The Catch

Chapter Thirteen: A Blanket of Stars

"Ron!"

Releasing the huge bronze knob, Ron turned around and faced Harry. "What?"

"Should you open it at once?" He glanced at the door apprehensively. "It might be dangerous."

"For heaven's sakes, man, this castle's been uninhabited for years. And Sev might be in here!"

"No, wait!" Hermione interrupted. "Harry's right. You never know with places like these... there may be curse-traps that could last for years, centuries even."

"Then what do you propose we do?" Ron asked impatiently.

"Open the door very, very carefully," Hermione answered pragmatically. "Okay, boys, get your wands ready... one... two... three!"

As Harry and Hermione each drew a deep breath, Ron pushed the door open. The craned their necks to look inside and saw...

"It's a... a..." Harry stared, openmouthed.

"It's a family portrait!" Hermione finished, awestruck.

Ron stepped inside, drinking in the view that lay before him. The lighted room was a circular one, and it was huge! But what amazed him was not the room's structure but what was painted on the wall. There were Snapes everywhere! Generations of Snapes stared down on him, some were grinning, and some just look puzzled with his presence. But most... most were scowling, glaring at him with suspicious eyes beneath their beetle-black brows, their dark hairs varying in length: from almost bald to the floor-length tresses of one old witch. The leftmost part from the door looked the oldest, judging from their mode of dress. There must be thousands of them in here! They weren't separated in individual portraits or frames but they all stood side by side, some sitting: children and adults gaping at the intruders who broke the silence they had enjoyed for decades.

"H-hi?" Ron stammered.

Instantly, they started talking all at once.

"Red hair! A Weasley!"

"What are they doing here?"

"Welcome my countrymen, what brings you to us?" The only brown-haired man in the picture waved an olive branch with a smile, his long white toga flaring over his sandaled feet.

"Intruders! Weasleys in our noble castle! Oh, what would Father Thelonius say about this?" an old man wailed.

"Who's the short guy with the glasses?" A teenager stared at Harry with interest.

"Shut your trap, you old fool! Father Thelonius is sleeping!" this from a woman who slapped the wailing man with her fan.

From the leftmost corner, the large, broad-shouldered old man who had been dozing in his chair when they came in suddenly woke up. He yawned, a loud and long affair, which effectively quieted the whole room's chatter. The rest of the clan glanced at him apprehensively, some looking smugly at Ron and his friends.

"You'll get it now, Weasley," a particularly resentful-looking fellow hissed.

"Ssshhh!" He was silenced by a dozen wide-eyed women who were all waiting for their revered ancestor to take stock of the situation.

Father Thelonius stretched, his painted chair creaking beneath his weight. He must have been a very intimidating man in his prime. His thick head of salt and pepper hair was tousled, and so was his beard. He opened his fierce black eyes and looked straight at Ron, the bushy brows meeting over his hooked nose. He might have been Severus thirty years from now. Only larger. Much larger.

"How dare you show your face here after what you did, Alfred, you dog?" he roared. "I distinctly remember warning you to stay well away from me and my home or suffer the pain of death! You Weasleys never do learn your lessons well!"

Ron gaped. Who the hell was Alfred? And he was a Weasley?

"He's not Alfred, Father," a voice answered, coming from behind the door. The Gryffindor trio turned as Severus Snape entered the room. He nodded at Thelonius, completely ignoring the trio. "They are visitors from this century. Alfred has been dead a long time."

Thelonius drew himself up, scowling at his descendant. "Now don't you answer back at me, young man. You've left us here for a long time and you cannot possibly expect us to welcome just anyone in Raven Tower." The eyes swung back to Ron. "Especially Weasleys."

"You don't have to as they will be leaving in a short time. They are merely vagabonds who lost their way," Severus said coldly. He flicked his eyes over Ron, Harry, and Hermione. "I'll show them out. Please excuse us."

Thelonius grunted under his breath and sat back on his chair, closing his eyes. "I'll let it go for now, mostly because you're here Severus. Next time, I won't stand for such filth on my doorstep."

The other Snapes heaved a collective sigh of relief. Apparently, the old man had not been this forgiving in the past judging from their reactions.

