webmistresses (webmistresses) wrote in severus_sighs, @ 2010-01-09 14:09:00 |
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Entry tags: | challenge, fic, member: faeryqueen07, rating: r |
Dear Severus, Love Ginny by FaeryQueen07
Title: Dear Severus, Love Ginny
Author: Fae
Pairing: Undisclosed
Rating: Restricted, though possibly Torina-safe
Word count: 4,161
Warnings: None, unless you count the insinuation of het
A/N: Because Roo decided to take out her ‘blahs’ on Ginny, I felt someone needed to defend her. This seemed like the best way. ;-) Heartfelt thanks to Shoeboxes4all for the wonderful beta work, and to Helen, who gave it the first read-through!!
Prompt: Severus opened his eyes, but it was a few seconds before what he was seeing registered with him.
Summary: Severus’ 50th birthday has arrived, and this year, he got the surprise of a lifetime...
~ * ~ SS ~ * ~ SS ~ * ~
Severus leaned back in his chair, fingers pressed hard enough against his eyes to create dancing black spots beneath his lids. The new school term had only just begun, but already he was wishing that it was summer, regardless of the mountain of paperwork that usually filled those first few weeks. Unfortunately, however, Fate was not on his side, and instead, it was January 9th...his birthday.
Minerva, he knew, would remember the occasion, and no doubt make a big commotion should he venture into the Great Hall—or anywhere else she was likely to be hiding with her rotten bag of tricks—which meant he would be dining in his rooms. Filius had remembered and had expressed his sadness for not being there in his last letter. For the first time since he had left, Severus was glad Filius had decided to retire the year previous in favor of a warmer climate. Even Madam Hooch had sent him a card from her latest vacationing spot.
Severus wondered if Harry, Ginny and their children were free for dinner. He was quite fond of them all given his own lack of family, and now that he was no longer at Hogwarts out of obligation, he found that he enjoyed the bit of cheer they brought with them. He was particularly fond of their Sunday night dinners.
IAlthough, I recall Ginny mentioning something about having a quiet evening in tonight. I believe Minerva agreed to babysit. The thought would have made him giddy, had he been the type.
With a heavy sigh, Severus stood and gathered his papers. Resigned to a lunch period spent grading student essays in his rooms, he cast one last cursory glance over the classroom before heading towards a little-known doorway that took him straight from the Potions classroom to his private quarters. Just as he was about to tap on the stone to reveal the doorway, however, there was a knock on the classroom door.
“Enter,” he called, moving back to his desk. It wasn’t a strange thing to have Ginny as his visitor, but he was surprised to see that she had come alone. “Yes, Ginny?”
Ginny smiled. “Sorry to be a bother, Severus. I was just wondering if you were free this afternoon for lunch. Harry and I sent the kids off and were hoping we could have a meal without food fights and constant whinging, and perhaps even some adult conversation.”
“Would you not rather have the day alone? I know it is rare that your schedules do not conflict.” His eyes slid to the calendar on his desk. “If I recall correctly, you should be returning for the second half of the season soon.”
“All the more reason, Severus. It’s hard enough catching Harry and the kids once we go on tour, but you’re next to impossible. We would also like you to come to dinner. The kids want to bake you a cake and while I understand that you want as little fanfare as possible, this is a big deal to them. We’d all love to have you, Severus.”
Something akin to flirtation danced through Ginny’s eyes and Severus felt himself tense. Forcing his body to relax, he sat back down in his chair and set aside the essays. “Mrs. Potter—”
“Oh, please, Severus. This is me you’re talking to, not Harry. You don’t frighten me by going all formal. Please, come to lunch. No one should be alone on their birthday, even if they put a ban on all celebrations for the occasion.” She winked at him before letting herself out.
Leaning back in his chair, Severus thought about her request and the odd manner in which she had issued it. Normally, where Ginny was, Harry was, and vice versa. Especially during her time at the castle. They were, after all, best friends as well as husband and wife.
