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Magic	By : starstruck86 Category: Harry Potter > Slash - Male/Male > Snape/Ron Views: 6552 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 1
Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter, nor do I make any money from these writings.

Chapter List
- 8
- 9
- 10
�I�m
telling you, he sounds like he�s got phlegm on his chest,� Ron scowled at
Severus, holding a mightily disgruntled Jack in his arms.

�No, he
sounds like he might possibly have a cold,� Severus said calmly, from where he
was blowing bubbles from the end of his wand for the enjoyment of the other two
Weasley-Snape children.

�And what
if it�s more than a cold, huh? What if it�s that horrible disease where your
lungs start burning?�

�Yes, our seven
month old baby has been rolling around all the right places in which to pick up
such a delightful malady.� One eyebrow rose.

Ron growled
in exasperation. �I think I�m going to take him to the hospital, just to see.�

Severus
finally turned away from Rosie and Elliott, his eyes clearly amused at Ron�s
total overreaction to what so far had only been three sneezes and a raised
temperature by half a degree. �Give me the baby,� Severus held up his hands.

Ron passed
Jack over and sulkily folded his arms over his chest. �They�ll all get it now,�
he moaned.

Severus smiled
at his son and kissed his forehead. �Forgive your father, he�s an imbecile.�

Jack
giggled and Severus smirked at his appreciation, and then lifted the baby up
and pressed his ear to the tiny chest. Then he rolled his eyes, lowered Jack
and said, �That�s not bloody phlegm, it�s just him breathing.�

�How do you
know?� Ron narrowed his eyes.

�Because I�ve been his father for seven months and I know how he sounds when he�s breathing.�

�Funny,
I�ve never seen you do that before,� Ron challenged him.

�Well, no,
I didn�t want you to think I was some lunatic that goes around listening to
babies� chests.� Severus said calmly, brushing some fluff off Jack�s sleep
suit.

�So you
listen to all of them?� Ron frowned sceptically.

�Yes!�
Severus answered him patiently. �Jack has always had a bit of a wheeze in his
chest, it�s not bad, just the sound he makes. Rosie gurgles like mad inside.
Elliott, like everything else he does, is very quiet. Scares the daylights out
of me most times because I panic and think I can�t hear him.�

Ron was too
taken with the notion that Severus had been secretly attuning with their
children for seven months to be angry at the fact he hadn�t known about it.
�And what do I sound like?� He asked curiously, knowing that Severus would have
listened.

�Before the
attack, you were strong, very sharp gusts in and out of your chest. Afterward
it was gentler, a little wheezier. And your heartbeat was a bit gloopier� does
that make sense?�

�And George?� Ron asked quickly.

�Well if
you can get him to stay still long enough he�s-� Severus stopped dead and
flushed red at the revelation he had spent more than enough time listening to
their dog�s chest. �Oh, very funny. Yes, Severus the
Animal, Baby and Redhead whisperer,� he burst out, as Ron�s face creased into
laughter.

Severus
turned away and walked over to the window, holding Jack in his arms. He kissed
the top of his curly black-shot-with-red hair and looked out at the May
morning. He hadn�t told Ron because of that very reaction and he hoped the colour
would have died from is cheeks by the time he had to turn around. Jack wriggled
in his arms and Severus dodged a flying baby fist. And then he felt large hands
curl about his waist and Ron�s solid, tall warmth behind him.

�I wasn�t taking
the piss,� Ron rested his chin on Severus� shoulder. �I actually think that�s
really great that you know all that.�

�Shame,�
Severus swallowed. �I rather liked the title of Redhead Whisperer.�

Ron
snorted. �Well you can still be that as long as I�m the only redhead you�re
whispering to...�

�As if
there could be anyone else� you�d chop my balls off,� Severus gave a small
laugh.

�But,� Ron
gave him a well placed squeeze around the middle. �Who knows what you sound
like?�

�Well, unless I�ve been in the right sort of dive to catch that lung burning
treat you think our son has, nobody really needs to know, do they?�

�I need to
know,� Ron murmured in his air. �Just because.�

�Well do it
later,� Severus smiled.

�I will. Because right now I�m taking Jack to the hospital.�

�Oh, I
thought we�d passed over that?� Severus said in a disappointed tone.

�No such luck,� Ron kissed his ear. �Give me the baby.�

�What can I say to talk you out of this? He just has a sniffle, not even really
that. I�ll brew some of the baby cold potion to help and he�ll be fine.�

�Severus,
please, just let me-�

�You know
he�s in more danger of catching something at the bloody hospital, Ron, come on!�

Severus
turned and huffed, then kissed Jack�s curls. �Fine, here. I can tell I�m not
going to win. Arthur told me you were like your mother but from what I hear she
kept out of the hospital at all costs.�

�She would
have gone if she thought one of us had Lung Rot,� Ron said sulkily, wrapping
Jack in his arms. �Back later.�

�Empty
handed, because there is absolutely nothing wrong with our child�� Severus said
airily as he sank back down on the floor next to Elliott and Rosie. �Well,
that�s us on our own for the morning. I don�t understand your daddy� he�s been
moaning for weeks that we aren�t spending enough time together and then one of
the days a week we do get time to be together he decides he�s toddling off to
the hospital.�

Two pairs
of almost-purple eyes blinked back at him, and Elliott smiled at him from where
he had one arm looped around a soft toy rabbit. He was sitting totally
unsupported, which everyone had declared too early for him to do seeing as he�d
actually started doing it at six months, but trying to help him just seemed to
make the baby angry.

