AN: I'm really sorry it took me so long. I had the first part of this chapter done ages ago but the rest of it didn't come as easy. Together with my -at the moment quite stressful - job, it didn't help for posting sooner. I'm not really happy about the chapter either, but anyway here it goes.

I don't own Harry Potter and don't make any profit.

Severus was sitting on the beach sending an admiring look towards his fiancée emerging from the water. Droplets of water were running down her slender body and she gracefully bent down to fetch her towel.

"What's wrong? What's that funny look about?"

"That was supposed to be an admiring look not a funny one. You are gorgeous my girl. Don't you think Elena, your mummy looks amazing?"

Elena looked at her dad not seeming to be very impressed and went back to digging in the sand with her hands.

Hermione burst into laughter, "I think she doesn't care."

"But I do," he said, grabbing her by the neck and gently pulling her down in a devastating kiss leaving her breathless. She let herself fall onto the blanket, looking up into the deep blue sky.

"It's beautiful here," Hermione said taking in her surroundings. It was a small secluded bay with a sandy beach, were hardly any people came by. Over the last two weeks they had fallen into a routine, visiting sights and digs in the morning and as soon as it became too hot they apparated to the bay and spent the rest of the day relaxing on the beach. Hermione normally surrounded by dozens of books, while Severus mostly looked out to the sea and did nothing, except to play with Elena.

"I can't believe you are doing nothing?" Hermione had said more than once.

"I told you before, I enjoy doing nothing, for a change. I can't be bothered reading tons of books at the moment. I'm revelling in the feeling of just being. For most of my life I've lived under a threat and now I'm enjoying just sitting looking out to the sea, having my daughter and my fiancée close by."

"I still can't believe we are engaged now. I'm really happy," she smiled at him.

"So tell me what's the wedding going to be? We haven't been talking about it yet."

"Oh we have to plan a wedding. I totally forgot about it."

His laugh following her statement started off as a deep rumble, bubbled up and he burst out with it, making her grin, since she hardly had seen him so carefree.

"What's so funny?"

"I think you are the only woman I know, who is engaged and forgets to plan her wedding," he chuckled, causing her to stick out her tongue at him.

"Okay let's start planning then," she said closing her book, took a notebook out of her bag and wrote down 'Wedding' and framed it with a few small hearts.

"Better?"

"Hang on," he chuckled and charmed the hearts to sparkle.

"So that will do," he grinned, prompting her to laugh.

"So tell me, what were you thinking," Hermione looked at him expectantly.

"I'm so happy you are marrying me, I don't really care, what the wedding is gonna be like. Do whatever you like," he smiled at her.

Her eyes narrowed and she growled, "Do you really think I'm doing all the work by myself. You want to marry me, you help me."

Severus grinned, "That's gonna be fun."

"So tell me, where do you want to get married," she asked.

"Hogwarts."

"When?"

"Summer."

"Big or small?"

"Small and no press."

"That's a shame I really wanted to invite Skeeter," she replied sarcastically. "Who do you want to invite?"

"Neville and Minerva and I think that's about it. Oh and Neville is gonna be my best man and Minerva stands as my family."

"Am I allowed to invite more than two people?"

"If you must," he said and rolled his eyes theatrically.

"Hey," she playfully smacked his arm.

"So I thought Harry, the Weasleys, Luna and Hannah since she is Neville's girlfriend."

"That goes without saying."

"What about the other professors?"

"Only the ones that don't annoy me, that would be Pomona and Filius."

"And Hagrid," she added.

"What about Poppy and Madame Pince," she asked.

"Don't know," he grumbled.

"What about Mister Bell," he asked.

"You want to invite John?" She asked in disbelief.

"I don't want to, but I think it would be courtesy."

"So guest list done," she grinned.

"What else is there," she played with the pen in her hand.

"Clothes. Traditional or muggle," he asked.

"I want to wear a muggle wedding dress if you don't mind," she said.

