Author's Note:
Reviews and Comments: To Tmrpotterhead250: Thank you! I am excited that ASC will live on as well. Hermione and Zee are both badly scarred and Zee will definitely get a tattoo to cover the words. I love that Finn's siblings still want to show some protectiveness over Theo, he deserves it! Theo calling Harry a cabbage… thank you, Sam. I can't stop it now. Yes, I don't know why but I just like the idea of Gideon and Caradoc. Thank you! To Zarathos Morgenstern: Why do I leave cliffhangers? Because they are fun… for authors. Thank you! To darkhk: Happy to throw so many surprises at you at once LOL. Thank you! To akshutalankar: Thank you and you're welcome so much! To Slaidback: Yes, two chapters a week, but for two different stories. Thank you for reading and enjoying it! To Sara: Thank you! Yes, two random unnamed fourth years were killed. Bellatrix is definitely sadistic. Yes, the sexy blood type rant from tumblr, I couldn't resist. Thank you!
To Griffind00r: Voldemort is definitely pissed. I don't know what kind of blood Bas has, but let's give him boring old O Positive just because. Sirius would definitely be angry about Zee being hurt. As to another dream, I don't know. Thank you! To ahlem stelena: Thank you for being ecstatic at the thought of a trilogy. I appreciate that! Thank you! Thanks for the second review, but no, I cannot keep the next four chapters T as they've been written for over two months. Guess you'll just have to wait to read them. Thank you! To CherrySara: I think Seamus and Dean make everyone smile, they are just fun. Luna comforting Hermione was perfect, she just has this way about her. Bas is the nicest person ever. Thank you for rereading! To LilyBlack18: As Sam kept saying, fuck, Neville. LOL. He was being a tad pessimistic in his shock. Thank you! To MSKN: Thank you! Yes, Harry gained another scar on his cheek. Everyone loved my snowman punching Voldemort which was fun. Thank you!
To the Mandalorian terminator: Thank you! I'm glad I kept you on the edge of your seat! To Mackie919: Thank you! To wolfjinx15475: Thank you! Yes, it was important for Mick to return. I do love reading the theories, especially when you guys get it right and surprise me! Theo and Bas are going to get much cuter, promise! Thank you! To Sam: Oliver is very Quidditch focused, a commentator means nothing to him LOL. Ha, Neville's on your shit list LOL. Harry is more concerned about Ginny and Ron than himself. Thank you! To puttyman24: Thank you! To Wolf's scream: Seamus definitely showed he has what it takes to be part of the broomgade. Yes, Tom is in a bit of a mood, LOL. Thank you! To GODMISHA: Thank you! I'm glad you're excited about the trilogy! To PinkPeep: Everyone is taking the war seriously and I'm glad the sexy blood type conversation had you laughing. Thank you! To scrappy8: Thank you!
To tim2604: Yes, Ron had a moment a bit like Harry — they will talk about it. Bas, Durant, and Jin were not present at Hogsmeade. The MIA were working on something else, but Bas was present because he's working in the DMLE. Thank you! I'm glad you enjoyed Voldemort "running away like a little bitch." You're welcome! To alix33: Thank you! To ellyann13: The professors were at Hogwarts. Yes, Theo would not have been helpful against a giant. Yes, as soon as Voldemort ran, everyone else followed suit. This happened on the 31st of January and Teddy is not due until April. Thank you! To Nightwing2013: Theo is good at taking Ginny's mind off of things. Thanks for saying the Prewitt twins were a nice touch! Thank you! To Nuno Neves: Thank you! I love Luna and Hermione's friendship too, it's underrated sometimes. Thank you for saying the talk with Mick and his uncles was inspiring and beautiful, you're sweet. Thank you! To saucyswimmer: Thank you! I'm glad you're excited about the trilogy, I am too! I'm glad you knew I wouldn't kill Ron yet. Thank you! To oops-cant-say: Thank you very much! To pix25: I never thought about the blood types either, but someone on my tumblr did and it became such a fun debate I wanted to see what I could do. Thank you!
To Speedyconzalis: Nice to see your name in a review again! Thank you so much! To Shouldna: Thank you! I loved having Tonks being forced to wait on the sidelines for Remus for once and yes, Sebastian coming to check on Theo. I agree, I hate that Zee is alone but I don't want her with anyone else either. Thank you! To Chris: Thank you! Ron does have a chance! We will see all of the Weasleys supporting him soon. We won't see the direct reactions from the Slytherins at Malfoy Manor, but we'll touch base with them again soon. Thank you! To Derpdude32: Thank you! Sorry, I don't think I will be writing anyone into the story, but I promise to keep it in mind if I need a background character. Thank you! To Cath: Congrats on having the sexy blood type! I did know that O negative is a universal donor, but also can only accept O negative blood. Kind of unfair, isn't it? Thank you for saying this is the best fan fiction you've ever read! To sygt: Thank you! I am continuing ASC and I'm so glad people are excited!
To notthatchhavi: Bellatrix is definitely the whore and not Zee. Harry is definitely the sexy blood type lol. No, Ron is not dead yet lol. Thank you! To Shivani: Yes, my world will be continuing! Neville is being very pessimistic, I think he's in shock. I love Harry and Ron's friendship! Thank you! To Sloopyqueen4: Thank you! I like to show some parallels when I can. To JamesTKent: Thank you! I will accept you not enjoying the people almost dying bit lol. To wreneclipse: I'm sorry I made you sob in your American history class, but you're welcome. Thank you! To EnigmaticEmperor: I agree, being mostly dead does have it's advantages. I did manage to fit in the sexy blood type and it was so fun! I might like to torture Ron a bit… Thank you! To Cassiopeia Anastasia Black: Thank you so much! I love that you're rereading! Nope, we will see more of Snape soon, but not yet! Thank you, Amy!
To marauders_mowopapr: It does make sense for him to the universal donor blood type, doesn't it? Ron will definitely tell Molly. Luna is such a sweet soul and I think she was exactly what Hermione needed. Voldemort does think he's too good for wandless magic and he's definitely scared and no, it's not good for anyone. Thank you! To briana_t: Thank you! I'm sorry for making you cry, but also honoured I can make people cry with my words. Ha, Molly might definitely have been pushed past her limit lol. Thank you! To Fanfis01: I'm sorry to make you cry, but no, I did leave you news of Ron. I'm glad you're excited! Thank you! To AQuickReady91: There will be a memorial for the people who died. Thank you! To GryffindorHealer: Doesn't the plot always thicken? Thank you!
To shuweet: Thank you! To skyreader_183: Thank you very much! To CorbanD17: Thank you! Not sure on how many chapters of ASC just yet, still a while to go for posting that's for sure! To katelyn453: Thank you! Um, I don't plan on making a blood type chart or all of my characters, that's a bit much, even for me. Thank you! To HarryGinnyLove88: I'm O Positive too, so we can be boring together LOL. Thank you! The marauder/Jily story is told in snippets and isn't really continuous. It's a mesh of memories we've seen along with some new ones. I don't know how many chapters are left in ASC so I can't tell you. We'll see Draco again at some point, but I don't think for a few more weeks in terms of chapters. Thank you! To BadWolfKris: Thank you! To AmericanDesi: Thank you! To Lady Rava: Thank you!
To AnaGPotter: Thank you! Yes, Tonks waiting like a patient wife was meant to be ironic, so thanks for noticing. To Joyce Foesenek: Thanks for liking Ron meeting his uncles and Mick in the dream world. It was fun to write. Thank you! To Hinny Lover: I didn't know that the word kismet came from there, it's a word I've heard used often so it was fun to find out where it came from. Thank you! To Bellmel: Thank you for saying it was the perfect followup to the Hogsmeade chapter, it's what I was going for! I love seeing lovers worried about each other too. Yes, Theo's realization that Bas "never once questioned why he was out there fighting" was a "direct contrast to the way Finn was too protective." I agree. Some people had to die, be thankful it wasn't Ron lol. Thank you so much! To ravenclaw_rockchick: Thanks for reviewing! He will tell Molly about meeting his uncles. Yes, Harry definitely needs to reassess his wording lol. No, Theobas is my original characters but I love that you wish they were in the original books. Thank you!
