Song for this chapter: Story of My Life by One Direction

A/N: yeah I know I can't believe I used a One Direction Song Either

SBPOV

"Well I honestly can't believe it," I said to Severus while flipping through the little booklet of fabric scraps that Marlene had sent over for me to look at. "After all the folderol he actually denied your application?"

"It probably had to do with me," Hermione answered for him while un-taping another box of kitchen stuff and starting to unpack it. "I think seeing me accompany Severus to the interview reminded him of my looming threat. Even if I have no intention of ever using necromancy again, it probably puts his teeth on edge that I could reveal him, or put up a damn good fight against him if I don't like what he's doing."

"Yeah, but it leaves him without a potions teacher," I pointed out, setting aside the fabric to instead take a handful of dishes out of the box as well. "How's he going to answer to the board of governors for that?"

"He'll probably give the same reason I'm arguing for why I should set up shop in Otter St. Catchpole instead of Diagon Alley," Severus interjected as he stood from where he had been putting away cleaning supplies under the kitchen sink. "We garner too much attention upon our return to the English wizarding world. I would be a distraction in the classroom as well as the castle proper. I mean honestly the idea that we can't run into Gladrags without making the front page of the Prophet is a little outrageous."

"I guess my wedding will be all over the papers then won't it," I laughed. "You are still willing to be a groomsman correct?"

"Unfortunately," Severus said with a scowl. "I still think you ought to just have the other marauders and be done with it."

"Oh you," Hermione chided gently. "Don't make him go through that whole spiel again. You're his friend just as much as they are."

"Shocks me to this day," Severus laughed.

"Yeah me too," I laughed as well. "But you have to tell me, as a friend, my future wife is completely gorgeous isn't she?"

Again I flashed the candid of Marlene I had pulled from one of the old Hogwarts yearbooks. Hermione and Severus just shook their heads at me with indulgent smiles on their faces.

"Poor girl, getting saddled with the likes of you by the ministry," Severus drawled. "Whatever will she do?"

"Apparently have lots of children," I shrugged, surprised that the anger I had felt about that stipulation prior to being matched with Marlene was suddenly gone. "When will the two of you be filling this cottage with babies?"

"We won't," Hermione said softly with a sad look in her eyes. "I probably need to go into the ministry and speak with someone officially about that."

"I'm sorry, I didn't realize you guys had a difference of opinion," I said awkwardly when I saw the almost devastated look flash on Severus' face before he presented a blank mask once more. "I shouldn't have brought it up."

"Oh, we do not have a difference of opinion," Severus said with a dismissive jerk of his hand. "It simply is a medical impossibility."

"What?" I asked dumbly, only realizing after it came out of my mouth that I really shouldn't ask.

"To put it quite bluntly, as I'm sure a fellow Gryffindor would appreciate," Hermione said with her back to me as she put dishes in the cabinet. "I do not have the proper equipment to house a child within my body. That's gone, and with it the option of having children naturally. Perhaps the ministry will settle for adoption."

"There are unlikely to be children to adopt," Severus pointed out easily as he joined her at the cabinet and rubbed her back soothingly. "If there were a surpluses of children, I do not believe the procreation clause of the law would be in existence."

"Maybe an international wizarding child," Hermione shrugged before leaning in to him. "Like I said, we need to speak with an official to determine how the law will effect us."

"Well I've made everything sufficiently awkward now haven't I," I said with an embarrassed chuckle. "So with no further transition, when will you be opening your shop Severus?"

"Soon," he said, turning to face me and offer me a somewhat wobbly smile. "I've just got to finalize the dealings with the realtor on the space I chose tomorrow morning, and then it will take a bit of wand work to prepare the premises before moving supplies in and opening the business."

"Luckily you've already worked out all the atmospheric charms in Australia and you will only have to quickly lay them in," Hermione said as she returned to the box to get the last of the dishes without looking at me.

I pretended not to notice the tears in her eyes because I knew she wouldn't want me to comment on them. Instead I began breaking down the now empty box and threw it into the stack of boxes that had already been emptied.

"And what about your healing work," I pressed, hoping to erase the uncomfortable atmosphere I had created.

"Well, Jenny and her mother are still in the process of moving, so I'm not likely to see them for a little while yet," Hermione told me on her way out of the room to get another box. "I'm actually thinking about registering for a class or two at St. Mungos to increase my knowledge base. I've already registered with the ministry for the test to become officially licensed as a practitioner, but I want to do more."

"Have you thought of becoming a fully fledged healer?" I questioned.

"I've considered it, but I am not fond of the hours," she admitted. "And I also want something that can be more finely tailored to my clients, which requires having far fewer of them unfortunately. It also doesn't hurt getting to work with Severus everyday."

"You guys are adorable." I said with a smile. "Almost as adorable as Marlene and I. Did I tell you about our dinner date at her house the other night?"

"Oh no, please tell us again about how you made spaghetti together," Severus intoned.

"And then she purposely got sauce on your face so she could kiss it off," Hermione went on.

"And then you had the best snog of your life," Severus laughed.

"But not a shag, because Marlene is a classy girl and she's making you wait until after the wedding." Hermione finished.

"Well it just lacks a certain charm when you tell it like that," I said, turning my nose up in the air in mock offence.

"I can't believe I'm saying this, but I think you two being forced together might be the best thing that could have happened to you," Hermione admitted, finally really looking at me again. "I mean she's done something for you that can't really be put into words, but there is just this sense of peace that you radiate now. It makes me happy for you."

"Thank you, I am quite happy as well," I admitted. "Don't tell James and Lily though. They'd make me eat my words about the law."

"You're secrets are always safe with us," Severus said quietly. "What about Lupin? How is he fairing with his partner?"

"The matches for the not entirely human registrants have not been required to meet at the ministry to schedule weddings yet," I explained. "And his future wife does not appear to be interested in meeting him prior to the required meeting. So… not the greatest."

"Perhaps she is just nervous," Hermione hedged.

"I hope that is the only issue," Severus sighed. "Do they write one another?"

"Yes they have exchanged a few letters giving information about their histories," I explained. "She is not particularly loquacious to quote Remus."

"Perhaps if he told her that I brew for him she might loosen up a bit," he wondered out loud. "I would of course brew for his spouse as well."

"I should have him tell her that!" I agreed easily. "Maybe that would warm her up to him a bit. Remus didn't come right out and say it, but I got the impression she isn't very well off and probably cannot afford to pay for Wolfsbane."

"Who can," Hermione scoffed. "It should be illegal the way shops gouge people for something so necessary. That will change soon enough when we open up here though. Severus was actually going to give it away for free but I told him how an inference of charity might offend some so it will be on a pay what you can basis."

"I sometimes forget that you two are actually people did you know that," I admitted. "You just seem like some sort of heroes from a story rather than a real every day human from time to time."

"Which is probably why we can't stay out of the papers," Severus grumbled. "But really we are just a married couple trying to run a business properly. Perhaps it isn't normal to consider human needs over capitalism anymore though."

"I don't think anyone had been consider human need outside of the need for more humans," I pointed out with a crooked smile before I took my book of fabrics in hand once more. "Come on then Hermione help me pick what my favorite linen is. Telling Marlene I didn't care was not an acceptable answer."

A/N: I know another really short one. This one is more of a corrective action really. I wrote the last two chapters without consulting my outline at all and I strayed substantially from points I was planning to make. Some I made to early, other's a left out. Plus I had a fantastic reviewer remind me of someone that I completely forgot the existence of that I feel must be included in this story, which warrants a rewrite of the outline anyway. So this little blurb gets me back in line in a way, even if it is technically a new line. I hope you are all still enjoying the story though.