Part 3 (and possibly 4!) of the Sev/charlie "how it began" story

[antigoneschase]

Charlie held back the desire to skip down Diagon Alley. It would hardly do to be walking with the always-reserved Severus and skip along merrily. After all, the older man already put up with such silliness from him.

Anyone who paid any attention at all to the couple would have been amused. Severus walked quickly, robes billowing behind himself and with a sneer for anyone who might look his direction. Beside him, Charlie grinned, hand lightly resting on his arm. He wasn’t so much hanging onto Severus, but he was maintaining constant contact. Of course, HAD anyone been paying any real attention to them, they would have been even more amused that the younger man occasionally pulled the older one into a darkened doorway and kissed him thoroughly.

As it was though, the majority of Diagon Alley knew that Severus Snape was a man who clung to his privacy, so the many eyes that wanted to follow him instead turned to store windows and purchases.

They walked into a store that specialized in furniture. Severus watched, amused, as Charlie practically bounced around the room, looking at all of the different beds. He kept saying “your bed”, “your room”, “your house”, and that was maddening to Severus for some reason. “This one would look great in your room,” he said, pointing to dark mahogany antique, “it matches the other furniture, and I think it’s a good size.”

“It does, and it is, but do you like it?” he asked. Charlie looked at him, confused.

“Why does it matter if I like it? It’s your room,” he said, the look of confusion deepening

“Come here,” Severus said softly, frowning at the shop witch who had been hovering. When she didn’t take the hint, he sneered at her. “We’ll be sure to inform you when we make a decision.” She flinched and moved away. He gathered Charlie into his arms and kissed him gently. “Pick things you like. I’ve never cared how my house looked. I want my room to be comfortable for you, Charlie. After all, it’s really more our room when you are there.”

Charlie blinked. “Our. Room?” he asked lightly.

“Our room,” Severus nodded. “Now pick what you like.” He kissed Charlie again. Charlie smiled and blushed lightly. He gave Severus a long hug.

Charlie surveyed the showroom. “Okay, there’s the cherry, which I love, but I think it’s a little bit too big for your… our room,” Charlie said, “The iron is just… wrong on many levels. The mahogany is fine, but I’d really like to get away from dark oppressive furniture. What about that one?” he asked, pointing to a light oak four-poster bed. “I think that one is gorgeous.”

“I think you are gorgeous,” Severus said quietly and snapped his fingers to get the shop witch’s attention. “We’ve decided. We’ll take that one. And the dressers.”

~*~

The next stop was for linens: sheets, pillowcases, towels, and other such nonsense. Severus let Charlie pick it all. He really didn’t care what the house looked like, and it was amusing to watch Charlie’s enthusiasm. He only sneered once, when Charlie held up scarlet and gold towels. Charlie laughed.

“About time you had an opinion,” he said, kissing the scowl off of Severus’ face. “Actually, I rather like these better, myself.” He held up a deep blue and silver set and waited for a nod from Severus. “Let’s see, that’s everything, I think,” he shuffled through the things on the counter. “Sheets, bath towels, hand towels, flannels, pillowcases… I feel like we are forgetting something.”

“We should replace the blanket on the bed,” Severus said softly. They had torn the damn thing in a fit of passion that morning. Charlie blushed lightly and moved to the coverlets. He picked one up that was deep green and made of soft cotton. He held it up questioningly. Severus raised an eyebrow and nodded slightly.

The young wizard at the counter watched them silently. Charlie put the comforter on top of the rest of the things they were buying. He moved to kiss Severus and the young man behind the counter sighed. “Problems Roger?” Severus sneered, having suddenly realized exactly who the young man was.

“No, Professor Snape,” Roger answered. He pushed the receipt across the counter for Severus to sign. As they turned to leave, Roger muttered something under his breath. Charlie whipped around to face him.

“The answer to that question is yes, I am, not that it is any of your bloody business, you miserable little shite,” he said, coldly. He turned to Severus. “Take me home, please. I don’t want to do something I would regret once they came to take me away.”

