Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter nor do I make any money.
Maybe
"Maybe it's the way you touch me..."
Ron shivered as Scorpius whispered those words seductively into his ear as he handed him his evening whisky.
"Or maybe it's the way you kiss me..." Scorpius continued, pulling the book Ron had been trying to read out of his hands and replacing it with Scorpius' own body curled across his lap. "Or maybe it's just the way you make me feel: wanted, desired, and...adored." The last word breathless against Scorpius' lips.
Ron couldn't argue with the affection that Scorpius was showing him at the moment, nor with his words. He really did want, desire and adore the young man curled up against him; the one who had saved him after he very nearly drowned after Hermione decided she didn't want him anymore and left him in a quite vicious manner. Setting his drink down on the side table, he wrapped his arms around Scorpius while the young man nuzzled against his neck.
Closing his eyes, he started to revel in the unusual display of affection from the normally snarky objection of his own affection. Except –
Scorpius was never this affection.
His Scorpius had a witty and biting tongue that had caught his attention even amidst the fog of the divorce proceedings. His Scorpius was confident, arrogant; not the desperate figure curled up next to him shaking and if wasn't mistaken sniffling.
His Scorpius never cried.
Taking a deep breath, he whispered, "Scorpius, what is going on?"
"Nothing," Scorpius murmured against Ron's neck. Ron could tell he was lying as his neck felt the evidence of his hot tears for the first time while Scorpius' hand gripped Ron's jumper tighter. "Just thought you should know what you do to me."
"Liar," Ron breathlessly whispered, turning his head to kiss Scorpius' forehead. "What is going on?"
A thousand ideas raced through his mind. Each one more implausible than the next. However, one thing kept haunting him as he waited for Scorpius to answer and his mind raced – he should have seen this coming as Scorpius' words were no longer matching his actions.
Scorpius had slowly been spending more and more time at his flat. Where as when this all started, Ron would see Scorpius once, maybe twice a week when he went out to the bars and the clubs; he now had dinner with him every night and they seldom went to clubs. He hadn't said anything as he enjoyed Scorpius' company and worried if he had said anything, he would scare the young many he cared about away with his middle-agedness.
"Scorpius, talk to me," he whispered, desperate to know what was so obviously tearing him apart.
Several tension filled minutes later, Scorpius whispered so softly, "He knows. He found out about you."
Ron's heart stopped as he thought he heard the words. He hoped that his mind was playing tricks on him with Scorpius' words being so soft. Kissing him on the forehead again, Ron whispered, "I didn't..."
"He found out about you. And he's not happy. He's..." Scorpius' voice trailed off as his battle with tears finally won out and they overwhelmed his voice.
Ron sighed and closed his eyes. Squeezing Scorpius tighter, he wondered just how he was going to protect the young man he adored. If he even could from a world were people would not like him because he chose to be with a man. Ron knew he was beyond the age where he actually cared but Scorpius was still so young and naïve in the ways of the world – no matter what he might say otherwise.
When Scorpius tears started to subsided, Ron softly asked, "What do you need me to do?", knowing he would do anything the young man asked as he meant that much to him.
He watched as Scorpius sat up and with his red-stained grey eyes whispered, "Please tell me you..."
"Ron! Are you there?"
Why was it that Harry always seemed to need him when it was inconvenient for him?
Brushing away Scorpius' fringe, his eyes never leaving the ones he always wanted to see when he first woke up, as he called out, "Sorry mate, it's not a good time. Can't it wait until tomorrow?"
"Actually it can't," Harry's voice sighed. Ron could hear so many things being said in Harry's tone; he just wished he knew what words he could say to convince his best mate that he had something to contend with that was more important to him than Harry was for the first time in his life. Especially as Harry didn't know about the very important person sitting on his lap, kissing the palm of his hand that had been caressing his jaw.
"It's about Scorpius Malfoy," Scorpius and Ron both froze where they sat as Harry continued, "He's gone missing and Draco is up in arms."
"What do you need me for?" Ron called back trying to hide the cracking his voice was doing; trying to figure out how Draco could get the Ministry up in arms over his nineteen year old son who was clearly an adult.
