IMPORTANT DISCLAIMER - MUST READ: None of these characters belong to me, except for those you don't recognize from the Harry Potter universe. But this is what I really wanted you to read: the sayings Severus and Hermione repeat are not mine. I did not make them. I got them from a website; the link is at the end of the chapter. I changed some of the words around as I saw fit. One saying is from Irish, the other Scottish. They are NOT mine.

Thanks to everyone that's reviewed - It really means a lot to me.

To see a Scarlet Pimpernel go to this link: http /www . timetotrack . com / jay /ppnel7 . jpg Just delete the spaces.

Warning: This is what the internet told me. I am no flower expert, that flower very well could be something completely different.

To see a Yellow Pimpernel go to: http/ homepage . eircom . net / hedgerow8 / yellow-pimpernel-april . JPG Again, just delete the spaces. Keep the above warning in mind.

I don't know what Witches and Wizards wear to a wedding. I assumed some sort of robe.

Chapter Twenty-Three

The silence was nearly deafening. Even the birds had stopped chirping. People stared in shock; well aware that mere minutes before I had been totally pissed at the man whose arms I was now wrapped up in. Nobody made a move to congratulate us until Septimus stepped forward, hand outstretched. He gripped Severus' hand and gave it a firm shake.

"Congratulations, man." He mumbled. He leaned forward in Severus' ear and whispered so quietly I could just barely make it out, "Good luck. You're going to need it, living with her. If you ever need any advice on how to handle her, just let me know." A well-aimed kick from me had Septimus straightening up and wincing.

"Gods, Hermione. That hurt!" He complained. I shrugged, and smiled as he grumbled and moved away. Septimus' movement seemed to break whatever spell the others had been on. Everyone surged forward, babbling congratulations and suggestions for the wedding until you could barely hear yourself think. I moved backwards, closer to Severus, who couldn't wrap his arms around me again. Loads of people were gripping his hand and shaking it. The women kept trying to hug me, but couldn't get their arms around me because of Severus.

Finally, an angel's voice sounded from the very back of the crowd.

"Oi, you lot! Back away from them, will you? They probably can't breathe, let alone respond to what you're saying." Tabby's loudmouth tendencies had finally come in handy, and I felt like giving her a bear hug in gratitude. She and my other friends stepped forward and gently gave me a hug, which I gave back heartily.

"Thanks." I whispered into Tabby's ear. She responded by squeezing me a little tighter before backing away. After receiving hugs from my other friends (and after Severus received his hand shakes from the guys, and to his surprise, hugs from the girls) they murmured there congrats in quiet, calm voices. They stood off to the side and glared as the others made their way forward, no longer babbling loudly. Each offered congratulations in the same way the others had - quietly and with dignity. Finally, after the last one had finished their piece, Severus and I blew a sigh of relief.

Septimus and Julie hadn't moved that far away, and now that the line of people was gone, they moved within speaking distance. The Malfoys had hung around as well, and soon friends who had the look in their eye that said they wanted to talk surrounded Severus and I.

Septimus once again started first. He stared hard at Severus for a few moments, and then grinned. "Treat her well, Severus. You ever hurt her again, and I'll put my knowledge from the time I was under the Dark Lord's bidding to good use." Draco Malfoy murmured his agreement, his wistful eyes locked on me.

"And you, young lady. Don't go around hurting Severus, either. I won't take too well to that at all. He's like a brother to me, and if I ever hear of you doing anything that could hurt him, I'll let my displeasure known." Lucius Malfoy said, his voice completely matter-of-fact. I suppressed a shiver. Just how would he let his displeasure known? A quick glance at Septimus let me know that he wouldn't let Lucius hurt me, but he didn't like the idea of me hurting Severus either. I moved my gaze to Severus, and I wondered how he was taking this 'protection'. He seemed startled but pleased, and one side of his mouth had even curled up.

"I'd never hurt Severus!" I protested. I was affronted they thought I would.