Severus led him out to the street and pulled him close. “What did he say?” he asked. Charlie shook his head and started walking. “Charles Weasley, I asked you a question,” he snarled, grabbing Charlie by the waist and pulling him back.

Charlie dropped his head. “He said, ‘You can’t possibly be buggering that greasy traitor’.” Severus turned back toward the shop. “Please, just take me home.”

“I’ll be right back, and then I promise, I will.” He walked back into the shop. Roger glared at him across the counter as he stalked up.

“Can I help you PROFESSOR Snape?” he asked coolly, and then the hand wrapped around his throat cut off his words.

“Let me make something extraordinarily clear to you, Mr. Davies. I have absolutely no care for what you say about me, but if you ever,” he shook the young man, hard, “and I do mean EVER, upset Charles Weasley again, I will take special delight in harming you in every way you can conceive of.” He shook Roger again. “Do I make myself clear?”

Roger nodded, face purple due to lack of oxygen. Severus released his hold on the thin throat. “I’m glad we have an understanding. Have a lovely day,” he sneered. He turned, letting his robes billow, and stalked out of the shop once more. He walked to where Charlie was still standing and pulled him into a long embrace. When they broke away and started walking again, Charlie’s hand was firmly wrapped in his.

~*~

“There’s something extremely decadent about waking up in this bed,” Charlie said. The bed in question had been delivered nearly two weeks before. “Though I guess it could just be the fact that I’m waking up with you, and not the bed so much,” he said, smiling at Sev’s raised eyebrow.

A black and white owl fluttered into the bedroom. “Oh, that’s Chase’s owl,” Charlie said, a smile breaking on his face.

“Chase… how do I know that name?” Severus asked, scanning his brain.

“Chase Rosier, or she was. Now she’s Chase Ketteridge. She was a Hufflepuff…”

”Oh gods, I remember her. Annoying little chirpy thing. She was a clucking little mother hen to all of the younger students.”

”Oh yes, that’s her. She’s still just that way. She’s my boss in Romania. She’s under the impression that she’s adopted me or something.” Charlie grinned and opened the letter, directing the bird to the food and water always at the ready for post owls. He read, laughing hysterically and then handed the letter to Severus.

Dear Charlie,
Please tell me you’ve been too busy shagging, and that’s why you’ve not updated us on things. NOT that I condone sex with the snarky potions professor. I’d shudder, but I’m too ladylike.
If you HAVE been shagging like I imagine you have (and please, no details, it’s hard enough to keep food down when one is three months pregnant) then just send us a short post (even just the word Yes, on a piece of parchment would work, you know).
We miss you, Charlie. Diabhalta especially misses you. He has no one to char to a crisp with you gone! Oddly enough, he likes Braeden… I’m scared.
Anyway, I won’t keep you. I’m sure you have much snogging and shagging to get back to. Remind Snape that if he harms you in any way, there are a number of dragons and dragon tamers who will be happy to kick his snarky arse.
Love you, brat,
Chase

“She hasn’t changed a bit,” Severus said, shaking his head. “I’m assuming, since you laughed, that she’s … being funny?”

“Yes, love, she’s being funny,” Charlie said, lying back on the pillows. “She really respects you, and she and her husband were really hoping things would work out for us.”

Severus grabbed a small parchment from the bedside table. He scrawled something quickly and handed it to Charlie.

Mrs. Ketteridge,
Please excuse Charles from work, as he is too busy shagging to return.
Severus Snape

Charlie laughed. Then he scrawled his own note at the bottom.

Chase-
Er, sorry about not having written. And may I just say: Yes. Not just yes, but bloody hell yes.
Love you too, Boss Lady. I’ll write more soon. I would write more now, but I’m currently being distracted by a wicked tongue to my… wait, you said NO details. My mistake, it won’t happen again.
Charlie

He barely managed to tie the note to the owl as the wicked tongue began moving over his thigh toward his cock.

~*~

“Hello Mum,” Charlie said, walking into the kitchen. He was surprised to see just his mother there. Molly turned with a smile and embraced her second-eldest son.

