Further warnings: Let's finish off the Fudge… Sappy and cute stuff coming up! All lose ends tied off, all clichés uttered.
Sympathetic Magic: Part Ten - Epilogue
They'd sent the trunks on ahead by magic, instructing them to appear in the attic so as not to clutter the house unnecessarily. They'd said goodbye-for-now to Ginny, Hermione and Neville before heading out to Potters Field. Ron sneezed a little in the dusty kitchen air and Harry chuckled, moving to open the windows and the top leaf of the back door to let in some air. They'd have to clean the place thoroughly, but the use of magic would make it go much quicker.
"Get upstairs and start opening the doors and windows," he told Ron firmly, heading in to the laundry to get the windows there, and pull out the cloths and polish tins that were stored there with the rest of the cleaning equipment. He heard Ron walking about above his head, the rumble of a window, or click of a door sounding each time the footsteps stopped. Then Ron went further upstairs and Harry concentrated on setting his kitchen to rights, sending the rag rugs flying outside to hang over the line and banishing dust with a flick of his wand.
He walked up to the next floor, dusting the stairs as he went. The front door was wide open as well, and late morning sunlight was streaming through the fanlight above it, their family crest etched into the glass and shadowed onto the wooden floor. It took him half an hour to get the rooms there cleaned to his standards - as trained by Aunt Petunia. He could hear Ron shifting trunks around upstairs. Between the two of them they had managed to accrue an incredibly large amount of things at school. There were books and clothes and equipment and keepsakes from all sorts of times and places. They'd had a fairly large amount of left over potion ingredients, and were planning to build up their stock of ingredients as soon as possible by owl mail. The rear part of the laundry had been made into a neat little potion brewing area, with secure cupboards to ensure that no one could pick up dangerous ingredients or potions by accident.
Once he was satisfied with the living areas, Harry headed up the stairs, dusting as he went. Ron had piled the trunks of books at the head of the stairs and Harry put his cleaning supplies down to levitate the trunks back down the stairs, unpacking them onto the shelves with a flick of his wand, rearranging them with his wand until they were in the kind of order that a library would use. The more serious texts went into the library room, and the Muggle fiction went into the front room. Various knickknacks and photos were scattered through the shelves and over mantelpieces.
Harry sent the empty trunks zooming back up to the attic, peeked in on Ron who was scrubbing the bathroom diligently, and climbed up to the fourth floor to air and clean it thoroughly, then headed up the stairs to the attic to ensure the now unused trunks were stacked away neatly. He blasted the dust out of there as well and then headed back down the stairs. Ron had put away their clothes, put fresh linen on the bed, placed the books they were currently reading on the bedside cabinets, and was now airing Hermione's room.
"We'll have to add a nursery to this floor, and maybe move the two guest rooms up to the fourth floor," Harry told Ron's backside. Ron waved it at him in acknowledgement and then crawled out. Harry snickered, leaning against the door, watching his partner with a leer pasted on his face.
"I think we should keep Hermy and Ginny's room down here," Ron wiped a smut over his nose and Harry shook his head, pulling his clean hanky out of a pocket and leaning in to clean it off.
"They both said to me that they wouldn't mind if we put their room up a floor, but I don't know. It seems like we're saying that they're not as much a part of our family as they always were. The other room is different, we didn't decorate it for anyone," Ron put a dusty arm around Harry, and he leaned into the simple contact. He nodded his agreement into a strong shoulder.
"Are you done?" he asked Ron who nodded in turn and kissed Harry's hair, making a disgusted noise as he tasted the dust in the dark strands. Harry chuckled and pulled back. They were still wearing their school uniforms, which they had put on this morning before leaving the school more from habit than anything else.
"Then I think that we should have a bath," Harry suggested in a voice thick with meaning, "What do you think?"
"Bath," Ron turned Harry around and started pushing gently to get him moving. Harry laughed and dug his heels in just enough to make his partner work for it. Sometimes getting there was half the fun.
0oo0oo0
Harry looked up as the gate in the lane clicked quietly. Ron had gone to the village on the bike to replenish their supplies, and Harry had been lured into the garden by the promise of warm heady scents. The hedge had grown quickly while they were away, and Harry had removed the spell now that it was tall enough to hide the ground floor windows. He'd spotted a few weeds in the various beds and put his glamour charms back on so he could weed in peace. It wouldn't do to startle any passing Muggles, not that their lane saw a lot of foot traffic.