To Gig87: Thank you! I am so excited about your excitement! Ha, I love that you've also contemplated your love life during the most inappropriate times LOL. Harry and Theo do care a lot for each other, but I can't see either of them really opening up about their past abuse. Thanks for saying Zee is your favourite original character in ASC. She is the best. I haven't decided on what tattoo Zee will get yet, but I have a few ideas. Yes, we all hope Bellatrix and Crouch suffer a most painful death. Tiernan I think is just naturally crabby LOL. As long as Theo is happy, he's happy. Crouch was not at Hogsmeade, he stayed behind to torture Snape. Omg! I love that the people who get injured during sex are almost always O Negative — see! I guess it makes more sense than I thought! Theo should tell Harry his blood theory, we'll see. Harry cut his face when he scrapped it on a piece of glass from one of the broken shop windows. He barely even noticed it, he had too much else going on. Thank you very much for such a lovely review!
To ellieoryan7447: It's true, men saving kids does make them more appealing! It was terrifying to everyone else who could see Harry fighting Voldemort. Fiadh is kind of awesome and she never misses her mark, she wasn't concerned and Fred is just like wow, she's hot. Neville was in shock and Theo was so good at taking care of Hermione. Harry is definitely a stupid noble git lol. He's so worried about Ginny and Ron, not himself. Thanks! I thought it was funny for Tiernan to tell Bas to call him 'your majesty' LOL. It is nice to see Voldemort scared, but also dangerous. As who knows what he's plotting next! Yes, I thought it was time for Lavender, Parvati, and Padma to finally realize this war is serious. Poor bastard definitely summed it up lol. Harry just thinks he's going to live therefore he's fine LOL. I think unless he's on the verge of death, it's just a scratch. Thanks for loving my Ron scene! It was so fun to bring in Gideon and Fabian. Thank you! To Mizfitz22: Thank you! I took a few weeks off in February, but I have been uploading consistently so not sure how you missed it. Thanks for being excited about the trilogy. It is about time we see the good guys coming out on top. There is definitely a "right amount of time you should torture someone. Gotta hit that sweet spot where they feel like they may die or go crazy but they don't. Clearly its more of an art than a science." Well said! Ron was on the brink and does it mean Harry won't get that scene… we shall see. Thank you!
My posting schedule: Weekly.
Thanks to Dusk for her amazing editing skills.
As always, thank you very much for reading and please, please review!
Your reviews give me life! They give me inspiration! And they make me want to keep writing for more than just myself! Thank you for all of your continued support!
CHAPTER THREE HUNDRED AND TWENTY-TWO:
The One With the Magic of the Movies
Ron blinked awake; his whole body felt oddly numb. He turned his head, trying to figure out where he was, and his eyes fell on his father slumped in the chair next to his bed. His glasses were lopsided on his nose and he was snoring loudly. The sound made Ron smile automatically. It was familiar and comforting.
He shifted; his arms felt heavy and his chest hurt. He looked down to see that he was shirtless with a huge bandage covering most of his chest, and a second one wrapped around his left ribs. He grimaced when he moved, sitting up a little and causing pain to shoot through his chest.
"Dad?" he croaked.
Arthur's snores hiccuped.
"Dad," he said again with a bit more conviction.
Arthur jolted, his eyes landing on Ron. He jumped from the chair, falling to his knees next to Ron's bed and grabbing his hands in his. "Ron? Hi, how are you feeling?"
"Numb. Sore. Weird," Ron admitted. "Where am I?"
"St Mungo's," Arthur said. "Again. I don't like meeting you here."
Ron attempted a smile. "I reckon I don't like being here much myself."
Arthur kissed his forehead. "It seems as of late, it's one son after another gracing these halls. Do you remember what happened?"
Ron frowned, attempting to disentangle the cobwebs from his mind. "Hogsmeade… Uncle Fabian was there and… Uncle Gideon and Uncle Caradoc… where's Hermione?"
"She's okay," Arthur assured him, frowning. "They took her to see Madam Pomfrey and Ginny told me that she's doing just fine." He placed a hand over Ron's forehead. "Does your head hurt?"
Ron lifted his arm, bringing it to his chest. Pain shot through his sternum and he winced. "No… there was a knife…"
Arthur nodded. "Stop moving. You were stabbed."
"And I lived? Cool."
"Ronald!" Molly exclaimed from the doorway, two takeaway cups in her hands. "Being stabbed is most definitely not cool! Do you have any idea how worried your father and I have been?"
"Sorry, Mum, I didn't mean… of course being stabbed wasn't cool. I just meant… I'm glad I'm alive."
Molly took a seat on the side of his bed, passing the cups to Arthur before she brushed her fingers through Ron's hair. "When we heard that you were stabbed… oh, Ronnie, we were so worried! How do you feel?"
"Numb," he admitted. "Sore."
"That's the pain potion wearing off," Arthur assured him. "Are you feeling any other symptoms? Anything… unusual?"
"Am I supposed to know what's usual about being stabbed in the chest?" At his mother's look, he blew out a breath. "No, I feel all right, I think. Why?"
The healer came in at that moment and moved over to examine him. Ron looked down when the healer opened the bandage and his eyes widened. He had a narrow incision on his chest about twenty centimetres long. Another incision was lower between his ribs. A half moon cut no larger than the pad of his thumb was under his heart and it was still oozing a bit of blood. The three cuts were all bright red and ugly looking.
The healer did something with his wand and the oozing stopped as a cold, ice-like sensation washed over his chest. Ron closed his eyes as the wand prodded him before the healer wrapped a fresh bandage across his chest and then another one around his ribs, sealing them tightly. After assuring Molly and Arthur that everything looked good, he ordered Ron to stay in bed and to take the potions that he had lined up on the table next to him.
"You'll be here for at least the week," the healer said. "We want to make sure that everything is working properly."
"What wouldn't be working properly?" Ron asked. "I feel all right, I reckon."
The healer picked up the clipboard at the end of Ron's bed and began to make notes as he spoke. "With how long your procedure was and with how long we had your chest open, we need to keep an eye on you. It's important to make sure that everything is healing properly, that there's no infection, and that all of your internal organs are working correctly."
"Is there a chance that they won't be?" Ron asked.
"A small one," the healer said. "As I said, it was a very long and intense procedure. You're a very lucky man, Mr Weasley. Lucky to be alive after such an incident. The only thing that saved your life was that the rounded edge of the tip of the blade is what stabbed you. If it had gone any deeper or if any of the curved edges had gone into your chest, we would not have been able to save you. The rounded edge saved your life." When Ron only stared at him with wide eyes, the healer offered a small smile. "Rest up for now and take those potions."
Ron wrinkled his nose as he looked at the different cups of multicoloured liquids lined up on his night table. "What are they for again?"
"The blue one is to regulate your oxygen and make sure your lungs are pumping accordingly. The red one is more blood replenishing potion as you lost a lot during the procedure and before so your body is still processing that loss. The green one is for pain. The yellow one is to help heal the procedural incisions. The black one is to help heal your heart. The pink one is to counter the powerful effects of the black one and the white one is to help you sleep."
Ron only blinked at him.
"Get some rest, Mr Weasley," the healer said. "I'll be back to check on you in a few hours."
Ron nodded and when the healer left, he turned to look at his parents. "What aren't you telling me about this?"
"The blade was cursed," Arthur told him.
Ron frowned, rubbing a hand over the huge bandage attached to his chest. "Cursed?"
Arthur placed his hand on Ron's arm. "The blade was cursed to inflict maximum damage. Anything it touches, it scars. It's… incurable."
"But… I'm alive," Ron began.
"You are," Arthur said. "They worked on you for six hours, Ron. When the blade… cut you, it went just below your heart and hit your lung. If it had been a millimetre off, you would have died instantly. Your heart stopped three times during the procedure."
Ron only stared at his parents.
"They had to perform an open-heart surgery on you and re-inflate your lung. It took hours of healing spells to close the hole the blade made and you lost a lot of blood. They injected blood replenishing potions right into your body. They had to put you into a frozen state to heal you properly," Arthur explained. "Then the healers had to try three separate times to get your heart going again. It would start, and beat for a bit then… just stop. One of the healers wrapped her hand around your heart and just kept squeezing it, then another spell and, well, here you are… We almost lost you, Ron."
Ron's bottom lip trembled as he watched his mother wipe a stray tear off of Arthur's cheek. "I'm okay, Dad. The cursed whatever is gone, right?"
"The healers had to remove part of your lung to stop the curse from spreading," Arthur continued.
Ron's eyes widened. "They took out my lung?"
