AN: Thank you for all the support! It is very deeply appreciated!

Severus' hand twitched as he resisted the urge to grab his wand and hex the smug smirks off Ginevra's and Draco's faces. They were far too proud of themselves for their ability to expose Hermione's and Severus' disguises. When Hermione had expressed her lack of pleasure at transforming into her old self in the back of a crowded elevator, all Ginevra did was snicker and say, "All's fair in love and war."

Hermione rolled her eyes but said no more. Severus wasn't so quick to concede their points, reminding them that he was their family, and families did not expose each other's secrets. In response, Draco said, "Tell that to half the Slytherin house."

Severus could offer no counterargument, save that of silence.

Over the next few months, Severus' change in demeanor was noticeable. On several occasions, Ricardo told Severus that he was happier and more at peace with the world. Although Severus accused him of spending too much time watching nineties rom-coms and was getting too many unrealistic fantasies from them, he couldn't deny that life with Hermione was far more pleasant than life without her.

Life got much more interesting when Severus and Hermione saw Whipping Winona's act. Even Severus admitted that she had found some unique ways to use a black cape, and the tease with the black frock coat was intriguing. Although Severus wasn't as athletic or flexible as Whipping Winona, he did find several more uses for his cape and robes, some of which Joseph had never considered.

Only Hermione would ever know about those creative uses only Severus had dreamed up.

One night while using the cape, Severus waited until Hermione was at her limit. Just as her body was shuddering and she was letting out a few whines, he bent down and whispered into her ear, "Move in with me."

Her eyes grew wide as her heart raced.

"Please," he purred, knowing she was putty in his hands when he spoke to her that way. "Please move in with me."

"Haven't I moved in already?" Hermione was beginning to sweat. She was trying so hard to be a good girl, but both of them were reaching their limits. "Half of my belongings are here, including all of my hair products. You've said several times everything you have is mine."

"It is," he purred. "But I want everything that is yours to be mine."

"It already is."

"Is it?"

"Yes." It was clear she wouldn't last much longer, nor would he.

"You still have your house," he purred and kissed her cheek.

She squeaked and nodded.

"Your house is distressing me," he continued. "Some nights, I go to bed alone and wake up without you. It is distressing me to no end. If you moved in, these events would never occur."

"They wouldn't." Her breathing increased.

"Then please make it official." He brushed his lips against hers. "Please move in with me."

"I will," she whispered.

"You will?" He continued to tease her with his cape.

"Yes, I will! I'll do whatever you want so long as you stop teasing me and finish what you've started!"

He didn't need to be asked twice.

Viva Las Vegas!

"You know," Hermione taped the last of her boxes shut. "I think I'm going to miss Melonie's Elvis marathons."

"You are?" Severus raised an eyebrow.

"Yes," she admitted. "As much as I complain about Melonie, she's far from the worst neighbor in the world, and she is an excellent friend. I may not always appreciate her loud music, but I've grown so accustomed to it I think I'll miss it."

How I wish that there were more! Than the 24 hours in the day! And even if there were 40 more! I wouldn't sleep a minute away!

"Then again." Hermione winced upon hearing a male's voice join Melonie's. "Her husband hasn't taken vocal lessons and won't read the same books she has. He could benefit from doing both."

"Indeed he could," Severus noted.

Oh, there's blackjack, and poker, and the roulette wheel! A fortune won and lost on every deal!

"That whole thing is odd, though."

"What thing?"

"Melonie's and her husband's marriage. Why would anyone want to marry in a wedding chapel?" He asked.

"I wouldn't mind marrying in a wedding chapel," Hermione put her tape away.

"You wouldn't?"

"No, I've always wanted a small wedding with just my parents, a few friends, and maybe an Elvis impersonator."

"You want to be married by an Elvis impersonator?"

Viva Las Vegas turnin' day into nighttime! And turnin' night into daytime! If you see it once, you'll never be the same again!

"Okay, the Elvis impersonator may be too much." Hermione stood. "But I wouldn't mind one in attendance."

"Why?"

"Elvis is synonymous with Vegas, and I've been listening to Elvis almost since the day I've moved here. I have a soft spot for him now."

"I suppose I can understand the sentimental appeal." He took her hand. "Are you ready to leave?"

She glanced around before her eyes fell on Severus. Then, she shrank the box and put it in her pocket. "I am."

"Good." He pulled her closer. "Because I've been waiting years for the day you moved in with me."

"Years? We've only been dating for six months."

"Yes, but you've been gracing my kitchen for almost a decade. Each time you left, I counted the minutes until you returned." He brushed his lips against hers. "Even when I wouldn't admit my feelings to myself, I wanted, no needed, you in my house as my long-term partner."

"Funny, because leaving your house grew harder every day." She kissed his cheek. "It's been unbearable coming home alone these last few years. I've wanted you with me every morning and every night for the last decade, even if I wouldn't admit it to myself."

