine with them,� the words left Severus� mouth before he could stop
them.

Somehow, by
twists of luck, he had not yet had more than ten minutes alone with the
triplets since they�d been born. And he didn�t mind �in fact, he was positively
dreading the moment he was left to fend alone with them. As certain as the sun
would rise in the east, Severus knew the minute he was left unaccompanied with
his children everything would erupt. But he�d just volunteered for it.

�Are you
sure?� Ron turned to him, his face flushed in the excitement of meeting his new
nephew and best friend�s son.

�She�s your
sister and he�s your best friend, go,� Severus pointed at the fireplace, nerves
jangling.

Ron�s eyes
lingered over the portable low-sided cot where his babies lay contentedly
looking back at him with wide, striking eyes. He hadn�t been away for them for
longer than ten minutes in a week and the prospect of leaving them sent
something crushing into his chest. He looked back at Severus and bit his lip.
It wasn�t that he didn�t trust Severus with them, because he did. It wasn�t
hard to see that Severus was actually better at certain elements of childcare
than he was, settling their children off to sleep for one.

Good to see that low, deep voice
being put to good use other than giving me a hard-on.

But he just
didn�t want to leave any of them �the triplets or his husband; because he was
so happy in the little bubble they�d created for themselves over the last week.
But he knew it would have to break
soon, because they were almost out of food and they�d need other baby supplies
now they were getting into the swing of things.

Ron sucked
in a deep breath of air and nodded. �Fine.�

Severus
gave him a nervous smile as he passed into the hallway to get his shoes.

�I won�t be
long,� Ron assured him, and gave him a tight hug with a kiss on the lips.

�Be as long
as you like,� Severus assured him.

�I don�t like being away from you,� Ron blushed.

�We�ll
still be here when you get back. Where are going to go? We don�t have car seats
yet. Hardly the getaway of the century��

�Fair
point, you�re trapped here. I�ll be off then,� Ron gave him a wink and stepped
through the fireplace without another word.

The house
fell quiet and Severus looked about for his mother, but she�d disappeared.

�Thanks, mum,� Severus growled, edging closer to the cot. �Hello you.�

Forgetting
his tea, he sank down next to the cot and put his hand inside it, and Jack
reached out and grabbed his thumb.

�I swear
you only do that because you just know it turns me into a pile of goo,� Severus
kept his voice low, even though they were the only ones in the house. A little
twinkle appeared in his son�s eye and Severus laughed. �See! You know exactly
what you�re doing, don�t you?�

He looked
over the other two, as ever inclined to lie close together. �You should stop
that or your brother will think you don�t love him,� Severus� eyes flicked back
to Jack, who was still twinkling at him. �Or not. I
don�t think he�s going to be the type that cares� happy-go-lucky is the phrase.
Just like Charlie.�

Ron�s
family genes seemed to have shone through at a ratio of two to one; both Rosie
and Jack displayed prominent traits of the line. Elliott was too much like
Severus himself to have been affected, though Severus thought sometimes, when
he was asleep, he did look very much like Ron.

�Now.
We�re all by ourselves and we�re good, yes? We can handle this?�

Severus didn�t know who he was trying convince more, himself or them. Either
way, he got back to his feet and walked to the living room door, which was far
as he got before Rosie began to cry and his insides turned to ice and his heart
stepped up a notch.

***

�Come on
then, let me see!� Ron beamed at Harry as soon as he stepped out of the
fireplace.

�I don�t
know how the hell you went through all those nerves with three,� Harry�s voice
was tired; he looked markedly frayed around the edges.

�We didn�t
have a natural birth,� Ron countered. �Is Gin okay?�

�I heard
some shit scary words like �tearing�,� Harry paled a bit. �But the midwife said
everything�s normal and they�re just sorting her out.�

�Where�s
everyone else?� Ron blinked around at the empty kitchen of Grimmauld Place.

�You were the first person I thought of,� Harry said. �I haven�t called anyone
else yet. I thought you�d bring Severus��

�Well we
kind of come as a quintet now,� Ron reminded him gently. �We didn�t have time
to sort the babies out so he stayed behind to look after them.�

�Is this
your first time away from them?�

�Bar ten
minutes when I had to go into the hospital to pick up the stuff we left in the
room, yeah�� Ron coloured. �And Severus is having his first proper time alone
with them.�

�He�ll be
fine,� Harry said automatically. �I never would have thought, when he was
bellowing at us in a dungeon, he�d turn out to be such an easy, natural
father.�

�Mm, but
he�s convinced he�s awkward at it. Now, come on, Harry, baby!� Ron niggled him.

Harry led
him up the stairs to his and Ginny�s bedroom. Ron could never get over the
changes Harry had made to the old mansion. It swum with light and airiness, the
inner d�cor brightened considerably with champagne coloured wallpaper and cream
accenting and thick carpets.

�Gin, can
we come in?� Harry knocked on the door, and pushed it open when she called back
her affirmative.

�Oh good,
you already called him,� Ginny said from where she was perched on the edge of
their bed, looking into the basket on the bed next to her. �Ron, come and meet
your nephew. James Sirius.�

�Oh,
that�ll just thrill Severus,� Ron
snickered, and bent over the basket. �Oh look at him! He�s a mini-Ginny.�

�Red hair
and all,� Harry said proudly.

�Hey is
this�� Ron examined the basket.