Ginny was quite pretty; the rich red hair she had inherited had darkened over the years, and the freckles she had once tried to banish—shortly after her resumption of her relationship with Harry—had faded with time. Her skin was smooth and clear, her eyes bright with merriment whenever she talked. She was one of the few young women who didn’t grate on Severus’ nerves and he realized, with a start, just how much she reminded him of Lily. She was just as charismatic as Lily had been, and just as beautiful. And Harry loved her dearly.
It has been so many years since I thought of Lily. Harry has not mentioned her name since he became a professor, and I had finally moved on from the past that haunted me. Why today...?
He wanted to go to his room; nothing would have pleased him more than to lock the door and pretend that the world did not exist. Instead, he stood once more, dropped the ungraded papers into a desk drawer and swept out of the room, barely pausing to secure the wards. He was walking, he knew, to his doom, for who would want to spend the day of their birth sitting across the table from the one person they could not have?
As he stalked down the corridors, Severus let his mind travel back to that day, not a week after his release from St. Mungo’s, when Harry had appeared on his doorstep, memory vials in hand and an apology already spilling off his lips. Severus would have cursed him the moment he spied him, but his throat was still quite sore and there had been too many witnesses about. Instead, he had foolishly allowed himself to be ushered into a tea shop, where he had sat mutely through an hour and a half of Harry telling him just how grateful he was for all of Severus’ efforts during the war. And then...and then he had invited him to dinner.
At dinner, Severus had been greeted by the already lovely Ginny Weasley, who seemed to have made herself at home in Harry’s rented flat. It was only temporary housing, they had told him, as they both intended to return to Hogwarts come September to make up for the missed—or fouled, in Ginny’s case—year. Ginny, who had continued to participate in the DA, heading it alongside Neville Longbottom. It had not been easy keeping the Carrows from harming the girl during that awful year, but she had been born a fighter.
It was Ginny who had convinced Severus of Harry’s sincerity, and it was all due to her that they were able to accomplish in one year what easily could have taken a lifetime: they all became friends. She had shown Severus how to move forward, and she had supported Harry during the tough six months after the war, when he had politely, and then not so politely, refused to hunt down the remaining Death Eaters. They had both sat in the witness chair during Severus’ trial, offering their accounts of the war and his part for the side of the Light.
When Harry had proposed to Ginny, it was Severus that they both came to first. The resentment he had expected to feel towards their happiness had never surfaced, but instead, he had felt a degree of pride, though he was uncertain as to why. He had been touched to be included in their plans, sitting on Harry’s family side at the ceremony with Hermione Weasley nee Granger on one side and Minerva McGonagall on the other.
He had been the first to know when Ginny was pregnant with James. It hadn’t been planned, but she had already been on leave from the Harpies after a bad fall. The pregnancy had been spent off her feet with Harry very carefully not hovering and Severus dropping by during his free hours to make certain all was well. He had also been third to hold the little demon, and had noted the look of mischief in the baby’s blue eyes.
Albus Severus was his favorite of the Potter brood, though Severus did love all the children dearly. Albus had, upon entering the world, taken one look around and begun to scream, not stopping until Severus had snatched him out of the hands of the newly graduated midwife attending the birth. Ginny had smiled, Harry had laughed and Albus, bless his heart, had fallen asleep. Severus already had a Slytherin hat and scarf waiting for the day when the boy was sorted into his House.
Their daughter, Lily Luna, was a coy young thing who played more to her father than her mother, even at age one. She knew when to bat her eyelashes, when to squeeze out a tear or two and just how loud to scream to have her papa running to her side. James, now four, resorted to trouble and Albus, well, at almost three-and-a-half, Albus knew that if Severus happened to be around, he was the person you should look for. Together, they would sit and watch the antics of his family with mildly bemused expressions, each hoping in their own way that the chaos would pass them by.
Severus paused outside the door to Harry’s quarters, not for the first time amused by the fact that Harry Potter, Gryffindor extraordinaire, had not only taken over as Charms professor, but also as Head of Hufflepuff House. After rapping sharply three times, Severus brushed a hand over his robes, suddenly wondering if he should have changed first. His worries were set at ease the moment the door swung open.
