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Adjustment	By : starstruck86 Category: Harry Potter > Slash - Male/Male > Snape/Ron Views: 4858 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter and I do not make any profit from these writings.

Chapter List
- 1-Adjustment
- 2-Chapter Two
- 1
- 2
This is a sequel to the fic
�Dreams�, which can be read here: http://hp.adult-fanfiction.org/story.php?no=600022736
However, it could be read as a standalone fic too, you�d only miss the �how it
happened� part. Please note as I�m going for authenticity the smut isn�t
continual, but it is there in both chapters. Also, it is Slash so be aware
before you begin reading. Please review, I love feedback! Just like �Dreams�
this story is slightly AR, even more so now actually.

And whilst I�m on that vein, a
big thank you to Davinci who reviewed �Dreams� for me, who I haven�t been able
to contact otherwise to thank.

Enjoy!

***

Ron slid
his legs out of the bed gently so as not to wake Severus, who was obscured by
the darkness of the room. He stood a while and listened to the sound of his
gentle breathing. He groped for his wand on the bedside table and felt his way
to the bathroom, quietly closing the door behind him. He lit the candles and
stood blinking dumbly in the light. It really was insanely dark in the bedroom
when all the lights were off. He moved stiffly towards the mirror, his limbs,
back, stomach, thighs and arse all protesting at the movement. A smile
flickered onto his lips as he recalled their reason for aching so much.

In the
mirror, his reflection peered back at him, pale, tired but undoubtedly content.
He turned on the hot tap and put the plug in, letting the water spurt noisily
down into the basin. He didn�t want to wake Severus, but couldn�t stand lying
in bed any longer, seeing as he had never managed to fall asleep anyway, the
weight of his responsibility the following morning preventing him from drifting
off. He might as well get up and do it, he�d decided, and now here he was,
washing his face in the bathroom. He needed a toothbrush, the hangover potion
didn�t stop bad breath and he knew he could probably wind a maggot.

Fucking shots of floor polish, he thought, then picked up the
toothpaste, squeezed some onto his finger and did an appalling clean with his
finger. It was as good as he was going to get, anyway. He tentatively sniffed
under his arm and was surprised to find, despite the athleticism he�d practised
the night before �another grin crossed his lips- he didn�t stink too badly, not
enough to warrant a shower anyway. He pulled the plug out and looked at his
hair, without thinking, he picked up the comb on the side and dragged it
through the tangled mess. A thought crossed his mind that he was using Severus�
things without permission� it wasn�t an issue that had aroused before because
Ron normally left to sort himself out in his own dormitory just as dawn broke,
to keep up the pretence of everything being normal.

He opened
the bathroom door to a teeny crack and peered out. Severus was sprawled on his
front, face in the pillows, the covers tangled about his thin waist. Ron had to
stop himself from enjoying the view too much; he needed to find his clothes
which he�d arrived in the night before, before Severus had wrestled him into
that wretched suit. Leaving the door ajar to provide some light, he crept
through the room, careful to avoid the hitting the bed or any big objects. If you were my clothes, where would you be?
Oh, I bet the fucking neat freak has put them away. Ron twitched open the
wardrobe and the hinge squealed, but Severus didn�t move.

Bingo. Neat freak indeed. He gathered his clothes up in his
arms and stole back to the bathroom, the air beginning to bite on his bare
skin. He threw his clothes on at speed, appreciating the warmth of his long
sleeved t-shirt more than anybody should have to at the beginning of July. He
extinguished the lights and crept back out into the main bedroom, then through
into the office where he could be in light again. He walked to the desk, pulled
over a piece of parchment and scrawled a hasty note with the quill.

�Severus,

I�ve gone to see my mum and dad. The
sooner this is over, the better. I will be back before the rest of the school
leaves.

Ron.�

He unsealed
the door (his chest still swelled rather a lot that Severus had trusted him
with all his locking spells) and extinguished the lights. He locked the door
from the other side and turned, grinding his teeth, to the tapestry. He hadn�t
liked his first visit through the tunnel and didn�t want to do so again, but it
was his easiest route out of the castle and he was going to take it.

***

Unscathed,
Ron apparated into the front garden of his family home, which stood as clumsy
as ever towering above him. His eyes saw the light in the kitchen and his
stomach dropped out. No turning back now.
He exhaled and stared for a moment longer at the window with the light shining
brightly out of it. He would either leave this place happy or sad, he didn�t
feel that there could be an in between. Swallowing, he walked up to the front
door and knocked on the glass, so the sound could be heard in the other rooms.
He heard a chair scrape back inside and his heart accelerated beyond what he
was sure was safe.

�Who�s there?� The suspicious voice of his mother called out, and Ron realised
he should have known she�d be reluctant to answer the door to anyone this early
in the morning.

�It�s me
mum,� his voice sounded thick and pathetic, �It�s Ron.�

He heard
the locks rattle and the door flew open. �Ron! What�s happened, are you alright?
Is it Ginny?�

�Everything�s
fine,� he said with a smile.

He gave her
a hug and she kissed his cheek. �Well what are you doing here?� she asked,
confused, shutting the door gently. �Term ends today, doesn�t it?�

She swivelled
round to look at her calendar clearly thinking she�d made a mistake.

�It does end today,� Ron nodded looking around the unchanged kitchen, noting
that the rest of the house was somewhat silent. �Where�s Dad?�

�Here,�
Arthur stepped out from the hallway, fiddling with the locks on his briefcase.
�Just about to go to work, why?�

They were
both looking at him expectantly. The want for combustion crept back to Ron and
he felt nauseous. �I, um��

�Are you
sure everything�s okay?� Molly asked anxiously, pulling the belt on her
dressing gown tight and placing her hands on the back of one of the kitchen
chairs.

�I need to talk to you,� Ron said finally, �I have some news.�

He watched
his parents exchange confused glances and Arthur set down his briefcase.
�Important news? Are you in trouble?�

Most definitely in trouble�. Will
probably require a detention. �No, no, nothing like that. It�s just� might be a bit of a
shock is all, you probably want to sit down.�

�You�re
scaring me,� Molly said, her eyebrows refusing to relax from their frown. �What
have you got to tell us?�

She slid
into the seat she was clutching and Arthur moved to sit next to her, discarding
his briefcase in the doorway. As he sat down opposite them, Ron thought about
how good a father his Dad was. Some dads would have just left anyway. �I� well.
I want you to know that I�m in a relationship with someone.� He said
delicately.

Molly
exhaled. �Is that it? You�ve finally started going out with Hermione?�

�Molly,�
Arthur murmured, his eyes surveying his son, �I think if Ron had started going
out with Hermione, he wouldn�t feel the need to come and talk to us about it
at,� he checked his watch, �half past five in the morning.�

�Who, then?
Another girl from school?� Molly asked excitedly, and Ron could almost see the
word �grandchildren� flashing up in her eyes.

Arthur was
still staring at him, trying to glean information from his features.

�Not exactly,� he said, avoiding the truth. He certainly didn�t play the role of girl last night�

Cameras were
made for the look which settled on his mother�s face at that moment. �A� a boy,
then?�

Thank god
she was fast off the mark, this conversation was on the cards as going down as
one of the most awkward in history. Ron nodded, finding that easier than voicing
it.

�Who?� His
father asked quietly, �Not Harry?�

Ron heard
himself laugh and say, �Oh, Merlin no. Trust me though, you�ll get him as a
son-in-law soon enough, Ginny seemed pretty happy last night.�

�Then who?�
Molly asked him, finding her voice again. �And for how long� how long have you
known?�

�Not long
at all,� Ron said quietly, �About two months.�

�Why didn�t
you tell us before?� She asked, as if it would be something he�d immediately
run and tell his parents.

�I was worried,� Ron admitted. �And I was still confused then, I didn�t know if
it was what I, or he, wanted.�

Arthur
nodded. �Sensible. And now, you�re sure about it?�

Ron nodded
back, and repeated what he�d said twice the night before, �Never surer of
anything, Dad.�

�Well� if you�re
sure,� Molly sat up straight, �Then I can�t think why you would have worried
about telling us. Haven�t we always told you you could tell us anything?� she
sounded hurt.

�There�s another reason I didn�t,� he said, training his eyes onto the wood.
�I�m not particularly sure you�re going to approve of and condone my choice.�

�Don�t be
silly,� Molly dismissed him with a wave of her hand. �Anyone good enough for my
son, who is universally fussy, is good enough for me.�

�I�m not
�universally fussy�!� Ron protested, forgetting his purpose for being there for
a second.

�Who is
it?� Arthur asked as Molly opened her mouth to protest.

Ron opened
his mouth but he couldn�t say it. And then, unexpectedly, a wave of guilt
crashed over him. Last night Severus had told his boss that they were together,
risking his job in the school, and he�d done it to make Ron feel loved. But yet
here was he, unable to say it� not because he was ashamed, he knew, just
because he was scared of the reaction.

�Is it
someone we know?� Molly asked, tapping her index fingers on the table.

Ron nodded.
�You know him.�

�One of the
boys from your dormitory?� Arthur asked, racking his brains to think who might
have his son so tongue-tied.

Ron shook
his head and sighed. �Please, do not go mental. It�s all I ask.�

�Why would
we unless you give us sufficient cause?� Molly replied.

�Tell me your exact definition of �sufficient cause�,� Ron stalled, trying to
buy himself some time.

�Well.
Someone three times your age,� she said. Severus
is nearly double my age. Does that count? �Someone who isn�t good enough
for you.� This just gets better. �Someone
who should know better.�

Fuck it. Just do it, she�s going to
hit the roof anyway. �Two
months ago, I started having vivid dreams about a member of staff,� Ron said
weightily. �It scared me, shocked me, I tried to put a stop to it, and I
couldn�t. So instead of fighting it alone, I went to this person, and we
somehow came out of all of that as a couple��

�A member
of staff?� his mother gasped and he could see his father making a mental
catalogue of all the male teachers at Hogwarts.

Ron nodded.
�Do not go mental, I repeat. But we�ve thought and talked about it a lot, and
seeing as of this morning I am no longer an official student of Hogwarts, we�re
not breaking any rules and it�s not against the law.�

They both
just stared at him. They couldn�t have made it any harder if they�d tried.

