As ever there is a dearth of smexxy words (don't get me started on my o-fics, where words mean pennies!) so to jump start this stalled fic, I'm going to the aftermath. There's full on smexxy in my other fics if needed ;-)

Severus sank into the deep pillows, his breath short, his pale chest heaving. "Still practical?"

A burst of laughter broke from Hermione. She pushed her fingers into the wild and tangled knots of her hair and grinned at him. Gods, her face ached from the straining, the panting, the screaming… "You are a secret I'm going to keep very much to myself, Severus Snape." Her smile grew sly. "Sex god."

The wizard barked a laugh, stretched out his arm and pulled her body to him. He pressed a kiss to her forehead and her heart squeezed at the simple and unexpected gesture of affection.

"You...inspire me."

And that delicious rumble under her ear, with the evening out of his heart, gods, a fresh tingle of need chased through her flesh. Severus large hand stroked her hip, teasing a shiver over her skin and she gasped, her open mouth pressed to him. And already...already his cock hardened again.

"See?"

Hermione drew a line down the sparse black hair of his chest. Scars silvered his pale skin. So many… The grey light pushing through the square panes of the window lay across her wrist. The gold had vanished. Their marriage bond was complete...and would soon shine again at the conception of the Shafiq heir. A goblin twist. Which reminded her...

She stretched across him to the small bedside table the tiny vial of the most potent fertilty potion known to wizardkind. With a hard beat of her heart she knocked it back. The surge of heat, of life, of the wild bloom of spring and...and life. It threaded through her blood, her flesh her bone, sinking down...down and coiling with sweet golden warmth in her womb.

She slumped against Severus' chest, a weariness slamming into her, more than the quite lovely ache from how very thorough her new husband had been-

"Regrets, Hermione?"

She looked up to the dull burn of his occluded gaze and shook her head. Gods, no. The drag of the fertility potion easedShe drew in a long breath, the scent of him, of her, of their future. Unexpected, yes, but their was not one second of doubt. Not now. "Not for a second, Severus. I was thinking of practicalities." She pressed her chin to his chest. "The odds of conceiving the first time, even with your excellent potion, are slim, aren't they? I think...I think we should make an exponential increase in our chances. Don't you?"

A devilish spark lit his black gaze. "It is fortunate that I bound myself to the most...practical of witches."

It was late Sunday before they managed to crawl out of Severus' —their bed, she now supposed— in search of proper food and a few flesh easing potions.

Severus had declared himself an old man, worn down by the insatiable demands of a young new wife...when said young new wife could barely walk and had aches in muscles she never knew existed.

Severus pressed a freshly brewed mug of tea into her hands and smirked as she flopped back into her chair, cradling her precious brew.

"Practicalities—"

Severus snorted. "Hermione, even with a strengthening brew and inflating draughts, I could not see my way to any more...practicalities this night."

She snorted and rolled her eyes at him. "Very funny." She sipped her tea and let the warmth and flavour flow into her. She sighed. "Our bond is complete."

"Very much so."

"Yes." Hermione drew in a breath, the memory of two days of pleasure enough to tighten her exhausted body. Perhaps she was insatiable. She met Severus' pitch black gaze and her face heated further. She was proving herself insatiable for him, at least. She let out a long breath. "And there was a sweetener from the goblins."

"The Belgravia house." Severus wiped his hand down his face. "With my profits no longer being...garnished, we will be comfortable. I would say we rent out that house. This place," he looked around the small, plain sitting room, "with a little time and effort and galleons would be adequate until the Shropshire estate becomes free."

Until their child was born.

The sudden twisted strangeness of her life caught her again. But...but she found herself more willing to look to a shared future with Severus than any other wizard she'd met. And certainly not the forced nuptials of one Ronald Weasley.

"A good plan."

Severus twitched a smile. "And, though I would...prefer you not to come into my laboratory now, Hermione, there will be enough for you to walk away from the Ministry. To chase any Mastery you want...other than Potions. At this time."

Hermione blinked. Her heart gave a little patter of joy. She'd been so focused on simple escape that she'd not thought of her future plans. Besides bringing down the government, naturally. And well, Severus had addled her sharp brain with far too much pleasure. Wicked man.

But not set foot in her hated office again? To avoid the obligation of being the Ministry's bought witch. Though she had the latter, already, courtesy of the goblins. Yet, to offer nothing—

"You married me, Hermione. You will give me an heir and satisfy the insane Shafiq Clause. Anything I give you will never be enough."

"Oh, Severus..."

She put down her mug, pulled his own free and eased herself into his lap. She teased a kiss to the very tip of his infamous nose and smiled as a fresh line of soft pink coloured his cheeks. She sighed and snuggled under his chin, her chest blooming with warmth as his arms wrapped around her and he pressed a kiss to her wild hair.

"Would you like me to witness your resignation?"

Hermione smirked. To have the looming form of the Potions Master beside her as she slapped her resignation in the face of her hated boss...oh that would be another little hit of bliss. "You really are quite lovely, you know."

The warmth of his laughter threaded through hers.