"A small piece of it," Arthur corrected.
"What does that mean? Does that mean I can live without part of my lung?"
"Yes," Arthur assured him. "The curse is gone from your body except for the scar on your chest. Where the blade struck… that will never heal."
Ron nodded. "I can deal with a scar, Dad."
Molly cupped his face in her hands and kissed his cheeks noisily. "All of my boys are getting scars. I demand that you stop."
Ron's lips curved. "I'll do my best, Mum."
Molly covered his cheeks in kisses again.
"Mum! I'm good, get off!"
His mother ignored him, pressing her lips to his forehead tenderly. "I love you more than you can possibly know, Ron."
"I know, Mum," Ron said, his eyes softening. "I love you, too."
Molly kissed his forehead once more. "All right. Let's take these potions so you can get some rest."
"I want to see Hermione, Mum."
Molly's face broke out into a gentle smile. "She's still healing, too, dear. When she feels better, I'm sure she'll come straight here. Bill was going to the school to tell her that your procedure went well this morning."
"And you're sure that she's okay?"
Arthur nodded. "She's okay. She's going to be scarred as well because of the blade, but she's going to be just fine."
Ron felt reassured by this as he accepted the first cup of potion from his mother. "Wait… Uncle Gideon."
"Uncle Gideon?" Molly asked, her eyes on her son.
"I saw him," Ron began. "And Uncle Fabian… they were both there in this house I didn't recognize. It was big with… blue shutters and flowered curtains."
Molly paled. "What?"
"Yeah," Ron said. "They were both there with someone named Caradoc who said he was basically my uncle, too, and Uncle Gideon said… he said that I was supposed to tell you, Mum. Tell you that nearly dead wasn't good enough so they sent me back to you."
A garbled sob choked out of Molly and Arthur draped an arm over his wife's shoulders.
"They were cool," Ron said. "I wish that I would have gotten to know them for real, you know?"
Molly grabbed Ron's hand, kissing his knuckles. "You remind me of them sometimes. You're certainly as tall as them, but you remind me of Fabian. He had a big heart like you do." She kissed his knuckles again. "And I am so happy that they sent you back to me, Ronnie."
Ron let his mother hug him tightly, kissing her cheek when she did. "Me too, Mum."
Molly held him tightly and when she finally composed herself, she kissed his cheek and moved back, wiping tears off of her cheeks. "All right, you need to drink these up. Start with the blue one."
Ron tossed back the first cup, grimacing at the taste. When he drank the last one down, he could already feel the effects of them taking over. He let his mother tuck him in and kiss his cheek before he was drifting off into a dreamless sleep once more.
~ ASC ~
Remus had his feet propped up on the end of Harry's hospital bed as he stretched out in one of the chairs. It wasn't the most comfortable position, but after sitting there for almost three hours, it was the best that he could do.
Ginny had finally consented to go to bed around midnight, though it had taken a lot of persuading. Zee was still drifting in and out in the chair on the other side of Harry's bed. Madam Pomfrey had given her something for the pain in her arm and it made her drowsy.
Remus rubbed a hand over his own tired eyes. Today had been exhausting and equally terrifying. Being Deputy Headmaster meant that he had to worry about the well being of the students in the school. He'd spent all of his time making sure that all of the students in his house were all okay, checking with Slughorn, Flitwick, and Sprout about their respective houses, and ushering the students who were in Hogsmeade to safety. The whole time his heart had been in his throat.
His own son had been duelling Voldemort and he'd been unable to do anything. Then to learn that Harry was in the hospital wing and again that he'd been unable to run to him immediately had been one of the hardest heart-wrenching moments of his life.
Tonks had sent word that she'd gone home for the night after stopping in to check on Harry once more and he told her that he was staying with Harry for the night. Tonks told him to send Harry her love and he knew that his wife would be asleep before her head even hit the pillow. After a long day like today on top of her pregnancy, she would be dead to the world.
Remus heard Harry stir in the darkness and he dropped his legs, shifting in to touch his arm. Harry didn't wake, but merely tried to turn, only able to move so far over with his leg suspended. Remus reached out to brush his hair out of his eyes. Then because he could, he pressed a kiss to his forehead and another to his uninjured cheek.
Harry opened one eye. "Some of us are trying to sleep over here."
Remus' lips curved. "Oh yeah? Some us are worried over here."
"I'm fine."
Remus nodded, his eyes roaming over the thin cut that was just under his right eye and diagonal across his cheek. "Lucky is what you are. I heard you fought brilliantly."
Harry shifted a bit and reached for his glasses. "It was… weird."
"How so?"
Harry hesitated. "I… I wasn't really scared, Uncle Rem. It was like I was just focused on the fight. When he put up that magical wall, I thought good, now he can't hurt anyone else."
Remus frowned. He didn't like that his son didn't seem to care if Voldemort hurt him as long as others were safe. "You are just as important, even more so."
"I didn't mean… I just meant, it was like I didn't have the time to be scared," Harry corrected.
Remus could understand that. Being focused on the moment and on the fight, fear could sometimes be pushed back.
"The attack wasn't as bad as it could have been. For once, we finally held the upper hand and Voldemort ran scared, Harry. He ran from you and his followers went with him."
He nodded. "He left the Elder Wand behind."
Remus' eyebrow rose.
Harry gestured to the table by his bed. "Ginny put it with my clothes."
Remus moved to ruffle through Harry's clothes and pulled the Elder Wand from it. "What happened?"
"I disarmed him."
Remus' eyes widened. "You disarmed Voldemort?"
Harry nodded. "I could see it, Uncle Rem. The wand wasn't really cooperating with him. See, I cracked it."
Remus ran his fingers along the cracked wood making the bone-like quality look haunted. "How?"
"I don't know," Harry admitted. "We were duelling and it just… splintered. Then when I disarmed him, it fell to the ground in front of me and he just Disapparated."
"Fascinating," Remus mumbled, still stroking the wand.
"I want to talk to Dumbledore's portrait about it."
"He hasn't been there, Harry," Remus pointed out. "Minerva says that he's been staying absent or sleeping. She swears that he hasn't opened his eyes once."
"He'll talk to me," Harry said. "He has to."
"Okay," Remus said, tucking the wand back into his clothes and putting them back in the bag under the night table. "After Madam Pomfrey clears you."
Harry stretched his arms up. "I'm fine, really."
"Your arm was burned."
"Not seriously."
Remus sighed. "You're going to have a scar at the wrist and I bet that cut on your cheek will scar as well."
"What's one more, really?"
Remus leaned forward in his chair and took Harry's hand in his. "I know you seem to think you're invincible, but you're not."
"I don't. I mean, I don't think that."
Remus' golden eyes stared into his. "Because you're not invincible, Harry. Not by a long shot. Our side had a win today, and even if it was only a small one, it was a win. The fact that Voldemort ran isn't a good sign, Harry. He knows what you're capable of now. He knows that you're a worthy opponent. He's not going to let that go."
"I know," Harry whispered. He snuck a look over at where Zee was still sleeping in the chair. "I already spoke to Smith."
Remus' eyes widened. "Harry…"
"Don't look at me like that," he said. "You know that I had to. I had to… just in case."
"You are going to make it out of this alive, Harry. You are going to live a long and happy life with that redhead who loves you. If you don't think Ginny Weasley will pull you back from the dead and kill you herself, you seriously underestimate her."
Harry chuckled. "I want to live, Uncle Rem. I want to marry her some day and move into Somerset… be an Auror and watch her play professional Quidditch and… I want that." He closed his eyes. "But sometimes… like after today, I think there's a chance of that and then some days I think… I pissed him off today, Uncle Rem. Yes, he ran, but I disarmed him. He's not going to take that lying down."
"No," Remus agreed. "He's gone off to lick his wounds and to recuperate, but he'll be back for you with a vengeance."
"I know," Harry said. "And I just want to make sure that everyone I love is taken care of in case something happens."
Remus leaned in and kissed Harry's forehead again. "I am so proud of you. You have the best of your father in you. That strong Gryffindor determination to do good, to help others, and to want to save people. I always respected and admired that quality in James. But mixed with Lily's innate goodness, in you it comes off as modest and not as cocky."
Harry chuckled. "Thanks, I think."
Remus smiled. "And you have just as much of Sirius in you. That determination, that will to be listened to. I know the three of them are up there cheering you on."
"And you?"
"And me, what?" Remus asked.
