"Why is he here?"

Ronald asked the question as he took his spot at the table. His birthday was on a Monday this year so his mother had planned his party for the Saturday before. Ronald had left auror training at this point and was helping George at the shop until he got a tryout on a quidditch team. He was hoping for Chudley, but if Hermione knew anything about Ron (which Severus presumed she did) he'd take whatever team would have him.

Molly had come to Hogwarts and personally invited them and thought that a group dinner like today would be the best way to attempt to break the ice and repair the void. She'd actually apologized to Hermione for the howlers she'd sent. If she hadn't apologized for them, Hermione would not have agreed to come. Hermione did still consider Ginny her friend so she didn't want to be on bad terms with the matriarch of the family her best friend was marrying into.

Severus and Hermione had waited until the last minute to arrive, for exactly just this reason. He'd known their presence together, for the first time publicly with their marital status being known, would cause some abrasion. He was here because she wanted to try to repair their friendship if she could and she'd asked him to. He would've stayed home otherwise.

"Well, Ronald, if you hadn't wished us married he likely wouldn't be here. As he's my husband where I go, he goes. That's how marriage works."

He blanched at that.

"Ronald Bilius Weasley, you be polite to your guests. All of them," Molly said from behind him.

"Yes, mum," he muttered but he clearly wasn't pleased.

Severus had no desire to be here. The only reason he'd agreed was because Hermione pointed out after his initial negative response about coming how uncomfortable his presence would make Ron. Childish and petty, perhaps, but it was what it was. And, even better, she'd been correct.

Severus held Hermione's chair for her while she sat and then draped his arm around the back of it once he'd taken his spot next to her. To say the pre-dinner festivities had been awkward was an understatement but wands hadn't been drawn.

"It looks delicious, Molly," Severus said.

"All of Ron's favorites," she said.

"Of course, I'd expect no less," he said.

He found some strands of Hermione's hair, taking a few of the curls she found troublesome but he found an entity in and of themselves between his thumb and forefinger gently. She smiled at him and he nodded.

"Have you heard from the professor at Harvard?" Harry asked. Severus nodded slightly, grateful for the life preserver Potter threw them in an effort to make things not so uncomfortable. Professor Culstee was just that thing.

"We have not."

Severus and Hermione had been in contact with a professor of Archeology and Anthropology at Harvard whom Severus knew was magical. The professor had agreed to research the artifact in question.

"We've met with Professor Culstee twice, but to this point he hasn't found anything much."

"He thinks he might, though," Arthur asked.

Arthur for his part found the idea of Professor Culstee fascinating and asked Hermione (discreetly) if she thought the professor would meet with him one day. The idea of talking with someone who had researched so much muggle history was fascinating to him. Severus had passed the interest along to Professor Culstee who had said the next time he was in London he would be sure to let them know in advance so that a meeting with Arthur could be arranged.

"Yes. Our concern is primarily how literal the artifact is. As a handful of children were wished upon us, is that absolute? Will that wish render charms and potions ineffective? Can we stop at two, or will not fulfilling that affect us negatively? Of course, if we only have two then we would have to strongly caution our children for the entirety of their lives really so that they don't produce a dozen children each."

Ron blanched again at the glare Severus bestowed upon the young wizard.

"As the professor is Native American he believes he will be able to make some headway where others would not. The artifact is obviously dark in nature and he's not sure who he knows that may have that knowledge. We understand that, as frustrating as it may be to the researchers in us. My main concern is harm falling to Hermione somehow. She is using muggle contraception, but I am aware long-term those can have side effects so it is not ideal for the rest of her child-bearing life."

"Do we have to hear about you two trying to avoid producing children?"

"You wished it upon us, Mr. Weasley. So I'm sorry if hearing about the consequences of such things makes you … uncomfortable."

Molly took the opportunity to slap Ron on the back of the head.

"Really, Ronald," she said.

"I said I was sorry! I didn't know!"

"You were in the hideout of a Death Eater, Mr. Weasley. One should assume anything present is dark in nature."

Severus had never endeavored to train to be an auror nor had he any interest in doing so, however, he thought it went without saying that evil beings liked to surround themselves with evil things.

Severus doubted anyone but he was aware that Ronald was very strenuously encouraged to leave his auror training. Certainly no one at this table was aware of that fact. Hermione might suspect, as it was Severus who had told her he was leaving his auror position, but she hadn't asked what he'd done and he hadn't volunteered the information. He hadn't really done anything for that matter.

This artifact wasn't going to bring about Armageddon but what if he'd wished Hermione dead? Kingsley had argued with Severus about reassigning Ron to a different area, but both wizards knew ultimately he'd come across a situation like this again where his emotions could result in something bad happening. 

Severus truly hadn't enjoyed playing that card, but he believed he had some expertise in judging whether people were going to pan out in a job that required objectivity and leaving their personal lives at the door.

Leighton Culstee seemed to believe that muggle contraceptives would work for them. Much as Hermione had already hypothesized, the artifact had been created and bespelled likely long before that was even such a thing. Severus knew Hermione had been taking the muggle oral contraceptive pill since his birthday sometime. To this point they hadn't gotten to the point of testing its efficacy against the wish. Truly, as frustrated as he got some mornings, he was enjoying getting to know his wife, and for the first time in his life letting someone in.

He liked to think they were building something that would lead to a century or more of happiness between not just them but their children (however many they ended up having). The closer they got the more certain he was that the physical aspect would reach the ultimate goal sooner rather than later. It had been some time since he'd had any experiences with witches.