Severus gripped Ron's wrist and pulled him out of the door. He scowled at Harry and Hermione until they followed, scampering out of the room, away from the thousands of staring eyes. The man in the toga waved goodbye cheerfully as everyone else started talking in hushed whispers once more.

Severus shut the great door with a bang. "Non-family members are not welcome in this room."

"Sev!" Ron turned to him, his eyes shining.

Slowly, Severus faced them. But he wasn't smiling. Nor was he frowning. Rather, his icy eyes bore into Ron's, painfully indifferent.

"I want you to leave now and never come back."

Ron's eyes widened. He lost his smile, hurt with the non-greeting. "B-but I've come all the way here. Aren't you pleased to see me?" He looked searchingly at Severus but got no response. "Have I done something wrong?"

Instead of replying, Severus sneered. He turned around, his black cape flaring behind him, and marched out into another hallway. Ron gave Harry and Hermione a panicked look as he hesitated for a second before running after him.

"Uh-oh," Hermione muttered. "We haven't told him."

"Haven't told him wha-- Oh dear! He doesn't know why Snape is boiling mad." Harry exclaimed. "We totally forgot to tell him about the contract!"

Hermione winced. "It's all my fault. I've been too engrossed with telling him about Snape's personal history that I've learned from Percy that the matter of the contract completely slipped my mind!"

Biting his lip, Harry patted her hand. "There, now. Don't blame yourself. You got us here safely. And we found Ron's, um, boyfriend. I'm sure they'll work it all out in no time." He gave her a weak smile, not sure if he really believed himself.

~

(Somewhere in the labyrinth corridors of Raven Tower...)

"Tell me, why did you leave just like that?" Ron beseeched Severus as he followed the man. He had been staring at Sev's back during the last fifteen minutes, walking after him as Sev continued to ignore him. He was really puzzled, and very, very hurt with his lover's treatment. "I came all the way here from Hogwarts after you disappeared and you're not even acknowledging that I'm alive! Don't I mean anything to you at all?"

That did it. Severus stopped his brisk march and faced Ron, his normally sallow face brick red with rage. "Don't you dare ask me what you mean to me! What about me? What do I mean to you? Well let me tell you what I think I mean to you!!" He pulled his sleeves in anger, hands shaking. "I mean nothing! I'm just a stupid bet that you cooked up with your delightful friends! And you... You mean nothing--nothing to me at all. Now get out of my sight before I kick you and your moronic friends out myself!"

Simmering with wrath, Severus turned his back on Ron and left him standing there, open-mouthed, clutching the grooves of the stone walls weakly with his pale hands. Shock would have been an understatement.

~

"So, he's kicking you, I mean us, out of here?" Harry asked Ron later. He was standing, leaning on the wall, looking at his seated friend quizzically. They were outside the castle, near the place where the thestrals rested.

Ron nodded grimly, staring at the sandy ground he was sitting on.

Hermione sighed. "I'm sorry we weren't able to tell you about the contract, Ron. I meant to but, in the excitement of traveling, I just forgot."

"Don't worry. It's not your fault. I just want to apologize about everything and get him back. Only," Ron said sadly, "I don't think he'd let me."

"Hey..." Harry plopped beside him and put an arm around his shoulders. "It's not the end of the world. You'll get him back. You'd just have to convince him a little more that you're sincere."

"You didn't see him when he told me that... that... I meant nothing to him." Ron covered his head with his hands. "It's over. I made a stupid mistake. I should have told him about it myself before things got too deep. I was just so scared that he'd reject me as soon as he learned about the bet. Now it's over. It's over," he repeated bleakly.

"Forget about that stupid contract!" Harry snapped. "You're here, he's here. You have a tongue, brains, and a body! If you're still sincerely in love with him then you have to make him believe that." He stood and squatted in front of Ron, putting his hands on his best friend's shoulders, forcing Ron to look straight at him. "And if he loves you as much as you do, he'd know that you're telling the truth."

"He's right, Ron," Hermione agreed. "It's not going to be easy. But I know that you can get Sna- I mean Severus back if you really want to."