�

The books also said that
it was too early for magic to manifest as well but SOMEONE enlarged Jack�s dog
and it wasn�t either of us.

Severus
smiled indulgently on his two babies. Rosie was sucking on the edge of her own
toy, dribble running down her chin, whilst waving her feet in the air,
contentedly on her back. She could sit, though she preferred not to. They
certainly weren�t all developing at the same rate and Severus winced when he
remembered that teeth should start appearing soon �so far, none had, but the
symptoms were all there for teething.

Just what we need. Them with teeth. Oh, the fear.

He reached
over and picked Elliott up. Resolutely Elliott kept his clutch on the soft toy
bunny and Severus smiled at the repetition of history, it was rather like the
first teddy he�d ever had. He arranged Elliott in his lap and brought his legs into
a crossed position, ignoring his knees as they creaked. The gentle powdery
scent of the baby rolled over him and he smiled again.

Severus
took the bunny and walked it across the carpet back towards them. Elliott�s
eyes widened as the toy approached, and broke into a soft smile as he realised
what it was. He giggled and reached out a hand for it. Severus let him hold it
for a second and repeated the action, earning an even louder laugh. Giving back
the bunny, Severus fell still for the moment, feeling his son�s heartbeat
through his clothes. �He�s going to be all over me later trying to hear how I
sound inside. Knew I should have kept that to myself.�

He fell
quiet again and sat contentedly with his arms around his son.

***

�Shut up,�
Ron said, as soon as he stepped out of the grate with Jack.

�So, not Lung Rot then?� Severus asked over
the top of the Prophet, a smirk twisting his lips.

�Apparently
not,� Ron set Jack down next to where both Rosie and Elliott were napping in
the pop up cot.

He dropped
down onto the sofa next to Severus and sheepishly folded his hands between his
thighs. Severus continued reading the paper, waiting for Ron to speak.

�I am an overbearing, overreacting parent,� Ron said quietly, looking at the
three of them. �I must learn to control my anxiety and irrational fears.�

�Well done,
it sounds like you actually meant it that time,� Severus was grinning behind
the Prophet, glad the paper obscured his face from Ron�s view.

Ron exhaled
and slumped, his head rolling forward, neck sore. �I�m sorry,� he muttered.

�I know.
Sitting in A&E on a Saturday morning can�t have been the jolliest of
adventures.�

�Stop being so fucking smug,� Ron hissed at him.

�Language,
there are children present,� Severus turned the page.

�You�re an a-r-s-e-h-o-l-e.�

�Well done
for the correct spelling, would you like a gold star for your good work?�

�What�s the
matter with you?� Ron asked, realising that Severus�
annoyance seemed to be a bit deeper seated than he had first thought.

�I�m fine,�
Severus swallowed, and although he had expected Ron to rip the paper out of his
hands, he still jumped at the crumpling paper.

�You�re
regarding me with me with more than the usual ridicule,� Ron raised an eyebrow.
�So come on, what�s the matter?�

Severus
sighed. �Look, I�m just� you�ve been saying we�re not spending enough time
together, and then you chase off to the hospital for four hours on Saturday
morning� do you not see why I�m a bit miffed?�

�I was just worried,� Ron chewed on his lip. �But alright, I do get it, and I�m
sorry. But, you know, we have the whole of tonight together�� he turned his
tone upwards at the end.

�Mmm,�
Severus smiled slightly, though it was tinged with reluctance.

�You don�t
want to leave them� neither do I,� Ron said sharply, and got to his feet. �But,
Severus if we don�t leave this house soon, and spend some time without them, we�re
going to go mad. And when they grow up and we don�t have to spend every second
with them��

�I know,�
Severus looked at where Jack had dozed off.

Ron turned
away from him, now annoyed in his own right. Fucking hell. I�m starting to think he doesn�t want to spend time with me at all.

�I�m going
upstairs,� Ron called over his shoulder. �I�ll see you later.�

�Ron, look, don�t get in a strop about this-� Severus reached out and caught
Ron�s wrist and pulled him backwards.

�Its fine,�
Ron shrugged though Severus didn�t let go. �I�m going to go and play some
guitar for a while.�

Severus
swallowed. �I really am looking forward to tonight, you know,� he whispered
softly.

�Sure about
that?� Ron looked at him with a hard gaze.

�Perfectly sure.�

�I�m still
going to go and play some guitar.�

�Maybe you
can come down later and play me what you�ve practised?�

Severus had
found himself the king of olive branches since the triplets had arrived.
Somehow they had changed him, in that conflict became unbearable, especially
between himself and Ron. Of course they still squabbled and sulked, but nothing
that stretched beyond a two hour period. So he hated the way his emotions
bubbled through the chain bond, letting Ron know exactly how he felt about Ron
heading upstairs to his little attic room.