�My new
partner,� Ron really did feel sick now, �Is Severus Snape.�

Silence
reigned supreme. The birds outside sang in the trees oblivious to the bombshell
delivered inside the house. Ron leant back on the chair and felt his chest
inflate like a weight had gone from it. They were both still staring at him,
each of them stunned into their own special kind of silence.

�Are you serious?� Arthur asked, a little weakly. �You�re not messing around?�

Ron shook
his head and shrugged. �I�m not messing you around, it�s the truth�

�Why?!�
Molly finally found her voice. �You hate him? You�ve all hated him!�

�I don�t
hate him now,� Ron said calmly.

�But he�s
old enough to be your father,� Molly exclaimed. �What on earth is he thinking
of, messing with your mind like this.�

�I can
assure you he did nothing of the sort, mum,� Ron shrugged. �If anyone did any
mind messing, it was me. But we have been through all this together,
considering our options. And we came to the conclusion that it felt right, and
good, and that we both felt happier in each other�s company that either of us
had in a long time with anybody else.�

�You don�t
know what you feel, you�re eighteen,� she replied hotly.

�You
married Dad at eighteen!� Ron protested.

�I did
not!� She shot back.

�Actually, dear, you did,� Arthur stood up and put the kettle on. �We were
seventeen when we got engaged.�

Molly glared
at him, then turned back to Ron. �How far has this gone?�

�What do
you mean?�� Oh my god, please don�t be asking if I�ve slept with him.

�What have
you been doing with him for two months?� He thought he saw her shudder.

�That�s
really none of your business, Molly,� Arthur said gently with a sigh. �Ron is
of age now and it�s his own business whom he sees.�

�Are you
seriously telling me you�re comfortable with this?� She got to her feet and Ron
looked between them. �That a man only ten years younger than you is� is�� She
couldn�t finish her sentence.

�Not
entirely comfortable, no,� Arthur shook his head. �But-�

�Well
that�s it then,� Molly said, �Your father has spoken. You will come home for
the summer and nothing further will happen.�

Arthur was
looking at Ron again. �No, Molly, I think he has something further to say.�

Ron looked
at his Dad and didn�t know whether to be thankful that he was super perceptive
or not.

�What, what
could further top this wonderful news?� she threw her hands up in the air.

�Well I�m
guessing that because Ron has come and told us this news now, it would suggest
it�s because he�s not coming home on the train today like he should be.�

Thank you thank you thank you thank
you thank you thank you. �Dad�s right,� he nodded. �I�m not coming back. I�m going to-�

�Don�t say
it,� Molly threatened. �Ronald Bilius Weasley, do not say what I think you�re
going to say.�

�I�m going
to move in with Severus.� There. It was on the table now, as frank as the day
was long.

His mother
was looking at him with horror on her face, her mouth fallen open to an �o�
shape which didn�t become her. �What? You�re moving out?�

That was
different. Not �you�re moving in with that perverted old bastard?� but �you�re
moving out?� He looked at her and saw her eyes fill with tears.

�But you�re
not old enough, you don�t have any money to move out, you don�t even have a
job!� She protested, her head swivelling to her husband for support.

Arthur,
clearly, didn�t know which way to play it. If he supported her, he alienated
his son, and vice versa if he chose the other option. Neither was particularly
appealing. �Are you sure about this, Ron?� That was a safe option, surely?

�He�s not
sure about anything, he�s eighteen!�

�Mum, I�m
sure. I�m not going to sit here and argue about this with you because
absolutely nothing is up for discussion, I�m not prepared to budge one inch.
I�m moving in with him, whether you approve or not. Obviously, I�d prefer it if
I had your blessing but if I don�t, I�ll just do it anyway.�

�You will
not, you are my son and whilst you live under my roof-�

�I�m not
living under your roof though,� Ron shot back, temper getting the better of
him. �I�m at school and then I will go and live with someone else I love.�

�Oh this is
ridiculous, you�re not in love with him,� she shrieked. �You don�t know what
you are but I�ll tell you, it�s stupid.�

Stung, Ron
stood up. �Mum, I didn�t come here to be insulted. Think what you like about
me, my choices, my brain, but it�s going to happen.�

�How can you
do this to me? I am your mother, I gave birth to you!�

Ron
breathed through his nose and tried to fight the words which were on the tip of
his tongue. He lost.

�You gave
birth to me because you were hoping I was a girl. You were pretty disappointed
when you found out I wasn�t.� He pushed back his chair. �Just� I�ve finally
found someone whose willing to take me as I am, doesn�t compare me to five
brothers first and assume I was the product of trying for a girl. And that
might not be someone who falls into your little approved circle of people� but
it had to end sometime or we�d all end up so inbred we were insane.�

She was
staring at him in horror again, but now she also looked a little hurt. Ron felt
bad but then he was also starting to feel it too. He�d not expected her to be
happy but he�d hoped in the dark hours of the night she�d find it in her to be
supportive, it seemed not. He pushed his chair in. It was clear that the
quality of the conversation would improve no further and he wasn�t mug enough
to sit and let it digress into a shouting match. He�d done enough of that in
the past.

�I�m going
to go,� he said, shoving his hands deep in his pockets. �I�ll� be in touch.�

He nodded
in goodbye. He didn�t know what he was hoping for, as he pulled open the
kitchen door and let it fall quietly shut behind him. Some kind of reprieve, a
�don�t go!� and an outpouring of motherly love, maybe. Either way, it didn�t
come. He walked across the yard and heard the chickens clucking in their coup,
waiting to be let out to start digging for worms. It made his stomach turn, the
sounds of his childhood. The breeze was light and it ruffled his hair. He
jumped the boundary fence using his hands a vaulting tool, like always, landed
perfectly, and turned to look back at the house. The kitchen light was still
shining. It didn�t hold any hope for him now. He�d not expected her to take
Severus in like the seventh son she�d never had, he had never assumed she�d do
that. But her reaction, her own assurance that he didn�t know his own mind and
that he was stupid enough to be pushed into something he didn�t really want�
that was too much. With a slight scoff he realised he should have been
expecting it. Whilst he was musing over this, the kitchen door opened and he
recognised his father hurrying across the ground towards him, carrying his
briefcase with a determined look on his face.

�Ron,� he
called, sprinting up to the fence as fast as a man nearing 50 could. �Ron,
please wait a minute.�

Ron walked
closer to the fence again, wondering what was going to come his way now. His
dad wasn�t usually one for shouting, unlike his mother.

�I�m so
glad I caught you,� Arthur puffed. �Your mother� she� well, you gave her quite
a shock. Gave us both quite a shock if I�m honest.�

�I know
it�s hard to understand,� Ron shrugged. �I�m sorry. I just wanted to get it in
the open before you started seeing me sneak off in the summer, and being
miserable.�

�Miserable?�

�When you
live in someone�s pocket every day for two months, you�ll miss them when they�re
gone,� Ron said glumly. �And it was just something I didn�t think I could do.�

�You always
were an attached little soul,� Arthur shrugged. �I should have seen this
coming.�

�Is mum
alright?� Ron asked, looking at the house with clouded eyes.

�She�ll get
there,� Arthur nodded. �It�ll just take a little time. You have to understand
this is a man who has never shown an ounce of respect to our family. I�m as
bowled over by it as I am concerned about it.�

�You have
no need for concern,� Ron said. �I know its right for me.�

Arthur gave
him a piercing sweep of the eyes. �Okay. Just know that if anything happens or
if it goes wrong� your old room will be here waiting for you. It might have
some stuff in it, because you know what happens to empty space in this house,
but still. It�ll be there.�

Ron
realised, as he heard those words that they were all he had been waiting to
hear. Those words which said that if anything went wrong, they�d still be there
for him� he smiled at his Dad and said, �Thank you.�

�I need to
get to work,� he said hurriedly, and used his right arm to pull his son into a
hug with the fence between them. �But you should know� your mother might have
wanted a girl, but she� we� love you all for different reasons. Did you ever
think that because you were the last boy, that you�re just as special as the
first?�

�No,� Ron
replied. �I didn�t.�

Arthur
smiled and clapped him on the back. �I need to go� but please stay in touch,
visit us, let us know what you�re doing. It might take us a while before we�re
up to visiting you� or you coming here with him, but don�t be a stranger.�

Ron nodded
and Arthur smiled. �I will tell your brothers,� he said hesitantly. �But I�m
not telling them where you live. Probably safest,� he winked.

Ron watched
him disapparate. Nervously he bought his hand up and bit his nail, thinking on
what he�d said. He should probably go and apologise to his mum, but without his
dad to mediate the conversation it didn�t seem wise. He turned on the spot and
felt the world whizz, his stomach lurching as it always did. When his feet hit
solid ground, the grounds were sunnier than when he�d left them. Looking at his
watch, though, it was still early, not even seven in the morning. He got
through the gates without trouble and hastened round the back of the
greenhouses, into the tunnel, shivering at the coolness as it led downwards,
the inhabitants moaning, groaning and screaming in eternal monotony. Oh Merlin when I die I hope I don�t become a
ghost, it must be fucking awful. He sped up, seeing the tapestry come into
view. It stank of mould and he held his breath as he ducked out from behind it.

Only once
back in the corridor did he feel braver, more at ease. He had done it. He�d told
them the truth and now he was going to move in with Severus. The thought filled
his tummy with butterflies and put a smile on his lips. He unlocked the door
and saw that the lights were on. That meant Severus was up. Thank god.

�Oh, so are
we not knocking anymore?� He asked from the sofa, where Ron saw he was waiting,
unoccupied� clearly sat waiting for news.

�Would you
like me to go back out and knock?� Ron asked sarcastically, closing the door
and re-sealing it. He was looking forward to getting wherever it was Severus
lived so they wouldn�t have to do that.

�No,�
Severus stood up. He was dressed and washed, Ron surmised he couldn�t have
risen far long after he�d left. �Let me see you. Well. No tears, no bruises, no
�property of Molly Weasley� scratched into your flesh� don�t tell me it was
actually a success?�

�Not
quite,� Ron sighed, walking past him to fall down on the vacated sofa.

