Disclaimer:

Severus Snape is still sitting by me, and poking fun at my inadequate English, but he won't try his hands in writing. I don't know how Rita Skeeter managed to write all those novels… Oh? Am I not supposed to talk about her real name either? Shh ! Shh! then.

Chapter: 20… In a Very Flowery Wedding.

Luna looked like an angel in her white wedding dress with her soft sweet face, and her long blond tresses styled with the whitest flowers in Neville's green house. They had decided on a simple, but elegant ceremony with the friends and Hogwarts' faculties present.

Luna wanted Hermione to be her matron of honor, but she had refused. No matter how much her friends had tried, Hermione would not touch or go near anything related to the wedding. They had argued with her, but she was adamant. At one point of the heated argument they had found out that, she had some sort of Muggle Eastern world superstition, which she would not let go, would not even try to overcome it.

Her misguided mind believed that as a widow, her presence would bring the newly wed bad luck. Everyone was shocked that she would believe such a bullock, and not participate. Neville and Luna both said, "We will take the chance Hermione, you must stop this nonsense."

"I can't, you have to understand-I have read about it-large portion of Muggles who lived in the east, abide by it-however derogatory it is-I can't -not after knowing about it, you see; if anything bad happened to either one of you-I would blame myself for it all my life."

"Something could always happen, that won't be your fault. We are mortal after all," said her friends who had read lesser than she did, but apparently proved them wiser than she was.

Then she said, "I would go to your wedding but stay far enough to be on the safe side."

Nobody wanted to listen to her, Harry even threatened to 'tell Snape' about it, which made her angrier, and she threatened to boycott the wedding as a response.

So there she was, not speaking to Harry at the moment, standing far away from everyone. She had come with Severus, but once there she had wondered off with the feeble excuse of 'needing to be excused for a bit'.

Severus did not know what happened behind the curtain of this union, so he was expecting her back to her seat by him any moment. He was surprised not to see her with Mrs. Potter by the bride. His eyes had searched for her while the ceremony was going on, to stop where she was standing. She was looking at the Mr. and soon to be Mrs. Longbottom, smiling happily-all by herself. That puzzled him momentarily, but the more he looked at her, the more he became mesmerized by her.

'She is beautiful' he thought, and then corrected himself, 'breathtaking to be precise.' But why was she standing over there alone? Shouldn't she be with him! He looked back at the wedding following her gaze. The bride and groom looked … All right… Overly flowery and equally too cheerful for his taste-but happy, no doubt.

There was unmistakably worlds of joy present in new Mrs. Longbottom's large dreamy eyes. He looked back at Hermione again-he had seen that exact look on her eyes on her wedding picture with Weasley, the night he stormed off from her office and found out, he was in love with her. He did not remember seeing it in her eyes anymore.

Could he bring that light, that joy back in her eyes? In his mind, he pictured her in white with flowers in her wild hair, smiling up to him with her face lit up in joy and love for him. He found out liking that image, loving it actually. Yes, that look on her face would be worth to die a thousand deaths.

Hermione looked at him sensing his gaze, and waved happily, which he acknowledged by nodding lightly with a hint of smile in his eyes, only for her to see.

Everyone was mingling and congratulating the couple, Severus had his eyes only for his witch, not his yet-if one chooses to be that precise about it, but he had planned to rectify that little…

"Hermione." he had reached where she was standing.

"Hello,Severus. Beautiful, isn't it? She looked like an angel."

"Breathtaking actually, I had caught myself hardly breathing every time I'd looked at you." His deep seductive purr reminded her of melted dark chocolate; Hermione shivered unintentionally at the intensity of his fixated gaze on her face, and blushed prettily at his complement-"Severus!"

Severus' plan went out of the proverbial window faster than the latest edition of Harry Potter's broom collection. Looking at her blush, he had even forgotten the speech he had prepared on his way there from his seat, Severus simply said,

"Marry me, Hermione."

Mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm

'Father is having better time than I am currently, with those Dementors out of the Azkaban,' thought a very bitter and depressed Draco Malfoy as he contemplated what had become of his life lately. Since he was brought back by the order, he had been miserable in every way.

Granger, he did not dare to call her Hermione, even in his mind anymore... Would never call her a Weasley-to him it was worse than calling her a Mud-blood; for what on earth did she choose... that… that… Never mind. She was all for the second chance and all that Mugglish Dumbledorian bullocks.

Potter apparently had learned his elementary Arithmetic at last, and he was desperate enough to prove it to the rest of the world by saying, "He had the second chance. Dumbledore gave him that chance in the Tower at that night, in the last battle we gave him his third and fourth chances, the Ministry and the Order let him walk away without even a slap on his ferret face-those were his fifth and sixth chances-now you are giving him his chance number 'lucky seven'…"

Draco could not help himself, "Good counting Potty Darling! Now can you say what number comes after seven?"

Granger and Snape exchanged an amused look at each other covertly, then he scowled, and she pursed her lips tightly to stop laughing out while she waved her wand at Draco silently to cast a "Silencio".

Then with products from Weasley's joke shop and Snape's private Potions collection, they made him talk about "his daddy's little organization" as eloquently as George Weasley had put it.

In exchange for his information, he would fill in the empty post in Hogwarts instead of going to Azkaban. 'Wow! Snape must have really loathed teaching if he compared it with Azkaban that way,' Draco thought.

Potter told him, "Eager to speak, weren't you Darling? Now you've got your chance."

He agreed to the condition gladly, even though he could not think of a single thing he was qualified or interested in teaching those dunderheads. However, life in Hogwarts was definitely more lucrative than that in Azkaban, and Slytherins were by nature survivors. So he sang against his father... Oh! he sang better than Fawkes ever could! He knew father would understand for he was no less Slytherin himself. He would have done the same thing to save his own skin.

Then came the surprising twist-he had to work pro bono-that would be his redemption Granger suggested. He laughed at her-at them. They really had no idea of the depth of the Malfoy fortune! Hogwarts could hardly pay him so much to do his... Oh! he wouldn't know, laundry maybe? Shoe-polish?

Draco decided to let them have their fun at their supposed victory, and signed the agreement to his voluntary service to Hogwarts without any financial outcome.

The Minister of Magic supposedly came by to visit his old friends. He happened to have the injunction to seize all Malfoy property, and to freeze all Malfoy accounts including the foreign ones, for further investigation of Mr. Lucius Malfoy's alleged Dark and seditious crimes against England, in his robe pocket. It was a good thing that he had found Mr. Draconis Malfoy there, because by serving this way the Good Minister had just saved the Ministry of the cost of owl post.

'What!'

Whoever said lightning never strikes in the same place twice should never come face to face with Draco Malfoy if he was in his right mind after uttering that total lie.

The money, the Mansions... All became out of his reach! The Headmaster had the audacity to pat him in the back, "Don't worry, Hogwarts provides meals and lodging for all its employees."

Draco asked him about what was it that he was going to teach. His godfather looked at him with those endless tunnels that he called eyes for a moment and said, "You will know about your job in due time."

As for Pansy, they made it mandatory for her, along with Draco, to take the Continuing Education course, which was currently offered by Professor Rupert Radcliff of the department of Muggle Studies to build up tolerance towards Muggles.

It was mostly about how greatly Muggles were doing with Technological magic, which was not a section of magic at all. Apparently, they had made it to the moon when Lucius was merely a boy in Hogwarts, and not a single of them knew the real use of a broomstick! Since then, they were busying themselves to conquer rest of the mysteries of the night sky-stars and all.

Silly things these Muggles, really! What was the point of diving under the deepest sea or climbing on top of the mountains or cruising deep in the jungles along with ferocious animals, and tagging, cataloging everything they could get their hands on-when they could not even brew the simplest single Potion!

'Waste of time', Draco would say, if anyone asked him, which of course, no one did. Taking twice a week of these... "Tolerant Treatment of Technology-the Muggle magic" classes made him feel awful.