"What do I have from you, Uncle Rem?"
Remus' eyes softened. "My stubbornness."
Harry's smile was quick. "Me? Never."
"I love you very much, Harry. You are my son in every way that counts. I can't imagine not having been given the chance to have you in my life. I want Teddy to get that chance. I want him to know his amazing godfather so try not to do anything stupid, all right?"
"I'll try," Harry said.
"Try harder," Remus insisted.
"All right," Harry agreed, his lips twitching. He looked at the watch on his hand, the one that had once belonged to his father. It still made him smile when he saw it on his wrist. "It's almost two. You should go home. I'm okay."
"I'm perfectly comfortable here, thank you."
"Make Zee go home."
Remus sighed. "She is completely knocked out from that potion."
"Fine, she can stay, but you don't need to sit by my bedside. My leg is almost healed. My ribs are still tender, but will be good by the morning. My burn is healing. Really, I'm okay. I'm sure Tonks needs you at home. I'm fine."
Remus squeezed Harry's uninjured leg. "Little Prongs, one day, when you have children, you'll understand why I cannot just go home."
He half smiled and stifled a yawn. "Okay, but don't complain about a sore neck tomorrow because you did this on your own."
"Go to sleep, you little brat," Remus said, swatting his uninjured leg.
Harry smirked. "Uncle Rem?"
"Yes, Harry?"
"I love you, too."
Remus smiled, his heart swelling in love even after all these years. "Go to sleep, Harry. Let your body heal."
He watched his son put his glasses back on the night table before he attempted to shift to get comfortable, finally letting his eyes close. Remus kept his hand resting on Harry's uninjured leg until he finally heard his son's quiet breathing. Only then did he let out a breath of relief. He was going to be all right, he knew that. And he knew that Harry speaking to Smith was a wise decision. He was being responsible, keeping all of his affairs in order just like Sirius had taught him.
He leaned back in the uncomfortable chair, propping his long legs up on the end of Harry's bed again and let his own eyes close. Today had given him a lot to think about and the biggest question of all was why the Elder Wand had failed Voldemort.
Remus was afraid to find out how Voldemort was going to deal with that.
~ ASC ~
Zee woke from the sharp pain in her neck. She shifted, carefully rolling her neck around her shoulders. Sleeping in the chair probably hadn't been the best idea. Her eyes fell on Harry who was sleeping in the hospital bed before she followed the long legs resting on the end of his bed to see Remus snoring in the chair on the other side of him. She sat up, touching her own arm as it ached, and looked down at the bandage that covered it.
Whore.
She didn't need to see the scar to know that the word was there. She could still feel every cut of the blade as Bellatrix had carved it into her skin. The glee in the witch's eyes as she'd done it and the foul things she'd said. Zee had never before wanted to hurt someone as badly as she wanted to hurt Bellatrix Lestrange. No, not just hurt her, she wanted to kill her. For Sirius. For herself. For Hermione. And if she was honest with herself, for revenge.
Harry shifted and her eyes went to him as she leaned forward to take his hand in hers. She kissed the back of his hand. He wasn't the adorable eleven-year-old-boy she'd first met any more either. He had grown up. He was an adult in the eyes of the world and Merlin knew he looked it. He was tall, lean and muscled, strong, and confident. He was powerful and smart and handsome and she'd never been so proud to be a part of his life as she was looking at him now. When those green eyes met hers, she smiled.
"Hi, sweetie."
Harry blinked at her before he reached for his glasses. "How's your neck?"
"Stiff," she admitted.
"Good. Maybe next time you won't sleep in a rickety old chair and go home like a normal person."
"Brat," Zee said, shaking her head. "I was worried about you."
"Me too," he said, sitting up a little. "You okay?"
Zee's eyes softened. "I'm fine. It's my job to worry about you."
"This is nothing," Harry said, his lips curving. "Madam Pomfrey says I'll be good to go after breakfast."
Zee nodded. She stood up, moving to sit on the side of his bed before she leaned in to kiss his forehead. "I love you. This wasn't nothing. You fought him, Harry. You fought him and he…"
Harry pulled her into his arms for a hug. "I know. I'm really okay. I promise."
Zee held him a moment longer before she kissed his cheek. "I was worried. Maybe I worried too much, but you haven't exactly had the best track record for staying out of trouble."
"Who me?" At her look, he chuckled. "Where are Mina and Leo?"
"Mama's taking care of them," Zee said. "I didn't want to leave you alone."
Harry gestured to where Remus was snoring in the chair on the other side of him. "Not alone." At her look, he sighed. "I get it, you guys were worried, but I'm really okay. I'm just worried about everyone else."
Zee kissed his hand again. "I know, sweetie. It's what makes us love and worry about you that much more. Your big, soft heart."
"How's your arm?"
"It hurts," Zee admitted. "But it will be all right."
"It's going to scar," he said.
She nodded. "It will."
"You're not a whore, Zee."
Zee's dark eyes met his. "Thank you, Harry."
"I didn't mean… I just meant, no one should have that carved into their arm."
"I quite agree," Zee told him. "Don't worry. I'll be fine. Maybe I can turn it into a cool tattoo or something."
Harry squeezed her hand. "I love you, Zee. Thanks for… thanks."
Zee kissed his cheek again as Ginny stepped into the hospital wing. "You're welcome. Good morning, Ginny."
"Hi," Ginny said, moving to sit on the side of Harry's bed. "I didn't mean to interrupt."
"You didn't," Zee assured her.
She watched Ginny cup Harry's cheek, her thumb brushing over the stubble he'd been sporting for months. The look in her eyes almost made her feel like she was intruding on a private moment.
"How did you sleep?"
"Fine," Harry said. "You?"
Ginny shrugged, her voice a little shaky. "All right. Luna stayed with me. Fred called about an hour ago. Ron woke up."
"Oh, thank goodness," Zee said. "How is he?"
"He's doing well," Ginny said, her bottom lip trembling. "He still has a lot of healing to do and will probably be stuck at St Mungo's for the week, but he's-he's okay. He's g-going to be okay."
Zee pulled Ginny into her arms and the moment she did, she began to cry. "Shh," Zee soothed, running her hands up and down her back. "It's all right, sweetie."
Remus opened his eyes then, blinking at them. He sat up, rubbing a hand over his face. "Everything okay?"
"Yeah," Harry said. "Ron's awake."
"That's wonderful news," Remus said as Ginny wiped tears from her eyes and moved out of Zee's arms.
"It is," Ginny said.
"It's good news that we all needed this morning. Now, I'm going to go find Poppy and see how Harry is really doing and then we'll go from there."
"Zee, I'm fine, honest." Harry insisted.
Zee gave him a cool look as she stood. "I know what your 'fine' means, Harry. Forgive me for preferring a healer's opinion on the matter."
Harry grinned at her as she hurried off and once she was out of sight, she ducked behind a curtain to let her own tears fall. He was okay. Ron was okay. They were all going to be okay. And for the first time since Rolf had told her about Hogsmeade being under attack, she let herself breathe.
It wasn't over, but Voldemort had run scared.
And that was one hell of a step in the beginning of the end.
~ ASC ~
Remus finally left the hospital wing in the morning. Ginny had shown up again before breakfast and Zee had finally come around from her sleeping potion to check on Harry. When Madam Pomfrey had assured Remus that Harry was good to go, he kissed his son's forehead and told him that he was going home.
He stepped into his cottage in Wrexham, feeling more exhausted than he realized. When he poked his head in the bedroom, it was to find his wife completely immersed under a pile of blankets, nothing but a turquoise and pink tuft of hair poking out of the top. She was sprawled sideways across the bed, pillows surrounding her, and he chuckled.
He undressed and hopped in the shower, glorying in the feel of the hot water. He took a moment to relax before he washed up and then dried off. He combed his hair with his fingers and voted he was too tired to shave before he walked naked into the bedroom and climbed into bed. He rolled Tonks around the pillows to make room for himself and she made a grunt, her legs wrapped around the big body pillow, but she didn't wake up. He pulled the blankets over himself and was asleep in minutes.
He didn't know how long he slept for, but the feel of his wife's lips trailing down his chest woke him. He smiled, his hands moving to her hair.
"Morning."
"Almost afternoon," she corrected.
"Got home just after seven," he told her. "Harry's fine. Madam Pomfrey was releasing him."
"Good," Tonks said, kissing his chest again. "Guess what?"
