Hogwarts - first year- Ronald Weasley
Ron stifled a rush of excitement as he headed towards the dungeons with Harry. He had been looking forward to the potions class the most of all of the classes during this past summer. He had what his mother called a "natural affinity" for the subject. He was her chosen cooking partner and when Ginny or the twins got into scrapes and didn't want their parents knowing he was the one to make the healing salve. His creations always worked the best and even Fred and George acknowledged it. One of the best feelings in the world was them allowing him to help prank because they needed some concoction or another.
Ron stepped into a dank class room and looked around at the numerous potions recipes, books and ingredients dispersed throughout the cabinets and walls. Sitting with Harry he waited eagerly an hoped fervently that what the twins ha lied to him about potions being a nightmare. This was the one thing he knew he could do. He only hoped that the professor, what had they called him...Snape, that Professor Snape treated him well.
-Back in the dormitory after class-
Ron felt despair well up inside of him. The one thing he thought was his calling and the professor had to ruin it. There was no easy way out of it. Either he succeed in potions, gaining him favor with the teacher and losing all hope of friends, or he pretend to be miserable at the one thing in school that he loved, gaining him friends but making him loathe himself. Ron saw only one option working out. He would choose the path of friends. He certainly didn't want to end up like that Granger girl. How would he survive Hogwarts? Still he thought to himself 'If only it weren't for Professor Snape.'
Hogwarts - Third Year - Ronald Weasley
As the years had progressed Ron had almost mastered the art of failing potions. He would slip up now and then cutting ingredients too well, or not containing the temptation to stir correctly. He thought that maybe it was alright to start showing his skills but after seeing his Gryffindor friends arguing with the Slytherins he knew that any attention gotten from the beak-nosed professor would be disdained.
Hogwarts - Fifth year - Severus Snape
'Ugh. Another class teaching those addle pated Gryffindors, I have enough on my hands with that wretched Dolores Umbridge.' Severus Snape knew he was not the pleasantest of people. However, that Potter, he seemed to always want a fight. Nothing could ever redeem Snape in Potter's eyes. There had been several instances now when Severus had saved Harry's life and still the boy seemed convinced of nothing but suspicion. Although...Thinking of Potter did bring to mind the Weasley boy. Over the years Severus had had a grand time figuring out what was going on in Ronald's head. He had started out all of the first years the way he normally did. By terrifying them. However, in the young redhead it had done the opposite of what had been intended. Severus had wanted to scare them into doing well, not hiding sheer talent. And yes, he had noticed that while the end result was always a failure, the redhead seemed to know exactly how to mess up every potion in the best way possible. Even when the potions exploded, as they sometimes did, Weasley somehow knew when to dodge. The potions master chuckled, of the course the idiot was in terror of him, Snape had ensured that all students were in order to keep his cover for Dumbledore, yet that didn't mean he had to hide his calling! Severus had thought throughout Ronald's first two years that he was simply lucky and stupid. However, starting during the boy's third year he had almost seen the inner battle the boy was having. The potions professor knew that the temptation of a recipe completed well was a hard goal to fight against. Especially when potions are a natural talent and deliberately ruining them chips at your heart and happiness. Severus sighed and went to grade papers. Someday everything would come out and he would have a long conversation with the boy. Maybe they would even get along. Severus chuckled silently to himself and shook the thoughts of redheads from his mind as he sat down with the essays and a quill.
Shrieking Shack- Seventh Year- Severus Snape
Severus had had it all planned out, he would give Ron the pensieve memories of him and then leave. He had no need to make the man love him. He simply wanted the acknowledgment before he died or disappeared. Here he was now lying on the floor sure his death was imminent and no one would think to search for him and then check him thoroughly for the vial with Ron's name. As he lay there, the pain searing through him and the hard, unforgiving floor pressed against his body he thought of the redhead he held dear in his heart. The memories dulled the pain and remembering the look of laughter on Ron's face during his class made him smile faintly as the world faded to black.
Six months later- Ron
Ron slammed his fists on the table and growled in frustration as yet another potion went up in smoke. Nothing worked for him anymore. He had found Severus in the Shrieking Shack and held the cold body to his chest, a small vial with his name on it had clinked as it hit the floor. He'd picked up the vial and Severus, and run to the healers stationed on the grounds. They had fought grueling hours and had tethered life to his body. Yet fate was fickle, and no matter what they did Severus would not wake up.