"Of course not, Hermione. But you just needed to know that if it ever happens, there will be consequences." Draco assured me. The look in his eyes - the wistful, soft look - hadn't disappeared, and it seems that everybody finally caught on to Draco's feelings. Lucius moved a little closer to Draco, and his hand twitched towards his wand. I followed his gaze to find Severus' dark one resting on Draco, who looked afraid but didn't back away. I reached out and squeezed Severus' hand. His gaze moved from Draco to me, and my breath caught in my throat at the look in his face. It was a protective, loving look. It was odd seeing it on Severus' features, but definitely not unwelcome. I smiled up at him and stood on my tiptoe to plant a kiss on his cheek.

"So, when will the wedding be?" Shannon asked.

"We haven't decided yet. Um...I think I'd like to have a private ceremony. Perhaps only the people that are here now?" I said, looking at Severus to see if my idea met with his approval. He gave a sharp nod, and I breathed a sigh of relief. I really didn't want to spend days on a ceremony that would last only an hour or so.

"We should invite the staff from both schools, however. Dumbledore could perform the ceremony, and I'm sure he'd like to bring along Minerva. She, in turn, would want to bring Pomona...we'd be better off just inviting them all." I nodded, knowing that this was most likely the only suggestion I'd get about the wedding from Severus. Except perhaps when and where, but the details would be mine to sort out.

Right. So when would you like to have the ceremony?" I asked. Severus thought for a moment.

"As soon as possible. I'd say before summer ends." Severus replied. Which would be in about a month. Hmm...Sounds good to me.

"Alright, sounds good. We can work out the little stuff later. For now, this is Septimus and Julie's day."

Three Weeks Later, Hogwarts Grounds

"Hermione, please. I really need to speak with you!" Potter's voice came from the other side of the door. I sat on a chair with my wedding dress on the table next to me. I really didn't want to speak with Harry Potter. We really had nothing in common any more, and I wasn't sure I cared to ever find something in common with him. The bond we had formed after I lied about the troll in our first year had disappeared, and I no longer mourned its loss. Somehow, I knew what Potter wanted to speak about.

"Potter, I'm very busy getting ready for my wedding. Can't it wait?" I called out, irritated. I brushed my hand down the front of the wedding dress. It was more of a robe, but wedding robe just didn't sound right to me. Besides, it brought images of the honeymoon to mind. It was soft - made out of some sort of special silk made especially for wedding dresses. It fit me perfectly. It was just loose enough to be comfortable, but not loose enough where it'll catch on things. The wreath of flowers I was to wear in my hair lay just beyond the dress. The pretty Scarlet Pimpernel was between every Yellow Pimpernel. Both colours went with the white dress.

"No, because after the wedding, you'll be busy talking to everyone before leaving for your honeymoon. I won't have time to get a private word with you. Please, Hermione. Just give me five minutes," Potter pleaded. I sighed and stood up. With a jerk, I opened the door. Potter stood before me in a handsome cloak that'd I'd never seen before. Must've bought it just for the wedding. I settled my hands on my hips and glared impatiently at him. He seemed unaffected by my angry stare.

"What?" I snapped. He took a step towards the doorway but stopped just short of entering. He looked nervous. He shuffled his feet and avoided my gaze, instead looking around the room without any interest. Finally, he gathered his courage and began to speak.

"I wanted to apologize for everything. For not believing you were innocent, for turning my back on you. For...for treating you like you were shit beneath my boots." He licked his lips and finally met my eyes. "I want to ask for your forgiveness, and ask if maybe one day...we could be friends again?" He ran a hand through his messy hair and blinked his eyes rapidly behind his glasses. "I might be asking for a bit much. But if you could just find it in yourself to forgive me, that'd be great. But I'd...really like to be friends again." His eyes pleaded with me to answer, to say I forgave him and that we could be best friends again.

But I couldn't. Oh, I could forgive him. I could probably even be friends with him again. But he and the others hurt me, far too deeply to forgive and forget. I would never be as close to them as I was before. I wouldn't be best friends with them again. I could be plain old friends that you talk to when you see them passing by, but I would probably never spend an extended amount of time with them.

Unless Severus wanted to which would be bloody unlikely. He might want to spend time with Dumbledore and the teachers, and the teachers would invite Harry and the Weasleys in hopes of reconciliation. But as far as I was concerned, there would never be that level of kinship ever again.par

"Sure, Harry. I forgive you." I said at last. He had watched me think for the past few seconds, weariness growing and his hope dwindling. I took pity on the poor guy and lightly punched his shoulder.