“When did you get in from Romania?” Molly asked.

“Well, I took a bit of a side trip first. I just got into town today, but I’ve been staying with a friend in Wales for a month.”
“A friend, hmm? Someone we should know about?” Molly smiled.

“Actually, yes. I need to talk with you and Da about him, actually,” Charlie said, blushing slightly. His parents had known his sexual preference since he was 15, but that didn’t stop the flush of heat to his face every time he mentioned it to them.

“Sounds serious,” Arthur said, walking in to join them from the living room.

“It may well be,” he said, pulling himself up to sit on the counter.

“Dinner’s almost ready, love. It’s just the three of us tonight, so why don’t you wait until we sit down to tell us all about him,” Molly said, smiling. “And get off the counter, Charlie. Go set the table, make yourself useful.”

Charlie slid off and grabbed plates. He stole an olive from the dish Molly pulled from the oven. She laughed and smacked his shoulder. They laughed and bumped into each other as she finished cooking and he finished setting the table. They were both flushed with laughter as they sat down. Once they had their plates filled and had begun eating, the mention of a possibly serious relationship became too much for Molly not question.

“So, tell us about him,” she said, eyes gleaming.

“Well, you already know him,” he started.

“Is it Harry?” she asked.

“Mum!” he exclaimed, “He’s been with Blaise for over a year! Plus, Harry’s not my type.”

”Well, then, go on. I’m sorry to have interrupted you,” Molly said, with a grin.

“Okay. It’s Severus,” he said, softly.

“Severus… you cannot possibly mean Severus SNAPE,” Arthur said, coldly.

“Of course he doesn’t, dear,” Molly replied, patting his hand.

“Actually, I do,” Charlie said. “We’ve been together for over a month now and…”

He was cut off. “I’ve put up with a lot of things. Probably too many,” Arthur said, his voice low and dangerous, “Ginny having a child out of wedlock, Percy and his attitude toward our family, half the wizarding world thinking that we are worth less than nothing. However, I will bloody well not allow you to break your mother’s heart over that traitorous bastard.”

Charlie stared at his father for a moment before turning toward Molly. “Mum, you agree with this?” he asked.

“It’s just that he’s…” she paused, catching her breath and wiping her eyes. “He’s a Death Eater, Charlie. Why would you…? I don’t understand why you would…” She sniffled.

“I love him,” Charlie said softly. Arthur pushed his chair away from the table and walked from the kitchen. Charlie closed his eyes. “Mum, I know you don’t understand it, but I DO love him.” He opened his eyes. She was crying. “I’m sorry,” he said, pushing his own chair away from the table. He gently hugged Molly. She stayed stiff and didn’t hug back. He sighed. “I’ll go. This was a mistake. I obviously want something you are not prepared to give.”

He didn’t know what he expected, but he felt empty as he walked out the door. They didn’t call him back. They didn’t call out apologies. He apparated back to Severus’ house-their house-tears tracking down his face.

~*~

Severus noted the tears on Charlie’s face. So, it had gone that badly, he thought. Not that he was surprised. It was one thing to accept someone on a basic level. No one had really trusted him, but they allowed him a place in the group of “heroes” after he proved himself on the battlefields of the Great War. But letting him in enough to, perhaps, invite him to dinner or actually speak to him beyond a few words in passing was laughable.

But Charlie had thought better of his own family. Had thought that they, out of anyone in the world, would accept the man he had chosen to spend his time with. But, from the look on his face, Severus could tell that they hadn’t been nearly as accepting as Charlie had expected.

“How did it go,” he asked gently.

“Hmm? Oh, it was fine,” Charlie said, wiping his eyes and settling himself on the couch.

“You’re back early.”

“Mmmhmm. I just wanted to come back to you.

“Did something happen, love,” he asked, genuinely concerned.

“No, I just missed you is all. I’m sorry I’m back sooner than you anticipated. Would you rather I stayed somewhere else for tonight? I know I had told you I would stay the night there,” Charlie said, a false smile on his face. It pained Severus to see.