He spotted the familiar green pinstripe immediately and sighed. He really didn't want to deal with Fudge alone - or at all - but Ron would be another hour at least. They'd had plenty of fresh stuff from the garden - the anti bird wards had preserved the vegetable patch nicely, and Neville had cast a few healing spells on their old apple and plum tree, rejuvenating them once they had recovered from years of neglect and poor soil. Sheep were not the best of gardeners, and those trees hadn't been pruned in ages. Harry was planning to harvest their budding fruit in autumn and preserve it. There were even a few jam recipes he'd like to try. The vegetable patch had sustained them through last night - not that they were interested in eating with the whole house empty and their libido's given free and pleasurable reign.
"Good morning Minister," Harry bit back his sigh and Fudge leapt forward with his hands out, as if to help Harry to his feet. Harry beat him to it, not intending to let the man touch him if at all possible, "To what do we owe the pleasure?"
"I was hoping to talk to you, Harry," Fudge glanced around, his thinning hair floating a little in the breeze, "Is Ron here?"
"He'll be back any minute," Harry shrugged, dusting his dirty hands together and watching the other Wizard closely, "It's not a good time for us, though. Can we make an appointment for tomorrow?"
"Actually, I only wanted a quick word," Fudge smiled and looked over the house with interest. Harry glanced at the walls covered with rambling roses, the vines not very thick but supported by a trellis-like spell that would help them stay in place until they strengthened. He didn't want Fudge inside, his instincts screaming that something was wrong, so Harry led the way to the birch tree and the bench that he and Hermione had built from a Muggle kit and then improved a little with magic.
He waved Fudge to a seat and sat down at the other end, freezing the man where he was with a glare when the Minister made as if to move closer. Harry was feeling ridiculously exposed here - he hadn't even worn Wizarding robes out into the garden, settling for loose shorts and a t-shirt in order to be comfortable in the heat with his expanding belly. His wand was inside atop their CD collection, though he could defend himself without it if he needed to.
"What did you want to talk about?" Harry reminded the Minister, thinking how tired the man looked. Fudge started a little and offered an apologetic smile that Harry didn't buy for a moment.
"I was just thinking that you'd never know that two good people had died here," Fudge smiled in a sickly fashion, "I suppose you haven't seen any ghosts or anything floating around here?"
"No, I haven't," Harry snapped, the warmth of the sun suddenly failing to reach his skin. He felt his pulse speed up, adrenaline flushing his system as his body reacted to the verbal lash. He'd always hoped that wherever they were, his parents would have approved his decision to rebuild here. Ron had never mentioned any unease about rebuilding, though Harry realised that to some in the Wizarding world his decision might seem ghoulish.
"Well, that's good then," Fudge smiled, "Ghosts can be such bothersome things. They always see the things you don't want them to."
Harry tensed in anticipation as Fudge shifted on the bench, and shouted the shield spell as the Minister pulled out his wand. He lunged upright and ran for the house, not as well balanced or fast as he would have liked as the Bump threw his timing and speed off. Something impacted his shield and Harry grunted in effort, shoring it up desperately, the safety of the front door in sight. Doors and windows were slamming shut all over the house in response to Harry's panicked command, shutters springing into place to additionally protect the glass, and he skittered inside the door, slamming it shut against the next hex, hearing the spell impact and scorch the wood.
He had only two choices, stay and fight or get to safety and protect the children he still carried. Hoping that Ron could forgive him for running instead of staying, Harry Apparated, seeking the shelter of the Burrow.
"Harry!" Molly shrieked as he appeared in her kitchen, panting for air and staggering in place. She threw her arms around him and he grasped her shoulders, shaking her a little to get her attention as she asked him hurried, fearful questions.
"Fudge is at the house! He's throwing hexes around! Ron's in the village, he doesn't know!" he gasped as the babies protested the flood of adrenaline still surging through their connection, and groaned, doubling over with an arm around the Bump.
"Mum I left him! I didn't warn him! Get the Aurors!" Harry begged as she pulled him by main force over to a chair and sat him down. He watched through tear filled eyes as she threw Floo powder into her hearth and connected them to the Aurors department. Kingsley Shacklebolt answered her cry for help, and she relayed what Harry had said in a few terse words.
"Kingsley - he's not himself!" Harry called, "You must be careful!"
"Do you think it's the Imperio Curse?" Kingsley asked, not arguing with Harry's panicked words, earning the dark haired mans eternal gratitude. He had distanced himself from the Order of the Phoenix after Sirius' death, and the partnership had made placing themselves under one persons command seem unwise. Not even Professor Dumbledore could claim sole command of the pair, though they were most likely to do his bidding.