Harry was still in his usual state of disarray, with his hair tousled beyond what was socially acceptable, his glasses slightly askew and his rumpled teaching robes hanging loosely about his body. He offered up a slightly harried smile as he waved Severus in.
“Sorry ‘bout this. I ended up having to oversee a detention and things got a bit out of hand. Give me a moment to straight myself up; Gin is in the kitchen and there’s a bottle of red open on the counter.”
Harry disappeared before Severus could even think of a response, leaving him to make his own way into the kitchen. Ginny had her back to him, but as he crossed the threshold, she spoke up.
“Thank you, Severus, for coming on such short notice.” Ginny glanced over her shoulder at him, a smile on her pretty face. “Harry has been so flustered lately, what with all the extra lessons he’s giving to the seventh years and the kids have been acting up lately.”
Severus’ eyebrows rose, but he said nothing as he poured himself a glass of wine. Moving to stand beside her, he reached for a knife, pulled a cucumber towards him and began to slice thin circles. Working in silence, he allowed the familiar sensation of ‘family’ to enfold him within its warm embrace. His lips thinned into what could have easily passed for a smile as he heard Harry stumble into the kitchen.
“Severus!” Harry’s hand was warm where it fell on his shoulder, and his voice was cheerful. “It’s your birthday; you shouldn’t be cooking!”
“Harry, you of all people should know that I prefer to treat this day as if it were any other.”
“Fine then, help,” Harry laughed. He leaned in to press a kiss to Ginny’s cheek, dodging a cuff to the ear when he used the distraction to filch a bell pepper from the salad bowl.
As Severus slid the cucumbers onto the salad, Harry pulled a small metal contraption out of the pantry. It was a Muggle table-top grill that Harry had magically enhanced to work at Hogwarts, as well as make it safe for indoor use. As the grill heated up, Harry pulled two bags of what looked to be swordfish steaks from the cold box. Severus marveled once more at Harry’s ability to find even the most out-of-season foods at what was possibly a moment’s notice. Once they were on plates, he took the leftover marinade from the bags and slathered some over the tops before laying them out on the grill. From the faint scent Severus was able to catch of it, he was using a pomegranate glaze that smelled simply divine
“So, Severus, this is the big,” Ginny’s voice dropped to a whisper, “five-zero. Any sage advice you wish to impart upon us?”
Severus accepted the glass of wine Harry had refilled and took a seat, pondering the question. He knew Ginny was being cheeky, but he felt there was some merit in the question. He glanced up to see Harry sending Ginny a rather concerned look.
“Any words of wisdom I could give you at this point would already be moot. You are both adults, have your own family and are quite successful. I believe, Harry, Ginny, that you are well beyond needing my advice. I will tell you this, though; I never once thought I would live to reach this landmark age, and I was certain that if I did, I would be no better off now than I had been then. However, I find that that assumption was completely wrong. I am far happier now that I ever imagined possible.”
He delivered the speech without stumbling, his face calm and his eyes unreadable, but he knew that they would see the sincerity in the words. And as he was not prone to such emotionally prompted words, it came as no surprise to him that Harry looked slightly dumbfounded while Ginny was brushing at the corners of her eyes. He allowed them only a few seconds to gather their wits before standing and moving to the cupboard.
“Now, with that out of the way, are you going to serve me lunch, Harry, or shall I simply watch as it burns?”
With a yelp, Harry dashed to the grill, saving the swordfish steaks in the nick of time. As Severus seated himself at the table, Ginny set a bowl of salad down before him, one hand on his shoulder.
“Happy birthday, Severus. Remind me later this evening that I have a present for you.”
Harry made a choking noise behind them and Severus worried for a moment that perhaps Ginny’s playful banter was coming off more as flirtatious. He caught Harry’s eye when he leaned in to refill his glass, this time pouring a Pinot Noir that had been imported from the USA. MacMurray Ranch in Russian River Valley, California. I’ll have to remember to ask where he got it from. Later, though.