For a second, Ron just stared at his friends, before enveloping both of them in a crushing hug. "What would I do without you guys?"

They held each other that way for a minute, Hermione and Harry encased within Ron's long, wiry arms. After a while, Harry, half his face buried in Hermione's hair, struggled to free his mouth.

"Um, Ron, I'm grateful for your show of affection, but... I'm a bit squashed in here."

Ron let them go, flushing a bit. "Sorry. I was a little overwhelmed."

"Yeah." Hermione grinned. "So, what's your plan?"

"Actually, I don't have one yet," Ron admitted. "I suppose I should stay here for a while with Sev." He paused. "But I think you guys should go back."

"Are you sure?" Harry asked, concerned. He looked up at the towering heights of the castle. "This dump isn't exactly Shangri-La. I don't feel comfortable leaving you alone here."

"I won't be alone. I'll have Sev," Ron said simply.

"Harry, I think we should go," Hermione suggested. "We won't be able to help him here. We might even be in the way. Besides, we have classes back at school." She turned to Ron. "You'll be missing a few more days of school if you stay here."

"That's all right with me." He waved a hand, disregarding her mention of classes. "I can catch up. Sev's just more important right now."

"All right, then," Harry agreed reluctantly. He glanced at the sky. The sun was starting to set, and Raven Tower was slowly starting to look more ominous in the dim light. "Night's falling. If we're leaving, we'd have to go now if we want to reach Hogwarts before curfew."

"Take care, guys." Ron hugged them both one last time as he led them to where the thestrals stood, waiting. "I'll send an owl as soon as I can."

"You take care. And good luck!" Harry waved from his thestral. "Shall we take him with us?" He pointed to Ron's thestral who stood with an empty back.

"You better. He'd be bored here." Ron patted the black creature's muzzle affectionately. "Thanks for the ride this morning, big fella. I'm sorry I can't come with you tonight." The thestral nickered softly in response, its eyes shining brilliantly in the twilight.

"Bye, Ron! We'll wait for your news. And take care of yourself and Severus," Hermione called out as her thestral rose into the air.

"I will!" Madly waving at the three rising silhouettes, Ron watched them disappear into the horizon before walking back into the castle.

~

"Do you know how hard it was to find you?"

Severus jumped at the voice. He swiveled from the window and saw Ron standing at the doorway, looking very tired from the long exercise he must have gone through before managing to find who he was looking for.

"I thought I asked you to leave." He didn't sound angry anymore. But the steel lay underneath the calm tone.

"I didn't," Ron replied, undaunted. "I didn't get the chance to explain myself."

"I received all the explanation I needed." Severus smiled grimly. "It was all there, clear and concise, on the parchment. There was hardly any room for doubt."

"Rejecting me without hearing me out isn't fair." Then Ron's expression softened. "That contract, the whole bet, was a mistake."

"Just as I expected, you're trying to deny it." Sev laughed coldly. "That's a rather old trick. Don't you have any new ones up your sleeve?"

Ron pushed the sleeve of his robe up to his elbows and waved his fingers up in the air. "No tricks, see?" He grinned. "There's just me. And I'm going to be here with you for a while. So I guess that you have to bear with me."

Sev's eyes widened. "For a while? You mean, you're staying? You and that idiotic Potter?"

"Nope," Ron replied cheerfully. "Just me. They figured we needed some privacy."

The dark eyes narrowed. "Why didn't you leave with them?"

"I wanted to stay with you." He paused. "Until you forgive me."

"Those are very slim odds. And I suppose your only mode of transportation is gone with them as well."

"That's right. I know you hate me right now, but I know you well enough to believe that you won't be heartless to leave me all alone in this drafty castle with your grumpy relatives. So..." Ron shrugged. "You're pretty much stuck with me."

Raising a brow, Severus turned back to the window, hiding his face from view. As much as the impertinent boy annoyed him right now, he had to admit that he still managed to amuse him. The corner of his mouth twitched slightly. Imagine him willfully staying in this huge wreck of a home. This would be an interesting thing to look forward to.

~

"This is where you'll be sleeping." Severus opened the door, revealing a darkened room.