�Yep, the
Weasley family baby basket,� Ginny laughed. �I found it in the loft at The
Burrow, and Dad said to use it.�

�Continuing
tradition,� Ron snorted. �Can I?� He motioned to the sleeping boy and Ginny
nodded.

Much more
confidently than he would have done a week before, Ron cradled the baby close
and looked down at his sleeping face. �Oh, poor kid�s got your nose on closer
inspection, Harry.�

�Remind me
to swipe for you when you�ve put my child down,� Harry growled at him
playfully, and Ron laughed.

�He�s
lovely, congratulations.� Ron felt the strange pull in his chest to go back to
his own children and love them to pieces.

�I love
that there�s only a week between their birthdays,� Ginny said. �Think of the
joint parties we can have!�

�Can�t see
Severus being too happy about that,� Harry raised his eyebrows.

�Severus is
a lot more amenable than you think,� Ron said quietly. �Especially
when it comes to the triplets. He�d do anything for them.�

�How are my favourite triplets?� Ginny asked,
as Ron sat down on the end of the bed, still cuddling James.

�Hopefully not screaming the house down,� Ron made a face.
�But good.�

�You don�t even look particularly tired,� Ginny assessed his
face.

�I think that�s because you�ve seen me dead on my feet for
nine months,� Ron yawned. �Still tired. And for some reason freezing cold all the time.�

�You got time to stay for a cup of tea?� Ginny asked him
with a smile.

�I should really get back,� Ron didn�t move, the warm
heat of the baby on his chest.

�Come on, stay for a bit, it�ll do you good to get out
�break the cycle you�ve no doubt fallen into.�

�Severus will be fine with them,� Harry said. �You know he
will.�

�Hope so,� Ron swallowed.

***

Things might have been fine if Rosie�s crying fit hadn�t
unusually provoked Elliott into joining in. Severus thought he might actually
be going insane. He�d tried soothing them with his voice, a trick which always
worked when he was settling them to bed. He�d tried rocking each of them. Feeding
them had been a moot point and there was still baby formula in his hair from
when Rosie had notched up another level in her screaming, making him jump and
squeeze the bottle accidentally and drench them all with a shower of milk.

I can brew living
death in a cauldron and yet I cannot get my baby to shut the fuck up. Help.

Jack, relaxed as ever, was looking at them all as though he
were very much enjoying this new form of entertainment. Rosie was red-faced and
bawling and Elliott was positively glowering at Severus through his tears, as
though it was his fault that his
sister was screaming.

Desperate, Severus stooped and picked him up, thinking that
if he could get Elliott to calm down then at least he was one step closer.

�Come on, shush for daddy, you know you don�t like screaming because you�re my
good, quiet little lad,� Severus hated talking aloud to the room like that, but
there was no doubt that his voice normally worked on the babies. He gently
bounced Elliott, his mind spiralling into a rant about why on earth he ever
thought he could handle children.

This is mad. Never
going to survive this! Christ she sounds like she�s possessed.

�Rosie, come on, please, I like sanity,� Severus begged.

I am pleading for
reason with a one week old. I think maybe sanity upped and left a while back.
Fuck.

Elliott seemed half convinced, finally, in his arms, and had
settled to a whimpering sniffle. �That�s right, just calm down and snot on my
shoulder. You want to tug on my hair some more?� Severus asked hopefully and
Elliott looked up at him, dark eyes seemingly trying to hook within Severus�
soul. �Your daddy looks at me like that sometimes,� he whispered down to the
baby, who blinked at him as if to say �so what?� Severus laughed slightly.
�Everyone says you�re like me but you�ve got a lot of him in you, too. You�re
so, so lovely.�

Moving quickly to capitalise on Elliott�s silence, Severus
levitated Jack out of the cot and grabbed him. It was nearly nap time anyway
and whilst Rosie managed to somehow scream even louder in the kitchen, Severus
settled the boys into their respective cots with a gentle kiss to each
forehead.

Then he pulled his wand out and tested the spells around the
cots and only when he was satisfied did he turn back to the kitchen and plucked
Rosie from the cot.

�Now, you,� he whispered, and sat down on one of the kitchen
chairs, cradling her in his arms. �We�re all going to fall out if you keep this
up. Elliott hates it when you scream like that.�

As though she�d finally heard him, as if she cared what her
brother thought, Rosie turned down the volume on her verbal output.

�Well, that�s a start,� Severus laughed down to her, and her
eyes lit up at the sight of his smiling face, and the crying stopped. Severus
almost dropped her in shock as the silence rang through his ears. �Oh Merlin,
Rosie, thank you, thank you, thank you,� he brought her up so he could kiss her
hair.

Her answering gurgle caused warmth to seep through his body
and he could have slumped in the chair with her. �Right, now, if I go and
settle you in� you�re not going to wake them up, are you?� Severus whispered to
her. �Because I might just lose my mind if you do.�

He rose to his feet quietly and entered the nursery, wishing
he could creep a little more quietly. His mind had Arthur�s words on replay,
about what the twins used to do to him and Molly. Setting Rosie down, he stood
up straight and took a tentative breath.

Silence reigned supreme and the only things he could hear
were gentle breaths and the rapid beating of his pulse in his ears.

Oh sweet Salazar thank
you. He turned and
made to leave, but made eye contact with Jack, whose mouth was just opening.

�DON�T EVEN THINK ABOUT IT!� Severus desperately mouthed at
the baby, fists clenching next to his body.

