AN: Thank you for all the support! It is very deeply appreciated!

Severus had no idea how he Hermione talked him into allowing this to happen.

She sat in the driver's side seat of her new Mustang convertible. Of course it was black. She probably choose the color to appease him. Not the wisest move given that they'd see every bug that splattered against it.

Still, she gazed at the car as if it was the most amazing object in the world. It was her dream come true.

It was Severus' worst nightmare.

"Isn't it beautiful?" Her eyes were agleam as she felt the leather of the steering wheel.

"It looks like you're having a midlife crisis at the tender age of thirty," he deadpanned.

She hummed, uncaring of his sour mood. "You said you'd support me in getting whatever car I wanted. I did exactly that, got the car I always wanted."

"When I said that, I thought you'd get a sensible vehicle, such as a compact car, or perhaps a van."

"Why would I want something as bulky and plain as a van?"

"I don't know," he admitted. "Why do you need this?"

"Because it's a celebration of our freedom from the Wizarding World. It screams new life, new me, and new outlook." She ran her finger along the gear shift.

"It screams 'I want to spend half my income on speeding tickets.'"

"I don't speed that much."

"You got two speeding tickets in your parents' cars right after obtaining your license, then another one the year after that."

"I was in a hurry all of those times."

"It is difficult to be late if you're paying a surprise visit to your parents."

"I told you, I had to get to them before their favorite show was on. I was running early, until that police officer pulled us over." She shook her head. "The dunderhead wouldn't listen to me when I told him I knew the mayor and she wouldn't appreciate me getting a ticket."

"I think he raised the ticket by fifty dollars for that stunt."

"It was worth a try." She patted the seat next to her. "Climb on in. Let's see what six cylinders of pure power can do."

"Six cylinders?" Severus exclaimed.

"Yes," she looked at him like that was the most obvious statement in existence. "Mustangs are sports cars. Most sports cars have six or eight cylinders."

Thank God she hadn't splurged on the eight cylinder, though he suspected she was tempted to do just that.

"Six cylinders will be fun."

"Are you sure you can control the car? Every other car you've driven has only had four cylinders."

"Don't remind me. It took me forever to get them up to speed on the highway." Her smile returned. "That won't be a problem anymore."

Severus was lightheaded. He knew getting this car would be a terrible idea. Why hadn't he trusted his instincts and gone with her to the car dealership to talk her out of this idiocy?

Because that wide grin she was giving him was enough to drive him wild. That witch was going to drive him to an early grave, wearing that pleasant expression all the way to his funeral.

"Fine, but if you lose control of this vehicle and crash it then I will choose the next car, assuming we live," Severus replied.

"I won't wreck the car." She ran her hand over the side of the door. "Not when it's my one and only baby."

"You see it as your child now?"

"Why not?" She shrugged. "In many ways, it's better than a child. It won't scream and wake me up in the middle of the night."

"No, it's obnoxiously loud motor will just make every car ride deafening. We'll be shouting over each other just to carry on a simple conversation."

"Cast a sonorous spell. We'll hear each other just fine."

"But we're in the muggle world." He got into the car. "We aren't supposed to cast spells."

"just pretend you're talking loudly." She turned on the car as he buckled his seat belt. "Nobody will notice the difference."

Before Severus could react, the engine roared to life. He almost jumped out of his skin, before he realized that the car wasn't moving.

"You should see the look on your face." She laughed as she revved the engine again. "I wonder what Voldemort would've said if he knew you were more afraid of a car than you were of him."

"He would've thought I was mad until he got into one of these death machines and crashed it, ending his quest for immortality," he scowled

"The war would've been over sooner if he had." She put the car into forward. "Tell me, where do you want to go?"

"Back into my bedroom so I can read a book."

She glared at him. "A random drive around town it is then, with a little detour into the countryside where we'll see how fast this baby can go."

Severus knew better than to object to her plan.

With fewer lurches than expected, she left their driveway and turned onto the road towards the highway.

When Severus had moved out of Spinner's End, he swore he'd never own another house in the muggle world. Then he'd fallen in love with Hermione, who wanted to be close to her parents. He couldn't deny that the Australian climate was much easier on his body than the cold of Britain.

Also, the Wizarding World had passed him by. Everyone talked about the war, but nobody wanted to learn the lessons from it. Teaching dunderheaded students did nothing to encourage him to stay. Soon, he was on board with living in muggle Australia while he and his wife taught at the Wizarding University of Sydney.

As much as Severus was beginning to tolerate the muggle world, there were things he still didn't care for, like how quickly this car was accelerating.

"Doesn't this feel great, the wind in your hair, and the blur of the city lights going by?" She asked.

"I'm terrified I'll swallow a fly," he shouted.

"No, the windshield will protect you from that."

He doubted something that flimsy would protect him from anything, though he didn't dare express that to Hermione.

"I think you'll grow to love this car, if you haven't fallen in love with it already," she continued.

"Given how much I despise children, I highly doubt I will ever come to love your, 'baby,'" he snarked.

"Which means you already love it." She slowed before the yellow light.

"It makes you happy." His expression softened. "Given that I love seeing you happy, I can admit this car is not completely without value."

"Thank you," there was a gleam in her eyes. "You'll see. Once you get used to it, you'll absolutely love this car."

"Just so long as you do not try to drive it in snow, I will tolerate the car. I refuse to freeze my arse off because you wanted to take a ride through a snow bank."

"Deal." She laughed before the light turned green.

The car accelerated much quicker than Severus felt was acceptable. He would complain, but his wife was enjoying herself. Given all she'd been through in her life, she was owed a few moments of happiness.

Thus, Severus and his beloved wife drove through the night, in their loud yet somehow absolutely wonderful midnite cruiser.