The salad was served with a raspberry-pomegranate dressing and the grilled swordfish was of a superb flavor and texture. Severus let out a nearly inaudible groan of appreciation, barely registering the hint of pink that swept over Harry’s cheeks or the keen brown eyes regarding them both. It was all he could do to thank them for the splendid meal.
When the plates were taken away and tea was set out in the sitting room, Severus claimed his favorite chair, resigned to the fact that he had only ten minutes left before his next class began.
“Harry, Ginny, the meal was delicious. Thank you—”
“There’s nothing to thank us for, Severus. It’s simply a meal between friends, right?” Harry, curse him, was done teaching for the day and so he had allowed himself more than the two glasses of wine Severus had enjoyed. His eyes were bright and his smile was nearly blindingly wide.
“Do you have any requests for dinner, Severus? If not, I was thinking a lamb roast...?”
Severus bit back a smile at the eagerness in Harry’s voice. If there was one thing Harry loved to do, it was cook, and he was certainly good at it. Despite how full he was, Severus was already anticipating the evening’s meal. Draining his cup of tea, Severus stood and made his way to the door, pausing to look back at the couple.
“What time shall I arrive?”
“Is six o’clock all right with you, Severus?” Ginny inquired. I don’t want to keep the children up too long, but I know they want to have dessert with you.”
“I shall be here promptly at six o’clock, then,” Severus agreed, and then he swept out of the room, the door shutting with a dull thud.
~ * ~ SS ~ * ~ SS ~ * ~
As the last miscreants slouched out the door, shoulders drooping after the thorough scolding they had received, Severus let out the sigh of relief he had kept trapped behind gritted teeth for the last hour. He straightened the room with a casual wave of his wand, though he refrained from using magic on the cauldrons. When everything was in order and the pop quizzes had been sorted for grading, he filed them all away neatly in his desk drawer and made his way to his quarters. He had just under an hour to get ready, which allowed him enough time for a shower.
He took his dinner robes with him into the bathroom, counting on the steam from the shower to ease out any wrinkles. Though he never bothered with conditioner, Severus did take the time to wash his hair twice, removing the excess residue left behind by the potions. It was a bitter disappointment that his hair remained oily to the touch, but Ginny had assured him that it was a natural thing that some people were unfortunate enough to suffer from. Her hair, he knew, was silky smooth and always conditioned. Harry’s was coarse and unruly, despite the expensive products he had once tried to use.
By the time Severus was dressed and ready to walk out the door, it was ten ‘til six o’clock. He had thought to bring dessert or flowers, but knew he would only be chastised for the deeds, and so he left empty-handed, taking a short cut to the Hufflepuff Head-of-House quarters knowing that there would be a rush of students eagerly heading towards the Great Hall.
He had his hand raised to knock when the door swung open and Severus was greeted not by a Potter but by the faintest stirring of music. There were no signs of dinner, he realized, and wondered if he had gotten the time wrong. Curiosity getting the better of him, Severus let himself into the Harry’s quarters, closing the door with a soft snick.
He called out twice, but upon receiving no answer, moved further into the rooms. There was no tension or wrongness in the air, so he left his wand in his wrist holster, but his eyes and ears were sharp as he made his way towards the kitchen. Halfway down the hallway he froze, the sounds of Harry’s groans and Ginny’s moans filling his ears.
He knew he should turn back, that he should leave before it was too late, but even as the thought passed through his head, the door to the master bedroom swung open and Severus was greeted by the sight of Ginny in red and gold satin underwear with a short dressing gown unbelted. His mouth snapped shut and his throat refused to work though his eyes remained trained on her face.
“Why hello, Severus,” Ginny murmured. “You’re right on time...for dessert.”
“What—what is the meaning of this, Ms. Weasley!” Severus all but thundered, years of friendship nearly forgotten.
“Oooh, got it in one.” Ginny winked at him rather saucily and Severus found himself stepping backwards. “It’s your birthday gift, Severus. From me to you.”
Ginny was nothing if not quick, and before he could fight her off or even release his wand into hand, she had him by the wrist and was dragging him into the bedroom. One of her hands snaked up to cover his eyes, but he was beyond being able to fight back. She pulled him through the dimly lit room until he was standing beside the massive bed, then let her hand drop away.
