Thank you for reading! I don't own any of Harry Potter! Please let me know if you enjoy! Updates every Saturday!
—————————————————————
Three days passed by agonizingly slowly as Severus kept himself suspended in a state of silent, secret torment.
His unreadable expression conveyed nothing about his internal struggle but Harriet noticed that he became withdrawn as he retreated into his thoughts, musings, and worries.
Severus spent those sleepless nights in his office, awake and hard at work.
While Harriet rested in his chambers, completely unaware, Severus conducted a final, precautionary examination on her ring.
He used diagnostic spell after diagnostic spell to be entirely certain that the piece of jewelry he had purchased was safe before he presented it to his pregnant lover.
As the sun began to rise on the morning of New Year's Eve, Severus was finally convinced that the ring carried no malicious enchantments of any kind.
He left his office and sat at Harriet's bedside while he waited for her to wake.
He had to ask.
He had to know.
If Harriet accepted his proposal, then his happiness would be assured.
If Harriet refused him, at least then he would no torture himself with apprehensive wonder.
When Severus saw his omega start to rouse as she rustled around in her nest, he looked at her with reverent admiration and slid from his seat to kneel at her bedside.
Harriet's eyelashes started to flutter.
She cracked her green eyes open and the first thing she saw through her bleary vision was something sparkling close to her face.
Harriet furrowed her brow and forced the last bit of grogginess from her mind.
She opened her eyes wide and sat up hurriedly when she realized the object that was being presented to her was a…..a…...
"W-What is that?!" Harriet asked in disbelief as she looked at the brilliant display of diamonds that glimmered at her from inside the black, velvet box.
Harriet's gaze left the dazzling gemstones and traveled up to Severus's anxious, anguished face as her mouth fell open in shock.
"This is me asking you, Potter…..." Severus began with his low voice full of tension, "...if you'll be my wife?"
Severus was hoping that Harriet would make it easy for him, but he received no such luxury as she blinked, dumbfounded, and asked again, "...What?"
Severus kept the ring held out to her and he tried not to sigh as he looked at Harriet and asked again, "...Potter, will you marry me?"
Harriet sucked in a breath.
Severus watched her closely as she held out her left hand and spread her fingers.
The silence hung heavy between them as Severus held eye contact with Harriet while he took that brilliant ring out of its black, velvet box and hesitantly slipped it onto her fourth digit.
He was careful to brace himself, frightened that she may still pull away, but when the ring touched her knuckle, Harriet gripped onto his hand tightly.
Severus frowned as he watched joyful tears well in her emerald eyes.
"Yes!..." Harriet cried out to Severus in a happy little gasp, "Of course I'll marry you! I'll marry you today……..and I'll love you for the rest of my life!"
Harriet's tears began to flow in copious amounts, exacerbated by her hormones.
Severus reached out to her and spoke, with his brow furrowed in sympathy, "Potter..."
"I don't care if you think I'm weak for crying!" Harriet defended herself as she let her tears fall shamelessly onto the top of her nightgown, "I love you, Severus Snape! And I'm happy! I'm really, really happy for once! And……..and……"
Harriet broke off into a sob and put her head down for a moment.
Severus frowned at his lover and laid his hand on where he guessed her knee was under the covers before he heard something else……
Severus had mistaken his omega's quiet noises for more sobs.
His assumption had been wrong.
Harriet looked up at him as she laughed, with her tears still streaming full force down her face and declared, "...And I can't stop crying!"
Harriet's infectious giggle continued as Severus moved up and pressed his lips against hers.
His affectionate gesture quieted her laughter and soothed her tears as she pulled him into bed with her.
The couple spent the rest of the chilly, winter morning wrapped up under the many covers of Harriet's warm nest, exchanging cuddles and kisses while they talked about the possibilities of their future.
For the majority of the time, Severus had one hand laid possessively over Harriet's little belly and that seemed to delight the omega even more.
When their kisses turned into hungry hints of something more intense just before lunch time, Severus's black eyes were half-lidded with desire when Harriet pulled away and grinned at him.
"Do you intend to tease me now, minx?" Severus asked Harriet as he lay with her in his arms, "Promise to become mine and then hide yourself away from me?"
"I'm not hiding anything." Harriet said with an arrogant smirk, "I'm only trying to conserve my energy for tonight."
Severus gave Harriet an incredulous look as she let her fingers drift idly over his chest.
