After the Rain
a Harry Potter story
by midnight_angel_girl
"Hehshoo." Bill Weasley turned his head away from the chessboard to sneeze quickly into his arm. "Excuse be." He sniffled.
Severus Snape looked at his lover. "Gesundheit." He said for the umpteenth time as he moved his knight. They had forsaken wizard's chess for ordinary chess as Bill couldn't get his men to understand him.
"Tha - ahshoo-shuhhh. Ugh. Excuse be agaid." He looked out the window to see that the wind was indeed picking up. "It's all this wid. It's blowig aroud all the polled. Eh-schoo." Picking up a worn handkerchief, he blew his nose forcefully and moved his rook.
"It will rain soon enough. That should clean out the air for awhile." Snape moved his queen. "Checkmate, again."
Bill rubbed at his nose and eyes. "Third gabe I'be lost. Sorry, I'b dot as focused as I dorbally ab."
"Your allergies are really bothering you." Snape stated, looking at Bill with an expression that could almost be considered sympathy. "Perhaps you should lie down for awhile."
"But thed I wod't be able to keep you cobpady."
"I have some essays I can grade. You clearly are miserable."
"A dap does soud good. Hey-ehshoo." Bill rubbed at his nose again.
Snape put his arm around Bill and guided him to the bedroom. "Just sleep. I will wake you later."
"Thaks." Bill lay down and closed his eyes. "Huhshoo."
"Gesundheit." Snape gave Bill a gentle kiss on the forehead. He stood there for few minutes until Bill's breathing evened out, and it was apparent he was asleep before heading to the living room to grade essays.
Not twenty minutes after Bill fell asleep, the rain kicked in. Snape looked out the window approvingly. The rain was just what Bill needed right now. Pulling out a quill and red ink, he curled up with the essays while the rain pounded the windows.
Two hours after the rain began, it was over. Snape finished the few essays he had left, and stepped out onto the balcony to enjoy the fresh air.
"Hey." He heard a voice say from behind him about 15 minutes later.
"Feeling better?"
"Yeah. The rain washed all the pollen out of the air for a bit." Standing behind Snape, he put his arms around him and leaned his head against the older man's.
"Bill, as bad as your allergies are, how can you be a curse breaker and work in all those tombs?"
"Believe it or not, I'm not allergic to dust or mold. Mainly just pollens and dogs."
"You never had much of a problem around Black." Snape remarked.
"He wasn't a real dog. This is nice. I miss being outside." They stood there a while longer before Bill turned his head and sneezed. "Hieshhoo."
"Things are starting to dry out now, so the pollen is starting to build back up."
"I know. But this is so nice. Let's stay out here a little longer."
"Until you really start sneezing again. I don't want you to be miserable."
Bill leaned against Snape, and they stood there for several minutes until Bill pulled away. "Heyeshhoo, iieshoo."
"Gesundheit." Snape pulled a handkerchief from his pocket and handed it over. "It's time to go in."
Bill sighed, blowing his nose. "We can stay out here longer if you want."
"I do not wish to see you miserable. I don't want my sniffley boyfriend to be even more so."
"Hehshoo, ehshoo." Bill blew his nose again loudly as Snape opened the door and led him back into the apartment.
"I plan on being with you for a long time yet. We'll have plenty more opportunities to be outside in the future. After the rain, of course." Snape kissed the tip of Bill's reddened nose gently. "More chess?"
Not mine. JKR's