Consultation

A/N: My muse seems to be on a roll! Here's another chapter already, thanks to Vaughn's speedy and fantabulous beta reading! Vaughn rocks!

I also want to thank Wolf Moonshadow, for finding a few bits I missed. I tell ya, you proof read and proof read, and then your very clever beta does the same, but the occasional typo is still bound to slip by. Bless Moon's sharp eyes! :)

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

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"Well," Ron began, "I've always admired Fred and George's shop, and at one time I thought that I'd either help them out or start a shop of my own. But the more I visited them at work, the less I liked it. It looks like fun sometimes, but it's always absolutely frantic. Fred and George are always bustling about, solving problems, answering questions, and constantly being surrounded by a horde of people. I don't know...I used to like that kind of crush when I was younger, but now, after the war--"

"I understand," Severus said when Ron's voice trailed off. "It makes perfect sense that after fighting for so long you might wish for something a bit more...peaceful."

"That's it exactly," Ron said, relieved that his love had understood what he'd been trying to say. "I'm just not comfortable around so many people anymore. The noise makes me jumpy and I find myself trying to keep an eye on everyone at once."

"I feel the same myself," Severus said. "The idea of going someplace crowded, like Diagon Alley, rather puts me off at the moment. I'm certain we will both adjust to such things in time, but I have no more desire to rush into it than you do. So, a shop like your brothers' is obviously out. What else have you been thinking?"

"I thought at first that maybe I could try my hand at a smaller shop, but even that seemed too much. Then I realized I could still go into trade. I wouldn't have to open a place myself if I simply sold to other people's shops."

"And what did you wish to sell?" Severus asked with a smirk. "Not potions, I hope?"

"You know the answer to that, you berk!" Ron groused. "I'm pants at potions and I'm happy to leave the whole lot to you! No, I've always fancied familiars, actually. If I could do whatever I wanted, I think I'd like to become a breeder." Now that his secret was out, Ron looked uncertainly up at Severus.

Though Severus did look surprised by Ron's choice, he did not look either amused or disappointed in the least. Taking a moment to think about it, he then spoke. "I know from personal experience how patient you can be and how kind you are. I think that you have a good temperament to raise and train familiars, Ron. It's a fine idea." As Ron smiled in relief, Severus continued, "Have you looked into the breeding business at all?"

"I've done quite a bit of research, actually. It won't surprise you, I'm sure, that Hermione dug up several books on the subject for me," Ron said, laughing. "The best thing is that I could start out small. Toads and rats are still very popular with young kids, so the cost of the first breeding pairs and the upkeep would be really low. Once I got things rolling, I could reinvest the profits into more expensive animals, like cats or owls. Eventually I could try some of the exotics, and that's where the money is. There's a large cat called a Savannah that's in big demand because there aren't many breeders--which isn't surprising because they cost nearly five hundred Galleons a piece."

"It's clear that you know what you're talking about, and I have to say that it's a relief to me because it will work in easily with my own plans," Severus said.

"And what are your plans, Severus?"

"Potions! What else?" Severus said with a chuckle. "But like you, I've no desire to run a shop. To be quite honest, I can make more money if I spend my time brewing and not shop keeping. What I want more than anything is to have no one to answer to, and if I sell my potions freelance--much as you plan to do with your familiars--I can do exactly that."

"No surprises there," Ron said, laughing. "Why do you say that our plans will do well together?"

"As I'm sure you have guessed, I've been trying to sort out where we'll live when we leave here. Hermione has been kind enough to act as my agent while I'm stuck here, and she's managed to find a buyer for my house. And before you ask, there was no question about us living there. It was a horrible house in a horrible part of town, and I shall be forever grateful if I never have to see the nasty place again."

"I understand, Severus," Ron said quietly. "You know that I couldn't be buggered where we live, so long as we stick together. You don't have to explain your choices to me, just pick wherever you like and I'll have my bags packed."

Here the discussion abruptly halted as the older wizard momentarily kept Ron's mouth busy with an activity far more enjoyable than speaking. Eventually, Severus released Ron to speak to him earnestly.

"Listen to me, love. This is a decision that we will be making together, as I want us both to be as happy as possible with it. The only reason I have not consulted with you until now is because I needed to get through the sale of the house and get some of my other affairs in order before I could ascertain what our options would be. Now that I know exactly what our financial situation is, it's important for me to know what your plans are so that we can choose accordingly."

"Why does where we live depend on what I want to do?"