"All my life, I've heard about how incredible a wedding night is…..I don't want to spoil it all now." Harriet cooed to Severus with a tantalizing chuckle.
He looked at her with that same, questioning look as she smiled at him and nodded, "I meant what I said."
"You….." Severus asked as he narrowed his dark eyes, "...You want us to marry…...immediately?"
"Sev," Harriet whispered.
The look on Severus's face when Harriet called him by that familiar nickname was something to behold, as if she had slapped him and given him the greatest honor on earth at the same time.
"Why….." Harriet asked as she kissed Severus's face, "Should we….." Her voice was little more than a breathless gasp as she kissed his face again, "...wait?"
Severus returned Harriet's gentle kisses as he held her close and growled softly at the cruel punishment that she had devised for him.
Harriet Potter had been audacious as long as he had known her, but to promise herself to him, demand to become his wife that same day, and then rouse his affections?
Severus could hardly believe his omega's nerve.
—————————————————————
The couple saw little point in waiting to marry.
They were already mates.
Harriet's little belly would quickly become prominent.
They had no family to invite to a celebration.
They could hold a party with friends later, once they had told everyone of their relationship, which was still a secret to the rest of the world.
After Severus and Harriet reluctantly left the nest that morning, the two shared a quiet breakfast together before they walked out of Severus's chambers.
As they made their way through the castle and into Hogsmeade, Harriet held onto Severus's arm.
A few of the students who had chosen to stay at Hogwarts during the winter holidays spotted the couple as they walked through the village's snowy streets.
One Gryffindor girl whispered hurriedly to her friend as they sat inside the Three Broomsticks, "Is that…..Headmaster Snape and Harriet Potter?!"
The girl's friend nearly choked on her butterbeer as she craned her neck to look out the window and assess for herself if that question were true.
Her eyes widened when she saw Headmaster Snape and his assistant strolling past.
Outside, Severus and Harriet walked along, unbothered and unashamed.
It felt refreshing to both of them.
No more hiding, no more secrets.
From that day forward, it would be common knowledge that Severus Snape had found his mate at last.
—————————————————————
Severus waited inside the dress shop while Harriet had a very hasty fitting in the back room of the store.
His fiancé had chosen to visit the same dressmaker who had so kindly and skillfully helped her with her gown for the September ball.
Harriet hoped that she would have more pleasant memories in the ivory dress that the woman worked quickly to make for her that afternoon.
Severus was hopeful that his mate would walk out in the garment and give him a preview.
His face visibly fell in disappointment when Harriet emerged from the back of the shop dressed in her regular clothes.
Severus frowned when he looked her over and saw the box in her hands that held her wedding gown.
Harriet's heavy sweater covered the curve of her belly and that irritated him somewhat, although he didn't mention it.
As the couple paid for Harriet's wedding gown, her stomach rumbled, and she clasped a hand over her abdomen while her cheeks flushed scarlet.
Severus looked at her with dramatic concern as if the simple sign that she needed food meant that his darling may collapse from starvation at any moment.
Harriet laughed while Severus hurried her out of the dress shop and immediately escorted her to the restaurant of her choice.
Severus thought to himself while he and Harriet ate their lunch.
Severus enjoyed seeing his mate in fine dresses, he had learned that on the night of the ball…...
Would he be able to control himself long enough to take his vows when he saw her in her wedding gown?
Most importantly though, would her dress allow him to view the curve of her small belly?
—————————————————————
Severus stood in the Ministry courtroom later that day and shifted nervously on his feet while the officiant nodded politely at him with a formal smile.
Severus was wearing his usual black robes, although he had brushed and cleaned them with a spell, along with his black shoes that clicked against the polished floor underneath his feet.
He anxiously glanced over at the door to the courtroom.
How long did it take to change into a wedding gown anyway?
"Don't worry, sir." The officiant told Severus with a nod, "Surely the bride will be with us in a moment."
Severus scowled at the officiant and started to retort when the door to the courtroom creaked open.
His head snapped towards the sound.
Severus's jaw dropped as Harriet slowly stepped inside.
In that instant, he regretted marrying so quickly in a rushed, hushed ceremony.
His darling Harriet was beautiful.
She was a queen, she was a goddess, she was his, and she deserved so much more.
Severus's heart tensed in his chest as he briefly contemplated what their wedding should have been, dramatic and large.