He also thought it was rude for Filch to take time off to pursue other interests, which would allow him to spend more times with that mangy cat of his-how much "more time!" They were practically rivaling the Weasley twins-when the other one was alive.

Draco Malfoy, with his always-suspicious, nagging wife by his side as Mrs. Norris was with Filch, magically bound to serve the castle for redeeming his offences by replacing Filch without any sign of getting his inheritance back or receiving any payments for his service.

Pansy did not leave as promised; Merlin knew he had tried-to rid of her. He admitted his feelings for Granger in public to humiliate and ridicule his tiring wife. Perhaps, she thought it would be better punishment if she stayed, and it was.

So pansy told him that she did not think it was prudent to let him stay alone in a castle with his dream girl... Never mind the castle was filled with non-negligible amount of others, a few hundred pupil included, or the said dream girl was nose deep in her lovey-dovey relationship with his own Godfather. Instead, Pansy tagged along with him to nag continuously about how worthless he proved himself to be, how miserable her life turned out because of marrying him.

Draco knew who had pulled the string to get the inheritance out of his hands. He snarled at him, "You are my Godfather, you are supposed to protect me-not sell my soul out to the devil!"

The older man snarled back, "Your parents did that all ready, I am buying you back from the devil."

ssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssss

"Are you sure, Severus?" She looked at him with surprise in her big brown eyes, "I don't want to become your regret as a result of momentary lapse of judgment due to sudden emotional upsurge."

He entwined a ringlet, which freed itself from her loosely piled updo, in his finger before saying, "You could never become my regret even if you'd tried your best. Have I ever told you about the only thing that brought back the desire in me to wake up, even before those memories were given back to me?"

Hermione shook her head in negative, "You wanted to come back without those memories? I never knew that."

"I did." He was still playing with her hair, and looking intently in her eyes, his voice went even lower, "Your laughter, I wanted to come back for your laughter."

"But how did you know, I mean you can't possibly remember all your students' voice or laughter. How did you know that it was … I mean, how did you …"

"Recognized? Did I not tell you that at the Chateau?"

Hermione remembered he told her that he denied the fact that he liked her since she was seventeen. He saw the recognition in her eyes.

"Yes, I knew. It was my most favorite sound, music to my ears, still is."

"Severus!"

He took her hand in his, and kissed it softly, "You gave me back my life Hermione, and I want you in it, always, in every moment-for the rest of my life."

"I am in your life-marriage is not necessary for that". She looked away from him as if wanted to escape from something…Him?

"You don't want to be married to me." The statement was of sudden realization... "Not wanting to be tied up with my name-that is understandable." His mask dropped into its not so long deserted place-on his face, his eyes and voice lost their previous open sincerities.

"Don't be like that Severus. You must understand-what if it's true? What if I'm a black widow?" She was on the verge of tears.

"Spider? But what's this has to do with your animag... Hermione! you are not telling me what I am thinking you are telling me? Are you? Where is this stupid Muggle superstition coming from? "

Harry was passing by them; he stopped, and asked, "Why are you so insecure? Ask her Severus why did she missed out the entire wedding."

"No, you don't understand!"

"You are right, I truly don't." Harry shook his head, and left without looking back.

"Why exactly?" Severus was casting privacy charm over them.

"Harry won't even listen to me, see? You want to know why ? I'll tell you why... Ron would not have died so soon if he did not marry me, and tried to... to… to impress me by adopting Muggle… things." She was crying desperately, "I can not let that same thing happened to you , I can not loose you. What if something happens to you because I was selfish enough to marry you? I can't live without you."

Severus took her in his arms and said, "Silly thing! You could never be that." This definitely was his witch, no one ever would say what she did, and no one ever had. He raised her chin with one finger, and smile to her assuredly,

"You don't take away life, Hermione. You gave them… Look at the beautiful children you have, we'll have- if you let me in your life, we might have one or two… Or ten between us if you want, none if you don't... I'm not fussy."