�What
happened?� Severus asked, walking to the fireplace and resting his elbow on the
mantelpiece.

�She was pretty much disgusted,� Ron shrugged. �And they were both shocked.
Neither were comfortable with the age gap. She tried to force me to stop seeing
you, I put my foot down. Then we got into a bit of a fight� I told her that she
had to let me go to someone who didn�t compare me to five brothers first or
automatically assume I was a failed girl attempt� she didn�t say anything after
that so I just left. Dad came after me, and said it would take them time, but
that they loved me and my room would be there if anything went wrong� so not a
complete �we�re writing you out of the will� failure, only a �you�re going to
get less than everyone else in the will� blip, I�d say.�

Despite the
nature of the conversation, Severus couldn�t help a small smile at Ron�s
description. �Are you alright?� he moved to sit next to him.

�I�m fine,�
Ron replied automatically. �I was expecting it. I thought there�d be total
fireworks.�

�But still,
you just did a big thing.�

Ron shook
his head dismissively as Severus put an arm around his shoulders and let him
rest his head on his own.

�And, how
are you after last night?� Severus asked tentatively, quite afraid of the
answer.

�Last night
made this morning bearable,� Ron�s face broke into an easy, honest smile. �Best
night of my life.�

Awwh. He�s being nice. �I�m glad.�

�And� are
you okay about last night? Was it� alright?� Ron looked up at him.

�Are you
asking me if you were adequate?� Severus frowned. �Did you seriously just ask
me that?�

Ron bit his
lip and raised his eyebrows. Severus rolled his eyes. �Oh, gee, let me think.�

�Be
serious,� Ron playfully hit him in the gut.

�Let�s put it this way,� Severus said quietly into his ear, �I�ve not come
twice in such quick succession in a long time.�

Ron
triumphantly grinned and laid his hand on Severus� stomach. The other man was
warm and he was still chilled from his walk in the tunnel. The clock over the
mantelpiece told him it was only 6:45. The thought made him yawn.

�Did you get any sleep at all last night?� Severus asked.

Ron shook
his head. �I couldn�t. You dropped off quite quickly though.�

�Sorry, I
was tired,� Severus apologised. I�m an
old man and you tired me out�

�Don�t be
daft,� Ron yawned again. �You think I can�t handle the dark by myself.�

�We never
did get that bear,� Severus laughed, and kissed the top of his head. His hair
smelt fruity.

�I didn�t
need it,� Ron yawned again and sat up, stretching his arms up above him.

Severus
couldn�t help the way his eyes following the path of his muscles, and watched
intently as the redhead dropped his chin to his chest and rolled his head round
in a circle. �Do you ache?�

�A bit,�
Ron nodded, now cracking his knuckles with his arms stretched out in front of
him. �Worth the pain though, trust me.�

Severus�
hands rose and instinctively pressed into the soft skin of his shoulders,
thumbs rubbing a firm circle at the nape of his neck. It felt so nice now, not
to have to guard his actions, not to have to be careful that it might lead to
the thing he purposefully was denying himself. He didn�t have to deny anyone
anything any more, and it felt good. He pressed harder with his other fingers,
working his way through the muscle tension. Ron groaned appreciatively and
sighed.

�I have a
question,� he asked, as Severus moved his thumbs down his spine.

�Hmm?�

�Why did I
make you come twice?�

How long is a piece of string?! �Because you�re very talented.� He
hoped Ron heard the flirt in his tone.

Ron
laughed. �Okay, okay. But� you said it was unusual.�

�For me,
yes it was.�

�Why?�

�I suppose
because I haven�t really been with anyone that �did it� that much for me for a
long time.� He applied more pressure and moved back up to the base of Ron�s
neck.

Ron fell
silent, Severus hoped he was just enjoying the sensation of the massage. His
hands were starting to ache, so he moved forward and wrapped his arms around
him instead, kissing where he�d just been massaging. �Are you sure you�re
alright? You�re awfully� question-y and quiet.�

Ron nodded,
�It�s just new, you know� I am to please but often miss. I just wanted to make
sure I hadn�t last night, is all.�

Severus
snorted with a laugh into Ron�s neck. �You hit the target dead centre, trust
me.�

Ron was
smiling again and Severus wondered what the tingly feeling was he was
experiencing. �Did I� well. Was everything okay on your� end?� He wished he
didn�t sound so stupidly tentative. It was a perfectly logical sentence in his
head but somewhere between his brain and mouth communication was lost and he
had ended up with that.

�Of
course,� Ron turned, then thought better of it and shifted back on to Severus�
lap in a position that made him feel more of a dirty old pervert than before.
�I couldn�t have asked for any more.�

He laid a
hand on the side of Severus� face. �Honestly. I have heard about plenty of
�first times� being in this school and not one of them lived up to that.�

Feeling
braver, Severus pushed his lips to his ear and whispered, �Trust me, I�ve had
enough sex and not one memory from any of them beats the thought of you up
against that bedpost with my cock up your backside.�

He felt
strange, speaking the brash words aloud. Ron smiled further and didn�t seem to
mind. He turned to face Severus and paused so they were nose to nose, breathing
softly, lips millimetres apart. �And nothing will beat the image of you squirming
about beneath me whilst I sucked you off,� he murmured, and closed the gap
between them in a kiss.

Severus
laced a hand into the red hair and pulled him closer, his free hand trailing
down Ron�s front to rest in his crotch.

�I have one
regret from last night,� he whispered, finding the zipper of Ron�s jeans and
pulling it down. �I never got to finish doing that to you��

Ron laughed
a breathy laugh and said, �It�s not like you left me without.�

�But still�
when it�s done right, oral is as good as anything you can achieve internally.�

�Is it?�
Still breathless. Severus loved this power.

He nodded.
�Would you like a demonstration?�

�Now?� Ron
sounded surprised; he heard it in his own voice.

�Oh� well.
If you don�t want to,� Severus took his hand away.

In a flash
Ron had grabbed it and put it back in position. �I never said that,� he tilted
his head to one side. �I�m just not used to someone wanting��

�Me,�
Severus finished for him with a nod. He stroked Ron�s cheek with his thumb. �I
know that feeling, don�t worry.�

Ron kissed
him. �So come on then� don�t let me stop the demonstration.�

Severus
grinned devilishly, and flipped Ron backwards so he was lying on the sofa
whilst Severus ducked between his legs. He quickly undid the jeans and slid
them down his hips with ease (they were too big, he noted). He rubbed gently
through the fabric of Ron�s underwear and ducked his head to place a kiss
through the material. An impatient groan told him his audience was more willing
than ever. Trying hard to keep his pace slow, he pulled them down too and
breathed once more over Ron, enjoying the shiver he�d evoked.

He ducked
his head low and placed a trail of kisses up the soft skin, breathing in the musky
scent, knowing instantly that Ron hadn�t showered that morning, he could still
smell the night before in his skin. It made him compulsively lick to taste, to
get that muskiness in his own mouth. Ron hissed and bucked up a little. It was
a taste he found utterly compelling, and it shocked him. Normally he was a
stickler for cleanliness. It had crossed his mind as he fell asleep that Ron
must have been the first person in over a decade he�d not forced into the
shower at the end of carnal relations.�
As he licked the length of Ron again, he found he liked it. Hungrily, he
took the top in his mouth and sucked, waiting for the bitter to assault his
taste buds in that way he�d never appreciated before. He wasn�t disappointed.
He dragged his tongue over the tip before pushing it deeper into the slit and
Ron hissed again, bucking up into his mouth. Remembering the night before,
Severus decided to try something� he moaned gratefully as he swiped again with
his tongue, emanating the way Ron had made him feel so wonderful the night
before. It worked. Ron reacted with several shuddering breaths, it made Severus
warm inside to see his stomach jerk up and down with them. He groaned and
arched up.

�You like
that, don�t you,� he whispered coyly, �You like the taste of me.�

Floored,
Severus didn�t break contact but looked up at him, making the appreciative
sound again.

�Ahh,� Ron
groaned, rising again. �Well enjoy me� Enjoy the taste of me.�

Oh I am� He could taste newer bitterness now,
and received a fresh wave as he licked, bringing his hand up to rub gently
where he refused to yet put his mouth. Ron extended a long arm and pushed his
hand into Severus� hair, trapping his head to his crotch. He hardened and
Severus guessed that he liked the power trip, so he moaned again and shifted
Ron a little deeper into his mouth. The low constant moaning noise he�d heard
the night before came back and Ron applied more pressure to the back of his
head, forcing himself further into Severus� warm mouth.

�Oh fuck
yes,� he breathed, raising his hips up. �Suck me��

Severus
couldn�t believe the transformation in his voice, sexy before, now it was
positively commanding and show stopping in its lustful tone. Severus did as he
was bid; he began to suck, gently at first, and then harder. The thrusts of
Ron�s hips were becoming more erratic and his breathing was growing faster.
Severus slid further down and made a gentle humming noise deep in his throat
which he knew had sent lesser men than Ron Weasley hurtling into an orgasm. Ron
didn�t disappoint him. With a grunt that could only be described as
animalistic, he placed his other hand at the base of Severus� neck, properly
trapping his face into his crotch. Severus sucked away, enjoying the taste as
Ron gasped out.

�Oh god I�m
going to come,� he hissed, heat flooding his face in embarrassment, he had
never felt more wide open than he did at that moment, trapped on the sofa,
another man�s face sucking his cock, feeling like he was about to lose utter
control of his body. �Oh fuck,� he bucked up again, feeling the soft lapping of
Severus� tongue against him. �I can�t� I don�t� Oh fuck,� he moaned.

It was
different to the night before, what was happening to him. He felt so out of
control now, so bare, so wet, so humiliated (in a good way). Severus moaned
between his legs again and he knew he�d reached the end of his tether. With a
groan he tilted his head back on the arm of the chair and squeezed his eyes
shut, pressing down into the sofa rather than up into Severus� lips, and every
muscle in his upper thighs and buttocks seemed to contract and released with a
tingling rush. He choked a little and gasped as he poured himself into Severus�
mouth, unable to stop himself hissing �Severus!� as the final lot shot out. He
kept his hands on Severus� head but released the pressure, enabling him to pull
back from it if he wanted to.