A definite attempt at a smile crossed the baby�s face and he
giggled slightly, Severus shivered. �You did that on purpose,� he mouthed
before leaving the room.

He turned into the kitchen and realised with shock that his
hands were shaking and his nerves seemed shot to pieces. Nothing of consequence
had even really happened. He sank down into a chair and breathed in and out,
fighting off the shaking and the way his heart seemed to be thrumming along
faster than necessary.

Okay, yes, would like
Ron back right this second, please. Not ready for this!

***

�I really, really should go back now,� Ron got up from the
kitchen bench and stretched his arms above his head. �It�s not fair to leave
him for so long this early on. He hasn�t done it to me.�

�Come and see us again soon,� Ginny kissed him on the cheek.
�My baby needs his uncle.�

�Try to remember there�s a world outside the bubble,� Harry
winked at him, and pulled him into a surprising hug. �I�ve missed you this past
week!�

�Missed you too,� Ron patted his back and pulled away, but
was stunned to see his best friend�s green eyes littered with tears. �Bloody
hell, you missed me that much?�

�Shut up, I�m emotional because of the baby,� Harry sniffed.

�Well, this certainly makes up for nine months of taunting,�
Ron smirked, and turned to the fireplace. �See you soon.�

�Hope the house is still standing!�

Ginny�s parting comment made him laugh as he strode into the
green flames, whizzing to what turned out to be an empty living room.

�Severus?� he called out, making for the hallway, but
Severus beat him through the living room door.

�Where the hell have you been?� he hissed desperately, and
Ron frowned. �You�ve been gone for hours you bastard!�

�Is something wrong?� he asked immediately.

�No,� Severus shook his head.

�Where are they?�

�Asleep.�

�Then what on
earth�s the matter with you?� Ron�s mouth fell open in dismay.

Severus stepped away from him, unable to stop his hands
trembling. He sank onto the sofa and put his face in them to try and hide it.
Ron worriedly stepped up and crouched down in front of him. �What happened? Did
everything go okay?�

�I�m not built to look after them by myself,� Severus
groaned against his hands.

�Tell me what happened?�

�Nothing did� well� apart from Rosie attempting to break the
windows with a new level of high pitched screaming. And Elliott started and it
was just��

�Too much,� Ron finished for him. �But I was only gone for
half an hour��

�What?� Severus� head snapped up and he looked over at the clock. �Oh, for
fuck�s sake� it felt like hours and hours.�

Ron couldn�t help the laugh that was bubbling up his
windpipe as he took in Severus� form, shaking on the sofa, baby formula in his
hair, what looked like snot on his shoulder and pale, pale skin and worried
eyes.

�That Rosie�s going to be a troublemaker, eh?� He commented,
trying to bring Severus out of the funk.

�And Jack just sat there and laughed through the whole
thing,� Severus said desperately.

�Well, he�s got a sense of humour, like me,� Ron smirked.
�What did Elliott do?�

�Looked me like a failure because I couldn�t shut Rosie up,� Severus whispered.

�He�s a week old, Severus� sure you weren�t just doing that
thing where you read your own feelings from their reactions again?�

�Shut up,� Severus huffed and leant back against the sofa, flinging his arm up
to cover his eyes.

Ron laughed again and pressed his face into Severus� knees,
gripping his legs tightly in his arms. �Look at it this way; you�re still
alive, they�re still alive, the house is still standing� what�s that Quidditch
saying� any landing you can walk away from is a good one? Look at it like
that.�

Severus let his arm drop and fixed Ron with a glare.

�Alright,� Ron laughed.

�Stop laughing at me!� Severus protested.

�Stop being over the top,� Ron gave the legs he held a
shake. �Good parenting isn�t judged on the first week you know.�

�Well, that�s good, seeing as you nearly dropped Jack the other day �don�t
think I didn�t notice,� Severus took the cheap shot and Ron laughed at his
daring.

�Exactly.�

***

They were still together on the sofa, Severus� head in Ron�s
lap, two hours later. It was nearing feeding time (�At the zoo,� Ron couldn�t
help but attach the description) but neither of them had the heart to get up
and disturb the peace. Even George was sprawled in front of the fire, sound
asleep.

Severus was dozing, revelling in the sensation of Ron�s
smooth hand gliding over his hair gently, whilst his body was comfortable on
the sofa, his legs over the arm. Ron was reading the paper at the same time as
hair stroking.

�Oh,� Ron said suddenly, as he reached the announcement
pages at the back that he�d been about to skim over. �I�ll kill them!�

�What?� Severus asked, dark eyes flicking upward to Ron.

�You tell these people no and they do it anyway. Someone in
my family must have done it; they�ve put the triplets� birth announcement in
the paper.� Ron stopped stroking to whack at a part of the paper.

Severus� eyes skimmed over it; it was nothing out of the
ordinary, just their names and the triplets� names. �What�s so wrong with
that?�

�I just don�t like advertising the fact��

�What fact?� Severus frowned.

�Our lives in the paper,� Ron shrugged uncomfortably. �It�s
why I wouldn�t let mum put the marriage notice in.�

�Why are you so against it?� Severus asked, with fear starting
to kindle in his chest.

�Why don�t you
mind it?� Ron looked down at him. �There are people out there who would still
like to hurt you, get vengeance on you. And now our children�s names are
printed for everyone to see��

�Are you ashamed of me?� Severus rose one eyebrow, and
earned himself a whack in the face with the paper.

