28 June 1999

Severus stood in shock as both Harry and Draco fell to the ground dead on either side of him. Hermione stood frozen with horror next to him and he couldn't hear anything but the pounding of his own heart. It felt like hours had transpired since his godson— the only man besides Lucius he'd ever loved— stopped breathing but he knew that less than five seconds had passed.

Ginny Weasley was the first to react. Her mouth was still hanging open in shock as she pointed her wand at Voldemort. Tears began to stream down her face and her eyes hardened. No words left her mouth, but the brightest of gold flames left her wand and struck the Dark Lord's heart.

There was no way to know what spell she had cast because Severus had never seen or felt anything like it. He was sensitive to magic and could sense the power and intention behind it. It was one of the things that made him so apt at creating new spells. The feelings pouring from Ginny's wand weren't of hatred or darkness or even revenge. The magic filling the room was the same feeling he got in his stomach when Hermione kissed him, or he thought about the Malfoys, or his mother.

Ginny was killing the Dark Lord with nothing short of pure love.

Severus felt a killing curse fly past his ear and he looked up to see it strike Cantankerus Nott in the chest. He barely noticed Nott's body fall because he was so caught in the sight of Voldemort, arms flung open wide, his robes whipping in the wind from Ginny's spell, and screaming. It sounded worse than any round of Crucio Severus had ever witnessed. Abruptly, the terrible screams cut off, leaving a shocking silence in the room. Slowly, the Dark Lord's body crumpled to the ground. With his death, one by one, the Death Eaters collapsed.

He didn't have time to think about why he, Lucius, and Hermione didn't seem to be affected by Tom Riddle's death. Hermione let go of his hand and dropped to her knees where Ginny was kneeling over Harry's body. Potter's death was tragic, and he knew Hermione was devastated, but he couldn't tear his eyes away from Draco. Hermione and her friends were already supporting each other; the Malfoys needed him. And he needed them. Any minute now Draco's loss was going to sink in and then it was going to shatter him. He knelt at Draco's side next to Narcissa.

She looked from her dead son to him and back as if she was trying to process what was happening and why her child wasn't getting back up. In the recess of his mind, Severus heard Arthur working with Kingsley. He was summoning his elves to bring Aurors and Healers past the wards. He couldn't imagine the strength the Weasley patriarch was showing when his own son was also dead.

"Move!" Theo Nott yelled and knocked Severus aside. "I might be able to help. That was Nott magic that hit him."

Theo's wand began to move over Draco but Severus didn't have any hope that Theo would be able to do anything. Andromeda and Tonks rushed over. He knew Andromeda was a Healer, but he also knew there was no magic that could bring Draco back from the dead. Not with the way he'd died. It wasn't like the spell he'd used on Harry. This was Darker.

Severus heard exclamations of excitement from the side of him but he ignored them. He would celebrate the Dark Lord's death later.

"What kind of spell was it?" Andromeda asked, casting the diagnostic spell to hover over Draco.

Every reading showed what Severus already knew. His godson was dead.

"Modified suffocation curse. Empties the lungs of air within seconds. I'm trying to reverse it." Theo cut his finger and began to draw runes for strength and protection on Draco's forehead as he muttered the counter-curse.

Tonks cast a spell Severus didn't know on Draco and his skin began to glow a silvery grey, the same colour as his eyes and the magic in his blood. "There's still time. Mum, you breathe, I'll compress."

Narcissa collapsed back into Lucius and looked beyond bewildered as her sister and her niece began to do Muggle CPR on Draco. Theo was still casting non-stop and Severus wanted to believe that the sliver light of Draco's magic was growing brighter. He knew it took time after death for magic to leave the body. It was similar to how certain organs are still viable for a transplant even though the person is no longer living.

"What are you doing?" Narcissa asked her sister.

"Muggle life-saving," Andromeda explained. "Ted's family is prone to accidents and I can't use magic around them. Our whole family is trained on how to do it."

