-1Hermione looked at him and was speechless. He took a ring out of his pocket, a simple silver band, with symbols around it. She thought about it for a moment. Would it be so terrible to have him in her bed? Wake up to him in the morning? No, it would not be so bad. He must have been discouraged by the look on her face, because he took his hand back. She reached a hand out towards his face, and felt his jaw tense. She saw the terrible walls he had put up around himself trying to rebuild. She grabbed his hand before he had snaked it all the way back.

"Yes, I will be your wife." She was shocked to hear those words come out of her own mouth, but when they did, she knew they were the right ones. He brought the silver band up to her hand, and slipped it on her ring finger. But, he wouldn't let her hand go. When the ring became warm, then hot on her hand, she tried to pull away, and was scared. Then the ring was cool again, just metal on her finger, though it felt different. When he moved his hand away she saw why. The ring on her finger was no longer a silver band, it was not a princess cut diamond wedding ring. The side stones were obsidian, her newly found favorite.

When she looked up at him he had a smile on his face. It was a nice smile. He opened her eyes on that smile, and she realized, he did love her. Her smile was one to match her heart, kind, gentle, and huge. He lifted her arm up as he stood, and led her once again down to the dance floor. This time a gentle song played, intertwined with the crashing of the waves just outside. It was then Hermione thought to ask, "Where are we Severus?"

He looked down at her, and realized he had not told her. "This is my home." Simple words, but they seemed to surprise her, she looked around, and stepped on his foot. She tried to step backwards, but stepped on her dress and she was falling, but not before Severus had wrapped his arm around her, to take the impact of the fall. They landed legs entangled and Severus cradling her upper body. Her dress had ridden up, and the tops of her thigh highs were in the open. He was straddling her left leg, and cradling her body, all while he was on his knees. He threw his head back and laughed, and as if it was contagious, she started laughing too. He rolled onto his side, and collapsed. They both laid staring up at the ceiling for a moment, then she looked at him. She saw hope in him. She saw her life in his hands, and she was comfortable with it.

"Severus, when will the wedding be?" Hermione asked as she started toying with his collar.
"Whenever you wish it, although, I believe it should be soon before you're… showing." he said as his hand did what it had wanted to do since he laid eyes on her this evening. He made contact with the small bump. His fingers played lightly on the skin.
"How about Thanksgiving, we can announce it at the Halloween ball, we're having this year. I'll be almost four months gone by then."
"With our child." He rubbed that small bump.
"Yes, with our child." She said with a grin. "We have to tell Dumbledore."
"Knowing him he already knows, but we still have to tell Minerva." He said turning grim.
"I'll take Minerva, you take Dumbledore." She said practically.
"Why?"
"I'm more likely to survive her interrogation." She said with a smile. He grabbed a lock of her hair, and pushed it away from her face. He lifted himself off the ground, then offered her his hand. "Would you like to see the rest of our house?"

Her face glowed as she said a simple yes, and took the offered hand. He helped her stand and the next forty five minutes was spent looking over one of the most beautiful estates Hermione had ever seen.

"This is all yours?" Hermione said with a gasp as she overlooked on the most beautiful garden. Different herbs, were put into the far corner of it, but flowers overrode it. From roses to lilies, they could all be found in this garden. There was a fountain in the center, with paths in a star-like pattern leading up to it. The night sky was gorgeous, a full silvery moon wove them in beams of light.

"Ours. This is all our." With that he gathered her body in his to protect her from the cool night air. He had gotten rid of everything that had reminded him of his past time in the estate, but the walls had seemed haunted to him. As if there was some residual effect of the events on the walls. But, it was if her happiness, and pureness had erased these effects from the house. He had not been bothered by going into the same room that had once been his fathers torture chamber, specifically for him. He had not been bothered by being in the library where his mother had passed. He had not been bothered by being in the ballroom where his younger siblings had been…

Hermione looked at Severus with a feeling of bliss, but his face had gone slack with memory, and his eyes had returned to a haunted look. She turned in his arms, and kissed him, a tear streaming down his face. "Not tonight. Not tonight." she kept saying as she kissed his face, kissed his tears away, feeling her own slide slowly down her chilled skin. He captured her face in his hand and kissed her forehead. Then they heard a someone clearing their throat from the doorway. When they whirled around, they realized it was Minerva.