"Because, if you had said you wanted to further your education, or apprentice, or work in a shop, then we would do best to live in the city. After all, potions can be brewed anywhere. However, I'd prefer not to live in town, and to be quite blunt, shabby cottages in the country are far cheaper than shabby flats in town. I'm afraid that wherever we live, it is bound to be a bit shabby. Your rats and toads won't be much of an expense, but it will take a good deal of our capital to get me the initial setup I need to brew."

"We're going to have a cottage? Brilliant!" Ron said happily.

"Now don't get your hopes up, brat. I told you that--"

"Severus," Ron interrupted. "I'm not concerned about how shabby our home is and I'm not afraid of the work it will take to improve it. You've seen my parent's house. I've had a lot of experience with shabby. I'm just happy that we won't be living in town and that we'll be together."

"It won't always be shabby, Ron," Severus said softly. "Potions making is a very lucrative business; it's just difficult to start from scratch. I believe your breeding venture will do well also, once we have the capital to expand it."

"It will help that we won't have seven kids to feed, like my folks did," Ron said with a laugh.

"Perish the thought!" Severus said with an exaggerated look of horror.

"It wouldn't be that bad," Ron said with a grin. "Just imagine it! Ickle Severus' running about the house."

"That, I think, is a dubious joy that the world can very well do without, besides," Severus said as he casually let a hand drop to ghost across Ron's crotch, "unless you've been wearing an extremely good costume, I do believe that it's out of the question."

Unable to keep his hips from tilting into the unexpected caress from his lover, Ron made a happy little humming sound when Severus increased the pressure of his hand as he stroked Ron's growing erection. Winding his other hand into the hair at the back of Ron's neck, Severus leaned into Ron, snuggling his nose behind Ron's ear and inhaling deeply.

"I do believe," Severus murmured into Ron's hair, his voice low and rough, "that it is time for my bath. Perhaps we could continue this discussion later, if you have no objection?"

When he couldn't manage an articulate reply, Ron decided that actions spoke louder than words. Standing, he pulled Severus to his feet and then swung the older wizard up into his arms. One of Severus' arms went round Ron's neck. With his other hand, Severus stroked and squeezed Ron's bicep.

"Never have I known such strength coupled with such gentleness," Severus said, his voice gone soft with wonder. "You take my breath away, Ronald Weasley."

"And you, Severus Snape, have stolen my heart," Ron replied, his voice just as effected. Staring deeply into his love's eyes, Ron carried him into the bath. As the bath filled, Ron sat on the edge of the tub with Severus on his lap. The two men kissed and fondled each other as steam began to fill the room. Once Severus was placed in the filled tub, Ron began the wonderful torture of bathing Severus from head to toe. Though Severus did his best to speed matters along, Ron would not be rushed. He loved having free reign to stroke every inch of his soapy, wet lover. After Severus' hair had been washed and rinsed, Ron slipped into the tub behind Severus and moved them into that same position they had found themselves in the first time they had bathed together. Slouched low in the water and leaning against the back of the tub, Ron was completely covered by his lover's body. Severus' cock, heavily aroused, stood proudly out of the bathwater. One of Ron's hands slipped happily around his lover's cock, while the other slipped between their bodies, to caress and tease at Severus' entrance. Soon the older wizard was hissing his pleasure and demanding more.

In fact, Severus was the most demanding and aggressive bottom that Ron had ever heard of. People who assumed a man who bottomed was a man who was submissive had never known the likes of Severus Snape. Severus rushed Ron through the preliminaries and he wasn't satisfied until Ron sank deep within his body. Hooking his feet over the edge of the tub and gripping that edge tight with his hands, Severus lifted his hips to sink again and again onto Ron. Starting slowly, soon Severus was fucking himself on Ron's cock with wild abandon. Ron loved this position; he loved it precisely because he wasn't in control. Each time they made love, Severus showed Ron how much he enjoyed it with both passion and enthusiasm. However, Ron was still working through his issues with penetration. This position, with Severus bottoming but dominant, took all decisions out of Ron's hands. He was free to simply enjoy the hard cock in his hands and the quivering, hot, sliding channel which surrounded his own needy flesh. As Severus neared the edge of his control, his head fell back over Ron's shoulder. Taking advantage, Ron turned his head to kiss and nip at Severus' long, pale neck.

"Ron...can't...hold out...much longer," Severus panted.

As Severus lifted his hips, Ron took over. His fist slid quickly over Severus' cock as he began to thrust up into his lover.

"There is no need to wait...no need to hold back," Ron whispered. "Come for me, love. Come for me now."