He moved to Charlie, wrapping his arms around his waist. He moved one hand up to Charlie’s chin, raising it with a finger. The brown eyes were dull, nearly empty looking. He kissed the tense lips, pressing gently. He felt a small sob rise out of Charlie’s chest and heard it in his throat. Severus feared the worst.

“I don’t want you anywhere but here, Charles Weasley. Don’t ever think anything different,” he said, roughly.

“I love you,” Charlie murmured, wiping the newest tears from his face and kissing him gently.

“And I still think you are addlebrained or drunk, love,” Severus smiled. That, at least, made Charlie chuckle.

“Take me to bed?” Charlie asked, “Or am I too addlebrained to shag?”

They both laughed, and Severus led him to bed, gently. As they made love, Severus wondered, as he always did, if this would be the last time. He wondered if Charlie would wake up and realize how crazy he’d been. If he would wake in the morning to an empty bed, with only Charlie’s scent to prove that he’d ever been there at all.

They slept. Severus woke in the night. For a few moments he didn’t know what had roused him, and then he heard the low sound of muffled sobs. He reached out gently and Charlie curled into his arms.

“I’m so stupid,” Charlie said softly, and Sev thought for a moment that this was it. He would say he was leaving. But Charlie was talking, instead about his parents. “Why did I expect them to understand? What did I expect from them at all?”

“Love, you expected them to react as they always have. You expected love and acceptance. Frankly, I’m disappointed in them FOR you.”

“It hurt so much,” Charlie said, still crying.

“I know, Charlie. I could see it in your face. It took everything in me not to…” he paused as emotion overwhelmed him.

“You wanted to hurt them?” Charlie asked softly.

“No. Not once. I wanted to make it better somehow. I wanted to take you somewhere far away where the pain couldn’t touch you. I wanted to lick the tears from your eyes…” he stopped again.

“I love you too, Sev,” Charlie said softly.

~*~

One week. Two weeks. A month. Still no word from his Mum and Da. And then it was six weeks. Charlie was devastated. He had had such faith in them. He had expected that they would come to their senses, though he was sure they were expecting the same of him.

He still cried at night, but he and Sev had stopped talking about it. Instead, now, he would cry and the pale arms would wrap around his body. There was no sense in saying the same things over and over, so he just stayed quiet and let the tears flow.

~*~

Six weeks. He honestly couldn’t believe it. And Charlie was crying again. He turned in the bed and said softly, “You have to call them, love.”

“You don’t know what they said,” Charlie said, softly, voice thick with tears. “They were cruel, rude, horrible. My father called you names, Severus.”

“I’m sure each of them was deserved in his mind.” Charlie stared at him aghast.

“Don’t do that,” he said, coldly. Severus reached out to touch him and he pulled away from the gentle caress. “Do not side with them against yourself. You are none of the things they said. They don’t even know you, not really. No one does.”

“You do,” Severus said gently.

“Do I?” Charlie asked. “I know every line of your body, every scar on your flesh, every sound you make in pleasure… but I don’t know your heart. I don’t know the horrors that hide behind those obsidian eyes. I don’t know what your dreams are, what you desire, how you see the world. I know you own me, body and soul, though you’ve yet to claim it as your own.” He slid out of the bed and sat on the rug on the floor.

Severus moved to the edge of the bed, laying down, carding his hand through Charlie’s long red hair. “I wasn’t even sure I had a heart, until I heard my door close the day you came to me, Charlie. I’m still unsure of how to fully open something I just discovered, love. I’m doing my best to be what you need for me to be.” Charlie leaned his head back on the bed.

“I just need for you to be who you are. Nothing more or less,” he said softly. “I want to know things about you, but we have forever to talk about it all. I’m sorry,” he smiled lightly, “I’m overly emotional. I know how uncomfortable that makes you. I think being overly emotional is a Weasley trait.”

Severus slid over in the bed and Charlie curled back up against him. They were both dozing when Charlie said quietly, “I’ll call them tomorrow.”

