Making Plans

A/N: Look! I'm still writing! Lol, I'm a little frightened that I'll suddenly stop again! My work is being a bit of a bear at the moment, but hopefully I'll be able to update again soon.

As always, big, ginourmous thanks must go to my lovely beta Vaughn, (who would sweetly tell me that ginourmous wasn't really a word. *giggle*) without whom you would be wading through quite a lot of oopsies. You rock, Vaughn! :)

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

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Over the course of the next few days in St. Mungo's, room 309, there was a sudden flurry of unusual activity. Previously, Severus had seemed content to read quietly, nap in the afternoons, and play with his young lover whenever he got the chance. Though they still found plenty of time for play, the rest of Severus' day was abruptly different. Suddenly, Ron was reminded of the almost manic habits of his Potions Professor back at school, and he often found himself biting back a chuckle at the familiar sight of Severus fussing over scrolls, rapidly writing missives to be sent off by St. Mungo's owls, and muttering to himself as he made notes in the margins of a dog-eared book with a quill full of bright red ink. Severus was receiving two or three owls a day, and each arrival caused a new bout of muttering and the skritchy sound of quill on paper. Often Severus was so distracted, Ron was certain that, had he not been handicapped by the two canes he still relied on, he would have paced about the room muttering and flapping his arms. It seemed that there was still a great deal of the Hogwarts' "bat of the dungeons" left in Ron's love, and it made him smile to see that it was so.

For Ron's part, he did his best not to be nosy. It was easy to see that Severus' sudden activity had started the morning after the two wizards had decided that they would stay together after they left the hospital. Ron suspected that all the owls, scribbling, and muttering had to do with Severus trying to sort out where they should move to when they were released. As Ron had no money to aid the endeavor, he felt he had no right to voice any opinion about the situation. To be quite honest, he didn't care if they lived in a cave as long as they stuck together. Quite content to stay out of the process and let Severus arrange it, Ron found that he had a lot of time to think about the other things on his mind. Something Harry had once said came back to him, and Ron decided it was past time he sorted out what to do about it.

The Weasley family might be poor, but they were also a rather old branch of a pureblood wizarding family. Ron's mother had taken great pains to fill all her children's heads with the proper wizarding etiquette when it came to formal situations. Indeed, Molly had seen to this with the same intense enthusiasm in which she did all things. Their family might be poor, but they followed all the standard rules of wizarding conduct just as such families as the Malfoys had done, if not in such an unbearably swotty fashion. Now that Ron had a quandary of etiquette, he knew that his mother was the perfect person to ask advice of.

That knowledge did not make the actual asking any easier. Ron's family, especially his parents, had visited Ron weekly ever since the beginning of his hospital stay. Molly and Arthur knew that Ron and his roommate had become friends, but Ron had never been brave enough to tell them exactly how close they were. The past few weeks had made for interesting visits. In the beginning, when Ron's parents had come to call, Severus had remained morosely silent as he did when Ron had any sort of visitor. Later, Severus had made the same quiet attempts to be civil that he had made with Harry and Hermione. The past three weeks, it was clear to Ron that Severus was making a decided effort to get to know his parents better. Though Severus and his parents had been in the Order together, they had never been close. It pleased Ron greatly to see his love make such an effort on his behalf. It was especially endearing to see Severus chat with his father for long periods of time about a variety of Muggle devices. Severus must have had quite a lot of experiences with such things, due to his Muggle father, but what surprised Ron most was that Severus seemed to enjoy the discussions as much as his Dad did. His lover was always very patient with Arthur, explaining things that Arthur didn't understand and even going so far as to sketch things on spare bits of parchment to illustrate whatever he was speaking of. This often made Ron a bit wistful, as it clearly showed what a fine teacher Severus would have made had his lot in life been different.

Biding his time, Ron hoped for a visit from his parents while Severus was busy. That would aid him in speaking to his Mum and Dad privately without arousing his far-too-clever boyfriend's suspicions. Soon the opportunity presented itself when Ron's parents arrived immediately after Severus had gotten another one of the mysterious owls. It seemed quite natural for Ron to kindly offer to take his folks up to the sixth floor shop so that Severus could have some peace. It seemed unnatural indeed to hear Severus Snape apologizing to his Dad for not having the time to chat with him that day, but that was exactly what Severus did. Who was this person, and what had they done with the surly "bat of the dungeons?" Though Ron wanted to make an outward sign to Severus of how much his manner was appreciated, Ron didn't want to give the situation away before he had the chance to speak with his parents privately. Though Severus had shown a gleeful sort of wickedness when it came to expressing his feelings towards Ron in front of his friends, the older wizard had shown an amazing amount of restraint when in the company of Ron's family. There was no sense rushing things now; his folks would know soon enough. Ron settled for asking Severus if he'd like a cup of coffee from the shop.