As Severus' cock began to jump in his hand, as Severus' body began to spasm around him, Ron pressed deep and held tight, needing no movement but the response of his lover's body to wrench the orgasm from him. It never failed to thrill him, this moment of bliss when he was joined so intimately with the man he loved. Still, there was something wanting...something yet to be experienced. The clear joy and passion that Severus showed when Ron was buried to the hilt inside of him had set Ron to wondering. What would it be like to have his lover thrusting inside of him? What would happen if he were to try again, this time with a man he both loved and trusted? Though he was still uncertain, at times such as this, Ron thought about asking Severus to make love to him with far more interest than fear.

It still surprised Ron that Severus turned into a snuggler after sex, though it certainly didn't displease him in the least. Severus had maintained the same attitude that he had shown the first time that Ron had made love to him. Whenever they reached completion, Severus would hold tight to Ron...or, in this case, relax on top of Ron...keeping Ron's cock inside his body with an almost greedy possessiveness until Ron's cock had softened and slipped out on his own. Ron loved these languid, glowing moments where he stayed intimately attached to his love. In that golden moment, all the ridiculous clichés that the Weird Sisters sang about on the wireless came true. It was as if Severus and he shared one body. It was as if they shared one heart.

Eventually, kisses and caresses were exchanged, wet wizards were dried and dressed, and Severus led Ron back to their little table. Once there, Severus took out the book that Ron had seen him with. Inside were adverts for homes and flats that were for sale. On each page were notes jotted down in the margins in Severus' rather cramped writing. Many of the pictures in the adverts had been crossed out, and the notes in their margins held snippets of information as to why. "Too expensive," was scrawled onto several. "Poltergeist," adorned one and "Hags living in copse" on another. Severus, with the help of Hermione, Harry, and Minerva, had been doing extensive research.

"We've agreed that the flats are not what we are looking for, so we won't waste time on those," Severus said simply. "Of the cottages, there are two that would leave us enough capital for me to start brewing and you to buy your first rats and toads. This first one is in better shape, though it's still not what I would call nice, but it comes with only a small parcel of land. The second one comes with a great deal of land and a rather dilapidated barn as well, but, as you can see, shabby doesn't begin to describe it."

Ron studied the pictures thoughtfully. The first cottage was indeed in good shape. It looked as though it would only want some cleaning and a few cosmetic spells to be made livable. However, the cottage was small and the yard surrounding it tiny. If Ron wanted space for familiars, he would be hard pressed to find it. The second cottage looked, quite frankly, abysmal. It was in a great state of disrepair. The shingles of the roof were half missing. The door stood hanging awkwardly by one hinge. It was, however, much larger than the first, as it had a second story.

"That first one," Ron said hesitantly, "does look in better shape, but it would be mighty snug. How bad is this larger one? Is there structural damage?"

"The foundation is sound, as is the roof, once it gets new shingles. It also has a cellar, where I could set up a potions lab. I thought the barn might be re-fitted to house your animals, once we get the house in order. However, it would mean a great deal more work than the smaller cottage. I can understand if you don't want to get involved in such a large project. We could always start with the small cottage and move when our fortunes improve."

Despite his waffling, Ron could easily tell that Severus preferred the larger cottage, and Ron thought it was sensible as well. "There's no sense in buying a cottage we will have to move from," he said decidedly. "If the foundation is sound, then there's nothing wrong that a little elbow grease won't fix. I know it will take time, Severus, but I'm not frightened by a little rough living until we get things sorted. I like the idea of having more room, and, what with the cellar and the barn, that cottage seems just the thing for us."

Giving Ron a relieved smile, Severus was once again busy with writing and owls. Within a few days, the deed to the cottage was theirs, and Ron was touched to see that Severus had listed both of their names upon it. Though he hadn't scarcely a Knut to his name, Ron was now the proud half-owner of a rather horrid cottage just south of Scotland. Horrid or not, Ron and Severus had a home.

The next week seemed to fly by. Severus strengthened to a point where he needed only one cane to get around by himself, though he still preferred Ron's steady arm. Their new morning Healer, Fraichir, proudly told the two wizards that Severus' magic level was finally recovering and rising rapidly with each passing day. Ron felt almost like his old self. He walked easily unassisted, carried his lover around whenever he could get away with it, and was getting anxious for the day when they could leave St. Mungo's and start their own life. That was not the only thing Ron was waiting for. The day came when he got an owl from Minerva, asking him to join her in the St. Mungo's sixth floor shop. Excited, but trying to hide it from his over-observant roommate, Ron knew exactly what Minerva wanted to see him about. The ring! Ron had practiced the groom's forms in his head daily, he'd only been waiting for the ring. If all went well with Minerva, Ron planned to ask Severus to marry him that very night! With butterflies dancing wildly in his stomach, Ron made some excuse to Severus about coffee and slipped out to meet Minerva.