�No, and you damn well know I�m not,� Ron said hotly. �I�m just� I love you all
so much� and I just wanted us to disappear off the radar��

�Well, considering you work in Diagon Alley and I do
research work and publish papers for a top wizarding university...�

�I know! I�m just� I wanted it kept quiet,� Ron breathed.

�Are you sure it�s not because you�re ashamed of me?�

Ron growled under his breath and chucked the paper on the floor.
�Shut up, Severus. You know full well I�m nothing of the sort.� And then,
because he knew it would annoy his husband into changing the subject, Ron
picked up a chunk of his hair, split it into three sections, and began to plait
it.

�She�s not going to have long hair for years,� Severus
jerked his head irritably and hissed when Ron didn�t release the hair he held,
and his scalp stung as it was tugged.

�Be quiet,� Ron said more gently, and practised.

�Preferred you stroking it,� Severus said grumpily, but
stayed still. �This week has gone so fast. We�ll be back at work before we know
it.�

�I know,� Ron sighed. �And then we�re never going to see one
another��

Severus was thrown back to four years before, when Ron had
hated the fact that they would have to be apart whilst Severus worked at
Hogwarts. An attack from Lucius Malfoy had gotten in the way of that ever
becoming reality and Severus had never found himself praying harder that
history did not repeat itself.

�We�ll manage it, Ron. The Academy has said I can work afternoons, and you�re
going to work mornings. We can have lunch together and then we have our
weekends totally free. And when they�re a bit older they can go to a family
member if we need to do something� Seriously, this is going to work out just
fine.�

�It�s fine for you, though,� Ron said, placing one finger at
the top of the plait and dragging his finger through the centre, loosening the
hair so he could start again. �You were already on a part-time salary. I�m not;
I�m just a bit worried about the money and stuff. And�
I�m scared that I�ll grow to hate it and resent every moment I�m there because
I�m missing the triplets��

�Don�t worry about the money,� Severus rolled his eyes. �We
didn�t need it when you took the job on and don�t need it now.�

�What If I said I wanted to give up my job?� Ron whispered.

�I wouldn�t let you,� Severus said firmly. �You need to keep a string of
independence in your life, Ron, and we can manage this. We will both be there
when they wake up, and we will both put them to bed at night, and we�re lucky
to have the opportunity. We�ll share what happens in between us and I won�t
have you give up your job.�

Ron knew there was little point arguing, and to a certain
extent he could understand where Severus was coming from. Ron dropped the hair
and bent down, pressing his lips to Severus� brow gently, and did not sit back
up again, even though his ribs ached at the awkward position.

�I love you,� he breathed, smoothing one hand over Severus�
chest.

�And I love you when you�re not smacking me in the face with
newspapers,� Severus raised an eyebrow.

�I�m sorry�� Ron�s lips quirked with the ghost of a smile,
�But you asked for it. How could you think that I�d be
ashamed of you?�

�Easily,� Severus countered. �I�m ashamed of myself.�

�Don�t make me do it again,� Ron threatened in a whisper.
�You are my husband and I love you very much, and I am not ashamed of you. Want
me to make a banner for the living room so you can remind yourself every
morning?�

Severus snorted and tilted his head back against Ron�s thigh
so he could press his lips in the air for a kiss, which Ron met softly,
slipping the smallest bit of tongue into it that he could.

�Severus,� Ron asked. �Do you think that tonight we could�?�

His question hung thick in the air and Severus had no doubt
about what he was asking. He opened his mouth to reply when the fire whooshed
and Ron�s head snapped up.

�Oh! I�m sorry! Should I go?� Fleur stood in the grate for a
second, green flames whipping around her.

�No, come in,� Ron glanced down at Severus and met his eyes.

Severus gave him a sly wink and moved to sit up. �Fleur, how
are you? How�s Louis?�

�Oh �e iz
fine, growing like mad!� Fleur dropped into the armchair. ��Ow are ze
triplets?�

�Really well,� Ron got to his feet. �They�re great.�

�I thought, maybe, you could use a woman�s touch?� Fleur
shook what she was holding, which looked to be a small box. She pulled out her
wand and enlarged it again, and set it at her feet. �I made �zese.� She took out three separate bundles, each tied with
a silver ribbon. �I �ave an amazing
sewing machine which was left to me by an aunt, and I made �zese
once I knew ze names.�

Ron took one from her, feeling the thick fabric and then saw
the name �Rosie� embroidered in the corner.

�I made one for each of zem,�
Fleur beamed. �And put a lace border on Rosie�s,� her accent had her tripping
over the name. �And specially �emmed ze boys,� she handed the other two blankets to Severus.

�They�re brilliant, thank you!� Ron clutched Rosie�s blanket
to his chest, touched by Fleur�s thought.

�Zey are charmed with anti-fire,
anti-chew and waterproofing spells,� she went on, and reached into the box
again. �I also knitted some things, zey are probably
a bit big for zem at ze
moment.�

�Thank you,� Severus smiled at her. �You didn�t have to do
this, you have two children of your own to look after, Fleur.�

�Zis is nothing!� She insisted,
flapping her hands in the air. �I �ave a talent and I
am using it. I�ve been making for Ginny�s boy, too. �Ave you
seen �im, Ron?�

�He�s a proper little Weasley,� Ron grinned. �Harry�s conk though, poor
kid. Have you been yet?�

�No, I�m going to drop by afterwards.�

�Tea?� Ron asked.

�I�d love some,� she beamed at him, and Ron was proud of the
fact that he could walk from the room without feeling dazzled.