"I don't know," Harry shook his head helplessly, "But you've got to hurry - Ron's going to come back from the village and right into a trap! He'll know there's something wrong, because I used the bond to get away!"
"All right Harry, we'll deal with it now," Kingsley nodded and pulled his head out of the fire. Arthur Weasley Disapparated in the kitchen, startling Harry so badly that he threw a defensive shield over himself and Molly, making ready to fight off another attack.
"Arthur!" Molly exclaimed and Harry let the shield dissolve. His father-in-law hurried over to his side and hugged him briefly. Harry sagged into the offered support and then pulled away, intending to ask Arthur to head Ron off.
"Are you hurt? I was in Shaklebolt's office when Molly called," Arthur looked him over carefully and Harry shook his head in denial. Before he could open his mouth to reply, Arthur stood up and stepped back, looking at his worried wife.
"I'll head to the Field right now - don't worry Harry," the words were for him, but the look was for his mother-in-law, and Harry nodded miserably, biting his lip. Arthur disappeared with a sharp crack and Harry straightened up in the chair. The full realisation of his cowardly actions came crashing down around his ears and he shuddered hard where he sat. Awful nightmarish possibilities were dancing before his eyes, and there was an awful burning weight on his chest.
"I ran, mum, I left him behind," tears spilled over his cheeks and Molly put her arms around him immediately, giving him her shoulder to shelter on as he crashed from adrenaline rebound. Molly shushed under her breath and rubbed a hand between his shoulders.
"Harry, right now you have to protect yourself," she reasoned softly, "If you get hurt, your babies could get hurt. Being withchild makes you much more vulnerable because you have to protect them as well as yourself. Ron will be fine, and when he gets here he'll agree that you should have done exactly what you did."
Harry shook his head miserably and prayed she was right. If he lost Ron it would be the end of his world.
0oo0oo0
Ron slowed as he spotted the familiar shape of his father on the side of the road. His dad was waving at him urgently and he slowed the bikes headlong rush to get back to the Field. Harry had used the bond to deflect a spell being cast at him, then locked the house down tightly. The ring on his finger was throbbing along at a frightening pace and Ron had abandoned his full trolley to run headlong from the store.
"Dad! What's happening!" Ron yanked the bike to a stop and leapt off it. His dad grabbed his arm and looked around hurriedly.
"Harry's not hurt, he's at the Burrow - I want you to go there right now. I'll take the bike to the Field," his father said quickly and Ron yanked the helmet off, puzzled. How had the Death Eaters found them?
"Who attacked him? How did they find us?" Ron handed the helmet over to his father, and watched him buckle it on with swift fingers.
"We're not sure - there are Aurors at the Field now, I'll come home when we know what was going on," Arthur mounted the bike, "Go to Harry!"
Ron nodded and stepped back, Disapparating smartly. The kitchen was empty, but Harry was sobbing on a dining chair, with his mother kneeling in front of him, rubbing his shoulders in an attempt to comfort her distraught son-in-law. The sound of his arrival had a shield snapping into place around them both, the bond tingling with it as Harry's head jerked up off her shoulder to face the new arrival.
"Ron!" Harry shrieked and Ron hurried over, his mother moving aside so Ron could take her place, filling the arms that were reaching for him so urgently.
"I left you!" Harry sobbed and Ron understood exactly what the problem was with just those three words. Harry never left anyone behind in a dangerous situation. He was always the last one out, watching over his friends and companions tirelessly. Today he had to run first, to protect the children he carried, which meant that he'd left Ron to face whatever dangers were waiting at the Field alone.
"Good," Ron crooned softly, "You did exactly the right thing, mate. You had to protect our children, Harry, you had no other choice."
Harry hid his face in Ron's neck, the glasses digging into the skin there uncomfortably. Ron shifted his hands and managed to pull the glasses off, dropping them onto the table before resuming his massage of the small of Harry's back. His spouse was beside himself and from the little hitches in his breathing, the babies were not impressed that their father was in such an awful state.
"Mum, can you help me move him to a bed? He needs to lie down," Ron asked softly and felt his mother's hands join his. Between them they got Harry upright and up the stairs, despite his obvious wish to simply wrap himself around Ron and stay there. Ron's old room was totally bare, but he didn't really notice as he climbed onto the bed and let Harry find the most comfortable position for them both.