�Sure,� Ron
smiled at him, and then threw his arms around his husband in a conciliatory
hug, pressing the briefest of kisses to his cheek, before turning and flitting
along the hallway. �Severus?� he called, before he climbed the ladder.

�Yes?�

�Are you
alright with the triplets whilst I go?�

Severus
smiled at the hastily added remembrance that Ron was not the only person in the
house that might like to spend some time on non-baby or work related things.

Shit. Ron flushed red at his rudeness. And he�s had them all morning whilst I was
being stupid.

�I�m fine,�
Severus called back, and turned back to his children, a genuine smile on his
face as he heard Ron climbing the ladder up to the attic, and it turned into a
grin as he didn�t hear the usual thump of the trap door �Ron�s mollifying
measure to assure Severus he wasn�t shutting himself away . It didn�t take long
before he heard the twang of the guitar strings.

Dropping to
his knees, Severus reached into the cot and noticed that all of his children
were awake. �Oh, you would be now, I bet you heard all of that, didn�t you?�

Severus
still felt odd displaying emotions in front of them, even though they were so
tiny they would never have understood most of them. He�d managed to get over
his aversion to physical contact with Ron in front of them, but arguing was
something he felt they shouldn�t be subject to. As the voice in his head, and
Ron, and his mother, kept on reminding him, that was probably due to his own
volatile childhood.

He picked
up Jack and felt his forehead and was pleased to see he felt utterly normal. �I
knew you were. But you have to let him have his moment, and then he calms down.
He just cares about you. Sorry you had to go to the hospital, though.�

Jack
rewarded him with a smile and Severus lifted him up to kiss the end of his
nose. He retrieved both Rosie and Elliott from the cot and set them down next
to their brother. And then, because he knew Ron was firmly ensconced playing
his guitar, Severus lay down on his front so he was level with the triplets, propping
his head up on his elbow, legs bent up with his feet crossed at the ankle.

�Now we
need to talk about tonight,� Severus reached out to untwist the foot of
Elliott�s sock. �Your daddy and I are going out together, for the first time
since you�ve arrived. We don�t want to leave you but we need to. You�ll learn
one day how you can�t rely on good physical relations to keep a marriage going.
Today is the anniversary of the day we first got together.�

Rosie gave
him a delighted shriek and Severus grinned. �Yes, I know, it�s nice, isn�t it?�
Jack yawned as though it were the most boring news he�d ever heard. Elliott
looked at him deeply. �But my point is, we�re going out and you�re going to
have a babysitter for the night. Uncle Charlie�s going to come over and look
after you while we�re gone.�

The
triplets knew Charlie well; in fact, Severus sometimes thought they knew him
better than they knew their godparents. It wasn�t that Remus and Hermione
didn�t visit the triplets enough, but Charlie just seemed to click with them,
and Severus was glad that it was him that would be looking after them on his
and Ron�s first night out alone in seven months.

Seven months. Fuck. Can I hold a
conversation any more that doesn�t involve baby talk or having to cut off
mid-sentence to change a nappy?

He scowled
at himself and jumped when Elliott whimpered, and realised it must have looked
to the baby that the unhappy expression was directed at him. �Oh no, El, that
wasn�t for you.�

Dammit. I just called him El. Again.
DAMN YOU WEASLEY! Severus
hadn�t wanted to adopt the nickname which Ron had been using since roughly
three days after the birth. But it was happening more and more.

�I called
you Elliott because I loved the name, I didn�t want it to be shortened to
anything,� he grumped. �But I suppose� well. It doesn�t matter what we call you
as long as you answer, right?�

Severus
looked at the three of them lying on the floor in front of him, and shifted
further up. �You�re all so, so precious to us.�

And here we go again on the
over-sentimental drivel. What happened to you?

Elliott
seemed determined to answer that and gurgled, then stretched out his foot which
kicked Severus� chest, as if to say �we happened, get over it�.

Fair enough point, that.

Severus
jerked awake, his body stiff from how he�d been sprawled on the floor. One side
of his chin was sticky with drool and he blinked disorientatedly.

Why on earth am I on the floor?
Where�s Ron? Where are the babies?

And then
Severus realised what he was looking at. Rosie and Jack were on their backs, as
asleep as he had been. But there was a very conspicuous space in the middle of
them. Desperately thinking back to what they�d been doing to end up like that,
Severus sprang up onto his knees, which cracked on hard impact to the floor.
�Elliott?�

Oh my bloody buggering fuck. It�s not like he can even answer you.

Severus
leapt to his feet, drawing his wand. He levitated both Rosie and Jack into the
cot and turned, something crunched under his foot and he let out a thoroughly
unmanly scream as he jumped back. He had trodden on an open book, which he must
have been reading to the triplets before they all fell asleep.

Oh sweet Merlin. I thought the book
was a baby and that I�d trodden on my own baby. Oh my God where is he?

