Explanations

A/N: More fun with Ron and Severus! I must say that I love playing with those two; it's big fun!

Thanks to everyone who has left me a review; I'm absolutely addicted to instant feedback!

Once again, thanks to my beta, Vaughn, for both keeping me honest and making me giggle. Vaughn, you're the best! :)

Disclaimer: They are not mine; I only take them out to play.

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The next three days passed rather idyllically in St. Mungo's, room 309. Severus and Ron spent their days reading, talking, and fooling around as much as they thought they could get away with. Determined to get stronger as soon as he was able, Severus spent much of the day standing, taking short walks with Ron to support him, and generally spending as little time in bed as possible--unless, of course, there happened to be a naked redhead in it. While Ron was impressed by Severus' enthusiasm, he was worried that the weak man was pushing himself too hard. Severus refused to let Ron 'mollycoddle' him, and ignored his gentle fretting. The whole business confused Ron. He simply didn't understand why Severus was pushing himself so hard. It never occurred to Ron that it was his own fault.

Though the days passed smoothly for Ron and Severus, there was a sneaky, growing tension. By the third day, Ron could tell that Severus was fretting about something, but the stubborn man refused to discuss it. It wasn't until the next morning that Ron got any inkling about what was bothering the increasingly cranky older wizard. When Ron did find out what the matter was, he reacted badly.

Their early morning session of fooling around had become a habit that they both looked forward to. On this particular morning, all hell broke loose. Lying on top of Severus, Ron carefully kept most of his weight off the weaker man with braced arms. Severus' legs were spread and Ron's hips were happily nestled between his thighs. The gentle motion of Ron's hips as he stroked their cocks together abruptly stopped when Severus leaned up and whispered huskily in Ron's ear, "Fuck me."

"What? No!" Ron said, his voice going almost an octave higher in shock. The mere thought of taking advantage of Severus like that, while he was still so weak, caused Ron's arousal to abruptly deflate. Finding himself confused and lying atop a suddenly angry wizard, Ron tried to make up for his abrupt reaction in vain. "You're not strong enough, love. You know I want that, but it's too soon..."

"Rubbish!" Severus snapped. "There's no need to try to spare my feelings." Sliding a hand down to roughly caress Ron's limp cock, Severus continued, "I can feel exactly how disgusted you are by the very thought of making love to me. Get off of me."

"But Severus, you don't unders..."

"Get off of me!" Severus screeched while beginning to struggle and attempting to push Ron away. "Get off and get out of my bed! Get out!"

Ron fled. His eyes filling with sudden tears, Ron could barely see as he scrambled from the bed and stumbled across the room to the lav. Slamming the door behind him, Ron collapsed to his knees on the hard tile. His head automatically fell into his hands as he began to sob. How could he have been so stupid? He knew Severus was touchy about asking for things, yet when Severus had wanted to take their pleasure further, what had Ron done? He'd shrieked "no" at the man like a fucking banshee. He'd never fix this. Severus would never forgive him. Not one week into their relationship and Ron had already cocked it up beyond all hope of repair.

A sudden thud from the other room and a sharp cry of pain brought Ron abruptly back to the present. Rising quickly to his feet, Ron flew to the door only to pause and open it cautiously, uncertain of his welcome. Seeing Severus sprawled on the floor made Ron rush into the room like a flash. Flying to the prone man, Ron dropped to his knees and gathered Severus up into his arms.

"Severus! Are you all right? Should I call a Healer? What the hell were you doing trying to walk on your own?"

"I forgot...I wasn't thinking..." Severus mumbled into Ron's neck.

"You forgot?" Ron's voice had gone a bit high and squeaky. "You almost killed yourself because you forgot? Were you in such a hurry to get away from me that you forgot you couldn't walk?"

"No! Never!" Severus said forcefully. Pulling slightly away from Ron, Severus wound both hands in the hair at Ron's temples and brushed Ron's wet cheeks with his thumbs. "I heard you crying," he murmured. "You were crying and it was my fault." Winding his arms around Ron, Severus pulled him into a fierce embrace. "I forgot about my blasted legs...I only thought of getting to you." Giving Ron a rough shake, he continued, "Damn it, man! You can't go running off when I'm unable to chase you, it's completely unfair!"

"You told me to get out," Ron muttered into Severus' neck. Though Ron couldn't see it, he could practically feel Severus rolling his eyes at him.

"I believe," Severus began dryly, "that you know me well enough by now to realize that I tend to overreact from time to time."

That comment caused Ron to giggle a bit, which earned him another brief shake. Pulling away from Severus far enough to look into his eyes, Ron asked, "Are we all right then?"