He curled close and kissed the dark hair, his hands roaming over the strong back, relieved beyond words that Harry had thrown his principles out the window to protect himself and their babies. He shushed and hummed and crooned, doing everything he knew to get Harry to relax and let go into sleep. His fingers traced his praise and love along Harry's spine, reassuring his partner that Ron totally agreed with his decision to run for safety. Molly sat with them, her hand tightly around Ron's ankle, watching as Harry's energy slowly ran out and he slid into fitful sleep. She squeezed the ankle she held and let go, getting up and leaving for a moment, returning with a wet flannel.
Ron wiped the warm cloth over Harry's tearstained face tenderly, crooning soft reassurance when he stirred before settling him back into position. Molly took the cloth from him and draped it over the windowsill, looking out at the garden and fields beyond.
"Mum, what happened?" Ron whispered, kissing Harry's hair again. Molly shook her head and turned to look at him, a grim expression on her face. Ron hadn't seen her look this upset since that snake had mauled his father.
"He said that Minister Fudge attacked him," she shook her head, "He was too upset to get much out beyond that - he was terrified that you'd be hurt or walking into a trap alone."
"Is Fudge insane?" Ron hissed and then had to shush Harry again as he stirred fitfully. Molly waved for him to keep his voice down and Ron resisted the impulse to hit her with the old Prefect's glare. His mother would not be amused.
"Harry said he wasn't himself," Molly shrugged, "Your father will tell us the whole story when he gets back. Harry's going to need to take it easy for a few days, dear. When a person's withchild it tends to take a little longer to recover from severe shocks like this."
"Once the house is secure we'll head back and he can rest there," Ron sighed, "Poor Harry. He never gets a break."
"He's strong," Molly said bracingly, and Ron smiled a little sadly. His spouse was very strong, but that didn't mean he should have to put up with attack after disaster after disappointment. He made a decision not to leave Harry alone again - they'd go around together or not at all. That would lift some of the burden for Harry, and he'd be able to spoil his partner rotten.
0oo0oo0
"Harry," the voice was soft and beguiling, and Harry followed it willingly, forsaking the warm comfortable darkness. He was greeted with a kiss and petting, and he cuddled close to the warm salty bread smell that said 'Ron' and 'safe'. The warm, comfortable body against his chuckled softly.
"Time to wake up, pet," Ron's voice coaxed and Harry shook his head stubbornly. Waking up meant dealing with the world and he had a vague idea that the world was not a happy place just at this moment. He was kissed again and tender fingers stroked over his eyes.
"Show me those green eyes, hmmm?" the request was so soft that Harry had to follow it, opening his eyes reluctantly and sighing. Ron chuckled and Harry blinked at him, wondering when they'd gone to bed. He tensed as he remembered what had happened and then relaxed again into Ron's arms. Ron wouldn't be holding him close like this if he was hurt, and they would have woken him quickly if there were danger. Despite the sleep he'd just had, Harry felt tired and his head ached a little.
"Come on ducks," Ron said lightly, "We'll clean up a bit and have some breakfast. That will cure your headache. Mum wants to feed you before we go home."
He felt a warm glow suffuse through him with the knowledge that his partner knew him so well that he'd detected Harry's discomfort as if it was his own. That sort of care was a luxury that he knew he'd never get used to.
"What happened? Was it Fudge?" Harry wasn't awake enough to ask coherent questions, and Ron kissed his nose before getting up and pulling Harry with him. His body felt a bit heavy and slow this morning, as if he'd been working hard and long.
"I'll tell you when you wake up," Ron promised and Harry followed him to the bathroom, recognising vaguely that they were at the Burrow and it was morning. Ron ushered him down the stairs and onto a seat at the table, popped his glasses on his face and handed him a bit of toast before Harry registered that there were other people around. He woke up enough to say good morning to Ginny and his parents-in-law, receiving understanding smiles in response.
He revived over breakfast and got up, against Ron's wishes, to carry plates to the sink. Molly shooed him back to the table and Arthur cleared his throat to get their attention.
"Fudge is in custody," he said straight away, "The Aurors are going over his house and office with a fine toothed comb, but he made a confession of sorts when he woke up from their stunning spells, so there's no great mystery about what happened."
Harry took Ron's hand, rubbing the slender fingers between his to reassure himself that Ron was at his side and unharmed. Ron shifted to lean his shoulder into Harry's and Arthur smiled at them both fondly. Molly was sitting with her arm around Ginny, and Harry took a moment to reflect on how lucky he was that this family had opened its arms to him.