"I'd like to be friends again but I'm not sure when we'd get a chance to hang out. My life is with Severus now, as well as Septimus and my other friends. None are exactly...fond of you. But just because we can't be best friends doesn't mean we can't be friends, right?" I smiled, attempting lightness. It didn't exactly soften the blow - the light that came into Harry's eyes when I spoke of forgiveness dimmed somewhat.

"Maybe with time our friendship will grow into what it once was?" Harry commented hopefully. I smiled back.

"It might." I said, but I didn't think it would happen. Harry would marry Ginny Weasley and would remain friends with the others. While I might see them all now and then, I didn't plan on letting them have a big place in my life. I must not have sounded very hopeful, because Harry's face fell. I felt another pang on guilt.

"How about this - once a week, my friends and I plan on having a get-together. You can come. Lupin, McGonagall, and Dumbledore will all be there." I added. Harry nodded enthusiastically.

"Could I bring a friend?" He asked.

"Depends on whom." I waited.

"Ginny Weasley." I thought for a moment. If I allow him this, maybe he won't mope about all alone during the get-togethers. Nobody's going to be happy he's there, and he'll probably end up sitting a little apart from us. Ginny will distract him just enough to where it won't hurt quite so much to be excluded. I nodded in assent, and Harry (I couldn't think of him as Potter now that an attempt at friendship had been made) gave me that adorable lopsided grin that I remembered. I felt my heart soften even more towards him.

Some Slytherin I make. But I couldn't help but think that perhaps seeing my old friends again had brought back old feelings as well as memories. And with those feelings and memories came the reactions I once had. Like affection for Harry Potter, and willingness to listen to wise old Albus Dumbledore. Trying to help people even if they don't want it, things like that.

With a promise to contact him when we had the first get-together, I shooed Harry out the door and began to get ready for my wedding. I took a long bath with scented water. I washed my hair with the same vanilla scent the water was. After I was done washing, I shaved and dried myself off with a few spells. I walked into the sitting room where my wedding dress lay. I slipped it on, relishing the feel of the silk against my skin. You weren't supposed to wear undergarments with the dress. It's going to be bloody uncomfortable wearing no under-things in public.

I moved to my vanity table and began to pin up my hair. Bits of my hair (which I hadn't bothered to straighten) fell out of the pins. I left those alone. I fitted the wreath on my head. I made sure I wasn't wearing any jewellery or makeup before I decided I looked fine. I took a deep breath and let it out slowly. This is it. I'm getting married. My parents wouldn't be attending, partly because they couldn't come onto school grounds, and partly because even if they did attend, they couldn't participate. After much argument, I had given in and promised my parents a church wedding in the muggle world. Severus hadn't been happy with the idea, but went along with it.

No matter how many times I told myself differently, I couldn't shake the feeling that when I went out there to perform the ceremony, he wouldn't be there. I tried to refuse to even think that Severus wouldn't show up, but the thought lingered. It was a foolish thought - he was the one that came for me. He asked me. There was no reason in the world for him to not show up.

I gulped. Right?

SEVERUS' POV

I nervously tugged at the edge of my robe. I didn't like the feeling of everything I had hanging out like it was. It made me feel vulnerable, and images from my fifth year at Hogwarts, when James Potter and Sirius Black had exposed me in front of the entire school. My paranoid brain was screaming that something was going to happen, that somebody was going to do a repeat performance. That Hermione would take one look at me when that happened and laugh with the rest, then run off with some good-looking bloke.

My heart began to pound. My hands started to sweat and tremble. I dug my feet into the grass and gulped. Septimus stood to one side of me, my "best man" as Hermione put it. He was my witness to the marriage. It was odd that in traditional Wizarding weddings, one needed a special witness. Wasn't everybody in the ring watching as well? However, it was tradition, so I didn't bother to protest.

Albus stood at the very end of the path leading from Hermione's room. Everyone formed a ring around him, with a space in the middle of the path for Hermione to walk through. She would stand in the empty space to Albus' left, while I stood at his right. Septimus stood next to me, then Lupin, Bill Weasley, Jon McKinely, and finally Mike Allen completed my side of the circle. The last two were Hermione's friends, and I trusted her enough to put them in the wedding.