�I also brought some food, and some things Louis �az already grown out of, if zey
are of any use to you,� Fleur turned to Severus.

�That�s wonderful, thank you. But really, you don�t have to
do this.�

Fleur�s eyes flickered to the door and she
lowered her voice when she spoke again, her tone fervent and honest. �Yes, Severus. I do. My �usband made an idiot out of �imself
and I must attempt to build bridges back between �im
and Ron.�

Severus couldn�t deny that she was right. Ron and Bill
seemed to have fallen into a stony silence and Ron certainly didn�t want to be
the one to break it �as he�d told Severus as they�d fallen asleep the night
before, he didn�t see why he should have to when he hadn�t done anything wrong.
But time was passing on and Bill hadn�t even really spent any time with the
triplets. Severus didn�t know how he managed to look past the slights which
Bill had angled at him, but he found he could. Oh Godric don�t start this again or you�ll be off on your new thing
about how important family is and how you shouldn�t fight with family.
Sentimental bollocks!

�I know how you feel,� Severus replied quietly. �I�ve tried
to get Ron to come over to yours. But he�s being stubborn.�

�Bill �az never
known when to admit �e �az been an idiot,�
Fleur shrugged. �To zis day �e will not admit �e
stood back and let �iz family say �orrible things about me when we first dated.�

�What are you two whispering about?� Ron asked suspiciously
from the door.

�Nothing,� Severus straightened. �Talking about you, not to
you,� he winked at Ron.

Ron threw him an exasperated look. �I know you�re talking
about when Bill and I are going to talk again. If he wants to come here then
fine, both Fred and Percy have been and it was fine. Perce
even said he was proud of me, if you can imagine that. I nearly fell over
dead.�

�So, if I firecall right zis second and tell �im to visit,
you�ll let �im?� Fleur seized her opportunity by the
horns and Severus grinned at the carpet �she was as forceful as Molly had ever
been.

�Fine,� Ron swallowed, and stomped back into the kitchen.

�Go good woman go,� Severus urged her, laughing, and he
looked at the blankets in his hand. They were beautifully crafted, made from
thick fleece, Jack�s blue and Elliott�s green, with a pattern of yellow stars
on each.

See if you didn�t have
family you wouldn�t get gifts. The little voice in his head seemed intent on going back to
the point about family. Severus assumed it was down to the babies, his newfound
obsession with a network of support; he liked to think it was just his paternal
need to make sure his children were loved should anything ever happen to him
and Ron. But there was a niggling feeling it was more than that. A niggling
feeling he liked to shove under the metaphorical carpet in his brain.

Fleur stood up from the fireplace and brushed down the knees
of her jeans as the flames turned green and Bill stepped through, shaking his
long hair out of his eyes.

�Severus,� he gave a gentle incline of his head and a small,
apologetic smile.

�Forget it,� Severus got to his feet. �It�s not important
now.�

And family is. The voice was crowing at him.

Bill swallowed and held out a hand, which Severus shook.
�Ron�s in the kitchen.�

Both of them watched the eldest Weasley child walk out of
the living room and then instantly sprang forward to eavesdrop at the door,
which set them both into silent giggles. Severus really did like Fleur, and he
had never forgotten how readily and warmly she had accepted him at the first
ever Weasley gathering him and Ron had gone to in the early days of their
relationship.

However either Ron or Bill had blocked the sounds of their
conversation.

�Bloody typical, we�re the ones that put up with them
griping and then we don�t get to hear the resolution,� Severus muttered. �Want
to come and see the babies?�

He led Fleur along to the nursery and opened the gate,
allowing George in front of him who instantly padded over to Elliott�s cot.
Severus marvelled at how the dog had known that Elliott would be lying quietly,
looking up at the now starry sky, whilst the other two were still dozing.

�Hello you,� Severus said quietly, bending over the edge of
the cot to pick him up. �Nice sleep?�

A gurgled reply came and Fleur smiled at them both. Severus
held him out to her but she declined.

�No,� she whispered. �I know �ow eet iz. Everybody else cuddles zem and eet feels like you never
do. You keep your leetle boy.�

Severus smiled and cuddled Elliott close, wondering why they
seemed to mould together perfectly and even their breathing seemed to always be
in time.

��E iz yours,� Fleur read his mind
quietly. �You gel best with �im.�

Severus nodded and kissed his son�s forehead. �I don�t know
why. But when I hold him it just feels so��

�Magical,� she finished for him, sparing him the emotional
embarrassment. �I understand, Severus.�

�Here you are!� Ron said quietly from the doorway, and
Severus looked up to him. �Just El awake?�

�So far, keep talking like that and it won�t be that way for
long.�

�God they�re beautiful,� Bill breathed, looking between the
two cots and Severus� arms. �They look so much like you both.�

�Here,� Severus held Elliott out to him and passed him over
into strong, warm arms.

�I promise you I�m not going to cause any trouble like the
last time I saw you,� Bill told the baby who regarded him with almost
accusatory eyes �Severus had to remind himself yet again that one week old
babies did not have the brain power to look accusatory. But then again, it had
been Elliott, for the second time that day. Maybe normal babies didn�t and he
did.

One short step to
proclaiming him a child genius, Severus.

�Ow!� Bill cried suddenly and Severus looked up to see that
Elliott had a fistful of Bill�s flowing red hair and had obviously tugged on it.