"He wasn't under the Imperio Curse," Arthur sighed, "But he was working for the Death Eaters. It seems they made a deal, that if he killed you and Ron then they would see to it that he was re-elected for another eight years. They were going to turn in their lesser members that are still free in small numbers over the course of the next eight years to ensure that Fudge remained in office for a long time and could influence the laws and Aurors in their favour."
"Bloody hell," Ron swore softly, "So now they know where the Field is?"
"No," Arthur replied before Harry could start to get really worried, "Fudge didn't tell them that because he didn't know it himself at the time. He said that they'd know when the deal was done by the headlines in the Daily Prophet, and then they'd get together again and plan how to fix the election. They're planning to dose him with veritaserum this afternoon to make sure he's telling the truth."
"How did he find the Field?" Ginny frowned, asking the question Harry most wanted answered. If the Death Eaters had tracked them down then they might have to think about abandoning their home, "It isn't even connected to the Floo network yet, is it?"
"He talked to Percy," Arthur said heavily, "I'm sorry, boys, Percy didn't think there would be any harm in the Minister knowing where you were."
Ron growled something under his breath and Harry sighed. Percy seemed to think that the higher your position in the Ministry the worthier of trust and confidence you became. His brother-in-law would also have seized the opportunity to make himself more important in Fudge's eyes. Percy's ambition was almost a frightening thing, and Harry wondered why he hadn't been sorted into Slytherin.
"It doesn't matter any more," Harry patted Ron's leg, "He'll know better next time. Can we go home, now? I'd… like to check the house is ok…"
"Of course you can dear," Molly smiled, "And I'll be down to visit you tomorrow. We'll have a nice little chat."
"Harry - I didn't get the groceries!" Ron groaned and Harry laughed, getting up from the table. Ginny said that she'd go back to the Field with them and Ron could try again. Harry backed her up when Ron showed every sign of wanting to glue himself to Harry's side for the rest of his time withchild. He refused to cower in the house, afraid to be apart from Ron. They were stuck with each other and that was how it was going to stay.
0oo0oo0
"You want to go on a honeymoon?"
Ron watched Harry's eyes rekindle with animation. Fudge's attempt on his life had taken some of the zest from his partner's eyes, and Ron was determined to see his partner regain the animation he'd had before. Harry had been really happy at the house up until that point, and Ron had been very relaxed about their safety. He wasn't exactly running around shouting 'Harry Potter lives here', but he wasn't waiting to be attacked either. Now he had to ensure that he was more vigilant about Harry's safety without smothering his stubborn partner with his attentions. He was recalled when Harry reached out and put a hand on his arm, green eyes inquiring where his thoughts had taken him.
"Yeah, I thought I'd take my half of our last brewing fee and take you for a nice little trip somewhere, as a honeymoon," Ron grinned and took his partner into his arms, "Just you, me and the Bump. I'm sure Ginny will housesit for us for a week."
"Where were you planning on going?" Harry asked, thinking it over and Ron snorted, startling his spouse out of his musings. Questioning green eyes met his as the Bump rubbed lightly against his belly. Ron licked Harry's nose, grinning at the resulting face and squirm.
"We are going to Rome for a week," Ron informed him loftily, "I've got it all planned. We're even taking Muggle transport."
That had been half the fun, for Ron, finding out how Muggles usually travelled to other countries and then organising it for himself and his spouse, picking the most comfortable options he could find so that Harry would be pampered from the very start. He'd even organised the Human equivalent of port keys.
"Uh, Ron," Harry squirmed, pulling back from their hug as the Bump stirred and Harry tried to catch his breath. The triplets were very active at the moment, and had Harry dashing to the bathroom at odd intervals. Ron let go reluctantly, grinning in sympathy as Harry almost waddled off to the bathroom. He followed Harry into the hall and when his partner returned he took the other mans hand and led him up the stairs to their bedroom.
Harry baulked at the door, giving him a mutinous look and shaking his head.
"I don't want a nap," Harry protested and Ron shook his head. Naps were not negotiable as far as he was concerned - as Harry's withchild progressed, more and more of his energy went into the bond with their children. It left him tired and cranky at the end of the day unless Ron could get him to sleep during the day.
"I want a cuddle, and we don't all fit on the couch now," Ron pouted shamelessly. He did want a cuddle in fact, because he knew that it would send Harry to sleep. Harry gave him a look that said very clearly that he wasn't fooled but followed Ron to the bed anyway, settling on his side and grunting when someone kicked him unexpectedly.
