Chapter 20

The week pretty much went the way Monday had. Hermione taught alone except for fifth hour, and Severus worked the back of the room and kept a watchful eye on Scorpius.

The boy glared at them much of his time in the classroom, but he was rather gifted in Potions and couldn't help but do exceptional work.

On Friday, Hermione passed out the progress reports for the week. When she came to Scorpius, she came close to him. "Scorpius, your work has been exemplary this week. It wouldn't surprise me if you decide to be a Potions master one day. You might find yourself with my job in the future."

He seemed confused to be getting praised by the Mudblood whom he'd tried to kill. He nodded, searching her face for some hint of hatred, but only saw pride there. He ducked his head in acceptance, but he couldn't bring himself to thank her. "What is she playing at?" he thought as he left the classroom that afternoon. No one ever praised him, not even his mom and dad. They were too busy working and trying to keep the Malfoy estate in the condition needed to make it in upper class wizarding society.

He pondered her compliments and was further surprised when Albus wandered by and clapped him on the back and said, "Good going, Scorpius. My Aunt Hermione doesn't hand out idle praise."

Deep in thought, Scorpius headed toward his common room.

*****

Hermione breathed a huge sigh of relief when the last student left the classroom. It had been a long week for two people who weren't quite yet recovered from all the events of the last few weeks. There was a school holiday on Monday, so they had a three-day weekend.

Severus had asked Minerva if they could have the weekend away from Hogwarts. With a bit of mystery, he had Hermione pack some things for a warm climate. Then he took her waist, pulling her close, and Apparated them away.

They landed in the tiny garden of a quaint beach house.

Hermione took a deep breath of salt air. It was warm, and there were birds flying over head. The air was fresh and tangy. Severus took her hand and opened the door into the little house. They entered the back end of a cozy den that had a fireplace. There were thick overstuffed chairs, a couch, and even a Muggle television.

"Severus, where are we?" Hermione asked with curiosity and obvious pleasure.

"This is Poppy's hidden get-away. She comes here when she has days off and summer vacations. I asked her if we could come for the weekend, and she thought it was a wonderful idea," he explained, taking their bags into another room.

Hermione followed him into a large bedroom with a huge four-poster bed curtained in blue topaz and gold. The spread matched. There were thick carpets on the floor and another fireplace. The door leading to the bathroom revealed a large, sunken tub surrounded by blue marble the same color as the bedroom beyond.

"It's wonderful." Hermione ran to kiss Severus and give him a big hug. "This is a marvelous idea: sun, sea, and thee. I couldn't ask for more."

He blushed with her praise, still not used to it.

"There is a small kitchen on the other side of the den, and I've had it stocked with fresh food," he told her.

"I wish I had brought my swim suit," she said wistfully, going to the window and looking out over the vast ocean.

Severus smirked at her. "Are you a Muggle or a magician?"

Hermione blushed. "I guess I could transfigure something." She pressed her hand against her warm cheek in embarrassment.

He laughed and picked her up and swung her around. "I guess you could, but I do have a gift for you." He dug into his bag and produced a small garment box.

Hermione opened it with a pleased squeal. There, lying in white tissue paper, was a bathing suit.

"Oh, Severus," she said as pulled it out of the box. Then her face showed her surprise and a bit of concern. "It's a bikini..."

"Don't you like it?" he asked, disappointed.

It was blue and gold like the bedroom. She suspected he'd transfigured them all to match. She figured maybe these were his favorite colors...something she'd never asked him.

"Yes, I kind of favor those colors. Poppy likes green and silver. I think it's because she supports me as a Slytherin. I changed them for us. That's not really important to me anymore." His voice was level, and Hermione could hear his disappointment.

"Severus, it's a beautiful bikini. I just have never had the courage to wear one before." She pressed her hand against her stomach. "I'm not crazy about my body."

He took her in his arms. "You have a beautiful, perfect body," he said as his hands caressed her.

She said, "But others will see me."

"Hermione, this is a very private, warded beach. No one will see you but me."

She grinned. "Well in that case, I am going to go put it on." She bounced off toward the bathroom.

He watched her go, relieved.

She called back over her shoulder. "You do have matching trunks, right? I'm looking forward to that."

He said, "Yes, I have a bathing costume. I haven't worn one since I was a boy. Do you really need me to match? I can wear some jeans and a T-shirt."

Hermione stuck her head out the door. "If you want to see me in this, then I suggest you get that 'bathing costume' on right now, Severus."

He groaned and went to unpack his suitcase.

Hermione undressed and slipped into the bikini, She looked at herself in the mirror sideways and forward. Geeze, Severus, she giggled to herself. I might as well be naked. The top barely covered her nipples, and the bottom was almost a g-string. She brandished her wand, expanding the tiny pieces of material until they covered her a bit more.

She came from the bathroom to find Severus standing in the bedroom with only spandex type trunks. "Whoo hoo," she whistled at him.

