A/N: So sorry this is later than usual- I was volunteering at school and just got home about half an hour ago (food came first; sorry, guys...)

I don't own anything; I'm just playing on J.K. Rowling's playground!

"Severus, will you please just tell me?"

"No. I've kept it a surprise this long; why put all of my hard work to waste? You're going to know by the end of the day, anyway."

Hermione sighed. She and Severus were leaving, and she found herself wanting to know more now than she had where they were going. It would only be a few hours until she knew, but still.

They were at the Ministry, waiting for their portkey. Hermione absolutely hated portkey travel, but Severus said that they were going out of the country, so it was necessary.

"Please?"

"Damn it, witch; no!" This had come out more snappishly than intended; Hermione was beginning to trail her fingers down his arm the way he liked.

"I swear you should have been placed in Slytherin."

"Why is that, Severus?"

His only response was a raised brow, but it spoke for itself. Hermione giggled and laid her head against his shoulder, and Severus missed the movement of her fingers already. He moved his head so that it rested on hers, and they sat and talked about nothing. It was a way to pass the time when they didn't have anything better to do.

They were called- their portkey was ready- and they walked to where it was. This portkey happened to be a book, and they both smirked.

"Are you ready?"

"Yes," she groaned. Excited she may have been, but it was no match to the nausea that was brought on by portkey travel.

Severus and Hermione took hold of the book, and they were off.

They landed in the sitting room of a small house. It was nice; the walls were painted crème, and there were dark blue furnishings. The kitchen was beautiful, with granite countertops and new appliances. Big windows were on all sides of the house, and the ones in the back were bay windows. Looking outside to see where they were, Hermione saw the ocean.

Well, it looked like the ocean, but something was different. While the water was wavy, the waves were small. The water seemed to be going in three different directions, which Hermione found strange. It was beautiful, though. They were spending Christmas at the beach!

"Severus, where are we?"

"I'm surprised that someone of your superior intellect must ask such a question but, if you must know, we are at the beach."

"That's not what I meant and you know it! Believe it or not, I got that much, but thank you oh-so-much for your very helpful clarification."

He chuckled and pulled her into his arms. "Alright, witch. This is Vilano Beach. We're in Florida."

Hermione's eyes widened. She'd never been to the States before; the farthest she'd ever been from England was France when she was four.

"It's wonderful, Severus! But why, may I ask, have you always wanted to come here?"

"Travelling is something I enjoy, and I have been unable to do so for a while. I haven't been to America in about fifteen years, and I was up north for that trip. I spent about two weeks in New England and Connecticut, learning about the history of how the colonies came to become states. Muggle history interests me, as it always has. The next place I wanted to visit was St. Augustine, so here we are."

Hermione nodded; she had always wanted to travel, too. Being a Muggle-born, she knew some about history, but always enjoyed learning more. She'd never really considered that Severus may be interested as well, but it made sense. He'd been raised in the Muggle world for the first eleven years of his life, and would have about as much knowledge as she had. It fascinated her that they were so alike, and that he wanted to bring her with him.

She pulled away from his embrace and took his hand. Hermione led him towards the small deck on the beach that was just through the sitting room.

The sun was still up- it was only four in the afternoon- and the breeze was gentle. It felt as if it were about twenty or thirty degrees out, and it was a pleasant change; Scotland was well below freezing by now. They sat on the swing, and Hermione curled against his chest as they watched the waves.

"I've always loved the beach. It's such a peaceful place, and it's simply beautiful."

He hummed his agreement, and it rumbled in the ear she had pressed against him. Hermione began thinking about how nice this week was going to be.

"How well-stocked is the kitchen, Severus?"

"It should be fine, why?"

"I was just thinking that lemonade sounded nice. Would you like some?"

Severus nodded, and Hermione rose to get their drinks. She was only gone but a moment, and when she walked out, Severus was standing by the door. He had removed his boots and socks, and motioned for her to do the same. After taking his glass from her, he offered her his arm, and she kicked her shoes off before they walked down to the water. It was then that Hermione realized that Severus had removed his robes and frock coat, wearing only his trousers and white button down; the sleeves were pushed up to the elbow and it was only buttoned up to his chest, allowing the fine black dusting of hair to show.

