thrihyrne: Portland, OR (Ron on horse)
Thrihyrne ([personal profile] thrihyrne) wrote2005-08-02 11:20 am

Vignette fic, R/D

I think that these past few days being a primary assistant caregiver to my grandfather have really rubbed off on me. I wrote this yesterday while watching him do his workout with a personal trainer he has at a nearby healthcare facility.

Not sure that it even warrants a title.
edit: Now titled 'Home, Despite it All'
Not beta'ed, and it's in American English.
Rating: G (unless you feel like thinking about Snape naked; I didn't provide details)
Length: Short (just under 800 words)
Pairing: Ron/Draco, set vaguely after "The Ties that Bind" and the Snape in this doesn't quite jive with the way I have him in that series, but there you go.
Summary: Snape was hit by something that has left him physically incapacitated, but mentally as all there as he ever was, and he's been taken in by Ron and Draco.



Severus closed his eyes, his lips pulled so far down that Ron was convinced he must have extra muscles than the average wizard in his face.

"This is so undignified," Snape growled as Draco delicately ran a soft cloth over the older man's body. Draco ignored the comment and the small splashes of water slowly drenching his shirt as he bathed Severus' palsied form.

"Why won't you simply cast a cleaning spell as I requested?" Severus asked through tight lips, glaring at his caregiver.

"Because proper baths feel better," Draco said gently. Severus' arm flailed in the water, sending a small shower up into Draco's face. Continuing his ablutions, Draco wiped his sopping fringe against his shoulder.

Ron took a hand towel off a nearby rack and handed it to Draco, who flipped it across his shoulder with a murmured thanks.

"Weasley, I wish you had the decency to leave," Severus said, his voice heavy with distaste. "Or haven't you yet had your fill of seeing me in this degrading state?"

"He stays," Draco said firmly, avoiding Severus' kicking foot as a tremor shuddered through him. "You're a part of our family now. Ron finds assisting in your care the same privilege as I do."

Severus released a rumbling, malcontented sound. "Forgive me for finding that thought to be utterly ludicrous."

Draco glanced over at Ron, an apologetic expression on his face.

"Draco's right," Ron said, crossing his legs. "I know you don't believe me, and quite honestly, you don't have to. You're not bad company, especially when you're not in a mood like this."

"In case you hadn't noticed, during the unfortunate events of the War the ability to do my life's calling was ripped from me. My apologies for not being cheerful," Severus said venomously. As Draco soaped the cloth and tenderly washed the former potions master's feet, Severus' demeanor changed and he sagged against the tub, defeat etched on his face. "You should have left me to rot in St. Mungo's."

"Not a chance."

Draco rinsed Severus' long, surprisingly delicate toes, kneeling at the edge of the porcelain. "You've been better than a father to me since my childhood." He clasped Severus' pale feet in his hands, running his thumbs above the arch in a caress, gazing earnestly at Severus' dark eyes. "I know it's hard for you to hear, or believe, but I would never abandon you. You saved me, Severus. For that, and for so much else, I love you."

Severus let out a long sigh before casting a sharp glance at Ron.

"Don't worry- you're not gonna hear the l-word out of me," Ron said, raising his hands in surrender. "But if it weren't for you, I wouldn't have Draco now. C'mon. Let's get you dried off and dressed. Xave's been looking forward to going to the garden all afternoon."

"I can only imagine the spinning Percy is doing in his grave," Severus said sardonically, the bite back in his voice. "His son being raised by you, a Malfoy, and now an ex-Death Eater to make the travesty complete."

"Don't be rude," Draco chided, wrapping Severus' thin, tremulous body in a plush towel. "Even I can tell you're fond of Xavier, Your Bitterness."

The shadow of a smile flitted across Severus' lips as he was dried and Draco and Ron dressed him in loose black trousers and black shirt.

"Perhaps. Maybe with enough influence he'll have the good fortune to be in Slytherin."

"Merlin, don't even joke about things like that!" Ron exclaimed.

Draco snickered as he combed Severus' hair and pulled it back into a ponytail. "Our house robes would certainly go well with his coloring." He winked at Ron, who looked horrified. "You know I'm right."

"Still," Ron muttered, folding and hanging up the towel. "I think Mum'd have a fit."

Despite his near-constant shaking, Severus managed a levelled gaze at Ron. "Molly has survived the death of two of her sons, and now has a part-Veela, a werewolf, and a Malfoy as daughter and sons in law. After all of that, I suspect she would barely bat an eye were her grandson to be sorted into Slytherin."

Draco turned and looked amusedly at his former Head of House. "Severus, you sound almost compassionate!"

Severus scowled. "An anomoly, I'm sure."

Ron followed as Draco led Severus down the corridor to the living room, where Xavier was undoubtedly entertaing himself by playing his own version of chess with Ron's old set. If anyone had told Ron that he'd find contentment handfasted to Draco and a guardian to his nephew and now Snape, he'd have told them they were nutters.

Can't say my life's boring, though, he thought, shrugging his shoulders at the unpredictability of life with a grin.

[identity profile] matildabishop.livejournal.com 2005-08-16 05:12 pm (UTC)(link)
Oh, do me a favor and love Harry just a little. He's the reason everyone else got together. He's not my main dude, either though. Ron is, obviously. I think it's because the movie casting. Rupert's the guy I would have liked when I was sixteen. Dan would have been too pretty/geeky for me and Tom would have been on a social plane high above me. Anyway, I like rare pairs. I once stumbled over a really nice Ron/Remus WIP and haven't been able to find it again to see if it updated...such a loss...I'll have to write my own.

[identity profile] thrihyrne.livejournal.com 2005-08-16 07:25 pm (UTC)(link)
Oh, do me a favor and love Harry just a little.

*g* Okay, I have, I wasn't being completely honest. I've actually written a couple of H/Ds for [livejournal.com profile] snottygrrl, and one Harry/Ron for [livejournal.com profile] shocolate for a Ron ficathon. But like you, I focus on Ron, or the twins, or basically the redheads, unless I'm writing for someone else. Ron/Remus, eh? I like rare pairs as well- my OTP, for example, which is the whole basis for my "Cartography" series, is George/Remus. Lemme tell you that I think I'm just about the only author out there who's put those two together. It took me ages to do so, which is probably why I ended up writing 4 stories in the series. ;) If you get bored and want to read them, I'd love your take on them. You'll definitely want to read them at my website, though, because [livejournal.com profile] euclase and [livejournal.com profile] llembas made a sort of 'movie version' of the 3rd story, complete with pictures and intermissions as my Christmas gift last year.

You should write a Ron/Remus! If you haven't read [livejournal.com profile] josanpq's 'Aftermath,' which is Ron/Severus, you absolutely must. So, so amazing.

[identity profile] matildabishop.livejournal.com 2005-08-17 04:30 am (UTC)(link)
Redheads...yeah, that's it. I read in the paper recently that they're dying out, so we gotta love while we can...I will check out your story...hope my weak little computer can handle a COOL movie.

I have read Aftermath. And loved it. I'm not sure I responded because that was back in the early day when I was just a lurker. I remember Josan from her X-files days and I haven't quite forgiven her yet for only writing Krycek/Skinner, when I wanted Mulder/anyone/everyone...I need to open my narrow little mind. The one that killed me was Heartache or Heartbreak on the Snape/Weasley archives. That author kind of left Ron in a lurch and I wrote her and begged her for a sequel...but alas...