Harriet should have been walking into a palace, surrounded by all of the frivolous adornments that would have come with such a setting.
Severus's bride had used a simple charm to elegantly style her messy hair into loose, tousled waves that spilled over her shoulders.
The ring that Severus had given Harriet glittered on her finger and her gown……her gown was far better than he had envisioned.
Ivory silk, with a low, rounded neckline that revealed a demure but appetizing hint of her ample cleavage, Harriet's dress hypnotized her alpha.
As she walked towards Severus and the officiant, she couldn't hide her bright smile.
In her hands, Harriet clutched the bouquet of white roses that she had purchased from Higsmeade's florist less than an hour ago.
Severus was fascinated as he watched his lover move towards him.
The fabric of Harriet's dress was mesmerizing as it rippled and flowed gracefully over her figure.
Severus gladly noticed that his wish had come true, Harriet's gown clung to the subtle curve of her lower belly.
As Harriet came to stand beside Severus, he looked over at her with a humbled longing in his dark gaze while he chivalrously held out his arm and let her grasp onto him.
"Are you two ready to begin?" The officiant asked as Harriet and Severus both turned to look at him instead of each other.
"...Yes." Severus drawled after Harriet squeezed his arm slightly and signaled her silent confirmation with a nod.
"Very well." The officiant nodded.
—————————————————————
As the officiant guided Severus and Harriet through their vows, time seemed to slow down for the couple.
It felt surreal as they stood there and married one another, Harriet Potter and Severus Snape.
Both of them harbored a hidden, irrational fear that they'd wake up suddenly and the last few months would be nothing more than an odd dream.
"Now, take hands and face each other." The officiant instructed after the formalities were out of the way.
Severus turned on his heel to face Harriet in one sharp twist while she stepped to look at him as well.
Wordlessly, they each took each other's hands.
"Repeat after me," The officiant nodded at Severus, "I, Severus Snape…."
"I…...Severus Snape…." Severus spoke slowly in his low, deep voice as he stared down at Harriet with a look of deadly seriousness on his face.
"Take you, Harriet Potter, as my legal wife, for this day and the next, until we leave this life." The officiant nodded.
"Take you…. Harriet... Potter…..as my legal wife, for this day and the next…..until we leave this life." Severus vowed as he enunciated his words very carefully.
He fought against his emotional urges as Harriet grasped his hands tightly in hers.
"Very good." The officiant nodded at Severus before he turned to Harriet and smiled, "Alright, then, repeat after me please…..I, Harriet Potter…"
"I, Harriet Snape." Harriet hastily said before she blushed, covered her mouth, and hurriedly corrected her error, " Um...Sorry! I mean, I, Harriet Potter….."
The officiant smiled wryly at Harriet's mistake but Severus's chest swelled with pride as he smirked.
His omega already considered herself as his to such an extent that she had forgotten she didn't yet share his last name.
That was a small irritation that Severus was eager to remedy.
"Take you, Severus Snape, as my legal husband, for this day and the next, until we leave this life." The officiant nodded.
"Take you, Severus Snape, as my legal husband, for this day and the next, until we leave this life." Harriet spoke to Severus as her green gaze bore into him.
Her tone carried an uncharacteristic seriousness that Severus found deeply moving as she clutched his hands.
Severus squeezed Harriet's fingers in a gentle but firm response.
"Excellent." The officiant said as he pulled out the marriage license in preparation for Severus and sign. He watched the happy couple stare at each other for a moment before he declared, "I now pronounce you, Mr. and Mrs. Snape! Mr. Snape, you may kiss your bride!"
Severus kept the true depth of his emotions concealed while he and Harriet stood in front of the officiant, but that didn't make his kiss any less loving as he bent down and pressed his lips against his new bride's.
—————————————————————
Harriet clung to the posters of Severus's bed as she panted for breath.
It was dark outside, but telling the exact time was impossible.
Had midnight come and the new year arrived yet?
Neither Severus nor Harriet knew, they were too busy knowing each other.
Mrs. Snape had never felt so loved as she did when Mr. Snape spent their entire wedding night solely devoting himself to her and her pleasure.
Every touch from Severus's skilled fingers, every nibble from his lips, every roll of his hips, those sensations, coupled with the fleeting touches of his hands that ghosted across her belly, were nearly too perfect for Harriet to believe.