"What?"
Tonks kissed his left nipple. "I had a very naughty dream about you last night."
"Oh?" Remus asked, his eyes twinkling. "What kind of naughty dream?"
"It was very naughty," she said. "Some of it was even downright filthy."
Remus tugged her up to his face to kiss her. "Oh yeah?"
Tonks nodded, her lips curving. "You came to visit me at work."
"Uh-huh," Remus said, kissing her neck.
"And you were naked."
"I walked into the DMLE naked?"
"Completely," she said. "But you had tied a little bow tie around your big cock."
Remus snorted. "This will never happen, Nymphadora."
"And then everyone was staring, obviously, because you were naked and gorgeous and rock hard, and you walked right over to my desk and vanished my clothes so that I was naked too."
"Seems only fair," Remus surmised.
"And then you just bent me over the desk and took me right there while everyone watched."
"That is naughty."
"At one point you were even kneeling between my legs and using your mouth."
"Nymphadora," Remus said, trailing his mouth along her jaw. "I don't want anyone else to see you except for me."
Her hand slid down to cup him. "I feel the same. But in my dream it was really hot. Did I mention the part where we shagged so hard we broke my desk?"
Remus chuckled before he kissed her. "Noted." He slid his hand under the tee shirt she was wearing to cup a breast. "So, did this dream of yours make you want something?"
"Like what?" she asked, her eyes twinkling.
"Oh, I don't know," he said, tweaking a nipple. "Maybe you woke up feeling a little wet and needy."
"Nope, not at all," she said.
"No?" he asked, slipping his other hand into her knickers. "You feel wet to me."
"Not," she said. "You'll have to work harder."
Remus grinned and kissed her. "Oh, will I?"
"Absolutely," she said, kissing his neck, then his collarbone. "Very hard."
He pulled his hand from her knickers and tugged her shirt over her head, leaning up to capture a pert nipple in his mouth and she groaned. Merlin, he fucking loved how sensitive her nipples were with pregnancy. He sucked softly while his fingers played with the other one. He loved how full her breasts were. He loved the changes that had come over her body.
He loved seeing her pregnant.
Remus couldn't explain how beautiful she was. It was like seeing her for the first time. Seeing her body full with his child was the sexiest thing that he could ever imagine. He knew pregnancy had its downside. He knew that she sometimes had trouble sleeping, that her feet and back were always sore. She was always hungry, ravenous even, and her mood swings were sometimes a little scary. And when she wasn't eating or sleeping, she was often jumping him.
It seemed like her sex drive had doubled and they barely went more than two days without going at each other. And going at each other was exactly what they did. She usually attacked him and he certainly never complained. They had quite literally had sex on every surface of the cottage. Against every wall, on every table, in door frames, and in the middle of the floor. Just last week they'd actually done it on his piano and then under it. That didn't even include her sucking him off as he sat on the piano bench. She was wild and sexy and he adored her.
With the loss of her parents, he had been worried, but she'd bounced back quicker than he expected. At first Remus had been worried it had been too fast, but she had her good days and her bad. Some days she would have a little cry in his arms and ask him why they had to die. He hated that he didn't have the answers for her. But most days she was good. She was excited about Teddy and excited to finish up his room.
They had put the finishing touches up last week, filling the drawers with clothes, and the change table with nappies. Remus sometimes couldn't believe that in less than three months, there would be a baby.
His baby.
Her baby.
Their baby.
With that in mind, he kissed her stomach tenderly and she slid her fingers through his hair.
"What are you thinking about?"
"How beautiful you are," he said, kissing her stomach again. "How sexy and gorgeous and fucking amazing you are."
Tonks carded her fingers through his hair. "I can say the same, Deputy Headmaster."
Remus pulled her into his lap, his hands on her thighs as she straddled him. He slid his hands under her tee shirt again, roaming up her back as he pressed his lips to her throat. Sometimes it alarmed him how much he wanted this woman. No matter how many times he touched her, he wanted more. He kissed his way down her neck and lifted the tee shirt up, pulling it over her head before returning his lips to her throat.
Tonks let her head fall back to give him better access, sighing when his hands returned to her breasts. He kneaded and fondled her breasts, thumbs stroking her nipples in a steady rhythm that had her gyrating against him. When his mouth finally covered one again, she made a 'mmm' sound. Remus took his time with her breasts. Licking, sucking, kissing, kneading… he worshipped them. One at a time until she was panting. When they became too sensitive she pushed him off and he kissed his way down her shoulders.
Tonks leaned in to kiss his throat, sucking the skin there. She kissed his shoulders and his chest before she pushed him back onto the bed. He watched her shimmy out of her knickers and toss them onto the floor. It was getting harder to find positions that were comfortable for her, but Remus loved that even more. He loved letting her choose how she wanted it. When she knelt on all fours and gave him a saucy look over her shoulder, he grinned.
Remus moved to kneel behind her, kissing her arse. Then he slid down off of the bed to kneel on the floor and used his mouth. Tonks cried out, her eyes wide as he used his tongue and fingers recklessly. Merlin, he loved pleasing her. He loved the sounds she made when his tongue touched her. He loved the taste of her, the smell of her. He loved how she clenched around his fingers and begged for more. When his thumb began to rub her clit as he licked her, she moaned wantonly.
"Rem… please…"
"Please what?" he asked, licking her more urgently.
Tonks made a sound close to begging, her fingers clutching the sheets under her. His cock twitched in response. He moved back onto the bed, kissing her lower back, a hand moving up to clutch a breast. Then he slowly teased the tip of his cock along her opening. She moaned as he continued to tease her, lips on her spine and over her shoulders.
"Fuck me, Remus!" she demanded, her voice hoarse.
Remus sucked on the skin of her shoulder a moment longer before he finally gave her what she wanted. He held her hips, eyes on her firm and plump arse before he slowly slid into her. She purred and he couldn't stop the moan from escaping him at the feel of her. Merlin, no matter how many times he was inside of her, it was never enough.
At her begging, he moved faster, taking her harder with every thrust. Feeling bold, he sucked on a finger and when she started to let go, he slid it into her arse. She cried out his name like a mantra and he lost control. She came a second after he did, hands pulling the sheet right off of the bed. Remus rolled her over onto her side, spooning her. He kissed her shoulders tenderly and she made a sound of contentment.
"That ended a little faster than I intended," he admitted, kissing her neck.
"Mmm, no, it was perfect," she murmured.
Remus continued to plant kisses along her throat, lifting her arm up to kiss the scar on her breast tenderly. "You're so beautiful. So fucking sexy."
Tonks sighed when his mouth found her nipple again. "Remus?"
"Hmm," he asked, his tongue teasing her nipple to peak.
"I think we should get some chocolate brownies right now. No! Mint chocolate ice cream with chocolate brownies and salted peanuts."
Remus chuckled against her breast. "I love you, Nymphadora."
"Ooh! Can we get some dim sum, too?"
Remus kissed her breast once more before he sat up. "Absolutely. I'll… see what I can find."
He climbed out of bed to find his trousers and took a last look at his wife, a smile on his lips. She was everything he had ever wanted and never imagined he would ever have.
"Remus?"
"Yes?"
"We're really hungry," she said, her lips curving into the pillow as she rubbed hand over her belly.
Remus smiled. "Yes, dear."
He grabbed a shirt from the chair and left his wife in their bed wondering if after he fed her he could convince her to have a second go. He whistled as he put on his cloak and picked up his wand. He had a feeling it wouldn't take much convincing at all.
~ ASC ~
Once Remus and Zee left, Madam Pomfrey told Harry that he was free to go, and Ginny held his hand in hers as they left the hospital wing. They went straight up to his dorm so that he could shower and when he came out with a towel around his waist, it was to find his girlfriend on his bed waiting for him.
"How are you?" he asked, pulling a comb uselessly through his hair.
Ginny moved off the bed to wrap her arms around him from behind. "Okay."
Harry put his hands over hers where they sat around his stomach. "I guess I owe you an Italian dinner."
He felt her smile against his spine. "That's obviously my biggest concern at the moment."
"I knew it," he teased. He turned around to cup her chin, lifting her eyes to his. "Seriously. It's just you and me."
"I thought Ron was going to die," she whispered.
"So did I," Harry admitted, his heart pounding in his chest.