"Then why are we wasting another second here when we could be celebrating the fact that we finally have what we've always wanted?"

"I don't know."

Viva Las Vegas! Viva Las Vegas!

With that, they apparated away.

Viva Las Vegas! Viva Viva Las Vegas!

"It's lovely to be here as ourselves instead of as other people." Hermione smiled as she leaned forward.

Goosebumps raced up her arms, her purple sleeveless dress providing little warmth. When amongst wizards, Severus and Hermione continued to wear long sleeves. Amongst muggles, though, they wore short sleeves. Granted, Hermione wore short sleeves more often than Severus did. He still had an image as a stern store owner to project, one he refused to relinquish. Still, if he wasn't wearing short sleeves amongst muggles, he was wearing one of those black muggle suits, which drove her wild.

"Indeed it is." Severus's grin was more forced than usual, the usual light in his eyes gone. "It is lovely to be with you in such a fine establishment."

Hermione's stomach sank. In the six months since she'd moved in, she thought things had been going well between them. Sure, she and Severus had their spats over who would do laundry or whether or not to get a feline, but overall she was pleased with her life. Was he not as happy as he'd led her to believe he was?

Tonight he wore her favorite suit, claiming he wanted to be as attractive as possible for her, but something was not right. Over the last week, he'd been quieter and more distant than usual. Last night, he'd lost more poker games than usual. When asked if he was feeling well, he shrugged and claimed to be tired. When she pointed out that it was only nine, he made some excuse about an unruly customer and locked himself in his study for an hour. While he kissed her goodnight, it lacked the usual passion.

Still, things had been going well. They adopted a black half-kneazle kitten they named Penelope two months ago. Wasn't that proof that he intended to remain with her forever, or had he reconsidered his position?

What if he had brought her here because he wanted her to have a wonderful experience before telling her she had thirty days to vacate his house? Was there anything she could do to convince him to give them another chance? What was she doing wrong, and how could they work through it?

"Severus?"

He hummed.

Her voice was barely above a whisper. "Are you well?"

"I am more than well." He tugged at his collar.

The waiter put their drinks in front of them. Then, she put a black box on the table and strolled away.

"Huh?" Hermione glanced at the box. "I didn't think our drinks came with anything."

"Mine doesn't, but yours does," he answered.

She quirked an eyebrow.

"Hermione." He stood and picked up the box. "This last year has been the happiest year of my life. You are the kindest, most brilliant, and most witty witch I have ever met. I love everything about being your partner. It is my fondest wish that I remain by your side forever."

"I want that too." Her heart raced, wondering what kind of speech this was.

"I could spend all evening prattling on about how I spend half the day in my apothecary wondering what you're doing, yearning to be with you, and rushing over to discuss my latest potions theory with you. The happiest part of my workday is during my lunch break when I see you."

She relaxed. "That's the happiest part of my workday too."

"I love apparating home with you, playing poker with you, drinking piña coladas with you well into the evening, falling asleep in your arms, and waking up to do it all again." His eyes glistened. "I love everything about you and the life we have together."

"I do too." A tear came to her eyes. "I wouldn't want to spend my days with anyone other than you."

"You also know who I am," he continued. "I am myself, and only myself, around you. You are yourself, and only yourself, around me. Every day, you give me all of you. That is the most valuable gift anyone has ever given me."

"It's more valuable to me than you'll ever know, too," she answered. "You know and love me for who I am. You see my scars as marks of survival, not as a sign I am too broken to love someone. You give me yourself every day. I love you for it."

"Then." He took the box and fell on one knee. "Will you marry me? Will you, the woman I love for who she is, the woman I have loved even when I've been afraid to speak the words, the woman I will love for eternity, marry me?"

"Yes." Years ago, she had promised herself she wouldn't cry if any man proposed to her. Yet, she couldn't stop the tears from falling. "Yes, I will marry you."

"You will?" He couldn't hide his surprise.

"I will." She flung herself into his arms, almost knocking the ring out of his hands. After he regained his balance, she pressed her lips against his. With a sigh, he put it on her finger, both ignoring the applause that came from the rest of the restaurant.

The ring appeared exactly as it had in her dream.

His voice was soft. "I do not know if this is the type of engagement ring you envisioned. It is a Prince family heirloom, one of the few that has survived my father pawning everything in sight to pay for his next bottle of liquor. If you do not like it, we can go to the store and buy one to your liking."

"I love it." She looked at it. "I can't envision myself wearing anything else."

"You can't?"

"I don't want to wear anything else," she choked. "I love it, just as I love you."

"I love you too." He embraced her once more and captured her lips, eliciting more applause from those around them.

It was the most amazing night she'd ever spent in Vegas.

