Harry didn't know how long he'd been asleep. The last thing he remembered was soft kisses and whispered nothings as he drifted off.

A persistent tugging on his hair had woken him but the world was blurry without his glasses.

Ron must have taken them off.

Harry reached over to the bedside table that wasn't there last night to retrieve them. As the world came into focus, he noted the sun was still high in the sky through the window.

I didn't sleep long. I never do, not anymore.

The tug came again and when Harry craned his head up, he was met with a wide pair of amber eyes, framed by snow white feathers.

"Hey girl…"

Hedwig hooted softly.

She hopped onto Harry's shoulder and snuggled down into the crook of his neck, and he smoothed her gloriously soft feathers.

Harry remembered what had happened earlier as he gazed at Ron, who was still asleep, breathing deeply with the occasional snore.

Harry had always thought sex would be the most terrifying experience after what his uncle had done to him, he'd expected at least one panic attack but there were none. The love and admiration in Ron's eyes as he held him close had completely destroyed any fear Harry had.

Harry gently ran his other hand over his chest, feeling the raised welts and scars that he bore from his uncle's abuse. He kept the worst of them glamoured but the smaller ones he left alone. Ron had completely ignored the belt marks, whip lashes and other stains of his uncle. Harry wasn't sure whether he hadn't noticed them or just chose to ignore them because they were a part of Harry.

Harry thought about the worst three that he probably would keep concealed forever, but the books were bound to reveal them.

He traced a line up his left forearm where his uncle had craved the word freak.

He traced another line across his thigh where he'd been branded with the word whore, his uncle's favourite name for Harry other than boy.

The final line he traced was across his cheek, that scar hadn't come from his uncle but from his aunt and it was the worst by far. It was a great burn that spread from his lip up to his forehead. He'd burnt the bacon one morning when he was eight and his aunt threw the frying pan at him, the hot grease splattering across his face. That wasn't the worst of it, the incident had also blinded him in his left eye but he'd grown used to it now, only seeing half of the world at any one time.

Harry knew he'd have to reveal them before the books did; he didn't want his mum and dad finding out that way.

Harry turned onto his side, feeling a slight tinge of pain in his hips. It wasn't as bad as he was expecting, probably because Ron had treated him so gently. Like he was made of glass, something fragile that could fall apart at any moment, and in truth Harry was.

He put on a brave face and played the saviour of the wizarding world, but in reality, he was just a broken boy who needed to be loved and Ron had given him that.

Harry drew gentle patterns along Ron's chest, up his neck. Harry's fingers were dancing over the freckles on his cheek when those radiant blue eyes opened slowly.

As Ron slowly woke up, he noted Harry's fingers against his cheek.

Covering Harry's hand with his own, he placed a gentle kiss against Harry's palm which set Harry's heart racing and brought a flush to his cheeks.

"Hi…" Ron whispered.

"Hi…."

"Any regrets?"

That was Ron's biggest fear; that Harry regretted what had happened and they'd have to forget all about it and Ron wasn't sure he could.

He loved Harry.

Not like a brother, but he really loved him.

"None…"

Ron let out a breath he didn't know he was holding.

For a minute they just stared at each other, they weren't friends anymore, they'd leapt across that line, hours before.

It was Harry who broke the silence.

"I think we should get up…"

Ron frowned.

"Stop overthinking…" Harry chastised as he whacked Ron with a pillow, "…that's my job. I just meant that we should re-join the others. They are probably wondering why we disappeared."

Ron sat up and slid across the bed as Harry moved about the room collecting his clothes. He threw Ron's over his shoulder and laughed heartily as Ron's t-shirt landed on his head.

"Nice one, Har…" Ron grumbled.

By the time Ron pulled his jeans up, Harry was pulling his shirt on and was desperately trying to flatten his hair.

"No point, Har… It never lies flat."

"I know… I just don't want to walk out there looking like I've just had a wild romp."

Ron chuckled.

"No hope of that Harry…" he said pointing at Harry's neck.

There was no mirror in the room so Harry twisted his head trying to see what Ron was pointing at. He saw the bite mark on his shoulder and stared wide eyed at Ron.

"There's that and there is also a rather large hickey on your neck." He said grinning.

"RON!"

"What! I couldn't help myself."

"Oh, don't look so smug."

Ron couldn't help it but his grin grew.

"Well… there goes hiding it…" Harry sighed.

"Why would you want to hide it?" Ron asked, shrugging on his shirt.

Harry plucked his robes from the ground and draped them over his arm.

"I was hoping to break it to Severus a little better than this." Harry exclaimed, gesturing wildly at his neck.

"Why would you need to break the fact we slept together to that git?"

Harry glared sharply at Ron.

"It so happens that I kissed Severus before I kissed you." Harry snapped.

Ron's face fell.

Harry wasn't his, he could never be.

Harry noticed this and fell to his knees before Ron. He rested his head on Ron's knee.

Despite trying to hold it in, tears filled Ron's eyes.

The first drop landed on Harry's cheek and his head shot up.

"Oh, Ron… don't cry…" Harry cried, gripping his cheeks in his hands.

"I'm not crying…" Ron mumbled.

"It isn't like that Ron…"

Harry kissed Ron's nose.

"I love Severus but I love you too. I don't why but it just feels so right with you."

"Really?" Ron asked, his voice cracking.

Harry nodded, wiping the tears from Ron's cheeks as he covered his face with little kisses.

"Yes… I just wanted to be able to tell him privately but I am not ashamed of what we did, Ron. It was…

"Wonderful… Magical… the best shag in the history of shags…" Ron chimed.

"All of the above." Harry whispered as he claimed Ron's lips in a gentle kiss.

Harry drew back as Ron wiped the remains of his tears from his face.

Both boys pocketed their wands and made themselves as presentable as possible.

"Time to face the music…" Ron muttered.

Harry nodded silently but slipped his hand into Ron's as he reached for the door.

They stepped out into the room.