Draco's fingers began to twitch but Severus forced all hope behind his Occlumency walls. It wasn't uncommon for a body to move for hours after death. He couldn't get his hopes up only to have them crushed again. He was already trying to figure out how his best friends would survive the loss of their only child.

Andromeda pulled a phial of healing potion from her pocket and poured it into Draco's mouth. Using her wand, she magically forced it down his throat as Tonks continued to do chest compressions.

Tonks cried out in frustration as Andromeda breathed her two rescue breaths. "Come on, Draco! I'm not losing you when I just met you!"

Narcissa sobbed next to him and Severus reached out to take her hand in his. Her grip was tight, the pain of it focusing his mind. There was noise all around them. He knew Aurors were carting the Death Eaters away and Healers were already working on the injured. A hand landed on his shoulder and he looked to see Hermione, her face streaked with tears, behind him. She had one arm wrapped around Lucius, hugging him.

Loud coughs caused Severus to turn his head so fast his neck cracked. Andromeda was casting spell after spell on Draco as he was gasping for breath but was alive.

Narcissa moved towards her son, but Tonks stopped her. "Give my mum time to make sure he's healed. I heard some ribs crack."

"You saved my Draco!" Narcissa gasped out between sobs and threw herself at her niece.

"I hope this means I'm your favourite niece now," Tonks deadpanned.

Narcissa was silent for half of a second before she began to laugh and hugged Tonks closer. Severus stood and looked at Lucius for a moment before he embraced his friend. "It's over, Lucius."

He felt Lucius nod. "Thank Merlin for that."

Stepping back, he left his friend to tend to his wife and son. He took Hermione by the hand and pulled her into his embrace. There was no point in hiding their relationship now; the entire room knew about them.

"Harry's alive," she said. "Voldemort must have been too weak to cast the spell with enough power. It just stunned him and left a green scar on his chest. Ron thinks it looks 'wicked'."

"And the Aurors?" he tapped her left forearm.

Even if they had been fighting with Phoenix Reborn and had taken out some of the Dark Lord's most loyal, he knew the Ministry wouldn't necessarily care. They were still Marked Death Eaters. It all depended on what angle they wanted to go with. They would either be heroes or be vilified and thrown into Azkaban.

She stuck her arm out and he was shocked to see the Dark Mark was gone. When Voldemort had disappeared before, his had faded to a light grey that was almost unnoticeable but was still there. Unbuttoning his shirt cuff, he pulled his sleeve up and ran his finger over the unmarked skin.

Hermione shrugged. "I'm not sure why, but it's gone. I checked a few of the others as the Aurors were rounding them up and they still have them. I think it has to do with how Ginny killed him. Could you feel it? The power of her spell? I think anyone who was fighting with the right intention — because they loved someone enough to die for them — they weren't affected by his death. I think that's why everyone else collapsed when he died and we didn't. I bet Lucius and Draco's arms are clean too."

"That was the most… I don't even have a word for it… I've never felt magic that powerful in my life."

"Me either. They'll be calling her the Golden Girl for the rest of her life."

Severus rolled his eyes. "Could be worse, little witch; that could be your nickname."

"I'm pretty sure I'd gag if anyone called me that."

Hermione looked around the ballroom as the sun began to rise. She had been there all night, answering questions and helping where she could. The Death Eaters that were still alive had been checked for Dark Marks, healed, and then carted off to Azkaban until a trial could be held for each of them.

Minister Scrimgeour had been torn about whether she, Severus, and the Malfoys should be taken as well, but everyone that had fought with them had protested until he agreed to discuss their options privately after they slept, as long as they agreed to tracking spells on their wands and Auror escorts staying with them. Hermione had been about to argue when Kingsley and Tonks volunteered to stay with them. Plus, it wasn't like they were going anywhere. Lucius and Narcissa had told her they could stay in the room they kept for her upstairs.

Without all the Aurors, the only people still in the ballroom were the members of Phoenix Reborn, the Healers still working on people with severe injuries, and the bodies of those who had passed.