Severus was
frozen, his mouth still locked in place. His mouth was full and he found
himself with a dilemma, spitting it out would look rude� swallowing it and then
throwing up would look ruder. With relief he felt the pressure lift from his
skull and he sat up instantly, reaching for an empty glass that was leftover
from the night before, and spat the contents of his mouth out into it. He
coughed a little and wiped his hand with his mouth, placing the offending glass
on the floor out of view of them both.

When he
looked up he saw Ron staring at him, looking only a little short of mortified.
�I�m sorry,� he said quietly, his hands re-arranging his clothes.

�What?�
Severus asked, a sinking feeling demolishing his feeling of accomplishment.

�I would never have held your head down like that if I�d known you were�
wanting to spit.�

�It�s
fine,� Severus said, but as Ron swung his leg over his head and sat up
properly, he could tell that he�d struck a nerve.

He
swallowed and put a hand on Ron�s shoulder. �I�m sorry� I had to. I have� bad
memories attached to it and I just can�t swallow it. I thought it�d be ruder to
swallow and then throw up� I�m sorry.�

�You should
have told me,� Ron said quietly. �I would never have asked you to do it if I�d
known.�

He got up
and hugged himself with his arms, Severus got to his feet and outstretched a
hand. �Ron, please, come here.� He caught him and pulled him over roughly.
�This isn�t a slight on you. I promise you. Last night I was shocked when you
swallowed my come, because it�s such an alien thing to do, to me.�

Ron looked
at him with his big blue eyes and said, �I just feel� well. I don�t know. Like�
it was too horrible for you or something. I�m sorry. I won�t do that again.�

�Oh god
don�t say that, don�t take the beautiful thing away,� Severus found himself
begging, placing his hands on Ron�s upper arms, as if he were going to shake
him. �No. That was too� good.�

�It was
fucking amazing,� Ron said weakly, and Severus began to suspect that he was
only clutching himself like that because he was trying to stop himself from
shaking.

He
enveloped him in his arms, glad to feel Ron sneak his own arms around his body.

�I�ve never
felt anything like that before,� he breathed into Severus� ear. �I could do it
again just thinking about it.�

�Told you,�
Severus couldn�t help a small smirk. �And my God, the sight of you lying there,
completely mine� and when you said my name,� he kissed Ron on the mouth, who
could taste himself in the wetness. �There aren�t words.�

***

�Where�s
Ron?� Hermione asked Harry as they took their seats for their farewell
breakfast.

�I haven�t
seen him all morning, he�s not got anything packed up to leave,� Harry poured
them both some pumpkin juice. �He�s going to fuck up the timing if he doesn�t
turn up.�

�Oh Merlin
my head hurts,� Hermione breathed, massaging her fingertips over her forehead.
�How are you faring this morning?�

�You should probably ask the dorm toilet how it�s faring for a more accurate
answer,� Dean muttered bitterly.

Harry
turned a little green and swallowed. �I�m not at my best, I�ll admit.�

Hermione
tried to laugh but it made her head hurt so she stopped. A blur to her right
caught her attention.

�Ron!� She
breathed as he fell in line on the bench next to her, pulling two slices of
toast from a pile in the middle of the table.

�Hey all,�
he took a bite, tummy rumbling. �How are we all this morning?�

�Urrrrrrgh,�
was the collective reply.

�How can
you eat?� Harry looked at his toast queasily.

�You look
as tired as the rest of us,� Hermione noted, �But you don�t seem hung over.�

Ron tapped
his nose and grinned. He cast a wary glance up to the staff table where Severus
was seated talking with Professor Sprout. He had to work hard to keep his
thoughts off his filthy mouth and what it had been doing two hours before.
Hermione turned a paler shade of green and took another gulp of juice.

Breakfast
passed without incident, there were a few more tears all round but most people
were too hungover to muster any more emotion. Ron guessed that the party must
have continued long after he�d gone down to the dungeons. As everyone stood and
they left the hall for the last time, he seized his opportunity and grabbed
Harry and Hermione by the elbows, dragging them into an empty classroom.

�What are
you doing?� Harry moaned, �I need to pack my stuff up.�

�This won�t
take two seconds,� Ron said, sitting him down on a desk thinking it was
probably best that he was seated.

�And you
need to pack, apparently, you haven�t done anything!� Hermione protested.

�No, I
don�t need to pack, that�s what I want to talk to you about. I�m not coming on
the train with you� so my stuff doesn�t need to be packed just yet. I can do it
when you�ve all gone.�

�What are
you talking about?� Hermione asked.

�I�m going
to move in with Severus.�

There was
that silence again. Both of them looked at him with wide eyes.

�But Ron,
you can�t, your parents don�t even know-�

�They do,
actually, I went and told them this morning.�

�How did
they take it?� Harry asked.

�Not well,
Harry, not well.�

�But
it�s�.�

�I know,�
Ron breathed. �But I just thought I�d warn you.�

�What about
your brothers?�

�Dad said
he�d tell them and not tell them where I�m living� which in hindsight, was a
very safe thing to do!�

�Who took
it better, your dad or your mum?� Hermione asked.

�Dad, definitely, though he really didn�t like the age gap��

�He
wouldn�t, Snape�s only ten years younger than him!�

�Don�t you start!�
Ron glared at Harry. �You had your moment last night. The boat left port,� he mimicked him.

�It�s going
to be weird without you on the train,� Hermione sighed, and gave him a hug.
�But oooh, it�s exciting, moving in with your partner!

Ron
couldn�t help it, a grin spread on his face. �Yeah I�m kind of excited.�

�Mental,�
Harry eased himself off the desk to his feet.�
�But it�ll be interesting watching you pretend to handle this.�

Ron swiped
for him. �I thought you had stuff to pack.�

***

Ron stood at
the door to his Dormitory, it seemed so empty. He�d waved goodbye to his
friends ten minutes ago. The only belongings left in the room were his, it was
just so empty. And over, so over.

�I�ve never
been in this hallowed ground before!� Severus exclaimed sarcastically, arriving
at the top of the stairs. �It�s so� warm!� He scowled in dislike.

Ron moved
aside so he could enter his dormitory to look.

�So this is where all the dirty thoughts began,� he walked over to Ron�s bed
and trailed his hand over the blankets.

Ron
laughed. �Yes, it�s where it all started.�

Severus sat
down and looked up at the canopy. �No porn?�

�What?� Ron
asked, distracted.

�When I was
at school,� Severus put his feet up on the bed and put his hands behind his
head, �Everyone had porn taped to the top of their canopy� they called me gay
because I didn�t.�

�Times
change,� Ron laughed, but couldn�t resist taking a peek under Seamus� canopy to
see if he�d left anything.

He began
packing his things up using his wand, sending them into his trunk neatly, and
folding his clothes too. �It�s weird to think I�ll never have to wear this
uniform again.� They settled on top of the other items. He walked to the side
of the bed and dropped to his knees, pulling open the cabinet by his bed.
Inside he kept his few precious items. A photo album with family pictures,
which he handed to Severus for his amusement� his watch from his coming of age,
the certificate from passing his Apparition test.

�Oh you
were an adorable baby,� Severus teased, looking at the album. �Ginger from the
minute you came out.�

Ron
laughed. �Yeah, I was.�

�Ah,
modesty,� Severus smirked. �You grew so quickly. By the time you got here you
were so tall.�

�I think
I�ve finally stopped growing about now,� Ron said absentmindedly blowing dust
off a chess instruction book his grandfather had left him before he died. It
was so worn the spine was crumbling.

�Family heirloom?� Severus asked, closing the album and putting it on the bed
next to him.

�Not
really� my granddad gave me this before he died, just special to me.�

Having
successfully cleared out the cupboard, he shut the door and got to his feet,
his arms full of objects. He fitted them carefully in the trunk and Severus
passed him the album.

�Off you
get,� Ron said, motioning him off the bed.

He tugged
the top blanket which was a woollen patchwork blanket his mother had knitted
for him to take with him to school when it started. It had been on his bed
every year. He threw the other end to Severus to help him fold it.

�It smells like you,� he commented, holding it to his nose and inhaling.

�After
seven years I should think it does,� Ron took it from him and folded it in
half, placing it over the top of everything else in the trunk, just like
always. He shut it, locked it and sighed.

�Well.
That�s it.�

Severus
walked up to him and put his arm around his shoulders. �It�s going to feel
odd,� he said quietly. �You�ll get used to it.�

�Are you
all packed up?� Ron asked, trying not to think about it.

�Ready to
go,� Severus said with a smile.

�Right
then.�

�Are you
sure you don�t want me to fly you to catch up with the train, you�re looking
like you�re having second thoughts.�

�I�m not!�
he insisted. �I�m just� nervous. And depressed at how little stuff I have.�

�Well,
surely you have more at your parents�? You can bring that over?�

�That
stuff�s in even worse repair than all this. You don�t want that cluttering up
your house.�

�It won�t
be cluttering my house if it�s important to you.�

�Not even
my Cannons posters?�

Severus�
upper lip twitched.

�Ha,� Ron
grinned.

It was much
later in the day when they arrived in the dark street where Severus lived. He
wished he�d had a camera for Ron�s face when he�d announced that because there
was nowhere safe to apparate, they were going to have to drive there and that
it would take around six, seven hours depending on the traffic. He didn�t tell
Ron that this was essentially a lie, and he really just wanted an excuse to
drive his car which had been sat stationery since the Easter Holidays when he�d
been down. It had only taken Ron about half an hour, however, to appreciate the
view and the wind in his hair with the window wound all the way down, listening
to the radio in the sunshine. He�d even appreciated the rest stops where he got
to look in the muggle service stations. He�d fallen asleep somewhere towards
the end, and when the car jerked to a stop as the handbrake was put on, he
peeled his face off the window.