�See!� Severus turned triumphantly to Ron. �It hurts!�

Ron snorted with laughter. �Alright.
And he seems to have some weird thing for long hair.�

�Bit like his father,� Severus shoved his hands sheepishly
in his pockets.

�It must be nearly dinner and bath time for you?� Fleur
checked her watch.

�Yeah,� Ron nodded. �We were just putting it off when you arrived, actually.�

�We�ll go and let you be, then,� Bill smiled into the face
of his nephew and then handed him back to Severus. �And we need to release
Charlie from the pony rides he�s being forced to give round the living room to
Vic.�

�We�ll see you soon,� Fleur kissed Ron on the cheek. �You
keep well. You look very pale.�

�I�m always cold,� Ron shivered slightly. �But I�m fine
otherwise.�

Bill pulled Ron into a hug and mussed his hair. �See you
soon.�

�Yeah,� Ron nodded with an abashed smile.

Bill and Fleur left and Ron turned to look at Rosie, who
blinked up at him. �What�s this I hear about you giving your father what for?�
He asked her.

***

Three bottles, a bath, an accident
with some talcum powder, a grown up dinner and a spate of lullaby singing
later, Ron dropped onto their bed, yawning.

�So t-tired and c-cold,� he shivered.

�This coldness thing is really worrying me,� Severus sat
next to him and put an arm around Ron�s shoulders. �It�s not normal.�

�I�ve never been normal,� Ron snorted. He snuggled into
Severus� warmth and sighed happily.

�So are you going to tell me what Bill said?�

�He apologised, I accepted.� Ron shrugged. �All there was to it. Then he said
he was really happy for me and that he loved me very much� you know, all that big brother stuff again that makes them feel
important. I did it to Gin earlier.�

Severus kissed his forehead. �Glad you cleared things up.�

�The blankets Fleur made are great, aren�t they?�

�The babies certainly seemed to like them.�

�Wish we were talented enough to return the favour,� Ron reached up and rubbed
at his nose.

�You are,� Severus frowned.

�Yes, after my little attempt at knitting are we really
going to go there?� Ron thought back on the tangled mess of wool and snorted.

�No, I mean� you�ve got a lovely voice. Elliott just dropped
off straight away when you sang to him. You could record it and give it as a
present.�

�I�d never have thought of that,� Ron admitted. �That�d be
cool.�

They fell silent for a while until Ron smoothed his hand up
Severus� thigh. �So� what we were talking about earlier, before we were
interrupted.�

�Yes��

�Fancy a shag?� Ron asked bluntly,
amusement tainting his words.

�I feel a bit� strange about it,� Severus confessed.

�Is this the same thing which means you barely kiss me in front of them?�

Severus nodded, looking at the opposite wall.

�Well they�re not here now,� Ron pointed out. �We don�t have
to become bloody born again virgins, Severus� we both know it�s far, far too
late for that.�

He smoothed his hand to his husband�s crotch and rubbed
there.

�We can even whisper if it makes you feel better,� Ron
breathed in his ear before kissing it gently. �Come on. Start as we mean to go
on and all that. That applies to us just as much as them.�

�I know,� Severus turned to him and placed a gentle kiss on
the plump lips.

�So what are you waiting for?� Ron raised an eyebrow.

�Why am I taking the lead?� Severus whispered.

�I want you to,� Ron murmured, his warm breath tickling
Severus� cheek.

Severus turned and pushed Ron back on the bed before
crawling over him, cradling his face between his hands.

�You did wash your hands, didn�t you?� Ron teased him
quietly.

�Shut up,� Severus sighed.

And Ron did, they were overly quiet as they lay, kissing
each other with building force, hands roaming over each other�s bodies in
exploration. Ron only even moved when his legs went dead from their angle on
the bed. Severus rolled off him and Ron took his place in the dominant stance.

Each wondered why the other was being so quiet, but neither
wanted to break the silence to ask. Ron straddled Severus� hips and leant down
to kiss him again, stroking the side of his head. Severus reciprocated by
running his hands up and down Ron�s back, fingers massaging through the
material of his t-shirt. The sounds of their roughening breath laced intimacy
through the bedroom air.

Ron moved down and kissed at Severus� neck, adding teeth
when he reached the juncture between throat and shoulder. He felt one of
Severus� hands press at the nape of his neck and he didn�t need further
instruction as to what the raven haired man wanted. He angled his neck and bit
into the soft flesh, breathing heavily. He felt the body arch beneath him and
smiled, letting his tongue out to lap over the abused skin, though with his
piercing it wasn�t particularly soothing.

Severus gripped hold of him tighter and closed his eyes in
ecstasy as Ron bit at him again, finding the silent actions just as arousing as
any of their noisier affairs in the past. His lips tingled with the sudden urge
to feel and kiss, his tongue to caress, and his body heated up that fraction he
had been missing for the past week. Ron sensed the change within him and moved
up his neck in a series of wet bites to his ear.

Both of them were hard in their underwear and Severus couldn�t
claim dryness when Ron�s tongue slid into his ear unexpectedly and he thrust
upwards, crushing his erection against his husband. His groan was silent in his
throat and there seemed no need to expel it properly. Ron captured his mouth
anyway and held him in a searing kiss.

Their eyes met as they broke apart and Ron couldn�t remember
the last time those eyes had looked at him so deeply, so hooking into his very
being. It reminded him very much of Elliott. His mind swum through memories and
he realised the last time he�d seen that burning, passionate look from his
lover was when Severus had been released from Azkaban. Lying together now was
no release from prison, Ron knew. They kissed again and his crotch tingled with
the heat of being pressed against the one man in the world that could satisfy
him.