The loss of life hit her hard, even though she was grateful that the majority of people who had come to fight with them had survived. But not everyone had, and she mourned the loss of everyone that she knew that died. Percy, Cho, Wilfred, Professor Flitwick, Katie, and Justin.

She glanced at the body of Umbridge and tried to feel sad she'd died, but the emotion wouldn't come. Tonks had struck the final blow after Umbridge had tried to kill Remus. Her friend would heal, but only because the slicing curse he'd been hit with missed his femoral artery by millimetres.

Most of them had been lucky and survived with only a few new scars and bruises. Hermione, like most of them, refused to let the Healers treat the cuts with salves. Each mark on their skin was a tribute to the people that hadn't survived the night. Luna had a large scar on her cheek that she had gone back and forth on healing, but Draco had kissed it and told her it made her look beautiful.

Molly had helped Fleur cut her hair into a short bob to even out where a curse had just missed her throat. Hermione knew Molly needed to do things to make others feel better because that was her love language and she was having a hard time coming to terms with the loss of Percy.

Hermione wished the Weasleys could have had a reconciliation with Percy before he died, but sometimes that was the way life worked out. It wasn't like the movies; people didn't always get to heal relationships before someone died. She knew they took comfort in the fact that he had died with honour but they would give that up in a heartbeat to have their son and brother back.

"Are you ready to sleep, little witch?" Severus asked, placing his hand on her lower back.

She nodded. "Yeah. Where are Tonks and Kingsley?"

"By the door, they're waiting for us." They began to walk out of the ballroom, nodding goodbye to their friends as they did. Everyone else would be returning to Hogwarts, their own home, or sleeping in one of the bedrooms the elves had prepared in the Manor. "Narcissa set them up in the rooms at the beginning of the hallway to the family wing. They'll have a barrier charm up so no one can enter or leave the area so they can sleep."

"That's smart. We all need rest."

"We do. And I need a shower and to have you in my arms."

"I didn't know you had it in you, Severus," Kingsley teased, hearing the end of their conversation. "I figured you'd still be hexing any woman that hit on you."

"Hexing?" Hermione asked.

Severus rolled his eyes and explained as they walked up the stairs. "Kinglsey was a fifth year when I began teaching. One of his classmates thought it would be a good idea to not only ask me to Hogsmeade for Valentine's Day but tried to give me chocolates with a love potion in them."

Tonks began to howl with laughter as Kingsley took over telling the story. "Severus hexed her so that anytime she tried to talk to him about anything outside of potions she'd meow like a cat. Did you ever lift it?"

"No. I did not."

"Poor girl was called Kitty Kathy for the rest of her school years."

"I didn't realise that's where she got her nickname," Tonks said, still laughing. "There is a 'Kat Korner' in the Hufflepuff common room with catnip growing there and I never knew why."

"You were a Hufflepuff?" Hermione asked Kingsley.

"I was. I made the yellow robes look good, too. Sexiest Badger to attend Hogwarts." Kingsley puffed out his chest and Tonks began to laugh again. Even Severus joined in.

He nodded his head towards Kingsley. "Poor kid was tiny until he hit puberty between sixth and seventh year. Smaller than the younger Creevy boy. His ears were full size though."

"Ha ha. I grew into them."

"Well I think you're very handsome, Kingsley," Hermione told him. She stopped walking in front of her room. "This is us. Thank you for volunteering, you two. I promise we won't leave the area until we sleep for at least eight hours."

Kingsley nodded. Tonks began to walk away then hollered over her shoulder, "Don't forget to use protection, kids!"

Severus growled next to her but Hermione stopped him before he could hex her, reminding him that today wasn't the time to raise wands.

Shutting the door to her room, Hermione kicked off her heels and pulled Severus with her towards the bathroom. They took their time undressing each other before stepping into the shower and washing the day from their bodies. The water running down her body seemed to take the dirt and her energy down the drain. By the time Severus had cast the drying spell over them, she was struggling to keep her eyes open.

She knew they had a lot to talk about — the events of the day, the people they had lost, what would happen to them when they talked to the Minister, and a hundred other things — but it would all have to wait until they woke up. As Hagrid had once told Harry, what's coming will come. And they would be ready to meet it when it did.