�Ew,� he
wiped his mouth. �Sorry, I think I drooled on your car.�

�You said
some interesting things in your sleep,� Severus teased, rolling his window up
and pulling the key out of the ignition. �Come on, let�s get inside. I don�t
want your arrival causing a stir.�

Ron opened
the door and stepped into the cool night air. The street was so dark he couldn�t
make out the end of it, only the grey stone cottages nearest to him. �Which is
yours?� he called looking up at the nearest one.

Severus was
hauling their luggage from the boot and stacking them on the pavement. �The one
you�re looking at,� he grunted, and slammed the boot shut. Thank Merlin for magical enhancement.

Knowing
nobody could see them in the dark street corner, he locomoted the luggage and
had it hover behind him whilst he searched for the key in his pocket. Ron
shivered as he waited.

�This is
the part where I tell you I left the key at Hogwarts,� Severus turned to him
with a smirk.

�You drive
like a maniac, I�m not getting in there with you again,� Ron looked the other
way purposefully. �So you bloody better have the key. God, I really need to
pee.�

There was a
clunk in the lock and Severus pushed the door open. Warm dry air greeted them
as he sent the luggage in first and turned on all the lights. �After you,� he
motioned to Ron, fighting the nervous feeling which had appeared in his stomach
when they were about an hour and a half away.

Interested,
Ron walked into the hallway and looked around. The d�cor was faded and out of
date and there were no pictures on the walls. Off the hallway doors lead into a
living room, a kitchen, bathroom, another room, and stairs led to another
level. �Bathroom�s second on your right,� Severus shut the door.

Ron idly
sauntered in. Severus was just hanging his jacket up when a scream sent him
cold. Was there an intruder, someone waiting for them? He rushed into the
bathroom and saw Ron cowering with his eyes trained on the opposite wall,
properly shaking. Confused, Severus focused on the other wall, but all he could
see was a spider. Then it dawned on him.

�Oh!� He
got out his wand and sent the spider flying out of the window which opened for
him. It shut again. Ron had slumped against the wall.

�You don�t
like spiders?� Severus raised an eyebrow, casting a wary round the four corners
of the room. He could see five that Ron hadn�t yet spotted.

Ron shook his
head, and Severus could see sweat glisten on his brow.

�Then there might be a few nasty surprises,� Ron paled. �Alright, here�s how we
solve this-�

�I�m not
touching them,� he shook his head, �Not on your life.�

�I wasn�t
going to suggest you did,� Severus rolled his eyes. �No. Use the toilet, I will
stand here and protect you. And then you�re going to go to the shop in the next
street and whilst you�re gone, I�ll remove all traces of spiders. How�s that?�

Ron nodded
and unzipped his fly to relieve himself. Severus found it odd that he was
embarrassed� after everything they�d seen of each other over the last 24 hours
he still looked away when Ron went to the toilet. Prude.

He herded
Ron out of the door in front of him and into the opposite living room. It
wasn�t big and the furniture seemed cramped inside the room, but to him it was
home. The books lining the walls made it even more oppressive. He looked up and
saw more spiders lurking. He cursed himself for being so inconsiderate� he had
known somewhere in his subconscious that Ron was terrified of them� so he had
bought him to spider central. It was cruel, really. But he could sort it out as
long as Ron left the house.

�Round the
corner, you�ll find your usual newsagents type place. There�s nothing in this
house so you�ll need to get some essentials to get us through until I can get
the car to the Muggle supermarket tomorrow.�

�A
supermarket?� Ron looked doubtful.

�Have you never been to one before?� Severus asked, and knew he sounded
incredulous.

Ron shook
his head and shrugged. �Our village is small and we have small shops.�

�You�re
just a little sheltered country lad really, aren�t you?� Severus cracked a
smile.

Ron
laughed. �What do you need me to get?�

�Teabags,
milk, bread, butter� whatever you fancy really. After driving so long I could
really do with some tea though so don�t forget the teabags.� He crossed to the
dresser in the corner and pulled out an old stash of money.

�You just
leave that lying around?� Ron asked, looking surprised.

�Nobody�s
going to break in here, too many diversion spells on the old place,� Severus
shrugged. �And if anyone does break in despite those, it�s not likely they�ll
be looking for muggle money, is it?�

�No, I
suppose not,� Ron conceded, taking the money he handed him �it felt weird.

�You know
how it works, don�t you?� Severus had to ask.

�Hundred
pence to a pound, I know,� Ron pocketed the money and nodded. �Anything else,
Master?

Severus
kissed him. �Stop looking so delicious.� He rummaged in your pocket. �Here�s a
key.�

�My own
key?� Ron looked at it like it might explode.

�Yes� so
you can get back in the front door when you come back from shopping,� Severus
was starting to wonder if he�d hit his head on the car window.

Ron took it
in his fingers and felt the silver sting him.

�Try not to
get run over�� Severus sounded worried, turning him around.

As the door
clicked shut he really wondered if they�d done the right thing, Ron was
responding in all the weirdest ways possible. It really worried him. He
wouldn�t have long though till he came back, so he pulled out his wand and sent
some shocking spells through the house, feeling the shockwaves on his skin.
With everything stunned, it would be easier to expel everything. He opened the
windows and with a touch of complex magic sent everything that wasn�t meant to
be there towards the river to start their new lives. He closed the windows
again to stop anything new crawling in. Then he placed a spider repellent charm
on the house� there was no point in everything just being replaced by the
morning and causing the screaming abdabs again.

He put his
wand in his pocket and performed a quick visual of the rooms, turning the
lights on upstairs, looking under the furniture and in high up corners.� He seemed to have done a thorough enough job.
It struck him how dusty everywhere was, and looked at the bed, seeing how musty
the sheets were. He set a cleaning spell to work, and tugged the sheets off the
bed, throwing them into a corner. He had clean ones in the luggage he�d bought.
He turned, smelling the house become clean with the spell working. He jogged
down the stairs and rummaged through one of the trunks he�d bought till he
located them, spotting Ron�s trunk. He unlocked it and took the blanket from
the top, tucking it under his arm. He jogged back up the stairs.

He was
surprised how easy it felt to be back in his house this summer. Normally he
hated it; it was so empty and cold. But with Ron there, no matter how weird he
was acting, it felt more bearable. He made the bed the muggle way, as he�d been
taught when he was little. He spread out Ron�s blanket over the top. He moved
to look out into the street. Ron should be back at any moment.

Ron walked
back along the street, carrier bag in hand, the key weighing in his pocket. He
felt stupid �what exactly had he expected? He supposed he�d not really
considered what it might feel like to actually live with Severus� he had
assumed it was a bit like a holiday. But it wasn�t� it was him really moving in,
making it his own place too, and, as had already been proved, having his own
key. He found himself at the end of the street sooner than he would have liked.
The lights were on in the upstairs of the house now, casting more yellow
squares on the dark road. He pulled the key out of his pocket and stood in
front of the door. Just stick the key in
the fucking lock and use it. Enter the house. Go in. Be normal. But he
found himself still standing gormlessly in front of the door. Use the damn key. He raised his arm
slightly and slid the key in the lock. Turn
it. Ron obeyed and turned the key, the door released and opened.

There. He�d
used the key. He walked in, set it on the sideboard, and closed the door behind
him, turning the lock and putting the muggle chain across. �I�m back,� he
called, walking down the hallway and into the kitchen. He put the bag on the
counter and scraped the change out of his pocket to put it on the worktop.
�Severus?� he called, his feet too big for the stairs as he climbed them. It was
a small house. Thinking back to the childhood that Severus had described, it
couldn�t have been easy living here like that. It made him wonder why on earth
Severus came back to it every summer.

�In the
bedroom,� came his voice, and Ron looked into the doorway.

�You made
it back alive!� Severus smiled, coming over and pulling him into a hug. �I
missed you.�

�I only
went round the corner,� he said, burying his face in Severus� shoulder.

�I know,
but it�s dark and you don�t know the area� and I�ll admit it, you worried me
acting so strange before.�

�I�m just
tired,� Ron murmured. �And a bit overwhelmed by everything.�

�How so?�

�It may
have just hit me how big this is,� Ron admitted, with a yawn.

�Do you
regret it?� Severus asked quickly with a lurch in his stomach he�d never admit
to.

�Oh of
course not,� Ron snapped. �Sorry. I�m tired. I snap when I�m proper tired. I
don�t regret this, no. It�s exciting but� you kind of floored me with the key.�

�Why?�
Severus took him by the hand and sat him down on the bed. �It�s just a key, I
thought it was practical?�

�It is
practical,� Ron nodded, �But you caught me by surprise after a vicious spider
attack, and I�m just getting used to the idea, is all. It doesn�t mean I�m not
enjoying it.�

His stomach
rumbled. He smiled at Severus and leant against him.

�What do
you think?� Severus asked, looking around the room. �Do you think you can call
it home?�

Ron nodded,
�I�m sure I can. It�s��

�Small, you
can say it,� Severus laughed.

�No, cosy,�
Ron stuck his tongue out. �I can�t imagine what it was like growing up here.�

�Hell,�
Severus said without hesitating. �Absolute hell.�

�Why do you
come back here then?�

�Because
it�s the family home� and I�ve just gotten used to being alone here now. This
is my bedroom, I�ve made it bigger magically� I did it when I was seventeen. I
don�t go in my parents� room,� a shadow passed over his face. �I�ve not been in
there since my mum died.�

Ron sent
him a questioning look.

�I just
don�t like the memories,� he replied simply. �Now. Tea, and food. What did you
buy?�

Ron led the way down the stairs and into the kitchen, pulling stuff out of the
carrier bag. Severus put the kettle on. He genuinely didn�t know what to expect
to come out of the bag because he�d never really thought on Ron in that sense
before; he found he was pleasantly surprised at his apparent domesticity.

�Bread,
butter, eggs, bacon, cheese, teabags and milk�� He said to Ron. �Aren�t you
just the perfect little housewife?�

Ron stared
at him levelly whilst pulling a bottle of ketchup out of the bottom of the bag.

�Ketchup?�
Severus raised an eyebrow.