As they drank, they began to walk. The waves brushed over their bare feet, and Hermione squealed the first time the cold water met her skin, causing Severus to smirk at her. He hadn't even flinched.

They were walking hand in hand, with Hermione's head resting on his shoulder. When they finished their lemonade, the glasses were vanished and the two turned around. Hermione didn't know what their house looked like from the outside, but Severus did. He stopped, and they watched the sunset from their spot on the sand. Hermione noticed the lighthouse then.

There was a small strip of water between their beach and the coast where the tall structure stood. It was spiraled black and white, and the place by the light was bright red. She realized now why the water seemed to go in multiple directions at once: there were two coastlines. The one they were on had a sharp turn; they were on the very end of the beach. The lighthouse's coast was also a marina, and it faced their beach.

So, when facing the water, it went left, straight, and right all at once.

This was something Hermione hadn't seen before, and it was interesting to watch. When she was struggling to see the waves, her gaze fixed on the lighthouse again. It was dark enough that the light was on. Hermione watched as the light blinked out over the waves, mesmerized by the reflection on the waves. It was beautiful, and she was sure she'd be watching this every evening for the next week.

Severus caught his witch's gaze, and smiled. He'd been watching the lighthouse as well.

"They say it's haunted, you know."

"Hmm?"

He had pulled her from wherever she'd been, and now she was looking at him blankly. Severus smirked into the darkness as he repeated himself. When the light blinked, he saw the curiosity in her eyes.

"There was a lighthouse keeper after the American Civil War by the name of William Harn. Apparently, sightings of a male figure and the smell of cigar smoke are believed to be this keeper. In the 1870s, the Superintendent of Lighthouse Construction lost two daughters in an accident while the tower was being built, and people say they've seen the girls. It's also said that there is an unknown woman who walks the grounds."

His witch was looking at him, and in the light he saw that she was giving him a small smile. Then, after the light blinked out, a small hand was on his arm. She placed her other hand on his cheek, and touched her lips to his.

The kiss was short and sweet, but Severus got the message. He put his hand on the small of her back as they made their way back inside. They were sticky with the sea air, and they tracked sand into the house, but they didn't care. Severus led her up the narrow stairs and to their bedroom for the week. Their things were set against the wall, and one wall seemed to be made entirely of glass, giving a lovely view of the beach below- or, what would be if it were light.

Hermione took a moment to look at the room around her. It was spacious and open. She could tell that it was very bright during the day, and was painted with light blue and white. It didn't take her long to find the bathroom, and the large tub and shower were calling to her. Having a sudden thought, she turned back to her wizard.

"I think a shower is in order. Care to join me?" she asked with a wry smile.

Severus raised an eyebrow and smirked at her before following.

After fixing the taps, his witch's fingers ran slowly down her body until they found the edge of her shirt. She slipped them underneath and unclasped her bra, pulling it out from underneath her shirt. Hermione's hands moved to her jeans, and she popped the button slowly before moving to undo the zipper at the same tantalizing pace. Her brow mirrored Severus' when she saw the sheer want in his eyes.

Hermione pulled her jeans down, bending to pull them from her legs. When she rose, she brushed at the hem of her shirt before pulling it over her head. She was left in her black knickers, and her nipples hardened in the cold.

Slowly, she moved towards her wizard, reaching her hands out to his shirt. Her deft fingers undid the row of buttons and pulled his shirt from his body. She ran her hands ever so lightly over his chest, digging her nails in gently. Severus hissed in pleasure, and then her lips touched his for the shortest of moments. Her fingers had found their way to his back, and she was running them softly over his scarred skin. When she reached his bottom, her hands glided over it before moving to his front. She palmed his erection through his trousers, and he groaned softly.

Hermione undid the first button and continued to touch him before she undid the next. It was a pleasurably painful experience for Severus. She would run her small, warm hands over his hard length, and then they'd be gone again.

Soon enough, all of his buttons were unfastened, and his witch found the waist of his trousers. She pulled them down, bending again to pull them off. On her way back up, she found the hem of his boxers, and they took the same journey as his pants. Standing back up, she pulled her knickers down and kicked them away.