"That would be very nice, Ron, I thank you. It seems that I neglected to drink the last cup you brought me," Severus continued in a dangerously innocent tone of voice, "something must have distracted me."

Ron decided that there was no safe response to that, and hustled his parents out of the door before they had too much time to wonder why their son was blushing.

Once the Weasleys had made it up to the shop and had teacups in hand, Ron suddenly found himself tongue-tied.

"Ron," Molly said kindly, "is there something wrong?"

"No...er...not wrong exactly," Ron stammered. "It's just that I have to ask your opinion about something and I suddenly don't know where to begin."

"Begin anywhere you like," his Dad said jovially. "Whatever it is, I'm sure we'll soon get it sorted. Do you need more pocket money? We don't have much, you know, but I'm sure--"

"Oh, no, Dad," Ron hastened to reassure his father. "I haven't spent what you've already given me. There's not much I need money for, except for the odd cup of coffee."

"You're a good boy, Ron," Molly said, "to be so kind to Mr. Snape while you're both stuck here."

"It's no trouble, really," Ron said, trying not to blush again. "Severus is very kind to me. He's a good man."

"Of course he is, Ron," Molly hastened to agree, "but I imagine he's not an easy one," she finished with a smile.

"No, not easy exactly, but... Anyway, I'm thinking about getting married!" Ron blurted, suddenly unable to take the suspense any longer.

"Wonderful!" Arthur said enthusiastically as both his parents beamed happily at him. "And will you tell us who the lucky wizard is?" he finished with a grin.

Ron's train of thought came to an abrupt halt as he realized that his parents already seemed to know that he was gay. Well, they didn't seem to mind it, so that was one hurdle out of the way. Shocked again, by the next words his mother spoke, for a moment, all Ron could do was stare at her.

"Now, Arthur! Don't tease the poor boy so! Can't you see that this is hard on him? I'm sure he means Severus," she said matter-of-factly. "At any rate, it's to be expected."

"I do mean Severus," Ron said, still gaping at his mother. "Why do you say that's to be expected? Have Severus and I let something slip?"

"You and Severus have been perfectly proper at all times, a little too proper on occasion," Molly said, still smiling. "However, it would take a blind person not to notice the way you both look at each other. It's obvious he cares for you and you for him."

"There's another reason it's to be expected," Arthur said with a chortle. "Throughout history, the Weasley men have behaved in a similar fashion when it came time to choose a mate. Look at Bill with Fleur. Fred with that Muggle singer. Hell, Charlie used to date a vampire, and I think your Great Uncle Richard was engaged to an actual hag."

"What are you saying?" Ron said, losing patience, and a little worried that his boyfriend had been compared to both a vampire and a hag.

"Weasley men tend to go for mates who are considered, well, a bit difficult by other people's standards. Not that the Weasley men ever complained, mind you, such people tend to be more interesting and the fight to capture their hearts is most satisfying. If I remember correctly, even Uncle Richard was quite happy with his choice before his hag ran off with a boggart."

"You're lucky, Arthur, that you never went for such nonsense," Molly said, archly.

"Yes, dear," Arthur said dutifully, smiling fondly at his wife. "Very lucky indeed."

When Molly then looked to her teacup, Ron had to stifle a laugh at the broad wink that his father gave him. "At any rate, considering that Severus Snape is one of the most difficult people of my acquaintance--and I don't mean any insult, Ron...it seems inevitable that he'd end up with a Weasley spouse."

"So," Ron began hesitantly, "you aren't disappointed then?"

"Not at all, dear, not at all," Molly said kindly. "Severus is a fine wizard, and while you may have your spats now and again, I don't see you having any real trouble with him. It's obvious that you truly care for him, Ron. In the end, that is all that really matters. Is that all you wanted to discuss with us?"

"No, not really. I want to propose to Severus, but I'm unsure of the proper forms, us both being wizards. And I don't have a ring; I don't even know if I need one."

"Of course you need a ring!" Molly practically shouted. "You can't go proposing without a proper ring! Not to worry dear, we've got Great Grandmother Silvia's ring stashed around somewhere. Hideous old thing it is too, but well made. I'll take it over to Minerva. She's the best person at transfiguration I know, and...as she's a friend to Severus...she'll have an idea what he might fancy in an engagement ring."

"As for the proper forms," Arthur began, "it's easy as can be. You use the same forms as anyone else--with the proper pronoun adjustments, of course. The proposing wizard becomes the "groom" for the betrothal period and bonding while the wizard who is proposed to becomes the "bride." Not that Severus has to wear a gown, or anything," Arthur joked. "It only determines who says what. Just keep in mind that Severus either keeps his own surname or takes yours. The "groom" never takes the "bride's" surname, even if they are both wizards."

"Why is that?" asked Ron.