Those experiences paled in comparison to Hermione, though. The witches (as few in number as they had been) hadn't wanted to be with him. This witch, though, wanted to be with him. He felt it in her touch as her fingers explored the planes of his chest and shoulders nightly as they kissed. He knew when it happened it would be well worth the wait. In the meantime, giving her pleasure in less physical ways was not a hardship. He'd learned that he could, in fact, kiss someone for hours and not find it a waste of his time.

Who knew?

He knew also that Kingsley was aware their marriage had to date not been consummated. The certificate he was holding to prevent the wrong witch or wizard from finding it had not turned the gold it would once that occurred. The Minister of Magic had not challenged nor expressed concern to which Severus was grateful. Rushing his witch into a physical relationship was not what he wanted to do.

"Ginny says she can see your quarters now, Professor Snape," George said. "Is that true?"

Ah yes, leave it to one of the pranksters to focus on this turn of events. He had no doubt George Weasley would have made it his personal goal to attempt to foil Severus' wards if the entrance to his quarters had been visible during the twins' tenure at Hogwarts. "Uh, yes," he said. "The need for secrecy and protection is no longer as necessary."

"And you have a Gryffindor painting guarding its entrance."

"We have a portrait that was assigned to Hermione which she has grown fond of. It is of a lion tamer and his menagerie. Isaac A. Van Amburgh is his name and to be honest he seems rather fond of my wife as well."

"But of course he is," Harry said. "She's Hermione."

"Indeed, Harry," Severus said.

"Why is he Harry and I'm still Mr. Weasley?" Ron asked.

"Harry has proven himself to be a wizard I know would protect my wife if I were unable to do so. You have done no such thing."

"How?"

"That is none of your business," he said quickly.

Ron huffed.

"How are your NEWT studies going, Miss Weasley?" Severus asked the youngest red-headed Weasley.

"Oh, very well. I still can't believe Hermione managed to sit them after being on the run for so long. I'm stressed enough and I've been able to study every day for months."

"Oh, she still studied," Ron said with a roll of his eyes.

"And that would be why she's a charms apprentice, Mr. Weasley and you are employed by your brother at a joke shop."

"Severus," Hermione said.

"I will not have him talk as if your intellect and desire for knowledge is a hindrance or unusual."

"You sure did act like it when she was your student."

"I did not enjoy her answering questions instead of letting the rest of the class actually need to do their reading assignments or the fact I'd ask for a foot on a subject and she'd give me eighteen inches. However, I did not undermine her desire for knowledge. I also, Mr. Weasley, had a role to play. Encouraging a muggleborn witch who'd been sorted into Gryffindor as Head of Slytherin house who was also best friends with my supposed master's mortal enemy. Well, I may as well have hung a sign about my person that said ‘I'm not loyal to the Dark Lord, I'm a spy'. My wife and I have discussed my treatment and behavior toward her during my time as her teacher. Clearly, as she's here with me she doesn't have issue with it so take a cue from the brains of the three of you and realize that I'm not the man you thought that I was. You insult not me, Mr. Weasley, but your friend if you think that she would take up with someone who would truly insult or demean her in such a manner. Never mind you made the wish, so in your own mind you saw me as a suitable suitor for her."

After that, the conversation while strained was somewhat normal. They moved on to opening gifts and so forth. Overall, Severus had to admit when they returned to his quarters, now their quarters, that it wasn't a terrible day. They'd been invited to stay and he knew if he'd felt at all comfortable doing so Hermione would have. He was not there yet. One day, perhaps, but it would take more than one decent outing to make him comfortable enough to sleep in someone else's home.

"I played nice. Do I get my reward now?"

"Mm. And that would be?"

"I have no rounds tonight."

"Oh?"

"Indeed," he said, closing the distance between them. He took her hand, which she clasped tightly after lacing her fingers through his. "I was thinking of you in that green nightshirt I bought for you."

"Okay."

"And nothing else," he whispered, finding her lips for a kiss.

"That could be arranged," she murmured when they parted.

"And my mouth put to much better use."

"That implies kissing you is not satisfying."

"I can't make you come undone with a kiss."

She giggled. "Shows what you know, Master Snape. You can make me come undone just by talking to me."

"Not as enjoyable."

"No?"

"No."

"Well, then, do I really need the nightshirt?"

He swallowed. She'd never been completely nude in their bed. The nightshirt might have been the only thing she wore and it may have come unbuttoned but it had always remained, in reality, on.

"I've left you speechless it seems. A day to mark down on my calendar, for sure. I'll do the honors then," she said, wandlessly removing her clothes before taking herself to their bed.

"Oh, and Severus," she said once she was in bed, the covers pooling invitingly over her figure.

"Yes?"

She eyed him then and he couldn't deny the feeling of not just arousal but pride that washed through him that this witch looked at him in such a manner. He felt parts of him twitch as her eyes found the area those parts were currently contained.

"I don't want your mouth to be what makes me come undone tonight."

"Hermione," he said, not sure he was hearing her right. He had not pushed and had let her set the pace almost entirely when it came to their physical relationship.

"If you stand there thinking too hard about it I may take that to mean you're not interested and change my mind."

He shed his clothes then in the same manner she had, joining her at the bed. She drew the covers back on his side (closest to the door, of course).

"Well? Are you going to help me make that piece of parchment Kingsley has change to gold or not?"

"Multiple times if I have any say in the matter."

"Mm, that is a most impressive goal."

He joined her in bed, hoping for very little actual sleep this night.

Story ©Susan Matthews/APCKRFAN/PhantomRoses.com