�Elliott?�
He tried again, voice cracking with fear. He could hear the strains of Ron�s
guitar making it clear his husband was still in the attic.

Severus
skirted his eyes around the floor space, first checking the fire. His blood ran
absolutely cold skimming through the possibilities of what might have happened
to his son, who, it seemed, was not in the living room at all. He burst into
the hallway, looking up and down, but it was empty. �Oh my God I�ve fucking
lost our baby. RON!� He bellowed upwards, knowing his voice would carry. �Oh
fuck Ron, get down here, now. RON!�

�What?� Ron
shouted back. �Severus I�m in the middle of a roll here.�

�I don�t give a flying harpy�s backside, GET DOWN HERE RIGHT NOW, I THINK I�VE
LOST ELLIOTT!�

His
desperate shout reverberated around the hallway and he heard Rosie stir in the
living room. There was a loud thud and he guessed Ron had just jumped from the
trapdoor bypassing the ladder completely, and then another as he landed in the
hallway. �What? What�s happened? What do you mean you�ve lost Elliott?�

The panic
seemed to bubble fast within Severus now that Ron was there and he had to
somehow find a way to justify his actions. �I was reading to them, and we must
have fallen asleep and now he�s gone.�

Ron frowned
at him, his young brow creasing with instant worry. �He has to be somewhere,
we�ll find him,� he reached out placating hands and placed them on Severus�
upper arms, gripping a little tighter than he intended.

Severus
whirled back into the living room to re-check and Ron took a few steadying
breaths.

�He�s not
here!� Ron recognised the biting point in his husband�s voice and knew it
wouldn�t be long before he completely lost it, and the chain bond swum with
panic. Ron headed into the kitchen and looked around the floor, noting with
relief that the back door was shut. He hadn�t bothered with the bathroom as the
door was still closed.

He swept
his eyes in the corner next to the wine rack, where George�s bed was. The dog
looked back at him, and Ron continued on his sweep, until he recalled the image
again in his mind. He swivelled his eyes back and nearly laughed at what he
saw. Shaking his head and running his hands through his hair he looked at
Elliott, sound asleep tucked into George�s side, utterly oblivious to the near
heart attack he�d just given them.

�Severus, it�s fine, I�ve found him!� Ron called, massaging one hand over his
chest, the vintage Cannons t-shirt he wore rippling beneath fingers had hadn�t
noticed were sweaty with fear.

There was a
hurried stamp of footsteps as Severus appeared in the kitchen doorframe and
followed Ron�s gaze. Ron turned to look as his face slackened and pale skin was
flooded with an intense red. �Oh, fuck me.�

Ron bit his
lip as Severus disappeared behind trembling hands, and then occupied himself by
reaching for the table, where, by chance, their camera sat.

�What are
you doing?� Severus groaned through his fingers. �You�re going to record this
so I never, ever forget it?�

�Don�t be silly,� Ron said quietly. �We both know you�re going to torment
yourself enough. No, this is for the photo album and to rib him with
mercilessly when he�s older.�

He snapped
the camera and the flash startled the baby into blinking awake, and then he
began to cry. Before Ron could move, Severus barged past him and swung Elliott
up into his arms, raining kisses on to his crying face, which was enough to
startle the bawling infant into shutting up into shocked silence.

�Don�t you ever, ever, ever, ever do
that to me again,� Severus� voice was so desperate it was endearing, and Ron
thought he might melt. �You�re never to run away from me again, do you
understand me? Oh God I thought you would be��

Ron didn�t
need to be able to see Severus� face to know he had burst into tears and didn�t
embarrass him by commenting on it. He set down the camera and focussed instead
on Elliott, who had continued to blink in shock, inky eyes startled by the
overtly emotional response coming from the parent who never normally cried.

Severus
turned and handed him to Ron, an obvious dismissal, and sank down at the
kitchen table, returning his face to his hands and hiding it from view.

�Oh El,�
Ron grinned into his forehead. �You might have finished him off.� He turned his
grin into a kiss. �Well done for crawling so far though, you must be a tired
little man! But I don�t blame you; George is nice and warm to snuggle up to.
He�s helped me so many times.�

By now they
were in the living room and Ron bent to place Elliott in with his brother and
sister, before he turned and took a deep breath, calming his own nerves before
heading back to the kitchen. Severus was still at the table, with the added
soundtrack of tearful muttering under his breath.

�Severus?�
Ron leant against the worktop, knowing his husband well enough to know that he
should keep his distance rather than smothering him with physical assurance. He
flicked the kettle on for something to do.

When no
answer came, after another minute he tried again. �Severus,
no harm done.�

A strangled
cry made it across the kitchen and Ron flicked his eyes heavenward, knowing the
battle he had on his hands.

�It could
have happened to me just as easily,� Ron placated.

�But it
happened to me,� Severus finally got a sentence out. �I�m a horrible, terrible
father.�

Even though
Ron knew he should have known Severus would instantly jump to that conclusion, it
still hurt to hear his husband run himself into the ground in such a way
�especially when he was blossoming into completely the opposite of what he
assumed.