"No, what about me?"

"Since you can't wear, what I would like, which would be the white shirt…"

"... and the dark blue jeans," he finished her sentence.

"Yes. Well since you can't wear that, I don't care."

"I'm going with traditional then."

"I want Kingsley, to do be the master of ceremony, if he has got time."

"That's fine with me. Are we done now, can I go back to looking out on the sea."

"Yes. You can relax now, I think we 've been very efficient," Hermione put her notebook back in her bag and started digging in the sand with Elena, when all of a sudden she stopped and whined, "Oh no! I've got to find a dress. Bugger, I hate shopping for formal dresses."

"You are fun," Severus chuckled.

"Oh ha ha, very funny. Just to let you know tomorrow we are going to the magical village of Crete. And we are staying there for one night. I don't care if you like it or not. If I have to go and find a dress, you are going to accompany me to that village."

Severus grumbled something incoherently, got up and went for a swim. He was ploughing through the water doing the crawl, while Hermione was sitting on the beach watching him, amazed that such a brilliant wizard, who was furthermore really good-looking to her, could be interested in her, the bushy-haired know-it-all.

"I think I'm the luckiest woman in the world," she mumbled to Elena, who gave her a big grin in return.

The next day came and they apparated close to the entrance of the magical village. Severus looked pained, but Hermione didn't comment on it, instead just bounced happily beside him.

"Tell me why you so desperately don't want to go?" Hermione asked after they had entered through the remains of an old fortress, seeing that Severus' mood was reaching a low point, when he kicked away a small pebble. Hermione guessed with more force than, he anticipated, since it hit a stray dog, which howled and ran away, tail between its legs.

"Oops," Severus said grimly.

When Hermione asked him about his foul mood, he pulled her into the dark entrance of an old unoccupied house.

"Listen to me Hermione, I'm not very well liked in the magical world of Europe, there are still many followers of Albus and many followers of Voldemort all over the continent. The first still think I killed Albus because I'm a death eater, the latter are very well aware that I'm not a death eater anymore, so in their eyes I'm a traitor, which I guess I really am form their point of view. Back home I normally know who I'm dealing with, most of Voldemort's followers are in Azkaban and people slowly seem to realise that I killed Albus, because he told me to. But I'm not sure how that knowledge has spread over the rest of Europe. So I never know what to expect, when I go to places I don't know. I don't like that," Severus explained.

"I didn't know. I'm sorry, we can leave if you want to," Hermione replied.

"No we are here now, I'm actually very interested. I've never been to a magical village in Greece."

They were wandering through the small village, which seemed to be quite similar to Diagon Alley, except for a shop where you could purchase magic carpets in all colours, styles and sizes. Severus who was fascinated by the idea of having his own magic carpet, went inside and it was an hour later, when he came out again, feeling like quite the expert. But in the end he decided against a flying carpet, when Hermione reminded him, how he would look on it.

"I guess you're right, but you have to admit riding a magic carpet, must be brilliant," he said.

"I'm not too sure about that," Hermione replied."But why don't you get yourself a broom, since you used to be an excellent flyer. It's still flying and you could teach Elena."

"Are you sure about that?" He asked.

"She is your daughter," Hermione grimaced.

"Well she is your daughter too and you have a word in it."

"She is talented, even I have to admit that. You should teach her," Hermione sighed.

Severus just kissed her temple and said, "Come on. I think I saw a book store over there."

He pointed to a shop at the next street corner.

Suddenly there was a tall broad-shouldered man blocking their way.

"Traitor," he hissed.

Hermione stepped in between the two men.

"Is this a threat? Are your threatening my fiancé in the middle of a busy village," Hermione glared up at the man.

"If this isn't the most famous Mudblood. So the rumours are true. You are screwing the mudblood slut," the wizard hissed.

By now Severus had his wand at the ready and gently pushed aside Hermione, staring at the wizard with fury in his eyes.