"You free lives. Yes, I knew about your championship movement; about SPEW, even then. Your campaign had earned the house elves the right to choose, even if it was against their wishes-you were the only one offered them the same rights as us."

"You freed me, and not only from my comma-from myself."

"Weasley did not die because of you or for you, his death was Lucius' fault, and only Lucius' fault to blame… No one else's. You have that little rock of Potter's... You go ahead, and ask Ronald, he will tell you the same-you could never be bad luck for anybody."

Hermione was still crying. Very gently, Severus took a droplet from her lashes ,and examined it with open wonders in his eyes, as if he was examining a rare Potions ingredient... Smiled, and tasted it, and then lowered his mouth to her cheek for more as he murmured, "I may have loved before Hermione, it came with anger and bitterness, I have never known peace before you brought it to me."

She kissed him back full in the mouth, and said, "Ask me again Severus."

He did. He looked into her puffy red eyes and blotchy red face, and all the thoughts of Slytherin subtlety, all the sonnets he ever recited equally escaped him once again, "Be mine Hermione, make me yours for the rest of my life."

"Let's go Severus." It was not the answer he was expecting from her. She lifted the ward.

"Go where, exactly?"

"Over there." She pointed to the stage, "Almost everyone I would want to be here is here, the Priest is here, we are here-let's go get married, of course."

"Are you sure? You don't want a big wedding of your own? Lots of flowers? Big celebration with too-cheery, bubblegum-pink bridesmaid? Wouldn't you rather speak to the children first? Your parents?"

"Getting cold feet?"

"Me? Never."

"I don't want anything, but to be with you forever too, Severus."

"And the children already know." They startled at the cheery voice of Rose, Hugo and Scorpius.

hhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh

Hermione pulled him towards the stage by passing Neville, who had no plan to ever let go of Luna's lips. She said, "I have an announcement to make. May I have your attention, please? Thank you. Hi, everyone! We are getting married next-Severus and I."

Harry jumped up, and hugged his best friend, rest of the Gryffindors followed his suit. Fleur asked Hermione "When?" George whistled, and said "It's about time, Snape!"

Snape replied "I believe, you are correct Mr. Weasley". Then turned to the priest, and said, "You heard the man-let's get on with it."

"You don't mean now!" indignation came in unison from the crowd.

"We do!" They too answered in unison.

ShshshshshshshshshshshshshshshshshshshshshshshshshshshshshshshshshshshshshshshshshshshshshshshshshshshshshshshshshshshshshshshshshshshshshshshshshshshshshshshshsH

A "Really Unnecessary" Epilogue:

Hermione had become Mrs. Snape for the rest of her life with Minerva's transfigured napkin rings as her wedding band as did her husband. They later replaced those with real rings, but kept the original ones in the memory box. She had a platinum snake with a diamond for its body and emeralds for its eyes,and Severus had the exact same band only his snake had sapphires for its eyes. He was all for inner house collaboration, but thought he had enough of red-eyed snake to last him a lifetime, thank you very much.

With four children, only two of them are biologically Severus'-but one would be hard pressed to guess which ones by the way their father had spoiled them rotten. Hermione some times thought George might have been stricter father to Annabelle, than Severus would ever be to their children.

Any way, with four children and a devoted husband Hermione lived in a magical Castle for the rest of her life-happily ever after.

How?

That's another story.

A .N.:

Thanks to everyone who were patient enough for my grammatical errors. Thanks to all my reviewers and whoever put this story on their fav. list...

OUCH! Honestly, Severus, you must find a better writer than I ever would be to write the…!

The writer blushed as SS winked, and raised one extremely sexy eyebrow.

Oh! Severus thought that with patience like this, you would have made excellent Potions students, no adequate? What "adequate!" You said "excellent" Severus! Yes you did!

Of course you did.

Did too!

Did.

Hey, no one will take your story seriously if you kept on arguing with the writer. And by the way,

You did.