Somehow, Severus managed to talk Hermione out of being married by an Elvis impersonator. Instead, they agreed to be married at The Glass Gardens with a proper minister provided by the venue. In attendance were Hermione's parents, Ginevra, Draco, their two-year-old son Scorpius, Lucius, Narcissa, Ricardo, Joseph, Melonie, and her husband, who was kind enough to dress as Elvis. The only annoyance was a fly buzzing at the beginning of the ceremony. Fortunately, an employee was able to swat it down so the ceremony could proceed.

In an unrelated event, Rita was found in a Las Vegas hospital with several bruises and multiple broken bones.

A few times, Hermione commented on the beauty of the flowers. Severus nodded, only taking notice of her. The flowers surrounding them were plants he could see a thousand other places at a thousand different times. There was only one place and time where Hermione would go from being his fiancée to his wife. He wanted to savor that moment in all its glory.

When he kissed her, he knew she would never abandon him. Together they would grow, nurturing their devotion to each other every day. At long last, he had discovered the love he had yearned for all his life. Someone loved him for who he was, and she was perfect for him in every way.

He had never been happier in his life.

"Severus?"

He glanced up from the shirts he was packing in his suitcase.

"Would you like to play strip poker?" Hermione had a mischievous gleam in her eyes as she stepped out of their bathroom.

"You want to play strip poker on your wedding night?" He quirked an eyebrow.

"Why not?" She stepped closer to him, her mermaid wedding dress exposing her curves. "As I recall, you enjoy the game very much."

"Most nights I do." He stepped closer to her. "But tonight, I want to savor you."

"Oh?"

"Indeed." He held her closer. "I have waited all my life to enjoy my wedding night. I intend to cherish every moment of it and bring as much pleasure to you as possible."

She hummed and shuddered as he kissed her jawline and rubbed her back.

"Now when we get into our hotel room in Puerto Rico tomorrow," he purred in her ear, reveling in her body's reactions, "I packed a deck of cards. We can play strip poker to your heart's content."

"You want to go to Puerto Rico to play strip poker?" She gasped as Severus kissed up and down her neck.

"Oh, we'll do other things, like see the birthplace of the piña colada, see a bioluminescent bay, and tour Old San Juan," he answered before brushing his lips against hers. "Still, we will have downtime. During that time, I am amenable to playing strip poker."

"I am too," she breathed.

"In the meantime." He kissed her neck again, "I want to enjoy the first night of being your husband."

"I want to enjoy the first night of being your wife," she sighed.

He captured her lips once more.

She broke away, "Please get out your cape. I have some ideas for how it can be used to celebrate the occasion."

He smirked. "Your wish is my command."

With that, they began their lives as Mr. and Mrs. Snape.

Why was Hermione so sick?

In the four and a half years they'd been married, Hermione had not so much as caught a cold. Now, she was hunched over the toilet every morning and complaining of aches and pains in odd places. Severus pleaded with her to see a healer. At first, she'd been reluctant, insisting that her body would return to normal with time. After days of pleading with her to see someone, she finally admitted that seeing a healer was necessary.

The fact that she'd smiled as she made the announcement concerned Severus. Still, he brushed it off as her being too optimistic about her circumstances. Perhaps she had read about some mild ailment that could be treated with a simple potion. If that were the case, he would relax and allow the healer to treat her.

"Please don't put any alcohol in the piña colada tonight," Hermione began as she sat at the table.

Severus turned to her and twisted his lips.

"It won't settle, not tonight. In fact," she grinned, "it won't settle right with me for the next few months."

"Very well then," he drawled, wondering why she was so happy about not being able to drink her favorite beverage.

"Just," she sat up straighter. "Just trust me and don't put in any alcohol tonight."

"I suppose it would be better for your stomach if you abstained from drinking," he admitted before mixing the drink without any alcohol. "It probably wouldn't kill me not to have alcohol in my beverage either. I do not want to be the kind of husband who must have alcohol even when his wife abstains from it."

"Thank you," she shouted over the roar of the blender.

Severus mixed her drink and put it in a glass. Then, he gave it to her. When she took it, her eyes glistened as they never had before. For someone who was so ill that morning, she was ecstatic.

It was all so baffling.

As he poured his own drink, he couldn't help but notice his own dark mark. For years, he and Hermione only wore short sleeves inside. There was no need to hide anything from each other, not after everything they'd been through. Both were shocked at how much lower their electric bill was. Although he still wore his robes in public, even amongst wizards, Hermione was becoming bolder in exposing her arms. It warmed Severus' heart to see her gain such confidence.

"What shall we toast to?" He stepped over to the table and raised his own glass.

She raised her glass. "Our baby."

His eyes grew wide while her lips curled up.

"Our..." He gulped, "Our baby?"

She nodded and set her drink on the table.