On Hermione's side stood Julie Carce, Tabitha Thompson, Shannon Carter, Julie Parker, and Nymphadora Tonks. When Hermione had fretted over the last person to add to her side, I suggested Tonks. She had been one of the few people who hadn't been downright rude to Hermione. Hermione agreed after some reluctance, but after spending time with the young metamorphmagus Hermione had agreed she was a great choice.

The sound of the wind blowing brought me out of my thoughts. I saw a flash of white through the trees. The path curved through the trees and then headed straight for Albus Dumbledore. My heart started to pound when Hermione came into view. She looked magnificent in her white robe, her hair up with tendrils hanging down. She had a wreath of pretty white and yellow flowers in her hair. She made her way forward with slow, steady steps. It seemed to take her an eternity to reach the ring. Her welcoming smile put my nerves at rest.

I reached out and took her hand when she came within touching distance. She squeezed my hand firmly and stood across from me. Our hands were outstretched at waist height. They met directly in front of Albus, who twinkled madly and had a ridiculously happy grin on his face. Then I realized that I, too, was smiling. While at first embarrassed, I figured that if I didn't smile on my wedding day, there would never be an appropriate time to smile.

Albus looked from me to Hermione, silently asking permission to begin. We both nodded our heads, and with a deep breath, Albus began.

"We are gathered here today to join these two people in matrimony. They have decided on a Traditional Wizarding Wedding. So let's begin." Albus cleared his throat and pulled out his wand. Everyone followed. While everyone else pointed their wands at the Hermione and me, Albus settled the tip of his on our joined hands. Then he began to recite in a calm, deep voice.

"To each other you are the star of each night,
you are the brightness of every morning,
and you are the life, the love.
No evil shall befall you, on hill nor bank,
in field or valley, on mountain or in glen.
Neither above, nor below, neither in sea,
Nor on shore, in skies above,
Nor in the depths,
while you are together.
You are the beating of each other's heart,
the breath in your lungs,
You are the face of each other's sun,
the harp of your music,
You are the crown of each other's company."

The wind picked up, blowing the scents of various flowers about. The tree limbs moved, and the sun shined. Birds ceased their chirping, but somehow it made the Ceremony more precious, more intense. It seemed oddly fitting that everything went quiet. I gripped Hermione's hands tighter, finally noticing the tears gathering in her eyes. If not for the bright smile she had, I would have worried that she was most upset.

Finally, Albus continued.

"Deep peace of the rolling wave to you
Deep peace of the flowing air to you
Deep peace of the quiet earth to you
Deep peace of the shining stars to you
Deep peace of the spirit of peace to you."

HERMIONE'S POV

The wind picked up even more, and suddenly, the wands flared to life. Little colorful balls flew out, each impossibly bright. They surrounded Severus and me, but even when they touched our skin, they did not burn. It was a storm of colored balls. They swirled around us as they fizzled down, sounding exactly like the fireworks Hermione once heard on a trip to America. There were five colors, and in a ceremony such as this, they each had meaning.

Red - which meant passion. I could certainly live with that.

Blue - which meant compassion, understanding, and tranquillity. Somehow I doubt that our marriage will always be peaceful. I could just image the fights Severus and I would have. I could feel my grin widen at my next thought - and the making up that comes afterwards.

Yellow - that stood for happiness. Our marriage will be a happy one. I felt myself relaxing a bit more.

Green - which stood for eternal. We'll always be together, no matter what.

White - that stood for true love. I felt my breath catch as I noticed the white balls of light swirl downwards and fizzle out. My heart was overflowing with love, and I could tell that Severus was feeling the same way.

"So mote it be." Dumbledore intoned. Everyone repeated it, while Severus pulled me close and pressed a gentle kiss to my lips. I smiled up at him. He had a lock of hair hanging in his face, and I brushed it back gently.

I present to you, Mrs. Professor Snape!" Albus cried. Everyone laughed, myself and Severus included. His eyes were shining with happiness, and his hair was pulled back neatly except for that lock of hair. He looked incredible handsome.

Suddenly, I was pulled away from Severus and into somebody else's arms. I managed to pull away enough to see that it was Septimus hugging me so tightly, and I relaxed into his embrace. His chest rumbled when he spoke above my head.