Severus reached for his hand and held it up to face, and
dusted kisses across his knuckles before turning the hand over and pressing his
lips to Ron�s palm. And then he moved south and held the chained wrist to his
mouth, feeling the steady flicker of Ron�s pulse against his lips. Ron watched
him with hungry eyes, delighting in the feel of the soft skin on his sensitive wrist.

They locked gazes again as Severus kissed against the flesh and
Ron let his jaw drop with desire as Severus positively smouldered at him. Where
Ron had been cold before he was now boiling, and sweat tingled in the small of
his back and at the backs of his knees. Whatever was building between them
would be earthshaking.

Severus was performing the most devastating kiss on his
wrist without relenting, and Ron couldn�t help the way pants fell from his
mouth watching his husband�s tongue licking and sucking at what should have
been a harmless, sexless part of his anatomy, and transformed it into a model
of throbbing yearning.

He finally worked up the energy to jerk it away and Severus
released it, focussing his eyes on Ron�s neck. Powerless to stop him as he
pounced and rolled them, Ron found himself once more guided onto his back,
where his head fell just short of the pillows and his hair splayed out across
the duvet instead. Hot, drenching kisses were planted on his neck as he
silently gasped up to the ceiling. Ron closed his eyes to it �if it wasn�t
Severus, he couldn�t be bothered to fight the waves of lust rolling over him,
and would surrender to the darkness, knowing that for the time being he wasn�t
missing the view.

Severus couldn�t remember the last time he had felt so
utterly driven to have and take, to feel buried within another. He put his left
foot to good use and had it slide up the top of Ron�s own foot, then let his
toes dip to the side and graze over the protruding ankle bone. And with a jolt
he remembered the last time he had felt so exceptionally overcome with desire
�when Ron had visited him before his trial and given him what he could, short
of proper sex. Ron had done the same, teasing his ankles softly with his own
feet and Severus remembered the way he had felt that touch for long after Ron
had gone from his holding cell.

The closest thing to a noise which came from either of them
so far erupted from Severus� throat, a deep growl which almost sounded feral,
and utterly inhuman.

And it shot straight into Ron�s groin, causing him to press
painfully against his trousers. He opened his eyes and sought out Severus�,
asking for one release immediately. Severus nodded and kissed his throat once
more, before reaching for his wand and spelling all of their clothes to the
other side of the room.

They should have hissed, as bare skin met bare skin,
erection pressed on erection and nipples greeted nipples, but neither did, they
just looked at one another. Two chests rose and fell raggedly, as though they�d
already been together, had already reached the sated conclusion of two men in
bed.

Severus didn�t know why they were keeping up the silence, it
wasn�t as if the babies could hear them, but he couldn�t deny it was heating
them both up in a way which was intolerable yet intense enough to make him want
to finish then and there. But that wasn�t what was called for.

He reached down and parted Ron�s legs, pushing until his
knees were elevated and his feet flat on the bed, flung as wide as Severus
could get them. Then he lowered his head and licked a trail down the burning
flesh and trailed back up again to lick at the tip. Ron pressed up into his
face but he then felt cool hands on his face, guiding it upward, and then a
finger pressing his lips together, keeping them shut. Ron sat up, long limbs
glowing amber in the light of the bedroom, and only when completely sitting,
his legs still in Severus� pre-arranged position, did he remove the finger he
kept on his lips, and pushed his raven head back down.

Severus immediately took the shaft between his lips, easily
done now it protruded outwards in Ron�s sitting position, and sucked heavily at
the swollen tip, unhurriedly moving his head up and down as he did so. He was
surprised when Ron still didn�t gasp aloud and found it disconcerting, now he
could not see his lover�s face. Yet what tumbled through the chain bond told
him that Ron was more than enjoying himself, and the taste in his mouth warned
him that his husband was already dangerously close to completion. With that in
mind, he slid off and sat up; taking care to lick his lips where Ron could see
him do so.

The redhead watched with parted lips, blue eyes clouded in a
way which would have unravelled much stronger men than Severus Snape. With that,
the Severus could see no more point in playing with one another, they were
obviously only leading to one conclusion and better that they get there fast
before one of them lost control too soon. And that would have been an easy
thing to do, looking at such a portrait.

A portrait Severus knew he had memorised down to the last
freckle. It was with that in mind that he reached for Ron�s arms and turned him
around, placing his hands on the headboard, his knees just short of the
pillows, before reaching for his wand. He slicked up erections and fingers
alike and could have been half-dazed as he pressed one long digit into the hot
crevice presented to him. This time, Ron�s silence did not disconcert him; it
was now obvious what game they were playing to them both, of proving that it
didn�t always have to screaming to be good. Severus worked and wriggled his
finger, before sliding back and inserted the tip of a pair.

And then there was a shriek on the baby monitor on their
bedside table, and both of them jumped, knocked from their sex bubble, the
beautiful moment evaporating quickly. Severus made to pull his hand back and
Ron finally whispered.

�No,� he shook his head, listening intently to the monitor.

Severus listened too, and blinked when the shriek quietened
down to a gurgle, and then trailed off. Ron looked over his shoulder at Severus
and gave him a small smile, and a look which was a clear instruction to
continue.