"Ah here you are Hermione and Severus. I missed you. I'm glad you came," a small and what seemed to be a bubbly young witch, hurried across the street and pulled the astounded couple into a hug, causing the troublemaker to back away a bit.

"And you listen to me Stephanus, I told you once before, if you only moved to our village to get into trouble you can leave at once. Got me?"

The woman said once she let go of Hermione and Severus, who exchanged a quick and suspicious look. The attacker turned around and after a few filthy swearwords disapparated.

"I'm sorry about Stephanus. He is one of the village's troublemakers. By the way I'm Adelphia Nikopolidou, the mayor of this village. I'm sorry I made it seem, like I know you, when I actually only know you from books. But I thought you might have a more quiet stay, when everybody thinks I'm friends with you." She whispered this last part.

"Thank you Miss Nikopolidou," Hermione gave her a small smile.

"May I invite you to dinner at my place tonight? I would be honoured to call you my guests. My husband will be there too. … Please?!" She added after seeing Severus' sceptical expression.

"We are happy to be your guests," Hermione hurried to say, not wanting to disappoint the young woman.

"We live right over there," Adelphia said pointing to a small white house, with a big oleander next to the blue door and a balcony overgrown with bougainvillea.

"Let's say half past seven. Wow I'm really excited. See you later," she added and hurried to the grocery store. Severus groaned.

"She seems nice," Hermione said ignoring him.

"You owe me one," Severus grumbled.

They spent the rest of the afternoon meandering through the village and ended up at the beach, where Elena was throwing pebbles into the sea.

Suddenly she started shouting, "I-AN ID! I-AN IIIID!"

"Sweetheart I'm afraid there is no giant squid living here," Severus said, when suddenly a gigantic squid broke through the surface and winked at Elena, who turned around with a huge smile on her face.

Hermione grinned and Severus' mouth fell open. Elena was talking to the squid in her own toddler language and it seemed as if the large animal was listening intensely. The squid was reaching out with one of his arms and Elena grabbed it with her small hand holding on to it. She then walked up on one of his other arms, always supported by the animal. By now it seemed that all the tan Severus had gotten during this holiday had vanished. Looking rather pale, his eyes were fearfully fixed on his daughter, who was now sitting on the squid's head, looking quite small. The animal was bobbing up and down, causing Elena to giggle.

"How can you be so calm," Severus gasped.

"I'm sure he won't harm her, the giant squid in the black lake is the most peaceful animal I know," Hermione replied and she proved to be right, when after a couple of minutes the huge animal gently sat her down on the beach and with another wink at Elena was gone.

"She must be a bestiamar," Severus whispered, still a bit pale around his nose.

"A what?"

"A bestiamar. A witch or wizard that can talk to animals, interestingly not snakes though. They are very, very rare. If I remember correctly one of my ancestors was one."

"So apparently her first magic showed really early."

"That's not her first magic," Severus said.

"Wow did she do magic before," Hermione gaped at him.

"No, I just meant that's just not real magic, that's like being an metamorphmagus. It's part of your personality," Severus said.

"Still magic," Hermione huffed.

"But it's nothing like making soft toys dance, or something," he said.

"Really, you want her to make soft toys dance," Hermione raised an eyebrow, "She is so not going to make soft toys dance. She is the mini dungeon bat for Merlin's sake."

Severus chuckled, " So you have high hopes for her then?"

Hermione chose not to answer, just harrumphed and mumbled," Soft toys dancing."

The young family spent their evening with the Nikopolidou family and it turned out to be enjoyable, even for Severus, since Aigidios, Adelphia's husband was a potions master, who was now trained to be a healer. They got along really well and vanished in Aigidios' lab for an hour, leaving the women to play with Elena and talk about Hogwarts.

So I hope you liked it! Coming up next, more about Thorben Rowle and minerva being totally oblivious and annoying Severus.

It won't take as long. I promise