First off, sorry for the delay. I set myself to a pretty rigorous schedule with this one and just needed a breather. Second, I also apologize for the shortness of this chapter. I'm still kinda drained idea-wise and want to make sure the next chapter is at it's full potential. In the mean time, I hope this tides everyone over. Enjoy!

As per Severus and Hermione's mutual wishes, there wasn't so much of a true 'reception' as it was just a celebratory dinner. Ginny helped her out of the dress and into casual clothing, there was no way she was sitting there in good clothes when she didn't have to.

She and Ginny drifted down to the living room, where everyone else had congregated, including Severus, sequestered in the corner with a book. It seemed he too had not wanted to linger in nice clothes, preferring to relax in his more comfortable Hogwarts robes. Grabbing a book she picked up from the Restricted Section on healing and Mediwiardry, Hermione curled up on the couch next to Severus.

Hermione lost track of time, as well as everything else, as the smell of Molly's cooking slowly permeated the entire house. She and Severus were both startled out of their reverie when a bright flash suddenly flared, making them both jump. Looking up, they saw Ginny grinning with a camera in her hands. "Well it looks like the two of you won't have any problems getting along," the redhead quipped.

Severus snorted softly and put the book down. "Is dinner ready?" He inquired.

"Nearly," Ginny replied, plopping down next to Hermione. "You two were both sitting in a corner, engrossed in library books and I couldn't pass up the opportunity," she said with a grin.

Hermione rolled her eyes at her friend. "Of course you couldn't."

"More fitting than any staged wedding photo, though," said Harry with a chuckle. Hermione giggled at him, it was true after all. Severus gave him an annoyed look before getting up and joining Molly in the kitchen, presumably to offer his help.

Molly had pulled out all the stops for dinner that night, and by the time dinner was over everyone was groaning, stuffed with third and fourth helpings, Severus with much pushing. Hermione giggled at the memory of the beginning of dinner.

"Alright, dinner is ready everyone!" She had called out to the large group, who had all sidled into the now-expanded kitchen. "Everyone eat your fill, there's more than enough to go around." Molly's stern maternal gaze fell on Severus. "And especially you Severus," she said in a tone that brooked no argument. "You're far too thin, I know full well that you don't eat near as much as you should."

Severus, not used to being mothered, adopted a facial expression that showed every sign of argument, but was quelled by Minerva drawing her wand on his other side. "She's right," Minerva said sternly. "I've eaten with you nearly every day for the last twenty years Severus. You eat like a bird and it shows. You will sit down, you will eat a full meal, and you will have second helpings."

Minerva's tone, complete with wand pointed at his chest and Molly's stern stance on his other side was such that even Severus realized there was no use arguing, and he sat down next to his new wife without a word.

Hermione giggled out loud as she and Severus walked back up to the castle, and he gave her a questioning look. "Dinner," she reminded him. At his confused look, she elaborated. "Feeling quite full, are we?" She asked coyly.

Severus's lip curled, making Hermione laugh even harder. "I ate more in one hour than I have in the last month," he complained. "Do you know why I always eat the bare minimum?"

"To watch your figure?" She threw out with a grin.

He ignored her response. "Quicker reaction time," he said. "A person who has just stuffed themselves with five meals' worth of food does not react to an ambush as quickly or effectively as someone who has only eaten enough to tide them over to the next meal."

She looked at him in shock, having never thought of such a thing before. "That's… I've never thought of it that way before," she said thoughtfully.

"Quite," he responded simply.

They walked in silence back up to the castle as she turned his words over in her head. It was quite a brilliant strategy. She thought back to all the times she had done battle, and imagined fighting those battles while as full and sluggish as she was right now. Hermione was dismayed to realize that she most likely would have died or been seriously injured, at least, as she was sure her reaction time would have suffered. By assuring he ate just enough to satisfy but not glut himself on food, he insured both energy and quick reaction. She supposed that being a spy among Voldemort's ranks would require precision reaction time, something one could not achieve while digesting, as he had said, several days worth of food all at once.

"That's quite brilliant you know," she said softly as they reached the doors of the castle, which he held open for her. "But you really should endeavor to eat more now," she continued as they made their way down to the dungeons. Hermione was attempting to ignore the thudding of her heart in her chest, almost painful with it's speed.

"I am not sure that I physically could at this point, Hermione. I have eaten this way since I was a fourth year."

She gave him a shocked look. "That early?"

He understood her unasked question and answered it. "Potter and Black," he said simply. Comprehension dawned and it showed on her features. "Fourth year was when they knew enough spells to really make life difficult, and I had to keep an eye out at all times, be ready to retaliate in an instant."

"Is that also how you're so good at sensing people around you?" She asked, recalling numerous times where she had been following him silently, some twenty yards behind, and he had still looked back at her, sensing her behind him.

He nodded in affirmation. "It is. After being ambushed on several occasions, I developed a sixth sense, if you will, and learned to be more aware than most of my surroundings. It proved an invaluable skill, once I turned traitor to him."

Hermione nodded, it made sense. "Note to self, never tell Harry that his father and Sirius inadvertently gave you the skills to fool Voldemort and the Death Eaters," she quipped. Hermione was surprised to hear Severus laugh, loud and hard, at her comment. His laugh was a wonderful, rich baritone, and she wished she could hear it more often.

They had finally reached Severus's quarters, and Hermione could no longer deny the nervousness flooding her system. She couldn't place why she was so nervous in the first place. After all, she and Severus had had sex twice before, but for some reason this time felt different. Maybe it was because they were now married, bound for life. Maybe it was because of the ever-growing 15 week bump expanding out rapidly from her small body, in which she was just beginning to feel flutters and bumps. Maybe it was just because something inexplicable felt different between them now, with the rings on their fingers. Before this day they could just push it off as a passing occasion. Now, though, it was deeper than that, and it always would be.

Severus must have been able to detect her disquiet, because he led her gently to his bedroom, and closed the door before directing her to an armchair and gently kneading the muscles at her shoulders and neck. Hermione let her head fall forward and matched Severus's breathing, which she thought he had exaggerated for that purpose, as his breath was never audible. Before long, Hermione felt her heart slowing down to a normal rate and the nervousness in her stomach slowly ebb away, replaced with a desire to be with her husband, the father of her children.