�No,
Severus �you�d be a horrible, terrible father if you�d not cared about losing
him.�

�Anything
could have happened,� Severus knew his voice was tremulous but he couldn�t
fight off the reaction. �George could have suffocated him, he could have� oh my
god what if he�d fallen down the stairs to the cellar? I knew it; I knew I�d
fuck this up, Ron. I can�t do it.�

�He
wouldn�t have done that because there�s a baby gate across the doorway,� Ron
told him.

�We didn�t
think he could crawl as far as he did, who�s to say he wouldn�t get through the
gate as well?� Severus� voice escalated. �Oh fucking hell I�m just� I�m an atrocious father.�

�Why, because you spent the afternoon reading to your children and fell
asleep? Well,
let me owl the Ministry executioner, Severus, if you think that�s enough to
condemn you to death and enlist you in the ranks of history�s worst parents.
You can do this.�

Ron watched
as his choice words sunk in and Severus finally looked up at him, his eyes
slightly wild.

�You�re a
brilliant dad,� Ron told him firmly. �If one prone to� a
little overreaction.�

Severus
didn�t think he was overreacting. But
then I suppose Ron didn�t think he was by taking Jack to be checked out this
morning either. Damn and fucking blast this all to hell and back. My heart is
so not cut out for the stress� Only then did Severus realise his chest was
tight and he brought a hand up to rub through his shirt.

�Severus?�

�Yeah?� his
voice was still shaky and he was too upset to call on proper vocabulary.

�Would you
like a hug and a stiff drink?�

Tears
welled up in his eyes again as Severus nodded and Ron dove across the kitchen
and wrapped him in a hug. Feeling miserable, Severus leant into the touch and
felt Ron drizzle kisses all over his hair and forehead, hands massaging in a
soothing manner, even though they could not calm Severus� blood.

�You�re a
brilliant dad,� Ron repeated, but this time in a whisper, his hot breath
tickling over Severus� ear, where he then pressed a kiss. �This is just one
tiny little accident and nothing happened. Elliott�s safe enough and George
would never have harmed him �you know he watches over them like a bloody
guardian angel anyway.�

His only
answer was a heavy sniff from the shaking pile of bones Severus had become.

***

�Now you
have to be a good boy for your Uncle Charlie,� Ron looked into Jack�s eyes. �I
know you just love to torment him but tonight you really have to be a good boy
for daddy and go straight to sleep.�

It was half
past seven and they were in the process of trying to get the babies off for the
night. If they settled well, they might not even wake up again before Ron and
Severus returned, they seemed to have been blessed
with babies who needed to sleep through the night to survive the day. Ron had
never been more grateful of anything, except maybe his over-active imagination.

�Delivering
one Rosie baby,� Charlie entered the nursery, holding the sleepy girl in his
arms. �I think she�s already halfway off to be honest.�

�She responds to the lavender in the bathwater like it�s a sleeping draught,�
Ron said, lowering Jack into his cot. �I�ve talked to this little troublemaker,
he�s promised to behave himself.�

�I�ll
believe that when I see it,� Charlie laughed softly. �I know we�re not supposed
to have favourites because we�re family and all� but Jack�s mine. He�s just so
cute and cuddly and happy.�

�A right
little ray of sunshine,� Ron grinned and reached out for Rosie.

�Do you
have a favourite?� Charlie asked curiously.

�No! I love
them all equally!� Ron said immediately. �I�d never set that kind of
inferiority complex up like��

Charlie
looked at him with a wide gaze. �Like you had, you mean?�

Ron flushed
and guiltily looked down at Rosie.

�You think
I didn�t feel inferior when Bill was king of everything?� Charlie snorted.
�It�s just sibling rivalry. Made worse when you�re all different ages but your
three won�t have that, they�re equals.�

�Mm, I
suppose that does help,� Ron nodded, and kissed Rosie�s head gently �Charlie
was right, she was already asleep, so he settled her. He opened his mouth to
speak but cut off when he heard Severus in the hallway with Elliott.

�No, please
don�t, El, come on,� he heard his husband beg and Ron sauntered to the doorway.

Severus was
rubbing his son�s back but Ron knew it was too late. There was a gagging sound
and then a cry, and Severus� dress shirt, and his freshly washed hair, was
coated in baby sick. Ron�s widened as Severus obviously froze, shuddered, and
breathed deeply through his mouth. Ron had his wand out ready but Severus
surprised him by drawing his own, cleaning the sick off his hair and shirt and
casting freshening spells, all the while soothing Elliott with a soft, loving
murmur.

�Is he
alright?� Ron asked worriedly, rushing up to them, pocketing his wand before
Severus could see that he had drawn it.

�I think
he�s just a bit unsettled,� Severus kissed the baby�s forehead. �I think he
really knows we�re leaving him, he keeps clutching at me.�

A wail backed up Severus� claim and as one, both of their hearts gave a thump
at the sound which seemed to prove that their son did not want them to leave
him.