"If anybody had any doubts as to your intentions, Severus, they should be gone by now. You got the same coloured sparks that Julie and I received." Septimus said.

"We, too, got those colours." Lucius spoke from somewhere off to the right.

"I thought green and white were supposed to be rare?" Severus sounded irritated. I giggled silently. Poor dear.

"They are. You just happen to be surrounded by people with the same luck as to marry woman who can put up with their man's crap and love us anyway." Septimus said bluntly. Lucius laughed, and even Severus chuckled when Julie and Narcissa added their agreement with Septimus' words. Everyone seemed to be finished congratulating Severus, so Septimus released me.

People soon surrounded me, although there was an improvement from the last time I was surrounded: they took turns speaking. Once they had backed off some, I noticed the tables set out, and the delicious food the Hogwarts elves had prepared. My friends - Tabby, Jon, Shannon, Jules (who, after much confusion from there being two Julie's, consented to being called Jules), and Mike were already seated, waiting patiently for Severus and I to begin the feast.

I felt a pang at not seeing one person - Zac. He had declined the invitation, saying he didn't want to see Severus tie himself to the likes of me. It hurt quite a bit to hear him say that, but my friends immediately jumped to my defence, threatening to do permanent damage to the boy. Zac backed off immediately, and had left muttering about betrayers and woman-stealers.

Severus and I made our wait to the table facing Hogwarts. We faced south, while the other tables faced East and West. Once everyone was settled, Severus and I dug in. Soon everybody followed. Silence reigned for the first fifteen minutes, but after people began to fill their stomachs, conversation started up.

"So, Hermione. When are you going to be starting your family?" I dropped my fork in surprise.

I hadn't told Severus this - or anybody really. But a week after Septimus and Julie's wedding, I had started to feel ill. Of course, my mind immediately jumped to pregnancy. It had been a month since Severus and I had made love, and I had noticed I was gaining a little weight. I assumed it was from all the victory celebrations I'd attended. A quick check with a mediwitch confirmed my suspicions. I was pregnant.

I debated telling Severus right away, but that would only cause him to rush the wedding. I didn't want that - I wanted everything perfect. So I was going to wait until our honeymoon to tell him. But it seems I would have to in front of all these people. I wasn't going to lie, and avoiding the question was only going to make them ask more.

"We already have." I replied quietly.

The sound of Severus choking and spitting his food out made me wrinkle my nose in disgust. Nobody else spoke, quietly watching Severus' reaction to the news.

"What...how?" Severus gasped. I felt a flash of irritation. What an idiotic question.

"I imagine the normal way. You were there, after all." I glared at him, and Severus shut his mouth.

"I apologize. That was a stupid question." He stared at me momentarily before taking my hand. "How long have you known?"

"Not long. Only around two weeks." I replied nervously. Severus blinked, and the blinked again. He squeezed my hand, but I wasn't sure if that was on purpose or not.

"Why didn't you tell me sooner?" He asked. I winced a little. He sounded utterly calm, which was rather frightening.

"You would've wanted to rush the wedding. Then you would've insisted that we be ridiculously careful on our honeymoon. I'm only a month along - I can still have fun. But I knew you'd object." I stared right at his eyes when I said this. Severus nodded after a moment, and then pulled me into a hug.

"It's alright." He murmured. I relaxed into his arms and smiled. I kissed him, running my tongue over his lips, asking for entrance. He opened his mouth and I enjoyed the feeling of his tongue sliding against mine. The clearing of a throat brought me back to myself, and I slowly pulled away. I smiled up at Severus, who gave me that adorable half-smile.

"You, Severus Snape, are going to be a daddy." The love and calm that had flooded his eyes disappeared in a snap. Taking its place was panic. I hurriedly pulled away.

"A daddy? Oh lord. I can't do this - I-I'm horrible with kids. The child will hate me!" He exclaimed, nodding his head emphatically. I grabbed his head to stop its bouncing and held it in place. I touched my forehead to his and closed my eyes. Slowly, he calmed down.

"They won't hate you, Severus. You'll make a wonderful father. You cannot tolerate idiots, and a child between the two of us will be no idiot. Besides, I've heard it's different when it's your own kid." I said as soothingly as I could. Severus pulled back slightly and stared down at me.