~*~

He was nervous. He never expected to be nervous calling his own mother. Molly’s face appeared in the fire. When she saw him, she started to cry, and for a moment, he thought it was because of Severus again, but she was apologizing, practically begging his forgiveness. They were both sorry, she said. They had talked to the family, and everyone agreed that if Severus made him happy, they would embrace him, trust him, and accept him.

As they talked, he found out it was Blaise and Harry who had convinced them. Mostly, it was Blaise, who after seven years of living with Severus as his Head of House knew the potions professor more than any other member of the family.

He’d told them of Severus’ deep loyalty to those he deemed worthy of his time and affection, of the Unbreakable Vow he’d made to protect Draco Malfoy, of the long nights after Dumbledore’s death when he’d stumbled into the Zabini home-darkly drunk and mourning the closest thing he’d had to a father. He told them the vow Severus had made to Dumbledore as well, and that he had fought against it, but Dumbledore had made him swear to do it.

He told them of the pain Severus had been through while a spy for the Order, of the loneliness and sorrow that had been hidden behind the anger and attitude. And he told them how he had received a letter just a few days after Charlie had shown up on Severus’ doorstep and how, for the first time, there was a sense of peace in the words.

They’d all asked about the letter, but he’d respected their privacy and refused to tell the any details. He had said, however, that it was obvious that Severus LOVED Charlie. And then he said if they fought something that made two people so damnably happy, than he pitied them all. He’d looked Harry in the eyes, then, as if asking for his support. Harry had backed him up completely, and as far as the family was concerned, that had sealed the deal completely.

Charlie made a mental note to thank Blaise the next time he saw him. And Harry, too. His mum had ended the call by inviting them to the family dinner on Sunday. He promised to call and let her know and they broke the connection with an honest “I love you” from both sides.

~*~

Charlie smiled as he curled up on the soft couch in the living room. Severus came home with several parcels and put them away in his small workshop before coming to the living room and kissing Charlie softly.

“I take it that it went well,” he said, fixing himself a drink and picking up his large potions tome. Charlie grinned at him.

“Blaise stood up for us. Remind me to thank him the next time we see him, would you?” he asked. At Severus’ nod, he went on, “Mum invited us to dinner Sunday, if you are interested in going.”

“Dinner at the Burrow with your ninety-three relatives… I can’t wait,” he said dryly. At Charlie’s frown, he chuckled lightly. “I’m kidding, Charlie. I’d be delighted.” Charlie raised an eyebrow at him. “I mean it, love. I know how important it is to you. I’m more than willing to spend a few hours on Sundays with the red-headed heathens.”

Charlie laughed. He pulled the older man down beside him and ravished him with kisses. Severus gently put down the book and his glass and pulled Charlie onto his lap, facing him.

“I’m not good at saying it, Charlie, but I do love you. With every fibre of my being, I love you.” He kissed Charlie deeply, sighing when they broke the kiss. “Even when I find it impossible to say, even when I stutter and stumble and fall over my words, please don’t ever doubt my love.”

Charlie nibbled on his jaw and down his neck to the hollow at the base of his throat. Severus moaned, sounding almost desperate.

“Charlie, let me finish,” he whispered. Charlie pulled back enough to lay his head on Severus’ shoulder. “You once said ‘I know it’s a stupid dream’, and Gods, I understand how you felt then. But you were brave enough to come to me when I’d pushed you away a hundred times… I owe you at least that much courage in return.” He reached into his pocket and pulled out what he’d been shopping for all afternoon. “Charles Weasley, will you marry me?” He held his breath.

He heard Charlie gasp and then let out his breath slowly. He looked into the brown eyes that had him captivated. Charlie was whispering something, so quietly that he couldn’t make it out.

Charlie cleared his throat. He took another breath. “Oh gods yes,” he said, in a slightly louder voice. He kissed the thin lips gently. “Yes, love,” he said. A kiss and another “Yes” before the word seemed to sink into Severus’ brain.

“Say it again,” he demanded, “I want to hear it again.”

“Yes, Sev, I’ll marry you,” Charlie said. He stared at his lover, stunned. “My gods, you’re crying.”