Harry was used to Severus' very odd sense of probity. The man had integrity, and Harry respected that. It wasn't even his sense of honor that was annoying, it was the strangeness of it.

Severus had very little problem with verbally abusing others. Harry luckily fell outside of this, or, at least, was spared the worst of Severus' tongue and temper. Er, maybe just his temper… Severus' tongue was put to a much better use these days when it came to Harry. Or when Harry came.

He also had little problem with murder. Harry snorted as he remembered their conversation regarding that.

Flashback:

"Wait, what?" Harry demanded during one training session. "You approve of murder?"

Severus sighed heavily. "No, I don't approve of murder. But if I'm asked to choose between my life and my enemy's, whose am I going to choose? The problem is that most people try to choose both – and wind up dead or insane or paralyzed or some other entirely useless, horrific fate. So, I have no problem with killing someone if I must. I don't go around killing people for the fun of it, though, so I don't see what your problem is."

Harry shrugged. "The ending of someone's life is a bit difficult to grasp quickly."

"Well, grasp it now rather than during the thick of battle. Because then it will be your life that will be ended and not someone else's. And have I mentioned yet to you what, exactly, I think of you dying?"

"Oh, naturally," Harry answered, restraining a smile. "You'd rejoice, dance the two-step on my grave, through a big 'Harry is FINALLY dead' party, to run parallel with Voldie's celebration, send out 'Harry is dead, dead, dead and I couldn't care less, less, less' singing cards to everyone, and then continue with your life as normal. Well, not quite, you'd be forever happier knowing that I was out of your life."

Severus repressed a smile as well. "Waltz," he clarified.

"Hm?" Harry asked.

"Not the two-step. Waltz."

"Oh, right."

"Seriously."

"You'd miss me."

"I'll kill you if you die during this, Harry. I'll raise you from the dead, fuck you one more time, and then I'd kill you for dying."

"Thanks for fucking me first and then killing me; I was never one for necrophilia."

Severus glared angrily at Harry. "Don't. Harry… I love you."

"I love you too, Sev."

Severus kissed him passionately, sliding his hands under Harry's shirt and tweaking his nipples.

End Flashback.

So murder, verbal abuse – hell, physical abuse – were all more or less fine in Severus' book of morals (not as thin a book as some would claim).

But this…

This was unexpected.

As actually being in the book of morals.

Severus wasn't really one to adhere to tradition of any sort. Harry liked that. He'd had enough of Wizarding tradition already.

But no sex between their engagement and their marriage? It was only two months, yes, but damn… Severus' probity was most annoying.

Probity – n. Complete and confirmed integrity; uprightness. Word of the Day, March 4, 2008)