The Morning After

Severus rolled over and groaned, burying his face into a pillow. His head was pounding, and his mouth was dry and his tongue felt as if he had scraped sandpaper over it. Repeatedly. For fun. He covered his head with another pillow, the sun shone through the window, and it was irritating his headache. Wait. The dungeon didn't have windows.

Where was he?

And slowly, his memory began to seep back. He was at the Leaky Cauldron, spending the night here before he moved back into Hogwarts. Of course. And apparently, he had drank a lot the night before. Quite the party... from the taste in his mouth, he assumed he had been drinking firewhiskey. He had always had a weakness for that stuff, and was drinking it often... which was why he always kept a bottle of Hangover Potion in his robe. He just had to get to it. On the other side of the room. Out of the bed.

He'd get it later.

His arm draped over the side of the bed, and his fingers grazed his wand. Without lifting his head, he cast a few quick spells, shutting all the curtains, blocking some of the light.

His headache continued, and he groaned.

No. Wait.

That wasn't him. What the hell had he done? Oh crap oh crap oh crap oh crap. What had he done? Who was in the room with him?

He did not want to look up. He did not want to look up. He did not want to look up.

He looked up.

And immediately down again. The light was too bright. Oh crap oh crap oh crap oh crap. Three years ago, the last time this happened... he had ended up sleeping next to Ron Weasley, a seventh year. No, not next to, Ron Weasley was cradled into his arms... Yes, cradled. Because Severus was a cradle robber. Not that he regretted that night with Ron, it was the morning after that troubled him. He had a soft spot for Ron, always had. He was the only Gryffindor worth talking too. Worth teaching. And he was beautiful. Very beautiful. And this was very off-topic. The topic was that there was someone in the rom with him. Someone who had spent the night. Someone who had presumably been drinking firewhiskey with him. Someone he had picked up in a bar. Right before the start of the new term... Damn damn damn crap crap crap. He was in trouble here...

Let him be... anyone, but a student. I don't care who, just not a student. God, I'd take Filch over a student... I could get fired for this...Dumbledore wouldn't let this slide again. He wouldn't have let it slide last time if there was a single other person who could teach Potions half as well as he did.

"Accio robe" he muttered, and reached into the pocket. He grabbed the hangover cure. Taking a few large swallows, he felt his headache recede. Thank God for small favors.

He lifted his head slightly, and opened one squinting eye. Then the next. Surveyed the room slowly. No one in the chair. No one on the trunk. Pile of blankets on the bed.

Pile of blankets on the bed. Damn damn damn crap crap crap.

Bracing himself, he grabbed a corner of the sheet. He took a deep breath...

And dropped the sheet back down. He couldn't do this. He would just get dressed, pay for the room and leave... If he was asked about a boy in his room, he would deny it. Deny deny deny. Oh crap.

Just get dressed, Severus. Then leave.

Looking in the mirror he ran his fingers through his hair. The once solid black hair was streaked with gray, and there were soft lines on his face, but he had aged well. He debated on showering first, but decided that time was too important an issue.

A low moan from the blankets worried him. It sounded similar to the one he had uttered just before waking up. Get out get out get out get out!

His hand was on the doorknob. Free free free! Relief swept through Severus. His job was safe, hell, he didn't know it was a student... it could have been... it wasn't necessarily a student...

"Leaving?" The voice was clogged with sleep and hangover, and Severus didn't recognize it. He considered just walking out. He hadn't seen whom it was, he could still deny it.

He sighed. He couldn't just walk out. He had gotten himself into this. No one's fault except his own. He sighed again.

"No."

"Good."

Severus took a deep breath, and keeping his eyes on the wooden floor of the Leaky Cauldron, he turned around. He still wasn't ready to look his future in the face. Had he ruined his life? Another student's innocence?

"Hey. You okay?" He gritted his teeth.

"No."

"What's wrong, Severus." Oh dear god, he had actual concern in his voice. Actual concern. Who the hell was this? He had to look. Stop being a damn chicken. He closed his eyes and looked up.

"Severus?" He sighed, and opened his eyes.

Oh thank God.

"Oh god, it's you."

"Uh... yeah." The boy ran his fingers through his hair. He recognized the gesture. It meant he was nervous. He knew how he sounded. He sounded like an ass.

At least the firewhiskey hadn't destroyed Severus' taste in men. And it actually was a man. Thank God. It was all he could think. He crossed the room quickly, black robes billowing out behind him, and pulled the boy against his lips. The boy parted his lips and welcomed him, his lips were soft, and Severus ran a hand through the boy's hair and let his other hand wander where is chose. The boy tugged at Severus's hair and nibbled lightly at his lips. The boy moaned into Severus's mouth, and Severus let his mouth travel down to his neck was kissing him there when the boy spoke.

"I was worried you regretted last night."

"Why?" he murmured against his cool flesh.

"You didn't look to happy to see me this morning." Severus met his eyes.

"I cannot express how glad I was to see you in my bed this morning, Ron Weasley." Ron smiled and pulled Severus against his lips.

"Good. I thought you might be trying to leave."

"Nope, wouldn't dream of it."

"Good." Ron said as his lips traveled down his chest and Severus moaned and all thoughts of checking out of the Leaky Cauldron left his mind.

In fact, everything left his mind except Ron, and the wonderful things he was doing with his mouth.