01 Aug 1999

Severus watched as Hermione spun around the dance floor with Viktor Krum at Bill and Fleur's wedding. She looked resplendent in her lilac dress, the lights in the tent reflecting off the small crystals sewn into the bodice. Even though he'd spent more than one evening surrounded by the Weasleys at Order meetings, he never thought he'd be invited to a wedding for one of their children. Or sitting at a table next to Lucius as Narcissa danced with Arthur.

But in the month since the 'Battle at Malfoy Manor' — as the Daily Prophet called it — he'd been around the Weasleys more and more. At first, it was going to Percy's funeral, as well as the funerals for everyone who had lost their lives that night, including Dumbledore's. Then it was at Malfoy Manor as Molly, Arthur, and their children defended him, Hermione, and the Malfoys to the Minister and Aurors for two weeks as the Minister decided whether or not to charge them with war crimes.

Narcissa had been cleared the first day as, even under Veritaserum, she hadn't committed any crimes. Severus' only crime had been his mercy-killing of Dumbledore. With as many witnesses as they had the night of Dumbeldore's death where Albus confessed to asking Severus, he'd been cleared fairly quickly.

Lucius had been another problem since he was supposed to have been in Azkaban still, but in the end, the Dark Lord's Ministry infiltration had saved the eldest Malfoy. Yaxley, working in the Department of Magical Law Enforcement, had drafted papers that pardoned all Death Eaters that were arrested after the battle at the Department of Mysteries. Lucius' pardon, a magically binding contract that cleared him of all charges, had been signed by both Minister Scrimgeour and the Head Auror in December.

The Minister had no recollection of signing the pardon, but whether under the assumed Imperius Curse or not, the pardon was binding. Between that and the fact that Lucius hadn't been on a raid since then, it prevented them from pressing charges, even though Hermione was sure they wanted to.

The Minister had waffled back and forth on Hermione and Draco, but especially Hermione. Her list of crimes over the previous year had been long. Molly had screamed herself hoarse yelling at the Ministry officials and Arthur had threatened to resign his post as the Head of the Office for the Detection and Confiscation of Counterfeit Defensive Spells and Protective Objects in protest. It wasn't until Hermione literally threw the law book at Scrimgeour. There was a delay in the trial as healers patched up his head, and then the Minister looked over the law. It stated crimes committed by people under the control of someone else were not held responsible for their crimes so he had no choice but to relent.

Severus understood the Minister's thinking, even if he didn't agree with it. The government always wanted someone to blame and Voldemort and most of his Death Eaters were dead. When the dust had settled after the battle, it had become clear just how victorious Phoenix Reborn had been. They had only lost six fighters where the Dark had lost more than half of their numbers. The ones that were still alive were in Azkaban but their names weren't as well known as Hermione and Draco's.

But in the end, they'd been cleared of all wrongdoing. The Minister had even gone as far as giving every member of Phoenix Reborn Order of Merlins. First Class for him, Hermione, Harry, Ginny, and the six fighters who had entered the ballroom disguised as Death Eaters. Everyone who had died, Narcissa, Lucius, Draco, Theo, and the rest of the known members of Phoenix Reborn were given Second Class, and all the students who had come to fight were awarded Third Class.

For once, the government had decided to not focus on the people who had tried to destroy their world but had given all the attention to the people who had saved it. The members of Phoenix Reborn were branded heroes and the Death Eaters were hardly mentioned. And if they were, it was as a group, no individuals were named.

The weeks following the battle had felt like a circus.

And somehow, through all the stress and heartache, Molly Weasley had still managed to continue with the plans for Bill and Fleur's wedding and had pulled it off without a hitch. Severus wasn't one to cry but watching his new friends get married, he'd felt his heart tug and he couldn't help but wonder what it would be like to marry Hermione one day.

That day was a long way off but he knew that one day it would happen for them. He couldn't imagine a world without his witch by his side. And the idea of her walking towards him in white was something he wanted.