"I can't get a hold of Rose or Hugo and I thought that you might know something seeing as they are two of his closest mates. Albus, James, and Lily Luna swear they have no clue as to where he is or where he might go. They say he's been taking off more and more in the last year but won't tell them where he is going. They think he may be seeing someone but he just blows them off when they ask him about it. So can I come over and make an attempt to convince you to come out of Auror-retirement and come in to help me?"
Scorpius whispered, "I just wanted to protect you."
"Ron? Come on mate?"
"Give me a sec," he called out. Turning to Scorpius he whispered, "You didn't need to do that," placing a soft, chaste kiss on his lips. "I'm too old to care what people think. Will you let me protect you? Though it means telling everyone that we are seeing each other?"
"Ron?"
Ron's heart simultaneously warmed and broke as tears flooded Scorpius' eyes again as he nodded. Kissing him on the forehead, he whispered, "Just trust me and it's going to be okay."
Calling out, he asked, "So who's all coming with you?"
Scorpius slid off his lap and moved behind the chair while Harry replied, "Just me mate. You've successfully scared the rest of the staff during the past year when I've sent them. So can I come through? Malfoy is giving me a bloody headache and this Floo isn't helping matters."
"Come on through," Ron sighed, getting to his feet. He grabbed his whisky figuring that either he or Harry was going to need it sooner than later.
Seconds later, Harry stumbled through the Floo saying, "Merlin Ron, you and your privacy these days. Ever since you got out of your funk after the divorce, zealous doesn't begin to describe your actions in keeping everyone out of this bloody flat. If I didn't know better, I would think you were hiding...what in the name of Morgana's sagging tits is going on?"
Harry stood in front him slacked jawed having obviously seen Scorpius standing behind the chair. Ron didn't say anything but did try to hand Harry the drink. When Harry didn't take it and instead started to card his hands through his hair in a frustrated fashion as he paced within the sitting room of the flat. Giving up, Ron just raised his eyebrows before finishing the drink himself.
He took a moment to look back at Scorpius who still had a scared look on his face behind the chair. Gesturing to Scorpius, to come closer, however Scorpius refused to remove from behind the chair, shaking his head. He came very close to sighing in frustration but stopped himself when he realized that vocalizing his frustration wouldn't help him with Harry and especially Scorpius.
"Scorpius," he whispered, moving closer to the young man, he noticed had started shaking again. "I promise you, everything is going to be okay."
Reaching out towards him again, Scorpius relented and took the few steps necessary to get to Ron. The young man wrapped his arms around him, pinning his smaller body to Ron's side. Ron kissed him on the top of his head, before turning back to Harry who stood motionless and stunned before him.
Harry stuttered, "Please tell me...you didn't...Malfoy isn't...oh Merlin..."
"Harry, I didn't do anything except..."
"Then why is Malfoy suggesting he's been kidnapped...oh feck...please..."
"I don't know why Malfoy is suggesting that Harry but..."
Scorpius interrupted by saying, "Father found out I've been seeing someone who wasn't a female and told me to end it or he would disown me and throw me out."
Everything that had happened before Harry's interruption suddenly clicked. Leaning over, he whispered in Scorpius ear, "And you chose me?"
He didn't say anything but Ron could feel his fervent answer against his body. Looking back at Harry, Ron continued, "So now that it's clear he's not missing or been kidnapped then..."
"But, that would mean..." Harry stuttered, looking between Ron and Scorpius. "But I thought...I mean..."
"I thought that was obvious, by this," Ron replied, cutting his best mate off before he dug an even deeper grave. He was shocked that of all things Harry obviously put together in the moments he stalked Ron's sitting room, he hadn't put that together. "He is the reason...well the reason for everything that you have been on me about."
Harry's face appeared crestfallen as he dejectedly said, "But why did you feel that you couldn't tell me? I don't care. You've been so happy lately and I knew I haven't been a part of that, a part of your life. Your my best mate and I don't feel like I'm yours anymore."
"I'm sorry. It's not like I didn't trust you or didn't think you would approve, but I needed to figure this out by myself as it took me by surprise."
"And?"
Looking down at Scorpius, Ron could for the first time see everything he wanted in those shiny, grey eyes filled with a mixture of anxiety and hope. Smiling, he said, "He is what I want, today and tomorrow." His heart warmed at the joy filling Scorpius' eyes along with tears. Wanting to kiss Scorpius to seal their understood and silent promise to each other, he instead turned to Harry and said, "And since he lives here with me, he is obviously not missing or kidnapped or any other wild idea Malfoy is trying to force down your throat."