�We have to
go out,� Severus whispered, just loud enough that Ron could hear it. �And when
you reach eleven and you have parents that aren�t snapping at each other all
the time, you�ll understand.�

He passed
Ron in the hallway and disappeared into the nursery, leaving the redhead
startled in his wake. Ron had been about to cave, to insist they could do it
another night if Elliott was going to be ill over them leaving. But Severus�
tone had been insistent.

�I�ll look
after him,� Charlie came back out with Severus as the lights in the nursery
faded to black.

�I know�
thanks so much for coming over tonight,� Severus said to him. �Did I get all
the vomit off?�

Charlie
laughed and looked over him. �Smells like it.�

�Shall we
go then?� Severus turned to Ron, reaching for his jacket by the front door.

Still
slightly stunned by Severus� calm reaction to being thrown up on, Ron nodded
dumbly before coming to his senses. �Sure.�

Cool air
washed over them as they walked along the streets of Magical London, heading
for the street which contained the best restaurants. They walked slowly and Ron
hummed quietly under his breath to match the sounds of their footfalls, his
hand tightly wrapped within Severus�.

�It�s a
nice night,� Severus commented in a quiet voice.

�Suppose,� Ron turned and looked at him. �But we�re doomed if that�s the only
conversation we can think of.�

Severus
gave a snort and said, �I was thinking we could start small, we�ve both been
wrapped up in gaga language for seven months and I thought it might be a sensory
overload to launch into something as complex as �how are you?�.�

Ron
laughed, instinctively moving closer to Severus as they walked. �Alright, I
know. It feels so strange to be away from them.�

�I�m
surprised you haven�t legged it back to them,� Severus
looked pointedly away from him as he said it.

�It feels
strange, but I don�t hate it�� Ron thought aloud. �I mean, I miss them. But�
first and foremost, Severus, there was you. And there will always be you.
First.�

�I can
remember talking to people� and they said that when they had children, they
automatically placed them in higher importance to their spouse�� Severus
swallowed.

�Have you
done that?� Ron asked, without accusation.

�I don�t
think so. I love the triplets with all my being. But I also love you with all
my being.�

�So, say, ooh yes! A hypothetical. Say there�s a
madman in the house and you have the choice to come and save me in the bedroom,
or the babies in the nursery��

�I�d
incarcerate the miserable bastard before he could even glint his knife at me,�
Severus drawled.

�I never
said he had a knife,� Ron dismissed him.

�Well, I
couldn�t choose between you,� Severus frowned. �And this is an awfully morbid
conversation to be having on our first night out.�

�I know,�
Ron sighed and looked up at the sky. �I know it is. But I
just� I just wanted to say that I loved you. And you are my number one.�

�Well, if a
murderer breaks into our house, I�ll keep that in mind,� Severus� amusement was
clear in his tone.

�I�m not
saying I�d desert them,� Ron whispered, instantly feeling guilty. �It�s just
you� life without you wouldn�t be worth living.�

�Now we
really are creeping into the realms of depressing,� Severus sighed. �Thank God
we�re here.�

�We�re
eating here?� Ron gaped.

�It�s a
restaurant, isn�t it? You didn�t specify.�

�But you
don�t� you don�t even look at this place� you can�t� Lucius?�

Severus
turned to Ron and pulled him flush to his body, even though they were still in
the middle of the cobbled street.

�Well. That
was over twenty years ago, Ron. It�s time to let it go.�

�But this
is our anniversary� the anniversary of a relationship he was determined to
break� I don�t know how you can bear to be here?� Ron whispered.

�Would you
prefer if we went elsewhere?� a crease appeared between Severus� eyes. �Just, I
had to book these reservations weeks ago��

Ron
considered it, smoothing his hands up the outside of Severus� leather jacket,
pads sliding over the buttersoft leather. �As long as you�re fine with this�
and promise me you�re not doing it to prove anything?�

Severus let
his head tilt back and he laughed slightly. �Bit late for proving, eh?�

�I guess��
Ron smiled.

�And,�
Severus pulled away from him to lead him down the path between the outside
tables. �This place has cheesecake you�d give your balls for.�

�I suppose
they�re rather expendable now they�ve done their job,� Ron smirked, though he
fell quiet as Severus spoke to the ma�tre d� in his low, upper-class drawl.
Spine happily tingling, Ron kept his hand within his husband�s.

When
seated, and after having a minor yet fiery spat over the wine choice, Ron
looked over the menu. �Well fuck me,� he hissed. �Some of this costs what I
earn in a day!�

�Shut up,�
Severus ignored him, squinting in the dim lights of the restaurant without his
glasses �which were in his pocket, although he would never put them on in
public. �I�m paying for this out of that bonus I got for that paper I wrote
about the healing qualities of crushed amber on bone breakages.�

�See, I knew there was a silver lining for all the times I injure myself,� Ron
snorted into his wine glass uncouthly. His latest injury had been a broken
wrist falling off his broom in an impromptu Quidditch match in their garden. He
clicked it purposefully and winked at Severus.

�Don�t do that,� Severus winced. �When you�re older you�ll regret it when
you�re crippled with arthritis.�

�Well, it�s a good thing I have you,� Ron sniffed the wine. �To
heal me.�

�You won�t
have me forever,� Severus raised an eyebrow.