He knew for her parents' sake they would have to have a modern wizarding wedding like Bill and Fleur and whilst he was okay with that, he knew he wouldn't be happy until they were joined together magically in the traditional way. When they married, it would be naked as the day they were born in a stone circle. They'd have a normal ceremony and party for others, but their actual bonding would be just them and the bonder.

"Come and dance with me, Severus," Minerva said, interrupting his thoughts.

Standing, he led his new boss onto the dance floor. She'd been named Headmistress just the week before and had offered him the post of Deputy Headmaster. A job which he'd accepted at Hermione's encouragement.

"Are you enjoying yourself, Minerva?" Severus asked as they began the simple waltz.

"I'm enjoying myself more now that Charlie showed me where the good Scotch is." She paused, looking around the crowd. "I'm going to ask Hermione to be Head Student Assistant. Even without everything that happened over the last year, she's the best student in her year, Head Girl her seventh year, and a model Assistant this last year."

"She'll be honoured. Which male student did you choose?"

"Theodore Nott. Thought it would be good to have a Slytherin in charge for a change."

Severus looked over to where his student was dancing with one of Fleur's cousins and had to agree that Theo was a good choice for Head Student Assistant. Not only was he well-liked and respected in Slytherin house, but he had friends in Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw as well. His personality was as far removed from his father's as could be. And hopefully, with Hermione, Harry, Ron, and Ginny leading by example, other Gryffindors would be willing to bridge the gap between the two houses.

Severus thought about how divided the school had been for so many decades. Long before he was even born. "We'll need to come up with a plan to try to unify the school. Any ideas?"

"I have a few. I was thinking of asking Hermione and Theo to meet with me a week before school starts. Will you be back by then?"

Severus and Hermione had been staying at the manor since the end of the war and had only left to attend funerals or go into the Muggle world where they could be out but still have privacy. They'd gone to his home at Spinners End one night so she could call her parents in Australia and let them know she was safe and that they could return to England at any time. They'd told her they were enjoying their new town and they were staying for the foreseeable future.

After the Minister had decided not to charge them, they'd arranged to visit her parents. Hermione would be leaving in the morning via International Portkey and he'd join her in a week. He wanted her to have time alone with her parents before he joined them. She promised him that her parents would be accepting of their relationship, but he wasn't convinced. By sending her alone, it would give her time to tell them and then let him know if he should come or not.

Assuming her parents wanted to meet him, he would join her for a week before they both returned to England. They had plans now.

"We'll be back," he told Minerva.

Minerva smiled at him. "That gives you time to set up your classroom again too. Slughorn is grateful to be retiring again."

"I don't see how it will be very different for him. It's not like he did much last year."

After much thought, Severus had decided to go back to teaching potions. As much as he loved Defence, there weren't many people in Britain that were qualified to teach Potions and it was too dangerous of a subject to trust to just anyone. So he was going to be teaching Potions again.

There were going to be a lot of changes in staffing in the next year. With the death of Flitwick, they'd had to secure a new Charms professor as well as finding a Defence professor to take Severus' place. Before Minerva could even think about putting out an advertisement for the jobs, Bill and Fleur had approached her. As a Curse Breaker, Bill was more than qualified to teach Defence, and Fleur's Charms professor at Beauxbaton had said she'd never seen a witch so natural with Charms.

Even Charlie Weasley had decided to come back to England full time, something Severus thought had more to do with wanting to be around his family than wanting to give up his work with dragons. He would be replacing Hagrid as the Care of Magical Creatures professor. Hagrid had decided to retire and was moving to France to be with Madame Maxime.

"He's an old man, Severus. He deserves a quiet life," Minerva chastised him. "We all do."

Severus nodded in agreement. "I'm looking forward to a quiet year. No Dark Lord, no Sirius Black trying to break it, no Umbridge. It will be like the ten years before Mr Potter came to Hogwarts."

"Except this time you won't be a grumpy bastard. The students might actually like you now."

"Doubtful. I'm still an arse whilst I'm teaching."