"Ha, ha," he said. "I think I underestimated my size."

She moved toward him slowly, seductively and saw him take her in with great appreciation.

"Hey, this suit wasn't quite this big was it?" His hands went around her waist and pulled her against him.

She laughed. "No, it was barely bigger than a postage stamp. Severus, what were you thinking?"

"I was thinking about pulling it off you, and that it wouldn't take a lot of time," he admitted with a dreamy grin.

"Well, this suit of yours leaves very little to the imagination," she said, running her hand over his thick shaft.

He jumped back. "Hey, unless you're going to follow through, don't. " He laughed good-naturedly. He actually reached up and ruffled her hair, and then he grabbed her hand. "Come on, it's time for some fun in the sun."

"That sounds like a Muggle slogan," she said, laughing with him. This was wonderful. They were so far away from the life that was Hogwarts. Being a witch or wizard left one in a sort of time warp. They lived without power and technical wonders. It made one feel like they were in the 18th century or something with candles and ink quills. True they could do many of the things Muggles used their machines for with their wands, but sometimes it was confusing jumping from one world to the other. But here with the sea and the sun and Severus out of his robes, she felt just human...human and on a vacation."

They had gone through the house and out onto a veranda around at the side. He pulled her on, running down the stairs and across the sand to the water's edge. Hermione screamed and danced as the cold water hit her feet.

Severus threw his head back and laughed. He'd laughed more since Hermione found him than in his entire life, and it felt wonderful being so free. He grabbed her and flung her around and held her close. "I love you. Marry me, Hermione, marry me."

Hermione stared at his happy face and his mouth. Had she just heard him... "SEVERUS!" she screamed, "Did you just ask me to marry you?"

He looked stunned. "Yes, I guess I did. You will, won't you?" he asked in earnest.

"YES!" she screamed, jumping into his arms and wrapping her legs around his waist.

They kissed each other and ended up on the sand making love. It was quick and passionate. Severus carried Hermione back to the cabin and sat her on the edge of the large bathtub. They rinsed off with the showerhead, and then Severus filled the tub with warm water and bubble bath. They slid into the tub with sighs of pleasure, and he held her close.

"Hermione, would you go into the little town nearby with me tomorrow? We can go to a justice of the peace. We are both born to Muggle parents, so we can get a Muggle license."

She smiled and turned to face him, sitting straddled across his lap. "Is this what you really want, Severus? I think you were even shocked the words came out of your mouth. We were both carried away out there."

He took her hands in his face and said, "More than you can ever imagine, Hermione. I want you to be my wife. I have never even fathomed the depth of love I have in my heart for you. Love always hurt me in the past. With you, the blowups are minor and will never endanger our true deep love."

"No, they won't," she said. "You're so different now, Severus, so loving, so giving, so damn sexy." She grinned. "But what happened to that nasty, gruff, horrible old Potions master? Will he suddenly come back one day?"

Severus looked confused. "Do you want him to?"

She kissed him softly and then backed off to look into his face. "I did like him," she admitted to him. "He had a great dry sense of humor and a really sexy frown."

"I will remember that, and I won't hold my tongue as much."

"Just be yourself, Severus. I love you. Seriously, I loved you for years...even when I thought you were dead."

His eyes widened with horror. "Do you think that was a part of the spell? Making you love me so that you would eventually come back to Hogwarts. Did it make you want to take my place? Be the Potions master to keep yourself close to what had been mine?"

"No, Severus, no. I loved Potions, and I loved you long before you died. I wanted you before the war. If the spell drew me back, then thank God for it. It did not make me love you. You made me love you. I will go with you tomorrow."

He sat forward, pressing himself against her body. She loved the feel of his bare chest against her breasts. They didn't talk anymore but slowly touched and caressed each other. With the buoyancy of the water, he lifted her easily by the waist and shifted her on to his thick shaft. They didn't care that their movements caused waves that drenched the bathroom. They thrust against each other, finding a rhythm that satisfied both their needs. Their fading climax brought them back to reality, and they held each other tightly.

They cleaned up the mess, dried each other off with thick, warm towels, and went to bed.

*****

The next morning, they got up and had a nice breakfast. Hermione bathed and dressed in a white, gauzy summer dress she had brought with her. Severus put on black Jeans and a button up white shirt with a back vest. They tied his hair back with a black ribbon. Hermione left her hair down in thick, full curls.

He took her hand, and they Apparated to a small garden alcove that was disillusioned to Muggles. They stepped out of the garden and walked down the street. They first stopped at a jewelry store and bought two simple gold matching bands.

Severus said as they left the store. "I will make them special later, Hermione. We can talk about what we want."

Down the street at a corner florist, Severus bought Hermione a bunch of roses wrapped with ribbon

She smiled at him and squeezed his hand, and they continued down the boardwalk. It was a quaint, old-fashioned town. Children ran here and there as dogs barked. Cars passed in no hurry. Life was simple here. People could be seen walking along the beach a few blocks away from the boardwalk. They stopped before an old courthouse, and Severus said, "Are you sure? Is this okay? We can have a Wizarding ceremony with friends later."

