Disclaimer: As always I own nothing but the original characters and the situations all characters find themselves in. Thanks for reading, I hope you enjoy this little sequel.

Taking It Easy

Standing at the top of the staircase Fleur Weasley gave her only son a look that said she was to be obeyed under penalty of a bad makeover. "Now, Bebe, you will remember that Rory is not at school because the healers said that he needs a week off to regain his strength and recover from what happened. He is to stay in bed as much as possible all day and you are to let him rest. No funny business. If you put back his recovery in any way you will be going back to school, understand?"

"Oui, Maman." Louis informed her, doing his best to look completely innocent and trustworthy. "Now you better hurry, Papa is waiting for you."

"Hmmm." Obviously not believing her son's innocent act for a minute Fleur reached out to ruffle the boy's hair, smiling a little when he immediately went to work brushing it back down into place. "You will stay inside too, where it is safe. You were allowed to stay home so that you could take care of him, remember?"

"We'll be fine, Maman. I'll take good care of Rory, just like I promised his maman." His man's mother was currently in Montreal with her family. She'd finally decided to leave Rorake's father and at Rory's insistence she had gone home with her parents instead of staying in England. He and Rory would be going back to school in a week after all and everyone agreed that the more distance between Rory's parents the better. As for the Death Eaters, they hadn't escaped from the Malfoy mansion or left it under their own steam. They'd either left in cuffs or body bags. Apparently a fight had broken out when the bad guys had realized they couldn't get out of the ballroom, the violence only escalating when they were informed that they were to put down their wands because the Aurors had arrived to arrest them. Lucius Malfoy had been one of the night's casualties. The Death Eater had turned his wand on himself rather than go back to Azkaban and they would be attending the man's funeral in two days time. He and Rory were going for Scorpius's sake.

Sighing affectionately Fleur got up on tip toes to place a kiss on her son's forehead. "Behave."

Returning the gesture Louis bid his mother good bye, watching her walk down the stairs and then disappear into the living room where she and his father would use the Flo network to get to work. Carefully following after her Louis covertly waited a few heartbeats before sticking his head into the room to confirm that they were gone before racing back up the stairs.

He'd insisted that his boyfriend get his room, he'd been sleeping in his sister Domi's old room since the night the Death Eaters had attacked them. Only the best for his Rory, Louis thought as he stopped in front of his room and opened the door, closing it quietly behind him just in case the Slytherin had fallen back asleep since breakfast. The potion the healers had given Rory to deal with the pain tended to make the man sleepy.

But Rory's eyes were open and aware, a knowing smile curving his lips. "Hey, Freckles."

"Hey, Handsome." Sitting down on the side of the bed Louis shifted over so that he could lie beside the man, laying his head on Rorake's good shoulder as he slipped an arm around the man's waist, cuddling close.

Turning his head to brush his lips over the Gryffindor's hair Rory slid his good arm up and around the other man's waist, anchoring Louis against his side. "Come to have a nap with me?"

"Couldn't you sleep last night?" Louis asked with concern on his face. He knew that the pain in Rorake's shoulder was bad, even though the man didn't complain. But when someone gulped down a foul smelling potion like clockwork he obviously needed it.

"I slept okay." He hadn't really, but he didn't want the blonde to worry about him. "I just figured that since we're going to that thing at your Grandmother's house tonight I should sleep extra, build up some strength for whatever the other Weasleys have in store for me."

"They like you better than Scorpius."

Rorake had to chuckle over that. He'd already received a couple of letters from Scorpius detailing how certain members of the Potter family had closed ranks around Al and weren't currently letting the Slytherin near his lover. Al was recovering at home and his friend's father had apparently declared that Scorpius was just going to have to wait until Al went back at school to see him. Apparently Mr. Potter thought that letting the two exchange letter was being overly generous on his part. He'd received letters from Al complaining about the same thing, but the Gryffindor was allowing his family to get away with their behavior since he got that they were still recovering from what had almost happened to him. He, Louis and Al were all trying to figure out how to talk Al's dad into letting Al go to Lucius's funeral too.

"And if you're not up to going to my Gran's then we'll just stay here and my parents can go without us." Louis added, nuzzling his face against the cotton of the other man's shirt.

"I don't think your parents will approve us being left alone any more than necessary. I think they think you're trying to steer me towards an indiscretion."

"If they're as smart as I know they are they KNOW I'm planning to more than just steer you." Shifting over Louis teasingly slid his tongue up the length of the Slytherin's neck. "I'll jump you if necessary."

