Disclaimer: The Harry Potter World belongs to J.K. Rowling.

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I awoke to a feeling of contentment. I ran my hand over Severus' bare chest as I watched him sleep. It was rare for Severus to sleep later than me. He looked so peaceful. I didn't want to disturb his rest but I also didn't want to leave his side. I still couldn't believe that he wanted to marry me. I always figured that Severus thought the idea of marriage was ridiculous. For as long as I had known him, he had mocked other people's marriages and relationships. I reached down and ran my hand across his cheek. Severus grabbed my hand and smirked when I gasped in surprise. His eyes opened and for a moment I saw a glimpse of the look that Severus gives me when he thinks I'm not looking.

"You are up early", Said Severus as he pulled me down to give me a kiss.

I chuckled and said, "I wouldn't say its early. It's past noon."

Severus looked at the clock and smirked as he said, "You have become a bad influence woman."

"I have no idea what you mean. I rarely sleep past noon."

"I remember a particular day that you slept through lunch because you had a headache which could have been easily solved if you had asked me for a headache potion."

"Do you really want to bring up that incidence? That also happens to be the time that you lied and said that Minerva asked you to check up on me so you had an excuse to check up on me!", I said as I whacked him with a nearby pillow.

Severus growled and ripped the pillow from my grasp. I found myself chuckling as he tackled me and pinned me to the bed.

"I did no such thing.", grumbled Severus.

"Sure you didn't.", I said with sarcasm and a wicked smile.

"You are such a vixen", whispered Severus into my ear as he nipped at my ear. I felt my heart begin to race as his hand began to move up my thigh. I surrendered to the moment and became lost in Severus' caresses.

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Hours later, I rested my head on Severus' shoulder as he read to me poetry from Lord Byron. His rich voice brought the poem It is the hour to life.

It is the hour when from the boughs The nightingale's high note is heard;

It is the hour - when lover's vows Seem sweet in every whisper'd word;

And gentle winds and waters near, Make music to the lonely ear.

Each flower the dews have lightly wet,

And in the sky the stars are met,

And on the wave is deeper blue,

And on the leaf a browner hue,

And in the Heaven that clear obscure

So softly dark, and darkly pure,

That follows the decline of day

As twilight melts beneath the moon away.

I loved when he read poetry to me. It had started as a joke. One day he had come home early to find me engrossed in this very poem and had started reading it out loud in a sarcastic tone. But instead of trying to fight him for the book back, I had curled up next to him on the couch and listened to him. He had finally relented and started to read the poems in a serious tone. I knew he wasn't a fan of poetry but he did it for me and that was the true gift of these moments.

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