She reached to caress his face. "I would like that, yes, but this is wonderful. I cannot think of anything I want more than to be your wife."

They spent nearly thirty minutes filling out papers, and then they found themselves standing under an arch with beautiful silk flowers entwined in it. The Justice of the Peace reminded Hermione of Dumbledore. He had white hair; it wasn't long, but he had half-moon glasses perched on his nose. His eyes where green, but there was a similar twinkle there, and he was round like a Santa Claus. There was a woman who served as their witness and played a small organ. Another young man took photos for them.

They stood facing each other and spoke the words of love, promising to be faithful and to love each other in sickness and health, till death would they part.

Hermione slipped the ring on his finger. "With this ring, I thee wed," she said softly, staring into his dark eyes. A tear ran down her face.

Severus took the ring and placed it on her finger. "With this ring, I thee wed," he said, his voice thick with emotion.

The justice said, "With the powers vested in me and by the Providence of England, I now pronounce you husband and wife."

Severus took Hermione's face in his hands, and she clutched at his arm still holding her roses in one hand. He bent and kissed her gently on her lips; he then deepened the kiss until she was breathless.

"I love you, Mrs. Snape," he said.

"And I love you, Mr. Snape," she repeated, grinning.

They turned and thanked the court employees. They arranged to have the photos delivered the next morning to the mailbox on the street by the cottage, and then they ran out into the sun. They walked to a small café and ate a light lunch; afterwards they ran down to the beach, dancing along the waters edge. Hermione's hair flew around her face. She reached out to free Severus hair. They removed their shoes, and Severus hung them by the straps and strings over his shoulder. They headed down the beach and finally slipped into the wards on Poppy's property. Hermione watched Severus' face as she slipped the straps of her dress over her shoulders. She dropped the dress into the sand, and she carefully placed her wand among the folds of material. She stood before him and unhooked her bra and let it fall. Then she stepped from her knickers. She danced away when he reached out for her, skipping into the sea. The waves slid over her feet and splashed against her thighs. Severus dropped the shoes and pulled the vest and shirt off. In a quick motion, he stepped out of his pants, sent their stuff to the cabin with his wand, and ran after her. He finally caught her and pulled her, laughing, into his arms. "You're so beautiful, a beautiful goddess," he said as he captured her lips.

"And you are magnificent, Severus. I had no idea who you were and what you could become when I was a child with a crush. I am so happy. We went through hell for a few weeks, but look were we are today." She ran her hands over his chest. "Carry me into the house, Severus. I want to make love to my husband in our beautiful bed."

Severus bowed. "My lady." He swooped her into his arms and carried her into the little cottage. He laid her on the bed. He used his wand to create a dark blue sky filled with stars above the bed. Candles appeared and lit the room in soft, dancing light. Hermione had one knee up and she reached out for him. "I want you to cover me. I want to feel your weight this time, Severus," she requested.

"Are you sure?" he asked.

"Yes, come to me, my husband," she urged.

He crawled into the bed, one knee between hers and one on the left. He leaned in to kiss her and felt her hand slip over his ribs and draw him down to her. They sighed as their bodies pressed against each other.

Hermione ran her hands over his back and smiled into his face as she squeezed his buttocks.

He grinned back. "That feels wonderful." He bent to kiss her neck, and she sighed with pleasure. He covered her face and upper body with kisses, and she stroked his hair and ran a foot over the backs of his legs. She could feel him hard against her stomach, and she reached between him and caressed the thick shaft with her fingers until he moaned with pleasure. He raised himself above her, and she helped guide him in. He thrust quickly, burying himself deep I her.

"My Severus." She breathed his name, and he hardened even more. The touch of her skin against him, the taste of her mouth drove him to heights of pleasure he'd never known. The desire in her eyes for him and him alone made him love her far more than he could have ever imagined.

Hermione felt him fill her, and she stared into his deep, dark, fathomless eyes. She loved this man far more than humanly possible, she thought. Their souls were one. He began to move inside her, and she grabbed his buttocks, drawing him deeper. "Faster," she breathed.

He moved faster, throwing his head back as he moved over her. Past images were gone; she would forever remember his bliss at being one with her. His weight was gentle, loving, and kind. Together they reached new heights of feeling within them, and when he filled her with his seed, she climaxed. He collapsed on her and held her close.

"Am I too heavy?" he asked.

Her legs where still clamped around his body, and her feet were resting on the back of his knees.

"No, Severus. I love the feel of you where you are. Thank you so much for this trip and for my lovely wedding. I am so filled there are few words."

"I feel the same," he said, kissing her gently again and again. He loved the feel of her lip between his lips. Finally, he rolled to his back, drawing her onto his chest. As she slept, he lay a long time, listening to the breathing of his wife.