His dreams had been fitful and not about Voldemort like one would think, but of waking up and finding out Ron was gone. There had been tears on his pillow when he'd woke and despite his teasing, he'd been happy to find Remus and Zee at his bedside when he woke.
"He's lucky Bill got to him when he did. I don't… I don't know what I would do if he…"
Ginny's fingers traced gentle lines over his back. "His heart stopped, Harry. Three times. It just stopped and… they got it beating again, Harry, but… he died."
He kissed her forehead. "But he's all right and that's what we need to focus on. He's alive and probably complaining."
Ginny pressed her face to his chest.
Harry held her for a long moment, his thoughts on her words. Ron's heart had stopped. Three times. His best mate had died and he'd been… Merlin, he'd been sitting in the hospital wing teasing Remus. He kissed Ginny's forehead again.
"Come on. Let's go down and get some breakfast and then we'll go to St Mungo's and see Ron."
"Fred said someone was coming to take Hermione to him already," Ginny said.
"Good," Harry said. "And we'll go, too. Yeah?"
"Yeah."
Harry kissed her forehead a third time before he moved out of her arms to find his clothes. He had fought Voldemort yesterday. He had fought him and he had come out on top. Voldemort had run. He'd left him the Elder Wand and he'd run. People had been hurt and he couldn't imagine the horror that Hermione and Zee were going to have to live with having those awful words carved into their skin. He couldn't imagine what Ron was feeling right now.
But they were alive.
They were all alive and right now, Harry had never been so thankful for that to be so.
He reached for a jumper and swore he smelt warm leather and forest on his right. When he turned to look over, no one was there, but he felt comforted. He pulled the jumper over his head and clutched the dog tags around his neck suddenly knowing that he wasn't alone.
"Thank you," he whispered.
When he turned to hold his hand out to Ginny, he felt better and he knew that no matter what, they were going to be okay. They were in the end game now and even if Harry didn't entirely know what that meant, he knew that it was a sign.
He was going to go see Ron and make sure that his friend was all right and then he needed to have a chat with a portrait. He was going to make the old Headmaster talk to him, no matter what.
His portrait had been dormant long enough and it was time he showed up to answer some questions.
~ ASC ~
Theo was excited to have breakfast with Sebastian on Sunday morning. He woke up feeling much better. He went straight to the hospital wing to get checked over by Madam Pomfrey and had his sling removed. His fractured ribs were still a bit tender, but the matron assured him that they were almost healed. She urged him to take it easy today and he promised her that he would.
He checked in with Ginny and found out that Harry was being released as was Hermione and that Ron had woken up. It was all good news. Ginny told him Hermione was going to St Mungo's to see Ron and that she and Harry would be heading over there after breakfast as well. Theo told her he was going to have breakfast with Sebastian and she'd kissed his cheek and told him to enjoy himself. Knowing everyone was okay, he rather thought he would.
He returned to his dorm to shower and tossed on dark blue jeans, a long sleeved light blue tee shirt, and a black and navy striped cashmere jumper before finding Slughorn and signing himself out for the day. After assuring Slughorn that he would be with a friend all day and not remotely anywhere dangerous, he headed out of the castle so that he could Disparate on the edge of the bridge.
He was five minutes early and grinning when he stepped into Apricity Spread. Theo took a seat in the booth in the corner that had become their usual spot and waited only two minutes before Sebastian stepped inside. He admired the white-washed blue jeans he was wearing with his black jumper under his cloak before Sebastian spotted him, his face splitting into a grin. He slid into the booth across from him.
"Good morning."
"Good morning," Theo said with a smile as Sebastian took his hand in his.
"How are you feeling?" Sebastian asked. "I see the sling is gone?"
"I feel good," Theo told him. "Arm is healed. My ribs are a bit tender, but Madam Pomfrey assures me that they should be as good as new by this afternoon. I'm ordered to take it easy."
"We can do that," Sebastian said.
They ordered breakfast and Theo filled Sebastian in on what had happened the day before.
"Harry, Ron, and Hermione are all okay. Ron's going to be in St Mungo's a bit longer, but he's doing well. It's all good news."
"I'm glad to hear it," Sebastian said. "The rest of the students were okay? Your Ciara, Julian, and Mila?"
"Yes," Theo said. "All are doing okay. I don't know if I would have been able to hold them off much longer if Tiernan hadn't shown up."
"I don't know," Sebastian admitted. "It sounds like you were doing pretty damn good on your own. Dolohov, Carrow, and Selwyn were all arrested."
"Good," Theo said.
"Agreed. I interviewed Dolohov last night, but he didn't say much. We have him in a holding cell for now. Kingsley was going to have another go at him today."
"You don't have to go in?" Theo asked.
Sebastian shook his head. "No. I'm supposed to be off today."
Sebastian filled him in on how many of Voldemort's followers had been captured and how they'd learned a few more things about the dark wizard's plans. When they finished breakfast, Sebastian suggested they go back to his.
"You need to rest. We can take it easy and catch something on the wireless."
Theo took his hand as they left Apricity Spread. "As long as that resting can involve some snogging, I'm in."
Sebastian's lips twitched. "Snogging isn't resting."
"Bet I can change your mind," Theo teased.
Sebastian held his arm. "We'll talk about it."
A moment later they'd Disapparated to Sebastian's flat and Theo followed him up the stairs and into his living room. He took a seat on the sofa, smiling when Sebastian plopped down next to him, his arm falling over his shoulders. Theo moved closer, pressing his cheek against Sebastian's chest.
"I could stay here all day."
"I have no complaints about that," Sebastian said.
Theo turned to look up at him. "I have a question."
"Okay?" Sebastian said, looking flummoxed by the change in conversation.
"Just something that I've been wondering about actually. Over the holidays, Tonks mentioned something about you being her work husband and your secret love of Hidden Passions."
Sebastian cleared his throat. "She talks too much."
"So, you aren't her work husband or a fan of Hidden Passions?"
"Of course not," Sebastian said. "Work husband is a stupid name."
Theo chuckled. "But you spend a lot of time together so it makes sense. I think she's your work wife."
Sebastian rolled his eyes. "You're as bad as she is."
"You love it, but I don't see you denying your love of Hidden Passions."
"I don't love Hidden Passions," Sebastian replied. "Do I listen to it sometimes? Sure. It's background noise. I wouldn't say it makes me a fan."
Theo smiled. "I've never seen it."
"What?" Sebastian exclaimed, his eyes widening. "How is that even possible?"
Theo shrugged, snuggling back into Sebastian's arms. "I don't listen to anything other than music and no one I know is a fan. Apparently Tonks likes it a lot and Ginny says that her mum listens."
"Well, it… it's a soap opera."
"What does that mean?" Theo asked.
Sebastian sighed. "It means it's full of drama and intrigue and is a little over the top." When Theo gave him a look, he relented. "Okay fine, I may be a slight fan."
"Oh, really?"
"Okay a big fan," Sebastian admitted, his cheeks flushing. "But in my defence, it's addictive!"
"Tell me about it," Theo said. "What makes it so addictive?"
Sebastian looked down at him in surprise. "You want me to tell you about Hidden Passions?"
"Yes," Theo said. "I love the idea of you being a big fan of this soap opera. Tell me everything. Maybe it will make me want to listen."
Sebastian cleared his throat. "It's really just a stupid story."
"If it's stupid, why do you like it?"
Sebastian sighed, stretching his long legs out to rest on the coffee table. "Okay, so it's been on for decades, like way before my mum was even born so it's impossible to actually catch up, but it has everything. Romance. Mystery. Fantasy. Magic. Sex."
"So, there's lots of sex on this show then?"
"Yes," Sebastian said. "Everyone is always sleeping with everyone else. It gets to be a little too much sometimes as no one ever gets to be happy long, but the drama makes it worth it."
Theo shifted, turning on the sofa so that he could turn to look at Sebastian. His motion caused Oliver to jump up into his lap, setting himself between his legs. "That sounds interesting."
"Sex does sell," Sebastian said. "But that's not why I like it. Oliver, get down!"
The cat merely stared at him.
"He's okay," Theo said, rubbing the cat behind his ears and making him purr. "I don't mind."
Sebastian stared at the cat. "He hates everyone. Usually."
"That's not true, he's so sweet," Theo said.
Sebastian chuckled. "He is, but usually only to me."