Reaching out to feel the water, Hermione stepped into the shower and beckoned to him. He joined her wordlessly and watched as she stepped under the stream of hot water. She reached for the shampoo, gasping when she felt long fingers taking the bottle from her.

"Allow me," Severus drawled.

His witch turned so he had access to her curls, and he poured some of her shampoo into his hand. As he brought it to her scalp, he smelled lavender and vanilla.

Severus' hands were gentle as he massaged Hermione's head, and she was unconsciously leaning into his touch. His fingers trailed away from her hair and caressed her breasts, his thumbs flicking over her pebbled peaks lightly. She moaned softly and pressed her back against his chest. Her bottom was pressed against his manhood; Hermione began grinding her hips on his, and he reciprocated her movement.

She turned in his arms and brought her hands to his face. Shampoo began trickling down her body as it rinsed from her curls, which were now hanging down her back. Severus wound his fingers through her hair and brought his head down so their lips could meet, and he briefly wondered if the spark was two-sided. Judging by how Hermione's mouth quickened underneath his own, he decided it must have been. His tongue slipped into her mouth, and hers met his in a passionate dance. He moved his hands from her hair to grab her bottom, and he lifted her against the wall; Severus pushed himself into her and she moaned loudly, but it was muffled by his kiss.

It was fast and desperate, and over far too soon. They were both gasping for breath, and only when they could breathe somewhat normally did they realize that the water was no longer warm. Severus shut it off and they got out, wrapping themselves in thick towels and moving to the bedroom so they could pick up where they'd left off.

Laying Hermione down on the bed gently, Severus removed both of their towels and hovered over her. They kissed slowly and tenderly, and they were both pouring their love for each other into it. It was sweet and beautiful, and Hermione didn't want it to end.

But that thought changed as Severus pulled her legs apart gently, bringing his thumb to her clitoris and pushing two long fingers inside her. She was pushing herself hard against his hand, needing him more in that moment than she ever had. Hermione was moaning so loudly she may as well have been screaming, and Severus quickened his movements. Almost instantly, he felt her walls clench around his fingers.

"Severus…"

"Yes, Hermione?" he answered, voice husky with lust.

"I need you. Now."

Not one to argue, Severus positioned himself at her entrance and kissed her softly as he pushed into her once more. This time, their rhythm was slow and building, leading to a much more intense finish. Hermione felt as if her heart would beat straight out of her chest, and she clutched at Severus, who was still laying above her.

"That was amazing, Severus," she panted. "I am one lucky witch."

He chuckled breathily. "I don't think you know which of us is the lucky one, love."

"I love you. So much."

"And I you, Hermione."

But she didn't hear him. Hermione had fallen asleep, and Severus rolled onto his side, smiling when she instinctively curled into his chest.

The next day, Severus and Hermione slept until nearly one o'clock. When they woke, they hadn't wanted to move; they were content to lie in each other's arms for the rest of the day, but one- or both- of their stomachs growled. It had been nearly twenty-four hours since they'd last eaten.

"What would you like for breakfast? Or, should I say lunch?"

"An omelet would be lovely."

"Alright. It will be ready shortly."

She followed him down the stairs and into the kitchen. Hermione loved watching Severus cook; his hands were so elegant and graceful. She could watch them all day.

Not realizing she was staring, she blushed when Severus cleared his throat and laughed lightly at her. As soon as he returned his attention to the food, she went back to watching his hands intently.

As always, his cooking was perfect, and Hermione found herself thankful for the fact that she had a wizard who could cook; if he couldn't, they'd be starving. She was useless.

"What are we doing today, Severus?"

"If it's alright with you, I thought we could take a trip to the lighthouse this afternoon."

"That sounds lovely!"

Her wizard gave her a small smile and vanished their plates. "When would you like to go?"

Hermione looked thoughtful for a moment. "In a few hours, I think. There's something I want to do first."

Severus raised a brow. "Oh? What would that be?"

She only winked in response before turning and going up the small staircase to their bedroom, knowing that he would be quick to follow. When he reached the top of the stairs, he found his witch clad only in her swimsuit. The dark green suited her, Severus thought.

"You want to swim in this weather? It may be better than Scotland, but that water is probably freezing, Hermione."