Rorake's chuckle was half pleasure, half groan. "You know, torturing is supposed to be a Slytherin forte, not a Gryffindor's."

"Want me to kiss you all better?"

"I'd ask what I'm supposed to do with you…but I've got plenty of plans of my own." Rorake rakishly assured the Gryffindor as he lowered his hand to give Louis's rear a loving little pat. "Now behave. At least until after the authorities finally get through your uncle and get to me."

Rorake had yet to be thoroughly questioned by the authorities as to the part he'd played the night Louis and Al had been attacked. At first the healers had insisted on him being left alone, and then the Weasleys had taken him home before anyone could do more than ask him a few basic questions. Al's father had been acting as a shield and since the government was currently sucking up to the Chosen One big time the Slytherin was being left alone for the time being.

But that was only temporary.

And though it was unlikely, it went unspoken that they wanted Rorake to be able to say truthfully that he hadn't had sex with Louis. Because heroes or not, the Potters and Weasleys didn't want to take any chances where the boys were concerned. Everyone in the Wizarding World knew they were a couple now, and if someone attempted to charge them for their relationship…well the two would be safe as long as their relationship remained unconsummated.

)

Shortly after lunch Al and James showed up to visit Shell Cottage. James had appointed himself as his little brother's bodyguard until Al returned to Hogwarts, and was taking his job very seriously. That the redhead would be as likely to blast Scorpius as he was to take down a possible Death Eater was well known, especially since James had sent the Slytherin a letter saying exactly that. Like Scorpius had been in denial about Rorake's genuine attraction to Louis, James was convinced that there was no way his little brother cold actually be willingly in love with Scorpius Malfoy.

"He's driving me nuts." Al stated firmly from the seat James had brought in for him, so that Rorake wouldn't have to leave the bed. Turning his head the Gryffindor gave his brother, who was hovering protectively in the doorway, a dark look. "And if he doesn't stop hovering and threatening my man I'm going to start talking about sex with that man in explicit detail!"

"Ohhhh burn." Louis drawled out as he watched James pale as much as a natural redhead could.

James scowled at Al. "You're my little brother. It's my job to take care of you."

Since Al knew that his brother was still brooding over the fact that he hadn't been able to protect him before Al forced himself to turn back to his friends and ignore his new shadow. Fighting with James would only give him a worse headache then he already had. Well that and he hadn't had a decent night's sleep since the attack and wasn't exactly at his fighting best either. And you sorta had to be when dealing with James.

"So, Rory, enjoying your stuffed animal filled accommodations?"

Rorake's lips twitched at Al's oh so innocent inquiry. "Well at least they weren't once real animals that got stuffed."

"Ewww! Taxidermy is gross."

"And you are such a girl, Louis, seriously." James stated from the doorway, rolling his eyes as he tried to ignore the fact that his little cousin was currently in bed with a Slytherin. The two were sitting up with their backs against the headboard, but still!

"Says the man who can't stop acting like a mother hen." Al muttered.

James walked over and very gently ruffled his little brother's hair. "Hey, you've only got one eye now, you haven't slept for more than two hours at a time since you got jumped, you get really bad headaches all the time, AND you're dating a Malfoy on top of that. I have just cause to think you need constant supervision and guidance."

Al just rolled his one eye. "If I wanted guidance you are so not the person I would turn to, Bro."

But the Gryffindor couldn't argue the rest. Every time he looked in the mirror he was brutally aware of the fact that he'd lost an eye. And not because he'd been running with scissors like various mothers had been predicting would happen for centuries. A Death Eater had deliberately blasted him in the head so that now there was no eye, just healing scar tissue in a sun-like shape where the eye should have been. He was wearing the patch so he looked less disfigured, not because there was anything there to protect anymore. The headaches were a result of the internal damage the head shot had caused, and while the healers were hopefully that they'd die down they didn't think they'd go away completely.

And real sleep was going to be a long time coming.

"Yes, for guidance he knows to come to me, as I am all wise and knowing." Louis announced, seeing the change in his best friend's mood. And that was not a good thing, especially without Scorpius around to do something about it. He had no doubt that everyone was showering his cousin with love and affection, which was good, but right now Al probably needed that balanced with practicality and brutal honesty. Something that the Slytherin would be able to deliver while still making Al feel loved and whole, Louis silently mused.

"More like a wiseass without even knowing." James shot back, interrupting Louis's thoughts.