Ron spooned around his spouse, helping to support the Bump, adding a few pillows to make things as comfortable as possible. He sent his fingers to the small of Harry's back and rubbed soothingly, aware that his children were making Harry's back ache. Harry growled in surrender as his body relaxed, and Ron chuckled, moving to whisper in Harry's ear about museums and buildings and history - both Muggle and Wizard.
"Sneaky sod," Harry murmured and slid into sleep. Ron kissed the ear he'd been whispering in and snuggled into Harry's back, well pleased with the reception of his idea. They'd pack when they woke and be ready to go tomorrow after Ginny arrived. There was a safe Apparation point at the Muggle airport in London. This was going to be fun.
They'd spend some time in the sun, looking at new and interesting things and Harry would be able to show off the Muggle world to his partner. They'd even been booked into a Muggle hotel, a very fancy one according to the Witch who had helped him plan the whole thing out. The hotel would pamper them both a little, as he had chosen one of their more expensive packages at his assistant's suggestion. He trusted her with their comfort, safe in the knowledge that Hermione wouldn't steer him wrong. They'd be sure to bring back a few souvenirs and a present for her as well.
0oo0oo0
Harry closed the recipe book he'd bought in Rome with a sigh and rubbed his hand over the back of his neck. Thirty-five days may sound like a lot of time, but when dealing with babies, it was barely enough. The triplets were finally in a routine, though, and he thanked his lucky stars that Ron had been so patient with him. The birth had been a very powerful experience, and it had also frightened his lover to the point that Ron had abandoned their children to the care of his mother while he stayed at Harry's side. Harry had slept for a long time, woken completely refreshed and a little freaked that he couldn't feel the babies inside him any more.
They'd made their fair share of mistakes, all new parents did, and Harry was grateful beyond words that his mother-in-law was an understanding sort of woman. He couldn't have faced criticism of his early days as a father, which were mainly one long adrenalin fuelled panic. He and Ron had very little sleep and no time for each other at all while they tried to adjust to the presence of the babies and their nearly constant round of guests. Molly had finally put her foot down, kicked everyone out of the house, made sure her sons knew the basics and then left them to it as well.
They'd even brewed the Tears of the Phoenix in amongst all the chaos - it had actually been a very soothing activity as they were extremely familiar with the process and could handle all the ups and downs of the bond. The potion had gone off to the hospital and autumn had arrived at the Field, leading them out into the garden with the children while they harvested their fruit trees, prepared the garden for winter and worked in the conservatory on the days when it rained too hard to go out.
An owl from Professor Snape had interrupted that idyll. Their former teacher had another potion he wanted them to try and Ron had agreed to look the recipe over at the very least. One thing had led to another and Snape was arriving tonight with the ingredients and notes they would need. He'd be staying for a fortnight, and Ron was upstairs preparing a guest room for the man while Harry tried to decide what to prepare for dinner tonight.
"All done," Ron announced as he trotted down the stairs lightly. Harry nodded, pulled out another book and flipped through it desultorily. He shut it and tossed it back onto the shelf with a feeling close to desperation. Ron's arms snuck around his waist and Harry sighed, leaning back into the familiar body.
"Why am I panicking? It's not like I need to prove anything. This is Snape," Harry grumbled, and Ron kissed the back of his neck in a distracting fashion.
"That's why you're panicking," Ron murmured, "You spent the last seven years under his thumb, being called every name he could think of and accused of every crime he could create. Now he's the one looking for your approval and you want to prove that you're better than he was."
"That actually makes sense," Harry's voice was tinged with admiration and Ron snorted into his neck, making his skin tingle. It had been a long time since they'd been able to hold onto each other quietly. Cuddles usually had a baby involved somewhere as they dealt with colic and strange sleep patterns.
"Mmm, mum usually does," Ron agreed and Harry laughed, turning to return the cuddle, kissing Ron's warm lips gently. Five very nice minutes later Ron broke it off, drawing back reluctantly.
"Should I start peeling vegetables?" he asked and Harry smiled, kissing him once more before stepping back. There was a slight nip to the air outside, and he had just the recipe to counter it.
"I can manage," he replied, "You can set up the bottles. The Trio will be awake in another half hour, and Snape gets here in an hours time."
He turned and pulled the recipes from Rome out again, waving his wand at the cupboard to pull the ingredients he wanted from the shelves. Forty minutes later he was cradling Timothy and Edwina, while Ron fed Lawrence. There was a knock at the front door and Ron sighed, rolling his eyes.