Ron had seen the memories and they wrenched his heart. His time in Hogwarts was a time of lies and living in constant pain. He knew that he wasn't what one considered normal. In fact he had known he was gay for a while before entering the school. He had just always thought that he would be happiest hiding it, hiding himself. It had been the fool logic of someone too young to know better. Severus' memories caused all of Ron's heartache to flood back in. He saw as the man had figured his charade out better than any of his friends or family. The one person who had noticed him was the one person that Ron had secretly yearned for. The smart potions master with his snide cynicism and blatant honesty.
Ron wracked his brain for any more potions that he had not yet tried. He had visited Severus every day and had done more than anyone to revive him, but still it was to no avail. Ron sighed and grabbed his coat as he disapparated to St. Mungo's.
Ron made his way towards the fourth floor where Severus was being held. The healers didn't know exactly what Voldemort had done to Sev so they had put him with all of the Spell Damage patients, the ones who were never going to recover. Ron still felt angry that they hadn't attempted to treat Severus for snake venom. In fact, the only reason Severus was alive at all was because Ron had made a potion for him to combat snake venom. The healers refused to allow him to administer potions to the unconscious man; Ron had vowed that if he were able, he would find a cure and administer it no matter the consequences.
Entering Severus's room Ron sat down in the chair nestled next to the bed and settled in as the chair molded itself to his body. He had sat and slept long hours in that chair just waiting and hoping for Severus to come back. Ron gazed down on Sev's face. Months spent away from the dungeon had given his face a healthier look and Ron had discovered that the black hair framing Severus's face was not oily at all; it was soft and thick. Ron had worked and waited and wished for Severus to wake up for months now. It had been one failed potion after another. He choked back a sob but broke down a second later.
As Ron lay sobbing into Severus's chest he thought of all of potions and tears and spells that had been for this one man. All of a sudden it hit him. He had looked through countless books and things on snake venom during his second year and what was the one thing he knew worked on venom? Phoenix tears. Fawkes had remained at Hogwarts after Dumbledore's death and was currently being cared for by Minerva McGonagall.
At the Ministry Library
The Ministry Library was the largest collection of magical tomes known to wizard kind. It was referred to as the modern Alexandria. Ron spent days there pouring over book after book. Phoenix tears were a tricky substance to work with. They were healthy enough on outer wounds but they were fatal to ingest. Ron's challenge was finding a way to have the tears retain their healing properties while making them safe to drink. This was his test, all those years of secretly studying and fighting the temptation to make potions correctly, they had led to this life-defining task.
After Ron's extensive research he headed to his potions lab. The twins had built an underground laboratory and because Ron often helped create merchandise for the Weasley's Wizard Wheezes, they let him use it whenever he wanted for whatever purpose he needed. At the potions lab he started his burners. Putting different amounts of the tears in different cauldrons, Ron tried to work fast. He knew that he had to try as many possible combinations as he could without wasting the precious tears. Phoenixes could only cry so much you know. Throwing ingredient after ingredient in the cauldrons and scribbling notes as he went, Ron started his endeavor. The next few days passed with failed attempts and clockwise stirring, the tears remained unchanged and were dwindling away. Ron decided to bet the last few drops on one final grasp at Severus's consciousness.
He picked up a bezoar. Staring at the item that had once saved his life, he simply injected the bezoar with the final few tears. His hope was that the powers of the bezoar would allow the healing properties to work while also nullifying the poisonous effects. Praying, Ron performed a spell to determine the effects of the tear-infused bezoar. Satisfied with the results the spell had shown, Ron packed up his cure, grabbed his coat, and apparated to St. Mungo's.
In Severus' Room
Kneeling next to the bed Ron held Severus' hand while he waited for the present healer to leave the room and tried to act as normal as he could. The moment the healer left, Ron whipped out his coat from beneath the bed and removed the bezoar. He gingerly opened Severus' mouth and placed the bezoar inside. Ron closed Severus' mouth and watched as Severus swallowed.