"No, we are obviously not all right," Severus said simply. He hushed Ron by putting his fingers across Ron's mouth when he opened it to protest. "This never would have happened if I had not been so reluctant to speak of certain matters. Now help me up off this blasted floor, we are going to have a talk."

Helping the older wizard up and over to the bed, it was Ron's turn to roll his eyes. "It's never a good thing when your boyfriend tells you he wants to have a talk," he groused while Severus chuckled lightly.

Once they were arranged comfortably on the bed, and Ron had satisfied his fears that Severus' fall had done him no injury, Severus regarded him quite seriously as he began to speak.

"Ron, can you please explain to me exactly why you have been so reluctant to make love to me?"

"You aren't strong enough..." Ron began hesitantly, unable to meet Severus' eye.

"Enough!" Severus snapped, interrupting him. Taking a moment to calm down, Severus continued. "It's little wonder that I get...upset...when you insist on sticking to such nonsensical arguments."

"It's not nonsense..." Ron began.

Taking Ron's chin firmly in one hand, Severus turned the young wizard's face until Ron was forced to meet his eye. "It is nonsense," he began calmly, "and I think it's about time you stopped expecting me to allow you to get away with it. With the games that we get up to in the bath, you might as well be fucking me. It's obvious that you are not causing me any harm, and I believe I have made it equally obvious how much I enjoy it."

"How can you?" Ron asked bluntly, his expression both puzzled and earnestly horrified.

"I don't understand..."

"How can you like that? It hurts! It bloody well hurts and you've been hurt enough, for god's sake. I'm not doing that to you. I'm not going to hurt you. I don't care how angry you get, I'm not causing you any more pain!" he said fiercely.

Severus Snape's eyebrows rose practically to his hairline in sudden understanding. "Come here," he whispered as he pulled Ron into a firm embrace. Pillowing Ron's head on his shoulder, Severus held the trembling wizard tightly and stroked one hand up and down his back as he gave Ron time to quiet down. When the trembling stopped, Severus continued in a calm and gentle manner.

"Ron, how many times have you bottomed?"

"Just the once," Ron answered softly.

"I assume it was not a pleasant experience?"

"It was awful," Ron said before turning his head to bury his face in Severus' neck.

"Tell me," Severus gently encouraged.

"It hurt," Ron muttered into Severus' neck, unable to bring himself to look his lover in the eye. "I didn't know it would hurt so much...and I bled..." His voice trailed off.

Severus' arms tightened even further around Ron and it was a long time before he spoke. Though his eyes flashed with anger, when he spoke, his voice was calm and unwavering. "And have you ever topped, Ron?" he asked simply.

"Yes," Ron whispered, his body breaking into fresh trembling. "I've had partners who...wanted that...I didn't want to hurt them like that but they wanted..." His voice disappeared and Severus could feel Ron's hot tears running down his neck.

This time, it took quite a long pause before Severus was able to speak calmly. "And did any of your partners ever seem like they were hurt?"

"No...no, they didn't...I thought maybe they were just braver than I am..."

Now Severus could no longer remain calm. Rolling Ron onto his back, he leaned over him and looked him earnestly in the eyes. "Ron, you are the bravest young man I have ever met in my life. Don't you dare call yourself a coward in front of me. The only coward in this whole tale is that first bumbling fool who tried to top you, and if I ever get my hands on the man I'll choke the very life out of him for daring to hurt you."

"He's already dead," Ron whispered, wide eyed. "In the war...Kingsley..."

Pulling Ron roughly back into his arms, Severus growled, "That ham-fisted lout! If I were a Necromancer, I'd bring him back to life just to have the pleasure of killing him again!" Pulling away from Ron, Severus stared into Ron's eyes as he said, "I need to tell you something. I want you to listen to me carefully and try to trust me...will you do this?"

"I'll try," Ron said quietly.

Giving Ron a firm nod, Severus continued. "The first time a man bottoms there is likely to be some discomfort...discomfort Ron, not major pain and bleeding. If the top knows what he's about, and cares enough to take his time, then the discomfort is fleeting. It was just bad luck that your first partner either didn't know enough or didn't care enough to insure that you had pleasure from it."

"It can feel good?" Ron asked, his face an expression of blatant disbelief.

"I assure you that it can feel amazing. Do you honestly think that I would beg you for it in such an unbecoming manner if I thought you were going to hurt me?"

"No...not when you put it like that. But what If I don't know enough, what if I hurt you?"

"Then I will tell you to stop and we'll try again. However, I seriously doubt that will be necessary. Ron, you told me that your other lovers never complained of pain; I think that is because you never hurt them, not because they were trying to be all manly about it. You are the most passionate and gentle lover I have ever had in my life. I'm not used to gentleness...it's little wonder I'm so attracted to you."