Ron peered in cautiously. He squinted, drawing his brows together. "I can't see a thing."

Smirking, Severus pointed his wand to the ceiling. "Lumos." The spark traveled to an overhanging chandelier, lighting up the whole room instantly with its dozens of candles resting on the bronze holders. They both stared at the inside.

Sure, the room was big. But it was also stuffy. And dirty. The large stone slabs that made the walls were crawling with cobwebs that must have been there before Salazar Slytherin was born. Ron was sure that as soon as he entered, his footsteps would show on the floor, covered as it was by a thick layer of dust. The bed was a four-poster much like his bed back in Gryffindor Tower--but that was the extent of their similarity. This one was made of dark wood, the posts carved with figures of people being disemboweled by fierce griffins, and the saggy mattress was covered with filthy sheets of an indeterminate color.

"Um... it's very nice," Ron tried to smile at Sev as he controlled the grimace that threatened to show on his face at the sight of the room. "Who owned this room?"

"Judging by the portrait on the wall it must have been Cousin Hester's." Severus linked his fingers together and looked at Ron innocently. "She was a writer. And she loved writing about gothic romances which were so popular during her time." A pause. "I believe bestiality was her expertise."

"Bestial romances?" Ron choked. His eyes darted towards the portrait of a corpulent woman across the bed. She was asleep at the moment, her head resting on her numerous chins.

"Yes. Didn't you study popular literature as part of History of Magic?" Sev's eyebrows were raised as he asked. "The human and basilisk pairings were a huge hit. You might want to inform Potter of that one."

"I see. Well..." Ron cleared his throat. "Where are you going to sleep?"

"In a room far down the hall."

"Why so distant?"

"Just because I'm being civil does not mean that I have forgiven you." Severus backed away one step. "You have a lot to prove, Weasley." With that, he turned his back on Ron and disappeared down the dark hallway to his quarters.

Ron didn't bother following. He stared at the dark space in the corridor where he last saw Sev's tall figure. "I know," he whispered. Sighing, he entered the room.

Surveying his surroundings, Ron decided to make the room at least livable before he crashed for the night. In its current state, the room was enough to chase away any feelings of drowsiness. He brought out his wand and took a deep breath to prepare himself for the flurry of cleaning spells he was going to perform.

Instantly, he exhaled in a fit of coughing. Ron wheezed, choking out the microscopic dust balls that had clogged his throat. "Blech! Even the air is dirty!" He unfolded his handkerchief and tied it around the lower part of his face. "There. This is much better."

Pointing his wand to a random part of the room, Ron wished himself good luck before muttering the first spell.

Two hours later, feeling very, very exhausted, he plopped on the bed, which was now cleaned to a passable state. The floor still had dust as a carpet and he had not removed a single cobweb from the ceilings. But at least he had somewhere to sleep on and, now that the drapes were free of the dozens of doxies he had battled with earlier, the windows were wide open to let in a bit of fresh air.

Without lifting a finger to take of his shoes or his dusty robe, Ron fell asleep as soon as his head hit the pillow. The magical room seemed to sense his state. The lights dimmed, before finally dying completely, leaving the boy to catch some much-needed rest in soothing darkness.

~

"Good morning!"

Ron opened his eyes, only to close them again as soon as the sunlight glared from the open window, hurting his sleep-clogged visual organs. "Owww..." he groaned.

"Good Morning again!"

Slowly, he opened his eyes once more, mystified with the source of the voice. Where was he anyway?

"Why are you in my room?" the chirpy voice asked.

Instantly, Ron's eyes were drawn to the lone portrait that hung across him. Hester Snape was awake, and she was looking at him with a disturbingly avid look in those dark eyes. He sat up instantly, uncomfortable with her scrutiny.

"I'm a guest," he answered.

Her eyes gleamed and she leaned to take a closer look. For a moment, Ron thought that she might actually climb out of the picture.

"Weasleys are never called guests in Raven Tower." She smiled. "You're cute. I might include you in my next novel."