"Do you two plan to do this every time I see you together?"
"And what is that?" Severus said embracing his lover, and resting his head on her shoulder. One hand cradling her under her breasts, and one hand protectively on her lower abdomen.
"Show such love for each other, something that most of us can not reach." Hermione realized Minerva was jealous. She didn't want Severus, but she wanted what they had together. She wanted someone to be her night in shining armor, but apparently Minerva had also realized that not everyone gets their fairytale ending. Severus' voice cut through the air.

"What is the matter, Minerva?"

"Nothing, I came to see how you two were faring, and I saw her comforting you. Light comforting darkness is a sight to lose your composure with." She said with a sad tone.
"Severus, go have your talk with Albus." Hermione said turning her head a little to face him.

"I will meet you back there, as soon as you're done. I suppose Minerva would be able to apparate you back?" He turned to face Minerva until she gave him a curt nod, and then he stepped away from Hermione, a pop was the only indication he was gone.

"Would you like some tea?" Hermione said gingerly.
"Tea would be lovely."
With that Hermione led Minerva through the house, as if she had been there a billion times before. And led them to the tea room. She conjured a tea kettle, two cups, and the fixings Then made up a chamomile blend. Hermione handed Minerva her cup, with her left hand, Minerva's eyes widened upon seeing the band but made no mention of it. Hermione blushed when she realized what a stupid mistake she had made.

"Well I can guess what Severus had to go talk about. I actually lied when I told you why I had come here. I found a spell that can reveal what sex the child will be, it would also put an exact replicated image of the child in a picture frame, so you can see exactly what's going on. I wanted to offer to do the spell for you and Severus. But, I thought I'd offer it to you first."

"Are you okay with… this?" She motioned to her ring, then to the house.

"Yes, to be honest it was not you I was worried about when I heard. Severus has had his share of devastation plus some. But Yes I am okay with this." She said with a smile. "This is what you both deserve, equals of mind, interests, and powers."

Hermione smiled at that. "Then if you are still up to it, I'd like you to do the spell."

"Okay lie down. I brought the necessary ointment with me. Although I do believe your dress will be a problem."

"No problem at all." Hermione said as she pointed her wand at her hip. She mumbled something, and then there was a split all the way around her. Her dress had separated into a shirt, and a skirt. Hermione laid herself down on a couch. Minerva raised Hermione's shirt a little, and rubbed what smelled like a rosemary paste on her lower abdomen. Then she placed both her hands on that spot and it grew warm. She muttered a soft spell, then there were two picture frames hovering over Minerva's head. She grabbed them both and beamed down at Hermione. "You're having twins."

Hermione was speechless for a moment then she was ecstatic. "What are the sexes?"
"One boy, and one girl. Here are the pictures." A small tear slid out of Hermione's eye.
"Would you mind if I made a couple of these. One set apiece for Poppy, Albus, and …myself"
"I would be honored." Hermione said truthfully. Minerva said the spell to duplicate the pictures. Then they each went into a gift bag. The bag's were all different colored silk.
"May I have a bag also? I want to surprise Severus."
Minerva handed over a black silk bag, and Hermione slipped the pictures in. After cleaning up and chatting about school, Minerva was ready to go. Hermione took one last look around the tea room, and extinguished the fire. Minerva apparated them both back.

"Dumbledore was thrilled, he already knew of course." Severus said with a grin. Still in the white dress shirt, and slacks.
"I have a surprise for you." Hermione said with a grin bearing a resemblance to the Cheshire cat's
"And what would that be?" He said.

"Go into the bedroom and close your eyes." He quickly complied. She grabbed the box with the lingerie she had left in the sitting room, and put it on, then she grabbed the black silk bag she had put down, and walked into the bedroom. He had his eyes closed, and he was laying on the bed propped up on the pillows, in the middle. She walked up to the bed, and whispered "Open you eyes." He opened his eyes, and stared at her for a moment. His only thought was that she was ethereal, she was so beautiful. Then he realized he was being offered a package. He took the black silk offering, and pulled out two pictures. "What are these?" he said as he looked from one picture to another.
"These are our babies, We're having twins." She said with a smile, and a blush.
"Twins?" He said with eyebrows raised.
"Yes, a girl and a boy."
Tears filled his eyes and he couldn't blink. He was getting two children and a wife. It may not be fair that he was getting these things, but, he wouldn't give them up for anything in the world.