"Oh, so that's the reason," Ron teased, his mood lightening. "I had been wondering..."

With a growl, Severus rolled Ron underneath him. "That's not the only reason," he said, before lowering his mouth to Ron's to kiss him fiercely. Ending the kiss, Severus gazed down fondly at the panting young wizard beneath him. "Now, before I do my level best to distract you from all of this, is there anything else you wish to ask me about this subject?"

"Have you ever topped?"

"Yes. There is a rather primal excitement to topping, though I enjoy both being the top and the bottom."

"But," Ron began hesitantly, "you've never asked to... Were you only being polite?"

Quieting Ron's stumbling words with a quick kiss, Severus spoke, his voice gone deep and husky. "I assure you that there is nothing polite about the way I feel when I imagine you thrusting inside of me. I enjoy being on the bottom, Ron. While topping has its pleasures, there is no equal to experiencing an orgasm when your lover is thrusting deeply inside of you. It magnifies every good feeling to an intensity which you cannot imagine." As Severus spoke, his voice growling into Ron's ear, his hand wandered to pinch Ron's nipples lightly, to slip down to caress the muscled stomach, and to come to rest inside Ron's pajama pants where it firmly stroked Ron's renewed erection. "I promise you Ron...someday when you're ready...someday when you are no longer afraid...I'll show you exactly how wonderful it can be. I will prepare you so slowly and so carefully that you will beg me to fill you. And when I at last thrust into your delicious little arse, you will know only pleasure, only delight. I will dedicate my very soul to erasing forever the memory of what that imbecile did to you."

By this time, Ron was writhing under Severus' ministrations. Severus had never before been the aggressor in their sexual games. Now Ron suspected that this had been a result of Severus' weakened state rather than his temperament. The demanding voice rumbling into his ear and the forceful manner in which Severus covered him had more to do with Ron's building excitement than the firmly stroking hand within his pajama pants.

"Severus...oh gods...kiss me...please..."

Now it was Ron who lay trembling and begging as Severus took the lead. Tugging down the waistband of Ron's pajamas just far enough to hook it under Ron's balls, Severus then lifted up far enough to gather his nightshirt up around his waist. Thrusting his hips, he ground his cock against Ron's hard length as he lowered his mouth to kiss Ron hungrily.

Returning his mouth to Ron's ear, he hissed softly, "Imagine it, Ron. Imagine you lying beneath me, pushing your arse up wantonly as you beg me to thrust deeper, harder. Imagine coming so hard that you lose your senses from the sheer pleasure of it."

That was as much as Ron could take. With a sharp cry, he came. As his orgasm poured out between them, Severus pounded against Ron, his husky words deteriorating into a throaty hiss as he found his release.

Ron eventually recovered enough to wander into the lav and bring back a flannel to clean his lover off. The two men then lazily napped until lunch arrived. Severus' bath time occurred as it usually did. Indeed, now that Severus understood Ron's reluctance, he seemed more than willing to be patient with the young wizard until Ron had time to think about the matter.

For Ron's part, he scarcely thought about anything else all that day. Considering the matter carefully, he revisited the memories of both his first and only time as a bottom and of the lovers he had topped. Looking at the situation with fresh eyes, what Severus had told him began to make sense. Kingsley had been rough and in a hurry when he'd pounced Ron one night at Order headquarters. If Ron had known what to expect, he would have stopped the man at the first sign of pain. Looking back at his other experiences, Ron admitted to himself that his lovers had shown absolutely no sign of experiencing any pain at all. In fact, the few negative comments he'd had from his partners were more along the lines of telling Ron that he didn't have to be so careful. By the time Ron and Severus had finished bath time and sat side by side on Severus' bed reading, Ron was thinking about making love to Severus with far more interest than fear.

If they hadn't then been interrupted, Ron might have chanced being caught by the Healers in order to explore the subject further. As luck would have it, Harry and Hermione arrived for a visit just as Ron was trying to gather the courage for a mid-day romp.

Having paused just inside the doorway, Harry and Hermione stood looking absolutely gobsmacked at the sight of their friend and their ex-professor snuggling together reading in bed. Glancing at Severus, Ron noted that he had closed his book and now was looking uncomfortable and avoiding meeting Ron's eye. Doubting that Severus gave a damn about being caught by Harry and Hermione, Ron decided that Severus was remembering his reaction the last time his friends had walked in on them. Taking one of Severus' hands in his own, he squeezed it tightly.

Grinning unabashedly at his friends, Ron said cheekily, "Hello. 'Bout time you lot showed up, I was expecting you yesterday."

His grin widened as he watched his friends blush and stammer.