Harry sighed as he rubbed his forehead, "Scorpius, do you live here with Ron?"
"Yes," he vocalized. "I live here with Ron."
"Well, the both of you are going to need to come into the Ministry and verify this."
"Can you give us a few minutes?" Ron asked, as Harry moved to the Floo.
His shoulders slumped and his head down, Harry grabbed some Floo powder and said, "Sure but I just wish you would've told me or at least told me that there was someone. Your my best mate and I thought I was yours, but now it's clear to me that I haven't been in a year."
"Harry..."Ron started but Scorpius cut him off with, "But I asked him not to say anything to anybody Mr. Potter. I tried to tell Father about my preferences after leaving Hogwarts but it didn't go well. I've just been trying to protect him so I asked him to keep this quiet."
"And now?" Harry asked suspiciously, his posture straightening as he turned to face Scorpius.
Ron squeezed Scorpius to reassure him and waited with his heart on his sleeve as to what Scorpius' actual verbal answer would be.
After a few moments, Scorpius' voice barely sounded when he replied, "I never expected this to become serious but I stopped caring if anyone knew months ago."
Ron couldn't hide his surprise at the underlying implication in Scorpius' statement. He found himself shell-shocked that Scorpius may have felt the same thing about what they had between them. Thinking back, a couple months ago would have been about the same time that Scorpius started spending more and more time at his flat; about the same time, he started arriving home after a long day at the shop to find Scorpius waiting for him with dinner.
"Glad to hear that," Harry said, a smile forming on his face. He started to step through the Floo but stopped and looked back continuing, "Oh and if you two are really this serious, can you knock it off with the Mister Potter Scorpius? You are dating my best mate – don't make me feel any older than I am."
"Yes sir," Scorpius automatically responded with sent a fit of laughter cascading out of Ron's mouth.
Harry's own retort of a two-finger salute only caused Ron to double over in laughter before enveloping Scorpius completely in his arms as Harry disappeared int the green flames with a quick, "You two have less than five minutes, you hear me? Two seconds late and I will send Malfoy here."
As soon as the green flames returned to orange, Ron pulled Scorpius away from his body with a firm grip on both of his arms. Ducking his head down, so he could look Scorpius in the eyes on his level he asked, "Are you absolutely, positively sure you want a real relationship? One that involves dinners at the Burrow, my kids stopping by unannounced, drinks with my mates, my cranky old arse in the mornings – everything you understand? I come with a lot of baggage."
Ron watched as Scorpius chewed on his lower lip, nodding his head with only happiness in his eyes.
"Good," Ron whispered, pulling him back in to his body. "I was growing tired of hiding you and us but I didn't want to lose you."
"Really?" Scorpius asked incredulous. "I kept thinking you would grow tired of me and move on. It's not like I have a reputation for being the most mature wizard out there."
"Now why would I do something like that? I happen to like your immaturity. Feck, it saved me from drowning after the divorce last year."
"When did I do that?"
Ron laughed, looking at Scorpius in amazement and wonderment and said, "I'm glad one of doesn't remember the Ministry's Memorial Ball last year."
"Oh," Scorpius' eyes widen as the light bulb came on. "That."
"That."
"You know I maintain that I only was trying to help your children by bringing you home and putting you to bed."
"And that's why I woke up with you sprawled across me and neither one of us with any clothes on."
The smirk Ron loved on Scorpius stretched across his face as retorted, "I have no idea how that happened. Nargles?"
Ron laughed and stole a kiss. Pulling back and looking at Scorpius, he saw everything that mattered to him now and would. Solemnly he whispered, trying to put everything he was feeling into three simple words, "I love you."
His heart skipped a beat when he felt Scorpius' body tighten in his arms. However, it wasn't long before the young man's body relaxed against his own before melting into the embrace.
"You know," Scorpius purred seductively as he slid up Ron's body to whisper in his ear. "It isn't your touch, the way you kiss me, or the way you make me feel wanted, desired, and adored...it's the way you love me, that makes me love you more."
Fin.