�You can�t
have egg and bacon, cheese on toast or bacon sandwiches without ketchup,� Ron
said matter-of-factly. �It�s the law.�

�Who�s
law?� Severus turned and pulled out two mugs and rinsed them under the tap.

�My law,�
Ron grinned.

�So, seeing
as you got all this, I�m assuming you know how to cook?� Severus asked, and it
suddenly felt like they�d spent the last two months learning absolutely nothing
about one another at all.

�Can�t
you?� Ron looked up from stripping the plastic off the teabag box.

�Not well,� Severus admitted. �But then I�ve never had to, working at the
school, and I�ll admit I don�t each much when nobody bullies me into it.�

�Well
consider yourself bullied,� Ron handed him the teabags. �I have to eat or I get
grouchy, and when I get grouchy I get rude and snappy, and when that happens�
as we learnt that night after my Transfiguration exam, it doesn�t lead to happy
relations.�

Severus
laughed and made the tea. �I remember.�

�Right,�
Ron rubbed his hands on his jeans. �Frying pan, knives, forks� general kitchen
stuff?�

�Just look
in the cupboards. I�m embarrassed I can�t remember where everything is. I�ve
only lived here for thirty nine years on and off.�

Ron laughed, a cheerful little sound which made Severus feel sickeningly gooey
inside. �Do you know anything about this house?�

�I do,�
Severus replied indignantly. �I made the bed and cleaned the place whilst you
were gone.�

�Oh that�s
good, my mother has never satisfactorily managed to get me to make a bed�
always wonky, wrong end of the sheet and whatnot.�

Severus
noted the way he just so casually mentioned his mother in conversation, it
wasn�t something he was used to himself. He sighed and squeezed the teabag
against the side of the mug. There was no point in dredging up ghosts past.
There was a clang and Ron straightened with a frying pan in his hand.

�Sorry,� he
apologised. �I should probably have warned you before you agreed to live with me
that I�m not accustomed to doing anything quietly. In my house you have to make
noise to contend with the rest and drown out the ghoul in the attic.�

Severus
laughed again. �We are such polar opposites. When I was your age I even
breathed quietly.�

�Well,� Ron
said quietly, �We had very different childhoods.�

�True,� he
nodded. �Here, red or blue mug?�

�Red,� he
said without thinking.

�But I
thought your favourite colour was blue?�

�Ah, it is,
but, leaving you with a red mug would be giving you Gryffindor colours.�

�You�re not
in school any more, you don�t have to think like that,� Severus winked, and
determinedly picked up the red mug and bought it to his lips.

�Suit yourself,� Ron grinned, pulling a knife from a drawer and slicing the
plastic on the packet of bacon open. He pulled out his wand and enlarged the
frying pan to make room for the indecent amount of bacon he tipped into it.

Severus
watched with bemusement. He saw Ron�s eyes flicker over the controls of the
stove trying to figure out how it worked, then press the ignition switch and
turn the dial adjacent to the ring he was using.

�Don�t you
need oil?� Severus asked, idly tapping one finger on the side of his mug.

Ron shook his
head, �Not really. As it starts to cook all the fat will drain out of it and
it�ll cook in its own juices� still not particularly healthy but better than
adding a load more fat on top if you see what I mean.�

�So
clever,� Severus said and Ron turned round.

�What?� he
asked, looking slightly abashed.

�No, I
didn�t mean anything bad by it� I�m just� are you feeling the same as me? That
we spent two months asking each other all those questions and yet it feels like
there were a million more things that we forgot to ask? Like �can you cook�,
for example?�

Ron turned
back to the pan and gave it a little shift over the heat. �I suppose it does
feel like that a bit,� he nodded. �But it doesn�t make me think we�ve made the
wrong decision. Does it make you feel that way?�

�No, no,�
Severus shook his head, leaning back against the worktop. �It doesn�t. It�s
just feeling a little strange, is all� having company here. It�s nice.�

Half an
hour later, they were sat in the living room eating their way through the sandwiches
Ron had made. He was sat on the threadbare sofa, one leg tucked up under his
body and his other knee bent in front of him. Severus was in the armchair
beneath the window, reading the paper as he ate slowly. Ron felt stupid for
making so much food; he had gathered from their time together that Severus
didn�t really have much of an appetite. In contrast to his already nearly empty
plate he not only felt wasteful but also a complete pig. He�d had that
reputation throughout his life though, it was nothing new. With a smile he
recalled the first time Hermione had ever seen him truly eat� the way her mouth
had fallen open and she asked him where he was putting it all. A tapping at the
window jerked him from his memories, and he put his plate down to get up and
twitch the drawn curtain back slightly

�Fuck,� he
jumped, finding himself face to face with an anxious owl, carrying a large
parcel.

�What?�
Severus said, startled, leaping to his feet.

�Sorry,�
Ron started to laugh, and he opened the window.

In the proper
light he recognised Hedwig at once. She�d been dyed black outside but inside
she became her true self again. �Hedwig,� he called holding out his hand and
smoothing his palm over the small table. �Here.�

The owl
complied and Ron detached the parcel from her. She chirruped at him in
recognition, rubbed her feathered head against the back of his hand and took
flight again out of the window. Ron closed it behind her and pulled the curtain
back.

�Potter�s
owl?� Severus asked with a yawn.

Ron nodded
and yanked the string out of the wax seal, peeling it off the parcel along with
the brown paper.

An old
cardboard box greeted him and he lifted the flaps on it to be greeted with the
sweet smell of baking. �Oh my god,� he breathed, fingers snatching up the note that
sat on top of the goods.

�You�re both too thin.

Love, Mum�.

Ron froze
in place, reading the six words over and over before they blurred in front of
him.

�What�s the matter?� Severus asked, taking a tentative step closer, hands
sliding into his back pockets with nerves.

Ron thrust
the note at him and looked in the box properly, inhaling the scent of the food
which she�d sent.

�Oh,�
Severus gently laid the note down on the arm of the sofa and put his arms
around Ron. �So does that mean�?�

�I suppose
so,� Ron smiled weakly. �She�s that sort of person. Even when she�s so mad at
you she could spit, she finds it in her to do something like this.�

�What�s
that?� Severus pointed at an object which clearly wasn�t food. He didn�t
release Ron as he reached into the box to pull it out and watched him unwrap
it.

Ron gave a
shaky laugh as soon as he saw it. �She sent my teddy bear,� he explained,
turning the bear to Severus and raising its paw to wave at him.

Severus thought
he might combust at the sweetness of it. Oh
my God what�s happening to you?! �That was nice of her.� That�s better. That doesn�t sound so
completely out of character.

Ron lifted
it to his nose and inhaled. �It smells of home,� he noted, taking another sniff
at it.

This is your home now� �I�m surprised he doesn�t smell of
pastry considering the amount in that box.�

Ron
sniggered and set the bear down on the chair arm next to the note. He bent down
again and pulled out a plastic box. �I told you, pastry fiend,� he pulled the
lid off and smiled. �Sausage rolls.�

�She made
all this?� Severus asked in surprise.

Ron nodded, �Of course. My mum doesn�t really buy food� she makes everything
herself.�

�Right,�
Severus couldn�t help but draw the comparison between Molly Weasley and his own
mother and found it stark. �Why though, surely with you lot running around she
has enough to do?�

Ron
shrugged and replaced the lid, �Cheaper to make it all herself even if it means
early hours and late nights.�

�She must
have spent nearly twenty years going mad,� Severus frowned, �Before Ginny
finally upped and came to Hogwarts��

Ron nodded.
�Probably� I mean Bill�s in his late twenties now, so you�re not far off.�

�I can�t
imagine devoting my life to other beings like that,� Severus mused, letting his
chin fall onto Ron�s shoulder. �I don�t think I could do it��

�Well,� Ron
thought about it. �We didn�t ask to be born� we didn�t ask for her to do that.
I�m very glad she did, obviously� but she made her own decisions and so did Dad.�

�I�m not
saying there�s anything wrong with it,� Severus had felt his muscles tense, Ron
was still so sensitive about his family. �Not at all. It�s just alien to me,
the only child, parents that hated each other and one of them hated me, and
it�s just very, very new. Even the whole food parcel thing is new to me. It�s
just not how families work in my own experience.�

�Well,
either way,� Ron said, a smile lit up his face. �You�re in for it now. She says
you�re too thin. And when my mother goes on a mission she doesn�t stop until
she�s satisfied.�

�I am not
too thin,� Severus said irritably, releasing him and turning back into the
wider space. �I�m fine!�

�What you
eat wouldn�t eat a fucking sparrow,� Ron dismissed him, indicating the barely
touched pile of sandwiches. �Are you eating these?�

Severus
sulkily shook his head and Ron exhaled grumpily. �Waste not,� he rolled his
eyes, picked up the plate and fell back down in his seat and began eating.

�Why is
what I eat such a big issue for you?� Severus asked, not liking being
scrutinised. He remembered the look on Ron�s face when all he�d eaten of his
on-the-road lunch was a few bites.

�Because
you barely eat anything,� Ron gestured to the plate of sandwiches. �You�re just
not��

�I�m not
what?� Severus folded his arms across his chest.

�You�re
just not looked after,� Ron shrugged, before taking a bite and chewing, keeping
his eyes on the plate.

�Well I
survived thirty nine years until you came along,� Severus retorted. �I�m still
alive, aren�t I?�

Ron conceded
with a nod but didn�t say anything. He ate another sandwich half.

�So do you
eat like this all the time?� Severus waved his hand.

With a swallow, Ron shook his head. �Normally I wouldn�t have had to have eaten
your half too.�

�So why did
you, if you didn�t want any more food?�

�Because
that�s wasteful,� Ron shrugged. �And where I�m from you don�t leave food
because of the money it cost you to buy it.�

�I didn�t
have the richest of upbringings either,� Severus said quickly gesturing to
their surroundings, �I don�t eat like you!�

Ron
shrugged. �I just have a huge appetite, I always have done.�

�No wonder
your parents were so poor if your siblings all eat like you,� Severus rolled his
eyes, walking over to the window to look out of it, not really thinking on his
comment.