"I'll bet that's Snape," he got up and headed up the stairs while Harry chuckled lightly, but activated their bond - just in case. He'd been a lot more cautious since Fudge had attacked them both, unwilling to risk their children's safety to a random caller. He felt Ron deactivate the bond once the front door was open and sighed. The next two weeks were going to be so much fun… not. He hoped that whatever had been going on with Snape in his last two years was over and done with now - the last things he need was Ron going off the deep end because his former Professor was 'looking at him funny'.
0oo0oo0
"Thank Merlin that's over," Harry shook his head, sending drops of water all over the place. Ron chuckled and reached for the shampoo, letting Harry check it before starting to wash his hair. Snape had left just an hour ago, headed for St Mungo's with the latest potion. This one had been a lot more difficult to master, as it required a greater draw on their bond. There were no mystical convergences or divine interventions to help brew this one, unlike Tears of the Phoenix, which used several natural wellsprings to ease the burden of brewing on the casters.
"We did it though," Ron grinned, "And the look on Snape's face was more than worth the stress."
"Mmmm," Harry didn't care about stress, not when he had Ron's fingers in his hair and warm water running down his body. Ron tugged on the strands his fingers were playing with and Harry opened an eye to glare at him lazily.
"Careful with that! I'm attached to it," he reminded his spouse. Ron grinned and went back to the massage. Harry was a slut for scalp massages, as his partner knew full well.
"We need to do something to thank Ginny and Hermy," Harry mumbled. His sister-in-law had come over to watch the babies after it became apparent that they would need to spend a full day brewing this concoction of Snape's. She had been full of pride and energy when she arrived, and had brought Hermione with her for company. Harry had welcomed them both after Mrs Weasley's imposed and rigorously enforced exile. Snape had been the politest he'd ever seen the man - probably because he wanted the partners mind on the potion they were brewing not their children.
"Medals might be nice," Ron recalled Harry to the shower and Harry ducked out from the wonderful hands of his partner, rinsing off quickly and pushing Ron under the water to return the favour. His internal clock was telling him that they would have to get out soon to feed the babies and settle them for the night.
"Nah," Harry chuckled, rubbing diligently, "I was thinking more along the lines of flowers, chocs, that sort of thing. If we start giving out medals to the babysitters we'll never get them to come back."
"True," Ron mumbled, "Besides, the Trio aren't that much of a handful once you're used to them."
Harry smiled and rinsed his partner off. It had seemed to take them a long time to get organised and into a routine. Mrs Weasley had dropped by once or twice though, and praised their methods. If the mother of seven could honestly say they were doing ok, and she wouldn't lie about something like that, Molly Weasley could be brutally honest when the occasion called for it, then Harry felt that he could relax a little.
He leaned in to give Ron a quick hug and felt a familiar length poke him in the thigh. Ron moaned and blushed, embarrassed by his response to the casual touch.
"I've almost forgotten what that was for," Ron told him and Harry grinned, sinking easily to his knees. They had time before the babies woke up if they were quick. He wrapped his hand around Ron's base and smiled up at his partner mischievously.
"How about a quick something to remember?"
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Memory washed over him, as bright and sharp as the flames dancing in the hearth. Memories of holding Harry between his legs, back to chest, his partner crying out in pain, writhing with effort, the stench of strain and sweat and acrid agony stinging the air as the two women talked to them, and held Harry down on their marriage bed. Memories of other voices joining Harry's cries, of the surge of magic from his spouse as he protected the new voices and gasped for air.
A memory of holding tiny bodies in his arms, smelling powder and that indefinable something that said 'baby' to every species on the planet. Memories of his mother's tearstained face and Hermione's arms holding him close as she whispered in his ear, his father sitting with an arm around him, the twins tiptoeing around the Field on their best behaviour, Hagrid's late night arrival and wordless awe, Charlie walking in with the sun and the new light bringing so much clarity.
There was a pop in the fire, and Ron's eyes focussed long enough to be sure that stray sparks had been contained by the fire guard before he leaned his head on his hand, elbow resting on the dining table and the half full mug of tea as he let memory sweep him away once more. Memories swelled of struggling to change a nappy that smelt like a ten-day-old dead dragon while a small body wailed in front of him. Memories of being afraid to move, to even breathe while a fragile bundle nestled in his arms. The thankfully few moments of sheer unadulterated panic and mortification. Memories of sleepless nights and rare perfect moments of stillness and peace.
"You awake, dear?" Harry's voice sounded amused and Ron came back to the present as a warm weight settled on his thighs, and strong arms encircled his neck lightly. His partner's eyes were sparkling with humour and affection and a sexy hint of mischief. Ron tucked his thumbs in the back of Harry's waistband and smiled back rather fatuously. His spouse had obviously finished wrapping the Christmas presents he'd hidden from Ron, and come looking for his exiled partner.