"True, but you're not out wandering the halls as much after hours. That reminds me, we need to make sure the contraceptive ward is renewed on the castle. With your nights busy with Hermione, we don't need our students getting up the duff because you're not there to break up their broom closet adventures."

"Maybe we should hire Molly to do evening rounds. According to Bill, he hasn't been allowed within five feet of Fleur for the last month if his mum is around."

Minerva joined in his laughter at the thought of Molly Weasley breaking open broom closets to find all the horny teenagers just trying to get a little action. He had no doubt she'd be effective, but he wouldn't do that to Ginny Weasley. He was sure she and Harry would be taking advantage of every abandoned room as much as possible and since she was the one that had killed the Dark Lord, he wasn't going to get in the way of her happiness.

"Mind if I cut in?" Hermione said, breaking off their laughter.

Minerva stepped back from him and placed his hand in Hermione's. "Of course, dear. Severus, tell Hermione about the job I have for her. I am getting more scotch, then I'm heading home. Have fun in Australia, you two."

"Thank you, Headmistress."

"Are you having fun?" Severus asked, pulling Hermione into his arms. She easily fell into the foxtrot that was playing.

"I am. It was nice to see Viktor again. I'm glad he was able to come."

Severus leaned down and whispered in her ear. "I hope you mean attend and not that you took him behind the shed. I will be very disappointed if you fucked him and didn't let me watch."

Hermione blushed and began to laugh before informing him that she had not snuck away with Viktor. Then she added that even if she had wanted to, that space was currently being used by Bill and Fleur whom she had watched sneak out of the tent just minutes before.

"Are you ready to get out of here?" she asked.

"Why? Are you ready to take me home and have your way with me?"

"Absolutely. Plus, Narcissa isn't looking so well. And you know they wouldn't leave before us."

Severus looked to see Narcissa sitting down and leaning her head on Lucius' shoulder. She looked a little green around the edges and Hermione was right; the Malfoys wouldn't leave before them.

Leading Hermione off the dance floor, they said goodbye to Molly and Arthur as they passed then walked to where Lucius and Narcissa were sitting. Severus discreetly placed his hand on the back of her neck. She was cool but clammy which meant she wasn't sick but wasn't feeling well. He thought through the potion he had on hand but he knew he didn't have one for general queasiness or fatigue, her most likely issues.

"Are you two ready to go?" Lucius asked. "I want to take Narcissa home."

Hermione helped Narcissa and stand and they linked arms as they walked towards the Apparation point just outside the gates. Severus thought Narcissa looked tired but other than that she didn't appear to be ill.

"How long has that been going on?" He nodded towards the women.

"She wasn't feeling well a few days ago but it passed. She'd been tired and a little off all day today."

"Would you like me to check her when we get home? If she needs potions I can brew them if I don't have them on hand."

"Are you going to play Healer Severus with her?"

"You wish I would. I bet you want to be my next patient."

"Okay, boys, time to stop flirting so we can get Narcissa home. Would you like me to take you Side-Along?" Hermione asked Narcissa.

Narcissa nodded. "Thank you, Hermione."

Severus watched as the two women popped out of sight and he felt a frisson of fear in his gut. Narcissa was not one to show weakness in public and the fact that she allowed Hermione to guide the Apparation meant one of two things. Either Narcissa was really ill or she trusted Hermione more than he knew. He glanced at Lucius who was watching the place they'd disappeared from with a frown on his face.

Knocking his shoulder against his friend's to pull him out of his thoughts, Severus nodded then they turned on the spot.

They landed in the manor entryway and Severus had just enough time to pull Lucius back before Narcissa splattered the floor with her sick. Severus reacted without thinking and caught her before she collapsed. Knowing that someone else would take care of the mess, he scooped her into his arms and carried her to the sitting room and placed her on the sofa.

He knew Hermione and Lucius followed him into the room but they stayed silent as he began to cast diagnostic charms on her. It wasn't until he looked at her heartbeat that he saw anything and he did a double take. Something wasn't right. He cast it again but got the same result. Flicking his wrist he made her heartbeat audible.

