Epilogue

A/N: I am very sorry about taking so long to update. Not only did I work most of my Christmas break, but then my beta Kat took literally forever getting this back to me. So please, forgive me and enjoy the epilogue.

As always, thanks to my lovely betas Gemma & Kat.

Not to mention, the wonderful people who R&R.

Disclaimer: All characters belong to J.K. Rowling

Also the line "you have bewitched me, body and soul" came from the new version of Pride & Prejudice

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The sun shone through the charmed windows, illuminating the dust motes dancing in Severus' chambers. Severus looked down at the sleeping woman in his arms before softly smiling. I still can't believe she stayed the night... I still can't believe she said yes.

It hadn't taken Hermione long to convince Severus that she loved him even without the potion. It took her a little longer to convince him that he could love her without the fear that she might one day desert him for a younger and more personable wizard. Finally, after two years of the infamous love potion debacle, Severus proposed, and Hermione, of course, accepted.

The wedding had been small, close friends and family only, due to both Severus' private nature and Hermione's desire to not have the whole of the wizarding world at the wedding. The reception afterwards had been Severus' own personal idea of what hell would be like. Not ever being one to really socialize, he simply wanted to go home with his new bride and begin his wedding night. Hermione, Minerva and Mrs. Weasley, however, insisted that the couple have a celebration dinner along with dancing.

"A girl only gets to be a bride once," Molly quoted countless times during the planning.

The one surprise Severus had for Hermione was their first dance together. He knew she recognized the song as soon as he took her into his arms. "I'll put a spell on you..." the singer crooned as the pair waltzed around the dance floor. Hermione looked up into her husband's eyes and smiled.

"Our first dance... you remembered."

"Hermione, you have bewitched me, body and soul, how could I not remember?"

Feeling Hermione begin to stir, Severus shook himself from his reverie and looked down as she slowly opened her eyes. The happiness shining back at him from the chocolate depths answered any questions he might have had on whether she had any regrets about last night.

"Good morning," Hermione softly murmured.

"Morning. I trust you slept well?" Hermione made a contented noise in the back of her throat.

"Oh, yes. Very well, or at least with what little sleep I got," she teased. Severus smirked before leaning down to cover her lips again.

"I wouldn't have minded getting some sleep, but you were most persistent the last few times." Hermione giggled.

"I was trying to make up for lost time, thank you very much."

"Well, in that case," Severus drawled before rolling her onto her back and kissing her senseless. Leaving her lips he trailed down her neck to nip at the base causing Hermione to moan softly.

Where last night had been heated and at some times moved very fast, this morning the pair moved leisurely, at an almost lazy pace. Before long, Hermione had managed to wriggle out from under Severus and was soon straddling him, mimicking his earlier actions, making him groan loudly as she ground against him. The pair continued to move and tease one another until it was finally too much. In the end, Hermione had managed to flip Severus once more to his back, causing them both to gasp and murmur praises to one another when he was finally embedded. Breathless whispers, low groans and soft moans were all that could be heard and were really all that was said. As the pace increased, Hermione began keening as it felt like the sun had burst and consumed her. Severus soon followed, and the pair finally were quiet once more, nestled in one another's arms.

"I love you," Hermione whispered as her arms tightened around him.

"I know. I love you, too," came a sleepy reply.