�Oh, and you called me morbid?� Ron�s eyes darkened with horror at the very thought. �Way to kill my buzz, Severus.�

�Sorry, it
just slipped out,� Severus coloured. �Just ignore me. My humour�s all out of
whack.�

Ron looked
pensively at the bread basket and sighed. �Makes you think that vampires have
got it right.�

�I wonder
if those of them that wander alone would agree with you about immortality,�
Severus said dryly, and took a mouthful of wine.

�They wouldn�t be so bitter if they weren�t alone,� Ron countered. �And they
would understand a mortal�s desire to be with the person they loved forever.�

�Don�t
you... don�t you think it would be pretty miserable?� Severus asked, picking up
a bread roll and breaking it in the centre. �To live forever?
To never die� hundreds of years stretching out before you in one big void� even
if you had someone, who�s to say the novelty wouldn�t wear thin in half a
millennium?�

�Well, then
you�d off yourself,� Ron shrugged. �Or I would.�

Even though
it was yet another hypothetical scenario, Severus couldn�t help but shiver at
the thought. And, as he picked up the butter dish, he did understand Ron�s
point of view. But then it was the view of the young.

�Maybe we
won�t feel this way when we�re older,� he voiced the thoughts aloud. �Maybe,
when we�ve lived out our lives we�ll feel it�s fair to move on and part ways?�

Ron�s voice
was low and husky when he answered. �Possibly. Even
the thought is making my throat tight, Severus� but maybe when we�re old and
creaking at over a hundred, maybe I�ll be different.�

�Or maybe you�ll be the stubborn, obtuse redheaded Gryffindor I fell in love
with even then,� Severus smiled. �I hope you will be.�

�And I hope you�ll be the sarcastic, prim, snotty Slytherin that I somehow
managed to fall for,� Ron retorted with a grin, though he pressed his foot on
top of Severus� beneath the table with gentle pressure.

�Would a
prim, snotty person let their baby sick up in their hair?� Severus asked.

�I was so
impressed, Severus, it�s like you�re a whole new person!� Ron exclaimed, hands
spreading out in a gesture to accompany his shock. �It�s amazing. You�re
reformed.�

Severus
laughed into his roll and took a bite. �Well my stomach still turned over.�

�Well nobody likes it,� Ron rolled
his eyes.

�I think
he�s punishing me for something� first crawling off like that, then being sick
over me� Elliott�s never sick. He�s the perfect baby.�

�Is he your
favourite?� Ron asked, fingering the edge of the bread basket, thinking on what
Charlie had asked him before they�d left.

Severus was
saved from immediately answering by the waiter arriving for their order, which
they gave, although Severus had to kick Ron under the table when he made a loud
comment about how he hoped his starter would consist of more than three salad
leaves artily arranged.

�Must you?�
Severus asked exasperatedly and Ron snorted.

�I�ll
create merry hell if it isn�t more than that,� he said in a low voice and took
another drink. �Anyway. El, is he your favourite?�

�Not my
favourite, as such. I feel love for them all equally. I just gel better with
him.�

�You�re so similar. Though I�m aware comparing you to a baby is probably
uncomplimentary,� Ron winked. �But just� your expressions, your countenance�
even the way you look when you eat.�

�You�re
like that with Rosie,� Severus smiled. �So very alike.�

�And then there�s Jack.�

They both
looked at one another and burst out laughing, causing the other diners to look
at them with disgruntled expressions.

�Jack�s
going to be something else,� Severus gave an impressed sigh. �He just takes
whatever life throws at him.�

�Including cups of tea,� Ron smirked.

�That was an accident,� Severus blushed. �And I managed to turn it to lukewarm
water before it hit him.�

�Which he adored,� Ron admitted. �I think he�s going to be sporty, you know.�

�I�ll predict
now: Jack�s sporty, Rosie�s the brainbox and Elliott�s the artistic one,�
Severus traced his index finger around the edge of his wine glass.

�And
they�ll all be musical.�

�We�re
turning them into the kids we would have loathed at school,� Severus laughed
and Ron nodded his agreement.

�But we�ll
love them.�

Their
starters arrived and Ron was very glad his goat�s cheese and caramelised onion
tart with salad was much more substantial than he�d assumed.

�Okay, this
is fucking amazing,� he said through a mouthful of food at normal volume, and
he received a tut from someone on the table nearest
them.

Once upon a
time Severus would have been abashed and irritated by Ron�s bad manners, but he
found himself fighting the urge to laugh. He shot Ron an amused glance and
turned back to his own food.

�So, how�s work?� Ron asked, swallowing a mouthful and reaching for his wine.

�Still there,� Severus said to the food. �I can�t wait till we break for
summer� and then I�ll be at home with you and the triplets all day.�

�Wish I
could be,� Ron breathed.