Two fingertips deep, all Severus had to do was press further
inward to reel all the feelings of lust back around them, and the heat returned
faster than he could ever have thought possible after an interruption during
sex. As he scissored his fingers, he realised that with
anyone else, after so many years of Ron, the heat probably wouldn�t have returned so quickly, if at all. Ron pressed back
against him and impaled himself deeper on the fingers.

And then he pulled forward and slid off them, and looked
round, eyes yet again plainly instructing Severus that he had had enough.
Nodding slightly, Severus moved forward on his knees, grabbed Ron�s hips and
held him firmly, nudging against his entrance.

The interruption had served to hand him back some of his
control, and he was able to tease against Ron for a few moments, and revel in
how his administrations made the body he held on to shake with anticipation.
And then because he had pushed himself back to the brink he thrust inwards, not
managing to get as deep as he would have liked. He saw knuckles whiten on the
headboard and he inched closer on his knees, cock nudging further into the
tight space with every movement, until his balls rubbed against Ron�s.

Gripping the redhead�s hips tightly, he rolled his own,
repeating the action over and over slowly, building into a smooth rhythm which
was not only easy but causing pleasure to ripple through them both; Severus due
to the heat and tightness, Ron from the way the continual rolling brushed
against his inner walls, never giving him a chance to recover before the next
movement hit him in the most sensual manner possible.

Ron sank his teeth into his bottom lip as one of the hands
came up off his hip and wrapped around his erection, holding it within the
clammy grip, only moving when Ron moved with the force of the thrusts into his
body. He knew that Severus would start pumping him soon but he was so hot and
desperate he had to have his own way. Raising one hand off the headboard, he
swung it down between his legs and wrapped it around Severus� hand encircling
his prick, and moved the hand up and down, setting his own pace, Severus� grip
making up for the fact that his own might well have not been there.

But in his mind the action turned into something far more
pleasing, the way his hand guided Severus� up and down, faster and faster,
matching the way his husband sped up behind him. Kisses rained down on his
shoulders and he nearly gasped aloud, losing the challenge he had set himself
to remain quiet, to see if they could finish without the need for harsh
swearing and mewling aloud.

Severus was just waiting for the sign that he didn�t have to
hold on any longer. Every thrust made him want to spill into the tight space,
yet he fought it back, gritting his teeth against the barrage of pleasure
spiralling in his groin, leaking down the back of his thighs and spreading up
into his stomach.

That sign came when Ron took the chance to pump the hand at
his groin harder, and Severus� thumb slipped over the sopping tip, pressing
into the purple flesh without paying attention to the resultant burn. Ron�s
back stiffened and Severus let his eyes slide shut in relief as together, they
both tensed and came undone, still silent until a throaty moan escaped, though
neither could say from which of them it came.

Ron definitely groaned when he realised that Severus was
thrusting through his orgasm, and then Severus cried out when Ron clenched his
inner muscles and wrangled the last drops from him manually. Fingers awash with
white fluid, Severus dropped down onto Ron�s back and moaned into the sweat
soaked skin.

Lost in the feeling, Ron didn�t notice his arms were tired,
didn�t notice how much mess he�d made on the bed. All he knew was that his
orgasm had sapped him of the last of his strength, and the remnants of it
fuzzed his brain and made him instantly sleepy. He let his remaining hand drop
from the headboard and slid his knees flat, not caring about the way the duvet
burned his skin, or the way that Severus landed with a heavy thud on top of
him, his softening member still inside Ron�s backside.

Severus was hardly in a more coherent state than Ron. His
limbs and eyes felt heavy, like lead, though his body still tingled. He
swallowed, tried to form a word and failed, so he simply gave up, closing his
eyes and resting his cheek upon his husband�s back, where they both fell
asleep.

And that was how they stayed, until a cry from the baby
monitor woke Severus up. The room came in to focus and his head swum, but he
managed to push himself onto his hands and knees with a small gasp as he fell
out of Ron�s back passage. Dizzy, he clambered off the bed and reached for his
dressing gown, and slid into it, still not really awake, and grabbed his wand.

With one last fleeting glance back at Ron, face down in the
pillows, he walked to the nursery, guarded as ever by George, who looked at him
resignedly. Severus ignored him and crept into the room, lit only by the starry
charmed sky and the floating nightlights placed at the base of each of the cots
�so placed because Ron kept falling over them in the middle of the night. The
nightlights were also charmed to sense sound, and so Severus knew that it was
Jack that had woken up from the way the light subtly phased red. He swept the
baby up hastily and headed for the kitchen where he put the lights on and
reached instinctively for the fridge.

Hang on a second. I
just recognised a hungry cry from a deep sleep. And I didn�t fall over anything
on the way here. Christ alive.

Severus held Jack in one arm whilst he heated the bottle
with his wand and then tested it on his forearm, marvelling at how still his
baby kept in the entire process, looking up at him with wide eyes, blinking
occasionally. Severus sank down with a yawn at the table, and fed his son
easily. Jack slurped off the bottle teat and smacked his lips contentedly.

�You wait until you get to real food,� Severus yawned. �Much
better than this rubbish, I promise you.�

Jack blinked again and Severus fancied that there was an
amused twinkle in his eye, as though he had some idea of the sex-induced stupor
from which his father had just stumbled.

�Had to happen sometime,� Severus blushed at him. �Even
though you�re a baby and you have no idea what on earth I�m talking about.�

His baby yawned then, as if he couldn�t care less what his
fathers got up to.
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