"No one knows, really. Perhaps it's considered a prize for having the stones to ask first," Arthur said with a chuckle.

"Arthur, don't be crude," Molly chided.

"Yes, dear," Arthur said dutifully, giving his son another wink.

"What if he doesn't know the proper forms?" Ron asked worriedly. "Well, he is a half-blood--not that that matters to me--but what if he was never taught?"

"I wouldn't worry about that, dear," Molly said. "Severus' mother was a pureblood, I'm sure she taught him. Even if she did not, Severus is an intelligent man and has impeccable wizarding manners, when he chooses to display them. He has been acquainted with many pureblood families over the course of his life."

"But what if he doesn't?" Ron insisted. "I don't want to embarrass the man; I want him to say yes!"

"Ron," Arthur began calmly, "even if he doesn't know the proper response, I don't think he'll be embarrassed. The Proposal Form sounds exactly like what it is, a proposal of marriage. If he's inexperienced with the forms, the language will only sound a bit more formal that he is expecting. The worst thing that will happen is that he will just say "yes" instead of answering in kind. Somehow, by the way you are worrying about it, I don't really think you care how he responds, just so long as he agrees," Arthur finished with a grin.

"What if he doesn't?" Ron fretted. "What if he says no?"

"Not to worry, you're a Weasley!" Arthur said cheerfully. "Weasleys don't accept "no" for an answer! Why, it took four proposals before your mother agreed to be my bride."

"Arthur!" Molly groused.

"Yes, dear," Arthur said patiently before he added, "but it's quite true, you know."

Molly couldn't keep a grin off of her face, and soon the three Weasleys were laughing together. Ron found himself much relieved. It was true that he hadn't actually asked Severus yet, but he felt comforted just knowing the proper way to go about it. All he needed to do now was to practice with the Forms a bit in his head--so that he didn't trip over his tongue when the time came--and wait for his Mum to get the ring squared away. Unsure what Severus' answer would be, Ron decided to worry about crossing that bridge when he came to it. Ron was determined to trudge right into the fray in true Gryffindor fashion. For, as his father had pointed out, if Severus was stubborn enough to decline, Ron could always ask him again.

Returning to room 309, the Weasleys found Severus less occupied and stayed for a brief chat while Severus smugly drank his smuggled cup of coffee. When Ron's parents took their leave, Arthur shook Severus' hand warmly and Molly leaned up to give the startled man a smooch on the cheek. Soon, Ron and Severus were once again alone.

"You told them," Severus said quietly.

"Yes, I did," Ron said calmly. "It was about time, don't you think?"

"They...they didn't seem upset," Severus said, his usually confident voice strangely uncertain.

"Why should they be?"

"Well," Severus began bitterly, "perhaps because I was a Death Eater, because I'm a bloody murderer, because I killed--"

Stopping Severus' tirade by placing his fingers firmly against Severus' lips, Ron said firmly, "Or maybe my parents are growing fond of you, because you are kind to them, because you are patient with my father, because you are a brave and intelligent wizard who is in love with their son. Now, why don't you sit down and finish your coffee, love?"

Letting Ron guide him to his chair, Severus dutifully sat down and finished his coffee while Ron sat next to him, his arm a comforting weight around Severus' shoulders. The young wizard's impassioned speech had calmed him. Severus didn't know why he sometimes seemed hell bent on pushing Ron away from him when all he wanted was to keep the young wizard close. Oh, he assumed the Healers would blather on about how his guilt over certain events in his past kept him feeling undeserving of things. He supposed that they would be right. But knowing what the problem was did nothing to fix it. He was lucky that Ron was such a patient young man. Deciding that it was best to put his outburst behind him as quickly as possible, Severus turned to Ron.

"Ron, I would like to ask you something."

For one tense moment, Ron was certain that Severus was about to beat him to the punch. His mind reeling, he found himself both wondering about whether that meant that he would have to take Severus' surname and frantically trying to remember the bride's response from the forms--which he had never dutifully memorized as a child as he had the groom's forms. Then Severus spoke, and Ron was never quite sure whether he was relieved or disappointed.

"Ron, what do you want to do with yourself once we leave here?"

"I want to stay with you," Ron replied immediately.

"I know that, brat!" Severus said affectionately, wrapping an arm around Ron's waist and giving him a comforting squeeze. "What I mean to say is, what sort of occupation are you interested in?"

"I'm not really qualified for much, not having finished school. I haven't even taken the adult tests yet."

"It doesn't matter what you are qualified to do at this moment, Ron. You have been a bit busy the past few years, after all. Those things can be sorted later. What is it you are interested in?" he repeated patiently.

"Well," Ron began, hesitantly, "there is one thing I've thought about, but it's not very grand. I'm half afraid that you'll laugh."

"Try me," Severus said softly.

With that, Ron began to explain.