Theo continued to rub Oliver behind his ears as the cat purred in contentment. "He's a big softie." At Sebastian's amused look, he smiled. "So, back to the soap opera. Sex sells and…"
"Do you really want to hear about this?" When Theo only arched an eyebrow at him, he licked his lips. "Okay, so it takes place in this fictional town called Arcane Falls which is this magical village in Scotland near a faerie spring and it revolves around six major families who have been in the town since its inception. Each family is full of secrets and have decades of history intertwining them."
"Do you have a favourite character?" Theo asked.
"Yes," Sebastian admitted. "Nashville Tucker. He's only been on the show for two years. He plays an American who moved to Arcane Falls to meet his Irish granny and he got swept up into the town. He took one look at Katherine O'Toole and fell madly in love. They are perfect for each other. But there's this siren named Harmony who has had it out for Katherine for years. She doesn't want her to be happy so she keeps trying to seduce Nash away from her. But Nash is hopelessly in love with Katherine and even love potions haven't been working on him, not like they should. He keeps breaking out of them and its infuriating Harmony. Katherine just found out and her and Nash have been in this huge fight."
Theo smiled. "Why do you like this Nash character?"
"He's the most interesting so far," Sebastian said. "I like Noah as well, but Nash is just… interesting. Desmond Elliot plays him. Have you ever seen Desmond Elliot?"
"The bloke with the light brown hair?" Theo replied, linking the name with his picture from Witch Weekly. "He's lean and fit. Lovely smile. Very fancy-able."
"He is," Sebastian agreed. "He has kind of a boy next door quality or as J likes to say, he's a pretty boy, but he's a great actor. He's from East London and you'd never guess."
Theo couldn't stop the smile from staying on his face as Sebastian told him all about the ins and outs of Arcane Falls, filling him in on the multiple different characters and their backstories. When he finished, Theo was intrigued and thought maybe he might have to check out an episode or two.
Sebastian asked him if he wanted something to drink and Theo shook his head, leaning over to nip at his lips.
"No, but I think that I've been resting for a while now."
"Have you?"
Theo nodded, sliding his hands up Sebastian's chest to rest on his shoulders. "Uh-huh." His fingers played with the short hairs at the nape of Sebastian's neck. "Snogging could be relaxing."
Sebastian's hands moved to rest on Theo's hips, pulling him up against him. "Not how I do it."
Oliver hissed and jumped off of Theo's lap. They both ignored him.
Desire shot through Theo. "My ribs don't even hurt anymore."
Sebastian carefully kept his eyes on Theo's before he let his hands slide under Theo's jumper to inspect. Theo flinched and Sebastian nipped at his mouth.
"Liar."
Theo sighed in disappointment when the Auror climbed off of the sofa to head into the little kitchen. "I'm fine, really. Come back here."
He watched Sebastian open one of the cabinets and measure out what looked suspiciously like pain potion into a glass. Theo wrinkled his nose when the Auror handed it to him.
"Aww, that makes me loopy."
"Don't care. Drink that."
Theo accepted the potion and knocked the swallow of pain potion back. "Ew."
Sebastian accepted the glass back and then sat back on the sofa. "But you'll feel better."
Theo made a face. "That really was awful."
Sebastian handed him his tea from the coffee table. "Wash it down with that."
"Are you always such an annoying mother hen?"
"Yes," Sebastian said, completely deadpan.
Theo snorted and sipped his tea before putting his cup back on the table. "I really am okay. Fractures take longer to heal than broken bones, something about the pressure… I don't know. Madam Pomfrey assured me that I would be great by this afternoon."
Sebastian moved closer on the sofa, his hand coming up to brush Theo's hair out of his eyes. "I'm sure that's true. But it's only eleven AM."
Theo's lips curved as Sebastian leaned in to nip at his mouth. "Hey!"
"Hey what?" he said, stealing another kiss.
"What happened to the no snogging rule while I was injured? Seems a bit hypocritical."
Sebastian's hands gripped his hips and Theo couldn't help but grin when he lifted him into his lap, sliding his legs up over his thighs. "I'll be careful."
Theo wrapped his arms around his neck. "But not too careful, right?"
Sebastian grinned, bringing his lips to Theo's. "Exactly."
Theo let out a small moan when Sebastian's mouth pressed against his again. Kissing another person should never be this amazing. It was the only thing that he could ever think of when that mouth met his. Sebastian's lips were always so soft and yet the stubble made his kisses rough. He tasted like tea and breakfast and yet oddly still a bit like fresh mint. Those big hands sat on his hips, thumbs brushing under his jumper to tease skin and it was like an electrical current ran through him.
He just wanted more.
He lost himself in those soft lips and when Sebastian's tongue met his, he pressed himself closer, letting his hands move down the wizard's broad chest. Theo's fingers clutched the jumper under his hands while his other hand slid around and into that soft hair. He loved the feel of it. He loved how it was always gelled to be messy, to fall in just the right way, and he loved that it wasn't ever hard or crusty, but soft to the touch, silky.
Sebastian felt very much the same way.
The feel of Theo's hands in his hair drove him mad. He felt comforted and aroused by it in ways he couldn't explain. He tossed his head back when Theo's mouth began to trail down his throat and when that hot mouth began to suck on the side of his neck, he actually whimpered. He couldn't remember the last time he'd enjoyed snogging anyone as much as he enjoyed snogging the man in his lap. He grunted when Theo gave him a push as Theo's lean body pressed him into the sofa, settling himself over top of him. When those lips returned to his neck, Sebastian moaned.
Feeling Sebastian under him like this was different than anything else they had done. It was more intimate. It was sexier. When that mouth found his again, Theo merely held himself above him, one hand on the back of the sofa, the other holding onto Sebastian's hip as they kissed over and over again. Sebastian's hands played with the hem of his jumper and when those hands slid underneath to roam over bare skin, Theo sucked on his bottom lip.
The feel of those big hands moving over his back made Theo want to feel more. He shifted and they both froze as their erections brushed against each other through the denim. Sebastian let out a strangled breath, pressing his forehead against Theo's.
"Maybe coming here wasn't such a good idea."
Theo started to nod, but Sebastian's lips pressed against the side of his neck and he moaned instead. "Mmm, says who?"
He sucked the skin there, hard enough to bruise, before he kissed his chin. "You're not a hundred percent. Your ribs are sore. You were in a fight yesterday."
"Old news," Theo argued, kissing him again. "Here now. Kiss me."
Sebastian moaned when Theo rubbed himself over him. "Fuck… I'm going to hate myself for this." He pushed Theo up and sat up himself, swinging his legs over the side of the sofa. "We need to go… out."
Theo kissed Sebastian's shoulder, one hand on his thigh, the other holding his arm. "Says who?"
"Says me."
Theo's mouth moved over to his ear. "Nuh-uh."
"Yeah-uh," Sebastian said, turning to kiss him again. "Merlin, I fucking love kissing you."
"So, kiss more, talk later," Theo said.
He did until they were both breathless and then Sebastian pulled back.
"Wait. Your ribs are —"
"—Fine," Theo insisted, sighing when Sebastian crawled off of the sofa. "Come back here."
Sebastian dragged a hand through his hair. "We need… movie! Have you ever been to the movies?"
Theo frowned. "The movies?"
"Yes," Sebastian said, grinning now. He grabbed Theo's hand and pulled him to his feet. "Let's go to the movies."
"Why?"
Sebastian slipped his arms around Theo's waist, pulling him up against him. "Because kissing you is becoming a very dangerous habit."
"But I want you to kiss me," Theo said, tilting his head back to look up at him. "Lots of kissing. Kissing is good. Leaving is bad."
"Mmm," Sebastian said, his hands sliding down to cup Theo's arse. "Merlin, I want that, too."
Theo slid his hands under Sebastian's jumper, touching warm skin and defined muscle. "This jumper needs to come off."
"Yes — no!" Sebastian said, stepping back. "Not while you're… no."
Theo pouted. "Tease."
Sebastian's hand cupped the back of his neck. "Let's go to the movies. You and me. Right now. On a date."
"Why?" Theo asked.
Blue eyes stared into his, dark with desire. "Because if we stay here another moment I'm going to do something that's going to hurt your ribs more and I don't want that. I don't want to hurt you."
"You won't," Theo assured him, tugging him closer by his jumper. "I'm not fragile, Bas."
Sebastian nipped at his mouth. "I know, but today you are." He kissed the corner of his mouth. "Come see a movie with me."