Ron fell
silent, stung. He wondered if he was being oversensitive�he normally always was
where his family were concerned. His mind was conflicted, heart trying to figure
out if he was right to be hurt, his brain shouting You fucking what?! Slytherin prick! He didn�t like the internal
battle. He got to his feet and walked numbly into the kitchen, setting the
plate down on the side. He washed his hands in the sink, then put the plug in,
thinking he might as well wash up his mess whilst he was at it. He used his
wand to produce washing up liquid because the bottle behind the tap was empty.

�Ow!� he
hissed, as the hot water assaulted his hands on putting them in the water. He
wiped a cloth around the utensils in the soapy water and placed them on the
draining board.

In the
other room, Severus turned from the window and found Ron gone, but heard sounds
of running water from the kitchen. He thought back over his words and felt
angry at himself. His quick mouth had gotten him in trouble again. Picking up
Ron�s first empty plate, he walked into the kitchen and set it down on the side
on top of the other. He wasn�t sure how to handle it� his arguments never
normally needed resolving because he wouldn�t need to see the other person
again. But this was a very different situation� Still unsure, he positioned
himself behind Ron and put his arms around his waist tightly. Ron stopped
moving and let his hands still in the hot water.

�I�m
sorry,� Severus whispered into his hair, eyes closed.

�Good,� Ron
said softly, without moving.

When you apologise isn�t the other person
meant to say �it�s alright� or �don�t say sorry��?

�It�s
alright for me to call my family poor,� he said in a low voice, �But I�m not
quite ready to hear you say it just yet.�

�I�m
sorry,� Severus repeated, fighting his indignant nature. �It just slipped out.
It won�t happen again.�

�Good,� Ron
repeated, and carried on washing the frying pan.

Severus
didn�t remove his arms from round his waist but felt himself getting madder. He
wasn�t used to being crossed. Normally when he spoke he didn�t have to
apologise for his tongue when it lashed out. Ron finished washing up the frying
pan and put it to drain on the side. Severus� argumentative side was really
bursting to get out.

�Well, I
don�t like it that you tell me I�m practically skeletal every single day,� he
dropped his arms and took a step back.

Ron picked
up the plates and put them in the water with a chink of china-on-china. He
washed methodically contemplating his answer.

�I might
be,� Severus continued, �But it doesn�t help to be told it every single day.�

Ron put one
plate aside to drain and washed the other, still thinking.

�And I don�t like the way you watch me eat,� Severus folded his arms across his
chest again, �Like you�re making sure I�m doing it properly, like you�re my
mother or someth-�

He finally
provoked a reaction from Ron who dropped the plate in the sink and spun round,
bubbles and water flying off his hands as he reached for the tea towel.
�Finished?�

�Are you
finished with the silent treatment?�

Ron dried
his hands and threw it with some force into the worktop. �Fine, I�ll just not
comment on your eating habits again, as long as you don�t attack me for mine.�

�What?! I
have not attacked you for your eating
habits,� Severus� mouth fell open in anguish.

�Yes you
have,� Ron said accusingly. �I can�t win, apparently! Everyone tells me I�m too
thin, so I eat, I like food, so I eat. You look at me like I�m some kind of
freak for eating. I could understand if I was the size of a house but
seriously,� he grabbed his stomach, �There�s not one iota of flab there. You
should know, you were bouncing your head off it this morning.�

Severus put
his hands on his hips and said, �Well� fine. Call it a truce.�

�Truce,�
Ron said acidly, nodded his head and turned to walk out into the hallway. �And
while we�re at the �truth� section of the evening,� he gathered breath. �The
fact you spit me out this morning hurt.�

�I knew
that�s why you�d been off with me all day,� Severus scoffed. �You�re rather
transparent.�

�You�ve told me that before,� Ron shrugged. �You knew it before you got
together with me. I�m not so good at locking everything up. You knew that too.
Your choice, your decision.�

For fuck�s sake, how can something
so innocent turn into this? Stupid fucking quick mouth.

Severus was
left standing alone as Ron stomped back into the living room. It had been years
since Severus had had an argument with anyone he truly cared about and it was
disorientating him, he was holding back from his truly vicious tendencies but
he was having to fight hard. Normally it was his first port of call because it
disarmed his attacker. But he didn�t want to hurt Ron. I can�t believe he fucking walked out on me! Fucking cheek.

His feet
were carrying him into the room without thinking about it. Ron was standing by
the window staring out into the dark street. �Something else to say?� he asked
without turning his head.

�Yes,�
Severus scowled. �Aren�t we just off to the most rip roaring start to our new
living arrangements?�

�Well, if
you�d kept your mouth shut then it wouldn�t have happened,� Ron set the curtain
back down and turned to face him.

�This is my
fault?� Of course it�s your fucking
fault, idiot. But Severus was too used to arguing to be chaste.

Ron nodded
and walked round the armchair to look absentmindedly in the spotted mirror over
the fireplace. �I�d say so.�

Despite all
the love he felt, Severus felt his body slip into anger mode and he hissed
through his teeth. He expected Ron to back away in fear but the redhead stayed
put, apparently ignoring him.

�You�re so
fucking insolent,� he hissed. That had got Ron�s attention -it was unusual for
Severus to swear outside of the bedroom. �You think that because you�ve got an
inferiority complex it gives you the right to be oversensitive about
everything.�

His lip was
curling up into a snarl. Stop it. Calm
down. This could lead to a fucking disaster.

Ron looked
at him, finally angry. �And you think that because you�ve got all this
�history� it gives you the right to stand here and treat me like I�m less of a
person because I haven�t �felt� as much as you.� He clipped the words history and
felt.

�Don�t drag
my history into this,� Severus took a step closer to him with a warning finger,
�You knew it was baggage when you pressured me into this.� He was surprising
even himself now.

�I
pressured you into nothing,� Ron said hotly, �You came into this of your own
free will.�

Severus
laughed coldly, �Free will. Right. I haven�t known what free will is since I
was three years old.�

�Oh there
we go with the history again,� Ron narrowed his eyes. �Everything comes back to
it. For fuck�s sake. Some people get hurt, let it go.�

He did not just� Severus took a deep shuddering
breath and felt the anger bubble in his veins. It was going to go too far soon.
They were both too hot headed to know when to stop, Ron truthful in his line,
Severus spiteful. Maybe it amounted to the same thing.

�Well I
think that�s rich from someone who�s only in this relationship because he
thinks he�s found someone as low as he is to take him off his parents� hands.�

He knew as
soon as the words left his mouth that the invisible line had been crossed.
Ron�s face became a carving of stone; even his chest stopped moving up and
down. Oh Merlin� what have you done? Fix it. Fix it. And Severus was
surprised with the speed that he did
want to fix it, to take the words back. Ron was still standing immobile, his
face unreadable.

Even though
there were only feet between them in the tiny living room, it felt like a
gaping chasm. Internally, Ron was boiling with anger and he physically ached in
reaction to those words. But he couldn�t risk opening his mouth again, or
moving a muscle, because it made him physically want to punch and hit and kick
until the hurt was gone. His hand twitched slightly and he clenched everything
he had inside, looking at Severus trying to stop the image of beating him up. Channel it into something else� really
confuse the fucking bastard� the voice in his head told him.

It seemed a
good idea. Knowing how it would look, Ron sprang forward quickly and crashed
into Severus� body, giving him no time to defend himself. They landed in a heap
on the armchair, Ron pinning him down, and he pushed his lips roughly onto
Severus, gripping his head tightly between his hands.

Oh my good god� Severus couldn�t breathe, and was
effectively trapped beneath the brutal kiss, powerless to stop it. His arms
were trapped beneath Ron�s knees. He writhed in form of struggle and it only
made Ron press down harder. Even though he knew he shouldn�t, and that it would
help nobody, Severus couldn�t help but feel aroused by the sheer strength Ron
was performing over his body. He struggled again and felt a groan rise up out
of his throat. As opposed to seconds before, when Ron had been a statue, now he
refused to keep still, his body was moving, his chest was heaving, and his
tongue was persistently intruding into Severus� mouth without invitation. It
had been a long time since Severus had succumbed to any form of ravishment. If
that�s what it was. It was an attack, no doubt� it was whether he wanted to treat
it as such. Like fuck you do, he
thought, struggling again, it feels so
good.

A feeling
of retaliation was rising in his throat, however, just like it would if he were
being punched. With a shove he managed to dislodge his hands, nearly sending
Ron flying backwards off the armchair. Maybe, if it had been anyone else, if he
hadn�t been so terrified of sending that beautiful head smashing into the
floor, he�d have let Ron fall. But as it was, he grabbed him with his arms, and
instead of pulling him back, pushed him down, landing on top of him with his
hands behind Ron�s head, cushioning the fall.

Ron
wrestled with him, not liking his power play disturbed, but Severus was fully
in control and pinned him to the floor, returning the assault with his lips with
crushing force. He was harder than before now the ball was in his court. Ron
wrestled with a shove again and Severus had to grab his wrists and pin them
above his head. A growl rose up out of the redhead�s throat, his face flushed
and his eyes angry. Severus kissed him again and trailed off down the side of
his face, onto his neck and forward onto his throat, all the while pinning
Ron�s wrists into the carpet. He licked a little at the hollow of Ron�s throat
and enjoyed the groan which betrayed him. Unable to resist abusing the
situation, Severus ground his hips down into Ron�s and grunted into the soft
skin of his neck, inhaling the scent and closing his eyes. Ron pushed again
with further strength and in his weakened state, Severus slipped his grip on
the delicate wrists he was strangling. Before he knew it, he was upside down
again, Ron was swinging his leg over his hip and his own hands were being
pressed into the carpet with painful force.

Ron was
panting deeply, a resigned look on his face as he stared down at the older man.
He was aching all over again and he didn�t have the strength to keep it up for
much longer. So why bother? With a
massive exhalation of breath, he let go and fell sideways off Severus� body,
feeling a rush of fatigue come, sweep him up and take hold of him. Severus
didn�t automatically move, he lay for a few moments longer, arms still raised,
legs askew, silently questioning the sudden surrender, before rolling onto his
side and pulling Ron to him with much softer hands.