That did it. Ron rushed to the door in seconds. "Ah... that's nice. I have to go now. Bye! Good Morning to you, too." As he shut the door behind him, he couldn't help wondering with which creature she'd pair him with, but he had a feeling that he was better off not knowing.

Once he was out in the hall, he nearly bumped into Severus who was going in the opposite direction.

"Eager to see me?" Ron teased as he grinned at him.

"The next time you try to act so debonair, make sure that you've at least gotten rid of your morning breath and other things as well," Severus answered sarcastically.

Self-consciously, Ron smoothed down his sleep-tousled locks. "You're not as put together yourself," he said resentfully. "Where's the bathroom?"

"What bathroom?"

"You mean, there's no bathroom?" His eyes widened.

"There's an outhouse if you need it. It's on the north side of the grounds, near the empty stables." Severus fought the urge to grin after seeing Ron's horrified expression. He kept his face carefully blank and looked at Ron with a properly courteous, but distant, demeanor.

"But I..." Ron swallowed. "Where do I take a bath?"

"The creek is strong these days."

Ron groaned inwardly. Severus wasn't helping. He was making sure that Ron would have a tough time. But Weasleys were not known for their nettle for nothing. He smiled at Severus easily. "Great! I've been wanting to take a swim anyway. Where can I find it?"

"Go down the nearest flight of stairs you see. Go straight, take a left turn at the statue of the limping harpy, walk straight again and knock on the right wall beside the portrait of a burning raven. It'll open to a hallway that'll lead you to an exit. You'll see the creek from there."

"Thanks!" Ron answered. With a last nod, he sauntered away from Severus. As soon as he was sure that he was out of sight, he discarded the relaxed look on his face. He'd find the damned creek even he forgot every detail of the ridiculous directions.

~

Severus was right with one thing: the water was strong. It was also cold. No, scratch that. It was downright icy. After staring at the rushing, white stream for several minutes, Ron just decided to jump in. After all, if Sev could take a bath in this, he was sure he could stand it, too.

He carefully shed his clothes and laid them on the bank beside his shoes. In his shorts, he tiptoed to the edge of the stream and dipped a foot in the water. Instantly, Ron recoiled, shivering from the instant shock of ice that traveled all over his skin. This was going to be harder than he thought. Taking a deep breath, he wrapped his arms around his chest and steeled himself for what he was about to do. He walked into the creek, slowly, his teeth chattering with every inch of his body that got submerged in the cold rush. Once he was in up to his waist, Ron stopped. He opened his eyes and took another deep breath. There, he told himself, you're still alive. He tried to move and discovered that he could hardly feel his legs.

Grimacing with the effort, Ron swam for several feet, going with the water's run. After acclimating his body with the temperature, he stopped by the bank and picked up his wand. He transfigured a stone into a bar of soap and lathered up, cleaning every crevice where dust from last night's clean-up could've possibly entered. Afterwards, he grabbed his clothes and washed them.

As he stepped out of the creek, clean but freezing, half an hour after he started, Ron donned his still wet robes. He dried himself up with a simple Quick-dry spell and made his way back to the castle, feeling pleased with himself. The bath did him some good. At least now, he was sure that even cold showers could not minimize his size.

~

"I knew I'd find you here."

Severus looked up from his desk and found Ron standing right in front of him. "Go away. I'm busy."

"You're on leave. How could you be busy?"

He sighed. This boy's impertinence simply astounded him. "I'm busy writing, as you can see. My work does not simply involve teaching students who are too shallow to appreciate the fine art of potion-making. I also have to work on my own to improve what I could for the field."

"Uh-hmm."

Severus continued with his work for a few minutes, waiting for him to leave. When he didn't, he put down his quill and glared at Ron. "What do you want?"

"I want to go on a picnic." Ron paused. "With you."

"I don't want to go on a picnic. And even if I did, I wouldn't go with you," Severus sneered.

Unruffled, Ron picked up the sheets of parchment that lay on the table. He waved them away from an angry Severus who was turning paler by the second. "I'll give this back if you agree to go with me."

What else could a man do? He could hardly blast Ron off the surface of the earth even if he wanted to--Professor Dumbledore would surely be disappointed in him for that. And, it seemed that the redheaded twit was actually determined to get his way. It would be hard to get rid of him unless he gave in. "One hour," Severus said stiffly.