�You�re not going to start about wanting to give it up again, are you?� Severus
pleaded. �Ron, you�ll go mad if you�re in that house all day. Please.�

�I wasn�t going to do that,� Ron looked at him. �I know you�re right.�

They ate in
silence for a moment, and Severus suddenly said, �Oh, wait, we forgot to toast
each other!�

�So we
did,� Ron raised an eyebrow, and held up his glass. �To surviving seven
months,� he grinned.

�To
surviving full stop,� Severus said softly, touching the delicate glassware
together. �Something I�ve never been gladder of. And to an
anniversary.�

Their gazes
locked across the small table and the glasses remained raised, but neither were
really still in the restaurant �they were far away, wrapped around one another
in a kiss.

***

�Alright,
it wasn�t too bad,� Ron conceded. �But I still say it was overpriced.�

�Well,� Severus had had rather a lot of wine by the end of their meal. �It�s
not like you paid for it.�

�I paid for it in broken bones, apparently,� Ron snorted, and stumbled into
Severus� side slightly.

�It really
is a lovely night,� Severus flung his arm around Ron�s shoulders and walked
with his face tilted upwards to the sky. �What time is it?�

�Only half
past ten� I have the feeling once my breadstick walrus impression rolled out
they started serving the food quicker to get us out.�

Severus�
laugh bounced around the street and Ron snickered at the memory. He grabbed
Severus around the waist and pulled him close.

�We don�t have to go home straight away, do we?� Severus asked. �Charlie�s not
expecting us till midnight� let�s go somewhere else?�

�Where?� Ron pouted.

�Somewhere
quiet,� Severus was suddenly struck by an idea.

***

�This is
your idea of quiet?� Ron looked at Severus incredulously.

�Can you hear anything?� Severus asked patiently.

�No, but
we�re in-�

�Then there
we go,� Severus pulled Ron close and kissed him gently.

Ron
submitted to the kiss because he wanted to, savouring the warmth of his
husband�s body. Severus pulled away too soon and Ron groaned his
dissatisfaction.

�There�s
method in my madness,� Severus sat down at Ron�s feet and looked up at him.
�Come on.�

�Severus, this insane.�

�Do you
even know where we are?� Severus� voice tinged with irritation.

Ron looked
around but all he could smell was earth, and trees. He finally shook his head
and looked back at Severus.

�Funny how
quick you can forget,� Severus licked his lips. �We�re in the woods behind
Spinner�s End.�

�What?�
Ron�s eyebrows leapt off his face, aided in their agility by the fine wine
consumed. �Why on earth are we back here?�

�Sometimes
you have to go back to where things began,� Severus knew that he sounded the
kind of cryptic he himself would have been driven insane by. �I couldn�t take
us back to Hogwarts because I don�t think they�d take too kindly to us barging
into my old quarters.�

�What are
you on about?� Ron breathed, shoulders slumping as he sat down.

Ron had let
Severus side-along him under the pretence of going somewhere new that he didn�t
know the apparition boundaries for. But he hadn�t expected to end up back at
Spinner�s End. Now he was sitting on the cold wood floor and his hips and ribs
ached with tiredness.

�Move a bit
closer,� Severus instructed him, and then unzipped his leather jacket quietly.

Ron frowned
when he saw slim fingers ghost over the front of the shirt and let it fall
open.

�We
couldn�t have done this in a bed?� Ron breathed, instantly reaching out to
touch the pale skin.

�We�re not
doing that,� Severus huffed. �Come
here,� he reached out for Ron�s head and guided it to lie flat to his chest,
ear pressed into the flesh.

And
instantly Ron understood, as he heard the steady resonance of a beating heart,
and the firm yet quiet whooshing of air entering and leaving lungs beneath
Severus� ribs. He shifted to be more comfortable, and put his hands on either
side of the ribcage, keeping a firm hold as he listened intently.

He sat
there wondered why on earth he had never paid such rapt attention before. It
was a magical sound, the life force beating through his husband.

�I used to
do this to you all the time,� Severus� voice grumbled through his body into
Ron�s ear. �When we lived here� especially just after your
attack. When you were asleep I�d listen for hours.�

�Why?� Ron
asked quietly.

�I think I just wanted to be sure you were still alive,� Severus said without
shame. �I had nearly lost you once and I was scared you�d kick the bucket in
your sleep.�

�I never
knew you were doing it,� Ron whispered.�

�You were asleep,� Severus pointed out.

Several
minutes passed before Ron was forced to sit up properly, the pain in his ribs
rising to an unbearable nausea, although he greatly wanted to listen more.

�So
peaceful, to listen to it,� he commented, as he did the shirt back up and then
the zipper on Severus� jacket. �Thank you for letting me.�

Severus was
oddly quiet as Ron looked at him as he leant in for a kiss. A gentle breeze
whipped around them on the wood floor.

�If we were
immortal,� Severus began quietly. �Then we wouldn�t have that experience. Blood
wouldn�t really pump through us like that, and air would be superfluous.
There�s something to be said for being ordinary, Ron.�

Ron got to
his feet and held a hand out to his husband, hauling him up when it was taken.
They kissed and disapparated home without another word, although Ron fell
asleep listening to the sounds of Severus� chest that night, and Severus slept
soundly in his arms.

��
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