"I know."

His incredulous expression made her giggle, earning herself a glare. "We are witch and wizard, aren't we? Warming charms exist for a reason, Severus."

Severus smirked at her use of his own words against him, and noted how that green really was fitting. "Alright, witch. Go on down; I'll meet you."

Hermione beamed at him and moved to step out of the room before stopping. She pulled the ring off of her left hand and set it on the shelf; she didn't want to lose it in the water. Severus nodded his approval. Her hand felt bare without it, even though they'd only been engaged for a couple of weeks. As she padded through the house, her mind began to wander.

Knowing that she and Severus were going to be married was thrilling. Sometimes, it still didn't feel real. She was his fiancée! Just the fact that he wanted to spend the rest of his life with her was so unbelievably wonderful.

Her feet met warm sand, and she paused. He said he would meet her down here, but she didn't know if she should get in the water or wait for him. Stepping back inside and grabbing a towel and a book, Hermione got comfortable on the sand. Realizing too late that she didn't have any sunscreen, she resolved not to spend too long lying under the sun. With this in mind, she began to read.

Upstairs, Severus was thinking. It had been a long time since his flesh had seen the sun, and he wasn't sure that he wanted to be so exposed. He was pale and thin, and there certainly wasn't much to look at. Not that it mattered; he was well aware of what Hermione thought of him, and that was all that really mattered. This trip had been his idea, after all, and he wasn't going to ruin it with his insecurities.

Thinking of his witch, he undressed and pulled on his swimsuit, found a towel, and went down to the beach to find Hermione.

She was laying out with a book when he joined her. When she heard him walk up, she looked up and closed whatever she was reading. Rising to meet him, she took his hand and kissed his cheek, leading him to the cold water.

He felt her shiver as the water touched her skin, and he cast the charm. Now that it was a decent temperature, the sea was much more pleasant. The gentle waves brushed against their legs as they went farther out, pulling them in deeper. He was thinking about how nice and calm the water was when he felt Hermione fall.

The water was deep enough by now that she fell under the surface before coming up, drenched and sputtering. Severus had frozen when she went down, and now stood looking down at her with a smirk.

"There's a drop-off there. You might want to watch your step," Hermione said with a sheepish grin.

His smirk widened as he took an exaggerated step over the small drop. She rolled her eyes at him as she rose, wiping water from her face. Severus took her hand again and they continued out into the Atlantic.

They stopped when the water was up to Hermione's chest; he didn't want it to get too deep for her. She dunked under the water and didn't resurface for some time. When she did, she was behind Severus, and she wrapped her arms around his middle. He turned towards her and cupped her face with his hands. She looked up at him, moving one hand to brush his hair away from his face.

The water was halfway up Severus' abdomen, so he pulled Hermione against him and lifted her. Her legs were around his waist, holding them together as he moved them out into deeper water. Now that he was holding her, he felt better about moving out more.

This was also a better position for Hermione, as she could reach up and kiss him easily now. While their lips touched, the waves moved against them, enveloping them in the water's artificial warmth.

"Severus?"

"Hmm?"

"When do we… want to… get married?" she asked between kisses.

He gentled the kiss and pulled back slightly. "It doesn't really matter to me. Did you have a date in mind?"

"Not exactly, but I think I'd like to wait until my apprenticeship is over, and a spring wedding sounds nice."

"Next April?"

She nodded vigorously before kissing him again, harder this time. Hermione found that she was excited to start planning their wedding, and knew that she'd be counting down the days once they picked a date.

Pulling away again, Hermione thought for a moment. "The twenty-sixth?"

"If that's what you want. Any particular reason?"

"No. It just seems like a nice day."

He chuckled and kissed his witch again.

"If we want to make it to the lighthouse today, we may want to go soon, love."

She sighed. "Alright, let's go, then. I hope we'll be up in time for sunset."

He couldn't help but smile at her reluctance, but began wading towards the shore, still carrying Hermione until she could touch the ground. It was slow going- they'd gone out pretty far- but they eventually made it back to shore. Gathering their things from the sand, they cast drying spells and went to shower before leaving for the lighthouse.

A/N II: Hope you liked it, and I'll see y'all next week!