Severus opened his eyes, but it was a few seconds before what he was seeing registered with him. Lying in the center of the bed, trussed up in thin chains of silver and gold was Harry Potter, Severus’ closest friend and the sole occupant of his thoughts most nights. His hair was mussed, his face flushed and his body naked, but it was clear they had not actually just been having sex.
“He’s all for you, Severus,” Ginny whispered in his ear, startling him. “The papers went through this morning for our divorce and as of right now, I am no longer Mrs. Harry Potter, just Ginevra Weasley.”
“I do not—I am not certain I understand.” He wanted so desperately to believe her words, but she and Harry were the perfect couple, with three beautiful children and a happy marriage.
“We planned it this way from the beginning, Severus,” Ginny explained gently, all the while stripping away his robes. “Neither he or I were ready for the world to know just who it was we were in love with, and we both wanted a family. It seemed fitting, therefore, that we should marry. After each child, we would reassess our relationship, our feelings about coming out to society and then go from there.
“After James was born, I wanted to take some time off to be a stay-at-home mom, and so Harry quit his job coaching youth Quidditch and accepted the position here. Which, of course, you know. What you didn’t—and don’t—know is that I have been seeing Guinevere Rutherford, the flying instructor. She and I had met during my recruitment to the Harpies and we’ve been seeing each other secretly ever since. Well, Harry knew of course. He, meanwhile, was hopelessly in love with someone he thought out of his league.”
Her voice was soft and seductive in Severus’ ear, luring him into a complacent state of mind. He shivered as one of her hands gripped his bicep, and he jerked his gaze away from the fearfully excited Harry. “You...planned this? From the beginning?” An old familiar hurt began to burn in his gut as he wondered if they were making fun of him.
“Well, not this part. I did intend to hand Harry over once he showed interest in someone, but you, Severus, can be extremely thick-headed sometimes. I would have liked this to progress more naturally, but my patience is at its limits and my Portkey is arranged for eight o’clock in the morning tomorrow. Now, onto the bed with you.”
Severus obeyed before he could think to refuse and moved over slippery silk sheets until he was hovering over Harry. His eyes feasted on the sight of bound and gagged Harry, and he reached out unconsciously to trace one of the delicate chains. Harry moaned, his green eyes begging for more.
“It’s the spell on the chains. Every time they rub over his skin, the sensation is magnified by seven. You’ll want to take them off before the main event as I’m not certain the pleasure wouldn’t kill him.”
“I—” Severus was at a loss for words.
“He doesn’t mind you playing rough with him, Severus, just as long as he can trust that you won’t hurt him purposefully, or push him past his limits. He’s also quite the cuddler post-orgasm. I think you’ll quite enjoy falling asleep with him in your arms or splayed over your chest. I would suggest leaving the cock ring on for now, though, as he’s likely to come fast. He’s been waiting for you for nearly three years now.”
Severus’ head snapped around at that, and he stared at Ginny in shock. It came as even more of a surprise to see that she was fully dressed, standing just inside the bedroom door with two suitcases by her feet. She smiled wistfully.
“I wish I could stay and see you through this moment, but I have places to go. The children already said goodbye—we told them I was leaving this afternoon—and are sleeping over at my mother’s house. Severus, take care of Harry for me. He loves you very much, and he’s been holding himself back on my account. Don’t make him wait for too long.”
With that, Ginny bent and grabbed a bag in each hand and stepped into the hallway. A few seconds later, Severus heard the Floo flair to life, taking Ginny Weasley as it faded away.
Severus had forgotten that his hand was still resting on Harry’s chest and so when he moved it, he fingered the chains once more. Harry arched into the touch, a sound akin to a purr leaking out past the gag. He raked a nail over one hard nipple and drank in the sight and sound of Harry’s pleasure.
“We shall discuss this at great length tomorrow, Harry, but for now—for now, I intend to have my cake and eat it, too...”
~ Fin ~