While the two bickered over which of them was the biggest wiseass Al and Rorake shared a look of understanding, amused at the two while being grateful for something to take their minds off of everything. They were both in the recovery stage, and glad to be able to be alive to recover, but they were physical men who were not the sort to stay in bed and be coddled.

Well, unless it was their significant other coddling them.

And Al would think later that it was somewhat ironic that even as he wished Scorpius were there with him two owls came flying into the room, trailing a little bit of ash behind them since they'd come down through the chimney. One of them flew over to drop a letter in James's lap while the other one neatly landed on Al's offered arm, holding out its message bearing leg.

James picked up the letter and stared at it in shocked horror. "A Howler. Your bloody git of a boyfriend sent me a Howler!"

"Better go open it outside then. You know the healers said I can't be around loud noises. You'll make my headache worse."

Cursing a blue streak James marched out of the room, planning all sorts of dark, terrible things to do to Scorpius when he got ahold of the other man. The owl that had delivered his Howler flew after James, making a sound very reminiscent of evil laughter.

The three left behind just chuckled, breaking out into outright laughter when, through the window Louis had left slightly open so Rory could get some fresh air, they heard the sound of Scorpius's voice tearing James a new one for being stupid enough to think that he could keep him from Al. And when that was done Scorpius's Howler started to tell the other man all the things HE'D do to the redhead if he wasn't allowed to see Al soon.

"Is that even atomically possible?" Louis wanted to know, cuddling a little closer to Rory as his cousin's boyfriend painted some very violent and disturbing images in his head.

"With magic a great deal is possible." Rorake reasoned, squeezing the blonde's hand reassuringly. "But don't worry, Scorpius wouldn't actually do any of those things. Want to maybe, but he needs James alive so that Al will keep seeing him."

Shaking his head in amusement Al read the letter and then with a secret little smile got to his feet, settling the owl on one of his chair's arms before carefully making his way over to Louis's desk. Borrowing some of his cousin's ink and a quill the Gryffindor quickly wrote out a return message and rolling it up retrieved the owl to slide it back into the holder.

Hearing the sound of his brother stomping up the stairs Al quickly hurried over to the partially open window and sent the owl flying into the air, just as James burst into the room with flames all but erupting from his brown eyes.

"Where's the letter that bloody bastard sent you? What did it say?"

All three teenagers gave the older man innocent looks while Al sweetly asked his brother what letter James was talking about and as he walked over to retake his seat.

"Don't give me that, Albus Severus. The Howler was just a decoy, wasn't it? He wanted me out of the room so that you could read whatever he wrote you without me getting my hands on it!"

"And you fell for it." Rorake drawled out lazily, absently fingering the ends of Louis's hair as he smirked at the redhead who was fuming and cursing over the fact that he'd been outwitted.

James's eyes narrowed threateningly, though this Slytherin wasn't on his hit list just yet. The big bloke had saved Uncle Ron and the boys after all. "In your present state you'd be real easy to get rid of, Goyle. Keep that in mind."

"You hurt my man and I'll tie you to a chair and give you an unfixable makeover of mass destruction."

He couldn't help it, James had to laugh at that as he shook his head at the creative weirdness that was his cousin Louis.

"And don't worry about the letter, James. It was just a quick note asking me how I was doing." Al informed his brother, lying through his teeth. He wasn't exactly sure how Lysander and Scorpius thought they were going to pull off this little scheme of theirs, but he was up to trying if it meant a chance to see his man. And his part of the plan was small, he just had to hope they'd thought out their ends thoroughly.

"Are you going to be at the dinner at your grandmother's tonight, Al?" Rorake asked, thinking to change the subject. He'd known it was only a matter of time before Scorpius made a move to get access to Al despite the repeated warnings sent the Slytherin's way. If he was a betting man, he'd say it was going to be a lot sooner than later.

The Gryffindor nodded his head. "That's the plan unless I get another major headache."

James forgot about fuming over the Slytherin one upping him for a moment and turned to give his brother a piercing look. "How's the head now? Do you need to take something?" Consulting his pocket watch the redhead did some quick math in his head. "You really shouldn't take anything for at least another half an hour."

Al chuckled a little as he looked up at his brother. "I never thought the day would come when I wished you'd tease me and torment me like usual. I'm fine, James. You're just annoyed because you're usually the first to know when I have a headache because you're usually the one causing them."

"If it keeps you away from Malfoy I'll give you all the headaches you can stand."