"I am now," he promised, "Just remembering."
Harry bent his head and kissed him lightly, lingering to simply breathe Ron's breath, sharing warmth and peace with him. Ron hummed lightly in pleasure and leaned in to nuzzle the be-whiskered chin, dragging his lips lightly over the stubble there and welcoming Harry's body as it leaned into him even more.
"It's been a wild four months," Harry agreed when his lips were free again, "Remember the fight we had over decorating the nursery?"
Ron chuckled, the shouts still echoing in his ears. He'd wanted to use pink and blue and ruffles of lace in a very untypical fit of 'cute'. Harry had flatly refused, opting for sturdy, elegant furniture and plain walls. They'd ended up asking his parents opinion to break the stalemate, compromising in the end to keep the peace. When he'd finally come to his senses, Ron had been relieved that the frills and colour scheme hadn't made it past his spouse.
"Mmm, making up was fun though," Ron nipped Harry's neck lightly, "And for the record, you were right."
"I'm always right," Harry asserted complacently and Ron gripped the buttocks his hands were cupping as he snorted in unexpected laughter. Harry wriggled a little and kissed him ardently, diverting Ron from his planned retaliation.
"I remember the day after the birth, when the house was full of people," Ron offered when they'd come up for air, and Harry's face softened. Ron had been terrified by the pain and struggle Harry had gone through to bring their babies into the world safely, and had abandoned the children to his family in order to simply sit with his exhausted partner. When Harry finally woke he'd gotten up against Ron's wishes, had a quick shower and then walked down the stairs, seeking out their babies unerringly, holding each one in his arms in turn. Ron had pictures of it, the pure peace and radiant joy on Harry's face captured only palely by the camera, but preserved for all time in his heart. Ron had known at that moment that Harry would be a fantastic parent.
"The look on your face as you held your daughter," Harry kissed him again, "It was… indescribable."
"I was so scared I'd drop her. She was tiny," Ron confessed and Harry chuckled, stroking his fingers over the dark lock of hair at his partner's temple.
"Not any more - they're growing so fast," his best friend said lightly, "Three months old and already they're more of a handful than I can hold."
"You've got them in the palm of your hand," Ron retorted lightly, thinking how often it was that Harry was the only one that the babies would fall asleep for, a remnant of the bond he'd forged while bearing them. Ron didn't begrudge the tie Harry had to the children, he knew where he fit into Harry's life and was supremely content. Harry sighed and snuggled in, rocking his hips against Ron's groin lightly. Sex had taken a bit of a backseat to life lately, between the children and the potion brewing for St Mungo's.
Upon reflection, they were lucky that Snape had even waited until the children were a month old before arriving on their doorstep with a cauldron full of ingredients and another difficult potion to brew. They'd taken two weeks to prepare for the brewing, and a day to brew, with their former professor an unlikely, brooding guest the entire time. It had been a success, and St Mungo's had a new weapon in the war against disease. The partners had only increased their terms of contract with the hospital by a slim margin, aware that if they made the hospital pay too much they'd put the potion out of reach of the poorer members of their world.
"Speaking of holding things in the palm of the hand, are you going to do anything with what you've got there?" Harry recalled him from the rush of memory and Ron chuckled, pinching lightly, just to feel Harry jump and laugh in outrage. Their mouths met in a tousle of tongues and teeth that had Ron gasping to breathe at the end, and Harry wriggled about a bit, parting the dressing gown he wore and eeling athletically out of his pyjama bottoms. He was naked underneath.
Parts of Ron stood up in enthusiastic salute, and Harry chuckled, sending his strong hands to Ron's waistband and pushing at the striped flannel. Ron lifted his hips obligingly and murmured in appreciation as his briefs were pulled down too while Harry's mouth attached itself to an ear. The bond hummed for a bare second, and Ron found their jar placed in his hand.
Harry straddled him again and settled in to feast on his earlobe, driving Ron to pleasurable distraction while he attempted to slick his fingers and find the entrance to Harry's body. He encountered clinging heat and they moaned together, a slick pleasure sound that echoed the roiling sensations they were experiencing. Harry's fingers were commanding him to hurry, to just do him now, and Ron pulled free, slipping his hand to his own prick, slicking clumsily as Harry lifted himself up. Their connection was a taste of paradise and they moved languidly at first, then with slowly increasing urgency as their hands and mouth spoke words of love and praise.
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