Ron nodded, breaking out into a smile. "An hour is all we need." Walking around the table, he held Severus' wrist, as if to help him get up from his chair.

"I can walk by myself," Severus balked, snatching his hand away from Ron's touch.

Ron shrugged, unconcerned. "Suit yourself." He was more than a little hurt, but he managed to hide it successfully from Severus.

Severus followed Ron outside the room. From the hall, they walked silently, side by side, until they reached the exit. Severus could not help but be impressed. Ron had not made a single wrong turn while they walked. He, himself, knew every single corner in this crumbling palace, but most non-residents often got lost in its maze of corridors.

"You know how to find your way," he couldn't resist saying.

"I made friends with your cousin Hester. She's a pretty good lady with a nice sense of humor. And, aside from her bizarre ideas of relationships, I think that she has a lot in common with you."

"I don't think so. She married her pet harpy," Severus said dryly.

"Oh..." Ron really had nothing to say about that.

"But I agree with what you said. She's one of the decent members of our family. She, at least, knew how to support herself."

They reached a small clearing near the creek where Ron had bathed earlier. There was a blanket on the grass, and a picnic basket on it.

"Hester showed me the way to the kitchens," Ron explained when Sev's eyebrows rose at the sight of the basket. "Here, sit down."

This time, Severus was not able to reject his offer of support. He was sitting on the blanket in seconds, beside Ron who was busy digging inside the basket.

"I hope you like fondue. I had to work with what I could get." He fished the bread and melted cheese from the basket, including a couple of forks. Spearing a bite-sized piece, he dipped it into the tub of cheese and offered it to Severus for a taste. "Here, try it."

With some trepidation, Severus took it in his mouth. It tasted really good. With his paltry resources, Ron somehow managed to make a lightly seasoned dip. And the bread was warm and crisp, obviously freshly-baked.

"You can cook?" Severus asked after swallowing.

"I try," Ron grinned. He handed Sev a goblet of white wine. "I hope you don't mind me raiding your cellars. You have quite a collection of vintage down there."

"You've been busy today," Sev said cryptically. "I forgot all about those cellars. I was never interested in any alcoholic beverages. I guess my relatives put those there."

"Well, we can enjoy them while were here. I'm sure they wouldn't mind."

Both didn't speak for a while. They sat back on the ground, watching the magnificent view of the sky. The stars shone brightly, providing them with a blanket of constellations that would make anyone, probably even the crabby Thelonius, look up and stare with awe.

"You have beauty here," Ron said quietly, a little later. "When I first saw this castle, I thought you were insane for going back. But if you get this every night," he motioned to the heavens, "then I understand why you returned."

"There is often something good even in the ugliest places," Severus responded softly. "I always hid on the roof as a child, watching the stars, whenever I wanted to run away from the world. No one ever figured out where I was hiding." He didn't know why he chose to tell him that.

Ron turned to him and watched Severus profile. He looked peaceful, and relaxed. Maybe it was time to try again. "I would never hurt you intentionally. You know that."

Severus sighed. "I don't know anything. Once I discovered that it started as a lie I... I just knew that I had to stay away."

"It was real before I even started." Ron moved closer, his tone gaining urgency. "The bet may have provided the initiative, but by the time that I first asked you, everything was real." He instinctively raised his hand and touched Severus' cheek. "I love you."

There. It was said. The three words--so short yet so full in meaning.

Severus shivered slightly. He wanted to take Ron in his arms, declare his forgiveness, and make love to this young boy who he cared about so much. But things weren't as simple as they seemed. And he knew that if he made another mistake, he might not be able to survive the pain.

"You can't earn trust that easily," Severus whispered.

"All I ask is for you to let me try." Then, with his heart in his throat, Ron waited.

An eternity later, Severus nodded faintly, almost imperceptibly. He was giving him a chance. Humbly realizing the gift he had been given, Ron took his hand.

"You won't regret it."

It wasn't final. After all, Severus had not fully accepted him yet. But it was a start.

-TBC-