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Wuv, Tru Wuv…

"I hope Hermione's dad is ok," Harry's voice was soft as Ron entered the bedroom. His friend was lying on his back, staring up at the ceiling and frowning just a little. Hermione had called her parents after dinner, in her usual Monday night check in. She'd finally reached her mothers mobile phone and the elder Granger had been rather upset. Her dad had been involved in a car crash, and while it didn't seem too life threatening at the moment, her mother had been waiting at the hospital for news all alone. Bill had immediately offered to go with Hermione to sit with her mother and brooked no refusals. She'd made hurried plans to meet with Ron later, and Harry had given her his phone number while Rose kissed her Aunty goodnight and promised to be good next time they had a bath together.

"He's pretty strong - Hermione takes after him more than she realises, and her mum did say that it didn't seem to be serious," Ron replied reassuringly and crouched beside the bed. Harry turned his head on his pillow to look at his friend and smiled when Ron took his hand. Butterflies were rampaging through the Aurors stomach as he contemplated his next move. They were in almost exactly the same positions as they had been ten years ago in the hospital wing, and Ron was feeling three times more anxious. Harry had taken the news that he was gay in his stride, even to the point where he'd continued to sit as close to Ron as possible, and welcome the touches that Ron couldn't do without.

They'd only been reunited four days and already Ron was addicted to touching Harry, to knowing that Harry was there to be touched, and to touch in return after ten years of wondering if his friend was even alive. It might seem to an outsider - not that there were any as far as Ron knew - that he and his family had forgiven Harry for scaring them like this rather easily, but the truth was the Weasley family had come to realise very early on that Harry's departure from the Wizarding world had been a matter of sheer survival. Totally powerless in a world that had proven its propensity for turning on the weak, Harry had fled to heal his wounds as best he could in private. Ron hadn't missed that statement Harry had made about needing to work hard so he wouldn't have to think. Thinking about his insurmountable losses would have driven the former Wizard to a depth of despair he'd likely never have recovered from.

The thing was, that Ron was about to put an entirely new type of burden on Harry's shoulders. It wasn't fair to climb into that bed with him tonight without at least telling his friend how he felt about him and giving him a chance to address the situation that Ron had created ten years ago. Ron knew that Harry wouldn't stop being his friend, but he didn't know if Harry would be as comfortable and open with Ron as he had in the last four days. To lose that…

"It's ok Ron," Harry seemed once more to have read his mind, further proof that their bond to each other was still vital after all this time, "I don't care if you're gay."

"I started something ten years ago," Ron felt like he was groping for the words, "Something that neither of us were ready for…"

Harry's lips on his silenced him abruptly. The soft kiss was like a brief taste of heaven, and it ended too soon for Ron's liking. He stared into the myopic green eyes of his best friend in the whole world, and wondered who'd sucked all the air out of the room.

"I'm ready now," Harry whispered, "If you are. I'm a Muggle, Ron. I won't get involved with your world any further than I am already. I've got a kid, and a house and commitments here. If you can live with all that, then ok. If you only want my friendship, then that's ok too."

"I don't care who you are," Ron whispered painfully, "Muggle or Wizard, you're still Harry. If you want me, then I'm yours."

"I want," Harry's reply was hungry, "I need."

Ron leaned in and took the warm mouth again, moving when Harry lay back, tugging at him until he was blanketing the smaller man and moaning as Harry's hands wandered over his body while muscular legs parted to let him settle between them.

"Shh," Harry half laughed, "You'll wake Rose."

Ron's response was to grab for his wand and stick a privacy spell on the door. An Auror never backed away from a challenge.

"Bet I can make you scream," he nipped Harry's ear, and they kissed again as Harry's eyes flared like brilliant emeralds. Things got a little heated after that and when it was all over they lay in a sticky pile, panting and running their fingers over each other lightly. Ron remembered to clean things up before he dropped off, and removed the privacy spells so Harry could get out the door. He went to sleep more than satisfied and woke only when Harry reluctantly got out of the wallow they'd made of the bed.

Rose wandered in when the bathroom door shut and climbed up, snuggling into his side without second thought. She dropped back into sleep and Harry found them there when he emerged from the bathroom. The tender look Ron got was just the same as the one he'd seen last night, only now he was sure it was aimed at both occupants of the bed. This was the look Harry gave to the people he loved and Ron wanted to take out a front page add in a newspaper proclaiming it. Harry sat beside him, leaning in for a chaste good morning kiss and holding the hand that wasn't wrapped around Rose. He clearly had something on his mind, and Ron wasn't left to wonder what it was.

"Are you sure, Ron?" Harry asked softly, "Because this is everything I am now. No more Boy Who Lived, no more powers unknown."

The casual mention of the prophecy chilled Ron, just as much as it had the first time he'd heard it, from Dumbledore himself. It was a calculated reminder from the man clutching his hand like a lifeline of exactly what he had been ten years ago, and what he was now. There could be only one response to this, and it was something that came as easily to the red head as breathing.

"I'm sure. But if you're really worried, ask me again in fifty years," Ron smiled, squeezing the hand he held. Harry sniffled a little and crawled onto the bed, cuddling up to the redhead and holding tight, his shoulders shaking in tiny movements. Ron held him just as tightly, waiting the storm out. If he had to spend the rest of his life reassuring Harry then that is what he'd do. In the mean time…

"We're going to need more bookshelves," Ron warned him, "And can I have that cupboard for my robes?"

"Anything," Harry laughed, and leaned up to kiss him again, his eyes a little damp but shining, "Make yourself at home."

"I will," Ron promised and accepted the kiss. Rose stirred and they broke apart, smiling at the rumpled girl and wishing her good morning.

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