"When..." he set his glass down and kept his eyes on the test. "When did you find out you were pregnant?"

"When you started discussing seeing a healer, I decided to look up the causes of nausea and the kind of aches I'd been experiencing. My symptoms didn't seem right with the flu, but they did seem in line with other conditions. Once I realized how well my symptoms matched up with pregnancy, I decided to take the test, just to be sure." She pulled out a muggle pregnancy test from her jeans pocket. Then, she placed it on the table. "In nine months, we'll have another person joining us at our poker games."

"Oh Hermione!" He rushed into her arms, almost causing her favorite glass to fall off the table. "We're having a baby?"

"We are!" She kissed him on the lips.

"Oh Merlin," he breathed, "You need to start a regiment of antenatal potions. I need to make sure you are getting all the proper nutrients, that you're eating healthy and drinking enough water, and all our alcohol," he glanced behind him, "We have to throw it all out."

"We do?" She cocked her head.

"Yes, I promised myself that my children would never see me drink. I don't want my child growing up with an alcoholic father. No, they will have better than I did, much better than I ever could've dreamed of."

"I know they will," she relaxed. "If I didn't believe that, I never would've had a child with you."

"I know we wanted this; we said we wouldn't try to prevent conception, but..." He looked at her pelvis and replied with all the awe in him. "Hermione, you're having our baby."

"I am." Tears came to her eyes.

He crashed his lips into hers. Even if he'd only known about his child for a few minutes, he loved them so much, more than words could ever express.

At long last, he had created something pure.

Watching Hermione's body change was one of the greatest joys in Severus' life. While she often complained about her swollen ankles and her aching back, he was in awe of how gracefully she carried herself. To show his gratitude for the sacrifices she was making in carrying their child, he created piña colada mixes that did not contain alcohol. There was one Hermione admitted was better than any he'd created with rum. Thus, they settled on that recipe, both pleased they could share their love of mixology with their child.

Every day, he made sure she knew she was the most beautiful woman he'd seen. Every night, he showed her just how much he cared, whether it was reading to her, massaging her back, or making love to her until she knew she was the sexiest woman he'd ever seen.

Of course he showed their child that he loved them. Every day, he would put his hand on Hermione's pelvis and speak to the baby. The more he spoke to them, the stronger their connection grew. Although he feared what kind of father he'd be, he trusted Hermione to guide him. If his child was patient, he would learn to be a good parent. That he could promise.

So it was that nine months after Hermione announced her pregnancy, Rose Sierra Snape was born.

Severus walked in on Hermione nursing their daughter in the living room. At four months old, Rose was proving to be a curious child. Every day, she found some new way to capture her parents' hearts. Even Penelope was growing a begrudging fondness for the child. Each day, Severus gave the feline extra treats to ensure she always felt special.

"Say hello to Daddy," Hermione cooed as Rose suckled.

The child glanced up at her father and gave him something resembling a smile. Then, she resumed her feeding.

"Hello, Rose." He sat beside Hermione on the sofa before kissing his daughter on the cheek.

"I apologize if I woke you up." Hermione shook her head. "I was hoping you could get a little more rest. Merlin knows you need it before the big 4th of July Sale."

"A sale isn't important. Right now, I need to be with you and Rose." He kissed her lips.

She exhaled as she continued nursing their daughter.

"I never thought I'd be this happy," Severus began in a soft voice. "When I moved to Las Vegas, I never expected to find a family. I thought I'd be content to live alone for the rest of my days. When you moved to Las Vegas, you changed everything. Living alone was no longer remotely appealing. All I wanted to do was be with you. I love you more each day for showing me how happy I could be with a partner."

"I never thought anyone would love me for who I was," Hermione admitted. "I thought nobody could look beyond my past to see who I had become. Then we began playing cards, and I found someone who understood me even when nobody else did. Every day I am thankful every day that you love me for who I am."

"I am grateful that you love me for who I am." Severus' lips met hers.

In the heat of the desert, Hermione and Severus had found an oasis of love. For the first time, they were accepted and loved for who they were. With Rose, they had the family they had always yearned for.

All because they both enjoyed a good piña colada.

AN: It's hard to believe we're at the end of the story! It's always bittersweet to end a story, but it is nice to be over the depression that sparked this story. Hopefully you had as much fun reading it as I did writing it!

I have written a new story, and plan to start posting on Monday! It is a challenge I gave myself, namely take an old, unfinished fanfiction that I had discarded and revise it into something I wanted to share. I found one of the stories I wrote for another fandom that I never posted (for very good reason), and decided I liked the premise enough to revise it. Hopefully, you will enjoy it!

In the meantime, thank you so much for all your support! Whether you wrote a comment, left a kudos, or just read, I appreciate all your support! You make posting here so much fun, and such a rewarding experience! Have a wonderful weekend and stay awesome!