Theo sighed, throwing his arms over Sebastian's shoulders and linking his hands behind his neck. "What kind of movie? I've never actually seen one."
"What?" Sebastian exclaimed in surprise. "Really?"
Theo shrugged. "Well, it is a Muggle thing and I do come from a long line of elitist pureblood snobs. Are we really that surprised by my lack of knowledge of Muggle things?"
Sebastian chuckled. "I guess not. My mum used to take us to all sorts of Muggle things when we were kids. Movies were one of my favourites. In fact, there's one playing now, supposed to be the biggest movie of the year or whatever. Everyone is raving about it."
"Yeah?"
"Yeah," Sebastian said. "So, let's go load up on snacks and watch a movie. If you behave yourself, we'll snog in the dark."
Theo grinned. "I like how you think, Sebastian Kane."
Sebastian kissed him once more before he grabbed his wand from the table. "Come on. Let's go before you change my mind."
Theo laughed when Sebastian led him by the hand out of his flat and wondered just what it would take to change Sebastian's mind. Thirty minutes later, Theo decided he was glad Sebastian had dragged him here. He'd discreetly removed the arm between their two chairs so that they could sit closer. They each had an ice cold coca cola on their right and Sebastian had a huge tub of buttery popcorn between them with another container of Maltesers. Theo couldn't decide what he liked more, the crunch of the chocolate or the soft pop of the kernel, but both were delicious. He grinned when Sebastian linked his fingers with his.
The film they were here to see was called Titanic and it was a long film based on the sinking of a Muggle cruise liner from almost a century before. Theo couldn't take his eyes off of the screen. He had no idea that Muggles could make something so amazing. It was almost as good as a wireless show. The sounds and the screen being so big made one feel like they were there in the film. He was rooting for this Jack and Rose and wanting to punch her fiancé right in the face by the end. When Jack painted her and they made love, he wasn't even ashamed to say that he cried.
When the film ended, they held hands as they walked from the theatre and Theo was going on and on about how amazing it had been.
"It was so beautiful and so sad," Theo insisted. "I had no idea Muggle films could be like that! Are they all like that?"
"Yes and no," Sebastian said. "But that one was great. I'm glad you enjoyed it."
"I loved it!" Theo told him. "It was so fun and so amazing and oh my Godric when the ship was sinking and everyone was drowning, all I kept thinking was why don't they just Apparate away, and then I remembered, and those poor souls!"
Sebastian kissed his fingers. "But it was a film and they didn't really die."
"You're sure?" Theo asked. "It looked incredibly realistic."
"Promise," Sebastian assured him.
Theo nodded, feeling more relieved than he wanted to admit to hear that. "How do they do it then? How do they make it so realistic? It looked so real!"
"They call it the magic of the movies."
"But they don't have magic."
Sebastian grinned. "A phrase. It's all carefully choreographed and planned. There are people who work every part of it and some of it is even done with computer technology."
"Wow," Theo said. "I don't know what any of that means but it sounds awesome."
"Theo, you are adorable," Sebastian said, kissing his cheek. "How are your ribs feeling?"
Theo ran his hand down over them. "Pretty healed."
"You said that before."
"Really healed," Theo assured him. "Wanna check?"
Sebastian put his own hand over Theo's ribs, eyes on his face. "You swear?"
"I swear," Theo vowed. "So, let's go back to yours and snog some more."
Sebastian chuckled, kissing him. "Definitely. Let's grab some takeaway first."
"Who really needs food?" Theo teased, standing on his toes to suck on his earlobe. "I don't need food."
"I need food," Sebastian said. "What would you like?"
Theo stole one more kiss before he took his hand and began to lead him down the street again. "Um… Italian. I want pasta. No, spaghetti with thick tomato sauce and big meatballs. I like big balls."
Sebastian snorted. "Of course you went there. You have no filter."
"Is that a complaint? Want me to lie?"
Sebastian kissed their joined hands. "No. I like that about you. Spaghetti and big meatballs it is."
It took them half an hour to get an order to go and get back to Sebastian's flat. Once they were seated in the kitchen and eating, Theo sneaked a look over at Sebastian, watching as he twirled the noodles with his fork.
"Question."
Sebastian lifted an eyebrow. "All right."
Theo let out a slow breath. He didn't know how else to ask this without blurting it out and thought if he didn't ask it now, he would chicken out.
"Are you worried that if we spend a whole afternoon snogging it will lead to something more?"
Sebastian stopped spinning his fork and stared down at his food for a moment. He put his fork down, his blue eyes meeting Theo's. "Honestly? A little." At Theo's look, he sighed. "I like you, Theo. I like you a lot. You're sexy and sweet and adorable and kind of quirky. I love snogging you and kissing you is just… Merlin, whenever I touch you, I want more. I want your mouth and your hands and yes, I fucking want all of you. I want to do things to you that shouldn't be said in public. I want to hold that tight arse and just bury myself inside of you." His cheeks flushed. "I… I want you."
"I want you, too," Theo admitted. "I'm not some innocent doe-eyed virgin. I'm not fragile or breakable."
"I didn't say you were," Sebastian said slowly. "I'm not saying you are. You are anything but breakable. You're strong and brave and so bloody sexy. It's just that we haven't been together that long and… the last thing I want to do is rush you or rush into something. You're not a hookup and I don't want to treat you as such. I don't want to rush into it."
"Rush into what? A hookup?" Theo asked.
Sebastian's fingers found his. "If I wanted a hookup, I would have fucked you that first night."
Theo's eyes darkened as he remembered the way he'd clung to Sebastian in the cold, in the dark of the night. He knew his words were true. If he'd so much as hinted at Theo coming home with him, he would have and they both knew it.
"Why didn't you?" he asked.
"Because I like you," Sebastian admitted. "I want to get to know you and be with you as more than that. We have limited time together, Theo. A few stolen hours here and a few stolen hours there before you have to go back to Hogwarts at the end of the day."
Theo frowned. "You think that's limited? That what, I'll change my mind about you or something?"
"No," Sebastian said, quickly. "I mean, I hope not, but no. What I'm trying to say is that when it happens, I want more than a few stolen hours with you."
Theo's eyes softened. "More?"
Sebastian shifted his chair closer so that he could kiss Theo's lips, trailing his mouth along his ear. "More. These weekends we've been spending together, what are the rules for a student such as yourself on the entire weekend?"
"Entire weekend?" Theo asked, raising an eyebrow. "What rules? We already spend the entire weekend together."
"No," Sebastian said, brushing his thumb over Theo's bottom lip. "Not the nights."
Theo's eyes darkened. Suddenly the implication of what Sebastian meant by more was that much more. "Those aren't a problem as long as I'm in class on time Monday morning."
Sebastian nodded, cupping his cheek. "Well, that's good to know."
Theo placed his hand on Sebastian's chest. "Do you… do you want to spend a whole weekend together?"
"Do you?" Sebastian countered, his blue eyes on his.
The thought of spending an entire weekend with the incredible man before him seemed amazing.
"Yes."
Sebastian pulled him close again, his hands roaming over his back. "Good. That's something to think about then."
Theo leaned in to kiss him just as a bear Patronus burst into the kitchen.
"MIA Headquarters, five minutes."
Sebastian swore under his breath. "As I said, stolen moments."
Theo pouted. "You have to go?"
"I have to go," Sebastian said. "But we'll go to lunch on Friday and make plans for the weekend?"
"Yes," Theo said.
"And we'll talk," Sebastian said. "About more?"
"About more," Theo agreed.
He stood with him, kissing him deeply before Sebastian grabbed his cloak.
"Take your spaghetti with you. We'll talk on Friday."
Theo wished him luck and watched him hurry out of the flat. He let out a sigh of disappointment before he moved to pack up his dinner. Oliver jumped up onto the table, meowing and Theo reached out to scratch him behind the ears. He purred, rubbing his cheek against Theo's hand.
"Yeah, I miss him, too," Theo admitted.
He packed up his things to head back to Hogwarts and he wondered if Sebastian had meant that they would discuss Theo spending the whole weekend with him. Spending the nights with him. The thought made desire stir in his gut and he couldn't wipe the grin off of his face at the thought.
He couldn't wait to see him again.
End Author's Notes:
Thanks again to GryffindorHealer for helping me with my medical mumbo jumbo and for telling me over and over again — nope, he's dead every time I asked if I could do this to Ron and let him survive LOL. Thank you again!
Thank you for reading and please review!