As her heartbeat filled the room, there was another sound along with it. He'd only heard that sound once before and it had also come from Narcissa. He cast the spell he'd never had to use before and watched as her stomach glowed gold.

"Was that…?" Lucius looked from Narcissa's stomach to Severus and to Narcissa's face. "Was that what I think it was?"

Summoning the book he needed from the library, Severus didn't say anything, just caught it and cast again. Nacissa's stomach flared gold once more. Opening the book, Severus flipped to the index then the page he needed. Repeating the spell in his head a few times, he memorised the wand motions then cast.

A small date, June 20, 1999 slowly turned above her stomach along with the number eight. He cast the final spell and breathed a sigh of relief as Lucius' name flashed above the date and then they both flicked out of sight.

"Well, it looks like our Litha celebration gave us more than just magical abilities. You're pregnant. And it's Lucius' child, not mine," Severus told Narcissa in case she hadn't known what the information had meant.

Narcissa looked from him to Lucius and back before cradling her stomach. "But the Healers said I couldn't have any more. I had ovarian failure… more than one Healer, the best in the world, all told me the same thing."

"I could be wrong," Severus admitted.

"Willow!" Hermione called and the elf instantly appeared before her and bowed. "Please go to the Burrow and bring Andromeda back with you. Tell her we need a Healer."

Willow nodded and popped out of sight. Andromeda and Narcissa had spent the last month repairing their relationship and she'd been added to the wards so she could come and go as she pleased. They had to wait less than a minute before she appeared next in the room with them.

"What's wrong?" she asked, looking at each of them with a trained eye.

"Severus said I'm pregnant. But the Healers told me I couldn't have any more after Draco," Narcissa explained.

Andromeda took her wand out and pointed it at her sister's stomach. "Let's take a look then."

Within moments the same information as before was circling over Narcissa's stomach before Andromeda cancelled the spell. Tears began to run down Narcissa's face and he could see the hope beginning to bloom. Andromeda cast another spell that Severus didn't know and an image began to hover over Narcissa's flat stomach. It didn't look like much to Severus but Andromeda rotated the image and zoomed in and out before speaking again.

"You're pregnant, Cissy. The baby looks healthy. If you give me a piece of parchment I can give you a list of potions to take and such in case you've forgotten. And I recommend setting up regular appointments with your Healer."

"Pregnant? We're… Lucius, we're having a baby?"

"We'll give you privacy," Hermione said, taking Severus by the wrist and pulling him from the room, Andromeda behind them.

Willow was waiting in the hallway with parchment and a quill and Andromeda wrote down what Narcissa would need. Severus looked it over and made a note of which potions he would need to brew in the morning. Bidding Andromeda a good night before Willow whisked her away, he walked with Hermione up to their room.

As soon as the door was shut, she turned to him. "Cast that spell on me, Severus. And I swear to Merlin if you or Lucius had some kind of magically enhanced sperm because of that ritual… I'm not ready for kids yet."

He didn't tell her that he wasn't either. He wanted children with her but not now. He wanted her to himself for a while before they brought another life into the world. But instead of saying anything, he pulled out his wand and cast the pregnancy detection spell over her stomach. Nothing happened. He tried it again and still nothing happened.

"You're not pregnant," he told her.

"Thank fucking Merlin for that! I want to wait at least a few years."

"Me too."

She smiled at him before walking closer and loosening his cravat. "Want to celebrate our lack of pregnancy?"

He pretended to think about it. "If we must."

Laughing, she turned around and he pulled the zipper down on her dress. Pushing it to the floor, he leaned forward and kissed the base of her neck. He ran his hands over her hips and pulled her tight against him, letting her feel how affected he already was by her.

He never would have imagined he'd find someone in his life that would make him feel the way she did every day. She'd come into his life like waves against the shore, modifying him bit by bit until he was somehow still himself and brand new at the same time. He knew life with her wouldn't be perfect, but he wouldn't want it any other way.

A/N: Epilogue coming tomorrow!