Severus has just finished scrubbing the cauldron when he heard her sweet voice call from the back door. "I'm just finished."

He stepped through the opening to his lab and turned to close and ward the door. He walked across the garden lawn toward the woman standing in the doorway. Her silhouette stretched a shadow to reach him, as the kitchen light spilled around her. Severus looked at her as he neared her. It was still as beautiful to him as it had been when they had exchanged vows and bonded together in this very yard. The fall breeze tumbled her soft curls around her face, and he reached to cradle her neck as he kissed her. It was tender but Severus felt her respond immediately with the passion their intimacy had always held.

"What was that for?" She breathed when they parted some minutes later. "Not that I am complaining, mind..."

He voice drifted off and he enfolded her to his side, entering their home where he could hear the sounds of others arriving through the floo. "It's your birthday. We have guests. I'm just trying to find a quiet moment with my wife where I can."

Hermione wrapped her arms around his center and tilted her head up to his face from where it rested on his chest. "I can send them away, if you'd rather. You've been working so much, I'm sure they would understand if we needed to change our plans."

They were in the kitchen now. The voices of the Potters (including the giggle of little James), the Weasleys, and Draco Malfoy continued to float through the small hall. Winky was valiantly trying to give her Master and Mistress a few minutes to themselves in the privacy of the kitchen. "There is no need. I only was testing a new method on brewing a calming drought to amend the third year text. I didn't get very far-adding melatonin seemed to disrupt the base of the brew. I can try again tomorrow. You only turn 25 once."

"Actually," his wife began, an embarrassed smile creeping across her face. "While I'm 25 on paper today, I passed that threshold about 9 months ago-I'm closer to 26 now."

His eyes widened for a moment, but he rubbed her back softly. "Third year?"

She nodded. He, of course, had known of her Time Turner usage then. But they never discussed it much further, although the age change now made perfect sense. "I'm not sure why I haven't mentioned it before. Probably because this is the first 'milestone' birthday since then I've truly be able to safely celebrate. Seems strange too, so I'd rather forget about it."

The pair stood wrapped in each other and Severus just nodded. They had been together for over four years now, and he enjoyed that there were still things he was learning about her. In that time, Severus had begun a successful potions business and was beginning to rewrite the Hogwarts potions texts at Minerva's behest. Hermione had continued working at St. Mungo's where she and Draco had radically changed all protocols for dealing with cursed patients. They lived a comfortable, quiet life in Thistlebook House, which was still secret-kept to the whole of the wizarding world but was frequented by their friend and "family" members. Severus merely sighed, content with where their life had taken them.

The noise from the sitting room was growing, as Winky lost her battle to keep the party guests at bay. Small, thundering feet sounded down the hall toward them as a mop of unmistakable black hair flashed into the kitchen, making a beeline toward them. Severus deftly swooped down to catch the fearless toddler as he launched himself airborne. "Uncle Sev!"

Hermione chuckled as Severus was unable to keep the smile from his face. James Sirius Potter had come roaring into their lives with a dramatic birth in the hallway of Grimmauld Place and Hermione's arms. Severus had not been present, but came swiftly after receiving Hermione's patronus asking for help in transporting the newborn, new mother, and shell shocked father to the maternity ward at St. Mungo's. How he had come to be named godfather to a tiny wonder that was named for two of his own childhood bullies was still a puzzle he hadn't figured out. But he imagined it was in no small part to Hermione being named godmother, and Harry being an overly sentimental son of a bitch after the birth of his first child.

"Hello, James," Severus finally replied to the miniature Potter menace. "Have you come to wish your Auntie Mi a happy birthday?"

At the mention of the boy's favorite aunt, he twisted in Severus' arms to reach for the woman in question. Severus was only too glad to hand him off, and watched as Hermione's eyes danced at her nephew's enthusiastic greeting and affection. He tried not to feel the familiar pull of guilt and sadness that always came when he watched her with a child. But the thought could barely linger as their other friends joined them in the kitchen.

"Happy birthday!" The chorus sounded as all of the guests filtered into the kitchen. Hermione released James back to his parents and turned to bury her blush into his side. He gently wrapped her with a strong arm, dropping a kiss to her head. She mumbled her grumbled her gratitude.

As the multitude of bodies made themselves comfortable in the kitchen, Winky began giving out glasses of champagne. As the diminutive elf made the rounds, greetings and conversations were had amongst the motley gathering.

Winky appeared before himself and Hermione, a solo glass on her serving tray. "Winky, I believe you are one short," he spoke as he gestured to his left where Hermione stood. The elf simply shook her head at him.

Hermione glanced down at the elf and back to him as he argued with her. "Winky knows," the elf said and then disappeared as Hermione gasped.

Severus looked to his wife, but her eyes were locked on those of Ginny Potter across the kitchen from her. At the wordless exchange, the kitchen grew quiet. Ginny's eyes began to well and Severus looked back to Hermione, her own unshed tears glistening. He felt his protective instincts ignite and he tamped down his temptation to rid the house of everyone and sweep Hermione into some privacy. Before he could enact his plan, he heard Ginny speak up.

"Everyone, out." She motioned to the hall and the sitting room fireplace. No one moved at her words and her eyes flashed dangerously. "Now. You heard me. Out. Out. Out."

With disgruntled sounds and brief goodbyes, the kitchen slowly emptied. Hermione still hadn't moved from her place beside him, but the tears had sprung from their confines and were now marking her delicate cheeks. At the last sounds of the floo, Severus gripped her shoulders and rounded her to face him.

"What is going on?" He tried to keep the anger and fear out of his tone. He rubbed her shoulders instead and lifted her chin to have her eyes meet his own.

"Where is my wand, Severus?" She answered, instead.

He looked about and found it on the counter behind her. She was looking at him with a gentleness and fear he couldn't place. But her occlumency was in place, and that made him more concerned than anything else. He handed it to her and watched as she flicked it, wordlessly casting against her body.

A soft, pinkish hue floated above her abdomen. Hermione dropped her wand and it clattered to the floor. Severus could scarcely breathe. He knew exactly which spell she had cast. He looked at her face that was fighting to break into a wide grin. He felt his own cheeks dampen as she spoke.

"Congratulations, love." She sniffled and laughed. "You're going to be a father."

THE END

A/N: I am such a sucker for happy endings!

So that's it, my dear readers. The conclusion of this crazy journey in writing my very first story. It started as a reaction to living that quarantine life, and it became a very cathartic exploration in finding the joy of writing. Every review gave me the serotonin boost I've needed during this crazy year existing in the COVID era. I can not thank everyone enough for that. If you with held commenting until the end, well...your time has come. Leave me the note.

I plan on writing more. I'm kicking around a one-shot of Harry and Hermione from this story. You know...what REALLY happened in that tent. But next week I begin the process of writing my next long form fic.

It will be Marauders Era in three parts about the waning years of the first war. I've been outlining for the last two weeks, and it's shaping up to be a monster. It will mean I go quiet for a while when I begin so I can get a stockpile of chapters before I start posting. I hope you will come along on that journey with me.

Thank you all, again, for the warm embrace you have given me over the last 8 months. -Archer