"They?" He inquired. I swallowed.

"Um...yeah. How do twins sound? A boy and a girl?" I couldn't help but be nervous. Severus was staring silently down at me, and I couldn't read his expression. I felt my heart plunge into my stomach.

LUCIUS' POV

Severus looked, quite frankly, shocked. You could have hit him over the head with a plate and he wouldn't have reacted. He was making Hermione nervous as well. She stared up at him, her face going pale and her breath quickening. If Severus doesn't say something soon, Hermione looked like she'd explode.

Finally, Severus cleared his throat. I glanced at the others and noticed they were staring raptly at the couple. Hermione's friends were all smiling happily, and Septimus was as well. They were all obviously happy for the newlyweds. I turned my attention back to the couple.

"I-I'm sorry. I just needed to get used to the idea of...twins. My gods, Hermione. We're having twins!" He threw his arms around Hermione yet again and dragged her off of her chair and into his lap. Soon they were kissing and seemed utterly lost into each other. I began to lose interest, and turned my attention back to the food the house elves had laid out.

Hermione's snake, Oy, slithered across the table to curl up around the centrepieces. He had attended the entire wedding on my shoulder. The snake was very friendly, and since it was Hermione's familiar, I decided to let it stay on my shoulder, where it had slithered when I was sitting outside Hermione's room, waiting for my wife to come out so I could escort her to the wedding area.

I glanced back and Severus and Hermione to find they were still snogging. I sighed and decided to take my wife for a walk. The grounds were beautiful here, and I wanted to wander around. I stood, and with a tilt of my head towards the clump of trees not far from here, I passed the message onto my wife that I wanted to take a walk. With a small smile, she took my hand and allowed me to pull her up and then towards the tree.

HERMIONE'S POV, HAWAII, ONE WEEK LATER

I lay in the most comfortable bed I had ever felt, in the best smelling room I'd ever been in. It was a mix between my husband and flowers, and while it was an odd combination, it was pleasant. Severus was currently showering. He had been after I woke up from a night of lovemaking and laughter.

It's beautiful here. I lazily stretched and wandered over to the table near the doors leading out to the private beach, not bothered by my nudity. We only rented a small part of the beach, but we had some privacy. I picked an apple from the fruit bowl and bit into it. The water glittered in the sunlight and the sun shone. The palm tree's swayed slightly in the light wind.

Of course, what makes it truly special is that I'm here with the one I love. I took another bite of my apple and briefly thought over the events that had brought me to this happy moment.

I'm not the only one that's happy, either. Tabby and Jon were engaged, but were going to just elope. Knowing Tabby and Jon's parents, they'd want this huge, public wedding that neither the bride nor the groom would be comfortable with. Shannon was getting even closer to her boyfriend Kyle, and everyone was sure that soon they'd get more serious. Mike and Julie were travelling around the world together, sightseeing and falling in love. At least, that's what the postcards say.

My husband stepped out of the bathroom and smiled lustily at me. My eyes slid down his body. I loved him so much - his dark eyes, wonderful body, deft hands, and his smoky voice. I loved everything else, as well - his sarcasm, his scars, his scowls and his glares. I wouldn't change a thing about him. I felt my body begin to tingle and my breathing quicken as my wonderful, loving husband moved towards me, swiftly removing his towel around his waist and pulling me towards him.

Life was complex.

But that wasn't a bad thing. Life was full of love and happiness.

I moaned, knowing without a doubt that I was looking forward to spending the rest of my time with Severus living life to its fullest.

I'm considering an epilogue. If you think I should write one, please tell me in a review! I think it's a good idea, personally. But I'd like to know what you all think!

About 4 weeks is a month, right? Well, something like that. I've never been pregnant, and I wasn't sure if the dates worked out alright. I checked this website and it said in 5 weeks you could hear a heartbeat. Well that's a little over a month...but yeah. Sorry if it's incorrect!

This is the website where I got my wedding speeches from: http / www . celticspirit . org / weddings . htm

Like I said, it's not mine. I changed some of it around...

Leave a review, please. Don't forget to let me know if you think an epilogue is a good idea!