They lay
together on the carpet silently for minutes before either of them could bear to
speak. Each had said things they were starting to regret now the anger was
flooding out of their veins. Severus knew that he had to be the first one to
speak. He has committed the worst offences and it was down to him to make the
amends.

�I�m sorry,� Ron beat him, sounding deflated. �I�m so sorry.�

Severus
opened his eyes to look at him and saw a desperate face before his eyes. Ron
was plainly terrified of what their fight might cause.

Severus
leant forward and kissed the end of his nose. �I�m sorry too. And I should have
said that first, but you beat me to it,� he breathed.

�Please
don�t leave me,� Ron whispered.

�I�m not
going to leave you,� Severus frowned in a whisper. �Why would you think I
would?�

�It�s not
exactly a stellar start,� he replied. �I dread to think how much more violent
we could get��

�We both
seem to have enough pent up anger to fight the good fight entirely by
ourselves,� Severus conceded, bringing his hand up to stroke the side of Ron�s
face. �I�m not denying that. But we can work at it. Everything takes work.�

Ron nodded,
snuggling deeper into the embrace.

�We should
go upstairs to bed,� Severus looked up at the clock on the wall. �It�s getting
late. I don�t know about you but after that I just feel shattered.�

�You look
it,� Ron said softly, kissing the side of his neck tenderly.

I should be insulted but I�m not� �Come on,� Severus extricated
himself from Ron and got to his feet, feeling his joints creak with tiredness.
He extended a hand for Ron to grip and pulled him up. He put his arm around his
shoulders.

As tired as
he was, ten minutes later, in his old bed with Ron curled into him, Severus
couldn�t make his brain switch off. Even with all the lights off and no
streetlight outside, the room was considerably lighter than he was used to. Ron
was breathing gently at his shoulder, he could already be asleep and to solve
the light problem, Severus would have to move him.

�Ron?�

�Mmmhmm?�

�I need to
do something about the light.�

�S�dark.�

�Not dark
enough,� Severus tried to pull his arm out from under Ron�s neck.

�No,� Ron
clutched on to him around his waist. �Don�t go.�

Ever since
they�d stopped fighting Ron seemed to have developed a separation anxiety disorder,
Severus noted. He couldn�t even undress for bed without Ron hanging onto his
arm being clingy. �I�m not going to get any sleep if I don�t sort this out,�
Severus whined.

Ron groaned
and threw his top arm back, groping for his wand on the bedside table. He
pointed it at the window and whispered something inaudible to Severus. A black
shape shot from the end of the wand and fitted around the window pane beneath
the curtains, sending the room into instant pitch blackness. He rolled over,
replaced the wand, and returned to his strong grip on Severus� waist.

�Thank
you,� Severus kissed his cheek. �I don�t know why� I just can�t sleep with the
light.�

�Mmm,� Ron
mumbled in reply.

Severus closed
his eyes and exhaled. It was definitely darker. He laid there for a few more
minutes hoping for sleep to come. Ron�s breathing had returned to it�s even
pace on his shoulder. Sleep wasn�t coming. He shifted his hips and groaned in
frustration.

�What now?�
Ron asked sleepily.

�Can�t sleep,� Severus muttered, taking a welcome sniff of his scent.

�What�s
wrong?� Ron resigned himself to the conversation.

�I don�t
know.�

�Well� is
it the argument?�

�Maybe?�

�Is it just
weird me being here?�

�No,� he
felt Severus shake his head. �Definitely not your presence here, I actually
really like it.�

�So do I,�
Ron sounded more awake with every word. �Up until the fight, of course.�

Severus
kissed his forehead. �I�m so sorry,� he whispered. �I really am. I said some
nasty things which I regret.�

�I regret
what I said too,� Ron stroked his hand across Severus� flat stomach. �Guess it
doesn�t help that we�ve got massive tempers.�

�No,�
Severus smiled into the darkness. �Pair of hotheads together.�

�I can see
us in ten years time� going to a dinner party at Hermione�s and falling out
because someone forgot the bottle of wine, rendering everyone else silent and
us both red-faced and angry and we�ll go home and have angry sex in front of
the fire.�

Severus
laughed and Ron finally let go of his waist and rolled onto his back. �Hey,�
Severus protested.

�My arms
are killing me,� Ron explained.

Severus
rolled onto his side and mirrored the position that Ron had been in. �That�s
weird,� Ron half-giggled.

�What is?�

�You playing
the part of the woman,� Ron grinned because he knew Severus couldn�t see him.

�Is that
what I�m doing?� Severus asked, pausing his hand where it was on Ron�s abdomen.

�Sort of� but I don�t mind� makes me feel manly,� he laughed.

�I feel
about fifteen now,� Severus complained, but hooked his leg over Ron�s and
snuggled tighter.� �Been a long time
since I felt fifteen.�

�Well you
still look it,� Ron said patronisingly and Severus could just tell the
sarcastic smile that was curling his lips at that moment. He whacked him in the
stomach.

�Cheeky
bastard,� he laughed.

Ron brought
his hand up to lazily stroke his raven hair. Severus washed it a lot more
frequently now they were together, nearly every day. It was so soft and shiny
and it smelt fresh. Severus groaned appreciatively. �Nice.�

�I can�t
believe my mum sent that stuff,� Ron mused, massaging the scalp under the silky
hair.

�It was
very kind of her,� Severus agreed. �But we both know it means more than that.�

�Acceptance,�
Ron said. �Maybe not full time� she�ll still bitch about it every now and
then.�

Severus
laughed and kissed Ron�s chest. �Isn�t that a mother�s job?�

�Well
that�s very true! Especially my mother, always has her nose in her children�s
business.�

�Well I
think you�ve probably presented the biggest block out of all your brothers!
Me!�

�Remind me
to thank you sometime,� he grinned.

�I accept
chocolate and sexual favours.�

�Ever
combined the two?�

�Once, it
was messy.�

�Clean
freak.�

Severus
couldn�t help but laugh.

�I know
what�s keeping me awake!� He said suddenly, as it dawned on him. �I owe you an
explanation about this morning.�

�It�s fine,
you don�t,� Ron shook his head.

�You always
say I don�t owe you any explanations Ron but I do, love.�

Love? What are you? A middle aged
northern country woman?!

�You can
explain if you�d like,� Ron massaged his head again.

�Not much
to say really, except that well� in an organisation like the Death Eaters,
there�s a hierarchy� and when you�re at the bottom, you�re treated like scum
and you�re asked to some god awful stuff you can�t refuse.�

�Oh,� Ron
said.

�Yes, not
pleasant,� Severus sighed. �It just reminds me of that�and I�m not keen on the
taste anyway� though yours was different.�

�Good to
know,� he sounded faintly sick.

�I just
thought you deserved to know why.�

�Bet there
was some kinky shit though�� Ron asked suggestively.

�I�m not
talking about it,� Severus said firmly. There was no reason to bring up even
more hideous memories.

�Alright,�
Ron said soothingly, increasing the pressure on his skull. �Tell me about some
other kinky shit.�

�I thought
you were sleepy,� Severus lifted his head up to peer at him in the dark.

He heard
scrabbling and Ron ignited the bedside light and looked at him. �Hey, you
fucking woke me up with your bleeding heart, now entertain me.�

�Turn the
light off then,� Severus looked up at him. �I�m not good at talking filthy when
the light�s on.�

Ron looked
halfway to a laugh and Severus threw him a look. �Oh, fine,� Ron grinned, and
turned it off again. �There. Pitch black again. Better?�

Severus
moved further up the bed to rest his head on his elbow and traced his fingers
up Ron�s chest. �What exactly do you want to hear about?�

�A bit of
sexual history� that bondage stuff you told me about.�

�I don�t��
he trailed off. �I�m not good at this�� he groaned.

�Well how
did you get into it?� Ron asked quietly.

�Sort of
fell into it� that would be the Death Eaters again but not so much, It happened
once, and I liked it� so I went and looked into it properly.�

�How old
were you?� Ron probed further.

�Nineteen.�

�Mmm,
nineteen year old Severus� tied up in some seedy brothel type place. That�s
what I�m seeing.�

�You�d be
shocked if you knew how accurate that was.�

�Mmmmmm.�

�You�re
filthy, it was quite sordid I�ll have you know.�

�You�re not
helping,� Ron said through gritted teeth.

Severus
chuckled and kissed him on the cheek. �And here I thought I was the perverted
one��

�So what
did you start out with?�

�Light
bondage and domination mainly� I liked it, didn�t take me long before I got
more involved in other aspects� like being the dominating force, for example.�

�I can see
you doing that,� Ron said breathily. �You�re very forceful.�

Severus thought about it. �I suppose.�

�I know,� Ron scoffed. �Didn�t you
see? When I put the light on I saw that I have bruises coming up on my wrists.�

�Jesus, I�m
sorry,� Severus found one of Ron�s wrists and pulled it to his lips. �I should
have been more careful.�

�It�s not a
big deal. They�ll fade and we had to have our first fight some time.�

�Not every fight ends with partners pinning each other to the floor though,�
Severus said worriedly, refusing to let the delicate wrist go.

�Yes but it
was my fault that happened. I was so mad at you I was going to punch you, so I
thought I�d channel the anger into another form.�

�Well that
was something I hadn�t thought of�� Severus admitted.

�So what do
you do in these bondage sessions?�

�I really
don�t want to talk about it,� Severus admitted.

�Okay� will
you show me one day?� Ron asked.

�You�re so eager!� Severus couldn�t help but laugh. �Dirty boy.�

�You know
it,� Ron yawned.

�Sorry I�m
such a verbal disappointment� I really have never been any good on that side of
things.�

�You make
up for it with other things,� Ron said sleepily. �Are you tired yet?�

�I�ll get
there,� he put down his arm and moved back into the warmth of Ron�s body again.

�Na-night,�
Ron murmured.

He was
asleep in seconds. Severus didn�t mind, he listened to his breathing pattern over
and over again, feeling immensely protective over the life in the bed next to
him asleep. The street outside was quiet and the house was settling around
them. He felt so relaxed and peaceful, even after their heated argument. He
closed his eyes and breathed in Ron�s scent again.
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